Bleacher Report - Articles by Mark Allen

Grant Becomes Third Verbal For 2010

Mark Allen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:48:00 -0400

Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Men's Basketball
Recruiting

It came down to between Notre Dame, DePaul and Providence. Then, Jerian Grant took a visit to the University of Notre Dame. Grant went home, talked it over with his parents and brother and committed to Mike Brey and the University of Notre Dame. He had seen enough to make his decision.

Of course, there were other factors on Notre Dame's side. One influence was the "DeMatha factor". Does the name DeMatha Catholic ring a bell? It should. Notre Dame once had a pipeline there and continues to have connections. Former stars such as Sid Catlett and Adrian Dantley went there. Current Notre Dame coaches Mike Brey and Rod Balanis are graduates of DeMatha. And, of course, there is the high school teacher who continually plied Grant with the history of the DeMatha-Notre Dame connection.

If you are looking at stats, Grant's will not jump out at you. The 6'4", 180 pounder averaged seven points, five rebounds and five assists per game. Those stats might be a bit deceiving. He played for the seventh ranked team in the nation and they were loaded. DeMatha finished 32-4.

Grant's ratings with the various recruiting services are much better than his stats. Rivals has him as a four star and the 92nd rated player overall. Scout has him a three star, but the 35th rated player overall. In addition, Grant is the son of a former NBA player Harvey Grant. So, the pedigree is there.

Grant, a shooting guard, becomes the third verbal commitment for the class of 2010. He joins Maryland recruit Eric Atkins. Atkins is a Rival four star and the 58th rated recruit. He is also friends with Grant. 6'6" Illinois shooting guard Alex Dragecivich rounds out the three verbals.

Brey has one more scholarship to give out for 2010. There is no doubt who is high on his wish list. It is 6'8" forward Tobias Harris out of New York. Harris is a five star recruit by both services. He is also a top 10 rated player by each.

Notre Dame Men's Basketball Gets Second 2010 Verbal

Mark Allen — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:33:00 -0400

Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Men's Basketball
Recruiting

Alex Dragicevich remembers watching his favorite team on television as a boy. He also knew that, as soon as he received an offer from that team, his recruiting was over. On Tuesday, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey received a verbal commitment from Dragicevich.

Dragicevich becomes the second verbal for the incoming class of 2010. He joins 6-0 point guard Eric Atkins.

Dragicevich is a 6-6, 180 pound shooting guard out of Northbrook, Illinois. Last season, he averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game. He shot 35 percent from 3-point range.

He saw his stock rise at the recent AAU performance in Las Vegas. Initially, he was being looked at by mid-majors. But, the offers came rolling in from the bigger names. Notre Dame won out over schools such as Oklahoma State, Xavier, Rhode Island, Utah, Loyola-Chicago and Miami of Ohio.

Mike Brey compares Dragicevich to a former Irish player. That player is Colin Falls. Fans might remember that Falls, a sharpshooter, set records in the Big East Conference as well as owning the record at Notre Dame for all-time 3-pointers made. His size might make one remember another Irish great, Matt Carroll.

Dragicevich will make his official visit on a very popular day. It seems like every player the Irish are recruiting in football, let alone, basketball, will be in town that day. That day is Oct. 17—the day of the rivalry game between Notre Dame and USC.

ND Fans Want Championships, Not Necessarily High GPAs

Mark Allen — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:17:00 -0400

The Staff, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Sports
Editorial

Recently, Domer Sports Report posed a poll question. The question was what would you rather see from ND sports programs: An overall team gpa (grade point average) of over 3.0 or a winning, National Championship program, but a gpa of under 3.0?

The results were astounding, given the outward, permeating attitude from within, with the administration, and, maybe, from without, like fans, observers, media and detractors, Notre Dame. A whopping 66 percent responded that they would prefer to have a National Championship program, while 33 percent preferred to have a team gpa of over 3.0.

What does all of this mean? Well, most of it is subjective. It is open for interpretation. Here is how the staff of Domer Sports Report sees it:

Nick Shepkowski:

"To me there its not even a question anymore on if the University of Notre Dame should slightly lower academic standards and not have as "classroom smart" of a football team if they can get that much closer to a national title on the football field. There are certain things that get under my skin as a Notre Dame fan and this one may take the cake on my list. Sure Notre Dame has tougher academic standards than other schools but when it comes to football players, the difference really is minimal.

Notre Dame does not hold its student athletes to as tough as standards to get into the school as they do their everyday students. If you can catch or throw a football well, or even tackle or block well then your chances of getting into Notre Dame go up an incredible amount. Year in and year out there is an extremely large percentage of future football players who are allowed admittance to the University of Notre Dame, only because of their athletic ability.

I would not be bothered if the University was to slightly lower standards and allow more potential players into Notre Dame. The majority of football players already get an exception when it comes to test scores and GPA's, why shouldn't all of them?

The only problem I would potentially have with lowering academic standards is if Notre Dame turned into a "Thug-U" like Miami of Florida did in the 1980's and early 90's. If the coaching staffs got to know the kids they were recruiting it would be simple to eliminate these problems before they were ever admitted to the University of Notre Dame.

Once again, I do not care what the team GPA of the Fighting Irish is. This magical number of 3.0, I would have finished below the mark in my four years of college. Does it mean I'm an idiot? Getting multiple jobs offers in my field before graduation from college would imply otherwise. I don't care about how smart someone is in a classroom, just like in sports there is life beyond that as well.

If a potential athlete seems to have a promising enough future where they would likely be seen as a "productive member of society" and not have a past of battery or abuse or any problems with that, why not admit them to the University? I don't care if someone has an ACT score of 19, does that make them a bad kid? No, what does is how they act as a person. Talking to teachers, principals, coaches, and even
those in the neighborhood would quickly get an answer to if someone has the proper fit to be allowed to attend the University of Notre Dame, even if it does end up making the Fighting Irish a less "classroom smart" team."

Brian Dascenzo:

"I don't think there is a huge issue if the team doesn't have a 3.0 GPA. Everyone knows that Notre Dame is a tough school academically. The National Championship on the other hand is a huge deal and changes the program infinitely. I don't know that we need to lower the standard that much if at all. It is harder to get great athletes that are also smart but we know that it isn't impossible to recruit smart football players to Notre Dame.

If players can't handle the courses at Notre Dame, with our without all the help they get, the issue arises of them transferring or taking semesters off and missing football season. Being smart is necessary in South Bend and having smart players shouldn't be detrimental to winning, it should help. The National Championship is something that should be thought of consistently at Notre Dame while "no one" cares if the team GPA slips to the 2.5-2.9 area. Winning solves a lot of things but Charlie and the Weisettes were able to recruit even during the two year debacle they just dealt with."

Ryan Williams:

"I, personally was surprised at the results of the poll. Myself and most of the Notre Dame fans, alumni, and overall supporters of the University that I know realize that Notre Dame is a first rate educational institution first and foremost. The athlete can never come before the student at Notre Dame. Now, am I saying that the bar must be a 3.0 GPA? That is the tricky part of the question. I almost think a different number should be used. Maybe team graduation %. A guy may struggle in a couple courses here and there, which would bring his GPA down, but if he buckled down and put the work into it needed to graduate in four years I would call his education a success even if he didn't maintain a 3.0 GPA. Would I be mad if Notre Dame won a National Championship but finished with a team average 2.8 GPA? No I wouldn't. Would I be mad if Notre Dame won a National Championship and only graduated 80% of the players on that team? Yes. Notre Dame is the only college out there who has been on the elite end of both the academic and athletic spectrum. And the only program that has done both at the same time. In 1988 Notre Dame won the football National Championship and was also awarded The Academic Achievement Awardwhich is giving to the Div. 1-A school that records the highest graduation rate of that years class.

So, in closing, do I believe that the line in the sand must be a 3.0 GPA? No, I don't. But Notre Dame must never sacrifice education for athletic accomplishments."

Clashmore Mike:

"What this poll says to me is the decade of mediocrity is weighing heavy on the Irish faithful. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Notre Dame sports is taking the concept of "student athlete" seriously, weighing the first word in that phrase as heavy — or heavier — than the second one. This simply can't change. To do so would undercut the very nature of the university.

But, you might say, 78% would lower the academic bar to get a championship, so why not? Because it isn't necessary. For years, scores of commentators — Paul Hornung himself to ESPN "experts" to anonymous bloggers have said ND needs to lower its academic standards to attract better athletes. This was particularly frequent during Coach Willingham's tenure. (Unfortunately, the real problem was simply Ty was a lousy recruiter...) The two most recent recruiting classes by Weis show that top athletes can and will come to Notre Dame. And when talent comes, so do wins. And eventually, so do championships."

Recently, Mike Brey wrote on his Twitter site that Notre Dame's basketball team had achieved a 3.1 team gpa for the last semester and were over 3.0 for the year. He punctuated it with an exclamation point. Does Mike Brey "get" Notre Dame? Well, in my opinion, that depends on the point of view. From the current and recent past administration at Notre Dame, as well as the academics, he gets it. From the Notre Dame fans' point of view, as well as the "subway alumni" he does not.

There is a difference between reality and what the academics would like. Let's be honest, Zach Hillesland's high grade point average is nice. But, is it the main course or the side dish? I maintain that it is the side dish.

