Onward to Navy

My phone has rung several times since Saturday night but I am still waiting for it to ring with an apology from Brian Kelly, Dayne Christ, Manti Te’o, someone from South Bend.  I did see an apology from USC players and coaches for comments made Monday morning that I thought were fair.  I feel like a prisoner going to parole, each year thinking wait till next year, if we do this and if this happens we will be in the promised land.  The time comes, we go before the board and then denied.  Kelly’s saving grace with me is his frustration, the players although well spoken composed and classy don’t seem to be passionate enough, and like I have said before missing the eye of the tiger.

The one thing I have in common with and can agree upon with the players and coaches of the Fighting Irish is that it’s a one day at a time operation and we have to take it one game at a time.  So with that being said we’ll focus on Saturday’s game and the week of practice leading up to it, and by the way Kelly was talking after the Trojans game the players will not be happy with the tone of practice this week.

A team that will have plenty fire in the belly is Navy this Saturday.  Fire, confidence, discipline all the ingredients needed for a Midshipmen win and all that the Irish seem to be lacking.  We know they will be excited, well coached and run that option offense that Notre Dame can never figure out. 

Keys to an Irish win are simple.  The matchups are not complex, the schemes are straight forward and the game plan is as simple as 1-2-3.  All that being said we may have to wait until late in the fourth quarter to see a win.

Let’s start on defense; shut down the run.  Ok shutting down the run may be a bit much to ask, we need to at least contain the run game of the Midshipman.  Yes Ricky Dobbs is gone but they still have fullback Alexander Teich (just under 100 yards a game) and Quarterback Kriss Proctor (averaging 163 yards a game).  I realize this won’t be easy but that’s it, Navy is third in the nation in run offense (averaging 325 yards a game) and are still a losing record team on a five game losing streak.  Don’t worry about the passing game, there is none.

Offensively bully the defense, push them around at the line run and pass all over them.  Don’t turn the ball over and score when in the red zone. 

Expectations:

A beat down.  Both Wood and Gray both better redeem themselves with 100+ yard games each.  Multiple receivers with 100+ yard games and multiple touchdowns.  Bottom line it’s our offense beating on their defense and our defense stopping their run.