1. Once again, it's beginning to feel like last year, all over again.
ok, ok, ok I have a toe in the water on this one...still thinking there is hope if we can put a dominant defensive day together, and a merely offensively competent day against Utah...they didn't look especially dominant on D tonight, and O was so, so (Air Force).
2. Congratulations to Tommy Rees. What a great game, for a true freshman thrust into a pivotal game..
I calmed down a little, and am seeing it more that way...would like to know what causes us to go catatonic on offense for Looong stretches, but the kid did ok...not sure what he'll do against Utah and SC, but he showed some flashes.
3. I haven't looked at the stats, but my eyeballs told me that ND's defense was, once again, poor against the run. I don't get this. They have held some very good backs to almost nothing, and then they go out and let others run all over them. Maybe the stats will look better than the eyes, but it seemed like Tulsa was gaining 6 or 7 yards, on every 1st down run.
In general we have some nice plays, even nice series but we still give up waaaay too many big plays, and when it counts, we couldn't cover a guy in a wheelchair (3rd and 26...seriously)
3. I still think that Michael Floyd's production has dropped off, but that's not his fault. The kid is open on almost every single play, and he catches virtually everything within reach. Even after a "down year", don't be surprised if the NFL scouts don't have him going very high in the 1st round of the draft.
...and Rudy, depending on rehab.
4. I want to hear one of two things, from Kelly, in the post game presser: Either A) Something was very wrong with Ruffer's kicking leg, or B) I want to hear him apologize, or at least admit, that his greed cost us a game. You have a true freshman QB in the games, you are well within your FG kicker's range, you are missing 2 of your top 3 pass catchers, and you throw the ball into the end zone? WTF are you thinking?
...and he defiantly said neither. I like taking a shot...I don't like taking a shot given all of those other considerations. But Kelly is going to do it his way...I'm hoping some time before I die that defiant little bastard is holding a NC trophy with Sinatra blaring in the background...I DID IT MY WAY....
5. We can pretty much forget about a bowl game. This team just got blown out by Navy, and then lost to Tulsa. I just can't see how they are going to beat either USC or Utah, to get to 6 wins. And that's assuming that they don't drop the Army game.
Well...I am actually holding out hope that we show up against Utah, and they are banged up and flat after TCU. They beat Air Force tonight...but it wasn't pretty. If Rees can deliver a consistant, even game...and we holster the gun of self inflicted wounds for just one game...we have a shot.
I do see some promise for the future, but I have been seeing little more than promise for the future, for about 10 years now.
Amen...I'm worn out after years of this...I won't apologize for expecting this team to play inspired football, and to win more often than they do...Kelly needs a big win to get these kids to buy in such that they don't lose these nail biters...or maybe just have fewer of them...this has got to stop...