Post Game Impressions

[Grahambo]

Win the turnover battle.

Win the penalty battle.

Dominate at the LOS on both sides.

Sounds like the formula for winning football games since the dawn of time. Regardless of this offense or that offense, football is defined (for the most part) with those three things.

Bring on Purdue.

 

[jmoodie]

I may be in the minority, but I'd rather have a tandem of Riddick and Atkinson than Riddick and Wood. Wood has a good combination of speed and power, but he's not as quick as Riddick and he's not as fast as Atkinson.

I don't see how you can take Atkinson's home run ability off the field and I don't see how you can take Riddick's ability to make the first guy miss-and his cutting ability- off the field. We'll see what happens, but I like the different skill sets that Riddick and Atkinson bring.

They could play all three, but I'm not sure that would be the most productive way from a yardage standpoint to handle the situation. The nice thing though is that if one of the RB's gets hurt, we've got a lot of depth. Wood is no slouch. It's a good problem to have.

Way in the minority. All I could think about as we ran it right over them was the fact that BY FAR our best RB wasn't even on the field. Wood is demonstrably better than both. You're right that he isn't as straight fast as GA3 or quite as shifty as Riddick, but he's a great combination of both - which is what makes him such an outstanding back.

This is not a good problem to have. IT'S A F---ING GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE. ))

 

[jmoodie]

My favorite part of today was that we didn't do any razzle dazzle. We ran a very vanilla offense. We ran a very basic defense. And we won by 40 points purely by physicality at the point of contact. We dominated the trenches.

When is the last time we can say that we physically overwhelmed an opponent to this extent? This is a good day.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

From ITI

“I think the storyline for me is the ability to control both lines, offensively and defensively, and to play between 15 and 20 first time participants,” head coach Brian Kelly said after the game. “We had a lot of young players getting some valuable experience today.”

Predicting future success after pushing around one of college football’s worst rushing defenses isn’t a safe assumption, but it isn’t hard to see the strength of this team thanks to the skill of Riddick and Atkinson running behind a veteran unit powered by Braxston Cave, Zack Martin, Chris Watt and company. With Wood back in game three and Amir Carlisle about to be healthy as well, it’ll be a crowded — and talented — ground attack for Notre Dame.

Five things we learned: Notre Dame 50, Navy 10 | Inside the Irish

 

[stlnd01]

Predicting future success after pushing around one of college football’s worst rushing defenses isn’t a safe assumption, but it isn’t hard to see the strength of this team thanks to the skill of Riddick and Atkinson running behind a veteran unit powered by Braxston Cave, Zack Martin, Chris Watt and company. With Wood back in game three and Amir Carlisle about to be healthy as well, it’ll be a crowded — and talented — ground attack for Notre Dame.

Yep. After watching MSU/Boise last night and our game this morning, I think that game in a couple of weeks is going to be a hell of a ground war.

 

[jmurphy75]

Overall a good showing, Golson looked calm, cool and collected. Running game looks strong, Cam looks like a player. One of the biggest things I noticed was the energy of the whole team, they were all up for the game, even the players on the sideline looked energized. Our schedule may be tough but at least we got to warm up against Navy, and Purdue next week.

 

[ryno 24]

I have watched and rewatched the game.

First of all the defense will not be like anything we will play like the rest of the year.

QB: Golson played well they didnt ask him to do much but he did it well. I wanted them to take the training wheels off a little bit when we were up by 20. I want to see him run a little more but he stays in the pocket very well. He is the future QB for Notre Dame and he will be a star.

RB: Theo looked solid he doesnt have that top end speed. He is the Perfect Hybrid player though. GAIII is amazing and can outrun everyone. He is the fastest runningback ND has seen in 20 years. Cam Mcdaniel will play both offense and Defense but once we get Cierre back he wont be needed as much in the Backfield. Once we get Cierre back we might have one of the best overall backfields in the nation.

WR: Toma solid perfomance he is a hard worker and consisent but he will lose playing time. Davaris Daniels will be a stud he just needs to play harder. TJ is very solid. Neal needs to play more JFerg will be great in a couple years. Eifert is being Used like floyd and thats great.

Offensive Line: Keep doing what your doing. That is all.

Dline: Solid Performance. We need a little more depth.

Linebackers: I liked what we did with what defense we were playing. We have solid depth. I like the rotations.

Secondary: Very Young. Not pretty but I am happy we warm up with Purdue again next week. I wont have a judgement until after then.

Specialists: Return men excellent. Kickers are attrocius.

I was very happy and I want to see that again next week.

