The odds of the Irish making the playoffs diminished significantly this week when the committee dropped our boys to #6 in the standings. We need a big win and a little help (Go Cowboys!) today to maybe squeak in. Alabama looks like the team to beat this year again; they lost once but boy do they get ready for big games. Would love to have a rematch against Clemson, we would have the mental edge and it is hard to beat the same team twice. But I am afraid none of that will happen.
I expect MSU will win today and trounce Iowa for the Big10 title. That will take care of one team ahead of us but I do not see Oklahoma losing today. Frankly with their recent performance they probably deserve it more than us with both winning today. In one way I feel great that we are back in the conversation and sitting at 10-1 this week. Man, we could have been a juggernaut this year with some better luck on injuries. But nothing to be ashamed about, we did it as a team with many new faces stepping into key roles.
Stanford presents a formidable challenge and probably remembers its tough loss to us last year. I do think the Irish will play well and this will be a hard fought game for both sides; plenty to play for and a very bright spotlight. This has become quite a rivalry, maybe the best on the schedule all in all for the past several years. And no real reason to hate Stanford unlike a certain other program in California.
I feel our number is up today; we have shown great resolve and pulled out some great wins but Stanford is just too good to let up on us and losing Prosise and Russell just adds to the challenge. We will make it a game but see this one going into the 4th quarter close and Stanford having the extra gear they will need to outlast us. Winning or losing may not matter for the post-season, the Fiesta Bowl looks like a strong candidate either way.
ND 30, Stanford 35
Go Irish!
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Not a Championship Performance
Wow, good thing the BC offense stinks. FIVE turnovers, three in the red zone, dropped passes, etc. Lucky to sneak out of town with the W. It was like we did not want to win. Not sure what the problem was but using coach Kelly's formula, 447 yards of offense should have produced about 32 points , not 19. We would have been murdered by a good team as once again we played down at the opponents level allowing BC to keep hope in a game that should have been a laugher. Very disappointing and troublesome to watch. Obviously we have to play much better to beat Stanford and LOTS LOTS better if we hope to beat an Alabama or Clemson. Not optimistic on that.
But it was very cool to see Fenway and its conversion into a football stadium. Once again ND did a great job with the Shamrock game though it was a bit bizarre to play BC in its backyard. We did allow their band on the field for one joint song with the Band of the Fighting Irish; that was kind of weird. Boston was a great host and the weather cooperated.
Can we beat Stanford? Of course we can and obviously we have to do so to have a shot at the playoff. We could still get aced out of the top 4 though two of the undefeated teams folded yesterday. But I think we will have a good comparative resume now that the Big12 and Big10 are knocking off top conference rivals as usual. The committee has shown some strange behavior and who knows what the conference championship games may yield. Heck, we could end up #2. But I will take #4 with a convincing win over Stanford.
Hey the worst case scenario is a major bowl on Jan 1st; not bad. We are still in the mix and sit at a very pretty 10-1. For the first time ever, my pre-season game by game picks have been right on. Unfortunately I picked a loss at Stanford and frankly tonight I feel the same way. Will have to think long and hard on my prediction this week.
GO Irish! Beat Cardinal!
The Godfather
But it was very cool to see Fenway and its conversion into a football stadium. Once again ND did a great job with the Shamrock game though it was a bit bizarre to play BC in its backyard. We did allow their band on the field for one joint song with the Band of the Fighting Irish; that was kind of weird. Boston was a great host and the weather cooperated.
Can we beat Stanford? Of course we can and obviously we have to do so to have a shot at the playoff. We could still get aced out of the top 4 though two of the undefeated teams folded yesterday. But I think we will have a good comparative resume now that the Big12 and Big10 are knocking off top conference rivals as usual. The committee has shown some strange behavior and who knows what the conference championship games may yield. Heck, we could end up #2. But I will take #4 with a convincing win over Stanford.
Hey the worst case scenario is a major bowl on Jan 1st; not bad. We are still in the mix and sit at a very pretty 10-1. For the first time ever, my pre-season game by game picks have been right on. Unfortunately I picked a loss at Stanford and frankly tonight I feel the same way. Will have to think long and hard on my prediction this week.
GO Irish! Beat Cardinal!
The Godfather
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Quick Pick we win
A little busy here in Boston so will keep it short. Hoping we accelerate toward the season finish here today.
ND 35, BC 10
Go Irish!
ND 35, BC 10
Go Irish!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Two to Go (or is it Four?)
Not a stellar performance on Saturday but good enough to keep the train rolling. When you look at the losses of other top 10 teams and close calls for a few others, we look pretty good all things considered. We moved up one in the AP and I expect we will retain our #4 spot in the playoff standings.
I probably did not show enough respect for the Wake Forest defense. They gave us some interesting looks and the blitz happy approach stifled the Irish offense for a good portion of the game. Take away one record breaking run, two Kizer scrambles and a pick 6 and it becomes an interesting game. But everything counts and we came close to covering the 26 point spread. Never really felt the outcome was in doubt and we shut down the Deacons attack pretty well. BTW, Kizer is one good QB.
I do think we have to play better to beat Stanford and win a playoff game. The Cardinal had to go and lose on Saturday which turned our "play in" game to a "play on" game. The good news is that we have a formula for how to beat Stanford, the bad news is they will be aching to beat us in two weeks. Well, we just have to do our thing.
Can someone sneak by us even if we win out? Maybe Oklahoma State? They face Baylor and Oklahoma to close the season. No way they win both. Iowa? Does anyone believe they can beat MSU or OSU in the Big10 championship? Nope. Another 1 loss team? Would have to be a bizarre turn of events and we barely squeak by Stanford. Still think we can punch our own ticket by winning out.
So on to BC. Should be fun to be in Beantown.
GO IRISH! Beat Eagles!
The Godfather
I probably did not show enough respect for the Wake Forest defense. They gave us some interesting looks and the blitz happy approach stifled the Irish offense for a good portion of the game. Take away one record breaking run, two Kizer scrambles and a pick 6 and it becomes an interesting game. But everything counts and we came close to covering the 26 point spread. Never really felt the outcome was in doubt and we shut down the Deacons attack pretty well. BTW, Kizer is one good QB.
I do think we have to play better to beat Stanford and win a playoff game. The Cardinal had to go and lose on Saturday which turned our "play in" game to a "play on" game. The good news is that we have a formula for how to beat Stanford, the bad news is they will be aching to beat us in two weeks. Well, we just have to do our thing.
Can someone sneak by us even if we win out? Maybe Oklahoma State? They face Baylor and Oklahoma to close the season. No way they win both. Iowa? Does anyone believe they can beat MSU or OSU in the Big10 championship? Nope. Another 1 loss team? Would have to be a bizarre turn of events and we barely squeak by Stanford. Still think we can punch our own ticket by winning out.
So on to BC. Should be fun to be in Beantown.
GO IRISH! Beat Eagles!
The Godfather
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Angels and Demons
Of course we are going to win today and send off another senior class to their NFL and car selling careers. We are the angels in this scenario. Here is photo of the ND Band from last week.
A quick wrap up on the trip to Pittsburgh. We were blessed with some pretty nice weather and some pretty nice football. Was troubled to see Prosise hurt but Josh Adams stepped up nicely and we should be able to rest Prosise this week if needed. The depth on this team keeps paying off this year. Very impressed with how we put a whooping on a pretty good Pitt defense. Kizer continues to impress with his poise and play making; the kid can make all the throws and yes he can run. Remember Zaire? Seems like a century ago. Fuller is coming back next year and he will destroy all ND receiving records if he stays healthy. And he will stay healthy because no one can touch the guy. Besides being fast and a great route runner, he is pretty good after the catch also. What an incredible weapon. And though he stands out in the receiving corp, the other guys are pretty good too.
The offense is looking great. The defense? Still scratching my head. Schmidt has definitely lost a step and I wonder if the coaches are too loyal to him in the middle. Love the kid but we have Grace and Morgan in the wings. Smith is all over the field and makes up for mistakes elsewhere, but what happens if he jumps to the NFL next year. The line has not had the consistent pressure I would like to see (some exceptions for Day and Okwara) but of course losing Jones in the off-season was a killer. Dbacks have been inconsistent in coverage and tackling. So all in all we just have not clicked on defense. We have a couple weeks to get it all together and we better because Stanford is looking scary.
As for the College Football Playoff, we are sitting pretty at #4 and the conventional wisdom puts us in the playoff if we win out. The committee has certainly been unpredictable and all these "big" games for other team in November could help someone sneak ahead of us. I don't see it. But I did find myself in the unusual and distasteful position of cheering for USC again last night to keep our strength of schedule up there. Thank you Trojans. The big game today is Baylor vs. Oklahoma. I am picking Oklahoma for no particular reason besides they are the only Big12 team with a defense.
On to today. Looks like we will enjoy our SIXTH home game with good weather; absolutely amazing. Maybe it is a sign that this is the season! Anyway, Wake Forest should not provide too much of a challenge although I am sure a few things will go their way. Have you noticed how many trick plays are being used against us this year including fake or on-side kicks? A sign that our opponents are over matched and it was nice to see us stuff the flea flicker at Pittsburgh last week. So today we win big and maybe head home early. Should be a good day to see some of the subs play and see what they can do like Wimbush.
