Kyle Brindza’s final kick in Notre Dame Stadium slid outside the upright with under a minute left as the Irish dropped a 31-28 heartbreaker to the Louisville Cardinals. Malik Zaire mishandled the snap ever so slightly, but it was enough of a bobble to disrupt Brindza’s leg swing and cause the 32-yard attempt to sail wide right. The third consecutive loss dropped Notre Dame to 7-4 on the season, and overshadowed a gritty comeback fueled by Tarean Folston. The Irish had trailed 17-6 at halftime and were out of sorts offensively, but fought back gamely on Senior Day to have a chance to win or tie in the final minute. Unfortunately, the kicking game, which has deteriorated from a team strength into a liability in recent weeks, failed in a critical spot for the second week in a row.
The Cardinals started quickly by scoring two first quarter touchdowns, while Notre Dame managed a pair of field goals set up by Everett Golson passes to Will Fuller. Golson’s errant throw deep in his own territory resulted in an interception, and Louisville converted the chance into a field goal for a 17-6 lead. The Irish could get no closer before halftime as the next two series crashed under the weight of fumbles by Golson. Although Notre Dame recovered both times, one mishap came on third and short while the other lost 32 yards and will be on blooper reels for years to come.
After hearing boos as they exited the field for intermission, the Irish came out fighting in the third quarter. The defense sacked Reggie Bonnafon on third down and forced a quick punt, whereupon Folston capped a three play drive from midfield with a six yard scoring run. Trailing 17-13, Notre Dame stuffed Louisville again. This time, Greg Bryant took the punt at his own 37, eluded a defender, and electrified the crowd as he flew down the sideline to the Cardinals 3 yard line. Golson’s touchdown pass to Corey Robinson moments later gave the hosts their first lead of the day at 20-17 with 9:20 left in the period.
This turn of events reignited Louisville, however, who answered by shredding the Irish for touchdowns on a 21 yard pass to DeVante Parker and a 15 yard run by Brandon Radcliffe. The latter score came on the first play of the fourth quarter and put the Cardinals ahead by 31-20.
Notre Dame responded by throwing away the offensive playbook and turning to sandlot plays as Golson created points out of thin air. The senior ran around behind the line before finding C.J. Prosise down the sideline for 21 yards, then scrambled again before lofting a dangerous pass into the end zone that Fuller grabbed after it was deflected by Robinson. Golson completed his unique hat trick by reversing his field when the blocking on the two point conversion play broke down, and racing around the defense to the left corner. The conversion narrowed the gap to just 31-28 with 11:17 left.
The Irish appeared poised to get the ball back when Niles Morgan roughed the passer on a failed third down pass. Morgan was assessed a targeting penalty and disqualified from the game. Greer Martini replaced Morgan and made good on his opportunity by sacking Bonnafon to force a field goal attempt. The usually reliable John Wallace missed from 37 yards and Notre Dame had a chance to win or tie with five minutes on the clock.
Folston carried the load from there and crossed midfield with a 26-yard burst. A few plays later, the Cardinals were called for pass interference at their own ten yard line with 1:42 remaining. The drive ended there as Golson followed a sack with an incompletion that brought Brindza onto the field with a chance to deliver a second consecutive overtime showdown. His miss stunned the crowd, whose emotions had risen and fallen all day, into an eerie silence. The playing of the Alma Mater provided a bittersweet end to the home football careers of Brindza and several of his companions.
The Irish can again point to several key mistakes and missed opportunities, but the bottom line is that the team has lost its way after a promising 6-0 start. Injuries are certainly part of the equation, and both Jarron Jones and Cody Riggs limped off the field in the first quarter and did not return. There is much more to the defensive unraveling than health issues, however, as basic tackling fundamentals, assignment discipline by the safeties, and edge setting at the line of scrimmage have taken a sabbatical.
Let’s review the pregame questions for additional insights.
Which quarterback will be most efficient, the freshman Bonnafon or the senior Golson? Both had moments of triumph and frustration. Golson’s first half fumbles and lone interception were costly, though, while Bonnafon was busy running for two scores to give his team the early lead.
How will the resurgent Cardinals offensive line fare against the patchwork Irish defensive front? The group gave up a few sacks and committed five false starts, but were good enough to clear the way for a 233 yard rushing performance.
Will Parker be able to find holes in the Irish secondary? Parker was held in check for most of the day by Cole Luke, but easily beat single coverage by Devin Butler for a second half score that put the Cardinals back in the lead for good.
Can Brindza get back on track for Senior Day? His first half field goals were vintage Brindza, but the tragic ending won’t soon be forgotten by the outgoing seniors.
Will Holliman put his name in the record books at the expense of Golson? No, but Charles Gaines’ interception led to three Louisville points, which happened to be the margin of victory.
Can Notre Dame run the ball against the stingy Louisville front seven? Folston was tremendous with 134 yards on 18 carries, but could have done even more if given the opportunity.
The patchwork Irish have a final opportunity to end the regular season with their eighth win as they travel to Southern California next week to battle archrival USC. At this point it seems like a scary proposition, but this team will make sure it won’t be a dull game.
Gdomer7 says:
Five years and counting … and Kelly’s special teams continue to kill the Irish.
mrm says:
Amen brother!
Greg says:
It is ALWAYS the same thing. Bad clock management by Kelly, leading to hurry-up and bad play calling by Kelly, with time wasted and time outs on the board, and then costly mistakes that are the result of all of the above. From 6-0 into a bye week where everyone was going to be healthy and available to 7-4 and likely 7-5. What was the Florida coach’s record this year? He gone. Don’t go to a bowl game. The team will be playing on Dec 18 or whatever. Get Kelly out of here.
Brian says:
Please don’t blame Zaire. The snap hold wasn’t that bad. Folston was under used. Period.
Sean says:
Until Kelly pays attention to details such as special teams things will not change. He could start by
hiring a special teams coach, and replacing BVG with Muschamp. Five years in,we deserve better.
than this. Thanks for a good article.
Avon Domer says:
This team is good enough to play with just about everyone, but they can’t anybody. It appears their psyche is completely shot and at the end of games they’re just waiting to see how they’re going to lose. After a very impressive start to the season this is both shocking and tragic, and there’s plenty of blame to go around.
mrm says:
Golson and Brindza had proven over the course of the year they cannot deliver when the game is on the line. Three red zones result in two field goals, one missed fg and no td’s. Game, set, match!! Secondly, in my last post I predicted special teams would cost us a game………..make that two games!!! Defense although decimated with injuries, played well enough to win. Golson has domonstated he is incapable of leading us to the promised land. Also, time for Scott Booker, special teams coordinator, to move on. Special teams over the past 5 years is terrible and unacceptable! We deserve better. Go Irish!!
ND Chicago says:
Feel bad for the seniors, but their coach refused to put them in a position to win or maybe he just doesn’t know how to put them in a position to win. Petrino taught Kelly a lesson about what it takes to win in big time college football. RUN THE BALL!!! Control the line of scrimmage and impose your will on your opponent. I’m sure the lesson went right over Kelly’s head. ND’s defense is a walking MASH unit and instead of running the ball to keep them off the field, Kelly spent the first half throwing the ball all over the field. It was great to see a 2 back set and an extra TE/OT utilized in the red zone- too bad it wasn’t ND. Everyone knew that eventually lousy special teams would cost the Irish a game; today was that day. I’m sure no one in the media will ask why Kelly can’t teach someone how to handle a snap or why special teams have not improved in 5 years, but it really is pathetic and a total dereliction of duty by a coach. Another 4 loss (at least) season and it’s not just the losses, it’s the way they lose. Turnovers, mental errors, putrid special teams play, and inexcusably bad coaching decisions. I could accept these things in year 1 with the expectation they would be fixed, but not in year five.
Tom D. says:
Where are basic, learn ’em in high school, tackling fundamentals? This team, week in and week out, is as bad at tackling as any I can remember. Do our coaches not know how to teach tackling? Are our athletes unable to process the instruction? Something has to change because this is getting very, very tiresome. And is there anyone who did not expect Louisville to march right back down the field when we briefly took the lead in the second half? It’s not just a bad day at the office. Something is wrong here.
mrm says:
For all those who point to Golson’s record as a starter, I would remind them it is 0 for the last 3, and 1 for the last 5. Obviously not going in the right direction. Time to move on.
B. Mull says:
This team is absolutely at the lowest point they have been in quite a while. Kelly continues to stick with “HIS” guy regardless of how many turnovers he has and the position he puts the defense in. We are 5 years into the Kelly era and once again we are back to being mediocre at best. He refuses to go with a ground game and relies on an incapable QB who has no confidence what so ever. If I am Tarean Folsten I am looking to transfer to a program that will give me some snaps. I am sick of ND hiring coaches who wanna air it out and opt for trying to win shootouts instead of have a good running game and defense.
NDBonecrusher says:
Oy what a kick in the groin. I think the next defensive sub was from Saint Joe High School. Don’t blame Brindza and Zaire it should never have come down to that. So, so painful.
After the ASU game one poster mentioned that defeating USC in the Coliseum is the nectar of the gods. I hope the boys taste that next week. As painful a loss as this was, at least it wasn’t the freakshow of Northwestern. They took better care of the ball and while tackling was pretty poor at times, the D made some nice stops. Go IRISH get after the Trojans!
PengieP says:
Seriously, who’s REALLY distraught over this? Did anyone think we really were going to win this game the way we’re playing? I admit I had some hope when we came back to within three- until we couldn’t score a touchdown. I knew we were doomed then no matter what Brindza did. Had he hit that chip shot, it would have simply delayed the inevitable. I’d have preferred we win, but this is actually a closer result than I expected. I thought we’d get gutted like a trout. And we didn’t.
irishhawk50 says:
Actually I don’t think the Irish played that badly today. Maybe I’ve been so beaten down that I’ve lowered the bar. If you look back on the season there were three losses that could have been wins with one more play while there were a couple victories that could have been losses except for one play. I think a young and battered defense did OK today in spite of some major lapses. I think that Golson has been less than we had expected. I am now watching USC-UCLA and think USC is beatable.
I think Zaire should be given a chance. There is something missing with this team and maybe he can give them some kind of spark.
GMoney says:
Golson is no Hundley and the O and D lines at UCLA are far better than NDs. It will be similar to the Northwestern game, the team that makes the fewest mistakes or gets the call/no call will win. It will be a tragic example of college football, along the lines of a Comedy/Tragedy play.
dan says:
something missing? look around at the successful programs. they have competen , consistent head coachs. kelly is not competent or consistent enough to play with the big dogs. enough already. no need to over analyze. get rid of kelly and find someway to recruit smart, tall, consistent qbs.
ND Chicago says:
I would love to know what Redfield did to get buried on the bench. Apparently, whatever he did, it must be worse than repeatedly turning the ball over. It’s time to start looking towards 2015 and that means getting Redfield and Bryant on the field more.
PengieP says:
Any speculation as to what Redfield did? Did he tell Kelly to eff off or something? Or maybe hurt Golden Boy Golson’s fee fees by mentioning his turnover propensity?
mpsND‘72 says:
Reality. Sucks, doesn’t it? More to come next year. Until then, adios. (My salute to those newly-minted immigrants.)
flirish says:
Kelly has lost this team and they are at a low that is worse than can be tolerated for a 5th year coach.
Forget that Brindza is a total head case and of no value at this point as a punter or kicker. What about the following:
1.Redfield and Shumate are the two best safeties on the team. They clearly got into Kelly’s doghouse for reasons unknown but the coach will not play his best players. Anyone who saw this game realized that Colllinsworth missed more tackles in one game than anyone else has missed in an entire lifetime. Boy is he bad!!! how can he be on the field
2.Special teams are horrible. The one time we try to return a punt we see that probably the most talented player on the offense is pretty good. Bryant however got no carries tonight and only one last week. A testimony to Kelly being an idiot and not being able to coach this kid after two years.
3. With Foltson running the way he did our great offensive minded coach didn’t run a single time on three straight possessions at the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter.
4. The last three plays before the Brindza melt down again got away from what we had been doing all game. We actually lost yards after three plays in the redone.
All this points to why we have lost 4 of 5 and on the verge of 5 of 6. All losses except FSU to teams we are better than. It is time for Kelly to go–plain and simple. he is a a bad coach
Greg says:
It is interesting that every other player but Golson and Brindza get yanked if they screw up. The Irish went from, “both of my quartebacks are equal and I’m not sure which one is going to start” to a guy who is relegated to holder b/c your other kicker couldn’t handle the placement duties on extra points.
Buddy says:
I am confused by this team. I do not know what their identity is, or is supposed to be. I thought going into the year that the Irish had 3-4 running backs they were going to feature. The season has certainly unfolded in a different direction. Golson almost seems like he is in shock and is tired of listening to and dealing with Coach Kelly. I really didn’t expect the Irish to beat Louisville so I am not devastated. I am disappointed that this team either underachieved or was overrated. As stated earlier, I am confused.
dan says:
watch alabama and ohio state play and your confusion will lift.
PanDomer73 says:
We are weak in several aspects of the game and inconsistent in others. This has nothing to do with injuries or inexperience. I doubt we are going in a positive direction with the current regime. Although I love these kids, I think we may have some talent squandered under a flawed scheme. Go Irish!
Dave says:
Wake up the echoes!
Doug NimtZ says:
The contest turned on the inability of the defense to stop the run after ND took the lead. What went wrong? Why were they unstoppable? I’d like an explanation why the team could not hold Louisville under 10 yards a carry! Their last two touchdowns were some hideous Notre Dame football. Tackling sucked throughout the game. We looked like the Keystone Cops on several plays, like a junior high defense pitted against a college offense. Then, there’s puzzling coaching errors and lapses, Folston not getting enough snaps, for one. Man, did he look great, the Irish back of the century so far! Finally, Golston and the field goal team. Golston played better than last week but his performance alone can be construed to have lost this game. I just have no clue to explain the field goal disaster. All I can say is better coaching, so replace the special teams guy with the best money can buy. Overall, a heartbreaking and needless loss, and the train wreck of the last five games is hard to believe given the play during the first half of a season. I’ve seen very few collapses like ours this season in 60 years of watching ND football! The nagging question on my mind is whether the injuries on defense could have been overcome and, if so, how. I may get my answer next Saturday one way or the other. I hate to say it, but wait until next year.
