Kelly Era Begins - Purdue Post Game Thoughts

Random first impressions and thoughts:

** The idea of installing the tradition of the Team walking down through the student section for pre-game warm-ups was fabulous. How’d they do that?

** The NBC commercial breaks were timed perfectly.

** Notre Dame (and Purdue) with there hurry up offenses made it a nightmare for the replay guy’s in the trailer and the announcers to find time to babble.

** Why are band members stationed on the student side of the north end zone (Michael Floyd running over a drummer)?

** Special Teams was SPECIAL.

** When did the stadium announcer start the dramatics in his announcing? He has been in the past always neutral.

** The defense bent but did not break. Although trying to stop the bootleg got tedious and scary.

** David Ruffer’s 46-yard field goal had 6-10 yards to spare.

** A new gunner in Bennett Jackson (Fr) - 86? Two great open-field tackles.

** Why doesn’t NBC run other team football scores on the screen? Every other network does.

** Purdue could not tackle #5.

** Thank goodness Purdue did not insert QB Rob Henry again. He was killing us.

** Fifth year senior Darrin Walls one of the selected Team Captain for the Purdue game played the best game of his career.

** We all got tired of the Xerox commercial with the paper leprechaun after the second running. Unfortunately, NBC ran it twice more.

** Although Dayne Crist had a nice a 10-yard scramble for a first down, he is not that mobile.

** Obviously the “Killer Instinct God’s” would not allow us to put the game away.

** The camera was on Coach Kelly when the coaches, team, and student body sang, the Alma Mater Notre Dame Our Mother. He was soaking the atmosphere and entire moment in. Good for him, a nice reward.

** The defense swarmed to the ball.

** Few penalties considering it was a Big Ten crew.

** The camera on the cable going across the stadium was very useful.

** Coach Kelly commented on the missed tackles, their appeared to be a bunch of them.

** It appeared that Notre Dame showed just enough plays for Michigan to take notice. Screen, shovel pass, QB draw, spreading the ball around to a bunch of receivers, two RB who possess speed, an excellent kicking game, etc. Particularly enjoyed the hike to a back/blocker, then flip to Ben Turk to punt it away. That will leave you wondering eh SkunkBears?  We have the Wildcat!

Thoughts and comments anyone?