Post Game Observations........

[phork]

What would you have done different? He worked with what he had. Backs had holes to run through but slipped at least 5 times I counted where they could have easily had a first down. Drops, turnovers, and penalties were once again a major factor in the slowing of the offense, shooting themselves in the foot for the 1,000,000th time this season.

Errr, maybe actually punt instead of trying pooch it? Otherwise just go for it. Frankly it was a dumb call and at the time field position was king.

 

[NYIrish14]

Mark May thinks that we have not improved from last year at all. Does this moron actually watch our games? I know we had some games where we straight up did not play well but cmon look at how limited our offense was the entire year...if this years team had a decent QB then we would have a much better record. How can people not see that we greatly improved from last year.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

If tonight was the changing of the guard, then I dont even care about the outcome. And I actually like Rees. But he isnt going to take us to another level. Let Hendrix run the show. Maybe he is the QB of the future. Maybe it is Golson. But at least they run the same offense.

Use the additional practices to get Hendrix ready for the bowl and lets see what the kid can do, getting first team reps and playing a whole game.

There will be growing pains, but his upside is better. Have to give him a shot.

Kelly benched Crist after one half bc he said the offense wasnt productive. Well we saw how much more productive we could be with Hendrix, and that is BK's bread and butter style of QB.

 

[choo choo]

1. Congrats to Andrew Hendrix, on his first meaningful time, and playing pretty well. He didn't light the world on fire, but he brought a much needed spark to the offense.

2. Stanford dominated the lines of scrimmage tonight. It wouldn't have mattered WHO was playing QB, the way the war of the trenches went.

3. Hendrix looked good, but as soon as he has a bad game, people will be clamoring for Golson, and questioning why Kelly didn't get Golson more reps.

4. Thanks, jpham, for the chat box. It was kind of fun............ kind of.

5. Michael Floyd and Tyler Eifert will be STARS, in the NFL. As long as they can stay healthy.

6. The field.............meh, what can you say?

1 yeah he was fun to watch
2 they kicked our *** but hendrix can at least move so it did matter a little
3 prob
4 haha
5 gotta believe your right on
6 thats a friggin discrace that teams have to play on that ****

 

[returnofthemack]

With Hendrix as the starter for the bowl game, it'll be hell for FSU's defensive coordinators to gameplan for the offense. They'll only have a tiny sample of what he can do.

 

[TDHeysus]

Stanford dominated the lines of scrimmage tonight.

Laser accurate comment above.

I was at the game (posting from hotel room now) and I couldnt believe how Stanford DOMINATED the line of scrimmage(on BOTH sides of the ball). it was men against boys out there tonight. The defense as a whole may have had good plays here or there, but I saw NO pressure on the QB tonight, Luck was able to sit back and survey the defense and throw MANY 'pitch and catch' throws. (how many stanford guys were WIDE open.....geez). Super disappointed in the game tonight. i felt like they gave it away.

I'm still in the 'emotional post game state' so I am not going to post anything more that I might regret later.

 

[choo choo]

Mark May thinks that we have not improved from last year at all. Does this moron actually watch our games? I know we had some games where we straight up did not play well but cmon look at how limited our offense was the entire year...if this years team had a decent QB then we would have a much better record. How can people not see that we greatly improved from last year.

maybe not, but we still beat pitts ***...hahahahahahaha...f you may

 

[choo choo]

Andrew Hendrix!!! The difference in his arm strength is unreal. Is ability to make plays with his feet is what this team has been lacking all year. Will he play great every week? No. Should be fun to watch him grow.

I will say that if Rees starts in the bowl game, Brian Kelly is a stubborn mule.

Defense played their asses off all night. They held the future number one pick and potential Heisman trophy winner in check for the most part in the second half.

Notre Dame missed Jonas Gray badly. Cierre is very good but he doesn't seem to be an every down back.

Stanford defensive front seven is GOOD. Yea our OL played badly but part of that was Stanford causing problems.

Hope we don't lose Eifert along with Floyd after this year.

Win this bowl game and recruit well and head off into the off-season with some more momentum. Get ready for Ireland.

