I blame David Gordon! That kick, 22 years ago, has sent the Notre Dame Football program into the 7th Circle of Hell. We take baby steps, we make improvement, and we think the stars are aligned, then David Gordon metaphorically kicks this program and it’s fans, right between the legs again. On a wet and windy evening in South Carolina, the haunting specter did it again. Notre Dame started slowly, coughed up the ball in crucial situations, and yet came up 2 yards short of sending this game to overtime.
The game couldn’t have started in a worse fashion for the Irish. DeShaun Watson ran a quick draw on the first play for 38 yards. Six plays later, Watson found Jordan Leggett for a quick 7-0 lead. Three plays and a poor punt by Tyler Newsome put the Tigers in great field position. Watson found Scott for another quick score, and before anyone finished their first drink, Clemson was up 14-0.
Field position was a common theme the rest of the half. The Irish were continually working with a long field and could not sustain drives. A Justin Yoon field goal made it 14-3, but the Irish never seemed a threat to score a touchdown, save for a dropped Corey Robinson pass from Kizer at the 2 yard line.
The start of the 2nd half was an absolute nightmare for the Irish. C.J. Sanders fumbled the opening kickoff and Clemson recovered. In three qucik plays, Watson found pay dirt on a 21-yard rush. On the ensuing series, C.J. Prosise fumbled, but the Irish defense held to force a Clemson punt. The Irish finally got something going on offense late in the 3rd quarter. A Cole Luke interception and a C.J. Prosise wheel route for 56 yards put the Irish in the end zone. However, Brian Kelly decided to go for 2 points. As visions of Northwestern started running though the NDNation, and poor clock management forced a time out, Corey Robinson let the 2 points slip through his fingers, and the Irish were down 21-9.
Clemson followed with a quick field goal to extended their lead to 24-9, but DeShone Kizer lead the Irish down the field and finished the drive with a 3 yard run to close the gap to 24-16. Unfortunately, Kizer threw an interception on the Irish’s next possession to put the Irish defense in a hole. However, the Irish defense once again held tough and forced a missed field goal.
With just over 4 minutes left, the Irish rallied, and despite an obvious pass interference call that was missed in the end zone, Chris Brown found himself 4 yards from the goal line. Only issue was he forgot to bring the ball with him. Brown’s fumble seemed to be the end the game. At this point, by blood pressure was at an unsafe level.
To their credit, the Irish defense once again came up with a stop, and a short punt put the Irish at the Clemson 32 with just over a minute left. Kizer showed his guts by making a huge pass completion to Amir Carlisle on 3rd and 16 for a first down. The Irish drove to the 2-yard line with 12 seconds left. Notre Dame fans across the globe immediately started to think of Florida State 2014. The Irish ran a very similar play and this time succeeded without any questionable offensive interference. Tori Hunter Jr. hauled in the one yard pass and the Irish trailed 24-22. Sadly, the final 2-point play design left much to be desired. A roll out quarterback keeper was well short and with that, any chance for a perfect season.
Let’s answer Jay’s pregame questions:
- Will Kizer and the youthful Irish be able to handle the “Death Valley” atmosphere? Yes and no. The Irish showed amazing fortitude in battling back against the weather elements, the crowd and the deficit, however, the turnovers proved too costly to overcome.
- Will the long layoff aid the Tigers in a measurable way? The Tigers hit the Irish in the mouth to start the game. It took 3 quarters for the Irish to recover.
- Can the Irish offensive line continue to dominate against a very talented defensive line? A resounding NO! What we hoped was the 2015 version of a Joe Moore line, was a line that got little push and opened few holes for Prosise.
- Will BVG’s defense contain Clemson’s playmakers and find ways to force Watson into turnovers? Clemson did not have many big chunk plays on offense and Watson threw one interception. But poor tackling and the quick scores to begin the first and second half were huge plays.
- Must Fuller become a decoy, or can he continue to excel against a reputed lockdown corner? Fuller was not nearly as “savage” as he thought. Although not targeted often, a huge drop on a 3rd down play was painful.
- Was Clemson’s win over 0-3 Louisville deceptively good, or are they not really a top ten team? It’s hard to gage how good Clemson really is. They won, so you have to tip your hat to them. They got the job done. The Tigers ran the ball much more effectively than most assumed. Their defensive line proved to be very good at stopping the run. The won turnover battle 4-1, yet were 2 yards from potentially losing a game at home in which they lead by 18 in the 4th quarter. Their defense is stout, but do they have enough offense to beat a team like Baylor or TCU?!?!
Where does Notre Dame go from here? It feels like we have all seen this movie before. The Irish lose a close game late against an ACC favorite on the road and have to play Navy in their following game and a PAC 12 team the week after. This two game stretch could very well determine Kelly’s legacy and if he will be at Notre Dame beyond 2015. The Irish played poorly tonight, yet had enough guts and talent to be a mere few yards from winning. However, the consistent inconsistency of Kelly and his teams continue to prevent them from being an elite program. A true sign of progress would be Notre Dame beating Navy by 30 and then beating USC. Finishing the year 11-1 and being in the mix for the playoff. Although, Kelly has not shown enough in 6 years to make fans think that anything other than 8-5 season is on the horizon. He has 2 months to prove people wrong. I hope to be eating crow instead of turkey after Thanksgiving weekend.
Scott says:
Brian Kelly blew this one… AGAIN!! There was no need for them to go for two after Prossise made it 21-9… NONE!! Kelly’s arrogance may have cost them a shot at the playoffs. Personally, I sincerely think these kids deserve better than this choke artist. Tip my hat to Kizer… He was the better QB tonight.
william pioli says:
This is SPOT ON. We have a solid, 2nd tier coach who cannot deal with the top of Div 1. As long a Kelly is the coach, we are stuck on GOOD and will not make it to GREAT. ND always has first class players who are now stymied by a 2nd rate coach. When the Administration hires a winner and not someone with weak judgement (even my wife said STUPID when they went for 2), Notre Dame will be back at Nation Champion caliber. BRIAN KELLY lost this game for us; fire him toady or tomorrow, we can afford it, i don’t care when.
