Bleacher Report - Articles by The Rock NDNation.com

Notre Dame's Defense Shines in Seattle

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:34:31 -0400

(NDNation.com - by John Vannie) - Notre Dame waltzed to a 33-7 victory over the bumbling Washington Huskies on Saturday night on the strength of a superb effort by the Irish defense. This group was so dominant that the Huskies did not cross midfield until the final minutes of the game.

James Aldridge led a productive ground attack and scored two touchdowns for the offense, which survived a subpar performance by Jimmy Clausen. The first road win of the season elevated Notre Dame to 5-2 on the season.

Washington was actually worse than its 0-7 record would indicate. This team cannot block or catch the ball on offense and cannot apply pressure on defense. Untimely penalties and general confusion were rampant, which is difficult to understand so deep into the season. The Huskies were never competitive in this contest and will now go on the road to face USC.

The Irish will make their way to Los Angeles in another month, but will play four winnable games between now and then. Injuries to guard Eric Olson, tight end Kyle Rudolph and linebacker Brian Smith are the primary concerns from tonight’s cakewalk, although Coach Charlie Weis needs to scrape the rust from his passing attack before next week’s home date with Pittsburgh.

This game was over in the first seven minutes. On Notre Dame’s first possession, Michael Floyd took a flat pass and ran for a 51-yard touchdown behind excellent blocking. Washington appeared to intercept Clausen on the next Irish series, but the Huskies were guilty of interference on the play. Golden Tate scored three plays later on a beautifully executed reverse to stake the visitors to a quick 14-0 lead.

The offense seemed to go into a funk after that, but Washington was unable to mount any sort of attack. Dropped passes and poor pass protection doomed each Washington series to abject failure during the first half. The Huskies did not commit a turnover all night, but they really didn’t hold the ball long enough to give it away.

Leading 17-0 at the half, the Irish spread the field with five receivers to open the third quarter and covered 61 yards in only five plays. A 33-yard pass to Golden Tate set up the first scoring run by Aldridge.

When Washington could not answer, Harrison Smith resurrected Notre Dame’s next drive by taking off for 35 yards on a fake punt. This set up Brandon Walker’s second field goal of the night and gave the Irish a 27-0 lead at the 4:31 mark of the third quarter.

Another three and out by the Huskies gave Aldridge and friends another chance to pound the ball on the weary Husky defense. A personal foul penalty aided the Irish on their way to another score as the game mercifully entered the final period.

Weis cleared his bench while beleaguered Husky coach Tyrone Willingham left his starting offense in the game in an attempt to get on the scoreboard. When Notre Dame pulled its second string defenders off the field with six minutes left, the Huskies finally took advantage and scored a concession touchdown against eleven Irish walk-ons, band members, and refugees from the local bars.

Bright spots for Notre Dame included 61 yards rushing in nine carries by hard-running freshman Jonas Gray, outstanding blocking by tackle Sam Young, several bone-jarring hits by linebackers Harrison and Brian Smith, solid defensive play by tackle Patrick Kuntz, and two crisp field goals by Brandon Walker. The Irish secondary was never really tested, but it covered well on those few occasions when it mattered.

The statistics reveal the extent of Notre Dame’s domination. The Irish outrushed Washington by 252 to 26, and recorded 25 first downs to nine. They had a 15 minute advantage in time of possession. Clausen passed for 201 yards, but missed numerous opportunities to pad his numbers and put more points on the board.

Thankfully, he picked the right week to look like a sophomore quarterback. Meanwhile, Husky signal caller Ronnie Fouch hit 11 of 25 passes for 98 yards, but six completions and most of the yardage came in the final Husky drive.

Let’s review the questions that helped determine the outcome:

Which team will shake off its season-long ineptitude on the ground and run the ball with authority?
This seems like a silly question in retrospect, but the Irish needed to dominate in this way.

Will Fouch have enough time in the pocket to hurt the Irish?
Four sacks and numerous hard hit didn’t help Fouch, but five drops by his receivers killed him.

Will Notre Dame be able to start fast after a bye week?
The early 14-0 blitz put this one on cruise control.

Can Washington’s porous defense force Irish turnovers?
The lone Irish turnover on a fourth down pass was inconsequential.

Which team will get a boost from its special teams?
Walker’s field goals and Smith’s fake punt were large positives for Notre Dame.

Will Notre Dame’s defense demonstrate improvement after two weeks of self scouting?
Definitely. The blitzes were more productive and the Huskies did not make a single big play down the field.

It is difficult to tell how much the Irish defense improved during the bye week based on the quality of the competition, but this team could really come together in the coming weeks if it can get all three elements (offense, defense, special teams) in synch.

The offense will benefit from an improved running game as the weather turns colder, while the confidence level of the defense should improve as long as emotional leader Brian Smith is not seriously injured. If Walker’s place kicking can become reliable, Notre Dame fans may be able to make plans for a warm weather bowl game.

Notre Dame-Washington Preview: Rested Irish Face Winless Huskies

The Rock NDNation.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:14:20 -0400

by John Vannie, NDNation.com

Notre Dame begins the second half of its season on Saturday with a road game against the University of Washington.

The Irish are in search of their first victory away from home, while the hapless Huskies of Tyrone Willingham have yet to record a single win in any location. The two teams have met on six previous occasions, most recently in 2005, and Notre Dame has won them all.

This would be an ideal time for Willingham to quiet his critics and simultaneously gain a measure of revenge over the program that dismissed him after the 2004 season.

The vultures inhabiting the Pacific Northwest have been circling over the embattled coach since a poor finish last season, and a difficult schedule has not been accepted in most quarters as a satisfactory excuse for this year’s 0-6 start. Meanwhile, the Irish stand at 4-2 and are simply trying to get better.

Very few current starters have ties to Willingham, but the team needs no extra motivation after a disappointing loss to North Carolina. Notre Dame still harbors a flickering hope of playing in a New Year’s Day bowl game, but anything less than a comfortable win this week would be very damaging.

The Huskies will again be without injured quarterback and team leader Jake Locker, whose broken thumb has not sufficiently healed for him to reclaim the starting job. Ronnie Fouch has displayed a strong passing arm in his stead when he is not running for his life or getting sacked.

Despite several problems on the offensive side, it is Washington’s defense that has caused the most consternation in Seattle by surrendering 41 points per game.

Notre Dame Offense vs. Washington Defense

The Huskies are equally generous against the run and the pass. Opponents have rushed for an average of 233 yards and thrown for 250. Jimmy Clausen should have plenty of time to pick them apart if the Irish can block defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, who is the only Washington player to record a sack this season.

Te’o-Nesheim, the Huskies' best defensive player, is joined by tackle Cameron Elisara and end Darrion Jones up front. The other tackle position in the Husky 4-3 alignment is shared between freshman Senio Kelemete and senior Johnnie Kirton.

Willingham has moved his linebackers around in an attempt to get his best three players on the field. He seems to have settled on Donald Butler and Mason Foster on the outside and Trenton Tuiasosopo in the middle. All are adequate but not exceptional.

In general, the Washington front seven does not apply significant pressure to its opponents, and they have paid a heavy price.

The secondary has been the primary weak point, as evidenced by the fact that three of its members lead the team in tackles and the group has only one interception (linebacker Foster has the only other one this year). The group is led by cornerback Mesphin Forrester, the only senior starter besides Tuiasosopo on the defensive side of the ball.

Notre Dame should be able to run the ball effectively and enjoy overall offensive success similar to the Purdue game. The Huskies will play hard, but they are frequently caught out of position and burned for long plays.

Overall, Washington does not have the talent and experience to match up against the Irish receivers and offensive linemen.

Washington’s Offense vs. Notre Dame’s Defense

These two teams share one thing in common: Both have rushing attacks that are ranked in the bottom 10 percent in Division I football. The Huskies have a large offensive line, but it is not particularly strong or agile.

Running back has also been a revolving door for Willingham, although freshman tailback Terrance Dailey rushed for 102 yards in his college debut last week against Oregon State. Another freshman, David Freeman, has also played extensively and is the only other Husky besides Dailey and Locker to record more than 100 rushing yards this season.

Fouch has had some success in his two starts since Locker went down, but he has only completed 50 percent of his passes.

Washington likes to throw the ball deep, and they have some speed to make it work as long as Fouch has time in the pocket. Receivers D’Andre Goodwin and Devin Aguilar have been productive and are a threat to score on any team, as is Alvin Logan if he is healthy enough to play this week.

The absence of Locker’s dual-threat capability and a poor running game have made things difficult for Washington. Fouch is a pocket passer who has learned to throw on the run out of necessity. It will be interesting to see if Notre Dame’s rush defense, which has been soft on several occasions this season, can force the Huskies into another one-dimensional performance.

It would be a mistake to think that Fouch cannot put points on the board even if the defense knows what is coming. He reminds me of North Carolina’s Cameron Sexton, who proved to be a more accurate passer than the Irish had anticipated. The key for Notre Dame, as always, is to pressure Fouch into poor throws.

Special Teams

Washington’s return and cover teams have been consistently outperformed by opponents this year, and the Irish hope to add to their misery. Aguilar and Goodwin return punts, while Jordan Polk has been the primary kick return man. Polk averages less than 20 yards with a best of 38.

Kicking has been an issue for both teams. Brandon Walker hit his only attempt against Carolina, but Coach Charlie Weis did not have sufficient confidence to call on him late in that same game.

The Huskies employ both Ryan Perkins and Jared Ballman to perform the kicking chores, with Perkins handling PATs and Ballman getting the nod for long field goal attempts. Both are a combined three out of eight in three-pointers this season.

Summary

Both teams have weaknesses that can be exploited, but the Irish have better weapons and strengths that the Huskies cannot match. Willingham appears to be a lame duck, and the schedule does not get easier as Washington will travel to face USC in Los Angeles next week.

Notre Dame can help itself by getting off to a fast start and putting their hosts in a hole. The Irish are coming off a bye week and may be lethargic after the long flight, but these are not valid excuses against this opponent.

The most important aspect for Notre Dame and Clausen is to avoid the turnovers that plagued them in their previous road outings. If the Irish break even or win this battle, they will emerge with a comfortable win.

Clausen should have another fine performance despite the absence of David Grimes, who is suffering from back spasms. Duval Kumara, who has played well recently after a slow start, will probably fill in. The Irish should otherwise be ready to go.

The coaching staff has engaged in self-scouting during the bye week and will presumably correct some of the defensive mistakes that have enabled opponents to run for considerable yardage. It remains to be seen whether or not Notre Dame can improve its anemic pass rush.

Here are a few questions that will help determine the outcome.

Which team will shake off its season-long ineptitude on the ground and run the ball with authority?

Will Fouch have enough time in the pocket to hurt the Irish?

Will Notre Dame be able to start fast after a bye week?

Can Washington’s porous defense force Irish turnovers? Which team will get a boost from its special teams?

Will Notre Dame’s defense demonstrate improvement after two weeks of self-scouting?

Prediction

Washington is quite similar to Notre Dame’s 2007 edition, which is to say they are very young and very bad. Twelve freshmen have played extensively this year, and nine have started at least one game. It’s also no surprise that they do not appear to be well coached given Willingham’s track record.

After last week’s game, the Husky coach said, "The ball game tonight was a game in which we didn't make enough big plays, gave up too many big plays, didn't create any turnovers and gave turnovers. If those things could have been avoided....” This same statement will probably be appropriate on Saturday evening as well.

Notre Dame 38, Washington 20

How the Refs Cheated Notre Dame Against UNC

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:33:13 -0400

The turning point in the North Carolina-Notre Dame matchup Saturday was a 3rd-and-18 for Carolina. The Heels completed a long pass over the middle, but on the play Notre Dame's Robert Blanton stripped the ball and recovered for a Notre Dame turnover. The call on the field was Notre Dame ball, but it was overruled.

Two referees made two completely different calls on the same play, which would seem to call for a mandatory review. That didn't happen. North Carolina went on to score a touchdown that turned the game.

Notre Dame clearly should have had the ball at midfield. As you can see below, the ball is loose before he goes down.

One That Got Away: Notre Dame Blows Early Lead

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:05:22 -0400

(NDNation.com by John Vannie)

North Carolina came from behind with a dominant second half to defeat Notre Dame 29-24 on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels once trailed 17-6, but they turned up the defensive intensity and forced four second-half turnovers on their way to a hard-fought victory.

The final Irish possession ended deep inside Carolina territory when Michael Floyd caught a pass and fumbled the ball away as he was tackled with two seconds to play.

The game was an entertaining exchange of counterpunches and featured several changes in momentum.

The day began well for the visitors, however, as they scored on three of four first-half possessions.

Jimmy Clausen threw a perfect 19-yard sideline strike to Golden Tate to open the scoring and tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd with under a minute left in the half.

Brandon Walker also connected on his only field goal try of the day, a 42-yard effort early in the second period.

Meanwhile, North Carolina moved the ball well and stayed in the game despite the fact that they could not find the end zone.

In a key sequence after Floyd’s catch extended the Irish lead to 17-6, Cam Sexton moved the Tar Heels down the field quickly with passes to Hakeem Nicks.

