It’s gameday Irish fans. Make sure you leave a comment during the day with your score predictions, a limerick, keys to the game or just a Go Irish! Check back in during the game for live game chat with other Irish fans giving their own play-by-play reactions. Below are our keys to the game and a gameday limerick to enjoy.
Keys to the Game – How to tell how the day will go
Tonight’s game vs. Purdue will not be a game that Notre Dame will be able to just show up and win. Purdue may not be the most talented team that we play but like Navy they also come to play against Notre Dame. A victory against Notre Dame would make their year.
The Irish need to look at this game as another test to prove to themselves that they are a team that can improve to be a BCS candidate. If they do their jobs, today will be another game that is more about getting Notre Dame right than stopping Purdue. So here are our things to watch for during the game to gauge how things are going for the Irish football team.
The Good
- Let’s start with defense. The Purdue quarterback is on the run. The more pressure we can put on the Purdue QB the better.
- The Irish continue to be able to run the ball. The Irish offense is at its best when it keeps teams off balance. More on this in ‘The Bad’.
- A hold over from last week – Another QB package for a 1/2 a series. See the reason above and the fact that the Irish have invested the time in a package in practice – why not use it?
The Bad
- If we turn one dimensional on offense. If we are unable to run the ball all the pressure will be on Rees and that is not a good thing yet at this stage in his development.
- Turnovers – We will beat Purdue if we don’t give them extra possessions. Period.
- We let Purdue start drives in our end of the field. This could be the result of turnovers or lousy special teams play. Either way, we don’t want it to happen.
Gameday Limerick
Game day limerick time:
Boilers Up next for the Irish *toot* *toot*.
Ross-Aide Stadium fans will be mute.
Cause today the Irish roll,
into the end zone they’ll stroll,
inside em’, outside em’, just like Knute.
Gameday thread
That is below and how good it is up to you! Let’s Go Irish!!
[...] [...]
And away we Go!
Ok I loved that!!! Gary Gray!!
Let’s get a first down here. Don’t care how we get it
or we can just do that.
or we can just do that.
Yes! Finally – this will light a fire under GG.
By the way, my wife is a Purdue fan and this is not going to be a pretty night. She is seeing my son cheer against Purdue for the first time.
I liked Purdue’s first play much better.
Gee, come in a few minutes late and missed a score.
Welcome aboard MW!
Or gr is fine also.
I am here. Sorry I am late. 7-0 already!!
It’s GOODMAN TIME!!!
Yeah thats about right. Welcome aboard Bob
Oh man I just realized…I am watching via my internet connection so I am going to be like the slow kid in class.
Like Gray when he puts his head down and runs!
Gray is a beast. I would have taken either Gray or Wood for the last five years.
Gray is a beast. I would have taken either Gray or Wood for the last five years.
Tommy throwing near red zone, holding breath!
Sorry
And we shoot ourselves again!
Sorry Let’s go, didn’t mean to ruin it for ya.
Good Lord.
Don’t worry about it. I actually just switch computers. I have learned to not look at the screens before big plays. Sadly I am about two plays behind.
The Michigan game was the worst.
@LetsGoIrish That game sucked no matter how many plays you were behind!
Terbush is a third string QB for Purdue and he looks pretty good.
That Teo kid is not a bad player….we should look into playing him more.
We HAVE to have the worst punt returners in the country.
We HAVE to have the worst punt returners in the country.
Ok, we better kick it up a bit cause I don’t have any beer in the house!
Ok, we better kick it up a bit cause I don’t have any beer in the house!
Calling them returns is a stretch.
Can we please use the TE more often!
Are you messing with me…cause I just lost a dollar on a bet saying that Effiert would make a catch…..oh yeah…two plays behind.
In the red zone….let’s punt
Seriously you guys can post…I won’t look.
Were is Gray?
Go ahead…seriously post about the TD we are getting in the next two plays.
Flags!
Nice!
Can you flag the band?
Thank you, Purdue and My Name is Jonas.
Thank You Gray, why you weren’t in there to began is beyond me!
Nice!! The TD made it to my TV too. If we can just get every team to give us 13 plays in the red zone we would be set.
High 5 ing is now unsportsmanlike, WTF can they do then!
It is such BS.
I was expecting to see that kind of play from our offense all year. Some of those plays I didn’t recognize.
Niklas can motor for someone 6-6. He made that saving tackle.
Why is that Kelly thinks we can only pass in the red zone.
Why is that Kelly thinks we can only pass in the red zone.
@MichaelWright I know – drives me to open the wine bottle.
By the way, ESPN is playing an R rated horror movie commercial every 2-3 breaks…thanks for helping my kids sleep tonight.
By the way, ESPN is playing an R rated horror movie commercial every 2-3 breaks…thanks for helping my kids sleep tonight.
@LetsGoIrish I know – my kid is alternating between FL and ND games – hope he misses those commericals.
I met his parents in OC – his dad took on an Irish brogue (it was pretty good, too!) Nice people (re: Niklas)
Spread offenses are good between the twenties. Someday someone is going to figure out how it can be affective in the red zone
I had an Irish brogue but I shaved it off. *rimshot*
Anybody think we have any shot of seeing a different QB tonight? And if so who?
Oh don’t ask that question…it has been a long week.
