Notre Dame survived five turnovers, a torrent of dropped passes and numerous other near-disasters, but managed to squeak past Boston College by 19-16 in a game that did more to damage the playoff prospects of the Irish than help them. All five giveaways occurred in Eagle territory, and three of them were inside the ten yard line. To make matters worse, the already depleted squad appeared to lose tailback C.J. Prosise and cornerback KeiVarae Russell to serious injuries.
The Irish took the opening kickoff and moved quickly downfield, but the tone for the evening was set when DeShone Kizer threw an interception in the end zone on a first down play from the BC seven yard line. Notre Dame’s defense held firm, and the offense came back with a Justin Yoon field goal for a 3-0 advantage. Moments later, the Irish capitalized when the Eagles failed to convert on a fake punt. A roughing the kicker penalty on Boston College gave Notre Dame life when they were ready to settle for another three-pointer, and Kizer hit Amir Carlisle for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
The second period was a disaster for both offenses, as fumbles, interceptions and incomplete passes resulted in a scoreless exercise as the teams retreated to their respective locker rooms. The Eagles were given a lift by Michael Walker when he returned the second half kickoff to the Notre Dame 27 yard line, but their offense failed to get closer. A 43-yard field goal, BC’s longest of the season, closed the gap to 10-3.
Notre Dame seemed to shake off the cobwebs as it marched downfield once again, but Kizer threw his third interception of the night near the Eagles’ goal line. One possession later, Kizer finally got the Irish back into the end zone as Chris Brown made a great leaping catch for a ten yard touchdown. Kizer bobbled the snap on the extra point, so Notre Dame’s lead stood at 16-3 with a minute remaining in the third period.
Another field goal by Yoon extended the advantage to 19-3 with just over ten minutes left in the game, and the issue appeared to be settled. Boston College would not quit, however, and backup quarterback Jeff Smith sprinted through the Irish defense on the very next play from scrimmage for an 80-yard touchdown. A failed conversion attempt left the score at 19-9.
Dropped passes on its next two series kept Notre Dame from cementing a victory, and the Eagles embarked on a gritty 86-yard drive to narrow the gap to 19-16 with 54 seconds left. Fortunately for the Irish, Matthias Farley ended the suspense when he cleanly fielded an onside kick attempt to allow his team to run out the clock.
The sloppy performance by Notre Dame opened the door for what will be an intense debate between supporters of Oklahoma and the Irish for the final playoff spot, assuming both teams finish at 11-1. A place in the top four is certainly not a given for Notre Dame, who has played poorly on the road for most of the season and has not been impressive at all in November when it matters most.
Let’s look at the answers to the pregame questions for additional insight.
Can the Eagles find a quarterback who can move the team with any consistency? Neither Smith nor John Fadule had success in the passing game, but Smith’s long scoring run and Fadule’s scrambles were the entire BC offense.
Which defense will contribute game-changing plays to set up scores? The Boston College defense had five takeaways in its own end and kept the Irish from scoring 20-30 more points.
Will the Irish receivers have success after being contained by Wake Forest? Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle stood out for Notre Dame, while Will Fuller had a very forgettable night.
Can Notre Dame protect Kizer from BC’s pressure? Yes, for the most part, but Kizer made several poor decisions and his accuracy was dreadful.
Will either team be able to run the ball? The Irish tailbacks outgained their BC counterparts by 93-50, but Smith and Fadule combined for 164 yards.
Which team will best convert its third down opportunities? The Irish managed only four of 14 conversions by my unofficial count, but the Eagles were a horrific one for 12 until their final drive.
Will the respective kickers help to decide the outcome? Yoon was two for two on field goals and the botched extra point was not his fault. As it turned out, Notre Dame needed his contributions to come away with the victory.
The Irish must travel to Stanford next week to complete the regular season, and a repeat of tonight’s performance or the lackluster effort against Wake Forest will end any delusional thinking about a playoff berth. The team appears to have finally succumbed to the weight of its injuries and the fact that opposing defenses are now taking away its bread and butter plays. The best thing anyone can say about this week’s game is that the Irish won, and that would be a welcome outcome next week no matter how ugly it might be.
ccb says:
ND, unfortunately, plays to the level of the competition under Kelly,
Next week, they”ll come w/ their hair on fire and win on a late td,
Iriish 28
Stanford 27
Aaron says:
Well tonight’s disaster firms up my suspicions that ND does not deserve the playoff spot. They are playing to the level of their competition. The only saving grace ND has right now is to blow out Stanford next weekend is highly unlikely.
Dirty says:
They don’t need to blow out Stanford, they just need to win.
marleyman says:
The only way the Irish get a playoff spot is for a blowout, signature win. They are a fine team, just not a championship contender.
vracz says:
Well boys, the team pretty much stunk up the place; the defense had its inexplicable lapses, the offense turned over everything but the kitchen sink, we’re down to starting 3rd string quarterbacks and running backs and just wait til we have to play a REAL team (the season’s mantra). But here they are with 10 wins and a step from the playoffs. Must be doing something right?
