Lucy has pulled the football away enough times during BK’s reign for me to put a game over socializing as long as he’s here.

first, I will never disagree with your sentiment around the offense sucking arse...it did that night. Yes, I believe Kelly and the OC could have had a better gameplan to help/hide the D's issues.

But, (see poster below) it wasn't a great defensive gameplan. The special teams were abysmal, and the offense was bad, but the D couldn't get off the field because they couldn't stop the Michigan running game (which was pretty imaginative). Michigan was on the ropes and, frankly, really needed that win. Excuse me, Harbaugh really needed that game. So many teams took Michigan to the shed, but their running game shoved the ball down our throats all game long.

Gosh, I promise I'm not trying to be negative as I want ND to be great. This all falls on Kelly and all his deficiencies...which are many.

Are you suggesting ND's defense was tired at the start of the game?

4 possessions, 17 points = 4.25 points per drive

Michigan had 10 more possessions and scored 31 more points = 3.1 points per drive. (actually 11 possessions, but it's reasonable to exclude the kneel-downs at end of half)

ND's defense played worse at the start of the game.

as thinking about that game again hurts my head.

but here's a quick look at ALL of ND's first half drives:

1. 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:57
2. 6 plays, 11 yards, 3:11
3. 3 plays, 2 yards, 54 seconds
4. 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:54
5. 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:57
6. 3 plays, 5 yards, 45 seconds

Sure, ND could have played better defense.

But at the end of the day ND had barely over 50 yards of offence in the first half and all of 10 minutes of possession. And with all that shit, the defense gave up 17 points. 17 points isn't good, but it's not terrible all things considered. It's also easy to imagine a world where that 17 would have been a 10, in which case it would be pretty good. But in no world was the offence remotely competent.

Both the defense and the offense sucked that night overall, but it was the offense that wagged the suck dog.

And one of those weeks was fall break with no classes.

How we could be "tired" or unmotivated means only that Brian Kelly should have been terminated as coach between that game and December 1.

Michigan and Harbaugh were teetering and not only did we not step on their neck, we lost 45-14 and showed so little fight...we let him off the hook. He would have had a helluva tough time recovering from a ND loss.

1st 4 possessions - 190, for an average of 47.5
(17-0 Michigan, game over.)

last 10 possessions - 248, for an average of 24.8

it was a complete loss...I'll agree with poster that Offense was pathetic that night.

I'll stand by the comment that I didn't see a ton of adjustments on the D that night, but he/she would be correct in saying it was a complete loss