The reputation of Notre Dame is two-fold: high academic standards and athletic success. But, which came first? It is obvious that athletic success came first. Academics, while admirable, is the gravy.

Notre Dame is fun to root for. Most of the time, they do it right. They admit students of high moral character who also have good academic backgrounds. I am not advocating lowering standards to allow more athletic success. Success can be achieved, in my opinion, both, academically and athletically.

Ask yourself this question. Which numbers are remembered more? The 2008-09 men's basketball team gpa or 1966, 1977 and 1988 (football National Championship seasons). Enough said?

Notre Dame Commitment No. 13, Spencer Boyd!

Mark Allen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:12:00 -0400

As was widely speculated, Spencer Boyd gave his verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame on Friday afternoon, choosing the Fighting Irish over Michigan and Georgia.

Boyd becomes the 13th commitment for the Domers and third that will make up Notre Dame's defensive backfield in the future.

Boyd is listed as a three star recruit from Cape Coral, Fla. It was there that he compiled 30 tackles and one interception as a junior in 2008. He also carried the ball 102 times for 620 yards and 6 scores but will be used only on defensive by head coach Charlie Weis.

Tight Ends coach Bernie Parmalee was responsible for the recruiting of Boyd as he continues to show his strength in recruiting the most southeastern state in the nation.

Parmalee has also successfully recruited the likes of Armando Allen, Emeka Nwankwo, Ian Williams, Zeke Motta, and Jordan Cowart to the University of Notre Dame.

Parmalee continues to have four more targets from the Sunshine State listed in his name on Rivals.com, all four having a four-star ranking.

Back to Boyd, he brings a tad bit more size to the Irish secondary as he currently weighs 18 more pounds than counterpart Lo Wood.

Although I can't guarantee it, with Boyd having a slightly quicker 40 yard dash time, I suspect the strength of Boyd is a hair greater than Wood's as well.

Boyd's commitment moves the Irish into 10th place overall in the current rankings of the class of 2010. Stanford remains the only regular on the schedule ahead of Notre Dame, coming in at eighth overall.

Once again, its tough to make a whole lot of sense of where teams are ranked in these type of things until more of the "elite prospects" make their announcements.

Enjoy Spencer Boyd's highlight video from his junior season at Cape Coral High School. From all of us at Domer Sports Report, welcome to Notre Dame, Spencer!

Article Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
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Why I Don't Want Urban Meyer

Mark Allen — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:37:00 -0400

This has nothing to do with Urban Meyer as a coach, that would be stupid. This has to do with where Notre Dame football is right now and what would be best for it.

It has to do with the last two years and most of the years between Holtz and Weis. It has to do with not wanting a do-over on rebuilding and not wanting to lose underclassmen who bolt because of a system change again. This time they might be pushed out by Urban instead of leaving of their own accord.

I want Notre Dame to be successful under every coach, I get sick and tired of losing. I get fed up with not being competitive with USC or Michigan and not being able to beat Michigan State. I want Charlie to succeed, I need Charlie to succeed. The last two years have to mean something to this program other than being a waste.

The turning of inexperience to dominance is what I want to see. This is the program's last chance with who is in place and I believe Swarbrick would have made the change last year if Charlie couldn't talk a good game. I need to see it in action rather than just hear about it.

The offense will probably be a pass-dominant issue again, whether it's because of Armando Allen and Robert Hughes not being able to carry the load or Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, and Kyle Rudolph (among others) just exploding for 150-yard games each consistently. This would seem to fit Weis' gameplan.

Notre Dame has to succeed next year because this is what we have been waiting for. As fans we are willing to look past the last two years (kind of) if this year means great success. As a fan who has seen the teams Notre Dame has lost to in person get worse and worse (from the Dowdell-led Spartans to Air Force during the 3-9 debacle to Syracuse last year), it has to be for something.

I have a belief in Notre Dame football that is insane because there is little reason to believe in Charlie. Sure, he's had some great recruiting classes and he turned a 6-7 team into back-to-back BCS teams...but there are questions about all of it.

This is the show-me year, Custer's last stand. We are looking at starting over again and the cupboard won't be bare. Instead, people will be looking for Urban immediately. His contract isn't up until 2013 so the next coach will have Urban watch even worse then Charlie does. Tommy Tubberville could probably withstand that and build a program, but could a less experienced coach like Brian Kelly? I don't know and the I don't know whether the future could be worse then the Charlie past/present. Here's to hoping Urban isn't necessary to fix the last 12 and that the answer is right beneath our noses.

Follow me on twitter @dascenzo and see my thoughts on sports that don't involve UND at my blog.

Kendall Moore Makes it a Dirty-Dozen!

Mark Allen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:03:00 -0400

Notre Dame's recruiting class of 2010 grew by one more on Saturday as linebacker Kendall Moore gave word of his verbal commitment.

Moore is the twelfth prospect to commit to the growing class but only the fifth to come in with a ranking greater than three stars by Rivals.com (Scout.com ranks Moore as a 3-star prospect).

Moore comes from Raleigh, NC where he is getting ready for his third and final season on the varsity roster at Southeast Raleigh High School. In his two previous seasons he has a combined 230 tackles and six sacks. He also caught thirty passes last season, good for seven touchdowns but he will be used exclusively on defense at Notre Dame.

Moore is listed at 6'3''/232 lbs with a forty time around 4.6 seconds. He has also squatted 500 pounds and bench pressed 320. He has Room to grow but a great starting point in his strength.

Moore chose the University of Notre Dame over several southeastern schools but Florida State and North Carolina State sound like they were the closest competitors for his commitment. As of now it is not certain whether Moore will play on the inside or outside but he will remain a linebacker when he makes his way on campus.

Notre Dame now has 12 commitments and is currently ranked as the 9th best class in the nation according to Scout.com. There is still a lot of time left on the recruiting trail for the class of 2010 and the Irish remain a player in the game for several top ranked recruits. Keep it locked on www.DomerSportsReport.blogspot.com as we will break it all down for you along the way.

Welcome to Notre Dame, Kendall Moore!

Article Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
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Irish Gain 10th and 11th Commitments

Mark Allen — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:53:00 -0400

Notre Dame has received its 10th commitment in a growing class as defensive end Justin Utupo has given his word to the Fighting Irish staff. Utupo doesn't come to South Bend with a ton of praise from the national recruiting sources but he did choose the Fighting Irish after getting offers from all over the country, including Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Utah, Colorado, and BYU.

Utupo becomes the third defensive end in the class, joining Chris Martin and Blake Leuders. He stands 6'2'' and weighs 240 pounds. Of the three commitments at defensive end, Utupo comes in as the lowest rated by the national sources.

Utupo may offer something that most other commitments/recruits are not able to do before they take a class at Notre Dame. Utupo is the high school teammate of both blue-chip quarterback Jesse Scroggins and four-star safety Dion Bailey at Lakewood High School in California.

Scroggins seems to be headed to the SEC in the form of a Gator, Vol, or to Southern Cal. Bailey on the other hand lists Notre Dame high on his list with USC, Tennessee, Washington State, and Southern Methodist all also included on that short list. I'm not saying its going to happen but it sure would be nice to see.

Utupo picked up six sacks as a junior at Lakewood High while also being responsible for 70 tackles on the year. He joins the growing list of three-star commits for the 2010 class of Fighting Irish.

Welcome to Notre Dame, Justin Utupo!

Tommy Rees

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame can now add an 11th name to the list of 2010 commitments as Tommy Rees of Lake Forest, Illinois gave his word to head coach Charlie Weis this week. Rees becomes the 11th commitment as well as the second at the quarterback position for the class of 2010, joining Andrew Hendrix of Ohio.

Rees was not a highly-touted recruit nationally but did receive offers from Tennessee, Stanford, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Miami (Ohio). As he gave his verbal commitment he stands 6'3'' while weighing in at 192 pounds.

I have doubts that Rees is ever going to be the "next great thing" amongst Irish quarterbacks. Per Rivals.com rankings, this is the seventh of 11 verbal commitments to have a ranking of three stars. It is starting to seem that this class of new Fighting Irish may not have the same star rolls in the future but are used more to add depth to a team that loses likely 24 scholarship positions after January.

Even if Rees is able to simulate what the opposition is going to do by running scout team in the future, it is good to add to the class. Don't expect him to compete for a Heisman like most quarterbacks that commit to ND, but still...

Welcome to Notre Dame, Tommy Rees!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Recruting Class Grows to Nine

Mark Allen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:40:00 -0400

On Monday, the Fighting Irish picked up its ninth commitment in the recruiting class of 2010 when former Stanford commitment Chris Badger made a visit to campus thanks to the work of defensive line coach Randy Hart. Badger was quoted as saying he was "blown away" by what he saw on his visit to Notre Dame and was surprised how quickly he was able to change his mind on Stanford.

Credit is owed to one of the Irish who is yet to play in an actual game as Manti Te'o was very helpful in recruiting aspects. Both Te'o and Badger are Mormon and attended a church service together over the weekend, something that sold Badger on the university.

Badger becomes the second defensive back to commit to the Fighting Irish with the other being Lo Wood, which occurred just days ago. After bringing in zero defensive backs in the 2009 recruiting class, it is of utter importance that the Irish do well in that area this year. With both Wood and Badger now committed, the Irish are off to a solid start at the position. Both players are touted as three star recruits, so, adding both more numbers as well slightly more touted players would be ideal in Notre Dame's case.

