BGI May 2010

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contents

new expectations

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick and new head coach Brian Kelly are hoping a productive spring brings results in the fall page 16 May 2010 ✦ volume 29, issue 17 Senior Editor Lou Somogyi Assistant Editors Todd D. Burlage Ryan O’Leary Football Recruiting editor Jason Sapp BlueandGold.com Editor John Haynsworth Managing Editors Steve Downey Chris Riffer Contributing Writer Tom Pagna Photography Joe Raymond Aaron Suozzi Cover Photo Joe Raymond Design Cory Lavalette Jeanette Blankenship photo by joe raymond

✦ ✦ ✦ Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Circulation Manager Gail Evans Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor

Horrible Loss

Incoming offensive lineman Matt James dies in tragic accident

✦ inside page 14

Advertising SAlES Dave Searcy 800-421-7751 Michelle DeLee-Hamilton 574-286-8688 Customer Service Specialist Cathy Jones Blue & Gold Illustrated (ISSN 0746-2557) is published 20 times annually — weekly Sept.–Nov. and monthly Dec.–Aug, except May — by Coman Publishing Company, 324 Blackwell St, Suite 560, Durham, NC 27701. A one-year (20 issue) subscription is $49.95.

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photo courtesy st. xavier

Upon Further Review ✦ Todd D. Burlage.......................................... 4 Coach’s Corner ✦ Tom Pagna............................................................ 5 Airing It Out ✦ Ryan O’Leary............................................................. 6 Fan Forum......................................................................................... 7 Under The Dome............................................................................... 8 Players On Brian Kelly...................................................................... 18 Quarterback Dayne Crist................................................................. 20 Offensive Line.................................................................................. 22 Manti Te’o........................................................................................ 24 Defensive Focus............................................................................... 26 Brad Carrico Becomes First 2011 Commitment.............................. 28 Offensive Tackle Jordan Prestwood Commits.................................. 29 Football Recruiting Profiles, Master List & Notes............................ 30 Men’s Basketball Season Review..................................................... 34 Incoming Freshman Point Guard Eric Atkins................................... 36 Women’s Basketball Season Review................................................ 37 ND Sports........................................................................................ 39 Irish In The Pros/Blue & Gold Marketplace..................................... 42 Where Have You Gone?................................................................... 44 The 5th Quarter ✦ Lou Somogyi..................................................... 46

The next issue of blue & gold illustrated will be mailed the week of may 18 May 2010

3

Four Minutes And Two Seconds I

was cleaning out document files and scanning my voice recorder for anything that could be deleted to clear up some space for spring football duties, when I stumbled upon an interview that about floored me.

I had unwittingly saved a four-

With only 16 wins in the last three seasons, there is no time to coddle the players or show any patience when it comes to changing the climate within this team. “Atta boy” and “we’re making progress” won’t cut it. This team needs an attitude overhaul. upon further review If there is one thing that has struck me through the first half of todd D. burlage spring ball, it’s that you seem much minute and two-second phone interview more collegiate than the last coach. with Matt James from February for a Charlie Weis took much more of an feature story in our National Signing NFL micromanagement approach Day edition. With the recruiting and to this job, probably because it was football seasons all wrapped up, this all he knew. was likely one of the last interviews But instead of organizing every James gave before losing his life April 2 minute of every spring practice after falling from a fifth-floor balcony at from day one all the way through a hotel in Panama Beach, Fla. the Blue-Gold Game, you build toThose four minutes and two seconds morrow’s practice off of what you were the only contact I ever had with see today because college football James, so I won’t pretend to know him is much more fluid than the NFL, well. However, he was soft-spoken, “I just want to become the best Standout recruit Matt James, a 6-6, 291-pound offensive and the demands of the team and unassuming, kind and attentive during player and student that I can,” lineman from Cincinnati, was excited to be part of something players change every day. our talk, and it’s hard not to believe the There’s room for such a calcuJames went on to say in our conver- special at Notre Dame, but died tragically on April 2 while on reports about the tragic circumstances lated approach in the NFL, where sation. “There is so much ahead. spring break in Florida. phtoot courtesy matt james surrounding James’ death were out of talent, effort and fundamentals are I’m probably equally nervous and lasting impression it made. character for him. all givens, while execution and scheme excited about the opportunity, but I St. Xavier teammate and future Notre are the primary concerns. can’t wait.”

Dame player Luke Massa said the Irish “I can’t wait to get to Notre Dame,” I also like the Camp Kelly approach, will have a “great big angel” looking James said during those four minutes sending the guys out in the cold and Cruel as it sounds, people will mourn down on them for years to come. and two seconds. “It’s where I belong. snow at 5 a.m. to deliver a message that Matt James in the immediate. But in Perhaps there is a great big lesson It’s the right place for me. The perfect things have to get worse before they can this “win-today” environment, time will here as well. fit.” get better. pass, and those same people will focus You’ve even given diagrams to each more on how to overcome this loss on Off And Running When the subject of this tragedy player on how to uniformly arrange the football field.

Welcome to South Bend, Coach comes up, the debate continues to rage their lockers, again emphasizing team “It’s a major blow to Notre Dame Kelly. as to whether James, or any 17-year-old, over individual, and Notre Dame over because they’ve struggled to get a left It’s an entirely different world here should ever be given consent for an unNFL. tackle since they got Sam Young,” than in Cincinnati, which you probably supervised trip shrouded with so many “Most of the guys here were more said recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, have already noticed. dangerous temptations. James was the interested in whether they were on Mel whose job it is to assess such things.

From sold-out luncheon speeches, Kiper’s Big Board,” Kelly said in a story to endless appearance requests, to the “I can’t wait to get to Notre Dame. It’s where I belong. for ESPN.com. “I want guys who are national media hanging on your every more interested in what they can do for It’s the right place for me. The perfect fit. I just want word, this is only the beginning, Coach Notre Dame.” to become the best player and student that I can. There Kelly.

There’s a reason many say that This is important because the climate is so much ahead. I’m probably equally nervous and the Notre Dame football coach and the and attitude had to be changed if sucexcited about the opportunity, but I can’t wait.”

President of the United States are the cess was going to follow, and it’s pleasmatt james two most demanding jobs in the country. ing to see spring football centered on So far so good, Coach Kelly. You second teenager in just two weeks to get these key areas in your daily approach.

It’s a much bigger blow to the peohave demonstrated terrific poise and drunk, fall off a fifth story balcony and There’s been a lot to deal with alple lucky enough to call Matt James a handled your new surroundings very die in Panama City. ready, but obviously there’s still a long friend or family member. well during an eventful and tragic first Untimely tragedies or accidents waitway to go in a short amount of time, four months on the job. ing to happen?

Coach Kelly. And you still haven’t won “I can’t wait to get to Notre Dame A Google search for “We Stink” and Ultimately, it doesn’t much matter a game yet at Notre Dame. and become a part of something so spe“Brian Kelly” elicited 54,000 hits from now. Those debates won’t help heal the But your plan to change climate first cial,” James said, “and be a part of tryyour stinging state of the union address wounds of the James family or the enand deal with schematics later is the ing to turn this program around.” after practice on March 31, a perfect tire St. Xavier community in Cincinnati. perfect starting point. ✦ and well-timed message as spring ball They will never be the same.

Four minutes and two seconds. It’s all E-mail Todd at tburlage@blueandgold.com hits its full stride.

“He really was a gentle giant,” euloI ever had with Matt James, but what a

4

May 2010

gized the school’s president, Rev. Tim Howe. “He always had a kind word.”

In trying to be respectful and lend some support through this tragedy, many parents have said because they have children of their own, they can understand the feelings and the loss the James family is going through.

No, they cannot understand, not even remotely. Who could understand burying a son one day after his 18th birthday?

The magnitude of this loss cannot be measured because of the circumstances surrounding the death and the age of the victim. Matt James’ life was just beginning, and now it has been taken away.

blue & gold illustrated

Defensive Puzzle Needs Right Pieces S

pring football is akin to planting a spring crop in preparation for a fall harvest.

Not certain where each part of the puzzle may be, there will be a degree of experimentation. That is the reason for and the “beauty” of spring football, and it is especially necessary for a new head coach and staff.

coach’s corner tom pagna A quick look at the offensive personnel and a reflection of Brian Kelly’s Cincinnati days tells us that the spread offense with multiple receivers and formations will be a good fit at Notre Dame because of the previous year’s pass-oriented offense.

The bigger concern, based on the annual dilemma plus last year’s performance, remains on defense, even though it possesses more experience than the offense.

It has already been established that Notre Dame will employ a 3-4 alignment. This fits better with what appears to be a wealth of linebacker candidates and recent shortages along the line.

Four linebackers always appear in the set, but the attrition rate will call for the preparation of at least eight.

In the 3-4, the outside linebacker is both a defensive end and a pass coverage man — a “hybrid” as many might say.

He’s got to be big enough to cause chaos on a pass rush yet nifty enough to keep leverage inside of his alignment, or at least strip the lead blockers.

With rush ability and the agility to weed through sweep blockers, this position calls for one of the best athletes, second only to the cornerbacks.

The last and biggest assignment for the outside linebacker is his ability to cover a receiver man to man, or retreat into the center of his zone with speed enough to react to the ball if airborne.

In many ways, he’s got to be about 50 percent lineman (needing heft and agility), 25 percent speed rusher and another 25 percent pass defender, quick enough to cover a tight end, running back or even a wideout on rare occasion. By this description, the need is for a rare specimen of athlete.

Too large a player sacrifices pass coverage or the speed of reaction to the sweep. Kapron Lewis-Moore as a

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245-pound freshman might have fit this role well, but not as a current 275-pound end.

Too small, and the lack of size cannot ward off lead blockers with size advantage. Harrison Smith started at outside linebacker at 207 pounds last year, but he has been since shifted back to safety.

If an outside linebacker has a tight end to play over, he must be prepared to shed the block of a tight end, and close down if the tight end doubles the defensive tackle.

This position is in need of a breed big enough and quick enough to shore up the complete defense. Players such as Brian Smith, Darius Fleming, Kerry Neal and Steve Filer, among others, fit that mold. They’re too big for safety, not quite big enough for end, but outside linebacker in the 3-4 appears just right.

Down Linemen

In the 3-4, the man inside of the outside linebacker is now given the label as the defensive end.

In the football lexicon (ever changing), he is really a tackle aligned anywhere from the gap outside the offensive tackle, the outside shoulder of the same man, head up on the tackle and, on occasion, the inside gap known as an “eagle” position. In the eagle alignment, the inside linebacker moves outside, switching alignment with the defensive end.

The next down lineman is the nose guard. Ideally, he cannot be small or too tall. Small gets you wiped out and normally one man can handle you; tall exposes your lower body and allows for movement, which the 3-4 cannot be solid if such exists.

College Football Hall of Fame member Chris Zorich was the prototype fireplug in the middle of Notre Dame’s 1988 defense because he wasn’t tall (6-1), but he was wide, powerful and quick off the snap, having enrolled as a linebacker.

The nose guard can play head up on the center or shaded to one shoulder or the other. His primary job is to be so tough to handle that he demands a second blocker. Normally, two on him allows an inside linebacker freedom.

This position demands strength, balance, quickness and a high football IQ. The IQ aspect is related to studying and understanding how the smallest idiosyn-

The outside linebacker positions in a 3-4 defense are perfectly suited for athletes such as Brian Smith.

photo by aaron suozzi

crasies of the center or the two offensive guard stances will often telegraph the snap of the ball or the direction or design of the play.

Led by senior Ian Williams, this position has four or five candidates at Notre Dame this spring, and the more who can play here, the healthier for all involved.

The “Toughies”

Finishing off the front seven defenders are the two inside linebackers. They take their key off of a triangle, which includes the center, the guard on their side and the nearest back.

The inside linebackers are “toughies” in the defense and must read the offensive guards doing one of three things: 1. Single fire out to block the linebacker.

2. Double down on the nose guard.

3. Pull or set for pass protection or screen.

They act in reflex to their assignment.

Their range for speed is not as crucial as an outside linebacker's, but they need size and heft to meet the charge of a straight ahead 300-pound offensive

guard or center, and of course a lead blocker from the backfield.

It is not unusual in the NFL to have 260-plus sized inside linebackers in the 3-4, provided they are maneuverable.

Even on Notre Dame’s 1988 national champs, Wes Pritchett was 6-5, 254, as big as some linemen from that era.

In Manti Te’o, listed at 250, Notre Dame has that type of potential physical force, with speed.

On rare occasions the inside linebacker may take (man to man) a flaring back out of the backfield, but normally, they are used to retreating to the hook zones eight to 10 yards deep over the tight end position.

The great ones — Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus from days of yore, or Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher of more recent times, and another 100 of that mold — are often the nerve center of the defense. Here the desire to make plays and be a top hitter governs performance.

A certain personality fits each position. It is here that you want someone who thinks you insulted his mother before every play!

In covering the 3-4 front seven, I left out (on purpose) two important aspects of play.

1. The outside linebacker, when there is no tight end, may be called upon to rush or play in the “walk-away” position in space as a pass defender. Versus spread formations with four and five receivers, he may be called upon to “chuck” the receiver, holding up the receiver by delaying him with a blow or blows.

2. The defensive end must always expect a double team when a tight end is to his immediate outside. His primary duty is to fight the drive blocker (usually the tight end) and not give up any ground backwards or laterally. Again, he finds the primary blocker to resist.

Today’s front seven defenders must know they face multiple forms of screens and draws. This is a byproduct of the passing offenses and spread designs.

Defense demands gang tackling, precise pursuit, assignment football, intense desire and pride in production. ✦ Tom Pagna was a record-breaking running back at Miami (Ohio) under Ara Parseghian and coached for him at Northwestern and Notre Dame (1964-74).

He also coached in the NFL and served as a color commentator for Tony Roberts from 1985-2000 on Westwood One’s coverage of Notre Dame games.

MAY 2010

5

Sorry … We Cannot Be Like Duke T

he Notre Dame men’s basketball program seems to be, more or less, happy with its place in the world during the Mike Brey era. Not necessarily satisfied, but happy. Hoping for more, but hardly expecting it, one might say.

airing it out ryan o’leary If only the program’s “supporters” were so forgiving.

Brey has led the Fighting Irish to the postseason in each of his 10 seasons at the helm — six NCAA Tournament bids and four trips to the NIT. The list of schools that cannot lay claim to a string that long include such storied programs as Connecticut, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and UCLA. That’s not enough to silence Brey’s critics, however. They’ll consistently find some small-school program du jour that they can point to as an example of what Notre Dame basketball should be.

During the season, it was “Why can’t the Irish be like Creighton?” or “Why can’t the Irish be like Gonzaga?”

Gonzaga has made 12 straight NCAA appearances, but never a Final Four. Its unlikely run to the Elite Eight in 1999 is the high-water mark, and it’s buried in the past. Besides, the Zags have virtually a free ticket to the field of 64 just by being in the West Coast Conference. Would Gonzaga get a bid each year out of the Big East? Heck no.

As for Creighton … the Bluejays have missed the NCAA cut the last three years (and didn’t even make the NIT this year).

They haven’t so much as reached the Sweet 16 since 1974. I was in utero.

As soon as the Irish lost in the first round of the tournament, then new teams started filtering into the discussion.

“Why can’t the Irish be like Cornell?”

Really? You’re aspiring to be like a program that had only made only four NCAA appearances before this year and had never won a game before? Just because they made the Sweet 16 once?

Ditto for Saint Mary’s, which hadn’t won a tournament game since 1959. Aim higher, people.

Okay, the detractors continue. We will.

After this weekend, it’s “Why can’t the Irish be like Butler?” There’s no denying that the Bulldogs had a fantastic season, and that they have a quality program. But

6

May 2010

again, I’ll offer the Gonzaga argument — if Butler had to play in the Big East, half of its tournament teams (and there are only 10 in school history, by the way) probably would not have been tournament teams. Instead, they get free passes by playing in the Horizon League, which Notre Dame would likely dominate in similar fashion.

One dream run to the title game doesn’t necessarily make for an elite program. George Mason has just one NCAA trip since its magical journey to the Final Four, and it resulted in a first-round loss to — wait for it — Notre Dame.

Oh, but the reach comparisons didn’t end there. In the end, it always comes down to the same one …

“Why can’t the Irish be like Duke?”

On the surface, the query seems reasonable. Both are top-quality academic institutions (many current and former Notre Dame students, myself included, are Duke rejects). Both excel across the board in a number of non-revenue sports.

Both have religious roots, and both have at least somewhat deserved reputations as lily-white, holier-than-thou and arrogant.

Both are also the national lightning rod in one of the major college sports — Notre Dame in football and Duke in basketball.

Which brings me to one of the big sticking points. Look at all of the schools that were mentioned above as potential measuring sticks for the Irish men’s hoop program. Butler, Cornell, Creighton, Duke. Gonzaga and St. Mary’s. We could even add schools like Georgetown, Villanova and Xavier to the mix.

Notice a common theme?

Basketball is the undisputed king of the hill at all of those schools. Either they don’t have football at all or it is played at a sub-FBS level. And yes, I know that I’m including Duke in that mix.

It’s difficult to become great without emphasis, and the above schools all emphasize basketball over everything else.

Notre Dame doesn’t. That, folks, is a big part of why the Irish can’t “be like” those programs (even though they already are like most of them).

It isn’t even all as simple as that, either.

In the cases of the mid-major “powers” like Butler and Gonzaga, we’ve already discussed the gaping chasm that exists between those schools’ respective conferences and the Big East. If it

Seniors Tim Andree (41), Jonathan Peoples (20), Luke Harangody (44) and Tory Jackson (2) led Notre Dame to a school-record 93 victories in their four years, but only one came in the NCAA were to switch leagues, Gonzaga would struggle to hit the .500 mark most years, relegating itself to the NIT — which is precisely where Notre Dame has found itself during Brey’s down years.

In the other cases, like Georgetown or Villanova or Duke, there are a number of factors at work that have kept the Irish from enjoying the same success they had during the 1970s. I outlined those factors in much greater detail during an in-season series on BlueandGold.com entitled “It Ain’t Brey’s Fault,” but I’ll repeat them in abridged form here: 1) NCAA Tournament expansion. In the 1970s, conferences only got one bid each, while independent Notre Dame had a shot at one of several at-large slots.

2) The Big East. By the time Notre Dame was smart enough to join, it had been beaten. The league’s ascent cut severely into Irish recruiting pipelines on the East Coast.

3) ESPN and the rise of cable TV. Thirtyfive years ago, Notre Dame had a virtual stranglehold on televised games, which were few and far between. Now, everyone is on TV multiple times a month.

The Irish don’t have an exposure edge anymore.

4) Increased NBA salaries. More elite players enter college now with zero intention of graduating. Notre Dame has generally shown no interest in such players, and vice versa.

5) The White Shadow. Georgetown’s student body might be just as white as Notre Dame’s, but its basketball program has avoided that stigma. Ditto for Villanova, which like Georgetown is a city school located in a basketball hotbed.

Duke, which already had a strong program in Notre Dame’s heyday (remember who beat the Irish in the 1978 national semifinals), has benefited from all of those factors — or at least been hurt less than the Fighting Irish have.

Tournament expansion helped Duke, which previously had to earn bids by beating the likes of North Carolina, North Carolina State and Maryland to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The big NBA money didn’t hurt Duke, which has proven that it a) can send players to the league regularly and b) isn’t at all ashamed about players leaving early, as most of its top players did in 1999.

The “white” stigma doesn’t hurt Duke, either — since it already has a reputation as the program to emulate that’s where most of the top white players want to go.

Well, there or Kansas. Notre Dame fans would love to cut into that virtual monopoly, but then again, what would you think of a top football recruit choosing Duke over Notre Dame?

Exactly. ✦ E-mail Ryan at roleary@blueandgold.com

blue & gold illustrated

fan forum S.O.S.: Save Our Soul

We need to thwart this irrational acquiescence toward surrendering Notre Dame’s football independence.

In the April Blue & Gold Illustrated, Pat Conroy offered nothing but unsupported assertions and speculation in favoring the Big Ten. Ryan O’Leary presented a good argument that the Big Ten is an even worse choice than the Big East but, again, nothing substantive for joining a conference.

What can possibly be done to us that would be worse than forfeiting such a major and visible part of our uniqueness? Tougher to get into the BCS? Make a little less money? So be it. Better than losing our soul.

And who really wants us to join a conference? Our anti-Notre Dame enemies who wish us to harm ourselves naturally do — or why do they keep bringing it up?

Moreover, any academic benefits from conference affiliation are minimal and greatly exaggerated. Compromising our public distinctiveness could even spill over adversely into our academic

From The Web Site

rankings, which contain a very subjective perceptual component.

Let the landscape change and see how things shake out. Then decide how to respond — if we need to. Nothing wrong with pondering in advance, but let’s not reinforce the enemy by telling them their strategy of stampeding us into a conference is working. And “enemy” is the right locution for those who are eager to bring us down.

Again, instead of nebulous speculation, I challenge anyone to argue substantively that it will be necessary or even desirable for Notre Dame to affiliate in football. So far, that case has not been made.

John Gaski (’71, ’73) Notre Dame, Ind. Editor’s Note: John Gaski has been with the Notre Dame faculty since 1980 while serving as a professor in marketing.

Money Matters II

I reference the Fan Forum letter with the heading “Money Matters” in the

Every time there is a coaching change, there is immediate excitement about the “new rhetoric.” This spring, it has become a popular topic on our message board with dozens of people weighing in: Ndcowboy: I’m hearing all the right things. Practices are fast. Players are slimming down and getting worked. Kelly is working the psychological power to the max … Unfortunately, I remember all of this when Charlie Weis first took over … I’m just waiting to see how that works out on Saturdays before I get too excited about it.

Am I alone on this?

IrishMarine0930: I am with you, man. I want to believe. I want Coach Kelly to be the man. However, after years of being kicked in the b--, I am jaded. I have to see before I believe. That does not stop me from praying and hoping, though.

Tommyd44: I try to avoid reading too much about what is being said or how things are being done differently. Charlie Weis did things different with the offensive and defensive lines five years in a row — and nothing seemed to work.

Wjasonp: I am not taking a Kool-Aid bath, but I do think that ND finally got it right when it comes to hiring a coach.

Dino101: I am sure this is no different for soldiers. They are stripped down mentally and rebuilt from the ground up.

As far as being jaded, the previous regime has made me retire the word “Nasty” permanently. I will never use that term again.

Sairish1: Ha, all you whimpering doubting Thomas clones are sadly pathetic. If anyone is ever going to turn this ND Football program around, it will be Brian Kelly. Some of you hung on to a desperate hope that Weis was the one, long after I told you Weis would fail. Wake up and support Coach Kelly. He’s out of the same cloth as Ara and Lou. The Irish are back!

Brianm32: I’m sure if we went back and looked at all the articles written during Weis’ first spring, we probably could cut and paste their last names and it would sound the same … Are we really going to know anything until year 3, when Kelly has his guys there and we get a good idea of where this thing is going under his reign?

CactusMike: There is only one person I believe in blindly and it ain’t BK. He has to earn it.

PittsburghIrish: Nobody should question the loyalty of any fan who is reserving judgment on Coach Kelly.

We have just had our hopes and faith crushed too many times. We are a product of the environment that has been Notre Dame Football. Go Irish! Go Coach Kelly! Show me!

ATHAIR: If my heart gets broken again, I’ll deal with it later. But for now, I am riding the Kelly bandwagon and I am having FUN! GO IRISH!

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

April issue. Your response to Joe Daday indicates that Big Ten teams receive about $20 million through the Big Ten Network and ABC/ESPN, and that Notre Dame receives about $15 million through NBC. I assume the Big Ten numbers are football only, but the question I had was, what about the revenue Notre Dame football receives from non-NBC broadcasts (ABC/ESPN, etc.) for away games? To make a fair comparison, shouldn’t that revenue be counted also?

Keep up the good work.

Dale Ganobsik (’86) Westerville, Ohio Mr. Ganobsik, the exact breakdown of the revenue for both Notre Dame and Big Ten members are numbers few people are privy to. Some reported estimates have it that Big Ten teams get $20 million from its own Big Ten Network — and then separate money from ABC/ ESPN. Reports have had Notre Dame at approximately $15 million from NBC — and then a separate amount from ABC/ ESPN. The crux is that the television landscape and financial windfall have changed dramatically in the last decade, and expansion into “super conferences” has gained momentum because of the windfall seen with the Big Ten and SEC gaining their own TV networks. Notre Dame, led by athletic director Jack Swarbrick, is surveying the situation, as is everyone else, to evaluate what its best future course of action might be.

Revised Perspective

What a great read the “There Is No Comparison” article by former head coach Terry Brennan (April 2010)!

I was too young to understand the inner workings of Notre Dame football when Terry Brennan coached the Irish.

I became a Notre Dame fan after attending my first game in 1952 at age 10. The Irish played the Pitt Panthers in South Bend under a bright, beautiful sunny sky. What I do remember though is that when Mr. Brennan became coach, he brought with him the air of a celebrity to the position.

As years passed, his legacy has been somewhat tarnished by comparison with other great coaches and their accomplishments. I too have made the mistake of agreeing with those who chose to compare Terry Brennan and Charlie Weis.

Thank you, Terry Brennan. Your

rebuttal to previous comparisons was very enlightening. I thank you for setting the record straight. As you pointed out, there’s no question that strength of schedule and final ranking were not even close. Your comments were greatly appreciated, and hopefully other Notre Dame fans will make it a point to read your response.

Congrats on the 81 years. I hope you have many more coming. By the way, I don’t see that tarnish anymore!

Jim Connell Rossford, Ohio

Best Ever?

I have been a reader of Blue & Gold Illustrated for a long time. The April 2010 issue is the best I have ever received — one great article after another.

Loved the Terry Brennan letter. Congratulations on the entire issue!

Frank P. Maggio Via the Internet Editor’s Note: Mr. Maggio is the author of the 2007 book Notre Dame and the Game that Changed Football, chronicling how head coach Jesse Harper (1913-17) made the forward pass a weapon and Knute Rockne a legend.

Remember UConn!

In your April issue, you show two games listed in November for the 2011 schedule. But in checking with Google under “future football schedules for Notre Dame,” it shows a Nov. 5 date with Connecticut.

Has the game been scrapped or is it temporarily in limbo? There were also several future games played with Connecticut.

Go Irish, and keep up the good work.

Harry Wood Riverhead, N.Y. Mr. Wood, yes we mistakenly omitted Connecticut, even though we had the Huskies listed for Nov. 5 in the March edition. UConn is tentatively scheduled as a yearly Irish opponent from 2013-17.

✦ be heard!

Send your letters to:

Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to:

lsomogyi@blueandgold.com May 2010

7

under the dome

Eradicating Entitlement Brian Kelly emphasizing return to “Fighting Irish” roots

By Lou Somogyi

O

nce upon a time, the University of Notre Dame was known as the underdog, working man’s school that rose to prominence through resourcefulness, toil and a spirit of teamwork and unselfishness.

That’s why in 1927 it officially adopted “Fighting Irish” as its nickname.

Just like Irish-Americans in the 19th century fought to raise their status, so too did the small Catholic school in the Midwest during the early 20th century.

Wrote the Notre Dame Scholastic in a 1929 article on the moniker: “The unknown of a few years has taken a place among the leaders. The unkind appellation became symbolic of the struggle for supremacy on the field … The term, while given in irony, has become our heritage … So truly does it represent us that we are unwilling to part with it.”

However, new head coach Brian Kelly believes a sense of entitlement and individualism — “What can Notre Dame do for me?” — may have seeped in. Maybe there is too much focus on where current players fit into the NFL, and not about winning championships for Notre Dame.

“Go back to your roots,” Kelly said of his theme to the current team. “Go back to who we are as a university, why you’re here at the University of Notre Dame. You have to work for it. It hasn’t worked out so well the last three years, you’re 16-21. We are who we are. To be a championship football team, we’ve got to be able to pay attention to detail.

“Our guys are starting to understand that. They need to care about themselves and their football players a lot more.

I’m tired of hearing about the next NFL player coming out of Notre Dame, quite frankly. They need to understand who we are — we’re the Fighting Irish.”

Kelly shared this thought and others in the days and hours before spring practice opened on March 26. Shortly after taking the Notre Dame job, Kelly met with former Irish head coach Lou Holtz (1986-96), who quickly returned the program to the summit

8

May 2010

Kelly has made it clear that he wants Irish players to focus on winning championships for Notre Dame and not on boosting their NFL Draft stock.

