Notre Dame Recap

by BSD on Sep 9, 2006 11:11 PM EDT in Football Comment 9 comments

Final Score: Notre Dame 41 - Penn State 17

Joe Paterno always says, "You're never as good as you think you are when you win, and you're never as bad as you think you are when you lose." Reality check, Nittany Lion fans: we got whooped by a good team today, the #4 team in the nation. But take heart in that we're not as bad as the score indicates. Notre Dame played a perfect game today. We made too many mistakes. Three turnovers. Dropped passes. Another muffed field goal snap. Failing to jump on Zbikowski's fumble. Costly penalties, although I thought the clipping penalty was bogus.

But it's important we not lose focus that there are still ten games to go and we haven't played a single game in the Big Ten schedule. And there are some bright spots from the team's performace we can build on going forward. We moved the ball pretty well despite the fact we didn't score many points. We had 383 yards of total offense compared to the Irish's 397. The Lions rolled up 192 yards rushing when you take out the sacks, which far exceeded my expectations. The bottom line is we have a young team that isn't ready to win these types of big games yet, but they'll get there soon.

I want to say one more thing, and this is going to sound like a little bit of sour grapes. But I thought Notre Dame was a little late in calling off the dogs for my taste. I thought it showed a lack of class still throwing the ball and going for it on fourth down twice when you're up by 31 points in the fourth quarter. But even that I was border line ok with, but when they scored the last touchdown to go up by 38 points, NBC showed Charlie Weis pumping his fist in celebration on the sideline. I thought that showed a lack of class. Clap for your players. High five them when they come to the sideline. But head coaches don't pump their fist when they're running up the score.

That's all I'm going to say on that. Now I'm going to go continue drowning my sorrows. Tomorrow we start to look ahead to Youngstown State.

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Guess that validates your run up the score theory

When even a the opposing team's fans agree with you Mike, I guess it's not sour grapes. Guess all this classiness we've heard about doesn't exist. But hey, at least there not as bad as others, that makes it ok. See ya next year in Happy Valley.

by Galen on Sep 10, 2006 11:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the game

As to running up the score, I think what happened was permissible but not very classy. Their starters didn't play the entire game but they were still throwing for TDs. Not classy at all.
That being said, there are several good things to take away from the game. The o-line played very well, and the defensive line played well early in the game. The turnovers and seemingly endless mistakes that turned the ball back to ND completely wore out our defense. It reminded me of two years ago. Could YSU come to Happy Valley at a better time?

GO STATE!

by GLORYOFOLDSTATE on Sep 10, 2006 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

at least

tony hunt played decently...

by dbeach13 on Sep 10, 2006 11:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

feel free to rationalize all you wish

With 12:07 in the 4th quarter Walker scored on a touchdown pass from Quinn on a drive that Notre Dame converted a 4th down on to make the score 41 to 3. Going for 4th down conversions in the 4th quarter of a game you are up by 31 points with your starters in and still throwing the ball is completely classless, but do what you must to make yourselves feel better. Penn State has no rival right now but Weis put Notre Dame on the teams to hate list.

by Galen on Sep 11, 2006 11:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't worry....

YOu guys will always take the crown when it comes to "Teams to Hate".

by speedomike02 on Sep 11, 2006 8:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Going back to what I said,

I was borderline ok with the fake punt, but when they were up 28 points on a team that only scored 3 points in the first three quarters, going for the touchdown instead of the field goal was a bit much. But even that I was ok with, until I saw Weis pumping his fist on the sideline. A coach with class would have turned up the sideline and kept his eyes pointed at the ground. Try pumping your fist when you get a home run in baseball and you're up by ten points. You'll get a fastball in the ear your next at bat. The same thing applies here. I'm glad Joe had the class to not complain about it, but if the shoe were on the other foot, he would have punted the first time and kicked the field goal the second time.

by BSD on Sep 11, 2006 11:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was in the stands...

Crewcut Charlie and his subway alumni friends deserved the victory...no doubt. However, even Charlie would admit that he was putting one on PSU at the end. It is acceptable in my book if that was Quinn's back-up wearing number 10...but it wasn't. I don't believe the ND backups got in until AFTER we scored our first TD. We pulled Morelli before Quinn left for god sake.

Its all well and good though Domer's...yes, we thought we could handle your team this year. We couldn't--at least not right now. You have a veteran team, with good leadership in Quinn, the Shark and Zibby. You won't have them next year...and the savior Jimmy Clausen's first game away from home will be at night with 110,000 of his closest friends waiting for him.

And I promise you one thing...there will be a replay loop of that fake punt running in one persons head for the next 350 days. That person is Joe Paterno.

I look forward to welcoming the Domer's into Happy Valley next year...turn about, is absolutely fair play.

Steve

State High Class of 92 Penn State Class of 96

by NittanySteve on Sep 12, 2006 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Right...

I'm sure that's exactly what Charlie was thinking. He was happy for the kid...

It would be nice if you weren't anonymous. Would love to invite you to State College for next years game. Maybe I'll invite the Zombie as well...you know, the Zombie who has as many victories in the last year as Charlie has in his ENTIRE coaching career.

I love ND fans...

State High Class of 92 Penn State Class of 96

by NittanySteve on Sep 12, 2006 2:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

AT LEAST TWO LION SHIRKERS SPOTTED vs. ND

Notre Dame ran up the score because they are focused on BCS position and winning a national championship. Penn State was intimidated, by the crowd and by their own reticense, from the looks of it."

I distinctly saw a "quitter" mentality on the Penn State side, on at least two plays. On one play a Penn State receiver failed to stretch his arms and his body for a long pass which was just slightly overthrown. So that he "short-armed" the ball, rather than gather it in and take a hit.

And what really burns me, on the Notre Dame recovery of a Notre Dame punt around the 20-yard line in the first half, the player closest to the loose ball was a Penn State player who elected NOT to fall on the ball, but rather wait for a perfect bounce or roll or something - in any event, a more aggressive and hungry ND player pounced on it, ND then drove the length of the field for a TD, and that, as they say, was the ball game.

If I were the coach I would bench these two clowns for two games. Football is about being aggressive, hungry, taking hits - for Christ sake - and GETTING DIRTY. We have a couple cancers on this team who want to fake their way through it all and keep their pretty white uniforms clean. NOT GOOD!

Penn State; REAL National Champions, 1969.

by quakerstate on Sep 13, 2006 12:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs