Jeremiyah Love led Notre Dame with a dazzling display of speed, power, and athleticism as the Fighting Irish dismantled Army by 49-14 on Saturday. Love notched three touchdowns while running for 130 yards on only seven carries and adding a scoring reception. Jadarian Price chipped in with two rushing touchdowns and Aneyas Williams ran one in from 58-yards. Quarterback Riley Leonard was sharp as well. He connected on ten of 13 passes for 148 yards and two scores.
Meanwhile, the Irish defense turned in another stellar effort. They set the tone by forcing a quick three and out on the opening series. Leonard took over and engineered a textbook drive that he capped by hitting Jordan Faison from 28 yards. Moments later, Bryce Young blocked a punt deep in Army territory. Leonard then tossed a flat pass to Love, who hurdled a defender and landed in the end zone.
Trailing 14-0, the Knights finally settled in. After Army secured its initial first down, Notre Dame added fuel to the drive by committing three defensive penalties. Quarterback Bryson Daily scored as the game moved into the second quarter to make it 14-7. Unfortunately for Army, that was their only offensive highlight until the game’s final seconds.
Leonard responded with another long march that featured big chunk runs and passes. The drive ultimately stalled inside the five yard line, where the Knights stopped four consecutive runs up the middle. Notre Dame quickly forced another Army punt and the offense moved right back inside the five. Love then burst up the middle untouched for 14 yards to extend the lead to 21-7.
The Irish came though with another defensive stop and took over near midfield. Leonard hit Kris Mitchell for 28 yards and Notre Dame was back inside the red zone. A few plays later, Price broke outside around left end for the touchdown and a 28-7 advantage.
With just 26 seconds remaining in the half, Daily tried to make something happen. It was a bad decision. He coughed up the football when cornerback Leonard Moore punched it loose and the Irish recovered. Time permitted only a long field goal attempt, however, and Mitch Jeter was wide right.
Notre Dame iced the game on the first play of the third quarter. Love took a handoff and streaked past Army’s defense for a 68-yard touchdown. The stunned Knights were unable to mount a comeback. They turned over the ball on downs on their next three possessions as Notre Dame padded its lead. Price ran for another score and Williams made it 49-7 as Marcus Freeeman cleared the bench.
Knight Coach Jeff Monken kept his starters in the game the rest of the way against the Irish reserves. This decision precluded many of his own players from participating in this unique venue. Daily rewarded Monken’s strategy by scoring a meaningless touchdown with 22 seconds left. Whatever.
The win moved Notre Dame to 10-1 on the season and will solidify their current position in the playoff picture. Everything is on the line next Saturday afternoon in California, where the Irish take on the USC Trojans. Coach Freeman was pleased following this dominant performance but indicated there is still room for improvement. This week, he will address the defensive penalties and red zone struggles by the offense. There might also be a little extra focus on kicking field goals.
Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:
- Can the Irish defense get off the field on third or fourth down? Yes, the defense did a great job of this when it still mattered.
- Will Leonard and his wide receivers take advantage of Army’s secondary? It looked easy at times as receivers were open, the protection was good, and Leonard threw crisp, confident passes.
- Can Notre Dame run the ball for 150+ yards? They passed that milestone on the first play of the second half and finished with 273. They also won total yardage by 462-233.
- Which team will win the turnover battle? Daily had not lost a fumble all season but gave one away to the Irish. The blocked punt was essentially another turnover by Army. Notre Dame had no turnovers.
- Can the Irish avoid drive-killing penalties on offense? Yes. Of the five total penalties, four were committed by the defense and one by special teams.
- Which team will be able to break off big chunk plays? Notre Dame, in a landslide.
- Which quarterback will face the most pressure in the pocket? Leonard and Angeli enjoyed a clean pocket while Daily faced pressure on most of his eight pass attempts.
- Can the Irish make a field goal if they need to? Not yet, and the time to fix the problem is running out.
There were no major injuries during the game for Notre Dame. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa went out with a sprained knee. We will hear more about that tomorrow. Howard Cross was held out entirely, most likely to ensure he will be ready next week. Several players turned in excellent performances. Junior Tuihalamaka stood out up front while every Irish linebacker and defensive back had a good night. Credit the offensive line and Leonard as well. The receivers did not drop any passes and all three running backs had highlight reel runs. Young’s blocked punt led to a touchdown but the field goal unit was brutal.
