|
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Week 8
If you said four games until ex-QB now-FB Briggs got hurt, you were both right and wrong. Briggs did get banged up last game with some kind of an injury, but it wasn’t a big enough injury to show up on the injury list this week. So close, but Briggs keeps on going. Gotta love the kid’s determination.
Speaking of injuries, somewhere in that game last week, stud guard Bruce Fisher broke his clavicle. This takes him out of the picture for the rest of the year. Ouch, bet that hurts.
I thought this might be a good chance to go back and take a quick look back at some of the “PCP’s” (position change players) from the first two year’s and update you on how they are doing now:
2001 Coach’s Choice: ILB Butch Landdeck (formerly a talented QB)
The AI made Butch a starting linebacker the year we moved him. That year in 8 games at the high-tackle position, he only made 22 for a team-low 5.5 tackle percentage, and was awarded the MVL award for his outstanding futility. This was despite playing with repeated, mysterious wrist strains. Now a senior in his last year, Landdeck occasionally plays as a backup, but has only made 6 tackles in the past two years. His girlfriend, Julie, is a real bowser. Just had to take that shot since Landdeck is the guy that ruined our shutout against Michigan.
2001 People’s Choice: Punter Don Stephens (formerly a stud ILB)
Poor Don. We fooled the AI into making him the punter in 2001, where he played a key role in our 4 losses that year with some awesome shanked punts. Since that time, this potential 1st round draft pick has not set a foot on the field. Not one play! Isn’t that just a shame? Bring a tear to your eye? This is now his last year, and Don tells me his is thinking of constuction as a career choice now that his NFL chances are over.
2002 Coach’s Choice: QB Wendell Goodwin (formerly a monster DE)
How much of his success was due to the outstanding WR’s on last year’s team will forever be debated in the barrooms of South Bend. In any case, clearly our worst position change choice to date. Wendell almost got the Darkside Award that year, and was a key factor in our team’s sickening rise to the top of the college world.
2002 People’s Choice: OLB Donovan Eggers (formerly a high potential QB)
A long-term move, Donovan was a backup QB with a huge upside. The move didn’t hurt the team much that year, as QB Goodwin was healthy the whole year, but NBC analyst Kent Chugummenwok sums it up best: “It goes a long way in showing how dedicated and intelligent your fan base is when they are smart enough to sacrifice the present and remove a player from the lineup who would cost you defeats two years down the line. Without this move, QB Barnes would be the QB this year, and the team would be much stronger. Brilliant move. No other team’s fan base would have been able to see that.”
Eggers has seen limited action at OLB in the past two seasons, where he has 7 tackles in over 130 plays on the field, for a measly 4.8 tackle percentage. But he has seen extensive action as the team’s towel boy. Unconfirmed rumor has it that he just built a fire in his dorm room and burned his Green Bay Packer’s team poster, cap, and sweatshirt. “Coach Sherman visited me as a freshman and said that the Packers wanted me badly. All year long they kept calling me. Since I have been made towel boy..I mean, OLB…I have only gotten one call about football. That was from Bounty. They wanted to know if I would be a poster boy for their next campaign. I was supposed run onto the field, wipe up vomit, then say ‘I’m the quicker picker upper.’ Coach Blitz thought it would be good for me, but I just couldn’t do it. I am so depressed. Wanna play catch?”
The Game
#119. Navy. We are approaching the pinnacle. I am not sure we are at Navy’s level yet, but it would be nice to give them a good game, at least. It would be an amazing upset if we could pull off a defeat though.
The Result
Yahoo! Navy 19, Notre Dame 17!!!! Score another one for the good guys! For the most part, we played a straight up, even game with the Midshipmen. The difference hinged on three crucial plays. First, QB Barnes fumbled on our own nine-yard line to give Navy a gift seven points. Second and third, K Bart Cohen missed two easy field goals in the 4th quarter, either of which would have made the difference in the game. Bart also managed to consistently hit short kickoffs that gave Navy great opening field position. Since Barnes other stats weren’t horrible, we award the IMetTrentGreen game ball to Bart who, except for a brief moment of coordination last week, has also been a key factor in our impotence this season. Way to go Barty! Welcome to the club! We love ya!
On a negative note, something has definitely gone wrong with Mr. Gray. Today he rushed for 160 yards and a TD on 19 carries! Yikes! No more Candy for him! Bad boy! We'll have to keep an eye on him.
Nevertheless, we are definitely seeing signs of improvement. Losing to the #119 team in the nation has to rate up there with our thrashing at the hands of Michigan. Another huge step forward towards futility.
Record 2-3 Rank #66
Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to stop in tomorrow as #97 South Florida comes to town! Till then, Go Irish!!! Yee-haw!!!!
|