IBG: Irish Facing Golden Hurricane

Thanks for Subway Domer for writing the most creative IBG questions to date:

1. A young man of 12 arrives in the United States from the city of Moroni, on the island of Comoros. He has never seen the game of football before, but notices you watching a game. He seems to really like watching it with you and asks what team he should cheer for. You, of course, tell him Notre Dame in attempt to have more company for your misery. He asks, "why Notre Dame?" Without using any of Notre Dame football history prior to 1995 and without spewing off nonsense about academics (which has no real bearing on a football game); give him your best answer. His name is Tonokiuyt Paluifirtaginerto.

TheNDleprechaun: Well, Tonokiuyt, I say Notre Dame because it is a magical place full of gold, mythical fairy-tale creatures that bring good luck, and the ghosts of legends that live on from past glory days. It is a place that was built from the ground up based on a fighting spirit and an inspired drive to excel in every way possible. Its a place where people always have and always will try their hardest to do things the right way. It stands for everything that is good and pure in this country and the great game of football. Plus, it's God's favorite team...

2. If you are anything like me, you trolled around the Notre Dame message boards after the loss to Navy. We don't need direct quotes, but what was the best line, subject heading, argument- whatever? Should Irish fans be banned from the Internet for at least a couple of days after the game, win or lose?

TheNDleprechaun: I must not be anything like you, because I avoid message boards like the plague (especially after losses). As a result, I have no quotes to report but I have a feeling that this quote: "___" is probably more intelligent than anything that was written in the direct aftermath of Saturday's loss. As far as an internet-ban, all self-respecting Irish fans should probably ban themselves after losses in order to avoid embarrassment.

3. Tulsa is a scary team after a loss to Navy. Before the Navy game- not so much. Give me your most dramatic nightmare scenario as well as your fairybook ending for this weeks game against the Golden Hurricane. Which one is closest to a possible reality?

TheNDleprechaun: I think there is a typo in this question... or did you actually mean to type the words "Tulsa is a scary team..." ?! There will be no nightmare or fairybook ending on Saturday because the Fighting Irish will take care of business against an inferior opponent just as they did against WMU.

tendomer: Fairybook is a win in which Cwynar and Hafis Williams demonstrate they can man the nose in the 3-4, boding well for next year. Nightmare is a loss. This game is going to be tough but I think we'll win.

4. Most of these IBG's have had a rather dark tone to them because of the season Notre Dame is having. If we would have beat Navy, we would be 5-3 and riding a 4 game winning streak. I had rather hoped to use that cheerfulness, and ask a few light-hearted questions. Seeing as how we lost, I think we need these more than ever. They're not the wittiest questions, but you better answer them:


What college football team would you blog about if Notre Dame did not exist?
TheNDleprechaun: The Buffalo Bills, since they're my hometown team and most college teams could probably beat them right now.

Change Notre Dame's colors. No blues, gold, or green please.
TheNDleprechaun: Madonna Blue, Papal Gold, and Emerald Green are the most meaningful colors in college football.

Change one play in Notre Dame history. What was it, and how did it help?
TheNDleprechaun: I don't recommend taking such action since it could create a time paradox, the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe. Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy.

Turn one loss into a win, and one win into a loss for one season. What season and what games are they?
TheNDleprechaun: See above.

5. Tell me more about this Tulsa matchup. Tell me anything you like- but use at least one real stat.

TheNDleprechaun: Here's a stat: Classes were cancelled due to weather today for the first time since I've been a Notre Dame student.  The cause?  A tornado warning.  Here's a riddle: What's sorta like a tornado, has the word "golden" randomly placed in front of it, and for some unknown reason is the current nickname of a school in a landlocked state that we happen to play on Saturday?  Answer: A hurricane.

tendomer: Tulsa is No. 13 in rush yardage and No. 28 in pass offense. Dangerous balance. They'll put up points on us. We will need Dayne to play significantly better.

6. Phil Steele now has Notre Dame picked to play in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Pinstripe Bowl is in New York City and will be played in Yankee Stadium. Agree or disagree. Give me your bowl scenarios- if there are any.

TheNDleprechaun: I have a slight (read major) obsession with quality fitted hats so I'm pretty excited about the opportunity to attend a bowl game sponsored by New Era.

tendomer: I'll take anywhere. 6-6 and we are in, and we need it.

BONUS----Please tell me that we can turn this season into a positive learning experience for 2011. How?

TheNDleprechaun: View this season for what it is, the starting point of a long journey to the top.

tendomer: I'd say learning new schemes on O and D are the two positives. I don't want the story during the spring to be "we're learning how to practice." And hopefully the team is getting mentally and physically accustomed to the work volume so that hamstring injuries won't be the norm for our star players in 2011.  Finishing 6-6 and gaining 15 bowl practices would be a positive development at this point.

IBG: ND v Navy

Thanks to Subway Domer for leading the IBG and writing the questions for Navy week:

1. Notre Dame routinely gets blasted by the media and other fans for scheduling Navy every year. It gets especially out of control when Notre Dame decides they want a portion- or all of the Commander in Chief trophy when they put either Air Force and/or Army on the schedule. Would you like to see this series continue or blown up? Why? If the series was forced to end, who would you replace them with that isn't on Notre Dame's schedule in the next decade. Bonus points if youcome up with someone other than Alabama or Texas.

