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Well... we're certainly going into this game on a high note!
[November 11, 2006] #9 Notre Dame (8-1) at Air Force (4-4)
- Thread starter Irish Envy
- Start date
I
imroc
Guest
Well, I'm off to CO springs ......
Well, I'm off to CO springs ......
A 3 hour drive isn't much in this part of the country, it's actually rather common! A trip to "springs" is often made by my immediate family just to get out of the mountains and visit some malls and such. Today, it's different! Today, it's a passionate calling!
I Remember! - 2002
John Imre
ND Irish Fans.com
Nov 8, 2006
It's been over four years and I can still taste the brats and beer. As I drove onto the Air Force Academy base, I felt the goose bumps rising.At that time, it had been three years since I drove onto an Air Force base, three years since my Honorable Discharge. Although I was happy to get out, I'll always have that attachment to the branch that turned me into the man I am and I'll always be grateful for the times I had. After all, my wife and two of my four children were all a part of it! The young Airmen let us through and rolled their eyes as my vehicle gained entry decked with vibrant markings of a true Irish fan. During my enlistement I was stationed just a couple hours away from the academy, but I had never been there. I felt at home, even though I could sense the distinction of an officer training base and my enlisted attachment.
We found our way to the alumni supported tailgate party and saw the golden banner and green Irish balloons. The cool breeze cutting through the party was a small hint of what was to come, but nobody gave a bit of mind. Alumni and fans from the region were there and so were the Irish Cheerleaders. The fun was quickly under way and the small pep rally got us bursting into pride, at that moment we were all the team!
As the sun fell, so we fell into line. The small venue was packed with Irish and Falcon blues and opposite was the young cadets clad in their camouflage BDUs. The stadium was packed, but never out of hand. In my experience, the MWAC teams have a sense of pride that exceeds a lot of the rowdy crowds found in some other conferences. Along with that pride comes a respect for the opponent's fans as well. We were all welcomed and to top it off, a Falcon fan gave me some tidbits on the history of the stadium and how visiting teams like the Irish are very helpful in the maintenance and updating of the venue. I was deeply touched knowing that somehow a small unknown subway fan had contributed to the small, but very nice stadium that housed such a respectable team.
Before we knew it, the stadium was nearly a quarter empty! The cadets rushed onto the field and began the rituals that begin each game. Now my goose bumps were back. The formations by the cadets and branch servicemen brought back a lot of memories and I could see my wife was reminiscing on the days when her husband was dressed very much the same, less the brass.
Aside from the formations, paratroopers did their show and the famed Air Force Falcon was doing great stunts. I had seen the falcon do a show while attending a Wyoming vs. Air Force game in Laramie and wondered if the bird ever thought about breaking the string and leaving the service as I had 3 years earlier. Enough, I was there for something greater, something that I had attachment to long before my enlistment; I was there for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame!
The moment had come! In full jerseys, the Irish took the field! I hadn't seen this beautiful sight in 14 years! My beloved Irish were here and it was for real! I had that same feeling that I did 20 something years ago, when I first stepped into Wrigley Field, I was nearly in tears. It seemed as if the Irish players were crafted from the finest clay, carved to precision
The players of recent non-Irish games were of no comparison to the Irish players and I thought to myself that these poor cadets had a lot of work cut out for them. And they did! During a season of great victories in the first year of Ty Willingham, every game seemed to come down to final minutes or decisive turnovers. Not this game, no this was different. Even though the score showed much closer, the game was Notre Dame's, beginning to end. The excitement of watching my Irish play was not enough, I needed to have a touchdown at our end and it happened. Words couldn't express my joy that night, but let's just say that after 14 years of not seeing the Irish live, my life felt nearly complete. Nearly!
