2008 Notre Dame Football: Irish Eyes Smiling Once Again?

In spite of a loss to Michigan State this weekend, Notre Dame football fans have reason to believe that this season will be much better than last.

After three games the Irish sit at 2-1 having beaten San Diego State in their season opener, and dropped the Michigan Wolverines last week. They haven't been the prettiest wins, the Irish did what it took to get by San Diego State by a score of 21-13, and used six Michigan turnovers, including linebacker Brian Smith's 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to roll up a 35-17 victory over the Wolverines. They dropped a 23-7 decision to Michigan State in their third game of the season.

The young Irish offense has been slow thus far, averaging just over 18 points per game. The passing attack has carried most of the load going for 208 yards per game on the arm of Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen,(55-for-96 626 yards 6TD's six Int's) while the team's leading rusher Sophomore Robert Hughes has 142 yards on 41 carries in three games. A meager average of 47 yards per game, that's just over half of the teams average of 78 yards per game on the ground.

The Irish receiving corps is lead by Sophomore wideout Golden Tate who has 15 catches for 303 yards and two scores. Tate is complimented by Freshman Michael Floyd who has 10 grabs of his own for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Charlies Weis, and offensive coordinator Michael Haywood will have to find a way to jump start the rushing attack. Without one, opponents will be able to focus on the Irish passing attack, and putting pressure on their quarterback. The boys in blue will also have to cut back on turnovers having already given away nine.

Defensively, the Irish have performed well, allowing just over 17 points per game. The Senior heavy unit is lead by safeties Kyle McKarthy and David Bruton who have 33, and 30 tackles respectively. Bruton also has one interception.

Leading the linebackers is Maurice Crum. The fifth year senior has totalled 19 total tackles thus far including two for loss.

Up front, Senior defensive end Pat Kuntz is the anchor on the line. Kuntz has seven tackles over the three games with one for loss.

Junior linebacker Toryan Smith has missed every game this season with a shoulder injury, and his return will provide a shot in the arm in the form of speed in the middle of the Irish defense.

The defense has forced eight turnovers, and will need to continue to play at a high level while the offense continues to work out the bugs that go along with having underclassmen in key positions.

Strength of schedule is a point of ridicule for the anti-Irish crowd. USC stands alone as the only real power on the schedule. At this point in the game, it's wise for Notre Dame to play a softer schedule. They are trying to build experience on a very young offense, and that doesn't come easy playing top 10 teams every week.

In the grand scheme of things, a seven or eight win season is a real possibility for this team. As the weeks go by, expect the defense to keep the Irish in the game while Jimmy Clausen and the rest of the offense continue to improve, and lead their team to back to a bowl game.