Too Little, Too Late

Notre Dame appeared to sleepwalk through the first three quarters against Pittsburgh on Saturday, and their late rally fell short as the clock ticked down on the Charlie Weis era. By losing 27-22 to the Panthers, the Irish dropped to 6-4 on the season and stirred the bitter memories of last November’s collapse.

In the first segment of the game, both offenses failed to sustain drives and the punting units battled for field position. By the middle of the second quarter, the teams had managed only to exchange field goals. Pittsburgh took control of a 3-3 game when they struck for the first touchdown of the evening on consecutive passes of 22 and 36 yards from Bill Stull to Jonathan Baldwin. Baldwin’s acrobatic catch over Darrin Walls in the end zone made it 10-3 Panthers at the half.

Pitt’s dominance continued into the third period, which featured another great catch by Baldwin to set up a field goal and a 53-yard run by Ray Graham through numerous and futile tackling attempts by the Irish. Graham scored from two yards out on the next play to extend the Panther lead to 20-3.

Notre Dame’s attempt to mount a comeback on its next possession nearly stalled, but Weis surprised Pitt’s defense by calling a play action bomb on fourth and one inside his own territory. Jimmy Clausen’s long heave reached Michael Floyd at the Panther 16, and the Irish quarterback snuck in for a score moments later on the first play of the fourth quarter. A missed extra point kept the margin at 20-9.

Freshman Dion Lewis answered with a 50 yard burst of his own through the middle of Notre Dame’s defense, and the Panthers recovered to a 27-9 advantage with 12:44 left. As has been the case on many occasions in the final quarter this season, Clausen went to work with Golden Tate and Michael Floyd to produce a quick touchdown. Injuries to Pitt at the cornerback position during the game left them vulnerable, and Clausen took full advantage. The drive ended successfully when Tate caught a pass in the flat and dove into the end zone to finish an 18-yard scoring play.

The Irish then needed to stop a Panther rushing attack that had progressively built up steam as the game progressed. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt elected to pass, however, and his offense quickly went three and out. Dan Hutchins’ punt carried inside the Notre Dame 20 yard line once again, but this time Tate found running room and burst through the coverage for an 87-yard score. The Irish failed on a two point conversion attempt and trailed by 27-22 with a healthy 7:16 remaining. Tate’s return was the team’s first score this season by a unit other than the offense.

When Stull hit Baldwin for 20 yards on the next series, it looked as though Pittsburgh would hold on for the win. Notre Dame then caught a break when Stull fumbled the snap on a third and one play, but the Panthers recovered and Hutchins pinned the Irish back to their own 20 with 3:39 left. Clausen trotted onto the field as Notre Dame fans prayed for another last minute miracle.

Hopes were quickly doused, however, as a chop block penalty on guard Dan Wenger put the Irish in a hole and extreme pressure from Pitt’s defensive ends caused Clausen’s passes to hit the turf. Insult was added to injury when the replay officials ruled that a third down incompletion was actually a fumble, and the Panthers used the gift to run out the clock.

As with recent games against USC and Navy, the Irish could not overcome poor play with last minute heroics. It’s a positive reflection on their character that the players do not quit, but this is little consolation when they are outplayed and outcoached until their backs are against the wall. Defensively, Notre Dame performed well in several series but were victimized too often by the big play on the ground and through the air.

Let’s look at a few questions that helped determine the outcome:

Will Notre Dame’s run/pass mix indicate a greater degree of balance and success in the ground game? Absolutely not. Clausen threw 42 passes while Irish backs had only 18 rushing attempts. Once again, Weis inexplicably abandoned the run well before it made sense to do so.

Can the Irish protect Clausen? Another resounding “No”. Tackles Sam Young and Paul Duncan were embarrassed by Pittsburgh rushers Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus, who caused numerous incompletions and throwaways.

Can the Notre Dame defense hold Pitt to less than four yards per rush? Sadly, no. The Panthers averaged 6.0 yards per carry.

Which team will gain an advantage from special teams? Tate’s return salvaged another woeful punting display by Notre Dame, while Hutchins continually pinned the Irish deep in their own territory.

Can Notre Dame stop the Panthers in the red zone? The Irish held Pitt to field goals on a couple of occasions, but it was the 50+ yard runs and the deep pass to Baldwin that killed them.

Will Stull be able to maintain a high passing efficiency? While not necessarily impressive, Stull hurt Notre Dame by finding Baldwin at critical points in the game.

After a tumultuous week, will the Irish be emotionally high for this game? Not especially. Brian Smith made a lot of noise prior to kickoff, but he absolutely disappeared once the game started.

Which team will be most successful in the fourth quarter? Notre Dame scored three touchdowns, but Lewis’ 50-yard romp and a strong pass rush helped the Panthers survive.

Does Pitt deserve a top ten ranking? Probably not, but a Big East schedule provides a lot of cover.

Notre Dame will finish its home slate against UConn next week and conclude the regular season at Stanford. The team’s bowl prospects are falling below the second tier at this point and one has to wonder who will be on hand to coach the team in the postseason. It’s almost certain that Weis’ 35-25 career record will not secure his retention when the exact same result doomed his predecessors. Furthermore, the Irish are playing poorly at this point in the season when the better teams in the country are hitting their stride. A repeat of last year’s awful November is a clear indication that this is more than an alarming coincidence.