Excuse my terrible grammer I have been drinking and I am very tired.

 

[irishff1014]

We knew what this game was going to be like. It is kinda unfair to judge the secondary off this game. Lets see how they do agaisnt a team that won't have all that motion nd just flat out throwing the ball. I was pleased with the running game. Though once we had a 27-0 lead i was hoping to see EG throw it more.

 

[stlnd01]

Lets see how they do agaisnt a team that won't have all that motion nd just flat out throwing the ball.

Um, that's what I'm afraid of.
But, it's a long season, and K Russell has only been a college cornerback for a very short time. He'll get better.

 

[Irishbounty28]

I will say that we look a whole lot better than most of the teams that we play in the opener. This could be because of the opponent that each team plays, but we had far less inconsistencies than most for an opener. If you look at Michigan State not begin able to get their receivers involved, and a quarterback that looked lost at best. Landry Jones and Oklahoma doesn't look at all impressive against UTEP, although it is only the first quarter. Michigan played a great team, but still is pretty one dimensional on offense.

I think for the most part our team will be able to dominate in the trenches with anyone we play. This bodes well for us in the future, and will make us a pretty formidable opponent throughout the year. Right now the teams that look the scariest are Miami, BYU and USC, not in any order. If we keep progressing in the defensive secondary we could see something special.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I can't post what I want in this thread because I keep getting internal server error messages....this is more of a test than anything. I liked what I saw today.

 

[jimmymac]

On a muh sadder note, I have been told that a medic was called to meet the ND charter plane when it lands in ten minutes because someone on board is having a heart attack. I dot want to spread rumors but I thought I would share and keep the passengers in your prayers.

 

[irishfanjho15]

On a muh sadder note, I have been told that a medic was called to meet the ND charter plane when it lands in ten minutes because someone on board is having a heart attack. I dot want to spread rumors but I thought I would share and keep the passengers in your prayers.

D@mn, that's crazy. Hope everyone is good.

 

[Sureal]

Atkinson reminds me of Eric Dickerson. He is perfectly suited as a Rb who plays at deep I formation depth. That way he gets the time to see what hole he can accelerate through and take it to the house. Even though he was not at I depth on his TD run, he had a lot of time to read the lanes before he picked one and took off. And the zone blocking scheme they're using fits that concept perfectly.

Funny you say he reminds you of Eric Dickerson because I used to think "If dude keep running straight up like that he about to get blown up"
I think the same way about Atkinson.

 

[Irish To The Core]

A few impressions:

Ishaq looked much better than Shembo. That bonehead facemasking penalty could have been suicide against one of the great teams on the schedule.

KeiVarae Russell and Bennett Jackson have targets sewn onto their jerseys. I am hoping they will show better when they are prepared to play against a team who can be expected to pass.

Cierre Wood must be regretting whatever he did to earn that suspension. Another performance like that from the next men in and Cierre could find himself at #3 on the depth chart with McDaniel hot on his heels.

 

[BGIF]

A few impressions:

Ishaq looked much better than Shembo. That bonehead facemasking penalty could have been suicide against one of the great teams on the schedule.

KeiVarae Russell and Bennett Jackson have targets sewn onto their jerseys. I am hoping they will show better when they are prepared to play against a team who can be expected to pass.

Cierre Wood must be regretting whatever he did to earn that suspension. Another performance like that from the next men in and Cierre could find himself at #3 on the depth chart with McDaniel hot on his heels.

All ND DBs are targets until they prove otherwise. They were the weak link coming into the season and nothing changed to the contrary.

IF you were a OC would you game plan running against ND's Front 7 or going after the Secondary?

 

[dshans]

IF you were an OC would you game plan running against ND's Front 7 or going after the Secondary?

BGIF, I hereby charge you with treason for aiding and abetting the enemy.



Oh, wait ... it's obvious and public knowledge.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V3FnpaWQJO0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>​

 

[Buster Bluth]

Cierre Wood must be regretting whatever he did to earn that suspension. Another performance like that from the next men in and Cierre could find himself at #3 on the depth chart with McDaniel hot on his heels.

Absolutely not.

Cierre is still the best back. He's faster than Riddick, and doesnt get arm tackled nearly as often. He's just the most complete back on the roster. I would assume that his pass blocking is far superior too.

 

[betecd]

Overall a good showing, Golson looked calm, cool and collected. Running game looks strong, Cam looks like a player. One of the biggest things I noticed was the energy of the whole team, they were all up for the game, even the players on the sideline looked energized. Our schedule may be tough but at least we got to warm up against Navy, and Purdue next week.

