Purdue Gameday Thread [Sat Sept. 29, '07]

[GoshenGipper]

Go Irish, beat the Boilers and help everyone forget about all the other crap that's went on the past couple of weeks!

vs.

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[ACamp1900]

Go Irish!!!

 

[GoshenGipper]

Is it just me or is Rossom so fast in that video that it almost looks like someone is FF the tape? Man, that's some speed. He returned one back for Steelers this past weekend, mabe that's a good omen.

 

[howlingthunder]

I Can't Wait

I Can't Wait

Enough already. Lets get it done against Purdue. I still believe!

 

[notredomer23]

i believe this is our first win, but then again i thought that every other week

 

[johnnd05]

I'm with you, ND23. I think, though, that if ND rips out my soul yet again this weekend I'm going to have to go off the Kool-Aid for good until the Duke game. But for now ..

I BELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE!

 

[Akron Irish]

Before ND Games
:mob: :djparty: :footballh


After...
:jawdrop: hwhateve :banghead2

 

[Akron Irish]

ITs gotta get better

 

[SouthieND04]

Let's go, boys. It's time to put it all together this week. We made serious progress in the run game last week, and if we can continue the sparks on defense we've had, we'll give Clausen enough time to make the plays we all know he's capable of. You can tell the WRs are just itching to start the aerial attack after their performance last week. Let's put it to the Boilers.

Go Irish! Beat Boilers!

 

[SouthieND04]

ITs gotta get better

It WILL get better.

 

[johnnd05]

Here's what I wrote about the game for the Roundup:

Earlier this week I argued that the key to beating Purdue is running the ball effectively. I think this was only half right: the other crucial component if the Irish have any hope of winning is stopping the pass. This BGS post talks about the improvement of Purdue QB Curtis Painter from last year - when he led the nation in interceptions - to this. When I first read it, I thought that his improved numbers - 68.7% completions, 16 TDs, and only one interception through four games this year - might be due to Purdue's weak schedule, but a bit more research proved that wrong: at this point last year, with an equally woeful foursome of opponents to start the year, Painter had thrown only 8 TD's and had been picked off five times. Make no mistake about it: the Irish are going up against a good QB tomorrow, and a downright scary offense.

Notre Dame fans are fond of pointing out that the team ranks eleventh in the nation in pass defense so far this year, but that statistic is a bit misleading, especially given both (1) the ease with which teams have run the ball against the Irish and (2) the degree to which these first four games have been blowouts. And as the South Bend Tribune pointed out today, when we consider pass efficiency defense, the Irish rank only 52nd nationally. The opening drive of the second half against Michigan State, which saw the Spartans convert through the air on 3rd-and-9 and 3rd-and-17 and then for a sixteen-yard touchdown, was a case in point of ND's struggles against the pass this year.

Ryan Mallett threw for three touchdowns against ND two weeks ago, and MSU scored four through the air last week. Tomorrow's game will be a huge indicator of whether first-year defensive coordinator Corwin Brown is making progress with this team. Expect to see plenty of frosh LB's Brian Smith and Kerry Neal (profiled in today's SBT, by the way), who played well in passing situations against the Spartans, but - according to Charlie Weis in his Sunday press conference - aren't quite ready to play consistently against the run.

No matter how effectively ND runs the ball today, unless the Irish can hold Painter to no more than three TD's passing and perhaps pick off a pass, Purdue will almost certainly win going away.

 

[johnnd05]

Oh, and for anyone in need of more old-timey highlight reels, I've got you covered:

We begin in 1964, Ara Parseghian's first year as head coach of the Irish, as John Huarte leads the Fighting Irish past Bob Griese's Boilermakers. (You can see a copy of the program here.) Notre Dame would go on to go 9-1-0 that year, their only loss coming at the hands of the USC Trojans. Lindsey Nelson has the call ...

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Next up is 1966, the year the Irish won their first national title under Parseghian. This game - a picture of the program is here - started off well for the Boilermakers, as Leroy Keyes returned an interception for a touchdown. But on the ensuing kickoff, Notre Dame's Nick Eddy took one of his own to the house:

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This game also saw the famous duo of QB Terry Hanratty and wideout Jim Seymour, whom Time magazine would call "the hottest young passing combination in the US," hook up for three long passes, all shown here:

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Up next is 1973, with highlights from West Lafayette. Notre Dame would go on to win the national title that year as well, under head coach Dan Devine:

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And then we have 1977, another national championship season, as a young Joe Montana comes off the bench to lead the Irish past the Boilermakers (program pictured here):

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Next up, let's fast-forward to 1996, as Allen Rossum - who looks SICKENINGLY fast in this clip - returns the opening kick for an Irish touchdown:

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The next three clips - from 1999, 2003, and 2004 respectively - remind anyone who may have forgotten why Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham were fired:

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Ugh. I was there for that last one, and I think it is burned into my retinas for eternity. Ugh.

We can end on a positive note, though, with highlights from the last couple of years:

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Anyway, enough messing around on the web. Time to start some proper pre-gaming.

Go Irish!

 

[Mare426]

Here Come The Irish!

 

[mlcspinner]

 

[SouthieND04]

Go Irish!!!

 

[johnnd05]

Man I am really nervous. I think our offense might be able to put up 20, maybe 24 points today, but the "D" is going to have to do a heck of a job with Painter if we're going to have a shot. A TD or two by the defense or on special teams would definitely help as well ...

 

[SouthieND04]

Absolutely agree. I think our best shot is to try to control the game clock, maybe by expanding on our run game. This would help to minimize their offensive threat, well strengthening ours. And not just for this game--for the rest of the season!

 

[johnnd05]

Alright I'm off to watch it. Be back in a few hours ...

GO! IRISH!

 

[Junkhead]

Pass protection for a change! ....baby steps

 

[Junkhead]

4th down predictable calls. Will it ever end!

 

[Timugen]

Knocking them back to 3rd and 29 then giving up the first down. Will it ever end!

 

[goldandblue]

Yeah that's sickening that they converted a third and 29.

 

[Timugen]

So far I see 2 positives:

1. Our red zone D
2. They're afraid to kick to Allen.

Edit: make that 3. Pretty decent pass protection.

Edit: scratch #2

 

[Golden_Domer88]

1. No blitzing
2. No WR seperation
3. No run blocking
4. Bad Pass Coverage (so far)

 

[Golden_Domer88]

5. Same old Notre Dame

 

[Golden_Domer88]

6. Not impressed with Weis and Co. in the coaching column. Way to predictable. To much running and not enough passing.

 

[Golden_Domer88]

Weis is kind of looking like Zook. He can recruit but cant make them good college players. He also can not see that Lambert and Wooden are terrible.

By the way: The WR from DC has two TD's already. One for a kick return and now one for a amazing Catch the run for TD.

 

[IrishGuard93]

Pathetic !!!!

 

[Steve]

sigh

 

[Golden_Domer88]

Im going to be a USF fan now. This is getting rediculous. Theres no way we should be this BAD. Im sorry but the coaching is not what i thought they are and would be.