TheNDleprechaun: My latest post, "Blood Brothers: Notre Dame v. Navy" makes the claim that no two teams in college football share a closer history than the two that will be meeting on the gridiron in New Jersey this Saturday. The football rivalry between Notre Dame and Navy goes back uninterrupted to 1927. As if that wasn't enough, many of the greatest figures in the history of Notre Dame football served proudly in the Navy (Do the names Leahy or Lujack sound familiar?) Most importantly, though, the University of Notre Dame owes much of what it is today to the United States Navy. As recounted in my previous post, over 85% of all Notre Dame students at the height of WWII were Navy trainees. Our school would have folded during the war if our brother school had not sent us thousands of transfers to keep our enrollment up and our spirits high. To answer the question, anyone who "blasts" the continuance of this rivalry (one of the greatest in all sports) is either insensitive to the values that our nation was built upon, or just plain ignorant as to the significance of the event. I guess I will be forced to settle for zero bonus points because I find it obvious that no team, not even Alabama or Texas (or USC or even Michigan for that matter), could possibly be more important to our schedule than Navy.

(On a side note: While we currently stand at 4-3, Army is also 4-3, Navy is 4-2 and Air Force was ranked as recently as last week with a record of 5-2.)

((On a side note to my side note: Check back during the week prior to the ND v. Army game for a post covering the significance of the rivalry matchup that put Notre Dame on the map as a football team and as a university.))

2. Before 2007 (and even still) Navy was treated like the neighbor kid with a terminally ill disease that does charity work and plays basketball against you in the driveway, by the media and fans when it came to their game against the Irish. Personally, if I was a Navy player, I would be pissed at the lack of respect given because of all of the "respect" given. Know what I mean? Seriously... answer that poorly phrased question. (I'm a pirate not a wordsmith).

tendomer: I don't endorse the aforementioned analogy, but the Middies come to play both mentally and physically. I think there's a chip on their shoulder, possibly from the respect that might border for some folks on pity. Now, I'm not ready to attribute their great play to that. There are a lot of things at work, such as the notion that football is the easiest part of their day, which I think also plays into their discipline and success on the field.

3. It seems like the injury bug has really hit the Irish this year. We're not talking about leg amputations or eyes popping out of the socket, but there is a trend of frontline players getting injured. Bad luck, or is this staff pushing the envelope with some of the players? Navy is skilled in the dirty tactics art of the chop block. Do you have any special concerns this week in terms of injuries?

tendomer: It's more visible because injuries have hit the offensive skill guys, but the injury bug hasn't been particularly bad this year. Knock on wood, especially with Navy looming. The high risk of injury to our defenders is a huge theme this week. Perhaps the 'coat of armor' that Longo discusses is taking longer to apply than it did at Cincinnati, where in Kelly's first year the same 22 players started at the beginning and end of the year. But I don't fault the Kelly coaching staff for the injuries, just like I don't fault the Weis coaching staff for serious injuries last year to Rudolph, Floyd, and Crist and lesser injuries to Clausen and Allen.

BONUS: Give me your prediction for this weekend. Good. If Notre Dame continues to win, when (homonyms) will they creep back into the top 25?

tendomer: Check back on Friday for our game predictions. As far as getting into the polls, ND's best chance, for once, may well be in the final poll. Three-loss teams appeared in the tenth week of the AP Poll six times in the past four seasons. ND could show up heading into the Utah game, but the schedule's weaker midseason names and the week nine bye will both hurt the cause for ranked status before Utah.

WNG hosts the IBG

Thank you to Matt at We Never Graduate for writing the questions for the Western Michigan edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering.

1. The Irish have posted back-to-back victories over teams that have given us fits the past decade to pull back to .500, but when you head to the message boards on ND Nation, Rivals, etc. all you see is unrelenting negativity. Some cry Kelly's in over his head and doomed to fail, others bitch and moan about the run-to-pass ratio, and many more say that even though we've won the last two there's no improvement over last year's team. What's your take on the negativity that's swirling around the program on the internet? What message would you like to convey to ND Nation?

tendomer: Fans write on message boards largely to express their complaints. They're inherently negative. I am also disappointed with certain aspects of the team, but for those who suggest this team is worse than last year's team, I would encourage them to look at the end of this season at the team's record in 2009 and 2010 against the eight common opponents relative to both years. Comparing across years, it's 3-3 with Navy and USC to go. ND lost to both last year, and that won't happen again.

2. When Western Michigan and Tulsa were announced as 2010 opponents last fall there was a full-throttle meltdown among ND fans that was surpassed only by The F-Word Incident in April in terms of sheer outrage. Well, if the opinions expressed then are the same now the apocalypse has finally arrived and a MAC squad is about to forever sully our field by stepping foot on it. Have your thoughts on the Western Michigan/Tulsa games changed since they were announced? Would you rather ND Stadium sell out and continue the streak that extends back almost 40 years or see the streak broken so that the powers-that-be know just how disrespected you feel by the audacity they showed in scheduling such inferior opponents?

tendomer: I wouldn't wish for a non-sellout to make a point, especially to a man who knows what the problem is and has worked to rectify it almost completely. Swarbrick scheduled WMU because his predecessor left him and the university in a huge bind with a poor model and even worse contract skills. Swarbrick's addition of Miami and Texas to already tough schedules proved his worth. ND is No. 18 in Jeff Sagarin's strength of strength rankings right now. I don't feel bad about bringing a MAC school to ND Stadium. It's not like an FCS opponent. I think Swarbrick agrees it's better to do a home-and-home with a BCS bottom feeder (see Wake Forest signing). People were mad because WMU and Tulsa were on the schedule in the same year and they thought this was a sign of things to come. Swarbrick showed that it's not. As soon as 2011 the schedule will be stacked with ten BCS opponents, Navy, and an Air Force team that's currently ranked. 2011 and 2012 will both be among the hardest schedules in the country.

3. Most people painted AD Jack Swarbrick as the villain when the Western Michigan/Tulsa games were made public. Since then he's made drastic moves in locking down opponents on future schedules, went through the process of firing Weis and hiring Kelly, and navigated ND through the murky waters of conference realignment. Has your personal opinion on Swarbrick been altered over the past year?

