When Stanford’s kicker, Conrad Ukropina, lined up for a game-winning 45-yard field goal attempt, Notre Dame fans everywhere held their breath, hoping the season-long dream of a national championship wouldn’t come to an end. And make no mistake – a run at a national title was the goal heading into 2015, with head coach Brian Kelly boasting the most talented roster South Bend had seen since 1993. But Irish fans, closing their eyes in dismay as Ukropina’s kick stayed true and sealed the game for Stanford, failed to realize Notre Dame’s playoff chances had been extinguished in Stillwater, Oklahoma, well over an hour before Stanford put a dagger in the heart of the Notre Dame faithful. Kelly’s team was playing for pride, and they fell seconds short of an 11-1 season.
Notre Dame’s downfall was due to the same issues that have haunted the team for quite some time. The red zone proved to be an invisible barrier that the Notre Dame offense couldn’t overcome. The offense marched down the field at will but was forced to settle for three field goals inside the twenty-yard line, although the red zone trip prior to half time would prove to be the most costly.
Trailing 21-20 with less than one minute remaining, Kizer scrambled 48 yards to the Stanford 23-yard line with 12 seconds to go, enough time to take a shot or two at the end zone before attempting a field goal as a last resort. Instead, with no timeouts remaining, Kizer attempted to scramble from the pocket, causing a fumble and an all-too-familiar red zone turnover for Notre Dame. A simple throw away and settling for a Justin Yoon field goal could have been the difference.
The largest issue, however, continues to be the spotty play of Notre Dame’s safeties. The Irish defense was able to force Stanford into obvious passing situations on third down but failed to get off the field, as the Cardinal converted 8-12 third downs. With Notre Dame holding a 23-21 lead early in the third quarter, Stanford was faced with a third down and 7 yards to go. The Cardinal lined up in a shotgun formation with three wide receivers to the strong side while Notre Dame’s defense played man coverage. After the snap, safety Elijah Shumate jumped the flat area of the field to cover cornerback Devin Butler’s man, and when realizing his mistake, he was already yards behind his assigned target, Stanford wide receiver Devon Cajuste. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan connected with Cajuste up the seam for 42 yards, a play that eventually lead to a Stanford touchdown.
The lack of production in the secondary has rightfully led to questions about defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s scheme. Cornerbacks KeiVarae Russell and Cole Luke, as well as safeties Max Redfield and Elijah Shumate, were all highly coveted prospects coming out of high school, yet have struggled with their assignments. Their lack of development – a problem which existed prior to defensive backs coach Todd Lyght’s arrival – is troubling, and that feeling has only been exacerbated by Max Redfield’s comments from earlier this season.
“That’s a pretty good question,” Redfield said to a reporter who asked whether learning Chinese – Redfield is earning a minor in Mandarin – or VanGorder’s system was more difficult. “I would say consistently being successful in that scheme is harder than learning Chinese.”
Yet despite the red zone inefficiency and the secondary’s woes, Notre Dame had the pieces in place to beat Stanford, an impressive feat considering nearly half of Kelly’s starting lineup had been lost to injury. Notre Dame racked up over 500 yards of offense against the Stanford defense even though the time of possession was lopsided in the Cardinal’s favor. And despite the attempts of Fox’s announcers to hype Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey as a Heisman contender, McCaffrey was bottled up all night long, gaining a modest 94 yards on 27 carries for a less than stellar 3.5 yards per carry. Notre Dame’s true freshman running back Josh Adams ran for 168 yards on only 18 carries, and DeShone Kizer also outperformed McCaffrey, gaining 128 yards on the ground with 16 carries.
While it may be an unpopular opinion, when the disappointment of Saturday’s outcome fades, it would be crazy to feel Notre Dame had anything but a successful season. Shortly before the season began I predicted a 10-2 record for the Fighting Irish solely because of my belief that quarterback Malik Zaire is a special player. The fact Notre Dame managed a 10-2 record with DeShone Kizer, as well as the countless other injuries the team sustained, is a compelling argument for Brian Kelly to win Coach of the Year honors.
The playoffs may no longer be a consideration but the talk of Notre Dame appearing in a major bowl against a top-flight opponent should be the next area of focus. Defeating a big name team in a major bowl could transform a successful season into a program-defining one.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has authored several nationally-featured articles, including an appearance on MSNBC as a sports contributor. He talks football 24 hours a day, much to the chagrin of his wife and those around him. Scott can be reached at scottjanssenhp@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter.
