7-2

[ChicagoIrish]

It wasn't pretty, as usual, but we did pull off the win. Which is really all that matters.

Defense was awful, offense looked great. Seems like the offense gets better and better as this season moves forward. And I've been begging to see more of the Freshman backs, Bryant goes down, but Folston looks outstanding.

Rees throws 2 int's but only 1 was on him.

Maybe Kelly is beginning to finally put the offense together, I guess only time will tell.

I'm feeling very excited and optimistic about our future. Let's finish this season strong, bring in another big class and prepare for next season. Which could be a great one depending on how much Golson develops during his suspension and the upcoming off season.

 

[poewelch84]

They still need at least one DT in this class to replace Nix and then this class will be solid and fill most needs the team has.

 

[purguy12]

Hey I will take it. A win is a win. 7-2 sounds good to me right now.

 

[jjc2009]

I agree its odd that so many who predicted 9-3 are pitching a fit because we are on that pace. I think OU probably would have won even without the early turnovers but it would have been much closer. That Mich game looks worse and worse. Our defense regressed a lot more than people are willing to admit. And Teo masked the deficiencies of calabrese and fox and also Diaco. I think it's the "what could have been" factor but those people need to take a deep breath and accept this season for what it is.

 

[purguy12]

Hey with all these injuries im shocked ND is playing this well. I had them at 9-3 from the start of the season but if you told me they would lose 4-5 guys to season ending injuries I would of changed it to 8-4 or 7-5.

I Give Kelly and the staff credit for keeping this team together.

 

[poewelch84]

I think 9-3 is the most likely outcome for this season but all things considered that isn't too bad, the D-Line depth is troubling, losing Vanderdoes is starting to look like it might hurt more than when it happened, especially with no real NT prospect in this class.

 

[purguy12]

Very true. Well lets hope we get Elam and he will help next year.

 

[whywork2]

I agree its odd that so many who predicted 9-3 are pitching a fit

JJ- who are these people pitching a fit? Not eye said the blind man, not eye.
To quote Denny Green , "they are who I thought they were", now go ahead and crown their ass. If the Irish win two of the next three I am happy. I just want to keep this recruiting class together. A loss to Navy could have had disastrous recruiting implications.

 

[purguy12]

yes right now 9-3 keeps recruits. It will be easy for Kelly to be like look young pups we lost a lot of people to an injury and lost our starting QB and we still went 9-3. Next year we will fight for a championship again.

 

[jjc2009]

JJ- who are these people pitching a fit? Not eye said the blind man, not eye.

Not necessarily on this board, but if you visit other ND fan sites, you could probably guess where the most consternation and inability to accept reality comes from. I think 9-3 would be a good year given what we've been through. That said, I am not at all confident about the next two games. Pitt wants this game bad. Once again, we're some other middling program's superbowl. Their sophomore TE Holtz is running his mouth, still using last year's game as bulliten board material, and the Pitt. beat writers saying that while Pitt doesn't have anything to play for, they can write off ND's BCS chances. Working to be a "spoiler" says a lot about the state of one's program. That said, given the history of this series and the health (or more appropriately, lack of health) on defense is a recipe for disaster. I hope I am wrong, but in the best of conditions, I couldn't expect a blowout win, this is one that will go one way or the other. BYU is no gimmie and I hate the way we play on senior day (last year's blowout of Wake Forest notwithstanding). They'll really need that bye week to get healthy for the final two.

 

[jooo83]

I think 9-3 is the most likely outcome for this season but all things considered that isn't too bad, the D-Line depth is troubling, losing Vanderdoes is starting to look like it might hurt more than when it happened, especially with no real NT prospect in this class.

With all due respect, the huge 'hurt' of losing Vanderdoes was quite clear to those familiar with the NT situation. He was the replacement for Nix.

 

[matthstl]

Let see what happens. I will say as close as some of these games are they are beating the teams they should beat something we did not see in long time. I like the dept on this team and some of the players that have step up. I hated the fact we could not stop the option and the excuses to me why I hated. Lets hope the D plays like it did vs. USC.

 

[jjc2009]

Let see what happens. I will say as close as some of these games are they are beating the teams they should beat something we did not see in long time. I like the dept on this team and some of the players that have step up. I hated the fact we could not stop the option and the excuses to me why I hated. Lets hope the D plays like it did vs. USC.

This just seems to me to be the law of averages working itself out. In 2011, we were on the losing side of a number of close games. Yes, over the last two seasons, we've won the nailbiters as opposed to losing them, but we could just as easily flop over the next two games, especially given our vulnerabilities on defense right now.

That said, one of the biggest liabilities on Pitt is their O Line and Savage is not very mobile. We would need Nix to be able to go to absorb the middle and Tuitt and Shembo need to have USC-like performances. That will reduce the threats from their receivers whom are pretty talented.

 

[poewelch84]

With all due respect, the huge 'hurt' of losing Vanderdoes was quite clear to those familiar with the NT situation. He was the replacement for Nix.

With all due respect, they had some depth on the d-line and one could assume that it wouldn't kill them until next season when Nix was in the NFL. Right now not having him is killing them and considering how this recruiting class is turning out so far it's killing them even more.

 

[poewelch84]

The defense has to step up injuries or not because Pitt can beat them if Notre Dame doesn't play like they are capable of playing. I would ,like to see more of Folston and I would like to see Redfield on the field more, Farley can't look much worse.