I think the game is going to be decided on how ND offense is able to handle the fast FSU defense. They are going to bring the house at either Rees or Hendrix. If the OL can handle them and the QB's play well then we should win, FSU is starting 4 true OL's in the game, our defense should be stout against them, even given that their QB is very mobile.
I agree. The key matchup is between the Irish offense and the FSU defense. It will be a good test for the Oline and it will be a good test for Kelly, to see if he can scheme around a defense that over-pursues. Even the great schemer Charlie Weis couldn't find a way around them...
No....but his Qb had a better idea I guess....the kid thought he could float the ball through quadruple coverage and haved his receiver make a play... In other words......if ND protects the ball even a little bit they will have some offensive success. ND 17 - 13
The match up will be Michael Floyd against their corner who is about the same size and very physical. If he can handle Floyd one on one, they will bring 7-8 every play. Let's not forget that Rees locks in on Floyd, especially when he feels pressure.
When the music stops, when everyone has joined a super conference, we are going to have one hell of a time making a decent schedule of games.
:idea: The Irish can join a conference any time they want. Take a look at the new "Big East." ND already plays in that league in basketball and the new football "Big East" will now include Boise State, Southern Methodist, Houston, Central Florida and San Diego State beginning in 2013. This isn't musical chairs. Someone will make room for a school that could make instant money for everybody in the league.
The Irish are sticking to the romantic notion of independence; the invitations have always been there.
B1G and Pac12 have entered into a scheduling agreement, and I'll bet that it leads to UM and ND no longer playing after that agreement starts in 2017.
Tough loss for the Irish tonight. We were done in, again, by poor QB play from Tommy Rees. Defense played really well in the 1st half and then for some unexplained reason backed off in the 2nd half, even Lou Holtz was at a loss as to why the Irish stopped blitzing. It was esp tough because with 3 minutes to go we were in striking distance due to a great punt downed on the 1yd line and a stout defense forcing the punt and a poor one + a stupid FSU personal foul. So it all ends with Tommy Rees throwing the pick in the Endzone. It wasn't really even close if that FSU DB wasn't there Goodman still couldn't have caught that ball. I'm not sure why Kelly had that play called seems like we had a little something going with the running game mix in some short passes and maybe we score. It's not like time was running out. Oooooooooh well....I don't even know when the Astros report for Pitchers and Catchers and don't really care either. Some how Kelly has to fix our QB problem it is the key to this team being a good team. I was surprised that Hendrix played so little though, even given he also threw a terrible pick that lead to a score for FSU.
Saw in person a month ago that FSU's secondary doesn't eff around when dumb passes are thrown their way.
Can't give the O line a pass. They were run over in the 2nd half. The last int. was preceded by a holding call. Nice to see Floyd gut it out at the end. Ruffer ended the season the way he started. .. Missing.
This was the crummy ending to the crummiest Notre Dame season that I ever saw. I hope it gets better than this... -QB: This position is the problem and the Irish will lose 3-5 games per year until the problem is fixed. Rees was intercepted in the endzone twice in this game. The first time on a first-and-goal from the four. Good grief. If we just run one in there or even kick a field goal, the score goes to 17-0 or 21-0 and takes the running game away from the Noles... -Andrew Hendrix I don't understand the way he's being used. Sometimes he was substituted in for no apparent reason at all. Other times when he was moving the team, Rees was substituted back in for no reason at all. What is the plan for these guys? Make no mistake, Hendrix interception was caused by his on-field inexperience. He never saw the LB drop back into pass coverage and didn't expect him to be there. If he had been sharing time all along, would this have happened? Maybe, but I don't think so. LBs dropping back was his cue to take off running, but he missed it. I'm not looking for a savior at quarterback. I'm just looking for a plan that makes sense. So far, that plan hasn't emerged. -Blitzing What kind of halftime adjustment is that? The Irish smothered everything the Noles attempted to do in the first half. They couldn't even breathe; it was Sack City. Then the second half begins and we drop seven or even eight back into coverage? Why? The Noles worthless QB suddenly had all day to throw, standing behind a freshman OLine. Holtz wasn't the only one who noticed this coaching incompetence. We all saw it and it made no sense... -Punt returns How about that? Michael Floyd was allowed to return the first punt and he brought it back 41 yards: a Notre Dame bowl record.You mean they could have been doing stuff like that all along? -Michael Floyd Like the Gipper, I was not impressed by his gutless performance. They reinstated him as captain for this game and he responded by dropping a wide-open TD pass and taking himself out of the lineup in the final quarter...when he was needed the most. The sight of him standing there, watching and uninjured, as his team went down the drain was unforgetable. Does he really think that NFL Dbacks will be any less physical? If I were a pro scout, he just fell to the fourth round in my book... -Beastie Boys Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt were phenomenal in the first half. Both of them were being held on almost every play...which is another very good reason to keep blitzing the linebackers. These freshmen have tremendous talent. I hope this coaching staff figures out how to use them... -Jamoris Slaughter Played the greatest game of his career, as did Manti Teo. We finally got to see what those two guys could do when they were playing pain-free... -Tyler Eifert Is a great TE/WR, but he needs another year. Why he's even considering the NFL is a mystery. Right now, he's a mid-round pick. Next year, he could go in the top 15 players. That's a huge difference in money. -BTW We need to get another QB. One or both of the older kids will transfer if Golson gets the job in the Spring...
Agreed on that one. RE: Floyd.....man that was a hard hitting game and the FSU DBs and LBs were giving their share of them.
On Eifert he has to be between a rock and a hard place, on the one hand he's not likely to be a 1st round draft choice and maybe not even a 1st day draft choice so there is that for coming back and having another good year and maybe improving that position...but then what QB is going to be throwing the ball to him, he made some great catches last night on essentially over thrown balls. Bet the thought of ND QB's next year really has him fired up to come back for more of that.
I think the problem at ND is Kelly. In two years he hasn't shown me that he has the stuff it takes to coach at a high profile school like Notre Dame. Rees looked worse as the season went on. I don't know what to think of Hendrix. I really don't know what Kelly is doing with him. Kelly names Crist the starting QB to open the season and he lasts for two quarters. I hope I'm wrong about him and that he magically turns things around next year. But I'm not very confident that that's going to happen. PJ in Jersey
PJ, I think you are right on target. Kelly was fine at Cincinnati, but not at ND. I know all of you fans of Notre Dame have suffered this year, Recruitig is great but without adequate coaching, it is a mute situation. Join the B1G TEN! :wink:
You know, I think the secret to a good college coach is adapting your schemes to the personnel you have, not the other way around!
Jezzus H. Chrimminies.....Ok ND fans, I give up....Davie, Willingham, Weis, and now Kelly....Just who in the F%$# is the chosen one to lead you folks out of the Abyss?