Pitt Awaits Fuming Irish

Reeling and squabbling after a devastating loss to Navy, the Notre Dame football team heads to Pittsburgh to take on the ninth-ranked Panthers on Saturday night. Dave Wannstedt’s team is 8-1 on the season after easily dispatching Syracuse, but there is no chance they will take the Irish lightly. Led by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, the entire city is intent on showing extraordinary support for Pitt this weekend as the Panthers pursue their own BCS dream.

The Irish players have attempted to show solidarity this week in the aftermath of public player criticism of the defensive schemes run against the Midshipmen. As a consequence, starting nose tackle Ian Williams will not start at Pittsburgh and it is unclear whether he will play in the game.

Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate and Kyle McCarthy ultimately accepted responsibility for the loss on behalf of the players, but the smoldering remnants of internal strife remain palpable on campus. Irish assistant head coach Corwin Brown fanned the flames by calling out Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo for encouraging illegal blocking methods against his defense, and he went on to defend his team’s game plan. This circling of the wagons is usually a bad sign that significant cracks are forming in a program’s foundation.

Meanwhile, Coach Charlie Weis hopes to have tailback Armando Allen and guard Trevor Robinson back for this game, but tight end Kyle Rudolph injured his shoulder last week and will not be available on Saturday. The defensive line will be thin without Williams in the middle, which may enable Pitt’s running game to wear down Notre Dame’s front as it did in last season’s quadruple overtime victory.

Despite the furor surrounding Weis and the team this week, the Panthers represent the perfect opportunity for the embattled coach to quiet his critics with a rare win over a ranked team. Weis and Wannstedt began their respective college coaching careers five years ago with an Irish victory in the same venue, and observers will compare the trajectory of the two programs after this one is in the books.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. PITTSBURGH’S DEFENSE

Once again, the Irish must run the ball well to win. Navy proved that the passing game alone, no matter how prolific, cannot guarantee a win. There are simply too many opportunities for error for a heavy aerial assault as opposed to running the ball downhill against an opponent. Failure to sustain the ground game caused Notre Dame to surrender a 14 point lead at home last year to Pitt, and this facet of the game is even more critical on the road. With Allen back and both Robert Hughes and Theo Riddick in the wings, the Irish need to feed them the ball numerous times throughout the evening.

Robinson’s return will help solidify the line if he is ready to return after an ankle sprain. The biggest concern remains at tackle, where Paul Duncan and Sam Young must win their matchups against Pitt’s stalwart ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard. To make matters worse, Mick Williams has 13 tackles for loss this season from the defensive tackle position, and the team has combined for an impressive 38 sacks. Notre Dame has recorded only 18 to date.

Clausen will continue to have Tate and Michael Floyd at his disposal, but Mike Ragone will fill in for Rudolph at the tight end position that is suddenly very thin. The Panther secondary is led by veteran safety Dom DeCicco, who leads the team in tackles. The overall unit has played well in spots, but they have also been burned on a fair number of occasions. Expect Wannstedt to employ the soft zone employed by previous Irish opponents to take away the long scoring pass and dare Weis to run.

Clausen and his receivers are good enough to prevail, but the game will probably come down to how much pressure the Panthers are able to apply to Clausen in the pocket. The front four has been able to get the job done all season, but there are other quality players on this defense. Linebacker Greg Williams is a talented sophomore who can blitz as well as drop into coverage. His 51-yard interception return for a touchdown last week broke open the game against Syracuse. Williams is flanked by Adam Gunn, a senior who production is well above average.

PITTSBURGH’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Panthers have achieved balance between the run and the pass behind a solid offensive line and senior quarterback Bill Stull. While Irish nemesis LeSean McCoy now works for the Philadelphia Eagles, freshman Dion Lewis has stepped in to the lineup and run for 1,139 yards. The team averages 187 rushing yards per game, or 50 more than Notre Dame. Pitt also averages 5.1 yards per carry, which meets the standard of excellence in any league.

Stull does not throw as frequently as Clausen, but his 68% completion rate and only four interceptions against 17 touchdowns speak volumes about the effectiveness of this offense. Jonathan Baldwin is the home run threat in the passing game, while tight end Dorin Dickerson is an extraordinary possession and red zone receiver. Dickerson set a Pitt tight end record for touchdown receptions in a season last week by recording his tenth. The other wideout is Oderick Turner, who is talented but not as consistent as the others.

Wannstedt will run the ball against Notre Dame’s front, particularly if Williams is not utilized. Even if it is not successful early, history suggests he will stick with the ground game in anticipation of reaping fourth quarter dividends when he is trying to keep the ball out of Clausen’s hands. Stull will look for Dickerson on third down and will try to hit Baldwin deep when the Irish are concentrating on stopping Lewis.

Pitt starts three seniors on the interior of its offensive line, and left tackle Jason Pinkston is very highly regarded. This group has allowed only nine sacks all season, so Notre Dame’s undersized rushers will have a difficult time applying pressure even in obvious passing situations. The Panthers will move the ball in this game, but the Irish defense must find a way to keep them out of the end zone. The linebackers need to do a better job of fighting off blocks, but they will need an inspired effort by the linemen in front of them.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Once again, Notre Dame can help itself by winning the field position battle. Pittsburgh is barely average in punting efficiency and in the return game, and the Irish need to focus on this area to tilt the odds in their favor. The Panthers have also experienced a spate of fumbling problems on their recent punt returns, so additional effort to apply pressure downfield is recommended. Cameron Saddler is the main return man, and is joined by Aaron Smith and Ray Graham.

