·        If Wannstedt really does want to have a power running offense, he is a bigger idiot than he demonstrated as a head coach in the NFL.  He played into Irish hands with his play calling, just like Carr and Fulmer did last year.

 

·        Fifty-eight players participated in the game against Pittsburgh.  When is the last time we played so many in an away game or a home game against a ranked opponent?

 

·        The offense gained 502 yards.  When is the last time we gained so many yards against a ranked team?

 

·        The defense dominated physically and statistically until the game was won!

 

·        The O Line showed a new skill set and ferocity, overwhelming the Pitt defense in the second quarter.  Did you realize that THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND MOST TALENTED (measured by the number of top 100 players—all of them in the o line) offensive line in Notre Dame history played against Pitt, although Dan Santucci started because he showed Charlie something that none of the others did.  The announcers mentioned the attribute but I cannot recall the exact word.  Santucci went out with an injury and at that time John Sullivan, the starting center last year who basically lost his job, came into the game at center and         Morton moved over to guard to replace Santucci.  By the way, replays show Morton as the most devastating of our offensive line blockers on big plays.

 

·        Remember, Dave W kept their Defensive Co-ordinator who led a less than ordinary defense last year!  The 4-3 defense they ran left a huge gap BETWEEN the D Line and the linebackers, inviting mischief like the slip screen by which we recovered from a terrible start.  I thought that the Pitt defense was far too soft, daring us to run, which makes no sense.  Charlie did not need a deep pass all night!!!

 

·        The top three running backs averaged 5.0 yards a carry!  Darius averaged only 4.2 last year!  Five Saturday for 100 yards!!

 

·        Coach Wannstedt looked clueless while pacing the sideline.  Charlie W showed about 10 times as many looks as Dave W. during the game.  We heard a Dolphin fan on talk radio say that he, Wannstedt, looked just as clueless Saturday night as he did for the last couple of years on the Dolphin sideline.  He may be the best choice they thought they had a Pitt, but he is a far cry from having what it takes to be a good head coach—fortunately for the Irish.

 

·        Charlie played just about everybody and not just on special teams.  For a thin team like the Irish to be able to get game time for 58 players this early in the season is a true blessing.

 

·        Asaph Schwapp is the big surprise as he released Powers-Neal to explode like never has heretofore as a running back.  Credit to Charlie to see great potential in him that no one has ever seen before.

 

·        When David Grimes goofed the first punt return by not picking it up, Charlie put in Tommy Z who returned the next one and looked like he was in a boxing match for all 23 yards he ran it back.

 

·        The defensive line got a slow start in the game.  Victor Abiamiri did not emerge as many expected.  Until Chris Frome’s sack in the second half, the linebackers and d backs seemed to be doing most of the heavy lifting.

 

·        Brady looked a lot better.  His improvement from year 2 to year 3 so far looks greater than year 1 to year 2.  First, he is more consistent.  Second, he recovered like a champion from an early mistake of potentially gargantuan proportions.  Third, his ass is not nearly on the ground as it has been for two years when he crouches under center.  Fourth, his ball is accurate even when not a perfect spiral.  Fifth, he is not frantically pointing in several different directions to the defense on every play.  Sixth, we may never know what mechanical flaw Charlie discovered but whatever it is, like Tiger Woods, he comes better than ever.

 

·        Did you notice that Carl Gioia took over the kick-offs after Fitzpatrick started badly?

 

·        While we knew it would be the O Line that would determine our success against the Panthers, it will be the D against Michigan that will be the single biggest influence on the outcome of the game.  Michigan has a much weaker D than their O, which is top five caliber.  Our D must improve quite a bit.  They have to start off the game with the ferocity they showed in the second part of the first half against Pitt.  The D line must rush Chad Henne and his cohorts and the D must avoid the second half letdown against Pitt.  It is a lot to hope for but it would be lovely if Lloyd Carr gives us another gift this year with his excessively conservative play calling.

 

Best performance ever when it mattered (for example, excluding Quinn’s Purdue stats last year which were effectively meaningless):

·        Quinn

·        Hoyte

·        Samardzija

·        Powers-Neal

·        Wooden

·        Richardson (after being beaten on the long TD)

·        Darius Walker (close but smidge better than Michigan last year)

·        Line, especially Morton

 

 

Key Irish stats:

 

·        Five red zone scores in six opportunities

 

·        Ignoring the one long run by Pitt after the game was decided, the Irish gave up 48 net yards on the ground.

 

·        Only ten tackles by starting defensive linemen

 

·        First punt by Irish in the fourth quarter

 

·        Ten of 15 third down conversions to 4 of 14 by Pitt

 

·        7:01 drive in 20 plays to start the third quarter, thereby icing the game

 

·        502 net yards gained to 323 by Pitt

 

·        42 points!!!!!

 

·        11 consecutive pass completions by Brady Quinn

 

·        12 tackles by Ambrose Wooden