Not that it is any consolation or any excuse for throwing four interceptions, but Charlie Weis said Sunday that Jimmy Clausen played through the flu on Saturday and that illness affected his play more so than the ankle injury he was nursing.
I think that his problems more yesterday physically were more flu related than they were beat-up related. I know Tim had asked about, I don’t know, his leg or whatever that was yesterday. He had asked about it. Of course he’s got bumps and bruises. He’s had a toe, he’s had ribs, he’s had a bunch of different things that he’s had to deal with physically, and he’s fought through all those.
But I think that more than anything this weekend it was just not feeling good. I sent him to bed early on Friday night because he definitely looked like he needed it. He wasn’t feeling very good on the plane coming down and felt better yesterday before the game. I think as the game went on he probably wasn’t feeling too well, both physically and how the game was going.
But I think yesterday was more — he’s not an excuse maker. I think it was more of the flu than it was physically.
Again, not trying to make excuses for Clausen’s performance, but figured it should be noted that he played through the flu. Clausen gets a lot of critcism – some of it warranted, some of it not – but over the last two years if there’s anything Clausen’s proven to me is that he is tough. He took a beating last year but never complained and he played sick and with a minor injury Saturday without using it as an excuse.
How many coaches in Div I football allow you to throw four interceptions? Well we know of one for sure.
If Charlie does not know when his Quarter Back is ready to go full tilt, or the balls to bench him, then this season is over.
If you write he had the flu – it’s an excuse. Too bad you just didn’t write the truth – ND not only lost but was completely outplayed by a not even average BC team. Then again, you haven’t beaten anyone with a winning record in so long it’s amazing anyone cares about ND football. 1 – 15 and 0 for 9 wraps it up. The program just is a blue/gray shadow of what it once was – the best team in college football.
Poor excuse. He is getting worse as the season progresses. Reminds me of McNabb, he can’t get it done when he has to.
The Pick 6 was definitely a momentum killer, however… they had halftime right after that to get over it. No such luck with the Tate fumble.
Tate and floyd would be stars if we could get them the ball in a situation where they both arent double covered. We have to run the ball to force the safety to come up.
Teams dont even respect play action(as they shouldnt) which makes it alot harder to get favorable 1 on 1 matchups. Probably wouldnt matter anyway, the way clausen has been slinging the ball since the bye week.
Drew;
that’s exactly what i mean. if it wasn’t for tate, you can guarantee clausen would have had another 5 ints this season just based on his incredible catches. let me ask you, do you think that the second quarter int thrown at the BC 24, returned for 76 yards for a TOUCHDOWN had anything to do with momentum? Or maybe the one at the bc 11 yard line the same quarter? or the one at the bc 0 and bc 9 yrd line in the 4th? give me a break
I am beyond sick at this point. Charlie, I think your a stand up guy, and a good person, but I can not handle any more BC losses, Pitt losses, not being able to close out a game, etc, etc, etc.
Clausen is starting to look average. Anyone remember Kevin McDougal? He was the nobody who came witing a BC field goal of winning a National Title…and Clausen can’t make a first down through the air.
Something has to change, if it means Charlie leaves, or takes the offense back over, or whatever, but something HAS to change and change NOW!
Go Irish!
That game showed Charlies lack of experience. At the VERY least – after 3 quarters you tell Clausen maybe next week but you aint getting it done – sit down. Definitely should have put Sharpley in. Weis is too worried about the players mental health than winning football games. Total domination by BC’s defense against the Irish. ND hired Weis on his offense genius – why haven’t any adjustments been made during these games??
If he was in that bad of shape from the flu then why didn’t Weis play Sharpley in the second half? Any other player and Weis would have had him on the bench.
Did the offensive line have the flu, too? 66 yds rushing.
Well Tate’s muffed punt was quite possibly the biggest part of the game. It was just after halftime, and the defense did their job on the first series – and Tate’s fumble lost any momentum they had.
you don’t need to make excuses for him. his coach does it enough. didn’t you see the press conference? it wasn’t the four interceptions thrown that was the main problem, it was tate dropping and turning over the ball that changed the game. i’m absolutely sick of his coddling