October 4, 2007
Stat Of The Week: Notre Dame
This week's Stat of the Week is one that we haven't used before in the 1.5 seasons we have been doing this. Before we get to it lets review last week's Stat of the Week: +2 in turnovers. Obviously, turnovers were key to our winning the Oregon State game. We never imagined we'd be that right. That makes us 5 for 5 this year.
This week's stat that will be key to our winning the game is: time of possession. Look for our Bruins to have significant time of possession advantage over Notre Dame through 3 quarters. We need time of possession advantage to win the game. If we don't have that advantage, Notre Dame can steal a win. That is key to this game for us. Notre Dame can't stop the run because they just don't have the personnel, experience or talent, on their D line. 11 freshman are getting significant playing time. They are near dead last in the country against the run (#107) allowing 210 yards per game. Our offense is averaging 199 yards per game. Although we may not have Chris Markey, we should be able to run the ball easily against the Domers. That will give our offense great time of possession. Dame's passing defense is highly ranked (#7, 149 per) simply because everyone can run on them. Their pass rush is not so good, ranked #98 in the country in sacks at 1.2 per game, and they are ranked #102 in tackles for loss.
On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame's O-line is among the worst in their history. Yesterday on the Bruin Show, Notre Dame bloggers expertly pointed out their flaws, their youth and inexperience, their size, their lack of talent. In one now famous play that encapsulates their season, the Domer bloggers recounted how Michigan had a 4-man rush against Notre Dame's 5-man front line on a 3 step drop pass play. All 4 Michigan lineman, ALL 4(!), got to the quarterback as he completed his 3rd step. There is a picture apparently on the Dame internets that shows this growing legend of a play. Notre Dame's offense is ranked dead last or near dead last in the country in nearly every category: rushing (#119), passing (#106), passing efficiency (#100), total offense (#118), scoring (#118), third down conversions (#116), tackles for loss allowed (#119) and sacks allowed (#119, almost 6 per). They also are horrible with discipline, consistent with their youth and inexperience, netting nearly 8 penalties per game (#84) for about 65 yards and -.6 in turnover margin (#88). And in time of possession they are ranked #113. Oddly, they are among the nations best at 4th down conversions at 8 for 12 (#16). Nevertheless, our defense should keep them off the field for a long time.
Combine our offensive time of possession (running game against their weak rush defense) with Notre Dame's anemic offense and that spells disaster for Notre Dame. If there is any way Notre Dame is keeping time of possession even, 1 of 2 things will have happened. 1) UCLA will have scored quickly on many big plays keeping our offense off the field and so we'd have a very big lead, OR 2) Notre Dame is keeping the game close. We think that if we are at the start of the 4th quarter and this key stat is even that the latter case makes more sense. If time of possession is near even after 3 quarters, Notre Dame is in this game making the 4th quarter anyone's ballgame … and that is why time of possession is key, and is our Stat of the Week.
17 Comments on Stat Of The Week: Notre Dame
October 4, 2007
TommyBruin @ 10:04 pm:
Duh-rell will find a way to make this either a close game or a loss. Who knows, maybe a run-away like Utah. Stats only mean something with a consistent program. We’ve got a train wreck on our hands. How many years will it take to fix this after the CANCER is finally excised from our hearts?
October 6, 2007
Louis Miranda @ 8:28 pm:
After 42 years of being a fan I’am finally done. What an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame. This coach cannot beat anyone. this is a horrible team and I hope they lose the rest of their games then maybe that will get us a coach who can actually beat lousy teams like Utah and Notre Dame. I will not follow thisteam again until they get a new coach.
BruinOC @ 8:43 pm:
What The H#@&???
BruinRSIDE @ 8:45 pm:
You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m ashamed. Dump Dorrell.
BruinOC @ 8:47 pm:
Oh well - only a Pac-10 Championship (or 2nd place and a major bowl) can save him now…
Stan Gomez @ 8:50 pm:
Worse coach in the history of college football. We must have a clown for an AD also, to stick with this guy. 4 and 1 and we throw the football with an unproven QB and it results in a sack? Also, he throws out of the endzone on third down with the same QB. I dont want to hear all the excuses about injuries. His players are not prepared!!! No Way. Get rid of this clown, now!!!
Steve @ 8:51 pm:
GET REAL. HE IS DONE. FCK THAT LOSER. SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED 2 YRS AGO.
BruinOC @ 8:55 pm:
After BO went down, it looked like BT had never taken a practive snap in his life.
Talk about not preparing for such an event (BO getting knocked out). I feel really bad for BT, being thrown out to a crowd of 90,000+…
This was honestly a great showing of incompetence by the coaching staff (minus the ‘D’)…
BruinOC @ 9:06 pm:
KD @ his Press Conference tonight - “I’m disheartened…we’re snake bitten at QB”….
Steve @ 9:09 pm:
No Karl we are poisoned at head coach. Disheartened?? What a PUSSY.
Louis Miranda @ 9:16 pm:
Everyone of us fans must step up the pressure to the AD now. If this game doesn’t do it nothing short of a losing year will. It will be tough but I will be rooting for this team to lose the rest of their games and hopefully just as embarrasing as Utah ans Notre Dame. Their appears to be no other way this myopic in denial AD is ever going to get it. Their truly is no pride at UCLA when it comes to football. Basketball is good but gol dang it I’m sick of the football team not winning a conference championship for 10 long years.
Diss DUH-rrell @ 9:28 pm:
I feel just sick to my stomach. Great playcalling
by UCLA. Pass the ball with a walk-on QB
instead of running it against one of the
worse run defenses in the country. Oh can
ucla run a sweep once in a while? Talking
about one dimensional. Time to give
DUH-rrell a one way ticket to the arena
football league.
Aaron @ 9:48 pm:
WTF, I wasted $75 to go to this game. why the hell do we always lose to the teams that haven’t won yet????
A GOOD COACH WOULD FIND WAYS TO BEAT HORRIBLE TEAMS LIKE UTAH AND NOTRE DAME
TommyBruin @ 10:27 pm:
This makes me physically ill. I’ll never give up on UCLA - it’s my school. And we have some great players like Breazell. But how do you root for a team led by an incompetent clown? When will the Chancellor or AD or somebody at UCLA pull their head out of their a$$ and fire this loser?
Put in Ed Kezirian (towel waver) as interim coach and try to get a real coach for next year. Don’t let this infection taint our program for one more day.
Kerry @ 10:33 pm:
The last straw… This will be Notre Dame’s only win. Dorrell needs to go…….
drbob @ 11:57 pm:
“disheartened? Karl, you should be “devastated and humiliated” like all of us Bruin fans are, show some passion at least.
“snakebitten at QB? Karl, UCLA is snakebitten by head coaches, like you.
If KD doesn’t get fired at the end of the year, then Dan Guerrero should get fired because it will be obvious that he doesn’t give a rats ass about UCLA football…
drbob
October 7, 2007
TomSk84 @ 1:42 am:
Lots of things have changed for me with this football season.
I am now fervently pro-playoff. You can’t allow these polls
to decide the National Champion. I mean, hell, UCLA was ranked very high, no? What a joke that’s turned out to be…
One more thing–I’m incredulous at the complete lack of any
coverage of the UCLA-ND game(at least here in Vegas)…No
highlights, no analysis, nothing. Why is that???