Trying to look at the schedule from non-rose colored glasses is always tough for a fan. Can Notre Dame go undefeated? They probably can, but it's very unlikely this year. There are certain games that are tougher than others just based on the scheduling. I've gone into the last couple of seasons with big expectations and having been disappointed both years, I'm trying to even my expectations out.
Michigan State (East Lansing)
Going on the road for the first time under Brian Kelly, playing a rivalry game for the third week in a row, and playing maybe the best passing QB, Kirk Cousins, they'll play all season. This is Michigan State's first tough game of the season and maybe that helps ND out, but the Spartans should also be able to play very vanilla in their first two games and win easily, so maybe we'll see a new version of the 2007 fake fumble. If the schedule worked out better for the Irish I think this would be a middle game, but I think the Spartans might be able to beat up a team that has to play into the fourth quarter to put away it's first two opponents.
Pittsburgh (Home)
Dion Lewis and Jonathon Baldwin are maybe the best RB-WR combo the Irish will face all year and covering a 6-5 wide receiver is hard enough when you don't have to worry about an All-American type running back too. Pitt has won two games in a row in the series, and those games were close enough that maybe being at home under Brian Kelly would be enough to swing the game into a toss-up. Except the schedule steps in again, and places Pitt at the end of a hard six game open to the BK era and immediately following a road game at Boston College. It just seems like to much to soon for the Irish.
USC (Coliseum)
The same old, same old. Another very good, young QB, Matt Barkley and he has plenty of weapons to use. Notre Dame finally has the edge in coaching as Lane Kiffin is kind of the bizzaro Brian Kelly, in that he keeps losing games and getting hired at better jobs. I think the Irish are probably one year away from ending the streak but I expect this game to be the first close game in LA since 1997 when SC won by 3.
I can see Brian Kelly being able to win one of these games as he's a better coach than all three opposing coaches and winning games you're not supposed to used to be something that happened for the Irish. Maybe I should re-read Resurrection as it might apply better to Kelly's first year as opposed to Weis' last.
Purdon't is almost here. Can't wait for the 4th.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Tweeners 2010
These are the games that could go either way, Brian Kelly must split these games as a worst case scenario while escaping with only 1 loss would set up a good first season (as long as they win the 5 games that I think they should). I don't think there is a Michigan pick in the bunch (one that arguably fits better else where) but we'll see.
Stanford (Home)
One of the best games, well most exciting, games of 2009 will be without the three standout offensive stars of the game in 2010 (Gerhart, Tate and Clausen all left early). This year Stanford will be passing more with sophomore Andrew Luck at QB. They will also start a soph at running back either Stepfan Taylor or Tyler Gaffney. Former Domer Konrad Reuland is a TE along with Coby Fleener while their starters at wide out are also split with a sr. and a jr. in Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu. Another Irish transfer kicks for the Cardinal in Nate Whitaker. Owusu doubles as a KR and tied a Pac-10 record with 3 KR TD's last year. The defense is switching to a 3-4 and both starting DE's from last year have moved to outside line backer. The defensive backfield returns 2 or 3 starters from last year as one of the returnees lost his starting spot after getting injured. Without Gerhart you'd expect the running game to struggle but they return 4 Ofensive Linemen and their defense will take some time to adjust to the 3-4, unfortunately I think about the 4th game is when both sides will figure things out. I'm expecting a back and forth battle and the fourth quarter will decide this one.
Boston College (Chestnut Hill)
Another close game from last year that should be the same way this year. Mark Herzlich is expected to be as close to 100% as he can be this year and BC shot themselves in the foot last year with five turn overs. They return their sophomore qb Dave Shinskie, RB Montel Harris, a Flutie at WR and 4 of their starting offensive linemen. The defense returns 4 players that have started in the past on the line and 5 starters at LB with Herzlich back. They only return 2 starters in the DFB so that will probably be the weakest part of what should be a good to great defense. I don't have a good feeling about this game, but I expect it to be close and probably low scoring.
Navy (East Rutherford)
The Midshipmen return a sleeper Heisman candidate in Ricky Dobbs and their version of the option has given ND fits recently. The full back is the workhorse in this offense and SR Vince Murray appears ready for the work, Marcus Curry and Gee Gee Greene are the slot backs. The offensive line features 4 upper class men but having only 3 line man to cut could hurt their offensive game plan. The strength of Navy's defense should be their back field where they return 3 starters which is good because they lose 6 players from the front 7. I expect a grind it out game with Navy chewing clock as The Irish try to score as fast as possible which could equal some mistakes by ND's defense.
Utah (Home)
The team that probably sneaks under most Irish fans radar but that could change after their first game of the season, at home against Pitt. Their starting QB is Jordan Wynn a sophomore that was expected to red shirt last year until they needed a spark to beat Wyoming last year, he remained the starter for the rest of the year. They have to replace a lot in the receiving core but they have two SR running back's that should help the offense. They return 5 DL that started last year which is hard to do when you lose two starters. The line backers are very inexperienced but should be up to to speed by November and their DFB has only one player that started full time last year. I expect a game that is decided in the second half, but we'll know more after both teams have played Pitt.
These are the games that will swing Brian Kelly's first year and I think the BC game is probably the toughest of the four with Stanford a close second.
Stanford (Home)
One of the best games, well most exciting, games of 2009 will be without the three standout offensive stars of the game in 2010 (Gerhart, Tate and Clausen all left early). This year Stanford will be passing more with sophomore Andrew Luck at QB. They will also start a soph at running back either Stepfan Taylor or Tyler Gaffney. Former Domer Konrad Reuland is a TE along with Coby Fleener while their starters at wide out are also split with a sr. and a jr. in Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu. Another Irish transfer kicks for the Cardinal in Nate Whitaker. Owusu doubles as a KR and tied a Pac-10 record with 3 KR TD's last year. The defense is switching to a 3-4 and both starting DE's from last year have moved to outside line backer. The defensive backfield returns 2 or 3 starters from last year as one of the returnees lost his starting spot after getting injured. Without Gerhart you'd expect the running game to struggle but they return 4 Ofensive Linemen and their defense will take some time to adjust to the 3-4, unfortunately I think about the 4th game is when both sides will figure things out. I'm expecting a back and forth battle and the fourth quarter will decide this one.
Boston College (Chestnut Hill)
Another close game from last year that should be the same way this year. Mark Herzlich is expected to be as close to 100% as he can be this year and BC shot themselves in the foot last year with five turn overs. They return their sophomore qb Dave Shinskie, RB Montel Harris, a Flutie at WR and 4 of their starting offensive linemen. The defense returns 4 players that have started in the past on the line and 5 starters at LB with Herzlich back. They only return 2 starters in the DFB so that will probably be the weakest part of what should be a good to great defense. I don't have a good feeling about this game, but I expect it to be close and probably low scoring.
