What's going on here? OG Matt Carufel has apparently vamoosed. This kid was highly recruited and a starter. He was supposed to start tomorrow. Something ain't right here. :x
He's not back yet. Needs to find himself and went home to Minnesota. Will let Weis know on Sunday. Now we get to play a 3rd string guard against BC. This class is full of mamas boys.
In a way I agree <t>At the same time, this is what happens when you take those new kids who aren't ready yet, and throw them into the fire.</t>
What? I'm watching teams every week loaded with freshmen starters. Do we get the only ones who miss mom or what?
Relax George, it's just a passing thing. :lol: Next season, you will be in the mix and things will look a lot better. Don
George ... <t>Agree.... I see freshmen O-Linemen every Saturday playing and playing well. This guy has been awful every single time I've watched him. Hey I could care less if he comes back. ND must do better.</t>
we keep <r>looking and using MICRO examples of a MACRO problem.<br/> <br/> People keep pointing to individual players or the fact UGA has such a young line.<br/> <br/> The problem with this team is that its essentially half of what those other teams have. Sure they have younger players out there, every one does..but nowhere near to the extent of the Irish.<br/> <br/> The youth is not being allowed an opportunity to cultivate. We can't 'grow' our youthful talent, we are having to throw it to the fire.<br/> <br/> I will use this quote from Kayo's post over on NDN a while back because I think it puts, or should, some things in perspective. How many teams returned fewer letterman? Well anyway, here's this excerpt:<br/> <QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> Another excerpt:<br/> <QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE></r>
:shock: Geezusss... I'm glad George and Larry don't teach or coach. Nobody would ever graduate... I watched their hero...Tyrone Willingham tonight. The broadcaster for his latest anihilation (this time by Arizona State) noticed something odd about the makeup of this year's Huskie roster. Despite having an all-world red-shirt freshman QB named Jake Locker, it seems that EVERY receiver in the school is a senior! What are they going to do next year? Who will catch the ball? It appears that somebody has forgotten to recruit any receivers for the last three years! Now let's see...how many years has Tyrone been there? His golf game must be getting pretty good by now... The cupboard was bare. The Irish don't accept transfers. Teen-agers playing behind other teen-agers with NFL coaches playing Kindergarten Cop until the kiddies mature and that takes time. Only time and patience will fix this. What we need most is fans who're even half as tough as these young kids who're going through hell right now. I can take it if they can... ............JO'Co
I see their point <r>the problem is that most ND fans seem to be in these camps of extremes. (e.g. it has to be this or that) I think its a little bit of everything but the largest chunk of failure is still at Ty's feet.<br/> <br/> If you replace the words 'the hiring of Ty Willingham' with the words 'the NCAA penalties', it would have been the 3rd harshest penalty ever handed down. Think about that.... only the ass hammering of SMU and Miami were worse than they HIRING and EMPLOYMENT of Ty Willingham.<br/> <br/> The Irish are trying to recover from a self inflicted gun shot wound with a rather necrotic healing process.<br/> <br/> <br/> That <B><s></s>IS NOT TO SAY THAT CHARLIE AND HIS STAFF ARE WITHOUT MAJOR BLAME<e></e></B> in all of this. I think coach has tried some things that have hurt this team in the short term, but did provid a learning opportunity for team and coach alike that won't be lost.<br/> <br/> For example, in the NFL, you can 'scheme' out of a slump. The level of talent for players, even on the worst team, is such that a solid scheme and execution can carry you for a few weeks.<br/> <br/> In my honest opinion, Charlie didn't realize that he was going to have to teach this team:<br/> <br/> 1. How to practice.<br/> 2. How to tackle.<br/> 3. How to run routes.<br/> 4. How to prepare mentally, to prepare.<br/> <br/> One thing I learned as a younger coach is that young players aren't retarded.. No matter how much I may have thought so at the time, they aren't. You have to show them everything. Its somewhat similar to parenting in that you are responsible for the basic foundation. I don't think CW realized just how little 'base' this team really had.<br/> <br/> I think its a fair criticism of Charlie that he didn't realize the base needed to be created when he arrived. I think he was blinded by the senior talent that was on campus when he arrived and just assumed he would go get talented players to plug and play as he goes.<br/> <br/> Charlie DID come to this realization and has been working hard to rectify that situation. Also, it would appear that Charlie has some staff members that need to go or serve in diminished role....