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Tommy has played more QB at ND already than he reasonably could have expected to play in an entire 4 year career. He’s been treated fine.

Joe Montana wasn’t the best practice player and was often relegated to 2-3rd string because of it. However, when you put him onto the field, magic happened. We need to try the same 35 years later to see who has magic in their veins.

I agree with a lot of what your saying, just don’t thin the circumstances around the blue gold game were the appropriate place to make the move that’s. Major reason, golsen has had 1 session of spring practices to run with the 1st team. Just bad timing is all. I will let Kelly know what the pulse of his team is, we are not in the locker room.

Throws 2 INTs in one half against USF. They lose; he starts the next game.
Personally turns it over 3-4 times against UM, they lose, starts the next game.
Plays absolutely terribly against USC; they lose; starts the next game
Plays badly against Pitt, BC, Wake; starts the next game
Played terribly against Stanford, starts the Bowl game
Plays even worse against FSU, starts the Spring game.

At what point does BK stop making Tommy’s feelings a priority and say “ENOUGH”???
There’s NEVER a good time to deliver bad news. Just DO IT.

If he starts in Ireland, BK is taking a huge step toward becoming the next failed Irish coach.

COME ON.

Do you think the players don’t know that he’s sub par?
They practice every day against Golson (who was the scout team player of the year) and Hendrix (who I’m not a huge fan of, but is light years better than Rees).
Then they watch film of Rees playing bad football against the likes of Maryland, Pitt, Army and Tulsa. Not to mentione USC, FSU, Stanf, UM.
Then they go out the following Saturday and Rees is the QB again.
The players want this offense to have a SPARK more than they want to protect Tommy Rees.

I understand your point but the counter to that is this: Spring was the perfect time to send the team a message that if you play QB for ND and turn the ball over 19 times YOU’RE ACCOUNTABLE and it’s time for someone else to take over.

Instead BK has treated this kid with kid gloves like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

I don’t get it. And I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him at QB, either.

No doubt there would be BK supporters justifying his call : D

And don’t give me any crap about Christ getting yanked with no second chance. There has to be more to that story behind then scenes that is not public information. Maybe he went in at half time and said something like I can’t win with these losers.

Unfortunately I’ve seen no evidence of either.

If he’s really had an epiphany re: Rees’ inability to play the position, then why did he have him starting the B&G game? Why so many snaps in practice? Why so many favorable and supportive comments? And if the system has been simplified, why can’t EG or AH learn it?

If he’s seen the light on the QB, you’d think that, especially after the FSU and Stanford games, he’d just go all in with one of the other three. No need to humiliate Rees and publicly demote him, but for God’s sake, your future is on the line and this is big boy football. Quit worrying about hurting someone’s feelings and give the keys to EG, AH or even GK.

Bottom line: If there’s no suspension, I think there’s a decent chance, maybe 50%, that Tommy is the QB in Ireland. And in that case, BK will be doing the George Perles walk.

I say that Kelly is getting guys that want to be at ND because more and more I see players who support one another. I see a team that is building a solid running game with several good backs. I see a team that runs more than any Notre Dame team since Lou Holtz left.

I see the best O line and D line in 20 years. I see a new offensive coordinator who wants a simplified offensive system. This all shows that we can turn over quarter backing duties to a less experienced QB who can enhance our running game.

Brian Kelly can see the writing on the wall. Another season with Rees running the show will be the end of this great incoming recruiting class and the end of any hope of ND returning to greatness under Kelly. None of the four quarter backs that we have at this time can throw the ball 30+ times a game. However we have two quarter backs that can run a spread running offense built on a strong O line. Powered by a strong running game with a ton of speed and the best tight end in college football.

I think this is what will happen giving Notre Dame the time to build up our two youngest quarter backs who also have the most skill. This will also allow us to recruit talented outside wide outs to open up an even more explosive offense.

You heard it here first. A glorious future.

What makes you think the guys BK is getting “want to be at ND’ more than the ones Weis got? Or Willingham?
Yes, BK has some great guys, and more on the way. Not the issue. Even Faust was a decent recruiter.

As far as it “coming to an end”, I hope so, but have to see it on the field.
We’re just a couple months removed from the B&G Game when we saw:
1) BK start a QB who arguably could not start for any other top 50 program. Maybe top 75.
2) 6 turnovers
3) A talented QB who’s been there over a year and still doesn’t know the playbook.

WTF? When does it end?

