This Week
Notre Dame (2-2) managed just one win in three Paradise Jam matchups last week at Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands (i.e., St. Thomas). The Irish handled Monmouth with little trouble in their tourney opener (76-33), but fell in tight ones to Baylor (68-64) and Georgia Tech (70-69).
Senior captain Rob Kurz led the Irish rout of Monmouth, scoring 15. Ryan Ayers had 13 points and 7 rebounds for ND. The Irish opened with a 17-4 run over the Hawks, who shot 27% from the floor (13-49) and only hit 3-20 from beyond the arc.
Notre Dame stepped up in class in their Paradise Jam Round 2 matchup, meeting the steadily improving Baylor Bears from the Big 12 led by head coach Scott Drew (K.Bice’s Butler fraternity brother). Despite a game high 22 points from Luke Harangody and a 10 point lead midway through the 2nd half, the Irish could not shake Baylor, were ultimately out-shot (41% to 34%) by the Bears, and lost 68-64. Cold outside shooting particularly in the second half, at least in part due to a lack of consistent dribble penetration by the Irish perimeter (McAlarney, Jackson), was an issue in this one.
The Irish lost an even closer game to Georgia Tech to close out their stay in St. Thomas. A Matt Causey three pointer with 2 seconds left gave the Yellow Jackets their only lead since the opening minutes of the game. ND did not play enough solid defense in this one to put away a Tech them they probably could have otherwise handled. Tech shot 47% from the floor (vs. 41% for the Irish) and hit 10-17 from beyond the arc (vs. 5-16 for ND).
Next Week
The Irish return home for a pair next week. Improving Horizon Leaguer Youngstown State (2-1) visits the Joyce tonight (Sat Nov 24) and Colgate (4-1) from the Patriot League visits on Monday Nov 26. YSU has made progress over the past two years under coach Jerry Slocum, pulling themselves out of the H-League cellar and notching 7 conference wins + a win in the Horizon League tourney last spring. The Penguins enter the 2007-08 season sans their two best players from a year ago, however, and may have trouble repeating their modest level of success in 2006-07. Colgate lost to Marist by 1 last time out (wins over Monmouth, Canisius, Texas State, and Kennesaw Mountain Landis State prior). A lot has been expected from Colgate and not much delivered over the past two years. The Raiders are off back-to-back 4-5 conference win seasons. Injuries, improving league competition, and perhaps a little talent over-estimation by the Hamilton, NY faithful are all at fault here.
IFP says the Irish win both of these games by 15, minimum.
Miscellaneous Irish Hoops
Through four games, the Irish are getting 45% of theirs scoring (per game) from the bookends, Harangody and Kurtz. Would like to see more production from McAlarney and Jackson as we get closer to Big East play. Also need to pick up the pace at the charity strip. Shooting only 67% from the FT line as a team.
Other Week 3 Games of Interest
DePaul vs. North Carolina A&T (Sat Nov 24)
DePaul vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Wed Nov 28)
Illinois-Chicago at Central Michigan (Wed Nov 28)
Butler vs. Virginia Tech (Thurs Nov 22, Great Alaska Shootout)
Butler vs. Texas (Sun Nov 25, Great Alaska Shootout)
Indiana vs. Illinois State (Fri Nov 23, Chicago Invitational, Hoffman Estates, IL)
Indiana vs. Kent State or Xavier (Sat Nov 24, Chicago Invitational)
Indiana vs. Georgia Tech (Tues Nov 27, ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
Illinois at Maryland (Wed Nov 28, ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
Chatter
DePaul (1-1) won a white-knuckler vs. cross-town “rival” Northwestern last week on a Draelon Burns floater with 6 seconds left in regulation, 54-53, at Allstate Arena The Blue Demons shot a miserable 35% from the floor but pounded the N-Cats on the boards. DePaul’s 18-2 edge on the offensive glass kept them in this one -- a game they very easily could have lost. Two very winnable nonconference games next: NC A&T and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, but an early December trip to Lawrence, Kansas to tangle with the #4 Jayhawks and a tough trip to San Juan for the annual December “Shootout” loom for the Demons (Clemson, who surprised a solid Mississippi State team on the road last week, is in the San Juan field).
UIC (2-3) lost to Winthrop (by 14), Charlotte (by 1) and Wichita State (by 7) to go oh-for-the-beach in the same Paradise Jam that the Irish fell short in this week. The Flames were really never in the Winthrop game (too many turnovers) but competed vs. Charlotte and WSU. The loss to Charlotte was a wire job – a 49er three pointer with 12 seconds left was basically the difference in a game where neither team shot that well (both < 39% from the floor). On the road to Mt. Pleasant, MI to face the Central Michigan Chips next Wednesday.
Butler is 5-0 and looking worthy of every bit of their Top 25 ranking, winning their first two in Alaska this week (Michigan and Va Tech). Texas Tech next for the D-Dawgs.
Sources/References
07-08 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
Sporting News 2007-09 College Basketball
Chicago Tribune
www.espn.com
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/nd-m-baskbl-body.html
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
IFP Hoops - Week 2
This Week
Notre Dame (1-0) opened regular season play with an 82-50 victory over the visiting Long Island Blackbirds on Monday night. Senior captain Rob Kurz had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks to lead the Irish. Luke Harangody added 15 points and 6 boards. Notre Dame’s dominance in the paint was the difference in this one (44-18 point differential down low, 52% overall from the floor). The Irish opened with a 10-3 run and never looked back. Kyle McAlarney had 7 points and 7 assists in his regular season return.
Next Week
The Irish hit the beach for some Paradise Jam action in St. Thomas, VI this weekend. The Monmouth Hawks, the pride of West Long Branch, New Jersey who are likely better than Long Island but no better than 7th in the 11-team Northeast Conference per most preseason rags, are Notre Dame’s Round 1 opponent on Friday Nov 16. Either Baylor or Wichita State follows on Saturday. The stars would have to align perfectly, but a Notre Dame-UIC match-up is possible on Monday Nov 19, as the Flames are likewise in the Paradise Jam field this weekend. Charlotte, Georgia Tech, or Winthrop, in a rematch of the 2007 NCAA tourney opening round game that Notre Dame lost 74-64, are more likely Irish opponents on Monday.
Miscellaneous Irish Hoops
Notre Dame has won 21 straight at the Joyce Center, counting the perfect 18-0 home slate last year and the last two home games of the 2005-06 season. The 1973-74 John Shumate-Dwight Clay Notre Dame team holds the record with 24 straight JACC wins, a streak that included the home win over UCLA that snapped the Bruins 88-game run.
Other Week 2 Games of Interest
DePaul vs. Northwestern (Sat Nov 17)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Winthrop (Fri Nov 16, Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, VI)
Illinois-Chicago vs. TBD (Sat Nov 17, Paradise Jam)
Illinois-Chicago vs. TBD (Mon Nov 19, Paradise Jam)
Butler at Evansville (Sat Nov 17)
Butler vs. Michigan (Wed Nov 21, Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, AK)
Indiana vs. Longwood (Sun Nov 18)
Indiana vs. UNC-Wilmington (Tues Nov 20)
Illinois at Hawaii (Fri Nov 16)
Illinois vs. Arizona State (Mon Nov 19, Maui Invitational, Maui, HI)
Illinois vs. TBD (Tues Nov 20, Maui Invitational)
Illinois vs. TBD (Wed Nov 21, Maui Invitational)
Chatter
DePaul (0-1) blew a big first half lead on the road vs. a pretty young Creighton team and lost 74-62 in front of 16,000+ at the Qwest Center in Omaha (talk about the proverbial “only game in town.") P’Allen Stinnet led the Blue Jays with 23 points -- the IFP research staff is confirming whether that is pronounced “Pee-Allen” or “Puh-Allen” or “Pal-len”. The Demons raced to a 20-4 lead but immediately allowed Creighton to go on a 13 point run themselves. DePaul was an ice cold 0-10 from beyond the arc in the 2nd half (4-19 overall). Senior shooting guard Draelon Burns will have to contribute a lot more than 7 points on 3-16 shooting if the Blue Demons are going to avoid trouble on a nightly basis in Big East play this season.
UIC (2-0) helped the Horizon League RPI cause by surprising perennial MoVal tough out Bradley 84-75 and likewise handled the NAIA UI-Springfield Prairie Stars 81-55 this week (Prairie Stars?). 5-11 junior guard Josh Mayo from Merrillville, IN led the Flames with 34 points vs. cold-shooting Bradley (8-28 from beyond the arc) en route to the Illinois-Chicago win. Mayo likewise had 13 vs. UIS. The Flames draw the Winthrop Eagles, a team quite familiar to the extended Irish Forum family, in Round 1 of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas this weekend. Winthrop is down three starters and one head coach from last year’s Big South powerhouse but is nevertheless picked at or near the top of the league by most rags. Former Winthrop assistant Randy Peele slides down one seat on the Eagle bench and takes over this year for departing Gregg Marshall who took the Wichita State job. Interestingly enough, the Wichita State Shockers are ALSO in the Paradise Jam this weekend.
#25 Butler (2-0) picked up where they left off last year, routing in state “rivals” Ball State 61-46 and Indiana State 76-48. Pete Campbell scored 17 points to lead Butler against the Cardinals – 15 of Campbell’s 17 came on 5-11 shooting from beyond the arc. Matt Howard had 14 points, A.J. Graves had 11, and Mike Green had 11 points + 6 boards for the Bulldogs vs. BSU. Butler held Ball State to 17 first half points, spoiling the debut of head coach Billy Taylor. Graves had 26 vs. Indiana State in Butler’s second win of the week. ISU had won the previous three meetings and gave the Bulldogs their first loss last year. Graves’ six three-pointers helped ensure that mini-streak came to an end. The Dawgs travel to Evansville on Saturday and then to Anchorage to meet Michigan in Round 1 of the Great Alaska Shootout. Evansville is now coached by former IU player and Lawrenceville, IL high school hoops legend Marty Simmons. Michigan has not been to an NCAA tournament in 9 years, which explains why Tommy Amaker is now coaching in the Ivy League and former West Virginia coach John Beilein has been summoned to Ann Arbor.
#8 Indiana (1-0) shut down UT-Chattanooga 99-79 behind freshman Eric Gordon’s 33 points, the most points ever scored by an IU player in his college debut, breaking George McGinnis’ 37 year old school record (The Baby Bull had 26 for the Hoosiers in his debut vs. Eastern Michigan on December 1, 1970). Gordon stuffed the stat sheet from all angles, going 9-15 from the field, 7-11 on 3-pointers, with 6 rebounds, 4 assists. Senior forward D. J. White finished with 17 points, Armon Bassett had 20, and freshman Jordan Crawford had 13 for the Hoosiers.
Sources/References
2007-08 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
Sporting News 2007-08 College Basketball
Chicago Tribune
www.espn.com
http://und.cstv.com
Notre Dame (1-0) opened regular season play with an 82-50 victory over the visiting Long Island Blackbirds on Monday night. Senior captain Rob Kurz had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks to lead the Irish. Luke Harangody added 15 points and 6 boards. Notre Dame’s dominance in the paint was the difference in this one (44-18 point differential down low, 52% overall from the floor). The Irish opened with a 10-3 run and never looked back. Kyle McAlarney had 7 points and 7 assists in his regular season return.
Next Week
The Irish hit the beach for some Paradise Jam action in St. Thomas, VI this weekend. The Monmouth Hawks, the pride of West Long Branch, New Jersey who are likely better than Long Island but no better than 7th in the 11-team Northeast Conference per most preseason rags, are Notre Dame’s Round 1 opponent on Friday Nov 16. Either Baylor or Wichita State follows on Saturday. The stars would have to align perfectly, but a Notre Dame-UIC match-up is possible on Monday Nov 19, as the Flames are likewise in the Paradise Jam field this weekend. Charlotte, Georgia Tech, or Winthrop, in a rematch of the 2007 NCAA tourney opening round game that Notre Dame lost 74-64, are more likely Irish opponents on Monday.
Miscellaneous Irish Hoops
Notre Dame has won 21 straight at the Joyce Center, counting the perfect 18-0 home slate last year and the last two home games of the 2005-06 season. The 1973-74 John Shumate-Dwight Clay Notre Dame team holds the record with 24 straight JACC wins, a streak that included the home win over UCLA that snapped the Bruins 88-game run.
Other Week 2 Games of Interest
DePaul vs. Northwestern (Sat Nov 17)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Winthrop (Fri Nov 16, Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, VI)
Illinois-Chicago vs. TBD (Sat Nov 17, Paradise Jam)
Illinois-Chicago vs. TBD (Mon Nov 19, Paradise Jam)
Butler at Evansville (Sat Nov 17)
Butler vs. Michigan (Wed Nov 21, Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, AK)
Indiana vs. Longwood (Sun Nov 18)
Indiana vs. UNC-Wilmington (Tues Nov 20)
Illinois at Hawaii (Fri Nov 16)
Illinois vs. Arizona State (Mon Nov 19, Maui Invitational, Maui, HI)
Illinois vs. TBD (Tues Nov 20, Maui Invitational)
Illinois vs. TBD (Wed Nov 21, Maui Invitational)
Chatter
DePaul (0-1) blew a big first half lead on the road vs. a pretty young Creighton team and lost 74-62 in front of 16,000+ at the Qwest Center in Omaha (talk about the proverbial “only game in town.") P’Allen Stinnet led the Blue Jays with 23 points -- the IFP research staff is confirming whether that is pronounced “Pee-Allen” or “Puh-Allen” or “Pal-len”. The Demons raced to a 20-4 lead but immediately allowed Creighton to go on a 13 point run themselves. DePaul was an ice cold 0-10 from beyond the arc in the 2nd half (4-19 overall). Senior shooting guard Draelon Burns will have to contribute a lot more than 7 points on 3-16 shooting if the Blue Demons are going to avoid trouble on a nightly basis in Big East play this season.
UIC (2-0) helped the Horizon League RPI cause by surprising perennial MoVal tough out Bradley 84-75 and likewise handled the NAIA UI-Springfield Prairie Stars 81-55 this week (Prairie Stars?). 5-11 junior guard Josh Mayo from Merrillville, IN led the Flames with 34 points vs. cold-shooting Bradley (8-28 from beyond the arc) en route to the Illinois-Chicago win. Mayo likewise had 13 vs. UIS. The Flames draw the Winthrop Eagles, a team quite familiar to the extended Irish Forum family, in Round 1 of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas this weekend. Winthrop is down three starters and one head coach from last year’s Big South powerhouse but is nevertheless picked at or near the top of the league by most rags. Former Winthrop assistant Randy Peele slides down one seat on the Eagle bench and takes over this year for departing Gregg Marshall who took the Wichita State job. Interestingly enough, the Wichita State Shockers are ALSO in the Paradise Jam this weekend.
#25 Butler (2-0) picked up where they left off last year, routing in state “rivals” Ball State 61-46 and Indiana State 76-48. Pete Campbell scored 17 points to lead Butler against the Cardinals – 15 of Campbell’s 17 came on 5-11 shooting from beyond the arc. Matt Howard had 14 points, A.J. Graves had 11, and Mike Green had 11 points + 6 boards for the Bulldogs vs. BSU. Butler held Ball State to 17 first half points, spoiling the debut of head coach Billy Taylor. Graves had 26 vs. Indiana State in Butler’s second win of the week. ISU had won the previous three meetings and gave the Bulldogs their first loss last year. Graves’ six three-pointers helped ensure that mini-streak came to an end. The Dawgs travel to Evansville on Saturday and then to Anchorage to meet Michigan in Round 1 of the Great Alaska Shootout. Evansville is now coached by former IU player and Lawrenceville, IL high school hoops legend Marty Simmons. Michigan has not been to an NCAA tournament in 9 years, which explains why Tommy Amaker is now coaching in the Ivy League and former West Virginia coach John Beilein has been summoned to Ann Arbor.
#8 Indiana (1-0) shut down UT-Chattanooga 99-79 behind freshman Eric Gordon’s 33 points, the most points ever scored by an IU player in his college debut, breaking George McGinnis’ 37 year old school record (The Baby Bull had 26 for the Hoosiers in his debut vs. Eastern Michigan on December 1, 1970). Gordon stuffed the stat sheet from all angles, going 9-15 from the field, 7-11 on 3-pointers, with 6 rebounds, 4 assists. Senior forward D. J. White finished with 17 points, Armon Bassett had 20, and freshman Jordan Crawford had 13 for the Hoosiers.
Sources/References
2007-08 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
Sporting News 2007-08 College Basketball
Chicago Tribune
www.espn.com
http://und.cstv.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007
IFP Hoops - Week 1
This Week
Notre Dame beat St. Ambrose (109-53) and St. Edwards (71-56) in exhibition play this week. Senior forward Rob Kurtz led the team in scoring in both games. Junior forward Zach Hillesland had a double-double vs. St. Ambrose and sophomore forward Luke Harangody had 15 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench vs. St. Edwards.
Next Week
The Irish open the 2007-08 regular season on Monday Nov 12 at the Joyce vs. Long Island from the Northeast Conference. The Blackbirds lose their top 2 players (to graduation) from a 19-loss 2006-07 squad that was decimated by injuries and finished 10th (second to last) in the league. 6-5 forward Eugene Kotorobai is likely the Birds’ best returning player (40% three point FG accuracy last year).
Miscellaneous Irish Hoops
Harangody, the Irish’ 2nd leading rebounder and Big East All Rookie team member last year as a freshman, tore a ligament in his right thumb in practice on Oct 15 and was initially not expected to return before Thanksgiving. His early and healthy return is great news.
Kurtz, the lone senior on the roster, was named captain for the second straight year.
Junior guard Kyle McAlarney returns to school and to the Irish lineup this season following last year’s pot possession rap. He will need to be both a scorer and playmaker for Notre Dame this season given Colin Fall’s graduation and Brey’s reported up tempo intentions. McAlarney played major minutes and knocked down 5 three pointers in the two Irish exhibitions. A good start.
Other Week 1 Games of Interest
DePaul at Creighton (Friday Nov 9)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Bradley (Sat Nov 10)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Illinois-Springfield (Tues Nov 13)
Butler at Ball State (Fri Nov 9)
Butler vs. Indiana State (Wed Nov 14)
Indiana vs. Chattanooga (Mon Nov 12)
Illinois vs. Northeastern (Mon Nov 12)
Chatter
Given that the Big East has gone to 18 conference games (from 16), IFP is not sure why DePaul feels the need to start their season on the road in front of 15K+ Blue Jay faithful in Omaha. The Demons’ schedule would more than tough enough to appease the RPI gods without this trip. Sammy Meija and Wilson Chandler (both NBA draftees last June) will be missed – DePaul will very likely start a true freshman at point guard and could frankly use a little Long Island Blackbird love in a home opener rather than a ritual spanking in front of a frothed-up MoVal crowd.
It’s always something, when you’re a UIC Flames fan. Either your head coach is having a aneurysm and passing out on the bench, or your assistant coach is getting sued by a player for sexual harassment (yuck), or your best returning player and one of the better returning players in the Horizon League is transferring to a local JC after taking a bullet at a summer family get-together. Enough already. Junior guard Josh Mayo, a 40+% three point shooter, and 6-11, 250 junior center Scott VanderMeer (a Bowling Green transfer who was 4th in the nation in blocked shots for UIC last year) should form a decent inside-outside combo for the ’07-08 Flames. Depth will be an issue, however. UIC will likely struggle with Bradley, who returns an experienced and gifted backcourt and a noteworthy infusion of JUCO talent from a 22-win team a year ago, but should have enough for the UI-Springfield Simpsons.
The world is spinning in greased grooves, at least on the near north side of Indianapolis, as the Butler Bulldogs are once again tagged as preseason chalk in the H-League. Last year’s historic run will be tough to top (Preseason NIT title, Horizon League regular season title, #5 seed in the NCAA tournament, and a Sweet Sixteen appearance where they pushed eventual NCAA tournament champ Florida harder than anyone in the dance including Ohio State, in IFP’s view). Having by far the best returning guard tandem in the league is a good place to start, however (Graves and Green).
Gardner-Webb never trailed at Kentucky on Wednesday night, led by 11 at half, out-shot the Cats, out-rebounded the Cats, and got to the FT line more than the Cats. Tough night for Billy Clyde. An ass whipping home loss to the Running Bulldogs was probably not exactly what the “can Tubby” contingent had in mind.
Sources/References
2007-08 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
Sporting News 2007-08 College Basketball
www.espn.com
http://und.cstv.com
Notre Dame beat St. Ambrose (109-53) and St. Edwards (71-56) in exhibition play this week. Senior forward Rob Kurtz led the team in scoring in both games. Junior forward Zach Hillesland had a double-double vs. St. Ambrose and sophomore forward Luke Harangody had 15 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench vs. St. Edwards.
Next Week
The Irish open the 2007-08 regular season on Monday Nov 12 at the Joyce vs. Long Island from the Northeast Conference. The Blackbirds lose their top 2 players (to graduation) from a 19-loss 2006-07 squad that was decimated by injuries and finished 10th (second to last) in the league. 6-5 forward Eugene Kotorobai is likely the Birds’ best returning player (40% three point FG accuracy last year).
