You can bet that BC coach Spazz has noted 2 things. 1. The success of the defense that Stanford threw against ND. 2. The success that every team has had with plays on the edge of the ND defense...passing and running. They have an excellent RB in Montel Harris who no doubt is licking his chops.
Fear not my dear DOC!!! BC just benched their q back for the ND game. The other 2 have little experience. Either VT is very good or BC stinks, because it was no contest last week at the Heights. Besides with me there with my ND cap..its a Cant miss!! :twisted:
Hah! I'll need video proof of that!! Have somebody take a photo of you up there in the cheap seats and post it here! BC could have lost to Amherst last week and they would still be fired up and play their best game of the year vs ND.
B.C. announces that they will start True Freshman Chase Rettig against the Irish. Ordinarily I'd be licking my chops, but even not knowing anything about this kid I know that if you give him the time that Luck had to throw against us he'll complete a lot of passes. So far the defense just hasn't generated any consistent pass rush, and BC usually has a good OL. Also something to warm Tim's heart, Irish recieved the verbal from Davarius Daniels yesterday. He's an excellent WR and combine him with George Atkinson and we have two guys who are athletic and very fast (not Rocket fast but excellent speed). Should fit very well with the Kelly system. Irish are up to #2 in the Scout Team recruiting rankings and #3 in the Rivals recruiting rankings. Not sure that will hold up since a number of the schools below us will be adding players and it's based on a total points. If we add a couple of more good ones maybe, but I do think we'll finish in the top 10. Not bad for Kelly being a "small timey" coach who doesn't know National recruiting!!
I see where Robert Hughes has moved up to #2 on the depth chart ahead of Cierre Wood. I wonder if it has something to do with Wood getting steamrolled on pass blocking by the guy who forced Crist's fumble. Hughes is bigger and should be a better pass blocker.
If we can convince a few more kids to play like this we will be formidable. Note the fullback having some trouble regaining his feet.
The refs did not lose the game for us, but that blown spot and the non-offsides call early both were key mistakes and signs of outright corruption. To top it off, the replay review supported their spot when the cameras clearly showed otherwise. Lest I be mistaken for a Dave clone, I repeat that those mistakes did not make the difference in the game.
I have never contended the refs can make THE difference in a game decided by 23 points. Games decided by 7 points or less?..... ....yes...they absolutely can be the difference.
Once again I disagree. Because of that terrible spot, we didn't get to see the Stanford punter until the 4th quarter.
The Irish rate third last in the nation in time of posession. Until that changes the refs will loom larger than life.
Tom, It could be a combination of the refs and the Gators playing badly. It's never a bad call when it goes against the Gator's opponent and the opponent never beats the Gators, the Gators just play so badly that even though they are better they lose the game. :wink: Sorry Bill 8)
...so says you Tom.....obviously you ignore comments I have made acknowledging the Gators may have gotten a break or two over the past several years. But that's par for the course.
I could be wrong but I believe that most if not all "passing" spread teams rarely have a lot of time of possession. The Read Option running teams like the one Rodriguez had at WVA and what he's building at UM where the run is the first option do have a good time of possession. So I wouldn't expect the Irish, under Kelly, to have a dominating TOP stat. He might in some games this year have a good one, because no huddle like we run doesn't always mean hurry up, but once he gets things going then he'll do more hurry up/no huddle most likely ...another strategy that hurts TOP.
I thought I read that Cincinnati had a low TOP during Kelly's tenure. It's a non-issue if you are scoring. It's the failure to capitalize on possessions that makes it an issue.
TOP may not mean much.... only when you are three and out or unproductive in the red zone. That's us so far.