Fighting Irish Gameday » Dan Scofield

Why Wait? Notre Dame Needs to Let Charlie Weis Go.. Immediately

Dan Scofield — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:36:09 +0000

With each passing week, rumors and speculations grow on who will take over as the newest head football coach for the most watched, scrutinized, hated, and loved team in the country.

Although many believed even before Notre Dame’s Saturday afternoon overtime loss to Connecticut that Charlie Weis was as good as gone, this one leaves very few, if any, supporters of him in South Bend.

Entering the stadium, arm in arm with his captains and his football team behind him, Weis supplied a watery-eyed moment as he took the field for maybe his last time in South Bend.

Does he already know what lies ahead in the next week or so?

Some say yes.

Rumors were making their way through the Notre Dame community before the game that Weis had told his team he had planned to resign after the Stanford game. Even if that appears to now be false, the entrance itself showed a coach that seemed like he had nothing left in him.

After the game, Weis was seen again sporting the waterworks during the Irish alma mater and then snubbing sideline reporter Alex Flanagan for only one question before making his way into the depths of the tunnel.

The real question now is when, not if, Weis will be fired or if he will resign.

In either case, the call shouldn’t have to be made at the end of the season. Anyone that knows what a football is can sense that Weis’ time in South Bend has run out.

With that said, Jack Swarbrick should inform Weis that he will be letting him go (if he hasn’t already), let his team know, and let them play one last game for their sorrowed coach.

This need not be a messy break-up.

Pat Haden said during the game that Swarbrick has not and will not contact any other programs about their coaches until the end of the season. Choosing to stay quiet on prime-targets who are about to sign extensions through the year 2075?

Not the smartest move, Jack.

Getting the news out about Weis’ future and trying to lure the next big name to South Bend doesn’t need to wait another week. Not only is the Irish fan base on edge, but the current recruits must really be scratching their heads on where Notre Dame is headed.

Patience is a virtue in some cases. In this situation, decision-making is the virtue that needs to be attained.

Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Brian Kelly, and all of the other 35 names mentioned with the Notre Dame job are all in their primes and have phones ringing off the hook. Most of these targets haven’t denied interest in Notre Dame, but simply have replied by saying “this isn’t a relevant conversation if there isn’t a vacancy.”

Make that vacancy, Jack.

South Bend needs it. The fan base needs it. The future needs it.

And most importantly, Charlie needs it.

Who’s Next at Notre Dame?: Making Cases for Brian Kelly, Urban Meyer

Dan Scofield — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:18:33 +0000

Charlie Weis addressed the media yesterday, cancelling his traditional Sunday press conference after a ship-sinking loss against Pittsburgh.

"This is my dream job!"

The biggest piece of information coming from his mouth was he believes a decision hasn’t been made on his future, even though most of Notre Dame nation has already made that decision for the program.

“Oh no, I don’t think that any decision’s been made because I probably would know, and I don’t know,” Weis said Tuesday.

Charlie is half-correct on that response to a difficult question. A decision hasn’t been made, but the search has already gotten underway.

The next two weeks are going to be two of struggles and question marks for Irish fans. Many will be anxious to get the season over with in order to unwrap their Christmas gift early and find out the next big name to sit on the throne of the Notre Dame football office.

Well, who are the heir apparents?

There are plenty of names being thrown around in the replacement theory of Weis: Paul Johnson (option, anyone?), Jon Gruden (MNF bound), Pat Fitzgerald (squashed), and Bob Stoops (definite possibility) to name a few.

However, the following two names stick out the most in this process, and by taking a look at their résumés and bios, here is why:

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati Head Coach

-Consistent, experienced head coach (will have 231 games under his belt at the end of the ’09 season) who defines the word “improvement” in the dictionary of college football coaching.

-As close to Urban Meyer at Utah as you will find; 48 years old and in his prime.

-Irishman from the north shore of Boston.

-118-35-2 record at D-II school Grand Valley State, which includes two national championships.

-Turned Central Michigan into a conference winner in his third year in the program. Improvement case No. 1.

-In the middle of the four greatest years of Cincinnati football. His team sits at No. 5 in the BCS rankings and is undefeated at 10-0.

-Can coach, but can also coach academic excellence. His current team holds the highest team GPA in the Big East and is one of seven teams to post a 90 percent graduation rate in 2008.

-Proven recruiter, especially in the backyard of Notre Dame and in the Northeast.

Urban Meyer, Florida Head Coach

-45 years young and a Catholic who was named after a pope.

-Former assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame who has proclaimed the Irish head coaching gig as his “dream job.”

-Notre Dame is one of three schools that his wife Shelley apparently cannot veto him from taking the job at. I believe if Shelley says yes, he ends up an Irishman.

-Two national championships and considered the top coach in college football today.

-A small buyout ($500,000) makes the move even more appealing and friendly to the economy of South Bend.

-Tim Tebow graduates this season, leaving the Gators heading into the post-Savior era. If Meyer doesn’t leave this year, there is a good chance he will never end up leaving.

-Overall coaching record sits at 93-17, including a 5-1 bowl record.

