Here is a quick look back at some of the highlights of Saturday night closer than we’d hoped win over Wake Forest
It Was Over When …
Jonas Gray surged forward on a 2nd effort to just barely get a first down on 3rd and 1. The first down allowed ND run out the clock in victory formation. It came at the end of a drive that killed the final 5+ minutes of the game, a majority of the yards coming on the ground.
Turning Point
Pick 1 of 2. Either Stephon Tuitt’s sack when Wake had 1st and Goal on the 9 or Darius Fleming causing a fumble inside the 10 which ND recovered. One stopped a long Wake drive and the other came after a long interception return by Wake.
Three Good Stats
- 38 carries – With Tommy having one of his more inaccurate games as an ND quarterback, Brian Kelly leaned on his OL and running game in the 3rd and 4th quarter to put the game away. The Irish finished with 175 yards on the ground.
- 0 — 0 sacks allowed. The O Line still hasn’t given up a sack since the 3rd quarter of the Pitt game. I know ND runs a ton of quick passes but that’s still an impressive achievement.
- 0 2nd half points — After a very sluggish start, giving up 10 points on the first two drives, the D stiffened in the 2nd half yielding no points to Wake. With injuries keeping Ethan & KLM from playing at all and with Lynch and Te’o getting hobble during the game, it was an impressive performance by the short-handed D. There is still room for improvement but 0 points is 0 points.
Three Bad Stats
- 2 — 2 more turnovers for Tommy Rees. Both came on plays were Tommy had other receivers open. And on the 2nd one, the main receiver, Floyd, was open but Tommy lofted up an ugly pass that was picked off and returned back onto the Irish side of the field.
- 7.2 YPA — Brian Kelly’s offense generally has a number of short passes which will keep the YPA down for a QB. But on Saturday night, Tommy had multiple receivers open on deep routes that he just flat out missed. If ND hopes to have any shot against Stanford in a couple of weeks, Tommy has to improve on this. Some of the passes on Saturday were no where close to the intended receiver.
- 118 — ND is currently dead last in the NCAA in turnover margin. That’s just bad.
Three Stars
- Jonas Gray/Cierre Wood — With Tommy struggling all game, especially in the 2nd half, Gray and Wood ran the ball extremely well. THey finished with 179 yards on 33 carries. Both have been outstanding all season.
- Stephon Tuitt & Aaron Lynch — Forced to be starters due to injuries, both have held up well all season. They combined for 2 important sacks but even more impressively, held up well against the run.
- Mike Golic Jr — Forced into the line-up due to Braxton Cave’s injury in the first half, Golic performed admirably. There was very little drop off in run blocking and even more importantly, no errant snaps. Wake has a very good NT and I barely heard his name all night.
Housekeeping:
- Coach Kelly announced on his Sunday afternoon teleconference that Te’o injured the same ankle that he’s been battling all season and was set back a couple of weeks in his recovery. Lynch should be okay next week and Cave’s injury (a foot sprain, I think) looked much better today than last night.
- The Irish are bowl eligible. While not a major accomplishment or something that needs to be celebrated wildly, it’s nice for it to be official.
- Ethan Johnson sat out another week with his ankle injury.
Next Week:
The Irish travel to Washington DC to play Maryland in the 3rd annual “neutral” site game. It will be aired Saturday night on NBC.
- Florida State 18, Notre Dame 14: A Quick Recap - December 29, 2011
- Stanford 28, Notre Dame 14: A Quick Recap - November 27, 2011
- Notre Dame 16, Boston College 14: A Quick Recap - November 21, 2011
tjak
Edited for fucking stupidity. – MQ
trey
At this point, you just sound like an idiot arguing for Crist to play again. The Navy game screwed up the trend, but before he got mop up duty there, every SINGLE time he played, awful awful things happened either to him or the team in general. Guy needs to graduate or transfer already
tjak
Thanks trey. Been a while since I was called an idiot….wow that was a good one. I am referring to next year. Clearly Crist is not the answer either, I was not suggesting he was. I was merely saying his audition was limited compared to Rees and that our problems on offense are rooted at the QB position; but thanks for coming out.