Chris says:
Agreed. The whole team made mistakes, but the call to go for 2 down 12 was a mistake with that much time. Then to go for one on the next touchdown was another mistake — at that point you need to go for 2 at least one time — may as well go early and see what happens aka Lou Holtz. Finally, the play call was pretty shaky on the last one. I understand players making mistakes, but the coaches can scenario plan the “1vs.2” situations all they want in the offseason — how can they manage to choke?
dan says:
Brian Kelly does not inspire me. He most likely does not inspire his players the way a top tier coach would do. We all know who those coaches are. If I were in the admin dept. I would already be looking for a Kelly replacement. The man does not even know how to dress like a N.D. coach. Embarrassing.
ccb says:
Bright spot was the defense. BVG made the adjustments and prevented an embarrassing beat down by
Using his D. to make huge stops after the O. put Clemson in position to score several more td’s.
Also, even the O. showed maturity in having the grit to fight back from 21-3 deficit.
However, the last 2 pt. play may have revealed all we really need to know about the O. line.
Clemson D. was expecting a pass on that play. If the O. Line really had the grit, they would have blown
C. off the line creating a nice corridor for Kizor to run in the end zone. No excuse for Hiestand’s O.
line failure in the run game from the start to the finish. ND will probably get by Navy, win the rest
except a loss to either USC or Stanford, finish 10-2. Kelly will be back for years to come, like it or not.
DRS says:
This is so wrong! During the 4th Quarter, sure, they stepped up, but they hardly looked interested at all during the first three. What about the first score, where the two ND defenders basically tackled themselves??? I blame BVG mostly. I think he’s more interested in personal recognition than success.
Tom Gillen says:
I have a hard time putting this loss on Kelly and inconsistency. To even be in the game after 4 ridiculous turnovers is not a matter of luck, but rather the reality of how good this team is. Remember, nothing about this season has been favorable for the team to finish perfect, we have been stricken with injuries and forced to develop young talent. It sucks to lose a game that could and should have been won, but this loss needs to be pinned on experienced players that were careless with the football and failing to capitalize on catches that winning teams make, not on inconsistent play calling or coaching. I like the direction the program is heading and have no doubt that there will be strong performances over the next 2 weeks.
Tim ODea says:
Kelly is a decent coach, he’s built a decent program. He’s a bad game day coach. The tendency to slow starts is on him. The terrible 2-pt conversion calls are on him – 3x in a year now. The disarray, the poor clock management, the inexplicable play calling are on him. And poor discipline is also on him. He’s in year 6. While I acknowledge the progress made compared to the last 3 coaching disasters, it appears Kelly has hit his ceiling. Which means to me that he is no longer taking the program in a direction but rather that he has taken the program under him to its destination, or final state.
Chris says:
Will be interesting to see. Close loss to FSU last year led to a complete meltdown last year — hard to say that back half of that season wasn’t on Kelly…
dan says:
No more excuses for Kelly. The players are young and need inspiration and guidance. I dont think Kelly can provide this at an optimal level. If I has a choice I would not have Kelly in my foxhole.
GB says:
I couldn’t agree more! Another gut wrenching loss! We can say, well we almost won, again, even with all of our personnel losses. But there will always be an excuse or rationalization for losing. We are a second tier team until we don’t have to come up with excuses. Not sure Kelley can take us there. And the saga continues.
NDBonecrusher says:
I hope so, too. Just can’t fall apart like after FSU.
Despite the terrible start, failure to make adjustments, sleepwalking thru 3 quarters, terrible run production, and a zillion turnovers, ND almost sent it into bonus football. Almost. Feel awful for Chris Brown–what an effort he had.
Team clearly very talented and did not fold like previous teams might have. Agree with above–next 2 weeks absolutely crucial. They can pack it in or go 11-1 and let chips fall where they may. What’s it gonna be?
Scott says:
How about Tori? He had a breakout game as well.
Aaron says:
The title of this article says it all about last night!!!!! But on the positive side (I guess) is playing that bad and almost tying and possibly winning is a good sign from previous years.
Irish need that SWAGGER they had last year when they went into FSU!!!!
Need to regroup and focus on cutting the mistakes and Kizer and his receivers being on the same page….along with the O Line needing to control the line of scrimmage!!!!! Tackling is a must!!!!
Brian says:
You said it best – A true sign of progress would be Notre Dame beating Navy by 30 and then beating USC. Finishing the year 11-1 and being in the mix for the playoff. This is a make or break time for Brian Kelly.
Jeff says:
I liked your reference to David Gordon…however, if you remember, a few plays before Gordon’s kick, Pete Bersich let a sure interception slip through his hands which would have ended the game and secured one of the greatest comeback wins in ND history. Let’s face it, this year’s Irish team is not in the same class as the other top teams in the country. Did you watch Alabama absolutely house Georgia on its home field? Could you see this
ND team doing that? Clemson is a good team, will probably win the ACC. But they aren’t in the same class as Alabama, Baylor or several other top teams. The Irish still can’t run the ball when they have to and continue to be one of the worst tackling teams in the country. Don’t know if I have the stomach to watch the USC game. It could get really ugly.
Irish4ever says:
The run game needs a lot of work. Seemed like the handoff was in slow motion. their style of read option takes way too long. It was as if they were waiting in the backfield for the defense to arrive. When you have an aggressive attacking defense like last night, you have to have quick attacking run play to counter their aggressiveness. They need to be able to switch out of the passive read option when necessary.