The Irish walked away with a victory and the Falcon's fans bade us farewell. As we drove off the base, my wife and I knew that our marriage had seen and felt another bonding moment. We were both sad to see the Irish take to the locker rooms and we were both sad to depart from a base that reminded us so much of a security we had not experienced since I was enlisted. Our mixed emotions drained us that evening and we were badly in need of sleep. As she slipped into the shower, I thumbed through the cable channels. Low and behold! A re-run of the game I just experienced on ESPN! I guess I wasn't drained after all...
Click here for to post your comments!
Well, I'm off to CO springs ......
A 3 hour drive isn't much in this part of the country, it's actually rather common! A trip to "springs" is often made by my immediate family just to get out of the mountains and visit some malls and such. Today, it's different! Today, it's a passionate calling!
I Remember! - 2002
John Imre
ND Irish Fans.com
Nov 8, 2006
It's been over four years and I can still taste the brats and beer. As I drove onto the Air Force Academy base, I felt the goose bumps rising.At that time, it had been three years since I drove onto an Air Force base, three years since my Honorable Discharge. Although I was happy to get out, I'll always have that attachment to the branch that turned me into the man I am and I'll always be grateful for the times I had. After all, my wife and two of my four children were all a part of it! The young Airmen let us through and rolled their eyes as my vehicle gained entry decked with vibrant markings of a true Irish fan. During my enlistement I was stationed just a couple hours away from the academy, but I had never been there. I felt at home, even though I could sense the distinction of an officer training base and my enlisted attachment.
We found our way to the alumni supported tailgate party and saw the golden banner and green Irish balloons. The cool breeze cutting through the party was a small hint of what was to come, but nobody gave a bit of mind. Alumni and fans from the region were there and so were the Irish Cheerleaders. The fun was quickly under way and the small pep rally got us bursting into pride, at that moment we were all the team!
As the sun fell, so we fell into line. The small venue was packed with Irish and Falcon blues and opposite was the young cadets clad in their camouflage BDUs. The stadium was packed, but never out of hand. In my experience, the MWAC teams have a sense of pride that exceeds a lot of the rowdy crowds found in some other conferences. Along with that pride comes a respect for the opponent's fans as well. We were all welcomed and to top it off, a Falcon fan gave me some tidbits on the history of the stadium and how visiting teams like the Irish are very helpful in the maintenance and updating of the venue. I was deeply touched knowing that somehow a small unknown subway fan had contributed to the small, but very nice stadium that housed such a respectable team.
Before we knew it, the stadium was nearly a quarter empty! The cadets rushed onto the field and began the rituals that begin each game. Now my goose bumps were back. The formations by the cadets and branch servicemen brought back a lot of memories and I could see my wife was reminiscing on the days when her husband was dressed very much the same, less the brass.
Aside from the formations, paratroopers did their show and the famed Air Force Falcon was doing great stunts. I had seen the falcon do a show while attending a Wyoming vs. Air Force game in Laramie and wondered if the bird ever thought about breaking the string and leaving the service as I had 3 years earlier. Enough, I was there for something greater, something that I had attachment to long before my enlistment; I was there for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame!
The moment had come! In full jerseys, the Irish took the field! I hadn't seen this beautiful sight in 14 years! My beloved Irish were here and it was for real! I had that same feeling that I did 20 something years ago, when I first stepped into Wrigley Field, I was nearly in tears. It seemed as if the Irish players were crafted from the finest clay, carved to precision
The players of recent non-Irish games were of no comparison to the Irish players and I thought to myself that these poor cadets had a lot of work cut out for them. And they did! During a season of great victories in the first year of Ty Willingham, every game seemed to come down to final minutes or decisive turnovers. Not this game, no this was different. Even though the score showed much closer, the game was Notre Dame's, beginning to end. The excitement of watching my Irish play was not enough, I needed to have a touchdown at our end and it happened. Words couldn't express my joy that night, but let's just say that after 14 years of not seeing the Irish live, my life felt nearly complete. Nearly!
