1. Tough loss tonight. You can really see how close ND is to being able to play with just about anyone. At times, ND clearly had the talent and execution to win this game. At other times, they looked like a middle of road ACC team.
Lived this script enough this year...start slow on O...tackle NO ONE on D for an extended period of time...hand momentum to the other team...and fight like hell to come back...just not something you fix with anything other than leadership and gut check
2. Turnovers.............. I'd prefer that everyone use a little class when discussing this point, but Tommy really hurt our chances with two late INTs. But he also hung in to deliver a completion, on many plays in the first 3 quarters, that kept us close.
He is who he is...I cannot think of a single game that better represents a career. Many really heady decisions, and gritty deliveries...combined with unbelievably ill-timed head scratchers. If you wanted to end the regular season with a game that reflected this QB, this offense, this team...you could not have scripted it better.
3. We obviously need to get better in the secondary. Tackling was poor, and coverage was spotty. But, just when you are about to scream about Farley or Jackson, they make an excellent play. Again.......... inconsistency.
They make me crazy...yes they had a couple plays...but still too many on the minus side...If you re-watch Stanford's first two scores...you can see this in spades. Can't afford to wait until you've handed over momentum to play well.
4. We played to a draw, I think, on both sides of the line tonight. Neither team really dominated the LOS all night. They dominated in spurts, but not consistently.
I disagree...Stanford ran the ball at will...D-line was catching most of the night until the last couple possessions...yes those were nice stands...but the D front 7 overall got trucked most of the time. Its not like Gafney was running outside...
5. This team played hard for 4 quarters. No one quit, and I bet that not a one of the starters has anything left in the tank right now. I think they truly left it all out there on the field.
Yea...they played pretty hard, particularly at the end.
6. Red Zone offense continues to baffle me. I get that we are missing a mobile QB who can make plays with his feet, but can we not find another way to keep the defense honest? Every pass play in the Red Zone goes into the End Zone. Why not run some crossing routes underneath, and try to get a WR running away from a LB or DB? Or how about a swing pass to the RB? Give me something other than a fade or a halfback dive.
I don't know...I still don't see clean execution enough to think the coaches are crazy...yet I do not see them recognize and adjust much and try to get someone or something going that changes this potency issue.
