Brian Kelly speaks, South Bend Torch and Pitchfork profits.
Many around here wondered how Brian Kelly would respond to the ugly loss to Navy. Well, he did so by declaring the Tulsa game to be an epic clash of epicness:
“The biggest game that we have on our schedule is Tulsa,” Kelly said. “It’s a huge game. And the Navy game can’t affect the Tulsa game.” . . .
“Tulsa game is probably the biggest game that I’ve coached in.”
Needless to say, the locals are not taking this well. They are taking the Navy whooping less well, though, and after eight (!!!) games there are already calls for his head.
October 25th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
in year one at ND is RR. Crist is a hybrid of Sheridan and Threet. Year one cannot be counted against both of these coaches since they had to compete with what was there before they arrived.
October 25th, 2010 at 6:56 PM ^
Crist was a 5-star QB recruit. Ryan Mallett is a much better comparison. If you can imagine our 2008 team with Mallett, Manningham, Arrington and Boren back, that might be a better analogy.
October 25th, 2010 at 6:59 PM ^
Crist was a 5-star QB recruit. Ryan Mallett is a much better comparison. If you can imagine our 2008 team with Mallett, Manningham, Arrington and Boren back, that might be a better analogy.
October 25th, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^
Of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors (basically the guys who should be making up your team) on offense in RR's first year, zero have been drafted the last two years and only one has a shot to get drafted this year (Schilling). It should be no surprise that group struggled on offense. The problem wasn't that Rodriguez didn't have "his guys" but rather that we had "no guys."
If Kelly's offense can't put up 26 points a game with Crist (a 5-star recruit in his third year at ND with prior game experience), Rudolph (junior, the only returning Mackey Award semi-finalist, with over 700 career receiving yards prior to this season), Allen (senior with 3,683 all purpose yards in his career prior to this season), Floyd (junior with over 1,500 receiving yards coming into this season) and a boatload of blue chip o-line recruits, then what is it going to take to make it happen? Not to mention he's been prepping for Navy since the season began and somehow managed to get completely blown out of the water. The jury may still be out on Kelly but there is enough evidence so far to suggest it is at least possible that he isn't the guy to turn that program around.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:22 AM ^
Just passing along something that I read that I haven't seen posted...
In the September 26th Chicago Tribune Sports Section, pg. 4, in a column entitled "These brains have brawn too", David Haugh writes:
"Also understand that, based on what three straight Irish loses have exposed, depth and ralent appear to be in as short of supply at Notre Dame as patience. I'm not saying Weis left the cupboard totally bare, but they're out of meat, potatoes, bread and milk at The Gug."
October 26th, 2010 at 2:38 PM ^
Typical lazy MSM analysis. They assume that any new coach who struggles off the bat has a lack of talent. Sometimes it's true (as in our case in '08), but it absolutely does not apply here. ND's roster is stacked with former four- and five-star recruits. The bigger issue may be a lack of buying in to the new program.
BTW, why are you reading month-old newspapers?
October 25th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
I mean, he is about to play against a team that contains Shavodrick Beaver. The man has a right to be afraid of the epicness involved.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:29 PM ^
This just makes me think about that guy (former USC Fullack) on Jim Rome the week of the UM/ND game when he said that RR is on the hot seat and BK has already turned around ND.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:28 PM ^
What an arrogant scumbag, I'm thrilled Notre Dame hired him
October 25th, 2010 at 8:44 PM ^
I read "what an arrogant scumbag" and I thought "wait a second - this post is about Brian Kelly, not Mark Dantonio. Then I remembered that both teams I truly despise have gone out and hired arrogant scumbags as their HC.
Makes the hate so much easier.
October 25th, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^
Best part: both guys were class acts at Cincy... it's the nature of the beast.
October 26th, 2010 at 12:35 AM ^
Really? I was hearing this about Kelly back when he was at CMU.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:29 PM ^
I am very happy every time the Irish lose. No team in the nation has a larger gap between the expectations of its fans (who expect a championship every year), and the actual quality of their play over the last two decades.
But with every Notre Dame loss, Michigan’s victory in South Bend in the second week of the season looks less and less impressive.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^
It does look less impressive. However, I like to think that we broke their backs and then MSU killed whatever spirit was left.
If they beat us and sparty doesn't pull off the fake field goal they are different team. They would be 7-1 heading into Navy and there is no way they lose that game. I watched the Navy game (with a smile on my face the whole game) and that team has NO WILL to play the game of football. That's why I give much blame to BK.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:35 PM ^
Can't control it anyway (unless you and the football gods are tight)...
So, take the Michigan win either way:
If Notre Dame beats Navy, it makes Michigan look better.
