Notre Dame Championship Bowl Game Preview

alabama preview

The Dream Matchup — Again Notre Dame and Alabama meet in another national championship showdown

By Lou Somogyi

“Notre Dame and Alabama. At Notre Dame, football is a religion. At Alabama, it’s a way of life.”

— Howard Cosell in the closing minutes of the 1973 Sugar Bowl won by Notre Dame, 24-23

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Junior running back Eddie Lacy is an integral part of the Crimson Tide’s potent ground attack, amassing 1,182 yards (6.4 yards per attempt) and 16 touchdowns through 13 games. photo courtesy alabama

✦ Game Facts Date: Jan. 7, 2013 Site: Sun Life Stadium (73,230) in Miami Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. EST Television: ESPN Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129) and ESPN Radio (check local affiliates).

Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (28-10, third season), Alabama — Nick Saban (62-13, sixth season).

Series Facts: This will be the seventh meeting between the two storied programs. Notre Dame owns a 5-1 record against the Crimson Tide and won the last showdown 37-6 in 1987.

Prime Personnel: Offense — Junior quarterback AJ Mc-

our decades later, the words of Cosell still resonate and hold true.

One would be hard pressed to find a national title contest in college football that evokes more tradition and excellence than the Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide.

That 1973 national title dream matchup had a 25.3 Nielsen television rating, according to The New York Times. The highest ever in the BCS era, which started in 1998, was 21.7 between USC-Texas for the 2005 national title. The 1987 Fiesta

Carron leads the nation in passing efficiency (173.08), has thrown an Alabama single-season record 26 touchdown passes versus just three interceptions and is completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,669 yards. His 45 career touchdowns rank second in school history behind John Parker Wilson’s 47 from 2005-08. His .923 winning percentage (24-2) as a starter is second all time behind Jay Baker (.934) among Crimson Tide quarterbacks. Defense — Junior linebacker C.J. Mosley leads the Crimson Tide with 99 tackles and was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes to the country’s best linebacker and was won by Notre Dame senior Manti Te’o.

He has seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, two passes broken up, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Mosley’s three career interception returns for touchdowns also tie an Alabama record.

Jan. 3, 2013 Bowl between Miami and Penn State is listed by Wikipedia as having the highest share (24.9) in the last 30 years, but it doesn’t eclipse the 1973 showdown between Notre Dame and Alabama.

Could the two titans top it this year?

• Both programs have recorded a NCAA-high eight Associated Press national titles, with Oklahoma’s seven in third place.

• Only one school has recorded three consensus AP national titles over a fouryear period — Notre Dame from 1946-49.

This year, Alabama is on the cusp of being the second, but must get through Notre Dame to do it. (Nebraska also won three in four years from 1994-97, but Michigan finished on top of the AP poll in 1997, while the Cornhuskers were awarded No. 1 in the coaches’ poll.)

• Notre Dame is on the threshold of reclaiming the best winning percentage in college football history for teams that have played at least 100 years. A victory over Alabama would put it at .73427, barely

For The Record: Alabama is going after its second consecutive BCS National Championship victory after beating No. 1-ranked LSU 21-0 last year. With a victory over Notre Dame, the Crimson Tide would be the first program to repeat in the BCS era, which began with the 1998 title game between Tennessee and Florida State … Alabama’s senior class has posted a 48-5 record, just one victory shy of Nebraska’s class that went 49-2 with three national titles from 1994-97 to set the BCS standard … The Crimson Tide has 60 victories since the start of the 2008 season, which is the most in a fiveyear span in SEC history and is tied with Nebraska (1993-97) for the most ever in major college football … Alabama has a record of 5-4 against teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, notching victories over USC (1977), Penn State (1979), Miami (1992), Florida (2009) and LSU (2012).

behind Michigan’s .73445. The Crimson Tide would be right there had it not had to vacate 21 victories from 2005-07 because of NCAA infractions.

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Similar Blueprints

Both teams have traveled to where they are via similar blueprints and had to overcome rough roads the past 15 years.

From 1997-2006, Alabama went through three head coaches (Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and alumnus Mike Shula), plus the brief Mike Price regime that was over before it got started on the field.

Head coach Nick Saban had a rough 7-6 debut in 2007, but captured the national title in his third season.

Likewise, Notre Dame also had gone through three head coaches since 1997 (Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and alumnus Charlie Weis), plus the fourday stay of George O’Leary in December 2001, until the arrival of Brian Kelly for the 2010 campaign. Like Saban, he too had a difficult initiation with 8-5 starts … but now in year three his 12-0 and No. 1 Fighting Irish are vying for the program’s first national title in 24 years.

When asked if he thought Notre Dame could be in this position so soon under his watch, Kelly said he didn’t see any impediments to not make it possible.

“I didn’t think that we couldn’t,” he replied. “You come here because you want to play for a national championship. There was nothing that I saw other than practicing and playing the right way and developing our talent. That was the only element, and that was just a matter of time. I didn’t think that there was anything that was there that we couldn’t do it.”

The template has been similar for both coaches: First and foremost, emphasize and build a dominant defense. Alabama ranked No. 1 in every major defensive category last year en route to the national

Junior linebacker C.J. Mosley paces Alabama’s stout defense with 99 tackles, and has compiled seven tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.

photo courtesy alabama

title, and is No. 2 in scoring defense this season (10.7 points allowed per game).

Kelly arrived at Notre Dame with a gunslinger reputation and as a coach who won shootouts, but said the bedrock had to be built on stellar “SEC-like” defense. He placed his premium on recruiting that side of the ball while the offense found its way.

This year, the Fighting Irish are No. 1 in scoring defense (10.3 points surrendered per contest).

“If you want to win a national championship, you can’t win games like we did at Cincinnati or Central Michigan,” Kelly said at the end of the 2010 season. “You can’t just try to outscore people, because they’re going to get you. … You don’t get to that [championship] game unless you play good defense.

“It’s clear that the formation of any great program is going to be on its defense. For us to move Notre Dame back into a national prominence, we had to begin with our defense. … You look at the

When you do the numbers crunching for Notre Dame-Alabama on paper, the data on offense and defense are virtually a wash.

Notre Dame leads the nation in scoring defense (10.3 points allowed per game) and Alabama is second (10.7).

Both teams are exactly at 47 percent in third-down conversions on offense.

Both teams are averaging 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per contest. In passing, Notre Dame is at 218.8 yards per game and Alabama 214.5. The Irish are averaging 202.5 rushing and the Crimson Tide 224.6.

In matchups like this, the tipping points usually are turnovers, red-zone efficiency and special teams. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly specifically singled out how special teams needs to be elevated appreciably.

Sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza has been clutch (single-season school record 23 field goals) and senior punter Ben Turk has been solid, but the return and coverage games have been fair to poor.

The Irish haven’t had any kicks or punts blocked, but they also haven’t achieved either on special teams defense.

A good portion of the blame for Notre Dame’s problems in the return game have been placed on personnel shortage, forcing a conservative strategy. 2011 Special Teams Player of the Year Austin Collinsworth was sidelined this season because of shoulder and back surgeries, cornerback Lo Wood incurred a season-ending injury in August, Jamoris Slaughter was shelved by the third week.

The next men in during those situations — a KeiVarae Russell, a Matthias Farley, among others — now had to be defensive starters, thus taking some personnel away on special teams.

That could change for a one-game season against Alabama, Kelly hinted.

“It’s all hands on deck for our special teams,” Kelly said. “It’s a one-game deal, so certainly we can add to our personnel on special teams, and we’ll probably do that. We haven’t been spectacular, but we haven’t stunk up the joint either.

“We just need to continue to hold serve on special teams, and maybe we can find lightning in a bottle on a return or get a block, or something to that effect.

Our concern basically is to take great care of the football.”

Understandably, Kelly was not going to divulge what changes, if any, would be forthcoming.

“All I’m going to tell you is we’re going to put all guys on deck in terms of trying to get the best players on the field, because it’s a one-shot deal,” he said of the special team.

“I don’t have to worry about the next week or the week after and them getting too many reps, including special teams.”

— Lou Somogyi

SEC and the teams that are playing for national championships. Obviously, with Alabama leading that charge, they were built on defense.”

Second, both coaches pride themselves on a physical identity not only on defense, but offense also — especially with the ability to control the game on the ground and run the clock in the fourth quarter.

Alabama is averaging 224.6 yards rush✦ Page 2

ing, 5.6 yards per carry and has two 1,000yard rushers in junior Eddie Lacy (1,182 yards, 6.4 yards per carry) and freshman T.J. Yeldon (1,000 yards, 6.5 yards per carry). They combined for 334 yards rushing in the 32-28 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, staying with the run even after facing a 21‑10 second-half deficit.

Meanwhile, the greatest testament to

Kelly’s flexibility as a coach is that with his fast-paced, no-huddle offense that led Cincinnati to a 12-0 regular season in 2009, the Bearcats were dead last in time of possession (25:46).

This year, Kelly’s 12-0 Irish are 10th nationally in time of possession with a 32:34 average per game. Alabama was fifth (33:31) when it won the 2009 national title, 12th last year (32:48) when it captured it again and 23rd this season (31:49).

Against Alabama, Kelly said Notre Dame might need the versatility to play up-tempo when needed.

“There’s a time and place for all of that,” Kelly said. “Are we going to be exclusively in a tempo? No. But I like to pick our spots. Part of our offense right now will reflect more of that at times during the game … we’ll pick our spots to use some tempo that we think can be beneficial for us.”

Quarterback Play

One year ago at this time, Alabama junior quarterback AJ McCarron was a firstyear starter that helped steer the Crimson Tide to a national title. This year, sophomore Everett Golson is taking on that role for Notre Dame.

After an up-and-down first two months, his improvement in the last month was dramatic.

“He’s probably at that level of needing to bring it every day,” Kelly said. “He gets it now; he knows what’s expected of him. … Not just the physical — because he has the physical tools — but bringing that mental edge every single practice. That’s hard to do as a young guy, but I think he’s starting to understand that.”

The mobility and improvisational skills Golson brings might fit the blueprint of the success Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was able to produce against Alabama (24‑of‑31 passing for 253 yards with two

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Junior quarterback AJ McCarron leads the nation in passing efficiency (173.08 rating), having completed 66.8 percent of this throws for 2,669 yards with 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

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TD, 18 carries for 92 yards) in the Aggies’ 29‑24 victory Nov. 10.

Golson doesn’t necessarily have to duplicate Golson’s numbers, but the offense cannot achieve victory without explosive plays via the pass, according to Kelly.

Alabama is surrendering only 2.5 yards per rush.

“We’ve got to get big-chunk plays; I can tell you that right now,” Kelly said. “They know that and we know that. … You’re not going to win the game just trying to pound it in there.”

The Irish head coach said Alabama’s greatest strength is it has no weak link.

“There’s not one of the 11 guys [on defense] that you can go, ‘Let’s go attack him,’” Kelly said. “Nor on the other end do you say, ‘We’ve got to double this guy and take him out of the game.’ They’re just a good football team from one through 11 on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.” ✦

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Blue & Gold Illustrated Assistant Editor Wes Morgan

Breaking Down The BCS National Championship Blue & Gold Illustrated Staff Writer Dan Murphy

Blue & Gold Illustrated Football Recruiting Editor Jason Sapp

Blue & Gold Illustrated Senior Editor Lou Somogyi

Notre Dame MVP: Tight end Tyler Eifert X-Factor: Opponents averaged 22.44 yards per kickoff return and 7.3 yards per punt return against Notre Dame in the regular season. The Irish managed 20.04 yards per kickoff return and 2.44 yards on Davonte’ Neal’s 18 returns, which ranked 115th nationally. Irish head coach Brian Kelly all but conceded the return game during the year, knowing there wasn’t enough time to turn that unit around and opting to focus on securing possession only. When asked what his plan was during the six-week break between the USC game and the title tilt with Alabama, he wouldn’t go into detail but explained that there would be some personnel changes to make that area more productive. If the Irish somehow manage to get a boost from special teams, it could be the difference in a game between two evenly matched squads.