By covering more than 40 yards in the final 45 seconds of the half, Carolina was able to set up a third Casey Barth field goal with nine seconds left.

Notre Dame fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Barth tried again from 53 yards, but came up just short.

Still, the half ended on a sour note for the Irish, and the Tar Heels were within one score despite Clausen’s impressive passing numbers.

Things changed in a hurry after intermission. Linebacker Quan Sturdivant stepped in front of Clausen’s first pass of the third quarter and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to pull the hosts within 17-16.

Notre Dame was ready to surrender the ball on the next series after a three-and-out, but the Tar Heels roughed up punter Eric Maust to give the Irish 15 yards and a first down.

Clausen took advantage of the second chance and eventually hit Duval Kamara on a key third-down pass inside the Carolina 10.

James Aldridge finished the drive by plowing into the end zone from two yards out. Notre Dame led 24-16, but there were still nearly 11 minutes left in the third period.

The game turned toward the Tar Heels on the ensuing possession. Sexton hit Nicks on third-and-five to keep the chains moving but was sacked by Patrick Kuntz on the next series.

Facing third-and-18, everyone knew Sexton would be looking for Nicks again since star receiver and return man Brandon Tate left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury.

Nicks still managed to get open against the inexplicably soft Irish secondary, and he got just enough yardage to make the first down near midfield.

Carolina seized the opportunity and marched quickly into the end zone with an effective array of runs and passes. Although the failed two-point conversion left them down by 24-22, the Heels clearly had the momentum.

Notre Dame began another march as Clausen hit Robert Hughes in the flat for 15 yards, but the Tar Heel defense rose up again.

Reserve tackle Al Mullins beat Irish center Dan Wenger and stripped the ball from Clausen in the pocket. Mullins pounced on it and Carolina was in business at the Notre Dame 42.

Tailback Shaun Draughn appeared to score from 35 yards out only two plays later, but the play was called back for a holding penalty.

This proved to be only a temporary relief for the gassed Irish defense. Sexton dove in on a rollout a few plays later to give Carolina its first lead of the day at 29-24 as the game moved to the fourth quarter.

The Irish may have been rattled after being outscored by 20-7 in just over 15 minutes, but Clausen kept his cool.

He hit Floyd for 24 yards and tossed a screen pass to Allen for 14 more. The drive stalled just outside the Tar Heel 20, however, as a fourth-down pass came up short.

Notre Dame got the ball back with 10 minutes remaining and ripped off three first downs before stopping themselves again. Carolina forced Clausen to scramble and throw another interception, this time to Deunta Williams at the Tar Heel 23 with 4:50 left.

Sexton and Draughn tried to run out the clock, and they were nearly successful. A well-executed third down pass was ruled incomplete with just under two minutes remaining, and the Heels were forced to punt.

It appeared that Carolina’s Brooks Foster caught the ball and the ground caused him to lose it upon impact, but the replay officials ruled in favor of Notre Dame.

Clausen came onto the field with 83 yards between him and Irish immortality, and he almost pulled it off. He started with a 30-yard laser to Tate and picked up two more first downs as time ticked down below a minute.

The Tar Heels applied more pressure and Clausen found himself down to a fourth and 13 with 11 seconds left. A bullet to Floyd would have picked up a first down inside the ten with a chance to run one more play, but Floyd lost the ball as he fought to break free.

The Irish outgained North Carolina by a whopping 472-322 yards, but committed five turnovers to none for the Tar Heels. Notre Dame also could not stop Nicks and Draughn when it mattered most. Nicks had nine catches for 141 yards and ran roughshod over the Irish cornerbacks.

Draughn had 91 yards on only 17 carries, and ran over Maurice Crum and Dan McCarthy for first downs when they came up to meet him in the hole.

Aside from the turnovers, the clear difference between these two young and promising teams is the power and athleticism of the Carolina defense.

Although Notre Dame’s passing attack may be the envy of college football as Clausen matures, the front seven must get help if the Irish are going to contend any time soon.

Here is a review of the key questions that helped to determine the outcome:

Which team will run the ball most effectively?
Carolina outrushed Notre Dame by 121-89, and the important yards came in the second half.

Will Clausen find holes in the aggressive Tar Heel secondary?
Definitely, but he also found Sturdivant at the wrong time.

Will the Irish be able to hold Tate in check?
Mike Anello took care of Tate for the day with a clean tackle on Carolina’s first punt return.

Which kicker will help his team win?
Although Walker made a 42-yarder, Casey Barth had three important field goals for the Heels that kept them in it.

Can the Irish coverage teams stop the Carolina return game?
A good job overall, although Tate’s injury lowered the risk for the Irish.

Will Notre Dame get through another contest without a turnover?
No, no, no, no, no.

Can the Irish force a mediocre Tar Heel offense to score all their points?
The gift touchdown to Sturdivant and the strip/recovery by Mullins in plus territory spelled doom for Notre Dame.

I hate it when I’m right. In the preview for this game, I said, “The Tar Heels are a team that does not look impressive on paper, but they have fewer weaknesses than the Irish and can score by several different means.

"In a tight ballgame where a special teams play, turnover or field goal could decide the outcome, the odds are that North Carolina will produce what is needed.”

That’s pretty much the story of this game, and Irish fans are left to stew for two weeks until the next one.

Despite falling to 4-2, the season is far from over. Notre Dame will continue to improve, and every remaining game is quite winnable except the last one in Los Angeles.

First and foremost, this team must break through on the road against lowly Washington. Nothing less than a solid performance in all phases of the game should be expected.

Road Worriers: Is Notre Dame for Real?

The Rock NDNation.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:33:09 -0400

by John Vannie

(NDNation.com) - Notre Dame takes to the road for only the second time this season by paying a rare visit to the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels are also 4-1 under second year coach Butch Davis, and are coming off impressive victories over Miami of Florida and Connecticut, which propelled them into a No. 22 national ranking.

The Irish are hoping for a better showing than the last time they ventured out of South Bend, a 23-7 drubbing at the hands of Michigan State.

The matchup is attractive in that both teams are significantly improved from last season. Carolina was 4-8 in the first year of Davis’ rebuilding program, and Notre Dame’s struggles in 2007 do not need to be discussed again in this column. The winner will achieve Cinderella status and become a player in the New Year’s Day bowl sweepstakes. The loser will have to reset such expectations and wait until next year.

The Tar Heels have been an aggressive and opportunistic team this season. Although outgained by UConn last week, they blocked three punts and recorded three interceptions to deflate the Huskies. Although its offensive and defensive statistics are largely mediocre, Carolina leads the nation in pass interceptions and its special teams feature very productive return men. In short, they force opponents into mistakes and capitalize on them.

Notre Dame will attempt to continue its error-free ways of the previous two weeks. If the Irish do not suffer a turnover and commit a special teams gaffe, they have the talent to win. The game represents an important barometer for how much the team has progressed since mid-September. A victory would go a long way to silence critics who claim that the main reason for Notre Dame’s early success this season is a very forgiving schedule.

Notre Dame’s Offense against North Carolina’s Defense

The key once again for the Irish is the running game. Although Jimmy Clausen has been sensational of late, he cannot afford to put the ball in the air 40 times against the Tar Heel secondary. Safety Trimane Goddard is the chief ball hawk with four interceptions, but the entire back-seven plays excellent team defense against the pass. The rest of the secondary is quick but small, and Irish receivers such as Michael Floyd could have a productive day.

Each of the three starting linebackers has at least one interception, and all are fast and athletic. Mark Paschal and Quan Sturdivant lead the team in tackles with 41 each. Carolina is also big up front with Marvin Austin and Cam Thomas representing 630 pounds at tackle and pass rusher E.J. Wilson coming off the edge.

Surprisingly, the group has only six sacks on the season and has allowed nearly 150 rushing yards per game. Another quality defensive lineman, Darrius Massenburg, is coming off a knee injury and may be ready to play this week.

Notre Dame is fortunate in that tackle Mike Turkovich and guard Eric Olson are ready to play despite suffering leg injuries against Stanford. Armando Allen has also been banged up, but he is expected to carry the load at tailback. His emergence as a threat in the passing game last week has made the Irish even more difficult to defend.

If Clausen is not supported by a running game as was the case against Michigan State, the likelihood that the offense will misfire grows exponentially. The best way to combat the aggressive Tar Heel defense is to keep them off balance. This will enable the Irish to put enough points on the board to win, but the pressure is squarely on the offense in this game.

Notre Dame’s defense and special teams have not demonstrated the ability to help out in the scoring column since the Michigan game, which looks more and more like a rare exception.

North Carolina’s Offense against Notre Dame’s Defense

Since the season-ending injury to quarterback T.J. Yates, the Tar Heels have rallied behind Cam Sexton and Mike Paulus. Sexton led the comeback win over Miami with 242 passing yards, but he is not good enough to carry this offense on a consistent basis.

He was helped last week when sophomore tailback Shaun Draughn turned in a breakthrough performance with 109 yards on 19 carries. This was the best showing to date by the Carolina ground game, which ranks 89th nationally.

Draughn will be counted upon to take some of the load this week, and the Irish run defense needs to shore up after a poor outing against Stanford. Ryan Houston and Greg Little will also see action at tailback for the Tar Heels, and Notre Dame fans will remember that Little reneged on a verbal commitment to Coach Charlie Weis on National Signing Day in 2007.

The offensive line has undergone change in the past week as two new starters have taken over at center and left guard. The moves were undoubtedly made to jump start the running game and improve the protection for Sexton. Last week’s results indicate that it worked.

The strength of the Tar Heel attack is the wide receiver corps led by big play man Brandon Tate and leading pass catcher Hakeem Nicks. Brooks Foster is a capable third receiver, but the Tar Heels rarely use the tight end and backs in the passing game. Richard Quinn has only two receptions this season and Little has the lone reception by the tailbacks.

If North Carolina can run the ball, Sexton will probably have time to find Tate and Nicks for big plays. Tate is particularly dangerous on reverses and direct snaps out of the backfield in addition to the deep pass. If his game-breaking ability can be held in check, the Tar Heel offense is generally not capable of marching up and down the field. The Irish must force Sexton to beat them by shutting down the run and removing Tate from the equation to the maximum extent possible.

Special Teams

Carolina has used two kickers this season in an attempt to get some consistency on field goals, but its difficulties pale in comparison to Notre Dame’s woes. The biggest concern for the Irish should be the punt blocking ability of Carolina, and last week’s fake punt by Harrison Smith was meant to send a message of caution to the Tar Heels.

The return game is another opportunity for Tate to run free in space, and he has made good use of these chances to date. The senior averages nearly 28 yards per kick return and an incredible 25 yards while bringing back punts. Irish gunners Mike Anello and David Bruton will be hard pressed to keep Tate in first gear.

Summary

Both sides want to run the ball, if for slightly different reasons. Carolina needs to protect an inexperienced quarterback and take advantage of the vulnerable Irish front seven. Notre Dame needs to keep the Tar Heel defense from teeing off on Clausen and making game-changing plays. The winner will be the team that is most successful in this endeavor.

The Irish will gain yards through the air, but they will not convert scoring chances into points without a balanced red zone attack. North Carolina is far more effective against the pass than Stanford or Purdue, and a one-dimensional attack won’t get the job done.

Here are a few key questions that will determine the outcome:

Which team will run the ball most effectively?

Will Clausen find holes in the aggressive Tar Heel secondary?

Will the Irish be able to hold Tate in check?

Which kicker will help his team win?

Can the Irish coverage teams stop the Carolina return game?

Will Notre Dame get through another contest without a turnover?

Can the Irish force a mediocre Tar Heel offense to score all their points?

Prediction

The Irish have the horses to win this game, but the running game is not productive enough to believe they will come in and dominate. Carolina will create a hostile environment and bring enough pressure on Clausen to keep Notre Dame from reaching the 30-point mark. Meanwhile, the much maligned Irish defense should be able to limit the hosts in similar fashion.

The Tar Heels are a team that does not look impressive on paper, but they have fewer weaknesses than the Irish and can score by several different means. In a tight ballgame where a special teams play, turnover or field goal could decide the outcome, the odds are that North Carolina will produce what is needed.

North Carolina 24 Notre Dame 21

Upon Further Review, Harbaugh is a Whiner

The Rock NDNation.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:21:00 -0400

After Notre Dame's not near as close as it seemed victory over Stanford, Tree coach Jim Harbaugh was clearly unhappy with a second-quarter call in which the officials penalized the Cardinal for interfering with a punt returner's ability to catch the ball.

What Harbaugh (and Haden for that matter) thought he saw was a Stanford player penalized for one Notre Dame player bumping another, which in his mind nullified a muffed punt that would have given Stanford back the ball.

One problem with that point of view: the ball hit a Stanford player in the back who clearly impeded Allen's ability to catch the punt. Blocking a player from catching the ball fits any possible definition of interference.

It never touched a Notre Dame player. While Harbaugh and Haden focused on the contact (which was ND on ND) the actual infraction was committed two feet away by the Stanford player standing in the way of the punt. This guy didn't even get it after the fact.

It wasn't the contact that was the issue, it was standing in the way of the punt that was the problem. It was an obvious foul that had to be called.

