SB Nation - Robert Hughes

Two reasons why people who blame the coaches for this entire mess are at the very least misguided

Nuss — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:19:48 -0000

The coaches have taken a lot of heat for the past almost two years now for what has transpired on the football field. That refrain reared its head again Saturday, after one play in particular.

Now, anyone who watches Chris Berman and Tom Jackson on Sunday afternoons knows that you do one thing, and one thing only, on a Hail Mary pass. Go ahead, say it with me ... "YOU KNOCK IT DOWN!" The wonderment, of course, spread from the notion that if we all know that, how in the world did Aire Justin and ~~Xavier Hicks~~ Jay Matthews not know it?

If only it were that simple.

Consider the following screen shot, captured at the moment when Golden Tate caught the ball (about 1:50 on the video), which I have so deftly illustrated to make my point.

The probability that Justin and ~~Hicks~~ Matthews could have knocked that ball down is minute -- or even nonexistent. Yes, it appears Justin is going for the catch. But I supremely doubt the outcome would have been any different had Justin or ~~Hicks~~ Matthews done their darndest to just get one hand up there and knock it down. This simply looks to me like a case of one team having an exceptional athlete and another team having two guys who simply don't possess the raw physical tools to make this play.

Seriously -- look at how high Tate is off the ground. We have one athlete on our active roster who could have gotten that high and made that play. And he plays on offense. Now, if you want to criticize the coaching staff for not putting him in on that defensive play, then fine.* But that's a different conversation.

* I'm not sure I buy that you could have put Jared Karstetter in, anyway. The Irish were a medium range pass away from getting into field goal position, as they still had a timeout left. The defense had to at least entertain that notion, and have a defense in that could account for that. Besides, when you start doing things like that, you often increase the likelihood of a breakdown.

Now, let me direct you to another play before bringing this back around to my overall point.

Remember that whole blocked PAT, with Chima Nwachukwu scooping up the ball and trying to run it back the other way for two? (I tried to find video, but alas, no luck.) Our 5-foot-11, 201-pound starting safety -- who started running with the ball while no one else was paying attention, and ostensibly had anywhere between a five- and 15-yard head start on the other team -- got tracked down by this guy:

Mike Ragone

#83 / Tight End / Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Height: 6-5

Weight: 251

Year: junior

And if he hadn't caught him, he was about to get caught by this guy:

Kyle Rudolph

#9 / Tight End / Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Height: 6-6

Weight: 260

Year: sophomore

This sort of thing happened over and over again throughout the game. The defensive line getting shoved around by opponents that outweighed them across the board. The offensive line flailing away at blitzers. Alex Hoffman-Ellis and Mike Ledgerwood squaring up to tackle Robert Hughes, only to meet him at the point of attack and get driven back three yards.

Which brings me to my point. Before you start pointing the finger at the coaches -- and goodness knows, I've done it enough -- please take into consideration what they're working with. I posted this numerous times on the game thread on Saturday, but it's worth repeating if you weren't there: MEN > BOYS.

There will come a day where we're once again able to compete with Notre Dame (and USC, and Oregon, and Arizona State, and ...). But as these two plays showed, we're not even in the same ballpark with these guys yet. Yeah, we can complain about scheme, and some of those points are certainly valid. However, that the coaches have been able to squeeze as much improvement out of these guys as they have this year -- facing such overwhelming physical odds -- says something.

We're heading in the right direction. It might not be as fast as you want, and you can argue that it might be a bit faster with another coaching staff. But there isn't a coach on earth that would have beat Notre Dame -- or most of the other teams on our schedule -- with what our coaching staff has to work with.

Golden Is Thy Name: Tate and Hughes Lead Notre Dame Rout of Washington State

CW — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:52:37 -0000

More photos » by BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI - AP

about 1 month ago: Notre Dame player Sergio Brown celebrates with a back flip after defeating Washington State, 40-14 in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Bahram Mark Sobhani)

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Some Irish fans - we'll call them the lunatic fringe - have been complaining that Notre Dame hasn't been blowing the doors off of teams because of their vast talent advantage, or whatever. Granted, every team they had played against Nevada had been a BCS team that either has a great win or very competitive game against a top team. We were not going to get a poor effort from them, and due to the abilities of Jimmy Clausen and friends, the Irish were 5-2.

This game - this weird Halloween night clash with a Pacific Northwest foe near the Mexico border - is what it looks like when you play a team where you have a dominant talent advantage. You control the lines on both sides of the ball, you get your back-ups plenty of reps and everyone gets to focus on enjoying the band and going home happy. There were obviously some very bad things to come out of last night: the injuries of still-unknown consequence to Trevor Robinson and Dayne Crist, plus Jimmy re-aggravating the turf toe. But the Irish did what they needed to do as they get ready for a tricky November slate, and now to the bullet points.

Golden Tate is a top two or three Heisman candidate at this point, and anyone who has him lower than that is simply voting for the big name quarterback who was supposed to be at the top of the ticket before the season started. All he does is score touchdowns - out of the backfield, on catch and runs, tearing the ball away from three defenders on a jumpball in the endzone - and jump into bands and refuse to get tackled at any point. He's amazing, he's got two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns (Michigan State, Boston College) and a huge game against Southern Cal. He played better as more of the defense focused on him after Michael Floyd's injury. Golden Tate is a Heisman front runner, and anyone who doesn't have him there doesn't deserve a vote.
Great work by the defensive line all night, as KLM led the team in tackles with five. Ian Williams had a pick, Ethan Johnson was a constant presence in the backfield and Wazzu running back Dwight Tardy didn't really get going into the second string was in. Hopefully they enjoyed rushing the passer this week, as the next game against Navy won't warrant too many of those opportunities.
Excellent game by Robert Hughes and Theo Riddick as Armando Allen sat a spell. Hughes had 182 yards of offense on 28 touches - just beautiful, gaudy numbers as he consistently provided a nice check down for Jimmy - while Riddick flashed some speed with 12 for 75.
Dayne really flashed the gun on that pass to John Goodman. Let's hope his leg(s) is okay, although it's not a good sign when the pain from an injury is so intense a player just drops the ball. Jimmy, please stay? Thanks.
Tony Dungy compared Clausen to Drew Brees at halftime. I like it.
Duval Kamara went from being written off by Irish fans to becoming a very nice part of this receiving corps. It was also nice to see Kyle Rudolph back in the mix at receiver, as well as Mike Ragone getting his first catch of the season (which seems impossible, yet is true).
As far as Irish bowl chances go, they are two very tough road games and two tricky home games away from winning out, so let's not get too involved with that. However, it is worth glancing at: If the Irish go 10-2 they will have a shot at a BCS game, a good chance at the Cotton Bowl (depending on how LSU looks in November) and become a virtual lock for the Gator. If they go 9-3, I imagine it's almost a definite trip to the Gator against the Canes or Hokies. There are all fine games against good teams, so the focus of Irish fans should be on just winning, baby.

Notre Dame 40, Washington State 14

Grady. — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:32:29 -0000

More photos » by BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI - AP

Awwwwwwwww snap, yo! The Cougars got SERVED, 40-14, by Notre Dame in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Bahram Mark Sobhani)

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OK, this team is getting a little too predictable.

Last week, I selfishly touted my correct pregame prediction of the Cougars' game against California. The final score was 49-17, which I had accurately predicted on the podcast the Tuesday prior to the game.

This week, I failed. By one point. My prediction was Notre Dame 41, Washington State 14. The final score saw the Irish top the Cougs in San Antonio 40-14.

There's a point here, one that has to do with more than my own gloating. Although, admittedly, the gloating is a lot of fun.

That point is that, for better or worse, we have this Cougar team figured out. We know when they're getting blown out, we know about how much they'll be getting blown out by, and we don't feel the least bit nervous about that projection.

There was a transfer of power in the Pac-10 tonight. Oregon secured the outright conference lead from USC, and has the inside track at the Rose Bowl, or perhaps another BCS game. It's easy to forget as recently as 2002 we were in the same position. Now, instead of having a packed stadium hanging on the emotional ups and downs of every play, we have predictability. A team that is not competitive now and probably won't be competitive until at least next fall. Possibly longer. We start slow, recover slowly, score a touchdown or two along the way and head home trying to find the positives among the multitude of negatives.

The decent Cougar fanbase showing in the 'neutral' Alamodome, and the national broadcast by NBC, still weren't enough to help the Cougars get started off on the right foot. In the first quarter, though, WSU hung tough with the Irish, surrendering only a field goal and touchdown. In fact the PAT on the touchdown was blocked and nearly returned by Chima Nwachukwu for two, making it deep into Notre Dame territory before being caught by a Notre Dame tight end. 9-0 ND after the first.

The second quarter saw momentum swing decidedly in favor of the Irish. Rushing TDs by Golden Tate and Robert Hughes put Notre Dame up 23-0 midway through the period. From there, the Cougars pieced together their best drive of the half, culminating in Jeff Tuel finding Jared Karstetter for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Even that lone bright spot was wiped out, however, on the final play of the half. On a Hail Mary from the fifty yard line, Jimmy Clausen found Golden Tate, who was able to outjump Aire Justin and come down with a spectacular catch, albeit it sharing the ball with the three defenders trying to pry it away. Still, tie goes to the receiver, and Notre Dame went to the intermission up 30-7.

Fewer fireworks were seen in the second half, with an Irish field goal being the only score in the third. Jimmy Clausen appeared to re-aggravate his turf toe, and replacement Dayne Crist struggled before hitting John Goodman (no, not that one) for a 64 yard TD. Crist would suffer a leg injury later in the game getting tangled up with Toby Turpin, but the outcome was decided and Clausen would sit out the remainder of the contest as a precaution. Tuel, who was picked off twice on the evening, did find Karstetter one more time to bring the Cougs to the final score.

Player of the Game: Karstetter. Our #1 receiver only caught two balls, but made the most of them with two touchdowns. He only had 19 receving yards, but that wasn't abnormal for an anemic WSU offense whose longest play from scrimmage was a 20-yard run by Dwight Tardy.

Unsung Hero: Dwight Tardy. Speaking of which, maybe he's not done yet. Tardy notched 72 yards on 8 carries, a 9 yard average making him by far the most consistent Cougar on offense this evening. He also averaged an impressive 25.3 yards on his three kick returns. Perhaps he doesn't have to be just a trick-play quarterback going forward.

It was over when... Golden Tate caught the Hail Mary at the end of the first half. I know it was a spectacular catch, but the Cougar defensive backfield still needs to learn to swat the ball down. Going for the interception makes a team a lot more susceptible to giving up the touchdown. Oh, and any sort of pressure whatsoever on Jimmy Clausen on that play would've been nice.

Stat of the Game: The Cougars were 2 for 11 on third down. Hard to keep the defense rested and off the field when the offense keeps getting forced to the sideline. That stat led almost directly to a 2:1 time of possession advantage for the Irish, with ND controlling the ball for 40:54 compared to Wazzu's 19:06.

Headlines: Luck of the Irish Runs Out On Eagles, Lose To Notre Dame 20-16

Brian @ BCI — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:14:18 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Harris and Claiborne sit on the bench in the closing seconds of the Notre Dame game. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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10/24/2009 - Notre Dame 20, Boston College 16 - 5-3 (3-2 ACC)

Brian: The toughest part of losing this past weekend was that this was a very winnable game for BC. Nothing against the Irish, but this year’s Notre Dame isn’t that much improved from last season’s 7-6 record. As I said going into the game, Notre Dame has played bad teams late into the fourth quarter, and that’s a sign of deeper issues. Still, you can’t expect to win when you turn the ball over 5 times. A few less costly mistakes and the Eagles take this game easily.

Let’s start with the play of Dave Shinskie. His three interceptions were all poor decisions but Shinskie also had flashes of brilliance. Shinskie had nine passes of 20 or more yards going into the third quarter, and was able to get the ball to Rich Gunnell for a career day (10 catches, 179 yards, 1 TD). What did you like and what didn’t you like from Dave Shinskie on Saturday?

Jeff: Until almost the end of the 3rd quarter, Shinskie had a spectacular day. He threw the ball well down the field a threw it away a few times when necessary. But, unfortunately, as you might expect when you start throwing the ball downfield, you might be taking some risks that you'll ultimately pay for. For the first 43 minutes of the game there is really nothing bad I have to say about Shinskie's play and he proved that he is our quarterback of the future despite the loss. In a game where we didn't know if the team would show up flat on the road once again, the team certainly did anything but that. Despite not scoring early, they at least were moving the ball and giving the defense a little rest which they had not done in previous road games. Once Montel Harris fumbled on the 2 yard line and the game was put in Shinskie's hands to win for us since we could not run the ball at all Saturday, things changed. Shinskie forced a few balls to Gunnell that led to some of the INTs, and he also wasn't helped by a crucial Gunnell drop, and some busted first down plays like a wildcat formation with Harris and an attempted screen pass to Harris. Once it was Shinskie's game to win or lose for us, he should've been given all three downs to make something happen rather than being set up with 2nd and more than 10. A 3 interception day is bad and I'm not happy with several of Shinskie's throws, but this had more the feeling of a Matt Ryan day with 3 TOs than a Chris Crane day where you kinda just have to take the bad with the good. For a true freshman that didn't play football last year, how can you be too disappointed?

Brian: I don't think you can be too disappointed with Shinskie's play. Although I think having watched true freshmen Tate Forcier and Matt Barkley hold on to defeat the Irish, we may have been a little spoiled into thinking our freshman QB could pull out the victory as well. Who had a better game in your opinion? Shinskie or Clausen?

Jeff: Shinskie had the better game. No question. Our offense was one dimensional and two of the three interceptions came when we were trailing late.

Brian: Let’s move to the defense’s performance. While the Eagles were able to hold the Irish to 20 points of offense, the Eagles played soft coverage on the outside and Jimmy Clausen was able to exploit this weakness. Clausen finished the game 26-of-39 for 246 yards, but most of those passes were short outs to his receivers. Golden Tate’s game-winning touchdown was only a 10 yard out. The Eagles also gave up big chunks of yardage to Irish running back Armando Allen Jr. who came just two yards shy of eclipsing 100 yards rushing on the day. What did you like about the Eagles defensive effort? Where do you want to see improvement?

Jeff: Well the improvement area is obvious because it was the predictable area of weakness going into the season and has so far lived up (or down) to expectations - the front 4. We continue to not get pressure on the quarterback with a 4 man rush ever and running backs can get through the line nearly every time before being tackled by a linebacker. As far as what I liked is that people stepped up and made some plays whether it was a pass breakup, making an open field tackle, or forcing a holding call. There were numerous Notre Dame plays that could've turned out to be big plays or touchdowns that were stopped.

Brian: My absolute favorite play on the day was when Marty Bowman destroyed second string running back Robert Hughes on 4th and goal from the 1. That was definitely a curious play call from Weis, opting to go with the Wildcat with your second string running back ... and having your Heisman candidate quarterback on the sideline. The Eagles goal line stand was definitely one of the highlights on the day. My game ball goes to Bowman for putting a hurting on Hughes and watching him collapse right before the goal line. Who was your player of the game?