Analysis: Neither Notre Dame nor Alabama piled up eye-popping yardage in 2012. The Fighting Irish weighed in at No. 49 nationally with 421.33 yards per game. The Crimson Tide was 39th with 439.08 yards per game. The difference is head coach Nick Saban’s team was 15th in the country when it came to making drives count. Alabama scored 41 touchdowns on 57 trips to the red zone.

The Irish came away with only 27 touchdowns on 58 trips inside opponents’ 20yard line. In Notre Dame’s 22-13 win at USC, it relied on five Kyle Brindza field goals to seal the deal. Three-pointers might not be enough against Alabama.

Notre Dame MVP: Running back Theo Riddick X-Factor: Much ado has been made about the ability of Notre Dame’s front seven to stop Alabama’s relentless rushing attack, but don’t sleep on the importance of a solid Irish pass rush either. If Notre Dame can keep junior quarterback AJ McCarron from getting comfortable and picking his spots, Brian Kelly’s team will have a good chance of keeping the score low and following the winning formula that got them to the BCS National Championship Game.

Notre Dame finished 15th in the nation with 2.83 sacks per game. Sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt and junior linebacker Prince Shembo, among others, kept opposing quarterbacks on the run all season. McCarron heads the most efficient passing attack in the country, but the vaunted Tide offensive line allows 1.77 sacks per game. That stat puts them in the middle of the Football Bowl Subdivision pack this season. Could it wind up being an Achilles’ Heel in Miami?

Analysis: No matter how well Notre Dame has performed on the big stage this season, nerves will still be a factor in the national title game. Alabama learned last year how to channel those early jitters into positive energy. Notre Dame will be able to keep pace with the Tide for much of the game, but if Nick Saban’s team can get out to even a small head start while the Irish are getting settled in, it’s not a group that’s likely to surrender a lead.

Notre Dame MVP: Quarterback Everett Golson X-Factor: While senior running back Cierre Wood looked to be at the forefront of the Irish backfield entering the 2012 football season, the twogame suspension to start the season put classmate and roommate Theo Riddick in position to take advantage of the opportunity. Wood, who looks to be leaning toward entering the NFL Draft, remained in a complementary role throughout the season, but is in position to potentially end his college career on a high note in the BCS National Championship Game.

Analysis: Alabama has been here before, but the 2012 Fighting Irish have shown time and time again that they are actually capable of playing better away from home and in big-time games than they have performed in their own stadium.

This game presents an opportunity to do so yet again, and temporary blindness from the bright lights on the big stage isn’t expected.

Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson was playing his best football by the end of the regular season by not only limiting mistakes and developing a stronger sense of keeping the play alive with his arm and legs, but primarily by not turning the ball over. He has an opportunity to do to Alabama’s defense what Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel did in leading his team to a 29-24 victory over the Crimson Tide.

The Irish front seven will have a great challenge in the trenches, and the secondary’s experience will be tested.

Notre Dame MVP: Linebacker Manti Te’o X-Factor: In six road games this year totaling 360 minutes of action, Notre Dame has trailed a total of 48 seconds — 3‑0 at Oklahoma prior to Cierre Wood’s 62-yard touchdown run.

In other words, the Fighting Irish have been able to dictate tempo, rhythm and game situations virtually all year against their opposition. They have not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter (85-9 scoring advantage) and often seized control in the opening minutes, a la opening drives for scores at Michigan State and USC. The Fighting Irish consistently proved their mental toughness and concentration on the task at hand in 2012 and it has been beyond reproach. However, without a sharp start or finding themselves in a hole against a team of Alabama’s caliber, it might be rougher sledding for the Irish.

Analysis: The offensive and defensive stats are quite similar between the two teams, making it virtually a wash. That’s not uncommon when No. 1 faces No. 2.

Thus, these type of showdowns between football titans generally come down to three tipping points: turnovers, special teams and red zone efficiency.

If Notre Dame can win at least two of those three categories (it might need all three), then we like its chances of claiming the program’s first national title in 24 years. This might have to be like resurrected Oklahoma’s 13-2 win over defending national champ Florida State in 2000.

Prediction: Alabama 28, Notre Dame 20

Prediction: Alabama 23, Notre Dame 20

Prediction: Notre Dame 21, Alabama 20

Prediction: Notre Dame 13, Alabama 9

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✦ quoting kelly

“We’ve got to get big-chunk plays; I can tell you that right now. They know that and we know that. What are they, 2.5 [yards] per play I think they’re giving up? If you think you’re going to win the game just trying to pound it in there, you’re not going to win the game. We’ve got to find a way to get those chunk plays.”

On what Alabama does better defensively than other teams ND faced this year: “Up front they’re athletic at 290 pounds. Their athleticism, plus their size, the combination of both up front make them very difficult to go against. And they’re well coached. Very disciplined group and athletic in the back end of the defense. It’s just a very good football team.

“I think there are some other teams across the country you could take one player and go, ‘Wow, that’s a premier player.’ There’s not one of the 11 guys that you can go, ‘Let’s go attack him.’ Where other weeks during the year we go, ‘Let’s go get No. 4; let’s go really try to match up.’ There’s not a guy of the 11 that you can say we’re going to do this.”

On Alabama’s red-zone success: “They’re certainly in a position where they can run the football effectively; play action pass; they’ve got a guy that can go one on one and match up if you go man.

“So they have a lot of the elements that you need to be successful. And we think we do, too. We feel we’ve been there and just haven’t made the plays necessary. Again, you could use the USC game as an example. A number of field goals that needed to be touchdowns.

“We’re going to need to score touchdowns when we get in that area against Alabama.”

On what sophomore quarterback Everett Golson got out of the layoff: “There are so many practices there that you’re just looking for continued leadership

Head coach Brian Kelly has been pleased with the leadership and growth that sophomore quarterback Everett Golson has demonstrated during Notre Dame’s preparation for its showdown with Alabama.

photo by bill panzica

and growth and a recognition of what you’re trying to accomplish. I see all those things every day from him.

“I think now he’s probably at that level of needing to bring it every day. He gets it now; he knows what’s expected of him. Now it’s about bringing it every single day. Not just the physical, because he has the physical tools, but bringing that mental edge every single practice.

“That’s hard to do as a young guy, but I think he’s starting to understand that.”

On using Notre Dame’s underdog status as motivation: “I’ve used that technique before in my time as a head coach. I don’t know if that’s as pertinent because it’s a one game deal. It’s all or nothing. Both teams have different dynamics to deal with a long layoff. Preparation is more important than any kind of fire and brimstone speech I can bring them.

“The preparation is really where this is going to be at, and getting your football to be at its peak on January 7th.

Although I don’t disregard that can have influences on other situations, I don’t see that as primary to what I’m spending my time on: and that is making sure over this month that our football team is peaking for a one game winner take all.”

On going from unranked to No. 1: “I’m very proud of my staff and all the players. And when you talk about ✦ Page 7

pride, you talk about pride from within. In other words, all of our players know, as well as our coaches, what we had to sacrifice to get to this point.

“I’ve said this a number of times: what we have done this year more than anything else is our guys care about each other. I’m not going to say they hang out together every one of them and they love each other, but they really care about each other. When you care about each other you have a chance to be a good football team.

“That came together this year. They care about each other in the locker room, and then they learned how to play the game the right way. So there is a lot of pride because there is a lot of work behind the scenes that go to those two things in particular, those guys caring about each other and playing the game the right way.”

On whether or not he thought a title run was possible in three years: “I didn’t think that we couldn’t. I’ve always thought in terms of the impediments. What are the things that will cost you … you come here because you want to play for a national championship.

“There was nothing that I saw other than practicing and playing the game the right way and developing our talent. That was the only element, and that was just a matter of time.

“I didn’t think that there was anything that was there that we couldn’t do it.” ✦

✦ News & notes

By Lou Somogyi

working on strength and conditioning, and finally getting back into a gradual football rhythm with hitting, timing and execution.

The Fighting Irish held practices on Dec. 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21 before heading off for Christmas break, reconvening on the Notre Dame campus Dec. 27 and then engaging in intense game preparation from Dec. 28-31.

“For us, it has been a long layoff, but one that we think we have properly put the pieces together,” Kelly said. “… If we did all the work that we’re doing [now] in the first week of December and the second week of December, I don’t believe it would have had the same effect. We’ve kept timing and we’ve kept conditioning as the focal point, as well as incorporating every player on the roster in the first three weeks.”

Since early December, the plan of attack all along was not to peak too early in the preparation and intensity for the Jan. 7 game.

“We’ve coached them in a sense that we’re waiting to crank it up,” Kelly said after the Dec. 29 practice, his final session with the media prior to arriving in Miami Jan. 2. “Every day hasn’t been [taking] a baseball bat to them. We’ve kind of paced ourselves; we’ve coached them; we’ve taught them; we’ve made sure we’ve hit the areas that need to be hit in terms of tackling and timing and conditioning.

“We have to build up as well. If it’s game day right now, we’re not going to be where we need to be. It’s getting a sense and a feel from the coaches and myself that we lead them up to that crescendo as well.”

Business Only Travelers

The Jan. 7 BCS Discover National Championship Game will be Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly’s sixth bowl since becoming a Division I head coach in 2004.

He has a 3-2 ledger in the postseason (1-1 at Notre Dame), but did not participate in 2009 after leading Cincinnati to a 12-0 regular season. That season he stepped down from his Bearcats post in December to become the head coach at Notre Dame. (Sans Kelly, Cincinnati ended up getting whipped 51-24 by Florida in the Sugar Bowl.)

Now that he’s 12-0 again, he’s not going to let anything get in his way. Kelly doesn’t view the Jan. 7 showdown with Alabama as just another bowl venture.

It is the ultimate business trip, one that requires attention to detail, discipline and dedication unlike anything else.

“I’ve always felt like in bowl games, you let your guys go down and the first night or two, you kind of let them get out and have a little fun and kind of reward them for the bowl game,” he said. “Maybe I had a 2 a.m. curfew or something like that.

‘We’re 11 o’clock [in Miami]. This is not a bowl game. We’re playing for a national championship. We’re there on a business trip, and that’s kind of how we’ve approached it.”

Notre Dame arrived in Miami on the afternoon of Jan. 2, and was scheduled to practice from Jan. 3-5 the way it did in regular three-day preparations from Tuesday through Thursday during the regular season, with Friday a walk-through. This time, Jan. 6 will be the walk-through the day before the Monday night game.

Since ending the regular-season finale with a 22-13 victory at USC Nov. 24, the emphasis has been on first recovering from the grind of the long season, then

Injury Report Head coach Brian Kelly, who boasts a 3-2 record in bowl games (1-1 at Notre Dame), and his team arrived in Miami Jan. 2 with their sights set on winning the national championship.

photo by joe raymond

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Notre Dame has almost all hands on deck along its two deep.

Most notably, sophomore wide receiver

✦ News & notes DaVaris Daniels began contact work Dec. 28 after missing the last two games because of a broken clavicle suffered in the second half of the 21-6 victory at Boston College Nov. 10. He had surgery the next day and was projected to be out for six weeks, but he responded well to contact after first partaking in light workouts in early December.

Daniels is fourth on the team in receptions with 25, and his 15.0 yards per catch average is the best among Irish players with at least eight catches. His vertical threat could be a pivotal X-factor.

