Fat Lady Is Singing: Notre Dame Ends Disappointing 2009 Campaign With 45-38 Loss To Toby Gerhart and Stanford
by CW on Nov 29, 2009 6:00 AM EST
in Football
42 comments
It would make sense for the last game of Charlie Weis' career to go like this. Fun facts that seem indicative of the entire five year tenure:
- The Notre Dame offense scores a lot of points (38).
- The Notre Dame defense gives up a lot of points (45).
- Irish QB throws for a lot of touchdowns (5), and two Irish receivers have monsters games (Floyd and Tate, carrying on the legacy of Shark and MoSto).
- Irish defense has no answer for the opposition's running game (Gerhart pounds his way to 205 and 3 scores).
- The Irish tackles give up huge sacks and look like they're standing in stone in key situations.
- The Irish defensive backs don't turn to look for the ball.
- Notre Dame loses.
And not a single one of those things is surprising at all. A fantastic game by the triumvirate of Clausen, Tate and Floyd, who just laid waste to the Cardinal defense in every possible way. It felt disingenuous to talk about Heisman contenders the entire night with Golden Tate putting up another brilliant effort and never really include him in the conversation. If Jordan Shipley steals his Biletnikoff or he's not a consensus All-American, I will lose my damn mind. 93 catches, 1496 yards and fifteen touchdowns, with two rushing touchdowns and a punt return score to boot. The Golden Tate 2009 highlight reel on YouTube is going to be my one stop shop for sadness killing, right after this (audio NSFW due to being too smooth/profane):
Not really surprised by anything on the defensive side of the ball, save for the few plays when Toby Gerhart didn't just truck someone over. Brent and Kirk implied Tenuta might have been resisting letting Stanford score that final touchdown, and if so, really? Maybe he is that bad of a football coach. That was the only option there, and Notre Dame's biggest mistake might have been tackling Gerhart on the prior play that got the Cardinal down inside the five. Of course, maybe Tenuta knew that Stanford pass rushers would have a free lane to Jimmy on the final series and wanted to save us all some heartache.
(Allow me to repeat this: Not a single person should complain about the Irish "laying down" or "giving up" on that final touchdown. That was the only possible option there, and anyone who argues otherwise is an idiot. It's what the Packers did in Super Bowl XXXII against the Broncos in an attempt to get the ball back, with the same less-than-stellar result That's the only option there. Also, could we have fired Jon Tenuta on the field right after the game?)
Well, if you thought that was fun, the real fun really starts. Let's hope there's a clean and quick transition, but I don't think any change is going to keep Jimmy Clausen in an Irish uniform next season. If the incoming head man can find a way to keep Golden Tate around, well, that's a step in the right direction. It's going to be an extraordinary busy week as we recap the Weis Era, follow the coaching search and try to figure out if and where Notre Dame will be bowling.
Finally, apropos of nothing, Joe McCoy and Jim Harbaugh are the same person.
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Execellent Post!
I tweeted this last night: If Brian Kelly is the coach next season, won’t last night’s game be pretty much what we can expect? Have you seen the Bearcats scores this season? This subway alum wants a truly defensive minded coach. I know Bob Stoops is reach, but he is THE guy for me.
by Steve @ MLB Fantasy Prospects on Nov 29, 2009 10:51 AM EST reply actions
Possibly
The Bearcats were 31st in defense last year, and had to replace a ton of starters and the DC. I mean, Demetrius Jones is playing at linebacker. Although, yes, the Cincy games I’ve seen this year have not impressed as far as defense goes.
(But yes, let’s go get Bob Stoops.)
http://www.rakesofmallow.com
Id rather have the DC from Texas or the guy from TCU than Stoops...
Stoops has peaked.
This space for rent.
by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
Yup
He has peaked with National Championships, 4 of the last 9. I don’t know what your deal is. Why do you hate winning so much?
He gets destroyed in BCS games
Why do you love he has peaked. Ever since his brother left for Arizona he hasn’t been the same. I dont see how you cant see that he has peaked, since he can’t beat Texas now and he can’t win bowl games.
This space for rent.
by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
What evidence is there that Bob Stoops has peaked (is it even possible for a coach to peak)?