TheNDleprechaun: I had a chance to sit down with Mr. Swarbrick at the end of last year, and I was more than impressed with his knowledge of Notre Dame history. I was sold the minute he told me that he considers Jesse Harper to be his top Notre Dame hero. No one has a better grasp of what it means to be in charge of athletics at Notre Dame than this man. Not only does he have an amazing track record as a tremendous organizational leader, but he is a true Domer who loves his alma mater. When he is not working tirelessly for the Fighting Irish, he can be seen cheering on all of our teams from the sidelines. When it came to hiring coach Kelly, he conducted a top-secret campaign that would make Ethan Hawk from Mission Impossible jealous. I would love to know exactly what happened in the days leading up to that hiring, and I can only hope that he writes a book about his time at Notre Dame one day. To answer the question, I have always had full confidence in Mr. Swarbrick and recent developments only serve as further evidence that he is the right man for the job at Notre Dame. Obliterating WMU and Tulsa won't be all that painful, especially considering that I haven't witnessed a blowout victory at home since we overwhelmed Nevada (who are, interestingly enough, currently ranked #19) 35-0 on opening day last year. Also, I'd like anyone complaining about our scheduling to ask themselves what other school could possibly pull off playing in Yankee Stadium, Soldier Field, and Aviva Stadium (in Dublin) over the next three years... that's right... only Notre Dame.

4. We're at the halfway point so it's a perfect time to step back real quick and evaluate what's happened thus far. What have been your two biggest surprises at this juncture of the season? Choose one positive and one negative.

FightinIrish1313: Question number four was the toughest question I’ve ever had to answer in my life for two reasons: I don’t know how I am expected to limit myself to one disappointment this season and I don’t know what about the team has surprised me in a positive manner. Obviously as seen through my season prediction I never would have guessed that we would be 3-3 at the halfway mark of the season, so that is my overbearing disappointment. After writing out a few of my individual disappointments I guess that my biggest surprise would be at how poorly the rushing game has come together this season. With Armando Allen and Cierre Wood in the backfield, there should be no reason that we aren’t averaging over 100 yards per game on the ground. Cierre rushed for more yards in the first game than he has in the rest of the five games combined, and Allen has yet to hit the century mark. I know that we are a pass first offense but there is no excuse for not utilizing two talented backs on the ground or with the air attack. Not only would it help open up the receivers more but also help with the clock management issue we are clearly struggling with. I hope that these two talented athletes get more touches in the next six games and that we can have more than 2 rushing touchdowns by the backs during that period.

I expected that Theo Riddick and Carlo Calabrese would have exceptional seasons, so I can’t consider their outstanding performances to be a surprise. What I did not expect, however, was that the University of Notre Dame’s offensive MVP would be a walk on. I knew that Ruffer was a great kicker, but I did not expect him to be 100% on all attempts halfway through the season. He is the definition of a team player and it is a shame that he does not have a scholarship when a free one was awarded to someone just because of his father’s name.

5. Which player that hasn't contributed much to this point in the season do you see emerging as a contributor down the stretch?

FightinIrish1313: I guess my answer would have to be Ragone. He is finally having a healthy season and will be much needed over the next six games. With Rudolph out Mike will finally have his chance to shine and sure as hell better do so. I expect him not only to be ready to make key catches downfield but also to help the struggling offensive line better open holes for the ground game. He was finally incorporated in the passing game last week, expect him to put up more than 11 yards in the second half of the year.

6. Scholarships are running thin and some tough decisions are going to have to be made this spring when it comes to offering 5th years to current seniors. If you're Coach Kelly who do you offer and who is left out in the cold to make room for the incoming freshman class?

tendomer: Given the talent remaining on ND's recruiting board, I think Gray, Smith, and Dever are the only locks for a fifth year. Between Romine and Nuss, I think only one will get a fifth year unless ND has extra space as recruiting crystallizes. Despite Nuss' versatility, Romine probably has the upper hand if the starting lineup from last week is any indication. I think Nwankwo (fourth-best DE now but could be sixth if and when Tuitt and Lynch arrive) and Ragone (Rudolph is more likely to stay now that rehab will probably last through the NFL Combine) are both long shots because they're dependent on recruiting falling apart or another player leaving early.

Jordan Prestwood's recent decommitment shows just how fluid the situation is. If Floyd, Rudolph, and four fifth years are on scholarship next year and the staff doesn't renew former walk-on Nate Montana's free ride, ND could take five more commitments in this class if the prospects are good enough. ND should aggressively recruit the remaining dozen or so seniors on the board, knowing that it won't land the majority of them anyway. By the beginning of the spring semester (Jan. 18) and the NFL's deadline for underclassmen entrants to withdraw (it was Jan. 18 last season and could change slightly for 2011), the staff will have a good picture of where on-the-fence fifth-year candidates stand.

7. *****BONUS***** You've been challenged to a Tailgate Olympiad by some chaunce from Southern Cal and you need to assemble a dream team of your fellow Irish fans to compete in the following events:

TheNDleprechaun:

* Full Beer Flip Cup (four-man team)
Who else could I possibly turn to for a strong start than the greatest four-man combo in Notre Dame history? The Four Horsemen would set the tone early for the Irish in this one.

* Hamburger Eating Contest (two-man team)
Something tells me that the brothers Golic would dominate this event. I challenge anyone from Cal Southern to find a better duo than Bob and Mike.

* Beer Pong
In their prime, the two greatest hardwood legends in Notre Dame history would be unbeatable once they adjusted their stroke to the pong table. Austin Carr (all-time career and single-season scoring leader) and Adrian Dantley (second all-time in scoring and first in free throws made) would not disappoint.

* Cornhole/Bags/Whatever You Call It
I'd have to go with two more Notre Dame Basketball greats: Colin Falls (all-time record for three pointers made with 189) and Tim Abromaitis, who has personally shut me out in cornhole on numerous occasions.

* Individual Case Race
Windell Middlebrooks - also known as the Miller High Life Guy - could be seen on the sidelines rocking a green ND jersey last season. Not only would he have little trouble downing an entire case, but he would steal his opponent's beer of choice only to replace it with an inferior product.

* Thunderdome (one shotgun per minute until someone can't answer the bell)
His nickname says it all: Angelo "The Springfield Rifle" Bertelli was more than an All-American at Notre Dame. For a man who was awarded a Heisman Trophy, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart all in the same year, I have no doubt that he could take care of business against Cal Southern no matter what the challenge entailed.

Competition Playlist:
1. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (to get in the zone)
2. Queen - We are the Champions (to celebrate our win)
3. The Greatest of all University Fight Songs, The Notre Dame Victory March

Livin' the High Life

IBG: Passion Pitt

Thanks to Irish Round Table for writing the questions for this week's IBG:

1. Grade Brian Kelly's performance to date. We're not interested in how you think he will perform going forward. How has he done through the first five games? Grade scale is A+ to F-.

tendomer: C+. Kelly's focus on building the program from the ground up includes the strongest features of his first ten months: loading up on rangy defenders in his first recruiting class, the training table, Longo Beach, Camp Kelly, requirement that players neither remove their helmets nor put hands on knees during practice. The losses certainly bring down the grade a lot, especially due to our inability to prepare a backup quarterback, failure to play the most secure of ND's three field goal defense schemes instead of the middle option against MSU, and inability to run the ball at will. The largest negative factor is Kelly's refusal to take the points in the second quarter against Michigan.

2. Much has been made of Brian Kelly's sideline rants. Some fans like the excitement and energy others are worried that they are excessive and will wear thin on the players. Where do you stand?

tendomer: I like the intensity because I'm confident that Kelly knows how to push the players. I want BK to coach the way he's learned how to coach over the past two decades, regardless of now being on a bigger stage.

3. What is the best storyline for Notre Dame football this year? The best storyline in college football?

tendomer: ND's best storyline is William & Mary transfer David Ruffer, a walk-on kicker who hasn't missed a field goal in his ND career since coming up from Siegfried's Interhall team.

The best story is college football is BC linebacker Mark Herzlich's return to the field after beating Ewing's sarcoma.

4. We are going to test your prognostication skills with a little IBG prediction contest. Predict the following for this week's Pitt game:

TheNDleprechaun:
Kyle Rudolph receptions: 7 (1 TD)
Points scored by Notre Dame's defense: 0
Carries by Robert Hughes: 3
Points Notre Dame wins by: 12
Tackles Manti T'eo registers: 14.5
Pass attempts by Tommy Rees: 0
Taylor Swift in Attendance(for 2 points at 5:1 odds; a correct "Yes" equals 10 points a correct "No" equals two): Yes, and she's definitely welcome in section 31.

Winner will receive a prominent post on the Irish Round Table extolling their website and awesomeness.

5. What would you like to see in place of the yellow mums on the Notre Dame sidelines?

TheNDleprechaun: Shamrocks, of course.

IBG: Backing into Backup College

Thanks to Domer Law for writing the questions for this week's Irish Blogger Gathering.

1. After 3 straight losses, there appear to be two camps of fans: A. The sky is falling. Coach Kelly is not a good coach, not a good fit, probably won't ever win a game and should be fired today. B. Coach Kelly is still totally awesome, and you had to expect some bumps and bruises as he builds the team - remember Holtz's first year? Which camp do you fall into, and why?

tendomer: I'm closer to B than A, given Kelly's track record and the QB depth chart that cost us a game and handcuffed our starter in the other two losses. BK acknowledged Tuesday that Dayne must be a threat to run for ND's running attack to function, perhaps foreshadowing a more complete spread sooner rather than later.

2. With the current state of the program, put yourself in a recruit's shoes. If you had offers from all 12 schools on our schedule and Notre Dame, which would you pick right now and why? Who would your top 3 be?

tendomer: Even when trying to maintain objectivity, I'd pick ND by a long shot for its football tradition, demonstrated abilities of its head coach at developing players and winning championships, graduation rate, value of the degree, strength of the network, ability to fill its stadium through thick and thin, television exposure, and, if the scenario made me a defensive back or outside linebacker, early playing time. The biggest competition wouldn't be from another team on the schedule but from Alabama, which as of now has a better chance of winning national championships and producing NFL players than any other school.

3. What's the trajectory of this season? Is this going to spiral downward into a 2007-esque kind of year, or will the team rally and start winning some game against quality opponents?

tendomer: The upward trend will begin Saturday night in Boston, and we'll remember the Stanford game as the low point of Kelly's ND career. Even with a couple more losses by the end of the year, it won't get near 2007 in terms of loss total and blowouts. At a minimum, ND knows it has the season's easiest games yet to play, although BK's second ND victory won't have to wait until Western Michigan.

4. Give me your top 5 reasons why you'd rather go to Notre Dame than Backup College.

TheNDleprechaun:

5. Our Irish Studies department is ranked #1 nationally. In true Backup College fashion, theirs is #2.
4. Would you rather be Michael or Fredo Corleone? That's what I thought...
3. I heart parietals.
2. There's only room for one real Catholic school in the FBS.
1. We are ND... and they're not.

5. I'm depressed after our third straight loss. Do your best to cheer me up and convince me that I should still be excited about this weekend's game.

TheNDleprechaun: Nothing cheers me up when I'm down like beating up my little brother. ND gets a chance to do that on Saturday, and we get to watch.

6. If you could ask Coach Kelly any one question, what would it be?

TheNDleprechaun: As an Irish Catholic from Boston, what will a win for your Notre Dame Fighting Irish over the only other Catholic school in D1-A football (which also happens to be located in Boston) mean to you?