-One of the best, if not the best recruiter in the nation (as many Irish fans know). Think Omar Hunter and Justin Trattou.

Goodbye, Charlie: Replacement Wanted At Notre Dame

Dan Scofield — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:55:11 +0000

Charlie Weis was one pain-staking loss to an inferior team away from losing the support of the Notre Dame community and fan base.

That very loss came on Saturday when the Irish played one of their worse collections of four quarters of football during the Weis era, losing to a more disciplined, sound team in the Navy Midshipmen.

Is the "internship" over? More than likely.

Fresh off a blowout win in San Antonio against Washington State and with BCS talks starting to brew, Notre Dame overlooked a Navy team that had proven all year long that it could compete against BCS teams across the nation. Instead of competing in South Bend, they decided it was time to take a win from one of those teams.

Although this loss digs up many new questions, the most appealing one at the time is who will replace Charlie Weis?

My views and opinions are full of extreme optimism. In previous weeks, I also stated I was hanging in regards to supporting Weis, but that could change with just one bad loss.

With three games still left to be played, including a trip to Pittsburgh, a matchup with a good Connecticut team, and a west coast road trip to face a team fresh off an upset victory of Oregon, the Irish will be happy with an 8-4 finish this season, likely earning them a Gator Bowl invitation.

Weis and his team lost to the one team that could change their fate so negatively. With that, almost all of the Weis supporters that were still on his bandwagon have jumped off and started running towards Cincinnati, Gainesville, or elsewhere to find a replacement.

Weis is one of the best recruiters ever to come to Notre Dame. He has brought top talent into South Bend, a tough task with the rigorous academic requirements, consistently for five years.

However, what good is elite talent if all of it cannot be developed?

Saturday, four and five-star players were playing against unranked to two-star players. On paper, Notre Dame would have won this game without any concern as most experts had predictions of the Irish winning by 17 or more.

Instead, Weis’ team came out flat and was dominated by a less talented, yet extremely well coached team that consistently executed.

Weis is one of the best offensive coordinators not only in college football, but in any league.

However, there are two sides of the ball. Defense wins football games, which has not been evidenced by Weis and his staff thus far.

Notre Dame fans will now be calling for a coach with college experience that has a history of preparing his teams, making them fundamentally sound, and one that can recruit yet develop that same talent.

The rumors of Brian Kelly to Notre Dame will now begin to heat up, and expect plenty of more fans to begin to support the push for a Kelly-like hire.

Kelly has his Bearcats ranked No. 4 in the country and a team dominating the Big East without any trouble. Not only can he recruit, but he can develop. Not to mention, in all of his previous three coaching gigs, his teams have improved dramatically.

Brian Kelly should be a top priority for the Irish.

Other rumors calling for the head of Weis will come along with the requests of the hire of a famous Notre Dame coaching alum, Urban Meyer.

Everyone knows whats on Meyer’s resume. With experience coaching on the Notre Dame staff already, it only makes sense for his name to be brought up. This is the same guy that called Notre Dame his eventual “dream job”.

Other names that could arise include Skip Holtz, Gary Patterson, Nick Saban, and Chris Peterson. Hell, go out and interview Paul Johnson or Ken Niumatalolo.

These are college football coaches.

Weis is a great man and a like able person, especially coming from a Morris County, Jersey guy like myself. He has a great personality, is loved in South Bend, and has a great family who is actively involved in the school community. Not only that, but he is the founder of the Hannah and Friends charity organization dedicated to his young daughter’s disease.

However, Weis’ luck may have ran out on Saturday.

Friendly advice from one of the previously biggest Charlie Weis supporters in the fan base: pack your office, let Charlie Jr. spend his fours years as a Notre Dame student, run your foundation, go on to have a spectacular career in the NFL as an offensive genius, and leave the door open for the next person in line for a coaching internship in South Bend.

Michael Floyd’s Return Will Have Major Impact on Weis’ Offense

Dan Scofield — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:01:33 +0000

Notre Dame’s best receiver has been sitting on the sidelines the past five weeks in the form of a sophomore sensation derived from the depths of Minnesota.

After going up for a jump ball in the right corner of the endzone against Michigan State, what also seemed to be his sixth touchdown of the year, Floyd hit the ground, grabbed his shoulder, and shook his head, putting a pit in every Irish fan’s stomach.

Notre Dame gets it's best wide receiver back in Floyd.

He was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and was orginally expected to miss the remainder of the season.

But doctors seemed to forget that this wasn’t any ordinary human being they were diagnosing-this was Michael Floyd, the most talented wide receiver in college football.

Before his devastating injury, he miraculously hauled in five touchdowns, 358 receiving yards to go along with a 27.5 yard per catch average, all coming on only 13 receptions.

Those stats were totaled in a time period of only nine quarters of playing time.

Patrolling the sidelines with an anxious look permanently cemented on his face as he watched Golden Tate make SportsCenter-worthy highlights every Saturday, Floyd has dressed the past three weeks in order to feel like a player again.

Now, with recent good news coming from Monday’s MRI on his previously broken collarbone, Floyd is expected to play against Navy this weekend in South Bend.