ND 50, Wake Forest 14
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
A quick wrap up on the trip to Pittsburgh. We were blessed with some pretty nice weather and some pretty nice football. Was troubled to see Prosise hurt but Josh Adams stepped up nicely and we should be able to rest Prosise this week if needed. The depth on this team keeps paying off this year. Very impressed with how we put a whooping on a pretty good Pitt defense. Kizer continues to impress with his poise and play making; the kid can make all the throws and yes he can run. Remember Zaire? Seems like a century ago. Fuller is coming back next year and he will destroy all ND receiving records if he stays healthy. And he will stay healthy because no one can touch the guy. Besides being fast and a great route runner, he is pretty good after the catch also. What an incredible weapon. And though he stands out in the receiving corp, the other guys are pretty good too.
The offense is looking great. The defense? Still scratching my head. Schmidt has definitely lost a step and I wonder if the coaches are too loyal to him in the middle. Love the kid but we have Grace and Morgan in the wings. Smith is all over the field and makes up for mistakes elsewhere, but what happens if he jumps to the NFL next year. The line has not had the consistent pressure I would like to see (some exceptions for Day and Okwara) but of course losing Jones in the off-season was a killer. Dbacks have been inconsistent in coverage and tackling. So all in all we just have not clicked on defense. We have a couple weeks to get it all together and we better because Stanford is looking scary.
As for the College Football Playoff, we are sitting pretty at #4 and the conventional wisdom puts us in the playoff if we win out. The committee has certainly been unpredictable and all these "big" games for other team in November could help someone sneak ahead of us. I don't see it. But I did find myself in the unusual and distasteful position of cheering for USC again last night to keep our strength of schedule up there. Thank you Trojans. The big game today is Baylor vs. Oklahoma. I am picking Oklahoma for no particular reason besides they are the only Big12 team with a defense.
On to today. Looks like we will enjoy our SIXTH home game with good weather; absolutely amazing. Maybe it is a sign that this is the season! Anyway, Wake Forest should not provide too much of a challenge although I am sure a few things will go their way. Have you noticed how many trick plays are being used against us this year including fake or on-side kicks? A sign that our opponents are over matched and it was nice to see us stuff the flea flicker at Pittsburgh last week. So today we win big and maybe head home early. Should be a good day to see some of the subs play and see what they can do like Wimbush.
ND 50, Wake Forest 14
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Keep It Going
It would be nice to have an un-close game for a change. Not sure we're going to get it, though.
We've had interesting impact on several teams this year. In Pitt's case, I'm guessing they might have been looking ahead to us last week and got trapped by the Tar Heels. Too bad, we need our opponents to have good records! That's why I'm rooting for USC every week now! On an interesting side note, Jill and I went to the movies last night and as we're walking in, three charter buses with police escort showed up. Yup, the Trojan football team was out to see a movie together. Don't know which movie, though. They weren't in our movie.
But I digress...
Yes, like Godfather, I was surprised at the #5 ranking. But yes it will be fluid, especially based on the games today and on the 21st and later. I hope he's right that we control our destiny. I haven't gone through a serious analysis of what could happen to keep us on the outside looking in, but there are probably a few scenarios where that could happen. One is if we lose again, of course.
So let's not lose again.
I think we will bring more ammunition to today's fight than the Panthers can muster. If we have our head on straight, unlike two years ago, we will win. And we should cover. This team does seem to have the right focus on the business ahead of them. It would be nice to use the next three games as "fine tuning" leading in to Stanford. We shall see. Already looking forward to being in Palo Alto at the end of the month. If we're 10-1 at the time, all the better; it will be a real money game.
Pitt will play tough, and I'm sure they're PO'd about losing this week and falling out of the Top 25. But we'll keep our cool and beat the spread.
ND 31, PITT 17
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT PANTHERS!!!!
The Colonel
We've had interesting impact on several teams this year. In Pitt's case, I'm guessing they might have been looking ahead to us last week and got trapped by the Tar Heels. Too bad, we need our opponents to have good records! That's why I'm rooting for USC every week now! On an interesting side note, Jill and I went to the movies last night and as we're walking in, three charter buses with police escort showed up. Yup, the Trojan football team was out to see a movie together. Don't know which movie, though. They weren't in our movie.
But I digress...
Yes, like Godfather, I was surprised at the #5 ranking. But yes it will be fluid, especially based on the games today and on the 21st and later. I hope he's right that we control our destiny. I haven't gone through a serious analysis of what could happen to keep us on the outside looking in, but there are probably a few scenarios where that could happen. One is if we lose again, of course.
So let's not lose again.
I think we will bring more ammunition to today's fight than the Panthers can muster. If we have our head on straight, unlike two years ago, we will win. And we should cover. This team does seem to have the right focus on the business ahead of them. It would be nice to use the next three games as "fine tuning" leading in to Stanford. We shall see. Already looking forward to being in Palo Alto at the end of the month. If we're 10-1 at the time, all the better; it will be a real money game.
Pitt will play tough, and I'm sure they're PO'd about losing this week and falling out of the Top 25. But we'll keep our cool and beat the spread.
ND 31, PITT 17
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT PANTHERS!!!!
The Colonel
Friday, November 06, 2015
Get the November Train Rolling
The Irish are ranked #5 in the initial CFB playoff poll which is great but a little surprising. One thing we learned about the committee last year is that they are not afraid to change things around each week based on what they see each Saturday. So with the inevitable upsets and conference clashes coming this month there will lots of changes to come. I am of the mind that we do control our own destiny and should be in the playoff if we win out. The Stanford game is looking more and more like a play-in game but time will tell. I think the committee has it pretty good so far by factoring in strength of schedule and other factors to differentiate the top teams. The next ranking will be very interesting to see how the games of one single weekend affect the list. Will tell us more about the committee thinking.
I should start with a quick review of the win over Temple. Boy, I was aging quickly throughout that game. It seemed like a perfect storm of turnovers, untimely penalties and questionable calls were going to conspire to facilitate the upset for the Owls. But Mr. Ice led the team down the field again and all-world Fuller made another game winning catch. Wow. Give Temple more credit than I did in my preview, they came ready to play and gave it everything for 60 minutes. Will be interesting to see how they finish the season against a few good teams.
Have to write a little about the targeting call on Shumate. I understand the safety purpose of that rule, but wow those plays happen fast and the calls seem a bit capricious at times. That play could easily have cost us the game because you will remember that Shumate's backup came in on the next play and completely whiffed on the tackle that would have caused a turnover on downs on the next play. Instead, Temple gets a touchdown and ties the game. AND we lose Shumate for the first half tomorrow. Ouch.
OK let's move on to Pitt. I am thinking the tough game last week helps us to focus tomorrow and put together a more complete game. I will be watching the offensive line and how our run game with Prosise performs early. Would like to see that part of the game come back. On defense, we continue to have lapses at times and it would be nice to see that part of the team step it up. I think we will but expect it will be a challenge again. Irish favored by 9, time to beat the spread again.
Prediction:
ND 35, Pitt 20
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Ex
I should start with a quick review of the win over Temple. Boy, I was aging quickly throughout that game. It seemed like a perfect storm of turnovers, untimely penalties and questionable calls were going to conspire to facilitate the upset for the Owls. But Mr. Ice led the team down the field again and all-world Fuller made another game winning catch. Wow. Give Temple more credit than I did in my preview, they came ready to play and gave it everything for 60 minutes. Will be interesting to see how they finish the season against a few good teams.
Have to write a little about the targeting call on Shumate. I understand the safety purpose of that rule, but wow those plays happen fast and the calls seem a bit capricious at times. That play could easily have cost us the game because you will remember that Shumate's backup came in on the next play and completely whiffed on the tackle that would have caused a turnover on downs on the next play. Instead, Temple gets a touchdown and ties the game. AND we lose Shumate for the first half tomorrow. Ouch.
OK let's move on to Pitt. I am thinking the tough game last week helps us to focus tomorrow and put together a more complete game. I will be watching the offensive line and how our run game with Prosise performs early. Would like to see that part of the game come back. On defense, we continue to have lapses at times and it would be nice to see that part of the team step it up. I think we will but expect it will be a challenge again. Irish favored by 9, time to beat the spread again.
Prediction:
ND 35, Pitt 20
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Ex
Saturday, October 31, 2015
We. Can. Not. Lose.
We cannot lose. This will be a game where 99% if the country will be rooting for the feel good story in the Owls. We need to make them all switch to the World Series early because the game is over by halftime.
Texas has been our only start-to-finish runaway win. We need another one to look like an impressive 1-loss team.
Hold on to the ball and we win. Big.
Irish 38. Temple 13.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT OWLS!!!
The Colonel.
Texas has been our only start-to-finish runaway win. We need another one to look like an impressive 1-loss team.
Hold on to the ball and we win. Big.
Irish 38. Temple 13.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT OWLS!!!
The Colonel.
I Don't Think So
A lot of people seem to be making a lot of hullabaloo about Temple and the potential that they might upset the Irish tonight. Nope, I don't think so. Good for the Owls, they are having a great year and making the most of their talent and schedule to get noticed. They deserve the attention including getting ESPN Gameday in town today. But they are not going to win tonight. We simply have too many weapons and if you look carefully at Temple's resume you don't see a lot of dominating wins against premium teams. Just because a team is in a Power5 conference does not make it a great team
so I think making too much of those wins is a flaw in the argument.
And just being Notre Dame does not guarantee a great team either as we know. But with 2 weeks to prepare, with an eye on the playoff prize and our superior talent we really should win. There is a reason we are favored by 11. But to make sure things go our way I suggest the following. Defense, how about we play all 4 quarters starting with the first snap. Offense, no turnovers. Run right at them and crush their will early, none of this hang around and keep it interesting. We still have something to prove to ourselves about playing on the road and this will be a good test. Let's take care of business again.
