Nobody at the Wheel | by Jay

One curio from the Sunday presser.

Q. Do you know what you want to do right now as far as offense is concerned?

COACH WEIS: No, I'll know after I talk to the staff. It won't take me until Tuesday to figure out what I'm going to do is what I'm saying. I don't have etched in stone what I'm going to do at this point. If I'm going to be more involved with game planning and play calling, those type of things, I have to be involved tomorrow. That's not something I can decide on Tuesday because you'd have to be in all the meetings and -- you have to be in all the meetings and the installation and implementation and all those other things. But I'm saying right now it would be a bit premature. I think that we have a ways to go.

Well, I guess this answers one lingering question from the preseason. In case you were wondering whether Charlie would ever really, truly delegate the offensive planning and playcalling to Haywood, this seems to answer that: he actually did turn over a large measure of control to his titular offensive coordinator. I was wondering how much control Haywood actually had; by Charlie's description, it seems to have been substantial.

I think if Charlie is going to come through this storm, he's going to need a stronger hand at the offensive wheel: someone he can delegate to, someone he won't have to worry about, and someone he won't have to take over for nine games into a season.

Adrift at Sea | by Jay

Last night we were dumped into Boston harbor like a sack of tea.

DEFENSE: Plenty good enough to win. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

OFFENSE: Plenty of nuthin'. Our drive chart is one of the most futile I've ever seen.

But probably the most disheartening thing I've read this morning is Charlie's admission that he might have to take a stronger hand with the offense.

I’m going to have to devote a lot more of my energy not to the whole team, I’m going to have to devote a lot more of my energy to the offense and to the special teams, because you have to pick your poison on what you feel you have to address, and I think we have to address the offense and the special teams.

This is Charlie admitting that his offensive staff isn't up to the job of preparing and executing a competent gameplan. This is really depressing.

When Charlie announced in the spring that he was handing over the playbook to Mike Haywood in order to take a more supervisory role, I applauded it as a incisive move by a man who knew he had to become more of a head coach to succeed at Notre Dame, and not just be a de facto coordinator. I still think it was the right thing to do, and I think it has worked out in many respects. The team seems more cohesive and chummy, defensive players aren't being neglected by the head coach anymore, and special teams (his personal project) has enjoyed terrific improvement in most units. But clearly, the offensive braintrust he appointed in his place is not up to snuff. The fact that Charlie, 9 games into the season, needs to get more involved with the offense is a serious indictment of his choice of replacement staff. And Charlie, finally, has admitted it to himself, and to us. As Pat alluded to in the previous the post, banking on a first time offensive coordinator and relatively inexperienced quarterbacks coach to steer this ship of state was a calculated risk, and right now it looks like a big failure. Charlie said as much in the quote above.

Look: Charlie jumping back in is probably the right thing to do at this point. Something's got to change immediately, or we face another three losses (after last night, let's not bank Navy or Syracuse in the win column). And thinking ahead to next season, Charlie's got some tough decisions to make with this quartet of offensive coaches he seems personally fond of.

Lessons Learned | by Pat

The past few years that I have done the pre-season position previews, I've been valuing veteran players more and more, at times over more highly-recruited rookies. Every year we get excited about the shiny new toys out on the field, but for the most part it is the guys who have been around who keep getting the job done. Certainly there are exceptions, but in college football there isn't much of a better teacher than experience. You make a mistake, you learn, you improve and move forward. Wash, rinse, repeat. And this isn't a week-by-week process, but rather a season-by-season one.

And that brings me to this. Notre Dame has the following on the sidelines:

* A defensive coordinator in his second year as a defensive coordinator.

* An offensive coordinator in his first year as an offensive coordinator.

* A head coach in only his fourth season as a head coach.

Putting aside every other issue for the moment (and there are plenty), Notre Dame should never ever again find itself in a position where the top three coaches for the football team have so little experience at their current position. Notre Dame football is not a place for on-the-job training.

People can debate all of the other issues back and forth all they want, but I firmly believe that experience is invaluable and irreplaceable. It all starts there.

Kickoff! | by Jay

Beantown Showdown | by Jay

We did a little back-and-forth with longtime Boston College blogger Bill from Eagle in Atlanta. We answered some of his questions about ND here; turnabout is fair play, so we fired off some questions of our own.

BGS: Boston College allowed only 26 points in the first four games. It has allowed 126 points in the last four games. Can the jump in opponent scoring be attributed mostly to better opponents, or have there been injuries, personnel changes, or other reasons that also play into it?

