San Diego State (0-1) at Notre Dame (0-0)

Year-to-Date / Last Year
San Diego State opened the season last weekend in inauspicious fashion, losing 29-27 on a game-ending field goal to the Cal Poly (not to be confused with Rose Poly) Mustangs of the Great West Conference. California Polytechnic State University, now ranked #11 in the FCS coaches poll (or Division I-AA for us old timers) was pretty much in control throughout against the Aztecs, pounding out 101 rushing yards in the first quarter, out gaining San Diego State 483-379 overall, and winning the turnover battle 5-1. The favorite sons of San Luis Obispo have now beaten San Diego State twice in the last three years.

SDSU Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense
The Aztecs were in scramble drill mode the entire off-season looking for a capable replacement for departing 2007 QB Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell was second in the Mountain West Conference in total offense a year ago, the leading passer AND leading rusher for San Diego State, and was taken in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft by the New England Patriots (who tend to recognize QB talent when they see it). Redshirt freshman QB Ryan Lindley from Alpine, CA (6-3, 205) narrowly edged two transfers coming out of spring ball, held serve this summer, made his first collegiate started vs. Cal Poly, and will get the nod vs. the Irish on Saturday. Lindley was 27-45 for 352 yards and 3 TDs against the Mustangs, setting single-game SDSU frosh records for passing yards and touchdown passes, but his three INTs were critical.

The San Diego State depth chart includes only three offensive linemen who have seen any meaningful action at the college level, making the protection of Lindley a likely concern all year. Senior G Mike Schmidt (6-2, 310) leads a perilously young and thin SDSU offensive line. To IFP, the Irish defensive line is likewise a major question mark entering the season, particularly in light of the graduation of the almost irreplaceable Trevor Laws. The performance of Irish ends Morrice Richardson (6-2, 255, junior), Justin Brown (6-3, 275, senior) and Pat Kuntz (6-3, 285, senor) against the raw San Diego State offensive line will be revealing as bigger, more experienced, and much better offensive lines await the Irish in the not too distant future. Richardson and Brown will likely split time on one end and Kunz, who slides outside from the nose tackle position he manned a year ago to make way for the bigger and more productive Ian Williams (6-2, 310, sophomore), will likely start at the other end in the Irish 3-4 alignment. Williams quietly earned freshman All American honors from the Football Writers Association as a part time starter at NT for the Irish defense a year ago.

Sophomore RB Brandon Sullivan (5-11, 220) led the Tecs in rushing last Saturday vs. Cal Poly with a modest 43 yards (1 TD), but he had nine receptions out of the backfield which is something that probably jumped out of the film this week for the Irish defensive staff. Like their offensive line, San Diego State is extremely thin at wide receiver this year; two all MWC wide outs graduated a year ago and were both late round NFL draft choices leaving the receiving cupboard pretty bare. 16 of Lindley’s 27 completions last week were to running backs and teams that lack play making ability at WR (a.) tend to throw to their backs a lot, and (b.) are typically vulnerable to the blitz. The experienced Notre Dame corners, senior Terrail Lambert (5-11, 190) and junior Raeshon McNeil (6-0, 185), should be comfortable spending some time in man coverage this weekend and when the Irish are in man, IFP expects to see at least a little of the new look, hyped, Jon Tenuta / Georgia Tech blitz from anywhere, anytime mentality.

SDSU Defense vs. Notre Dame Offense
San Diego State went young in 2007 and paid the price, finishing in the Mountain West basement in rushing defense, passing defense, scoring defense, and (surprise) total defense. To find an explanation for why SDSU lost 8 football games in 2007, there is no need to look beyond the fact that they gave up a shade under 500 yards/game. That will do it, and from the result last weekend, not much appears to have changed. The Aztecs were hoping the experienced gained (and bludgeoning taken) by defensive frosh, sophs, and juniors forced into action last year bears fruit in 2008. Time will tell. Senior LB Russell Allen from Oceanside, CA (6-3, 235) leads the Aztec defense and is in all likelihood the best player on this San Diego State football team. Allen, who was selected to the 2008 Lombardi Award watch list two weeks ago, is the only returning defensive player in the Mountain West Conference who tallied more than 100 tackles a year ago and will likely go out as an all league player. The Aztecs likewise have high hopes for DE Ryan Williams (6-5, 250), an Ohio State transfer returning to his California roots in search of playing time. SDSU has its entire LB corps returning from a year ago and will feature three seniors and one junior in its staring secondary on Saturday. Corey Boudreaux (6-1, 220), who petitioned for and was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, starts at free safety. Boudreaux, who had 84 tackles and 3 INTs in 2007 and has a big hitter reputation, left the SDSU program for two years to care for family members after the death of his father, disproving the notion that the NCAA never, ever makes any good decisions. Boudreaux had injury issues both in the spring and in summer camp, but is expected to play on Saturday. Sophomore DT Ernie Lawson (6-3, 300) is the designated run stuffer for a San Diego State defense that was gashed for 240 yards/game on the ground a year ago and 263 yards rushing to Cal Poly in the opener. Only one way to go from there.