Navy (East Rutherford)
The Midshipmen return a sleeper Heisman candidate in Ricky Dobbs and their version of the option has given ND fits recently. The full back is the workhorse in this offense and SR Vince Murray appears ready for the work, Marcus Curry and Gee Gee Greene are the slot backs. The offensive line features 4 upper class men but having only 3 line man to cut could hurt their offensive game plan. The strength of Navy's defense should be their back field where they return 3 starters which is good because they lose 6 players from the front 7. I expect a grind it out game with Navy chewing clock as The Irish try to score as fast as possible which could equal some mistakes by ND's defense.
Utah (Home)
The team that probably sneaks under most Irish fans radar but that could change after their first game of the season, at home against Pitt. Their starting QB is Jordan Wynn a sophomore that was expected to red shirt last year until they needed a spark to beat Wyoming last year, he remained the starter for the rest of the year. They have to replace a lot in the receiving core but they have two SR running back's that should help the offense. They return 5 DL that started last year which is hard to do when you lose two starters. The line backers are very inexperienced but should be up to to speed by November and their DFB has only one player that started full time last year. I expect a game that is decided in the second half, but we'll know more after both teams have played Pitt.
These are the games that will swing Brian Kelly's first year and I think the BC game is probably the toughest of the four with Stanford a close second.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Notre Dame vs. Texas Again
The Irish and the Longhorns are close to agreeing to a 4 game contract starting in 2015. This is a scheduling I can get behind. While I like playing (and beating) Purdue, Texas is a huge step up and the best opponent The Irish will play those four years. USC is not going to be as good under Lane as they were under Pete, Pete built a great program no doubt about it, but Lane as long as he is there, (under 5 years if you ask me) the program will settle into a team that wins the Pac-10? once in awhile instead of every year. Texas will be THE PROGRAM outside of the SEC for as long as Mack Brown wants it to be.
The hit by Bryan Westbrook is still one of the best hits I've ever seen and the two games in the mid-nineties are great memories I have of an ND that wasn't scared to play anybody. That didn't include Tulsa and Western Michigan, Army is a historical match-up that I don't mind but shouldn't be an annual game by any means. I like that The Irish play Michigan, Navy, Michigan State and USC every year, if you include Purdue, BC and Pitt in annual opponents it's hard to schedule under the current 7-4-1 schedule. I wouldn't mind going to a 6-5-1 in the future but I don't think Swarbrick is interested in more road games (somebody has to pay for the non-revenue squads to go to South Florida). Notre Dame is dropping Stanford and I fear that they are going to schedule a weaker opponent in their place.
I prefer the toughest opponents we can schedule and I think the Big Ten is going to have openings in November now that they are going to a Championship Game in December. Hi, Wisconsin/Iowa/Nebraska/Penn State/Ohio State would you care to play a home and home? How about a 4 game series with two home games (one each) and two neutral site games? UConn/South Florida/West Virginia/Cincinnati would also be interested I imagine. The Big 12 outside of Texas is going to need some good non-conference games as well so say hello to Oklahoma/Oklahoma State/Texas Tech/Texas A&M welcome them to South Bend under the same agreements.
The Irish should not be playing Western Michigan and Tulsa under any circumstances, even trading them in for lesser teams from BCS conferences isn't a terrible idea. Oh, hi, ACC, Virginia Tech/Florida State/Wake Forest/Georgia Tech/Clemson could probably find a way to sneak ND onto their schedule. The SEC houses multiple teams that would enhance any teams schedule while Alabama/Georgia/FLORIDA/Ole Miss/LSU have not shown a real interest in playing road games out of conference, putting The Irish on their home schedule should be enticing enough for them. If ND is going to play non-BCS teams, how about BYU or Boise State? Build on the Utah game as well.
Play the best, beat the best. I think this is how ND became ND. They should continue this. A schedule featuring SCUofM, MSU, BC, USC, Navy, an SEC team, a Big 12? team, another Pac-10? team, however many Big East teams we have to play and wildcards of another ACC team, another Big Ten? team, or an extra Big East team should be who ND plays.
Texas and Miami should be just the beginning on future schedules, not something to fall back on.
The hit by Bryan Westbrook is still one of the best hits I've ever seen and the two games in the mid-nineties are great memories I have of an ND that wasn't scared to play anybody. That didn't include Tulsa and Western Michigan, Army is a historical match-up that I don't mind but shouldn't be an annual game by any means. I like that The Irish play Michigan, Navy, Michigan State and USC every year, if you include Purdue, BC and Pitt in annual opponents it's hard to schedule under the current 7-4-1 schedule. I wouldn't mind going to a 6-5-1 in the future but I don't think Swarbrick is interested in more road games (somebody has to pay for the non-revenue squads to go to South Florida). Notre Dame is dropping Stanford and I fear that they are going to schedule a weaker opponent in their place.
I prefer the toughest opponents we can schedule and I think the Big Ten is going to have openings in November now that they are going to a Championship Game in December. Hi, Wisconsin/Iowa/Nebraska/Penn State/Ohio State would you care to play a home and home? How about a 4 game series with two home games (one each) and two neutral site games? UConn/South Florida/West Virginia/Cincinnati would also be interested I imagine. The Big 12 outside of Texas is going to need some good non-conference games as well so say hello to Oklahoma/Oklahoma State/Texas Tech/Texas A&M welcome them to South Bend under the same agreements.
The Irish should not be playing Western Michigan and Tulsa under any circumstances, even trading them in for lesser teams from BCS conferences isn't a terrible idea. Oh, hi, ACC, Virginia Tech/Florida State/Wake Forest/Georgia Tech/Clemson could probably find a way to sneak ND onto their schedule. The SEC houses multiple teams that would enhance any teams schedule while Alabama/Georgia/FLORIDA/Ole Miss/LSU have not shown a real interest in playing road games out of conference, putting The Irish on their home schedule should be enticing enough for them. If ND is going to play non-BCS teams, how about BYU or Boise State? Build on the Utah game as well.
Play the best, beat the best. I think this is how ND became ND. They should continue this. A schedule featuring SCUofM, MSU, BC, USC, Navy, an SEC team, a Big 12? team, another Pac-10? team, however many Big East teams we have to play and wildcards of another ACC team, another Big Ten? team, or an extra Big East team should be who ND plays.
