What Changes do you want to see?

[BeatSC]

For me here is my following wish list. Tis may not lead to an improvement but the "Status Quo" is not making the grade IMO.

- New Punter
- New Punt Returner (How about Toma, Harrison Smith, Blanton, Michael Floyd)
- Different starting QB with expanded offense to truly include a QB run option threat.
- Start Lynch
- Don't start Niklas or Fox again
- More Nix whenever possible
- More blitzing when Lycnh is in and more stunting
- Get more creative in the run game especially in the second half when everyone has figured it out.
- Try the lepracat, maybe even use Goodman since he can throw the ball.
- Develop a FB on the team for short yardage or get a dual threat QB in there.
- New ND logo on the home jerseys (looks too muddled)
- Back in the day 70/80/90's the ND pants had a shiny front to them.
- What would a home throw back jersye look like?

Tommy's done OK but he is not a BCS bowl caliber QB. Dayne needs another chance as his upside is greater and he has flashed it in last years UM, Mich St. and BC games. IF we need our offense to produce and we don't shut it down like we did in the second half of the Mich st game then Tommy will continue to throw 2 Ints a game.

 

[Irishman77]

Great post. I think this offense will not be firing on all cylinders until we have a dual threat QB (golson).

I was hoping Daniels would step up or TJ.

Koyack will be starting by year end IMO

 

[kmoose]

Koyack will be starting by year end IMO

Maybe in a 2 TE set. But there's no indication that anyone is going to take the starting job away from Eifert, at this point.

 

[BeatSC]

Great post. I think this offense will not be firing on all cylinders until we have a dual threat QB (golson).

I was hoping Daniels would step up or TJ.

Koyack will be starting by year end IMO

Is that because of his blocking ability? Effiert has been pretty good. Welsh looked great in the BG game.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Thank God Kelly is coaching this team and will make the decisions.

 

[BeatSC]

I would like to see Dayne get another shot, but Rees has done everything any other guy would do and more. Hopefully we smoke the crap out of sPitt so Dayne can at least get some reps in.

Unless you mean by more 7 TO's I would have to disagree. HE gave us chances in our first 2 games but he also took them away. I just don't think Dayne has 7 TO's in 10 quarters.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Unless you mean by more 7 TO's I would have to disagree. HE gave us chances in our first 2 games but he also took them away. I just don't think Dayne has 7 TO's in 10 quarters.

You may be right, but hindsight is 20/20.

 

[BeatSC]

You may be right, but hindsight is 20/20.

Tru dat kind of feel like a chicken sh$t for being a Monday morning QB but that's what we do sometimes. Currently watching the game for a third time. Doesn't look like a top 10 team but should still be 3-0.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

1. Theo is extremely athletic and talented. He is having trouble getting open running his routes, until he gets more comfortable reading defenses..etc BK should draw up plays designed specifically for him to get him the ball in space.

2. Tommy cut down on the bone head mistakes. I'd like him to start reading the play as its unfolding, rather then look at the defense pre-snap and figure out where the soft spot is going to be. Teams are going to start disguising their coverages at the line, and thats going to throw him off. We probably won't see that happen til SC

3. Against UM i feel like ND abandoned the run in the 3rd. Against MSU they stuck with it, keep running the ball. For the first time, ND has a sick ground attack.

4. I just want whomever the punt returner is to catch the ball.

5. A new punter

6. We need ILB whom can hold his own in coverage. Neither Fox for Carlo are showing that they can.

7. We've got the soft spot of our schedule, get our speedy young OLB/DE's in the game, and ready to contribute. If we meet a mobile QB in a bowl game, we are in trouble. Our edges are slow.

8. Gary Gray. I love him. But what's going on with him that he can't make a play on the ball. His coverage is perfect for the most part. I wonder if its unnatural for him to turn towards the ball while on the left side of the field. It may be more natural of a mvoement if he is placed on the opposite side.

 

[bert2834]

I would like to see Cam McDaniel get a shot at punt returner, if we are up a few scores.

