ESPN analyst Greg McElroy reveals most 'remarkable' part of Notre Dame win over Georgia
Few national college football analysts understand the Notre Dame football program better than Greg McElroy.
The ESPN commentator has been on the broadcast as the color commentator for three Fighting Irish games this season, including both College Football Playoff games. He will also be on the call for Thursday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
With McElroy in the booth, Notre Dame has beaten ranked Navy, Indiana and Georgia teams. Following the program’s latest win over two-time national champion head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, McElroy called the Irish D-line’s performance remarkable after not playing with senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills.
“(Mills) was incredible all season long and was maybe the best player on the field against Indiana a couple of weeks ago,” McElroy said on the Jan. 2 edition of Always College Football. “Well, he gets hurt late in that game, and they lose him for the rest of the run. They didn’t have any drop off whatsoever along their defensive line.”
McElroy complimented juniors Donovan Hinish and Junior Tuihalamaka, senior Gabriel Rubio and graduate student Howard Cross III for stepping up on the defensive line. Against Georgia in last Thursday’s Sugar Bowl, Hinish, Tuihalamaka, Rubio and Cross accounted for 11 tackles and 9 pressures.
McElroy also credited the Irish linebackers with helping generate a pass rush. Junior Jaylen Sneed, sophomore Drayk Bowen and graduate student Jack Kiser combined for 7 more pressures.
“They really flustered this offensive line and kept constant pressure on (Georgia quarterback) Gunner Stockton from start to finish,” he said.
ESPN analyst Greg McElroy spotlights Notre Dame football’s special teams play, quarterback Riley Leonard
In Notre Dame’s win over Georgia, McElroy pointed to two special teams plays for helping the Irish come out on top.
First, he highlighted graduate student Jayden Harrison’s kick return touchdown to start the second half. It gave the Irish a 20-3 lead. Then, McElroy mentioned head coach Marcus Freeman’s decision to swap the punt team for the offense on fourth-and-1 from the Notre Dame 18-yard line.
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“The chaos created by the Georgia defense as they were running back onto the field, they forgot to think about the snap count,” McElroy said. “Which led to Jalon Walker jumping into the neutral zone and awarding Notre Dame a free first down. That was incredible gamesmanship by Marcus Freeman, stealing a possession.”
Freeman’s decision helped the Irish keep their drive alive and eat up 7:36 of game time. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard played a key part during it, rushing for two first downs. Leonard’s 14 carries for 80 yards impressed McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback. Meanwhile, the fact he only finished with 90 passing yards on 24 attempts was not concerning.
“While Riley Leonard’s numbers won’t blow you away, his smart situational plays were also very impressive,” he said.
McElroy will see the Irish again at Hard Rock Stadium for Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff semifinal game Thursday. And he is looking forward to a competitive matchup.
“It should be a tremendous matchup between Penn State and Notre Dame,” he said. “Two teams that have been really, really solid down the stretch. (They) have been hot as can be in the last few weeks of the season.
“So, I’m really looking forward to being on the call when that game gets underway. It should be amazing.”
