I could watch Golden Tate run go routes and fades all day. Can anyone recall another WR who dominated CBs on go routes and fades like this?
Michael | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 7:04 pm | #

Thanks for posting that. I had such a great time watching our Irish come to life. Bring on 2009!
Phillip McCart | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 7:32 pm | #

The bowl game shows that ND has some guys that can make plays. The athleticism of the offensive line has too improve for the Irish to beat a good team though. And some running backs that are more skilled (Wood? Riddick?) would be nice as well.
www.southbendblarney.com | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 9:00 pm | #

I noticed how many of those TDs came off play action. The success we had early in the game running (with Hughes especially) set that up.

I know we didn't run as much as some would have liked, but we did run to set up the pass in the way Weis often does.
Kris | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 9:38 pm | #

The look on the face of Hawaii's coach after the Clausen-Tate TD at the end of the first half reminds me of Brock Spack, '05. Haven't seen that look on an opposing coach in a long time. Good times.
bgr | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 9:54 pm | #

Thank you for all of the videos and commentary, and for the extra "notes" link. Almost any of your notes would be welcome topics for a rainy (snowy) day. Of particular interest to me: (1) can the loose, fun team in Hawaii make regular appearances on the field in South Bend, and (2) why so much trouble with stretch running plays?

Again, thanks for the great recap.

(and congratulations to the Irish hockey team for starting the second half of the season with a win)
Louie | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 10:08 pm | #

It was truly great to see the Irish have an easy win; nice Christmas presnt.Yes, there definitely is talent in the skill positions. BGS- thanks for the great work as always. The reference to "the four plays" brought back awful memories, but is was deliciously sweet to see tOSU get beat in excruciating fashion.

However, the reality of how far away we are was very evident to me in watching last nights BCS National Championship game. It's not in the skill positions (at least not WR, but Percy Harvin is MUCH better than Armando Allen and Chris Brown is better than any back we have). But the linemen on both sides of the ball are playing a different game than ours. Both sets of LBs are much faster/impactful than ours and even the DBs look better.

Is it too early to start hoping Urban Meyer gets bored winning NCs at Florida and wants to pursue his dream job?

Jay, your point in the other post about Swarbrick's comment is awesome and you're right; nice to see a specific goal. I'm in the fire Weis camp and so what if we go 9-3 or 10-2 next year if we get blown out by 'SC again. ND won't be back ... TRULY BACK ... until we beat USC no matter who else who've we beaten during the year.
Irish Rat | Email | Homepage | 01.09.09 - 10:33 pm | #

Great job boyz.
You break it down better then any site out there, including the pay for's
Well done.
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 1:12 am | #

The above is moi.
Thanks Pat.
jim masterson | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 1:13 am | #

This is what will get me by untill next season.

Good job Pat.
Mexican Irish | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 3:07 am | #

I really appreciated the opportunity to look at these, now that the Hawaii game had receded a bit in my memory. It'll be nice to look at similar highlights with respect to a BCS bowl win next year.

You are right, that is Golden Tate on the kickoff return, knocking someone down, falling way behind Allen, and then he's right next to him running into the end zone. He is fast!

IrishRat mentioned Urban Meyer and his "dream job" comment. I am definitely ambivalent (is that oxymoronic, or just moronic?) about Meyer. Yeah, he'd make us into winners, but I certainly don't like his recruiting tactics. The easiest solution is for Charlie to take us a long way next year, and the year after, and the year after,.... You get the picture.

Are others ambivalent about Meyer?

Go Irish!
Bernie P. ND '74 | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 3:32 am | #

Did anyone else notice how the officials are always pushing the players towards the sidelines immediately after a touchdown? WTF is up with that?
Russell | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 9:52 am | #

Thanks for these awesome highlights!

Would it also be possible to post the Tate TD on a punt return that got called back? In my opinion, that was a terrific play that belongs on the highlight reel, even though it got called back. Tremendous individual, never say die effort.
Colonel Klink | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 10:33 am | #

Col, good idea. I'll see if I can clip it.
Jay | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 10:58 am | #

The officials were apparently doing "preventative officiating." By hustling the players off the field after a score, they avoid excessive celebration situations, which lead to bad blood, which could lead to problems later on. They may have been aware that Hawai'i was involved in at least two bench-clearing brawls in the last year, and may have wanted to keep the lid on what turned out to be a very one-sided game.
DJ | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 12:58 pm | #

Bernie P. I am as well. Some of what Meyer gets away with in Florida wouuld create a media frenzy in South Bend. Not sure of the fit. Do not care if he was an assistant before. As a head coach, he does not have someone directing him, he is responsible for setting the tone.

Kris. Your comments are insightful. Early rund set up some of the passing. And you are 100% right. We ran to game plan. That was to exploit the secondary. The run only needed to keep the defense semi-honest. This was a different team. They played for 60 minutes.