Jeff: Well you stole the obvious one. I would probably go with Bowman as well, especially since that was not the only play he made Saturday. My second choice for player of the game is Rich Gunnell. Even after he had had a great day statistically and Notre Dame was paying special attention to him, he converted a 4th and 18 pass from Shinskie. Gunnell is definitely one of the players of the game.

Brian: Speaking of Gunnell, apparently he and Jimmy Clausen got into it after the game. Clausen apparently bumped into Justin Jarvis pre-game and then when Clausen came out to congratulate the Eagles, Rich Gunnell wasn’t having any of this. You like the fire/swagger displayed by Gunnell?

Jeff: No comment. It happened seconds after the end of a tight rivalry game. They may or may not have had choice words for each other.

Brian: The good news for the Eagles is the loss has no impact on this team’s primary goal - winning the ACC Atlantic Division title and making a third straight appearance in the league title game. BC’s hopes of winning the Atlantic Division did take a minor hit, however, as Clemson outlasted Miami (Fla.) 40-37 in overtime. Both the Eagles and Tigers now have three division games remaining, with Clemson holding the head-to-head tiebreakers over the Eagles.

Boston College (3-2)
at Virginia
North Carolina
at Maryland

Clemson (3-2)
Florida State
at NC State
Virginia

It’s looking like a two horse race down the stretch in the Atlantic. Handicap the ACC Atlantic Division race from here on out.

Jeff: Clemson may very well be a better team than Boston College this year and they certainly looked like it on the field when we traveled to Death Valley earlier this season. However, right now both teams need to win out to go to Tampa and the Eagles have slightly more winnable games. We saw what Virginia is made of Saturday when they finally played a decent opponent. North Carolina is still winless in the ACC. Finally, Maryland just lost to Duke.

Clemson, on the other hand, has to play Florida State and travel to Raleigh. According to the cbssports.com 120, Florida State is the highest ranked team left either Clemson or Boston College plays and Clemson plays them while BC plays North Carolina. We both play Virginia and then I'd certainly rather be BC and traveling to Maryland than Clemson traveling to NC State as their third matchup.

University of Southern California Trojans at University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Preview

CW — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

2 months ago: In this photo made Oct. 3, 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, left, celebrates a touchdown against Washington during an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. Clausen isn't the same quarterback who walked out of the Los Angeles Coliseum seven games ago following USC's 38-3 win over Notre Dame that he describes as the toughest loss of his life. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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This game needs little introduction. It is perhaps the greatest rivalry in college sports, with no conference affiliation or in-state feud to sustain it, just a quest for continued excellence and national titles on both sides. The fact the rivalry has lost some of its luster in recent years also needs little explanation as, save for one fantastic game in 2005, the Irish have been little more than a speed bump for the Trojans as they roll to top five finish after top five finish. If Charlie Weis and Jimmy Clausen want their Notre Dame careers to take the next step, they need to win this game. Considering how the last few games have gone (the Irish haven't scored a touchdown in two years during two rather humiliating contests), there is some work to do.

Irish Defense vs. Trojan Offense

Clausen vs. Pete Carroll's defense gets all the headlines, so let's start on the other side, with Matt Barkley squaring off against Jon Tenuta's defense. Barkley beat out Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain to become starting quarterback out of camp and is undefeated in that role, but the offense revolves around a meat grinder of a running game, with five monsters blowing giant holes in the defense for a variety of tailbacks. With Stafon Johnson still recovering from that awful throat injury, all-world recruit Joe McKnight is the featured back, a dazzling player more than capable of catching the ball out of the backfield. McKnight is the consummate home run hitter, and helping to clear the way is one of the bigger x-factors in the game, Stanley Havili. There are few fullbacks in the country that are capable of taking out a middle linebacker on one play and splitting out to wide receiver and catching a fifty-one yard fly route on another like Havili did against Cal. Allen Bradford will spell McKnight, and depending on CJ Gable's health, you may see him or Marc Tyler get a few touches over the course of the afternoon. With Anthony McCoy a capable blocker and pass-catcher at tight end, the Irish will have to be wary of the passing game even when Southern Cal goes to a power running formation.

The aptitude of the Trojan running game raises an interesting question: Do you sell out to stop the run, loading up the box and sending in a variety of run blitzes, or do you respect Barkley's arm? Notre Dame Stadium was as loud as any venue in the world in 2005, but I'm not sure how rattled Barkley will be after leading a fourth quarter comeback in the Horseshoe. He hasn't been asked to do a whole lot, but he's been absurdly competent and has the arm to make any throw the Trojans ask of him. If the Irish front seven can't at least put a dent in the Trojan rushing attack, then there isn't much of a chance of slowing this offense. If there are eight or nine in the box, Barkley is going to play action and find Williams, or the returning Ronald Johnson, or McKnight, or Havili, or one of the talented tight ends. I wish it were more complicated than that, but I don't think Barkley is going to lose this game for the Trojans if the Irish drop it into his lap. Perhaps that's a strategy you have to try, but I don't think it will end well.

If the Irish can limit big plays - a tall task against an offense like USC possesses - there's a chance the Trojans shoot themselves in the foot trying to string together long drives. They have been awful on third downs, not particularly disciplined when it comes to penalties and have a penchant for putting the ball on the ground (which is one reason Washington pulled off the upset, along with Barkley and Taylor Mays missing the game).

This Irish defense has had issues, yes - that's perhaps the understatement of the season - but there have been flashing moments of brilliance. A good Purdue offense was held scoreless for nearly three quarters. Washington's offense only mustered three first half points after their opening drive. There have been massive breakdowns at horrible times, yes, but this team has the potential - the coaching, the recruits, the motivation, the home crowd - to stop the Trojans. It will take everyone playing at their peak, but the Trojans have been slowed before, and this Irish defense has stood up to some talented offenses when need be. If they don't wrap up the speed merchants who are going to be getting the ball most of the game, be prepared for another game like 2008, or 2007, or 2003, or 2004...

Irish Offense vs. Trojan Defense

When it's strength versus strength - Weis' offense versus Carroll's defense- something will have to give. As I wrote about earlier in the week, neither team has played a unit anywhere near the caliber of the one they'll be facing off against tomorrow. A lot of Irish fans seem to want to establish the run first, but lining up in the I-formation and pounding the Trojans might resemble a suicide mission. Their defensive line is deep and talented, and their linebackers can cover ground on anything going outside. When the Irish run, it seems like a fine idea to keep the Trojans spread out with three or four wide and use the strength of the Notre Dame offensive line - Robinson, Olsen and Stewart - to pop some draws up the middle. If the Trojan front isn't as formidable as it seems (and it seems awfully damn formidable), then adjust and take a few more cracks at them. However, I have no desire to start the game with an I-formation and a two yard loss just so some fans get their fullback fix. (That being said, welcome back, James Aldridge. We need all hands on deck for this.)

Jimmy Clausen is the best player on the team, and while the Irish need balance, they're also going to need a Herculean effort from their QB1. We can pine about how this game would be different with Michael Floyd, but he's a few weeks from returning and Clausen will just have to make do with the tremendous talent remaining at the skill positions. Golden Tate will draw a lot of attention from the Trojan defense, but Weis has been playing a shell game with him since Floyd's injury, and I don't see him suddenly making it easy to bracket his main playmaker. Kyle Rudolph will face some athletes who are more than capable of matching up with him, but he's already shown he can come through when it matters. My primary concern is the continued lack of a definite answer at the second wide receiver position. Whether it's a consistent rotation or one standout performer, someone is going to need to give Clausen somewhere to go when Mays is blanketing Rudolph and a double team has latched onto Golden.

