Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 PRESEASON 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY BRYAN DRISKELL I t was a tale of two seasons when breaking down Notre Dame's 2016 pass defense. In the first five games, it allowed 275.0 pass- ing yards per game and nine touch- downs while picking off four passes. After dismissing defensive coor- dinator Brian VanGorder following the fourth game, the secondary set- tled down. Taking out the one game played during a hurricane (at North Carolina State in October), Notre Dame allowed only 156.8 yards per game and five scores through the air over the final six games. Even if the two option opponents are removed, Notre Dame permit- ted a respectable 220.0 passing yards per game during the second half of the season, including holding USC standout quarterback Sam Darnold to his lowest yardage output (205) as a starter. Despite its late-season improve- ment, there are questions on the back end of the Irish defense, with safety play atop the "uh oh, we could be in trouble" list among Notre Dame faithful. The group remains a work in prog- ress, but so far new defensive coor- dinator Mike Elko has been encour- aged with what he has seen. "That group is getting better ev- ery day," Elko said late in fall camp. "That's a group that we've got a lot of young kids, a lot of kids that haven't played a ton of football. … We have talented players who are working hard every day to be as good as they can be. "So, each day they get another rep, they get a little better, and they'll be ready to go when the season starts." Cornerback play was strong in the second half of the 2016 season, but despite the rise of three mem- bers of the 2016 recruiting class, and the return to health of junior Shaun Crawford and senior Nick Watkins, the cornerback position is still quite young. In fact, sophomore Julian Love is the team's most experienced corner, having made seven starts on the outside last season. Crawford and Watkins, the two veterans of the group from a class perspective, have combined for just three starts. The sophomores combined for 14 starts at cornerback last fall. "We're a young group, and we re- ally need to be on our P's and Q's with our attention to detail and the way we go about our work," said position coach Todd Lyght, a two- time All-American corner for the Irish in 1989 and 1990. "When you have young players the biggest key is trying to get them to understand we have to train and practice at game speed, so I can see what they can do and I can see what they know. "A lot of young players think they can go out there and practice at a cer- tain tempo and hit the switch on game day," Lyght continued. "That's not true; if you want to play fast you have to practice fast, that's the key. We have to be able to think fast on our toes, read and react, understand what the offense is trying to do to us." Lyght's cornerbacks have shined throughout fall camp and seemed ready to go for the start of the sea- son. Safety play has been far more in- consistent, but that is to be expected from what is arguably the hardest position on the defense to learn. This is especially true for young players being tasked with absorbing a brand new defense while having to read and see the entire field. "You have to see everything. It's a lot like playing quarterback," Elko said of the demands at safety. "When you sit in the middle of the back part of the defense, you have to see it all. You have to see run, you have to see pass; you're involved in the run game and you're involved in the throw game. "It's hard to minimize a safety's job. As college football has changed with more spread, the more open space tackling, that's put a ton of stress on a safety. Where as in the old days of two tight ends and a full- back, play this game in a pile of dust. That's not as hard to be a safety. "Now you're sideline to sideline and things are flying right at you with these big, strong athletes. If you're slow reacting at all, it's not a good situation." Part of Elko's optimism is the Senior cornerback Nick Watkins has emerged as Notre Dame's top cornerback during fall camp. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND UP AND COMING Notre Dame still lacks experience in the secondary, but the Irish coaches like their options