Getting second win this week will be tall order
Impressed with Notre Dame's 20-6 victory over UCLA last week? Happy that the Irish avoided tying the longest losing streak in their history (eight) with the win? Hopeful about the second half of the season?
The answer to all those questions from my viewpoints is a very, very qualified, "Yes."
Yes, the Irish got a W. This is good. This is the best residue that came from the game
After you get past the victory though, this team looks very much like the same squad that was 0-5 going into the game against the Bruins.
Shaky at best on offense. OK at times on defense and completely unpredictable on special teams.
Of course, you shouldn't take anything away from Maurice Crum and the four turnovers he forced on his own against UCLA. Basically, without his play, Notre Dame doesn't win.
But the good defensive play has to be tempered by the fact that UCLA was using McLeod Bethel-Thompson, a redshirt freshman who is also their third-string quarterback. Thompson looked so helpless out there (he was sacked four times and he threw four interceptions) it was hard not to feel sorry for him.
With an offense that wasn't going to score, Notre Dame just had to play not to lose the game.
Give them credit. They were able to play mistake-free football against a pretty good defense.
The win over UCLA sets up an intriguing matchup this week for the Irish, who find themselves in an unusual position: They are the pesky underdogs the next two weeks playing the roll of spoilers.
Beat No. 4 ranked Boston College on Saturday? They drop out of the top 10 and start to look pretty average.
Beat USC in two weeks? The Trojans no longer have a chance to win the national championship.
That said, if miracles are germinating right now, here are a few things that are gonna have to happen:
n Charlie Weis is going to have to take the training wheels off the offense. It's time for Jimmy Clausen to grow up. Sorry, kid. I know you're a freshman. At some point though, either you can play quarterback for the Irish or you can't.
That means Weis has to let Jimmy Clausen throw the ball down field and Jimmy Clausen has to prove he can hit the quick slants and make reads for his secondary receivers. Completing 17-of-27 passes for 84 yards, like he did against UCLA (just over five yards per pass), isn't going to get it done. The hook should be quick for Jimmy Clausen if he isn't moving the team. Fact is, Evan Sharpley did move the team in his one substantive appearance this year.
n The running game is going to have to find some way to move forward. Collectively, Armando Allen and James Aldridge looked good briefly against UCLA. But what Notre Dame gets out of their rushing game is a guess from week-to-week.
n The defense is going to have to retain its form. Easier said than done. Matt Ryan isn't related to Bethel-Thompson in any shape or form. He's an NFL quarterback who could end this game early if he gets hot. To keep the momentum and the winning streak alive, the Irish have to find a way to control him.
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