1. The obvious question for the week, how does Notre Dame deal with the loss of Michael Floyd? What wide receiver steps up? How, if at all, does the offense change?
I think that we need Duval Kamara to step up his game. He's been toiling in the shadows of Tate and Floyd, and now he has the opportunity, with the coverages all rolled over to Tate, to prove he can win the one-on-one matchups.
Of course the offense changes when such a potent weapon disappears from your arsenal. Just look at last year's offense when he was out of the game. However, unlike last year, I think we have enough options, including a running game, to mitigate the loss of Floyd. We still have Tate and Rudolph, and Armando out of the backfield. Maybe even one of the other receivers (Parris, Evans) will step up their game.
Although I'd much rather have Floyd out there on the field, this injury actually makes next year's team even more dangerous. You know Floyd will come back being Floyd (it is just a collarbone, not a leg injury of some sort), and now we'll have a lot more game experience on an already dangerous receiving corps.
I'm already salivating to watch this offense next year...
2. After seeing three games from Notre Dame in 2009 have your expectations increased, decreased, or remained the same?
Same, leaning towards decreased. I still think this team is capable of putting together an 11-1 regular season, which with a loss in a bowl game would make us 11-2, my preseason prediction. However, the loss of Floyd will make it a little tougher to score points, and the defense (especially the secondary) is worse this year than I thought they'd be.
So, we could be as bad as 9-3 after the season, which would be below my expectations. Of course, my preseason expectations were based upon a season with a healthy Tate, Floyd, Clausen and Rudolph. (I think we're better equipped to fill in for a running back injury)
3. The last two years against Purdue a Notre Dame player has had their breakout game. In 2007 it was Golden Tate and in 2008 it was Armando Allen. Who do you think could have their breakout game against the Boilermakers this year?
Ethan Johnson. This kid is supposed to be a freakish athlete, and I think it's time for him to show up as a disruptive force in a big way this week against a team that has done a mediocre job against talent that is nothing like what they'll see on Saturday.
However, if the Boilermakers find a way to keep it close, it will be due to a breakout game by the Big Ten officials, who have shown glimpses of being able to take over games the last two weeks, but have a big challenge if they expect to keep Purdue in the game this week.
4. How would you grade the three new coaches on this year’s staff based on the first three games?
Frank Verducci: A+. This is the kind of offensive line I remember from the Joe Moore years. And, I must admit for the first time since Weis was hired, these guys are straight nasty.
Tony Alford: B+. Armando Allen has developed into a true running back, not just a scat back, which is impressive. I haven't seen much from the depth, however, which is the only thing holding him back from a similar A+ rating.
Randy Hart: C. He's not exactly failing, but I haven't seen the disruptiveness we need along the line to allow this blitz package to work. We're still pretty young, but I expected more.
5. Your thoughts on Golden Tate’s stage dive into the Michigan State band? Was he trying to avoid running into the band? Was the whole thing intentional? Little of column A, little of column B?
Despite that I know Golden Tate is a bit of a showboat, I'm going to go with he was trying to avoid the band. He had one step to make a decision, and there is no way he was thinking about celebrating that quickly after the concentration required to make that catch.
And really, he had no option. He couldn't slow down, and he would have seriously injured himself and/or a band member if he had kept running. The stage dive was the appropriate thing to do, spreading himself out and jumping over the first row to minimize his impact on any individual.
It did look pretty cool, though. In fact, the picture is my desktop background right now at work. And I love the youtube video tribute...
6. How has your opinion of the Notre Dame schedule changed from how you felt about it in the pre-season?
Hmm... Let's look at it game-by game:
Nevada - same. The Wolfpack will be a good team in their conference, but can't hold up against the big boys.
Michigan - better. Although I don't think Michigan is a top 25 team, and their win over the Irish was a perfect storm, the Wolverines are far better than I thought they would be.
Michigan State - same. Central Michigan is no slouch with Dan Lefevour at QB, and they played us tough throughout the game. About as expected.
Purdue - same. I thought they'd be a bad football team, and what do you know? They are.
Washington - better. 2-1 with a win over USC? Certainly got my attention. I think their lack of depth will rear its head as the season progresses (they were 0-12 last year, remember?), but they are clearly better than I thought.
Southern Cal - worse. A preseason top 5 team that has struggled mightily, including a loss to a team that went 0-12 last season. Even more beatable than I thought at the beginning of the season.
Boston College - same. 2-1 with a loss to a good Clemson team. I thought they'd take a step back this year, and it appears they have.
Washington State - better. They did beat SMU, which is more than I thought they'd do.
Navy - same. Played Ohio State tough, and almost forced overtime. Lost a tough game against Pitt. Almost said better, but they are 1-2.
Pitt - same. Should be a tough opponent, and have taken care of business so far at 3-0. We'll know a little more once they get into the conference schedule.
UConn - same. A close loss to a decent North Carolina team. Close wins over Ohio and Baylor? About as expected, maybe slightly worse.
Stanford - worse. Much was being made of how tough Stanford was supposed to be this year, and how it may be a battle for us to qualify for BCS consideration. But, they lost to Wake Forest - who lost to Baylor.
3 better, 2 worse. I'll call it a wash and say the schedule isn't much tougher than when we started.
7. Should Jimmy Clausen be getting more hype for the Heisman?
Absolutely. He's not in one of those crazy, chuck it every play offenses like Hawaii and Texas Tech. He's in a pro-style balanced offense.
And he's absolutely KILLING the other QBs in the country.
Look at the stats for the "leaders" in the Heisman race (for QBs):
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame 62/91 951 yds, 9 TD, 0 Int. 68.13 comp %, 10.45 yd/att, 15.34 yd/comp, 20.67 att/gm, Passer rating 188.55
Colt McCoy, Texas 75/110 859 yds, 6 TD, 4 Int, 68.18 comp %, 7.81 yd/att, 11.45 yd/comp, 25.00 att/gm, Passer rating 144.51
Tim Tebow, Florida 39/58 540 yds, 5 TD, 1 Int, 67.24 comp %, 9.31 yd/att, 13.85 yd/comp, 13.00 att/gm, Passer rating 170.45
Jacory Harris, 41/59 656 yds, 5 TD, 2 Int, 69.49 comp %, 11.12 yd/att, 16.00 yd/comp, 20.50 att/gm, Passer rating 184.07
Case Keenum, 55/76 725 yds, 7 TD, 1 Int, 72.37 Comp %, 9.54 yd/att, 13.18 yd/comp, 27.50 att/gm, Passer rating 180.26
1st in yards. 1st in TD/INT ratio. 1st in passer rating.
There are other players out there worthy of consideration - Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller, maybe even Dez Bryant or Golden Tate from the receiver position (Floyd's Heisman hopes ended with his collarone injury) - but Clausen is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the QBs.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
IBG: Sparty Week
Sarah over at Bad Trade has posted her questions for this week's edition of Irish Blogger Gathering. Like much of Notre Dame Nation, I still haven't gotten the bitter taste of defeat out of my mouth, but I'll do my best to move on and try to focus on this week's opponent - the classless clowns of Michigan State.
