A few (very) items of interest here. My biggest concern is ASU’s coach Todd Graham. Saw him out-coach Kelly 2x – Tulsa and Pitt.
Looking ahead to Arizona State it is quite obvious we just cannot keep doing what we have been doing so far this season. We have had a hard time against 4 mediocre opponents and get blasted by the first quality opponent we’ve played. We can continue to expect our remaining opponents defense to play us exactly like MSU and Oklahoma – jam the receivers and force them to the sideline.
All season we have had way too many 3 and outs, which put our defense (not anywhere as good as last years) into precarious positions. They no sooner come off the field and have to go right out again. This is certainly hampering both Nix and Tuitt. Neither one, in my opinion, is in football shape. Also a drag and tiring out the rest of the defense especially when chasing mobile QB’s around. We just have to get more 1st downs even if we don’t score.
Finally, some good running but that is not enough. Tommy is Tommy and that won’t change. Hendrix is the same as he was 4 years ago and to expect him, with practically no playing time, to turn this around is just plain wishful thinking. I have no problem with getting him in there, but let’s not kid ourselves, he is a very awkward runner plus everyone knows what he is going to do.
What do we have the most of – running backs 4 and 3 with elite speed. Bryant is apparently out with a knee injury. With a little imagination why not try a 3 back set – Atkinson, Carlisle and Folston or at least a 2 back set. Up tempo and Hendrix pitches or hands to anyone of them. Run the damn Wishbone or tricky option. Christ, try anything to get these backs on the field at the same time. Nothing wrong with doing this a few times or sequences during a game. Rick Mirer ran the 3 back option to great effect and he was no speed merchant.
Finally, no empty backfield. Need to keep a back in to protect Rees.
Few other things – pass interference calls becoming ridiculous. And what’s with the chop blocks? Thought that was illegal – if it’s not we should try it – damn near took Jaylon Smith’s legs off.
Well that didn’t take long, about 3 minutes before we were down 14-0 on 2 interceptions. I know Rees is going to take all the heat on this one but that 1st pick – not on him plus he almost got killed on the hit. Just great when he comes to the sideline and Kelly all over him and you know Rees didn’t even know what happened to him and you know further it must have hurt. 2nd pick was a bad pass that was tipped right to a Sooner player. Kinda lucky how the ball bounced on these plays and Rees rounded out the 1st half with another pick.
ND rushing attack finally came to life, starting with a burst of 36 yards by Tarean Folston setting up ND’s first touchdown. He only carried the ball once more in the game. George Atkinson finally put it together rushing for 148 yards on 14 carries including an 80 yard run for a TD in the third quarter. ND had a total of 220 yds rushing to Oklahoma’s 212 which included QB Bell’s 59 yards rushing.
Look, with Tommy’s limitations he needs his receivers to run the correct route and he needs pass protection. We all know he can barely run and is not very good passing on a rollout so – you gotta deal with it. Bright spots in this game – biggest is the rushing attack and the emergence of Folston and Atkinson. At this point you have to wonder what the deal is with Freshman Greg Bryant – he was the big catch for the 2013 class. If he’s not hurt and doesn’t play this year it’s going to be – See Ya come January.
Carlo Calabrese played his best game in a ND uniform. Jarrett Grace, while still learning is going to be good. Freshman WR’s Robinson and Fuller are future stars. TJ Jones is just a very good receiver.
The Bad: The defensive line – believe me they are not the best DL in College Football. Tuitt just isn’t getting it done on a consistent basis and while Nix tries hard on every play he also , many times, is pushed back 3-4 yards. We have no depth and the attrition of DL – Aaron Lynch (transfer) Tony Springman (injury) Chase Hounshell (injury) and finally losing Eddie Vanderdoes before he even arrives all really hurts. And Gunner Kiel leaving made a mess of the QB depth.
Gotta say though, these guys did not quit, never gave up – but that being said, how do you let a big lumbering QB run for 59 yards? Where the hell was the pressure when he’s running around on 2 bad legs and then throws a 50 yard TD to a wide open receiver and 2 ND guys just watching him catch.
Oh well we are now 3-2 and the future getting dimmer.
What else was going on:
*** USC JUST FIRED LANE KIFFEN ***
Arizona State 62-41 over USC. ASU QB Kelly 351 yds passing and 79 yds rushing.
USC had 542 total yds with 295 passing and 247 rushing. The good news is – we get them back to back.
Pitt is 3-1 and BYU is 2-2
Stanford beat Washington State 55-17 and is now 4-0
What else – well Purdue with their vaunted defense is 1-4 and lost back to back – Wisconsin 41-10 and yesterday to Northern Illinois 55-24. Well,at least we should get that linebacker recruit.
Let’s wrap it up with 2 clips from watchnd.tv. Kelly not a happy camper.
So far I haven’t liked much about the first 4 games of this season – coaching first, motivation second. Most lethargic and confused team I’ve seen in a long time. At this stage, when getting the play called just about uses the clock, something very basic is missing. Further, looks to me that players are confused and are having trouble knowing what the coaching staff wants them to do – tentative and too much thinking going on, better to just let these guys play.
If we keep the bend/break style on defense we won’t win. I am a devout believer in Buddy Ryan’s Bears 46 defense – get the QB every play, constant pressure.
In addition to most teams loading the box on our offense, MSU’s Dantonio added a new wrinkle – jam the WR’s at the line and force them to the sidelines and it worked so expect Oklahoma to do the same and they have better players than Michigan State.
Actually, we have not played any decent teams so far – Michigan is no damn good, neither is Purdue. Michigan State has no offense and my guess is that they go 6-6 this year. Temple is not a Division 1 team and I originally thought this was a joke. Tulsa would beat Temple.
Unless Kelly has been holding back and unveils a totally new offensive scheme and ramps up this offense including the running game this game looks hopeless.
ND goes 3 and out in 1st possession while Oklahoma scores a touchdown and the rout is on.
Prediction:
Oklahoma 38 Notre Dame 17
Everyone is disappointed about the ND offense in the past 4 games. To Kelly, it appears just the fact that 3-1 is just fine and it’s all about just winning games. So last year ND basically just stumbled into the National Championship game and last years team was far better than what we are seeing now.
Just stumbling through a season only to get completely waxed by Alabama shows that you just can’t eke out wins over inferior teams but you’ve got to get used to scoring lots of points. Alabama just crushed the vaunted ND defense and I believe Oregon would have done the same.
Neither Bama or Oregon cares what a defense is doing – they are just going to run their offense. Stack the box, they could care less – still going to run when they feel like it. ND is just waiting to see what the defense will give them.
With the above in mind I picked out 3 teams who’s offense is predicated on running the ball first – Alabama, Stanford and Wisconsin. Narrowed it further to just Wisconsin. With that in mind I compared ND and Wisconsin vs. Purdue. ND beat writers were telling us all about Purdue’s DL – have to pass to beat these guys, too tough to run against. So onto the stats:
Wisconsin 41 Purdue 10
Notre Dame 31 Purdue 24
The ND game was won in the 4th quarter – ND was behind 17-10 going into the 4th quarter. Now Purdue knew Wisconsin was going to run the ball so I’m sure they loaded the box – result Wisconsin Rush 388 yds while ND gained 91 Rush yds. It will be interesting to see how the MSU defense does as they begin Big? play. You don’t get to the big show unless you have an offense that can run the ball when necessary.
OK enough about that – after all it is Oklahoma week. With that in mind here’s a few clips of last years game. That ND team certainly looked more motivated. Time certainly clouds memory but that game was actually tied 13-13 going into the 4th quarter. Golson also ran for 60+ yards which really helped the offense.
I, like most ND fans are trying to make sense of the Kelly/Martin play calling so far this season. With an almost non existent running game, Kelly just quips that he will just go over the top on those teams that jam the line of scrimmage. Ok, I get that, but when it’s 3rd and short why continuously throw 50 yards down-field.
Before this season the book on Tommy Rees was that he does not have the arm strength to throw, with accuracy more than 25 yards–now we know different. But the play calling gives him very little room for error–very small window for him to place the ball and so far he has come through with the help of some great catches–over the shoulder and hard up against the sidelines by the receivers.
Even with that, our opponents continue to jam the line to stop the run first–again and again. So Rees has to constantly change the original play call and I guess he’s been told anytime he sees one on one to go with the pass. Martin has said numerous times that he will take that match up every time. But what about a quick slant just to get the first down. A few short passes would take a lot of pressure off Tommy – now it’s all on his shoulders to complete long pass after long pass.
Must give kudos also to the OL for outstanding pass protection. But that also puts a lot of pressure on them when we always go long. Rees already in a knee brace and unless we get some type of running game he is going to get killed, sooner or later.
Now the Running Game. Any chance of some mis direction plays? Any chance of some imaginative play calling? Run blocking by the OL? RB”s getting yardage when they only need a yard? All I’ve seen, in short yardage is the RB”s getting bounced backward. I just don’t think that GAIII is a running back. Carlisle belongs in the slot. I love Cam but he really is just a situational player. The 2 freshman–we really need to get both of them on the field and for far more than 1 or 2 plays. Kelly just wants to wait til the game is salted away before taking a chance on a fumble–well this team will not salt any team,as already shown, with the exception of maybe Navy.
I have the feeling that Kelly/Martin are just playing not to lose. Consider all the long passes and long side line passes – seems to me that while hoping for possible TD or long gain they are more concerned about an interception and if a pick does occur – well that’s as good as a punt, so no big deal.
Anyhow, I really really hope that we have a big change and that Kelly has been just waiting to let loose an explosive offense – lets start this Saturday.
Not at all pretty as ND edges MSU in a battle of the trenches. With State loading the box, only alternative was to pass – oh, let’s skip those down the line passes, someone is going to get a pick 6 one of these Saturdays. Tommy Rees was 14/34 for 142 yards and generally put up a catch-able ball and if not completed at least it drew 4 interference calls which ultimately decided the game.
This was a ho-hum hard to watch game won on Brindza’s kicking. Nothing really newsworthy to write about except perhaps the emerging freshman receivers Robinson – 3 catches and Fuller’s 1 catch, his first of the season. It was interesting to note how State jammed the receivers and forced them to the sideline leaving little room for error but were caught out of bounds. Cam McDaniel had a 7 yd TD run and TJ Jones had another TD catch. ND had 224 yds to MSU’s 250.
ND fans cannot expect Tommy Rees to be Tom Brady–he’s not and while he missed a lot, he threw no picks. Workman like job.
Calabrese had a good game and he and Grace worked well together as the ILB set.
Let’s see what some other games looked like:
Next 3 weeks will decide the season but unless ND can find a consistent offense and put up a lot of points the future looks mighty bleak.
Traditionally and usually, 3 teams give ND fits despite inferior talent – Michigan State, Pitt and Purdue. This week will not be any different. MSU comes to South Bend with a very good defense (they usually do) and an improving offense banging out over 500 yards against Youngstown State and they found their QB – Connor Cook, who can pass and run. Regardless of who they played – the ND game is very special to their season, so they will be up – sky high.
Notre Dame, on the other hand has stumbled along in their first 3 games with Kelly and Diaco going very vanilla until it’s almost too late. He is relying on Tommy Rees to pass ND out of trouble in the 2nd half of each game and that is not good. Rees is really trying but it is just too much asking him to throw 50 times a game. Rees also can throw 5 picks in a game and since he is so immobile and can’t throw on the run, their is a great likelihood of injury which would end all hopes of a successful season.
Mark Dantonio has an interesting dilemma should MSU win the toss, but will kick off and let his defense blitz Rees unmercifully – make him complete passes behind an under performing offensive line. MSU bottles up the run in this game and ND will have to pass to win.
Notre Dame simply is not getting tough line action from either the OL or DL. I would not risk Sheldon Day(ankle) in this game – I would opt for Kona Schwenke, at least he has played a lot and he deserves a shot as a starter. ND should go with Grace as a starter – time to step it up at this ILB position.
This kid is good but he’s been standing around for 2 tears watching Manti – that’s part of the problem I have with Kelly, he just plays starters and that is no way to build quality depth. On defense, I would also move Shumate to ILB for Carlo & Fox in obvious passing situations and let’s get Jaylon Smith more involved in Blitzing the QB. Finally Tuitt – somehow or other light a fire under him. Many times he is being handled by the OT going one on one.
Kelly cannot rely on this defense to win games, they look confused and unmotivated. Kelly, also has to up tempo this offense and stop fooling around – just get the ball and go and go fast no huddle just for the hell of it.
Don’t have a good feeling about this game which could go either way.
Notre Dame 17 Michigan State 13 or the reverse.
Brian Kelly, Chuck Martin and Broyles Award winner Bob Diaco (did I mention Broyles Award) better get their head phones checked for tampering – it’s either that or opposing coaches are living inside their heads. Everything is just so predictable on both sides of the ball and to consistently run the ball against 8 in the box is madness – no matter how many 5 star RB’s on the roster.
Sooner or later and I predict sooner, some team is going to blast ND right out of the stadium. Another poster said Tuitt belongs on a milk carton – I like that, so true. Is he still injured or just still out of shape?
Well, enough compliments – a win is a win and we can all thank Tommy Rees who again threw for 300 yards. Memo to receivers – when the ball hits your hands, the whole idea is to catch it. Where the hell would we be without Tommy? Try 0-3.
WR D. Daniels had a great game and TJ Jones was clutch. Cam McDaniel, despite limitations is a tough kid and hard runner. Frosh RB’s had no room to run at all – don’t be surprised if Bryant and Folston hop a jet to Florida if things do not improve in the running game – and the snow arrives.
Lackluster effort for the most part. ND simply cannot play Night Games, in prime time and on national TV – scaring the hell out of recruits. The good news is the Michigan State game is a day game at ND – the bad news is that they found a QB, 4 TD passes against Youngstown State and MSU had 547 yards total offense. Time for Bob Broyles to spring into action – move a few guys around, just for the hell of it.
Items of further interest ;
Temple( 0-3) lost to Fordham!!! 30-29, we only scored 28 against Temple. I didn’t even know that Fordham had a football team.
Next opponents in a row – Mich. State, Oklahoma, Arizona State and USC – last 2 are night games and once you get past them we finish the season with BYU and Stanford. That’s 6 potential losses unless we have drastic improvement in all aspects of this football program.
Don’t mean to be a downer but I see no improvement in this team from game 1 to 3.
This game, every year is THE most important game for Purdue. Purdue, traditionally, has always played ND tough and last year it took a last minute FG to beat a rather poor Boiler team.
I expect that Notre Dame, as they usually do, will play down to the competition level. When you look at the athletic superiority of ND they should easily put up 40 pts and just coast with the subs getting plenty of playing time – I doubt it will work out that way.
What I would like to see in this game for ND:
I hope I’m wrong but I expect a Temple like game.
I’ve added Kelly presser from Sept 12 provided by watchnd.tv – Kelly said – well this week we decided to get the coaching staff more involved and we made them rerun plays until they got them right – shades of Vince Lombardi.
Notre Dame 33 Purdue 17