Miscellaneous Irish Hoops
Harangody, the Irish’ 2nd leading rebounder and Big East All Rookie team member last year as a freshman, tore a ligament in his right thumb in practice on Oct 15 and was initially not expected to return before Thanksgiving. His early and healthy return is great news.
Kurtz, the lone senior on the roster, was named captain for the second straight year.
Junior guard Kyle McAlarney returns to school and to the Irish lineup this season following last year’s pot possession rap. He will need to be both a scorer and playmaker for Notre Dame this season given Colin Fall’s graduation and Brey’s reported up tempo intentions. McAlarney played major minutes and knocked down 5 three pointers in the two Irish exhibitions. A good start.
Other Week 1 Games of Interest
DePaul at Creighton (Friday Nov 9)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Bradley (Sat Nov 10)
Illinois-Chicago vs. Illinois-Springfield (Tues Nov 13)
Butler at Ball State (Fri Nov 9)
Butler vs. Indiana State (Wed Nov 14)
Indiana vs. Chattanooga (Mon Nov 12)
Illinois vs. Northeastern (Mon Nov 12)
Chatter
Given that the Big East has gone to 18 conference games (from 16), IFP is not sure why DePaul feels the need to start their season on the road in front of 15K+ Blue Jay faithful in Omaha. The Demons’ schedule would more than tough enough to appease the RPI gods without this trip. Sammy Meija and Wilson Chandler (both NBA draftees last June) will be missed – DePaul will very likely start a true freshman at point guard and could frankly use a little Long Island Blackbird love in a home opener rather than a ritual spanking in front of a frothed-up MoVal crowd.
It’s always something, when you’re a UIC Flames fan. Either your head coach is having a aneurysm and passing out on the bench, or your assistant coach is getting sued by a player for sexual harassment (yuck), or your best returning player and one of the better returning players in the Horizon League is transferring to a local JC after taking a bullet at a summer family get-together. Enough already. Junior guard Josh Mayo, a 40+% three point shooter, and 6-11, 250 junior center Scott VanderMeer (a Bowling Green transfer who was 4th in the nation in blocked shots for UIC last year) should form a decent inside-outside combo for the ’07-08 Flames. Depth will be an issue, however. UIC will likely struggle with Bradley, who returns an experienced and gifted backcourt and a noteworthy infusion of JUCO talent from a 22-win team a year ago, but should have enough for the UI-Springfield Simpsons.
The world is spinning in greased grooves, at least on the near north side of Indianapolis, as the Butler Bulldogs are once again tagged as preseason chalk in the H-League. Last year’s historic run will be tough to top (Preseason NIT title, Horizon League regular season title, #5 seed in the NCAA tournament, and a Sweet Sixteen appearance where they pushed eventual NCAA tournament champ Florida harder than anyone in the dance including Ohio State, in IFP’s view). Having by far the best returning guard tandem in the league is a good place to start, however (Graves and Green).
Gardner-Webb never trailed at Kentucky on Wednesday night, led by 11 at half, out-shot the Cats, out-rebounded the Cats, and got to the FT line more than the Cats. Tough night for Billy Clyde. An ass whipping home loss to the Running Bulldogs was probably not exactly what the “can Tubby” contingent had in mind.
Sources/References
2007-08 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
Sporting News 2007-08 College Basketball
www.espn.com
http://und.cstv.com
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Navy (4-4) at Notre Dame (1-7)
Year-To-Date/Last Year
Navy (4-4) comes to South Bend off a surprising, upset home loss to 1AA Delaware last weekend, 59-52 (Editor’s note: IFP refuses to use the ‘Championship Subdivision’ moniker in place of Division 1AA when describing teams like Delaware or Appalachian State regardless of how non-PC that might be in these cautious, troubled times). Repeating a common 2007 Navy football theme, the Midshipmen gave up 581 yards of total offense to the Blue Hens, an Appalachian State-like 1AA power in their own right (7-1 on the year). The teams pretty much traded scores throughout, neither stopping the other with any consistency. But before anyone says, “well, Navy was clearly looking ahead to Notre Dame,” note that Navy has held an opponent under 20 points only once this year and has given up an average of 45 ppg in their four 2007 losses (41-24 at Rutgers, 34-31 vs. Ball State, 44-24 vs. Wake Forest two weeks ago, and the Delaware shootout loss last weekend). Navy’s four 2007 wins have been similarly high scoring track meets (30-19 at Temple, 46-43 vs. Duke, 31-20 vs. Air Force, and 48-45 vs. Pitt in 2OT).
#11 Notre Dame piled up 471 yards of total offense to beat Navy 38-14 in front of 71,000+ fans in sold out M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore last year. Brady Quinn threw for 295 yards and three TDs (two to Rhema McKnight, one to David Grimes). Darius Walker had 103 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Navy Offense
Kaipo-Nao Kaheaku-Enhada (5-11, 195, junior from Kapolei, Hawaii whose 12-vowel name likely shatters all existing NCAA records in the category -- IFP Research Staff confirming), is the Naval Academy’s run-first, run-second, run-third, throw-fourth-if-and-only-if-absolutely-necessary starting QB. He is both the leading passer and leading rusher for the Mids, out of their semi-traditional service academy, one fullback, two slotback, spread offense. K-Enhada was dinged-up in the Wake Forest game two weeks ago (neck), however, and split time with backup Jarod Bryant last week vs. Delaware because of it. Bryant (5-10, 185 junior from Hoover, Alabama) might be the better passer of the two (8-11 for 126 yds vs. the Hens) whereas K-Enhada has ripped off two of the longest runs from scrimmage in Naval Academy history this year (80 yard TD vs. Ball State and 78 yard TD vs. Air Force) and has six 100+ yard rushing games for Navy since his first career start in last year’s Notre Dame-Navy game. I would not be the least bit surprised to see Navy juggle QBs on Saturday, flipping back and forth between these two in an attempt to keep the Irish defense off balance. I would imagine Chas and Corwin are game-planning for both.
From a yards/game vantage point, Navy is the top rushing team in the country and it really isn’t that close (343 ypg vs. #2 West Virginia’s 298 ypg). What is a little misleading, however, is that “rush” is just about all Navy does. The Mids have run the football on 509 of 598 offensive plays this year (84%) and their top 3 receivers (OJ Washington, Zerbin Singleton, and all-purpose threat Reggie Campbell—see below) have combined for only 27 catches, 509 yards, and 4 TDs. Besides K-Enhada, fullback Eric Kettani (6-1, 220, junior) is the feature back (558 yards, 5.6 ypc, 6 TDs). Senior center Antron Harper (5-11, 275) is on the watch lists for the 2007 Remington Award, Lombardi Award, and Outland Trophy.
Navy Defense
Challenged. To say the least. Navy returned only 3 starters from 2006, has been crippled by injuries, and is allowing opponents 38 points/game, 180 rushing yards/game, 4.6 yards/carry, 280 yards passing/game, and a 70% pass completion rate (167-237) because of it. Senior linebacker Irv Spencer (6-0, 240) leads Navy in tackles/tackles-for-loss, and junior cornerback Ketric Buffin (5-7, 170) has 4 INTs, but losing two of their best defenders to season-ending injuries (junior linebacker Clint Stovie and senior safety Jeff Deliz) might be the real Navy defensive “story” this year.
Navy Special Teams
Senior Joey Bullen and junior Matt Harmon have split Navy place kicking duties this year (Bullen = 7-11 on FGs, long of 44 yards, Harmon = 6-9, long of 46). Bullen’s 44-yarder was a game-winner vs. Duke. Senior Greg Veteto, a former walk-on, is a returning starter at punter averaging 36 yards/punt with a long of 50 yards (OK but not great by any stretch). Reggie Campbell (5-6, 170, senior from Sanford, FL) returns kicks and punts, trails only Napoleon McCallum in career all-purpose yardage for the Naval Academy, and has been invited to the Hula Bowl.
Navy Coaches
Paul Johnson, a former 1AA coaching legend (4-time 1AA Coach of the Year at Georgia Southern), has done an outstanding job in Annapolis considering what he inherited six years ago. Johnson has led the Midshipmen to four straight Commander-in-Chief trophies (and counting), four straight bowl bids, is 39-19 overall at Navy, and, perhaps most importantly to those close to the program, has never lost to Army. Johnson, who is his own offensive coordinator and is entering his 6th season at Navy, has created a consistent winner out of the Naval Academy football program, a feat many thought impossible. Buddy Green, a former NC State defensive coordinator, left the Wolfpack to run the Navy defense in 2002. Green was head coach at UT-Chattanooga from 1994-99.
Worth Noting
No team has ever led the NCAA in rushing three years in a row…until this year if Navy can stay on top in the category. Nebraska led the nation in rushing in 6 of 8 years from 1988-1995 but never three consecutive years.
Notre Dame has not punted against Navy since 2004.
Vegas
Notre Dame (-3.5). Not a lot of love considering home field is typically worth 2.5 to 3.5 points. Guess we don’t deserve much love at this point.
Summary/Prediction
I’m afraid IFP has some bad news for the vocal “this is the year Navy ends the 43-game streak” contingent. This ISN’T the year. This IS a bad spot for a beat up Navy team and the reason is Navy’s defense, or lack thereof. The Mids are simply not stopping anyone, haven’t all year, and now bring their walking wounded into Notre Dame Stadium to face a rested Irish team desperately needing a get right weekend. Or at least a “get the thing pointed in the right direction” weekend. The Las Vegas Gaming Authority clearly expects a close one here. IFP does not. Notre Dame 38 – Navy 21.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – November 3, 2007
Georgia Tech vs. #11 Virginia Tech (Thursday 11/1)
Wreck RB Tashard Choice down with a scoped knee. Hokies apparently only play on Thursdays. T. Roland, please confirm.
Penn State vs. Purdue
Winner gets their Alamo Bowl ticket punched?
#15 Michigan at Michigan State
If the Wolves look ahead to OSU, do they get wrenched by the Lansing Lugnuts? Henne and Hart both expected to play. Sparty (+4) at home. A live dog?
Navy at NOTRE DAME
UCLA at Arizona
Another yo-yo season not good for Dorrell’s short-term coaching health in Westwood.
#2 Boston College vs. Florida State
Somebody stop this nonsense.
#13 USC vs. Oregon State
Trojan offense ordinary without Booty, even with more RB depth than anyone in the NFC West?
#25 Clemson at Duke
Tigers piling on the points against lesser foes of late and might put 40 on Dook in Durham.
Stanford vs. Washington
The “Ty Gets Exposed” tour continues. Cardinal by a FG.
Other Games of Interest – November 3, 2007
#1 Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Can Bucky, with a nicked PJ Hill, in The Horseshoe? Probably not.
#3 LSU at #17 Alabama
Saban assumes demigod status in Tuscaloosa County with a win here. Tigers more lucky than good vs. Auburn.
#4 Oregon vs. #6 Arizona State
Ducks defense only OK; offense is for real. First time ASU has been a dog this season, which might say more about their schedule than their team. Too soon for Erickson’s Sun Devils? IFP thinks so. Ducks by 10.
Indiana vs. Ball State
IU has five wins. Six guarantees bowl eligibility, but does not guarantee a bid. Given the logjam of mediocrity in the middle of the Big Ten, IFP suspects the Hoosiers will need 7 wins to stir up any interest from post-season matchmakers…making this one a must-get. Absolutely not a gimmee, however. Hoosier head coach Bill Lynch was BSU’s head coach 5 years ago.
Butler at Dayton
The 4-5 Bulldogs, who have lost 5 straight, visit Pioneer League league-leading Flyers. Dayton blew out previously unbeaten U. of San Diego last week. Bad spot for the Dawgs? Butler beat Dayton 23-20 last year.
Rose-Hulman vs. Manchester
6-3 Fighting Engineers conclude the 2007 season with a Senior Day matchup vs. the 3-5 Spartans in Terre Haute. A victory would give RHIT its most wins in a season since 1994. See the attached link for the most important kernel of knowledge in Rose-Hulman football history:
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/sports/football/records/fbgame.htm#RECEPT.IRC
Checking Who’s Reading
The U. S. Naval Academy is one of just four schools to produce a President of the United States and a Super Bowl winning QB (Jimmy Carter, Roger Staubach). Name the other three schools and the corresponding President + QB.
Sources/References
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
http://navysports.cstv.com
http://butlersports.cstv.com
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/sports
Navy (4-4) comes to South Bend off a surprising, upset home loss to 1AA Delaware last weekend, 59-52 (Editor’s note: IFP refuses to use the ‘Championship Subdivision’ moniker in place of Division 1AA when describing teams like Delaware or Appalachian State regardless of how non-PC that might be in these cautious, troubled times). Repeating a common 2007 Navy football theme, the Midshipmen gave up 581 yards of total offense to the Blue Hens, an Appalachian State-like 1AA power in their own right (7-1 on the year). The teams pretty much traded scores throughout, neither stopping the other with any consistency. But before anyone says, “well, Navy was clearly looking ahead to Notre Dame,” note that Navy has held an opponent under 20 points only once this year and has given up an average of 45 ppg in their four 2007 losses (41-24 at Rutgers, 34-31 vs. Ball State, 44-24 vs. Wake Forest two weeks ago, and the Delaware shootout loss last weekend). Navy’s four 2007 wins have been similarly high scoring track meets (30-19 at Temple, 46-43 vs. Duke, 31-20 vs. Air Force, and 48-45 vs. Pitt in 2OT).
#11 Notre Dame piled up 471 yards of total offense to beat Navy 38-14 in front of 71,000+ fans in sold out M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore last year. Brady Quinn threw for 295 yards and three TDs (two to Rhema McKnight, one to David Grimes). Darius Walker had 103 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Navy Offense
Kaipo-Nao Kaheaku-Enhada (5-11, 195, junior from Kapolei, Hawaii whose 12-vowel name likely shatters all existing NCAA records in the category -- IFP Research Staff confirming), is the Naval Academy’s run-first, run-second, run-third, throw-fourth-if-and-only-if-absolutely-necessary starting QB. He is both the leading passer and leading rusher for the Mids, out of their semi-traditional service academy, one fullback, two slotback, spread offense. K-Enhada was dinged-up in the Wake Forest game two weeks ago (neck), however, and split time with backup Jarod Bryant last week vs. Delaware because of it. Bryant (5-10, 185 junior from Hoover, Alabama) might be the better passer of the two (8-11 for 126 yds vs. the Hens) whereas K-Enhada has ripped off two of the longest runs from scrimmage in Naval Academy history this year (80 yard TD vs. Ball State and 78 yard TD vs. Air Force) and has six 100+ yard rushing games for Navy since his first career start in last year’s Notre Dame-Navy game. I would not be the least bit surprised to see Navy juggle QBs on Saturday, flipping back and forth between these two in an attempt to keep the Irish defense off balance. I would imagine Chas and Corwin are game-planning for both.
From a yards/game vantage point, Navy is the top rushing team in the country and it really isn’t that close (343 ypg vs. #2 West Virginia’s 298 ypg). What is a little misleading, however, is that “rush” is just about all Navy does. The Mids have run the football on 509 of 598 offensive plays this year (84%) and their top 3 receivers (OJ Washington, Zerbin Singleton, and all-purpose threat Reggie Campbell—see below) have combined for only 27 catches, 509 yards, and 4 TDs. Besides K-Enhada, fullback Eric Kettani (6-1, 220, junior) is the feature back (558 yards, 5.6 ypc, 6 TDs). Senior center Antron Harper (5-11, 275) is on the watch lists for the 2007 Remington Award, Lombardi Award, and Outland Trophy.
Navy Defense
Challenged. To say the least. Navy returned only 3 starters from 2006, has been crippled by injuries, and is allowing opponents 38 points/game, 180 rushing yards/game, 4.6 yards/carry, 280 yards passing/game, and a 70% pass completion rate (167-237) because of it. Senior linebacker Irv Spencer (6-0, 240) leads Navy in tackles/tackles-for-loss, and junior cornerback Ketric Buffin (5-7, 170) has 4 INTs, but losing two of their best defenders to season-ending injuries (junior linebacker Clint Stovie and senior safety Jeff Deliz) might be the real Navy defensive “story” this year.
Navy Special Teams
Senior Joey Bullen and junior Matt Harmon have split Navy place kicking duties this year (Bullen = 7-11 on FGs, long of 44 yards, Harmon = 6-9, long of 46). Bullen’s 44-yarder was a game-winner vs. Duke. Senior Greg Veteto, a former walk-on, is a returning starter at punter averaging 36 yards/punt with a long of 50 yards (OK but not great by any stretch). Reggie Campbell (5-6, 170, senior from Sanford, FL) returns kicks and punts, trails only Napoleon McCallum in career all-purpose yardage for the Naval Academy, and has been invited to the Hula Bowl.
Navy Coaches
Paul Johnson, a former 1AA coaching legend (4-time 1AA Coach of the Year at Georgia Southern), has done an outstanding job in Annapolis considering what he inherited six years ago. Johnson has led the Midshipmen to four straight Commander-in-Chief trophies (and counting), four straight bowl bids, is 39-19 overall at Navy, and, perhaps most importantly to those close to the program, has never lost to Army. Johnson, who is his own offensive coordinator and is entering his 6th season at Navy, has created a consistent winner out of the Naval Academy football program, a feat many thought impossible. Buddy Green, a former NC State defensive coordinator, left the Wolfpack to run the Navy defense in 2002. Green was head coach at UT-Chattanooga from 1994-99.
Worth Noting
No team has ever led the NCAA in rushing three years in a row…until this year if Navy can stay on top in the category. Nebraska led the nation in rushing in 6 of 8 years from 1988-1995 but never three consecutive years.
Notre Dame has not punted against Navy since 2004.
Vegas
Notre Dame (-3.5). Not a lot of love considering home field is typically worth 2.5 to 3.5 points. Guess we don’t deserve much love at this point.
Summary/Prediction
I’m afraid IFP has some bad news for the vocal “this is the year Navy ends the 43-game streak” contingent. This ISN’T the year. This IS a bad spot for a beat up Navy team and the reason is Navy’s defense, or lack thereof. The Mids are simply not stopping anyone, haven’t all year, and now bring their walking wounded into Notre Dame Stadium to face a rested Irish team desperately needing a get right weekend. Or at least a “get the thing pointed in the right direction” weekend. The Las Vegas Gaming Authority clearly expects a close one here. IFP does not. Notre Dame 38 – Navy 21.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – November 3, 2007
Georgia Tech vs. #11 Virginia Tech (Thursday 11/1)
Wreck RB Tashard Choice down with a scoped knee. Hokies apparently only play on Thursdays. T. Roland, please confirm.
Penn State vs. Purdue
Winner gets their Alamo Bowl ticket punched?
#15 Michigan at Michigan State
If the Wolves look ahead to OSU, do they get wrenched by the Lansing Lugnuts? Henne and Hart both expected to play. Sparty (+4) at home. A live dog?
Navy at NOTRE DAME
UCLA at Arizona
Another yo-yo season not good for Dorrell’s short-term coaching health in Westwood.
#2 Boston College vs. Florida State
Somebody stop this nonsense.
#13 USC vs. Oregon State
Trojan offense ordinary without Booty, even with more RB depth than anyone in the NFC West?
#25 Clemson at Duke
Tigers piling on the points against lesser foes of late and might put 40 on Dook in Durham.
Stanford vs. Washington
The “Ty Gets Exposed” tour continues. Cardinal by a FG.
Other Games of Interest – November 3, 2007
#1 Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Can Bucky, with a nicked PJ Hill, in The Horseshoe? Probably not.
#3 LSU at #17 Alabama
Saban assumes demigod status in Tuscaloosa County with a win here. Tigers more lucky than good vs. Auburn.
#4 Oregon vs. #6 Arizona State
Ducks defense only OK; offense is for real. First time ASU has been a dog this season, which might say more about their schedule than their team. Too soon for Erickson’s Sun Devils? IFP thinks so. Ducks by 10.
Indiana vs. Ball State
IU has five wins. Six guarantees bowl eligibility, but does not guarantee a bid. Given the logjam of mediocrity in the middle of the Big Ten, IFP suspects the Hoosiers will need 7 wins to stir up any interest from post-season matchmakers…making this one a must-get. Absolutely not a gimmee, however. Hoosier head coach Bill Lynch was BSU’s head coach 5 years ago.
Butler at Dayton
The 4-5 Bulldogs, who have lost 5 straight, visit Pioneer League league-leading Flyers. Dayton blew out previously unbeaten U. of San Diego last week. Bad spot for the Dawgs? Butler beat Dayton 23-20 last year.
Rose-Hulman vs. Manchester
6-3 Fighting Engineers conclude the 2007 season with a Senior Day matchup vs. the 3-5 Spartans in Terre Haute. A victory would give RHIT its most wins in a season since 1994. See the attached link for the most important kernel of knowledge in Rose-Hulman football history:
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/sports/football/records/fbgame.htm#RECEPT.IRC
Checking Who’s Reading
The U. S. Naval Academy is one of just four schools to produce a President of the United States and a Super Bowl winning QB (Jimmy Carter, Roger Staubach). Name the other three schools and the corresponding President + QB.
Sources/References
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
http://navysports.cstv.com
http://butlersports.cstv.com
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/sports
Thursday, October 11, 2007
#4 Boston College (6-0) at Notre Dame (1-5)
Last Week/This Year/Last Year
Boston College ran its record to 6-0 for the first time since 1942 with a 55-24 win over visiting Bowling Green last weekend, enabling the Eagles to crack the Top 5 in the polls for the first time since Doug Flutie was a senior (1984). BC quarterback and surprise Heisman hopeful Matt Ryan pitched another shutout, going 24-32 for 312 yards, 4 TDs, no INTs in three quarters of work. Boston College gave up 401 passing yards (more on that later) and 465 total yards to Bowling Green, but had 6 interceptions (4 in the last 6 minutes of the first half) vs. two different Bowling Green passers.
Boston College opened the 2007 season with three straight ACC wins, at home vs. Wake Forest, at home vs. NC State, and an eye-opening road win over then #15 Georgia Tech. They stepped down in class schedule-wise after that, chalking up listless home wins vs. Army and UMass, refocused a little, and then blew out Bowling Green last Saturday. Four of BC’s final six games are on the road, beginning this weekend in South Bend. They are off next week then travel to #12 Virginia Tech on October 25th.
This is the first Boston College-Notre Dame game since 2004. BC beat ranked ND teams in their last two visits, including the 24-23 win over #24 Notre Dame three years ago. The Irish led 20-7 at half in that one but were out-gained 319-122 in the 2nd half.
Boston College Offense
Ryan, a 6-5, 220 senior from Philadelphia, has completed 63% of his 255 pass attempts this year with a 15-5 TD-INT ratio. He was first team All ACC last year despite playing a lot of the season on a bum foot. BC’s effective 2007 passing game is in large part due to Ryan’s ability to spread the ball around to multiple receiving options. Perhaps it is the new system more than raw talent, but Brandon Robinson (5-11, 190 junior from Minneapolis), Rich Gunnell (5-11, 205 sophomore from New Jersey), and Kevin Challenger (5-8, 180 senior from Montreal) each has >20 catches this season, ~300 receiving yards, and 2 or more TDs. Robinson is probably the “go to,” but all three are contributing. BC lost their top 2 WRs from a year ago, but this group has experience and is blossoming in the new offense despite their apparent lack of size. Junior Ryan Purvis (6-4, 260) is the TE. He has 19 catches and 1 TD. Purvis is more receiver than blocker.
Senior Andre Callender (5-11, 205) is BC’s leading rusher/workhorse (537 yards, 5.1 ypc, 6 TDs). Callender is responsible for a shade over 50% of all Boston College rushing attempts this year.
BC had some holes to fill along the offensive line coming out of spring. Gosder Cherilus (6-7, 320), a 3-year starter and likely NFL prospect, is the Eagles most experienced O-lineman. He moved to LT this season.
Boston College Defense
Four starters and 8 letter winners return along the BC defensive line and 3 starting LBs likewise return from a year ago, although one of those returning LBs, highly recruited senior leader Brian Toal, is redshirting this year due to an early shoulder injury (a big loss). The secondary, however, wasn’t nearly as stable this spring/summer and BC’s play in the defensive backfield has been exposed at times this year. BC’s secondary was rated only 99th nationally entering the Bowling Green game.
Boston College Special Teams
Steve Aponavicius, the walk-on kicker who got a lot of pub last year for “coming out of the stands” where he sat the prior season to kick 2 FGs and 2 PATs in a nationally televised win over Virginia Tech in his first start. Aponavicius is 24-25 on PATs and 7-8 on FGs this year (long = 45 yards). I would imagine the BC athletic department is picking up his tuition these days.
Boston College Coaches
First-year head coach Jeff Jagodzinski replaced Tom O’Brien who, despite an impressive and successful 10-year run, wore out his welcome due to conservative play-calling and an overall less-then-dynamic approach and demeanor. Seven consecutive bowl wins is apparently not good enough for some people and O’Brien, seeing the writing on the wall, took a “lateral” move to NC State (although he got a lot more dough, so it depends on your definition of lateral). Jagodzinski comes to Chestnut Hill from the Green Bay Packers, where he was tight ends coach for 5 years and OC for one, promising to bring an exciting, vertical passing attack with him. And the early returns suggest he is doing just that. Former East Carolina head coach Steve Logan is BC’s new offensive coordinator. Logan was most recently an NFL Europe QB/WR coach and offensive coordinator (Berlin Thunder, Rhein Fire). Frank Spaziani is the DC. He was retained from O’Brien’s BC staff, where he worked for the past 9 seasons.
Vegas
BC (-14).
Worth Noting
Boston College returns 16 starters from a 10-win 2006 team and has won 8 or more 6 years running.
Summary/Prediction
To hell with what the data and power ratings suggest. ND solves Matt Ryan with a surprising combination of pressure and coverage, Clausen has the coming-out party we’ve all been waiting for along with fellow-frosh WR playmakers-in-training (Tate, Kamara), a weak BC secondary is further exposed, and Notre Dame shocks #4 Boston College 23-20 on a last second Brandon Walker FG, ruining BCS hopes, smashing Heisman Trophy dreams, and spilling mass quantities of chowder in the process.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – October 13, 2007
Georgia Tech at Miami-FL
Tech has lost three of their last four. Randy Shannon is a good man, per the rags anyway, and he’s saying all the right things but his ‘Canes aren’t scaring anyone anymore. Two teams going nowhere fast despite preseason hype/hope.
Penn State vs. Wisconsin
Austin Scott suspended, JoePa grumbling to the press, Morelli not measuring up, natives getting restless again…is a 7-5 Nittany Lion collapse on the way?
Michigan vs. Purdue
Boilers never threatened last week vs. Buckeyes until garbage time. Do they wilt again vs. (not so) Big Blue?
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Spartacus allowed the N-Cats to hang around long enough to turn last week into yet another MSU-Northwestern freak show (recall State’s comeback from a 31-7 deficit in Evanston last year). Green-and-White likely more focused here vs. IU’s spread offense (similar to NU’s). Hoosiers one win from bowl eligibility; bowl-less since 1993. Michigan State vs. Central Michigan in a December 26th Motor City Bowl matchup that only a mother, or a Michigan deer hunter, could love?
Boston College at NOTRE DAME
UCLA off
Mercifully…
USC vs. Arizona
Booty out. Sanchez in. And the talking heads are scrambling to find another example of a 40-point dog winning outright since the Greeks sacked Troy.
Navy 48 - Pittsburgh 45 (2OT)
Major hiccup for Coach Wannie’s rebuilding Panthers.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech
Midnight madness only days away.
Stanford vs. Texas Christian
Frogs ready for America’s (latest) underdog darling? Probably.
Other Games of Interest – October 13, 2007
#1 LSU at #17 Kentucky
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Missouri
#15 Cincinnati vs. Louisville
#18 Illinois at Iowa
Ball State vs. Western Kentucky
Butler at Valparaiso
Rose-Hulman vs. Bluffton
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Borrowing a corollary from the timeless Kromkowski “PAC 10 Fraud” theorem, IFP isn’t buying in to #2 Cal just yet. History says you need to be more than a one trick pony to remain standing in early January. Cal looks like a lot of O and not much D. Gave up 500+ yards to Oregon in their signature win and needed four 4th quarter Duck turnovers to seal the deal. It says here the Golden Bears will need at least 40 to beat Oregon State at home on Saturday. Because OSU will break 30.
From the unfair-but-fun-anyway department: Ron Zook has a better record than Urban Meyer this year.
References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
http://bceagles.cstv.com
http://bostoncollege.rivals.com
http://www.nfldraftscout.com
Editor’s Note
The entire IFP staff will be on sabbatical in Orlando next week, visiting the Big Mouse. Next preview = Navy at ND. Go Irish!
Boston College ran its record to 6-0 for the first time since 1942 with a 55-24 win over visiting Bowling Green last weekend, enabling the Eagles to crack the Top 5 in the polls for the first time since Doug Flutie was a senior (1984). BC quarterback and surprise Heisman hopeful Matt Ryan pitched another shutout, going 24-32 for 312 yards, 4 TDs, no INTs in three quarters of work. Boston College gave up 401 passing yards (more on that later) and 465 total yards to Bowling Green, but had 6 interceptions (4 in the last 6 minutes of the first half) vs. two different Bowling Green passers.
Boston College opened the 2007 season with three straight ACC wins, at home vs. Wake Forest, at home vs. NC State, and an eye-opening road win over then #15 Georgia Tech. They stepped down in class schedule-wise after that, chalking up listless home wins vs. Army and UMass, refocused a little, and then blew out Bowling Green last Saturday. Four of BC’s final six games are on the road, beginning this weekend in South Bend. They are off next week then travel to #12 Virginia Tech on October 25th.
This is the first Boston College-Notre Dame game since 2004. BC beat ranked ND teams in their last two visits, including the 24-23 win over #24 Notre Dame three years ago. The Irish led 20-7 at half in that one but were out-gained 319-122 in the 2nd half.
Boston College Offense
Ryan, a 6-5, 220 senior from Philadelphia, has completed 63% of his 255 pass attempts this year with a 15-5 TD-INT ratio. He was first team All ACC last year despite playing a lot of the season on a bum foot. BC’s effective 2007 passing game is in large part due to Ryan’s ability to spread the ball around to multiple receiving options. Perhaps it is the new system more than raw talent, but Brandon Robinson (5-11, 190 junior from Minneapolis), Rich Gunnell (5-11, 205 sophomore from New Jersey), and Kevin Challenger (5-8, 180 senior from Montreal) each has >20 catches this season, ~300 receiving yards, and 2 or more TDs. Robinson is probably the “go to,” but all three are contributing. BC lost their top 2 WRs from a year ago, but this group has experience and is blossoming in the new offense despite their apparent lack of size. Junior Ryan Purvis (6-4, 260) is the TE. He has 19 catches and 1 TD. Purvis is more receiver than blocker.
Senior Andre Callender (5-11, 205) is BC’s leading rusher/workhorse (537 yards, 5.1 ypc, 6 TDs). Callender is responsible for a shade over 50% of all Boston College rushing attempts this year.
BC had some holes to fill along the offensive line coming out of spring. Gosder Cherilus (6-7, 320), a 3-year starter and likely NFL prospect, is the Eagles most experienced O-lineman. He moved to LT this season.
Boston College Defense
Four starters and 8 letter winners return along the BC defensive line and 3 starting LBs likewise return from a year ago, although one of those returning LBs, highly recruited senior leader Brian Toal, is redshirting this year due to an early shoulder injury (a big loss). The secondary, however, wasn’t nearly as stable this spring/summer and BC’s play in the defensive backfield has been exposed at times this year. BC’s secondary was rated only 99th nationally entering the Bowling Green game.
Boston College Special Teams
Steve Aponavicius, the walk-on kicker who got a lot of pub last year for “coming out of the stands” where he sat the prior season to kick 2 FGs and 2 PATs in a nationally televised win over Virginia Tech in his first start. Aponavicius is 24-25 on PATs and 7-8 on FGs this year (long = 45 yards). I would imagine the BC athletic department is picking up his tuition these days.
Boston College Coaches
First-year head coach Jeff Jagodzinski replaced Tom O’Brien who, despite an impressive and successful 10-year run, wore out his welcome due to conservative play-calling and an overall less-then-dynamic approach and demeanor. Seven consecutive bowl wins is apparently not good enough for some people and O’Brien, seeing the writing on the wall, took a “lateral” move to NC State (although he got a lot more dough, so it depends on your definition of lateral). Jagodzinski comes to Chestnut Hill from the Green Bay Packers, where he was tight ends coach for 5 years and OC for one, promising to bring an exciting, vertical passing attack with him. And the early returns suggest he is doing just that. Former East Carolina head coach Steve Logan is BC’s new offensive coordinator. Logan was most recently an NFL Europe QB/WR coach and offensive coordinator (Berlin Thunder, Rhein Fire). Frank Spaziani is the DC. He was retained from O’Brien’s BC staff, where he worked for the past 9 seasons.
Vegas
BC (-14).
Worth Noting
Boston College returns 16 starters from a 10-win 2006 team and has won 8 or more 6 years running.
Summary/Prediction
To hell with what the data and power ratings suggest. ND solves Matt Ryan with a surprising combination of pressure and coverage, Clausen has the coming-out party we’ve all been waiting for along with fellow-frosh WR playmakers-in-training (Tate, Kamara), a weak BC secondary is further exposed, and Notre Dame shocks #4 Boston College 23-20 on a last second Brandon Walker FG, ruining BCS hopes, smashing Heisman Trophy dreams, and spilling mass quantities of chowder in the process.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – October 13, 2007
Georgia Tech at Miami-FL
Tech has lost three of their last four. Randy Shannon is a good man, per the rags anyway, and he’s saying all the right things but his ‘Canes aren’t scaring anyone anymore. Two teams going nowhere fast despite preseason hype/hope.
Penn State vs. Wisconsin
Austin Scott suspended, JoePa grumbling to the press, Morelli not measuring up, natives getting restless again…is a 7-5 Nittany Lion collapse on the way?
Michigan vs. Purdue
Boilers never threatened last week vs. Buckeyes until garbage time. Do they wilt again vs. (not so) Big Blue?
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Spartacus allowed the N-Cats to hang around long enough to turn last week into yet another MSU-Northwestern freak show (recall State’s comeback from a 31-7 deficit in Evanston last year). Green-and-White likely more focused here vs. IU’s spread offense (similar to NU’s). Hoosiers one win from bowl eligibility; bowl-less since 1993. Michigan State vs. Central Michigan in a December 26th Motor City Bowl matchup that only a mother, or a Michigan deer hunter, could love?
Boston College at NOTRE DAME
UCLA off
Mercifully…
USC vs. Arizona
Booty out. Sanchez in. And the talking heads are scrambling to find another example of a 40-point dog winning outright since the Greeks sacked Troy.
Navy 48 - Pittsburgh 45 (2OT)
Major hiccup for Coach Wannie’s rebuilding Panthers.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech
Midnight madness only days away.
Stanford vs. Texas Christian
Frogs ready for America’s (latest) underdog darling? Probably.
Other Games of Interest – October 13, 2007
#1 LSU at #17 Kentucky
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Missouri
#15 Cincinnati vs. Louisville
#18 Illinois at Iowa
Ball State vs. Western Kentucky
Butler at Valparaiso
Rose-Hulman vs. Bluffton
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Borrowing a corollary from the timeless Kromkowski “PAC 10 Fraud” theorem, IFP isn’t buying in to #2 Cal just yet. History says you need to be more than a one trick pony to remain standing in early January. Cal looks like a lot of O and not much D. Gave up 500+ yards to Oregon in their signature win and needed four 4th quarter Duck turnovers to seal the deal. It says here the Golden Bears will need at least 40 to beat Oregon State at home on Saturday. Because OSU will break 30.
From the unfair-but-fun-anyway department: Ron Zook has a better record than Urban Meyer this year.
References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
http://bceagles.cstv.com
http://bostoncollege.rivals.com
http://www.nfldraftscout.com
Editor’s Note
The entire IFP staff will be on sabbatical in Orlando next week, visiting the Big Mouse. Next preview = Navy at ND. Go Irish!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Notre Dame (0-5) at #25 UCLA (4-1)
Last Week/This Year/Last Year
UCLA beat Oregon State 40-14 last weekend in Corvallis, scoring four 4th quarter TDs. The game was not quite the blow out the final score suggests, however, as OSU had five turnovers, overall, and two of UCLA’s late TDs were gifts courtesy of Beaver fumbles on KO returns. OSU led 14-0 at the half and 14-12 heading into the 4th but fell apart.
UCLA is 4-1 with home wins over BYU and Washington, road wins over Stanford and Oregon State, and one almost inexplicable road loss to Utah.
UCLA led #10 Notre Dame almost the entire game last year in South Bend until a 45-yard Quinn-to-Samardzja TD pass with 0:27 left enabled the Irish to pull out a 20-17 victory.
UCLA Offense
Ben Olsen, a big-armed, 6-5, 230 QB, missed a start vs. Washington two weeks ago (shoulder) but returned vs. Oregon State and will likely start vs. the Irish. Olsen is a 24-year old junior from Montana who was one of the most highly recruited HS players in the country way back in 2001 (yes, that’s right, 6 years ago – the same year Reggie Bush graduated from high school). He originally signed with BYU, redshirted, and then went on a two-year Mormon mission. It only seems like he’s older than Brett Favre. Olsen, who has completed only 52% of his 122 pass attempts this year for 922 yards (7-5 TD-INT), has fought Patrick Cowan for the starting QB nod at UCLA since his arrival and won the job last spring. Cowan played the bulk of 2006 (starting in four straight UCLA losses) and stared the Emerald Bowl vs. Florida State (likewise a loss), however, due to an Olsen injury vs. Arizona earlier in the year (+ Olsen’s ineffective play prior). Cowan, a likewise a junior, started and played the entire game vs. Washington two weeks ago. I’m frankly not sure if either one of these guys is that good, despite the hype.
Senior Chris Markey (5-11, 205) and junior Kahlil Bell (6-0, 205) have shared the 2007 RB load for the Bruins to date. Bell has 522 yards and 4 TDs (5.3 ypc), Markey has 404 yards and 3 TDs (5.1 ypc). Both have TD runs > 50 yards in the books this year and UCLA’s running game, in general, appears to be improved over last year (only 3.9 ypc overall in 2006). Markey led the Bruins in rushing and receiving last year, the first UCLA player to do that in 40+ years.
Brandon Breazell leads the team with 22 catches for 396 yards and 3 TDs (18.0 ypc). He is reportedly quick after the catch, but his size (6-0, 165) begs a physical approach from the Irish secondary. Senior Joe Cowan (6-4, 220) has ten catches for 181 yards and 2 TDs. My honest opinion is that UCLA was weak at WR last year (e.g. a RB leading the team in catches) and still is. I think ND should stack the box, concentrate on stopping Markey/Bell, and occasionally sell out and blitz Olsen from any/all sides as history suggests he might not be able to take a punch. We have faced better receiving corps than this bunch just about every week this year (Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue for sure). I like our CBs in this match-up.
Four starters return from a solid, but not great, UCLA offensive line from a year ago.
UCLA Defense
UCLA played kids along the D-Line in 2005, got gashed, but learned from that experience in 2006, yielding only 91 yards/game and 2.8 ypc on the ground and with DE Justin Hickman earning 1st team All Pac 10 honors last season. Hickman has moved on, but 7 of UCLA’s top 8 D-linemen return. Similar, solid, performance was expected entering this season and that has pretty much held true (88 yard rushing/game allowed, 2.8 ypc).
UCLA likewise enjoys the return the bulk of their starting LB corps and their entire secondary from 2006 with returning seniors in both CB and both safety slots. CB Trey Brown was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week for his work vs. Oregon State last week (2 INTs, 8 tackles).
UCLA Special Teams
Better than ours. Kai Forbath (a surfer dude/California-sounding name if I ever heard one!) is a perfect 18-18 on PATs and 10-13 on FGs including 4-6 from beyond 40 yards. Forbath, a redshirt frosh from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, CA, was a USA Today All American in 2005 and was rated the No. 1 high school kicker, nationally, by ESPN.com after his senior season.
UCLA Coaches
Karl Dorrell, a former UCLA WR (2nd leading receiver in school history playing on three Rose Bowl winners), enters his 5th year as the UCLA head coach. Dorrell was an NFL assistant for 3 years and a 7-year college offensive coordinator prior to getting the UCLA job. He is now a Bob Toledo-like 33-22 overall as UCLA’s head coach with 4 bowl appearances in 4 years (3 losses). UCLA fell hard in 2006 after a promising 10-win 2005, plagued by inconsistent play throughout (Exhibit A: a home blowout loss to Wazzu and a shocking win over #2 USC within a 4 week span --- followed by a blowout loss to FSU in the E-Bowl wrap up a 7-6 season). The locals have started grumbling, loudly, about the up-one-week, down-the-next performance of recent Dorrell offerings and the Utah loss three weeks ago didn’t help matters. Neither has the fact that UCLA has apparently been relegated to a second class standing in the Pac 10, given all the national love that Cal, Oregon, and USC are pulling in. Dorrell might have a tough time explaining another 5 or 6 loss season, despite his early success. UCLA did manage to crack (re-crack, I should say) the USA Today Top 25 this week.
2nd year UCA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker is given a lot of credit for a recent Bruin defensive resurgence. Walker was a defensive backs coach with Washington Redskins prior. Jay Norvell, the OC/QB coach at Nebraska last year, joined the UCLA staff last winter. He is the 3rd UCLA offensive coordinator in the past 5 years.
Vegas
UCLA (-20.5). These lines are really starting to depress me.