The Trojan pass rush is among the best in the nation, and if Paul Duncan and Sam Young don't seal the edges to protect their quarterback, this offense is going to look like it did in the lights of the Coliseum last year. If I were Weis, I would lean on the no-huddle spread. Not a hurry-up, but simply getting to the line in an effort to limit USC's substitutions, which will in turn limit the effectiveness of that tremendous defensive line depth. Quick drops, quick reads and keep them guessing. Toss in some pro formation and wildcat to keep things interesting, but the Weis offense has always been at its best when it's spread out, in a rhythm and keeping the defense off balance. This will obviously be impossible if there are a flurry of false start and illegal motion penalties, so it would be nice if those were at a minimum.

The Trojan defense hasn't given up a passing touchdown all season and Mays gives the cornerbacks an ability to press up and take chances, but if Clausen can't effectively move the ball through air, the Irish have little chance. He'll need some help from his running backs, but the biggest match-up on the field is how Clausen deals with the pressure, reads Carroll's coverage and finds the correct option. He was 11 for 22 for 41 yards and two interceptions last year, but that Jimmy is long gone. The 2009 Jimmy Clausen is up for this challenge, and I think he'll respond well to it.

Inane ramblings and a vague prediction

Over the past five years, I think I've been respectful of - perhaps even deferential to - the Trojans. They've been the class of college football in the 21st century, continually finishing at the top of the polls and one amazing Vince Young performance away from seven straight Orange/Rose Bowl wins, with victories in Lincoln, Columbus, Auburn, South Bend, Fayetteville, Charlottesville and Landover (against Virginia Tech) thrown in just for fun. I almost never feel good about an Irish game going into it, and especially not against the Trojans, but I find myself oddly at peace about this clash. (There's a very good chance that I've just accepted the fact that if Notre Dame loses this game, the majority of Irish literature I read daily on the internet will become unbearable. As you read on, do not discount this fact that I'm just looking at this whole thing through shamrock-colored glasses because I've experienced the alternative and it's too unbearable to contemplate.)

As I've stated all week, these men of Troy do not jump off the screen at you like some of their past versions. They are obviously dripping with talent, but it's raw, and it's beatable. Washington already knocked them off. Ohio State was very close. The rest of their opponents were either tin cans or a Cal team that was still trying to get its torso back in order after Oregon had ripped its heart out the week prior. People are correct to say this is a giant test for the Irish, but they're downplaying what it means to the Trojans. It won't have any effect on their Rose Bowl chances - the trip to Autzen on Halloween will most likely decide that - but as far as national championships go, there are no more toe stubbings available for the men of Troy.

Of course, Notre Dame and Charlie Weis have considerably more to prove, as there are still plenty of questions after dodging raindrops to a 4-1 open to the season. The Irish lost to the only team with a winning record they've played, and barely survived against a slate of mid-tier Big and Pac Ten teams. But every game, they show off something new that gives fans a little bit of hope. Against Michigan, it was finding two key touchdowns and a necessary pick to rally from an eleven point fourth quarter deficit. Against Michigan State, it was recovering from the loss of their best weapon on offense and another fourth quarter hole in front of a home crowd that was more anxious than supportive. The next week it was domination that slipped away due to a couple poor defensive possessions, but Clausen-to-Rudolph fixed everything. Then there was goal line stand after goal line stand against Washington, the reemergence of Robert Hughes, the ridiculous production of Golden Tate, and again, Clausen-to-Rudolph.

Everyone wanted this team to just be great from the word go in September, but teams usually can't just flick a switch. You have to learn greatness, and more importantly, earn it. This squad bottomed out in November of 2008, with the losses to Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse and Southern Cal. Perhaps it was in Hawaii, or the practices in the cold of the South Bend winter before, that made them look like a completely different team as they mauled the Rainbow Warriors. It's a look in the eye that hasn't faded since. They kicked the crap out of Nevada, punched Michigan in the mouth repeatedly with Armando Allen, then showed tremendous guts in three straight games where lesser teams would have just said "You know what? We're losing. We'll put it together and go get them next week." The offense is a well-oiled machine, led by the best passer in the country who has a support system that has him in ideal conditions to earn that rating. The defense has the horses to slow up Troy, and for the first time in a few years, there's a placekicker that inspires confidence when he walks onto the field

Then you have the intangibles, and the mounting frustration of being on the wrong side of a beat down every season. There's a west coast quarterback who could have followed in the path of two recent Heisman winners in his own backyard but didn't, and has gotten his ass handed to him the last two years for that decision. There's a freshman receiver playing against his hometown school who wants to show them that he also made the right choice, and a freshman linebacker who'd love nothing more than the same thing. No matter how long these guys have been on this team - three months or going on five years - they've never beaten USC. Most of them have never even been close, and for the few fifth year seniors who started to storm the field like the rest of us in 2005, they have to have a burning desire to just take back control of this series and get the respect they want.

Since the dazzling 2005 offense moved on, games like the Rose Bowl against Penn State where the Trojans storm out to a giant lead are the exception, not the rule. The way USC wins is by slowly grinding you, continually throwing haymakers on both sides of the ball until you just break down and end up on the other side of a three touchdown loss. Normally it's a touchdown here and a field goal there and next thing you know some freak tailback is taking a wheel route seventy yards for a score and you immediately realize there's no way your favorite is coming back. They have the swagger and the confidence that no matter what the situation is, they'll make a play and win because hey, they're USC. For the first time in a long while, Notre Dame has a little bit of that same confidence. It's not a confidence where they can slip n' slide on the sideline four days before a giant rivalry game, but it's growing. There is no doubt that the Irish have to play great to win, and they will need some breaks and a little bit of luck along the way. But - and this is a little different from the past few seasons - they have shown over the last six games that greatness is attainable. Maybe it's not there consistently yet, but the flickers are there.

If USC has any lapses, like trailing 3-0 against San Jose State after the first fifteen minutes, Notre Dame will have points on the board. They have to have points on the board after the first quarter. They need touchdowns, not field goals, and need to continue the trend of doing a relatively good job of protecting both the ball and their quarterback. The numbers tell you the USC defense is good, and I don't doubt that it can consistently deal out some pain, but they have not had to deal with a quarterback like Clausen yet. (Locker is good, but he's still learning Sarkisian's system and hiccups were inevitable, like at Stanford. Pryor is still a mess and Riley looked like a deer in the headlights from his initial drive-ending pick on.) If the Trojans can't slow down the Irish, then the pressure goes onto Barkley. He's been calm, cool and collected up until this point, but he's also been either been out in front or in low-scoring slugfests in his other four starts. How will he respond to a shootout, on the road, in front of a crowd that's ready to burst with another chance like 2005? (Probably pretty well, but it's a potential factor that could lean towards the Irish.)

I loathe making predictions and have no idea how things will go Saturday, but all I can say, for really the first time this season and for the first time in years against Southern Cal, is that I like our chances. I will most likely end up eating these words come darkness tomorrow, but for now, I am at peace. Backs are against the wall, echoes are awakened and there are seven years of pent-up frustration that need to be released at some point.

October 17th around 3:30pm seems like as good as time as any to begin.

Go Irish, Beat Trojans.

Mid-Term Report Card: Grading The Irish On Their Bye Week

CW — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:16:38 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

3 months ago: In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, Notre Dame center Eric Olsen lines upp against Nevada during an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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There is obviously gigantic room for debate on almost all of these positions, but this is what I'm starting with. I went back and forth on a lot of them, but since they are just completely arbitrary grades, be gentle. In general, I think I was very demanding with the offense and a little more lenient with the defense, with games later in the season being weighed as more important, especially with young players.

