Desert Meltdown Dooms Irish

Posted on by John Vannie

Arizona State converted three Notre Dame turnovers into 21 first half points in a four minute span and spanked the error-prone Irish by 55-31 on Saturday afternoon under the hot desert sun. A blitzing defense pressured quarterback Everett Golson into an avalanche of sacks and errant passes while Notre Dame’s depleted defense could not contain the up-tempo Sun Devil attack led by Taylor Kelly. A frenzied second half comeback attempt by the Irish imploded due to a Golson interception inside the ten yard line, a bobbled snap on a short field goal attempt, and an untimely defensive collapse just when the team had narrowed a 31 point deficit to three. ASU added insult to injury in the final minutes with their second pick-six of the game and a gratuitous fourth down run by Kelly to stretch the final margin.

Notre Dame dropped to 7-2 on the season and were effectively eliminated from the post season playoff picture.

The trouble started early for Golson when the team’s first drive stalled on a pair of sacks by the blitz-happy Sun Devils. Another sack and fumble on the next series set up a quick ASU score, and an interception on a tipped ball one play later was quickly converted to seven more points. Trailing 17-3 after the first quarter, Golson suffered yet another interception on a tipped ball, but this one was returned 59 yards for a touchdown by Damarious Randle. The Sun Devil offense also got into the act behind Kelly and wide receiver Cameron Smith, who hooked up on a 43-yard scoring strike to make it a 31-3 game with only 19 minutes elapsed.

Late first half points by both teams accounted for a 34-10 ASU advantage, and Notre Dame hit a pothole on the long road back when Golson threw another interception on the first drive of the third period after moving his team inside the ten yard line. The Irish continued to battle, however, and got some help from the defense put together a few stops. When Golson hit a wide open Amir Carlisle for a 25-yard touchdown to cut the gap to 34-31 with 6:37 remaining, it appeared the visitors were on the verge of executing an epic comeback.

Those hopes were cruelly dashed on the ensuing series, when the Sun Devils awoke for their second half slumber to roll 75 yards on five plays for a 41-31 lead. The desperate Irish suffered another pick six by Lloyd Carrington and a pair of sacks deep in their own territory on the next two series to send the home crowd into delirium. In the end, five turnovers and two failed fourth down plays that set up 35 ASU points and cost Notre Dame 7-10 of their own were too much to overcome.

Let’s review the answers to the pregame questions for additional self-flagellation:

Which young defense can avoid giving up costly big plays? Both sides were victimized, but the Irish offense put their teammates in terrible situations while the Sun Devils had only one turnover.

Will D.J. Foster or Tarean Folston be the most productive tailback in this game? Foster gained 120 yards and Folston had 30.

Which quarterback will be the most efficient? Golson threw for nearly twice as many yards (446-224), but Kelly was by far the most efficient today.

Can Brindza and the Irish special teams round into form and have a positive impact? Brindza looked good on a first quarter 46-yard field goal, but his holder let him down a couple of hours later.

Will Notre Dame be able to stand up to the emotional Sun Devil players and crowd in the early going? Not at all. The successful blitzing strategy by ASU caused a frenzy on the field and in the stands.

Which team will be the first to abandon the running game? I’ll bet you can guess the answer to this one.

The Irish now return home for a couple of weeks and must figure out how to regroup and get a few of their defensive players healthy again. This loss was disappointing given the goal of making the playoff, but there are still many reasons to keep fighting and trying to improve. Notre Dame has another road trip on the horizon against a more familiar PAC-12 opponent, and that alone should provide sufficient motivation to finish strong.

 

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136 thoughts on “Desert Meltdown Dooms Irish”

  1. Lenny K says:

    Yet another game that ND goes in with high hopes then lets you down and then rips your heart out with a comeback that falls short.We keep waiting for that ND magic from years past. It just doesn’t seem to be there anymore. I’ve seen this movie before. Can’t believe Golson with the turnovers. The worst part about this is listening to Mark May with the “I told you so’s”. Can’t stomach him. It still burns about the Fla St call from their home town ref. Just have to hope that Fla. St/ Alabama don’t get in the mix at the end. I hope Golson can turn this around for himself. Not sure about the defense. I thought they were better against the run etc. Please beat Southern Cal at least. This is when ND will start playing grerat now. It does seem like when they get out of the mix they come on strong which is always too little too late

  2. Mike D. says:

    Nothing to fight for now, maybe a sliver of respect, that’s about it. There’ll be no motivation for these final 3 games.

  3. ND Chicago says:

    I think the only good thing that can be said about this game is that the Irish never quit. There were no other positives. Kelly’s offense is fools gold; the numbers might look good, but they cannot run the football when they need to and there are many times he doesn’t even try to run the ball. Rees got absolutely killed on this blog and everywhere else because he was a turnover machine. Golson is more athletic, but just as turnover prone. He hasn’t gotten any better throughout the season, just like Tommy. Part of the problem is Kelly being too stubborn to run the ball and part of it is this stupid spread offense that doesn’t provide enough blockers for effective running and/or pass protection. Once again, special teams were atrocious. They cannot even properly execute the hold for a field goal; something most pee wee teams have mastered. On every punt there were at least 5-6 ASU defenders around Bryant and not one ND player. How does that happen for 5 years and Kelly is still getting a pass on special teams play?!?!?! Kelly, as per usual, didn’t make any in game adjustments against the blitz throughout the first half. By the time he made adjustments in the second half, ND was too far behind. You don’t have to be a wizard to know they were bringing more than ND could block. It was remarkable to me that when ND was trying to come back how slow the offense moved. Isn’t Kelly on record as saying he wants to “play fast” like Oregon? They’re not even close to operating at that pace so what is their identity? They can’t run the ball consistently and they’re totally inept in Kelly’s version of the spread offense. The defense didn’t play much better than the offense and couldn’t get a stop when they really needed one. Finally, can we please stop with the excuses about how hard it is to play Navy and the alleged “hangover” from the week after playing Navy that causes ND to lose/play poorly the week after. I never heard any crying or excuses from Navy when they were losing 41 games in a row to ND. This game was a huge step back, but like Kelly is fond of saying “you get what you deserve”.

