Zaire is the man...

[FLballcoach1]

Having a QB like Watson or Zaire is the great equalizer. Extending plays and making something out of nothing is how you upset Alabama.

Manuel did it to them, Marshal at Auburn did it to them and Watson did it to them for a half. As Urban Meyer said at the half "Spread the field and don't even try to run, just let the QB play"

That's how ND will have to win a National Title on offense. No other way to play against a team like Alabama. Ask Michigan State.

 

[deadirishpoet]

Having a QB like Watson or Zaire is the great equalizer. Extending plays and making something out of nothing is how you upset Alabama.

Manuel did it to them, Marshal at Auburn did it to them and Watson did it to them for a half. As Urban Meyer said at the half "Spread the field and don't even try to run, just let the QB play"

That's how ND will have to win a National Title on offense. No other way to play against a team like Alabama. Ask Michigan State.

I like what MZ brings as well

 

[88ND]

Having a QB like Watson or Zaire is the great equalizer. Extending plays and making something out of nothing is how you upset Alabama.

Manuel did it to them, Marshal at Auburn did it to them and Watson did it to them for a half. As Urban Meyer said at the half "Spread the field and don't even try to run, just let the QB play"

That's how ND will have to win a National Title on offense. No other way to play against a team like Alabama. Ask Michigan State.

You do have to play some resemblance of defense though.
Clemson seemingly forgot Alabama uses a tight end in their offense though.

 

[end_23]

In order to win it all you have to get to the final four. That's something Kelly can't do.

 

[SwlaDukie]

Your defense doesn't have to be great if you don't turn the ball over 4 or 5 times a game.

 

[FLballcoach1]

With Zaire at the helm and a healthy back four on defense, ND beats Stanford and gets to the Four. ND would of gotten to the Four in 12, if they had a Four. So you're point is invalid.

But I was talking about spreading the field with a guy like Watson or Zaire and letting t them play. Defenses have no answer .ALABAMA was shredded for almost 600 yards and 40 points."Power Teams" Georgia, Michigan State, and,LSU couldn't get 600 yards or score 40 points COMBINED.

ND will not get interior OL to match the SEC. ND will never be able to line up and mash the SEC representative in the Four. ND is going to have to out score people and play enough defense to win it all.

It won't happen with Kizer, he's just "a guy". Winbush and Zaire are electric. They are the present and future of the ND offense.

 

[FightingIrish44]

With Zaire at the helm and a healthy back four on defense, ND beats Stanford and gets to the Four. ND would of gotten to the Four in 12, if they had a Four. So you're point is invalid.

But I was talking about spreading the field with a guy like Watson or Zaire and letting t them play. Defenses have no answer .ALABAMA was shredded for almost 600 yards and 40 points."Power Teams" Georgia, Michigan State, and,LSU couldn't get 600 yards or score 40 points COMBINED.

ND will not get interior OL to match the SEC. ND will never be able to line up and mash the SEC representative in the Four. ND is going to have to out score people and play enough defense to win it all.

It won't happen with Kizer, he's just "a guy". Winbush and Zaire are electric. They are the present and future of the ND offense.

If Zaire was playing? How do you know this? The guy played only three games. That's a big assumption you're making. Kizer is still a good athlete.

I don't agree with your statements that Kizer is just "a guy". What do Wimbush and Zaire have over Kizer at this point? They're marginally better athletes? That doesn't tell me much when talking about overall ability.

I don't agree with your statement about ND never having the defensive front to match up against those teams. ND had plenty of talent in 2012 and 2013 even. They just played poorly in the game against Alabama.

I do agree that having an athletic QB can be a great equalizer.

 

[FLballcoach1]

Everything in football is about assumption and prediction, At least by players and coaches. Fans just react after the fact. Players and Coaches pour over film, tendencies and practice for hours trying to assume and predict what the opponent may do, then practice how to counter the attack.

Zaire is electric and so is Winbush and IMO Zaire's presence especially as a ball carrier in the RZ is an element ND sorely lacked this year, and it definitely cost them the Stanford game, may of cost them the Clemson game and nearly cost them the BC game.

My HS coach won 18 State Titles and won over 300 games in NJ, His philosophy on offense was figure out who has the best defense in the State and design your offense to defeat the opponent. The lesser opponents will take take of themselves.