Mike Holiday says:
My take exactly…. watching each slow developing ND run play hand off go from Kizer’s hands to the runner was like watching molasses trying to escape from a cold bottle. What the hell are were they waiting for – the rain to stop before the runner put his feet in gear?!! We’ve seen this movie over and over with BK. At some point we have to get up and leave that theater, and walk much faster than ND’s running game.
Scott says:
This is just inexperience on Kizer. Zaire and Golson were much quicker making the reads and delivering the ball than Kizer. He’ll get it eventually. Kizer is actually pretty damn great.
pjcaulfield says:
Extremely disappointing loss to a less talented team. Poor O line play for much of the game by such a talented group was was something I never expected. The four turnovers were devastating. It’s virtually impossible to win that way against a good team on the road. Still, even with them, the game should have gone to overtime with the Irish having all the momentum, but for two incredibly stupid two-point decisions by BK. There was absolutely no reason for the first one down 21-9. Kick the extra point. My problem with the second one was the play itself. A designed run by a tall QB who is not a runner and runs straight up – really??!! Is that the best play we had, with one of the best receiving groups in the country? How about a pass with a run as the last option? Unbelievable.
The other problem the Irish have is that it is very hard to run the table without a top QB, and the fact is that Kizer is clearly not in that category yet. He may indeed get there, but only time will tell. He doesn’t appear to go through his progressions well and made a number of poor throws that could easily have resulted in INTs and one that did where it looked like the defender was the intended receiver. Perhaps the most glaring mistake he made was the pass to a well-covered Robinson near the end zone at the end of the half when there was another receiver wide open on the left side, with no defender within 10-15 yards of him, and he did not see him. BTW, the pass to Robinson for the first two-point conversion attempt was not a well thrown pass. I understand that it was catchable, but a better throw would have given Robinson a much better chance at the reception.
When the Irish were struggling for much of the game, why didn’t BK insert Wimbush into the game for a series or two, as he said he would? He has a cannon arm and is a far better runner than Kizer. We all saw that when he was in for a short period against U Mass. I saw Wimbush throwing 70-yard lazers and shredding the defense with both his passing and running in the headiest rainstorm I have ever seen in my life at Giants Stadium in leading his high school team to the NJ State Championship last year. Wimbush has far more upside than Golson, Zaire or Kizer, so it is critical to work him into the mix.
All is not lost, however. With the talent on this team, there is no reason why this game has to define the season. USC will be tough at home, but is very beatable. It appears that Stanford will be even more difficult on the road, as they have been playing better and better as the year progresses. Team needs to regroup and refocus. 11-1 is still achievable and the playoffs are not out of reach.
irishinnh says:
I was there. Kizer was not the problem; he was one of the best things they had going for them. The word that keeps popping into my head is immaturity. Fumbles, dropped passes, delay of game penalties and missed assignments. Clemson is not that good; wouldn’t be surprised if they lost to GT this week.
dan says:
Dropping to #15 is defining to most observers who do not have Irish blinders on.
Bill says:
This game is not on Kelly. He didn’t drop 5 very catchable balls; he didn’t fumble 3 times; his call for a 2 pt conversion when it was 21-9 made sense. He had to play for minimal points considering the weather. No one could forecast that Clemson would almost collapse in the 4th Q. This game hurt with what could have been. The Irish, and a very young QB NEVER quit.
The tackling last night was terrible, and Russell needs to keep his mouth shut. The D line got pushed around early, but came back strong. The O line blocked its heart out, but Clemson had 7 or 8 in the box all night on a miserable rainy night. If ND was going to win they had to do it through the air, and they didn’t get it done.
The doom and gloom and vitriol from people at the first sign of difficulty make me mad. I can’t help but think that the injury bug finally caught up. Get behind this team, they showed a lot of guts last night and deserve all the support they can get.
canadianirish says:
Completely agree with this assesment. The two point conversion was absolutely the right call at the time, in an attempt to make it a 10 point game. Robinson also dropped those 2 points. Then in the same breath, people are baying for blood because Kelly DIDN’T throw it on the last 2 point conversion attempt.
dan says:
Kelly has been a suboptimal coach going on year 6.Les Miles is similar but at least he lucked out and won a N.C. for LSU. N.D. was not so lucky with Alabama. Remember that showing. Certainly no one can blame Kelly!? Keep wishing! N.D. can do better, although one would not know that from their hiring history over the last decades. Soldiers excel under top leadership from their Generals and Admirals. Kelly is still a Lieutenant Colonel and needs to bo back to the War College and coaching school.
c says:
@Dan –> SMH.
GOND88 says:
Again Kelly and company just can’t win the big one most of the time. After six years they sometimes come close, but can never figure out a way to win. This was the first big test and they failed miserably.
I was glad when ND finally decided to show up in the 4th quarter, but it was too late and Kelly’s bonehead decision to go for two after their first touchdown arguably prevented ND from sending the game into overtime. But since Kelly’s team’s are sloppy, underachieving and can’t get out of their own way they probably would have handed the game to Clemson in OT anyway.
Hiestand and his O-line are way overrated. Not physical at all. They got beat, oftentimes badly, most of the night and always get whipped on short yardage running plays. The receivers choked.
“Although, Kelly has not shown enough in 6 years to make fans think that anything other than 8-5 season is on the horizon.”
That says it all. Every year there are key injuries, transfers and academic suspensions that jeopardize an otherwise promising season. 2012 is looking like an outlier and a fluke and it seems like Kelly is incapable of delivering more than 8 wins in any given season. If ND loses to both USC and Stanford this year then it’s time for a change.