    • PengieP says:

      Run the ball when you’re down by 28 points? I’m not sure what that accomplishes other than ending the game faster.

      • ND Chicago says:

        Obviously, I wasn’t talking about running the ball when the game got out of hand. I was talking about the start of the game; establishing the run. Or when it was 17-3 running the ball down their throats, go on a long drive to stop the momentum, and get back in the game. You saw what happened when they tried throwing it all over the field- they were down 34-3.

        • Dirty says:

          Umm, they were down by several touchdowns instantly. You act as if this was a close game for a while. It was not. At the very start of the game before the 21 point give away, ND did run the ball.

          Did you watch the game?

          • ND Chicago says:

            Really? I thought the game started like all the other games 0-0. Maybe you should follow your own advice and watch the game before posting.

    • Avon Domer says:

      Regarding the annual “hangover” after playing Navy, they said during the ASU game telecast that the Irish are 2-6 in games after playing the Middies in the last eight years.

    • Hoss says:

      Chicago, If ND wants to play fast like Oregon then someone better give them about 27 timeouts a half. They have trouble getting the plays in and the play going using all of the play-clock time. Could you imagine them trying to go any faster.

  4. Sean says:

    Is it not time to bench Golson? When is Kelly going to hold him accountable? It is the same thing week after week.
    If he cannot hold onto the ball, he should not play.

    • PengieP says:

      Yep. If EG weren’t actually getting worse, benching him might not be wise. But the guy has gotten worse each game. He needs to ride the pine and contemplate his sins.

      • bocceman2 says:

        Yes, Golson is an obvious head case. Sit the him down and lets get Zaire some reps for next year. There is really nothing left to play for. Pride? It got smashed into the turf of Sun Devil stadium. Time to work on 2015 and close the chapter on Golson. Nice kid but he needs to work on his future and football is not in the cards.
        Also dump Heistand and hire an offensive line coach. The retooling has not worked. ASU D line tossed our boys around like rag dolls. Pitiful.
        Once again Kelly embarasses ND in a big game.

        • Scott says:

          “ASU D line tossed our boys around like rag dolls. Pitiful.”

          Agree with you about OL coach, but your point here is more an indictment on S&C coach, Longo.

          • bocceman2 says:

            They got tossed around because they do not understand the concept of leverage when blocking. A man of lesser weight and strength can take down a big man if he gets leverage whether playing D line or O line. I think it is technique and not strength.

    • Nd from so cal says:

      Ya. He was horrible against Navy. One bad throw all night. Three tipped balls against ASU.

      Without EG we are screwed. C’ mon man.

      • bocceman2 says:

        We have been screwed with him. One bad throw against Navy but how many sacks and hurries that cost us momentum? He rattles too easy and every defense we face from here on out will blitz.

    • Dirty says:

      Let’s cool it with the bench Golson nonsense. Benching the teams best player isn’t going to help. I mean, they are 7-2 . . .

      However, there was a point where I did think he should have been taken out for a series. He needed a minute to get his head on straight.

    • Dean Carter says:

      If you mean is it time to start looking towards the future and rebuilding, then maybe so. Golson might have a year of eligibility left, but like Matt Fortuna stated in his blog yesterday, these last three games might be “the time for Notre Dame to at least explore the possibility of an alternative, seeing as though there is little to lose” (see http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/21451/irish-cannot-ignore-what-awaits-next-year). Since our chances for a College Football Playoff bid are pretty much over, it’s probably time to start looking at the future.

  5. mike in california says:

    The dream dies in the desert.. It was like watching a bad movie in the first half.. Kelly,
    once again, has his team come out flat for a big game…. I’m sorry he’s not a big time
    coach — he’s not!! He’s good but not great.

    Kudos to the kids for fighting back.. We do still have some fight left in the Irish…

    Louisville and USC pose big problems.. AND PLEASE, LET’S PUT AN END TO THE NAVY SERIES..

  6. Dr. Nick says:

    This was NC part II – except this time we lost.
    Do we lay the blame on Golson, the o-line or both?
    Did we really have to wait four quarters to finally see a screen pass used to beat the blitz??
    If ND continues to turnover the ball like this we will chalk up at least two more losses.
    “gratuitous fourth down run” – You are to kind with your words John.

    • PengieP says:

      The performance against Navy was a clear harbinger of tonight’s debacle. I had hoped for better, but I feared the result we got tonight

  8. ccb says:

    just got back from the game. People will try to make the excuse that turnovers cost us the game.
    not really true. The turnovers were created by a poorly playing offensive line that couldn’t [p/u a
    blitz and couldn’t run block either.

    On defense, virtually no pressure all day on T. Kelly. he had plenty of time to pick his receivers and
    ND was giving up runs in bunches.

    ND lost the game on both sides of the line of scrimmage. much too easy to blame Golson who played a
    gutty game nevertheless.

  9. NDBonecrusher says:

    Nothing to fight for? Really? C’mon Mike get a grip. So we don’t make the playoffs with a defense full of Freshmen. Yeah we screwed the pooch today but 10-2 is damn respectable. Keep your heads up lads and get better for next week.

    • Dr. Nick says:

      Except for getting burned on one deep pass for a touchdown in the first half, our young defense played a gritty game and just ran out of gas on the drive by state to go ahead by 10.
      No defense can make up for 45 points given to the opponents.

