Lotta Stuff from 3 Weeks Including Book vs. Jurkovic.

[Weisnheimer]

Here are thoughts from the last 3 weeks that have been on hold for various reasons. Going to touch on the Clemson game, as well as the BC game and finally the UNC game and some rest of year stuff. So this could be long.

First off, the Clemson game. Not one person here nor any of the ND staff writers and analysts made mention of…Notre Dame scored 3 touchdowns in their final 3 possessions…against the #1 team in the country (at the time). That’s quite impressive. Can any other team boast that in CFB history? I doubt it. Ian Book played, yet again, his best game which once again I said he would have to play at his ceiling because ND only goes as far as he can take us playing at his best. Anything less, we lose in the playoffs.

Also in speaking of Book, I said (maybe after the Pitt game, I don’t remember) that perhaps he has finally matured and finally learned to trust his OLine and seemed to have lost the happy feet. It is happening. Now when he looks to run, it is on initiative and much less on being panicked and desperate. Kudos to both Ian and BK for finally attaining their signature win – even if it was against a depleted Clemson team. It was a great team win as well as, a satisfying exhale from all ND nation. Thank God.

Now onto the BC game, what 10 years ago? Feels like it in trying to remember what was important to me in that game. It was the dreaded Phil Jurkovic vs. Ian Book game. I know some people are chomping the bit for me to say I was wrong and that Ian Book proved me wrong. Well, sorry, you ain’t getting that from me today. Why? Because anybody with a pulse understands that if Jurkovic traded places with Book for that game, Jurkovic would’ve won wearing the Irish uniform, and Ian Book would’ve lost wearing the Eagle uniform. No brainer. Easy peasy. Settled. But that being said and taking into account all the advantages Book had with ND, he did outplay Jurkovic. He played great, again! So obviously I’m not hating this, I’m LOVING this! Jurkovic wanted to play so he left. He knew that the only way he was going to see meaningful snaps was only if Book got hurt. And Book showed him that up to this year, Book’s football chops were all about self-preservation. I said it way back. He doesn’t realize how tough he is. I think he finally is aware of his inner toughness. Thank God.

I think this was the game where Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah made the play of the year from my vantage point. Covering a WR on a go route and WU not only caught up with but was able to turn his head and find the ball (a bit underthrown but definitely would’ve been caught) and deflect it away. Are you serious? Did he just do that? Butkis award highlight material and effing great play and saving at least a FG attempt. Mental blow to Phil Jurko!

Oh and BTW Mirer, C’Borius got another game ball as I think he got last one in gaining 127 yards and a couple TDs previously. Lol. Just sayin’. 8-0 and C’Bo has 25% of game balls. Curious, are people now walking away from your Monday Morning Water Cooler talk at the office when you tell them C’Bo is only a starter on FCS teams? Hehehe.

Now to UNC. Once again, Ian Book brought it. Really excellent play and leadership being down 2 linemen. I’m even ready to start with the accolades for Tommy Rees. I really see nothing to call him out on! It’s shocking for me to see that (as a player) his mental abilities were overshadowed by his, er, unathleticism(?) and inability as a QB at ND. But once again, BK was alllll about Ian. Nevermind the D held Etienne to 34 yards rushing vs. Clemson. Nevermind Irish D gave up like 66 yards total in the 2nd half vs. UNC- And Without Hamilton! BK gave birth to Ian Book and damn it – we are gonna hear about it from the proud father!! Even his interviews seem very manipulative when it comes to taking questions after the game and all week. When asked to talk about Ian and the offense, He points out how great Ian was, his record, and all he does is win, individual plays by Book. Because that’s his boy. When he is asked about the defensive player(s) he’s like, “Yea, they were good”. Lol. He brings in the entire team D, the coaches, the work all week, etc, to explain the success. Maybe one sentence about the player. Very under the radar manipulation. Maybe he’s trying (excessively) to bring Ian into the Heisman talk. That would be his ultimate #*%*# to the BK doubters, wouldn’t it? Oh, the satisfaction…certainly more to him than Ian.

