Larry Augustin's Weblog

ND 34, Syracuse 10

A decent showing by the Irish in their last home game of the season.  The team started off a little flat, going scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season.  But the offense finally kicked into gear in the second quarter sparked by a partially blocked punt.  IT was off to the races then as the Irish scored 24 unanswered points before giving up a meaningless touchdown in the 4th quarter.

I continued to be amazed by the play od ND's receiving core.  Jeff Samardzija is an incredible athelete and has amazing hands.  The catches he's made this season are unbeleivable.  Maurice Stovall has similarly played well, although he hasn't made the kinds of spectacular grabs Samardzija has.  BTW, Samardzija needs only 124 yards verses Stanford next week to set the ND season record for receiving yards.

One thing Stovall deserves big kudos for is is team play.  Stovall does a great job blocking and opening the field up for Samardzija.  That kind of unselfish play deserves more recognition than it usually gets.  A great block doesn't usually make the highlight reels, yet it's usually the difference in a great play.  So hats off to Maurice Stovall for not just his success catching the ball but also for his unselfish team play laying down some nice blocks for Jeff Samardzija.

Next up:  Stanford at Stanford.  It's fun going to see both of my alma maters play each other.  Stanford has turned it around a bit after an awful start.  Still ND is a 15 to 18 point favorite and I don't see anything changing that result.  Prediction: Nd 35 - Stanford 17.

ND 42, Navy 21

Notre Dame beat Navy 42-21 today. ND-Navy is the longest intersectional rivalry in college football history: 79 years. The Irish have won 42 straight games. Although ND dominates the series, the Midshipmen always play tough and deserve a great deal of respect. They played tough today in spite of the lopsided margin of victory, forcing 1 interception and generally moving the ball well.

Why do these teams play? Notre Dame owes a debt of gratitude to the Navy. In the 1940s, because of WW II and the draft, Notre Dame almost had to close due to lack of students. Remember that ND was not coed in the 1940s. On the other hand, the US Naval Academy needed room for more students. ND and Navy struck a deal where Navy would send students to Notre Dame. Without that deal, Notre Dame might have had to close.

Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy also served in the Navy during the 1940s. Conventional wisdom is that he spent his tenure there recruiting, and when he returned he built a dynasty winning national championships in 1946, 1947, and 1949.

So hat’s off to the Midshipmen. Notre Dame will always owe Navy a debt of gratitude.

Notre Dame 38, Washington 3

The Irish beat Washington yesterday. The defense remains spectacular, although they gave up some key penalties. In spite of the 38 points, the offense was inconsistent. They were unstoppable in the first half, and unable to move the ball in the second half. (The lone second half touchdown came on a very fast drive enabled by one big play - a 50 yard reception by McKnight.) Quinn's timing was definitely off in the second half as he kept missing open receivers.

If the offense can demonstrate consistency, this could be a great team. They have the defense to do it. The offense is young and improving week to week. If the offense continues to mature this team will give USC a run for it on November 27.