When I predicted the Michigan game would be the game changer for the season, I certainly wasn’t coming at it from the viewpoint that we’d be 0-1 and already needing a win to salvage a season. So I was right, but for the wrong reason.
Like Godfather, I don’t know where to start regarding how to explain what we saw, some of us from the comfort of our own homes, some scurrying back and forth to take cover from dangerous conditions. Thank goodness we’re not talking about any casualties in the aftermath. But as I remarked to someone on Facebook this week, that game was weirder than the Navy OT loss when the sprinklers turned on. And that was a weird, weird game!
I think I have my one sentence explanation, and I’ll restrict it to the players: A veteran team played like a bunch of untested freshmen and sophomores.
How to explain four (!) defensive personal fouls, all by upperclassmen? Four of the five TOs were committed by upperclassmen. The fifth was a TJ Jones’ fault, not Tommy’s. (2 sophomores). Our “can’t miss” field goal kicker from a year ago badly pulls a 30 yard attempt.
AND WHY DON’T WE HAVE EVEN A DECENT PUNTER??????
I don’t think we have a QB controversy; I say give it to TR. Dane looked like he was going to cry on the sidelines in the second half. Tommy has that “juice” that keeps the team in the flow. He was able to find #3 at least 10 times in the second half (Sorry, I missed part of the game after it resumed the second time. Had to go find it on the web. MF might have had more than 10 catches in the second half).
Statistics definitely lie about this game. We outgained them 508 to 254—yes, we doubled their yardage.
Personal fouls aside, the defense did pretty well, too. The one time we needed a “hold” in the second half, we managed to have a late hit and a pass interference call in the end zone to keep USF’s drive alive for what turned out to be the winning drive.
I’m glad Don did a good job praising USF and Skip Holtz. I’m too torqued to give them credit.
So what do we lay on the coaching staff? I’ve seen a lot of discussion as to why Coach BK didn’t pick his starter sooner and let that person get more reps than the backup in the summer. I’m not sure that was a big issue. And I can’t say I had much of a problem with the play calling either. So yes, they maybe should have found a way to pull a Cher and slap Nicholas Cage in the face with a fierce, “Snap out of it!” during the first half. But this was really a game that came down to execution, and the coaches don’t fumble, throw INTs, miss field goals or commit personal fouls (Woody Hayes aside). This one falls on the players in my books.
So off we trudge to Ann Arbor for the first night game in The Big House. Gee, the UofM faithful won’t be too stoked, will they? An historic game, a chance to totally send our season reeling, etc. We face a tough task, my friends. Oh yeah, and our defense probably still has nightmares about Denard “Shoelace” Robinson. A tough task indeed.
Well, I must sign off now before I go on another rant. Here’s hoping our boys in blue can shake this one off. Ain’t going to be easy though.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT WOLVERINES!!!
The Colonel
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Good point on the defense missing out on the one hold we really needed but agree they did pretty good overall. Just picked worst timing for the mistakes or few bad plays. Had not thought about the experience angle, that makes it more frustrating that so many veterans blew so many plays. Argh! Have to put this out of our mind and focus on Michigan. They are beatable and it is time for ND to step up and play like we can.
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