The most thought provoking of the comments: "That waterslide clip, and the luau shots, etc... The importance of all that cannot be overstated. I think ND can be a stifling environment, from the academic pressures, to the "no-fun" rules (especially this year, with the Yeatman situation)...It's like baseball players who tense up and can't hit in the postseason. So I can't applaud enough the decision to get out to Hawaii for this game, and especially to mix in some fun. I think these guys needed some balance, and I think this was just the thing."

So much for not bowling in Hawaii!!
JP | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 12:58 pm | #

That DB is very smart (see screen to Allen video). He gets one look at Chris Stewart coming his way and decides to get on the ground and out of his way as soon as possible. If he didn't, we'd probably still be picking pieces of him out from between the 5 and the 9 on CS's jersey.

Also, good call on Tate's speed on that KO return. He is running faster than Allen, except he has his right arm raised in the air while doing so!

Let's hope this sets the tone for next year. Three months until the Blue/Gold game, only about seven and a half until Nevada!
Domer Guy | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 1:07 pm | #

Bernie P. - Think many folks dislike Urban Meyer. I do. And in my case it is less about him not coming to ND (which I was glad he didn't) and more his demeanor. Just seems like an untrustworthy person.

IrishRat - I watched the BCS Championship game and thought the opposite of you. I saw two teams with some exception players - Tebow, Bradford, Harvin, Brown - but very mediocre teams compared to watching USC or Utah. Missed tackles, seives for offensive lines, LBs out of position. I wasn't sure if it was that these teams were just not that good or they were suffering from being off for too long. Anyway I remembered thinking that USC would beat these teams by three TDs and that if these are the #1 and #2 teams, then maybe we really aren't that far off from competing.
Old Fan | Email | Homepage | 01.10.09 - 7:27 pm | #

I do not get ESPN so did not see the game. It looks like Tate had one part of his foot on the line before both feet were in bounds. Am I missing something?

Thanks
GB | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 12:33 am | #

GB, He got the other foot down first. During the game, I first thought it was going to be reversed, then after seeing another replay, you could see the other foot came down first.
pups | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 12:48 am | #

Those where some nice clips.Where is the love for the D??? They had eight sacks. This is the best game we played in two years. On others note Does anybody know when Manti will sign??
IN WEIS WE TRUST!!!!!!


Tate+IRISH=GOLDEN
StadiumDudeNamedChip | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 10:57 am | #

should we all move on....after all, it was only Hawaii for 7-6.
joseba | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 1:06 pm | #

Joseba - you are correct, but it was more fun to watch than "only" Syracuse!
Domer Guy | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 1:08 pm | #

This was the first game where Allen stumbled during a long run and kept his balance to keep going. That was the best Christmas present ever.

In previous games, he would have fallen down as he approached the kicker.
me | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 2:22 pm | #

minute 6.50 or 7 of the hawaii game chris stewart just man shoves a hawaii player that flies about 4 yards in the air. I thought it was funny. And it was one of hawaiis best players.
CommonSense | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 3:18 pm | #

Sunday Press Enterprise newspaper, Riverside, CA has Pollard stating that he had dinner with UCLA coach Neuhestal on Wednesday and now is going to UCLA instead of ND
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 3:24 pm | #

I am sure that whatever Neuheisel is doing, it is totally above board.

Neuheisel = Ethical.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/ hu...56_husk09.shtml

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/c...- timeline_x.htm
DCDomer | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 4:31 pm | #

Yeah, living here in Colorado, near Boulder, I got an eyeful of Neuheisel's "ethics". Nonetheless, I hear that Pollard was shaky for ND anyway.
Bernie P. ND '74 | Email | Homepage | 01.11.09 - 10:30 pm | #

good ridance to pollard. if he doesnt want to be here he doesnt deserve it
CommonSense | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 9:21 am | #

On Pollard --
Now that I've been closely watching recruiting for about five years, I can honestly say that losing Pollard was the first time that losing a verbal comittment didn't ruin my day. I heard the news and thought "his loss". Now if we lost Cierre Wood or Stockton to Florida, I would be irate. It is nice to know that we actually have a really solid crew of corner backs. Walls, Blanton, McNeil, (Gray if he re-enrolls during the summer), Slaughter, and EJ Banks coming in. It is nice to know that we can afford to lose somebody. This doesn't sting like losing Omar Hunter or Trattau. Those guys were key position losses that literraly set us back in the Win/Loss column. We'll be fine without Pollard. I think that we all saw the Pollard switch coming.
Christian | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 9:22 am | #

It was a position that we have lots of debth in. Not a huge loss, well maybe for Polland...

Hopefully there will be some last minute big signings.
NOEL | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 11:42 am | #

How much of us finally opening up the passing game has to do with Floyd being back to take some pressure off of Tate, give him more one on one situations?

