It is time to talk about how poorly the defense is being prepared.

 

I have a great deal of faith in Coach Weis, but not in his staff. Minter, Lewis and all the rest.

I am split... I do not think the staff is doing a great job of preparing the D, but I also do not think the team is mentally or psychologically prepared.

 

Just too many mistakes on both sides of the ball... so I am not sure it is about technique or schemes.

 

Quinn has to settle down... his passes are just way off the mark too many times... the short throws even!!

I agree the mental state is a disaster right now but without a boat load of talent and athleticism when we face a spread attack this will likely be the result. Coaches are only as good as their players look at lloyd even he pulls off some big wins simply because he has horses. The players don't seem to have a fire in them sometimes a coach cannot spark it for whatever reason. This is probably the biggest area of concern IMHO for the coaching staff. Also I would like our offensive linemen coach to explain why 4 seniors are underachieving in such a fine manner. The offense is only as good as the line and they create zero running lanes up the middle.

Isn't Minter a big recruiting asset in Ohio?? If miss out on Martin and our defense continues to play like crap, I say we start shopping for a new coordinator. It's too tough to tell whether it's the coaching or our lack of talent on the defense. Hopefully we will be able to get a lot of those top defensive recruits in this year, and then we will be able to see if it is the coaching or it was the players.

I know the defense is playing better now. But they still have given up 34 points in one half (BQ gave away the other 7). They also had to deal with the turnover by Zbilowski, given. But it just seemed to me that the defense was not prepared for the game and they started out reacting to MS and not attacking the team.

It's all about players.

 

Unfortunately, teams will shove the ball down your throat when every one of your linebackers is undersized. Actually, one of our linebackers is undersized. Another is a running back, and the third is a cornerback.

 

It's all about recruiting.

Absolutely right about the need for speed, talent and depth. It's hard to say how slow or how much talent we lack, but it is a fact that we lack depth.

 

The place where coaching will make a difference is in preparation. And preparation can usually be judged by watching the first quarter. Our defense in the first quarter has been atrocious. In fact, I saw a stat where we are getting outscored something like 44 to 10 in the first quarter. The defense often times looks confused, back on their heels and like they lack confidence in that quarter. Our offense has underperformed as well, but I blame that more on mistakes by individuals -- fumbles, drops, bad throws and bad decisions -- that can more easily be fixed.

name one guy that starts on defense that charlie recruited. the only one is darrin walls, and he is doing very well. just wait till charlies guys come around. we will be a very deep and balanced team.

But my question isn't about Coach Weis's ability to recruit defensive prospects, it's about why Minter has taken so much longer to turn around the defense than Coach Weis and Heywood have taken to turn around the offense. Regardless of the mistakes we've seen on offense, we're still averaging, what, about 21 points a game -- that's good. We're also giving up more than 20 points a game on defense -- that's bad.

 

Give me some reasons to be more confident in Minter and I'll do it. Someone, please.

let the coaches stay, their doing their job, you can't blame the coaches when you have a few leaderless money players thinking let Joe do it, after charlie got in brady's pocket you saw the difference in his attitude, zibby is next and so is Jeff, these money players need a new attitude or stop playing football, this is a team game and you have to give 100%, the MICH game should have been a loss but it shouldn't have happened with several players sulking , there supposed to be leaders, some improvement has been noted, need a RB and offensive line to get better. the players have to pony up leave the coaches out of this . this week will tell us where the irish are heading. if Purdue gives us trouble then we need to replace the money players, not the coaches. go irish

guys, these coaches are fine. we are working with bare bones at some of these positions. thank god we have been relatively healthy cause you dont want to see whats down the depth chart.. give it time with the players charlie is recruiting, then, like usc, we will just continue to reload every year instead of rebuild.

Give me some reasons to be more confident in Minter and I'll do it. Someone, please.

 

Second half of MSU game.

exactly scotty!!!!!!!!

I disagree. I think our defensive coaches are doing a great job, given the circumstances. Last year, our defensive backfield depth was so weak our coaches would barely ever go to the nickel. This year, our linebacking core is the problem. Crum isn't big enough to play in the middle. Ideally, he'd be a SAM LB. Travis Thomas is just learning how to play LB, and he probably should be playing SAM as well. Then there's Mitchell Thomas and Anthony Vernaglia, two guys who don't seem to be good enough to be on the field. So as a result, this year we're playing multiple DB packages virtually every play. So every offensive coordinator and their brother knows that they can just run it down our throat. But, even given our personnel deficiencies, it's been our defense - not our offense - that really stood up and won the GTech game and the MSU game.

 

I think if we can piece together a good defensive line next year, our defense is going to stand up and make people take notice.

lowe, i assume you are disagreeing with the author, (2 lakes) since no quote was used.

The Coaches don't need me to defend them and they know they are in a high employment risk profession. Some were ready to tube Minter after the OSU game and this tubing chatter was all after a 9-3 season our first year. Comes 2006 and into just 4 games with 1 loss and we grumble? I think their are just as many serious O concerns as well as our D.

 

Backing up Charlie's first full 25 I could see chatter about few D guys. In fact in one Presser after signing day Coach Weis said their was defensive pressure on him from assistants to allow one of his O picks play defense. Weis responded roughly "Rick (Minter) if your in the building the answer is no." (In a lite vein) This is a clue that the D still had not gotten all they wanted. They would have to make do in 2006 with what they had again. For me that's merely if I have lemons all I can do is make lemonade but not Tequila.

 

There were again moans this early part of the season the D recruits were not coming, now that has eased up some.

All the coaches not just the D's went to visit Coach Fox for some instruction over the summer. Minters up in the box an O removed and placed into the D schemes and adjustments.

 

2007 is a concern simply because for all the cheers for this recruiting class the new team leaders are that crummy class we had. Three years is where all will get antsy over coaches cause in general it's when the other schools look around and try to steal a coach away. I'd hate to see this remarkable team of coaches go. Although Weis has a remarkable system of replacements.

 

You guys can scoff at say the remarkable resurgence of Rutgers or lets pick the service academies. These don't have the resources of a Notre Dame, Texas or SC. They can't compete in recruiting as well either. These coaches turned it around with coaching. Give it a chance at ND.