@LetsGoIrish lol
@LetsGoIrish I think Kelly needs Rees to get as much time as possible. Besides, we haven’t pounded someone in forever.
Did you guys see this? Defensive end Stephon Tuitt did not travel for Saturday’s game due to a violation of team policies, according to the school.
@LetsGoIrish Yes, saw that. Didn’t Diaco say some were struggling in school? Is that a team violation?
@OC Irish Not sure. That was via the Chicago Trib so it can really be anything given the student privacy that must be honored.
@OC Irish Let’s hope he wasn’t streaking…he will end up @ UCLA
There we go, opened in safari.
This live chat is pretty nice. Beats hitting the refresh button on the old Blue Gray Sky.
We should just play Purdue every week…this is much easier.
What happen to the run?
@Grirish So frustrating – don’t put that kind of pressure on the kid. Just a matter of time before there’s another TO – and this time, they’ll hold onto the ball.
Goodman isn’t used to moving forward.
So much for seeing if Rees could play without locking on Floyd….oh well, not complaining.
49 into the wind, don’t think it’s going to work
Wow got lucky there. RIGHT in his hands.
Should have punted.
82 to answer you question earlier. …sorry to sort of blow it off. Kelly said if ND gets ahead by 21 or more you would see one of the young kids…My guess would be Hendrix. I guess the thought would be that Crist is too good for garbage time.
Do we even have any punt blocking? It’s baffling.
Marve…my guess is that they will decide that Terbush is a better choice…Marve looked rusty last year before he was hurt.
Oh man he almost had a yard that time.
Maybe it is our gunners…seriously he is hit every time as soon as he catches it.
Glad to see Kelly got my text!
That’s how you run, Kelly! SHEESH! GO CIERRE!
Let’s just do that…it is a lot easier!
Amish, we are approaching my halftime wish score.
Amish, we are approaching my halftime wish score.
Now if we can just get Goodman going!
Ok that food lucks awesome
and looks
Put DC next set.
GR I like the way you think but I dont’ think it is going to happen.
Our defense spoils us.
Kona Swenke sighting.
This is his first game action this year I think. They talked about this maybe being a redshirt year for him…I guess Tuitt forced him into action
LGI I think you were wrong about Marve
Yeah he looks good.
The Thing! How can you improve on the first one?
Ooooo…that is the commercial OC. Luckily the kid is in bed.
@LetsGoIrish No child could ever sleep in my house when I’m watching the Irish.
@LetsGoIrish My kid is a lot older, and that commercial would send him up to our BR.
Let’s hope this game doesn’t end up like the Michigan game…he went to bed up 14-0 imagine how tough it was for me to explain that game to him the next game
That was a great movie!
Purdue has helped us a ton tonight.
OC I am the same way!
@notredame_dame My son said I was going to “lose my voice”. I told him I’ll find it again.
I think Atkinson’s return was on the return team…..he seems kinda timid still.
If we decided to be a running team I think we could be a good one.
If we decided to be a running team I think we could be a good one.
Fight fight
Fight fight
Rees is playing good/bad enough to stay in the game…he must have heard about that 21 points guidline.
Should have been offsetting!
Ton of flags tonight!
I almost got those same tattoos….they said Mom right?
that is how you shed a block
Would that be grounding?
How could that not be grounding?
No onenear the pass and not outside the tacs?
OK…..time to go get fat at halftime.
Halftime stats
T. Rees 12/22 170yds 1TD 0 INTs
Floyd has the monster numbers:
M. Floyd 8 catches 121 yards 1TD
C. Wood 9 for 102yds 1TD
Jonas Gray 7 for 56
Monster numbers for those guys
Amish, how do I get an Avatar here? These shadowy figures kinda scare me.
No other receiver has more than 1 catch
click on your shadow and then….hold on let me figure it out
Ok click on your avatar and then it will take you to a livefyre page and there should be a settings menu option
Ha ha, the kids were demanding food (can you imagine?) so I stopped the interview with Kelly. “He’s the LONG SNAPPER!” Funny stuff.
Yeah that was pretty good.
Now that that kids are in bed check out the classic movie. You got to rent it and check it out, it was the start of the SiFi horror flicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
AHHHHH!!!
Yeah so there are two horror flicks out ….the THING and Something…..original
@LetsGoIrish Hollywood can’t come up with anything new
I am really amazed at Purdue’s defensive game plan. I thought that Pitt had a good template for them to learn from but they haven’t even tried to disguise coverage and bracket Floyd in the process, instead they choose to blitz Rees
Good news flash: we have two more years of Cierre Wood
Floyd is going to have 250+ yards.
Nice TJ
Love the TE!
Where is Brock Spack when you need him?
Wow rockem sockem robots on the pc. You young guys wouldn’t remember that.
One dimensional offense, he must have read my keys to the game
Marve has surprised me tonight. He looks much better than I thought he would
It will be interesting to see how many rushing yards we give up tonight.
@LetsGoIrish not much so far
By the way, every time I type out a complement and hit post they screw up.
Oh sorry I remember I was play behind. He was going grape ape again…he stopped about the time I typed it. I just don’t like his going off on players to the extent that he does on the sideline….do it in the film session…but that is just me..I know some people are fine with the yelling…don’t want to get into that debate….just thinks that he takes it too far during the game….in practice fine…in the game it is too big of a distraction.