IBG: STANFORD WEEK, CHOPPIN' WOOD

Thanks to fellow bloggers One Foot Down for writing this week's IBG questions. Let's give it a try...

1. After suffering through back to back heart breaking losses how have your expectations for this season changed? Has the rough start affected your expectations for the Brian Kelly era?

TheNDleprechaun: Not to pat myself on the back too vigorously, but the "realistically optimistic" preseason prediction that I wrote on June 1 seems to be pretty close to what is actually going on this season. Take a look:

While a former Leprechaun may be expected to predict a perfect season every year, I am going to have to temper the enthusiasm of my co-authors a bit with what I deem to be a realistic and cautiously optimistic prediction for the 2010 Fighting Irish. I have no doubt that Crist will emerge as a tremendous leader, but he has a lot to prove as he enters the season with little experience. The arsenal of highly talented weapons at his disposal should help, and I am expecting big things from the likes of Floyd, Rudolph, Allen, and Riddick. I'm looking for the combination of redshirt freshman Cierre Wood and true freshman Tai-ler Jones to provide an extra spark to the offense as well. Defensively, I am banking on a vastly improved defensive line with Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore wreaking havoc on opposing backfields. Our secondary is still suspect due to little depth at safety, but I can feel a breakout year coming from Dan McCarthy as he steps in for his older brother.

Most importantly, the Fighting Irish will have a new leader in Coach Kelly who will make them believe and instill them with a new sense of drive. If the 2010 team can take Kelly's "Irish Creed" to heart, they will do well.

All that being said, first 6 games on our schedule present us with a gauntlet that even the most elite team would have difficulty coming out of unscathed. I am predicting a 3-3 start for the Fighting Irish, who will then go on a tear and finish the regular season at 8-4 before extending the bowl winning streak to 2.

With the exception of McCarthy who has been hurt by nagging injuries and Floyd who has been plagued by nagging fumbleitis, the players I predicted to step up this year have shown signs of doing so during the first 3 weeks. To answer the question, I maintain my expectation that our rough start will leave us at a respectable 3-3 with a chance to get on a hot streak afterwards. I still stand behind my prediction of a bowl victory and I am not anywhere close to hitting the panic button when it comes to my expectations for the Kelly era. He will lead us back to glory as long as we are patient enough to let him.

2. Our defense has given up 28 points in both of our last two games. But our defense has also forced a few three and outs and has looked fairly stout out times. So on D, are we Jekyll or Hyde? Or are we just a work in progress?

TheNDleprechaun: The D-Boyz have looked like a steel curtain at times, and a matador's cape at others. "OLE!" They've made several big stops on third downs while our students jangle their keys, but they've also allowed long devastating drives such as the one that cost us the game against the skunkbears (not to mention they made Denard Robinson look like Mike Vick in Madden 2004). I'd like to say we're a work in progress, but I honestly don't think we have all the pieces we need to come up with an acceptable finished product (yet). We simply can't contain outside runs, and our safeties continuously look tired and lost (probably because they are tired and lost). It all comes down to one thing that we painfully lack... speed. I'd put our D-line and interior linebackers up against any team in the nation with confidence, but give me our perimeter defense and I might even lose sleep over Alumni Hall's interhall squad (0-3-1 last year).

3. I've heard that Bill Walsh believed that if he saw a player make one great play, he and his staff could coach that player to consistently make great plays. The Irish offense clearly made some great plays against State. Our Offense also unfortunately disappeared at critical times. Are we just witnessing the process of Kelly and his staff teaching the lads to consistently make great plays?

FightinIrish1313: Against Michigan it seemed like our only successful plays were big, “great” plays to Kyle Rudolph who was wide open down field. Last week the passing offense continued this trend by making Theo look great. It seems that Kelly is working on getting the ball to the guy he really worked on improving in practice during the week, and the one that Dayne was passing to the most. I think that as the weeks go by and Kelly feels more confident in the offense and Dayne proves that he can read through his progressions better the ball will get spread out more, balancing the passing attack, and leaving guys in advantageous one-on-one situations more often. So yes, I believe we are witnessing Kelly and his staff teaching the lads how to make great plays, however, I get the feeling they are doing so one guy at a time.

4. Where would you rank Stanford among the Irish opponents? Would a defeat of the Cardinal be the biggest win of the last six years?

FightinIrish1313: The Cardinal are definitely one of the top three opponents we will be facing this year. Luck is coming off his second 4 passing touchdown performance of the year and also has 2 straight games of over 60 yards rushing; our defense will be tested.

If we pull it off this week will it be considered the biggest win of the past six years? Of that I am not sure. Again, like some of Weis’ “big wins” it’s circumstantial; we have just come off two straight last minute losses and our opponent is coming off of three straight wins, with a tested quarterback and a lot of confidence after defeating us last season and officially ending the Charlie Weis era. It would be a huge win to stop the bleeding of the last two losses, but who knows where Stanford will be ranked if they lose to us and then to the dominant Oregon offense next week. Similar to Michigan during Weis’ first season (where they came in ranked #3, we knocked them off, and they fizzled out) this could be looked at as a non-big win depending on how Stanford’s season plays out, but for now, this is a MUST win game and the biggest game on the schedule for Kelly and the Irish to get their confidence back and to kick ass the rest of the season.

5. While many outsiders and a contingent of fans have cited ND's academic standards as a hindrance to football success, many Irish supporters consider Notre Dame's unique combination of strong academics and big-time football (and faith) as an advantageous niche in the college football world. With stricter admission standards and far-less football notoriety, Harbaugh's Cardinal have burst onto the national recruiting scene to again prove that plenty of really good football players welcome academic challenges as long as they come with a chance to compete at the highest level. Could you foresee sustained excellence by Stanford Football and would you perceive a perennially strong Cardinal program as any kind of a threat to Notre Dame's niche?

tendomer: Stanford can be good at football when it has a good coach. Harbaugh's chippy attitude has been perfect for Stanford, which now expects to win or at least not back down from anybody.

