Spoilermakers

True Boilermakers

Been to West Lafayette once, the town and stadium are difficult to reach and with reported road construction all over the place, I’m watching the game from the comfort of my living room.  I can't say I think much of the big drum, the stupid train/whistle or the golden girl.  The fans stink too. 
Plus, we just relocated the Station to Florida for the fall/winter; it would be a long commute. 

When the team sporting the 5^th toughest strength of schedule plays the team having the weakest strength of schedule who is going to win?  Purdue has managed to schedule Middle Tenn., Southeast Missouri State, Rice and that dreaded Bye Week U.  They could, could be in for a dose of reality and wondering why they don't schedule competition.

So Purdue is coming off that bye-week with plenty of time to prepare for the Irish.  What can we expect?

**  They will double-team Michael Floyd, they would be stupid not to after watching Pitt and their success. 

**  Give confusing defensive looks to an easily confused Tommy Rees.  Why not, Pitt did and it almost worked.

**  Spend little time on defending the Irish punt return game since it is basically self-destructing each week on its own.

** Try and create turnovers or at least stay ahead of the ratio against the Irish.

** Hope that Rees will continue his telegraphing of receivers by staring down his target from the snap.

** Purdue always plays the Irish tough at home, try and capitalize on that.  This should be a game where we get to see Andrew Hendrix but I doubt it.  I think we will have to wait for Wake Forest at home.

So what are our thoughts about Notre Dame?

** If the Irish have to depend on Kyle Eifert to take up all the slack from the wide receivers, Floyd being double teamed and no vertical passing game, it is going to be a long night.

** If the rushing of Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray are ineffective and the burden is put on Tommy Rees, we are in trouble.

** We are scratching our heads and wondering about the Notre Dame play book and the spread offense.

·         Where is the screen play to Wood?

·         Where is the reverse to Riddick?

·         Where is the double reverse from Jones to Riddick?

·         Where is the Leprechaun?

Brian Kelly keeps defending Tommy Rees by stating that they are still installing and feeding offensive plays.  Wait a minute this has been going on since after the Tulsa debacle.  When is Tommy going to be full?

Go Irish. 

NUMBERS

If you don't understand the problem, then these numbes mean nothing to you.

5-5-3-2

ND – Pitt the Glass is Half Empty

Well we roll into Pittsburgh Saturday.  On paper this is a Team we should easily handle, just like USF.  There in lies the rub.  What aspect of the Game of Football will the Irish squander or fail to execute?  Let’s see…… we have already exposed ourselves by…….

Missing a chip shot field goal.

Shanked a number of key punts.

Blundered through 13 turnovers in three games.

Execute punt returns in a way that defies logic.

Can rip-off 8-14 yard runs but can’t make a third and one.

Being a glass half empty type person I fear the worse……

Our field goal and PAT execution will disintegrate into blocked kicks. 

Kickoffs will be short and turn into long runbacks by Pitt.

The defensive line will become porous. 

The offensive line will forget how to block.

Something or somebody prove me wrong.  I’ll be watching.

Go IRISH Beat Pitt

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The Punt Game – A ND Perplexing Dichotomy

Notre Dame cannot punt.

Notre Dame cannot catch and return punts.

Attestation:

Let us see if we have the numbers straight.  Statistics after three games are:

**  We have fielded 7 punts for 5 yards for a 0.7-yard average.  2 of the 7 ended up being lost fumbles.  Throw in one muff that was recovered and we have caught 4 punts cleanly. 

**  We have punted 13 times for 471 yards, a 36.2 average, and a 32.0-yard net.  Ben Turk is ranked 113 out of 120 with that 32.0 net punting statistic.  In his defense, against MSU he punted twice pinning them back inside the 20-yard line, one rolled to the one-yard line.  He came through when he was needed.  These were rugby style punts that are harder to field but do not give your gunners much time in providing coverage since they are basic line drive punts.

