Post game

[DillonHall]

also, does anyone else wish we played Wake as our opener, then Maryland, Purdue, then play the Michigans, SC, stanford, and the rest our schedule?

South Florida isn't exactly a great team either

 

[arndtjc]

They start with Navy and Purdue next year...

 

[Jason Pham]

All I'm trying to say is that we looked good, but that it also had a lot to do with our opponent, so it's not that big of a deal, and you don't learn much about a team after such a game.

When an SEC team destroys an FCS school, you don't think the SEC school rushed for a bunch of yards and shut down the FCS team's offense? They usually do, but every single fan here has the same reaction: so what? They played a bad team. Be honest, is that everyone's reaction, or are you going to start gushing about how good the SEC team looked? Now that the Irish have beaten up on a bad team, your bias is obvious because your reaction is the opposite.

I wouldn't call my opinion realist but rather objective.

As of late, we haven't exactly been playing consistently like an SEC team destroying FCS schools. In fact, we've looked scarcely better than an FCS team at points. That we can beat teams like an SEC team might beat an FCS team may indicate that we're moving in the right direction with our program, especially compared to how we've been performing over the last few years. That's something to get excited about. Even an objective onlooker could understand that.

 

[DillonHall]

As of late, we haven't exactly been playing consistently like an SEC team destroying FCS schools. In fact, we've looked scarcely better than an FCS team at points. That we can beat teams like an SEC team might beat an FCS team may indicate that we're moving in the right direction with our program, especially compared to how we've been performing over the last few years. That's something to get excited about. Even an objective onlooker could understand that.

I guess it's a matter of expectations; mine are much higher, so this kind of win doesn't impress me.

 

[pkt77242]

I guess it's a matter of expectations; mine are much higher, so this kind of win doesn't impress me.

You don't magically become an elite team, this is one of the steps on that journey. In comparison to years past this is a step in the right direction, we are starting to thump teams we should easily beat (see Purdue, Maryland, Air Force and Navy).

 

[palinurus]

You don't magically become an elite team, this is one of the steps on that journey. In comparison to years past this is a step in the right direction, we are starting to thump teams we should easily beat (see Purdue, Maryland, Air Force and Navy).

This is a good point. It's easy to get a bit frustrated with underwhelming wins against the Pitts and Wakes, but we are starting to see more beatings commensurate with the disparity in talent.

 

[Jason Pham]

I guess it's a matter of expectations; mine are much higher, so this kind of win doesn't impress me.

I doubt my expectations or those of any other poster here are any lower (and it's condescending that you think otherwise). Having those high expectations and, at the same, being capable of acknowledging that intermediary goals are being met, goals which indicate that the program may be heading in a direction where those ultimate expectations might be achieved, are not mutually exclusive. We were 3-8 just a few years ago. 7-3 is what it looks like in between that and BCS- and NC-type years.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I doubt my expectations or those of any other poster here are any lower (and it's condescending that you think otherwise). Having those high expectations and, at the same, being capable of acknowledging that intermediary goals are being met, goals which indicate that the program may be heading in a direction where those ultimate expectations might be achieved, are not mutually exclusive. We were 3-8 just a few years ago. 7-3 is what it looks like in between that and BCS- and NC-type years.

^ This

 

[Irish Houstonian]

I would expect this kind of blase attitude in a Navy or Army thread, because they generally don't have the elite size/speed of quality FBS programs.

But MD has talent. They've taken good teams to their limits, and this win was more than just a "meh". I enjoyed this game much more than even MSU.

And not being bowl eligible often makes teams more dangerous, not less. Anyone who's been on the field, away, with teams that have nothing to lose know exactly what I'm talking about.

So I'm giving the Irish the benefit of the doubt here and taking the position that we're on the right track.

 

[GreatGolson]

^ agree with Jason here, i didnt mean to say that this program is going in the wrong direction, on the contrary, i think 11-1 should be a real goal for this team next year, lets not forget, in 2007, alabama was 7-6, the next year they were in the BCS, the year after tht they won a national championship, Rome was not built in a day, i know its been. 23 year wait, but this is a program on the way up. I cant think of a better springboard for next season than a win in a major non-bcs bowl over a hated opponent in fsu.

 

[DillonHall]

I'm pretty sure most people here were predicting BCS at the start of the year.

 

[kmoose]

A lot of people are writing off TJ. You have to look at the QB. Rees is a one read QB(Floyd). If it ain't there, then it is either hopefully Eifert, or incomp/sack. TJ has to have a play called where he is the first option, because Rees doesn't have the arm strength to get the ball to the sometimes second and definitely not the third, or fourth option. TJ is for most part the third and fourth option every play. It doesn't matter if he is open and he has been a number of times. TJ has serious skills and speed (He is definitely faster than Theo). We don't see it because Rees can't get him the ball.

This has to be the most ignorant thing that I have read on here in a long time. And, understand.......... when I say "ignorant", I am being kind. The only other alternative(in my mind) is "retarded".

ND has completed 242 passes, this season.
Tommy Rees has completed 223 of those 242 passes.

Michael Floyd has caught 77 passes, or @32% of the completions

Tyler Eifert has caught 51 passes, or @21% of the completions.

Theo Riddick has caught 34 passes, or 14% of the completions.

TJ Jones: 31 receptions (13%)

Cierre Wood: 25 receptions (10%)

Robbie Toma: 10 receptions (4%)

That's 5 guys who have double digit percentages of total completions. That's NOT "one read"!
N_D_F_I: You don't have to like Rees. You can root for whatever QB to start that you want to. But, if you come here spewing made up BS as if it is obvious truth, you WILL get called on it.

