Whew!!! As I’m sitting here sipping my victory brew, an Alaskan IPA if you’re wondering, I feel the need to offer thanks. Thanks to the “Football Gods”! Thanks to whomever had a hand in seeing to it that, this time, it was the Irish who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat instead of the other way around! Thank God Notre Dame pulled out this win!!! I really don’t think I could’ve taken a defeat today … not another gut wrenching close loss … not ANOTHER home defeat to the Michigan State Spartans of all unlikely teams … not ANOTHER extremely disappointing loss to yet ANOTHER team we clearly outrecruit every year. As uncomfortable as it was, the Irish REALLY needed a win today and the ball finally bounced their way at the end of the game when it really mattered. Irish 33 Spartans 30.
In some ways, many observers will claim the Irish got lucky. MSU gained more net yards (458 to 438) and were clearly able to move the ball almost effortlessly at times against the Irish D throughout the game, and especially in the second half. (Last week, the Irish clearly out-statted Michigan … and lost). And in other ways, some will claim that ND finally got THE break it deserved after suffering through yet several more bad/unlucky breaks in this game. (Floyd’s first half touchdown that somehow wasn’t, Tate dropping yet another clear TD pass, Sam Young continuing to haunt this team with untimely penalties, etc). Either way you look at it, the Irish are 2-1 after challenging themselves to open the season with 3 quality opponents.
This was really a “character win” by the offense as Jimmy Clausen played most of the game with an injured toe or ankle, Armando Allen was banged up and of course Michael Floyd left the game in the 2nd quarter with the broken collarbone after his apparent TD catch that was overruled. Clausen had another excellent and gritty game as he again hit 300 yards in passing with two TDs (really three) and no INTs. Allen had 115 yards and a TD on 23 carries. And when Tate wasn’t dropping a sure TD pass, he managed a TD and 127 yards on 7 grabs, including two or three extremely clutch plays to get 1st downs in the 4th quarter. Kyle Rudolph also contributed with 95 yards on 6 grabs.
The Irish started quite hot on offense, but again let their coaching staff get in the way. With a 13-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter and the ball at about MSU’s 45 yard line … and after having moved the ball effortlessly with a “conventional offense” … ol’ Charlie decided to get cute on a 1st down play and called for a halfback pass from Golden Tate on a fake reverse. Problem was, Tate is a left-handed thrower and Charlie had him rolling to the right. Duh!!! WHY DID WE EVEN NEED TO GET CUTE LIKE THAT?!?!?!? All of our conventional plays were working and MSU was back on it’s heels … until Charlie gave them life. This was one major turning point in the game. After that, Clausen got sacked on what became an obvious passing down and that”s when he got hurt. ND started going backwards and the Spartans gained confidence and started moving the ball and scoring on ND’s porous defense. Does anyone else feel that CW gets way too cute with play calling when he doesn’t need to … and it ends up back-firing???? He did it last week and again today.
Okay, can somebody explain to me how Floyd’s 2nd quarter grab in the endzone was not a TD?!?!?!?!? He clearly had possession of the ball and was able to get BOTH feet down … and ya only need one. Okay, I’ll move on.
Let’s talk defense now. Clearly the Irish defense … if that’s what they’re calling it … is subpar. I’ve seen enough to know that anyone expecting this team to run the table or go 8-1 in the remaining 9 games is simply kidding themselves. This defense is simply not good enough for the Irish to be in the BCS conversation, so forget about it. Right now, this team closely resembles the team that Charlie inherited with Brady Quinn and a very good offense, but a defense that was clearly “bend and break sometimes”. We MIGHT be lucky enough to go 9-3 this season, but a top 10 squad will easily lay 35-40 points on us … and that’s no way to crack the top 10 yourself. I suppose ND can improve, but in-season improvement has not been Charlie’s track record. Having said that … I’m worried about Purdue laying 40 on us … even after their stunning home defeat to Northern Illinois!!!
The Irish will be without Michael Floyd for at least 4 weeks, which makes him doubtful for the USC tilt on Oct 17. In the meantime, ND goes to Purdue next week and then hosts a rejuvenated Washington squad who did the unthinkable this week … they upset SoCal in Seattle … something the Irish would clearly love to do, but have only come close once over the past 8 seasons or so. Losing Floyd really challenges the offense, but now we have an opportunity to develop Shaq Evans and some others.
