NCAAbbs

Just 1 more pitt fall for Weis, Irish
Rough road continues for Weis, Irish as rally comes up short

November 15, 2009
BY BRIAN HANLEY bhanley@suntimes.com

PITT 27, NOTRE DAME 22

PITTSBURGH -- As much as Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis wanted to make this game about his team, the 27-22 loss to No. 8 Pittsburgh will serve as more evidence for those who want Weis' tenure as Irish coach to end.

If athletic director Jack Swarbrick decides Weis' Notre Dame career is over after his fifth season, a source said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz will be in the mix to replace him. The source said Stoops has told confidants he would be interested in talking to the Irish.

Weis wasn't asked directly about his future after the game, but he said he was focused on his players.

''They just lost a tough game to a good team,'' he said. ''Right now, I'm more worried about getting them out of the tank [mentally].''

Two weeks ago, there was a BCS buzz surrounding the ranked Irish and Heisman Trophy talk that included quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Then came the 23-21 home loss to Navy.

''From everything I know, none of us were talking about BCS in the locker room,'' Clausen said after completing 27 of 42 passes for 283 yards. ''It was the media and everyone else talking about that. The only thing we focus on in the locker room is the task at hand.''

While the Navy loss cost ND a BCS bowl bid, this loss might cost them the Gator Bowl bid that was a lock if they had won their last three games. The Irish host Connecticut Saturday and then finish the regular season at Stanford.

ND, which now has lost its last eight and nine of 10 to Top 25 teams since 2006 under Weis, rallied from a 20-3 deficit at the start the fourth quarter.

''I don't know that anything has really slipped away from us,'' Clausen said. ''Just couldn't get it done.''

The last gasp for ND (6-4) was a Clausen fumble at the Pitt 28 with 2:10 left. The video replay official overturned the incomplete pass call on the field.

''For me to comment would be sour grapes,'' Weis said when asked about ruling. ''But it seems like replay officials in a lot of games are the stars.

''The clock's running while [the officials are] talking. So I use a timeout. As it is, we have a fourth-and-16, and we need a big chunk to pick up a first down [if it wasn't a fumble]. Bottom line, they called it a fumble. So they must have had evidence it was a fumble.''

Pitt (9-1) broke open the game in the second half after keeping the Irish offense out of the end zone through the first two quarters, after which Pitt led 10-3. Weis said his plan early was to try to keep the ''raucous'' crowd of 65,374 in check.

''It was how we called the game,'' he said. ''We were playing the game relatively conservatively. You don't call the game the same way at home as you do on the road.

''We were sitting at 3-3 with five minutes to go in the second quarter. At that time, we were in a pretty good spot. We get the ball to start the second half. That's not a bad spot to be in when you're playing on the road against a good team and you know they're going to be ready to go early.''

The second-half effort of Golden Tate made it a game. Tate had nine catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, and also had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. However, the Irish failed on the two-point conversion try.

Tate was a last-second substitution for John Goodman on the return. ''Coach thought I could make a play, and the return team did a good job blocking,'' Tate said.

As for why others couldn't make more plays, Tate said: ''I can only speak for myself. Every day I come out and try to play like it's my last play. I can't speak for other guys.''

Clausen was asked if he felt for Weis, given the scrutiny he has been under.

''Notre Dame football is not just coach Weis, not just the quarterback,'' Clausen said. ''It's everybody affiliated with it.''

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/...15.article

How can he write such an article and not mention Brian Kelly? Doesn't he know BK is Irish?

On a more serious note, NO coach is guaranteed to stay at his current school, especially not for the next 5 years. EVERY job is a potential stepping stone to another job on top of the many other reasons for a coach to leave. Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio St., FSU, Michigan, WVU, Iowa.... the list goes on; any of the above and many many more schools could easily have new head coaches before any changes happen at UC. I just wish more of the press understood this along with more hs coaches and recruits.