Join the forum discussion on this postA win is a win is a win. Correct? In this case, yes and no. We’ll all take it, since a W is better than a L, but let’s face it, the Boston College Eagles came into the game with a record of 3 wins and 7 defeats. If you can only beat a team of this stature, at home, on Senior Day no less, then don’t expect to receive votes for the top 10 in the latest college football polls.
The Rundown
Notre Dame barely beat this club, lost to a South Florida team that really is not that good, and eked by a mediocre Pittsburgh team earlier in the year. Compare this to the feats of teams such as LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Boise State, Virginia Tech, Oregon, and it is safe to say that this Notre Dame team still has a long way to go. Once again, everyone is beginning the roll call of coaches that they think can lead the Fighting Irish back to the promised land of national titles. The problem here is that Notre Dame can not dump a coach after just two seasons. A coach that has proven he can win everywhere else.
Notre Dame is not Cincinnati. However, didn’t Cincy go to a BCS bowl game with this very same coach? That being the case, then there is no reason Brian Kelly can not get the Irish back into a BCS bowl game match-up. Since 1993, our beloved Irish have been irrelevant when it comes to the national title hunt. We’ve all heard the excuses come and go, and in many cases it has been because of the head coach. For the most part, that is true, Davie, Willingham, Weis and now Kelly. Of that quartet though, Kelly is the one that can pull it off. Has he made some bone headed decisions? Well, hell yes he has. The problem we all seem to forget is this – Notre Dame is no longer the drawing card that it once was. Of course, there is still a lot going for the school. The intangibles that made this football program are still there. But, heresy – not every Catholic kid grows up wanting to attend Our Lady’s school anymore. All schools have the same scholarship limit. There is a lot more to offer socially at universities that are bigger than N.D. by 10 to 40,000 students. That includes Midwest universities that have the same limitations that N.D. has – mainly, lack of warmth in the winter, no beaches with bikini clad coeds running amok. No national titles since 1988. That means most of the recruits that are now college age, have never seen Notre Dame being synonymous with national championships. That in itself makes a difference. Academics, well it is what it is.
If you’re going to exclude many gifted football players because they can’t get into Notre Dame, well then don’t berate other schools because they all don’t aspire to be an Ivy League school of the Midwest. Athletic scholarships were created because not all students are on the same level as the main student body. That’s just the way it is. Now then, if Notre Dame (and other academic schools) would push the NCAA to a point of forcing schools to at least graduate their student-athletes, that would be a different story. I can guarantee though that not all schools are going to be as rigid as Notre Dame when it comes to academia. Many are state funded universities and not private schools. Being a private school Notre Dame can mandate whatever it wants when it comes to academics. Most schools simply are not going to do this. Do these schools owe their students more? Yes they do. However, right or wrong, sports have a way of unifying the student body. Look no further than what a football weekend does to schools in Baton Rouge, Columbus, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, Knoxville, etc.
For the Boston College game, many Notre Dame players were saddled with influenza. There is also the season mounting toll of injuries that has hit the team. Jonas Gray had his year cut short by the ACL tear suffered in this game. Much like the team itself, Gray had rebounded well after fumbling away the opening drive of the season versus South Florida. The team after starting 0-2 has gone 8-1 in the last nine games.
The Fighting Irish have now beaten B.C. three straight games after losing to them six consecutive times. Statistically, Notre Dame beat the hell out of Boston College. The Irish had more first downs – 21 to 14. The Irish had a net total of 417 yards on 78 plays compared to the Eagles 250 yards on 63 plays. N.D. rushed for 161 net yards on 39 carries. Tommy Rees passed for 256 yards while completing 24 of 39 passes. He tossed 1 interception and had no passing td’s. The Eagles rushed for a paltry 80 yards on 25 attempts. Chase Rettig completed 18 of 38 passes for 170 yards. He had no interceptions to go along with 1 td pass. Each team had 6 penalties. The Irish controlled the clock with a possession time of 33 minutes and 21 seconds compared to 26 minutes and 39 seconds for the Eagles. In third down conversions, Notre Dame made 8 of 19, while B.C. made only 3 of 13. When it came to receiving, once again Michael Floyd was a man among the boys. He had 10 catches for 92 yards, no TDs, and a long of 18 yards.
