Post Game Observations

[OlympiaIrishFan]

this was a full team loss. Not just Gray.

How about Rees fumbling at the 2?

How about Diaco not getting the D fixed in the 2nd half, 4th quarter especially.

How about actually tackling Robinson? Dline, Linebackers and DB's.

Kelly actually getting the guys ready.

We are just a good team, and now it is obvious. I just hate making the Haters look correct. But, how can we defend this team? Still will try, but we are not good.

 

[irishandy]

ND is down in a hole and I don't think they are going to see the light anytime soon. Denard Robinson may be a terrible passer, but he beat us with his arm this year. I am speechless...

 

[Irish To The Core]

I am going to reserve any real observations until tomorrow...I am too flabbergasted just now.

But I have to say this, over the past 4 or 5 seasons it has been hard to be a Notre Dame fan. The teams have invented amazing ways to lose football games. And every time different...the Bush Push (after a 4th and long defensive failure btw), the Pitt forever ot marathon, Michigan State fake fg in ot, Tate Forcier's long td run, last week's turnover fest...now this!

 

[IrishLax]

This is video game prevent defense. Notice how there is 3 deep with man coverage on all WRs. I'm not a football player or coach but can someone tell me how it is possible that we didn't have anyone within 20 yards of that guy? Was everyone supposed to be in a zone?

 

[GreatGolson]

did we ever anger a witch, wizard, or goat owner at some point?

 

[AllGoldEverything]

stop hating on coach kelly and rees. yeah they werent at their best tonight but f*ck its not all their fault. idk this loss really hurts

 

[WabashFalcon]

Red Zone turnovers killed us.

If we are able to hold onto our top flight DB recruits, I think we'll be fine.

This hurts. This. Really. Hurts.

 

[GowerND11]

DB's were in position all night. TURN YOUR HEAD AROUND!!!! We could have had 6 pics, but guys overran the ball and didn't look back. Rees and Wood CANNOT turn it over like that.
The Lou quote is perfect, we have a Very VERY good team, they just are stuck in a way of not knowing how to win(which has been the case since 2008). Up 24-7 you have to close out the game.

 

[Irish Insanity]

What frustrates me is Robinson is not that good of a passer, their WRs are not that good, and they made our DBs look like middle schoolers.

But at the same time the continual bad penalties and turnovers were just as costly

 

[WabashFalcon]

I just hope we recover.

9-3, Champs Sports. Best case senario.

 

[titan730]

Every year, the thing that frustrates me most is how the Irish seem incapable of doing the fundamentals. They run some plays that look great, but they fail to do the fundamental things that it takes to win like hold on to the ball, tackle effectively, look for the ball when you are a DB. You can't win if you can't do job one. I'd blame the coach, but it seems like it hasn't mattered who the coach is.

 

[AvesEvo]

Kelly's leadership of this team and his game calling have to be questioned. The defense was great the 1st half but made no adjustments to Michigan in the 2 nd half. Also 4 turnovers 9 in two games is just horrible.

Are you kidding? We moved the ball no problem, it was the player's stupid *** errors that cost us the game.

 

[DCirishfan]

Just seriously a terribly coached team, how we can keep getting such terrible coaching is beyond me. Cincinnati did not look like this, I don't maybe we are cursed or something. Really hard to take, so depressed so angry must drink..........

 

[kmoose]

I knew I should have logged off and gone to bed. Instead, I came back here to THIS!?!?!?


My biggest observation is that some of you people f*cking DISGUST me! You whiney f*cks expect these players to play their hearts out, every play of every game. And when they drop two games in a row because of sloppy play(and pure dumb bad luck), you throw in the towel and start saying things like "we suck". WE don't suck........you do. Man up and act like you expect these kids to act. Stay the course, or jump on over to another f*cking team's bandwagon. This team has as much talent and ability as any ND team has had, since the Holtz years. They even have played very well, in long spurts. They just are missing that "something" that brings it all together. If they put it together, there's nothing stopping them from becoming that team that gels and looks like one of the best teams in the country, at the end of the year. In the meantime, STFU or move on. Some of you people are absolutely pi$$-poor examples of the human spirit.

/rant off

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

My expectations are gone.
I'm going to watch the games thinking they have no chance.
Maybe I'll be surprised one day.

27 days until Blackhawk hockey starts.

 

[AvesEvo]

DB's were in position all night. TURN YOUR HEAD AROUND!!!! We could have had 6 pics, but guys overran the ball and didn't look back. Rees and Wood CANNOT turn it over like that.
The Lou quote is perfect, we have a Very VERY good team, they just are stuck in a way of not knowing how to win(which has been the case since 2008). Up 24-7 you have to close out the game.

Which I don't understand. Last year Mayock constantly commented on how good the DBs were at turning their heads around. What the hell happened?

 

[footballinsiders]

In my head I cannot compute how the fighting Irish have lost 2 games the way they have. I have a feeling this program is afraid to win. I really thought Kelly would be the answer to this, but this is not true. We should be 2-0 and neither game should have been even close. Instead the Irish are 0-2 and the return to glory slogan the Irish fans at that start of the season had are long gone. Please hire a coach who knows how to win and close games out please.

 

[theclassickiller]

The sad truth is that this team is truly incredible when you break it down. Like top-10 caliber. We can't catch a break, and not only that, the other teams have caught non-stop breaks. How does the ball slip out of Tommy's hand like that? How does that fumble at the goal line land right in Robinson's hands? How does Denard get a spot for a first down like he did on Michigan's second to last drive? How does Tiny Gallon get in the endzone without the atrocious hold on Blanton in front of the ref getting called? How does probably the worst passer this team has ever faced make miraculous throws that are so bad our defense can't defend them? How does the fumble by Cierre bounce away like that after running into his own player? How does Denard's shirt just rip instead of it pulling him down like it would 99 out of 100 other times? How does Gary Gray go from stud to absolutely the worst coverage corner on the team in one off-season?

