Changing Gears

For ten years now, I have driven a four cylinder Hyundai Accent and it has served its purpose.  It starts and it gets me to where I need to go.  I have had a couple of fender benders needing repairs, I have changed the oil regularly and have replaced brakes, tires, etc.  For those same ten years, I have had Irish teams that have shown up on Saturdays to run the ball, pass the ball and kick the ball; and we’ve seen some wins and some loses.  Notre Dame has recruited players, graduated players, had players go down with injuries, and so on.  For years, the Irish teams started, stopped and moved, getting us somewhere, but not always where we wanted to go.

Although Lou Holtz might have looked like a compact economy car, make no mistake about it, he was a hot rod.  We know Bob Davie was more like a station wagon - no frills but solid and dependable.  When Davie stalled out, Ty Willingham seemed like a nice, new, shinny model with some excitement, but he skidded of the road.  And when Charlie Weiss rolled in the driveway, he may have looked like a dump truck, but his team was supposed to be like a corvette.  We obviously needed a recall on that model.  That’s why when Brian Kelly was introduced as the new coach at Notre Dame, we thought we were getting a “Lamborghini” offense.

I keep waiting for Kelly to put the pedal to the metal and take this offense to the checkered flag.  I’m looking at this roster with guys like Golson, Atkinson, and Eifert along with his young and speedy receivers, all supported by a good line.  It’s been frustrating to have this sports car in the driveway and not take it out on the Autobahn.  However, I also understand it’s still a young(ish) team (Kelly and his staff’s third season) that is still learning “Kelly’s Process.”  At least after five games this season, it appears that the car is out of the garage and on the road.  With Golson only five games into his eligibility and Kelly easing him along one gear at a time, it may be a little while before we’re on the expressway, but boy, when we hit the gas at the green light, look out.  We’re definitely going to win some pink slips.