Al Golden

[IRISHMAN]

They're solid. The absence of sacks and takeaways keeps them from being elite. It's a problem.

and that problem is being compounded by handing out offers to a bunch of 3-star DL recruits.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I don't think Kyle McCord is very good. Allowing 17 points should've been enough to win that game. He made some big throws in key moments but overall was bad.

Golden isn't using a lot of players. That has to change as they get deeper into the season.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

and that problem is being compounded by handing out offers to a bunch of 3-star DL recruits.

Alternatively any 3 star recruit early in the cycle may or may not be a 3 star recruit by the time all is said and done. That can change quickly as we have seen time and time again. You rarely see a 3 star recruit drop in the rankings much (at least what I can remember on the ND side of things) but seeing them rise to some degree is not uncommon.

 

[stlnd01]

I don't think Kyle McCord is very good. Allowing 17 points should've been enough to win that game. He made some big throws in key moments but overall was bad.

Golden isn't using a lot of players. That has to change as they get deeper into the season.

Well, he used a lot against Tenn. State and Central Michigan.
I kind of got the tight rotation against Ohio State. You roll with your best 11. But yeah, DLs playing every snap is not sustainable, and the young LBs need experience. I suspect we'll see subbing at both those levels the next two weeks. We kind of have to.

 

[Rizzophil]

I don't think Kyle McCord is very good. Allowing 17 points should've been enough to win that game. He made some big throws in key moments but overall was bad.

Golden isn't using a lot of players. That has to change as they get deeper into the season.

He was up and down. But McCord threw some bullets on Saturday night too that were right on the money.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Well, he used a lot against Tenn. State and Central Michigan.
I kind of got the tight rotation against Ohio State. You roll with your best 11. But yeah, DLs playing every snap is not sustainable, and the young LBs need experience. I suspect we'll see subbing at both those levels the next two weeks. We kind of have to.

Yeah, and nobody cares.

The more guys he trusts in the big games, the better for him and for the program at large.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Jamie's write-ups are always great.

In ten years, I'll still be harping on the what-ifs within this game. ND feels cursed. If you can list a dozen 50/50 occurrences in that game, you'd expect at least some to go ND's way. None did. The problem, is it's not just this game. Lack of takeaways have been a commonality over the last two years. I'm not quite sure I understand why ND isn't recovering SOME of these fumbles or catching SOME of these potential INTs. Makes no sense to me. 5 throws from McCord that should've been picked. 5?!?! And ND got ZERO.

Not if they bounce back and start consistently winning these games.
It’ll haunt you if this is the high point of the Freeman era like Bush Push was for Charlie.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

He was up and down. But McCord threw some bullets on Saturday night too that were right on the money.

He definitely threw darts on some clutch plays and he had the right receivers to make that work. I can’t say I liked it much…….

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Not if they bounce back and start consistently winning these games.
It’ll haunt you if this is the high point of the Freeman era like Bush Push was for Charlie.

Time will tell. Step one is take care of Duke.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Not if they bounce back and start consistently winning these games.
It’ll haunt you if this is the high point of the Freeman era like Bush Push was for Charlie.

I'll beat your ass for trying to speak this scenario into existence.

But on a serious note - the talent level (starters and bench) between that Charlie team and this Freeman team are night and day different. The Love, Flores, Greathouse drive alone give me so much hope.

 

[NDFAN2008]

I'd bring in the DC from Minnesota or call up Ed Oregeron

 

[Katzenboyer]

I'd bring in the DC from Minnesota or call up Ed Oregeron

Yes to Rossi. No way in hell on Coach O.

 

[IrishLax]

It’s crazy how different the narrative would be if DJ Brown just catches that INT. Everyone would talk about Golden being a genius.

 

[PutuporShutup]

It’s crazy how different the narrative would be if DJ Brown just catches that INT. Everyone would talk about Golden being a genius.

But he didn't, then al golden and staff and defensive team went full moron the last 3 plays. There's no reason for them to go full moron pick or not. You are always remembered by what you did last. He absolutely stunk it up last few plays he called, managed, and led. Something was exposed that should have never been there.

Great thing about sports is you now have a bounce back opportunity against a good opponent.

 

[Wild Bill]

Yeah, it's a tough call. He definitely had a good game plan against them both years but we had awful breakdowns/bed shitting in both games as well. The offensive gameplan in both games really helped him out too. OSU only had 8 drives. They scored on three and Day's playcalling killed the fourth. So they stopped them four times. I don't really know what to make of it.

 

[NDohio]

I'd bring in the DC from Minnesota or call up Ed Oregeron

Do you mean this guy?

The Ugly, The Ugly & The Ugly - Northwestern

Another humiliating loss to add to Gopher lore

www.thedailygopher.com

​

The Ugly​

Let's start with the nuclear meltdown on defense.

Northwestern came into the game averaging 19.7 points per game. They scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone. The Wildcats had previously scored 21 points combined in their two previous games against Power 5 opponents this season.

Northwestern came into the game averaging 186.3 passing yards per game. Quarterback Ben Bryant was 33-of-49 for 396 passing yards with four touchdowns, including the game-winner.

The Gopher defense allowed nine pass plays of 15+ yards. Cornerback Justin Walley bit on a hitch-and-go before halftime, allowing Wildcat wide receiver Bryce Kirtz to beat him for an 80-yard touchdown. Kirtz finished the game with 10 receptions for 215 receiving yards.