“We’ll be fine with him,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. “I’m certain that he’ll play a role in the game.”

The one trouble spot health-wise is the No. 2 offensive line. Because freshman left tackle Ronnie Stanley, sophomore center Matt Hegarty and junior right tackle Tate Nichols are all sidelined with season-ending injuries, sophomore Nick Martin is the third option at either tackle spot, while classmate Conor Hanratty has the same role at guard. Should fifthyear senior starter Braxston Cave get injured at center, classmate and right guard

Sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, who missed two games because of a broken clavicle suffered in the second half at Boston College Nov. 10, is expected to play in the national championship game.

photo by lon horwedel

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Associated Press poll began in 1936, and Notre Dame and Alabama are tied at No. 1 for most AP national titles with eight apiece. The Fighting Irish were AP champions in 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988, while the Crimson Tide captured the title in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009 and 2011.

In terms of consensus titles recognized by the NCAA, Notre Dame has 11 (1924, 1929 and 1930 to go with the aforementioned eight) and Alabama 10, with 1925 and 1926 included with the other eight.

The Crimson Tide advertises 14 national titles, but those either aren’t consensus titles or ones officially recognized by the NCAA. If Notre Dame did the same, it Alabama’s Nick Saban is attempting could advertise 21 national titles since 1919. to become only the second coach • Since the start of the Bowl Championship Series era in ever to win his first four meetings 1998, Alabama is the fourth program that will attempt to against Notre Dame (he led Michigan repeat as national champs. All of the previous three lost: State to wins from 1997‑99). photo courtesy alabama Florida State (1999) lost to Oklahoma in 2000, Miami (2001) fell to Ohio State in 2002 and USC (2004) was vanquished by Texas in 2005.

• The Fighting Irish are 0-3 in BCS games, losing 41-9 to Oregon State in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, 34-20 to Ohio State in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and 41-14 to LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Twenty-nine different programs have won a BCS game — but Notre Dame is not among them.

• The Crimson Tide is gunning for its third national title in four years. Only two other programs have achieved that feat since the advent of the AP poll. Notre Dame accomplished it from 1946-49 under head coach Frank Leahy, while Nebraska did the same from 1994-97 under Tom Osborne, with the ’97 title a split decision.

• Notre Dame is attempting to become the first team since Brigham Young in 1984 to go from unranked in the Associated Press poll at the start of the season to No. 1 at the finish. Clemson also achieved the feat in 1981.

• Alabama’s Nick Saban is attempting to become only the second coach ever to record a 4‑0 ledger against Notre Dame after winning his first three versus the Fighting Irish (1997‑99) as Michigan State’s boss. He would join Ara Parseghian, who did it at Northwestern from 1959-62.

• Notre Dame is 4-0-1 in its five No. 1-versus-No. 2 matchups when the Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 by the AP. The victories were against both Michigan and Iowa Pre-Flight in 1943, USC in 1988 and Michigan in 1989, with the tie versus Michigan State in 1966.

• Sophomore Everett Golson joins Hall-of-Famer Bob Williams, who helped the Irish to the 1949 national title, as the only two Irish quarterbacks to win their first 10 starts. If Golson directs the victory against the Crimson Tide, he would tie Williams’ standard for most consecutive wins as a starter at the beginning of his career.

• Junior wideout TJ Jones and sophomore guard Conor Hanratty could become part of the third father-son tandem to win a football national title at Notre Dame. Jones’ father, Andre Jones, who passed away in 2011, was a sophomore outside linebacker on the ’88 unit. Terry Hanratty was the sophomore starting quarterback for the ’66 champs.

The first we know of is 1949 Heisman winner Leon Hart and son Kevin, a backup tight end for the 1977 national champs.

✦ Page 9

✦ News & notes Mike Golic Jr. would shift there while Hanratty would step in at guard. This has made scrimmage work between the No. 1 units more tenuous while preparing for Alabama.

“If you take an hour and a half practice, we’re probably taking 10 minutes of that time to go ones versus ones,” Kelly said on Dec. 29. “I would go a little bit more, but we’re thin on the offensive line, and I can’t afford to lose a guy there.”

Junior safety Austin Collinsworth, who missed all of 2012 after tearing his left labrum in the spring, which required surgery in early June, had a second procedure to address problems with his back.

Kelly said Collinsworth will be ready to play this spring.

Kelly said. “… There was nobody that I would say, ‘Man, he’s a can’t-miss guy.’”

One More Year!

Auditioning For The Future

Game preparation for Alabama remained a priority, but many of the pre-Christmas practices from Dec. 7-21 (the Irish had eight practices in that time, including one light workout during final exams week from Dec. 10-14) also concentrated on developing many of the younger players who seldom played, if at all, in 2012.

According to head coach Brian Kelly, people such as freshman quarterback Gunner Kiel, freshman running back Will Mahone, sophomore offensive tackle Conor Hanratty and freshman defensive lineman Jarron Jones benefitted from the extra work. Sophomore Mike linebacker Jarrett Grace especially received extensive reps while senior Manti Te’o was making his cross-country tour picking up seven national awards.

When asked if there were any standouts among the youngsters, Kelly said the practices were more about trying to build a base while preparing for Alabama.

“I didn’t look at it as like a spring ball where we’re trying to find somebody,”

Nose guard Louis Nix III continued a recent trend in South Bend, when he announced in December his intention to return for his senior campaign in 2013. photo by bill panzica

✦ Page 10

Next to playing for the national title, the best news in December for the Fighting Irish came Dec. 17, when head coach Brian Kelly announced that both senior offensive left tackle Zack Martin and junior nose guard Louis Nix III will return to Notre Dame in 2013.

Both Martin and Nix had submitted paperwork to the NFL for an assessment of their draft status, but their return now fortifies both lines as Notre Dame strengths in 2013.

Martin has started all 39 games at offensive left tackle the past three seasons and graded out as the top lineman each time — earning him an unprecedented three straight “Guardian of The Year Award” honors as Notre Dame’s top offensive lineman.

Nix, a 2012 third-team CBSSports.com All-American, was the 326-pound anchor on the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense during the regular season. Nix paced the Irish linemen in tackles (45) for the second straight year and also led the team in passes defensed (five), but his greatest value was taking on multiple blockers in the middle to help free up All-Americans such as senior linebacker Manti Te’o and sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who recorded 12 sacks.

“Without him, there are a lot of runs that wouldn’t be stopped,” Tuitt said of Nix. Martin and Nix continue a recent uplifting trend at Notre Dame in which the NFL is not necessarily perceived as the top priority. Te’o and senior tight end Tyler Eifert both came back in 2012 despite high draft projections last year at this time, and wide receiver Michael Floyd, a first-round pick last April, did the same for his senior year in 2011. ✦

✦ News & notes

They Said It “This is a business trip. There’s no question we’re here to play the game, but I want our guys relaxed.

They’ve done all the work. We’ve got some practices we’ve got to take care of, but I want them relaxed and ready to play.” — Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly “It’s Rudy versus Forrest Gump [laughs], but both very storied programs and a bunch of national championships. We’re excited to compete with the best because that’s how you become the best.” — Notre Dame senior wide receiver Robby Toma “They’re probably the most fundamentally sound defense I’ve seen on film. Very well coached, you can tell. Very technically sound. Other than that, they have very good players.” — Alabama senior center Barrett Jones on Notre Dame’s defense “They do a really good job of making big plays on the defensive side. Most of the time your thinking going into the game is to win the offense from big plays, but their defense makes a lot of big plays, too. Sophomore Christion Jones, who has 25 … We’re just going to have to bring our ‘A’ game.” — receptions for 328 yards and four touchdowns, is part of a balanced Alabama receivAlabama junior quarterback AJ McCarron ing corps. photo courtesy alabama “Tackle to tackle it’s the best group, collection of offensive linemen, we’ve played against. They’re uniquely big and fast. They have quick twitch.

They’re not on the ground. They have excellent contact balance and ballast. They play very hard; that’s another unique trait. It’s not another happy-go-lucky group of offensive linemen.

This is an angry, aggressive, intense group of players that play hard and finish blocks.” — Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco on the Alabama offensive line “They’ve made a lot of great plays on the ball. They do a lot of different things with man coverage. They play great man. They play good zone defense. They do a lot of things well that we’re going to have to focus on.” — Alabama sophomore wide receiver Christion Jones on the Irish “For me, I’ve always been a believer that regardless of the situation, the field is still 120 yards long, the football is still the same shape, and everybody straps on their chinstraps the same way.

We understand that this is a big game, but at the end of the day, it’s still football, and I think when we start to do things differently than we’ve done all season, that’s when we’re going to start getting into trouble.” — Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te’o on playing on college football’s biggest stage “I’m so ready to play. It gets kind of boring going against our offense for the past four or five weeks. It’s going to be good to go against somebody different.” — Notre Dame fifth-year senior defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore

✦ Page 11

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GR A

T

S FOOT B A LL TE AM

Irish Power Into Big East Play

Notre Dame finishes non-conference slate with 10 straight wins

By Wes Morgan

For the third time in head coach Mike Brey’s tenure, Notre Dame is riding a 10-game winning streak.

photo by joe raymond

With the men’s college basketball season transitioning from non-conference play to league action over the holidays, the top-25 rankings feature a wide swath of conference affiliations, with 10 different leagues represented. The top 10 is comprised of one Atlantic Coast Conference program, four Big Ten schools, one Pac-12 team, two Big East members, one Big 12 squad and one West Coast Conference participant.

Duke remains the No. 1-ranked squad with a 13-0 record, followed by No. 2 Michigan (13-0), No. 3 Arizona (12‑0), No. 4 Louisville (13-1), No. 5 Indiana (13‑1), No. 6 Kansas (11-1), No. 7 Syracuse (13-1), No. 8 Ohio State (11‑2), No. 9 Minnesota (13-1) and No. 10 Gonzaga (13-1).

Notre Dame weighs in at No. 21 after completing its non-league schedule with a 12-1 mark. In all, six Big East members rank among the nation’s top 25, including No. 14 Cincinnati (13-1), No. 15 Georgetown (10-1) and No. 24 Pittsburgh (12-2).

Louisville, with three starters back from a squad that won the conference tournament title and reached the Final Four last season, was the unanimous Big East preseason favorite. Syracuse was voted second and Notre Dame came in third ahead of Cincinnati. Georgetown rounded out the top five, edging out Pitt and Marquette.

Now it’s about playing things out on the court rather than on paper. The Irish begin Big East play Saturday against visiting Seton Hall after a two-week break.

Notre Dame is riding a 10-game winning streak — the longest since the ✦ Page 13

2007‑08 season and the third such streak in head coach Mike Brey’s tenure. Though it hasn’t exactly been a murderers’ row prior to league play for the Irish, Brey said it isn’t prudent to overschedule before embarking on the beat-you-black-and-blue Big East.

“Since the Big East went to 18 league games, those are 18 power games,” he said. “The ACC will be an 18-game [schedule]. We’ve talked about playing four power games in our non-league segment of games. That’s kind of what we do. I think that’s a smart philosophy for us. I don’t think that will change moving forward.”

Best Of The Big East

Syracuse tops the league list with a scoring average of 82 points per game, followed by Louisville (78.1), Cincinnati (77.3) and Notre Dame (76.4). Pitt has been the stingiest of all Big East teams through non-conference play, allowing just 52.5 points per game. Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati, Providence, Syracuse and Notre Dame have all surrendered fewer than 60 points per outing. Pittsburgh has shot 51.3 percent from the field to pace the league, with Notre Dame a close second at 51.0 percent.

