Life has once again gotten in the way of my football obsession, but I will be drafting a full postgame breakdown of Navy later this weekend (I was far too upset to blog about the last game, against Those Who Shall Not Be Named).
I did want to do my part to send my condolences to Robert and the whole Hughes family, as they deal with their tragic loss. The prayers of myself and the whole Notre Dame family are with them as they deal with the loss of Earl Hughes.
Go Irish! Beat the Middies!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Media Savvy
Every time I start to doubt Coach Weis, he manages to pull a rabbit out of a hat and renew my confidence.
After the 38-0 drubbing I witnessed on Saturday, I felt numb and had lost all confidence in Coach Weis as I walked across campus. I got back to the car, and listened to the press conference.
Then I heard the carefully worded sound byte that lifted my spirits (albeit briefly) and gave me hope coming down the stretch:
"Enjoy it now."
Three little words, but words dripping with such confidence (or perhaps some would say arrogance) that I couldn't help but be buoyed by the though of smoother sailing ahead.
So that covered the sound byte for Saturday night and Sunday morning, temporarily deflecting the national media spotlight from the fact that this was the second worse loss in the history of Notre Dame Stadium.
So what trick did Coach Weis have up his sleeve to keep the program from being ripped to the ground by a mob of angry alums and fans after being embarassed by our main rival?
A five-star receiver named Michael Floyd.
Say what you will about Weis' on the field struggles with this young team. But him and his staff are damn fine salesmen.
Weis getting Floyd to commit to the Irish this weekend is like selling a car with no wheels to a stock car driver for his next race.
I was talking to my buddy Justin via text message on Saturday while I was at the game, and we both lamented that this loss had to be very, very bad for recruiting. We were worried about kids jumping ship and going someplace with a little more stabilty.
So Coach Weis flipped the script. It has long been rumored that Floyd was all but committed to the Irish shortly after they offered, but Floyd chose to be responsible and work through the entire recruiting cycle to weigh his choices. He stayed out of the media spotlight and just started sifting though his offers.
This weekend, Charlie closed the deal with Floyd, creating the perfect story to deflect the ongoing criticism of his on field struggles on offense.
I have no inside knowledge of Floyd's recruitment, but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that Weis and Floyd have known for a little while that he would be Irish. There are some who know Floyd that were convinced that he was only waiting for the All-American game to pull the trigger.
But Coach Weis knew that after this game, we the fans were going to need something to hang our hats on, something to give us hope and confidence. So he asked Floyd to pull the trigger and announce.
I've said time and again on this blog that I think Coach Weis is the right man to run this program. On Saturday evening, I was ready to leap head-first off of that bandwagon.
Now, I'm merely teetering on the edge.
Oh, Coach Weis still needs to turn the offense over to someone else - someone whose FULL TIME JOB is to make sure that it is effective and runs smoothly. He still needs to hire a legitimate special teams coach, and replace Latina as O-line coach. He still needs to work a little harder on fundamentals and assignment football in practice, and a little less on X's and O's. He needs to trust his very talented staff, and focus on player development like he used to as a position coach.
But as the leader of this organization - as a celebrity with a blistering spotlight on him - Coach Weis is as steady as a rock.
The players on this team are behind him, and the freshman class coming may be the best in the history of Notre Dame football. And considering our record, that is a major achievement. To see exactly how hard it is to land a top class with a bad record, look at the past 5 years top 10 recruiting classes and final records of those teams (losing records in bold):
2003-2004
12-1 #1 USC
13-1 #2 LSU
11-2 #5 Miami
10-3 #11 Florida State
10-3 #6 Michigan
11-3 #7 Georgia
12-2 #3 Oklahoma
8-5 Florida
10-3 Tennessee
10-3 #12 Texas
2004-2005
10-3 #13 Tennessee
9-3 #14 Michigan
9-3 #15 Florida State
10-2 #7 Georgia
12-1 #3 Oklahoma
13-0 #1 USC
8-4 #20 Ohio State
10-2 #8 Iowa
10-2 #9 California
5-6 Nebraska (Callahan's first year)
2005-2006
12-1 #2 USC
9-3 #12 Florida
13-0 #1 Texas
10-3 #10 Georgia
9-3 #9 Notre Dame
11-1 #3 Penn State
11-2 #6 LSU
8-4 #22 Oklahoma
9-3 #14 Auburn
7-5 Michigan
2006-2007
13-1 #1 Florida
11-2 #4 USC
10-3 #13 Texas
9-4 #25 Tennessee
11-2 #3 LSU
11-2 #9 Auburn
8-5 South Carolina
6-6 Pittsburgh
7-6 Oregon
11-2 #8 Michigan
2007-2008
1-7 Notre Dame
5-2 UCLA
5-2 Georgia
6-1 #12 USC
5-3 Miami
6-2 #19 Texas
6-2 Texas A&M
4-3 Florida State
4-4 Nebraska
7-1 #6 Oklahoma
In the past 5 years, there has only been one team that has finished the season with a losing record, but still had a top 10 recruiting class. More than halfway through arguably the worst season in Notre Dame history, we have the #1 recruiting class in the country. And that was even before Floyd's commitment.
Weis clearly understands how to sell the program. And he has assembled a staff of stellar recruiters. His salesmanship is astounding, and the timing of his commits announcing their school choices displays a level of media savvy that is unsurpassed. If every player currently committed signs, we'll have a top 10 class regardless of what other schools do at the end of the recruiting cycle. And lest we spend too much time obsessing over the transfers, consider for a moment that Weis can now use those scholarships to attract even more players with his recruiting momentum.
With the last 4 games appearing to be winnable, don't be surprised if the maturation of the younger players results in a bit of a winning streak and some momentum going into signing day. Also, with the Irish out of bowl contention, Weis can spend December tirelessly hitting the recruiting trail.
For all of my frustration surrounding the USC game, and the fact that I believe it marks a bottoming out of historical proportions, I can't help but still believing that the program is - long-term - headed in the right direction. Pete Carroll, one of the best recruiters in the game, admitted in the post-game press conference that he saw this season coming 3 years ago, the same thing that anyone who follows recruiting wll echo. Therefore, I can't hlep but buy into Charlie's somewhat arrogant statement in his post-game press conference:
"[Notre Dame haters] better enjoy it now, have their fun now."
'Cause we're not gonna be trampled on for much longer.
After the 38-0 drubbing I witnessed on Saturday, I felt numb and had lost all confidence in Coach Weis as I walked across campus. I got back to the car, and listened to the press conference.
Then I heard the carefully worded sound byte that lifted my spirits (albeit briefly) and gave me hope coming down the stretch:
"Enjoy it now."
Three little words, but words dripping with such confidence (or perhaps some would say arrogance) that I couldn't help but be buoyed by the though of smoother sailing ahead.
So that covered the sound byte for Saturday night and Sunday morning, temporarily deflecting the national media spotlight from the fact that this was the second worse loss in the history of Notre Dame Stadium.
So what trick did Coach Weis have up his sleeve to keep the program from being ripped to the ground by a mob of angry alums and fans after being embarassed by our main rival?
A five-star receiver named Michael Floyd.