Well … a win is a win and this team showed some character again. They won with some banged up players, while commiting several penalties and again getting a TD taken away. The very porous defense came through with the last minute INT to seal the win. There’s certainly a lot to be worried about (namely the defense and the health of key players), but I want to re-emphasize that the Irish should undoubtedly be 4-1 when the USC Trojans visit in October. Instead of a gimmee, the Washington game is looking like a challenge, but we’ve got them at home and we absolutely stomped them in Seattle last year. True, they’ve got a new coach and their starting QB back, but we should beat ’em and be 4-1.
I’m on the road next weekend and won’t be able to send in the recap after the Purdue game, so you’re on your own. Hopefully, the Irish will meet expectations and handle the Boilers easily. Maybe it will be a non-event. Unless our defense continues to underperform ….
In the meantime … have a great week and enjoy the termination of ND’s home losing streak to MSU!! 🙂
I didn’t get a chance to see much of the game. Good to see Rudolph getting more touches. They need to keep doing that to free up the passing game to the outside – especially now with the loss of Rudolph.
Charlie continuing to get cute? Is he trying to taunt those putting him on the hot seat?
It is too bad the defense can’t perform at the same level with the offense. Yeah, offense wins games; defense wins championships. 🙂
You are on the road next weekend? Does a non-Domer need to do the write up?
I will be forever puzzled by the negation of the ND touchdown in first half! I kept thinking – ok – one foot down – two feet down – no touchdown! The game turned at this point to give the Spartans a breath of possibility to win on Irish ground! From there the defense became like the sieve that I use in the kitchen to cook my pasta! Yes, Molly, I have a sieve! Well, anyway, we will turn to next week and hope that the defense will find that with some spinach and a few energy drinks we will overcome Purdue! When will the stars align????? Signing off – Jude and Donna in Tucson!
Casey —
Domer, non-Domer, Catholic, Muslim, Republican, Democrat … it makes no difference …. Someone needs to do the write-up next weekend. I will be on the road without computer and there’s a good chance I won’t be able to see the Purdue game. If you’re up for it, feel free to take the pen.
Jude and Donna —
I was tempted to use the word “sieve”, but I feared that half the readers might be scratching their heads 😉 just kidding! Thanks for chiming in!
Jude!!!!
Welcome to the Pine!!!! And please, please, please come back often!
“From there the defense became like the sieve that I use in the kitchen to cook my pasta! Yes, Molly, I have a sieve! Well, anyway, we will turn to next week and hope that the defense will find that with some spinach and a few energy drinks we will overcome Purdue!”
HELMET STICKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or should I say – Hey Jude! Don’t be afraid. You were made to…go out and get it…
CW almost gave MSU another assist. I am glad that Wally brought up the issue of “cute” play calling this week. I couldn’t agree more!! We were rolling right along and pushing MSU before CW decided to get “cute” with his play calling and almost provide another assist. I kept telling my wife that we were going to get an interception. I just wish it had come a bit earlier so I could relax. Purdue may not be a given. M. Floyd will really, really be missed. Now I think Washington will be very tough. Their QB is for real. Our defense gives me great concern. Oh another year of exciting Irish football!
Clausen should start checking off to what he feels will work best in any situation. Better still, UnWeis should just let him call the plays. Or maybe they could get Forcier to call plays. He knew better than UnWeis what to call in the final 3 minutes at Ann Arbor! A win is a win, but if your coach is doing all he can to prevent even the ugly wins, then soon they will stop coming as well.
Unfortunately, Michael Floyd will miss the rest of the season. Shaq Evans or Duval Kumara better step up RIGHT NOW! And it would be nice to see another halfback or two make an impact cuz Armando Allen is really getting nicked up. The other RBs who play have been terrible at picking up the blitz.
I am going to ask, again – what has happened to Robert Hughes? He looked great at the end of his freshman year.
Apparently, Hughes is the starting “fullback”, but the problem is that the Irish are almost exclusively in one back sets or empty backfields so he doesn’t get on the field. And now I wonder if he’s “embraced” his fullback role and put on some pounds while losing some speed … therefore, not the guy you want spelling Allen at halfback. James Aldridge should be seeing some time this week after nursing an injury. He was #2 at HB on the depth chart coming into the season.
Aldridge and Hughes were “catches” when ND signed them. They have had some good moments, but neither panned out the way early expectations indicated they should. There time is running out (no pun intended). If they had known the Wildcat would be the offense of ND’s future, they may have never signed there at all.