Dan Hutchins performs the punting and place kicking duties for Pitt, with generally good results. His numbers are solid in the field goal department, but his distance is just average. Notre Dame’s Nick Tausch hopes to get back on track after missing two makeable field goal attempts last week, and Irish fans are still hoping for a breakthrough in a kickoff or punt return with Riddick and Tate. Eric Maust and Ben Turk continue to battle for the punting job each day in practice, but neither has been consistent enough to seize the job on a permanent basis.

SUMMARY

Notre Dame’s offensive linemen were more highly recruited than their Pittsburgh defensive counterparts, but they must play up to their potential to win the battle on the line of scrimmage. On the other side of the coin, the Panther offensive front appears to be more than a match for the depleted Irish, who will need more than a better scheme after giving up 348 rushing yards to Navy.

While Clausen has been patient by throwing mostly short passes against defenses designed to limit his range, Weis has not showed the requisite confidence in his ground attack to see it through. Instead, he prefers to live and die with his quarterback. Protection and field position will be critical to Notre Dame’s chances, but Notre Dame will not win if it is outgained on the ground by a wide margin.

Let’s look at a few questions that will help determine the outcome:

Will Notre Dame’s run/pass mix indicate a greater degree of balance and success in the ground game?

Can the Irish protect Clausen?

Can the Notre Dame defense hold Pitt to less than four yards per rush?

Which team will gain an advantage from special teams?

Can Notre Dame stop the Panthers in the red zone?

Will Stull be able to maintain a high passing efficiency?

After a tumultuous week, will the Irish be emotionally high or flat for this game?

Which team will be most successful in the fourth quarter?

Does Pitt deserve a top ten ranking?

PREDICTION

The Panthers will be emotionally charged and already appear to have a physical advantage at the line of scrimmage. This combination does not bode well for the Irish, whose skill position talent may not be enough to keep pace unless the ball bounces their way or Pittsburgh makes uncharacteristic errors. Clausen will carry his team a long way on his back, but the ground game or a special teams surprise will have to surface for Notre Dame to pull out a win.

Stull is not as accomplished as Clausen, but he doesn’t have to win the game through the air. In the end, the team that runs the ball best will win, and that needle points to Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH 34 NOTRE DAME 24

The Weis Fact Sheet

Regretfully, we're assembling another fact sheet. Something we could have easily done a year ago, but we waited until the end was beyond doubt. Please email us with any factual errors.

• Under .500 over the last 3 seasons
  
• Against teams with winning records: Weis 8-19 (.296) Faust 12-23 (.343) Willingham 12-15 (.444) Davie 18-22 (.450)
• 0 wins against teams finishing in the top 10 of any of the major polls.
• 0 wins over a team with less than 4 losses
  
• 1 (1-13) win against teams finishing in the Top 25
  
• Worst two year stretch in Notre Dame history (10-15)
• First coach to lose to Navy since 1963 (twice)
• First time in 73 years (the first year of polling) that an unranked Navy team defeated a ranked Notre Dame team
• Worst loss to a service academy in 44 years (blown out by Air Force)
• First coach in Notre Dame history to lose to an eight-loss team (Syracuse 2008)
• 0-5 against USC
• Average margin of defeat against USC: 19.8 ppg
• The worst loss to any SC team (38 points largest margin of victory in the 79-game history of rivalry)
• Losing records to Boston College: 1-2, Michigan: 2-3 and Michigan State: 2-3
• Losses by 20 points or more: 8
• More shutout losses: 3 (Boston College, USC, Michigan) in four years than Notre Dame had from 1965-2001
• First 9-loss season in school history
• First 0-4 start ever
• First 0-5 start ever
• Has lost to more teams that finished outside the top 50 (MSU 2007, Purdue 2007, GT 2007, Navy 2007, Syracuse 2008) than Willingham, Davie and Faust… combined (5-4)
• Last overall offense in the country in 2007
• Last overall in yards per play in 2007
• Last overall in yards per game in 2007
• Lowest average yardage in the history of Notre Dame football in 2007
• Worst rushing team in ND history in 2007
• Lost to Navy, USC and Michigan in the same year… twice
• Set an NCAA record (58) for most sacks allowed in a season in 2007
• Notre Dame finished 90th in the country in the 2007 Sagarin ratings… below Richmond, North Dakota State, Delaware, Navy, Florida Atlantic, James Madison and Wofford.
• 3-16 record since 2007 against teams that finished with a winning record
• Only coach in ND history to coach for five years and not score 50 points in a game (56 other teams topped 50 points during Weis’s tenure)
• Weis has given up 40+ points in a loss 6 times, 30+ in a loss 19 times
• Currently has the 84th ranked defense in the country
• Will miss the BCS three straight years
• No BCS wins in five years of coaching

On-the-Job Training is Over

posted by The Rock

(The Rock Report) – Here’s how I started last year’s column, On-The Job-Training:

“At this point it's hard to understand how a realistic fan could have confidence that Notre Dame will improve to championship caliber under Weis.”

This article is mostly a rehash - different year, same problem. Here we sit, a year later and Charlie is still throwing darts trying to figure out what’s wrong. Weis’s tenure has been a litany of bumbling, head-scratching moves.

