NIU Postgame

[Riddickulous]

That second pick has to be the worst throw I've ever seen from a Notre Dame QB.

 

[Irish Knuckles]

I am legit shocked. I was never a Freeman believer, I think his hire was ND being cheap and went with the current emotions in the locker room and chose him. He has now lost home openers to Marshall and now NIU. The decision to bring in a mid throwing QB to learn a new offense with unproven WRs was risky. Best thing they can do is erase this from their memory Men in Black style, start Angelli and move on. They can certainly run the table and make it into the CFB but this is not a well coached team.

i remember all the talk was about keeping the recruiting class together. "durp, durp, mah croots, durrrr"

 

[ThePiombino]

The rest of our season (and possibly his career) completely depends on Freeman's ability to do what's best for the program when it means making a not so easy personnel call...

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[sfk324]

No idea how to embed links but this is some Mickey Mouse commentary. If in year three you don’t know how to prepare your guys for a MAC school then you never will.

Seems like his comment is coach speak for "I don't know what the hell that was because that's not how we looked all week. Or all last week."

Outside of coming into the presser, kicking a garbage can and yelling that it was fucking embarrassing, not sure anything would have sufficed.

 

[Connman89]

He's a waste of space. Get one of the young qb's on the field. The season is fucked now any way.

Agreed. It’s insane to me we can’t run basic three step quick game.

 

[Expert_Analyst]

Bench Leonard, Fire Freeman. This is a five alarm fire - there is no "salvaging the season".

 

[wizards8507]

NIL had me sort of on the fence about college football to begin with but this might be the thing that makes me stop caring permanently.

 

[NDMD]

Seems like his comment is coach speak for "I don't know what the hell that was because that's not how we looked all week. Or all last week."

Outside of coming into the presser, kicking a garbage can and yelling that it was fucking embarrassing, not sure anything would have sufficed.

Yup he's not going to walk out there and say you just watched Riley Leonard shit in his big boy pants in front of 80,000 people.

 

[tussin]

NIL had me sort of on the fence about college football to begin with but this might be the thing that makes me stop caring permanently.

I’m fine with NIL but the transfer portal is a total cancer to the sport.

 

[IrishinSyria]

I’m confused as to why people thought this team was some sort of juggernaut with the lines we have. Amazing secondary but…

 

[Dizzyphil]

 

[wizards8507]

I’m fine with NIL but the transfer portal is a total cancer to the sport.

I don't care if kids were getting $15,000 to do a local ad for South Bend Orthopedics or whatever but the dollar figures we're talking about for top players are stupid.

 

[DillonHall]

Why the hell did we stop using designed QB runs after the first drive? Why take away Leonard's greatest (only?) strength?

 

[greyhammer90]

That second pick has to be the worst throw I've ever seen from a Notre Dame QB.

It was unbelievably bad. Not even the decision, just the throw itself was so off the mark that it's flabbergasting. There wasn't even a reason for it. No pressure. No sudden gust of wind. No injury. Just a terrible terrible throw.

 

[thekid33]

I don't care if kids were getting $15,000 to do a local ad for South Bend Orthopedics or whatever but the dollar figures we're talking about for top players are stupid.

The dollar figures for shit players like RL are stupid

 

[Grahambo]

It comes down to execution. You can set someone up only so much, then it’s up to the individual in the moment. RL failed not because of MF but because of himself. The 2nd INT was not on MF, it’s on RL.

 

[Dizzyphil]

It was unbelievably bad. Not even the decision, just the throw itself was so off the mark that it's flabbergasting. There wasn't even a reason for it. No pressure. No sudden gust of wind. No injury. Just a terrible terrible throw.

Duke transfer...........

 

[HawaiianIrish]

Fuck it just gonna finish the bottle already🥃
GO IRISH ☘️🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

 

[IrishSpartan]

Posted in the other thread but our size on the lines are a huge issue. From getting pushed back on the line all night to our 5 foot nothing long snapper that gets jumped over this is a huge issue. Also the o line has no mass cant move anyone.

RL needs to get second guessed by the staff.

 

[AKRowdy]

Tbh idk how much to blame Freeman vs. Leonard completely shitting his pants. Freeman isn’t the one telling him to under throw a deep route by 20 yards.

 

[T Town Tommy]

It’s absolutely the coach’s job to keep the team focused after what appeared to be a great road win to start the season. That didn’t happen. That’s coaching. Oh… and 2nd and 1. That’s coaching too.

A great week of practice???? I would have been telling them how bad they sucked in the first game instead of pumping sunshine up their ass. That’s coaching.

 

[T-Boone]

It comes down to execution. You can set someone up only so much, then it’s up to the individual in the moment. RL failed not because of MF but because of himself. The 2nd INT was not on MF, it’s on RL.

The decision as to whether he will stick with him is Freeman's though. I don't think ND can beat Purdue with Leonard at QB (although Faison should be back so that may give them someone to throw to).

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

For those of you who have been through a divorce, is the feeling of not caring about something you once loved, common? Asking for a friend.

A divorce is similar to a death.

 

[DillonHall]

I'm not giving up on the season, but coming into it, it was going to be a clear failure if ND didn't make the Playoffs. That threshold hasn't changed, and right now, it looks much more likely to be a failure of a season

 

[CTIDANDREW]

I apologize if it’s already been said in these terms, but a lot of seniors gave up pro aspirations to come back for this run, if you bench Leonard and allow Steve to have his chance and he takes it…then come December we can spin this as a blip because of QB play and the season isn’t ruined.

If Freeman continues to throw his trust behind noodle arm Leonard then he will get what he deserves.

Hopefully in year (3) he has the courage to make the tough call and bench the expensive transfer NIL QB who may ruin his career if he allows him.

I hate to be that hyperbolic, but my god that was a terrible performance vs a program that gave up (35) points to Nebraska last year!!
Nebraska!!

 

[bkess8]

RL 20/32, 163 yds, 5.1 avg, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 11 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD.

This is not acceptable at a MAC school so how is it acceptable at ND. In a week you can't fix the problems he has: 1. RL is scared to stay in the pocket and deliver the ball on time and on target. 2. RL doesn't possess the ability to deliver the ball on time or on target.

When he runs he is successful but all the defense needs to do is stack the box and make us one dimensional. We are lucky that NIU did it better than A$M or we would (should) be 0 and 2.

Defensive play was poor in the first half and they got gashed at important times in the second half but this loss is on the offense. The DL played poor and got no push more often than not and that forced our young LBs into bad situations. I will say that they are getting better but its hard to win the offense fails to put any pressure on NIU.

Denbrock does need to take some of the blame for the poor playcall that led to the worst throw in recent memory by an ND QB but MF needs to override that call and say RTDB.

I get it that we don't have a downfield passing game, but you at least need to give off the appearance that you aren't afraid to throw the ball downfield. Its sad that schools like Tulane, Arizona, and Vandy have better offense's and QBs than ND puts on the field in the first two weeks of the season. I hope it changes and we give the other guys a chance but that is not the ND way unfortunately. Expect to see one if not both of SA and KM hit the portal if not given an opportunity to play some meaningful snaps.

 

[Terry Jillery]

I’d wager we aren’t better than Michigan, Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Cincy, Louisville, and probably some other neighboring state. I always say we are 3rd best in the tri state area. It might be like 5-6.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Losers no getting around it. Don't use the they're kids excuse. Entire program. Losers. If anybody needs two for Stanford pm me

 

[bkess8]

Who's the worse QB RL or DJU?

 

[luckofirish8]

I legit think we are seeing the worst side of NIL for coaches. ND obviously has money tied to Leonard and were/are trying their hardest to give him the opportunity to develop as a passer. Today it cost the team. That isn't intended to be an excuse for Freeman really (though it may come off that way), because ultimately the buck stops with him.

I've gone back and forth on the 2nd INT beginning a terrible play call, but the reality is if that is a better throw it has a chance to be a TD. The WR has a step and the second safety is out of the picture. There is a window there. The safer option was to run it on 2nd and 3rd down if necessary, and given the way the game was going... The other side of that play that make me question it is believing Leonard can actually execute that pass. I mean that has to be wishful thinking from what we have seen to this point.