The Irish walked away with a victory and the Falcon's fans bade us farewell. As we drove off the base, my wife and I knew that our marriage had seen and felt another bonding moment. We were both sad to see the Irish take to the locker rooms and we were both sad to depart from a base that reminded us so much of a security we had not experienced since I was enlisted. Our mixed emotions drained us that evening and we were badly in need of sleep. As she slipped into the shower, I thumbed through the cable channels. Low and behold! A re-run of the game I just experienced on ESPN! I guess I wasn't drained after all...
Click here for to post your comments!
I
imroc
Guest
Notre Dame at Air Force
John Imre
ND Irish Fans.com
Nov 8, 2006
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame visit the Air Force Academy Falcons Saturday November 11, 2006 in Colorado Springs, CO. The game will be televised on CSTV at 2:00 PM. The Falcons look to better their 4-4 record by defeating a Top 10 team, while the Fighting Irish look to continue their winning streak for a BCS bowl game.
Notre Dame allows an average of 22 points per game, while the Air Force allows 21. However, the Irish post an average of 32 points whereas the Falcons just a low 24 points. The offsetting statistic really comes in the way of offensive yards. The Falcons gain an average of 267 yards/game and allow half back to the opponent; 132 yards/game. The Irish only pick up 107 yards/game and allow 126. The clear comparison team in the Irish schedule is the other Academy, the Navy. The Navy racked up a nasty 271 yards on the ground and this is where the Air Force plans to focus their attention. The Air Force boasts a measly 67 passing yards/game and allows nearly 3 times as many to their opponents; 191 yards/game. The imbalance is obvious as the Irish are a far better passing team, while the Falcons are a more focused rushing team. How does this affect the outcome of this weekend's game?
As already stated, the comparison team will be the Navy. Giving up 271 yards of rushing is a deep concern for the Irish. While it's true that play after play was a running play, it seemed as if the Navy was cutting through butter with a hot knife. The problem was stopping the run, but even worse, stopping the runner. Yards after contact should be the main focus of Irish defensive plans. How does the Irish fare against the Falcon offense and how does their result of the Navy game have an impact?
The Navy picked up 271 yards of rushing against the Irish, but the over looked fact is that the Navy average per game is 325 yards. This is something that should be noted. The Navy also stacks about 50 yards/game in passing, 3 yards more than the Irish allowed. The Irish also kept the Midshipmen from hogging the clock and split it near even, with just a few seconds advantage. While the Navy holds the clock to their possession an average of 5 minutes/game, the Air Force actually allows the opponents a near 5 minute advantage. This could be a deadly situation against a team that also host's an average 5 minutes/game, but can easily score in a matter of seconds.
The real question is not if Notre Dame can stop the rush and scoring of the Air Force, rather, it's a matter of whether the Air Force can continue to rush the ball without slowing down. Below is a chart collected from http://www.und.com:
Notice that the Navy drove down field the first 3 drives and missed 1 FG, but collected 2 touchdowns. Notre Dame was able to stop the Navy from reaching the red-zone 6 times thereafter. Running the ball downfield in the option can be a task tougher than initially thought. Run blocking by the line and offensive backs continually on the run prove to be just as tiring as trying to defend such plays. Size and athleticism come into the picture here. A one-dimensional game like this will not pick up the needed points to stay toe-to-toe with a team like the Irish. After all, a drive taking 5 to 7 minutes will almost assuredly be offset by an Irish drive taking just a couple minutes, leaving your team with only seconds left at the end of the game to play "catch-up." This creates a situation where moving the ball downfield in a timely fashion is only attainable by passing. With 62 yards/game passing, disaster becomes a very likely result.
In October, the Falcons faced the Midshipmen. When viewing the statistics and final score of the game, the conclusion is almost predictable. However, the Air Force running game was effective and a passing game complimented. The Navy kept the running game and abandoned the passing game. A strategy that was very effective for both teams. This strategy will not be effective against the Irish this game. The Falcons, while successful in passing, only posted 119 yards against the Midshipmen, while the Irish put up nearly 300 yards in the air with a compliment of 176 on the ground. Once again, if the Air Force is to stay in the game, they must score on every drive.