Although the 2009 recruiting class failed to pick up any defensive backs, the 2008 class is shaping up to be very solid at the position. Robert Blanton has shown signs of brilliance in one year on campus as he had a pick-6 against Purdue as well as what was called an "outstanding game" by Charlie Weis against USC. Dan McCarthy and Jamoris Slaughter were both also in this class, but did not see any game action in 2008.

Badger has a body size of 6'0'', 178 pounds while his forty time is listed at 4.65 seconds. For comparisons sake Wood checks in at 5'10'', 165 with a forty time of 4.58. Badger will be a safety for the Fighting Irish in the future. His videos show him to be outstanding against the run while be able to deliver the big hit on receivers.

Welcome to Notre Dame, Chris Badger!

Jimmy Clausen a Bust after Only Two Years?

Mark Allen — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:21:00 -0400

Ryan Williams, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Editorial

Is Jimmy Clausen a bust or is he a maturing superstar?

I will save my opinion for the comment section and let you, the reader, make the call.

Clausen's sophomore stats looked like this: 268/440 60.9 percent for 3172 yards, 25 TDs, 17 INTs, 132.49 rating.

Let's take a look at the second full season of some of the more high profile QBs of the last five years. And we'll start with a couple Heisman Trophy winners.

We all know of Tim Tebow's accomplishments.

He has been one of the biggest game-changing players at his position. He seems to be able to put his team on his shoulders and will them to victory. (See Tebow's speech after Ole Miss loss last year.)

Tebow's sophomore year was phenomenal. It was his Heisman-winning year. His stats on the year read like a one-man show.

He completed 217 of 317 passes for 3,132 yards. He threw 29 TDs and only six INTs. He also rushed for 833 yards and 22 TDs. This gave him a ridiculous passer rating of 177.8.

How about Matt Leinart? Leinart's third year in the system, but second as a starter, was a National Championship winning year for USC.

It was also Leinart's Heisman Trophy-winning year.

Leinart completed 269 passes out of 412 attempts for 3322 yards. He threw 33 TDs with only six INTs. He had a well above average 156.5 QB rating.

Those two are examples of the best of the best. Now let's take a look at a couple mere mortals.

Mathew Stafford had a very good collegiate career. Good enough to garner the No. 1 overall pick in last year's NFL draft.

Stafford’s sophomore campaign netted him a completion percentage of 55.7 by completing 194 passes out of 348 attempts.

He threw for 2,523 yards with 19 TDs and 10 INTs which netted him a rating of 128.9.

And last but not least, let's compare Notre Dame's own Brady Quinn.

Brady’s sophomore season saw him complete 191 passes out of 353 attempts for 2,586 yards. He had a completion percentage of 54.1 percent.

Quinn threw for 17 TDs and 10 INTs that year, which led to a passer rating of 125.78.

These are strictly individual accomplishments and do not take into account the value of the surrounding team they played on.

Clausen is bested in every category by the two Heisman Trophy winners, but he beat out the other two QBs in every category with the exception of the interceptions.

So I ask you—bust or maturing superstar?

Irish Class Continues to Grow: Welcome, Lo Wood!

Mark Allen — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:09:00 -0400

In what has turned into a very good week for Notre Dame on the recruiting front, defensive back Lo Wood of Apopka, Fla., took the Irish coaching staff by surprise on Friday afternoon when he showed up unexpectedly to announce his verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame.

Wood becomes the eighth verbal commit for the Fighting Irish in the 2010 class, a class that has nearly doubled in size over the past two days.

As late as the morning of this past Thursday, rumors were flying that Chris Martin was not going to end up at Notre Dame after all.

Many on message boards felt that this year's class would be lucky to crack the top 25 when it is all said and done.

Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of work still left to do for the Irish, but at least things are seeming more on track with where they need to be, compared to where they seemed to be headed just a few short days ago.

So who exactly is Lo Wood, and football-wise, what is he going to be able to do at the University of Notre Dame?

Wood comes in listed at 5'10'' and weighing 160 pounds. "Room to grow" is how we will put it with him. His height is about where you expect a solid cornerback to be at this level but he will have to add some muscle before he gets any playing time for the Irish.

His 40 time is listed at 4.58 seconds and although there is plenty of room to improve, its a solid starting point.

Wood chose the Fighting Irish over rival Michigan, with many from Michigan thinking that Wood was leaning their way until just recently. From everything I have read and heard, Corwin Brown is what made the difference in getting Wood to come to Notre Dame.

With the talent the Irish have started to bring into the secondary, it is seeming more that all defensive backs will have to battle in order to get on the field.

Wood has decent enough size and enough speed that he should be in the mix for playing time in the future, just don't expect a lot out of the gate with all the talent Notre Dame already has in the defensive backfield. Here is what I was able to find videowise on Lo:

Welcome to Notre Dame, Lo Wood!

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
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Irish Recruiting Class Grows to Seven!

Mark Allen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:42:00 -0400

Shortly after Andrew Hendrix committed to Notre Dame on Thursday afternoon, the class of 2010 grew by one as Blake Lueders gave his word to head coach Charlie Weis.

Lueders is a 6'5'', 250-pound middle linebacker from Zionsville, Indiana and chose the Fighting Irish over other top-notch academic schools Northwestern, Boston College, Wake Forest, and Stanford.

Lueders plays middle linebacker at Zionsville High School, but is expected to move to defensive end once he arrives in South Bend next summer. With Lueders now joining Chris Martin in the class of 2010, the defensive end position is becoming a very strong point.

At 6'5'' we will see Lueders have the body frame to be a potentially great defensive end, his athletic ability will factor in to be a major plus for the position. I wouldn't expect an instant impact from him once he arrives on campus, but after a year or two at the position he will likely turn into a bright spot. There is no question that the Irish have struggled in having a consistent pass-rush in recent years and the way the defense is shaping up, this may not be an issue for that much longer.

Blake Lueders, welcome to Notre Dame!

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
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Irish Land Ohio QB!

Mark Allen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:17:00 -0400

Welcome to the class of 2010, Andrew Hendrix of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. After the Irish lost out on Nick Montana a few weeks back it was Hendrix who became very important for the Irish to lock down in the class of 2010.

A few facts on Andrew Hendrix:
- 6'3'', 220 Lbs. - Room to grow
- Listed as a pro-style quarterback, ranked as the 11th best in the nation by Rivals.
- Comes from the pistol-offense in high school, shows ability to throw on the run and take ball down to pick up yards on his feet.
- Must add strength and some speed if he hopes to be able to run much in college.
- Arm strength not great but accuracy looks to be superb for a high school senior to be.

It doesn't appear to me that Andrew Hendrix is likely going to be considered by any to be the best quarterback in the nation or anything along those lines. He's solid but not outstanding. However, put great talent around him like the Irish seem to be doing and he may just look that much better.

Hendrix was recruited to Notre Dame by Ron Powlus and becomes the sixth commitment to the class of 2010, you can catch up learning about the other five right here. Care to see Hendrix at his best during his junior year?

Welcome to Notre Dame, Andrew Hendrix!

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
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Notre Dame's Biggest Game of 2009

Mark Allen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:35:00 -0400

It seems like Notre Dame fans all over the country feel that 2009 will be a success, not if the Irish go 11-1 and end up in a BCS game, but instead if they are able to beat USC for the first time since 2001.

Beating USC would go a very long way in showing that Notre Dame is back, something they have been trying to prove for far too long in Fighting Irish Country. Is the battle on Oct. 17 the most important game on the schedule for the Irish in 2009 though?

With the way the college football gods lined up the the 2009 season schedule to look like, Oct. 17 could turn into the most important regular season weekend of the season.

If Florida is to go unbeaten like so many expect, then USC and Notre Dame as well as Texas and Oklahoma could be playing elimination games for the other berth in the national title if all four teams remain unbeaten up to that point.

If is the keyword in that entire last paragraph for the Fighting Irish. If the Irish prove many of their supporters right by not laying an egg against Nevada in week one. If Charlie Weis can pick up his second win in three tries in the Big House against the University of Michigan on Sept. 12.

If Jimmy Clausen and company can avenge their first defeat of the 2008 campaign by getting by Michigan State in week three in South Bend.

Over the course of time and into the future, yes, USC does in fact weigh more in possible recruiting battles that may face the Irish down the road and a win over the Trojans would show signs that a corner has been turned much more than a win over Michigan State would do.

However, for the success that many envision the Irish having in 2009, a win over the Spartans on Sept. 19 is a must. A win over MSU could swing momentum to the BCS. A loss could mean very bad news for ND.

How important is this game for an Irish team who should be growing as each week gets scratched off the schedule? Notre Dame hasn't defeated Michigan State in South Bend since before any current player was a teenager.

If the Irish get by the Spartans and improve to 3-0, then the BCS will seem like a very likely end result to the 2009 campaign for the Fighting Irish. Lose and the end of the Charlie Weis era in South Bend may be upon us.

Based on talent and experience levels there is no reason that Notre Dame shouldn't enter this game 2-0 and really, they should exit it 3-0. For some odd reason though, Notre Dame beating Michigan State in South Bend has turned into rocket science for the Fighting Irish.

