Favorite Play of Year....so far

[Rocket's Revenge]

Just as title states, what is your favorite ND play of the year .... so far.

Corysold posed question in the lurker thread. I though it was a great thread topic. We can add to it as season continues.

I will start.....

My favorite play so far is Julian Love pick 6 against MSU. ND hadn't beaten a decent team yet. We were all still wondering if new assistants were going to make a meaningful impact in first year. Could this team turn it around? UGA loss was still fresh. MSU was undefeated. Game was early and still in question. ND just scored first TD. If MSU came right back and scored a TD then MSU gets momentum and game in question. Probably turns into a dogfight.

Then BOOM!! 27 jumps in front of receiver and is GONE!!

To me that play just demoralized MSU and set tone for not just that game but the rest of season. It gave the D so much confidence and let us all know that ND can compete with ranked teams!!

[dangeruss]

favorite play maybe josh adams 84 yard TD run vs USC, the play that crushed their spirit.

the most important play may have been shawn crawfords forced fumble and recover in the endzone vs MSU. msu was looking to make it a 14-7 ND lead but instead ND got the turnover and went down the field to make the score 21-0.

[WeaverIrish]

Coney's body slam on the USC player. Perfection.

[corysold]

My favorite play(s) (yes, I'm cheating), was the close out drive vs NC State. It was basically a giant middle finger to their "6th ranked rush defense" as the backup RB's and OLine ran 15 plays, took 8:40 off the clock and for good measure, kneeled it on the 4, which basically says, we beat you so bad we don't even have to finish this epic drive with a TD.

But my favorite moment is the Coney tackle on the second half kickoff vs. USC.

[echo88]

Originally Posted by WeaverIrish

Coney's body slam on the USC player. Perfection.

Yep and yep.

[echo88]

Originally Posted by corysold

My favorite play(s) (yes, I'm cheating), was the close out drive vs NC State. It was basically a giant middle finger to their "6th ranked rush defense" as the backup RB's and OLine ran 15 plays, took 8:40 off the clock and for good measure, kneeled it on the 4, which basically says, we beat you so bad we don't even have to finish this epic drive with a TD.

But my favorite moment is the Coney tackle on the second half kickoff vs. USC.

Yet in this playoff day and age, we do. It's the first time this season I was legitimately pissed with the decision of the coaching staff.

[Baldy]

Originally Posted by echo88

Yet in this playoff day and age, we do. It's the first time this season I was legitimately pissed with the decision of the coaching staff.

I agree! It was a great drive and ending it with a knee was pretty annoying! I understand why, but in this day and age you need score when given the opportunity. Especially for Notre Dame!

[WeaverIrish]

Originally Posted by echo88

Yep and yep.

They are on a revenge tour.

[Brojbriggs]

That is a tough decision but I think the Stepherson TD against USC is my favorite. It was so important not only in the game, but even more than that it was a huge moment for this team for the second half of the season. A healthy and active Stepherson is the difference in being great and elite. He has the best hands on the team and you are gonna need him to make 3-5 more of those catches down the stretch.

[toddrhodes]

Originally Posted by Baldy

I agree! It was a great drive and ending it with a knee was pretty annoying! I understand why, but in this day and age you need score when given the opportunity. Especially for Notre Dame!

FWIW, Kelly covered this topic in his WF presser. Basically saying "The committee watches entire games. They know who was in command, by how much, and who the superior team on the field was." He also said in that situation, no matter the opponent, he'll take a knee because he feels it's the noble thing to do. The answer was in relation to a question about "style points."

IMO, that stuff mattered more in the BCS era than it does now when you had votes cast based on box scores impacting the total BCS score. There was no question who won that game and I, at least, am proud of the decision the team made to take a knee. To me it's the good sportsman's way to go. If ultimately that TD costs us a playoff spot? I'll eat a shoe (made of chocolate).

With that said - I do not necessarily disagree with you and echo, just that I see both sides and I tend to agree with the side of taking a knee.

Edit - to contribute - I won't cite a play, but rather two plays. The two plays following the blocked punt/TD against NC State. ND got punched in the mouth and returned with about as swift a kick in the *** as a team can. Really cemented, for me, the attitude of this team.

[Baldy]

My favorite play of the year was Josh Adams’ 72 yard TD run in the first quarter against Miami (OH). I know it was Miami (OH), but watching him stiff arm Daniels to the ground and then run in the end zone was amazing!

