Anchors Aweigh! It's nice that we get to play Navy right after playing Air Force, while they don't run the option exactly the same it's still the option. It took a series or 2 for our guys to get in the flow of defending it, but after that we had it in hand. I don't expect to shut out Navy but I do expect to beat them by 20 points at least. Of course if we don't come to play it could be a long afternoon. The thing about the option based teams is that if you let them play their game they possess the ball so much that it forces you to score on almost every possession and if you don't you find yourself in a dogfight. If you get out front of them, the whole dynamic changes. Navy beat Pitt last weekend on a last second field goal, and while Pitt isn't a great team this year by any shakes, they still have more athletes on their roster than Navy if you go by HS recruiting. So I hope we respect the opponent and come out ready for a tough game and if a big win breaks out fine but don't show up expect them to roll over.
They always play us tough. I think you make a really strong point about the potential benefit of playing Air Force before Navy. Their cover corners should be better than the Zoomies' but if we can pass protect long enough, that won't matter. I about fell over when the color man in the Air Force game referred to Rees as a 'dual threat QB who can make plays with his legs when he needs to.' From the little I've seen of the 2 freshman, I'd honestly feel comfortable with them each getting 5 to 10 carries a game with the bulk of the carries going to Cam. I think Amir could be a dangerous scat back hybrid but we've got to put him in that position. He just doesn't have enough ass and thigh to work daily between the tackles, imho. I think GA3 could be dangerous on ISOs and stretch plays where we can let him get his legs untangled. He could still be a good pro RB, but someone somewhere is going to have to teach him to run with his pads down. I just don't see that happening this year.
What 2 freshmen are you talking about? Greg Bryant hasn't played since MSU and is done for the year. He only got 2 carries vs Temple and 1 carry vs Purdue. So I don't think we know anything other than he was a HS stud at this point. Now Folston has gotten more carries, and I liked what little I have seen. He had a good run vs OU but strained his hammy and didn't play against ASU or USC. But he looked like he had potential vs Air Force and I would like to see him and McDaniel get the Lions share of the caries vs Navy and Pitt. I'm not sure what you do with GAIII he just looked awful vs Air Force and Amir just never seems to see where the hole is, though unlike GAIII he does run tough and has good body lean.
ND <t>They need to start the Folston kid from the gitgo and by the 4th qtr Navy won't want to see him anymore. I don't know how much more obvious it has to get that they need to give this kid the ball! He's an honest to God RB. Oh by the way, while I'm ranting here, never ever let GA field a punt again! TJ does just fine.</t>
ND <r>Golson SI interview:<br/> <br/> <URL url="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf-video/20131029/everett-golson-notre-dame-cheating-andy-staples-cfb.sportsillustrated/"><LINK_TEXT text="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ ... lustrated/">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf-video/20131029/everett-golson-notre-dame-cheating-andy-staples-cfb.sportsillustrated/</LINK_TEXT></URL><br/> <br/> Interesting.</r>
Last year's Navy game was interesting to watch. There was a general feeling that our D back were poor because of some early passes Navy completed. The fact is, the option puts a lot of pressure on the D backs who have to be ready to react to the option. They're left in single coverage because the LB's have to tend to their run D assignments. However, as soon as we built a lead, we were able to drop into our normal defense and we completely shut down Navy who couldn't go to their grind it out offense without committing clock suicide. We should win by 3 1/2 TDs.
Interesting that Gip would mention that game. I read that unlike the Air Force who attacked our flanks with their RB's, the Navy will pound us up the middle primarily. So Carlo better strap on his helmet. Of course it's not like this is the first time Carlo has seen the middies.
Running up the middle is a poor startegy with Carlo on the field. As I suggested at the start of the season, he could lead the team in tackles. Well after 8 games, he leads the team in tackles.
Yankee Stadium was a success, what Diaco probably would like to forget would be the Meadowlands...the site of Navy completely undressing his defense. Navy FB had the game of his career, and the funniest (at least in the rearview mirror) was Diaco/Kelly saying after the game something to the effect that Navy came out and ran this option thing against us and we weren't expecting that!
ND <t>I watched the Golson interview and I have to say I have mixed emotions about him. I'm happy that it sounds like he'll be back with the Irish next season but at the same time he just really disappointed me. I really feel he let the team down because of what his actions caused. I'm pretty sure we would be sitting here 8-0 instead of 6-2 if he had been playing this year. That's just the ND fan in me and there are more important things than football. <br/> <br/> I also realize he made a mistake, and I've made a bunch of those in my life a few more serious than his. I'm sure when he did it he wasn't thinking big picture and how it would effect so many people. Hopefully he has learned from this. First of all for himself and his future. I honestly believe he wants that ND diploma and is determined to come back and get it. If he does well in football that would be a plus. If he were my son I think I would be telling him what his family is probably telling him right now. Get yourself back to ND, get back in school, get your diploma and do the best you can on the football field. Finish what you started, you're better than that.</t>
What struck me most was how he has changed physically since he was a fragile freshman. He's really filled out and looks to be much stronger.
Doc T, Those are the 2 RBs I'm talking about and I realize you have a limited sampling to choose from with them. My point is, you can watch some athletes and know they have 'it.' I said it after Temple, and I've been saying it for a while. Those 2 look like premium SEC RBs. All, Here's the thing about Golson. We've had players getting booted and have to sit out a year before. Rules are rules. I've heard so many conflicting stories about what Michael Stonebreaker actually did, I've just given up thinking about it. The kid owned up to what he did. He's serving his punishment. He wants to come back to ND. There's a lot of positive character reflections there if you choose to look for them. I find it... interesting that some people who were so quick to take back other previous rule breakers seem to be treating Golson differently. Tim, I believe you are right. I think if he's playing, we're no worse than a 1 loss team at this point and I'd strongly suspect unbeaten.
Corey...clearly the atmosphere for players discipline has changed at ND. It was one of the things that Charlie told Swarbrick on the way out the door, that Res Life was a huge problem for the football program. It was reportedly the stumbling block for Stoops taking the job when Kelly was hired, he wanted Res Life revamped or a say in what happened to football players. Stonebreaker drove a car (his?) on campus after being banned from driving on campus. We've had guys sit for having excessive parking tickets (Brock Williams), of course there are parietal violations, all sorts of things that would not be a problem at LSU or USC. Under the old regime/rules I can't imagine that Golson would even be allowed to reapply for admission in January. He'd be done as a ND Student.
Golson's indescretion is an academic honor code violation. How would an average tuition paying student be treated under the similar circumstances? That, to me, is the question. Michael Floyd got involved in 2-3 alcohol related incidents including at least one DUI and never missed a single game that I know of.
Fellas, is there a point to this conversation? If and when he returns to campus, that's only the beginning of a long, hard journey back to respectability. I'm pretty sure he understands that. How he handles himself beginning in January will determine if he is fit to be considered a leader of the team.
George according to the DuLac rules I posted in another topic his punishment fits the rules. But why do I think that in the old days that the exception noted in the rules that allows readmission would be rarely invoked. Sid, the point is that things have changed and ND while not lenient by current standards is more lenient with their athletes than in the past. We could discuss the current hot topics of 1) Would we be 8-0 if Golson had returned and 2) Does Diaco's game plan at the outset vs Air Force indicate he learned nothing from his past games vs teams running the option and does that mean he sucks!