The Irish have made the third-most three-pointers (92) behind Seton Hall (112) and Cincinnati (102), but head coach Mike Brey’s team has the highest percentage (38.7) from behind the arc. Notre Dame is 11th in the conference when it comes to defending the deep ball, having given up 75 triples.

The Irish lead the way with 19.5 as-

sists per game, but are last in the Big East with just 5.8 steals per game. Louisville has picked the most pockets with 11.5 takeaways per contest. The Irish are one of only three teams to have a negative turnover margin (negative-0.38), but are second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) behind the Panthers (2.0).

Notre Dame is 13th in offensive rebounding (10.7) and third on the defensive glass (28.1). Cincinnati leads both categories with 16.7 offensive boards and 28.6 defensive rebounds per contest.

According to the Big East, Notre Dame is averaging 7,656 fans per home game (eighth in the league). Louisville has seen 20,416 fans on average and Syracuse has welcomed 19,465 fans per home contest.

Notre Dame junior point guard Eric Atkins has dished out 7.2 assists per contest, which ranks third in the Big East behind Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams (10.2) and South Florida’s Anthony Collins (7.6). Atkins is also second in assistto-turnover ratio (4.0) behind Pitt’s James Robinson (5.0).

Big Rookie Boost

Irish Individual Highlights

Notre Dame senior forward Jack Cooley ranks 13th on the league list with 15.2 points per game. Cooley leads the league with 11.3 rebounds per game — 3.3 more

2012-13 Results/ Upcoming Schedule Date Nov. 10 Nov. 12 Nov. 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 21 Nov. 24 Nov. 26 Nov. 29 Dec. 8 Dec. 15 Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 21 Jan. 5 Jan. 7 Jan. 12 Jan. 15

Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Evansville$ W, 58-49 Monmouth$ W, 84-57 vs. St. Joseph’s# L, 79-70 (OT) vs. BYU# W, 78-68 George Washington W, 65-48 St. Francis (Pa.) W, 69-52 Chicago State W, 92-65 Kentucky@ W, 64-50 Brown W, 84-57 vs. Purdue% (ESPN2) W, 81-68 IPFW (ESPNU) W, 74-62 Kennesaw State (ESPN3) W, 85-57 Niagara (ESPNU) W, 89-67 Seton Hall* (BEN) 12 p.m. at Cincinnati* (ESPN2) 6:30 p.m.

Connecticut* (BEN) 2 p.m. at St. John’s* (ESPN2) 7 p.m.

$ CVC Classic preliminary rounds at South Bend; # CVC Classic championship rounds in Brooklyn, N.Y.; @ SEC/ Big East Challenge; % Close The Gap Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis (Notre Dame, Purdue, Butler and Indiana); * Big East game.

As of Jan. 2, senior forward Jack Cooley led the Big East in rebounding (11.3 boards per game) and ranked 13th in scoring (15.2 points per game).

photo by joe raymond

than Providence’s LaDontae Henton.

He’s crushing the competition when it comes to total offensive boards (63). Seton Hall’s Eugene Teague (44) and Pitt’s Steven Adams (43) and Talib Zanna (43) are next in line. Cooley has pulled down a conference-high 84 defensive rebounds, and Irish sixth-year senior Scott Martin is second with 73.

“His will to go after that thing,” head coach Mike Brey said about what makes Cooley so effective on the glass. “He’s very underrated as an athlete, he’s quick off his feet, his reach is long, certainly he has great strength and he has great hands,

just super hands. When he gets near it, it’s usually his.”

Added Cooley: “It’s foot speed, trying to predict where the ball is going and luck; luck has a big thing to do with it. I have been fortunate so far in just being able to get where the ball is going to go and know my shooters and how the ball is going to come off the rim so it’s just been on key.”

Irish senior center Garrick Sherman, a critical piece off the bench moving forward, has the highest field goal percentage in the Big East at .644 (47 of 73). Cooley (.640) is second and Zanna rounds out the top three with a mark of .627. ✦ Page 14

Freshman forward Cameron Biedscheid has reached double figures four times this year, including a 15-point effort in Notre Dame’s last game, against Niagara Dec. 21 — an 89-67 Irish victory. He also connected on all four three-point attempts in the game. Biedscheid leads the squad from the foul line, working at an 85.0-percent clip, and is shooting 45.9 percent from the field (39 of 85).

“I really owe it all to my teammates,” he said. “The veteran guys on our squad just do a great job of finding the open man, and I knew if I would just be in the right spots at the right time and just let the game come to me that I would get an open shot.”

Only a couple nights earlier, in an 85‑57 victory over Kennesaw State, fellow freshman forward Zach Auguste put up 12 points in 12 minutes of action.

“I thought it was neat that Zach got in and got some minutes and gave us some energy,” head coach Mike Brey said. “I think that’s a big step for him. I really was high on trying to get him included when we started this thing as you guys heard me say.

“But we weren’t getting much to work with there from him, he didn’t help us much even with practice reps. But lately in practice he’s been better, and [against Kennesaw State] I thought that was something to build on.

“He is an active guy. You love guys coming off the bench that bring you some energy; he is an energy guy. We want to keep looking at that.” ✦

✦ football recruiting

All-American Season

By Jason Sapp

Notre Dame is hitting the final stretch of its 2013 recruiting campaign with 22 verbal commitments.

The numbers game isn’t an exact science with variables such as fifth-year options, transfers, career-ending injuries and other factors in play, but Notre Dame has two spots remaining with the possibility of adding a third depending on how some of those scenarios play out closer to National Signing Day Feb. 6.

The primary focus is on a defensive back, with a defensive big skill prospect and the next best playmaker, potentially a touted receiver, occupying the other spots in the blueprint.

The BCS National Championship Game is the primary focus now that the Irish have arrived in Miami, but for those interested in the recruiting game there’s a stretch of All-Star and All-America games prior to the Jan. 7 showdown between Notre Dame and Alabama.

Here’s a look at what to watch in those contests:

Under Armour All-America Game

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Date: Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN • Running back Tarean Folston of Cocoa, Fla., has been the top prospect at his position on the Irish radar dating back to the start of the process. He initially planned on announcing during the Under Armour All-America Game broadcast, but opted to become official on Jan. 2 and join Florida native Greg Bryant as the running back tandem for Notre Dame’s 2013 class.

“Notre Dame is just a home feeling,” he reported to 247Sports scouting director Gerry Hamilton.

Besides Notre Dame, he took an official visit to Oregon and was very familiar with South Florida. Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech were also involved.

Another pair of running backs in the Under Armour game that are committed to other programs — Ty Isaac (USC) of Joliet, Ill., and Dontre Wilson (Oregon) of DeSoto, Texas — were on Notre Dame’s radar, but the addition of Folston led to the Irish ending their pursuit of them.

• Mission Viejo, Calif., safety Max Redfield, a previous USC commit, regained interest in the Trojans after Oregon decided to go in a different direction, and the in-state program looks to be the toughest competition for his services. As expected, head coach Lane Kiffin and four members of his staff made an in-home visit at the end of the contact period to get a last stop in prior to Redfield’s trip to Florida for the All-American contest and the looming dead period.

There may be clear ties to staying close to home, but USC was only able to pull even after he took an official visit — a difference from the Irish taking the clear lead following his trip to South Bend and particularly after he put himself back on the market.

He has been the Irish’s top target as a defensive back that can line up at safety or cornerback, a la Irish fifth-year senior Jamoris Slaughter. Notre Dame still appears to be in very good position to secure a pledge from Redfield if he follows through with the plan to announce at this game.

• Three Notre Dame pledges will also be at the Under Armour Game: Wyomissing, Pa., linebacker Alex Anzalone; Owensboro, Ky., offensive tackle Hunter Bivin;

Cocoa, Fla., running back Tarean Folston initially planned on announcing his decision during the Under Armour All-America Game broadcast, but instead chose to pledge to Notre Dame on Jan. 2.

Photo courtesy 247Sports

and New Lenox, Ill., offensive tackle Colin McGovern. However, McGovern won’t be participating in the contest because he is recovering from a slightly torn MCL that may require a surgical procedure to repair.

• Another Irish target on site is former USC athlete commit Sebastian LaRue of Santa Monica, Calif., who is planning on taking an official visit to Notre Dame if the status of his “conditional” offer is upgraded based on his academic progress, which would also allow him to schedule the trip.

U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Location: Alamo Dome in San Antonio Sate: Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC ✦ Page 15

• Outside linebacker/defensive end Alquadin Muhammad of Ramsey, N.J., is preparing to make his college decision at this game. Notre Dame has been the team to beat for months, and it still appears that’s the case, but the Irish may not be in position to accept his pledge at this time because he has a couple of situations that still need worked to be out on his end.

At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he decided to delay his announcement and not use the Army Bowl as the platform if Notre Dame couldn’t accept his pledge at this time, which also ties into the reason why an official visit date hasn’t been finalized to South Bend. Muhammad is rated as the No. 94 recruit in the land by 247Sports.

✦ football recruiting Other programs in the running are Alabama, Miami and Ohio State, and he took an official visit to Coral Gables, Fla., during the weekend of Dec. 7. While he hasn’t been to the South Bend campus yet, he has heard plenty about it from former high school teammate and Irish freshman safety Elijah Shumate. Not having seen the campus shouldn’t affect his decision because he has been impressed with Notre Dame for some time.

• Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes of Placer, Calif., who has decommitted from USC, is a five-star player that any program would want to have along its defensive front. The Irish remained diligent in their pursuit of 247Sports’ No. 12 player nationally during the contact period, and had multiple in-home visits with assistants Kerry Cooks, Mike Denbrock and Mike Elston.

He had been decommitted from USC for weeks before he decided to make it public, but admittedly still has interest in the Trojans. He noted that he wants to take his last official visit to USC, which is tentatively set for Jan. 17, but may move things around a bit because he wants to get to South Bend before making any final decisions and is targeting Jan. 11 for that trip.

UCLA and Washington are among the programs to watch.

• Outside linebacker/defensive end Torrodney Prevot of Houston, who is committed to USC, is planning on taking an official visit to Notre Dame Jan. 25. Prevot, the No. 7 waakside defensive end in the country according to 247Sports, has been committed to USC since July, but also made an official visit to Oklahoma in mid-December. He’d be a tough one to flip, but you can never count out the Irish if a recruit travels to campus. Notre Dame has liked his ability for some time.

• The following Notre Dame commits

Notre Dame hopes to land a commitment from versatile defensive back Max Redfield of Mission Viejo, Calif., at the Under Armour Game this weekend.

weakside defensive end prospect in the country.

• Athlete Thomas Duarte of Santa Ana, Calif., still has Notre Dame among his top four with Oregon, UCLA and Washington, but he’s further down Notre Dame’s list like fellow athlete Juwaan Williams of Tucker, Ga., who has the Irish in a top two with Oregon for his Jan. 28 announcement.

Both players could become prospects to watch if space permits in the end. Duarte, however, plans to announce his college choice at this game. 247Sports ranks Duarte as the No. 15 tight end nationally and Williams as the No. 82 wide receiver in the country.

• The three targets will be surrounded by the following Irish commits: Washington, D.C., cornerback Devin Butler; Philadelphia wide receiver Will Fuller; Chandler, Ariz., cornerback Cole Luke; Philadelphia offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey; and Dayton, Ohio, quarterback Malik Zaire.

Photo courtesy 247Sports

will all be on site to assist in the recruiting efforts of the aforementioned Irish targets: Delray Beach, Fla., running back Greg Bryant; Midland, Mich., offensive tackle Steve Elmer; Prosper, Texas, wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr.; Everett, Mass., offensive tackle John Montelus; Woodberry Forest, Va., outside linebacker Doug Randolph; San Antonio wide receiver Corey Robinson; and Fort Wayne, Ind., linebacker Jaylon Smith.

