A Step Back to Respectability
UHND.com - Charles R. Stappenbeck
10/19/2001
NOTE: Due to the server move I was a little late with this one. My apologies. - Kyle
Saturday, the Irish took the next step towards respectability. Yet, as we all know, "this is Notre Dame" and respectability is not what Fr. Sorin had in mind for a university bearing the name of Our Lady. The return to glory that we all anxiously await (and anticipate) has to begin somewhere and for many Domers the first place to search out said return involves a change in coaching. Web sites and message boards are overflowing with such speculation. Whether a new headman patrols the sideline in 2002 or Mr. Davie returns, the talent for future successes is already on the current roster. Let us see if there is anything from Saturday that could lead one to believe that this return is imminent.
-Let’s begin with the offensive side of the ball. Carlyle Holiday had the best performance of his young career and more importantly, he continued to improve for the fourth straight game. Holiday is obviously a natural runner and his passing skills increase with each attempt. The problem is that these precious attempts are few and far between. The coaching staff is consistently flirting with danger when they hamstring the offense on first down. Holiday, like all young players, must be put into the position to succeed. Third and long is a tough situation to have to hone one’s passing skills. It’s frightening to think how this Sophomore might develop if he were given access to the "opening up" of the offense that has been promised in recent weeks. As of now, this "looseness" has consisted of a few random deep balls and a couple of token looks to the tight ends-hardly what most fans envision when promised an open attack.
-Tony Fisher provided another gutsy 100-yd effort and continues to establish himself as a team leader. Fisher recovered nicely from an uncharacteristic early fumble and when on to seal the victory with a long touchdown rumble.
-The return of the Option was a welcomed sign but again, even this needs to be opened up. For the Option to work effectively, the fullback needs to be a genuine, well, option. The word token comes to mind again when evaluating the touches given to the Up-back.
-The defense wasn’t spectacular but did an adequate job in the second half. The inability to adjust to the counter draw burned the Irish repeatedly and you have to wonder why the defensive scheme proved so inflexible. Both Duff and Elam continue to improve in the Secondary and having athletes of that caliber can only help a beleaguered defensive backfield.
Coach Davie furthered his history of successful Octobers- success that typically comes after the Irish are long out of the National Championship picture. This pattern seems to have determined Davie’s fate, all but guaranteeing that this will be his last season under the Dome. One needn’t look to the message boards or listen to the rumor mill to surmise as much.