Let’s start on defense.

In five years he’s had four different combinations of defensive coordinators: Minter, Brown, Brown/Tenuta and Tenuta running a 4-3,3-4, 4-3 and a 4-3 that blitzes constantly. A defense that has never been ranked higher than 37th and five years later is worse than in any previous year.

Someone actually suggested Tenuta is the problem. No. The problem is that ND has a head coach who has no clue what to do or what works. This defense, returning almost the same personnel, is now ranked 79th in the country and was gutted by Navy.

How about offense, Charlie’s strength?

Let’s step back. Mike Haywood was hired as an offensive coordinator in name only as Charlie ran the offense to a brilliant year in 2005. Charlie and quarterback coach Peter Vaas parted ways in 2006 (he was the one person who reportedly could contradict Charlie.)

2006 saw a marked decline in performance. Quinn dropped from 8.7 YPA to 7.3 YPA and from 326 YPG to 263 YPG despite throwing the ball more in 2006. Charlie was trying to throw himself out of a hole, but lack of protection and focus on a passing game the required a high amount of precision crippled the Irish who were pummeled the last two games of the season. Charlie complained the plays were good. No Charlie, they required too much precision to work.

2007 was an unmitigated disaster with the Irish finishing last in all of college football in offense. Charlie refused to run, which resulted in an injured Clausen getting sacked for an NCAA record at the time. Our OL couldn’t run block and couldn’t pass block. It was the worst offense in Notre Dame history. The Irish averaged just 2.1 yards per rush and 75 yards rushing a game.

Notre Dame finished 90th in the country in the Sagarin ratings… below Richmond, North Dakota State, Delaware, Navy, Florida Atlantic, James Madison and Wofford.

How did Charlie change for 2008? His solution was to promote Mike Haywood, a coach with no experience calling plays, to offensive play-caller. Charlie declared he was going to "pound it" and had the offensive line beef up, but instead, he went right back to a passing game with slow offensive lineman that couldn’t block effectively on screens or execute in the running game. The result was a bungling offense that averaged less than 20 points per game until Hawaii.

Think about that: Two years in a row with an offense that couldn't manage 20 points a game on average during the regular season. Offensive genius? A hundred coaches in the country could have generated more offense.

Magically Charlie realized that (okay after an NDNation article) that winning teams were highly effective in the rushing game and Charlie made it his goal for 2009 to average 4.6 yards a rush. So Charlie, after four years you figured out we need a good rushing game?

Notre Dame’s offense is much improved, but still only managed 21 points against Navy and is averaging 31 points per game (less than 2005 and 2006.) Even on offense, we’re still figuring it out.

Special Teams?

What a roller coaster. Charlie made Polian special teams coach in 2007 and we had some of the worst special teams in the country. His solution? To take over special teams himself in 2008, which of course was unsustainable. Special teams improved, but with Charlie not as involved, they’ve fallen off far in 2009. Might help if he had just hired a real special teams coach who knew what he was doing.

Practice Methods?

Three years into this tenure he decided Notre Dame needed more physical practices.

Four years in he figured out they needed to stress fundamentals.

Recruiting?

Charlie’s first two classes were abysmal and mediocre respectively. How many seniors are starting on this team? His lack of focus on the defensive line left gaping holes that are being exploited this year. Mullen, Nwankwo, Ryan, Wade and Richardson are our only seniors on the defensive line… of those, only Ryan is contributing now. Charlie’s recruiting hit its stride with the Junior and Sophomore classes, but cratered again with the Freshmen class. Despite Manti Teo, Notre Dame took only one defensive back who’s hurt and may not play much, one defensive lineman and no quarterbacks (which could haunt ND in 2010 with Crist still on the mend and Clausen likely gone.) He did prove Notre Dame could recruit with anyone in the country, but his spotty early recruiting is coming back to roost. Another mediocre recruiting class and Notre Dame could be headed back down the drain.

What does it all mean?

Putting all of those pieces together, it’s not hard to figure out why ND is still struggling.

In 2008, we had “a completely inexperienced offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator with one year of experience and a special teams coach with little experience and a track record of under performance!?"

In 2009, Charlie switched himself back to offensive coordinator, promoted Tenuta to defensive coordinator and put Polian back in charge of special teams.

In other words, since 2006, every part of the team has been in some sort of disarray.

And it's not the talent. That excuse died. On a weighted basis, Notre Dame has more four and five star upperclassmen than Florida did last year. That orange line to the left was Florida's star average weighted by class year... when Meyer won a national championship. The blue line is Notre Dame.

Yet, even with a big talent advantage Notre Dame still struggled with an under .500 Washington team, mediocre Michigan State and Purdue teams and lost to Navy and a Michigan team starting a twig of a freshmen quarterback with a second year head coach and far less talent.

This was supposed to be the year ND could make a run at a national title, instead the Irish will be fighting for a Gator Bowl berth... if that.

People talk about improvement, but the fact is that even if we win out we've simply flat-lined since Charlie got here. Improvement over your own crappy performance is an illusion. ND has standards and Charlie himself said 9-3 isn't good enough. Speaking of that, what’s more tortuous than anything is watching Charlie try to motivate this team. He purportedly used to motivate by threatening players draft status, now he’s tried to become a player’s coach who wants his team to show personality.

9-3 isn’t good enough.

Dive right in.

No talk, let your actions speak ... or whatever it is this year.