    • mike in california says:

      Bonecrusher,

      With all due respect, 10-2 is not a given.. No doubt we could lose to both USC AND LOUISVILLE.

      Wake up and smell the coffee and quit being so myopic!! Please get your grip on..

  10. mrm says:

    Apparently Golson has small hands as he continuously loses the ball rather easily. Defense exposed again on runs to the outside as demonstrated on ASU drive for TD when it was 34-31. Once again special team play is atrocious. As for ASU blitzes, why wouldn’t you employ two backs for protection. Obviously Golson can quite accurate when he has time to throw, so why wouldn’t you provide him with maximum protection. Terrible loss and terrible game planning.

    • PengieP says:

      Golson’s hands aren’t the problem. It’s where he has them all the time. That fumble is because he didn’t tuck and accept the sack. Instead, he gives up a turnover. This is the story of the guy. He tries very hard, but when the sack etc. is inevitable, throw the ball away or tuck it in.

  11. Terry says:

    Kelly has not proved himself as a top coach and is yet to have a marquee win. He did well at Cincy, but played in a second rate conference, the Big East, and his team got creamed by Florida. I will give him credit for coaching his QBs well at Cincy, but at ND they’ve been liabilities more than anything else, proved by Golson’s pathetic turnovers in the 1st quarter today. Complaining about the day, rather than usual night game only proved that he wasn’t mentally prepared, which reflected on his team’s performance. Special teams continues to perform poorly. The last two weeks seemed more like games where the players were there in body, but not in spirit. Kelly and his staff will have to take their coaching to the next level, a la Frank Leahy, if they want to win at the highest level. ASU is good, but nothing special, ND just made them look incredible by another inconsistent performance.

      • Terry says:

        Do you call waiting to be down by 31 points to start playing with some urgency a spirited performance? Did the effort indicate that ND was mentally prepared to be on the field at the start of the game yesterday? You’re joking if you’d say they were ready to compete yeaterday; and show a little respect and capitalize Rockne!

    • Dirty says:

      I don’t think ASU looked “incredible.”

      It looked to me like they would have gotten blown out of the water without the five turnovers.

  12. david says:

    Golson has held the ball out like a loaf of bread since Day 1. Whether it’s jarring it loose on a hit, or getting him to drop it on a QB scamble, or him simply letting it slip out of his grip out of sheer inattention, he’s a liability. He’s not a great QB…he just throws the ball well. As a planned play, forget the QB scramble…..that is a “strength” only in comparison to Tommy Rees’ lack thereof. EG could only ever be a starting QB for a team with a GREAT O-Line.

    • Scott says:

      Before you comment, please know a little about football. For a QB to be accurate, he needs a great OL able to create a protection pocket to give him time to toss the pigskin. Joe Montana, a great QB, will tell you the same. In fact, for every great performance of his career, who did he credit? His OL for giving him time to think through his progressions and pick the right target. And, before you say it, his compliments were not lip service. Now, put him behind an OL like this Irish OL, and you would see similar results (granted, not nearly as many turnovers, though). Bank on that, sir.

  13. go_irish says:

    Before the season started we all knew this was a building year for next year. The defense was young and unproven with a new DC and scheme. Everyone talked about the offense needing to put up a lot of points to carry the team. All that talk was before the suspensions and injuries.

    Just read that the defense did not start a senior. I am not sure that’s true, but may be that there was not a starter who doesn’t have eligibility left.

    It was unfortunate that the offensive line could not match the execution of the FSU game.

    Both sides of the ball still have work to do.

    Golson needs to protect the ball A LOT better or he will be watching next year.

    But to say there is nothing to play for is crazy in my opinion. A 10-2 regular season and a bowl win is a success in my mind.

    • PengieP says:

      Agreed.. There’s lots to play for. And experience for next year. I think we can be great next year. Especially if the mistakes that made the team “not great” this year can be fixed next year.

      • bocceman2 says:

        Kelly is in his fifth year and still building? He has yet to develop a QB. Dayne Christ was a head case, Hendrix never developed, Reese never should have put on an Irish uniform and Golson is another head case. Kelly ran off Gunner Kiel because he was a pocket passer. So he makes Golson a pocket passer who can’t read defenses and can not make critical decisions to avoid sacks and too short to see over D linemen. Kelly will never will be nothing more than a mid level coach. If he ever lucks his way into the playoffs we will get blown out like the Alabama game.

  16. SaratogaFrank says:

    It is an interesting contrast to read the Posts on NDN after the FSU game and compare them with the
    posts today with particular reference to Coach Kelly. I wonder if ASU has anything like NDN so one could
    see how they felt about Coach Todd after the UCLA game and today. I also am intrigued that at least one
    of the announcers of the ND Games comments on great Coach Kelly is at play-calling and yet there is a group
    of posters. including the “chief” who are constantly obsessed with his “bad” play-calling. I thought the fact tht the team did not give up when they were behind 34 – 3 was a tribute to their ND spirit and, indirectly, to the coaches for the environment they have created.

    • Terry says:

      The team never gave up but I don’t credit the coaches for that.
      The team couldn’t have played worse – it was one of those days.
      Youth, inexperience, injuries and the month of November caught up to us – lack of talent is not the problem.
      Kelly’s play-calling is poor IMO – predictable.
      Give Zaire a chance.

      We’ve given up 42 ppg over the last 4 games – doesn’t speak well for BVG.