Dirty says:
Umm, the defense was outstanding.
Scott says:
The defense was superb, what the hell are you talking about? They just ran out of gas after 5 turnovers. Could have been much worse.
Chuckie says:
So, is this team made up of championship players?
Scott says:
It is made up of the players, I just question the coaching (and I am not saying Kelly should go if that is what you think). How many more games will ND play to the level of its competitor? THIS IS MOTIVATION. How many more turnovers will plague this program? THIS IS FUNDAMENTALS!!! Does anyone recall what Lou Holtz used to remedy for fumbles? Ask Denson how much time he spent in the gauntlet until he knew how to secure the football. You can chalk up ALL of CJ’s fumbles to not securing the ball. He needs about two days worth of trips through the gauntlet before he sees action again. And Kizer… great QB, but he played his worst game of the season. Could he be having nerves about a playoff spot? WIN THE GAMES AHEAD OF YOU BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT A PLAYOFF BERTH!! Otherwise, you won’t have to worry about one at all because the spot will be taken care of by other, deserving teams. Look at Michigan State…. they beat the defending national champ… though, they haven’t looked like a defending champ all season long, but they beat them on their own home turf. I bet ND loses its spot to MSU.
Mark Napierkowski says:
Considering the scrutiny of the Playoff Committee, this game feels like a loss. We lost two primary contributors to what seem to be major injuries, and the team seems to be regressing. A win is a win, but I don’t see how the Irish will stay in the 4 spot this week, as MSU, IA, and OK all won, and the first two very impressively – especially MSU. BC’s defense was not that good. This game should have been a route. Our kids don’t seem to believe they belong in the top 4. My guess is the best we will be able to do is beat Stanford and then win a New Years Day bowl game for a top 5 finish.
Dirty says:
Well, MSU lost to Nebraska, Iowa has played no one and Oklahoma lost to Texas.
ND is in excellent shape and the MSU win actually helps them because OSU is now a one loss team.
Oh, and BC’s defense is excellent.
If the Irih beat Stanford, they are a lock for a playoff spot. Do you watch college football?
Mike Coffey says:
You think this team is “embarrassing ND on a consistent basis”? Maybe you’re the one who needs to be drug tested.
Mike Coffey says:
I don’t consider it a joke at all. I think they’ve had an outstanding season.
And don’t take this as a personal shot (or maybe you will, I don’t really care), but I went back and looked at the Men’s Lacrosse results for your four years. When exactly was “crunch time” for you? According to the stats, you played in a grand total of six games for Notre Dame, with two shots total. Talk about not ready for the ‘big time’.
Bob says:
Subset of teams who are not an embarrassment:
Men’s basketball (best run in almost 40 years)
Soccer
Women’s basketball
Fencing
Lacrosse
Women’s cross country (Molly Siedel just won the national championship)
And yes, a 10-1 football which is starting a first year QB who was #3 in the spring, a converted receiver at RB, also came in at #3, and numerous other “next man up” guys is far from an embarrassment.
With the exception of Clemson & Iowa (who hasn’t played anyone), every team has had an embarrassing screw up. Our worst game resulted in a win.
Damn TCU could have helped clarify our path by making that two point conversion. But, win at Stanford and take our chances. Would love to see a rematch with Clemson on a neutral field without an ongoing 1000 year storm.
Chuckie says:
Any insight as to what is going on with this team?
Irishimheart says:
There were a few road signs that needed to be noticed, that this game was to be forgettable. (1) The uniforms, folks they were horrible, the last time ND went and wore something close they … lost! (2) Don’t forget BC had been reading there own history and figured that “they” were going to shock the football world. (3) BC’s uniforms closely resembled ND’s. Perhaps a little confusion there for the players. Advice to ND: In the future forget these mad max designer outfits, stick to your own outfits, you can confuse your own players. Don’t overlook that these young players can become confused.20
NDBonecrusher says:
A million % spot on, Vannie. I am seldom the voice of negativity, but that was THE UGLIEST damn game I have seen at any level for a long time. How many turnovers were there at the end? 6? More? There has got to be some statistic of the likelihood of victory after turning the ball over in your opponent’s territory that many times. It must be shockingly low.
Should have been a 4-5 touchdown margin, instead they were lucky to escape.
2 weeks of this is an alarming trend. Play like this next weekend in Palo Alto and we’re gonna get smashed. My only hope is that they were looking past BC, although I’m probably wrong about that.
OK Irish–it’s “gut check time”. I hate that cliche’ but here it seems appropriate. Temple, Clemson, Navy, Baylor, Pitt, Mich State, and Stanford all helped you out yesterday. You can still make the playoffs by taking care of business next week. Now what’s it gonna be, boys?
dan says:
Bottom line, Kelly cannot motivate any team long enough to keep them steady throughout the season. Football is a tough game played by youngsters. They need a very capable leader. I do not believe they have one.
