In All Four Losses

[Irish Insanity]

The players get graded out after every game I believe. I'd like to see the coaches graded as well....

 

[wizards8507]

Everyone complaining can blow it out there ass.... most of the game we were playing 5 true freshman on D. Trumbetti, Hayes, Matuska, Morgan, Tranquill.

What the hell do you expect from them? we lost two key starters before the season even started Williams, Russell. Somehow, someway, they managed to piece together a solid defense. as the season has dragged on we have lost other critical starters in Schmidt, Day, Cage, now Jones.

I mean really.... What the hell do you expect from a defense that is primarily composed of underclassmen???

You make it sound like somebody FORCED Kelly to play nothing but freshmen. People keep talking about "the hand we're dealt," but Kelly is the dealer! Yes, we had injuries. Why weren't we prepared to handle them? Why is our talent so thin that freshmen are the only option?

 

[BleedBlueGold]

3 points for the XP returned the other way, two missed field goals, and then net 4 points by NW not needing a TD on last drive for victory condition on account of Kelly forgoing the XP because he thought the unit would fail.

3+3+3+4=2 TDs would be needed to overcome the points lost to kicking. Even if you don't believe in "win condition" statistics and just look at straight points it's 3+3+3+1(not going for the XP)+1(Northwestern getting the extra point to put them in range to tie instead of what they would've done down 12 in that situation) which is 11 points and two scores (although you could get away covering that with only one being a TD + conversion).

I'm not completely following the math. I did forget the run-back, which is a net -3 for ND. Two missed FGs (-6). And then a failed two-pt conversion. The sheet said go for one. Statistically they would've made it. So I count that as (-1). For a total of (-10). Still two scores so we're basically arguing semantics at this point. I think we agree that place-kicking is extremely important as we're pointing out that those points add up.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

You make it sound like somebody FORCED Kelly to play nothing but freshmen. People keep talking about "the hand we're dealt," but Kelly is the dealer! Yes, we had injuries. Why weren't we prepared to handle them? Why is our talent so thin that freshmen are the only option?

This is a great argument and while trying to find an answer for that this morning, all I can come up with is poor recruiting (roster mgmt) and bad luck w/ injuries, transfers, etc. Look at the roster. They are extremely young at LB and DL. When the starters get hurt, they have to turn to a Soph or Fresh. With LBs, the true freshmen are better than the sophomores (Deep, Randolph, etc)...so that's why they play. As far as Tranquil over Redfield/Shumate... I'm struggling to find an answer for other than arrogance. Unless both of them did something that the media doesn't know about (definitely possible) then there is no reason they should've been benched for basically two games, when Drew and Austin are playing just as bad.

 

[RDU Irish]

Part of the depth issue is compounded by our inability to blow ANYBODY out. Yes you will get your WTF close calls but it shouldn't be every freaking week. Zero garbage time early in the season leads to underclassmen's first experience being after an injury ahead of them (and the game invariably on the line).

Then you have starters putting in more minutes/snaps than they should over a season because the game is ALWAYS on the line. BK said himself Koyack had 600 snaps vs 450 for most other teams (a number of games ago but the percentages still hold). Playing more snaps = more injuries for three reasons. 1) more chances, 2) playing tired, 3) playing hurt/no chance to heal up.

This is how our lack of defensive depth can quickly compound into a massive total system failure.

 

[IRISH in MT]

I agree with this thread. Captains should be the best players on the field regardless of age. There we were, down 3 with 6 minutes to go against ASU and the defense which had been throwing a 2nd half shut out, just lets ASU march down the field in 4 plays for a TD to make the lead 10 again. 1 stop was all we needed and there wasn't one even close. No Nix, Tuitt, or Teo to step up and make a play.

EG seems immature and is too coddled by BK. At Cinci, BK would yank a QB after an INT and put in his backup. Now he has to calmly talk to EG after his MULTIPLE turnovers and EG appears to not want to hear what he did wrong. Almost like BK is walking on egg shells so that EG doesn't get his feelers hurt...

 

[NDdomer2]

Sorry if its already been said as I haven't went through and read all 95 responses.

Aren't the lack of leadership issues something we all discussed at the beginning of the year.

Young Defense - Discussed at beginning of year
Lack of Leadership - Discussed at beginning of year
Lack of Depth - Discussed at beginning of year.

Kelly and Co. did a great job of limiting these issues from games early in the season but just couldnt be limited over the course of the whole season.

In football, you eventually end up who you are. Not to take a page out of Dennis Green's, "We are we who we thought we were." But we really are.

 

[Wingman Ray]

Yeah but like its the SEC bro. Lol. Ole Miss straight up sucks considering the talent they have. If ND had that d line they'd be sitting at 11-0.

ND has had a better recruiting class every year for the past 10 years over OLE MISS. So basically, ND cant develop and OM can.

That factor doesnt seen to change no matter who is ND's coach the last 10 years.

 

[Nick Setta]

ND has had a better recruiting class every year for the past 10 years over OLE MISS. So basically, ND cant develop and OM can.

That factor doesnt seen to change no matter who is ND's coach the last 10 years.

