Notre Dame 1-2

• karen lotz

  

  Well I don't think he is trying to lose the game by throwing that much. The running game was not working all that well in large part because the interior of MSU's defense is its strongest unit. The passing game was the best way to attack. In the first 2 games it was more balanced because the ground game was successful.
  
  As far as the aggressiveness on 4th down I really don't have a problem with it. If the play if executed by the players, we aren't having this discussion. I thought the option call was awesome, and if Crist had pitched the ball it would have gotten the first down easily. And then the 4th and 1, if Crist doesn't get the ball knocked out by his own lineman, he likely can lean forward for the yard there too.
• sherm03

  

  As I've said before, I dislike the fact that Kelly goes balls out at one point, and then sits on it and plays conservatively at another. If you are going to be that guy, be that guy. Don't go for it on fourth down inside your own territory, or throw the ball at the end of the half last week against Michigan instead of kicking a FG, and then sit on your last timeout at the end of regulation when a FG wins the game.
  
  I've brought it up before, and I've been disagreed with...which is fine. It's just my opinion. But I feel like if you are going to be that guy...be that guy. Don't play just to not lose at the end of that game...play to win it.
• karen lotz

  

  I agree with you sherm. I'm not sure which drive it was, maybe the drive directly following MSU tying it. He ran a running play for zero yards, then another short, safe route and then maybe a swing pass. Crist had been in a rhythm in the second half and all of the receivers were involved, he went into conservative mode and went 3 and out. If you have something that works, go to it until the defense adjusts, especially when you are late in a tie game.
• sjmvsfscs08

  90% of the time I give the coach the benefit of the doubt. That's just the way I handle his playcalling. I loved the fourth down attempt with 6:30 to go though, if he punts, it'd take Michigan State a long time to score if they wanted to kill time. Instead they'd give Michigan State the ball and have ~3:00 to play with theoretically. I guarantee you he was weighing that scenario in his head. But Notre Dame's defense forced a three and out anyway so it was a win-win decision in hindsight.
• CinciX12

  

  Little Danny;490456 wrote:This is Brian Kelly football right here. I know this is being raised by an OSU fan and not a ND fan, but just so everyone knows, this is how Kelly has done it for the past 20 years and its the way he will continue to do it. It's all high risk and high rewards all the time. Back in 2008 UC played at Oklahoma. It was 28-20 midway through the 3rd quarter and UC faced 4th and 10 on the Oklahoma 35. He went for it, UC's QB (Dustin Grutza) broke his leg and the next thing you know Oklahoma never looked back. Likewise, I saw times where UC would have the ball down inside the 3, first and goal and Kelly would throw the ball 4 times. That's just the way he coaches football and he will never change, regardless of whether he is at UC, ND or the New England Patriots.
  
  By the way, the man is wrong sometimes, but a lot of time the stuff he does actually works.

  
  Tell the truth, how hard was that to type
• Little Danny

  

  A whole heck of a lot tougher after the first three weeks this season.
• centralbucksfan

  Little Danny;490456 wrote:This is Brian Kelly football right here. I know this is being raised by an OSU fan and not a ND fan, but just so everyone knows, this is how Kelly has done it for the past 20 years and its the way he will continue to do it. It's all high risk and high rewards all the time. Back in 2008 UC played at Oklahoma. It was 28-20 midway through the 3rd quarter and UC faced 4th and 10 on the Oklahoma 35. He went for it, UC's QB (Dustin Grutza) broke his leg and the next thing you know Oklahoma never looked back. Likewise, I saw times where UC would have the ball down inside the 3, first and goal and Kelly would throw the ball 4 times. That's just the way he coaches football and he will never change, regardless of whether he is at UC, ND or the New England Patriots.
  
  By the way, the man is wrong sometimes, but a lot of time the stuff he does actually works.

  
  And thats fine. But again, this isn't UC or Grand Valley State. ITs ND. And based on recruiting with Weis, they have MUCH more talent then a team like MSU or even Michigan. At UC, he needed to gamble to have chances to win. AT ND, with the current talent, I am not so sure he "needs" to do this. This is a completely different ball game as far as where he is coaching at now. Even though ND has been "down", they still have a bullseyes on them because of who they are. Week in, and week out...they will get the other teams best shot. He has never been in this position before.
  But hey, I am a believer in sticking with your philisophy and if thats what he does, I can certainly respect that.
  
  YTown....good ole Les may be on his way out of town if he does't turn things around at LSU this year.
• Hesston

  

  I heard all they talk about ND making too much $ to join Big 10, I don't believe it, they would make more in the Big 10 than out of the big 10. I believe they would be a better team as well, are they afraid to join the Big 10? It would be good for them and the Big 10 if they came aboard.
• killer_ewok

  

  It was crazy to get too high on Weis early in his 1st year at ND and it would be crazy to get too down on Kelly 3 games into coaching career at ND.
  