Perhaps the most egregious drive of the game was the three-play, 69-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter to cut Minnesota's lead to 31-24. Three pass plays, all to Kirtz, in the span of 40 seconds of game clock. They averaged 23 passing yards per play on that drive.

This is the worst Joe Rossi defense since 2020.

But make no mistake, this was a team loss. Every unit contributed.

Before the Wildcats' final drive of regulation, the Gophers punted from the Northwestern 37-yard line. Quentin Redding had the opportunity to pin them at their own one-yard line, but instead stood in the end zone and fielded the punt for a touchback, gifting the Wildcats 25 yards of field position. Never in my life have I seen a more bone-headed special teams blunder.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Part of it was scheme and execution. Part of it is that McCord is a significant drop off from their last handful of QBs.

Either way, it's positive and I'll take the accolades given to the players.

 

[Katzenboyer]

Stop Rate: Who has the nation's best defense through four weeks of 2023?

Stop rate is the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. Who's off to a stingy start in 2023?

theathletic.com

ND 32nd in stop rate. For comparison, Duke is 2, OSU is 5.

Simply not good enough. Golden's overall game plans, while vanilla, work until they don't. When we absolutely NEED a stop, he doesn't get it. See, e.g., OSU this past weekend, OSU's fourth quarter drive last year, Marshall in 2022 with a 94-yard scoring drive in the fourth, Stanford fourth quarter drive last year to kick the game-winning FG, USC converting 75% of its third down attempts last year. Hell, I can even throw in NC State this year; ND takes a commanding 24-10 third quarter lead, and the defense gives it right back, allowing NC State to go 75 yards to bring it right back to a seven-point. game.

This guy cannot be the coordinator if ND has playoff aspirations.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Heacock and Iowa State right below ND.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Stop Rate: Who has the nation's best defense through four weeks of 2023?

Stop rate is the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. Who's off to a stingy start in 2023?

theathletic.com

ND 32nd in stop rate. For comparison, Duke is 2, OSU is 5.

Simply not good enough. Golden's overall game plans, while vanilla, work until they don't. When we absolutely NEED a stop, he doesn't get it. See, e.g., OSU this past weekend, OSU's fourth quarter drive last year, Marshall in 2022 with a 94-yard scoring drive in the fourth, Stanford fourth quarter drive last year to kick the game-winning FG, USC converting 75% of its third down attempts last year. Hell, I can even throw in NC State this year; ND takes a commanding 24-10 third quarter lead, and the defense gives it right back, allowing NC State to go 75 yards to bring it right back to a seven-point. game.

This guy cannot be the coordinator if ND has playoff aspirations.

Agree, just think about last year ND was the worst red zone defense in college football. Let that sink in.

As teams become more aggressive goldens defenses become more conservative and soft giving up points when we can put teams away.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

 

[NDMatt91]

If they don't promote Mickens, whoever the DC is next year needs to be a good recruiter or at least be relentless with their effort.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Any idea why our nickel back is being coached to give up the inside and takeaway the outside while we blitz both linebackers leaving the middle open and an easy pass? It's such a harder pass going outside. Almost all of our completions against harper and one against lewis was crossing over the middle.

 

[SoIll]

He's done a solid job, but I think people including myself don't hype him up more is because he literally doesn't recruit.. like at all..

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Yes to Rossi. No way in hell on Coach O.

And go get Larry Black to coach up the DLine. They were monsters IIRC when he was GA here. He is at Vandy.... with ole friend CLea

 

[Katzenboyer]

He's done a solid job, but I think people including myself don't hype him up more is because he literally doesn't recruit.. like at all..

There's that. There's also the fact that we're ranked in the 100s in missed tackles, that we give up points in must-have moments, and that our red zone defense was absolutely atrocious last year.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Any idea why our nickel back is being coached to give up the inside and takeaway the outside while we blitz both linebackers leaving the middle open and an easy pass? It's such a harder pass going outside. Almost all of our completions against harper and one against lewis was crossing over the middle.

I need to go back and look but it seemed they targeted Harper heavily on that winning drive.

Once they got to the 1 YL, it was gonna be a Herculean task to keep them out of the EZ. So as inexcusable as the last two plays were personnel-wise, the 3rd & 19 cannot happen. MF said they want to play aggressive but that was the inverse of aggressive. It’s like their only goal was to keep them out of the EZ.

ND had what, 7 guys in coverage on that fateful conversion? Not one single guy could make a play?! That’s w/o addressing the other 3rd & long conversion & then the 4th & 7 conversion prior to that.

other than the final drive, Golden call a great game. As I said, on that last drive I had flashbacks to Stanford 2015. Gut punch.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Rossi's Minnesota just lost to Northwestern on Saturday in rather epic fashion, even compared to ND's loss to Ohio State.

He's pretty far down that list for Stop Rate, too.

 

[mrmcgrail]

They were smart putting egbuka in the slot so much especially since we play so much cover 1 our outside guys are great harper isn't terrible but he can't cover him 1 on 1

 

[mrmcgrail]

And when we play zone we always give an inside release but our linebackers are bad in coverage so they aren't dropping and taking those lanes away