Eagles linebacker Luke Kuechly finished with 14 tackles, giving him 523 for his career – one shy of the B.C. record set by Steven Boyd from 1991-1994. Kuechly did set the ACC career record, which had been 516. For the most part, the tone was set by the defense of the Eagles as they held the Irish to terrible field position throughout almost the entire football game.
Play By Play
Early on, it appeared that this would be a cakewalk for the Fighting Irish. They received the opening kick-off and started at their own 20 yard line after a touchback. They promptly went 80 yards in 8 plays. The drive took only 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Rees passed four times on the drive, which culminated with a 26 yard td run by Jonas Gray with 12:38 left in the opening quarter. David Ruffer added the PAT and the Irish led 7-0. The only other scoring play in the opening stanza was a 40 yard field goal by Ruffer. The Fighting Irish had a 46 yard drive on 9 plays which took up 2 minutes and 51 seconds. The kick came at the 8:15 mark of the period. Score : Notre Dame 10 B.C. 0.
Boston College answered this score with a touchdown in the second period. They had a lengthy 80 yard drive of their own. It took up 4 minutes and 8 seconds and it took them 9 plays to complete. QB Josh Bordner scored on a 2 yard td run. Kicker Nate Freese made the extra point and it was 10-7 in favor of the home team Irish.
Notre Dame closed the first half scoring with a 41 yard field goal from Ruffer. The Irish used 7 plays to cover 46 yards in a minute and 45 seconds. The score came 1:19 before the end of the first half. At the half, Notre Dame 13 and Boston College 7.
There was no scoring in the defense festive 3rd quarter. The defenses held each other in check with many punts back and forth. Tommy Rees did have an ill advised throw that resulted in an interception. However the N.D. defense stopped B.C. cold.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Ruffer added his third field goal of the game. It came from 27 yards out. The Irish drive took 9 plays and covered 55 yards. They ate up 3 minutes and 50 seconds. Cierre Wood rushed on four of those plays. For the game, Wood had 94 yards rushing and that gave him 1,001 rushing yards for the season. The score was now Notre Dame 16 and Boston College 7. The score came at the 8:08 mark of the fourth period.
Late in the game, B.C. went 72 yards on 7 plays taking up one minute and 43 seconds. The drive was aided by a pass interference call on Zeke Motta of the Irish. Boston College QB Chase Rettig found WR Bobby Swigert from 7 yards out for the touchdown. Freese made the extra point attempt and it was now N.D. 16 and B.C. 14.
With but one minute and 57 seconds remaining, Boston College attempted an onside kick. The Irish recovered at the Eagle 48 yard line. Notre Dame was held in check and had to punt back to the Eagles, but it was too little too late. B.C. had time enough for one play. It was a short pass completion and a series of laterals in trying to hope that someone would break free. All to no avail. Final score Notre Dame 16 – B.C. 14.
MadIrish Perspective
The Irish prevailed and now the season finale is set for a battle with the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto. The Cardinal and Heisman hopeful QB Andrew Luck hope to complete a second straight season with 11 wins. Stanford lost a tough match to the Oregon Ducks at home. The score was lopsided at 53-30. This Cardinal team is tough against the run and may force Tommy Rees to come out and have to sling the football all over the gridiron. The rushing attack for the Irish now falls on the shoulders of Californian Cierre Wood now that Jonas Gray is out due to the ACL tear.
Brian Kelly needs to win this football game. A loss and once again the Irish faithful will start the chant for Urban Myer. A victory for the Irish is possible, but most likely Stanford is just too strong for N.D. This match-up appears much like last season when the Cardinal were just way too strong for Notre Dame to stop. A loss will also likely mean another weak bowl game for the Irish. A win, well over a top 5 opponent would give the Irish faithful optimism once again for next season. I just think that it is too tall of an order to expect Notre Dame to win this game. If only somehow Brian Kelly can conjure the ghosts of the past. The Fighting Irish are really overdue to win a game of this magnitude.
It appears at this point in time that Urban Myer is likely to become the next head football coach at the Ohio State University. Many hope and believe that he is the savior of Notre Dame football. I have long given up hope that he is ever going to become the head football coach at Notre Dame. After all, he had the opportunity and passed on it. OSU would offer him as much of an opportunity to win national titles just like he did when he took over the Florida Gator program. Coaches like Bob Stoops, Les Miles, and Nick Saban are simply not going to leave the cash cows that they are in charge of. Nick Saban wanted the Notre Dame job real bad at one time, who knows? Right now though, the opportunity is Kelly’s. A 10-3 season would look real good about now.
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