Photo by Joe raymond

after it had recorded a 35-32-1 record from 1981-86. Kelly has all the “Holtzisms” as visible covenants on the wall before the players enter the locker room: Do you care? Can I trust you? Are you committed? Observe the Golden Rule. Do the right thing.

One of Holtz’s favorite sayings was, “If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.” Kelly identifies with it.

“My entire career has not been based on wanting to get caught up in the moment,” Kelly said of whether being the Notre Dame head coach has hit him yet. “I really try to focus on, ‘What do we want to achieve in this practice?’

[Reflection is] left for other times. I don’t know if I’ve enjoyed the 12-win season yet [last year at Cincinnati], be-

cause you’re back to work. It’s just in my DNA … we need to have a great practice. That’s what I’ll be thinking more than anything else.”

As the Notre Dame head coach, Kelly views his role as a caretaker.

“I’m holding serve, if you will, to many great head coaches before me,” he said at the March 23 College Football Hall of Fame luncheon. “And we will live up to those standards here — and we will live up to them immediately.”

Different championship coaches at Notre Dame have had different personalities. Frank Leahy (1941-43, 1946-53) was viewed as far more aloof and less personable than Knute Rockne (1918-30), while Dan Devine (1975-80) was perceived as dull when compared to the ultra-charismatic Ara Parseghian (1964-74) or the witty and master orator Holtz (1986-96).

Both of Kelly’s predecessors, Charlie Weis and Tyrone Willingham, came across to many as distant or inaccessible to either the media or public. Gerry Faust (1981-85) was a dynamic man of the people, but that didn’t help him win.

Kelly said he will build bridges to Notre Dame’s vast constituency.

“We need to touch base with our millions of subway alums and alums and continue to build that bridge,” Kelly said. “I don’t want to be seen as the head coach at Notre Dame that’s not accessible. I like to be in the community … I want to be approachable. That’s my nature.”

When it comes to recruiting, Kelly said the easy part is watching tape of a prospect, but it entails only a small part of the process.

“It’s seeing him interact with his parents,” Kelly said. “It’s being on the practice field and seeing how he takes coaching. It’s talking to his guidance counselors and [them] saying, ‘This is one of the hardest-working kids that we’ve had in our school in 20 years.’

“That’s recruiting. That’s how you get to know a kid. It’s not just about film evaluation.”

Although Kelly is known primarily as

an “offensive coach,” he believes championship football begins with controlling the line of scrimmage, especially against the run (see pages 26-27) and then “finishing.”

“The football teams I’ve coached over the last three seasons were 39-1 with the lead going into the fourth quarter,” Kelly noted at the Hall of Fame.

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking about closing out football games.”

Kelly’s overall record at Cincinnati actually was 34-6, which makes 39-1 mathematically impossible, but his time at Central Michigan (2004-06) might be included.

When asked if the pieces are in place to post a Bowl Championship Series type of campaign right out of the chute, Kelly’s response was quick.

“Does it matter?” he answered.

“Would you really care if I got up here and said, ‘We don’t have this, we don’t have that?’ We are faced with the challenges like any new coach or new program coming in. But we have some things we feel we can improve on as well.”

Becoming “Fighting Irish” again is one of them.

Conference Call While conversation about Notre Dame joining the Big Ten Conference has become a hypothetical topic, Brian Kelly said whether the Irish do or don’t go that direction won’t alter his job description.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to be part of that national landscape and winning football games and winning nationally,” Kelly said.

“Are there small preferences here and there?

Certainly. But the big picture is about winning championships.”

Just like Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Kelly said his preference is to retain football independence, but he understands why examining the changing landscape is necessary.

“You love the independence status as it relates to football,” Kelly said. “Being able to play in the West Coast, in the East Coast, and not have to always play at those same destination stops, I think it’s great for everybody. Our fan base goes coast to coast … that would be the preference.

“But I’m a realist. We’re going to do what’s right for the University of Notre Dame … I have total confidence in Jack’s ability to look at all the things that are out there that make sense for Notre Dame.”

blue & gold illustrated

✦ they said it

“At the end of the day — if you ask me, ‘What do you want to get out of spring ball?’ — I would say that if I can clearly understand our football team as it relates to their work volume, their ability to do their job for four quarters, their work volume in practice, how they can compete for the entire practice, and the competitiveness of our football team … if I know how we compete with each other and amongst ourselves, I’ll have a pretty good feel for where we stand going into 2010.” — Irish head football coach Brian Kelly

ATTENTION IRISH FANS

“That’s what it’s all about — doing things really fast, getting really, really tired, and just being able to perform under pressure. I feel like we’ve been prepared for that.”

Junior offensive lineman Braxston Cave

“It was a brilliant workout. He was highly accurate. The guys who worked out for him did a tremendous job. I mean, there were only two balls on the ground and they were legitimately very, very good throws. He showed an explosive throwing motion. He made all the throws. I give him a lot of credit. I’m sure he impressed a lot of people today.” — Longtime NFL assistant coach and current head coach of the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes Marc Trestman, who helped script and run Jimmy Clausen’s pro day “The support for Notre Dame will always be there, and first of all you can start with the Catholic schools all over the country which are going to follow Notre Dame along with a bunch of other fans everywhere. No matter where Notre Dame goes, they’re going to have a tremendous following. I think the only thing that possibly ever could force them into a conference would be realignment.” — Former Irish head football coach Lou Holtz on Notre Dame football and conference affiliation in an interview with AOL Fanhouse

HOME GAME SCHEDULE

“If you’re among the whiners, and if Notre Dame is part of somebody’s conference, you’re thinking that your favorite team wouldn’t have to worry about the Irish owning such a recruiting advantage. You’re thinking that Notre Dame would be viewed like everybody else, and that’s really what this is about: The whiners want Notre Dame to join a conference so Notre Dame can be like everybody else.” — AOL Fanhouse writer Terrence Moore “They’ve been great ambassadors for our program and our university. They are great Notre Dame men. They’ll graduate in the spring. They’ve handled their business the right way. They’re class acts. That’s what we talk about our

The 180 Holy Grail

By Lou Somogyi

In the last seven games of Notre Dame’s 2009-10 basketball season, junior swingman Tim Abromaitis converted only 27 of his 77 field goal attempts (35.1 percent), including 3 of 31 (9.7 percent) from three-point range — yet he still finished with the greatest overall shooting year at Notre Dame since the NCAA installed the three-point line in 1986.

Those final seven games constituted only 20 percent of the 35-game Notre Dame men’s basketball season. In the other 80 percent, the Big East ScholarAthlete of the Year was among the premier sharpshooters nationally. Overall, he finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 16.1 points per game.

Abromaitis nearly became the first Notre Dame starter who averaged double-figure scoring to Despite a tough finish, junior reach a shooter’s coveted “180 Tim Abromaitis ended the sea- Holy Grail” — when a players’ son with excellent shooting field goal percentage, three-point numbers: 49.5 percent on field goals, 42.9 percent on three- field goal percentage and free pointers and 87.3 percent on throw percentage add up to 180. free throws for a total of 179.7. Totaling Abromaitis’ three figPhoto by Joe raymond ures, he finished at 179.7.

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

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program, being a class act. Those guys are that.” — Irish head men’s basketball coach Mike Brey on his senior class following a disappointing first-round loss to Old Dominion in the NCAA Tournament

• He converted 49.5 percent of his overall field goals (183 of 370).

• Beyond the three-point arc, he connected on 42.9 percent (81 of 189).

• From the free throw line, Abromaitis finished at 87.3 percent (117 of 134).

In 2005-06, Notre Dame freshman guard Kyle McAlarney totaled 180.5 while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 43.0 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent from the foul line, but he averaged only 6.6 points per contest that season while in a reserve capacity.

There is no telling how some of Notre Dame’s greatest pure shooters in the pre-three-point line era — Austin Carr, Adrian Dantley, Kelly Tripucka, John Paxson, etc. — would have ranked in this category. However, since 1986-87, the first season the NCAA implemented the three-point shot, here are the 10 best shooting performances in one season by a Notre Dame starter who averaged double-figure scoring, with a minimum of 20 three-pointers made: Player (Year) FG Pct. 3-Pt Pct. 1. Tim Abromaitis (2009-10) 49.5 42.9 (81-189) 2. Joe Fredrick (1988-89) 54.4 52.1 (37-71) 3. Kyle McAlarney (2006-07)* 48.8 46.4 (26-56) 4. David Graves (1999-2000) 49.3 45.6 (83-182) 5. Ryan Hoover (1993-94) 42.4 42.3 (80-189) 6. Chris Quinn (2005-06) 45.0 41.9 (70-167) 7. Rob Kurz (2006-07) 50.0 42.9 (21-49) 8. Joe Fredrick (1989-90) 52.1 47.2 (34-72) 9t. Matt Carroll (2000-01) 46.7 40.9 (65-159) 9t. Kyle McAlarney (2008-09) 40.5 42.3 (124-293) * Played only 12 games

FT Pct. 87.3 73.1 82.4 81.4 90.5 87.2 81.0 74.4 83.6 88.4

Total 179.7 179.6 177.6 176.3 175.2 174.1 173.9 173.7 171.2 171.2

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9

under the dome Getting To Know …

Junior DB Jamoris Slaughter

Nickname? “Slaughterhouse.”

Major? Industrial design.

Dorm? Morrissey Hall.

Favorite Class? Drawing.

Best Movie You’ve Seen Lately? What’s that new one with Jamie Foxx? “Law Abiding Citizen.”

TV Show You Hate To Miss? “Family Guy.” Song You’re Listening To The Most Right Now? Roscoe Dash, “Show Out.” Favorite Pro Athlete? [Baltimore Ravens safety] Ed Reed.

Best Player You’ve Played Against? I’d have to say [Irish junior tight end] Kyle Rudolph.

Dream Job If Football Didn’t Exist? Probably designing some type of clothing or houses.

Something in the design field.

You’re On Death Row … What’s Your Last Meal? Probably some chicken ramen noodles.

On The Road Again

The unsettled journey of former Irish quarterback Demetrius Jones took another strange turn earlier this month when it was announced that he is no longer part of the Cincinnati program.

“I would just say that we have certain expectations that we live by,” first-year Bearcats head coach Butch Jones told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It starts with academics and going to class.

The only thing I’ll say is that he’s made a decision and JONES he’s moving on.”

Jones, who would have been a fifth-year senior, was noticeably absent during spring football at Cincinnati. And the timing of this news means the Division I football career for Jones is over. Considering he had already sat out one season when he transferred from Notre Dame to Cincinnati early in the 2007 season, he would be unable to transfer again and have any eligibility left. His playing options would have to come at the NCAA Division I-AA or the NAIA level.

Jones started in the season opener for Notre Dame in 2007, a 33-3 loss to Georgia Tech, before being suspended for the second game, and then leaving the team for good before game three against Michigan that season.

This Month In Notre Dame Athletics History

Frank Allocco (12), Joe Montana (3), Gary Forystek (8) and Rick Slager (11) were all vying for the No. 1 quarterback position during the spring of 1975.

photo courtesy notre dame sports information

35 Years Ago: May 3, 1975 Dan Devine’s first spring as Notre Dame’s head coach concludes in the rain in the annual Blue-Gold Game.

The spring is a rough one because Ara Parseghian’s final Notre Dame team graduates 13 starters — including quarterback Tom Clements, who directed the Irish to the 1973 national title and a No. 6 finish in 1974.

The heir apparent is Frank Allocco — but he suffers a severely separated shoulder on his throwing arm during a spring scrimmage. Next in line is Rick Slager, also the No. 1 singles player on the Irish tennis team. But he, too, is sidelined while recovering from bruised ribs.

Devine and his staff turn to freshman Gary Forystek to start for the No. 1 Blue team, and classmate Joe Montana gets the call for the backup Gold. Both played for the junior varsity team that finished 1-2 the previous fall. Forystek was the starter, while Montana was fourth team, completing 1 of 6 passes and serving as the starting punter.

In the first half, Forystek completes 8 of 20 attempts while leading the Blue to a 10-3 lead at the intermission. Montana misses on his first nine pass attempts and completes 4 of 14 for the Gold.

In the second half, Devine tries Montana with the starting Blue team. The unsung frosh proceeds to rifle touchdown passes of 33 yards to split end Ted Burgmeier (a converted QB), 58 yards to halfback Mark McLane and nine yards to tight end Ken MacAfee. He also directs a fourth scoring drive that is capped off by a five-yard run by Art Best, the game’s top rusher with 112 yards.

On his final 17 pass attempts for both squads, Montana completes 11 for 195 yards and three scores while leading the Blue to a 38-6 rout of the Gold.

Allocco and Slager remain the frontrunners at quarterback for the fall … but an interesting new candidate appears to be emerging.

30 Years Ago: May 3, 1980 Cincinnati Moeller head coach Gerry Faust travels to Notre Dame to watch five of his former players in the Blue-Gold Game: All-American linebacker Bob Crable, wide receiver Tony Hunter, quarterback Tim Koegel, linebacker Rick Naylor and kicker Harry Oliver.

Prior to the game, Faust, who owns a career record of 161-17-2 at Moeller, makes a visit to the Grotto and lights three candles: one for his family, one for his parents and a third in which he promises the Blessed Mother that if he fulfills his dream of becoming the head coach at Notre Dame he will visit the Grotto every day he is in South Bend.

Three weeks later, Faust receives a call from Notre Dame executive vice president Rev. Ned Joyce, C.S.C., who asks to meet with him while he is on a business trip to Cincinnati.

Faust had written a letter to Joyce in 1977 indicating his interest in the job

✦ By The Numbers

3-0

Record Notre Dame possesses against the University of Michigan in night football games. The Irish defeated the Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium in 1982, 1988 and 1990. The two programs will meet at night for the first time in 21 years on Sept. 10, 2011 — but this time in Michigan Stadium.

10 May 2010

17

if it ever came open. This time, in a private meeting, Joyce reveals to Faust that this possibly will be current head coach Dan Devine’s last season with the Irish — and would he be interested in becoming the successor if offered the position in the future?

When Faust answers yes, Joyce asks him whether the lack of experience as a recruiter will hurt him. Faust replies that in 18 years as the Moeller head coach, he’s witnessed virtually every top coach in major college football coming through his doors.

“I’ve seen how those coaches turn kids on and how they turn them off,” Faust replied, as recorded in his 1997 book, The Golden Dream. “I’ve made mental notes of how to be the best recruiter in college athletics. For 18 years, I’ve had the best schooling anyone could have. Couple that with Notre Dame’s mystique and prestige and I can out-recruit anybody.”

The answer leaves Joyce impressed. He tells Faust to keep the conversation confidential and he will remain in touch.

10 Years Ago: May 1, 2000 A headline on the cover of Sports Illustrated asks the following question: Whatever happened to Notre Dame football?

In a multi-page spread that features admissions director Dan Saracino in a defiant cross-armed pose inside the administration building, author Tim Layden writes how the combination of stringent academic standards, an onerous schedule and head coach Bob Davie’s inexperience as head coach has endangered Notre Dame’s place in college football.

Wrote Layden: “There were two North American sports dynasties in the 20th century. You can clog a chat room by pounding away in upper-case frenzy about the Boston Celtics, the Montreal Canadiens and the UCLA basketball Bruins, but the New York Yankees and, in football, Notre Dame were the only teams to achieve success almost throughout the century and to occupy a place in the bosom of popular culture. The argument is simple: The Yankees went from Ruth to DiMaggio to Mantle to Jackson to Jeter, winning 25 World Series from 1923 through ’99; Notre Dame went from Rockne to Leahy to Parseghian to Holtz, winning 11 national championships from ’24 through ’88. No other teams performed so enduringly.

“At the turn of the 21st century, the Yankees are thriving, having won three of the last four World Series. They haven’t simply adapted to the changes in the way baseball business is conducted; they have exploited those changes. Their legacy is intact. The same can’t be said for Notre Dame, which hasn’t contended for the national championship since 1993 and last year went 5-7, its worst record in 36 years. There’s a feeling that while Notre Dame’s football prestige is still significant, its aura is fading — as measured in sliding television ratings and mediocre recruits — and that once that magic is gone, it will be irretrievable.”

Notre Dame starters returning from 2009 out of a possible 25: six on offense, eight on defense and all three on special teams, including long snapper Jordan Cowart. Three returning players on offense or defense started all 12 games: offensive guard Chris Stewart, linebacker Brian Smith and safety Harrison Smith.

90

Players listed on the official 2010 spring roster. This includes 26 walk-ons to complement the 64 players on scholarship, including five early enrollees in the freshman class. Seventeen more freshmen are slated to join the program this summer to raise the scholarship total to 81 out of a possible 85.

blue & gold illustrated

✦ Gimme Five

Maybe the basketball gods don’t ever want to see Austin Carr’s career scoring record of 2,560 points broken at Notre Dame.

Even if somebody were to eclipse the record, Carr would still be recognized as the greatest scorer and player ever to don the Notre Dame uniform. That’s because during his three-year varsity career from 1968-71, Carr 1) was not allowed to play as a freshman because the NCAA didn’t permit freshman eligibility until 1972; 2) played only 16 games as a sophomore while recovering from a broken foot; and 3) averaged 34.6 points in the 74 games he did compete in during his three varsity seasons.

Three times in the last 40 years it appeared Carr’s record was going to be surpassed, but each time fate (or NBA riches) intervened: • After three varsity seasons and 86 games, two-time All-American Adrian Dantley (1973-76) needed only 238 points in his senior year to break Carr’s mark — but he opted to turn pro after his junior year and was the No. 6 pick in the 1976 NBA Draft.

• After three varsity seasons and 94 games, two-time All-

American Troy Murphy (1998-2001) needed 550 points as a senior to move ahead of Carr — but he too opted to turn pro after his junior year and was the No. 14 selection in the 2001 NBA Draft.

• Through four varsity seasons and 124 games, Luke Harangody (2006-10) needed only 136 points to finally supplant Carr — and he would have had a minimum of eight games to do it. However, a deep bone bruise in his knee sustained in a Feb. 11 loss at Seton Hall kept Harangody sidelined in five contests and in a reserve role in the final five. He finished 85 points short of the mark.

Here are the top five career scorers in Notre Dame men’s basketball: Rk. Players (Years) Games Pts. Avg. FG Pct. 1. Austin Carr (1968-71) 74 2,560 34.6 .528 2. Luke Harangody (2006-10) 129 2,476 19.2 .476 3. Adrian Dantley (1973-76) 86 2,233 25.8 .562 4. Chris Thomas (2001-05) 128 2,195 17.1 .383 5. Pat Garrity (1994-98) 111 2,085 18.8 .491 Note: The two other Notre Dame players to score 2,000 points in their careers are 1984-88 guard David Rivers (2,058, 17.4 career average in 118 games) and 1998-2001 forward Troy Murphy (2,011, 21.4 career average in 94 games).

Prime-Time Rivalry

Michigan and Notre Dame will make a little history on Sept. 10, 2011, when the two will play the first night game ever at Michigan Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST, and the game is expected to be televised by one of the ESPN networks.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon expects the event to bring an “unprecedented game-day atmosphere.”

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase our program, university and Ann Arbor to a prime-time viewing audience,” Brandon said. “This also adds a new chapter to the storied rivalry between out two great programs.”

Much time has passed, but this will not be the first night game between Michigan and Notre Dame. The longtime rivals played three night games — all at Notre Dame — during a nine-year span, with the last one taking place in 1990.

point ✦ counterpoint

Will Jimmy Clausen Or Golden Tate Have The Better NFL Career?

Point: Jimmy Is Still No. 1

By Ryan O’Leary “Golden Boy” Has Nothing On Golden Tate By John Haynsworth When Jimmy Clausen committed to the University of Notre Dame before I’ll admit that I’m surprised that Jimmy Clausen lags behind fellow 2010 the 2006 Blue-Gold Game, he may have done irreparable damage to his public NFL Draft quarterback prospect Sam Bradford, according to scout and pundit persona by staging the event at the College Football Hall of Fame and showing projections alike. Even less polished quarterbacks — though undeniably great up in a stretch Hummer. Four years later, no one seems to have forgotten it. winners — such as Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have even earned some mention Many seem to have forgotten, though, why Clausen was so hyped up to as more intriguing options ahead of Clausen. begin with. They also seem to have forgotten that Clausen is undoubtedly an NFL-ready quarterback, his actions on the field, particularly during the 2009 and in the right NFL system he should thrive and season, belie the picture of the spoiled kid with the enjoy a solid professional career. spiked hair at that regrettable press conference.

But make no mistake, the fastest rising Irish player Clausen played through the pain of torn tendons that will be among those drafted on the first day in his foot, leading the Irish on a game-saving drive later this month is wide receiver Golden Tate, whose in the fourth quarter on more than one occasion. He transformation from high school running back to profell out of Heisman Trophy consideration because of lific collegiate receiver culminated in 2009 with the his team’s collective collapse, but it was clear after program’s first Biletnikoff Award after his second coneach loss that the quarterback had done all that secutive 1,000-yard receiving season. he could.

Tate isn’t the tallest receiver in the draft. In fact, Even with a bum wheel, Clausen throws a better by current NFL standards, he’s undersized at 5-10, ball than most quarterbacks could on their best day 199 pounds. He’s not the most experienced, having — and the statistics back that up. His 2009 numbers played the position full-time for just three seasons compare favorably with those from the final colsince moving to wide receiver as a freshman in 2007. legiate seasons of Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as But what Tate lacks in size, he makes up with teMatthew Stafford. All three went first overall in the nacity and hand strength. Last season as a junior, NFL Draft, and yet Clausen’s completion percentage Tate set Irish single-season records with 93 recepwas the best of the group by more than five points, tions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finand his interception ratio was more than twice as low ished fourth in the FBS in receptions and second in as any of the others. receiving touchdowns. And one doesn’t need to look Plain and simple, he’s a player. It’s almost as if Both are potential first-round picks in the much farther than the Hail Mary touchdown pass he people are making up reasons not to like him at NFL Draft, but who will enjoy the more fruitful hauled in from Clausen at the end of the first half this point, and predictably, much of it traces back to pro career — Clausen or Tate? against Washington State for a prime example of his photo by aaron suozzi Hummergate. hand strength. And if speed was an issue, he quickly Those preconceived notions of who Clausen is that were formed ages ago silenced those concerns with a 4.42 40 at the NFL combine in February. during that Hall of Fame circus show might help to prevent him from following What Tate lacks in experience, he makes up with an obviously accelerated in the footsteps of those other quarterbacks as the first name called on draft learning curve. During his first collegiate season, Tate caught six passes for 131 day, but even if he doesn’t go No. 1, all signs point to Clausen being a very solid, yards and a touchdown in 12 games with two starts. A season later, he led the if not great, pro quarterback.

Irish with 1,080 yards on 58 receptions with 10 touchdowns in 13 games (eight That’s not taking anything away from Golden Tate, who also appears poised starts). He finished his collegiate career as Notre Dame’s first unanimous Allfor a nice NFL career. But franchise quarterbacks are hard to find, so if I’m American since Shane Walton in 2002. forced to choose which guy will have the bigger impact, I’ll stick with Clausen.

Clausen finally lived up to expectations in 2009. Tate has been exceeding He’s not quite as risky a choice as many seem to think. them from day one.

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

May 2010 11

under the dome

Jimmy Clausen Very Impressive At Pro Day Workout Jimmy Clausen made his pro day workout on April 9 look about as easy as a friendly game of catch in his own backyard. In many ways, that’s exactly what it was, only with a few influential NFL people and their very deep pockets looking on.

About 21 representatives from 16 NFL teams, along with 25 or so former teammates and a media throng, gathered to watch Clausen throw publicly for the first time in almost four months. The NFL Network actually sent a full broadcast crew and set up a broadcast stage for the anticipated event.

Recovery from toe surgery in early January kept Clausen from doing any rollout passes or bootlegs, but his straight drop-back throws to a variety of spots and distances were right on.

Only two of Clausen’s 59 passes hit the ground, and he worked a variety of routes and throws to four former Irish players — wide receivers Golden Tate, Robby Parris and David Grimes, as well as running back James Aldridge.

The only two passes Clausen missed on were two long throws to Parris, balls that a speedier receiver may have gotten to.

When asked what he wanted to get out of his pro day, Clausen said just some exposure, which sounded strange for a guy who has been under the microscope almost his entire life.

“I haven’t thrown the ball in front of anybody since the Stanford game [Nov. 28], and just go out there and show that my foot is coming along,” Clausen said. “I’m probably 75, 80 percent right now, but it feels great throwing the ball. I’m not in any pain.”

Clausen said the surgically repaired toe is fine, but the top of his right ankle continues to feel weak because of eight weeks in a walking boot.

Notre Dame Draft Candidates

Jimmy Clausen Size: 6-3, 222 • 40-Time: 4.75 Projection: First round (top 10) Position Rating: No. 1 quarterback Scott Wright’s Take: “I personally think he is the best quarterback, but he could go anywhere from the top 10 to late first round — his stock is very much in flux right now.”

Golden Tate Size: 5-10, 199 • 40-Time: 4.42 Projection: Early second round Position Rating: No. 3 wide receiver Wright’s Take: “He’s not going to be a true No. 1 wide receiver, but he can be a receiver, return guy, trick play guy, Wildcat quarterback, and all that, very versatile.”

Sam Young Size: 6-8, 316 • 40-Time: 5.21 Projection: Fifth or sixth round Position Rating: No. 19 offensive tackle Wright’s Take: “Right tackle and a right tackle only, and the biggest question with him remains his ability to handle speed off the edge with those heavy feet.”

Eric Olsen Size: 6-4, 306 • 40-Time: 5.23 Projection: Sixth or seventh round Position Rating: No. 4 center Wright’s Take: “I like his versatility. He can play center, guard, he’s very tough and good pedigree, a lot of experience.”

Kyle McCarthy Size: 6-0, 205 • 40-Time: 4.65 Projection: Late rounds or undrafted Position Rating: No. 20 safety Wright’s Take: “Kind of an overachiever type, has much better intangibles than physical tools, but can be a backup, special teams type player.”

Projections and ratings courtesy of NFLDraftCountdown.com.

12 May 2010

Clausen shined during his April 9 pro day workout, hitting on all but two of his 59 passes despite still being limited somewhat by a surgically repaired toe.

Photo by joe raymond

“That’s why I didn’t do any movement, because of my foot,” he said.

“I have to get that stronger.”

And while the right ankle may be giving him some problems, the right arm clearly was not. Almost every one of Clausen’s passes was spotted and drilled perfectly.

“Jimmy put on a show for them today,” said Parris, who actually flew out to California with Grimes to spend about two weeks throwing with Clausen in preparation for this day. “His ball was zipping, that’s all I can say. When we were catching it, you could tell it had a little bit more velocity since his last game. He looked so much more powerful and comfortable in the pocket, so you can see he’s been working hard.”

Clausen’s physical skills have never really been debated. But some of the questions about leadership and mental makeup continue to make draft projections difficult for when the three-day event goes live April 22.

ESPN’s Todd McShay calls Clausen a “fringe” first-round pick, while ESPN cohort Mel Kiper Jr. believes Clausen will go No. 9 overall to the Buffalo Bills, as does Scott Wright, the president of NFLDraftCountdown. com. But similarly to the draft day freefall Brady Quinn took in 2007, Clausen’s standing remains uncertain.

“If he gets out of the top 10, he could be in for a big drop because there is not any obvious landing spot outside of that top 10 overall,”

Reinventing Himself, Again James Aldridge isn’t bitter about the way his career at Notre Dame unfolded, or how it ultimately finished up with a senior season nobody could have seen coming.

The former Irish running back has always been more about perspective than resentment.

But Aldridge isn’t afraid to admit the string of disappointments that followed him through his senior season have been tough to digest.

From position change, to injury, to getting lost in the shuffle, finishing with only six carries and 17 yards in his final season was almost unimaginable for a top-five running back recruit out of high school.

“It was a situation that I couldn’t control, so I wasn’t going to get all flustered about it,” said Aldridge, one of the 14 former Irish players who participated March 23 in the Notre Dame pro day.

“Disappointed, yeah. Ideally, who would want a senior season go the way mine did? I wish I could have played tailback, but I’m not complaining. My little small role is nothing compared to the big picture, that’s really what it is.”