Worth Noting
UCLA has won 17 of their last 19 non-conference home games and are developing somewhat of a strong at home, soft on the road reputation. The Bruins are off next week (at home vs. Cal on October 20).
Summary/Prediction
UCLA looks, to me, like a good defensive team with an average offense compared to their Pac 10 brethren anyway. The questions this week will be whether or not we can keep an aggressive Bruin defense off Sharpley/Clausen’s back long enough to establish some form of passing game (get the ball to Tate – he looks like a playmaker!!!) and whether or not our defense can get UCLA’s offense off the field or continue their trend of allowing long, clock killing drives (particularly in the 2nd Half). I could see an upset, frankly, if this one was in South Bend as I don’t think UCLA is as good as Purdue from top to bottom. They do, however, have 20 starters returning from 2006 (just like Purdue) and are pretty good at home. Good enough, anyway. UCLA 31 - Notre Dame 17
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – October 6, 2007
Georgia Tech at Maryland
Another year, another good 5-loss Georgia Tech team?
Penn State vs. Iowa
PSU = 2007’s most overrated? If not the entire team, then Anthony Morelli for sure (my view anyway).
Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan
Eagles to pay for App State glory? EMU is 0-29 vs. Big Ten and 7 of those 29 losses are to Michigan. Eastern actually scored in one of their games vs. UM; other six all shutouts. Ugly early.
Michigan State vs. Northwestern
Cats hung with Michigan. Spartacus still smarting from Bucky’s late bite?
Purdue vs. Ohio State
Painter throws 3 picks, minimum.
#25 UCLA vs. NOTRE DAME
Boston College vs. Bowling Green
UMass last week, BG this week? I though Boston College was in the ACC?
#2 USC vs. Stanford
Pete Carroll to see if there are three digits available on the Coliseum scoreboard, given Harbaugh’s early season commentary? Don’t look for the Men of Troy to take their foot off the gas in this one. USC scores 50, minimum.
Navy off
Duke vs. Wake Forest
Always a good hoops match-up. Devils will actually hang around in this one assuming they stay out of foul trouble.
Other Games of Interest – October 6, 2007
#1 LSU vs. #9 Florida
#5 Wisconsin at Illinois
#8 Kentucky at #11 South Carolina (Thursday night)
Indiana vs. Minnesota
Ball State vs. Central Michigan
Butler at Drake
Rose-Hulman at Defiance
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Wisconsin and Michigan State combine for > 1000 yards of total offense in the Badgers WAC-like 37-34 win in Madison? Nothing like a good, old-fashioned, grind-it-out, Big Ten battle in the trenches.
More signs of the impending Apocalypse: a commuter school in Tampa is ranked #6 in the country, Hawaii has a real shot at a BCS birth, and Kentucky’s quarterback (Andre Woodson) has made a better Heisman case than anyone to date.
Speaking of last year’s ND-UCLA game, Jeff Samardzija finished the year 3-3 for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies with a 3.41 ERA. Smardzija, a 5th round draft choice of the Cubs, spent the majority of the year in Single-A (Daytona Beach) prior to a late-season call up to the Southern League. He signed a 5-year, $10MM contract in February.
References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
www.uclabruins.cstv.com
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/
Go Cubs Go.
UCLA beat Oregon State 40-14 last weekend in Corvallis, scoring four 4th quarter TDs. The game was not quite the blow out the final score suggests, however, as OSU had five turnovers, overall, and two of UCLA’s late TDs were gifts courtesy of Beaver fumbles on KO returns. OSU led 14-0 at the half and 14-12 heading into the 4th but fell apart.
UCLA is 4-1 with home wins over BYU and Washington, road wins over Stanford and Oregon State, and one almost inexplicable road loss to Utah.
UCLA led #10 Notre Dame almost the entire game last year in South Bend until a 45-yard Quinn-to-Samardzja TD pass with 0:27 left enabled the Irish to pull out a 20-17 victory.
UCLA Offense
Ben Olsen, a big-armed, 6-5, 230 QB, missed a start vs. Washington two weeks ago (shoulder) but returned vs. Oregon State and will likely start vs. the Irish. Olsen is a 24-year old junior from Montana who was one of the most highly recruited HS players in the country way back in 2001 (yes, that’s right, 6 years ago – the same year Reggie Bush graduated from high school). He originally signed with BYU, redshirted, and then went on a two-year Mormon mission. It only seems like he’s older than Brett Favre. Olsen, who has completed only 52% of his 122 pass attempts this year for 922 yards (7-5 TD-INT), has fought Patrick Cowan for the starting QB nod at UCLA since his arrival and won the job last spring. Cowan played the bulk of 2006 (starting in four straight UCLA losses) and stared the Emerald Bowl vs. Florida State (likewise a loss), however, due to an Olsen injury vs. Arizona earlier in the year (+ Olsen’s ineffective play prior). Cowan, a likewise a junior, started and played the entire game vs. Washington two weeks ago. I’m frankly not sure if either one of these guys is that good, despite the hype.
Senior Chris Markey (5-11, 205) and junior Kahlil Bell (6-0, 205) have shared the 2007 RB load for the Bruins to date. Bell has 522 yards and 4 TDs (5.3 ypc), Markey has 404 yards and 3 TDs (5.1 ypc). Both have TD runs > 50 yards in the books this year and UCLA’s running game, in general, appears to be improved over last year (only 3.9 ypc overall in 2006). Markey led the Bruins in rushing and receiving last year, the first UCLA player to do that in 40+ years.
Brandon Breazell leads the team with 22 catches for 396 yards and 3 TDs (18.0 ypc). He is reportedly quick after the catch, but his size (6-0, 165) begs a physical approach from the Irish secondary. Senior Joe Cowan (6-4, 220) has ten catches for 181 yards and 2 TDs. My honest opinion is that UCLA was weak at WR last year (e.g. a RB leading the team in catches) and still is. I think ND should stack the box, concentrate on stopping Markey/Bell, and occasionally sell out and blitz Olsen from any/all sides as history suggests he might not be able to take a punch. We have faced better receiving corps than this bunch just about every week this year (Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue for sure). I like our CBs in this match-up.
Four starters return from a solid, but not great, UCLA offensive line from a year ago.
UCLA Defense
UCLA played kids along the D-Line in 2005, got gashed, but learned from that experience in 2006, yielding only 91 yards/game and 2.8 ypc on the ground and with DE Justin Hickman earning 1st team All Pac 10 honors last season. Hickman has moved on, but 7 of UCLA’s top 8 D-linemen return. Similar, solid, performance was expected entering this season and that has pretty much held true (88 yard rushing/game allowed, 2.8 ypc).
UCLA likewise enjoys the return the bulk of their starting LB corps and their entire secondary from 2006 with returning seniors in both CB and both safety slots. CB Trey Brown was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week for his work vs. Oregon State last week (2 INTs, 8 tackles).
UCLA Special Teams
Better than ours. Kai Forbath (a surfer dude/California-sounding name if I ever heard one!) is a perfect 18-18 on PATs and 10-13 on FGs including 4-6 from beyond 40 yards. Forbath, a redshirt frosh from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, CA, was a USA Today All American in 2005 and was rated the No. 1 high school kicker, nationally, by ESPN.com after his senior season.
UCLA Coaches
Karl Dorrell, a former UCLA WR (2nd leading receiver in school history playing on three Rose Bowl winners), enters his 5th year as the UCLA head coach. Dorrell was an NFL assistant for 3 years and a 7-year college offensive coordinator prior to getting the UCLA job. He is now a Bob Toledo-like 33-22 overall as UCLA’s head coach with 4 bowl appearances in 4 years (3 losses). UCLA fell hard in 2006 after a promising 10-win 2005, plagued by inconsistent play throughout (Exhibit A: a home blowout loss to Wazzu and a shocking win over #2 USC within a 4 week span --- followed by a blowout loss to FSU in the E-Bowl wrap up a 7-6 season). The locals have started grumbling, loudly, about the up-one-week, down-the-next performance of recent Dorrell offerings and the Utah loss three weeks ago didn’t help matters. Neither has the fact that UCLA has apparently been relegated to a second class standing in the Pac 10, given all the national love that Cal, Oregon, and USC are pulling in. Dorrell might have a tough time explaining another 5 or 6 loss season, despite his early success. UCLA did manage to crack (re-crack, I should say) the USA Today Top 25 this week.
2nd year UCA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker is given a lot of credit for a recent Bruin defensive resurgence. Walker was a defensive backs coach with Washington Redskins prior. Jay Norvell, the OC/QB coach at Nebraska last year, joined the UCLA staff last winter. He is the 3rd UCLA offensive coordinator in the past 5 years.
Vegas
UCLA (-20.5). These lines are really starting to depress me.
Worth Noting
UCLA has won 17 of their last 19 non-conference home games and are developing somewhat of a strong at home, soft on the road reputation. The Bruins are off next week (at home vs. Cal on October 20).
Summary/Prediction
UCLA looks, to me, like a good defensive team with an average offense compared to their Pac 10 brethren anyway. The questions this week will be whether or not we can keep an aggressive Bruin defense off Sharpley/Clausen’s back long enough to establish some form of passing game (get the ball to Tate – he looks like a playmaker!!!) and whether or not our defense can get UCLA’s offense off the field or continue their trend of allowing long, clock killing drives (particularly in the 2nd Half). I could see an upset, frankly, if this one was in South Bend as I don’t think UCLA is as good as Purdue from top to bottom. They do, however, have 20 starters returning from 2006 (just like Purdue) and are pretty good at home. Good enough, anyway. UCLA 31 - Notre Dame 17
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – October 6, 2007
Georgia Tech at Maryland
Another year, another good 5-loss Georgia Tech team?
Penn State vs. Iowa
PSU = 2007’s most overrated? If not the entire team, then Anthony Morelli for sure (my view anyway).
Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan
Eagles to pay for App State glory? EMU is 0-29 vs. Big Ten and 7 of those 29 losses are to Michigan. Eastern actually scored in one of their games vs. UM; other six all shutouts. Ugly early.
Michigan State vs. Northwestern
Cats hung with Michigan. Spartacus still smarting from Bucky’s late bite?
Purdue vs. Ohio State
Painter throws 3 picks, minimum.
#25 UCLA vs. NOTRE DAME
Boston College vs. Bowling Green
UMass last week, BG this week? I though Boston College was in the ACC?
#2 USC vs. Stanford
Pete Carroll to see if there are three digits available on the Coliseum scoreboard, given Harbaugh’s early season commentary? Don’t look for the Men of Troy to take their foot off the gas in this one. USC scores 50, minimum.
Navy off
Duke vs. Wake Forest
Always a good hoops match-up. Devils will actually hang around in this one assuming they stay out of foul trouble.
Other Games of Interest – October 6, 2007
#1 LSU vs. #9 Florida
#5 Wisconsin at Illinois
#8 Kentucky at #11 South Carolina (Thursday night)
Indiana vs. Minnesota
Ball State vs. Central Michigan
Butler at Drake
Rose-Hulman at Defiance
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Wisconsin and Michigan State combine for > 1000 yards of total offense in the Badgers WAC-like 37-34 win in Madison? Nothing like a good, old-fashioned, grind-it-out, Big Ten battle in the trenches.
More signs of the impending Apocalypse: a commuter school in Tampa is ranked #6 in the country, Hawaii has a real shot at a BCS birth, and Kentucky’s quarterback (Andre Woodson) has made a better Heisman case than anyone to date.
Speaking of last year’s ND-UCLA game, Jeff Samardzija finished the year 3-3 for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies with a 3.41 ERA. Smardzija, a 5th round draft choice of the Cubs, spent the majority of the year in Single-A (Daytona Beach) prior to a late-season call up to the Southern League. He signed a 5-year, $10MM contract in February.
References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
www.uclabruins.cstv.com
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/
Go Cubs Go.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Notre Dame (0-4) at #25 Purdue (4-0)
Year-To-Date/Last Year
Purdue put a 4th consecutive big offensive number on the board last Saturday night, beating Minnesota 45-31 in their Big Ten opener in Minneapolis. QB Curtis Painter, who started slowly but was all but perfect in the 2nd half, led the Boilermakers. Painter was 17-21 for 199 yards after the intermission (33-48, 338, 3 TDs, 1 INT overall). The Boilers have yet to be held under 40 points in wins over Toledo, Eastern Illinois, Central Michigan, and Minnesota to date. They cracked the USA Today Coaches Poll this week (#25).
#12 Notre Dame beat Purdue in South Bend last year, 35-21. Brady Quinn completed 24 of his first 28 pass attempts en route to a 29-38, 316 yard, 2 TD afternoon. Darius Walker had 146 yards rushing and 1 TD for the Irish. Selwyn Lymon had 238 receiving yards for the Boilermakers, the most ever by a Notre Dame opponent.
Purdue Offense
Painter, whose 16-1 TD-to-INT ratio tops all Division I QBs, set a single season Big Ten record with 3,985 yards passing in 2006 (22 TDs, 19 INTs). He is averaging 322 passing yards/game so far this year (11th nationally). Assuming Painter, a senior from Vincennes-Lincoln HS in Vincennes, IN, keeps his INTs down (and the early returns suggest he is doing just that), he could quickly move to the front of the 2007 Big Ten QB pack. His “prototype” 6-4, 230 measurables and demonstrated big arm will likely make him a Mel Kiper darling leading up to the 2008 NFL draft.
If my math is right, the 2007 group of starting Purdue receivers may be the best tandem, overall, in Joe Tiller’s 11 seasons. And that is saying a lot, considering Taylor Stubblefield left Purdue a few years ago as the NCAA’s leading all time receiver. Senior Dorien Bryant, a 5-10, 180 burner from New Jersey, leads the Boilermakers with 32 catches in 4 games this year. Bryant, who reportedly has sub-4.3 speed, had 167 career catches entering the 2007 campaign. He might catch 100 balls this year. Junior Greg Orton from Dayton, OH (6-3, 200) starts opposite Bryant and he, likewise, returns off a productive 2006 (58 catches, 13.6 ypc). Lymon (6-4, 215) from Fort Wayne, the 3rd wideout, is unfortunately as famous for getting stabbed in the chest last spring as he is for putting up the huge receiving yardage number vs. the Irish a year ago. And Painter has yet another receiving weapon at TE in local product Dustin Keller, a 6-4, 240 5th year senior from Lafayette Jefferson HS. Keller, a tremendous athlete for his size (4.5 speed and one of the stronger players on the Boiler squad, weight-room wise), had 56 catches in ’06 and has 15 catches so far this year including an 80-yard TD. Keller could very well end up playing on Sundays given his combination of size, strength, speed, and hands. He looks to me like a combine freak waiting to happen.
Kory Sheets, a 6-0, 205 junior from Manchester, CT, is Purdue’s primary rushing option. Sheets led the Boilers with 790 yards rushing in 2006 and has 374 yards so far this season (4 TDs). He had 111 yards on 21 carries vs. Minnesota (1 TD). At this pace, Sheets will become Purdue’s third 1,000-yard rusher in the past 13 seasons (former Joliet Catholic Hilltopper/Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott ran for a school record 1,436 yards in 1995 and Joey Harris of Tomball, Texas racked up 1,115 Boilermaker rushing yards in 2002).
Purdue returns the right side of their 2006 offensive line in junior RT Zach Jones (6-5, 300) and senior RG Jordan Grimes (6-3, 325). Jones and Grimes played HS ball together at Plainfield (IN) HS -- Grimes was 2nd team All Big Ten last year. Veteran senior swingman Sean Sester (6-7, 295) is settling in at LT and Cincinnati Indian Hill product Zach Reckman (6-6, 295) will likely start at LG vs. the Irish. Reckman is a junior. Purdue’s 2007 offensive line has less experience than their 2006 line but may be more athletic and better overall.
Purdue Defense
I think it is fair to say a lot was expected of the 2006 Purdue defense, but little was delivered. Nine starters return from that unit, but arguably the best overall player does not (DE Anthony Spencer, 1st round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys, #26 overall). Junior DE Alex Magee (6-5, 295) is probably Purdue’s most capable returning starter on the defensive line. While developing quarterback talent is Joe Tiller and his Purdue staff’s reputation, it is interesting to note that 8 Purdue defensive ends in the 10-year Tiller era have played in the NFL. Likewise noteworthy, and more relevant to Saturday, is the fact that 3 of 4 Purdue defensive linemen from 2006 return…a unit that was woefully unable to stop the run (191 rushing yards/game and 4.9 ypc allowed in 2006).
Dan Bick, a 6-1, 225 senior who led the ’06 Boilers in tackles at OLB, moves to MLB this season although he is being pushed by 5th year senior Josh Ferguson who is coming off a hip fracture last year. Converted running back Anthony Heywood, a 6-2, 230 senior, will likely start at one OLB spot on Saturday. Stanford Keglar, a 6-2, 24 5th year senior from Indianapolis, is the other OLB.
The 2006 Purdue starters at safety (Justin Scott, Brandon Erwin) and CB (Terrell Vinson, Royce Adams) all return. Speed but not a lot of size is the theme here. Vinson, Adams, and Erwin are all in the 6-0, 180 range. Scott is a little heavier. Experience should help this group, however, as it was basically thrown together out of necessity last year. Vinson, a JUCO transfer, wasn’t eligible until the 2nd week of the season last year. Improvement from this goup is likely.
Purdue Special Teams
True freshman Chris Summers from Fishers, IN had a pretty brutal year FG-wise for Purdue last season (8-20). He did display a consistently big/deep leg on kickoffs, however, and is back to handle Purdue placekicking detail. Bryant is the primary punt and kick returner.
Purdue Coaches
I heard a sports talk radio chit-chat host in late-August, while previewing the upcoming Big Ten football season, actually mention Joe Tiller as an on-the-hot-seat coach in 2007. What a joke. My view is the polar opposite. I humbly suggest the John Purdue’s of the world start squirreling away cash to build a Joe Tiller statue/monument outside Ross-Ade Stadium for the inevitable day he retires and the Brock Spack era begins. Joe Tiller is the best football coach in Purdue history and should be begged to stay until he can no longer function. Period. End of story. Spack, a former Purdue All Big Ten LB, is the Defensive Coordinator, has been on the Purdue staff for all 11 years of the Tiller era, and probably deserves “next” consideration assuming he is interested. Bill Legg is the OC in title only; it’s Tiller’s offense. Legg was the Purdue offensive line coach for 4 years before his promotion to OC last season. At West Virginia for a year prior to that.
Worth Noting
Purdue is 3-2 vs. Notre Dame in West Lafayette and 28-2 overall in September under Tiller.
Vegas
Purdue (-22). Unbelievable. If you live long enough, you’ll see it all I guess.
Summary/Prediction
I saw this trip to Tippecanoe County as a trap game for the Irish before the season began. Still do. Only difference now is every game is apparently a trap for the gold hats. Purdue returns 20 starters from 2006 and are clearly pointing to this game as a tone-setter for the balance of the year, following 3 preseason MAC/Gateway tune-up and an even less stressful Big Ten opener.
All teams have weaknesses, though. For Purdue, it might be their defensive line if only for their documented inability to stop the run last season and that they have to replace Anthony Spencer and his 10.5 sacks. Purdue has also shown a tendency this year to not play complete games and play sloppily at times, racking up unnecessary penalty yards, etc. The Boilers let both CMU and Minnesota hang around longer than really necessary, mainly due to the sloppy play factor, although it would probably be a mistake to read too much into that. Purdue will play four quarters against the Irish.
My main concerns on Saturday are (a.) the fact that the ND defensive line was outplayed (again) last week vs. MSU and I suspect Purdue’s offensive line is better than State’s and (b.) Purdue’s potentially balanced offensive attack. A one dimensional “Air Tiller” display would actually be easier for the Irish to deal with at this point. Stopping equal parts Painter and Sheets worries me. The Irish have not effectively stopped the run for an extended period in any of their 4 games to date and if Sheets gets > 100 yards on the ground, the Irish will likely be in serious trouble. I suspect Painter will throw for 300+, regardless. If ND can somehow slow the Purdue ground game, however, maybe Painter “getting his” alone won’t be enough and the Irish can hang around. The Irish secondary is a lone bright spot right now, I think. For all the perfection noted in Curtis Painter’s first four ballgames, however, I don’t want anyone to think I am anointing another Tom Brady here. Purdue hasn’t played anybody and Painter lost command of the strike zone plenty of times last year; 19 interceptions is a bundle. And let’s not forget Kyle Orton’s 17-0 TD-to-INT start for Purdue a couple years ago during the Boiler’s annual run of preseason gimmees, only to semi-implode when the schedule stiffened and Tilller’s growl got louder. A return to the wild Curtis Painter of last year would help the Irish cause tremendously.