ND Braselton Georgia says:
Great job JV. I agree with many of the comments. ND needs to build a physical team with a strong running game and defense (2012 was close). Take a look at the SEC – physical, physical, physical. Not sure why Redfield and Shumate got buried on the bench? Hardy was first off the bench when Tranquil was hurt – are you kidding me?? Bryant is a tremendous talent who is propbably planning his transfer right now. Kelly went from a look of frustration to looking like he’s ready for the phone to ring….
Lenny K says:
Oh! how I long for the days of Jerome Bettis. Does anyone remember the Sugar bowl way back against the high powered Florida gators when Bettis played? Fla. went up and down the field in the first half. ND held them to field goals. Then Bettis ran over them like a freight train in the second half. ND pummeled them with the running game. That’s right I said the running game. Do you hear that Kelly? I agree with some others above about running the ball. You get sick of hearing it over and over in college and the NFL. But, it is what works. Why doesn’t BK or anyone get a big bruising back with some speed. It’s a proven fact. ND doesn’t have the offense like these other tempo teams. Golson is not that fast. Forget the turnovers he makes. If they punished the other teams “D” line it would show up at the end. ND needs to go old school with boring football. As for the defense, yes, they have injuries but when they didn’t it still doesn’t matter. They just can’t stuff teams like years ago. My dream of having Lou Holtz back of course will never happen. It was so nice to see a fiery, motivating coach on the sideline that could make adjustments. The only hope I have is someone like John ( “chuckie”) Gruden before he gets too old. Get ready for another valiant effort and beat down against USC
DJ says:
“Why doesn’t BK Get a big bruising back with some speed?”
Because those players–with academic profiles which fit ND– don’t exactly grow on trees…
Jerrod says:
Ummm Jonas Gray……
NDBonecrusher says:
Umm….what? C’mon mps this is about football here. Adios indeed.
Marleyman says:
File this under “The Direction of the Program.” The undercurrent one is sensing from the commentary is that we are back where we started. Instead of expecting to win, we are hoping not to lose. Kelly is exasperated, BVG is getting tuned every game for huge plays, and the special teams are…well…unconfident. I feel for the seniors; it seems like Weis II. This is been a very disappointing season and I hope they can beat USC to end on a positive note. If they don’t, they should forgo any invitation to a mediocre bowl and get back to the drawing board. Kelly gets one more year to right the ship and get new DC and Special teams coach at a minimum.
dan says:
nd needs to start looking NOW for a new head coach. kelly does not have it. quit wishing he had it. you can watch the guy on and off the field. he may be a brigadier general but he is not a major general, which is what nd needs. he never will be. if kelly could make major general, then every decent coach in the u.s. could make it. but they cant. coaches have different abilities. kelly lacks enough ability to be disqualified from coaching a team with aspirations like n.d. he might work out at vandy. why do so many domers keep wishing for something that cant be?
Tim Siebel says:
26 years and counting !
serreno says:
Did you really have to watch the game to know what the outcome is going to be? They do this every week. They have trouble with whoever they play. This is a bad football team and I don’t believe it is all Kelly’s fault. He is a better coach then the three that coached after Holtz even though I don’t care at all for his style of offensive play. I really don’t think the Irish can get the number of real quality players especially on the defensive side of the ball to come there. The world has changed
flirish says:
At the end of the day, we are no better than we were five years ago. the program is trending down. CW brought in a ton of NFL talent–just look around the NFL now. Many of them were the core of our 2012 undefeated team. Kelly is doing ok in that regard but not as strong as CW. The difference was supposed to be that CW couldn’t win and Kelly could but frankly there is no real difference except we now have less talent. No getting Bryant up to speed is a perfect example of Kelly being unable to coach the talent he has. The safety position is another disaster. ND has four and five star recruits there (Redfield and Shumate) but they are playing two and three star players who set a world record for missing tackles yesterday. yet somehow they will not get benched. This coach and his poor decisions can’t be figured out .
pjcaulfield says:
Another disappointing loss. After giving up three long gains on third down in the first half on drives that should have been stopped in their tracks leading to a 17-6 deficit at the half, I thought the defense played reasonably well in the second half and the Irish were in a position to win at the end. The play calling with a first and goal at the 9 yard line was very questionable. I expected to see nothing but passing, but instead saw a one-yard run by Folsten, a botched QB draw and a pass to Prosise, who is the 4th best receiver on the field. Where was the highly successful trips formation? The experiment with Zaire as holder has been an abject failure. Brindza was back on form in this game and another mishandled hold caused the timing to be messed up, which led to the missed field goal at the end. Even with the field goal, there is no guarantee that the game would have been won in OT. I agree with the posters who commented about the poor tackling and I understand it has been a problem throughout the year. However, let’s also give some credit to the excellent group of Louisville backs who broke the tackles. The benching of Redfield and Shumate makes no sense as they are much better than Collinsworth and Tranquill. BTW, Tranquill will be a terrific player, but not at free safety. With all of that said, in fairness, this team has been decimated with injuries (Day, Cage, Riggs, Jones, Schmidt, etc.) and the loss of three key players with the academic suspensions of the team’s best receiver (Daniels), best cornerback (Russell) and a key defensive end (Williams). These losses have severely weakened the team. With the return next of Russell and Williams, and hopefully Daniels, the injured players, the young guys who will have a year of experience under their belts and the addition of a strong recruiting class, next year could be very special.
NCHDomer says:
There was a sense of inevitability yesterday in the stadium. Waiting to lose. The Keystone Cops fumble sums up the Kelly tenure. The only thing that has changed since the Weis years is the improvement in the talent level. The head-scratching play calling remains the same. This season has shown that the talent on the field can compete with any team in the country. The commentators referencing the inane player treatment could not be more right. Turnover machine Golson can’t be benched. The QB he was even with in the competition to be the starter is relegated to holder. There is a clear sense that Kelly is not the coach to lead ND to a title. Too many dumb decisions that are meant to look like brilliant coaching by our over-matched coach. The game is simple – block, tackle and hold on to the football. These are the basics going back to Rockne. We don’t do any of them very well. Another irrelevant season will soon come to an end, mercifully. I will watch the last games but with little enthusiasm. As the story goes, Ara said he did not need a long term contract because if he couldn’t win a title in 3 years he wasn’t going to win one. Our pantheon of forgettable coaches since Lou has borne out that belief. The undefeated season under Kelly now looks like the same mirage we saw in the first season under Weis. It is not the players. It is the coaches. Hugh Devore had a junior buried on the depth chart. Ara coached that same player to a Heisman Trophy the next year. Yes, there are more recent examples of coaches turning a program around. Just not at Notre Dame for the past 20 years.