Quarterbacks: A

I think this is the only legitimate grade here, right? James Clausen currently has the highest passer efficiency rating in the country. He leads the country in yards per attempt, has twelve touchdowns to two interceptions (one of which was a Hail Mary-type throw at the end of a first half, the other a perfect toss to Armando Allen that was volleyball set right to the defender). He is moving around in the backfield a thousand times better than last year, feeling the rush, avoiding it and stepping into the pocket to deliver smart bombs. With all of the natural biases and hatred harbored against him (some of his own doing, like the entire College Football Hall of Fame thing, some not), he has forced himself into the Heisman conversation and onto Kiper's big board. He's led four consecutive fourth quarter comebacks (the first of them forgotten after a failure to run out the clock and Forcier's counterpunch), he appears to be an awesome tutor and supporter for his understudy, his teammates seem to absolutely love him and he has great celebrations, from understated fist pumps, to jumping into a lineman's arms, to simply flashing the guns, like he did after the touchdown pass to Rudolph.

The only bad things I can say about Clausen at this point are that he was erratic in the first quarter against Michigan before settling into cold-blooded killer mode (which he did by halftime when he gave his team the lead) and that awful lateral/pass that got returned for a touchdown against Washington. Really, that's about it. He hasn't missed a beat with the loss of Michael Floyd, and as long as he's in the game, Irish fans can feel very good about their chances.

As far as his back-up goes, Crist has done a great job in relief, even though all of the bubble wrap hasn't even been removed yet. He led a bunch of great drives in the Purdue game and showed off his arm in mop-up time versus Nevada. Evan Sharpley continues to look astute on the sideline and I'm very confident in his ability to come into a game and handle business if need be.

Running Backs: B+

I originally had this as a "B," but then I started thinking about how Armando Allen was a top fifteen rusher before Purdue and how he simply destroyed Michigan. Or how successful the Wildcat was against Michigan State in the red zone, including that touchdown pass from AA. Then how even though Allen couldn't go late against the Huskies, Robert Hughes put the team on his shoulders and just cranked out tough yard after tough yard, including the critical two-point conversion (probably) and game-winning touchdown. Hughes was attempting to shed his "Thunder" label earlier in the season, but has embraced his role as a power guy - a quick one, but not a dancing back - and made a statement to fans and the coaching staff that he's back.

Save for a few young mistakes, the help in pass blocking has also been very good, assisting the offensive line in their efforts to protect QB1. You'd like to see Jonas Gray a little farther along (his fumble versus Michigan was a killer), but Theo Riddick has shown some pop as a freshman (admittedly, on a scant seven carries). When you consider that the starting fullback has been out since the opener and both Allen and Hughes are averaging over five yards a carry on the season, I think the "+" is acceptable here.

Wide Receivers: A-

This should probably be a straight "A" for the absurd efforts of Golden Tate and the late St. Michael Floyd (COLLARBOOOOONE), but I'm knocking it down a little bit because A) No one has clearly stepped up to replace Floyd opposite Tate and B) Every time they show St. Michael on the sideline in civilian attire, a little more of my heart breaks. (Plus I'm trying to be overly pessimistic here to get street cred with the dregs of the messageboards.)

Michael Floyd was on his way to an all-world season when his fragile clavicle betrayed him. He would get an A for his efforts so far this season, because from his absolute domination of Nevada to the gravity-defying touchdown against Michigan, he was perfection. Following a few dropsies in the Michigan game, Golden Tate took it upon himself to double his efforts in his wingmate's absence, catching the winning touchdown against Michigan State, switching to a running back/Wildcat to help out Crist against Purdue and setting up the touchdown in overtime against Washington. Versus the Huskies, Tate had ten touches for 275 yards of offense, which is patently absurd. His sweat glands also seemingly secrete some sort of grease that makes him impossible to wrap up and tackle, which is a handy talent for a receiver to have.

After the very top of the depth chart, things get a little hazy. Almost as if the stats were trying to prove my point for me, Duval Kamara, Robby Parris and Shaq Evans each have seven catches on the season. Parris has a touchdown, Evans has been steadily trending upward (4 for 34 in the last game) and sadly, Deion Walker hasn't gotten much burn at all. Tate and Kyle Rudolph force the defense to pay a lot of attention to two players, so it would be nice if this second tier could really take a step forward against Southern Cal, either collectively or with one lone wolf taking the leap and wrestling control of a starting spot.

Tight ends: B+

Kyle Rudolph has two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns in the last two weeks and is simply an impossible match-up against most teams. (Sadly, Southern Cal can just throw Taylor Mays on him, which could be the most interesting showdown of them all on the 17^th.) Rudolph's run blocking could be a little more dominant, but he's such a force in the passing game, I can honestly say "Who cares?". Bobby Burger has done a great job in his role as back-up tight end/H-back/fullback, although he's not really a threat in the passing game at this point. (He also had a bad false start at the goal line versus Washington which was very much not good.) The lack of fun, sexy Mike Ragone times - or really any depth at the position - is troubling, and why this group also takes slight nick.

Offensive line: B+

I'm not going to even pretend like I can explain to you the particulars of how an offensive line works, why this one is working well or what the great individual plays have been, but I can say this: after the debacle of the last couple years, this line is significantly better in every capacity. How much of that to credit to Coach Verducci and how much goes to the natural maturing process of young linemen, I have no idea, but I'll take it. Clausen has been kept clean most of the season - there have been some issues at the tackles with speedy defensive ends on obvious passing downs - and the running game has oscillated between "perfectly effective" and "absolutely dominant," so I couldn't be prouder. The tackles have struggled a little, but you can't say enough about the interior of the line just consistently dominating up the point of attack. Some unnecessary false starts and certain plays just falling apart from the word "go" knock the grade down a little, if only because they are very much avoidable and unacceptable for a veteran corps.

Defensive line: B-

This was going to be a lot lower before the Washington game, but after the trio of goal line stands, I have to heap some credit onto the guys up front. There is a definite trend upwards in the last two games, as the unit helped to suffocate a good Purdue running attack before repeatedly stone-walling Jake Locker. After having only two tackles the entire season prior to last Saturday's game, Kerry Neal had seven against the Huskies. KLM had another seven, while Ethan Johnson had five. Everyone up front has a handful of tackles for loss, and again, I think every Irish fan is pretty happy with how things are moving over the last couple games.

This unit is extremely young, but you can see lights starting to click, as Ian Williams is shedding blockers at the point of attack and the Johnson/KLM combo becomes more and more active. John Ryan has even gotten into the act, with a sack, a tackle for loss and a deflected pass. Bonus points tacked on for Johnson's extra point block versus Michigan State, which cancelled out one of the few Nick Tausch miscues of the season. There is a long way to go, but there are positive signs that the opponent's offensive line is going to have more and more difficulty as the season progresses. (Hopefully.)

Linebackers: C-

Again, trending upward, but there have just been too many missed tackles and not enough big plays to justify a high grade here. Some of it could be the youth attempting to adjust to Tenuta's scheme, but the blitzes aren't getting there, and when they do, there seems to be a strong aversion to wrapping up. (Brian Smith's shoulder block on Polk late in the Washington game is a perfect example of these troubles.) Barely anyone finishes runners off, and pass coverage is not what you would expect with a bunch of very athletic guys out there. In Tenuta's scheme linebackers are supposed to shine, but that is not happening through five games.

Before an injury hampered him against the Huskies, Darius Fleming was slowly starting to emerge, with seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Brian Smith has been solid, although he hasn't approached the ceiling some Irish fans thought he had in the preseason. The shining, sparkling gem of the group is Manti Teo, who had his reins loosened considerably against Washington and responded with ten tackles. As Tate, Floyd and Rudolph took the receiving corps to the next level, hopefully Teo can lead the advancement of the linebackers to an elite unit. The talent is there, but until tackling becomes more certain and coverage tighter, this group will have a lot of room for improvement.