What does that mean for the Irish?

Charlie Weis’ offense goes from great to elite.

Many believe that with the sophomore receiver, Notre Dame would have beaten USC due to Floyd being Notre Dame’s top red zone threat, where he is almost unstoppable.

If for not going down during the last quarter at Michigan (he received 15 stitches in his leg after the game), the Irish would have had a great shot at also beating the Wolverines.

Without playing the “what if?” game, let’s just say that Floyd is a difference-maker. And a big one at that.

Last season, Floyd went down with a knee injury against Navy and missed the rest of the season. The Irish offense, especially Golden Tate, struggled to live up to it’s name.

“I didn’t really realize it until the ‘SC game, how much we really needed him,” Tate said. “It was almost like I could do nothing. Whatever I did, they were there. It was all out of my hands.” said Tate.

However, this year Tate added the title of “wide receiver” to his resume next to “all-around athlete”. Without Floyd, he has averaged an incredible 124.6 receiving yards per game and has hauled in six touchdowns.

Throw in his rushing stats and miracles with the ball in his hands, Tate has put his name on some Heisman ballots.

Now that the best receiver on the team returns healthy, the Irish again have the best trio of receivers in the country in Floyd, Tate, and sensational-sophomore, Kyle Rudolph, who has seen decreased production after the loss of No. 3.

With the sophomore from Minnesota patrolling the No. 1 receiver slot, opponent secondaries are in trouble. Who do you double team?

Does it matter?

If opponent’s choose to double Floyd, that will leave Tate with single coverage, something he has dominated this season, and take away attention in the middle where Rudolph is most efficient.

Double Tate, and opponent’s may have an even bigger problem if Floyd proves to be as healthy as he is thought to be.

Tate has proven he can beat the double coverage, and single coverage on Floyd is a death wish for any opposing defensive back. Not to mention, Rudolph will have made a living in the middle of the field.

Now that Notre Dame has produced a fairly decent rushing attack with a healthy Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, and even Theo Riddick, opponent’s now have their hand’s full during preparation for one of the best offenses in the country.

Pick your poison Ken Niumatalolo, Dave Wannstedt, Randy Edsall, and Jim Harbaugh.

The Morning After Irish Insight: Washington State

Dan Scofield — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:54:01 +0000

After plenty of last minute wins, the Irish finally got what Charlie Weis has wanted since their season-opener against Nevada—a blowout win.

The Irish traveled south to San Antonio in order to beat the Cougars 40-14. Although a bit sloppy and constantly called a “workman-like” effort by Pat Haden, Notre Dame came away with yet another win. Nonetheless, the Irish ran their unbeaten streak on Halloween to 15 straight.

Likes

Golden Tate is the most electryifying player in college football.

Golden Tate

Golden Tate is bigger in Texas.

The box score on Sunday doesn’t speak for how spectacular Tate was in the Alamodome last night. Notre Dame fans were complaining about paying admission to see a poor game in a neutral site stadium, but they got their moneys worth thanks to the ‘ooh’s and ah’s’ of Tate.

The highlight of the night came when Clausen heaved a 50-yard pass to the right corner of the endzone, where Tate and three Cougar defensive backs waited for the ball. Standing at only 5’11″, Tate leaped over all three defenders and came away with the ball for six points.

Not only is he the most overlooked player in college football, but he is also the most electrifying.

Front Seven

For a second straight week, the Irish front four find themselves in the “Likes” category. That could only mean one thing.

Improvement.

Darius Fleming, Steve Filer, Ian Williams and Ethan Johnson led the attack as the Irish pass-rushers found themselves consistently putting pressure on the hapless Cougar freshman quarterback, Jeff Tuel.

Thanks to the front four’s dominace, everyone else’s job was made easier. The linebackers played extremely well. Every play Manti Te’o is on the field, he makes everyone else around him a better player.

“Backup” Running Backs

Robert Hughes has earned plenty of doubters during his three years in the program. However, there is no denying that when the time comes for him to step up, Hughes delivers.

He has earned the right to be the offensive version of Kyle McCarthy, Mr. Dependable. With Armando Allen sitting out in order to be fully healthy for next week, Hughes carried the ball 24 times for 131 yards and a score. Fighting for each and every yard, he was able to help control the time of possession for the Irish (40:54) and served as a check-down option for Clausen every time he didn’t have an open receive.

And then there is yet another freshman, No. 32.

Coming out of Manville, New Jersey, Theo Riddick looks like the successor to Armando Allen and Robert Hughes. In fact, he may even be given some more carries after giving an opportunity on Saturday. Riddick ran the ball 9 times for 51 yards using a combination of power, speed and finesse.

Dislikes

Penalties

The penalties are what turned this game from a great game for the Irish into a good win. With all of the momentum in the world and total control of the game, the offensive line still had reason to commit personal fouls.

Eric Olsen was hit with two personal foul calls and got an earfull from Weis. Being an offensive captain and one of the leaders on the team, the Irish cannot afford these penalties from their veterans against the likes of Pittsburgh and Stanford.

Hopefully this is the last we will see of these mental mishaps.