  I said it the other day....if ND is still losing games like this in Kelly's 3rd year.....I'll be pissed and think they hired the wrong guy again. This shit was still going on in Weis' 5th year. Basically, Kelly has got time to right the ship. Weis had time and they were still losing games in the final seconds 5 years in. Let's avoid knee-jerk reactions one way or the other this time around.
  
  It's about finding ways to win games.
  The defense needs to get a stop in crunch time when the game is on the line. They did good for the entire 2nd half vs. UM EXCEPT when it mattered most at the end of the game. Trick play or not, same thing against MSU. Kyle Mac was our clutch defensive player in some wins early last season. Somebody needs to step up and make some plays like that this year. Maybe Jamoris Slaughter's return will provide the lift needed for someone to do that.
• karen lotz

  

  Hesston;493135 wrote:I heard all they talk about ND making too much $ to join Big 10, I don't believe it, they would make more in the Big 10 than out of the big 10. I believe they would be a better team as well, are they afraid to join the Big 10? It would be good for them and the Big 10 if they came aboard.

  
  
  They are clearly terrified of joining the Big Ten.
• bo shemmy3337

  Relax ND fans as I have said before, A new system and new coaching is very hard to get used to in the short amount of time that these kids get. If people would stop and think for once they would realize that spring practice and the practices leading up to week one really are not that much. It is not easy to learn new systems and non of these kids are used to running a fast pace offense. Kelly has to have time and must run his system because he is the main person who has to be confident. If he changes his system than he is showing panic. There is no need for a duel threat guy like at Michigan for Kelly offense to thrive so this learning is not going to take long. They are going to be a good team next year IMO.
• bo shemmy3337

  karen lotz;493358 wrote:They are clearly terrified of joining the Big Ten.

  
  So far from the truth, there is no believing and having opinions on the topic of if they would make more money. in 2007 Notre dames program was worth 101 million dollars and profited 45.8 million. The highest big ten team in 2007 was Michigan who was worth 85 Million and had a profit of 36.2 million. So if they were in the Big ten that year, they would make less than Michigan as Michigan has the bigger stadium. The money would then be shared between all the other big ten teams and Notre dame would be around 3rd in the big ten money wise. If they were to assume the top spot in the big ten( not possible because of the amount of seats at Michigan along with how the Big ten shares there money) they would loose about 20% profit. So if Notre Dame were to join the big ten there best case scenario would be to loose about 20 % of their worth and profit IMO.
  
  Say what you want about the play on the field but the numbers do not lie, Notre Dame makes more money than any team in the Big Ten and would loose a massive amount of money by joining the conference.
• karen lotz

  

  I was being facetious, bo. I agree with everything you said.
• bo shemmy3337

  karen lotz;499641 wrote:I was being facetious, bo. I agree with everything you said.

  
  That was really aimed at the guy you responded too. i should have been more clear.
• Tiernan

  Uh ...don't look now but ND is 1 - 3. Somebody change the thread title. Or wait til next week when they are 1 - 4.
• Hamp89

  sherm03;490482 wrote:As I've said before, I dislike the fact that Kelly goes balls out at one point, and then sits on it and plays conservatively at another. If you are going to be that guy, be that guy. Don't go for it on fourth down inside your own territory, or throw the ball at the end of the half last week against Michigan instead of kicking a FG, and then sit on your last timeout at the end of regulation when a FG wins the game.
  
  I've brought it up before, and I've been disagreed with...which is fine. It's just my opinion. But I feel like if you are going to be that guy...be that guy. Don't play just to not lose at the end of that game...play to win it.

  
  Sherm, this is about exactly how I feel. I haven't been on much lately but have scratched my head several times on some of the decisions. It's almost as if BK chooses to be aggressive at the wrong times during a game. I have no problem with aggressive coaching - but sitting on it against MSU instead of attempting to move the ball into field goal range was frustrating.
  
  
  The biggest issue, imo, is that BK has about as much confidence in Crist in this offense as Crist has in himself. They both look scared to death right now. This team desperately needed a few "easy" type games early on in the season for confidence building. 1-8 in the last 9 games is ridiculous. It's almost as if they forgot how to win.
• bo shemmy3337

  Hamp89;500146 wrote:Sherm, this is about exactly how I feel. I haven't been on much lately but have scratched my head several times on some of the decisions. It's almost as if BK chooses to be aggressive at the wrong times during a game. I have no problem with aggressive coaching - but sitting on it against MSU instead of attempting to move the ball into field goal range was frustrating.
  
  
  The biggest issue, imo, is that BK has about as much confidence in Crist in this offense as Crist has in himself. They both look scared to death right now. This team desperately needed a few "easy" type games early on in the season for confidence building. 1-8 in the last 9 games is ridiculous. It's almost as if they forgot how to win.

  
  They have lost to 3 undefeated teams if I am not mistaken. New systems take time.