Charlie Weis was within seconds and less than twenty yards of becoming extinct. He wasn't even hanging by a thread. It was something more tenuous than that.
If Weis lasts beyond this current season, he will never come any closer to becoming a lame duck than he did this past Saturday. Another defeat to Michigan State would have done in the rotund one.
If Weis starts this season 1 and 2 and goes 1 for 5 in lifetime match-ups against the Spartans, he doesn't have a prayer of survival. He might as well have started packing up right then and there. He would have been burnt toast. Better yet, he would have been dead meat.
A setback to MSU would have, in all probability, demoralized the Irish and practically insured a four or five loss ledger. Couple that with the fact that Weis' overall record versus Michigan and MSU would have been an abominable 3 and 7, well, that's something that simply can't be sanctioned or tolerated. The wolves would have been out in force.
No, Weis was and is completely out of wiggle room. No margin for error exists for him. Virtually any misstep from here on out and his butt is cooked.
That's why what went down in South Bend was potentially earth shattering. Weis was this close to beginning his own personal death-march.
But just when you expected the Irish to cave-in as they have done so many times during Weis' watch, something surprising happened. The Irish actually stepped up. No kidding. ND finally made a big play when it mattered the most.
Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins, who had shredded the Irish defense for 302 yards, dropped back at ND's 18-yard line and looked to move his side even closer to a certain game-winning touchdown.
Though the Domers has blitzed repeatedly on this afternoon, MSU's offensive line and backs had been masterful in neutralizing ND's heat. Cousins was never sacked and he wasn't the least bit fazed whenever the Irish brought the house. Thanks to splendid protection that shielded him to maximum effect, Cousins was clearly in a comfort zone.
But give ND defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta some props. The man isn't dissuaded. He's a guy who sticks to his guns. Thus, Tenuta stayed consistent, didn't back off and opted to turn his defense loose yet again.
This time, in dramatic fashion, he got results. Sophomore linebacker Darius Fleming, on a great individual effort, fought off a block and got a strong and disruptive push on Cousins.
Faced with intense pressure for perhaps the first time all day, Cousins panicked and was rushed into an ill-advised throw across the middle. It proved to be a catastrophic mistake.
Laying in wait was savvy strong safety Kyle McCarthy who read the play perfectly. Drawing a bead on the ball, McCarthy easily secured the biggest pick of his career. With his timely interception at the 4-yard line, McCarthy probably saved ND's year and certainly saved Weis' ass. At least, for the time being.
At 1 and 2 and with another devastating loss dogging him, Weis wouldn't have recovered. It's quite possible the season might have been lost right then and there.
But then Fleming spooks Cousins and McCarthy, a playmaker who in many ways seems a clone of former Irish star Tom Zbikowski, pilfers Cousins' errant throw.
As a result, Weis still has a heartbeat. He lives to fight another day. He's been given a reprieve at the eleventh hour. It'll be interesting to see what he does with it.
Though Fleming and McCarthy deserve plenty of kudos for their collaboration on the game's signature play, there were others who also helped Weis preserve his bacon.
A resolute and determined Jimmy Clausen, operating on a noticeably gimpy foot, threw for 300 yards and a pair of scores. Clausen saved his best work for late when he directed a critical eight-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. The blond bomber's 33-yard pay dirt toss to a streaking Golden Tate down the left sideline was an absolute thing of beauty because of its stunning accuracy.
Tate was another who came to his coach's rescue. The scintillating junior wideout, shook off a costly drop, and then proceeded to catch practically everything else. Tate was absolutely clutch in helping to compensate for the loss of the dynamic Michael Floyd. When Floyd went down, Tate elevated his game to another level by making a couple of huge plays. By the time he was done, Golden had more than lived up to his name, having snared 7 passes for 127 yards.
Weis also got a big boost from his suddenly emerging running back, Armando Allen. For the second straight week, Allen ran with verve, conviction and heart. He totaled 115 yards, had a TD jaunt and operated ND's version of the Wildcat formation with aplomb. Allen even flipped a scoring toss to wideout Robby Parris.
Moreover, Allen deserves major plaudits for something else. The 5-10 junior is one whale of a blocker. Allen acted as Clausen's personal protector when he defused multiple MSU blitzes with some outstanding and inspiring hits on fast closing defenders. This is a young man who's not shy about sticking his head into harm's way. Allen is rapidly developing into the complete package.
So with monumental help from his players and perhaps a little dose of Irish luck, Charlie Weis dodged a major bullet. His time in South Bend was just about up. The one loss that would bury him for good was imminent. The vultures were circling and the fat Lady was about to clear her throat.
At that moment, it wouldn't have been surprising if Weis' life as the Irish coach flashed before his eyes. This was a true near-death experience.
But when almost all seemed lost, a kid named Fleming generated massive pressure and a gamer answering to McCarthy plucked victory right out of the Spartans' hands.
This time it was the Irish who celebrated a heart-stopping victory.
And once more Charlie Weis could breathe again. No question he's still on the hot seat and any big stumble along the way will spell his doom. But for now, Weis survives and continues on. Had he lost to Michigan State, he would have been deader than Julius Caesar.
But for Weis, getting the best of the Spartans meant that he hasn't flatlined. At least, not yet.