Mike R says:
Don’t blame Hugh Devore for ’63. He was re-hired simply to clean up Joe Kuharich’s mess. Ara handed him a game ball in front of the whole team and organization, to say that.
NCHDomer says:
I did not blame Devore for the 1963 season. I simply pointed out that he had a future Heisman winner on the bench and could not recognize the talent on the team. And I have spoken to people on that team and the coach was not entirely blameless for that season. In fact, I have been told he was to have started Huarte in a game near the end of the season. However, at the start of the game he sent the other QB onto the field. When asked after the game why he changed his mind by team members, his response was that he simply forgot. Ara was and always will be gracious. I am sure there were many reasons why he gave the coach a game ball and I have no problem with that.
a68domer says:
It appears that loss to FSU affected the Lads (including coaches) much more than originally thought. There has been a steady decline in performance both on the field and on the sidelines since that narrow loss. That Fightin’ Irish team that we were so high on at 6-0 no longer exists. Another “just wait ’til next year” – gettin’ kinda old.
Brian says:
Cheer up! If we are lucky we might get a return bid to the Pinstripe Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
canuck75 says:
I am a Kelly defender. He personally lost last week’s game for sure, but this week we should have won. Brindza has to make those kicks. Its really that simple. I have watched the team for 40 years and we have never played this many young guys on D. And they held up pretty well today, but are obviously fooled too easily on a couple of calls.
Some posters refer to every single opponent we play as weak, over rated etc. Louisville was pretty damn good in all phases, and so it should have been a close game.
Most posters must not have played high level sports, because coaches don’t lose teams very often. Quite irrationally, Charlie didn’t lose the team nor has Hoke at Mich. They are simply not good football coaches, and that is why their teams lost.
I defended Charlie far too long, but any objective person can see how much better these teams are than his in all phases. The decision to remove the red shirt yesterday was another example. The kid played very well and did improve the chances to win.
Hang in there you suicidal guys. We will be great next year and the year after.
IRISH STING says:
Shades of Weis and Willingham. First half of season who can stop us. Second half everyone can.
De ja vu, where have we seen this before.
The whole team cannot make it through the whole season. Where are the fundamentals?
How about a ground game backed up by passing?
How can we not have a holder?????????????? 8/4 or 7/5 so “My Dear I don’t give a D%$#”!!!!!!!!!!!
GOND88 says:
At least it was a close loss and they didn’t embarrass themselves, but has this what it has now come to? The program is at such a low point that we don’t hope or expect to win, we just hope to stay in the game and not lose by more than one score? This is the second year in a row that ND has been decimated by injuries and they must have set some kind of record for injured starters over a tewo year period. And if an NCAA blooper film comes out ND will comprise most of it with circus music playing in the background.
Looking back at the season, the close “loss” to FSU really isn’t that spectacular in light of several other teams nearly beating the Seminoles, most recently Boston College. ND can’t really point to anything since their wins came against average to crappy teams.
What until next year, eh? That’s until the next rash of suspensions, transfers, de-commits, injuries and coaching gaffes take its toll on the team and we’re once again staring down the barrel of 7-5 or 8-4.
Arkansas whipped #8 Mississippi 30-0 yesterday in Beilema’s second year. And they beat LSU and nearly upset Alabama earlier in the season. Hopefully Swarbick has his eye on this guy if things unravel in 2015 and a tough decision must be made.
pm71 says:
I’m as disappointed as most of you are over our performance and some of the coaching miscues, and I yell at the TV as much as anyone, I’m sure, but what disappoints me more than anything is when I see so many fans in the opponent’s colors in the stadium. Do you mean to tell me that you’re a real ND fan when you sell your tickets to the game to opposing fans or say you’re going to the tailgate and then you’re going to sell your tickets and go home because you’re disgusted and can’t support the team. To not support these 18-23 yr old players who work so hard on the field, in the classroom, in the community, in the film room, etc. with little time for a social life, many whose parents want them to graduate with an ND degree and still have an opportunity to go on to the next level is mind boggling to me. That’s what’s disappointing. And also, I’ve been a coach in different sports on many different levels and fans can sit in their chairs and spout off about who should play and what offense or play we should run, but do they really know what goes on in practice everyday or what physically (or mentally) is wrong with a player in the eyes of the coaches. Speculate all you want and criticize if you want, because that’s part of sport but understand that there are a lot of other factors involved in every facet of every program. I hate it that we haven’t won more, but I think the effort, and talent and heart is there. These young men want to win and they hurt when they lose. Give them your undying support and hopefully, this staff will keep plugging along and get it right and with the talent that we have and that they have been bringing in, ND will be back, hopefully, sooner rather than later.
ND Chicago says:
I have never sold my tickets to a ND game, but I am not going to pass judgement on those who do for whatever reason they choose to do it. Despite the complete failure of the coaching staff I think it’s fair to say everyone here respects the student athletes and the unique demands they have by actually attending classes and playing collegiate athletics at one of the nation’s premiere universities. We don’t have to be at practice everyday to know what they’re doing is not working; that’s evident every Saturday. 8-4, 7-5 doesn’t cut it at ND. Don’t equate high expectations with a lack of support. How long should Kelly be given? Would 5 more years be enough?
Bob Crum says:
Lots of comments above that ‘hit home’ to some degree but pm71 hit the nail on the head for me when he alluded to his disappointment in seeing so many red shirts in the stadium for this game. I’m probably preaching to the choir with the group reading this but it was very apparent watching ticket sales leading up to the game and seeing so many Cardinal fans in attendance that a very large portion of our fan base mailed it in after the Northwestern game (if not sooner). Lots of things to complain about and disagree with but most are out of our control. One thing that isn’t is coming to the game and actually cheering! So many of our fans were just sitting on their hands during this game. The Louisville fans showed us how to get a team energized. We need to do much better here.
Finally, I will also say this, I’m still not sure which boat I’m in regarding Brian Kelly but it is my opinion that he has this team playing so “tight” (for whatever reason) that they regressed significantly under his leadership and coaching style. I seldom see this team looking like they’re having fun. Something is definitely missing!
Al Horney says:
All ND fans are distraught over what is certainly an odd set of circumstances, involving injuries, psychology, leadership, maybe coaching and God knows what else. But all of these folks who want to talk about Kelly hitting the door better think twice and hope that doesn’t happen. If it does, man are we ever back to square one! At least now, we have talent, depth and some promise that it will continue. Call me crazy, but I thought in many ways we were fortunate to stay in that game and fight back. Kelly gets all the credit for the failures–maybe he should get some credit for keeping us in that game, too. I am not a Kelly guy, but do you all remember the previous 15 years? Also, Kelly is being talked about at Florida, so careful what you wish for.
dan says:
nd needs to start looking NOW for a new head coach. kelly does not have it. quit wishing he had it. you can watch the guy on and off the field. he may be a brigadier general but he is not a major general, which is what nd needs. he never will be. if kelly could make major general, then every decent coach in the u.s. could make it. but they cant. coaches have different abilities. kelly lacks enough ability to be disqualified from coaching a team with aspirations like n.d. he might work out at vandy. why do so many domers keep wishing for something that cant be?
dan says:
best thing that could happen to n.d. is for kelly to head south to florida. they can have him. you might want to look at what happened to past coaches at n.d. after holtz. the answer, nothing. why? because n.d. will settle for a second rate coach and everyone will hype him, when there is really nothing outstanding to hype from a head coaching stand point. maybe we need a different head coach selection team.