In 2007, it was a young Irish team that hung with Michigan State for a short amount of time before falling. In 2005, it was an Irish team which wound up in the Fiesta Bowl that fell to the Spartans in OT after trailing by as many as three touchdowns.

2003 would have been a win...had the Irish gotten in the end zone a time or two instead of settling for three Nick Setta field goals, all from within 35 yards. 2001 was another case of the Irish forgetting to get in the end zone in a 17-10 defeat at the hands of a Michigan State team that featured Charles Rogers and TJ Duckett.

Outside of 2005, every year the Irish have lost at home to Michigan State, the season has turned into a quick downward spiral. We all remember 2007 where we saw the Irish finish with only three wins. Other cases?

2003: 22-16 Loss, second of three straight defeats and six losses in seven contests during the season - No Bowl Appearance
2001: 17-10 Loss, second of three straight to start season, before finishing only 5-6 on the year - No Bowl Appearance
1999: 23-13 Loss, third straight for the Irish after winning in week one vs. Kansas - No Bowl Appearance
1997: 23-7 Loss, Second loss in a row, finished regular season 6-6 after starting 1-4 - Independence Bowl: 27-9 loss vs. LSU

Bad things tend to happen when Notre Dame losses to Michigan State in South Bend.

Sure in 2005 they were able to bounce back and still make a BCS game but in every other case over the past decade the Irish have either missed a postseason bowl berth altogether or just barely sneaked in. If the Irish get by Michigan State on Sept. 19 then it should be full steam ahead to the BCS. If they don't?

Charlie Weis will be making his farewell tour the rest of the 2009 season from the Notre Dame sideline.

Catching Up on the Recruiting Trail

Mark Allen — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:14:00 -0400

Its still very early in the world of college football recruiting...early in the sense that most players are still taking their time in making a final decision as to where they will spend their time after high school, but late in a sense that if you (as a school) are not on somebody's watch list, then you better get kicking.

For those who are unaware, the Fighting Irish currently have five commitments to the class of 2010. Is it loaded with talent or is it on its way to being an elite class? That part is tough to say exactly; the groundwork is there with one five star defensive player in place, but there is plenty of work to still be done.

A quick rundown of the class so far:

Bennett Jackson: 6'1'', 165 lbs. WR, Hazlet (Raritan), NJ.
Seen as a three star recruit by most, Jackson has spent time both catching and running the football in high school. He will have to get bigger to be much of an impact but from everything I have read he seems to be along the path of a George West.

Christian Lombard: 6'5'', 290 lbs. OL, Palatine (Fremd), IL.
Was the first Irish commit back in January and chose Notre Dame over such rivals as Michigan, Purdue, and Stanford as well as plenty of others. Lombard committed to Notre Dame at the Army All American Game this past January, a game he will participate in next year.

Chris Martin: 6'4'', 240 lbs. DE, Princeton (Hun School), NJ.
If Manti T'eo was the first major defensive recruit that Charlie Weis was able to bring to South Bend, then consider Martin to be the second. Martin was said to be the "most physically impressive defensive player" by one scout in attendance at a recent Nike summer camp on the campus of Stanford University. From the way people talk it seems that Martin has the potential do things at defensive end that haven't been seen at Notre Dame since Justin Tuck was on campus.

Daniel Smith: 6'4'', 205 lbs. WR, South Bend (Clay), IN.
The hometown choice to fill one of the available scholarships has the size to compete at the division one level but could use to get a step or two quicker with his fastest 40 time coming in at 4.6 seconds. The Irish landed Smith who had several offers from Big Ten teams.

Alex Welch: 6'5'', 225 lbs. TE, Cincinnati (Elder), OH.
Considered to be one of the top tight ends in this years class, Welch was offered by nearly every school under the sun. Its too early to tell if he will be able to step in immediately and play a role in the fall of 2010. If he is, think back to 2005 when Anthony Fasano, John Carlson, and Marcus Freeman all earned valuable time for a Notre Dame offense that was lights out good. I'm not saying to expect Welch to be able to perform at that level right away but if he can show the ability to block when he has to and be able to catch the occasional pass or two, this may end up being the biggest offensive commitment in the 2010 class.

Hopefully that catches you up on where the Irish sit in the recruiting world at this point of the summer. There will be lots of camps coming up soon where players make unofficial visits, and in turn many commitments come about as well. Hopefully, only more good news comes in during the next few weeks for the Irish.

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
Facebook, Twitter

Top Ten, an Introduction to Me as an Irish Fan

Mark Allen — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:46:00 -0400

Salud! While my name is Italian, I swear there is at least a little Irish running through my blood (thanks, maternal Grandpa).

I must admit, my love for Notre Dame far outweighs the actual percentage of Irish blood in my system.

I thought I would introduce you to me through my top 10 of Notre Dame sports (I will only be picking from games that I witnessed either in person or on TV).

The first football game I remember watching was a Notre Dame vs. Michigan game when I was five or six.

I was visiting my cousin and his dad had graduated from ND law school. Coming from Michigan, I think I was expected to root for U of M. Instead, I rooted for Notre Dame that day and have ever since. Here we go...

Honorable Mention

Notre Dame @ Ferris State. Hockey, 1998.

This was the first Notre Dame game I was in attendance for. Unfortunately they lost, 4-2... to the school that I was attending.

This was the worst game I attended—ever. I wanted both teams to win; I spent the whole game hating myself.

I only went to Ferris State for my freshman year and this was one of the few standout moments of attending a school with a 3-1 guy/girl ratio (seeing Notre Dame in person).

10. Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Frozen Four, 2008.

Yes, another hockey game. We will get to balls very soon, I promise. Notre Dame wins in overtime, 5-4.

The Irish raced to a 3-0 lead only to see Michigan come back with a freshman goalie and force OT. While Calle Ridderwall has not exactly become a known name in Irish lore, his goal will live on forever. Notre Dame would go on to lose in controversial fashion to another hated rival in the final.

Boston College escaped when the referee ruled that a goal by Notre Dame had been kicked in. That goal would have cut the BC lead to 3-2. Instead, BC scored seconds later and would win, 4-1. Yes, it still hurts that ND lost to BC because of a kicked object.

#9. Notre Dame vs. UCLA. Basketball, 1994.

Not the last time that UCLA makes this list, but the only basketball game that affected me greatly. This is one of the first ND basketball games I remember watching. Before this game I was a Notre Dame football fan and Michigan State basketball fan.

Ever since, Michigan State moved to number two in basketball and it's not very close to number 1. Notre Dame routed the No. 2 Bruins, 79-63, while I was putting together a wardrobe with my dad. This was my introduction to Monty Williams and the overrated chant. UCLA missed all 16 of their three point shots and Notre Dame ran away and hid.

8. Notre Dame vs UCLA. Football, 2006.
Welcome back, Bruins. The day of Game 1 of the 2006 World Series. My hometown Detroit Tigers would play in their first World Series game since 1984, all well and good, but first the Irish had a home game against UCLA. The second year of Charlie had seen some chinks in the armor, most of them dealing with the state of Michigan. I finally showed up with friends at B-Dubs, for the fourth quarter of this terrible football game. While rooting for Iowa to upset the Wolverines, I was also watching ND on the smallest screen possible.

The Irish got the ball back down 17-13 with 1:02 left in the game and 80 yards to go. Out routes to Samardzija and Grimes for first downs took 25 seconds off the clock. Then came THE PLAY. Ball on the UCLA 45, Samardzija lines up in the wide slot and runs across the field. Brady Quinn gives the pump fake and then hits Samardzija perfectly and he does the rest. One cutback and he's into the end zone. I explode while sitting on my stool and heard one other person in the bar who enjoyed the ND comeback as much as I did. I ended up disappointed in the day overall because the Tigers lost, but Notre Dame kept me from freaking out with the comeback.

#7 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State. Football, 2006

The MSU game is always interesting for me. Most of my close friends graduated from East Lansing, as well as both of my sisters. Plus, the Spartans are the not-so-close second team I root for. The Irish played terrible for more then half of this game and I was slowly drifting away from the game and more towards alcohol. My roommate had a lot of friends in town to attend a wedding the next day and the booze was flowing. There were multiple drinking games going on and I was half-heartedly watching the debacle unfolding on the TV. At some point during the MSU scoring bonanza, I received a text message from one of my friends that didn't attend MSU, ripping Notre Dame. My MSU friends would not appreciate this later.

As for the actual game, it had a lot of trash talk heading into the game, due to MSU planting the flag at Notre Dame Stadium the previous year. Notre Dame was coming off an ass-kicking the week before by Michigan that I barely remember.

The score was MSU 31, Notre Dame 14 at halftime. Then the comeback happened. I was running around the condo losing my mind. Delaying my group leaving for the bar as long as possible, once the final INT happened, I was able to leave and have a good evening.

I didn't know it got reviewed until the next day. I sent a text message to every MSU fan in my phone that said how much I didn't care for State when the game ended.

One of my State friends thought I was just mad about ND losing as he had stopped watching at halftime. And, of course, this rant from a State fan on local radio.

6. Notre Dame vs. Boston College. Football 1993

I don't remember all of this game, but I remember the important things. I was watching the comeback happen in my bedroom on a tiny TV. A fourth quarter from Kevin McDougal, a great two point conversion to take the lead. Then it was dinner time and I had to switch from watching the game alone in my room (LL Cool J) to the family room on a bigger TV. Gross. Penalties and a lucky field goal later, Notre Dame had been eliminated from the National Championship conversation. This play is on par with the Bird steal from Isaiah as plays I hate watching. Another reason for my hatred of all things Boston.

