Notre Dame Report Card Vs. San Diego State

By Joe Pierce

QB: A

Jimmy Clausen lived up to the hype Saturday, engineering two fourth quarter scoring drives that clinched the game for Notre Dame.  He threw two interceptions, but I blame those on Duval Kamara, not Clausen.

RB: C-

Armando Allen showed flashes, but he fumbled once, as did Robert Hughes, who ran without confidence all day.  Work needs to be done here.

WR/TE: B+

Golden Tate played like a superstar, and David Grimes and Michael Floyd contributed with a TD each.  Duval Kamara started the game with a nice catch but made several mistakes throughout the game.  TE Kyle Rudolph is a star in the making.

OL: A

They didn't give up a sack and made holes all day for the running game.  I'm impressed by the big guys.

DL: D

They didn't get gouged, but they only registered two total tackles as a unit.  That's unacceptable.

LB: C

They were solid, but Crum took a couple of bonehead penalties on one drive, and Brian Smith blew a coverage to allow a huge SD State gain, putting them on the goal line.  I think they'll be fine as they mature as a unit.

DB: A+

They paced the defense and made several big plays.  Even without Darrin Walls, this is a huge strength for this team.

ST: D

There were big mistakes here, mostly by Braxton Cave snapping the ball all over the place.  They need work.  Walker missing an admittedly hard FG didn't help either.

Overall: B-

There were some definite signs of life not seen since Brady Quinn wore a gold helmet, but there's a lot of room to improve.  Let's hope it was simply a case of opening day rust.