Notre Dame at Southern Cal: Tale of the Tape

The fifth-ranked USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish hook up for the 80th time on the gridiron this weekend, as they clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

With a 9-1 overall mark and a lofting ranking, the Trojans are very much alive for the national title race, although they are going to need some help down the stretch. Since losing its only game to Oregon State in late September, the Trojans have ripped off seven straight victories, posting three shutouts during that stretch. The program was last in play on November 15th, when it defeated Stanford 45-23 on the road.

"I was happy we got the win tonight," stated head coach Pete Carroll. "I was really happy to win this game."

The victory exacted some measure of revenge for when Stanford pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever with a 24-23 victory at USC last season. The Trojans now head back home, where they have won 27 straight night games and are 26-0 in November under Carroll.

As for Notre Dame, it has fallen apart down the stretch and it may have hit rock bottom last weekend with a shocking 24-23 setback at home to lowly Syracuse. It was the third loss in the past four outings by the Irish, which dipped to 6-5 overall. The team hasn't had much success on the road either, boasting just a 1-3 mark on the year.

ND and USC are meeting for the 80th time this weekend in one of the premier intersectional rivalries in college football. The Irish lead the head-to-head series, 42-32-5, but the Trojans have won the last six meetings. Last season, USC blanked ND, 38-0, delivering the program its most decisive win ever in the series.

The Irish has been up and down on offense all season long and enter the weekend averaging a modest 24.5 ppg and 367.9 total ypg. The unit has had more success through the air (248.7 ypg) than on the ground (119.2 ypg), but has had some issues hanging onto the ball, committing 25 turnovers.

Despite avoiding any turnovers last weekend, ND wasn't able to defeat Syracuse behind its 332 yards of total offense. Jimmy Clausen guided the team in the loss by throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-39 tosses. Like the rest of the offense, though, Clausen has struggled with consistency this season and has thrown for 2,730 yards and 20 scores, but with 15 interceptions as well. With Michael Floyd out for the season with a knee injury, Golden Tate is now the team's top option in the passing game and he showed off his skills by making seven catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns last weekend. It was a great effort from Tate, who paces the squad with 50 catches for 888 yards and seven scores on the year. Armando Allen is the team's top runner with 569 yards and he also ranks third on the team with 45 catches out of the backfield.

ND has been pretty solid on defense this season and is holding its opponents to 20.8 ppg and 316.5 total ypg. The Irish is limiting foes to 139.7 rushing ypg and 176.7 passing ypg, while generating 20 turnovers.

Last weekend, ND's defense was stout until the fourth quarter, when it allowed Syracuse to score a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner with 42 seconds left. Both scores came on drives of 68 yards, as Syracuse posted a majority of its 317 total yards in the final period. ND came up with a pair of sacks and two turnovers, but the defense couldn't make the big play when it needed to most. Kyle McCarthy finished the contest with six tackles, giving him 96 on the year and that is good enough for the team-lead.

The Trojans have excelled on both sides of the ball this season and on offense they are scoring 38.4 ppg and gaining 451.0 total ypg. The offense has displayed good balance between the run (208.8 ypg) and pass (242.2 ypg) and is converting 45 percent of the time on third down.

In its last game, USC racked up 418 total yards, including 282 on the ground, in a victory over Stanford. Stafon Johnson led the charge with 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries, while C.J. Gable went for 85 yards and a score on the same amount of attempts. The duo have been a nice complement to one another and have combined for 1,143 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Mark Sanchez also got involved in the win over Stanford, throwing for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-17 tosses. It was a modest performance by Sanchez, who has flourished this season, converting 64.8 percent of his pass attempts for 2,258 yards, with 26 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Damian Williams has been one of the top targets in the passing game with 38 catches for 553 yards, while Patrick Tuner has posted 503 yards and a team-best eight scores. Against Stanford, Williams led the team with four catches, including one for a touchdown.

While USC's offense has certainly been prolific, it takes a back seat to the defense, which leads the nation in scoring (8.3 ppg) and ranks second in total yards (225.5 ypg). The Trojans lead the nation in pass defense, allowing just 132.3 ypg, and they have been every bit as good against the run, yielding a mere 90.2 ypg.

Last game however, USC wasn't as dominant as expected, allowing Stanford to gain 367 total yards, including 202 on the ground. The Trojans, though, made some adjustments at the half and allowed just six points after the break in the 45-23 triumph.

"Defensively, the guys came through and just stopped them series after series after series and it wasn't like that early on," stated Carroll.

Rey Maualuga led the way with nine tackles, while Brian Cushing had six stops and his first pick of the season. On the year, Maualuga tops the roster with 66 tackles and Cushing ranks second to him with 60 stops.

The Trojans are the clear choice here, as their offense and defense are far superior and they should have a relatively easy time blowing this one open early.

Southern Cal 41
Notre Dame 10

Southern Cal Injury Report
RB Broderick Green (11/10, personal) has decided to transfer
DB Kevin Ellison (10/31, right knee surgery) is expected to miss 2-4 weeks
LB Luthur Brown (11/23, separated shoulder) is questionable
RB Allen Bradford (10/17, hip surgery) will miss the remainder of the season DB Shareece Wright (9/23, fractured vertebrae) is out indefinitely
OL Michael Reardon (8/14, right hip) is out indefinitely

Notre Dame Injury Report
DB Terrail Lambert (11/23, sprained ankle) is questionable
WR Michael Floyd (11/17, knee) to miss the remainder of the regular season
OL Chris Stewart (11/23, leg) is questionable
FB Luke Schmidt (10/1, headaches) is out indefinitely
TE Will Yeatman (10/1, disciplinary/legal) will miss the remainder of the season DB Jashaad Gaines (9/12, personal) is out indefinitely
TE Mike Ragone (8/23, left knee surgery) will miss the entire season

Team Leaders
Receptions: Williams (38), ND Tate (50)
Rec. Yards: Williams (553), ND Tate (888)
Rushing Atts: S. Johnson (102), ND Allen (127)
Rushing Yds: Gable (574), ND Allen (569)
Pass Atts: Sanchez (267), ND Clausen (392)
Pass Comp: Sanchez (173), ND Clausen (235)
Pass Yards: (2,258), ND Clausen (2,730)
Comp %: Mustain (69.2), ND Clausen (59.9)
TD passes: Sanchez (26), ND Clausen (20)
INTs: Sanchez (7), ND Clausen (15)

North Carolina Game Preview

Game 5: No. 8 Notre Dame (4-0) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (5-0)
Date: Wednesday, November 26th
Time: 10:00 (E.S.T.)

Tonight's Maui Invitational Championship game between Notre Dame and North Carolina has a definite March feel to it as two of the top teams go head-to-head in what should be a marquee classic. Notre Dame has made well so far of bringing home some hardware with an exciting 81-80 victory over No. 6 Texas last night.

If the Fighting Irish want to make their wish into a reality, they will have to play a near flawless game and have a few others step up besides Luke Harangody and Kyle McAlarney. Guard Tory Jackson has put together a string of superb games that could help combat the Tar Heels defense.

North Carolina is outscoring their opponents by 25 points, while holding them to 39.6% shooting, including 32.8% from 3pt. range. The Tar Heels have all five starters averaging double figures in scoring, led by forward Danny Green. UNC also got back the services of All-American Tyler Hansbrough.

Hansbrough has been slowed recently with shin problems, but should be serviceable against the Irish. The Maui crowd will also have a treat, as two of the best players in the nation will go toe-to-toe in Hansbrough and Harangody.

Notre Dame is continuing their unselfish play as they are dishing 17.5 assists a night, with Jackson leading the way with 5.7. The Irish are also starting to light it up at the right time as they are connecting on 47.9% of their field goals, and 40.0% of their shots behind the 3pt. arc.

The two keys for the Irish tonight will be 1.) to improve their free throw shooting (59.5% on the season), and 2.) dictate the tempo of this contest. Notre Dame can ill afford to get into a track meet with the more athletic Tar Heels. Plus they have a lot more horses in the stable.

North Carolina Tarheels
Head Coach: Roy Williams (career 560-134); sixth year at North Carolina (142-33)

Last Season: 36-3 overall, 14-2 in the ACC; lost in the semifinals of the Final Four

STRENGTHS
The Tar Heels have it all. Strength in the middle, solid shooting on the perimeter, pressure defense, speed and a solid point guard. All five starters -- Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Marcus Ginyard, Deon Thompson and Tyler Hansbrough -- return.