  17. NCHDomer says:

    There appeared to be real progress with the FSU game and that the team was approaching its prior elites status of the 60s, 70s and late 80s. Then a near loss to Navy and a blowout loss to ASU, both inferior teams. The teams performance in both games can be tied directly to the now routine turnovers of the qb. Enough, please. Amir had a fumble last year and never saw the field again. Golson coughs up the ball 4 and 5 times a game and still is playing. Why? Give Malik a chance to show what he can do. The playoffs are gone and all that is left is to play for pride and a lower tier bowl game. Perhaps Malik proves to be the qb we all have been waiting for or Golson gets his act together and starts holding on to the ball. The team needs his comeback efforts only because he puts the team in a hole with his careless handling of the ball. Don’t blame the team for his turnovers. Most are his fault.

    • PengieP says:

      Exactly. What’s the point of having a “competition” for starting positions if repeated poor performance doesn’t jeopardize one’s starting position? Especially performance so egregiously bad it costs important games. We need to start Zaire and let Golson ride the pine to contemplate his sins.

  19. rockne says:

    1. OL was a huge problem today. Not all the TOs are on Golson.

    2. ND has plenty to play for–winning out could put ND is a major bowl given that after tonight, ND will be among numerous teams with two loses including Auburn (gives up 41 at home committing HUGE TOs), K-State, Ole Miss and probably Michigan State, which has already given up 41 at home tonight !

    3. Why do we ND fans think that with Joe Schmidt, Cody Riggs and Collinsworth out, in addition to Russell, Daniels and Williams, ND should just continue to beat everyone? Yes, ND missed Schmidt’s leadership today and missed Riggs. There is no way many would have thought in August ND would be a top 10 team 8 games into the season if we knew these guys would be out for one or more games.

    4. Take a deep breath, bitch a bit, then look at ND’s starters and see how few are seniors and ask whether the future looks bright.

      • bocceman2 says:

        What does a depleted D have to do with 5 turnovers, 7 sacks and piss poor O line and special teams play?

    • obs85 says:

      Well said — the pressure and rapid gap-filling strategy of ASU could have been beaten, but it’s mostly on the QB to have great decision-making, fast passes and no technical faults to defeat such a strategy. They saw something to be able to get the tips and to force Golson to be careless holding the ball. Depleted defense was on its heels all day when ASU turned up the octane on offense. Sometimes you just don’t have a good day — is Auburn a bad program because they botched two exchanges they make in their sleep vs A&M?? These are 20-year-olds under pressure — this happens. We should be thrilled ND is finally a legitimate and consistent Top 20 program, and from there in any given season all you need is a sprinkle of 1st-round-draft choice skill position play and a few breaks to make it to the top.

  20. rockne says:

    One more:

    Saratoga Frank-yes, most major college teams have message boards. After the loss to Auburn last year, some Alabama fans wanted Saban fired!!

  21. rockne says:

    DEFENSE

    Nlyles Morgan-Freshman

    Devin Butler-Soph

    Jaylon Smith-Soph

    Redfield – Soph

    Cole Luke – Soph

    Jarron Jones – Junior-two more years of eligibility left

    Trumbetti – Freshman

    Blankenship – Freshman

    Farley – another year of eligibility left

    Schmidt – another year of eligibility left

    Okwara – Junior

    Rochelle – Soph

    Day – Junior

    Tranquil – Freshman

    Shumate – Junior

    Onwaulau – Soph

    Martini – Freshman

    Williams and Russell desire to return!

  22. irishhawk50 says:

    I think Golson has reached a plateau. I agree with those who say give Malik a shot. I may not be an offensive genius but I saw very early that Folstean was missing his blocks and thought they should put McDaniel in. What took so long? Also early I thought Golson should be rolling out. Again what took so long?

    I think the adjustments would have worked without the hole Golson dug. Kelly is a good coach, but there does seem to be a pattern of problems about getting his team consistently ready to play. ND is not a top 10 team this year, but a good young team. I hope they can regroup and win out.

    • PengieP says:

      BTW, why hasn’t the running backs coach worked with Folston about blocking? Nobody is doing the guy any favors by not addressing this serious fault. Folston has the chops to play in the NFL if he can learn to block so the staff really needs to get on the stick with him.

  24. JimG says:

    Typical whining from some here. Lose, replace someone, lose, fire someone, blah, blah, blah.
    No one wants to lose, but someone will. Some days you get it right, some days you don’t.
    This is a young team, still developing, and given the personnel losses this year, including the injured, they are competing.
    Kelly should go??? Where did that come from??? Where were we before Kelly??

    • rockne says:

      Great post. When I was a student at ND in the 70s, people wanted Ara fired after the uSC debacle in 1974 and Dan Devine fired three games into the 1975 season.

    • Joe S says:

      Finally, some sanity. We are far better off with Kelly and his staff then anyone since Lou. If you want Kelly out, who would you replace him with? 10-2 with a good bowl win is great results from a team full of underclassmen. The team is young and full of talent and there’s more on the way. Everyone calm down. The future looks bright.

  25. nysubwayalum says:

    BK was equally responsible along with EG and Oline. Our STRATEGY yest should have been to run, physic dominate, and mix passes in keeping Nyles and young banged up D off the field. Instead, early, when Folston had some nice runs, we have 2nd and 2 from midfield. I’d call a run as you have 2-3 plays to get 2 yards! Move the damn chains and manage the game. BK? Has EG chuck one into the flat into 4 def and voila, pick 6. This down/distance play calling went on throughout 1st half…I say BK, OL, then EG in that order all to blame. OL was manhandled all day-even on goal line efforts they were tossed around like rag dolls…what’s up with THAT? R

    • Allen Sell,ND '62 says:

      Absolutely-please give him a chance! EG has to be held accountable. Was there even a Game Plan??? It seems that we do the same things every Game. We knew they were going to blitz!? The fault is as much with BK as it is with EG.