So now in reading this back, I see myself ranting against HC BK when in fact, in all his lesser years I was defending or at least backing him (up until and including 2018) when you saw that UND just didn’t bring in the talent level that was needed to win championships, and due to a lack of recruiting. This was his problem for 10 years, and I got sick of it. Suddenly, this is probably his best team and best year at ND with the right coaches and ability/attention to recruiting. He seems to have morphed into a very good HC to me, coming in the last 3 years. Where I used to see the glaring difference comparing ND to the elites (tired word) I now see that it is the other teams, the Penn States, the Michigans, the LSUs, UGAs, Oklahomas, even the OSUs that need to measure up to Notre Dame.

I can’t include Alabama because watching them, I see a better OLine. Those guys all have the exact same body shape. Round Mound of Pound. Each one tremendously quick and fast and basically relentless. Even with Jarrett Patterson we were below that level, and probably a main reason we won’t win it all this year. Not to mention that Clemson will be healthy for the CCG and Lawrence is going to show that he is the best running QB on the field when they play. The guy loves to run to open their passing game and Etienne’s running game. Mark it down. Revenge is a bitch and this is Lawrence’s last year of CFB. He will run early and make ND respect that facet and Dabo will have some goodies to display when they get their rematch. But you know what? Boom Shakalaka! This is why they play the games! This is why we love Notre Dame football!

Thank God.

 

[Shulkswagen]

Nice post I really enjoyed reading it. I share many of the thoughts you put into words. I have no bad feelings towards Phil J at all but I just don’t see a good QB there at this point. Some grit, tough to tackle but throwing bad balls and counting on receivers to make plays ... that almost always catches up with you in a 60 minute game. It sure did in both the Clemson and ND game. He was also pedestrian in the Pitt game. To me the idea he would ever beat out Ian Book is clearly a no and would he win the ND job after Book has to be a maybe at best. I look at a freshman like Rattler at OU and that is just no comparison on upside potential. Rattler is young and inexperienced but the energy and playmaking is at a different level.

 

[savvyandsassier]

Nice post I really enjoyed reading it. I share many of the thoughts you put into words. I have no bad feelings towards Phil J at all but I just don’t see a good QB there at this point. Some grit, tough to tackle but throwing bad balls and counting on receivers to make plays ... that almost always catches up with you in a 60 minute game. It sure did in both the Clemson and ND game. He was also pedestrian in the Pitt game. To me the idea he would ever beat out Ian Book is clearly a no and would he win the ND job after Book has to be a maybe at best. I look at a freshman like Rattler at OU and that is just no comparison on upside potential. Rattler is young and inexperienced but the energy and playmaking is at a different level.

He was not going to beat out Ian Book. Not last year not this year. That's just hater talk to suggest otherwise. Just something to hold over Book like a good hater would want to do.

But if he had stayed he could have conceivably started as a 4th-year junior, and if he won the job and started at ND for two years he would be doing very well for himself with no complaints. Instead he transferred and now has a chance to be a 3 year starter at a nice program like BC. And so he's probably doing even better for himself the way things have transpired, and like you say no guarantee he would have ever won the job at ND. Only time would have told on that one.

But no way was he ever beating out Book, that's for dang sure. Only in the imagination of haters was that even a thing.

 

[irish4life767]

It was disappointing to see Phil transfer. I think he will be a great QB and will end up in the NFL. I think we could have kept him if he was allowed to play more even in mop up time. He had a total of three snaps after the Michigan game it glaringly obvious that he was not Rees' guy. It would have been nice to have a backup with more experience, and he's done a good job this year at BC with a lot less talent then he had at ND. You cannot argue his stats. Not bad for a first year QB in a new system.