ND Chicago says:
Are you kidding me? Do you realize this team just lost its 4th game? Let’s hope Kelly doesn’t leave? What the hell has he done the last 5 years better than Davie, Willingham or Weis besides recruit (which hasn’t resulted in more wins)? Are you that beaten down as a fan that you’re applauding Kelly for keeping the game close at home on Senior Day? WOW!?!?!? I guess if you like competing for a coveted Pinstripe Bowl bid he might be missed or having the worst special teams in school history. The best thing that could happen would be for Florida to undo ND’s mistake by taking this guy off the payroll. ND should pay for the move and include the chart Kelly uses to decide when to go for 2.
BC says:
Shouldn’t the QB coach have gotten in Golson’s face at some point and told him I don’t care what your Guru told you, but this is how we play the quarterback position at Notre Dame?
Aaron says:
THIS IS A F-ING JOKE !!!!
mike in california says:
This is what has come down to:
The sad truth is that many of us are just hoping that we can keep the game close.. We just
don’t want to be embarrassed!
I harped all of last year about specail teams being poorly conceived and took some flak.. How
can ND in all of it’s glory and national pick-of-the-litter not find someone to hold the snap!!??
Kelly is way in over his head at ND (I’ve said it a million times). He should go back to the MAC and
dominate.. He “clearly” will win nothing at ND.. His ego is has gotten in the way of his mediocre
coaching abilities.
We’re as close the bottom as we are to the top (if you look at the Power 5 teams).. Kelly must
go..
flirish says:
I get that we are plagued by injuries on defense. That has nothing to do with coaching but poor game planning, constantly abandoning the run with two great running backs–one that never sees the field and horrific special teams that have not improved are all on the coach. And we have made no progress in these areas in five years. that is why Kelly is no good. the fact that he makes horrible game choices such as going for two etc aren’t even the major problems with the guy.
jimnd65 says:
Has anyone compiled statistics on player injuries at ND as compared to other high profiled programs? I think we have experienced more injuries (not just this year) than, perhaps other teams combined. Not sure why this is, but have to believe something is amiss in training/conditioning area(s). The sheer number is just too great to ignore.
Matt says:
I’ve been DONE with this team since Arizona. Excuses, excuses, and more excuses, is all I’m hearing. Kelly is turning into Brady Joke.
rockne says:
I waited a day to see the responses-as expected, major trashing of Golson, Kelly, Brinzia et al. Some clearly deserved, some perhaps not.
1. Golson was, in part ,the reason the Irish came back.
2. When ND went up 20-17, what happened to the defense? Could this be the result of 8 or 9 “freshmen” playing or shouldn’t this matter? If any of us was asked at the beginning of the year how many games ND would win without Ishaq Williams, Russell, Schmidt, Day, Jones, and Riggs, what would have been the answer? Would the answer change if you throw in Schmidt’s and Jarron Jones’ backups also being out? Before yesterday, how many downs did Jay Hayes and Jakub Matuska play? Is it a coincidence that since Schmidt left the Navy game injured in the 3Q, ND’s defense has been out of sync? Should this even matter.
So bitch all you want but then tell us who you want to replace Kelly: Saban, Fisher, Meyer, Miles, Bob Stoops, all of whom coach at schools with marginal academic standards for athletes? Perhaps Dave Cutliff, who found a way to blow the last two games at Duke? Or perhaps the coaches from Mississippi and Mississippi State, who have built their teams in part using juco recruits and in the case of Ole Miss, now have three and probably 4 losses? We are waiting for your answers.
John Vannie says:
There are plenty of competent football coaches in America that would be a step up from Brian Kelly. It’s up to the Athletic Director to find one.
Every time someone makes a rational post criticizing Kelly or offering alternative potential coaching candidates, there is an instant knee jerk trifecta reaction from the usual gang of f*cksticks like you that goes something like this:
1. “Oh, he’s a terrible coach. Three years ago he lost a game to [insert name of random crappy program].”
2. “That guy is a sleazebag. He said [insert random unflattering quote] about Notre Dame and had a bag man to help him get [insert name of random five star recruit].”
3. “Oh, he’ll never come to Notre Dame. We’d never be able to pay him enough.”
Well, I’ve got news for you. There is no coach in America that is exempt from at least two of these three whiny bitch excuses you can pull out to say we can’t find someone better than our current underachiever. When the school gets tired enough of mediocrity and decides its $450MM investment is at risk of blowing up in its face, it will make a change – but not before. When change happens, however, the choice will not be obvious to most people beforehand because there is no white knight parading around in the coaching profession. They are all flawed human beings but the one we have now has outlived his usefulness.
Jerrod says:
Where are these examples of other coaches? Three weeks of this talk and you still can’t give the answer? Who’s the alternative?
Mike Coffey says:
Mullen and McElwain are two that come to mind rather quickly
rockne says:
Mullen right now has three losses and could have two more-why do you want him?
Mike Coffey says:
Look at his body of work. He has a team with a .450 average playing .600+ ball in the toughest league in the nation. His history as an assistant coach gives him plenty of experience to handle the unique pressures of the ND job.
ND Chicago says:
How long are you willing to give him? 1 more year? 3 more? 5? I’ve seen enough to know no matter how long he’s given he will never deliver the consistent winner he was hired to develop. He’s no better than his 3 immediate predecessors. Is ND better off than they were 5 years ago? I’d say about the same. If you listened to Weis after his big Hawaii Bowl win he swore the team turned the corner and was ready to make some noise. The next year he was gone. Kelly sounds just like Weis saying that they’re just about to turn the corner and here we are 5 years later in the same spot. Five years is a fair and reasonable amount of time to base an opinion and by any objective measure he’s failed. I’d be willing to take my chances with whoever they found as a replacement. After the last 4 coaches (including Kelly) I’m pretty sure the next guy couldn’t be any worse than what we’ve already endured. If you consider his 4 out of 5 seasons with 4+ losses successful then you need to get your head examined.
jabe7 says:
It’s all been said. However, the most crucial point needs to be emphasized. IT’S THE COACHING. Mid way into the miscues by Golson, Zaire should have been given the opportunity to light a fire under this team. Kelly’s failure to do so, is a huge failure. Secondly, Unlike a Saban or Bilichick, he has been unable to COACH UP player personnel to become a sound overall football TEAM/MACHINE with players functioning in a cohesive fashion. thirdly, his ranting at players, in my opinion, has served to create an uptight team, which produces the many miscues we’ve seen this year. Rather than being decisive and benching Golson he continued to rant, eventually, I believe, losing the respect of his players. We’ve witnessed the result – the regression in player performance. A coach needs to elicit positive energy which translates into team confidence – an aura of competence. Coach Kelly needs to find or rediscover that intangible quality which generates belief. A good start would be to give Zaire his opportunity this coming week against USC.
zeke1883 says:
What happens when Zaire has had enough, and decides he doesn’t need to spend all his eligibility riding the bench and holding on kicks? I am guessing he will go the way Gunner Kiel did if Kelly doesn’t get him some playing time. I mean, no one even knows what he can do in a game…… He has never been allowed to play? He just might be better than Golson, no one really knows, but you are going to take a chance on losing him without even finding out what he is capable of??