Altitude is always a factor when near-sea level teams visit Denver and its surrounding cities. Could this factor play into the Air Force advantage in the running game and spell ruin for the Irish? Sure, if this game were some high school or prison league event. The teams are made of athletes. Sure you're going to get winded a bit, but you work out and practice to overcome obstacles.
Weight and height are another factor. It's a well known fact that the services have weight and height restrictions. The typical player from an academy is quite a bit smaller, but no less athletic. The Falcons will have some work cut out for them in this game, but it is no different than playing against any other team, other than another academy.
One huge factor in this game is balance of talent. With Brady Quinn as the quarterback, the Irish have an extremely heavy advantage. Add in 4 to 5 potential receivers who rack up nasty yards and you've got a bad situation.
In the end, the Falcons must have a perfect game and hold the ball with no turnovers to stay competitive. They must find a way to stop the aerial assault without sacrificing yards on the ground as well. The Irish will need to keep up the balanced offensive attack and knock the Air Force into 3 and out situations. Tackles on the run will need to be decisive and straight to the point; yards after contact must be kept to an absolute minimum. This game will definitely be worth the $15 dollars spent and could very well be the hinge on which the Irish BCS situation turns. Can the Fighting Irish go into Colorado Springs and lay down the law?
John Imre
ND Irish Fans.com
Nov 8, 2006
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame visit the Air Force Academy Falcons Saturday November 11, 2006 in Colorado Springs, CO. The game will be televised on CSTV at 2:00 PM. The Falcons look to better their 4-4 record by defeating a Top 10 team, while the Fighting Irish look to continue their winning streak for a BCS bowl game.
Notre Dame allows an average of 22 points per game, while the Air Force allows 21. However, the Irish post an average of 32 points whereas the Falcons just a low 24 points. The offsetting statistic really comes in the way of offensive yards. The Falcons gain an average of 267 yards/game and allow half back to the opponent; 132 yards/game. The Irish only pick up 107 yards/game and allow 126. The clear comparison team in the Irish schedule is the other Academy, the Navy. The Navy racked up a nasty 271 yards on the ground and this is where the Air Force plans to focus their attention. The Air Force boasts a measly 67 passing yards/game and allows nearly 3 times as many to their opponents; 191 yards/game. The imbalance is obvious as the Irish are a far better passing team, while the Falcons are a more focused rushing team. How does this affect the outcome of this weekend's game?
As already stated, the comparison team will be the Navy. Giving up 271 yards of rushing is a deep concern for the Irish. While it's true that play after play was a running play, it seemed as if the Navy was cutting through butter with a hot knife. The problem was stopping the run, but even worse, stopping the runner. Yards after contact should be the main focus of Irish defensive plans. How does the Irish fare against the Falcon offense and how does their result of the Navy game have an impact?
The Navy picked up 271 yards of rushing against the Irish, but the over looked fact is that the Navy average per game is 325 yards. This is something that should be noted. The Navy also stacks about 50 yards/game in passing, 3 yards more than the Irish allowed. The Irish also kept the Midshipmen from hogging the clock and split it near even, with just a few seconds advantage. While the Navy holds the clock to their possession an average of 5 minutes/game, the Air Force actually allows the opponents a near 5 minute advantage. This could be a deadly situation against a team that also host's an average 5 minutes/game, but can easily score in a matter of seconds.
The real question is not if Notre Dame can stop the rush and scoring of the Air Force, rather, it's a matter of whether the Air Force can continue to rush the ball without slowing down. Below is a chart collected from http://www.und.com:
Notice that the Navy drove down field the first 3 drives and missed 1 FG, but collected 2 touchdowns. Notre Dame was able to stop the Navy from reaching the red-zone 6 times thereafter. Running the ball downfield in the option can be a task tougher than initially thought. Run blocking by the line and offensive backs continually on the run prove to be just as tiring as trying to defend such plays. Size and athleticism come into the picture here. A one-dimensional game like this will not pick up the needed points to stay toe-to-toe with a team like the Irish. After all, a drive taking 5 to 7 minutes will almost assuredly be offset by an Irish drive taking just a couple minutes, leaving your team with only seconds left at the end of the game to play "catch-up." This creates a situation where moving the ball downfield in a timely fashion is only attainable by passing. With 62 yards/game passing, disaster becomes a very likely result.