Eagle in Atlanta: The opponents are part of the issue, but so are other factors outside the defense. Against Virginia Tech Chris Crane threw two INTs that were run back for touchdowns and a fumbled kick return set up a Hokie Field Goal. That is 17 points there. Against UNC he threw another two INTs that went for TDs and a third pick was returned to the BC 2 yard line. Special teams allowed seamingly ever drive to start in BC territory and allowed a kick return for TD. Last week after BC took the lead, CJ Spiller ran back a kick to the BC 15. So the D is still solid. It's the other groups that aren't carrying their weight.

BGS: There seems to be increased grumbling among BC fans regarding quarterback Chris Crane. At this point in the season, what would you say he does well and where does he struggle? What do you expect from him against Notre Dame?

EIA: I share the concern that most fans have. Crane hasn't been very good. And that is not in a replacing a legend sense. He hasn't been that good period. You can just look at his stats. He's not accurate and turns the ball over often.

The reason he is still playing and the reason BC fans still have hope is that he does have upside. Crane runs well for a big, lumpering guy. He has a strong arm, so outs and deep posts remain a threat. He just isn't very accurate with those throws.

I expect Notre Dame to blitz him. Last year when BC faced Georgia Tech, Tenuta blitzed all night. Matt Ryan had a career day, but that was because he got rid of the ball and made some really tight throws. I don't think Crane will be as accurate under the same pressure.

BGS: Kevin Akins is listed as a starting cornerback at 6'2" 225 pounds. Does BC use him as a traditional corner, or does he spend more time blitzing or playing as a pseudo-linebacker? How effective has he been this season?

EIA: Akins played a hybrid role the past two years. This year he is more of a true corner and he's played well. He doesn't have great speed but is very strong and a good tackler. BC will also use him on corner blitzes. BC uses a lot of soft zone and the corner are often just asked to keep guys in front of them. With Akins speed and size he's excelled at this spot. If he had to chase smaller, faster guys downfield all day, he might struggle.

BGS: Do Boston College fans still get as excited to play ND given the recent struggles and stumbles by the Irish program? Coach O'Brien appeared to really emphasize the ND game for his teams. Is Coach Jags the same way or does he keep more of the attention on the conference games?

EIA: Have you seen stubhub? BC fans are very excited about this game. If not for Notre Dame's scheduling demands, more BC fans would be pressuring our AD to continue the series. However, the proposed lopsided schedule with games in Foxboro pissed enough BC fans off that no one begrudges our AD for letting the series end. TOB put a clear emphasis on this game and it worked. I don't think Jags is as focused on winning this particular game. I just think he wants to get BC back on track.

BGS: Finally, what is your prediction for the game?

EIA: I fear that Notre Dame's strengths and BC's weaknesses favor the Irish. That said -- and I don't like to rely on hunches and mojo and what not -- I think the "Notre Dame" factor swings this. The crowd will be pumped and given the slightest bit of hope will go nuts. BC has not played well in a few weeks...they are due. BC wins 28-24.

Thanks to Bill for sharing his thoughts, and check out Eagle in Atlanta for some superfine college football blogging.

QB Browns Alert Level Update | by Brian

GREEN (Starting, but Unproven)

The city of Cleveland holds its collective breath, and the women of Cleveland feel a Chris Matthews-like "thrill going up their legs", as fan-favorite QB Browns makes his much-ballyhooed first start tonight against the Denver Broncos, in front of a television audience of dozens on the little-seen NFL Network.

As a reminder, "QB Browns" is the nickname we bestowed upon Brady Quinn last year in a nod to Tecmo Super Bowl. As another reminder (seeing as how this hasn't been updated in over a year), here are the color-coded QB Browns Alert Levels:

BROWN: Taking the Browns to the Super Bowl

ORANGE: The Toast of Cleveland

YELLOW: Bench Pressing Steely McBeam

GREEN: Starting, but Unproven

BLACK: Backup

PURPLE: Pummeled by the Ravens Defense

Updates as events warrant.

(Also, keep an eye on Quinn's former teammate and current starter at right tackle for Denver.)

Statistically Speaking: Pittsburgh | by Pat

It Came From the Game Notes

• After going 1 for 7 to start the season, Brandon Walker has converted 7 of his last 8 field goal attempts.

• In regulation over the last two games, Notre Dame’s first-team defense has registered nine three-and-outs in 20 defensive possessions.