For all that, though, I see the Irish having trouble trading baskets with this Purdue team on Saturday on the road. I do expect a track meet. I do expect Notre Dame to score more points than last week. Just not enough. Purdue 38 – Notre Dame 24.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 29, 2007
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
#19 Penn State at Illinois
#23 Michigan State at #9 Wisconsin
#25 Purdue vs. NOTRE DAME
UCLA at Oregon State
#11 Boston College vs. Massachusetts
#1 USC at WashingtonNavy vs. Air Force
Duke at Miami-FL
Stanford vs. Arizona State
Other Games of Interest – September 29, 2007
#5 West Virginia at #18 South Florida (Friday night)
#6 California at #11 Oregon
Indiana at Iowa
Ball State vs. Buffalo
Butler vs. San Diego
Rose-Hulman vs. Hanover
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Like Purdue, Arizona State cracked the Top 25 this week, becoming the 4th school that Dennis Erickson has taken into the polls which is a higher number than any coach in history…except one. Only one coach has had 5 different schools in the Top 25 during his career. Who? Just to see if anyone is reading, send your answers to dezelan@aol.com.
Sources/References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
www.purduesports.cstv.com
Purdue put a 4th consecutive big offensive number on the board last Saturday night, beating Minnesota 45-31 in their Big Ten opener in Minneapolis. QB Curtis Painter, who started slowly but was all but perfect in the 2nd half, led the Boilermakers. Painter was 17-21 for 199 yards after the intermission (33-48, 338, 3 TDs, 1 INT overall). The Boilers have yet to be held under 40 points in wins over Toledo, Eastern Illinois, Central Michigan, and Minnesota to date. They cracked the USA Today Coaches Poll this week (#25).
#12 Notre Dame beat Purdue in South Bend last year, 35-21. Brady Quinn completed 24 of his first 28 pass attempts en route to a 29-38, 316 yard, 2 TD afternoon. Darius Walker had 146 yards rushing and 1 TD for the Irish. Selwyn Lymon had 238 receiving yards for the Boilermakers, the most ever by a Notre Dame opponent.
Purdue Offense
Painter, whose 16-1 TD-to-INT ratio tops all Division I QBs, set a single season Big Ten record with 3,985 yards passing in 2006 (22 TDs, 19 INTs). He is averaging 322 passing yards/game so far this year (11th nationally). Assuming Painter, a senior from Vincennes-Lincoln HS in Vincennes, IN, keeps his INTs down (and the early returns suggest he is doing just that), he could quickly move to the front of the 2007 Big Ten QB pack. His “prototype” 6-4, 230 measurables and demonstrated big arm will likely make him a Mel Kiper darling leading up to the 2008 NFL draft.
If my math is right, the 2007 group of starting Purdue receivers may be the best tandem, overall, in Joe Tiller’s 11 seasons. And that is saying a lot, considering Taylor Stubblefield left Purdue a few years ago as the NCAA’s leading all time receiver. Senior Dorien Bryant, a 5-10, 180 burner from New Jersey, leads the Boilermakers with 32 catches in 4 games this year. Bryant, who reportedly has sub-4.3 speed, had 167 career catches entering the 2007 campaign. He might catch 100 balls this year. Junior Greg Orton from Dayton, OH (6-3, 200) starts opposite Bryant and he, likewise, returns off a productive 2006 (58 catches, 13.6 ypc). Lymon (6-4, 215) from Fort Wayne, the 3rd wideout, is unfortunately as famous for getting stabbed in the chest last spring as he is for putting up the huge receiving yardage number vs. the Irish a year ago. And Painter has yet another receiving weapon at TE in local product Dustin Keller, a 6-4, 240 5th year senior from Lafayette Jefferson HS. Keller, a tremendous athlete for his size (4.5 speed and one of the stronger players on the Boiler squad, weight-room wise), had 56 catches in ’06 and has 15 catches so far this year including an 80-yard TD. Keller could very well end up playing on Sundays given his combination of size, strength, speed, and hands. He looks to me like a combine freak waiting to happen.
Kory Sheets, a 6-0, 205 junior from Manchester, CT, is Purdue’s primary rushing option. Sheets led the Boilers with 790 yards rushing in 2006 and has 374 yards so far this season (4 TDs). He had 111 yards on 21 carries vs. Minnesota (1 TD). At this pace, Sheets will become Purdue’s third 1,000-yard rusher in the past 13 seasons (former Joliet Catholic Hilltopper/Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott ran for a school record 1,436 yards in 1995 and Joey Harris of Tomball, Texas racked up 1,115 Boilermaker rushing yards in 2002).
Purdue returns the right side of their 2006 offensive line in junior RT Zach Jones (6-5, 300) and senior RG Jordan Grimes (6-3, 325). Jones and Grimes played HS ball together at Plainfield (IN) HS -- Grimes was 2nd team All Big Ten last year. Veteran senior swingman Sean Sester (6-7, 295) is settling in at LT and Cincinnati Indian Hill product Zach Reckman (6-6, 295) will likely start at LG vs. the Irish. Reckman is a junior. Purdue’s 2007 offensive line has less experience than their 2006 line but may be more athletic and better overall.
Purdue Defense
I think it is fair to say a lot was expected of the 2006 Purdue defense, but little was delivered. Nine starters return from that unit, but arguably the best overall player does not (DE Anthony Spencer, 1st round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys, #26 overall). Junior DE Alex Magee (6-5, 295) is probably Purdue’s most capable returning starter on the defensive line. While developing quarterback talent is Joe Tiller and his Purdue staff’s reputation, it is interesting to note that 8 Purdue defensive ends in the 10-year Tiller era have played in the NFL. Likewise noteworthy, and more relevant to Saturday, is the fact that 3 of 4 Purdue defensive linemen from 2006 return…a unit that was woefully unable to stop the run (191 rushing yards/game and 4.9 ypc allowed in 2006).
Dan Bick, a 6-1, 225 senior who led the ’06 Boilers in tackles at OLB, moves to MLB this season although he is being pushed by 5th year senior Josh Ferguson who is coming off a hip fracture last year. Converted running back Anthony Heywood, a 6-2, 230 senior, will likely start at one OLB spot on Saturday. Stanford Keglar, a 6-2, 24 5th year senior from Indianapolis, is the other OLB.
The 2006 Purdue starters at safety (Justin Scott, Brandon Erwin) and CB (Terrell Vinson, Royce Adams) all return. Speed but not a lot of size is the theme here. Vinson, Adams, and Erwin are all in the 6-0, 180 range. Scott is a little heavier. Experience should help this group, however, as it was basically thrown together out of necessity last year. Vinson, a JUCO transfer, wasn’t eligible until the 2nd week of the season last year. Improvement from this goup is likely.
Purdue Special Teams
True freshman Chris Summers from Fishers, IN had a pretty brutal year FG-wise for Purdue last season (8-20). He did display a consistently big/deep leg on kickoffs, however, and is back to handle Purdue placekicking detail. Bryant is the primary punt and kick returner.
Purdue Coaches
I heard a sports talk radio chit-chat host in late-August, while previewing the upcoming Big Ten football season, actually mention Joe Tiller as an on-the-hot-seat coach in 2007. What a joke. My view is the polar opposite. I humbly suggest the John Purdue’s of the world start squirreling away cash to build a Joe Tiller statue/monument outside Ross-Ade Stadium for the inevitable day he retires and the Brock Spack era begins. Joe Tiller is the best football coach in Purdue history and should be begged to stay until he can no longer function. Period. End of story. Spack, a former Purdue All Big Ten LB, is the Defensive Coordinator, has been on the Purdue staff for all 11 years of the Tiller era, and probably deserves “next” consideration assuming he is interested. Bill Legg is the OC in title only; it’s Tiller’s offense. Legg was the Purdue offensive line coach for 4 years before his promotion to OC last season. At West Virginia for a year prior to that.
Worth Noting
Purdue is 3-2 vs. Notre Dame in West Lafayette and 28-2 overall in September under Tiller.
Vegas
Purdue (-22). Unbelievable. If you live long enough, you’ll see it all I guess.
Summary/Prediction
I saw this trip to Tippecanoe County as a trap game for the Irish before the season began. Still do. Only difference now is every game is apparently a trap for the gold hats. Purdue returns 20 starters from 2006 and are clearly pointing to this game as a tone-setter for the balance of the year, following 3 preseason MAC/Gateway tune-up and an even less stressful Big Ten opener.
All teams have weaknesses, though. For Purdue, it might be their defensive line if only for their documented inability to stop the run last season and that they have to replace Anthony Spencer and his 10.5 sacks. Purdue has also shown a tendency this year to not play complete games and play sloppily at times, racking up unnecessary penalty yards, etc. The Boilers let both CMU and Minnesota hang around longer than really necessary, mainly due to the sloppy play factor, although it would probably be a mistake to read too much into that. Purdue will play four quarters against the Irish.
My main concerns on Saturday are (a.) the fact that the ND defensive line was outplayed (again) last week vs. MSU and I suspect Purdue’s offensive line is better than State’s and (b.) Purdue’s potentially balanced offensive attack. A one dimensional “Air Tiller” display would actually be easier for the Irish to deal with at this point. Stopping equal parts Painter and Sheets worries me. The Irish have not effectively stopped the run for an extended period in any of their 4 games to date and if Sheets gets > 100 yards on the ground, the Irish will likely be in serious trouble. I suspect Painter will throw for 300+, regardless. If ND can somehow slow the Purdue ground game, however, maybe Painter “getting his” alone won’t be enough and the Irish can hang around. The Irish secondary is a lone bright spot right now, I think. For all the perfection noted in Curtis Painter’s first four ballgames, however, I don’t want anyone to think I am anointing another Tom Brady here. Purdue hasn’t played anybody and Painter lost command of the strike zone plenty of times last year; 19 interceptions is a bundle. And let’s not forget Kyle Orton’s 17-0 TD-to-INT start for Purdue a couple years ago during the Boiler’s annual run of preseason gimmees, only to semi-implode when the schedule stiffened and Tilller’s growl got louder. A return to the wild Curtis Painter of last year would help the Irish cause tremendously.
For all that, though, I see the Irish having trouble trading baskets with this Purdue team on Saturday on the road. I do expect a track meet. I do expect Notre Dame to score more points than last week. Just not enough. Purdue 38 – Notre Dame 24.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 29, 2007
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
#19 Penn State at Illinois
#23 Michigan State at #9 Wisconsin
#25 Purdue vs. NOTRE DAME
UCLA at Oregon State
#11 Boston College vs. Massachusetts
#1 USC at WashingtonNavy vs. Air Force
Duke at Miami-FL
Stanford vs. Arizona State
Other Games of Interest – September 29, 2007
#5 West Virginia at #18 South Florida (Friday night)
#6 California at #11 Oregon
Indiana at Iowa
Ball State vs. Buffalo
Butler vs. San Diego
Rose-Hulman vs. Hanover
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Like Purdue, Arizona State cracked the Top 25 this week, becoming the 4th school that Dennis Erickson has taken into the polls which is a higher number than any coach in history…except one. Only one coach has had 5 different schools in the Top 25 during his career. Who? Just to see if anyone is reading, send your answers to dezelan@aol.com.
Sources/References
Sporting News College Football 2007
Street & Smith’s College Football 2007
Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview
2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
www.espn.com
www.purduesports.cstv.com
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Michigan State (3-0) at Notre Dame (0-3)
Last Week/This Year/Last Year
Spartacus nipped Pitt in East Lansing last Saturday in lackluster fashion, 17-13, in a game that ended up much closer than the wise guys expected. MSU was an 11 point favorite going in. State handled UAB in their opener without incident (55-18) but struggled for a half vs. a stubborn Bowling Green team in Week #2 before pulling away (28-17). The trip to South Bend is Sparty’s first road game of 2007.
Michigan State lost a head-scratching heartbreaker to #12 ranked Notre Dame in soaking wet East Lansing last year, 40-37, and tanked in spectacular fashion from that point on in 2006. State’s 1-7 free-fall in conference after the Notre Dame game, low lighted by a 3-point loss at home to Illinois and a 25-point loss at Indiana, cost their mountain-climbing hotdog of a head coach, John L. Smith, his job. MSU reportedly ate $3.0MM remaining on Smith’s incredibly overblown contract to send him packing back to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Hindsight being 20-20, there really was no reason for Michigan State to lose to the Irish on that stormy night a year ago in East Lansing, blowing 17-0 and 31-14 leads en route. Inexplicable 4th quarter turnovers sealed MSU’s fate; Terrail Lambert’s INT return for a touchdown with 2:53 remaining was the back breaker.
Michigan State Offense
Three-year starting QB Drew Stanton is now toting a clipboard for the Detroit Lions (second round pick). His replacement is junior Brian Hoyer (6-2, 215). Hoyer is not as mobile as Stanton, per the rags, but has a bigger arm. Hoyer got his feet wet when Stanton was down last year, completing 82 of 144 passes (57%) for 863 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs and has provided quite similar production in three 2007 starts: 45-74 (61%), 634 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs. Not spectacular, by any stretch, but more than solid.
The MSU running game was expected to be a team strength going into the 2007 season and that has pretty much been the case. Junior Javon Ringer (5-9, 205), now healthy following a bum knee-plagued 2006, and bruising fifth-year senior Jehuu Caulcrick (6-0, 255) provide a solid one-two punch at TB. The two have combined for 472 rushing yards in three games. Ringer is the feature back, but Caulcrick gets a lot of carries and is the short yardage option -- he has 6 TDs to date. Former walk-on Jeff McPherson started the Pitt game at FB.
Leading the way for Ringer/Caulcrick are four big-uns with starting experience on the Spartan O-Line (looking forward to the day we can say the same for the Irish). Juniors Jesse Miller (6-6, 310) and Roland Martin (6-5, 325) start on the right side (Miller = RT, Martin = RG). Both likewise started as sophomores. Senior Kenny Shane (6-5, 325) starts at LG and is coming off a 2006 back injury. 5th year senior Pete Clifford (6-7, 320) started the Pitt game at LT. Soph Joel Nitchman (6-3, 295) starts at center.
The MSU wide receiver corps from 2006, however, is fully depleted. Jerramy Scott, Matt Trannon, and Kerry Reed all moved on. Devin Thomas leads the team with 12 catches for 315 yards/2 TDs and Ringer has 6 catches out of the backfield. Sophomore T. J. Williams, a highly touted sophomore who was (is) expected to help fill with WR void, has only one catch so far this year.
Michigan State Defense
MSU’s defense has actually played pretty well (16 ppg, 23 sacks), but should feel some heat as they leave the preseason. Per the numbers, anyway, State is thin defensively along the line and in the corners. Two JUCO signees from the Smith era, senior nose tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo (6-4, 290) and senior DE Jonal Saint-Dic (6-1, 250), start along with converted DE/current DT Justin Kershaw (6-4, 260) and DE Ervin Baldwin (6-2, 270). Baldwin, a senior, is probably MSU’s best defensive lineman. When healthy, 5th year senior MLB Kaleb Thornhill (6-1, 240) might be MSU’s best defender, but he has fought a variety of injuries off and on throughout his Spartan career. Red-shirt frosh Eric Gordon (6-0, 225) starts at OLB and might be a player. Senior SirDarean Adams (6-0, 230) moves from SS to fill the other OLB slot this year. Gordon and Adams combined for 15 tackles vs. Pittsburgh.
Two new corners, junior Kendell Davis-Clark and freshman Chris L. Rucker, are likely starters as are junior FS Otis Wiley (6-2, 210) and senior SS Travis Key (5-10, 185). Wiley blew up in the spring and a lot is expected from him. Key is a former walk-on and has hit his way into the lineup despite his size.
Michigan State Special Teams
Frosh All American Brett Swenson was a more than respectable 15-19 on FGs in 2006. He’s back and appears to be a four-year solution to a traditional Spartan problem. Swenson has hit 3 of 5 FGs this year (long = 45 yds), is easily the best opposing place kicker the Irish have faced so far this year, and may be one of the better kickers ND sees all season. Something to bear in mind if this is a wire job.
Michigan State Coaches
Michigan State, a program that runs through head football coaches more rapidly than the Chicago Cubs run through managers, turns to former Spartan assistant, former Ohio State assistant, and former U. of Cincinnati head coach Mark Dantonio to right the ship in 2007. A solid choice, by all the soft measures anyway, Dantonio has vowed to return to a more conventional, straight up, pound-the-rock approach on offense, a departure from Smith’s spread option pyrotechnics. Don Treadwell runs the offense, coming with Dantonio from UC. Treadwell, like Dantonio, served a couple years on Nick “Snake Oil” Saban’s MSU staff (WR coach). Pat Narduzzi is the defensive coordinator and, likewise, a Cincinnati Bearcat coaching staff import. Narduzzi was the DC for Cincinnati for three years and at Miami-OH for one year before that.
Worth Noting
Michigan State has won an unthinkable five straight in Notre Dame Stadium. Where have you gone, George Perles, our nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you.
Vegas
The rats have officially fled the ship. MSU opened as a 13.5 point favorite. Michigan State (-12.5) as of Wednesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Despite the glaring lack of a running game to date, documented pass protection problems, the power ratings spewing out of Jeff Sagarin’s Dell that have ND in the Ohio University Bobcat-Idaho Vandal-Middle Tennessee Blue Raider neighborhood, the combined wisdom of talking heads from coast-to-coast, sports talk radio pot-shot takers too numerous count, etc., I am going will lean on the intangibles this week and take the points. This might end up being a good Michigan State team but I suspect it is not a great Michigan State team. And while MSU might actually end up making a little hay in a down Big Ten this year, they could very easily have lost to a pretty weak Pitt team at home last weekend. Spartacus walks into a bad spot for a road opener on Saturday and falls in a tight one to a surprisingly focused Irish squad that is now, officially, backed into a corner. Notre Dame 23 – Michigan State 20.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 22, 2007:
Georgia Tech at Virginia
Penn State at Michigan
Michigan State at NOTRE DAME
Purdue at Minnesota
UCLA vs. Washington
USC vs. Washington StateNavy vs. Duke
Air Force at BYU
Stanford vs. Oregon
Other Games of Interest – September 22, 2007
#2 LSU vs. #12 South Carolina
Georgia at #16 Alabama
#17 Virginia Tech vs. William and Mary (T.Roland, IFP needs a written explanation for this.)
Indiana vs. Illinois
Ball State at Nebraska
Butler vs. Missouri-Rolla
Rose-Hulman vs. North Park
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Purdue QB Curtis Painter has a 13-0 TD-to-INT ratio and has thrown for 952 yards in three games this year vs. Indianapolis Pike, Indianapolis Roncalli, and Indianapolis Bishop Chatard HS. Actually the Boilers have played 2 MACs and a Gateway and step down in class from that level with week’s assignment at Minnesota, losers to Sun Belt Conference powerhouse Florida Atlantic last week.
#21 Boston College QB Matt Ryan shredded #15 Georgia Tech for 435 passing yards and BC held Georgia Tech to 63 yards rushing in last Saturday’s surprisingly easy 24-10 BC win in Atlanta. Boston College will be 6-0 and talking BCS when they visit Notre Dame Stadium on October 13th. No more needs to be said there…
#11 UCLA’s shocking loss at previously winless Utah (44-7) was even more surprising given the Utes reliance on back-up QB Tommy Grady, making his second start as a fill-in for Brian Johnson who separated his shoulder in the Utah opener at Oregon State. Grady threw 3 TDs vs. the imploding Bruins who coughed up the ball 5 times and were outscored 30-0 in the second half.
The Indiana Hoosiers are going to a bowl game this year. Write it down.
Spartacus nipped Pitt in East Lansing last Saturday in lackluster fashion, 17-13, in a game that ended up much closer than the wise guys expected. MSU was an 11 point favorite going in. State handled UAB in their opener without incident (55-18) but struggled for a half vs. a stubborn Bowling Green team in Week #2 before pulling away (28-17). The trip to South Bend is Sparty’s first road game of 2007.
Michigan State lost a head-scratching heartbreaker to #12 ranked Notre Dame in soaking wet East Lansing last year, 40-37, and tanked in spectacular fashion from that point on in 2006. State’s 1-7 free-fall in conference after the Notre Dame game, low lighted by a 3-point loss at home to Illinois and a 25-point loss at Indiana, cost their mountain-climbing hotdog of a head coach, John L. Smith, his job. MSU reportedly ate $3.0MM remaining on Smith’s incredibly overblown contract to send him packing back to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Hindsight being 20-20, there really was no reason for Michigan State to lose to the Irish on that stormy night a year ago in East Lansing, blowing 17-0 and 31-14 leads en route. Inexplicable 4th quarter turnovers sealed MSU’s fate; Terrail Lambert’s INT return for a touchdown with 2:53 remaining was the back breaker.
Michigan State Offense
Three-year starting QB Drew Stanton is now toting a clipboard for the Detroit Lions (second round pick). His replacement is junior Brian Hoyer (6-2, 215). Hoyer is not as mobile as Stanton, per the rags, but has a bigger arm. Hoyer got his feet wet when Stanton was down last year, completing 82 of 144 passes (57%) for 863 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs and has provided quite similar production in three 2007 starts: 45-74 (61%), 634 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs. Not spectacular, by any stretch, but more than solid.
