Stanford lost its first game of the season when it fell 27-21 at Utah on Saturday, leaving many of its fans crushed. The Cardinal were ranked as high as No. 2 by some people, and they were considered a national championship contender. They can pretty much throw away those hopes after the loss.
Despite the disappointing defeat, the Cardinal can take solace in knowing they have an apologist in Lou Holtz. The old man had the Cardinal’s back during ESPN’s “College Football Final” on Saturday night, offering up the excuse that the team looked too distracted/worn out because of a busy week of midterms.
“There’s no doubt that Stanford did not play well. But I know coming from an academic institution, this is a time for midterm exams,” Holtz explained. “Players are not focused, they don’t get to practice on time, they’re worn out, they’re tired, they don’t get much sleep, and you do not play very well. And that is exactly what it looked like to me with Stanford. I don’t know that for a fact, but that looked like a football team that was in midterms.”
That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out point, Mr. Holtz.
Overruled.
It might be midterm time at a school like Notre Dame that’s on the semester system, but Stanford, Mr. Holtz, is on the quarter system. That means it’s only week 3 of 10 in the fall quarter on the academic calendar. Midterms typically aren’t for another two weeks, Holtz. But nice argument. I like where your head’s at.
And as a bonus, Utah did have midterms this week. What’s your explanation there, Holtz?
Concerned Citizen
Holtz is an idiot – we made it back from the game – flipped on ESPN and there is Holtz making that stupid statement when we knew that it was actually UTAH that was in mid-terms. Did he even watch the game? Utah won because they controlled the LINE – they dominated the line on both the offense and the defense.
greenwriter1
One more thing….and I’m not trying to be cruel…..but Lou’s dentures were loose on Saturday. There was this awful ‘clicking’ sound whenever he spoke. He was difficult to listen to.
John Cornish
Utah had Mid terms this week and Notre Dame didn’t!!LMBO!!What it boils down to is the fact that Utah just handed out an ol fashioned spanking!Utah had UCLA beat the week before and threw it away.Six intercetions, they had no business even being in the game and still took it to the wire against a 12 ranked UCLA!! Better give the Utes some props because they are gonna beat Arizona and USC as well!!
Lucille Bluth
His jaw clicks when he eats. I think it’s what’s driving his friends away.
minny54
It must be nice for schools like Stanford to play the first 3 games before school starts. I would say that Holtz could use this excuse in case Stanford doesn’t do well against a team when they really have midterms, but a quick check shows that they have a bye the week of midterms. How nice.
Austin Killin
False. It’s week 4 here….Which, on the ten week quarter system, is midterm time. The first midterms are at the beginning of week 3.
Klarken
So what you are saying is that both Stanford and Utah had midterms this week. So does that mean Stanford got beat academically too?
Arkajun
If you can’t play football and get thru mid terms, maybe you should give up one or the other……Isn’t college supposed to be about education??
Yeah, I know…good luck with that one.
Kelly Harvey
Lou Holtz is a senile old man and nobody listens to him anyway. He always makes stupid comments about “yis and yat”. Utah outplayed Stanford on both sides of the ball and got a hard fought and well deserved victory.
brandon cornwall
Holtz is an idiot! Maybe he needs new glasses or just maybe he needs to go sit on his chair at home and think of the good old days when what he said meant something!
John Cornish
Lou Holtz is senile and belongs in a nursing home instead of on national television! It was Utah’s mid-terms that week and Stanford’s wasn’t till theweek after. So i guess utah would of won by 30 if they didn’t have the distraction!LOL
lakewoodtrojan
Lou Holtz is the ESPN version of Dick Vital. Just another over the hill used to be screaming ” Awesome Baby” trying to keep his wig from falling off. He hates USC too…