Matt Q. (DMQ)
You ever come around here wearing your tin foil hat after a win on the road and post something inflamatory, guessing at the notion that someone might have dirt on someone else again, and you can fucking forget about participating in the discussions around here. Calm the fuck down.
tjak
One other thing. Like everyone else on this blog, I live and breathe Notre Dame Football and like many others I can get worked up about this team and get frustrated by years of futility. I respect this blog and feel that I have earned over the years a measure of respect. To be called an idiot by a fellow blogger ( one whose opinion I have respected and supported) is ridiculous. If my position on the QB position is unfair then I will be willing to hear other views, but to be referred to as an idiot for that position is unacceptable.
kyndfan
How about dumbass. That’s what you sound like when you’re throwing around curse words, and say that you want Kelly to admit publicly that his QB sucks. No, Rees does not seem to be “the guy” at this point. I think most people on this site would agree that our problems on offense start at the QB spot. The sad part is, he is apparently the best option at this point. I want either Hendrix or Golson to be “the guy”, they’re upside seems to be much larger. Apparently they are not ready yet. Given Kelly’s history with QBs, I am not ready to bash him like you are doing right now.
Yes, ND won inspite of Rees this game. The D pitched a shutout in the second half and we won by 7. Rees threw 2 pics and was off target a lot. This is a fair assesment, not name calling and cursing. There are plenty of sites for name calling and vulgarity. I visit this site, more often than I should according to my wife, because the conversation is largely intelligent.
Pat
Uh, he censored the f-bomb and said BS. Get off your high horse. Otherwise, I agree with what you said about Rees, and it’s something we all know: he’s a liability.
kyndfan
I consider someone maybe having “dirt” on someone else as vulger because it implies skeletons in the closet that would destroy him if they were made public. Call it a high horse if you want, but I would throw knuckles if someone implied the same about me.
tjak
KYndfan…”dumbass”. Wow that is a largely intelligent response to my comments. Sorry for the bulls#$t word, I sincerely did not mean to offend you. I am however glad that you agree with me that the position of QB is a major concern at ND. You are completely right, it is sad that Rees is the best option. I do not think I was name calling. I like Rees, he seems like a fine young man, I wish he was the answer; but he is not. Of course this is just my opinion and I am entitled to it. Thank you.
canuck75
Tjak, here is a reasonable response. First of all, the posters here make arguments and support them, rather than make wild rants.That is why this is the best site. No idiots allowed.
Yes, I am a big Tommy supporter, but I agree that he was not at his best on Sat. That said, no good coach would have changed qbs on Sat. You and the other critics act like every missed receiver is an unbelievable mistake that a competent high schooler wouldn’t miss. Do you not watch any other football? Here’s just 3 qbs that played as badly or worse on Sat; Denard, and both starters in the Bama LSU game. Did you see the sack the Bama guy took on the last play, or the int he threw? By your style of logic he would never play another down. But I imagine Saban will put him out there again.
Back to Tommy. On a bad day, he threw two strikes for tds and several nice passes to Eiffert. He can play better, but its not a coincidence that he’s 10-2.
I also have faith in Coach. Jonas has won his way up to first string, as have Lynch, Tuitt and Atkinson. So when a guy has proven himself, he plays. Therefore if/when Coach thinks one of the other guys is better, he will play.
Finally, take a lesson from coach. Enjoy the win. Wake was a solid opponent that played well. They deserve some credit. Nebraska and Michigan both lost to similar opponents.
tjak
Canuck, my frustrations are not limited to this game; they are season long. My concerns about the QB position and the way BK has handled it are longstanding. I humbly apologize that I did not mention this as the season went on, if only to avoid sounding like a ranter. Check the archives, I have been a apologist for Irish football for years. “Bama” was undefeated until this weekend and the faux pas’s of their QB had not cost them any games until this time. Rees is 10-“3” for a lot of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with him. Yes I am happy the Irish won……I am not an idiot…LOL.
NDtex
Actually, I’m pretty sure Alabama’s collective field goal unit of fail cost them a tad more than shoddy QB play.
canuck75
tex;
That’s the point. A couple of bad plays by a qb usually are not the sole cause of a loss. And no qb can singlehandedly win a game. In the bama lsu game, the d’s were so superior to the O’s that it would be ridiculous to blame the qb, or any part of the O. But I bet that won’t stop a faction of bama fans from doing so.
I just want us to be smarter.
The Biscuit
This entire exchange was way over the top. From tin foil hats to ‘cursing’ to actual cursing to blahblahblah. Everyone get over yourselves.
tjak
Man that is the problem with blogs, people like you who actually believe, that I actually believe Rees had something on Kelly. It was a comment venting frustration over the way Kelly has handled the QB situation. I do not believe Rees has anything on Kelly; how in hell would a guy like me on the left coast of North America know the skeletons…..cause there are none. It was a blog comment KY, relax. Keep those knuckles pristine.
