Post Game Observations....

[BobD]

Some of our IE members acted like NDNation.......We.need to practice more.

 

[kmoose]

Overall -not a lot to be happy about.

Two things to be happy about:

1. We ran the ball well against a "big boy" defense.

2. The kids never quit........... they played hard until the end. That's a definite change from the Weis era, when they often looked like they quit in the 3rd quarter.

 

[pkt77242]

Jaylon had a chance to really impact this game but he dropped an easy interception. Sure, he played well the rest of the game, but that play would have been huge and he didn't make it.

Jaylon also bit on a couple of play actions and lost containment on the QB at least once if not twice. He was ok but not good or great.

 

[NDWorld247]

Hunt for a championship is over now. We need to find a way to not lose 2 more games and make a BCS Bowl. It feels unlikely right now since Stanford will definitely be a loss.

To me, that's the most disappointing thing about tonight's loss. Sure it was unlikely to happen, but there's not a team on our schedule we couldn't beat and I was hoping for another magical season. Oh well. I still love this program.

 

[BMT]

Yeah but you can say that about everyone. Most of our linebackers wouldn't even be in position to make play. Hey, where has Prince been this year?

 

[anarin]

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.

Teddy Bridgewater

Braxton Miller

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.


Marcus Mariotta

ND plays Louisville, Ohio State & Oregon this year?

 

[AllGoldEverything]

I know Diaco is a good coach and I know that all of you know that, but he got out coached tonight. We could not stop a first year starting QB for anything. And this is the defense that is supposedly one of the best in the nation?

With all the talent we have on the defensive side of the ball, tonight's performance is a bit concerning.

 

[CanadalovesND]

We'll be fine guys. Coaches and players will fix their errors, and we'll come out with better game plans moving forward. Onto Purdue!

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

It's funny to me that Vegas set the line at 8.5 wins WITH Golson and most people on here predicted ~9 wins... and after 1 loss on the road in a game that we were the underdog are ready to panic.

I'll judge this team on how they do against the gauntlet of ASU/Oklahoma/USC. If we're 6-1 heading into the home stretch I'm not sure how you can complain. I'd be very happy with 5-2 personally.

Remember Major League II. The grounds keepers who said "oh no we suck again". Right before the team went on a run. I was reminded of some sucky times.

 

[IrishLax]

Kelly is better than Gardner and we have to play him. Hogan *might* be better, but I'm not sold.

 

[Jerry]

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.

Diaco called a fine game and I'm seriously not worried about the defense. Will they be among the top two defenses in the country again? NOOOOOOOOO. They will still be damn tough and I thought they were tonight. Michigan stole everything they got on athleticism keeping plays alive and taking advantage of it nearly every time.

How many times did Gardner evade a sack tonight? Eight? Ten? It was impressive and just give him credit and get on with life. That's what this coaching staff will do. Diaco had guys in position tonight, they just got beat.

In case you didn't know, Michigan outplayed Notre Dame last year too and Notre Dame was lucky to get that W.

To say the defense has been pathetic is just stupid. I'm sorry but it is.

Not really. ND dialed up the pressure and forced a lot of turnovers. If you are saying that because the offense was mediocre last year than maybe but we beat up Michigan last year. Tonight's game was the polar opposite.

 

[phork]

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.

Funny I don't see them on the schedule...

So lets recap. Manziel, Winston, Boyd, Miller, Mariotta, Lynch... Just off the top of my head, and you never said on our schedule, regardless could play them in a bowl.

 

[Irish YJ]

What the ****? Brindza was great.

Thanks to Hoke maybe. He did good, not great (because of the miss that didn't count)... My salty opinion about ST is more about coverage (on kickoffs). GA3 did well returning.

 

[BMT]

Also, who knows how good Stanford will be the last week, they could be on there 3rd QB, they could be Texas? We just don't know, too early.

 

[TomHaverford]

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.

Teddy Bridgewater

Braxton Miller

Teddy cannot run like that, he's purely a pocket passer, and Braxton cannot throw like that. Some of those back shoulder throws from Gardner to Gallon and some of those deep throws right on the money where only Gallon could get the ball....Braxton Miller cannot make those throws to save his life.

 

[Irish YJ]

We'll be fine guys. Coaches and players will fix their errors, and we'll come out with better game plans moving forward. Onto Purdue!

Got any extra happy pills or whatever you're on?

 

[Patulski]

Michigan looked way more talented tonight and quite frankly that concerns me. Michigan's recruiting is off the charts right now and ND's needs to be also. ND needs an infusion of athleticism especially on defense. Sorry if you don't like that but it's my opinion.

The Michigan D vs our O matchup was not a case of them being way more talented. They are way less talented than us.

You go back and watch the film and you'll see a running game that averaged 5.1 yards per carry with no help from a QB (a) who is not a deep pass threat that allows safeties to play at a shallower depth and (b) who is completely one dimensional. We had receivers wide open all over the field tonight and a QB that 90% of the had plenty of time to deliver the ball. We needed an elite QB tonight, but we have a guy who is never going to be drafted and will not make an NFL roster. With an elite QB, we still would have won, despite our back 7 being awful tonght.

The amazing thing is that ND, who has had so many great QB's over the years, doesn't have a great QB in Kelly's 4th year. Sadly, Golson may have reached that level this year, but he made a bad decision.

Rees is the best we have, but our offense will not reach anywhere near its potential due to his limitations.

 

[Junkhead]

let Butt kill the seams even more?

Maybe I've had too much to drink, but there is a fat chick joke in here somewhere.

 

[Kak7304]

I can't disagree with this. It's just Nix is considered to be one of the five best players in the country (per Kiper and McShay). I guess my expectations have been too high. I've just been expecting him and Tuitt to be blowing up linemen on virtually every play. Again, ridiculous expectations on my part. Nix does effect every single play, like you said. I just figured we'd get pressure by only rushing four, and we haven't had much success in doing so.

I'm just disappointed. I thought we were the better team and thought we'd win. Oh well, I'll get over it....

His job is to clog holes and take on double teams to free up the LBs. He's doing his job and doing it incredibly. In this D, you don't expect or want your NT to get upfield because it can create running lanes. Missing Te'o and Spond like crazy right now.

 

[Irishbounty28]

On the plus side USC looks like garbage!

 

[kmoose]

ND plays Louisville, Ohio State & Oregon this year?

To be fair......... he did say "name another quarterback.....", not "name another quarterback on our schedule....."

 

[Bluto]

People dissing on Tuitt, Day and Nix need to get a clue. They stoned the Michigan running game, were in Gardner's face all night and Tuitt put us back in the game. Anyhow, back seven on the d need to step it up or Diaco need to make some adjustments.

 

[anarin]

To be fair......... you did say "name another quarterback.....", not "name another quarterback on our schedule....."

I figured the obvious

EDIT: Sneaky edit on you changing you to he, haha

 

[pkt77242]

The Michigan D vs our O matchup was not a case of them being way more talented. They are way less talented than us.

You go back and watch the film and you'll see a running game that averaged 5.1 yards per carry with no help from a QB (a) who is not a deep pass threat that allows safeties to play at a shallower depth and (b) who is completely one dimensional. We had receivers wide open all over the field tonight and a QB that 90% of the had plenty of time to deliver the ball. We needed an elite QB tonight, but we have a guy who is never going to be drafted and will not make an NFL roster. With an elite QB, we still would have won, despite our back 7 being awful tonght.

The amazing thing is that ND, who has had so many great QB's over the years, doesn't have a great QB in Kelly's 4th year. Sadly, Golson may have reached that level this year, but he made a bad decision.

Rees is the best we have, but our offense will not reach anywhere near its potential due to his limitations.

You obviously were watching a different game. Rees got ****ing killed a couple of times and hung in there and made some nice passes and some ****** passes. Our D stunk. If our LB's and most of our DB's can't cover make plays then we are ****ed no matter how good our O was. Sorry, Rees is not elite but he wasn't the problem tonight.

 

[stlnd01]

It's funny to me that Vegas set the line at 8.5 wins WITH Golson and most people on here predicted ~9 wins... and after 1 loss on the road in a game that we were the underdog are ready to panic.

I'll judge this team on how they do against the gauntlet of ASU/Oklahoma/USC. If we're 6-1 heading into the home stretch I'm not sure how you can complain. I'd be very happy with 5-2 personally.

Yep. It sucks because you always want to beat Michigan. But aside from Stanford and maybe Oklahoma they're probably the best team we'll play all year, and they played well tonight. We need to tighten things up on defense, so we don't put Rees in position where he's forcing it, which is when he gets sloppy. But if we can do that we're still looking at 10-2/9-3

 

[Irishman77]

And take one out of the box, leaving yourself open to an even worse outing against Gardner and Touissant? Going to go to the nickle and let Butt kill the seams even more?



You should do that, and go rewatch the game and see how many times Gardner evades a DL (or two) in his face and finds a Gallon coming back to the football. It happened on nearly every big play.

Look man I know you love the Irish and for that we are together, but wake up!

Defenses double wr...really they do...

Is gallon better than tj, dd, or more dangerous than niklas? No we got our wienies handed to us because we got out coached.

Anyone that thinks Rees is more than he was in 2011 is nothing more than a jet fan delusionally claiming Sanchez is better this year. Polishing a terd stinks. Golson wins tonight!

 

[Junkhead]

The Michigan D vs our O matchup was not a case of them being way more talented. They are way less talented than us.

You go back and watch the film and you'll see a running game that averaged 5.1 yards per carry with no help from a QB (a) who is not a deep pass threat that allows safeties to play at a shallower depth and (b) who is completely one dimensional. We had receivers wide open all over the field tonight and a QB that 90% of the had plenty of time to deliver the ball. We needed an elite QB tonight, but we have a guy who is never going to be drafted and will not make an NFL roster. With an elite QB, we still would have won, despite our back 7 being awful tonght.

The amazing thing is that ND, who has had so many great QB's over the years, doesn't have a great QB in Kelly's 4th year. Sadly, Golson may have reached that level this year, but he made a bad decision.

Rees is the best we have, but our offense will not reach anywhere near its potential due to his limitations.

C'mon dude. D sucked again and all you do is rehash hate on the QB. They even showed the scUM safties playing like 25yds deep. You did watch the game, right????

 

[pkt77242]

Gardner happened. Name another QB who can do what he does. I'll wait.


Marcus Mariotta

Actually Mariotta is very inaccurate. He is a great runner but he is more DROB then Gardner.

 

[returnofthemack]

Teddy cannot run like that, he's purely a pocket passer, and Braxton cannot throw like that. Some of those back shoulder throws from Gardner to Gallon and some of those deep throws right on the money where only Gallon could get the ball....Braxton Miller cannot make those throws to save his life.

They could against our defense.

 

[kmoose]

People dissing on Tuitt, Day and Nix need to get a clue. They stoned the Michigan running game, were in Gardner's face all night and Tuitt put us back in the game. Anyhow, back seven on the d need to step it up or Diaco need to make some adjustments.

No kidding...
"Nix looks too heavy"



Did you see the athleticism on his INT? HOLY COW is the big guy nimble!!!