Notre Dame won big over an opponent that it was supposed to win big over. That’s the bottom line here. I’ve seen some griping and hand-wringing about the win, but it was what it was expected to be. ND scored 45 points in the first half, and let’s be realistic here, they could have scored a 100 points if Brian Kelly wasn’t a gentleman. If this was a Nick Saban coached team the score would have been much, much higher. It wasn’t a perfect game and the individual performances weren’t perfect, but the game played out much as the Staff expected it to. @DavidMcKinney comes closest to predicting the actual score with his 51-14.
Where to begin? It’s difficult to complain about any aspect of the game on Saturday. I’ve said for some time that the secondary is a work in progress, but the Miami QB is a good player (see below). A couple of missed tackles, some botched coverage in the secondary. Wimbush isn’t the world beater we were expecting, yet (see below) but I can see why he’s considered a player with a tremendous upside. Yoon missed another long FG attempt, but the percentages go down as the distance goes up. The bottom line is that through 5 games this year we’ve equaled the win total from last year and things look damn good moving forward.
He Said It Best (Pre-Game)- Coach Chip Long before the game: “If you don’t think this is a big game, go ahead and lose it and see how big it becomes.” Translation: They’re all important. Take one game at a time and win each one. ND took care of business on this one and we should be happy.
Chuck Martin- I’m not advocating that he be a future ND HC, but what a tremendous, respectable, character he is. I loved how it was reported that he took his players on a tour of the campus and how it was mentioned that he was a life-long ND fan. I always liked the guy and I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. He’ll always be part of the family to me.
Gus Ragland- He had a good game, but he was what he’s been all year long, a guy that completes about 50% of his passes. He is a quality player, though. Geek Stat: Ragland/Martin ran off 6 straight wins last year to make it to the St. Petersburg Bowl. In that game against Miss. State, Ragland was 22 of 30 for 263 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Miss. State was a heavy favorite and only won by blocking a FG attempt in the closing seconds. Ragland can play and Martin can coach is the point I’m trying to make, so for all those crying about giving up 17 points, it happens.
I wasn’t at the game but- The cameras panned all around the stadium and I didn’t see one person sitting during the National Anthem. It was nice to see. Not a political point, but as a veteran I stand out of respect for and commonality with the people that I’m gathered with. I go to many hockey games and I stand and show respect for every country’s National Anthem. Always have, always will. But that’s me and folks can do as they see fit.
What I wanted to see- Honestly, I didn’t want to see ND run the ball very much. I wanted to see Wimbush throw and throw and throw and get in a rhythm and get comfortable in the pocket. Then when the game was out of reach by the start of the second half, I wanted to see Book come in and do the same thing. We know this team can run, but we need to get the QBs and WRs out there making plays. It’s a minor quibble, but I think it was a lost opportunity, in my opinion.
It Was Over When- Josh Adams broke his second long touchdown run. He’s just a beast.
DL- I continue to be impressed with the front four on the DL. They play a good, solid team defense and they’re a hard-nosed group. Miami had 115 yards rushing, but I’m hard pressed to remember any solid run by their backs.
OL- Another dominant performance. You can drive tanks through the holes that they’re opening.
Brian Kelly- Seems like a new man on the sideline. Cool, composed, and seemingly much more interested in instructing his players after each series. It’s early in the year, but he seems more like the guy I thought we were getting when he was hired.
Wimbush- A slow start, but he finished well and he did throw 3 TD passes. The problem that I saw with him, and it seems to be a consistent problem, is that he holds on to the ball too long, appears skittish in the pocket, and is more prone to running the ball on passing plays when he feels the slightest bit of pressure. We had some fun with @ggabe5478 over the past couple of weeks, but he knows what he sees. I disagreed with his thought of pulling Wimbush, but there is some work to be done there. That said, I trust the coaches that he is the best QB on the roster. Regarding my previous point re: Kelly, Wimbush takes the counseling very well. Compare that to the Golson images (for both Golson and Kelly). One thing that bothered me and it’s more of a playcalling issue, Wimbush rushed 11 times for 36 yards, several rushes on designed QB runs. That shouldn’t happen in a game like this. You’re risking injury to your starting QB in a game that was already well in hand.
Post of the Game- From the thread “A Different Team”
Georgia Reconsidered- After the GA game I said there were no moral victories, and I stand by that. I also said that they were an SEC powerhouse and I was called out by one poster for that comment. Since then, GA is 3-0 having given up 14 points, followed by 3 points, followed by a shutout. They’re a very good team. Looking at that game in retrospect, I think ND is a very good team as well. If Kizer was still at QB, I think ND wins that game by 10 points.
