The Official Notre Dame Football Thread

[FirstTimer]

/tearyeyedsalute

.

15 yard penalty

 

[Irish]

IMO redshirting Golson is the best option. Lets him bulk up, refine technique, and get acclamaited with Kelly's offense. If Crist or Rees can hold things together next year then Golson should star from 2012 on.

When he was a freshman in high school, Golson took away the starting job from a senior 2 year starter who had a full ride to a 1-AA school in the first game of the season.... and promptly took the reisn and carried the team to through the playoffs when he was still just a 14 year old kid. If that gives you any inkling into his leadership abilities.

While this does make sense, it kind of assumes that Golson will be the QB of the future. And that isnt a certain in the least. If Golson doesn't get a chance to prove himself now, will he get a chance with Rees and Hendrix ahead of him? What about when Mauk comes in after him?

I feel like guys like Golson, Hendrix, and Massa need to play early and play good. Or else they could end up caught behind guys for most of their careers.

I mean who would you start after his redshirt, a RS Junior in Crist, a Junior in Rees, RS Soph in Hendrix or Massa, a True Fresh Maty Mauk(I think its almost certain he will sign here), or a RS Fresh Golson.

I think now is his time to jump Hendrix and Massa in spring ball if he can rather than sitting behind them and maybe getting lost behind Mauk or the next 5 star QB to come in.

IMO redshirting him would be great if we are sure he will be the guy for this team and we put all the chips on him. But with capable guys ahead of him, and more capable guys coming in after him, if Golson wants the job he needs to get out there and win it.

----

Also I guess we can use this for the basketball season now.

Syracuse just beat ND as I am typing this, but I did like what I saw. If Cuse doesnt go on a 8-0 run in the middle of the 2nd, we probably coulda held in and maybe won, but the momentum was all Cuse after that. I did like what I see, this being the first full game I have sat thru and watched this season. Maybe an Elite Eight run is in the cards this year? Nash and Scott looked good down low, especially for that tough zone of Syracuse. I hope that Atkins kid gets some confidence in his shots also.

 

[padman59]

Also I guess we can use this for the basketball season now.

Syracuse just beat ND as I am typing this, but I did like what I saw. If Cuse doesnt go on a 8-0 run in the middle of the 2nd, we probably coulda held in and maybe won, but the momentum was all Cuse after that. I did like what I see, this being the first full game I have sat thru and watched this season. Maybe an Elite Eight run is in the cards this year? Nash and Scott looked good down low, especially for that tough zone of Syracuse. I hope that Atkins kid gets some confidence in his shots also.

ND always has problems in the Carrier Dome. Aside from the game a few years ago where the team was on fire from beyond the arc, they usually come out of there with a loss. If ND is competitive and wins their home games, they're probably in the big dance. I'd like to see them at least make the Sweet 16 this year.

 

[Berowsk]

Be happy Frazer isn't wearing the blue and gold anymore. Holy shit he sucks.

 

[padman59]

Be happy Frazer isn't wearing the blue and gold anymore. Holy shit he sucks.

LOL. Going into the spring of '07, he pronounced that he was going to win the starting job, and admittedly, I was a little surprised when he announced he was transferring because he was at the bottom of the depth chart after spring ball. However, considering how he's played at UCONN, I'm not near as shocked that he was behind a player at ND who eventually changed his position linebacker.

 

[FirstTimer]

LOL. Going into the spring of '07, he pronounced that he was going to win the starting job, and admittedly, I was a little surprised when he announced he was transferring because he was at the bottom of the depth chart after spring ball. However, considering how he's played at UCONN, I'm not near as shocked that he was behind a player at ND who eventually changed his position linebacker.

To be fair to Fraizer and Demtrius Jones. Jones won the starting job in camp, was never really a fit for Weis' offense and moved to LB at Cincinnati because of a shoulder injury. Frazier kinda sucks but he was :smug: all over us last year.

 

[FirstTimer]

Strong work today, you fucks.

A fitting end to the Shannon Error.

