ND-USC Post Game Thoughts

T-Boone

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That was the best ND game I've seen in maybe my whole life. And I was there for the Holtz years. So of course my DVR takes a shit yesterday. Does anyone know how to watch a replay? I don't want that game to end, haha.

Youtube. I saw the first half is already up. The whole game is usually up within a few days. I am guessing there will be a condensed 60 minute version soon.

Edit: or the above.
 

irishff1014

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What a game. This turn over machine defense is a wonderful thing to watch.

-Running game is on point. Any want to still questions Adams?
-Saw some improvement in the passing game.
-Sacks and turnovers... We got them.
-This new winning attitude is awesome to see.
-Love seeing Kelly with players on the sideline. I really liked seeing him yelling at Lyght that one time on a big pass play.
-Some of them holes the O-line were creating you could drive a Harley through.
-Drue is is a perfect rover.

-Special teams coverage was a little off last night. We have to figure out how to get something positive on returns.
-Passing games is getting better each week i believe and we need it too so this offense can continue to grow.
-St Brown possible have worse hands than Fuller?

Anyone at the stadium the volume of the crowd sounded low on the tv?
 

eNDzone

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If USC has speed we have more. Defense flying to the ball and Adams just ran away from the SC defenders on that 85 yard run.



Balis has made this a powerful team. Both O and D lines were dominant. We got a penalty once for pushing a guy too far down the field during a pass play. My daughter mentioned that on many tackles we were pushing the opponent backwards.


Elko!! What tenacity this team has. The 2 times SC scored we were intentionally playing 10 yards off the receivers. Coney brings the smackdown. Tranquil is a Harrison Smith in the making.

My boys don't remember a butt kicking like this against aSC caliber team in their lifetimes. So glad they got to experience it.
 

ohara831

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Most fulfilling victory in a while. Great effort on offense and defense. A great day for the Irish!
 

IrishSteelhead

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The play that summarizes the game for me was when a crucial first down catch for ND was negated because (think it was Bars) was at the 8th level blocking the peanut vendor in the 4th row lol.

I thought game plan, play calling and execution were all pretty flawless.
 

ickythump1225

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Best win of the Kelly Era, best win of my fanhood (which only dates back to 2005). I'm drunk on the Shamrock Kool Aid. There are no brakes on this train
V6GnsOk.gif
 

ickythump1225

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1. I don't think I've ever had that much fun watching a ND game.
2. As someone who was in HS during peak USC dominance, I never could've imagined ND ever beating a USC team by 5 TDs. Kelly is now 5-3 against USC... which is insane given how our previous coaches went winless against them.
3. Chip Long's rushing attack is awesome. If we ever get the passing game fully clicking, we are going to be borderline unstoppable.
4. We were stronger and tougher than USC.
5. Elko's defense is a goddamn revelation relative to what we saw the past two years.
This team, as has been said, is better than 2012 (and 2015 for sure). This is the first ND team I can remember that can so physically dominate a team. Even though the 2012 defense ended up putting up historic numbers they weren't overly physical and never seemed to dominate anyone. I'm not knocking them as the 2012 team won 12 games and this team is still writing their destiny, but neither of the previous 10+ win editions of the Irish under BK were so physical and so dominant. Outside of UGA (a legit top 3 team in the country IMO) ND is 45 points a game while giving up only 15 for an average margin of victory of 30 points. We aren't just beating teams, we are destroying them.

Who could have ever dreamed there would come a time (especially after last year) where we got to put feel good Montgomery VanGorder in at the end of a game against USC? How much playing time has our 4th string RB gotten? We're no longer winning and just barely hanging on, we're wrecking sh*t and then developing future talent by getting them actual game experience.

What a time to be alive.
 

rtrn2glory

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Most dominating performance in a big game that I can remember in a long time.

2012 Oklahoma game is the only one that compares
 

JohnnyJasper

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So many things to say and you guys have all hit it. Bottomline - so impressed. Also good sign we didn't use Dex once which allows him to get to 100% for NC State.

#BeatPack 🍀


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wizards8507

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Can someone explain the defensive holding on 3rd and 4 that somehow didn't result in a USC first down?
 

JohnnyJasper

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Gosssshhh I love this defense. So obsessed with each and every facet that has improved/upgraded. Elko you da man!!


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ickythump1225

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Most dominating performance in a big game that I can remember in a long time.

2012 Oklahoma game is the only one that compares
And really it's not even a good comparison if you think about it. That game was close most of the game, we opened it up midway through the 3rd I think. This game was dominated from opening kick to final whistle.
 

