Closing the Book on Notre Dame

by Paragon SC on Oct 20, 2009 6:00 AM PDT in USC Football Comment 7 comments

Michael Conroy - AP

I am a day late on this due to my travel schedule yesterday...

So, after having a couple of days to chew on this win the only thing that I really came away with is that the USC - ND rivalry is alive and well!

I do not know what the future of Charlie Weis is but his players did find find a way to dig down deep and make this game interesting. But there is a difference in the ND fan base. From what I have read in numerous spots the fans are happy they didn't get blown out which begs the question...Since when is not getting blown out OK?

On the postgame walk from the press box to the interview room, weaving through throngs of exiting Notre Dame fans, this is what I heard over and over and over again:

At least we didn't get blown out.

Not exactly "Play like a champion today'' or "Win one for the Gipper,'' is it?

That, however, tells you just how far Notre Dame has fallen. Its once-fickle fan base, who used to demand not only victories but lopsided victories that covered the spread, has been reduced to finding solace in outcomes like Saturday's dramatic 34-27 loss to USC at Notre Dame Stadium.
When it comes to facing the best college football program in the country not named Florida, it's enough now for Notre Dame to avoid abject embarrassment. It's enough to look like the Irish belonged on the same field with mighty USC, something that wasn't the case in lopsided losses the past two years. It's enough to take the Trojans down to the final play, the final second.

Sounds like a moral victory to me...

I think you have to lay this right at the feet of Charlie Weis. Once again a coach talking smack without having ever won anything dumbs down the fan base when they have been crushed the last few seasons. The fans are powerless over Notre Dame football. They have no say in the future of this team, all they can do and watch and hope that it gets better SC dominated this game on offense for most of the game but their lapse in judgment on defense with stupid penalties and their taking the foot off the gas in the second half let ND get back into the game.

Yes, Jimmy Clausen made some great plays like the TD pass to Tate but he was under pressure a lot on Saturday so while there was some great theater at the end of the game, the fact remains that SC's lapse in execution and bone headed penalties gave ND a breath of hope.

It is clear that there is still some holes on the ND defense and there were some holes on the ND offensive line that resulted in five sacks so while Weis continues to grab top talent it becomes more and more obvious that he has a hard time coaching them up. The ND O line has been together a long time and they still slow as hell.

Who knows if Weis survives at the end of the season but you can now hear the rumblings that it is time to cut him loose. There are calls that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly has to replace Charlie Weis. I doubt that will happen...But you can see things are not well in South Bend. Heck, Pete Carroll is already thinking about 9-in-a-row!

As for USC it is hard not to like what we are seeing with Matt Barkley.

Barkley played a pretty good game even with the pick he threw that gave ND some life it is hard not to be impressed with calm demeanor. The running game is still a bit of a concern, you can see how we miss Stafon Johnson. The Oline is doing a great job at giving Barkley the protection he needs but there are some plays where they aren't blowing open the holes like we need to see to let the running backs run wild.

The passing game is coming along nicely with Damian Williams and Anthony McCoy the most important targets that Barkley has. RoJo still needs some time to get back in sync and Brice Butler is starting to emerge.

The defense played great but the secondary does concern me a bit. Taylor Mays needs to focus more on making the play than making the hit. I am not seeing him as a top 5 pick just because he is hard hitter with speed. He was late getting over on the Tate TD and it was his responsibility to catch the ND player sitting on the sideline on the fake FG. I know that they play is outlawed in the Pac-10 but as a senior safety on this team that is his job. I would agree that his being flagged for those penalties was crap but that second penalty involving Parris does not get called if he simply wraps him up and takes him down instead of going for the big hit.

Was it just me or did KeTo look like he was giving TOO MUCH cushion to the ND receivers? I know PC likes to play the bend don't break defense that keeps everything in front you but it just seemed that there was too much room in front.

The D line was great! they got pressure on Clausen and the slow ND O line all day. Yes, there were some bone headed penalties on Griffen, Jackson and Horton but it is hard to criticize them because they have played so well. Same goes with the LB's Galippo has really become one of the leaders on this team, his stop on 4th and goal was a key defensive play.

SC still has some issues but I think they are coming together. I think a scare like this one sometimes gets players to take a second look...it will be interesting to see ho the team responds against Oregon State.

- - -

Here are some links that you may have missed from over the weekend...