Texas and Miami should be just the beginning on future schedules, not something to fall back on.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Who They'll Beat 2010
A series of three sets of predictions, we'll start first with the game I expect the Irish to win. With only the spring game underneath the coach's belt, it is hard to get a feel for this team. Of course, I was expecting 9 wins minimum the previous two years, so maybe the less knowledge the better.
Purdue (Home)
One of the few teams on the schedule that had a worse record than Notre Dame (5-7), although they also had one win better than any in the Weis era, beating Ohio State. They return an All-Big 10 wide receiver in Keith Smith and add a QB that started his freshman year at Miami, in Robert Marve. A torn acl for Ralph Bolden leaves the Running Back situation a question mark and there are numerous holes in the defense, including filling all four defensive back spots.
-Notre Dame 38 Pudue 13
Western Michigan (Home)
A that lost 4 games in the MAC and went 5-7 overall, finished third in the MAC West last year. They will be lucky to finish similarly this year which means the Irish should win big.
-Notre Dame 56 WMU 7
Tulsa (Home)
Another team from a non-BCS conference, who had a 5-7 record last year that comes to Notre Dame Stadium. They return their leading passer and rusher from last year in Texas transfer QB G.J. Kinne. Last year they lost close games to Boise State (28-21), Houston (46-45) and UTEP (28-24). The offense should be much improved with four returning wide receivers including Damaris Johnson one of the most explosive players in C-USA.
-Notre Dame 45 Tulsa 24
Army (Yankee Stadium)
Another 5 - 7 team from last year. Army should be improved from last year as they have 16 returning starters. Playing them after Navy makes adjusting to the option easier (which is why ND should play them before Navy) but it's still a completely different defense then The Irish will use the rest of the reason. Army's QB Trent Steelman was their first freshman starting QB in the modern era and while no Ricky Dobbs is a good option quarterback.
-Notre Dame 42 Army 10
Michigan (Notre Dame Stadium)
Why not list all the 5-7 teams from last year. I don't expect Michigan's defense to be any good especially after losing Brandon Graham so another big offensive game is expected. Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are back at QB and are joined by true freshman Devin Gardner, who was one of the top QB recruits in the nation last year. The rest of specialty players are new to the starting line-up outside of TE Kevin Koger. On defense they return Obi Ezeh and that's about it, but they should still improve as they continue to adjust to the Rich-Rod 3-3-5.
-Notre Dame 35 Michigan 24
Those all the guarantee games, I'm willing to make and putting Michigan on this list scares me just because of last year. 5 wins or bust for The Irish you heard it here first. I'll be back with my coin toss games and scare tactics games.
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Purdue (Home)
One of the few teams on the schedule that had a worse record than Notre Dame (5-7), although they also had one win better than any in the Weis era, beating Ohio State. They return an All-Big 10 wide receiver in Keith Smith and add a QB that started his freshman year at Miami, in Robert Marve. A torn acl for Ralph Bolden leaves the Running Back situation a question mark and there are numerous holes in the defense, including filling all four defensive back spots.
-Notre Dame 38 Pudue 13
Western Michigan (Home)
A that lost 4 games in the MAC and went 5-7 overall, finished third in the MAC West last year. They will be lucky to finish similarly this year which means the Irish should win big.
-Notre Dame 56 WMU 7
Tulsa (Home)
Another team from a non-BCS conference, who had a 5-7 record last year that comes to Notre Dame Stadium. They return their leading passer and rusher from last year in Texas transfer QB G.J. Kinne. Last year they lost close games to Boise State (28-21), Houston (46-45) and UTEP (28-24). The offense should be much improved with four returning wide receivers including Damaris Johnson one of the most explosive players in C-USA.
-Notre Dame 45 Tulsa 24
Army (Yankee Stadium)
Another 5 - 7 team from last year. Army should be improved from last year as they have 16 returning starters. Playing them after Navy makes adjusting to the option easier (which is why ND should play them before Navy) but it's still a completely different defense then The Irish will use the rest of the reason. Army's QB Trent Steelman was their first freshman starting QB in the modern era and while no Ricky Dobbs is a good option quarterback.
-Notre Dame 42 Army 10
Michigan (Notre Dame Stadium)
Why not list all the 5-7 teams from last year. I don't expect Michigan's defense to be any good especially after losing Brandon Graham so another big offensive game is expected. Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are back at QB and are joined by true freshman Devin Gardner, who was one of the top QB recruits in the nation last year. The rest of specialty players are new to the starting line-up outside of TE Kevin Koger. On defense they return Obi Ezeh and that's about it, but they should still improve as they continue to adjust to the Rich-Rod 3-3-5.
-Notre Dame 35 Michigan 24
Those all the guarantee games, I'm willing to make and putting Michigan on this list scares me just because of last year. 5 wins or bust for The Irish you heard it here first. I'll be back with my coin toss games and scare tactics games.
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Thursday, July 8, 2010
What EA Sports Thinks of ND's Team
A breakdown of the ratings that EA Sports has assigned to the Notre Dame roster on their upcoming release of NCAA Football 11. Not that these ratings are actually based on real life people. That would be wrong. All ratings come from EA Sports Teambuilder website.
QB's (C)
Dayne Crist (SO) is rated 83 Overall (OVR). He has a Throw Power/Accuracy (TPW/TAC) of 92/86 and Speed/Acceleration (SPD/ACC) 68/62. His injury rating is 76 while Awareness (AWR) is 70.
Andrew Hendrix (FR) is rated 74 OVR, with TPW/TAC of 87/86, and SPD/ACC of 88/71. AWR is 40
I'm guessing Luke Massa (FR) is QB #8 but it could just as easily be Tommy Rees (FR) a 65 OVR with TPW/TAC of 80/80 and SPD/ACC of 78/89. AWR is 40.
Nate Montana (JR) makes the cut as a 59 OVR. TPW/TAC of 77/74 and SPD/ACC of 65/68 and AWR of 45.
Much like the actual football team, the video game team needs Dayne Crist to stay healthy to be good/great.
RBs (B)
Armando Allen (SR) is a 90 OVR, with SPD/ACC 95/96, AWR of 89, Catching (CTH) 75 and Elusiveness (ELV) of 92.
Robert Hughes (SR) is an 83 OVR, SPD/ACC 85/90, AWR of 72, Break Tackle (BKT) 80, CTH 72.
Theo Riddick (SO) is in the game at RB and is a 77 OVR, SPD/ACC 88/85, an outstanding Stamina (STM) rating of 97 and CTH of 68.
