The thing that is bothering me the most is how fundamentally lacking in imagination our playcalling was (especially on offense). I'm not saying trick plays, but they really seemed to have wasted the last month in terms of game-planning. No changing the pace of play, no different play calls, nothing. The most creative play of the game was a pitch to Dexter (ooh, that's clever, give the fastest guy on the team the ball in space. Crazy town!), and then they never went back to it. Also, what happened to getting more speed on the field, ie freshman who were preserving eligibility? Not a good look for Chip Long.
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And just why might that be? Could it possibly be that the O-line didn't protect him? Yeah... I bet that's it!
Quit blaming the symptom and look at the cause.
I'll have the first-half play when Book quickly rolled right under little pressure and threw the ball short and way behind a WR running down the seam absolutely wide open in my head all offseason. He needed to hit the guy in stride all of 10-15 yards downfield and didn't come close.
Playcalling, BS review decisions, game plan, talent... A lot of things weren't in ND's favor for one reason or another, but it was painfully obvious that one team had a 3-star QB who wasn't a Top 500 recruit while the other had a 5-star QB who was the top recruit in the country and would be the #1 pick in the NFL Draft this spring if he could leave college that soon.
Book played poorly and isn't an elite talent to begin with; Lawrence is an absolute stud and played like one.
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in the spring...I have no problem with that, in fact, all jobs should be open, we're not champions..And as Phil Jurkovic is so highly regarded, it makes sense..
Book was awful Saturday, I think he panicked at times, and ran too soon, knowing how great the Clemson line is..However, I dont think ND is even in the playoff, if not for Book..
And, if open competition, I think Book wins hands down and is the starter for 2019..After that, he should be under same scrutiny as BW was last season, and am sure he will be..
as it is with limited time as a starter. Also, I think having Jurkovec breathing down his neck (hopefully) will improve his performance. But, and it's a big but, he has to get help from Long calling proper plays to help counter the type of pass rush Clemson brought. This did not happen, although Long had made some changes in prior games against Pitt and USC.
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Wimbush had struggled in the first half, they would have switched QB's (i.e. LSU 2018).
Standing on the sidelines watching Book crap himself and not being given a chance to make a difference was the nail in the coffin.
He had already proven he could win big games, but they treated him like he was a freshman.
I continue to wonder if there is some friction between Wimbush and Chip Long.
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Navy and Vandy would have at least scored a TD in the fourth. A lack of pride and overall failure by the coaching staff. They gave up period. I take that back, the defense kept fighting the offense and their coaches were clueless. Typical Kelly performance.
with this team or ND in general, a 3 star with inexperience .
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Same as it ever was....