Semper Fi All-American Bowl

Location: Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Date: Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. ET on NFL Network • Defensive back L.J. Moore of Fresno, Calif., the No. 18 cornerback nationally

according to 247Sports, remains an Irish target, but it is evident that Notre Dame’s first choice at that position is Redfield.

A surprising note about Moore’s recruitment is that both Oklahoma and UCLA, two programs that looked to be in the best position at one time, have been cut from his list, and his three finalists are Arizona State, Notre Dame and Oregon State.

• Outside linebacker Deon Hollins of Missouri City, Texas, remains committed to UCLA, but still plans on getting to South Bend in January on an official visit. As with the Redfield-Moore situation, Muhammad is the priority at the big skill spot, but if the New Jersey native’s situation doesn’t pan out then Hollins is a player that would be an ideal fit for that need in the class. He is listed as the No. 13 ✦ Page 16

Worth Noting

Notre Dame defensive end commit Isaac Rochell of McDonough, Ga., played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston Dec. 30.

A potential Irish target in the O-D Bowl was tight end Durham Smythe. The Irish coaches, however, didn’t pursue Smythe, the nation’s No. 6 tight end, aggressively following his decommitment from Texas, and Stanford looks to be in the best position at this time. He is considering an official visit to South Bend, though, and he’d be seen as a big skill player. ✦ 247Sports national writer Steve Wiltfong contributed to this report. Follow us on Twitter: @BGI_JasonSapp & @SWiltfong247

✦ opponents recap

Miami (7-5)

The Hurricanes closed their season with a 52-45 victory at Duke Nov. 24 … Freshman running back Duke Johnson had 16 carries for a career-high 176 yards and three scores … Junior quarterback Stephen Morris was 15-of-25 passing for 369 yards with three touchdowns … Miami earned a spot in the ACC championship game and was bowl eligible, but decided to impose a postseason ban on itself for the second straight year due to an ongoing NCAA investigation … Morris finished with a single-season school-record 3,415 yards of total offense, surpassing the previous mark of 3,412 set by Bernie Kosar in 1984 … Johnson, who compiled a freshman school-record 947 rushing yards and scored 13 total touchdowns, was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.

by steve downey

Navy (8-5)

The Midshipmen capped the regular season with a 17‑13 victory over Army Dec. 8 in Philadelphia, winning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for a record 13th time …

Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds notched the game-winning touchdown on an eight-yard run with 4:41 remaining and finished with 173 yards of total offense …

Arizona State sunk Navy 62-28 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Dec. 29 in San Francisco … The Midshipmen have now lost five of their past six bowl games … Senior slot back Gee Gee Greene had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and rushed for 112 yards on 12 carries … Senior linebacker Matt Warrick led the defense with nine tackles.

Stanford (12-2)

Purdue (6-7)

The Boilermakers notched a 56-35 triumph over Indiana Nov. 24 to become bowl eligible … It marked the first time Purdue played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons since 2006-07 … Sixth-year senior quarterback Robert Marve threw for a career-high 348 yards and four touchdowns against the Hoosiers … Oklahoma State hammered the Boilermakers 58-14 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl Jan. 1 in Dallas … Purdue is now 0-4 all time on New Year’s Day … PU turned it over five times, including a fumble that was brought back for a touchdown … Senior running back Akeem Shavers had 14 carries for 93 yards and caught four passes for 54 yards … Redshirt sophomore defensive end Ryan Russell posted seven solo tackles and a sack.

Michigan State (7-6)

The Spartans pounded Minnesota 26-10 Nov. 24 to clinch bowl eligibility … Junior running back Le’Veon Bell racked up a career-high 266 yards on 35 carries and scored the gamesealing touchdown … Michigan State rallied to top TCU 17‑16 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Dec. 29 in Tempe, Ariz., giving the school victories in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1989-90 … Senior kicker Dan Conroy booted a 47-yard field goal — his single-season school-record 23rd — with 1:01 left in the game to culminate the comeback from a 13-0 halftime deficit … Bell ran for 145 yards on 32 attempts and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to aid the rally … Junior defensive end William Gholston recorded a season-high nine tackles, including one sack.

Michigan (8-5)

The No. 19 Wolverines suffered a 26-21 defeat at No. 3 Ohio State Nov. 24 … Senior quarterback Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson compiled 100 rushing yards in Michigan’s 33-28 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl to move into first place on the all-time NCAA quarterback-rushing list with 4,495 career yards.

photo by brian blanco

carried the ball 10 times for 122 yards and had a 67-yard touchdown run … Michigan surrendered a 32-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining in the game and fell to No. 11 South Carolina 33-28 in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla. … Junior quarterback Devin Gardner threw for 214 yards and three scores, while redshirt junior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon caught a career-high nine passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns … Robinson compiled 100 yards on 23 carries and claimed first place on the all-time NCAA quarterback rushing list with 4,495 yards (Pat White of West Virginia had 4,480) … U-M surrendered 341 yards and four scores (56, four, 31 and 32 yards) through the air, and also gave up a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown.

✦ Page 17

The No. 8 Cardinal defeated No. 17 UCLA 35-17 in its regular-season finale Nov. 24, and then topped the Bruins again, 27-24, in the Pac-12 championship game Nov. 30 … Senior running back Stepfan Taylor rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the first victory over the Bruins, and then had 133 total yards (78 rushing) and a score in the rematch … Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan threw for 155 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 47 yards and a score, in the league title game to help send Stanford to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2000 … Stanford grinded out a 20-14 victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif. … Taylor rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown to pace the Cardinal offense … Redshirt junior nickel back Usua Amanam made three stops and sealed the win with an interception near midfield with 2:30 to play … The Cardinal played in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season for the first time in school history, while also recording at least 11 wins three straight years for the first time in program annals.

BYU (8-5)

The Cougars ripped New Mexico State 50-14 Nov. 24 …

Redshirt junior wide receiver Cody Hoffman hauled in 12 receptions for 182 yards and five touchdowns, while fifthyear senior quarterback James Lark completed 34 of 50 passes for 384 yards with six scores and no picks … BYU defeated former conference rival San Diego State 23-6 in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Dec. 20 in San Diego to extend its school-record bowl win streak to four … Junior linebacker Keith Van Noy recorded a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery in the end zone for the first TD of the game, and then returned an interception

17 yards for a touchdown to ice the victory … Van Noy finished with eight stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and added a blocked punt en route to defensive MVP accolades … Hoffman earned offensive MVP honors with 10 grabs for 114 yards.

Oklahoma (10-2)

The No. 12 Sooners came out on top in yet another shootout with a 51-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma State Nov. 24 … Fifth-year senior quarterback Landry Jones connected on 46 of 71 throws for 500 yards with three touchdowns and one interception … Oklahoma then defeated TCU 24-17 Dec. 1 to earn a share of the Big 12 title … Junior running back Damien Williams had 18 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown … OU was denied a BCS bowl berth when Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois earned an at-large bid by finishing 15th in the BCS standings … Instead, the Sooners will reunite with former conference rival No. 10 Texas A&M in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Jan. 4 in Arlington, Texas.

Pittsburgh (6-6)

The Panthers routed Rutgers 27-6 Nov. 24 and downed South Florida 27-3 Dec. 1 to gain bowl eligibility … Senior running back Ray Graham ran for 113 yards and a score against the Scarlet Knights … Fifth-year senior quarterback Tino Sunseri was 19-of-25 passing for 211 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, while Graham added 94 yards and two scores on the ground in the victory over the Bulls … Sunseri threw for 3,103 yards and Graham ran for 1,042 yards during the regular season, giving the Panthers a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher in the same campaign for the first time in school history … Pitt will square off with Mississippi in the BBVA Compass Bowl Jan. 5 in Birmingham, Ala.

Boston College (2-10)

The Eagles finished their worst season in 34 years with a 27-10 loss at North Carolina State Nov. 24 … Redshirt junior running back Rolandan Finch logged 19 rushing attempts for 144 yards and a score, while fifth-year senior linebacker Nick Clancy registered 18 tackles … BC finished with double-digit losses for just the second time in program history (it was 0-11 in 1978) … Clancy finished the regular season ranked third among all tacklers in the nation (145, 12.1 per game) … Head coach Frank Spaziani, who was 22-29 in four seasons as head coach and had been at the school for 16 years, was fired Nov. 25 … BC tabbed Steve Addazio, who led Temple to a 13-11 record the past two years, as Spaziani’s replacement.

Wake Forest (5-7)

The Demon Deacons suffered a season-ending 55‑21 defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt Nov. 24 and failed to qualify for a bowl game … Redshirt junior wide receiver Michael Campanaro had eight receptions for 98 yards …

Wake ended the season on a three-game losing streak for the first time since 2004 and was outscored 130-27 in the three contests … The Deacons have now posted four consecutive losing seasons … Campanaro’s average of 7.9 catches per game ranks as the second-best in ACC history behind Torry Holt who notched 8.00 catches per game in 1998 at NC State.

USC (7-6)

Georgia Tech dealt the Trojans a stinging 21-7 defeat in the Hyundai Sun Bowl Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas … The Southern Cal offense struggled mightily without injured star senior quarterback Matt Barkley, finishing with just 205 total yards, 10 first downs and eight punts … Redshirt freshman signal-caller Max Wittek completed 14 of 37 passes for 107 yards with one score and three interceptions … Junior running back Silas Redd was on the receiving end of Wittek’s a nine-yard touchdown pass and rushed for 88 yards on 17 carries … Meanwhile, the USC defense yielded 294 rushing yards on 63 attempts … USC became the first preseason No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll, which started in 1950, to finish with as many as six losses, and is all but assured of becoming the first school to enter the season on top of the poll and finish unranked since Mississippi (5-5-1) in 1964.

Bowl Results/Schedule Thursday, Dec. 20 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (at San Diego): BYU 23, San Diego State 6 Saturday, Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger (at San Francisco): Arizona State 62, Navy 28 Buffalo Wild Wings (at Tempe, Ariz.): Michigan State 17, TCU 16 Monday, Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun (at El Paso, Texas): Georgia Tech 21, USC 7 Tuesday, Jan. 1 Heart of Dallas (at Dallas): Oklahoma State 58, Purdue 14 Outback (at Tampa, Fla.): No. 11 South Carolina 33, No. 19 Michigan 28 Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio (at Pasadena, Calif.): No. 8 Stanford 20, Wisconsin 14

✦ Page 18

Head coach Lane Kiffin’s USC team became the first preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, which started in 1950, to finish with as many as six losses. photo by bill panzica

Friday, Jan. 4 AT&T Cotton (at Arlington, Texas): No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, 8 p.m., FOX Saturday, Jan. 5 BBVA Compass (at Birmingham, Ala.): Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi, 1 p.m., ESPN Saturday, Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game (at Miami): No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Alabama, 8:30 p.m., ESPN Rankings (Associated Press poll) as of Jan. 3

✦ inside the numbers (2012 statistics) Offense Points Per Game First Downs Rushing Yards Rushing Yards Per Game Rushing Attempts Average Yards Per Rush Passing Yards Passing Yards Per Game Passing Attempts Average Yards Per Catch Total Yards Average Yards Per Game Average Kickoff Return Average Punt Return Third-Down Conversions Third-Down Conversion Percentage Fourth-Down Conversions Fourth-Down Conversion Percentage Defense Points Allowed Per Game First Downs Allowed Rushing Yards Allowed Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game Opponent Rushing Attempts Average Yards Per Rushing Attempt Passing Yards Allowed Passing Yards Allowed Per Game Opponent Passing Attempts Average Yards Per Catch Allowed Total Yards Allowed Average Yards Per Game Allowed Average Kickoff Return Allowed Average Punt Return Allowed Third-Down Conversions Third-Down Conversion Percentage Fourth-Down Conversions Fourth-Down Conversion Percentage

