I was at the game in Provo. Niether a BYU fan nor a Irish fan. I went because I knew it was going to be a good game. But The score 20-17 didn't really say much about what really happend. What happened was the BYU defense was all over the Irish all night long. They only allowed one touchdown. And The Irish kicking game stunk up the place. Giving BYU great field position 2/3 of the time. Matt Payne of BYU also handcuffed the Irish with awsome punting. Had Beck not been hurt and Barry come in....the score would have been much higher for BYU. However they didn't need it due to the fact that the BYU defense had been laying it on the irish all night. Irish fans sitting around me didn't like it when I said the comment "does that mean their defense has more yards then their offense" after they caught a interception and ran it in for a touchdown. Then as the game ended some fans in green were yelling obsentities at Willingham(irish coach). It was clear that BYU was ready for the irish and the irish had no clue what to expect out of BYU. Well they got a clue now. The funny part is they wanted BYU to be first so they could be more prepared for Michigan. I don't see how this worked in their favor at all. They got a beatdown and now they go to play Michigan. Mabee they focussed their attention too much on Michigan and thought BYU would lay down for them. BYU was ready and they brought it to the irish.

You may claim you are not a fan for either BYU or ND, but I think its clear who you wanted to win (be straight with me and be a Man and admit it). Nobodies stupid, anyhow, You have some good points and me as an ND Fan am honest about what I see. First of all, I am also disappointed in ND's performance, yet I tend to catch myself when getting upset at the coaching and playing performances from their offense. You have to admit, that ND today and in the last few years is not of the same quality players/performers of the ND in 89' and 90 times, correct? Now lets be true and real about this, if ND had the same talent they had back in th late 80's and 90's, a lot of teams in the top 10 would not only struggle against them but also fear playing them. The Fans nowadays even have it wrong, they want to blame the head coach for ND's problems. I think it goes deeper than that personally, But I won't go there. Just know that Fans never gave Bob Davie the kind've scrutiny they're giving Willingham. I think you get my point. Anyhow, when they raised the standards at ND, they decreased the level of talent they're able to recruit for the program. Although I agree and stand by the academic standards, I feel that if the history and pretige of the program wants to survive and get the respect it deserves, it needs to do whatever needs to be done to fix the problem its having. No one's going to give ND the respect it deserves mainly because its not living up to a respectable Football program anymore. I think it goes deeper than the coaching, like I said earlier, I think the Staffing/administration of ND is where the problem exist. Get rid of the head hunchoes and do what it took to get ND back to the 1989 program where nobody could match up to its program.

Complain about Irish football all you want. It's obvious that you'd never get in to Notre Dame.

I'm gonna call you the @$$ man. Anyhow Mr @$$ man I have to admit BYU did give ND the smackdown. Even if ND's plan schedulewise was for the exact reasons you say it was (to prepare them for Michigan), keep in mind that ND was still in their own confused mindset. It wasn't until they played the Wolerines that they finally figured out what kinds of talent they actually had, but never used. Note, that Darius Walker did not play during the BYU game. However, when they played Mich. they finally discovered what talents they do have. Now ND is a better team, as you can see when they play State, and then Wash.. hell even up against Purdue. Notre Dame still needs work especially on their special teams. But I bet you'll see a better team now than last year.

They didn't have practices? They didn't have scrimmages? The coaches can't evaulate talent? I don't understand how a big time college program coache's like Notre dame could not understand who the one big officensive player on the team was (even if he is a froshman). USC has a freshman superstar as well. They played him from the first game. They knew he was that good.
I don't get it. How could they not know?