--They also have depth with two key backups in Danny Green and Bobby Frasor returning and some talented recruits being added to the roster. Green can be instant offense off the bench and gives the Heels another 3-point threat to go along with Elllington. A talented freshman class makes the Heels even deeper.

WEAKNESSES
Since Hansbrough is back into the UNC lineup, if a team can neutralize him inside and take advantage of his weaknesses on defense, it can give the Heels trouble. Kansas jumped on the Heels early in their NCAA Tournament matchup and had the game out of hand by halftime. That won't happen again.

--Ellington can be off at times with his 3-pointer, and that also makes the Heels beatable.

Projected Starters

North Carolina
F Danny Green 15.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg
F Deon Thompson 14.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg
F Tyler Hansbrough 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
G Ty Lawson 13.6 ppg, 5.6 apg
G Wayne Ellington 14.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Notre Dame
F Zach Hillesland 6.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg
F Luke Harangody 25.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg
G Ryan Ayers 8.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G Tory Jackson 14.8 ppg, 5.7 apg
G Kyle McAlarney 11.8 ppg, 3.7 apg

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/26/08

Here's the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Wednesday, November 26th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Though SDSU clearly suffered with the loss of seven defensive linemen to season-ending injuries, there is debate whether the team's upperclassmen were immeasurably better than the three freshmen – Jerome Long, Henry Simon and J.J. Autele – forced to play. Paired against the offensive lines offered by the league's elite, the Aztecs were woefully undersized up front, a deficiency borne out in their ranking of 118th among the nation's 119 teams in rush defense and 109th in sacks.

Not since Lynell Hamilton in 2003 has SDSU remotely come close to offering a consistent threat in the running game. That shortcoming was painfully obvious this season, when the Aztecs, who rank 117th nationally in rush offense, purposely opted to utilize short passes in place of runs. Tailbacks Brandon Sullivan and Atiyyah Henderson return next season, but Sullivan lacks breakaway speed and Henderson, at 5-feet-7, is better suited as a change-of-pace back.

“We did our best behind the scenes to build a class program of which all Aztecs could be proud,” Long said the day after his firing. “I truly believe these next two years could be great for Aztec football.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

The concrete ramp led away from the field on which the Michigan football team had just suffered a 42-7 drubbing at the hands of Ohio State. It led toward a cadre of Buckeyes fans, whose insults rained on Wolverines as they walked toward the buses waiting to return them to Ann Arbor.

Walking that path Saturday, Calvin Magee had every plausible reason to silently hustle toward safer confines. But on the dreariest of days, the U-M offensive coordinator stood amid the chaos and let his feelings spill out.

"I'm going to tell you this," he said. "I really can't wait to get going again. Believe me. Believe me when I tell you that."

Answering another question about injuries, his thoughts wandered again toward his excitement. "I know I might seem crazy," he said, "but I'll tell you right now. I really can't wait. Believe me when I tell you that."

Crazy? Let's just say optimism can be found in strange places.

Magee's enthusiasm was contagious. On Monday, coach Rich Rodriguez was just as eager to keep going. Asked if he planned to decompress after 10 topsy-turvy months on the job, Rodriguez said, "I'll slow down when I retire."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Anthony Heygood has been a starting linebacker for only two seasons, but he capped off his senior year Monday night by being voted Purdue's most valuable player for 2008.

Heygood, who led the Boilermakers with 114 tackles and finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference with an average of 9.5 tackles per game, received the MVP trophy during the 88th annual Purdue-Kiwanis Football Banquet at the Memorial Union Ballrooms.

"It's an honor, and that's really all you can say," Heygood said. "My teammates voted on this and they've been there with me, on the field and in the locker room.

"Playing running back, fullback, and running back again before finally finding a place at linebacker, and then my teammates voting me MVP is really unbelievable."

Heygood also finished with six tackles for loss and three pass breakups, along with an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Outgoing coach Joe Tiller revealed that Heygood won in a landslide.

"Nothing is more significant than being voted on by your peers as the most valuable player," Tiller said. "This year we had seven players receive votes. The guy who finished second had 16 votes, and this guy had 58 votes. So it's pretty clear that this football team really believed he was the most valuable player."

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

Chick-fil-A Bowl officials haven't eliminated North Carolina from consideration for the game's coveted ACC slot.
But bowl president Gary Stokan didn't sound encouraging Tuesday as he talked about the Tar Heels' prospects after their 41-10 loss last week to N.C. State.

"The Tar Heels certainly didn't improve their chances with us with the loss to the Wolfpack on Saturday," Stokan said.

Before consecutive losses the past two weeks to Maryland and the Wolfpack, North Carolina was high on the Chick-fil-A wish list. But now the Tar Heels need to win at Duke on Saturday to finish 8-4 to have a slight chance at a Chick-fil-A Bowl bid.

Washington via http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

Dennis Franchione was a guest on KJR-AM this morning and said he had not been contacted by UW officials about the Washington head coaching position.

You should be able to find the interview here. He said it's an attractive job and sounded as if he'd be interested.

One thing to remember is that UW officials are attempting to keep as much plausible deniability alive for everyone involved in the search by talking to agents or third parties instead of the candidates themselves. Gary Pinkel made that clear in his comment that UW officials had talked with his agent. So someone saying there has been no contact doesn't necessarily rule them out. But in this case, it shounded as if Franchione hasn't been contacted in any way.

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt may have received some good news yesterday when running back LeSean McCoy announced that he will return for his junior season with the Panthers.

Because McCoy spent one season at prep school (Milford Academy in New York after a career at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg), he is eligible to enter the NFL draft, according to league rules, even though he is a sophomore.

Speculation has been that McCoy would declare himself eligible for the NFL draft after this season. The coaching staff had been bracing for his departure.

But yesterday, as Pitt (7-3, 3-2 Big East) prepared to play West Virginia (7-3, 4-1) Friday in the 101st edition of the Backyard Brawl, McCoy was asked if it would be his last game at Heinz Field in a Panthers uniform.

McCoy said he wanted to set the record straight and end all of the speculation. He said he doesn't think he's ready for the NFL life, meaning the business aspect of football, that he enjoys being a college student and -- most importantly -- that the Panthers likely will be a highly-ranked team next year and should contend for the Big East championship.

"Everyone keeps trying to push that idea that this is my last game at Heinz Field. I'm not going anywhere," McCoy said. "There is a lot of stuff I have to prove, and the thing is I don't think I've done enough here at this university and there is a lot of stuff I have to achieve here. It is something I want to squash and get it over with and not have to talk about it because I am kind of getting a little fed up with it.

Navy via http://navysports.cstv.com

Quarterback Ricky Dobbs scored a touchdown and ran for 124 yards in his first collegiate start to lead Navy to a 16-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Tuesday night.

Navy (7-4) scored on its first two possessions and held the ball for more than 17 minutes in the first half as they beat the Huskies (6-6) for the second straight year.

Dobbs, a sophomore who carried the ball 25 times, fumbled on his team's first play at the Navy 9. He alertly recovered the loose ball and led the Midshipmen on an 81-yard drive that was capped by Matt Harmon's 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Nearly nine minutes later, Dobbs finished a 10-play, 85-yard second quarter drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

In the third quarter, Navy safety Emmett Merchant picked off a pass from Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish and returned it 29 yards into Huskies territory. Ten plays later, Navy went up 16-0 on Eric Kettani's one-yard TD run with 2:21 remaining in the period.

Kettani rushed for 92 yards on 19 carries, and Harnish led Northern Illinois with 14 carries for 65 yards. He was 14-of-24 for 116 yards passing.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

The search committee of one assigned to line up a replacement for Greg Robinson was sitting behind the bench of the Syracuse basketball team last night in Kansas City. Athletics director Daryl Gross is out of town, which is where coaching searches and interviews take place. KC is halfway to Los Angeles, which we know serves as the Western White House for Gross and where the last coaching search for the Syracuse football team took place.

It's been a little quiet - too quiet - which makes me wonder sometimes if a deal is done. Gross is in bunker mode. He told me last week he's grinding away. Me, I'm just grinding my teeth trying to keep up with the doc.

I did hear today that several feelers have been extended to a number of potential candidates including: Kevin Rogers, assistant coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, Steve Addazio, assistant football coach at the University of Florida; Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon; and Mark Whipple, offensive assistant with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. Additionally, Gross may have spoken to University of Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood on Friday night.