  27. NDBonecrusher says:

    A thought and a query: I agree it’s not crazy talk to consider giving MZ a crack at it. The turnovers have been a problem all year and EG has not corrected this tendency. At all. Any other player in this position who made mistakes of that magnitude would be at least temporarily benched. Perhaps watching the Northwestern game is what he needs.
    Question: pardon my ignarance-what the hell happened to Riggs? Hurt? Sick? Knucklehead?

  28. NCHDomer says:

    5 turnovers is a 35 point swing. 4 led to ASU points and 1 lost a touchdown for ND. Add the missed field goal due to a fumbled snap and the total goes up to 38 points. Not even FSU or Alabama can win a game under such conditions. The defense, if not tired, had to be demoralized. The team is young and shows great promise, especially if the new defensive coordinator stays. He’s terrific. The balance of the season is, to some extent, about next year now. Give Malik his opportunity. He either proves to be up to the task and gains some valuable experience or Golson gets the message and stops turning the ball over.
    On a side note, the ASU coach now has the distinction of having beaten ND while coaching teams from two different schools. More accurately, he beat Kelly. The first being courtesy of an interception in the endzone when a chip shot field goal wins the game for ND. It does seem that the same philosophy still permeates the coaching. Too many risky passes on our side of the field have led to turnovers and points for the opposition. And it is the turnovers that have defined virtually every loss under Kelly. He is a good coach and the team is very good when they play up to their potential, as against FSU. But letting Navy back in the game when they were being soundly beaten shows that this team still has a long way to go.

  29. Terry says:

    Toward the end of the game one of the announcers made the point that of the 7 teams that had played Navy this year, 6 of them lost the next game, including Ohio State.

    Kelly is a good coach and has gotten better every year @ ND, but he has not yet turned the corner, gone to the next level, etc. We’ve gotten back to the level where other teams respect ND, but we need to get BACK to the level where they say “Oh shit – next week we’ve got to play Notre Dame.”

    Shake down the thunder from the sky

    It’s time

  30. Aaron says:

    NOT SURPRISED BY YESTERDAY’S OUTCOME!!!! IT WAS IN THE MAKING FOR THE COMING WEEKS. YOU PLAY WITH MATCHES LONG ENOUGH….YOU LL GET BURNED ….LIKE IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. DEFENSE….KEEP IT UP …GOLSON NEEDS TO REALIZE THERE ARE OTHER PLAYERS ON OFFENSE INSTEAD OF….ME!!!!! THERE IS NO “I” IN TEAM!!!!!

    • Scott says:

      He does realize that there are other players… that is why he keeps looking down field to find other players and make plays.

          • Aaron says:

            Oh please Scott…enlightened me what your thinking is? I know 3 turnovers which were going to be 21 pts. for us went for ASU. Can’t win games giving away that amount of pts. You re right….thinking isn’t one of my strong suits….certainly must be yours! Moron!

  31. NDBonecrusher says:

    Dude I hear you and of course the fact is correct. But we beat ourselves pretty good yesterday. Graham did not outsmart BK and BVG. ND put themselves in too deep a hole. Very very frustrating. But Todd Graham is no genius. Ask a Pitt fan.

  32. GOND88 says:

    Blowout in the desert.

    It’s one thing to spot North Carolina 14 points at home and quite another thing to spot Arizona State 21 points on the road and put your defense in several short field situations in the first half. Golson’s poor ball control and propensity to commit turnovers is just atrocious and I don’t think there’s a quarterback on any top 25 team who commits this many turnovers. I do think it’s time to give Malik Zaire some reps.

    I had a feeling the sloppy play, execution issues, defensive breakdowns and turnovers that we witnessed the last several weeks would eventually lead to a blowout loss and it did. And as was mentioned by Vannie and others I don’t understand why Kelly goes into panic mode and abandons the run if ND goes down by one or two scores early in the game.

    The Good: The weather, the girls
    The Bad: Almost everything
    The Ugly: Golson’s turnovers, Corey Robinson’s bobble that lead to interception return for TD in 4th, O-line play, running game, ND pass rush and run defense.

    Looks like it’s back to square one. Unless Kelly and staff figure out a way to correct these glaring mistakes ND is staring at an 8-4 ledger and a berth in the also ran bowl. Unfortunately, it looks like Kelly’s ceiling as a head coach at ND is 9-4 or 8-5.

  33. Scott B says:

    A horrible game in nearly every way imaginable.

    But is there a group more hysterical and out of touch than Irish fans? The wheels come off for one game and now I’m seeing people talk about permanently benching Golson, dooming his football future, calling for Kelly’s head and predicting that ND loses out. Real reactionary stuff.

    Y’all must have some pretty entitled lives if you handle the disappointment of a football game like my four year old niece. Get a grip.

  34. david says:

    If you as a fan are content to give Golson even more opportunities to improve, that’s fine. He’s been coached by an excellent coaching staff for 2 years, anlong with an off-season of expensive individual training from a professional tutor, and he still knows exactly the same amount about protecting the football as he did on Day 1…..nothing. Some people just don’t get certain stuff. Golson is easily rattled in the pocket, and is clearly uncomfortable when he is forced to scramble.

    Any defense would look at all the tapes and realize that, given ND’s porous O-line, if you can get EG into that mode, their risk is 10-15 yards (say, 5 times out of 10), and their potential reward is a turnover….say, 2 or 3 times out of 10.

    There’s a major part of everyone’s ND game plan for the rest of this season.