NDBonecrusher says:
Finally I DON’T think you can hang this one on the coaching staff. The kids gotta hold onto the ball, whether its already in their hands or about to hit them.
Brian says:
This team just continually plays down to it’s opponents. The game should have been over at halftime with all the red zone opportunities but unfortunately ND had to keep a terrible BC team in the game with all the turnovers. Kizer was horrible last night and looked every bit the Freshman he is. There will be a big question mark going into next year as Mailk comes back. Fuller was terrible and better stay another year to learn how to catch the ball better, 3 BIG drops. You can’t have that at he next level if that is in his future plans. To think that now they head to Palo Alto and play a Stanford team that will be ready is a scary thought. I’m afraid this will be the ending that this team did not want. This team has played only 1 complete game that I can think of and that was way back on September 5th against Texas, before all the injuries. The “next man in” is getting stressed and I sense it is going to break next week, but I hope I am wrong.
a68domer says:
UGH!
Brian says:
Well, at the end of the day, they won. Down now 8 starters to injuries, and facing a top 5 defense in its own backyard with their 3rd string quarterback and 4th & 5th string running backs, they still won.
Defensively, they have only allowed 2 TDs in 2 weeks, one off a bizarre roughing the snapper call, and the other on a trick play. The defense is looking pretty darn good. If our defense can avoid falling for the fake handoff, delayed QB sneak, then we’ll really be in good shape.
Offensively, we let BC strip the ball too much. Kizer’s pick in the end zone was a bad decision, but the other one was not terrible on a deep route. This week in practice, if they can get ball protection down, they should be in good shape going into Palo Alto.
Dave says:
You’re right. Last year’s team lost all those games where the ball got stripped or people got hurt.
frank says:
This is looking like a Charlie Weiss Team-what is wrong?
serreno says:
Yes…I know we have lost many starters but this was a team totally unprepared yesterday. Fumbles, interceptions, etc. I had to turn it off and walk away. Sickening to watch. I think Kelly got too caught up on filming himself going back to Boston rather then coaching his team last week. It was embarrassing to say the least.
Brian says:
I agree. Kelly made this game all all about himself and his return to his roots. Turn off the camera and start coaching fundamentals!
zeke1883 says:
Adazio is a classless POS. His MFs and his F bomb tirades on the sidelines are a complete classless act. If anyone had the justification it would have been Kelly with the inept example of football the Irish brought to Fenway. But it was at least refreshing to see Kelly hold his tongue and not look like the jackass Adazio is. Nice to see the officials had enough of his crap at the end of the third. Should have thrown him out. As for the Irish ….. wow, they are suddenly running like a well oiled hit and miss engine. Hit on one cylinder, coast for awhile, drop passes then turnover, hit on one cylinder drop more passes, more turnovers. What a mess. I really hope they can right the ship and put one turnover free game together next week or Irish Will plummet like a rock into oblivion. Give the B.C. defense credit, they are a tough bunch, but at least Kelly wasn’t acting the part of a total jerk and they come limping home with a win. Stanford next c’mon Irish put it together one time.
GOND88 says:
Not surprisingly, ND underachieved and underwhelmed against a 3 win BC team. As usual, Brian Kelly acts like a completely innocent bystander who is not responsible for the poor, turnover riddled play of his team.
No, ND does not deserve a playoff spot IMO. I say this because I don’t want them to sneak in then get totally embarrassed. Rather they lose a close one to Stanford, get healthy then play in and win a January 1st bowl game.
With a defense that still gives up big plays and an offense that can’t play power football in short yardage situations or near the goal line, I just don’t see how they could be successful in the playoffs.
GB says:
Why play tailback C.J. Prosise in a crap game like this when he was already banged up?
pjcaulfield says:
ND should have won this game easily. I cannot recall a game in recent years where so many things went wrong. What a nightmare.
DeShone Kizer had a terrible game. He had huge difficulty reading the defense – not a new issue – and threw three interceptions. The one at the end of the half did not hurt, but the others occurred in the red zone and took points off the board. Both were terrible decisions, forcing the ball in when there was nothing there. On the bubble screen to Will Fuller that resulted in the INT, the entire right side of the field was open. He also frequently threw the ball behind open receivers and was bailed out on other occasions by catches of poorly thrown balls. Frankly, even the TD pass to Chris Brown was thrown against very tight coverage, with the defender actually in a better position to catch the ball. Only a phenomenal, over the top of the defender, catch by Chris Brown saved what could easily have been another devastating INT.