Jonas Gray (JR) is a 75 OVR, SPD/ACC 85/83, nothing else stands out and a CTH of 67.
Cierre Wood (SO) is a 75 OVR, SPD/ACC 93/87, STM of 94, ELV of 79 and a CTH of 68.
Cameron Roberson (FR) is a 74 OVR, SPD/ACC of 90/90, STM of 96 and a CTH of 65.
Bobby Burger (SR) is in the game at FB a 69 OVR, SPD/ACC of 70/74.
With Theo Riddick actually a WR, which roster editors will attend too, the RB depth isn't as good as it is in real life. I expect Cierre or Jonas to break out this year, in that order.
WR's (A-)
Michael Floyd (JR) is the highest rated of all the Fighting Irish at a 97 OVR, SPD/ACC of 90/96, AWR 90, STM 98, INJ surprisingly is at 88, CTH is 92, while his Spectacular Catch (SPC) is 94.
Duval Kumara (SR) is 85 OVR, SPD/ACC of 88/88, CTH of 84, STM of 99.
Shaq Evans (SO) is a 82 OVR, SPD/ACC 97/83, CTH 78, STM 96, and an AWR of just 55.
Deion Walker (SO) is an 80 OVR, SPD/ACC of 95/90, STM of 98, CTH of 74 and an AWR of 56.
Tai-ler "DASH" Jones (FR) is a 77 OVR, SPD/ACC of 88/97 CTH of 80, STM of 94.
Daniel Smith (FR) is a 69 OVR with SPD/ACC of 96/80, CTH of 70 and STM of 95.
Bennett Jackson (FR) is a 68 OVR, SPD/ACC of 87/90 and a CTH of just 68.
Notable absences include John Goodman and Robbie Toma.
The receiving depth and talent in real life is much better that represented in video game form. John Goodman is poised for a Treme like breakout and DASH should fit into this offense better than Shaq, Toma and Deion did as rookies.
TE (A-)
Kyle Rudolph (JR) is a 90 OVR with SPD/ACC of 82/86 an 80 BTK and 88/87 CTH/CIT (catch in traffic).
Mike Ragone (JR) is a 82 OVR, SPD/ACC of 84/85 and CTH/CIT of 79/76.
Tyler Eifert (FR) is a 73 OVR, SPD/ACC of 80/75 and CTH/CIT of 72/71.
I like the relative depth at TE and Rudy 2.0 is a stud who I might have to win a Heisman with.
OL (C+)
Left Tackles
Matt Romine (SR) is 79 OVR, with a 78 Pass Block (PB) and 76 Run Block (RB) and a 80 Impact Block (IB).
Lane Clelland (JR) is a 74 OVR, with 80/75/89 PB/RB/IB.
I think they left Matt James in the game. RIP.
Left Guards
Chris Watt (SO) is a 83 OVR with 82's across the board.
Braxston Cave (JR) is 74 OVR with 80/80/79.
Mike Hernandez (JR) is a 72 OVR with 75/75/72.
Centers
Mike Golic Jr. (SO) is a 81 OVR with 78/78/80.
Jordan Cowart (SO) is a 72 OVR with 75/75/70.
Right Guards
Trevor Robinson (JR) is an 80 OVR with 80/85/85.
Tate Nichols (FR) is a 73 OVR with 77/78/77.
Alex Bullard (SO) is 73 OVR with 78/85/78.
Right Tackles
Taylor Dever (JR) is an 80 OVR with 87/87/83.
Zack Martin (SO) is a 70 OVR with 77/74/69.
Offensive Line is the biggest question mark on this teams offense in real life so the corresponding stats aren't a surprise. Dayne Crist will be rolling out a lot to stay safe in video games.
Defensive Line (B-)
Defensive Line (B+)
Left Ends
Kapron Lewis-Moore (SO) is an 81 OVR with 79 SPD, 80 Strength (STG), 82 Power Move (PM), and 78 Tackle (TKL).
Emeka Nwanko (JR) is a 72 OVR with 62/85/85/78.
Christopher Skubis (SR) is a 66 OVR with 77/72/60/70.
Right Ends
Kerry Neal (SR) is a 79 OVR with 81/74/65/80.
Kona Schwenke (FR) is a 64 OVR with 80/68/60/65.
Defensive Tackles
Ian Williams (SR) is an 86 OVR with 65/85/73/86.
Ethan Johnson (JR) is an 84 OVR with 76/86/85/76.
Louis Nix (FR) is a 76 OVR with 68/85/84/79.
Brandon Newman (SO) is 70 OVR with 58/77/73/78.
Hafis Williams (JR) is a 77 OVR with 68/74/74/70.
Sean Cynwar is a 63 OVR with 59/76/70/72.
The Defensive Line has a couple of very good players and a couple of players that could make a huge leap this year. There is enough depth that switching out players due to fatigue shouldn't be a huge drop in talent.
Linebackers (B)
Left Outside Line Backers
Darius Fleming (JR) is a 78 OVR with 84 SPD, 82 ACC, 80 TKL, and 86 Pursuit (PRS).
Dan Fox (SO) is a 76 OVR with 79/85/79/67.
Justin Utopo (FR) is a 73 OVR with 87/80/75/75.
Right Outside Line Backers
Manti T'eo (SO) is an 89 OVR with 86/85/88/94.
David Posluszny (SO) is a 73 OVR with 81/70/76/79,
Kendall Moore (FR) is a 70 OVR with 83/80/79/72.
Middle Line Backers
Brian Smith (SR) is an 86 OVR with 85/86/86/ and 82 Hit Power (HTP).
Prince Shembo (FR) is a 73 OVR with a 83/82/81/78.
Anthony McDonald (SO) is a 73 OVR with a 79/84/77/74.
Carlo Calabrese (SO) is a 66 OVR with 78/88/77/65.
Brian Smith and Manti T'eo are the two standouts at line backer with Prince Shembo having a great chance to grow into a player that's as good as his name.
Cornerbacks (B+)
Robert Blanton (JR) is an 86 OVR with 92 SPD, 95 ACC, 76 TKL and 93 Pursuit.
Gary Gray (JR) is an 85 OVR with 96/88/73/94.
E.J. Banks (SO) is a 75 OVR with 94/90/67/68.
Lo Wood (FR) is a 68 OVR with 90/88/68/79.
Spencer Boyd (FR) is 67 OVR with 90/88/65/74.
They seem to have left Darrin Walls out and in his place is a guy who I have no idea who he is. Even after scouring through the roster. Without Darrin Walls the Irish still have two very good cover corners and should be able to play with even the best wide receivers.