NDtex
So it’s our fault that we took what you wrote at face value? That is the worst possible job of saving face that I’ve ever seen. If you don’t believe it, you are not very smart for typing it.
Seriously, what do you accomplish besides looking like a fool?
Feel free to rant, but attempt to do some with some form of logic.
tjak
Thanks NDTEX and Matt for setting me straight. Not trying to save face though, just saying we have problems at QB; this of course is obvious and “logical”. I apologize for clearly offending others and it will not happen again. Thank you HLS for excellent service over the years.
Samari
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills watching people call to put Crist back in. Does no one remember his Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde routine last year? When the offense would take the field there’d be a 50/50 shot that he’d either march right down the field with ease or look like he forgot what a footbll was. That and the fact that he’s a senior are the reasons that the hook came out so fast in the USF game. We’d seen that movie before and Kelly must have been tired of it. Even if Rees’ ceiling is lower, he’s at least consistent and has more shelf life. Sinking any more time into Crist at this point is like throwing good money after bad
Nate
I’VE NEVER PUT ON A SET OF PADS IN MY LIFE BUT DAMMIT I HAVE OPINIONS AND THEY ARE BASED ON OBSERVATIONS AND KELLY MUST BE AS HORRIBLE A COACH AS WEISSSSS AND DAVIESSSS BECAUSE HIS QB THROUGH TWO PICKS AND HE DIDN’T IMMEDIATELY BENCH HIM AND OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE REESEEE IS A D-1 QB WHAT’S HE GOING TO DO NEXT FUMBLE THE BALL AND HAVE IT RETURNED FOR 1 99 YARD TD BY THE DEFENSE? I MEAN COME ON HE’S A SOPHOMORE HE SHOULD BE PAST MAKING MISTAKES BY NOW BUT IF KEELLY WOULD STOP WITH HIS PASS-HAPPY G.A.S. AND JUST RUN THE DAMMM BALL LIKE ARA AND LOU DID WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT NOODLE ARM REESE BUT NO WE PASS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND NO RUSHING WHATSOEVER.
/for those that can’t tell, the above comment isn’t serious in the least. Relax people, we won, despite playing badly. There’s room to improve, and yes we should have won by more, but 2007-2010 ND would have found a way to lose that game. 2011 ND did not. That’s improvement.
canuck75
Nicely put Nate. I don’t know why i torture myself reading the other sites but I do, and to add to your point it seems a large faction of bloggers on other sites would fire coaches mid game, and would certainly change qbs after every interception, and sometimes just for missing an open receiver.
Someone posted somewhere that Gunnar Kiel should start next year!! Problem solved.
On a rational note, I rewatched the game last night, expecting it to look worse than I remembered. But it didn’t. Lynch and Tuitt and Blanton were great.
I thought Harrison’s PI was a bad play by him regardless of the fact that it was uncatchable.
The worst play of the night was their first kick return. We have to not overrun that play.
As to Tommy, I thought it was more than acceptable. The first int was in desperation mode. We aren’t really expecting to score with 16 sec left. As the commentator said (who did strap on pads a few times) the td to Eiffert was a great read.
Tommy has a knack of converting on 3rd down, and that is worth a hell of a lot more than a few missed receivers.
Shane
Actually the read by Tommy to Eifert was simple but you couldn’t see it on television.
The entire Wake Forest defense was looking at the sideline when ND snapped the ball. They didn’t have their play call in and we caught them napping. Kudos to Rees and the offense for that – you still have to make the read and the throw.
Vairish84
The PI on Smith was similar to the PI that was called against Wake on the play to Floyd. Neither pass was remotely cathcable. The problem was that both defenders were not even attempting to play the ball and did make contact. If either had turned a little, they would not have been called.
kyndfan
Huh. Looks like everyone agrees with me. Stay classy tjak. We’re all fans and our boys found a way to win. Can’t wait for the BC game. Didn’t think I’d make it back this season, gettin all jacked up.
Matt Q. (DMQ)
Do me a favor, if someone goes Crazy Ivan like that, just alert us via the Contact Us page, and we’ll deal with it. I’d really rather our readers not engage in personal grudge matches. Thanks.
VicPaul
Let it go….Geez.