Will Fuller had the worst game of his career with three costly drops on wide open passes. I could not believe what I was seeing. The last one probably would have resulted in a touchdown. BC was tackling the ball all night, and the fumbles by C.J. Promise and Josh Adams were also both killers, deep in BC territory. Hats off to Amir Carlisle and Chris Brown, who both had awesome games. Really needed those seniors last night, and they came through big time. Unfortunate that Prosise was injured and looks to be out until the post season with a high ankle sprain.
Defense played well overall, but against an anemic offense, I’m not sure what conclusions can be drawn from that. The loss of KeiVaraie Russell was huge. Still trying to figure out what happened on the tackle he made when he was injured, as it looked relatively harmless.
Team will need to regroup and play a terrific game to beat Stanford on the road next week. The offense in particular has not been sharp for several weeks.
After such a poor performance, and despite the OSU loss, I think ND may drop out of the top four this week. However, if the Irish can defeat Stanford, I believe an 11-1 ND team will be in. I expect Stanford to be favored, but I think that the Irish will find a way to win a close game.
irishhawk50 says:
Luckily BC had no offense or ND probably would have lost. This team has a problem. They must have known that Ohio State lost and that they had a good chance to move up in the playoff ratings with a dominant effort. They played like they had jet lag after a two hour flight. This doesn’t bode well for a 5 hour trip to the west coast. This was a team collapse. The question is are we better in November than September? I don’t think so. The sad thing is that this game could have cost them a playoff spot even if they beat Stanford.
Jimbo says:
Horrible performance but at least it was an ugly win. No way ND deserves to be in top 4 this week and I think they will drop out of top 4. A win vs Stanford might not even help them after the last 2 performances.
flirish says:
This win may have played us out of the playoffs
This is classic Kelly. For 6 years we play down to opponents. Wake Forest and now BC back to back in a championship run–really? BC has three wins and it is obvious why. They are terrible. By the way their defense was not all that great. they were good at stripping the ball but that is it. We ran ok on them and could have passed for a million yards if the receivers could catch the ball. Fuller proved he is very good but not elite–coming back next year is his only choice.
I saw the posts that say this is no the players not the coaches—wait a minute! Poor red zone offense–that is six years now. Dayne crust fumbling against USF and USC on the one, Tommy Rees with a classic sack or int in the red zone, godson the same. Now this team. folks –this is all coaching–it transcends the players–it is a continuous issue. Special teams–worst of all the top 30 teams year in and year out. We let a guy run the ball across midfield last night at a crucial time. A two star athlete against a bunch of four stars–really? Punt returns–pathetic year in and year out. Kickoff returns year and year out we have trouble getting to the 20. How can you conclude anything but terrible coaching. Vefry good talent with horrible game preparation and poor game day coaching decisions. WE simply have no game plan in the red zone and running north south is not in Kelly’s play book. Look at our team this novemeber and last november —-we fall apart against bad teams.
Really disappointing two weeks against bad teams when we could have really sealed the deal. We are 30 points better than BC. the question is: was that win as good as a loss for those on the committee watching.
Pc says:
It’s college football guys these games can happen but just like in Clemson a million drops and turnovers is on the kids not Kelly. Please don’t mention the Charlie Weiss Era when we are 10-1 and on the verge of a playoff. We werent the only playoff contender to struggle—how about Oklahoma having to stop a 2pt conversion against a backup freshmen qb at home or fla. Atlantic taking the mighty SEC power Gators to OT or Ohio st and the vaunted urban Meyer losing to a backup QB at home. We won and move on to Stanford. Injuries are absurd at this point but we I think we can play a great offensive game at Stanford.
Jerrod says:
Amen! ND is having a GREAT year. Some fans will never be happy and should consider a new hobby. It’s not worth following if 10-1 with wins over three top 30 teams isn’t good enough. Kelly has built a program here. Crossroads additions are looking great!
klm says:
Amen. Awful game, but great season, especially considering all the player losses to injury. I do think the better the competition, the better this team plays. I expect much better on Saturday against Stanford. (And I’m hoping they got all of the drops and interceptions out if their system.)
Jack says:
The spread offense on short yardage should be changed to a heavy jumbo ala Washington Redskins with Riggins. Bring in Theismann to show them how it’s done.
Felipe says:
I’ve seen better high school games. Last night was awful to watch. BC is terrible and ND looked like a soft, finesse offense. Kizer played like a backup and the BC defense was in his head for the rest of the game following that first red zone interception. But we won. On to the next one. Go Irish!
Sean says:
No excuses for the last two weeks. I agree that Kelly viewed this as a homecoming, instead of a business trip.the one constant during his tenure has been playing down to the competition. I wonder if anyone on his staff has the backbone to tell him he needs to change his ways?
jon says:
They looked and played like a bunch of clowns. I hoped they burned those butt ugly uniforms or returned them to walmart.
Dan H. says:
I could’ve swore that Kelly had traded Golson. Just sayin’……..
GO IRISH!!
