HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!..Albeit a bit late.  I’ve been busy.  Shut up.

Notre Dame's football season came to a close a week or so ago, so once again it's time for Irish Shu to look back at their season.  In the last edition I recapped the first 6 games, so now I'll review the last 7 including the bowl game…get ready for a bit of stone-casting, because I am NOT pleased…

SOUTHERN CAL:  Christ, Irish, you had just trounced a decent Air Force team, and then had a bye week to prepare for a Trojan team you proved last year you could beat, and what did you do?  You shat the bed!  That’s what you did.  It was the first night game played at Notre Dame stadium in 21 years and the spotlight proved too bright for them as it ended in a 31-17 loss to the Condoms.  They spotted said Prophylactics a 17-0 lead early before George Atkinson III scored for the second time this year on a kickoff return to put a spark into the Irish and start a comeback.  The momentum carried into the second half when QB Tommy Rees got hurt, giving way for Dayne Crist to go in and have his chance to prove to his coach that he should have been the starter all-along…and he almost did.  Crist completed 4 of 5 passes and drove the Irish to the USC 1 yard line and then…lightening struck.  Instead of punching-in for the score that would have tied the game, Crist fumbled and Rubber safety Jawanza Starling scooped-up the loose ball and ran it back for a French Tickler touchdown that stole the game from ND a-la South Florida.  USC dominated with nearly twice the yardage and possession time, as well as 0 turnovers to Notre Dame’s 3.  In his post-game interview, Pecker Tarp quarterback Matt Barkley might have provided the Irish with some good bulletin board material for next year when he said that the Irish quit on them and let them win after that fumble return…the only problem with that statement being used as motivation is this: he was right. 

Now, as a few of you know, I have always claimed to be as loyal an Irish fan as there is…but even I found myself saying “fuck it” after this one.  The rest of the season just wasn’t all that enjoyable for me after this loss…but, the season went on so I will, too.

NAVY: The Irish needed to bounce back after the loss to the Sheep Skins and they certainly did in a 56-14 trouncing of the Midshipmen.  Notre Dame scored on 5 of its first 6 offensive possessions and cruised against a Navy team that has given them problems in recent years with their option attack…and this in spite of the fact that the Irish turned the ball over twice.  Tommy Rees had a pretty good day going 16 of 22 for 227 yards, but it was the running backs that had a career day here as Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray scored 5 rushing TD’s between them.  Receiver Michael Floyd chipped-in with one rushing and one receiving TD of his own.

WAKE FOREST:  Notre Dame continued to roll in a hard-fought 24-17 win over a pretty good Demon Deacon team that had just beaten a ranked Florida State team a couple weeks prior.  The Irish were somewhat depleted with injuries, but the defense nutted-up as Wake Forest had the ball at or inside the Notre Dame 10 twice in the second half while down by a touchdown -- and came away with no points.  The Irish O was pretty balanced with 341 total years almost 50/50 between the run and pass…but they still turned the ball over twice in the win.

MARYLAND:  The GOOD Irish team showed-up for this one in a “home” game that took place only 20 miles from Maryland’s campus and trounced the lowly Terrapins 45-21…but, then, it’s easy for a team to show it’s best when they’re facing an opponent that finished with only 2 wins on the year.  Regardless, the workout was good as the Irish O hung over 500 yards and 6 touchdowns on Maryland.  This included a pick 6 from sophomore cornerback Lo Wood.   This also was a rare turnover-free game for the Irish.

BOSTON COLLEGE:  Continuing their pattern of great play one week and poor play the next, the Irish struggled with poor field position all afternoon, but came up with the big plays when they needed to…and ONLY when they needed to…and survived the Eagles 16-14…over a team that would finish with only 4 wins.  To his credit, all-ACC linebacker Luke Kuechly did make things difficult for the Irish and finished with 14 tackles and I, for one, was glad to hear he won’t be back next season as he chose to enter the NFL Draft.  The bummer, though, was that the win came at a price.  The solid Irish power halfback, Jonas Gray, injured his right knee in the game and was lost for the season.

STANFORD:  Well, I really didn’t expect the Irish to win this one, anyway.  They spotted the Cardinal an early 21-0 lead as golden boy Andrew Luck had a statement game and tore though the Irish Defense for 233 yards and 4 touchdowns on his way to a 28-14 win.  The Irish QB tandem of Rees and Andrew Hendrix actually combined to outdo Luck with 252 passing yards of their own (Hendrix came-on after Rees was injured) but they also threw 1 interception each and Hendrix had only 1 TD pass.  Luck could very-well be the best quarterback to come out of Stanford – a program which produced some good ones such as John Elway – and he is another player whom I won’t miss next year.  He is, in fact, expected to go to the Indy Colts with the first pick of the upcoming NFL draft.

FLORIDA STATE:  This game was a pisser.  Notre Dame went to the Champs Sports Bowl and ended what I thought would be a better season the same way they started the season out – by shooting themselves in the foot, repeatedly, and losing 18-14 to a team they had no business losing to.  With all due respect to the Seminoles, you were starting 4 freshmen on your injury-depleted O-line and your offense did not even start playing until the 3^rd quarter was almost over.  Be sure to thank Brian Kelly for allowing himself to be outcoached, and shuffling 2 quarterbacks in and out instead of having the balls to stick with one of them like he should have.  While you’re at it, Seminoles, be sure to also thank Andrew Hendrix for throwing an interception straight at Nigel Bradham (no Irish receivers were even close on that play) and giving you a short field to take the lead with…and finally, don’t forget to thank Michael Floyd for dropping what would have been a touchdown pass in the first half that bounced right off his hands at the 20 yard line like so many other passes have throughout his career…considering that, it was impressive he caught the one score he did catch in the 3^rd quarter after he juggled it.  I really can’t stand losing to Florida teams, either.  As awesome as it felt for the Irish to kick the Hurricane’s asses in last years’ Sun Bowl, that’s how shitty it felt to lose to the Semen-Holes this time.

So to wrap it up the Irish football season was, overall, disappointing.  This Irish team came into 2011 loaded from top to bottom with one of the best receivers in the country,  a solid and experienced O-line, a good stable of high-potential quarterbacks and running backs and a good defense with just enough star players to make at least 10 wins and a BCS appearance happen…AT LEAST!  The problem is, they didn’t.  They were not consistent on offense at quarterback, in-particular, and special teams were not solid save for 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns by George Atkinson III.  What’s worse, they will lose a good group of senior players which include some good O-linemen, a good running back in Jonas Gray, a handful of good defensive players including most of their secondary and of course, one of their best receivers ever in Michael Floyd.  I will credit Floyd for this much; he did redeem himself after making some poor choices and getting arrested 3 times for alcohol-related offenses throughout his career, but he held it together for his last season and finished without such incident.  He also finished his impressive career in the ND record books with: 271 receptions, 3,686 receiving yards, 17 games with at least 100 yards receiving and 37 touchdown receptions – all #1 in those categories and a few others, as well…but I’m sorry to say I will remember him for being less than sure-handed despite all that.  He had many instances of the dropsies throughout his career – he’d better fix that problem if he wants to succeed in the NFL.  I wish him well with that.  I also wish Dayne Crist well.  After Coach Kelly pushed him down the bench after one poor half of play in one game, Crist has transferred to the Kansas Jayhawks to play one more year…and he will be reunited with their new head coach in Charlie Weis, who recruited Crist to Notre Dame…I wish you well, Dayne, and you certainly deserved better.  It is encouraging, though, that both linebacker Manti Te’o and Tight End Tyler Eifert have both announced that they will come back for their senior year...you will both be needed.

One other comment for Coach Kelly – you don’t do yourself or your team any favors by making rude comments about the players you recruited vs. the players you didn’t.  Try using your head before you use your mouth next time.  Good teams need unity.  Good luck with your recruiting – sounds like the incoming class could be another good one if you can hold them to their commitments.

As for my other teams and how they did:

MONTANA GRIZZLIES: After an uncharacteristically off-year, the Griz bounced back and are among the FCS elite once again.  They finished 11-3 and made it to the semifinal round of the FCS playoffs before they lost to then-undefeated and top-ranked Sam Houston State by a field goal…Sam Houston went on to lose to the new FCS champion in North Dakota State just yesterday…by the way, does anyone remember Nate Montana?  He was a Notre Dame backup who transferred to my Griz for a chance to play more…too bad he didn’t get that chance.  He didn’t get above 3^rd string there, either.  Oh, well.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS: Their first year in the Big Ten wasn’t entirely disappointing, but I’d have liked to see them at least compete with both Michigan and Wisconsin and not get beaten by Northwestern.  They missed their chance at a 10-win season when they lost the Capital One Bowl to South Carolina, but there’s no shame in losing to a good SEC school when 2 teams from that conference are playing for the national championship…I have mixed feelings about that, too, though.   The Huskers STILL need a better passing game.

