Notre Dame Football Midweek Analysis Game One: Boiler Down

The Brian Kelly regime in underway. Notre Dame fans across the nation watched as the new Irish team marched onto the field to face the Purdue Boilermakers with Touchdown Jesus looking on. Some expected a fireworks display of offensive finesse, while others hoped for the fall of the Irish in Kelly's home opener. After a rather lopsided first half, the Irish looked to run away with the victory.
But it was not a perfect performance by any stretch of the imagination. Deja-vu of last season set in as Michael Floyd fumbled the football inside the five yard-line, a play that should have put the Irish up by three scores. Purdue fought back, but the Irish defense remained up to the task and finished off the Boiler makers in a final score of 23-12. 
If Brian Kelly has done one thing successfully, it is changing the mindset of the Irish players. Said athletes were reportedly miffed at themselves for "making so many mistakes". The 2009 Irish would've been pleased with simply waltzing off the field in victory. Darrin Walls said it best: "I think the coaching staff has done a good job of letting us know it's not that Notre Dame owes us, it's that we owe Notre Dame."
Saturday's game was not a game of standouts, as was last year's opener against Nevada. Tom Hammond (NBCSports and Notre Dame Football play-by-play man) continually raved about Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, and Michael Floyd. This year, there was little raving about individual players, aside from Cierre Wood's determined running performance. This year, fans are raving about the team. The 2010 Irish opened the contest as a team, and finished as a team. The Defense was collectively solid, as was the offense after the two stalled opening drives, and the special teams performed with excellence. Yes, there were mistakes, but the Irish were willing to admit them and are determined to fix them, even in victory.  
Notre Dame was also able to close out Purdue, as opposed to giving up a lead and winning from behind. Purdue had ample chances to make a play and close the gap between their score and Notre Dame's. So many positives! In short, the Irish looked well coached and disciplined, a far cry from the 2009 team.
Next up? The Michigan Wolverines. This will be a tougher match-up than Purdue. Rich Rodriguez seems to have the Wolverines on the right track, and Denard Robinson runs like sonic the Hedgehog. I"m excited to watch Week two, and look forward to writing the review. Until then, Go Irish.