Let's run through just the first three:

• Second quarter, 3rd and 7 at the 50 following ND's first non-penalty first down, and Jimmy tries to throw into vacuum-sealed coverage.  Pick returned for a TD.  That hurts.
• Second quarter, 30 seconds left,1st and 20 following a monster of a hold from Dan Wenger as ND is putting together its first solid drive of the game, and Jimmy misses badly on a throw he never should've attempted anyways.  Momentum going into halftime...killed.
• And yet, it's not. Coming out of the half, the Irish hold BC to -3 yards on it's first three plays, but then Tate fumbles the punt and gives the ball back to BC who score seven plays later.

I know we didn't look good on offense in the first half save for a couple of spots in the two drives that ended in picks, but these three turnovers represent a 17-21 point swing.  Even if Aponavicius didn't go all Walker (Brandon Walker Classic, not New Brandon Walker) and miss two easy field goals, eliminating these turnovers would still put ND within one score.  Hell, even after Tate's fumble makes futile the D's earlier stops, they still came out and held BC to a FG attempt after Eric "Slow and steady wins the...OH GOD! WHERE'S THE BALL!" Maust's second blocked punt in two games.

What comes next:  Good defense from both teams for the next four drives until BC punts to ND's 10 with 18 seconds left in the 3rd.  We get the ball back.  We're moving.  Mike Floyd draws a PI.  Clausen scrambles for five.  He hits Hughes for five.  Floyd runs across the field for thirty.  And then?  Bad throw by Jimmy.  Game over.

But it's not game over.  Defense forces a three-and-out.  Great punt by BC and it's ND ball, first and ten at their own twenty-five with 10:45 to play.  We start moving again.  Comeback time until 4th and 1.  Sighs.

But God bless 'em, the defense comes through again and gets another stop.  5:30 left, ND ball.  We're moving...and another bad throw and we're not moving anymore.  Game over.

A few things to ponder before slitting your wrists, calling Jon Gruden, sacrificing family members to the Gods of Football or posting on Irish Eyes, NDNation, et al:

Five turnovers lead to, at the very minimum, a 23 point swing.  The sixth and seventh "turnovers" come from the missed fourth-down opportunities.  Those resulted in at least another 6 missed ND points.  Assuming no TDs from the offense, competency from Aponavicius and another solid performance from Walker, turnovers and "turnovers" cost ND a 21-9 win.

Look: we were 3 and 9 last year.  We've got the same team minus a bonehead safety, a competent center, an NFL caliber TE and a projected All-American corner and plus one helluva freshman WR, a decent and improving right guard and some promising new defenders.

We're young and inexperienced.  Not just on the field, but on the sidelines.  Read this article from BGS.  CW may have already linked to it, but here it is again.  Inexperience leads to bad throws.  Inexperience leads to muffed punts.  Inexperience leads to only giving each back six carries.  Inexperience (and maybe a little arrogance) leads to a coach calling only the fourth down plays.

Talent and time build good football teams.  We've got the talent on the field.  We keep bringing in more talent.  It's not like our coaches are talentless, they did have other jobs before they were chosen to come to ND.  We need time.  They'll get it.  And here's a newsflash:  We might not compete for a national championship next year.  But I believe that we'll be a darn fine looking football team.  And the year after that.  And the year after that.

Final aside:  If you want to fire a football coach, wait until after the game is over to call for his head.  Not when the team you care about is still in the game.  The team works for you all week in practice.  We all can support them for at least three hours.

Go Irish.  Beat Midshipmen.