1 hell yes
2 i'll say hes a stubborn ***...a stubborn dumbass
3 i thought the d was damn good...stanfords not bad...they give scholarships too...held them to their lowest point total of the year
4 god did we miss jonas
5 yep to both points
6 oh god i havent even thought of that yet
7 its gonna be a brutal schedule, but i think we can go 8-4

 

[TDHeysus]

Mark May thinks that we have not improved from last year at all. .

until ND can show some consistancy, Mark May can say what he wants....and he's right. ND coming out flat is really starting to get on my nerves. USF, USC, WF, BC and Stanford, 5 games when the team came out flat. I put it squarely on the players....

 

[Al H.]

Need 1 less postmoretem thoughts.

Kelly and some of his play calling is mind numbing sometimes.

2nd and long running plays from deep in our territory kind of plays? He did that last week a few too many times as well I thought, but there were a lot of drives started last week in the shadow of our own goal line. Still, no confidence in the passing game at the wrong times.

 

[philipm31]

If ND is 8-4 AGAIN next year, then yeah, we will have made no progress. Part of the offense being so limited is that Tommy's weak arm and terrible decision making in big games hampered us tremendously. But having to replace Eifert and Floyd will be really, really tough. But 8-4 is not going to be good enough anymore, after back to back 8-win seasons. 10 wins would show improvement. I don't expect a national title, but I think that we should be a legit BCS team...if we can get some legit DBs, too, for next year and we get devlopment from Riddick, Jones, Andrew, Koyak and the OL. That is a lot to improve, but that is why you give it three years and see which way the trend is.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

But having to replace Eifert and Floyd will be really, really tough.

Eifert isn't going anywhere. But replacing the production we got from Floyd and Gray will be difficult.

But 8-4 is not going to be good enough anymore, after back to back 8-win seasons.

We were 8-5 last season, and we have a chance to be 9-4 this season. That's progress by definition.

 

[philipm31]

until ND can show some consistancy, Mark May can say what he wants....and he's right. ND coming out flat is really starting to get on my nerves. USF, USC, WF, BC and Stanford, 5 games when the team came out flat. I put it on the players....

Uh, not totally. I put the majority of the players being flat on the coaches. They are the motivators.

ND does not have any real leaders on this team. You can tell they never really rallied behid Tommy, because they knew he was hampering the team more than helping, but they were not going to give DC another chance, either; so the team played up and down all year long.

I put the blame squarely on the team leader, Brian Kelly. He might be passionate, but he can be very tone-deaf at times. He needs to find some true leaders on the team that will make others be accountable for their play on the field, and that really starts with the QB. I think Hendrix can be that guy.

But Mark May is right. Beating Pitt is nothing to be happy about.

Consistency starts at the top, and if your coach is not consistent and reliable from week to week, then you are not going to get consistent effort out of a bunch of college kids. It's on Kelly, nobody else, IMHO.

 

[philipm31]

Eifert isn't going anywhere. But replacing the production we got from Floyd and Gray will be difficult.



We were 8-5 last season, and we have a chance to be 9-4 this season. That's progress by definition.

Okay, sorry, one game better is not progress when you still have the same problems in year two that you had in year one.

If Eifert comes back, and Koyak improves, I think that we can have a pair of really good TEs to help bail out Hendrix as reliable outlet receivers, as well as adept blockers.

But progress to me is more than just 1 game. Lou went from 5 wins to 8 wins to 12 wins in three years. I don't expect a National Title next year, but if we are going to the Champs Sports Bowl every year, I would say that is not trending the right direction. I can to see CONSISTENT, MARKED improvment. I think that Hendrix can only make the offense more dynamic, and possibly help out the defense too, since our defense won't have to be on the field as much trying to keep us within striking distance of much better teams.

IOW, I want to see us beat some GOOD TEAMS, not just one team a year. And I have a feeling that Hendrix can help us out in that regard.

 

[TDHeysus]

Uh, not totally. I put the majority of the players being flat on the coaches. They are the motivators.

ND does not have any real leaders on this team. You can tell they never really rallied behid Tommy, because they knew he was hampering the team more than helping, but they were not going to give DC another chance, either; so the team played up and down all year long.

I put the blame squarely on the team leader, Brian Kelly. He might be passionate, but he can be very tone-deaf at times. He needs to find some true leaders on the team that will make others be accountable for their play on the field, and that really starts with the QB. I think Hendrix can be that guy.

But Mark May is right. Beating Pitt is nothing to be happy about.

Consistency starts at the top, and if your coach is not consistent and reliable from week to week, then you are not going to get consistent effort out of a bunch of college kids. It's on Kelly, nobody else, IMHO.

so, by deduction...are you saying that Lane Kiffin is a better coach then BK? I dont see USC come out flat, (50-0 vs UCLA). So Lane Kiffin is a superior coach to BK? its not the players?

 

[Chris Riley]

I'm starting to get concerned about Kelly and here's why:

1. The team continues to make week one mistakes and penalties. I expected better development by now;

2. The "my recruits" versus Weiss' recruits remark;

3. Odd play calling (examples, pooch punt, runs on second and long, etc);

4. Profaning and berating players on national TV;

5. Tommy Rees' turnovers and poor passing justified Hendrix's involvement in the offense prior to the last game; and

6. I will never, ever forgive him for the Tulsa game (just kick the field goal!!!).

I acknowledge his many dues and remain a supporter, but I'm getting concerned.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Okay, sorry, one game better is not progress when you still have the same problems in year two that you had in year one.

Aside from personnel, what problems did we have in 2010 that we still have now?

But progress to me is more than just 1 game. Lou went from 5 wins to 8 wins to 12 wins in three years. I don't expect a National Title next year, but if we are going to the Champs Sports Bowl every year, I would say that is not trending the right direction.

You fail to understand the depths to which this program had sunk before BK's hire, which in turn leads to your unreasonable expectations for success in the here and now. Sadly, you're not alone.

 

[philipm31]

so, by deduction...are you saying that Lane Kiffin is a better coach then BK? I dont see USC come out flat, (50-0 vs UCLA). So Lane Kiffin is a superior coach to BK? its not the players?

Lane Kiffin took his team on the road and and beat the HELL out of us AT ND, and we had 2 weeks to prepare. So yes, Lane Kiffin, right now, is a better coach than Brian Kelly. Absolutely. Look at his team, they had NOTHING to play for this year and the still won ten games, beat ORE AT ORE and took STAN to 3OT. If you think he has not gotten the pulse of that team better than Kelly does, I don't know what says it better than the buttkicking they gave the Irish in South Bend.

Next year, maybe things will be different, but right now, yes, Kiffin is better than Kelly.

 

[NDFan537]

Okay, sorry, one game better is not progress when you still have the same problems in year two that you had in year one.

But progress to me is more than just 1 game. Lou went from 5 wins to 8 wins to 12 wins in three years. I don't expect a National Title next year, but if we are going to the Champs Sports Bowl every year, I would say that is not trending the right direction. I can to see CONSISTENT, MARKED improvement. .

So what your saying is BK did better than Lou in his first year, and the same in his second year, so far, chance for better and you are not excited. I know it is tough, but this ain't the same Irish. We are making strides. USF and Michigan could have been, and should have been wins. USC and Stanford dominated us and were better, but we had chances there too. As the season progressed we turned the ball over at a lower rate each week and won the games we should have. Most of them the way we should have. That is the definition of improvement. We were a better team from week to week. I think with Hendrix we found out what the future holds and that is more exciting to me then anything. He is gonna be a star. Throw were kinda high, but he wasn't supposed to play. Nobody expected BK to take Tommy out. Not even BK

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I'm starting to get concerned about Kelly and here's why:

1. The team continues to make week one mistakes and penalties. I expected better development by now;

2. The "my recruits" versus Weiss' recruits remark;

3. Odd play calling (examples, pooch punt, runs on second and long, etc);

4. Profaning and berating players on national TV;

5. Tommy Rees' turnovers and poor passing justified Hendrix's involvement in the offense prior to the last game; and

6. I will never, ever forgive him for the Tulsa game (just kick the field goal!!!).

I acknowledge his many dues and remain a supporter, but I'm getting concerned.

@#4...Get over it.... Otherwise, take up shuffleboard or checkers or some other not so fun douchbaggery form of entertainment where someone won't get in your face. The WAhhhhhh-bulance isn't due back in town for a couple of days.

 

[JoeyGetherall]

I'm starting to get concerned about Kelly and here's why:

1. The team continues to make week one mistakes and penalties. I expected better development by now;

2. The "my recruits" versus Weiss' recruits remark;

3. Odd play calling (examples, pooch punt, runs on second and long, etc);

4. Profaning and berating players on national TV;

5. Tommy Rees' turnovers and poor passing justified Hendrix's involvement in the offense prior to the last game; and

6. I will never, ever forgive him for the Tulsa game (just kick the field goal!!!).

I acknowledge his many dues and remain a supporter, but I'm getting concerned.

Thanks for taking a break from NDNation and joining us over here at IE. Welcome!

 

[BGIF]

Though I was excited to see Hendrix give a spark to the O, Kelly gave a big F U to Crist today. One day after saying the kid's his #2, he doesnt give Dayne a snap in two classic next man in situations. Felt bad for Crist, Kelly clearly loathes him.

If the post The Turning Point made, I believe preseason, about Crist's demeanor during last year's UM game after the injury AND it occurred again in the USF game, you're probably close. Rather than loathe, it may be a significant confidence or trust issue. Things happen between a player and a coach that aren't made public. And he may have had no one else that demonstrated until tonight that he was ready.

 

[philipm31]

Aside from personnel, what problems did we have in 2010 that we still have now?

That is the major problem--the personnel should not be making the same boneheaded mistakes tha they made last year with such regularity. BK should have had them prepared better in every game, and yet we kept turning the ball over, having stupid penalties, poor tackling and getting beat on deep balls (ie, tonight, or just look at MICH and the way Gray was abused all game long).


You fail to understand the depths to which this program had sunk before BK's hire, which in turn leads to your unreasonable expectations for success in the here and now. Sadly, you're not alone.

Uh, no, I am not misinformed. I have been following ND for nearly 30 years. I saw ND with Gerry Faust, Lou, Davie, the O'Leary fiaco hiring and firing, Ty, and Charlie. I know how low ND has gotten. But progress is measured by winning the games you should win first, maturing to winning some big games, to winning most of your games, to competing for the biggest prizes.

Right now, we can't even handle teams we should stomp into the ground on a regular basis. Like, say, BC, Pitt or WF (who lost by 34 points to VANDY, at home on Saturday night).

Charlie actually recruited pretty well on offense, and had a few good players on defense, but Kelly has not gotten the most of them, like Lou did with Faust's recruits (e.g., Tim Brown, the Three Amigos, Stan Smagala and the entire senior class from the 1988 team that won the national title.

I'd like to see us beating the teams we should beat handily, not barely, as well as us beating Michigan, USC and MSU more regularly than they beat us, so that we can start showing that the program has made TANGIBLE progress--because, honestly ND was the worst 8-3 team in the country going into tonight and it showed.

When we start showing real results besides beating creampuffs like Pitt, Purdue, Maryland WF and BC--and losing to crappy teams like USF-then I will know we have made some progress.

Right now, I think the field general slot was the most lacking and Hendrix seems tailor-made to fit the scheme Kelly wants to run. I sure hope so, because I expect a lot of great things from him next year. It's been 23 years since the last national title and 18 years since we competed for a national title. It is time to turn the tide, and typically year three is when you can see if you are trending in the right direction.

 

[GBdomer]

Couldnt be more proud.

 

[domerfor life]

Tonight was just sad. I stopped watching. Two false start penalties to start the game? Really? Then you waste the defenses great play in the 1st half. Rees was bad tonight. A hurt back doesn't affect your ability TO GET THE FRAKIN OFFENSE TO THE LINE AND RUN A PLAY!!! To the person worried about Brian Kelly's sideline demeanor.....Rees deserved every curse word directed his way tonight. He was that bad.

 

[philipm31]

So what your saying is BK did better than Lou in his first year, and the same in his second year, so far, chance for better and you are not excited. I know it is tough, but this ain't the same Irish. We are making strides. USF and Michigan could have been, and should have been wins. USC and Stanford dominated us and were better, but we had chances there too. As the season progressed we turned the ball over at a lower rate each week and won the games we should have. Most of them the way we should have. That is the definition of improvement. We were a better team from week to week. I think with Hendrix we found out what the future holds and that is more exciting to me then anything. He is gonna be a star. Throw were kinda high, but he wasn't supposed to play. Nobody expected BK to take Tommy out. Not even BK

I agree, but the point is that Lou took a truly terrible team from under Gerry Faust (who coached at Hendrix's HS before ND hired him, strangely enough) and ppl could tell the team was better, even if they ended up at 5-6 because they were playing every game close, except for the MIA game, then the next year, they won 3 more games, then 4 more game the next year.

I am excited ND may win one more game, but one game is not SIGNIFICANT progress. I honestly think ND played a creampuff schedule other than SC after the first month, and it should when we played STAN and USC. ND took a step back tonight, a major step. Almost as bad as the SC game.

But the future looks bright with Hendrix and our young DLs coming back. But I want to see us start to actually produce some culture-changing wins (e.g., beating MICH, MSU and USC in the same year for a start, or winning 2/3 every year), not just beating up on a bunch of weak teams.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Lane Kiffin took his team on the road and and beat the HELL out of us AT ND, and we had 2 weeks to prepare. So yes, Lane Kiffin, right now, is a better coach than Brian Kelly. Absolutely. Look at his team, they had NOTHING to play for this year and the still won ten games, beat ORE AT ORE and took STAN to 3OT. If you think he has not gotten the pulse of that team better than Kelly does, I don't know what says it better than the buttkicking they gave the Irish in South Bend.

Next year, maybe things will be different, but right now, yes, Kiffin is better than Kelly.

LOL...you give the Irish Matt Barkley and we kick the crap out of USC. The QB position makes that much of a difference. I'd LOVE to see Kiffy with Rees as his QB. As it is, he'll probably be starting a redshirt freshman next year, and your boy Kiffy was too shortsighted/stupid to gibe ANYONE any time outside of Barkley this year. If Barkley goes pro, Kiffy-boy fu*ked himself by not allowing anyone else to get any real time.

Kiffy has done a good job this year, no doubt. But wait until Barkley leaves before crowning his a** a good coach. He's nowhere near deserving of that yet.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

But progress is measured by winning the games you should win first, maturing to winning some big games, to winning most of your games, to competing for the biggest prizes.

And you apparently feel we should be closer to "competing for the biggest prizes" in year 2?

Right now, we can't even handle teams we should stomp into the ground on a regular basis. Like, say, BC, Pitt or WF (who lost by 34 points to VANDY, at home on Saturday night).

Those aren't bad teams. And if I recall correctly, we won all three of those games.

Charlie actually recruited pretty well on offense, and had a few good players on defense, but Kelly has not gotten the most of them, like Lou did with Faust's recruits (e.g., Tim Brown, the Three Amigos, Stan Smagala and the entire senior class from the 1988 team that won the national title.

ND's defense was historically bad in 2009, yet Kelly has turned mostly the same players into a top 10 unit in 2010 and 2011. Our offense has been held back by poor QB play, but we've still managed to hang 500+ yards on 4 separate opponents for the first time in many years.

I'd like to see us beating the teams we should beat handily, not barely, as well as us beating Michigan, USC and MSU more regularly than they beat us, so that we can start showing that the program has made TANGIBLE progress--because, honestly ND was the worst 8-3 team in the country going into tonight and it showed.

Your NDNation is showing. Take your unreasonable expectations elsewhere; no one here is buying.

 

[NDFan537]

LOL...you give the Irish Matt Barkley and we kick the crap out of USC. The QB position makes that much of a difference. I'd LOVE to see Kiffy with Rees as his QB. As it is, he'll probably be starting a redshirt freshman next year, and your boy Kiffy was too shortsighted/stupid to gibe ANYONE any time outside of Barkley this year. If Barkley goes pro, Kiffy-boy fu*ked himself by not allowing anyone else to get any real time.

Kiffy has done a good job this year, no doubt. But wait until Barkley leaves before crowning his a** a good coach. He's nowhere near deserving of that yet.

Every word exactly..........Born on thrid base and thinks he hit a triple!

 

[Carlyle Javar Holiday]

Kiffin easily coach of the year IMO. USC has vastly improved from the beginning of the season to the end.