Kevin says:
Too much hoopla. Fenway and green uniforms takes the focus away from playing football. A home game on the road. Come on Jack Swarbrick and Father Jenkins this is becoming excessive. I hate to say it but I think ND is taking advantage of our players. It’s great for alums and fans to be entertained and to raise money. How about the missed classes and study time. We are losing perspective. Just the opinion of a grad but I think our guys are tired. Now another plane ride to the west coast. Give the boys a break. They don’t look like they are having fun.
Eddie says:
If ND finishes at 11-1 and first one out of the playoff, they will have this craptastic performance to blame. And they’ll have Jack Swarbrick and the brilliant idea of playing in a bandbox baseball stadium to blame. It was clear that our players were having serious vision problems in that environ, or maybe it was the all-green uniforms against a very green backdrop, but from the get-go I was cursing the decision to play in that place. The hockey game at Fenway was a mistake, and the football game was a bigger mistake, and may well cost ND a shot at a title. Thanks, Savvy!
2015 says:
Yeah, that was ugly, sloppy football. Just don’t seem to have that killer instinct to put these teams away. That field shortens in the red zone and the offense is pass happy. Down there you need to tight ends, a full back, and O-line push vs. fades, bubble screens, and slow developing QB read options. Unreal defense gives up an 80 yard run to a QB that only knows how to run. Read options = hit/touch QB every time no matter what. I only think ND is top 4 because all the other teams aren’t that good either. Oklahoma lost to Texas. It’s there for Irish to take if the find killer instinct and a complete attention to detail.
Jphlips says:
So SAD. When players ignore basic, fundamental technique, they are not focused and don’t care. Last night they acted like the kids they are. Start by correcting your mindset, boys, and practice proper technique. Go Irish.
Bill Read says:
Read these posts, boys ! Is Notre Dame10 and one or, oh for forever? They played poorly and still beat an
opponent that loves to beat us ! Next week,better opponent,play better or,thyoffs are over!
ElkhartIrish says:
Hire Coach Lou to motivate the team.
Greg in Grant, MI says:
I was saying ALL WEEK that Prosise should NOT even play in this game. WHY? They simply didn’t need him but they WILL need him against Stanford and if there is a “beyond”. BK’S stubborn nature is exhibited here, as well with the play calling in the red zone. Throwing on 1st down and goal and 3rd and goal in another series? Am I the only one not a freaking football coach that sees the obvious? Prosise now will not be available for the rest of the season. Unnecessary and unfortunate.
El Capitano says:
When Kelly decides to put a game plan together rather than just rely on our guys’ talent being better than the opponents’ talent, we play really well and often surprise people (e.g. Ga Tech and Navy this year, LSU last year, Okla in 2012). But when he just tries to coast on talent and figures he’ll just call whatever play occurs to him at the moment, we barely slide by. And that seems to be what happened vs. Wake and BC. We shouldn’t need a game plan against BC based on talent. But when you consider the distractions of Fenway, the rivalry, and the team looking ahead to Stanford Kelly should have gotten out in front of it better.
Nate says:
I’m sick of hearing about OK/Texas being disregarded as a rivalry game. Every game a team plays against nd is their bowl game. The last two weeks were teams who had nothing to lose and they played like it. ND needs to take care of business next week and they’ll be in the playoff. Bad game, wipe it off and move on.
Kevin says:
It will be very interesting to see how the committee looks at this “win”. There are good arguments on both sides as to why ND will stay in the top 4 and why they will drop out. Jeff Long seems to be in the Irish corner and I understand Alveraz is one of the dominate/forceful members. Is that good or bad given his ND pedigree? My two cents: in the end the Irish are regressing. They are not one of the four best teams right now. I hear the arguments for why ND should stay ahead of OK, MSU or Iowa. I only hope the committee agrees because I think ND is done unless a few more upsets occur. And that is regardless of how much we beat Stanford. MSU or Iowa will go ahead of us as B10 champs, and OK will also if they win out.
Jake in California says:
Terrible performance from an average football team.. We were lucky to beat Virginia earlier this year.
So sick and tired of ND playing down to the level of competition.
Stanford runs all over us.. You can quote me on that.. No way we go on the road
and win..
Kelly is not an elite coach.. His arrogance gets in the way in both motivation and preparation.
I couldn’t even sit through the game last night.. What an embarrassment!!
Ellen says:
Yes it was hard to watch the game last night but BC loves to beat us and at least we came out with a win. We know Kelly is not a good game coach and he shouldn’t have played Prosise but now the freshmen will have to be the starters. Other teams struggled. Ohio State lost to the first “ranked” team they played and could lose again. Oklahoma barely won and Iowa hasn’t played a strong team ,except Northwestern, yet. We should stay # 4 but have to win big at Stanford. Hope Kelly can get them ready. Go Irish!!
dick says:
We played a top 5 defense. Then helped them with bad decisions from a young QB, drops and missed tackles. Every team has a game like this at least once a year. This was ours. BK says he will have the kids ready for Stanford. We must believe.
