Well one way to start off the week is with a commit from a 4* DE from PA in Donovan Jeter. With the start the defense has made and with Van Gorder being embattled to say the least, I'm surprised that we got a defensive recruit.
Other bright signs on recruiting is the number of positive remarks from parents and kids after the weekend, even if ND fans are looking for tar and feathers.
So this report which is available in full on Irish Sports Daily...shows that the Irish coaching staff and support staff are doing something right.
ND <t>Terry'<br/> <br/> Nice to get a good commit on the DLine but right now I'd settle for a 4* DC recruit. 😁</t>
A couple of tidbits I picked up listening to the Irish Illustrated Podcast. 1. They are going to build another indoor practice field. The current one is used by multiple sports and football needs it's own updated space. 2. They are going to be building dining facilities into the Gug as part of some upgrades. Right now they have to bring food in for the players. 3. They want to redo the locker rooms as well. 4. Still nothing on the "new" basketball practice facility that Brey was promised years ago when he was young!
Mike Brey gets a top rated Basketball Prospect in DJ Harvey. He's a top 100 SG from Dematha, Brey's old HS. Maybe the best rated player that Brey has signed in awhile. I think the ACC membership is helping ND recruiting on the mens side as well as of course Brey having good success in the NCAA tournaments the last couple of years. Womens basketball recruiting is harder to figure right now, they have 1 top 100 player for 2017, but are actively pursuing quite a few high ranked players, they really need post player something that Muffet has struggled to recruit, she's had a few Ruth Riley of course, and current post Brianna Turner is really good, but most of our post players have been a little bit of a project. She however has tons of top rated wing's on the team and the new kids coming in this year are all highly rated.
Good article on the new ND Basketball recruit. DJ Harvey. http://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/17599846/dj-harvey-jr-commits-notre-dame-fighting-irish
No sacks and bad turnover margin..... http://www.footballoutsiders.com/fei-ratings/2016/fei-week-3-turnover-margins
Aerial view of campus and stadium were spectacular, in spite of our problems this year it really makes me wish I were there this weekend to experience another beautiful fall day at Notre Dame and Notre Dame Stadium. Would even be better if Mary and Gipper were hosting one of their famous tailgates and as always gip gets the top location!!
Wow, I can't believe we lost. I'll give Duke some credit, they had a great offensive game plan and our defense as usual was not up to stopping them. Sad start to the season. 1-3 It's not going to be fun reading ND internet boards, not that it's been fun so far, but it's going to be brutal this week.
I really appreciate how talented those kids who left after last season were. To remain in the playoff hunt up until the last game with that coaching staff was quite an accomplishment. I've seen some bad tackling ND teams but this one is the worst. It's one thing to be beaten deep by swift WRs on the Texas team it's another to be burned by Duke WRs. And while we deservedly trash our defense, let's not forget the contribution made by our special teams today. They gave up a runback for a TD and then missed a FG. Just awful.
We just keep finding ways to lose. Give up the KR, big pass play ends up in the WR getting stripped, Kizer fumbles the snap. Our lines still not playing very well, esp the DL. We hardly touched that Duke QB who was able to stand back there and pick our defense apart. I thought that awesome INT in the endzone by the freshman might jump start us and we did get a couple of 4th down stops. But in general they ran and passed at will on us. While it wasn't the play that beat us, but I didn't understand at all the trick play to Zaire on the opening series of the 2nd half. The offense was in general able to move the ball pretty well, we really didn't need a trick play. And it blew up badly. I didn't see Kelly's pres conference but it's not getting good reviews. But truthfully there was nothing he could have said that would have made the fans happy. Truthfully I am not sure we can beat Syracuse next week. They aren't very good but neither are we and our defense doesn't do up tempo offenses very well and that is Syracuse. 6-6 might be optimistic.
If this doesn't turn around, the chopping block should be out and no job (player's included) should be safe.
For the second week, no report card. Just thoughts. Kelly said every starting position on the team is now open to competition. Only the long snapper is safe. My coach did this after we lost opening game of junior year on a Friday night in high school. Yelled at us in the locker room until midnight. Films the next morning at 6:00A. Full pads "pride running" for an hour( or until most the OL puked ) Then Nutcracker and bag drills. Then a scrimmage. Then 10 40's. Sunday was then off. On Monday, he posted the new starting lineups.... no changes. We finished our high school careers out at 18-0-1. Kizer had a look in his eye late in the game that I did not like. It was mixture of defeat, frustration and insult. A touch of Diva. Kelly continues to defend the defense and Uncle Rico. I have a hunch thatRico is gone this week. Just a hunch. OL continues to be the biggest disappointment of all. Four weeks of getting controlled and beaten off the snap. All of a sudden this year, Yoon is not a sure thing. Did Uncle Rico's kid hold for him last year? Cole Luke continues to detroy any chances he had for the NFL draft. I'm sure his name has disappeared from the boards. Worst tackling team I think I have ever seen. Opponents yardage after initial contact must be off the chart.. When the FR QB for Duke pancaked Drew Tranquil and drove him backward three yards for a first down I could not believe my eyes. Kelly looked whipped for most of the game. He looks lie a man that knows what must be done but can't bring himself to do it. Months ago my son bought us tickets to next week's game at the Meadowlands v. Syracuse. Noon start so we tailgate on coffee and doughnuts. This game is not a lock by any stretch.
Defense in Nat'l Rankings: Rush 96, Pass-Eff 111, Total 104, Scoring 101, 3rd-Down 91, RZ 78, Sacks 126, TFL 113, TOs Gained 88.
Read that, since 2008, nd has been -2 in turnover margin in 33 games, 2nd wrist in that stretch. Tough to consistently win like that. It was pointed out that nd had a win percentage of double the average in such games, but that is a tough stat to overcome.
nd <r>I'll keep this short and simple. <br/> <br/> <B><s></s>You lose to a bad DUKE team at HOME in your 7th year as coach.<e></e></B><br/> <br/> You either FIRE you Defensive Coordinator or the school fires YOU!<br/> <br/> You can't keep a guy or guys that are not getting the job done even if he is a friend. <br/> <br/> It's emabarrassing.<br/> <br/> Left unchanged, I don't think we can beat anyone on the rest of the schedule this year.<br/> <br/> I've been a Kelly supporter from the beginning but even I can't take this. <br/> <br/> <B><s></s>YOU LOSE TO DUKE AT HOME! <e></e></B><br/> <br/> I've got some rope around here somewhere....anyone know how to make a hangman's noose?<br/> <br/> <br/> I'll be back when we have anything that resembles a defense. May be a long, long, time.<br/> <br/> I hear the decomits starting already.<br/> <br/> <B><s></s>YOU LOSE TO DUKE AT HOME! <e></e></B></r>