ND 40, Temple 14
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
so I think making too much of those wins is a flaw in the argument.
And just being Notre Dame does not guarantee a great team either as we know. But with 2 weeks to prepare, with an eye on the playoff prize and our superior talent we really should win. There is a reason we are favored by 11. But to make sure things go our way I suggest the following. Defense, how about we play all 4 quarters starting with the first snap. Offense, no turnovers. Run right at them and crush their will early, none of this hang around and keep it interesting. We still have something to prove to ourselves about playing on the road and this will be a good test. Let's take care of business again.
ND 40, Temple 14
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Monday, October 19, 2015
Nice Night
Well, it was a bit dramatic, but the Irish did care of business against the Trojans on Saturday. Actually a very fun game to watch and NBC had to love it; imagine the network ratings were fantastic. Very Electric in the stadium and Yes, USC band played its only two songs on every break. Let's see what we learned.
GO IRISH! BEAT OWLS!
The Godfather
- Irish offense is for real. Prosise would probably be a Heisman candidate if he had not come out of nowhere, what a player. Kizer continues to mature; he can make all the throws, great poise in the pocket, does not make many mistakes, and turns out he can run! Fuller has to on a short list for the top receiver awards - simply impossible to cover 1-1 consistently. And I was really pleased to see the offensive line assert itself at times in the game. Love that smash mouth attitude. 475 yards of offense against USC is pretty impressive.
- Kevarie Russell finally made a big play. The story is Kelly told him to play the ball not the man and he listened. That interception was a game breaker at that point in the game. Defense still has trouble with speed; but as one announcer said "USC has scholarship players also". But giving up 590 yards of offense to Trojans, wow we were lucky we put it all together and win. Defense still needs to improve.
- Trojans came to play right from the opening drive to the last minute. Got to give them credit for not folding though our fumble at the goal line helped a lot. The coaching change did not seem to get in their heads at all, maybe helped them. Clearly they came out like it was their bowl game and maybe it was because they have some work to do to compete even in their conference. But they are still a scary team and controlled the game for a couple quarters.
- A couple more puzzle pieces fell into place in the top 25 as we moved up 3 slots. Stanford jumped ahead of us based on a big win over UCLA. The Cardinal is getting it together as they always do and will be a formidable opponent on Thanksgiving weekend. Temple and Pitt crept into the top 25 which will help our strength of schedule but of course warns us that those are 2 trap games coming up. November looked easy back in the summer but now we have three tough road games to tackle. Good news is that winning out should put us in the conversation as there are many top 10 losses to come with the big conference matchups ahead. We may need a little help, but I feel pretty good about where we are in the polls at this juncture.
GO IRISH! BEAT OWLS!
The Godfather
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Our Turn
There have been many ebbs and flows in the ND-USC rivalry; long runs by both teams, blowouts, classics, folklore - ok pretty much everything. The Trojans beat up on a decimated Irish team last November and it is time for payback.
The Trojans coaching carousel has caused a bit of disarray in la-la land and I cannot help thinking this makes things better for us. Even USC "student"-athletes are still kids and it is hard to think they can plow through all this noise and become more focused. I also watched most of their loss to Washington and concluded they are not that good. Certainly a lot of raw talent on the squad but as a team still many holes. We really should beat them. Oh and through in the expected cold weather and you really have to pick the Irish.
The Irish on the other hand put a strong game together against Navy and know they have to win out to have any chance at the playoff. We simply have to take care of business again today. Kizer looks really solid, the defense is getting a bit more consistent (though still not there) and Prosise is simply a stud.
Of course part of me knows that this is a rivalry game and the odds makers are often wrong. But they say we should win by five. I think we will do better than that.
ND 30, USC 21
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Time to Bounce Back
The main concern with any Navy game is injuries due to the cut blocks. Hope we get through this one healthy. USC is coming to town next week and after dropping their SECOND (yeah) PAC12 loss, they will be wanting to win. I was watching the USC game, rooting against them and thinking how they sold out to TV for a Thursday game, then I realized they get two extra days rest before thr Irish. Figures. Well we can worry about that starting tomorrow.
Today we have another frustrating Middie team to play and I think the first quarter will tell us a lot. I saw some stats about Navy that indicated they mostly win when they score first and mostly lose when they don't. Watch for that ttoday. We know they devour clock when they are ahead and usually have difficulty playing catch up when behind. Of course last year they gave us all we could handle and they always play 60 minutes. I was encouraged by our defense against GT so I am thinking we will be stout again today. And I think we will score plenty to win.
Prediction ND 35, Navy 20
Band show is a tribute to the military with a Glenn Miller medley, the services tunes medley, and God Bless America. The ROTC crowd was mot at rehearsal yesterday, but we surmised they will be playing a part by unfurling a big flag. Go America.
One special treeat yesterday. We ran into our friend Astronaut Kevin Ford on campus. He is handing over the colors in pre-game with a Navy grad Astronaut who we also met. Nic pic of Kevin with some drum sticks here. He is doing great and they will mention he was a drummer during the pre-game voice over.
GO IRISH!
Godfather
Today we have another frustrating Middie team to play and I think the first quarter will tell us a lot. I saw some stats about Navy that indicated they mostly win when they score first and mostly lose when they don't. Watch for that ttoday. We know they devour clock when they are ahead and usually have difficulty playing catch up when behind. Of course last year they gave us all we could handle and they always play 60 minutes. I was encouraged by our defense against GT so I am thinking we will be stout again today. And I think we will score plenty to win.
Prediction ND 35, Navy 20
Band show is a tribute to the military with a Glenn Miller medley, the services tunes medley, and God Bless America. The ROTC crowd was mot at rehearsal yesterday, but we surmised they will be playing a part by unfurling a big flag. Go America.
One special treeat yesterday. We ran into our friend Astronaut Kevin Ford on campus. He is handing over the colors in pre-game with a Navy grad Astronaut who we also met. Nic pic of Kevin with some drum sticks here. He is doing great and they will mention he was a drummer during the pre-game voice over.
GO IRISH!
Godfather
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Too Lazy to Think - So I Copied "Notre Dame Football’s Silver Lining"
Bummer Loss but some good news in there. This article from UHND says it better than I possibly could:
Notre Dame falling to Clemson 24-22 in Death Valley in dramatic fashion put the first blemish on head coach Brian Kelly’s squad for the 2015 season. And while no team searches for moral victories in defeat, the truth is not all losses are created equal. Notre Dame’s thrashing at the hands of USC last season provided little future value other than quarterback Malik Zaire gaining some game experience in garbage time. However, there were numerous positive developments from the Clemson game that should leave Notre Dame fans upbeat about the future.
Kizer undoubtedly had his youthful moments. He had inaccurate throws and what was nearly a very costly interception, as well as a missed read that would have led to a Notre Dame touchdown. But he played well enough and with enough poise that Notre Dame had the pieces it needed on the field to beat Clemson. And although Notre Dame fell short, the fact the Irish had what it needed to win with their former No. 3 quarterback on the field speaks volumes.
ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit said it best during the game.
“His numbers aren’t going to blow you away when you pick up the box score tomorrow, but what’s going to impress you if you watch this game is how he just kind of hung tough. They have not been able to run the football, they have put him in some tough positions – I just can’t get over how he sits in the pocket, and how much time he has, and how he doesn’t panic.”
The beginning of the Clemson game hinted the latter was clearly the case. VanGorder’s defense surrendered 14 points within the first seven minutes of the game as Clemson bullied their way to 9 yards per offensive snap. But Notre Dame’s defense shook off the opening jitters and battled back. Clemson was held to 10 points over the next three quarters, and star quarterback Deshaun Watson was limited to less than 100 yards in the air with only a 50-percent completion rate. And all of this was accomplished despite Notre Dame’s offense turning the ball over four times and providing Clemson with short fields.
While Notre Dame losing is the ultimate storyline, the Clemson game was a step in the right direction for Notre Dame’s defense in its quest to prove it can slow down spread attacks.
Notre Dame trailed 14-0 and the Tigers appeared on their way to a route. The momentum needed to be halted and the Irish needed a score. Facing fourth down and ten yards to go, Kelly had little choice but to send out Yoon to attempt a 46-yard field goal. A true freshman trying to make a desperately needed field goal in prime time in Death Valley is intimidating enough. Add historic rainfall and intensely gusting wind into the mix and the idea seems doomed from the get-go. But Yoon drilled the attempt, which was a huge turn of events for Notre Dame, and an enormous confidence boost for the young kicker.
Yoon has the physical ability and mental makeup to be a truly special player for Notre Dame. Irish fans need to be patient and give the true freshman kicker a chance to transition to the pressure of major college football.
Notre Dame’s start against Clemson had eerie similarities to Notre Dame’s blowout loss at the hands of Alabama during the BCS National Championship game. But rather than fall apart, Notre Dame’s defense dig in, and the offense overcame numerous miscues to take Clemson to the brink. The storylines coming out of this game will be one ones of Clemson’s survival rather than of Notre Dame’s faltering, which is exactly what the Fighting Irish need moving forward.
GO IRISH! BEAT MIDDIES!