Again, clueless. Throwing darts.

Charlie tried. He made his bucket list and went after it, but trying isn’t working at all.

Talking hasn’t worked either and Charlie’s proven himself a bit of an exaggerator, which is fine if you back it up.

He hasn't.

We listen to Charlie talk about “pounding the ball” only to send our linemen off square dancing. He talks about toughness and nasty, yet Notre Dame continually loses the battle in the trenches. He talked about “putting 50” up on the board, but we’ve never done it. He talked about 9-3 not being good enough, yet we’re 6-3 heading to who knows what.

“Charlie ball” hasn’t worked well since 2005.

We’ve waited five years for Charlie to figure this out and he just doesn’t know and worse, he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

On top of that, Weis’s demeanor and public actions alienated the ND fan base from the start, making his internal support non-existent. Why a coach making Weis’s money would pursue a public lawsuit for 600k that drags Notre Dame through the media grinder is puzzling to me as was the decision to do “60 minutes” without telling the University and not coming off well.

To be sure, Charlie has done many good things as well. From pass right to small notes to those struggling, he's shown he has a heart and cares about people. Of course, along with that are countless stories of mistreatment which can be hard to reconcile.

Regardless, Weis has become a lame duck now. Weis made some poor decisions out of the blocks and now we’re faced with a tough decision.

It’s one that has to be swift but sure.

What has to be done eventually, must be done immediately.

Charlie has to step aside and Notre Dame needs to find a home run; someone who’s done it before. In executive recruiting for 300k jobs, it’s essential that you find someone who’s actually done the pieces of the job you’re recruiting for. No one hires a high level executive without checking the right boxes. Yet at Notre Dame, with a head coach position worth 10x that, we still are hiring offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators and coaches that haven’t proven themselves.

Such willful negligence would be grounds for removing the board in many companies. In fact, most companies.

To be sure, it's worked for some schools, but that’s more by luck than design. Bama, Texas, Oklahoma and USC all floundered around before getting wheel of fortune to work.

Weis can leave with a lot of money and the knowledge that he’s got this team on the right track as far as talent goes. He will not leave it in the abyss Willingham did and hopefully will leave with more dignity.

Notre Dame needs someone who knows what they’re doing.

The players deserve it. They didn’t come here for this.

Tradition demands it.

On-the-job training is over.

~ The Rock

Navy Humbles Inept Irish

Navy raced out to a 14-0 halftime lead against an unprepared and utterly befuddled Notre Dame team on Saturday, then relied on a strong red zone defense to thwart an Irish comeback. The 23-21 upset win is the second for the Midshipmen in the last three years after 43 consecutive losses to Notre Dame, and may become too great a burden for Coach Charlie Weis to survive.

The Irish were completely undisciplined on defense. It looked as though there was no plan other than to allow bigger, stronger and faster athletes to chase smaller and slower Midshipmen. Navy’s execution flummoxed Notre Dame throughout the contest, and the Irish failed to adjust to the fullback dive play or cover the pitch man.

Offensively, Notre Dame made numerous unforced errors and blew several scoring opportunities with a combination of poor play calling and mental breakdowns. Four first half possessions ended badly as the Irish dug a 14 point hole. The game plan was built around the pass and failed to take advantage of the tremendous physical advantage enjoyed by the offensive line. The result was a mere 60 yards in 20 carries. Conversely, Navy gained 348 yards on the ground in 56 attempts.

The Midshipmen scored on their first two possessions while Notre Dame fumbled and missed a field goal. Fullback Vince Murray’s 25 yard burst on the first play of the second period made it 14-0, and the Irish continued to shoot themselves in the foot. The next drive stalled when Notre Dame reached the two yard line but could not score in four plays, and Tausch missed another three pointer a few minutes later. Navy’s Joe Buckley returned the favor with his own missed 30-yard field goal to end the first half.

Robert Hughes’ one yard run capped the first scoring march for Notre Dame early in the third quarter, but it took Navy only a few plays to respond. When Ricky Dobbs executed a perfect play action fake and found Greg Jones on a 52-yard strike over the confused Irish secondary, Navy’s lead stood at 21-7.

Jimmy Clausen led the offense downfield as the quarter came to a close, but the drive abruptly ended in disaster. On first down from the Navy ten, Clausen scrambled and took off toward the end zone. He was met at the one yard line by the Midshipmen and coughed up the ball as he went down in a heap. Although the Irish quarterback recovered quickly on the sidelines, Murray carried Navy out of the shadow of its goal with a 39 yard rumble through the Notre Dame defense.

The Irish finally held and Clausen returned to try again, but another miscue in the red zone resulted in a turnover. Michael Floyd was blocking downfield on what he thought was supposed to be a screen pass, and Clausen’s throw hit him in the back. The ball popped into the air and into the arms of Navy‘s Ram Vela with ten minutes left in the game.

Driven by desperation, Notre Dame’s defense finally dug in and stopped the Midshipmen. Clausen then wasted little time in passing the Irish 91 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 21-14 with just under five minutes remaining. The defense did its job once again, but a 55 yard punt put the hosts in another deep hole. This time, Navy’s defense answered the mail with two consecutive sacks. The second, by Craig Schaefer, resulted in a safety with 1:04 on the clock. Although Notre Dame managed a late touchdown after recovering an onside kick, it served only to make the final margin 23-21.

