Comments on: Irish Host Wake Forest on Senior Day

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:59:27 +0000

Give me Wake and the plus 24. ND’s defense is one of the best, if not the best, in football. But our lack of big plays and field position, as pointed out in the article, prevent ND from scoring in bunches. ND leads throughout but no one is breathing easy until half way through the fourth when we get a TD or FG that puts us up three scores. Write it down, count on it. 23-6.

By: SUBWAYALUM69

SUBWAYALUM69 — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:16:37 +0000

Irish 40 Wake Forest 9
Offense clicks early and often, and defense has a great effort. Five sacks, 2 int and recover 2 fumbles. We actually return 2 punts, one for a score. The senoirs end their season undeated at home, and will beat USC next week. Thanks for another great article John

By: Tom D.

Tom D. — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:12:31 +0000

In reply to theisman1104. Southern Cal is the main obstacle to playing in the big game. There has been much unnecessary fretting about being undefeated and not qualifying. Let the games play out and if we are still unbeaten the opportunity to play for it all will likely be there. Win the games and the rest takes care of itself. All that is left is to have a superior plan for USC and for the team to play with great determination and intensity. If we do that and still cannot win then we were not good enough, although it would still be a terrific season. The BCS is largely people's opinions and that is something you cannot control. Just take care of business in Los Angeles and it will all be there for us.

By: jimnd65

jimnd65 — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:32:07 +0000

I expected more offensive output against Pitt and BC. Was surprised Pitt was so close, but following OK, can understand. I wouldn’t expect a poor showing Saturday as this team should be gunned to roll up points in the quest to play in the big game. SC is the real problem. Each a nemesis to the other in big games as long as I can remember. Let’s hope this Irish team is built differently. I think they are.

By: dick

dick — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:29:20 +0000

In reply to nddevil. oregon does not have the easiest path. they still have to play 3 top 20 teams: stanford, oregon st and the winner of ucla-usc

By: Bob Howsam, Jr.

Bob Howsam, Jr. — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:26:35 +0000

In reply to marleyman.

I absolutely agree that the Ducks have some gimmees on their schedule including the four teams you identify. However, the Irish also have at least four and arguably five cupcakes (Navy, BC (2-8), Pitt (4-6), Purdue (4-6) and Wake (5-5)). Of the Irish’s remaining opponents, Miami (5-5) and Michigan State (5-5) are having down years. Which leaves Stanford, Oklahoma and a 3-loss USC team as ND’s signature wins. Oregon’s schedule, particularly down the stretch, is clearly more difficult, and the balance tipper is the fact the Ducks have to play a Conference Championship game. So yeah, I do think their schedule is more difficult. In past years, Michigan, Michigan State, BC, Miami and Pitt have each been much better. We happen to catch them at the right time. We should still be ranked no lower than #2.

At the end of the day, it’s much ado about nothing, because we’re going to run the table and Oregon and K-State are both going down.

By: theisman1104

theisman1104 — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:41:08 +0000

nddevil, I do disagree. Our Side to Side speed against the run would be unlike any Oregon has seen. If you give our 11 guys a chance to match up and fight any 11 guys, I am giving our defense a pretty damn decent chance to succee, and shut down any prolific offense. Also, their freshman QB has seen NO, I mean absolutely NO pressure this entire year. Let’s get Tuitt, Nix, and Schembo in his grill and see how well he throws that football. I am convinced they would, and will play to the level of any competition this year.

By: JDriveSthND

JDriveSthND — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:15:06 +0000

I will be pretty disappointed in the Irish effort if they don’t win going away scoring at least 30 and holding WF to fewer than 10 points.

WF is a bad football team. It’s a miracle they’re 5-5. This is BC with a worse passing offense. We should bludgeon bad football teams just by showing up and playing clean football. We probably would would have won 35-6 at BC if Atkinson and Riddick didn’t cough up the ball. Well, my prediction for this game is pretty close.

35-3 Irish (although I’d love to see an Irish shutout on Senior Day!)

By: IrishJMike

IrishJMike — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:11:28 +0000

Today would be a good day for the Irish to run a bit out of character for Senior Day — there have been serious disappointments this day in the past — and to roll. Kelly has brought them along nicely through the course of the year and they are a much better, more mature, more capable football team that has more weapons than it had in September. They have been lucky a couple of times, but let’s not forget they seem to have learned how to win the close ones (remember USC 2005). Let’s not look past this day to USC, which will be a challenge as it has in so many years past, but at the same time Kelly seems to understand how important it is not to get the team too high for any given “big game” lest they be just that far down the next week. Next week should be the Oklahoma reprise, but today should be a good, solid, clean warm-up for next week. I say ND 31-WF 6. Go Irish!!!

By: Irishone

Irishone — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:36:24 +0000

I see this game somewhere along the lines of the Miami game. Notre Dame will pound it out on the ground and sprinkle in some play action for long gainers. Wake kicks a field goal right before the half.

Notre Dame 45
Wake Forest 3

“GO IRISH”