Thanks Larry.

Here's to hopping the match ups in 2012 and the future are as meaningful as the one's in the late 80's were. For both teams.

How hurt is Jacory Harris? Does he just suck now? Or is there still a lingering issue with the thumb/shoulder. Kid looks compeltely different than he did early last season before that injury. Something just seems "off".

 

[FirstTimer]

Miami

The Good

-Michael Floyd. He came out and dominated. For all the talk about how Miami could shut down a passing attack and/or Floyd, he must have taken it personally because Floyd(and one other player) in the first half essentially ended the game. Yeah he missed chances at two other touchdowns but they weren't exactly easy catches. I know putting his name here pretty much means he is likely off to the draft but it was still great to see our big time WR make big time plays in a big game.

-Harrison Smith. I don't care if Jacory Harris was throwing frisbees up there. You get 3 INT's in a bowl game and your name is going here. It's been great to see Smith come on strong with the rest of the team in the last month and half. People are remembering the Sun Bowl and USC but they are also forgetting that Smith made a hell of an interception against Utah as well.
Hopefully he can carry this over to next season when he comes back for his 5th season.

-The entire offensive line. We rolled up almost 200 yards on the ground. Let me repeat. A Notre Dame team had nearly 200 yards rushing the football. That has to be our most rushing yardage in a game in almost 20 years. The most impressive thing to me though was how well we did in pass protection. Rees stayed clean most of the game and I don't recall us giving up a sack. I really thought Miami would put a lot more pressure on the QB but they weren't able to.

-The coaching staff. As flat as Miami came out Notre Dame came out the exact opposite. Hyped up and ready to play. On offense they made their best player (Floyd) the focal point early on and although Harris was throwing frisbees they showed some nice replays of the defense rolling coverages post snap and letting Smith play some center field. A lot of bounces went Notre Dame's way but the coaches helped game plan to put the team in the position to pick up those bounces.

-Robert Hughes. Continued his momentum from the USC game. Ran downhill was effective and ended an up and down career on a high note. Will always be that player with the "what could have been" feeling about him if he had run like the power back he was for four seasons. The light went on late for him..but at least it went on.

-Cierre Wood. Turned in another very solid performance. The second half of this season for him has been very impressive and a real joy to watch. Another kid who the light went on for and even from his early struggles someone who the coaching staff really likes a lot. It will be a fun time seeing who emerges from the Irish backfield next season between Wood, Jonas Gray, and Cameron Roberson.............and Savon Huggins?

-What this does for recruiting. Recruiting has been up and down this season but you would have to thing a dominating win over a program like Miami on CBS on New Years Eve day will give a major boost as we move towards national signing day.


The Bad

-Lack of pass rush. Didn't really see much of a pass rush, especially in the early going. I know it's being a little greedy coming out with the win we just did but it still would have been nice to see some pressure on the quarterback. There was some..but not nearly enough. (Ishaq Williams and Stephon Tuitt I'm looking in your direction)

The Ugly

-Manti Teo's injury. Easily the scariest moment of the game....and perhaps my life. Glad to know it's just a sprain and Brian Kelly had medical clearance to put him back in. Still doesn't change the fact though that until they showed Teo braced up and roaming the sideline like a rabid dog wanting to get back in I was pacing my basement drunk muttering "No, no, no, no ,no"


------------------------------------------------------------

Utah, Army, USC, Miami. They pulled off the miracle four in a row I talked about after the Utah game. 2004 Boston Red Sox eat your hearts out. This is the first four game win streak for Notre Dame and more than likely the most impressive four game win streak, both in opponents played and performance, since Ty Willingam's first season. Does this mean that Notre Dame is going to be a 10 win team next season? No. Of course not. The 1987 team got throttled by 25 points to end the season...then went on to win the National Championship. For a program ending a (at times) very difficult first season with four straight wins in the way they have it's a great confidence booster if nothing else. Whatever happened after the hell weeks that were Tulsa and the bye week galvanized this team. Something happened. Something clicked. Something worked.

