Well.........this may get me banned, i may become the most hated person here but....

[Rudy89]

this is catharsis I gotta write it. WHat do we do now??? We have everything good coach now what we still cant finish out a game to save our damn lives just like during the charlie days. Some say "we are competitive" we were last year too and we were lousy-medicore. Right now it looks as if we are gonna lose 7 games this year stanford, pitt, BC, USC, and Utah seem like for sure losses with potential upsets in between. I just dont know what to do, my optimism is totally gone from having a new coach and now I just think nothing can change i dunno like i said after losses they are bad and this is gonna get me flamed out the *** and perhaps banned and i dont care, i have no other people to say this to so i gotta say it here, might be my last post i dunno I think there is no changing we just cant get it done anymore i dunno this was just an awful awful AWFUL game

 

[tonyroberts4life]

I see no problem in venting......I feel your pain, but hang in their. It will come around, we just have to practice more patience i guess

 

[tankjeep]

it was awful from a defensive standpoint, but our offense was pretty darn good. plus we had one bogus penalty called toward the end of regulation and one no call on a delay of game.

i agree, this loss stings a whole lot, but there's still room for this team to improve and finish games out. the ball wasn't exactly bouncing our way today.

 

[Bopefoshizzle]

Practice more patience? How much more patient can we be?

 

[edgesofsanity]

Relax - there will be lots of time to dissect this game this week; and take comfort in the fact it required a trick play at the end of the game, AT LANSING, for MSU to pull it off.

 

[dre1919]

I think with all things one must take a measure of moderation. Sure, we are now 1-2 and sporting a large oh-fer against the state of Michigan as a whole. But, what does that really mean? With regards to Michigan, that game was merely an exercise in futility as it's apparent Michigan only has one good player, who happens to be faster than anyone else on the field. Big deal. With Michigan State, we ALWAYS get a down to the wire game with them no matter who's coaching.

Really, you have to admire the balls it took to call that fake field goal. Most coaches wouldn't. I think through three games there's only two things that concern me:

1. Our run defense is pretty average to bad. We contained MSU on the ground fairly well (except the long run). Against Michigan, they have a WR playing QB and apparently we aren't creative enough to say "Screw it, let's just have everyone fly to Robinson and let the chips fall where they may with every other Wolverine".

2. We are HOSED if Crist goes down. Period.

I love the new offense (wanted it for years). I love the tenacity and scheme on defense, now if we could just tackle a little bit better and come up with more game specific adjustments (like against Robinson) we would be much better. All in all, it is what it is...a transition year. We're bringing in and adjusting to a whole new offense, head coach, coaching staff and scheme. We're going to struggle now and then.

If anyone thought we were winning ten games and / or a national championship this season they were delusional to the point of needing to be medicated. We're going to go to a mid level bowl, probably win it (depending on the opponent) and then continue building through recruitment and the implementation of the new regime's schemes. Plain and simple, it's a process. Always has been, always will be. But, this time around, we actually have a head coach who isn't vastly overrated and overwhelmed (Willingham), or a coordinator who's never been a head coach before (Davie, Weis). Notre Dame is not on-the-job training for head coaches.

We'll be fine in the long run, stay the coarse and put on your long johns because it's gonna get colder before it gets warmer.

 

[Rudy89]

I dunno how you guys stay optimistic....I can honestly see us going 4-8 maybe even 3-9

 

[JughedJones]

good god.

Settle down.

We are three games in to a new system.

WHAT DO WE DO NOW??????? DURRRRRP!!!!!!!!

What we do is relax. Our guys are obviously fighting, we are seeing things from new players every week.

Go back and look at Lou's record his first year, go back...I dare ya.

What do we do?????????


FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! Never fu ck ing stop, that's what we do.

PERIOD.

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm not sure who I'm more sick of... "the skying is falling" crowd or the "ignore reality or you're not a real fan" crowd...

both annoy the **** out of me.

 

[GoingGreen]

I dunno how you guys stay optimistic....I can honestly see us going 4-8 maybe even 3-9

Western Michigan, Army, Tulsa, Navy.

We will not lose two of those games, there's no way we go 3-9. And with the way Navy's played so far this year, I don't see us losing that one again.

 

[tonyroberts4life]

I am gonna open a thread for the whiners, or quitters in some of the people posting on here. Give the team a chance to implement a new system. JC

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Sweet Tap Dancing Jesus....Is that really necessary? Let's not get all emo here and open threads just because you can, K??? Text me....

 

[aaronb]

I do agree with the terrible tackling. Too much carry over from the previous seasons. Too much head hunting, not enough wrapping up and being fundamental.

 

[IrishGiant]

I'm not sure who I'm more sick of... "the skying is falling" crowd or the "ignore reality or you're not a real fan" crowd...

both annoy the **** out of me.

Honestly is there any other type? Like the Coors Light Commercial we are what they say we are. At 1-2 that ain't too good.

 

[AU&NDfan]

Take it easy

Take it easy

Michigan fans were ready to fire their coach last year. Now R Rod looks like a genius. We have to keep our perspective on this. Coach K has a proven record. I agree with Holtz, we seemed 2 have every man covered on the fake FG, the guy fell down. I hate losing, moral victories & all that crap but we were winning very late in both losses. I think our coaches deserve more time 2 teach. With time we will win the close ones.

 

[tko]

these bitter losses are part of the plan. they will only enhance Kelly's coaching and the player's desire to be great. building blocks are being laid right now for greatness. this team will rise up. please trust the process boys.

 

[Lou Holtz]

It is his first season... all coaches who were good there first year sucked (Weis, Willingham). I believe Lou was 5-6 his first year, you cant think a program is gonna go from **** to glory in one year.

