Hey Domers

[NDAFArly]

Jefferson played inside last season, he will play outside this coming season, it will go a long way to helping him be in a better position to make plays.



So far everything I'm reading about the Notre Dame Oline is based upon their run blocking ability. Texas will likely struggle some with stopping the run, but Texas has the speed to put a lot of pressure on the passer.

If the Texas offense comes to play, we can defend you offense in obvious passing downs. Neither offense is going to be very good if they are one dimensional. .

Even though I think he passes too much, Kelly is good at running a pass offense that gets rid of the ball quickly. ND doesn't get sacked much. Supposedly he had to adapt while at Cincy with a garbage Oline, but still went 12-0.

I just think he fell in love with it. Too many times on short yardage downs & in the red zone he throws the ball all over the place. The joke is that if ND just crossed the 20 & kicked a FG on 1st Down they would have been in the CFP last year.

Check this stat out. ND had the most turnovers in the red zone the last two years, 14. Wow, 14 effing turnovers in the red zone. (And 3 more inside the 30)
According to Blue & Gold:

"Unfortunately, the 2014-15 Notre Dame teams also turned over the football in the red zone a total of 14 times — six in 2014 and eight in 2015 — the most in college football over the past two years. Many proved to be game changing"

So if Texas just lets ND drive from 20 to 20 & wait for a turnover they should be fine. Lol

 

[TexExSpur]

I saw that. It's interesting two voters voted TCU first place?

I saw the Doak list also. Adams & Folston were both on it too. I missed that Morgan was on the Butkis, Kizer on the O'Brian (but not Zaire).

It's weird that with only around 50 guys on some lists they will have multiples from one team.

The talent is so young on our squad that D. Foreman is the oldest by class to make a watch list I believe and he was a member of the 2014 class. Complete lack of outstanding talent at the the upperclassmen level.

Malik will end up the most decorated by far, at least with pre-season acknowledgments.
Bednarik watch list
Butkus watch list
Nagurski watch list
Camp watch list
1st team pre-season All American Sporting News
Big 12 pre-season defensive player of the year
Pre-season All Big 12 team
3rd team All-American - Phil Steele

Pretty much looks like Jaylon Smith list thus far.

We had 3 freshmen All Americans last year with Malik, Vahe and Wiiliams and bleacher report seems to think we will have at least 2 more with Shackelford and Johnson in 2016, but I think we might see Duvernay and Jones get an honor here as well.

 

[NDAFArly]

The talent is so young on our squad that D. Foreman is the oldest by class to make a watch list I believe and he was a member of the 2014 class. Complete lack of outstanding talent at the the upperclassmen level.

Malik will end up the most decorated by far, at least with pre-season acknowledgments.
Bednarik watch list
Butkus watch list
Nagurski watch list
Camp watch list
1st team pre-season All American Sporting News
Big 12 pre-season defensive player of the year
Pre-season All Big 12 team
3rd team All-American - Phil Steele

Pretty much looks like Jaylon Smith list thus far.

Hopefully your coaching staff uses Malik better than ours used Jaylon.
An interview with Brian Kelly last week is getting a lot of buzz over his admission that the DC used Jaylon as an "eraser" to fix all the other players mistakes. He didn't have an actual position or assignment, just to clean up after everyone else.

 

[TexExSpur]

Hopefully your coaching staff uses Malik better than ours used Jaylon.
An interview with Brian Kelly last week is getting a lot of buzz over his admission that the DC used Jaylon as an "eraser" to fix all the other players mistakes. He didn't have an actual position or assignment, just to clean up after everyone else.

That's not good to hear considering he is now gone and I expect that unit to fall off some from last year.

 

[NDAFArly]

That's not good to hear considering he is now gone and I expect that unit to fall off some from last year.

It's funny because over the past 5-6 years ND counted on Teo & Smith to pretty much do everything but now they don't have a NFL LB.
They finally have an experienced secondary & Dline, so maybe the LBs can hide?

If you read up on ND's DC BVG you will notice how everyone can't stand his scheme. He is a NFL guy, where every team is so close, so scheme wins games. But as you know in college it isn't that way. A Texas team in the early '70s could line up against most teams, run the same play 20 times & score 50. Talent is so skewed in college.
BVG runs these crazy "do this, unless they do this, then you do that, until this" schemes that are way over-complicated. Players are so confused. I remember last year in the Pitt game a freshman WR ran straight up the sideline & caught a long TD pass with no one in the picture but him. The two players involved were KVR (just got drafted) & Redfield (5* who will get drafted). They stood there with their hands up & yelled at eachother. They showed the exchange with BVG on the sideline & even he didn't know which was supposed to have him?

That sums up BVG. A true freshman WR scores on two future NFL players & the coach doesn't even know who's fault it was.

