Survive and Advance

[JughedJones]

The Good:

1) We won
2) Eifert is amazing
3) Flemming and Shembo showed why we're all so excited about them
4) Blanton is a baller
5) Cierre is consistently producing
6) Jonas Gray has played like an absolute man (I still think if he doesn't fumble that play Crist is our starting QB)
7) Theo came alive
8) Floyd, as always
9) Our defense as a whole
10) Tommy's last drive

The Bad:

1) O-line in run blocking. Jonas/Cierre were forced to bounce it out too many times.
2) Gary Gray still struggling to find the ball even though he's blanketing his man

The Ugly:

1) Our QB play. Going against the worst passing defense in CFB
2) Pitt's passing defense earned that worst-ranking against Buffalo, Maine, and Iowa
3) 9 TOs in 3.5 games by Rees
4) The fact that our defense has to play lights out in order for us to win
5) The fact that we needed a game winning TD in the final minutes in order to pull out a W.

These aren't just bad or ugly.

They're terrible.

I really don't want to see the game ball/celebration video from the locker room.
I have a feeling it will be lackluster as well.

 

[maybenextyear]

Well, I'm not so sure about this. There are exceptions to every rule, and if you have two guys with glaring weaknesses, maybe it IS a good idea to rotate them as performance dictates. Neither is going to lead us to a championship - this we know, so I am starting to think they should share time on a regular basis.

its your typical high risk, high reward type deal. could pay huge dividends, could backfire terribly. since their goal is still to get to a BCS game, id imagine they will try the safe route. who knows, i wish i had all the answers!

 

[Irish Man3]

I highlighted the important part.

That's new.

Im well aware of the fact that we won the football game, I just so happened to have watched it myself. There is more than one important thing to take out of the first third of this season.

 

[50milesSE ND]

I know no one wants a qb competition right now but crist has the arm and athletic ability, rees has or had the cognitive ability until today when he showed continually where the ball was going so neither is the complete package so maybe we bring in hendrix who can atleast run when no one is open instead of throwing into double coverage every play.

 

[Veer option]

1) Our QB play. Going against the worst passing defense in CFB
.

Please stop saying they are the worst passing defense in CFB. Each team plays differently every Saturday, which is what makes college football the best sport in the country. If a team plays with determination and guts mixed with a sound strategy from the coaching staff a statistically terrible team can look amazing. Pittsburgh's defense stepped up to play today. What happened the previous week and counting that against an opponent means absolutely nothing in football.

 

[PJWhitfield]

All of Kelly's games vs. Pitt have been fairly tight. Pitt fields decent teams. I like the win no matter how Dame gets it. Ugly win maybe, but beautiful work by Rees in that last drive. BK can build on this.

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

I was impressed with Pitts front 3...they were very stout.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Pitt got consistent pressure on the QB. Whether it was on them or on us, they were in the backfield a lot.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Ugly win, but we finally have cupcakes to beat up on before our showdown with SC.

I wrote a post earlier in the week about Tommy being awesome at reading coverages at the line, and knowing where the window is going to be, and putting the ball there. But he has trouble processing what is going on while the play is unfolding. I also went on to say that he is going to have tons of trouble when a team disguises it's coverages pre-snap because, obviously, he takes too long to figure out where the coverage is coming from.

He keyed in on Floyd for the obvious reason, it Michael Floyd. Eifert was open all day because he was the hot read, and has a strong presence on the field to where he'll box out the man covering him. Eifert was the safe throw.

Pitt's disguising of coverage shook Tommy up because it confused him, he played ultra conservative after his INT, and didn't take risks until he needed to win.

The problem is that Tommy could be a really good QB if he was given time to develop for two years behind a starter. But, he is showing his age, and expierence in his mistakes. Is he holding this offense back? Yes. But, Dayne Crist is not any better. Recruit ranking means absolutely nothing, and he would have been a deer in headlights, he couldn't figure out what play to run when the defense was showing their looks, how the hell do people think he would have fared any better against an attacking defense that disguised it coverages?

We have to hope Tommy grows up these next two games, or SC will eat him alive.

Riddick needs plays designed specifically to get him the ball, he's not doing well getting open on his own.

Defense is awesome. I'd like to see them, especially when playing Tino Sunseri, bring the house, at him and use press coverage on the reicevers. He would have thrown 5 INTS.

Dan Fox, and Shembo are becoming a liability on defense. Shembo doesn't stay disciplined, and gets drawn into the inside every play, and Dan Fox whiffs on every tackle.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

I was at today's game. I'm not sure what Pitt did to eliminate Michael Floyd from the game, but kudos to them. They played well. But I will say this. IT IS MUCH BETTER TO FIND A WAY TO WIN A GAME, THEN FIND A WAY TO LOSE IT.

That is all.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Man I love winning. It's like...better than losing...

Bull Durham - Cliches - YouTube

 

[frankygoes69]

Win, win, win, win, and WIN! By one or one hundred. WIN!

 

[meowmix]

Ugly win, but we finally have cupcakes to beat up on before our showdown with SC.

I strongly disagree. Purdue sucks and I don't think we'll have too much problem with them but we gave up a decent amount of yards against Pitt's zone reads. Air Force will be a tough game.

 

[CarrollVermin]

Ugly win, but we finally have cupcakes to beat up on before our showdown with SC.



This is the mindset that does not make sense. People on here had the same idea about rolling through Pitt. At this point in the re-development of our program we cannot over look any thing as we move forward.

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

Listen I am happy we won. However, any fan that looks at that game and say we won the game is not seeing that we need to improve our fundementals before we match to a top 25 team.

Part of my frustration is that this is the 4th game in the season...expected a "tighter ship" under BK.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Ugly win, but we finally have cupcakes to beat up on before our showdown with SC.



This is the mindset that does not make sense. People on here had the same idea about rolling through Pitt. At this point in the re-development of our program we cannot over look any thing as we move forward.

Purdue is not going to be within 28 points of ND. They are bad.

AF will lose by 17-21

Pitt isn't a bad team, I don't know where that idea came from

 

[CarrollVermin]

Listen I am happy we won. However, any fan that looks at that game and say we won the game is not seeing that we need to improve our fundementals before we match to a top 25 team.

Part of my frustration is that this is the 4th game in the season...expected a "tighter ship" under BK.

What do you want to see different? We didn't line up against "air" and play against padded dummies. Say what you want, Pitt had a hell of a game plan in place and were able to create frustration and confusion. Yes, our LB play against the pass must improve and our tackling in space must as well but Pitt didn't give us anything, ND went out and earned the win.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

We'll see Dayne next game. After we're up by 25.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

We'll see Dayne next game. After we're up by 25.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... I think we'd see Hendrix before we see Dayne. Hendrix is going to need to see some game speed experience.

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

What do you want to see different? We didn't line up against "air" and play against padded dummies. Say what you want, Pitt had a hell of a game plan in place and were able to create frustration and confusion. Yes, our LB play against the pass must improve and our tackling in space must as well but Pitt didn't give us anything, ND went out and earned the win.

Chill out--

....I want reduced mental errors, like turnovers, penalties....even against air and padded dummies.!!!!

 

[NDfan12]

I say we still run the table until we meet up with Stanford, USC might give us trouble but I doubt it, home game, primetime, if we don't get up for that what's the point in them playing at all ?

 

[frankygoes69]

I want world peace, end of starvation, and so on. Easy there, one step at a time. This was an way game, they knew to defend Floyd, and Tommy had a rough day. We all have them, I call them hangover days.

 

[phork]

I am not sure what to think about this team. I am shocked and awed (MSU, UM) then hugely let down (USF, UM, Pitt). Thank god we have a defense this year, otherwise we'd be 0-4 at this point. So which team do we have? The BCS contending MSU killers? Or the so-so also ran USF/Pitt hangerson?

As for why we think Pitt is a bad team? They almost lost to Maine, they got trucked by Iowa in a defeat saved from the jaws of victory and they are the 97th rated defense in the country. That adds up to a curbstomp.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I know no one wants a qb competition right now but crist has the arm and athletic ability, rees has or had the cognitive ability until today when he showed continually where the ball was going so neither is the complete package so maybe we bring in hendrix who can atleast run when no one is open instead of throwing into double coverage every play.

You know, there is a reason why Hendrix is not playing, he doesn't know the offense.

Superior athletic ability can win a game (Denard), but a strong arm and metal knees is not the type of athletic ability that can win a game when it is combined with a kid who cracks under pressure, and doesn't know the offense.

Tommy Rees is the best option we have. Dayne's 53453408 star recruit numbers don't matter, he would not be any better then Tommy Rees.

 

[frankygoes69]

Look at MSU last year. They had no business going all the way and they did. We were better if not just as good and look where we ended up. Hold on to your hats because here we go.

GO IRISH!!!

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I am not sure what to think about this team. I am shocked and awed (MSU, UM) then hugely let down (USF, UM, Pitt). Thank god we have a defense this year, otherwise we'd be 0-4 at this point. So which team do we have? The BCS contending MSU killers? Or the so-so also ran USF/Pitt hangerson?

As for why we think Pitt is a bad team? They almost lost to Maine, they got trucked by Iowa in a defeat saved from the jaws of victory and they are the 97th rated defense in the country. That adds up to a curbstomp.

Pitt had a great defensive plan, pretty simple, hide what you're doing until the ball is snapped. Confused Tommy, as it would any young QB. Surprising that noone else has done it to us yet.

I wish we had a veteran QB, not a QB that should be watching film and learning

 

[meowmix]

I am not sure what to think about this team. I am shocked and awed (MSU, UM) then hugely let down (USF, UM, Pitt). Thank god we have a defense this year, otherwise we'd be 0-4 at this point. So which team do we have? The BCS contending MSU killers? Or the so-so also ran USF/Pitt hangerson?

As for why we think Pitt is a bad team? They almost lost to Maine, they got trucked by Iowa in a defeat saved from the jaws of victory and they are the 97th rated defense in the country. That adds up to a curbstomp.

Can you imagine if we still had Tenuta's defense? We would have been obliterated.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Thank god we have a defense this year, otherwise we'd be 0-4 at this point.

Totally. We've only averaged about 425 yards a game. Terrible.

 

[frankygoes69]

?????

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

Can you imagine if we still had Tenuta's defense? We would have been obliterated.

I just puked!