Great points overall. For me it's tough not to be a prisoner of the moment on a lot of things on this game. I will say the thing that stood out the most to me was the energy level of the team. It seemed electric. Each unit seemed to feel as one each time one of them made a big play it seemed like they all celebrated together. I know it is not a quantifiable trait but with all the hoo rah and next man in feel that is something that really stood out for the first time since I can remember. My fellow Irish fans I watch the game with are ultimate pessimists(as I am a recovering one) The one thing I could not stand is the fact that Lynch kept coming up in a what if scenario. I can tell you this... If our front seven builds on our successes this team and band of brothers is gonna be special. Same for o-line and offense.

 

[Redbar]

For a first game, and overseas at that, pretty good start. For the most part their execution was sold. A lot of freshmen got their first taste. Protected the ball. Kelly has to be pleased with the start although he may not admit it publicly.

Golson played well, needs to work on not focusing on one receiver.

Diaco made good adjustments when needed.

Get on the plane, get on home. There's work to do.

Every team in the country has work to do at this point. Let's enjoy the win!

Good Perspective. For a team that found ways to beat themselves last year, it was really nice to see us play solid clean football. Well managed game by the staff and then the players, no need to show a lot more to future opponents. Great teams aren't always the funnest teams to watch, (I'm talking to you Alabama) but they win. We did that. Hurry back lots of work to do this is the week where we should see the most improvement and we'll need to against Purdue. Biggest thing was no injuries, with those chop blocks and an always game opponent. I am extremely satisfied.

 

[BobD]

Great win!

Our pass defense - Yikes! Lots to work on in practice.

I do feel that teams attempting to take advantage of our lacking pass coverage might lose a QB to a bell ringing.

If we can't cover the receivers we need to cut off the pass at its source.

 

[arrowryan]

Absolutely not.

Cierre is still the best back. He's faster than Riddick, and doesnt get arm tackled nearly as often. He's just the most complete back on the roster. I would assume that his pass blocking is far superior too.

He might be faster than Riddick but GA3 is by far faster than Cierre. If anyone is going to take the starting spot from Cierre, it's going to be GA3

 

[koonja]

This is so far down the road but we need to replace Zeke imo by the time we play USC. Lee and Woods will both have 200 yards against us with their speed. He's still too slow.

 

[kmoose]

1. Sorry, I'm visiting family this weekend, and wasn't able to get on and start my normal post game thread. Thanks for picking up the slack, Riddickulous.

2. The running game looked good. But it was Navy. I was pleased to see the giant holes, the backs hitting those holes, and then the backs finishing off runs with their shoulders. But I will refrain from getting too excited until I see them play a team that is not as undersized as Navy. Still, they did what they were supposed to do; they dominated.

3. I was surprised that there were no designed runs for Golson. I keep hearing about what a beast he is, running the ball........ you'd think that Kelly would have wanted him to get a few runs under his belt, to build his confidence. I would guess that Kelly was either not showing how Golson's running plays would develop, to pull them out when he needed them and have them be a bit of a surprise, or.......... he didn't want to take a chance on Golson getting injured. Given the relative lack of size on the Navy D, I'm going to hope that Kelly didn't want to show his hand, just yet, where a running QB is concerned.

4. Stephon Tuitt. 6'6", 305, 77 yard fumble recovery for 6. Those are some incredible numbers. A job well done, son.

5. I saw a TON of Sophs and Freshmen in this game, at various points, including early, middle, and late. This team has the potential to be really good, and be really good for more than just a year.

6. Keivarae Russell is NOT "ready for primetime", just yet. Hopefully this kid will grow into a fine corner, but he's obviously not ready for that yet. He's going to have some tough games ahead, before it gets better. Hang in there, Keivarae!

7. Can we get at least ONE JC transfer exemption, and get a real punter in here? The punting was atrocious. Even the one that pinned Navy inside of the 10 was actually a bad punt; it was a short line drive, in a spot where you what you really want is hang time.

Good opening win. But lots of stuff to improve on. If those things don't improve, then this win will be a sidenote, at the end of the season. Get 'er done, fellers.

 

[Dizzyphil]

My favorite part of today was that we didn't do any razzle dazzle. We ran a very vanilla offense. We ran a very basic defense. And we won by 40 points purely by physicality at the point of contact. We dominated the trenches.

When is the last time we can say that we physically overwhelmed an opponent to this extent? This is a good day.

I couldn't agree more. We played, dare I say it, Lou Holtz football against Navy. What I did like on offense was the pass distribution among the receivers - 10 different receivers got the ball. Need to build on this and get the secondary trained and beefed up.