Punting

While Ben Turk had a beautiful punt of 52 yards pinning the Cougars on their own two-yard line, he also had kicks of 11 and 19 yards.

Not only did the freshman punter still raise question marks for the second straight week, but long-snapper Jordan Cowart had a bad snap which forced Turk to rush a kick, going off the side of his foot.

Consistency is the key in the kicking game and Turk hasn’t quite found that yet. However, that is not to say he won’t because he has the leg and he has the talent. The freshman just needs to put the pieces to the puzzle together.

News, Notes, and Rants

-The Irish are ranked No. 19 in the AP poll, 20th in the Harris poll and No. 21 in the USA Today poll. Look for the Irish to be somewhere between 17-20 in the BCS rankings this week.

-Dayne Crist may have a serious injury. If so, it hurts more than anyone thinks. If the rumor of being an ACL injury is true, Crist is looking at a 6-12 month recovery period.

-Weis said in his post game presser that Trevor Robinson’s injury was probably just a rolled or sprained ankle. Losing Robinson for any amount of time would be a huge loss the rest of the way.

-Before going to commercial at halftime, Clausen went up to Tate after the hail mary touchdown. In his ear, Clausen mouthed “Money, money, money.”

-Robert Hughes needs 6 or 7 touches before he gets going in what seems to be every game. New pregame routine, anyone?

-Jonas Gray may be the odd man out in the future of the running back rotation. He seems very tentative and still cannot hold onto the football.

-Nick Tausch hit his 14th straight field goal, a Notre Dame record. The freshman’s value to the kicking game is hard to put into words.

-Navy rolls into the Bend next weekend with their triple-option attack offense. The Midshipmen lost to Temple this weekend, but also took Ohio State down to the wire.

Glass Half Full for Irish with Plenty to Play For in ’09

Dan Scofield — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:13:28 +0000

Similar to this year’s version of the Fighting Irish, Charlie Weis found his ’08 team sitting at 5-2 heading into November, his fourth season as the head coach of the nation’s most hated, yet loved, college football program.

After an up-and-down start to their ’08 campaign, the Irish began their disappointing second half of the season after the longest game in school history, a deflating overtime loss to Dave Wannstedt’s Pittsburgh Panthers.

Charlie Weis and his team now face a decision heading into the month of November, after a Halloween “fright fest” match-up with an unfortunate foe in the Washington State Cougars.

Do they build on their momemtum and run the table? Or do they fail to live up to expectations and take another late-season plunge?

Contrary to popular belief, the Irish have plenty to play for the rest of the way.

Reaching a BCS bowl isn’t out of the question, even with the Irish sitting at No. 23 in the latest BCS rankings. With a bit of a break in the schedule for the Irish, vs. Washington State and vs. Navy, Notre Dame seems to be ready to make its way up the polls.

If the Irish can take care of their opponents the next two weeks, it isn’t unfathomable to find them somewhere in the range of Nos. 18-20 heading into a very important November 14 matchup with Pittsburgh. Some people have overlooked the Panthers, and if they can also take care of business the next two weeks against South Florida and Syracuse, this game will push for the game of the week.

Notre Dame cannot reach a BCS game without running the table, including a win against a top 15-ranked Panther team. There are still plenty of “if’s” out there (including a six-game winning streak), but Weis knows his team will need more of the luck of the Irish (is that even possible?), now more than ever.

One question looms for this team: Can it run the table?

My response: Why not?

If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t bet on it due to the number of last-minute wins and the Irish defense, or lack thereof. However, with Michael Floyd expected to return at latest for the game against Pittsburgh, and an improving defensive front seven, Notre Dame will be at full strength heading into its deciding stretch of the season: at Pittsburgh, vs. Connecticut, and at Stanford.

Again, a big if, but if Weis and his team can take care of their competition, they will have made a strong case for a BCS bowl game bid.

Another thing going for them: The BCS computers seem to have a small crush on this year’s team compared to rest of college football. The computers have Notre Dame’s schedule ranked as the 19th hardest in the country.

The Irish need to finish in the top 14 in the BCS rankings in order to be eligible to be invited to a BCS bowl this year. If they get as high as No. 8 somehow, they will be a lock for a bid.

Although many will say the biggest test of the remaining schedule is against Pitt, a case can also be made for the season finale in California against Stanford. If Notre Dame enters the game with a 9-2 record, expect the Cardinal to do anything possible in order to serve as this year’s BCS late-season spoiler.

It will be interesting to see how the pass defense turns out in the home stretch of the ’09 campaign. The Irish will go as far as their defense will bring them. Even if they can reach the level of average, Notre Dame will be in a BCS bowl.

If they continue to struggle and let the likes of Bill Stull and Andrew Luck to pick them apart, the Irish are Gator Bowl-bound.

Besides a very rewarding BCS payout and invite, Notre Dame has plenty else to play for: a Heisman trophy, five-star recruits, and job stability for Charlie Weiss can all be gained with a six-game winning streak to end the ’09 season.

Which path will this year’s team choose: success or disappointment?