Yet Harbaugh blew a gasket, ran onto the field the threw his hat. After the game, in unsolicited comments, he said, "It's hard to imagine people don't know football any better than that."

Monday the Pac-10 reprimanded Harbaugh for ass-like behavior.

"Pac-10 officials have reviewed video of the play, and it is apparent the Stanford player covering the punt impeded the Notre Dame player attempting to catch it.

"The call was correct."

He also complained about the spot on Robert Hughes first down run, which for those not watching closely (like Haden,) seemed to fall short. But what the ref saw and Haden didn't was Hughes extending the ball out over first down marker as he was being tackled.

Nothing new here for Harbaugh. He came into the league whining and it appears, much like many Michigan men before him, he'll whine his way through his career.

At first I thought he was just trying to drum up publicity for a Stanford team that can't fill its reduced sized stadium (see Marinelli,) but now it's clear Harbaugh (as Kabong noted and I was thinking) has a little Matt Doherty in him.

If nothing else it beats Buddy Ball and will make the yearly match-up more intriguing.

I can see the JOB t-shirts.

Jims Outrageous Bunch!

At least Stanford won't be boring every year.

The Proper Response to Overzealous Tailgating Police

The Rock NDNation.com — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

First of all, a note on the role of NDNation. We're simply a conduit for the voices that make up our community. When an issue such as "the tailgating-usher-police crackdown" is felt by so many different levels of our community, we raise the issue to heighten that awareness. None of us ever expected that the problem was this pervasive. NDNation is rarely the source, but an outlet for many voices who share a concern.

After watching the give and take over two days, there appear to be three parts to this embarrassing meltdown of leadership.

A local police force that treats alumni and students with disdain and uses them as a virtual ATM.

A leadership team including Fr. Mark Poorman, Bill Kirk, and Cappy Gagnon (Coordinator of Stadium Personnel) who have let their personal views influence the way they carry out a very important and public professional responsibility.
An administration which is at the very least unresponsive, if not an advocate of these policies.

Together they have created a situation that is ripe for abuse. There's no limiter here. No one's minding the store and thinking about victim's rights.

In this type of environment, it's not surprising that abuse has happened, as too many to count have claimed. Given human nature and the competing influences, abuse has to happen in this environment.

The cops don't like the "wealthy" kids and raise money off of them. Not a new story. How else could a town rife with real crime justify using its entire police force to bust a party?

Those immediately in charge are carrying a personal anti-drinking crusade way too far, beyond any boundary of normalcy or rational thinking. Cappy's exchanges on the topics are embarrassing and far too revealing. Did he really ban "Go Irish" pins on ushers? You've got to be kidding.

The administration seems to have plausible deniability, while individual reports are attributed to drunks or malcontents or ignored.

It has to stop.

What you can do?

Bring your cameras to the tailgate this week and for every game, and send us the pictures when abuse happens.
Use your cell phone cameras to capture confrontations in ND Stadium and email us the story.
Contact us with your story and we'll forward to a group of lawyers who have volunteered their time. There may be a group action pending. We'll let you know.
Send a letter threatening to cut off donations unless this is stopped.

This won't be a one-week affair from our point of view, but a continuous effort to document and make public abuse when it happens.

If it happens, it's going to be fed around the internet at light speed. The best we can do is turn the light on the roaches. After that, we really have no influence. But you do.

Here's a fantastic example of a proper response with regard to donations to the University:

Mr. Louis Nanni
Vice President, University Relations
University of Notre Dame
405 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Mr. John Affleck-Graves
Executive Vice President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear Sirs:

I am writing you this letter today in response to the recent solicitation from the University’s Annual Fund. I can say, without reservation, that my time spent at Notre Dame helped make me the happy and successful man I am today. I had the good fortune to attend Notre Dame as both an undergraduate and a graduate student, and my continuing role as part of the “Notre Dame Family” gives me immense pride. I am proud to say I have degrees from the University of Notre Dame du lac. I have contributed to Notre Dame since graduation, and as my situation has improved financially, I have increased my giving to Notre Dame. Perhaps modest by your standards, this year would be the first where I was able to contribute at the recognition level (the Sorin Society or John Cardinal O’Hara Society.)

Enclosed you will find a check for $1,500 for the University. Events over the last few years, and specifically this year, have given me pause about making this donation. I am not sure the Notre Dame of today still represents all that was good and right with the University I attended only a few years ago. Specifically, it appears that the Notre Dame Administration no longer views students and alumni as part of the “Notre Dame Family”. I will detail my concerns in the following paragraphs, but I have voided my check at this time due to these concerns. I will gladly replace the voided check with a valid check when I feel that the Notre Dame Administration has the best interests of its students and alumni at heart. Until then, I cannot in good conscience support the University I love so much. This deeply saddens me, and is not a decision I came to lightly.

I suspect that your offices have received many letters complaining about various University policies. I do not share the University’s views on all matters, but I understand the typically reasonable positions Notre Dame may take on matters. However it now appears to me that much of what made Notre Dame special for me, the sense of family and looking out for each other, has been discarded in favor of an antagonistic relationship with those who adore the ideal that is Notre Dame. I sincerely hope that my feelings are misplaced.

There are three main areas where I feel the University has abandoned what made Notre Dame such a special place – in effect abandoned the idea of the “Notre Dame Family”. The first is campus life; one of the reasons I chose Notre Dame was the camaraderie of the dorms. The second area is the excessively aggressive law enforcement in and around campus, which appears to be supported by the Administration. The last area of concern is the atmosphere in Notre Dame Stadium, which is being systematically destroyed by overzealous ushers and safety officers.

Notre Dame campus life was a tremendous asset to the University when I attended. I met many of my closest and dearest friends in the halls of Morrissey, and many other wonderful people, now spread across the globe, in various dorms. Sometimes we had some beers; sometimes we played video games; sometimes we talked about life, philosophy, and the world around us. We went to dances with women from Lyons and Howard. We did not have to sneak halfway across town to have a party in secret.

We kept an eye out for each other. Sometimes friends overdid it, and when they did there were friends and dorm mates around to make sure everything was alright. If someone was causing trouble, they were dealt with as needed, rather than branding everyone as troublemakers. I have visited the dorms since my graduation, and none of this is present anymore. Instead there is a feeling that enjoying oneself must be a clandestine enterprise. Gatherings that were purely for students to meet and have fun are now forbidden, such as the Dillon Pep Rally and Alumni and Fisher Hall events. The new policies regarding events, dances, dorm parties, and general dorm life have served not to reduce the risk faced by students, but merely relocate it to a less secure environment. This is not how we treat members of the Notre Dame Family.

The deliberate escalation by police of innocuous student and alumni behavior around campus, specifically in the surrounding neighborhood and tailgating lots, is totally unacceptable. Based on the presence on Notre Dame Security Police officers at many of these incidents, the Administration appears complicit in these activities. The police presence in the neighborhoods and around the tailgates should be a source of comfort for the students and fans in these areas. I do not want to be around people fighting, vomiting, or engaging in lewd behavior.

However, these are not the people the safety forces target, instead they seek to intimidate and extort otherwise harmless students and fans, who are causing no problems for those around them. I can recount several events I have witnessed directly, but I believe you will hear about these firsthand. These stories are all over the internet, as I am sure you are aware, and I have seen several examples of ridiculously aggressive police behavior both to underage students and legal age alumni. The bottom line is that safety officers are intentionally targeting those that are likely to pay whatever fees are necessary to clear their name, rather than address the rare legitimate problem fan or student. Notre Dame is letting those that should be protecting our students and fans instead abuse them both physically and legally, and the University remains complicit with these activities. This is not how we treat members of the Notre Dame Family.

My last concern is with the atmosphere of Notre Dame Stadium, specifically that created by the largely volunteer ushers. I have sat in various sections and seats over the last two years, and I will say that the majority of ushers I have interacted with have been both professional and courteous. However, on two separate occasions I have seen fans removed for no reason, other than appearing ‘drunk’ to the usher, but not to anyone around them. They were not causing any disturbance to those around them, and in one case the fan, who was a friend of mine, was not even aware the usher had an issue with them until they were physically yanked out of the row by the arm. I had tended to believe these were isolated incidents of an usher out of control, but I have since learned that the ushers are given directives to remove as many people from the stands as possible. Any head usher encouraging such tactics should be removed from such a position.

This should not be happening in Notre Dame Stadium. I fully support the removal of unruly fans, but unruly folks only comprise a small percentage of those accosted, in very aggressive manners, by the ushers and police. It seems the goal is to harass those targeted by the stadium personnel until they are willing to surrender their civil rights to remove themselves from the situation. Numerous alumni have been issued no trespassing notices by Notre Dame, with little or no reason other than being in the vision of an overzealous usher or police officer. This is not how we treat members of the Notre Dame Family.

I have never been ticketed, cited, or arrested by the police (other than a speeding ticket when I was 17 years old). I am not some angry fan who was ejected from the stadium. I am a concerned alumnus who has seen others, just like me, penalized without any just cause. I have no doubt some people at college parties, at tailgates, and in the stadium behave poorly. But the vast majority does not, and I now believe the majority of incidents are not caused by students or fans, but rather by those in authority causing the situation and causing aggressive confrontation.

As I said in my opening paragraph, Notre Dame has always been a special place for me. It was a place where everyone worked together toward the common good. It was a family where everyone looked out for everyone else. Sometimes being a family means seeing faults in the members of our family, even when it pains us. When I look at the Administration, I see some significant faults with your complicity in the recent wave of aggressive targeting of students and alumni. A family does not persecute their own for the pecuniary benefit of others. I know Notre Dame is better than that. I sincerely hope this letter is shocking to you. What I have seen myself and heard from others does not represent the Notre Dame Family. I am open to discuss this letter with you if you wish. I would like to continue to support Notre Dame; it gives me no pleasure to have voided the check attached. Please let me know how my concerns are being seriously addressed, and I will happily continue my support of Notre Dame.

Yours in Notre Dame,

(My name and contact info)

A Developing Story: Young Notre Dame Team Is Finding Identity

The Rock NDNation.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:03:00 -0400

Purdue, as Vannie predicted, was a turning point for the Notre Dame offense. What we saw on the field Saturday was an offense with an identity.

It's now pretty clear, despite many protestations about a lack of a running game (including here), what that identity should and shouldn't be.

We're not a screen and draw team. We're not a smashmouth team. We're a spread them out, downfield-throwing team that can make you pay if you tighten control in the box, and after we open you up, we're going to run on you.

The reason we couldn't run this offense last year is that we couldn't protect the quarterback and couldn't make plays to keep defenses honest.

Clausen looks at home in the shotgun, and our receivers are our best weapons...it just makes sense.

Kudos to Weis who stopped listening to everyone else and went with what he knows best.

"But I know one thing we weren't going to do is play on our heels the whole day. We were going to be aggressive in our play calling. I think that was a very critical factor that we wanted to make sure whether it was run, whether it was shots, regardless of what we were doing, we weren't going to sit back and let them dictate the tempo. I think that last week, okay, when we came out deciding we were going to smash mouth it early, I think that Michigan State dictated the tempo, and we weren't going to let that happen again."

We're better without a fullback and spreading the field (though Schwapp is blocking much better.) It simplifies the blocking assignments and gives us many opportunities to win one on one matchups with our talented wide receivers. It also opens the field for Allen.

As Kayo noted, it seemed we were able to use the snap count to our advantage. Weis thinks he's found what works.

"Well, it opened up running lanes. But still at the end of the day the line still has to go that way. Because whether you've got a tight end, three wide receivers, a tight end and five linemen in there, you still have those six guys helping to block at least six, and if the line of scrimmage doesn't move that way, then you're still not in for a good day. I think that it spreads out. It opens up—once you get a crease and you get the line of scrimmage moving that way, it opens up some bigger creases. And that's what led to those multiple 13-plus runs.

"Offensive production comes down to making big plays. When you're just nickel and diming it all the time, you're getting three yards, four yards. I'll give you an example. Probably the biggest play of the second half was the first pass from Jimmy to Grimes on that corner route, because it changed field position. They kicked off. I think we got the ball on the 18-yard line. So that now the momentum could be in their way. We come out on first play. He had stayed on the corner route, and now we're past the 40-yard line, and now field position had changed in one play. So I think that's just the way that goes."

I'm not going overboard, because it's Purdue. But after reviewing the San Diego State game, I knew this was a much better offensive team (and stated my biggest worry was the defense going forward.)

What's changed, besides the redirected scheme, is that individual players are developing fast (we're still absurdly young) and Weis is now gearing the offense to take advantage of their abilities.

Cases in point:

Armando Allen

Allen finally ran with his eyes instead of his feet. It looks like Allen figured out that speed is only an asset if you use it wisely.

What made Rocket great was his body control and vision. Same with Bush. Body control and vision are what make fast running backs, great running backs. Unlike the first three games, Allen read the hole before exploding through it on Saturday.

Jimmy Clausen

I've said all along he'll be better in this offense by midseason this year than Quinn was, and I'm sticking to it. Clausen has incredible accuracy and rarely throws a terrible pass. His confidence could get him in trouble, but he's making the right reads, and as noted on Rock's House, it appears he's calling plays at the line of scrimmage.

