Bye Week

[purguy12]

No Game Day thread this week because we have a bye week. Lets talk about the Positives and the Negatives so far this season and what we can look forward for.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

One positive is we got out of the toughest part of our schedule, now we need to pile up some wins here before Stanford.

I look forward to smashing USC. I absolutely hate USC.

 

[purguy12]

we better beat USC after a bye. we need this win. i dont know if i can handle a mich and USC loss in the same year.

 

[poewelch84]

Jaylon Smith has been a positive, and the defense is finally starting to come around. The running game is looking better, but Rees is still Rees, so we'll see how the rest of the season pans out.

 

[Lillyliverd]

I have written enough about the negatives that I don't have any thing to add about the lackluster play in the first 5 games. The Irish showed a dramatic improvement over the earlier part of the season. I hope they get better over the next 2 weeks and put an ass whoopin' on USC.

GO IRISH!

 

[bbirish73]

The positives are we are 4-2 after watching ND play five out of six miserable games. the best game by far was against Arizona State defensively and offensively so it gives me a positive mindset that we are starting to figure things out.........hope the bye week doesn't kill the little momentum. I'm glad there is a bye week because I need a weekend when I don't feel like I'm going to have an aneurism. Too many negatives to put down and we all know what they are anyway.

 

[matthstl]

Postives O Line all season have to give A QB Well its Tommy no comment RB B- We have so much talent here I am afraid we are going lose someone if we do not play freshman soon WR B- Tommy again. Tight End C+ looking a lot better but some of blocking in start the year.

D Line C+ thought this would be our strength but if ASU is indicator looking forward to good second half. Linebackers good young talent wow looking forward to him to continue to grow Smith. Other I would say C+ major loss without Teo. DB D+ Look a lot better in ASU game or would have giving them F.

Special teams B looking better and better GREAT game vs ASU even with the shank. The punt on the 2 yard line turn the game around.

Coaching B- still do not understand passing in certain situations your really have to shake your head. The D for few games look like they were loss. This team is looking for something people call it indification I say thats coaching.

 

[matthstl]

I cannot stand USC with a passion I hope we drop 50+ on them!!

 

[purguy12]

If the D played like they did last week this team will be fine. Rees just needs to stop making stupid mistakes.

 

[Irish7478]

Two weeks ago, SC had one of the top defenses in the country. In their last two games they have given up 1120 yards and 93 points. If we can stop the turnovers, this could be a nice drive home.

 

[purguy12]

I agree, we just need to play our kind of football.

 

[KnuteRoc]

I agree, we just need to play our kind of football.

I'm not sure what that means, or if I'd like seeing it. "Our" kind of football as it relates to BK or as it relates to ND historically?

While we did win the game against ASU that game should've been over at 24-13. But what does BK do? Passes the shit out of the ball, we turn it over and they're right back in the game when it needn't have even been close. There was one drive where he finally ran the ball like 8-10 times in a row, which is both good and bad. However the running game should've been shifted to before that. It's a strength of this team and should be used much more earlier in the game for a multitude of reasons.

Currently we stand at virtually 1500 yds Passing VS. 855 yds Rushing. One could look at that and think yep, not bad considering a Spread offense. And I suppose it's not horribly unbalanced, but I'd rather see just a wee bit more. We could've rushed all day long on ASU. The box-score shows 38 passes against 37 runs but 14 of those runs came in the 4th (along with 6 passes including one interception which of course was returned for a TD). We pass a lot on second and/or third and 1 or short quite a bit. That shows a lack of confidence in the run. Then you add in that we had a 3rd and 5 and got a stupid penalty to make it 3rd and 10 after the 3rd Qtr ended and began the 4th with that pick-6. We also had two 3 and outs and actually had 3 if you include Rees' pick-6. As bad as their D is, that probably shouldn't happen. I like Cam as the bruiser, the kid plays hard.

I don't want to sound too down on the Offense though, I liked how they played for the most part, I just think the play-calling at times is just kind of

I made an error in my previous post getting Tuitt and Nix mixed up in my brain and calling Tuitt our NT. Anyway, I do agree that the D played their best game against ASU and they looked much more sound as a whole unit. Other than the 3rd and 20 that they converted, I thought the D played well. I hope they build off of that.

 

[purguy12]

They need to build off it. It we lose to USC after a bye week it wont be good.

 

[bbirish73]

we do pass the shit out of the ball. I wonder how many times it is Tommy changing a run to a pass though? He changes plays a lot.