Safeties (C-)
Free
Jamoris Slaughter (SO) is an 80 OVR with 90 SPD, 95 ACC, 72 TKL and 88 PRS.
Dan McCarthy (SO) is a 77 OVR with 90/86/75/89.
Derek Roback (FR) is a 66 OVR with 82/89/66/70.
Strong
Harrison Smith (SR) is a 78 OVR with 90/82/82/89.
Chris Badger (FR) is 70 OVR with 88/85/77/70.
With no Kyle McCarthy to take charge in the defensive back field this could be a bad year for the safety. Harrison Smith might be the biggest question mark on the entire team, he needs to know what he's doing at all times.
Specialties (B+)
Nick Tausch (SO) is an 89 OVR with 92 Kick Power and 89 Kick Accuracy.
Ben Turk (SO) is an 84 OVR with 89/82.
The kicking game looks like a strength in virtual games, so winning field position battles should be easy.
Return Rating
Shaq Evans 90
Michael Floyd 94
Armando Allen 88
Robert Hughes 87
Cierre Wood 90
Tai-ler Jones 88
Deion Walker 82
Daniel Smith 85
Robert Blanton 81
Dan McCarthy 82
Jamoris Slaughter 90
This is the base Notre Dame roster so all your complaints can go straight to EA. I'm just the middle man. Their are some very, very good roster editors out there who will fix Notre Dame (and those other teams) up. If you're interested in a game some time my 360 gamer tag is NDeezlo.
Game officially comes out Tuesday although some stores have begun selling them early so you might be able to find one this weekend.
QB's (C)
Dayne Crist (SO) is rated 83 Overall (OVR). He has a Throw Power/Accuracy (TPW/TAC) of 92/86 and Speed/Acceleration (SPD/ACC) 68/62. His injury rating is 76 while Awareness (AWR) is 70.
Andrew Hendrix (FR) is rated 74 OVR, with TPW/TAC of 87/86, and SPD/ACC of 88/71. AWR is 40
I'm guessing Luke Massa (FR) is QB #8 but it could just as easily be Tommy Rees (FR) a 65 OVR with TPW/TAC of 80/80 and SPD/ACC of 78/89. AWR is 40.
Nate Montana (JR) makes the cut as a 59 OVR. TPW/TAC of 77/74 and SPD/ACC of 65/68 and AWR of 45.
Much like the actual football team, the video game team needs Dayne Crist to stay healthy to be good/great.
RBs (B)
Armando Allen (SR) is a 90 OVR, with SPD/ACC 95/96, AWR of 89, Catching (CTH) 75 and Elusiveness (ELV) of 92.
Robert Hughes (SR) is an 83 OVR, SPD/ACC 85/90, AWR of 72, Break Tackle (BKT) 80, CTH 72.
Theo Riddick (SO) is in the game at RB and is a 77 OVR, SPD/ACC 88/85, an outstanding Stamina (STM) rating of 97 and CTH of 68.
Jonas Gray (JR) is a 75 OVR, SPD/ACC 85/83, nothing else stands out and a CTH of 67.
Cierre Wood (SO) is a 75 OVR, SPD/ACC 93/87, STM of 94, ELV of 79 and a CTH of 68.
Cameron Roberson (FR) is a 74 OVR, SPD/ACC of 90/90, STM of 96 and a CTH of 65.
Bobby Burger (SR) is in the game at FB a 69 OVR, SPD/ACC of 70/74.
With Theo Riddick actually a WR, which roster editors will attend too, the RB depth isn't as good as it is in real life. I expect Cierre or Jonas to break out this year, in that order.
WR's (A-)
Michael Floyd (JR) is the highest rated of all the Fighting Irish at a 97 OVR, SPD/ACC of 90/96, AWR 90, STM 98, INJ surprisingly is at 88, CTH is 92, while his Spectacular Catch (SPC) is 94.
Duval Kumara (SR) is 85 OVR, SPD/ACC of 88/88, CTH of 84, STM of 99.
Shaq Evans (SO) is a 82 OVR, SPD/ACC 97/83, CTH 78, STM 96, and an AWR of just 55.
Deion Walker (SO) is an 80 OVR, SPD/ACC of 95/90, STM of 98, CTH of 74 and an AWR of 56.
Tai-ler "DASH" Jones (FR) is a 77 OVR, SPD/ACC of 88/97 CTH of 80, STM of 94.
Daniel Smith (FR) is a 69 OVR with SPD/ACC of 96/80, CTH of 70 and STM of 95.
Bennett Jackson (FR) is a 68 OVR, SPD/ACC of 87/90 and a CTH of just 68.
Notable absences include John Goodman and Robbie Toma.
The receiving depth and talent in real life is much better that represented in video game form. John Goodman is poised for a Treme like breakout and DASH should fit into this offense better than Shaq, Toma and Deion did as rookies.
TE (A-)
Kyle Rudolph (JR) is a 90 OVR with SPD/ACC of 82/86 an 80 BTK and 88/87 CTH/CIT (catch in traffic).
Mike Ragone (JR) is a 82 OVR, SPD/ACC of 84/85 and CTH/CIT of 79/76.
Tyler Eifert (FR) is a 73 OVR, SPD/ACC of 80/75 and CTH/CIT of 72/71.
I like the relative depth at TE and Rudy 2.0 is a stud who I might have to win a Heisman with.
OL (C+)
Left Tackles
Matt Romine (SR) is 79 OVR, with a 78 Pass Block (PB) and 76 Run Block (RB) and a 80 Impact Block (IB).
Lane Clelland (JR) is a 74 OVR, with 80/75/89 PB/RB/IB.
I think they left Matt James in the game. RIP.
Left Guards
Chris Watt (SO) is a 83 OVR with 82's across the board.
Braxston Cave (JR) is 74 OVR with 80/80/79.
Mike Hernandez (JR) is a 72 OVR with 75/75/72.
Centers
Mike Golic Jr. (SO) is a 81 OVR with 78/78/80.
Jordan Cowart (SO) is a 72 OVR with 75/75/70.
Right Guards
Trevor Robinson (JR) is an 80 OVR with 80/85/85.
Tate Nichols (FR) is a 73 OVR with 77/78/77.
Alex Bullard (SO) is 73 OVR with 78/85/78.
Right Tackles
Taylor Dever (JR) is an 80 OVR with 87/87/83.
Zack Martin (SO) is a 70 OVR with 77/74/69.
Offensive Line is the biggest question mark on this teams offense in real life so the corresponding stats aren't a surprise. Dayne Crist will be rolling out a lot to stay safe in video games.