I enjoy the haiku too much to leave.
10-2 with more to do!
@ Burgundy.
Don’t leave us. Thin skin has no place on a fan’s blog.
Your one liners keep me amused-and I won’t call you Shirley.
@ SCIrish
re: play calling
I know no more than you about it, but it appears to me when the O’ formation is set, the QB reacts to what advantage he can maximize by “reading” what the D’ gives, such as which skill player is in position to be open during a pass, or whether the QB keeps the ball or hands off during a run play. So a lot of what happens on most plays is likely determined by the read of the QB, especially, apparently in red zone plays. Now, end-around hand offs, or looking for certain receivers on certain plays are probably pre-determined, but when questioned about certain in-game decisions made, often BK would say something like “Kizer made the correct read”, or he did/didn’t check-down to the secondary receiver.
As for the D’, ask Joe Schmidt, he is apparently the only defender who can get the rest of the D’ on the field in position. Some teams use D’ substitutions based on circumstance- i.e. putting an extra DB or two in for obvious (game-ending) situations when everyone knows the QB will have to throw the ball down the field because they have to get into position to win with a FG ( such as w/30 seconds left and a half of field to go). But that horse has left the stable, and ND isn’t getting that one back.
So, onward ever- hopefully to better outcomes than even 10-2, or maybe even 11-1, which likely wouldn’t have been good enough this time to be included in any NC bid as the playoff format now exists. The next real challenge in leadership from staff and players: to be resilient enough to bounce back and put that devastating loss behind them. Stay tuned.
With team 127, I expect that “new mission” to be accomplished, regardless of the opponent.
Go Irish!
I’d like more clarity on what bj thinks of NDs defensive coordinator.
Fire bvg
Peter Recchio,
Well outlined. I’ve already addressed your items 1 and 4, and 2 to an extent. Item 3 I’ve not touched.
Re item 2 re play calling. During the TV games I paid close attention to see if Kelly was calling plays, and on very few occasions did I see Kelly speaking into his mike during play calling time. Of course that’s what TV showed so it could mean nothing. I wonder if there is anyone here has any solid info if Kelly was calling the plays or if most of the work was done by Sanford and Denbrock. That info may provide some possible answers for the red zone troubles.
Re item 3 re injuries, could part of the problem be that they are practicing on two different types of fields, or is the new field turf somehow causing more of these injuries. I think you’re right that some investigation is needed to look at this two year trend. Does it have something to do with the strength and conditioning program? Are the guys over muscled and under flexibled ( not really a word but you get the idea.) Something has evidently changed over the past two years and it would be helpful to know the cause if possible.
To everyone here, Merry Christmas and Go Irish.
If Notre Dame was 7-5 or 6-6 then I could understand the lack of excitement for watching ND possibly lose to say a 7-5 Duke in the Academic Achievement Bowl. But ND is 10-2, ranked 8th and could possibly be ranked higher depending on what happens this weekend. How could anyone on this site not be excited about a possible Notre Dame vs Ohio State matchup . Please make it happen. This matchup could definitely have an impact on recruiting. I think this game could have higher tv ratings than the semifinals.
“Who are these guys” as Butch /Sundance said. A posse of anti bowl bounty hunters popping up on UHND web site. It’s too hilarious to even respond to them.
Alley O’ Cat said it best. R-E-L-A-X or calm down. It was an emotional , disappointing loss and first responders are going to vent negatively including long time regulars on UHND forum. I think Damian others did good job of countering negatives with positives of a pretty darn good season finishing 10-2 , rated by CFP in top 4 for awhile with a team minus 10 starters. Irish had a to fill a whole new back field with a 3rd string freshman QB , an RB who never played RB before–even in High school and another RB , a 3 star at best not heralded like recruits Folston/Bryant. These guys came through with an improved O-line and gave us fans an exciting display of offense — ND hasn’t had in years. A ground game and passing attack combo–reeling off big time plays of over 50 yards in abundance in ONE SEASON. Notre Dame defense of 2015 ? Pretty good–but not good enough. Lots of work ahead for 2016.
Some of my opinions and further observations and musings from reading this string:
*BK, and the ND program under him, were VASTLY improved this year in recruiting, development, depth, team togetherness, and coaching staff quality. He clearly deserves credit where credit is due in these areas.