1. Still trying to get the taste of last weekend's game out of my mouth, so let's start with something fun. With Sparty on its way into South Bend, give me your favorite memory of the ND-MSU series. I don't care what it is: John L. Smith losing it, the image of MSU guarding against nothing, an actual game memory, whatever.
Favorite memory implies something I actually liked, so I'm going to go with the comeback in the monsoon at Spartan Stadium. I was watching that game at my buddy Justin's house, and I remember we were just completely disgusted with the team and had all but thrown in the towel by the end of the third quarter. I remember vividly seeing the wind reverse direction and the torrential rain begin during the break betweeen quarters, and I wondered if even God himself had given up on Notre Dame football.
And then the magic began.
Samardzija touchdown on 4th and 5. The sick strip by Ndukwe. An amazing catch by Rhema McKnight on the fade route. Weis screaming at the team on the sidelines. By the time Terrail Lambert grabbed that pick and took it to the house, everyone in the house was going completely bonkers.
And then the house quieted with the nervousness of the end game, remembering all the times we've blown it. We were on the edge of our seats as MSU appeared to gain some momentum for a game-winning drive.
Then, the complete indcredulity of the sick interception that looked to everyone (except the ref right on top of the play) like an incomplete pass. Everyone had these stupid silly grins on their faces, made ever sweeter by the screen shots of stunned MSU fans.
Glorious.
2. Since 1997, Michigan State has won 9 of 12 games against the Irish. I view this as a classic case of Sparty having ND's number. What worries you most about Michigan State this weekend?
Michigan State, much like Boston College, seems to exist for the sole purpose of being a thorn in Notre Dame's side. This game is always their best game of the season - then they go back to being Michigan State.
As far as specifics on the field, I worry about their ability to run the ball. We haven't showed the consistency we need up front to stuff the run, and until we do that we'll be at risk of letting teams hang around.
3. Between my lingering bad feelings from last weekend and the history of this series in the last decade plus, give me a good reason or two or three to feel optimistic about a change in fortune for the Irish, because right now, I could use some optimism.
Because I care deeply about Sarah's mental health, I'll give her a full 5 reasons for optimism:
1. Notre Dame's intensity should be even higher this week, and their wounded pride will assure that there will be no let down this week. These players had their high expectations dashed last week, and in such strange and frustrating fashion that I expect to see some pissed of Domers take the field on Saturday.
2. We won't see this guy on the field on Saturday. Or this guy. Or this one. Or this one.
3. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan last week.
4. If this and this aren't motivation enough, I don't know what is.
5. WE are N D
4. As it is my week, I get to address my current ND obsession. Have the last two games changed your opinion/reinforced your opinion re: Charlie in the box versus Charlie on the field?
I still think Charlie should be in the box. I understand why he's not. Every coach he's talked to has told him he needs to be on the field. But, Coach Weis can see the field better up there, and Corwin Brown and Tenuta can rally the troops on the field. The only advantage of having Coach Weis on the sidelines would be his ability to lobby the refs, but clearly, that doesn't help.
5. If nothing else, I can count on one thing to look forward to on Saturday - tailgating. Anyone have a good recipe for me to try? I make no limitations on what it can be - a drink recipe, dessert, appetizer. So long as it can be made on a grill, camp stove, or ahead of time, I am happy to listen. The better the suggestion, the more likely you are to get invited to my own tailgate.
I actually have garnered the nickname "Spinach Dip" Neil from many of my friends, because of my world-famous spinach dip that I always bring to parties. Now, this recipe isn't exact, as I don't believe in measuring stuff. But, the beauty of this dip is that it gets better over time. Trust me.
A couple bags of fresh baby spinach, hand chopped
3 cans of quartered Artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
Two large tubs of cream cheese
A quart of heavy whipping cream
A few spoonfuls of crushed garlic
3 bags of Italian Five-Cheese Blend
Throw the tubs of cream cheese in a large (5 qt.) crock pot while you prepare the other ingredients, and set to HIGH.
Chop everything up.
Once the cream cheese starts to melt, throw in two bags of cheese and heavy whipping cream and stir.
Once that's well stirred, immediately put in the artichoke hearts and most of the spinach (it actually takes about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 bags of spinach).
Stir occasionally as the entire mixture starts to melt.
Once you have a decent consistency, add the garlic to taste, and additional cheese as needed to adjust the consistency.
Once the entire mixture is heated through and an even consistency (should be somewhere approaching paste but not quite), reduce heat to low and serve with your choice of bread or crackers. I prefer french bread.
6. Finally, any predictions for the game? I encourage your predictions to involve something other than a final score, but otherwise, I make no suggestions.
I think that the Irish come out pissed off and play really hard at the beginning of the game, leading to some sloppy play and probably more than a little chippiness. Perhaps as a result, MSU gets a small early lead.
Then, the Irish settle down, play their game, and run off 5 straight TDs on 5 straight possessions, putting the game well out of reach.
Final score:
Notre Dame 41
Michigan State 17
1. Still trying to get the taste of last weekend's game out of my mouth, so let's start with something fun. With Sparty on its way into South Bend, give me your favorite memory of the ND-MSU series. I don't care what it is: John L. Smith losing it, the image of MSU guarding against nothing, an actual game memory, whatever.
Favorite memory implies something I actually liked, so I'm going to go with the comeback in the monsoon at Spartan Stadium. I was watching that game at my buddy Justin's house, and I remember we were just completely disgusted with the team and had all but thrown in the towel by the end of the third quarter. I remember vividly seeing the wind reverse direction and the torrential rain begin during the break betweeen quarters, and I wondered if even God himself had given up on Notre Dame football.
And then the magic began.
Samardzija touchdown on 4th and 5. The sick strip by Ndukwe. An amazing catch by Rhema McKnight on the fade route. Weis screaming at the team on the sidelines. By the time Terrail Lambert grabbed that pick and took it to the house, everyone in the house was going completely bonkers.
And then the house quieted with the nervousness of the end game, remembering all the times we've blown it. We were on the edge of our seats as MSU appeared to gain some momentum for a game-winning drive.
Then, the complete indcredulity of the sick interception that looked to everyone (except the ref right on top of the play) like an incomplete pass. Everyone had these stupid silly grins on their faces, made ever sweeter by the screen shots of stunned MSU fans.
Glorious.
2. Since 1997, Michigan State has won 9 of 12 games against the Irish. I view this as a classic case of Sparty having ND's number. What worries you most about Michigan State this weekend?
Michigan State, much like Boston College, seems to exist for the sole purpose of being a thorn in Notre Dame's side. This game is always their best game of the season - then they go back to being Michigan State.
As far as specifics on the field, I worry about their ability to run the ball. We haven't showed the consistency we need up front to stuff the run, and until we do that we'll be at risk of letting teams hang around.