Shannon says:
boston college and nd always have a shitty competitive game when they play. last year this team would have found a way not to win the game. stop bitching about Kelly and the play calling he can’t control fumbles and missed catches. they won. ask any coach or player whether playing on sat. or sun. a win is a win and that is what a team is judge by.
Bob says:
Let’s give up this “Shamrock Series”. The uniforms are terrible and the focus is all wrong. Giving away a real home game, to put on a circus on behalf of the coach, who came from the area is a joke.
gary says:
A good team knows how to win when they play poorly. If some one told me the Irish would be 10/1 going to stanford I would asked for him to be drug tested or he had been to the Linebacker way to long. Lets celebrate and remember the years under Charlie. I would rather go to a 1 January bowl and win big to help recruiting then get blown out again by an Alabama. We are still a few years away from the being # 1 again. Go Irish !!
Mike Coffey says:
Couple thoughts in response
1) Drug tested? Going into the season, this was supposed to be The Year for Kelly — better starters and depth than he’d had his entire time at ND. If someone told me the Irish would be 10-1 going into Stanford, I would have considered expectations met, if not slightly below the line. And yet you say “we’re still a few years away from being #1 again”?? If not now, when???
2) Comparing this team to the worst coaches ND has had in its history isn’t valid analyasis. So I should be ecstatic that we aren’t completely inept anymore? I set the bar a lot higher than that.
Terry says:
The offense has no identity other than go deep to Fuller or hope Prosise breaks off a long run. Clearly, the big play potential proves improved talent level, but the lack of red zone offense and consistent dependable short and medium yardage plays proves that the coaching and execution are seriously lacking. Where are the quick slants, outs, I mean the opposing defenses should have fits defending the field against this receiving core, but it seems like the offense doesn’t know what it wants to do half the time.
PC says:
Mike, The amount of injuries this team has suffered at key positions is absurd. Doesn’t Kelly deserve credit for going 10-1 when you take that into consideration? Going into the season, competing for a Playoff spot was the expectation to me, but with the this team got hammered with injuries and just suffered more brutal ones on Saturday, (Russell, CJ) I’d say a playoff spot would now be a incredible achievement and a even Kelly’s most ardent haters would have to shut the hell up this season. Don’t worry though you can get on him again next year for beating Syracuse 22-13 or something.
Mike Coffey says:
A playoff spot would be great. But I’m tired of excuse after excuse after excuse. Kelly used up his goodwill account after the last two crappy seasons, and even his most ardent supporters said this would be a “no excuses” year.
I’ll be happy as hell with a playoff berth. I have an issue with those preemptively excusing (once again) the lack of one.
PC says:
We agree that a playoff spot was a realistic expectation going into the season but it appears that your dislike of Kelly is even more pronounced with unwillingness to reevaluate the teams goals based on the amount of key injuries suffered. If you say all teams suffer about the same amount of key injuries then I have no rebuttal.
Just for the record what if they win at Stanford and get left out of the playoff? Is that a failed season? A 2 pt loss at Clemson in a rainstorm might keep them out of the playoff if the committee placates the Big 12.
I hated the performance against BC. They should’ve won by 4 TD’s but when I watched it with my eyes I didnt see a team that had a bad game plan or Kelly being out coached in any way. I saw a group of kids play careless, a QB who has started to show some signs of misreading the defense, and a group of WR’s that drop far to many balls to be considered an elite group.
Mike Coffey says:
If they win at Stanford and get left out, they’ll have been left out because they failed the eye test the last couple of weeks. As some have been saying since the season began, style points count.
Yes, ND has a lot of injuries this year. But when I blow all my money on a big-screen TV and sound system, then my car unexpectedly breaks down just before my mortgage payment is due, my bank likely isn’t going to take my protestations about unexpected events too seriously. If Kelly hadn’t blown the last two seasons, I’d be a lot more sympathetic. But injuries are injuries, and lots of teams get them.
I’m very happy with the way the season has gone so far. But if we miss the playoffs at 11-1, it ain’t gonna be because of injuries.
PC says:
If they get left out it wont be because of the lack of style points. It will be because the committee is placating to the other power 5 conferences and sticking it to them for being independent. Let’s be real—the only team that could keep them out is Oklahoma whose schedule looked a lot tougher then it turned out to be. They almost lost at home to TCU playing without their star QB, WR and 2 offensive linemen. How is that for style points? They beat baylor also with their back up QB. An 11-1 ND team whose only loss is at the hands of the committees # 1 ranked team should be in no matter how close the BC game was. Oh and they beat Wake Forest 28-7, Clemson beat then 33-13. No difference, so lets stop acting like they have fallen apart in November. They went on the road and beat a pretty damn good temple team, a pretty good Pitt team (lost to Iowa by 3) and then struggled a bit but still won by 21 over Wake and then threw one clunker in against a rival. Your overstating how bad they’ve been.
