Category: Football

When an opponent turns the ball over 6 times, good teams usually put up points in the 40 to 50 point range for wins. Not this time, Notre Dame eked out only a 7 point win. Notre Dame has a serious identity problem on what type of offense to run. In the end it just looks like a mish mash of confusion and ultra conservative play calling and misuse of some of your best players, especially Eifert and Wood.

Eifert is an All American tight end as a receiver–not a blocker. So they are doubling him–leaves someone else open and he came through with a clutch catch to cement this win. It was his first catch in 2 games. Kelly lectures the media that tight ends by definition are really blockers–see some of the disconnect here.

Riddick was terrific and he is my MVP on offense followed by the maligned Tommy Rees who came into the game after Golson had a meltdown mid way in the 2nd quarter. Yet Kelly says Golson is still the starter.

Now Golson may improve, he has a strong arm but looks to me that he is more of a thrower than passer with no touch. He throws way too much into coverage– example to the end zone to Niklas who was covered by 3 Michigan defenders. Now we all know Rees’s limitations and he is not the future but as a 3 year player it feels a lot safer with him in the game and I think his teammates feel the same way.

So we have big problems going ahead especially with an offensive line that has been playing awful except in certain spurts–I give the OL a D grade for this game. Somebody better be working aggressively with Kiel. If he really is a 5 star passer you just have to get him into games somehow this year. He is not going to sit on the bench for the next 3 years.

Finally, finishing with the offense I give a game ball to Michigan coach Brady Hoke who called a time out for a measurement at the end of the game when the refs had it as 4th and 1–backfired showed first down and ND took a kneel to end the game.

This was actually a horrible game for both offenses and badly coached by each coach.

Defense–give them an A with everybody stepping up including all those kids running around like a bunch of frisky squirrels. The DL played great as usual. What more can you say about Manti–that was just a great performance and should seal up the Butkus Award. To name a few other star players on D–Zeke Motta and Danny Spond.

The problem here is we just cannot expect the defense to stop everyone and spend that much time on the field. Kelly has 2 weeks to get this offense tuned up–they have to score points and lots of them with our remaining schedule. I sure hope Kelly has been saving plays because what he’s doing now just won’t work against the rest of this schedule.

I’ll take this win and happy to be 4-0 until I read this article by Greg Couch of Fox Sports–kind of deflating:

4-0 start not as impressive as it seems

Checking in with Charlie Weis his Kansas team lost to Northern Illinois 30-23. Crist 10 0f 26 no TD’s and no picks but 4 sacks. Kansas is now 1-3.

Writing this post I decided to give Robinson his plays–he makes them all year. He’s a poor passer but looks like Tom Brady when playing Notre Dame plus he’s lucky as hell. So, how does Notre Dame win this NIGHT game–that’s a big part of ND’s problem, they just don’t show up on offense most of the time
at night.

The whole key to this game, in my opinion, will be the play of ND’s offensive line and we should find out how that will go in ND’s first two possessions. If the line plays crazy, all out, this game will be over by half time. The two weak spots RG and RT are a big concern–expect Michigan to put their best DT and DE against them.

Tate Nicols apparently has been cleared to play and I would get him into this game early. You’re talking about a monster at 6’8″ 320 lbs–put him at RT and if you still need help there line up tight end Troy Niklas 6’7″ 260 right next to him. Niklas at his size should also be Golson’s safety valve–how can you miss a guy that big.

The running game will be key to victory for I am not at all sure of Golson’s passing yet. He still stares down receivers and throws into double coverage–see TD throw to Goodman vs. MSU. He had a wide open Roby Toma for a touchdown on that play. He hasn’t shown me that he has the touch on long passes yet. Michigan’s defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will be blitz crazy in this game so ND’s OL must do the job.

I really like Roby Toma but Kelly has to get Davonte Neal into the game, he is an electric player with a lot of speed. He better be careful on punt returns, for he’s already dropped 2.

Finally, Kelly has to take the training wheels off and let these guys play. Fast paced offense, no huddle will offset Mattison’s stunts and changes before the snap. Just play fast–look at what Rich Rod is doing at Arizona he’s in his first year and those guys can go fast paced. No reason Kelly in his 3rd can’t play up tempo–3 years is enough time to install his offense.

On defense–just follow the Alabama blue print. I, personally would just have one plan–kill the QB. The defensive line has to once again play lights out–rush rush and disrupt and hit Denard hard on every play and just hope he doesn’t get loose and is one on one vs. Zeke Motta. If Diaco plays a safe contain game we lose. Denard can’t pass on anyone except ND and he will be looking to win the Heisman Saturday Night.

Prediction–if ND plays as above with no turn overs:

Notre Dame 41 Michigan 28

Notre Dame Coach Gerry Faust–2nd. year

Michigan Coach Bo Shembechler ” I’ll never lose to a high school coach”

Portable lights brought in for Notre Dame’s very first night game. Some great clips from youtube. Blair Kiel the Notre Dame quarterback. There was some great blocking by the ND offensive line and some nice running from the backs.

You will also see one of the most unbelievable plays in football history. Enjoy as you await Saturday night.