3. Between my lingering bad feelings from last weekend and the history of this series in the last decade plus, give me a good reason or two or three to feel optimistic about a change in fortune for the Irish, because right now, I could use some optimism.
Because I care deeply about Sarah's mental health, I'll give her a full 5 reasons for optimism:
1. Notre Dame's intensity should be even higher this week, and their wounded pride will assure that there will be no let down this week. These players had their high expectations dashed last week, and in such strange and frustrating fashion that I expect to see some pissed of Domers take the field on Saturday.
2. We won't see this guy on the field on Saturday. Or this guy. Or this one. Or this one.
3. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan last week.
4. If this and this aren't motivation enough, I don't know what is.
5. WE are N D
4. As it is my week, I get to address my current ND obsession. Have the last two games changed your opinion/reinforced your opinion re: Charlie in the box versus Charlie on the field?
I still think Charlie should be in the box. I understand why he's not. Every coach he's talked to has told him he needs to be on the field. But, Coach Weis can see the field better up there, and Corwin Brown and Tenuta can rally the troops on the field. The only advantage of having Coach Weis on the sidelines would be his ability to lobby the refs, but clearly, that doesn't help.
5. If nothing else, I can count on one thing to look forward to on Saturday - tailgating. Anyone have a good recipe for me to try? I make no limitations on what it can be - a drink recipe, dessert, appetizer. So long as it can be made on a grill, camp stove, or ahead of time, I am happy to listen. The better the suggestion, the more likely you are to get invited to my own tailgate.
I actually have garnered the nickname "Spinach Dip" Neil from many of my friends, because of my world-famous spinach dip that I always bring to parties. Now, this recipe isn't exact, as I don't believe in measuring stuff. But, the beauty of this dip is that it gets better over time. Trust me.
A couple bags of fresh baby spinach, hand chopped
3 cans of quartered Artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
Two large tubs of cream cheese
A quart of heavy whipping cream
A few spoonfuls of crushed garlic
3 bags of Italian Five-Cheese Blend
Throw the tubs of cream cheese in a large (5 qt.) crock pot while you prepare the other ingredients, and set to HIGH.
Chop everything up.
Once the cream cheese starts to melt, throw in two bags of cheese and heavy whipping cream and stir.
Once that's well stirred, immediately put in the artichoke hearts and most of the spinach (it actually takes about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 bags of spinach).
Stir occasionally as the entire mixture starts to melt.
Once you have a decent consistency, add the garlic to taste, and additional cheese as needed to adjust the consistency.
Once the entire mixture is heated through and an even consistency (should be somewhere approaching paste but not quite), reduce heat to low and serve with your choice of bread or crackers. I prefer french bread.
6. Finally, any predictions for the game? I encourage your predictions to involve something other than a final score, but otherwise, I make no suggestions.
I think that the Irish come out pissed off and play really hard at the beginning of the game, leading to some sloppy play and probably more than a little chippiness. Perhaps as a result, MSU gets a small early lead.
Then, the Irish settle down, play their game, and run off 5 straight TDs on 5 straight possessions, putting the game well out of reach.
Final score:
Notre Dame 41
Michigan State 17
Monday, September 14, 2009
Why we couldn't beat Michigan
1. Coaching
I've been a pretty staunch Weis supporter, right up until the Syracuse debacle of last year. And I still think with his work ethic, we could eventually win a championship if he continues to make the changes needed as he recognizes them. But Saturday's loss can be laid at the feet of the coaching staff first and foremost.
Weis is a gambler, and frequently makes decisions that don't make sense if you step back and look at the big picture. Especially for a coach that comes from the NFL, he sure didn't learn much about winning games.
I have not heard a single rational defense of why we were throwing a pass with the ball and the lead with 2 minutes left in the game. It's just inexcusable. Good teams are able to run the ball on first and second downs, then keep the defense guessing on 3rd and short as we try to move the chains and end the game. The fact that we threw a pass on 2nd down in that crucial situation is flat out the wrong call.
And that wasn't his only mistake. Numerous times we had difficulties getting the play off. As the self-named offensive coordinator, it is Coach Weis' job to make sure that the play gets in to the QB with plenty of time before the snap. The unnecessary timeouts and delay of game penalties came back to haunt us in a game that came down to the wire.
2. The Officiating
I really hate to complain about the refs. Other than the Bush Push, which mostly upset me because of the magnitude of the game, my general position is that you play the game with the calls that are made, and that if you play well enough to win, the officiating won't change that.
Not so on Saturday.
I watch a lot of football, pro and college, and this is the first time I've ever seen a game in which the officials appeared to be actually biased.
There were, by my count, 5 unequivocal pass interference penalties against Michigan that were not called. And they were often in critical situations that changed the game. Especially on the ill-advised 2nd down pass. Call that interference penalty, and the Irish win. Talk all you want about "letting the players play" but these penalties exist for a reason, and you CANNOT allow a team to consistently hold one of the receiver's arms back while the pass is in the air.
I've also rewatched the play where Sam Young was called for holding on Kyle Rudolph's 79-yard catch, and there was no hold. It was a spectacular block that drove the defender into the ground.
There was also the missed call on the Armando Allen TD. I watched that play in HD on a big screen, and the sideline view of that play clearly shows that Allen did not step out. There certainly was nothing resembling indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field.
And don't even get me started on the 2 seconds run off the clock on the kickoff. And don't give me the BS about how rare it is for a last second Hail Mary to work - I saw the Broncos pull off a stunning win on Sunday, and Green Bay also had a last minute pass play that made the difference in the game. And with a wideout like Golden Tate - we may not have won, but we should have had the chance.
But what really pissed me off - and the reason that I think that the refs were biased - was how the refs blew Coach Weis off at the end of the game and sprinted for the tunnel, not even considering taking a second look at the clock.
Any one or two, or even three, of those problems, and I could deal with it. But what I saw out there was clearly home cooking. Notre Dame was repeatedly and systematically robbed of its advantages in this game by the refs, and it cost the Irish the game.
If this game were reffed by a truly neutral officiating crew (say, from the Big 12?) the Irish win this game handily - by as many as 20 points.
3. Fundamentals
I almost appended this to the coaching segment above, but I saw a clear lack of fundamental breakdowns by Irish players in this game. Poor tackling especially killed us, and it allowed an inferior team to hang around in a game they had no business hanging around in.
Tate Forcier, if he bulks up, will eventually be a very good quarterback for Michigan. But he's not a superstar in the making, and certainly not a phenom. We made him look good by taking poor angles and arm tackling. Forcier slipping from the grasp of ND defenders was not because he's a beast who reads the defense well, it's because the ND players who were put in the right position by the play call didn't have the fundamental skills to make the play.
And that, again, falls on the coaching staff. For all of the talent and experience we trotted out on the field, these players should not be making those kind of bone-headed mistakes.
