Running up the score time!?

[Clotho]

Or do you think all the past ND legends just put up those 50s and 60s for the hell of it? They knew what it meant. When you're putting up those scores it helps you in other games. It really does. The other team is afraid of you, and before they know what happened, they're down 21-0. It happened with the chicago bears this year with the Bills and 49ers. Those teams had seen the previous scores the Bears had put up, and were so scared that they were down 28-0 before they had time to catch their breath. These bad teams believe they can hang with us. Not beat us, but at least compete. Because we don't destroy anybody. Maybe this will start happening when we have a competent defense.

 

[marv81s]

its classless to run up the score. plain and simple. Its one thing if the other team's D can't stop you, but another to intentially run it up on another team. It is another version of poor sportsmanship.

 

[Clotho]

So your contention is that Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, and Holtz are classless? And that therefore, as those men ARE Notre Dame football, ND football is classless?

Holtz regularly ran it up on service academies. Rockne was beating Dental Colleges by 70. If you think that's classless, fine, but then maybe you should root for a different university. Because Rockne and Holtz (and the other few dominant coaches) are ND football.

 

[kmoose]

So your contention is that Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, and Holtz are classless? And that therefore, as those men ARE Notre Dame football, ND football is classless?

Holtz regularly ran it up on service academies. Rockne was beating Dental Colleges by 70. If you think that's classless, fine, but then maybe you should root for a different university. Because Rockne and Holtz (and the other few dominant coaches) are ND football.

I don't think it's fair to say that Holtz ran the score up on anyone. Their offenses were just THAT good, in those days. I remember the '88 Purdue game: ND is up 35-0, in the first half. Lou brings in his THIRD team QB, Steve Belles. Belles procedes to hand the ball off about 8 or 9 times, and the score is 42-0. On the ensuing kickoff, as the Purdue KR brings the ball upfield, some unknown ND player comes flying into the wedge sideways, taking out 3 or 4 of the wedge guys. My buddy and I were watching the game, and both saw it happen. We watched the replay very carefully. The guy who broke up the wedge? Steve Belles: 3rd string quarterback, and absolutely fearless kickoff wedge breaker.

The point is: Lou had a lot of great talent sitting the bench as 2nd and 3rd stringers. Some of the scores may have gotten out of hand, but what is he supposed to do, tell the 2nd and 3rd string guys not to play hard?

 

[Clotho]

What is Weis doing? He runs Aldridge and Prince into the line play after play for the last two or three possessions of some of these games. That's essentially telling your team not to score. That Aldridge regularly gets 9 and 10 yards a pop on these plays is just testament to how good he is. Weis is essentially taking a knee.

Running up the score is just shorthand for "continuing to play football." That '96 team was not a great ND team. It was not stacked as some previous Holtz teams were. So why, already out of title contention, were they putting up consecutive 60 point games, including the 62-0 win over Rutgers? The backups weren't "just that good" that they couldn't fail to score, despite themselves. Holtz kept playing.

I'm going to guess the same goes for Knute and Ara and Leahy. Some of these scores are just, people here would apparently be VERY upset about these-

Leahy
55-13 vs Ga Tech
50-0 @ Wisconsin
47-0 vs Illinois
59-6 vs Tulane
46-0 vs Washington
49-6 vs Indiana

Parseghian
69-13 @ Pitt
64-0 vs Duke
51-0 @ USC
56-6 vs Iowa
51-28 @ Iowa
58-8 vs Illinois
56-7 vs Pitt
45-0 @ Army
47-0 vs Navy
51-10 vs Army
56-7 @ Navy
50-7 vs Northwestern
56-7 @ Pitt
62-3 @ Army
48-0 vs Army


And on and on. Note that Ara, one of the classiest, most respected coaches in history, had no problem regularly putting away the service academies by the scores his team SHOULD have beat them by- unlike Weis, who though I like him very much, seems to be very PC about not embarrassing the service academies on the field during war time. Ara had no problems putting 62 on Army, at West Point, during Vietnam.

Calling it a classless move is a modern invention. It's been the move of classy coaches since time out of mind. Your team should score as many as it can. That's why they play the game.

 

[Specnatz]

Actually the way I see running up the score is having your starter in there in the 4th quarter ala, the Gators of the late 90's and or the Houston Cougars of the 80's. If you score 100 points on a team while still passing in the fourth quarter and out score them by 60 you are running up the score and being a classes jerk.

Ok the Houston Cougars is a bad example, cause of coach Jenkins showing porn during team meetings.