Morning After Irish Insight: Boston College

Dan Scofield — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:44:32 +0000

Another week of vulgarity, pulling hair, and sighs from my living room. It has been too long since the Irish have been able to put together a complete game and take a kneel with a comfortable lead.

"I wanted my turf, damnit!"

Charlie Weis’ team battled to yet another late-game thriller as the Irish beat the Eagles, 20-16, in South Bend.

Likes

Receivers

Notre Dame now has two deserving Heisman contenders thanks to Golden Tate. He is the best college football player nobody is talking about.

Due to Michael Floyd’s injury, Tate’s numbers were expected to take a major hit. Instead, they have only become better.

Without him, the Irish would be looking at at least two or three more losses. Tate’s performances have been the reason Clausen has even had a chance to lead his team back to victory. His attitude has become something fun to watch every week. He knows he is good and loves to show that, both on the field and with his mouth.

Duval Kumara had a long-overdue contributing game yesterday. Being a consistent chain-mover, Kumara had seven receptions for 60 yards. These numbers do not speak for how well the junior receiver played.

Defensive Line

It seems every week, improvement is visible among the defensive front four.

Although they weren’t getting consistent pressure, when they did, it mattered. On all three interceptions thrown by the Eagles’ 25-year old freshman, the Irish were in his face. Darius Fleming moved to rush end and made an impact by putting heavy pressure on Shinskie.

Fleming’s good friend, Steve Filer, also got some reps in while giving the elder some nice pressure. It’s good to see No. 46 on the field, as he was a highly-recruited prospect as a senior and hasn’t lived up this his hype quite yet.

Ian Williams had one of his best games of his career. Stuffing the run, he made his presence felt as the entire unit let up only 70 rushing yards, good for 2.4 yards per carry. Those numbers going up against a solid offensive line and a very good running back are outstanding. No complaints here.

A Win

Yesterday produced the ugliest game the Irish have played all season, but still resulted in a win.

There are plenty of things to point out as far as negatives go, but they all resulted in a 20-15 victory.

Across the Notre Dame community, people are upset over the play of the team. However, would you rather have had them lose for the ninth straight time to a team that rubs us the wrong way consistently, year after year?

With this win, the Irish put another quality win on their resume and will be ranked somewhere between 23rd and 25th going into a fright-fest matchup with Washington State (that means no heart attacks next week, folks!)

Dislikes

3rd-and-Long

I have never seen a football team worse than the ’09 Irish in 3rd-and-long defensive scenarios.

Week after week, the secondary allows the opponent’s to continue last-minute drives by giving up a 25-yards (or more) pass down the middle of the field. These are the plays that lead to fans like myself throwing things at anything they can reach—including windows.

While were on the topic of the secondary and frustrations, let me discuss the play—or lack thereof—of Harrison Smith. Smith is a great athlete, but not a free safety. Weis needs to make adjustments, as the Irish cannot afford to play a man down each week.

4th-and-17 in their own territory, Shinskie is given time to throw, a receiver is left wide-open at midfield, and the Eagles make the play for a huge gain to put them in great position to take the lead. Luckily, Kyle McCarthy decided to come back as a fifth-year senior and saved his team for what seems like the fifth time this season.

Thank you, Kyle.

Punting

If Ben Turk is better than Eric Maust, the Irish have a real problem.

After two games, the freshman punter had been doing a decent job on punts due to his hang-time. Against Boston College, Turk decided to change things up.

His punts went for an average of 32.7 yards on long drives, giving the Eagles consistently great field position. What happened here?

Weis said in his press conference today that he will reopen the punting competition in practice this week. Either Eric Maust will fill back in after being benched for three weeks, or Turk will be motivated by the threat of change.

Make the necessary adjustments, Charlie.

News, Notes, and Rants

— Manti Te’o is the best defensive player on this team. By the time he graduates, he will be the best linebacker in college football. Cross your fingers that he decides to take a summer mission.. or none at all.

— Both Shaq Evans and Deion Walker have been ill the past two weeks. Evans has dressed, but then again, so has Michael Floyd.

— Robby Parris left the game in the first quarter of Saturday’s game. He had been listed as doubtful the entire week before being cleared to play. After missing a perfectly placed ball by Clausen in the corner of the end zone, he left and returned in street clothes.

— Robert Hughes was knocked out cold after taking a snap from the Wildcat formation on 4th-and-1. A Boston College safety laid a helmet-to-helmet hit on the 240-pounder as Hughes fell just short of the endzone. Kick the field goal, Charlie.

— Boston College receiver Rich Gunnell is yet another example of poor sportsmanship by a Fredo player. Post-game, Clausen went to shake his hand and praise Gunnell’s play, only to be told off by the receiver and received a finger in his face. Clausen laughed it off, pushing him away and jogging back to midfield.

— Floyd’s CAT scans will be available sometime next week, and Weis expects that they will come back with good news. The final decision on when he comes back will be up to Floyd.

— Notre Dame is ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll. While only a couple bottom-feeders lost (Kansas, BYU, Texas Tech), almost all of the “Others receiving votes” lost (Nebraska, Michigan, South Florida, Oregon State, etc).