Harbaugh's national recruiting model casts a wider net of offers but is similar to ND's in its aggression and 'best of both worlds' focus on a long-term decision. A 'perennially strong' Stanford would cut into ND's niche in recruiting, but the program isn't there yet. The head-to-head recruiting battles have been ND's so far with a few exceptions, notably Blake Lueders. ND wouldn't really feel ill effects unless Harbaugh stays long term (or it replaces him with another really good coach if he ever leaves for Michigan or the NFL), wins the Pac-10 at least once every 5 years, and Stanford consistently sells out its stadium.

To be clear, the reason Stanford beat ND last year and why it is a threat to do so again has much more to do with the attitude, technique, and discipline that Harbaugh has coached into his players over four years than recruiting, although he has recruited some prep All Americans.

6. Let’s talk statistics. Will they matter this weekend? a. Coming into the game, Stanford has the #3 ranked Scoring Offense nationally (51.67 pts/gm) with the 14th ranked Rushing Offense (242.33 yds/gm). Notre Dame's Scoring Offense ranks 73rd (26.00 pts) with the 99th ranked Rushing Defense (197 yds/gm). Will the Irish be able to contain Stanford's rushing attack?

tendomer: Yes. MSU entered last week with an even stronger ground game, and ND held it under 5 YPC, including the one play (the 56-yarder) that really hurt.

b. Notre Dame's Passing Offense is 8th nationally (318 yds/gm) and Stanford's Passing Efficiency Defense is 3rd nationally (74 yds/gm). Will Stanford be able to contain the Irish passing attack?

tendomer: No. Dayne's improved each game. He'll get his yardage and even touchdowns. Despite how well the OL has protected Dayne, I am more worried in this case about Stanford's pass rush forcing sacks or interceptions.

c. Stanford gave up 170 yds rushing to UCLA and 265 yds rushing to Wake Forest. Notre Dame has averaged 133 yds/gm so far. Do you expect Kelly to utilize the Irish rushing attack more?

tendomer: This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison because the ND average includes subtracted sack and TFL yards and the UCLA (subtract 18) and Wake (subtract 63) totals don't. Kelly will run the ball more than he did against MSU (against whom he claimed he liked the passing matchups) but less than he did against Purdue (where he really relied on Armando to ease in Dayne). Hopefully the ratio will be close to 50%.

d. Stanford is ranked 4th in Red Zone Defense (50%) while the Irish have the 65th ranked Red Zone Offense (82%). Stanford's Red Zone Offense is tied for 1st (100%) in conversions and the Irish Defense's Red Zone conversions allowed is 36th (75%). Will the Irish be able to stop Stanford's RZ conversions and improve theirs? How would you do that?

tendomer: In clutch situations this year, our defense has done well except its final series against Michigan. Although it went to waste, the overtime frame against MSU was probably the best three and out it has forced so far. However, red zone play concerns me against Stanford. Luck's accuracy allows Stanford to pass in the red zone and its power run game is also a staple there. It's a huge area of concern for the Irish. When ND has the ball in the red zone, I'd like to see Kelly run Armando at least on first down before resorting to Rudolph and Floyd.

7. 1-2 is pretty tough to deal with for a football team still trying to find its identity. Meanwhile, Stanford is looking like a well-oiled machine thus far. Do you think this Irish squad can really bounce back from another heart-breaking loss against the Cardinal? What if it's not all that close?

tendomer: I have no doubt that Kelly will have the team ready to bounce back, but I fear Andrew Luck will be a little too much to handle. Jamoris Slaughter's probable return this week will help, especially because it allows Motta to slide back over to nickel. ND will be inspired and desperate for a win, but I'm expecting a close loss in a high-scoring game.

IBG: Welcome to Spartyville

1) Status check: How deflating was the loss to Michigan? I could argue that Crist's injury makes this loss both easier to swallow and even more maddening for Irish fans.

TheNDleprechaun: Suffering last-minute heartbreak at the hands of the skunkbears for the second straight season was not easy to swallow. I personally found the loss to be excruciatingly deflating due to the way it all went down. We had a chance to win despite losing Crist for the majority of the first half, yet it slipped through our fingers in oh-so-familiar fashion. After wallowing in sorrow for a few days, however, I have managed to pick myself up and look at the opportunities that lie ahead. I just need to keep reminding myself that we nearly beat a formidable foe despite being severely debilitated for much of the game. That realization has started to ease the pain a bit, and I should be back to 100% after a brutal beatdown of that other team inhabiting the wastelands to our north.

2) How critical is this Saturday's game? Walk away 2-1 and the Irish can feel good about taking on a very able Stanford squad at home next weekend. Walk out of East Lansing with a loss..?

tendomer: The prospect of a new coach falling below .500, even after three games, means this game is about as critical as it gets for two unranked opponents. Couple that with the three following games, and it’s a must win. Going into Purdue week, Kelly said he wouldn’t lose the team with a loss. Hopefully he won’t have to find out how he the team would react after two in a row.

3) Why does the rivalry with Michigan State seem to get so little respect?

TheNDleprechaun: Notre Dame v Michigan State could be a highly respected rivalry, but for the childish behavior exhibited by the less-than-classy spartys as of late. Need I even mention the planting of an unworthy flag into our sacred turf, or the jealous taunts of a foam-filled mascot seeking to belittle his counterpart who happens to look much better in green? In all honesty, it doesn’t have to be this way. If the spartys could sit in their big-boy chair for once and handle themselves professionally, this could be a great matchup that Notre Dame fans actually look forward to. Our shared history includes the 1966 “Game of the Century” that saw #1 face off against #2 in one of the most hyped and controversial games of all time. The fact that it ended in a tie left many from both sides wanting more, thus fuelling the heated rivalry even further for many years to come. For those of a more recent generation, the rivalry is defined by the 40th Anniversary of the Game of the Century in 2006. During that game, Notre Dame first refused to wear throwbacks, then refused to submit to a 19 point deficit in the fourth quarter. Terrell Lambert and Brady Quinn became heroes as the rain came down sideways and the Fighting Irish scored 22 straight points to win in triumphant fashion. Celebrations in “Stonehenge Fountain” back on campus lasted deep into the night. Such games could make for a great rivalry, but nevertheless we must maintain the higher road as the spartys continue their recent tradition of poor sportsmanship and we continue to remind them why we are Notre Dame and they aren’t.

4) It's hard to draw too many conclusions from victories over Western Michigan and Florida Atlantic, but what do you expect this Saturday night in Spartan Stadium?

tendomer: I’m expecting Dantonio to call power runs, eat clock, and force the ND offense to make the most of limited possessions. MSU can afford to stay committed to the run game even if ND has a lead, but I expect a healthy Crist to put up enough points for a win.

5) Best case, worst case, most likely: The Irish's record after the first six games.

FightinIrish1313: Best case – obviously 5-1. It would be a great recovery from Saturday’s last minute loss and a sure sign that this is a different team than years past. To quote John Goodman, “We’re in it ta win it. Aint no heads down yo.” Regardless of what the talking heads are saying this is still a BCS caliber team and BK will make damn sure they play like it for the rest of the season.

Worst case – obviously 1-5. The team pulls a Charlie Weis and gives up on themselves, hangs their heads, and don’t play to their talent potential. Brian Kelly quits coaching football as for the first time in his life he can’t diagnose what is wrong with his team. Notre Dame is diseased and never returns to glory. There is a 0% chance of this happening.

Most likely scenario – The Irish will be 4-2 as they cross the halfway point of the season and reach the lighter part of their schedule. A tough loss will come either on the road at Backup College or at home against Stanford or Pitt. All games will be close but the Irish will come out on top all but once as the coaching staff proves that they can make positive halftime adjustments and the team stays conditioned throughout all four quarters.

6) Let's leave Michael Floyd out of this for a second. What Irish player needs to step up and play better football?

FightinIrish1313: I think that Theo Riddick needs to step up the most. While Tai-ler Jones and Kyle Rudolph have been spectacular, Michael Floyd and Theo haven’t made much of an impact yet this season. While still learning his new position, he was switched from running back because Brian Kelly knows he is a play maker and wants him on the field at all times. Theo needs to get open and make some open field moves to really make the Irish attack one of the most dangerous in college football and to allow for even more mis-matched one on ones as the secondary won’t know which offensive weapon to cover the closest.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Michigan Weak

Much respect to HLS for the questions and especially the sweet title. Let's go!

1) You’ve now seen Notre Dame Football: The Kelly Edition, Volume 1, Episode 1. Was it everything you thought it would be? Were characters missing from this episode that you were expecting to see featured? Did it strike you as a carbon-copy of Kelly’s Cincinnati teams, or is there something discernible between the 2 programs beyond the colors of the uniforms?

tendomer: I expected the offense to be a little more crisp, especially during the first two series, but the team's improved discipline on defense and special teams met my expectations. It certainly wasn't a carbon copy of UC last year, the only Bearcats team I can really reference. But the 58-42 run-pass preference in Crist's first start distinguished Kelly's Irish from even his 2007 team that used an almost perfect balance of 50.7% run.

2) Pick one positive play, offense or defense, by the Irish from last Saturday that you feel serves as a bit of metaphorical foreshadowing for the 2010 Irish. Extra points if you can stretch the metaphor to fit Kelly’s entire tenure at Notre Dame.

tendomer: Armando Allen's 22-yard shifty TD run near the end of the first quarter was a play he'd hoped to make the last three years. He always almost made it past third-level defenders. Now he did. Just as the play indicated improved WR blocking, Armando's glove-like fit in the spread offense is a good harbinger for ND's ability to produce points in the run game.

3) Pick another play, offense or defense, by the Irish from last Saturday again, but this time, make it a negative play. Tell us how that play serves as a bit of metaphorical foreshadowing for the 2010 Irish. And again, bonus points for stretching it over Kelly’s tenure.

tendomer: Dayne Crist's second overthrow of Michael Floyd in the northwest corner of the north endzone is worrisome especially after the first chance minutes before. Credit to Crist for managing the game and erring on the side of the caution on throws like this. However, Crist should know that if he can keep the ball in play, a receiver of Floyd's caliber will come down with it every time, even in double coverage against a young Purdue secondary.

4) You know us, we’re stat geeks. Give us a stat that we should be watching this season that will A) Tell us something enlightening about the 2010 Irish and/or B) Tell us something enlightening about the average Top-5 teams at the end of the 2010 season.

tendomer: The defense's 3.2 YPC quantifies improvement, although bigger tests loom, beginning with Denard Robinson. Diaco's troops must finish the season near this mark to sniff anywhere near the Alabamas of the world, the true 'B.I.A.' defensively.

5) Notre Dame is currently a 4 point favorite in the coming Michigan game. You get 3 points for being at home. The AP poll actually ranks Michigan higher than ND. ND is 1-4-1 in the last 6 games with Michigan in which the Irish were favored and 9 and 6 in the last 15 games in which Michigan was favored. Does any of this worry you? Why or why not?