 

[NDPhilly]

I'm pretty sure most people here were predicting BCS at the start of the year.

I said 10-2 with losses to AF and Stanford. We are so close from being 9-1 right now.

 

[DillonHall]

I said 10-2 with losses to AF and Stanford. We are so close from being 9-1 right now.

We could just as easily be 5-5, with losses to Pitt and Wake Forest.

 

[t3hjc]

Per dropback, we might be the team with the least incomplete passes + sacks taken in the country.

 

[kmoose]

We could just as easily be 5-5, with losses to Pitt and Wake Forest.

Pitt and Wake Forest did not look substantially better than us. We looked substantially better than USF and Michigan, and lost on some really bad bounces.

 

[t3hjc]

We could just as easily be 5-5, with losses to Pitt and Wake Forest.

And Auburn could've easily lost 7 of the 14 games they played last year.

 

[DillonHall]

Pitt and Wake Forest did not look substantially better than us. We looked substantially better than USF and Michigan, and lost on some really bad bounces.

That's not the point. I'm not saying they looked better than we did, just that we could have lost those 'close' games just as we could have won the close ones against USF and Michigan. We needed a game winning drive late in the fourth quarter to beat Pitt, and Wake Forest fumbled inside the ten yard line (I think in the fourth quarter) on a drive that could have tied the game late.

YOU ARE WHAT YOUR RECORD IS!!

 

[DillonHall]

And Auburn could've easily lost 7 of the 14 games they played last year.

My response was to someone saying we 'could have' been 9-1. I'm saying 'could have' doesn't mean anything, so we're actually saying the same thing.

 

[BGIF]

That's not the point. I'm not saying they looked better than we did, just that we could have lost those 'close' games just as we could have won the close ones against USF and Michigan. We needed a game winning drive late in the fourth quarter to beat Pitt, and Wake Forest fumbled inside the ten yard line (I think in the fourth quarter) on a drive that could have tied the game late.

YOU ARE WHAT YOUR RECORD IS!!

That's exactly what HCTI keeps noting about Rees! (As does Kelly.)

 

[NDbrbkny]

Why are we arguing about shoulda coulda woulda.. the importiant thing is the losses are OUR DOING with turnovers and being undisciplined and the importiant thing is since they won they get to eat good at Training Table today

 

[DillonHall]

That's exactly what HCTI keeps noting about Rees! (As does Kelly.)

You say that about a team, NEVER about an individual player. Football is the ultimate team sport.

 

[GreatGolson]

Something about the game i noticed an Mayock commented on in during the broadcast, ND was running the offense at a breakneck pace, i think this is the next evolution of our offense, it makes me think BK wants to use the Oregon approach to beat Stanford, which is to try and wear out their defense by running a hyperspeed offense and to try and build a
big lead early

 

[NDPhilly]

You say that about a team, NEVER about an individual player. Football is the ultimate team sport.

Tell that to Denard

 

[JoeyGetherall]

Obviously, so? They beat the **** out of a really bad team with seemingly no strengths and a rift between the the new coaching staff and many of the players. Why wouldn't I be worried if we struggled to beat such a bad team?

My point was you would probably be on here complaining because it was so close and how bad they played, what the issues were etc. So if you can learn something from beating a bad team by only a few, you can than too absolutely learn things from beating bad a team by a lot.

Saying we can't really learn anything from beating a bad team sounds a little b*tchy to me.

 

[Jason Pham]

kmoose and JGetherall, no need for the personal shots. I know that it wasn't the point of your posts but the added insults don't add much value to what you have to say, since your posts speak for themselves. Don't want to drive people away from otherwise worthwhile discussion because they don't want to deal with a contest to toss around insults. This goes for everyone.

 

[DillonHall]

My point was you would probably be on here complaining because it was so close and how bad they played, what the issues were etc. So if you can learn something from beating a bad team by only a few, you can than too absolutely learn things from beating bad a team by a lot.

Saying we can't really learn anything from beating a bad team sounds a little b*tchy to me.

OK, what did you learn from this win?

 

[JoeyGetherall]

Word ok

 

[BGIF]

You say that about a team, NEVER about an individual player. Football is the ultimate team sport.

Is this your first year following sports? Or did you just grow up getting participation trophies?

I learned the expression as a wee lad from my dad. I've heard it mentioned or read it about football, basketball, and baseball from high school, through college, to the pros.

I can cite you many references including the ND SID and HC but try this link and learn some things about ND football.

List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterbacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NOTE: A player is credited with a win if he started the game and the team won that game, no matter if the player was injured or permanently removed on the second play from scrimmage.

Now you can win a beer from your friends when you ask which ND QB has the highest winning percentage. Most will go with Rice or Clements, a few clever ones will go with McDougal. Nobody will get Dillingham, Failla, Graham, and Courey.

It's not unique to ND either. Win yourself a beer anywhere but in Alabama with who's Bama's winningest QB? Not Nameth, not Stabler (ask you old man) but Jay Barker. Barker probably didn't have any more natural ability than Tommy Rees has but Bama he's Bama's winningest QB.

Leinart is USC's, etc, etc.

Colt McCoy has the most wins (number of games). Powlus (another surprise) has the most wins for ND along with Quinn and Clements. Montana would have the most at ND but they only count games STARTED, not finished.

 

[calvegas04]

"Notre Dame has made a habit of playing one "home" game a year at a neutral site. Although this one was held at a stadium only 12 miles from the Maryland campus, both end zones read Notre Dame and most fans in the crowd of 70,251 at FedEx Field were pulling for the Irish."

Better attendance than I would have thought, FedEx field holds 82,000