Ellen says:
I agree with the writer who said Kelly proved he’s a bad play caller once again. You don’t go for 2 points at that time in the game. Dudn’t he learn anything from Northwestern last year? And for the final 2point play Do Not run the ball. Pass it or at least do a play action. U can’t run up the middle and hope to get in the end zone. Kelly is a master at bad coaching in later stages of games. Love the team though. Go Irish.
Tom Gillen says:
It’s so sad to read all the posts pointing the finger at the coach. Listen, if Robinson catches passes, if fuller catches passes, if hunter catches passes, if brown, prosise and cj don’t lay the rock on the ground, and if kizer learns to see all of his options (which I believe he will with experience) the coach doesn’t have to make decisions to go for 2 on multiple occasions. With the way the game went for 3 quarters, tell me, how many of you armchair finger pointers really thought nd would have the opportunity to score 4 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The decision to go for 2 at 21-9 was correct, at that point, the team, not the coach, put the coach in a position to make a call assuming that we wouldn’t give up any more points and thus reduce our need for points to a touchdown and a field goal. Failed still kept us alive to win with two tds, and despite the fact that we gave up a field goal, we still were in a position to tie. Simply put, if players do their job the way the coaches do theirs, coaches don’t have to make ridiculous calls. Where was Robinson when his unit went in for the first 2 point conversion? Talking to his dad on the sideline?
ND has the deepest team in years, Is moving in the right direction and will get better. To quote Kelly, “it’s a very disappointing loss, disappointed in and for the players that didn’t do their job to support the players that did. That’s college football folks.
Scott says:
LOU HOLTZ took every loss on himself. Do you ever recall Lou pointing the finger at anybody but himself?? Get real, man. Sure, Robinson dropped a pass. However, Robinson shouldn’t have even been in that situation to drop the pass with 14:13 left in the game. Even if he had made the catch, I still wouldn’t have agreed with the call at that point.
canuck75 says:
Kizer is actually great. I can’t believe how well he played in that situation. I do not recall us dropping passes like that for many years. Robinson just had to make one of the two drops, and we win.
I will complain about one guy though- I am sick of Kevarrie Russel . Hasn’t made one damn play all year and can’t avoid the PI.
Now we need some luck, but I haven’t seen anything to suggest that we can’t win out.
Sean says:
Proud of how the Irish fought back. However, dropped passes,poor tackling,turnovers, and poor coaching did this team in. Never mind us losing when we get beat by a better team . Do mind it when we self destruct. The young kids show a lot of promise, but not sure Kelly can take us to a championship.
mrm says:
Agree with your comments, especially Russell. Also,tackling has continuously plagued the Irish over the past several years. Can’t understand why that hasn’t been addressed.
Opie says:
We outgained them by over 100 yards (437 – 296). Yes, stats are for losers, and we lost the 2 more important stats – the score and turnovers. But before Kelly we often did not have the talent to compete with other top programs. Now, we just have to minimize mistakes. Unfortunately, that is proving to be difficult.
It is very difficult to have everything break your way in a college football season. We’ve been hit hard by injuries. We just had to play a game on the road, against a good team, with a loud crowd, in horrible weather – and we were 1 play from a tied game.
I’m not happy we lost, but I do like Kelly a million times better than Davie/Willingham/Weiss. At least now we have the depth of talent to survive some key injuries and still be able to compete with, or have more talent than just about any one else.
So FL Dan says:
Excellent analysis as usual. Hard loss, but much better than what I thought was going to happen after the first fumble. The 6 dropped passes, missed tackling, and turnovers made the difference. On offense our line was dominated on running plays, but held off the pass rushes. The defense was stout except in the first 7 min of each half. For our defense to get better we need to force more turnovers instead of getting them handed to us.
Kizer in my opinion had a few mistakes, but the were small in comparison to how he handled that game and gave us a shots at getting the game into overtime. I thought at first it was a good idea to get us within 10 points by going for 2, but I hate it when hindsight is 20/20.
Hard loss, but this was always going to be one of the hardest games that we were going to play this season. I am thinking 10-2 with a top 15 finish.
Jack says:
It is very unfortunate that in today’s society, people spend a great deal of time criticizing coaching staffs and players instead of enjoying the game. These people are trying their best to compete and win. Just like us, they are human. The media constantly hypes and dissects these people to a fault. College football garners a sense of excitement that is not enjoyed by the NFL. Spend a Sunday watching these teams commit the same mistakes and they are receiving big money for it. Time to relax more and enjoy the show.
goirish67 says:
Dr Lou is no longer in practice, so Dr John is seeing his patients. Unfortunately they showed up in a profound state of somnambulism, especially the D allowing 2 quick TDs. Great way to start in a hostile environment…crowd and weather. The D snapped out of it, but then the O developed a case of fumblitis which which was fulminating and recurrent. This condition was then exacerbated by Kizer’s pickoffitis and Kelly’s senile dementia going for 2 in the 3rd qtr.. In spite of all this adversity, the patient rallied nearly recovering , only to succumb to a surgical error.
I am hoping for a resurrection of the patient for the remainder of the season. Overall I like Kelley as a coach, but continue to scratch my head over some of his decisions.
Don says:
Here we go again. Can’t win big game. Game coaching decisions continue to be terrible. Wonder how Kelly will screw up sc game. Maybe go for two points in first quarter. Probably another mediocre 8 win season. We need to find a coach who knows how ro win versus just pouting on sidelines.
irishhawk50 says:
I don’t agree with those who put the loss on Kelly. Although the 2 point play was not smart it didn’t really cause the loss, the turnovers and drops cost ND the game. Agree Clemson is not that good and 9 out of 10 times would lose to Notre Dame, but you don’t get to play it that way.
I also agree with those who say the Irish are not in the same class as an Alabama or Baylor, but this is a good team. Even Ara and Lou lost games like these and I am old enough to clearly remember them. ND may still have a chance for the playoffs but must obviously win out and win big over USC and Stanford.
