Notre Dame: How Things Look So Much More Gloomy After a Loss

Just a couple of days ago, Irish fans were excited for the stretch run of the 2009 season. With four games left bowl eligibility was already wrapped up and Notre Dame was in place to make it's move up the BCS rankings. A return to the BCS was a very realistic possibility.

Even though it was only two days ago, doesn't it seem like so long ago? I take nothing away from Navy. They game in South Bend and played a great game. They were hungry and disciplined. In other words, they were well coached.

However, Notre Dame has two Heisman candidates in Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate. Also Michael Floyd was making his return. There is no reason why this offense shouldn't have put up 40.

Not only did Notre Dame play it's worst game of the season, but Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and Stanford all looked very impressive yesterday. Such a promising season is scarily looking like 6-6 is a real possibility if the Irish can't turn it around.

What bowl game would the Irish get with that record. Last year I loved seeing them come out here to Hawaii. However, after the game I said that as much as I loved seeing them come out there I would be disappointed if they came back. A 6-6 record would make that disappointment a reality.

So who is to blame for this debacle that took place on Saturday?

It seems that whenever a team has a bad loss, the two guys that get blamed are the head coach and the quarterback. I am one that tries not to blame those two. I feel that is usually pretty shortsighted to do so. That is why I blamed Jon Tenuta and not Charlie Weis for the early season defensive struggles.

As much as I don't like just pointing to the head coach and quarterback, I really don't know who else to blame for this loss besides Weis and Clausen.

Sure Nick Tausch did miss two field goals, but that only added up to six points. The line didn't block very well on huge goal line stand for Navy. The defense also looked confused against that triple option. However, they only surrendered 21 points and at the end of the day Notre Dame's offense should be able to produce that and then some.

So yes, there were factors that were not the fault of Weis and Clausen. However, the head coach and the quarterback were the main factors.

Clausen did throw for a ton of yards (452 to be exact), but what good are all those yards if he turns it over in the redzone twice. A Heisman candidate is not supposed to do that.

To be fair, Clausen has shown toughness all year and did so again on Saturday. However, as mush as I admire his competitiveness. The Irish don't need their quarterback taking a shot like that on the goal line. Notre Dame was about to take the momentum before that fumble.

He needs to be smarter than that and slide. Let Robert Hughes pound it in from there. It would have been first and goal from the two or three.

Then Clausen threw the interception when the team was driving again. The worst part is that it was a mental and not a physical error. He and Floyd were not on the same page. It is the quarterbacks responsibility to make sure people are on the same page.

Then he wasn't able to move the team and surrendered safety. Sure the line needs to be held accountable too for that, but a Heisman quarterback leads his team in this situation.

Now for Weis and it is hard for me to write this. I love Charlie Weis because I can tell that he has the same passion for Notre Dame that us fans do. He has recruited his tail off and given so much to the University. For that reason I have been a big supporter of him. However, it is hard for me to make an argument that justifies keeping him at this point.

On Saturday, a smaller and less talented Navy team looked like they were hungrier and better prepared. They just looked like they wanted it more. That is clearly a reflection of the head coach.

I don't know if the players were looking ahead to Pittsburgh or still high off the successful trip to San Antonio but for whatever reason they just were not ready to play. That is on the head coach nobody else.

I am going to throw some numbers out that really show that the team just wasn't focused. After making 14 straight field goals, Tausch missed two makeable kicks.That is six points.

Later in the half, the Irish were stuffed on the goal line. That is seven more. Then Clausen's two turnovers were 14 more points.

If you add all that up, that is 27 points that were left off the board and five missed scoring opportunities. If a team has one or two missed chances, I blame the players. However, five missed chances is really a sign that they weren't concentrating on the task at hand.

It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame goes from here. More importantly it will be interesting to see where Clausen and Weis go from here. There has been so much speculation about whether Clausen will stay or go. I feel he has to stay now. He let his team down and has to come back to make it right.

If he would have led them to a BCS victory, I would have been okay with him leaving for the NFL. Now I think he has to finish what he started in South Bend before he moves on.

For Weis, it is really simple. Win out or else. It won't be easy considering how good the upcoming opponents looked on Saturday. At the same time, the only way I can see Weis coming back is finishing 9-3 and then winning the bowl game. Based on this weekend I am not too optimistic that will happen.

This article is also posted on http://fightingirishgameday.com/