Ben Turk

I studied Ben Turk and Kyle Brindza as they warmed up before the MSU game.  Turk would boom one spiral punt and then kind of miss the next one.  He was not consistent.  Brindza was consistent however; his best punts equaled the ones that Turk kind of missed.  The two were not even close or competitive in punting.  Brian Kelly has stated that fact over and over again at press conferences. 

Kyle Brindza - Plymouth H.S.

I was disappointed in watching Turk.  He punted a lot without his helmet and walked around bouncing the football off the ground.  Looked kind of cavalier to me.  I do not know if that is his pregame ritual or just his style.  I was taught you always worn your helmet when you practice, just like in a game situation.

Rumor is that Robby Toma is getting a chance at punt returning.  For cryin out loud he can’t do any worse that Theo Riddick or John Goodman.  I don’t understand it.  You have 85 scholarship players and 20 walk-ons, plus an entire student body and the Irish have no one to field a punt?

Isn’t it a three-step process?

***  Decide to fair catch it or field it.

***  Catch it.

***  Run.

If Brian Kelly decides to revert back to last year and send someone out there to just call a fair catch and hopefully field the ball cleanly we have ceded a big part of Special Teams to the opponent.  If that is the case, put NO ONE back and rush 11 at the punter.

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Notre Dame vs MSU Tailgating September 17, 2011

We pulled up to the entrance of the North White Parking lot as 7:50 Saturday morning.  The lot was not scheduled to open until 8:00.  Sure fooled us.  At least 50 tailgaters were already up and running, plus about 10-12 RV’s.  They took our $25 bucks and waved us in. 

Great spot!  First row.  Nosed the pickup against the fence with plenty of room to spread out into the alley.  We were an easy walk to the porta-potties and the first shuttle stop.  Plus, it was a shorter walk back to the lot after the game.  The shuttles are too few and slow after the game, plus you get claustrophobic riding with a zillion other fans including the enemy.

Here are a few pictures.

Yeah, we fixed Old Glory from hittin the ground.

Enemy encampment right across the way.  Fancy tent, chairs, and grill.  We still had more fun and that was even before the game.

Real nice setup here.  Satellite dish, TV, generator, open bar, fancy chow, big tent.  Even put orange cones out to protect the dish.  Must be Domers.

You got to know where these are located if you show up at 8:00 a.m. for a 3:30 kickoff and you drink beer.  After about 11:00 a.m. the women folk get a little picky about utilizing them.  After the game they are quite funky.  Best bet is to hit the library where the shuttle stop is located on the way back from the game.

The tree hugger squad.  They stop by and offer special plastic bags for tossing your cans and bottles.  We did not do a very good job this year filling it up.  We brought a keg.  The co-ed was kind of cute.

Sparty got deflated in the Stadium and after the game in North White Parking Lot.  We are going to research obtaining a Leprechaun blow-up for next year.

Notre Dame's finest keeping us safe.

This is how you get to campus.  It seats about 50 but they squeeze another 50 on there just so you can get personal with Sparty fans or get to know some drunk up close.  We always walk back as the lines are long and we want to stretch our legs.

For $120 bucks you can drive and park your RV in the back of North White Parking Lot.  You still have to leave three hours after the game ends but at least you don't have to wait in line to suffer through using porta potties that have seen better times.

Everybody seems to have a Corn-Hole set.  You can even buy a version in the Bookstore, of course it's not called Corn-Hole.  Here is something different.  You toss steel washers and try to get them in the holes in order.  This has got to be a Subway Alumni type game.  Kinda blue collar.  I may make one for next year.

Typical alley way.  You are suppose to keep it open for traffic.  Right.  We have a lot more room than you get at South campus or golf course parking lots.

The basic rules of tailgating that we have learned:

1.  Don't get drunk to the extent that you draw attention to yourself or party.

2.  Offer food and drink to others as appropriate.

3.  Pick up your trash and maintain a clean area.  (this is greatly abused by ND fans and enemy alike)

4.  Don't screw with security.

5.  Don't screw with the enemy.

6.  Leave before the three hour time limit after the game.  What the heck, the traffic has cleared.

7.  Plan on doing it again next year.

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Big Ten Referees Attempt To Hijack Game Against MSU

We were sitting right there!  T.J. Jones catches the ball runs through the end zone and does this to the ND Band and fans screaming.