GO IRISH,

Diz

 

[IrishLax]

O: RBs are a top-to-bottom very solid unit. OL dominated, but I'm going to wait and see how Golic & Co. do against a Purdue team with a 1st round NFL talent at DT before anoint them as awesome. Niklas and Koyack need to play with more consistency, there were a couple plays that just left me shaking my head. WRs and QB should be good enough to win games this year... we held a lot back and could've taken more shots. Golson missed a handful of plays but that's to be expect... his lack of fumble of the blind side sack was refreshing to say the least.

D: Hard to judge secondary when they were playing a specific way to stop the run. Yeah, they gave up a couple deep pass plays... but w/e. Hard to pitch a perfect game. I will say that I've always railed against the lack of pure footspeed that Motta has... and it was incredibly evident today. He will get picked on all year and the 1-for-1 swap of Harrison Smith for Motta is a downgrade of monumental proportions. Front 7 is probably better than every team we face this year except maybe MSU... that's promising.

ST: Holy hell were they awful in every phase. PK, P, KO, holder, etc. need to get fixed NOW. They got an F for the day.

 

[koonja]

I'm assuming BK didn't run Golson because A) he doesn't want to risk injury and B) It's a lot easier to judge/understand running talent through practice than it is, say how Golson will handle live passing.

When Cierre's back, I'm interested to see how BK uses the 3 backs. I wonder if they'll run some sort of the wildcat with theo playing the QB.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

My first game impressions are that absolutely nothing this team does will impress some of you. Also, this is why Kelly got the job and you didn't.

Gotta tell you, Kissme is right as usual. When you look at OMM, or BGIF or a few other posts there is some attempt at objectivism. The rest trail of quite quickly and end up in small penis syndrome. Nothing will make these people happy because of what they don't have.

This is the first time in ten years I have seen an ND team the absolute aggressor in a Navy game and out hit them right to the final whistle, right off the field.

Half the mistakes today were as a result of traveling 6000 miles from home and playing on an absolute shiit field that had been down for five weeks. Did you see the cleats they were forced to use?

The majority of the rest were rookie mistakes. Golson, Neal, and Russell. They all adjusted well, nobody let their mistakes get the best of them.

So you have a rookie defensive backfield, take it out of its normal pass coverage schemes to load the box, force it to suffer personnel changes, hit it with two personnel injuries, and then keep it in a "load the box" configuration. And on top of all that Zeke Motta hit like a freight train. You can't tell anything about the defensive backfield after today except they do what the coaches say, hit hard, and have more than enough talent to be successful.

Does the ND defensive backfield have enough talent to ground Ok, USC, Stanford, or BYU? Who knows? But that is what the games are for! Do they have enough for MSU and UM? I am kinda beginning to like the odds. But I am so tired of the nitpicking. Are some of you trying to prove your intelligence? Save your time; some things remain best left unsaid. Just remember the old standard that Abraham Lincoln swore by:

 

[Buster Bluth]

He might be faster than Riddick but GA3 is by far faster than Cierre. If anyone is going to take the starting spot from Cierre, it's going to be GA3

And that's not going to happen.

 

[BurningRiver]

Gotta tell you, Kissme is right as usual. When you look at OMM, or BGIF or a few other posts there is some attempt at objectivism. The rest trail of quite quickly and end up in small penis syndrome. Nothing will make these people happy because of what they don't have.

This is the first time in ten years I have seen an ND team the absolute aggressor in a Navy game and out hit them right to the final whistle, right off the field.

Half the mistakes today were as a result of traveling 6000 miles from home and playing on an absolute shiit field that had been down for five weeks. Did you see the cleats they were forced to use.

The majority of the rest were rookie mistakes. Golson, Neal, and Russell. They all adjusted well, nobody let their mistakes get the best of them.

So you have a rookie defensive backfield, take it out of its normal pass coverage schemes to load the box, force it to suffer personnel changes, hit it with two personnel injuries, and then keep it in a "load the box" configuration. And on top of all that Zeke Motta hit like a freight train. You can't tell anything about the defensive backfield after today except they do what the coaches say, hit hard, and have more than enough talent to be successful.

Does the ND defensive backfield have enough talent to ground Ok, USC, Stanford, or BYU? Who knows? But that is what the games are for! Do they have enough for MSU and UM? I am kinda beginning to like the odds. But I am so tired of the nitpicking. Are some of you trying to prove your intelligence? Save your time; some things remain best left unsaid. Just remember the old standard that Abraham Lincoln swore by:

Are you trying to force-feed me Kool-Aid?