The Sagirin Poll has Notre Dame ranked as No. 20, and the Howell has them at No. 25. The Irish also have a fairly competitive strength of schedule ranked as the 19th toughest in the BCS computers.

— Weis’ teams are 19-0 when out-rushing the opponent. They are 15-22 when they do not. Need I say more?

Notre Dame Fills Out 2010 Slate With Powerhouses Western Michigan, Tulsa

Dan Scofield — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:57:51 +0000

Notre Dame’s 2010 schedule was finalized today when Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick agreed to add Western Michigan as one of the seven home games for the Irish next season.

Western Michigan—you read it correctly.

Notre Dame's newest 2010 opponent: Western Michigan

The same team that the Irish have played a whopping two times in the years 1919-1920, where they combined to beat the Broncos by a score of 94-0. One of the four directional college football programs involving the state name of Michigan.

Not to mention the most irrelevant.

Irish fans across the nation are asking themselves each the same question—Why? Well at least the Broncos face off against Virginia Tech next year too, right?

Wrong—Notre Dame replaces the Hokies on Western Michigan’s newly completed schedule.

Well at least Swarbrick added some other big names to the 2010 slate. What about the talks concerning Boise State and TCU?

Wrong again.

Instead, Swarbrick added the mighty Golden Hurricane of Tulsa.

On this day, I now consider myself officially off the Swarbrick bandwagon—he was a person in which I was fairly confident.

When hearing him talk about his philosophy regarding his 7-4-1 scheduling model, I felt as if Father Jenkins finally had done the impossible—hired a man who was on the same page with the program’s fans.

Swarbick’s excuse for scheduling the likes of Tulsa and Western Michigan? A change in athletic directors at TCU:

“My response to that is, look at the top 10 right now, and look at it in recent years,” he said. “Last year it was Ball State that was on that remarkable run, and Buffalo had a great year. Certainly, it’s no surprise that TCU and Boise State are having the kind of years they’re having.

“That’s the landscape of college football now. And I know our fans are so savvy and they follow the games closely that they’ll understand that. The second part is we’re trying to maximize home games for our fans and our players. When you do that, you have to find folks that are willing to play you on a non home-and-home basis.”

Really, Jack?

Swarbrick better hope he has enough “savvy” fans to fill his football stadium come October 16th, 2010.

Especially with next season’s Murderer’s Row: Western Michigan, Navy, Tulsa, Utah and Army in consecutive weeks.

Regarding the rest of the schedule, things don’t look too easy. The Irish go on the road against Southern California, Boston College, and Michigan State. At home, they take on Michigan, Stanford, Purdue, Utah, and Pittsburgh in addition to the two new questionable home games.

Since I am known as Mr. Optimist, I leave you with two positives from these new revelations of Notre Dame’s future encounters with powerhouses from the right side of Michigan and Tulsa, the forty-seventh most important football team in its home state.

Either these games were scheduled in order to break in Dayne Crist next season or to allow Charlie Weis’ replacement to get a feel for what it’s like to be Notre Dame’s newest head coach.

Notre Dame Midseason Report Card

Dan Scofield — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:30:19 +0000

A season of ups and downs with last-second wins, last-second losses, and plenty of opinions is halfway over.

Sitting right outside of the Top 25 with a 4-2 record, the Irish have a lot left to prove in the second half of the season.

However, the Irish pulled off four wins against Washington, Purdue, Nevada, and Michigan State.

What looked to be weak wins at the time, these Irish opponents have stepped up their game and now look like acceptable wins on a schedule that ranks as the 13th toughest in the nation.

The Irish find themselves in a familiar scenario to that of ’08. Do they run the table or do they falter yet again?

Find out who got the Irish to that 4-2 record and who is going to lead the second-half attempt of a six-game winning streak.

Take an in-depth look at part one of Notre Dame’s 2009 season.

Offense

Jimmy Clausen and his offense might be one of the best in the country. Give the Irish an actual defense, and you are looking at an undefeated team.

However, Weis does not have the luxury of an elite defense, and therefore, has to play shootout week after week.

Clausen has shown incredible strides from his sophomore to junior year under Weis. His leadership has been phenomenal, as he has put the team on his back in last-minute drives to lead the Irish to three late victories.

He is being considered as a Top Five Heisman candidate thus far in the season and is showing very few, if any, signs of slowing down. With Michael Floyd coming back, expect him to produce at an even higher rate in the second half of the year.

Golden Tate and Michael Floyd are the best pair of receivers in the country. If it weren’t for Floyd’s injury, you might be looking at a ranked Notre Dame team with one loss and in the top 15 in the nation. He is that much of an impact player for the Irish.

On the other hand, Tate has produced so rapidly that he is now even ahead of Clausen on some Heisman lists. An all-purpose threat, he is making the best out of Floyd’s absence—something that many thought he wouldn’t do.

Kyle Rudolph has also filled in for Floyd in many situations and has developed not only into an elite receiving tight end, but a very good blocker also.

Another big surprise coming from the receiving corps is Robby Parris after having a career game against USC, even while being targeted as Taylor Mays’ personal punching bag.