Jurrell Casey and Matt Barkley earn recognition - Los Angeles Times

Carroll questions several calls - OCRegister.com

Sunday Leftovers From USC-Notre Dame -- NCAA Football FanHouse

Trojans hang on against Notre Dame, but it's hard on the ticker -- latimes.com

For USC, it's a fright at the finish against the Irish -- latimes.com

USC's Barkley has big day on big stage - OCRegister.com

USC's Anthony McCoy has game of his career -- latimes.com

Rivals.com - Barkley takes center stage

Hail, hail, Notre Dame's feel-good loss of the year - Dr. Saturday

Instant analysis: USC 34, Notre Dame 27 - College Football Nation - ESPN

USCFootball.com - Trojans bend, don't break, at ND

Notre Dame's greatness: Fact or Irish myth? from OC Register

Notre Dame hosting top recruits for USC game, but it might not be the best timing - ESPN

RADIO...

Scott Wolf on PMS discusses the game

Pat Haden on the Dan Patrick does the same

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Comments

The notion that ND fans are thrilled...

with a “moral victory” is largely a media creation. Makes for a fun angle. To most of the egg heads in the media, it’s a “clever” take on the “ND is irrelevant” thing.

You have to remember that there are always 2 very loud contingents in the ND fanbase: The Pollyannas and the Cassandras. Sitting somewhere in between are the much more influential crowd with the actual influence over the program. I don’t think they saw a moral victory in this game at all, but I do think they’re letting the season play out before making any judgments about Weis.

I’d say, “good game,” but I don’t think it was a very good game. We decided not to play with a Free Safety, and I’m quite sick of losing to Troy. More like, “Infuriating Game.”

by domer.mq on Oct 20, 2009 6:24 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm sympathetic...

…about the being sick of losing, but since my college tenure included 4 of the 11 straight losses in the sequence of losing to / tying with Notre Dame, I can say that you’re a long way off from that degree of angst.

I hope you’re right about the fan base exhibiting some degree of patience with Weis; for all that he comes across as a jackass in front of the cameras, by all accounts he’s a decent guy off the field and you can’t accuse him of not caring. I don’t care for these in-season death watches, they don’t help the team in question.

As for a free safety, it might be time to get some bigger players on defense too. McCoy looked like he was being hindered by a jv squad, size-wise. Jim Harbaugh seems to have found some big guys who are academically up to snuff for Stanford, presumably there are more out there who could meet Notre Dame’s requirements.

by DC Trojan on Oct 20, 2009 6:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fair points...

you certainly know your fan base and team much better than we do. It is hard to read the tea leaves through the eyes of the press. I realize the press will make their noise so it really is hard to get a good read.

You guys have done a great job at being intellectually honest in regards to what you see and your expectations…

Good luck the rest of the way…

Conquest Chronicles

by Paragon SC on Oct 20, 2009 6:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The loss for ND shows the progress made

but this is college football, and Clausen only has one more shot, if he chooses to take it, at USC. After Clausen leaves, then its back to the drawing board again. I knew after year 2 that Weis was not a good head coach. He has 1 victory of note against Georgia Tech. He is 4-11 against ranked programs. He is a total failure in coaching up defensive players. The sooner the Irish can him, the sooner they can stop the bleeding.

by frak on Oct 20, 2009 6:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

5 years is long enough, presuming ND doesn’t win out and somehow sneak into a BCS game. Highly unlikely at this point. Not sure about Brian Kelly, but what could a proven coach like Mike Riley do with the job? I bet he would kill.

by DFWTrojan on Oct 20, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree with this too

i’m certainly not happy with a “moral victory” and a lot of the ND fans i know aren’t either.

Weis’ comments were embarrassing, not only for himself but for the entire Notre Dame football program. sure, Notre Dame isn’t what it was (and maybe it will never return to that level) but i’d like to think that losses like this still weren’t acceptable – even with the current state of the program.

i commend the kids for fighting until the end and not rolling over like we’ve seen other ND teams do after getting blown out by USC. however, just because it wasn’t a 31-point loss doesn’t suddenly make it OK.

ND is in the ultimate catch-22 situation right now. if Weis finishes with 8-9 wins, they’ll have to make a decision whether to keep him another year or let him go. if they ax him, they’ll have to worry about losing kids like Clausen and Tate to the NFL, while losing a hefty amount of recruits as well. if they retain him, maybe 2010 is another year of falling short of expectations and struggling with teams like Michigan State and Purdue.

sorry to be long-winded. congrats on the win and good luck with the rest of your season.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Oct 20, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs