"You guys are a 6-5 football team. This will just not cut it for me. I'm not here to be a .500 football team."
--Charlie Weis, December 13, 2004, during his press conference introducing him as Notre Dame head coach
Well, guess what? Notre Dame is once again a 6-5 football team, with a 33-30 double overtime loss to what appeared to be a better and more interested UConn team.
The Charlie Weis Era is about to come to a crashing end, as his final regular season game will be next Saturday at Stanford. And should Notre Dame lose that one (which is a definite possibility, as Stanford has played very well this year), the Irish will indeed be a .500 team.
The predictions of a ten-win season ring really hollow right now. A 14-0 lead in the first quarter against the Huskies looked like it might turn the game into a blow out. ND looked really sharp in scoring those TDs, one on a Jimmy Clausen pass to Golden Tate, and then Clausen ran for another. Tate was sensational, as he caught nine passes and broke Jeff Samardzija's single season team record of 78 receptions.
ND was flat in the second half. Lousy tackling added to the misery and allowed UConn to tie it up at 20 in the fourth quarter. The Irish were lucky at that point, as twice UConn scored TDs that were called back for holding penalties. David Teggart missed a 37-yard field goal with three seconds to play that forced OT.
In the second OT, ND settled for a FG, and UConn went down the field and won it on Andre Dixon's four-yard run, sealing Charlie Weis' fate. What will be his final game at Notre Dame Stadium will be remembered as a loss to a team ND had never played before, and had just joined the ranks of Division 1-A just seven years ago.
Now it's just a matter if he'll get bounced before or after the season ends.
A coordinator's job in the NFL awaits him.
3 comments:
GREAT ending for UCONN fans like me. It looks like Weiss is going bye-bye. I know you're a Notre Dame fan but I couldn't help but stand up and cheer. Take care, JQ.
After the terrible tragedy of earlier this year, you could see how it emotional it was for UConn. They were definitely the better team yesterday. Glad you enjoyed it, Peter, and at least the Weis Era is coming to a close...
I think it is just stunning the lack of performance by ND the last few games is remarkable. They seem to lack the instinct to put teams away.
Yes there is no way the trial should be held here if for no other reasons than logistical/security
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