Aldridge said he wasn’t thrilled with his 40 times at the pro day, which were in the 4.5 range. But he has lost about 10 pounds since his senior season and weighed in at a sturdy but lean 215 pounds

Wright said. “I think the key range is Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo, Jacksonville — seven, eight, nine, 10 — and if he falls out of that range, it could be Brady Quinn, Aaron Rodgers time. It’s going to be interesting.”

Clausen has already met privately with the Redskins, Browns, Bills and Rams, and will continue holding private workouts and meetings right up to draft day.

“There’s nothing like standing 10 feet from the guy and watching him throw,” said Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, the lone NFL head coach in attendance at Clausen’s pro day. “Like all the other ones I have been to, I thought it was very impressive. These guys know what they’re doing, that’s the reason people are here watching.”

Clausen said he has been invited to New York City for the draft, but he remains uncertain if he will attend or watch back home with his family.

Either way, Clausen believes his pro day showing and his experience in a pro-style offense will serve as evidence that he should be the first quarterback taken in the draft, ahead of former Oklahoma signal-caller Sam Bradford.

“I think I have a real big advantage,” Clausen said. “Going around talking to teams, [the offense] is pretty much the same exact concepts, just different terminology. I’ve been through that for the last three years playing under center, so it’s a real easy transition for me.”

— Todd D. Burlage before his pro day workouts.

“I feel like I am back in my sprinter shape,” he said.

Aldridge, safety Sergio Brown and cornerback Raeshon McNeil were the headliners from the group of players trying to generate some attention before the seven-round NFL Draft begins on April 22.

Also at the pro day were defensive end Morrice Richardson, offensive lineman Paul Duncan, wide receiver Robby Parris, and linebackers Scott Smith and Toryan Smith. Wide receiver David Grimes and fullback Asaph Schwapp — both from the Notre Dame class of 2008 — also worked out.

For this group, the pro day was a chance to at least try to earn an invitation to a training camp as an undrafted free agent.

“Whoever likes me, likes me. You just got to take it from there,” Aldridge said. “Just emerge as a person that kind of didn’t get any reps last year, just bring everything up to the surface, let everybody know that I’m still a tailback, and a really good one at that.”

Probable NFL draft picks in wide receiver Golden Tate, center Eric Olsen, offensive tackle Sam Young and safety Kyle McCarthy participated in the pro day, but only in a limited capacity after working out at the NFL Scouting Combine February in Indianapolis.

— Todd D. Burlage

blue & gold illustrated

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✦ miscellaneous .notes

• Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema told WTSO Radio in Madison that he and Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez have had conversations with both Notre Dame and the Nebraska Cornhuskers about playing a home-and-home football series.

“Notre Dame and Nebraska were two teams that jumped out to me,” Bielema said. “Coach Alvarez had connections to both, so he made some calls. I made some calls. We’ve had some discussions.”

According to Bielema, the ideal scenario would have one of the two opponents play at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in 2012 with the return game at Notre Dame or Nebraska in 2015.

• Legendary Irish quarterback Joe Montana (1975, 1977-78) and former teammate and split end Kris Haines (1975-78) — along with Texas wingback Phil Harris, Alabama middle guard Warren Lyles, Texas A&M and Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association’s (CBAA) first executive director Wilbur Evans —were inducted into the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic’s Hall of Fame during enshrinement ceremonies April 14.

A judging committee comprised of media representatives and athletic administrators voted from a list of 52 nominees that included players, coaches, bowl administrators and others who have made special contributions to the Classic. The class of 2010 is the eighth to be inducted into the AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame and the first in three years.

• Irish football coach Brian Kelly was the featured presenter at the 2010 Notre Dame Football Coaches Clinic on campus April 15-17. Frank Lenti, head coach at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago; Willie Snead, head coach at Muskegon Heights High School in Muskegon, Mich.; Mike Newsome, head coach at Butler High School in Matthews, N.C.; and Steve Specht, head coach at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati joined Kelly as guest speakers.

Chalk talk sessions provided attendees with an opportunity to become familiar with various coaching techniques and a chance to know the coaches and other participants.

• Following a senior season during which he posted 21.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while leading the Irish to a third NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons, Luke Harangody was selected to four postseason All-America teams, including the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) second team and the Sporting News, Associated Press and National Association of Basketball Coaches/State Farm third teams. Harangody’s selection to the four different All-America teams earned him a spot as a second-team consensus All-American by the NCAA for the second time in his career. He also was named a second-team consensus All-American following his sophomore year in 2008.

• Notre Dame fifth-year senior guard and tri-captain Lindsay Schrader and freshman guard Skylar Diggins earned honorable mention All-America accolades from the Associated Press. It marked the first All-America honor for each player, and was the sixth time in program history that the Fighting Irish have fielded multiple All-America selections in the same season. Ten Irish women’s basketball players have earned AP All-America status a total of 17 times in the past 15 seasons, including at least one player at all five floor positions.

• Sophomore libero Frenchy Silva has been named by USA Volleyball as an alternate for the 2010 United States Women’s National A2 Volleyball team. Silva totaled a team-high 323 digs in 2009 and paced the Irish with 3.40 digs per set. She had 3.93 digs per set in Big East Conference play.

• The Irish softball win over Eastern Michigan on March 23 marked the 350th for head coach Deanna Gumpf at Notre Dame.

• Notre Dame senior goalie Scott Rodgers was named one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Lindsay Schrader (24) and Skylar Diggins (4) both Lowe’s Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty earned honorable mention All-America distinction leading Notre Dame&toSuites a 29-win season.

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May 2010 13

The Ultimate Loss Incoming offensive line prospect Matt James dies

G

By John Haynsworth

ood Friday of 2010 will be remembered as anything but for those with an interest in the future of Cincinnati native Matt James. In a harsh reminder that life is all too fragile, even for the gentle giants among us, the 6-6, 291-pound USA Today first-team prep All-American offensive lineman and Irish prospect tragically fell to his death from the fifth-floor balcony of a Days Inn hotel while on vacation during spring break in Panama City, Fla. James was just 17 years old, and would have turned 18 a week later on April 9.

“It appears to be a tragic accident,” Panama City Beach police Maj. David Humphreys told the Associated Press.

“Witnesses and friends indicate he had become drunk and belligerent. He had leaned over the balcony rail, was shaking his finger at the people in the next room over. He fell over.”

An autopsy showed James died of brain injuries sustained after he fell, though a toxicology report was still pending at the time Blue & Gold Illustrated was going to print. Also, according to Humphreys, the railing at the hotel met the standards for proper height.

Humphreys also said investigators have not determined where James got the alcohol or if someone bought it for him. He did indicate, however, that criminal charges are possible if police learn who supplied the alcohol.

Though some parents were present among the group of reportedly 40 St. Xavier high school students — which included James and many of his teammates, including fellow incoming Irish prospect Luke Massa — St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht disputed the idea that there were official chaperones on the trip.

“It was completely individual decisions,” he said. “I think 99 percent of the kids that go down there are completely alone. And I think there were some parents that were vacationing down there, but to say they were chaperones is just, is incredulous. I’m sorry but that’s just ignorant. A chaperone implies that kids are staying under the roof of someone

14 May 2010

after fall from balcony during spring break

that you all could see that as well. We are touched by this outpouring of love.”

James undoubtedly had several doors open to a bright future before his untimely death. On Feb. 3, National Signing Day, he signed his letter of intent to attend the University of Notre Dame. At the time, he was considered the prized recruit of the 2010 class.

“I met Matt a couple years ago when he was still a sophomore, going to be a junior, when I was in Cincinnati and I really liked him,” national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said to The Blue & Gold Recruiting Show on BlueandGold.com. “He was a personable young man, always had a smile on his face and a very good athlete.

“At the time, when I first saw him, I didn’t know if he was going to be able

To An Athlete Dying Young

The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields whose glory does not stay, And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears:

James had his promising life cut way too short a week before his 18th birthday.

photo courtesy tom lemming

who is constantly watching over them. I don’t understand that.”

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, James’ parents were back in Ohio attending the 50th birthday party of one of James’ uncles when they received the news of their son’s fatal accident. They immediately flew to Florida that evening on a private jet a family friend provided, according to Specht.

Following the family’s return the next morning, April 3, they released a statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support they had received.

“We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this tragic time, particularly the family at St. X,” Jerry and Peggy James said in the statement. “Matt was a very special young man, and it is gratifying to us

Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honours out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade,

And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge cup.

And round that early-laurelled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl’s.

— A.E. Housman

blue & gold illustrated

to put on a lot of weight. Of course, he did. He would’ve been a 310-, 320-pounder at Notre Dame. A great athletic left tackle just like they were looking for, but off the field he’s just a leader, a good kid and it’s really a sad situation for Notre Dame.”

“It was down to Ohio State and Notre Dame, and he came to Notre Dame because of his personality,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly noted. “And his personality was such that he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to stand out. He wanted to be in a smaller school environment, and that’s the kind of kid he was.”

“Matt did not play here, but he’ll always be part of the Notre Dame family.”

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly on James

Kelly shared that on April 6, when the program hosted a team mass to honor James. But Kelly also wanted to take an opportunity to counsel the current Irish players still reeling from the loss.

“I think it was good closure for some of our players,” Kelly said. “Everybody asks the question ‘Why?’ Mass was re-

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

ally to kind of try to answer some of those questions.

“We could all probably sit down and talk about what we could have done,” Kelly continued. “Sometimes it’s just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I really think in this instance, a lot of people are going to sit back and take real stock on, ‘What is the role of spring break? What is that all about?’

“We could probably have a sociological lesson for hours about that and probably still come back to the same place — and that is, tragic accident.”

On April 9, Kelly led a group of Notre Dame representatives — including the entire coaching staff as well as junior tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has known James and his family for roughly a decade going back to elementary school — to Cincinnati to attend James’ wake, which was held at St. Xavier High School. The Mass of Christian Burial was held a day later at 10 a.m. in Cincinnati’s St. Xavier Church.

“We think it’s important to be able to see the family face to face,” Kelly told a group of reporters following Notre Dame’s fifth spring practice April 7.

“Matt did not play here, but he’ll always be part of the Notre Dame family. We

Heartbreaking Happenings The last time Notre Dame’s football program had to deal with the tragic death of a teammate, present or future, came shortly after a national title celebration.

In January 1989, hours after being at the White House with his teammates to honor their national title, walk-on defensive back Bob Satterfield suffered from cardiac arrest and died.

In the summer of 1969, Mark Brandt, who led Notre Dame’s freshman team in receiving and punting a year earlier, drowned. In the winter of 1950, end Ray Espenan — who was on Irish teams that never lost from 1946-49 — died in a trampoline accident while working as an instructor at South Bend Central a few months before his graduation.

In January 1992, two Notre Dame women’s swimmers — Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp — died in a team bus crash on the way home from a meet.

These type of catastrophic events might be rare, but even just once in 100 years is no consolation for such promising lives to be cut way too short.

— Lou Somogyi

want to make sure that message is clear when we’re there.”

“We’re all just here to do anything we can to support the family,” Rudolph said.

“It’s definitely tough. I think it shocked everybody when we heard the news.

We’re young kids. We feel like we’re invincible and it’s something that you would never think could happen to yourself, and to get that news just shocks you a little bit and makes you appreciate life and God can take it at any time.”

In addition to supporting the James family, Rudolph also noted that he’s reaching out to Massa, who was present with James in Florida and will likely

carry the haunting memories of his friend’s death well into his collegiate years.

“I’m trying to stay close with Luke. I know he is also going through a tough time. Like he said, there is a big old angel looking over this team now.”

“This is just such a tragedy because he was just a wonderful, wonderful kid,” added Mary Massa, Luke’s mother, in an interview with the Associated Press.

“When he first came to St. X, he was pretty quiet. He was tall and kind of awkward. He just blossomed while he was there. He was just a good, wonderful kid. It’s heartbreaking.” ✦

May 2010 15

From The Ground Up Blue & Gold Illustrated looks at some prime topics

F

at the halfway point of spring drills

By Lou Somogyi

rom the beginning of spring practice on March 26 through the first scrimmage and halfway mark (seventh practice) on April 10, one sound bite from firstyear head coach Brian Kelly resonated the most.

“We stink right now.”

That was said after the fourth practice (March 31), before a six-day Easter break, in which the new Irish boss questioned the internal drive of the team (see pages 18-19).

After returning to practice on April 7 and April 9, and holding a nearly 50‑play scrimmage at Notre Dame’s LaBar Practice Complex on April 10, Kelly was a little more encouraged with the ability to sustain intensity while still zeroing in on attention to detail.

“In all three practices we started better, we finished better and we’ve made progress,” Kelly said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but I think our guys understand how to practice … learning how to practice really was step one for us.”

However, if you’re looking for a clear-cut depth chart or superlatives on someone’s progress, it’s not going to happen at this juncture. Although certain players such as junior wideout Michael Floyd, junior tight end Kyle Rudolph, sophomore linebacker Manti Te’o, junior defensive end Ethan Johnson and sophomore quarterback Dayne Crist, among others, are easily projected as starters from the outside looking in, Kelly is far more centered on collective consistency in the attitude toward competition, and improving each day.

“Dayne Crist has more snaps than anybody else — that’s all he has,” said Kelly, who has had junior walk-on Nate Montana work with the second unit at quarterback and early enrollee Tommy Rees with the third. “He has no wins.

He’s the only guy back who has any experience, but there’s going to be competition at every position and that’s one thing I create in our program 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

“We don’t spend our day saying, ‘Okay, what’s the board look like?’ I

16 May 2010

Junior safety Dan McCarthy, whose brother Kyle led the Irish in tackles in 2008 and 2009, was cited by head coach Brian Kelly as someone who could help this year’s defense.

Photo by Joe Raymond

really don’t care what the board looks like. Get the guys at those particular positions, let’s let those guys compete.

I’m a big believer in, ‘Next man in!’ ” When asked if anyone had distinguished himself after that first scrimmage on April 10, Kelly volunteered a few morsels, but not much.

“I would not use words like ‘distinguished’ or ‘starter,’ ” Kelly replied.

“We’re still in an evaluation process.

They’re starting to understand what’s expected, which I’m much better with … I’d rather leave the spring knowing how we’re going to compete, how we’re going to come to work every day — because if I can get this team to fight for four quarters … we can still have a great football team without those words [of praise].”

Prior to the April 24 Blue-Gold Game, which signals the end of spring drills, only four of the first 14 practices were scheduled to be viewed by the media for the first 45 minutes, and a fifth

(April 17) would be open in its entirety.

Here were some of the top topics through the first half of spring.

Injuries/Position Switches

Two players whose football careers were in jeopardy last fall because of back problems are practicing this spring. Sophomore tight end Tyler Eifert is back after undergoing disc surgery, and senior kicker Brandon Walker took a medical redshirt last season.

Meanwhile, two players that have been held back a little this spring are sophomore flanker Theo Riddick (January shoulder surgery) and senior outside linebacker Kerry Neal (calf muscle).

However, in skeletal drills, Riddick has seen some work on the first unit with Floyd and senior Duval Kamara, while the second unit has included junior John Goodman, sophomore Shaq Evans and early enrollee Tai-ler Jones.

“We’re really struggling to find out whether we can get Theo ready there

…” Kelly said. “There’s nobody I’m going to tell you right now I feel comfortable with at that position.”

There can be as many as four or five receivers on the field at the same time in Kelly’s offense, while the backfield might be either empty or have one running back. Thus, there was no disappointment for Riddick in his move.

“Not at all,” Riddick said. “We pass more than we run, so that speaks for itself.”

Riddick will be under the tutelage of receivers coach Tony Alford, who was his running backs coach last year. “[Kelly] was straightforward,” Riddick said of the switch. “I guess when he went back and watched film, I got feedback and Coach Alford said I had really good hands … it wasn’t very difficult for me to make that decision.”

Senior fullback Steve Paskorz returned to inside linebacker, where the 245-pounder originally began his career. Junior Lane Clelland, meanwhile, is back at his familiar offensive tackle position after spending the first seven practices of the spring at defensive end.

“We needed some more size and strength [on defense],” Kelly said. “It gives us bigger, stronger, more physical players. I think we all saw we needed to stop the run last year, and we needed to get bigger — and we couldn’t do it through recruiting.”

Finally, because of the switch from a 4-3 alignment to a 3-4, several other defenders are moving back to positions they originally were recruited to play (see pages 26-27).

Shuffling Along

No area has seen more movement than the offensive line. The first three practices open to the media for 45 minutes had three different combinations with the top unit in the skeletal drills (see pages 22-23).

Then in the April 9 practice, more change occurred. The first line included sophomore left tackle Zack Martin, fifthyear senior left guard Chris Stewart, junior center Braxston Cave (mainly a guard last year), senior right guard Taylor Dever (who was a right tackle last year) and junior right tackle Trevor Robinson (who played right guard last season).

“We’ve got a lot of film to evaluate,” Kelly said after the April 10 scrimmage.

“We’re really just trying to find the best guys. Today was a movement day for a number of guys relative to positions where we can say, ‘All right, we can’t move him again. Here’s where he is. He

blue & gold illustrated

stays here — or we move him back to that other position.’ ” When the team reported to the eighth practice (April 12), the players working with the first line in the skeletal drill were Martin at left tackle, Stewart at left guard, Cave at center, Dever at right guard and Robinson at right tackle, same as two days earlier.

By the second half of spring, Kelly and Co. are seeking a little more stability along the offensive front.

Defensive Doings

While the offensive line is attempting to get settled, a veteran defense has been able to take advantage, according to Kelly’s April 10 scrimmage assessment.

“I was very impressed with our corners and their ability to tackle,” said Kelly, singling out a Gary Gray open-field stop of running back Robert Hughes. “We tackled pretty good. I thought we got better pressure today than expected. Ethan Johnson was really hard to block for us.

“A couple of concerns were one, how do we develop a pass rush outside of or edge players? And second, can we tackle in the back end? Those two things stood out to me today.”

Johnson, Te’o, junior end Kapron Lewis-Moore, senior nose tackle Ian Williams, senior outside linebacker Brian Smith, junior outside linebacker Darius Fleming and junior inside backer Anthony McDonald have led the front seven. The secondary has featured excellent competition at both corner and safety with the return of veterans such as fifth-year senior Darrin Walls, senior Gary Gray and junior Robert Blanton at corner, and junior Jamoris Slaughter, junior Dan McCarthy and sophomore Zeke Motta complementing senior Harrison Smith at safety.

After the fourth practice, Kelly did single out two players as potential up and comers.

“The McCarthy kid and the McDonald kid are going to help us defensively,” Kelly said.

“I’m just grateful for getting all the reps I’m getting right now,” McDonald said. “They’re not going to announce a starter at the end of spring. It takes some work in the summer … I feel like I’m doing pretty well right now and just want to escalate that performance each day and see how it goes.”

Offensively, two of the top surprises have included the emergence of Martin at left tackle and the ascent of wideout Jones, who lined up with the perceived first unit in the skeletal drills during the April 12 practice.

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

Roster Breakdown Listed are the heights and weights after winter conditioning. Class year refers to the 2010 football season. Players are listed in order of 2009 playing time.

OFFENSE DEFENSE No. Quarterbacks Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT No. Nose Tackles Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 10 Dayne Crist 6-4 235 Jr./3 38:11 98 Sean Cwynar 6-4 281 Jr./3 50:44 (12) 13 Tommy Rees 6-2 200 Fr./4 — 79 Hafis Williams 6-1 290 Jr./3 9:25 (2) 16 Nate Montana* 6-4 215 Jr./3 — 92 Tyler Stockton 6-0 290 So./4 — 15 Brian Castello* 6-2 210 Sr./2 — 99 Brandon Newman 6-0 297 Jr./3 — 17 Matthew Mulvey* 6-2 191 Jr./3 — No. Defensive Ends Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT No. Running Backs Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 90 Ethan Johnson 6-4 280 Jr./2 262:54 (51) 5 Armando Allen 5-10 201 Sr./1 183:12 (4) 89 Kapron Lewis-Moore 6-4 275 Jr./3 227:26 (51) 33 Robert Hughes 5-11 245 Sr./1 118:10 (1) 95 Ian Williams 6-2 301 Sr./1 204:27 (38) 25 Jonas Gray 5-10 225 Jr./2 35:48 (36) 91 Emeka Nwankwo 6-4 280 Sr./2 — 20 Cierre Wood 6-0 210 So./4 — 61 Martin Quintana* 6-0 232 Sr./2 — 62 Christopher Skubis* 6-2 232 Sr./2 — No. Wide Receivers Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 18 Duval Kamara 6-4 220 Sr./1 191:56 No. Outside Linebackers Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 3 Michael Floyd 6-3 220 Jr./2 171:30 (1) 58 Brian Smith 6-3 234 Sr./1 312:51 (66) 81 John Goodman 6-3 205 Jr./3 53:45 (9) 45 Darius Fleming 6-2 245 Jr./2 201:33 (60) 32 Theo Riddick 5-11 190 So./3 44:01 (60) 56 Kerry Neal 6-2 244 Sr./1 173:17 (19) 11 Shaquelle Evans 6-1 205 So./3 33:15 (1) 46 Steve Filer 6-3 235 Jr./2 28:01 (213) 1 Deion Walker 6-3 195 Jr./3 10:19 (1) 48 Dan Fox 6-3 230 So./4 — 19 Roby Toma 5-9 175 So./3 5:12 (1) 63 Steve Botsford* 6-2 220 Sr./2 — 21 Barry Gallup 5-11 185 5th/1 1:06 (54) 65 Evan Wray* 6-0 215 Sr./2 — 7 Tai-ler Jones 5-11 185 Fr./4 — No. Inside Linebackers Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 29 Patrick Coughlin* 6-0 195 Sr./2 — 5 Manti Te’o 6-2 250 So./3 238:28 (63) 42 Dan Franco* 5-10 188 Sr./2 — 36 David Posluszny 6-0 225 Jr./3 6:16 (89) 38 Christopher Gurries* 5-10 186 Sr./2 — 54 Anthony McDonald 6-2 230 Jr./3 4:29 (180) 27 Derry Herlihy* 6-0 198 Sr./2 — 30 Steve Paskorz 6-1 245 Sr./2 2:31 (11) No. Tight Ends Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 44 Carlo Calabrese 6-1 245 So./4 — 9 Kyle Rudolph 6-6 265 Jr./2 275:59 (57) 50 Sean Oxley* 6-2 227 Jr./3 — 83 Mike Ragone 6-4 250 Sr./2 158:45 (101) No. Safeties Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 86 Bobby Burger* 6-2 245 5th/1 53:36 (83) 22 Harrison Smith 6-2 212 Sr./2 299:32 (127) 80 Tyler Eifert 6-6 240 So./4 3:16 26 Jamoris Slaughter 6-0 195 Jr./3 33:51 (110) 88 Jake Golic 6-4 230 So./4 — 17 Zeke Motta 6-2 210 So./3 11:06 (166) No. Centers Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 15 Dan McCarthy 6-2 205 Jr./3 1:08 (15) 51 Dan Wenger 6-4 297 5th/1 115:58 (1) 24 Chris Badger 6-0 195 Fr./4 — 57 Mike Golic Jr. 6-3 283 Jr./3 7:13 (3) 29 Michael Garcia* 6-2 195 Sr./2 — 52 Braxston Cave 6-3 309 Jr./3 7:08 (110) 33 Chris Salvi* 5-10 180 Sr./2 — 62 Bill Flavin* 6-3 260 Sr./2 — 40 Thomas Smith* 6-1 215 Sr./2 — No. Offensive Guards Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT No. Cornerbacks Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 59 Chris Stewart 6-5 344 5th/1 337:36 (65) 2 Darrin Walls 6-0 185 5th/1 221:31 (51) 76 Andrew Nuss 6-5 303 Sr./2 29:56 (154) 12 Robert Blanton 6-1 190 Jr./2 166:57 (35) 75 Taylor Dever 6-5 301 Sr./2 14:08 (6) 4 Gary Gray 5-11 190 Sr./2 152:31 (38) 66 Chris Watt 6-3 313 So./4 — 27 E.J. Banks 5-11 180 So./4 — 65 Mike Hernandez* 6-2 275 Jr./3 — 6 Spencer Boyd 5-10 175 Fr./4 — 23 Lo Wood 5-10 175 Fr./4 — No. Offensive Tackles Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 42 Nick Lezynski* 5-9 180 Sr./2 — 78 Trevor Robinson 6-5 300 Jr./2 268:37 (44) 35 Anthony Plaska* 5-11 185 Jr./3 — 77 Matt Romine 6-5 298 Sr./2 32:56 (8) 30 James Redshaw* 5-9 175 Sr./2 — 73 Lane Clelland 6-5 290 Jr./3 6:38 (16) 39 Ryan Sheehan* 5-10 177 Sr./2 — 68 Alex Bullard 6-3 290 So./4 — 70 Zack Martin 6-4 280 So./4 — No. Specialists Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig.

2009 PT 71 Dennis Mahoney* 6-7 289 Jr./3 — 40 Nick Tausch 6-0 190 So./3 (81) 48 David Ruffer* 6-1 180 Sr./2 (50) 60 Jordan Cowart 6-2 215 So./3 (45) 35 Ben Turk 5-11 193 So./3 (19) 14 Brandon Walker 6-3 210 Sr./1 — 50 Ryan Kavanagh* 6-3 200 Jr./3 — 36 Pat Kramer* 5-11 160 Jr./3 — Notes: Kavanagh is a long snapper and Kramer is a punter. * Denotes walk-on

As for special teams, the return game is a work in progress. Lining up as the top kickoff return unit were Blanton and Riddick, with sophomore cornerback E.J. Banks and sophomore run-

ning back Cierre Wood next in line, followed by Slaughter and early enrollee Jones.

“We’ll probably have a lot of suspects right now that we’re going to continue

to work through all summer,” Kelly said. “ They’re just going to have to catch balls off the Jugs all summer and we’ll have a better sense of who those guys are going to be.” ✦

May 2010 17

W

By Todd D. Burlage

ith the four-week spring practice period entering its middle stages, the starting lineup and position rotations remained miles away from even being partially settled. Pecking order will likely be on the back burner until the players return for fall training camp.

The more pressing issues during spring ball were revealing a new theme, delivering a fresh message and teaching a different approach to doing business.

The pace and intensity of practices are vastly different under new head coach Brian Kelly and his staff compared to the previous Notre Dame regime. And, at least through the early going, Kelly was fully convinced his players weren’t grasping the methods or the message.

“We stink right now. We’re just so far from where we need to be in terms of attention to detail,” Kelly said at the conclusion of practice on March 31. “You’re an 18-, 19-, 20-year-old, you’re playing at Notre Dame, and it’s 70 degrees out, and I’ve got to motivate you? I’ve got to be out here motivating a 19-year-old Notre Dame football player to come out here and get after it? That’s where we’re not on the same page yet.”

The approach is clearly different around Notre Dame football this spring. Only time will tell if different means result in an improved record.

“Coach [Charlie Weis] and those guys were great. We all liked them. They were good coaches, don’t get me wrong,” junior wide receiver John Goodman said.

“But when you know there is going to be a coaching change, you have to be all in. You have to be optimistic about it, and I feel that we all were. Coach Kelly has been such a great coach and had such a great past, we all bought in right when he got here, and the changes he has made are awesome.”

Changes range from outdoor 5 a.m. workouts in the snow as part of Camp Kelly to an unyielding commitment to “better bodies” and not necessarily “bigger bodies.”

Climate Over Lineup Installing a new system and instilling a different approach have been the biggest objectives for the spring season, not finding starters

Faster Pace

From the first day of pre-spring workouts, the tempo has been full throttle.

The previous coaching regime would build in two-minute breaks between practice segments. However, there is no rest for the weary now.

The spring season is short, so there is no time to waste. The 14 fast-moving, high-octane spring practices and one spring game are designed to keep all the players engaged at all times. A typical

18 May 2010

New head coach Brian Kelly has wasted no time in putting his stamp on the Notre Dame football program.

Photo by Joe Raymond

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two-hour practice consists of 24 segments of five minutes apiece, with minimal rest or transition time in between sessions.

“We’re clicking through,” Kelly said.

“The thing that’s absolutely non-negotiable is the intensity through repetition.

There’s not a lot of standing around and talking. The next play I want our guys thinking on their feet. I think that’s the theme more than anything else.”