A classic example was on Forcier's TD run, where the safeties did not shuffle down the line with the ball, and Kapron Lewis-Moore overpursued, did not break down and failed to keep his hips squared to be able to make the tackle, or force Tate back inside to the defense.
4. Michigan
I wanted to put this section in to give Michigan credit. While they got plenty of help from the refs and Notre Dame repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot (much like Michigan did for us last year), ultimately they did what they had to to win the game. With two minutes left in the game, they drove down the field and scored the go ahead touchdown with little time left on the clock. They had a good gameplan, and with a couple of breaks, put themselves in a position to win the game.
And they did.
Final Analysis
No excuses. We were 24 points better than Michigan, but we lost the game because we apparently still don't know how to win.
I've been a pretty staunch Weis supporter, right up until the Syracuse debacle of last year. And I still think with his work ethic, we could eventually win a championship if he continues to make the changes needed as he recognizes them. But Saturday's loss can be laid at the feet of the coaching staff first and foremost.
Weis is a gambler, and frequently makes decisions that don't make sense if you step back and look at the big picture. Especially for a coach that comes from the NFL, he sure didn't learn much about winning games.
I have not heard a single rational defense of why we were throwing a pass with the ball and the lead with 2 minutes left in the game. It's just inexcusable. Good teams are able to run the ball on first and second downs, then keep the defense guessing on 3rd and short as we try to move the chains and end the game. The fact that we threw a pass on 2nd down in that crucial situation is flat out the wrong call.
And that wasn't his only mistake. Numerous times we had difficulties getting the play off. As the self-named offensive coordinator, it is Coach Weis' job to make sure that the play gets in to the QB with plenty of time before the snap. The unnecessary timeouts and delay of game penalties came back to haunt us in a game that came down to the wire.
2. The Officiating
I really hate to complain about the refs. Other than the Bush Push, which mostly upset me because of the magnitude of the game, my general position is that you play the game with the calls that are made, and that if you play well enough to win, the officiating won't change that.
Not so on Saturday.
I watch a lot of football, pro and college, and this is the first time I've ever seen a game in which the officials appeared to be actually biased.
There were, by my count, 5 unequivocal pass interference penalties against Michigan that were not called. And they were often in critical situations that changed the game. Especially on the ill-advised 2nd down pass. Call that interference penalty, and the Irish win. Talk all you want about "letting the players play" but these penalties exist for a reason, and you CANNOT allow a team to consistently hold one of the receiver's arms back while the pass is in the air.
I've also rewatched the play where Sam Young was called for holding on Kyle Rudolph's 79-yard catch, and there was no hold. It was a spectacular block that drove the defender into the ground.
There was also the missed call on the Armando Allen TD. I watched that play in HD on a big screen, and the sideline view of that play clearly shows that Allen did not step out. There certainly was nothing resembling indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field.
And don't even get me started on the 2 seconds run off the clock on the kickoff. And don't give me the BS about how rare it is for a last second Hail Mary to work - I saw the Broncos pull off a stunning win on Sunday, and Green Bay also had a last minute pass play that made the difference in the game. And with a wideout like Golden Tate - we may not have won, but we should have had the chance.
But what really pissed me off - and the reason that I think that the refs were biased - was how the refs blew Coach Weis off at the end of the game and sprinted for the tunnel, not even considering taking a second look at the clock.
Any one or two, or even three, of those problems, and I could deal with it. But what I saw out there was clearly home cooking. Notre Dame was repeatedly and systematically robbed of its advantages in this game by the refs, and it cost the Irish the game.
If this game were reffed by a truly neutral officiating crew (say, from the Big 12?) the Irish win this game handily - by as many as 20 points.
3. Fundamentals
I almost appended this to the coaching segment above, but I saw a clear lack of fundamental breakdowns by Irish players in this game. Poor tackling especially killed us, and it allowed an inferior team to hang around in a game they had no business hanging around in.
Tate Forcier, if he bulks up, will eventually be a very good quarterback for Michigan. But he's not a superstar in the making, and certainly not a phenom. We made him look good by taking poor angles and arm tackling. Forcier slipping from the grasp of ND defenders was not because he's a beast who reads the defense well, it's because the ND players who were put in the right position by the play call didn't have the fundamental skills to make the play.
And that, again, falls on the coaching staff. For all of the talent and experience we trotted out on the field, these players should not be making those kind of bone-headed mistakes.
A classic example was on Forcier's TD run, where the safeties did not shuffle down the line with the ball, and Kapron Lewis-Moore overpursued, did not break down and failed to keep his hips squared to be able to make the tackle, or force Tate back inside to the defense.
4. Michigan
I wanted to put this section in to give Michigan credit. While they got plenty of help from the refs and Notre Dame repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot (much like Michigan did for us last year), ultimately they did what they had to to win the game. With two minutes left in the game, they drove down the field and scored the go ahead touchdown with little time left on the clock. They had a good gameplan, and with a couple of breaks, put themselves in a position to win the game.
And they did.
Final Analysis
No excuses. We were 24 points better than Michigan, but we lost the game because we apparently still don't know how to win.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
IBG: Michigan Sucks Week
It's Michigan Sucks week, and Matt over at Her Loyal Sons is hosting this week's Irish Blogger Gathering. Check out his blog for his answers and the other members of the Irish Blogger Gathering as well.
1) Being that you're a ND blogger, and thus follow a Catholic university's football team religiously and/or are Catholic yourself, you're probably very familiar with the notion that bad things happen to good people. For a concrete example of that, look to every Irish player, coach, and fan who had to suffer through the last 2 seasons. But never forget that bad things can happen to really rotten people too. For a really fun example of that, look to Rich Rod going 3-9 in his big debut season in Ann Arbor. Now let's mess with your heads a bit: Give me one very good reason why great things might happen to very bad people by explaining to me A) How and why Michigan (sucks!) might beat ND this weekend and B) How Michigan (sucks!) will compete for a BCS berth in 2009.
Michigan Sucks. I won't even humor you by answering such a question that clearly requires me to throw out an established fact in analyzing this game. May as well ask me to predict the score if God decides to turn off gravity just prior to kickoff.
The only way Michigan beats Notre Dame this weekend is if the travel itineraries get mixed up, and we send our Women's Cross Country team to the Big House.
And if Michigan plays in the BCS this season, I'll eat my shirt.
2) After week 1, just as in 2008, the leading tacklers for the Notre Dame fighting Irish are both safeties: Kyle McCarthy with 7 and Harrison Smith with 5. DE Kerry Neal isn't even on the stat sheet, Brian Smith, while making 2 very big plays, didn't make a single other tackle, and Ethan Johnson had 1 tackle all game. Convince me that Michigan (sucks!) wont just run a "9 yards and a cloud of dust" offense against ND all freaking game.
Because Nevada had 153 yards rushing, compared to the 278 yards/game they averaged last year. Michigan averaged only 147 yards/game last year. Oh, and they lost their most talented athlete in Sam McGuffie. So, they showed they could move the ball against Western Michigan - paint me unimpressed.