#5 Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Basketball 2002.

The only sporting event I've ever attended by myself, and the only time I've given the University of Arrogance money. I bought a ticket behind the basket opposite the tunnel. Notre Dame ended up shooting at my end in the second half. I sat next to good Michigan fans, the only ones ever. As I remember it, Notre Dame played terrible basketball, was lucky to be close and blew a lead in the final minute. Chris Thomas had a shot to win it at the buzzer and had it blocked. I responded to the older couple next to me that the better team lost in football and in basketball. ND had won the football game that year thanks to Darius Walker.

#4 Notre Dame vs. West Virginia. National Championship. Fiesta Bowl 1989.

I don't remember a lot of watching this game when I was younger, but I do remember my parents making a big deal about it. Making nachos (Fiesta) and letting me enjoy Notre Dame win their last National Championship. This is one of the greatest teams ever, not just ND teams. They won 10 of 12 games by double digits and only the Miami and Michigan games were close. A complete domination of a season in which they beat the No. 1, 2 and 3 teams. The “Rocket” put the Irish up 23-3 to pretty much end the game in the first half. Lou Holtz won his National Championship and got himself locked into Irish lore with this win.

#3 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State. Football 2002.

This was the first time I saw Notre Dame football in person. I was visiting friends that were attending State and staying with my sister that night. It was a great time, tailgating before the game, a random State fan asking me how many Heisman's Ron Powlus was supposed to win. He had mistaken my #33 Courtney Watson jersey for a #3 jersey, typical State fan, drunk by 1:30 (tongue in cheek). Michigan State had dominated the Irish since Lou Holtz left and won five games in a row. The Irish took over the game in the first half, leading 14-3 at the half. Michigan State came charging back, or should I say Charles Rogers took over the game, using insane athleticism to catch a touchdown pass with less then two minutes left in the game that gave MSU a 17-14 lead. I had to deal with an old man sitting right in front of me yelling, “Six in a row, six in a row.” He was using his thumb to signify the sixth win, which is obviously not very cool.

The Notre Dame offense had stalled out in the second half, which was due in part to Carlyle Holiday getting hurt (how bad was the QB situation in 2002 that Carlyle was missed? No offense CH). The Irish got the ball back and needed little time to take it to the house. 2^nd down with 1:26 left Pat Dillingham, a walk-on that followed Ty from Stanford, threw a perfect slant pass to former QB Arnaz Battle, who took it 60 yards for a touchdown. I got a hug from a random ND fan who was behind me, but I knew that Charles Rogers and Jeff Smoker could get high (pun intended) for another touchdown at almost any moment. For some reason, State showed little to no urgency when they got the ball back, and in the final 20 seconds got just one play off, a Hail Mary the Notre Dame intercepted to end the game. I left Spartan Stadium the happiest I've ever left a Notre Dame football game (1-3 record when I'm in attendance).

#2 Notre Dame vs Michigan. Football 2008.

The last win over Michigan is always my favorite, and this was a game that was a domination. From Michigan struggling to catch kicks and committing penalty after penalty, Notre Dame was able to jump to an early lead and continue to build on it. Golden Tate (for Heisman) exploded onto the scene this day and dominated the Wolvey defensive backs. The offensive explosion that was shown in this game led to expectations growing for the 2008 season, even though everyone knew that U of M was going to be terrible (now no one knew that they would lose to Toledo, NICK MOORE, but still). This is how the offense has to look in 2009 or Charlie will have been doing something wrong. After the San Diego State debacle of opening week, we saw glimpses of an offense that could dominate. The second half got bogged down due to a rainfall that meant no one could pass and just made the game ugly. A great half of football that showed how much promise a very young team had. This game shows that there is a lot of Gold to come.

#1 Notre Dame vs Florida State. Football 1993.

The Game of the Century. One of the greatest programs of all-time versus a great program that was new on the scene. Number One versus Number Two. Heisman Favorite versus back-up Quarterback. Even Florida State's kicker had been recruited heavily by both schools. One of the great openings to a football game, that is sorely missed now a days. A game that, even as a eighth grader, I knew everyone would be watching.

The game lived up to it's billing with Charlie Ward cementing his Heisman Trophy even in a losing performance. Just a great game that Notre Dame led 31-17 in the fourth quarter, which led to Ward throwing a TD pass to Kez McCorvey, FSU forcing a three and out and getting the ball back with limited time for their final drive. A Shawn Wooden knock down of a pass as time expired, knocked the number one team down and made Notre Dame number one for the last time as we speak. FSU only dropped to No. 2 and a rematch in the Orange Bowl was expected. Somehow Notre Dame lost to BC and dropped past Nebraska and out of title consideration. But for at least one day Notre Dame was the NUMBER ONE TEAM IN THE NATION.

That's my top ten list and says a lot about who I am as an Irish fan. Follow me on twitter @dascenzo. Lot's of sports talk and pop culture references. I try to be funny, let me know if I am or not. Hopefully you'll see more of me on here.

2009 College Football Recruiting Class: The Final Week

Mark Allen — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:10:00 -0500

As Notre Dame enters the final week of recruiting for 2009 high school seniors, the program continues to fall down the rankings of both Rivals.com and Scout.Com. The Irish have lost a verbal commitment by Nyshier Oliver—the 3/4-star athlete from New Jersey who seems to be headed to Tennessee now. Not only have the Irish lost a potential future star, but they haven't added any for quite some time now.

Currently, the Irish sit just inside the Top 25 rankings for recruiting this offseason. Sure, when a borderline 3/4-star player withdraws his verbal committment, the rankings go down. How can the overall talent pool of the Fighting Irish increase at this point?

Two Words—Manti Te'o

Commonly referred to as the top high school linebacker in the country, Te'o has listed Notre Dame as a finalist for his services. Along with Notre Dame, the rumors have Te'o also flirting with both USC and UCLA. If the Irish are able to land Te'o, they will have an immediate answer to the departure of Maurice Crum, Jr. who leaves Notre Dame after four seasons in the Blue and Gold.

Te'o would be able to fill the middle linebacker void, and with the Irish not being primed for a title run in 2009, he could add valuable experience in 2010—a year Notre Dame will have enough talent to make a serious BCS run.

Sadly for Notre Dame fans, there are a few obstacles that remain in order for the Irish to pull in Te'o. The biggest one would have to be those three dreaded letters—U-S-C. Te'o is expected to make one more visit to Pete Carroll and the USC campus before Feb. 4.

I was excited about learning that Te'o had not eliminated ND from contention. I have to admit that a commitment from him would mean more to me than the Jimmy Clausen commitment did.

Te'o would come in not wearing four state title rings and the punch line of many college football blogs. Te'o is more NCAA ready at his position coming out high school than Jimmy was. Te'o will be an instant contributor for whichever school he chooses.

Sadly, in my eyes, I feel the fact he's taking another look at USC before Signing Day (which requires him to have made a decision) means the Irish and Bruins will just be dragged around for the rest of his high school ride, because he will choose to be a Trojan.

However, as most of you know, I am hardly ever right. Let's hope that is the case again!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Face Road Challenge, Again

Mark Allen — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:29:00 -0500

VS.

To say the Big East in basketball is like the SEC of Big 12 of football does not do the conference enough justice.

What Big East basketball teams are going through this season is even a bit extreme for for Big East standards. Just days after an overtime loss on the road in Louisville, Notre Dame looks to get things back on track against No. 8 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.

When you talk about teams who are statistically twins, Notre Dame and Syracuse come about as close to that as they can. Notre Dame averages 81.6 points per contest while Syracuse enters only scoring 80.9 a game themselves.

Defense is the same story where both the Irish and Orange are allowing averages of 68.8 and 68.1 ppg respectivley.

In order for Notre Dame to win Luke Harangody needs to play an entire basketball game. Against Louisville, he faultered down the stretch a bit and did nothing in overtime.

By no means can you expect the Irish to win going away.

Having Harangody be a factor for all 40 minutes and then possibly beyond is a must, because Syracuse offers great guard play that could very well shut down the outside game to a certain degree.

Based on the skill of the opposition I do not feel that McAlarney, Jackson, and Ayers can be counted on to put up their usual numbers. The more I look into this game, the more I feel Harangody needs to have a "Harangody-type game".

Syracuse, led by coach Jim Boehiem, has seen great guard play this season from both Jonny Flynn (Soph.) and Eric Devendorf (Junior).

Flynn enters putting up 16.3 ppg and dishing out nearly six assists per contests.

Devendorf enters scoring right at 14 points a game.

The Orange are led on the boards by forwards Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku.

Due to better defense by Syracuse and their being able to handle the Notre Dame snipers a little bit better than most schools, expect to see this game not be quite as high scoring as many think it will be.

Notre Dame is too good of a team to not beat a quality Big East team on the road this season and they get a big victory in the dome.

Prediction: Notre Dame 72, Syracuse 70

Notre Dame Does Its Fire-Hire Thing in Dropping John Latina for Frank Verducci

Mark Allen — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:31:00 -0500

Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Breaking News

From und.com:

"(Frank) Verducci replaces John Latina who resigned Wednesday to pursue other opportunities."