2014 says:
Sadly, the Kelly era may be coming to and end. Lets pray next guy can do the job. There are coaches out there, jut need to take the time. Take a chance on someone who is hungry and can deliver.
Joe Schaefer ND '59 says:
Kelly’s coaching “philosophy” reflects where he has coached. The farther down one goes in conference
ratings the more sandlot,less running, and sieve defenses you see. One can hope Kelly’s tenure will not
be a function of another boneheaded decision like the one made by Fr. Jenkins when he directed the
extension of Charlie’s contract. Hughie Devore was hired as “interim coach” for one year while Notre
Dame assessed the football program. Ara’s appearance was by Divine Providence because no progress
was being made on the “assessment”. Kelly was lucky at Cincinnati because he followed D’Antonio.
Looking for a good coach? start first in Ohio, forgetting Meyer, of course. That’s where the best have
started from. Kelly has coached for most of his career in a “short staff” environment. He’s now in the
big leagues. He can afford to go out and hire some higher quality assistants and delegate. If Denbrock
was head coaching caliber he would be one by now. No more “yes” men. LeFleur is highly questionable
for obvious reasons. The returns on BVG are still out. He has these players for 20 hours a week. He had
the pros full-time. Finally, Kelly needs to realize where he is. This ain’t Chelsea! He needs to learn how to
be gracious to the public and trust the student body to organize pep rallies.
Mike Schaefer '67 says:
Anybody check how Gunner Keil is doing at Cincinnati? Eat your heart out, BK.
Kev says:
If you look at Kelly’s face he looks like he is defeated and does not have any answers. He does not know what he is doing at Notre Dame. I think he is in over his head and I used to be a Kelly supporter. After seeing how he has acted and everything he has said I do not think he is the right man for Notre Dame. His coaching sucks. Especially play calling on key situational football. Not to mention he seems to be egotistical and does not seem like he knows how to motivate the team whatsoever; the only thing he does is frown and yell. He never smiles or says good job to his players on TV. He always has that scour on his face. We need someone who is positive and projects confidence not arrogance. I am tired of being mediocre with 8 wins, something has got to change. Golson has lost whatever he had in his first few games and needs to be benched. His body language looks like a beaten down puppy dog. He has no hussle in his step, no aggression, just looks at his fumble like, oh well. Zaire needs some playing time. He can not turn the ball over anymore than what Golson has done. I would be more lenient to keep Brian Van Gordner because he has had only 1 full year, and at the start of the year the defense did good, so maybe the injuries have affected his scheme. Brain Kelly has had 5 years much more than BVG. It’s time for a new marriage. Speaking of marriage, I heard that over the offseason last year Brian Kelly and Golson flew to Massachusetts to get legally married…
mike in california says:
Here’s 4 big time coaching candidates who would blow Kelly out of the water:
1 Gary Anderson (Wisconsin)
2 Brett Bielema (Arkansas)
3 Jim Mora (UCLA)
4 Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M)
Reactions? I look forward to them.. Gary Anderson is a great coach…Period!!
Lou Iacovo says:
Mike in California,
I agree with your choices 1, 3, and 4. As a graduate of both ND and Wisconsin (MS degree) I do not
want Gary Anderson to leave Wisconsin. Like you, I believe he is great. He did a phenomenal job at
Utah State and I believe the best is yet to come for Wisconsin. I do not think the Brett Bielema is an
improvement over Brian Kelly. His winning percentage was slightly higher at Wisconsin than Kelly’s is
at ND but he was only 2 – 4 in Bowl Games (2 – 2 in minor bowls and 0 – 2 in Rose Bowls) and he had the
better team for the one Rose Bowl loss to TCU. Rumor has it that Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez was
happy when Bielema bolted for Arkansas.
Ellen says:
Fire Kelly ASAP. Put in Schumate and Redfield and Zaire. Our team is a train wreck because of Kelly. He has to go!!!
RICK ROBINSON says:
AFTER 5 YEARS COACH KELLY HAS STILL NOT LEARNED THE OLD LESSON, YOU MUST SCORE TOUCHDOWNS IN THE RED ZONE. YESTERDAY’S GAME WAS JUST THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF KELLY’S HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE. EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT THE LAST SERIES OF THE GAME WHEN THE IRISH HAD THE BALL AT THE 10 YARD LINE, WITH A 1:42, LEFT ON THE CLOCK. INSTEAD OF TAKING 3 SHOTS AT THE END ZONE, HIS PLAY CALLS WERE BEFUDDLING, TO SAY THE LEAST. IT MADE NO SENSE TO PROLONG THE AGONY OF ANOTHER OVERTIME DEFEAT,EVEN IF BRINDZA MADE THE KICK. HOWEVER NO ONE HAS MENTIONED THE FIRST DRIVE OF THE GAME. THE IRISH ROLL RIGHT DOWN THE FIELD, GET INTO THE RED ZONE, AND ARE FORCED TO KICK A FIELD GOAL. HAD THEY SCORED A TOUCHDOWN ON THE OPENING DRIVE, THEY WIN BY A POINT. BEFORE THIS SEASON BEGAN KELLY MADE A POINT OF SAYING HOW FAILURE TO SCORE T.D.’S IN THE RED ZONE LAST YEAR COST US SO MANY GAMES. HE PROMISED TO FIX THIS. HE HAS NOT DONE THE JOB. I WISH WE COULD SEE THE PERCENTAGE OF TOUCHDOWNS SCORED IN THE RED ZONE. I AM SURE IT IS TERRIBLE. SO HE CAN BLAME HOLDERS, AND KICKERS. BUT IT IS HIS PLAY CALLING THAT HAS COST US TOO MANY CLOSE GAMES. AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, HIS CHOICE OF SAFETIES IS RIDICULOUS. REDFIELD WAS THE HIGHEST RATED SAFETY COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT HAPPENED? I AM AS FRUSTRATED AS THE REST OF N.D. NATION, BUT I THINK KELLY SHOULD GET ONE MORE YEAR TO PRODUCE ON THE FIELD. WITH ALL THE RETURNING TALENT COMING BACK, AND A GOOD RECRUITING CLASS COMING IN ,NEXT YEAR SHOULD DECIDE HIS FATE!
Terry says:
Those guys, those young men, those 18 or 19 year old kids who were in the state playoffs 12 months ago gave it everything they had yesterday, they couldn’t have given any more, we couldn’t ask any more from them.