COLORADO STATE RAMS:  POOH!  Yet another 3 win season for my once-good-but-now-lowly Rams and Coach Steve Fairchild was fired for it.  The reins have now been turned over to Jim McElwain who was the Offensive Coordinator for Alabama.  We’ll see if he can do any better.  Good luck, coach…and good luck to my brother who recently moved to Fort Collins to start a new life with his lady friend in Irish Shu’s former stomping grounds.  Go get ‘em baby bro!

CUSTER COUNTY COWBOYS: my hometown high school team came into the season as the defending state champions in their class.  I thought it might be a rebuilding year as they turned to a sophomore quarterback with no experience, but he did pretty well, considering, and so did the team as they made it all the way to the state semifinals before losing to Billings Central – a team they run into about every year in the playoffs, it seems.  Good year for the Cowboys, nonetheless.

WHEW!  Long blog and overdue, as well.  Fellow You Gabbers: You all have an awesome 2012!  I’ll keep reading your works…Take care, all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Now that Notre Dame's football season is over, it's time for Irish Shu to look back at Coach Brian Kelly's first year.  In the last edition I recapped the first 7 games, so now I'll review the last 6 including the bowl game. 

NAVY: I guess the only good thing I could say about this one is that now Charlie Weis is no longer the only Irish coach to lose to the Middies since Roger Staubach was their quarterback.  I had a bad gut feeling about this one going-in and it turned out to be right.  Notre Dame STILL cannot contain the Navy rushing attack and fell 35-17 for their third loss to the midshipmen in the last 4 years.  Quarterback Ricky Dobbs ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns and Halfback Alexander Teich ran for 210 yards and also caught a TD pass against an Irish D that had played pretty well up until then and has improved since then.  The aggravation of a hip injury to halfback Armando Allen which then ended his season did not help matters, either...why, why, WHY Navy has become such a thorn in the side of the Irish is beyond me.

TULSA:  Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse for my beloved Irish, they did.  Several days after the Navy loss, Notre Dame student and videographer Declan Sullivan was killed when the lift he was filming practice from fell over on a windy day (and the fallout from this tragedy may not be finished yet).  Then early in the Tulsa game, quarterback Dayne Crist was hit going out of bounds and tore a tendon in his left knee, thus ending his season...this nearly one year later to the day when he suffered a similar injury to his right knee which ended that season for him, as well.  The Irish then had to turn to frosh QB Tommy Rees who did well considering, throwing for 334 yards and 2 touchdowns...but he also threw 3 interceptions including a pick-6 in the emotionally-draining 28-27 loss to the Golden Hurricanes. 

The Irish then had their bye week and it couldn't have come at a better time under the circumstances.  The week off was just what the team needed to regroup.  From there, it was either sink or swim...it turned out to be swim as the Irish did not lose again…and when you consider that their last 4 games were to be against teams that would all finish with winning records, well, let’s just say this Irish fan is proud of this team.

UTAH:  The Irish bounced back against the #14-ranked Utes in a BIG way as they controlled the line of scrimmage, kept them out of the end zone and got a couple big plays from their special teams en route to a 28-3 win.  This was their first win over a ranked opponent since 2006, and they were due!  Now, granted, Utah was not at their best as they had just been shellacked by Texas Christian the week before and ND had a bye coming-in, but in this game you take what you get!  Freshman quarterback Rees was steady in his first start, connecting on 13 of 20 pass attempts for 129 yards, with 3 touchdowns (2 to Duval Kamara who had a career day) and no interceptions.  The Irish D also stepped-up as they held the Utes to a season-low 265 yards of total offense in the victory against a Utah team that would finish with 10 wins.

ARMY:  It was the first football game to be played in the New Yankee Stadium and Notre Dame picked-up right where they left-off against Utah in a 27-3 victory over the Black Knights.  The impressive thing about this game was that Army used an option running attack similar to what Navy had used a month prior, and Defensive Coordinator Bob Diaco and the Irish D proved they had learned their lesson as they held the Army rushing attack to 135 yards (174 yards total offense) and kept their O-unit out of the end zone.  Rees was steady as he finished 13 of 20 for 214 yards with a TD and an interception.  The Irish rushing attack showed improvement chipping-in with 155 yards and a score from Robert Hughes.  Irish cornerback Darrin Walls also scored on a pick 6 in the win.