And I don't care who makes the tackles, as long as we get the stop and get their offense off the field.
And I doubt they'll be able to stick to their run game for long if our offense continues to produce. Of course, that's probably the biggest question this week, as Nevada's pass defense is probably not the best barometer to use for testing our offense.
3) We've now got the concrete data of 1 game to bat around. Aside from any answers involving T'eo, tell me what position changes/depth chart engineering you hope to see the staff at least tinker with during the Michigan (sucks!) game.
I'm actually pretty happy with the lineup in their current positions. We shut out an explosive offense which returned nearly everyone when we were on defense. We scored at will when we were running our full offense - especially when we threw to #3.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
4) The state of Michigan has decided that they've ripped off the Rudy soundtrack long enough and need a new advertising scheme to attract people to their state and support tourism. "Pure Michigan (sucks!)" is so two-thousand-and-late. Give me the new hotness. Give me your best new tourism slogans for Michigan (sucks!).
Michigan: A Classless Society
5) Navy took tOSU down to the wire, Washington actually looked like a team that's coached to play football games, WSU put up some fight. After Week 1, do you now feel like the Irish '09 schedule is tougher or easier than you felt heading into last week? Why?
Tougher - no question. Washington outgained #11 LSU. Navy abandoned their bread and butter in a crucial situation (2 pt conversion) in barely losing to a preseason Top 10 OSU team. Michigan dominated WMU, despite all of their trials lately. Purdue, BC, and Pitt all put up big numbers against their warm-up opponents. While it will take a while to really see where everyone is, but the early returns show that there should be some more difficult challenges than appeared at first glance.
1) Being that you're a ND blogger, and thus follow a Catholic university's football team religiously and/or are Catholic yourself, you're probably very familiar with the notion that bad things happen to good people. For a concrete example of that, look to every Irish player, coach, and fan who had to suffer through the last 2 seasons. But never forget that bad things can happen to really rotten people too. For a really fun example of that, look to Rich Rod going 3-9 in his big debut season in Ann Arbor. Now let's mess with your heads a bit: Give me one very good reason why great things might happen to very bad people by explaining to me A) How and why Michigan (sucks!) might beat ND this weekend and B) How Michigan (sucks!) will compete for a BCS berth in 2009.
Michigan Sucks. I won't even humor you by answering such a question that clearly requires me to throw out an established fact in analyzing this game. May as well ask me to predict the score if God decides to turn off gravity just prior to kickoff.
The only way Michigan beats Notre Dame this weekend is if the travel itineraries get mixed up, and we send our Women's Cross Country team to the Big House.
And if Michigan plays in the BCS this season, I'll eat my shirt.
2) After week 1, just as in 2008, the leading tacklers for the Notre Dame fighting Irish are both safeties: Kyle McCarthy with 7 and Harrison Smith with 5. DE Kerry Neal isn't even on the stat sheet, Brian Smith, while making 2 very big plays, didn't make a single other tackle, and Ethan Johnson had 1 tackle all game. Convince me that Michigan (sucks!) wont just run a "9 yards and a cloud of dust" offense against ND all freaking game.
Because Nevada had 153 yards rushing, compared to the 278 yards/game they averaged last year. Michigan averaged only 147 yards/game last year. Oh, and they lost their most talented athlete in Sam McGuffie. So, they showed they could move the ball against Western Michigan - paint me unimpressed.
And I don't care who makes the tackles, as long as we get the stop and get their offense off the field.
And I doubt they'll be able to stick to their run game for long if our offense continues to produce. Of course, that's probably the biggest question this week, as Nevada's pass defense is probably not the best barometer to use for testing our offense.
3) We've now got the concrete data of 1 game to bat around. Aside from any answers involving T'eo, tell me what position changes/depth chart engineering you hope to see the staff at least tinker with during the Michigan (sucks!) game.
I'm actually pretty happy with the lineup in their current positions. We shut out an explosive offense which returned nearly everyone when we were on defense. We scored at will when we were running our full offense - especially when we threw to #3.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
4) The state of Michigan has decided that they've ripped off the Rudy soundtrack long enough and need a new advertising scheme to attract people to their state and support tourism. "Pure Michigan (sucks!)" is so two-thousand-and-late. Give me the new hotness. Give me your best new tourism slogans for Michigan (sucks!).
Michigan: A Classless Society
5) Navy took tOSU down to the wire, Washington actually looked like a team that's coached to play football games, WSU put up some fight. After Week 1, do you now feel like the Irish '09 schedule is tougher or easier than you felt heading into last week? Why?
Tougher - no question. Washington outgained #11 LSU. Navy abandoned their bread and butter in a crucial situation (2 pt conversion) in barely losing to a preseason Top 10 OSU team. Michigan dominated WMU, despite all of their trials lately. Purdue, BC, and Pitt all put up big numbers against their warm-up opponents. While it will take a while to really see where everyone is, but the early returns show that there should be some more difficult challenges than appeared at first glance.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Irish Blogger Gathering: Here Come The Irish!
1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.
"For far too long these voices, muffled by distances,
it's time to come to our senses, up from the dirt."
Give It All, Rise Against
I've spent this entire offseason feeling like a schizophrenic, going from wild and unchecked optimism from the Hawaii game to defeatist realism from being not 3 games removed from the Syracuse debacle.
But, if there is one thing that has come through from all of the players and coaches this year, it's that they know how bad they've been. They know that they have the heavy responsibility of carrying Our Lady's torch, and that they haven't gotten it done on the field.
I feel like this team has weathered the growing pains that plagued them the last 2 years, and that they finally have the quiet confidence needed to break through. I still can't bring myself to predict a championship season, but I do know one thing.
These kids intend to give it their all.
Honorable mention: Drowning Pool, Bodies
2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.
What I like about this picture is that it takes a snap shot of a moment in time, and the viewer isn't entirely sure which way things are going.
Is this a ship that has persevered a storm, and come through the otherside unscathed, as the sun finally shows through, granting them hope that the trials are over?
Or is this a tiny ship, too far out at sea, as the winds begin to pick up and the cloud cover rolls in, beginning to block the sunlight?
As stated before, this is how I feel about the Irish. I want to believe that the storm is over, and that we have righted the ship and there is smooth sailing again. But if I'm wrong, the storm could be longer and blacker than I want to consider.
3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?
This one took me a while to come up with. The easy answer would be the defensive line or the offensive line, in light of our recent struggles in these areas. However, I've chosen to dig a little deeper and pull out what I really think the weakness is.
Swagger. Cockiness. Attitude. Confidence. Nastiness.
Whatever you want to call it, we need it. Bad.
Oh, these kids want to win. And they think they can win. What they need, however, is to walk into each game KNOWING they're going to win.
This attitude comes from several factors, and it's something I haven't seen on the Notre Dame sidelines since Brady Quinn was our quarterback. The team's confidence in Quinn was palpable, and time and again - the last touchdown against USC in 2005, the comeback drive against Stanford to seal the Fiesta Bowl, the last second victory against UCLA - the team looked to it's leader and knew that it was going to win the game.
Of course, we were robbed of the victory against USC, but each time, he came out and led the team to victory.
This team needs that same attitude - come what may, we WILL find a way to win this game.
And that falls to Jimmy Clausen. He needs to take his place as the leader of this team. I'm not at all confident that he has the selflessness required for him to do so, but I can hope. And if by some miracle he is able to find within himself a leader, we may be a pretty good football team.
4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?
(A) You've heard Lou and Beano predict that the Irish will go undefeated and lose to Florida in the National Championship game. And I'm sure you've all heard the haters that say that we'll suck again - my buddy Tom (a Boilermaker) was saying just the other day that we'll at most 9 games - if we're lucky.
Here's the thing - they're both right.
This team, based on talent and experience, ought to be able to beat everyone on the schedule, including USC and Florida, if they play to their potential.
However, this is the team that, just 3 games ago, lost to an atrocious Syracuse team.
And so, as much as the fan in me wants to go all in and predict a title for the Irish this year, I just can't. We'll find a way to stumble against a team that we ought to beat (MSU, Pitt, or Stanford), but we'll find a way to beat USC. And that will be enough for a BCS date with someone like Oklahoma or LSU. Which will be an intriguing matchup.
(B) Next year, however, I'm confident that we'll be able to put ourselves in position for a national title run. The schedule, although the last games are still being ironed out, is an interesting one. We'll play at USC, which will be the toughest game on the slate. But, we also bring the Utah Utes (who should have been voted the national title last year) to town. Combined with a traditional schedule (Pitt, BC, Stanford, Mich, MSU, Purdue, Army), this should be our year. I'm assuming that a Senior Jimmy Clausen will be back to lead the offense, and that we'll have Juniors Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph and Senior Golden Tate leading the deepest receiver group I can ever recall, behind a still experienced and deep offensive line, and a stable of running backs that is quickly starting to resemble the stable at our cross-country rivals at USC. Very little attrition is expected on an improving defense as well.
5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?
The triple option attack is the most difficult to prepare for, because it is so difficult to stay disciplined. Assignments are critical on every single down, because this offense is not designed for the big play - it's designed to get 4 yards on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. Which means that you need to be able to not just make the tackles as assigned, but in order to stop them, you have to be able to disrupt the normal blocking scheme and disrupt the timing of the offense in order to have any success.
It always amazes me how quickly the triple option fell out of favor. In very short order, the kings of the option offense - Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Syracuse - all scrapped their option attacks for a more traditional offense.
With the introduction of the true option offense back into major college football at Georgia Tech, however, I'm expecting a resurgence over the next few years.
6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?
I had a bit of an ulterior motive for this question, as there are only two quarterbacks we'll face this year that have a history of quality experience to draw from - Jake Locker and Colin Capaernick.
While my answer to this question is that Jake Locker is the best QB we'll face this year, I wanted to take a minute to point out that this is my biggest reason for optimism this year. Boston College, Michigan, USC, Michigan State, and Purdue are all in heated quarterback battles that haven't yet been solidified.
While there are usually a couple quarterbacks each year that show up ready to play at a high level (Tebow, Bradford, McCoy, etc.), the general rule is that it takes time to develop a quarterback. And with the two best quarterbacks coming from a WAC opponent and a team that went 0-12 last year, I have reason to believe that our attacking defense will smother a lot of our opponents this year.
7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:
(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
11-2
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
Sugar Bowl win over Alabama
(3) Predicted final ranking.
#4
(4) Best player on the team.
Golden Tate
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
Sam Bradford
(6) National Champion.
Florida
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
Notre Dame wins easily, 45-17
Subway Domer Responds
"For far too long these voices, muffled by distances,
it's time to come to our senses, up from the dirt."
Give It All, Rise Against
I've spent this entire offseason feeling like a schizophrenic, going from wild and unchecked optimism from the Hawaii game to defeatist realism from being not 3 games removed from the Syracuse debacle.
But, if there is one thing that has come through from all of the players and coaches this year, it's that they know how bad they've been. They know that they have the heavy responsibility of carrying Our Lady's torch, and that they haven't gotten it done on the field.
I feel like this team has weathered the growing pains that plagued them the last 2 years, and that they finally have the quiet confidence needed to break through. I still can't bring myself to predict a championship season, but I do know one thing.
These kids intend to give it their all.
Honorable mention: Drowning Pool, Bodies
2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.
What I like about this picture is that it takes a snap shot of a moment in time, and the viewer isn't entirely sure which way things are going.
Is this a ship that has persevered a storm, and come through the otherside unscathed, as the sun finally shows through, granting them hope that the trials are over?
Or is this a tiny ship, too far out at sea, as the winds begin to pick up and the cloud cover rolls in, beginning to block the sunlight?
As stated before, this is how I feel about the Irish. I want to believe that the storm is over, and that we have righted the ship and there is smooth sailing again. But if I'm wrong, the storm could be longer and blacker than I want to consider.
3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?
This one took me a while to come up with. The easy answer would be the defensive line or the offensive line, in light of our recent struggles in these areas. However, I've chosen to dig a little deeper and pull out what I really think the weakness is.
Swagger. Cockiness. Attitude. Confidence. Nastiness.
Whatever you want to call it, we need it. Bad.
Oh, these kids want to win. And they think they can win. What they need, however, is to walk into each game KNOWING they're going to win.
This attitude comes from several factors, and it's something I haven't seen on the Notre Dame sidelines since Brady Quinn was our quarterback. The team's confidence in Quinn was palpable, and time and again - the last touchdown against USC in 2005, the comeback drive against Stanford to seal the Fiesta Bowl, the last second victory against UCLA - the team looked to it's leader and knew that it was going to win the game.
Of course, we were robbed of the victory against USC, but each time, he came out and led the team to victory.
This team needs that same attitude - come what may, we WILL find a way to win this game.
And that falls to Jimmy Clausen. He needs to take his place as the leader of this team. I'm not at all confident that he has the selflessness required for him to do so, but I can hope. And if by some miracle he is able to find within himself a leader, we may be a pretty good football team.
4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?
(A) You've heard Lou and Beano predict that the Irish will go undefeated and lose to Florida in the National Championship game. And I'm sure you've all heard the haters that say that we'll suck again - my buddy Tom (a Boilermaker) was saying just the other day that we'll at most 9 games - if we're lucky.
Here's the thing - they're both right.
This team, based on talent and experience, ought to be able to beat everyone on the schedule, including USC and Florida, if they play to their potential.
However, this is the team that, just 3 games ago, lost to an atrocious Syracuse team.