Kelly has consistently stressed that the underlying objective to the non-stop practice approach is to make his team better in the fourth quarters of games.

Acclimation to the tempo remains a work in progress for some of the players, but the long-term goal is becoming clear to all of them. With Kelly as its coach, Cincinnati outscored its opponents 112-75 in the fourth quarter last year. Notre Dame was outscored 157-156 in the third and fourth quarters last season.

“I didn’t expect as much pace as the coaches said. I underestimated it,” said junior receiver Michael Floyd, who was told he would run out of gas in this offense if he didn’t lose about 10 pounds.

“To me it was overwhelming, just something different. You have a formation over here, and then you have to run all the way to the other side. It was just different for me personally.”

Senior offensive lineman Chris Stewart is another player who has been working on his body this spring to better fit a faster-paced offense. Stewart has put on 15 pounds and weighs about 345 now, but he has also lost about four percent body fat, a necessity in a shotgun offense where movement is more important than mauling.

“In the instance of Chris Stewart,” Kelly said, “he didn’t lose body weight as much as he lost body fat and gained a higher level of conditioning. It’s absolutely crucial to what we do. It’s the difference between running a half-court offense and pushing the ball. You’ve got to have guys that can run.”

“It’s not just go ’til you die,” Stewart said of his practice impressions. “There’s a rhyme and a reason. I’ve spoken to some of the guys on the team, and a lot of us have consented that, ‘We’re going to be ready in the fourth quarter.’ Our practices are two hours, and you’re not walking anywhere. I think it’s going to help us in the fourth quarter.”

The Irish had their share of heartbreaking losses and miracle fourth-quarter comebacks last season. Notre Dame let some games slip away late, and many of those fantastic finishes were set up

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According to the Irish players, the tempo has been the biggest difference between Brian Kelly’s practices and those of the previous regime.

Photo by Joe Raymond

by poor defense that cost the team a late lead and forced a miracle comeback. An important initiative to spring practice has been eliminating any slippage in lategame production, speed and effort.

“There’s an overall change in the whole program — diet, speed, how you work out, speed of practice,” senior offensive lineman Matt Romine said. “As far as stamina, it’s been evident since the pre-workout, where it was go, go, go from day one.

“There’s an overall change in the whole program — diet, speed, how you work out, speed of practice.”

Senior offensive lineman Matt Romine

“We were all kind of expecting it, having watched how they worked before [at Cincinnati], how their offense was in the game. But it was definitely a shock to some people.”

Time is so precious to Kelly, even the typical practice skirmishes and trash talking between players are not tolerated because of the time and energy wasted.

“If I’ve got to stop the practice because I’ve got two knuckleheads fighting, you’re not getting through the book for me,” Kelly said. “It starts with understanding pace and then we work to the end. They’ve got to get the whole thing.”

Kelly designs and adjusts his practices day by day and doesn’t follow a longterm script nearly as closely as the previous Notre Dame staff did, where every detail was outlined to the minute, sometimes weeks in advance. Under Kelly, the deficiencies of today will be addressed tomorrow.

“I don’t have five or six or seven scripts already. We are constantly evaluating after practice, making sure we have the pieces in the right place,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to do it right away, so spring ball for us is not about a let’s get to know each other. We have to do more than that. This is a very, very important month for us as we set into motion the 2010 season.”

Starting Early

For the players, the four-month adjustment period has been tough and refreshing at the same time.

“Camp Kelly” helped to usher in a new era with 5 a.m. outdoor workouts in the cold and snow weeks before spring football even started. And staying true to the spring objectives, those workouts were more about building physical stamina and mental toughness rather than trying to sort through starters and subs.

“We started at a level of unconscious incompetence,” Kelly said. “In other words, we didn’t know that we didn’t know. I think our players saw there is so much more that needs to be done for us to be a championship football team.”

And the players are starting to understand, and actually enjoy, the new approach.

“It’s really good for us,” Goodman said. “We’re going to be the best conditioned team in the country. It feels good to get out here and run around. We need to get in better shape, and I think we will.

We’re going to be lethal.”

From video games as teaching tools, to position switches, to the elimination of depth charts, to greater physical demands, change is swirling all around the program this spring.

The facilities and resources are greater here than anywhere Kelly has been during his 20-plus years of coaching. The staff has installed a lifelike video gaming system that puts the playbook in motion and helps the players simulate what the offense is supposed to look like when it’s time to go live.

But underneath all the fancy facilities, high-tech gadgets, training tables and other luxuries that Notre Dame offers, Kelly is keeping his spring mission rudimentary.

“If we can get the fight back in the Fighting Irish, that’s what I’m looking for,” Kelly said. “I want to compete our butt off for four quarters. I want our guys to go to practice every day and compete, compete, compete. If I can build that work ethic and that mentality, I’ll probably feel pretty good at the end of the day.”

In terms of intelligence and football sense, Kelly likes what he has inherited, and he passed some praise along to Weis and the previous coaching staff. In terms of conditioning, pace and expectations, Kelly obviously doesn’t pull any punches.

“They were 16-21 the last three years,” Kelly said. “There are no bruised egos; everybody knows where this thing is at.

We’re just saying, ‘Here’s where we are, here’s where we have to go.’ We’re not beating you with a stick and saying, ‘Hey, you did this.’ We’ve got a long way to go, they get that, and that is the great thing about it.” ✦

May 2010 19

Dogging Great

Dayne

I

Brownie points not coming easy for Irish quarterback

By Todd D. Burlage

f any belief existed that Dayne Crist’s value to the team would earn him preferential treatment from the new coaching staff this spring, the Irish junior found out quickly that wasn’t going to be the case.

The spring season was only five days and four practices old when Irish head coach Brian Kelly made it clear to all concerned how he thought his likely starting quarterback was progressing.

“Sloppy fundamentally,” Kelly said after practice on March 31 when asked about Crist. “He’s about as sloppy in the fundamentals as they are. Footwork’s got to get better, his read progression … he’s got really good football intelligence, maybe [we] put a little too much out there in terms of our offense right now. I’ve got to look at maybe scaling this back a little. But his weaknesses right now are the fundamentals.”

So much for patience and preferential treatment.

Kelly has stressed throughout spring ball that there is no time to waste during the 15 practices, so pinpointing and correcting potential problems quickly is vital — and Crist got the message.

“Everything that coach said was true.

He’s 100-percent right,” Crist said.

“That’s his style. That’s who he is. I would hope that he would be as honest with me as possible. And to be quite frank, we addressed those issues early, because I want to move past those and I want to correct those issues. I think it served as a great learning tool.”

With a completely new offense to learn, leadership responsibilities to hold, and a surgically repaired knee to continue rehabbing, Crist faces more

20 May 2010

attention this spring than any player on the Irish roster.

Ready or not, the Sherman Oaks, Calif., native will become the face of the program this fall, and Crist’s ability to digest and execute Kelly’s unique spread offense will correlate directly to the success of the entire team. Of all the spring stories to follow with a new coaching staff, Crist draws the boldest headline — and so far he’s handling it very well.

“I’m aiming for perfection, nothing less. I want to be perfect or as close to perfect as possible, and that is just the mindset of the entire team,” Crist said.

“We only get 15 practices throughout spring, so each one is very critical, very important, because then we have a long break before we come back in August.”

No Guarantees

Because Crist is the only quarterback on the Irish roster with any game experience, he seems like the only choice to become the starter for the season opener. But the player and his coach aren’t assuming or conceding anything.

At least through his messages this spring, Kelly refuses to anoint Crist as the opening-day starter. But this is clearly Crist’s job to lose, even though the timing with the receivers has yet to be consistently crisp and the coach’s compliments have been hard to come by during spring practice.

“No one’s really panicked at this point,” Crist said. “We understand that it is still a new process and schematically, everything is new, so we understand there is a learning process and times are going to be tough. That’s going to happen. But we just have to be content in knowing if we do the

things that Coach Kelly and the rest of the staff are asking of us, we’re going to end up better at the end of the day.”

Crist admitted that understanding and sorting through all the changes hasn’t been easy this spring. Acclimating to the higher practice pace, and an overhauled offensive approach from the pro-style under Charlie Weis, takes some time.

“It was different from anything I have done before in terms of tempo and practice format,” Crist said early in the spring season. “But it is just something that I will get used to and continue to build on. We’ll get better with it.”

And, ultimately, mastering the pace might be the greatest factor Kelly uses in determining who will earn the starting spot in his shotgun offense — Crist, junior Nate Montana or one of the incoming freshmen.

“For me, it’s hard to really determine who that guy is until I see the pace and ease that they move into this offense,” Kelly said. “It’s just about fit. Some guys fit better and easier in the system.

Others, it takes a little bit more work.”

“I’m aiming for perfection, nothing less. I want to be perfect or as close to perfect as possible, and that is just the mindset of the entire team.”

junior qB dayne crist

Crist appeared in four games last season and finished 10-of-20 passing for 130 yards with one touchdown and one interception before blowing out his right knee against Washington State in game No. 8.

The original diagnosis after the surgery was that Crist would be unable to participate in any spring drills, which created quite a quarterback quandary with a new offense to learn and no other quarterback on the roster that had ever taken a snap.

But the knee has healed nicely and Crist has been able to work in most of the spring drills, obviously with no contact allowed. His quick recovery has been a godsend to both the player and the team, and Crist said his knee feels better and stronger every day, about five months after his surgery.

“It feels pretty good,” Crist said April 7 when asked about his recovery.

“I don’t want to go out on a limb and say that we’re 100 percent yet. But I think that we’re continuing to get better. It’s definitely feeling good. I can

definitely feel some progress in my knee. I’ve got to be thankful in that regard, and blessed that is where we’re at right now.”

Natural Born Leader

With a big arm, nice touch and a 6-4, 235-pound frame, Crist certainly looks the part of the next great Irish quarterback. But ask his teammates, and they say leadership might be Crist’s greatest gift. Similarities in size and style make comparisons to former quarterback Brady Quinn almost unavoidable. “[Crist] has been a leader since he got here,” junior tight end Kyle Rudolph said. “Even when he was behind Jimmy [Clausen] as a freshman and as a sophomore, he was always a leader in the weight room. He was always working hard. He’s always pushing guys, helping guys.

“Dayne is really working hard to get in the playbook and make sure he knows the offense better than anybody else, and getting to the point where he knows it so well, he can help everybody else, where he can orchestrate everybody and just keep things going smooth.”

Even Kelly was willing to pass along some praise about Crist’s leadership qualities, sort of.

“I think the first thing, you see an engaging young man, bright-eyed, enthusiastic,” Kelly said of his first impressions of Crist. “He’s got all those intangibles that immediately people would gravitate toward. But it takes more than that to be a championship quarterback.”

There’s always a “but” from the coach, and that’s just fine with Crist.

With an offense to learn, a knee to heal and improvements to make, there are much more pressing issues than worrying about the coach’s calculated comments to the media.

“I’m never really content with where I’m at anyway,” Crist said. “In terms of just learning the offense and everything, that will just be a continual process. But I’m confident that I’ll do all the right things and make the right steps to getting to where I want to be in the fall. But now it is a continual process and you’ve got to make the most out of every spring practice because they are so limited.” ✦

Head coach Brian Kelly is expecting a lot from junior quarterback Dayne Crist in the fall, so he has been particularly tough on him this spring.

Photo by Joe Raymond

blue & gold illustrated

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

May 2010 21

Nothing has been set in stone along the offensive line, with numerous players working in with the first unit just during the first five spring practices.

R

By Lou Somogyi

ubik’s Cube might be less complex than the mixing and matching taking place along the offensive line this spring.

To get Notre Dame’s five best offensive linemen on the field at the same time last season, senior guard Eric Olsen was shifted from guard to center, supplanting incumbent Dan Wenger to make room for sophomore Trevor Robinson.

This spring, and maybe even into August camp, the possibilities appear much more endless while Notre Dame attempts to replace three graduates — Olsen at center and tackles Sam Young and Paul Duncan.

• On the first day of practice (March 26), the group that lined up with the “perceived” first unit were naturally the starters and heirs apparent from 2009: senior Matt Romine at left tackle, fifth-year senior Chris Stewart at left guard, Wenger at center, Robinson at right guard and senior Taylor Dever at right tackle.

• The next time the first 45 minutes were open to the media was the fourth practice (March 31). This time, the line operating in front of probable No. 1 quarterback Dayne Crist included sophomore Zack Martin at left tackle, senior Andrew Nuss at left guard, junior Braxston Cave at center, Robinson at

22 May 2010

Photo by Joe Raymond

What’s My Line?

Who aligns where along the offensive line could be one of the top stories this spring, and maybe beyond

right guard and Dever at right tackle.

The left side and center had changed.

• One week later in the fifth practice, an even more dramatic flux took place: Martin remained at left tackle, ahead of Romine, while Stewart was ahead of Nuss at left guard and Cave was in front of Wenger and junior Mike Golic Jr. at center. But the right side now had sophomore Chris Watt at guard, ahead of Dever, and Robinson was lining up at right tackle, ahead of former guard Alex Bullard, who is entering his sophomore year.

Got all that?

Don’t commit it to memory, though, because that’s only the one-third mark of spring. Much more is likely to occur between now and the Sept. 4 opener versus Purdue, although first-year Irish offensive line coach Ed Warinner would prefer that some stability takes hold by the end of spring.

It’s truly an open competition because even Stewart — a fifth-year player who returns with the most playing time from last year (337:36) and has been cited as

one of the team leaders in the offseason by head coach Brian Kelly — has lined up with the supposed second unit.

Meanwhile, another fifth-year senior, Wenger, once started 15 straight games at center in 2007-08. Now he is getting seriously challenged for the starting role by the powerful Cave (see “Not Caving In” on page 23), who primarily was a short snapper in 2009.

Martin and Watt also have been on an appreciable ascent prior to closing out their freshman year. Under a new coaching staff and while learning a new offense, everyone does begin on more equal footing.

According to Warinner, age doesn’t provide an edge in learning a new system, but it does manifest itself in the way older players carry themselves on the practice field.

“They have a little more confidence,” Warinner said. “They don’t come to practices nervous and worried. They have confidence that they’re going to do what we’re going to ask them to do.

They have confidence they can compete against the guys out there.

“For the younger guys, they’re still trying to figure out if they can compete, ‘Can I block this guy, can I get the job done?’ Not only what am I supposed to do, but can I do it? [Older] guys know they can do it; they’re just learning the system.”

Warinner said he expected the group to crystallize more after the first major scrimmage April 10. The beauty of spring practice is there isn’t the urgency of having to prepare for a game on Saturday, so the emphasis is on individual development and hopefully finding the right positions and chemistry among the personnel. And if you think the offensive line situation was fluid through just five practices, more changes might occur after the first full-scale scrimmage.

“That’s where you come back and say, ‘These are our best players, maybe we aren’t as good at this position, or this guy doesn’t react well to pressure as well,’ ” Warinner said of what assess-

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ments he wants to make. “We maybe need to move some guys around. I would say we wouldn’t do a lot of shuffling until [after] the first scrimmage.

“There are a lot of possibilities. We have some guys inside who could possibly play outside.”

Foremost among them is Robinson, maybe the team’s top overall offensive lineman and one with 14 starts at guard heading into this season. Robinson lining up at right tackle in the fifth practice did not come as a surprise.

“He has enough versatility and he’s smart enough where I think he could play outside,” Warinner said of Robinson. “How things come along inside will determine whether we can slide a guy out and how things develop on the outside … [Robinson’s] athletic enough to play anywhere on the line.”

Challenging Robinson for best versatility is Nuss, although he has yet to start a game in his first three seasons with the program. Nuss was listed as one of the top up-and-comers last spring by the previous coaching regime, but with Stewart, Robinson and Wenger sharing time at guard, there just wasn’t enough playing time to go around.

“Andrew Nuss could play any position on the offensive line,” Warinner noted. “I’m not saying he’s the best, but he would be smart enough and athletic enough to play all three positions.”

While Notre Dame’s guard cupboard

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seems abundant, signing tackles has been a problem the past several years.

The Irish signed two in 2007 (Romine and Dever), none in 2008 (Lane Clelland has moved to defense) and one in 2009 (Martin). Thus, former guards such as Robinson and Bullard are getting auditions at tackle.

The two players who might be most ensconced at a single position are Stewart at left guard and Romine at left tackle. Both were former second-team USA Today All-Americans, while Robinson and Watt were on the first team.

“I just think he’s really comfortable there,” Warinner said of Romine lining up at left tackle. “That doesn’t mean he’s the best left tackle, but right now it’s his most comfortable position.

There’s something to be said for that.”

In Kelly’s spread offense, the left tackle position isn’t as crucial as it is in a pro-style set to protect a right-handed quarterback. That’s because the QB is mostly in a shotgun and the offensive linemen aren’t in three-point stances to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

“We’ve got our tackles in two-point stances most of the time, so it’s a little bit easier set to the wide edge … and the rhythm and the timing of how quickly we throw the ball helps us,” Warinner said. “We don’t have our quarterbacks hold the ball forever. They have to get rid of it, so that helps your tackle.”

The top X-factor in Notre Dame’s Rubik’s Cube offensive line might be Cave.

If Cave does indeed seize the starting center position, does Wenger move to right guard and Robinson stay at right tackle? Or how about Wenger at center, with Cave shifting to guard, where he practiced last year?

But then what about Stewart, Robinson, Nuss and Watt at guard? Could Nuss join Robinson at tackle if he’s among the best five linemen?

“If [Cave] ends up not as the center, he could easily be a guard, and that would give us some flexibility to perhaps move somebody out,” Warinner stated.

A primary goal of any line is to find a nucleus of eight offensive linemen who are ready to compete consistently and productively.

“I’d like to have a feel of who the three best tackles are and get the two best on the field, and the third best is ready to roll in there [on either side],” Warinner summarized. “Who are the three best guards, and who are the two centers?”

It’s a puzzle still in progress — and might be for a while. ✦

No Caving In Last August, Braxston Cave made some headlines with his 520-pound bench press. It was believed to be one of the two or three highest figures ever hoisted at Notre Dame, with fullback Asaph Schwapp’s (2005-08) 525 considered the top standard.

Weight room data, however, doesn’t necessarily translate into football playing time. Twelve Irish offensive linemen saw action last season — and Cave ranked 11th with seven minutes and eight seconds. The only person behind him, classmate Lane Clelland (6:38), was shifted to defense this spring. This does not include Cave’s work as the short snapper on special teams, where he made 110 appearances.

Either way, the local product from Mishawaka Penn High is no longer content with being a role player.

“I can’t sit and wait around anymore,” Cave said. “It’s just four years. I’ve sat back in the offseason and really thought about it. It’s my time to get out there and shine.”

Recruited as a center, Cave was converted to guard last season after another guard, senior Eric Olsen, was shifted to center to replace classmate Dan Wenger on the No. 1 unit. This spring under hew head coach Brian Kelly, Cave has returned to his roots and worked exclusively at center.

Furthermore, even though fifth-year senior Wenger started the last two games at center in 2007 and all 13 in 2008, Cave has been taking reps with the “perceived” first unit. In position drills for shotgun snapping, Cave has been the one hiking the ball to projected starting quarterback Dayne Crist in the early sessions.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Cave is ahead of Wenger, but it is signaling that Cave could become a major factor in the interior.

“Center is my natural position, that’s where I was recruited, and it feels good,” Cave said. “It wasn’t too bad a transition [to guard]. They thought I would work out better there. I did what I had to do. This year, center seems to be the spot I can help the team at most. I’m just taking one day at a time. You can’t rush through things, especially right now when we’re getting a lot of stuff thrown at us.”

In strength and conditioning coach Paul Longo’s offseason workouts, the emphasis was 1) stamina for the linemen so they can keep up with the tempo of Kelly’s fast-paced, spread offense and 2) reducing body fat. Cave shaved off four percent body fat during the winter and shed 10 pounds.

“I feel lighter on my feet and I maintained my strength — that was the most important thing,” said Cave, who is listed at 6-3, 309 pounds. “We definitely have been working on stamina. We’ve been lagging in that before, and Coach Longo noticed it. He always says, ‘Less cargo, more horsepower.’

“It’s not so much how much you can [lift], but how long you can last doing it. We’re still throwing around some heavy weight, but nothing to where we have to worry about a one-rep max.”

New offensive line coach Ed Warinner is Cave’s third position coach in as many seasons, succeeding Frank Verducci (2008) and John Latina (2005-07).

“It’s not too bad,” Cave said of having a third different instructor. “We’re kind of getting used to it. The good part about it is we’ve learned a lot of different things, bits and pieces from each coach. You put it together the best you can … we adjust. That just comes along with it.

“Being into it a couple of years, I’ve matured and I know what to expect. It’s really slowed the game down for me and made it a lot easier.”

With his strength, though, just don’t say even a Cave man can do it.

— Lou Somogyi

Junior Braxston Cave, snapping to junior quarterback Nate Montana, got the bulk of his playing time last year as the short snapper on special teams, but he is in the mix to start at center in 2010.

Photo by Joe Raymond

May 2010 23

24 May 2010

blue & gold illustrated

A

By Lou Somogyi

few hours prior to opening his first spring practice at Notre Dame on March 26, head coach Brian Kelly was not in a mood to issue superlatives.

Even one of his perceived pillars for the next few years — middle linebacker Manti Te’o — was not exempt from an honest critique.

“He’s got to get much better as a football player,” Kelly said of the Scout.com 2009 Freshman All-American. “He wasn’t very good — and he understands that.”

Strictly by the numbers, Te’o had one of the more productive seasons ever by a Notre Dame freshman. Since 1975, only four Irish freshman defenders started at least 10 games in a season the way Te’o did: cornerback Stacey Toran (10 in 1980), linebackers Mike Kovaleski (10 in 1983) and Kory Minor (11 in 1995), and end Anthony Weaver (11 in 1998). Furthermore, the 63 tackles by Te’o were the third-most ever by an Irish frosh, behind luminaries Bob Golic (82 in 1975) and Ross Browner (68 in 1973).

But there is what’s on paper … and then there is reality. The numbers posted

by Te’o were akin to a house adorned with an appealing facade — but when you get to the interior, the wiring, plumbing and overall foundation were in need of major renovation. Defensively, the Irish finished 86th nationally and were almost equally helpless against the run (89th) and pass (82nd).

Most of the tackles by the linebackers were window dressing, similar to rookie quarterbacks Brady Quinn (2003) or Jimmy Clausen (2007) putting up Irish freshman record-breaking passing numbers during 5-7 and 3-9 campaigns, respectively. Regardless, they had to play because there were no better options.

After the fourth day of spring practice, Kelly tempered his assessment on USA Today’s 2008 Defensive Player of the Year in the high school ranks.

“He was a true freshman. He was the best guy they had. … He was guessing, and it’s to be expected,” Kelly said of Te’o.

“He’s learning how to play the game and how he fits in this defense.”

Nevertheless, similar to a Quinn or Clausen on offense, Te’o will be the likely fulcrum of any defensive renaissance that might occur in the next year or two. It’s easy to forget that as a freshman, Clau-

Te’o posted 63 tackles last season, the thirdbest total ever by an Irish freshman, behind Bob Golic (82 in 1975) and Ross Browner (68 in 1973). photo by joe raymond

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

sen didn’t even rank among the nation’s top 100 in passing efficiency. Meanwhile classmate Golden Tate grabbed only six passes and acknowledged he was “clueless” when it came to playing the position.

That helped Notre Dame finish dead last (119th) in total offense that season.

Just two seasons later, both are potential first-round picks, and last year they helped Notre Dame to a No. 8 ranking in total offense. With most of the 2010 defense replete with juniors, middle linebacker Te’o has an opportunity to be a linchpin of a similar revival.

“He’s got that excitement, that passion,” Kelly said. “I want to be around guys that love the game, love being around it. He’s been committed to learning. If you write the prescription for a coach — who do you want to coach? — get a guy like that. That’s fun.”

Step By Step

After putting aside his Mormon mission for potentially a later time in his career, the family-oriented Te’o had to get beyond the loyalties he felt for former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis and his staff.

“It’s definitely hard to say good-bye to people you got to know from your senior year in high school,” Te’o admitted. “But changes happen and you have to move on.

Coach Weis is doing well now, his family is okay, as well as the other coaches. It’s a new day and age now, and we’re just buying into the coaches’ philosophies.”

Next up was reshaping his body into major college linebacker form. Te’o is listed at 250 pounds this spring, a gain of five pounds from last season. As the middle linebacker (or “Mike” in coaching ver-

Mission Possible Linebacker Manti Te’o knows there is plenty of room for individual — and collective — improvement on the 2010 defense

While fifth-year senior guard Chris Stewart has been singled out on offense for his leadership the past several months, Te’o and junior-to-be end Kapron LewisMoore have been among the defenders cited by Kelly.

“There’s probably been four or five guys defensively that have said immediately, ‘Coach, whatever it is, let’s go get it done,’ ” Kelly noted. “I think the rest of that leadership takes time to develop. But those guys in particular were right there the very first day.”

When Te’o evaluates his play from last year, he concurs with Kelly.

“I see a person who wasn’t as confident as he should be,” Te’o said. “So I just have to be more confident in my abilities to make a play and just not be afraid to make mistakes. First thing is look at yourself and be the best player you can be. You can’t compare yourself with anyone else but yourself. Just reach for the stars and go as fast as you can.

“Whenever Coach says we have a long way to go, you know there is improvement [ahead]. So by him saying that, it’s to remind us that we have to improve a lot and never be satisfied with what we have.”

nacular) in a 3-4, his size is necessary while taking on offensive guards in the middle.

More pertinent is the loss of five percent body fat, from approximately 17 to 12, in this winter’s strength and conditioning program under Paul Longo.

“The point of emphasis for me was not necessarily my weight but my body fat,” said Te’o, who is aspiring to get the figure into single digits. “I needed to get that down. Through Coach Longo’s help and Coach Kelly’s help, we reached that. As time moves on, we’ll get better at that.”

According to first-year Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, Te’o upgrading his physical conditioning should facilitate his ability to make the calls on the field for the defense.

“He’s right on track as it relates to his development,” Diaco said. “He’s trying to be the driver there for the front [seven], which is the definition of a Mike. He’s a pretty vocal guy.

“As his threshold of plays increases from a conditioning standpoint, then you’re more comfortable making calls and you’re more willing to make them.

If you’re gassed and you’re huffing and puffing and you don’t know exactly what

to say, then obviously there is going to be some hesitancy to say those things.

“He runs and hits and he’s aggressive.

He’s got more than enough tools to do the job. He’s a bright young man who’s a pleasure to coach. He’s energetic and he’s a good communicator.”

Finally, there is getting a better grasp of the game’s mental aspect.

On March 5, the team was treated to the first of a couple of “Camp Kelly” sessions when it worked out for an hour on the practice fields at 5 a.m. amidst snow banks. Its purpose was to expose physical and mental issues prior to spring practice, and a biting chill aided the process.

“It’s below 10 degrees, and then I look at my iPod … in Hawaii it’s 80 degrees,” Te’o said with a smile. “[But] whenever you do running, the weather doesn’t even faze you. It’s football. You have to overcome a lot of challenges and do your best to be positive.

“Whenever you’re fatigued, you’re at your weakest point, and that’s when all your weaknesses will appear. That’s what ‘Camp Kelly’ was all about, for us as a team not only to see our individual weaknesses but our weaknesses as a team. We learned it’s not just about ourselves but each other, and when we’re tired, everybody else is tired, and one of us has to step up and hopefully bring the team with us.

“When you’re hurting, when you’re tired, just know your other brothers out there are tired and they could use some help. Just be vocal, help and be positive all the time.”

Part of the mental process is learning new terminology and strategy.

“The biggest challenge is learning the playbook,” Te’o said. “This year is a whole new philosophy and a whole new set of schemes, but it’s football and I love every part of it. The coaches are slowly introducing a lot of schemes to us, but they’re not throwing it all at once so that we can soak up some of the knowledge they have but not be too overwhelmed. It’s always challenging, but we’re getting there slowly.”

One job description will remain the same for Te’o. It’s been a long time since Notre Dame has had a true physical marvel and/or NFL-caliber run-stopper at inside linebacker. Since 1980, the lone Irish inside ’backers taken in the top five rounds were Bob Crable (1982), Demetrius DuBose (1993) and Courtney Watson (2003), or one per decade. Te’o just might have the profile to fit that job description.

