I've decided one thing for sure after watching the Notre Dame win over Texas A&M: I like the Irish offense better than the Aggies'.

 

A&M continues to run a mishmash of different things. I still claim that any mobile QB who would go in there could be a hero, a College Station Turner Gill.

 

Notre Dame showed two basic offensive packages (or personalities, if you will) in that game. I call one Tennessee and the other Nebraska.

 

The Domer's Tennessee impression involves a lot of I-formation and two wide receivers. They like to use unbalanced motion sets, where they put their tight end and split end on the same side and use their flanker as a motion man. This motion back will move toward the unbalanced side, giving it even more power. Sometimes the ball is snapped when he is still on the weak side and he can block the backside for inside zone runs (one of their favorite plays out of this set). Inside zone is an important play in a formation like this because the weak side of the defense has to be ready for cutback, stopping a defense from shifting to far toward the unbalanced strong side.

 

Other times he motions across bringing another blocker to the strong side. They have run sweep out of this. Other times he motion across and then back to the weak side. Like the Volunteers, they like to run a counter trap with the fullback leading from this set.

 

Their play-action passing package from this is better than one might think. The tight end is not eligible in this package because he is not the end man on the line of scrimmage, but if they can run the ball, two receivers is plenty after a good fake. When the motion back comes all the way to the split end side, they run combinations with the two receivers. When he remains on the opposite side, they run a lot of fades, just like Tennessee. They did not look as dangerous with the fade as Tennessee in that game last week. The play-action combo patterns were their best passing. They also used the fullback as a receiver from this action, giving them a third receiver.

 

They were willing to tip their hand on drop-back pass situations by going to split backs and standing their linemen in a pass-protect stance. They ran some draws, but didn't have a lot of success.

 

Later in the game they moved to a more Nebraska-like package. They became more multiple in their I formations (trips, twins, two tight ends, etc...) like the Huskers and ran a nice version of the Huskers belly option, with the play side guard pulling out to lead. All the options I saw were this type, though they may have a more complicated option package ready for the Big Red.

 

The Huskers may be able to find some clues about when to blitz from these different looks. I didn't see any option out of the Tennessee formation, which might make that a good time to blitz. Of course, maybe that's the Irish plan.

 

The Irish defense defeated blocks at the line-of-scrimmage well against the Aggies. Except on a couple draw plays, where they got fooled, they had A&M held in check. I can't emphasize though how haphazard I find the Aggie attack. It's like K-State without an athletic QB. Not very dangerous.

 

The Notre Dame special teams looked solid. They have a fifth-year senior who used up his soccer eligibility kickoff for them and he was able to get touchbacks. Their lone punt returner is the receiver Gatheral. NBC mentioned that he doesn't fair catch. Sounds like he could play for us. He looked quick, but not Newcombe-Walker-NFL quality. Their punt coverage was adequate but the punting seemed inconsistent. That's an area I look for the Huskers to get a big play or two.

 

I've been alternating good and queasy feelings about this game all week. I think the hype is the thing to be worried about. I really don't have a clear picture of the athletic talent level at ND. It appears to be like any top-40 program, but not top-5. Only top-5 worries me in straight athletic match-ups. Top-40 is capable, but not to be feared. They deserved the win over A&M, but I'm not sure that it wouldn't have gone the other way in College Station. That puts the Irish in the second tier of the Big XII (behind, NU, K-State and, maybe, Texas), with the A&M's and Colorado's.

 

USA Today has labeled this a bowl game and the LJS ran a 20-page special section! They hype is real, and in my mind, is the only for Husker fans to fear.