• All but five of Notre Dame’s touchdowns this year have been scored by freshmen or sophomores (23 of 28). Senior WR David Grimes has two touchdowns and junior HB James Aldridge has the other three TDs.

• Freshman WR Michael Floyd ranks first in Notre Dame history in receptions and touchdown receptions by a freshman in a season. He sits only 57 yards shy of the single-season receiving yards record by a freshman too.

Battle for First Down

Something happened against Pittsburgh that might not happen again for a very long time. The ND Win Rate against the pass was 100%. Here's how is unfolded.

1ST DOWN PASS

1-10 P30 #19 to #2      2 
1-10 N20 #12 to #25     - 
1-10 N25 #19 to #30     - 
1-10 P23 #19 to #8    INT 
1-10 P47 #12 to #82     - 
1-10 N32 #19 to #82     - 
1-10 N49 #19 to #82     - 
1-10 P25 #19 to #82     - 
1-10 P12 #19 to #83     1 
1-10 P43 #19 to #    SACK 

That's pretty impressive. 10 pass attempts for 3 yards, one sack, and one interception.

The Win Rate against the run was a more pedestrian 48%, the 6th lowest win rate of the season against the run. Overall, ND's 1st Down Win Rate was 65%, the second best number of the year.

For season long numbers follow the link.

Gimme M.O.E.

For only the second time in the past two seasons, ND had a lower M.O.E. than the opponent and lost the game. (the other game was Purdue last season)

ND played nearly mistake free football with a 7% M.O.E., the second lowest total of the season. The number of additional plays thanks to four overtimes certainly helped to lower the percentage, but ND didn't fumble, throw an interception, or drop a pass. However, five offensive penalties certainly a lot considering there have only been 22 total on the season.

Pitt, led mainly by three interceptions, hit 14% on the M.O.E. scale. They doubled ND in terms of mistakes per play. Combined with the strong 1st Down Win Rate numbers, it's easy to see why this loss was so maddening for ND fans.

Here is the season to date table.

Season Long Running Totals

Of all the stats, the most disappointing is the red zone TD efficiency for the offense. On the other hand, Clausen is getting sacked less frequently than Quinn did in 2006. And this holds true even if you adjust for the different number of pass plays the two attempted.

Get all the numbers here. What numbers catch your eye?

appropos of today | by Jay

(Thanks to our friend Brendan for this bit of handiwork.)

Land of Confusion | by Pat

It would be nice to pair our non-existent preview of the Pitt game with a non-existent review of Saturday's debacle. No Irish fan is feeling good after the 36-33 four overtime loss to the same team that marked the start of the Charlie Weis era.

Watching Conor Lee's kick go through the uprights and win the game for Wannstedt, I was as upset, disappointed, disgusted, and frustrated as any loss in the past 3.5 seasons. It was a kick to the gut that still has me in a foul mood. And yet, it was one of the games that I predicted ND to lose back in September. In fact, when I finished my position previews I listed Pitt as the second most talented team on ND's schedule. So what made Saturday so maddening?

What bothers me is that while I put ND behind Southern Cal, MSU, UNC, and Pitt talent and experience wise, those rankings don't include the coaching factor. And, quite frankly, if the goal is a national championship, you need a coach who can beat teams that may have a talent or experience edge. So far ND is 0-3 in those games this season with a defensive juggernaut in Southern Cal left. Sure, three of the four games are on the road, but winning away from home is another mark of a top notch coach.

Still, the season is not over. I'm not throwing in the towel on Charlie at all and won't spend any time worrying about his future or that of any assistant until after the season is over. There are plenty of things to discuss and dissect in the coming weeks that have to do with the play of the team. However, I have to acknowledge what I see as a growing segment of ND fans that have reached their limit and are mentioning the name Weis with Faust and Davie more than any other former ND coach.

If there is a microcosm of the loss to Pitt and why it stings so much, it was the 4th and 1 at the end of the game. (Thanks to the fantastic news that ND home games are now hosted on hulu.com, we can quickly, easily, and legally embed any play from the game.)

The play starts with Notre Dame taking not one, but two straight timeouts that brought back Davie-era clock management shudders. Then, ND decided to go for the 4th and 1, despite the fact that not making it would leave Pitt only about 20 yards away from a very makeable field goal for their excellent kicker. The play call was a go-for-broke play-action call despite the fact that ND's short yardage game has been rather successful as of late. (then again, it looked like it was the same play call that Quinn completed to Carlson against MSU on 4th down in 2006. When a play like this works, you're a hero. When it doesn't, you're a goat.) And finally, when the ball is snapped and Pitt didn't sell out to stop the run, Clausen is left to try and outrun Pitt's unblocked linebackers for the first down marker. The play didn't lose the game for ND, but the series of events surrounding it were a definite shot of negative deja vu for ND fans.

Where ND goes from here, nobody knows. But after Saturday, the team is going to need to play with more confidence than can be found in the fanbase.

Go Irish! | by Pat

Game Time! Go Irish!

Happy Halloween! | by Pat

Happy Halloween!

While for some today brings up images of horrors, one can quickly see, thanks to Macor's Database, that ND is undefeated (14-0) on Halloween. Notre Dame was also undefeated with 13 straight wins on November 1st, All Saints Day, until the truly scary happened when Florida State shut out the Fighting Irish 37-0 in 2003. Hopefully Charlie will lead the team past unlucky #13 and give ND it's 14th win on All Saints Day tomorrow.

Statistically Speaking: Washington | by Pat

It Came From the Game Notes

• After only 31 10+ yard runs in all of 2007, the Notre Dame ground game churned out 11 10+ runs alone against Washington.

• Only eight FBS schools are averaging fewer three-and-outs per game than Notre Dame’s offense, according to a survey conducted by football SIDs. The Irish have 11 three-and-outs this year which averages out to 1.57 per game.

• The Irish limited Washington to just 124 total yards on 48 offensive plays (only 2.6 yards per play) -- all Notre Dame bests since head coach Charlie Weis arrived in South Bend in 2005. In fact, the 124 total yards are the fewest for an Irish opponent since Rutgers managed only 43 in a 62-0 Notre Dame victory on Nov. 23, 1996.

Battle of First Down

ND had its second lowest 1st Down Win Rate of the season against North Carolina. The 38% Win Rate was second only to the Stanford game for worst of the season. Likewise, the 43% against the pass was just barely above the 42% against Stanford and was the third worst showing of the season. The 40% total was the second game in a row that the ND defense was under 50% against both the run and pass on 1st down.

Rebounding nicely, Notre Dame had some of their best 1st down defensive numbers against the anemic Husky defense. The 71% Win Rate against the run was the second best of the season. A 55% Win Rate against the pass gave the Fighting Irish a overall Win Rate of 61%, which is the second best mark of the season.

Over the course of the season, ND's Win Rate on 1st Down is 52%, which is a noticeable increase over last season's 40%. The biggest contributor has been the uptick in 1st down run defense. After only holding opponents to 2 or fewer yards on 34% of all 1st down runs last season, the ND defense has managed that feat on 53% of all opportunities this season.

Here is the season long chart with the 1st Down Win Rates.

Gimme M.O.E.

Against North Carolina, Notre Dame's offense was undone by turnovers. It might seem the M.O.E. would be the highest of the season, but the numbers come out to a respectable 11%. The reason is while the turnovers were a season high, the ND offense only committed one penalty and dropped one pass. Also, one of the fumbles came on special teams and doesn't factor into the M.O.E. calculation. This highlights the narrow focus of the M.O.E. metric though. Clearly an interception returned for a touchdown is more costly than a false start. But to this particular metric, for better or worse, all mistakes are equal and the only thing that matters is how many your offense commits. This is why it's always important to consider context and what exactly your metric is measuring when slicing and dicing stats.

Switching sides of the ball, the Tarheel offense had one of the better days against the ND defense with a 9% M.O.E. result, aided by no turnovers.

The Washington offense had far less success. Their M.O.E. score of 18% is the second highest of the season and was largely due to both drops by the wide receivers and sacks allowed. Like UNC, they didn't commit a turnover, but also didn't have many offensive plays, so each mistake had a bigger impact on the final M.O.E. tally.

ND matched their M.O.E. from the UNC game with another 11% output. There wasn't any major area where the offense made mistakes, but the penalties, sacks, interception, and drop added up given the somewhat lower number of total plays.

Here are the season long M.O.E. numbers. So far the ND offense is barely into double digits with a 10% M.O.E., which compares very favorably to last season's 18%.

Season Long Running Statistics

Here you go.

The rankings for the UNC game are the rankings for that weekend's set of games. The bye week was skipped, which combined with the high offensive/low defensive stats against Washington help to explain some of the more noticable jumps in certain statistical rankings.

Photo Galleries: Washington | by Pat

There were plenty of Irish fans at the UW game, so if you have pictures you want to share, add a link in the comment section. Here are pictures of a more professional variety.