A yellow hankie is thrown.  Brian Kelly takes advantage of a TV timeout to find out how the B1G referees are screwing him.

Couple days later Kelly gets his answer from the Conference officials, it is NOT unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting.  Sorry bout that. 

Good thing Kyle Brindza had a tremendous kickoff from our 20-yard line.  Sparty only got it out to their 25 on great coverage.  No harm done this time.

Question:  How do you taunt your own band and fans?

Some Notre Dame Stadium Game Day Observations and Comments

Walked up to Gate A just as they opened up.  We were among the first few hundred into the Stadium.  Great seats!  Have had similar before.  Section 3, about half way up the original Stadium level before the addition.  Corner of the South End Zone about midway between the flagpole and the tunnel.  Just super. 

Best Seats In The House

Here is where everything is happening.  You have the ND band directly below you, the tunnel just to the right where you can give the Bronx cheer to Sparty and his boys.  Super close view of the student body, the cheerleaders and Leprechaun.  You get to see the flag raising and observe the rich and beautiful people in the gold stadium seats sitting and applauding quietly.  From our seats, the ND Band completely drowned out the MSU Band thank goodness. 

BTW, since the Notre Dame Band is limited to three yearly road trips, why does the administration tolerate visiting team bands every year they play at Notre Dame since it is not a one-for-one arrangement?  It cuts down the time we get to enjoy our Band.  It seems that Sparty and U$C always bring there bands yet ND does not always go to LA or East Lansing.

Spartan Band

Was a bit disappointed that the yellow mums were just starting to open up.  Guess they will be in full bloom when we host Purdue.

Wow, we had George Atkinson III and T.J. Jones run right at us for touchdowns and unfortunately saw John Goodman fumble right in our laps.  Oh yeah, Robert Blanton snagged his pick right in front also.  Do you know why he ran out of gas running the pick back?  You couldn’t tell from watching the game on TV, but Robert was all over the field throughout the game.  Sometimes he looked and acted like a safety, other times a cornerback and still other occasions a linebacker.  He was everywhere.  No wonder he had nothing left in the tank.  He appeared to be possessed.

The field looked and played great.  It was quite an improvement over the opening game against USF where on TV every play when players hit the ground a cloud of brown dust blew up.  Plus the middle of the field looked threadbare in spots.  I asked a season ticket holder sitting next to me about the condition and he said it looked much improved over the USF game.  So what was the problem?

Since we were in our seats early, we got 90 full minutes of just terrible music (?) from the PA speakers.  Is that garbage the only type music (?) they are allowed to play?  Is this part of the new Notre Dame family friendly environment?    The music (?) stinks.  Change it.  Please.

The SAS staff really likes our Band.  We got a special treat after the game.  They performed the half-time show from the USF game that was rained out.  That rather made up for having to share the half time with the Spartan Band.  Oh, the bands combined for America the Beautiful and Proud to be an American.  Just great stuff.

Notre Dame Band

Two things that have slowly changed over the years.  The announcer now tries to make jokes, announce names in a “funny way” and has gotten away from straight reporting field activities.  The scoreboards have turned into feeble attempts at arousing the fans.  “D-Fence”, “NOISE”, “STAND UP”, “CLAP YELL” are all flashed on the scoreboard.  Call us traditionalists, call us old fogies, but we know when to stand, yell, clap, sing, curse without a lame statement from the scoreboard.  If you want to create something along the lines of Michigan, then erect a couple of junbotrans.   Geez.

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Notre Dame Pomp-Pomp Girls

Ever wonder why a Red-Blooded, Catholic Male would want to attend the University of Notre Dame?
Here are three very pretty reasons:

The girls had no problems selling their football programs in front of the Hammes Bookstore Friday afternoon.


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GO IRISH beat Pitt.