<br/> <br/> That being said, you are condemning Charlie for not being able to make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. From the time Ty's classes arrived, it was never in dispute that he only had one class that didn't suck. That's clear. Charlie rode that class to back to back BCS bowls. Now they are gone, we are dependent on players who should be in their 4th and 5th years of eligibility that just aren't there.<br/> <br/> You guys constantly point to other teams that have their own youth movements going on, or individual groups of great young players.. But not one of those teams was facing the void of upper class talent that the Irish had. Those teams had some experience to mask the youth while it matured. Those teams were able to provide an environment in which that youthful player had to beat out what would at least be considered a 'good' division one college football player.<br/> <br/> That was not the situation at all ND. The kids came in on campus and they WERE the talent. Mix that in with CW's misread of the situation regarding the development of base and you get what you've seen on the field.<br/> <br/> One thing I have noticed is that this team (bad as the record may be) continues to fight. They continue to compete and they continue to get better.<br/> <br/> You simply <B><s></s>CANNOT<e></e></B> overlook the importance of this.<br/> <br/> Meanwhile.... the 'molder of men' in Seattle:<br/> <br/> -Has the benefit of JUCO transfers.<br/> -Is in a tremendous recruiting situation at a program that has very good in-state talent and a long standing tradition of taping into the California talent pipeline.<br/> -Has the benefit of the national media 'basking in the awe and glow' of Ty and his pending turn around.<br/> <br/> Meanwhile, the onfield results continue to produce on blow out loss after another in which the team gets worse and worse as the game goes on. Don't tell me, my Irish brothers, that you forget that feeling. Watching your team compete for about 2 quarters before falling into total collapse and flat out quitting on the field... <br/> <br/> Your memories can't be that short.<br/> <br/> Despite having all sorts of tools at his expense to 'quick fix' problems that weren't available to him at Notre Dame, Ty still has his team battling for that crucial 9th place spot in the Pac10 with Arizona.<br/> <br/> While the media hung their hat on the proof of Ty's greatness coming at the expense of Syracuse and a young Boise State team playing in their 2nd game of the year (I bet you Boise would beat them if they played in week <E>8)</E>....What has now been lost since that moment of Xanadu is total ass kickings in which the team faded to:<br/> <br/> Ohio State (who dropped 33 on them)<br/> UCLA (who dropped 44 on them)<br/> Arizona State who dropped 44 on them)<br/> <br/> And here comes Oregon up next looking to drop half a c-note on them.<br/> <br/> Meanwhile, all anyone wants to talk about is how Washington hung with a USC team that has been totally gutted with injuries the past few weeks.<br/> <br/> Washington finishes with games against Oregon, Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Cal, Washington State and Hawaii. While Oregon and Cal seem totally out of the question for Washington (even suffering from key injuries) there are 5 potential wins and a bowl birth sitting right there for the taking. Anyone want to bet me they fall short?<br/> <br/> And unlike Weis at ND, Ty wasn't left with a bare cupboard.</r>
Lighten up, Jim. Did your cat crap in your Cheerios? When did you EVER hear me extol the virtues of TW as HC at ND? I know he was a poor recruiter. I know he was a lousy coach. I know that he's been gone for three years. Your points about Weis' coaching mistakes are well taken. He had no concept of the college game and hired many assistants who like wise had to learn on the fly. What CW did have was a burning desire to return to his alma mater. He flashed his four rings around and has had some real success salvaging his first recruiting class that he took over from TW and it carried him well in his second class. His third class currently ranks #1. But now we have kids leaving in the middle of the season, highly regarded recruits, starters. If we start having defections from current verbals then you will know that the "word" is out on Charlie. The allure of the SB rings is fading, the results on the field are now taking precedence. None of us expected more than a competitive Irish team this year. We haven't gotten that. Can you point to anything on this that encourages you for the future outside of Smith and Neal at OLB? Have we tightened up any phases of the game, Offense or Defense, as the season has progressed? Are you happy with the senior leadership on this team? Special teams? Our DBs were rumored to be the strength of the defense two months ago... how is that working out? These are youngters for sure but they are highly recruited youngsters. I can detect NO fire on this team, only confusion. Don't question my loyalty.. been an Irish fan at least as long as you. Always will be. I never taught like you but played for many years and coached for many years. I sense trouble here, behind the scenes. TW is a distant memory to me; I don't care what he is doing.
