JoeyGetherall
"No one ever drowned in sweat" - Lou
- Messages
- 578
- Reaction score
- 144
I despise Lane Kiffin as much as anyone else does on this board but I thought him and staff had their kids ready to play in a hostile environment and had a good game plan going in. I think the ND staff and everyone else in America thought USC wouldn’t be able to establish a run game against the ND front seven and would be relegated to Matt Barkley tossing the ball around 40+ times. Instead they established a run game early on and stuck with it. Then they used play action to get the ball downfield and quick throws to the sidelines to get their playmakers the ball in space. Those two combos helped against the pass rush and protected the oline. The ND defense seemed to be caught off guard from the get go. I was pleased to see that we made adjustments at half (a sign of good coaching) and held them to only a touchdown in the second half giving our offense a chance to win the game. In a situation like that there’s not much more you can ask for.
As for offense I wouldn’t credit the USC defense or staff much it just seemed like we couldn’t get a rhythm going in the first half. Three reasons why I think this was the case. 1.) ND couldn’t get a first down (everyone seemed tight). 2.) USC scored on their first two offensive drives putting us in a early hole. 3.) USC ate up a ton of clock keeping our offense of the field. Again, I thought the staff made some good second half adjustments and we came out moving the ball. We all know what happened next (I’ll pray for you Dayne Crist).
Overall I don’t think ND got outcoached. USC had a good game plan early on and ND made adjustments accordingly. That’s all you can ask from the staff. Ultimately it’s up to the players to make plays and no one from ND did. It hurts especially after all the manufactured build up to this game. This was clearly tagged as our “coming back” party. I still believe this program is heading in the right direction. It’s just going to take a little more time than we all had hoped. And after 20 plus years of suffering with this team I am not going to give up now. Not when I feel like we are so close. Perhaps I sound like a battered wife, “but he used to be so good to me I can’t leave him for this, we have children together,” but it’s just how I feel… I am starting to ramble and tear up so I’ll leave you with this. Go Irish! Beat Navy!
As for offense I wouldn’t credit the USC defense or staff much it just seemed like we couldn’t get a rhythm going in the first half. Three reasons why I think this was the case. 1.) ND couldn’t get a first down (everyone seemed tight). 2.) USC scored on their first two offensive drives putting us in a early hole. 3.) USC ate up a ton of clock keeping our offense of the field. Again, I thought the staff made some good second half adjustments and we came out moving the ball. We all know what happened next (I’ll pray for you Dayne Crist).
Overall I don’t think ND got outcoached. USC had a good game plan early on and ND made adjustments accordingly. That’s all you can ask from the staff. Ultimately it’s up to the players to make plays and no one from ND did. It hurts especially after all the manufactured build up to this game. This was clearly tagged as our “coming back” party. I still believe this program is heading in the right direction. It’s just going to take a little more time than we all had hoped. And after 20 plus years of suffering with this team I am not going to give up now. Not when I feel like we are so close. Perhaps I sound like a battered wife, “but he used to be so good to me I can’t leave him for this, we have children together,” but it’s just how I feel… I am starting to ramble and tear up so I’ll leave you with this. Go Irish! Beat Navy!
