Saturday, October 11, 2008
ND vs. UNC Game Blog
I'm watching the game at home alone this afternoon, so I decided to keep a blog during the game. For space purposes on the main screen, I'll post my blogs quarterly as comments to this post.
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First Quarter:
3:26 3:12 remaining in the OU Texas game on ABC; Texas leading 45-35. The ND game is scheduled to be on ABC locally with Purdue-tOSU on ESPN, but I wonder if I’ll have to go to ESPNa to see the beginning of our game. Also, love the OAR song playing while they’re promoting the 8pm games tonight.
3:28 Missed Gameday today because I was golfing (49-46 for a 95—solid on a 66 degree October day in upstate NY)...with Herbie doing a noon game, wonder how that worked out.
3:29 OU can’t convert on 4th down, don’t care that Texas will win, but glad that our game will be on ABC sooner, just in case.
3:31 mmm…beer
3:33 Samantha Who? Premier is on ABC at 9:30pm some night this week. Thought you might care.
3:34 Our game on ESPN (for now?) Interesting to see if it gets moved over when the OU-Texas game ends. I’m happy to be listening to Brad Nessler.
3:36 Paul Maguire in the platform on the camera truck on the sideline. Hope that Clausen or Sexton pulls the stunt from Varsity Blues and drills him to kill the clock in the 2-minute drill this game. Also, our first Tate v. Tate comment of the broadcast.
Still 3:36 Stacey Dales!!!
3:38 ABC using a picture of Clausen with short hair. NBC still had the Jimmy Clausen banshee picture up last week.
3:40 We’re not even trying to run the ball yet. I’m a little surprised about that with the moderate success that Allen has had the last 2 weeks.
3:42 If Carolina rushes 3 all day, Clausen will have 62 completions and 537 yards passing.
3:43 Two plays later, Paul Maguire agrees.
3:45 Carolina blitzes, gets pressure, forces an incompletion. Their D is too good to sit back all and get picked apart.
3:46 They rush 3 on 3rd and 10…TD Irish. OUR TATE’S BET-TER (clap clap clap-clap-clap) Well boys, we looked damn good for the first 4:33.
3:49 Rece Davis just informed me that our game was moved to ABC for local coverage. The volume is louder on this channel for some reason. I turned it down from 24 to 20.
3:50 Brad Nessler says that we kicked it away from Tate on the opening kickoff, but he doesn’t know that our kickoff guy can’t get it past the 20 yard line.
3;52 Carolina has an O-lineman with ‘K. Jolly’ on his jersey. Does that mean that they have another guy named “Jolly”? Do you think that his belly jiggles when he ho-ho-ho’s?
3:55 Just saw a Dr. Pepper commercial with Kelsey Grammar playing his old role as Frazier that ended with him saying, “Trust me, I’m a doctor.” It reminded me of the Old Spice commercial with NPH who “played a doctor for pretend on TV.” Ahh, Doogie.
3:57 Michael Floyd 32 yd. catch. Floyd will be a 1st round pick in (hopefully) 4 years. Mark it down.
3:58 Stacey Dales!!! I wish I was her cameraman.
3:58 We have now had 2 designed run plays, a QB sneak and a QB draw.
3:59 Clausen slips and gets sacked. Paul Maguire incorrectly says that this is the first time that they sent 5.
4:01 We get back to 4th and 10 after the sack. Great job of playing the field position game. I thought their defense was supposed to be good?
4:01 Mike Aniello makes the tackle and gets his name called for the first time in the game. If this were an NBC game, Tom Hammond would have said it 34.8 times by now.
4:03 mmm…beer. Still early, so I switched to cans of Blue Light. That’s a Canadian beer for everyone not from Vermont.
4:04 Brandon Tate hurt. If ND wins, Tom Hammond will credit Mike Aniello as being single-handedly responsible for the victory.
4:05 Stacey Dales reports where she is not on camera are far less interesting.
4:07 Had to do a “Find and Replace” from McGwire to Maguire. Also, while highlighting his accomplishments as an RB, ABC still has Shaun Draughn’s position listed as a safety.
4:08 UNC has a guy named “Cooter.” Haha.
4:09 According to Nessler, ND is “a little shaky” with the FG game. In related news, the Dow dropped a few points this week and Stacey Dales is attractive.
4:12 Twelve and a half minutes into the game, Weis calls a running play! Allen is a beast.
4:12 Stacey Dales!!! I didn’t think that I could like her any more, but she just told me that Brandon Tate is out for the game. So much for the Tate v. Tate comparisons. ABC personnel are now scrambling for more material. I suggest talking about Armando Allen.
4:15 Nessler just called Jimmy “Casey”. Casey Clausen pumps his fist and yells “YES!” while watching the game from a house bought by his parents. Apparently he’s relevant still? Again? I dunno…either implies that he was ever relevant before, which I’m not sure I agree to.
4:16 End of Q1—I’ll add this to the post and see you next quarter.
Second Quarter Blog
4:21 BRANDON WALKER MADE A FIELD GOAL!!! The dude can kick—I think he just needed to see one go in. I hope. I think he was 1 for 98,364,591 before that kick.
4:25 Just realized that Cameron Sexton could be added to the Bill Simmons hall-of-fame for athletes that sound like smokin’ hot chicks.
4:26 Ball State! (The AFLAC trivia questions asked who the highest-ranked team in Indiana was.) Go Cardinals!!!
4:27 Blozar is just leaving work now.
4:30 UNC drops another pass. So far, they just don’t look like they want to win this game. And the Brandon Tate injury doesn’t help either.
4:32 With B. Tate out of the game, there is no reason for Terrail Lambert to give Nicks an 18 yard cushion.
4:34 UB is leading a good Western Michigan team early in the 2nd qtr. Buffalo is 2-3 (1-1 in the MAC) this year with loss @ Pitt and @ #3 Mizzu. WMU is 5-1 (3-0). I still think the Bulls are bowl-bound. By the way, Turner Gill will turn down Syracuse and get one of the top college coaching vacancies after this season.
4:39 UNC made another FG; 10-6 now. Apparently, Bob Griese is wrong about the kicking game for both teams.
4:41 Nessler says that Sexton’s knee is bleeding. I think it’s his vagina.
4:43 mmm…beer.
4:44 Apparently, Maguire thinks that the louder you yell something, the more likely you are to listen. Maybe I should yell that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
4:46 Toledo beat Michigan. Ha. I golfed with a guy who went to Michigan today. I beat him too. Ha.
4:46 OUR TATE’S BET-TER!!!
4:47 Just remembered to look for Turkovich after last week. Glad to see him playing. Also glad to see that Eric Olsen is not yet incarcerated or in a mental institution.
4:49 Weis’ influence is evident in Ron Powlus, whose coaching weight is now at…240 lbs?
4:50 Michael Floyd TD. 17-6 Irish with 0:56 in 2nd quarter. At this point, barring something bizarre prior to halftime, I would be shocked if we lost this game. Our offense has looked outstanding, and our defense has been surprisingly passable.
4:53 Lambert with another 14 yard cushion on Nicks. Paul Maguire catches on. Another Nicks catch. Can we please put 3 guys on him in the second half?
4:54 Another Nicks catch, with no cushion this time. Let’s make it 4.
4:55 Haha, Cooter makes a catch. Maybe: Cooter snatches a Sexton pass? Cooter has a connection with Sexton? Many possibilities here.
4:56 Paul Maguire with more meaningless commentary.
4:57 Carolina FG, 17-9 Irish. They have half our score, which makes me think that Butch Davis is half the coach of Charlie Weis. Literally.
4:59 UB takes a 14-3 lead to halftime. Go Bulls! Also, ND has a great career series record vs. Wabash.
