Irish opponents look fallible on opening night
Three teams representing three of the toughest challenges on Notre Dame’s schedule opened their seasons last night — none looked like world-beaters. No. 14 USC pulled away from Hawaii for a 49-36 win and Utah upset No. 15 Pitt in an overtime thriller.
Despite being the only unranked team in the group, Utah looked the most impressive on Thursday night. The Utes went largely without the usual first game mistakes on their way to a very balanced offensive attack. Sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn finished with three TDs and a 146.3 passer rating.
He also had help from running backs Eddie Wide and Matt Asiada. Asiada has the combination of quickness and power that has given the Notre Dame defense major problems in recent years. Finally, the Utes defense did a good job of taking advantage of a young offensive line and a rookie QB (sound familiar?). (more…)
Less than 2 days ’til Kelly era kicks off
Nestled comfortably in between March 1 (the day McDonald’s starts selling Shamrock Shakes each year) and Christmas, Opening Night for college football is one of the best days of the year.
We are currently less than 48 hours away from the Irish taking the field and less than four from college football’s official kickoff. Thursday night features 18 games and three future ND opponents. In the most interesting match up of the night, Utah hosts No. 15 Pitt on Versus at 8:30 EST. Both teams are supposed to be among Notre Dame’s toughest match-ups this season.
Night owls will also get their first look at the depleted Trojans under Lane Kiffin. No. 14 USC takes on Hawaii at 11:oo on ESPN. Despite a new coach and a tough off-season, USC shouldn’t struggle with the Rainbow Warriors — in fact, I would expect Matt Barkley and the Trojan offense to take all of their summer’s frustrations out on Hawaii’s defense. (more…)
New Blood for Notre Dame against Purdue
Irish head coach Brian Kelly won’t be the only one bleeding blue and gold for the first time this Saturday. Kelly recently released an updated depth chart for the season opener against Purdue which was full of fresh faces, including true freshman TJ Jones who will be starting at wide receiver.
Jones is one of six first-time starters on the offensive side of the ball for ND. The Irish starting line-up comes into Saturday’s Purdue game with a combined zero starts at the following positions: quarterback, center, both tackles and two of the three wide receiver spots. That reads like a recipe for disaster, but Kelly said he things the newness and excitement will ultimately be good for the Irish. (more…)
Notre Dame Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers
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The returning wide receivers to Brian Kelly’s new look Notre Dame Football team will see a different role from what they had under Charlie Weis. The old Notre Dame head coach had a very pass-happy offense built around now departed quarterback Jimmy Clausen and also departed wide receiver Golden Tate.
Now, both of those talented weapons are in the NFL, and the coach who counted on #7 and #23 is also in the NFL after being fired.
New head coach Brian Kelly faces the duty of revamping the Notre Dame offense. As head coach at Cincinnati, Kelly directed one of the best offenses in the NCAA. The Bearcats finished the season ranked sixth in passing offense, and 13th in passing offense.
Kelly was able to win with two different starting quarterbacks, Tony Pike and Zack Collaros, who took over for the injured Pike.
Now, Kelly has moved north to Indiana, and he has a different cast of characters to work with. Kelly’s new quarterback is the highly touted Dayne Crist, and his new quarterback will have some great targets to throw to.
Crist’s “go-to guy” shouldn’t be too hard to find. Returning to the Notre Dame offense is junior WR Michael Floyd. The Minneapolis native has made a name for himself after a pair of great seasons to start his career.
Entering 2010, Floyd should be a candidate for many awards and accolades. The big 6’3 target can jump to the moon, and has hands like glue.
In 2009, Floyd finished 66th in receiving yardage. Many of those receiving yards went to fellow receiver Golden Tate.
This season, expect Floyd to post a career best season. He has the size and athleticism to be the best receiver in the game.
After Floyd, the Irish return a mix of veterans buried in the old depth chart and young receivers looking to make a name for themselves.
Duval Kumara is second in receptions among returning Notre Dame receivers, and he had just 23 catches in ’09. Kumara stands at 6’5, making him the tallest receiver on the ND depth chart.
The senior has not lived up to his potential in a blue and gold uniform. With a wide open depth chart, Kumara will get his first good chance to shine.
Notre Dame also returns a pair of young receivers who have rose up the Notre Dame depth chart. Sophomore Shaquelle Evans and junior Deion Walker had numerous big catches during the 2009 season. With such open competition at receiver, each of these two targets should see many more reps.
One of three fifth year seniors on the Notre Dame roster, Barry Gallup Jr. has worked hard during his time at UND, and now has put himself in a position to see a lot of reps. The 5’11 senior returns as the elder statesman of the Irish receiving core, but he hopes to provide more than leadership.
With a new coach, Gallup has a new opportunity to impress. If the senior continues to work hard, he should emerge as a dependable wide receiver for the Irish.
The only freshman who has put himself in position for playing time is TJ Jones. The native of Gainesville, Georgia stands at 5’11 and weights 185 lbs. Jones has breakaway speed that makes him a playmaking threat. If given the opportunity, Jones could be a star during his time at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s depth chart is deep, and the competition is wide open. Expect a number of players to receive playing time during the 2010 season. Michael Floyd is the obvious superstar returning to the Irish offense, but after him, anybody can emerge. For now, we have to play the waiting game.
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Irish Stun ’04 USC Trojans
You may have missed it today, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shocked the 2004 USC Trojans today, with a huge 9-0 win. The game was oddly not televised, but the Irish shocked the Trojans, and denied them of the 2004 National Championship.
The combination of Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and Lendale White were not enough for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame took down the undefeated USC Trojans, and spoiled took away their chances of winning a national championship.
When Notre Dame head football coach Ty Willingham took the coaching job, one of his major goals was to take down the rival Trojans, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2001.
Now, Willingham and the Irish can celebrate their unbelievable upset victory over the Trojans.
The Irish played their best game of the year, as they are now bowl eligible for their 2004 season. Brady Quinn and his normally weak and ineffective offense put together their greatest game, and took down the Trojans.
Meanwhile, USC’s superstar backfield led by Leinart, Bush, and White was completely shut down in their stunning loss. With the loss, it appears that USC is out of contention for the 2004 national championship, and will be unable to even participate in a bowl game during the 2010 and 2011 season, and will be stripped of 20 scholarships.
Also, the loss for the Trojans ensures that Kim Kardashian will never talk to USC running back ever again.
After the game, USC head coach Pete Carroll was seen writing out checks, with brochures for the city of Seattle on his desk. Carroll was seen pacing back and forth in his office, while mumbling to himself, “I need to get out of here; I need to get out of here!”
Later, Carroll was seen talking to the Pac-10 officials about their 2005 matchup.
The stunning upset was a historical one as it was the first ever game played in mid-June. Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said he likes the mid-summer games, and thinks that format offers the Irish their best chance to beat the Trojans. White was also wearing a Duke Blue Devils lapel pin while applying his “Just for Men” hair product.
The Notre Dame win give the Irish huge momentum as one of college football’s oldest and most historical rivalries continues on into the 2005 season. The Irish hope to continue their success into the next season with another huge win.
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