“My No. 1 responsibility is to stop the run,” Te’o said.

It would go a long ways toward winning higher accolades from Kelly. ✦

May 2010 25

Controlled O Aggression Every defense in the country wants to

By Lou Somogyi

attack, but it must be balanced with production and executing assignments

Junior inside linebacker Anthony McDonald, who has gotten most of his playing time thus far on special teams, has seen plenty of work with the first unit during spring drills. photo by aaron suozzi

26 May 2010

ne of the most predictable statements with every new defensive coordinator, or new head coach, is the preference to run “an aggressive defense.”

It is one of the least newsworthy statements you will ever find. No coach in history has ever stated he prefers “a passive defense.” It would be akin to a presidential candidate running on a platform of, “I prefer we have more unemployment.”

To curry favor among its fan base, a new football coaching staff will naturally emphasize “attacking relentlessly,” or “turning the players loose,” or “if it wiggles, we get ’em.”

Far more mundane is talking about “gap control,” discipline in “reading keys” or “containment.” Nevertheless, if the defensive rhetoric is more tempered and less sexy under new Irish boss Brian Kelly and first-year defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, so be it.

“We’re not an attacking 4-3 defense,” Kelly explained after the first week of spring practice when asked what the staff has had to impart to the defensive players. “That’s not what we run. This is a no-crease 3-4 defense.”

A few days earlier, Diaco gave a similar summary.

“You can’t necessarily put into a box what we are,” Diaco said. “There are particular pieces of our defense where we’re maybe not upfield. A year ago, it was a very up-the-field defense, a very vertical defense, where right now we’re not in that phase right now.

“We need players to defeat blocks and stay at the line of scrimmage. Getting them to not be so vertical up the field — because it doesn’t really fit structurally in particular calls we have — is one of the challenges right now. You’re trying to get them to stay at the line of scrimmage so we have a no-crease defense.”

When former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta was hired by the Irish in 2008, he arrived as one of the more venerated assistant coaches in college football and made clear his approach was a 4-3 alignment centering on relentlessly attacking, blitzing and pressuring.

When asked if he ever felt the need to dial down the aggressive mode, he replied he would not be “a pacifist.”

Such coach-speak might lead the average fan to salivate in excitement, but rhetoric and execution are two distinct elements.

For whatever reason, Tenuta and another former defensive coordinator, Corwin Brown — who was hired in 2007

by Notre Dame to implement the 3-4 — never quite seemed to mesh the past two seasons, which contributed significantly to the downfall of the Charlie Weis regime.

There are pros and cons with any scheme. The primary negative with last year’s defense was the proclivity to surrender a plethora of big plays — via the run and pass — while finishing 86th in the country overall: • Last year, Notre Dame allowed 6.2 yards per offensive play — the highest in school history. No other Irish defense permitted as much as six yards per play.

• The Irish also surrendered 8.0 yards per pass attempt. That is the second-highest single-season mark in school history, behind the 8.3 mark notched by the 2-8 unit of 1960.

• Finally, the run defense yielded 4.8 yards per rush. That was the second-highest ever by the program, behind the 5.1 average posted by the 2-8 team in 1956.

A first priority of the new staff is to limit the sizable gains that were the norm in 2009, hence the “no-crease defense,” which might be interpreted as — gasp! — a bend-but-don’t-break style.

Whatever it takes to win, Kelly said.

As prolific as Notre Dame’s offense was last year, it finished 0-4 in the last four contests. That was in good part because the defense allowed a whopping 263.0 yards per game on the ground and 5.7 yards per carry, while six different backs eclipsed 100 yards rushing.

“It starts with you have to be able to stop the run,” Kelly said. “Clearly, even if you’re somebody who doesn’t watch a lot of football, you can tell when you go to a football game and they’re running the ball at will, that’s not a very good feeling.

You kind of get a sense this could be a very long day.”

Buying Into The 3-4

When it comes to defensive schemes, there is no single formula to championships. It comes down to stellar players executing as a team whatever system is employed — and the players buying into what the coaches preach.

“Buying in is just believing in the system,” junior defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore said. “Am I comfortable with the 3-4? It’s different from the 4-3.

It’s a lot of two gap and key stepping … I think we’re more fit for the 3-4, athletic-wise.”

Indeed, players such as Brian Smith, Kerry Neal and Darius Fleming were recruited to play outside linebacker in the 3-4, but Smith instead played middle

blue & gold illustrated

linebacker in the 4-3, while Fleming and Neal became relatively undersized defensive ends.

Former end Lewis-Moore moved to the interior in the 4-3, and senior Ian Williams — specifically recruited as a nose guard for the 3-4 — saw his production drop as a tackle in the 4-3.

Lewis-Moore, who lost about 3.5 percent body fat this winter, is attempting to learn a new nuance.

“In 3-4 you have the two gap and you have to play at the line of scrimmage,” said Lewis-Moore, whose 46 tackles last season were the most among Irish defensive linemen. “I would say it’s more physical. You’re banging every time with the [offensive] tackle.”

Preferably, the ends in the 3-4 would be in the 290-pound range, a la secondround Irish draft pick Trevor Laws in 2007. Neither Lewis-Moore nor fellow starting end Ethan Johnson is quite in that range, but there are ways to compensate.

“I don’t need more weight, [but] I feel like I need to get stronger every day,” Lewis-Moore said. “It’s not getting more weight on. It’s, ‘Can you play a three, four or five at your weight? Can you play your technique?’ ” According to Diaco, stamina and consistency are what must be elevated if the defense is to become an asset in 2010.

“The reps threshold is something that needs to be built,” Diaco said. “It’s just a little bit different style, at a little bit different pace and tempo, and it’s going to take some adjustment. … We’ll get there as the volume continues to rise.”

Motion For The Defense

The return to a 3-4 base defense has prompted some position shuffling.

It didn’t take long for Kelly and Diaco long to assess that Harrison Smith and Brian Smith did not fit the profile of the positions they played last year. Harrison Smith was at outside linebacker for the last six games, despite weighing only 207 pounds.

“He never would be an outside linebacker in our system,” Kelly said. “He never fit that prototype for us. He’s always been a safety. If he can’t play safety, he can’t play. It was pretty easy for that one.”

Meanwhile, Brian Smith — after making a mark on the perimeter as a freshman — started at middle linebacker and didn’t appear completely comfortable.

Thus, he too has returned to his roots on the outside.

“Brian is really built very nicely for

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

the structure that we play,” Diaco commented. “He really looks like the profile player out there. … It’s like taking someone who has a particular set of tools and asking them go do a job they’re not necessarily [built] for. He’s built for the job we’re asking him to do.”

In 2009, Brian Smith and Harrison Smith finished second and third on the team in tackles with 71 and 69, respectively — but they were sometimes outmatched while opponents ran virtually at will in the final one-third of the season.

Similar to Brian Smith, classmate Neal has moved back to his roots. Smith and Neal were freshman outside linebackers in 2007 before Smith moved to the middle and Neal downshifted to end.

“Brian is a little bit longer, a little more linear,” Diaco said when comparing Neal to Smith at outside linebacker. “Kerry is a little more compact, a little shorter, like Darius. They’re quick twitch, they’re athletic, they’re powerful enough to push on the tackle, they’re powerful enough to set

the edge, they’re athletic enough to drop [into pass coverage] and re-route … and rush the passer.”

More intriguing are the two inside linebacker positions, the Mike (middle) and Will. In a 3-4, the inside linebackers are in gaps where they have to take on offensive guards, so it’s not uncommon to require the inside backers to be in the 250-pound range, if not beyond.

“It’s anywhere from six-foot to 6-3 [or] 6-4, not much taller than that,” Diaco said. “You’d like them to be about 220 as a developmental player and up to maybe even 260-65 if they can be — and still move.”

It would be a major surprise if the nation’s No. 1 defensive recruit from 2009, Manti Te’o, does not seize the Mike role.

Who will be the starter at Will linebacker is more uncertain. Juniors Anthony McDonald and David Posluszny, along with sophomore Carlo Calabrese and converted senior fullback Steve Paskorz, have been competing on the inside.

It’s not out of the question that one of the current outside backers could move inside to get the “best four linebackers” on the field, but …

“We prefer not to,” Kelly said. “If there’s an emergency situation, Neal and [Brian] Smith are more towards what we would do [although Fleming also took reps on the inside]. But that would be a stopgap. We’re hoping we’ll be able to do with the [inside] guys we have.”

In the first practice, where the first 45 minutes were open to the media, Posluszny — the lightest at 225 pounds — was seen lining up next to Te’o with the “perceived” first defense in runthrough drills. By the fourth practice on March 31, McDonald was taking reps there and was deemed as one of the top early surprises by Kelly.

Who the starter at Will is might not yet be answered in the spring. For now, the concentration is finding the will and way toward becoming an effective defense again. ✦

Something Old, Something New The 4-3 defensive front used by Notre Dame last year didn’t work out so well for Ethan Johnson.

Not quite as speedy as rush ends such as senior Kerry Neal and junior Darius Fleming, Johnson was pushed inside to defensive tackle in 2009 — but he was a little bit of an odd fit there as well.

“I was on my butt a couple of times this last year at three-technique,” Johnson admitted. “I was tipping the scales at about 265, 270, so getting doubleteamed by a guard and a center — some games I played nose at 265, so that was an adventure.”

Though Johnson did finish his sophomore season with 32 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and a team-high four quarterback sacks, he never felt truly comfortable in the 4-3. So when the new coaching staff arrived and decided it was going back to the 3-4 alignment that most of the team’s upperclassmen had been recruited for anyway, Johnson was all for it.

“I like the scheme,” he said of the new system being installed by head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. “I feel like I fit into it well. I feel like it plays to my strengths as a player, so I’m excited about it.

“I’m not a D-tackle. I know I don’t weigh 300 pounds and I’m not a quick defensive end, but I feel like I am quick enough to be on the edge. I feel like I’m more of a power rusher more than a speed rusher.”

Johnson, who considers his new end position more of a hybrid between tackle and end, has settled in at a comfortable weight of 275 pounds this spring. Perhaps more intriguing to fans, though, might be another number change — Johnson has switched his uniform number from 9 to 90.

The junior explains that 90 was his original number until it wasn’t available at his high school. When Johnson arrived at Notre Dame, 90 was occupied by John Ryan — and as soon as Ryan wasn’t around to claim it, Johnson seized it.

“Also, I think [junior tight end Kyle Rudolph] and I didn’t like sharing the same number too much,” he added with a smile.

Though the line is working with their third position coach (Mike Elston) in as many years, Johnson sees good things ahead in 2010 for the projected starters, particularly senior nose tackle Ian Williams.

“I feel like we’re all athletic, we’re all fast, we’re all pretty smart guys, and we all love football,” Johnson said of himself, Williams and junior end Kapron Lewis-Moore. “I know Ian has played in a defense like this before, so he’s head and shoulders above everyone else, and I think he’s going to have a great season.”

Many are expecting one from Johnson as well.

— Ryan O’Leary

Last year, defensive lineman Ethan Johnson made 32 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and a team-high four sacks, but he never felt truly comfortable in the 4-3 defense.

photo by aaron suozzi

May 2010 27

Football recruiting

The Perfect Fit Ohio lineman Brad Carrico is the first commitment of the 2011 recruiting class

By Jason Sapp

W

hile some recruits may enter the recruiting process with the intent of reacting to what they are presented, Dublin, Ohio, defensive end Brad Carrico knew exactly what he was looking for from day one. Luckily for the Irish, they hit the three main areas of his criteria and were able to receive his pledge during junior day festivities March 20.

“Notre Dame felt like the perfect fit,” the 6-6, 272-pound Coffman High player said. “There are a few things I knew I wanted in a school. The first was comfort around a stable coaching staff.

Coach [Brian] Kelly told me he has every intention of finishing his coaching career at Notre Dame, so I don’t have to worry about him going anywhere.

“The next was staying in the Midwest. I wanted to get away from Columbus to experience something different, but I wanted to stay close enough where my family and friends could come see me play. Notre Dame is only four hours away from home.

“Academics were also important to me. Notre Dame is second to none. The 98 percent graduation rate really stood out to me.”

Carrico was aware of how much Kelly and Co. were interested in him when they were at Cincinnati, but he wasn’t sure if it would carry over. Needless to say, he was pleased to find out in early January that Kelly offered him again.

“I know Notre Dame’s staff well because my first offer was from Cincinnati last September when they were coaching there,” he said. “I’ve felt comfortable around the staff for a long time. I was looking out for the offer after they went to Notre Dame.

“I was ecstatic that they provided the opportunity for me to play there, and I’ve called it my ‘dream offer.’ Playing at a school like Notre Dame was something I’ve always dreamed about.”

Carrico planned on making a decision early in his recruitment, but not this early. After he was able to get a closer look at what the Irish had to offer, he knew he didn’t need to drag out the search any further.

“I originally wanted to get the recruiting process done before the season, but

28 May 2010

I didn’t lock myself into that if I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go,” he said.

“The first time I visited Notre Dame I knew I wanted to go there. I went the last weekend before National Signing Day [Feb. 3], and I felt I fit in with the players and recruits that committed. I’ve always heard great things about Notre Dame, and everything I heard was true.”

Former Irish quarterback Brady Quinn (2003-06), former Notre Dame safety Chinedum Ndukwe (2003-06) and former Irish shooting guard Chris Quinn (2002-06) were a few Coffman High alumni spreading the good word around their alma mater.

Carrico, who is ranked by Scout. com as a three-star recruit, registered 74 tackles, nine sacks, eight additional tackles for loss and five pass deflections in 2009. He carries a 3.3 GPA and plans to graduate from high school early. He’s interested in criminal justice as a college major.

He played basketball as a freshman and participated in the field events in track through his sophomore year, but decided to focus on training for football. A big part of the reason he hit the weight room instead is because he made quite the position move from quarterback to defensive end entering his third season.

“I was a little shaky about changing positions at first because all I played was quarterback, but it was something I wanted to do,” Carrico said. “I really wanted to be the one hitting somebody else. I played middle linebacker in middle school, and I fell in love with playing defense.”

Carrico’s father, Doug, played quarterback for Bowling Green in the 1980s and was a member of the 1985 team that went undefeated in the regular season before losing to Fresno State in the California Bowl. The younger Carrico has always worked with his father at signal-caller, but he hasn’t looked back since the change.

“I have no regrets about switching.

I think my dad wanted me to stay at quarterback,” he said jokingly. “But it all worked out. We’re both happy with the change.”

Both father and son returned to campus for Notre Dame’s fourth spring practice March 31. They were impressed with defensive line coach Mike Elston and are looking forward to the next trip for the Blue-Gold game April 24.

Carrico, who is listed as a three-star recruit

by Scout.com, compiled 74 tackles and nine sacks as a junior. photo courtesy brad carrico

“I like Coach Elston a lot and how he coaches,” Brad Carrico said. “It fits my personality. He makes sure to coach the players to do what he expects. He won’t just yell at you and belittle you, but he takes the time to show his players how to do things the right way.”

Carrico may be new to the defensive end position, but his head coach, Mark Crabtree, feels the arrow is certainly pointing up.

“He’s a very intelligent person, and it translates onto the football field,” Crabtree said. “He’s learning the defensive end position, and developing the little nuances of it will help him become a top-flight player. He just needs more experience. He’s a big kid, so we’ll work on his overall leverage and staying low.

His physical presence, however, will allow him to do a lot of things.”

Off the gridiron, Carrico has just as many redeeming qualities, said his coach.

“He’s a leader,” Crabtree added.

“People like him, and he has the respect of those around him. He’s about the success of the team, not just Brad Carrico. As a coach, that’s what you want in your players. Both the players and the coaches can count on him.

“His best football has yet to be played because of his work ethic. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

He’ll be a great player for Notre Dame.”

According to national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, another position

change may create an even greater opportunity for Carrico at the next level.

“He’s a pretty good offensive lineman,” Lemming said as a guest on the Blue & Gold Recruiting Show. “He’s one of the best in Ohio. He has growth potential and a redshirt year will be good for him. He’s the type of offensive lineman I would look for because he’s big and athletic. Offensive line would probably be the better fit for him to play in the NFL.” Regardless of where Carrico is asked to play, his father knows that he’ll accept the challenge head on.

“The part I’m most proud about is he doesn’t care where he plays,” Doug Carrico said. “He’ll play where he’s asked to play. If he gets to play defensive end, then that’s great. If he’s moved to offensive tackle, then that’s great, too. The coaches did make it quite clear, though, that he was recruited as a four-technique [strongside] defensive end.”

Carrico may have not been on the market for too long, but it was long enough. With the combined interest in both Kelly’s coaching staff and Notre Dame, he doesn’t plan on heading anywhere else but South Bend.

“When I did commit, I was glad to have the process over,” he said. “It was getting pretty tiring. It becomes a lot to handle with lifting, schoolwork, contacting the coaches, and everything else.

I’m 100 percent committed to Notre Dame and done with the process.” ✦

Film Analysis

Strengths Makes contact with great hand placement … Capable of getting separation … Wingspan allows him to be disruptive on short passes and to the flats as well … While engaged with a blocker, fights to keep his gap responsibility and keep any plays from getting beyond the line of scrimmage … Good first step off the line in the stunt game … Lateral movement allows him to get narrow quickly and make a play on the quarterback in the pocket … Size and strength help him stand his ground on contact … Makes good reads on action away and keeps outside contained.

Areas To Improve Feet could be more active on contact … Tends to stay on the blocker while trying to read the play … Additional technique will allow him to come off of the block and be more disruptive … Can use hands more to get off of the block …

Finds a way to get off of the block after gaining control, but he could make a play in either direction more efficiently … Lining up to play half a man instead of head up on a full man will be advantageous for him.

— Jason Sapp

blue & gold illustrated

Big Catch Irish land a commitment from Sunshine State offensive tackle Jordan Prestwood

By Jason Sapp

T

he saying goes: “Out of death comes new life.”

Following the news of offensive tackle signee Matt James’ tragic death the evening of April 2 (see pages 14-15), the Notre Dame community received good news April 5 with the announcement of Plant City, Fla., offensive tackle Jordan Prestwood’s intentions to sign with the Irish next February.

There’s no replacing the life of a 17-year-old kid that’s on his way to play for the most storied program in the country, but the second pledge of the 2011 recruiting class came as a breath of fresh air.

In the opening statement of Prestwood’s afternoon press conference at Plant City High, he shared his thoughts on the unfortunate loss.

“Before I take questions, my family and I would like to extend our prayers and condolences to the family of Matt James,” he said. “It saddens me that I lost a fellow Notre Dame commit and future Irish teammate.”

Prestwood followed the Irish before even getting recruited by them. He was able to see what the campus had to offer during a summer camp in 2009, when his coach, Jason Strunk, helped under former Irish head coach Charlie Weis. The duo returned to South Bend for the USC game Oct. 17. Three times was a charm for the Florida native and he felt prepared to make his decision following a visit for the opening spring practice March 26.

“Notre Dame’s uniqueness really stood out to me,” the 6-6, 275-pound prospect said. “I felt I fit in perfectly. The people, coaches, players … everyone was great.

“I grew up cheering for Florida State and Notre Dame. When I started getting serious with the recruiting process, something stood out to me about Notre Dame.

They just have the whole package.”

A key component to Prestwood’s visit was acquainting himself with the new Irish coaching staff. Finding a certain level of comfort is important for any recruit, and it didn’t take long for him to reach it.

“Meeting the staff was a big part of the visit,” he said. “Coach [Brian] Kelly is an

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Prestwood, a product of Plant City, Fla., is ranked as a four-star prospect by Scout.com and is an ESPNU150 To Watch prospect.

photo courtesy jordan prestwood

awesome guy. I loved him. He’s going to win wherever he coaches, and that’s the kind of coach I want to play for. “[Offensive line] Coach [Ed] Warinner is down to earth, but he’s a high intensity coach. He doesn’t just yell at you when you mess up an assignment. He takes the time to teach you what you did wrong and how to make it better.”

Prestwood — who is ranked as a four‑star player by Scout.com and is an ESPNU150 To Watch prospect — had 28 catches for 319 yards and three scores as a tight end in 2009, and added one rushing touchdown. Despite it being his first season at tight end, he was selected as Class 5A third-team all-state.

Although he played tight end last fall, Prestwood has plenty of experience as an offensive lineman.

“I played my first two years of varsity at tackle,” Prestwood said. “My coach moved me to tight end as a junior to use my athleticism. I’m going to keep growing and stay athletic to make a good tackle at the next level.”

Strunk noticed his player’s strengths and decided to utilize them as an offensive weapon.

“He’s so athletic for his size,” Strunk

shared. “That’s the appeal for Notre Dame. They envision him being an athletic offensive tackle for them. He’s the total package. He has an advantage because we run a spread, no-huddle offense like Notre Dame will this season.

“This totally worked out for him and Notre Dame.”

National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming also gave high praise to Prestwood.

“I like Jordan Prestwood a lot,” Lemming said while serving as a guest on the Blue & Gold Recruiting Show. “When you watch him on film he impresses you because he catches passes, and he moves pretty good for a tight end. He’s got a frame that if he’s over 250 pounds now, he’ll be a 300-pounder in a couple of years.

“If he can keep his athletic ability and quick feet, Notre Dame got themselves an outstanding player. He was a kid that would’ve been a national recruit. Everybody in Florida wanted him. He’s a very big catch for Notre Dame.”

There’s not much to critique when it comes down to areas for Prestwood to improve on other than technique and size.

“He’ll work on getting more flexibility and agility in the hip area,” Strunk said.

“And just getting his body lower and using a low center of gravity when he plays.

I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do here to prepare him for Notre Dame because he’s bigger than the competition, but we can focus on getting him stronger for the next level.”

As far as having the signs of a left tackle that a college coach looks out for, Lemming feels Prestwood has them.

“He’s got great feet, he’s a good drive blocker and he’s a good pass blocker,” he noted. “I did see that he was very good in transition, he redirected well and he moved very, very well. That’s the key to anyone being successful along the offensive line.

“First you’ve got to have the build. He’s going to have to get a little bigger, but I think secondly, and more importantly, he’s got the great feet, the long arms and the quick hands to be very successful.”

It’s apparent that Prestwood has impressed on the gridiron, but his coach feels he’s just as impressive off it.

“He doesn’t say much, but when you get to know him he’s just like any other kid,” Strunk shared. “He’s funny, and he comes from a great family. I couldn’t think of a better family to come from.

They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met.

He’s got great support at home.

“I sent a letter to Coach Kelly and [athletic director] Jack Swarbrick thanking them for giving Jordan this opportunity. I told them that he’s not only a great player, but he has BCS character.” ✦

Film Analysis

Strengths Catches the ball well as a tight end … Tries to run through every tackler instead of going down on contact … Quick off the line … Shuffles out in space to remain in front of blocking assignment … Plays physically … Keeps legs pumping on blocks to make the defender move backwards … Gets separation on blocks … Continues to move between whistles … Not the fastest player on film, but runs well for size … Stands out as an athletic prospect that should make a smooth transition from tight end to left tackle.

Areas To Improve Will need to work on staying lower coming out of stance … One of the first players off the line, but taking a shorter first step and sinking hips should help him get more out of his initial surge … Tends to place hands on the opponent’s chest instead of punching out more to deliver a stronger blow … Could block at the second level more after completing first block instead of honing in on one target, but doesn’t stop moving until play is over … Possesses the tools to be a contributing player at next level with increased technique work.

— Jason Sapp

May 2010 29

Working From The Outside In Notre Dame’s 2011 recruiting focus is centered on the defensive end position

A

By Jason Sapp

fter arriving at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly prioritized the quarterback position in his staff’s remaining efforts in the 2010 recruiting class. The new head coach succeeded in his mission by gaining the signatures of three true signalcallers — Andrew Hendrix and Luke Massa of Cincinnati, and early enrollee Tommy Rees of Lake Forest, Ill. During the 2011 recruiting campaign, the focus will shift toward the defensive line — particularly end. There will be five senior defensive linemen and only one junior — nose guard Tyler Stockton — for the 2011 season. Notre Dame connected on a couple of defensive ends, Bruce Heggie of Sorrento, Fla., and Kona Schwenke of Hauula, Hawaii, late in the 2010 process and is set on landing higher-rated players earlier in the new recruiting season.

National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming has mentioned that what essentially led to the firings of the recent head coaches at Notre Dame was failed recruiting efforts on the defensive front.

Kelly started addressing the needs at the position as soon as the 2010 class came to a close on National Signing Day (Feb. 3).

The Irish landed their first commitment during junior day March 20 in projected defensive end Brad Carrico of Dublin, Ohio (see page 28). Notre Dame, however, still has some work to do at the position.

There are approximately 18-20 total spots available in the class, and the coaches would like to see roughly three more of those occupied by defensive ends.

Here are 10 prospects for 2011 that the Irish are pursuing to fill those needs.

Clay Burton Venice (Fla.) The 6-3, 230-pounder compiled 45 tackles, 13 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2009. On the basketball team, he averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game in his junior season. He runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard

30 May 2010

dash, his max bench is 325 pounds and his max squat is 400 pounds. He carries an impressive 4.0 GPA. Burton has collected double-digit offers from programs like Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Ole Miss, West Virginia and others.

His early leader is listed as Clemson, with Notre Dame next in line. He originally planned on attending Notre Dame’s junior day, but had to cancel. He has scheduled an official visit to South Bend Sept. 11 for the game against Michigan and is set to visit Georgia Tech for its junior day April 17. He hopes to have his decision made halfway through his senior season after his visits are complete.

His older brother, Trey, was a 2010 quarterback signee for Florida.

Anthony Chickillo Tampa (Fla.) Alonso The 6-3, 226-pounder registered 72 tackles, 12 sacks and six pass deflections in six games during the 2009 season. He earned first-team All-Hillsborough County honors as a defensive end.

Rivals.com also selected him as a first-team all-combine lineman for his performance at the Army National Combine in early January. Chickillo has attended camp at Miami. He runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash and is coached by former Irish offensive lineman Mike Heldt (1987-90).

Chickillo, who is ranked by Scout.com as a three-star player and the No. 30 defensive end in the country, plans on taking all five official visits before making a final decision. He would like to graduate early.

Besides Notre Dame, he has more than 40 offers in hand — including Cincinnati,

Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State and Tennessee.

His top 10 schools are listed as Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC. He plans on narrowing down his list to five by the start of his senior season and wants to visit Notre Dame in the summer.

His father, Tony, was an All-American defensive lineman at Miami (1979-82).

His grandfather, Nick, also played for the Hurricanes from 1951-52.

Ray Drew Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central The 6-5, 236-pounder — who recorded 72 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, six sacks and two pass deflections in 2009 — has received an invitation to participate in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was the starting center on his basketball team as a junior, and he finished No. 3 in the state in the shot put as a sophomore. Drew runs a 4.74 in the 40-yard dash.

Drew is rated as a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 6 defensive end

by Scout.com and has collected more than 20 scholarships offers. Some of the programs on the list are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and USC. He’s also tabbed as a Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch prospect.

During his spring break he took visits to South Carolina April 6, Clemson April 7, Tennessee April 8 and Auburn April 9, and to Florida April 10 for its spring game. He also has attended summer camp at Alabama. He plans on continuing his tour of schools and announcing his decision on National Signing Day (Feb. 2, 2011).

Nathan Hughes Klein (Texas) Klein Oak The 6-5, 245-pounder amassed 82

tackles and 11 sacks in 2009 and has accepted an invitation to play in the 2011 Under Armour AllAmerica Game.

He has attended camp at Texas. His max bench is 315 pounds, and his max squat is 450 pounds.

Hughes, who is ranked as a fourstar player and the No. 15 defensive end in the country

by Scout.com, had listed his early favorite as in-state Texas. He attended the Longhorns’ junior day in mid-February in hopes of landing an offer and learned his scholarship status is based on how the numbers work out at his position.

The Irish offer in late February brought his scholarship count close to 30. He’s tabbed as a Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch recruit.

His top two schools are now considered to be LSU and Oklahoma, with other offers in hand from Alabama, California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, Texas A&M and others.

Aaron Lynch Cape Coral (Fla.) Island Coast The 6-5, 235-pounder racked up 52 tackles, 16 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2009, and earned Class 2B firstteam all-state honors. He runs a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash.