Brian Kelly said in that same interview that "it wasnt going to cut it anymore" so many think this is a make or break year for BVG.

 

[oldhorn2]

young talent is not so much of a disadvantage in the overall scheme of things and can be damned effective just based on talent. The problem comes up that exposes young talent when there is no experienced player around them to keep them properly positioned. That was our second biggest issue last year with no offense being the first. It will continue being an issue this year but not nearly so pronounced.Many of our young guys gained many downs of experience.

 

[TexExSpur]

 

[NDAFArly]

 

[TexExSpur]

That was fitty days ago domer

 

[NDAFArly]

That was fitty days ago domer

There were other newer ones but that was the only one with both Texas & ND on it from the official page.

 

[TexExSpur]

 

[NDAFArly]

I'm starting to get excited for the season.
I wasn't sure what to think of the season mostly because of the defense & pass-happy offense.
Now listening to Brian Kelly talk in a few interviews I'm hoping he is not just BSing because he said he had a talk with BVG about the defense being too complicated & wanting ND to impose their will on other teams with their running game.
If that is true I'm excited.

For the first game agsinst Texas I am becoming a little more confident. I watched CS doing a lot of interviews this week & I took two things from him. First, he isn't really sure how things are going to go early for the offense (like game 1) & he thinks the team will grow as the season goes on (again, after game 1).
At first I thought he was being coy, trying to hide something. Then I realized HE doesn't even know yet what he has. He was being genuine when he said the team would be better but he didn't know how much better?

I'm guessing (so my opinion, not CS's) that he wished he had a "preseason" game, like against Texas St. or somebody to hammer things out? National TV, night game, ND is probably not how he wants to break some players in?
Or I could be 100% wrong (I usually am). Lol

 

[oldhorn2]

I tell you what Farley.....being as we have a bet on this game....It is gonna be hot.....I mean hot...I doubt it gets below 85 by 10 PM on game night. That said....whichever team can run the most ( imposing will and all...) whichever team that can do that is going to have a good 4th quarter. The deepest team will have a terrific advantage. That is supposed to be yall. I still believe we prevail by 10

 

[NDAFArly]

I think ND is very deep, & very good in the trenches.
But it really doesn't matter if they decide to throw the ball all over the field. Or lob the ball up in the end zone on first & goal like the past two seasons.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a team has to change things up if they get down early. So being down a couple scores will usually eliminate the losing team's run game.

I'm going to stick with my original prediction, 30-17. But I will now add to it.
Texas gets up early 7-3, all jacked up on adrenaline & Mountain Dew, but ND settles down & pulls ahead 17-7. Exchange scores the rest of the game, ND always being up 10, winning by 13.
If Texas won by two scores I honestly would be shocked. I think (my opinion) that ND is trending back to the days of really good players & team, so even if they lose it will be close.

 

[TexExSpur]

Strong is extremely relaxed compared to last season, he's bring coy. I honestly feel like this game could go 6 points in either direction and I'm stoked to see our 480 pounds of RB duo pound the rock.

 

[NDAFArly]

Strong is extremely relaxed compared to last season, he's bring coy. I honestly feel like this game could go 6 points in either direction and I'm stoked to see our 480 pounds of RB duo pound the rock.

I thought he was being coy at first. But then he just seemed like he wasn't sure, which is common when you have that much youth. He even hinted that he was still undecided on some things. (What things we will never know?)

I also thought his comments about learning from last year's environment was interesting. He admitted he made a mistake by telling his team all about ND's lure & taking them to all the sites on campus & he himself got caught up in it. That the team was overwhelmed by the environment. Then added he won't do that this year & that hopefully ND gets overwhelmed.
The one thing I will give ND credit for is that they don't get intimidated. You might beat them because you are better but they won't be intimidated. I think ND will excel in that environment.

But once again, my opinion means nothing in September.

 

[TexExSpur]

When someone like Strong jokes around about Trey Holtz being the starting QB after the millionth time asked, you know he's comfortable.

 

[Bwilk55]

I'm guessing (so my opinion, not CS's) that he wished he had a "preseason" game, like against Texas St. or somebody to hammer things out? National TV, night game, ND is probably not how he wants to break some players in? Or I could be 100% wrong (I usually am). Lol

It is interesting, CFB is the only league that does not have preseason. Heck, we even had pre-season scrimmages against other teams in middle school. In highschool we had 2-3 preseason games/scrimmages, went on to play 10 games, and then several playoff games (3 at best, got beat by Andy Dalton).

 

[LonghornSoldier]

I'm going to stick with my original prediction, Texas by 2 scores. But I will now add to it.
Texas gets up early 17-3, but ND settles for 2 fg inside the redzone to make it 20 - 9. The rest is just grind it out to the final of 27 - 15
If Texas won by two scores I honestly wouldnt be surprised

THIS is what you should have said bc Texas is gonna smash your ass in week 1. Pucker up sweetheart, Bevo is fixing to run that whack ass drunk leprechaun straight over.

 

[TexExSpur]

“I’m so excited because I know what we have right now,” Strong said. “So much has been said about our young players, but we have a really good group of older player that have really done a great job, and they’ve really now teaching the young players what it’s all about when you take ownership in the program.”

 

[NDAFArly]

THIS is what you should have said bc Texas is gonna smash your ass in week 1. Pucker up sweetheart, Bevo is fixing to run that whack ass drunk leprechaun straight over.

Autocorrect must have fixed mine? I guess even an iPhone knows that is a mistake?

 

[LonghornSoldier]

Autocorrect must have fixed mine? I guess even an iPhone knows that is a mistake?

Nope. And just for future disussion - my version was/is correct. If you so much as have a DREAM that nd beats Texas this year, you better wakeup and post an apology on here.

 

[NDAFArly]

Nope. And just for future disussion - my version was/is correct. If you so much as have a DREAM that nd beats Texas this year, you better wakeup and post an apology on here.

Can I just copy & paste the same one because that is a daily thought in my head?

 

[TexExSpur]

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_740cbaa0-49f2-11e6-8e42-9fb0b36b5f61.html

Huge get for the Field General.

 

[NDAFArly]

Nope. And just for future disussion - my version was/is correct. If you so much as have a DREAM that nd beats Texas this year, you better wakeup and post an apology on here.

Here is my daily apology for I once again saw ND taking a knee to run out the clock in victory.

You need to get one from all the lead writers, publishers, editors at Hornstaff too:

http://texas.247sports.com/Article/...analysis-Texas-Longhorns-vs-Notre-Da-45687332

 

[TexExSpur]

I'd like to know what Howe thinks after all the late additions and 2 months later, actually I'd like to hear what he thinks after fall camp. If Burton was thinking 34-21 on June 7th I can assure you that gap is shrinking by his gitty sunshine over the last few weeks.

 

[NDAFArly]

I'd like to know what Howe thinks after all the late additions and 2 months later, actually I'd like to hear what he thinks after fall camp. If Burton was thinking 34-21 on June 7th I can assure you that gap is shrinking by his gitty sunshine over the last few weeks.

A lot of the optimism is for future seasons though, isn't it? Do you think the late add-ons will affect 2016? Especially week 1?

 

[TexExSpur]

A lot of the optimism is for future seasons though, isn't it? Do you think the late add-ons will affect 2016? Especially week 1?

No, the optimism is growing for this season and he's pumped about what he has taking the field for fall camp in one week!

Yes, the place kicker, Hudson and Duvernay will be week 1 contributors that we didn't have on June 7th...huge additions. The skill position players that arrived from January-July won't have any problem showing flash against ND. New comers are less likely to shine inthe trenches unless they're studs.

The biggest unknown was kicker and they just filled that void, they know what they have at QB and feel pretty good about the interior DL with which folks question more than anything.

 

[NDAFArly]

No, the optimism is growing for this season and he's pumped about what he has taking the field for fall camp in one week!

Yes, the place kicker, Hudson and Duvernay will be week 1 contributors that we didn't have on June 7th...huge additions. The skill position players that arrived from January-July won't have any problem showing flash against ND. New comers are less likely to shine inthe trenches unless they're studs.

I just have a general rule, which I apply to my teams, which is don't get too excited about anyone who hasn't played a snap at the next level.
I'm not counting on any freshman for ND regardless of the hype. I just want the returning players to be healthy this year. Many of the ND writers predict that ND is better this year than last if they remain healthy.

 

[Longyac]

I just have a general rule, which I apply to my teams, which is don't get too excited about anyone who hasn't played a snap at the next level.
I'm not counting on any freshman for ND regardless of the hype. I just want the returning players to be healthy this year. Many of the ND writers predict that ND is better this year than last if they remain healthy.

Have you seen what's been on the field for us the last 5 years?

Hope is all we have.

 

[NDAFArly]

Have you seen what's been on the field for us the last 5 years?

Hope is all we have.

Trust me, I understand. I just try not to get burned with expecting too much from freshmen. I got burned by that from '07-'09.

 

[TexExSpur]

Trust me, I understand. I just try not to get burned with expecting too much from freshmen. I got burned by that from '07-'09.

I won't get burned, my expectations are at 7-5. Freshman skill players aren't an issue. It's the kids in the trenches you worry about and the kids in the backfield on defense. They won't be freshmen outside of the OL when Hudson displaces a guard and Shack at Center who enrolled for the Spring semester.

 

[NDAFArly]

 

[TexExSpur]

 

[LonghornSoldier]

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Perfect day to celebrate the 39 points Texas is going to break off in you first week