The MSU running game was expected to be a team strength going into the 2007 season and that has pretty much been the case. Junior Javon Ringer (5-9, 205), now healthy following a bum knee-plagued 2006, and bruising fifth-year senior Jehuu Caulcrick (6-0, 255) provide a solid one-two punch at TB. The two have combined for 472 rushing yards in three games. Ringer is the feature back, but Caulcrick gets a lot of carries and is the short yardage option -- he has 6 TDs to date. Former walk-on Jeff McPherson started the Pitt game at FB.
Leading the way for Ringer/Caulcrick are four big-uns with starting experience on the Spartan O-Line (looking forward to the day we can say the same for the Irish). Juniors Jesse Miller (6-6, 310) and Roland Martin (6-5, 325) start on the right side (Miller = RT, Martin = RG). Both likewise started as sophomores. Senior Kenny Shane (6-5, 325) starts at LG and is coming off a 2006 back injury. 5th year senior Pete Clifford (6-7, 320) started the Pitt game at LT. Soph Joel Nitchman (6-3, 295) starts at center.
The MSU wide receiver corps from 2006, however, is fully depleted. Jerramy Scott, Matt Trannon, and Kerry Reed all moved on. Devin Thomas leads the team with 12 catches for 315 yards/2 TDs and Ringer has 6 catches out of the backfield. Sophomore T. J. Williams, a highly touted sophomore who was (is) expected to help fill with WR void, has only one catch so far this year.
Michigan State Defense
MSU’s defense has actually played pretty well (16 ppg, 23 sacks), but should feel some heat as they leave the preseason. Per the numbers, anyway, State is thin defensively along the line and in the corners. Two JUCO signees from the Smith era, senior nose tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo (6-4, 290) and senior DE Jonal Saint-Dic (6-1, 250), start along with converted DE/current DT Justin Kershaw (6-4, 260) and DE Ervin Baldwin (6-2, 270). Baldwin, a senior, is probably MSU’s best defensive lineman. When healthy, 5th year senior MLB Kaleb Thornhill (6-1, 240) might be MSU’s best defender, but he has fought a variety of injuries off and on throughout his Spartan career. Red-shirt frosh Eric Gordon (6-0, 225) starts at OLB and might be a player. Senior SirDarean Adams (6-0, 230) moves from SS to fill the other OLB slot this year. Gordon and Adams combined for 15 tackles vs. Pittsburgh.
Two new corners, junior Kendell Davis-Clark and freshman Chris L. Rucker, are likely starters as are junior FS Otis Wiley (6-2, 210) and senior SS Travis Key (5-10, 185). Wiley blew up in the spring and a lot is expected from him. Key is a former walk-on and has hit his way into the lineup despite his size.
Michigan State Special Teams
Frosh All American Brett Swenson was a more than respectable 15-19 on FGs in 2006. He’s back and appears to be a four-year solution to a traditional Spartan problem. Swenson has hit 3 of 5 FGs this year (long = 45 yds), is easily the best opposing place kicker the Irish have faced so far this year, and may be one of the better kickers ND sees all season. Something to bear in mind if this is a wire job.
Michigan State Coaches
Michigan State, a program that runs through head football coaches more rapidly than the Chicago Cubs run through managers, turns to former Spartan assistant, former Ohio State assistant, and former U. of Cincinnati head coach Mark Dantonio to right the ship in 2007. A solid choice, by all the soft measures anyway, Dantonio has vowed to return to a more conventional, straight up, pound-the-rock approach on offense, a departure from Smith’s spread option pyrotechnics. Don Treadwell runs the offense, coming with Dantonio from UC. Treadwell, like Dantonio, served a couple years on Nick “Snake Oil” Saban’s MSU staff (WR coach). Pat Narduzzi is the defensive coordinator and, likewise, a Cincinnati Bearcat coaching staff import. Narduzzi was the DC for Cincinnati for three years and at Miami-OH for one year before that.
Worth Noting
Michigan State has won an unthinkable five straight in Notre Dame Stadium. Where have you gone, George Perles, our nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you.
Vegas
The rats have officially fled the ship. MSU opened as a 13.5 point favorite. Michigan State (-12.5) as of Wednesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Despite the glaring lack of a running game to date, documented pass protection problems, the power ratings spewing out of Jeff Sagarin’s Dell that have ND in the Ohio University Bobcat-Idaho Vandal-Middle Tennessee Blue Raider neighborhood, the combined wisdom of talking heads from coast-to-coast, sports talk radio pot-shot takers too numerous count, etc., I am going will lean on the intangibles this week and take the points. This might end up being a good Michigan State team but I suspect it is not a great Michigan State team. And while MSU might actually end up making a little hay in a down Big Ten this year, they could very easily have lost to a pretty weak Pitt team at home last weekend. Spartacus walks into a bad spot for a road opener on Saturday and falls in a tight one to a surprisingly focused Irish squad that is now, officially, backed into a corner. Notre Dame 23 – Michigan State 20.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 22, 2007:
Georgia Tech at Virginia
Penn State at Michigan
Michigan State at NOTRE DAME
Purdue at Minnesota
UCLA vs. Washington
USC vs. Washington StateNavy vs. Duke
Air Force at BYU
Stanford vs. Oregon
Other Games of Interest – September 22, 2007
#2 LSU vs. #12 South Carolina
Georgia at #16 Alabama
#17 Virginia Tech vs. William and Mary (T.Roland, IFP needs a written explanation for this.)
Indiana vs. Illinois
Ball State at Nebraska
Butler vs. Missouri-Rolla
Rose-Hulman vs. North Park
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Chatter
Purdue QB Curtis Painter has a 13-0 TD-to-INT ratio and has thrown for 952 yards in three games this year vs. Indianapolis Pike, Indianapolis Roncalli, and Indianapolis Bishop Chatard HS. Actually the Boilers have played 2 MACs and a Gateway and step down in class from that level with week’s assignment at Minnesota, losers to Sun Belt Conference powerhouse Florida Atlantic last week.
#21 Boston College QB Matt Ryan shredded #15 Georgia Tech for 435 passing yards and BC held Georgia Tech to 63 yards rushing in last Saturday’s surprisingly easy 24-10 BC win in Atlanta. Boston College will be 6-0 and talking BCS when they visit Notre Dame Stadium on October 13th. No more needs to be said there…
#11 UCLA’s shocking loss at previously winless Utah (44-7) was even more surprising given the Utes reliance on back-up QB Tommy Grady, making his second start as a fill-in for Brian Johnson who separated his shoulder in the Utah opener at Oregon State. Grady threw 3 TDs vs. the imploding Bruins who coughed up the ball 5 times and were outscored 30-0 in the second half.
The Indiana Hoosiers are going to a bowl game this year. Write it down.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Notre Dame (0-2) at Michigan (0-2)
September 15, 2007
Notre Dame (0-2) at Michigan (0-2)
Last Week/Last Year
The U.S.S. Wolverine is officially breeched and taking water, following a 32-7 Duck slap from Oregon in the Big House last Saturday. Oregon ran up 624 yards of total offense against Michigan and provided Michigan with its biggest loss since Jimmy Carter dropped Gerald Ford in 1976 general election. This performance, coming off Michigan’s nationally skewered home opening loss to Appalachian State, has the UM faithful reeling and looking for answers. The words “Les” and “Miles” were mentioned together in multiple Michigan football-related articles, sports radio chitchats, podcasts, etc., through the week. Michigan may not even need a Gary Moeller-like staged bar fight to run off their head football coach this time around.
#11 Michigan physically dominated #2 Notre Dame in South Bend last year, 47-21, harassing Brady Quinn all afternoon (3 INTs, 1 fumble for BQ) and shutting down the Irish running game (4 yards rushing for the Irish). The 47 points scored by Michigan were the most points by an opponent in Notre Dame Stadium since 1949.
Michigan Offense
Senior Chad Henne, a 4-year returning starter who, before last Saturday, had a clear path toward becoming Michigan’s all time leading passer at some point this season, injured his “lower leg” late in the first half of the Oregon game. Henne was replaced by freshman Ryan Mallett, a highly recruited, over-sized (6-7, 250), four-seam fastballer from Texarkana, TX. Carr and the Michigan football staff are being extremely coy, in my view, regarding Henne’s injury (no details provided as of Tuesday morning besides saying Henne will not play vs. the Irish on Saturday), which makes me wonder if, rather than a high ankle sprain or something similar, Henne is suffering from a 31-for-60-with-2-interceptions-in-a-game-and-a-half type of leg injury. Mallett, an early enrolling freshman, started the second half but did not fare much better in his stint vs. the Ducks (6-17, 49 yards, 1 INT, 0 TDs).
Senior Mike Hart likewise returns at TB and should carve his name into the Michigan and Big Ten record books at some point during the 2007 season. Hart has an impressive 3,679 yards rushing in three full seasons of work in Ann Arbor and has 315 yards and 3 TDs in two games this year (6.6 ypc) despite not being 100% healthy. Hart spent a good portion of the first half vs. Appalachian State on a stationary bike, nursing a sore thigh, and Michigan did not close the gap on the Mountaineers until they began to feature Hart. Hart’s primary backup over the past two seasons, Junior Kevin Grady, blew an ACL this spring allowing Soph Brandon Minor to slide up the depth chart.
The Michigan returnees on the offensive line are similarly decorated, at least per the pre-season rags. Senior All Big Ten and probable All American LT Jake Long (6-7, 315), a no-doubter as far as potential 2008 NFL first round draft choices go, and All Big Ten Senior LG Adam Kraus (6-6, 300) anchor what was supposed to be, three weeks ago anyway, one of the better lines in America.
WR/KR Steve Breaston has moved on, but Senior Adrian Arrington and junior playmaker-when-healthy Mario Manningham return (14 of 15 career TDs from beyond the red zone and 4 TDs in 2 games vs. the Irish for Manningham). Lloyd Carr threw Arrington out of spring ball due to a “domestic dispute” and some thought his PT could be stolen by spring standout Greg Matthews but that hasn’t been the case so far. Manningham has 12 catches and Arrington has 11 to date.
Michigan Defense
News flash: The Michigan defense, as currently constituted, cannot stop teams that spread the field with the passing game. Just throwing that out there.
Only four starters return from the 2006 Michigan defense. And it shows. Four of the seven departees were among the first 23 defensive players taken in the 2007 NFL draft last April. Goodbye (and good riddance) to Adrian Branch, Leon Hall, LaMarr Woodley, and David Harris. Recruiting like they do, you would think candidates to fill the open slots on the UM defense abound. But as it is now evident two games into the year, the 2007 Michigan defense needs seasoning, at minimum, and could probably use an injection of team speed. Junior DT Terrance Taylor (6-0, 310), fifth year senior OLB Shawn Crable, senior SS Jamar Adams, and senior CB Morgan Trent all return.
Assuming the Irish cannot, for the time being, develop any semblance of a ground game, preferring, rather, to throw multiple (mostly harmless) wide receiver and running back screens (even when time is running out in the first half and we need to save our one remaining TO to get the FG unit on the field????), how about setting Clausen in the shotgun and putting Grimes, West, Parris, and Kamara/Hord in the game at the same time? If we can’t run, maybe we can dink and dunk more effectively if we give Clausen a built-in extra second or so to get rid of the football via lining up in the gun. You know, kind of like the New England Patriots. I couldn’t help but notice that, while the Patriot staff was video taping NY Jets hand signals, Tom Brady lined up in the shotgun virtually all afternoon last Sunday, even when New England was in the red zone. Charlie Weis co-invented that approach, didn’t he? Michigan’s secondary is screaming for us, and everyone else they play, to put 4 or 5 wides on the field at once and spread their secondary. Save the Travis-Thomas-off-tackle-for-no-gain strategy the MSU game.
Michigan Special Teams
K Garrett Rivas has moved on and been replaced, luke-warmly, by senior Jason Gingell. Gingell is 3-3 on PATs but only 2-5 on FGs and 1-4 from beyond 30 yards so far this year. Breaston is missed as much (or more) as a kick returner than he is on offense.
Michigan Coaches
Lloyd Carr entered his 13th season at Michigan about as maligned as a coach with a 113-36 career record could possibly be. And now that he’s 113-38, the wolves are circling (pardon the pun). Hot shot defensive coordinator Ron English, who backed out of an agreement to join Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bear staff before last season, has seen his stock drop quicker than PETS.COM given the 73 combined points scored by App State and Oregon. Mike DeBord has run the Michigan offense for the past two seasons. He was the Michigan recruiting coordinator and special teams coach in 2005 and 2006, head coach at Central Michigan from 2000-2003, and 5-year UM assistant before that.
Worth Noting
Michigan has not won a football game since Bo Schembechler’s death, the day before the 2006 UM-OSU game.
Vegas
Michigan (-7.5) and it hasn’t moved all week.
Summary/Prediction
Given the attrition from the 2006 lineup, I did not expect Michigan’s defense to be nearly as impenetrable this year. I did not expect them to stink out loud, however. I quietly think Michigan missed their national title window last year (I believe they were THAT good), and that this still weighs heavily. How the pundits could have slotted UM as a 2007 preseason #4 of #5, however, is beyond me. Michigan lost their leading receiver (Breaston), leading tackler (Harris), and leading sack man (Woodley) from 2006, not to mention the run-stuff load of a DT in Branch. A lot of untested UM talent saw action vs. Appalachian State and Oregon and will likewise vs. the Irish. How Mallett responds to the surprising request to shed his red-shirt is one question that begs an answer on Saturday. The other, of course, is whether or not the worst rushing team in the United States, statistically, can somehow get off the deck offensively. Whether it was with Jones vs. Ga Tech or Clausen vs. Penn State, I get the distinct feeling the Irish are playing these games with about 25% of their offensive playbook. And it is now painfully clear that ND cannot win big games like these with one offensive arm tied behind their back, particularly if they are going to average one critical personal foul, 15 penalties, and 60 penalty-yards per game. Michigan 20 - Notre Dame 17.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 15, 2007:
#15 Georgia Tech vs. #21 Boston College
#12 Penn State vs. Buffalo
Michigan vs. NOTRE DAME
Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
#11 UCLA at Utah
#1 USC at #14 Nebraska
Navy vs. Ball State
Air Force vs. TCU
Duke at Northwestern
Stanford vs. San Jose State
Other Games of Interest – September 15, 2007
#10 Ohio State at Washington
#9 Louisville at Kentucky
Arkansas at Alabama
Indiana vs. Akron
Illinois at Syracuse
Butler vs. Saint Joseph’s (IN)
Rose-Hulman at Concordia
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Non-ND Chatter
Oklahoma freshman QB Sam Bradford is 40 for 48 (83%) for 568 yards, 8 TDs, and 0 INTs in Sooner wins vs. North Texas and Miami-FL. The justifiable LSU and USC clamor aside, the IFP staff believes Oklahoma will be a semi-surprise participant in the BCS title game in New Orleans early next year. Beware the lurker.
Keep an eye on how Alabama handles the Hogs and Heisman-hopeful Darren McFadden. Saban has implemented an NFL-style 3-4 in Tuscaloosa, similar to the Irish. The Tide shut down a not great but improving Vanderbilt team last week. Tougher customers visiting on Saturday.
I understand Steve Spurrier was named Director of the University of South Carolina Admissions Department in addition to his head coaching duties following last weekend’s win over Georgia.
Notre Dame (0-2) at Michigan (0-2)
Last Week/Last Year
The U.S.S. Wolverine is officially breeched and taking water, following a 32-7 Duck slap from Oregon in the Big House last Saturday. Oregon ran up 624 yards of total offense against Michigan and provided Michigan with its biggest loss since Jimmy Carter dropped Gerald Ford in 1976 general election. This performance, coming off Michigan’s nationally skewered home opening loss to Appalachian State, has the UM faithful reeling and looking for answers. The words “Les” and “Miles” were mentioned together in multiple Michigan football-related articles, sports radio chitchats, podcasts, etc., through the week. Michigan may not even need a Gary Moeller-like staged bar fight to run off their head football coach this time around.
#11 Michigan physically dominated #2 Notre Dame in South Bend last year, 47-21, harassing Brady Quinn all afternoon (3 INTs, 1 fumble for BQ) and shutting down the Irish running game (4 yards rushing for the Irish). The 47 points scored by Michigan were the most points by an opponent in Notre Dame Stadium since 1949.
Michigan Offense
Senior Chad Henne, a 4-year returning starter who, before last Saturday, had a clear path toward becoming Michigan’s all time leading passer at some point this season, injured his “lower leg” late in the first half of the Oregon game. Henne was replaced by freshman Ryan Mallett, a highly recruited, over-sized (6-7, 250), four-seam fastballer from Texarkana, TX. Carr and the Michigan football staff are being extremely coy, in my view, regarding Henne’s injury (no details provided as of Tuesday morning besides saying Henne will not play vs. the Irish on Saturday), which makes me wonder if, rather than a high ankle sprain or something similar, Henne is suffering from a 31-for-60-with-2-interceptions-in-a-game-and-a-half type of leg injury. Mallett, an early enrolling freshman, started the second half but did not fare much better in his stint vs. the Ducks (6-17, 49 yards, 1 INT, 0 TDs).
Senior Mike Hart likewise returns at TB and should carve his name into the Michigan and Big Ten record books at some point during the 2007 season. Hart has an impressive 3,679 yards rushing in three full seasons of work in Ann Arbor and has 315 yards and 3 TDs in two games this year (6.6 ypc) despite not being 100% healthy. Hart spent a good portion of the first half vs. Appalachian State on a stationary bike, nursing a sore thigh, and Michigan did not close the gap on the Mountaineers until they began to feature Hart. Hart’s primary backup over the past two seasons, Junior Kevin Grady, blew an ACL this spring allowing Soph Brandon Minor to slide up the depth chart.
The Michigan returnees on the offensive line are similarly decorated, at least per the pre-season rags. Senior All Big Ten and probable All American LT Jake Long (6-7, 315), a no-doubter as far as potential 2008 NFL first round draft choices go, and All Big Ten Senior LG Adam Kraus (6-6, 300) anchor what was supposed to be, three weeks ago anyway, one of the better lines in America.
WR/KR Steve Breaston has moved on, but Senior Adrian Arrington and junior playmaker-when-healthy Mario Manningham return (14 of 15 career TDs from beyond the red zone and 4 TDs in 2 games vs. the Irish for Manningham). Lloyd Carr threw Arrington out of spring ball due to a “domestic dispute” and some thought his PT could be stolen by spring standout Greg Matthews but that hasn’t been the case so far. Manningham has 12 catches and Arrington has 11 to date.
Michigan Defense
News flash: The Michigan defense, as currently constituted, cannot stop teams that spread the field with the passing game. Just throwing that out there.
Only four starters return from the 2006 Michigan defense. And it shows. Four of the seven departees were among the first 23 defensive players taken in the 2007 NFL draft last April. Goodbye (and good riddance) to Adrian Branch, Leon Hall, LaMarr Woodley, and David Harris. Recruiting like they do, you would think candidates to fill the open slots on the UM defense abound. But as it is now evident two games into the year, the 2007 Michigan defense needs seasoning, at minimum, and could probably use an injection of team speed. Junior DT Terrance Taylor (6-0, 310), fifth year senior OLB Shawn Crable, senior SS Jamar Adams, and senior CB Morgan Trent all return.
Assuming the Irish cannot, for the time being, develop any semblance of a ground game, preferring, rather, to throw multiple (mostly harmless) wide receiver and running back screens (even when time is running out in the first half and we need to save our one remaining TO to get the FG unit on the field????), how about setting Clausen in the shotgun and putting Grimes, West, Parris, and Kamara/Hord in the game at the same time? If we can’t run, maybe we can dink and dunk more effectively if we give Clausen a built-in extra second or so to get rid of the football via lining up in the gun. You know, kind of like the New England Patriots. I couldn’t help but notice that, while the Patriot staff was video taping NY Jets hand signals, Tom Brady lined up in the shotgun virtually all afternoon last Sunday, even when New England was in the red zone. Charlie Weis co-invented that approach, didn’t he? Michigan’s secondary is screaming for us, and everyone else they play, to put 4 or 5 wides on the field at once and spread their secondary. Save the Travis-Thomas-off-tackle-for-no-gain strategy the MSU game.
Michigan Special Teams
K Garrett Rivas has moved on and been replaced, luke-warmly, by senior Jason Gingell. Gingell is 3-3 on PATs but only 2-5 on FGs and 1-4 from beyond 30 yards so far this year. Breaston is missed as much (or more) as a kick returner than he is on offense.
Michigan Coaches
Lloyd Carr entered his 13th season at Michigan about as maligned as a coach with a 113-36 career record could possibly be. And now that he’s 113-38, the wolves are circling (pardon the pun). Hot shot defensive coordinator Ron English, who backed out of an agreement to join Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bear staff before last season, has seen his stock drop quicker than PETS.COM given the 73 combined points scored by App State and Oregon. Mike DeBord has run the Michigan offense for the past two seasons. He was the Michigan recruiting coordinator and special teams coach in 2005 and 2006, head coach at Central Michigan from 2000-2003, and 5-year UM assistant before that.
