Who, What, Why, Where, How?

Who: Brian Kelly. What: Hot Seat (at least lukewarm seat). Where:  Mostly outside the inner circle.  Intelligent friends and fans of Notre Dame know he is our guy for the foreseeable future.  When: Not so much now but it will get warmer soon without a win. How: Just win, stop the mental mistakes and look good doing it.

Who: Michael Floyd.  What: Notre Dame’s best player who has played well even being targeted as the best player.  Where: Everywhere, he plays well home and away.  When: Always, Floyd is a treat on first, second, third even fourth downs.   How: Other players need to feed off Michael’s ways.

Who: Cierra Wood.  What: Next to Floyd definitely the most productive Irish weapon.  He is on track to be Notre Dame’s next 1000 yard rusher.  Where: Pretty much everywhere, Wood can run inside or out, he can also make receptions out of the backfield.   When: More consistently and more important times (third and short).  How: Use the size, strength and experience of the offensive line to keep the defense honest with the passing game.

Who: Offensive Line What: They have done a good job both with the running and passing games.  A few untimely offside calls have hurt, but overall they have performed well.   Where: We need better overall production on third and short and in the red zone.  When: Every play is important for O-linemen, you can make 10 perfect blocks in a row then give up on sack or tackle for loss at the wrong time and blow the game.  How: Staying healthy.

Who: Tommy Rees. What: True sophomore said to be allowed to make mistakes.  Sorry, not in South Bend.  Tommy is a quarterback with poise and glimpses of brilliance and accuracy, and is becoming a leader to this team.  Where: On the field, Tommy leads by example and takes responsibility for his team.  He is not the ra-ra cheerleader type and I’m ok with that.  When: We need wins now, fans are tired of hearing next week and next year. How:  Make better decisions and don’t be afraid to lay into someone in the huddle every now and then.  Stop the turnovers, especially in the red zone, and finish strong.

Who: Theo Riddick.  What: Maybe the player with the most potential (and that’s saying a lot on this team).  Where: Riddick is supposed to be Mr. Everything when it comes to offense, touching the ball coming out of the backfield, catching passes and running back kicks.  When: Theo needs to find his niche and it needs to be a big one.  How: I don’t care - run, catch, receive, run the wild cat, and just get it done.

Who: Jonas Gray.  What: The senior big back that is supposed to be a fast bruiser coming out of the backfield.  Where: Between the tackles.   When: Jonas definitely needs to produce on short yardage and when Wood needs a rest.  How: Know your role, run hard and don’t fumble.

Who: Tyler Eifert What: The main tight end of a once deep crew (with injuries to Mike Ragone, Jake Golic and Alex Welch).   Where: Anywhere.  Eifert is good across the middle and even down field (unusal for a tight end). When: As often as possible with true freshman Ben Koyack as his back up and getting reps (that’s no knock on Koyack, he will be a great tight end).  How: Run your routes, catch the ball and occasionally score.

Who: John Goodman.  What: Maybe the best hands on the team.  Where: Forward, onwards, ahead, north, advancing, just gain yardage after catching the ball.  When: Every punt.   How: Don’t fair catch with no one around.

Who: Ben Turk.  What: The player you don’t want to use often but you need to do a good job when you do.  Unfortunately, we have used him more than we wanted to and he has underperformed.  Where: Might be from the sidelines if the freshman gets a shot.  When: Next kick, and every kick.  Turk finished with a good kick last game, maybe too little, too late.  How:  Kick it high and far, consistently.

Who: The Defensive Backs What: The ones giving up untimely receptions that are costing games.  Maybe the area in most need of improvement and most underperforming.  Where: Anywhere on the field would be appreciated.  When: Two weeks ago!  How: Interceptions would be great.  Deflecting passes would help.  Make it difficult to catch passes would be acceptable.  Tackling the opposition after they do catch the ball before they score a touchdown would at least keep us in the game.

Who: The Defensive Line.  What: Good, but not good enough.  They could stop the run but they need to get to the quarterback.  Where: In the middle Nix is performing well and the ends can do a little better.  When: Every down even when other players are mixing in.  How: Stay healthy, keep in condition and believe in your linebackers and defensive backs (which I know is tough).

Who: The Upper Classmen.  What: Guys who have been down this road before and you would think they would not want to go down it again.  Guys who need to lead this team.  Where: In the locker room, on the practice field and in the game.  When: Three weeks ago.  How:  Make plays, and not bad ones.

Each player needs to ask themselves “If not me, who, and if not now, when?”

Who, What, Why, Where, How?

Who: Brian Kelly. What: Hot Seat (at least lukewarm seat). Where:  Mostly outside the inner circle.  Intelligent friends and fans of Notre Dame know he is our guy for the foreseeable future.  When: Not so much now but it will get warmer soon without a win. How: Just win, stop the mental mistakes and look good doing it.

