Eddyfication

The below clip is making the rounds for very obvious reasons.  It shows a University of New Mexico female soccer player going absolutely ballistic during a match against BYU.  What amazes me about this video isn’t necessarily the thrashing that she imparts during the game, which is certainly brutal in and of itself.  Rather, I’m more amazed by the lack of action on the part of: 1) her teammates/coaches; and 2) the referees.  Clearly, her coaches not only condoned the behavior but, given their blatant inaction, may have also directed her to act in that fashion.  I mean, any normal coach would rip that girl out of the game after the second violent infraction, so it stands to reason that the coaches were more than just OK with her behavior.  And her teammates deserve plenty of blame as well, for any one of them worth their salt would’ve intervened to shut her down.

Regarding the referee, he or she should be suspended a couple weeks at the very least.  In my opinion, I’d say this person doesn’t deserve to ref ever again.  This isn’t simply a case of missing a few calls; this ref was completely asleep at the switch, allowing this nutjob to run rampant over her opponents and put several BYU players at risk of serious injury.  It’s not just a bad game for this referee, it’s one of the worst cases of successive misjudgment that I’ve ever witnessed as a long time player/fan of several sports.  And it’s totally unacceptable.  We all have bad days at the office, but this goes well beyond that.

The Irish pulled off a rather predictable 40-14 victory yesterday against the Washington State Cougars.  I say predictable in the sense that the Irish were expected to dominate – which they did – and because I knew they wouldn’t totally blow the Cougars out of the water (which helped me win $30 since I took WSU +28).  For whatever reason, ND doesn’t have it in them to run up the score Tecmo-style, so I felt good about taking the points in this one.

This was a good win, if not for the sole reason that the Irish pulled off a victory without having it go down to the game’s final moments.  However, this win did not come without its cost.  ND suffered a handful of setbacks that came in the form of key injuries, including a rolled ankle for their best offensive lineman, Trevor Robinson, and a possible destroyed knee to their QB of the future, Dayne Crist.  Plus, uber-star Jimmy Clausen aggravated that stubborn turf toe injury he’s been nursing since the Michigan State game.

Luckily, Navy strolls into town next week, which should make for another fairly easy victory.  But a very tough Pittsburgh squad awaits the Irish the week after, which could spell doom for a squad looking to play its bowl game on New Year’s Day.  Plus, the Irish Spring practice period just got a lot more interesting.  Assuming Clausen jumps at the chance to make millions next year in the NFL, the Irish could literally be without a healthy scholarship QB on the roster for the critical Spring period.  Doh!

By the way, I need to say something.  I am a Dallas Cowboys fan, which means I’ve been forced to root for guys I didn’t like.  That is, through dedication to my team, I’ve had to cheer on the likes of Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, and Deion Sanders, guys who are clearly assholes but whose talent helped my squad achieve success.  Unfortunately, I now find myself in a similar position with this year’s Irish.  Despite their immense talent, I think Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate are pricks.  They are selfish, cocky players who are in it for themselves and nobody else.  This means Clausen will no doubt follow the dollars to the NFL after the season instead of sticking it out with his team and his coach for a possible national championship run next year.  And I’m quite certain Tate will follow the yellow brick road to play major league baseball next year, which will leave the Irish – and college football – without two of the most potent offensive players in the game.  I suppose I can’t begrudge their desire to get paid, but I can lament the situation as a dedicated fan of the sport and the team.  But for their skills, I’d say good riddance!

What a game!  Say what you will about ND’s porous defense and its inability to put teams away, but there is no mistaking that this is a fun team to watch.  It took overtime, but the Irish managed to pulled off a 37-30 rain-soaked victory against the Washington Huskies on Saturday, pushing ND to 4-1 as it heads into its bye week ahead of an October 17th showdown against mighty USC.  For those counting at home, that’s three straight victories where the Irish had to dig down and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the game’s final minutes.  This team is growing and maturing before our very eyes and it’s a delight to watch.  No world-beaters by any stretch, these guys play hard and desperately want to win.  And I love that.