 

[Clotho]

Why is it being classless to score as many points as you can? Is this pee wee football? These kids are all D1 athletes, going to school for free on football scholarship. These coaches are millionaires. If they can't stop another team, tough luck. Get the hell out of division 1.

 

[jiggafini19]

Clotho is right.

The guys on Boston College in 1992 and 1993 were all D1 football players going to school for free.

And I'll bet they recalled a certain fake punt with a 54-7 lead in 1992 for an entire calendar year.

The objective of a football game is to win the game, not score as many points as you can to humilate and intimidate someone. As a coach, If you're trying to prove a point by doing it, all you prove is that you're a complete c*ck.

 

[njuneardave]

I don't think that clotho's arguments hold any ground in this argument. Weis is already one of the most feared/respected coaches in the NCAA, but he hasn't had to score 50+ to prove it. He calls the dogs off early for two reasons: respect for the other team and keeping his starters healthy. Nothing wrong with that. If you want to score 50+ points, go buy a video game. And yeah, I'll be the first to say it: it WAS classless of Rockne, Ara, and Holtz to rub the dirt in the open wounds by running up the score. If anyone wants to cry foul on my comment, go ahead. I have no beef with how Weis runs this team -- when you win 4 superbowls, Clotho, you can second-guess Weis's decisions.

 

[Freeman Ara]

Wow, what is the point of this thread? We are arguing over whether we should run up the score? Look Weis isn't going to run up the score he hasn't yet and I don't see him starting to any time soon. And as far as Clotho's argument that it isn't classless to run up the score, I say as usual you haven't got half a clue what your talking about. The reason that most coaches run up the score(including Holtz, Parseghian, Leahy, Rockne) is because prior to the BCS it was almost mandatory to impress pollsters. Now with the MOV removed from the computer aspect of the equation it shouldn't be done(ok well if we could put up 50 on USC one time I'd be happy) no matter who you play. Any argument to the contrary is just assanine. Do we really want Weis and Notre Dame to be compared to Spurrier and Florida of the 90's? Now if we just have so much talent that we can't help but score thats another story, but we don't have that problem yet.

 

[UNTITLEDPROJECT]

Clotho who other than the opponent would be 'upset' if Weis runs the score up? I sure as hell wouldnt. What I am upset with, is idiots whom try to lobby against his actions. He stated what he was going to do, and for a reason. One thing that people love about Charlie is the way he speaks. He says what he means and he means what he says. He's followed through. He's made people fear Notre Dame regardless of blowing people out. Weis has put his teams EASILY in the top 25, yet you people are trying to make it seem like we arent getting enough respect.

I agree with his decision not only because it sounds right, but because our coach is 100% behind his word. When you look at a leader his character is sometimes most prominent. No it wouldnt make him less of a person if he chose to run up the score (although the opponents would scream it) but, since he stated what he was going to do, and lived by it - he gets my trust. He feels this is the best route for the team, and I guess thats good enough for me.

 

[UNTITLEDPROJECT]

Two different issues for one my friend, and for two it doesn't matter what any of us say on this site, Charlie is ultimately in control. I was just stating my opionion.

No, actually its the same. Both affect the team. Charlie made his decision. LIVE WITH IT.

 

[UNTITLEDPROJECT]

...in two seasons with an amazing offense and an all-world QB, is pretty pathetic.

Did you just call Weis pathetic? How is it pathetic? He chose not to do it. He had the will and showed mercy.

Svo, 'Dumbest Post Of The Month' should be awarded.

 

[marv81s]

Clotho just passed up HeyYa on my award for "Boner Of the Month".

Congrats to you!!

 

[Clotho]

Do we really want Weis and Notre Dame to be compared to Spurrier and Florida of the 90's?

Yes. They won a championship, and a Heisman. Weis and his players haven't done either yet. I'd certainly like to be compared to a championship team that didn't cheat on or off the field.

As for Jigga's ridiculous comment, give me a break. You think BC beat us because we blew them out the year before? That's almost too stupid to even argue against. ND failed to execute, and lost the game. Your post pretty much is saying, "You shouldn't blow people out because they might get REAL MAD! and beat you the next year." Real teams are fine with blowing people out and getting their best shot the next year, because they're confident in their ability to execute and overcome the other team's emotion. You? "Don't pour it on Air Force, they might take it to us next year!" Boy, that's manly.

