Join the forum discussion on this postAnother big game for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, and another big game loss for the Irish. Same old result for Notre Dame. Is it any wonder that the national media pokes fun at our beloved Irish? Especially those bastards from ESPN! Until Notre Dame starts to win these types of games, there is little to do but sit back and take their BS. Frankly, it has gotten so old that I think most of us die hard fans just sit back in our easy chair and rest Comfortably Numb (thanks to Pink Floyd and whatever libations we consume on game day).
With a couple years of flirtatious BCS games (in which we got manhandled), 1993 seems so far away. Well hell yes, it has been far and away – 18 years since Notre Dame football has really been relevant when it comes to talk of a National Championship. Every year since the departure of coach Lou Holtz, we all sit on our fat asses and blame the coaching staff. For the most part, rightfully so. However, the school just can’t keep changing coaches like we change our underwear (hopefully everyone does so daily). Sooner or later, some reality has to set in.
Are the days of glory really over? Are there no more National Championships to be had on the gridiron? Every year comes new anticipation. Every year we all sit around hoping that this is it, the renaissance of Notre Dame football and return to the glory days! I think that Notre Dame will again be relevant in the world of college football. However, the expectations of the program playing for a championship year in and year out, well, I think that is no longer viable. There simply are too many variables against it. Nothing is impossible, it can happen. After all, haven’t the Chicago Cubs been extolling the same hopes in baseball for a few years now?
Stanford is a school that excels when it comes to fighting for the annual Sears Directors Cup. Stanford has a lot going for it, being out on the left coast. Compare that to a school stuck in the Midwest, out in the cornfields of Indiana. Both Stanford and Notre Dame excel when it comes to the world of academia. When it comes to football, the Cardinal of Stanford are on solid ground for the time being. However, Jim Harbaugh has gone on to greener pastures in the NFL. Soon to be followed by All American QB Andrew Luck. Sooner or later, the fortunes of Stanford football will change. Do I give a damn? NO! What I want is for the fortunes of Notre Dame football to undergo a transformation, back to it what it once was. I’m not getting any younger!
The Rundown
This past weekend, Andrew Luck eclipsed John Elway’s Stanford career record of 77 touchdown passes. Luck has thrown 80 touchdown passes in three years, including 35 this season alone. For the second straight season, the Cardinal went 11-1. While it didn’t quite take Notre Dame to the woodshed like it did last season, it was still enough of a dominant decision in prime time to make Irish fans wonder where their program is headed.
The season started off for the Fighting Irish with a quarterback controversy; the season ended for the Fighting Irish with a quarterback controversy. QB Andrew Hendrix came off the bench and showed glimpses of brilliance for Notre Dame. Many are now questioning head coach Brian Kelly and his decision to stick with Tommy Rees for much of the year. The major question being – who is more suited to be the QB leader of the whirlwind offense that coach Kelly exercises – Rees or Hendrix? It really isn’t fair to make that judgement by assessing Hendrix on one half of football.
As the starting QB for Brian Kelly, Tommy Rees has a won-lost record of 12-3. That is what you want in your starting quarterback – a winner. Many believe that Tommy has some shortcomings that make it hard for him to improve upon that record. Those shortcomings being a lack of arm strength, and maybe even more telling – a lack of mobility. It’s uncertain if it was because he had been injured earlier in the game, or because it was a crappy field on which to run, or maybe it was just because he is slow of foot. Many (including myself) feel that Rees should have probably ran for a touchdown on a dash that he made towards the goal this past weekend at Stanford. It has been painfully obvious that a lack of speed has hurt the offense the past two seasons when it comes to the QB position. Many think that Hendrix is the cure for what ails the offense.
For the night, Andrew Luck completed 20 of 30 passes with one interception and four touchdowns. Ty Montgomery caught 6 of those passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. Coby Fleener had 4 receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Stanford added 196 rushing yards on 42 attempts. Stepfan Taylor had 20 carries for 118 of those yards. Stanford had 429 total yards of offense compared to a total of 309 yards for Notre Dame. The Cardinal finished with 23 first downs and the Irish had 20. Stanford completed 8 of 15 third down conversions. Stanford also sacked the Irish QBs 5 times for 44 yards in losses.
