(Notre Dame Football News | The Rock Report) – All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa! Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay. I woke up at 6am with that awful song still on the brain the Sunday morning after the debacle in South Bend making the drive back to Chicago even more annoying. I liked Brian Kelly. I still like Brian Kelly, but he needs to rid himself of the notion that Rock’s House should be Nippert Stadium. More importantly, Notre Dame seems to be letting a critical advantage go unused.
“You can’t win unless you run” said Kelly last year, yet in the biggest game of the year against the biggest rival Notre Dame has on the schedule and one he physically beat last year, he handed the ball off to running backs… 8 times. I know the spread passing offense can work, I saw Colt McCoy run it well as a six foot nothing semi strong armed kid, but no coach should lean on a true sophomore quarterback against USC, especially with two talented upper class running backs and an upper class offensive line better suited toward a power running game.
20 games into the Kelly regime it seems eerily Weis-like. At the USC game we saw an offense trying to pass all over the field with a QB incapable (to this point, he’s just a sophomore) of executing at that level and an offensive line full of run dominant players. When push came to shove, Kelly went to pass. And pass. And pass. Meanwhile, Jonas Gray, currently sporting the highest YPC average of the modern era, was almost a spectator.
Rees should not be expected to carry the team at this point, especially with such a talented backfield. Sophomore quarterbacks are rarely successful. Look at Oklahoma two years ago or Texas last year. Kelly could hand is way off to wins in most of the upcoming games. Stanford has the best quarterback in the country and they’re not passing it nearly as much as Notre Dame. Notre Dame started the game with two 3 & outs, throwing 4 of 6 times. Here are the first two series:
| Nd | 1-10 | at Nd26 | REES pass incomplete to FLOYD (Robey, Nickell). |
| Nd | 2-10 | at Nd26 | WOOD, C. rush for 1 yard to the ND27 (Tupou, C.). |
| Nd | 3-9 | at Nd27 | REES pass incomplete to Jones, TJ, QB hurry by Galippo, Chris. |
| Nd | 4-9 | at Nd27 | TURK punt 48 yards to the USC25, Robey, Nickell return 9 yards to the USC34 (FILER;SLAUGHTER). |
| Drive: 3 plays, 1 yards, TOP 01:05 | |||
| Nd | 1-10 | at Nd32 | NOTRE DAME drive start at 06:16. |
| Nd | 1-10 | at Nd32 | REES pass complete to WOOD, C. for 8 yards to the ND40 (Pullard, Hayes;Starling, J.). |
| Nd | 2-2 | at Nd40 | GRAY, J. rush for loss of 2 yards to the ND38 (Perry, Nick;Starling, J.). |
| Nd | 3-4 | at Nd38 | REES pass complete to WOOD, C. for 2 yards to the ND40 (Perry, Nick;Robey, Nickell). |
| Nd | 4-2 | at Nd40 | TURK punt 48 yards to the USC12, Woods, Robert return 26 yards to the USC38, out-of-bounds. |
| Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, TOP 02:28 |
Notre Dame held the ball for all of 3 minutes and 32 seconds over two drives. The net result? Zero first downs.
USC held the ball for 10 minutes and 26 seconds over two drives. The net result? 14 points.
The game was only 25% over, but already 70% won at that point.
I understand the “we’ll spread them out and pass them tired” philosophy, but if ND can’t execute this offense at that speed, it just looks like sandlot football. As an aside, it’s now surprise that Notre Dame is struggling at quarterback, defensive line (losing Ethan Johnson hurt this team) and defensive back. Those recruiting holes were evident in 2009. Offensive production has been all over the board.
A little advice from a supporter:
Brian, when you have the ability to blow people off the line as Notre Dame does, you use that weapon. I understand Saturday was a big bet (far from “a desperation game” as the hyper emota Fox Sports writer tried to spin it “a desperate 9 point favorite?”), but when you go from the hunter to the hunted (a heavy favorite) you have to concentrate on one thing, winning the the damn game on the field. I can’t help but think that rally towels, gold helmets, new music, 5-million recruits and a night game combined to create a giant distraction.
Stop worrying about jumbotrons and field turf and just win. Additionally, Jumbotrons and field turf are not part of “program building.” And Brian, if you’re going to pipe in music at least stick to the Irish Dropkick Murphy kind, it’s somewhat original (though I suppose not for BC.) Mimicking Michigan and Penn State is the worst kind of fan flagellation, unoriginal, low-rent wannabe fan flagellation.