Redbar

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JUST.SO.MUCH.GOOD.

Should learn some more next week, but if they take that physicality forward...teams are going to have their hands full, even when execution isn't great.

an aside...so glad they jumped on USC right away because, as I expected, the Refs were basically drunken traffic cops.

I agree with everything you said in your post, the way this team played we were going to win this football game, my one concern and I don’t mean to take away from the joy of this huge win, but...
In a huge football game at night everyone comes out jacked up and ready to play especially in Notre Dame stadium, why we insist with a mediocre return game and a young sometimes one dimensional quarterback to start on offense all the time is beyond me. CJ gets tackled near the ten, three and out, punt to fUSC, they start in our territory...If they don’t fumble the snap, and complete one pass they are basically in scoring range. If they put up 7, maybe this game looks a lot different, although I agree we have a clearly better team this year. Just feel like you play with fire when you do this and give the opposing team the opportunity for huge momentum to start the game and to start the second half. That turnover changed the game without it?? Or against a better, gamer opponent??
 

greyhammer90

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Thanks but that doesn't explain it. It was 3rd and 4. Even if it wasn't an automatic first down, it would have resulted in a first down.

Hmmmmm that's a good question actually. I have no idea. I just watched a replay of it and they didn't move the first down line, but USC only moved forward 3 yards from their initial LOS after the penalty. Very weird. Maybe there's some sort of thing as to where Darnold was sacked? That seems dumb since the down is replayed as though it never happened though.
 

Redbar

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Hmmmmm that's a good question actually. I have no idea. I just watched a replay of it and they didn't move the first down line, but USC only moved forward 3 yards from their initial LOS after the penalty. Very weird.

It was 1/2 the distance not 5 yds right?
 

notredomer23

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Hmmmmm that's a good question actually. I have no idea. I just watched a replay of it and they didn't move the first down line, but USC only moved forward 3 yards from their initial LOS after the penalty. Very weird. Maybe there's some sort of thing as to where Darnold was sacked? That seems dumb since the down is replayed as though it never happened though.

They were inside the 10 so wasn’t it a half the distance to the goal penalty rather than a 5 yard penalty?
 

NDRock

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This team, as has been said, is better than 2012 (and 2015 for sure). This is the first ND team I can remember that can so physically dominate a team. Even though the 2012 defense ended up putting up historic numbers they weren't overly physical and never seemed to dominate anyone. I'm not knocking them as the 2012 team won 12 games and this team is still writing their destiny, but neither of the previous 10+ win editions of the Irish under BK were so physical and so dominant. Outside of UGA (a legit top 3 team in the country IMO) ND is 45 points a game while giving up only 15 for an average margin of victory of 30 points. We aren't just beating teams, we are destroying them.

Who could have ever dreamed there would come a time (especially after last year) where we got to put feel good Montgomery VanGorder in at the end of a game against USC? How much playing time has our 4th string RB gotten? We're no longer winning and just barely hanging on, we're wrecking sh*t and then developing future talent by getting them actual game experience.

What a time to be alive.

Sorry, but that 2012 defense was dominating. Go rewatch some of those games. I think the way the season ended has given people a worse view of that team. They gave up 4 rushing TDs all season, 2 vs. Bama. You don’t do that if you’re not a physical team.
 

woolybug25

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Another note from watching it in person. I said this and then later heard a USC fan say this.... “Notre Dame looked faster and more athletic than USC”.

We haven’t been able to say that for a long time.
 

notredomer23

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Sorry, but that 2012 defense was dominating. Go rewatch some of those games. I think the way the season ended has given people a worse view of that team. They gave up 4 rushing TDs all season, 2 vs. Bama. You don’t do that if you’re not a physical team.

Agreed. I think 2012 overall was stronger, but the current defense is more opportunistic in making big tackles for loss and forcing turnovers
 

Dizzyphil

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The best thing I noticed last night watching the game was the genuine smiles on the players faces. Almost as if they could not hold back the joy of soundly putting away a fierce rival. At kickoff - nobody on this board could have said those young men were going to dominate a team where the prior games and records have no bearing on the field of play at game time.

Every loss last year was by one possession except the U$C game and for those that returned from last year, redemption was theirs.

Very proud of this Irish team!!!!
 

woolybug25

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What recruits were in for this game? It was stunning weather and just one of the coolest game environments I’ve been to at Notre Dame. Hard to envision someone walking away from a recruiting visit yesterday without being impressed.
 
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