Freddy Krueger Couldn’t Top Irish 2013 So Far
When I was younger, A Nightmare on Elm Street used to frighten me like few movies could. Right now, that movie is like watching a comedy compared to the state of the Notre Dame football program right now. The year 2013 has not been friendly to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame like 2012. Sure the Irish got off to rough start right before 2012 started by blowing a 11-point lead against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl right before the new year, which left the Irish sitting at 8-5. Good, but not great for a program the caliber of Notre Dame. The big news heading into the 2012-13 season was the transfer of defensive lineman Aaron Lynch and the criminal issues of Tommy Rees. Rees’ issues brought in a new signal-caller to the light for Irish fans: Everett Golson. Golson had a few issues throughout the season with turnovers, injuries and being late to a team meeting before their matchup with Miami (FL). Brian Kelly confirmed all season that “Everett is the guy.” Well, who’s the guy now?
After Golson’s sudden dismissal from the university because of a rumored “academic code violation”, the Irish are left scrambling for an answer at the quarterback position. Golson’s backup last season, Tommy Rees appears to be “the guy” for now, but the field appears to be wide open for Andrew Hendrix and Malik Zaire to compete and take the starting gig. This issue just adds to a horrendous year so far for the blue and gold. Let’s start this nightmare from the top…
Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (5) scrambles against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half of the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
January 7th, 2013: The night of the National Championship Game against defending champion Alabama. The Irish were never in the game, and got blown out of Sun Life Stadium, 42-14. To make matters worse, emotional senior leader Kapron Lewis-Moore torn his ACL in the game.
January 10th, 2013: Brian Kelly interviews for the head coaching vacancy for the Philadelphia Eagles, along with four-star linebacker Alex Anzalone decommitting from Notre Dame in light of the Kelly interview with the Eagles.
January 16th, 2013: The Manti Te’o “hoax” was brought to the light all around the world. Te’o’s “girlfriend” was a figure of someone’s imagination and Te’o became the focal point for jokes all over the internet. The story was headline news literally everywhere and destroyed Te’o’s image and his NFL Draft stock.
February 14th, 2013: Safety Jamoris Slaughter was denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after tearing his Achilles tendon early in the season vs. Michigan State. Slaughter was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round coincidentally in this year’s NFL Draft.
April 10th, 2013: Former five-star prospect Davonte’ Neal transfers from Notre Dame to Arizona.
May 20th, 2013: Speculations of high-profile defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes possibly decommitting from Notre Dame arise.
May 25th, 2013: Sources confirm Notre Dame Quarterback Everett Golson is no longer enrolled at Notre Dame.
Granted, the season doesn’t start until late August, but this is not the first half of the calendar year the Irish were looking for. There is plenty of time to adjust with the changes, but the nightmare for the Irish continues.