Geek Stats: Stats are good for a snapshot, but rarely tell the whole story. Miami had nearly as many first downs as ND (19 vs 21 for ND), had a better 3rd down efficiency (6-15 vs 5-13 for ND), yards per pass were virtually the same (7.1 vs. 7.4 for ND), the disparity in total yards was not outrageous (377 vs. 503 for ND), and Miami had possession of the ball for nearly 11 minutes more than ND. Sometimes the stats don’t really tell us anything. Consider the words of the wise @Dave Kahle on important stats in the thread, “Why USC Lost:”
Sometimes it’s just that simple.
Double Down on Geek Stats-There are some stats that do make a difference. ND won the penalty differential (9-90 for Miami vs. ND’s 5-60), turnovers (2 by Miami and none for ND) and ND goes 3 for 3 in the redzone. Here’s an excellent read by @Lou Somogyi with more, important, stats:
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/how-good-is-notre-dame-in-2017-
Post Game Post of the Game- I’m calling @UserND83 on this one as there may be a copyright violation here:
Jimmy Byrne- I didn’t realize he was a senior. Glad to see him getting into a game, finally. I’m happy that all those kids that got into the game had that experience. This is why we need to blow some teams out early, so next year’s players can get some experience.
Fantasy Coaching Carousel- I’ve been waiting for a game like this where everything goes well and there’s not much to comment on to step back and say something about all the talk of replacing our Head Coach. I said at the end of last year the BK would be coming back and people scoffed at me. He’ll be back next year if he doesn’t have something better lined up. Take a look at some of the names floated since the end of last year and consider the possibilities:
Nick Saban- Laugher. Never going to happen. His choice.
Urban Meyer- Likely never to happen. Not necessarily his choice alone.
Mark Dantonio- After last week’s disaster for MSU, would you really want that guy?
Bob Stoops- Big Game Bob is a good coach who habitually lost a winnable game every year at a school that had none of the restrictions in recruiting that he’s face here. He’s BK Lite. Very Lite. Not going to happen.
PJ Fleck- Runaway rowboat took him out at home this week. Not ready for primetime. Yet.
There have been many others names mentioned (feel free to add any in) but the reality is that when BK moves on, we don’t want Urban Meyer, we want the NEXT Urban Meyer. There was a thread awhile ago about a negative article written about the BK/ND marriage by Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports. I thought the article sucked but I heard him on the radio about a month later. He really likes ND and thinks it’s still one of the premier coaching positions in CFB. He suggested keeping an eye on two young coaches, one whom I forget and the other was the coach at Toledo.
All premature, in my opinion. I think BK is going on a run like he did after a losing spell at GVSU. After seeing what a good D coordinator can do with this talent, I can only wonder what BK may have accomplished in 2015 with Elko running the D. I think we’re going to find out over the next few years.
He Said It Best (Post-Game)-
Stay the course, folks. We’re rolling. We may not win every game, but the ability to win every game is there, and these kids are seizing the opportunities. Have a great week.
Where to begin? It’s difficult to complain about any aspect of the game on Saturday. I’ve said for some time that the secondary is a work in progress, but the Miami QB is a good player (see below). A couple of missed tackles, some botched coverage in the secondary. Wimbush isn’t the world beater we were expecting, yet (see below) but I can see why he’s considered a player with a tremendous upside. Yoon missed another long FG attempt, but the percentages go down as the distance goes up. The bottom line is that through 5 games this year we’ve equaled the win total from last year and things look damn good moving forward.
He Said It Best (Pre-Game)- Coach Chip Long before the game: “If you don’t think this is a big game, go ahead and lose it and see how big it becomes.” Translation: They’re all important. Take one game at a time and win each one. ND took care of business on this one and we should be happy.
Chuck Martin- I’m not advocating that he be a future ND HC, but what a tremendous, respectable, character he is. I loved how it was reported that he took his players on a tour of the campus and how it was mentioned that he was a life-long ND fan. I always liked the guy and I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. He’ll always be part of the family to me.
Gus Ragland- He had a good game, but he was what he’s been all year long, a guy that completes about 50% of his passes. He is a quality player, though. Geek Stat: Ragland/Martin ran off 6 straight wins last year to make it to the St. Petersburg Bowl. In that game against Miss. State, Ragland was 22 of 30 for 263 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Miss. State was a heavy favorite and only won by blocking a FG attempt in the closing seconds. Ragland can play and Martin can coach is the point I’m trying to make, so for all those crying about giving up 17 points, it happens.
I wasn’t at the game but- The cameras panned all around the stadium and I didn’t see one person sitting during the National Anthem. It was nice to see. Not a political point, but as a veteran I stand out of respect for and commonality with the people that I’m gathered with. I go to many hockey games and I stand and show respect for every country’s National Anthem. Always have, always will. But that’s me and folks can do as they see fit.
What I wanted to see- Honestly, I didn’t want to see ND run the ball very much. I wanted to see Wimbush throw and throw and throw and get in a rhythm and get comfortable in the pocket. Then when the game was out of reach by the start of the second half, I wanted to see Book come in and do the same thing. We know this team can run, but we need to get the QBs and WRs out there making plays. It’s a minor quibble, but I think it was a lost opportunity, in my opinion.
