benneboy
09-09-2007, 04:34 AM
I think it is very important to the team, the ND haters, and the recruits that we as fans stay positive about this season. Nothing would please the Mark Mays of the world more than to see us get down about this season.
1) Jimmy Clausen is the truth. He did a lot of things right even though he was under constant pressure and was limited with the play calls. The most telling play of the game for me was on the first drive when Schwap laid out the PSU linebacker. Jimmy was talking smack to a couple of the PSU players with that smile we are sure to become familiar with. Contrast that attitude with the play of Mallet and you understand how good Clausen is and will be.
2) The Defense showed once again that they have great potential if the offense ever gets on track. The line is MUCH better than expected, the secondary is top five IMO, and the linebackers were improved over last weeks performance. When we start to get leads in games and the offense comes together, we will be very difficult to beat. I really think that is what the staff is thinking as they put this 3-4 defense together. When our offense starts to click and we start to get leads in ball games the speed on the field will make it very difficult to pass the ball on us. Even though they run a 4-3 its sort of similar to the Indianapolis Colts methodology with the speedy linebackers and Freeney and Mathis on the edge.
3) The WR have potential. Now obviously potential doesn't mean jack until it starts to materialize but they showed some signs of this happening. First, it is nice to see Kamara is starting to earn the trust of coaches. We don't need every WR to be 6'4" but having at least one guy in their like that gives you a lot more options as far as play calling. He is going to make some plays in the near future. Second, Grimes showed some flashes of brilliance. He has some CJ Spiller like moves which I had not seen until yesterday which is very encouraging. No I am not calling David Grimes CJ Spiller (I think Spiller is the best player in the country) but I think we may see some electrifying plays from him this year.
4) We killed ourselves on Saturday. That game was probably a different story without the penalties. For the second week in a row a personal foul cost us 7+ points and changed the momentum of the game. The same with the false starts. This trend will NOT continue. We have the best and smartest kids of any big time program and Charlie will ensure they start using their brains.
5) Enjoy the season. It is very likely that we won't see another season like this for a very long time the way recruiting is going. Their are so many freshman playing right now and so many talented kids we are watching become football players right before our eyes and that is exciting to watch. Maybe not the best thing for winning games but our time is coming for that. You know the moment Golden came down with that bomb from Jimmy, even though it was called back, had to be the most exciting five seconds of his life. These freshman sophomores have unlimited potential and we get to watch it develop right before our eyes every saturday. In the future when we have older guys who can play, we won't get to see the younger guys take their lumps along with their first strides. Its why everybody likes the backup. Potential!
1) Jimmy Clausen is the truth. He did a lot of things right even though he was under constant pressure and was limited with the play calls. The most telling play of the game for me was on the first drive when Schwap laid out the PSU linebacker. Jimmy was talking smack to a couple of the PSU players with that smile we are sure to become familiar with. Contrast that attitude with the play of Mallet and you understand how good Clausen is and will be.
2) The Defense showed once again that they have great potential if the offense ever gets on track. The line is MUCH better than expected, the secondary is top five IMO, and the linebackers were improved over last weeks performance. When we start to get leads in games and the offense comes together, we will be very difficult to beat. I really think that is what the staff is thinking as they put this 3-4 defense together. When our offense starts to click and we start to get leads in ball games the speed on the field will make it very difficult to pass the ball on us. Even though they run a 4-3 its sort of similar to the Indianapolis Colts methodology with the speedy linebackers and Freeney and Mathis on the edge.
3) The WR have potential. Now obviously potential doesn't mean jack until it starts to materialize but they showed some signs of this happening. First, it is nice to see Kamara is starting to earn the trust of coaches. We don't need every WR to be 6'4" but having at least one guy in their like that gives you a lot more options as far as play calling. He is going to make some plays in the near future. Second, Grimes showed some flashes of brilliance. He has some CJ Spiller like moves which I had not seen until yesterday which is very encouraging. No I am not calling David Grimes CJ Spiller (I think Spiller is the best player in the country) but I think we may see some electrifying plays from him this year.
4) We killed ourselves on Saturday. That game was probably a different story without the penalties. For the second week in a row a personal foul cost us 7+ points and changed the momentum of the game. The same with the false starts. This trend will NOT continue. We have the best and smartest kids of any big time program and Charlie will ensure they start using their brains.
5) Enjoy the season. It is very likely that we won't see another season like this for a very long time the way recruiting is going. Their are so many freshman playing right now and so many talented kids we are watching become football players right before our eyes and that is exciting to watch. Maybe not the best thing for winning games but our time is coming for that. You know the moment Golden came down with that bomb from Jimmy, even though it was called back, had to be the most exciting five seconds of his life. These freshman sophomores have unlimited potential and we get to watch it develop right before our eyes every saturday. In the future when we have older guys who can play, we won't get to see the younger guys take their lumps along with their first strides. Its why everybody likes the backup. Potential!