An intermediary for one candidate said tonight, "the less said right now, the better."

Almost everyone keeps telling me that Randy Edsall is serious when he says he's not interested in coming to Syracuse. Skip Holtz may not be interested either, though the unfolding events in South Bend could be playing a role. University of Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley and Buffalo coach Turner Gill are on the radar. So is former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin.

And there could be many, many, many more on the Gross to-do list.

I suspect this is part of a strategy to leave no stone unturned. Whether a consultant like Chuck Neinas is involved or not, Gross is doing the leg work and running the search. Last night, the search team was in Kansas City.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC tailbacks might have finally got what they wished for, or at least something closer to it. Coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said Tuesday that they were happy, for now, with a philosophy that allows the tailbacks to play entire series rather than alternating every play or two.

The Trojans are averaging 208 rushing yards a game going into Saturday's nonconference game against Notre Dame at the Coliseum.

"We're just allowing them to find rhythm," Sarkisian said.

Hard to shake via http://www.latimes.com

Linebacker Chris Galippo, a redshirt freshman, said he was among a group of recruits who visited Notre Dame when he was a junior at Anaheim Servite High, the same school that produced former Fighting Irish quarterback Steve Beuerlein.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who eventually signed with the Irish, and USC tailback Marc Tyler also were on the trip.

Galippo said it was memorable because Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis never acknowledged him.

"I went 3,000 miles cross-country and couldn't even get a handshake," Galippo said.

Galippo said he had no hard feelings.

Texas Game Preview

Game 4: No. 8 Notre Dame (3-0) vs. No. 6 Texas (3-0)
Date: Tuesday, November 25th
Time: 7:00 (E.S.T.)

One down, two more to go as the Fighting Irish could face two Top 10 teams in back-to-back nights starting today with #6 Texas. Notre Dame kicked off their Maui Invitational on the right side of the bracket with a 88-50 trouncing of intra-state rival Indiana. Unfortunately for the Irish things won't be that easy against the Longhorns.

Texas has held their opposition to 46.3 points per game, and a combined 28.9% FG shooting, including 14-of-64 (.219) mark from three-point range. Led by guard AJ Abrams, the Longhorns will try and pressure the Irish up and down the court.

The 3-0 Irish are looking to become 4-0 for the first time since the 2002-2003 season, and will have to get a strong outside production from Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, and Luke Zeller. Against the Hoosiers, McAlarney got out of shooting slump and connected on six 3pt. baskets for 18 points. Zeller is shooting 50% from beyond the arc and scoring a career best 11.0 points a game.

Texas isn't the only team that can play defense too! The Irish are holding their opponents to 36.4% from the floor and 31.4% from 3pt. range. Notre Dame is also out muscling their opposition with a plus 11 rebound margin. Led by Tory Jackson, the Irish are creating lots pressure by forcing 16.7 turnovers and 10 steals a game.

The key for the Irish tonight will be how well Zach Hillesland can contain Texas star Damion James. On the flip side, the Longhorns have to stop Luke Harangody from dominating in the paint.

This will definitely be a high scoring affair with the winner a possible date with top ranked North Carolina on Wednesday.

Texas Longhorns
Head Coach: Rick Barnes (career 449-227); 11th year at Texas (247-93)

Last Season: 31-7 overall, 13-3 in the Big 12; lost in the regional finals of NCAA Tournament

STRENGTHS
Few Big 12 teams, if any, return as much talent as Texas. F Damion James is as strong as anyone in the conference underneath after averaging a double-double (13.2 points, 10.3 rebounds) last season. The Longhorns also have great pop outside with G A.J. Abrams, who already holds the Texas career record for 3-pointers. Additional experience abounds both inside with F Connor Atchley and C Dexter Pittman, and along the perimeter with G Justin Mason and G Dogus Balbay.

WEAKNESSES
There's usually a catch these days when addressing experience on college basketball teams. For Texas, it was the loss of PG D.J. Augustin, who left early and was a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Without its distributor, who influenced the pace of games as well as perhaps anyone in the country, Texas faces a tall task. Abrams, who senses he needs to play the point to make it in the NBA at 5-11, will get first crack. Mason does have some experience at the position.


Projected Starters

Texas
C Dexter Pittman 8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
F Connor Atchley 4.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Damion James 14.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg
G AJ Abrams 17.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G Justin Mason 3.7 ppg 4.0 rpg

Notre Dame
F Zach Hillesland 6.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
F Luke Harangody 23.7 ppg, 12.0 rpg
G Ryan Ayers 9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg
G Tory Jackson 11.3 ppg, 4.3 apg
G Kyle McAlarney 9.3 ppg, 5.3 apg

Keys to the Notre Dame at Southern Cal Game

David vs. Goliath, Rocky vs. everyone he faced in all of his six or seven movies, and now this weekend; Notre Dame vs. Southern Cal. At 6-5, the Fighting Irish are searching for some divine intervention against the 30-point favorites.

Notre Dame last Saturday let another win slip through their fingers as they lost to their first 8-loss team in history against Syracuse 24-23. The Orange only scored two, 4th-Quarter touchdowns all season long. But against the Irish they strung together two scoring drives, including the game winner with less than a minute to play.

Southern Cal has been basically on cruise control after their early season hiccup at Oregon State. The Trojans have been outscoring their opponents to a tune of 39-6. That doesn't bode well for the Irish, especially a struggling Irish squad that has dropped four of their last six contests.

1.) Brush up on their history. There have been instant classics between the Irish and Trojans, and this team has lost sight of how important this series really was and still is for both schools. Below are some great Irish moments:

Oct. 16, 1999
Notre Dame 25, USC 24
Notre Dame Stadium
Twenty-five years after USC staged The Comeback, Notre Dame got a little revenge of its own on its West Coast rivals with the biggest comeback in Notre Dame Stadium history. Trailing 24-3 in the third quarter, the luck of the Irish helped ND secure the win. No more was that evident than the game-winning score when tight end Jabari Holloway won the scrum for Jarious Jackson's fumble in the end zone with 2:40 remaining.

Nov. 29, 1988
No. 1 Notre Dame 27, No. 2 USC 10
The Coliseum
In the only No. 1 vs. No. 2 meeting in the series, Lou Holtz elected to leave two of his top players at home, tailback Tony Brooks and flanker Ricky Watters. The Irish responded with a win that propelled them to their first national title in 11 years. Tony Rice hit Raghib Ismail with a 55-yard TD strike to start the game. Rice then called his own number on an option play down the left sideline and sprinted 65 yards for the score. Stan Smagala's 64-yard interception return for a touchdown of a Rodney Peete pass put the game out of reach as Notre Dame took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Nov. 29, 1986
Notre Dame 38, No. 17 USC 37
The Coliseum
Lou Holtz's first foray into the Notre Dame-USC rivalry was a successful one, as the Irish rallied back from a 20-9 halftime deficit. They trailed 30-12 early in the third quarter before Steve Beuerlein started hitting his stride. He hit Braxston Banks with a 22-yard TD pass, Milt Jackson for 43 yards and Banks for five yards to cut it to 37-35. Tim Brown's 56-yard punt return then put John Carney in position to cap the comeback with a 19-yard field goal with two seconds left.

October 22, 1977
No. 11 Notre Dame 49, No. 5 USC 19
Notre Dame Stadium
"The Switch."

The Irish warmed up in their traditional blue jerseys. But before the start of the game, Devine handed out the school's treasured green jerseys for the first time in 14 years. Led by Joe Montana, who threw two TD passes and ran for two more, the Irish proceeded to rout the Trojans 49-19.

October 27, 1973
No. 8 Notre Dame 23, No. 6 USC 14
Notre Dame Stadium
Anthony Davis' six-touchdown afternoon in 1972 was in the minds of many Irish when they met again in 1973. On a rainy day in South Bend, the Irish held Davis to just 55 yards on 19 carries. It was Notre Dame's Eric Perrick who had the big day, as Perrick's 85-yard TD run early in the third quarter keyed the Irish's 23-14 upset of the Trojans, who entered the game on a 23-game unbeaten streak.

Dec. 6, 1947
No. 1 Notre Dame 38, No. 3 USC
The Coliseum
In a game that would decide the national championship, the battle lasted for one half with the Irish holding a slim 10-7 lead. Emil Sitko broke the game opened with a 76 yard TD run to open the second half. Bob Livingstone followed with a 92 yard score. John Panelli added a touchdown, and it was all over for USC.