Now if coach Kelly can get one of his young talented quarter backs ready for this season we could see the start of something special. To me all the signs are pointing to a team that plays front 7 defense getting preasure in the backfield protecting that young secondary. On offense I see a young up and coming QB that will control the clock use that stable of running backs their all American TE throwing nice short passes to the explosive receivers. Ofcourse keep the defense honest and show off that great team speed down the field with our strong armed mobile QB who can either keep the ball and run or throw deep. Those two elements have been greatly missed these past few years.

GO IRISH!!!!!!

Just win coach Kelly!!!!!!!!

I couldn’t agree with you more that if’s or could be’s don’t amount to wins. Bottom line ND didn’t beat south Florida in a game that made me sick. I don’t know if crist would have played better in the 2nd half but I think that he deserved to fail or win because he earned that by being the teams starter for the game.

For me the B&G game was a horrific omen.
Yes, some nice things took place.
But after a year when turnovers took them into the crapper time and time and time again… how do you practice an ENTIRE SPRING with coaches harping on ball security, then come out and play like that.

I had hoped Chuck Martin taking over the O would help.
Doesn’t seem to be the case.

Are we to STILL believe the “we’ll get that corrected” stuff?

I love ND. I still like Kelly a lot. There are definitely good things going on.
But I am disappointed in him as a game day coach and a developer of talent.

The arrow on him is still pointing up in my opinion.
But it’s not at 12 o’clock anymore. More like 2:00
Tick, tick, tick …….

Yes times have changed in college football, but the same thing that made coaches great in Rockne’s time still make great coaches today. Inspiration is timeless. And unfortunately, as I learned from my HS teacher, can’t be taught.

Crist getting thrown overboard, Rees starting under ANY condition, the FSU game, the last drive of the UM game, the fateful drive against USC, having a playbook that apparently no one can learn, the penalties and the turnovers, etc.

Then add to that how they’ve been flat and played DOWN to their level of opponent so many times. Struggling to beat Wake Forest, BC and Pitt last year. Looking like they were on Xanax against USC on nat’l TV. Frankly they didn’t look all that great against Army and Maryland.

The first two years have been pretty sickening.

I repeat, I still like BK. But his game management and player development and team discipline (on the field) need to improve significantly. I’m not so sure they will.

And to whoever made the point that it’s unreasonable to expect a first year coach to excel … disagree emphatically. How about Ara? Different era altogether I realize, but there are other examples of guys coming into a program, cracking the whip and seeing immediate improvement.

I realize this BK debate can go round in circles for eternity, so for the sake of more argument, I’ll agree with most of your post… specifically the good call/bad call philosophy. As we all can see from the USC dropped pass for the winning score against us, the bounce of the ball is what determines most fate. But aside from the fickle finger of fate, I find a number of Kelly’s calls and personnel moves indefensible. I am surprised there’s not been more discussion over his mishandling of Riddick’s talent. All the back and forth in positioning has turned a once promising careers into another Powlus redux. You have contradicted your own argument, though. In your First post, you said he had no depth and had to play these young men before being prepared -a fair assessment -and then you said he made calls where he he had to TRUST his guy to make the play. I think your right on both counts… which is why I think BK is in way over his head. That sounds like decisions made from a panic mode. THEN he overreacts in the media to basically cover his gaffe by laying it on the kids. It looks like the one thing we can all agree on is that we are getting a lot of mixed signals from the Kelly camp and you are misdirected if you think his current players and future recruits aren’t picking up on it. ND tradition will buy him another 2 or 3 years of kids glowing about the chance to be Irish, but he better start producing in a big way or that aura goes away.

The changing of our defensive strategy during the FSU game was down right stupid. Pressure was all over the FSU backfield in the first half then we pull back in the second half giving a frazzled QB time to set his feet and kill us.

As for the USC game placing Hendrix in to try and do some Tim Tebow type of play was a good call if ND gave time during practice to get that play right. How the play turned out I’d say Kelly devoted no time to that play during the teams prep time. So overall a bad prep time leads to poor results on the field.

However I disagree that Kelly should have been prepared because of his long career in college football. Nothing in life can prepare a coach for life and game time at ND. Most people bring up how tough the schedule is as an excuse. I only think ND has a tough schedule because the diversity of the teams we play. No other school plays option teams, pro style and spread offensive teams. ND this season will play ACC teams, PAC 12 teams, BIG10 and BIG12 teams throwing in a few independent teams. There’s not another school that plays such a wide diversity of teams.

My point being that most teams worry about opponents in their conference who for the most part are built much like each other to beat each other. It’s very difficult to build a team that can face offenses and defenses that they’ve rarely or never seen while being able to beat the regular teams they face all the time.

