FINALLY! It’s so good to get this monkey off our backs. After all we’ve been through this season and last, who woulda thunk Notre Dame would actually go on the road and beat the snot out of a bowl opponent. Yes, let me repeat that … ND went ON THE ROAD and kicked serious butt in A BOWL GAME … a 49-21 not-even-close win. It’s ND’s first bowl win since the Cotton Bowl of ’94 … a victory over Texas A&M when Lou was roaming the sidelines and Kevin McDougal was closing out a spectacular season for the Irish.
Go figure. ND comes into this game a very slight 1 or 2 point favorite to play a 7-6 Hawaii team that gave Big East Champ Cincinnati all it could handle a couple weeks ago and had a very good second half of the season. As pleased as Irish fans must be with this outcome, they must also be completely baffled. As are ND administrators. How could this Irish team not completely squash Syracuse in South Bend on Senior Day?!?!?!? How could this Irish team not be much more competitive vs So Cal at season’s end?!?!?!
Oh, well. I’m not gonna play psycho-ologist tonight. It’s Christmas Eve and almost time to go to mass. Lots to reflect on and be extremely thankful for. So all I’ll say is this: “Thanks, Santa, for this unexpected gift … an actual bowl game win. Now please also bring several more blue-chip recruits to the Feb signing day!” 🙂
Merry Christmas to all of you reading from “the Bench”. And a very happy and healthy New Year to you as well !!!
Wow! That is all I can come up with right now.
Gotta run – the milk and cookies are out. Don’t wanna get in the big guy’s way. It’s kinda windy here, and I am sure the sleigh is in for a bumpy ride.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Well … the Frosh WR Michael Floyd was back in the line-up and that was certainly helpful. Having dual downfield speed threats certainly gives Clausen a lot of options. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but I think Jimmy was 22 of 26 for 400 yards and 5 TDs. En fuego. We even finally scored on a kick-off return! I know it was Hawaii, but this was ND’s best 60 min effort of the season … all units played well … with the passing offense obviously taking top billing. Golden Tate will definitely be a star on Sundays. His talent combined with his “never quit” attitude is something I hope rubs off on the rest of ND’s roster. For some (good) reason, the team played with sustained enthusiasm and aggressiveness vs the Warriors. Wish we woulda done this more during ’08, but let’s hope it transfers to ’09.
At times – that was one of the whackier games I have seen in a while.
I can only imagine what you, Wally, were doing as the clock was running down in the first half with the Irish in the Red Zone. I was sitting on the couch with my hand raised in condemnation ready to cry out something about clock mismanagement when the Irish get the ball snapped, and Clausen feathers a perfect pass to Tate in the end zone. Just like they planned.
And stupid penalties …usually reserved for the Irish – Hawaii took care of that – the late hit on the sidelines, the wide receiver taking a couple of steps forward before the snap.
The Irish actually got some breaks – the fumbled punt that found a teammate’s hands for example.
It was great to see the O-Line finally show up.
Then to listen to the announcers talk about how loose the Irish are made me wonder. How loose are they? Could you(the announcers) define their routine while in Honolulu? They had to practice …right? Has this been THE problem?
Great game to watch – for an Irish fan.
Hate to be a crepe hanger, but the win actually left me unsettled. Too easy, hence too lucky. Worse still, Charlie walks away thinking “I’m a genius after all”. When you have 3+ weeks to prepare for a mediocre opponent looking like a genius is a lot easier. If he relaxes back into his arrogant ways, then nothing was gained. The SU loss has left me so distrusting that it will take much, much more than a big score ( and don’t forget we gave up 28 points) to make me again a believer. 10 wins next year and being in the talk about a BCS bid will put me much closer to believing again. Until then, I will try my best to enjoy what we have.
Pete
Funny you mention that because it prompts another thought I had during the game. The other day someone on the radio was talking about how a Cowboys win this weekend could actually be a loss. The logic was that by winning the ‘Pokes would make the playoffs and think their soap opera-like mode of running the ship is all right.
Not that ND is afternoon tv viewing or anything closely resembling Terrell Owens and company, but has Charlie learned anything over the last couple of months?
Pete —
Slight correction … the Irish yielded only 21 points to Hawaii, not 28. But your point is well taken … I don’t think ND fans will too soon forget the Syracuse debacle … and certainly this Hawaii Bowl win does not nearly offset that nightmare. However, given we played a bowl game, I’d much rather we win than lose. Check. And I’d much rather we look good doing it, as opposed to just getting by. Check. Hey … maybe our coaching staff learned something over the past 4 weeks. And maybe we swayed the minds of a few recruits who were skeptical after the November swoon. And maybe everyone learned what could be possible by coming out of the tunnel with emotion & intensity and keeping it for substantially the whole game.
Does this mean we can go toe to toe with USC next week? Nope. But maybe it was the first critical step in a 4-5 step rehab program. Time will tell.
Frankly, I’m just glad that next year at this time, we shouldn’t have to hear that “it’s been XX years since ND last won a bowl game.” Or “1,950 different teams have won bowl games since ND last won one”. That demon has been exorcised! 🙂
Wally, your last paragraph says it all; we Catholics always love a good exorcism! Demons begone! See ya in 1/10. GO IRISH!
Great post, Wally.