Some post-game thoughts:

• Jimmy Clausen was fantastic – again.  Save for a boneheaded backwards pass that UW returned for a touchdown, Jimmy put on yet another superb performance.  The official stat line was: 23 of 31 for 422 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, which pushed Jimmy to the top of the national QB ratings, but it should’ve read much better.  His INT was the result of a dump pass slipping through Armando Allen’s hands, a play where, if completed, Allen probably would’ve scampered for a good 20 yards.  Plus, Jimmy lobbed a perfect TD pass to Robby Parris only to see it bounce off the WR’s facemask (seriously?).  And he had Kyle Rudolph trip on another TD pass that he probably would’ve caught.  Moreover, Jimmy threw at least three balls away while being chased out of the pocket.  Put all that together and you can begin to appreciate how good – and accurate – Jimmy is.  He truly is a special QB.  Here’s hoping he sticks it out one more year at ND!
• As special as Jimmy is at the QB position, Golden Tate may be his equal at the WR position.  That kid is a gamebreaker, a highlight reel waiting to happen.  I can’t recall the last time the Irish had a player as dynamic as him.  Put him anywhere on the field and get the ball in his hands – he’s going to make players wherever he lines up.
• Another solid performance from Robert Hughes.  And kudos to the offensive line for an all-around good game.  I especially enjoyed the caravan that Hughes rode as the entire team appeared to be willing him into the endzone for that two-point conversion.
• Upon review, it turns out Hughes’ knee hit the ground on that two-point conversion.  But, as ND knows, them’s the breaks.  The Irish were due for some karmic payback, let’s be honest.
• I loved the rotation in the defense.  Not only did we get our first full dose of Manti Te’o, but we also got to see guys like Steve Filer and Zeke Motta get into the mix.  And I thought the decision to insert Kapron Lewis-Moore at DT in place of Ian Williams on the goal line was superb.
• Speaking of the goal line, those three stands the Irish made were simply amazing.  Washington had something like twelve plays inside the Irish 5-yard line and got stuffed on each of them.  Wow.
• I love Kyle Rudolph.
• Manti Te’o played very well in his full-time debut.  He made some mental errors, which is to be expected of a freshman, but on the whole he was ND’s second-best player on defense (behind only Kyle McArthy).  Te’o ended up with 10 tackles on the day, pretty much eclipsing Toryan Smith’s cumulative total for the season (in fairness, Smith played great in spot duty, particularly on those goal line stands).  Te’o is an athlete with a nose for the ball.  He needs to be on the field as mush as possible, which this coaching staff is finally beginning to realize.  Just seeing him out there makes me feel better about the next play’s snap.  He’s my new security blanket.
• Good game by Kerry Neal.  Finally.
• I really like Washington coach Steve Sarkisian.  He strikes me as a good guy.  Calm, level-headed and respectful.  And he’s a great playcaller.  He’s going to be special.  I also like Jake Locker.  He’s a very talented QB who’s got top-caliber athleticism.  The kind of guy that excels at every sport he plays.  Washington may very well turn out to be my #2 college football team.  Maybe it’s because I like Seattle.  And because Irish fans should pull for the Huskies since they too have to rebuild after being gutted by the inept Tyrone Willingham.  There’s a fraternity that should arise from that.
• Thank you, Nick Tausch.  Thank you.  Having a money FG kicker is a feeling Irish fans don’t often get to enjoy.

The updated AP poll came out this morning and the Irish are ranked #34.  Of course, some Irish faithful are lambasting the rankings as further evidence of a national media bias against ND.  Such a bias no doubt exists, but #34 sounds about right to me.  The Irish are clearly a team with a great, dynamic offense, decent athletes and solid coaching.  But their defense is simply too pedestrian to warrant a more serious ranking.  The only thing that could catapult them into the top-20 would be an upset of USC in two weeks, but that is unlikely to happen.  In fact, my guess is that USC wins that game pretty easily, reminding us just how bad that defense is.  I would then expect the Irish to lose at least one more game – and maybe two – before ending the season with a decent 9-3 or 8-4 record.  They’ll then play in a respectable bowl game and win, which will set them up for a solid run at the BCS next year (assuming Tate, Clausen et al. return for one more season).  Whatever the case, I’m generally happy with this Irish squad.  I love the effort and the grit, things that have been sorely absent from Irish squads in recent years.

Well, that was quite the ride.  I was literally a game-winning drive away from turning in my Irish card for the balance of this season.  Just ask Lizzi and Hurley, who got to witness my near meltdown in real-time.  I was literally standing on the couch with remote control in hand, ready to turn off the Irish for the balance of this year.  Seriously, I was that close.  I haven’t been any closer to abandoning one of my teams since that historic Christian Laettner shot that sent the Duke Blue Devils past the Kentucky Wildcats in the 1992 NCAA East Regional Final.  I was prepared to walk away from the Dukies then, and had my Blue Devil hat lying in the middle of my abandoned seat (for the symbolism, mind you) to prove it.

