Virginia Tech’s Cam Phillips runs in a touchdown in front of Notre Dame defender Julian Love. (Photo: SBT Robert Franklin)
It was a bittersweet senior day in which it kind of felt like Groundhog Day. It seems as though we’ve seen this game formula too many times this season … go up big in the first half, trip up on a mistake or two, team falls apart, and then the game is lost by a narrow margin. We saw it against Stanford, Navy, and again this weekend against Virginia Tech. You know it’s bad when Coach Kelly comes into the press conference and doesn’t even make any comments; just starts out asking for questions. Everyone, including Coach Kelly, is at a loss for words on how to explain what has happened this season.
The silver lining of the defense? Player of the game: Drue Tranquill. Tranquill had 10 tackles: 8 solo, 2 assists, and an interception. He was one of four Irish defensive players to post 10 tackles against Virginia Tech. The junior made the defensive play of the day with a diving interception after the ball had bounced off the hands of a Hokie receiver. The 10 tackles match Tranquill’s season high. Three other players had 10 tackles games: Te’von Coney with six solo tackles and four assists, James Onwualu with six solo tackles and four assists, and Jarron Jones with five solo tackles and five assists.
I think we are all very much at a loss in explaining what has happened with this team this season. Coach Kelly’s thoughts on the loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday?
Q. You’ve bounced back from difficult losses before in terms of effort. Is this one any more
difficult to come back from just with Senior Day? You see players on the field, tears coming
down.
COACH KELLY: These kids are wonderful kids. I mean, I’m at loss for words really as to what to
tell them, you know. It’s just been a difficult year.
They work so hard. They play so hard. They have been ahead in so many of these games and been
so close in the four quarter. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those years where — I haven’t had one
like this in my 25, 26 years of being a head coach, where it hasn’t gone their way.
It’s not just one thing. It’s a jump off side here. It’s I have the quarterback — I didn’t pick up the
quarterback in zone read. You know, it’s just a little bit of everything unfortunately.
Q. Do you wonder if this team will have it next week, that they can withstand this after the
rest of the season?
COACH KELLY: I have no doubts that they will have the effort, the intensity, all those things
necessary. But they’re going to have to battle again late in the game and find a way to win the football game. We have not been able to shake the little things that keep cropping up.
Q. Kind of a follow-up. This is Game 11. Just like déjà vu all over. 24-7 lead, have all the
momentum going your way and it’s just like the balloon pops. Never been through this
before. Can you try to put it into words?
COACH KELLY: I just love our kids. I love the way they battle. You know, we’re going to wake up
from this nightmare and we’re going to be 11-0 I think. Maybe not. I just don’t — they work hard.
They did everything I wanted them to do. There are some things we’re going to have to do in the
off-season to address it.
There are a lot of inexperienced players that are going to benefit from this. I’m not benefitting at
all being in front of you losing this football game. It’s not helping me any. It’s going to help those
guys that have gone through it.
So we’ll bank on that.
And some thoughts from the senior defense:
James Onwualu – Sr. – Linebacker – Notre Dame
… On the leadership needed for next week against USC
“That’s our rivalry. Everybody is going to be fired up for that game, especially some of the older
guys just to go out on a win and to play one of our favorite rivals for the last time.”
… On being on the field for the last time at home
“It’s just so many memories that I have really enjoyed. I’m really reminiscing on the good times
trying to think of all the times I’ve really enjoyed out here with the guys that I love, the team that I
love and the school that I love. It’s been a blast.”
… On the differences in the second half
“They started getting on a roll. The defense needed to come up with a couple more stops. The
offense needed to score a few more points. We just couldn’t pull it out, and it was tough.”
Isaac Rochell – Sr. – Defensive Line – Notre Dame
… On Senior Night
“I didn’t really envision my Senior Night being a loss, but I’m excited about the way the guys
played. I’m sure Coach Kelly said the same thing. I love my teammates.”
… On the fight of this team
“A lot of it has to do with the fact that we have a really young team of guys that just want to get
better. That’s how they approach practice. They just want to get better day-to-day.”
… On the emotions of the night
“It’s a cool experience. I was telling James (Onwualu) when there were 17 seconds left to take it in
because if we do lose, this is the last time we are going to be in this stadium. It’s a cool feeling. It’s
something that I know when I’m older that I will remember this moment. It’s unique in that way.
I’m sad that we lost, but we have a great group of guys. I’m happy that I got to go out with them.”
***
I’m definitely at a loss for words to explain how we ended up with four wins and seven losses. So many times this season, if we had just gotten a break or two, that check in the loss column would be in the win column. And I’m not sure how this team pulls it together to defeat a USC Trojan team that has a very hot hand right now. I think we are all ready for the curtain to close on this season and beginning looking ahead to the offseason and the glimmer of hope that is 2017 Notre Dame Football. What say you?
Cheers & GO IRISH!
Her Loyal ... Daughter
Lisa Kelly is a multidimensional marketing professional. She has over two decades of marketing experience and earned a bachelor of business administration and marketing from the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1993 ... Siegfried Hall!). She is a Digital Publishing Manager by day and by night is writing her third book, a continuation of "Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became" and its sequel "The Men We Became: MORE Echoes From the End Zone." In 2012, Lisa was crowned the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in a blogging and social media contest, representing Notre Dame.
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