If Notre Dame loses to Navy, Michigan fans can enjoy watching ND fans suffer.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:40 PM ^
so I would rather take the ND loss over Navy(!) to give them a 3-1 record against ND over the last four years. A little pride for the armed services.
October 25th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
That only bugs me in years when we really need the strength of schedule to up the ranking for BCS bowls. Since this years upshot is solid winning season and a team on the rise theme, I'm all for epic ND humiliation.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:30 PM ^
Cracks me up!
October 25th, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^
This is a clear case of the typical coach rah rah e.g. "Forget the last game... we're 4-4 and really can't afford to go under .500, we need this win to stay afloat. It's winnable, and we need not lose focus or confidence."
Not a big deal IMO, but I can see how fans can be up in arms. Kelly's job is certainly safe, people need to cool it. ND is getting shat on by the media (did anyone see ESPN's Holtz vs Mark May?) right now, and I'd almost say it's annoying, but I care too much about M football to worry about other programs' portrayal (Although I think it's important for our rivals to be respected.)
October 25th, 2010 at 1:38 PM ^
When I was coaching, the biggest game of the year was always the next one we were playing. I understand completely where Kelly is coming from with this comment.
Seems like a tempest in a teapot.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^
It's Kelly trying to keep his team 'up' and force them to focus on the next game. And pretty much anywhere else, that would be understood. But here at Notre Dame, declaring the Tulsa game to be bigger than USC (and Utah, for that matter) does not go over especially well.
I can tell you that the honeymoon period is officially over, at least from the fans I have sampled. They felt that the team was VERY unprepared on Saturday.
October 25th, 2010 at 8:15 PM ^
He's correct when he says, "Tulsa is the biggest game I've coached in." He's basically thinking, "Man, if I lose to these guys, they are going to ride me out of here on a rail."
October 25th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
But I bet they want this back...
October 25th, 2010 at 1:58 PM ^
"Nothing can kill the Grimace."
October 25th, 2010 at 4:13 PM ^
And I thought I was the only one to own Clerks - The Animated Series on DVD
October 26th, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^
Epic that the 2nd episode they were trapped in a freezer and flashed back to the first episode like 8 times
Why are we walking like this?
October 26th, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^
"Will this Administration ever bring the Hamburgler to justice?"
"Oh my god who is driving? Bear is driving how can this be?"
I've seen it, own it, and love it. Most people who have seen it were wiped out with Kevin Spacy by the deadly Motaba Virus.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^
I didn't realize CW was missing a finger on each hand. Poor bastard.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:33 PM ^
October 25th, 2010 at 3:16 PM ^
After all, he can't.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:42 PM ^
Remember when he got crushed on the sideline and ended up in the cast? I heard that while at the hospital they wouldn't give him seconds of his lunch. After a while the hunger got the better of him and he began to hallucinate and instead of fingers he was seeing bratwurst. It was fortunate he only lost two.
October 25th, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
Actually, he accidentally ate them after they got lost in the Jelly Doughnut he was working on.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^
It cant be easy at ND with this going on all the time...
October 25th, 2010 at 2:45 PM ^
to stop staring at his face!
October 25th, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^
Cant...look...away....
October 25th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
be crazy, but I think i saw his head move. Is it a gif? Someone must have spiked my pop...
October 25th, 2010 at 7:52 PM ^
Haha, yes. He starts out looking forward then slowly rotates his head around to look/glare at the post above.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^
Hey - how did Mrs. Doubtfire's head get up in the sky like that?
October 25th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
...without the other:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:47 PM ^
...without the other: (yeah, it's a double post, but let's just leave it up. For effect.)
October 25th, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
Is Hammond wearing lipstick in that photo?
October 25th, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
October 25th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^
that RR mentioned Vince Lombardi. That's much, much, worse. I'm sure Drew Sharp would agree.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
That is funny. Oh poor ND nation, quit your complaining and suck it up.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:52 PM ^
ND fans are insane. I posted on their spring game video on YouTube to be careful with expectations because as Michigan fans know when there is a scheme/culture change, there will be HUGE bumps. People did not like that. They honestly thought changing a scheme and losing key offensive pieces takes approximately 8 months to fix. I mean, look at Texas! They're dominating!
October 25th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
Look at Florida too. Not much of a scheme change (as far as I know, but I am probably wrong since I don't really follow them), but when you have a new QB starting, you are bound to have bumps.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^
Kelly knows exactly what he wants as far as skill set, physical abilities and mental approach in every player at every position. That formula has won way above normal for every program he has coached at.
The fans of Notre Dame either are willing to wait to dig into the feast or they aren't. It is their problem, not Brian Kelly's.