Notre Dame’s defense has been so consistently good that they are almost taken for granted. USC will test them with their athleticism and speed but they won’t have to win the game by themselves. Fortunately, the Irish offense proved it is no longer a liability. They scored 49 points tonight while being on the field for only 20 of the 60 minutes. More importantly, Freeman has been able to coax a consistently high effort from the team this season. It is hard to imagine they will suffer a letdown next weekend.
Tell John what you think in the Comments Section below
Fulkerson's Ghost says:
The Irish are a solid team, but not an elite team. If they go up against one of the top five, they will get schlonged. But still, last night was fun to watch.
Mike says:
what a positive, uplifting comment. what a miserable ass you are.
Kevin says:
Come on Mike, we can disagree without resorting to name calling. ND is better than that.
Fulkerson's Ghost says:
If they make it to a title game, they are going to get rolled like in 2013. History is on my side.
ND fan in the South says:
Our defense is way better than our 2013 defense with Manti Teo. We are solid in all positions on defense this year. That is why we can play with and beat any team. Defense wins games!
Jim meaney says:
I support this response
Greg says:
In the past, I’d agree with you but not this year.
Scott says:
This isn’t a smoke-n-mirrors team anymore. They are the real deal. I 💯% agree with you!
Irish Rifle says:
What world are you living in? ND will be one of the top five now. Name me one team in the country that is playing better than ND at this time. I won’t hold my breath.
Scott says:
I totally agree, Rifle. I can’t see ND losing to anyone at this point. Anyone who can’t see it is blind.
ND fan in the South says:
Your statement was more appropriate in mid-season. But way off now. ND is playing at a much higher level as we end the season.
MFG says:
Great recap!
RayF says:
Excellent summary as usual Vannie. The only things I didn’t like about the game were the field goal kicking and the ugly/gaudy Irish uniforms. Go Irish beat SC!
Irish Rifle says:
Agree on the uniforms. I was at the game and you could not read the Numbers on our uniforms.
Jim says:
The TV announcers couldn’t either, and neither could the referees at some points.
It seemed like some of the players didn’t like the either. Sean Sevillano and a few of his mates on the second string D line were intentionally wearing the white underlayers hanging out, making the uniforms look even more ridiculous. Well done, guys.
DVS says:
Me too, numbers unreadable and I was in the middle tier. Wonder if it was the same on the TV. They were more clear on the in-stadium video monitors.
Scott says:
On TV, the uniforms looked cool. but, I would have much rather seen Kelly Green like the ones they wore against USC in 2005.
a68domer says:
Mitch Evans liked them…
ND fan in the South says:
The uniforms were not pretty, but when you understand the reason for the blue/gray color, you must appreciate them for honoring our tradition. “Against the BLUE GRAY October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again……” Grantland Rice, baby (writing after an ND/Army game in Yankee Stadium). Remember, the players have a lot to do with selecting the uniforms for the Shamrock Series games. They honored and ND Tradition in picking these.
Steve says:
No surprises. Pretty much the same game as Navy, except ND started subbing earlier, so a few less points. Unfortunately, the service academy teams get way over hyped given their lack of challenging schedules and generally weak conferences. I was very impressed with two things – ND overall team speed and the aggressiveness of the tackling. Time after time, ND DB’s were able to run down the Army quarterback and other backs at or behind the line of scrimmage, and make excellent form tackles, often hurling the Army players to the ground. ND will get its playoff spot and should not have a problem with a very diminished USC team. The real challenge will be the first round of the playoffs where ND will meet a team of similar talent.
Greg says:
Great game for the Irish……our best team effort of the season. Can we find a place kicker on the soccer team? Go Irish!
Shellback52 says:
Maybe one of the cheerleaders can used for field goal attempts.
ND fan in the South says:
Coach Freeman is sticking with place kicker Jeter. He made that clear in his post game presser. So, with the vote of confidence from his HC, let’s see how he does against USC. My guess is that he will be solid.
Philip J Schwedler says:
Spot on with the kicking game. Hold me, I’m Irish!
PFSteve says:
A few weeks ago before the Louisville game I said the Irish needed to start losing so they could replace Freeman. Dumbass comment of the season, perhaps all time. Go Irish
Mike says:
Yes, of all time. Atonement won’t happen just because you contribute “Go Irish.”