All these things are becoming common-place occurences for this team. We are fighting uphill every game and the other team is falling down it on accident. The thing that kills me is how Brian Kelly can't get it through his head that conservative playcalling like the third down calls in this game will not work on this stage. Brian, go back and look at your predecessor. Here's a tip... don't do what he did!

Kelly has no killer instinct and neither did Weis. Look at any winning coach around the country. They're douchebags and they put their foot on the opponents throat and stomp. Kelly would rather run the clock down and win by three than march down the field like we did all day and go up by 10.

I just don't get it.

 

[pumpdog20]

Man, this team is just full of studs, yet we can't win. If I'm a recruit, I go somewhere else. Is ND really not coming back; we sound like the Cubs, wait til next year.

 

[GowerND11]

Just seriously a terribly coached team, how we can keep getting such terrible coaching is beyond me. Cincinnati did not look like this, I don't maybe we are cursed or something. Really hard to take, so depressed so angry must drink..........

Exactly. If Cincy didn't look like this, and none of his other teams looked like this can we blame coaching? It is the lack of concentration from the players. They are given the right assignments, the play calls, for the most part, are good. Then the guys on the field F everything up. These guys need to stop being such mental cases and just play football like they can/should.

 

[Dizzyphil]

DB's were in position all night. TURN YOUR HEAD AROUND!!!! We could have had 6 pics, but guys overran the ball and didn't look back. Rees and Wood CANNOT turn it over like that.
The Lou quote is perfect, we have a Very VERY good team, they just are stuck in a way of not knowing how to win(which has been the case since 2008). Up 24-7 you have to close out the game.

= Coaching

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Fire Kelly that idiot

 

[DeezNuts]

observations....

observations....

rees is a bum

coach k is a bum

gray is a bum

diaco is overrated

floyd is good

c. wood is good

 

[GreatGolson]

call me ignorant, call me stupid, call me anything you want, but one day, there will be another championship in south bend, it might be 2 years from now, it mite be 20, but there will be a return. And when it happens it will have made all this worth while. so go ahead, abandon this team, cry gloom and doom, i know that #12 will come to notre dame, and im willing to wait for it. and any one who calls themself a fan will too

 

[DCirishfan]

Are you kidding? We moved the ball no problem, it was the player's stupid *** errors that cost us the game.

You are wrong. Clearly over the first two games this team has not been prepared to play well. Play calling has been average, mental toughness has been beyond bad. There is no question that if ND had to make the call right now on Kelly the decision would not go his way. There is no bright side here, just more of the same. We can't do simple things right , we can't stop making bone head plays. This is why coaches make so much money, the good ones don't have teams that do what our team is doing. I find it really difficult to believe if Nick Sabin was coaching this team we would be 0-2.

 

[pumpdog20]

My expectations are gone.
I'm going to watch the games thinking they have no chance.
Maybe I'll be surprised one day.

27 days until Blackhawk hockey starts.

This is probably the best way to handle it. No more blaming, just ease off the expectations.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

These players shouldnt get a free education at a great school. I hope Gary Gray reads this and quits life because he's a joke of a person.

 

[Irishman77]

9 turnovers in 2 games. Those are the facts. We have the best O line since 93. How does the ball fall out of Rees's hands while untouched. He tries to throw and it slips out of the back of his grip with no pressure. I am speaking emotional, but I wonder if Kelly steps down just to get the hell out of this $hit hole of a disaster in South Bend.

There is no way we beat Mich St. next week. not even close.

Physically we are a B
Mentally we are a F

 

[IrishBlood81]

I mean, Kelly calls a run up the middle THREE I repeat THREE times on crucial 3rd downs?!
Anybody heard of F L O Y D or T Y L E R.
this is just unbearable.

 

[phgreek]

Everett Golson needs to start.

I am really thinking it is time to move to the future on offense...now. This season is really, at best, marginal when you realize Michigan is not a good football team. They will be .500 by season's end.

Thanks to Tommy...I know he could put points up...and he is an upgrade...but we need to be where Kelly can couch folks up...the spread. All I know is Kelly's teams in the past...with far lesser talent, were deadly in the red zone. I know the guy can coach. For whatever reason the hybrid thing we are doing...its simply not something these guys can execute...so move on....this is the season to take your lumps I guess.

Nobody with a serious defense gets beat like this...nobody. Last week I was beside myself because our Dbacks do not get their heads around...ever (I can forgive a linebacker, but not veteran D-backs). I thought clearly we would fix that...NOPE. Clearly Michigan saw it too. And how many times do you need to get beat by it, before you yank someone from the game...could a freshman have done worse than what we are getting from at least one of our veterans?

So...we conclude...The way to beat ND is let us in the red zone and wait for us to unholster our foot gun...and when the other team is on O throw jump balls because they will win 7 out of 10 if the pick on the right guy...who seems to face guard and hope it isn't really coming to his guy. HEY, 4, its coming at you until you defend it!!!!

Guys seriously, we are what our record says we are, and our defense is SERIOUSLY still vulnerable. Not the top 25 squad I thought we had...NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Yea, sure we choked on Offense...but we were supposed to be able to count on the D not being completely incompetent...this looked alot like the defenses that got CW FIRED.