2.) Go no huddle, shotgun formation offense. What's there to lose, right? The most consistent the Irish have looked all season long is when Notre Dame goes no huddle in shotgun formation. I'm not sure if Clausen just excels in those situations or not, but he does look more confident and comfortable in that scenario.

Having an injured Michael Floyd hurts in this situation, as the Trojans no. 1 pass defense will smother Golden Tate. This is where David Grimes, Robby Parris, and most importantly, Duval Kamara have to step up and make plays. Kamara has regressed this season, and could jump back in a major way with a big game.

3.) Rely on your corners. Notre Dame's defense did not show up last week when they were counted on the most. Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta will have to pull out everything they've got against the Trojans with plenty of pressure and blitzes. So that means the Irish corners will be left alone on an island to defend themselves.

If the ND pressure does get to Mark Sanchez in a timely fashion, players like Robert Blanton, Raeshon McNeil, Gary Gray, and Terrail Lambert will have only minimal time to lock down on the USC receivers.

Yes, that's a tall order to ask, but Notre Dame's defense has played well against the pass statistical-wise. The Irish are 22nd in the nation, yielding only 176 yards and 10 touchdowns.

4.) Maximize the clock with long sustained drives. If the Irish have any chance of making this a game, they will have to string together double-digit drives that eats a lot of the clock. Stanford did a fairly good job of that in the first half of their contest with Southern Cal, but collapsed towards the end of the contest.

Look for a bevy of screen passes to Armando Allen, and some short hitch and slant routes to Grimes, Tate, and Kamara. Don't expect Clausen and the Irish to throw anything over 25 yards.

5.) Play with heart for the Blue & Gold. Last week there was no emotion whatsoever. It was Senior Day, students were pelting them with snowballs, and still nothing. They need to go out there on Saturday night and show to everyone, including themselves that they have some pride left in them and won't back down against the mighty Trojans.

Maybe Chuck can use these words of wisdom for his team:

Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say.
Played a better season than last...all of you. Better season.

I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all.

I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years -
None of you ever witnessed a National Championship Team.
It was long before your time.
But you know what a tradition they are at Notre Dame...

And the last thing they said to me -- "Weisgipper," they said -
"sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the
breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there
with all they got and win just one for the Lady on the Dome...

I don't know where I'll be then, Weisgipper", he said -"but
I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/25/08

Here's the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Tuesday, November 25th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Former San Diego State football coach Chuck Long has plenty of reasons to stay out of the coaching business for two more years. According to the terms of his contract, he's entitled to his regular salary of more than $700,000 for the final two years of his contract unless he gets a job somewhere else.

If he obtains other employment, his contract states, “You shall be entitled to no further compensation whatsoever from the date of that other employment.”
For this reason, SDSU officials said Sunday that the buyout of his contract might not reach $1.4 million because they expected him to be able to find another job before his contract expires on Dec. 31, 2010.

But it's not likely Long, who was fired from SDSU over the weekend, will find a job that pays as well before then. While he might be able to find work soon, it likely will be as an assistant coach in a salary range of $100,000 to $200,000. Accepting such a job would mean cutting off much bigger paychecks from SDSU.

So his best financial interest probably will be to lay low at his home in Poway – unless he reaches a settlement with SDSU to pay him the full amount of more than $1.4 million.

“I assume they would want a clean break and wouldn't want him hanging around the school the next couple of years,” said Jack Mills, Long's agent.

Long's firing is technically a “reassignment” for the remainder of his contract. Similarly, former Aztecs football coach Denny Stolz was reassigned to become golf coach after being fired after the 1988 season, with three years left on his contract. It's the school's way of still getting something for its money, at least in principle. Long's predecessor, Tom Craft, also technically was “reassigned” after his firing in 2005, with one season left on his deal. SDSU officials said he worked as a liaison between the school and former players and coaches.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Three down. How many to go? University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said at a season-ending news conference Monday that he expects more attrition from his football team after saying good-bye to three players in the past eight days.

"I don't have any predictions," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's a couple, but it won't be a lot, I don't think."

The coach confirmed an Indiana newspaper report Sunday that sophomore safety Artis Chambers has left the program. A Fort Wayne (Ind.) native, Chambers was a reserve who played mainly on special teams. He follows backup wide receiver Zion Babb and reserve defensive tackle Jason Kates out the door.

"Naturally there's gonna be some (attrition)," Rodriguez said. "But I don't think that's exclusive to us. There are probably a lot of programs in America where guys might feel they can play more, or think the system's better for them at another team and make a move."

Two players subject to recent speculation about whether they'll remain in Ann Arbor are freshman running back Sam McGuffie and junior defensive end Brandon Graham. It appears both will stick with the program. Graham, who ranks third in the Big Ten with 10 sacks, has been contemplating an early declaration for the NFL Draft. Rodriguez said he hadn't spoken with Graham about his intentions, but "the other coaches have. I think he's planning on coming back and he should."

The coach added that he expects McGuffie to return, as well. McGuffie, who started six games this season and finished with 486 rushing yards, spent part of last week in Houston attending a family funeral. Without being too specific, Rodriguez said McGuffie is coping with other family difficulties, too.

"Sam's got some tough issues and he's a long way from home," Rodriguez said. "Here's a young man who's trying to take care of his 16-year-old brother a long way from home. Those things there you work with a guy about."

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

Michigan State running back Javon Ringer's Heisman Trophy campaign didn't survive the primaries, but he's still in the running for the Doak Walker Award.

Ringer is one of three finalists selected by the 162-member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee. Iowa's Shonn Greene and Knowshon Moreno of Georgia are Ringer's competition going into the final round of voting.

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

South Stanly High cornerback/wide receiver Terry Shankle committed to North Carolina this morning, as the Tar Heels continue to assemble a highly rated recruiting class.

"He had scholarship offers from 17 schools," South Stanly coach Luke Little said. "He narrowed it down to North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and N.C. State."

Little said Shankle picked the Tar Heels because it was fairly close to home and because he felt comfortable on his visits to the school. He added that the Tar Heels plan to use Shankle as a cornerback and kick-return man.

"He's got great speed and knowledge of the game, he knows how to play," Little said.

Shankle had 1,200 receiving yards and scored 16 touchdowns for South Stanly this season.

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com
Pitt's only injury is defensive tackle Tommie Duhart (ankle). ... Freshman cornerback Antwuan Reed could see more playing time this week as Ricky Gary and Jovani Chappel have continued to struggle. ... Heinz Field has been re-sodded in the wake of the four WPIAL playoff games on Saturday.

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

Here's a look at Boston College's bowl options heading into Saturday's game against Maryland.

If the Eagles . . .

Beat Maryland and win the Atlantic Coast Conference title the following week: They will play in the Orange Bowl in Miami as the ACC champion against the Big East champion, which right now looks like Cincinnati . Another possible opponent could be Utah, but that would be a long shot.

Beat Maryland and lose the conference title game: ACC rules state that the loser of the title game can drop no lower than fourth in the bowl pecking-order -- unless that team wants to go to another bowl game. This year the top of the ACC bowl order is the BCS (Orange Bowl), the Chick fil-A bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl, and the Music City Bowl. The other rule is that three of those bowls -- the Gator, Champ Sports, and Music City bowls -- must select the ACC runner-up at least once in a four-year cycle. The Gator Bowl and Champs Bowl have met that requirement, while the Music City Bowl has not, which means that BC would be a likely choice for that game, probably against Vanderbilt. The Eagles would be eligible for the Gator or Chick fil-A bowl, but neither seems likely.

Lose to Maryland: The choices look like the Music City Bowl or the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Junior defensive tackle Arthur Jones of the Syracuse University football team was tabbed as Big East Defensive Player of the Week after he led a Syracuse defense that limited Notre Dame to just 41 rushing yards in the Orange's 24-23 win at Notre Dame Stadium. He had a game-high 15 tackles -- the most by a BIG EAST down lineman this season -- including four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

Safety Taylor Mays was selected as a finalist for the Thorpe Award, presented to the nation's top defensive back, and linebacker Rey Maualuga is a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player).

The players will attend the nationally-televised announcement ceremony in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Dec. 11.

Mays, a junior who is regarded as a possible first-round NFL draft pick, said he was surprised.

"I didn't think I would make it because I don't have any picks," said Mays, who has no interceptions this season. "But I must be doing something right."