Notre Dame falling to Clemson 24-22 in Death Valley in dramatic fashion put the first blemish on head coach Brian Kelly’s squad for the 2015 season. And while no team searches for moral victories in defeat, the truth is not all losses are created equal. Notre Dame’s thrashing at the hands of USC last season provided little future value other than quarterback Malik Zaire gaining some game experience in garbage time. However, there were numerous positive developments from the Clemson game that should leave Notre Dame fans upbeat about the future.
Deshone Kizer’s poise is something to behold
In August UHND.com predicted Notre Dame would beat Clemson and that Malik Zaire would be the difference in the game. The thought process behind the prediction was Notre Dame’s offense would need to score many points to overcome the Tigers, and with Zaire lost for the season, it was doubtful the Fighting Irish would be able to do so. And while quarterback DeShone Kizer had been extremely impressive in action against Virginia, Georgia Tech and UMass, playing within the hostile confines of Death Valley is a challenge on another level entirely.Kizer undoubtedly had his youthful moments. He had inaccurate throws and what was nearly a very costly interception, as well as a missed read that would have led to a Notre Dame touchdown. But he played well enough and with enough poise that Notre Dame had the pieces it needed on the field to beat Clemson. And although Notre Dame fell short, the fact the Irish had what it needed to win with their former No. 3 quarterback on the field speaks volumes.
ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit said it best during the game.
“His numbers aren’t going to blow you away when you pick up the box score tomorrow, but what’s going to impress you if you watch this game is how he just kind of hung tough. They have not been able to run the football, they have put him in some tough positions – I just can’t get over how he sits in the pocket, and how much time he has, and how he doesn’t panic.”
Notre Dame’s defense kept them in the game
The defense was a question mark heading into the 2015 season. Which defensive identity was the true one from last year: the one that helped lead the team to a 6-0 start, or the one that surrendered 44.5 points per game during the last four regular season games? The jury was still out as to whether injuries were the culprit that derailed the defense in 2014 or if defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s scheme was incapable of standing up to a spread offense with a mobile quarterback.The beginning of the Clemson game hinted the latter was clearly the case. VanGorder’s defense surrendered 14 points within the first seven minutes of the game as Clemson bullied their way to 9 yards per offensive snap. But Notre Dame’s defense shook off the opening jitters and battled back. Clemson was held to 10 points over the next three quarters, and star quarterback Deshaun Watson was limited to less than 100 yards in the air with only a 50-percent completion rate. And all of this was accomplished despite Notre Dame’s offense turning the ball over four times and providing Clemson with short fields.
While Notre Dame losing is the ultimate storyline, the Clemson game was a step in the right direction for Notre Dame’s defense in its quest to prove it can slow down spread attacks.
Justin Yoon drilled one in a monsoon
True freshman kicker Justin Yoon has taken a lot of ribbing from Notre Dame fans after his rough start. The former No. 1 kicker in the nation came in to the Clemson game 4-6 on field goal attempts, including missed extra points against Georgia Tech and Massachusetts. The shaky performances were unquestionably going through the mind of Brian Kelly as he trotted Yoon out onto the field for a must-have field goal attempt against Clemson.Notre Dame trailed 14-0 and the Tigers appeared on their way to a route. The momentum needed to be halted and the Irish needed a score. Facing fourth down and ten yards to go, Kelly had little choice but to send out Yoon to attempt a 46-yard field goal. A true freshman trying to make a desperately needed field goal in prime time in Death Valley is intimidating enough. Add historic rainfall and intensely gusting wind into the mix and the idea seems doomed from the get-go. But Yoon drilled the attempt, which was a huge turn of events for Notre Dame, and an enormous confidence boost for the young kicker.
Yoon has the physical ability and mental makeup to be a truly special player for Notre Dame. Irish fans need to be patient and give the true freshman kicker a chance to transition to the pressure of major college football.
Notre Dame is still in the mix
Any objective observer of Notre Dame’s 2015 team had to know they were not going to go undefeated. There isn’t a team in the country that can lose nearly one-third of their starting lineup to season-ending injuries and finish the season unscathed. Losses are fine – it’s the blowouts that are a problem.Notre Dame’s start against Clemson had eerie similarities to Notre Dame’s blowout loss at the hands of Alabama during the BCS National Championship game. But rather than fall apart, Notre Dame’s defense dig in, and the offense overcame numerous miscues to take Clemson to the brink. The storylines coming out of this game will be one ones of Clemson’s survival rather than of Notre Dame’s faltering, which is exactly what the Fighting Irish need moving forward.
GO IRISH! BEAT MIDDIES!
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Rain, Rain Come This Way
I do not want to wish South Carolina residents any ill but I am kinda glad it will be raining a lot down in Clemson tonight. It has to keep some fans at home and put a "damper" on the noise in Death Valley. Both teams will have to deal with the drenching rain, but as my lovely wife pointed out, we have plenty of experience with lousy weather.
I understand that Lee Corso picked us this morning on College Gameday which will either be prophetic or the kiss of death. The last predictions I read had this as a pick em game which is about what it feels like to me. The weather will obviously play a factor and I am predicting that a turnover or multiple turnovers may set the tone.
Clemson is going to be sky high, which sometimes works against a team. This is their chance to be noticed in a bigger way then at any time in recent history even though their record of accomplishments is pretty good. Better than ours over the past 3 decades actually. Having said that, we play in a lot more BIG games than they do and will be ready tonight. We saw lots of poise from the Irish at Oklahoma, FSU and even ASU in similar situations and I think we can expect that our boys will not be flustered.
The question is who will win the "want to" game tonight. Like I said, one turnover at the right time could set the tone but we have demonstrated that we have a potent and diverse offense and usually a rock solid defense. Clemson will have to play its best to beat us.
I had this as an Irish loss in my pre-season prediction but am going the other way based on current conditions, including the weather. I think it will be low scoring and we win in the trenches.
ND 20, Clemson 15
GO IRISH!
I understand that Lee Corso picked us this morning on College Gameday which will either be prophetic or the kiss of death. The last predictions I read had this as a pick em game which is about what it feels like to me. The weather will obviously play a factor and I am predicting that a turnover or multiple turnovers may set the tone.
Clemson is going to be sky high, which sometimes works against a team. This is their chance to be noticed in a bigger way then at any time in recent history even though their record of accomplishments is pretty good. Better than ours over the past 3 decades actually. Having said that, we play in a lot more BIG games than they do and will be ready tonight. We saw lots of poise from the Irish at Oklahoma, FSU and even ASU in similar situations and I think we can expect that our boys will not be flustered.
The question is who will win the "want to" game tonight. Like I said, one turnover at the right time could set the tone but we have demonstrated that we have a potent and diverse offense and usually a rock solid defense. Clemson will have to play its best to beat us.
I had this as an Irish loss in my pre-season prediction but am going the other way based on current conditions, including the weather. I think it will be low scoring and we win in the trenches.
ND 20, Clemson 15
GO IRISH!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
OK, Maybe 30 Minute Men
Give credit to UMass for coming to play and going to the back of the playbook for several flea flickers. Turned out to be nowhere near enough and after a little hesitation the Irish put them away in the second half as the boys took care of business. We actually had to invoke the 4 touchdown rule (turned out it was 5 touchdowns when we left) and headed out to the lots before the game ended. Really nice feeling to just enjoy the pleasant weather while we ran up and down the field in the second half. Is this what the month of September always feels like for OSU?
Band Notes-
Meant to mention last week that the Band of the Fighting Irish reinserted one time through of America in the pre-game to address the outcry that Notre Dame did not love our country anymore when America was omitted from pre-game in the opener. As usual, the band has nothing to say about the time it gets on the field; Brian Kelly and the NCAA and NBC decide that; usually to the detriment of the band. This year the NCAA added another minute to pre-game practice time so of course the band lost one minute of time so that we could stay on schedule with the 10 minute silence waiting for NBC to actually start the game. Do you sense some bitterness?
So now what you get is the traditional Irish entrance and hike step, right into flag formation to play one time through America with JT voiceover (no sing-along) drum roll right into Star Spangled Banner. There is no time for the flag presentation team to walk across the field so the Irish Guard get the flag handed to them right in the corner (BORING!). The band then quick steps back into IRISH for the Victory March but trust me the fight song will be the next thing to go. Forget about any visiting band show; that has gone the way of the dodo as has our last sportsmanlike tradition of playing the visiting school song. Dead and buried in the era of modern football, kind of a shame in my judgment.
Well, sorry for the rant back to modern football. The Irish looked great on offense and like the Colonel I love the fact that so many guys got to play and show what they can do including backup QB Wimbush who can really sling it. This bodes well for the future including the near future of this season. I do not think we had a major injury yesterday, but they will happen and it is nice to know we have some studs on the bench that can come in and play. We will need them.
Another fork in the road looms next week when we face a very good team and a good QB on the road. I also believe this team has that special chemistry that may put us over the top and they certainly will be sky high for this one. Everyone has it circled on the calendar including ESPN Gameday who will set up shop outside Tiger stadium. Place should be rocking in prime time. Will be a tough one to win and not a death blow if we lose but definitely a game of the week by any standard. Prediction later.
GO IRISH! BEAT TIGERS!
The Godfather
Band Notes-
Meant to mention last week that the Band of the Fighting Irish reinserted one time through of America in the pre-game to address the outcry that Notre Dame did not love our country anymore when America was omitted from pre-game in the opener. As usual, the band has nothing to say about the time it gets on the field; Brian Kelly and the NCAA and NBC decide that; usually to the detriment of the band. This year the NCAA added another minute to pre-game practice time so of course the band lost one minute of time so that we could stay on schedule with the 10 minute silence waiting for NBC to actually start the game. Do you sense some bitterness?