Scott says:
“I also agree with those who say the Irish are not in the same class as an Alabama or Baylor”
Really??? I happen to disagree. I think they can play with anyone in the country and proved that with the comeback they put up in the 4th quarter.
John says:
Please get a grip. If after the Music City Bowl last year, someone said the Irish would lose to Clemson by two at the end with Kizer as QB, Folston, Bryant and Jarron Jones gone, you would have said the guy was insane. The TE missed the block on the 2-point conversion. If the BJ had called a penalty on the flagrant hold against Chris Brown on the play before he fumbled. we might all be saying what a great team and coach we have.
TE21 says:
For years I have checked ND Nation after games to read the comments. And for years I have kept my thoughts to myself because it always amazes me how ignorant people (“fans”) can be. So, I guess I have finally reached that point that I need to respond. The biggest problem with ND football isn’t the coaches or the players. It is and has been for years the inconsistency of the fan base. Let’s get rid of Davies, Willingham, and Weiss. Now it is time for Kelly to go. Who is the “right” guy in the eyes of Irish fans? This always happens at the first sign of adversity. The fact of the matter is this years team is a good one. They are playing with many injuries a tough schedule and in an age of social medium where the negative comments from fans do nothing but tear the team apart.
Too many ND fans live in the past. Things are not the same as in the bygone years of Ara and Lou. Even they would struggle today. Coach Kelly has been able to get some fine recruits to come to Notre Dame. However, injuries last year and so far this year have been costly. It is time for all the negativity to stop and get behind the team. I would guess that all the Gholston bashers wish he was still around. He took a lot of heat from the awesome “support” he received. May be that is why he left. Kizer by the way has done a nice job this year. By the way, at the time the first two point conversion last night was the right call. Easy to second guess after everything plays out. Also easy to second guess when you don’t have to make the call. If the play works everyone thinks it was great. To all the players and coaches keep up the good work and effort. You have many supporters. To the fair weather fans, keep in mind the old saying if you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say it! GO IRISH!!
klm says:
Amen.
Ghost of Joe Moorw says:
Dropped balls, too many to count, poor tackling, poor ball control and numerous
penalties….that ALL starts and ends at thr coaching level boys.
How about the delay of game penalties due to Kelly and
company not getting the play into their rookie QB in time
in a hostile enviornment? A Kelly led self destruction. They looked
scared from the onset of the game. What a shame…
Scott says:
Yeah, they’re all probably worried that Kelly might blow a cerebral artery if they make a mistake. So, they play tight. If he would just relax a little and let them play, he might find that these guys can play with anyone.
Drasail2 says:
David Gordon’s kick. Ugh so even Holtz can lose a tough one? The comparison to last year’s FSU loss is appropriate…what next?
Felipe says:
Implying that Kelly could be fired at season’s end is amateurish. Who would all of you rather have? Seriously. Grow up.
Fulkerson's Ghost says:
This event is the stuff that typically sends the Irish down the slippery slope for the rest of the season. No reason for this season to be any different.
After 30 mediocre years with occasional flashes of brilliance, it is best to just grasp reality. The Irish are a very good tier 2 team. They will not be able to run with the big dogs and they are out of place and outclassed in the top 10.
Scott says:
30 years? Um, 1988?? How about every season under Lou? 1994 was the only real season where they weren’t seriously contending. I would agree with 20 years of mediocre seasons. No way I agree with 30.
2015 says:
Tough loss. Offensive line can’t stop jumping offsides after 4 games. Kickoff coverage was bad, seemed like 40 yards a return. Might as well just kick out of bounds at this point. Just can’t learn how to tackle either, it’s like they just bounce right off the guy – almost comical to watch. Feel so bad, because this team is one of the better ones and laid an egg. Experience is great teacher, Maybe next year.
TimmyIrish says:
No doubt, this was a tough loss to take. I rarely like the excuse of “we beat ourselves,” but this was a winnable game that ND unfortunately gave away through a myriad of untimely turnovers, dropped passes, poor tackling, and bad penalties (the back to back to back sequence of delay of game, false start, delay of game was ridiculous…). And yet…we still almost pulled off a huge comeback to take it to OT.
I didn’t like the run call on the 2 point conversion, either; I was thinking rollout pass with option to run.
In the end, they’re kids. They played hard (albeit it took too long to get in sync) and almost gave us another incredible win. Hopefully, we’ll keep improving, steam roll Navy, and take care of USC.
Go Irish!
Fitz says:
Ugly as this game was at times let’s put it in perspective- A 2 point loss on the road that went down to the last 7 seconds at Death Valley in virtual hurricane conditions against a highly ranked team. And some are ready to throw Kelly and this team under the bus already? Yes, I think we should have beat Clemson. Turnovers. Dropped balls. (Next time ND practices with “wet” balls maybe they need to dunk the balls in Vaseline not water!) Yes, the run game never got going but we can’t forget that Clemson was the #1 Run Defense in college football last year! I agree with what someone said, those read options were just too slow in developing against an aggressive stacked box. But of course Kizer isn’t Zaire. Which brings me to my next point. With Zaire and Folston, undoubtedly 2 of our best marquee players, instantly out of the picture did anyone realistically think this is a team that’d be chomping at the bit for the championship game? Having said that I’m actually pleasantly surprised by the talent, depth and fortitude this team has still displayed. Kelly wasn’t lying when coming out of spring he said this is the most depth and young talent they’ve had since he’s been here. And for a baptism under fire ya gotta be impressed with Kizer. Hangs in the pocket like a veteran and throws a pretty good ball. Doesn’t get flusttered. Doesn’t give up. And doesn’t look like a startled deer like Golson did. There is still a lot to be worked on. For sure! But this is a team deprived of a lot of their star power who still has a shot to be in a BCS game. This is a close knit team with a ton of potential. Let’s get behind and support them all the way! Go Irish.
