As long as Kelly is the coach, ND will never win a championship, so this is all lipstick on a pig, but here goes:
1. Special teams are not the reason for the team’s failures, but finding your second best return man (no idea who this is) on the field with Tyree on KO return, with strict orders to return every kick that is not 5 yards deep in the end zone. The offense is terrible and I will accept a few starts at the 15 for the chance at a couple of big returns.
2. That which must be done eventually should be done immediately. Fire Quinn. Reach out to some former players, preferably those who played for Joe Moore and find someone to coach the OL starting tomorrow.
3. No matter what happens with coaching, the OL will not appreciably improve over the next week or two. There is no running attack. Thus, plan on throwing the ball 60+ times against V-Tech. Tell the WRs that after the first dropped pass, they sit for the remainder of that half.
4. Related to #3, no more than 1 TE on the field at a time. With Bauman out, the other TEs are not pass catching threats, and their blocking is mediocre at best.
5. The defense has played reasonably well the last 3 games, but enough with Foskey and/or Botelho running 20 yards downfield trying to cover somebody. Taking your best pass rushers off the line of scrimmage is foolish.
I don’t have a strong opinion on the QB situation. If Pyne has started, I think the first half would have been closer but Cinncinati is well coached. They would have adjusted to Pyne and I think the game’s outcome would have been the same. With this OL, you are going to need multiple QBs this season.
1. Special teams are not the reason for the team’s failures, but finding your second best return man (no idea who this is) on the field with Tyree on KO return, with strict orders to return every kick that is not 5 yards deep in the end zone. The offense is terrible and I will accept a few starts at the 15 for the chance at a couple of big returns.
2. That which must be done eventually should be done immediately. Fire Quinn. Reach out to some former players, preferably those who played for Joe Moore and find someone to coach the OL starting tomorrow.
3. No matter what happens with coaching, the OL will not appreciably improve over the next week or two. There is no running attack. Thus, plan on throwing the ball 60+ times against V-Tech. Tell the WRs that after the first dropped pass, they sit for the remainder of that half.
4. Related to #3, no more than 1 TE on the field at a time. With Bauman out, the other TEs are not pass catching threats, and their blocking is mediocre at best.
5. The defense has played reasonably well the last 3 games, but enough with Foskey and/or Botelho running 20 yards downfield trying to cover somebody. Taking your best pass rushers off the line of scrimmage is foolish.
I don’t have a strong opinion on the QB situation. If Pyne has started, I think the first half would have been closer but Cinncinati is well coached. They would have adjusted to Pyne and I think the game’s outcome would have been the same. With this OL, you are going to need multiple QBs this season.