Team Walk For The MSU Game Photos

If you follow Notre Dame Football like we here at Subway Alumni Station religiously do, you know they changed the traditional walk after morning Mass from the Basilica to the Stadium.  If not, read about it here.

For the MSU game, “The Walk” was scheduled for 1:30, but of course the Team was about ten minutes late.  When we piled off the shuttle bus from the North White Lot by the Library, we grabbed a seat to wait and people watch.  Just then, a police car pulls up and guess who got out of the front seat?  The priest they named the Library after, Father Hesburgh!  He opens up the back door pulls out an old leather grip and walked right by us with a cane.  Of course, we said hi and he graciously acknowledged two subway alumni.  Except for the cane he was sure looking good.

Anyway, the Team now walks from the Gug to the Library named after the gracious priest, hooks a sharp left by the statues of the two priests the Library and the JACC were named after and head straight to the Stadium.

Down at the bottom of the Blog are some of the shots.  How many of the players do you recognize?  Coach Brian Kelly was flanked by two cops whom I would not want to mess with.  Some of the players had game day faces, others smiled and interacted with the crowd.  Manti Te’o even high-fived my wife.  One player took a picture of me taking a picture of him.  What a hoot!

Jack Swarbrick brought up the rear with some of the assistant coaches and I tried to get an appointment to interview him for the Blog concerning the disintegration of the Big East Conference, but he ignored me.

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Subway Service Disruptions

The entire staff has just returned from a five-day road trip to the state of Michigan and South Bend.  We will be having a number of posts shortly on the MSU game, tailgating and things happening on campus.  Bunch of cool pictures too.

I think I have updated the injury list for Pitt (left side of Blog).  Whew, we have dodged the injury bullet so far?  Better conditioning?  More intense preparation?  Hmmm.

Added recruit number 15 for 2012 Chris Brown to the mug shots on the left side of the Blog.

Guess a new recruit list for 2013 will have to be developed with early commitment Steve Elmer, a     6’ 6” 300 lb OT from Midland Michigan.  Man they grow them big up there.  Guess we stole him from Mark and Brian.  Ha.

Please be patient, we are headed for another disruption in service after the Pitt game.  The Subway Station is relocating to winter quarters in Florida. 

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Go Irish, Beat Pitt

Road Trip to the Notre Dame vs. Sparty Football Game!

Well we have watched on TV and heard all about the ten (10) turnovers, the shacked punts, the great play of Michael Floyd, the scary punt return game, Cierre Wood and his running ability.  We want to see it in person up close with 80,000 other fans.

We expect tickets will be easy to come by from the wishy-washy/fair weather alum and season ticket holders.

Our goal is to hit the North White Lot when it opens and park as close to the road, porta-johns and bus shuttle stops as possible.  Look for a Hunter Green Ford F-150 with WV plates and stop by and say hi.  My son has brewed a special Irish Brew Beer and we will have some snacks and eats.  Our gazebo tent will display a US and ND flag.  Email me if you want to really meet and I’ll give you my cell number.  Casual Irish fans need not apply.

We expect to see a good game and a Notre Dame Team that will not be tanked and will also play error free.  For cryin out loud, we deserve that don’t we?

Our goal is to watch Sparty after the game run off the field with their heads down just like our lads did last week in the S***House.

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Notre Dame Silver Lining

It was not easy finding any good from the Luckless Irish in Ann Arbor.

Brian Kelly – He managed his anger a heck of a lot better even after five turnovers and some bonehead playing by Gary Gray.

Michael Floyd – Michael is 2^nd in the nation with receptions per game at 12.5 (Leader averages 14).  He is 7^th in receiving yards per game with 156.5 (Leader averages 221).

Cierre Wood other than the inexplicable fumble is averaging 119 yards per game rushing and ranked 21^st.

Kyle Brindza – Recorded his first college touchback and has consistently kicked the ball between the five yard line and the goal line.

David Ruffer – Is 6 for 6 now on PATs and kicked his first field goal to get over the hump with the one he missed against USF.

