Patrick Engel gives us a deeper look into the game on Saturday with some knowledge into the Notre Dame team and what Cal fans should be looking out for on the field. Patrick also gives us some recommendations on what to do around South Bend on Gameday! Check out BlueandGold.com for more coverage on the Fighting Irish and their perspective on the Cal game.
For those Cal fans visiting South Bend for the first time, what are your recommendations for Gameday? Any recommendations of food, locales, must see things?
The highlight of the area is campus itself. Every home game weekend the day before a game or on game day itself, you’ll see visiting fans strolling by the Golden Dome or the Grotto. It’s a picturesque setting all around.
Around town, though, you’ll find a surprisingly strong local beer scene. I’d recommend Evil Czech or Crooked Ewe for local beers and bites. La Salle Grille or Cafe Navarre are the places to go for anyone looking for a more upscale dinner. Burgers, it’s hard to beat CJ’s. As far as activities, the Studebaker museum is a neat peak at South Bend’s history.
How big of a loss do you see Buchner’s injury to be? Will the offense change in any way with Pyne at QB?
In the sense of continuity, it’s a big loss. Notre Dame hitched its 2022 outlook to Buchner’s high ceiling and its ability to help him reach it. Now, that development is stunted and the offensive ceiling lowers considerably.
Buchner’s legs were one of the few steady sources of yards over the first two games. Take out sacks, and he had 20 carries for 87 yards. The running backs have a combined 39 carries for 115 yards. Pyne is mobile, but he’s not the athlete and make-you-miss runner Buchner is.
Notre Dame had yet to find a steady passing attack with Buchner, though. Pyne isn’t a dynamic thrower, but he’s capable of managing an offense and being efficient. Notre Dame’s offense the first two weeks wouldn’t be described as efficient. If Pyne can give them that while making smart decisions, that’s a good outcome for a backup quarterback.
Can you please explain Tommy Rees' receiver scheme? Who do you want lined up wide as a boundary receiver vs the field receiver?
The receivers move around pretty freely in Notre Dame’s offense. You’ll see the four-man rotation of Braden Lenzy, Lorenzo Styles, Jayden Thomas and Matt Salerno at multiple spots. Lenzy spent a lot of time at boundary receiver against Marshall, though he’s not the contested-catch, physical receiver preferred for that spot. That’s Thomas, who has played all three receiver spots.
Look for Styles to primary be on the field side and in the slot. He is the most explosive player of the group and a run-after-catch threat.
On that note, what do you think of Rees as a play-caller? Is he making innovative play calls on offense, or are you scratching your head wondering why some players are underutilized (and if so, who)?
He’s definitely creative with formations, motions and eye candy for the defense. The first two weeks have revealed that, if nothing else. Buchner’s skill set allowed him to lean into that, but it was there even when he had pocket passer Jack Coan as the starter last year. Sean McVay, perhaps the most respected offensive mind in football today, loves Rees, his creativity and some of the NFL-like plays.
But that’s only worth so much when the offense isn’t working. Marcus Freeman wanted Notre Dame to lean way into the run game to control the clock at Ohio State, which put Rees in more of a box than normal. But even in that context, some of the second-half calls felt conservative in spots where Notre Dame needed some urgency.
To me, a lack of play action despite its success and five touches for explosive running back Chris Tyree were the biggest missteps from Rees in the Marshall game.
0-2 is probably not how ND fans expected the season to start. Are there any underlying similarities in the two losses that you are worried about? What adjustments have been made or have not been made that you would have/like to see moving forward?
In each game, the run game has been largely ineffective. Pass protection was been shaky in both. The defensive line - the team’s best unit in recent years - hasn’t been nearly as disruptive as expected. It lost the line of scrimmage against Marshall. All told, the defense has played well, but it has allowed a pair of 90-yard touchdown drives in the fourth quarter ripe with missed tackles. It also does not have a takeaway.
Notre Dame won’t abandon running the ball. It will try to keep the quarterback run element alive with Pyne. A smart plan with a backup quarterback and a bumpy offensive line would be leaning into the quick passing game. Rees did that midway through last year to mitigate pass protection problems. Perhaps it’s also the move this season in a similar spot.
How long until you think Marcus Freeman's seat should heat up? Will you be embarrassed by a loss to Cal?
Unless this is a complete disaster with double-digit losses, Freeman isn’t going anywhere. He spent too much time selling belief in the ceiling. Notre Dame signed up for the ceiling when it hired him knowing he might have to fail before he succeeds. A loss to Marshall was beyond the scope of potential failures, of course. It throws the entire season up for grabs. It’s hard to get more embarrassing than losing as a 20.5-point favorite.
Which player on offense should Cal fans know about?
Notre Dame’s best mismatch weapon on offense is 6-5, 265-pound tight end Michael Mayer. He’s too quick for linebackers to cover and too physical for defensive backs. He’s elusive and sudden in the open field. He set Notre Dame single-season tight end records for catches, yards and touchdowns last year. He already had 13 catches this year. Pyne will be looking for him often.
Which player on defense should Cal fans know about?
Defensive end Isaiah Foskey (an Easy Bay native) put off the NFL Draft for one more season at Notre Dame. He was a projected Day 2 pick last year after recording 11 sacks. He has put forth two quiet games, with one sack and two total quarterback pressures. But he’s too skilled to stay down for much longer.
Who’s one under-the-radar or X-factor player who could swing this game for you?
If Notre Dame finds something on the ground, I think it wins. That doesn’t have to be 200 yards. It just needs a more efficient stat line from its running backs and better blocking for them. Cal’s defense has allowed 5.0 yards per running back carry each of the first two games. This might be the matchup Notre Dame can finally win up front, or win just often enough.
What does Notre Dame need to do to win the game?
I think a lot of it is running the ball. Pyne doesn’t have to be dynamic, but he has to make the easy throws and protect the ball. That’s not too much to ask for a junior backup who has competed for the starting job the last two offseasons
What does Cal need to do to win the game?
Marshall provided a blueprint that should be repeatable. A steady run game threat and a quick passing game with lots of perimeter screens and RPOs was enough to keep Notre Dame’s defense off balance and put together three scoring drives of at least 70 yards. It wasn’t flashy, but it worked. And against a Notre Dame offense still trying to find itself, three scoring drives might be enough.
Notre Dame understands what just beat it, of course. Its defensive line knows it can’t lose the line of scrimmage again.
How do you see the game going?
I won’t be surprised at all if Cal leaves Notre Dame Stadium with a win. Notre Dame just lost to a Sun Belt team, after all.
It’s hard to peg what exactly Notre Dame is in its current state. But I’ll take this as the week Notre Dame finds itself in the run game, Pyne manages the game well and the Irish ride the desperate energy of an 0-2 start to a 17-14 win.
Whom do you most want to metaphorically punch in the face?
Sorry Cal fans, I’d go with Aaron Rodgers. Only because I’m a Bears fan and I’ve seen him torment my team for 15 years.
Sucks that blueandgold.com is not a Cal domain
Both games I've been to at NDame I did what they said, just walked around the campus and soaked in the atmosphere. Super welcoming fans; I hope that's true this weekend as well.