So now what you get is the traditional Irish entrance and hike step, right into flag formation to play one time through America with JT voiceover (no sing-along) drum roll right into Star Spangled Banner. There is no time for the flag presentation team to walk across the field so the Irish Guard get the flag handed to them right in the corner (BORING!). The band then quick steps back into IRISH for the Victory March but trust me the fight song will be the next thing to go. Forget about any visiting band show; that has gone the way of the dodo as has our last sportsmanlike tradition of playing the visiting school song. Dead and buried in the era of modern football, kind of a shame in my judgment.
Well, sorry for the rant back to modern football. The Irish looked great on offense and like the Colonel I love the fact that so many guys got to play and show what they can do including backup QB Wimbush who can really sling it. This bodes well for the future including the near future of this season. I do not think we had a major injury yesterday, but they will happen and it is nice to know we have some studs on the bench that can come in and play. We will need them.
Another fork in the road looms next week when we face a very good team and a good QB on the road. I also believe this team has that special chemistry that may put us over the top and they certainly will be sky high for this one. Everyone has it circled on the calendar including ESPN Gameday who will set up shop outside Tiger stadium. Place should be rocking in prime time. Will be a tough one to win and not a death blow if we lose but definitely a game of the week by any standard. Prediction later.
GO IRISH! BEAT TIGERS!
The Godfather
Onward to More Victories
It’s always fun to cover a 29-point spread, isn’t it, Godfather? Bet you weren’t thinking we would around half way through the second period, huh?
After last week, I’m back on the bandwagon. Sorry I doubted, but oh well. At the beginning of the season I would have said 4-0. But after the injuries on offense, I didn’t think we had the chops to outscore Ga Tech. Bless me Father, for I have sinned…
The boys definitely got it done today, and a lot of them contributed. Four different freshmen scored TDs, and another one was 8 for 9 on extra points. Should have been 9 for 9, though.
Given Clemson has had two-plus weeks to prepare, I’m glad we got a lot of people involved and that the first team got some rest. Since we never throw to the tight end this year, you probably missed that Tyler Luatua didn’t play today. He had a concussion, not sure when he suffered it.
As I texted to Don during the game, it’s hard to believe that C.J. Prosise isn’t a “true” running back. He sees openings extremely well, moves to and through them quickly and can burn. And Josh Adams is providing some great freshman push as well. When’s the last time we had two RBs over 100 yards? JA went for 133, CJ for 149.
Yes, it was UMass, so probably our one patsy. But we executed very well on offense.
Our defense has its pluses and minuses. We don’t miss tackles if we get hands on people or a clean look in the open field. Our effort against Ga Tech’s standard offense last week was stellar. But we can definitely be beat passing downfield and if their runners get to the second level. We will need to work on those things if possible this week. One of my main thoughts coming out of last week was that the players stayed in their lanes, trusted the coaches’ game plan and excelled. And I’m guessing that will stick with them through the season. They trust the coaches and the coaches trust them. Big, very big.
And we scored a special team TD!! Did a YouTube search and the last punt return TD I saw was Golden Tate against Pittsburgh several years ago. Not sure if that’s the last one or not.
I’ve seen a little bit of Clemson this season; I haven’t been awed, for sure. I’m guessing we might be a 1-2 point underdog for this game, given their time to prepare and it being in their version of Death Valley. But after what we’ve been through, injury-wise, and seen how we’ve performed in spite of that, I’m feeling good. This team has a “Band of Brothers” feel to it, and I think that will be enough to see us through next week.
One side note: I hope you got to watch BK’s pregame exhortation from last week that the University put out on Facebook. It was killer.
Just deleted some sentences that projected way too far into the season. I liked BK’s comments after the game. Use the 24-hour rule, enjoy the victory, then on to Clemson.
On to Clemson, indeed.
GO IRISH!! BEAT TIGERS!!!
The Colonel
After last week, I’m back on the bandwagon. Sorry I doubted, but oh well. At the beginning of the season I would have said 4-0. But after the injuries on offense, I didn’t think we had the chops to outscore Ga Tech. Bless me Father, for I have sinned…
The boys definitely got it done today, and a lot of them contributed. Four different freshmen scored TDs, and another one was 8 for 9 on extra points. Should have been 9 for 9, though.
Given Clemson has had two-plus weeks to prepare, I’m glad we got a lot of people involved and that the first team got some rest. Since we never throw to the tight end this year, you probably missed that Tyler Luatua didn’t play today. He had a concussion, not sure when he suffered it.
As I texted to Don during the game, it’s hard to believe that C.J. Prosise isn’t a “true” running back. He sees openings extremely well, moves to and through them quickly and can burn. And Josh Adams is providing some great freshman push as well. When’s the last time we had two RBs over 100 yards? JA went for 133, CJ for 149.
Yes, it was UMass, so probably our one patsy. But we executed very well on offense.
Our defense has its pluses and minuses. We don’t miss tackles if we get hands on people or a clean look in the open field. Our effort against Ga Tech’s standard offense last week was stellar. But we can definitely be beat passing downfield and if their runners get to the second level. We will need to work on those things if possible this week. One of my main thoughts coming out of last week was that the players stayed in their lanes, trusted the coaches’ game plan and excelled. And I’m guessing that will stick with them through the season. They trust the coaches and the coaches trust them. Big, very big.
And we scored a special team TD!! Did a YouTube search and the last punt return TD I saw was Golden Tate against Pittsburgh several years ago. Not sure if that’s the last one or not.
I’ve seen a little bit of Clemson this season; I haven’t been awed, for sure. I’m guessing we might be a 1-2 point underdog for this game, given their time to prepare and it being in their version of Death Valley. But after what we’ve been through, injury-wise, and seen how we’ve performed in spite of that, I’m feeling good. This team has a “Band of Brothers” feel to it, and I think that will be enough to see us through next week.
One side note: I hope you got to watch BK’s pregame exhortation from last week that the University put out on Facebook. It was killer.
Just deleted some sentences that projected way too far into the season. I liked BK’s comments after the game. Use the 24-hour rule, enjoy the victory, then on to Clemson.
On to Clemson, indeed.
GO IRISH!! BEAT TIGERS!!!
The Colonel
Friday, September 25, 2015
The 15 Minute Men
I am calling this game to be over after 15 minutes, yeah that's right. Blowout city.
I know the Irish often play down to the competition and they might be looking ahead to the Clemson game but I think they will put that aside tomorrow and do some stomping. Good opportunity to go down the depth chart and give some guys some PT.
Line has us favored by 29, wow. How about we cover again.
ND 45, UMass 13
Go Irish!
I know the Irish often play down to the competition and they might be looking ahead to the Clemson game but I think they will put that aside tomorrow and do some stomping. Good opportunity to go down the depth chart and give some guys some PT.
Line has us favored by 29, wow. How about we cover again.
ND 45, UMass 13
Go Irish!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Triple Option Trifecta
The Colonel told me I could not use "Ya Gotta Believe" for this post, but I sure wanted to do so.
OK, the Irish basically stomp the Yellow Jackets, USC loses to Stanford and Bama gets beat at home by Ole Miss. I think I need to go out and buy a lottery ticket today. OSU barely got by Northern Illinois also. We will move up two spots in the polls, maybe 3 which puts us near the top 5. Here we go Yeah!
Truly a great performance yesterday on both sides of the ball against a pretty good team. Maybe we are the real deal this year. Starting to feel a vibe though there is a long way to go. We have not missed a beat with the subs yet. And success breads success though there remain some things to work on. Let's criticize first and then highlight the good news.
Bad News:
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first take care of business next week.
GO IRISH! BEAT MINUTEMEN!
The Godfather
OK, the Irish basically stomp the Yellow Jackets, USC loses to Stanford and Bama gets beat at home by Ole Miss. I think I need to go out and buy a lottery ticket today. OSU barely got by Northern Illinois also. We will move up two spots in the polls, maybe 3 which puts us near the top 5. Here we go Yeah!
Truly a great performance yesterday on both sides of the ball against a pretty good team. Maybe we are the real deal this year. Starting to feel a vibe though there is a long way to go. We have not missed a beat with the subs yet. And success breads success though there remain some things to work on. Let's criticize first and then highlight the good news.
Bad News:
- A new QB caused some mix-ups on offense. Eight penalties and two turnovers took some momentum out of drives. Kizer was pretty good overall; would have been nice if his receivers could have caught a couple of those low throws. Kizer did hold the ball too long a few times but the nice part was the line bought him that time. What has happened to Robinson btw? Guy seems to be a ghost out there.
- Another likely season ending injury for Tranquill, particularly frustrating since he hurt himself celebrating a big play. He played incredibly well in the first half and it is another tough loss.
- Defense had a brain cramp at the end and completely fell apart. Lucky we had put it mostly out of reach but next time lets not let that happen
- Truly terrific effort on defense. We had a plan and executed it almost flawlessly. Really only the second time we have played so well against the option in the Kelly era (Navy in Ireland was the first). I think the coaches finally got serious about getting this figured out and it showed. Particularly nice to see the defense execute the plan so well.
- Kizer looked poised most of the time and was 21/30 for 242 yards. Pretty damn good for rookie starter. He has figured out how to throw it to Fuller who was once again terrific. We were 4 of 11 on third downs which was not great but much more respectable than last week.
- Prosise delivered again. The guy is looking like a stud.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first take care of business next week.
GO IRISH! BEAT MINUTEMEN!