The above quote is the "official" word from Notre Dame. But, does anyone really believe the embattled offensive line coach wasn't fired? The coach, after all, was the coach at the helm of the offensive line that gave up an at-the-time record 58 sacks in 2007.

Although, the sack number was a definite improvement in 2008 over 2007, the running game was another story. The Irish averaged 3.3 yards per carry and 109.7 yards per game running the ball.

Latina becomes the third Irish assistant coach to "pursue other opportunities." One, of course, was legitimate. Offensive coordinator, Mike Haywood, left Notre Dame to become the head coach at Miami of Ohio. Defensive line coach Jappy Oliver, like Latina, was, most likely, fired.

Not long after rumors circulated that Latina was let go, the Irish announced the hiring of Cleveland Browns offensive assistant coach Frank Verducci.

So, who is Frank Verducci? For one thing, he has experience at both the professional and college level. Most recently, as mentioned, he was an offensive line coach and assistant for the Cleveland Browns.

Verducci's resume:

1980: Colorado State (grad assistant)
1981-83: Maryland (tight ends)
1984: Northern Illinois (running backs/strength and conditioning coach)
1985-86: Iowa (graduate assistant)
1987-88: Northwestern (wide receivers)
1989-98: Iowa (offensive line, recruiting coordinator, running game coordinator)
1999-2001: Cincinnati Bengals ( tight ends, assistant offensive line)
2002: Dallas Cowboys (offensive line)
2004-05: Buffalo Bills (offensive line/tight ends)
2007-08: Cleveland Browns (offensive assistant coach)

Verducci's most impressive college experience was gathered at Iowa, where he coached under Hayden Fry. In his decade there, the running game averaged 171.5 yards per game. During the 1990, 1994 and 1997 seasons, Iowa averaged 224.9, 221 and 217 yards per game, respectively. He had twelve of his offensive linemen make it to the NFL. Six of those were All-Big Ten players.

Not only was the running game successful under Verducci, but he was also very successful as a recruiter. Tom Lemming named him as a top ten recruiter for 1990. Allen Wallace of SuperPrep named him as a top ten recruiter on four occasions (1990-1992 and 1995).

More recently, Verducci has success with the Browns. In 2007, the Browns' offensive ranked 8th in the NFL. In the 2007 and 2008 seasons, running back Jamal Lewis went over the 1000 yard mark for the season.

Verducci, like Charlie Weis, is a native of New Jersey. That should help Notre Dame in recruiting in the northeast. His wife, Noel, is a Saint Mary's of Indiana graduate.

Will Verducci be an instant impact hire? Can he turn around the offensive line, thereby improving the running game? Stay tuned!

In other news, Charlie Weis has offered Ohio State linebacker's coach Luke Fickell a chance to coach with the Irish. Domer Sports Report will update that story as information comes in.

Notre Dame-Louisville: Irish Face Cards in Big Monday Showdown

Mark Allen — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:59:00 -0500

Game Preview

By Nick Shepkowski

Every time a college basketball fan has turned his or her head this month, a Big East showdown has been taking place. That trend gets no different tonight, as the Fighting Irish head south to take on the Louisville Cardinals. The Irish, led by Luke Harangody (24 pts, 12 boards/game) and Kyle McAlarney (16.5 ppg) face a tough matchup in the Louisville Cardinals.

The Cardinals began the year ranked in the preseason top five in the nation but have struggled so far, going 11-3 so far this season while starting the Big East season 2-0 so far. The Cardinals bring in a much deeper lineup than the Irish but don't have quite the same upperclassmen leadership Notre Dame does.

Earl Clark leads the Cardinals in scoring with just over 13 ppg, while Samardo Samuels and Terrence Williams average over 10 a game.

Louisville will look to slow things down a bit more than the Irish are used to. In order for Notre Dame to walk out of Louisville with a victory, they better be ready to run the floor and not let Louisville get too comfortable in slowing things down.

With the Irish coming out a bit flat this weekend against Seton Hall, I suspect they were looking ahead a bit to this Big Monday matchup. However, I feel that this being on the road will do the Irish in, although they keep it very close.

Prediction

Louisville 71, Notre Dame 68

Notre Dame Irish Bounce Back Against Georgetown

Mark Allen — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:01:00 -0500

Luke Harangody scored 31 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as Notre Dame (11-3, 2-1) bounced back from a loss to St. John's last Saturday in New York. The 13th ranked Irish held on for the win, 73-67, over No. 9 Georgetown (10-3, 1-2).

Notre Dame, which led at the half, 39-28, was a different team in this game compared to last Saturday. Although, the Hoyas eventually won the rebounding battle, 37-34, the Irish scrapped and hustled. They had the rebound when it was key. They also played much better defense for most of the game versus Georgetown.

Although, he scored 10 points, Tory Jackson was the epitomy of this game as far as being clutch and hustling. Early on, he hit a key three-pointer. But, later in the game he also drew a charge when Georgetown was trying to pull closer. His no-look pass with 4:07 left led to a dunk by Harangody and a 65-54 lead.

Back to Harangody. Early foul trouble could have caused most player to play timid. But, in achieving his 34th double double, Harangody was anything but timid. As a matter of fact, he played the last 11:34 with four fouls. He did not foul out.

The Irish shot 44.6 percent from the floor. They held Georgetown to 41.7%. Notre Dame's foul shooting was key to the win. They hit an outstanding 15-of-16 from the line.

Notre Dame, besides Harangody's 31 points received 17 from Kyle McAlarney. Tory Jackson had a very good seven assists. Georgetown was led by freshman center Greg Monroe who had 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Notre Dame now owns the nation's longest home court winning streak. They have won 44 games in a row at the Joyce Center. They will be back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m.. The opponent will be Seton Hall. The game is at the Joyce Center.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Receive First 2010 Verbal Committment

Mark Allen — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:08:00 -0500

Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
2010 Recruiting

Christian Lombard, an offensive lineman from Palatine, Illinois has given a verbal commitment to play football for the University of Notre Dame. Lombard, a current junior, becomes the first verbal commitment for the recruiting class of 2010.

The 6'5", 290-pound offensive lineman made his announcement in San Antonio, Texas. He was there for the U.S. Army All-American game. He was among the juniors who were invited. He will also play in next year's game.

The highly-rated lineman—at least one service projects him as a five-star prospect—chose Notre Dame after narrowing his list down to three. The other finalists were Iowa and Wisconsin.

When asked why he chose Notre Dame, Lombard cited a few reasons.

"Overall, it's a good fit. I just think I can play early. I want to make an impact on that team because I know they're going to be good and I want to be a part of that," he said.

Lombard also stated what many of his predecessors have said, "I think if things don't work out with football, I'll still have a shot at making money with that degree," Lombard said.

Lombard also said that the likelihood of playing more quickly in his college career due to a lack of tackles at Notre Dame played a part in his decision. He said that he would become a recruiter for the Irish, attempting to sway other recruits in Notre Dame's favor.

2010 recruiting is off to a very good start. Welcome to Notre Dame, Christian!

*Mark Allen has been a fan of Notre Dame since watching the Irish on Sunday replays in the late 1960s. He is a former minor league baseball player. He currently lives near Notre Dame. Charlie Weis does not live far away. He has degrees in psychology and sociology, with minors in philosophy and theology.

Previewing the Rainbow Warriors in the Hawaii Bowl

Mark Allen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:57:00 -0500

Notre Dame enters the Hawaii Bowl desperate for their first bowl win since New Years Day when I was still seven years old (I am now 22, nearing 23 next month). Since then the Irish have been losers in games of both the close call and blow out variety. What needs to happen to prevent the Irish from finishing with their second straight losing season?

Both offenses bring a very average brand off football to the game. Hawaii and Notre Dame rank 74th and 75th nationally in total offense as they both put up 344.8 yards per contest. Hawaii does however average two or so more points a contest than do the Fighting Irish.

As most remember from Hawaii's Sugar Bowl team a year ago, they like to throw the ball around the field. Although Colt Brennan has moved on to clipboard holding responsibilities with the Washington Redskins, Junior Greg Alexander does the quarterbacking for the Warriors as he completed 131 passes for 1634 yards and twelve scores during the regular season.

He is also a guy who knows how bad turnovers can hurt as he rarely risks throwing a pick, doing so only four times this season.

The favorite targets of Alexander are wideouts Greg Salas (50-755-3tds) and Michael Washington (56-693-5tds). Also seeing multiple passes thrown in their directions will be Malcom Lane and Aaron Bain. What scares me about Hawaii is the offense they run as it matches up against the Fighting Irish defense.

Notre Dame has a defense that is designed to go after the quarterback, Hawaii has an offense who tries to simply pass their way downfield by dinking and dunking, taking whatever the defense is willing to give them. Not only do the Irish need pressure but they need to walk away with a multiple sacks against Hawaii. This offense is designed to beat teams who are able to bring pressure so unless Notre Dame can "Crank it Up" then it could be a long day for the Fighting Irish defense.

I fully expect to see Corwin Brown bring maybe even more pressure if that is even possible against the Warriors. If the Irish can't get pressure then Hawaii will pick apart the Irish secondary all evening and make it a sad Christmas Eve in South Bend.

