Post Game Observations(NW)

[DCirishfan]

I honestly don't really know where to begin.

Kelly made some baffling decisions. I have no idea why he went for 2. It made no sense. Even if you get it, if they score two touchdowns they're very, very likely to beat you. If you just kick the extra point, you force them to need to score two TDs to win, rather than letting them tie it with a field goal, TD, and 2 point conversion. There was no upside to going for two. It was just a really awful decision that you would never expect a college football coach to make.

Why he brought McDaniel into run late was stupid as well. Take the ****ing knee and give them the ball back with 10-15 seconds left, needing 50 yards to have a realistic chance at a FG.

Kelly called the game like a nine year old playing Madden yesterday. That's not my biggest concern though.

Why in the hell is a team of Notre Dame's talent level letting 3-6 North-freaking-Western play with them, in their own damn stadium? Northwestern is straight garbage. One of the worst 5-10 power 5 teams in the country. It was a game ND should have won by 20 at a minimum. Why is ND letting these crappy teams play with them week in and week out? We're reaching Charlie Weis territory, where every week against an inferior opponent ND struggles. We struggled with an awful Purdue team. We struggled with a bad Navy team. We lost to a pitiful Northwestern team. We didn't exactly blow Syracuse out of the water. I understand the team is young, particularly defensively, but there is way too much talent on this roster for ND to be struggling so badly against inferior opponents.

Kelly simply isn't getting everything out of these guys right now. It's like ND just expects to win because they stepped onto the field. They're way, way too careless when they have the ball (particularly Golson), the offensive line doesn't get much of a push in the run game in spite of having a huge size advantage most weeks, and I have no idea what is wrong with a defense that has done a complete 180 over the last month.

These last two games are going to be telling. Does the team roll over and play dead or do they come out against two good teams pissed off? Kelly needs to have these guys playing with a chip on their shoulder, and they need to play like they have something to prove. If I was him, I would tell him that no one's job is safe and I wouldn't hesitate to make a quick sub if someone was playing lackadaisically or carelessly.

ND has been playing with fire all season and finally got burnt yesterday. Kelly needs to get the ship righted fast. That loss was easily the worst since the Charlie Weis era, IMO. I know we had some pitiful losses in Kelly's first year but I'm giving him a pass for that season, due to it mainly being with Weis's recruits. This is year 5. He's had more than enough time to have the team winning games they should easily be winning.

I know there's a lot of fear around here that he may bolt for the NFL, but with the exception of 2012, ND has been a consistent 4-5 loss team since he's been here (and likely heading towards that again this season). While I think Kelly is the man for the job and the program is in the best shape it's been in since the Holtz era, I'm not terrified at the idea of Kelly leaving. The talent level has risen rapidly since he's got here, but we still have a long, long way ago to being an elite program.

We return nearly everyone defensively and a very good chunk of the offense next season. The schedule isn't all that daunting either. Anything more than two losses in the regular season would be a colossal disappointment for Notre Dame next season, and it will be easily be the most important season of the Brian Kelly era. It will be year 6 and, on paper, this team will be loaded. No more excuses next season, and no more "wait till next year." I'm tired of this team becoming the college football version of the Chicago Cubs.

Cubs are far worse lol . I have always been against coaches here that are pass happy.

 

[Rocket 94]

I have always been fearful of coaches that are pass happy as well. ND needs a coach that runs the football and imposes its will on its opponents. For ND to struggle with Northwestern is a travesty and those type of games are what gets coaches at ND fired. Kelly has two more games to show what the team is about but if they fold up and go 7-5 I think Kelly gets one more year to prove himself. 10-2 next year (either a playoff appearance or new year's six bowl) and winning that new year's bowl. If not I think you need to look in a different direction to take the next step.

Kelly is a good coach but not sure if he is a great coach at this level. In year 6 he needs to win either the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Peach, Orange or Cotton Bowls. Holtz was 5-3 in those bowls during his tenure. Kelly so far is 0-1 in major bowls. That will not cut it at ND.

 

[yankeehater]

I have always been fearful of coaches that are pass happy as well. ND needs a coach that runs the football and imposes its will on its opponents. For ND to struggle with Northwestern is a travesty and those type of games are what gets coaches at ND fired. Kelly has two more games to show what the team is about but if they fold up and go 7-5 I think Kelly gets one more year to prove himself. 10-2 next year (either a playoff appearance or new year's six bowl) and winning that new year's bowl. If not I think you need to look in a different direction to take the next step.

Kelly is a good coach but not sure if he is a great coach at this level. In year 6 he needs to win either the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Peach, Orange or Cotton Bowls. Holtz was 5-3 in those bowls during his tenure. Kelly so far is 0-1 in major bowls. That will not cut it at ND.