The Godfather
Saturday, September 19, 2015
I Don't Know About This One
So far we have two very different performances to look back on this season. Plus already decimated by injuries in key positions. So it's a huge question mark as to what the team will look like today.
The victory last week was HUGE for the team's confidence. DK did not look good until the last drive, and then he (and Will Fuller) came through in the clutch. But the O-line was much below average, and the UVa offense had our defense on its heals for the last three quarters. We had the opportunity to step on their necks in the first quarter and essentially make the game a laugher, but primarily the O-line let that possibility slip through its hands with its 3rd down (0 for 10) performance.
And now in rolls the Wrambling Wreck. And they've been rambling. For hundreds and hundreds of yards per game times two. Lesser opponents to be sure. But unless the Texas game defense shows up today, it's going to be a long afternoon.
We need some early offensive momentum to keep our fickle crowd in the game. And some early defensive stops to but them on the defensive. Can we do it? Yes. Will we do it? Well, look at my title for this post.
I hate to say it, but I haven't had a good feeling all week, and I have to go negative early. I'm hearkening back to several games where the "stand in" QB was forced to do too much when the offense was unable to score early, the defense gave up points, and we had to play from behind. I'm afraid that will happen today as well.
Which is a shame, because Clemson doesn't look great, Southern Cal hasn't played anyone yet so we don't know how good they are, and BC looked pretty lame on offense last night. This could end up being our toughest opponent of the year. Echoing Godfather, wish it was UMass today to get the kinks out before playing Tech. Oh well.
A bridge to far today, I fear.
GA TECH 30, IRISH 16.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT YELLOW JACKETS!!!
The Colonel
The victory last week was HUGE for the team's confidence. DK did not look good until the last drive, and then he (and Will Fuller) came through in the clutch. But the O-line was much below average, and the UVa offense had our defense on its heals for the last three quarters. We had the opportunity to step on their necks in the first quarter and essentially make the game a laugher, but primarily the O-line let that possibility slip through its hands with its 3rd down (0 for 10) performance.
And now in rolls the Wrambling Wreck. And they've been rambling. For hundreds and hundreds of yards per game times two. Lesser opponents to be sure. But unless the Texas game defense shows up today, it's going to be a long afternoon.
We need some early offensive momentum to keep our fickle crowd in the game. And some early defensive stops to but them on the defensive. Can we do it? Yes. Will we do it? Well, look at my title for this post.
I hate to say it, but I haven't had a good feeling all week, and I have to go negative early. I'm hearkening back to several games where the "stand in" QB was forced to do too much when the offense was unable to score early, the defense gave up points, and we had to play from behind. I'm afraid that will happen today as well.
Which is a shame, because Clemson doesn't look great, Southern Cal hasn't played anyone yet so we don't know how good they are, and BC looked pretty lame on offense last night. This could end up being our toughest opponent of the year. Echoing Godfather, wish it was UMass today to get the kinks out before playing Tech. Oh well.
A bridge to far today, I fear.
GA TECH 30, IRISH 16.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT YELLOW JACKETS!!!
The Colonel
Friday, September 18, 2015
The Luck of the Irish
OK, our luck around injuries has not been good this season to say the least. We essentially have our third string QB and third string RB playing in only the third game of the season. Wow. The icing on the cake would be to lose Jaylon Smith tomorrow to an injury (God Forbid).
Our luck on the schedule is not great tomorrow either. It would have been nice to have UMass tomorrow instead of GT; maybe Kizer could get his legs under him against an easier opponent. But instead he will have to put up some serious points to keep the Irish in touch with GT.
I think it is all about defense tomorrow. We have to keep the GT offense to a much lower point total than their average 65. Let's face it, we are unlikely to score 30 or more even if Kizer plays great because we might only have 6 or 7 possessions. So we have to master the option and keep things reasonable. And though Kizer has the physical skills, he does not have experience and he will be nervous. One turnover could lose this game for us.
I will be interested to see the Irish play calling. How much will we run Prosise? Will Kelly actually let Kizer run the ball (I doubt it). On defense, we need a serious reset after last week or we may be doomed. I do think they will step up, the question is will it be enough to keep it close.
I think this is going to be a close game and an exciting game to watch. My heart says we can win it but my head thinks otherwise. Really it is a toss up in my mind but we will have to play very good to win.
Prediction:
ND 31, GT 28
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Our luck on the schedule is not great tomorrow either. It would have been nice to have UMass tomorrow instead of GT; maybe Kizer could get his legs under him against an easier opponent. But instead he will have to put up some serious points to keep the Irish in touch with GT.
I think it is all about defense tomorrow. We have to keep the GT offense to a much lower point total than their average 65. Let's face it, we are unlikely to score 30 or more even if Kizer plays great because we might only have 6 or 7 possessions. So we have to master the option and keep things reasonable. And though Kizer has the physical skills, he does not have experience and he will be nervous. One turnover could lose this game for us.
I will be interested to see the Irish play calling. How much will we run Prosise? Will Kelly actually let Kizer run the ball (I doubt it). On defense, we need a serious reset after last week or we may be doomed. I do think they will step up, the question is will it be enough to keep it close.
I think this is going to be a close game and an exciting game to watch. My heart says we can win it but my head thinks otherwise. Really it is a toss up in my mind but we will have to play very good to win.
Prediction:
ND 31, GT 28
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Sunday, September 13, 2015
I Don't Know What to Think
My blog title comes from some of my text exchanges with other close Irish fans during the game yesterday. Somehow we pulled a win out of our hat when the chips were down (way down!) yet I cannot help this feeling of dread, both about the future and the poor performance on both sides of the ball.
Okay, you have to give Virginia props for the great game. As usual, it was a game of the century for another opponent and the place was rocking even though we tried to shut them up early. Another nobody quarterback puts in a Heisman worthy performance against us (Johns was 26/38 for almost 300 yards in the air!) and both lines got out muscled on key plays in the game. How does that happen? Can't blame jet lag for that one. The Colonel nailed it when he stated Virginia was consistently winning the "want to" game over our boys.
Heroes
DeShone Kizer - 8/12, 92 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not bad for a kid who has never really played and all accomplished in the most trying of circumstances. Hoping this gives him the courage and confidence to sling it in the coming weeks because the QB spot has to play well for us to win.
Will Fuller - This guy keeps playing like this and he is a Biletnekoff award winner for sure. Basically won the game because of his two td catches. Incredible speed and route running, will have to be double covered going forward which will open up some other things.
Procise - 9 yards per carry and a lot of hard headed running. Would like to see him convert more 3rd downs but overall a great day and we can expect to see him carrying the ball A LOT more in the coming weeks.
Goats
Brian Van Gorder - I felt we were out schemed by the Virgina offense throughout the game. We could not get consistent pressure on the QB Johns and our lack of speed on the edge was exposed on jet sweeps and reverses several times. I did not see a lot of missed tackles but did see poor coverages and guys out of place. That is coaching and play calling in my view. We had the athletes but gave up over 400 yards and 27 points to an ACC bottom feeder. C'mon! GT will absolutely cream us next week if the defense does not step up.
Malik Zaire - Love the kid and I am absolutely crushed that his season has ended both for him and the team. But he was 7/18 passing and did not respond well to the pressure. Seemed out of synch in the first half in particular. One bomb to Fuller was mostly Fuller. Malik ran well but not on third down when we needed to convert a few short plays. Kizer may have made the biggest play of the game when he ran for 4 yards on 4th down to buy us one more set of downs.
Offensive Line - ZERO for TEN on 3rd downs! Absolutely ridiculous to say the least. With this line and our backs, including Zaire, we should be over 50 percent against Virginia. This is the stat that kept Virginia in the game and kept destroying our momentum. Also, the line let pressure get to Malik too often and simply got out muscled on short yardage. We had 460 yards of offense so obviously a lot of our plays worked but not at critical moments that could have changed the course of the game. Take away 100 yards on two Fuller pass plays and we don't look so hot.
Now we face the hardest part of our schedule with basically our 3rd string QB and RB. What are the odds of that set of injuries and player departures? If we somehow pull out a great year it will go down as one of the best "against all odds" stories of all time. Unfortunately I feel that we are in for some big trouble without Malik. He was just too important in the overall scheme for the big games against GT, Clemson, USC and Stanford. The nightmare scenario is that we lose all those games and perhaps one other in an upset and chalk up another 7-5 minor bowl bid year for Kelly. Not his fault but it won't look good for anyone.
The good news is that that the subs stepped up yesterday and confidence is the secret sauce in college football. The adversity could make the team stronger and better, particularly if they learn from the weak points of the performance yesterday. Next week will tell us a lot about this team and this year. Fasten your seat belts for Tech.
GO IRISH! Beat Yellow Jackets!
The Godfather
Okay, you have to give Virginia props for the great game. As usual, it was a game of the century for another opponent and the place was rocking even though we tried to shut them up early. Another nobody quarterback puts in a Heisman worthy performance against us (Johns was 26/38 for almost 300 yards in the air!) and both lines got out muscled on key plays in the game. How does that happen? Can't blame jet lag for that one. The Colonel nailed it when he stated Virginia was consistently winning the "want to" game over our boys.
Heroes
DeShone Kizer - 8/12, 92 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not bad for a kid who has never really played and all accomplished in the most trying of circumstances. Hoping this gives him the courage and confidence to sling it in the coming weeks because the QB spot has to play well for us to win.
