The Big Save

Pardon my absence, dear reader. I've been as uninspired as I've sensed the team has been.

Until tonite.

I do believe the team worked out some identity issues in this well fought, and well deserved, victory.

It was nice to win a game as an underdog. Overall, I give the defense more credit than the offense. However, our offensive drive at the end of the first half to answer for a rather quick ASU score probably set the tone for the rest of the game.

We used that to pretty much dominate the third quarter, and then were able to overcome Tommy's dreadful Pick 6 early in the 4th. And as Godfather noted to me multiple times during the game (isn't text messaging great?!?), our "prevent" defense sucks. So we had to bite a few nails before we put it away.

I do believe we deserved the win. We played smarter, overall. ASU's special teams are not very good in any aspect. And it was great to see Kyle Brindza booming touchbacks, kicking a 53 yard field goal (tied ND record) and punting well too.

The defense did have a spark tonite, for the first time, in my mind. Even though we held MSU to 13, I thought that was more due to their ineptness than our talent. But when The Prince of Shembo (TPOS) gets 3 sacks in one game and we double our season total in one night against a team who went for 62 against the Trojans last week, that says something. And our only pass interference penalty was on a WAY uncatchable ball so it should not have been called. Big Louis was a big factor as well. He runs fast for a 350 pound man!

And Cam is the Man. Tommy was not excellent. He was maybe good. I'd say definitely good without the Pick 6. We had them on the ropes and he almost gave the game back to them. Unforgivable. But he hung tough, as he always does, and kept things moving on offense.

So, looking ahead, we will probably be favored until we go to Stanford. If we play like we did today, we should be 9-2 going into that game. That sounds good. By the transitive property, we're better than SC, so let's start getting ready for the Trojans. I was mad when they fired Kiffin--they might get better now! But not before we beat them in two weeks!

I will try to (pre)rally for the rest of the season. When I was out for the MSU game I was appalled at the 6 PM Pep Rally start time--no time for Pre Rallies! Homeric!

Anyway, very good win today, and the season may be saved.

GO IRISH!!!! BEAT TROJANS!!!!

The Colonel