Say what you will about Weis' on the field struggles with this young team. But him and his staff are damn fine salesmen.
Weis getting Floyd to commit to the Irish this weekend is like selling a car with no wheels to a stock car driver for his next race.
I was talking to my buddy Justin via text message on Saturday while I was at the game, and we both lamented that this loss had to be very, very bad for recruiting. We were worried about kids jumping ship and going someplace with a little more stabilty.
So Coach Weis flipped the script. It has long been rumored that Floyd was all but committed to the Irish shortly after they offered, but Floyd chose to be responsible and work through the entire recruiting cycle to weigh his choices. He stayed out of the media spotlight and just started sifting though his offers.
This weekend, Charlie closed the deal with Floyd, creating the perfect story to deflect the ongoing criticism of his on field struggles on offense.
I have no inside knowledge of Floyd's recruitment, but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that Weis and Floyd have known for a little while that he would be Irish. There are some who know Floyd that were convinced that he was only waiting for the All-American game to pull the trigger.
But Coach Weis knew that after this game, we the fans were going to need something to hang our hats on, something to give us hope and confidence. So he asked Floyd to pull the trigger and announce.
I've said time and again on this blog that I think Coach Weis is the right man to run this program. On Saturday evening, I was ready to leap head-first off of that bandwagon.
Now, I'm merely teetering on the edge.
Oh, Coach Weis still needs to turn the offense over to someone else - someone whose FULL TIME JOB is to make sure that it is effective and runs smoothly. He still needs to hire a legitimate special teams coach, and replace Latina as O-line coach. He still needs to work a little harder on fundamentals and assignment football in practice, and a little less on X's and O's. He needs to trust his very talented staff, and focus on player development like he used to as a position coach.
But as the leader of this organization - as a celebrity with a blistering spotlight on him - Coach Weis is as steady as a rock.
The players on this team are behind him, and the freshman class coming may be the best in the history of Notre Dame football. And considering our record, that is a major achievement. To see exactly how hard it is to land a top class with a bad record, look at the past 5 years top 10 recruiting classes and final records of those teams (losing records in bold):
2003-2004
12-1 #1 USC
13-1 #2 LSU
11-2 #5 Miami
10-3 #11 Florida State
10-3 #6 Michigan
11-3 #7 Georgia
12-2 #3 Oklahoma
8-5 Florida
10-3 Tennessee
10-3 #12 Texas
2004-2005
10-3 #13 Tennessee
9-3 #14 Michigan
9-3 #15 Florida State
10-2 #7 Georgia
12-1 #3 Oklahoma
13-0 #1 USC
8-4 #20 Ohio State
10-2 #8 Iowa
10-2 #9 California
5-6 Nebraska (Callahan's first year)
2005-2006
12-1 #2 USC
9-3 #12 Florida
13-0 #1 Texas
10-3 #10 Georgia
9-3 #9 Notre Dame
11-1 #3 Penn State
11-2 #6 LSU
8-4 #22 Oklahoma
9-3 #14 Auburn
7-5 Michigan
2006-2007
13-1 #1 Florida
11-2 #4 USC
10-3 #13 Texas
9-4 #25 Tennessee
11-2 #3 LSU
11-2 #9 Auburn
8-5 South Carolina
6-6 Pittsburgh
7-6 Oregon
11-2 #8 Michigan
2007-2008
1-7 Notre Dame
5-2 UCLA
5-2 Georgia
6-1 #12 USC
5-3 Miami
6-2 #19 Texas
6-2 Texas A&M
4-3 Florida State
4-4 Nebraska
7-1 #6 Oklahoma
In the past 5 years, there has only been one team that has finished the season with a losing record, but still had a top 10 recruiting class. More than halfway through arguably the worst season in Notre Dame history, we have the #1 recruiting class in the country. And that was even before Floyd's commitment.
Weis clearly understands how to sell the program. And he has assembled a staff of stellar recruiters. His salesmanship is astounding, and the timing of his commits announcing their school choices displays a level of media savvy that is unsurpassed. If every player currently committed signs, we'll have a top 10 class regardless of what other schools do at the end of the recruiting cycle. And lest we spend too much time obsessing over the transfers, consider for a moment that Weis can now use those scholarships to attract even more players with his recruiting momentum.
With the last 4 games appearing to be winnable, don't be surprised if the maturation of the younger players results in a bit of a winning streak and some momentum going into signing day. Also, with the Irish out of bowl contention, Weis can spend December tirelessly hitting the recruiting trail.
For all of my frustration surrounding the USC game, and the fact that I believe it marks a bottoming out of historical proportions, I can't help but still believing that the program is - long-term - headed in the right direction. Pete Carroll, one of the best recruiters in the game, admitted in the post-game press conference that he saw this season coming 3 years ago, the same thing that anyone who follows recruiting wll echo. Therefore, I can't hlep but buy into Charlie's somewhat arrogant statement in his post-game press conference:
"[Notre Dame haters] better enjoy it now, have their fun now."
'Cause we're not gonna be trampled on for much longer.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Rushing Offense Woes
A little over halfway through the season, I was wondering whether our rushing woes are due to the caliber of opponent defenses, or a function of our own ineptitude, or both.
I was surprised when I saw the cumulative rankings (our losses in bold, win in italics):
1 Boston College
5 Southern California
9 Penn St.
10 UCLA
11 Georgia Tech
24 Michigan St.
37 Michigan
52 Purdue
62 Air Force
73 Duke
75 Stanford
88 Navy
This pretty much confirms what I suspected, that our schedule has as much to do with our lack of success running the ball as our youth and inexperience. We've played the top rushing defense, 3 of the top ten, 4 of the top 12, and 5 of the top 25. Every team has been in the top half of the rankings. And this week, we face another top 5 rushing defense in USC.
I think that we will continue to struggle running the ball, but we were able to squeak out a win against one of those vaunted rush defenses despite our struggles.
And if anyone out there still doubts our ability to win the last four games on ou schedule, consider the fact that they can't stuff the run like our first 8 opponents, which should bring some balance to our offense. And this ranking list supports my previous contention that we should have beaten Purdue soundly, and our first half performance in that game was atrocious.
I'm not mentioning this to excuse our performance thus far, but to provide hope that we can win the last four games by establishing the running game early.
Which means that we have a good shot of going to a bowl game with a win this weekend.
I was surprised when I saw the cumulative rankings (our losses in bold, win in italics):
1 Boston College
5 Southern California
9 Penn St.
10 UCLA
11 Georgia Tech
24 Michigan St.
37 Michigan
52 Purdue
62 Air Force
73 Duke
75 Stanford
88 Navy
This pretty much confirms what I suspected, that our schedule has as much to do with our lack of success running the ball as our youth and inexperience. We've played the top rushing defense, 3 of the top ten, 4 of the top 12, and 5 of the top 25. Every team has been in the top half of the rankings. And this week, we face another top 5 rushing defense in USC.
I think that we will continue to struggle running the ball, but we were able to squeak out a win against one of those vaunted rush defenses despite our struggles.
And if anyone out there still doubts our ability to win the last four games on ou schedule, consider the fact that they can't stuff the run like our first 8 opponents, which should bring some balance to our offense. And this ranking list supports my previous contention that we should have beaten Purdue soundly, and our first half performance in that game was atrocious.
I'm not mentioning this to excuse our performance thus far, but to provide hope that we can win the last four games by establishing the running game early.
Which means that we have a good shot of going to a bowl game with a win this weekend.
Southern Cal vs. Notre Dame Preview
University of Southern Calfornia
Trojans (5-1)
Ranking: BCS #14, AP #13 Coaches #9
Head Coach: Pete "The Poodle" Carroll
Coaching Record: 69-13, 7th season
Last Year: 11-2 (7-2 Pac-10)
Last Week: Beat Arizona, 20-13
versus
University of Notre Dame
Fighting Irish (1-6)
Head Coach: Charlie Weis
Coaching Record: 20-12, 3rd season
Last Year: 10-3, Lost to Louisiana State in Allstate Sugar Bowl (#17 AP / #19 Coaches postseason ranking)
Last Week: Lost to #4 Boston College, 27-14
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (aka The House That Rock Built)
Date and Time: October 20, 2007 3:43 p.m.
Series Record: Notre Dame leads 42-31-5
Notre Dame Quarterback and Receivers vs. Southern Cal Secondary
Notre Dame is starting their third quarterback this season, as Junior Evan Sharpley got the nod over Freshman Jimmy Clausen on the heels of his second comeback leading performance of the season against Boston College.
The hope out of South Bend is that Sharpley will continue to show the poise and confidence that he showed in relief, and will finally give Coach Weis the confidence to open up the passing offense. However, we don't know if Sharpley will show up all game like he did when the pressure was on with a big lead to overcome.
Southern Cal has a very good secondary, but they haven't picked off a lot of balls. Their pass efficiency defense is one of the best in the country, and that makes this a tough challenge for Sharpley in his first start. However, they give up about 200 yards per game through the air, so there is some hope that we can move the ball in the passing game, especially if the Coach finally opens up some intermediate and deep routes early in the game.
Edge: Draw
Notre Dame Running Backs and Tight Ends vs. Southern Cal Linebackers
Notre Dame's rushing offense continues to sputter this late in the season, and I haven't seen anything that gives me confidence.
Southern Cal is loaded at linebacker, althought they have been banged up. Maualuga has a hip pointer, and is a game-time decision (although it doesn't look like he will play at this point). Brian Cushing has been practicing, and it looks like he will go, but his injury may slow him down a bit. Either way, this matchup looks to favor the Trojans.
Edge: Southern Cal
Notre Dame Offensive Line vs. Southern Cal Defensive Line
Southern Cal hasn't put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and Notre Dame's blitz pickup has been steadily improving over the last three games, so Sharpley should have some time to throw. However, the big hosses in front are very good at shutting down the run, spearheading one of the nation's best rushing defenses.
Edge: Draw
Notre Dame Defensive Line vs. Southern Cal Offensive Line
Laws and Kunz are beasts, and the Southern Cal O-line is shallow and pretty banged up. Hopefully, this will present an opportunity for the D-line to disrupt the Trojan's powerful running game. I expect the Irish to once again win the battle in the trenches, but the question is whether it will be enough to slow them down.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Linebackers vs. Southern Cal Running Backs and Tight Ends
Any other team in the country, faced with the number of injuries to the running backs that Southern Cal has faced, would be struggling to run the ball. However, SC is so deep at the postion that it hasn't hurt their production that much, with them averaging almost 200 yards a game on the ground.
Hopefully, Mo Crum will be back from injury and able to play at 100%. It is because of this question mark and our history of struggling against the run that I'm giving the nod to SC here. However, if Mo Crum can show up like he did against UCLA, this could change.
Watch out for Fred Davis, the USC Tight End, who creates some matchup problems over the middle. Also, they have a fullback in Stanley Havili who has soft hands and can create some problems for us in the flat.
Edge: Southern Cal
Notre Dame Secondary vs. Southern Cal Quarterbacks and Receivers
This is the big matchup in this game, once again. Booty is trying to get back on the field, despite a broken finger on his throwing hand. Sanchez is waiting in the wings if Booty can't be productive, but his inexperience limits the offense somewhat.
If Booty isn't 100%, this matchup should go to the Irish, although they are facing the biggest receiving corps of the year so far, and will struggle to defend against jump balls with leadng receiver 6'5" Patrick Turner and 6'4" David Ausberry. With Fred Davis also standing at 6'4", we are going to need a solid pass rush to stay competitive in this game.
All of that said, the Irish secondary has continued to be solid against the pass, ranking in or near the top 25 in both total pass defense and pass efficiency defense. This will be interesting to watch, as this is the most talented receiving corps we've faced.
The big question here is whether Booty can be effectve as a passer with a broken finger. If not, the Irish should win this matchup going away.
Edge: Draw
Notre Dame Coaches vs. Southern Cal Coaches
Although Coach Weis out-coached Pete Carroll in their first meeting in 2005, over the span of their careers as head coaches, Carrol has proven to be by far the more consistent coach across the board, leading Div I-A in winning percentage.
Carroll is struggling a bit this year, with a loss to Stanford and struggling last week against a bad Arizona squad. While I'm giving this edge to SC, this game presents an opportunity for Coach Weis to salvage the season and silence some of his critics, by placing this team in a position to battle for a bowl game down the stretch of this disappointing season.
I know that Weis wants this one more than any of the others, although he'll never say so to the media.
Edge: Southern Cal
Quarterback and Receivers vs. Secondary: Edge Draw
Running Backs and Tight Ends vs. Linebackers: Edge Southern Cal
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line: Edge Draw
Defensive Line vs. Offensive Line: Edge Notre Dame
Linebackers vs. Running Backs and Tight Ends: Edge Southern Cal
Secondary vs. Quarterbacks and Receivers: Edge Draw
Coaches vs. Coaches: Edge Southern Cal
Analysis and Prediction
This is the granddaddy of them all, the greatest rivalry in college football.
It's become cliche, but it is often true that when these two teams meet, you can throw out the records.
Notre Dame wants to win this game for respect. Respect for their coach, and respect for the rebuilding they have done to this point in the season.
With only one loss, Southern Cal is still thinking national championship, although their confidence is shaken.
With the lone exception of Ty's blowout loss to the Trojans four years ago, the Trojans do not come into Notre Dame Stadium and beat up on the Irish. Here is a list of the last 10 games played in Notre Dame Stadium:
2005: SC 34-31
2003 (Ty): SC 45-14
2001: ND 27-16
1999: ND 25-24
1997: SC 20-17
1995: ND 38-10
1993: ND 31-13
1991: ND 24-20
1989: ND 28-24
1987: ND 26-15
Therefore, despite this being a down season for Notre Dame, I expect a competitive battle in Notre Dame Stadium. There is no atmosphere in sports that compares with gameday between Notre Dame and USC in South Bend. It is quite simply magical.
Thus, despite the fact that the matchups appear to favor the Trojans, I simply refuse to allow myself to believe that we will lose this game. It means too much to the players and coaches for them not to come out and play the game of their lives on Saturday morning.
I'm hoping that a couple years from now, when we are celebrating our 12th national championship, I'll be able to say that I was in Notre Dame Stadium for the turning point in this program, when the Irish started something special that woke up the echoes, not just for a fleeting week or two, but for good.
This week could serve as the foundation for the building of a dynasty. It's that important.
Notre Dame 24
Southern Cal 20
Final - Overtime
Monday, October 15, 2007
Boston College Postmortem
"They are who we thought they were!"
Dennis Green's immortal quote has never been more apropos than this week. I felt good about our chances against Boston College, largely because we matched up well with them schematically. Let's review the matchups from my preview, and see how close I was:
ND QB's & WR's vs. BC Secondary:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: First half - BC, Second half - Notre Dame
Jimmy Clausen was inneffective against the BC defense through the first three fifths of the game, throwing for only 60 yards and 2 interceptions. He never tested the BC secondary, instead continuing the annoying dink-and-dunk offense from the rest of the season.
However, once JC was pulled in favor of Sharpley, we began attacking the BC secondary, and gashed 'em pretty good for the last part of the game, throwing for 147 yards and 2 TDs (although one of the TDs was called back on a phantom holding call).
Sharpley clearly is more comfortable with the intermediate and long passing game, allowing the Irish to stretch the field.
I really like Clausen, but he can't seem to pull the trigger down the field, and he should be benched until that problem is resolved. Sharpley has proven that he deserves the chance to start, as he gives us a better chance of winning now.
ND RB's & TE's vs. BC Linebackers:
I gave the edge to: Boston College
The edge in the game was: Boston College
I knew that we wouldn't be able to run against this front seven, and I didn't think we should have spent a lot of time trying. Instead, we ran the ball 21 times for an atrocious 27 yards (1.3 per rush). This attempt to run the ball cost us drives - look at the drive that started wth 5:36 left in the first quarter:
PASS - 6 yards!
RUSH - 1 yard.
RUSH - 2 yards.
PUNT.
Now compare that to Sharpley's first drive:
PASS - incomplete
PASS - incomplete
PASS - 28 yards!
PASS - incomplete
PASS - 2 yards. ROUGHING THE PASSER - 15 yards!
PASS - 15 yards!
PASS - 19 yards! TOUCHDOWN!
When we started chucking the ball all over the field with Sharpley and abandoned the run, we did have some success. There are a lot of things wrong with our running game, which I'm going to attempt to go over later this week.
ND O-line vs. BC D-lne:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Notre Dame
"Fredo's defensive line isn't that scary, compared to the other teams we've played. Indeed, only Purdue's pass rush is weaker than Fredo's. They don't have a lot of sacks or tackles for loss, considering the caliber of opponent they've played. They are good run stuffers, but we don't need to run the ball this week."
Well, they stuffed the run pretty good, but they struggled with creating pressure most of the game. They had trouble getting pressure on the QB all day, getting only 2 sacks. The QB's had enough time to throw, which was what I predicted. I didn't think we'd run the ball as much as we did, but I admitted that they were good run stuffers.
BC QB's & WR's vs. ND Secondary:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Draw
Boston College came in averaging 310 yards per game, 2.5 TDs per game, and 0.833 interceptions per game. Boston College finished the game with 291 yards passing, 2 TDs, and 1 intercepton (returned for a TD).
Boston College was just shy of their averages for the game, but the Irish secondary did get points off of one of Ryan's errant passes.
Overall, this matchup was a draw, where many people thought that BC would have a decided edge with their vaunted Heisman contender. Ryan is good, but not Heisman material.
BC RB's & TE's vs. ND Linebackers:
I gave the edge to: Boston College (barely)
The edge in the game went to: Boston College
I said going in that Boston College would be forced to run the ball by our secondary. While that didn't happen, they still managed to gash us in the run game, in particular on the very first drive. They finished the game with 168 total rushing yards (right between the 185 we've been giving up, but more than the 145 they've been averaging). More importantly, our inability to hold Boston College on third down in the first drive, instead giving up a 52 yard romp and setting up their first touchdown, robbed us of momentum early in the game.
BC O-line vs. ND D-lne:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Boston College
This is the only matchup where I completely whiffed.
The defensive line played well, but could not get any kind of consistent pressure on the quarterback. Also, this is why I think we lost this game. We couldn't knock Ryan off of his rhythm, and he got his yards through the air, despite a valiant effort by our secondary. Even when we did get pressure, Ryan did an excellent job of getting rid of the ball at the last second, without drawing a single intentional grounding flag (although I felt he deserved a couple).
Coaches vs. Coaches
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Draw
Jagodznski had an effective game plan that ended up winning the game, but the Eagles looked pretty sloppy all game, and were gift wrapped many of their points off of our miscues. They didn't appear to be a well-coached ball club.
Weis' team had a decent game plan, but have still been plagued by untmely mental and physical breakdowns, which cost us the game. (See Coach Weis' six plays that changed the game) These are coaching errors, and they cost us a chance at victory over a top 5 ranked team.
In the end, both teams looked like they were poorly coached, and therefore I'm calling this one a draw.
My prediction for the game was a 24-21 victory for the Irish. We lost, 27-14.
This young team is still too prone to mistakes to play a complete game, but had we eliminated just two mistakes - take your pick of Clausen's first interception, the phantom holding call, or Price kneeing the ball on the punt, and the final score could just have likely been 21-17, or 28-27 in favor of the Irish. Granted, changing any of those plays may not have changed the result of the game, but the Irish were clearly in the game with only minutes left in the 4th quarter.
I've gotten some flak from commenters about my predictions about winning this game, and been called everything but delusional. However, I wasn't as far off as many people seemed to think.
*****
Biggest problem: Offense. Again. Clausen couldn't move the ball. The running backs couldn't move the ball. If not for Robby Parris, we would have had very little to hang our hats on.
Player of the game: Robby Parris. With no running game, and an ineffective QB for 3/5 of the game, the young receiver still managed to rack up 4 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, not to mention the 12-yard touchdown he was robbed of by the refs.
Scapegoat of the game: Jimmy Clausen. 60 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Compared to his backup, he looked just awful.
Positive stat of the game: Honestly, the stat line just isn't that good. Even Sharpley's performance was hardly awe inspiring, if effective. Price averaged 42.2 yards per punt, but he also had the miscue, downing the ball on a low snap.
Negative stat of the game: Notre Dame: 27 rushing yards BC: 186 rushing yards
Dennis Green's immortal quote has never been more apropos than this week. I felt good about our chances against Boston College, largely because we matched up well with them schematically. Let's review the matchups from my preview, and see how close I was:
ND QB's & WR's vs. BC Secondary:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: First half - BC, Second half - Notre Dame
Jimmy Clausen was inneffective against the BC defense through the first three fifths of the game, throwing for only 60 yards and 2 interceptions. He never tested the BC secondary, instead continuing the annoying dink-and-dunk offense from the rest of the season.
However, once JC was pulled in favor of Sharpley, we began attacking the BC secondary, and gashed 'em pretty good for the last part of the game, throwing for 147 yards and 2 TDs (although one of the TDs was called back on a phantom holding call).
Sharpley clearly is more comfortable with the intermediate and long passing game, allowing the Irish to stretch the field.