Worth Noting
Michigan has not won a football game since Bo Schembechler’s death, the day before the 2006 UM-OSU game.
Vegas
Michigan (-7.5) and it hasn’t moved all week.
Summary/Prediction
Given the attrition from the 2006 lineup, I did not expect Michigan’s defense to be nearly as impenetrable this year. I did not expect them to stink out loud, however. I quietly think Michigan missed their national title window last year (I believe they were THAT good), and that this still weighs heavily. How the pundits could have slotted UM as a 2007 preseason #4 of #5, however, is beyond me. Michigan lost their leading receiver (Breaston), leading tackler (Harris), and leading sack man (Woodley) from 2006, not to mention the run-stuff load of a DT in Branch. A lot of untested UM talent saw action vs. Appalachian State and Oregon and will likewise vs. the Irish. How Mallett responds to the surprising request to shed his red-shirt is one question that begs an answer on Saturday. The other, of course, is whether or not the worst rushing team in the United States, statistically, can somehow get off the deck offensively. Whether it was with Jones vs. Ga Tech or Clausen vs. Penn State, I get the distinct feeling the Irish are playing these games with about 25% of their offensive playbook. And it is now painfully clear that ND cannot win big games like these with one offensive arm tied behind their back, particularly if they are going to average one critical personal foul, 15 penalties, and 60 penalty-yards per game. Michigan 20 - Notre Dame 17.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 15, 2007:
#15 Georgia Tech vs. #21 Boston College
#12 Penn State vs. Buffalo
Michigan vs. NOTRE DAME
Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
#11 UCLA at Utah
#1 USC at #14 Nebraska
Navy vs. Ball State
Air Force vs. TCU
Duke at Northwestern
Stanford vs. San Jose State
Other Games of Interest – September 15, 2007
#10 Ohio State at Washington
#9 Louisville at Kentucky
Arkansas at Alabama
Indiana vs. Akron
Illinois at Syracuse
Butler vs. Saint Joseph’s (IN)
Rose-Hulman at Concordia
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Non-ND Chatter
Oklahoma freshman QB Sam Bradford is 40 for 48 (83%) for 568 yards, 8 TDs, and 0 INTs in Sooner wins vs. North Texas and Miami-FL. The justifiable LSU and USC clamor aside, the IFP staff believes Oklahoma will be a semi-surprise participant in the BCS title game in New Orleans early next year. Beware the lurker.
Keep an eye on how Alabama handles the Hogs and Heisman-hopeful Darren McFadden. Saban has implemented an NFL-style 3-4 in Tuscaloosa, similar to the Irish. The Tide shut down a not great but improving Vanderbilt team last week. Tougher customers visiting on Saturday.
I understand Steve Spurrier was named Director of the University of South Carolina Admissions Department in addition to his head coaching duties following last weekend’s win over Georgia.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Notre Dame (0-1) at #14 Penn State (1-0)
Last Week/Last Year
Penn State (1-0) bludgeoned hapless Florida International at home last week, 59-0. PSU led 52-0 after three quarters. FIU, fresh off a sterling 0-12 2006 campaign with newly hired former Miami-FL assistant Mario Cristabol at the helm, was held to –3 yards rushing and only 7 first downs. The Golden Panthers fumbled 5 times and seven different Penn State players scored touchdowns as part of the carnage.
Notre Dame beat Penn State 41-17 in South Bend last year, thanks in large part to 17 points off three 2nd quarter PSU turnovers.
Penn State Offense
Anthony Morelli, a highly touted Pennsylvania prepster who reportedly considered both Notre Dame and Pitt before a late flip to PSU, returns as the starting QB. The hope under Mount Nittany is that Morelli can improve on his pedestrian 54% completion percentage in 2006 (11 TDs, 8 INTs). Morelli, now a senior, was 23-38 for a career high 295 yards and 3 TDs in the FIU rout.
Penn State has, arguably, the best set of receivers in the Big Ten, which should help Morelli a lot. Junior WRs Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, and Derrick Williams are all experienced and talented (the three combined for 12 catches and189 yards last weekend). Williams, considered one of the top two or three HS recruits in the USA two years ago, is a particular concern for opposing DCs and special teams coaches given his game changing speed and skills as a receiver, running back, and kick returner. Interestingly enough, however, Williams has yet to post off-the-chart yards/catch or yards/carry numbers. His reputation may be preceding him a bit and/or opponents might be game planning for him. Either way, keep an eye on what the Irish decide to do on kickoffs given the 30 yard line rule change and the threat posed by Williams. ND’s secondary didn’t play that badly vs. Georgia Tech, although they were aided, in my view, by GT QB Taylor Bennett’s wobbly/uneven road debut. Junior FS David Bruton led the Irish with 9 tackles and he had the lone sack for ND on first quarter safety blitz. I don’t think it is a leap to expect the Irish secondary to face a much higher level of pressure this weekend, particularly Walls and Lambert on the corners.
Tony Hunt will be missed at RB. He quietly left Happy Valley as the #2 all time Penn State rusher behind Curt Warner. PSU could go RB-by-committee early on until Austin Scott, Rodney Kinlaw, or Evan Royster asserts himself as the bell cow. The trio combined for 27 carries, 182 yards, and 4 TDs last weekend and the carries were pretty evenly split. Scott and Kinlaw are seniors. Royster is a redshirt freshman. Regardless of who get the bulk of the work at running back for Penn State, Corwin Brown can expect his J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS 3-4 approach to be mercilessly pounded on the ground until he and the Irish show they can stand up to it. One (of multiple) reasons Georgia Tech was able to gash Notre Dame via the run last week (only 2.2 ypc discounting “carries” by Sharpley and Clausen) was their ability to consistently control the line of scrimmage. Take a second look at your TiVo recording, if you can stand it, and count how many times Irish junior NT Pat Kunz gets knocked off the point of attack by senior Kevin Tuminello, the Georgia Tech center, alone, and Tashard Choice rambles for big yards right up the gut. My layman’s understanding of the NFL 3-4 is the approach works best when you have a 400 lb woolly mammoth at nose tackle, consistently commanding double-teams and generally plugging up the plumbing. Kunz is a high motor, high effort guy, and I would be the last person to question someone who played HS ball for a small catholic school in Indianapolis, but the battle at the point last Saturday really did look a lot like a physics lesson; a 6-4, 295 or 300 lb guy (Tuminello) pushing around a 6-2, 270 or 275 lb guy (Kunz). Time to see more of Irish redshirt freshman Chris Stewart at nose? Stewart moved to nose tackle from the offensive line last spring -- he was originally a pretty highly recruited offensive guard from Klein HS in Spring, TX. Stewart is 6-5, 320+.
Three starters return on the Penn State offensive line, but departing all league OT Levi Brown is pretty big loss. Offensive line has been a (surprising?) concern for the Nittanies over the past decade. Only one PSU O-lineman has been a first round NFL draft choice since 1996 (Brown was the #5 overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals last April). Penn State has actually taken a rare dip in to the JUCO pool to address needs on the offensive line of late.
Penn State Defense
The same white helmets and the same base 4-3 defense that Penn State has run, more or less, since the dawn of man. And while some things seemingly never change, what does change is personnel. Five of eleven 2006 Penn State defensive starters have moved on. With Paul Posluszny gone via the NFL draft to Buffalo, Dan Connor slides from OLB to MLB, his natural position per JoePa. The rags and talking heads consistently tout Connor as the best Big Ten LB this side of OSU Buckeye Jim Laurinaitis and possibly one of the best in the country. Have to consider Posluszny a huge loss, in any event. Some actually say he was the best LB in the history of Linebacker U (119 tackles in 2006 and 372 career tackles, tops on the PSU career defensive leader board --- a figure that will Connor surpass it later this fall). Sean Lee and Tyrell Sales start at OLB next to Connor in the middle. Lee was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his 7 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble performance vs. FIU.
On the Penn State defensive line, however, youth will be served. Junior Josh Gaines is the only returning starter from 2006 and first year starters round out the other three DL slots. Gaines and Sophomore Maurice Evans started and redshirt freshman Aaron Maybin saw significant playing time at DE last weekend. Jared Odrick and Chris Baker were the primary DTs (both 300 pound sophomores). Call it lack of communication, lack of execution, the Curse of Joe Moore, or whatever you want, but Notre Dame’s offensive line mailed in another bust of a performance last weekend as far as I am concerned. That’s three straight, for those of you scoring at home (like me). USC and LSU similarly stoned our O-Line in the 2006 regular season finale and Sugar Bowl disaster. This week represents a clear chance at redemption in my view – PSU’s defensive line is really young and very likely not as good at Georgia Tech’s (it might not even be close). The Irish offensive line needs to regroup and step up. My opinion is they will as a group, in large part, determine the outcome on Saturday and may have the balance of the season riding on their shoulders. With a true freshman starting at QB for the foreseeable future, regardless of his pedigree, the Irish HAVE to be able to run the football to win this weekend and the rest of the year. And to that end, I would like to see Aldridge get 15 carries, minimum, and Allen at least 10 vs. the Lions. Travis Thomas’ 2006 defensive adventure, and the obligatory weight room work that had to go along with it, appears to have robbed him of a step or two. He looks slow to me.
In the PSU secondary, Justin King could be one of the best 4 or 5 cornerbacks in the land. While not a load in run support, King, a junior, is an absolute burner and the genuine article as far as shutdown cover corners go – he will play on Sunday’s because of it. Sophomore Lydell Sargent played the bulk of the minutes at the other corner last weekend. FS Tony Davis and SS Anthony Scirrotto are, like King, both juniors, both returning starters, and both solid players (note: Scirrotto and DT Baker are working through some off-season legal issues but played last weekend and are expected in the lineup vs. the Irish -- Paterno waiting for “due process.” The pair go on trial for criminal trespass + other charges in October). Given PSU’s talent in the secondary, particularly on the corners, Carlson, more than the Smurfs (Grimes, West) or the kids (Parris, Kamara, and Hord), may be the receiving key to the Irish passing game this week, assuming Clausen stays poised and gets time (getting time being a big if, given last week’s Ga Tech sack party). Not being an authority on miracles of modern medical science, I am not going to get into how Jimmy C’s elbow was healthy enough to allow him to be named the starter on Tuesday morning but wasn’t three days prior? Scratching my head a little on that one.
Penn State Special Teams
Speaking of smurfs, Junior Kevin Kelly, possibly the smallest player in Division I (5-7, 165), returns as Penn State’s kicker. Kelly hit a middle-of-the-road 22-34 (65%) on FG attempts in 2006. Not bad, not great.
Sophomore Jeremy Boone held on to the punting job in spring ball, through the summer, and accounted for himself well in his debut last week (5 punts, 47.4 yards per).
Penn State Coaches
Joe Paterno is entering his 89th year as Penn State head coach and will be 146 years old in November. He is 8-6 all-time vs. Notre Dame, matching-up with four different ND head coaches over four decades. Rehabilitated former Florida head coach Galen Hall has been the PSU offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Tom Bradley, who enters his 8th year as defensive coordinator, is a PSU lifer just like his boss. He began his Penn State career during the War of 1812.
Worth Noting
This is only the 3rd Notre Dame-Penn State game in the last 15 years.
Vegas
PSU opened at (-15) on Sunday and the wise guys pounded that line up to (-17) by Tuesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Some rags label this year’s version of the Nittany Lions as a Big Ten favorite, but I am not buying into all that just yet. My gut says, right now, Penn State is not in the same class as Ohio State or Michigan, talent-wise, and I frankly doubt they are in Wisconsin’s class. While solid and improving, I think PSU might be slightly overrated at #14. The sports world clearly loves “JoePa” (just another mean old cuss in my book) and can’t seem to wait until the Lions are a national power again, but the facts are that Penn State has not finished above third in the Big Ten in 7 years and are a 0.500 team in the league over that span. The inconsequential results of their Sun Belt Conference opener aside, however, I do expect the Penn State offense to be as good as last year, despite Hunt and Brown’s departure, as Morelli will be more seasoned and there is clearly talent at WR. I do not, however, see an unstoppable force when Penn State has the ball. And no two ways about it, PSU has a lot of holes to fill on the defensive front. So many holes that I think the Irish can, and will, have a much better time running the football this weekend. If they don’t, they lose. It might be that simple.
Can’t pick the “upset” given last week’s debacle, the available data, and the fact that the Irish are on the road, unfortunately. And while virtually all of the talking heads are calling for another woodshed job, I expect Notre Dame to positively respond to the national de-panting vs. Georgia Tech and to play way better here. I am not naïve enough to think Charlie Weis isn’t hearing all the “honeymoon is over” talk. He’s a pretty proud guy, from everything I’ve heard and read; the Irish practice field could not have been a pleasant place right now. I’d lean toward taking the +17. Penn State 27 – Notre Dame 17.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – Sept 8, 2007:
Georgia Tech vs. Samford
Penn State vs. NOTRE DAME
Michigan vs. Oregon
Michigan State vs. Bowling Green
Purdue vs. Eastern Michigan
UCLA vs. BYU
Boston College vs. North Carolina State (does Tom O’Brien ride in on his own homecoming float?)
USC -- off
Navy at Rutgers
Air Force at Utah
Duke at Virginia
Stanford -- off
Other Games of Interest – Sept 8, 2007
Virginia Tech at LSU
Miami-FL at Oklahoma
TCU at Texas (Frogs this year's Boise State?)
Indiana at Western Michigan
Illinois vs. Western Illinois
Ball State at Eastern Michigan
Butler at Hanover
Rose-Hulman at College of Mt. St. Joseph’s
Carmel at Terre Haute South (Friday 9/7)
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Non-ND Chatter
Virginia Tech shocks LSU this weekend, runs the ACC table, and muscles their way into the BCS finale? A great story line, for sure, given the tragedy in Blacksburg last year. One potential snag, though, is an LSU defense that the New Orleans Saints might have trouble scoring on. Talk about 11 bad dudes.
Do you think Appalachian State can avoid a letdown vs. the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in Boone, NC this Saturday?
Do not discount the Rose-Hulman Fighting Engineer’s victory over the Earlham Quakers in Richmond, Indiana last weekend just because Earlham dressed a girl. She’s a bad-ass, for sure, but she couldn’t crack the 100 yard mark vs. the stout Engineer run defense (just kidding – she’s a backup kicker).
Penn State (1-0) bludgeoned hapless Florida International at home last week, 59-0. PSU led 52-0 after three quarters. FIU, fresh off a sterling 0-12 2006 campaign with newly hired former Miami-FL assistant Mario Cristabol at the helm, was held to –3 yards rushing and only 7 first downs. The Golden Panthers fumbled 5 times and seven different Penn State players scored touchdowns as part of the carnage.
Notre Dame beat Penn State 41-17 in South Bend last year, thanks in large part to 17 points off three 2nd quarter PSU turnovers.
Penn State Offense
Anthony Morelli, a highly touted Pennsylvania prepster who reportedly considered both Notre Dame and Pitt before a late flip to PSU, returns as the starting QB. The hope under Mount Nittany is that Morelli can improve on his pedestrian 54% completion percentage in 2006 (11 TDs, 8 INTs). Morelli, now a senior, was 23-38 for a career high 295 yards and 3 TDs in the FIU rout.
Penn State has, arguably, the best set of receivers in the Big Ten, which should help Morelli a lot. Junior WRs Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, and Derrick Williams are all experienced and talented (the three combined for 12 catches and189 yards last weekend). Williams, considered one of the top two or three HS recruits in the USA two years ago, is a particular concern for opposing DCs and special teams coaches given his game changing speed and skills as a receiver, running back, and kick returner. Interestingly enough, however, Williams has yet to post off-the-chart yards/catch or yards/carry numbers. His reputation may be preceding him a bit and/or opponents might be game planning for him. Either way, keep an eye on what the Irish decide to do on kickoffs given the 30 yard line rule change and the threat posed by Williams. ND’s secondary didn’t play that badly vs. Georgia Tech, although they were aided, in my view, by GT QB Taylor Bennett’s wobbly/uneven road debut. Junior FS David Bruton led the Irish with 9 tackles and he had the lone sack for ND on first quarter safety blitz. I don’t think it is a leap to expect the Irish secondary to face a much higher level of pressure this weekend, particularly Walls and Lambert on the corners.
Tony Hunt will be missed at RB. He quietly left Happy Valley as the #2 all time Penn State rusher behind Curt Warner. PSU could go RB-by-committee early on until Austin Scott, Rodney Kinlaw, or Evan Royster asserts himself as the bell cow. The trio combined for 27 carries, 182 yards, and 4 TDs last weekend and the carries were pretty evenly split. Scott and Kinlaw are seniors. Royster is a redshirt freshman. Regardless of who get the bulk of the work at running back for Penn State, Corwin Brown can expect his J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS 3-4 approach to be mercilessly pounded on the ground until he and the Irish show they can stand up to it. One (of multiple) reasons Georgia Tech was able to gash Notre Dame via the run last week (only 2.2 ypc discounting “carries” by Sharpley and Clausen) was their ability to consistently control the line of scrimmage. Take a second look at your TiVo recording, if you can stand it, and count how many times Irish junior NT Pat Kunz gets knocked off the point of attack by senior Kevin Tuminello, the Georgia Tech center, alone, and Tashard Choice rambles for big yards right up the gut. My layman’s understanding of the NFL 3-4 is the approach works best when you have a 400 lb woolly mammoth at nose tackle, consistently commanding double-teams and generally plugging up the plumbing. Kunz is a high motor, high effort guy, and I would be the last person to question someone who played HS ball for a small catholic school in Indianapolis, but the battle at the point last Saturday really did look a lot like a physics lesson; a 6-4, 295 or 300 lb guy (Tuminello) pushing around a 6-2, 270 or 275 lb guy (Kunz). Time to see more of Irish redshirt freshman Chris Stewart at nose? Stewart moved to nose tackle from the offensive line last spring -- he was originally a pretty highly recruited offensive guard from Klein HS in Spring, TX. Stewart is 6-5, 320+.
Three starters return on the Penn State offensive line, but departing all league OT Levi Brown is pretty big loss. Offensive line has been a (surprising?) concern for the Nittanies over the past decade. Only one PSU O-lineman has been a first round NFL draft choice since 1996 (Brown was the #5 overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals last April). Penn State has actually taken a rare dip in to the JUCO pool to address needs on the offensive line of late.
Penn State Defense
The same white helmets and the same base 4-3 defense that Penn State has run, more or less, since the dawn of man. And while some things seemingly never change, what does change is personnel. Five of eleven 2006 Penn State defensive starters have moved on. With Paul Posluszny gone via the NFL draft to Buffalo, Dan Connor slides from OLB to MLB, his natural position per JoePa. The rags and talking heads consistently tout Connor as the best Big Ten LB this side of OSU Buckeye Jim Laurinaitis and possibly one of the best in the country. Have to consider Posluszny a huge loss, in any event. Some actually say he was the best LB in the history of Linebacker U (119 tackles in 2006 and 372 career tackles, tops on the PSU career defensive leader board --- a figure that will Connor surpass it later this fall). Sean Lee and Tyrell Sales start at OLB next to Connor in the middle. Lee was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his 7 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble performance vs. FIU.
On the Penn State defensive line, however, youth will be served. Junior Josh Gaines is the only returning starter from 2006 and first year starters round out the other three DL slots. Gaines and Sophomore Maurice Evans started and redshirt freshman Aaron Maybin saw significant playing time at DE last weekend. Jared Odrick and Chris Baker were the primary DTs (both 300 pound sophomores). Call it lack of communication, lack of execution, the Curse of Joe Moore, or whatever you want, but Notre Dame’s offensive line mailed in another bust of a performance last weekend as far as I am concerned. That’s three straight, for those of you scoring at home (like me). USC and LSU similarly stoned our O-Line in the 2006 regular season finale and Sugar Bowl disaster. This week represents a clear chance at redemption in my view – PSU’s defensive line is really young and very likely not as good at Georgia Tech’s (it might not even be close). The Irish offensive line needs to regroup and step up. My opinion is they will as a group, in large part, determine the outcome on Saturday and may have the balance of the season riding on their shoulders. With a true freshman starting at QB for the foreseeable future, regardless of his pedigree, the Irish HAVE to be able to run the football to win this weekend and the rest of the year. And to that end, I would like to see Aldridge get 15 carries, minimum, and Allen at least 10 vs. the Lions. Travis Thomas’ 2006 defensive adventure, and the obligatory weight room work that had to go along with it, appears to have robbed him of a step or two. He looks slow to me.
