Congrats Tommy

[woolybug25]

He is aware that we are going to continue to recruit elite level QB's (ie Golson) and that he will still need to beat out Crist. He is fully aware that he will be in a QB competition next spring. But damn....

-4 starts = 4 wins

-Beats ranked Utah team while EVERYONE is throwing in the towel on any hopes of a good season.

-Shows that he is not scared of big stages like Yankee Stadium. Win.

-Ends our drought from our biggest rival and scum of the earth, USC (in the Colosseum).

-Beats arguably, are second biggest rival, Miami.... in a bowl game.

We need to keep in mind that while most of his classmates were graduating high school and going to prom, he was busy as an early enrollee at a school most people were telling him he would never play at. Most 18 year olds are hoping that their mommies finished their laundry and trying to hide their booze from their parents in order to enjoy tonight's festivities. He is 18 years old, I could barely tie my shoes when I was 18. He isn't concerned with any of these things.

Tommy Rees is enjoying being an undefeated QB at the University of Notre Dame.

Congratulations Tommy. I look forward to your career at Notre Dame.

 

[Junkhead]

I feel more comfortable with Rees playing than Crist. Who knows what happens in the spring at this point.

 

[neoroks32]

He is aware that we are going to continue to recruit elite level QB's (ie Golson) and that he will still need to beat out Christ.

first he toke Crist job, now hes going for jesus, SOMEONE STOP THIS GUY!

 

[woolybug25]

first he toke Crist job, now hes going for jesus, SOMEONE STOP THIS GUY!

He is a dangerous young man, I tell ya. haha.

 

[Dizzyphil]

He is aware that we are going to continue to recruit elite level QB's (ie Golson) and that he will still need to beat out Christ. He is fully aware that he will be in a QB competition next spring. But damn....

-4 starts = 4 wins

-Beats ranked Utah team while EVERYONE is throwing in the towel on any hopes of a good season.

-Shows that he is not scared of big stages like Yankee Stadium. Win.

-Ends our drought from our biggest rival and scum of the earth, USC (in the Colosseum).

-Beats arguably, are second biggest rival, Miami.... in a bowl game.

We need to keep in mind that while most of his classmates were graduating high school and going to prom, he was busy as an early enrollee at a school most people were telling him he would never play at. Most 18 year olds are hoping that their mommies finished their laundry and trying to hide their booze from their parents in order to enjoy tonight's festivities. He is 18 years old, I could barely tie my shoes when I was 18. He isn't concerned with any of these things.

Tommy Rees is enjoying being an undefeated QB at the University of Notre Dame.

Congratulations Tommy. I look forward to your career at Notre Dame.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ +1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Think I'm going to start calling Rees the Dude, Or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Diz

 

[Old Man Mike]

This is a thread topic that I can get totally behind. Damm, young man but you are a gamer!!! We owe you so much this year and Kelly probably remembers you in his prayers at night. You saved our season and made Coach's job SO much easier, and sped up our return to some semblance of the old glories. The off-season is so much lighter now because of you; the recruiting so much more persuasive; the optimism and player determination so much more powerful. God bless you Tommy Rees. You'll have to earn it again in the spring---that's the way Coach is---but right now I'm not betting against you. You make me happy, youngster.

 

[neoroks32]

the dude is a class act

 

[choo choo]

cant argue with 4-0

 

[woolybug25]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ +1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Think I'm going to start calling Rees the Dude, Or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Diz

The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.

 

[FMA]

Tommy R. as a starter 4-0
Dayne C. as a starter 4-5

Although Dayne C. he got knocked out of the game against Tulsa......

Is it me or has everyone else notice, that the team plays better when Tommy R. as the starting QB.

Or since the Utah game all the pieces has finally come together.....

 

[Irishpinoy]

Not too bad for a guy that looks like Toby McGuire and likes Glee. Thanks for saving the season young man.....you make the Irish nation proud!

