Post Game Observations (Pitt)...

[T Town Tommy]

Usually don't complain about the officiating but I used to work with an SEC ref when I lived in Tenn years back. He hated Tenn and said that he would bury them with a holding call whenever they were pinned inside their own twenty. Said he did it every chance he got. I hated Tenn so I just laughed and said keep on throwing the hanky.

 

[GowerND11]

Usually don't complain about the officiating but I used to work with an SEC ref when I lived in Tenn years back. He hated Tenn and said that he would bury them with a holding call whenever they were pinned inside their own twenty. Said he did it every chance he got. I hated Tenn so I just laughed and said keep on throwing the hanky.

And isn't that the problem? We ask referees to be as objective as they can, yet they blatantly do stuff like that. It's hard I understand because at the end of the day referees are fans of the game and teams. They ref hopefully because they love doing it and want to make a positive contribution to the game. Obviously they are screened in some capacity at least in dealing with which teams are their favorites, but how can you screen a guy on teams he hates? And the fact that this kind of stuff happens across the country is inexcusable. I'm not saying this whole crew has it out for ND, but it is interesting how it all has happened in the two games they were a part of.

 

[IrishLax]

Usually don't complain about the officiating but I used to work with an SEC ref when I lived in Tenn years back. He hated Tenn and said that he would bury them with a holding call whenever they were pinned inside their own twenty. Said he did it every chance he got. I hated Tenn so I just laughed and said keep on throwing the hanky.

Now imagine a school that has more haters than any other in the country. And often uses refs from the oppositions' conference, except when on the road where "neutral" refs are used.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Personally, I like the idea of doing away with conference affiliation when it comes to officiating. Several logistical concerns with that approach however. Some conferences have come a long way in the recent past by grading their officials. This has helped our conference get better at officiating and has led to some suspensions along the way.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Not to offend anyone, but I'll give my outsider's view. Here are the things I've noticed:

1. Conditioning, strength, and raw physical toughness need improvement.

2. Tackling and bad angles are a constant problem.

3. Players make mistakes, but when they make the same ones over & over, they aren't being taught and corrected.

4. Everybody does it sometimes, but ND is consistently playing up or down to their opponent's level instead of playing to their own level.

5. Defensive schemes and offensive play calling is too predictable, vanilla, and simple.

6. Too few players showing improvement, mastering the fundamentals, knowing their assignments correctly, being properly motivated, or being in top condition.

All of this indicates to me a problem with coaching. I think Kelly is a good to very good coach with the potential to be a very good to elite HC, but 99% of the problems I've seen and read you guys complaining about seem to fall on the position coaches and coordinators just not doing a particularly good job.

ND has talent and the ND brand makes recruiting top talent relatively easy, but the assistants have to develop those players, do a better job of teaching them, correcting their mistakes, and get more out of them than they've been doing. It may be time for Kelly to do a major overhaul of his staff.

Sometimes a view from the outside shows a more accurate picture than the one viewed from within.

 

[RyCo1983]

Sometimes a view from the outside shows a more accurate picture than the one viewed from within.

Agreed.
He's not far off.

 

[philipm31]

Sounds more like Bishop is dead-on with his analysis.

And just think, he likely does not really care to watch ND games as much as we do and he can see these things.

 

[yankeehater]

Sorry about being a little late to the party, but have been dealing with a family emergency.

Without reading every single post and going over the hundred things that were wrong with the game I wanted to bring up two other items.

1) Why in the heck was that 54 yard FG even tried? What are the %'s of an NFL kicker making that let alone a college kicker? At that point Pitt had not really moved the ball so why not punt.

2) Why in the heck (part 2) did ESPN post that idiot TE (I believe) comments about ND? So what he thinks ND players and coaches are cocky. You tell me opponents don't feel the same about Saban and Bama or maybe SC now or especially during the Carroll era. I do not recall them putting up someone's picture during the game and then promote the quote's. I know that hate ND, but I thought that was poor.

 

[yankeehater]

I still do not understand how the D stopped on the fumble. Even if they thought it was a pass, the ball went backwards so it is still live. I am sure Kelly has not slept over that one. They should make them run for three hours after balls in practice to hammer that home.

 

[BGIF]

I still do not understand how the D stopped on the fumble. Even if they thought it was a pass, the ball went backwards so it is still live. I am sure Kelly has not slept over that one. They should make them run for three hours after balls in practice to hammer that home.

Nobody moved on either team. They all thought the play was dead. For all the smarts ND players need to compete in the classroom, you'd have thought they'd figure it out first. But they didn't. It was a Pitt player who first had the "awe ****" moment as he said to himself, "Hey the refs aren't moving to pick up the ball for the next play. Geez, I wonder if that's still a live ball like my coaches told me in Pop Warner maybe I should do something ... " Actually they took more time to move than to say those two sentences but PITT did make the first move to recover and ND left 6 points on the field.

"It was still Tommy's fault."

 

[gkIrish]

Nobody moved on either team. They all thought the play was dead. For all the smarts ND players need to compete in the classroom, you'd have thought they'd figure it out first. But they didn't. It was a Pitt player who first had the "awe ****" moment as he said to himself, "Hey the refs aren't moving to pick up the ball for the next play. Geez, I wonder if that's still a live ball like my coaches told me in Pop Warner maybe I should do something ... " Actually they took more time to move than to say those two sentences but PITT did make the first move to recover and ND left 6 points on the field.

"It was still Tommy's fault."

