Offense Needs to Step Up

[Golson5]

With Mills out, our offense needs to take some pressure off the D.

Georgia is a monster challenge but they have to step up and take their game to the next level.

It all starts on our OL. They need to give us a chance. Then RL and the wrs need to make some plays. No drops. No turnovers. Faison needs to continue his accent. Collins needs to get his mojo back. Evans needs to play better

Challenge is high but we can still get it done

 

[Zorich 88]

With Mills out, our offense needs to take some pressure off the D.

Georgia is a monster challenge but they have to step up and take their game to the next level.

It all starts on our OL. They need to give us a chance. Then RL and the wrs need to make some plays. No drops. No turnovers. Faison needs to continue his accent. Collins needs to get his mojo back. Evans needs to play better

Challenge is high but we can still get it done

Georgia lost their starting QB. Yes Mills is a huge loss but Georgia losing their starting QB is a much bigger adjustment.

 

[Golson5]

Georgia lost their starting QB. Yes Mills is a huge loss but Georgia losing their starting QB is a much bigger adjustment.

We've lost

Mills
Traore
Botelho
Onye
Morrison
Mickey
Jagusah
Craig
KVA - Questionable
Spindler - Questionable

Mills is the 4th DL we lost for the year. That's hard to overcome. It's not a Mills v Beck debate. It's a whats more important DL depth or a up and down QB

Also, Georgia will have had 3 weeks to adjust

 

[banmate6]

Unfortunately the injuries might be too much. This truly is bad luck. Georgia hadn’t been hit as hard.

ND above all is relying on the D. Mills cannot be replaced. His loss changes the dynamic of the front 4. Georgia will probably be able to run.

I don’t believe the O gets much better. Our OL has some questions. As noted in the OP, this is going to take an above and beyond game in every facet.

I’m still hoping for it. Just sucks that injuries have to happen. The gods don’t favor ND on this.

 

[Zorich 88]

We've lost

Mills
Traore
Botelho
Onye
Morrison
Mickey
Jagusah
Craig
KVA - Questionable
Spindler - Questionable

Mills is the 4th DL we lost for the year. That's hard to overcome. It's not a Mills v Beck debate. It's a whats more important DL depth or a up and down QB

Also, Georgia will have had 3 weeks to adjust

I thought the topic was Mills? I was comparing 1 player loss to 1 player loss.

Losing a starting QB is huge. That is a bigger adjustment than losing Mills.

 

[banmate6]

I thought the topic was Mills? I was comparing 1 player loss to 1 player loss.

Losing a starting QB is huge. That is a bigger adjustment than losing Mills.

Maybe. Depends on degree of difference between their 2 QBs. Nobody is in contrast replacing Mills and ND has injuries across the board.

 

[ZibbyQuinn]

With Mills out, our offense needs to take some pressure off the D.

Georgia is a monster challenge but they have to step up and take their game to the next level.

It all starts on our OL. They need to give us a chance. Then RL and the wrs need to make some plays. No drops. No turnovers. Faison needs to continue his accent. Collins needs to get his mojo back. Evans needs to play better

Challenge is high but we can still get it done

Did BKs accent rub off on Faison!? God I hope not.

 

[Telx1]

I thought the topic was Mills? I was comparing 1 player loss to 1 player loss.

Losing a starting QB is huge. That is a bigger adjustment than losing Mills.

Losing a starting QB is huge, and generally much more impactful than losing an interior defensive lineman. Not sure that is the case here simply because of injuries, we are already playing folks that were two and three deep to start the season. Rubio is a damn good replacement, but the issue becomes who replaces Rubio in our rotation? We may find ourselves playing two freshmen, Young and Murkam next to each other at times, and that is one hell of an ask against this Georgia OL.

 

[NDinNJ]

Losing a starting QB is huge, and generally much more impactful than losing an interior defensive lineman. Not sure that is the case here simply because of injuries, we are already playing folks that were two and three deep to start the season. Rubio is a damn good replacement, but the issue becomes who replaces Rubio in our rotation? We may find ourselves playing two freshmen, Young and Murkam next to each other at times, and that is one hell of an ask against this Georgia OL.

Luckily Young is a stud.

 

[Telx1]

Luckily Young is a stud.

He and Bowen will need to play like studs to compensate.

 

[BGI User 756]

Long drives keep Ga off the field. Need to beat them at their own game with our backs.

LBs need to stick their noses in there!!

Let’s go

 

[NDinNJ]

He and Bowen will need to play like studs to compensate.