  35. flirish says:

    This was a classic Brain Kelly big game production. With the exception of FSU we have not looked good in a big game since he has been here. We have beaten USC and michigan etc but usually when they are down. Although Golson turned the ball over and that killed us the fact is we had no answer or plan for their blitz and our defense was hopelessly pathetic in the first half and the second half of of the fourth quarter when we made it a game. I do concede that we are plagued with injuries and suspensions etc but the reality is that we were as talented as they were and we just under performed. They out coached us. Here are some things that you can’t blame on Golson:
    1. Horrific defensive scheming and playing in the fourth quarter. BVG sells out on blitzes with little results
    2. Five years of very below average special teams. Why we have a back up punter holding for field goals is a mystery. in a fake or an emergency he can neither run or pass and at best he is always cold
    3. Inability to block even one single person on a punt return for five years. we must over the kelly era be the worst punt return team in the NCAA for the past five year span collectively
    3Inability to return even on kick off to good field position
    4. Inability to pressure a quarterback with a four or five man rush. we need to sell out and even then we seldom get there
    5. Absent run game with four and five star recruits in the running back and offensive line position
    6. Not showing up for big games
    Face it –we have become an embarrassment on the national stage over and over. This was the biggest game in Sun Devil Stadium history and look what we did. the pundits and pollsters will remember this for a few seasons as they have the Alabama game. it does carry over even though it is not supposed to.
    Truly disgraceful and it is mostly on Kelly

  36. 2014 says:

    Yeah, I blame these blocked passes on BK and a soft O-line. Golson is short QB that needs to be rolled out. 2 turnover were on tipped balls. The turnovers are in EG head now, you’re looking at 3 a game unless he’s pulled. Agree with losing the game up front. Couldn’t run inside the red zone and could stop the run on D. When teams run that read option, I’m not sure why we don’t deck the QB on every play.

  37. pc says:

    Once again I feel as though I watched a different game then most of you. Golson wasn’t nearly as bad as the stats show. Come on everyone don’t let emotion get in the way of logic and reasoning. Two tips early which fall into defenders hands is partially bad luck and partially disengaged offensive lineman not holding blocks. The pick at the end of the game is obviously all robinson who couldn’t just drop the ball he had to tip it back up ensuring knuckle head haters will say they got blown out. He obviously had two bad TO’s which I agree are getting old but not the 5 he will be credited for. Also I like Kelly alot but they dialed up the blitz on almost every play—screen passes all day shouldnt be the recipe until they stopped. To often I think he viewed it as Golson will be so athletic he will avoid blitzers instead of adjusting on the fly. Very dissapointed but the bench Golson stuff is absurd. They have lost 3 games with Golson at QB which is better then anyone else can say in a few decades.

    • rays15 says:

      I’m glad someone watched the same game I did. Golson is asked to do far more than most QBs, and his ability to make plays is a major reason we have 7 wins despite a mediocre OL and a defense that is getting thinner every week. He is not in position to simply be a conservative game manager who lets the other elements of the team win the game.

        • Scott says:

          ‘Why, for example, would we not consider a power “I”’

          You’re joking, right? Who would be the FB in the power “I”?

  38. Fitz says:

    Golson has the skills to be an elite quarterback but lacks the focus to put together complete games. By the way I happen to live in Louisville and that Louisville game scares me a little bit. They are a team with a great D, a lot of fight and they too were unfortunate not to beat FSU.

  39. rockne says:

    Thank goodness that there are fans like pc, JimG and terry who have a great grip on reality. Some comments:

    1. ND played yesterday without Riggs and without its defensive leader-Joe Schmidt. Morgan will be darn good but until the Navy game, he did not play any downs on defense.

    2. We expect the world of Golson but this is only his second full season with an entire year off from game day football in between!!

    3. Yesterday, at one point, ND was playing no seniors on defense and only three or four on offense (McDaniel, Koyack, Lombard, Hegarty (who can return))

    4. Have we forgotten that Kelly had to replace both his offensive and defensive coordinators because last year’s coordinators became head coaches?

    5. Utah gave up 51 at home, Michigan State’s supposed all world defense gave up 49 at home, Auburn gave up 41 at home and lost any chance at the NC with critical TOs, Oklahoma gave up 48 at home, K-state gave up 41 and ASU earlier this year gave up 62 points.

  40. Luke says:

    Disappointing game, but this board is the thing that is really killing me. Everyone is acting as if this is the end.

    should have 20/22 starters back next year and a year under their belt with Vangorder’s system. Future looks bright and still could end up 10-2 this year.

    Let’s not be so dramatic.

  41. ND Chicago says:

    The outcome of the next 3 games will say a lot about whether any progress was made this year, but after 5 years I don’t think it’s an unfair question to ask if Kelly has brought the program as far as he can. These are his recruits and he’s had 5 years to install his schemes and philosophy; there really are no more excuses that hold water. At this point, any problems or shortcomings are owned by him. He’s been given everything he’s asked for, including a new playing surface. His teams have only had one signature win; Oklahoma 2012. Conversely, they have suffered some really bad losses to teams they shouldn’t have. They have rarely dominated anyone, including many teams they should have. With the exception of 2012, the offense has been inconsistent and turnover prone. Special teams started out bad and have regressed to horrible. Saying Kelly is great compared to his 3 immediate successors is like bringing a failing grade up to a C and wondering why that’s not good enough for Dean’s List recognition.

      • ND Chicago says:

        I’ll give you Stanford in 2012, so they’ve had 2 signature wins in 5 years. Last year USC was so good they fired their coach in the middle of the year and played in the marquee Las Vegas Bowl. In 2012, USC finished 7-6. That’s your idea of signature wins? Huh??

        There’s a real disconnect between what people who know the history of ND football consider successful versus people who are content with 8-4 seasons with appearances in the Champs Sports Bowl or Pinstripe Bowl.

        • rockne says:

          So let’s talk history: Ara had one undefeated, untied season in 11 years. even though he consistently had over 100 players on scholarship. He loses three straight years to Purdue (66-68) In 1970, he loses to a .500 USC team costing ND the NC. In 1972, he loses to Missouri, which gave up 63 the week before then is totally blown out in the Orange Bowl. In 1974, he loses to a crappy Purdue team then gives up 7 straight TDs to USC.