I really like Clausen, but he can't seem to pull the trigger down the field, and he should be benched until that problem is resolved. Sharpley has proven that he deserves the chance to start, as he gives us a better chance of winning now.
ND RB's & TE's vs. BC Linebackers:
I gave the edge to: Boston College
The edge in the game was: Boston College
I knew that we wouldn't be able to run against this front seven, and I didn't think we should have spent a lot of time trying. Instead, we ran the ball 21 times for an atrocious 27 yards (1.3 per rush). This attempt to run the ball cost us drives - look at the drive that started wth 5:36 left in the first quarter:
PASS - 6 yards!
RUSH - 1 yard.
RUSH - 2 yards.
PUNT.
Now compare that to Sharpley's first drive:
PASS - incomplete
PASS - incomplete
PASS - 28 yards!
PASS - incomplete
PASS - 2 yards. ROUGHING THE PASSER - 15 yards!
PASS - 15 yards!
PASS - 19 yards! TOUCHDOWN!
When we started chucking the ball all over the field with Sharpley and abandoned the run, we did have some success. There are a lot of things wrong with our running game, which I'm going to attempt to go over later this week.
ND O-line vs. BC D-lne:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Notre Dame
"Fredo's defensive line isn't that scary, compared to the other teams we've played. Indeed, only Purdue's pass rush is weaker than Fredo's. They don't have a lot of sacks or tackles for loss, considering the caliber of opponent they've played. They are good run stuffers, but we don't need to run the ball this week."
Well, they stuffed the run pretty good, but they struggled with creating pressure most of the game. They had trouble getting pressure on the QB all day, getting only 2 sacks. The QB's had enough time to throw, which was what I predicted. I didn't think we'd run the ball as much as we did, but I admitted that they were good run stuffers.
BC QB's & WR's vs. ND Secondary:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Draw
Boston College came in averaging 310 yards per game, 2.5 TDs per game, and 0.833 interceptions per game. Boston College finished the game with 291 yards passing, 2 TDs, and 1 intercepton (returned for a TD).
Boston College was just shy of their averages for the game, but the Irish secondary did get points off of one of Ryan's errant passes.
Overall, this matchup was a draw, where many people thought that BC would have a decided edge with their vaunted Heisman contender. Ryan is good, but not Heisman material.
BC RB's & TE's vs. ND Linebackers:
I gave the edge to: Boston College (barely)
The edge in the game went to: Boston College
I said going in that Boston College would be forced to run the ball by our secondary. While that didn't happen, they still managed to gash us in the run game, in particular on the very first drive. They finished the game with 168 total rushing yards (right between the 185 we've been giving up, but more than the 145 they've been averaging). More importantly, our inability to hold Boston College on third down in the first drive, instead giving up a 52 yard romp and setting up their first touchdown, robbed us of momentum early in the game.
BC O-line vs. ND D-lne:
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Boston College
This is the only matchup where I completely whiffed.
The defensive line played well, but could not get any kind of consistent pressure on the quarterback. Also, this is why I think we lost this game. We couldn't knock Ryan off of his rhythm, and he got his yards through the air, despite a valiant effort by our secondary. Even when we did get pressure, Ryan did an excellent job of getting rid of the ball at the last second, without drawing a single intentional grounding flag (although I felt he deserved a couple).
Coaches vs. Coaches
I gave the edge to: Notre Dame
The edge in the game was: Draw
Jagodznski had an effective game plan that ended up winning the game, but the Eagles looked pretty sloppy all game, and were gift wrapped many of their points off of our miscues. They didn't appear to be a well-coached ball club.
Weis' team had a decent game plan, but have still been plagued by untmely mental and physical breakdowns, which cost us the game. (See Coach Weis' six plays that changed the game) These are coaching errors, and they cost us a chance at victory over a top 5 ranked team.
In the end, both teams looked like they were poorly coached, and therefore I'm calling this one a draw.
My prediction for the game was a 24-21 victory for the Irish. We lost, 27-14.
This young team is still too prone to mistakes to play a complete game, but had we eliminated just two mistakes - take your pick of Clausen's first interception, the phantom holding call, or Price kneeing the ball on the punt, and the final score could just have likely been 21-17, or 28-27 in favor of the Irish. Granted, changing any of those plays may not have changed the result of the game, but the Irish were clearly in the game with only minutes left in the 4th quarter.
I've gotten some flak from commenters about my predictions about winning this game, and been called everything but delusional. However, I wasn't as far off as many people seemed to think.
*****
Biggest problem: Offense. Again. Clausen couldn't move the ball. The running backs couldn't move the ball. If not for Robby Parris, we would have had very little to hang our hats on.
Player of the game: Robby Parris. With no running game, and an ineffective QB for 3/5 of the game, the young receiver still managed to rack up 4 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, not to mention the 12-yard touchdown he was robbed of by the refs.
Scapegoat of the game: Jimmy Clausen. 60 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Compared to his backup, he looked just awful.
Positive stat of the game: Honestly, the stat line just isn't that good. Even Sharpley's performance was hardly awe inspiring, if effective. Price averaged 42.2 yards per punt, but he also had the miscue, downing the ball on a low snap.
Negative stat of the game: Notre Dame: 27 rushing yards BC: 186 rushing yards
Friday, October 12, 2007
Midterm Report Card
With the first half of the season under wraps, it's time to grade out this team at the halfway point in the season.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks: C
A rough start in the first game carousel certainly set this whole offense off on the wrong foot, but as Jimmy Clausen has settled into the offense, he has shown an ability to manage the game and avoid the game changing mistakes. He has a long way to go to become a weapon. One of Jimmy's strengths is spreading the ball around, havng 5 receivers averaging over 20 yards per game. Helping the grade is Sharpley's quiet readiness and patience as the backup.
Jimmy Clausen: B-
Evan Sharpley: A
Demetrius Jones: W
Running Backs: F
Although our rushing woes are largely due to the offensive line, truly great running backs can gain positive yards more often than not just by running hard and bringing the wood. Aldridge has shown flashes, but flashes aren't nearly enough to redeem the nation's most disappointing rushing team. This is a situation where the final grade is worse than the sum of the parts.
James Aldridge: C
Robert Hughes: B
Armando Allen: C-
Travis Thomas: D
Junior Jabbie: C
Asaph Schwapp: D-
Receivers: D
The receiving corps has been a major disappontment this year, as the passing offense hasn't really opened up, except briefly during the Purdue game. The big surprise here is that our leading receiver is not the experienced David Grimes (played in 12 games last year), the phenom Duval Kamara (true freshman), or the explosive Golden Tate (26 YPC average). It is the quietly reliable Robby Parris, with 178 yards on 15 catches, for an 11.9 yard per catch average. Not flashy, but getting the job done. These receivers need to do a better job of creating plays.
David Grimes: D
Robby Parris: B+
Duval Kamara: A
George West: D
Golden Tate: B
D.J. Hord: F
Tight Ends: C
Largely hamstrung by the offensive line failures keeping him in on max protect, Carlson's numbers are nowhere near where everyone expected them to be at this point in the season. That said, perusing the season statistics I was surprised to find that Carlson is leading the team in receptions, with 18. He could have graded out higher if not for a few untimely drops. The young tight ends are gaining valuable experience, but haven't contributed as receivers as of yet.
