Comments on: Special Delivery

By: ndwuj

ndwuj — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:12:07 +0000

Would Boise State and/or TCU still be undefeated having played the exact same 6 games ND just did?
I’m not so sure.
While it is what it is, 5-1 was really doeable. We saw D. Robinson this year really before anybody else did; I’m sure Kelly/Diaco would defend him differently today (lost by 4; Big East refs). MSU is on Kelly/Diaco for the most part, with not defending adequately scheme-wise the only way to lose on that play (never mind the downfield blocks were questionable and the clock ran out; Big Ten refs). Stanford just kicked our butts. We essentially lost to 3 ranked teams with 3-4 ligitimate Heisman candidates. But it is what it is!
The big questions now is can the “bend-over” defense stop USC and Utah and ND unscore them with an offense without Kyle and with tightend “by committee”?
I sure hope W. Michigan reads this and we can jump out ahead enough and quick enough to get some meaningful time to Crist’s backups; love to see Montanna a little.;
ndwuj’71

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:39:04 +0000

terry,

You are dead on concerning not offending the gods. You say football gods – I’ve always said it is offending the Notre Dame Gods, and it can be done in many ways. But whenever it is done – Notre Dame pays the price. Notre Dame must always do things the right way – or she cannot be successful. I believe that Notre Dame finally got the right coach. First he humbled the players and focused them once again on Team. Then he needed to be humbled – which has now occurred. The entire Team is ready to rise up. Rudolph seems to be a good kid, but his stepping down for the Season is probably a net benefit for the Team at this point.

Notre Dame could easily be 5-1 and could easily have had more convincing blow-outs against Purdue, BC and Pitt. It’s difficult to think this all does not have purpose and I think it does. Ty and CW started jumped up high to start and fell far afterwards. With Kelly it will be the opposite trajectory.

Don’t let anyone call you an old coot. You are quite right.

By: rockne

rockne — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:50:14 +0000

You are very kind. The Big East officials shortchanged ND time and time again in the Pitt game and to a lesser extent in the MSU game.

By: Dave88

Dave88 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:21:43 +0000

ND can only be considered to have “arrived” when they consistently beat top 25 teams and play competitively in the event of a loss. Pittsburgh was an ugly win but a win nonetheless. This game is another case of ND letting an opposing team hang around and almost win the game although it seems that under Kelly ND will find away to barely hang on to win after giving up a comfortable lead. I guess you have to start someplace.

This game also had some horrible calls that makes me think some officials have a serious conflict of interest and have no business officiating an ND game. The 4th down intentional grounding that was called incomplete was beyond words. How can anyone with half a brain consider a blocking back 2ft away from the quarterback an eligible downfield receiver…..especially when the Pitt QB threw the ball straight into the ground?

By: terry

terry — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:24:28 +0000

In reply to Cardinal John Newman.

Cardinal John;

Glad you mentioned the ’93 BC game. I remember that game. In the 3rd quarter when BC was kicking Irish butt announcer Chris Collinsworth mentioned the fact that the seeds for what was happening had been planted the year before in the 3rd quarter when ND was leading BC in the 3rd quarter something like 37-0 and Craig the punter went back to punt for ND, it was a fake and he ran for a first down. Then the camera showed him standing on the sideline laughing with his buddies, and THEN the camera showed the BC players watching ND laughing.

Not a good idea.

The athletic gods notice things like that and on that day a curse was placed on ND and it sprung a year later – the Irish came back scored and went ahead with a few seconds to play and lost on the field goal 41-39. They haven’t been the same since. They need to learn humble and it seems that is happening. I think that Chris Collinsworth’s son coming here might help, but I think we’ll be ok.

You and others might think of me as a silly old coot which I probably am but I stand by that. If you kick the shit out of a team that’s understood. You just DON’T rub their nose in it.

BTW – Congrats on your beatification.

By: Cardinal John Newman

Cardinal John Newman — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:59:54 +0000

Well said. Syracuse was sposed to be a glorified scrimmage a couple years back. And BC was sposed to be little more than that in ’93. Western Michigan, Army, Navy…for ALL our games, we better have the chinstraps on tight and playing hard at all times.

By: Teo

Teo — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:00:35 +0000

Okay, so we’re definitely NOT in a position to call anyone inferior. Western Michigan looks pretty good. And, we’re obviously not very good. It’s hardly a glorified scrimmage.

By: terry

terry — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:34:30 +0000

spelling error – please change ‘observer if ND football’ to ‘observer OF ND football.’

My bad.

By: terry

terry — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:33:03 +0000

Steady progress – I look for us to be in the top 25 between 20-25 at the end of the season after the USC win. There’s a top 5 recruiting class of RKGs in the pipeline with room for a few more.

BTW – There are two Terrys going right now. I’m the one w/o the capital t. Capital T
Terry also seems to be an intelligent, erudite, enlightened observer if ND football. Must be something in the name.

Sometime there will be a ‘turn the corner’ game. Not yet, but there is progress every week.

BK is the right guy for the job.

By: Norm

Norm — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:58:59 +0000

I look for us to improve but I also look for us to eventually rely on our offense for TOUCHDOWNS and not field goals. I am impressed with the kicker but want TD’S over settling for FG’S.