SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ten thoughts on Notre Dame’s 28-3 victory over Miami (Ohio), but mostly some extra insights from Chuck Martin’s program after going all-access with the RedHawks last week.
1. Last week I spent three days in Oxford, Ohio, to tell the kind of story I’ve wanted to tell since joining The Athletic seven years ago. Thanks to Martin and the RedHawks for welcoming this reporter into their building, film sessions, team meetings, practice, late nights, etc. If you haven’t read the story that came from that reporting, which continued into the Miami locker room before and after Notre Dame’s 28-3 victory, you can check it out here.
And yes, there was a lot more to come from those days in Oxford, an evening at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City for team meetings and finally inside Notre Dame Stadium before and after the game.
There was no better way to learn about Notre Dame than to have the lesson taught by other college football coaches.
2. It’s hard to look at Riley Leonard through another staff’s eyes and not wonder how Notre Dame got here. The Irish have one of the worst passing offenses in the country and opponents want Leonard to pass. That’s not why you get a big-money quarterback out of the portal. The word is out on Leonard. He doesn’t get through his first read. He gets flustered by pressure. The Miami staff looked through Notre Dame and LSU tape to find routes when it might be able to bait Leonard into a pick. Those plays never showed on Saturday, but Miami worked them.
During film study last Sunday a Miami assistant asked me, “He has zero touchdown passes? Is that true?” Leonard’s (in)ability to pass doesn’t add up for opponents, either.
3. After practice on Tuesday, Martin’s message included telling his receivers that “Notre Dame doesn’t get called for pass interference at home” and to be prepared to get grabbed and clutched by the Irish defensive backs. Martin was right, which was obvious when Adon Shuler grabbed hold of running back Kevin Davis on fourth down, which made it impossible for Davis to catch Brett Gabbert’s throw.
Physicality isn’t a trait that gets mentioned in pass coverage much, but Notre Dame has it. Defensive coordinator Al Golden will trade a couple of pass interference calls — the Irish got dinged in the second half — for the Irish secondary shoving opponents in a phone booth.
4. Miami’s staff probably thought more highly of Notre Dame’s offensive line than anyone else in the stadium. Said defensive coordinator Bill Brechin: “Notre Dame’s offensive line is good. But it’s not as good as in the past. I don’t see a (Mike) McGlinchey or a (Sam) Mustipher. But they’re still moving Purdue’s defensive line and displacing the hell out of them.”
Notre Dame ran for 270 yards. It allowed one sack, but much of this season’s pressures have been down to the quarterback holding onto the ball too long. As Brechin said, there’s no McGlinchey or Mustipher out there, but the group is getting better.
Still, Miami went into the game believing Anthonie Knapp was a protection liability at left tackle. The RedHawks were also suspect of Sam Pendleton at guard.
5. Another sidebar with Martin, who is as hilarious now as he was during his four years at Notre Dame. When NIU’s third down spot in the fourth quarter pops on film, the one where NIU was clearly past the first down marker but spotted two yards short to force a field goal, the Miami staff howled in the meeting room.
“That spot against Northern was a joke and that’s from a Notre Dame fan,” Martin said. “I promise you the ref’s last name was O’Reilly.”
Later, Martin joked that the official was actually named “Father O’Malley.”
6. It was interesting to hear the Miami staff disagree on a Notre Dame player while going over film. Former Irish defensive back Robert Blanton watched Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed and saw a tackling liability. Martin saw a disruptor, one who could make a play even when missing a tackle because it threw off the running back. Blanton later agreed with his head coach. It was a reminder that player evaluation can be subjective.
7. Ever wonder what a head coach taking accountability looks like? Me too, because we only hear it in news conferences, not see it in locker rooms or meeting rooms. But last week I did.
During Miami’s team meeting on Sunday, Martin laid into the RedHawks for getting caught up in their own expectations, complaining about play calls, and harping about the offense. Then Martin said he screwed up by getting a call in late, which led to a delay of game penalty. Martin also admitted he should have called a swap route concept in the red zone but had a brain lock. When Brechin led the defensive corrections, he pointed out how he messed up a personnel grouping at the goal line when Miami got stuck in nickel.
Miami’s staff coaches its roster hard. But before it does, the coaches took the blame in front of their players.
8. In the highly polished world of modern college football, Martin is a reminder it doesn’t have to be that way. The Miami team auditorium lacks any signage or slogans because as Martin put it, “If you have to put it on the walls, you’re not living it.” The walls are basically blank.
As for Martin’s office, he’s not much for nostalgia or souvenirs. The space overlooking Miami’s football stadium probably won’t pop up in any photo shoots. There are a few pictures, but most of the walls are blank. The whiteboard in his office had “Beat BGSU” written on it by Martin’s daughter Emma, a junior at Miami.
The RedHawks played Bowling Green last October.
But there was one sacred item in Martin’s office, a signed football by Ara Parseghian, which Martin got after Miami became the first college program to start 0-6 but finish 6-0, which was enough to win the East Division of the MAC. Martin considers Parseghian a bit of an idol and the two were friendly during Martin’s four years at Notre Dame. They’d bump into each other at Armando’s, the old-school barber shop near campus.
After accepting the Miami job but before announcing it, Martin stopped by for a cut on his way to the airport to fly to Oxford. Parseghian was there and bemoaned how Miami had fallen on hard times, how his alma mater was hurting. He asked Martin if he knew who Miami was hiring.
Martin had to play dumb.
9. During Miami’s Tuesday practice it spent a period on punt return but had the scout team punter spray the ball, kicking some end over end, some looking like wounded ducks, etc. Basically, Miami had its punt returners get used to fielding the kind of punts James Rendell had been sending up. Miami had them catch the punts in traffic, too.
On one rep, punt returner Cade McDonald fielded a punt while a blocker bumped him. Martin reminded McDonald he needed to yell louder for the ball to alert his blockers or risk muffing the punt. During the actual game, Notre Dame ran into that exact situation as Jordan Faison muffed a punt after colliding with Jaden Mickey.
10. As for the actual game Notre Dame played last weekend, it felt like neither a step forward nor a step back. The Irish beat a MAC team but didn’t blow them out. That brand of performance probably won’t be good enough against Louisville, Stanford or Georgia Tech. The Irish have to get a lot better for the College Football Playoff to come back into view. Texas A&M just outlasted Bowling Green. Northern Illinois lost to Buffalo. Purdue got beat at Oregon State. And Miami is winless.
The fundamentals of Notre Dame football feel unstable. They’re either going to strengthen on Saturday against Louisville or potentially come unraveled.
Miami got in Notre Dame’s head with a beaten-up and undermanned roster. Louisville can bring more to the table. Notre Dame needs to do the same.
(Top photo of RedHawks QB Brett Gabbert getting pressured by Notre Dame: Matt Cashore / Imagn Images)
