2023 Fall Camp

[T-Boone]

Plays that could be described as fired up.
That Crawford forced fumble that saved the game v Michigan State.
Was that fired up or focused? What trait was that?
JOK numerous explosive tackles. I don’t think you can do those without fire in the belly.

 

[NDBoiler]

I think we’re seeing a stark contrast from the BK era. His teams were notorious for showing almost no emotion or swagger, bordering on appearing timid at times. It’s just refreshing to see the emotion and “fire” from this team after it lacking for so long. Football is an emotional sport, and you need some of that, but it also needs to be balanced with focus on doing your assignment. It was just such a one sided element for ND teams before. If MF can strike that balance, the sky is the limit for this team.

 

[IrishBoognish]

Fired up is the most overrated thing in sports.
It lasts for about a minute & then you have to calm down or else you gas.
Nick Saban is notorious for telling his players to calm down & think.
Being prepared & confident always destroys fired up.

Ehhh... Ya. In a vacuum you're right.

When you're loaded with jacked up 5* kids from top to bottom, you probably need to coach them to dial it back a notch and be more cerebral.

If ND ever wants to get to the next level again, our already cerebral kids need to get jacked up and play beyond what they think is their ceiling.

Not saying they need to be fired out of a cannon when they play the first 3 games necessarily, but they need this initial taste of what it means to let it all out.

ND doesn't have the luxury of just treating every game the same and executing. We need a little more then that. I applaud this shit. I don't think I've seen it since Lou.

 

[WilliamWallace]

Plays that could be described as fired up.
That Crawford forced fumble that saved the game v Michigan State.
Was that fired up or focused? What trait was that?
JOK numerous explosive tackles. I don’t think you can do those without fire in the belly.

Honestly it’s a combination imo. You have to play smart, if not you’ll get exposed by better players. But you also have to play with intensity. Intimidation is a killer, if you’re just going through the motions you’ll be taken advantage of.

 

[WilliamWallace]

I think we’re seeing a stark contrast from the BK era. His teams were notorious for showing almost no emotion or swagger, bordering on appearing timid at times. It’s just refreshing to see the emotion and “fire” from this team after it lacking for so long. Football is an emotional sport, and you need some of that, but it also needs to be balanced with focus on doing your assignment.

Absolutely

 

[WilliamWallace]

I always envision the 2012 national championship game in the tunnel before kickoff. They were a well coached, disciplined Saban team. There was fire but it wasn’t from the right side. I truly feel that set the tone for the game. We all know the rest of the story, but it’s like we made it. Then that was it

 

[Reaper97]

Plays that could be described as fired up.
That Crawford forced fumble that saved the game v Michigan State.
Was that fired up or focused? What trait was that?
JOK numerous explosive tackles. I don’t think you can do those without fire in the belly.

The Crawford forced fumble was in the 1st Q of a game ND led and proceeded to destroy MSU 38-18. That didn’t save the game. And that was focused because Crawford had a talent for forcing turnovers.
JOK was genetics. He is a physical freak. You can’t get fired up enough to match genetic freaks.

 

[Blazers46]

I remember my senior year we were in the state semis. We were FIRED UP. Hooting hollering pregame. They proceeded to kick our ass 34-7 because they were better!

Hooting and hollering? I’m guessing you played high school ball in the 70s. Lol, jk.

 

[WilliamWallace]

Instant Analysis: What You Should Know About The Irish After Saturday’s Practice

Tim Prister, Tim O’Malley, and John Brice breakdown the Notre Dame offense and defense after Saturday morning’s practice and give their impressions of the quarterbacks that met with the media following practice.

247sports.com

 

[WilliamWallace]

Good snippets in there, seems to be more enthusiasm than usual.

 

[Irish#1]

Another Rico sighting... although terrible coverage

Is he our next Hamilton but on O?

 

[IrishBoognish]

Good snippets in there, seems to be more enthusiasm than usual.

They were real bummers when talking about the DL yesterday on the pod. Their tune seems to have changed a bit.

 

[Irish#1]

Kelly used a more business like approach. Don’t get too high or too low, just do your job better than the other guys do theirs.

I do like the enthusiasm displayed, but it has to be dished out in doses so you don’t peak too early IMO.