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Senior safety Kevin Ellison (knee) is expected to try to practice today. . . . Freshman defensive tackle Armond Armstead suffered a fractured bone in his hand last week and wore a cast Monday. . . . Carroll said he spoke with fired Syracuse Coach Greg Robinson, a longtime friend and coaching colleague, and congratulated him on the Orange's victory over Notre Dame.

Indiana Game Preview

Game 3: # 8 Notre Dame (2-0) vs. Indiana (2-0)
Date: Monday, November 24th
Time: 5:30 (E.S.T.)

It has taken several years and thousands of miles, but Notre Dame and Indiana will resume their intrastate rivalry today in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational in Hawaii. Coming off a lackluster performance against a young Loyola Marymount squad last Friday night, the Fighting Irish look to come out strong and play a fast pace high scoring game against the young Hoosiers.

If Notre Dame wants to stay undefeated and extend their winning streak to two over the Hoosiers, the Irish will have to create some clean, open looks for senior guard Kyle McAlarney. McAlarney was held scoreless for only the second time in his Irish career as he was 0-for-7 from the floor against the Lions.

The Irish, once again, were led by preseason All-American Luke Harangody. He finished the night with another double-double of 27 points and 17 rebounds. Tory Jackson also gave Notre Dame some added scoring punch with 16 points and seven boards.

Ryan Ayers had nine points, while Luke Zeller finished with six.

One area of concern that Notre Dame concentrated on after landing in Maui was their free throw shooting. Against LMU, the Irish shot 59.4% from the charity stripe (13-of-22) that kept the host Lions in the contest up until the end. ND will have to be more successful or the Hoosiers could spring an early season upset under first year head coach Tom Crean.

Crean and his staff will put one of the least experienced teams in NCAA Division I history on the floor against the Irish. Senior Kyle Taber (28 points) and sophomore walk-on Brett Finkelmeier (2 points) are all that return from last year’s 25-8 squad which advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Indiana will take the floor with seven new scholarship players, an outfielder from the baseball team and three additional walk-ons to start the season with Taber and Finkelmeier during the first semester.

So far the Hoosiers have beaten Northwestern St. (La.) 83-65 and eeked out a three point win over IUPUI, 60-57.

A trouble area the Irish will like to exploit against the Hoosiers will be the inside muscle of Harangody and Zach Hillesland. Indiana so far has been out rebounded by their opponents and prone to many mistakes. The Hoosiers are averaging 18.5 turnovers this young season.

Look for the Irish to dictate and push the tempo early and pound the ball inside to Harangody. McAlarney should get some points, while Jackson will penetrate and dish to the open man. Keep a watchful eye out for Luke Zeller to have a big night against his home-state team. This is also the type of game where Zach Hillesland could do some damage.

I expect this to be a close battle for a while, but the Irish just have too much experience and star power for the young Hoosiers to handle. A twenty-something point win is not out of the question.

Indiana Hoosiers
Head Coach: Tom Crean (career 190-96); first year at Indiana

Last Season: 25-8 overall, 14-4 in the Big Ten; lost in the 1st RD of NCAA tournament

STRENGTHS
Finding enthusiasm won't be a problem for the Hoosiers this season. Crean is a font of bubbly excitement at all times, and the new Hoosiers are hyped to start the season and begin carving a legacy at Indiana. This is a team that has quickly grown exceptionally close, mainly because all the new faces make for a group that finds itself in the same boat. There aren't separate groups of friends on the team because there hasn't been time for such relationships to develop.

--On the court, Indiana will be blessed with plenty of depth, as Crean looks to fit as many pieces into the puzzle as possible. IU will feature a lot of versatility, especially on the wings, and Indiana hopes to play tight, harassing defense that creates a lot of turnovers.

--Indiana also figures to be a quality 3-point shooting team, and the Hoosiers should play at a higher tempo than most other Big Ten teams.

--Crean figures to make substitutions early and often, and keeping a fresh set of legs on the court at all times will be one of his goals. He knows his team has a lot of obstacles to overcome this year, but he will push his ballclub to squeeze every ounce of talent out of itself.

WEAKNESSES
The biggest problem with having eight freshmen on the roster is that there are, well, eight freshmen on the roster. Inconsistency figures to be a nightly issue for the Hoosiers. The newcomers are talented, but even Crean doesn't know how they will react to big-time college basketball, especially when they go on the road in the Big Ten. Finding a leader among the kids will be a challenge, as well. Junior Jeremiah Rivers is the most likely candidate to emerge in that role, but the transfer from Georgetown isn't eligible to play this season and can only help in practice.

--A lack of size will be the Hoosiers' biggest on-the-court concern. Indiana features just three players 6-8 or taller, and one of those athletes, 7-0 Tijan Jobe, is a project with a capital "P." Indiana hopes Taber can make a bigger impact than he did last season, when he averaged 2.5 rebounds in 11.2 minutes a game. Taber wasn't asked to produce much in the way of stats last season. His main role was to do the little things and not make mistakes on defense. This year, Taber won't be asked to do anything he can't do, but Crean does hope he gets more production out of his only senior.

--Pritchard has plenty of potential, but he's not the most athletic player on the roster and is still developing as a scorer. Indiana will count on Story, a 6-5, 220-plus pound swingman, to help the big men from the power forward position.

--Indiana also must establish a go-to guy and hope the team's chemistry continues to stay strong once players start to get into game situations. The Hoosiers can't afford any jealousies or friction between the players this year.

Projected Starters

Indiana
F Tom Pritchard 16.0 ppg, 10 rpg
F Kyle Taber 4.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
G Verdell Jones III 10.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
G Nick Williams 8.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg
G Devan Dumes 15.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Notre Dame
F Zach Hillesland 8.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg
F Luke Harangody 28.5 ppg, 15.5 rpg
G Ryan Ayers 8.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
G Tory Jackson 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
G Kyle McAlarney 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/24/08

Catch up on the latest Buzz Around Team Camps from this past weekend for Monday, November 24th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Frustrated donors with deep pockets finally decided to do something about the sorry state of the football program at San Diego State. Fed up with a disastrous season, they agreed to pool their money together to buy out the final two years of Chuck Long's five-year contract. His dismissal marks the third firing of an Aztecs head football coach since December 2001.

SDSU officials cited Long's poor on-field record as the main reason for the move. Long finished with a 9-27 record in three seasons, including 2-10 this year, SDSU's worst record in 25 years.

“We raised some private money to enable us to do it,” SDSU President Stephen Weber said Sunday. “I spent much of the last week making those phone calls.”

The final decision was made by the same man who hired Long in December 2005, Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel, who informed Long of his firing Saturday morning, hours before the Aztecs beat UNLV 42-21.

But because Long had two years remaining on his contract, donations were necessary to pay for what he's owed: more than $1.4 million over two years unless Long finds employment elsewhere before then. Weber said just over $1 million had been raised as of Sunday to pay for Long's buyout and other transition costs, including the hiring of a search firm to help SDSU conduct a national search for a new head coach. Weber said Chuck Neinas, the search consultant who helped SDSU hire Long and Schemmel, is not involved this time.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez said at his post-season news conference Monday that he expected freshman running back Sam McGuffie and junior defensive end Brandon Graham to be with the Wolverines in 2009.

Rodriguez acknowledged that McGuffie has been dealing with family issues in his home state of Texas, but said that shouldn't impact his status with the team. While Graham hasn't announced whether he'll apply early for the NFL Draft, Rodriguez said he felt Michigan's sack leader would return for his senior season.

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

Michigan State knew its Rose Bowl fate before kickoff in Saturday's game against Penn State.

Ohio State's 42-7 victory over Michigan eliminated the Spartans from contention for a trip to Pasadena even before they fell to the Rose Bowl-bound Nittany Lions, 49-18, in Beaver Stadium.

By the same token, MSU is all but assured of playing in a New Year's Day bowl for the first time since 1999. However, there's a good chance the Spartans (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) won't find out if they are in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., or the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., until bowl selection day Dec. 7.

Michigan State has to wait to see if co-champ Ohio State (10-2, 7-1) gets a BCS at-large bid. If the Buckeyes are passed over by the BCS, they would be in the Capitol One Bowl and MSU would go to the Outback Bowl.

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Before wrapping up his final post-game press conference Saturday, Joe Tiller was asked if his successor, Danny Hope, is the right man for the job.