Defensive Line (B-)
Defensive Line (B+)
Left Ends
Kapron Lewis-Moore (SO) is an 81 OVR with 79 SPD, 80 Strength (STG), 82 Power Move (PM), and 78 Tackle (TKL).
Emeka Nwanko (JR) is a 72 OVR with 62/85/85/78.
Christopher Skubis (SR) is a 66 OVR with 77/72/60/70.
Right Ends
Kerry Neal (SR) is a 79 OVR with 81/74/65/80.
Kona Schwenke (FR) is a 64 OVR with 80/68/60/65.
Defensive Tackles
Ian Williams (SR) is an 86 OVR with 65/85/73/86.
Ethan Johnson (JR) is an 84 OVR with 76/86/85/76.
Louis Nix (FR) is a 76 OVR with 68/85/84/79.
Brandon Newman (SO) is 70 OVR with 58/77/73/78.
Hafis Williams (JR) is a 77 OVR with 68/74/74/70.
Sean Cynwar is a 63 OVR with 59/76/70/72.
The Defensive Line has a couple of very good players and a couple of players that could make a huge leap this year. There is enough depth that switching out players due to fatigue shouldn't be a huge drop in talent.
Linebackers (B)
Left Outside Line Backers
Darius Fleming (JR) is a 78 OVR with 84 SPD, 82 ACC, 80 TKL, and 86 Pursuit (PRS).
Dan Fox (SO) is a 76 OVR with 79/85/79/67.
Justin Utopo (FR) is a 73 OVR with 87/80/75/75.
Right Outside Line Backers
Manti T'eo (SO) is an 89 OVR with 86/85/88/94.
David Posluszny (SO) is a 73 OVR with 81/70/76/79,
Kendall Moore (FR) is a 70 OVR with 83/80/79/72.
Middle Line Backers
Brian Smith (SR) is an 86 OVR with 85/86/86/ and 82 Hit Power (HTP).
Prince Shembo (FR) is a 73 OVR with a 83/82/81/78.
Anthony McDonald (SO) is a 73 OVR with a 79/84/77/74.
Carlo Calabrese (SO) is a 66 OVR with 78/88/77/65.
Brian Smith and Manti T'eo are the two standouts at line backer with Prince Shembo having a great chance to grow into a player that's as good as his name.
Cornerbacks (B+)
Robert Blanton (JR) is an 86 OVR with 92 SPD, 95 ACC, 76 TKL and 93 Pursuit.
Gary Gray (JR) is an 85 OVR with 96/88/73/94.
E.J. Banks (SO) is a 75 OVR with 94/90/67/68.
Lo Wood (FR) is a 68 OVR with 90/88/68/79.
Spencer Boyd (FR) is 67 OVR with 90/88/65/74.
They seem to have left Darrin Walls out and in his place is a guy who I have no idea who he is. Even after scouring through the roster. Without Darrin Walls the Irish still have two very good cover corners and should be able to play with even the best wide receivers.
Safeties (C-)
Free
Jamoris Slaughter (SO) is an 80 OVR with 90 SPD, 95 ACC, 72 TKL and 88 PRS.
Dan McCarthy (SO) is a 77 OVR with 90/86/75/89.
Derek Roback (FR) is a 66 OVR with 82/89/66/70.
Strong
Harrison Smith (SR) is a 78 OVR with 90/82/82/89.
Chris Badger (FR) is 70 OVR with 88/85/77/70.
With no Kyle McCarthy to take charge in the defensive back field this could be a bad year for the safety. Harrison Smith might be the biggest question mark on the entire team, he needs to know what he's doing at all times.
Specialties (B+)
Nick Tausch (SO) is an 89 OVR with 92 Kick Power and 89 Kick Accuracy.
Ben Turk (SO) is an 84 OVR with 89/82.
The kicking game looks like a strength in virtual games, so winning field position battles should be easy.
Return Rating
Shaq Evans 90
Michael Floyd 94
Armando Allen 88
Robert Hughes 87
Cierre Wood 90
Tai-ler Jones 88
Deion Walker 82
Daniel Smith 85
Robert Blanton 81
Dan McCarthy 82
Jamoris Slaughter 90
This is the base Notre Dame roster so all your complaints can go straight to EA. I'm just the middle man. Their are some very, very good roster editors out there who will fix Notre Dame (and those other teams) up. If you're interested in a game some time my 360 gamer tag is NDeezlo.
Game officially comes out Tuesday although some stores have begun selling them early so you might be able to find one this weekend.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Who's Next? 5-7-10
A recruiting round-up following spring practice.
Commits:
Kyle Brindza, Kicker, 6-2 195, Canton, MI. Most important he plays his home games in the same high school stadium I played mine, although for a school that didn't exist while I was attending (wanna know how to feel old?). A junior on path to graduate in June and is interested in skipping his senior of high school to attend Notre Dame in September. He brings touch backs into the conversation on every kickoff. He also punts which could be big if Eric Maust decides to play pro baseball and Ben Turk is the only returning punter. Possible nicknames "20" or "Human Touch Back" or "Gus".
Brad Carrico, DE, 6-6 255, Dublin, Ohio. The first commit for the 2011 class came from the state of, you guessed it, Ohio. A position of need as defensive line is seen as a weak point at this point. He also had offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Purdue and West Virginia and comes from the high school that gave Notre Dame Chinedum Ndukwe and Brady Quinn. Any nickname suggestions?
Matthias Farley, Ath, 6-1 195, Charlotte, NC. Mostly being recruited as a wide receiver, the Irish coaches Bob Diaco and Chuck Martin have convinced him that corner back is a better place for his talent, and maybe a quicker road to the field. He caught 37 passes for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns in his only year of organized play, passing up soccer for football ala Shane Walton, although he chose it a little bit earlier than Shane. I'm thinking something Chris Farley related, "Black Sheep" or "South Bend Ninja" possibly "Dirty Work"
Jarrett Grace, ILB, 6-4 235 Cincinnati, Ohio. A player that Brian Kelly and Company began recruiting while still with the Bearcats and finished with him committing to the Irish during the festivities for the spring game. Chris Berman would suggest we call him Jarrett Grace "Kelly" so lets no do that. I like Jarret "Say" Grace
Ben Koyack, TE, 6-5 230, Oil City, PA. Another spring game visitor that committed this pasat week. He must have seen something he liked with Kyle Rudolph and Mike Ragone catching multiple passes in the spread. He chose ND over Ohio State, after trimming his choices to two, and continues the run of talented pass catching tight ends in South Bend, started oddly enough by Greg Olsen... I have nothing good here, maybe Ben "Not a Canoe" Koyack. But I don't like it.