I know the team didn’t quit. Notre Dame fought back from a 17-0 deficit to almost tie the game and even after a heart-breaking 14 point swing on the fumble fought back for another touchdown. The Irish showed a lot of fight, but… they lost… again. As I look at this season, right now the offense’s reliance on the all important quarterback is absolutely killing this team. Most of the turnovers this year were quarterback related. You have two very good running backs, a bruising offensive line, one big-ass wide receiver and tight ends, go back to the philosophy you began with at Utah physically beat up a few teams. Demand excellence from your players. Prioritize winning on the field over any “atmosphere” issues.
- Will he emphasize controlling the line of scrimmage?
- Will his pass first offense fly against a higher level of competition?
- Can he handle the pressure cooker of Notre Dame without turning defensive?
- Will his assistants be up to the task?
- Can he recruit?
- Will he be able to motivate Prima donnas?
- Can he have as much success when he’s the hunted every week?
Larry Delaney '60 says:
I thought the O line, and D line were overmatched in the USC game.
How can you run the ball if your O line can’t block effectively?
Maybe the play selection is the problem?
I am frustrated and depressed as I thought this was our year to excel. I don’t know enough to point to the problem; if it’s not personnel, it has to be coaching.
GO IRISH, FINISH STRONG!
Kevin says:
They can’t run the ball without at least a some notion of the deep threat. Rees can’t throw the deep ball and we don’t call it anyway. So, USC stacks the box, safties and corners both up and there is no way we were going to run the ball. The reason the O-Line was over matched was because of the lack of concern for the vertical passing game.
JohnND1985 says:
Amen. Finally, someone else has noticed this. I don’t care how much “ice” is in his veins. As long as Rees cannot extend the field, we won’t beat the big boys. Right now, Rees doesn’t have the tools and Hendrix/Golson are not ready. Therefore, by process of elimination, Crist is the only option. Also, when you never even commit to the run, you’re not going to run the ball well.
As for the Jumbotron and turf, that’s another reason to fire our bozo coach on the spot. He’s all flash (why he recruits well, at least for now) and no substance. If you want atmosphere, you put the following on the back of every ticket. “You are attending a football game. Crowds at football games are suppose to stand up and be loud. No one will be told to be quiet or be removed for standing up and cheering loudly.” That doesn’t mean fans get to puke on people or push people or get in fights or constantly swear.
JThom says:
I was at the game and what I saw was USC beating ND’s line on both sides of the ball. This is why we only ran the ball 12 times. You can call all the run plays you want but since USC came out and hit us in the mouth, our line was getting out of the way and leaving those upper class running backs to fend for themselves. A running game like that is not going to work.
USC was the better team on the field Saturday night, especially at the line of scrimmage.
Despite this, Kelly and his staff had ND in a position to win that football game.
Failed execution (Crist’s fumble, Wood not jumping on the lateral, Teo’s missed tackles early, etc.) were the difference in the game.
The crowd was never out of the game for more than a couple of plays until that final drive. The music helped with this. I wasn’t a huge fan of the selection; we don’t need Ozzie (sic) every 3rd down and we don’t need to copy Michigan’s use of “Seven Nation Army” but I recognize the need to play stuff that everyone knows. Mic the band, add a few more songs to the playlist and do it every game. Would you still be griping about “Crazy Train” if we won?
s reno says:
I don’t think Notre Dame will ever be an elite team again. To be an elite team today requires changing some things that I don’t believe the ND administration will ever allow. Frankly speaking, the notoriety of the football team from years past brought in the money to build up academically the university. They don’t need that anymore like they used too and don’t want the complications of higher risk student athletes. Notre Dame cannot compete day in and day out with the top teams today. Come on and get real. Just enjoy them because they are Notre Dame. It will be a long time before the road that leads to the national title runs through South Bend. That interstate runs through the south and southwest now.
Mike says:
ND has run the ball well this year, but I do not recall a game where they lined up and started running it down teams throats from the get go. All of their running success is tied to the pass game. They are a “pass to set up the run team” ala the west coast offense. They spread the defense out then starting handing it off. When you go three and out on your first two possessions and are down 17-0 it’s kind of hard to say ok now let’s run the ball. I agree Kelly sometimes lacks emphasis on the run during games but this idea that ND is a power football team is a myth. I have yet to see a game this year that ND came out running and imposed their will on the opponent. All the fast starts were predicated on the Passing game.
Mike says:
I do agree that Kelly needs to forget about all the extras and focus on winning. I remember an interview with him last year where he said Bob Davie(of all people)gave him sound advice about being the coach at ND – “Just worry about winning games, everything else will take care of itself”. Kelly is so used to having to manufacture passion/support for his program at all his other stops that he’s still tryin to do it at ND. A quality on the field product that wins consistently and is never outworked or out coached is the best remedy for producing a home field advantage. Kelly forgot Davies advice. And Davie never knew it til after he was long gone.