If the Irish are able to take away the pass they will be in great shape as Hawaii ranks 107th of 119 teams in rushing yards. Not suprisingly, former Warrior coach June Jones and the SMU Mustangs rank dead last in that category. For what its worth Daniel Libre leads the Warriors in rushing with a grand total of 431 yards and six touchdowns. Not overly impressive but then again Notre Dame brings far from a stout rushing game to the contest.

Hawaii brings an average defense into the game from a below average conference. The Warriors allow 27 points a contest and right around 350 yards. Notre Dame will be without all purpose back Armando Allen who is out with a leg injury and Robert Hughes for a half because of the fight he started at USC. What that means is that James Aldridge will get the largest portion of carries for the Irish while freshman Jonas Gray will also likely see carries.

The depth may not be there but the Irish bring a much larger offensive line to the game than the Warriors bring defensive front and we all know what that means: pound the ball. Notre Dame won't be trying to light up the scoreboard, not only because they likely would lose such a battle but also because that does not give them the best chance to win the contest. The Irish will use the run to set up the pass but once again, I am nervous to see what the lack of depth allows ND to do.

Personally the Fighting Irish bring in much more talent than do the Hawaii Warriors but they still must do three things to avoid yet another bowl loss:
1) Not a Joy Trip - I disagree that 6-6 justifies being rewarded but in today's game I understand how it happens. Notre Dame can't take the trip to Hawaii as a reward or just a joy ride, focus is something I am very scared the Irish will not bring to the matchup.

2) Road Game - Yup, playing in a teams home stadium is never a positive but when its in a bowl game it makes it that much more difficult. The good news is that Notre Dame travels well and will likely have a strong showing of support in attendance. The fact it is in Hawaii's home stadium can't possibly favor the Irish though.

3) Dumb Mistakes - Whether it was in the SDSU, UNC, Pitt, or Syracuse games we all know that Notre Dame has had an abundance of dumb mistakes this season. If the Irish don't avoid costly turnovers and penalites it will be ugly, trust me.

For whatever reason this football team has turned out to be a major disappointment and just not be very good. Because of that I am afraid that the bowl losing streak will only continue this Christmas...

Nick (The Downing Domer) says: Hawaii 27 Notre Dame 23
Mark (The Faithful Wonder) says: ND 27 Hawaii 21

Aloha Notre Dame!

Mark Allen — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:36:00 -0500

If nothing else, the Fighting Irish football team most likely will be rewarded with the best post season destination of anyone outside of those in the national championship; Notre Dame is set to accept a bid to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve to take on the host Hawaii Warriors in Aloha Stadium, the Warriors home turf.

For Notre Dame this will cap of a disappointing season with maybe its least talented bowl opponent in quite some time, a game the Irish could very possibly be favored to win. Hawaii finished the year with a 7-6 record, good for fourth place in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Warriors wrapped up their regular season with a heart breaking loss to Big East Champion, Cincinnati with a 29-24 defeat on their home field Saturday night. Hawaii took a 17-10 lead into the fourth quarter but could not hold off the Bearcats who reeled off 19 points in the games final frame.

Remember to check back often at Domer Sports Report for all your latest Notre Dame news as we will continue to keep you updated with all things Gold and Blue.

Go Irish, Beat Warriors.

Charlie Still in Charge

Mark Allen — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:09:00 -0500

Nick Shepkowski, Domer Sports Report
Edited by Mark Allen

Notre Dame Football
Editorial

Charles remains in charge of the Notre Dame football program, this after going 6-6 over the past year and only 3-9 a year ago. Needless to say things have not gone the way the Irish faithful would like during the past two seasons. Notre Dame appears headed for either the Sun Bowl, Texas Bowl , or Hawaii Bowl in the coming weeks, but where is the direction of the team headed? Under the watch of Charlie Weis it is hard to tell.

What is most bothersome to me is not necessarily the record Notre Dame has compiled over the past two seasons, but they way they have compiled that record. The Irish had losses in '07 to the likes of Navy and Air Force, whom the Irish had much more talent than, and then choke jobs against North Carolina, Pitt, and Syracuse with near disasters against both Navy and Stanford in which the Irish hung on for victories after leading by two scores or more.

What bothers me most about Charlie Weis and Notre Dame is why are the Irish out-coached, seemingly, from halftime on? So many times this year the Irish have let teams back into games in which the opponent had no business being in. Where does the responsibility of much of that fall? Some on the defense, yes, but what would burn clock while also putting points on the scoreboard?

The running game. Notre Dame has not been able to run the ball under Charlie Weis. John Latina is in charge of the offensive line and after two train wrecks of seasons in that department, where do the Irish turn? In 2007 the Irish yielded more sacks than any team in college football history.

In 2008 Notre Dame averaged a whopping 3.4 yards a carry. Granted, the running backs having quite lived up to their billings of four and five star recruits but the offensive line is much to blame for that.

To me, the O-Line has gotten better in the pass blocking department, but the fact of the matter clearly is that Notre Dame needs to be able to run the football. Charlie Weis promised in his inaugural speech as Notre Dame's head coach that the Irish were going to be a nasty football team.

To me, nasty means power football, lining my guys up against your guys and pounding the ball down your throat for the duration of the game. Needless to say we have not seen that under Weis—not even signs of that.

I am not calling for Charlie's head. I am, instead, giving him one last chance. Begin to be able to have a power running game. Start to show signs of this nasty football team you promised. Don't give up so many damn two possession leads that leave Irish fans' heads in their hands after games.

It's time to put up or shut up, Charlie. I don't care when you run your mouth as long as you back it up. So far it is safe to say that you have not. I don't like to set a standard barrier for what keeps Charlie around longer than 2009, but there is no reason Notre Dame should not be playing in a BCS game next year.

Does keeping Weis bring Notre Dame any closer to winning a National Championship? Let yourself answer that question honestly and then ask yourself again if you really think Charlie Weis should remain as head coach of Notre Dame.

***Personal Note:

I backed Charlie after the Navy loss in '07. I backed Charlie after giving up a lead on the road to UNC. Hell, I even backed him after blowing a two score lead at home to Pitt. However, enough is enough! A loss to 2-8 Syracuse and a mind-boggling 93 yards of offense against USC later, I am now understanding where people are coming from when they call for Charlie's head.

He is not getting the most from his players and does not have me feeling any more confident in the program after 2008 than I did at the conclusion of 2009. I wish success on Weis at Notre Dame because, first and foremost, that means that Notre Dame football is a legit title contender on an almost yearly basis.

I, however, feel that the best we will ever see from Charlie is a run at a BCS game, heck, maybe even a win in a BCS game one day. We will not see Notre Dame play in a title game under Weis, he simply losses to too many teams he should beat.

With that said, I do not understand why he will remain as head coach in 2009 besides and because of Kevin White giving Weis far too much to stay away from the NFL...that just days after Weis' finest moment at Notre Dame, which was still a loss to the Irish's biggest rival.

*Nick Shepkowski has been a Notre Dame fan virtually since birth and is a recent graduate of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. He currently works at both Chicago Sports Radio 670 The Score and the Big Ten Network.

Notes from the South Dakota game

Mark Allen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:37:00 -0500

Laura, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Men's Basketball
Game Notes

Ayers was incredible tonight. He's caught the 3-pointer bug in a very good way, making a whopping nine shots from the outside.

The team maintained a comfortable lead without throttling their opponents. For a moment midway through the second half the Coyotes broke the twenty point barrier, but the Irish put a stop to that with another 3 points.

In the last few minutes, Kopko and Andree both got playing time. It was also nice to see more minutes for Nash and Scott through the second half.

The leprechaun was throwing free t-shirts into the student section after three pointers, but soon had to stop because the team was scoring so many.

Free throws looked much better (7-of-11). Good for them.

A group of high school-aged kids came to the game in body paint, spelling out Go Fighting Irish. The leprechaun joined them for some cheers in the second half.

All in all, a solid game for the Irish. We were outshot in the second half, 46-42, but the team had the situation firmly in hand. Others might say otherwise, but I don't see any cause for concern here.

Final score: Irish 102, Coyotes 76

********
Laura is a current junior at Notre Dame. A political science major originally from Georgia, she loves cheering for and talking about all Notre Dame teams.

James Aldridge in the Spotlight for Notre Dame

Mark Allen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:18:00 -0500

UWIRE | Football: USC thrashes Notre Dame in rivalry game:

"(James) Aldridge could play a big role in a potential bowl game for the Irish, who may be without their two other running backs for at least the first half.

Sophomore Armando Allen suffered a leg injury early in the game Saturday and did not return. Weis said after the game that he was not certain of Allen's status.

Fellow sophomore back Robert Hughes will also miss the first half of his next game because he was ejected in the final minutes after getting in a scuffle with a Trojan defender."

I know a lot of fans don't like Aldridge very much, citing his failure to get a touchdown last year and his sometimes-unimpressive stats. I've always been a fan of the guy, if only for his dedication to the game.

He received a lot of playing time last year, but has seen fewer carries this year with the advent of Armando. This year, he's averaged 3.97 yds/carry, a respectable number given the quality of our running game.

Armando only has 4.4 yds/carry and they both have three TDs this year. I feel like Aldridge could be a great back if given the chance, and it looks like the bowl game might be that chance.

Thoughts?

********
Laura is a current junior at Notre Dame. A political science major originally from Georgia, she loves cheering for and talking about all Notre Dame teams.