David Reuter says:
My subjective feel good observation is that the team was the most ready and focused for this game than any other game, except maybe Texas A & M. My understanding is that the field goal kicker is injured and I am trusting the coaches as bring him along as well as can be done. Appreciate John bringing it to our attention that the offense was only on the field 20 minutes. Many of us our old enough to remember how the speed and athleticism can often gel for USC to have the best game of their season. Happy Thanksgiving to One and All!
Joseph Casper says:
Solid analysis as usual, and i LOVED the close. Very well-crafted article, John. Thank you.
The Obvious says:
I’m still a skeptic about this team; especially one particular player. However, I do believe that anything can happen this season. It’s not necessarily fun, but it is interesting.
Jerrod says:
If you aren’t having fun watching this run you never will. I’m enjoying watching the Irish systematically destroy every team in thier path. You should reconsider and enjoys this. Like the Irish players refusing to forget the pain of the Northern Illinois, I refused to forget how the Davie, Willingham, Weis years. As Bruce Springsteen sang “These are better days baby!”
Dr Nick says:
I was at ND for the end of Willingham and all of the Weis dark ages. Hard to believe one of my first games was when we stormed the field for beating Florida State with Quinn. Now we swamp gators, no problem. NIU was the best loss to wake up one of the best defensive teams since then. That and the offense is looking pretty solid. Let’s roll through USC and have a fun home game to start the playoffs. 🙌
Irish Rifle says:
Outstanding game by the Irish, marred only by two missed field goals, and some questionable play calling on the goal line on two drives which led to a failure to score on one of them and a missed field goal on the other. For once, the officiating was pretty good, except for the absurd roughing the passer call on Jack Kiser, who made a clean hard hit on the QB in the middle of his torso, as he was throwing a pass. There was nothing even remotely close to a roughing the passer penalty. Another great Freeman moment, as he went ballistic at that call.
Scott says:
I went ballistic on that one. That was a complete BS call. I love Freeman’s fire!
joe D says:
on A blue grey Oct. sky. 100 years ago.So the Uniforms history!
joe D says:
On a blue,grey Oct.Sky 100 years History. So the Uniforms.
John says:
Some thoughts:
1. Lincoln Riley’s seat is warm. He could cool it, at least wrt SC boosters, by beating ND. Beware the trap.
2. Good to see Denbrock have Leonard throw the ball downfield and Leonard’s feet not suggesting he’s thinking run first. And then have him watch Angeli do the same thing but better. We go nowhere fast in the playoffs without a downfield passing attack. We need more moves like 83 hauling that ball in last night. Good for him.
3. As most on this board seem to agree, this is a good but not great team. Looking around the country, I see no team that is consistently great (see Oregon-Badgers, OSU-Nittany Lions, the inexplicable speeding violation in waiting that is Georgia). So like a so-so team going far in the NHL playoffs on the back of a hot goalie and a few lucky bounces of the puck, this Irish team – even with a questionable passing attack and Tim Wakefield (RIP) in disguise kicking field goals – could make a run. Let’s buck up, after we beat SC that is. Go Irish.
Phil C. says:
I disagree slightly with many on this board in that I contend our DEFENSE is “great”. To paraphrase James Carville, “it’s the speed, stupid.” I guarantee you we have not had this kind of speed on D since the Holtz glory days. Every kid in the top 15 of the D rotation can absolutely fly for their position. I noticed it in the Spring Game when many were bemoaning our Offenses inability to move the ball. There’s a really good reason for that. Just ask Army. Go IRISH!
Will says:
This game did not go the way I expected. Army, it turns out to my surprise is a paper tiger. The cadets capitulated early and often. Where was the Army fight? Were they intimidated? Did they know going into the game that they were overrated? ND on the other hand came into Yankee Stadium on a mission of destruction. Kudos to Marcus Freeman for continuing to build off the pain of the NIU debacle. I’ve been living and dying Notre Dame football since 1964 when Ara arrived on the scene. This Notre Dame team reminds me of Dan Devine’s 1977 Irish. That was the season when they got upset by a very bad Ole Miss team in the second game of the season. Then after pulling out two close games against Purdue and Michigan State, the Irish went on to absolutely destroy the rest of the teams on the schedule and then destroyed #1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The result was a National Championship. This season still has a long way to go but I think three people need our recognition: 1) Freeman for becoming a real Head Coach and not a figurehead, 2) Denbrock for figuring out how to put the disparate parts of the offense he was given into a highly functional force, and 3) Leonard for suffering the slings and arrows of the ND Nation fandom and taking his game to a new level. USC does not scare me. They looked very ordinary last night in the Rose Bowl. Onward!