5:00 ND with a turnover on the kickoff. Hopefully, it’s one of the meaningless turnovers like throwing an INT on a Hail Mary. My next door neighbor lost his fantasy matchup last week by McNabb’s INT at the end of that game. Petey Pablo playing in the background though… “North Carolina, Come on and Raise Up! Take your shirt off, spin it ‘round your head, twist it like a helicopter”. Makes me think of a certain roommate sophomore year…
5:03 Sexton hit, hurt with :02 left in the half…makes me think of the Tennessee game our senior year when, ironically, Ric Clause came in for the UT starting QB (Ainge?) who got injured because Phil Fullmer was trying to do who knows what with no time at the end of the first half. I was in the 2nd row.
5:06 Alright, NC misses a FG (online, but short—why didn’t we have anyone at the back of the end zone to return the kick?)—halftime now. And at 5:06pm on Oct 11 in Rochester, NY, the temperature has dropped enough that I am closing my windows. God love it. See you next half.
Third Quarter:
5:25 Eating some delicious buffalo chicken tenders left over from last night. And blue cheese. Delicious. I know I already said that, but it’s true.
5:26 Clausen just handed Carolina 7 points. I really thought that if we could control the ball and take it down the field and score that drive, we would run away with the game. At least we get the ball back?
5:28 I know I left you all hanging in Q1, so Samantha Who? is on Monday night, by the way. Also, Katie Holmes on Eli Stone is almost enough to make me think about considering to watch that show.
5:31 Paul Maguire actually had some good comments about UNC’s offense, but it was while Amando Allen was matriculating the ball up the field. Maybe next time.
5:32 UNC knocks down a pass on 3rd down (on a blitz, by the way). The crowd is into the game for the first time.
5:33 And UNC roughs the kicker, just when they were starting to get momentum. Another indication that they’re not a good football team.
5:33 Chinendum Ndukwe makes the cat…wait, Duval Kamara makes the catch. I nominate both guys for the Kweth Duane hall-of-fame for African-Americans that are invisible in dark rooms when they close their eyes.
5:35 Ndukwe/Kamara makes another catch. Carolina was rushing 2 that play.
5:36 Ndukwe/Kamara makes a good defensive play to knock an INT away from a UNC LB. Fitting. 3rd and 10 now, let’s see if Carolina rushes 3.
5:37 Yup. Clausen keeps the play alive for 14 seconds, and finds Ndukwe/Kamara. First and goal Irish.
5:39 TD Irish (Aldridge). Aldridge is looking as good as ever in his 3 year career. I don’t even get that excited when we score anymore—it’s kind of expected at this point. Also, where is Robert Hughes? Is he hurt or did Aldridge beat him out in short yardage.
5:40 Tyler Hansborough piece. Let’s see if his brother Ben (transferred to ND from Ole Miss this year) gets mentioned.
5:41 Stacey Dales!!! And…do it…ask Tyler Hansborough about Ben…YES!!!
5:42 Bob Griese knows nothing about college basketball. He didn’t know that Tyler Hansborough’s nickname was Phycho-T.
5:44 After another Nicks catch against a 12 yard cushion (better than 14 or more like in the first half), the cusion finally pays off as Nicks goes deep and Sexton overthrows him by 24 yards.
5:45 Pat Kuntz sack. I love Pat Kuntz.
5:46 ND gets screwed out of a turnover by the officials at midfield. Another play made by an underclassmen. Prediction: Carolina will drive down and score a TD on this drive. ND’s defense isn’t good enough to stop anyone more than once per drive.
5:48 Touchdown Buffs! 21-3 lead against a good WMU team.
5:49 mmm…beer.
5:55 Just entered my golf round from this morning into my handicap tracker. I haven’t played a round of 18 since August 16. Also, my handicap is 18.7 now, but I only have one round with an index under 20.
5:56 UNC TD. For real this time. Now they’re going to go for 2. Big stop and the Irish keep the lead. It’s good for the psyche to still be ahead.
5:59 This has now been a long quarter. I just heated up the rest of the buffalo chicken tenders. Speaking of Buffalo, UB up 21-6 now, end of 3rd quarter.
5:59 Hughes is in this drive, just made a big 1st down catch. I’m very unimpressed by UNC’s vaunted defense today.
6:02 Crap. I can’t decide if the vaunted UNC defense caused another turnover, or Clausen decided that this was too easy and wanted to make it more challenging. Either way, I don’t think we’re good enough to win if we turn the ball over twice per quarter.