The really promising thing for the Irish is that Crist can learn behind Clausen before taking over without having to go through the painful learning curve. A great QB is essential for Weis because he puts so much on the QB's shoulders. We've got two for the future.

Kyle Rudolph

It took just four games for Rudolph to correct his blocking weaknesses. Rudolph's blocking was integral in springing Allen. He's a freak of a talent.

It's heartening to see our young players developing rapidly because...well...we have no choice. They've scored all but two of our touchdowns this year. Think about that and what it's meant to this point (bad) and what it means for our future (very good.)

But it's not just the young players. Older players like McCarthy, Lambert, Bruton, and Grimes were all three-star recruits, but are now playing at a very high level. Imagine if we had double the number of fourth and fifth-year players like these players that most big-time schools do.

That's where we'll be in two years, except now they'll be four-star players who'll have a full four years to develop, and they'll be surrounded by five-star players like Clausen, Rudolph, Floyd, and Wood.

We've been watching this team grow up like an awkward adolescent, getting the crap beaten out of him and made fun of. It looks like we're finally turning the corner.

It won't happen without a few more beatings, but we're going to be dishing it out very soon.

Tailgating Gestapo Gone Bonkers at Notre Dame

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:42:00 -0400

Reports from the front lines on the wacky crackdowns on tailgating. Have the authorities lost their minds? This picture was taken by one of our posters.

Could they look any more ridiculous?

I propose we videotape them back. All students and alumni should have their cell phone cameras and video cameras out next week on the Barney Fifes run amuck, send them to us and we'll edit them together and YouTube it for all of NDNation to see and judge. It'll be popular around the country, we know that.

This is just nuts and out of hand. Someone has to bring reason and perspective back. This "A-Team" approach is ludicrous.

"They had the video cameras out yesterday for some reason, perhaps to try to effect retrospective disciplinary action? I'm not sure. When he asked why I was taking a picture of them as they were filming our tailgate's license plate, I replied that it was only because they were filming us. They left shortly thereafter, but they may have been done wasting taxpayer money in that particular area, anyway."

Read this story:

"I am going to speak with an attorney on Monday, but right now the situation is the result of me mocking the fact we have mounted tailgating horses. That basically then resulted in a "what did you say to me?" type of situation, in which the mounted cop charged me with his horse, knocking me to the ground. I get up with a resounding "WTF?" and from that point on I was "in the system." Get on the ground, NDSP called in, St. Joe drunk tank, and we'll see what comes next."

And this one:

"My buddy's girlfriend tailgated with us before the game. Was drinking Diet Coke up until about 1 p.m. Had some beers after that, but nothing crazy. She tripped walking into the stadium and the ushers asked her and her boyfriend if they had been drinking.

"They replied that they had been, but were not intoxicated. The usher said they could stay if security could determine they were not intoxicated.

"My buddy kept asking what would determine sobriety and the ushers continually responded that they couldn't tell him that, i.e. no breathalyzer result would guarantee they wouldn't get in trouble. My buddy and his girlfriend went to the security office and his girlfriend ended up spending the night in jail.

"My buddy said they could have left the stadium and not went to the security office but wanted to stay and watch the game, so they agreed to go. After failing whatever test security provided they weren't asked to leave, instead they threw the girl in jail.

"There are always two sides to every story but she was not publicly intoxicated. This is very scary because it appears that ND could selectively enforce this and probably arrest 40,000 every game if they wanted to.

Unbelievable. The University needs to take a look in the mirror and stop acting like this."

And this one from in the game:

"Early-ish in the game, a friend (a graduate student who doesn't drink anything beyond wine transubstantiated into the Blood of Christ) was standing in the student section and lost his balance on the impossibly-narrow benches.

He had to step backwards onto the concrete in the row behind...just as probably every student does several times every week. Unfortunately for him, he happened to be on the outside of a row just as an usher was walking down it.

The usher, seeing his uncoordinated step, approached him and demanded his ticket book. Confused, the guy complied, and was asked if he'd been drinking.

When he answered (rather incredulously, and apparently without bowing first) "no, I just lost my balance" the response was "bullshit" and he was taken down to the security office.

He was run through several sobriety tests (just like you'd see when a cop pulls over a potentially drunk driver), and then was breathalyzed. Seeing as he was telling the truth that he hadn't been drinking, he blew a .000.

Frustrated at having been harassed, he asked the security people for the usher's name, and was told to mind his own business and "get your ass back to your seat before we throw you out anyway" (that's an exact quote of his words, I can't swear whether it's a direct quotation or a paraphrase).

He got back just in time for halftime ... having missed almost the entire first half."

Notre Dame-Michigan State: Memories of the 1966 "Game of the Century"

The Rock NDNation.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:28:00 -0400

Anyone who suggests this isn't a storied rivalry needs to review recent history, because there were a lot of good stories after Notre Dame came back to beat Michigan State in 2006.

The wheels came off Spartan land. Coach John L. "Slappy" Smith, smacked himself in the face in the post game press conference, we guess, as a jab at Weis who said he was slapped by Spartan player. He, rightly, was labeled a bit of a loon.

And of course, who can forget this magical meltdown by Mike Valenti after the same game -- click here to go nuclear.

All good fun, but the real legendary game between the two was fought in 1966.

"Notre Dame was 8–0 and beating the opposition by an average score of 38–4. Michigan State was 9–0 and winning games at a 31–10 clip. Going in, it was the “Game of the Decade.” Coming out, it was the day Notre Dame, according to Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated, “tied one for the Gipper.” Trailing 10–0 in a very hard-hitting and error-filled game, Notre Dame rallied to pull even early in the fourth quarter. Later, with the ball on his own 30-yard line and 1:10 left, ND Coach Ara Parseghian elected to run the clock out and settle for the tie."

And this from Rocky Bleier in Fighting Back:

"1966. We were No. 1, and life was lovely. The No. 2 team was Michigan State, and before long, the season became a pedantic countdown to our (fill in the blank with your favorite adjective... cosmic, cataclysmic, monolithic) meeting on November 19. The Spartans beat all their opponents by an average of 22 points per game. We beat ours by 34.

The week-long buildup for Michigan State... was at least equal to the game itself. Their students started things by dumping leaflets out of an airplane as it circled our campus. The leaflets were addressed to the "peace-loving villagers of Notre Dame." They asked, "Why do you struggle against us? Why do you persist in the mistaken belief that you can win, freely and openly, against us? Your leaders have lied to you. They have led you to believe you can win. They have given you false hopes."

The newspapers spent all week informing America that Bubba Smith, MSU's pick-your-adjective defensive end, was slimmed down to 283 pounds with a 14D shoe, a 19-1/2-inch collar, and a size 52-long MSU blazer. I didn't need to read it. I had seen the movies. Now here was Bubba in game films, jumping over linemen, splitting the double-team block.

The train ride to State was another experience. Their fans were standing on the platforms in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, some even stood along the tracks, in cornfields and on dairy farms-jeering and holding sheet signs: "Bubba for Pope," "Hail Mary, full of grace, Notre Dame's in second place." None of that, however, was as bad as our arrival in East Lansing. As I disembarked, I noticed the metal steps were slippery with ice. Behind me, I heard a yelp. It was my roommate on the road, Nick Eddy. He'd slipped, missed his grab for the handrail, and reinjured his bruised shoulder. He was doubled over, crying with pain and with the instant realization that he couldn't play in the biggest game of his career. People called it "The Game of the Century" that year... which was not especially important, because somebody makes that statement about one game in nearly every college football season. What is significant is that even today, some experts are still calling it "The Game of the Century."

In the pregame warm-up, I was entranced (almost dizzy, or high!) at the sight and sound of the 76,000+ fans in Spartan Stadium. Nothing I ever experienced on a football field, before or since, has equaled it. The chants rocked and swayed at a deafening level. Try to imagine quadraphonic speakers blasting the Rolling Stones at full volume. It was like that... clearly, the edge of insanity.

The game started disastrously for us. Our center separated his shoulder and exited on the first series. Next time we had the ball, a messenger lineman mistakenly brought in a quarterback draw play. (ND Coach Ara Parseghian would never have taken that risk intentionally!) ND Quarterback Terry Hanratty ran it for four yards before MSU's George Webster pinned him and Bubba Smith pounced on top, separating Hanratty's shoulder. State's offense, meanwhile, forged a 10-0 lead.

We came back just before the half on a 34-yard TD pass from Hanratty's substitute Coley O'Brien to Bob Gladieux, Nick Eddy's substitute. At the start of the fourth quarter, we got a field goal from Joe Azzaro, and that was all the scoring. 10-10. The numbers will live forever.

There was plenty of postgame discussion about Ara's decision not to call time-out and not to pass when we had possession for the last six downs of the game. There was some discussion on the field, too. Bubba yelled, "Come on, sissies, throw the ball! I'll call time-out for you." Charlie Thornhill, their linebacker, who had an exceptional game, screamed, "You don't want it." I've always defended Ara's reasoning. We'd been stripped of our offensive weapons, we'd come back from a 10-point deficit, our defense had kept MSU outside our 45-yard line in the second half.

Then, the critics wanted us to throw long, desperate passes into a prevent defense that was specifically designed to intercept them. And consider our quarterback. Coley O'Brien is diabetic. He drank orange juice and ate candy bars on the sideline to maintain his insulin at a safe level. In this game, he was so tense that he recalls little or nothing of the action.

Ara knew he'd done a great job bringing us back. He was not about to throw it all away with frivolous play-calling in the last minute. I was our leading ball carrier, with 57 yards. I wondered if I'd fulfilled the expectations of Larry Conjar, our senior fullback and one of the offensive leaders. Before the game, he'd said to me, "Nick (Eddy) isn't going to play. The responsibility is on your shoulders. You can't let us down."

I also caught three passes for 16 yards, but I paid for those. On a catch over the middle in the third quarter, Charles Phillips, MSU's defensive back, speared me with his helmet in the kidney. After the game, I felt a rush of pain while standing at the urinal. I looked down and noticed I was passing pure blood. But at the moment, it didn't seem to matter. Conjar's arms were a mass of black and blue. Jim Lynch, our linebacker, had played with a monstrous "charley horse." Don Gmitter, the tight end, gutted it out on one good knee. And Gladieux joined the others who were done for the season.

Almost everybody was crying. The emotion of the game, the hitting and violent contact, was converted into the emotion of the locker room... the tears, the hugging, the trite phrases.

Then Ara spoke to us, "Men, I'm proud of you. God knows I've never been more proud of any group of young men in my life. Get one thing straight, though. We did not lose. We were Number One when we came, we fell behind, had some tough things happen, but you overcame them. No one could have wanted to win this one more than I. We didn't win, but, by God, we did not lose. They're crying about a tie, trying to detract from your efforts. They're trying to make it come out a win. Well, don't you believe it. Their season is over. They can't go anywhere. It's all over and we're still Number One. Time will prove everything that has happened here today. And you'll see that after the rabble-rousers have had their say, cooler minds who understand the true odds will know that Notre Dame is a team of champions."

Mr. Payment's Last Notre Dame Football Game

The Rock NDNation.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:46:00 -0400

This was shared on Rock's House this week:

"When I was a kid, before the days of the NBC contract, Notre Dame games were on cable more often than they are now. My parents didn't get cable, so I watched all of those games at my neighbor's house, Mr. Payment. He was an Irish-Canadian immigrant and loved Notre Dame football as much as anyone I know.

"Some of my best memories as a kid were watching those games with Mr. Payment. He would always 'send me in' to the game. If there was a big offensive play, he would ask, 'can you get in there and throw a block, Joe?' I'd say I could, and if the play worked, he'd congratulate me. Now, I send my kids in the game.

"When I was a teenager, Mr. Payment's son was my confirmation sponsor. I don't remember why, exactly, but Matt couldn't be there on the day of my confirmation, and Mr. Payment stood in for him.

"We were in the parking lot of the church listening to the ND-Tennessee game on the radio, and the confirmation mass was starting, with ND driving at the end of the game. I asked Mr. Payment what we should do, and he said, "It's Notre Dame. God'll understand."

ND missed the kick to win the game, and I missed part of my confirmation. I'm glad I did.

Mr. Payment has been dying of cancer, and I went over to his place this week to watch the Michigan game with him. I asked him if he could get in there and play, and he said he'd run the defense. He did a stellar job.

I held his hand during the alma mater, and he cried during it. He knew it'd be his last one. He was right. Thank you, team, for winning this game. It means more to me than every other ND game I've seen put together, because it was Mr. Payment's last one. You sent him out with a win."

Notre Dame Faces a Simple Choice: Boys or Men?

The Rock NDNation.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:29:00 -0400

While many fans looked at the Michigan game as a 'must win"—and in retrospect, given the recruits at the game and the way the team and fans reacted, it was—Michigan State has now become an equally important game to the maturity and psyche of this Notre Dame team.

Notre Dame didn't overwhelm anyone in weeks one or two. Instead, we looked like a team that had made significant improvement from the Keystone Cops performance of last year, but that improvement only gets us to good. Now we're a good team, which puts us in the same category of about 40 or 50 other teams around the country.

