Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS today. We have to remember where we are after today's loss. It's a red- letter day for our football players and coaches alike. "Two years ago, we were playing for a national championship. Today, we got our butts beat. It wasn't as close as the score. … We have a lot of young players, and I'm very confident as to where they want to go. They want to get better. We expect to be back in the spot where we were a couple years ago, but we're going through a tough spot right now." Fans don't want to hear about tough spots after year five of a program, and doubt has crept back into the mix two years after a 12-0 regular season. Even with Notre Dame's continued bad luck on the injury front — another five players had to leave the USC game alone — there is no excuse for such a flat performance. On the first two plays alone, Notre Dame was flagged for illegal proce- dure and a delay of game. It punted on its first four possessions and turned it over on the next two. "They got punched in the nose to- day," Kelly said. "You want to see a response, too. They're young, but I want to see some fight, too. I want to see some bite. "Bowl preparation, we're going to have to see a response. All jobs are available, and we're going to have to see something from this group." Motivation and focus could rarely — if ever — be questioned during the first 11 games, even during the three consec- utive losses leading up to the regular- season finale. Against their archrival, however, it seemed too easy for the Trojans on offense and on defense. While Notre Dame cites its injury list often — and, to be clear, it is reason No. 1 for the team's November down- fall — you don't hear similar refrains from the opposite locker room. USC, still crippled by NCAA sanctions, did not play a game this season with more than 57 available scholarship players. In late November, that pool of avail- able talent fell to 48 players. Still, it came out with an inspired victory after entering the game with an identically mediocre 7-4 record. "This is not a program situation," Kelly said. "This is a personnel [situ- ation]. We're talking about personnel. We're talking about young guys grow- ing up and maturing, starting to grow into their roles defensively in particu- lar. Obviously, we have to figure out the quarterback situation, too." But in many ways, it is a program situation. Elite coaches rarely lose four in a row or five of six, particularly in year five. While Kelly proved the heights to which he can lead the pro- gram two years ago, he'll have to pro- duce a similar season in 2015 to avoid making 2012 look like an aberration amid a stream of mediocrity. Too many times, young personnel and injuries are cited as the reasons for losing. The disappointment that is 2014, however, also falls squarely on his shoulders. ✦ Andrew Owens has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2013. He can be reached at aowens@blueandgold.com