Let this sink in

[rrlbees]

The talent we do have is all really young.

Not all but we are young.

 

[Ish88888]

The defense is taking away what we like to do and running well would loosen it up again - but we can't run.

We have been totally passive after the first few series. Guys don't have to be wide open, aet has caught plenty of 50/50 balls. We are only left handed on offense and its glaring. Some on here attribute the offensive slowdown 8 minutes into the game on fatigue, but, i am not buying it. We have enough of a rotation at reciever and oline.

 

[Ish88888]

I'll play. Duke was a 21 point underdog last week at ND...Duke won. And, in doing so, in no way, shape or form did they appear to be the inferior team, let alone by leaps and bounds. This is the same Duke team that a week later lost by two TD's to Virginia (yesterday) at home...the same UVA team that had just recently lost at home to UConn.

I understand the premise of your post, and, I agree with much of your sentiment, but only to a point.

Great point! Duke blows the "better talent" argument outta the water. They went toe to toe with scoring against nd and did so with proper scheming.

 

[Ish88888]

There is a punchers chance now, even in these games where it ends up screwy, there were moments where you had a little hope. We've had so many blowouts where we were dinged from the get go. Even when we were good

Recruiting can help the defense. There were years where I felt like they could never recruit enough to be good on offense with the goofy schemes post mcnabb

I think this defense would've been dreadful with any coach we have ever had. It's just hopeless almost everywhere you look. Gotta hope for turnover luck the of the way

We have a punchers chance now, but for some reason we start throwing weak jabs after the first few possessions.

 

[OrangeDW]

Great point! Duke blows the "better talent" argument outta the water. They went toe to toe with scoring against nd and did so with proper scheming.

Duke beat us by 3 scores the last time we played, and has been to 4 straight bowl games. They've BEEN better than us.

 

[TheCusian]

We have been totally passive after the first few series. Guys don't have to be wide open, aet has caught plenty of 50/50 balls. We are only left handed on offense and its glaring. Some on here attribute the offensive slowdown 8 minutes into the game on fatigue, but, i am not buying it. We have enough of a rotation at reciever and oline.

During the Louisville/ND games were in over our heads on D and they knew it. They got up quick or knew we couldn't keep up so no need to play run. Drop into nickel and don't let anything get by you. Let Dungey dink/dunk his way in. We're too new in the system and too young to pull of theses drives consistently.

USF saw the Louisville game and knew that dropping their LB back into the secondary (they have a hybrid type system, I think. Half LB, half S) would make us take bit by bit, and we did via the run. We got up quick, but then they took over on O and we were forced to throw more into numbers. We're not good enough to do that yet.

UCONN was just dumb. Thinking that they could cover Amba. Meathead D guy over-values his talent.

Wake will play back and give us the run, kind of like USF if they are smart. They want a low scoring long possessions type game. It will be imperative that we figure out how to run and dink/dunk our way into consistent scoring. BC will do the same.

 

[TheCusian]

Great point! Duke blows the "better talent" argument outta the water. They went toe to toe with scoring against nd and did so with proper scheming.

Look at the recruiting rankings. They've been 5+ spots higher than us for a while. They also went against VanGorder.

 

[rrlbees]

Duke beat us by 3 scores the last time we played, and has been to 4 straight bowl games. They've BEEN better than us.

With no better talent.

 

[Ish88888]

Duke beat us by 3 scores the last time we played, and has been to 4 straight bowl games. They've BEEN better than us.

They are better than us, but they arent close to as athletic as ND.

 

[rrlbees]

Look at the recruiting rankings. They've been 5+ spots higher than us for a while. They also went against VanGorder.

Last 5 years we were better 3 of 5.

 

[TheCusian]

They are better than us, but they arent close to as athletic as ND.

Also same system on O and D for 5+ years.

 

[TheCusian]

Last 5 years we were better 3 of 5.

Yeah - should have checked 1st. Points awarded to beeeeeees

 

[Ish88888]

Also same system on O and D for 5+ years.

Very true, good point. I know we will be great on offense, just think this T2 at the p5 level is a HUGE question mark. I dont see it working at this level. Its a pro defense for a reason. I hope I am dead wrong on this.

 

[OrangeDW]

With no better talent.

Based on recruiting ranking numbers, no. Based on what's actually on the field, yes. Part of "talent" is how it developes. We need some consistency in the program for ours to get there. They've got better football players on the field than we do right now.

 

[CuseOnly]

Last 5 years we were better 3 of 5.

Was that before or after we lost our top rated recruits...that didn't qualify or make it to campus?? Or get thrown off the team in 3 months, steal TV's and such nonsense?