E-Man
Lost among all the hand-wringing about the offense, is really how that defense made adjustments very quickly to put the clamps on when the team needed it. Sure they were bailed out by a couple of bad drops, but there was a definate ticked-off vibe going on with the defense, and they got –shall I say it– nastier as the game went on. Loved it.
Fleming’s near sack when he just steamrolled the right tackle…. I don’t know how to put it into words. I wish I could bottle that.
MarkG
I will be the first to admit that the two interceptions that Tommy threw were horrible – the first was a mental error combined with a not very good throw, and the second was just horrible in all respects.
But let’s not throw the good out with the bad. Read this from Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune
“And, yes, there are always going to be questions about whether he’ll be able to trump apparent physical limitations, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t evolving.
Saturday night against Wake, Rees was masterful in checking out of so-so plays and into ones that could exploit the Demon Deacon defense, particularly running plays. Being able to adeptly move the chess pieces around at the line of scrimmage is something Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn didn’t consistently become proficient in until their respective junior seasons.
According to Kelly, Wake Forest tried to replicate the defensive wrinkles both Pitt and USC used to befuddle Rees. This time he was ready.
‘He did a great job,’ Kelly said. ‘A lot of that credit in terms of the running game is always placed on the offensive line, first and foremost. But when the quarterback can get you in the right looks, it helps immensely.'”
I noticed at least three plays where Rees checked out of what they had called, to a running play that went for big yards. One was checking into a run away from a blitz, leaving Wake completely exposed. A thing of beauty.
And his passing on the first two drives of the second half (i.e. what turned out to be the winning drives) was sharp. Sure, criticize his for his mistakes but let’s give him kudos for what he does well.
MarkG
Let’s look at the other positives:
1. After a shaky first drive, the defense played lights out. Adjustments are what football is all about, and the D made them. Had the offense not put the D in a bad position in the 2nd quarter with two stalled drives (one a three and out), Wake would not have scored its second touchdown. Scoreless 2nd half – what else can you ask for?
2. When was the last time we got the ball with 5:30 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and ran th clock out, even though the other team knew we were going to run the ball?
3. Kick-off return is very good and kick-off coverage is good. We have about half of the special teams issues addressed. (May as well a glass is half full kind of guy.)
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, the team did not go into the “Oh, no, here we go again” meltdown after the interception and long return. Some fans did (including my wife), but the team battled. Mental toughnessn – a trait long lacking.
notredamegrad
Question: I’ve read a lot of rational, intelligent critiques of Tommy’s passing (reads, mechanics, ball placement, touch, etc.) against WF. He did some good things, but it was also clearly one of his worst game-long performances to date. Kelly has been quite generous in his praise of Tommy’s performance, though: he shut down that question about the passing game at the post-game presser, he raved about how Tommy set protections and managed the running game in the Sunday presser, and then in the ICON video, Nolan asks, “could Tommy have thrown the TD pass to Floyd any more perfectly?” and Kelly, smiling, replies, “no.” There isn’t any comment from him about the other aspects of the QB play against WF – INTs, missed receivers, poor reads, sloppy throws, etc.
So, is Kelly trying to systematically defend Tommy here by pointing out his strengths and refusing to acknowledge his deficiencies, or is this simply a sincere take on the performance from a coach who likes a game-manager at QB? Supporting your QB is important, but Kelly seems to be laying it on a little thick, given what actually happened out there.
MarkG
It’s like talking about your kids’ limitations and weaknesses. Sure, you talk about them privately to your spouse, and maybe your brother or even your best friend. But never in front of your kids. They can take it hearing about their limitations and weaknesses from others (teachers, coaches, friends) but hearing your father talk to others about your faults can be devastating. Kelly is just being less than completely forthright in front of the kids.
E-Man
I think what you’re seeing is a coach that was stung over calling out half the team just two weeks ago, trying everything to be the muu-muu that covers the blame
E-Man
Anyone get a good look at Michael Floyd’s attempt at catching Goodman’s pass? Did that thing go through his hands, uncontested by either DB, or was it a high throw, that Floyd couldn’t quite get to?
Pat
I’m willing to put this game in my pocket and move on. Like a poster said above (Nate), teams in our recent past found ways to lose these types of games. Instead, another in the W column.
By the way: What in the hell are they feeding Stephon Tuitt? The sky is the limit with that kid.