Und.com, Washington's official site, the South Bend Tribune, the Seattle Times, and SportsWashington.net all have good shots from the game.

While Floyd, Tate, and the offense were fun to watch, the play of the defense was the real star. So for this game's photo of the week, my choice is UW's Ronnie Fouch getting knocked off his feet by Pat Kuntz. The relentless blitzing from ND left Fouch off-balance and battered all night long and went a long way to ND keeping the Huskies from scoring until the ND bench was cleared late in the 4th quarter.

There are highlights of the game up on und.com and youtube. Keep an eye on Sam Young on the first three touchdowns.

Odds & Sods: Un-Vicious Animals Edition | by Mike

Keep the car running. Jimmy Clausen had a decent line (14-26 for 201 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT), but it was probably Clausen's worst outing of the season. Clausen did not display the pinpoint accuracy Irish fans have come to expect this season, and it was disappointing to see him take two sacks against an anemic Washington defense. However, the Irish ground game, led by James Aldridge, picked up the slack. The running backs ran for 226 yards on 41 carries, or 5.5 yards per carry (Aldridge - 6.5; Allen - 4.1; Gray - 6.8(!); Hughes - 4.8). The Irish running backs only lost yardage on one rush, a 1-yard loss on a Jonas Gray carry when Washington knew Notre Dame would run the ball. The final scoring drive, which began in the third quarter and ended in the fourth, was beautiful. Ten plays, 60 yards, 5:23 of possession - all on the ground. Washington knew what was coming and couldn't stop it. Other highlights were Golden Tate's touchdown and the fact that ND never punted.

Clampdown. The defense provided the most dominating defensive performance of the Weis era. The Irish outgained the Huskies 452-124, forced nine punts, held the Huskies to an average of 1.1 yards per rush and 3.9 yards per attempt. While these stats are impressive, they actually understate the defensive dominance. Before the Irish defense cleared the bench halfway through the fourth quarter (playing two walk-on cornerbacks for the remainder of the game), the Huskies had the following offensive numbers: 0 points, 55 total yards, 26 yards rushing on 23 attempts (1.1 ypc), 29 yards passing on 15 attempts (1.9 ypa) and had failed to cross their own 44-yardline.

Gouge away. One of the few things that was disappointing in Saturday's game was the lack of a killer instinct. Halfway through the first quarter Notre Dame was already up 14-0, but would only score another three points during the first half. After the game, Golden Tate was quoted as follows:

"I feel like we could have scored more, but we never want to embarrass a team," said Irish wide receiver Golden Tate, who ran 21 yards for his first career touchdown on an end around in the opening quarter. "I think we let up once we had them 14-0."

Admittedly, the outcome of the game was never in doubt. However, it's surprising that a team one year removed from a 3-9 season would take their foot off the gas so early. Unless it's late in the fourth quarter, there's no need to worry about not embarrassing the other team until you're up four scores. This may seem like a misplaced concern given Washington's ineptitude, but it's not the attitude I wanted to see one game after letting a 17-6 lead against UNC evaporate almost immediately.

Metronomic underground. If it weren't for the sense of finality imparted by Saturday's game and Monday's events, the twelve-men-on-the-field penalty on Washington's first offensive play of the second half would have brought back some painful memories. There's not much need for Willingham-Weis comparisons at this point, so the only one I'll offer up is their Pac-10 records: Weis - 8-3; Willingham - 6-24.

Over the hills and Fauria. Michael Floyd continues to rewrite the records for freshmen receivers and his early 51-yard touchdown reception set the tone for the game. Other prominent freshmen included Darius Fleming, who made his first start and became the fourth member of his class to start (along with Floyd, Ethan Johnson and Kyle Rudolph), and Jonas Gray, who averaged 6.8 ypc on downs where everyone knew Notre Dame was running. I was surprised to see Joseph Fauria make his first appearance this late in the season. My first reaction was that his appearance was a waste of a redshirt year. Upon further reflection, I realized there were arguments in favor of playing Fauria. With the loss of Ragone, Yeatman and Schmidt, Fauria is the only tight end other than Rudolph. Rudolph could suffer an injury as well, and we know that Weis likes two tight-end sets. If the decision to play Fauria had been made during the game, I would have had serious concerns. However, Weis stated in his recent press conference that during the bye week the staff decided that they didn't want to go through the remainder of the season with just one available tight end.

