SOUTH BEND, Ind. — So begins the Drew Pyne Period for the Notre Dame Irish. Stepping in for injured starter Tyler Buchner was by no means how Pyne wished to take over the QB1 function, however the Irish (0-2) will want him to exceed all expectations, regardless.
“It’s an honor to have the ability to assist this staff win,” Pyne mentioned Tuesday. “However for me, it’s straightforward to fall right into a lure and have this have an effect on me many alternative methods. I’m centered on one factor and that’s getting ready as onerous as I can for Cal and practising as onerous as I can to have the ability to have success this week.”
The unbeaten Cal Bears have relied on a stout protection for years, the specialty of head coach Justin Wilcox, so suffice it to say, Pyne is being thrown into the deep finish.
TIME: 2:30 ET, with kickoff formally slated for two:39 ET. This NBC-specific kickoff time might be missed subsequent week when Notre Dame faces North Carolina later within the afternoon.
Winds could kick up throughout the sport, blowing from the southwest, however in any other case, the climate will stay splendid for mid-September soccer with temperatures cresting within the mid-80s.
TV: NBC will broadcast the Irish chase of their first win of the season and of the Marcus Freeman Period, whereas Peacock may even carry the sport stay if preferring to stream it. Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett will man the sales space with Zora Stephenson alongside the sidelines.
PREVIEW: As a lot because the Irish offense has struggled this season, and there’s no means to have a look at it in any other case, Buchner’s legs had been a constant catalyst. He had rushed for 2 touchdowns and 6 first downs this season, with the chains shifting a seventh time because of drawing a penalty, whereas Notre Dame’s operating backs have managed only one landing and 4 first downs.
With Pyne stepping in for Buchner, it turns into practically not possible to undertaking the Irish offense for the time being. So little has been seen of Pyne behind middle.
Since stepping in for Jack Coan within the second halves of back-to-back video games early final season, Pyne didn’t see motion once more in Notre Dame’s ultimate eight video games, simply as he didn’t within the season opener at Ohio State. His late motion in opposition to Marshall included a landing move, however an interception earlier than that snuffed out the final real Irish hopes.
Head coach Marcus Freeman mentioned Notre Dame’s offense mustn’t change a lot with Pyne rather than Buchner, even when the latter’s mobility was a differentiating issue within the preseason quarterback competitors.
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“I don’t see the offense, by way of your entire package deal, altering due to Drew being the quarterback,” Freeman mentioned Monday. “However I do need to try to look and say, ‘Okay, the place can we do extra for them as an offense?’”
However offensive coordinator Tommy Rees hinted at some attainable adjustments on Tuesday. Frankly, Freeman’s coachspeak apart, it’s onerous to check Pyne carrying the ball on as many designed runs as Buchner does, even when Rees described Pyne as “niftier than folks give him credit score for.”
“We all know what [Pyne is] good at,” Rees mentioned. “He is aware of what he’s good at. We have now to guarantee that he retains that within the entrance of the thoughts. I’ve to name a sport that highlights that.”
Rees understandably wouldn’t delve into these particulars. Going through a defensive thoughts like Wilcox’s is tough sufficient with out giving him bullet factors to prepared for.
The best attributes usually assigned to Pyne are his confidence and care stage. Optimistic traits, to make certain, they matter much less on the sphere on Saturdays. At that time, his arm power could also be close to the highest of the checklist, as is a capability to maintain his eyes downfield whereas shopping for time outdoors the pocket. Taking part in for each the Blue and the Gold in Notre Dame’s spring sport, Pyne’s 22-of-33 for 185 yards was an unpleasant displaying, however the required pink jersey reined in his prediliction to ease away from stress.
How he is ready to present that tendency in opposition to the Bears will be the best willpower of if the Irish offense might be ineffective all season or if it begins to point out indicators of life.
QB1 reporting for obligation.
📸@3RD13 for @insideNDsports pic.twitter.com/eDpmXZtaZS— Tyler James (@TJamesND) September 13, 2022
PREDICTION: The sportsbook valuation of Buchner vs. Pyne has been an intriguing one to look at this week. Notre Dame had been a 13.5-point favourite when waiting for this sport, however with the information official on Monday that Buchner will miss the remainder of the season, the road fell as little as -9.0.
Because the week progressed, that ticked again upward. Take into account it a correction to an overreaction, with PointsBet favoring the Irish by 12.0 as of Friday night with a mixed factors whole Over/Beneath of 40.5.
That whole has not moved backwards and forwards all through the week. It merely fell on Sunday. Nobody expects this sport to tackle an offensive tilt.
However what if Rees is most snug calling an offense with a quarterback with a talent set like Pyne’s? That strategy could not maximize the expertise on Notre Dame’s roster, however at this time second, Rees and the Irish don’t have any alternative. Buchner is out. Pyne is beginning. And his sport is terribly paying homage to not solely Rees’ but additionally Ian Ebook’s, with whom Rees loved nice success.
Supposedly undersized quarterbacks with extra mobility than realized, although removed from dual-threats, may be how Rees works greatest. A minimum of, up to now in his profession it might be how he works greatest.
If that’s the case, then the correction to the overreaction is smart, and that whole may very well be threatened.
It could nonetheless be a shock, after all. The Irish offense has not produced by two weeks, and placing religion in it has very a lot turn out to be a “Consider it once I see it” proposition. The identical could be mentioned for an opposing offense discovering common success in opposition to Notre Dame’s protection.
The Irish have given up simply 40 factors by two weeks, most of which got here by way of lengthy landing drives reliant on the run. That’s one menace Cal is not going to deliver into Notre Dame Stadium. Every week in the past in opposition to UNLV — a protection that gave up greater than 215 dashing yards in 4 separate video games final season and no less than 5.4 yards per carry in 5 totally different video games — the Bears ran for under 92 yards with 2.9 yards per rush.
The best Irish defensive weak point, and never one in all wholesale concern at that, isn’t one thing Cal will be capable to exploit. With that in thoughts, Rees and Pyne could not have to scheme their strategy to many factors to seek out Freeman his first profession win.
Notre Dame 24, Cal 10
(Unfold: 1-1; Over/Beneath: 1-1; Straight-up: 1-1)
Slender it right down to as a canine of no less than 9.5 and he’s 10-3 ATS with 5 outright wins. Final 12 months Cal was a double-digit canine twice and misplaced by seven and two…
— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) September 14, 2022
AN ADDITIONAL GAME DAY NOTE
Notre Dame might be in inexperienced at the moment. No, this isn’t a motivational ploy. The Irish introduced this alternative again in June in response to the frequent chorus that Notre Dame would encourage followers to put on inexperienced as soon as a season with out sporting inexperienced itself.
🗣🗣IRISH WEAR GREEN
vs Cal
Sept. 17(and YES, we’re sporting inexperienced jerseys) pic.twitter.com/SwMtX0Fzl4
— Notre Dame Soccer (@NDFootball) June 30, 2022
If there’s a distinction to notice within the jerseys at the moment, it’s not the colour. It’s that the Irish can have nameplates on the again of the jerseys for a sport at Notre Dame Stadium for the primary time since … no, actually, we’re unsure.
𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 pic.twitter.com/mXYPZWCj3q
— Notre Dame Soccer (@NDFootball) September 15, 2022
INSIDE THE IRISH
— Marcus Freeman predicted Notre Dame would wish two QBs; previous and current show him proper
— High quality of Clemson and USC stays unknown regardless of top-10 rankings
— And In That Nook … Unbeaten Cal Bears head to Notre Dame as two-score underdogs
— Issues To Study: Unfamiliar territory forces Notre Dame to depend on delight to seek out desired Saturday end result vs Cal
— Friday at 4: A shortened honeymoon doesn’t change the explanations for Notre Dame’s marriage to Marcus Freeman
— watch Notre Dame vs Cal tomorrow and the Irish all season: TV, Peacock data for 2022
OUTSIDE READING
— Soccer weekend occasions: Notre Dame vs. California
— Cal vs Notre Dame odds, picks and predictions
— Charles in cost: Marshall’s Huff is school soccer’s subsequent nice coach
— EA Sports activities School Soccer: The rise, fall — and return — of a beloved online game
— Bucks’ Pat Connaughton ‘itching to get again’ after ‘actual offseason’ and contract extension
— Rams put Kyren Williams on IR, signal Matt Overton