When it came time to sing ‘Notre Dame Our Mother’, the camera, as cameras do, was incredibly intrusive, it made me feel like someone intruding on a funeral, so I turned it off.
Spmething about Kelly tells me that he doesn’t get it. He just doesn’t quite get it.
We denizens of the shooting gallery sit out here watching, passing judgment, and then we insult each other or whatever we do, and it means nothing.
I am incredibly proud of those kids and I am 70 years old so I can call them that and if you don’t understand that’s tough.
I felt pretty bad today until I watched the Patriots play the Lions. Now I feel better.
Riddick and Tate play for the Lions, Gray plays for the Pats. Gray was late for practice Friday morning and so he watched the game from the sidelines. That’s the same guy who gained 204 yards against the colts last week. Talk about a disciplinarian.
The Pit Bull says:
Wow… what a difference a month makes! ND went from going into FSU undefeated to losing to teams that, IMHO, weren’t as good as the Irish.
But make no mistake, this team lost those games due to:
– Turnovers. Golson is an absolute disaster at QB. Every game, it seems like he’s getting worse turning the ball over. I don’t see any reason why Coach Kelly can’t start getting another QB groomed because Golson just isn’t the player for the position.
– The defense, specifically the defensive coordinator, absolutely stinks. The defense can’t tackle, seems to have no discipline, and gives up huge chunks of yards. The overall scheme plays way too safe and QB pressures aren’t even a consideration in this scheme. I never liked the hiring of Brian Van Gorder, period.
– Special teams are abysmal. Brindza couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn from a yard away. I can’t wait for Brindza to be out of there. Pee-you.
-Coack Kelly, I think Coach Kelly has done a good job considering all the injuries, but the offense is way too predictable and sporadic. Coack Kelly needs to evaluate his style and his coordinators’ styles to bring this team back to a high level.
– Finally, no intensity. Every team brings it against the Irish. When is Coach K going to have his team “bring it” to these other teams?
Too disappointing of a season. Lots of work to be done during the offseason, and here’s hoping it starts with a new QB, firing Van Gorder, and getting special teams up to par.
PBT
ND Braselton Georgia says:
Does anyone think that Kelly makes football sound over complicated and shows favoritism to his guys? He’s constantly using youth and inexperience for the reason guys aren’t developed. Golson has been on campus off and on since 2011 and played on a 12-0 team. I would say the Louisville true freshman QB was a little more inexperienced and played pretty well..Redfield and Shumated have been around for 2 full years and still can’t grasp the defense.. How hard is it? Bryant doesn’t play because he can’t block. Either teach him how to block or just let him run the ball without blocking before he transfers or jumps to the NFL after next year. Let’s not confuse poor coaching for lack of football IQ….
PC says:
Post 1 Defense-Everyone is aggravated with the loses and for good reason. I am trying to look at the big picture but admit its very fuzzy. On one hand the suspensions and insane amounts of injuries on defense has clearly played a major part in them shitting the bed. They have no identity. They cannot stop the run and are still beaten over the top seemingly at will. I dont think Van Gorder forgot to coach but at the same time find myself underwhelmed with his second half adjustments. I would give the defense a pass overall but the Northwestern game is still inexcusable. We really should be past loses like that one. As for the future I do believe with Russell, Schmidt, and some more depth on the line they can be a good defense next year.
PC says:
Post 2- Offense… Kelly is so tied to the hip with Golson that he is going to live and die with him. He finally has his type of QB so its going to be close to impossible for him to go with Zaire unless Golson gets hurt. Clearly Golson has been very good at times, is quite mobile and can make every through but his inability to put a larger value on protecting the ball has completely blown up on the team. Im not sure that falls on Kelly except that he hasn’t benched him. I also think as the turnovers started piling up and they began to lose games he has become more tentative which is why your seeing less “Big Plays”. He is tentative with running and even when guys are open downfield he is starting to underthrow them. Big problem with the Irish being dominant on offense next year is Golsons inconsistencies. I say start Zaire this week and if he plays well then give him the bowl game and truly keep the competition open for next season.
PC says:
Post 3- Overall take- I’m a Brian Kelly fan, but far from a blind loyalist who wouldn’t adovocate for a firing if I thought it would improve the program overall. Let’s face it when a season spirals out of control its very easy for the fan base to want someone to pay. Also some have never liked him so times like this bring out the loudest voices which right now are the Anti-Kelly ones. I guess Im speaking to those voices so hears why I think he should stay: His ability to recruit is consistently well above his previous 3 predecessors. For years there was a debate about if we could get the big time athlete into ND. Opinions varied from reducing standards to get those top athletes in all the way to accepting never being great again but keeping our standards in tact. I think the general consensus was the “right coach” could do both. Well guess what we tried all types of coaches and they all bombed. Davie (college D-coordinator_ couldn’t recruit well enough and was in over his head. Willingham ( some head coaching sucess at another fine academic instituition) again couldn’t recruit well enough and the job was to big for him as well. Weiss (NFL coaching exp) couldn’t recruit, didn’t seem to have a clue with defense and overall never adjusted to the rigors of coaching student athletes. All of these coaches had something in common besides failing—they werent ND’s first choices. I think that Kelly has brought a different feel to the program- we have went our furthest under him, and he is building program depth through good solid recruiting. I have never felt he is in over his head like the previous three and unless Swarbrick knows he can get a Saban type then I feel there is a better shot we would be downgrading the position and risking a program that is far worse then what Kelly’s body of works has produced. Keep in mind —one shitty call away from 7-0 and dethroning Nat Champs—If you werent calling for him to be fired at that point then I think we all need to take a step back and say has the program improved considerably from those previous ERA’s and if the answer is yes which i think it is—then lets stay the course and ride out this rough patch.
jabe7 says:
PC you’ve made some reasonable points. Coach Kelly has recruited well. After the FSU game I, like many felt, the glory days were definitely back this time. I remember being at South Bend back in 2002, when I was buying Back to Glory T shirts. The sense on campus was that Willingham had turned it around. Well, the rest is history. In recent weeks, Kelly’s program has disintegrated. In other words, he has not been able to hold it together. Coaching mistakes, miscue after miscue have accelerated the decline. I believe the essence of the problem is that he has coached them into an uptight team with mistakes ready to happen. Rather than a team playing with energy, enthusiasm, and confidence, you have a team that has entered into a negativity rut. I suggest, therefore, it is a leadership crisis. If he is to survive as ND coach he must show that quality of leadership which elicits a positive emotional response. One way to do this is for him to show he can change by sitting Golson and giving Zaire a chance. In doing so he will be admitting that just maybe he was mistaken.
I, as all the fan base, are crushed by the way things have ended up especially after so many years of mediocrity; however, I’m hoping that Kelly can pull it off as I’m not sure that another coaching change will fix the program. Go Irish!