Irish Rifle says:
The reason we lost the game to Mississippi was that we had the wrong starting QB. Once Devine inserted a fellow by the name of Joe Montana, the rest is history.
Kevin says:
Why do people think Army gave up the fight? or capitulated? Maybe ND simply had better, stronger, faster players. I saw effort from Army but when your offense line outweighs the opponents D line by 30+ pounds, more often than not the O line is going to open up holes.
DaveO says:
Notre Dame receivers did a better job catching the ball than Aaron Judge did last month.
irishhawk50 says:
A little off topic but not really. The blowout of a 9-0 Army shows the great void between the top tier teams and the rest of college football. The Tulsa’s and the Temple’s of the college world have no realistic chance of ever competing. The blowout of Indiana by Ohio State shows the real disparity even within the Big Ten. Do Rutgers or Maryland ever stand a chance of a Big Ten title? College football, especially in the pay to play era, has radically changed and not for the better. I don’t know where this will end but its not healthy for the sport. However, I see Columbia won its share of the Ivy League title for the first time since the Civil War!
Will says:
Hawk, facts don’t bear out your thesis. Army, Tulsa, Temple, Rutgers, Maryland and Indiana all sucked before NIL. For years the Big 10 was dubbed the “Big 2 and the Little 8.” Very little has changed in this new era when it comes to balance of power.
NBND75 says:
A lot of great plays but my favorite part of game was seeing Freeman angry at halftime interview over blown opportunities. I think he might be the coach we’ve been waiting for. Still worried about USC.
mike '73 says:
Though he doesn’t use the classic phrase “it’s all about the process” (which I believe in recent years anyway has been most accurately ascribed to Saban), he effectively communicates the same message, and adds that it is NOT the scoreboard/results that he wants the team to focus on. I believe this is his secret sauce, in that he has gotten the team to buy in, which is probably in no small part due to very effective senior team leadership assisting him in that effort. He is truly starting to look the part of the coach we have all been waiting for.
joe barrett says:
Awesome game by the Irish!! Nice to beat another ranked team. Coach Freeman is 11-4 vs ranked teams! That’s impressive. GO IRISH BEAT USC!!! Happy Thanksgiving John!! Are you going to be at the game?
John Vannie says:
I may be going to the USC game but it will depend on whether I can drag some friends to go with me. Everybody hates L.A.
joe barrett says:
Well, if you do go, have a good time and bring home a ” W “!!!!
❤️#501988🍀🏈💪 says:
IF YOU CANNOT GET UP FOR NEXT WEEK, DONT GET ON THE PLANE!!!!!
BEAT S.C.!!!!! 🍀🏈💪
Ndvette says:
JV, this had to be one of your more enjoyable if not easier articles to write and you handled with the accuracy you are known for. Thanks again.
I am finally fully onboard with Freeman and Golden. While confident previously i thought it might take a while for them to bring this squad to this level of competition. I know we might not be at the top of the list yet but the aggressive nature of our defense the truly blinding speed of both offence and defense players has long been missing as an entire package. It appears that Freeman’s attitude is constantly being instilled in the players and they believe it.
I know I am sounding all sunshine and roses over a most likely overrated Army win but that is not the point. I have watched us play the academies with mixed success since the 50’s. They never give up and always bring their “A” game to ND. I have never seen this speed in physicality and decision making by our defense against the triple option since Lou if ever. This did not look like a dismantling of an overrated or poorly couched team this looked like SEC domination over a good opponent. I am not saying we can’t lose again but if we do it won’t be because of inferior player or poor coaching. It will be because even the best teams loose but here is why I don’t think it will happen.
I don’t honestly know what our FG issues are but tend to think a win against SC will make that a moot point. 01/20 will give us 2 months to fix it. We have two of the best RBs in the country, an outstanding secondary, an “adequate” QB, an improving linebacker squad and an evolving, beyond expectations, OL we should be able to stand toe to toe with any team. BUT, why are we not using all of our offence? A throw to a TD is a rarity the the play calling in the red zone was abysmal I really believe that with any creative play action after the snap would have gotten us in 3 out of 4 times. I’ve seen it throughout the year were the play calling is “uninspired” to put it nicely. Who is calling our offence plays? Denbrock is listed as the OC and TE couch and both of these positions are underused. Is he actually calling the plays?
