Well, after writing up my brain dump/rant/review of the game, I started to peruse the various Notre Dame message boards. Sure enough, Quinn is WAY TOO SLOW in throwing the ball. Darius Walker is an average back. Charlie Weis, by the way, is, despite having never been figured out by the best defensive minds in the NFL, horribly predictable with the play calling. Hey, did you know that when we have a 4th and 1, and we have a TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY POUND QUARTERBACK WITH A POWER INDEX OF 8 TRILLION, we ALWAYS run the QB Sneak? No? Well, then you’re stupid, because a lot of football geniuses have figured that out. You stupid, stupid, stupid head!
Anyway, searching for some sanity, we turn to the Sunday Morning QB, who points out that, indeed, Charlie Weis is smart, calculating, and doing everything he can to win a game. What a novel concept.
Meanwhile, appreciate this. It’s what I was trying to say in my “Tale of Two Lines” bit, but failed:
Brady made the final touchdown with the pump fake that froze everyone on the field except Jeff Samardjizawpdusa, which he had no time to attempt if UCLA is able to mount a better rush – the kind of rush it had, in fact, been generating the entire game from ends Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis. The general perception here may be that the Bruins had brought the heat all game and blew it by suddenly playing conservatively, and they did only rush four on the fatal touchdown. Check out, though, the defensive stats, and note the litany of sacks and hurries: all from the LA front four. Exclusively from the front four; UCLA was just whipping Notre Dame’s line – especially hyped true freshman right tackle Sam Young – and pummeling Quinn without a lot of blitzing help, and reasonably thought Hickman and Davis could mount the same kind of pressure if the coverage held up…
…
No Web evidence seems to exist yet to support this, but note that Samardjiziazia was more or less triple covered but for the knee-buckling effects of Quinn’s fake. That play was more about Notre Dame’s line stepping up and protecting its passer and the Manchurian Candidate’s telepathic mindmeld with his very ugly receiver than schematic breakdown on UCLA’s part, though they should have made a tackle at some point.
Some schools go backstreet brawl. Others go backyard ball and win.
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-15 - November 15, 2009
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-08 - November 8, 2009
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-01 - November 1, 2009