[echo88]

Originally Posted by toddrhodes

FWIW, Kelly covered this topic in his WF presser. Basically saying "The committee watches entire games. They know who was in command, by how much, and who the superior team on the field was." He also said in that situation, no matter the opponent, he'll take a knee because he feels it's the noble thing to do. The answer was in relation to a question about "style points."

IMO, that stuff mattered more in the BCS era than it does now when you had votes cast based on box scores impacting the total BCS score. There was no question who won that game and I, at least, am proud of the decision the team made to take a knee. To me it's the good sportsman's way to go. If ultimately that TD costs us a playoff spot? I'll eat a shoe (made of chocolate).

With that said - I do not necessarily disagree with you and echo, just that I see both sides and I tend to agree with the side of taking a knee.

Edit - to contribute - I won't cite a play, but rather two plays. The two plays following the blocked punt/TD against NC State. ND got punched in the mouth and returned with about as swift a kick in the *** as a team can. Really cemented, for me, the attitude of this team.

While perhaps true, ND is either at a wild advantage or disadvantage when it comes to playoff selection. If our competition feels the need to rack up points on defenseless opponents, we should too. Because in certain scenarios that are impossible to predict, it just might matter. You don't get points for being respectful.

[NDNorm]

Michigan State game......Crawford with the punch out of the ball on Scott crossing the goal line, then immediately going for the loose ball in the end zone. Oh so nice.

[Franco]

Personally, I love that 25 yard post-route TD to Smythe

Wimbush showed a lot of positive things on that throw:
- Excellent touch
- Anticipation! He threw the ball before Smythe started to break
- Great awareness seeing the corner vacating that spot

I'll cheat here too..some honorable mentions: The two EGREGIOUS holding calls on NC States DBs vs ESB and Boykin

This showed me that their "great" defense never saw an offense like ND's and had to resort to cheating

[ndomer4]

Gotta go with Adams long TD run against USC.

[hawaiiirish]

I'll cheat as well

ALL ELEVEN WIMBUSH TD RUNS!!!

That is what makes our offense so deadly---we have struggled in the red zone since Kelly arrived and even before that

I haven't been as confident of scoring when we get close since Tony Rice was running the show

aloha

[Hejduk23]

With out a doubt Josh's back breaking run against USC!

[TexasDomer]

My favorite? Whatever that locker room dance was that Coach did with the team.

[VCDomer]

I'm in the Adams trucking USC group, with the punch out at the goal line versus Sparty a reasonable 2nd. Adams run was the donkey kick in the gut for Trojan.

[OKCIrish99]

This is such a great thread. Very hard to decide. I did love Love's pick 6 against MSU, but I'd have to go with the late Adams USC td run. Kid just amazes me, literally, every week. Just a stallion.

[gasher]

I will cheat to, I think both the Offensive and Defensive game plans against USC and NCS were excellent, I would have to say that the defense against NCS was almost perfect. The cover guys were on fire with passes being batted down and not just deflected but knocked down hard, Coney was everywhere and made tackles. The dline was getting pressure, stopping the run and owning that line. I love offense as much as anyone but I am so loving our defense. It was such a great blend of planning and execution.

There are so many favorites so far this year, how about Chase Claypool's pancaking Dbs? How about that Oline that just opens up massive holes. The ESPN guys are knocking Josh a little bit calling these holes gifts.

So far it has been very exciting and fulfilling to be an Irish fan.

[KamaraPolice]

Probably the miraculous play the Georgia receiver made to almost catch the touchdown. Even though the ball was moving and he never had possession, it was an effort so terrific, the replay official was completely mesmerized and cost us the game by finding phantom, indisputable evidence that the ruling on the field of incomplete was actually wrong.

[SpeedsterX]

Originally Posted by WeaverIrish

Coney's body slam on the USC player. Perfection.

Yep! The first 2 seconds of this video is my favorite!

DomerDomain.com

[EddieAngel]

For me it is between the USC backbreaker and also the Josh Adams run against NCState. I love it when we get the ball and have a 16 second drive. Those are super demoralizing.

Also, the Watkins interception against USC was beautiful. It was a skill interception, he went up and snatched it out of the air. Not an overthrow or an underthrow, just good old fashioned skill.

Maybe a bad call by Darnold throwing into coverage.

[PJackson'sDred15]

Coney stripping Darnold on their first drive. I think I celebrated that play more than any other.

It was a huge moment in the game. I think we went 3 and out on our first drive and they had great field position. The turnover led to early points and the beat down began. They score there and they have all the momentum.