Whether the fault falls on the shoulders of the backs or the line, the running game can be described as slightly above average.

Armando Allen missed some time due to a bruised hamstring, but had a fairly productive first half of the year. He has shown the ability to keep his feet moving in the pile and has been picking up yards after contact—a new asset to his game in ’09.

Robert Hughes has been a huge surprise for this “average” unit. Supplying tough yards and a bruiser-type style, he has been a perfect compliment to Allen. He has a history of disappearing after breakout games, so Irish fans should keep their fingers crossed he is here to stay.

The first few games, Frank Verducci was being praised for his offensive linemen’s play and protection. After USC week, some are now dubbing this unit as yet another average one.

This line has been an improvement over it’s ’08 lineup. Although they let up five sacks against the Trojans, that number is only one higher than the average. Nothing to worry about here as the line will get back on track as Verducci seems to figured out his unit fast.

Grade: A-

Defense

Notre Dame has a defense?

It isn’t a secret that Charlie Weis is an offensive-minded coach.

However, he is no longer an offensive coordinator, but rather a head coach of a football program in the nation’s spotlight.

While the front four are fairly young, they are a very talented group. Tackles Ethan Johnson and Ian Williams have shown flashes of brilliance, but seem to be overmatched at other times. One play, you will see them stuffing a rush on fourth-and-1, and the next, see the tailback run right through the out-stretched arms of the two.

The pass rush hasn’t been abysmal but leaves many things left to be desired. Just by singling Kapon Lewis-Moore out in tape, you can see he has what it takes to be a good defensive end in this defense. However, he is young and seems to be a year away.

Darius Fleming has been the most effective, and consistent, pass-rusher for the Irish. He has the skills of an athlete and a football player—something that this defense needs more of.

Linebackers Brian and Toryan Smith were expected to impress this year as upperclassmen, yet leave fans scratching their heads at times. Like the tackles, both linebackers have shown great inconsistency when it comes to making plays. Tackling is the issue here.

The freshman Hawaiian has been the most valuable linebacker thus far. Manti Te’o has led the team for two straight weeks in his first two starts. Need I say more?

The secondary had an argument for being the best unit not only on the defense in the beginning of the year, but on the entire team.

Think again.

The Irish defensive backfield has been full of mishaps and missed tackles (even Kyle McCarthy has missed a few). The unit ranks 110th in the nation in pass defense. Last week against USC, the Irish were playing 11 on 10 with Harrison Smith on the field at the safety position.

The cornerbacks haven’t been dreadful but have certaintly not been above the Mendoza line. Getting beaten and not turning to the ball has been a common occurrence for the likes of Darrin Walls and Robert Blanton.

If you can even call this a defense, it is below average—at best.

Grade: D+

Special Teams

A freshman field-goal kicker, long-snapper, and punter make up the kicking game for the Irish.

Ask yourselves when was the last time that has occurred.

Not only are they freshmen, but they have been fantastic. Nick Tausch has been beyond dependable from the place-kicking position and has connected on all of his attempts after missing his first career kick.

P Ben Turk recently claimed the starting position over Eric Maust after the senior had shown symptoms of an inconsistent leg. So far, so good.

Jordan Cowart, the long-snapping professional, was given a scholarship by Weis for simply hiking the football to the holder. You haven’t heard his name (besides a bogus interference call last week), and expect it to remain that way.

In the return game, you will find yet another freshman in Theo Riddick. Riddick serves as a threat every time the ball is put into his hands to take it all the way for six-something that hasn’t been accomplished quite yet due to being brought down by opposing kickers. If that isn’t motivation for the new guy, I don’t know what is.

The coverage teams have been what we expected—very good. Mike Anello has been somewhat quiet but is still making an impact. Freshman Zeke Motta (the possible replacement for Smith at safety this weekend) has been a special teams phenom.

Overall: B+

Coaching

Charlie Weis has been on the hot seat for what seems to be going on three years now.

Jack Swarbrick had his opportunity to fire Weis last year and passed. Now, he must live with his decision unless the team finishes with a record worse than 9-3.

Taking over the play-calling from departed OC Mike Haywood (Miami-Ohio), Weis has done an excellent job with his offense. By installing wildcat packages and showing a more balanced attack, there isn’t much to complain about on this front.

However, his team still has a record of 4-2.

As the head coach at Notre Dame, anything less than a BCS bowl is considered unacceptable and that is the reason for the question mark next to Weis’ name.

If he can run the table or lead the Irish to a Gator Bowl win, the Notre Dame family will be “enduring” yet another year of Weis in 2010.

In need of change, Weis brought in a handful of highly-regarded staff members this offseason.

Frank Verducci has been a great addition as the Offensive Line coach/Running Game coordinator and is a fan favorite thanks to his attitude and technical approach to the game.

You can already see the Jersey-bred screamer has had an impact on his players.

Coaching the running backs, Tony Alford has been another successful hire for Weis. Alford has a great relationship with his players and seems to be on the same page as Verducci in terms of the ground game plans.

Coming from the Washington program, Randy Hart took over the defensive line and brought plenty of enthusiasm along with him.

