Official Notre Dame Fighting Irish Thread

[xCH0Nx]

Tough loss by the irish.

A few things I took away from the game: (1) Mante Teo is a beast (2) Everson Griffen is pretty damn good (3) ND's O-line couldn't block a three man rush? (4) Even in loss, I can see an improvement in this irish squad.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't heartbroken right now, but respect must be given. USC is a good team. They have alot of talent. But this is the first time that I can remember ND maybe not matching, but having comparable talent to USC top to bottom. In the 4th, down 20, ND fought back. As a die hard irish fan, it used to be if ND went down 2 scores they would crumble. This team seemed to do just that, until that interception. I am not a fan of Charlie Weis, but he coached a helluva game on O. On D... I don't think Tenuta is the answer. I dont understand how he cant get pressure while sending 7-8-9 every play. Our corners are good, but not good enough to be left 1 on 1 the entire game. I am a fan of the blitz, but you cant sell out as many times as Tenuta does. Now we know we can hang with elite programs even though this was a loss. What I want to see is how we come out against BC. We will see what kind heart this team has.

[padman59]

I'm not worried about this team's heart. If anything, they've proven they have a lot of it through the first half of the season.

I am worried about the defense. I understand Southern Cal has a lot of speed and talent in their receiving corps, but it seemed like ND was playing prevent defense a lot of times. There were times when all a USC receiver had to do was run to the sticks, turn around, and wait for Barkley to hit him with no defender within ten yards of him.

In general, the secondary plays soft coverage too much. If you're going to blitz a lot, you better be able to disrupt quick timing routes by jamming receivers at the line.

As far as pass rush is concerned, I think you can break it down into two issues. The main problem is coaching. One of my biggest gripes with Oliver, when he was the d-line coach, was that the line rarely looked able to put pressure on the QB without help. I think it's still a little early to tell if Hart is the answer (I don't think he is longterm considering his age), but there seems to be a definite improvement along the d-line in recent weeks, especially in the run game.

The last major issue on defense is their inability to tackle. Too many times guys are going for the strip instead of just bringing the ball carrier down, especially in one-on-one situations. This allows the ball carrier a greater chance to break tackles and gain extra yards after contact.

[Woy]

im surprised at kirk herbstreit comment where if we win 9-10 games we will make a BCS game

He's wrong.

[padman59]

im surprised at kirk herbstreit comment where if we win 9-10 games we will make a BCS game

It would take a miracle at this point. ND would have to pitch a couple of shutouts or give some great defensive performances in addition to winning out to improve enough in the polls. I think there are more close games ahead for the Irish.