This season Notre Dame has been subject to an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. Each week has been a surprise grab bag-mostly of the unpleasant kind. From the high of beating Michigan to the now low of losing to Boston College; Notre Dame has only proved one fact for sure.
Notre Dame has some good receivers.
As unlikely as it seems, nothing else is truly set in stone and there are so many questions. After the bore-fest that was the so called "Holy War," Coach Weis finally admitted to what many fans and analysts have been saying all along. The play calling has been very questionable at times, and the offense terribly inconsistent.
Some will be preening and primping themselves wanting to claim they saw it all along, others of us tried to have faith and hope that they were merely wrinkles to be ironed out.
Once again a situation proves, ignoring the facts do not make them go away. What has gone away is the Notre Dame fandom's faith in Haywood as a play caller. As much as everyone doesn't want to admit it, at team who ranks 95th in the nation should not try and run for a first on fourth and eight. We have seen that play called as well as others that share the quality to make a stomach develop ulcers.
Football is a chess match on a grass board. There are plays that a defense no matter how good cannot defend; as well as plays that no matter how many times you run it-it still won't work. Some people are good at chess. At anticipating what the opponent will do. Of making them do what they want.
Some people—not so much
Anyone sitting through a number of Notre Dame's games this season has felt the dread of being in a slow and agonizing check mate from the gun. There are many questions that have yet to be asked much less answered.
- Should someone who has never called plays before learn on the job at Notre Dame?
- Is Coach Haywood being hampered by trying to conform to Coach Weis's scheme?
- Will Weis taking over the play calling really make a difference when the offensive line cannot hold off a three man rush?
- Can Weis do the hard thing and fire someone who isn't doing their job?
Tuesday at his first press conference of the week, Coach Weis has declared that he will be game planning and calling plays against Navy on Saturday. He has left it open that he may continue to do so for the rest of the season.
This comes after a death in Coach Haywood's family and he will be missing time this week to be with them. I have a personal suspicion that Notre Dame will be somewhat more effective this week than they were last week.
My basis for this is the game against Tennessee in 2005. The Vols came in with a vaunted defense that was going to shut out Notre Dame. Weis opens up with three screen passes to spread out the defense. From there Brady Quinn simply did what Brady Quinn does.
Weis can scheme.
Notre Dame had the Trojans on the ropes that same year and if not for poor corner play on fourth and long, Notre Dame knocks off USC in a game that they were expected to get run out of the stadium.
Navy doesn't have a great defense and if the Irish come to play they can simply outscore the Midshipmen and avoid another loss to Navy. However, the true test will not be against Navy. It will be the rest of the season as a whole. Coach Weis is in no danger of being fired this season, and most likely not next season either.
Weis has taken a step towards righting run-away ship that is the Notre Dame Football team. Time will tell if he will be able to answer the rest of the questions. To you who say now, “I told you!" Well, you called it.
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about 1 month ago
I liked the article. It is a tough situation for Coach Haywood to come in and call plays at Notre Dame especially when you really only have half a playbook to operate from. The Irish need to develop some fierocity on their offensive line and get that running game going. Weis was at his best because he had Darius Walker that was a threat out of the back field to catch and run the ball. He didn't have break away speed by any means but he had just enough that defenses had to honor him. The Irish have some quality backs but they have not established themselves enough to be a threat. Weis will dominate Navy and the 'Cuse. I would really like to see him play USC really close and earn some respect. But more important than all of the above they need to go to a bowl game and "WIN". It would be a great way to finish the season and it would definately help them in recruiting.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks Nate,
I whole heartedly agree. While I don't think it spells the end of the Irish by any stretch of the imagination; I do think that ND is in a tough situation. They have the backs as you say, but they do lack the precision on the offensive line to really explode of the line like they should. From what I have seen it is simple technique that the line isn't really doing that well on, footwork mostly. Turk does a good job most of the time, but they rest are spotty. When the rest of the line catches up to him in precision then ND will be able to run the ball and then ND will reach their potential.
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