So this is our version of a puff game, a buy game, etc. I hope it works out like that, we are a 44 point favorite at the moment. Is Bowling Green maybe a really good MAC team, no not really. They are 1-3 and just lost 62-20 to Kent State. Does that mean we don't have to show up, no, just try it and see what happens. What every Irish fan is hoping for is that the offense gets off to a great start and the game is over at halftime, that Ian Book looks like the 2nd coming of Joe Montana, that our running game is over 200yds at half with Jones getting a lot of that. Then the 3rd qtr they let Phil Jurkovec have some series with 1st string OL/WR's to see what he can do before sitting those guys down and playing the 2nd string. Hopefully Phil has a couple of great series then extending the lead enough to bring in the rest of the guys to finish it up. Of course we want to have no injuries, that would be great! What we don't want to see is the game be close for almost a couple of quarters and that forces Kelly to play the starters deep into the game. Go Irish!
I'm honestly more excited about that lively arm on the 3rd string QB. Basically, I just want what you said the 'wish' circumstance would be, but I would not be shocked if Kelly finds a way to keep this close. I do believe this is the return of Van Gorder to ND, isn't it?
Yes, the return of BVG. Kelly was asked about it. I had to laugh about the highlighted comment, which I took to mean, we'll be facing a defense that has so many reads that they will be paralyzed. On staying in touch with Brian VanGorder: “We haven't been in touch. He's had obviously a busy career in terms of moving around a little bit, so we haven't been able to stay in touch. Most of it's been through his son, Montgomery, who was here and is now at Georgia. “But going against Brian is always a challenge because he's multiple defensively; you're going to get a lot of different looks. So you have to be prepared for a lot of different things. That's first and foremost. You better be ready for a lot of different things. “Now, as I said, it's not certain that they're at that level where they can bring as many things at you as they did here at Notre Dame, but we'll have to be prepared for that. But that's what you get when you go up against a VanGorder defense.”
Good news this week, Daelin Hayes who was having a good year but tore his labrum vs Virginia and is lost for the season, will return for a 5th year in 2020. Hopefully he fully recovers and has a great 2020 campaign. His return surely helps the depth and talent on the 2020 DL.
Irish Sports Daily writer declares this Bowling Green Team the worst team ND has faced in the Brian Kelly era. So maybe we can cover 44 points.
LOL...same old Joel. I'm sure he's saving most of his vitriol till the Irish play Navy as usual. What will upset ND fans is if the Irish come out sluggish and the halftime score is ND 14 BG 7 or something like that.
Not related to Irish Football, but the Men's basketball program picked up a verbal (Matt Zona) this week. While he won't be confused with Zion Williamson, he's a typical ND basketball recruit. Should be a 4 year player. Women's basketball also picked up a verbal (Alasia Hayes) and she is a nationally ranked player #44 and a 5 star player. Coach McGraw is still in it on a couple of other even higher ranked players in Catlin Clark from Iowa and Madelyn Westbeld from Ohio who is the sister of Katherine Westbeld who played on the Nat'l Championship squad.
To put it in perspective....Kent State ran for 375 yds and passed for 375 yds against Bowling Green in their 62-20 win. Anything other than a blowout by half time is a loss.
You should kill them. Having said that I will NEVER forget sitting in Ross Ade Stadium in 1972 with our team that included Gary Danielson (he didn't play...Bob DeMoss played Bo Bobroski), Otis Armstrong, Daryl Stingley, Dave Butz, Gary Hrivniak, and Dave Butz and BG came in wearing my high school colors and looking small like a HS team and beat us. Worse yet...they have beaten us TWICE since then and we are therefore 0-3 against BG.
Stu, I hear you. Being a big/huge favorite leaves you vulnerable to coming out not mentally ready for the game and the big underdog plays their hearts out and gets you out of sync. You see it in games that are eventually won big time, like LSU losing to Northwestern State 7-3 at the end of the 1st qtr, ended up being a blowout, but I'm sure LSU fans would have liked not to be losing at any point in the game. I can tell you for sure that if the Irish are down to BGSU 7-3 at the end of the first the message boards will be in meltdown mode, no matter what the final score.
This game has SUCK written all over it. If you spank them badly you are derided for playing a cupcake. If they cover the spread ( which I think is a certainty ) you are called over-rated and maybe drop a notch in the ranks. And worst of all, if you lose a key player in a game like this your fans hate you.
I've probably written this before, this is a result of our agreement with the ACC. Eight of our games every year are taken up with our 3 traditional rivals (Navy, SC, and Stanford) and 5 Conference games. Usually we have 4 of these at home and 4 on the road. We try to play 7 home games a year if that's possible which means we can't play home and home with the other 4 teams. Some like Ga. and Mich. have to be that type of arrangement. We have to play some schools that won't insist on a home and home and thus we have Bowling Green. Next year it's Western Mich. who is a stronger opponent.
There's a new player on the College Bulletin Board scene. SI has stepped up their game. They have sites for all the teams, just add Maven to your team nickname. IrishMaven, LonghornMaven, BuckeyeMaven, etc. Irish Maven on Sports Illustrated: News, Analysis, and More
His beloved Pats have finished with the pathetic teams in their division, Jets, Bills and Dolphins for the moment. This week they play the powerhouse Redskins. And that clown rants about the ND schedule.