The Biscuit
He eats Offensive Linemen for dinner. RBs are dessert.
fightenmick2
Being from Boise…Kellen Moore has me spoiled..Say what you want..But I feel he is as good a QB that is playing today… BAR NONE. I realize you folks back east do not get to see him as often as I do..but he definitely controls his game. His reads of the defense are awsome…….I know I know…his opponets are cupcakes to a lot of you…..But ask Okla, Vt. Georgia & both Oregon teams…., CUPCAKES…. I think not…Could they play a big school week in and week out …Other than Notre Dame…all the hot shot conferences play two or three even more cup cakes…every year…Rees will be ok down the line..He can’t focus on one receiver..has to read the field, and the d line has to protect him a little longer.The kid is pretty smart if given a little more time. Just my two cents worth.
PK
Two questions about special teams:
1 – Kyle Brindza has put quite a few kickoffs into the endzone earlier this season but everything was short on Sat. Do you think this was by design? If so, I don’t get it. The coverage was inconsistent and gave up (I think) at least 2 long returns. Even if the coverage was better, why not just kick it deep and put them at the 20?
2 – There obviously hasn’t been much blocking on punt returns this season, but on some plays it looks as if there are 2-3 players rushing the punt who just stand in front of the blocker and make little effort to get to the punter.
Any thoughts?
The Biscuit
1. It’s a lot colder now – more difficult to kick it as far. I don’t KNOW that it wasn’t something designed, but I don’t think it was.
2. Worst part of our game, except turnovers. Really bad. Whole scheme needs re-worked.
stewvee
Good win against a scrappy, honestly scary Wake team that is gonna be a spoiler for lots of folks.
Pleased as hell with Jonas and the defensive line and Harrison Smith (HLS should do a piece on this guy. He went from a joke in our backfield to a solid, tough-as-nails player. Anyone remember the Oscar Wilde doo he rocked yrs ago?)
Tired of all the Rees talk. He’s still not Joe Montana. Got it. But there are two intangibles the other guys don’t give us: He fires the team up, and they operate differently when he’s behind center (read: mostly w/ a fire under their ass). He’s a work in progress. Who isn’t?
Go Irish. Beat Turtles.
Vairish84
Everyone on the coaching staff talks about the need to develop consistency. Rees is still young, but over the last few games, he has found a level. He had a truly great throw to floyd on the TD pass, and a few real clunkers. Kind of the same every game.
If this is the Rees level, does it work long term in this or any offense? I was at the Wake game so that makes it hard to truly evaluate what went on. He had the great drive against Pitt and the one against Michigan, but I just get the feeling that he has slipped the last few weeks. We have beaten the tar out of teams that don’t match us athletically (AF, Navy), which we should. USC dared Rees to beat them with his arm, and he could not. My fear is that Rees can beat teams that we can run on, and have some athletic edge, but when we are even athletically he can’t make that extra play.
He is certainly more than serviceable, and he should have been unbeaten as a starter until USC. There is something to be said for that, and perhaps the worries are unfounded.
GraceHall1980
Like everyone, I’d like to see more progress, more quickly. But we’re finally beating the teams we should beat, some seriously (Air Force, Navy, to a more limited extent MSU) and some in an uglier fashion (Pitt, Wake Forest). That’s a big step over the prior 10 years, particularly given the lack of depth in several key positions, such as defensive line (now starting two true freshmen and one redshirt freshman) and defensive backfield (the cupboard appears to be literally bare beyond the starting four). We need to continue to recruit, develop the players we have and the ones we recruit thereby creating real depth like was on display in the LSU and Bama defenses and the signature wins will come.
Chuck
All football news forums are fueled by hate, insupportable expectations of victories, and the attitude to crush competitors. There is no expectation of human harmony. This is SADLY true of the territory surrounding football and the faulty way of handling the Penn State / Sandusky abomination.
One can just anticipate the huge amount of hate / love posts depending on team preference, not on decency. Football itself is not a tool for social harmony. Quite the contrary, it promotes alienation, coverups, and hate.
Scranton Dave
I’m amazed that people still defend Rees. He has been awful against all the best teams he has played and only decent at best against some mediocre ones. I disagree with the posters that say Rees is our best choice for right now, because I still believe Crist is. He was not given a fair chance this year at all. If Crist was pulled at halftime of the USF game, then Rees shouldve been pulled at half of the Pitt game. Rees was awful in both USC games and was awful in the Pitt game save for 1 drive. I see him being awful against Stanford too.