Navy’s offense clearly outplayed Notre Dame and the Midshipmen deserved to win because its defense made plays in scoring territory when it mattered most. The Irish defenders were repeatedly out of position and the staff failed to make adjustments to an embarrassingly poor plan. The loss cannot be written off to bad luck despite the turnovers and missed opportunities. Navy is not in Notre Dame’s class from a talent standpoint, but they were fundamentally superior and the better coached football team.

The result supports the notion that Notre Dame’s prior success this season was built on a weak schedule and Clausen’s brilliant play. Any of the victories against Purdue, Michigan State, Washington and Boston College could have gone the other way, and wins in the next three games are far from certain even if the team is at full strength.

Let’s take a look at a few questions that helped to determine the outcome:

Will Notre Dame be able to sustain drives by avoiding penalties and methodically moving downfield? Not really, since far too many drives ended in frustration.

Can the Irish safeties keep Navy from making long scoring plays? No, the pass from Dobbs to a guy who had only three receptions coming into the game was just plain inexcusable.

Will Dobbs be forced to put the ball in the air 20 times or more? No, but Notre Dame threw it 51 times.

Can the Irish special teams keep Navy from starting drives in good field position? It was Navy’s special teams that kept the Irish in a hole. Notre Dame never punted but still could not win.

Will Notre Dame exceed 200 yards rushing? The worst part is they didn’t even try.

Will Michael Floyd’s presence allow Tate and Rudolph to take advantage of single coverage? The passing game worked well between the 20’s, but that wasn't enough.

Can the Irish offensive line keep Clausen from hitting the turf? Not at the end when Navy iced the game.

Will Notre Dame secure the outcome in strong fashion or will they have to hold on once again? What was I thinking?

The next opportunity is at Pittsburgh, and the program must not allow a repeat of last November’s slide that nearly cost Charlie Weis his job. It may already be too late, but another loss will surely convince those still firmly entrenched in denial to finally accept the very painful reality of another failed regime.

Navy Ready to Battle Irish

Notre Dame hosts Navy on Saturday in the 83rd meeting between these friendly rivals. Both teams have six wins this year and are building their respective resumes as bowl season approaches. The Irish are hoping to erase memories of a disastrous 1-4 November in 2008 by finishing the regular season with a six game winning streak, while the Midshipmen will have starting quarterback Ricky Dobbs back from injury to lead its patented option attack.

Now that Dayne Crist’s knee injury sustained last week has been diagnosed as a torn ACL, Notre Dame’s main focus other than winning this game is to protect Jimmy Clausen from further damage. Clausen’s health is critical to the team’s ability to achieve its remaining goals this season, and the roster is painfully thin at quarterback. Meanwhile, the Irish will have starters Michael Floyd and James Aldridge available for Navy while guard Trevor Robinson and tailback Armando Allen will likely be held out.

Notre Dame should be able to rely on a power running game as opposed to Clausen’s right arm, and the Wildcat portion of the offense will also be used liberally. The Irish defense held the Midshipmen well below its rushing average last year in a 27-21 win, and will be expected to do the same this year. Navy has not developed much proficiency in the passing game, averaging only eight throws for 72 yards and a 50% completion rate.

Most fans remember last year’s game for the consecutive successful onside kicks executed by the Midshipmen in the final two minutes. This changed a comfortable 27-7 victory into a near disaster for the Irish, who also committed five turnovers and failed on a fourth down conversion that jump started Navy’s late rally. On the heels of an overtime loss to the Midshipmen in 2007 that broke Notre Dame’s 43-game winning streak, the Irish really need a strong performance to reestablish dominance in the series.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. NAVY’S DEFENSE

The Midshipmen will employ a similar defensive strategy that worked quite well last year, which is to defuse Notre Dame’s quick strike capability. They will try to force the Irish to throw short passes and execute consistently in the running game. This is also the plan that nearly worked for Boston College two weeks ago, although Navy does not appear capable of stopping this year’s Irish ground game without moving its safeties close to the line of scrimmage. Ultimately, passing lanes should be open for Golden Tate, who did not catch a single pass in last year’s game, and Kyle Rudolph, who caught only one for eight yards.

Despite the advantage of size and talent, fans should not expect Notre Dame to roll up 600 yards on the Midshipmen as they did last week against Washington State. Navy’s defense allowed only 369 and 363 to Pittsburgh and Ohio State, respectively, and played competitively throughout. Points will not come in bunches for the Irish, and will be earned the hard way. Another noteworthy statistic is that the Midshipmen have allowed a third down conversion rate of only 29%, which compares favorably to 39% for their Irish counterparts.

Floyd’s return to the lineup will be closely watched by Irish fans and undoubtedly by the Pittsburgh coaching staff next week in the film room. Although Floyd is not expected to be a significant part of the game plan, his mere presence will boost Notre Dame’s firepower by spreading Navy’s defensive resources more equally across the field.

The best pass defender for the Midshipmen is rover Wyatt Middleton while cover corner Blake Carter has excellent skills. Navy’s front seven is configured in a 3-4 alignment, which the Irish will see for the first and last time this season. Linebacker Ross Pospisil is the team’s best overall defender, and he has a knack for making plays behind in an opponent’s backfield. The overall unit is disciplined and tough despite its lack of size, and coach Ken Niumatalolo substitutes freely to keep the troops fresh.