I’m not saying that there is not a whole lot to be worked on still. There is! But this is a team without their star QB and a star running back s d s
kjnrun says:
Like with most sports sometimes it is the littlest things which make a difference. I think the missed third down tackle in the opening series was a turning point. Instead of 7 points Clemson would have been attempting a long field goal into the wind. Certainly, not “the” turning point but I think we see a different result if that tackle is made and the Clemson momentum is quickly squashed.
bocceman2 says:
Game is on Kelly. Team was not mentally prepared to play until Q4. O line blocking sucked entire game. Kelly waited until down 21-3 to start throwing. Should have done that early and often but he was determined to run the ball even though our line was getting stuffed. Turnovers and dropped balls had nothing to do with weather and everything to do with concentration or being mentally prepared to play. Clemson had zero fumbles and not near the dropped balls.
Kelly has failed time again in a big time game. 6 YEARS IN MAKING SAME MISTAKES.
Kizer played extremely well and D finally settled down. Team showed lot of heart just showed up too late. Kelly needs to fire Heistand and find a line coach. too much talent to be pushed around like that.
Scott says:
“Kelly waited until down 21-3 to start throwing. Should have done that early and often but he was determined to run the ball even though our line was getting stuffed.”
If they had started throwing earlier, that would have softened their front and then the running lanes would have opened. But, since I am not a coach, what do I know, right?
Pete '71 says:
Seriously, you’re faulting a freshman QB who played with guts & poise in horrible conditions in a hostile environment & who was better than Clemson’s Heisman candidate? We turned it over, dropped catchable passes, mostly due to the weather. It happens. Alabama turned it over 5x & lost to Ole Miss in good conditions. I’m not blaming Kelly who has brought in quality players & added to our depth chart. Where would we be with all our injuries if he hadn’t? It was a tough loss. We need to move on & worry about Navy & do our best to go 11-1. Hopefully, the coaches will make sure our players keep their antics to themselves & their mouths shut, especially when they’re losing by 2 TDs. Play with class, win or lose, & leave that nonsense to teams like Clemson.
Terry G says:
I put this game on Kelly because he can’t mentally prepare his team to win, they came out flat in their biggest game of the year and woke up at the end of the 3rd quarter. I’ve also noticed they do not play well on the road, going down to the wire against a mediocre UVA team that got crushed by Boise State at home. His teams give the impression that they don’t have leaders, (besides the 2012 team) and I think he is too domineering and doesn’t instill the confidence his players need to make decisions. I also don’t believe he prepares them well before or during the game, the offense wasn’t ready for Clemson’s D, the coaches didn’t make adjustments quickly enough during the game, the QB can’t make the right reads, and Kelly doesn’t prepare him on the sidelines quickly enough after changes in possession or key plays, case in point being the time outs after punts and during the first 2-point conversion. He’s supposed to be an offensive genius, (I can’t stand it when my brother still tries to slip that in) but his team can’t produce a sustained drive of 4-8 yard gains, and slowly march down the field. My point being, you don’t see the quick-hitting spread plays where you read the defense and have 3-4 go-to plays to pick up first downs. ND’s TDs come mostly from break-away runs or long passes, which are great and prove his team’s have more speed, but his offense also isn’t well-coached and disciplined enough to manufacture drives and keep the chains moving. ND’s Boise State O-Coordinator is highly praised, but if teams crowd the line, he refuses to go over the top of them or run quick passing plays to get the receivers to beat guys in space for big plays, (at least not until the end of the 3rd quarter).
The worst decision he made was to go for 2, had he not done that, we would have had overtime. The two 2-point conversion plays were not very good calls, the first did not need to be even run, but a bullet pass to the back of the end-zone on a wet night was hard to hold on to, and a QB draw with a QB who is neither extremely fast or powerful like Tebow is a gift to the D. Like Boise State against OK, usually a trick play catches teams off guard in that situation, Lou liked to run the halfback pass to the QB, or a reverse will fool a tired defense trying to use its last gasp of energy to stop a run, rollout of fade-route. In closing, winning out will likely get them into the playoff, but I’m afraid the coaching staff will at ill not prepare the team for a game against a top-tier team. In 2012, OK and Stanford were their biggest wins, but neither team ended the year in great form. When they faced BAMA, Golson’s lob-passes got picked or he wasn’t able to hit wide open receivers for TDs; the D played on its heels and the team as a whole wasn’t ready to take risks and set the pace. The big games at ND are too much for Kelly, he did well at Grand Valley State and Cincy, winning big games, but the ND stage is too much for him, and even with more talent he can’t prepare his team with the attention to detail they need to run an efficient offense, play on the road, gain an advantage in special teams, big plays to win tough ball games, or come mentally prepare to beat top teams.
Tricio says:
Apart from another bad choice to go for a two point conversion, poor execution led to another painful
loss, demonstrating again Kelly’s poor game management and preparation. For all of the talent this
team supposedly has, an inexcusable outcome.
Going forward, USC probably will win based on its talent and better coaching. Stanford (possibly by an
embarrassing margin) is likely to win also based on coaching that is superior at game planning and
execution plus better development and use of talent. So, 9-3 at best this year. However, Navy and Pitt
may prove challenging as well, raising possibilities for another 8-4 or 7-5 season and scary thoughts
about impacts on recruiting.
Time to let Kelly know his clock is running short on time, and to start evaluating coaches who may offer
true hope for a turnaround. But, that assumes that those doing the looking know what to look for and
that such a coach, if found, would be interested. The history of recent search outcomes does not
lead to a sense of optimism.
Terry says:
Gotta disagree – with the talent on this roster there have to be a lot of coaches out there who would jump at the chance.
