Notre Dame vs Army: 5 Things We Learned in Blowout Win

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Notre Dame took a big step forward late in this 2016 season by defeating Army in blowout fashion.

VS.

	1	2	3	4	T
Fighting Irish	21	17	6	0	44
Black Knights Football	0	6	0	0	6

With this blowout victory, the Fighting Irish proved they could build some momentum in these last three weeks. Although it’s very unlikely they’ll make a bowl game this season, the hope isn’t dead yet.

After C.J. Sanders returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Irish looked like they finally found the light they searched for all season. From there, the game stayed entirely in Notre Dame’s favor.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told ESPN, “We were able to throw the ball over their heads, and it backed them off, so it gave us some opportunities to run the football.” With two games left against Virginia Tech and USC, the Irish are hoping the success on the ground carries over to the upcoming weeks.

So, what did Notre Dame show us in this win?

5. Kizer’s future is bright

With 209 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, and three touchdowns, quarterback DeShone Kizer proved he’s one of the best in college football.

Even though the 2016 season has been a bust for the Irish, Kizer has shown his future is bright whether it’s in college or the pros. All season, the Irish have had one of the most explosive offenses in the NCAA. Most of this success has been due to the duel-threat quarterback.

At this point in the season, everything Kizer does impacts the way NFL teams see him. So far, he’s done little to have an adverse impact on their view.

It’s no surprise Brian Kelly choose Kizer over Malik Zaire at the start of the 2016 season. With 2,910 total yards and 29 touchdowns, this junior is practically impossible to stop. Once again, Kizer has shown the football world that his future is going to be great.

4. Notre Dame’s rushing attack can come from anywhere

With three players rushing over 70 yards against Army, the Irish proved this is a backfield by committee, and none of them are weak-link.

Josh Adams (15 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD), Tarean Folston (13 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD), and DeShone Kizer (7 carries, 72 yards) all proved their worth running the ball, combining for 226 yards and two touchdowns. All season, Adams has been the workhorse in the backfield with Folston playing the secondary role. We may see a more even split during these last few games.

With the constant threat of Kizer throwing or passing, defenses always have their eye on the backfield against Notre Dame. That didn’t seem to matter this week. No matter who touched the ball, the outcome appeared to end in Notre Dame’s favor.

With Week 12 opponent, Virginia Tech, allowing 144.1 yards per game against the run, the Irish could be in for consecutive big performances on the ground.

3. Time of possession is key

Coming into Saturday, Army ranked second in time of possession edging opponents by nearly 10 minutes per game. Against Notre Dame, the Black Knights lost the possession battle by almost nine minutes.

When the Irish are able to run between the tackles and gain momentum on the ground, it puts a lot less strain on the rest of the team. Notre Dame’s biggest downfall in 2016 has been their defense. By keeping the ball on the offensive end, the Irish were able to win this game with ball control instead of relying on a scoring battle.

In a game where the Irish picked up 31 first downs, it proved that moving the ball slow works much better for teams with weak defenses.

2. The defense can stop the run

As the 79th ranked rush defense in the country heading into Saturday, a primary concern was how well the Irish would play against the triple-option. Well, for a team who allows an average of 183 yards per game, the Irish looked good.

Although Darnell Woolfolk finished with 95 yards on 11 carries, the Army ground game did not look up to par against the Irish.

For a team who averages 311 yards per game on the ground, second in the FBS, the Black Knights finished with 229 rushing yards. Although 229 yards barely falls to Notre Dame’s 261 rushing yards, it’s still a loss for a team who only threw the ball eight times.

It’s hard to find a team who relies as much on the run as Army does. Stopping the rushing attack was as big a victory as the game itself for the Irish’s defense.

1. Notre Dame is still alive

At 4-6, Notre Dame still has a glimpse of hope to be bowl eligible. With games against Virginia Tech and USC, both ranked teams in Week 11, the task seems difficult but not impossible.

If the Irish can control the ball as well as they did against Army, beating these teams is possible. Notre Dame’s offense is one of the best in college football. To use that to their advantage they need to be able to keep the offense on the field longer than they keep the defense.

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Virginia Tech and Southern Cal look like intimidating teams, especially on the brink of bowl elimination, but they aren’t impossible to beat. Notre Dame has all the chance in the world as long as they play their style of game. Don’t let this be a scoring battle and the Irish could come away with two impressive victories.