Domer: Under a Boo-Gray Sky

Charlie Weis has 30 minutes to salvage his Notre Dame career.

Is that alarmist?

Maybe. But Notre Dame trails Michigan State by one at halftime despite their quarterback being 12 of 14 passing. That one of those passes was flat-out dropped and the other was, by the assessment of most who are not employed by the Big Ten a touchdown, is lost on no one.

Inside the press box at Notre Dame Stadium writers are walking around asking, "How can this be happening?", while at the same time reminiscing about having the same feeling in their gut for last season's Pittsburgh and Syracuse games. The Irish have lost their last seven games in which they trailed at some point in the second half.

How is this happening? Seven penalties for 67 yards, five of them on the defense during Michigan State's two touchdown drives. Were the calls unfair? Perhaps one or two, but by now Weis knows well that he will get absolutely no help from the zebras.

Notre Dame's final scoring drive of the half was emblematic of all that has plagued them in the Weis era. An efficient drive lands them with a first-and-goal at the MSU 7. Weis calls for a fade to Michael Floyd, who appears to catch the ball but the play is called incomplete. The Irish challenge, but the call stands. Floyd is hurt on the play and does not return (Floyd lays out on every play, but he is beginning to forge a rep as being injury-prone).

On 2nd-and-goal the Irish try a Wildcat formation and Armando Allen takes it to the one. Almost scores, but doesn't. Third-and-goal? Clausen fumbles the snap, resulting in a 4-yard loss.

In short, the Irish take 4 points off the board.

And every die-hard Domer will point out that Gray's run down to the MSU 7 ended with a tackle out-of-bounds not unlike the one that the Irish were called for a 15-yard penalty for on their previous defensive series. Either both were late hits, or neither was.

But all of that doesn't matter. Only the score does. And the Spartans lead 17-16 at halftime.

Can you really see Weis recovering from a loss this afternoon? Let's wait and see what the second half holds in store.