Will Fuller - This guy keeps playing like this and he is a Biletnekoff award winner for sure. Basically won the game because of his two td catches. Incredible speed and route running, will have to be double covered going forward which will open up some other things.
Procise - 9 yards per carry and a lot of hard headed running. Would like to see him convert more 3rd downs but overall a great day and we can expect to see him carrying the ball A LOT more in the coming weeks.
Goats
Brian Van Gorder - I felt we were out schemed by the Virgina offense throughout the game. We could not get consistent pressure on the QB Johns and our lack of speed on the edge was exposed on jet sweeps and reverses several times. I did not see a lot of missed tackles but did see poor coverages and guys out of place. That is coaching and play calling in my view. We had the athletes but gave up over 400 yards and 27 points to an ACC bottom feeder. C'mon! GT will absolutely cream us next week if the defense does not step up.
Malik Zaire - Love the kid and I am absolutely crushed that his season has ended both for him and the team. But he was 7/18 passing and did not respond well to the pressure. Seemed out of synch in the first half in particular. One bomb to Fuller was mostly Fuller. Malik ran well but not on third down when we needed to convert a few short plays. Kizer may have made the biggest play of the game when he ran for 4 yards on 4th down to buy us one more set of downs.
Offensive Line - ZERO for TEN on 3rd downs! Absolutely ridiculous to say the least. With this line and our backs, including Zaire, we should be over 50 percent against Virginia. This is the stat that kept Virginia in the game and kept destroying our momentum. Also, the line let pressure get to Malik too often and simply got out muscled on short yardage. We had 460 yards of offense so obviously a lot of our plays worked but not at critical moments that could have changed the course of the game. Take away 100 yards on two Fuller pass plays and we don't look so hot.
Now we face the hardest part of our schedule with basically our 3rd string QB and RB. What are the odds of that set of injuries and player departures? If we somehow pull out a great year it will go down as one of the best "against all odds" stories of all time. Unfortunately I feel that we are in for some big trouble without Malik. He was just too important in the overall scheme for the big games against GT, Clemson, USC and Stanford. The nightmare scenario is that we lose all those games and perhaps one other in an upset and chalk up another 7-5 minor bowl bid year for Kelly. Not his fault but it won't look good for anyone.
The good news is that that the subs stepped up yesterday and confidence is the secret sauce in college football. The adversity could make the team stronger and better, particularly if they learn from the weak points of the performance yesterday. Next week will tell us a lot about this team and this year. Fasten your seat belts for Tech.
GO IRISH! Beat Yellow Jackets!
The Godfather
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Taking the Show on the Road
I chuckled the other day when I heard Mike Wilborn say on ESPN that ND was going to lose at Virginia this week. I don't think so.
I could have titled this "More of the Same", because that's what we want to see. Minus a few dumb fals starts and a tailback crapping out his ACL, that is. Josh Adams went to the HS my brother Joel teaches at in Bucks County, PA. Didn't have him as s student, but said he is one stud of a football player. He looked pretty impressive for a freshman to me last week. More of the same.
As Godfather summarized, we pretty much had our way last week, and who knows how good or bad Texas will be. We can say the same thing about the Wahoos. UCLA had their way with Virginia last week, but what combination of UCLA good, Virginia bad, was that? We should find out some more today. I don't expect Coach Kelly to change much up. He might throw in a few more "mature" plays to give down the road opponents some more things to think about. But the run/pass ratio was good, we were able to score on long (90 and 95 yard) drives and short ones. Good time and clock management. It would be nice to get our freshman phenom kicker, Justin Yoon, some low pressure road chances. Good on PATs last week, but missed a makeable 40-some yard FG.
The defense already looks pretty gelled for this early in the season. Good to see. Just stay healthy, baby
We moved up two spots in AP this week, so we are now officially a Top 10 team (#9). Let's keep rolling.
So far, so good. More of the same.
Irish 31, Virginia 10
GO IRISH!!! BEAT CAVALIERS!!!
The Colonel
I could have titled this "More of the Same", because that's what we want to see. Minus a few dumb fals starts and a tailback crapping out his ACL, that is. Josh Adams went to the HS my brother Joel teaches at in Bucks County, PA. Didn't have him as s student, but said he is one stud of a football player. He looked pretty impressive for a freshman to me last week. More of the same.
As Godfather summarized, we pretty much had our way last week, and who knows how good or bad Texas will be. We can say the same thing about the Wahoos. UCLA had their way with Virginia last week, but what combination of UCLA good, Virginia bad, was that? We should find out some more today. I don't expect Coach Kelly to change much up. He might throw in a few more "mature" plays to give down the road opponents some more things to think about. But the run/pass ratio was good, we were able to score on long (90 and 95 yard) drives and short ones. Good time and clock management. It would be nice to get our freshman phenom kicker, Justin Yoon, some low pressure road chances. Good on PATs last week, but missed a makeable 40-some yard FG.
The defense already looks pretty gelled for this early in the season. Good to see. Just stay healthy, baby
We moved up two spots in AP this week, so we are now officially a Top 10 team (#9). Let's keep rolling.
So far, so good. More of the same.
Irish 31, Virginia 10
GO IRISH!!! BEAT CAVALIERS!!!
The Colonel
First Game in Virginia
I read that today is the first time the Irish have ever played in Virginia, interesting factoid. Well let's start with a bang.
ND 35, Virginia 15
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
ND 35, Virginia 15
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Monday, September 07, 2015
What's Not to Like?
Well that was a nice way to start the season. Total domination of Texas, a true smackdown. We don't really know how bad Texas may be or how good we may be yet - but pretty nice start way you slice it.
There was so much good in that game to talk about but let me limit it to just a few observations.
#1 - Zaire ran the offense spectacularly. 19/22 in passing for over 300 yards to SEVEN different receivers. Over 200 yards on the ground - NINE different rushers. Malik looked very poised and in control in the pocket and was incredibly accurate with his throws. He also showed intelligence and maturity in running out of bounds instead of taking hits on his scrambles. All very impressive considering the hype. Let's hope he stays healthy. I will give the Colonel credit for his in game observation that this may finally be the complete Kelly offense we have hoped for since he arrived.
#2 - Both lines played well. A whole bunch of tackles for losses or sacks from many different players on defense. Jaylon Smith is simply a beast out there and seems to be everywhere on the field; incredible. Good coverage in the secondary even when they got a few completions. Offensive line simply dominant; Zaire could have had a coffee break back there a few times on pass plays. Our receivers are going to get open if he has that type of time all year. A couple real big holes for running plays.
#3 - We stepped on their neck when we had to do so. There was a moment in the third quarter after Texas finally scored. We had the ball on our 10 to start and the Texas fans had their only moment of hope. Things could have gone awry but our offense took it to the house and the game was essentially over. And we kept our foot on the pedal to put them away again and again.
#4 - Depth matters finally. We have already been hurt by injuries and the loss of Folston is a bummer but here comes Josh Adams out of nowhere to look like a stud. There will be more injuries let's face it - but hopefully the wheels will not come off like they did late last season when the subs come in.
All in all a very fine day. The Texas fans (money talks!) were there in droves but never had a good thing to cheer about. They were quite civil and friendly in my interactions. Bring your money back to town anytime! Still disappointed that so many Domers sell out but what can you do. Thank goodness it was a night game cause the heat/humidity was oppressive. Nice flyover from Navy planes and band half time show was the usually summer dance music opener. Texas sent a pep band, hardly noticed they were there. Crowd was pretty noisy all game.
One down, 13 games to go?
GO IRISH, BEAT Cavaliers!
The Godfather
There was so much good in that game to talk about but let me limit it to just a few observations.
#1 - Zaire ran the offense spectacularly. 19/22 in passing for over 300 yards to SEVEN different receivers. Over 200 yards on the ground - NINE different rushers. Malik looked very poised and in control in the pocket and was incredibly accurate with his throws. He also showed intelligence and maturity in running out of bounds instead of taking hits on his scrambles. All very impressive considering the hype. Let's hope he stays healthy. I will give the Colonel credit for his in game observation that this may finally be the complete Kelly offense we have hoped for since he arrived.
#2 - Both lines played well. A whole bunch of tackles for losses or sacks from many different players on defense. Jaylon Smith is simply a beast out there and seems to be everywhere on the field; incredible. Good coverage in the secondary even when they got a few completions. Offensive line simply dominant; Zaire could have had a coffee break back there a few times on pass plays. Our receivers are going to get open if he has that type of time all year. A couple real big holes for running plays.
#3 - We stepped on their neck when we had to do so. There was a moment in the third quarter after Texas finally scored. We had the ball on our 10 to start and the Texas fans had their only moment of hope. Things could have gone awry but our offense took it to the house and the game was essentially over. And we kept our foot on the pedal to put them away again and again.
#4 - Depth matters finally. We have already been hurt by injuries and the loss of Folston is a bummer but here comes Josh Adams out of nowhere to look like a stud. There will be more injuries let's face it - but hopefully the wheels will not come off like they did late last season when the subs come in.
All in all a very fine day. The Texas fans (money talks!) were there in droves but never had a good thing to cheer about. They were quite civil and friendly in my interactions. Bring your money back to town anytime! Still disappointed that so many Domers sell out but what can you do. Thank goodness it was a night game cause the heat/humidity was oppressive. Nice flyover from Navy planes and band half time show was the usually summer dance music opener. Texas sent a pep band, hardly noticed they were there. Crowd was pretty noisy all game.
One down, 13 games to go?
GO IRISH, BEAT Cavaliers!