 

[rrlbees]

Yeah - should have checked 1st. Points awarded to beeeeeees

Lol.

 

[baggerbob]

Notre Dame's starting skill guys are bigger than our linebackers. Their safeties are the size of our linebackers, linebackers the size of our starting defensive ends (10 pounds lighter). Hell, their QB is the size of our defensive ends!

Todd McShay's Scouts Inc had 5 ND players going in the top 2 rounds. I'm not sure we have one player drafted next year.

I know it can be frustrating watching your team lose...we've seen too much of that the last 10 years or so. We'd like to think a certain system would make things better, or that things would be better if we somehow fired a staff.

Realistically we still have a roster that is probably 500ish in the old Big East. But we are a long way away from competing with the NDs, FSUs, LSUs of the world. For those who watched the Clemson Louisville game last night, ask yourself if you think our speed and size would hold up during that game?

The young kids are still kids. They aren't plug and play 5 star talent. Black and Coleman shouldn't be seeing the field this year, but we have no choice. Our O yesterday featured what, 1 or 2 seniors? Defense started 0 seniors?

I think this staff is excellent. I really do. I have 0 problem with the Tampa 2 defense...it wasn't the defense that got Winfield peaking in the backfield on play action. The defense did everything it needed to do on ND's reverse the field TD run. Bigger, faster players probably snuff that out for a 5 yard loss.

I believe we will get there. I think this team in 2 years is going to be close to a 10 win team. I love these systems -- they are light years better than anything we have had here since the freeze option days. Patience people, patience.

EDIT: For those bitching about Dungey, the kid is averaging 340 yards a game through the air with 11TDs and 3 picks. He also has 5 of our 6 rushing TDs...please.

You put 2 safeties, like Darius, and Jones on that field, and some of those ND players end up taking seats on the sideline. The reverse wouldn't have gone for a TD, Tebucky could catch almost anyone.

 

[rrlbees]

Based on recruiting ranking numbers, no. Based on what's actually on the field, yes. Part of "talent" is how it developes. We need some consistency in the program for ours to get there. They've got better football players on the field than we do right now.

Part of what actually happens on the field besides talent, is also teaching, coaching, scheme etc.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Was that before or after we lost our top rated recruits...that didn't qualify or make it to campus?? Or get thrown off the team in 3 months, steal TV's and such nonsense?

More were gone from injury or concussion issues the past 6 years. Hoping that trend stops. I'm actually surprised that we currently have 19 redshirt freshman and sophomores despite the injuries and shaky status Shafer had. Redshirt seniors like Parris, Emerich, Palmer etc have had 3 head coaches while here.

 

[rrlbees]

Was that before or after we lost our top rated recruits...that didn't qualify or make it to campus?? Or get thrown off the team in 3 months, steal TV's and such nonsense?

Before but I'm also not going to check every teams roster to see if they lost any recruits because they didn't qualify, didn't make it to campus, or got thrown off. I'm pretty sure that stuff happens to every school.

 

[Crusty]

Before but I'm also not going to check every teams roster to see if they lost any recruits because they didn't qualify, didn't make it to campus, or got thrown off. I'm pretty sure that stuff happens to every school.

With the possible exception of Baylor!

 

[TheCusian]

Based on recruiting ranking numbers, no. Based on what's actually on the field, yes. Part of "talent" is how it developes. We need some consistency in the program for ours to get there. They've got better football players on the field than we do right now.

For sure. Upheaval for us, steady as she goes for us. Not sure how their top end guys ended up, but we had a bunch never make it here, some good players lost to injury, or boneheaded off field stuff.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Clemson's kick returner was bigger and faster than our linebackers.

Their kick returner. Our kick returner looks like he's 12 years old.

This made me laugh out loud.

 

[CuseOnly]

Before but I'm also not going to check every teams roster to see if they lost any recruits because they didn't qualify, didn't make it to campus, or got thrown off. I'm pretty sure that stuff happens to every school.

True, but the rate at which it happens here is alarming and we don't have the depth of other schools to make up for it. Figure that in with our ridiculous previous concussion protocol along with other garbage and Babers is 100% correct with the statement "the numbers are low".

 

[rrlbees]

True, but the rate at which it happens here is alarming and we don't have the depth of other schools to make up for it. Figure that in with our ridiculous previous concussion protocol along with other garbage and Babers is 100% correct with the statement "the numbers are low".

It appears worse for us because we are fans of this team. Our last 3 coaches have all felt the numbers were low. I doubt over the course of 5 years it all evens out with other teams.