by Leprechaun Express & Steve Welsh
“Inside the Notre Dame football locker room, on what became a dark and drippy Saturday in Los Angeles, Irish coach Brian Kelly — very late in his postgame remarks to his squad — allowed a thought about what’s ahead: ‘We’ve got guys that care, guys with big hearts that will do whatever is necessary to win football games here. That’s the card we’re going to play. That’s a good card to play.’ …”
“Just a year ago, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly nearly made the college football playoff. However, he sits in a much different position currently, after a disappointing 4-8 season. While The Fighting Irish were still reeling from a 45-27 loss at USC, it was reported first by Yahoo, and later by ESPN, that Kelly’s representatives were exploring options for the coach aside from being on the sidelines in South Bend next season.”
“After an unexpected 4-8 season – the second worst in program history in over five decades – Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick faces a crossroads project with far more long-term implications than the $400 million renovation project of Notre Dame Stadium with the same name. Whatever direction Notre Dame takes over the next several weeks there is one thing that is absolutely certain: the program cannot have a repeat of the 2016 season. Given Swarbrick has only two options moving forward, it’s time to evaluate what must be done to be successful moving forward regardless of which path is chosen. …”
“… Notre Dame’s first sack didn’t come until junior linebacker Nyles Morgan got one in game four versus Duke Sept. 24. …”
Brian Kelly met with reporters after Notre Dame’s season-ending game against Southern Cal in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
“2 Losing seasons suffered by Brian Kelly in his 26 years as a college head coach. His first year at Central Michigan in 2004 produced a 4-7 mark, and his seventh at Notre Dame resulted in a worse 4-8. …”
“… The list of breakdowns is long. The fixes are necessary. And a failure in the finale felt like par for the course. 4-8. No explanation necessary.”
“[Notre Dame] finished their worst season since 2007 with their largest margin of defeat this year. It all appears to be sending coach Brian Kelly into the job market. According to multiple reports, Kelly’s representatives are looking into coaching opportunities at other schools. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick has said that Kelly’s job is safe. Yahoo! Sports was first with the report. …”
“… Items: Notre Dame’s Chris Finke caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Kizer on the opening drive of the second half to cut the USC lead to 24-14. On the ensuing drive, Jackson took a Darnold pass 52 yards for a TD. With 1:01 left in the quarter, ND’s Kevin Stepherson caught a 29-yard touchdown. ….”
“Adoree’ Jackson returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns and also scored on a TD pass, and Southern Cal’s aggressive defense had some success as the No. 12 Trojans (9-3) were dominant in the season finale Saturday, sending the Notre Dame (4-8) to a 45-27 defeat.”