Theo Riddick – Theo had a solid game in receiving 6-62-2 and 5-99 on kick returns.  Kelly decided for the time being to take the pressure off on punt return duties, a good coaching decision.

Tommy Rees – While four picks and the fumble have killed us, he is 10^th in passing yards per game with a 353 yard average.

ND Offense – The Irish are 13^th in total offensive, averaging 510.5 yards per game which is totally mind bogging considering we are 0-2.

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Notre Dame Game Participation Versus Michigan

Interesting that only 40 players participated in the game against Michigan versus 52 against USF.

New participants were:

Koyack

Posluszny

Williams, L

More interestingly who played versus USF but NOT at Michigan:

Cowart

Crist

Cwynar

Atkinson

Jackson

Lombard

Lynch

McCarthy

McDaniel

Nuss

Salvi

Smith D

Spond  (Injury)

Tuitt

Welch (Injury)

Wood, L

Curious as well:

Nix got the start over Cwynar who did not even play.

Cowart is the long snapper and did not play.  Remember the two one-bounce snaps to Turk?  Was that Cave?

Apparently not only did the starters play most of the game but on special teams as well.

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In Defense of Brian Kelly

Obviously we here at Subway Alumni Station are not privileged or privy to the inner workings of the Irish Football Program.  We don’t get access to the La Bar practice field.  We don’t sit in on Team or coaches meetings.  We don’t know what particular offensive play or defensive scheme is called each down.  We don’t watch game film with the coaches and Team.

After two game.  Two mind wrenching losses.  Two affairs with five turnovers a piece.  The Domers and pundits are calling for Brian Kelly’s head and those of his Defensive Coordinator and Special Teams Coach.  Kelly’s not going anywhere so they might as well quiet down.

I remember Terry Brennan and Joe Kuharich by name but Ara Parseghian was the first coach I clearly remember on the field.  I go back that far.  I have never seen, read or in any way experienced two games like last Saturday and yesterday.  Any team any where.  I don’t want to witness a third.  (The entire SAS crew is tailgating and going to the MSU game.)

Every miscue by the veteran players.  Every bonehead mistake by the starters.  Every mind numbing error by seniors.   Has been made the fault of Kelly.  It’s been laid at his feet.  He’s the easy fall guy.  Sure he is the Head Coach and just like the saying in the Army, a Commander is responsible for everything his unit does or fails to do. 

However.

**  Ben Turk shanks a 25 yard punt out of bounds that leads to an easy Michigan touchdown.  How is that a coaching fault with a kid who has been punting all his life?

**  Tommy Rees makes two bad decisions on reads that leads to two turnovers.  Unless Kelly can get in Tommy’s head, how can he ensure the correct decision?

**  Gary Gray running stride for stride with a receiver reaches the end zone and fails to turn his head to watch for the ball.  Resulting in two Michigan touchdowns.  Every kid who has every played cornerback knows when you see the end zone line or the end zone markings TURN LOOK FOR THE BALL don’t watch the receiver.  You don’t bother to coach that.  I’m sure Kelly or Diaco have until they are blue in the face.

**  Tommy Rees prepares to throw the ball, it goes one direction and his arm another.  Fumble.  How is Kelly to blame for that?

**  Cierre Wood just fumbles the ball.  Austin Collingsworth can’t get a handle on a kick off and fumbles.  Kelly’s fault?

The hard to explain was the three separate third and shortage plays run by Wood that were stuffed.  Notre Dame does not have a fullback or lead power blocker.  Why did Kelly run them they resulted in punts?  Michigan was looking for that exact type play and had up to nine guys in the box to stop it.  Even with a lead blocker or a line blocking as well as it had most of the night; there were too many Skunkbears to block.

The easy answer is to blame Kelly or Bob Diaco and not the players. 

We don’t want to finger-point to anyone, we just want to win.


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Go Irish.  Beat Sparty and not yourselves.

ND vs. USF Pictures

One of our part time assistant staff members attended the USF game and was kind enough to provide a few pictures.

Staff member and son for the obligatory picture in front of the Administration Building and Golden Dome.

