Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire will miss the rest of the season with a fractured ankle. Zaire was injured in the third quarter against Virginia on Saturday. Notre Dame hosts Georgia Tech next week in the second of its six matchups with ACC schools this season.
BVG has got to figure out play calling.
Feel for the coaches this week. Have to put in a new game plan. Am very disappointed in the
defense. Fell apart when we needed them most.
MtheA: 3rd down & 2…..shotgun formation. Surreal.
Ray: Say hi to the pot , kettle.
0-10 in third down conversions, with many being third and short! And ND still managed to win, and on the road! As for Zaire, an outstanding playmaker as a QB, turning OL breakdowns and defensive 8 man drops into first down runs, while proficient at hitting a receiver in stride on deep routes. He truly embodies the necessary mobility, running talent, and arm needed in modern college football. From CBS player of the week to a season-ending injury less than three quarters later truly sucks!
I expect Malik back better and even more determined and driven next Fall.
Time will tell if Kizer’s key TD ‘walk-off’ pass will mean he saved just one game that seemed destined for a crushing road loss, or if it becomes the pivotal pass that saves an historic season.
Kizer might not match that amazing escapable skill that Zaire has shown, but DeShone’s pass accuracy might equal or even exceed Malik’s at this point in their development. It will be a challenge for the Off. game planners to get both Kizer and Wimbush ready, because if the OL fails to pass block better for Kizer than it did for Zaire last game, Wimbush will be “next man in” soon whether he’s ready or not. Frosh Jay Rosen at UCLA appears ready, so it is possible that even a Frosh QB can play and excel. I remember back when a third-string QB named Montana stepped in after a loss, and behind against Purdue, and led ND to a national championship.Purdue’s Keena Turner taking out back-up Gary Forystek resulted in a supposedly not ready QB getting his chance to lead ND to that championship. Then there was Kevin McDougall who stepped in for the injured Powlus and fell a last second FG short of a near historic season again. So it has happened before, at ND, with Ohio St. last year, and elsewhere.
“Next man in” is the reality of the inevitable injuries of football, but it’s a stone cold bummer for such three outstanding stars ND has already lost, with 11 more games or so still left. ND will need a Texas-like defensive effort rather than the less than stellar performance vs. Virginia this week, and plenty of points. PLaying against a team averaging 67 points per game ( I know who they played- but 67 points!) ought to get their attention. The question to be answered this week is can this staff sufficiently game plan to at least slow down a most proficient option team, and this one with better athletes than Navy.
Until it’s done, we can’t know.
A lot of fans think the season is over but I don’t. I don’t think we can go on the road and beat a Clemson or beat U$C and beating Tech this week might be tough but that’s more because I think BVG doesn’t have a clue how to stop opposing offenses. I am scared to death about playing Tech and their elite running game. The game has changed since he was at Georgia and just because he is running Rex Ryans defense doesn’t mean anything. I think he needs to go after the season but that’s just me.
http://irish.nbcsports.com/2015/09/12/five-things-we-learned-notre-dame-34-virginia-27/
Just got more interesting is all. Offense still has a lot of talent. I have confidence in them. Here is where BVG will have to answer the call. Still can be an exciting season with many entertaining games left. Some of the “ST” play looked vastly improved. Thanks
I heard that the biggest improvement for a team is between their 1st and 2nd game. Kelly, please stop improving ND.
J.T. Barrett did the same thing to his ankle and OSU won the national title. Could the same thing happen to the Irish? Let’s hope.
Oh my God another year of moronic comments.
Inside the Irish
Nbcsports.com
Says it all
Another year of incompetence?
I’m so glad that Kelly focused on improving red zone efficiency this season. I think I read somewhere that he’s been at this coaching thing for 25 years now.