And so, as much as the fan in me wants to go all in and predict a title for the Irish this year, I just can't. We'll find a way to stumble against a team that we ought to beat (MSU, Pitt, or Stanford), but we'll find a way to beat USC. And that will be enough for a BCS date with someone like Oklahoma or LSU. Which will be an intriguing matchup.
(B) Next year, however, I'm confident that we'll be able to put ourselves in position for a national title run. The schedule, although the last games are still being ironed out, is an interesting one. We'll play at USC, which will be the toughest game on the slate. But, we also bring the Utah Utes (who should have been voted the national title last year) to town. Combined with a traditional schedule (Pitt, BC, Stanford, Mich, MSU, Purdue, Army), this should be our year. I'm assuming that a Senior Jimmy Clausen will be back to lead the offense, and that we'll have Juniors Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph and Senior Golden Tate leading the deepest receiver group I can ever recall, behind a still experienced and deep offensive line, and a stable of running backs that is quickly starting to resemble the stable at our cross-country rivals at USC. Very little attrition is expected on an improving defense as well.
5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?
The triple option attack is the most difficult to prepare for, because it is so difficult to stay disciplined. Assignments are critical on every single down, because this offense is not designed for the big play - it's designed to get 4 yards on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. Which means that you need to be able to not just make the tackles as assigned, but in order to stop them, you have to be able to disrupt the normal blocking scheme and disrupt the timing of the offense in order to have any success.
It always amazes me how quickly the triple option fell out of favor. In very short order, the kings of the option offense - Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Syracuse - all scrapped their option attacks for a more traditional offense.
With the introduction of the true option offense back into major college football at Georgia Tech, however, I'm expecting a resurgence over the next few years.
6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?
I had a bit of an ulterior motive for this question, as there are only two quarterbacks we'll face this year that have a history of quality experience to draw from - Jake Locker and Colin Capaernick.While my answer to this question is that Jake Locker is the best QB we'll face this year, I wanted to take a minute to point out that this is my biggest reason for optimism this year. Boston College, Michigan, USC, Michigan State, and Purdue are all in heated quarterback battles that haven't yet been solidified.
While there are usually a couple quarterbacks each year that show up ready to play at a high level (Tebow, Bradford, McCoy, etc.), the general rule is that it takes time to develop a quarterback. And with the two best quarterbacks coming from a WAC opponent and a team that went 0-12 last year, I have reason to believe that our attacking defense will smother a lot of our opponents this year.
7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:
(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
11-2
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
Sugar Bowl win over Alabama
(3) Predicted final ranking.
#4
(4) Best player on the team.
Golden Tate
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
Sam Bradford
(6) National Champion.
Florida
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
Notre Dame wins easily, 45-17
Subway Domer Responds
Irish Blogger Gathering: Here Come the Irish!
So, I've been tasked with kicking off this year's Irish Blogger Gathering, as we prepare for the Nevada Wolfpack and their Pistol offense for the home opener.
So, in a multimedia extravaganza, we're kicking it off with some general preseason questions, as well as a couple of Nevada-specific questions. Answers to follow.
All aboard the bandwagon, the train is leaving the station.
1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.
2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.
3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?
4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?
5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?
6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?
7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:
(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
(3) Predicted final ranking.
(4) Best player on the team.
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
(6) National Champion.
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
It's gameweek, baby. Here Come the Irish!!!
So, in a multimedia extravaganza, we're kicking it off with some general preseason questions, as well as a couple of Nevada-specific questions. Answers to follow.
All aboard the bandwagon, the train is leaving the station.
1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.
2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.
3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?
4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?
5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?
6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?
7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:
(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
(3) Predicted final ranking.
(4) Best player on the team.
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
(6) National Champion.
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
It's gameweek, baby. Here Come the Irish!!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Season Kickoff: Musical Edition
So it's officially here. The boys are back out on the field, knocking heads and trying to prepare for the 2009 campaign.
But this year just feels different. No gimmicks. No blustery words like "Whoosh," "Pound it," or "Schematic Advantage."
The head coach has, I think, finally gotten it right.
I've been on a bit of a musical kick this summer. I went to see Cheap Trick, Poison and Def Leppard a few weeks ago, I just got back from Lollapalooza, and I'm going to Aerosmith and ZZ Top in a couple of weeks. So, here's my Media Week Extravaganza, Musical Edition.
Head Coach
Let The Music Do The Talking
Aerosmith
No promises, no specific talk about expectations or changes. No blustery talk about how good this player or that is gonna be. It's time to put it out on the field.
"This isn't about me. This is about us. This is about one group of guys, coaches and players, that have very similar expectations. But it doesn't do much good for me to say them any more. Until we start showing we can back 'em up, it's just hot air."
-Charlie Weis
Quarterbacks
Never Let Me Down Again
Depeche Mode
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend. I hope he never lets me down again. He knows where he's taking me. Taking me where I want to be."
It's no secret that we'll only go as far as Jimmy will take us. I've never really been a big fan of Jimmy personally, but the job is his, and he's now got the street cred from his experience to take this to the next level.
He needs to get past playing the game and learn how to put a team on his shoulders and lead them to victory. Without that crucial talent to lead, he will never get us to where we need to be.
"I think as he's gone through the first year, the aches that went through the first year, developing more the second year, I think now he kind of has the mentality that a lot of those junior/seniors now have, where like they paid their dues and they've learned from their experiences."
-Charlie Weis
Running Backs
Under the Milky Way
originally by The Church
covered by Coheed and Cambria
"Wish I knew what you were looking for.
Might have known what you would find."
Here we are, in year 5 of the Weis era, and we're still looking for a running game. More than any other area, this is where I want to stop hearing about us running the ball and start actually seeing some production on the ground.
"You're going to play against every team that's going to try to stop the pass game? Well, if they try to stop the pass game, then you have to have an answer. And the answer would be to run the football, okay? If you can't run the football effectively, okay, and they shut down the pass game, you put yourself behind the eight ball. That's what we've been spending the whole off-season to get to this point, to try to put us in a position where we're not pigeonholed into what we're doing."
-Charlie Weis
Wide Receivers
Mr. Brightside
The Killers (not from Lollapalooza, I didn't like the quality of available videos)
"I'm coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta be down because I want it all. ... But it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes."
Who isn't uber-excited about the Notre Dame receiving corps this year?
This position is absolutely loaded with talent and star power. A junior receiver with proven breakaway speed. A sophomore receiver who broke every freshman receiving record - and didn't play half the season. A sophomore tight end who was a Freshman ll-American. Add to that a stable of talent ready to step in at any time, and you have a lot of options to throw to.
"This summer Jimmy flew out Golden, Floyd and Rudolph, and they spent one week out on field throwing for about eight hours a day. So they did that on their own. I have nothing to do with that. Duval was already in early summer school, so he couldn't make it out there. But I think that will pay dividends. That type of effort that they did on their own, that will pay dividends pretty quickly."
-Charlie Weis
Offensive Line
Schism
Tool
"I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame it doesnt mean I dont desire to
Point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication."
