Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 16, 2019 5 FAN FORUM CALL TO DIFFERENT ARMS I disagree with the assumption im- plicit in "The Fifth Quarter" (Nov. 9) that Notre Dame fans are clamoring for Phil Jurkovec simply because that's what fans always do. Ian Book's three- star shortcomings became apparent toward the end of the 2018 season and were fully exposed by Clemson. Instead of stepping forward into the pocket, he tends to sidle off to the side, or just takes off running. Fre- quently, he scrambles into pressure. He fails to stick with his progressions and either fails to see open receivers or doesn't trust his arm to deliver a longer pass. He hasn't seemed to be getting any better, although I thought there were some signs of progress in the Virginia Tech game. On the other hand, Jurkovec was a five-star recruit who is bigger, taller, stronger, faster and has a better arm than Book. Many other teams do well with freshmen at QB. In short, there are ample reasons for inserting Jurkovec into the starting lineup. You may disagree and you may be right, but this is definitely not some mindless, knee-jerk response. Ed Szewczyk, Class of 1973 Belleville, Ill. Mr. Szewczyk, Jurkovec was a consen- sus four-star recruit (not five) ranked No. 87 overall nationally by Rivals, No. 115 by 247Sports and No. 126 by ESPN. That is still higher than Book, but that's not how coaches make judgments once on the practice field. The column was not written in a spirit of knee-jerk reactions, but just to point out that the clamor for the backup during difficult times or poor performances (and sometimes even not) is an age-old tradi- tion of football, specifically at quarterback. ALARMING PATTERN The drubbing of the Irish by Michi- gan, and at Georgia earlier this year, should be sounding the alarm bells loud and clear. The team isn't being prepared to play the "Big Game." And, the blame can't be dropped on the shoulders of the players. Sadly, the Fighting Irish have be- come nothing more than a doormat for the opposition in the "Big Games," as it seems to be a foregone conclusion they are going to lose. Notre Dame's naysayers are having a field day shout- ing their damnation after each loss. The shouts that they don't deserve to be in a major bowl, or on the same field with certain teams, have been growing louder with each passing loss, be it a bowl game or regular season. Why? COACHING! It's time for someone to wake up and listen to the voices and read the hand- writing on the wall. The Irish need a new coach and soon. If not, Notre Dame will continue to flounder and fail when they face a quality opponent. Jim Lilley Mt. Airy, Md. DEFERENTIAL TREATMENT Why does Brian Kelly insist on receiving the opening kickoff when Notre Dame wins the coin toss in- stead of deferring for the second half? Once again versus Virginia Tech, just like at Michigan, we went three- and-out on the opening drive, so ex- actly what did that do for us? I'd much rather have the defense on the field at the start of the game, and I prefer the second-half kickoff whether I'm ahead or behind. If the other team scores at the end of the first half and gains the momentum, I don't want them to get the ball right away at the start of the second half. Yes, we have scored on the first drive a time or two, but why play the odds? Pat Buckley Portage, Mich. Mr. Buckley, here was Brian Kelly's reply the week before the Duke game: "There are a lot of different factors. Weather in the second half. Making the decision if you have the ball, now they're going to take the ball in the second half and you get the wind. Weather has a lot to do with it. "The percentage of scoring first has a high analytical number for the winning team. So those factors play into making that decision." GETTING ONE'S GOAT Excellent article on Recency Bias (Nov. 2 "The Fifth Quarter"). As a longtime subscriber, I look forward to your articles and the way you often bridge the present with the past. My teen years also occurred in the 1970s, so I appreciate your per- spective that greats of any era truly were/are great. It seems like inept journalism to throw around the term GOAT — Greatest Of All Time — even if just to stir up debate. Your work transcends that, and offers a broader and more informed analysis. Rick Frieben Fayetteville, Pa. FOR A SONG How can Sports Illustrated vote "Rocky Top" as the No. 3 fight song when it isn't even the Tennessee fight song? "Down the Field" is the official Tennessee Volunteers fight song and is probably played more than "Rocky Top" at UT games. Both songs, along with "Hail to the Victors" and "Boomer Sooner" have catchy tunes. None, though, can compare to the incomparable "Notre Dame Victory March." One person's opinion. Keep up the good work!! Lee Handwerker Collierville, Tenn. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Senior Ian Book (12) continues to hold down the top spot at quarterback for the Irish, even though sophomore Phil Jurkovec (15) had a more decorated prep career. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS