First two games it seemed to be all about his “system” and there didn’t seem to be much tactical planning. Putting in a new scheme isn’t easy, so I understand some of thinking, but it almost bit them.
Yesterday the approach was different. Take away Bell (within the system) and make someone else beat them. They did just that and Purdue struggled to move the ball. If it wasn’t for a 50/50 PI call (I would have called it PI based on a previous call ND got) ND keeps them out of the end zone the entire day. Purdue got some easy yards that ND was sacrificing to keep Bell in front of them but those plays weren’t sustainable for entire drives.
Well done and we will need more of this as the OL continues to try to find something.
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the field. MTA looks good. I was a little skeptical about him at DE, but he's played well. I think the CBs are troubling. Seem unsure of themselves too often. They are my biggest concern on D moving forward.
The only questions, for me, are how much the OL improves and how quickly. That’ll determine the kind of season ND has.
It's not like he suddenly forgot to coach. Probably tried to be a little too cute in the first 2 games. But, there were other reasons they struggled they struggled in those games (new system, injuries, etc.)
and the DC is still learning his players. I think the defense will be fine in the long run. Still high on the Freeman hire.
We are now at the part of the schedule where defensive mistakes, mental and physical, can be costly because those teams will make you pay.