No one comes to Notre Dame to be good.

That's Davieham thinking.

Good is unacceptable.

Mediocrity is unacceptable.

It's time for this team to put the old paradigm and excuses behind and grow up. I don't mean that in a negative sense, but this is still a very, very young team...they simply can't play like it anymore. It's time to get on with gettin' on with being great, and that means moving your mental frame of what's acceptable.

It's not acceptable anymore to tackle poorly. It's not acceptable anymore for wide receivers to run lazy patterns or not block. It's not acceptable anymore to not finish blocks or get to the next level to spring a longer run. It's not acceptable anymore to miss holes.

The Irish are at a mental tipping point.

It's a simple choice.

They can either choose to shift their entire frame or perspective of what great, good, and poor play look like—or they can accept mediocrity.

When you reframe your perspective on what's good, what was good in the past becomes poor play. Your former good is now the bare minimum you should expect from yourself, and your former great becomes the norm. In other words, what "was" great play for you previously is simply how things should be.

Great then becomes truly exceptional play. Your good play in weeks one and two should be the worst-case scenario if all goes wrong.

It's time to grow up. Right now this team seems impressed with itself when it makes great plays. That's a fun and exciting place to be, but if this team truly wants to be exceptional this year and next, it has to power through this transition phase of self-discovery and become what it will be in the future, right now.

This team is at the doorstep. It can either knock the muthaf door down and proclaim itself a true contender, or it can wait for someone to open it for them.

And wait. And wait. And wait.

And then one day talk about what could have been if...

"No one gives you anything in this world—you have to earn it."

This team has to expect greatness. Nothing else can be acceptable.

Greatness is livin'.

Mediocrity is slow, painful death.

"It comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'."

Get you mad, you SOBs, get mad.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame Recruiting Class Officially No. 1 on Both Scout and Rivals

The Rock NDNation.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:51:00 -0400

As I wrote at the beginning of last month, attrition moved Alabama down and Notre Dame up to number one in the revised "enrolled" recruiting rankings. The Irish are now number one both in average star ranking (average quality of incoming recruit) and the overall (very arbitrary) point rankings on both Scout and Rivals. Scout recently moved Notre Dame up No. 1 as covered in Re-ranking the Class of 2008.

Here's an excerpt from Scott Kennedy:

"It's been stated before, but I don't think it can be said enough; the recruiting job that Charlie Weis and staff did last year to secure the No. 1 class in the country in the midst of Notre Dame's worst season in its history, is one of the best recruiting jobs I've ever seen."

And here's Scout's re-ranked top 10 and their key losses:

1 2 Notre Dame None
2 1 Alabama Devonta Bolton; Melvin Ray
3 3 Miami Antonio Harper
4 4 Ohio State Shawntel Rowell
5 5 Georgia Toby Jackson
6 6 Michigan Marcus Witherspoon; Taylor Hill
7 10 UCLA None
8 7 LSU DeAngelo Benton
9 11 Clemson None
10 8 FSU Debrale Smiley; Anthony Hill

Charlie Weis, Emotional Intelligence and the Bucket List

The Rock NDNation.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:36:00 -0400

When Charlie arrived at ND, he quickly turned a hapless squad around into a two-time BCS team, something Notre Dame hadn't done since Lou Holtz (major bowls = BCS Bowls).

Willingham had told insiders wouldn't do better than .500 (one of the main reasons he was canned).

But that early success didn't wear well on Weis, who had never been in the main chair before. The anti-Notre Dame press quickly labeled Weis as arrogant, and strangely Weis seemed to embrace the label.

Now, I don't believe Weis thinks arrogance is a good thing, but it probably felt much like the same dynamic with Coach Parcells, one of his mentors, and thus felt right (BTW, no one was more arrogant or disdainful than Willingham.)

Of course the problem here is that Weis had never been in the main chair and seemed to lack any ability to self-identify problems.

Worse, he had isolated himself internally and had no one who could give him counsel and course corrections. He certainly helped promote his 2006 team, which seemed to bask in the limelight, but just didn't play hard or cohesively on the field. That was the first sign that all was not right in the Bend.

Most of those close to the program know that it was a good team, but had no business being in the Top Five. Things started to go south mid-year in 2006 and, with a two-year black hole in recruiting, all signs pointed to a cratering in 2007.

The team was fractured (which is normal, when a new coach takes over). We've heard from many people that there was a division between the older players (who didn't have the talent) and the younger players (who clearly had the talent).

Weis was recklessly going for it on fourth down, clinging to a passing game that couldn't protect the passer (what's the point?) and out of touch with his players.

The aftermath of the nuclear bomb of a season that hit in 2007 was the burning platform Notre Dame and Weis needed to change.

In the executive world, when an executive is underperforming, you have to identify the causes of underperformance.

Sometimes they're just not smart enough (Davie/Willingham). Other times they haven't built the skills, and then there are the executives who just don't care enough about their company or about reaching excellence (Davie/Willingham).

They're not willing to sacrifice to be great. You need all of these to be successful.

Weis clearly has the intelligence. He has the commitment to Notre Dame, and he wants to be excellent. What he seemed to lack was a specific skillset that applied to the college game and people skills needed to manage a top-tier program (or he didn't value the people skills).

So a few things happened, aside from the calls for his head. Jenkins supposedly called him in and told him he was losing the support of those around him.

Weis was faced with a choice. He could either pull a Willingham and retrench, or he could embrace need to change. Those who retrench are usually managed out, but for those who embrace it, this type of acute pain and challenge often leads to a transformational experience in executives.

Through these experiences, they gain an understanding of humility and through that the empathy to understand others and thus the tools to manage them.

Think about it. If you can't understand someone else's point of view, you're going to almost useless when it comes to influence. The ability to understand other's points of view and sources of pain is power.

Weis embraced change. He underwent leadership coaching. He met with over 20 people close to the program to get their feedback (sort of 360-degree feedback), and he made his bucket list.

Not that he's going to die, mind you, but things he needed to do to change the team and himself. If you think about it, the number of things on this list are extraordinary for a man of his stature, but obviously much needed changing.

Seeking feedback
Leadership coaching
Coaching his team to play with emotion
Instituting harder-hitting practices
Bringing in more experienced coaching on defense
Simplifying the blocking/working with Latina
Emphasizing protection
Instituting more power runs
Changing the day off after a game
Letting Haywood coach the offense
A renewed focus on special teams
Becoming more approachable to his players
Becoming more engaged with Alumni
Not going for it on fourth down in absurd situations
Not always receiving the kickoff
Changing the risk/reward trade-off on our passing game by lifting the lid on our controlled passing game and throwing downfield to stretch the defense (more work needed; see 4th down)
Willing to fire his DC

I'm sure there are many more. Now all of this is in addition to the changes he made after Willingham such as embracing former players, outworking everybody on the recruiting trail, embracing tradition (the Navy salute)...

The bottom line is that Weis isn't lacking in innate ability. He's doesn't lack in the aspiration to be the best and he certainly isn't lacking in engagement to his job. These are the three killers of success.

He was lacking in specific competencies that restricted his ability. Weis is showing true leadership by embracing change and to be honest, this seems to suit him better than the Parcells model. Charlie's grown beyond his mentors... as he had to.

None of this means he'll succeed or that he won't backslide, but it does elevate him by a significant margin above his two predecessors, who didn't have any of the three attributes necessary for success.

My hunch is that Charlie's ensured himself a decent level of success and his bucket list won't mean that he's going to kick the bucket as our coach for some time.

Of course he still needs to figure out that we can't sell play-action on the cheap. Let's face it, anyone with eyeballs know that our tendency is to pass it on third and fourth down and short. We're not foolin' anybody.

Charlie seems to think that running for a hundy means we can now fool people into thinking we're going to run. Two 100-yard games aren't going to change three years of scouting. We're getting there, but that works best when you're running for 200 a game. We're selling our running game like a cheap...

Sorry, the fan creeping back in.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hoop Dreams

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:16:00 -0400

While the Irish football team is fighting to get back to the top, the basketball team is already projected there. Some have ranked the Irish as high as 4th in the country. And this weekend Mike Brey added a third commitment to join 6'8" Jack Cooley and 6'5" Joey Brooks. The Irish added Mike Broghammer a 6'8" forward who's been a rising player on the AAU circuit.

A scrimmage report on The Pit describes the 6'8" Broghammer as "physically imposing, but didn't do much offensively. Claimed his space in the paint well." As most Brey recruits do, Broghammer has a good outside shot. He also has a cool ethnic name.

Here's the rest of the scrimmage update from The Pit (also note Kurt ONeill's update on Ryan Kelly:)

1. Vogrich shot the ball well, but was very undersized. Maybe it was just that he was standing beside TJ, Gody and the rest who look very put together physically, but he looked waifish. I've got to say...nothing about his presence said Big East guard to me. Probably hit 3 of 6 from behind the arc.

Broghammer is physically imposing, but didn't do much offensively. Claimed his space in the paint well, but didn't see much from him offensively. He played with Gody, who got the vast majority of his team's touches.

2. Tj, Ayers, Abro, Luke and Vogrich beat Mac, Gody, Broghammer, Peoples and some kid I don't know three straight. Ayers was the best offensive player in the building those first three games, drilling everything. Mac was pretty pissed off at his team for all of the clean looks Ayers got.

3. Gody was probably 8-12 from behind the 3-point line during the scrimmage. They ran multiple plays to get him free from deep, and he responded. It was very impressive. He looks awesome physically. He had many big dunks and soft moves around the hoop. Looks ready to replicate last year's stats.

Gody is also sporting a new tattoo up his left side that says TBH (maybe TDH?)...not sure what this means.

4. Once Mac's team lost twice, he left the court and didn't come back. Looked good while he played. At no time while sitting out did he not have a ball in his hands...constantly dribbling between his legs, doing trick-speed stuff. An absolute gym rat.

5. Ayers, as I mentioned above, shot often and with a lot of confidence. TJ kept feeding him, and talking him up the whole game. Ayers seems like a player that needs confidence to perform, and Jackson knew it.

6. Scott has added a little bulk, but needs more. He's still freakishly athletic, but he never really made a decisive offensive move that I saw. Nash looks a little bigger, and is very comfortable with the ball in his hands.

7. Zeller provided the best moment off the whole scrimmage. TJ fed him the ball streaking baseline, prompting Zeller to dunk emphatically over Broghammer. The team cheered and laughed like it was something they had never seen before. Zeller also shot the ball very well.

8. Abro looks very even keel and is a solid shooter, but is definitely a step slow.

9. Hillesland looked to be nursing his right foot and didn't play. People only played the first game.

Notre Dame Football's Opener: This Day Couldn't Get Here Soon Enough

The Rock NDNation.com — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:31:00 -0400

We hath been delivered. Notre Dame returns tomorrow after an almost two-year hiatus from excellence.

Vannie previews The New Beginning in his blog. I suspect this will be a different team altogether. The kids have at least partially grown up, the talent level is burgeoning underneath and the Irish are set for a four-year run at the title. In fact, this is the only year of the next four where Irish probably won't be in the title hunt. The talent wave doesn't crest two years from now.

The perfect storm of last season has given way to a sunshine. The Irish will open with San Diego State, which has lost so many players it's starting to look the de-limbed Black Knight from the Holy Grail.

"I see, running away, then! You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite your legs off!"

Unlike the Georgia Tech castration last year, tomorrow's game doesn't appear to be any matchup at all for the Irish. So Notre Dame will get a warmup before meeting Michigan, which will likely be vastly improved from its first game (a loss to Utah), but still not exactly a powerhouse.

Michigan still has a formidable collection of talent on defense, so no one should put this in the win column. I can't really guess how the rest of the Irish's opponents will look after that, but only North Carolina, Michigan State and BC (other than USC) have the talent to play with Notre Dame on paper.

The perfect storm has dissipated, and we can expect a completely different Irish team tomorrow and for the next four years. Here's the video intro from the pep rally.

Go Irish!

And here come the Irish!

Ragone Out For Year With ACL Tear

The Rock NDNation.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:10:00 -0400

Charlie Weis announced today that sophomore Tight End, Mike Ragone, will be out for the 2008 season after suffering an ACL tear:

"This summer while running routes, Mike tweaked his knee and partially tore his left ACL. His two options were to have the knee fixed immediately or to brace it and try to play. He understood that eventually the knee would have to be fixed and he was hoping to do it at the conclusion of the 2008 season. Mike had continued to practice but felt his progress had deteriorated. Thursday afternoon, Mike came to me and decided that having the surgery done now prior to the start of school would be best. Together with Jim Russ and our team doctors, we quickly arranged surgery for late Friday morning. The surgery was successful and Mike will spend the 2008 season rehabbing to be ready for the 2009 season."

Ragone's loss hurts for many reasons: first, because the kid was such a talented, determined, and hard-working and second, because the Irish are painfully thin in experience at Tight End.

Ragone was being pushed for the starting spot by Kyle Rudolph who will now have to grow up very quickly. Ragone's injury also opens the door for Will Yeatman, Joseph Fauria and Luke Schmidt. Schmidt has been practicing in a half back or move tight end role, but will likely see more time in the traditional tight end spot.