Jim '67 says:
I’m against a Jumbotron or plastic grass..ND is about tradition. We’ve had twenty years of mediocrity
and expectation. The only thing we’ve succeeded at is profit. We’re no longer a part of the national
football conversation.
Please, Coach Kelly, just win the old fashioned way..blocking and tackling, defensive fiercity, offensive domination…
terry says:
I don’t know if this is true, I don’t know if it is not true, but somewhere I read that Ozzy’s neighbor is Pat Boone.
When the coach of a team of “plucky underdogs”, (according to Keith) calls the coach of Notre Dame to apologize for his (plucky underdog) players having publicly stated that Notre Dame quit, isn’t that kind of sad, isn’t that kind of humiliating?
Stupid music (?) blaring from the P.A., players dressed in pink shoes, players wearing newly painted frilly helmets that are such style setters that even ALEX has to comment on them.
Is that anyone’s idea of Notre Dame football?
It surely isn’t mine.
Sad Warrior says:
Winning is everything. Anything else is another loss.
Jeff says:
We stopped running because it wasn’t working. We were manhandled at the line of scrimmage. The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing with the expectation of a different result. Kelly adapted and started throwing all the time. As overmatched and outplayed as we were, Kelly had us in a position to tie the game in the 4th quarter. Now, Kelly isn’t blameless. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why Rees was pulled for Hendrix in the middle of the first drive we didn’t go three and out, and why Christ was pulled when he was actually moving the ball and then thrown back in for 3rd and goal. It sucked all momentum and continuity out of those drives. And both drives stalled, one in horrific fashion.
As far as the music, it was great. I was there, and it was by far the loudest the stadium has been in years. It wasn’t perfect, but I liked it on the whole. The towels were great too. The stadium was rocking. And, when they are blasting music, waving towels, and the scoreboard is lighting up every play, the ushers can’t threaten to throw you out for standing and cheering (happens to me several times a year).
Greg says:
As I look at Coach Kelly one cannot help but compare/contrast him to Coach Holtz. Coach Holtz went 5-6, 8-4, then undefeated. He was able to do this with a very talented group of players left to him from the Faust era.
Coach Kelly did inherit a great deal of talent on the offensive side of the ball, but he has had to build the defensive side of the ball. There was/ is some talent, but he has really needed to fill some holes, which I think he is doing. I think next year (I know, wait ’till next year) will be a true measure of where this program is headed. Right now, the biggest thing ND seems to be fighting is themselves. They need to learn how to win, the rest of this season needs to continue its’ focus on just that. Once they learn this, I believe we will be able to run, throw, catch, and tackle with the big boys!
Fitz says:
Jeff, good point. I really want to stick with and support Kelly too, but I think his biggest error of the game was trying to force Hendrix into a game when the offense was already on the ropes. It did indeed kill the first drive we actually had goin and to play quarterback shuffle with a rusty Crist in there was just begging for disaster. When I saw him bring on Hendrix near the goal line I was like no!Just cause it worked to bring him in against a sub par defense doesn’t mean he should do it every week. Now having said that against Navy it might be a good idea again.
Clearly at the start of the game the run game and controlling the point of attack was just not working. But I think there’s some truth to the fact that Kelly abandoned the run too early and with too much vehemence. Rees has played too up and down to carry the entire load. In the 2nd half when we were back in the game a more balanced attack may’ve worked. Case in point one of Grey’s few touches of the ball he broke it for a 25 yard touchdown run.
I also agree with what a lot fo you have said. Last weekend should be a glaring lesson that coating this team in hype and bells and whistles is Not the answer. I think Kelly, the coaching staff and all the players just need to take a deep breath and get back to simply executing on the field and coaching and playing up to the potential we know they have. Go Irish!
irishhawk50 says:
Agree with Jeff & Fitz, but I think that is spite of our offensive problems, the offense has done enough to win all of the games we lost. I think the losses are mostly on our defense and that seems pretty clear to me. I agree in particular about the comments about giving up to soon on the run and also about pulling Rees for Hendrix just when he finally got rolling. I know its easy to be a Monday morning quarterback but ask my wife if I was not yelling these thoughts at the TV during real time.
Whitecoat says:
I think a lot of you missed a key point. Brian Kelly is accountable to Jack Swarbrick, and it is Swarbrick who allowed this debacle to happen. I read yesterday that Kelly said they really did not have a good practice week before USC. Really? Perhaps the team thought they were ranked #3 and could walk on water with those new golden helmets. Why Swarbrick allowed this game to evolve into a team distraction is beyond me. New helmets – rock music upstaging our great band – 50 recruits being treated like winning gladiators.