Lynch, who is rated by Scout.com as a four-star prospect and the No. 10 defensive end nationally, listed his top five schools as Alabama, Florida State, Iowa, Notre Dame and Purdue in mid-February.

The Crimson Tide, Hawkeyes and Boilermakers were said to be leading the pack by late February. By mid-March, Notre Dame was able to make strides and move into the top position.

blue & gold illustrated

Following Lynch’s unofficial visit to South Bend in early April, the Irish are considered to have solidified that spot for the time being. He originally planned on taking all five official visits before making a final decision, but the successful trip to Notre Dame could move up the timeline.

He is a friend of freshman cornerback Spencer Boyd, also of Cape Coral, Fla., an early enrollee this year.

Cedric Reed Cleveland (Texas) The 6-5, 240-pounder registered 86 tackles and 11 sacks in 2009 to earn all-district honors. He was chosen as a firstteam all-combine defensive lineman

by Rivals.com for his performance at the Army National Combine.

He also received second-team all-combine honors from Scout.com for the event. He has attended camps at LSU, Oklahoma State and Texas, and runs a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash.

A four-star player and the country’s No. 9 defensive end according to Scout.com, Reed could be making his decision soon. If that does occur, then in-state Texas looks to be in a strong position after extending a junior day offer in mid-February. Oklahoma is another program that’s steadily in the mix.

He’s tabbed as a Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch prospect.

Some of the other offers on the table are from Alabama, Illinois, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Stanford and USC. Since a decision has yet to be made, the other schools are still in the mix.

Chris Rock Columbus (Ohio) DeSales The 6-5, 250-pounder compiled 60plus tackles and 15 sacks as a sophomore. He also played basketball as a sophomore and carries a 3.6 GPA. Rock, who is rated by Scout.com as a three-star recruit, was a first-day offer by the Irish in early September. He toured campus on an unofficial visit for the USC game Oct. 17 and returned for Notre Dame’s junior day. Rock plans on taking another trip in the spring.

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He’s tabbed as a Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch prospect, and also has offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Stanford, West Virginia and others.

The Irish made a great impression during his late-March visit, but he would like to take campus tours of other schools before making a final decision.

He hopes to end his recruitment by the start of his senior season.

Brennan Scarlett Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic The 6-5, 245-pounder recorded 59 tackles, six sacks and an interception in 2009. Offensively, he had 17 catches for 343 yards and seven touchdowns. He earned first-team all-league honors as a linebacker and tight end.

Scarlett tore his ACL in the final playoff game and couldn’t play basketball as a junior. In place of being the starting power forward for his team, he swam competitively for the first time and made it to the championship heat at the district meet in the 50-meter freestyle. His other event was the 100-meter free. He runs the 200 and 400 meters in track, and has camped at USC. Scarlett, who is ranked as a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 17 defensive end by Scout.com, has unofficially visited Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC and Washington. He plans to continue visiting the local programs through the spring, and would like to use his official visits on the schools that are farther away. He’s targeting Notre Dame as one of his potential official visits in the fall. A Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch prospect, Scarlett has also collected scholarship offers from BYU, California, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Stanford and Texas Tech.

His father, Paul, was a sprinter on the track team at BYU. Greg Townsend Jr. Beverly Hills (Calif.)

The 6-4, 242-pounder amassed 73 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2009. On special teams, he blocked three pointafter touchdown attempts. His max bench is 245 pounds, and his max squat

is 405 pounds.

Townsend Jr., who is rated as a fourstar recruit and the No. 8 defensive end in the country by Scout.com, listed his top five schools as Miami, Oregon, Texas Christian, USC and Washington in mid-March. He received an offer from Notre Dame in early April, and his other offers are from Arizona, Arizona State, California, San Diego State, Tennessee and UCLA. His father, Greg Sr., was an AllAmerican defensive end at TCU in the early 1980s before being a fourth-round draft pick for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1983. He had a 15-year NFL career, played in two Pro Bowls, and is No. 16 on the league career sacks list with 109.

Stephon Tuitt Monroe (Ga.) The 6-5, 260-pounder racked up 56 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2009. Offensively, he graded

out at 80 percent as a tackle.

Tuitt won the overall MVP Award for his performance at the Atlanta MVP Camp April 2 and has attended summer camp at Georgia. He runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash, his max bench is 325 pounds and his max squat is 485.

A four-star recruit and the No. 18 defensive end nationally according to Scout.com, Tuitt listed his top five programs as Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech and Michigan in late March. He received the Irish offer just after creating a top list of schools. He’s also tabbed as a Rivals.com Top 250 to Watch and ESPNU150 to Watch prospect.

His other offers are from Georgia, Illinois, Louisville, South Carolina, Southern Miss and Vanderbilt. The Irish will have to move fast because he would like to make a decision by late May. The Yellow Jackets were named the leader in late February.

Note: Irish-offered defensive ends that have committed elsewhere are Chase Farris of Elyria, Texas (committed to Ohio State); Steve Miller of Canton, Ohio (committed to Ohio State); and Jeoffrey Pagan of Asheville, N.C., (committed to Florida). ✦

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May 2010 31

prep profiles

Notre Dame Out In Front For Illinois Wideout V

ernon, Hills, Ill., receiver DaVaris Daniels doesn’t have to stress when it comes to finding reliable sources on how to handle his recruitment. His father, Phillip, plays defensive line for the Washington Redskins, and his godfather happens to be former Irish defensive lineman Andre Jones (1987-91), the father of Irish wideout early enrollee Tailer of Gainesville, Ga. The Irish connections are able to provide the younger Daniels with plenty of information about the program, but he has also done his own research. Fortunately for Notre Dame, his opinion of the program has taken a turn for the better when comparing his junior day visit March 20 to his appearance at a game during the 2009 season. “[Fellow Notre Dame wide receiver prospect and teammate] Evan Spencer and I went out there for the USC game [Oct. 17], and we didn’t like it,” the 6-3, 190-pound Vernon Hills High player said.

“It is a heck of a lot different than it was before from everything we are hearing. Coach [Brian] Kelly is doing

great things there and working hard to turn the program around. We both loved the [March 20] visit. That much positive energy from Coach Kelly will spread to the team.

“I’m still open, but I know Notre Dame is my No. 1 right now.”

In addition to being impressed by the new head coach, academics and facilities that the Irish have to offer, Daniels has been building a relationship with retained assistant Tony Alford.

“I already had a connection with [the wide receiver coach] going into the visit, so it made it very easy for me,” Daniels said. “We have the same personality, and we’re alike in a lot of ways. We like to have fun, but we can be serious when it’s time to go to work, too.”

Daniels is particularly capable of flipping that switch on the gridiron. He played quarterback in 2009, but suffered a strained hamstring that slowed him down all season. Despite the injury, he was able to amass 10 touchdowns and earned all-conference honors. On the basketball court, he averaged 22 points

Kansas Signal-Caller Gives Irish High Grade G

ardner, Kan., quarterback Bubba Starling entered the recruiting process with some decisions to make. In addition to being one of the most highly touted signal-callers in the country, he’s also being pursued by Major League Baseball franchises. He may have the ability to be a pro baseball player, but the 6-5, 190-pound prospect is keeping his sights set on college first.

“I’m focusing on finding a good college right now,” Starling said. “I’m not looking at going right into pro baseball. Who knows? I could play pro baseball later in life. We’ll have to see what happens.”

Notre Dame was able to get a visit for its junior day March 20. The trip went so well that he’s already targeting another date.

“It was my first trip to Notre Dame, and I loved it,” he shared. “I plan on coming back out in the spring. It will probably be for the [Blue-Gold] game [April 24].”

Irish head coach Brian Kelly may

32 May 2010

be prohibiting his players on the current roster from participating in spring sports, but that’s expected to change moving forward. For Starling, not having the chance to be a dual-sport athlete could hurt any program’s chances of landing his services.

✦ Bubba Starling ✪✪✪✪✪

Gardner Edgerton High School Gardner, Kan.

Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 190 40-yard dash: 4.5 Rankings: Rivals.com’s 2011 Top 250 Watch List and ESPNU150 Watch List

“I’m trying to find a college that’s good at both football and baseball, and Notre Dame could be that place. You can get a great education there, too,” Starling said. “My dad [Jim] came with me, and he was really impressed. He likes how the campus isn’t extremely

and six rebounds as the starting shooting guard, and received honorable mention all-state honors.

While their recruitments may be separate, Daniels and Spencer have discussed choosing the same football program.

“It definitely makes it easier. I don’t have to go through it alone,” Daniels said of the recruiting process. “We always talk about where we might end up. It would be easier if we went to college together, but we have to see how each one of us fits into the school, too.

There’s a strong possibility we’ll play for the same school, though.”

Aside from Notre Dame showing interest in Spencer, the connection to Jones may also help point him towards South Bend.

“It’s all going to come down to my comfort level, but it could make my decision easier,” Daniels said.

Daniels has offers in hand from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Purdue and others. He has visited Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, and his only other

trip scheduled is the Blue-Gold game April 24.

Daniels knows what he’s looking for in a school, and he doesn’t intend on stretching out his recruitment.

huge. Everything that you need is right there. It’s a family environment.

“Coach Kelly mentioned a couple of players that did well with football and baseball like Jeff Samardzija and Golden Tate. It’s a tough schedule and a lot of work to split up, but I’m a competitive person and I feel I can handle it.”

The Gardner Edgerton High player completed 63 of 117 pass attempts for 1,433 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2009. He also had 124 rushes for 1,381 yards and 19 scores. In addition to throwing the football 70-plus yards and having a 93-mph fastball, he’s also an all-state basketball player.

Starling has made other stops at Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska. He has also been offered by Alabama, Kansas State, Louisville and Miami. He’ll narrow down his list of suitors in the spring after taking more visits, but the Irish look to have a legitimate shot.

A program that Starling was able to build a relationship with early was the in-state Jayhawks. With Kelly bringing in former Kansas coach Ed Warinner to instruct Notre Dame’s offensive line, there has been a continued relationship between player and coach. He was

also able to meet his probable position coach, Charley Molnar, during the Irish visit.

“He seems like a great quarterback coach,” Starling said of Molnar, who also serves as the offensive coordinator.

“I could be a good passer in that offense. [Former Cincinnati signal-caller Tony] Pike was a two-star recruit, and he’s a potential first-rounder. I could fit in well with their offense. They like to pass, but they run with the quarterback, too.”

The buzz around the South Bend area is at an increased level with some of the changes that Kelly has made. Starling could quickly sense a new attitude amongst the team, and he’s looking forward to getting another look over the spring game weekend.

“There’s a lot of positive energy right now at Notre Dame,” he said. “Coach Kelly wants to win championships.

He’s working on putting together a good recruiting class to help him do that. He didn’t have the top recruits or facilities at Cincinnati, but he still made it to BCS games. Now he has the opportunity to bring in better players with better facilities at Notre Dame.”

— Jason Sapp

✦ DaVaris Daniels ✪✪✪✪✪ Vernon Hills High School Vernon Hills, Ill.

Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 190 40-yard dash: 4.4 Rankings: Scout.com’s No. 4 wide receiver in the country, Rivals.com’s 2011 Top 250 Watch List and ESPNU150 Watch List

“The coaching staff has to be good,” he said. “Academics and how I fit in with the program are also important.

I want to go to a school that will help me excel.

“I’m going into my senior season, and I only have one. I want to be able to focus on that, so I’d like to have it all wrapped up in the summer.”

— Jason Sapp

blue & gold illustrated

football recruiting 2011 Master List Quarterback Kiehl Frazier, 6-3, 212, Springdale, Ark. (Shiloh Christian) Christian LeMay, 6-2, 200, Matthews, N.C. (Butler) Braxton Miller, 6-2, 185, Huber Heights, Ohio (Wayne) Bubba Starling, 6-5, 190, Gardner, Kan. (Gardner Edgerton) Max Wittek, 6-3, 200, Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)* Running Back George Atkinson, 6-2, 185, Livermore, Calif. (Granada)* Mike Bellamy, 5-10, 175, Punta Gorda, Fla. (Charlotte) Aaron Green, 5-11, 186, San Antonio (James Madison) Justice Hayes, 5-10, 175, Grand Blanc, Mich. (Grand Blanc) Savon Huggins, 6-0, 190, Jersey City, N.J. (St. Peter’s Prep) Wide Receiver DeAnthony Arnett, 6-0, 170, Saginaw, Mich. (Saginaw) Kelvin Benjamin, 6-6, 210, Belle Glade, Fla. (Glades Central) Victor Blackwell, 6-1, 190, Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)* DaVaris Daniels, 6-3, 190, Vernon Hills, Ill. (Vernon Hills) Phillip Dorsett, 5-10, 170, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Matthias Farley, 6-1, 185, Charlotte, N.C. (Christian)* Rashad Greene, 6-0, 160, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Charone Peake, 6-3, 185, Roebuck, S.C. (Dorman) Richard Rodgers, 6-4, 230, Shrewsbury, Mass. (St. John’s)* Devin Smith, 6-1, 175, Massillon, Ohio (Washington) Evan Spencer, 6-1, 185, Vernon Hills, Ill. (Vernon Hills) Josh Turner, 6-0, 185, Oklahoma City (Millwood) Kasen Williams, 6-1, 196, Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline) Tight End Ray Hamilton, 6-5, 225, Strongsville, Ohio (Strongsville) Ben Koyack, 6-5, 230, Oil City, Pa. (Oil City) Troy Niklas, 6-5, 240, Anaheim, Calif. (Servite)

Recruiting Notes • QB Christian LeMay of Matthews (N.C.) Butler plans on keeping Auburn, Clemson and Georgia among his top five when he narrows down his list over the summer. Notre Dame is a program that’s still in the running to fill one of his final two spots. If he hasn’t made a decision yet, he could announce at the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 8 in San Antonio. Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 2 quarterback.

• QB Max Wittek, who is rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 16 quarterback nationally by Scout.com, took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for spring practice April 5. He hopes to have a decision made before the start of his senior season.

He attends Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.

• Saginaw, Mich., WR DeAnthony Arnett attended Notre Dame’s spring practice April 7.

Scout.com lists him as a four-star player and the country’s No. 6 wide receiver.

• WR Victor Blackwell of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei listed his top two schools (in order) as Cal and Georgia in mid-March, but he’s still considering other programs. Notre Dame will remain in the hunt after extending a late-March offer. He plans on taking all five official visits before closing out his recruitment. Scout.com tabs him as a four-star prospect and the No. 9 wide receiver in the country.

• WR Philipp Dorsett, who is rated by Scout.com as a three-star recruit, has Florida, Georgia and

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Jay Rome, 6-6, 227, Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta) Austin Seferian-Jenkins, 6-7, 248, Gig Harbor, Wash. (Gig Harbor) Max Stevenson, 6-6, 227, Klein, Texas (Klein Oak)* Nick Vannett, 6-6, 230, Westerville, Ohio (Westerville Central)* Offensive Line Brendon Austin, 6-5, 263, Parker, Colo. (Chaparral) Michael Bennett, 6-3, 275, Centerville, Ohio (Centerville) Brey Cook, 6-7, 314, Springdale, Ark. (Har-Ber)* Watts Dantzler, 6-7, 315, Dalton, Ga. (Dalton) Conor Hanratty, 6-4, 296, New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan) Matthew Hegarty, 6-5, 265, Aztec, N.M. (Aztec) Cyrus Hobbi, 6-4, 285, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro) Cyrus Kouandjio, 6-7, 322, Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha) Jordan Prestwood, 6-6, 273, Plant City, Fla. (Plant City) Aundrey Walker, 6-5, 355, Cleveland (Glenville Academic Campus)* Jay Whitmire, 6-6, 287, Alexandria, Va. (T.C. Williams)* Defensive Line Clay Burton, 6-3, 230, Venice, Fla. (Venice) Brad Carrico, 6-6, 272, Dublin, Ohio (Coffman) Anthony Chickillo, 6-3, 226, Tampa, Fla. (Alonso) Ray Drew, 6-5, 236, Thomasville, Ga. (Thomas County Central) Nathan Hughes, 6-5, 245, Klein, Texas (Klein Oak) Aaron Lynch, 6-5, 235, Cape Coral, Fla. (Island Coast) Cedric Reed, 6-5, 240, Cleveland, Texas (Cleveland) Chris Rock, 6-5, 250, Columbus, Ohio (DeSales) Brennan Scarlett, 6-5, 245, Portland, Ore. (Central Catholic) Greg Townsend Jr., 6-4, 242, Beverly Hills, Calif. (Beverly Hills)* Stephon Tuitt, 6-5, 260, Monroe, Ga. (Monroe)* Linebacker Stephone Anthony, 6-3, 220, Wadesboro, N.C. (Anson)

Brennen Beyer, 6-4, 215, Canton, Mich. (Plymouth) Trey DePriest, 6-2, 223, Springfield, Ohio (Springfield South) Christian French, 6-6, 218, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Kennedy)* Jarrett Grace, 6-4, 230, Cincinnati (Colerain) Rob Hankins, 6-1, 218, Dallas (Parish Episcopal School) Dan Tapko, 6-4, 220, Kansas City, Mo. (Rockhurst) James Vaughters, 6-3, 220, Tucker, Ga. (Tucker) Anthony Wallace, 6-2, 220, Dallas (Skyline) Ishaq Williams, 6-6, 220, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Abraham Lincoln) Defensive Back Quincy Aldridge, 6-2, 195, Whitehouse, Texas (Whitehouse)* Jalen Brown, 6-0, 173, Irving, Texas (MacArthur) Doran Grant, 5-10, 171, Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary) Eilar Hardy, 6-0, 170, Pickerington, Ohio (Pickerington Central) Christion Jones, 6-0, 185, Adamsville, Ala. (Minor) Wayne Lyons, 6-0, 190, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard) Jermaine Whitehead, 6-0, 183, Greenwood, Miss. (Amanda Elzy)* Athlete Devin Bowman, 6-0, 175, Rossville, Ga. (Ridgeland)* Hasean Clinton-Dix, 6-3, 210, Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) Hakeem Flowers, 6-3, 180, Greenville, S.C. (Wade Hampton) Jabriel Washington, 5-11, 165, Jackson, Tenn. (Trinity Christian Academy) * Prospects offered between March 16 and April 12; Commitments in bold italics

Master List Changes Prospects removed were: OL Christian Westerman of Chandler, Ariz. (committed to Texas), DL Chase Farris of Elyria, Ohio (committed to Ohio State), DL Jeoffrey Pagan of Asheville, N.C. (committed to Florida) and DB Albert Louis-Jean of Brockton, Mass. (committed to Miami).

State, Missouri, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. derbilt and Texas Tech. The Wolverines currently North Carolina among his five preseason final• Dallas Skyline LB Anthony Wallace is targeting serve as the toughest competition. He took ists. The Irish are a program that he’s targeting a summer visit to Notre Dame. Scout.com rates an unofficial visit to Notre Dame March 31 for to round out the list. He wants to take all five him as a four-star player and the No. 5 middle spring practice. Scout.com tabs him as a four-star official visits before making a decision. He atlinebacker nationally. prospect and the nation’s No. 13 defensive end. tends St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. • DB Jermaine Whitehead of Greenwood, Miss., • LB Christian French of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, • Klein (Texas) Oak TE Max Stevenson’s top has Ole Miss currently out front for his services, who is ranked by Scout.com as a three-star reschools are listed as LSU, Notre Dame and Texas ahead of Auburn, Mississippi State, Southern cruit and the country’s No. 19 tight end, has his Tech. He would like to have a decision made Miss and Tennessee. He plans on attending a top programs listed as Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas before the start of his senior season. Scout.com summer camp at Notre Dame. Scout.com tabs lists him as a three-star player and the No. 12 him as a three-star prospect. tight end in the nation.

• Athlete Devin Bowman, who is listed by • TE Nick Vannett of Westerville (Ohio) Central Scout.com as a three-star recruit and the was on campus for Notre Dame’s spring practice No. 33 cornerback in the nation, received an April 9. He hopes to narrow down his list of suitoffer from Notre Dame in early April shortly ors at the end of the summer. Scout.com tabs after putting Georgia, Alabama and Georgia him as a four-star prospect and the country’s Tech in the lead for his services. He has yet No. 10 tight end. to receive an offer from the Crimson Tide.

• OL Matt Hegarty, who is rated by Scout.com He would like to have a decision made by the as a four-star recruit and the No. 10 offensive start of his senior season. tackle nationally, plans on narrowing down • Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips athlete Hasean his list in the summer and making a preseason Clinton-Dix lists his top two schools as Aladecision. Notre Dame looks to be in a good bama and Notre Dame. The Crimson Tide position to make the cut following a successcurrently has the edge, but he plans to be ful junior day visit March 20. He attends Aztec in South Bend April 24 for the spring game.

High in Aztec, N.M. Scout.com rates him as a five-star player and • Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro OL Cyrus Hobbi the top safety in the country. will narrow down his list to five schools by • Also expected to attend the Blue-Gold the start of his senior campaign. Scout.com Game are WR DaVaris Daniels (Vernon Hills, ranks him as a four-star player and the No. 12 Ill.); LB Christian French (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); offensive guard in the country.

• LB Brennen Beyer of Canton, Mich., has New Mexico offensive tackle Matt Hegarty attended OL Conor Hanratty (New Canaan, Conn.); TE Ben Koyack (Oil City, Pa.); and QB Bubba Starlisted his top schools as Michigan, Michigan Notre Dame’s junior day on March 20.

State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, UCLA, VanPhoto courtesy Matt hegarty ling (Gardner, Kan.)

May 2010 33

Early Exit, Bright Future Run to the NCAA Tournament offers plenty of promise for the program

T

By Todd D. Burlage

he improbable late-season run and hopes for a similar winning streak in the NCAA Tournament ended abruptly and unceremoniously in New Orleans when Notre Dame dropped a 51-50 firstround heartbreaker to Old Dominion on March 18.

The loss to the Colonial Athletic Association champion was stunning because Notre Dame entered the tournament as one of the hottest teams and top stories in college basketball after winning six of seven games to go from afterthought to a No. 6 seed. Irish head coach Mike Brey called the late-season push “unprecedented.”

With a South Region field that many believed was the most manageable of the four NCAA Tournament brackets, a popular projection was Notre Dame advancing to at least the Sweet 16, and maybe even into the Elite Eight round.

But cold shooting and one of the worst games in the career of star forward Luke Harangody doomed the Irish (23-12) and made them the first team eliminated in the field of 64 early that Thursday afternoon.

“There’s a lot of emotion in there, especially from our seniors,” Brey said of the postgame locker room. “When you invest like those guys have invested in our basketball program, man, it comes crushing down. Also, when you have

Final 2009-10 Season Statistics

Scoring: Luke Harangody 21.8, Tim Abromaitis 16.1, Ben Hansbrough 12.0, Tory Jackson 9.6, Tyrone Nash 7.8 and Carleton Scott 5.0.

Note: This marked the third straight season Harangody averaged at least 20 points. He led the Irish in scoring in 19 of the first 25 games before suffering a knee injury.

Rebounding: Harangody 9.1, Nash 5.2, Abromaitis 4.7, Scott 4.6 and Hansbrough 3.9.

Note: Despite being at an athletic disadvantage in most Big East games, Notre Dame finished fourth in the league in defensive rebounding at 23.9 per game.

Assists: Jackson 185, Hansbrough 153, Nash 59, Abromaitis 52, Harangody 47, Jonathan Peoples 44 and Scott 37.

Notes: Notre Dame finished second in the country (Utah State was No. 1) with a 1.62 assist-to-turnover ratio, and the Irish were sixth in the country with 16.7 assists per game.

34 May 2010

Luke Harangody (left), Tim Abromaitis (right) and the Irish were unable to hold off 11th-seeded Old Dominion during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 51-50 setback left Notre Dame with a 23-12 record at season’s end.

Photo by Associated Press

been on a run like us and it comes to a stop, you’re coming from way up high.”

Harangody made only 2 of 9 shots from the field and finished with just four points in 23 minutes — the fewest points Harangody scored in a game since he managed just four points in a loss to Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA Tournament during his freshman season in 2007.

The second-leading scorer and rebounder in Notre Dame history provided many memorable moments for the program. The Old Dominion performance is one of the most forgettable for Harangody and the team. The Irish did most everything they needed to win and advance, except for making open shots.

Notre Dame’s 35.6-percent shooting (21 of 59) was the second lowest of the season, and the 50 points tied for the fewest it scored this season. The Irish also shot just 23.1 percent (6 of 26) from three-point range, not exactly the formula for NCAA Tournament success.

“It was one of those grind-it-out games,” Brey said. “We had some great looks over their zone that didn’t go down. And if you’re going to win, you’ve got to knock down a couple and kind of get them out of that zone. We never really could do that.”

Brey thanked his three seniors — Harangody, and guards Tory Jackson and Jonathan Peoples. The three of them leave as the winningest class over four years in program history and as participants in three NCAA Tournaments in four years.

“I thanked them again for all they’ve done for the program,” Brey said.

“When Jackson and Harangody showed up on campus, the climate changed in our practice facility, in our locker room.

We got tougher. We believed more. The coach believed more. They did all of those things.”

Turning The Page

The Irish basketball team had not

even left New Orleans Arena, but Irish head coach Mike Brey admitted to already peeking ahead to next year.

About a month before the season ended — immediately after Notre Dame had dropped three straight games and fell to 6-8 and 10th place in the Big East standings — long-term prospects for the season and the program didn’t look very strong.

How would this team survive next season without star forward Luke Harangody and its on-court coach in point guard Tory Jackson?

Was this the beginning of the end for the Brey era at Notre Dame?

The answers came during the lateseason emergence of players such as junior forwards Carleton Scott and Tyrone Nash. Brey prides himself on staying “old” and experienced during his annual Big East “survival” mission, and he will have the experience luxury again next season, even without the strong voices and personalities that Harangody and

blue & gold illustrated

Jackson brought to the program.

Maybe the biggest question surrounding the program is exactly what style of play Brey will adopt next season.

Will he permanently call on the slowdown “burn” offense that became the roots of the late-season surge for Notre Dame in the absence of Harangody because of injury?

Or will Brey return to the more uptempo style that allowed the Irish to lead the Big East in scoring three of the last four years and makes Notre Dame more attractive to prospective recruits?

“That’s a great question. We’re going to play to win in this league,” said Brey, indicating that his offensive style doesn’t necessarily have to be one or the other. “If that’s a combination of both, so be it. I do think we’re built to play both ways. We’re good with the ball. I think we’ll be able to change gears. But I think this group understands what we

2009-10 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Date Opponent Result Nov. 14 North Florida W, 86-65 Nov. 16 St. Francis (Pa.) W, 95-72 Nov. 19 Long Beach State W, 82-62 Nov. 22 Liberty!

W, 91-72 Nov. 24 Kennesaw State!

W, 80-62 Nov. 27 vs. Northwestern# L, 72-58 Nov. 28 vs. Saint Louis# W, 64-52 Dec. 1 Idaho State W, 80-70 Dec. 6 Central Florida W, 90-72 Dec. 9 IUPUI W, 93-70 Dec. 12 Loyola Marymount L, 87-85 Dec. 19 UCLA W, 84-73 Dec. 22 Bucknell W, 101-69 Dec. 30 Providence* W, 93-78 Jan. 2 at Connecticut* L, 82-70 Jan. 5 at South Florida* W, 74-73 Jan. 9 West Virginia* W, 70-68 Jan. 16 at Cincinnati* L, 60-58 L, 84-71 Jan. 18 Syracuse* W, 87-77 Jan. 23 DePaul* Jan. 27 at Villanova* L, 90-72 Jan. 30 at Rutgers* L, 74-73 Feb. 4 Cincinnati* W, 83-65 Feb. 7 So. Florida* W, 65-62 Feb. 11 at Seton Hall* L, 90-87 Feb. 14 St. John’s* L, 69-68 Feb. 17 at Louisville* L, 91-89 (2OT) Feb. 24 Pittsburgh* W, 68-53 Feb. 27 at Georgetown* W, 78-64 March 3 Connecticut* W, 58-50 March 6 at Marquette* W, 63-60 (OT) March 10 vs. Seton Hall^ W, 68-56 March 11 vs. Pittsburgh^ W, 50-45 March 12 vs. West Virginia^ L, 53-51 March 18 vs. Old Dominion@ L, 51-50 ! Chicago Invitational Challenge; # Chicago Invitational Challenge at UIC Pavilion in Chicago; * Big East Conference game; ^ at Madison Square Garden in New York City; BEN — Big East Network; @ NCAA Tournament first round in New Orleans

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need to do, what we have to do to win in the Big East.”

