Notre Dame Football: The Irish's 5 Most Boneheaded Mistakes Of 2011

Notre Dame used to be one of the most respected programs in college football.

That is, until recently.

The Fighting Irish's 2-2 record isn't entirely accurate, as their two wins were plagued with turnovers and a slow offense.

Second year coach Brian Kelly may end up in this season's hot seat.

Click "Begin Slideshow" to relive the Notre Dame's 5 Most Boneheaded Mistakes of 2011. 

Mistake No. 1: Starting Dayne Crist

Watching Dayne Crist flounder against South Florida was like watching a train wreck.

Except that watching Crist was worse.

Crist was 7-for-15 and threw 95 yards during the first half of the season opener. Crist was erratic, sloppy and nervous. His lackluster performance caused fans to visibly cringe.

After halftime, coach Brian Kelly put in sophomore Tommy Rees. Rees led the Fighting Irish to four wins at the end of last season. Rees did have two interceptions that day but managed to bring Notre Dame within striking distance.   

Mistake No. 2: Playing Only 45 Minutes of Football

After a painful loss to South Florida, Notre Dame was looking to bounce back against Michigan.

And they almost did. For 45 minutes, at least.

During the last quarter of the game, Michigan went on a 28-7 run, including a 16-yard touchdown pass with 0:02 left on the clock, lifting the Wolverines over the Fighting Irish.

"It's devastating," Irish receiver Michael Floyd told ESPN. "It's hard to take this one in. It's distressing."

Notre Dame had this game locked down, leading 24-7 at the beginning of the third quarter. The defense looked amateurish while trying to stop Michigan's Denard Robinson.

There was simply no excuse for this mistake.   

Mistakes No. 3, 4, and 5: Giving Opponents Turnovers Like They're Candy

Five turnovers against South Florida.

Five turnovers against Michigan.

Three turnovers against Michigan State.

Two turnovers against Pittsburgh.

I never thought I would applaud Notre Dame for only having two turnovers in a game.

"The one stat that really matters to me is the turnover takeaway, and there's a direct correlation to percentage of winning when you turn the ball over," Kelly told The Observer before the Michigan State game. "There's no stat for me that tells the story more than that."

If Notre Dame wants to win out, they must get ahold of the turnover situation. If not, it's going to be a very long season for the Fighting Irish. Or rather, a very short career for Brian Kelly.