If I remember correctly that play was near the Pitt sideline. Easier for Pitt players to react because they hear their name being yelled by their coaches.

 

[BGIF]

If I remember correctly that play was near the Pitt sideline. Easier for Pitt players to react because they hear their name being yelled by their coaches.

I didn't notice that but it would make sense.


Still doesn't excuse so many guys on both teams not chasing a questionable "loose" ball until the whistle blows.

 

[Irish Insanity]

If I remember correctly that play was near the Pitt sideline. Easier for Pitt players to react because they hear their name being yelled by their coaches.

Actually in the coaches were yelling at their players to pick it up and one coach was a step on the field I believe. Thats how our players finally reacted. They heard their coaches.

 

[RDU Irish]

BYU is not a bad team though... Even so, it's pretty clear this team goes as Tommy does... If that's not clear after four years, then nothing is... If he protects the ball ND beats BYU

I put "bad" in quotation marks because it seems at least half the people on this board thinks teams are bad if they are a top 5 team.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Hopefully BYU doesn't kick a FG on the opening drive. If we get behind, we'll have to empty the backfield for the rest of the game!

 

[RDU Irish]

Speaking of officiating, just found out this is the same crew that did the Michigan game. You know, the Michigan game where the line moved reallllllllly funny right before kickoff... and then there was a very controversial PI call on Bennett Jackson on what would've been a stop and gotten us the ball back with a chance to take the lead.... is it coincidence that the two games with the fishiest lines pro-ND also are the two with really big questionable calls and are by the same crew? Maybe. Maybe not.

Really loving this new arrangement with the ACC.

This simply infuriates me. Swarbrick must refuse to ever allow that pack of a$$hats to ever ref an ND game again. Plenty of other ACC crews to choose from, probably more than a coincidence we got the same one twice. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[RDU Irish]

Nobody moved on either team. They all thought the play was dead. For all the smarts ND players need to compete in the classroom, you'd have thought they'd figure it out first. But they didn't. It was a Pitt player who first had the "awe ****" moment as he said to himself, "Hey the refs aren't moving to pick up the ball for the next play. Geez, I wonder if that's still a live ball like my coaches told me in Pop Warner maybe I should do something ... " Actually they took more time to move than to say those two sentences but PITT did make the first move to recover and ND left 6 points on the field.

"It was still Tommy's fault."

I was there, screaming and could have probably run down from row 20 and recovered the damn ball it took so long for either team to react. Inexcusable. I think it highlighted our defensive passivity. Need more of a ball hawking, we can score too mentality and I have never seen it under Diaco.

 

[philipm31]

Nobody moved on either team. They all thought the play was dead. For all the smarts ND players need to compete in the classroom, you'd have thought they'd figure it out first. But they didn't. It was a Pitt player who first had the "awe ****" moment as he said to himself, "Hey the refs aren't moving to pick up the ball for the next play. Geez, I wonder if that's still a live ball like my coaches told me in Pop Warner maybe I should do something ... " Actually they took more time to move than to say those two sentences but PITT did make the first move to recover and ND left 6 points on the field.

"It was still Tommy's fault."

Yes, Tommy's 2 4Q INTs killed the Irish's hopes, along with the botched recovery. Those three play essentially decided the game and they were all in the 4th Qtr. Mental Mistakes from the QB on down are a MAJOR factor in what ails this team.

Just as I was saying about there needing to be a bigger and better emphasis on ST, my main point is that it is the DETAILS that make the difference in close games...and being able to pay attention the details at all times is called being mentally tough....which this team is not, sadly.

 

[Bluto]

Did James Onwaulu catch a pass in this game? I remeber it being him, but I was watching the game on a 17" Sylvania at a bar out in the sticks and the picture was pretty fuzzy.

 

[Redbar]

Did James Onwaulu catch a pass in this game? I remeber it being him, but I was watching the game on a 17" Sylvania at a bar out in the sticks and the picture was pretty fuzzy.

Yeah, he went up high and snagged a nice pass near the sideline.

 

[blackirish]

I dont know. I just think Pitt is one of those teams that you never know which one you're going to get and they seem to always " gash " us on the ground when or loose, I mean this goes all the way back to when " Shaddy McCoy was running the rock @ Pitt.. he killed us..hey they will proably beat VT again and they sure as hell are going to beat Miami.
oh well lets get ready for BYU.

 

[blackirish]

Gators might not make a bowl game...just saying

YEP,and how long you think that thier AD Jeremy Foley is going to put up with that **** !

 

[blackirish]

Two titles that no one remembers anymore. All anyone remembers is Tebow.

uhhhh Sherm , when was our last NC title ?????

 

[ulukinatme]

This simply infuriates me. Swarbrick must refuse to ever allow that pack of a$$hats to ever ref an ND game again. Plenty of other ACC crews to choose from, probably more than a coincidence we got the same one twice. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Yeah, say what you will about the destruction of the old Big East, but I never had any major problems with those refs. The B1G refs on the other hand...they had a few questionable calls when we played them at home.

 

[Irish#1]

Okay, It's hump day. time to put Pitt to bed and start worrying in the BYU thread.

 

[blackirish]

Not to blame officiating but is it just me but when Tuitt went out due to that bad call, it seemed to me that Pitt actually believed that they could beat us. It seemed that before that play they were just getting dominated and beat but then Tuitt went out and they just gained a new life.

Dude Pitt believe thay can beat us every year and baiscally what have we've done in the last few seasons for them to believe anything else, what, the win ( or gift depending on who you talk to) last season ??