They Can't Sing, But They Know the Words!

As luck would have it, the TV gods were smiling today. While I was right that the Southern Cal game was on ABC locally, the ND game was on the Deuce. So, it's 0130 PDT, and I've just finished watching. Sometimes, when I'm not home for a game, I try to avoid the radio, not wanting to know what happens so I can watch as if it's happening. Not tonite. At our Dining Out, I had my Blackberry in my inside jacket pocket, and I was refreshing the score on the ESPN home page regularly. So I did get to experience all the highs and lows, albeit at the macro level. And I knew we had won, but had no idea how the pulled it off.

One voice mail at the house gave me a clue. My brother Randy (PSU '86) left a message that went more or less: "There are 3 things that are certain: death, taxes, and MSU choking early in the season. I can't believe what just happened". Well Randy, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Not to say we didn't have many flashes of good to go along with the lucky. But c'mon. Right after the wind changes against us to start the 4th quarter, we have a short punt and MSU has 1st and 1o on our 42. After one procedure and 2 holding penalties, it's 3d and 42! Then they hold on 3d down, which we decline, and their punter doesn’t even try to coffin corner us.

Rosie, I love you. What a great game description. In addition to the immaculate interception by Terrell Lambert, the tip catch by Carlson on our drive after the aforementioned MSU debacle drive was the picture of concentration. A few plays later, on another “go for it” 4th down, the Shark racks up 38 yards after the catch for the score. By the way, on the 2 point conversion, I thought the quick pitch to DW was a good call. Just didn’t work.

Yes Rosie, great strip and capture by Ndukwe on the next drive. At this point, Stanton still hadn’t completed a pass in the second half. Why were they afraid to call a pass though? One of those “fake the option, then drop back” plays might have worked. It’s really amazing to watch how teams that get a good but not great lead retreat into their shell, only to regret it later. It’s certainly happened to the Irish on several occasions, but if you want a textbook example, I think I’d point to the Spartans’ performance tonight.

Rosie, if you had your volume turned down for the second half, you missed some great ragging on MSU. The terms “cloud of doom” and “trying to hold off the storm” were used in reference to MSU. At one point, Kirk said something like “this is Michigan State for the last 50 years”, referencing their streaky (both good and bad) nature. Best exemplar: after we score to get within 37-33, their kick receiver downs the ball on the 12 because they didn’t have their normal return team in. There were at least 10 yards of daylight in front of him. What’s up with that?The crowd shots at the end of the game were priceless.

Lambert’s first INT which went for the game winning score was ignited by a very good up the middle rush by Landri. And Lambert maneuvered well to get in to the end zone.

Did anyone else notice Charlie’s intensity during MSU’s last timeout (:37 remaining) with the defense? He was talking calmly and then all of a sudden he started barking something very forcefully for a few seconds. The defense looked like they understood, even though they gave up the first down on 4th and 1 after the timeout. The next play turned in to Lambert’s and Richardson’s footsie interception. Good call by the refs. If you didn’t notice the barking and have it on tape, go back and look. It’s worth it.

Let’s talk about the band. Don’t know if there was any halftime simulcast, but boy, we had better mikes than the MSU band, if I’m not mistaken. Kept hearing the Darth Vader defense song from us. And given the weather, I’m betting this will be a trip to remember. Please, someone, tell me they didn’t drive up in the morning and drive back tonite after the game. This is a crime if so. I saw some hooey on the band home page that talked to our precious student bandletes not being allowed to miss too many classes, hence the lack of road trips. What would happen if someone presented the band with an endowment to allow them to travel to most or all of the away games. They’d jump at it, I’m thinking. But that’s just me. I could be wrong.

Quote of the night from Coach Weis: “Get them over with the band.” As TV cut to the soaked sideline soliloquist to interview the coach, that’s what we heard. Band was playing the Victory March, getting ready to play the Alma Mater. And hence the title of this blog. Those football players, bless their victorious hearts, can’t carry a tune worth a lick. But for Notre Dame Our Mother, each and every one of them that got shown on TV was proudly and correctly singing the words. Good on them.

Oh and by the way, if Coach Weis calls, I’ve figured out both of the offense’s problems. First, Brady must get synched with his receivers on the short out patterns. They haven’t worked all year, but when they do, they really take the pressure off the run and start to open things up for the long passes. Second, they need to go no huddle more often.

In closing, I’d like to salute the Band Queen, who absolutely beat me to the punch of my original title/theme. I had been considering “Don’t ever give up” or some such title. But it was already taken, and rightly so. And true to Nina’s words, it was obvious the team never gave up or gave in. In fact, right when they should have been going in the tank, they stepped up and forced Michigan State to lose. Here’s to more of the same next week. Albeit earlier in the game this time, OK fellas?

GO IRISH!! BEAT BOILERMAKERS!!!