John Vannie says:
Recruiting is a poor excuse to keep a coach whose teams underperform on Saturdays. Kelly’s recruiting misses have come back to haunt Notre Dame this year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
ND Chicago says:
Charlie Weis Bob Davie
2005 9-3 1997 7-6
2006 10-3 1998 9-3
2007 3-9 1999 5-7
2008 7-6 2000 9-3
2009 6-6 2001 5-6
Brian Kelly
2010 8-5
2011 8-5
2012 12-1
2013 9-4
2014 TBD 9-4, 8-5, 7-6
Throw out the best and worst seasons for each and you’ll see there really is no difference. At the time he was hired, I thought Kelly was the best man for the job. Five years later, I’ll admit I was dead wrong. Time to move on and give someone else a shot, unless you’re content with mediocrity. Another poster was wondering why there were so many people who sold their tickets; not defending it, but it’s been 18 seasons of mostly lousy football. How long can you expect people to keep going to games and seeing the same thing over and over? ND fans are the best and most loyal in the world, but everyone has a limit. This is a bottom line business and Kelly hasn’t won enough because he’s not a good coach. Period.
canuck75 says:
Just read the press conference. It confirms for me that he hasn’t lost the team and that he is proud of how they played and that everything is an ongoing learning experience. 10 freshman and sophomores
cannot be expected to hold up against an experienced good team. And yes, it is a cliche and excuse, but we are 3 plays away from 3 more wins (one of which we actually made). Just think back to Charlie and Willingham. Blow out losses with regularity.
I agree that if a coach loses a team then he should go. But too many guys here project their frustrations as if the kids think the same as they do. The kids keep playing hard. That will pay off next year and the year after.
NDave says:
PC makes a good point. If it wasn’t for that bogus call at the end of FSU, my money says ND is undefeated right now. They would have come out of that win #1 and would have had the momentum and confidence to easily handle the rest of their schedule. Is falling apart after a close loss a sign of poor coaching? Probably. But, is beating for all intents a purposes the #1 team in the nation save for one bad call a sign of poor coaching? I doubt it. Kelly got the team to a National Championship once already and started out this season with probably the best team in the country until things fell apart. He’s not getting the job done now, but clearly has has potential. I’d take my chances with him for another season or two before starting all over again from ground zero with someone else.
PC says:
ND CHICAGO – you can’t throw at best and worst records because you think it helps your argument. Weiss and Willingham never actually got close to an undefeated regular season. Also the amount of times Weiss and Willingham teams got blown out was astonishing. To compare those three track records as being close to equal is a joke. Using your records which I didn’t verify over those ten years we won 7.1 games and 1 bowl game. Under Kelly 9.1 wins and already 2 bowl wins and a nat’l title appearance.
ND Chicago says:
My post never mentioned Willingham because he only coached 3 seasons. Don’t forget, Kelly’s teams are playing 12 regular season as opposed to 11 for Davie and Weis. You have to stop living in Fantasyland and thinking that 2012 was anything other than a fluke. It was a good team that needed a lot of good fortune to go undefeated, but nowhere near great as evidenced by the humiliation in the NCG and subsequent mediocrity since then. I realize that you think the Pinstripe Bowl and Sun Bowl are great accomplishments that should get Kelly a gate named after him at ND stadium, but that’s not why he was hired. It’s so funny to hear the Kelly defenders’ logic that it’s not his fault because if that ref hadn’t made that bad call against FSU, and if Brindza could have just made a couple kicks, and if we just quit playing Navy, and if we didn’t have any injuries or suspensions this year, and if the holder didn’t drop the ball, and if Golson didn’t turn the ball over so many times against ASU, and if Kelly didn’t have his head up his ass and just kicked the extra point we’d be 11-0 right now…You are what your record says you are. Many of us feel ND football is something special and should aspire to be among the best as they historically have been; then there are those who feel like as long as they win 7-8 games a year and play in the Pinstripe Bowl it was a great year. Obviously, I know what camp you’re in. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.
PC says:
Vannie- I respectfully disagree that he only recruits better then the previous three coaches. Up until these last few games, I think they protect home field much better, show they belong against the better teams much more consistently, and I typically see a coach that is confident he can win at ND more then those other three. Now if you know we can get a Saban like dominant recruiter/game day coach then let’s do it but if all were going to do is attract the tier 2 coaches then I’ll pass and stick with what I have which is a much improved coach then the 3 previous guys. Again proper perspective- if I said 5 years into Kelly Era one nat’l title appearance, a few bowl wins and a team that generally proves they can play with most teams consistently you would’ve taken it and said it was a big improvement from where we were.
mike in california says:
PC, you’re way off base.. The national title appearce was a fluke (barely surviving a bad Pitt/Purdue/etc.
A very sloppy bowl win last year against a very poor Rutgers team.. Horrible special teams.. Bad
call playing.. Flat performances against poor competition.. Arrogance..
What’s there to like? And yes, most teams can consistently play AGAINST US (NO EXCUSE for teams
like Syracuse, Navy, Tulsa, UCONN, to be even in the game with us)..
I agree with Vannie.. Time for a Jim Mora Jr type of coach!!!
Respectfully,
Mike in California
Fitz says:
Is it Kelly’s fault that a once potentially all american kicker missed a chip shot? This sucks right now but just gotta live through it. It’s Notre Dame. We’ll be back! Now let’s beat USC! A year is always better when ya beat USC.
Mike Coffey says:
Perhaps not. But it certainly IS his fault he had a left-handed holder with all of two games of holding experience in his career out there for that kick
flirish says:
a lot of interesting comparisons but a major inaccuracy in recruiting info. Kelly has not recruited better than Weis. Weis was not a good head coach at ND but he inherited a depleted and down group of recruiting years. He turned that around for ND and actually put ND back on the national elite with recruits. Most of Kelly’s best players until this year were Weis guys. If you look at who he has actually brought in and who is and will be in the NFL, as of now he is not in Weis’ league
PC says:
flirish- If you think that Weiss had the overall team speed Kelly has recruited I will respectfully disagree. I see an incredible difference in the game breaker type talent and the secondary has vastly improved under Kelly. They used to be beat at will by any passing team. This doesnt happen nearly as frequently. He has even had some players leave early which is definitely a sign of recruiting more type talent.
Mike Coffey- Are you really blaming Kelly for this holding problem? I know there young student athletes and I dont like to ever bash kids but what Brindza has done is flat out imploded. Couple that with the original holder who couldnt catch a ball and place it down and what exactly is Kelly to do. Its very normal to go the the back up QB to hold so he figured he had to do something. Did you want sure hands Golson holding? Sometimes you just run into bad luck and there is no answer for that.
Mike Coffey says:
It may be “normal” to go to the backup QB, but that assumes the backup QB has experience as a holder. The first time Zaire ever held for a placekick in a game was against Northwestern.
If you’re asking me “what exactly is Kelly to do”, my answers, in order, would be (a) have an actual special teams coach instead of a glorified GA, (b) make sure the person holding for placekicks has the requisite level of experience, and (c) don’t react to one or two bad holds by Smith by completely swapping him out for someone else.
jimnd65 says:
Has anyone compiled statistics on the number of injuries ND has suffered this and previous years? I think the number would be out of the norm vs. other high profile programs. Not sure why this is, but it must point back to training/conditioning. Any thoughts?