*He lacks in game management and play calling, especially in the red zone. and defensively we are a long way from championship caliber. I am hopeful he seriously considers these shortcomings and adjusts. If he can make significant changes in these areas from this year to next, like he did improvements from last year to this, then he we will be on a consistent championship upswing. He has a chance for growth within himself and the ND program.
* We must research the injury situation carefully.
*The bowl game IS significant for many reasons pointed out in this string and others, healing emotionally and physically from a long season, practices, backup/younger player growth, recruiting profile, income, chemistry/momentum building for next season, and very importantly rewarding this resilient group for amazing stick-to-it-ivness and courage.
GO IRISH in the bowl game and beyond!
Well, you’ll get your proof in just under a month. If ND wins or loses it’s bowl game see how it affects recruiting after that.
You “expect they will use this time to improve their play on the field.” OK, I’m sold!
I didn’t say the game was meaningless. I said overrated. I would ask you to provide one specific example of the fluff you provide, but that would be just silly. Like I said, your argument is unsubstantiated. Sure it makes sense in theory, but there is no clear and direct correlation.
Consider the conditions under which the most decorated college football player of all time made his decision.
Comparing ND to VT is comparing apples to oranges. I don’t expect ND to stagnate like VT. I expect that they will use this time to improve their play on the field. No coach would ever turn down the chance to practice.
But this idea that a NY Day bowl win is meaningless to recruits is just laughable though. Granted, there are players who dream of playing at ND. But there are many more recruits we are competing with teams like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, etc. for who will be closely watching was ND does in their bowl game before making their decision. If ND does poorly, they may very well go to another school. If ND puts up a good showing and the recruits see they have a shot at playing for a good football team they may come to ND. And if we are going to win a NC, we need those recruits.
I am a huge fan of BK, but I’m not going to defend him unconditionally. His decision to go for the 2-pt conversion (yes, obviously the first one) against Clemson was a mistake unequivocally. And I don’t get why he tried doing it against Stanford. For that matter, it cost ND the game last year when he tried it against NW. But that’s not the topic right now. I just wanted to point out that bowl games are overrated and that your precious 15 extra practices are irrelevant. Virginia Tech has had 15 extra practices for 21 years straight and look where it has gotten them. Of course some of you might be content with being a Va Tech, based on what I’m reading here. As far as what help/hurts recruiting, that is unsubstantiated. Our little engine that could middle LB knew he was going to ND since he was 5 years old. Jerry Tillery too, from what I hear. There are hundreds of examples of kids who dream of playing at ND. They don’t care if ND loses by 50 to OSU or LSU in a bowl.
But I too didn’t want to see D/W/W fail. I took no pleasure in that. If a Davie, Willingham or Weis coached team hoisted the trophy, it would have been epic. It’s sad that day never came.
You too.
I am ashamed to admit during Weis’ last year I actually started rooting for ND to lose about halfway through the year because I had finally concluded once and for all we needed a new coach (and I had a feeling BK was going to make a move and I’ll admit I wanted him to come to ND). I didn’t want to take a chance Weis’ did well enough they blinked and waited and lost their opportunity.
That was awful and I never, ever want to do that again. It’s a shame some fans have already reached that point with BK. We’ve made meaningful progress, but no one should make any mistake. I want an NC. I believe BK has it in him to take us to that level, but yes, I agree, he won’t be elite until ND hoists that trophy.
Thanks, Damian. I enjoy our reasonable (name-calling-free) exchanges. That’s quite different than the modus operandi of some on here who take disagreement with them as license for gratuitous ad hominem attacks.
I, too, can’t understand those who want to see BK fail. Why would you want that as a ND fan?! Heck, I wanted BD, TW, and CW to all succeed. Why would we want the ND coach to fail? I really don’t get it.
This season is anything but a lost season. There’s a lot to be proud about as ND fans. Optimism should be on the rise.
I think there’s going to a heck of a battle at QB and RB next season. I fear that the loser of the DK/MZ QB competition will pull an EG and transfer. So be it, so long as “we” (ND fans can use this word!) keep the right one. ND still has BW and a good incoming recruit at QB so they should be set for a while.
Happy Holidays, my friend, to you and yours!
GO IRISH!
Depressing? More like amusing. Childish. “Going to take my ball and go home”. Nah those games don’t mean a thing. That’s why they’ve lasted and drawn for decades. Will continue to do so. Not even sure ND will even get a NY 6 either. Most likely pay Kelly’s salary this year though. Hilarious. Thanks.
