Coach Kelly, to his credit, has vastly improved our defense as the year has evolved and has really done an outstanding job “teaching” the kids the techniques within the game to individually win battles on the field. He has done this with a freshman QB filling in for an injured starter, back up RB’s, his All-American TE out and stud NG on the sidelines!!! And yet, our offensive numbers have improved in the second half of the year and so have the defensive numbers. Especially linebacker play and corner play. Gary Gray is developing rapidly into a Todd Lyte type cover corner. Not only does he blanket people, but he might be one of the best tacklers on the team outside Manti. For all this I commend Coach Kelly on his efforts, organizational skills and his ability to “teach” the game.

The trouble is, he has got into his own way too often during games. He is so blindly committed to the spread offense, that it has cost him in some games. There is something to be said about exploiting match ups that are in your advantage in the game. But when you throw the ball 70% of the time, especially in a quick three step drop or shotgun, plant your foot and throw offense, at least throw it down the field!!! Too many short passes bunch up the D like in the USC game. We could have throttled USC, but we refused to run the ball in the second half until the last drive of the game. USC batted balls and hit players who caught balls immediately! Usually after very short gains. If your gonna throw it for 3 or 4 yards…..run it for that!!!!!!! Your line is firing out and attacking, not stepping backwards and reacting to pass rush or burying their heads in D line groins to keep hands down at the line of scrimmage.

We threw the ball 54 times against Tulsa, in a game we couldn’t afford to lose. And here’s the thing…..we did that with a freshman in the game that didn’t prepare for that game as Dayne went down in the early part of the first half. We had a 9 point lead with under a minute to go in the half and he had that kid throwing it all over the place. Then comes the pick 6(opps). Then at the end of the game he calls a pass play from the 18 yard line with less than a minute left when a field goal wins it and our kicker hasn’t missed a field goal since he earned the starting spot the previous year??? In the Michigan game, if you take the 3 on the last play of the half, we are kicking a field goal from 46 yards out to win the game instead of lobbing it into the endzone on a prayer that wasn’t answered. You have to take the 3 in that spot to go into the locker room down 21-10 with a little something to hang your hat on and the fact that you don’t know if your starter will be back in the second half???

My point is this. He threw the ball a combined 40 times against Utah and Army after that Tulsa debacle. We out rushed Army who ranked 8th in rushing offense in the country and actually won the time of possession for the first time all year in that game. This shows me that he adjusted, learned from the Tulsa game and focused on mixing in more run to help his young QB with play action, time of possession and leaning more on his defense. All of these things are very good signs in my opinion.

But, running the ball only twice in the 3rd quarter at USC with a freshman QB far from home in a hostile environment and playing in a steady rain while having a 10 point lead just about drove me nuts. We have to run the ball more in that spot!!!!! We played into USC’s hands for most of that second half. We let them crowd the box and continue to pressure our insignificant, short passing game. Coach Kelly almost cost the team, who was playing defense as well as any game this year a chance to even be in this bowl game. I hope he learned from that experience as I believe he did from the Tulsa game. This time, don’t forget about the combination of the spread attack, balanced with at least a 40% commitment to the run and I think ND can take the Canes. If we come out and try to employ a Tulsa or USC type of offense against a very quick, athletic Canes D, we will not have a very fun New Year’s Eve.

I hope for the best. Hopefully, Coach Kelly plays a little more “impose your will” kind of offense mixed with his spread philosophies in the bowl game and more importantly, in the years to come.

And congratulations to the women’s soccer team – how can anyone say this isn’t an important accomplishment?

Luv the mention of the #1 glowing atop Grace. My husband made that for NDs ’88 nat’l football championship..glad to hear it’s still glowing. We hv picture of it signed by none other than the great Lou..luv him!

I despise Miami more than any other..GO IRISH!!!!

Kudos to the Lady Irish.

Kudos to Kelly and his staff and the men who persevered. Now let’s focus that hostility toward the Hurricanes…I got your ‘Canes, right here! (Cannot see gesture to groin through typing, but its there.)

As for the Sun Bowl, I think this is a great (fair) match up. In the past,
ND was selected to bowl games they didn’t earn (1994 Fiesta Bowl). Living
in San Diego I was hoping for the Holiday Bowl, but Miami is probably a
better match up than Nebraska (this year).(I wish Boise St. was playing
Nebraska, Michigan, or Ohio St..)

Go Irish BEAT the Canes!

P.S. After USC, there is no team I want to beat more than Miami. I still recall
the beating we got in 1985. Don’t worry about 2012, BEAT Miami NOW!

Teams I want to beat the most:
1) USC
2) Miami
3) Michigan
4) Boston College
5) Nebraska
6) Ohio St.
7) Texas
8) Alabama
9) Oklahoma
10) Michigan St.