It's an Underclassman's World at Notre Dame

The Rock NDNation.com — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:46:00 -0400

Notre Dame's success will rest on the success of its sophomore class, with marginal help from the seniors and fifth-year seniors. Consider that:

Right now our best running back is a sophomore, either Allen or Hughes
Our best quarterback is a sophomore in Clausen
Our best wide receiver is arguably sophomore Kamara
Our best tight end is sophomore Ragone
Our best defensive lineman is sophomore Williams
Our best linebacker is either sophomore Smith or sophomore Neal
Our best field goal kicker is sophomore Walker

I've never seen a Notre Dame team so dominated by sophomores (who would be redshirt freshmen at most schools) before, but behind this is the dramatic rise in the level of recruiting.

Weis's first full recruiting class was large, but lacking in star talent and the attrition rate has been has been high since the sophomore class came in. And now the freshmen class is beginning to have a similar impact. The arrival of Floyd, Walker and Goodman has led to the departure of Richard Jackson at wide receiver.

Some might look to these transfers and be tempted to draw other conclusions, but the simple fact is that in every case with transfers in this junior class, the transfer decided to leave after he was passed on the depth chart by one of the underclassmen.

It's great for recruiting in that players know that if they're the best, they'll play, it takes a toll on upperclass leadership, which has been all but non-existent recently. The Irish have just 15 players combined from their senior and fifth-year classes.

Of those, not one player was rated higher than three stars. Only one player, David Bruton, appears to have All-American potential or would start on a top-tier team.

And Notre Dame is actually getting younger, because the sophomores now have to look over their shoulders. Gary Gray has a great shot of playing, but here comes Blanton, a cocky and talented frosh.

Ragone's in the driver's seat at tight end, but Rudy is impressing the hell out of everyone. Tate and Kamara showed a lot of talent in '07, but watchers would be shocked if Floyd doesn't get playing time.

While Kerry Neal looked outstanding as a freshman, Darious Fleming has already become a given for playing time in 2008.

The good here is also the bad.

Notre Dame has a ton of talent in its freshman and sophomore classes and they're going to be playing a lot. Of course, that means that freshman and sophomores are playing a lot, which is never ideal from a win column perspective, but sure is fun from a fan perspective.

A Dozen Reasons Why Notre Dame Will Improve in 2008

The Rock NDNation.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:34:00 -0400

(www.ndnation.com) - Unlike Darth Vannie's take in yesterday's lead article, I think Notre Dame has a chance to bounce back strong and into the top 20. Notre Dame is ranked lower than it should be because critics tend to put too much emphasis on last year's performance (see The Inflation Equation.)

The Irish are probably still too young across the board to expect much better than that, but the potential is there for dramatic improvements at many positions. And, as covered before, improvements in one position usually create improvements in others.

If your line’s blocking better, your running backs and quarterbacks will look much better. If they’re playing better, the receivers don’t have to be perfect to get open. If the whole offense is playing better, the defense gets to rest.

Given how many things went wrong last season, it only takes a few of these moving in the right direction to create some forward momentum and that momentum began with Coach Weis and some big changes.

1. Weis is Wiser

Weis looked in the mirror last year and saw much of the blame for last season’s debacle. He knew he could have and should have coached better.

But the changes needed were about more than just coaching, Weis needed to adjust his leadership style. That's something most leaders find very hard to do.

Give him credit, Weis sought the counsel of those close to the program who point-blank told him his Patton routine wasn't working (with the team or alumni) and in response, he reportedly received leadership coaching (an area I work in).

The result was a 180 in the way Weis works with players. If you read his quotes, it's like the light bulb went on. Somewhere in that self-reflection he decided he had to treat college kids differently than pro players and change his coaching style.

Some might wonder why a coach who makes $_,_ _,__.__ (does anyone really know what he makes?) has to learn on the job. Well, simple. We hired a coach with no head coaching experience and no recent college experience, so Weis HAS to learn on the job.

Weis has changed his attitude this year, but he’s also changed his role. Weis admitted to spending far too much time with quarterbacks last year and his preoccupation with playcalling and quarterbacks hindered his ability to make decisions for the wider team good.

He’s removed himself from that role and I think he'll have a better grasp of the overall needs of the team. Now that White is gone (who was reportedly afraid of Weis) Charlie has to know that he’s not going to be able to run roughshod over Swarbrick, so he'll be receiving leadership from above.

This starts immediately once someone has respect for his superior. Weis also looks like he's dropped 40.

2. Emotion

This is a direct result in the change of Weis's leadership style with the players and coaches. Weis admitted that players were often scared to make mistakes which made the team uptight and drained all the emotion from their play.

The payoff of Weis’s decision to step back and encourage his team to show emotion was evident in the Blue Gold Game, where it actually looked like the kids were having fun and playing harder because of it.

Notre Dame now looks like a team that wants to kick your ass and is going to talk it up and have fun doing it. You've got to think that it's going to make recruiting easier for Weis as well.

3. Practice

Closely related still, the Irish are having more intense and hard hitting practices, which, as El Kabong advised last year, was one of the reasons Pete Carroll cited for success in college.

The pro model just doesn't work in college where you have so little time to prepare. In the pros, you want to preserve your player's health. In college you want kids to play with emotion and stick it to each other. Turns out, kids like to hit, who’d a thunk it?

4. Depth

Nothing makes a man player harder than someone younger right behind him ready to take his job. One insidious downside of the lack of depth at Notre Dame is that there was no one to push the first stringers.

That’s not the case anymore, as there’s competition at almost every position on the team. Also, it’s tough to have full-on hitting practices when you had the paper-thin depth we had last year. Notice how all of these are interrelated?

5. Change in Play-calling

My frustration with Weis’s propensity to abandon the run (especially acute against Michigan State and Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago) is apparently a thing of the past.

Not only has Weis given the play-calling reigns to OC and running backs coach Mike Haywood, but he’s also talking a big game about running the ball down the opponents' throat. Given our 58 sacks last year, maybe, possibly, Charlie’s starting to believe that a running game is vital to a good offense?

6. Bigger "Big Uglies"

That of course isn’t possible unless you have offensive linemen opening holes and the Irish have put on bulk across the offensive line, except for Chris Stewart who’s down to 329.

He’s the kind of the home-grown road grader that Notre Dame hasn’t had in recent memory. You can’t coach what I call "farm boy big" and Stewart, Young and Robinson all have it.

I expect dramatic improvement in the run game this year because of an emphasis on the run, offensive linemen who aren’t all sophomores, finally some depth and offensive linemen who's first step isn't backward on every play.

7. Latina and Weis Make Up

Not that they were fighting, but the two acknowledged philosophical differences last year which probably contributed to the nuclear meltdown across the offensive line. Latina has said the two are absolutely on the same page this year. Hopefully, that means more simplified blocking schemes that allow kids to just play.

8. Say Hello to The Real Jim Clausen

Last year an underweight Clausen came off surgery with a sore arm, wasn't allowed to lift weights and proceeded to get hurt again while playing behind the worst line in the NCAA and the worst line in Notre Dame history. Some actually labeled Clausen a bust (read Group Stupid Mindthink.)

This year, Clausen us up 20 pounds in weight, has another year of experience and will likely have a running game so that he’s not running for his life on every play. All reports have Clausen playing at an exceptional level for a sophomore.

9. Wide Receivers

Our Wide Receiver situation is shifting from dire to young, but very talented. Kamara and Tate showed flashes of great ability last year and this year’s freshmen, Walker, Floyd and Goodman will press for playing time.

Floyd’s been consistently good early in practice (7 on 7 included) and has an NFL body. Walker is flashing speed that Notre Dame just hasn’t had (except in spurts with Tate) and Goodman has been described as a faster Parris. Clausen figures to have a very good wide receiver corps by mid year.

10. Running Backs

In my opinion (surprise) Weis could have ridden Hughes to a couple of more wins last year, but he obviously wasn’t listening to my voice mails. This year, Hughes and Allen are no longer freshmen and Allen is starting to fill out nicely.

Our running back situation looks, at the very least, solid this year with the possibility of being very good.

11. Tuh-noo-tah

On defense the upgrade in linebacker coaching will be dramatic. The Irish trade out Polian, a great recruiter who doesn’t have any real coaching experience there, for Tenuta who brings a wealth of knowledge and foul language to a fairly talented group of linebackers.

I love Brian Smith. He's a kid who grew up before his time and is already a leader. Crum has all of the experience in the world and Harrison Smith has all of the athletic ability in the world.

You have to figure we’re going to get exponentially better play out of our linebackers with Tenuta coaching back there (anyone remember Phillip Wheeler?)

12. Defensive Backs and Brown

Everyone loves Bill Lewis, but Brown coaching the defensive backs (the position he plays) just seems like a natural fit. Brown is the consummate motivator and the Irish seem to have their strongest combination of defensive backs in years.

Everyone is expecting big things out of the secondary. Combine a good secondary with a blitzing front seven and ND could create the same type of havoc it received last year.

With those dozen improvements and the fact that we’ll simply have an older team along with an influx of very talented freshmen, it’s hard not to see the Irish make dramatic improvements in 2008.

I want to mention the schedule as well, but history has taught us that easy "looking" schedules often look hard by the end of the year. If everything breaks right, a BCS berth may be a remote possibility, but Irish fans can realistically expect a good bowl in 2009. This is, after all, a team dominated by youth.

BTW, Vannie and I discussed both the positives and the negatives, but talking about them together became so muddled that we thought it was clearer to write two different articles.

That said, Vannie and Cash should be banned from games, those two are the grim reapers of ND football. If you see them at a game, bet the other team...quickly.

Go Irish!!!!

Notre Dame is the No. 8-Ranked School for Getting Rich

The Rock NDNation.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:05:00 -0400

Talk about a recruiting advantage. Notre Dame can point to its stellar graduation rate, CFA awards, Top Three business school, successful alumni and team GPA as advantages, but Forbes magazine just came out with cold hard facts to complete the picture.

Measured in dollars, Notre Dame was the only major football school (I suppose you could call Stanford a major football school *wink*) in the top 10 in Forbes' list of Top Colleges For Getting Rich, with UC Berkeley being the only other major football school in the Top 20.

The Irish finished far ahead of many Ivy League schools and were just two places behind Harvard and one behind Penn.

Sorry Urban, no Florida on the list. That's one tradition you can't steal and these aren't facts you can twist. You have to, literally, earn your way onto the list.

Notre Dame Shows Impressive Depth at Need Positions

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:35:00 -0400

There's not much a fan can glean from a depth chart, but we sure try. Here's what struck me as I looked at the early 2008 chart and listened to comments from Charlie Weis and the team.

This team is clearly Jimmy Clausen's, and Clausen appears ready to make a big leap in terms of maturity, both mental and physical.

It looks like Armando Allen has been tabbed for significant playing time this year, and all of the running backs look like they're ready to fuel a power running game (though Robert Hughes may have gone a little overboard.)

Speaking of that, our line certainly looks like it was "beefed" with a running game in mind, and I believe that Charlie's move to step away from play calling actually makes this a possibility.

Chris Stewart is a key to this season. The fact that Stewart has dropped to 329 pounds shows great dedication on his part. If he and Sam Young can start blocking downhill, Notre Dame will have a completely different look in 2008 (one can only hope.)

Weis is clearly trying to set a tone with comments about ramming the ball down opponent's throats. Imagine what a DE will be thinking by the third quarter after 660 pounds of beef have been hammering him for 20 minutes.

I'm starting to like our wide receiver situation. David Grimes, despite his size challenges, is a very good receiver. Duval Kamara has already proven he's ready to start. Weis' comments about Michael Floyd certainly point to some early playing time as so many have predicted for the kid.

Floyd, Jonas Gray, and Braxston Cave (315 lbs.) are arriving with at least the physical maturity to make a difference.

On the defensive side of the ball, the tea leaves point to Notre Dame using a 4-3 look much of the season. Kerry Neal practiced with his hand down much of spring, but the real tip-off is that John Ryan was supposed to move to DE, but is instead backing up Neal.

Positives on the defense include the reshaping of Emeka Nwankwo into an NFL-looking player, Paddy Mullen squatting 600 pounds, and no injuries on the rest of the line (I was hoping to see a few more pounds from Morrice Richardson). Justin Brown is topping 270 to add some depth here.

I was very encouraged to see Brandon "Coke Machine" Newman show up in such incredible shape. Newman blew away scouts at the Army All-American game and may yet prove the equal of defector Omar Hunter. Ian Williams showed up at over 300 pounds, with a little extra, and Ethan Johnson is in great shape at 275.

We only need a couple of these players to exceed early expectations in order to field a decent defensive line or better. Imagine these guys two years from now (in fact, imagine this whole team two years from now).

I really like the move of Brian Smith inside (then again, I like the move of Travis Thomas to LB), but the move of Harrison Smith to SAM shows you that ND wants a LB with the ability to cover and rush. Smith II is an off-the-charts athlete (4.3 40) with instincts. You have to get a guy like that on the field.

Freshmen Steven Filer and Darius Fleming are coming in with bodies that are ready to play.