Conor Hanratty, OL, 6-4 305, New Canaan, CT. The son of Terry Hanratty, who played QB on the 1966 National Championship team and committed after conversations with Brian Kelly over spring game weekend, his first time meeting the coach. Conor had double digit offers including Florida State and Clemson. "Honey-baked" Hanratty
Matthew Hegarty, OL, 6-5 285, Aztec, New Mexico. Matt is interested in enrolling in January and has he'll be joining the coaches in recruiting for the Irish. He is a U.S. Army All-American who will not be playing the dreaded hat game during the break in the action after committing this past week. "Six Eyes"
Jordan Prestwood, OL, 6-6 265, Plant City, FL. An early April commitment from Jordan seemed to kick off a run on offensive lineman for the Irish. He also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tennesee and USC among others. "Right Direction"
Tony Springman, Ath, 6-6 257, Fort Wayne, IN. Another spring game Saturday commit, Tony joins former high school teammates Tyler Eifert and John Goodman at Notre Dame. The Irish have Tony pegged as a defensive lineman, where his speed and quickness should give him an advantage over offensive lineman. Someone named Springman does not need a nickname.
They have offers out to a Pro-Style QB Justin Worley and Dual-Threat QB's: Bubba Starling, Marquise Williams, Braxton Miller and Kiehl Frazier.
Running Backs that have offers are: Aaron Green, Justice Hayes, Malcolm Brown, Mike Bellamy, Demetrius Hart, Savon Huggins and Jameel Poteat.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends that have gotten offers from the Irish are: DeAnthony Arnett, Victor Blakwell, Phillip Dorsett, Rashad Greene, Charone Peake, Devin Smith, Ja'Juan Story, Ray Hamilton, Troy Niklas, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Kelvin Benjamin, Davaris Daniels, Hakeem Flowers, Richard Rodgers, Evan Spencer, Dan Tapko, Nick Vannett, Kasen Williams, and Jay Rome.
Offensive Lineman that have received offers are: Brendon Austin, Brey Cook, Michael Bennett, Watts Dantzler, Cyrus Hobbi, Cyrus Kouandjio, Aundrey Walker, Jay Whitmire and Antonio Richardson.
The Irish have offers out to Defensive Lineman: Sterling Bailey, Ray Drew Ishaq Williams, Brennan Scarlett, Clay Burton, ANthony Chickillo, Aaron Lynch, Giorgio Newberry, Jermauria Rasco, Chris Rock, Stephon Tuitt.
Linebackers we could see in the future that have offers are Rob Hankins, Montese Overton, Denzel Perryman, James Vaughters, Anthony Wallace, Stephone Anthony and Trey DePriest.
Defensive Backs that have offers include Jalen Brown, Blake Countess, Doran Grant, Josh Turner, Quincy Aldridge, Eilar Hardy, Lyndell Johnson, Chris Jones, Wayne Lyons.
These players don't have set positions but they do have offers from the Irish: George Atkinson III, Rodney Coe, Christian French and Brandon Phelps.
Commits:
Kyle Brindza, Kicker, 6-2 195, Canton, MI. Most important he plays his home games in the same high school stadium I played mine, although for a school that didn't exist while I was attending (wanna know how to feel old?). A junior on path to graduate in June and is interested in skipping his senior of high school to attend Notre Dame in September. He brings touch backs into the conversation on every kickoff. He also punts which could be big if Eric Maust decides to play pro baseball and Ben Turk is the only returning punter. Possible nicknames "20" or "Human Touch Back" or "Gus".
Brad Carrico, DE, 6-6 255, Dublin, Ohio. The first commit for the 2011 class came from the state of, you guessed it, Ohio. A position of need as defensive line is seen as a weak point at this point. He also had offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Purdue and West Virginia and comes from the high school that gave Notre Dame Chinedum Ndukwe and Brady Quinn. Any nickname suggestions?
Matthias Farley, Ath, 6-1 195, Charlotte, NC. Mostly being recruited as a wide receiver, the Irish coaches Bob Diaco and Chuck Martin have convinced him that corner back is a better place for his talent, and maybe a quicker road to the field. He caught 37 passes for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns in his only year of organized play, passing up soccer for football ala Shane Walton, although he chose it a little bit earlier than Shane. I'm thinking something Chris Farley related, "Black Sheep" or "South Bend Ninja" possibly "Dirty Work"
Jarrett Grace, ILB, 6-4 235 Cincinnati, Ohio. A player that Brian Kelly and Company began recruiting while still with the Bearcats and finished with him committing to the Irish during the festivities for the spring game. Chris Berman would suggest we call him Jarrett Grace "Kelly" so lets no do that. I like Jarret "Say" Grace
Ben Koyack, TE, 6-5 230, Oil City, PA. Another spring game visitor that committed this pasat week. He must have seen something he liked with Kyle Rudolph and Mike Ragone catching multiple passes in the spread. He chose ND over Ohio State, after trimming his choices to two, and continues the run of talented pass catching tight ends in South Bend, started oddly enough by Greg Olsen... I have nothing good here, maybe Ben "Not a Canoe" Koyack. But I don't like it.
Conor Hanratty, OL, 6-4 305, New Canaan, CT. The son of Terry Hanratty, who played QB on the 1966 National Championship team and committed after conversations with Brian Kelly over spring game weekend, his first time meeting the coach. Conor had double digit offers including Florida State and Clemson. "Honey-baked" Hanratty
Matthew Hegarty, OL, 6-5 285, Aztec, New Mexico. Matt is interested in enrolling in January and has he'll be joining the coaches in recruiting for the Irish. He is a U.S. Army All-American who will not be playing the dreaded hat game during the break in the action after committing this past week. "Six Eyes"
Jordan Prestwood, OL, 6-6 265, Plant City, FL. An early April commitment from Jordan seemed to kick off a run on offensive lineman for the Irish. He also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tennesee and USC among others. "Right Direction"
Tony Springman, Ath, 6-6 257, Fort Wayne, IN. Another spring game Saturday commit, Tony joins former high school teammates Tyler Eifert and John Goodman at Notre Dame. The Irish have Tony pegged as a defensive lineman, where his speed and quickness should give him an advantage over offensive lineman. Someone named Springman does not need a nickname.
They have offers out to a Pro-Style QB Justin Worley and Dual-Threat QB's: Bubba Starling, Marquise Williams, Braxton Miller and Kiehl Frazier.