Although the line hasn’t made much of an impact, there is plenty of talent for Hart to work with and expect big things out of his players in the near future.

Overall: B-

Midseason Awards

Offensive MVP: Jimmy Clausen

Defensive MVP: Kyle McCarthy

Special Teams MVP: Nick Tausch

Best Running back: Armando Allen

Best Receiver: Golden Tate

Best Offensive Linemen: Eric Olsen

Best Defensive Linemen: Ethan Johnson

Best Linebacker: Manti Te’o

Best Cornerback: Gary Gray

Comeback Player: Robert Hughes

Biggest Surprise: Robby Parris

Best Coach: Frank Verducci

Overall

Losing to Michigan and their freshman savior hurt the Irish more than most people think.

If they had won, the Irish would be sitting somewhere in the 15-20 range in the polls and would likely need to finish the season 5-1 in order to make a BCS game.

However, the Irish now find themselves needing to run the table to even sniff 10 wins. Lose one more, and the Irish find themselves in the Gator Bowl, probably against a team like Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech.

The offense has been great. The defense has been terrible.

Average those two together, along with the special teams and coaching, and the Irish find themselves sitting at the slightly above average level.

The defense can only get better from here on out and if the offense continues to be elite, the Irish can be a very good team.

Look for them to finish 9-3 with a Gator Bowl win thanks to the return of Michael Floyd.

Overall Grade: B

Notre Dame, Charlie Weis Begin Their Month Of Judgement

Admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:40:00 +0000

By Danny Scofield | Fighting Irish Gameday Correspondent

Every football team has a crucial stretch of games that defines a season.

Every team also has a head coach during that time.

Win, and that coach is praised as a human god by the fans, media and bandwagoners all over.

Lose, and that same man is blamed, jeered and held responsible for his team’s collapse, followed by a season ending with a post-apocalyptic feeling.

Notre Dame and their head coach face this challenge starting this weekend.

Purdue.. who?

The “judgement” van hits the road on Saturday and stops in a familiar setting for the Irish—West Lafayette.

Here, they will encounter the broken and battered Boilermakers of Purdue.

Some will argue that this game serves no purpose and is Notre Dame’s weakest opponent on the slate this year. (Eastern Michigan, anyone?) After all, Purdue is one of the few teams Weis holds three wins against in his career.

However, some fail to realize that Weis has struggled in the games his team is supposed to win easily. In case you are in need of a reminder, think: Senior Day snowball fight.

Notre Dame also isn’t known for being a strong road team under Weis.

Winning a close game will leave a lot to be desired from the Fighting Irish going into a now-important game against Washington. To right the ship, Weis needs to make a point to his opponents and pound the football into the end zone until the clock hits zero.

In order for a passing grade, Notre Dame must try to repeat their season opener and beat the Boilermakers with authority.

Thank you, Washington

I found some fans upset that the Huskies had upset USC the other night on national television.

However, this was a gift wrapped from Touchdown Jesus himself.

Not only does the upset add strength to a “weak” Irish schedule, but it has put Notre Dame in a position to make up some ground. Win against a team fresh off a Trojan beating and Weis has another positive to add to his resume.

Steve Sarkisan accomplished something that Charlie Weis has only dreamt of for the past five years. Because of that, Weis has a chance to get the momentum ball rolling once again.

Winning a game against a ranked opponent is important for a coach who can count on his own fingers the number of wins he has against Top-25 foes.

A win against a ranked Washington team would mean a three-game winning streak and would likely put a number in front of the Irish heading into Oct. 17. If that happens, things would be playing out ideally for Weis.

A loss would mean lessened hype for the most important game of the season and another loss in a meaningful match up for Weis.

The Measuring Stick

Notre Dame will come into Trojan Week amidst one of two scenarios.

Scenario A: The Irish beat Purdue meaningfully and win a shootout against Jake Locker and company. Fan support, team morale and momentum is at an all-time high since the Michigan loss, and the Irish come into the game No. 23 in the AP Poll.

Scenario B: The Irish win a close game with Purdue but Jimmy Clausen struggles without his favorite target while Golden Tate continues to drop touchdowns. The next week, Notre Dame loses to Washington in South Bend, killing momentum and lessening the excitement of the clash between two rivals.

Notre Dame WR Golden Tate

In either scenario, this game will mean life or death. This is the test for Charlie Weis.

Weis has two jobs to do in order to keep his job—win a relevant bowl game and beat the Trojans.

Beating USC would do many things for Weis. In one night, he could get his signature win and likely secure his job for next year without another late-season collapse.

Beating the Trojans would also do many things for the Irish. Referring back to Scenario A, the Irish would be rolling and, with a win against USC, a BCS bowl would no longer be out of reach

In most eyes, a BCS bowl is not attainable for Notre Dame without a win on Oct. 17.

If Charlie Weis fails, will Brian Kelly be the new ND coach?

Will Weis come through and gain some much-needed trust, or will Brian Kelly be given a phone call?

Get to the Grotto and light those candles, Irish fans. It is the time of judgement.

Fighting Irish Gameday » Dan Scofield

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