Who: Michael Floyd.  What: Notre Dame’s best player who has played well even being targeted as the best player.  Where: Everywhere, he plays well home and away.  When: Always, Floyd is a treat on first, second, third even fourth downs.   How: Other players need to feed off Michael’s ways.

Who: Cierra Wood.  What: Next to Floyd definitely the most productive Irish weapon.  He is on track to be Notre Dame’s next 1000 yard rusher.  Where: Pretty much everywhere, Wood can run inside or out, he can also make receptions out of the backfield.   When: More consistently and more important times (third and short).  How: Use the size, strength and experience of the offensive line to keep the defense honest with the passing game.

Who: Offensive Line What: They have done a good job both with the running and passing games.  A few untimely offside calls have hurt, but overall they have performed well.   Where: We need better overall production on third and short and in the red zone.  When: Every play is important for O-linemen, you can make 10 perfect blocks in a row then give up on sack or tackle for loss at the wrong time and blow the game.  How: Staying healthy.

Who: Tommy Rees. What: True sophomore said to be allowed to make mistakes.  Sorry, not in South Bend.  Tommy is a quarterback with poise and glimpses of brilliance and accuracy, and is becoming a leader to this team.  Where: On the field, Tommy leads by example and takes responsibility for his team.  He is not the ra-ra cheerleader type and I’m ok with that.  When: We need wins now, fans are tired of hearing next week and next year. How:  Make better decisions and don’t be afraid to lay into someone in the huddle every now and then.  Stop the turnovers, especially in the red zone, and finish strong.

Who: Theo Riddick.  What: Maybe the player with the most potential (and that’s saying a lot on this team).  Where: Riddick is supposed to be Mr. Everything when it comes to offense, touching the ball coming out of the backfield, catching passes and running back kicks.  When: Theo needs to find his niche and it needs to be a big one.  How: I don’t care - run, catch, receive, run the wild cat, and just get it done.

Who: Jonas Gray.  What: The senior big back that is supposed to be a fast bruiser coming out of the backfield.  Where: Between the tackles.   When: Jonas definitely needs to produce on short yardage and when Wood needs a rest.  How: Know your role, run hard and don’t fumble.

Who: Tyler Eifert What: The main tight end of a once deep crew (with injuries to Mike Ragone, Jake Golic and Alex Welch).   Where: Anywhere.  Eifert is good across the middle and even down field (unusal for a tight end). When: As often as possible with true freshman Ben Koyack as his back up and getting reps (that’s no knock on Koyack, he will be a great tight end).  How: Run your routes, catch the ball and occasionally score.

Who: John Goodman.  What: Maybe the best hands on the team.  Where: Forward, onwards, ahead, north, advancing, just gain yardage after catching the ball.  When: Every punt.   How: Don’t fair catch with no one around.

Who: Ben Turk.  What: The player you don’t want to use often but you need to do a good job when you do.  Unfortunately, we have used him more than we wanted to and he has underperformed.  Where: Might be from the sidelines if the freshman gets a shot.  When: Next kick, and every kick.  Turk finished with a good kick last game, maybe too little, too late.  How:  Kick it high and far, consistently.

Who: The Defensive Backs What: The ones giving up untimely receptions that are costing games.  Maybe the area in most need of improvement and most underperforming.  Where: Anywhere on the field would be appreciated.  When: Two weeks ago!  How: Interceptions would be great.  Deflecting passes would help.  Make it difficult to catch passes would be acceptable.  Tackling the opposition after they do catch the ball before they score a touchdown would at least keep us in the game.

Who: The Defensive Line.  What: Good, but not good enough.  They could stop the run but they need to get to the quarterback.  Where: In the middle Nix is performing well and the ends can do a little better.  When: Every down even when other players are mixing in.  How: Stay healthy, keep in condition and believe in your linebackers and defensive backs (which I know is tough).

Who: The Upper Classmen.  What: Guys who have been down this road before and you would think they would not want to go down it again.  Guys who need to lead this team.  Where: In the locker room, on the practice field and in the game.  When: Three weeks ago.  How:  Make plays, and not bad ones.

Each player needs to ask themselves “If not me, who, and if not now, when?”

Up Next, Michigan State

Third time is a charm?

The good news is the Irish have a chance to pick up a win this Saturday.  The bad news is Michigan State is better in my opinion than Notre Dame’s last two opponents.  While Notre has the talent and ability to beat Michigan State, they unfortunately also have the ability to let poor play to beat themselves again.  The Spartans are good enough to beat the Irish without Notre Dame’s mistakes, so the Irish need to play a better game this Saturday or they will be 0-3 without a doubt.  Keeping things in perspective, Michigan State is 2-0 by beating Florida Atlantic and Youngstown State, but they did what they were supposed to do in those games, win and win big.