My natural instinct is to temper the enthusiasm after the Irish pulled off a late-game rally to defeat Purdue 24-21 last night.  After all, the Boilermakers are a middle-of-the-road Big 10 squad and ND is quantitatively better in virtually every respect.  That said, I can’t help but beam with pride at the intestinal fortitude ND displayed down the stretch with this one.  In particular, Jimmy Clausen displayed the attributes of a true leader, coming off the bench – injured – to lead the Irish on the longest game-winning drive in school history.  Kudos to you, Jimmy.  I still think you’re a douche – that obnoxious nodding at the end is totally uncalled for – but you’ve proven yourself one helluva gamer and I can’t help but respect that.

The bottom line is this is exactly the type of win that normally escapes the Irish, and we’re finally getting to see a team that’s learning how to win.  Keep in mind that this team was without it’s number one receiver and running back.  And it played with half a Jimmy Clausen.  Under the lights.  On ESPN.  On the road.  And pulled it off in the final seconds.  That’s some good shit.  I’m still not entirely sold on Weis’ ability as a college coach, but he’s certainly done enough to put his team in position to win each of its first four games, and he’s done plenty to compensate for a defense that appears half a step behind its opponents each week.  He deserves credit for that, no question.

Some other observations:

• I miss Michael Floyd.  A lot.  But I loved watching his emotion as a cheerleader on the sidelines.
• Golden Tate is the truth.  Get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
• Kyle Rudolph is a monster beast ginormous man-child subhuman exclamation point.
• Welcome back, Robert Hughes.  Please keep it up.
• Duval Kamara is officially MIA.  Not only is he erratic in the receiving department, but the dude is experiencing plenty of brain farts as well that come in the form of flags for illegal formation.  Really?  Illegal formation?  Really?
• Shaquelle Evans will have a good career at ND, but that interception of Clausen at the end of the first half would’ve been a touch if Floyd were in there.  Did I mention I miss Floyd?
• I’d grade the offensive line a solid B.  Decent run-blocking but some pretty spotty pass blocking, if you ask me.
• Speaking of which, did you notice how the Purdue defensive line looked like monsters compared to ND’s?  Something’s up here.
• Dear Toryan Smith – I love the effort and the heart, but you’re simply too much of a liability, especially in the passing game.  Opponents pick on you every week because you’re clearly too slow to play in coverage.  I’m sorry, but you’re simply not the answer at middle linebacker.  Role player, yes.  Starter, absolutely not.  But please do keep up the fight.
• Speaking of linebackers, another mediocre game from Brian Smith.  But, on the bright side, Darius Fleming played very well.  Here’s hoping that injury isn’t serious.
• I like Nick Tausch.
• I’m worried about Eric Maust.  Though he delivered when it counted, he’s been awfully inconsistent this year.
• Robert Blanton = sophomore slump?
• I’m tired of seeing Irish defenders bounce off tackles.  And I’m tired of seeing the linebackers and d-linemen swarm to blocks like moths to a flame.  Rarely do you see those guys actually shed a block to make a play.  Instead, they run straight at the block and get sucked up into it, never to be heard from again.
• Dear Robby Parris – Atta boy!
• What do you know?  You play Manti Te’o and he makes plays.  Hmmm….
• What’s wrong with Harrison Smith?  Is he playing out of position?
• I used to think Theo Riddick was gonna spring one this season, but then I saw him run straight into a kicker and began to think otherwise.
• Finally, the zebras appeared to call a balanced game, which was a welcome sight.  Meanwhile, did anyone see the Hoosiers get homered by the refs at the Big House?  I’m starting to see a pattern here…

Drawing conclusions just three games into the season is admittedly premature.  That said, it seems clear to me that we’ve got a pretty good grip on what this year’s Irish team is all about.  As Charlie Weis himself has said before, you are what you are folks.  And what the Irish are is a 2-1 squad with a very good offense, mediocre special teams, and a truly horrific defense.  Granted, they’re a blown call (or calls) away from 3-0 but they’re also one Kirk Cousins overthrow from 1-2, so 2-1 sounds about right.