I know the early success running with Hughes is also key, but the fact that we can put two WRs on the field who can burn nearly any defense (except for the really physical defenses; we're still growing up on that issue)has to help significantly next year. Our OL doesn't look quite as pathetic (though still not good) when we have two deep threats for Clausen to choose from, not to mention the TE.

..now if we could just teach the OL how to shove the ball down the defense' throats on a 3rd and 2...I think that's about all the honesty we need with the run game to open up passing lanes for Clausen.

-As to Urban Meyer, I don't really like him either or his recruiting tactics, but he also seems to bond well with the team and knows how to lead college kids. And the fact that we could win an NC much more easily with him makes it harder for me to say no.
JM | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 1:01 pm | #

Bernie P.:

Completely agree with you about Urban Meyer. I think he's a great coach with very poor character, and don't want him anywhere near ND. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one.

The one thing that made me laugh while reading the linked game notes was the comment about Sergio Brown's unsportsmanlike penalty. I noticed during the game that a couple times after the penalty, he did the same thing after he made a play (just on a much smaller scale) while glancing around furtively as if to make sure nobody was watching. It cracked me up every time.
Jade | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 1:08 pm | #

For some reason I am still a Charlie backer, so it is not just wanting Meyer for me to say that he conducted himself pretty well over the BCS period, and his comments about ND seemed sincere, so I think some of Urban bashing is still sour grapes.
Our best chance to get him is in 3-4 years when Charlie has been reasonably successful, but no NC, and Meyer is ready to move on from Fla.
Of course if Charlie wins, its all academic.
canuck 75 | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 3:48 pm | #

For all of those that say we don't have running backs that are good, you are very mistaken. We just don't believe in running games that is all.
When I saw Hughes getting his first carry and make a first down or close for the hawai game, I realized that something change about the team, even the normal slow hand offs by clausen were fast. We do have good running backs they just don't get used that often. Watch out for Hughes, Jonas Gray and Armando. This team is going to be good next year we just need Dayne Cryst to push Clausen to manage the offense better.
Go Irish
Jean | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 4:28 pm | #

What running game we did have in the Hawaii Bowl demonstrated hitting the holes hard, more pace on the handoff from Jimmy, etc. I wonder if turf had anything to do with it.

One thing I noticed was that, while we were successful on play action, Jimmy's fake wasn't the most compelling in the world--just a quick bob out to the back. If we can run it better, and if Jimmy can work on selling the run in play action, it can only lead to good things. BQ was pretty good at it, and Rick Mirer was outstanding at it.
Kris | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 6:06 pm | #

The Coaches Convention is going on in Nashville and I hope Latina and Mendoza find new programs to weaken. Anybody have any damn news about any damn thing?
Voice in the Wilderness | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 7:52 pm | #

The news, Voice, is that as hard as Tom Thayer and I try, you still refuse to learn. But I have faith in you. See you next season. Stay well...we will be watching
Domerplayer | Email | Homepage | 01.12.09 - 8:01 pm | #

So I take it Pollard was some sort of defensive back? Can you tell that I haven't been following recruiting too closely this year?

I am excited for national signing day, though, and for all of the analysis that comes with it. Hopefully it will be good, with little Irish-related drama.
Dave in the Basement | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 8:36 am | #

Any recruiting news out there? Are we going to get any surprise commits in these last few weeks? Any word on Te'o?
Alex | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 8:38 am | #

Someone mentioned something above about Gary Gray re-enrolling in the summer. Did I miss something? Is he officially taking a leave of absence? Personal reasons? I know he didn't make the trip to Hawaii, but I don't know if I ever heard why or what happened since then.
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 9:55 am | #

I read in the SB trib this morning that Latina is responsible for 5 of our current commits. That probably means that, if he gets canned, it won't be until AFTER NSD.
Word on the street | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 10:10 am | #

Gary Gray is not enrolled for the spring semester. People close to Gray are saying that he plans on coming back to school for the summer.
Christian | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 12:43 pm | #

"For some reason I am still a Charlie backer, so it is not just wanting Meyer for me to say that he conducted himself pretty well over the BCS period, and his comments about ND seemed sincere, so I think some of Urban bashing is still sour grapes."

Sour grapes about what? The recruiting thing? At least in my case, that has nothing to do with it. And it doesn't have anything to do with him refusing the job at ND in '04 either. It has to do with plenty of things that he has said over the years and the types of trouble that many of his players get in. The fact that he coached in South Bend for a couple years (and publicly calls it his "dream job" while coaching somewhere else) isn't enough to make me forget all of that. My sense of him is that he is an untrustworthy guy. That has nothing to do with "sour grapes."
Jade | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 1:08 pm | #

I can seriously watch this over and over again (like I am right now)
Franco | Email | Homepage | 01.13.09 - 7:24 pm | #

That DB on Allen's screen pass touchdown shows us that discretion is the better part of valor. He looked like a guy dodging an oncoming car.
Sean F | Email | Homepage | 01.14.09 - 11:10 am | #