 

[GreatGolson]

I like Tommy the Kids chances, however if Golson, Hendrix, Massa, Crist, and Rees are competing, one of them will transfer

 

[IrishinSyria]

Tommy looked good today, but I wouldn't crown him just yet. Miami beat themselves today, not TR. Rees didn't hit anybody but Floyd or Eifert for most of the game, and those two made some great plays on a few poorly thrown balls.

Rees looked pedestrian against USC and his performance against Army wasn't exactly heroic either.

I like the kid, and feel good about him under center, but I'm much more sold on our defense right now than I am on him.

 

[Fan of the Irish]

Tommy R. as a starter 4-0
Dayne C. as a starter 4-5

Although Dayne C. he got knocked out of the game against Tulsa......

Is it me or has everyone else notice, that the team plays better when Tommy R. as the starting QB.

Or since the Utah game all the pieces has finally come together.....

I have noticed this as well, though I don't think it has anything to do with the qb, I think the team is finally playing as a team and not a bunch of individuals just trying to get to the NFL. I have gotten alot more comfortable with Tommy at qb and I really like the way he doesn't go into a downward spiral over something going wrong the way Crist often would.

 

[woolybug25]

Tommy looked good today, but I wouldn't crown him just yet. Miami beat themselves today, not TR. Rees didn't hit anybody but Floyd or Eifert for most of the game, and those two made some great plays on a few poorly thrown balls.

Rees looked pedestrian against USC and his performance against Army wasn't exactly heroic either.

I like the kid, and feel good about him under center, but I'm much more sold on our defense right now than I am on him.

People keep saying this without giving him credit for what he does well, or accost the receivers that make drops off good throws (Floyd dropped 2 tds today, Eifert had 3 drops and Riddick had 2 as well).

Bottom line. When he is in the huddle, he leads men. He is the one making the reads, he is the one calling the coverages, he is the one they have to trust. They believe in him and THEY WIN. If he was 6'4"/225, I guarantee that everyone would be all over his jock.

btw, he is 18. He is only going to get bigger and more skilled. Most kids dont see the field as 18 year olds.

 

[kmoose]

I have noticed this as well, though I don't think it has anything to do with the qb, I think the team is finally playing as a team and not a bunch of individuals just trying to get to the NFL. I have gotten alot more comfortable with Tommy at qb and I really like the way he doesn't go into a downward spiral over something going wrong the way Crist often would.

I think it's because Kelly has commited to trying to run the ball, with a true Freshman QB at the helm.

 

[Anchorman]

To be fair, Tommy also benefited from the rest of the team stepping up during the homestretch.

I think it boils down to Rees being a more pedestrian but careful player who isn't going to drop your jaw but is going to be consistent and limit turnovers while Crist has explosive potential but also has shown a knack for making you scratch your head.

 

[jason_h537]

first he toke Crist job, now hes going for jesus, SOMEONE STOP THIS GUY!

LOL, i think Christ is safe... for now.

Played smart football and made some huge conversions when we needed them.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Great job. I expected much less from you. I feared much worse. And I know early in the season I spoke many undeserved things of you. In the end you have done what nobody else seemed to have the ability to. You were put in a position that nobody expected, rose to the occasion, and managed the team great. And for the end results I thank you.

 

[choo choo]

Tommy looked good today, but I wouldn't crown him just yet. Miami beat themselves today, not TR. Rees didn't hit anybody but Floyd or Eifert for most of the game, and those two made some great plays on a few poorly thrown balls.

Rees looked pedestrian against USC and his performance against Army wasn't exactly heroic either.

I like the kid, and feel good about him under center, but I'm much more sold on our defense right now than I am on him.

hes 4-0 against some pretty good competition

 

[FMA]

I wonder if Coach Kelly is going to use multiple QB's next year like he did with Cincy?

 

[Riddickulous]

I appreciate the work Tommy has done in the past four games.

But he isn't "the guy".