The good news is that the Irish are playing a mediocre Purdue team that just lost to Northern Illinois.  But that’s pretty much where the good news stops.  The bad news, on the other hand, flows free and plenty.  That same Purdue team played a decent Oregon squad tough on the road, suggesting they’ve got something to give and can give it when properly motivated.  Naturally, there’s nothing like a visit from ND to get the troops fired up, particularly under the lights at home….on a nationally televised game brought to you by ESPN.  Plus, the Irish offense is going to be without its best offensive player (Michael Floyd, gone for the season), might be without a banged up Armando Allen, and will be led be a hobbled Jimmy Clausen (himself emerging as an all-world QB).  Add to the above the fact that the Purdue running game is a source of strength – which matches up perfectly with ND’s most glaring weakness on defense – and you’ve got the makings of a surprisingly tough game on the road for ND.

I say surprisingly because coming into the season the Irish were expected to easily steamroll Purdue.  Everyone marked this game up to an easy win, a warm-up of sorts for the USC game two weeks out.  (By the way, that Washington game just got a lot harder, didn’t it?).  Instead, I suspect the Boilermakers will put up quite the fight and, if history serves as a guide, they’ll get plenty of help from the goofs in stripes, who have made a habit of punishing the Irish every chance they get with brutal calls and non-calls  so far this season.  Seriously, the officiating has been atrocious this year, full stop.

All of the above makes this a tough game to call.  The guys over at the Gold Sheet have actually picked Purdue to upset the Irish in one of their “key releases” (basically their highest conviction calls).  And the spread has been narrowing throughout the week, starting at Irish by 8 before settling at 6.5.  That usually spells doom.  But the Gold Sheet folks don’t have the greatest track record in my book (I consult them every week for my Pick 5 and I always suck), and just because the spread is compressing doesn’t mean the Irish won’t still win.

In my view, this is a game where Weis can earn his paycheck from a coaching perspective.  What’s clear from the outset is that the Irish are the more talented squad, even with some of their top players on the shelf.  So now that Weis has won the talent war, he needs to win the strategic one, which will spell the difference in the end.  What this should involve is a battle for good old time of possession.  That is, Weis should do everything he can to keep his defense sidelined and let his big boys on the offensive line go to work on a suspect Purdue defense.  We all know the Irish can go lights out on offense but I’d argue they’d be better served here by taking things nice and slow.  Move the ball slowly and methodically down the field on the strength of your workhorses up front and a talented backfield that is deep enough to fill in for the injured Allen.  This will require less from an injured Clausen, and by milking the clock Weis can force the Boilermakers to go on the defensive when on offense by airing it out.  I’d much rather see ND’s secondary thwart an air attack led by a new QB and new coach rather than letting the running game gain any momentum.

Alas, my guess is things don’t go according to plan and this turns out to be a bit of a nail-biter.  The breaks just haven’t been going ND’s way and the intangibles are clearly stacked against them.  Plus, they have a frustrating history of playing down to their opponent’s level, and I can’t imagine why we’d expect anything different tomorrow.  So my prediction is that the Irish manage pull off the victory but not without a bit of a scare:  31-24.

Go Irish.

This is a great photo.  Obviously, it’s an emotional moment between a proud father and his son, who happens to be Jake Locker, quarterback of the Washington Huskies.  Surely, there was plenty to be proud about since the Huskies had just pulled off a shocking upset of the mighty USC Trojans.  Still, you’ve got to admit that this is one awkward shot!

On a related note, as a devote Irish fan, I for one am not looking forward to October 3rd when the Irish take on the Huskies.  That Locker character is one heckuva a player that will undoubtedly give the porous Irish defense plenty of trouble.

And one more thing – for the OZ fans in the house, doesn’t Locker’s dad look like Seamus O’Reilly, the drunk father of that Irish snake Ryan O’Reilly?  Spitting image, I tell ya.

Only awesome coaches are allowed to be dicks to the media.  Coaches whose defenses have been torched for 68 points and 900 yards the past two weeks forfeit all rights to stiff-arm correspondents during interview sessions.  Urban Meyer?  Carte blanche.  Pete Carroll?  Go for it, buddy.  Jon Tenuta?  Suck it up and deal.  We all have things about our jobs that we don’t like but most of us don’t pout about it in such blatant fashion.

And here’s a corollary to the above rule.  Media folks conducting interviews with dicks should grow spines and ask the tough questions.  Having a surly subject should provoke more badgering, not less.  There should be a strong correlation between how punchy an interviewee is and the level of difficulty and/or sensitivity of the questions posed.