Irish Offense Developing A Winning Hand

By John Brice
Special Contributor

Tommy Rees wants to defer the question.

A couple decades, Notre Dame’s third-year offensive coordinator suggests.

On the heels of the team’s third-straight win, including a nearly 500-yard, 41-minute tour de force against BYU in Las Vegas, Rees, it seems, is holding quite the hand of poker as he ponders what’s the root element in the art of calling an offense on game day.

“If I knew the secret, yeah. I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m the right guy to ask,” says Rees, now 24-6 as the Irish play-caller. “I think it’s just a feel for the game-flow, it’s a trust that you have in your players. It’s … I don’t know.

“Maybe ask me in 20 years. I might have a better answer for you.”

More answers are being supplied weekly by the Notre Dame offense, even as it has transitioned to a new starter in Drew Pyne following Tyler Buchner’s season-ending shoulder injury Sept. 10 in an upset-loss to Marshall.

To wit:

• Notre Dame has scored on 10 of its last 12 trips into the red zone.
• The offense has converted 21-for-35 third-down attempts in that three-game span, including 11-for-16 against BYU.
• The Irish have possessed the ball for 58 minutes, 51 seconds of a possible 90 minutes in the wins against Cal, at North Carolina and against BYU in the Shamrock Series. That’s a 65.4-percent second-half possession clip.
• Notre Dame’s two most recent offensive performances against the Tar Heels and Cougars have been sublime; 1,072 total yards for an 6.785 yard-per-play average that’s also seen Pyne amass 551 passing yards and six touchdowns while tossing just one interception – on a tipped pass.
• Sophomore tailback Audric Estimè owns 307 yards of rushing real estate during the winning streak, picking up 6.3 yards per rush.

“Coach Rees really, really values third down,” says Pyne, after rushing for at least one first down in each of the three wins. “He values the protection, he values exactly what we’re going into every week. Him and I talk about the calls that I’d want on first and third down, and Coach Rees does a really good job with that.

“I’ll tell you what, in the past two weeks, past three weeks, I felt like Coach Rees and I are on the same exact page, and I think that’s credit to him for getting us ready and really focusing on third down. That’s a big component of how he calls a game, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

Marcus Freeman meets regularly with his team’s quarterbacks; his institution of a head coach’s meeting with the signal-callers after taking over the program last December is a firm example of Freeman’s adamant stance that all coaches know all players and members of the Irish program maintain open communication in fostering team unity.

Freeman, then, is growing weekly in his comfort and knowledge of the group while also continuing to challenge coaches and players alike for self-appraisals that can elevate the Irish.

“What I love about what offensive staff and Tommy what has done is I think they challenge each other in terms of the preparation,” says Freeman. “And (Saturday’s win against BYU) was a result of that, a result of really having a critical eye in terms of evaluating everything we do. And sometimes, we get misconstrued that it’s all about the game.

“I think the result matters. And that’s how we’re judged, but to get the results you want, man, you have to prepare the right way. And that means having a critical eye. That means having uncomfortable conversations every day during the week, and really challenging each other to find ways to improve. And that’s what I love most of all about what Coach Rees and that offensive staff has done is really challenged each other to practice at a higher level, and ultimately, to perform at a higher level.”

Michael Mayer’s performance is at a pinnacle. The Irish’s All-American tight end is coming off a showcase-outing against BYU that now sees him possess the program’s single-game receptions mark for a tight end (11), career receptions (146 in just 29 games) and the No. 2 program mark for career touchdown catches by a tight end with 14.

This, as Mayer is unquestionably the No. 1 target on opponent’s scouting reports.

“I feel like no matter what the defense is doing, at a certain part of the game, Coach Rees will set me up to make a big play, and I have to be there to make the big play,” Mayer, leading all tight ends in college football with 33 receptions this season, says. “And Drew has to be there to make the big throws. And that just really happened 11 times (Saturday).

“I really believe in Coach Rees, I believe in Drew and these defenses, I don’t really think about that. I just try to come out here, play my best ball, try to get a W. I’m not worried about being on other teams’ scouting reports or anything.”

Rees, in lock-step with his head coach, likewise knows the Irish are capable of yet more growth. This string of performances merely is aerating the Notre Dame offense for additional elevation in the season’s closing two months.

“I think for me it’s all about trying to find advantageous looks for our players,” says Rees, continually adapting the Irish’s offensive footing with four different starting quarterbacks in his three seasons commanding the offense. “If we can show them the look during the week, execute it during practice, then in the week when that happens, they’re going to say, ‘All right, I’m bought in. I’m going to trust this is putting us in good positions to be successful and this technique they taught me worked.’ Us as coaches, we work extremely hard to try to give our guys every ounce of what we have for them to be successful.

“When you see that come to fruition on the field, it’s pretty special. And when you see them being able to experience that and enjoy it, that’s why a lot of us do what we do. But each successful play probably builds a little more trust. Each opportunity and moment that you can kind of overcome together builds a little bit of a close relationship. We’re just taking it one day at a time.”

Answering questions every step, every day, every play; providing Notre Dame with a winning hand.