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Things gained from 2019


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First I'd say being able to extend the home winning streak. Recruits like to see wins on their fall official visits. ND has provided that for awhile

 

Defense producing at or near the same level as 2018, after losing Coney, Tranquill, Tillery, Love.

 

Next step is becoming elite on the recruiting trail. Winning has helped to get us a top end RB and WR.

 

I know Balis is good at developing depth but we need some of those guys who become elite starters in the NFL and that happens by winning those bigger recruiting battles.

 

We all agree this has been a slow process for Kelly but back when he was hired and during the rebirth I pointed out it took Kelly a very long time to get GVSU on that very top level. So I'm not that all surprised by gradual progress, moving from and 8 win coach to a 10 win coach, from 10-12 is how coaches at ND get graded, so it doesn't surprise me that he has an incomplete or failing grade from quite a few fans, but he had a legendary program to fix.

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Positives

 

Clark Lea as one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. I thought he had kind of a layup in 2018 after Elko left given he inherited a roster of Tillery, Coney, Tranquil, Love, Kareem, Okwara. But the job he has done this year, especially given the inexperience at LB, is really phenomenal. No idea why he isn't up for the Broyles Award. Going to enjoy having him for one more season.

 

The development of Ian Book. Yes - he has done most of his damage against lesser teams, but if you watch the games, you see a QB who is playing really well this last month. If he looks great again tomorrow and in the bowl game, especially if the bowl game is against a solid opponent, I will be really excited to see what steps he can take next year.

 

ND wins the games it should and wins at home. Most people won't care about this, but this was not a given under Davie, Willingham, Weis, and the first few years of BK. There are no more losses to South Florida, Tulsa, Navy, Northwestern, etc. ND has the second longest active streak of not losing a game to an unranked opponent behind only Alabama. They have won 18 straight at home, the second longest streak in ND history and the third longest in the nation behind Clemson and Ohio State. That's huge.

 

Negatives

 

Chip Long. Maybe it's not fair to be optimistic about Book while being pessimistic about Long, but I am sick of seeing ND get shut out against quality defenses. He is hampered by having no running game this year, but he's got to do better in big games. Skill position talent is coming in, so no more excuses.

 

Jeff Quinn. Easy to pile on the OL coach when the running game is struggling because the lack of a running game is probably due to a variety of factors: lack of a quality RB, poor offensive play calling, poor blocking. Still, the OL has not looked good against quality front sevens. He is a good recruiter, but he needs to step it up.

 

BK in big games. I have been a BK defender since he turned it around in 2017. Part of me still believes in him as a coach because of what he has turned ND into (3 straight 10-win seasons for the first time since '91-'93) and a Top 15/Top 10 program. But it gets harder and harder to think he is the guy to make ND elite when he has shown time and time again that he can't beat Top 10/Top 5 teams. I will say - I think he has had an abnormal amount of big games against top teams on the road. So I am giving him one more year to prove that ND can get over the hump - November 7th against Clemson. No excuses. Win that game, and ND is elite. Lose, and they're just another solid program who has hit its ceiling. If ND can go into that game at 7-0, that will be the biggest game in ND Stadium since the 2005 USC game. That's a must win.

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Really liking this

 

I couldn’t help but to imagine if the running game were better, how this season would look.

 

Watching the Apple Cup I noticed Deon Mcintosh playing for WSU. We also lost CJ Holmes to Penn State.

 

The recruiting hasn’t been great but having these two guys would have made a world of a difference this year. I bet Jones would only be seen on short yardage.

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Positives

 

Clark Lea as one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. I thought he had kind of a layup in 2018 after Elko left given he inherited a roster of Tillery, Coney, Tranquil, Love, Kareem, Okwara. But the job he has done this year, especially given the inexperience at LB, is really phenomenal. No idea why he isn't up for the Broyles Award. Going to enjoy having him for one more season.

 

The development of Ian Book. Yes - he has done most of his damage against lesser teams, but if you watch the games, you see a QB who is playing really well this last month. If he looks great again tomorrow and in the bowl game, especially if the bowl game is against a solid opponent, I will be really excited to see what steps he can take next year.

 

ND wins the games it should and wins at home. Most people won't care about this, but this was not a given under Davie, Willingham, Weis, and the first few years of BK. There are no more losses to South Florida, Tulsa, Navy, Northwestern, etc. ND has the second longest active streak of not losing a game to an unranked opponent behind only Alabama. They have won 18 straight at home, the second longest streak in ND history and the third longest in the nation behind Clemson and Ohio State. That's huge.

 

Negatives

 

Chip Long. Maybe it's not fair to be optimistic about Book while being pessimistic about Long, but I am sick of seeing ND get shut out against quality defenses. He is hampered by having no running game this year, but he's got to do better in big games. Skill position talent is coming in, so no more excuses.