6:04 Holding penalty saves a TD. Thank God.
6:05 Thanks to the Flomax commercial during the injury timeout, I’m going to the men’s room.
6:07 There’s the replay. Yes, the holding caused the TD.
6:08 Not surprisingly, UNC football fans are not impressive.
6:09 WHOA! UNC has one HUGE chick as a cheerleader. I bet they don’t do any formations with her on the top of the pyramid. I’d hate to be the dude cheerleader whose job it is to lift her.
6:12 Huge 3rd down to start the 4th quarter. See you then.
Fourth Quarter:
6:13 Just saw a Principal Financial commercial. I wonder how long it will be before we hear a commercial from an investment company that says, “We’ll lose your money less quickly than other companies.”
6:15 Touchdown UNC. Sexton scrambled in. Cool camera view by ABC from below the goalposts on the extra point. UNC scores TD’s on the first plays of both the 3rd and 4th quarters. Irish can fight back and win, but only if they don’t turn it over again.
6:20 Two hours later, Michael Floyd is still good.
6:20 Stacey Dales! Talking about Sex(ton)! AND she’s a lesbian (maybe). So me and Stacey Dales and Erin Andrews went out for drinks…
6:21 From my buddy Matt in Buffalo… “Stacy Dales in HD is glorious.”
6:22 From Paul Maguire, about NASCAR: “Biffle Biffle Biffle Biffle.”
6:23 Jimmy Clausen on 3rd down now: 7/9, 4 1st downs, 2 TD. Irish going for it 4th and 7 on the UNC 27…Grimes catches it, but short of 1st down. ND didn’t lose it there, but they need the D to step up now. The Irish really need a turnover or a 3-and-out.
6:26 We have confirmation…these announcers are pro-UNC.
6:28 So I didn’t think that we were going to win coming into the game, but now I’m emotionally invested in this game and I’ll be severely disappointed if we lose.
6:28 3rd down stop by the Irish D; got the 3-and-out. Brian Smith with two consecutive good plays. He’s my roommate Luke’s favorite player on our D.
6:32 Two hours later, Armando Allen is still a beast.
6:33 Huge 3rd down. The UNC fans are absolutely ROARING pre-snap. Or not.
6:35 David Grimes recovers an Allen fumble. Grimes is not the most talented guy, but he’s definitely a guy that I’d want on my team, at any level.
6:36 After the Allen fumble, Hughes comes in. It’s evident that no matter which RB is playing now, our running game is light years ahead of where we it was 3+ weeks ago.
6:38 mmm…beer. I might have to switch to hard stuff if we can’t get some points though.
6:40 Clausen turns it over on 3rd and long. Even though UNC’s offense has been nearly putrid and their D has been mediocre at best, it’s hard to overcome a -4 turnover margin.
6:47 Paul Maguire makes an intelligent comment! “I don’t have a best angle.”
6:48 UNC with another big 3rd down conversion. This UNC team reminds me a lot of the ND teams from our first year of the Ty Willingham era—making clutch plays and causing turnovers to steal games. It looks like we are a better team, but they have definitely won this game, especially in the second half.
6:52 Wow! A replay call goes ND’s way. That’s a…tough call for Carolina to take, but it gives life to the Irish. I don’t know what the possession rules are in college, but it’s good to be lucky.
BLOG SUSPENDED FOR FINAL DRIVE
Wrap-up: Bob Griese is an idiot. The officials got the replay correct. We aren’t good enough to overcome 5 turnovers—not a shock. ND is improving every week. While the way the second half unfolded and especially the game ended will leave a bitter taste of anger and disappointment on the tongues of ND fans, Weis and hopefully everyone else will realize that. We have come a long way from 12 months ago.
I'm impressed that you stayed with this the whole game. I'm also appreciative of it, I didn't get to watch the game.
blozar said that i talked too much about the game and should have limited it to peripheral comments. but i knew better.
also, i'm impressed that i stayed with anything for that long. it's usually 3 minutes and then i move on.
that's what she said.
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