Running Backs that have offers are: Aaron Green, Justice Hayes, Malcolm Brown, Mike Bellamy, Demetrius Hart, Savon Huggins and Jameel Poteat.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends that have gotten offers from the Irish are: DeAnthony Arnett, Victor Blakwell, Phillip Dorsett, Rashad Greene, Charone Peake, Devin Smith, Ja'Juan Story, Ray Hamilton, Troy Niklas, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Kelvin Benjamin, Davaris Daniels, Hakeem Flowers, Richard Rodgers, Evan Spencer, Dan Tapko, Nick Vannett, Kasen Williams, and Jay Rome.
Offensive Lineman that have received offers are: Brendon Austin, Brey Cook, Michael Bennett, Watts Dantzler, Cyrus Hobbi, Cyrus Kouandjio, Aundrey Walker, Jay Whitmire and Antonio Richardson.
The Irish have offers out to Defensive Lineman: Sterling Bailey, Ray Drew Ishaq Williams, Brennan Scarlett, Clay Burton, ANthony Chickillo, Aaron Lynch, Giorgio Newberry, Jermauria Rasco, Chris Rock, Stephon Tuitt.
Linebackers we could see in the future that have offers are Rob Hankins, Montese Overton, Denzel Perryman, James Vaughters, Anthony Wallace, Stephone Anthony and Trey DePriest.
Defensive Backs that have offers include Jalen Brown, Blake Countess, Doran Grant, Josh Turner, Quincy Aldridge, Eilar Hardy, Lyndell Johnson, Chris Jones, Wayne Lyons.
These players don't have set positions but they do have offers from the Irish: George Atkinson III, Rodney Coe, Christian French and Brandon Phelps.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
SaturDame The Spring Game 10
A reverse was the first play of the Brian Kelly era and it was effective. Armando "Double A" Allen flipped the ball to Michael "Pink" Floyd who gained a first down.
The offenses combined for 744 yards, which was to be expected since the defenses ran a simplified version of the game plan.
That number is more impressive after the 2nd half featured 12 minute quarters and a running clock (due to the weather).
The offensive showcase featured many players that will probably not be heard of again including Pat Coughlan, walk on running back who ran for 80 yards and a touch down.
Dayne Crist will only get better (hopefully) but looked a little rusty and didn't move as much as he should in the fall.
Nate Montana should be a good back-up until Tommy Rees, or others, are ready.
The running back battle between Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood was fun to watch, Cierre broke a 44 yard touchdown run (1 of 2) and was almost immediately followed by Jonas breaking off a 38 yard score.
Tai-ler "Dash" Jones, Shaq Evans and Deion Walker all appropriated themselves nicely in the offense.
Kyle Rudolph and Mike Ragone made multiple nice catches in traffic.
The shovel pass appears to be a staple in the offense and Armando should be able to pick up some yardage.
The place kicking needs a lot and I mean a lot of work. Multiple missed extra points and a horrible field goal attempt brought that to the forefront.
The no-huddle offense was a lot of fun to watch (even though it took the people sitting around me nearly the whole first half to realize it was even going on).
I'm expecting a lot of rotating of receivers in the fall and not just to keep players fresh, but because there is a plethora of talent there (thanks Charlie).
Duval Kumara, who used to hold some freshman receiving records, showed glimpses of that talent again.
There isn't much to write about the defense in a game like this but they got some interceptions and made some hits that were loud.
I can't imagine Brian Kelly being unhappy about the offenses having to deal with the rain and it wasn't awful for the fans, although umbrellas seem rude in the stands.
Of course it rained, I was at the game. I was also at the Washington game last year, downpour at halftime, and the Syracuse game the year before, freezing cold and sitting in snow. So if you're going to a game next year try to make it one that I'm not at. I don't remember the weather at the Air Force loss in the 3-9 season but it probably wasn't good.
A trip to South Bend is never a bad thing, and I got to introduce my sister (MSU grad) to the stadium and somehow she only bought two things in the gift tent, which I'm sure her husband appreciates.
Purdue can't get here fast enough. My sister referred to this game as a tease and I agree.
My Golden Tate Seahawks jersey will be ordered soon.
Stats.
The offenses combined for 744 yards, which was to be expected since the defenses ran a simplified version of the game plan.
That number is more impressive after the 2nd half featured 12 minute quarters and a running clock (due to the weather).
The offensive showcase featured many players that will probably not be heard of again including Pat Coughlan, walk on running back who ran for 80 yards and a touch down.
Dayne Crist will only get better (hopefully) but looked a little rusty and didn't move as much as he should in the fall.
Nate Montana should be a good back-up until Tommy Rees, or others, are ready.
The running back battle between Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood was fun to watch, Cierre broke a 44 yard touchdown run (1 of 2) and was almost immediately followed by Jonas breaking off a 38 yard score.
Tai-ler "Dash" Jones, Shaq Evans and Deion Walker all appropriated themselves nicely in the offense.
Kyle Rudolph and Mike Ragone made multiple nice catches in traffic.
The shovel pass appears to be a staple in the offense and Armando should be able to pick up some yardage.
The place kicking needs a lot and I mean a lot of work. Multiple missed extra points and a horrible field goal attempt brought that to the forefront.
The no-huddle offense was a lot of fun to watch (even though it took the people sitting around me nearly the whole first half to realize it was even going on).
I'm expecting a lot of rotating of receivers in the fall and not just to keep players fresh, but because there is a plethora of talent there (thanks Charlie).
Duval Kumara, who used to hold some freshman receiving records, showed glimpses of that talent again.
There isn't much to write about the defense in a game like this but they got some interceptions and made some hits that were loud.
I can't imagine Brian Kelly being unhappy about the offenses having to deal with the rain and it wasn't awful for the fans, although umbrellas seem rude in the stands.
Of course it rained, I was at the game. I was also at the Washington game last year, downpour at halftime, and the Syracuse game the year before, freezing cold and sitting in snow. So if you're going to a game next year try to make it one that I'm not at. I don't remember the weather at the Air Force loss in the 3-9 season but it probably wasn't good.
A trip to South Bend is never a bad thing, and I got to introduce my sister (MSU grad) to the stadium and somehow she only bought two things in the gift tent, which I'm sure her husband appreciates.
Purdue can't get here fast enough. My sister referred to this game as a tease and I agree.
My Golden Tate Seahawks jersey will be ordered soon.
Stats.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Notre Dame Recruit, Matt James Dies
Link to the article on Cincinnati.com
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.
Always Irish.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.
Always Irish.
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