The First Big Test for Notre Dame football this season is over and done, and looks like there’ll be a pop quiz before the Midterm Exam on the 18th. But there’s no intellectual rest for the Irish Blogger Gathering, so we plow on kicking ass and taking names. My question will be in its usual spot at the end, and be sure to check out the answers the other guys gave at their links within their questions to me.
Frank Vitovich, UHND: It’s now been two games since the OL was completely reshuffled. One game was a against a blitz happy team and another was against the #1 ranked defense in the country. So far the results have been mixed with OK pass protection but not stellar run blocking. Have these two games given the new look line great experience and we’ll see the benefits moving forward or have the two challenging experiences not given them the time to settle into their new roles and do you think the line will get better than what we’ve seen?
Given the mitigating circumstances you cited, I’m reluctant to make a firm declaration about the OL’s performance. I’m willing to cop to either of the possibilities. But you left out Door #3 — the changes haven’t made a difference, and we have to hope against hope our inability to run block isn’t going to cost us a shot at the playoffs.
I think we’d agree the defense they’ll see this Saturday is neither of types you mentioned. If improvement is in the offing, logic dictates we should see a significant step forward against North Carolina. That would go a long way towards giving me confidence in a win in Tallahassee. But if it’s more of the same, we may just have to strap in and close our eyes tight.
Ryan Ritter, Her Loyal Sons: This is the second week in a row which Golson has had some struggles with protecting the ball both in the air and on the ground. As he is arguably the heart of the ND offense, are you worried about the struggles? Do you think he’ll be fine? Or is your temperature somewhere else on the scale?
After a very strong start, the last two games out of Golson have been, in general, disappointing. However, as Frank points out above, these two defenses were much better than the first three. And while the overall statistical performance may have been rocky, in both games he led the team well and came out of it with a win. In this way, he’s an improvement over the 2012 version that couldn’t bring the intangibles to bear when the physical part wasn’t clicking.
Like with the OL, EG has an opportunity to get back on track against the Tar Heels. They’re hardly an imposing defense, and he should have the home field advantage. I’ll settle for a workman-like performance, but if he can put together the kind of game he had against Rice or Michigan, that would be even better.
Josh Knowles, Subway Domer: Hello poets. Hello wannabe hipsters- here is your chance to step up to the mic at your favorite coffee house and let your creativity shine. I need 2 haikus from you. One about last weeks incredible victory, and one about this weeks game against North Carolina. I’ll sit down and listen [grabs cup of ridiculously weird coffee blend and pours in bourbon].
Stanford Cardinal
Thinking about the band and
not covering Ben
What is a Tar Heel?
I don’t think anyone who
has all their teeth knows
Aaron Horvath, Fighting Irish Athletics: Last week’s win over Stanford was an ugly one – dropped passes, fumbles, etc … – but it was still a victory. Going into the UNC game at 5-0 and in the top-5 in the coaches poll with #1 Florida State awaiting the Irish the week after, what three things does Notre Dame need to do this week to ensure they don’t look ahead to a possible showdown in Tallahassee?
I’d like to see them set goals for the game outside of the final score to show that they’re taking the game seriously. While the starters are in the game:
1) Set a maximum of one turnover by the offense, and challenge the defense to force two.
2) On defense, give up less than 250 yards
3) Rush for a minimum of 150 yards.
Those aren’t easy things to do, but it would help keep the players’ heads in this game rather than thinking about the next one.
And my item up for bids:
No shortage of commentary about the inclement weather last Saturday. Not counting that game, what’s the worst weather in which you’ve ever watched a Notre Dame football game live?
ND Chicago says:
If the Irish stay focused on the task at hand and don’t look ahead to October 18th everyone in ND Nation will be happy campers on Saturday evening. Last year’s BYU game is at the top of my list for the worst weather game at ND that I’ve experienced. It was absolutely miserable, but at least it was a W.
NDBonecrusher says:
Cotton bowl 1992 vs. A&M in Dallas in an ice storm was pretty bad. You might think Texas at New Years couldn’t possibly be cold and shitty. You’d be wrong. On the upside, Bettis had a HUGE game.
RD says:
The 92 Cotton Bowl was the first ND game I ever attended. It was freakin cold. I got on the JumboTron which was a big deal for a 9 year old. Also I remember drinking CLEAR PEPSI in the hotel room. Ahh Memories…
chrisAZ says:
Very first ND game in person. Cotton Bowl 1979. Learned to never leave a game early that day, of course I was only 20 at the time. I have been to Stanford game the past 2 home games. Last week was miserable. Lucky to have seats section 129, row 15 adjacent to press box and blocked from the wind for the most part.
techvet says:
1984 USC, 1999 Navy (IIRC), BYU 2013 (but that was a fun game to watch in the cold)
Kevin Byrnes says:
The ’92 snow bowl often comes up in lists of bad weather games, but for me, snow is not as bad as rain, especially cold rain. The snowball game in 2008 created some awkwardness because snow was still piled in our row, so we were just kicking it down to the next row before those people showed up. Sorry!
I’ve endured many rainy days among my 200-some ND home games, but this past Saturday was truly bone-chilling. Just the constant rain, even with light wind, made the 38 to 40 degree temps hard to endure. Beating that day by a hair was April 24, 2005, the Blue-Gold game, where it was in the upper 30s with a sleety snow-freezing rain mix, and wind chill, of 15 degrees.
I can recall being truly frozen at some November games, but they are lost in the blur of time.
Jim says:
Navy 91. Just above freezing and rain.
Tom Connor says:
1970. Joe Theismann passed for over 500 yards against USC in a hurricane at the Colliseum and ND still lost. First of five games I took my girlfriend, then wife to in the 70’s. We stopped going to the games in SoCal and the Irish began the Decade of Dominance.
Tim Siebel says:
For me, I attended 3 Notre Dame football games that rank as the worst weather wise.
1. 2011 home opener vs. South Forida. The rain and lightning strikes were really bad.
2. 1983 vs. Miami. A night game after a perfect day of sunshine. The rain just poured down.
3. 1991 vs. Navy. A very bitter cold November day.
BKIV says:
I heard somewhere that the 1991 Navy game was the coldest game on record at ND. The recent BYU game was second coldest. I was at that 91 Navy game… there were people leaving just because it was SO cold.
Matthew A. Sawicki says:
November 22, 2008 was the most miserable game day at ND Stadium; the 24-22 loss to Syracuse with below freezing temperatures and a fresh 10 inches of snow on the ground (and in the stadium) made it unbearable. Students were even throwing snowballs at the coaches and refs in the second half. That day SUCKED!
TJF says:
I couldn’t feel the ends of my fingers in the gloves I was wearing. The only game I left early while I was a student. Comfortably ahead early, and just could not get rid of the awful chill.
Giggity_Giggity says:
The coldest ND game I ever went to was at Rutgers in 2000. It was bone chilling and there was a stiff wind in our faces the entire game. Brutal.
Doug says:
Alabama in 1976. 13 degrees and windy.
Kevin Casey says:
Last year’s BYU game and the Sep 13, 1989 game versus Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was the coldest September game I ever attended and it rained. I did enjoy Rocket’s two kickoff returns for touchdowns, but I never want to visit Ann Arbor again.
bocceman2 says:
2013 BYU game by far the worse weather I have experienced at a home game. However, the 1983 Liberty Liberty Bowl vs Boston College in Memphis was played in a 20 degree temps at night after an ice storm that day so it is a close second.
JimmyPop says:
2008 Syracuse game. I couldn’t feel a thing by the second quarter it was so cold. And the ending made it worse.
HankcockCorby says:
October 19, 1974…..South Bend vs. ARmy…….33 degrees, steady rain/snow mix…which stopped at halftime….when the temp promptly dropped 15 degrees…..
CCNdbound says:
’91 Navy – cold got us drinking peppermint schnapps early and often. Drinking peppermint schnapps early and often got me leaning the game before halftime and passing out in my dorm room. At least I was warm.
tt65 says:
1964 vs. Iowa…it was very cold and there was about 3-4 inches of ice on all the seats and concrete.
Guig23 says:
1987 @ State College was my first ND game and my freshman year at Penn State. Arrived at stadium around 10am for 1pm game only to see the Irish’s 2pt conversion fail right in front of me. Blair Thomas took so many big hits and just wouldn’t cough up the ball. Disappointed but better things were coming.