From the Depths

The IRISH suffered their first defeat in the Brian Kelly era, losing 28-24 to Michigan in the final minute of play. While the loss was certainly heartbreaking, there were a lot of notes to take away from this game. Regardless, the Irish must put the loss behind them and move forward. Now for the awards:


HEISMAN BABY

DAYNE CRIST - 13 of 25 for 277 - 2TDs, INT, Rushing TD - Forget the numbers, Crist proved why he is the most valuable player on the team. Crist reentered the game in the second half and brought the Irish back from the depths of a blowout. As Crist goes, so will the Irish.

KYLE RUDOLPH - 8 receptions for 164 yds - TD - The go-to guy for the Irish offense was solid again. The 95 yard TD catch gave the Irish the lead with just over three minutes to play - and was simply sweet.

TJ JONES - 3 receptions for 73 yds - TD - Jones continues to impress in only his second start for the Irish - although he must learn to cross the goal line first before celebrating.


ROCK SOLID

ARMANDO ALLEN JR - 15 carries for 89 yds - 1 reception for 9 yds - Allen quietly amassed almost 100 yds of offense. Allen's highlight came on a busted play that he turned into a 5 yard gain and plowed over a Michigan defender in the process.

MANTI TE'0 - 13 tackles - Te'o's job of shadowing Michigan speedster Denard Robinson was no easy task. Outside of the 73 yard TD run, the defense, led by Te'0, held Michigan in check.


GET HIM OUTTA THERE

TOMMY REES - 0 for 2 with INT - While Rees was cast into the spotlight with little notice, one would have hoped the back-up QB would be more ready.

NATE MONTANA - 8 of 17 for 104 yds - INT - Similar to Rees, Montana floundered when given the opportunity to lead the Irish. While he was effective with his feet - 4 rushes for 24 yards - it wasn't enough to move the Irish offense.

THEO RIDDICK - 2 receptions for 39 yds - Riddick was again ineffective in the Irish offense. I think it's time to give someone else a shot.


WAIT WHAT?
This game had it all - big plays and big stops, touchdowns and turnovers, highlights and lowlights, missed field goals, and punts galore. The Irish had plenty of opportunities to win this game, and were winning with 3 minutes to play having rallied from a 21-7 deficit. That's a positive step all things considered.


-DH