In the PSU secondary, Justin King could be one of the best 4 or 5 cornerbacks in the land. While not a load in run support, King, a junior, is an absolute burner and the genuine article as far as shutdown cover corners go – he will play on Sunday’s because of it. Sophomore Lydell Sargent played the bulk of the minutes at the other corner last weekend. FS Tony Davis and SS Anthony Scirrotto are, like King, both juniors, both returning starters, and both solid players (note: Scirrotto and DT Baker are working through some off-season legal issues but played last weekend and are expected in the lineup vs. the Irish -- Paterno waiting for “due process.” The pair go on trial for criminal trespass + other charges in October). Given PSU’s talent in the secondary, particularly on the corners, Carlson, more than the Smurfs (Grimes, West) or the kids (Parris, Kamara, and Hord), may be the receiving key to the Irish passing game this week, assuming Clausen stays poised and gets time (getting time being a big if, given last week’s Ga Tech sack party). Not being an authority on miracles of modern medical science, I am not going to get into how Jimmy C’s elbow was healthy enough to allow him to be named the starter on Tuesday morning but wasn’t three days prior? Scratching my head a little on that one.
Penn State Special Teams
Speaking of smurfs, Junior Kevin Kelly, possibly the smallest player in Division I (5-7, 165), returns as Penn State’s kicker. Kelly hit a middle-of-the-road 22-34 (65%) on FG attempts in 2006. Not bad, not great.
Sophomore Jeremy Boone held on to the punting job in spring ball, through the summer, and accounted for himself well in his debut last week (5 punts, 47.4 yards per).
Penn State Coaches
Joe Paterno is entering his 89th year as Penn State head coach and will be 146 years old in November. He is 8-6 all-time vs. Notre Dame, matching-up with four different ND head coaches over four decades. Rehabilitated former Florida head coach Galen Hall has been the PSU offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Tom Bradley, who enters his 8th year as defensive coordinator, is a PSU lifer just like his boss. He began his Penn State career during the War of 1812.
Worth Noting
This is only the 3rd Notre Dame-Penn State game in the last 15 years.
Vegas
PSU opened at (-15) on Sunday and the wise guys pounded that line up to (-17) by Tuesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Some rags label this year’s version of the Nittany Lions as a Big Ten favorite, but I am not buying into all that just yet. My gut says, right now, Penn State is not in the same class as Ohio State or Michigan, talent-wise, and I frankly doubt they are in Wisconsin’s class. While solid and improving, I think PSU might be slightly overrated at #14. The sports world clearly loves “JoePa” (just another mean old cuss in my book) and can’t seem to wait until the Lions are a national power again, but the facts are that Penn State has not finished above third in the Big Ten in 7 years and are a 0.500 team in the league over that span. The inconsequential results of their Sun Belt Conference opener aside, however, I do expect the Penn State offense to be as good as last year, despite Hunt and Brown’s departure, as Morelli will be more seasoned and there is clearly talent at WR. I do not, however, see an unstoppable force when Penn State has the ball. And no two ways about it, PSU has a lot of holes to fill on the defensive front. So many holes that I think the Irish can, and will, have a much better time running the football this weekend. If they don’t, they lose. It might be that simple.
Can’t pick the “upset” given last week’s debacle, the available data, and the fact that the Irish are on the road, unfortunately. And while virtually all of the talking heads are calling for another woodshed job, I expect Notre Dame to positively respond to the national de-panting vs. Georgia Tech and to play way better here. I am not naïve enough to think Charlie Weis isn’t hearing all the “honeymoon is over” talk. He’s a pretty proud guy, from everything I’ve heard and read; the Irish practice field could not have been a pleasant place right now. I’d lean toward taking the +17. Penn State 27 – Notre Dame 17.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – Sept 8, 2007:
Georgia Tech vs. Samford
Penn State vs. NOTRE DAME
Michigan vs. Oregon
Michigan State vs. Bowling Green
Purdue vs. Eastern Michigan
UCLA vs. BYU
Boston College vs. North Carolina State (does Tom O’Brien ride in on his own homecoming float?)
USC -- off
Navy at Rutgers
Air Force at Utah
Duke at Virginia
Stanford -- off
Other Games of Interest – Sept 8, 2007
Virginia Tech at LSU
Miami-FL at Oklahoma
TCU at Texas (Frogs this year's Boise State?)
Indiana at Western Michigan
Illinois vs. Western Illinois
Ball State at Eastern Michigan
Butler at Hanover
Rose-Hulman at College of Mt. St. Joseph’s
Carmel at Terre Haute South (Friday 9/7)
National Perspective - Miscellaneous Non-ND Chatter
Virginia Tech shocks LSU this weekend, runs the ACC table, and muscles their way into the BCS finale? A great story line, for sure, given the tragedy in Blacksburg last year. One potential snag, though, is an LSU defense that the New Orleans Saints might have trouble scoring on. Talk about 11 bad dudes.
Do you think Appalachian State can avoid a letdown vs. the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in Boone, NC this Saturday?
Do not discount the Rose-Hulman Fighting Engineer’s victory over the Earlham Quakers in Richmond, Indiana last weekend just because Earlham dressed a girl. She’s a bad-ass, for sure, but she couldn’t crack the 100 yard mark vs. the stout Engineer run defense (just kidding – she’s a backup kicker).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
September 1, 2007
Georgia Tech (0-0) at Notre Dame (0-0)
Last Week/Last Year
Notre Dame likewise opened with Georgia Tech in 2006, winning a 14-10 white-knuckler in Atlanta after spotting Tech a 10-0 lead late in the 2nd quarter. An 80 yard Irish drive late in the first half with no timeouts, capped by Quinn’s 7 yard QB draw TD with 0:11 left (gutsy call by Charlie), may have been the most important sequence of a tight, well-played game. No turnovers for either team in last year’s opener. The Jackets did not lose another home game all year, finished 9-5 overall, and first in the ACC Coastal division.
2006 highlights included wins at # 21 Virginia Tech on an ESPN Thursday nighter, at home vs. Maryland, and at home vs. Miami-FL. The year, however, will mostly be remembered by GT fans for tough losses early and late. Not unlike the Notre Dame game, Georgia Tech lost three consecutive three-point heartbreakers to finish the 2006 campaign; at home to cross-town rival Georgia in the regular season finale (15-12, same movie, different year, sixth straight GT loss to UGA), to Wake Forest in the ACC title game (9-6), and to West Virginia in the Gator Bowl (38-35).
Glass half full or a team that couldn’t close?
Georgia Tech Offense
Junior Taylor Bennett (6-3, 215) gets the nod at QB, replacing departing starter Reggie Ball who finally leaves after what seemed like an 8 or 9 year run for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Bennett, a southpaw from St. Louis, started the 2007 Gator Bowl for Georgia Tech (Ball ended his GT career as a suspended academic casualty) and threw for 523 yds and 5 TDs overall in 2006. The bulk of that total came vs. the ‘Neers in the Gator Bowl. So Wreck fans aren’t necessarily crying in their peach smoothies over Ball’s departure, as Bennett isn’t raw by any means, the rags suggest he has plus tools, had a good-to-great spring, is four inches taller than Ball, etc., etc. (why he never pushed turnover machine Ball for more PT remains an unsolved mystery).
Tech returns four starting offensive linemen including junior All ACC behemoth LT Andrew Gardner (6-6, 300). Offensive (and defensive) lines are likely GT strengths in 2007.
Georgia Tech likewise has depth at TB led by 1,400+ yard rusher Tashard Choice, an Oklahoma transfer in his final year of eligibility. Choice went over 100 yards rushing in 7 of Tech’s last 10 games in 2006 including a season/career high 169 yard effort in the Gator Bowl. He led the ACC in rushing last year.
Questions abound at WR, however, given the void left by All American/All NFL Combine Freak Calvin Johnson, the #2 overall pick in last April’s NFL draft (Detroit Lions). James Johnson, a 6-0, 190 junior, likely gets the nod as the #1 receiver out of the gate (39 catches, 608 yds, 7 TDs in 2006) despite missing spring ball with a pulled hammer. Red shirt freshman Demaryious Thomas (6-3, 220) is a likely starter on the other side. Thomas has been tagged as a Calvin Johnson-in-training. Time will tell.
Tech may, early-on and out of necessity, try to pound it more than air it out. How the Irish defend the run could go a long way toward deciding this one.
Georgia Tech Defense
GT returns 8 starters from a highly touted but statistically middle-of-the-road 2006 defense (respectable 18 points-per-game allowed despite being, per the numbers, the worst GT run defense in four years).
Tech should be strong up the middle with senior playmakers Philip Wheeler (6-2, 230, MLB) and All ACC Jamal Lewis (6-0, 200, SS), deep at defensive end with redshirt senior/second team All ACC Adamm Oliver returning, and solid at defensive tackle despite losing All ACC Joe Anoai, a three-year starter.
The Tech CBs, junior Jahi Word-Daniels and senior Avery Roberson, however, are experienced but not fabulous, off-the-chart, difference makers per a few sources. If the Tech D has a weak link, it might be their corner outfielders.
Georgia Tech Special Teams
Kicker Travis Bell had a so-so 2006 and has not lived up to the promise of his frosh debut. He is a senior now. Bell is inconsistent, at best, and not likely from beyond the 40 based on his body of work to date. He is 9 of 22 from “beyond the arc” during his Tech career.
Punter and former JUCO transfer Durant Brooks, however, has a seriously big leg and the stats to back it up (45.5 yards per punt in 2006 and second-in-the-country 40.8 yards net). Brooks will likely be the best punter in the ACC this year could very well show up on more than one All-American list, depending on how his season goes.
Georgia Tech Coaches
Former Dallas Cowboy Head Coach Chan Gailey enters his fifth season at Georgia Tech. Rumors about flirtations with NFL gigs swirled after last year, but Gailey stayed put. In-roads on the recruiting front are reportedly being made, even in state, where the recruiting battle vs. the Big Dawg in Athens wages for all eternity. Some suggest Tech’s incoming freshman class is one of if not the best in the ACC. A Gailey-led Georgia Tech squad has never missed the post-season. The flip-side, however, is every Gailey-led Georgia Tech team has lost at least 5 games. Good but not great? And while it has no bearing on Saturday’s game, it is interesting to note (to me anyway) that Gailey has never beaten Georgia, which, fair or not, is the measuring stick for GT head coaches. Gailey is under contract through 2010.
Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta continues to get loads of accolades as one of the best coordinators in the country -- you would think the guy would be a head coach by now given how long he has been touted in this manner. Tenuta is known as a blitz schemer and is considered an innovator among his peers. He has been at Georgia Tech for five years.
Offensive Coordinator John Bond is the new addition, moving to Atlanta from Dekalb (Northern Illinois) via West Point (Army) to fill the spot vacated by last year’s play caller, Patrick Nix. Nix moves up the coaching food chain this year, taking a spot on Randy Shannon’s inaugural Miami-FL staff. A more involved passing game, under Bond’s tutelage, is rumored (translation: more backs-as-receivers and medium routes, less “Chuck it up there, Reggie, and hope Calvin makes a play”). The new guy is always supposed to be smarter and better, right?
Worth Noting
Georgia Tech has won its road opener the last three years, all vs. ranked opponents.
Vegas
ND opened as a (-2.5) favorite. ND (-3) as of Wednesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Tech brings 17 of 22 players who started in the 2007 Gator Bowl to South Bend for this one. And while the national press and national poles are interestingly silent about this Ga Tech team (no Top 25 love, etc.) suggesting they might be an “on paper” tiger, only, you have to consider the possibility that Georgia Tech is sleeper given all their returning experience, the fact that they seem to travel well, solid coaching, etc. And it is not a reach to suggest that this Georgia Tech team is going to be better than average if not outright strong where it matters most, along the offensive and defensive lines.
It is the first road start for QB Bennett, however, and I don’t care how you spin it, Calvin Johnson’s departure leaves a gaping crater in Georgia Tech’s offensive production from a year ago. I am not buying the “could be better offensively, even without Johnson” line I’ve heard/read --- not early in the season anyway. Johnson was, arguably, the best college football player in the United States last year. You don’t lose that kind of talent and not feel it.
My gut says this one will be extremely tight, just like last year. The first of multiple Maalox jobs for the ’07 Irish? My heart says 20-17, Notre Dame. My head, however, can envision a 20-17 Georgia Tech scenario. I’m nervous, gang. I see a FG job looming.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 1, 2007
Georgia Tech at NOTRE DAME
Penn State vs. Florida International
Michigan vs. Appalachian State (you’ve got to be kidding)
Michigan State vs. Alabama-Birmingham
Purdue at Toledo
UCLA at Stanford (the Jim Harbaugh era begins on The Farm, 0-1)
Boston College vs. Wake Forest
USC vs. Idaho (tough spot for Spuds)
Navy at Temple (Friday 8/31)
Air Force vs. South Carolina State
Duke vs. Connecticut (Devils snap losing streak vs. Big East’s least?)
Other Games of Interest – September 1, 2007
Tennessee at Cal (Bears and Pac10 embarrassed by UT in Knoxville last yr)
OK State at Georgia (UGA tough on non-SEC foes, Pokes = Big12 dark horse)
FSU at Clemson (Bobby and ‘Noles only 2-3 in Bowden Bowls)
Indiana vs. Indiana State
Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis)
Ball State vs. Miami OH (Thursday 8/30)
Butler vs. Albion
Rose-Hulman at Earlham College
Georgia Tech (0-0) at Notre Dame (0-0)
Last Week/Last Year
Notre Dame likewise opened with Georgia Tech in 2006, winning a 14-10 white-knuckler in Atlanta after spotting Tech a 10-0 lead late in the 2nd quarter. An 80 yard Irish drive late in the first half with no timeouts, capped by Quinn’s 7 yard QB draw TD with 0:11 left (gutsy call by Charlie), may have been the most important sequence of a tight, well-played game. No turnovers for either team in last year’s opener. The Jackets did not lose another home game all year, finished 9-5 overall, and first in the ACC Coastal division.
2006 highlights included wins at # 21 Virginia Tech on an ESPN Thursday nighter, at home vs. Maryland, and at home vs. Miami-FL. The year, however, will mostly be remembered by GT fans for tough losses early and late. Not unlike the Notre Dame game, Georgia Tech lost three consecutive three-point heartbreakers to finish the 2006 campaign; at home to cross-town rival Georgia in the regular season finale (15-12, same movie, different year, sixth straight GT loss to UGA), to Wake Forest in the ACC title game (9-6), and to West Virginia in the Gator Bowl (38-35).
Glass half full or a team that couldn’t close?
Georgia Tech Offense
Junior Taylor Bennett (6-3, 215) gets the nod at QB, replacing departing starter Reggie Ball who finally leaves after what seemed like an 8 or 9 year run for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Bennett, a southpaw from St. Louis, started the 2007 Gator Bowl for Georgia Tech (Ball ended his GT career as a suspended academic casualty) and threw for 523 yds and 5 TDs overall in 2006. The bulk of that total came vs. the ‘Neers in the Gator Bowl. So Wreck fans aren’t necessarily crying in their peach smoothies over Ball’s departure, as Bennett isn’t raw by any means, the rags suggest he has plus tools, had a good-to-great spring, is four inches taller than Ball, etc., etc. (why he never pushed turnover machine Ball for more PT remains an unsolved mystery).
Tech returns four starting offensive linemen including junior All ACC behemoth LT Andrew Gardner (6-6, 300). Offensive (and defensive) lines are likely GT strengths in 2007.
Georgia Tech likewise has depth at TB led by 1,400+ yard rusher Tashard Choice, an Oklahoma transfer in his final year of eligibility. Choice went over 100 yards rushing in 7 of Tech’s last 10 games in 2006 including a season/career high 169 yard effort in the Gator Bowl. He led the ACC in rushing last year.
Questions abound at WR, however, given the void left by All American/All NFL Combine Freak Calvin Johnson, the #2 overall pick in last April’s NFL draft (Detroit Lions). James Johnson, a 6-0, 190 junior, likely gets the nod as the #1 receiver out of the gate (39 catches, 608 yds, 7 TDs in 2006) despite missing spring ball with a pulled hammer. Red shirt freshman Demaryious Thomas (6-3, 220) is a likely starter on the other side. Thomas has been tagged as a Calvin Johnson-in-training. Time will tell.
Tech may, early-on and out of necessity, try to pound it more than air it out. How the Irish defend the run could go a long way toward deciding this one.
Georgia Tech Defense
GT returns 8 starters from a highly touted but statistically middle-of-the-road 2006 defense (respectable 18 points-per-game allowed despite being, per the numbers, the worst GT run defense in four years).
Tech should be strong up the middle with senior playmakers Philip Wheeler (6-2, 230, MLB) and All ACC Jamal Lewis (6-0, 200, SS), deep at defensive end with redshirt senior/second team All ACC Adamm Oliver returning, and solid at defensive tackle despite losing All ACC Joe Anoai, a three-year starter.
The Tech CBs, junior Jahi Word-Daniels and senior Avery Roberson, however, are experienced but not fabulous, off-the-chart, difference makers per a few sources. If the Tech D has a weak link, it might be their corner outfielders.
Georgia Tech Special Teams
Kicker Travis Bell had a so-so 2006 and has not lived up to the promise of his frosh debut. He is a senior now. Bell is inconsistent, at best, and not likely from beyond the 40 based on his body of work to date. He is 9 of 22 from “beyond the arc” during his Tech career.
Punter and former JUCO transfer Durant Brooks, however, has a seriously big leg and the stats to back it up (45.5 yards per punt in 2006 and second-in-the-country 40.8 yards net). Brooks will likely be the best punter in the ACC this year could very well show up on more than one All-American list, depending on how his season goes.
Georgia Tech Coaches
Former Dallas Cowboy Head Coach Chan Gailey enters his fifth season at Georgia Tech. Rumors about flirtations with NFL gigs swirled after last year, but Gailey stayed put. In-roads on the recruiting front are reportedly being made, even in state, where the recruiting battle vs. the Big Dawg in Athens wages for all eternity. Some suggest Tech’s incoming freshman class is one of if not the best in the ACC. A Gailey-led Georgia Tech squad has never missed the post-season. The flip-side, however, is every Gailey-led Georgia Tech team has lost at least 5 games. Good but not great? And while it has no bearing on Saturday’s game, it is interesting to note (to me anyway) that Gailey has never beaten Georgia, which, fair or not, is the measuring stick for GT head coaches. Gailey is under contract through 2010.
Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta continues to get loads of accolades as one of the best coordinators in the country -- you would think the guy would be a head coach by now given how long he has been touted in this manner. Tenuta is known as a blitz schemer and is considered an innovator among his peers. He has been at Georgia Tech for five years.
Offensive Coordinator John Bond is the new addition, moving to Atlanta from Dekalb (Northern Illinois) via West Point (Army) to fill the spot vacated by last year’s play caller, Patrick Nix. Nix moves up the coaching food chain this year, taking a spot on Randy Shannon’s inaugural Miami-FL staff. A more involved passing game, under Bond’s tutelage, is rumored (translation: more backs-as-receivers and medium routes, less “Chuck it up there, Reggie, and hope Calvin makes a play”). The new guy is always supposed to be smarter and better, right?
Worth Noting
Georgia Tech has won its road opener the last three years, all vs. ranked opponents.
Vegas
ND opened as a (-2.5) favorite. ND (-3) as of Wednesday morning.
Summary/Prediction
Tech brings 17 of 22 players who started in the 2007 Gator Bowl to South Bend for this one. And while the national press and national poles are interestingly silent about this Ga Tech team (no Top 25 love, etc.) suggesting they might be an “on paper” tiger, only, you have to consider the possibility that Georgia Tech is sleeper given all their returning experience, the fact that they seem to travel well, solid coaching, etc. And it is not a reach to suggest that this Georgia Tech team is going to be better than average if not outright strong where it matters most, along the offensive and defensive lines.
It is the first road start for QB Bennett, however, and I don’t care how you spin it, Calvin Johnson’s departure leaves a gaping crater in Georgia Tech’s offensive production from a year ago. I am not buying the “could be better offensively, even without Johnson” line I’ve heard/read --- not early in the season anyway. Johnson was, arguably, the best college football player in the United States last year. You don’t lose that kind of talent and not feel it.
My gut says this one will be extremely tight, just like last year. The first of multiple Maalox jobs for the ’07 Irish? My heart says 20-17, Notre Dame. My head, however, can envision a 20-17 Georgia Tech scenario. I’m nervous, gang. I see a FG job looming.
Notre Dame Opponents Schedule – September 1, 2007
Georgia Tech at NOTRE DAME
Penn State vs. Florida International
Michigan vs. Appalachian State (you’ve got to be kidding)
Michigan State vs. Alabama-Birmingham
Purdue at Toledo
UCLA at Stanford (the Jim Harbaugh era begins on The Farm, 0-1)
Boston College vs. Wake Forest
USC vs. Idaho (tough spot for Spuds)
Navy at Temple (Friday 8/31)
Air Force vs. South Carolina State
Duke vs. Connecticut (Devils snap losing streak vs. Big East’s least?)
Other Games of Interest – September 1, 2007
Tennessee at Cal (Bears and Pac10 embarrassed by UT in Knoxville last yr)
OK State at Georgia (UGA tough on non-SEC foes, Pokes = Big12 dark horse)
FSU at Clemson (Bobby and ‘Noles only 2-3 in Bowden Bowls)
Indiana vs. Indiana State
Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis)
Ball State vs. Miami OH (Thursday 8/30)
Butler vs. Albion
Rose-Hulman at Earlham College
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