ND 26.8 265 2,430 202.5 487 5.0 2,626 218.8 352 12.8 5,056 421.3 20.0 2.4 80-169 47% 3-5 60% ND 10.3 193 1,109 92.4 351 3.2 2,333 194.4 406 9.7 3,442 286.8 22.4 7.3 57-165 35% 5-16 31%

Score By Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total Avg. Notre Dame 85 73 64 83 16 321 26.8 Alabama 139 191 59 111 — 500 38.5

ND Offense ND Defense ND Specialists ND Totals

Sr. 10 6 7 23

2012 Alabama Crimson Tide statistics

Passing AJ McCarron Rushing Eddie Lacy T.J. Yeldon Kenyan Drake Receiving Amari Cooper Kevin Norwood Christion Jones Michael Williams Kenny Bell Tackles C.J. Mosley Trey DePriest Nico Johnson Vinnie Sunseri Dee Milliner Robert Lester Adrian Hubbard Interceptions HaHa Clinton-Dix Robert Lester Kicking Jeremy Shelley Punting Cody Mandell

Bama 38.5 275 2,920 224.6 525 5.6 2,788 214.5 300 14.0 5,708 439.1 24.8 10.2 72-154 47% 6-10 60% Bama 10.7 176 1,037 79.8 421 2.5 2,161 166.2 361 11.0 3,198 246.0 21.9 7.7 59-182 32% 7-17 41%

2012 notre dame Schedule

Turnovers Gained Lost +/Notre Dame 23 14 +9 Alabama 28 15 +13

Class Breakdowns (2012 Two-Deep) Jr. So. Fr.

Sr. 5 8 1 Bama Offense 4 5 8 3 Bama Defense 6 1 4 3 Bama Specialists 4 11 20 7 Bama Totals 14

Jr. 6 7 5 18

So. 8 7 2 17

Comp.

191 Att. 184 154 39 Rec. 53 26 25 21 17 UT 61 29 23 34 33 21 23 No. 4 4 PAT 63-63 No. 46

Fr. 5 2 2 9

Date Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Jan. 7

Opponent (TV) Result/Time vs. Navy* W, 50-10 Purdue W, 20-17 at Michigan State W, 20-3 Michigan W, 13-6 vs. Miami^ W, 41-3 Stanford W, 20-13 (OT) BYU W, 17-14 at Oklahoma W, 30-13 Pittsburgh W, 29-26 (3OT) at Boston College W, 21-6 Wake Forest W, 38-0 at USC W, 22-13 vs. Alabama$ (ESPN) 8:30 p.m.

* at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland; ^ at Soldier Field in Chicago; BCS National Championship Game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami

✦ Page 19

Att. 286 Yds. 1,182 1,000 273 Yds. 895 395 328 166 431 AT 38 27 31 18 18 21 16 Yds. 91 51 FG 11-11 Avg. 43.8

Yds. 2,669 Avg. 6.4 6.5 7.0 Avg. 16.9 15.2 13.1 7.9 25.4 Tot. 99 56 54 52 51 42 39 Avg. 22.8 12.8 LG 38 I20 17

TD 26 LG 73 43 38 LG 54 47 34 22 85 TFL-Yds. 7.0-46 4.0-16 2.0-6 6.0-21 4.0-19 3.5-11 10.0-49 TD 0 0

INT 3 TD 16 11 5 TD 9 4 4 3 3 Sacks-Yds. 4.0-34 — — 1.5-11 1.5-11 1.5-7 6.0-39

LG 61

2012 alabama Schedule

Date Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Dec. 1 Jan. 7

Opponent (TV) Result/Time vs. Michigan* W, 41-14 Western Kentucky W, 35-0 at Arkansas W, 52-0 Florida Atlantic W, 40-7 Mississippi W, 33-14 at Missouri W, 42-10 at Tennessee W, 44-13 Mississippi State W, 38-7 at LSU W, 21-17 Texas A&M L, 29-24 Western Carolina W, 49-0 Auburn W, 49-0 vs. Georgia^ W, 32-28 vs. Notre Dame$ (ESPN) 8:30 p.m.

* in Arlington, Texas; ^ SEC Championship Game in Atlanta; $ BCS National Championship Game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami

alabama crimson tide Depth Chart

notre dame FIGHTING IRISH Depth Chart Pos. No. WR 7

10 WR 9

19 LT 70

70 LG 66

65 C 52

57 RG 57

65 RT 74

70 TE 80

18 WR 81

87 QB 5

12 or 11 RB 6 or 4 or 20

Offense Name TJ Jones DaVaris Daniels Robby Toma Davonte’ Neal Zack Martin Nick Martin Chris Watt Conor Hanratty Braxston Cave Mike Golic Jr. Mike Golic Jr. Conor Hanratty Christian Lombard Nick Martin Tyler Eifert Ben Koyack John Goodman Daniel Smith Everett Golson Andrew Hendrix Tommy Rees Theo Riddick George Atkinson III Cierre Wood

Ht. 5-11 6-2 5-9 5-9 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-0

Wt. 190 190 185 171 304 290 310 305 304 295 295 305 309 290 251 253 215 215 185 220 210 200 210 215

Pos. No. PK 27

40 P 35

27 H 35

14 KO 27

Name Kyle Brindza Nick Tausch Ben Turk Kyle Brindza Ben Turk Luke Massa Kyle Brindza

Ht. 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-4 6-1

Wt. 225 201 186 225 186 225 225

Yr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. So. 5th-Sr. 5th-Sr. 5th-Sr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. 5th-Sr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr.

Pos. No. DE 89

91 NG 9

96 DE 7

69 Cat 55

11 Will 48

44 Mike 5

59 Dog 13

30 FC 6

43 S 17

29 S 41

24 BC 2

21

Specialists Yr. Pos. No. So. LS 60 Sr.

61 Sr. PR 19 So.

81 Jr. KR 4 Jr.

6 So.

Defense Name Ht. Kapron Lewis-Moore 6-4 Sheldon Day 6-2 Louis Nix III 6-3 Kona Schwenke 6-4 Stephon Tuitt 6-6 Tony Springmann 6-6 Prince Shembo 6-2 Ishaq Williams 6-5 Dan Fox 6-3 Carlo Calabrese 6-1 Manti Te’o 6-2 Jarrett Grace 6-3 Danny Spond 6-2 Ben Councell 6-5 KeiVarae Russell 5-11 Josh Atkinson 5-11 Zeke Motta 6-2 Nicky Baratti 6-1 Matthias Farley 5-11 Chris Salvi 5-10 Bennett Jackson 6-0 Jalen Brown 6-0

Wt. Yr. 306 5th-Sr. 286 Fr. 326 Jr. 290 Jr. 303 So. 300 So. 250 Jr. 255 So. 240 Sr. 245 Sr. 255 Sr. 240 So. 248 Jr. 240 So. 182 Fr. 185 So. 215 Sr. 206 Fr. 200 So. 190 Sr. 185 Jr. 199 So.

Pos. No. LT 71

63 LG 65

78 C 75

70 RG 61

77 RT 76

79 TE 89

84 TE/H 31

82 QB 10

6 RB 42

4 X 9

80 Z 83

22 H 22

8

Offense Name Cyrus Kouandjio Kellen Williams Chance Warmack Chad Lindsay Barrett Jones Ryan Kelly Anthony Steen Arie Kouandjio D.J. Fluker Austin Shepherd Michael Williams Brian Vogler Kelly Johnson Harrison Jones AJ McCarron Blake Sims Eddie Lacy T.J. Yeldon Amari Cooper Marvin Shinn Kevin Norwood Christion Jones Christion Jones Cyrus Jones

Ht. 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-10

Wt. 311 303 320 290 302 288 303 310 335 312 269 258 230 244 210 182 220 216 198 198 195 185 185 192

Name Jordan Cowart Scott Daly Davonte’ Neal John Goodman George Atkinson III Theo Riddick

Wt. Yr. 230 Sr. 245 Fr. 171 Fr. 215 5th-Sr. 200 So. 200 Sr.

Pos. No. PK 5 or 43 KO 43 H 10

3 P 29

5

Name Jeremy Shelley Cade Foster Cade Foster AJ McCarron Vinnie Sunseri Cody Mandell Jeremy Shelley

Ht. 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-4 5-10

Wt. 165 218 218 210 215 202 165

Ht. 6-2 6-2 5-9 6-3 6-1 5-11

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Yr. Pos. No. So. DE 49 Jr.

8 Sr. NG 54 So.

62 Sr. DE 92 R-Fr.

90 Jr. SAM 42 So.

19 Jr. MIKE 33 So. or 35 Sr. WILL 35 So. or 32 Sr. JACK 47 So.

30 Jr. CB 13 So.

24 Jr. CB 28 Fr.

10 Fr. S 37 R-Fr.

3 Jr. S 6 So. or 27 So. Fr. Specialists Yr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr.

Pos. No. SN 51

31 PR 22 or 8 KOR 8

28

Defense Name Ed Stinson Jeoffrey Pagan Jesse Williams Brandon Ivory Damion Square Quinton Dial Adrian Hubbard Jonathan Atchison Trey DePriest Nico Johnson Nico Johnson C.J. Mosley Xzavier Dickson Denzel Devall Deion Belue Geno Smith Dee Milliner John Fulton Robert Lester Vinnie Sunseri HaHa Clinton-Dix Nick Perry

Ht. 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1

Wt. 282 285 320 315 286 304 248 236 245 245 245 232 262 243 179 182 199 187 210 215 209 208

Yr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. So. Jr.

Name Carson Tinker Kelly Johnson Christion Jones Cyrus Jones Cyrus Jones Dee Milliner

Ht. 6-1 6-3 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-1

Wt. 220 230 185 192 192 199

Yr. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr.

✦ 2012 notre dame fighting irish roster

No. Name

Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School)

No. Name

Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School)

1 Gunner Kiel

QB 6-4 210 Fr./4 Columbus, Ind. (East)

28 Austin Collinsworth S

6-1 202 Jr./2 Fort Thomas, Ky. (Highlands)

60 Jordan Cowart

2 Chris Brown

WR 6-2 172 Fr./4 Hanahan, S.C. (Hanahan)

29 Nick Baratti

6-1 206 Fr./4 Tomball, Texas (Klein Oak)

61 Scott Daly

LS 6-2 245 Fr./4 Downers Grove, Ill. (South)

2 Bennett Jackson

CB 6-0 185 Jr./2 Hazlet, N.J. (Raritan)

30 Ben Councell

OLB 6-5 240 So./4 Asheville, N.C. (A.C. Reynolds)

62 Matt Tansey

OL 6-6 270 Sr./2 Berkely Hghts, N.J. (Governor Livingston)

3 Amir Carlisle

RB 5-10 185 So./3 Santa Clara, Calif. (Kings Acad.)

31 John Turner

DB 6-2 207 Fr./4 Indianapolis (Cathedral)

63 Grant Patton

DE 6-6 256 Sr./2 Louisville, Ky. (Saint Xavier)

4 George Atkinson III RB 6-1 210 So./3 Stockton, Calif. (Granada)

32 Will Mahone

RB 5-10 211 Fr./4 Austintown, Ohio (Fitch)

64 Tate Nichols

OT 6-8 320 Jr./3 Walton, Ky. (Ryle)

4 Eilar Hardy

S 5-11 185 So./4 Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Pickerington Cent.)