NAVY’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Dobbs leads an option attack that is truly balanced. Fullback Vince Murray runs well inside and slot man Marcus Curry is the outside speed threat with an 8.5 yard average. Dobbs has recorded 16 rushing touchdowns despite missing almost two full games, but has thrown for only three. Curry and Mario Washington are the most dangerous receivers, but neither has more than eight receptions this season.

Notre Dame’s defensive linemen will not face any 300 pounders on Navy’s front wall. Ends Darius Fleming, Kerry Neal and emerging pass rush specialist Steven Filer should be able to bring pressure, but their biggest challenge will be to hold containment in the option game. Nose tackle Ian Williams should dominate inside, while linebackers Brian Smith and Manti Te’o need to stay in their gaps.

The Irish safeties figure to make a lot of tackles in this game, and neither Sergio Brown nor Jamoris Slaughter has demonstrated consistently good performance to date. Kyle McCarthy is solid against the run and figures to be a stalwart in this contest. Navy is sure to pull out a few trick plays and mix in more passes than their 2009 norm, so Notre Dame’s secondary must not fall asleep.

Preparation and the discipline to play assignment football should be enough for the Irish to prevail, but one short week of practice is rarely enough time to become competent against a fast paced option attack. The Midshipmen may take advantage of this early until Notre Dame gets used to the pace.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Surprisingly, the Irish did not dominate lowly Washington State in the return game last week, but Navy will provide another opportunity for them to break a punt or kickoff return and control field position. Once again, Notre Dame should not punt very often if at all, but freshman Ben Turk or veteran Eric Maust must start to show improvement. Navy will not score many points in this game if it has to drive 70+ yards, but they are more likely than the Irish by 73% to 56% to score a touchdown in the red zone.

Nick Tausch has been an outstanding field goal kicker for the Irish with a current streak of 14 straight. A missed extra point last week did not affect the outcome, but it served as a valuable lesson to take nothing for granted. Joe Buckley has been a very reliable kicker for Navy in the last month, while punter Kyle Delahooke gets above average distance although most of his punts are returned by the opposition.

SUMMARY

Discipline is the key for Notre Dame. Offensively, unnecessary penalties have hurt the Irish this season, and a repeat of these same mistakes is the only way they can be stopped. On defense, physical superiority must be accompanied by sharp focus to avoid getting caught out of position. The team needs to take another step forward after last week’s success and dominate in all phases of the game. Navy played well against Ohio State in its season opener, but they should not pose a threat in the second half of this game.

Let’s take a look at a few questions that will determine the margin of victory:

Will Notre Dame be able to sustain drives by avoiding penalties and methodically moving downfield?

Can the Irish safeties keep Navy from making long scoring plays?

Will Dobbs be forced to put the ball in the air 20 times or more?

Can the Irish special teams keep Navy from starting drives in good field position?

Will Notre Dame exceed 200 yards rushing?

Can the Irish do better than a 29% conversion rate on third down?

Will Michael Floyd’s presence allow Tate and Rudolph to take advantage of single coverage?

Can the Irish offensive line keep Clausen from hitting the turf?

Will Notre Dame secure the outcome in strong fashion or will they have to hold on once again?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame can find itself in a real battle if they are emotionally unprepared for Navy’s legendary intensity. Clausen’s leadership and Floyd’s return will help, but the key will be the offensive line’s ability to impose its will on the smaller Midshipmen. The defense, particularly the secondary, must not regress by tackling poorly and blowing assignments in coverage. It would be encouraging to see some life from the special teams, but I’ve almost given up hope.

Dobbs is another quality athlete in a long line of elusive Navy option quarterbacks, but the Irish linebackers are athletic enough to keep him in check.

NOTRE DAME 34 NAVY 10

Cowardice and Greed

I've had some time to reflect on Saturday night and what it meant to Notre Dame both on and off the field. No doubt there were benefits derived from our game against Washington State. I certainly enjoyed seeing us run roughshod over an opponent for a change, although that had more to do with the quality or lack thereof of the opponent. I know San Antonio is a good destination, and don't doubt people had fun going there. The pictures of the Riverwalk certainly looked enticing.

But I can't get past the mindset that is making these games possible, and I cannot see my way clear to endorsing it or supporting it. My position has nothing to do with "groupthink", and everything to do with trying to make sure Notre Dame stays true to the kind of things it used to stand for.

The people who run our football program don't want to make difficult choices, like bringing in a high-profile coach who might make them nervous sometimes (see: Holtz, Lou) or blue-chip players who won't always act like choirboys. Instead, they want the path of least resistance to winning just enough games to keep the alumni wolves from their door. So they spend a quarter of the schedule on "buy" games against programs without the self-respect to demand a more equitable setup. They believe alumni and fans will be so happy to have tickets they'll pay top dollar for crappy matchups against Low Self Esteem State. Meanwhile, the win total is padded, camouflaging any shortcomings that may be present on the field or sidelines ... shortcomings that will become embarrassingly apparent when a quality opponent is encountered.

The people who run our football program don't want night games on campus, even though some fans and our broadcast contractor do, because managing a crowd like that responsibly takes hard work and quality decision-making. Never mind that a lot of other blue-chip programs manage to do it, our folks are terrified of the slightest liability. But they don't want to give up the money NBC will pay, because they're more interested in wringing every last dollar out of the arrangement. So they put together these boondoggle games in which they greedily demand full control of television rights and gate receipts, limiting the quality of opponent that can be arranged. They put the responsibility for night game crowd control on someone else, meaning they don't have to come up with viable plans, without having to give up control of the greenbacks.