Irish Guard with game day faces.

Unidentified players with University issued ties on the new walk way to the Stadium.

Irish getting ready to take to the field

Crist and Wood first drive

Wood taking it to the one (Next play Gray fumbled).  Nice blocking.  ND made USF spread the field.  Notice all linemen have knee braces.

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Rambling Thoughts From A Subway Alumni

Well here we are Wednesday already, raining from Tropical Storm Lee after just getting dried out from Hurricane Irene.  Get's depressing riding the subway sometimes just like last Saturday and Notre Dame giving the game to USF.  Four points that I do not think have been brought up elsewhere.

** The crowd in the S***House is going to be loud and ugly.  When 112,000 morons drink all day expect trouble.  You could not give me the tickets and pay me on top of that to sit with those Skunkbear idiot fans.  I am sure the coaching staff has prepared the players for a very hostile environment.    

** They didn’t do it last year and I have no reason to believe that they will this year, but if I were Bob Diaco and Brian Kelly I’d put a spy on Denard Robinson.  He beat us last year, not the rest of the Skunkbear Team.  I'd probably use Darius Fleming because he is fast, tough and a pretty good tackler.  Robinson can only throw the short pass, take that away from him and he’s going to run like a rabbit.  Someone has got to be watching him all the time. 

** Coach Brian Kelly mentioned that Ben Turk is the best punter in practice and he was booming them before the game.  He revealed that Theo Riddick practices catching punts with one hand while holding a football in the other.  What happened then during the game?  Pressure?  Probably.  Neither of these letdowns appears to be ‘coaching faults’ however that did not stop the Kelly bashers from blaming him for poor coaching.  I suggestion both these fine young men pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

** If Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees were so close in the race to win the starting quarterback position.  If their statistics were so similar from last year.  If the decision took so long and was so hard to make.  If they are basically the same type of quarterback.  If they both know the playbook.  Why didn’t Kelly simply say that both will play and the one looking the best during practice would get the start for the next game?  The entire offensive team has played for both, practiced with both and has confidence in both guys.  I don’t understand why Kelly painted himself in corner and announced that Crist would start all 12/13 games if healthy.  Now he’s had to backtrack, create controversy and tank Crist.  I don’t understand the philosophy that a Team can only function with one quarterback.  Look no farther that Tulsa last year and USF this year.  Rees came in and almost pulled it off.

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Go Irish Beat the Skunkbears.

Coach Brian Kelly and Anger Management

I like many of you was disgusted by what I saw on the field last Saturday afternoon.  No, it was NOT the half-dozen players that did not play up to their potential.  Nor the game delays because of terrible weather.  But rather the enraged, screaming of Irish Head Coach Brian Kelly.  You could not miss it.  The NBC producer went back to the same scene over and over again as Kelly raged at players.  Even the announcers were forced to comment on the tirades.  T.J. Jones, Tommy Rees, Jonas Gray, Dayne Crist, Ben Turk, Theo Riddick all saw and heard the ranting in their face by Coach Kelly.

Unless you have led a pretty sheltered, pampered life you have been yelled at by someone.  Whether a parent, spouse, drill sergeant, your first boss or even a road ragger.  Maybe deserved, maybe not, but probably not in public on TV and in front of 80,000 fans, parents and your teammates.

What Coach Kelly did was wrong and displays poor mental discipline, lousy judgment and timing, plus a lack of core human values.  There is time enough after the game to correct players, either in your office or on the practice field.  Nothing positive comes from yelling at your players after they make a mistake in a game situation, leave that for the locker room at half time or after the game.

** It gives fodder to the media, opponents and all the Notre Dame hatters.

** It is embarrassing to the player, his parents and his teammates.

** It may very well tank the player.

** It may cause a lack of confidence by the entire Team.

** It discredits the University and its values.

** It could discourage recruits and their parents.

** It brings into question your competency as a Head Coach and Leader.

It appears the temper tantrums are not only Notre Dame Football induced.  There are numerous pictures out there doing the same thing while at Cincinnati.  He did it last year as well but as numerous in one single game.

