Notre Dame fans are curious as to what changes the coaching staff will make following the disaster at BYU. How will Marcus Freeman and his minions use the 21 days before Miami comes calling? Yes, the Irish play Navy next Saturday but we will not learn anything new by watching it. Both Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock and his defensive counterpart Chris Ash are understandably under fire. Poor performances by both units contributed to the loss, and Notre Dame fans are demanding changes.

No one is going to be fired, at least not now. My first question is, will two veteran coordinators be willing to modify their approach in any significant way? The corollary to that is, will Freeman direct Denbrock and Ash to do so? Assuming those questions are answered in the affirmative, what happens next? Armchair quarterbacks across ND Nation, including yours truly, are demanding change. Okay, Mister SmartyPants, what would you do?

OFFENSE

Let us begin with the running game. Notre Dame ran inside zone against the Cougars and it was successful in the first half. BYU made an adjustment in the third quarter to crash its linebackers into the gap whenever an offensive tackle pulled. The result was multiple tackles for loss or no gain from the backside linebacker positions. Instead of using misdirection or a run to the outside, Denbrock abandoned his team’s best running play. It is inconceivable that a seasoned coordinator had no answer when the defense gambled and left an opening.

All you need to do in that situation is beat the blitz with a reverse or sweep to render it ineffective. You could have the quarterback pull the ball and hit a receiver in the zone vacated by the blitzer. Going forward, the linebackers would have to respect the outside threat. The offense could then continue to call its inside zone runs and mix in outside plays. In short, make the defense cover the entire field. Notre Dame currently does not do this. UCF beat BYU on Saturday using this exact formula. They did not throw one fade pass.

Speaking of sweeps and outside runs, why not have your most explosive tailback in the game? Denbrock’s utilization of Jonaz Walton can only be described as criminal negligence. Insiders claim that Walton does not get more snaps because he is not yet an effective pass blocker. Pardon me but this sounds like a load of fertilizer. Walton is not a scrawny kid. He weighs 215 pounds and has a strong lower body. He appears to be able to hold his own physically at this level. Furthermore, the identity of this team is supposed to be an ability to run the football. Walton is their best option. If you have a third and long, you can always substitute with another back. In the meantime, Run the damn ball!

Notre Dame’s passing game is also limited in scope and utterly predictable. I do not recall a successful screen pass to a running back this season. Is it even in Denbrock’s playbook? If it were not for back shoulder or end zone fade passes, there would be little to discuss. The Irish will use the middle of the field only when they have a significant talent advantage. Otherwise, everything is outside the hash marks. CJ Carr overthrew one deep pass over the middle against BYU and that was it. The Cougars did not have to defend the entire field from that point forward.

Another suggestion is to expand the wide receiver rotation. Notre Dame ran Jordan Faison, Micah Gilbert, and Jaden Greathouse into the ground against the Cougars. It is unacceptable that other receivers cannot rotate into every game. There is plenty of talent but where is the development? BYU’s best receiver is a freshman, Legend Glasker. UCF featured another freshman receiver, Tyren Hornes. He had six catches for 137 yards, plus a two-point conversion in overtime. There are countless other examples of exciting freshmen across the country.

Perhaps Notre Dame’s reservation to play its young talent is due to the offense being too complex to learn quickly. That is an indictment of the coaching staff. If you have talent, you must find ways to use it. Other teams do this routinely. Why not the Irish?

Tight end has another untapped resource. Freshman Ian Premer has been getting rave reviews – in practice. Is there no role for him in a game? Premer’s long, athletic frame and good hands present a matchup nightmare for most defensive backs. His role needs to be expanded. The issue I heard is he is not yet a great run blocker. Why is he not utilized on passing downs? Why is he not split wide on running plays? It is past time to take the bubble wrap off Premer. There is no other player at his position with that level of talent.

The underlying philosophy of Notre Dame’s offense demands scrutiny. Any plan that requires the quarterback to read the defense and change play selection is inherently flawed. It places the 20 year-old signal-caller against a veteran Defensive Coordinator on the opposing sideline. These coaches know through film study what Carr sees and his tendencies in those moments. The better ones will show pre-snap looks that bait him into audibles they are eager to defend.