We get eight starters back on defense. Possibly as many as 10 back on offense if Floyd and Rudolph stay. Recruiting seems to be going very well as of late. Already 2011 seems to lining up as the most optimistic year since 2006. There are questions surrounding the team. What will the Declan Sullivan investigation show? Who is the QB next season? Who is the RB? The nice thing about the last two questions is that the questions don't revolve around a void of talent, just which talent is going to win the jobs.

As usual the schedule isn't very forgiving next year however thankfully we aren't looking at the 2012 schedule. Onward and forward now to National Signing Day.

Go Irish. Beat out other schools for recruits.

 

[padman59]

I'm as confused as anyone as to why ND can't generate a decent pass rush with the down linemen. I can only hope that year two in the system with Elston will start to produce more.

 

[Irish]

The thing is about the pass rush, is thats all I ever hear about at Rivals. How good Ethan Johnson/Ian Williams/KLM are. How they are dominate NFL lineman. But I rarely notice them causing any crazy pressure on plays. The only guy that I can recall really being a force rushing is Prince Shembo, and that was the slim chances he got on the field in critical moments.

 

[padman59]

The thing is about the pass rush, is thats all I ever hear about at Rivals. How good Ethan Johnson/Ian Williams/KLM are. How they are dominate NFL lineman. But I rarely notice them causing any crazy pressure on plays. The only guy that I can recall really being a force rushing is Prince Shembo, and that was the slim chances he got on the field in critical moments.

Ethan Johnson was MIA for most of the season. I thought that moving him back to the outside at end would be good for him, but he rarely produced. Maybe Kelly needs to let him wear #9 again...

I think Ian has a good opportunity to be a solid contributor in the league. He really improved this season and was a rock in the middle of the line. I'm glad his injury in the Navy game wasn't near as serious as I thought when it showed him on the sidelines. I can't imagine what was going through his mind during that game.

 

[Irish]

Well now we get into why I love college football over the NFL. Recruiting.

US Army Game -Jan 8th

Commits: Tuitt, Atkinson, Hegarty
Players with ND interest: Ishaq, Lyons(Longshot)


Under Armour All American Game -Jan 5th

Commits: Daniels, Koyack
Players with ND interest: Carlisle(Stanford commit), Huggins

 

[Irish]

Also IE is blowing up on Aaron Lynch right now.

Apparently FSU starts class tomorrow and he hasnt shown up...

Also he wore this at the AA game today.

Savon Huggins dad has also wore an ND hat at yesterday and todays practice.

 

[FirstTimer]

Also IE is blowing up on Aaron Lynch right now.

Apparently FSU starts class tomorrow and he hasnt shown up...

Also he wore this at the AA game today.

Savon Huggins dad has also wore an ND hat at yesterday and todays practice.

.00000000000000000001% Lynch comes back to Notre Dame but still:

Lynch, Ishaq, Tuitt, Nix, Shembo, Teo, Kona, Stockton, Lewis-Moore, E. Johnson

:fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap:

 

[FirstTimer]

Duval Kamara will not be back in school for the spring semester. That's too bad.

Hopefully he is ok and can get his degree.

 

[padman59]

Looks like Rudolph is going pro.

http://irish.nbcsports.com/2011/01/04/sources-rudolph-opting-for-nfl/

 

[Irish]

Good for Kyle. I wish him all the best in the NFL and to continue the TE pipeline ND has become.

 

[FirstTimer]

Really surprising about Rudolph considering his injury history.

Good luck to him though!

 

[Irish]

Alex Bullard, who I saw play in high school and am facebook friends with, is transfering to UT.

:/

Wants to be closer to home since his father passed away a couple months ago. I guess I'll ask for stories if I ever see him on campus.

 

[FirstTimer]

Really too bad. Kelly needs to hit offensive linemen REALLY hard next season in recruiting. I think we only have two or three coming in this season. We lost Bullard and the unfortunate Matt James death as well.