Nov. 16--SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- After a close, frustrating loss fans are desperate for an outlet for their anger.
And Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly certainly gave Irish fans some fodder in Saturday's 43-40 loss to Northwestern.
The first decision involved Kelly going for two when the Irish were up by 11 in the fourth quarter. The two-point attempt failed, allowing Northwestern to tie the game with a touchdown, two-point conversion and field goal.
Kelly said his "chart" that he uses to decide whether to go for one or two said to go for one.
"Our chart tells us in that situation to go for one but we were up I think 11 at the time and we felt like given the circumstances, our kicking game situation, that we were going to try to extend it with a two-point play," Kelly said.
Kelly decided otherwise because of the problems Notre Dame's kicking game had Saturday. A bad hold by backup quarterback Malik Zaire -- who started because of regular holder Hunter Smith's struggles at the position -- led to blocked PAT and Northwestern scoring two points by returning the kick in the first quarter.
That three-point swing loomed large later in the game. Brindza missed two field goals on the afternoon but had converted four other point-after tries during the game. Still, Kelly opted to go for two.
"I didn't like the way the mental approach of our kicker was and obviously we were going to be in a close game," Kelly said. "We were trying to get him to, you know, get his confidence back. It was a rough day for the kicking game."
Kelly later conceded: "In retrospect -- there's no advantage in retrospect. We felt that at the time with the struggles in the kicking game that we would have a good opportunity in the two-point play that we picked and we felt very confident that we would be successful.
"If it pans out the way it does, no, there's very little that I can use percentage-wise that it's a higher percentage."
Kelly's other scrutinized decision came late in regulation after Northwestern had called its final timeout with 1 minute, 36 seconds to play. The Irish had second-and-8 from the Northwestern 33-yard line. Notre Dame could have knelt on the ball and punted, but there still would have been time on the clock -- approximately 15 seconds -- for Northwester to get the ball back.
Kelly decided to keep running the ball. The normally sure-handed Cam McDaniel fumbled on the next play, breathing life into Northwestern, who drove down the field for a tying field goal.
"I don't know that I've ever in my college career taken a knee and then punted the football," Kelly said. "We would have run the ball once at least and then considered our options from there. So, it just never entered into my mind to think in those terms."
Agree with him or not -- and most likely disagree -- Kelly's questionable decisions went the wrong way for Notre Dame. But they were two plays in a problematic afternoon for Notre Dame on both sides of the ball. What if the Irish don't turn it over three other times? What if the early PAT doesn't get blocked and returned for two points? What if the defense plays better?
It was an afternoon full of what-ifs for Notre dame, but Kelly will end up bearing the brunt of this loss.