So is the San Diego State defense experienced? Yes. But is it any good? It clearly was not during the 2007 natural disaster and giving up the better part of 30 points and 500 yards to a really good architecture school in the 2008 opener does not provide much hope. So Saturday offers an ideal opportunity for the much-maligned Notre Dame starting offensive line to set a different tone and for the Irish offense to move the sticks in earnest for a change. There are no obvious one-on-one matchups that the Irish offensive line lose on paper in this one. Plenty of that to come down the road, for sure. But not here. Not yet. So IFP suggests a minimum of 225 yards rushing and no sacks allowed as attainable goals this weekend for an Irish offense that similarly has nowhere to go but up from 2007. IFP will probably be watching the Irish running game closer than any other facet of this ballgame, as this Notre Dame team does not turn things around as rapidly as many expect gaining less than 3 yards a carry like it did a year ago. The Irish should dominate the line of scrimmage in this one. It is time for Notre Dame to starting running the football like Notre Dame.

SDSU Coaches
Chuck Long, the former Iowa All American QB and Iowa City pagan idol, returns for his third year at the Aztec helm. A very successful offensive coordinator with one national title to show for his work at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops, Long has won only 7 of 18 games to date at San Diego State (3-9 in his first year, 4-8 last year). While he did not inherit a totally dead stick from former San Diego State head coach Tom Craft, most agree that Long had plenty of work to do upon his arrival and that after two seasons in full rebuild mode, there are once again reasons for optimism at SDSU. That begin said, another 3 or 4 win season this year would more than likely strap Long into a pretty hot seat before and during the 2009 season. The hiccup last weekend could not have helped matters much.

Former CFL and Kansas State defensive coordinator Bob Elliot runs the San Diego State defense (for the time being anyway). Del Miller, likewise an ex-Kansas State assistant, is the SDSU offensive coordinator.

Worth Noting
Saturday marks the first-ever visit to Notre Dame Stadium by San Diego State. The Aztecs have lost 15 straight road openers and are 2-10 in non-conference games since 2005.

Vegas
Wise guys bullish on the Irish. Notre Dame (-21.5) as of Wednesday morning.

Summary / Prediction
The preseason rags almost unanimously suggested that the San Diego State football program might finally be pointed in the right direction after a decade of near-futility, which made the opening weekend loss to a regionally respected but nationally off-the-radar program all the more difficult to swallow. The 2008 Aztecs clearly remain suspect on defense, they are extremely young on offense, and they are not bringing Marshall Faulk with them to South Bend. SDSU is probably at least two years away from competing with the Mountain West chalk (Utah, BYU), let alone the non-conference big boys from the Pac 10, etc., that are annually on the slate. IFP had Chuck Long pegged for a triumphant return to Iowa City as the next Hayden Fry after the Hawkeye faithful officially tire of Kirk Ferentz and his apparently out-of-control/bandit Hawkeye football. Might have to rethink that one.

And we digress.

From a Notre Dame football team that has earned the right to take NOTHING for granted, IFP expects a big win on Saturday. Notre Dame 38 – San Diego State 13

ND Opponents Schedule – Sat Sept 6
Michigan vs. Miami OH
Michigan State vs. Eastern Michigan
Purdue vs. Northern Colorado
Stanford at #15 Arizona State
North Carolina off
Washington vs. #16 Brigham Young
Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo
Boston College vs. Georgia Tech
Navy at Ball State (Fri Sept 5)
Syracuse vs. Akron
#1 Southern Cal off

Other Games of Interest – Sat Sept 6
Rose-Hulman vs. Earlham
Indiana vs. Murray State
Butler at Albion
Miami-FL at #5 Florida
#8 West Virginia at East Carolina
Cincinnati at #4 Oklahoma

IFP Top 20
The IFP research staff is proud to introduce our own computer-based national Top 20 poll this year. Initial publication on Tuesday Sept 23 (IFP Vol 2, Issue 3). Negotiations to include this metric in the Bowl Championship Series scoring algorithm are in progress. Check with the IFP legal department for details.

References/Sources
Sporting News College Football 2008
USA Today Sports Weekly College Football Edition
2008 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook
Phil Steele’s 2008 College Football Preview
www.goaztecs.cstv.com
www.rose-hulman.edu/sports/football