Not half right. This doesn't relate to the Washington game, but the replay decision awarding Brandon Minor a touchdown in the Michigan State-Michigan game was simply outrageous. Last year, I was appalled at the replay decision taking away a touchdown from David Grimes in the Stanford game. As egregious as that call was, that was a case of a replay official claiming to see something that the tape did not show. That was an error in judgment. The mistake made by the replay official in the Michigan State game was an error in knowledge of the rules. In fact, the official made up a rule that is diametrically opposed to the actual rule. I was further troubled by the fact that head official Dave Witvoet's comments suggest that he knew the replay official was misapplying the rules when the call was made. I understand that the replay official is entrusted with the final decision, but when that replay official offered his explanation to Witvoet, I would think he would be well within his responsibilities to point out such a glaringly wrong application of the rules. I certainly hope that no members of this crew officiate any games involving Notre Dame. Additionally, I have to tip my cap to Mark Dantonio. Under John L. and other Sparty coaches, witnessing the officials literally give points to their opponent - particularly following a blowout loss the previous weekend - would have led to an implosion that lasted the remainder of the season. Dantonio's team kept their composure and won the game. Is this a new Sparty? (Now watch them lose to a terrible Wisconsin team this week and prove me wrong.)

Halftime! | by Jay

Checkpoint Charlie | by Jeff

Driving. Probably my favorite statistic between games 1-3 and games 4-6 is the number of long drives the offense has put together. Ignoring drives that intentionally ran out the clock and short scoring drives, the Irish put together four drives of 60+ yards in their first three games, or around 10% of the total drives. However, over their next three games, ND put together thirteen 60+ yard drives, which was over 40%. On average, the drives are still relatively short in timespan, with only three drives of greater than 5:00 minutes all season, but drives during the second quarter of the season have avearaged 50% longer than the first quarter (3:06 vs 2:03).

This translated into something meaningful, as almost half of the drives in games 4-6 ended in a scoring opportunity (TD or FG attempt), while just over a quarter of the drives in games 1-3 did so. Turnovers were down about the same amount that scoring chances were up, showing that this team is making fewer mistakes and is turning those sustained drives into points.

Relative Improvement. Going simply by impressions, I think the vast majority of Irish fans would agree that the offense has steadily improved this season, while the defense has, at best, "maintained." In fact, the numbers bear this out.

Let's broaden our terms from simple 'offense' and 'defense,' and instead describe Points For (PF) and Points Against (PA), which will take into account defensive scoring as well. During the first three games of the season, Notre Dame allowed 53 points against teams that scored an average of 62, or about +15% better than average. However, during the last three games, we allowed 71 points against teams averaging 75, only about +5% above average. While our scoring has steadily improved against our competition's average, going from -24% over the first three games to +27% over the next three, the points given up are nothing to write home about, and are pretty much baseline with what the competition usually gives up. In other words, just average.

Opponent	Season Avg PF & PA	Score vs Irish	Irish Perf PA	Irish Perf PF
San Diego State	17-35	13-21	+31%	-41%
Michigan	19-28	17-35	+9%	+26%
at Michigan State	27-20	23-7	+17%	-65%
Purdue	23-27	21-38	+7%	+42%
Stanford	24-27	21-28	+13%	+6%
at North Carolina	28-17	29-24	-5%	+40%
at Washington	18-41	TBD	?	?

With Washington averaging only 18 points per game, a significant performance would be holding them to under two touchdowns.

Up Next. Along those lines, there is something about this weekend's game that worries me. I think Willingham can be a good coach during those rare opportunities that he decides to make the effort. Even in his last season at ND (a 6-5 campaign), Ty beat 9-3 Michigan at home and 10-3 Tennessee on the road, teams that finished the season ranked 14th and 13th, respectively. Granted, this year's Washington squad has problems in every facet of the game, but if ND takes the Huskies lightly, things could get ugly.

Win One For the Locker | by Brian

The scene opens in the Washington locker room, moments before the Notre Dame game. The players are forlorn. From the doorway, COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM is driven in on a golf cart. The players, now even more dejected, look away so as to avoid his eyes. In hushed, stoic tones, Willingham begins to speak.



Tyrone Willingham is going to give you a pep talk now. A pep talk is 'a rallying speech of exhortation meant to instill confidence in a team or individual,' according to Webster's Dictionary. In this case, the pep talk is meant to inspire this team to score more points than the Notre Dame team, as that will greatly improve the team's opportunity for victory. The team has had its share of losses, or, as I like to call them, 'failures to execute wins', and all too often this has coincided with the team scoring fewer points than its opponents.