Right now, Goody is that guy, he won't drop another all year.


Rees or Hendrix is it for this year, I would like Dayne to get another shot but Rees is going to have to either play extremely poorly in practice and a game or get hurt in the next few games. After that, I think Hendrix will eventually slide into number 2.


Let's hope Turk gets his head out of his ***. He is obviously punting very well in practice for Kelly to keep him in the game.


I don't hold Theo in the such high esteem.


Everyone is forgetting about Welch as well. He has been hurt but from what I have read he is very good. Him and Koyack will be dangerous when on the field at the same time.


Gary Gray will be ok.


Would love to see Hendrix in for short yardage plays.




As always, GO IRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BurningRiver]

Thank God Kelly is coaching this team and will make the decisions.

There was a guy sitting behind me at the game yesterday who would not shut up about how much the defense sucked, trying to tell everyone how simple it must be to stop the play action passes that killed ND in the 2nd quarter. He tried to predict before every play what it would be and was ripping BK a new one because he wasn't adjusting. my favorite quote was, on an ND 3rd and long, "why doesn't Rees just throw a pass over the middle to Eifert for a quick first down here? it's that simple. i could do that!" It was coming to a point where he was making it hard to enjoy the game because he wouldn't shut up. I wanted to turn around and tell him to shut the hell up but my dad was right next to me. Finally though when he was blasting Brian Kelly for not giving Lynch enough time, the old guy sitting next to me turned around and said "there's a pretty good f*cking reason Kelly is the coach and you aren't"

the guy left at halftime because he wanted to drink in the parking lot instead of watch the "absolute garbage" that was our 31-13 win over MSU.

That's why I love all these armchair coaches who are convinced the problems facing this team are simple to fix. If the problems were as simple as they think they are, I'm sure BK, who knows as much about football as all of those people combined, would've fixed it.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Thank God Kelly is coaching this team and will make the decisions.

^This

While I believe there are some things I would like to see some improvement on, changing things at this point would be completely abandoning our season and goals. It would be installing a complete new offense and drastic changes to the team early in a very salvagable season. Maybe if we are 3-4 after the first 7.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Thank God Kelly is coaching this team and will make the decisions.

haha^this

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:

Field turf and a Jumbotron!!!!!

 

[koonja]

:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:

Field turf and a Jumbotron!!!!!

This.

And I'd like to see Bruce Heggie get a shot at punter. He might be better, but we all know he's going to look way sweeter regardless.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Kelly said today that Toma is a real possibility at punt returner.

 

[BurningRiver]

:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:

Field turf and a Jumbotron!!!!!

hah, it was funny, yesterday on a defensive 3rd down a lot of the fans were sitting (as usual) and the second the little "video screen" on the scoreboard said "make some noise!" the place got 100x louder. just imagine what a full on jumbotron would do! if michigan can do it, why can't we?

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

I saw our Win column change from 0 to 1.. That's enough change for me.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

hah, it was funny, yesterday on a defensive 3rd down a lot of the fans were sitting (as usual) and the second the little "video screen" on the scoreboard said "make some noise!" the place got 100x louder. just imagine what a full on jumbotron would do! if michigan can do it, why can't we?

I'm telling you...That place could be rockin' with a little atmosphere.

 

[georgia irish]

Toma on punts or Atkinson,maybe McDaniel.Lynch and Nix combo more Golshon packages running if nothing else.Riddick in the backfield with Toma in the slot.

 

[ulukinatme]

I think we do need a little more atmosphere in the stadium. Face it, we've been to some games when the crowd just isn't into it and the team doesn't get pumped up. Getting loud is extremely beneifical when the opposing defense is out there! USC in '05 is probably the loudest I've ever heard that stadium, and USC's offense couldn't hear the plays being called, much less the snap count. That energy helps feed the defense, and they always seem to perform better with that extra adrenaline.

I'd like to see the Punt game improve, but not at the expense of punting more often in games. I'd like to see our Punt Returners not drop the fair catches.