"I think being a head coach is paramount," Tiller said. "Going from being an assistant coach to a head coach, you go from making suggestions to making decisions. The more decisions you make the better you become. And Danny has had that experience.

"He understands the Purdue culture, which I think is critical to being successful here. He's a very passionate guy about the sport of football. I think the program needs energy, and I've run out of energy. I'm being very candid, very honest. I've run out of energy. He'll bring that energy to the program.

"This transition year has been good. He's been very respectful, and I appreciate that. I think he's the right guy for this time. He's a good fit for Purdue."

Hope was announced as Tiller's replacement last January and served as Purdue's associate head coach and offensive line coach this season. He's a former head coach at Eastern Kentucky and served as Tiller's offensive line coach during Tiller's first five seasons at Purdue from 1997-2001.

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

It may not have made all that much difference in the long run, but North Carolina football coach Butch Davis started the wrong quarterback on Saturday in Kenan Stadium against N.C. State. Davis, on Wednesday, elected to go with T.J. Yates over Cameron Sexton. That miscalculation contributed quickly and directly to a stunning 41-10 Wolfpack upset win.

Carolina may have played its way out of Atlanta and into who-knows-where. And UNC wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (4 receptions, 56 yards on Saturday) may have taken himself out of serious contention for ACC offensive player of the year.

Davis didn't say so, of course, but his quarterback decision was one he'll regret for at least the next year, when he gets a third chance to claim a win in the rivalry series.

The bigger factor Saturday was Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson. Shortly into the second half on a chilly -- well, downright cold -- afternoon, it was apparent that one Wilson was better on all counts than a combination of Yates and Sexton.

Washington via http://http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

A 16-13 double-overtime loss to Washington State in the Apple Cup Saturday only reinforced all the reasons that the Huskies are searching for a new coach. And with the Apple Cup over, and 12 days until the Huskies play their final game — a Dec. 6 contest at California that seems ill-timed now — the focus shifts to the search for a successor to Tyrone Willingham.

Rumors have only intensified in recent days, many centering on Jim Mora, the Seahawks-coach-in-waiting. There has been speculation around the program that Mora is still in the mix to take over the Huskies, despite a statement on Oct. 31 that he was not a candidate for the job. However, some close to Mora in the last several days have indicated that there is no change in his status and that there is no reason to think he is a candidate at UW.

One source also said over the weekend that the Huskies had offered the head coaching job to Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who instead announced Tuesday he will become the head-coach-in-waiting for the Longhorns. Muschamp was defensive coordinator at LSU when UW athletic director Scott Woodward and president Mark Emmert each worked at the school.

Woodward has said he will not comment on specific candidates so there is no official confirmation of an offer to Muschamp. If true, it would indicate that the Huskies were content to be done with the search and hire a new coach.

Instead, the search continues. And one Web site, FootballScoop.com, reported Sunday that former Alabama and Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione is "a leading candidate" for the job. The 57-year old resigned at Texas A&M after going 7-5 last season and becoming embroiled in a controversy over charging boosters $1,200 for a newsletter containing inside information about the team.

He is 107-81 as a Division I coach and FootballScoop.com reported that Emmert once offered him the head coaching job at LSU, which apparently would have been in 1999 when Nick Saban ended up getting the job, instead. Another rumor making the rounds is that the Huskies might be interested in LSU coach Les Miles, who interviewed at UW in 2004 when Willingham was hired.

It is known that UW has interviewed Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood, who also was an assistant at LSU while Emmert and Woodward were there, but he is not considered likely to get the job.

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

Boston College may have hit a major speed bump in its quest for an ACC title this afternoon when QB Chris Crane fractured his right collarbone in the second quarter of the Eagles' game against Wake Forest.

Crane suffered the injury midway through the second quarter when he broke loose and was dragged down from behind after a 13 yard gain. After getting up Crane started to walk off the field and fell down. He then was helped up and went to the bench where the BC medical staff examined him and then escorted him to the locker room.

Dominique Davis, making his first appearance since the Rhode Island game in September, replaced Crane.

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com

Navy will be seeking to jump-start its struggling offense tomorrow night when it travels to the suburban city of DeKalb to take on Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference.

Navy is coming off a disappointing offensive effort against Notre Dame in which it was held to a season-low 178 yards rushing and converted just one of 15 third- or fourth-down opportunities. The Midshipmen had numerous breakdowns in that game, with the quarterbacks missing reads and blockers blowing assignments.

"I'm just looking for us to execute better on offense. I just want us to play better offensively, do a better job of running the option," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. We're hoping we have a breakout game and execute for four quarters. We've just been playing too much in spurts. We haven't sustained stuff."

Hotshot sophomore Ricky Dobbs will start at quarterback tomorrow night in hopes he can spark the team's triple-option attack. Dobbs was rewarded for putting forth three straight strong performances in relief of seniors Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and Jarod Bryant.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Greg Robinson had pledged earlier in the week that his Syracuse University football team would refuse to quit even though he had just been fired effective Nov. 29. "It isn't so much me as it is them," Robinson said in the week leading up to Saturday's game at Notre Dame. "They will play. There's no question in my mind. I think there will be great focus."

The skeptical, perhaps even sarcastic, response would have been considering the team's last two outings - games in which it gained only 315 yards combined and lost by an aggregate count of 74-28 - how would we know? How would we know whether it was going to be business as usual for the Orange - a lot of trying but little succeeding - or a lackluster effort that would likely produce the same result?

Syracuse answered the question emphatically at the end of the second quarter and through the third in its stunning 24-23 upset of the Irish before a sellout crowd of 80,795.

"It could have been, 'Oh, boy.' " Robinson said. "No. The team didn't act that way. The coaches didn't act that way. Just a lot of good things happened."

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

A 56-0 shutout of Washington sent USC downward. A decisive victory over Stanford kept the Trojans stagnant.

But an open date apparently helped USC do what those feats could not: Move up in the Bowl Championship Series standings. With Texas Tech losing to Oklahoma on Saturday, the Trojans on Sunday jumped one spot to No. 5.

"Can we not play this week too and keep climbing?" Coach Pete Carroll said, chuckling, after a team meeting Sunday night. "Maybe that's the way it should go. We really got better. We had a great bye week."

USC also moved up to fifth in the Associated Press media poll and the coaches' and Harris Interactive polls. The Trojans, however, are eighth in the computer component of the BCS formula, a ranking that doesn't figure to improve with games remaining against Notre Dame and UCLA.

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Carroll said he was happy, on a personal level, that Syracuse Coach Greg Robinson, a longtime friend and colleague, was able to defeat Notre Dame on Saturday. Robinson last week was fired effective at the end of the season. Carroll plans to speak with him this week.

"To see him get a big win like that, under the circumstances, I know how emotional it was and what a great accomplishment it was for him," Carroll said.

OMG, ND is Becoming the Chicago Cubs of College Football

Hi, I'm weisgipper, and I'm a Charlie Weis appologist! For almost four seasons I've watched Weis lead the Fighting Irish to almost the top of the mountain to the pits of hell. I have made countless and repeatedly excuses as to why you should remain as coach: 1.) First two seasons at the helm leading the Irish to BCS Bowl appearances, and 2.) Superb recruiting classes. After Saturday's 24-23 loss to then 2-8 Syracuse, I've decided to put down and stop drinking the Weis Kool-Aid.

At the beginning of his tenure, Charlie Weis was shattering Notre Dame records left and right. Unfortuantely he's still making the Irish record books for all the wrong reasons. After Saturday's debacle, Weis' squad became the first Notre Dame team to lose to an eight loss opponent EVER in Fighting Irish Football history! And to top that off, the Irish's 14 loss total in two years is the most EVER in that time frame. If you think that is bad, just wait for this doozie.

Notre Dame is now currently tied with Texas for second in all-time wins in college football. After this weekend, the Irish will be in third place, and it will most likely fall down further with others creeping up very slowly. Nebraska is nipping on the Irish's heels; and excuse me for puking in my mouth, but Ohio State could surpass ND in a few short years if we don't nip this thing in the bud soon.

Notre Dame has been the pinnacle of college football with all of its steep tradition, winning teams, winning coaches, Heisman Trophy winners, and of course their National Championships. We Are ND, the New York Yankees of college football, right? Lately the Fighting Irish have become the laughing stock of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Every fan, student, and alum are asking themselves, "How can Notre Dame become a consistent power in College Football?"