Mike Coffey says:
Couple points:
Most of Wake’s points against Clemson were in garbage time against scrubs. Clemson was in command that entire game. Compare with our game — 14 points scored on a 98-yard TD run and a fumble return for a touchdown. Outside of those two plays, ND looked positively anemic on offense and couldn’t get points scored.
The “placating the power 5 conferences” and “sticking it to ND” canards are just that. Look at the data without the blue and gold glasses. ND has looked very good at times and very bad at times, and unfortunately, the very-bads are stacking up late in the season. They have one last game to show things are back on track.
Felipe says:
Agree with all posts saying this has been a GREAT year. It has been. No doubt.
MissProV1x says:
I am seriously in awe of how well the Irish have done so far this season with the incredible number of season ending injuries, perceived by some sub par coaching and play calling, and the on field fumbling and bumbling of some unexpected starters or freshmen. Maybe the Irish should do whatever they are doing every year.
PC says:
We could view a game or two through any lense we would like—You choose to beat up on ND for the perception of a few mediocre performances and when i bring up Oklahoma you dont mention anything about that. Im pretty sure if ND needed to save off a 2pt conversion against a backup laden team at home with the country watching you would blame kelly and say thats ND. Well it was the great Bob Stoops coached team. Because thats their only real competition for# 4 it leads me to believe if they win and get left out it will be about the message being sent about their independence. Didnt even bring up the obvious common opponent argument. Oklahoma fans and ND haters can trumpet whatever they want but the facts are facts: common opponent argument ( ND wins), Better Loss (ND wins), SOS (close) Conf Champion ( N/A) unless they make it so which sends the message, Join a conference or face being in this position every year.
Mike Coffey says:
A “backup-laden team at home”. How many starters were out for TCU, other than their QB?
Aaron says:
Sh!t Mike, we haven’t seen quality football since the Holtz Era! You won’t see it Saturday either!
Mike Coffey says:
I believe we may
Hoss says:
I think TCU has lost more starters than ND.
PC says:
Other then their star QB, as if that is a small thing… Their star WR who had 1400 yards and 14 tds already this season, Their starting Center, and one of their starting LB’s from just the week before. I’d say those are pretty sizeable losses but the point about the backup laden team was simply to counter the argument that OU ran through brutal opponents in November.
George says:
Lose the ridiculous uniforms. Are they fashion models or football players? I believe the Shamrock Series
uniforms are a major distraction. We are not Oregon. Further, to schedule a “home” game four miles from
your opponent’s campus is the height of arrogance. The entire experience was a bewildering distraction
for our payers and it showed in their performance. This seriously damaged their playoff hopes.
bocceman2 says:
Has a Kelly coached ND team ever improved as the season progressed. NO! Sure they have one loss after a bumbling fumbling performance against Clemson, but 11 games in and they are still bumvling and fumbling. Where is the discipkine, where is the focus? How do you allow a third string qb ramble for 80yds? I don’t see them winning a game in the playoffs if they somehow get in.
George says:
I have a feeling that quite a few of you experts would not be happy unless every game ND played was a 50 to 3 blowout. You would probably then complain about the fact that the other team even scored. I for one have watched every minute of every game and I have been very happy with the results. I realize that each week ND is playing an opponent that would define their entire season by defeating them. I root for ND to make the playoffs, but what I root for even more is ND to schedule all the top teams across the country each year and remain independent. My other wish is that they rein in the commercials during the broadcast. I can’t imagine how these players can keep their enthusiasm and motivation when they sit on the sidelines for five minutes between every series. I can see how they lose focus as the game progresses. I know the school is poor and needs the money but maybe we could tone it down just a hair.
Mike Coffey says:
Well, I think your feeling is wrong. I’m happy when ND plays high-quality football, no matter who the opponent. I don’t care if the opponent is “defining their season” … that’s the same as it ever was. I want to see quality football, and I haven’t seen it these past two weeks. Hopefully we’ll see it Saturday.
Aaron says:
Sh!t Mike, we haven’t seen quality football since the Holtz Era! You won’t see it Saturday either!
vinmanOT87 says:
10-1! That’s our record. Not something to be forgotten or taken lightly. And don’t forget that there is no team in the nation that puts in more travel and deals with more scrutiny and has its name circled on more schedules than the Irish.
NDBonecrusher says:
Ugh. I don’t know how you jump OU 4 spots. Whatever. In every poll, 3-8 are the same damn teams, just in a different order. No way Iowa survives. In any case, either Iowa or Sparty have to fall. The Pokes can beat the Huskers. I still say beat the Cardinal and (with a little help) we’re in. If not, we’re still looking at a damn nice Bowl. Chins up Irish fans.