 

[DCirishfan]

It is his first season... all coaches who were good there first year sucked (Weis, Willingham). I believe Lou was 5-6 his first year, you cant think a program is gonna go from **** to glory in one year.

I think the reasonable way to look at things so far is that Kelly has been a moderate coach so far. He is installing a very new system with out his peeps but I don't feel that he has done a superb job either coaching thus far. Game planning has been just ok. Time will tell.

 

[NDOM]

Yeah we are the FIGHTING IRISH! We will FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT you all game but we wont win. LOL.

We need a new nickname.

Notre Dame Fighting you for 4 quarters but losing at the end irish!

 

[ThePiombino]

Notre Dame Fighting you for 4 quarters but losing at the end irish!

Lame to say the least. #FAIL on this putrid attempt at humor.

 

[NDFAMILYCT]

i don't think we ARE patient. I mean c'm 'on...this is the third game of a new coach and I can't believe the lack of faith in all these posts that we can improve later in the year.

 

[tankjeep]

i don't think we ARE patient. I mean c'm 'on...this is the third game of a new coach and I can't believe the lack of faith in all these posts that we can improve later in the year.

welcome to the party pal. teehee, i kid.

 

[INFIDEL STRONG]

This team is fun to watch, even on defense, they are slow but they bust there ***, and as a fan, thats all I can ask for.

Offense, its pretty damn good, but we need to take care of the ball, it will be much better next year with the system under them for a year..

I promised myself not to judge until next season. This season is one big learning exp, and there is much room to improve, im proud of these kids for the way they stay in the fight..

 

[Ancient Hunter]

I still believe in the team and in Kelly.

I'm just soooooooooooooo sad.

 

[NDOM]

Lame to say the least. #FAIL on this putrid attempt at humor.

not attempting humor. I'm simply stating FACT!!!! NEXT!

 

[Seanthornton]

Both games were far from blowouts. Our D is the problem. They will get better.
If we had gotten our A**'s kicked I could see all the doom and gloom but guys.......seriously ?? put the pacifier away !! I think we are a year away .




KEEP THE FAITH !!!

GO IRISH !!!

 

[AU&NDfan]

I've lived in Alabama, as a Auburn fan, all my 40years. I started pulling for ND about 15 years ago when I realized how much Bama fans hate ND. I'm also Irish so it seemed natural. Anyway, that being said, I know for a fact how Alabama fans were upset with Saban his first year. They lost a bunch of close games usually in the fourth quarter. I think when talent is 2 deep coaches are able to be human. When talent and experience in a new system is shallow, coaches must be near perfect or they lose close games. I know Kelley isn't Saban, but he should be given the same slack.

 

[wakeuptheechoes]

Many times we choose to see a more optimistic conclusion than what is realistic. Yes, we are impatient. Understandably so. What was Holtz's first year, second year. What was Saban's first year at LSU, then Alabama. Seldom, does a new coach have tremendous success his first year. Yes, we all want that. Who thought we would have no disappointments? Yes, both games we have lost, were ours to be had. If we had won them we would have been 3-0. From a standpoint of the bowls we would have been in better shape, but we would have actually been no better than we are now. We would be a 3-0 team that could have easily been 1-2. Do you think the program is better? I do, but improving the program does not instantly improve the team in the win's and losses category. Usually it does have a positive impact, but rarely is it instant, even with the best coaches.

 

[connor_in]

Practice more patience? How much more patient can we be?

Seriously...?!?!?!?!????

Game 3 under a new coach and new system and you turn into Glum from Gulliver's Travels (60's/70's cartoon show)?

One other thing I'd like to point out about the MSU game...Throw the freakin' records out when they play! This is one of our biggest rivalries if you really want to look at the history of it. Way more than UofM. Whenever these two play its like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...2 teams enter...1 team leaves. In years where ND was supposed to be great we always have to fight,scartch, and claw to get through the MSU game and ususally leave with a ton of injuries whether we win or lose. I yeears when MSU is supposed to be good and ND supposed to have a down year, ya know what...SAME FREAKIN' THING!

I don't know what it is exactly because MSU thinks their biggest rival is UofM, but they seem to play ND harder and meaner that them most years. And especially lately (last decade) this game is always a toss up no matter where it's played.

 

[AlumniHall98]

let us not forget.....Willingham's and Weis's first seasons were all smoke-in-mirrors, my friends. when the magician bag ran empty, we were exposed for who we really were - mediocre-to-bad teams with little developed talent and no desire. Pathetic. I would trade in those two BCS seasons for a chance at having the right man at the helm to develop us for the LONG RUN baby!! Keep the faith my friends, we will get there. I still feel an 8 win season - we turn it around this weekend at home against the Cardinal.

As an aside (I havent posted here in a while, please forgive me, but I visit often and love the site) - for the Michigan game, luck would have it that I sat in the parents section, though I didn't know it at the time. I was speaking with this very nice, and rather large, gentleman to my left for most of the first quarter, jawing about the Irish and our chances for a good season. Before long I realized where I was - sitting right next to Kyle Rudolph's entire family! That man was his father, and his mom was right next to him. Such incredibly nice and down to earth people. We embraced in the sunlight when Kyle caught the 95 yard bomb from Crist, jumping up and down ecstatically! Being a parent, I could somewhow share in their bliss - I mean, just think about it, to US this is a great tight end making a huge play, to them, its their son/brother/nephew. Wow. It was special. Yes, the loss hurt, and smiles and cheers quickly turned to frowns and a few tears. But I wished them all well when I left the stadium that day, and felt a little different about my beloved Irish. Please remember that these players are all someone's child, someone's brother. They fight their butts off day in and day out, and they NEED TO KNOW WE HAVE THEIR BACKS!! Always!

Go Irish!!