The charm and allure of College Football was on full display Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish opened their 2012 home campaign with a familiar rival. The Purdue Boilermakers came into this meeting, having won their season opener, ready for battle. Armed with a sizeable defensive front and future All-American defensive back Josh Johnson this was not to be a replay of last week. Purdue could not match the overall talent of Notre Dame, especially at the skill positions. However, Coach Bob Day had the Boilermakers prepared mentally and physically to beat the Irish. Purdue's game plan was rigid and simple. Stop the Irish from running the ball, which they did so effectively last week against Navy. That, believe it or not was the simple part. The rigidness came with the Boilermaker's constant pursuit, pressure and sacks on QB Everret Golson. Outmuscling a formidable Irish front line, the Boilermakers made the first year quarterback nervous and immobile, forcing Golson to react rather than attack. Purdue exposed his inability or lack of confidence to make a split decision. Known for his mobility, Golson impressed many with a few highlight reel throws on the run. However, he failed to contribute to the running game. Golson audibled a third and short play early in the second at the line, leading to a false start penalty for which Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly gave his young quarterback an earful. That did not work out the way Kelly anticipated as the freshman looked notably lost for the rest of the game. He burned timeouts at will, including all three second half timeouts with over 10 minutes to play. Every snap, Golson seemed to look to the sidelines with despair. Appearing lost and fearful, the Irish offense became glaringly chaotic and ineffective. Purdue seized this opportunity and capitalized. They continued their pursuit and attack on the young Irish quarterback, forcing a late fourth quarter fumble. Before Golson fumbled on the Notre Dame 15 yard line, it was only a seven point game. Purdue quickly scored to tie the game with just 2:12 remaining. Insert here, the aforementioned charm of the game. For if the Irish were to lose this game, despite being just the second of the year, the season's hope may have been lost as well. Knowing this, and perhaps rectifying previous decisions, Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly made a bold and gutsy call. With just 2:12 remaining coach Kelly ran out last year’s quarterback and regular hero/goat Tommy Rees. Welcomed by a chorus of jeers from the 80,000+Irish faithful, his first two pass attempts fell incomplete. However, he completed three of his next four and drove his team 55 yards for the game winning field goal. Rees was everything Golson wasn't: calm, precise and confident. Certainly not known for his mobility, Rees eluded the impeding pass rush, thus keeping the season's hopes and dreams alive… at least for another week. - Pal Next up for the Irish (#20): Michigan State Spartans (#10) @ East Lansing Michigan 9/15/12 Irish Notes : - Coach Kelly names Golston next week's starter. - Running Back Cierre Wood will return from suspension next week. Twas NFL kickoff, when all through the land, All the fans rejoiced with the new season at hand. Nylon jerseys were pulled over new shoulder pads, The end of preseason non-sense made everyone glad. The locker room spikes went click and then clack, Awaiting fumbles, completions, interceptions and sacks. Bill Belichick's in his hoodie, Pete Carroll in his sweater, Game-planning schemes for the worse or for better. Then onto the TV, something special appeared, Bob Costas, Al Michaels, and a comercial for beer. I jumped on my couch, and popped open a bottle, It was the pregame show, soon we will be going full throttle. They had a parade, and then some cheesy old band, The National Anthem to honor our land. Then the referrees, dressed in all black and white, Placed the ball on the tee, for its kickoff tonight! Now Eli! Now Brady! Now Jones-Drew and Hixon! On Welker, on Johnson, on Stafford and Weeden! Into the Redzone, and straight past the goal, Slash, and dash, and hit the hole! The stadium filled up, excitement grew loud, The scoreboard began changing, evoking the crowd. Touchdowns and field goals, they're going for two, But the home team was losing, fans started to boo. As the game clock ran empty, and hope fleeeting away, All luck seemed to run out for this team today. Just one final chance on the game's final drive, We need a Hail Mary miracle to keep our chances alive! The quarterback dropped back, and to his delight, His man was open, with the endzone in sight. The reciever reached out at the spiral in air, You scored the game-winning touchdown, now spike it with flare! - Kevin Aherne
Last time we checked out one of the tougher divisions in the AFC Conference, the North. This time around, we check out the AFC South. In this division, we see two teams in rebuilding mode, one team trying to rise up to glory, and another team trying to stay healthy and on top. I will let you figure out which team is which. Now, to the questions! 9. Indianapolis Colts (2011 Record: 2-14) Question: Will Andrew Luck be able to succeed Peyton Manning's in Indianapolis? In 1973, the Baltimore Colts drafted highly QB Bert Jones out of LSU with the 2nd overall pick. At the same time, the Colts traded away Johnny Unitas, their franchise QB to the Chargers. Fast forward to 2012, where the Indianapolis Colts drafted highly touted QB Andrew Luck out of Stanford while cutting ties with their franchise QB, Peyton Manning. Luck had a successful collegiate career, including a very impressive senior year, completing 288 of 404 pass attempts ( 71.3%) for 3,517 yards, 37 TDs, 10 INT and a QB rating of 169.7. But Luck is coming into a role where he has some big shoes to fill. Manning's career numbers with the Colts are of legendary status: Starting all 208 games during his 13-year career with the team, completing 4,682 of 7,210 attempts for 54,828 yards, 399 TDs and a career QB rating of 94.9. Not to mention from 2002-2010, Peyton has led his team to the playoffs and has won 4 NFL MVPs. Though Luck has looked impressive in the preseason, wowing analysts and fans with his throwing power and accuracy, it remains to be seen if he can have the same success in the regular season. If he succeeds, Peyton will be a faded memory at Lucas Oil Stadium. If he fails, many would wonder if letting Peyton walk was a wise decision. 