Kyle McCarthy: A

Remainder of the Secondary: D

First off, let us bask in the glow of McCarthy's season thus far. Forty-nine tackles, three picks (one of which saved the Michigan State game, another turning the Michigan game in Notre Dame's favor), two passes broken up and a huge (CLEAN) hit on fourth down to end the Washington game. McCarthy's season has been so good that when he didn't dive to catch Locker's fluttering pass near the end of regulation, everyone was surprised and/or disappointed. He almost never misses a tackle, wrapping up perfectly every time - and there are a lot of times. He's almost always in the right place at the right time and without him, this Irish team would almost assuredly be well below .500.

The rest of the secondary? Not so good. Whether they're having the same troubles as the linebacking corps in adjusting to Tenuta's scheme, or simply being instructed to play soft coverage, there just have barely been any plays made by the defensive backfield. Outside of McCarthy, the unit has two picks on the year and many, many more misplayed balls that turned potential interceptions into big plays for the opponent. Tate Forcier and Kirk Cousins both looked like Heisman candidates against the Irish, and Joey Elliott wasn't far behind. Notre Dame is 105^th in the nation in pass defense, (linebackers struggling with coverage have assisted with this number) and with McCarthy's sterling play, that's simply unacceptable. Going into the season this is the unit many Irish fans had the most faith in, and so far in 2009, that trust has not been justified.

Special Teams: B

On one hand, Nick Tausch has been nearly perfect in his role as placekicker, basically winning the Washington game with his foot. On the other hand, there are still no touchbacks on kickoffs, kickoff coverage has not been stellar and punting has been so bad that Weis had to make a switch before the last game. Theo Riddick has shown a nice burst in the kick return game, but really the only good thing consistently happening on special teams is the marked improvement of the place-kicking. This was originally lower, but after so many seasons of the field goal kicking being an adventure, there's a nice bump for consistency in that realm.

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There is a lot to talk about here, and this is just an attempt at being a conversation starter. So please, play nice, use YouTube/stats whenever possible, and most importantly, enjoy your weekend.

Here We Go Again: Clausen To Rudolph Redux, Hughes, Tausch, Help Notre Dame Survive Washington 37-30

CW — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:40:25 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

2 months ago: Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate is upended by Washington safety Nate Williams, hidden, to pick up a first down on the three-yard line in overtime during NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. Notre Dame defeated Washington 37-30 in overtime. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Forget about the team, has any fan base needed a bye week more than Notre Dame's this season? Huge onions efforts from the defensive line and the offense. What a ridiculous game, what a ridiculous season. There are a lot of things to fix, but for now, a win is a win is a win is a win. 4-1 and a chance to take a breather.

Go Irish, Beat Trojans.

Eleven questions concerning the UW/Notre Dame clash

John Berkowitz — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:21:24 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

2 months ago: Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian argues with an official in the second quarter of an NCAA football game against Stanford in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Christopher Wilson from "The Rakes of Mallow" blog which follows Notre Dame Athletics requested that we exchange questions during the week before the big game. What exactly are Rakes of Mallow anyway? Are they good with crackers?

Lets start off with five questions John Berkowitz asked about Notre Dame.

1. QB Jimmy Clausen has been bothered with a nasty turf toe injury. We hear he will start and that just may be gamesmanship on Charlie Weis's part, but how will his injury and lack of mobility effect the Notre Dame game plan on Saturday? Over all are injuries going to be a big challenge to overcome on offense for the Irish on Saturday?

I can assure you that there's no gamesmanship involved with Clausen's status, as the guy has been hobbling around on one leg for the last game and a half. Weis said he's in better shape now than he was at this point last week, but who knows how the week of practice will affect the injury. Back-up Dayne Crist looked competent against Purdue, but we'd obviously rather have Mr. Clausen out there guiding the offense, even at less than a hundred percent. Beyond moving around the pocket to avoid sacks, Weis' offense doesn't require a lot of running from his quarterback, but you'd obviously rather have your signal-caller at full strength instead of dragging his leg around like a useless appendage.

Star wideout Michael Floyd is gone for the season, and has been for the last six quarters, so the Irish are already adjusting to life without him (it is not as good as the life with him). Outside of Clausen, the most important injury variable will be the potential return of tailback Armando Allen, the fifteenth leading rusher in the nation after three games, who missed last Saturday's game but looks likely to return for this weekend's contest.

2. Tell us a little about the Irish running game. We have heard that they have put in the Wildcat to pump up the productivity of the run game. Are the irish having problems running the ball?

I can comfortably say, for the first time in a couple seasons, that the Irish are not having trouble running the ball. Frank Verducci was brought in to fix up an offensive line that had been positively woeful in 2007 and 2008, and so far, so good. Through the first three games, the Wildcat was used as a change of pace to varying degrees of effectiveness (rather blah results on two plays versus Nevada, two red zone touchdowns against Michigan State).

Against Purdue, things got a little desperate, as Armando Allen was unable to play and Jimmy Clausen was limping around on one leg. The Irish moved their number one receiver, Golden Tate, back to his high school position of running back and actually ran some zone read options with the more mobile red-shirt freshman Crist. It seems like Allen should be ready to go for Saturday's game - he was a late scratch at Purdue - which should serve as a big help for the Irish. If he doesn't go, junior Robert Hughes got the majority of the carries against Purdue, with freshman Theo Riddick and sophomore Jonas Gray (who has had a slight fumbling problem in his short career) chipping in.

3. The Irish defense has been giving up a lot of yardage through the air this season. Can you give us a quick rundown on the defense and in particular the secondary?

The front of the defense is very young, and they haven't done a great job with Jon Tenuta's blitzing attack up until this point (as the numbers show). There isn't an overwhelming amount of size, but the majority of the linebackers come with a very high pedigree. Freshman Manti Teo was a surprise commit from Hawaii and has slowly been working his way into the rotation, a monster of an athlete with great instincts who should cause some problems for opposing offenses. The front seven has done a good job of getting to the mobile quarterbacks the Irish have faced - Colin Kaepernick, Tate Forcier - but actually tackling them? That's a different story. As long as The Hurt Locker is capable of an occasional side step, he is going to give the Notre Dame defense nightmares unless they improve their tackling.

The secondary has been the cause of a lot of confusion this season. If you asked any Irish fan what area they were most comfortable with before kickoff against Nevada, I imagine a majority would have gone with the secondary over any other unit, yet they have struggled immensely so far this season. Kyle McCarthy has been great at anchoring the defense from safety, but the corner play from a bunch of highly regarded guys who have performed in the past (Walls, Gray, Blanton, McNeil) has led a lot of Irish backers to wonder if it is the Tenuta scheme that's causing the problem. Regardless of whether it's personnel or scheme, the Irish need to fix it if they want to avoid thrusting every quarterback they play into Heisman contention.

4. There seemed to be a lot of backlash directed at Charlie Weis after the tough Michigan loss. Has the heat toned down a bit after beating Michigan State and Purdue or is he still on the proverbial hot seat?

Charlie Weis is on the hot seat until this season ends, and even after that, there will be some that want his head. Some Irish fans pegged this team for winning eleven or twelve games before the season started, and Charlie will have to grapple with their expectations. I think Charlie is safe and sound at 9-3 and better, but anything below that and who knows. (Of course, the idea of firing a coach that goes 8-4 is hilarious, but what are you going to do? The people want blood, and depending on how the team looks the rest of the season, they may be justified.) With the bye week looming, it could be a long fortnight before Southern Cal for Weis if he can't hold serve at home against your Huskies.

5. You have probably seen Washington play at least once on TV and I know you have seen each Irish game at least five times. I am assuming you are predicting a Notre Dame victory on Saturday. Can you tell us how they are going to go about securing that victory? Are they going to run it down our throats after what happened at Stanford or will it be business as usual from the air?