Wake me up when Ole Miss gets to a Big Bowl game.

 

[Bluto]

ND has had a better recruiting class every year for the past 10 years over OLE MISS. So basically, ND cant develop and OM can.

That factor doesnt seen to change no matter who is ND's coach the last 10 years.

Well then let me rephrase, ND would be sitting at 11-0 if Isaq didn't cheat, Tuitt didn't leave early, Springman didn't have a career ending injury, Hounshell didn't have a career ending injury, Carrico didn't have a career ending injury, Counsel didn't have what is lookingike a career ending injury, Lynch wasn't such a dummy, Day was healthy and Jones was healthy.

 

[pkt77242]

I agree with this thread. Captains should be the best players on the field regardless of age. There we were, down 3 with 6 minutes to go against ASU and the defense which had been throwing a 2nd half shut out, just lets ASU march down the field in 4 plays for a TD to make the lead 10 again. 1 stop was all we needed and there wasn't one even close. No Nix, Tuitt, or Teo to step up and make a play.

EG seems immature and is too coddled by BK. At Cinci, BK would yank a QB after an INT and put in his backup. Now he has to calmly talk to EG after his MULTIPLE turnovers and EG appears to not want to hear what he did wrong. Almost like BK is walking on egg shells so that EG doesn't get his feelers hurt...

Being a captain isn't about being the best player. I agree that they should probably be surefire starters but they should also be the leaders of the team, willing to call out players who aren't working hard enough, etc. If your best player isn't a leader then why make them a captain?

 

[pkt77242]

Sorry if its already been said as I haven't went through and read all 95 responses.

Aren't the lack of leadership issues something we all discussed at the beginning of the year.

Young Defense - Discussed at beginning of year
Lack of Leadership - Discussed at beginning of year
Lack of Depth - Discussed at beginning of year.

Kelly and Co. did a great job of limiting these issues from games early in the season but just couldnt be limited over the course of the whole season.

In football, you eventually end up who you are. Not to take a page out of Dennis Green's, "We are we who we thought we were." But we really are.

While they did help limit those issues during the beginning of the year part of it was helped by the fact that some of those teams turned out to be significantly worse then expected (Stanford, Michigan).

 

[irishff1014]

Part of the depth issue is compounded by our inability to blow ANYBODY out. Yes you will get your WTF close calls but it shouldn't be every freaking week. Zero garbage time early in the season leads to underclassmen's first experience being after an injury ahead of them (and the game invariably on the line).

Then you have starters putting in more minutes/snaps than they should over a season because the game is ALWAYS on the line. BK said himself Koyack had 600 snaps vs 450 for most other teams (a number of games ago but the percentages still hold). Playing more snaps = more injuries for three reasons. 1) more chances, 2) playing tired, 3) playing hurt/no chance to heal up.

This is how our lack of defensive depth can quickly compound into a massive total system failure.

He knows its a problem but hasn't done anything about it.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Being a captain isn't about being the best player. I agree that they should probably be surefire starters but they should also be the leaders of the team, willing to call out players who aren't working hard enough, etc. If your best player isn't a leader then why make them a captain?

Really your best players should be leaders, at least leading my example.

 

[Irish#1]

Well then let me rephrase, ND would be sitting at 11-0 if Isaq didn't cheat, Tuitt didn't leave early, Springman didn't have a career ending injury, Hounshell didn't have a career ending injury, Carrico didn't have a career ending injury, Counsel didn't have what is lookingike a career ending injury, Lynch wasn't such a dummy, Day was healthy and Jones was healthy.

Can we blame the injuries on Longo and his inability to condition these guys properly? Koonja? Koonja?

 

[IRISH in MT]

Being a captain isn't about being the best player. I agree that they should probably be surefire starters but they should also be the leaders of the team, willing to call out players who aren't working hard enough, etc. If your best player isn't a leader then why make them a captain?

Because ACTIONS/STATS speak louder than words. Who wants to listen to the Rah Rah from a career backup?! It is hard to respect someone trying to lead who doesn't have proven results. I want to be pumped up from someone who has proven their methods work.

 

[pkt77242]

Because ACTIONS/STATS speak louder than words. Who wants to listen to the Rah Rah from a career backup?! It is hard to respect someone trying to lead who doesn't have proven results. I want to be pumped up from someone who has proven their methods work.

Did you actually read what I posted, because based off your response you didn't. So how about you go back and read what I actually wrote and then respond.

 

[pkt77242]

Really your best players should be leaders, at least leading my example.

That isn't always true. Also it isn't just leading by example, it is getting in people's face when they aren't working hard enough on or off the field, it is being the emotional leader as well as leading by example.

 

[IrishBlood81]

Speaking of leaders, does any one else feel that Kizer is going to be a great guy for us? I just love his attitude. He's third string and you see him a lot on the sidelines...obviously cause he's a redhat, but also, he's always around Kelly and the other QB's listening in. In the Stanford win, he was the first on the field to celebrate, I haven't seen a back-up QB this passionate like ever.

Also that longest TD pass in high school history by Wimbush was extremely exciting!