A "Watson Like" QB has always given Alabama fits, the team that beat them Ole Miss this year, and the two teams that almost beat them Clemson and Tenn had those guys as well, Zaire and Winbush could be those guys and Kizer never will never be that guy. I could care less how to move the ball on Michigan State or Stanford or USC. Figure out how to move the ball on Alabama and the rest is just gravy.

 

[john0gaunt]

Great analysis and enjoy reading your posts ballcoach. Really appreciate the suggestion regarding your coach, I have just one question...

The "Watson Like" QB you mention. Hasn't he been the prototype college QB for the last 30 or 40 years?

 

[Pennick4]

With Zaire at the helm and a healthy back four on defense, ND beats Stanford and gets to the Four. ND would of gotten to the Four in 12, if they had a Four. So you're point is invalid.

But I was talking about spreading the field with a guy like Watson or Zaire and letting t them play. Defenses have no answer .ALABAMA was shredded for almost 600 yards and 40 points."Power Teams" Georgia, Michigan State, and,LSU couldn't get 600 yards or score 40 points COMBINED.

ND will not get interior OL to match the SEC. ND will never be able to line up and mash the SEC representative in the Four. ND is going to have to out score people and play enough defense to win it all.

It won't happen with Kizer, he's just "a guy". Winbush and Zaire are electric. They are the present and future of the ND offense.

Kizer is far from a guy. I expect him to be the guy. The kid is going to be special.

 

[imojo9]

Kizer is far from a guy. I expect him to be the guy. The kid is going to be special.

Need to keep the horses healthy to stand a chance of playing in 2nd week of January

 

[IrishInOntario]

Depends on the type of offense that Kelly wants to run. If he wants to run a true read option offense with the quarterback run as a consistent running threat and the passing attack built around short and intermediate routes (similar to what Clemson and Ohio State do) than Malik Zaire is your guy. If you wanted more of a traditional running scheme, with a QB who can extend plays and a vertical, quick strike passing attack,DeShone Kizer is your guy... Interestingly, Wimbush fits the Zaire mould better, while Ian Book is more of the DeShone Kizer type.

ND's 4 quarterbacks are not all built to execute the offense the same way. They are all fit within framework of what the offense is capable of doing, but 2 of them do it one way, and 2 do it differently

 

[DieHard_Irish]

Everything in football is about assumption and prediction, At least by players and coaches. Fans just react after the fact. Players and Coaches pour over film, tendencies and practice for hours trying to assume and predict what the opponent may do, then practice how to counter the attack.

Zaire is electric and so is Winbush and IMO Zaire's presence especially as a ball carrier in the RZ is an element ND sorely lacked this year, and it definitely cost them the Stanford game, may of cost them the Clemson game and nearly cost them the BC game.

My HS coach won 18 State Titles and won over 300 games in NJ, His philosophy on offense was figure out who has the best defense in the State and design your offense to defeat the opponent. The lesser opponents will take take of themselves.

A "Watson Like" QB has always given Alabama fits, the team that beat them Ole Miss this year, and the two teams that almost beat them Clemson and Tenn had those guys as well, Zaire and Winbush could be those guys and Kizer never will never be that guy. I could care less how to move the ball on Michigan State or Stanford or USC. Figure out how to move the ball on Alabama and the rest is just gravy.

What? Cost us the Stanford game. You do recall that our QB lead a 6 minute drive to victory. Not his fault we couldn't defend 25 seconds. And you do recall our QB lead us back against Clemson, don't you? Except girl upteen dropped passes and many turnovers, we win there as well. Your analysis is just wrong

 

[FLballcoach1]

What? Cost us the Stanford game. You do recall that our QB lead a 6 minute drive to victory. Not his fault we couldn't defend 25 seconds. And you do recall our QB lead us back against Clemson, don't you? Except girl upteen dropped passes and many turnovers, we win there as well. Your analysis is just wrong

Your analysis is dead wrong, the game should of been functionally over before the last 26 seconds.

ND lost the Stanford game because the QB could not get the ND offense into the End Zone during the 1st half, despite entering the Red Zone 4 times. ND kicked 3 Field Goals and a Kizer turnover cost ND 18 points. The game never should of come down to the last 26 seconds. That is my opinion and if was also the opinion of Brian Kelly in the post game presser,

I disagree on Kizer, I like the kid, i respect what he did coming in for the starting QB, but I see nothing special. Decent mobility not great, decent speed not great, decent decision making not great and was inconsistent and lacked accuracy for much of the season,

He is great guy to have waiting in the wings as a back up, But I would prefer to see potentially dynamic. Alabama shut out a "Kizer like QB" in Connor Cook, They could do nothing with a "Zaire like QB last night"

 

[FightingIrish44]

Its a team game. You beat Alabama by out-executing them. Everyone on offense. And defense. Not just the QB position, obviously.