One final complaint is the low center snaps that disrupt Carr’s timing and impact the overall play execution. This has continued for weeks. The staff’s failure to address and correct it shows a lack of attention to detail. Center Ashton Craig has not played well overall this season but no changes have been made. Maybe that is because backup Joe Otting consistently made low snaps when he was in the game. I wonder if this systemic flaw is contagious.

The above issues arise when the Irish play a team that has equivalent or at least competitive talent. Denbrock’s offense can look great against inferior opponents. Notre Dame’s schedule is such that many games are decided before the opening kickoff. When the Irish offense is challenged, Denbrock’s play selection becomes limited, conservative, and utterly predictable. I call it the Turtle offense.

In summary, my top recommendations are as follows:

• Increased use of Walton. There is a need for speed.
• Outside running plays including misdirection and reverses to keep the defense honest.
• Provide opportunities for additional wide receivers and tight ends.
• Less reliance on Carr to alter play calls.
• Use the middle of the field in the passing game.
• Fix the low center snaps.

DEFENSE

There are similarities between the defense and the offense in terms of poor play calling strategy. Chris Ash is aggressive in terms of applying pressure against mediocre opponents. When facing a more talented team, his approach is frustratingly passive. We have already discussed the soft zone pass defense that Bear Bachmeier and the Cougars eviscerated. UCF underscored the foolishness of this strategy on Saturday when the Knights successfully used creative and consistent pressure. Bachmeier had a poor game as a result.

As stated above, the Navy game will not tell us what adjustments, if any, Ash will make. Notre Dame has been successful rushing the quarterback with four linemen against porous offensive lines. They did not come close to Bachmeier, however, especially after Boubacar Traore took himself out of the contest.

Another frustrating aspect of this conservative defense is lack of production from the Irish linebackers. Starters Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed, and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa have virtually disappeared. Through seven games, they have a combined 3.5 tackles for loss and no sacks. Zero, nada.

This is a colossal waste of talent. Viliamu-Asa in particular has been grossly underutilized. He is not on the field nearly enough, often sitting behind Bowen. Why does their participation have to be an either/or proposition? Viliamu-Asa is a formidable blitzer and havoc machine. He and Ausberry are more effective in coverage against the pass. The others are frequently exposed by competent receivers in the short and mid-range zones.

I realize we were spoiled by Al Golden’s aggressive schemes and in-game adjustments. Ash has the requisite knowledge but is unwilling to lose his conservative stripes. Opponents have figured this out and taken advantage. Certainly, Freeman must recognize that things have gone south under Ash. Will Freeman now impose his position as head coach and defensive expertise on Ash going forward? He must.

Notre Dame’s secondary has suffered several injuries this fall. DJ McKinney is the latest to go down, reportedly with a leg injury. This will keep him out for the rest of the regular season. Safety Brauntae Johnson is still recovering from a broken foot and has not practiced since. He remains doubtful for Miami as of now. Adon Shuler has been playing with an upper body injury and is far from full strength. The challenges this group will face against Miami and other teams can only be mitigated by a strong pass rush.

Yes, there are risks associated with frequent blitzing. Defenses can easily be burned if the blitzes are telegraphed well before the snap. This is a problem with Ash’s vanilla calls and a major difference between he and Golden. Notre Dame must be more creative and far less predictable in this area. One may argue that the Irish have used the blitz this season but very few have been effective.

In summary, my defensive recommendations are rather obvious:

• Ditch the soft zone defense.
• Attack, attack, attack – especially with the linebackers.
• Let Viliamu-Asa do his best Lawrence Taylor imitation.
• Better disguise and vary the blitzes.
• Marcus Freeman must assert control over strategy and major in-game decisions.

With few exceptions, we have spent the past 30 years watching the Irish fail in big games. A core theme throughout these decades of frustration is a failure to take the initiative during games. Notre Dame is typically reacting to its adversary’s offensive and defensive creativity instead of dictating strategy. Opponents often show the Irish plays and formations not seen previously on film, while Notre Dame remains bland and predictable.

One exception is the Charlie Weis offense, especially early in his tenure. His passing schemes and play calls often confounded opponents. I cannot think of other examples right now for the offense. Golden’s defenses were the best examples of dictating play on that side of the ball. If improvements are to be realized this season, the time is now to make changes.