I <r>would never question your loyalty to the Irish, but I do think that you are quick to discount the effect that Ty had on the program.<br/> <br/> I'm not happy with a good many of those aspects that you mentioned, but a lot of that is directly attributable to the short deck left behind by the previous staff.<br/> <br/> I was in the midst of researching the numbers shortage at ND when Kayo posted his piece on NDN, it was basically exactly what I was looking for and perhaps laid more clarity to the issue.<br/> <br/> Its the equivalent of being in 'pay up' year of what would be one of the most severe NCAA sanctions ever handed down, only surpassed by what was handed to SMU or Miami. The difference being is that this was self-imposed.<br/> <br/> I think its a tough situation to play at ND. Lou often cited this fact. Lou was VERY (perhaps too much so) protective of younger players allowing them time to mature..I think there is a good many reasons. My objection is that there seems to be too much immediate blame being placed on CW.<br/> <br/> It reminds me of the Mencken quote <br/> <QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> I think the problems, and their subsequent answers are layered. Its a bad situation that was left behind that will take time to cure. I think we were blinded by the immediate success that CW had with the few seniors he was left. Now we are looking at what is left, and there just wasn't much there past Ty's 1st class.<br/> <br/> BTW, I like our defense quite a bit. Review our opponents scoring drives and I think you will see our defense has been the victim of our terrible offense. It seems that so many of our opponents scoring drives start somewhere between their 40 and our 40.<br/> <br/> Teams aren't driving the length of the field on the D and that should be a testimony to their ability given that they are on the field all day long.</r>
George.. <t>I was going to post a response but you hit all my points so "touch em all."<br/> You will never find a post from me patting lazy Ty on back. I watched him get beat last night and loved every minute of it.<br/> Anyone that is not livid over the performance of this ND team has no pulse. Show me some improvement from game one with this O-Line? NONE !! Lambert, Z and my buddy ole # 22 AW lost as a goose again in coverage. Thank GOD for Smith and Neal.</t>
George, let me make a couple of points after having experienced a very painful afternoon inside ND Stadium yesterday. You say you can detect no fire on this team, only confusion. I disagree. I saw a team on the field with no fire under TW. This team has fire. Most of them are not confused (See below). They want to win. That is not the problem. The problem of no leadership is much, much worse than I had imagined. The 5th and 4th year seniors must go, but we are stuck with them until this season is over. Your boy TZ simply cannot tackle, and he looks confused at safety. I will be shocked if he plays on Sundays. He must go. As you well know that is for me a complete reversal from last year. The 5th year punter is a good kicker but at the same time a liability when he allows his knee to touch the ground on a low snap. That cost us a TD. He must go. Our best OL, the 5th year center....how many times has he hiked it over the QB's head in the shotgun formation? He must go. It looks to me like last year's seniors on both sides of the ball were much stronger as a group than I thought. They made this year's seniors look good as a part of the whole but on their own these guys are stinking up the team. There is something clearly wrong with how the OL is being coached. That must change, whether it's coaching personnel or technique or whatever. It must change. Special teams is an accident waiting to happen, and it normally does in the form of penalties, the most stupid of which have been committed by our 5th year co-captain, Travis Thomas. He must go. Larry, I want you to know that I am not livid, and the fact that I am writing this post proves I have a pulse. I'm amused by folks who make sweeping statements like you did in your post without realizing and accepting that there are people on this earth who do not think the same as you yet still can be equally as passionate and dedicated as you are. I am one of those. You and I have a common bond in our love for and support of ND football. Just let it go at that. George and JO'Co, you are by far two of the coolest guys on this board. Please don't let your sadness/frustration/anger with our current situation affect your friendship with each other. As a student I lived through the 2-9 season in 1963. I've seen worse. Trust me. This too will pass. I don't know how, but it will pass.
Time to weigh in here. I've been in northern Michigan and I have to use my wife's little Vaio. I can't ever recall being more angry during an ND game as I was yesterday. That game was winnable. Thanks to some good defensive play and a number of BC penalties, it was there for the taking. First let me say that we have some players, like all teams do that are liabilities. We have a 5th year safety as Sid mentioned can't tackle. He also thinks that when a safety blitzes, he is supposed to run directly into the nearest offensive blocker and not get near the opposing QB. We have a defensive back who had not gotten one iota better than he was in '05 when his breakdown on a 4th and 9 led to the loss to SC. We have a kicker who is wild as a loon and a punter who is braindead at times. With all that, yesterday's game was still winnable. But we have 3 players on our team who absolutely KILL us. How they got scholarships to ND is a complete mystery to me. I put two kids through ND and it cost plenty. Sure they weren't football players but quite frankly, our O linemen aren't major college players either. They make 3rd and 1 a passing down. They think that blocking on a screen pass simulates how a screen door blocks wind. How opposing D linemen can get into our backfield without being touched astounds me. And what is terrifying is that they are playing ahead of other players. Just what kind of human pylons do we have on the bench? Who does the evaluation of these players? Who determined that they deserved offers? I suspect it's the same position coach who has been unable to keep these stiffs from torpedoing every game we now play. So Carufel left. Lock the damn door. To bad he didn't take Turdovick with him. I've had my fill of Latina lines. He should be gone the day after the season ends.
Gip, I completely agree that the game was winnable except for our inexcusable mistakes that led directly to short fields for BC and to 3 BC TDs. I am not impressed with BC as one of the top teams in the country. They definitely are beatable and likely will lose one or two, even in the weak ACC, before it's all over. By the way, my college roommate was at the game with me. He predicted the pass to our TE over the middle that was intercepted and which led directly to a BC TD. He is an astute observer of the game (which I am not) and he lamented that our offensive scheme is very predictable and that BC knew what we were doing.
Sid When you can't run, predicting a pass is not too difficult. It sure makes life easier for D backs to know that the team that they are playing is totally incapable of running effectively. I fear that a sophomore who is lacking in quickness and agility will suddenly become a junior who isn't. I don't see it happening. I don't care how good our QBs and RBs are. They will never be successful with a line that is completely incapable of playing major college football. It's going to take at least 2 years to start to repair this damage. And while we're at it, some WRs with speed and height would be nice.
Sid When you can't run, predicting a pass is not too difficult. It sure makes life easier for D backs to know that the team that they are playing is totally incapable of running effectively. I fear that a sophomore who is lacking in quickness and agility will suddenly become a junior who isn't. I don't see it happening. I don't care how good our QBs and RBs are. They will never be successful with a line that is completely incapable of playing major college football. It's going to take at least 2 years to start to repair this damage. And while we're at it, some WRs with speed and height would be nice.