John Carlson: C
Wll Yeatman: B
Mike Ragone: C
Konrad Reuland: W
Offensive Line: F-
Despite recent improvements, there is no way that this unit gets anything other than a big fat F for failure. John Sullivan was supposed to be a leader and a calming force on this unit, but all I've seen thus far is a center who can't even take care of his own assignment, much less help the rest of the line with theirs. All of the starters get F's,
John Sullivan: F---
Paul Duncan: F
Sam Young: F
Mike Turkovich: F
Dan Wenger: I
Matt Carufel: W/F (he left the team mid-season as a starter. Demetrius Jones and Konrad Reuland I understand, as they had been passed. But this guy was starting, and quit the team. I don't even want him to come back. Screw him.)
Chris Stewart: D (would have been an F but for his decision not to quit on this team)
Thomas Bemenderfer: B
Eric Olsen: C
Taylor Dever: C
Offense Overall Grade: F-
The stats don't lie: Last in the NCAA in total offense. Last in rushing offense. Last in sacks allowed. Next to last in scoring offense. 109th in passing offense. 108th in passing efficiency.
This offense is the worst in the NCAA at the halfway point, and that is quite simply unacceptable.
They had better step up their game. NOW.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line: A
This may be a generous grade for a D-line that is part of the 96th worst rushing defense in the country, but they get a boost for effort. Trevor Laws is leading the team in tackles and has become a force inside, week in and week out. Pat Kunz is doing an amazing job as an undersized nosetackle.
Trevor Laws: A+
Pat Kunz: A
Dwight Stephenson, Jr.: B
Derrell Hand: C
Paddy Mullen: C
Ian Williams: C
Justiin Brown: B-
Linebackers: D
The recent breakout of Maurice Crum, Jr. has saved this unit from a failing grade. The linebackers were not getting enough pressure on the QB, and had given up far too many yards against the rush early in the season. I hope that the UCLA game marked a turning point for this unit, as they looked damn good.
Maurice Crum, Jr.: C+
Joe Brockington: D
Toryan Smith: C
John Ryan: D
Kerry Neal: B+
Anthony Vernaglia: F
Scott Smith: D
Steve Quinn: D
Brian Smith: B
Morrice Richardson: D
Secondary: A
I don't care what you say, this secondary is the 4th best unit in terms of pass yards given up, ranking in the rarefied air of LSU, South Carolina, and Clemson. And even if you consider pass efficiency defense, we are still in the top 25, ranking near undefeateds like Cincinatti and Boston College. Against the opponents we've faced, that is quite simply a stellar achievement.
More importantly, it signals a major change from years past. Consider this: the longest pass we've given up this year was a 51 yarder against Penn State, which didn't result in a touchdown. Last year? 88 yards for a TD against Purdue. 2005? 85 yards for a touchdown against Ohio State.
Minter is gone, and the new boss has fixed the one thing that has haunted us under Minter - giving up the big pass play. Corwin Brown has cut a full two yards off of opponent's average yards per pass from 7.7 and 7.8 in 2005 and 2006 to only 5.7 in 2007. Eveybody gets at least a B.
Tom Zbikowski: B+
David Bruton: A+
Darrin Walls: A
Terrail Lambert: B+
Ambrose Wooden: B
Leo Ferrine: B
Raeshon McNeil: B
Munir Prince: B
Kyle McCarthy: B
Sergio Brown: B
Jashaad Gaines: B
Harrison Smith: B
Ray Herring: B
Leonard Gordon: B
Defense Overall Grade: B
This would have been much, much lower a grade if not for the UCLA game.
This defense single handedly took this team on its back and drug it out of the gutter. Also, I was a little more forgiving of the poor scoring defense (74th in NCAA) considering the poor positions the offense put them in.
After the opponents we've played thus far (the 3rd toughest schedule in the country), and the ineptitude of our offense, our 41st ranking in total defense is a major achievement, and gives this young team a strong foundation to build upon.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickoffs: B-
No kickoffs returned for touchdowns guarantees a passing grade, and 0 touchbacks guarantees that I'm not giving out an A. We give up a little too much yardage on returns, but not so much that it's a major concern.
Nate Whitaker: B+
Brandon Walker: B-
Kickoff Return: B
We haven't broken any really impressive runs on kick returns, although we've seen the potential in these young kids. Golden Tate ranks 62nd in the country in kick returns, which isn't great, but it's not horrible either. No major blunders here, so they get a solid B.
Golden Tate: B+
Armando Allen: B-
Junior Jabbie: B
Punting: D
Geoff Price was a preseason All-American at punter, but a long string of inconsistency by him, when we needed him most, killed his grade here. Overall, though, his punting is average. I'm just dinging him for not meeting expectations.
Having Eric Maust around is encouraging for the future.
Geoff Price: D-
Eric Maust: B
Punt Return: D
The punt returns haven't been the strength that it should have been at this point. Penalties on big returns have robbed the Irish of golden opportunities at crucial times, which could have changed games. Zbikowski's returns have been good when he's had some space to run.
Tom Zbikowski: A
Field Goals / PAT: F
The Purdue game alone was enough to give this unit an F for the first half of the season. UCLA was encouraging, but it isn't enough to overcome a season long weakness for this team.
Brandon Walker: B (4/5 FGs, 5/6 PATs, 1 blocked kick)
Nate Whitaker: F (0/1 FGs, 1/2 PATs)
Field Goal / PAT Block: F
No blocked kicks, and opponents have gone 13/15 in field goal attempts. We aren't getting any disruption here.
COACHING
This grade includes player development, as well as in-game strategy.
Head Coach Charlie Weis: D-
Weis had to see this coming with the recruits on hand. However, he wasn't able to be successful in fielding a competitive football team. The only reason this isn't an F is because Weis was willing to change strategies when things didn't go as planned, and the team has improved as a result.
Offensive Coaching Staff: F
The offense is bad. Really bad. And there is no excuse for that.
Charlie Weis, playcaller: F
Michael Haywood,, Offensive Coodinator & Running Backs Coach: F
Rob Ianello, Receivers Coach & Recruiting Coordinator: B (credit for top ranked recruiting class)
John Latina, Offensive Line Coach: F-
Ron Powlus, Quarterbacks Coach: B
Bernie Parmalee, Tight Ends and Special Teams: C
Defensive Coaching Staff: A
Brown has worked wonders with this defense, making it the strength of the team, rather than a weakness, and did so very quickly.
Corwin Brown, Defensive Coordinator: A
Bill Lewis, Defensive Backs Coach: A
Jappy Oliver, Defensive Line Coach: A
Brian Polian, Linebackers and Special Teams: F-
OVERALL
Team Overall Grade: F
You are what you are, and right now you are a 1-5 football team. There's no chance of an A come the end of the season (and a B- would require us to win out), but if this team continues to make strides, they can earn a passing grade by season's end.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks: C
A rough start in the first game carousel certainly set this whole offense off on the wrong foot, but as Jimmy Clausen has settled into the offense, he has shown an ability to manage the game and avoid the game changing mistakes. He has a long way to go to become a weapon. One of Jimmy's strengths is spreading the ball around, havng 5 receivers averaging over 20 yards per game. Helping the grade is Sharpley's quiet readiness and patience as the backup.