205

336

61.0

2,558

7.6

17

5

77

138.7

 

[Weisnheimer]

Nice post I really enjoyed reading it. I share many of the thoughts you put into words. I have no bad feelings towards Phil J at all but I just don’t see a good QB there at this point. Some grit, tough to tackle but throwing bad balls and counting on receivers to make plays ... that almost always catches up with you in a 60 minute game. It sure did in both the Clemson and ND game. He was also pedestrian in the Pitt game. To me the idea he would ever beat out Ian Book is clearly a no and would he win the ND job after Book has to be a maybe at best. I look at a freshman like Rattler at OU and that is just no comparison on upside potential. Rattler is young and inexperienced but the energy and playmaking is at a different level.

First off, thank you. And I get what you are saying. He's definitely a work-in-progress which one should expect when coming to a new Offense and very little amount of significant snaps with ND. But also look at the teams where he fell short - Clemson and Notre Dame and Pitt. The talent level he faced in Clemson and Notre Dame, I mean...but the experienced Pitt D he torched for 350 yds and 3 tds passing, and a rushing td. -0- int and a fumble, resulting in a 31-30 OT win. That's a tad better than pedestrian. I will be happy to get that from Book in every playoff game along with what our runners would hopefully add. Actually, we're probably going to need outings like that to contend with the high-powered offenses of Clem and Ala.

 

[theskibro]

Here are thoughts from the last 3 weeks that have been on hold for various reasons. Going to touch on the Clemson game, as well as the BC game and finally the UNC game and some rest of year stuff. So this could be long.

First off, the Clemson game. Not one person here nor any of the ND staff writers and analysts made mention of…Notre Dame scored 3 touchdowns in their final 3 possessions…against the #1 team in the country (at the time). That’s quite impressive. Can any other team boast that in CFB history? I doubt it. Ian Book played, yet again, his best game which once again I said he would have to play at his ceiling because ND only goes as far as he can take us playing at his best. Anything less, we lose in the playoffs.

Also in speaking of Book, I said (maybe after the Pitt game, I don’t remember) that perhaps he has finally matured and finally learned to trust his OLine and seemed to have lost the happy feet. It is happening. Now when he looks to run, it is on initiative and much less on being panicked and desperate. Kudos to both Ian and BK for finally attaining their signature win – even if it was against a depleted Clemson team. It was a great team win as well as, a satisfying exhale from all ND nation. Thank God.

Now onto the BC game, what 10 years ago? Feels like it in trying to remember what was important to me in that game. It was the dreaded Phil Jurkovic vs. Ian Book game. I know some people are chomping the bit for me to say I was wrong and that Ian Book proved me wrong. Well, sorry, you ain’t getting that from me today. Why? Because anybody with a pulse understands that if Jurkovic traded places with Book for that game, Jurkovic would’ve won wearing the Irish uniform, and Ian Book would’ve lost wearing the Eagle uniform. No brainer. Easy peasy. Settled. But that being said and taking into account all the advantages Book had with ND, he did outplay Jurkovic. He played great, again! So obviously I’m not hating this, I’m LOVING this! Jurkovic wanted to play so he left. He knew that the only way he was going to see meaningful snaps was only if Book got hurt. And Book showed him that up to this year, Book’s football chops were all about self-preservation. I said it way back. He doesn’t realize how tough he is. I think he finally is aware of his inner toughness. Thank God.

I think this was the game where Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah made the play of the year from my vantage point. Covering a WR on a go route and WU not only caught up with but was able to turn his head and find the ball (a bit underthrown but definitely would’ve been caught) and deflect it away. Are you serious? Did he just do that? Butkis award highlight material and effing great play and saving at least a FG attempt. Mental blow to Phil Jurko!

Oh and BTW Mirer, C’Borius got another game ball as I think he got last one in gaining 127 yards and a couple TDs previously. Lol. Just sayin’. 8-0 and C’Bo has 25% of game balls. Curious, are people now walking away from your Monday Morning Water Cooler talk at the office when you tell them C’Bo is only a starter on FCS teams? Hehehe.

