Post Game Observations....

[anarin]

Tommy just needs reps. He is a true sophmore and will get better over time. He will learn to read the defense better.

We rushed the ball 38 times and held Wake to 3.0 yards a carry.

Defense played great after a shaky start but also created a turnover when it needed to.

This is a process. A win is a win.

We played down to the level of competition in the beginning but the atmosphere, at Wake with the quiet crowd, and being overshadowed with the LSU-Bama game, just made for a get in, win, and get out type situation.

6-3 with a terrible Maryland team up next.

By the way, we did put up 59 and 56 points against the academies. We did beat MSU 31-13. We beat Purdue 38-10 and scored 24 on the road tonight. Struggled but won at Pitt. Stumbled a bit in the beginning but won at Wake.

Still don't see where the doom and gloom attitude is coming from with some people.

I'm not sure how many reps it will take for a guy to stop throwing jump balls into double and triple coverage. It is what it is...

 

[TerryTate]

1. Spring QB practice is going to be interesting
2. Tuitt is going to be ridiculous after an off season.
3. Hope Lynch's ankle is okay
4. Hope Manti's is okay
5. Jonas didn't play with much of a burst today
6. Nice catch Goodman
7. Hope TJ is fine
8. Ed Cunningham is a douchebag.
9. Their defense was good against the run
10. Cierre Looked hungry
11. Blanton is solid
12. Austin Collinsworth may start at safety next year.
13. Kudos to Diaco for his halftime adjustments
14. Defense didn't give up a point in the second half

That's all for now

 

[NDinL.A.]

Right, but Cave played his freshman year and is a legit pro prospect.
Two very good reasons he might not come/be allowed back.
Mike Jr will be here.

Yeah, he'll be allowed back, for sure. And he's not a guy who will get drafted yet, so he'll be back. It's not even a point of discussion - he'll be back.

Jonesman - welcome back! I just knew your Tommy hate would be in full force tonight. He's not very good, no doubt, but he's the best we have and it's just what we have to deal with. After all these posts and arguments, you have still yet to tell me a better option on this roster at this time. It's infuriating at times tp watch him, but it is what it is. Hopefully he either improves greatly or Hendrix/Golson learn the offense like Tommy knows it.

And btw jonesman, Rees' arm strength is markedly better than last year. Still not very good, but way better than last yar. And this is from people who have been at practices and follow the team closely.

For me, I'm drinking my first beers in awhile, celebrating the win. A win is a win is a win, and we just beat a pretty good team (who beat FSU) on the road. We're staring directly at 8-3. I know I'm an optimist, but color me happy after this win.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Good analysis Terry. I always enjoy your input. Go Irish!

 

[BeatSC]

Good Backu QB

Good Backu QB

Tommy is a good quality backup QB and has done his best most inspriing work coming off the bench. As a starter we are a very limited offense and need to rely on the running game, playmakers like Floyd who can make any QB look better than they are, and our defense (can't rely on the special team play). The flee flicker and reverse pass plays took too long to develop and neither ball was delivered with zip and accuracy. Michalel Floyd can outrun the secondary but needs to slow down for the balls. It is painfull to watch an average QB like Wake's make plays with his feet and get first downs when Tommy cannot and will not. Dayne showed last week what it was like to shake off some rushers and pump fake (like Barkely did to us) for an easy first down. Just imagine our running game if the QB could actually hold on to the ball on the read option 2- 3 times a game. This would keep the defense on their heels. Playing Tommy week after week is like accepting no greater expectation from our punt return team than a susccessful fair catch.

The saying goes "Better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all"
I say "better to play the QB with the most upside than to settle for limitations and mediocrity. This is ND for crying out loud not Indiana University! Not that their's anything wrong with that.

 

[Grahambo]

I'm not sure how many reps it will take for a guy to stop throwing jump balls into double and triple coverage. It is what it is...

Well, when you aren't blessed with Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, or Landry Jones skill, things take a little while.

 

[Honey Nut Irish]

That being said, I'm no longer hoping Dayne transfers to a better situation next year. I think its very possible he could put an amazing finish on a hugely disappointing career if he sticks around for one more year.

I agree about Dayne, I would love to see him out there, but I don't see him having any future here. Kelly has obviously made his decision.

If I'm Dayne I go to Stanford, UCLA, or maybe even Cal next year and give myself a fresh look.

I really admire Dayne. He has been nothing but a class act, I respect him more than anyone else on the team and wish him nothing but success.

 

[JoeyGetherall]

1. Spring QB practice is going to be interesting
2. Tuitt is going to be ridiculous after an off season.
3. Hope Lynch's ankle is okay
4. Hope Manti's is okay
5. Jonas didn't play with much of a burst today
6. Nice catch Goodman
7. Hope TJ is fine
8. Ed Cunningham is a douchebag.
9. Their defense was good against the run
10. Cierre Looked hungry
11. Blanton is solid
12. Austin Collinsworth may start at safety next year.
13. Kudos to Diaco for his halftime adjustments
14. Defense didn't give up a point in the second half

That's all for now

I pray Golson or Hendrix go and take it from him.

Lynch and Ishaq too.

Disagree. I thought he turned the corner a couple of times with a good burst.

He is running much better. Not dancing like USC.

Probably should.

Don't tell that to some people. They thought he should be fired after the first quarter.

 

[IrishinSyria]

I agree about Dayne, I would love to see him out there, but I don't see him having any future here. Kelly has obviously made his decision.

If I'm Dayne I go to Stanford, UCLA, or maybe even Cal next year and give myself a fresh look.

I really admire Dayne. He has been nothing but a class act, I respect him more than anyone else on the team and wish him nothing but success.

Yea, I think your probably right. The look Kelly gave Dayne after the USC fumble was one of utter contempt: I think nowhere does Kelly have his "my guy" feelings more than he does when it comes to QB.

That being said, I hope you're wrong. In my mind, Dayne taking over next year while Hendrix gets an extra year to develop is the ideal.

 

[irish o'phile]

Well, when you aren't blessed with Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, or Landry Jones skill, things take a little while.

Or Kevin Kolb or David Gerrard or Matt Hasselback. My point is that he is mediocre. At times, I cringe at the things he does and want him out of the game. At times, I am ok with him. He has a quick release and a cool head. However, he also fixates on receivers, makes poor choices at times, and does not fit the system. I don't hate him, but I don't love him.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Tommy is a good quality backup QB and has done his best most inspriing work coming off the bench. As a starter we are a very limited offense and need to rely on the running game, playmakers like Floyd who can make any QB look better than they are, and our defense (can't rely on the special team play). The flee flicker and reverse pass plays took too long to develop and neither ball was delivered with zip and accuracy. Michalel Floyd can outrun the secondary but needs to slow down for the balls. It is painfull to watch an average QB like Wake's make plays with his feet and get first downs when Tommy cannot and will not. Dayne showed last week what it was like to shake off some rushers and pump fake (like Barkely did to us) for an easy first down. Just imagine our running game if the QB could actually hold on to the ball on the read option 2- 3 times a game. This would keep the defense on their heels. Playing Tommy week after week is like accepting no greater expectation from our punt return team than a susccessful fair catch.

The saying goes "Better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all"
I say "better to play the QB with the most upside than to settle for limitations and mediocrity. This is ND for crying out loud not Indiana University! Not that their's anything wrong with that.

So you're finally admitting you'd rather play the kid that doesn't know the offense (but can run) and lose than play Tommy and win. Wow. Needless to say...not me.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

Just happy to have won this game tonight. Tommy was anything but great as usual. I love this kid to death but we need someone with more potential if we are to ever make the next big step. Our QB play or lack thereof has been an issue in our games this year. We need better play from our QB.

 

[DillonHall]

Yea, I think your probably right. The look Kelly gave Dayne after the USC fumble was one of utter contempt: I think nowhere does Kelly have his "my guy" feelings more than he does when it comes to QB.

That being said, I hope you're wrong. In my mind, Dayne taking over next year while Hendrix gets an extra year to develop is the ideal.

I'd be in for that QB situation.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

The saying goes "Better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all"
I say "better to play the QB with the most upside than to settle for limitations and mediocrity. This is ND for crying out loud not Indiana University! Not that their's anything wrong with that.

Are you making a Matt LoVecchio reference, lol?

Good lord, someone get them on the phone and see if they will take Rees next year. Heh.

I hate that Dayne is a scattergun, and I am really hoping Hendrix gets a couple full series soon, but I would take Dayne at this point.

 

[returnofthemack]

He made a few nice throws but some of his deep throws were downright denardian. I also wet my pants thinking about the stats Floyd would put up if Tommy could push the ball just a little farther down the field.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

1. Tommy is a liability!! I don't buy the crap that Kelly does not have options. I believe he is locked in on Tommy regardless. If we get to a bowl against a team with speed, they will pick him all night long. His ball is SO slow. He threw several ugly ducks tonight.

Ding, ding, ding...

At this point, nothing has shown us that he's the #1 guy...period.

He's behind the best OL we've had in years. He's got the best RB tandem we've had in over a decade. He's got one of the best WRs in the game. And he still stares people down and throws horrid passes.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Ding, ding, ding...

At this point, nothing has shown us that he's the #1 guy...period.

He's behind the best OL we've had in years. He's got the best RB tandem we've had in over a decade. He's got one of the best WRs in the game. And he still stares people down and throws horrid passes.

Don't forget his tight end.

 

[jmoodie]

Other than pulling Kelly's quote, I have to wonder if anyone on the production staff did any legwork. ND people have to live in dorms all 4 years? Nonsense. And pulling that Kelly crap out a week and a half later when it's barely relevant? It's just lazy.

And I thought Notre Dame was a township or whatever. I thought the address there is in Notre Dame, IN. Meaning their trivia question was bullshit, too.

Rees played poorly, our OL did a great job, Jonas is taking control in the backfield, our DL injuries are clearly impacting us quite a bit, our coaches adjusted very well as the game went on. Our defense took control in the second half. Our coaches are quietly very good at making in game adjustments. Sometimes our game plans suck, but we rarely, if ever, don't make big strides during games.

We ran out the clock by running the ball with 5 minutes left in the game. That was HUGE. Should not be overlooked.

All in all, it was a mediocre performance on the road against a decent team, but we were littered with injuries and we did just enough to win.

As always, I'll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day. Winning on the road when you're off should not be underrated. Everyone has off days, but sneaking a win on those days is big in the scope of the season.

Just ask Michigan or Nebraska about games like that. Or go replay our south florida game...

Enjoy the win.

 

[returnofthemack]

So you're finally admitting you'd rather play the kid that doesn't know the offense (but can run) and lose than play Tommy and win. Wow. Needless to say...not me.

I don't think it's fair to say that the kid that doesn't know the offense can't win. Look what Kelly did with Tommy last year. He dumbed down the playbook. I'm sure he could put one of the other QBs in a position to win. Also, it's hardly a guarantee that we win when Tommy plays. If the team as a whole hadn't played so well in the second half, HCTI would be chanting 9-3 for Rees' record. Obviously, I don't want Rees to be benched just because another QB can run faster. Winning out is important for recruiting and morale and I want the seniors to be sent out on a high note - they deserve it. But I can see where the people supporting another QB starting are coming from.

 

[t3hjc]

I like the short term memory a lot of people on this board have.

I'd like to see us start game-planning to attack an opposing team's weaknesses defensively. Other than when we put an emphasis on getting Riddick the ball against Air Force, it seems as though we've done very little plotting. We're still slow to adjust to teams choosing to double-team Floyd.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I don't think it's fair to say that the kid that doesn't know the offense can't win. Look what Kelly did with Tommy last year. He dumbed down the playbook. I'm sure he could put one of the other QBs in a position to win. Also, it's hardly a guarantee that we win when Tommy plays. If the team as a whole hadn't played so well in the second half, HCTI would be chanting 9-3 for Rees' record. Obviously, I don't want Rees to be benched just because another QB can run faster. Winning out is important for recruiting and morale and I want the seniors to be sent out on a high note - they deserve it. But I can see where the people supporting another QB starting are coming from.