SFR– you’re absolutely right. I’m more on the positive side for BK, though there are admittedly things he needs to work on, and I still think he can help ND get that elusive NC. But I realize there are some who are skeptical. That’s fine. Until he actually gets the NC, that’s fair.
But it seems there are a few here (I won’t point fingers but they know who they are) who are just waiting for the Irish to lose so they can say they were right about BK. That’s so shortsighted because if, IF BK fails as a coach, that’s 4 bad coaches and I think that would be disastrous for ND. I’m sorry, but our history is no longer enough. We need BK to succeed, so hopefully he does what he needs to do to get them there.
I thought coming into this year, personally, than 10-2 and a NY Day 6 bowl was necessary to consider this year progress. They did that, so for me it would be hypocritical for me to say anything else. For next year, I see absolutely no reason they couldn’t be in playoff contention—but they better take stock of the defense, esp. the secondary. I think that will be key (I think having Zaire back should help the red zone issues).
Thanks, SC, I try to strike a middle road between those, on the one hand, who want to see only positives and believe that any criticism of the ND football team is tantamount to treason and those, on the other hand, who are doom and gloom and almost seem to want the Irish football team to fail to make a point about BK or something else. I think more balance is called for, taking account of the good, the bad, and the ugly, so to speak.
For me and my house, we’re all in on the Irish. But loyalty often means speaking truth no matter how painful.
Go Irish!
That is… losing big certainly will HURT recruiting
Well, I’m sorry some fans see no value to a NY Day bowl. I guess for those people, your NY Day will be free because what’s the point in even watching it. And I can’t believe some people don’t see how a NY Day bowl win over a good team doesn’t affect recruits. When a regular season win over a team like USC can win you recruits, think what a NY Day bowl win over a team like Ohio State, Michigan State, or another former playoff contender would do.
But we’d rather cry a river about missing the playoffs than take advantage of what opportunities head their way. God I hope players don’t read these boards. You guys are depressing me. If the players follow that train of thought they’ll lose the game 42-0. And if you think winning a NY Day bowl doesn’t help recruiting, I can tell you losing big certainly will and without good recruits, you can kiss an NC goodbye.
Coaches/coordinators regularly run trick plays and go for 2 point conversions in bowl games because A) it’s essentially just practice anyway, and B) because they just want the game to end. Going into OT in a bowl game is taboo because nobody cares. Pay attention this year and you’ll see. And beating LSU last year seemed to accomplish very little for ND. Personally I hoped it would build some momentum for the 2015 season, but in only game #2 the starting QB looked terrible (remember?), and it eventually took a miracle to beat a horrendous, horrendous UVA team. If 15 extra practices really gets you that excited, then I’m happy for you. And attributing a bowl win to landing recruits is a stretch, IMO, especially at ND. Sure, you want to win each and every game, even if it’s a bowl, but personally I’m never going to be satisfied with missing the playoffs, especially not this year. This was supposed to be BKs year… the best team in DECADES. Total disappointment if you ask me. “New Year Day 6 Bowl” is just a marketing ploy to try and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. One day you’re told that now you need to start caring about the Cotton and Peach bowls, and you eat it up? Nowadays it’s playoffs or nothing. But hey, whatever blows your hair back.
I almost forgot the extra practices. Any coach will tell you they’d love to have those extra practices. One key difference between CFB and NFL is those extra practices are a gift.
It seems like it would be better to have a single actual play caller, than a team, though perhaps there would be situations that would be tailored to a specific coach. Everything up to the red zone seems ok for the most part. They just need to work on punching it in when they get there.
A New Year Day 6 Bowl would be huge. 15(maybe 12, not sure) additional practices head start on 2016, recruiting impact, opportunity to showcase ND again, not to mention the payday.
What is unknown about the play calling was who really called the majority of the plays. This was, we were told a group effort, with Kelly, Sanford and Denbrock. Yes Kelly was involved, but how much input did the other two have. Was it a success or not? Hard for us to know. I’m sure Kelly will evaluate that in the offseason. That may have been a reason for the red zone problems. We’ll see.
Kelly has shown throughout his tenure the ability to change his coaching and I think we’ll see more. I also think that Kelly wanted it this year more than anyone realizes. I don’t think I’ve seen Kelly as emotional, although he tried to hide it, as he was in the post game interview. I like the guy and have a great deal of confidence that Team 128 will be better than Team 127 was.