What is the saying? There are three things that can happen when you pass and two are not good.

I think this team you could say seven things and six are not good.

 

[Huntr]

There's so much I'm pissed off with about this team that I don't even want to take the time to write it all down, because I get more pissed and less coherent the farther I go and I don't want to spend that kind of time detailing all this stupid shit, anyway.

To me, the bottom line is the buck stops at the HC's office desk. He needs to fix a lot of shit in recruiting, development, play-calling, and management.

Fix the immediately fixable shit that is incredibly frustrating - the kick holding, the play-calling/the clock management.

There are some very talented players on this squad and some horrific ones. Put the talented ones in positions to makes plays, put the shitty ones in positions to minimize negative impacts. That's on play-calling.

These last 2 games are gonna be a bloodbath if this isn't fixed right now. Maybe they will, anyway.

 

[MJ12666]

In the beginning of the last drive by NW when they tied the game, a wide receiver caught a pass and then fumbled. A ND player was standing there reaching down to pick up the ball when another ND player came sliding in and knocked the ball out of bounds. The play did not get much attention and I was curious who the sliding player was. Does anyone know?

 

[dang227]

Tranquill knocked it away from Farley.


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[MJ12666]

Tranquill knocked it away from Farley.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks.

 

[Catholics_Rule]

I've been thinking about how poorly Golson has played the last half of the season and thought of the 2011 season.

About a month before the 2011 season started Coach Kelly named Dayne Crist his starting QB. After one bad half of football he benched Crist for Tommy Rees. The 2011 season is long gone but Crist had much better athletic ability snd stronger arm. Coach Kelly didn't think twice and pulled Crist during the USF game.

Is it not interesting to anyone that Coach Kelly has kept Everett Golson in for far greater mistakes (18 turnovers) this season and not tried Zaire?

 

[Crazy Balki]

Anyone point me to a list of our injuries in addition to the frozen four?

Schmidt (ankle)
Riggs (foot)
Luke (can't remember, but I think it was his ankle)
Day (knee)
Jones (not sure, but probably knee)
Cage (not sure)
Collinsworth (MCL IIRC, hasn't looked the same since he's been back)
Grace (wrecked leg)

 

[Crazy Balki]

Zaire really needs to start next week. Golson is a turnover mess, and with his throwing shoulder messed up, it minimizes what he can do. Zaire was already a more athletic, more cerebral QB and healthy. Time to make the change.

 

[kmoose]

Zaire really needs to start next week. Golson is a turnover mess, and with his throwing shoulder messed up, it minimizes what he can do. Zaire was already a more athletic, more cerebral QB and healthy. Time to make the change.

Wow, just wow......

 

[Crazy Balki]

I've been thinking about how poorly Golson has played the last half of the season and thought of the 2011 season.

About a month before the 2011 season started Coach Kelly named Dayne Crist his starting QB. After one bad half of football he benched Crist for Tommy Rees. The 2011 season is long gone but Crist had much better athletic ability snd stronger arm. Coach Kelly didn't think twice and pulled Crist during the USF game.

Is it not interesting to anyone that Coach Kelly has kept Everett Golson in for far greater mistakes (18 turnovers) this season and not tried Zaire?

Well, that was mainly because that was during the first game of the season, while Golson was dominant in the first half of the year. But with him hurt now, I have to say that Zaire is unquestionably the go-to guy now. You can't play Golson hurt. His throwing shoulder diminishes his ability to throw it deep, which is what he's best at. It also screws up his motions, as seen yesterday.

 

[Crazy Balki]

If UL and USC win then yes BK is on notice.

Honestly, I could see BK leaving for the NFL on his own free will if that were to happen. Kelly has done well for us recruiting wise and program wise, but his on-field coaching has been abysmal at several times over the last 4 years.

 

[IrishLion]

Zaire really needs to start next week. Golson is a turnover mess, and with his throwing shoulder messed up, it minimizes what he can do. Zaire was already a more athletic, more cerebral QB and healthy. Time to make the change.

I wouldn't blow a gasket if Zaire played, and I'll be mildly upset if Bryant doesn't see some action.

But if Golson is healthy, he's gonna be the guy. How do you know Zaire is the more "cerebral" QB though?

 

[IrishLion]

Honestly, I could see BK leaving for the NFL on his own free will if that were to happen. Kelly has done well for us recruiting wise and program wise, but his on-field coaching has been abysmal at several times over the last 4 years.

Not sure BK would get an NFL job if that happens.

 

[GoIrish41]

Honestly, I could see BK leaving for the NFL on his own free will if that were to happen. Kelly has done well for us recruiting wise and program wise, but his on-field coaching has been abysmal at several times over the last 4 years.