In October, the Falcons faced the Midshipmen. When viewing the statistics and final score of the game, the conclusion is almost predictable. However, the Air Force running game was effective and a passing game complimented. The Navy kept the running game and abandoned the passing game. A strategy that was very effective for both teams. This strategy will not be effective against the Irish this game. The Falcons, while successful in passing, only posted 119 yards against the Midshipmen, while the Irish put up nearly 300 yards in the air with a compliment of 176 on the ground. Once again, if the Air Force is to stay in the game, they must score on every drive.
Altitude is always a factor when near-sea level teams visit Denver and its surrounding cities. Could this factor play into the Air Force advantage in the running game and spell ruin for the Irish? Sure, if this game were some high school or prison league event. The teams are made of athletes. Sure you're going to get winded a bit, but you work out and practice to overcome obstacles.
Weight and height are another factor. It's a well known fact that the services have weight and height restrictions. The typical player from an academy is quite a bit smaller, but no less athletic. The Falcons will have some work cut out for them in this game, but it is no different than playing against any other team, other than another academy.
One huge factor in this game is balance of talent. With Brady Quinn as the quarterback, the Irish have an extremely heavy advantage. Add in 4 to 5 potential receivers who rack up nasty yards and you've got a bad situation.
In the end, the Falcons must have a perfect game and hold the ball with no turnovers to stay competitive. They must find a way to stop the aerial assault without sacrificing yards on the ground as well. The Irish will need to keep up the balanced offensive attack and knock the Air Force into 3 and out situations. Tackles on the run will need to be decisive and straight to the point; yards after contact must be kept to an absolute minimum. This game will definitely be worth the $15 dollars spent and could very well be the hinge on which the Irish BCS situation turns. Can the Fighting Irish go into Colorado Springs and lay down the law?
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Air Force Motiviation or Irish Bulletin Board Material?
Air Force Motiviation or Irish Bulletin Board Material?
Air Force Motiviation or Irish Bulletin Board Material?
I'll take the bulletin board material for $200, Alex.
Óglaigh_na_hÉireann
New member
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I don't know, that seems like a pretty neutral comment to me.
J
jerseyborn1971
Guest
Hate to admit it, but the guy is right. They are going to pull out all the stops and ND has show that they can't stop trick plays. Unfortunately for them, one of the things ND does best is make adjustments as the game goes on.
AlbuquerqueIrishFan
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He did say some racist comments regarding TCU, I believe. Forgot about that!
nayers
www.digitaldynamics.org
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yeah, it seems like he has a bad habbit of opening his mouth and saying the wrong thing.
Master Guns
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Is there any other kind of game Coach Fisher?
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Irish know Falcons are no easy task
Irish know Falcons are no easy task
For a quick refresher on defending the option they'll see Saturday at Air Force, the ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish could look back on their thumping of Navy two weeks ago.
Comment
Link To Original Article
Irish know Falcons are no easy task
For a quick refresher on defending the option they'll see Saturday at Air Force, the ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish could look back on their thumping of Navy two weeks ago.
Comment
Link To Original Article
irishfan
Irish Hoops Mod
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And unfortunately one of the things that we do worst is defend a trick play.
onenybrother
The Giver of Articles
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We gonna rip Air Force. This is gonna be a laugher.
WinOverAll08
I am a big ****in tool
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Corso.....
Corso.....