Note to CCB:
I agree with Shaz, turn in your tickets, ask for a refund and crawl back into your hole. Better yet, since you know so much, apply for one of the coaching positions currently available, and put your money where your mouth is.
Go Irish 2016.
SCIrish, thanks, and I agree with your post. I’ve said numerous times, that I never realized just how much damage 3 mediocre coaches did to ND under D/W/W. Basically, Swarbick and BK have had to spend the last few years fixing the damage done.
I understand SFR’s frustration and feel it too. 30 years is a long time. I do blame that largely on the D/W/W years and the very real damage that did to the ND brand. BK has made some mistakes. I think he has some great assistant coaches, and maybe some not so great. I don’t believe they should pull the plug on BVG yet. Our front 7 did show some dominance, but our secondary is a mess and he needs to clean that up. And the offensive coaches need to work on our red zone woes. Clean those 2 things up and I think we can have a very potent football team, enough to hopefully win a NC.
Is BK elite, not yet. I agree with that. But I think there’s potential. I don’t think ND is done improving. Perhaps some here have a point that have suggested that maybe BK is a better CEO than playcaller. He has some all star coaches as assistants and maybe he should let them do the job they were hired to do. It doesn’t mean BK should be passive. As the HC he is ultimately responsible and very much should play a big role on game day. But maybe he should leave the details to the assistants. I honestly don’t know, but it might be worth considering.
I do strongly agree with SFR that a NY Day 6 bowl is nothing to stick your nose up. MZ appears to be comparing it to a minor bowl between 6-6 teams. There is no comparison. Recruits DO pay attention to a team’s big bowl performance, and that alone should motivate ND to play it’s best game. Does ND need the money, no, but a few million dollars is nothing to laugh at. The school will still put it to good use (I wouldn’t be surprised if they put it toward academics like they do the NBC money). And yes, I’ll concede that at the end of next year it likely has little effect on their ranking, but it does give you a starting off point when you start the season. Like it or not, when the AP puts out it’s first polls, they DO look at the prior season’s record. A NY Day 6 bowl win this year with a lot of the team coming back will be ranked early accordingly.
And if nothing else, as a fan, ND is going to play a good team and will have a chance to showcase itself to recruits. Winning that game will be a positive. Jeff may get his wish, there are some predictions that do have us playing Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
ccb,
If that’s the way you feel then you should probably cancel those season tickets.
Maybe if you ask nicely the administration will give you a refund?
Yep. Sure. There is a whole slew of companies, businesses, financial world global. Who would love his past 6 years of mediocrity and NO growth. Amazing. Oh and BTW, CFB is BIG business. Thanks.
2015 was a season of failure, once again
This team was loaded, injuries notwithstanding.
This was only the 2nd time in 6 seasons. that Kelly’s team finished with less than 4 losses.
The defense and red zone offense against Stanford was embarrassing
ND hasn’t won a title in 27 years.
Anything less than a playoff berth in 2015 is unacceptable
Calling this season a success is embracing mediocrity
I am truly amazed at the coaching acumen I witness here. There are many posters, SFR and Damian, who I believe make many valid observations. There are others, David and MZ, who I feel don’t know their ass from third base, or a goal line. The cries of doom and gloom, we’ll never be good, are getting old. I sometimes wonder why the coaching staff doesn’t listen to what we have to say, and implement those changes post haste. Probably the same reason they don’t listen when I yell at the TV on game day that they should have been doing this or that differently. Unless we’re in the locker room, coaches room, meeting rooms, practice or wherever, it boils down that we don’t really know anything about the current state of the team until we see the product on TV.
However, we need to take into account a couple of things. The team is comprised of approx 100 18-21 year olds, for whom college football is a means to an end; it is not the be all of their lives. Do they want to win? Do they generally put their hearts and souls into each game? The answer is yes, but if they lose, their lives do not end. They still have other pressing issues…a paper due, a test in a class they’re having trouble in on Tuesday, a girlfriend problem, etc. My point is they are under a tremendous amount of pressure, and by and large they handle it well. They may look like men, but 3/4 of that hundred, in any given year, have a sliding scale of maturity.
They also read these comments, or tweets, or FB posts, and if they hear enough negatives, they might begin to believe it.