10. Jacksonville Jaguars (2011 Record: 4-12) Question: How will RB Maurice Jones-Drew's holdout affect him for the 2012 season? Sometimes NFL players will holdout for an extension or restructuring to their contract when they still have time remaining on their current deal? Well apparently Mr. Jones-Drew thinks he is different from everybody else. In 2011, he put up a career high rushing yards with 1,606 yards (leading the NFL). It was also his 3rd consecutive year of rushing for over 1,000 yards (he rushed for 1,391 yards in 2009 and 1,324 yards in 2010 as well). Now coming into the 2012 season, MJD has decided to holdout, skipping OTAs, training camp, and practically all of preseason in hopes of getting a new contract. However if MJD paid attention to what happened to Chris Johnson when he held out, he would see the error of his ways. Johnson held out in 2011 until the Titans gave him his big-time contract. His response: rushing for career lows and getting to the point there were rumors that the Titans would release him. Whatever happens to MJD, his holding out is likely dooming himself to a poor season, ultimately screwing over his chances of success in future contract negotiations. 11. Tennessee Titans (2011 Record: 9-7) Question: Will Chris Johnson have a bounce back from a lackluster 2011? If you were playing fantasy football last year and if you had Chris Johnson on your team, you probably were ready to punch the screen. Prior to the 2011 season, Chris Johnson, otherwise known as CJ2K, was perhaps one of the more electrifying backs in the NFL. In his 2008 rookie year, he rushed for 1,228 on 251 carries for 9 TDs. In his 2009 sophmore season, he rushed for 2,006 yards on 358 carries for 14 touchdowns and averaged 125.4 rushing yards per game and about 5.6 yards per carry. Then in 2010, his numbers dropped down but he still impressed many, rushing for 1,364 yards on 316 carries for 11 TDs. Going into 2011, Chris Johnson felt he was worth more money and held out all of preseason for a new contract. Only when the 2011 regular season was about to begin when CJ2K got his contract, a 4-year extension $53.5 million with $30 million garuantee. But it turns out that holding out ruined him. CJ2K rushed for career lows in rushing yards (1,047) and touchdowns (4). He only broke the century mark 4 times that season, barely rushing over 65 yards the other 12 games didn't reach the endzone until Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now in 2012, the Titans QB situation has been settled (Jack Locker is the starter) and they brought in a well-renowned run-blocking offensive lineman (Steve Hutchinson) to help create holes. Now all that remains is whether or not CJ2K will bounce back after a horrific 2011 season. 12. Houston Texans (2011 Record: 10-6) Question: Can the Texans repeat as AFC South Division champions? Since 2002, their inaugural year, until 2010, the Houston Texans could not produce a winning season. The closest they came was back in 2009 when they finished 8-8. However, things were different during 2011. The Texans were able to leapfrog over a Peyton-less Indianapolis, and put together a 10-6 record, clinching the AFC South. They were able to do so during a time when their All-Pro defensive end Mario Williams, and QB Matt Schaub (and backup QB Matt Leinhart) suffered season-ending injuries. their All-Pro WR Andre Johnson also missed a chunk of games due to a lingering hamstring injury. Going into the 2012 offseason, many predict that the Texans will repeat as AFC South champions. On the positive side, they still have the same offensive nucleus of Schaub, Foster, Johnson, and Owen Daniels, as well as hard-hitting Brian Cushing on the defense. But on the other side of the coin, the Texans let Mario Williams go to free agency, cut starting OT Eric Winston, and traded away All-Pro MLB DeMeco Ryans to Philadelphia. So with the the Jaguars and Colts rebuilding and the Titans still a few pieces away, the AFC South looks ripe for the picking for the Texans. Will they rise to the top or fumble their chance in 2012? Only they know the answer That's it for the South. Tune into next time as we go out west to a division plagued the injury bug and mediocrity during the 2011 season. This is Ryan Fox, signing out.
-Ryan L. Fox If any team understands the importance of starting a season on the right foot, it's the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. After last season's embarrassing loss at home to South Florida, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly endured a disappointing and dissatisfying 2011 campaign. The 2012 schedule looms over the Irish as one of the most difficult in the country, as well as in recent history. For the first time since 1996, Notre Dame find themselves playing in Dublin, Ireland. A mere jump across the pond to open the season versus the high-octane, option-based Navy squad. In front of a reported 35,000 Americans and 50,000 total attendees, the Irish did not repeat history. Freshman quarterback Everett Colson overcame the hoopla of his first career start, managing the game more like a fifth year senior rather than a freshman. Colson seemed to excel where many recent Irish quarterbacks have struggled. The 2011 team struggled to secure the ball, finishing -15 in the all important giveawawy/takeaway department. The Irish seemed to cough the ball up time and time again, especially inside the opponents' 20, including a game ending goal-line fumble to end last season's opener. Notre Dame rusher Cierre Wood was sidelined due to team suspension, forcing their versatile weapon Theo Riddick into the backfield. Riddick put the Irish up early, cutting and slashing his way to a fine day. The Notre Dame offense were essentially able to march up and down the field effortlessly. Riddick and fellow back George Atkinson combined for 4 touchdowns. All-American tight end Tyler Eifert also added a touchdown catch. The defense, led by fifth year senior linebacker Manti Te'o, contributed solid play as well. Notre Dame cruised to a 50 -10 victory over Navy. Next up for the Irish: Purdue Boilermakers @ Home (9/8/12) -Pal |
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