John Vannie says:
Denbrock calls the plays. It’s possible (and I’m being kind here) that he didn’t want to show USC any clever passes in the red zone. I understand running the ball but not four times up the middle against a stacked formation. Price proved later that our backs have the speed to go outside and beat the defense to the corner.
ND fan in the South says:
Speaking of clever passes, I like the jump pass over the middle down on the goal line against USC.
John Vannie says:
Exactly what I had in mind.
Jim Canfield says:
Funny, I have mentally used that same reasoning several times this year. “he is just masking our abilities to spring them on another opponent later.” But only because I can’t guess at a good reason. Thanks for the feedback.
Marty says:
What a great defensive game plan by Golden & Freeman. I was somewhat concerned about Army’s option running game, but the aggressive attacking defense completely dominated and overwhelmed Army. Go Irish! The only negative, as mentioned by others, the gold unreadable jersey numbers.
George says:
Why did Army leave their QB in for the entire game, long after it was over, risking injury with Tulane and Navy coming up and not giving their backup QB experience?
mike '73 says:
Only the Shadow knows…….
Coleman Clarke says:
Faulkersons ghost you need to enjoy life more. I was in attendance at the game.. the lines and the poor management from the Yankees stadium personnel was horrendous. With that out of the way, I was very impressed with our team speed and lateral pursuit. We have developed into a ferocious defense with rabid dogs attacking on every play. I was not worried about this outcome as long as a focused Irish team showed up.. they did. Freeman has been pushing the right buttons, enjoy this stretch of dominance.
goirish1988 says:
1) I don’t think we’ll know whether this is a good team or very good team until we play better competition. I don’t trust our downfield passing game until I see it against a good defense.
2) However, despite the soft schedule (including over-ranked teams), it is very enjoyable to see Freeman being able to keep the players playing for 60 minutes and maintaining that killer instinct. Kelly was miserable at that, and his approach led to more losses than necessary
3) Speaking of Kelly, I’m such a bad man for enjoying every one of his struggles including the “Fire Kelly” chants ringing out from the stands.
4) Agree regarding the field goal game needs an immediate fix and that hopefully Denbrock saved the goal-line play-action TE pass for bigger games.
NBND75 says:
The ESPN writers can’t stop mentioning the loss to NIU and now contend the Irish have an unfair advantage by not having to play for a conference championship. Glossed over are ASU loss to a bad Cincinnati team and Alabama loss to Vandy. And playing for a conference championship is meaningless since the SEC and Big 10 will send teams to playoffs that lost championship or didn’t play for it. Just the way it is.
Scott says:
and also, we are the ones at the disadvantage knowing we cannot receive a seed higher than 5, regardless of our team.
David Reuter says:
Maybe the good play against the military academies was enhanced by Tyler Buchner’s playing QB on the scout team before both games. MF said it was very helpful and that Buchner was very detailed in specific nuances he acted out to show our defense.
ED CHRISTOPHER ND '67 says:
Where’s Jake? (in Cali)? NI who?
Let’s go to SC and hope for bad officiating (not horrible officiating) and
another ND beatdown!
Jake in Cali says:
Ed,
I’m here.. I’ve been eating some “humble pie” today..
Glad you missed me.. ☺
Kev says:
OMG Yea that Jake from Cali Guy is something else haha. When I read his comment that Army was gonna roll ND I laughed my ass off so hard! I commented to him that I want what drugs he is on lol. I predicted this score against Army to be 45-14 and I was too low. Our defense is just so nasty! It’s great! Our offense is coming alive finally, our QB is seeing the field better and better each week. I don’t know if we have a good enough offense to compete for the National Championship, but I do know one thing; this ND team will not get blown out like in 2012. It’s much faster than the 2012 team was. I think we can win the first playoff game, then from there the margin for error gets more difficult. I do think that our kicking game needs to get fixed fast. Especially if we play teams like Oregon and Ohio State where every single point matters.
Indy Irish says:
Thanks for your hard work and attention to detail, John! The back half of our season sure has been fun, and it looks like the players are enjoying their success, too. I hope the O line are able to dominate USC the way they did Army. The USC quarterback looked dangerous last night against UCLA, but his decision making was terrible! I look forward to our eager, hard hitting defense swarming him. USC has plenty of talent but can’t seem to play together as units. It will truly be a great Thanksgiving if the Irish beat USC at the aged Coliseum and escape injury, as it would make a home playoff game at Notre Dame in December an event to remember. Go Irish! Destroy Troy!