The other thing, as it relates to Swarbrick and Kelly, is that when Kelly arrived in SB, ND had a HORRIBLE football team. Weis did the University no favors. Losing coaches rarely do. ND’s cupboard was bare, and even with 25 commitments each year, it took several years to get to the depth Team 127 displayed. Many changes were needed, from facilities to meals, and a lot in between. I think Kelly has done a masterful job. Is he perfect, as it seems some posters demand? No. Is he finished? Or is this still a work in progress? College football teams are ALWAYS a WIP. They have to be. If BK is fired or leaves, there is no college coach in America today, that has a magic wand that can come in and fix everything immediately. So let the man do his job.
I no longer feel, when I watch a game, that a deficit is insurmountable, that the team will quit, that all is lost. That desire of the team to compete until the final whistle had to be instilled, and that came from the coaching staff. They had to be taught how to win, especially after the debacle of Weis. One they learned that, that have to learn how to be dominant. That’s the next step. And I believe they are well on their way.
Team 127 had a fantastic year, unbeaten at home, and two 2point losses on the road. Give the kids and coaches credit for what they accomplished, and not harp on perceived reasons for their failures. I look forward to Team 128 and beyond.
Go Irish.
Here you guys go again with the “we” crap. Do you think those players give a damn what you ultimately think? I.E. Their bowl game is meaningless? Their win in post season carries over? If you fans are not satisfied? NO!!!! To be a champion it takes a whole lot of me/us against them and who gives a crap about what especially you (Fans) feel. Self absorbed. You guys are not on the team or in the program. You just get to reap the entertainment and bitch if they fall short your satisfaction. Approximately 130 schools. Alot more parity and competition now. It’s not 30 years ago. The playing field has been leveled. That was an superior job performed by the whole program, all things considered. Many more factors/obstacles fans may not be aware of. So do or don’t watch the bowl game. No one cares. Especially the players. They’ll only be thinking about THEIR team and winning. Because that’s how champions think. Thanks.
Hail Mary, full of grace, Notre Dame is ranked in 8th place ( I guess it’s better than being ranked 9th in the CFP ranking)
Get ready for 2016, predict your future by inventing it, Go Fighting Irish football
Look, mz, I’m as critical as anybody on this site about ND’s lack of success in big games over the last 30 years. Let me reiterate that: 30 years, that’s three decades.
However, a big-6 bowl game is nothing to sneeze at. And while they’re there and at it, why not want our Irish to win it?! You’re right, mz, a bowl win may or may not have any impact on the next season. But it has huge recruiting impact. And despite what some on here think, recruiting is very important for the future success of the ND football program.
I’m not at all satisfied with a bowl game given that this team should be 12-0, even with all the injuries it suffered. But things are what they are. It could be worse, mz. I say make the most of the opportunity and beat whoever shows up on the other sideline come January 1, 2016.
GO IRISH!
The only bowl game i want to see is Notre Dame vs Ohio State. Those are the two best teams not going to the playoffs. The one thing I find so painful about this season is there are no dominate teams this year and ND was so close to making it i to the final four. ND is every bit as good as any of the top 4 teams this year. Last years final four teams were much stronger than this years.
Your right it’s not a true road game but I would like to see them beat you ever they play and end on a high note.
This will be a neutral sight game, so not a ROAD game nor a HOME game for either team. If Michigan St. blows “mighty” Iowa out of the water, and if we do end up playing Iowa, then beating them is like beating this years USC team. Wasn’t really that big of a win against an ok team. Iowa played no one this year.
I know it doesn’t matter because it is not a playoff game, it matters attitude wise they need to start beating top ten teams and winning road games as well.
And if they don’t Robert B, does that mean next season is pointless and lost and we should be worried. This is my exact argument why these bowl games don’t matter, unless it’s a CFP game. It has no bearing on the national champion of this year, and doesn’t affect shit on next year. Meaningless exhibition game.
N.D. seems to be on the right track to regain it’s glory days, but they MUST WIN their bowl game no matter what team they face, no excuses with plenty of time to prepare. GO IRISH!!!
So Damian, This gets you excited huh? That’s the prediction I’ve read on a few sites. That is a clunker of a game.
Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1 Glendale, Ariz. At-large vs. At-large Notre Dame vs. Iowa
Damian,
No disagreement here. The BK era is a huge improvement over the previous ones, including, dare I say, the very end of the Holtz regime (e.g., the tragic Joe Moore incident).