 

[Clotho]

Also, I'd like to note that I'm being called an idiot by all you morons, but the guy who said that Knute Rockne was classless is not being argued with.

So, yea. You're all morons. According to the posters in this thread,

Charlie Weis=Class
Knute Rockne=Classless

Which is obviously the polar opposite of reality. You're all just unbelievably stupid.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

Yes. They won a championship, and a Heisman. Weis and his players haven't done either yet. I'd certainly like to be compared to a championship team that didn't cheat on or off the field.

As for Jigga's ridiculous comment, give me a break. You think BC beat us because we blew them out the year before? That's almost too stupid to even argue against. ND failed to execute, and lost the game. Your post pretty much is saying, "You shouldn't blow people out because they might get REAL MAD! and beat you the next year." Real teams are fine with blowing people out and getting their best shot the next year, because they're confident in their ability to execute and overcome the other team's emotion. You? "Don't pour it on Air Force, they might take it to us next year!" Boy, that's manly.

I'll have to agree with jigga to a certain extent on this one.
Those BC guys do remember the game the year before.As I recall BC was undeafeted as well and ranked in the top 10 and ND blew them out.Why do you think Tom Coughlin still has a picture of the field goal in his offfice.It wasn't just because they beat the #1 team it also had something to do with the year before.He himself has even said something to that extent before in interviews I've seen over the past.

 

[sonomairishfan]

So your contention is that Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, and Holtz are classless? And that therefore, as those men ARE Notre Dame football, ND football is classless?

Holtz regularly ran it up on service academies. Rockne was beating Dental Colleges by 70. If you think that's classless, fine, but then maybe you should root for a different university. Because Rockne and Holtz (and the other few dominant coaches) are ND football.

holtz didn't run the score up on people. marc edwards ran out of bounds against navy to avoid scoring his FIRST td at notre dame. who do you think put the order in not to score anymore??? holtz did.

nd did beat teams by a wide margin in that era because it would have been even worse to start taking a knee or inserting the 2nd team before half time.

maybe you should root for another university.

 

[tommy]

wow thats bad clotho your worse then an illini fan

 

[Vince Young]

Dudes, come on... 8 pages of this?

I have a better idea.

"This message is hidden because Clotho is on your ignore list."

 

[njuneardave]

Yes. They won a championship, and a Heisman. Weis and his players haven't done either yet. I'd certainly like to be compared to a championship team that didn't cheat on or off the field.

So you are flaming Weis because he hasn't won a NC or Heisman yet? He took our pitiful team from out of nowhere (remember the ESPN pundits saying we would lose 6 out of our first 7 last year) and put them right in the hunt for a NC. The Heisman is obviously a popularity contest -- otherwise, Quinn would be winning right now. Blowing out a team doesn't grant you either.... winning the games against quality competition is what defines a champion.

 

[Clotho]

Now it's flaming to say that there's no shame in being compared to Florida of the 90's?

Some of you really need to get a grip.

Let's review-

-It's flaming to point out that Weis has yet to win a title here, and his players have yet to win a single Heisman, and that Florida did both of these things in the 1990s, and that it thus isn't any bad thing to be compared to Florida of that era.

-Knute Rockne was classless. So was Ara Parseghian. So was Frank Leahy. So was Lou Holtz. Charlie Weis, though, is particularly classy. Because he doesn't run up the score.

-Lou Holtz was actually NOT running it up on people. His team beat Rutgers 62-0 at home despite itself, and Holtz's best efforts. Sometimes you just can't avoid beating a team 62-0.

-Boston College beat Notre Dame in 1993 because of Notre Dame blowing them out the year before. It had nothing to do with ND having a hangover from the FSU win, or BC being a good team in 93, or with BC simply executing in that game to the best of their ability while ND failed to. It was revenge! Nothing less. Just like this season, Rutgers wouldn't have beaten Louisville if not for Louisville running it up last year. It had NOTHING to do with the game being in Piscataway, Louisville drained after a huge win vs WVU, and Schiano making brilliant adjustments on D at halftime. No sir. It was revenge! Football is now a two-act play, and not a sport. You're right.

 

[Clotho]

Also, this "revenge!" business fails to consider Navy's 40+ game losing streak. How many times has Navy been absolutely obliterated in that contest? How many times has ND had relatively bad teams against Navy? So why hasn't the Naval Academy ever stopped and thought, "Wait! We've been getting blown out horribly every year! Revenge!" and beaten ND?

Because they haven't executed. Football isn't an opera. It's a sport of strategy and execution.