It’s 2 days later and I’m still waiting to wake up from the nightmare. ND lost to a program that is on a Washington level. It’s as embarrassing as wearing a black shirt and forgetting to use your Head & Shoulders. Yikes.
The Good
Another good game for Golden Tate with over 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of the best playmakers in the nation.
The Bad
The Offensive line is Swiss Cheese. Holes everywhere. A wet dream for defensive lineman all over the nation. Weis needs to get this fixed, and he hasn’t done a good job since he’s been at Notre Dame.
Another double digit lead blown. Where’s the mental toughness? People are blaming Weis for a lack of emotion/killer instinct, but he is not holding the players in check. A player needs to be a leader in the locker room.
Lack of consistency. This is related to the offensive line, but these guys need to put points on the board. Especially with short fields. Clausen and Co. get stuck in neutral far too often.
The Ugly
Losing to Syracuse is like getting caught sleeping with Bea Arthur.
I can honestly say that I have never seen an ending like I did yesterday. I had as many heart attacks in two minutes as McDonald’s caused last year. The following statement is not evaluated by the FDA, but I believe it to be true. Notre Dame football is more hazardous to your health than any deep-fried goodness you can find at fast food restaurants…
The Good
I was impressed with the ND defense shutting down the running game. Good defenses have trouble against that offense, but Irish tacklers did their jobs to an extent that I haven’t seen from them in a long time.
The running game showed life. I like to see Allen and Co. get opportunities, but I’m afraid this has more to do with the under-sized Navy defensive front. Notre Dame lineman need to be tougher.
The Bad
Irish turnovers. Same old story.
Seriously, who is #7? It can’t be Jimmy Clausen. Insert Ron Powlus joke if you wish, but I’m going to take the high road.
The Ugly
2 minutes in hell. The Irish showed a lack of confidence and did not step up to get those onside kicks (though the second one took the most ridiculous bounce I’ve ever seen). Navy had all of the momentum, and I couldn’t believe what was happening in front of my eyes. To sum things up, I offer my quote of the day, “What is all that luck of the Irish talk about?”
Notre Dame needs to learn to put someone away for good when they are down. Coup De Grace. Do it the Mortal Kombat way, and rip out someone’s spine. How ever you say it, this is what the team needs to learn how to do.
People like to blame this lack of killer instinct on Charlie. “The guy actually has the audacity to not show emotions on the sideline! So what? I’d rather he be making decisions without emotion. Less emotion=better decisions. “The players take on the personality of their coach!” Actually, the emotion of college football has to come from within the players. It must burn inside of them. Ask Tim Tebow. Some Notre Dame players must get over last year and become mentally strong leaders of this team. Weis can’t make’em do it. Lou Holtz could give a pregame speech every week. Rip up a newspaper and put it back together as he is wont to do. And it still wouldn’t matter. Sure, it might work once or twice, but then the effect would wear off, and the players would begin to tune it out.
No, a leader needs to emerge. One that is tough and can inspire the troops. More importantly, one that will go straight for the kill, and instill that bloodlust in others. Then, and only then will Notre Dame have a chance to turn the corner.
In life, we find others that we would like to emulate. Look up to them and do what they do. Maybe, there just might be someone in the ND locker room who dreams of being like Sub-Zero. Irish fans can only hope.