Jim says:
The game was effectively over about seven minutes into the first quarter, when the Irish blocked the punt. It was still entertaining, although towards the end I found myself looking forward to the inane dialogue between those loudmouths in the crowd that kept getting picked up by the NBC broadcasters’ mics. Freeman was great. His pregame interview (“What do you want from your team tonight?” “Violence.”) and his comments at halftime showed that he’s coaching confidently and he has this team on a mission. He will have the team prepared and focused in Los Angeles.
mike'73 says:
John – thank you again for your perseverance in doing these weekly pre- and post-game write-ups; they help focus all of us on important details, while also providing a forum for comments. An observation and a question: During the dark days of the bayou boy at ND, it often appeared the team was overwhelmed when playing against teams of equal or better talent in bowl games and in the playoffs, but not so much against lesser teams for the most part at that time of the season. It seems that part of the problems against Bama, Clemson, tOSU et al might have been the significant periods of time that elapsed between our last regular season game and the bowl/playoff games, especially since lesser bowls were notably earlier in the bowl “season,” and ND did much better. With that thought in mind, it may well be that NOT having a bye in the first w/e of the CFBP works to our advantage, as it will only be 3 weeks, not 4. Plenty of time to heal and practice, but not enough to get stale. Thoughts?
John Vannie says:
I don’t believe the time gap matters much, whether it is three weeks or four. What seems important to me is getting that first game at home. That should be an advantage, especially against a warm weather team. Playoff football is also different from run of the mill bowl games. Players opt out or get distracted at bowls. You see a lot of upsets. The playoffs are more intense so the best team usually wins it all.
Our playoff history isn’t very good because our opponents had better players and coaches. In 2012, Alabama was clearly superior. Saban badly outcoached Kelly, who was flirting with the Philadelphia Eagles while Manti Te’o was breaking up with his imaginary girlfriend. Plus, Alabama had a better quarterback and skill position players. In 2018, Clemson had Trevor Lawrence and ND had Ian Book. Their defensive line was dominant and they went on to win the championship with ease over Bama. The 2020 season was another Saban-Kelly matchup. Alabama was loaded and Kelly just tried to keep the score down. ND scored at the end to make it look more respectable at 31-14 but it was really a blowout. Alabama easily won the championship against Ohio State.
This year we have better depth, a faster defense, and a better quarterback than Everett Golson or Ian Book. We also have better coaches. Mike Denbrock, for all his faults, is superior to Chip Long in 2018 and Tommy Rees in his first year on the job in 2020. Mike Mickens is a difference maker in the secondary. We’ve never had a set of DBs like we do now.
I don’t know if ND will win out but if we lose it will probably be the result of mistakes on offense or a kicking mishap. I don’t see ND losing in a blowout. I believe this team can play with anyone, including Oregon, Ohio State or Texas. They might beat us but it will be competitive because ND has the talent and coaching to make it so. I wish we had a fully healthy defense, Joe Montana at QB and Jerry Rice at receiver but the guys we have are not bad. The QBs for Oregon and Ohio State are no better than Riley Leonard. That leaves ND in a better competitive position than in 2012, 2018, and 2020.
mike '73 says:
Thanks for your thoughts.
shellback52 says:
I would love to see ND win the Nat. Title, but I don’t really think they are up enough to take on the really tougher teams. I would love to see a Title just so Kelly can go home and bitch about leaving ND. He left for one reason, he wants a Title under his name and he figured ND was not the place to obtain that. Although, a $100,000,000 plus incentives contract might have played a little bit in him leaving too.
Jake in Cali says:
Kev,
No drugs….Just a bad pick!! But over the last 10 years, I’ve made many, many fantastic picks. And I’ve been right about the state of ND Football for a decade.
It looks like MF has finally righted the program back to elite level.. Hope it continues against SC
Happy Thanksgiving!!
manager47 says:
John – thanks again for your recap. The Irish played with a tremendous amount of physical football on both sides of the ball. The offensive line was at it best and must continue that this week . The running game will be challenged as it may come down to the ability of the ND QB to have his best game throwing the football. The defensive game plan vs Army was a plus and the pursuit and tackling might have been the best we have seen this year. A repeat performance critical for success this Saturday. Credit to Coach Freeman and his staff but it now comes down to 1 Game to determine where it goes. I agree with you on the Red Zone offense scheme . Have to make every opportunity resulting in a TD. It will be a huge test for ND – time to complete the regular season with a convincing win.