Unlike some, I fully support Coach Kelly and his efforts to turn the Football Program around.  The jury is still out and will so for some time.  Give him a chance and the benefit of the doubt on that issue.  If in a position to do so, I would encourage and recommend Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick and other University Officials to get Coach Kelly into anger management counseling as soon as practical.

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Go Irish, Beat the Skunkbears.    

If I Were Brian Kelly

I would:

Quit screaming at players who made mistakes/screw-up.  Especially in front of a national audience and for a NBC producer who is looking for game shots.  That is just great fodder for the Kelly and Notre Dame Haters out there.

Bench punter Ben Turk and give freshman Kyle Brindza a chance.

Move Theo Riddick back to tailback where he will not have to catch the football.

Move Bennett Jackson back to WR in place of Theo Riddick.

Start Tommy Rees.

Give John Goodman his job back as punt returner.  Tell him to call a fair catch and simply catch the ball.  Rush the fastest/strongest ten players at the punter.  Yeah, well it’s better than -2 yards for punt returns and the upside potential is pretty good.

Scream at Harrison Smith - 2 face mask penalties, Gary Gray - 1 personal foul, 1 holding, Michael Floyd - 1 holding (cost touchdown), Ethan Johnson - 1 personal foul.  All until I turn blue in the face, but behind closed doors for those idiotic personal foul penalties.

Think about hiring a new full time Special Teams Coach.

Start giving Andrew Hendrix some more reps in practice.

Start adding some fast tempo to the offense that I keep talking about.

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Former Notre Dame Players That Did Not Make the 53 Man Cut

Former Notre Dame Players That Did Not Make the 53 Man Cut

Bears – Robert Hughes

Browns – Brian Smith

Broncos – Kyle McCarthy and Eric Olsen (McCarthy resigned to practice squad)

Cowboys - Sam Young (Has now signed with the Bills)

Patriots – Will Yeatman

Eagles – Ryan Harris and Derek Landri

49ers – Konrad Reuland

Buccaneers – Armando Allen - Picked up on waivers by the Bears (who released Hughes)

Saints - Terrail Lambert - signed to practice squad

Accentuate the Positive – USF 23—ND 20

Notre Dame Officials did the right thing in the two stadium evacuations.

7 freshmen saw action:  Stephen Tuitt (DE), Aaron Lynch (DE), Troy Niklas (OLB), George Atkinson (ST), Cam McDaniel (ST), Ishaq Williams (ST), Kyle Brindza (K).

Others that you might not have seen or heard saw time during the debacle: Bennett Jackson, Kendall Moore, Robby Toma, Danny Spond, Dan McCarthy, Zeke Motta, Lo Wood, Chris Salvi, Austin Collinsworth, Steve Filer, Ryan Kavanagh, Jordan Cowart, Christian Lombard, Andrew Nuss, John Goodman, Alex Welch, Mike Ragone, Daniel Smith.

Speaking of Kyle Brindza, he kicked the football consistently to the two/one yard line.

Obviously Cierre Wood and his 104 yards rushing but what about his 44 yards receiving.

Obviously Michael Floyd and his154 yards receiving but what about his downfield blocking and good hands.

Theo Riddick had one kickoff return for 55 yards and the Team total (Bennett Jackson 31 and Austin Collinsworth (24) was 110 on only three returns.

Front 7 Tackling: Manti Te’o (9), Darius Fleming (8), (Kapron Lewis-Moore (8), Louis Nix (7), Ethan Johnson (6), Carlos Calabrese (5), Dan Fox (4), Sean Cwynar (4) Prince Shembo only (1).

No injuries!

Their were an awful lot of negatives to go around and already much discussed in the media.  Penalties, throwing the football to the wrong guy, putting the ball on the ground before you were suppose too.  Here are two others not mentioned.

**  Ben Turk and his usual inconsistent punting 5-171 (34.2). 

**  Speaking of punts, the Irish were -2 yards in punt returns.

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