Canada kelly says:
Kelly’s play calling keeps other team in game and has for six years. Continually trying to runthe ball against eight box is bad coaching.His play calling is very vanilla and he never gets aggressive in his play calling until they are trailing. Is it just me or do his teams look very sloppy and not very well coached. Not quite sure why we hired a young coach like Sanford if Irish are not going to allow him to call plays.This loss was on Kelly, again
Terry G says:
Watching Chiefs vs. Bengals. Bengals threw deep 3 times in 1 drive. ND didn’t go deep more than once or twice the whole game last night. BTW, the 3rd deep ball was for a TD.
flirish says:
This game is squarely on Kelly and his staff Five and half seasons into this campaign there are some very repetitive issues we see with a Kelly coached team.
1.Slow starts in big games –except for FSU last year this is a trademark of his teams being unprepared. We spotted Oklahoma 14 points a couple years back and then basically played them even or even a bit better but we could not overcome the poor start. The Alabama game and many more –same story.
2. Horrific play calling and decisions like the decision to go for two early and the play calling on the attempt for two at the end. Just like N Western last year
3. Mediocre special teams that give other teams great field position to start drives
4. Turnovers. Yes many blamed Golson for all the turnovers last year. What about the system he was put in and the discipline that is coached. Four turnovers last night without EG and by the way EG has zero–that isn no turnovers to date this season. Not surprising to me.
Other than Stanford in 2012 what really big games has Kelly won? The bowl last year was important but it was between two 8 and 5 teams. We have beat USC recently but they were down each year we won.What about the effort last year against USC. What about 2011 at home after a bye against USC. Game over five minutes into it. when has Kelly stepped up and won a big game and how about a road game against a good team. When has ND won as an underdog wit the exception of oklahoma on the road–it is a very rare event.
Kelly is a great 8-5 coach who is excellent at blaming others and never accepting responsibility. ND was better than they played last night. A strong or even reasonable start to that game and we win going away. They had a game plan better than ours. They stuffed the run with a crowded box at the line. We made no adjustments and had no offense for an entire half.
marleyman says:
10 dopey observations:
1. This was a slopfest. It is tough to play in pouring rain. But Clemson played extremely well with a soaking ball. They protected the ball, we didn’t.
2. Offensive line got handled. They were pushed around throughout the game. Some commentators were saying they were one of the best in the country? I think not.
3. Do we have a tight end??
4. Kizer is an up and coming talent. He is extremely accurate and poised. Competition at qb will be interesting as it plays out next season.
5. Special teams are improving week by week despite some shanks last night.
6. I was very proud of this team. The never quit and could have pulled it off. The turnovers were the backbreaker, You just can’t cough it up 4 times.
7. This team continues to start slow more often than not. Is this not a coaching problem?
8. Play calling remains suspect.
9. Tackling was horrendous.
10. We must bounce back strong next week or another 8-5 may repeat itself. Injuries are mounting just like last season.
ElkhartIrish says:
If you’ve ever tried to work in a hard rain with the wind blowing or play golf in it, you know how tough it is. Add to that trying to throw or hold on to a football. Despite the mistakes the Irish almost did it. I would hope for more intelligent play calling. Running Prosise into a wall several times wasn’t working so why keep trying it?
RPM says:
You can’t fault BK for the three fumbles and several missed receptions. He may be blamed for the tentative start and poor early game performance. I thought it was going to be another Alabama fiasco. It appeared they were intimidated and maybe a little disorganized. However you must give credit to the defense in the last three quarters and their comeback to almost get the game into OT. They need to regroup and take care of Navy and be ready for SC. If they can get a couple of wins in the next two weeks they will be in the hunt for a good post season bowl.
NC Tom says:
More than the 2 point conversion–I blame Kelly for not adjusting in the first half from running the ball over and over into an outnumbered and outplayed line of scrimmage. I was yelling at the TV–screen pass to Prosise!!! pass over that overpopulated defensive line. Got to take what they’re giving you…
Rocknutney says:
The lads seemed to have their heads in a area of the body where the golden helmets should not fit !! from the opening kick. Clemson had its way with both our O&D lines from the start ,no help from upstairs to change a coverage to stop the outside sweeps early.. Clemson players were in the IRISH ear holes the whole first half after almost every play.. Dabo Sweeney showed more emotion after the game than the boys with the shiny helmets did until there was18 min left in the game!! Play with Desire Focus and Pride the entire game on every play and nobody will try to have a field comment plus the balls will be caught and the fumbles wont happen . Thats as simple as it gets!!!!!!!
Avon Domer says:
Sean: Your assessment at the end was right on. We have top-10 recruiting classes every year, get guys drafted into the NFL and can beat all the UMass’s in the world (usually), but since 2012, when it comes time to beat a really good team — with rare exception being last season’s shocking bowl game win over LSU — we’ll make enough stupid mistakes and turnovers to wind up losing. Now comes the tailspin like after last year’s loss to FSU with probable losses to USC and Stanford, and probably either Navy, Pitt or Fredo and the “Who Gives A (bad word inserted here) Bowl” here we come! Kelly and this team have the ability to run the table and I hope they do with every fiber of my being. Sadly, recent history and what I’ve seen of this team tells me that won’t happen.
jabe7 says:
A few things:
1. Too slow to move from trying to set up the pass from the run (Tigers stacked the front). No room to run. Should’ve adjusted to setting up the run with a passing game earlier.
2. The turnovers were the result of ball hawking by the Clemson players. Their play caused the fumbles. Irish defense could learn something from game video.
3. Irish have a very good team. They will be in the hunt come December.
4. Kelly is coaching more than he is yelling. Liked what he did with Sanders after his fumble.
5. Would’ve liked to have seen a pass on the final 2 point conversion, especially after they had scored so easily on the previous play.
