Monday Morning Quarterback

Yes, it's here, Michigan Sucks Week ... and I'm going to do a little Monday Morniing Quarterbacking this morning as later today Coach Brian Kelly will announce who his starting Quarterback will be for the Notre Dame-Michigan game on Saturday night.

(Picture from last year's Notre Dame-Michigan game!)

So let's talk a look back at the Notre Dame-USF game for just a moment.

Dayne Crist: 7 of 15 for 85 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Tommy Rees: 24 of 34 for 296 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Cierre Wood: 21 carries for 104 yards, 1 TD
Michael Floyd: 12 catches for 154 yards, 2 TD
Tyler Eifert: 6 catches for 93 yards

Jonas Gray: Fumble for TD
Floyd: Holding, TD nullified
Crist: INT in End Zone
Riddick: Dropped Punt
Rees: 2 INT, including one at the USF 4

More game fun facts:

Notre Dame's David Ruffer, who was 23-of-24 on field goals in his career, missed a 30-yard attempt later in the third quarter after Rees hit Riddick with a 27-yard pass and Floyd with one of 15. (Final score 23-20 ... three points.)

Notre Dame out gained USF, 152-62 in the first quarter. The Irish had 85 yards passing compared to the Bulls' 20 yards in the air, and yet the Bulls lead 13-0.

Notre Dame totaled 508 yards in the game, exactly twice as many as USF's 254.

Notre Dame's 16 point half time deficit was the largest deficit since November 29, 2008 when the Irish trailed USC 24-0 at half time.

Notre Dame has played three games on September 3 in it's history, and the yare 2-1 all-time on this date.

The Irish are 40-8-1 (.827) in season opener games inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Skip Holtz, a former member of the Notre Dame football team and assistant coach and son of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz, returned to Notre Dame on Saturday.

Prior to Holtz on Saturday afternoon, the last Notre Dame graduate to defeat the Irish was Eddie Anderson ('22). His 1939 and 1940 Iowa teams beat Elmer Layden's Irish teams 7-0 both times.

Sigh, okay, enough of the fun facts. Let's get back to the game. There is no one person to point fingers at for the USF loss. It's is a team game, and let's face it, it is also a team loss. This is very clear to us all by looking at the above stats, including interceptions by two Quarterbacks, and fumbles by more than one player. If you take away the mental errors and turnovers in this game, Notre Dame handily defeats the Bulls.

So, how does Brian Kelly fix this going into Michigan Sucks Week? He's got to get these kids to calm down and not rush through these games. They have got to hold on to the rock. And the Quarterback, whomever the starter may be, has GOT to slow down and not make panicked passes.

I have no doubt in my mind that Kelly can fix this and have them ready for Michigan. We had 508 yards on Saturday. 508. If we have a game like that on Saturday night, minus all of the stupid turnovers, Michigan will be no match for the Irish.

Who does Kelly start at Quarterback? That is a tough question for me. Crist really did not have a bad game. He only had one interception ... Rees had two. And the Jonas Gray fumble on the goal line was NOT his fault either. He did make some bad, rushed passes, but Tommy did, too. As much as I like Rees, and think he may perform a bit better under pressure, I'd feel really bad for Crist if he does not get one more shot at this. I don't know? I can't wait to here Kelly's decision today, and his reasoning behind his decision! I'm sure glad I'm not in his shoes!

Okay, and there is my Monday Morning Quarterbacking for Michigan Sucks Week!

Cheers!