Who in the NFL wants Kelly now? In 2012 he led a team who nobody expected to do well to the title game. This year he has led a very talented team to mediocrity. Not exactly the type of thing that GMs are drooling over.

 

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Wow, just wow......

I agree.

Start Kizer

 

[EifertPower]

I've been thinking about how poorly Golson has played the last half of the season and thought of the 2011 season.

About a month before the 2011 season started Coach Kelly named Dayne Crist his starting QB. After one bad half of football he benched Crist for Tommy Rees. The 2011 season is long gone but Crist had much better athletic ability snd stronger arm. Coach Kelly didn't think twice and pulled Crist during the USF game.

Is it not interesting to anyone that Coach Kelly has kept Everett Golson in for far greater mistakes (18 turnovers) this season and not tried Zaire?

Golson is the least of our problems. He consistently puts up 30-40 points. That should be enough. The real issue that finally after yesterday's game people are willing to acknowledge is our extremely weak and porous defense. It's one of the worst defenses in the nation over the past 5 games. The coaching staff doesn't have the players or the schemes to cover it up any longer. UNC exposed us, we managed to hide it in the first half of the Florida State game, but since then the cat is out of the bag...

we can't stop anyone.
we can't generation a pass rush with a 3 or 4 -man front.
we tackle sloppy.

don't be fooled by the mirage that we stopped Florida State late in the 4th when they were predictably just trying to run the ball or when Arizona State stopped taking risks and tried to run out the clock in the 2nd half until we cut it to 3 points.

A lot of this was to be expected when you graduate two NFL players like Nix and Tuitt and compound the issue when Russell and Ishaq and Hardy are suspended in August. You can't overlook this fact. Then, the few promising players who are stepping up --Day, Riggs, and Schmidt--get injured badly and it's basically running on fumes and that's not good enough. Not to mention Collingsworth getting injured early in the season as well.

This influences every decision Kelly/Golson have to make. They know we need to win the turnover margin and score 40+ points to win each game. That's a heck of a lot of pressure. In other words put up a lot of points but don't ever make mistakes. Good luck with that over the course of a season.

The good news is that assuming no one turns pro (please don't Day) and assuming Russell and Ishaq come back, i think we can be pretty elite on defense next year. Luke has been rather impressive, Morgan will be better with a year under his belt, and Farley has made some big time plays this year. Schmidt also proved to be the glue which was my fear when he got injured. Had we jumped on Navy by 3 - 4 touchdowns at half, he could have been rested the fourth quarter.

 

[Catholics_Rule]

Golson is the least of our problems. He consistently puts up 30-40 points. That should be enough. The real issue that finally after yesterday's game people are willing to acknowledge is our extremely weak and porous defense. It's one of the worst defenses in the nation over the past 5 games. The coaching staff doesn't have the players or the schemes to cover it up any longer. UNC exposed us, we managed to hide it in the first half of the Florida State game, but since then the cat is out of the bag...

we can't stop anyone.
we can't generation a pass rush with a 3 or 4 -man front.
we tackle sloppy.

don't be fooled by the mirage that we stopped Florida State late in the 4th when they were predictably just trying to run the ball or when Arizona State stopped taking risks and tried to run out the clock in the 2nd half until we cut it to 3 points.

A lot of this was to be expected when you graduate two NFL players like Nix and Tuitt and compound the issue when Russell and Ishaq and Hardy are suspended in August. You can't overlook this fact. Then, the few promising players who are stepping up --Day, Riggs, and Schmidt--get injured badly and it's basically running on fumes and that's not good enough. Not to mention Collingsworth getting injured early in the season as well.

This influences every decision Kelly/Golson have to make. They know we need to win the turnover margin and score 40+ points to win each game. That's a heck of a lot of pressure. In other words put up a lot of points but don't ever make mistakes. Good luck with that over the course of a season.

The good news is that assuming no one turns pro (please don't Day) and assuming Russell and Ishaq come back, i think we can be pretty elite on defense next year. Luke has been rather impressive, Morgan will be better with a year under his belt, and Farley has made some big time plays this year. Schmidt also proved to be the glue which was my fear when he got injured. Had we jumped on Navy by 3 - 4 touchdowns at half, he could have been rested the fourth quarter.

I strongly agree with you about the defense. I think most of it deals with personel on the field but not all of it. With the issues on defense, the turnovers have killed Notre Dame getting ahead and putting the defense in bad situations. IMO bench Golson for Malik and have open QB competition. I'm just surprised that BK hasn't made a change with all the mistake at QB play.

 

[kmoose]

IMO bench Golson for Malik

Is there a full moon tonight or something?

 

[ThePiombino]

Malik won't put anymore points than (healthy) Golson on the board. The defense is still gonna suck, so why make that move unless Golson is not 100%?

 

[scUM Hater]

If Zaire starts we should see plenty of running plays. Everyone will be happy.

 

[irishandy]

WOW...since no one believes in Malik I nominate Montgomery VanGorder!!

 

[IrishinSyria]

WOW...since no one believes in Malik I nominate Montgomery VanGorder!!

It's not that nobody believes in Malik... it's that Golson is having a record setting season (good and bad) and is, liiiiike, the absolute least of this team's problems.

 

[ickythump1225]

Well, that was mainly because that was during the first game of the season, while Golson was dominant in the first half of the year. But with him hurt now, I have to say that Zaire is unquestionably the go-to guy now. You can't play Golson hurt. His throwing shoulder diminishes his ability to throw it deep, which is what he's best at. It also screws up his motions, as seen yesterday.

I'm sure you are basing your desire to bench Golson on concern for his health. I'm also sure BK is only playing Golson because he was dominant against Rice.

 

[ickythump1225]

If Zaire starts we should see plenty of running plays. Everyone will be happy.

No one will be happy because we'll still be running from the shotgun. Let's bring back Tommy Rees and go to a power-I look so we can "impose our will" on everybody.

I'm just as frustrated and pissed as everybody else but man what is going on with all of the "start MZ" crap? Golson didn't make us go for 2, he didn't make the defense fall apart over the past month, didn't decide to not run the block out, doesn't have a fetish for playing Cam McDaniel, didn't call a jet sweep on the goal line, didn't cause our special teams unit to become an absolute embarrassment, etc.

Golson has issues but my god we have so many other issues right now. MZ isn't going to come in and make the defense not suck anymore. He's not going to cure our ST unit of the yips, and he's not going to fix BK's play calling issues and limitations.

 

[Irish Fam]

The more I think about it, the more I don't necessarily hate what BVG is doing.

We all agree that we have a serious lack of experience (maybe talent?) on defense. And that our offense is explosive, even if they shoot themselves in the foot 4-5 times a game.

Therefore, why not try to make some big plays on defense rather than just sit back and let teams slowly score on us?
Try to pressure the quarterback and force turnovers. We know we aren't going to win any games 17-14 like we have in the past. It's a live by the blitz die by the blitz mentality.

It wasn't the terrible scheme at the beginning of the year that it appears to be now.

To me, two things have begun to happen:
1) way too many turnovers
2) unsustainable amount of injuries to key players

Maybe the injuries are just a part of the sport, and we, just like every other team, must deal with them. The turnovers, in my opinion are directly to blame for our recent shortcomings.

 

[scUM Hater]

Too many young guys playing to be a great team this year. That's what it comes down to. Kelly is/has to play for next year and beyond. That may be the reason Tranquillity got the start. Just my opinion. Go ahead and blast it.

 

[Irish YJ]

Just got back home to the ATL. Great trip except for the game....

It's very easy to me.
1. Ball security / Turnovers
2. Mistakes
3. OL
4. Defense

1 is coaching and bad decisions
2 is coaching and youth
3 is youth and talent
4 is youth and injury

All 4 have youth/experience factors. Injuries and talent are what they are. What bothers me is the coaching and bad decisions.

I know the whole Navy thing, I understand we felt a big let down after FSU...

It is what it is right now. We are just not that good. We have a lot of talent and promise, but we are just not that good at the moment.

On a cool note, we were walking from the Eddy St Commons garage in front of the book store. I was on the phone and not paying attention. CR's dad was walking toward us. My buddy who is an older gentleman said hi, and DR stopped briefly and shuck his hand. My buddy is a Tenn fan, and had no idea CR played for us. He was like WTF... What's the Admiral doing here. What the Admiral doing here.... so funny, but great moment for him. He's always wanted to go a game in the Bend, and now he has a cool story to tell.

 

[tko]

Just got back home to the ATL. Great trip except for the game....

It's very easy to me.
1. Ball security / Turnovers
2. Mistakes
3. OL
4. Defense

1 is coaching and bad decisions
2 is coaching and youth
3 is youth and talent
4 is youth and injury

All 4 have youth/experience factors. Injuries and talent are what they are. What bothers me is the coaching and bad decisions.

I know the whole Navy thing, I understand we felt a big let down after FSU...

It is what it is right now. We are just not that good. We have a lot of talent and promise, but we are just not that good at the moment.

On a cool note, we were walking from the Eddy St Commons garage in front of the book store. I was on the phone and not paying attention. CR's dad was walking toward us. My buddy who is an older gentleman said hi, and DR stopped briefly and shuck his hand. My buddy is a Tenn fan, and had no idea CR played for us. He was like WTF... What's the Admiral doing here. What the Admiral doing here.... so funny, but great moment for him. He's always wanted to go a game in the Bend, and now he has a cool story to tell.

And you were that dbag talking on his cell phone!