I'd like Gary Gray to snap out of it and play like he was last year, something happened and he seems to have lost something this year. I still believe in him though.

I'd like to reduce the number of turnovers, but not at the expense of less points on the board. I can live with 2 turnovers a game if we're doing 30+ points of offense. You gotta hope that your defense holds the other team to 21 points or less if they're good and assume that at least 1, maybe 2 turnovers a game is inevitable with a young QB.

 

[BobD]

Thank God Kelly is coaching this team and will make the decisions.

LOL! You don't care for our coaching from the couch Sir?

 

[BabyIrish]

- Don't start Niklas or Fox againQUOTE]

Why dog on a true Freshman starting in his first game of the season? He needs to improve for sure, but did well for circumstance he was put in.

 

[Old Man Mike]

What interests me more are analyses of specific issues affecting the team's play [even if I don't agree with the tenor of the analysis] which recognize the complexity of the problems that a real team and coaching staff faces. It is nicer if the posts have evinced some serious research about the issues before dropping a simplistic gripe of some kind.

If commentary insists on being shallow and apparently fundamentally uninformed, well OK, it's all board fun I suppose, but the poster involved could at least present the half-baked idea with some serious humility. [and with some respect to players who could eat their lunch in almost any athletic endeavor, and have put in incredible amounts of sacrifice to train up for their tasks]

I don't object to the "fun". I don't have much appreciation for it when it begins to rag on our coaching staff or specific players without clear argument of cause. This is especially true if the "cure" for our ills seems to come from near ignorance about whether players or new schemes relate at all well to the task being griped about.

You asked.

 

[Riddickulous]

Offense

- We hear all offseason how Theo Riddick needs to be involved in the offense and so far he has a whopping 10 touches in three games. Could we give him a reverse or something? How about some screens thrown to him?

- We absolutely have to play better down the stretch. The running game was a complete waste in the second half and 80 yards will not cut it against teams like USC or Stanford.

- Tyler Eifert needs the ball more. His hands are money and he's a big mismatch in the middle.

Defense

- Where the hell has Lo Wood been? Injured? He couldn't possibly be worse than Motta.

 

[BearGB]

I would really like to play QB next week! So that's my change.

But really... I understand a couple of small things, but I definitely think to make large changes to a football team after (by and large) they have played well and just beat a ranked opponent is absurd. Let's have a little more faith. Especially since we go on the road the next two games - not necessarily the ideal place for new starters, you know?

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Consistency in all phases of the game. If this team plays consistently to their abilities, they will win the vast majority of their games. This is a supremely talented team with great coaches that prepare them properly. Play consistent, play in the moment, win the battles and they will win the wars.

 

[BearGB]

Riddickulous - great call on Eifert, man he could and should be a nightmare for OLBs and safeties.

And your boy Riddick certainly needs to get more involved, I agree. I think that's part on both he and Tommy to a degree. I noticed a couple of his routes on Saturday were pretty crisp, but he didn't necessarily pick the right spot to get open (for instance, finding a whole in the zone, or getting better separation in man coverage).

I would also like to see Robby get in there more. He just seems to have such a knack for getting open. Honestly, as crazy as it may sound, I think him being successful could open up the slot position a bit for Riddick. We do need Theo to get more involved - such a good athlete, and really played well against UM.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Offense

- We hear all offseason how Theo Riddick needs to be involved in the offense and so far he has a whopping 10 touches in three games. Could we give him a reverse or something? How about some screens thrown to him?

- We absolutely have to play better down the stretch. The running game was a complete waste in the second half and 80 yards will not cut it against teams like USC or Stanford.

- Tyler Eifert needs the ball more. His hands are money and he's a big mismatch in the middle.

Defense

- Where the hell has Lo Wood been? Injured? He couldn't possibly be worse than Motta.

This^^^

 

[koonja]

This^^^

Lo actually is injured and is getting an MRI tomorrow.