The Godfather
Saturday, September 05, 2015
Just One Word, People
DEFENSE
If the defense is up to snuff, then the pressure is off Malik and the offense while they gel as a unit.
We should see a return to the 2012 level of play, barring injuries. And with that defense and this year's schedule, we should win 10 games. And with some breaks, contend for the Playoff. We are pre-season #11 this year. If we are #11 or better after Stanford, I call the season a success.
I expect to see bodies flying all over the field tonight. The D gave up a lot of points in the second half of the season last year, and they want to put that out of their minds and their opponents' minds. I expect the word "stout" to be used a lot when describing this unit.
The offense will make some mistakes (no false starts, delays, or pick sixes, please!) but hopefully they'll be of the recoverable kind.
We're favored by 9.5 last time I looked and I agree with Godfather--we should cover in the home opener.
And regarding the color orange, find Jon Olson and make sure he's wearing Blue and Gold tonight. Disgraceful post on Facebook yesterday!
If you didn't see my last post, please use my new email address (dewussler@gmail.com) to contact me directly.
ND 27, UT 13.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT LONGHORNS!!!
The Colonel
If the defense is up to snuff, then the pressure is off Malik and the offense while they gel as a unit.
We should see a return to the 2012 level of play, barring injuries. And with that defense and this year's schedule, we should win 10 games. And with some breaks, contend for the Playoff. We are pre-season #11 this year. If we are #11 or better after Stanford, I call the season a success.
I expect to see bodies flying all over the field tonight. The D gave up a lot of points in the second half of the season last year, and they want to put that out of their minds and their opponents' minds. I expect the word "stout" to be used a lot when describing this unit.
The offense will make some mistakes (no false starts, delays, or pick sixes, please!) but hopefully they'll be of the recoverable kind.
We're favored by 9.5 last time I looked and I agree with Godfather--we should cover in the home opener.
And regarding the color orange, find Jon Olson and make sure he's wearing Blue and Gold tonight. Disgraceful post on Facebook yesterday!
If you didn't see my last post, please use my new email address (dewussler@gmail.com) to contact me directly.
ND 27, UT 13.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT LONGHORNS!!!
The Colonel
Hook the Horns
Things to watch today:
- Zaire play. First home game start under the lights, there have to be butterflies. Hopefully they pass quickly and he plays well. If he does, we win comfortably.
- ND defense returns. Expect to see sacks, turnovers and punts forced by the defense today. We show up again on that side of ball.
- Orange shirts. Expect that lots of ND fans went for the cash and sold out. You will notice an orange tint in the sstadium, but Texas fans will be civil and not have a lot to cheer about.
ND 30, Texas 17 - we cover.
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
- Zaire play. First home game start under the lights, there have to be butterflies. Hopefully they pass quickly and he plays well. If he does, we win comfortably.
- ND defense returns. Expect to see sacks, turnovers and punts forced by the defense today. We show up again on that side of ball.
- Orange shirts. Expect that lots of ND fans went for the cash and sold out. You will notice an orange tint in the sstadium, but Texas fans will be civil and not have a lot to cheer about.
ND 30, Texas 17 - we cover.
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Friday, September 04, 2015
Here We Go, Yeah!
I was thinking about retiring from my blogs this year but the Colonel has inspired me to get back at it so let me get going with a full season prediction right now.
The general feeling on campus is very positive. The Irish have a lot of talent and a lot of depth and a decent amount of experience with so many returning starters. The defense will be beastly, the offensive line looks rock solid and the skill players are formidable. As always, the QB play will probably tell the tale on whether the Irish are a good team or a great team and whether we exceed 10 wins or not. Zaire has the potential to be very good. If he stays healthy and plays well, look out.
So a quick fly by of the season with my brief predictions.
Game 1 Texas - mark the opener against Texas next year on your calendar. The Longhorns will be older and wiser and looking for revenge because we are going to beat them tomorrow, possibly by a wide margin. We have too many horses for the young steers so I predict a comfortable win. 1-0.
Game 2 at Virginia - another comfortable win. 2-0
Game 3 Georgia Tech - First game to worry about. GT brings a well run option offense (which seems to bewilder us) and an attitude to ND stadium. We will have our hands full in this one but I am going with a tight win hoping that home field advantage makes the difference. 3-0
Game 4 UMass - uh we win big. 4-0
Game 5 at Clemson - Trouble, trouble. The entire state of South Carolina and others will be at this game. My buddies in the ticket office tell me this was the toughest ticket for ND fans due to the interest and our visitor allotment. I am calling a loss here as we get knocked down a peg. 4-1
Game 6 Navy - brutal sequence here with Clemson, Navy and USC in a row but we bounce back against the Middies. Just pray the blocking does not knock out half our defense with injuries like it often does. 5-1
Game 7 USC - The Trojans played us when we were in the dumper last year and enjoyed it a bit too much. We use the payback mentality to beat them on our turf though it will be a challenge. We win and go to 6-1.
Game 8 at Temple. We win big. Go to 7-1.
Game 9 at Pitt. These suckers have had our number in the past few years, particularly in Pittsburgh. Could be a trap game as I expect we will be much higher ranked than the Panthers. But figure we will hold on to the ball and win this time. 8-1.
Game 10 Wake Forest. We win and send the Seniors off on a high note from their last home game. 9-1.
Game 11 Shamrock Series vs. BC. This will be a unique venue with crazy ticket prices. We win. 10-1.
Game 12 at Stanford. After the last couple wins over the Cardinal here at ND I think our number is up and they are always solid. We lose the last game and fall out of contention for the playoffs. If by some chance we go into this game undefeated, I reserve my right to call it the other way later.
Well there you have it. Adds up to 10-2 and we get a major bowl on New Year's Day but watch the playoffs on TV. I am most interested in that mid-season sequence of Clemson-Navy-USC. That could knock us off our game or get us on a roll. Trap games are GT and Pitt probably but Clemson, USC and Stanford are top notch regardless of records. If we run the gauntlet or are 11-1 we will be in the playoff in my view. Let's Do It.
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
The general feeling on campus is very positive. The Irish have a lot of talent and a lot of depth and a decent amount of experience with so many returning starters. The defense will be beastly, the offensive line looks rock solid and the skill players are formidable. As always, the QB play will probably tell the tale on whether the Irish are a good team or a great team and whether we exceed 10 wins or not. Zaire has the potential to be very good. If he stays healthy and plays well, look out.
So a quick fly by of the season with my brief predictions.
Game 1 Texas - mark the opener against Texas next year on your calendar. The Longhorns will be older and wiser and looking for revenge because we are going to beat them tomorrow, possibly by a wide margin. We have too many horses for the young steers so I predict a comfortable win. 1-0.
Game 2 at Virginia - another comfortable win. 2-0
Game 3 Georgia Tech - First game to worry about. GT brings a well run option offense (which seems to bewilder us) and an attitude to ND stadium. We will have our hands full in this one but I am going with a tight win hoping that home field advantage makes the difference. 3-0
Game 4 UMass - uh we win big. 4-0
Game 5 at Clemson - Trouble, trouble. The entire state of South Carolina and others will be at this game. My buddies in the ticket office tell me this was the toughest ticket for ND fans due to the interest and our visitor allotment. I am calling a loss here as we get knocked down a peg. 4-1
Game 6 Navy - brutal sequence here with Clemson, Navy and USC in a row but we bounce back against the Middies. Just pray the blocking does not knock out half our defense with injuries like it often does. 5-1
Game 7 USC - The Trojans played us when we were in the dumper last year and enjoyed it a bit too much. We use the payback mentality to beat them on our turf though it will be a challenge. We win and go to 6-1.
Game 8 at Temple. We win big. Go to 7-1.
Game 9 at Pitt. These suckers have had our number in the past few years, particularly in Pittsburgh. Could be a trap game as I expect we will be much higher ranked than the Panthers. But figure we will hold on to the ball and win this time. 8-1.
Game 10 Wake Forest. We win and send the Seniors off on a high note from their last home game. 9-1.
Game 11 Shamrock Series vs. BC. This will be a unique venue with crazy ticket prices. We win. 10-1.
Game 12 at Stanford. After the last couple wins over the Cardinal here at ND I think our number is up and they are always solid. We lose the last game and fall out of contention for the playoffs. If by some chance we go into this game undefeated, I reserve my right to call it the other way later.
Well there you have it. Adds up to 10-2 and we get a major bowl on New Year's Day but watch the playoffs on TV. I am most interested in that mid-season sequence of Clemson-Navy-USC. That could knock us off our game or get us on a roll. Trap games are GT and Pitt probably but Clemson, USC and Stanford are top notch regardless of records. If we run the gauntlet or are 11-1 we will be in the playoff in my view. Let's Do It.
GO IRISH!
The Godfather
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
New Contact Info to Start the Season
Hello Irish Fans:
General Announcement #1 for the 2015 season.
I am changing email addresses (finally).
I can now be reached at dewussler@gmal.com.
I will try to change my settings here in the blog.
And I will attempt to be a faithful writer this season.
Stan by for my typical 8-4 season prediction.
Hope all are having a great summer.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT LONGHORNS!!!
The Colonel
General Announcement #1 for the 2015 season.
I am changing email addresses (finally).
I can now be reached at dewussler@gmal.com.
I will try to change my settings here in the blog.
And I will attempt to be a faithful writer this season.
Stan by for my typical 8-4 season prediction.
Hope all are having a great summer.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT LONGHORNS!!!
The Colonel
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