Not much to tell about the defensive backs. Robert Blanton just looks like a playmaker, Raeshon McNeil has a linebacker's body, and Jamoris Slaughter is already showing why Florida made a push for him late in the recruiting season.

While every team has players that "could be" surprising early on, ND at least has those players at the need positions.

BUT!!!!!

Hold your optimism, Vannie's about to tell you why you shouldn't get too excited about 2008.

A Measured Look at the Jimmy Clausen Story

The Rock NDNation.com — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:14:00 -0400

For as much as he's been lampooned on this site, the South Bend Tribune's Jeff Carroll wrote a balanced article on this silly Clausen story, where he put the story in proper context, using perspective, something that was sorely missing from most accounts.

Carroll and the SBT lead with the headline, "Spotlight Blitzes Clausen." Notice what's not there. No sensationalist wording. No mentions of "Investigations" or "teammates in the crosshairs." He actually fleshed out the story to something broader without pimping it for hits. I've been a critic of Carroll, but credit where credit is due.

Even The Big Lead acknowledged the absurdity of the story, citing none other than Jeff Carroll (screenshot on the right) and wrapping it up nicely with,

"Tough spot for the kid—he’s a virtual celebrity on campus, as is any QB at ND. Of course people are going to break out the cameras when he shows up at parties, and of course Clausen is going to attend parties, which college kids should do. Again, we find nothing wrong this photo - and we feel the same way about the Matt Leinart pictures that emerged earlier this year. Athletes unwind in the offseason, and often, this will —and should—include partying. Assuming the Clausen photos were not taken from August-December…where’s the beef?"

Notice how a little thoughtfulness and perspective change the entire story? That's why writers have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, especially ones who "break" a story, because their viewpoint will be parroted in papers and on television around that country.

That's a lot of responsibility that directly affects a 20-year-old's reputation. I have great affection for the Chicago Tribune, which is why it's so disturbing to see what looks like unbalanced reporting.

As Bob Chmiel writes (more eloquently than I) to Hamilton in Blue and Gold Illustrated's Troubled by the Trib about his reporting in the Tribune:

"And since you write for the paper I delivered, I had your back. But this week, I am just an old football coach who happens to write. There appears that there is some type of agenda, and today I am just a bit less proud of having thrown your paper on so many snowy porches a long, long time ago."

Where do we go from here? Not far. What we've learned from our posters is that Res Life doesn't get involved in off-campus issues unless the police were called. Of course, more to the point, there's no direct evidence of anything wrong. Sources inside Notre Dame say nothing needs to be done other than a verbal warning, which has been communicated to Clausen. In fact, if Notre Dame were to take action it would be treating Clausen different than it treats other students and that is highly unlikely.

In other words, it's a non-story except as a cautionary tale.

Let the season begin.

San Diego State Preview

The Rock NDNation.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:43:00 -0400

The following was posted by Londondomer on Rock's House.

Ok here is the complete preview of the San Diego State Aztecs that I said I would finish. I watched as much game film of them as I could find on the internet (not a ton) and tried to come up with the best preview I could. Hopefully someone besides myself will find this interesting

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks

#14 Ryan Lindley - 6-3, 205. Fr (RS)
A 3-star, #47 ranked prospect out Lakeside, CA where he attended El Capitan HS. Had offers from smaller schools like UNLV, Boise, Fresno State, etc. As a senior, completed 61 percent of his passes (235-for-385) for 3,521 yards, including 35 touchdowns. Traveled with the team this past year, but never saw any action.

Back-up: #9 Drew Westling 6-2, 220. Jr.
A 3-star who originally signed with Tulsa and redshirted as a freshman. After playing in three games and throwing one pass, he transferred to Southwestern Junior College. Completed over 53 percent of his passes for 2,087 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Analysis: Not much here. Lindley is inexperience and young, which is not a good combination. He was a decently ranked recruit out of high school but is likely to be a mediocre QB at this point in his career. Difficult to tell with nothing out there.

Running Backs

# 24 Brandon Sullivan 5-11, 220. So.
A 3-star, #73 ranked player out of high school, Sullivan had 88 rushes for 373 yards last season (4.0 avg), with 3 TDs and a long of 59 yards. Played as a fullback but has moved over to take the 1st string RB duties.

Back-up: Atiyyah Henderson 5-9, 175. JR.
A small back with decent speed and open field moves. Rushed 44 times for 192 yards (4.2 avg) and 1 touchdown. Disappointing season after rushing for 764 rushing yards in his freshman year.

Full Back

#23 Tyler Campbell 6-0, 220. SR.
Only had 3 attempts for 6 yards last season and also played special teams. Played in all 12 games last season.

Analysis: The Aztecs will likely run the ball with an inexperienced corp of quarterbacks. Sullivan and Atiyyah should be a decent combination of power and speed, but are not by any means elite backs. The Aztecs leading rusher last season was now-graduated quarterback Kevin O'Connell. Even if ND's defensive line is in a down year, these backs should not have big games.

Offensive Line

LT #74 Mike Matamua 6-5, 280. FR. (RS)
A 3-star, #40 ranked OT coming out of high school, Matamua traveled with the team in 2007 but did not play. Had offers from Colorado, Washington, Utah, etc.

LG #77 Mike Schmidt 6-2, 310. SR.
One of three returning starters on the Aztec offensive line. Was a defensive lineman before moving to the other side of the ball. Started his career as a walk-on who earned a scholarship in Fall 2007.

C #60 Tommie Draheim 6-4, 275. FR. (RS)
Draheim was a no-name recruit out of El Capitan HS in Lakeside, CA. Has not yet seen any action. Inexperienced and undersized.

RG #67 Ikaika Aken-Moleta 6-2, 325. JR.
Had only played in one game in his career during the second half of the 2007 game against Washington State.

RT #79 Kurtis Gunther 6-8, 270. FR. (RS)
A 2-star, unranked OT prospect from Camarillo HS in Camarillo, CA. Did not see any action in 2007.

Analysis: This is an extremely unexperienced unit with only one lineman with significant playing experience and three redshirt freshmen. The Irish defensive line should have their way with this group.

Receivers

R-Receiver #80 Vincent Brown 6-0, 175. SO.
Had a good freshman campaign, finishing third in Aztec season history in most receptions by a freshman and fourth in most receiving yards. Caught 31 passes for 349 yards (11.3 avg) and 2 touchdowns with a long of 62 yards. Also returned kickoffs, bringing back 25 returns for 547 yards (21.9 avg) with a long of 49 yards.

W-Receiver #4 Darren Mougey 6-6, 225. SR.
Was the teams #2 quarterback in 2005 and 2006 before a season ending injury. Made the move to wide-receiver. Last season caught 32 passes for 368 yards (11.5 avg) and 2 touchdowns.

X-Receiver #6 Mekell Wesley 5-10, 175. JR.
Played in all 12 games last year, but only caught 1 pass for 17 yards. Touted for his speed, but is inexperienced. In 2006, only caught 4 passes in 8 games.

Analysis: This unit features two of the offenses three returning starters. Brown is the biggest threat and will draw the Irish's best CB. Mougey is a big-target but is not an extremely skilled receiver.

Tight Ends

#88 Matthew Kawulok 6-2, 235. JR.
Played in 7 games this past season, catching only 1 pass for 2 yards. Came out of high school as a 2-star LB recruit. Brother plays at Colorado State.

#41 Tony DeMartinis 6-5, 255. JR.
A back-up defensive end for the past two years. DeMartinis just made the switch to tight end during the Spring of 2008.

Analysis: A very weak position for the Aztecs. Both players are inexperienced, with only 1 pass caught between them.

DEFENSE

Defense Line

DT #92 Siaosi Fifita 6-4, 250. SR.
Fifita is one of the Aztecs nine returning starters on defense (don't worry, more on that later). He played in all 12 games, but only had 12 solo tackles and 17 ast. tackles, but he did have 6 tackles for loss. He also was tied as the sack leader with 3 sacks for -16 yards. He also hit the QB twice, making him the Aztecs biggest threat for disrupting the back field. This guy was a one-star TE prospect out of Van Nuys, CA and SDSU was the only school to offer him. Very undersized for a DT. Our bigger offensive line should manhandle him.

DT #66 Ernie Lawson 6-3, 300. SO.
Lawsom will be a first year starter but played in all 12 games last year. He has the size of a more prototypical DT. Last season he had 9 solo tackles and 8 ast. tackles, with two pass breakups. Another local product from Vallejo, CA, Lawson was only offered by SDSU as well. He will take up space in the middle, but in video looks slow and out of shape.

DE #94 B.J. Williams 6-3, 230. SO.
Williams is also a returning starter, and provided the Aztecs with 20 solo tackles, 25 ast. tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Williams is undersized but has decent speed around the edge.

DE #56 Jonathan Soto 6-3, 265. JR.
Again, a returning starter. Last year he has 22 solo tackles, 13 ast tackles, 4.5 TFL, and 3 sacks. From film - he is just not that good. Got all of his sacks against bad teams. Has a stupid haircut.

Linebackers

WLB #32 Andrew Preston 6-1, 220. SO.
Preston, again, is a returning starter and one of their top defenders. Had 40 solo tackles, 32 ast. tackles, 7 TFL, and 1 sack. A decent player on the outside, but not overly physical. I expect our tight ends, when matched up against him, to out muscle him to the ball time and time again.

MLB #35 Luke Laolagi 6-1, 230, JR.
Returning starter. Last season, had 48 solo tackles, 46 ast. tackles, 6 TFL, and 1.5 sacks. Slow to react to pass plays and seems to bite on play action. Fairly aggressive, which actually gets him in trouble sometimes.

SLB #46 Russell Allen 6-3, 235. SR.
The Aztecs' best linebacker and best defender. Led the team in tackles with 71 solo, 48 ast. tackles, and 5.5 TFL. He also had 1 sack, 1 int, and 6 pass breakups. Big and physical.

Defensive Backs

CB #43 Aaron Moore 6-0, 190. JR.
Will probably draw the role of covering the Irish's best WR. Had 42 solo tackles, 17 ast. tackles, and 4.5 TFL. He also had 7 pass breakups and 4 interceptions. Not a bad cover corner, but 190 looks to be very generous. Not physical on the line. If he has to match up with Kamara, the quick out (that was often used with Shark and Stovall) should be very effective.

CB #6 Vonnie Holmes 6-0, 170. SR.
And I thought Moore was skinny. Holmes, for a senior, is an absolute stick out there. Last year, had 21 solo tackles, 5 ast tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 INTs, and 3 pass breakups. Fairly quickly, but once again, very small and unphysical. Was a JuCo transfer from College of the Canyons.

FS #40 Corey Boudreaux 6-1, 220
Another one of the Aztec's better defenders, last year Boudreaux had 53 solo tackles, 31 ast tackles, and 3 TFL. He also had three INTs and 8 pass breakups. Is a fairly quick FS, but not overly physical. Was a former walk-on receiver, earning a scholarship in the Fall of 2007.

SS #11 Martrell Fantroy 6-1, 215.
Not a starter, but played in all 12 games last season, notching 15 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, and 3 interceptions. Fairly athletic, but undersized (though he is more physical than one would expect).

Analysis: The Aztec offense should be no match for the Irish defense. The Aztecs return only three starters, one of whom was a former walk-on. Not only does the team return only three starters, but few of the players have significant game experience. The offensive line in particular is extremely young and inexperienced. Corwin Browns defense should largely have their way with the overmatched Aztecs. With Tenuta's influence, the linebackers should find their way to the quarterback early and often. The Aztecs' QB last year accounted for most of their offensive production and he is gone. I would expect the Aztecs to score fewer than 10 points.

The defense, although it returns almost all of the starters, should be similarly overmatched. Last season, the Aztecs gave up and average of 34.4 ppg against the power houses of the Mountain West. These point totals include 45 against Washington State, 52 against Cincinnati, 55 against Air Force, 45 against TCU, and 48 against BYU. They also gave up an average of 500 yards/gm in total offense, with 256 of that through the air, and 241 on the ground.

Overall, the Aztecs should be clearly overmatched on both sides of the ball. The offense is young and inexperienced. The defense returns nearly every one from a very poor 2007 team that went 4-8 in a weak conference.

The bulk of the Aztecs players come from California after every other team in state (and out) has picked over the bulk of the talent. There is absolutely no reason the Irish should not win by at least 30 points.

My Pick: Irish 42 SDSU 7

Notre Dame Football's 2008 Schedule Will Make a Major Difference

The Rock NDNation.com — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:42:00 -0400

First, I agree with you. A tough schedule is no excuse for last year's debacle.

However, when you have so many things working against you, as the Irish did last year, it magnifies the problems you do have, creates new ones, and makes them exponentially harder to fix.

How much difference does a schedule make? The following was posted by wsund on Cartier Field.

Most of you probably know that Notre Dame faced 10 bowl teams on its schedule last year, more than any other BCS team in the country. What you may not know is just how much more difficult this made their schedule.

When you have a non-bowl team on your schedule, the game is generally a "gimme." Notre Dame, as bad as they were, went 2-0 in their "gimme" games last year.

How did the rest of the BCS teams do? They combined to go 285-70 in these games, a winning percentage of .803.

