Merriweather was open on the first target to him but the pass was overthrown. Couldn't see enough of the field on the tube to tell you where the WRs were and what they were doing.
There was a pass to Styles in the corner of the end zone. He was covered but upon replay it appeared to be catchable.
I recall that throw to Styles. I had the same impression that if he'd picked it up and gotten into position he could have caught it. Instead he sort of just waved one hand at it.
On the defense, it frustrated me Saturday night. But after reading this take I realize that I was not seeing the big picture. From Matt Freeman of ISD. It's just a weird situation where you can simultaneously make cases the defense is playing well and bad. As a whole on the year, Notre Dame's defense has played well enough for Notre Dame to be 6-0. They've kept the points down and that's ultimately the goal for the defense. It's college football. If giving up 16 points and 97 rushing yards is too much, that's a significant issue for the other side of the ball. - - - - - - -
Good point, Doc. Before the season the question marks were a new QB, new WRs, a new kicking game in addition to a new coaching staff. Six games in and the question marks are still new WRs, new QB and a new coaching staff. Add to them an underperforming O-Line and sub par LB play. The kicking game is fine. Special teams are OK but the lack of turnover creation is killing a team with no offensive identity.
Sad commentary on the state of so-called "fans" who in reality are would-be destroyers of the culture. It's not just ND. It exists everywhere.
I've read criticism that ND is not keeping up with other schools insofar as using the transfer portal and NILs. While NIL might get you the high ranking recruit, I'm still wondering about what having all that money is going to do to "scholar athletes." I wonder if the hunger for a large pro contract will be diminished. I wonder if it causes dissention among teammates. Having more money means having much more ways of getting in trouble. We're going to have a sport full of Johnny Manziels.
Notre Dame's business model is not in lockstep with most of the other majors. They are trying to hold on to the student athlete model in a era high paid hired guns who never even mention academics. I don't think it's possible to win the NC in the ND style anymore and I haven't seen anything in the last five years to make me think I'm wrong. It's just sad.
Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune called the program a dumpster fire in an opinion piece on USA Today. Notre Dame football looks like dumpster fire after loss to Stanford
In this age the future of ND football is a kitchen table issue among the parents of potential recruits. You still hear that, all else being somewhat equal, the academics set the Irish apart from the others when new recruits announce their decisions. But do they really mean it? Do their parents really care? Making it to the NFL is an incredible long shot. Making it to pension attainment is even more so. But the NIL has mitigated the education component for many. Alabama does not offer a degree that would pay Bryce Young more cash than his NIL agreement. As that spreads down to include more players the degree will mean increasingly less. When is the last time you ever heard academics mentioned even in passing during a college football Saturday?
I read an interesting article earlier today about Reggie Bush's backfield mate. For the life of me, I can't remember his name now. Anyway, he was asked what the largest amount of cash he ever received at USC was and he answered that "He once found $150k in a bag in his new apartment." He didn't know who left it and no one ever came looking for it. That was before NIL. I honestly can't imagine the money that is being thrown around unregulated now.