Starting on the offensive side of the ball, senior quarterback Kirk Cousins is not a mobile quarterback, not even close to the mobility they saw in Daniels and Robinson.   He is, however, one of the best passers the Irish will see this season and with the pass coverage of Notre Dame’s linebackers and defensive backs it could be ugly early.    Cousins passed for over 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns last year, completing 67% of his passes.  Cousins is working with two returning senior wide receivers in Cunningham (50 receptions and 9 touchdowns),who is the all time leader in receptions for the Michigan State program, and Martin, who will provide experience and chemistry.

Michigan State also has a solid running game, which forces defenses to stay honest when covering Cousins and the pass.  Junior running back Edwin Baker is a returning starter who rushed for 1,201 yards and had 13 touchdowns last season.  Baker will be supported by Bell and Caper, who both saw game action last year.  The offensive line is in a bit of a rebuilding mode, but the Spartans do have two starters returning in 6’5” 292 lb. junior guard Chris McDonald and 6’4” 305 lb. senior Joel Forman.  Forman is their bread and butter on the O-line for their running game, so plan on seeing runs to the left. 

The defensive line returns three starters, including sophomore Gholston who was near the top of the 2010 recruiting class.  With two fast 6’7” ends, look for good pressure coming from the ends.  With two sophomores at linebacker, a sophomore at cornerback and another at strong safety, none of them are returning starters so the passing game could work well for the Irish.  Rees does, however, need to keep an eye on senior defensive back Trenton Robinson

The Spartans have a returning kicker who went 14 for 15 on field goals last year.  Last year Michigan State had 11 wins and won a share of the Big Ten title before being demolished by Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

For a Notre Dame win, it’s simple - run the offense, eliminate the mistakes, no turnovers and limit the penalties at inopportune times.  Let the offensive line control the line of scrimmage, let Wood run for 100+ yards and let Floyd do his thing.  The Irish also need to improve on their third and short game. Defensively, they need to perform better in the red zone and defend the deep pass.

For a Notre Dame loss, just keep playing stupid.  Michigan State does not have to do anything special -just play their game and let the Irish blow it.

Déjà vu all over again

I’ve been frustrated after Irish losses in the past, but as I drove home Saturday night it seemed different.  Not to take anyway anything from South Florida or Michigan - both are good teams who deserved the wins but Notre Dame lost those games as much the Bulls and the Wolverines won them.   Brian Kelly said it last week, “We need to stop losing games before we can win games.”  Yesterday he said, “We’re not good enough.”  Mistakes, miscues, penalties, mental mishaps, and poor timing are things that will cost you games every time and when it’s happening on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive side of the ball and on special teams, we are in real trouble.

The problem is that it’s not one thing.  Well, actually it is one thing in all areas.  Call it bad luck, or mental mistakes - it’s not an easy fix.  The good news is that it is fixable, but it has to be fixed by each player on their terms.   The other issue is Notre Dame fans are not patient when it comes to wins and losses, although they should be with year after year of being told it’s getting better.  With two losses and Michigan State on Saturday, Brain Kelly and his players need to straighten this ship if there is to be any hope of a “successful” season.

I want to review the good, the bad and the ugly of Saturday’s game. 

Tommy Rees needs to cool it on Michael Floyd.  Yes, Floyd may be the best player on the team and one of the best in the country, and yes, there is a good chemistry between the two of them, but defenses know that Rees is enamored with Floyd and will shut that down.  Rees has enough other offensive weapons at his disposal and does not need to make his thoughts obvious. 

The defensive secondary is lost.  I would not consider B.J. Daniels and Denard Robinson to be great passers.  With Kirk Cousins of Michigan State and Matt Barkley of USC down the road, not to mention Stanford’s Andrew Luck, it could be real ugly.

Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers.  Not that there are good times for a turnover but the Irish are doing it in places that are doing the worst damage.  The turnovers are a sign of this team’s inability to control the game.  The Irish look like National Champions between the 20 yard lines but on the offensive side of the ball they can’t close the deal and on the defensive side of the ball they seem intimidated. 

The potential is there, but not capitalizing on opportunities and allowing opponents to take full advantage of the Irish mishaps will not lead to many victories.  Defenses know the ball is going to Floyd and they can’t stop it from getting there, and once he’s got it and I know its cliché but they can only hope to contain him.

The offensive line has the makeup of the old Redskin Hogs; mountains that should push defensive lines through the back of the stadium and resemble the Great Wall of China for pass protection.  Cierra Wood looks like a solid 1000-yard rusher and Jonas Gray could finally live up to his potential.   

So here we sit 0-2, Michael Floyd breaking all kinds of Notre Dame receiving records, Cierra Wood with back to back 100 yard-games, two games with two different starting quarterbacks, and TEN turnovers.   National Championship hopes (no matter how small they were to begin with) are gone, BSC game all but gone, improvement over last year’s eight wins slipping away and a losing record a possibility.  I feel like Longshanks, can I trust Irish?