I have more confidence that Golden will put the defense in a position where ND can win even with Mills out than I do Denbrock can with the offense.

 

[buckey]

our offense scares me. Ugly to watch from line of scrimmage

 

[Golson5]

I thought the topic was Mills? I was comparing 1 player loss to 1 player loss.

Losing a starting QB is huge. That is a bigger adjustment than losing Mills.

It's not just losing Mills. And I wasn't making the comparison.

The effect of losing Mills after we already lost 3 DL is huge

 

[NDinNJ]

It's not just losing Mills. And I wasn't making the comparison.

The effect of losing Mills after we already lost 3 DL is huge

Yea it's a major issue. It affects quality of the line, depth and rotation.

 

[Zorich 88]

It's not just losing Mills. And I wasn't making the comparison.

The effect of losing Mills after we already lost 3 DL is huge

Losing your starting QB is a bigger problem than losing Mills. That’s my point

 

[Zorich 88]

Losing a starting QB is huge, and generally much more impactful than losing an interior defensive lineman. Not sure that is the case here simply because of injuries, we are already playing folks that were two and three deep to start the season. Rubio is a damn good replacement, but the issue becomes who replaces Rubio in our rotation? We may find ourselves playing two freshmen, Young and Murkam next to each other at times, and that is one hell of an ask against this Georgia OL.

Yes, the ND Dline has been decimated with injuries. My point was Having to play a backup QB is worse than having to replace Mills.

 

[Zorich 88]

Maybe. Depends on degree of difference between their 2 QBs. Nobody is in contrast replacing Mills and ND has injuries across the board.

Losing Mills even with so many injuries at Dline is better (for lack of a better word) than losing a starting QB with NFL talent.

 

[IrishMike409]

With Mills out, our offense needs to take some pressure off the D.

Georgia is a monster challenge but they have to step up and take their game to the next level.

It all starts on our OL. They need to give us a chance. Then RL and the wrs need to make some plays. No drops. No turnovers. Faison needs to continue his accent. Collins needs to get his mojo back. Evans needs to play better

Challenge is high but we can still get it done

Merry Christmas gentlemen.

From a points perspective, where do we have to be, to win this game? 30?

I'm excited. I trust Freeman, Golden, and Denbrock to put together a great gameplan. Of course, Kirby and his staff will too.

This is gonna be grown man football next Wednesday. Take it play by play, and win your matchup. We'll have to have someone step up and make some big plays late. We can steal this game.

To think that we're without Morrison and Mills.....and we still got a good shot to beat Georgia. The program is damn healthy. Our staff is elite.

I gotta say as well: Rylie Mills.....absolute beast. Helluva Notre Dame career. I hope he gets with the right team and has a long career playing on Sundays. Absolute beast. Respect.

 

[Golson5]

Losing Mills even with so many injuries at Dline is better (for lack of a better word) than losing a starting QB with NFL talent.

In your opinion. It depends on the team

 

[Fightingirish595]

Georgia on their backup QB who appears to be pretty limited in the passing game.

It will be dissapointing if we can’t find a way to run the ball. Run defense has been an issue for them all season long

 

[Fightingirish595]

In your opinion. It depends on the team

No zorich is right. Beck is a bigger loss than mills. We lose mills pass rushing and it’s one less body but Rubio is perfectly capable as a run stuffer.

 

[nd4life211]

People don’t realize how big of an impact Mills had. It’s not just him clogging up the middle and blowing up runs. He is a lethal pass rusher and even when he doesn’t get there, he destroys any semblance of a pocket. How many interceptions or incompletions do you think were because Mills blew up a clean pocket and the QB either panicked or could not see the field, forcing a ball that wasn’t there.

Getting pressure from the inside just can’t be replicated from anyone else on the roster. Young may help on the edge, but we won’t be collapsing the pocket and disrupting passing lanes like we did with Mills.

 

[IrishMike409]

People don’t realize how big of an impact Mills had. It’s not just him clogging up the middle and blowing up runs. He is a lethal pass rusher and even when he doesn’t get there, he destroys any semblance of a pocket. How many interceptions or incompletions do you think were because Mills blew up a clean pocket and the QB either panicked or could not see the field, forcing a ball that wasn’t there.

Getting pressure from the inside just can’t be replicated from anyone else on the roster. Young may help on the edge, but we won’t be collapsing the pocket and disrupting passing lanes like we did with Mills.

Well said. Great post.

Mills is a disrupter and a big time difference maker on D. Big, high leverage passing downs......Mills is the dude who disrupts and makes it easy for teammates to make big plays.