Jimmy Clausen: B-
Evan Sharpley: A
Demetrius Jones: W
Running Backs: F
Although our rushing woes are largely due to the offensive line, truly great running backs can gain positive yards more often than not just by running hard and bringing the wood. Aldridge has shown flashes, but flashes aren't nearly enough to redeem the nation's most disappointing rushing team. This is a situation where the final grade is worse than the sum of the parts.
James Aldridge: C
Robert Hughes: B
Armando Allen: C-
Travis Thomas: D
Junior Jabbie: C
Asaph Schwapp: D-
Receivers: D
The receiving corps has been a major disappontment this year, as the passing offense hasn't really opened up, except briefly during the Purdue game. The big surprise here is that our leading receiver is not the experienced David Grimes (played in 12 games last year), the phenom Duval Kamara (true freshman), or the explosive Golden Tate (26 YPC average). It is the quietly reliable Robby Parris, with 178 yards on 15 catches, for an 11.9 yard per catch average. Not flashy, but getting the job done. These receivers need to do a better job of creating plays.
David Grimes: D
Robby Parris: B+
Duval Kamara: A
George West: D
Golden Tate: B
D.J. Hord: F
Tight Ends: C
Largely hamstrung by the offensive line failures keeping him in on max protect, Carlson's numbers are nowhere near where everyone expected them to be at this point in the season. That said, perusing the season statistics I was surprised to find that Carlson is leading the team in receptions, with 18. He could have graded out higher if not for a few untimely drops. The young tight ends are gaining valuable experience, but haven't contributed as receivers as of yet.
John Carlson: C
Wll Yeatman: B
Mike Ragone: C
Konrad Reuland: W
Offensive Line: F-
Despite recent improvements, there is no way that this unit gets anything other than a big fat F for failure. John Sullivan was supposed to be a leader and a calming force on this unit, but all I've seen thus far is a center who can't even take care of his own assignment, much less help the rest of the line with theirs. All of the starters get F's,
John Sullivan: F---
Paul Duncan: F
Sam Young: F
Mike Turkovich: F
Dan Wenger: I
Matt Carufel: W/F (he left the team mid-season as a starter. Demetrius Jones and Konrad Reuland I understand, as they had been passed. But this guy was starting, and quit the team. I don't even want him to come back. Screw him.)
Chris Stewart: D (would have been an F but for his decision not to quit on this team)
Thomas Bemenderfer: B
Eric Olsen: C
Taylor Dever: C
Offense Overall Grade: F-
The stats don't lie: Last in the NCAA in total offense. Last in rushing offense. Last in sacks allowed. Next to last in scoring offense. 109th in passing offense. 108th in passing efficiency.
This offense is the worst in the NCAA at the halfway point, and that is quite simply unacceptable.
They had better step up their game. NOW.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line: A
This may be a generous grade for a D-line that is part of the 96th worst rushing defense in the country, but they get a boost for effort. Trevor Laws is leading the team in tackles and has become a force inside, week in and week out. Pat Kunz is doing an amazing job as an undersized nosetackle.
Trevor Laws: A+
Pat Kunz: A
Dwight Stephenson, Jr.: B
Derrell Hand: C
Paddy Mullen: C
Ian Williams: C
Justiin Brown: B-
Linebackers: D
The recent breakout of Maurice Crum, Jr. has saved this unit from a failing grade. The linebackers were not getting enough pressure on the QB, and had given up far too many yards against the rush early in the season. I hope that the UCLA game marked a turning point for this unit, as they looked damn good.
Maurice Crum, Jr.: C+
Joe Brockington: D
Toryan Smith: C
John Ryan: D
Kerry Neal: B+
Anthony Vernaglia: F
Scott Smith: D
Steve Quinn: D
Brian Smith: B
Morrice Richardson: D
Secondary: A
I don't care what you say, this secondary is the 4th best unit in terms of pass yards given up, ranking in the rarefied air of LSU, South Carolina, and Clemson. And even if you consider pass efficiency defense, we are still in the top 25, ranking near undefeateds like Cincinatti and Boston College. Against the opponents we've faced, that is quite simply a stellar achievement.
More importantly, it signals a major change from years past. Consider this: the longest pass we've given up this year was a 51 yarder against Penn State, which didn't result in a touchdown. Last year? 88 yards for a TD against Purdue. 2005? 85 yards for a touchdown against Ohio State.
Minter is gone, and the new boss has fixed the one thing that has haunted us under Minter - giving up the big pass play. Corwin Brown has cut a full two yards off of opponent's average yards per pass from 7.7 and 7.8 in 2005 and 2006 to only 5.7 in 2007. Eveybody gets at least a B.
Tom Zbikowski: B+
David Bruton: A+
Darrin Walls: A
Terrail Lambert: B+
Ambrose Wooden: B
Leo Ferrine: B
Raeshon McNeil: B
Munir Prince: B
Kyle McCarthy: B
Sergio Brown: B
Jashaad Gaines: B
Harrison Smith: B
Ray Herring: B
Leonard Gordon: B
Defense Overall Grade: B
This would have been much, much lower a grade if not for the UCLA game.
This defense single handedly took this team on its back and drug it out of the gutter. Also, I was a little more forgiving of the poor scoring defense (74th in NCAA) considering the poor positions the offense put them in.
After the opponents we've played thus far (the 3rd toughest schedule in the country), and the ineptitude of our offense, our 41st ranking in total defense is a major achievement, and gives this young team a strong foundation to build upon.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickoffs: B-
No kickoffs returned for touchdowns guarantees a passing grade, and 0 touchbacks guarantees that I'm not giving out an A. We give up a little too much yardage on returns, but not so much that it's a major concern.
Nate Whitaker: B+
Brandon Walker: B-
Kickoff Return: B
We haven't broken any really impressive runs on kick returns, although we've seen the potential in these young kids. Golden Tate ranks 62nd in the country in kick returns, which isn't great, but it's not horrible either. No major blunders here, so they get a solid B.
Golden Tate: B+
Armando Allen: B-
Junior Jabbie: B
Punting: D
Geoff Price was a preseason All-American at punter, but a long string of inconsistency by him, when we needed him most, killed his grade here. Overall, though, his punting is average. I'm just dinging him for not meeting expectations.
Having Eric Maust around is encouraging for the future.
Geoff Price: D-
Eric Maust: B
Punt Return: D
The punt returns haven't been the strength that it should have been at this point. Penalties on big returns have robbed the Irish of golden opportunities at crucial times, which could have changed games. Zbikowski's returns have been good when he's had some space to run.
Tom Zbikowski: A
Field Goals / PAT: F
The Purdue game alone was enough to give this unit an F for the first half of the season. UCLA was encouraging, but it isn't enough to overcome a season long weakness for this team.
Brandon Walker: B (4/5 FGs, 5/6 PATs, 1 blocked kick)
Nate Whitaker: F (0/1 FGs, 1/2 PATs)
Field Goal / PAT Block: F
No blocked kicks, and opponents have gone 13/15 in field goal attempts. We aren't getting any disruption here.
