mooneytostle
Smooth Operator
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This excerpt is taken from Bert Berry's (honorary head coach) press conference after the Blue & Gold game regarding potential improvements in the off-season:
"I would say, from a defensive standpoint, that the one thing they need to do is get in shape. A lot of these guys, particularly the younger guys, were getting a little winded out there, and when you get winded that's when you find the mental breakdowns. A lot of times, that's just due to a lack of being in shape, so they just need to do a little extra running. They seem to have a lot of talent out on the field. It's exciting to see [Robert Blanton], and the offense looked good. There were some plays out there where they looked very solid at running back. The one place where I saw glaring need was in the endurance level, on the defensive front in particular. Those guys really need to take advantage of the summer program and get some extra running in. As long as they are in shape, they should be a pretty formidable group. They are going to be a shorter but faster group, so they're going to have to rely a lot on speed and scheme to make things happen. They can get it done. It's just a matter of them wanting to and whether or not they can perform on Saturdays."
The Notre Dame football team has been soft for several years under Weis now. The so-called nasty that Weis promised has never really come to light. I remember the first off-season before the 2005 season...the players made it very clear that they had never worked so hard conditioning their bodies in their lives and that they were in great shape for the season. Fast forward a few years and it appears that aggressive conditioning is no longer a concern of Weis and Mendoza. The whole team (with some exceptions) is soft. Strong, conditioned, nasty, and hard-nosed teams don't blow double-digit leads...those kinds of teams turn those games into blowouts. We don't have that kind of team. I don't get the impression that anything has changed in the strength and conditioning program.
I think this indictment by Berry is a rather troublesome realization. Last year they made it a priority for our lineman to put on weight...in some instances it looks like they have just gotten fat. I have preached this for a long time but I think Mendoza has to go and Weis needs to recommit to getting this team into the best shape of their lives. I think there are a few players that understand this and do have the nasty attitude and the proper endurance to finish games (i.e. McCarthy). On the whole, this team isn't going to be able to hang in the 4th quarter with teams like USC.
"I would say, from a defensive standpoint, that the one thing they need to do is get in shape. A lot of these guys, particularly the younger guys, were getting a little winded out there, and when you get winded that's when you find the mental breakdowns. A lot of times, that's just due to a lack of being in shape, so they just need to do a little extra running. They seem to have a lot of talent out on the field. It's exciting to see [Robert Blanton], and the offense looked good. There were some plays out there where they looked very solid at running back. The one place where I saw glaring need was in the endurance level, on the defensive front in particular. Those guys really need to take advantage of the summer program and get some extra running in. As long as they are in shape, they should be a pretty formidable group. They are going to be a shorter but faster group, so they're going to have to rely a lot on speed and scheme to make things happen. They can get it done. It's just a matter of them wanting to and whether or not they can perform on Saturdays."
The Notre Dame football team has been soft for several years under Weis now. The so-called nasty that Weis promised has never really come to light. I remember the first off-season before the 2005 season...the players made it very clear that they had never worked so hard conditioning their bodies in their lives and that they were in great shape for the season. Fast forward a few years and it appears that aggressive conditioning is no longer a concern of Weis and Mendoza. The whole team (with some exceptions) is soft. Strong, conditioned, nasty, and hard-nosed teams don't blow double-digit leads...those kinds of teams turn those games into blowouts. We don't have that kind of team. I don't get the impression that anything has changed in the strength and conditioning program.
I think this indictment by Berry is a rather troublesome realization. Last year they made it a priority for our lineman to put on weight...in some instances it looks like they have just gotten fat. I have preached this for a long time but I think Mendoza has to go and Weis needs to recommit to getting this team into the best shape of their lives. I think there are a few players that understand this and do have the nasty attitude and the proper endurance to finish games (i.e. McCarthy). On the whole, this team isn't going to be able to hang in the 4th quarter with teams like USC.