Would someone tell Swarbrick to act like he has accountability over the football team, and how the environment should be, and how the coaching should be. There is no excuse for our coach not calling 3 time outs in the last USC drive, regardless of what he thought. Kelly gave up not his team, and Swarbrick should kick his butt for it!
Whitecoat ’62
Ghost of Paul Failla says:
I agree that ND needs to improve the stadium atmosphere. It is great to have tradition however, when tradition fails to change with the times it morphs from tradition to relic. That being said, what occurred in the Stadium seemed like it was thrown together like a pre-SYR mix tape 15 minutes before the game and amounted to diarrhea of every tune that has blared in stadiums for the last 20 years. Maybe this is what happens when you fall 20 years behind the times.
ND needs to continue to move in this direction though with a nice blend between using the band and using some tunes that get people engaged and making noise. I think the Fight Song, genuinely, gets fans excited. “When the Irish Backs go marching by…” does not. Neither does the ridiculous viking song they play with the student body doing the alternating fist pump which makes no sense. It doesn’t raise the energy level of the Stadium and am guessing it does not pump up the team. I venture to guess the students wonder what they are even doing.
Let’s come up with something of our own and put some nice clips together of both current players laying people out and old highlights of plays that echo in Irish lore. these can go up on the jumbotron(s) which we will eventually have.
Finally, does everything really need to sound Irish? The idea that the music should be the Dropkick Murphy’s because we are Irish is ridiculous and reeks of commercialism. Should Alabama come out only to Lynyrd Skynyrd? We aren’t shipping off to Boston…it’s 1,000 miles away. We barely recognize the leprechaun anymore; choosing to go with the interlocking ND on everything (rightfully so, since we haven’t had any true fight since Holtz was here). Let’s not force-feed Irish-everything!
Every day lets get a little better at football and a little closer to having an in-game experience that feels more like an Irish wake.
Whitey says:
No need for Ozzie Osborne to ever be played at ND Stadium…A guy who makes a living playing a stoner…just what we need!….How about we go back to printing “Fighting Irish” in the end zones?? I’m all for the JumboTron…then all of us can see what the folks at home see..the pathetic officiating we’ve witnessed every game, especially since the NBC contract was signed….Lastly, Coach Kelly, please get the ball to Jonas and Theo more often…God Bless & Go Irish!
waydomer says:
Jeff, by your logic and definition of insanity, ND should have quit passing not running. The first 2 passes went incomplete, and then in the next series 2 inefective completions, left us short of a first down. These 4 passes were half the total of runs by our backs for the entire game. Futhermore, ND did not abandon the running game against USC, as to abandon something, you must start doing it in the first place. Let’s be clear – ND did not attempt to run against USC. Kelly opted to continue passing instead. As noted in the article, ND only ran Woods and Gray from the line of scrimmage a total of “8” times combined and recall that the run in the second series was a poorly executed option pitch to Gray. A single USC defender took both the QB and pitch man. Rees running the option, which just should not be happening period, can hardly be considered a running play, let alone “the power running game” that the article discusses.
Phil Kowalis says:
I have been a fan of Notre Dame football since I was old enough to understand the game. Part of being a fan is to support your team through good times and bad, which I have done know for over forty years.
With that being said, what I saw and heard last Saturday night made me sick.
watching the game from home I about fell off the couch when I heard crazy train blaring from the stadium speakers the first time the Trojans faced a third down situation. I kept telling myself that did not happen. Then watching the Irish get physically dominated on the field made the evening a total disaster. The team was simply not ready to play in what was the biggest game of the season against their biggest rival. I have always supported the coaching staff, but after this debacle I am starting to wonder if Brian Kelly is the right man for the job.
It seems that coach Kelly is only concerned with flash and not the meat and potatoes needed to build a winning program.
Give me a Lou Holtz type of coach who downplays the talent on his own team, while playing up the opposition. Holtz always had his teams ready to play, he was not worried about playing rock music from the speakers of the stadium, artificial turf or jumbotron scoreboards. Lou was all about winning and making sure the team would be at its best on game day.
It seems that Kelly spent the bye week worried about designing new paint schemes for helmets,(which looked awful by the way), and how he can ruin the tradition of Notre Dame Stadium.
To coach Kelly I give this advice, that I borrow from Al Davis, JUST WIN BABY!!!!!!!!!
John Manning says:
Right on! Let’s prepare for the game! Let’s prepare to become better football players! Let’s prepare to out coach the other team! And let’s be ready to make adjustments!