New coach, same kids. I've seen this line's potential, but until they learn to open up some running lanes on a consistent basis, this offense will sputter against quality defenses.
"This is going to be the first time we're going to start training camp and we have three units who legitimately play left and right tackle, left and right guard and center. It's encouraging to know we have numbers to start off with."
-Charlie Weis
Defensive Line
When You Were Young
The Killers
"Can we climb this mountain? I don't know. Higher now than ever before. I know we can make it if we take it slow. Let's take it easy. Easy now. Watch it go."
My biggest question mark on the team is the defensive line. We lack depth and elite talent, but there are some huge upsides to this unit as well. And with the new coaches - Randy Hart and Bryant Young - there is so much potential for drastic improvement. I just hope these kids can get the hang of the learning curve.
"We're excited about our youth, our athleticism. I think with youth and athleticism comes some uncertainty as you go in."
-Charlie Weis
Linebackers
Give It All"
Rise Against
"Today I offer all myself to this. I'm living for my dying wish. I give it all, now there's a reason, a reason, to give it all."
In Tenuta's blitz-happy scheme, we need these guys to really come blasting out of the gate. We've developed some depth, and I'm very excited to see what Manti Te'o can do. Brian Smith is a beast.
"Manti is 245 pounds. If you put him and Brian Smith next to each other, you don't really see much of a physical difference[.]"
-Charlie Weis
Defensive Backs
Never Miss A Beat
Kaiser Chiefs (one of the best shows of Lollapalooza - incredible frontman, great music)
"No, they never miss a beat. No, they never miss a beat, never miss a beat, never miss a beat. Never."
With all of the hype around the receiving corps, this is actually the best unit on the team. Our second string would probably start at any other school.
They are so good, in fact, that there weren't any questions at media day about this unit. Everyone knows that we're loaded, and it doesn't matter who we trot out there, they'll be amazing.
""
-Charlie Weis
But this year just feels different. No gimmicks. No blustery words like "Whoosh," "Pound it," or "Schematic Advantage."
The head coach has, I think, finally gotten it right.
I've been on a bit of a musical kick this summer. I went to see Cheap Trick, Poison and Def Leppard a few weeks ago, I just got back from Lollapalooza, and I'm going to Aerosmith and ZZ Top in a couple of weeks. So, here's my Media Week Extravaganza, Musical Edition.
Head Coach
Let The Music Do The Talking
Aerosmith
No promises, no specific talk about expectations or changes. No blustery talk about how good this player or that is gonna be. It's time to put it out on the field.
"This isn't about me. This is about us. This is about one group of guys, coaches and players, that have very similar expectations. But it doesn't do much good for me to say them any more. Until we start showing we can back 'em up, it's just hot air."
-Charlie Weis
Quarterbacks
Never Let Me Down Again
Depeche Mode
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend. I hope he never lets me down again. He knows where he's taking me. Taking me where I want to be."
It's no secret that we'll only go as far as Jimmy will take us. I've never really been a big fan of Jimmy personally, but the job is his, and he's now got the street cred from his experience to take this to the next level.
He needs to get past playing the game and learn how to put a team on his shoulders and lead them to victory. Without that crucial talent to lead, he will never get us to where we need to be.
"I think as he's gone through the first year, the aches that went through the first year, developing more the second year, I think now he kind of has the mentality that a lot of those junior/seniors now have, where like they paid their dues and they've learned from their experiences."
-Charlie Weis
Running Backs
Under the Milky Way
originally by The Church
covered by Coheed and Cambria
"Wish I knew what you were looking for.
Might have known what you would find."
Here we are, in year 5 of the Weis era, and we're still looking for a running game. More than any other area, this is where I want to stop hearing about us running the ball and start actually seeing some production on the ground.
"You're going to play against every team that's going to try to stop the pass game? Well, if they try to stop the pass game, then you have to have an answer. And the answer would be to run the football, okay? If you can't run the football effectively, okay, and they shut down the pass game, you put yourself behind the eight ball. That's what we've been spending the whole off-season to get to this point, to try to put us in a position where we're not pigeonholed into what we're doing."
-Charlie Weis
Wide Receivers
Mr. Brightside
The Killers (not from Lollapalooza, I didn't like the quality of available videos)
"I'm coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta be down because I want it all. ... But it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes."
Who isn't uber-excited about the Notre Dame receiving corps this year?
This position is absolutely loaded with talent and star power. A junior receiver with proven breakaway speed. A sophomore receiver who broke every freshman receiving record - and didn't play half the season. A sophomore tight end who was a Freshman ll-American. Add to that a stable of talent ready to step in at any time, and you have a lot of options to throw to.
"This summer Jimmy flew out Golden, Floyd and Rudolph, and they spent one week out on field throwing for about eight hours a day. So they did that on their own. I have nothing to do with that. Duval was already in early summer school, so he couldn't make it out there. But I think that will pay dividends. That type of effort that they did on their own, that will pay dividends pretty quickly."
-Charlie Weis
Offensive Line
Schism
Tool
"I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame it doesnt mean I dont desire to
Point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication."
New coach, same kids. I've seen this line's potential, but until they learn to open up some running lanes on a consistent basis, this offense will sputter against quality defenses.
"This is going to be the first time we're going to start training camp and we have three units who legitimately play left and right tackle, left and right guard and center. It's encouraging to know we have numbers to start off with."
-Charlie Weis
Defensive Line
When You Were Young
The Killers
"Can we climb this mountain? I don't know. Higher now than ever before. I know we can make it if we take it slow. Let's take it easy. Easy now. Watch it go."
My biggest question mark on the team is the defensive line. We lack depth and elite talent, but there are some huge upsides to this unit as well. And with the new coaches - Randy Hart and Bryant Young - there is so much potential for drastic improvement. I just hope these kids can get the hang of the learning curve.
"We're excited about our youth, our athleticism. I think with youth and athleticism comes some uncertainty as you go in."
-Charlie Weis
Linebackers
Give It All"
Rise Against
"Today I offer all myself to this. I'm living for my dying wish. I give it all, now there's a reason, a reason, to give it all."
In Tenuta's blitz-happy scheme, we need these guys to really come blasting out of the gate. We've developed some depth, and I'm very excited to see what Manti Te'o can do. Brian Smith is a beast.
"Manti is 245 pounds. If you put him and Brian Smith next to each other, you don't really see much of a physical difference[.]"
-Charlie Weis
Defensive Backs
Never Miss A Beat
Kaiser Chiefs (one of the best shows of Lollapalooza - incredible frontman, great music)
"No, they never miss a beat. No, they never miss a beat, never miss a beat, never miss a beat. Never."
With all of the hype around the receiving corps, this is actually the best unit on the team. Our second string would probably start at any other school.
They are so good, in fact, that there weren't any questions at media day about this unit. Everyone knows that we're loaded, and it doesn't matter who we trot out there, they'll be amazing.
""
-Charlie Weis
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