Brey’s strategic decisions may help steer the lineup and the rotation next season.

The slow-down game would likely lend itself to an experienced and more methodical starting backcourt of senior Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin, with the frontcourt made up of forwards Nash, Scott and surprising star Tim Abromaitis.

Martin becomes the wild card in this group. Brey called him the most talented offensive player he has ever coached, but because of a knee injury this year and transfer rules in 2008-09, Martin hasn’t played a minute in a Notre Dame uniform since transferring from Purdue after the 2007-08 season.

If the decision to play faster is made, then incoming point guard Eric Atkins might be thrust into more minutes because of his athleticism and full-court skills. Either way, expect Atkins to be part of the regular rotation.

“We’ll have a young point guard next year,” Brey said. “But he’ll be surrounded with a lot of veterans.”

Current freshman forwards Jack Cooley and Mike Broghammer, as well as rookie guard Joey Brooks, all got a taste of some important minutes this season, and should be ready for expanded roles. Cooley and Broghammer will likely split time at the same position and be used off the bench. Brooks will hope to push for more minutes as a slashing guard and lock-down defender.

Those should be the nine players that make up Brey’s rotation next season.

Incoming freshman guards Jerian Grant and Alex Dragicevich, as well as sophomore forward Thomas Knight (who redshirted this year) will likely have to take their spot on the bench this coming season, learning and paying dues.

Whatever the lineup, Brey and his Irish should find themselves in a preseason position that has suited them very well in recent years.

Notre Dame will be picked to finish somewhere in the middle of the Big East pack. It will again have to scratch and claw to finish in the top half of the league, and fight for a fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years.

If it can make the NCAA Tournament again, this would be the most successful five-year tourney stretch for the program since Digger Phelps led the Irish to eight straight NCAA appearances from 1974-81. ✦

Putting It In Perspective Irish star forward Luke Harangody never talked about individual records or the many milestones he was going to reach this year, partly because he could hardly believe any of it was actually happening.

Harangody arrived at Notre Dame as a pudgy freshman just wanting to fit in and find a role with the team, however big or small that role might be. Superstar never entered his thoughts.

“It’s surreal,” Harangody said earlier this year when asked about his place in Notre Dame basketball history.

Harangody leaves Notre Dame as one of the most productive players in program history, Big East history and NCAA history.

Following the quick exit in the NCAA Tournament March 18, a 51-50 loss to Old Dominion, Brey called Harangody and all his seniors great ambassadors and “great Notre Dame men.” Brey also told the Notre Dame masses during the last four years to enjoy and appreciate what was unfolding before their eyes, because it may a long time before a player enjoys this kind of career again at Notre Dame.

Harangody’s career ended unceremoniously with just four points on 2-of-9 shooting against Old Dominion. But given time to reflect, Harangody was able to find some perspective.

“This is one of the worst times, but I’ll remember all the good times, too,” Harangody told The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. “I know a lot of guys in the room don’t realize this right now, but it was one hell of a run. To be in the NCAA Tournament from where we were at is pretty impressive.”

Harangody appeared destined to become the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Notre Dame, but a late-season knee injury prevented that from happening. He missed five games, which likely cost him about 100 points and 50 rebounds.

Even so, the pride of Schererville, Ind., finished his career with 2,476 points (second only to Austin Carr with 2,560) and 1,222 rebounds (second only to Tom Hawkins with 1,318) on the Notre Dame career list.

In Big East games only, Harangody recorded 1,329 points, which was third in league history behind Lawrence Moten of Syracuse (1,405) and Troy Bell of Boston College (1,388). Harangody finished second among Big East career rebounders with 662, topped only by Syracuse forward Derrick Coleman with 701. Harangody also finished with 64 career double-doubles, and no other current Big East player has half that many.

The Notre Dame and Big East records are impressive, but the company Harangody is keeping in all-time NCAA circles is especially grabbing.

Only nine players in NCAA history have recorded more points and rebounds in a career than Harangody.

Check out some of these names: La Salle’s Lionel Simmons (3,217 points and 1,429 rebounds), Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (2,973 and 1,338), Houston’s Elvin Hayes (2,884 and 1,602), Navy’s David Robinson (2,669 and 1,314), La Salle’s Michael Brooks (2,628 and 1,372), Wake Forest’s Dickie Hemric (2,587 and 1,802), Louisiana-Monroe’s Carlvin Natt (2,581 and 1,285), Seattle’s Elgin Baylor 2,500 and 1,559) and some guy named Larry Bird at Indiana State (2,850 and 1,247).

— Todd D. Burlage

Only nine players in NCAA history have recorded more points and rebounds than Luke Harangody, who finished his Notre Dame career with 2,560 points and 1,222 rebounds.

Photo by joe raymond

May 2010 35

I

By Todd D. Burlage

ncoming freshman Eric Atkins didn’t know what to think when the Notre Dame basketball team made a complete 180-degree strategy turn late this season and went from scoring about 80 points a game to barely reaching 60.

To entice Atkins to come to Notre Dame, Irish head coach Mike Brey sold the point guard on quick playing time and a high-octane offense, a style that was ditched late this season for a slower approach that led to a strong finish and a place in the NCAA Tournament.

Time will tell if Brey will stick with the more methodical approach next season or return to the fast-paced style that allowed Notre Dame to lead the Big East in scoring three out of the last five seasons.

But whatever strategy decision is made, Atkins said he is “all in.”

“My thought was they were doing whatever it took to win, and that is all that matters,” said Atkins, who recently finished up his fine prep career at Mount St. Joseph’s in Baltimore. “If that’s the way Coach Brey wants me to play, then that is what I’ll do. It worked so well for them at the end of the season. It was fun to watch.”

Atkins, a 6-1, 170-pound point guard, is expected to immediately play significant minutes with the departure of starting point guard Tory Jackson.

“He will be the quarterback of our ball club,” Brey said. “Like all the point guards that have come through our program and been part of our system, the most impressive part of Eric’s game is his ability to communicate well on the floor.”

“The chance to play right away is very exciting,” said Atkins, who will join his new teammates on campus in June. “And now that the summer is getting closer and I am getting ready to head there, I’m even more excited. High school is great, but now I’m ready for college. The Big East is no joke, and I’m ready for it.”

Atkins was a gym rat throughout his senior season, often waking up at 5 a.m. to work out and get some shots up before school. He averaged 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds this season for a Mount St. Joseph’s team that finished 32-5, won the prestigious Baltimore Catholic League regular-season championship and finished third in the high-powered Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament at Frostburg State University in Maryland.

Rivals.com rates Atkins as a four-star

36 May 2010

Atkins averaged 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds as a senior for a Mount St. Joseph’s team that finished 32-5 and won the prestigious Baltimore Catholic League regular-season championship. photo by jacey zembal

Making The Jump Incoming freshman Eric Atkins

is looking forward to college life

recruit, the No. 14 point guard in this recruiting class and the No. 58 player in the country. Scout.com is not as impressed, listing Atkins as a three-star prospect, the No. 33 point guard in the class and outside of its top 150 players.

Atkins admitted to some nervousness about the jump from high school to the Big East. But Mount St. Joseph’s coach Pat Clatchey said the level of competition around Baltimore and the national AAU circuit Atkins has worked the last several summers should prepare him well.

“The one thing that will help him is

he is going to have a very experienced group of guys around him,” Clatchey said of a veteran Irish team. “But I think it is important for him to also understand that he’s got to hold his end of the bargain up. He’s got to be physically and mentally prepared. Playing the position he does, he is really going to have to prove himself to them at an early stage in terms of earning their trust and confidence.”

Atkins met up with another Notre Dame recruit in DeMatha shooting guard Jerian Grant in the Alhambra Catholic

Invitational Tournament. Grant’s DeMatha team finished second to Gonzaga in the tourney after losing 68-67 in the championship game. Grant scored 14 points in the title-game loss.

As expected, Grant’s statistics — 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists — were modest this season. But DeMatha — ranked in the top 10 nationally most of the year — is loaded with Division I players, and the production is balanced.

The 6-4 and 180-pound Grant, who hails from Bowie, Md., is rated as a fourstar prospect and the No. 92 player nationally by Rivals.com. Scout.com considers him a three-star recruit and the No. 35 shooting guard in the country, but did not rank him among its top 150 players overall.

With a wealth of shooters returning next season, Grant is expected to wait his turn and get only limited minutes, if any.

“Jerian is an attacking guard who is extremely athletic,” Brey said. “He’s a great defender with a great deal of potential to help us in that area.”

Maybe the incoming recruit that made the biggest strides during his senior season is guard/forward Alex Dragicevich.

The 6-6, 175-pound sharpshooter said improvements in his strength were noticeable this season.

“I think I became more athletic from my junior to my senior season,” Dragicevich said. “It was a lot easier for me to handle contact as a senior.

I could really feel a difference in my strength and ability to do more things offensively.”

Dragicevich averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists this season.

Both recruiting services list the Glenbrook North High School (Northbrook, Ill.) product as a three-star player. Rivals.com does not have him ranked by position or overall, and Scout.com has Dragicevich as the No. 28 small forward in the class and outside of the top 150 players.

The prototypical Brey player — smart, versatile and skilled — Dragicevich can’t wait to prove the rankings wrong and maybe find some spot minutes next season.

“I think what helps me is they can put me in about any spot in their system. Not being one dimensional could help me get some playing time and help the team,” Dragicevich said. “I expect to work as hard as I can, that’s all I can really say at this point. If it works, maybe I’ll play. If I don’t play, I’ll give all my effort to help the team in other ways. We’ll see what happens.” ✦

blue & gold illustrated

T

By Ryan O’Leary

his isn’t how it was all supposed to end for the Notre Dame seniors.

For Ashley Barlow, Melissa Lechlitner, Lindsay Schrader and Erica Williamson, the 2009-10 women’s basketball season was supposed to end with a national championship — or, failing that, at least a trip to the Final Four and a respectable loss to one of the country’s two resident Goliaths, Connecticut or Stanford.

The Fighting Irish only made it halfway there.

Nyeshia Stevenson’s fifth three-pointer of the game, a contested shot from the corner with 4.4 seconds left in overtime, broke what seemed like a perpetual deadlock and propelled No. 3 seed Oklahoma to a 77-72 victory over the second-seeded Fighting Irish in an NCAA regional semifinal March 28 in Kansas City.

Notre Dame finished the season with a 29-6 record. The only two teams in

2009-10 Schedule

Date Opponent Result Nov. 15 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W, 102-57 Nov. 19 at Michigan State W, 68-67 Nov. 22 Iona W, 80-45 Nov. 26 vs. San Diego State# W, 84-79 Nov. 27 vs. South Carolina# W, 78-55 Nov. 28 vs. Oklahoma# W, 81-71 Dec. 2 Eastern Michigan W, 69-59 Dec. 8 IPFW W, 96-60 Dec. 12 Valparaiso W, 88-47 Dec. 20 Charlotte W, 90-31 Dec. 29 at Central Florida W, 85-52 Dec. 31 Vanderbilt W, 74-69 Jan. 4 at Purdue W, 79-75 Jan. 9 Villanova* W, 81-46 W, 81-64 Jan. 12 South Florida* L, 70-46 Jan. 16 at Connecticut* Jan. 19 at Louisville* W, 78-60 Jan. 24 West Virginia* W, 74-66 Jan. 27 Providence* W, 84-59 Jan. 30 at Syracuse* W, 74-73 Feb. 1 at Rutgers* W, 75-63 W, 86-76 Feb. 6 Pittsburgh* Feb. 9 at Cincinnati* W, 66-50 Feb. 14 DePaul* W, 90-66 L, 76-71 Feb. 16 at St. John’s* Feb. 20 at Georgetown* L, 76-66 Feb. 23 Marquette* W, 82-67 Feb. 27 at Seton Hall* W, 72-47 March 1 Connecticut* L, 76-51 March 6 Louisville% W, 89-52 March 7 St. John’s% W, 75-67 March 8 Connecticut% L, 59-44 March 21 Cleveland State$ W, 86-58 March 23 Vermont$ W, 84-66 March 28 Oklahoma@ L, 77-72 (OT) # Paradise Jam at Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands; * Big East Conference game; % at Excel Center in Hartford, Conn.; $ NCAA rounds one and two at Notre Dame; @ NCAA round three at Kansas City, Mo.

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Gone Too Soon Promising season ends prematurely with overtime loss to Oklahoma

school history to finish with more victories were the 1997 Final Four club and the 2001 national champions.

“I thought they beat us from the threepoint line,” Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said. “I thought they rebounded really well, too. We didn’t do a good job on the boards and our bench, which has been our strength all year long, just gave us nothing.”

That essentially summed it up. The Sooners hit at a 50-percent clip (7 of 14) from three-point range and outrebounded the Irish, 44-33. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s supposedly superior bench missed all 10 of its field goal attempts, contributing just four points and seven rebounds all night.

It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with the score tied 13 times and the lead changing hands 11 times, but Notre Dame had the upper hand for all of eight seconds after halftime. The Irish seized a brief 50-49 edge when senior guard Ashley Barlow hit a pair of free throws to cap a 10-1 surge, but the Sooners (26-10) responded with seven straight points to regain command.

Seniors Melissa Lechlitner (game-high 22 points) and Lindsay Schrader (19 points and eight rebounds) continually kept their team in it with timely baskets, but Notre Dame could never seem to do enough to get back over the hump.

“I thought Lindsay Schrader and Melissa Lechlitner played great,” McGraw said. “They didn’t want their season to end. I thought they did everything they could do offensively to help us win the game.”

A three-point play by Lechlitner with 1:08 remaining in regulation capped a 7-2 spurt that brought the Fighting Irish within one point at 64-63, and after Oklahoma responded with a layup, Notre Dame freshman Skylar Diggins — who hit just four of her 14 shots on the day after scoring a career-high 31 in a secondround win over Vermont March 23 — got the shooter’s roll on a game-tying threepointer with 32 seconds to go.

Oklahoma could not get a shot off before the end of regulation, a product of some tight defense by the Irish down the stretch.

Center Erica Williamson and the rest of the Notre Dame seniors reached the Sweet 16 for the second time, toppling Cleveland State and Vermont at Purcell Pavilion. photo by joe raymond

May 2010 37

“We decided to rebound a little bit and get some defensive stops, and we came down and had a couple of really good offensive plays,” Schrader said of Notre Dame’s rally from a six-point hole at the end of regulation. “We just kind of dug down a little bit.”

The Irish appeared to be on the verge of forcing a second overtime, but the Sooners were able to find Stevenson open in front of their bench, and despite having the outstretched arm of Schrader in her path, the guard calmly sank the shot that ended Notre Dame’s season.

“I got over there as fast as I could, and she let it fly,” Schrader lamented. “She was hitting them all game.”

McGraw was still noticeably down when she spoke with Blue & Gold Illustrated four days later, but she perked up a bit when talking about her departing seniors.

“They’ve done so much for the program,” she stated. “You look at Lindsay, here for five years and just had a sensational career. … [She] changed her game so that we could have somebody that could score on the block. Just somebody that I really, really, feel close to. I just really enjoyed being around her for five years.

“With Erica [Williamson], Ashley and Lech, [they were] just so dependable, so responsible, so mature, so easy to coach.

They just always had a great attitude, always worked hard. It always made me feel good coming into the gym and seeing them, and knowing no matter what hap-

Notre Dame Individual Statistics

Final Scoring: Skylar Diggins 13.8, Lindsay Schrader 11.3, Ashley Barlow 11.0, Becca Bruszewski 9.1, Melissa Lechlitner 8.4, Devereaux Peters 6.7 and Brittany Mallory 6.5.

Note: Diggins’ career-high 31 points against Vermont on March 23 were the most by a Notre Dame player since Charel Allen hung 35 points on Oklahoma in a 2008 NCAA second-round win.

Rebounding: Schrader 6.9, Peters 5.6, Barlow 5.0, Diggins 4.1, Bruszewski 3.1 and Mallory 3.0.

Note: Schrader finished sixth on the school’s career rebounding list with 828.

Assists: Lechlitner 112, Diggins 112, Barlow 85, Mallory 79 and Natalie Novosel 61.

Note: Lechlitner finished seventh on the school’s all-time list with 388 career assists.

Steals: Diggins 90, Barlow 80, Mallory 61, Novosel 47 and Lechlitner 44.

Note: Diggins’ 90 thefts tied Megan Duffy (2004-05) for the fifth-best single-season total in school history … Barlow finished in a tie for third on the school’s career steals list with 281.

38 May 2010

pened, they were going to come back the next day ready to fight.”

2010-11: A Look Ahead

Given that 58 of Notre Dame’s 72 points in the Oklahoma game came from those four senior starters, what is to be made of the team’s prospects for next season?

Obviously, the 2010-11 squad will be built around Diggins, who had one of the most remarkable rookie campaigns in school history — but the rest of the lineup will be composed of relative unknowns, at least from a national perspective.

What’s more, the group of underclassmen likely to be thrust into the spotlight next winter laid a collective egg in the season finale after excelling off the bench all season — so nothing can be taken for granted.

Despite the heavy graduation losses, the Irish will likely be a preseason top-25 team again in October — but McGraw isn’t sure they should be, in part because there will be a major leadership void that needs to be filled.

“The thing that you look at is, who are the leaders in training, so to speak, and really with such a solid group of seniors, we didn’t need any other voices,” the coach explained. “They did so much that nobody else had to do anything. So now there’s some training that we need to do, and there are certainly people who are willing and ready to step up, and it’ll just be a matter of gaining some experience.”

On the court, Notre Dame does have a good deal of experience returning despite the loss of four starters. Junior forward Becca Bruszewski started 26 games this year and averaged 9.1 points. Fellow junior Devereaux Peters — the team’s top returning rebounder and shot-blocker — will finally be healthy, and she showed flashes of brilliance throughout a solid season.

“This is the first year that she’s going to have postseason practice,” McGraw said of Peters. “She’s never been able to play in the summer — and that’s when you get better and work on your game. … I expect that she’ll be our most improved player next year.”

On the wings, Notre Dame returns junior Brittany Mallory and sophomore Natalie Novosel, a pair of aggressive, versatile and athletic guards that could prove formidable in a pressure defense, particularly when partnered with Diggins and Peters.

It’s not going to be the most experienced of teams, but in three Irish losses

Freshman guard Skylar Diggins turned in a virtuoso performance against Vermont, pouring in a career-high 31 points in Notre Dame's second-round victory.

photo by joe raymond

to Connecticut, much of the team’s most competitive basketball was played with that lineup — Diggins, Mallory, Novosel, Bruszewski and Peters — on the floor. It’s a quintet that still needs some seasoning and has its flaws, but one that offers some athleticism, the absence of which, at times, kept Notre Dame from truly reaching elite status this past season.

McGraw should also be able to count on increased contributions from junior forward Erica Solomon, who sat out the second half of her sophomore season; junior wing Fraderica Miller, who remains offensively limited but could be one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the country; and sophomore point guard Kaila Turner, a 5-8 water bug who many have compared to former Notre Dame standout Tulyah Gaines.

Those eight players will be joined by a very strong freshman class headed by 5-11 guard Kayla McBride, a McDonald’s and Parade All-American who led Villa Maria (Pa.) to consecutive state championships; 6-1 forward Ariel Braker, recently named the Class A Player of the Year in Michigan; and a bona fide sleeper in 6-2 forward Nata-

lie Achonwa, the youngest member of Canada’s senior national team.

Overall, McGraw’s team should be bigger, faster and stronger next season.

“I felt like every time I was doing a pregame preview, I was saying, ‘They’re a little more athletic than we are,’ ” the coach said. “It kind of got to be almost a joke by the end of the Big East season, because really, every single team in the conference seemed to be more athletic than we are, with the exception of maybe Villanova. So that was something that we looked at in recruiting, and we went out and tried to get a little bit bigger, a little bit faster. We want to play up-tempo a little bit more. I think we’re still a little bit lagging behind in that area, but I think we’re getting closer.”

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be better next season. But with Mallory and Peters each eligible for a fifth year due to knee injuries in 2008-09, the Irish will again be in the position of having almost the entire roster intact for a two-year stretch.

Bruszewski will be the lone player in her final season next winter.

“I think if you look down the road, you say that in two years, we’re going to challenge again,” McGraw said. “Next year, we might be going through some growing pains with the leadership issues and just figuring out roles and things, but I feel like in two years, we’ll really be ready.” ✦

Notes

• Melissa Lechlitner’s 22 points — one shy of her collegiate high — against Oklahoma upped her career total to 1,005, making her the 26th 1,000-point scorer in school history. Ashley Barlow, who closed her career ninth on the career scoring list with 1,492 points, and Lindsay Schrader, who graduates in 12th place on that list with 1,429 (just one behind current Irish assistant coach Niele Ivey), both hit the 1,000 mark last season.

It marked just the second time that the Irish had three 1,000-point scorers on the court at the same time — and that was also for less than a game. Kelley Siemon reached the milestone in the 2001 NCAA title game to join teammates Ruth Riley and Ivey.

• Barlow was selected to participate in the 22nd annual State Farm College Three-Point Championships, which were held April 1 at the Indiana Convention Center in Barlow’s hometown of Indianapolis.

The senior guard was the first Notre Dame player to take part in the event since Chris Quinn and Megan Duffy were chosen for the men’s and women’s contests in 2006. She finished in second place — the best-ever showing by a Notre Dame player.

blue & gold illustrated

nd sports

The Road Less Traveled Irish benefit from Kristy Frilling’s decision to postpone her pro tennis career

By Ryan O’Leary

M

ore than just about any major professional sport, tennis is a game dominated by the young, particularly on the women’s side.

Steffi Graf turned pro at the age of 13 and was just 19 when she won the Grand Slam. Both Venus and Serena Williams earned their first paychecks at 14. Martina Hingis was the No. 1 player in the world at age 16.

By the time you hit your twenties, you’re a senior citizen — which is why Kristy Frilling wasn’t at all surprised when two of her closest friends on the junior circuit, Madison Brengle and Asia Muhammad, opted for the WTA Tour right out of high school.

Frilling knew, though, that despite all of the lures of professional life, she had other things she wanted to take care of first.

“I think all along I knew I wanted to go to college, because the road to professionals is so difficult and tough,” she said.

“You can’t make a living if you’re not even in the top 50. I just really thought I wanted to get an education first, so I picked Notre Dame, and we’ll see where that takes me after college.

“Madison is one of my best friends, and she turned professional, and she has a great life. She lives in Florida by herself, she trains, she travels all over the world playing tournaments, and it’s a cool life, but it’s hard, you know?”

Notre Dame head coach Jay Louderback has benefited significantly from Frilling’s decision. As a rookie, the Ohio native helped the Irish to their first-ever NCAA semifinal appearance, and then qualified for both the NCAA singles and doubles tournaments. She and since-graduated senior Kelcy Tefft spent part of the year as the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the country, winning 40 of 46 matches and earning All-America honors.

In singles last year, Frilling posted a 30-11 mark playing in the No. 2 spot behind Tefft, and has improved upon that record since stepping into the No. 1 role this spring.

This season, Frilling has stepped her game up another notch, going 21-7 (through April 5) as Notre Dame’s No. 1 singles player. Her ITA national singles

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

Frilling, who has been ranked as high No. 14 nationally this year, was 21-7 at No. 1 singles through April 5.

photo courtesy notre dame sports information

ranking, which peaked at No. 29 last spring, jumped all the way to No. 14 in March.

She’s hoping to at least play up to that ranking during the postseason matches in May. “The thing she’s done this year over last year in singles is just her consistency,” Louderback said. “Last year she’d play unbelievable matches, two or three, and then she’d play a bad one. This year, she plays eight or nine good matches and then a bad one.

“And as hard as she hits, if you can get some kid that plays really good matches nine out of 10 times that hits as big as she does, you can’t beat it.”

Frilling said her individual goal for the season is to become an All-American in singles, which would require either being ranked in the top 16 at the end of the season or reaching the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships.

But that isn’t her primary concern.

Since she didn’t play tennis for her high school, Frilling is part of a team for the first time at Notre Dame, and she has taken to it with an impressive ardor.

“A lot of times those kids come in and they’re a little more individual and they don’t fit in,” Louderback said. “It takes them a while. Frilling, the first day for sure, was a member of the team immediately.

“Some of them, they never do it. It’s hard for them to get the individual part out of their life. Both of last year’s freshmen, Kristy and Shannon Mathews, both immediately fit in really well. They would both definitely take a team NCAA championship over an individual one, by far.

And there’s a lot of kids that wouldn’t.”

Frilling had already proven that assessment correct before Louderback gave it, saying that her No. 1 goal in collegiate tennis was to lead Notre Dame to a national title, not just to win one for herself.

That team dynamic is another one of

those perks that she would have missed out on by heading straight for the pro tour.

“Before I came here I just played tournaments like two out of four weeks every month,” Frilling explained. “I was traveling all the time, and I was on my own, just doing my own thing and playing for myself, whereas once I came here it was more of, you’re a team, you all have a common goal together. It’s not just you. It’s definitely an adjustment, but I like it a lot.”

That Frilling has taken such an interest in becoming a good teammate shouldn’t be all that surprising, considering her prowess as a doubles player.

Frilling says that she has always been stronger in doubles than in singles — and a year after ascending to a No. 1 national ranking with Tefft, she has teamed with senior Kali Krisik and moved up to No. 3 in the country.

“She has a chance to be an All-American for four years with four different partners,” Louderback marveled. “Kali’s a senior, she’ll have a new partner next year. So either she’s lucky that we’re giving her great partners, or she’s good.”

Actually, that part about Frilling never having been a part of a team during her playing career isn’t entirely true. Before coming to Notre Dame, she represented Team USA at tournaments in Spain, the Czech Republic and Australia. And, this past December, she was one of just six players (three men, three women) chosen to represent the United States at the Master’U BNP Paribas, an international collegiate competition in France. Frilling won all three of her matches in the tournament, including a mixed doubles victory with Kentucky’s Eric Quigley that clinched a 4-3 win over the French in the title match.

While the international experience wasn’t necessarily an entirely new one for Frilling, who has also played in the junior events at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, Louderback was still happy to see her selected for the team.

“As good as she is on the court, she’s maybe better off the court. The kid works hard, and she’s doing well in school,” the coach stated. “You like seeing kids that work that hard, that are good kids, get the chance to do those things.”

Frilling will likely get a chance to do plenty of other things before her playing days are done, both at Notre Dame and beyond. She certainly doesn’t regret her decision to postpone a professional career — “but,” she added, “I’m looking forward to trying it out after I graduate.” ✦

May 2010 39

nd sports

Curses! Foiled Again!

Irish fencers settle for third at NCAA Championships

By Ryan O’Leary

N

otre Dame went into the NCAA fencing championships as the team to beat, sporting a perfect regular-season record and the No. 1 national ranking.

Despite a strong performance that saw 11 of the 12 Irish fencers earn AllAmerica honors, though, the Irish were left on the lower part of the podium again, standing in third place when the four-day event finished on March 28 at the Gordon Track Center in Boston.

Sophomore Gerek Meinhardt claimed an individual crown in the men’s foil, but Notre Dame came up short in its quest for the eighth national title in program history, totaling 180 points to finish 11 behind first-place Penn State.

St. John’s placed second with 182.

It was the 17th top-three finish for the Irish since the NCAA went to a single combined championship for fencing in 1990. Notre Dame has finished first three times in that span (1994, 2003 and 2005), while taking second seven times and third seven others. The team has placed outside of the top four just once, finishing sixth in 1993.

“After [losing in the final] last season, I really wanted to focus and not let down at any point. I knew when it was getting close near the end that I had to pull away and not get in a situation like last season.”

Sophomore Gerek Meinhardt

Meinhardt, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team and the NCAA men’s foil runner-up as a freshman, finished third in round-robin competition with 17 wins in 23 matches, but he vanquished Miles Chamley-Watson of Penn State in the semifinals and then toppled another Nittany Lion, David Willette, in the title match, 15-9.

Ahead by a 10-9 count against Willette, Meinhardt landed the last five touches to close convincingly.