It Was Over When- Josh Adams broke his second long touchdown run. He’s just a beast.
DL- I continue to be impressed with the front four on the DL. They play a good, solid team defense and they’re a hard-nosed group. Miami had 115 yards rushing, but I’m hard pressed to remember any solid run by their backs.
OL- Another dominant performance. You can drive tanks through the holes that they’re opening.
Brian Kelly- Seems like a new man on the sideline. Cool, composed, and seemingly much more interested in instructing his players after each series. It’s early in the year, but he seems more like the guy I thought we were getting when he was hired.
Wimbush- A slow start, but he finished well and he did throw 3 TD passes. The problem that I saw with him, and it seems to be a consistent problem, is that he holds on to the ball too long, appears skittish in the pocket, and is more prone to running the ball on passing plays when he feels the slightest bit of pressure. We had some fun with @ggabe5478 over the past couple of weeks, but he knows what he sees. I disagreed with his thought of pulling Wimbush, but there is some work to be done there. That said, I trust the coaches that he is the best QB on the roster. Regarding my previous point re: Kelly, Wimbush takes the counseling very well. Compare that to the Golson images (for both Golson and Kelly). One thing that bothered me and it’s more of a playcalling issue, Wimbush rushed 11 times for 36 yards, several rushes on designed QB runs. That shouldn’t happen in a game like this. You’re risking injury to your starting QB in a game that was already well in hand.
Post of the Game- From the thread “A Different Team”
Georgia Reconsidered- After the GA game I said there were no moral victories, and I stand by that. I also said that they were an SEC powerhouse and I was called out by one poster for that comment. Since then, GA is 3-0 having given up 14 points, followed by 3 points, followed by a shutout. They’re a very good team. Looking at that game in retrospect, I think ND is a very good team as well. If Kizer was still at QB, I think ND wins that game by 10 points.
Geek Stats: Stats are good for a snapshot, but rarely tell the whole story. Miami had nearly as many first downs as ND (19 vs 21 for ND), had a better 3rd down efficiency (6-15 vs 5-13 for ND), yards per pass were virtually the same (7.1 vs. 7.4 for ND), the disparity in total yards was not outrageous (377 vs. 503 for ND), and Miami had possession of the ball for nearly 11 minutes more than ND. Sometimes the stats don’t really tell us anything. Consider the words of the wise @Dave Kahle on important stats in the thread, “Why USC Lost:”
Sometimes it’s just that simple.
Double Down on Geek Stats-There are some stats that do make a difference. ND won the penalty differential (9-90 for Miami vs. ND’s 5-60), turnovers (2 by Miami and none for ND) and ND goes 3 for 3 in the redzone. Here’s an excellent read by @Lou Somogyi with more, important, stats:
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/how-good-is-notre-dame-in-2017-
Post Game Post of the Game- I’m calling @UserND83 on this one as there may be a copyright violation here:
I like his stuff as well. Very rational poster.
Jimmy Byrne- I didn’t realize he was a senior. Glad to see him getting into a game, finally. I’m happy that all those kids that got into the game had that experience. This is why we need to blow some teams out early, so next year’s players can get some experience.
Fantasy Coaching Carousel- I’ve been waiting for a game like this where everything goes well and there’s not much to comment on to step back and say something about all the talk of replacing our Head Coach. I said at the end of last year the BK would be coming back and people scoffed at me. He’ll be back next year if he doesn’t have something better lined up. Take a look at some of the names floated since the end of last year and consider the possibilities:
Nick Saban- Laugher. Never going to happen. His choice.
Urban Meyer- Likely never to happen. Not necessarily his choice alone.
Mark Dantonio- After last week’s disaster for MSU, would you really want that guy?
Bob Stoops- Big Game Bob is a good coach who habitually lost a winnable game every year at a school that had none of the restrictions in recruiting that he’s face here. He’s BK Lite. Very Lite. Not going to happen.
PJ Fleck- Runaway rowboat took him out at home this week. Not ready for primetime. Yet.
There have been many others names mentioned (feel free to add any in) but the reality is that when BK moves on, we don’t want Urban Meyer, we want the NEXT Urban Meyer. There was a thread awhile ago about a negative article written about the BK/ND marriage by Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports. I thought the article sucked but I heard him on the radio about a month later. He really likes ND and thinks it’s still one of the premier coaching positions in CFB. He suggested keeping an eye on two young coaches, one whom I forget and the other was the coach at Toledo.
All premature, in my opinion. I think BK is going on a run like he did after a losing spell at GVSU. After seeing what a good D coordinator can do with this talent, I can only wonder what BK may have accomplished in 2015 with Elko running the D. I think we’re going to find out over the next few years.
He Said It Best (Post-Game)-
Stay the course, folks. We’re rolling. We may not win every game, but the ability to win every game is there, and these kids are seizing the opportunities. Have a great week.