Notre Dame Football; Charlie: "I'm Good To Go"

Mark Allen — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:22:59 -0500

By Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Breaking News

Rumors have circulated among the media and around the various message boards regarding the future of Charlie Weis. Would he stay or be let go? Popular opinion was that, if money could be collected to pay for his buyout, that he would be replaced. Even new athletic director Jack Swarbrick was sort of vague regarding what would happen. He said he'd meet with Weis on Dec. 8 for a review.

Charlie Weis, on the surface, at least, seemed defiant when he said he could not meet with Swarbrick. He said he was staying on the west coast to recruit. But, was he being defiant or out-of-touch with reality regarding his future status as Notre Dame's head coach? Or did he know something?

However, recently a Notre Dame recruiting target, wide receiver Shaquelle Evans, indicated that Weis might have been assured the job was still his in 2009.

"I asked him about his job status," Evans said. "He told me he's good to go; he'll be there. He said he made sure he's good before he left and it's just the media spreading that he's going to get fired. He said if he didn't know if he was going to be there or not he would tell me. It makes me feel good that he'll be there."

So, out of Weis's own mouth, it seems that he will be back in 2009. But, stay tuned. The flip side of all of it is that he wants to keep his recruits. Would he say those words in order to keep his recruits? Or did Swarbrick actually reassure him that his job was safe?

The Fighting Irish Battle The Trojans This Weekend... On the Recruitment Circuit

Mark Allen — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:24:00 -0500

This weekend may prove to be a very important one when it comes down to the Notre Dame/USC rivalry in the next few years. Sure the teams do not play for another week, but this weekend features an opportunity to take dead aim at the Trojans recruiting class of 2009 with both linebacker Manti Te'o and safety Byron Moore making, official visits to South Bend this afternoon.

Manti Te'o is amongst the most highly saught-after defensive recruits in the nation, earning a five-star rating from both Rivals and Scout at the middle linebacker position. Te'o is being recrutied by nearly every college in the nation and has taken a visit to UCLA and has also attended two of USC's summer camps.

Besides Notre Dame this weekend, Te'o is expected to visit the likes of Stanford and BYU as well as USC before he chooses a school so unless he is overly wowed by South Bend in the middle of November, don't expect a commit here this weekend. The Irish have been able to land some of the biggest names on the offensive side of the ball in recruiting wars the past few years, but Te'o would be the first five-star recruit Charlie Weis will have been able to bring in on the defensive side of the football.

Byron Moore, a former UCLA commit and current commit to USC, will be on Notre Dame's campus this weekend as well as he has recently sought after the Irish instead of the Irish going after him. Moore plays in the same district as Irish WR Commit Shaquelle Evans and the two sound like decent friends.

After Evans committed to Notre Dame it was Moore who actually called Notre Dame, hoping to get noticed by the Irish. It payed off as Evans will also be on campus this weekend and don't think Charlie Weis wouldn't like to steal one of USC's charmed recruits right out from under him.

To me Moore seems to have a real interest in Notre Dame and if the Irish are to see a commit this weekend it would most likely be from him.

The third and final high school senior visiting the Golden Dome this weekend is Tyler Gaffney, one of the most highly touted fullbacks in the nation. Gaffney also lists Stanford and USC as schools he is considering to attend. The Irish have been somewhat disappointed in what Asaph Schwap has brought to the table after playing now in his fourth year and would definitely like to get a fullback in whom they may have more confidence in to do a bit more.

Gaffney is averaging over 10 yards a carry for Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego this year as he has scored 30 touchdowns. With a visit already set for Stanford in January I feel it will likely go very close to National Signing Day before Gaffney decides where he will call home the next four seasons.

Also on campus will be juniors Corey Cooper (ATH), Kyle Prater (LB), and Chandler Whitmer (QB).

GO IRISH, BEAT ORANGE

Notre Dame-Syracuse: Where Saturday Will Be Won

Mark Allen — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:40:00 -0500

Notre Dame is riding a high defensively of late, pretty much handling both Navy and Boston College on that side of the ball over the past two weeks. This week a Syracuse team comes to Notre Dame Stadium for the Irish's senior day festivities.

The first class of Charlie Weis' recruits has been through a lot in the blue and gold and would like nothing more than to walk off the field in South Bend one last time as winners and in a dominating fashion.

Syracuse brings amongst the worst run defenses in the nation to Notre Dame tomorrow. So far in 2008 Syracuse has held just one team to less than four yards a carry for an entire game, and that was the vaunted Northeastern rushing attack.

The game plan for Notre Dame should be very simple this coming weekend in that the Irish will pound the ball, pound it some more, and then some more after that.

With Michael Floyd out, do not expect to see the Irish counting on Jimmy Clausen to win them the football game.

Obviously there are still the threats of Golden Tate, Duval Kamara, Kyle Rudolph, and David Grimes, amongst others, but when a team allows this many yards per contest on the ground, I expect to see the Irish counting on the running game to chew clock and score points. This will also set up the play action game if Notre Dame so chooses to go to it.

Cameron Dantley heads the Syracuse offense as their quarterback but has been far from outstanding this fall. So far on the year he has completed almost exactly 50 percent of his passes for 1,117 yards and nine TDs to go along with only four picks. He may not win the Orange the game, but he will not cost them it either.

If Dantley is to throw the ball, it will likely be to Dante Davis, a talented sophomore who is Dantley's favorite target. On the year they have connected 27 times for over 10 yards a catch and one score. Other than Davis, Mike Owen may see a few passes thrown his way, but don't get confused—the passing game goes through Davis for the Orange.

The leader statistically on offense for Syracuse is senior RB Chris Brinkley. On the year Brinkley has compiled impressive totals of just over 1,000 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns.

On defense, Syracuse has been a disaster. Only once this year have the Orange allowed fewer than 30 points in a game. Even the Akron Zips were able to put 42 on them early in the season. As stated above, the Orange have not stopped the run all season, but the Irish haven't run the ball particularly well outside of the Navy and Purdue games.

This is where the running game comes up big for the Irish, as they will "run away" from Syracuse, if you will...

Nick: Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 10
Mark: Notre Dame 35, Syracuse 14

Irish look to Avoid Losing Streak vs. Navy

Mark Allen — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:45:00 -0500

If there has ever been a must-win game for Charlie Weis during his tenure at Notre Dame than this is the week as the Irish get set to travel to Baltimore to take on the Naval Academy, trying to avoid losing two in a row to the Midshipmen.

It was a magical day for all of those with any ties to Annapolis but to Notre Dame fans, November 3, 2007 was a day that will never be forgotten. After 43 consecutive victories, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame lost at home to the Middies.

So what has to be done in order to make sure this does not happen two years in a row? Let's start with something that has been a positive for Notre Dame in the past few weeks with the defense.

A week ago the Irish allowed only 17 (7 of them on a pick 6) points on the defensive side of the ball, despite the offense having four turnovers. This week, it is pretty easy to guess what is going to be shown by Navy: Pitch left, pitch right, up the gut, up the gut, pitch left...you get the point. Navy will enter Baltimore looking to run the ball down Notre Dame's throat's and its up to the Irish to stop it.

Navy enters with the No. 2 ranked rushing team in the nation, following only Nevada. With 308 yards a game on average and 5.44 yards a carry coming in, Notre Dame has their work cut out to stop this running attack.

Shun White enters leading the Midshipmen with 834 rush yards, having 348 of those come against Towson in week one. Eric Kettani adds in 673 more rushing yards and two scores while quarterback Jarod Bryant has accumulated 440 yards and five scores on the ground this season.

Ricky Dobbs will also see carries for the Midshipmen as he has totaled 342 yards and six scores on the ground. Let's hope we force Navy into several third and longs and make them put the ball in the air.

Navy ranks second to last, only ahead of Army, when it comes to passing yards per game. However, when your rush offense ranks second its not as major of problem as one would think.

Jarod Bryant has thrown only 32 passes all year, completing 18 of them for 265 yards. If forced to a backup, Navy will go with (get ready for it) Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada who is 13 of 18 on the year.

The Naval Academy ranks 30th in rush defense as they have allowed only 1047 yards on the ground this season, giving up 3.5 yards per carry. By comparision, Notre Dame has allowed 1187 yards but 4.0 yards per attempt. The Irish must improve overall, much like we saw a week ago at BC in order escape another upset from Navy.

Where you can expect the Irish to find the most success is, as usual, through the air. Navy has had a very tough time stopping the air game this season (which is weird seeing the technology they have these days). So far teams have averaged 256 yards a contest against them and there is no reason Jimmy Clausen should not be able to match or better that this Satruday.

Expect to see the Irish really spread Navy out, many four or five receiver sets. Notre Dame really shouldn't have a problem throwing the ball around this weekend, if they do then a Navy streak against Notre Dame is a serious possibility.

How many points will Notre Dame need to score in order to win this weekend? That is the question many are asking, but I feel differently as I am gaining more and more confidence in the defense as each week comes and goes. The Irish should be able to put up at least 35 on Navy (heck, Pitt did them in for 42) and that should be plenty.

What I expect to see is Notre Dame try and get up a couple of scores early and see if they can get Navy to go away from the strictly running game. If so it could be blowout city, if not, it may be a last second nail biter.

Prediction Time:

Nick (5-3): Notre Dame 38 Navy 24
Mark (6-2): Notre Dame 38 Navy 28