 

Jeff Quinn. Easy to pile on the OL coach when the running game is struggling because the lack of a running game is probably due to a variety of factors: lack of a quality RB, poor offensive play calling, poor blocking. Still, the OL has not looked good against quality front sevens. He is a good recruiter, but he needs to step it up.

 

BK in big games. I have been a BK defender since he turned it around in 2017. Part of me still believes in him as a coach because of what he has turned ND into (3 straight 10-win seasons for the first time since '91-'93) and a Top 15/Top 10 program. But it gets harder and harder to think he is the guy to make ND elite when he has shown time and time again that he can't beat Top 10/Top 5 teams. I will say - I think he has had an abnormal amount of big games against top teams on the road. So I am giving him one more year to prove that ND can get over the hump - November 7th against Clemson. No excuses. Win that game, and ND is elite. Lose, and they're just another solid program who has hit its ceiling. If ND can go into that game at 7-0, that will be the biggest game in ND Stadium since the 2005 USC game. That's a must win.

 

Very well said. He's had by that time the 11 years that he needed to turn it around at GVSU. If he can't do it by then I'll consider his grade forever incomplete as ND coach.

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Watching the Apple Cup I noticed Deon Mcintosh playing for WSU. We also lost CJ Holmes to Penn State.

 

The recruiting hasn’t been great but having these two guys would have made a world of a difference this year. I bet Jones would only be seen on short yardage.

 

Neither have done a thing. Both are below average players

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Watching the Apple Cup I noticed Deon Mcintosh playing for WSU. We also lost CJ Holmes to Penn State.

 

The recruiting hasn’t been great but having these two guys would have made a world of a difference this year. I bet Jones would only be seen on short yardage.

 

The whole mcintosh thing still makes me SICK. He coulda been a helluva Fighting Irish RB, imo.

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Yeah because they throw the ball nearly every play.

 

FYI he’s got 7 yards a carry.

 

Garbage time carries. The first back has 121 carries. 2nd string has 49. Hes garbage time 16.

 

Hes not very good. Hes 3rd string garbage time rb on a crap team.

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Garbage time carries. The first back has 121 carries. 2nd string has 49. Hes garbage time 16.

 

Hes not very good. Hes 3rd string garbage time rb on a crap team.

 

Really not giving a sh1t what he did elsewhere. He was productive on the few appearances as rb at ND.

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Really not giving a sh1t what he did elsewhere. He was productive on the few appearances as rb at ND.

 

With the best offensive line in the country. He had truck size holes to run through. Hes below average and that's why he doesn't play at Washington state

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First I'd say being able to extend the home winning streak. Recruits like to see wins on their fall official visits. ND has provided that for awhile

 

Defense producing at or near the same level as 2018, after losing Coney, Tranquill, Tillery, Love.

 

Next step is becoming elite on the recruiting trail. Winning has helped to get us a top end RB and WR.

 

I know Balis is good at developing depth but we need some of those guys who become elite starters in the NFL and that happens by winning those bigger recruiting battles.

 

We all agree this has been a slow process for Kelly but back when he was hired and during the rebirth I pointed out it took Kelly a very long time to get GVSU on that very top level. So I'm not that all surprised by gradual progress, moving from and 8 win coach to a 10 win coach, from 10-12 is how coaches at ND get graded, so it doesn't surprise me that he has an incomplete or failing grade from quite a few fans, but he had a legendary program to fix.

 

My only disagreement here is same thing I said today in chat: ND is weak in the middle. MLB and nose guard used to be positions of strength but I have seen a lot more runs up the middle and people out of position this year. Losing the middle of our defense hurt.

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First I'd say being able to extend the home winning streak. Recruits like to see wins on their fall official visits. ND has provided that for awhile

 

Defense producing at or near the same level as 2018, after losing Coney, Tranquill, Tillery, Love.

 

Next step is becoming elite on the recruiting trail. Winning has helped to get us a top end RB and WR.

 

I know Balis is good at developing depth but we need some of those guys who become elite starters in the NFL and that happens by winning those bigger recruiting battles.

 

We all agree this has been a slow process for Kelly but back when he was hired and during the rebirth I pointed out it took Kelly a very long time to get GVSU on that very top level. So I'm not that all surprised by gradual progress, moving from and 8 win coach to a 10 win coach, from 10-12 is how coaches at ND get graded, so it doesn't surprise me that he has an incomplete or failing grade from quite a few fans, but he had a legendary program to fix.

 

Again, progress is not linear. There’s going to be setbacks, there’s going to be 10 win seasons followed up with 7-8 win seasons (see Texas).

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