We are up against a magazine deadline, so my comments won't be as extensive as normal, but trust me, I'll have plenty to say in my grades and breakdowns over the next couple of days.
DEFENSE
* Let's start with a positive, the defense played really good football for the most part. There were a couple bad run fits (Coney on a long run, Bilal on a long run), but the defense really competed and played physical football.
* On the inside there were times when Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner got pushed around, which helped open up some of the few runs UGA was able to get in this game. It had a 40 and 30 yard gain, but outside of that the offense averaged barely over 3.2 yards per run.
* What I liked about Tillery and Bonner is that they fought. Yes, they lost some reps, but they also made some plays in this game. Bonner was the most disruptive we've ever seen him in the second half. Tillery was a factor as a pass rusher in the game and showed good hustle. I actually thought Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa were a bit better at the point of attack than the veterans, at least from a consistency standpoint. I'll need to check that against the film, but that was my first impression.
* Speaking of Tagovailoa-Amosa ... that kid is going to be really, really good.
* Ends Jay Hayes and Andrew Trumbetti were really, really good in this game. Hayes has become such a force on the edge, and he showed the ability to beat blocks and make plays. His key stop on 3rd-and-2 late in the game gave Notre Dame a chance on offense, but it couldn't get the job done. Daelin Hayes is still trying to do too much with his pass rush moves. He needs to just let it go sometimes, like he does in practice. His hustle was pretty good and he made some plays, but he's gotta let it rip.
* The play by Julian Okwara that converted a 3rd-and-16 was a back breaker. It was a questionable call, but even still Okwara didn't need to give Fromm that shove. It really stung.
* On first glance I felt Nyles Morgan and Drue Tranquill were the best of the linebackers and rovers. The other players, from what I could tell at the stadium, were too spotty. Greer Martini and Te'von Coney both overran some plays, and Coney had a really bad run fit on one of the long runs. Overall I thought the LB's played really hard and they competed, and Morgan and Tranquill were especially good, but the couple of mistakes they made proved costly. Morgan and Tranquill were very disruptive in the game, and Tranquill's discipline in space was really impactful. Asmar Bilal is a really athletic kid, but his lack of feel for the game is still obvious.
* The safeties played solid football. Nick Coleman had a couple of really big plays in the game and Devin Studstill was once again a very active player.
* At cornerback the Irish players competed and covered well downfield for the most part, but they didn't win the 50/50 balls, the Georgia players did. That has to change moving forward. Their tackling in space was a key to slowing Georgia's offense down.
OFFENSE
* Let's start up front. Simply put, the Irish offensive line got whipped for 60 minutes by Georgia's DL. Yes, Georgia's defensive line is very good and deep, that is obvious. But they shouldn't have dominated Notre Dame's line the way they did. Georgia threw some wrinkles at ND that were tough, but that wasn't really the issue. Notre Dame's linemen got beat off the ball way too much, they got little movement and their ability to sustain blocks wasn't good enough by a mile.
* From what I could tell I thought Sam Mustipher was the best OL, but the film will tell me more. None of them played overly well. What was most disappointing was the fact that Georgia punched them in the mouth, and although they didn't back down and kept competing, they didn't punch back either. Mike McGlinchey gave up the huge sack at the end, but it wasn't the only pressure he allowed by not moving his feet and finishing on the edge.
* Hiestand needs to settle on a RT and let that guy play the majority of the snaps. I'm okay playing two guys, but it needs to be more of a 2 by 1 or 3 by 1 type situation. Neither Tommy Kraemer nor Robert Hainsey is able to really get into rhythm with the constant rotating. I know they want to see one guy take over, but they need to pick one and ride that guy for more series.
* Brandon Wimbush needs to really settle down. He was going way, way too fast today. He was rushing his reads, he was rushing his throws and he is just playing too amped up. He tried to make too many plays and has to learn sometimes to just put his shoulder down and pick up the first down (referring to the last read zone where he tried to bounce) and sometimes he just needs to hand the ball off instead of pulling and trying to do something. He went 6-of-18 on first down, and that really put the offense in a huge bind.
* The timing for Adams was off in this game. He just never seemed to be on the same page with the line. I don't know why, and to be honest I was shocked Notre Dame didn't do more quick downhill runs. I'll need to breakdown the game to get a better feel, but I felt everything on Notre Dame's offense and screen game was one pace ... slow. They didn't really attack downhill and that was a surprise.
* Notre Dame's DB's didn't win the one-on-one balls and neither did the receivers. That was the negative. This is especially true for Equanimeous St. Brown. I still need to see him play more like star, and we just haven't seen that. He did, however, make two very, very acrobatic and impressive grabs in the game. I just want to see him do it when the defenders are on him. The unit played an otherwise solid game. Cameron Smith was able to get open several times but Wimbush could never find him. With more time Wimbush likely would have been able to find Smith more than he did.
* Chris Finke made some good plays in this game, but the one 3rd down incompletion was on him. Finke drifted upfield on his in route, and if he would have come level he likely makes that catch before the safety gets to him. It's a small thing, but it's one of those attention to detail things that Notre Dame needs to get better at.
That's all for now.
DEFENSE
* Let's start with a positive, the defense played really good football for the most part. There were a couple bad run fits (Coney on a long run, Bilal on a long run), but the defense really competed and played physical football.
* On the inside there were times when Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner got pushed around, which helped open up some of the few runs UGA was able to get in this game. It had a 40 and 30 yard gain, but outside of that the offense averaged barely over 3.2 yards per run.
* What I liked about Tillery and Bonner is that they fought. Yes, they lost some reps, but they also made some plays in this game. Bonner was the most disruptive we've ever seen him in the second half. Tillery was a factor as a pass rusher in the game and showed good hustle. I actually thought Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa were a bit better at the point of attack than the veterans, at least from a consistency standpoint. I'll need to check that against the film, but that was my first impression.
* Speaking of Tagovailoa-Amosa ... that kid is going to be really, really good.
* Ends Jay Hayes and Andrew Trumbetti were really, really good in this game. Hayes has become such a force on the edge, and he showed the ability to beat blocks and make plays. His key stop on 3rd-and-2 late in the game gave Notre Dame a chance on offense, but it couldn't get the job done. Daelin Hayes is still trying to do too much with his pass rush moves. He needs to just let it go sometimes, like he does in practice. His hustle was pretty good and he made some plays, but he's gotta let it rip.
* The play by Julian Okwara that converted a 3rd-and-16 was a back breaker. It was a questionable call, but even still Okwara didn't need to give Fromm that shove. It really stung.
* On first glance I felt Nyles Morgan and Drue Tranquill were the best of the linebackers and rovers. The other players, from what I could tell at the stadium, were too spotty. Greer Martini and Te'von Coney both overran some plays, and Coney had a really bad run fit on one of the long runs. Overall I thought the LB's played really hard and they competed, and Morgan and Tranquill were especially good, but the couple of mistakes they made proved costly. Morgan and Tranquill were very disruptive in the game, and Tranquill's discipline in space was really impactful. Asmar Bilal is a really athletic kid, but his lack of feel for the game is still obvious.
* The safeties played solid football. Nick Coleman had a couple of really big plays in the game and Devin Studstill was once again a very active player.
* At cornerback the Irish players competed and covered well downfield for the most part, but they didn't win the 50/50 balls, the Georgia players did. That has to change moving forward. Their tackling in space was a key to slowing Georgia's offense down.
OFFENSE
* Let's start up front. Simply put, the Irish offensive line got whipped for 60 minutes by Georgia's DL. Yes, Georgia's defensive line is very good and deep, that is obvious. But they shouldn't have dominated Notre Dame's line the way they did. Georgia threw some wrinkles at ND that were tough, but that wasn't really the issue. Notre Dame's linemen got beat off the ball way too much, they got little movement and their ability to sustain blocks wasn't good enough by a mile.
* From what I could tell I thought Sam Mustipher was the best OL, but the film will tell me more. None of them played overly well. What was most disappointing was the fact that Georgia punched them in the mouth, and although they didn't back down and kept competing, they didn't punch back either. Mike McGlinchey gave up the huge sack at the end, but it wasn't the only pressure he allowed by not moving his feet and finishing on the edge.
* Hiestand needs to settle on a RT and let that guy play the majority of the snaps. I'm okay playing two guys, but it needs to be more of a 2 by 1 or 3 by 1 type situation. Neither Tommy Kraemer nor Robert Hainsey is able to really get into rhythm with the constant rotating. I know they want to see one guy take over, but they need to pick one and ride that guy for more series.
* Brandon Wimbush needs to really settle down. He was going way, way too fast today. He was rushing his reads, he was rushing his throws and he is just playing too amped up. He tried to make too many plays and has to learn sometimes to just put his shoulder down and pick up the first down (referring to the last read zone where he tried to bounce) and sometimes he just needs to hand the ball off instead of pulling and trying to do something. He went 6-of-18 on first down, and that really put the offense in a huge bind.
* The timing for Adams was off in this game. He just never seemed to be on the same page with the line. I don't know why, and to be honest I was shocked Notre Dame didn't do more quick downhill runs. I'll need to breakdown the game to get a better feel, but I felt everything on Notre Dame's offense and screen game was one pace ... slow. They didn't really attack downhill and that was a surprise.
* Notre Dame's DB's didn't win the one-on-one balls and neither did the receivers. That was the negative. This is especially true for Equanimeous St. Brown. I still need to see him play more like star, and we just haven't seen that. He did, however, make two very, very acrobatic and impressive grabs in the game. I just want to see him do it when the defenders are on him. The unit played an otherwise solid game. Cameron Smith was able to get open several times but Wimbush could never find him. With more time Wimbush likely would have been able to find Smith more than he did.
* Chris Finke made some good plays in this game, but the one 3rd down incompletion was on him. Finke drifted upfield on his in route, and if he would have come level he likely makes that catch before the safety gets to him. It's a small thing, but it's one of those attention to detail things that Notre Dame needs to get better at.
That's all for now.