33 Josh Anderson

WR 5-9 180 Fr./4 Chatsworth, Calif. (Notre Dame)

65 Conor Hanratty

OG 6-5 305 So./4 New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan)

5 Everett Golson

QB 6-0 185 So./4 Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Myrtle Beach)

33 Cam McDaniel

RB 5-10 195 So./3 Coppell, Texas (Coppell)

66 Chris Watt

OG 6-3 310 Sr./2 Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard West)

5 Manti Te’o

ILB 6-2 255 Sr./1 Laie, Hawaii (Punahou)

34 C.J. Prosise

S

67 Kevin Carr

DE 6-7 325 Jr./3 Nashville, Tenn. (Montgomery Bell Acad.)

6 Theo Riddick

RB 5-11 200 Sr./1 Manville, N.J. (Immaculata)

35 Joe Romano

DB 5-9 175 Jr./3 River Forest, Ill. (Fenwick)

69 Tony Springmann

DE 6-6 300 So./4 Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger)

6 KeiVarae Russell

CB 5-11 182 Fr./4 Everett, Wash. (Mariner)

35 Ben Turk

P 5-11 186 Sr./1 Davie, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

70 Zack Martin

OT 6-4 304 Sr./2 Indianapolis (Bishop Chatard)

7 TJ Jones

WR 5-11 190 Jr./2 Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville)

36 Will Salvi

CB 5-10 176 Sr./2 Lake Forest, Ill. (Carmel Catholic)

71 Dennis Mahoney

OT 6-7 294 5th/1 Baltimore (Boys Latin)

7 Stephon Tuitt

DE 6-6 303 So./3 Monroe, Ga. (Monroe Area)

37 Eric Lee

WR 5-9 180 So./4 W. Des Moines, Iowa (Dowling Cath.)

72 Nick Martin

OL 6-4 290 So./4 Indianapolis (Bishop Chatard) OL 6-7 250 Fr./4 Livonia, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary)

S

6-2 208 Fr./4 Petersburg, Va. (Woodberry Forest)

No. Name

Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School) LS 6-2 230 Sr./1 Plantation, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

8 Kendall Moore

ILB 6-1 242 Jr./3 Cary, N.C. (Southeast Raleigh)

38 Nick Fitzpatrick

WR 5-8 170 Sr./2 Mishawaka, Ind. (Marian)

73 Nick Furlong

9 Louis Nix III

NG 6-3 326 Jr./3 Jacksonville, Fla. (Raines)

38 Joe Schmidt

ILB 6-0 230 So./4 Orange, Calif./Mater Dei

74 Christian Lombard OT 6-5 309 Jr./3 Inverness, Ill. (Fremd)

9 Robby Toma

WR 5-9 185 Sr./1 Laie, Hawaii (Punahou)

39 Jude Rhodes

K/P 5-10 180 Jr./3 Kapsowar, Kenya (Nordhoff [Ojai, Calif.])

75 Mark Harrell

OL 6-4 287 Fr./4 Charlotte, N.C. (Catholic)

10 DaVaris Daniels

WR 6-2 190 So./4 Vernon Hills, Ill. (Vernon Hills)

40 Connor Cavalaris

S 5-10 194 So./4 Lake Forest Ill. (Lake Forest)

77 Matt Hegarty

C

11 Tommy Rees

QB 6-2 210 Jr./2 Lake Forest, Ill. (Lake Forest)

40 Nick Tausch

K

78 Ronnie Stanley

OL 6-6 304 Fr./4 Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman)

11 Ishaq Williams

OLB 6-5 255 So./3 Brooklyn, N.Y. (Lincoln)

41 Matthias Farley

S 5-11 200 So./4 Charlotte, N.C. (Christian)

80 Tyler Eifert

TE 6-6 251 Sr./2 Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger)

6-0 201 Sr./2 Plano, Texas (Jesuit)

6-5 296 So./4 Aztec, N.M. (Aztec)

12 Andrew Hendrix

QB 6-2 220 Jr./3 Cincinnati (Moeller)

42 Ernie Soto

S

81 John Goodman

WR 6-3 215 5th/1 Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger)

13 Danny Spond

OLB 6-2 248 Jr./2 Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)

43 Josh Atkinson

CB 5-11 185 So./3 Stockton, Calif. (Granada)

82 Justin Ferguson

WR 6-2 196 Fr./4 Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan)

14 Luke Massa

WR 6-4 225 Jr./3 Cincinnati (St. Xavier)

44 Carlo Calabrese

ILB 6-1 245 Sr./2 Verona, N.J. (Verona)

82 Alex Welch

TE 6-4 250 Jr./3 Cincinnati (Elder)

5-9 188 So./4 Davie, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

15 Dan McCarthy

S

6-2 205 5th/1 Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)

45 Romeo Okwara

LB 6-4 239 Fr./4 Charlotte, N.C. (Ardrey Kell)

83 Gerard Martinez

WR 6-1 200 Fr./4 Las Vegas (Cimarron Memorial)

16 Chris Badger

S

6-0 193 Fr./4 Timpview, Utah (Timpview)

46 Eamon McOsker

S

6-1 200 Fr./4 San Pedro, Calif. (Loyola)

84 Andre Smith

WR 6-2 190 So./4 Davie, Fla. (North Broward Prep)

ILB 6-3 240 Sr./2 Rocky River, Ohio (St. Ignatius)

85 Troy Niklas

TE 6-7 260 So./3 Fullerton, Calif. (Servite)

17 Charlie Fiessinger QB 6-1 185 So./4 Mason, Ohio (Moeller)

48 Dan Fox

17 Zeke Motta

S

49 Tyler Plantz

RB 5-9 202 Jr./3 Frankfort, Ill. (Providence Cath.)

86 Arturo Martinez

TE 6-4 250 Jr./3 Miami (Belen Jesuit)

18 Ben Koyack

TE 6-5 253 So./.3 Oil City, Pa. (Oil City)

50 Chase Hounshell

DE 6-4 275 So./3 Kirtland, Ohio (Lake Catholic)

87 Daniel Smith

WR 6-4 215 Jr./2 South Bend (Clay)

19 Davonte’ Neal

WR 5-9 171 Fr./4 Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral)

51 Bruce Heggie

C

6-5 285 Jr./3 Sorrento, Fla. (Mount Dora)

88 Jake Golic

TE 6-4 245 Sr./2 W. Hartford, Conn. (Northwest Cath.)

20 Cierre Wood

RB 6-0 215 Sr./2 Oxnard, Calif. (Santa Clara)

52 Braxston Cave

C

6-3 304 5th/1 Granger, Ind. (Penn)

89 Kapron Lewis-Moore DE 6-4 306 5th/1 Weatherford, Texas (Weatherford)

21 Jalen Brown

CB 6-1 199 So./4 Irving, Texas (MacArthur)

53 Justin Utupo

DE 6-1 258 Jr./3 Lakewood, Calif. (Lakewood)

91 Sheldon Day

DE 6-2 286 Fr./4 Indianapolis (Warren Central)

22 Elijah Shumate

DB 6-0 198 Fr./4 E. Orange, N.J. (Don Bosco Prep)

54 Kevin Walsh

LB 6-3 220 Sr./2 Bettendorf, Iowa (Davenport Assumption)

92 Tyler Stockton

NG 6-0 285 Sr./2 Linwood, N.J. (Hun School)

6-2 215 Sr./1 Vero Beach, Fla. (Vero Beach)

23 Lo Wood

CB 5-10 195 Jr./2 Apopka, Fla. (Apopka)

55 Prince Shembo

OLB 6-2 250 Jr./2 Charlotte, N.C. (Ardrey Kell)

93 Connor Little

LB 6-3 225 So./4 Lake Elmo, Minn. (Hill-Murray)

24 Chris Salvi

S 5-10 190 5th/1 Lake Forest, Ill. (Carmel Catholic)

56 Anthony Rabasa

OLB 6-3 240 So./4 Miami (Columbus)

94 Jarron Jones

DL 6-5 299 Fr./4 Rochester, N.Y. (Aquinas Institute)

26 Jamoris Slaughter

S

57 Mike Golic Jr.

C/OG 6-3 300 5th/1 W. Hartford, Conn. (Northwest Cath.)

96 Kona Schwenke

DE 6-4 290 Jr./2 Hau’ula, Hawaii (Kahuku)

27 Kyle Brindza

6-0 200 5th/1 Stone Mountain, Ga. (Tucker)

K/P 6-1 225 So./3 Canton, Mich. (Plymouth)

59 Jarrett Grace

ILB 6-3 240 So./4 Cincinnati (Colerain)

✦ Page 21

✦ 2012 alabama crimson tide roster

No. Name 1 Dee Hart 2 DeAndrew White 3 Vinnie Sunseri 4 T.J. Yeldon 5 Chris Black 5 Jeremy Shelley 6 HaHa Clinton-Dix 6 Blake Sims 7 Ryan Anderson 7 Kenny Bell 8 Cyrus Jones 8 Jeoffrey Pagan 9 Amari Cooper 10 John Fulton 10 AJ McCarron 11 Alec Morris 11 Tana Patrick 11 Ranzell Watkins 12 Phillip Ely 13 Deion Belue 13 Ty Reed 14 Edward Aldag 15 Eddie Williams 16 Bradley Sylve 17 Caleb Castille 17 Kenyan Drake 17 Parker Philpot 18 Levi Cook 18 Reggie Ragland 18 Nick Williams 19 Jonathan Atchison 19 Dustin Ellison 20 Jarrick Williams 21 Brent Calloway 22 Hunter Bush 22 Christion Jones 23 Taylor Morton 23 Jabriel Washington 24 Nathan McAlister

Pos. RB WR DB RB WR PK DB RB LB WR ATH DL WR DB QB QB LB DB QB DB QB QB WR DB DB RB DB DB LB WR LB QB DB LB DB WR DB DB WR

Ht. 5-9 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-3 5-9 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-3 5-11 5-11 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-10 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-11

Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School) 190 So./4 Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) 185 So./3 Houston (North Shore) 215 So./3 Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Northridge) 216 Fr./4 Daphne, Ala. (Daphne) 178 Fr./4 Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast) 165 Sr./2 Raleigh, N.C. (Broughton) 209 So./3 Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) 212 So./3 Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville) 252 Fr./4 Daphne, Ala. (Daphne) 180 Jr./2 Rayville, La. (Rayville) 192 Fr./4 Baltimore (Gilman) 285 So./3 Asheville, N.C. (Asheville) 198 Fr./4 Miami (Northwestern) 187 Jr./2 Manning, S.C. (Manning) 210 Jr./2 Mobile, Ala. (Saint Paul’s Episcopal) 225 Fr./4 Allen, Texas (Allen) 236 Jr./2 Bridgeport, Ala. (North Jackson) 172 Jr./2 Charlotte, N.C. (Independence) 198 So./4 Tampa, Fla. (Plant) 179 Jr./2 Tuscambia, Ala. (Deshler) 190 Jr./2 Rocky Hill, Conn. (Rocky Hill) 183 Fr./4 Birmingham, Ala. (Mountain Brook) 204 Fr./4 Panama City Beach, Fla. (Arnold) 178 So./4 Pt. Sulphur, La. (S. Palquemines) 170 So./3 Birmingham, Ala. (Briarwood Christian) 204 Fr./4 Powder Spring, Ga. (Hillgrove) 180 Jr./2 Alpharetta, Ga. (Milton) 190 Sr./1 Decatur, Ala. (Decatur) 247 Fr./4 Madison, Ala. (Bob Jones) 185 Jr./2 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) 236 Jr./2 Atlanta (Douglass) 180 So./3 Monroeville, Ala. (Monroe Acad.)