          Devine never went undefeated (3 or more loses in 3 of his 5 seasons) even though he consistently had over 100 players on scholarship and loses the first two games of 1978, both at home and scoring ZERO points in one of them.

          Holtz was phenomenal until he no longer had 95 plus players on scholarship and had notable defeats such as giving up 33 straight to Stanford and 24 to PSU, both devastating defeats while also losing to Air Force . In 1991, he blows a 31-7 lead against Tennessee and hangs on for dear life against Hawaii giving up 42 points.

          • ND Chicago says:

            So to summarize, these three ND coaching legends won 4 National Championships among them (in addition to competing for several more and playing in meaningful bowls). Not coincidentally, it took them less than 5 years to do it. Since ND does not belong to a conference in football, the goal every year is to compete for a national championship. If Brian Kelly ever joins these coaching legends in winning a national title he would certainly be cut some slack for getting blown off the field by Navy, losing to Tulsa at home, and giving up a 28 4th quarter in a loss at Michigan. Until then, he is going to be scrutinized; especially in areas where there has been no improvement in 5 years like rampant turnovers and lousy special teams. I’m not sure what the number of scholarship players has to do with anything since everyone in the NCAA is allowed the same amount.

  42. Nd from so cal says:

    A bunch of whiners on this board. Get a grip lads. Tough call against FSU and a bad 6 min stretch to
    end the game last night. Yes, Golson has issues with fumbling but 3 of his 4 picks were tipped. Without
    him we are in serious trouble.

    Just remember before Kelly arrived in South Bend. I would say he has put us back on the map again.

    You guys are funny.

  43. 2014 says:

    I would say bank on a young team, but what happened to Redfield. He seems to have regressed. Anyway, most folks thought 8-4 anyway. Suppose expectations got ahead of themselves as season went along.

  44. Kevin says:

    I agree most with those saying take a deep breath. Of course this game is very disappointing and Golson, at the moment, is regressing rather than improving. Having said that, benching him is ridiculous. The coaches wouldn’t hesitate to bench him if they believed ZM was a better option. Right now, he is not.

    I do believe, however, that despite a couple victories in the past over USC and Sanford, none of those represents a signature win. IF the flag doesn’t fly at FSU, that would have been a signature win. Beating top 10 ranked teams at their place is a signature win. Beating an undefeated or one loss top 10 team at home, late in the season, is a signature win. I don’t recall that has yet to occur.

    This is a young team with quite a few injuries. If you think about it, 7-2 at this point is pretty remarkable. Those wishing for BK’s head seem to have short memories and already forgot the 2000’s. Who would you get in his place? He deserves at least another 3 years. I think the future is bright.

    • Drasail2 says:

      Where is Tommy Rees when you need him? What I mean is a reliable backup so that when your starter is having the dopsies, he can chill out on the sideline and watch what the AZ defense is doing. The other thing to do is go to the ground initially, 3 and out punt is better than a pick six. We should be seeing Zaire in the next few weeks because it is good for the program to develop its talent against lesser foes…I hope. The Devils are a pretty good team but we can end up in the top 10 too if we regroup and learn from this meltdown. Pre bowl predictions seem to have us playing some crummy foes…we should aspire to get to take one one of the SEC also rans.

  45. RICK ROBINSON says:

    WITHOUT GOLSON THE IRISH WOULD BE 2-7. FOR AS MANY TURN OVERS HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, HE MAKES TWICE AS MANY BIG PLAYS. ANYONE REMEMBER 4TH AND 18, VERSUS FLORIDA STATE. OR THE BULLET HE THREW TO KOYACK TO BEAT STANFORD? AS FOR YESTERDAY’S GAME, THE GAME PLAN SUCKED, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. KELLY HAD NO CLUE HOW TO BEAT THE BLITZ. HOW ABOUT TWO TIGHT ENDS, MAX PROTECT ON A FEW PLAYS, SCREENS, QUICK THROWS OVER THE MIDDLE, DESIGNED RUNS FOR GOLSON? IT TOOK KELLY A HALF TO WAKE UP. HE NEEDS TO HOLD HIMSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DEBACLE. DON’T GIVE UP ON GOLSON, HIS COACH NEEDS TO HELP HIM SOMETIMES. HE ALSO NEEDS TO LEARN THAT HE SHOULD RUN THE BALL ON PASSING DOWNS. HIS PLAY CALLING IS WAY TOO PREDICTABLE. THE IRISH ARE YOUNG, NEXT YEAR , THEY WILL BE DANGEROUS!

  46. jdthom says:

    I agree to an extent about the run game, but truly balanced teams are few and far between. If the stats are balanced it’s usually because it’s a running team that uses play action e.g. Charlie Weis except Weis never could figure out how to get a run game established at ND. O-lines are taught how to run block and pass block differently. Very few excel at both across the line. ND is a pass first team and that’s fine, but the breakdowns in the game occurred in pass protection, giving up 6 or 7 sacks and getting 2 passes tipped at the LOS that got intercepted. Golson is not Tommy Rees and cannot check into the right protections before the snap so the coaches have to do that work for him. Bringing McDaniel in helped but it took 2 1/2 quarters to figure that out. There wasn’t much else that could be done, though as the preparation and/or film study was lacking. Kelly said ASU ran the same defenses and same blitzes it ran last year. Then there was no excuse for the offensive line’s lack of preparation by the coaching staff.