I don’t think there is any such thing as a coach peaking. He is not a professional athlete whose body starts to wear down or a car whose engine begins to wear. Perhaps he has become disinterested or less motivated, but that is psychological and it can be changed. But lets assumed that a coach can somehow peak:
First, how can you complain about a guy losing in BCS bowl games when you root for a team that can barely make a shitty bowl game? Including this year, Stoops has been in 7 BCS games in the last 10 years. That is incredible. I much rather have a 2-5 record in BCS games with a national championship than an 0-3 record and no national championships.
Second, he doesn’t get destroyed in BCS games. His loses were by 10, 20, 1, 36, and 7. Two blowouts in 7 games, one of which was against, arguably, the greatest college football team in history.
Third, Texas has won two straight against Oklahoma. Not that impressive. Oklahoma leads the 10 year series 6-4. Oklahoma’s average margin of victory is almost 24 points; Texas’ is 16. Compare that to ND’s record against their rivals USC and Michigan (hell throw BC in there for fun).
Fourth, with Mike Stoops OK finished 1, 6, 5, and 3. Without Mike Stoops OK finished 3, 5, 8, 11, and 22. There doesn’t seem to be any significant variance there.
I cannot see that he has peaked because, after looking at the stats, there is no evidence that he has.
Your absolutely right coaches dont peak...
which is why you see college coaches winning multiple championships into the twilight of their career. Oh that never happens.
In my opinion with Stoops (not that we have any shot at gettting him) you are paying for a name who turned around Oklahoma quickly. Since he has been out coached in bowl games. Stoops is a better coach than Charlie, but if the goal is to win championships you dont do it by getting coaches who wore out their welcome where they are. Instead you have to take a gamble and get the next great coach. With a bigger gamble comes a bigger reward.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:21 PM EST up reply actions
Facts
Winning multiple championships is a pretty rare feat. Depending on your definition of twilight of their career, it appears that about half of the coaches with multiple championships have won one in the twilight of their careers. It also doesn’t seem like Bob Stoops, at age 49, is in the twilight of his career. I can type out all the coaches with multiple wins and make a determination as to whether or not it was in the twilight of their careers, but I think a simple review of the list will show that it is about 50/50. So it is certainly reasonable to assume that Stoops will win more.
I would be ok with Stoops turning around ND quickly. What evidence is there that he has been out-coached in bowl games? He is 2-5 in BCS games and 2-1 in non-BCS games. That seems ok to me. When has he been out-coached?
ND has shown an inability to make good gambles (0 for last 3). It also seems that most coaching gambles by elite programs tend to fail. Rarely do gambles work. I will put my money on a proven winner.
Well since winning multiple championships is a pretty rare feat...
why would we expect that Stoops could buck history and do it here…
You said it yourself that the goal should be winning championships. More than likely you can say Stoops will never win another one. And Im saying that from a purely statistical point.
Now if you want to have Stoops and have good seasons then by all means, but if you goal is Championships you more than likely gonna have to roll the dice. Previous AD’s have proven an inability to win big with their gambles, why should we hold Swarbrick to the failures of his predecessors?
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
I agree that historically, it is pretty rare for a coach to win multiple championships, and no one has ever done it at more than one school. But the best coaches win multiple championships and rarely do the best ones leave a school once they win one. I think Stoops is one of the best coaches and he will multiple championships. I also don’t think that coaching stats have much to do with anything.
Skpping the Bowl Game
I am not generally a fan of this idea, but I think this would be a great time to decline what after shit bowl we are a part of. I don’t feel like there are any seniors that need to be particularly rewarded with an extra game. Tell Tate and JC that if they want to go to a bowl game then to stay another year and make it to a good one. It also sets the tone for the incoming coach. He can say that we are not going to bowl games at 6-6. We need to do better than this. Obviously there is some positives in the extra practice the team would get, but I think they would be just as well spending this time in the weight room or with their heads buried in a playbook or some film. This team needs a change of attitude more than anything and I think skipping the bowl game would set a tone moving forward.
Brian Kelly
is not who you want.. If he has a good season or two in South Bend he will jump ship for the NFL with the first offer. No denying he can coach, but he also has a track record of taking the next big offer pretty quickly.