“After [losing in the final] last season, I really wanted to focus and not let down at any point,” Meinhardt said. “I knew when it was getting close near the

40 May 2010

After placing second in the NCAA men’s foil last year as a freshman, Gerek Meinhardt captured the individual national championship this season by defeating Penn State’s David Willette in the title match. photo courtesy notre dame sports information

end that I had to pull away and not get in a situation like last season.”

Three other Irish fencers came away from the championships with bronze medals after reaching their event semifinals. Junior Enzo Castellani joined Meinhardt in the foil semis to earn a tie for third place, while junior Avery Zuck (men’s sabre) and sophomore Courtney Hurley (women’s epee) did the same in their respective weapons.

In addition to its four medalists, Notre Dame will return six other fencers next season that earned All-America

distinction — freshman James Kaull and junior Greg Schoolcraft in men’s epee; junior Barron Nydam in men’s sabre; juniors Sarah Borrmann and Eileen Hassett in women’s sabre; and junior Hayley Reese in women’s foil. Only senior Kelley Hurley, a three-time AllAmerican in women’s epee, graduates from this year’s team.

Baseball

A season that began in promising fashion for head coach Dave Schrage and his team has taken a 180-degrturn,

with 19 losses in 27 games (including a 2-7 start in conference action) after a 3-0 start.

Notre Dame (11-19 overall) seemed to be on the verge of a midseason turnaround after clipping Rutgers at home, 9-8, on April 9 for its first two-game win streak since February. The Scarlet Knights, though, responded a day later with a 25-5 rout and then ripped the heart out of the Irish with an 8-6 comeback triumph in 11 innings in the series finale.

Notre Dame’s offense had been rea-

blue & gold illustrated

sonably productive through 30 games, averaging better than six runs per contest. Seniors Casey Martin and Ryan Connolly led the club through 30 games with matching .354 batting averages, while Connolly also had a team-best six home runs and 21 RBI. Pitching, though, has been another story. Irish opponents were batting at a .307 clip, and Notre Dame’s defense wasn’t of much assistance. Fifty-four errors — nearly two per game — had helped tack 46 unearned runs on top of the staff’s already-high ERA of 6.20.

A fourth straight year without postseason baseball seems all but certain unless the Irish can somehow qualify for — and win — the Big East Tournament in May.

Softball

The Fighting Irish have been one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning 28 of their last 30 games to move into the national rankings for the first time since the end of the 2009 regular season, peaking at No. 23 in the USA Today/ NFCA poll on April 6.

Head coach Deanna Gumpf’s team (29-6 overall) got off to a perfect 8-0 start in Big East play, capped by a threegame sweep of former fellow league unbeaten South Florida April 10-11.

Junior Jody Valdivia has been outstanding on the mound, posting a 22-3 record with an ERA of 1.65. Valdivia has tossed 11 shutouts and struck out 181 batters in 1522⁄3 innings of work through the team’s first 35 games.

At the plate, junior outfielder Sadie Pitzenberger put together a schoolrecord 26-game hitting streak on her way to a .402 batting average through April 11. Junior Erin Marrone led the team with a .453 average in a part-time utility role, while senior third baseman Heather Johnson was batting .400 with a team-high 12 homers and 43 RBI.

Women’s Swimming

Notre Dame wrapped up its season with a 38th-place finish at the NCAA Championships March 18-20. The Irish qualified only two swimmers for the meet, but both earned All-America honors — junior Amywren Miller placed eighth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.49 seconds and classmate Samantha Maxwell was 14th in the 100 breaststroke at 1:01.09.

Miller, who broke the school record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.30 in the preliminary heat, also finished 25th in the 100 free (49.44). Maxwell was 36th in the 200 breast (2:14.17).

Men’s Lacrosse

After a strong 3-0 start, the Irish hit a midseason skid, dropping five of seven games to drop back to .500 and out of the national rankings.

Notre Dame (5-5 overall, 0-3 Big East) led at No. 9 Georgetown April 11 before being outscored 5-0 in the second half of an 11-8 setback. Head coach Kevin Corrigan’s club previously lost by one goal at Villanova and by two at Rutgers.

Because of its tough schedule, the Fighting Irish still have a chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament, but they may need to close with wins in their final three regular-season games, including the May 1 finale against No. 3 Syracuse (for which Arlotta Stadium was already sold out nearly a month in advance).

Junior midfielder Zach Brenneman (18 goals, eight assists, 26 points) and senior attack Neal Hicks (15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points) were tied for the team lead in scoring through 10 games, with senior midfielder Grant Krebs (16 goals, two assists, 18 points) and junior midfielder David Earl (14 goals, two assists, 16 points) also having reached double figures in goals scored.

Women’s Lacrosse

The Irish (8-4 overall, 4-1 Big East) have been a high-wire act all season long, winning two games in overtime and playing in six others decided by two goals or less. Fortunately for head coach Tracy Coyne’s squad, most of the bounces in those contests have gone the right way.

In its last battle before press time, Notre Dame was able to shut down the high-powered offense of No. 7 Syracuse, hanging on for a 6-5 victory at Arlotta Stadium on April 11. Six days earlier, the Irish won at No. 13 Loyola (Md.), 11-10, when junior attack Ansley Stewart scored with six seconds to go in regulation.

Through 12 games, three different players had collected 30 or more points for a balanced Notre Dame offense — senior attack Gina Scoscia (21 goals, 11 assists, 32 points), sophomore attack Maggie Tamasitis (12 goals, 20 assists, 32 points) and junior midfielder Kailene Abt (21 goals, 10 assists, 31 points). Junior midfielder Shaylyn Blaney led the team in goals scored with 23.

Men’s Tennis

Jody Valdivia has been Notre Dame’s “Iron Woman” on the mound. The junior posted 22 of the team’s 29 victories through April 12 and helped the Irish move into the top 25 nationally.

photo courtesy notre dame sports information

www.BLUEANDGOLD.com

Three straight losses dropped Notre Dame back to the .500 mark after the team had run off a stretch of five wins in six matches away from home, including an upset of No. 19 Florida State.

On March 18, head coach Bobby Bayliss picked up his 700th career win when the Irish topped Middle Tennessee State. He was honored for the feat when the team finally returned home in April after nine straight road matches.

Sophomore Casey Watt was the team’s highest-ranked player at the end of March, sitting at No. 29 in the ITA’s

national singles ratings. Classmate Samuel Keeton had posted the team’s best overall singles record through 22 matches, winning 18 of 22 while playing primarily in the No. 5 position.

Women’s Tennis

The Irish have remained near the top of the national rankings all season long, with its only three losses through 20 matches coming against teams in the top 10 — No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 North Carolina and No. 7 Duke.

Head coach Jay Louderback’s squad returned home from a month-long road trip to post a 7-0 sweep of No. 19 South Florida on April 9. The seven matches away from home included a 4-3 victory at then-No. 17 Vanderbilt March 19.

Sophomore Kristy Frilling (see page 39) was the team’s top-rated singles player at the end of March, ranking 18th on the ITA list. Seniors Cosmina Ciobanu (17-4) and Kali Krisik (15-4) had the team’s best individual records through April 11, with most of their victories coming in the No. 4 and No. 5 singles slots. Frilling and Krisik were also ranked No. 3 nationally in doubles. ✦

Irish 23rd In Directors’ Cup A third-place finish in fencing as well as NCAA Tournament appearances by both basketball teams kept Notre Dame afloat in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

Through April 8, the Fighting Irish had accumulated 409 points on the year, good for 23rd place nationally. The final winter standings will be released on April 29, but Notre Dame will not pick up any points in the sports still to be added (bowling, gymnastics and hockey).

More than half of the current Irish total — 223 points — came during the winter season.

Notre Dame’s third-place NCAA showing in fencing was good for 85 points, while the women’s basketball team earned 64 for its appearance in the Sweet 16. Points were also earned in women’s swimming (30), men’s basketball (25) and men’s indoor track (19).

The leaders through April 8:

Rk. School 1. Stanford 2. Ohio State 3. Florida 4. Penn State 5. Virginia 6. Florida State 7. Minnesota 8. North Carolina 9. Duke 10. Texas A&M 23. Notre Dame

Points 792 703 648 621.5 610.5 598.25 574.25 573.5 569.5 553.5 409

May 2010 41

irish in the pros

The (Irish) Boys Of Summer Eight former Irish baseball players earn spots on opening day MLB rosters

2005‑06 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After batting .220 in 282 at-bats in 2007 and .226 in 248 at-bats in 2008, Counsel rebounded last year with his best season at the plate since 2000 (.316) by hitting .285 in 404 at-bats with 39 RBI.

By John Haynsworth

S

eventy-six former Notre Dame baseball players have earned spots on big league rosters — beginning with Willie McGill, who made his Major League Baseball debut on May 5, 1890.

McGill, however, went the reverse route, playing pro ball before suiting up in the college ranks; he made his Notre Dame debut on April 24, 1892, in a 6-4 win over Michigan in the first intercollegiate game for the Irish.

More than a century later (120 years), the Irish contingency in “The Show” remains solid. Eight former Irish players opened the 2010 season on MLB rosters. Among them are two infielders, five relief pitchers and a starting pitcher.

Minnesota Twins

Matt Macri (2002-04): Macri begins his second season with the Twins after being selected No. 104 overall in the fifth round of the 2004 MLB Draft.

Last season as a rookie, he batted .324 in 34 at-bats in 18 games. He hit his first and only career home run on June 12, 2009, in a 12-2 loss at the Cleveland Indians.

Jeff Manship (2005-06): Manship begins his second season with the Twins as a starting pitcher in 2010. The club drafted him with the No. 426 pick in the 14th round of the 2006 Draft.

Manship made his MLB starting debut last September and pitched five innings against the White Sox while giving up four hits and a run, but did not earn a decision. In 11 games last season, he made five starts and posted a 1-1 record with a 5.68 ERA.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Aaron Heilman (1998-2001): Heilman enters his eighth MLB season since being selected No. 18 overall by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2001 MLB Draft. He pitched in 70 games last season with the Chicago Cubs after spending the previous six seasons with the Mets, and posted a 4.11 ERA as a relief pitcher while notching a 4-4 record and one save. He entered the 2010 season with a career ERA of 4.22 in 375 games.

The Diamondbacks acquired Heilman last Nov. 20 in a trade for lefthanded pitcher Scott Maine and infielder Ryne White. On Jan. 18, he agreed to a one-year contract with Arizona for the 2010 season.

New York Yankees

Christian Parker (1995-96): Parker was listed as a relief pitcher on the Yankees’ opening day roster. It marks just the second season that the 34-yearold Parker finds himself in the major leagues, last doing so with the Yankees in 2001 when he made one start, though he gave up seven earned runs in just three innings.

Parker enters 2010 with a career ERA of 21.00.

Philadelphia Phillies

Chicago Cubs

Jeff Samardzija (2004-06): Samardzija enters his third MLB season since being selected No. 149 overall by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft. Samardzija is looking to bounce back from a tough 2009 season, during which he pitched in 20 games, including two starts. He gave up 29 earned runs in 342⁄3 innings for a 7.53 ERA after posting a 2.28 ERA as a rookie in 2008.

In 46 games and 621⁄3 innings in his career, Samardzija has posted a 5.22 career ERA entering the 2010 season.

42 May 2010

Chicago Cubs hurler Jeff Samardzija will try to regain his 2008 form, when he posted an ERA of 2.28 as a rookie. photo courtesy Chicago Cubs/Stephen Green

Cincinnati Reds

Chris Michalak (1990-93): Michalak is in his fifth season as a pitcher at the major league level since his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. He had previously pitched in 61 games with 24 starts while allowing 100 earned runs in 1911/3 innings for a career ERA of 4.70.

Michalak last pitched in 2006 as a

member of the Cincinnati Reds, and saw action in eight games with six starts and registered a 4.89 ERA.

Milwaukee Brewers

Craig Counsell (1989-92): Counsell enters his 15th season in the major leagues and his fifth with the Milwaukee Brewers in the last seven seasons. The second baseman played the

Brad Lidge (1997-98): Lidge enters his ninth MLB season in 2010 and third as a member of the Phillies. He was drafted by the Houston Astros with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 1998 MLB Draft, and made his major league debut in 2002.

Last season, Lidge struggled to find his form after a stellar 2008 campaign during which he posted a 2-0 record and a 1.95 ERA in 72 games while converting all 41 save attempts for the World Series champs. In 2009, he recorded a career-worst 7.21 ERA while blowing a career-high 11 save attempts. ✦

blue & gold illustrated

NBA Notes

• Former Fighting Irish basketball All-American and National Player of the Year Adrian Dantley (1973-76) made his NBA coaching debut on Feb. 25 in a 127-112 Denver win at Golden State.

It was the first of 19 games Dantley filled in for Nuggets head coach George Karl over the final seven weeks of the regular season, while Karl underwent treatment for throat cancer.

“Our general is at home,” Nuggets all-star forward Carmelo Anthony told the Denver Post.

“It’s inspirational. It’s definitely inspirational. He’s teaching everybody how to fight a battle. It gives us a broader view of how important life is. Basketball, right now, shouldn’t even be important to him. Just focus on your health and family, because at the end of the day, that’s all you got.”

Karl made brief returns to the bench to coach games against Detroit (a 107-102 win) on Feb. 26, at Los Angeles Lakers (a 95-89 loss) on Feb. 28 and versus Washington (a 97-87 win) on March 16.

However, it was announced in early April that Karl would miss the remainder of the regular season, and perhaps the playoffs as well.

“To count out all the playoffs, that’s up to his body,” Karl’s life partner, Kim Van Deraa, told The Post. “Who knows when his return will be? No one knows. He doesn’t even know. I’m sure he’s hoping that if we go on a playoff run, that he can [coach] this season.”

Under Dantley, the Nuggets had posted a 10-7 record entering an April 12 contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. He guided the club to its 50th win of the season with a 98-90 victory over the L.A. Clippers on April 3.

“Oh yeah, this is as tough as it gets right here,” Dantley told the Boston Globe. “It’s not like I came in here at the beginning of the year. I come in, the coach is sick, tough conference. This is the ultimate right here. It’s a good test for me. It’s just that I’ve got to do the job under the circumstances.

“This is a great opportunity, but I wouldn’t want to be a coach under these circumstances,” he continued. “I get a funny call from my wife, she says, ‘You sure you want to get in this heat?’ I just chuckle.

“If we lose, I guess I take the credit. It’s my fault.

“If we win? It’s the same thing, that’s the way it is on the head coach.”

• The Chicago Bulls signed forward Rob Kurz of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on April 9, making him the record 35th NBA Development League player to earn a call-up from an NBA organization this season. Kurz joined 80 current NBA players with NBA D-League experience.

Kurz has appeared in 39 games with 35 starts for Fort Wayne this season, while averaging 17.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 37.1 minutes per game. A presence in the paint for Fort Wayne in 2009-10, Kurz scored in double figures 35 times and led the team in rebounds in 26 games.

Undrafted out of Notre Dame, Kurz returns to the NBA where he played with the Golden State Warriors during the 2008-09 season. In 40 career NBA games, including five starts with the Warriors, Kurz averaged 11.1 minutes, 3.9 points and 1.2 rebounds.

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where have you gone?

Lee Becton, 1991-94 Running Back “Under the radar” player still opts for substance over style

By Ryan O’Leary

R

eggie Brooks finished fifth in the 1992 Heisman Trophy balloting and remains a YouTube favorite for the famed touchdown run against Michigan that literally knocked him out. His backfield mate, Jerome Bettis, went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Later in the decade, there was Autry Denson, who would graduate as Notre Dame’s all-time rushing leader.

Often lost in the shuffle was the man between them.

Lee Becton wasn’t the most electrifying running back in Notre Dame history, and he was never known for his blazing speed. In fact, it was his alleged lack of speed that set the table for one of the great Lou Holtz punchlines. He didn’t go on to a storied pro career. But he was a 1,000-yard rusher on the most successful Fighting Irish team since the 1988-89 units that produced a national championship and a school-record 23game winning streak.

Those who haven’t forgotten about Lee Becton remember him well — and Becton hasn’t forgotten a thing, especially when it comes to the 1993 season that saw Notre Dame finish with an 11-1 record and a much-debated No. 2 finish behind Florida State, which lost to the Irish that November.

Like just about anyone that attended school with him in the early 1990s, Becton has fond memories of Notre Dame’s 31-24 victory over the Seminoles in what was billed as the “Game of the Century.”

“I can remember every single play,” he said. “I can remember everything about it. I can remember sitting on the sideline with Kevin McDougal during the last play.”

Strangely, though, one of Becton’s most vivid football-related memories is not from the Florida State game, but from the agonizing 41-39 loss to Boston College a week later. Most fans remember only the game-winning field goal by the Eagles’ David Gordon as time expired — but Becton clings instead to a silver lining from moments earlier.

“People may say I’m crazy, but another moment that sticks out to me is actually when we played Boston Col-

44 May 2010

Becton rushed for 138 yards in the 1994 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M. Following that 24-21 victory, Notre Dame would not win another bowl game for 15 years.

file photo

lege the very next game,” said the Ernul, N.C., native. “We’re down, and there’s not a lot of time left, and [1990 Lombardi Award winner] Aaron Taylor walks over, and he’s a senior, he’s like, ‘We’re not losing this game. Get yourself together. Let’s go. We’re not losing this game.’

“And the intensity and the passion that he had just exemplified what, when you truly play for Notre Dame, what it’s all about. Now we didn’t win the game, but in eight minutes we did everything we could do to win it.”

Just as he had the week before against FSU, Becton finished the Boston College game with 122 yards rushing and a touchdown, part of a streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games to cap the 1993 campaign. He remains nearly as

proud of that oh-so-close comeback attempt as anything that happened during his career — just as much for how it happened as for the fact that it happened at all.

“One of the big things for me is that when we went out there in those eight minutes or whatever it was, we didn’t just throw the ball,” Becton stated. “We ran the ball. We did both.”

Becton averaged 6.4 yards a carry during that 1993 season, finishing with 1,044 yards (1,182 including the Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M) for one of the most impressive ground attacks in recent school history.

“We had a lot of guys that loved playing the game of football,” Becton said of that 1993 offense. “They were AllAmericans coming out of high school

and all that stuff, but they played for the University of Notre Dame, not for the accolades or how many yards they could get or anything like that. They were passionate about playing and wearing that gold helmet for the University of Notre Dame.”

A groin injury slowed Becton during his senior year in 1994, limiting him to just five starts, but he finished the regular season with back-to-back 100-yard efforts, rushing for 113 yards against Air Force and a season-best 156 at USC. His career total, not including bowls, was 2,029 yards rushing — not bad for a guy about whom Holtz once quipped, “I didn’t know he could run fast enough to pull a hamstring” after a 1992 injury.

“That was kind of comical, I guess you could say,” Becton conceded. “It was weird. I wasn’t the most flexible guy, so I always had problems with my hamstrings.

“But speed isn’t everything. To me, if someone runs a 4.3 40, and then you throw pads on them and then now they’re running a 4.6, what’s the point?

It’s how you can maneuver with the pads on is what will make you successful. All that stuff you do without any pads on sounds good, looks good, but if you can’t perform when you throw the pads on, then what’s the point?”

Becton wasn’t exactly slow — he’s quick to point out that he was “a 4.5 guy” in the 40-yard dash, and his careerlong rush was actually 70 yards, longer than many of the supposedly flashier backs in Irish history can claim. But if speed wasn’t his strongest suit, he had plenty of traits that enabled him to cover up anything that was missing.

“I had extremely good vision,” Becton said. “I could always find that crease to make sure that I could hit the right hole, things like that, and then if you get me past that first level, that’s when I’m the most dangerous. I’m not going to be tackled one-on-one.

“I don’t know why, but it’s always been that way. I’ve always had that ability to be elusive and make people miss, and that was one of the things that helped me throughout my college career.”

Even Holtz had to acknowledge those abilities by the time Becton was finished at Notre Dame, conceding in 1994 that “he continues to amaze me. He is an outstanding tailback.”

Though such praise wasn’t enough to get Becton selected in the 1995 NFL Draft, it did earn him a tryout with the

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Green Bay Packers, where he was one of the last players cut despite being limited by an offseason wrist surgery.

“I could run the ball and all that good stuff,” he recalled. “The problem was, I couldn’t really catch the ball out of the backfield or do too much blocking, so there wasn’t really a lot, probably, that I could have done.

“So yeah, it was extremely disappointing, but it wasn’t the end of the world.”

Rather than get too hung up on falling short of his dream, Becton quietly moved on to the next phase of his life.

He remains a dedicated Fighting Irish fan, even keeping up with the program’s recruiting efforts, and having remained within driving distance since graduation, he’s able to return to campus regularly for games.

“I had intended on going back home, and somehow I just got stuck in Indiana,” he joked. “I can’t get away from this state for some reason.”

After earning a business management degree with a concentration in human resources, Becton worked for about six years at a car dealership in Bloomington, Ind. He then slid over into the mortgage business for a little while before transitioning into his current role with

J.D. Byrider, which bills itself as the nation’s largest used car and financing franchise. He’s a managing partner for one of the company’s stores in suburban Indianapolis, a position he has held for just about a year now.

Currently single, Becton is perfectly content with his life outside of the spotlight.

“I enjoy my job,” he said. “I enjoy what I do. I hopefully can continue to progress within this company and move forward within it, and see where that takes me.”

If history is any indication, then it should take Becton a long way — whether people notice or not.

“I wasn’t the flashiest guy or anything like that,” he said of his playing career. “I just went out and wanted to do my job to help the team day in and day out. You don’t have to have a 40yard run to help the team. Moving the chains, averaging six and a half yards a carry, it’s just as good. If I go out and have a 40-yard run, but then my next 20 runs are one and two yards, that’s not a productive day.”

Becton has tried to live his life by that same guideline ever since. So far, so good. ✦

Though sometimes forgotten by Fighting Irish fans, Becton was a vital cog on the 1993 team that finished No. 2 in the country. He ended the year with seven straight 100-yard rushing efforts.

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May 2010 45

Proof In Pudding Is In The Eating Y

ou’ve just entered the grand opening of a new restaurant that is under new ownership for the fourth time in 10 years.

The ambiance is appealing, the aroma from the kitchen becomes alluring and the menu seems appetizing.

the 5th quarter lou somogyi Then as the waiter is prepared to take your order, he asks, “So, what do you think of the meal?”

How can such an inquiry be answered when nothing has been sampled? Furthermore, excellence in the culinary field, in any business, or even personal relationships, is sustained through longterm consistency and trust, not openingnight euphoria or “first date” intoxication.

That is how I preface my response whenever someone asks, “So, what do you think of Brian Kelly?”

The actual, veiled gist of that inquiry is, “Is this guy the next Ara Parseghian or Lou Holtz?”

The ambiance, aroma and menu around Kelly are catching on quickly, which is customary under any new regime.

Don’t believe it? While reviewing the archives in Notre Dame’s student newspaper The Observer to assemble the “This Month in Notre Dame Football History” segment (page 10), I came across these tidbits regarding head coach Dan Devine’s first spring with the Irish in 1975:

there’s more excitement, the practices have better organization, fundamentals are suddenly emphasized with conditioning, and change is for the good?!?

Oh, and while we’re at it … what was so great about Holtz (1986-96) anyway?

In successor Bob Davie’s first spring in 1997, I’ll never forget how in the opening practice one of the university’s greatest benefactors gleefully told a mutual friend, “Have you ever seen such enthusiasm and energy in a practice?”

Nah, Holtz was never any fun to be around. No sense of humor, right?

Sports Illustrated echoed that theme when in a six-page spread on Davie it wrote, “The Fighting Irish sense that change may be the antidote to their recent mediocrity, and Davie could be the savior.”

Quoted in SI was one returning player, who wished to remain anonymous, on the Holtz era: “It was hard to be enthusiastic about playing football. We dreaded going to practice, we dreaded going to meetings, there was no energy and no enthusiasm. We were going out there every day only because we received scholarships. The difference now is that people are on the practice field because they’re excited about playing football.”

In virtually any coaching change, be it an assistant such as a Corwin Brown, Jon Tenuta or Frank Verducci, or the head coach, the newly hired elicits instant invigoration among the masses.

To this day, I have not seen any coach at Notre Dame hailed like Caesar by the

Excellence is sustained through long-term consistency and trust, not opening-night euphoria or “first date” intoxication.

No. 1 tight end Ken MacAfee: “There seems to be more excitement around here. Everyone is very anxious to play.”

No. 1 fullback Tom Parise: “The practices seem to flow easily. We are going back to fundamentals and the conditioning exercises are great.”

Starting split end candidate Kevin Doherty: “It’s refreshing to have a change.”

And this was after one of the greatest regimes in college football annals!

Parseghian had finished 95-17-4 with two consensus national titles (1966 and 1973) and one shared (1964) … yet now

46 May 2010

Romans than Gerry Faust in the spring of 1981.

After all, he was replacing that drab Devine guy … you know the one also in the Hall of Fame who was a “refreshing change” from Parseghian. (Remember the bed-sheet banner, “Ara Was Fine, But Dan’s Devine”?)

After Faust assembled what was publicized as the greatest recruiting class in history — a record 13 Parade AllAmericans — even the more cynical Chicago press wrote the following headline: “New Problem: Will Irish Be Too Good?”

Tyrone Willingham’s first season at Notre Dame (10-3 in 2002) received much adulation, including the top individual honor from Sporting News.

Using the Kelly “Right Kind of Guy” theory while recruiting “tough gentlemen,” Faust walked out of a top recruit’s home when he spoke rudely to his mother.

“No matter how great he is, he better never cuss, he better never play dirty football and if he burps, he better say excuse me,” Faust said.

It was labeled “Faust Fever,” an affliction that made both the naïve and the cynic wonder if the Irish might ever lose again. Even Notre Dame’s esteemed sports information director, Roger Valdiserri, a student at Notre Dame during the Frank Leahy era and an SID for Parseghian, said of Faust that first spring, “I’ve never seen such a magnetic personality.”

Wrote Sports Illustrated in that spring of ’81: “If Faust’s rookie season is anything like his spring debut, you should get to know him before he’s canonized.”

While we’re dealing with religious allegories, do you remember how Notre Dame’s players took to calling new head coach Tyrone Willingham “The Prophet” during his first season?

Or how Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden referred to Willingham as the “Black Moses” who is leading Notre Dame to the Promised Land?

Or how SI one week had the headline “Savior of South Bend” to describe Willingham, and the next week, after a 4-0 start, put “What A Difference A Coach Makes” on its cover?

Not so long ago, we were exalting Charlie Weis and how the 1978 alumnus “gets it” when it comes to Notre Dame

and how recruits these days are foremost looking for a pro paycheck.

Now, Kelly “gets it” because he’s tired of constantly hearing about the gibberish on the next great Irish pro.

If Kelly thrives, he understands the college game. If he doesn’t, then he will be criticized for not attracting top recruits whose goal is to play in the NFL. We are in what I call “The Writes of Spring,” where everything written about the new guy will likely be interpreted — or want to be interpreted — as positive, encouraging and evidence that we have another coming of Ara and Lou. Barring a major injury (read: Dayne Crist), I have no doubt Kelly will post at least one or two nine- or 10-win campaigns in his first three years at Notre Dame. If Davie, Willingham and Weis could do it, Kelly will too, because he is more proven as a college head coach (although unlike a Parseghian or Holtz, he has not yet defeated a titan such as Woody Hayes, Bud Wilkinson, Joe Paterno or Barry Switzer before coming to Notre Dame). Similar to Weis, who posted 19 victories his first two seasons, Kelly inherits a stellar junior class that can carry the program for a couple of years.

The issue is getting to the elite level of Florida, Texas, USC, Ohio State, etc., where anything less than 11 or 12 wins is cause for angst. The issue is avoiding the three-loss season — of which Notre Dame has had 16 straight — much more consistently.

Kelly is personable, polished, a proven winner and well versed in the Coaching 101 manual, including challenging designated stars such as Crist (“sloppy fundamentally”), Michael Floyd (“needs to lose weight,” similar to Weis’ edict to Maurice Stovall) or Manti Te’o (“not very good last year”), and using the time-honored coaching stand-by, “We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”

What is my impression of Kelly, the fourth new owner of Notre Dame’s football franchise in the last 10 years? The ambiance, aroma and menu seem alluring, per usual.

But ultimately it will be about the appetizers (BCS bids), main courses (BCS wins) and the piece de resistance (national title) for it to be really good eating. ✦ E-mail Lou at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com

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