My point is that this team should’ve been unbeaten, in spite of all the injuries. In the end, they beat themselves, with TOs, poor Red Zone play on both sides of the ball, poor D (here injuries may be a factor, esp. to J. Jones), some dubious play-calling (including chasing points too early), etc.
I’m just tired, Damian, of decades of failure. At this point not being in a position to play for a NC is a failure. Now, next season this team wins a title and all is forgiven. But we’re going on 30 years of futility, Damian. Even the one shot at a NC blew up in our collective faces with one of the most disgraceful BCS championship performances ever by the Irish.
I don’t know about you, Damian, but I’m tired of the endless excuses, wait til next year, we’re moving in the right direction talk, year after year, going on three decades now. At some point we need to have no reason to make excuses or wait til next year. At some point the right direction needs to lead to a title. The sooner the better!
GO IRISH!
You mean the David Shaw who lost to NW??
The same NW that you critzied BK for losing to??
He actually says R-E-L-A-X
The reality is that even if we had beaten Stanford we would not have gotten into the Final 4 based on two very under achieving ONCE AGAIN vs Wake and BC. Teams like Baylor, TCU, Bama’ beat poor teams by 40-50 consistently. In Kelly’s time at ND losses or close wins vs teams like Tulsa, N’western, Louisville, Pittsburgh instead of 50-10 blowouts have kept subs on the bench and worn out the starters year after year. Now we face another QB question off season with Zaire, Winbush, and Kizer wanting to be number one and the reality again that in May we may see one or even two maybe pull the pin and go elsewhere rather then sit on the bench AGAIN. The season that looked like a possible NC with all our depth sees HALF the team on the sideline hurt AGAIN and a “Wait till next year” chant hanging in the win. The guy we need as coach was at the game on Saturday but was standing on the other side eg David Shaw.
Aaron Rogers didn’t go to ND. (poor guy went to U.Cal) But what does he say often?
“CALM-DOWN.”
We fans should heed this, let BK “DO. HIS. JOB.”, (after consorting with coaching genius Bill Belly-check this past Summer) and appreciate what the team did. Expections were not met. (injuries/absences being unaccounted for) Adjusted expectations, due to said parenthetical causes, were exceeded. The sky is not falling, Chicken Little. GO IRISH!
SFR, that is a huge disappointment how close we were to undefeated. 4 points. Where I digress a bit is that I do see that as improvement. In past years after Holtz left, when ND got down, they seemed to give up. More recently, I’ve noticed a vast improvement in effort. They don’t give up until the clock hits 0:00. I think back to the Clemson game. If we were down 14-0 starting out the gate in 2009, the score probably would have ended 42-14 because they would have just given up.
ND is not where it needs to be yet, that I agree with. But we’re not far from the top. Getting over the Red Zone hump and correcting the woes in the secondary would probably be enough to push us over the top. BK and staff already put the triple option threat to rest, I believe they can get the rest.
Stay strong. ND is slowly clawing it’s way back.
This article is spot on Scott. It’s a balanced analysis of the problems and the triumphs of 2015. I think the red zone issues will be much easier to fix than the scheme of the secondary.
Imagine of the Irish football team had scored a few more TDs in the Red Zone rather than settling for FGs and/or forced the opposition to kick a FG rather than conceding a TD once they reached the Red Zone. These problems have been endemic under BK.
ND was six points away from a perfect season, not even a touchdown short of being undefeated. Given the loss of two starting qbs, an outstanding RB, and Oline that had some health issues, and weakened secondary, the Irish did a remarkable job….
I agree about needing a big name opponent and I hope we get one. I’m hoping we don’t end up with Houston; humiliating if you lose, unconvincing if you win. I’d much rather have Iowa or Florida State.
It is funny. I read things on ESPN and Fox Sports and they talk about how good ND did this year considering the injury bug. And I strongly agree with Shaz’s comment on another article that they should look at that since it was the 2nd year in a row. Is there something ND can do to help prevent all those injuries?
But to read some of the comments on these boards, you would think ND just suffered through another year like 2007 when we only won 3 games. It’s the end of the world, BK is a terrible coach, we’ll never be good again, and so on. I thought it was over when Zaire went down against Virginia. I certainly didn’t think they would win 10 games after that and go to a NY Day 6 bowl. I thought, well here comes another 8-4, 7-5 year, esp. since Kizer did not light the world on fire during Spring ball.