USC:  This game gets my vote for strangest game of the year.  Notre Dame escaped the LA Coliseum with a 20-16 win over a Trojan team they hadn’t beaten in their last 8 attempts.  Why strange?  Because ND had 4 turnovers to USC’s 1 (Rees threw 3 interceptions) and STILL won.  Strange because USC was driving for the winning score in the games’ final minutes and had, not 1, but 2 receivers drop passes on that drive when they were wide-open!  The bigger blunder was when USC’s normally sure-handed senior receiver Ronald Johnson was by himself practically doing jumping jacks at the 15 yard line with nothing but open field behind him…and he dropped Mitch Mustain’s pass….WHEW!  Then Irish Safety Harrison Smith intercepted Mustain at the goal line for the only USC turnover of the night to seal the win.  ND certainly caught a break in this one, but I’ll take it!  Robert Hughes was a hero in this game as he ground-out some yards in the deciding drive and scored the games last touchdown on a tough 5-yard run.

MIAMI:  As soon as it was announced that Notre Dame was going to play Miami in the Sun Bowl, I got HARD!  My most loved team against my most hated on New Years’ Eve!  What could be better?  I’m sure the Sun Bowl committee was happy – the tickets for this game sold-out in less than 24 hours – a record for this bowl.  As for the game itself, it was easy to see that ND was going to have the advantage here.  It was a cold 34-degree day and ND showed they were very relaxed and used to the cold during the warm-ups with some players even wearing shorts.  Miami players, however, were wearing head covers and long johns and were obviously not used to the weather.  The Irish would prevail in a 33-17 win that really wasn’t even THAT close.  Michael Floyd won player of the game honors with 6 catches for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Irish D stayed consistent as they picked-off 4 Miami passes – 3 by Harrison Smith.  Miami did get 2 touchdowns in garbage time, but it was too little too late.  As awesome as it was to see ND win this one and Coach Kelly become the first Irish Coach to win his first bowl game, I do have a beef: I feel “player of the game" honors should have gone to Harrison Smith, not Michael Floyd.  Smith tied a Sun Bowl record with his 3 picks – that’s a more impressive feat to me.  Floyd did well, too, but he could have done even better – he could have finished the day with 4 touchdowns had he not dropped 2 that he was wide-open for!  Granted, one of them was a tough one, but he got a hand on it so he should have caught it…and he admitted that he should have, himself.

So, all-in-all a good showing for the Irish this year and they go into next year with a good head of steam.  It was a couple wins short of how I thought they’d do, just in a different way – I predicted they’d beat Michigan, Stanford and Tulsa, but I also had Pitt and Utah down as losses.  Winning against USC for the first time in forever and then winning the bowl against Miami is huge and could pay dividends going-in to next year.  Some other keys are: if several players choose to come back for one more year, such as Floyd and Kyle Rudolph who are both pondering entering the NFL Draft, and Harrison Smith who has one year of eligibility left, that will certainly help.  If Dayne Crist makes a good recovery from his knee injury that would give the Irish 2 quarterbacks with a good amount of experience going-in to 2011…I can’t remember the last time they had THAT going for them, and it could make a huge difference.  Word is that Coach Kelly still had a pretty strong and highly-rated recruiting class coming-in, too, though he did have a couple defects recently.  As this year has proven, though, you just never know how a season is going to unfold.

As for my other teams and how they did:

MONTANA GRIZZLIES: My alma mater had an off-year.  They finished with only 7 wins and failed to make the FCS playoffs for the first time in 17 years and also failed to win at least a share of the Big Sky Conference title for the first time in the past 13 years...oh, well, nothing lasts forever.  Let’s hope they bounce-back.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS: I was hoping their last year in the Big 12 would finish better than it did.  Granted, a 10-win season is nothing to laugh at, but losing a tough one to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game and then folding in the Holiday Bowl against a Washington team they had already beaten soundly in the regular season is ending with a THUD!  I do look forward to seeing their first season as a member of the Big 10 and watching what kind of rivalries develop for them, but if they don’t want another THUD season, developing a better passing game among other things would certainly help.

COLORADO STATE RAMS:  POOH!  For the second year in a row, my beloved Rams finished with only 3 wins and are a shadow of their former selves from the good years of the Sonny Lubick era which is when I lived in Fort Collins.  The good news?  There’s hope that an easier schedule could help them.  With the conference re-alignments that have taken place, the Rams will no longer have TCU, Utah or BYU on the schedule, though Boise State coming to the Mountain West will be tough.

CUSTER COUNTY COWBOYS: my hometown high school team won the Montana State Class A championship for the second time in 3 years!...and the interesting thing is they did it by beating the same Billings Central Team they beat in the title game 2 years ago.  This after Central had beaten them in the regular season for what would be their only loss, and they avenged that loss for the second time!  Way to go Cowboys!!!

With that, you all have an awesome 2011!  Enjoy the Bowl games that remain and I’ll keep peeking at your YouGab blogs, though it may be awhile before I publish another of my own.  Take care, all.