  47. Joe Schaefer ND '59 says:

    Some observations: (1) Golson panics under pressure and doesn’t need to carry the team on his back,
    (2) Kelly needs to be flexible in his game planning. Play-Action would have helped in this game. Why
    not do some of that in the NW game with Zaire? (3) Flexible thinking is fine; however, that requires a
    mobile offensive line, (4) Kelly is one stubborn man so I don’t expect him to look at himself or his staff
    and make some obvious changes. Once again from “The Book of Ara”: 1964- Pro-Set Offense, Heisman qb.
    1965-Winged T offense, converted end qb.

    • Scott says:

      How the hell would play action have helped with no running threat? Were we watching the same game? ASU wasn’t even the least bit worried about ND’s running game, so, again, how would this have worked. There would have had to have been an established run threat for play action to work at all.

  48. canuck75 says:

    Glad to see some balanced comments, although didn’t read em all. You make your own breaks etc etc, but come on, how unlucky were we to have the tipped balls bounce directly to guys? And Corey robinson-probably are surest handed receiver makes a mistake. He is entitled to make one by the way, but it still stings.
    We were still alive until that play despite everything else. I am a big Golson fan and defender, but he must make the change to secure the ball and vow to not one hand it again in traffic.

    I think the best point of all is how they came back. Coach has them believing in themselves. It simply wasn’t our day.

  49. PC says:

    After having 48 hours to digest this game and having posted earlier about my defense of Golson and being in the minority about that, I am still stinging from what this season could have been and this game now makes the screw job call in Tallahassee magnified. Although this loss would’ve dealt a big blow to the playoff hopes, having secured the win in Tallahassee would’ve done two things we needed: Most likely assured ourselves of a big bowl match up to further test where we stack up and given us that program defining win that the naysayers always seem to hold over our heads in polls and now in the new playoff committee seedings. Now my hope is to protect home field (Kelly has down a much better job with protecting home field then past coaches) and go out to SC beat them and sneak into a top tier bowl.

  50. Doug NimtZ says:

    This is a difficult loss to sort out as demonstrated by the many comments from knowledgeable fans. First, size is a factor in Golson’s play (mentioned only by two other commenters.) This puts him at a higher risk for turnovers and incompletions. In a word, Golson may not be big enough or cope with pressure well enough to be one of the top four in the nation indispensable to a #1 team. Second, the OL is relatively weak and critically inconsistent. This could be coaching. Third, the story on defense is youth, injuries, and loss of players to academic misconduct. Fourth, chronic embarrasingly weak performance of special teams with a new wrinkle middle school field goal failure. Must be coaching. Fifth, questionable real time coaching presumably by Kelly regarding crucial play calling and on field adjustments. My intuition tells me ASU determined many play calls before the snap if not the line up to set. My bottom line on Kelly is he can win the championship, keeping in mind two 12-0 seasons! Finally, given the talent and growth potential of the 2014 Irish, I’m optimistic for if not confident of at least 10-2 next year.

  51. Lars says:

    Dramatic reactions on this blog, as usual. Yes, the playoff/national championship hopes are gone, as are any chances of Golson holding the Heisman. For me, that’s the worst loss of the season always–never easy to say goodbye to being the best. I was definitely depressed.

    Even though we outperformed Florida State, this year’s team never impressed me as one of the best, or a top 5 squad. Reviewing our season resume–crushed a terrible Michigan team, signature win against a now 3 loss Stanford squad, barely beating North Carolina. FSU the weakest of the top teams, Navy leading in the 4th quarter. Not to mention this trend of turnovers and a defense giving up 43, 27, 39 ,31 in the last month–not the championship 2nd in scoring defense of 2012 that played Alabama.

    We’re not that good this year. Top 20 might be pushing it. Wouldn’t be surprised to lose 1 of the remaining 3. Worried we might lose more.

    Don’t get me wrong. We exceeded my expectations. 7-2 is good, and 10-2 would be still exceed expectations for this year. 10-2 would be 83% winning percentage. As the winningest program in college football history (73.4%), my bar would be to average that 10-2 or 9-3, with competing for a 12-0 in a good year. I think we are doing all of this. In my book, Kelly stays.

    No, we are not a dynasty. I want to ND to be great again, too. This ain’t the year. I can now stop leaving my calendar open for NY day playoff and Jan 12 national championship game.

    The self proclaimed WIllie Beamer (Golson) continues to need what I thought a year off would have given him–humility. No other way I can understand a QB posting the ball on the ground to prevent himself from falling down. More turnovers as the season goes on is the wrong direction, just as a defense giving up more points later in the season makes me wonder what we are doing worse.

    • Scott says:

      You do realize that many of the defensive starters are either suspended or were injurred as the season progressed, right? This at least explains the defensive issues of the moment.

      However, I am with you on Golson. As much as I am a fan of his, I am becoming a huge critic WRT turnovers.

  52. bobc says:

    Comments seem to be focused on only ND failures… How about some love for how inspired ASU played.
    ASU seemed to have more speed and better faster skilled players, better coaching – at least in this game.
    World has not ended… move on and give some credit to ASU.

    PS: USC led ASU with one second to go…miracle play by future #1 draft pic receiver Strong saved the day for ASU.
    USC will not be cake in LA even with 48 players.

    • Scott says:

      Last time I checked, this is a NOTRE DAME site. Who the hell cares about ASU? They were gifted the game…. FIVE TIMES.

  53. flirish says:

    I think Golson has real turnover issues but to say he panics under pressure is absurd he has converted some major 4th downs like the one that won the stanford game and late in Q4 at fsu. Lets be honest, it is tough with below par pass blocking and no running game. Of course they pressure him, he is >70% of offense. This does not excuse the turnovers but it explains them. If we could run–which we can’t and don’t and if the line did a better job he would not “panic” as many suggest. I think he does pretty well overall and if better than anything we have seen on our team in awhile.
    it would also help if our starting field position was consistently better but that would mean we had good special teams. that is another major problem in the Kelly era. Special teams never help us.