Here's how many of these games each BCS team played (with the percentage of these teams who made a bowl in parentheses):

Teams with 8 non-bowl games: 1 (100%)

Teams with 7 non-bowl games: 6 (100%)

Teams with 6 non-bowl games: 25 (84%)

Teams with 5 non-bowl games: 19 (58%)

Teams with 4 non-bowl games: 12 (42%)

Teams with 3 non-bowl games: 2 (0%)

Teams with 2 non-bowl games: 1 (0%)

The average BCS team played almost 5 "gimme" games, and 64 of the other 66 teams played at least twice as many of these games as Notre Dame. ND's schedule was by far tougher than most other teams last year on this basis alone. This stat can also be linked to the odds that a team will make a bowl game.

Here's another statistic from last year. Here are the average number of wins teams in each category achieved:

Teams with 8 non-bowl games: 12 wins

Teams with 7 non-bowl games: 9 wins

Teams with 6 non-bowl games: 7.97 wins

Teams with 5 non-bowl games: 7.47 wins

Teams with 4 non-bowl games: 5.66 wins

Teams with 3 non-bowl games: 4 wins

Teams with 2 non-bowl games: 3 wins

Again, the number of these games appears to have a direct correlation to a team's success. It also shows that teams won, on average, about two games against bowl opponents (ND won one).

So how does this affect ND in 2008? Well, the fact that the schedule should be much easier should guarantee ND a few more wins, and that's not taking into account their improvement on the field.

Phil Steele projects seven of ND's opponents to play in bowls, compared to the 10 they faced in 2007. Of these seven, only USC does he project to play in an elite bowl. Pitt, Navy, MSU, and BC are projected to be in lower tier bowls.

ESPN projects eight of ND's opponents to be in bowls. But again, they have Purdue in the Insight Bowl, Navy in the Congressional Bowl, Pitt facing UNC in the Car Care Bowl, BC in the Emerald Bowl, and Michigan in the Champs Sports Bowl (all slots lower than where ND is projected).

Let's face it—Notre Dame was a bad football team last year. We hope they will improve on the field this year.

However, the schedule offered them no favors last year, and it alone should guarantee the Irish a few more wins in 2008.

Notre Dame Recruit Cierre Wood "Looks Like a Rocket"

The Rock NDNation.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:22:00 -0400

Notre Dame's top recruit isn't lacking in speed or confidence. Cierre Wood took part in the Top Gun Showcase Camp and the quote in the headline was one of many about Wood's performance.

Here's another:

"Wood looks like he was shot out of a cannon."

Wood plays for a small school against suspect competition; regardless, his numbers are just silly at 14.7 yards per carry and 50-plus yards a kickoff return.

Top Gun running back coach Lorenzo White (Michigan State) added:

"Cierre is a good kid and he's strong. He's got some great feet and some explosion. He also has some great hands and many skills. Cierre Wood has a bright future."

I keep saying that ND fans just aren't excited enough about the commitment of Wood, Notre Dame's best running back recruit in over a decade. Much like Michael Floyd and Jimmy Clausen, Wood has the ability to be a game changer.

Here's the rest of the article from Rivals.

Notre Dame Football: Zach Martin Joins the Baby Bulls

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:26:00 -0400

Offensive Tackle Zach Martin is a very important recruit for the Irish, who are dominating recruiting on the inside of the line, but really need talented tackles. Martin appears to be just that.

The Vitals:

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 270 pounds
Forty: 5 secs
Bench max: 330 pounds
Squat max: 450 pounds
GPA: 3.3

The Book from ESPN:
Martin may be one of the most versatile linemen in the 2009 class. He is an outstanding offensive tackle and defensive lineman that has a great motor and being 6'5" 275, it's no surprise he is being highly recruited.

Offensively, he comes off the ball low and hard, playing with great leverage. Demonstrates great leg drive and locks hands into the defender's body; big meat hooks really clamp on. Could give a little more punch but this aggressive football player does a great job of sustaining his block.

Alert and picks up inside stunts and blitzes like a seasoned veteran. Very mobile for a big man; pulls with authority and athletic enough in the openfield to lock on to linebackers and defensive backs. Has no trouble getting turned upfield and gives that little bit extra to get downfield block.

Very solid at pass protection and anchors down with weight underneath him. Uses his hands very well and delivers a jarring blow on the pass rusher.

On defense, this huge athlete also gives great effort and is very physical. Wrong arms the trap and destroys the double team. Powerful at the point of attack and absolutely cannot get knocked off the line by one blocker.

Extremely quick on line stunts and is a menacing pass rusher. Uses hands and to separate from the blocker then disengages to get to the football.Takes good pursuit angles and demonstrates excellent lateral movement. It's amazing how this big guy can go both ways and never tire.

Martin is truly a workhorse that is equally effective both sides of the football. We love his motor on defense, but in the long run his best fit may be on offense as a tackle.

From the Illinois site

Zach Martin is going to be an All-American in college and Illini fans were all talking about Chris Watt...Watt will be a good player for ND but not close to being Zach Martin in terms of athletic ability, left tackle potential.

The Skinny

While it is always fun to beat Michigan for a top tackle, this commitment was important for the Irish just based on need. The Irish needed tackles and Martin comes with a "high potential" tag. If Notre Dame can somehow land Xavier Nixon, the Irish line will be looking solid for years to come.

Notre Dame Lands Another Five-Star

The Rock NDNation.com — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:43:00 -0400

IrishEyes broke the news Sunday that Notre Dame followed up the commitment of offensive guard Alex Bullard (who chose the Irish over Alabama, Florida, Michigan and Tennessee among others) with a commitment from five-star offensive guard, Chris Watt. Watt, the second ranked guard by both Scout and Rivals, gives the Irish a formidable twosome at the point of attack. Watt is very mobile and a tenacious blocker.

Here's what ESPN had to say about him:

"Usually comes off the ball low and hard, with a flat back. Rarely gets too high. Packs a lot of punch and is a great finisher. Keeps his legs driving like pistons. Shows excellent footwork. Gets into his block without losing leverage, and doesn't try to turn his man until he's knocked off the line of scrimmage. Has the athleticism to reach the second level with good body control. Can even get to the third level and find a safety to block. Pulls and turns upfield with no loss of motion or balance. Puts his hat on a defender and locks on like a pit bull."

It also puts the Irish in the running for its best recruiting class along the offensive line in years if Notre Dame can persuade Xavier Nixon, another five-star recruit, to join the Irish. If Notre Dame can somehow get Nixon, it would set the stage for the dynamic offensive line, one that Notre Dame desperately needs to compete at the top level.

Along with Cierre Wood, Watt is the second five-star to commit to Notre Dame, which is already more five star prospects than were signed in three of the five previous seasons.

Steve Orsini, Notre Dame Football and Tough Choices

The Rock NDNation.com — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:30:14 -0400

The Rock - www.ndnation.com

So, what happened recently that caused SMU's AD Steve Orsini to pull out of consideration to become the next Athletic Director at Notre Dame?

Orsini wanted the job. He campaigned for it publicly and those who knew him campaigned on his behalf privately.

We know Orsini was a finalist for the position, but there appears to be a complicating factor in the new hire proceedings, a separation of church and state so to speak. Likely in response to criticism of Kevin White and his role at Notre Dame, whoever the new Athletic Director is will likely have diminished power over football. In other words, we're seeing a separation of control of the football program from the rest of Notre Dame athletics.

And whether Orsini turned down Notre Dame or Notre Dame moved onto another candidate altogether, it's likely this emerging structure was a factor.

In concept, this isn't necessarily a bad thing for Notre Dame. It doesn't take much inside knowledge to understand that Notre Dame Football needs to be managed carefully and often separately from the rest of Notre Dame athletics.

Notre Dame is a Big East member for all non-football sports, but remains an independent in football. Additionally, football generated revenues are used to fund scholarships and initiatives outside the football program. Finally, football will always be a large part of the Notre Dame identity. These factors highlight the need for separate treatment and one can understand why Notre Dame is considering moving down this path.

The hard part of a split power structure is to get the execution right. If not the AD, who does have the proper relationships, the negotiating skill, the experience and the charisma/courage to lead Notre Dame through the next BCS negotiations? Regardless of who the next Athletic Director is (Notre Dame sports are, on the whole, healthy,) whomever this decision maker is will to a great extent determine the direction of Notre Dame football and by proxy, the public face of Notre Dame.

But there's a cautionary tale in here as well. If there's an Athletic Director out there with the requisite gravitas and experience who can handle all aspects of Notre Dame athletics (including football,) Notre Dame shouldn't let the experiences of the last ten years preclude hiring someone who can run the whole enchilada. That reminds me of the girl who always picks a guy who's not like her last boyfriend. A simple rule of business and life is that you don't make choices to get away from something or not be something (that's being a reactionary,) you make them to move toward a goal or a vision for what you want to be. Often these are mistaken for the same thing. And one could argue that the recent demise of Notre Dame football came about when Fathers Malloy and Beauchamp exerted control over the football program and effectively ushered Lou out the door leaving us with a ten year mess. Malloy also nixed moves to hire bigger name coaches and essentially made the call to hire Willingham.

There are going to be some tough, but meaningful choices and things could move very soon, especially since inside news is going public. It will be interesting and telling to see how this drama plays out.

BTW, the journalist "hack award" of the day has to go to ESPN's Graham Watson, who, without citing a source or even mentioning any type of deal specifics has proclaimed that "Orsini turns down AD offer, stays at SMU." What offer? Espn.com - the world wide leader in sensationalist journalism at its worst.

Notre Dame Football: Tyler Eifert Commits to the Irish

The Rock NDNation.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:47:00 -0400

What do you do with a kid who's 6'5" with 4.5 speed, can catch the ball, and is dying to play for the Irish? You offer him a scholarship.

Notre Dame extended an offer to WR/TE Tyler Eifert after he camped and impressed at Notre Dame. Eifert, from the same school as freshman wide receiver John Goodman, will likely be slotted at Tight End, but he could be a matchup problem for small corners as a wide receiver. He's Notre Dame's 11th commitment.

ESPN's Evaluation of Eifert:

"Eifert is a big, productive high school wide receiver, but he'll be better suited to tight end in college. He lacks the speed to accelerate and separate from college cornerbacks. Possesses good height and a projectable frame, but definitely needs the benefits of a college weight program to add bulk. Displays soft hands and the ability to pluck the ball.

"Eifert's main contribution to a college program likely will be as a pass-catcher, especially initially. He has the frame and hands to be a chains-mover."

And a little blurb from gridirondigest.net:

"I'll tell you someone who COULD be a great TE from the Ft. Wayne area is Senior-to-be Tyler Eifert from Bishop Dwenger. At 6'5" and 210+ lbs. this kid's true calling may be at the TE spot in college. He currently plays WR and CB in Dwenger's Cover 2 package. Very physical. Very athletic. Great hands. Good speed for a TE, average speed as a WR.

"Defensively, nobody could throw his way in the Cover 2, unless you had a speedy wideout with good feet off the ball who could squeak by on a hard slant. If the kid stays healthy, and I already know he is a workout machine, he will turn many ppl's heads next year around the state!"

And from ESPN after his Ohio State Combine:

"Reminiscent of Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark, Eifert may be falling under the national radar because he is a tweener currently lacking the great bulk to project well as an in-line tight end and the speed to create consistent separation as a college wide receiver.

"Tweener or not, this kid is a darn athletic tight end with a great set of hands and a knack for getting open. He was an extremely difficult matchup for some of the camp's better linebackers during one-on-one passing drills and just showed a knack for creating separation and making the difficult grab.

"The most exciting part about this kid is his potential for physical development. He looked a shade under his listed height of 6-foot-5 but has a long frame with broad shoulders. He should see his 220 pounds quickly become 250 once he attacks a fulltime college weight training program. He might not possess prototypical TE measurables but could use that to his favor if a team decides to use him creatively as an H-back."

Finally, here's a look at his Rivals Video.

Notre Dame Football: Irish Swing CB Marlon Pollard

The Rock NDNation.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:02:00 -0400

The four-star UCLA commitment switched his allegiance to Notre Dame on Monday.

Here's what Pollard said about his trip to South Bend: “I was amazed.... I expected it to be a great campus and everything. When you get there it’s a completely different feeling. The people, not just the students but the administrators too, everyone is just real down to earth. It’s all people like me, very focused people.”

Pollard was named an O-D All-American and will play in the 2009 O-D All-American Bowl. He's the tenth Irish Commitment so far.

Vitals:

Cornerback

Cajon (CA) San Bernardino

Ht: 6'1"

Wt: 160 lbs

Forty: 4.6 secs

Bench max: 205 pounds

Vertical: 38 inches

GPA: 3.5

ESPN Review of Pollard:

"He is tall, very lean but pound-for-pound a strong, explosive kid. Quick-twitched athlete who excels at breaking on underneath balls with good initial speed and force. Reaches top speed quickly when closing vertically and is a strong yet sound open field tackler. Bottom line, Pollard's great initial burst and nose for the football as cornerback can't be coached; the bulk will come when he attacks a college weight training program."

Rivals Video Review of Pollard