 

[IrishAlum1997]

He was also the first one in Ruffer's grill to keep his head up when he missed a FG for the first time in his career. Super leader, will be interesting to see how much Longo gets on him in the offseason. Albeit injured, Jimmy was a toothpick with a pop gun arm his frosh year. What a difference a year makes...

Don't know if it was mentioned elsewhere or in the game thread, but Ruffer got injured on his last kickoff. Anything in the post game presser???

 

[Master Sgt]

Gotta love it :Rees didn't hit anybody but Floyd or Eifert for most of the game, and those two made some great plays on a few poorly thrown balls."
Okay man if that's the standard then lets hope he keeps living up to "not sure".
doesn't matter anyway. He won four big games in four big venues, if your not sure yet, then hold on, it will get better.

 

[kmoose]

I appreciate the work Tommy has done in the past four games.

But he isn't "the guy".

It's way too early to tell, after 4 or 5 starts in his Freshman year.

 

[IrishAlum1997]

Pretty nailz throw to TJ for that last 3rd down completion late, tho.

 

[mick2]

he's known as tommy guns in my house!

 

[CurtisCandy]

Tommy is definitely up against some stiff competition for the QB job. Without being cruel, I think it's fair to say that, physically, he is definitely the underdog to all his competitors.

With that said...

The kid is 18 years old and stepped up and handled an insanely high-pressured situation like a man! He became the starter when it would have been easy and excusable to just put his tail between his legs and run, using the "I did the best I could" philosophy.

Instead, he led the team to 4 victories, including one over the entity I hate on this earth above all others, U$C.

Today, I actually got a rush when he came back out after half-time. That cheap, drive him into the ground hit one of the "classy" criminals laid on him was obviously extremely painful. That was followed by a legal, but nasty looking wrench of his knee.

We all know ther are plenty of guys who, at that point, would have been willing to turn the reins over to someone else. If he didn't go back in after the half, it would have been completely understandable, because I'm sure the kid was in a LOT of pain. He could easily have sat back and said, "I did my job. I got you a comfortable lead; now someone else just hold onto it."

Nope.

A little spit and a brace on the knee and he was back. - I live for those kind of moments in sports.It may not have been Kirk Gibson limping around the bases in the World Series, but for me, this was bigger:

1 - Tommy Rees plays for the team that I live my life around.

2 - I think I mentioned; he's 18 YEARS OLD!

3 - Unlike at some other institutions of learning, he doesn't get paid to play.

If Tommy never plays another game for the Irish, he has entrenched himself into our lore. I'll be forcing my kids, grandkids and anyone else I can cajole into listening to me, the tale of the kid quarterback who saved our season and started our beloved Irish back on the path of national prominence.

Not bad accomplishments for 18 years old.

Thanks, Tommy... You made an old man's next 8 months a much happier place.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Don't know if it was mentioned elsewhere or in the game thread, but Ruffer got injured on his last kickoff. Anything in the post game presser???

Ruffer had leg cramps. He's fine, but it definitely affected his last fg.

As for Rees...kid is 4-0 as a starter as an 18 yr old freshman. He deserves all the praise he gets.

As for those bashing Crist...I'll be convinced that Rees is better when A: he beats him out next summer, and B: if Crist plays, he gets a defensive performance like Rees got for all 4 of his starts and ND still loses.

Think of it this way: When ND gave up less than 21 pts for Rees, we were 4-0. He played most of the Tulsa game...Tulsa scored 28 and we lost.

When ND gave up less than 21 pts for Crist, he went 4-0. When ND gave up more than 21...Crist and the team lost.

Props for Rees, but most importantly, props to the defense!

 

[Junkhead]

The D has definitely turned the season around, but Rees has performed far better than anyone expected, especially being the lowest ranked QB out of 3 in the class. Is he the "guy"? I would take him as the guy at this point. Doesn't have a cannon, not the huge 6-4 225 NFL QB mold, but he plays with poise and plays smart, which I wouldn't always say Crist does. Spring practice will answer the question, but a freshman QB playing in big games, with a 12-8 td int ration is nothing to scoff at.