Hendrix admittedly doesn't know the offense. He's clearly more gifted than Rees, but can't do it mentally yet. Rees knew way more of the offense last year than Hendrix still knows. And Crist, as big of a fan of his I am (Socal native), simply doesn't have 'it', no matter how great of a guy he is. I'm with many of you...I WISH Crist would come in and be the answer, but the fumble on his biggest play of his career was par for the course for him. You want to win? Rees gives us the best chance right now...

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Hendrix admittedly doesn't know the offense. He's clearly more gifted than Rees, but can't do it mentally yet. Rees knew way more of the offense last year than Hendrix still knows. And Crist, as big of a fan of his I am (Socal native), simply doesn't have 'it', no matter how great of a guy he is. I'm with many of you...I WISH Crist would come in and be the answer, but the fumble on his biggest play of his career was par for the course for him. You want to win? Rees gives us the best chance right now...

Don't say that too loud....Crist nation lurks... Bwahahahahahahahahhahaha

 

[arndtjc]

I find it funny how some people are still calling for Tommy's head when Hendrix isn't ready, and Dayne, well, is Dayne.

Enjoy the win and being bowl eligible, and just know this kid is a true sophomore that didn't have many (if any at all) stars next to his name coming out of high school.

Here's to being bowl eligible, CHEERS!

 

[returnofthemack]

Hendrix admittedly doesn't know the offense. He's clearly more gifted than Rees, but can't do it mentally yet. Rees knew way more of the offense last year than Hendrix still knows. And Crist, as big of a fan of his I am (Socal native), simply doesn't have 'it', no matter how great of a guy he is. I'm with many of you...I WISH Crist would come in and be the answer, but the fumble on his biggest play of his career was par for the course for him. You want to win? Rees gives us the best chance right now...

I agree with you. I was just saying that I can see their logic regarding getting another QB some experience before next year.

 

[returnofthemack]

I find it funny how some people are still calling for Tommy's head when Hendrix isn't ready, and Dayne, well, is Dayne.

Enjoy the win and being bowl eligible, and just know this kid is a true sophomore that didn't have many (if any at all) stars next to his name coming out of high school.

Here's to being bowl eligible, CHEERS!

I don't think that's very comforting haha

 

[BobD]

Don't forget his tight end.

I hope your wife typed that, and not you! : )

 

[arndtjc]

Yep, I know, and there will be growing pains, just like every other low star recruit.

Want to have a shot at winning? Tommy
Want to run option 95% of the time, and use that the whole game and hope the defense isn't prepared? Hendrix
Want to cry all night after getting man handled? Dayne

 

[JoeyGetherall]

I agree with you. I was just saying that I can see their logic regarding getting another QB some experience before next year.

I think the coaches are treating the program like it is in a fragile state and needs to handled with care. The main goal should be to win now as often as possible. Winning should not risked to just get people experience.

The off season will give the other guys a chance to catch up and hopefully become the starter next year.

 

[returnofthemack]

Yep, I know, and there will be growing pains, just like every other low star recruit.

Want to have a shot at winning? Tommy
Want to run option 95% of the time, and use that the whole game and hope the defense isn't prepared? Hendrix
Want to cry all night after getting man handled? Dayne

I'm just going to say I disagree with your opinion of Dayne and leave it at that. I could give you arguments pro-Dayne but I've seen them rehashed plenty of times. Like many others, I think he's a great guy (undeniable) and think he could have progressed this season. However, Rees is the starter so I support him. But let's not dog Dayne so much. He is still part of the family.

 

[arndtjc]

Well with your logic, then why are people hounding Rees as he continues to win ball games?

Dayne has a great arm, and a great physical set, but his decision making has always just been awful. It is just the opposite for Tommy. He isn't the best athlete, but reads the defense well and (most of the time) makes great decisions. If the turnovers weren't there, I think everyone might be singing a bit of a different tune...