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Thanks to the jack ass that said somthing about looking into mirrors at 12 year old boys with his loser man love like rah, all comments must now be approved before posted. Thank you so much! Go Cubs!

Relaxed the Rest of the Way

Remember all the analysts saying that the Irish were going to start 0-8 this year, well get your feet out of your mouth because they are 1-7. Yeah, yeah it's nothing to cheer about but I have had to curve my expectations for this year just a bit since the season started.

The best thing about the remaining schedule is that we now have 4 very winnable games ahead and a bye week this week to get things ironed out. Ending this season 5-7 would be as good as playing in a bowl game (considering how the season started out) and undoubtedly give a huge boost of confidence to those players that are going to be returning for their sophomore seasons. Ooops, I mean returning for another season. You know, seniors (haha), juniors (?), and sophomores.

To put the rest of the season in perspective, I no longer have to worry about being nervous about games, getting pumped up to be let down, or even yell at the TV as to why this play or that play was run. I get to cheer when a first down is made or when a pass is completed for more than 10 yards. And I'm ok with that.

Trial by fire...

Sometimes I read the paper and I think to myself that some people are just pretenders. I dare say I read more about Notre Dame than most. I can't stand reading about how much we 'suck'. I can't think of another team that has so many underclassmen playing key roles. I can not think of another team that has so many recruits coming in that will play key roles next year.

We all thought that our offense would be okay this year. We all know that isn't true. Our offense is a huge disappointment. I think our line is going to be great in a couple seasons. I think out running backs our going to be exceptional. The wide outs are already beyond what I thought they ever could have been. We are getting there, and with what we have coming in....we are getting there FAST!

Defense is a nice surprise. Our line is starting to come around. Laws is an animal, Kuntz plays twice his size. Neal and Smith are making plays. I can't say enough about our secondary.

Yesterday Notre Dame dared to struggle. Tomorrow they dare to win.

Like A Breath of Fresh Air

So the Irish got their first win of the season last weekend. I'll speak on behalf of 99% of the ND followers in the country when I say, "Thank God!" Like I mentioned on my last post, a win is a win no matter how many ways you don't move the ball.

But let me tell you how happy I am to see some of the things that this team is starting to do. Let's start with the offensive line! I know that these guys could do the job but the last couple of weeks you have played as good as I could have ever hoped. I mean Purdue only got to the QB twice and UCLA is a monster on pass rush and they only got to Clausen a few times. I'll take it. You are starting to gel and form yourself as a unit. Not individual blockers trying to do your job, but one cohesive unit that makes each and every play a success or a failure.

Next is the aggressive play of the defense. Now looking at the defensive unit the first couple of weeks you could definitely say that they were always put in impossible situations and played as well as they could have given the cards they were dealt. I will agree to a certain extent, but there were so many things that were not going the way it should have, running backs getting to the corner often and for lots of yards, no pressure on the opposing QB, and not coming up with the big stops. The last couple of weeks (I know we lost to Purdue but they came to life) this defense has come to play. With the emergence of Neal and Richardson on the outside putting pressure on the QB, Kuntz learning his role better at nose and getting lots of penetration, Torrain Smith looking to punish whomever comes into his site, these guys are getting pressure with the 4 that are rushing every play. Not to mention that when they've brought pressure, they are actually getting to the QB and causing turnovers and disrupting plays. Painter only threw 1 interception coming into that game and tossed two of them in the game, and I don't even have to tell you how this defense and it's uptempo play disrupted the Bruins last week. POTW Crum can tell you about that.

Overall, I'm glad to see these things are finally happening. Aldridge is going to be our battering ram hitting the defense over and over again and when you finally get personnel in to defend him, you throw the ball right over their heads. Clausen has got nothing but confidence right now believing that he's finally lead his team to a victory. A victory that is going to propel this team forward for the rest of the season. I'd be careful right now BC, this team has it's first win and then it's coming home to play in front of a rejuvenated home crowd, on my birthday, and are going to slap you in the mouth all day long.

The First One Is Always The Hardest....

Its about time things started going our way. Hats off to the defense! Mr. Crum you are truly my hero. Martinez is correct in saying that this win is a win, I too will take it. This win, in my eyes is very important to this team. It is their first win, and the first one can be the hardest to get. Now they know what it feels like to raise those gold helmets in victory.

The offense played conservative throughout the game. I am not a fan! I felt like I was watching UofM out there. They did however, not turn the ball over, and that is vital.

Aldridge ran the ball well (22 rushes, 52 yards, long 9). The stats really do not tell the truth. James hit the holes hard, pushed, and never fumbled! Armando Allen contributed, and again, we saw flashes of what is to come (Armando Allen 3-19).

Passing was....well.....we completed more than we dropped..lol...hows that. Jimmy was given a conservative package to work with and he did what he was told. For the day he went: 17 completions, 27 attempts, 84 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, long 15. I did like the fact that we went deep a couple times. I think we need to work on it some, but it was encouraging to see. I think we need to get a couple more recievers running deep too, maybe Kamara, or Jackson. Just a thought, what do I know.

Defense! Defense! Defense! Last night was the first time I think I have seen what the 3-4 is suppose to be capable of, and I like it! We put pressure on when we had to. Lets keep in mind that UCLA's offensive line was very experienced, hell they beat USC last year. Our 'D' came to play. I don't know if anyone notice, but our leading tackler was none of other than Pat Kuntz with 8, followed by Crum with 7. Finally a game where our line did their thing. I love it.