Corso deems the Irish game tomorrow to be "intriguing" because he thinks Air Force has a chance at winning. His main reason for Air Force's chances: weather. Mr. Corso believes the Irish will be playing in "bad" weather. Well, according to weather.com, Colorado Springs is supposed to be about 52 degrees and sunny. Man, I would hate to play in the sun.......
Corso.....
Corso deems the Irish game tomorrow to be "intriguing" because he thinks Air Force has a chance at winning. His main reason for Air Force's chances: weather. Mr. Corso believes the Irish will be playing in "bad" weather. Well, according to weather.com, Colorado Springs is supposed to be about 52 degrees and sunny. Man, I would hate to play in the sun.......
J
jerseyborn1971
Guest
Man, I hope you're right. I'd love for this thing to be over after the 1st quarter. I'm developing an ulcer watching some of these games.
NDgettysburg
Hockey Forum Moderator
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nor is it ever cold, windy or snowy
J
jerseyborn1971
Guest
Hey, it's ND. If there is no real interesting storyline, they'll make up something ridiculous anyway.
A
aNOTREDAMEfan
Guest
I have to disagree that this game is going to be "a laugher". As with so many other teams that play the Irish, Air Force will give us their best game. I expect it to be a close, hard fought, smash mouth football game. Don't be surprised if it's as close as 7 points or fewer.
I
IrishCPA
Guest
It is pouring in South Bend right now so they probably will have better weather to play in out there.
Clausen2Kamara
Tenuta Time!!!
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Air Force scares me.
Air Force scares me.
I think this is gonna be a much tougher game than most people think. They can run the option and pass. Yeah they don't pass too well but they can at least complete a pass to keep Zibby honest. Their QB has over 500 yards passing so we can't just key on the run like we did against Navy. When Navy did pass they had guys wide open but luckily they did not have a QB to get them the ball. Now, Carney isn't Brady Quinn but he can still keep our safties honest. This is going to be an interesting test on our D. Yes they are 4-4 blah blah blah, but they took Tennesee to the wire and do you know why? Cuz they were amped to play against a highly rated team just like they will be against us. Now, I think we will win but if we come out flat, we might be in serious trouble cuz our O is gonna have limited oppurtunites to score. We must force them into 3rd and longs that is key. It would also be nice for once for our OFFENSIVE LINE to have a great game. We should manhandle their d-line tomarrow. Notre Dame 28- Air Force- 17
Air Force scares me.
I think this is gonna be a much tougher game than most people think. They can run the option and pass. Yeah they don't pass too well but they can at least complete a pass to keep Zibby honest. Their QB has over 500 yards passing so we can't just key on the run like we did against Navy. When Navy did pass they had guys wide open but luckily they did not have a QB to get them the ball. Now, Carney isn't Brady Quinn but he can still keep our safties honest. This is going to be an interesting test on our D. Yes they are 4-4 blah blah blah, but they took Tennesee to the wire and do you know why? Cuz they were amped to play against a highly rated team just like they will be against us. Now, I think we will win but if we come out flat, we might be in serious trouble cuz our O is gonna have limited oppurtunites to score. We must force them into 3rd and longs that is key. It would also be nice for once for our OFFENSIVE LINE to have a great game. We should manhandle their d-line tomarrow. Notre Dame 28- Air Force- 17
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Hey, make sure you get things in the right forum. This belongs in the Irish football forum.
Clausen2Kamara
Tenuta Time!!!
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Can you switch it or I can just cut and paste it I guess
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Already did. Just take some time to figure out where everything is. That will also help you get a greater response. For instance, we've got a weekly game thread where a lot of discussion takes place. Plus, a Pick'em thread and Sports book thread where you can wager some of your bankroll, to.
LOVEMYIRISH
old timer
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It doesn't scare me, but I am not going to be over-confident. These boys have heart and toughness...they played Tennessee to the wire. They are a tough team.
Dylan020,
The Birmingham Game Watch has been moved. Details in:
http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15212
The Birmingham Game Watch has been moved. Details in:
http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15212