COACHING
This grade includes player development, as well as in-game strategy.
Head Coach Charlie Weis: D-
Weis had to see this coming with the recruits on hand. However, he wasn't able to be successful in fielding a competitive football team. The only reason this isn't an F is because Weis was willing to change strategies when things didn't go as planned, and the team has improved as a result.
Offensive Coaching Staff: F
The offense is bad. Really bad. And there is no excuse for that.
Charlie Weis, playcaller: F
Michael Haywood,, Offensive Coodinator & Running Backs Coach: F
Rob Ianello, Receivers Coach & Recruiting Coordinator: B (credit for top ranked recruiting class)
John Latina, Offensive Line Coach: F-
Ron Powlus, Quarterbacks Coach: B
Bernie Parmalee, Tight Ends and Special Teams: C
Defensive Coaching Staff: A
Brown has worked wonders with this defense, making it the strength of the team, rather than a weakness, and did so very quickly.
Corwin Brown, Defensive Coordinator: A
Bill Lewis, Defensive Backs Coach: A
Jappy Oliver, Defensive Line Coach: A
Brian Polian, Linebackers and Special Teams: F-
OVERALL
Team Overall Grade: F
You are what you are, and right now you are a 1-5 football team. There's no chance of an A come the end of the season (and a B- would require us to win out), but if this team continues to make strides, they can earn a passing grade by season's end.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Boston College vs. Notre Dame Preview
Boston College
Eagles (3-0)
Ranking: consensus #4
Head Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
Coaching Record: 6-0, 1st season
Last Year: 10-3 (5-3 ACC)
Last Week: Beat Bowling Green, 55-24
versus
University of Notre Dame
Fighting Irish (1-5)
Head Coach: Charlie Weis
Coaching Record: 20-11, 3rd season
Last Year: 10-3, Lost to Louisiana State in Allstate Sugar Bowl (#17 AP / #19 Coaches postseason ranking)
Last Week: Beat #25 UCLA, 20-6
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (aka The House That Rock Built)
Date and Time: October 13, 2007 3:43 p.m.
Series Record: Notre Dame leads 9-7
Notre Dame Quarterback and Receivers vs. Boston College Secondary
Here's a little statistic for you, concerning the teams we've played this year, as far as pass defense is concerned:
Penn State #13 - 172.67 yds/gm (144 yards passing)
Michigan #40 - 205.33 yds/gm (ND: 85 yards passing)
Georgia Tech #71 - 233.8s yds/gm (ND: 130 yards passing)
Michigan State #78 - 241.17 yds/gm (ND: 86 yards passing)
UCLA #79 - 242.83 yds/gm (ND: 94 yards passing)
Purdue #84 - 247.50 yds/gm (ND: 377 yards passing)
Boston College #110 - 290.83 yds/gm (ND: ???)
The Fredo defense hasn't stopped a passing offense this year, and the only success we've had through the air this year was against Purdue, the weakest secondary we've played. Fredo's secondary is far weaker than Purdue's, so don't expect Charlie to play a conservative game this week. I'll be surprised if we attempt much in the way of running the ball, as their is no need to. Jimmy Clausen has his breakout game this week against Fredo.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Running Backs and Tight Ends vs. Boston College Linebackers
Boston College has the 3rd ranked rushing defense in the nation, giving up less than 50 yards per game. Since our run game only averages a pitiful 33 yards per game, it's no doubt that Fredo gets the edge in this one. The good news is that there is no reason to rely on our running game, with the vulnerable Fredo secondary.
Edge: Boston College
Notre Dame Offensive Line vs. Boston College Defensive Line
Fredo's defensive line isn't that scary, compared to the other teams we've played. Indeed, only Purdue's pass rush is weaker than Fredo's. They don't have a lot of sacks or tackles for loss, considering the caliber of opponent they've played. They are good run stuffers, but we don't need to run the ball this week.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Defensive Line vs. Boston College Offensive Line
Laws and Kunz have established themselves as dominant defensive linemen. Boston College's offensive line has been very good at protecting Matt Ryan so far, but they haven't had to deal with a lineman like Trevor Laws. They did a decent job picking up Georgia Tech's blitz packages, but they are vulnerable to 1-on-1 matchups, being almost as young as our offensive line. Expect us to bring some basic pressure packages, and relying on our stellar defensive backfield to diffuse this attack.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Linebackers vs. Boston College Running Backs and Tight Ends
Fredo has enough of a rushing attack to keep their passing game going, but the Eagles haven't been placed in a situation where they absolutely have to run the ball. Notre Dame's defense is getting much better at stopping the run, but still
grade out as one of the worst rush defenses in the country halfway through the season.
Edge: Boston College (barely)
Notre Dame Secondary vs. Boston College Quarterbacks and Receivers
This is the big matchup in this game. Fredo has the 11th ranked passing offense, averaging over 300 yards per game. Notre Dame has the 4th best pass defense in the country, allowing only half that.
Also, last week's game against UCLA showed that the Irish pass defense is not just a function of their poor rush defense. When this defense got a lead, they brought pressure and gobbled up passes like they were tic-tacs.
Say what you will about the Irish defense, but they are not weak against the pass.
This is strength versus strength, and if the Irish D can continue to be stingy through the air, this bodes very well for the Irish overall.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Coaches vs. Boston College Coaches
Charlie is in his third year as head coach, and has learned how to overcome adversity. Jagodzinski is in his first year as a head coach, and inherited a solid senior QB, experienced rusher, and good receiving corps - they haven't faced any adversity yet this year. In fact, this year's Fredo team is deja vu of the 2005 Irish, just waiting for someone to exploit their glaring weaknesses.
Fredo isn't use to the type of hype and success they've been experiencing, and will be overconfident coming in to the House That Rock Built this week. Jagodzinski hasn't done anything to show that he is an above average coach, except for handling an early season game against the Yellowjackets.
Weis has all the film he needs to study the new head coach, and Coach Brown and him can surely identify some weaknesses.
Edge: Notre Dame
Quarterback and Receivers vs. Secondary: Edge Notre Dame
Running Backs and Tight Ends vs. Linebackers: Edge Boston College
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line: Edge Notre Dame
Defensive Line vs. Offensive Line: Edge Notre Dame
Linebackers vs. Running Backs and Tight Ends: Edge Boston College
Secondary vs. Quarterbacks and Receivers: Edge Notre Dame
Coaches vs. Coaches: Edge Notre Dame
Analysis and Prediction
Notre Dame is, by far, the more seasoned team at this point in the season. Boston College's only quality opponent thus far was Georgia Tech. Notre Dame has faced 6 straight talented high level bowl quality opponents.
Notre Dame's young team is just waking up, and have suddenly learned how to win a game and sustain their effort through 60 minutes.
Brown's defense turned the corner two weeks ago against Purdue. Charlie's offense won't be far behind.
More importantly, this team is chomping at the bit to play spoiler for a team that has made their entire reputation playing spoiler for others. Coming home after a long, tough string of games, this team is going to be fired up and ready to hit.
Fredo has no idea what's coming for him.
Notre Dame 24
Boston College 21
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