6. Looking forward to a big rebound against Navy.
flirish says:
For all those who don’t think Kelly is responsible and that the team is doing well let me ask a few questions:
Since Kelly has been here please name the games we have upset a team ranked above us and please name games where we have lost to teams not as good as us or even much worse. the balance falls way towards losing games we should have won
Since Kelly has been here how many big games do you remember where we did not come out slow or sloppy ( Maybe Stanford in 2012 and Florida State last year–ther than that slow and sloppy is the rule)
How much improvement have you seen in special teams in almost 6 seasons
How much improvement in turnovers have you seen. Look over the years at our take away/give away ratio. Always poor.
he is a good but not great coach who is most often but not always incapable of rising to the occasion on a big stage. Great if the target record is 9/4 scary if the target is elite level play.
NDBonecrusher says:
Disclaimer: taking care of people with cancer has made me pathologically optimistic. Mea culpa. That said, let us examine some positives that the coaches would do well to remember.
1-I thought Kizer acquitted himself admirably in about the worst conditions I have seen since the Snow Bowl of 92. Maybe even worse. Sure the ball sailed on him a few times but overall he did way better than I would have expected.
2-Brown and Hunter, Jr. both played exceptionally. Coaches need to encourage spreading the ball around.
3-Lets not forget Prosise’s former life. The kid can CATCH, too. Seeing him and Fuller lined up as receivers at the same time ought to send any and all defenses into the proverbial corner looking for a blankie.
4-After the initial bleeding, Clemson was held scoreless for a good while. Remember the game plan for GA Tech. Rinse and re-use.
I don’t see a remix of the fold against FSU. I just don’t. No data to support this in fact plenty to support the opposite. But the way they battled back showed me something. I think they will destroy Navy.
JT says:
I always read this, but have never posted.
To all the posters that are lamenting having Brian Kelly as the Irish coach, you need to remember from where we came.
Coach Kelly inherited a program in long term decline. From Faust, to Davie to Willingham to Weiss, we lacked a head coach with the foresight, leadership and coaching ability needed to build a program that can compete at the highest level despite access to fewer top tier players than any other major program except maybe Stanford, Duke, Northwestern and Vanderbilt.
You only have to look a the team on the field to see all that has changed under Coach Kelly. This team has talent at every position and depth we haven’t had since Coach Holtz.
Losing a travel game, to a top 15 team in horrible conditions by 2 points while playing your #3 QB and #3 RB from the Spring while dissappointing is not evidence of Kelly’s shortcomings, but rathar proof of how far he is brought this program.
The next progression for this program is to consistently year after year compete for a berth in the CFPlayoff. I can see our program under Kelly’s leadership taking that next step. He is the real deal.
Mike Coffey says:
We’re in year six. How long is this alleged transformation supposed to take?
This was supposed to be the year — great talent, great depth. Then they go to Clemson and crap themselves.
Shouldn’t the “real deal” have the team more prepared than that?
JT says:
MIke Coffey
I would challenge any team to lose their top 4 offensive weapons and still compete. Golson, Zaire, Folston and Bryant all gone. Yet the team shows up and competes. Next man in.
That is due to good recruiting, better player development and excellent coaching. Good enough? No. But pretty incredible considering the situation.
Some credit to Coach Kelly for testing Prosis at RB in the spring otherwise we would have a true frosh at running back. And moving Jerry Tillery to tackle before Jarron Jones went down. This team is resilent and that comes from good coaching.
The program is at its highest point since the Holtz heydays…. and I think it is built to compete year-after-year.
I for one have been impressed with what Coach Kelly has built at ND. Would I like to see another National Championship, you bet. Could it be this year? We shall see.
Are we an excellent program with him at the helm? I think so. Time will tell.
Mike Coffey says:
As I said, great depth. Everyone said so going into the season.
If not this season, when? What happens next year when a lot of this talent leaves and the iffy recruiting of the last couple seasons hits us harder?
This was the no-excuses year. I’m not interested in excuses. The tank is empty.
willyd says:
You critics- shut the he** up!!! What are you talking about!!?? Yes, I totally agree the 2 pt conversion this year and against NW last year were total mistakes. But HE PUT THE TEAM IN A POSITION TO WIN! They just didn’t execute. Isn’t that all Lou ever wanted to do- be in a position to win? Last year’s loss to FSU was really a bad penalty call (let’s not debate it here), but guess what- road games against good teams are sometimes won/lost on a single deciding moment. Yes, the other mistakes also play a role, but there are mistakes in EVERY game. So you have to win the 50/50 calls/plays- and last year and last Saturday we did not. NOT KELLY’s FAULT! He may not be my favorite coach, but anyone that can take a team with the personnel losses we’ve had, and still be competitive is doing ok. And for all you ‘experts’ with a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, let’s drop last year. The collapse was inevitable. Playing as many Frosh and first year players was never going to work against good teams. I can’t believe so many people don’t see how the ‘collapse’ occurred. By USC they were done, and it showed. But look at the bowl game after having a chance to heal up and regroup. So please stop with all your banter about firing Kelly. If that’s the game you want to play, go root for Alabama. People wanted him fired after a perfect season! Sounds like you’d fit right in down there.
TE21 says:
It is good to hear from some people supporting the coaches. As I mentioned previously, I am not sure who many of you would be satisfied with and before you say Urban Meyer, he had a chance to come to South Bend. Why didn’t he? Hopefully the two point conversion issue can be put to rest. However, since many want to talk in the “what if world” if the first conversion is made we kick two extra points to win not tie for he game at the end. It is easy to make judgements after you already no the outcomes. I would give Coach Kelly this advice: Tell your players not to read the comments on this site because it might make them wonder if they are supported. All is not lost on this season. GO IRISH!