The pagentry, the helmets, everything else will take care of itself. It’s Notre Dame. Let’s just make sure that when we take the field, we are ready to play football. Go Irish!!
CousinSal says:
I was there and the stadium was alive! Electric! I don’t know Ozzie from Harriet (Class of ’64) but the crowd responded to the music. Every time it was played. Especially on third downs. And the flashing scoreboard. I’m a “traditionalist” but I love the changes. And so did the team! Including the helmets.
The team didn’t respond athletically for all the reasons cited in other posts. But Swarbrick’s and Kelly’s goal to turn the Stadium into an advantage and not a neutral field was accomplished. Even without a Jumbotron. It pumped the fans and the players.
To further the improvement in game atmosphere, especially against USC, we have to get that god-awful disrespectful (playing their fight song during our Alma Mater) band of theirs (and any other visiting band) off the field where they constantly taunt our players with that incessant drumming. Put them way up in the stands in the corner where they used to be years go. Away from the action. Where no one can hear them except their fans. And mic our band so the whole stadium can hear them, not just the fans on the North end.
And as for cheers, come on folks. Ditch “We are ND” and anything like it. Uninspiring. Boring. And they never know when to stop it until it is embarrassingly weak. Get some new ones. Develop a chant like other schools. Something short and haunting that the whole crowd can participate in, not just the students. Like the Seminole chop/chant. Send the cheerleaders up in the stands occasionally.
And by the way Jack, get a first class radio announcer. Don Criqui is a great guy but is never in the game. Usually ten seconds behind the play. Dull like some of the old cheers. Or make him listen to Tony Roberts replays until he gets it. (Bring him back?)
paul says:
Go IRISH!
http://ndgdn.wordpress.com/
terry says:
The SC players who were on the field against ND were the ones who said ND quit – THEY would know better than anyone.
There have been some artful attempts to spin last Saturday but there is NO way around the simple fact that ND got whipped last week by a traditional enemy who doesn’t respect them any more – 9 defeats in 10 years by 20+ a pop will do that.
Pink shoes, frilly new design helmets, Ozzy Osborne on the P.A., people complaining about the visitors’ band being disrespectful.
Does that sound like Notre Dame football to you?
Bobby says:
The fact that people are trying to blame BK is absurd. At some point, you have to put blame on the players. Its Kelly’s second year and it has clearly been the fault of the players in all 3 losses. Kelly can’t play for these guys too. The fact is, as bad as these PLAYERS have blown big games. They’ve been in all of them bc of Kelly and his staff.
Its even more comical that people are even going as far as to complain about the music at the games. That was the best atmosphere for a game since the 05 SC game and before that, probably the Holtz era. Most of this fanbase needs to get a grip on reality and realize that the coaches don’t play the games. These losses aren’t anything like the losses the Irish suffered under Weis/Willingham/Davie.
I wouldve liked to see the Irish run the ball more too. I think BK has a better idea of what he’s doing than anyone posting on NDnation though. No offense. I have an idea. Trust in the coach instead of crucifying him. Its year 2.
Here Come the Irish
Jack from Cali says:
We have the best fight song in college football. Forget Ozzy and play our fight song loud and proud!
Billy Mac says:
I totally agree with Bobby. Start blaming players who can’t hold on to the football. Players win and lose games. They are as prepared as they need to be. Stop choking kids! Bunch of babies.
Ian Mills says:
Wow.
Can you please get more sound clips than “Crazy Train” and “Seven Nation Army”. Thank you for addressing that overlooked piece from the USC game. I wanted to gauge my eyes out after then 50th time both of those clips came on the loud speaker. I’m fine with a little extra noise (especially since that’s been a problem), but let’s do it right if we are going to do it. That said, the clips seemed to pump the stadium up, especially when the crowd first heard them.
Now let’s beat Navy.
Dirty says:
I completely disagree with the fllowing statement:
“Stop worrying about jumbotrons and field turf and just win. Additionally, Jumbotrons and field turf are not part of “program building.” And Brian, if you’re going to pipe in music at least stick to the Irish Dropkick Murphy kind, it’s somewhat original (though I suppose not for BC.) Mimicking Michigan and Penn State is the worst kind of fan flagellation, unoriginal, low-rent wannabe fan flagellation.”
I don’t know what “Just win” means. I do know that modernization equates to program building, which of course, means to win. As for the rest of the statement, it is not at all relevant to winning and is the worst kind of low-rent complaining and unoriginal belly aching after a loss to a clearly superior team.
Let’s let Kelly work on getting better players so he can compete with the USC’s of the world and stop complaining about frivolous issues.