My last point is that Kelly and the rest of ND’s coaching staff had never seen Navy’s triple option before two seasons ago. Trying to prep for something you rarely coach against is tough. After all look at the game this past season to see how much better ND was prepared for the second meeting. It’s tough stopping that power triple option that navy plays because that game is the only time you see it.

1. “As for putting Rees in the game removing Crist after only one bad half is a strange call. However it worked. Rees played ND back into that game making it a win able game.”

ND lost that game.
Rees threw 2 INTs in one half of play . That’s a rate of 4 per game.You and others who defend Rees love to cite his W/L record as if he’s a pitcher, but make excuses when he plays and they lose. ND lost and Rees contributed to that.

2. “If Tommy had completed the pass to Floyd versus Tulsa that would have been a great play call.”

There are no “IF”s in sports. If you give ND an “if”, you have to give Tulsa an “if”. More importantly, he DIDN’T complete the pass. He threw a flat ball without enough air under it. Translation: Lousy pass. Interception. ND loses. Good call/bad call? I get your point but it’s moot. Execution was terrible.

3. “See all a coach can do is put in his best or best available player and send in his play.”

Agree 100%, but BK has failed here at the QB position. The best player has NOT been playing.

4. “However the starting QB going into the season was a true freshman superstar named Ron Powlus. A QB who was projected to win 2 or more Heismans”

Powlus goes down as one of ND’s most monumental disappointments. He was NEVER a superstar. Yes there was blather about how great he was going to be coming out of HS, but it never materialized. And Beano Cook is the only guy who projected 2 Heismans for him. Maybe it was coaching; maybe he was overrated, but Powlus looked decent his Frosh year, then seemed to regress a little every year thereafter. By his Sr year, he was awful.

Yes Kelly has made some bad decisions but I’ve never seen a coach who hasn’t done the same. His calling out of the players or driving the players away from him hasn’t seamed to be a problem. After all look at Manti returning for a senior season. I don’t know very many star NFL caliber type players returning to school for a coach they’re scared of or hate. Also look at this recruiting class. Does this class look to fear and hate Kelly?

As for going for the TD with a true freshman backup QB instead of letting your star kicker kick the go ahead score I can only say that Kelly made the tough call when it needed to be made. It was a high percentage throw that Rees should have been able to make. You’re taught to put enough air under the pass far in the corner so only your player can make the catch. Then if that doesn’t happen 9× out of 10 you still get a chance to attempt your kick. Kelly was showing that he TRUST his players to make the play. That is something you accuse Kelly of not doing. Most coaches will try to win the game on the field before they try a field goal. See Michigan vs Notre Dame for proof of that, just to name one.

Playing Hendrix in games was a great idea. That way he gets to see Hendrix play under pressure to see how he preformed. As for putting Rees in the game removing Crist after only one bad half is a strange call. However it worked. Ress played ND back into that game making it a win able game. The end always determines the success of the play call before it.

Kelly is a good coach who has made a few bad decisions I’ll agree with you at that point, every coach makes a few bad calls. Kelly has shown me that he’s not afraid to make high risk calls. What is a bad call in your mind? To most people a bad call is calling a play that doesn’t work. Going by that rational Tommy comes in during the South Florida game and wins the game that would have been a good call. Is that correct or was that just a bad call no matter what the game out come is?

If Tommy had completed the pass to Floyd versus Tulsa that would have been a great play call. Oh by the way a majority of players want a game decided on the field not on the leg of a kicker.

Let’s take a look at other coaches calls vs ND the past few seasons. Year one the O.T game vs MSU. Nd up by three in overtime when MSU makes a dumb call by faking the field goal. However the ND defensive back falls down the pass is caught for the winning TD. Case in point a bad call that turns out to look like a great call.

Everyone my point is that every call is a bad call when it fails and every good play is a bad play when it fails. See all a coach can do is put in his best or best available player and send in his play. After that it becomes up to the players to make that play work. Now yes Kelly has made some questionable personal decisions. He is around these kids more than me so I will give him the benefit of knowledge and familiarity.

You brought up coach Holtz who in ND’s last great season started senior QB Kevin McDougal who led the team to a 10-1 record plus a Cotton bowl win. However the starting QB going into the season was a true freshman superstar named Ron Powlus. A QB who was projected to win 2 or more Heismans. Had Ron not been hurt before the season we would have never seen Kevin lead that team to a number 2 final raking. Lou taught us that every team over a long college football season every team needs some luck to win.