In a script that could have been written as a fairy tale Jimmy Clausen led the Irish to victory in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. 22-26 passing (I believe 3 were dropped), 401 yds, 5 TD including 177 yds and 3 TD to Golden Tate. Adding up to a 49-21 Christmas Eve massacre of a Hawaii team that never appeared to get off the bus.
This is the ending to the season that needed to happen. Closure for the seniors, validation that a healthy offense can be dangerous, plenty of building blocks for the upcoming year, most important: the over hyped bowl losing streak is now dead. We don't have to talk about the 1994 Cotton Bowl any more.
Were there some issues? sure. While I like the confidence with which we performed, I found many instances of what appeared pure arrogance distasteful. There is never a reason to act that way, especially when your team lost to Syracuse about a month ago. The offensive line still did not appear to be able to " go downhill" and run at will. We need to be able to gain consistent yards on the ground to become an elite team again. BCS caliber defenses will not allow to you to throw deep every time its 3rd and 9.
We need to take this victory, cherish it for what it is, and look forward to what appears to be a potentially bright 2009 season. GO IRISH!
No comments:
Post a Comment