I'm predicting a Notre Dame win, but the fourteen-point line is patently absurd against a team that outplayed LSU and beat Southern Cal. I'd say the Irish's best chance at victory will be to just focus on the running game, take shots deep when they get the chance and keep Jake Locker off the field as much as possible. I'm nervous that the Huskies played so poorly last week, because if this is to be an up-and-down type of season for the young Huskies, they're now due for the up bump. I imagine that Weis will attempt to establish the running game as much as he can early, and barring stiff opposition from the Huskies front seven, won't take to the air unless absolutely necessary. I'm horrible at predictions and try to avoid making them, but I imagine Notre Dame pulls out the win by a touchdown or so. And take the over, unless one of our defenses gets a lot better before 3:30pm Eastern on Saturday.

Christopher Wilson asks six questions about Washington.

1. Washington had a ton of starters coming back on defense, but have really struggled in stopping the run the last couple games. Would you chalk that up to going against two great running teams in Stanford and Southern Cal, or is the front seven a big point of concern?

We had a poor first quarter defending the USC running game but were able to shut it down to acceptable levels over the next three. I think a key component in that was USC taking themselves out of drives by turning the ball over. If USC plays a relatively clean game they end up beating Washington by 17 points even with the Huskies playing well.

As for the returning starters you have to take into consideration that they comprised the second worst defense in the BCS in 2008. Conditioning, strength, speed, talent level, and coaching were all huge problems while Tyrone Willingham was at Washington. The coaching and conditioning have dramatically improved. The talent level and overall speed can only be fixed by future recruiting classes. We have made some strides in strength over the last eight months but it takes a full 18 months to rebuild a football player from a total strength perspective.

Stanford is a very physical team on both sides of the ball. Jim Harbaugh has had three full years to rebuild this team and it shows. We just couldn't stop them no matter what adjustment we made. Obviously when you give up 320 yards to the Cardinal it is a huge concern for your front seven. Our linebackers are actually pretty good but the front line was simply blocked all night by Stanford. Games are won on the line of scrimmage for the most part and we were hammered on both sides of the ball by Stanford.

2. If there is a weakness for this Irish team, it is the youth up front on defense (although statistically, it's the passing defense - there are a lot of issues on that side of the ball). Is there a running back or running play we should be particularly concerned with containing?

Chris Polk is one of the better running backs in the Pac 10. He has the ability to break big one's but what is impressive is how he continues to get yards after contact. He just carries guys with him for 4-5 yards. We have a brute of a senior FB in Paul Homer. He won't carry the ball much but he is a battering ram from a blocking perspective. Johri Fogerson is Polk's backup and he has broken some big plays making catches out of the backfield this year.

Both Polk, Fogerson, and Homer can catch the ball. Polk had no room to run last week but still picked up 70 or so tough yards carrying guys with him. He is a gamer. QB Jake Locker hasn't been unleashed yet this season as a running threat. He can hurt a team when he turns the corner because he has 4.35 speed and the size of a linebacker. Think Tim Tebow West. He picked up nearly 1000 yards on the ground his freshman season.

3. Reading about the Huskies, it seems like Jake Locker is pretty much the entire offense, considering Washington's ranks in rushing the ball (94th) versus passing (38th) and Number Ten's heavy contributions to both. That plan was working rather well until Saturday night in Stanford, where Locker really struggled. Was there anything the Cardinal did to force that performance, or was it just an off game for a great quarterback? Notre Dame's defense has really struggled this year, but they've already seen some mobile guys with similar skillsets to Locker (Kaepernick, Forcier)

Jake Locker is the best QB in the Pac 10. He has a great arm and until last week thrived in Steve Sarkisian's pro-set offense. This season he is throwing first and running second, under Willingham he would run around 15 designed running plays per game. Under Sarkisian that number is closer to 2-3 and only if needed. They want to keep him healthy because if he goes down the season is over for the Huskies.

On Saturday night Jake simply had an off night and didn't respond well to the pressure even though he had plenty of it against LSU and USC. He had three drive killing turnovers which really threw him and the offense out of sync all night. I would like to credit Stanford but all three were obvious mental errors. When Jake is on his game he is pretty much unstoppable. I think you will see a different Jake Locker in South Bend. No offense to the Irish but from what I have seen of the ND defense it hasn't compared favorably to LSU, USC, and Stanford.

Even with all the running yards we gave up on Saturday our defense only gave up four touchdowns. If our offense had performed minus the turnovers we could have won that game. We just aren't good enough to beat a good team with a minus turnover ratio.

I wouldn't say Jake is the entire offense this year because we have actually gotten some pretty good production out of the running backs. The season is only four games old and we have had a brutal schedule. The balance will show in the stats as the season progresses.

4. Jon Tenuta loves blitzing, almost to a fault at this point in the season. How capable is the Huskies offensive line at protecting Locker?

Our offensive line had exceeded expectations until last Saturday against Stanford. Obviously we are used to handling speed after playing LSU close and beating USC. Our offensive line even though it has exceeded expectations is simply adequate at this point and won't get better until we bring in some better talent.

What is helping the line right now is that they are playing in front of an extremely mobile QB. When your QB runs a sub 4.35 it masks a lot of problems up front. Our running backs are excellent blockers and that helps too. If I was Jon Tenuta I would play UW straight up. When you blitz you are leaving your vulnerable secondary even more vulnerable. Jake has no problem getting around the end for a big gainer if you over run him. He actually has a better arm than Claussen and some very good receivers so if you can't catch him you can get burned by blitzing. UW uses a zone blocking scheme that features the infamous chop block this season. Notre Dame is going to have to adapt to that early.

5. If the Irish decide they want to air it out, how is the Washington secondary? Stanford only threw 14 times against them, and Aaron Corp was totally shut down in his start. I'm curious to know what to expect if Jimmy decides to chuck it deep.

We haven't really been tested by a QB of Jimmy's caliber yet except in practice. Aaron Corp really didn't have a chance and I wouldn't call him an elite QB anyway. LSU's Jordan Jefferson had two big plays for TD's when Washington had coverage errors while blitzing which left a young safety playing his first game on an island. They weren't long throws but LSU's Tolliver is just huge and super fast. So when the lone UW defender failed to stop him he was off to the races. Idaho was probably our best test so far against a QB who will play in the NFL some day. Nathan Enderle carved our secondary up with a lot of mid range stuff. They didn't break anything long but they picked up a lot of yards in front and just right over our LB's.

We know we are improved back there. We know we have made adjustments in personnel and schemes in the secondary that make us a better team. The long ball doesn't worry me. What does worry me is being picked apart on the mid range stuff. If Weis wants to stretch the field long all day I think he is missing out on what has proven to work best against our secondary. Obviously we need to get pressure on Clausen. He doesn't do well against pressure. I think the toe injury might be enough to slow him down considerably.

6. Finally, beyond the obvious advantages of ditching Ty Willingham for a coach with a heartbeat and getting Jake Locker back, what are the differences between this Huskies team and the one that got flattened by the Irish in Seattle this year?

There is a new attitude in Seattle. Coach Sarkisian and his staff our tireless workers and recruiters. They are going to turn this thing around a lot quicker than most people think. This team doesn't quit and the team you faced last year had quit on themselves. Even the coaching staff quit after the fourth game so it was a real mess to clean up.

We may not win on Saturday but your team is going to know that they were in a serious football game. The goal Washington has besides winning this year is gaining the respect of each opponent. I think we have done that so far and it will continue till the end of the season.

Washington is missing some pieces here and there but they are a sound fundamental football team in 2009. That was never the case under Coach Willingham. This team gets better every week and learns from its mistakes. They don't like losing and their is no apathy on the sidelines. Our team is playing with a lot of spirit. These kids are fired up when they hit the field. The difference between Washington 2008 and 2009 is night and day. Most importantly these guys believe right down to the very depth of their very soul that they are going to beat Notre Dame on Saturday. It worked against USC, came close to working against LSU, so why not Notre Dame?

If Notre Dame is going to win on Saturday they are going to have to kick Washington's butt in the trenches. If they don't do that and try to finesse their way through it they will come up on the short end of the stick.

Looking ahead to Notre Dame

John Berkowitz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:48:02 -0000

More photos » by Joe Raymond - AP

8 months ago: Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis looks on during the Blue Gold football game on Saturday, April 18, 2009 in South Bend, Ind. The game marks the completion of spring practice. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

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Washington is 0-7 against Notre Dame in a series that dates back to 1948. The Huskies arrive in South Bend as a 13 point underdog in the final meeting of a six game series set up by former UW AD Barbara Hedges many moons ago. You would think that the Irish would enjoy continuing the relationship because 7-0 against a BCS foe with a good reputation isn't a bad thing to have. However for now there are no more games scheduled in the immediate future.

Notre Dame is off to another rough start this season even though former Irish coach Lou Holtz predicted a national championship. The reason for Lou's prediction was simple. The Irish have the type of schedule this season that they can run from start to finish. That dream ended abruptly against Michigan when the Wolverines upset the Irish in the final minutes of the game.

All the Irish had to do in the Michigan game was keep the ball on the ground and run out the clock. For some strange reason Charlie Weis decided to air it out and it gave Michigan the opportunity to preserve its timeouts, have enough time to mount one more drive, and win the game.

Weis has taken a lot of heat for the Michigan game and things really haven't lightened up despite sporting a 3-1 record. Notre Dame looked like a world beater in its opener crushing Nevada 35-0. Then came the inexcusable 38-34 loss to Michigan. Close wins against Big Ten bottom feeders Michigan State 33-30 and Purdue last weekend 24-21 have the Irish faithful restless and speed dialing 1-800-Urban Meyer. Remember this is the same Purdue team which got their butts handed to them at home the previous week by Northern Illinois.

Next up is Washington who in Steve Sarkisian's first season has already accomplished what Charlie Weis has never come close to doing and that is coming up with a victory against USC. That brings us to the major rub on Weis. He has never won a game in his tenure at Notre Dame over a team he wasn't supposed to beat. He has never beaten USC and Boston College treats him like a red headed step child. That doesn't sit well with Irish fans.

Weis has recruited well at Notre Dame. It seems like he as a top five class almost every single season. Recruiting isn't the problem and it should never be a problem at Notre Dame. What seems to be the problem is that Weis and his staff have a tough time putting those pieces together on the field for game day. We know they have superior athletes to a Purdue, or Michigan State but for some reason they aren't getting it done the the satisfaction of Irish fans.

On offense the Irish prefer to throw the ball around the field all night without ever trying to establish a solid running game. QB Jimmy Clausen is a good looking QB. He has a quick release and can put some zip on the ball when he has time. He still has problems with his decision making and can go through spurts where he is wildly erratic such as the fourth quarter against Michigan.

Clausen has been banged up with a turf toe injury the past couple of weeks. He spent most of the second half of the Purdue game on the bench only to appear for the last drive of the game to hit the winning TD with 24 second left against the Boilermakers. Clausen is expected to start against Washington but his play is really going to be limited by that big toe and how many times they can shoot it full of painkillers and cortisone. Dayne Crist will fill in if Clausen can't go or is knocked out.

The Irish are also missing their top WR Michael Floyd who is out till November with a broken collarbone. Starting tailback Armando Allen also missed the Purdue game with an ankle problem but will most likely play against Washington if he checks out on Tuesday. With injuries affecting such key components of the Irish offense, last Saturday's game really was about survival. Moving forward, it's all about improvement. This is a team that doesn't have the look or feel of a Top 25 team yet.

Notre Dame has struggled to run the ball this season. One thing they have done to help that part of the game out is throw a little Wildcat offense into the playbook. Golden Tate picked up 55 yards on nine carries with a nice TD run against Purdue. Robert Hughes picked up 68 yards on 15 carries with a TD.

Lets put this all in perspective. They only scored 24 points and gained 383 yards with 72 coming on the last drive against a Purdue defense which has as much resistance as a sieve. Washington is no defensive Juggernaut as we saw last weekend but they are going to give the depleted Irish offense some problems because of the way the two teams match up.

Defensively the Irish are giving up too many yards through the air. Purdue scorched them for 283 yard last weekend. On the positive side they were able to shut down a good running attack limiting the Boilermakers to only 74 yards on the ground.

Washington has a good shot in this game because they are catching the Irish at a great time. Clausen if he starts is going to be less than mobile which will give the Husky defense a slow target to put pressure on. The Irish don't have the tools to put together a power running game to pound the Huskies either. On the other hand this is South Bend and we are playing a squad we haven't beaten in a history extending sixty years. Even when banged up at key positions the Irish have superior athletes and depth at most positions in comparison to Washington.

This one may actually come down to whose staff puts together the best game plan. Did I mention that Sarkisian and Holt are undefeated against Notre Dame? Did I mention that in every game Weis has faced them it hasn't been even close? Did I fail to mention the athletes at their disposal were at USC and that may have had a little to do with it? All that being said both of these coaches are very familiar with Weis and the Irish. They won't be intimidated.

For the players of course it is an entirely different thing. If the Irish were traveling to Seattle this week I would pick UW as the favorite regardless of what happened at Stanford. The Cardinal by the way are a much better football team than the Irish. Since this game is in South Bend it is going to be rough. The mystique of playing a game in the shadow of TD Jesus, Rockne, The Gipper, Rudy, and the Golden Dome is always a mental challenge to handle.

Game notes

Notre Dame completed its Big Ten record at 2-1, and now it starts its Pac-10 part of the schedule. The Irish take on three Pac-10 teams in October — facing Washington at home this week, and following a bye, USC and Washington State. Then, at the end of the year, it's a trip to Stanford.

I got more text messages last night from ND people saying that same thing: 'Good to see a quarterback with some guts,' " Weis said Sunday, a day after Clausen fought through turf toe to lead the Irish on a last-minute drive to a 24-21 win at Purdue. "The word might not have been 'guts,' but they were impressed."

I have been waiting for this game a long time. The Huskies don't often play in my neck of the woods and whenever they do it is special. We will be hosting folks from Seattle from Wednesday to Monday and having a Dawg Pound style tailgate before the game in South Bend

Weis: James Aldridge Out, Robert Hughes In At Fullback Against Michigan

CW — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:28:05 -0000

by Joe Raymond - AP

8 months ago: Notre Dame running back Robert Hughes breaks a tackle during the Blue Gold football game on Saturday April 18, 2009 in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

View full size photo »

Per Brian Hamilton's informative tweeting from Weis' presser, James Aldridge is out this week and doubtful for the Spartans with the shoulder injury he sustained in the opener. Robert Hughes, who had been surpassed on the halfback depthchart by sophomore Jonas Gray, will start in his play. Hughes has the size to be effective in the role and it's not like the coaching staff didn't just decide "Hey James, you're a fullback now," so this shouldn't be a difficult transition. Still, Aldridge got reps in the role for the entirety of fall practice, so there may be a learning curve for young Robert.

Also of note, Barry Gallup, Jr., will be returning kicks with freshman Theo Riddick in Aldridge's absence. The only bad thing about the shutout Saturday was that Riddick didn't get more chances with the return unit, but hopefully the Irish just keep shutting people out so we don't have to worry about muffed kickoff returns or poor decisions on whether to take a touchback or not.