| 30 September 2009
After taking a one week sabbatical, the Hangover is back for the Purdue game. A thrilling win on the road is always reason to celebrate, but this one is as sweet of a victory as we have had in the past couple of years. So you're saying, "It's only Purdue." Well then you just don't get it. The Irish are 3-1, which is totally different from 2-2.
Notre Dame is unranked, still, but the hate is strong. Let me explain. Notre Dame crushed its opening day cupcake 35-0. Then, they went up to Ann Arbor (whore) and was fucked by Big Integer officiating lost a tough game to a bitter rival 38-34. Next up was Michigan State in South Bend- where the Irish haven't beaten Sparty since 1993, and Notre Dame walked out of Notre Dame Stadium with the win. Finally, Notre Dame headed to West Lafayette for a night game against another rival (their 3rd rivalry game in a row) without their best WR, their top RB, and a starting QB that couldn't plant his plant foot due to an injury- AND THEY STILL WON. Notre Dame lost even more votes in the polls.
So here is your hangover...
Jimmy Clausen = Hero. With a quiet Heisman campaign underway for J
immy, he got bonus points for Saturdays victory against Purdue. Watching Clausen play in that first half was a little agonizing. After each play Jimmy struggled to even walk- let alone play quarterback. After Notre Dame got up 17-7 using Dayne Crist at QB and dominating the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball with run after run- I was surprised to see him come in at the end of the half and toss up his first interception of the year. (A cheap interception- you know it's Purdue week).
I told my buddies as the game went into halftime "Weis is sitting Jimmy down and saying, ' Your done, Let Dayne run this shit' No way he comes back unless we get down- and even then..."
Just as predicted, Crist started the second half. The Irish had chances, but never really moved the ball well as Purdue tightened up its run defense. Watching our lead turn into a hole, had me looking for another axe had me in panic mode for the final few minutes of the game. Then Jimmy led a drive that erased all fears. He did what heroes do best. They bring glory out of despair. All the children in the land laughed as the old people wept in joy. I was in between.
Robert Hughes ate his Wheaties. Roberts stats weren't eye-popping, 15 carries for 68 yards and a TD. No, it was the way in which he got those yards. He ran harder and more decisive than at anytime in the past 2 years and that's including a decent game
against Hawai'i. This is great news for the Irish faithful, and even better news for Armando Allen. He may be able to stay a bit fresher with better support under him.
Jonas Gray deserves a nod as well. Gray's rushing stats were horrible. 9 carries for 18 yards. However, he had two very nice pass receptions that went for 23 and 19 yards. Jaw-dropping? No. Effective? Yes. I think he will start to grow and grow in this offense as the year continues.
The 3rd down play. Weis was asked at his Sunday night press conference about the third down pass play to Robby Parris. The writer (not sure who yet) asked if that particular play, a deep out on the right side, was a play that Weis liked to use in that situation considering that ND used the exact play against Michigan on third down late in the game (Shaq Evan- misread), against MSU late in the game on third down (John Goodman- drop), and finally against Purdue on ND's final drive and facing 3 and 14 (Robby Parris-catch for a first down and stopped the clock by stepping out of bounds). Weis merely replied that the play set up well against the coverage (a LOT of teams try doing the same when driving to score a go ahead TD with time running down) and he wanted a " burly veteran" with Robby, catching the ball. That was Parris's only catch- but it might have been the biggest of the game outside of the Rudolph TD.
Speaking of Ivan Drago Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph : Purdue :: Ivan Drago : Apollo Creed. Rudolph must break you. Break you indeed. Rudolph had 4 receptions for 52 yards and the big TD. He has looked like the best tight end in college football- and he's only a sophomore. We better enjoy him this year and next, because the future two-time Mackey Award winner will most certainly leave ND early. What planet is he from, and how did that last pass from Clausen not go through his chest? Unreal.
Golden Tate is The Wild Leprechaun. He is amazing. Golden Tate played the Wildcat Wild Leprechaun as well as 
you can for the first time all season. He had 55 yards on 9 carries as he played tailback as well. Plus, he caught 4 balls for 52 yards and a score. While we are all waiting for someone to step up in the void left by Michael Floyd (what a poet), Tate is making sure that he stays as dangerous as ever- everywhere.
Some defensive notes. Most of these recaps are pretty offense heavy, and mine is no different. However, notes were made and notes will be printed. (Honestly, I am running out of time here).
- Darrin Walls had to catch that INT. That was my answer, when someone asked why he didn't bat it down. Walls has one INT for his career and needs the stats. It's not a bad thing. I'd rather his instincts be picking it off anyways. Give the boy some love.
- Toryan Smith and Brian Smith had a total of 6 tackles. One of those was for a loss of one yard by B. Smith. I expect more out of our linebackers. The tackle totals from these two have been lacking all season. T. Smith was a liability in pass coverage Saturday as well when he covered the slot. Ouch.
- Manti Te'o had his first sack of his career Saturday on Purdue's last effort. It was nice to see.
- Gary Gray looked like our best cover guy. He was always hip to hip on a guy. That's a good thing if you aren't related.
- Darius Fleming continues to impress me. He may of had only 4 tackles, but 3 of those were for a loss and one of those was a sack. He is definitely on the rise- and we need it badly.
- Still lots of questions surround this defense, even after only giving up 74 yards on the ground. Notre Dame still surrendered 289 yards in the air. The Irish did have 8 TFL with 2 sacks, but I am as uneasy as ever watching them. I know that they are capable of more, but can they get there? As scary bad as the rush defense was in the first two games of the season- the pass defense has been WORSE the entire year. I thought our secondary was the strength of this defense.
Oh yeah, the timeout. I'm not sure if I'm buying what Weis is selling. Spiking it with 36 seconds left on third down. Somewhere deep inside my loins guts has a feeling it is bullshit. ND has a "fake spike" play. They haven't used it this year, and maybe they were going to on 3rd down. Maybe. I think so. Yep. So Danny Hope and I think alike- holy shit that's scary.
Final thought. So, ND isn't winning the way you thought. We could very easily be 1-3 right now as Mark May so abrasively said the other night. Well- we are 3-1 and could very easily be 4-0. If we win Saturday at home against Washington, that puts ND at 4-1 heading into the bye week before U$C. Isn't that where most of us saw the Irish? Sure, I thought we would be ranked a bit higher- but I will take this record and soak up the awesomeness that is Jimmy Clausen. Try it. You'll feel better.
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