 

[T-Boone]

The Crawford forced fumble was in the 1st Q of a game ND led and proceeded to destroy MSU 38-18. That didn’t save the game. And that was focused because Crawford had a talent for forcing turnovers.
JOK was genetics. He is a physical freak. You can’t get fired up enough to match genetic freaks.

Oh. My memory of when the Crawford play was is all mixed up.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I don't think this is simply about getting "fired up".

This is about Marcus delivering to his guys the importance of competition and laying down the standard in as clear cut and frank a way as possible.

This is the standard. Today, there's gonna be winners and losers. Those who win have met the standard, those who lose, you didn't and you have to mull that over until the next rep.

Marcus clearly puts a TON of emphasis on having competitive practices and dolling out wins and losses during practice. It's a tool to help get and keep guys engaged. If you've recruited the right guys, they want to win and demand everybody puts forth the effort to win.

Based on what little we saw and heard, it showed. Guys were clearly wanting to compete and win throughout. It can get monotonous once you're a little over a week into camp, so Freeman knew it was time to really hammer home the expectations.

 

[IrishBoognish]

I don't think this is simply about getting "fired up".

This is about Marcus delivering to his guys the importance of competition and laying down the standard in as clear cut and frank a way as possible.

This is the standard. Today, there's gonna be winners and losers. Those who win have met the standard, those who lose, you didn't and you have to mull that over until the next rep.

Marcus clearly puts a TON of emphasis on having competitive practices and dolling out wins and losses during practice. It's a tool to help get and keep guys engaged. If you've recruited the right guys, they want to win and demand everybody puts forth the effort to win.

Based on what little we saw and heard, it showed. Guys were clearly wanting to compete and win throughout. It can get monotonous once you're a little over a week into camp, so Freeman knew it was time to really hammer home the expectations.

I tried to say that but I'm not as eloquent.

ND needs more than what the player on their teams *thinks* are their ceilings. That takes way more rah rah than whiteboard to get out sometimes.

We can always be a 9 or 10 win team with maybe a chance sometimes of being good enough to get our ass kicked by one of the usual suspects in a huge game.

It takes a real personality (culture) to push it to the point of winning one of those.
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Edit: BK was really really good at getting ND to play to expectations. BUT! Those expectations were to beat everyone you *should* beat. The inverse of that is we never expected them to beat someone they shouldn't.

"Take it personal if you're getting beat" is the perfect remedy for that. Fire them the fuck up.
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Edit2: I'm a little high, a little drunk, and posting during setbreak of Phish MSG. So... I think I'm right, but... you know.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Fired up is the most overrated thing in sports.
It lasts for about a minute & then you have to calm down or else you gas.
Nick Saban is notorious for telling his players to calm down & think.
Being prepared & confident always destroys fired up.

Miami 2017 begs to differ. Now ND was also not prepared but that game was over before kickoff.

 

[Reaper97]

Miami 2017 begs to differ. Now ND was also not prepared but that game was over before kickoff.

If Wimbush hits ESQ on that bomb to start the game when he was wide open & Wimbush overthrew him, the fans sit down & shut up & it’s a completely different atmosphere.
You think that atmosphere worked against Clemson? Nope.
I remember many a Colts’ away games back in the Manning era with crowds being all fired up, then Manning calmly hitting Harrison, who is the lowest key HOFer ever, for a long TD & the place going silent & all that emotion is gone.

 

[Crazy Balki]

If Wimbush hits ESQ on that bomb to start the game when he was wide open & Wimbush overthrew him, the fans sit down & shut up & it’s a completely different atmosphere.
You think that atmosphere worked against Clemson? Nope.
I remember many a Colts’ away games back in the Manning era with crowds being all fired up, then Manning calmly hitting Harrison, who is the lowest key HOFer ever, for a long TD & the place going silent & all that emotion is gone.

We talking about Ge's Chicago store on 180 N Le Salle St?

Hopefully he gets a few nice bamboo shirts out of it.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Miami 2017 begs to differ. Now ND was also not prepared but that game was over before kickoff.

Nah, to start the game we marched right down the field and missed an easy td… then folded

 

[IrishBoognish]

Nah, to start the game we marched right down the field and missed an easy td… then folded

So... you think that means we need a more "business like approach" or... are you saying something else?

Miami out energy'd us. They were by no means better. They just won the want to. They out G'd us.

 

[Reaper97]

So... you think that means we need a more "business like approach" or... are you saying something else?

Miami out energy'd us. They were by no means better. They just won the want to. They out G'd us.

Wimbush just couldn’t hit open dudes running around.
How about the 35 or so away games where crowds were fired up & players pumped, like VT twice, that ND punked? Remember those idiots at Northwestern? Or Pitt? Or MSU? BC? All crowds that hate ND & we were their Super Bowl. And we smacked them in the mouth.

 

[PutuporShutup]

So... you think that means we need a more "business like approach" or... are you saying something else?

Miami out energy'd us. They were by no means better. They just won the want to. They out G'd us.

Your need to be more focused and prepared for the environment you’re playing in… crowd, weather, travel, etc.

They played harder than nd and wanted it more… same thing with Marshall and cal last year… it’s having the players in a constant attack mode

 

[KPENN]

Wimbush just couldn’t hit open dudes running around.
How about the 35 or so away games where crowds were fired up & players pumped, like VT twice, that ND punked? Remember those idiots at Northwestern? Or Pitt? Or MSU? BC? All crowds that hate ND & we were their Super Bowl. And we smacked them in the mouth.

Mentioning those wins makes me feel so much better about ND getting boat raced by Miami and Michigan.

 

[Reaper97]

Mentioning those wins makes me feel so much better about ND getting boat raced by Miami and Michigan.

That’s a you problem then.

I will take multiple CFP’s over multiple bad games.

 

[IrishLion]

I get where Reaper is coming from. Fire up doesn’t make or break a program. Just go take care of business like a bunch of badasses that are accustomed to kicking ass, and that’s more demoralizing for an opponent than getting beat by a bunch of dudes acting like they’re in a Super Bowl.

….

HAVING SAID THAT: BK could have played on ND’s mystique and tradition a bit more, and that lends naturally to getting the troops jacked up and ready to go at the right times. It’s another tool in the bag to use when necessary, but not one BK had. He would probably tell you he doesn’t need it (and who could argue?)… but I think it’s one ANY coach at ND should use.

If you aren’t willing to go SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER in a pregame speech before taking the field in certain situations to get your guys foaming at the mouth, you aren’t fully understanding Notre Dame’s lifeblood, imo.

Idk if MFMF ends up being close to the HC that BK is… but I know that he already has a deeper connection to what it means to coach at ND, and I know he’s going to use that to his advantage when his guys need a little extra juice.

 

[indianamouse]

That’s a you problem then.

I will take multiple CFP’s over multiple bad games.

CFP’s where we got absolutely manhandled with this supposed “great “ coach of ours

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

If Wimbush hits ESQ on that bomb to start the game when he was wide open & Wimbush overthrew him, the fans sit down & shut up & it’s a completely different atmosphere.
You think that atmosphere worked against Clemson? Nope.
I remember many a Colts’ away games back in the Manning era with crowds being all fired up, then Manning calmly hitting Harrison, who is the lowest key HOFer ever, for a long TD & the place going silent & all that emotion is gone.

It may have appeared that way on TV, I assure it was not the case in person. We spent a pretty good chunk of change to go to that game very confident we would bully a top 10 team and make a statement. Then we got to our seats pregame and the energy in the stadium and coming from the Miami sideline was palpable. Before the game even kicked off I remember saying to my wife “this isnt good”.
Its one of the reasons every year we discuss on this board how Notre Dame is everybody’s national championship game. Execution is vital, but it’s naive to think emotion and energy aren’t huge factors. Marvin Harrison was incredible and may score a TD and individually contribute to his teams victory, but Ray Lewis got more out of every player around him.

 

[Bluto]

So... you think that means we need a more "business like approach" or... are you saying something else?

Miami out energy'd us. They were by no means better. They just won the want to. They out G'd us.

Terrible QB play is what caused that game to get out of hand. Wimbush sucked at throwing the ball and the read option. Then Book comes and immediately throws a pick six. Not much else to it really. In fact, sub par QB performance is arguably the biggest legacy of Kelly’s time at ND.

 

[indianamouse]

Terrible QB play is what caused that game to get out of hand. Wimbush sucked at throwing the ball and the read option. Then Book comes and immediately throws a pick six. Not much else to it really. In fact, sub par QB performance is arguably the biggest legacy of Kelly’s time at ND.

QB whisperer