ND lost the game because the QB couldn't get them in the endzone in the redzone? Game should have been functionally over? Notre Dame put up 36 points. They did their job well enough on offense to win. The game should have functionally been over if the defense did its job. Stanford had already scored 35 points at the time of the last possession for Stanford.

 

[FightingIrish44]

Depends on the type of offense that Kelly wants to run. If he wants to run a true read option offense with the quarterback run as a consistent running threat and the passing attack built around short and intermediate routes (similar to what Clemson and Ohio State do) than Malik Zaire is your guy. If you wanted more of a traditional running scheme, with a QB who can extend plays and a vertical, quick strike passing attack,DeShone Kizer is your guy... Interestingly, Wimbush fits the Zaire mould better, while Ian Book is more of the DeShone Kizer type.

ND's 4 quarterbacks are not all built to execute the offense the same way. They are all fit within framework of what the offense is capable of doing, but 2 of them do it one way, and 2 do it differently

I think you're overcomplicating things. I don't know anything about Book, but ND's top three QB's can do it all. They have the arm and the athleticism for anything anyone would want them to do. Any of those three guys may be stronger in any given skill set than the other two, but I think they all bring the same skill sets. They're all strong, athletic, and have good arms.

ND has some serious talent at QB. Hope they can keep them all.

 

[Pennick4]

Your analysis is dead wrong, the game should of been functionally over before the last 26 seconds.

ND lost the Stanford game because the QB could not get the ND offense into the End Zone during the 1st half, despite entering the Red Zone 4 times. ND kicked 3 Field Goals and a Kizer turnover cost ND 18 points. The game never should of come down to the last 26 seconds. That is my opinion and if was also the opinion of Brian Kelly in the post game presser,

I disagree on Kizer, I like the kid, i respect what he did coming in for the starting QB, but I see nothing special. Decent mobility not great, decent speed not great, decent decision making not great and was inconsistent and lacked accuracy for much of the season,

He is great guy to have waiting in the wings as a back up, But I would prefer to see potentially dynamic. Alabama shut out a "Kizer like QB" in Connor Cook, They could do nothing with a "Zaire like QB last night"

I have seen much more special in Kizer than Zaire. He is going to be a very good QB for ND.

 

[FLballcoach1]

You beat Alabama by putting your players in a position to succeed and not use cute irrelevant buzz words like "execution".

I'm quite sure Mark D'Antonio knows how to coach "execution" but running the ball into 7 tree stumps got him beat 38-0. Guys like Dabo Swinney, Hugh Freeze, Tom Herman and Gus Malzahn put their players in position to execute by using the correct strategy.

This nonsense about flat back, roll your hips, drive your legs and run your feet agaiinst the Alabama Front 7 will get you beat half to death just like Georgia, LSU and,Michigan St.

I want to see,ND put a,team together that can beat Alabama. Not cling to "old football clichés" and hope Alabama gets beat by someone else.

The,QB to do that is,Zaire and it's not even close. Barring injury i predict confidently he will be the starter at Texas.

 

[cgvr]

Everything in football is about assumption and prediction, At least by players and coaches. Fans just react after the fact. Players and Coaches pour over film, tendencies and practice for hours trying to assume and predict what the opponent may do, then practice how to counter the attack.

Zaire is electric and so is Winbush and IMO Zaire's presence especially as a ball carrier in the RZ is an element ND sorely lacked this year, and it definitely cost them the Stanford game, may of cost them the Clemson game and nearly cost them the BC game.

My HS coach won 18 State Titles and won over 300 games in NJ, His philosophy on offense was figure out who has the best defense in the State and design your offense to defeat the opponent. The lesser opponents will take take of themselves.

A "Watson Like" QB has always given Alabama fits, the team that beat them Ole Miss this year, and the two teams that almost beat them Clemson and Tenn had those guys as well, Zaire and Winbush could be those guys and Kizer never will never be that guy. I could care less how to move the ball on Michigan State or Stanford or USC. Figure out how to move the ball on Alabama and the rest is just gravy.

Your coach was a great guy and lived in Cavanaugh.

 

[FightingIrish44]

You beat Alabama by putting your players in a position to succeed and not use cute irrelevant buzz words like "execution".