Agreed
I agree with your conclusion, but not your reasoning. He was at GVS for over a decade. Quickly moving from Central Mich to Cinci is not that concerning to me nor should it be to you. Plus, I doubt this guy is going to the NFL soon, if ever. I don’t really understand the basis for your opinion. He seems to have a gimmicky offense. Guys like him have struggled in the NFL recently (Bobby Petrino). I think he is a college guy for life.
Kelly
Did not have that great of a record for his first 10 years 67% winning percentage(not terrible either to be honest) but when he got hot (his last 3 years, 95 % winning) he left to A MAC school which was a step up from DII GVSU . I agree the quick move from CMU to Cincy is that big of a deal, but if he leaves Cincy after just four seasons, I have to imagine he probably wouldn’t stay in South Bend very long if he is successful.
And he may not be very good in the NFL if given the chance, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t or won’t try his hand at it.
I don't get
why NFL owners are so obsessed with College coaches when nearly all of them fail.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions
So obsessed?
What is your basis for this comment? Just looking at the last 10-15 coaches that were hired in the NFL, all came from NFL backgrounds:
Smith
Harbaugh
McDaniels
Swartz
Caldwel
Haley
Saprano
Ryan
Cable
Singletary
Morris
Spanguolo
Those guys didn't go straight from head coaching in college
to head coaching in the NFL. Perhaps I didn’t make that clear but thats what I meant, Switzer (won a Super Bowl but does any one really think he was a good coach?), Petrino, Saban, Spurrier, etc…
I wouldn’t classify most of those guys as college guys anyway, most if not all of them established themselves in the NFL before becoming a Head Coach.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:27 PM EST up reply actions
No shit
That was my point. None of the guys I listed went from college to the NFL. It rarely happens. You named 4 guys from the last 20 years. Hardly convincing. NFL owners are not obsessed with college coaches.
Oh for fucksake...
Must you take everything I say so fucking literal. Besides I was replying to a guy who assumes he will be going to the NFL in the very near future.
Jesus Christ stop attacking, it adds nothing to an argument, and really is pretty fucking petty.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:39 PM EST up reply actions
This assumes
that Kelly wants to coach in the NFL. Believe it or not, not all college coaches have that dream.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Nov 30, 2009 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
Jimmy Clausen Staying
Never say never. It is definitely a long shot, but it is pretty crazy that guys like JC and Manti come here in the first place. I think the right coach could say the right things to keep him here. However, that being said, I think Tate is far more important to keep. Crist can replace JC at an acceptable level, but Tate is irreplaceable. Tate is certainly easier to convince to stay, but will still be tough.
I really don’t care about AA or Heismans. If ND would win, then these guys would be locks. They didn’t, so they’re not.
I just don't see Jimmy staying
They’re selling the house, he’s a top ten pick, he’ll be going into a new and almost assuredly less passer friendly offense (unless it’s Kelly or Leach) and from the picture taking with his family after UConn to his comments last night, it just seems like there is no way he comes back.
Obviously, I would love to be really wrong about this.
http://www.rakesofmallow.com
by CW on Nov 29, 2009 1:20 PM EST up reply actions
As much as I like Claussen...
But with his limo announcement to the world, it always seemed to me that ND was a stop gap, and that Weis would be what got him to the NFL, so if Weis is no longer here, I can’t imagine him staying, and then add everything on top of that… Sigh, Im gonna miss that guy. Hopefully Crist is as good as he was recruited to be.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 1:52 PM EST up reply actions
Stop gap?
I would hope that college football is an athletes stop gap. Were you hoping that ND football was the best JC ever did?
Of course Weis was the reason JC came to ND, but that doesn’t mean that someone else couldn’t convince him to stay.
What are we adding on top of things?
Must you be such a fucking dick...
What I meant by Stop Gap, is that Jimmy had no intention of playing four years in college.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions
How do you know that wasn't his intention
Are you so close to Clausen that he confides everything in you? I recall him making a very stupid statement regarding a certain number of accomplishments that implied he was here for 4 years.
Can you blame him for wanting to get into the draft before it is capped?
No Im not blaming him...