Enough can not be said about Crum's performance. 7 tackles, 2FR, 2FF, 2 interceptions, and that touchdown of course. I am thinking POTW honors maybe?

Oh, I almost forgot, did we kick a 48 yard field goal?

A win is a win, and this was a good one. I slept well last night. This was not just a win though. It was the first. Now we know what it is like, and I think we all want some more. Get hungry Irish, there are more games to be played, and I want another victory.

A Win is a Win

A win is a win as a win is a win along with a win being a win!

I'm just waiting for the people to start in on the win today. I'm waiting for the writers to say, "Yah, they won, BUT. . ." I know the critics (whom all predicted an 0-8 start) are not going to give ND any kind of credit for this win, but you know what, a win is a win.

I woke up this morning looking for headlines that Notre Dame finally wins and lots of talk about how they finally ended the losing streak, but you know what, nothing was on. I've been up for about an hour now and haven't as much as seen a single highlight about the game. It's amazing that if the Irish would have lost, they would have been a major topic of discussion, but they win and win by 2 touchdowns (even though they were 20 point underdogs) and nobody talks about them anymore.

I'll take this win and I'll take this win with a smile. Since I made my girlfriend drive to Wayside Bar in Kalamazoo to watch the game, and we didn't even have a drink or food for the entire second half. She didn't want to be there and she let me stay and watch since ABC didn't carry the game in my viewing area at home. This win was for Aubrie!

Let's take this win and come home to put Boston College to the test this weekend. Relax for a day boys, you got one on the board. And remember, a win is a win, regardless of how it happened.

Win or Lose

The only game Notre Dame has really come close to winning this year is "Who can be talked about the most on ESPN". This is a given really. We have lost every game by double digits points. Our offense can count their touchdowns on one hand. Our defense can count to thirty- eight pretty well by now.

That sums up our year to this point don't ya think?

Well.....to be honest I think everyone is missing the bigger picture. After everything that has occured so far our boys will not quit. They have heart and courage beyond their age. Jimmy Clausen does not have to get up after being nailed for the tenth time but he does. Armando Allen could run out of bounds after he gets the ball, but he won't. Duval Kamara could just slide to the ground after a catch but he drops his shoulder and gets more. The offensive line has taken the blame for everything, but they keep fighting in the trenches.

The Irish are young, and are fighting to make an identity for themselves. I think heart and courage are a good base for any team, and we have more than most. Its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog! GO IRISH!

And on a side note, UCLA should be scared, what does Notre Dame have to lose that they have not lost already.....

No more excuses

Is this the game where they put it all together? The game we've been waiting for through the first 5 weeks of the season. Personnel is in place, the true players are on the field, and the coaching staff has a full range of plays that it knows and knows when to use. There are no more excuses.

It doesn't even matter if Notre Dame wins this game. They need to come out with an attitude that they are the better team and that they are going to win this game. We will be able to tell right away by how the players play if they are in this to win it. For the seniors, it's your turn to turn the season around. These younger players are ready to go now and are running at full speed.

Just a side note, I'm going to be very upset if this game is not nationally televised. I know that ABC is picking it up, but it's going to be more regionalized. I do not want to get stuck having to go to my local pub to watch. I need the comfort of my home!

Clausen QB, I'll take the TD

There is no doubt in my mind that, barring injury, Jimmy Clausen will remain as the starting QB for Notre Dame so far this season.

Let's think about this. This team has pulled almost a complete 180 from how they played 4 weeks ago. Jimmy had time to throw the ball against Purdue and show an absolute cannon of an arm and a confidence to throw the different passes down the field. This was finally a game that we could see him make some freshman mistakes (the throw back across his body that resulted in an INT). But you know what, it's ok, he was checking down receivers, fled the pocket and was trying to make something happen. It wasn't like he didn't have time to throw and just threw a junk ball. I'll take that kind of INT.

Now, this has to be told, regardless of how excited I was about scoring more TD's this past weekend, they almost should not have happened. I mean look at the 4th down catch by Carlson in the endzone. I know, I know, he's an all-american caliber TE and has better than excellent hands, but come on. We all said the same thing when they lined up with 7 TEs and then Jimmy tossed a ball towards 4 defenders and Carlson. But the points went on the board. I can accept that. But my god did it have to be that freekin' close of a pass!!!???!!! And the other pass to Tate (Trust the Midas Touch) on the other 4th down (I'm sorry, this might not have been 4th down but I was knee deep in the keg I was drinking from by then) was another pass that made me grasp when the ball was released. "No, No, No, we don't need that many yaar. . . .wooooohoooo yeeeeeeaaaaahhh. . great catch!!" was the reacting in the room full of fans I was watching with.

Like I said, this is what I wanted to see, the excitement of a comeback. We just need to figure out now how to put a whole game together and implement both a running game and passing game. I know that that's the goal every week, but it seemed to be heavily directed towards the passing game this week because we got down early. I definitely don't want to be UCLA this weekend and playing this team that is just dying for an offensive/defenseive explosion!

Oh, and just because it wasn't on the kick-offs, Golden Tate was the difference maker.