In a four week span, Notre Dame's football team went from a contender and one with a few pieces still missing to make it among college football's elite to a total embarrassment last week against Northwestern.

The performance of the Irish football team since the Florida State game has been getting worst each week leading up to last week's overtime loss, 43-40. Turnovers and a defense that can't seem to stop anything has now put the Irish among the worst teams among division one schools. That all happened in just four weeks.The fall of the Irish program back to the days of Gerry Faust is on the shoulders of head coach Brian Kelly. His coaching credentials have taken a major hit. His decisions, especially last week, puts him at the Faust level.Two years ago he went 12-0 in the regular season and then, in another "big game" against Alabama for the national title, his team looked totally unprepared. Then he went into last year's Pitt game with his team bidding for an upper tier bowl game which would pay millions of dollars to the participates, and lost to a 4-4 Panther team. That loss cost the Irish one of those bowl games.The Northwestern loss has also cost the Irish the chance at one of the three upper tier bowl games and the university millions of dollars in revenue. Again, Kelly failed as a head coach.His decision for the two-point conversion attempt, which was unsuccessful, also questioned his coaching. Later this week he admitted the move was "stupid". Also, during the final Irish possession in regulation, the South Bend media figured if Golson would have taken a knee for three straight snaps when the Irish got to the Northwestern 33 yard line, and with the ensuing punt going out of the end zone, the Wildcats would start at their on 20 yard line with about 20 second left on the clock, an no timeouts. Instead he brought Cam McDaniel into the game cold, very cold, and gave him his first carry, which ended up a fumble. Dumb coaching decisions.Today the Irish host a very good Louisville Cardinal team that come into South Bend at 7-3. The Cardinals has posted wins over Miami, 31-13; Murray State, 66-21; Florida International, 34-3; Wake Forest, 20-10; Syracuse, 28-6; North Carolina State, 30-18; and Boston College, 38-19. The three losses have been to Virginia, 23-21; Clemson, 23-17; and Flordia Staet, 42-3.The Cardinals lost their starting quarterback, Will Gordner, two weeks ago for the season due to injury. He was replaced in the lineup by Reggie Bonnafon. Gordner's loss apparently didn't hurt the offense, it the Cardinals scored 31 points against No. 1 Florida State last week. Top runningbacks are Brandon Radicliff (87 carries, 488 yards and eight TDs) and Michael Dyer; top receivers are Eli Rogers, with 34 catches for 376 yards and three TDs; and James Quick, 31-459 and three. Louisville averages 148.1 yards per game rushing and a very impressive 239.3 passing per game.This is the first meeting between the two schools.NBC-TV will televise the game nationally with a 3:40 p.m. kickoff.IRISH NOTES: Some game stats. Northwestern outrushed the Irish, 263-211. ND had just three more passing yards, 287-284. Tarean Folston rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries and a TD and Golson had 78 on 10 and a score. Golson was 21 of 40 passing with three TDs and one interception. Receiving leaders were Will Fuller with nine catches for 159 yards, three TDs, and Chris Brown, five for 60. Defensively Jaylon Smith and Nyles Morgan each had 10 tackles. Kyle Brindza missed two field goals of 38 and 42 yards ... ND's defense, reeling from the last two games, lost a key figure when lineman Sheldon Day went down with an injury in the Northwestern game and won't play today. That means more underclassmen - mostly freshmen - will see action today for the defense. Day is ND's leader in quarterback hurries (9), and second best tackler. Grad student Justin Utupo, with 15 tackles this year, will replace Day ... Golson injured his AC joint in his throwing shoulder in the third quarter last week. He has been practicing this week on a limited basis but is expected to play today. Backup Malik Zaire has been given a lot more snaps with the first team offense this week in case Golson can't continue. Kelly said Zaire will continue to be the holder for extra points and field goals ... That long pass play by Northwestern of 60-yards from QB Trevorr Siemian to Cameron Dickerson, the longest of the season given up by the Irish, came when ND only had 10 players on the field. ND's defense responded with an interception by defensive back Matthias Farley at the goal line and returning it 39 yards ... The blocked extra point that led to Northwestern returning it for two points ended Brindza's streak of consecutive extra points at 89. It stands as the third-longest streak in ND history ... Defensive lineman Jay Hayes, 6-3 and 265 pounds, will have his redshirt year end today, a very unusual move so far into the season. Because of so many injuries to defensive players Kelly said Hayes has been made available to play ... At this point in the season, in my preseason picks, I had the Irish at 7-3. I also had ND winning today against Louisville. But with all the problems on defense including the inability to stop the run and the pass, I find I must reverse myself and pick the Cardinals to win. It is senior day in South Bend and Kelly is on the hot seat because of his coaching choices last week in the lost to17-point underdog Northwestern. If the Irish should win, and again next week at USC, the heat on Kelly will lessen considerably. Because of the questions about his coaching decisions last week I figure Kelly will do his best to have the team up today. But I still think defense wins games and ND's is so depleted with injuries and playing so many freshmen and inexperience players, the Cardinals will take advantage of it and prevail.