I have no problem playing a balanced schedule, and I certainly wouldn't advise playing "a top 20 team every week", as some strawman-erecting folks have accused. I've long been an advocate of 4-4-4 or a variant (e.g. 3-5-4). I'm not demanding ND play a suicidal schedule -- after all, 2005's fit the model, was fine by me, and we did quite well against it.

I have a big problem, however, when the school is just trying to schedule wins by dumbing things down to the point that excellence is no longer required for a W. I have a big problem when the school that is supposed to stand for sportsmanship tries to use loopholes and its market demand to bully smaller programs into inequitable arrangements. I don't give a damn if every other school is doing it -- I was raised to believe Notre Dame was different.

Yes, we derived some benefits from Saturday. But I'm not willing to pay that price for those benefits.

Tate Leads Irish Romp

Golden Tate's leaping reception of a Hail Mary touchdown pass capped a dominant 30-7 first half, and Notre Dame coasted to a 40-14 victory over undermanned Washington State on Saturday in San Antonio. The Irish improved to 6-2 on the season as they outgained the Cougars by 592-206.

Both teams started slowly as Notre Dame settled for a field goal on its opening drive and was forced to punt moments later. Meanwhile, Washington State did not record a first down on its first three possessions. Tate provided a spark late in the first quarter when he exploded for consecutive runs of 10 and 33 yards out of the Wildcat formation. Jimmy Clausen followed with a scoring pass to Duval Kamara and the Irish were in business.

Notre Dame led 16-0 when Tate capped another long drive with a 16 yard burst, and later stretched the lead to 23-0 before the Cougars finally got on the board with a pass from Jeff Tuel to Jared Karstetter. Clausen tried to move his team into scoring territory in the final minute of the half, but penalties plagued the Irish as the clock ticked down and the band assembled on the sidelines.

Clausen refused to take a knee, however, and managed to reach midfield with seven seconds remaining. The play call was a Hail Mary pass in the end zone to the triple-covered Tate, but the heave was perfect and Tate was literally up to the task. The junior outfought the defenders for the ball as they fell to the ground in a heap. When the officials unscrambled the players and looked at the replay, the touchdown was confirmed and Notre Dame led by 30-7.

The Irish were driving for a third quarter score when Clausen was tripped and reinjured his aching turf toe. Nick Tausch converted a field goal for a 33-7 advantage and Dayne Crist came in at quarterback to finish the game with 18 minutes remaining. Notre Dame’s defense continued to play well and Washington State rarely threatened to cross midfield. An interception by Robert Blanton put an immediate end to the one possession where Washington State started in good field position.

Crist looked rusty at first, but he rifled a deep post pass to John Goodman at the ten minute mark of the final period. Goodman took the pass in stride and completed a 64-yard score. Unfortunately, this was the high mark for Crist as he suffered a knee injury on the next series and did not return. The Cougars scored again against the Irish reserves with a few minutes left for the final margin of 40-14.

Other notable performers on offense included Clausen, who was 22 of 27 for 268 yards on an assortment of crisp, intermediate passes. Robert Hughes ran for 139 yards on 24 carries and Theo Riddick pitched in with 51 yards rushing. Kyle Rudolph also enjoyed his best game in a month for Notre Dame with six receptions. Armando Allen and Robbie Parris were held out due to previous injuries and guard Trevor Robinson joined Crist as a casualty in this contest when his ankle was rolled in the first half.

Defensively, the line dominated the Cougars and allowed only two of 11 conversions on third down. The Irish recorded five sacks and had two interceptions, the second by nose tackle Ian Williams on an intended screen pass.

Let’s review the questions that helped determine the margin of victory:

Will Notre Dame reach 200 yards rushing, given that the Cougars allow an average of 215 per game? Yes, they ran for 255 as Tate, Hughes and Riddick impressed behind solid line play.

Will the Irish defensive line take advantage of a weak Washing ton State front line? Absolutely. The Irish did not have to blitz and were constantly in the Cougar backfield.

Can Tuel become the latest freshman quarterback to have remarkable success against the Irish secondary? Tuel was only 12 for 23 for 104 yards and two interceptions.

Will Notre Dame’s special teams take advantage of their counterparts? Not really. Punting was poor once again and kickoff coverage was uninspired. The Irish return game did not materialize, either.

At what point will Charlie Weis have the luxury of removing Clausen from the game? That decision was made for him when Clausen limped off the field late in the third period.

Will the Irish enjoy a +3 or better turnover margin? They won this battle 2-0, but it was more than enough against the hapless Cougars.

Notre Dame will now turn its attention to the option attack of the Naval Academy before a high stakes road trip to Pittsburgh. Clausen will continue to play despite the problematic toe, and other starters such as Allen and even Michael Floyd may join him. Robinson may sit out the Navy game in order to be ready for Pitt, but Crist’s injury (knee) looked the most serious. The Irish are fortunate to have Evan Sharpley in reserve if needed.

On the defensive side, the team continues to improve against lesser opponents, but at least the overall health of this unit is good. Notre Dame fans could reflect back on losses to beatable Michigan and USC squads, but a successful November will lessen the sting of those lost opportunities.