The Board of Trustees, the Administration, and the Athletic Director need to sit down and hammer this out now. First off, they need to address their priorities. Do they want to succeed in football, or do they want to become the loveable losers like the Chicago Cubs? Just as Lou Holtz said on ESPN Saturday night, does ND want to be a 6-6, 7-5 team, or do they want to contend for National Championships? Just tell us, so we can move on.

Once they have established the purpose of the football program, next they need to set up backup plans and have lists of what and who is going to lead them to this next level. We've already heard and seen on national television of Jack Swarbrick's endorsement of Charlie Weis. Does that necessarily mean he actually believes that? Not sure, because look what San Diego State has done with Chuck Long.

A few weeks ago, SDSU's athletic director said they Chuck Long is their guy and will be remaining as the Aztecs head coach. What others didn't know is that the AD and the university president spoke behind closed doors to see if they could make this coaching change a reality by getting influentail donors and alumns to cough up the cash and buyout Long's contract. On Saturday Long was dropped the bomb, and yesterday it became official.

Can Notre Dame pull off such a thing? Definitely. Will they? Probably not. Why? Well there are several reasons. First is the recruiting coup that they going for them. If a coaching change is made before the National Signing Day, most of the Irish recruits will decide to go elsewhere. Another reason, which I stated a few weeks ago, and I'm regretting saying it, is that we cannot forget what Weis did his first two seasons. But if we took a step back and looked at the bigger picture, Weis is just not cutting it here.

If, and I mean, if Notre Dame decides to go a different direction with their coach, Swarbrick, the BOT and the administration need to have a list on hand now. They also need to have the cashflow to make this happen, and if many of the so-called angry Sorin Society members are upset as they proclaim to be from several of the message boards, then that should not be a problem.

The hard question that many, including myself, have been whacking our brains out is who can we get to coach the Fighting Irish? Forget your pipe dreams of getting Urban Meyer or Bob Stoops here to South Bend. They have it made at both Florida and Oklahoma, respectively. Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers? Haven't we already had enough of the NFL mentality? Then who?

Here's a short list of three names that could be a possability and a stretch, but would be a temptation if offered:

1.) Brian Kelly (Cincinnati)
In only his second full season with the Bearcats, Kelly is 12th among active FBS coaches in wins. With a win this Saturday against the Syracuse Orange, Cincinnati will have won the Big East Conference and will be slated to play in the Orange Bowl.

Before taking over the Bearcats, Kelly turned around a Central Michigan team from a MAC doormat to the leaders of the pack. And even before that, he guided Grand Valley State to two National Championships in Division II. With the Lakers, he never finished lower than third in their conference standings.

2.) Chris Petersen (Boise State)
In almost three full seasons, Petersen has guided Boise State to a 34-3 record and two bowl games, including a improbable Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. He is considered one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football today.

Petersen's coaching lineage started at Pittsburgh as a quarterbacks coach. He helped with the progression of former Panthers great Alex Van Pelt. Petersen moved back to the West Coast and was the QB coach at Portland State and then the receivers coach at Oregon before being Dan Hawkins' offensive coordinator of the Broncos.

3.) Mike Leach (Texas Tech)
You know you're a hot commodity when they have a website to petition for Texas Tech to keep Mike Leach (http://www.keepmikeleachattech.com). Also another one of the most innovative offesnive minds of the college game, Leach has quite a list of accomplishments while leading the Red Raiders:

8 consecutive winning seasons
8 consecutive bowl appearances
6 consecutive eight-win seasons
3 nine-win seasons
5 bowl wins (most by any individual coach in the history of the program)
3 seasons completed with team ranked in the Top 25
15–9 record against in-state conference rivals Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M
44–10 record at Jones AT&T Stadium

Before his tenure in Lubbock, Leach was the offensive coordinator for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. All he did was guide the Sooners offense from 11th in the Big 12 conference in 1998 to first in 1999, and 101st in the NCAA to 11th! He was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky before his stop in Norman, where he set 41 Southeastern Conference Records and 6 NCAA records with the Wildcats.

Leach got his first offensive coordinator gig under Hal Mumme at Division II giant Valdosta State (Georgia). VSU's record during Leach's tenure was 40-17-1 with three National Championship appearances and one title.

The time is ticking to get the wheels in motion for Notre Dame to make some hard decisons. Do they want to be mediocre with some top 25 finishes scattered every five years, or do they want to compete with the big boys of college football. That's the real million dollar question.

Loyola Marymount Game Preview

Game 2: # 9 Notre Dame (1-0) at Loyola Marymount (0-3)
Date: Friday, November 21
Time: 10:00 (E.S.T.)

The ninth ranked Fighting Irish will be warming up their legs against the Lions as this game will mark the first of four contests Notre Dame will play over the next five days. Following the game, Notre Dame heads to Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational and a first round matchup with intra-state rival Indiana.

Notre Dame looks to pick up where they left off last Sunday when they defeated USC Upstate 94-58. After a sluggish first half with the Irish going into the locker up 11, Notre Dame doubled-up the Spartans scoring 50 second half points.

The Lukes, Harangody and Zellar, led the way for the Irish with 30 and 18 points, respectively. Harangody also grabbed 14 boards as the Irish won the battle of the glass 45-31.

Another positive sign of the Irish heading into the matchup with the Lions is the unselfish play. Notre Dame had 25 assists in the game, led by guard Tory Jackson's eight.

Loyola Marymount is going to take its lumps early and often as they start three freshmen and two sophomores. Last weekend in the World Vision Classic at Ames, Iowa, the Lions finished last as they lost contests to UW-Milwaukee (75-51), host Iowa St. (67-55), and UC Davis (64-55).

The Lions are led by sophomore guard Vernon Teel. He is LMU's leading scorer (19.3), rebounder (9.3), and assist man (2.7), on the team.

It should be an exciting atmosphere in Los Angeles, as this will be the first home sellout at the Gersten Pavilion. The contest should be over relatively quickly as the Irish pose too much muscle inside and sharp shooting from the outside for the Lions to handle. This will be a nice setup for the Irish's upcoming slate of big games in Maui.

Loyola Marymount
Head Coach: Bill Bayno, first season at LMU; 94-64 in five seasons at UNLV

Last Season: 5-26 overall, 2-12 West Coast Conference (eighth place)

STRENGTHS
Coach Bill Bayno represents, in many ways, a fresh start for the program. He considers the Lions a sleeping giant. When the Lions were running, scoring and — most important — winning under Paul Westhead two decades ago, LMU wasn't a friendly environment for visiting teams. Bayno has great resources, can recruit nationally and internationally, and has said he'll play "the big boys."

Aside from the new leader on the bench, the Lions' personnel isn't poor. Two freshmen — Orlando Johnson and Tim Diederichs — represent a foundation this year and beyond. Johnson (12.4 points per game) was one of three WCC freshmen to lead their teams in scoring. He set the school freshman scoring record with 383 points and Diederichs started all 31 games.

WEAKNESSES
The Lions haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1990 (Bo Kimble anyone?) and won five games last season. The team is young, and will be baptized by jumping through the many flaming hoops encountered in a top-heavy West Coast Conference schedule.

LMU was last in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and seventh in defensive rebounds in 2007-08. That fed the woeful scoring margin of minus-16.7 per game. LMU shot under 40 percent as a team and was last in the league in free-throw percentage. Bayno has no shortage of items to focus on when preaching improvement.

Projected Starters

LMU
F Ashley Hamilton 5.0 ppg, 4.7 rebs.
F Kevin Young 4.0 ppg, 2.0 rebs.
F Tim Diederichs 2.3 ppg, 1.3 rebs.
G Jarred DuBois 9.3 ppg, 2.3 rebs.
G Vernon Teel 19.3 ppg, 9.3 rebs.

Notre Dame
F Zach Hillesland 13.0 ppg, 8.0 rebs.
F Luke Harangody 30 ppg, 14.0 rebs.
G Ryan Ayers 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rebs.
G Tory Jackson 6.0 ppg, 1.0 rebs.
G Kyle McAlarney 10.0 ppg, 2.0 rebs.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/20/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for Thursday, November 20th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

A football program does not endure its first 10-loss season in history without repercussion. Stand pat and you risk being gored by a vented spleen. Hold the door for exiting members of your coaching staff and you risk having an outline of your facial features permanently etched in a pane of glass.