Now to UNC. Once again, Ian Book brought it. Really excellent play and leadership being down 2 linemen. I’m even ready to start with the accolades for Tommy Rees. I really see nothing to call him out on! It’s shocking for me to see that (as a player) his mental abilities were overshadowed by his, er, unathleticism(?) and inability as a QB at ND. But once again, BK was alllll about Ian. Nevermind the D held Etienne to 34 yards rushing vs. Clemson. Nevermind Irish D gave up like 66 yards total in the 2nd half vs. UNC- And Without Hamilton! BK gave birth to Ian Book and damn it – we are gonna hear about it from the proud father!! Even his interviews seem very manipulative when it comes to taking questions after the game and all week. When asked to talk about Ian and the offense, He points out how great Ian was, his record, and all he does is win, individual plays by Book. Because that’s his boy. When he is asked about the defensive player(s) he’s like, “Yea, they were good”. Lol. He brings in the entire team D, the coaches, the work all week, etc, to explain the success. Maybe one sentence about the player. Very under the radar manipulation. Maybe he’s trying (excessively) to bring Ian into the Heisman talk. That would be his ultimate #*%*# to the BK doubters, wouldn’t it? Oh, the satisfaction…certainly more to him than Ian.

So now in reading this back, I see myself ranting against HC BK when in fact, in all his lesser years I was defending or at least backing him (up until and including 2018) when you saw that UND just didn’t bring in the talent level that was needed to win championships, and due to a lack of recruiting. This was his problem for 10 years, and I got sick of it. Suddenly, this is probably his best team and best year at ND with the right coaches and ability/attention to recruiting. He seems to have morphed into a very good HC to me, coming in the last 3 years. Where I used to see the glaring difference comparing ND to the elites (tired word) I now see that it is the other teams, the Penn States, the Michigans, the LSUs, UGAs, Oklahomas, even the OSUs that need to measure up to Notre Dame.

I can’t include Alabama because watching them, I see a better OLine. Those guys all have the exact same body shape. Round Mound of Pound. Each one tremendously quick and fast and basically relentless. Even with Jarrett Patterson we were below that level, and probably a main reason we won’t win it all this year. Not to mention that Clemson will be healthy for the CCG and Lawrence is going to show that he is the best running QB on the field when they play. The guy loves to run to open their passing game and Etienne’s running game. Mark it down. Revenge is a bitch and this is Lawrence’s last year of CFB. He will run early and make ND respect that facet and Dabo will have some goodies to display when they get their rematch. But you know what? Boom Shakalaka! This is why they play the games! This is why we love Notre Dame football!

Thank God.

Just an outstanding post. Great points. Brilliant. Well, when I agree with everything W writes it’s easy to be complementary

now I want W to do a post on the most exciting and fun player to watch — Tommy Tremble. God please give us more Trdmbles. Teach the young uns to block like this

 

[Weisnheimer]

Just an outstanding post. Great points. Brilliant. Well, when I agree with everything W writes it’s easy to be complementary

now I want W to do a post on the most exciting and fun player to watch — Tommy Tremble. God please give us more Trdmbles. Teach the young uns to block like this

Thank you my man. It's the great minds, right? And I think you and I are also in total agreement that Defense still wins championships, as well, and which is why this year has been so enjoyable and I think really helps take the pressure off Book and Co.

hehehe And yeaaaaz Tremble is w/out doubt the best blocker I've seen at ND. Totally great watching him go balls out in that role. Talk about commitment. We can only hope he comes back to hone his pass catching skills.

Most exciting for me this year is Kyren Williams. Ball of energy. Refuses to go down on initial hits. Refuses to get TFL. He for me is the reason I feel confident when we reach the red zone. With Tremble blocking and then there's Michael Mayer down there. Weaponpalozza baby! They are fun to watch this year, no doubt. But miles to go before they sleep...