212 Jr./2 Mobile, Ala. (Blount) 217 So./4 Russellville, Ala. (Russellville) 195 Sr./1 Wetumpka, Ala. (Wetumpka) 185 So./3 Adamsville, Ala. (Minor) 185 So./3 Centreville, Ala. (Bibb County) 183 So./4 Jackson, Tenn. (Trinity Christian Acad.)

165 Sr./1 Russellville, Ala. (Russellville)

o. Name N Pos. Ht. 24 Geno Smith DB 6-0 25 Dillon Lee LB 6-4 26 Landon Collins DB 6-0 27 Nick Perry DB 6-1 28 Dee Milliner DB 6-1 29 Cody Mandell P 6-4 30 Denzel Deval LB 6-2 31 Jerrod Bierbower DB 6-1 31 Kelly Johnson TE 6-3 32 C.J. Mosley LB 6-2 32 Trey Roberts RB 6-0 33 Trey DePriest LB 6-2 33 Marcus Polk WR 5-8 34 Ben Howell RB 5-9 34 Tyler Owens LB 6-0 35 Nico Johnson LB 6-3 36 Tyler Hayes LB 6-2 37 Robert Lester DB 6-2 41 Kurt Freitag TE 6-4 42 Adrian Hubbard LB 6-6 42 Eddie Lacy RB 6-0 43 Cade Foster PK 6-1 44 LaMichael Fanning DL 6-7 45 Jalston Fowler RB 6-1 46 Michael Nysewander TE 6-1 46 Wilson Whorton P 5-10 47 Xzavier Dickson LB 6-3 47 Corey McCarron TE 6-2 48 Rowdy Harrell LB 6-0 49 Ed Stinson DL 6-4 50 Alphonse Taylor DL/OL 6-5 51 Wilson Love DL 6-3 51 Carson Tinker LS 6-1 52 MK Taylor LS 5-10 52 Dalvin Tomlinson DL 6-2 53 Anthony Orr DL 6-4 54 Russell Raines OL 6-2 54 Jesse Williams DL 6-4 55 Josh Dickerson LB 6-1

Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School) 182 Fr./4 Atlanta (St. Pius X) 240 Fr./4 Buford, Ga. (Buford) 202 Fr./4 Geismar, La. (Dutchtown) 208 Jr./2 Prattville, Ala. (Prattville) 199 Jr./2 Millbrook, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore) 202 Jr./2 Lafayette, La. (Acadiana) 243 Fr./4 Bastrop, La. (Bastrop) 185 So./3 Dublin, Ohio (Coffman) 230 Sr./1 Bluffton, S.C. (Providence Day) 232 Jr./2 Theodore, Ala. (Theodore) 189 Fr./4 Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen) 245 So./3 Springfield, Ohio (Springfield) 180 So./3 Lithonia, Ga. (Woodward Acad.)

194 Sr./1 Gordo, Ala. (Gordo) 220 So./3 Columbiana, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville) 245 Sr./1 Andalusia, Ala. (Andalusia) 210 Fr./4 Thomasville, Ala. (Thomasville) 210 Sr./1 Foley, Ala. (Foley) 240 Fr./4 Buford, Ga. (Buford) 248 So./3 Lawrenceville, Ga. (Norcross) 220 Jr./2 Geismar, La. (Dutchtown) 218 Jr./2 Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll) 298 So./4 Hamilton, Ga. (Harris County) 242 Jr./2 Mobile, Ala. (Vigor) 230 So./3 Hoover, Ala. (Hoover) 175 So./3 Leeds, Ala. (Briarwood Christian) 262 So./3 Griffin, Ga. (Griffin) 240 So./3 Mobile, Ala. (Spanish Fort) 221 Sr./1 Moundville, Ala. (Hale County) 282 Jr./2 Homestead, Fla. (South Dade) 340 Fr./4 Mobile, Ala. (Davidson) 281 So./4 Mountain Brook, Ala. (Mountain Brook) 220 Sr./2 Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Riverdale) 210 Jr./2 Oxford, Ala. (Oxford) 266 Fr./4 McDonaugh, Ga. (Henry County) 258 So./3 Madison, Ala. (Sparkman) 277 Jr./2 Satsuma, Ala. (Satsuma) 320 Sr./2 Brisbane, Australia (Cavendish Road) 238 So./3 Evans, Ga. (Lakeside)

✦ Page 22

o. Name N Pos. 56 William Ming DL 57 Aaron Joiner OL 57 D.J. Pettway DL 58 Brandon Greene OL 59 Harold Nicholson OL 61 Anthony Steen OL 62 Brandon Ivory DL 63 Kellen Williams OL 64 Michael Newsome DL 65 Chance Warmack OL 67 Alex Shine OL 68 Isaac Luatua OL 69 Paul Waldrop OL 70 Ryan Kelly OL 71 Cyrus Kouandjio OL 74 Caleb Gulledge OL 75 Barrett Jones OL 76 D.J. Fluker OL 77 Arie Kouandjio OL 78 Chad Lindsay OL 79 Austin Shepherd OL 80 Marvin Shinn WR 81 Danny Woodson Jr. WR 82 Harrison Jones TE 83 Kevin Norwood WR 84 Brian Vogler TE 85 Malcolm Faciane TE 85 Korren Kirven DL 87 Parker Barrineau WR 88 Josh Magee WR 89 Michael Williams TE 90 Quinton Dial DL 92 Damion Square DL 93 Chris Bonds DL 94 Dakota Ball DL 95 Darren Lake DL 98 Dillon Drake PK 99 Adam Griffith PK

Ht. 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-5 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-5 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 5-9 5-10

Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (High School) 283 Jr./2 Athens, Ala. (Athens) 265 Sr./1 Florence, Ala. (Florence) 285 So./4 Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola Catholic) 292 Fr./4 Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove) 292 So./3 Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales) 303 Jr./2 Lambert, Miss. (Lee Academy) 315 So./3 Memphis, Tenn. (East) 303 Jr./3 Lawrenceville, Ga. (Brookwood) 250 So./3 Cockeysville, Md. (Boys’ Latin) 320 Sr./1 Atlanta (Westlake) 300 Fr./4 Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral) 313 So./4 La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada) 267 Fr./4 Phenix City, Ala. (Central) 288 So./4 W. Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) 311 So./3 Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) 280 Fr./4 Prattville. Ala. (Prattville) 302 Sr./1 Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian) 335 Jr./2 Foley, Ala. (Foley) 310 So./3 Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) 290 So./3 The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands) 312 So./3 Buford, Ga. (North Gwinnett) 198 So./4 Prichard, Ala. (Vigor) 195 So./4 Mobile, Ala. (LeFlore) 244 So./3 Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian) 195 Jr./2 D’Iberville, Miss. (D’Iberville) 258 So./3 Columbus, Ga. (Brookstone) 259 So./4 Picayune, Miss. (Picayune Memorial) 292 Fr./4 Lynchburg, Va. (Brookville) 175 So./3 Northport, Ala. (American Christian Acad.)

170 Fr./4 Hoover, Ala. (Hoover) 269 Sr./1 Reform, Ala. (Pickens County) 304 Sr./1 Pinson, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville) 286 Sr./1 Houston (Yates) 273 Jr./2 Columbia, S.C. (Richland Northeast) 295 Fr./4 Lindale, Ga. (Pepperell) 315 Fr./4 York, Ala. (Sumter County) 175 So./3 Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. (Choctawhatchee) 174 Fr./4 Calhoun, Ga. (Calhoun)

Wrapped Up

I

t was the third quarter of a top‑10 matchup on the final Saturday of October when Oklahoma running back Damien Williams saw daylight and a chance to take the lead. But the sun sets quickly in the Notre Dame secondary.

Williams caught an underneath crossing route on a pivotal third down in Notre Dame territory. He needed 12 yards for a first down. Freshman cornerback KeiVarae Russell was a couple steps behind. In front of him, Williams had two blockers

murphy’s Law dan murphy sealing linebackers and far more then a dozen vacant yards of grass.

Russell closed the gap in the space of a stride and hacked Williams’ shins out from beneath him. The unsuspecting back slammed face first into the turf eight yards shy of the first down.

Add him to the list of those surprised this fall by the rag-tag Irish secondary’s unfailing ability to tackle.

Like it has been in several big games this season, eliminating big plays will be at the top of the checklist for defensive coordinator Bob Diaco and his group in Monday’s BCS National Championship.

Their opponent, No. 2 Alabama, averages 5.3 plays of 20 or more yards per game.

They Irish have allowed only 29 such plays this year, the fewest of any defense in the country. They do it by offering no second chances.

“I think it goes back to what we were trying to get accomplished from a defensive standpoint,” said Kerry Cooks, the team’s co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. “They’re going to catch some balls on you. They’re gifted athletes as well. It’s OK, let them catch it, as long as there are

Freshman KeiVarae Russell, originally a running back/wide receiver, moved to cornerback in the preseason, ended up as a starter, finished fifth on the team in tackles with 50 and helped the Irish defense only give up 29 plays of 20 or more yards — the best mark in the nation. photo by bill panzica

no yards after contact. It’s bang-bang, and we live to see another down.”

Notre Dame played in a handful of close games this season, some against teams a title contender should have beat soundly.

They lived on the edge of victory and defeat, but they didn’t cling to the winning side desperately. They squared their shoulders, wrapped it up and wrestled it to the ground with confidence.

And they did it all backwards. Three of the team’s top five tacklers this year are defensive backs. That should be a red flag. Never mind the fact that two of them — and three of the four starters in the secondary — didn’t come to college to play defense. And they did it without two start-

ers in the defensive backfield — junior cornerback Lo Wood, who was injured in the preseason and never played, and fifth-year safety Jamoris Slaughter, who was lost for the campaign with an Achilles tendon injury in the third game of the season, against Michigan State.

“It just fits for us. I don’t really know how I could explain it. It just fits for our scheme,” said safety Zeke Motta, the one original defender left back there.

Motta finished second only to linebacker Manti Te’o with 61 tackles in his senior season. Junior cornerback Bennett Jackson has 61 stops as well, and Russell ended his rookie regular season fifth on the team with an even 50. ✦ Page 23

Notre Dame turned its third-string offense into the 13th-ranked passing efficiency defense in the country by learning to tackle.

When Cooks and the rest of the current staff came to South Bend three seasons ago, opposing offenses slipped away from the Irish like Jell-O from nails. It was a fundamental problem for the defense they inherited, and it has been methodically overemphasized ever since.

“There’s no doubt when we got here that was one of the issues that we identified that needed to be corrected,” Cooks said.

“The biggest thing to me is that you have to be willing to do it. You watch teams across the country and the first thing that you see is that the intent’s not there. If you don’t have the intent to be a good tackler then it’s never going to happen.”

Athleticism is essential, too, especially in the open field. And as raw as it was after injuries early in the year, Notre Dame had plenty of athleticism.

That was Cooks’ first impression in fall camp when he saw Russell, the running back/receiver who readily flipped to defense to start his college career. The same goes for Jackson and sophomore safety Matthias Farley, both of whom spent a year at wide receiver before joining the secondary.

Cooks and safeties coach Bob Elliott taught them how to maximize their speed with angles and leverage, and how to understand where to funnel a ball carrier.

Elliott once taught the same techniques to Cooks as a young player at Iowa, and likely planted the seed of its importance in the head of defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, another Hawkeye product.

“If you can’t tackle, you’re going to have a bad defense,” Elliott said.

Notre Dame can, and that’s made a huge difference for the Irish this season. ✦ E-mail Dan at dmurphy@blueandgold.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @BGI_DanMurphy.

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