Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/731427
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 3, 2016 5 FAN FORUM DEFENSELESS Though a supporter of Coach Kelly, I was discouraged by some of his comments following the Michi- gan State meltdown. To emphati- cally support the defensive coordi- nator when the defense has been historically awful since his arrival is perplexing. Has there ever been a Notre Dame team that was any less able to cover receivers, make simple tackles, sack the quarterback, or hold their own up front than the bunch we have out there now? Has there ever been a Notre Dame defense more prone to giving up a huge gain at the most inconvenient time than this one? Next, I am unappreciative of Coach Kelly's comment that the coaching staff's job is to see that the team is better in November. No, it is to have the team ready for the start of the season, which they clearly were not. On the morning of September 18th this season was already lost, with any significant accomplishments no longer on the table. We lost to MSU and Texas because our players were not physically and emotionally tough enough, and be- cause we had not stocked the defen- sive side of the ball properly with quality, experienced players. That falls on some very highly compen- sated coaches. Beating up on softies Duke and Syracuse the next couple of weeks may create a false sense of improvement, but it does not change the inadequacies that were exposed these past couple weeks. Tom Derengoski '70 Lansing, Mich. Mr. Derengoski, in fairness, a head coach generally is not going to publicly rip on an assistant. Behind closed doors might be a different matter. DELAY OF GAME? I remember at 16 years old watch- ing the 1966 Notre Dame-Michigan State game on our old black and white TV. Reading The Fifth Quarter, I was shocked to read that the game that day was on tape delay. It seemed to be a normal time games started back then. Was it de- layed on radio also? Tim Eakin Fort Wayne, Ind. Mr. Eakin, the radio broadcast was not delayed. Back then every college team was permitted one national television appearance per season, and Notre Dame used up its quota in the opener against Purdue. However, ABC executives were pressured from the West Coast and the South to make the MSU game national. According to Wikipedia, ABC then aired the game on tape delay in certain parts and blacked out the game in two states (North Dakota and South Dakota), so it could technically be called a "re- gional broadcast." It also was the first time a college football game was broad- cast to Hawai'i and to U.S. troops in Vietnam. 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 Head coach Brian Kelly (right) has publicly supported defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder (left), despite the team's struggles the first three weeks of the season. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA FROM THE WEBSITE As expected, hundreds and hundreds of opinions came in on the state of Notre Dame football after the 36‑28 loss at home to Michigan State dropped the Irish to 1‑2. Here was a small sample size on BlueandGold.com. DenchiIrish: If you were told Brian Kelly would get ND to the national championship in his 3rd season, you all would've been over the moon. BK has averaged 9 wins a season since he came here, he's gone 3‑3 in bowl games, with two BCS appearances (yeah I know we got stomped but we got there). I am just as frustrated as anyone but what is a better option at this point? Tom Herman is not coming to ND next year. I have faith in the staff that we will at least put together a 9‑, possibly 10‑win season this year. Dcwflyca: I do think you have to acknowledge the fact that the program has not continued to build from 2012 (and I think you can argue it has regressed considering our talent base is better than it was). BK has earned time to figure this out. He has taken ND back to a place it hadn't been for a long time. He has recruited well and been an excellent representative of the university. I have a feeling that we will see plenty of changes this offseason that will make everyone feel better. TD_Jesus88: BK should get one more year at best, and perhaps just this year if Tom Herman or other up and coming elite coach can be swayed. If not, fine. We know what we have with BK and that is a good not great coach, so we can't be upset with 3‑5 loss seasons and at the same time defend BK. He is what he is despite the perfect storm of 2012, which ain't happening again. ND1000: There are no better options at this point. This is why everyone is so bummed. Most people have come to the sad conclusion that this is as good as it gets with BK. The next step will be moving from bummed to numb. NDFanInMadTown: Kelly is a 9‑win‑a‑year‑football coach on average. Even 2012 if the refs are pay‑ ing attention ND loses at home to unranked Pitt. If Brian VanGorder is retained after this season, then I would join the chorus of those calling for BK's head, because that would be a sign of incompetence.