Coach Willingham is now going to tell you something that he has kept to himself for weeks. All of you know Jake Locker. Jake is a fine young man. As fine a young man as he is on the football field, he is just as fine a young man in the classroom. And as fine a young man as he is in the classroom, he is just as fine a young man in the community. And as fine a young man as he is in the community, he is just as fine a young man as a citizen of planet Earth.

You know what a tradition he is here at the University of Washington.

Jake got a tough break a few weeks ago. And the last thing he said to me---'Coach,' he said---'if there's one thing I want you to do for me, it is to take a 48-degree lofted wedge out of your bag, aim for the flag stick, give it your best swing, and hole out from 109 yards.'

'Failing that,' he said, 'there's one other thing I want you to do for me. Sometime, when the team is up against it, and everything is not microwave popcorn, and the breaks are beating the boys---tell them to go out there with all they've got, and execute well enough that, had they executed just four or five plays better, they might have won just one for the Locker.'"

(Willingham's eyes do not become misty, and his voice betrays no emotion, maintaining its usual stoicism, best described as either "cool under fire" or "dead from the chest cavity up" depending on one's point of view.)

'I don't know where I'll be then, Coach,' he said, 'but I'll know that you'll be out of a job soon, and I'll be happy.'

Halfway, So Far | by Jay

The last half of the season is shaping up: three expected wins, and three legitimate challenges. Wherever you stand on progress to date with this Irish squad -- whether you're more frustrated, or more pleased -- your assumptions will be tested down the stretch.

• 7. The Veterans of Irish Wars Bowl...one on each sideline, and one in the booth. Frankly, this weekend's game should be the easiest of the season. The Huskies rank 90th or worse in 19 different statistical categories, and the miasma extends to offense, defense, special teams, and everywhere in between. This is a bad team.

• 8. I know a lot of nervous chatter cropped up following Boston College's defeat of Virginia Tech last weekend, but I think it would be foolish to not identify Pittsburgh as the greater and more immediate challenge. Back in the preseason we tagged Pitt as having the second-best collection of talent on our schedule, and now they've rattled off five wins in a row, including an upset of South Florida. That opening day loss to Bowling Green is now looking like a startup cough rather than a blown engine. The #17 Panthers will be tough.

• 9. Speaking of the turf-defilers...the reason I'm not bowled over just yet by BC is the fact that they've feasted on 3 pansies, barely beat a lousy NC State (scored with :23 left to win it), and went 1-1 in tight games against Georgia Tech and Va Tech, the only two decent teams they've faced. Yes, it's Boston College, yes, I know they always play us like it's the finals of the Extreme Activities Competition, and yes, I know we haven't beaten them in five games. But for right now, I'll reserve judgment until after they play North Carolina and Clemson, which are between now and our date with them. I put them in the challenge bin, but behind Pitt and Southern Cal.

• 10-11. Two gimmes in Navy and Syracuse. (I know what you're thinking...how can you say that, Jay, after what happened last year? Well, if the odds of Navy beating Notre Dame are usually miniscule, then the odds of them doing it two years in a row -- without Paul Johnson, to boot -- are microscopic. Yes, I know they beat Wake Forest, but they also lost to Duke.) As for Syracuse, even the mediocre reviews for "The Express" are better than the product the Orange(men) are putting on the field this year.

• 12. Southern Cal. Demolished Washington State in a game that could have been 100-0; rebounded nicely from the inQuizzisition; and will be, as expected, the toughest game of the year for the Irish.

So don't get too overwrought about the self-destruction of teams we've already played (noting full well that everybody we played lost one last weekend)...instead, look ahead. We've got six games, and three fine challenges left to prove the mettle of this Irish squad.

I'm Happy That I'm Miserable | by Pete

I had the opportunity to watch the UNC game with my family this weekend, which is always a Rockwellian experience, but only if you replace the whimsy and nostalgia with a series of expletives. At least that's how it ended up

During the first half, it appeared to be a relatively in-hand, almost pedestrian game against UNC in which we would match their field goals for touchdowns and stroll out of Chapel Hill with a smile and a win. My older sister (ND '04) and I were able to watch the game while still maintaining some semblance of civilized decorum, engaging in casual conversation about our lives and other banalities. My father (ND '77) would poke his head in from time to time for a score update, and things were generally genial. I cavalierly considered the rankings ramifications of a 21-point vs. 14-point win on the ready-and-waiting to be seduced pollsters.

Then the second half began, and as I was standing in front of the refrigerator reaching for a drink, I heard my sister loudly proclaim that Jimmy Clausen done f*cked up and thrown a 'Pick Six.' Being a relative optimist, I thought, 'No worries. We've still got the lead, and we get the ball right back and our once-again Viking offense will pillage their defense and leave no survivors. Things are still well under control.'

Of course, as Notre Dame continued to fail to put UNC away, and as the sun dipped below the stadium's upper deck, and as the crowd began to become more and more raucous, that confidence began to slowly slip away, and I found myself sharing her frustrations by engaging in the colorful art of hurling expletives. While I was expressing my frustration, I still maintained in the back of my mind a confidence that the team would right its own ship, bail out the remaining water, and put away UNC for the 'W.' Maybe we won't blow anybody away, but we can still snag the win, and that's what really matters at the end of the day.

James Aldridge scored a touchdown, Notre Dame resumed a two-score lead, and all was well within the family unit. My father finished his errands and sat down to join us.

Then UNC scored again, bringing the margin back to 2. Ah ha, but the two-point conversion failed, perhaps providing Notre Dame with just enough breathing room to escape these pesky Tarheels! Hope, while now sweating and looking a little faint, remained alive. After all, there was more than an entire quarter left to play, plenty of time for Notre Dame to put some more points on the board.

A turnover later, UNC's backup quarterback hurled himself into the end zone and UNC assumed the lead for the first time of the evening. The household confidence was shaken, and while nervous, I thought this could provide an excellent opportunity for this young, talented ND squad to prove its mettle and muster a fourth-quarter comeback; you know, really show off their stuff. It would be exciting and fun, a real barn-burner.

Minutes ticked away, plays came and went, and Notre Dame, for some reason, failed to prove its mettle. After driving down the field and tossing another interception, it looked like UNC was going to chew up the rest of the clock and deprive Notre Dame of its UCLA-esque dramatic finish. But the Notre Dame magic woke up a few echoes in the form of a questionable review concluding an incomplete pass, and Notre Dame was going to get a real chance to make some magic. The high-octane offense was going to kick it into overdrive, and steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

It looked like it was going to happen. Come on, we all were thinking it. But one bizarre catch/pitch/fumble/oh god there's not enough time/spike/review play later, it was all over. Notre Dame had lost. To a ranked opponent. On the road. Again. It sucked. Expletives abound. Not exactly a moment custom-made for a Hummel figurine.

I was miserable, and spent the rest of the night and good bit of the next day grumbling around like Charlie Brown's slightly more abrasive cousin.

Now, a few days later, I realized it's a great thing I was/am so miserable about the UNC loss. If you had asked me at the beginning of the season, with last year's Hindenberg-crashing-into-the-Titanic debacle fresh/seared into my mind, if I would like to have a team that would be 4-2 halfway through the season, beaten Michigan, and had its two losses come in competitive games to ranked opponents on the road, I would have enthusiastically shook your hand and thanked you for the outstanding opportunity.

Now, a few games watched and a few months later, I was miserable as a result of that exact same scenario. And that's fantastic news. My misery is a great reason for optimism.

If 2007's team had earned that result against UNC in the same situation, it would have been the highlight of the season. In 2008, it's a hair-tearing case of 'What If,' as we all recount the thousands of little ways the game slipped away from the team like so many grains of sand. Simply put, we've seen enough in these first six games to believe that Notre Dame could beat a ranked opponent on the road. One year ago, we would have taken not being embarrassed, and now we want wins. That's a very important and significant transition; my grumbling is the sound of a hump being cleared.

Make no mistake about it: Notre Dame, even with its -5 turnover margin, was in a position to beat UNC. I'm not taking away from UNC's win, they played a great game and made our defense look downright foolish at times, and did it all without their top playmaker for essentially the entire game, but Notre Dame could have won this game. Last year, the closest Notre Dame would have come to winning this game would have been just before they strapped on their helmets. How's that for a transition?

Notre Dame lost last Saturday, and I'm miserable about it. Last year, I would have been some combination of numb, nauseous, and bemused by the spectacle of it all. I'll gladly take miserable. Let's just not make a habit of it.

the Greatest Game | by Jay

Today's the 20th anniversary of the Greatest Game in Notre Dame History, and for my money, the greatest college football game ever played. Relive the incredible ending right here.

(Picture courtesy of our good buddy T.J., who snapped this photo from his primo seats that day.)

Update: and here's another gem from T.J. -- game highlights from Catholics versus Convicts, '88. Enjoy.