TheNDleprechaun: I don't usually like going into games as a fan of the team that is favored by a slim margin (maybe that has something to do with being from Buffalo...) Even so, if I was a betting man I would surely take the Irish to cover the spread as 4 point favorites. Past trends are virtually meaningless, especially now that Kelly has taken over and will definitely have his team up for this one. If I remember correctly, the Skunkbears didn't particularily enjoy their last visit to Notre Dame Stadium (6 turnovers in 2008). While I don't think it will be quite as disastrous for them this time around, the green-clad crowd will have the house that Rock built rockin' when the Fightin' Irish run away with this one.

6) Last week, Frank at UHND put the Gathering on the spot with our predictions for the season. After week 1, are there any of those predictions that you’d like to alter? Any upon which you’d double down?

TheNDleprechaun: Well... I predicted a 13-0 National Championship season, and so far I haven't been proven wrong. Again, if I was a betting man I would have to DOUBLE DOWN! C'MON LUCK OF THE IRISH!

7) Describe in no fewer than 30 words why you hate Michigan.

TheNDleprechaun: The Skunkbears should be thought of metaphorically as a bratty kid who teaches younger kids a game only so he can beat them at it over and over. When those younger kids start getting stronger and more confident, they eventually realize they can beat him at his own game. Once this happens, he runs away crying and vows to never play them again... hate is a strong word... but c'mon... no one likes that kid...

IBG: Let’s Get This Party Started Edition

Thanks to Frank at UHND for writing the questions for the ND v. Purdont week Irish Blogger Gathering. Check out our responses, and feel free to let us know what you think:

1. Name one offensive player and one defensive player you are most excited to see in the new systems and why.

tendomer:
Kyle Rudolph - Wildcat possibility is a savage wrinkle.
Darius Fleming - The mike makes the calls, but the cat makes the big plays.

TheNDleprechaun:
Theo Riddick - Playing slot WR in the spread will give him opportunities to unleash his talent and rack up YACS.
Ethan Johnson - Returning to his rightful position as a DE will set him up for a breakout year.

2. What’s one reason you think Brian Kelly is the right coach this time. What’s one reason you think he might not be?

tendomer:
- He went 34-6 at Cincinnati.
- I prefer a run-first power offense, although Kelly’s preference for the pass is generally overstated because of last year’s departure from his usual balance.

TheNDleprechaun:
- BK understands the true significance of his job as the head football coach at Notre Dame.
- Trick question, he is the right coach.

3. A lot of people are labeling Purdue, Boston College, and Michigan State as toss up games. Considering Notre Dame beat all three of these teams during the disappointing 2009 season, do you consider these games toss-ups or games you expect Notre Dame to win?

tendomer: Notre Dame is heavily favored against and will defeat Purdue. BC and MSU are toss-ups largely because they’re on the road and likely both at night, and I expect ND to split this pair.

TheNDleprechaun: Unfortunately for Purdue, they drew the unlucky slot as the first opponent BK and the new Fighting Irish will face. Also, I don't care what the circumstances are, every Domer should always expect to beat Backup College. As for little sparty... this picture should sum it up:


4. What’s one reason you think Notre Dame could shock the world and pull of another 1964-type season? What’s one reason you’re concerned we might see more of a 1997-type season?

tendomer: The parallels to the book Resurrection are startling, and Kelly's recent admission that he could not imagine ND being his first head coaching job evokes Parseghian's quote about needing every one of his previous years as a head coach. BK's 19 seasons means there's no chance of a '97 repeat.

TheNDleprechaun: BK inherited extremely talented players, and the changes he has already made since coming here will produce a newly energized team focused on doing everything possible to win.

5. Which freshmen do you see contributing the most on the field this year (outside of TJ Jones – that’s too easy)?

tendomer: Austin Collinsworth: Occasional minutes at WR will supplement his time starting on all four special teams units with fellow freshman Danny Spond, whose spot behind Manti Te’o means he won’t play much outside special teams

TheNDleprechaun: Do redshirt freshmen count? Cierre Wood will be the next big time Irish RB to become a household name. Start preordering your #20 jerseys now.

6. Other than Dayne Crist (too easy again) who is the one player Notre Dame can least afford to lose to injury for any significant period of time?

tendomer: Ethan Johnson: The drop off from starters to reserves is steep at both ends in the three-man front.

TheNDleprechaun: Manti Te'o...then again... you can't hurt steel...

7. 2010 Season Predictions

a. Notre Dame record
tendomer: 10-3
TheNDleprechaun: 13-0

b. Bowl game for Notre Dame with opponent
tendomer: Orange v. VT
TheNDleprechaun: National Chamionship v. Boise St.

c. Final ranking
tendomer: 14
TheNDleprechaun: 1

d. Opponent with the highest final ranking
tendomer: Boston College
TheNDleprechaun: Stanford

e. Notre Dame’s offensive & defensive MVP
tendomer: Dayne Crist, Manti Te’o
TheNDleprechaun: Michael Floyd, Manti Te’o

f. Best opponent offensive & defensive player
tendomer: Ronald Johnson, USC; Greg Romeus, Pitt
TheNDleprechaun: Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg Romeus, Pitt

g. Best opposing coach
tendomer: Kyle Whittingham
TheNDleprechaun: Lane Kiffin...wait, best for our program or for theirs?

h. Game you are most excited to watch
tendomer: Purdue
TheNDleprechaun: Witnessing the Fall of Troy when the Irish storm the Coliseum

i. Game you wouldn't mind watching on DVR
tendomer: Re-watching the game is the only acceptable answer
TheNDleprechaun: What is Tulsa?

j. National Champion
tendomer: Alabama
TheNDleprechaun: Notre Dame

k. Heisman Winner
tendomer: Mark Ingram
TheNDleprechaun: Michael Floyd

l. Purdue game prediction
tendomer: Notre Dame 45, Purdue 21
TheNDleprechaun: ND 41 - PU 17 (haha their initials are PU)

GO IRISH! BEAT BOILERS!