In fact, it happened on its first two possessions of the game and four times total.
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Georgia Tech finished with 216 net rushing yards, significantly less than half its average. Notre Dame stopped the Rambling Wreck offense on its first nine third-down opportunities. Georgia Tech faced 15 third downs over the course of the game and converted just three of them. While it is hard to go against the Irish at home, today the running speedsters at Georgia Tech get it done. I think they fit in our league.
“(Defensive coordinator) Brian (VanGorder) and I have not had that personnel conversation yet relative to what will be the next move that we make there”, Kelly said. “One guy you’d get fixed, then the other guy would mess up”.
Scheme and execution are vital to success, but ultimately the game of football is still very much about winning in the trenches. We felt like we were going to put a little bit more pressure on (defensive linemen) Isaac (Rochell) and Jerry (Tillery) so we could get to the quarterback.
Starter Max Redfield did not play Saturday, which Kelly said was for strategic reasons, but Redfield has a right thumb fracture and had been playing with a protective covering.
Kizer was 21 of 30 for 242 yards in his first start, and also had a pass intercepted in the end zone by Georgia Tech cornerback D.J. White. “It’s definitely something we know we need to improve on”, left tackle Ronnie Stanley said.
Notre Dame was expected to be a run-first offense before the season. He was replaced to start the second half by grad Matthias Farley, who forced a Georgia Tech fumble on his first play in the game. He loved the team but was just 5-foot-6 and 165 pounds.
DeShone Kizer #14 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 13, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Jackets QB Justin Thomas endured one of his most frustrating days of the season, completing 8-of-24 passes for 121 yards. Notre Dame is still the better team on paper even without Zaire, but the margin is very narrow and they can’t afford errors. Georgia Tech tied the score. We didn’t play Georgia Tech football. How Kizer responded to that mistake made an impact on Kelly. The Irish have a nasty defense. I mean, it’s early. Senior Chris Brown had a career-high eight catches.
“Clearly we were disappointed with the way we played”, said head coach Paul Johnson.
Notre Dame got to the BCS Championship Game after the 2012 season thanks to one of the best defenses in the country.
“I thought he did great”.
The Irish are entering their second year as ACC members in all sports but football but agreed to play a significant number of conference teams in that sport while maintaining independent status. But we’ll get an MRI tomorrow morning and then we’ll have definitive results.
Another Notre Dame player has suffered a season-ending injury. The Yellow Jackets had not had a single three-and-out possession through the first two games of the season.
He stayed on the ground for a moment before limping to the locker room as Georgia Tech kicker Harrison Butker missed a 43-yard field goal wide left.
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“They gave us all go’s”. “I don’t know what to say anymore”.