Im just saying that was my impression. It could very well have been wrong.
it always seemed to me that ND was a stop gap
My point was I never expected him to stay for 4 years. If he does awesome if not, let the Crist era begin.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:40 PM EST up reply actions
Not the same
Not expecting him to stay for 4 years is different than saying that he was treating ND as a stop gap. Every premier athlete should be using college as a stepping stone to further his/her career. The best of the best do so faster than others. If you mean that you thought JC was going to turn out to be one of the best college quarterbacks ever and that he would leave early for the NFL in a capless draft, then you would be spot on. Your implications do not mesh with your stated intentions.
How so...
He was going to ND till he could go to the NFL. I didn’t mean stop gap as a negative term at all, Im fine with Clausen leaving, at no point have I ever said that I would be mad at him for leaving. You are taking my words and trying really hard to be an asshole. From very early on Clausen was very sure of his abilities, he made that quite clear when he declared for ND. Regardless of what I thought about Clausen, I definitely think Clausen thought that way, which is why he was using Notre Dame as a stop gap until he could go to the NFL… And like I said Im okay with that.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 7:52 PM EST up reply actions
It sure seemed negative
You said I always liked JC…but…The “but” denotes a change in opinion. The first part of the sentence was positive, therefore the 2nd part must be negative. Perhaps you should be more careful with what you write.
And it comes full circle...
if you are gonna quote me at least get it right, I said “as much as Iiked Claussen” see I didn’t even correct the misspelling. Im not sure I meant to leave the “but” in there it really doesn’t let the sentence flow very well. Regardless you attack nearly every post of mine, and Im sure next week lookingdeadred will come in hear and attack them all again, giving purpose to his miserable life.
If you ask me it looks like you are grabbing at straws to defend your position, when in reality you were assuming what I meant despite me saying multiple times that I have no problem with Clausen leaving. And we all know what happens when you assume.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
I was not assuming. I was simply looking at the words you typed. Regardless of your intent to put “but” in there, you did. And if anyone were to ignore the words you typed, then that would be assuming. So I did not assume. Nice try though.
so you chose to error on the side of being a dick
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
How is refuting a point you made being a dick? You made a comment. I thought it was wrong. I said why I thought you were wrong. Then you stated that you wrote the wrong thing. Sorry that you made an error but that doesn’t make me a dick.
It was being a dick by...
taking it so literally. Yeah you are technically right, but you could have looked at the whole statement instead of looking at the one word and use that to base your entire point around it. Even though I never said that I had a problem, even though I said I liked the guy, even though I said Im gonna miss the guy, and look forward to the Crist era. You can’t honestly say you can look at that entire comment and say it was negative, but since you focused on one word you were able to. Just like you go out of your way to belittle my opinion or argue nearly every comment I make like its some kind of ridiculous slander. I have no idea what I have done to piss a couple people off here.
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by averagegatsby on Nov 29, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
All signs point to goodbye
I am not disagreeing with that. I am just saying that it is certainly possible. Bradford has had ok stats under Stoops I would say. The house has been on the market since July. Do you think they decided last summer that this was Jimmy’s last year? I don’t, but maybe.
Tha chances of Clausen staying
are only slightly greater than the chances of Weis staying.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Nov 30, 2009 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
Good stuff!
I like what you said over all, and I’m also a fan of Yact Rock!
Also, Mark Texeira and Rachel Maddow… Separated at birth?
One more Fun Fact
The Notre Dame offense was unable to get tough yards.
This has been staple all year. To win close games, you need to convert these on offense and get off the field on defense. And the Irish have played 10 close games this year, going 4-6.
We know the defense couldn’t stop anyone, but the huge numbers on offense mask this glaring deficiency. They can move it up and down the field at will, but get inside the 10 or a 3rd & short in crunch time, and this team did not get it done. A small sample of this includes:
- Failed 3rd & 2 that resulted in punting back to Stanford for the winning score
- 2 red zone field goals in 2nd half against UConn
- Numerous failed red zone trips against Navy
Especially in this last game, it became apparent that ND would never keep Stanford out of the redzone let alone the endzone. ND offense needed to score after Stanford tied it at 38, and couldn’t get 2 yards when it counted. And this was on a night when they actually ran the ball very well!
It’s just too bad that all of that talent at the offensive skill positions hasn’t translated into better than 12-12 over the last 2 regular seasons. “Not good enough” as Charlie himself has said.
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." - Ron Burgundy
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