Statistically for Notre Dame, they had a paltry 57 yards rushing on 31 attempts for an average of 1.8 per carry. Throw in 252 yards passing on 17 completions and the Irish finished with 309 total yards of offense. Tommy Rees completed only 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards with an interception and no touchdowns. Andrew Hendrix completed 11 of 24 passes for 192 yards with one interception and one touchdown. Michael Floyd caught 8 balls for 92 yards and a score. Floyd finished the regular season with 95 catches, breaking the Notre Dame single season mark of 93 set by Golden Tate in 2009. Tyler Eifert chipped in with 4 catches for 79 yards.
Both teams had penalties galore. Stanford had 11 infractions for 113 yards. Notre Dame had 10 penalties for 68 yards, but many were in key situations that affected down and distance all night long. Notre Dame also punted 7 times for an average of 36.7 yards per kick. This is another glaring stat that coach Brian Kelly must have his team improve upon next season. The Irish completed 5 of 15 on third down conversions. David Ruffer inexplicably missed a 20 yard field goal try for the Irish. Oh what difference a year can make!
The only scoring of the opening stanza was by Stanford. Luck completed 5 passes during a 58 yard drive on 7 plays. Using up 3 minutes and 36 seconds, Luck culminated the drive with a three yard td pass to Levine Toilolo. Jordan Williamson added the PAT and it was 7-0 at the 9:16 mark of the period. Notre Dame’s first two plays from scrimmage were false start penalties. Later in the period Tommy Rees was sacked and lost a fumble at the Stanford 30 yard line on a 2nd and 7 play.
Stanford added two more touchdowns in the second quarter. The first of those touchdowns was a pass from Luck to Coby Fleener from 28 yards out. It was an 80 yard drive on 10 plays taking up 5 minutes and 19 seconds. With 4:45 before halftime, Williamson added the extra point and it was 14-0. Stanford began a drive at their 36 yard line after Rees threw an interception on an ill advised pass. The Cardinal covered the 64 yards in one minute and 29 seconds using 10 plays. Luck hit Ty Montgomery with an 11 yard touchdown pass 10 seconds before halftime. Williamson’s PAT made it 21-0 Stanford at the half.
With Andrew Hendrix at the controls in the second half for Notre Dame, he found Michael Floyd from 6 yards out for the only score of the third quarter. Hendrix drove the Irish 77 yards on 7 plays in 2 minutes and 53 seconds. At the 6:21 mark after Ruffer’s PAT it was Stanford 21 Notre Dame 7. The score held up ending the third period.
The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter. First Stanford covered 80 yards on 6 plays taking 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Luck found Fleener from 55 yards out with a pass. Williamson’s kick made it 28-7 Stanford. Notre Dame closed out the scoring with 23 seconds left. Hendrix plunged in from 2 yards out. The Irish went 87 yards on just 4 plays in 39 seconds. Hendrix hit three straight passes before the score, first for 45 yards to Theo Riddick, then for 8 yards to Eifert, and again to Riddick for 22 yards. Ruffer added the PAT to make the final score Stanford 28 Notre Dame 14.
MadIrish Perspective
Finishing up the regular season at 8 wins and 4 defeats, the Irish now await their bowl fate. The big question among Irish fans of course is who will be the starting QB in that bowl game? The consensus is Andrew Hendrix needs to be the starter. Of course the decision is not in the hands of the fans, but lies on the fate of Brian Kelly’s thinking. With the poor showing by Rees in the season finale, the fans are clamoring for change. Many think the future should be in the hands of young Mr. Hendrix. Those fans argue the limitations of Rees and his arm and legs are going to determine the future of Irish football. The real bugaboo, of course, is that an 8-4 season is not what everyone expected. Take away the 10 turnovers in the opening game of that season and Notre Dame would be 10-2. If that had been the case, I think most fans would be happy, not only for the 2011 season, but for the fate of Irish football being in the hands of Tommy Rees.
Many are not happy with Brian Kelly. I think a lot of people are nitpicking about non football related items which include uniforms, sideline tantrums, jumbotrons, field turf, etc.. That being said, it all comes down to real issues on the field: constant penalties hindering drives, turnovers killing drives (especially in the red zone), inconsistent field goal kicking, a lack of a punt return game for two seasons now, punting that at times was downright atrocious, linebackers that seem slower than molasses, and defensive backs that seem more capable of watching the backs of the receivers they are covering than being able to break on the ball. Way too many issues it seems!
Coach Brian Kelly needs to get these issues addressed over the off-season. Glancing ahead to the schedule for next year, the opposition could be a lot tougher than this year. Year three of the Kelly regime better improve dramatically or it could get ugly.
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