Post Game Thoughts

[LOVEMYIRISH]

The administration should ask him to renegotiate to a lower salary until he starts winning. Seriously.

He's getting $500,000 right now. That's lower than most coaches...including Davie

 

[GoshenGipper]

I mentioned, earlier this week, that I would be paying close attention not to who was successful in this game, but to who wasn't. Based on that, here are my observations:

1. The defensive line got almost NO penetration all day. Penetration is HUGE to disrupting the option offense. It stuffs the fullback if he gets the ball, it forces the QB to pitch early, and it can even account for some turnovers. I know that Navy is a well disciplined team, but our D linemen should have been able to blow them off the ball and into the backfield.

2. Our linebackers are terrible. The two freshmen are playing well, for true freshmen. But they still aren't anywhere near GOOD college linebackers. Crum makes a lot of tackles, but 97% of them are five yards downfield.

3. Sharpley showed why he is not a starting QB in D-IA football....his accuracy is bad, he doesn't feel pressure well, he doesn't protect the ball in the pocket, and the one run that got blown up in the backfield was entirely his fault. In watching the replay, it's obvious that the D-lineman was left free, to be picked up by the TE coming in motion. Sharpley called the snap count too early, and the TE couldn't get there in time, leaving the guy completely free.

4. Even taking the two 4th down decisions out of the equation, the Irish were outcoached. Especially in the OT periods. In the third overtime, the Midshipmen came out throwing, and ND was in no way prepared for either the TD pass, or the 2 pt. conversion pass.

Good thoughts. I didn't notice if Kuntz came back in or not, did anyone reacall if he did? Another thing that I would have like to see is some of Toryan Smith at ILB. He's supposed to be really good against the run, isn't he?

Basically I'm pretty dissapointed that ND wasn't able to dominate the trenches with the size advantage that they had over Navy.

 

[NDFan4Life]

And other things like your name and not to pee in your pants. grin:

True.

But I never said there weren't any drawbacks.

 

[SoCalDomer]

BTW running AA out wide before a possible game winner is just not done. That seems like hash mark 101 to me. All said, the offense did play well today. Sharpley needs to learn how to both avoid and to take a sack. The fumble return was the game.

I disagree. If we kick a field goal on 4th and 15 (and make it obviously) we're up by 3. Assuming everything else in the game remains the same, we win in regulation by 3.By not kicking, we give their less than stellar defense a boost, not to mention turning the ball over on downs.

 

[GoshenGipper]

I disagree. If we kick a field goal on 4th and 15 (and make it obviously) we're up by 3. Assuming everything else in the game remains the same, we win in regulation by 3.By not kicking, we give their less than stellar defense a boost, not to mention turning the ball over on downs.

Don't forget the possible FG attmept on 4th and 8 during the 4th. Once again would have won by 3 in regulation. In all likelyhood the worst thing that would happen is that he misses it and you still go to OT.

 

[KamaraPolice]

terrible play calling. so many egregious errors, no need to pinpoint one; they're all glaring.

I feared travis thomas was going to get it on the 2-point conversion if notre dame scored.

 

[KamaraPolice]

Don't forget the possible FG attmept on 4th and 8 during the 4th. Once again would have won by 3 in regulation. In all likelyhood the worst thing that would happen is that he misses it and you still go to OT.

yeah, if you're going for it on 4th anyway, WHY RUN ON THIRD?

 

[loomis41973]

I also found it VERY clear by this game than Jimmy should be the starter.

 

[loomis41973]

I feared travis thomas was going to get it on the 2-point conversion if notre dame scored.

Very fitting i think.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I also found it VERY clear by this game than Jimmy should be the starter.

He could not do worse...if he's the future...PLAY HIM.

 

[Irish52]

We had 2 weeks to prepare for a "running team" and they scored every time they had the ball. I afraid now that Charlie Weis may not be the coach to lead ND back to the glory days of ND football. I think he needs to hire an offensive coordinator that calls the plays or he needs to go back to the pros or highschool football. We have some amazing players but the play calling sometimes borders on stupidity. Why, someone please tell me, why we did not attempt the fieldgoal as time was running out in the first half? And the very last play, why didn't we use Aldridge if the decision was to run the ball but with Kamara and Carlson making difficult catches all day, I would have passed to one of them. I have not seen an originally designed play by Weis since he took over at ND. I have to admit that I was one of his biggest fans but he has managed too many disappointments for me. I say unless we win at least 8 games next year, then the administration should start looking for both an athletic director and new coach next year.

 

[GoIrish41]

absolutely.

i am leaving right now to go do some shoe shopping therapy and am wearing my ND sweatshirt.

I really hope SouthernIrish is a girl. If not, that may be the gayest thing I've ever heard. Sorry, booze kicking in.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Why, someone please tell me, why we did not attempt the fieldgoal as time was running out in the first half?

During the press conference he said that the wind was in their face and Walker had been missing those kicks all week.

I have not seen an originally designed play by Weis since he took over at ND.

Huh?

 

[Akron Irish]

I think many of CW playcalls were questionable. But he may have been looking at this is the bigger picture. Trying to instill confidence that his team that they can get that much needed first down. So what it didn't work this time. Did it cost us a chance at a National Championship? No. Did it cost us a bowl berth? No. Whats there to lose.. just a winning streak. Sharpley needs to stick to baseball. He takes some terrible sacks and wasn't very accurate throwing down field.
On a positive note, I was happy to see Hughes get a TD. And Walls made some great plays. AA showed some of the signs of greatness.

 

[GoshenGipper]

I really hope SouthernIrish is a girl. If not, that may be the gayest thing I've ever heard. Sorry, booze kicking in.

She is a woman.

 

[Wham]

I mentioned, earlier this week, that I would be paying close attention not to who was successful in this game, but to who wasn't. Based on that, here are my observations:

1. The defensive line got almost NO penetration all day. Penetration is HUGE to disrupting the option offense....

2. Our linebackers are terrible....

3. Sharpley showed why he is not a starting QB in D-IA football....his accuracy is bad, he doesn't feel pressure well, he doesn't protect the ball in the pocket, and the one run that got blown up in the backfield was entirely his fault. In watching the replay, it's obvious that the D-lineman was left free, to be picked up by the TE coming in motion. Sharpley called the snap count too early, and the TE couldn't get there in time, leaving the guy completely free.

4. Even taking the two 4th down decisions out of the equation, the Irish were outcoached. Especially in the OT periods. In the third overtime, the Midshipmen came out throwing, and ND was in no way prepared for either the TD pass, or the 2 pt. conversion pass.

1.That is a simpleton's analysis. Only the team knows what the individual assignment was for this game. Sometimes the assignment is to penetrate, sometimes to pursue laterally. I think the D-line is good. Coaching is bad.

2. Linebacking play is bad. Poor coaching scheme and practice.

3. "Get a clue" is the first thought in my "ice cold" Keystone infested noggin.

4. Outcoached in more ways than worth typing. Linemen are too fat and immobile. Not the O-line coach problem. Head coach problem. Get a clue Weis.

 

[KamaraPolice]

He could not do worse...if he's the future...PLAY HIM.

absolutely.

 

[WaveDomer]

I disagree. If we kick a field goal on 4th and 15 (and make it obviously) we're up by 3. Assuming everything else in the game remains the same, we win in regulation by 3.By not kicking, we give their less than stellar defense a boost, not to mention turning the ball over on downs.

I don't disagree with that. My statement is not defending the decisions to go for it rather than kicking FGs. Of course, you can't really assume everything will stay the same in the game. My statement was more pointing to a mental mistake that cost us big time. It's not a one or the other argument in my mind. So, if we kick the FG and everything else is the same, we win. Also, if ES doesn't fumble for a TD we probably win too. In my mind, once that fumble recovery happened it looked really good for Navy. Either way it bites.

 

[Wham]

I think many of CW playcalls were questionable. But he may have been looking at this is the bigger picture. Trying to instill confidence that his team that they can get that much needed first down. So what it didn't work this time. Did it cost us a chance at a National Championship? No. Did it cost us a bowl berth? No. Whats there to lose.. just a winning streak.

I thought that too.

 

[SoCalDomer]

I don't disagree with that. My statement is not defending the decisions to go for it rather than kicking FGs. Of course, you can't really assume everything will stay the same in the game. My statement was more pointing to a mental mistake that cost us big time. It's not a one or the other argument in my mind. So, if we kick the FG and everything else is the same, we win. Also, if ES doesn't fumble for a TD we probably win too. In my mind, once that fumble recovery happened it looked really good for Navy. Either way it bites.

All true.

 

[bbrennan]

Two completely inexcusable play calls, or sets of play calls. The first was on Sharpley's fumble. We just finish a drive where we completely run it down their throats, then get the ball back and throw on 1st and 2nd down (when Sharpley fumnbles). Why are we running in the 4th quarter when our O-line outweighs their D-line by 40 lbs per person. The play calling made no sense to me in this game. It was as if Charlie had to prove how good he can coach the passing game.

The second awful set of play calling was after Zibby's punt return with 2:30 left in the game. Again, just run the ball. We don't want to score quickly anyways. We come out and run a couple times then go back to 2 consecutive passes to Grimes. Armando had just gotten into a groove.

I know we can question the lack of field goal tries, but the real problems with play calling came long before the final 4th down attempt at the end of regulation.

I agree with a lot of the comments... this was CW's loss single-handedly.

 

[Sir John]

Not kicking a field goal was not a bad call. Our kickers blow and stink. You would be whining if as usual the guy missed and posting why did Charlie depend upon bad kickers. that's second guessing y'all know? What is is.

 

[jakerbluegold]

The good news, it can't really get any worse. Notre Dame could go winless and I'd still be a fan.

 

[KamaraPolice]

I just don't understand why you throw deep on second and long. CW's only mission for this team should be to stay out of third and longs because you cant get the ball downfeild. if you have third and longs, you arent going to score.

 

[Moostache]

Pointless emoting coming up....just hoping to vent and get myself out of this funk...

Numb...just numb...then pissed off, incredibly pissed...more so than at anytime since I can remember, so much so that the words escaping my mouth would most likely be considered illegal in many parts of the country for their intent and malice, to say nothing of their profanity.... I watched nearly the entire second half in a state of alternating rage and disbelief...

I believed going into this game that the worst was past. I thought 38-0 to scUM and 38-0 to USC would be the bookends to the disgrace, the nadir, rock-bottom...wrong, just wrong.

Instead we witnessed a team that played a QB who should never again see the field (focus on baseball Evan, because you have ZERO future in football beyond however much eligibity Weis allows you to use), a HB AND FB (Schwapp and Thomas) who should have NEVER been on the field for the last play (wtf happened to ALLEN?!?!?! He was the one back who consistently could get to the edge or at LEAST make Navy respect it...on the failed gift of a second chance for 2, EVERYTHING wrong with ND this year was on display...a putrid "lead block" from Schwapp, a whiff by an OG (Olsen) and a gang of opponents on the ball carrier while MULTIPLE ND players were eating grass) and a coach who officially lost his team when electing to pass on a potential GW-FG attempt for fear of failure...

I have not been really high on the "Fire Weis" wagon to date - I have said many times he has made some serious gaffes this year that exacerbated a host of other problems - until now. I am sorry, but not even attempting to pound the ball straight ahead on every play after the Zibby return was bad play-clling, bad game management and bad coaching; but far, far worse (and something that will haunt the program until Weis either resigns or is forcibly removed) was the decision to not even TRY that FG. That announced to the team one thing and one thing alone - "I have no faith in YOU as players to execute this...MY playcalling will win the day instead of the the PLAYERS performance"...

One other thing....if I could predict the ND play call for that final play sitting on my ass and watching the game, didn't Weis EVER consider that running the EXACT SAME PLAY THAT ALMOST GOT STUFFED ON THE 4TH DOWN CALL was a touch predictable???? Did he not notice that the Navy defense was overloaded to that side? Did Sharpley even BOTHER to look at the allignment and think "uh-oh...this doesn't look good for us with that alignment.."?

In the end, its just as well that the final play was another microcosm of this whole shitty season....the fact that it was a horrible PI call that even lead to the second chance at all would have utterly marred the result and made it look like the fix was in.

Godspeed Charlie...I am sure someone in the NFL will hire you on soon...though I can't imagine why tonight...

 

[KamaraPolice]

The good news, it can't really get any worse. Notre Dame could go winless and I'd still be a fan.

this is the bottom. Even if Duke wins 56-0, this game was the worse for me.

 

[SoCalDomer]

Not kicking a field goal was not a bad call. Our kickers blow and stink. You would be whining if as usual the guy missed and posting why did Charlie depend upon bad kickers. that's second guessing y'all know? What is is.

So fake FG on 4th and 15 was a good call?

And who's fault is it that our kickers can't make 25-30yd FGs? Should they be coached to kick better?

 

[GoshenGipper]

Not kicking a field goal was not a bad call. Our kickers blow and stink. You would be whining if as usual the guy missed and posting why did Charlie depend upon bad kickers. that's second guessing y'all know? What is is.

I wouldn't be. I said it was wrong before they went for it. It was the wrong call. I don't care if the wind was in their face, and if he had missed some in practice this week, you at least try to kick the FG there on 4th and 8.

 

[loomis41973]

Not kicking a field goal was not a bad call. Our kickers blow and stink. You would be whining if as usual the guy missed and posting why did Charlie depend upon bad kickers. that's second guessing y'all know? What is is.

Are you dense? BOTH calls were HORRIFIC.

 

[GoIrish41]

Not kicking a field goal was not a bad call. Our kickers blow and stink. You would be whining if as usual the guy missed and posting why did Charlie depend upon bad kickers. that's second guessing y'all know? What is is.

Tell me this ... when you saw sharpley trotting out onto the field instead of the kicker ... honestly ... before the play even happened, you didn't think, "WTF is he thinking?"

If you can honestly say that, I'll buy that YOU believe your argument. That call was idiotic.