Terry G says:
No. 6 in playoff poll . . . OUCH!!! Oklahoma, losing badly to Texas, and barely edging TCU with its 2nd string QB was bad, but Iowa, who’s played NOBODY, goes up to top 4, you can tell the pollsters have no sense. I think MSU and ND deserve it, Iowa will lose to NE or MSU, OK St usually loses to OU but their QB might be hurt, so OK St will probably play them tough, but getting blown out by Baylor at home didn’t look good. OU has the advantage of the playoff, but the Big 12 North is pathetic. If MSU wins out they will deserve the playoff spot. OU is in the driver’s seat, but I think Stanford is better than OK St.
Pc says:
I’m not surprised by these rankings—I’ve been saying for the last few weeks we could and probably would get jumped by the Big 12 champ. I don’t think it had a lot to do with the close BC game as much as others. He’ll the chairman said it was more about what OU did and how there playing. My problem is the committee has selective reasoning. OU didn’t beat the Baylor and TCU that the committee is giving them credit for beating. They beat backup QBs. They beat far inferior teams then their rankings indicate. For further prove how much Boykins means to TCU the week before TCU edged Kansas 23-17 without him..Kansas is 0-10!!!!! Come on if this committee is not the polls and they pride themselves on forward thinking and putting everything into the mix then that should have left the rankings similar to the week before but instead they move up 4 spots!!! That tells me it was only down like to avoid a major blow up when ND beats Stanford and the committee knew they couldn’t move them down then. The fix was in boys. Now we need help which is unfair but the reality.
Noel says:
Apparently the playoff committee has disregarded that BC as a good defence. They are #1 in total defence? BC just has a horrible Offence, very bad. Win out against Stanford and see how all the conference Championship teams play out. Iowa will lose in the Big 10 Championship. My top 4 at the end are: Clemson, Bama, MSU & ND.
Mike Coffey says:
You make defenses look bad by scoring points on them. We didn’t
Aaron says:
I agree with Mike…..plus if we have beaten Clemson like we should have then there would be no debate we were in now and not looking in from the outside. Number spot is exactly where we belong and it is appropriate for the way we played at BC, vs Wake, Temple, GT, and UVA. Yes we had injuries but we have a much talented team then all those teams combined!!!!
HOPEFULLY and I mean HOPEFULLY that we come and make a statement against Stanford like we did against GT up until the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter. Do that, and with some help from others we may get in but I don’t think so. Our fate is already decided this season.
PC says:
Mike, Do you really think Oklahoma deserved to be vaulted from 7 to 3 by beating a team without their star QB, star WR and starting center by 1 pt ???? Was that style points? BTW that same TCU team beat freekin Kansas by 6 points! Yes 0-10 Kansas showing how important Boykin and company are to their team. The fix was in my friend—nothing to do with a few not so great ND performances. Most of those committee members have vested interest in the Power 5 and finally have a chance to stick it to ND and their thumping their nose independence! Period.
Mike Coffey says:
The committee said the performance of the backups for TCU merited consideration. So I suppose the answer is yes.
I believe had ND handled Wake and BC they way they should have, they’d be #3 right now. But they didn’t, so they aren’t.
Hoss says:
The BC game was an absolute shit show. The capper for me was when J. Smith dropped an interception thrown right to him. I kept telling the guy I was watching the game with it was going to cost ND at least two-three spots, and he just kept telling me to relax. Hopefully that was a wake-up call, cause if a performance like that doesn’t wake them up Stanford is going to throw them a beating.
Pc says:
Mike, if you believe we would be 3rd or 4th if we had beat BC 26-3 instead I have a bridge to sell you. They want power 5 conference Champs in over an independent team who has been thumbing their nose at the system. In the past they didn’t have a clear cut way to screw them but now they have 12 people in a room who answer to no one and there is nobody in that room looking out for ND. Half the people in that room hate their independence. They can literally change the weight of their criteria as they see fit and choose to use style points one week and then use some other arbitrary theory the next. Example how is Ohio St 8th they have beat no one and not even been impressive in doing that. It’s unexplainable except to use different criteria per team.
flirish says:
The reason we dropped to 6 is because despite winning we deserved to drop. We played two very poor games against two very bad teams. For all the stuff about BC and their defense-they only have three wins. Late in the year other teams are playing better than we are. In fact our last two Novembers although quite different in the win loss column, have been similar. A let down mentally and physically. I give Kelly credit for winning ten games so far but I also think this is on him as well.
NDBonecrusher says:
Feeling very excited right now, and not just because I’m at home on a Thursday morning.
A zillion injuries, inexplicaple transfers, Frosh QB and RBs, going out to Cali to play a real good Stanford team, playoff implications…All the ingredients one could ask for a CLASSIC NOTRE DAME MOMENT.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! To paraphrase our coach: When the lights are brightest and the pressure is high, men have to rise up play with competitive greatness. These Stanford guys are great but not invincible. C’mon IRISH and summon it up and seize the moment! Surge, et vinceret!