Such is the situation facing San Diego State coach Chuck Long, who has indicated that staff changes will be forthcoming after the Aztecs' season finale Saturday against UNLV. And while many would argue that Long not be omitted in any scenario involving pink slips, Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel already has nixed that notion, giving his coach a vote of confidence through 2009.

“Changes will happen,” Long said this week. “I know fans are looking for hope. They look for hope and they look for something to cling to. We have to give them that; I have to give them that.”

Question: In the event Long opts to part company with defensive coordinator Bob Elliott and/or offensive coordinator Del Miller, will the faithful who have fled en masse return with renewed fervor?

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Rumors are flying that running back Sam McGuffie will transfer from Michigan after freshman year. But Ann Arbor News Wolverines beat writer John Heuser says that there is nothing new with the story, and that McGuffie shouldn't be discouraged by his diminishing role this year.

"The coaches have confidence in him," Heuser points out during his weekly Q&A, "and he's been used much more this year than a typical freshman. I hope he stays, because I think he'll be a contributor throughout his career."

Still, Heuser thinks it's too close to say whether McGuffie is leaning toward staying at Michigan or transferring to a different school.

"I'd say borderline," he says. "The fact that he pulled himself from the lineup last week is a bad sign. But I'm sure the coaches will really try to convince him that he'll benefit by staying, which I think it true."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

On Saturday, Joe Tiller will coach in his final game. Tiller has often been criticized this season for being a lame duck coach. He's been accused of giving up or not caring about the program.

Sure, the Boilermakers are not their usual selves this season. They flat out stink at times offensively. But don't you remember the Jim Colletto era? How about Fred Akers and Leon Burtnett? Those three won a combined 54 games in 15 years. Disheartening if you are a Purdue fan, isn't it?

Hopefully after the Old Oaken Bucket game against Indiana on Saturday, when Tiller will have a ceremony in his honor, people will stick around and remember just how lucky they were to have this guy take over the program.

Bowl games became a regular expectation, and Tiller's teams usually delivered. NFL prospects came by the truckload to West Lafayette. Tiller will leave Purdue with a losing season, but before he took over the Boilers, losing was commonplace. He should be remembered for changing that.

North Carolina via http://blogs.newsobserver.com

It sounds like a natural bowl pairing and might still come about, but the odds are beginning to mount against North Carolina facing South Carolina in Atlanta’s Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A game in the Georgia Dome.

With the second pick from the ACC pool of bowl qualifiers, the Chick-fil-A committee will take the Tar Heels (7-3), if they can defeat either N.C. State this weekend or Duke in the Nov. 22 regular season finale. There’s still the chance Carolina could reach the ACC title game and, with a win, go to the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.

But if the Heels wind up in Atlanta, it’s now more likely they’ll face either Mississippi (6-4 with remaining games against LSU and Mississippi State), Kentucky (6-5 with a game to go against Tennessee) or Vanderbilt (6-4 with games left against Tennessee and Wake Forest).

South Carolina, 7-4 with a game left at Clemson, likely will land in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl in Tampa against a Big Ten opponent (maybe Michigan State or Iowa) if Steve Spurrier’s team can recover from last week’s crushing loss at Florida to defeat the Tigers.

Washington via http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

Well, at least there is finally some substantive news on the coaching search.

We had not only the formation of the advisory committee today but also some of the first solid information about a candidate, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood. General consensus of a few people I've talked with is that Haywood isn't likely to be the guy UW ultimately hires.

And it's certainly interesting that the chatter out of Notre Dame was wondering if Haywood was long for his job there.

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

For those Boston College fans worried about the inconsistency of the kickoffs of freshman Ryan Quigley, relax. In Saturday's 27-17 win over Florida State, two of Quigley's kickoff were out of bounds, which set up an average of only 41.5 per kick, which gave FSU decent field position.

BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski said that the short kickoffs were by design, although they were not all executed perfectly.

""We didn't want to kick it to the guy in the deep end deep, so we switched it up,'' said Jagodzinski this afternoon. "So we went sky kick once, we went squib once. We went sky kick from hash to hash. We didn't execute the way we wanted to.''

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Since Syracuse announced the dismissal of head football coach Greg Robinson last weekend, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz's name has been circulated as a strong candidate for the job. Holtz's team is 6-4 this season, despite losing 12 starters to injuries or suspensions. "It's flattering that everybody throws your name out, but I haven't talked to anybody," Holtz told The (Greenville) Reflector this week.

Skip Holtz's father, Lou, was the head coach at Notre Dame and South Carolina and is currently a college football commentator for ESPN. Lou Holtz played golf with Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross at Augusta National over the summer, but said they didn't talk about his son or the coaching job at SU.

Rob Ianello, an assistant coach and top recruiter for Notre Dame, SU's next opponent, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. He said this week he has not been contacted about the opening at Syracuse.

"My ultimate goal is to be a head football coach at the Division I-A college level. If that opportunity ever arose, I would certainly look into it at any school I felt had the opportunity to win," Ianello said.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

As per custom, USC coaches are using practices preceding this week's open date to look at younger players and reserves who could play larger roles next season and beyond.

Back-up quarterbacks Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp took multiple first-team snaps again Wednesday.

Coaches are mixing players in various combinations to glimpse what might become.

"I told [the players], 'This isn't just about this week, this is about the future,' " Coach Pete Carroll said.

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Tailback Allen Bradford said he would have hip surgery Friday. . . . Tight end Blake Ayles practiced but still appeared hampered by the knee bruise that forced him to miss the game against California.

Linebacker Rey Maualuga is a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive player. . . . USC will practice today and then be off for three days. Carroll said coaches would spend the weekend recruiting.

Keys to the Notre Dame vs Syracuse Game

Kermit the Frog once said, "It ain't easy being green". Well the truth of the matter for the Fighting Irish on Saturday, is that it's indeed easy being green! During the Charlie Weis era, Notre Dame has beaten their home finale opponent by nearly four touchdowns. So Irish fans, don't get too nervous when the boys don the green jerseys in honor of the Seniors and Green Week (sponsored by NBC).

Syracuse, meanwhile, is limping into this contest 2-8 with lame duck coach Greg Robinson. Greggers was given his walking papers last Sunday, but will be able to finish out the remaining two games with the Orange. The question for Syracuse will be whether they will play hard for their outgoing coach or give up like Washington has this season.

1.) Don't let the emotions get in the way. For the Irish seniors, this is their last time running out their tunnel and playing in front of 80,0000+ at Notre Dame Stadium, so make it count! ND hasn't lost a home finale since Ty's last season (41-38 loss to Pittsburgh), and it shouldn't happen this Saturday as the team needs to play loose and keep their emotions in check.

The Irish also need to quit worrying about bowl destinations because they will take care of themselves after next weeks game with Southern Cal.

I wonder if Haywood's soon-to-be departure will have any residual effects on the team as well? We shall see, but the main focus is Syracuse and playing a full 60-minute contest.

2.) Continue stuffing the run. Last week the Irish stopped the vaunted option attack of Navy to a tune of 178 yards; which is well below their season average. That's something Pittsburgh's defense could not duplicate against the Midshipmen.

Notre Dame's defense will have their hands full with Syracuse's Curtis Brinkley. Brinkley is averaging 106 yards per game, while the Orange are rushing 146 as a team. So if the Irish can shut Brinkley well below is average, Notre Dame will be in control throughout.

Look for Toryan Smith to have another big game filling in for the injured Brian Smith, while Maurice Crum will end his last home game in grand fashion.

3.) Keep on running. Next to Washington, Syracuse will be the worst run stopping defense the Irish will face this season. The Orange are giving up 209 yards (107th nationally) and 8.5 touchdowns a game.

On the flip side, Notre Dame's 230 yards last week against Navy was their second-highest rushing output this season. That could be in jeopardy because all three Irish backs are running with some confidence now. Look for two of Notre Dame's back to eclipse the 100-yard barrier against the Orange.

This will be another strong showing on the ground for the Irish as long as they take care of business along the line and with the ball.

4.) Pickles manage the game Weis-ly. Jimmy Clausen wasn't asked to do to much last week against Navy because Notre Dame believed they could run on the Midshipmen; which they did. Clausen connected on 15-of-18 passes for 110 yards. He did, however, have three turnovers on the day.

So what Weis will ask of his second-year quarterback is to do the little things correctly and not force the ball into heavy traffic. Once the Irish establish pounding the ball with ease, then Clausen can look down the field for some deep passes.

5.) Passing fancy with short, intermediate passes. