It's Navy week boys, protect your legs and ankles. :wink: The Middies during the Brian Kelly years have given us fits, they have beat Kelly coached team several times and rarely has beaten them soundly. Last year was a nailbiter in South Bend 24-17 Irish and in 2016 they beat us. So while I would like a 2012 type of game with them, which btw was in Dublin and I believe the gipper was in attendance for a 50-10 game on the way to an unbeaten season. I expect that won't be the case. They lost to Houston at home last weekend. Houston's QB is a dynamic dual threat kid and they kept the pressure on them the whole game scoring when they had the ball. Houston threw for over 400 yds on them and ran for almost 200 yds, and the Cougars with Art Briles kid as the play caller isn't exactly a pound it offense. So on paper the Irish should have no problem moving the ball. But even though this isn't a great Navy team, they are 2-5, they still ran the ball for 350 yds and held the ball 42 minutes to the Cougars 18 minutes. I think from what I read our OL is a little beat up, with both Tommy Kraemer and Hainsey battling leg/ankle injuries. It would be nice to get control early and have long drives that keep the Navy offense and our defense off the field and eventually get some backups on the OL some playing time. Jafar Armstrong reportedly will be ready to play but we'll know for sure after Kelly's Navy press conference which I think is tomorrow. I think Tony Jones Jr should be 100 % again for this game. Goal 1) Win 2) no injuries to Defense from the Navy blocking scheme. 3) win big enough to get backups some PT.
Winning is no longer a goal. It is an absolute necessity. The goal is to beat Navy by three or more TDs. And no serious injuries.
The key is getting up by more than 2 TDS. In Dublin Tuitt’s TD on a fumble run back started the blowout. Navy’s offense is terrible for coming back from a big defecit because their option offense chews up clock.
Something to think about, and this is entirely self inflicted. Notre Dame’s final five-game travel schedule is detrimental to the program and, to be blunt, completely ludicrous in its conception: Approximately 3,592 miles round trip to play Navy in San Diego. An 8 PM ET kickoff A bus trip to Chicago for a true road game to play Northwestern. A 7:15 or 7:30 ET kickoff. Senior Night in South Bend vs. Florida State. A 7:30 ET kickoff Approximately 1,300 miles round trip to play Syracuse in the Bronx rather than at home as initially scheduled. By choice. Ostensibly to wear new uniforms. A merciful 2:30 kickoff. Approximately 3,640 miles round trip to play archrival USC. Kickoff time to be announced. (But…Kickoff to be 8 pm ET if Notre Dame is 11-0) Five weeks, two trips to the west coast, one to New York, one to Chicago, one home game, five stadiums, at least three but probably four prime time kickoffs. There are 15 Power 5 teams (including Central Florida and Notre Dame) that have navigated their seasons to this point with one loss or as an undefeated. Those 15 teams will play a combined 40 more home games between this Saturday and the conclusion of the regular season. Notre Dame hosts one of those 40.
ND <t>I say this every year but I hate this game. The only way to win is to score every time you get the ball. Win the coin toss and take the ball. No TURNOVERS! Of course you also want to try to get out without any injuries. Win by 3 scores or 1 point. Just win, get on the plane and get home safe. <br/> Actually, I think Navy always plays better in South Bend. I think the way they block and tackle should be illegal but it is what it is. Just win Irish, just win.</t>
Navy took out Houston's Ed Oliver with an illegal chop block and he might not play this week. This is what I fear the most that we win, but lose 1 or more guys on the defense to their blocking scheme...legal or otherwise.
Kelly's presser today confirmed the rumor that Aaron Banks will be starting at LG this week, with Rhuland moving over to alternate with Kraemer on the right side. Also confirmed that Jafar Armstrong will play as will Troy Pride. With Armstrong he seemed to be saying he'll play but don't expect a large volume of caries from him this week.
For you Hockey fans, the Irish Hockey team is #1 and the #2 ranked Minn-Duluth will be in town for 2 games this weekend. Rematch of last years Final Four Championship.
It's official Notre Dame v Navy Aug 29th 2020 in Dublin Ireland. Not really a big fan of this but as noted earlier a lot of ND fans including gipper and wife made the trip in 2012 and pretty much 100% of them said it was a terrific trip and they'd do it again.
Speculation on Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa who was injured in the 1st game of the year and has had some surgery and rehab. At the time the thought was that since it was the 1st game he could use the new rule and red shirt this year. But then people started talking about if he's ready to play in November could he play the last couple of games and stay at 4 games played and still have the redshirt year available. It gets a little tricky because if we are fortunate enough to remain undefeated and make the playoffs you would want him for both playoff games should we win the 1st game. So that would mean he could only play 1 more regular season game and preserve the redshirt. Personally if he's ready to play in Nov then I would play him, we could really use him in the middle. That would mean he'd have 2019 and 2020 left to play and that's fine with me. There is no guarantee that if he has a RS year this year that he will stay for that 5th year.
Everybody's biggest fear for playing Navy. This is last weeks Houston/Navy game when the Navy went after Outland Trophy winner Ed Oliver in a viscous and illegal manner. It's brutal and no penalty was called. Oliver is questionable for this weeks Houston game vs USF. <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/1dJQX6kkjZpuxJf8mu" width="480" height="246" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed"></iframe><p><a>via GIPHY</a></p>
Devin Studstill, an open letter to his Mom who passed away in April 2017. A must read. https://und.com/news/2018/10/23/football-a-letter-to-my-best-friend.aspx
I like the Dublin game a lot. First it's in Aug. so it's obviously our first game. Fall practice will begin earlier than usual. We might have 2 bye weeks that year. The team will enjoy the trip, it might help recruiting and the last time we played there despite all the whining we went undefeated that season. Oh, and we'll have plenty of time to get our younger players ready to play that triple option Navy plays.
ND <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> Looks like this young man had a great Mom and her influence will probably play a big part in the success I'm sure he will have in life.</r>
ND <t>I took a look at the hit Navy put on Houston’s Oliver and it only remphasizes why I hate this game. It’s amazing they get by with this. Even when ND wins this game it’s not a positive. If you win by to much you are criticised, win by too little your criticised. Lose and you are in serious trouble. I hope we win by a hundred and everyone hates us. Correction, 50% already do. Let’s make it 75%. Just find a way to win Irish.</t>
ND <t>Well the way the game started(fumble) I was saying here we go again. Then we just kicked Navy's butt for the rest of the first half. They reverted to ND of years past for about the next qtr and a half before they got themselves together and put Navy away. <br/> <br/> Thankfully Tranquill's injury doesn't appear very serious so I guess we got thru the game okay. <br/> <br/> I'm always glad to get this game over. Now, on to Northwestern.</t>
Tim that was pretty much my reaction as well, here we go again. But the defense stiffed them and we scored on the next possession. It was about as good a half as we've had vs Navy in the Kelly era. 2nd half was sloppy, credit to Navy for never quitting and for fighting to the end. I feared the worst about Tranquil but it seems like he's going to be OK. Dexter was really good and so was Jafar. Book is continuing to be very accurate, he's not perfect he did miss a couple of throws and had that pick. But a really solid college QB. ND Hockey got stoned both Friday and Sat by last years Nat'l Champs the UMD Bulldogs. Basketball is close to getting started.