I'm quite sure Mark D'Antonio knows how to coach "execution" but running the ball into 7 tree stumps got him beat 38-0. Guys like Dabo Swinney, Hugh Freeze, Tom Herman and Gus Malzahn put their players in position to execute by using the correct strategy.

This nonsense about flat back, roll your hips, drive your legs and run your feet agaiinst the Alabama Front 7 will get you beat half to death just like Georgia, LSU and,Michigan St.

I want to see,ND put a,team together that can beat Alabama. Not cling to "old football clichés" and hope Alabama gets beat by someone else.

The,QB to do that is,Zaire and it's not even close. Barring injury i predict confidently he will be the starter at Texas.

Irrelevant buzz words? Haha, well how else do you beat your opponent? Flip a coin? Ask nicely?

"This nonsense about flat back, roll your hips, drive your legs and run your feet agaiinst the Alabama Front 7 will get you beat half to death just like Georgia, LSU and,Michigan St.".

So what do they do then? Play sloppy to beat them? The point I'm making is that the biggest, fastest, strongest guy isn't always the best. The guy who can best help the team score points or get off the field i.e. execute is the guy that's going to play.

 

[theskibro]

Having a QB like Watson or Zaire is the great equalizer. Extending plays and making something out of nothing is how you upset Alabama.

Manuel did it to them, Marshal at Auburn did it to them and Watson did it to them for a half. As Urban Meyer said at the half "Spread the field and don't even try to run, just let the QB play"

That's how ND will have to win a National Title on offense. No other way to play against a team like Alabama. Ask Michigan State.

The football coach knows. If you do not see his point, you are likely voting for Hillary

 

[Tru2Irish]

If Zaire was playing? How do you know this? The guy played only three games. That's a big assumption you're making. Kizer is still a good athlete.

I don't agree with your statements that Kizer is just "a guy". What do Wimbush and Zaire have over Kizer at this point? They're marginally better athletes? That doesn't tell me much when talking about overall ability.

I don't agree with your statement about ND never having the defensive front to match up against those teams. ND had plenty of talent in 2012 and 2013 even. They just played poorly in the game against Alabama.

I do agree that having an athletic QB can be a great equalizer.

It comes down to who has better leadership qualities and poise.I'm a Zaire fan but Kizer can't be ruled out. Wimbush is future.

 

[Pennick4]

The football coach knows. If you do not see his point, you are likely voting for Hillary

I think he might be coach Philbin checking in on our board.

 

[Acemang1]

In order to win it all you have to get to the final four. That's something Kelly can't do.

This is one year I don't blame the staff. With the many and huge injury losses this team should not have even won 8 games. So, In reality the coaches had the team playing above what would have been reasonable to expect. Name another team that has that many significant losses on both sides of the ball. I'm proud of how they did. To even score 28 on a stingy Ohio defense was a triumph.

 

[FLballcoach1]

The football coach knows. If you do not see his point, you are likely voting for Hillary

Was this supposed to clever or funny? Because it fell way short of the mark, Much like your "football analysis". If you can call it that.

 

[Nocalirish]

If MZ is not 100% by spring ND should sit him for another year and go with Kizer and Wimbush as a backup.

 

[TheDecker]

If MZ is not 100% by spring ND should sit him for another year and go with Kizer and Wimbush as a backup.

He should be good to go, though I doubt he'll be taking full contact (not that any QBs normally do much of that in the spring)

He was participating in parts of practice for the bowl game, and even throwing late in the regular season, so with a couple more months he should be ready to start playing

Should be a great QB competition throughout the off season

 

[ch_seahawkfan]

good article on the QB battle subject here >

http://www.csnchicago.com/notre-dam...m=newsletter&utm_campaign=notre-dame-football

HCBK looks lost in his pic.... agree, top 3 Darth Saban,,, Urban,, Dabo

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2606259-power-ranking-top-25-college-football-coaches/page/26

 

[LongTimeSooner]

The 'football coach' OP just last week explained the bruisers that ND throws out there would obliterate a 'spread offense' build for speed like my OU Sooners. He used stronger words even.

Now this week he declares a spread, scrambling QB is the key for success against the bruisers that compose the SEC elite.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, coach, but the SEC won a national title this week against your 'key to victory' formula.

 

[Acemang1]

Nick Saban coaches one of the best games I've seen. The man is plain smart. However , Clemson let that game go away. With Saban, you have to expect the unexpected. You assume he will go for an onside and trick plays. Swimming Swinney, just got out coached.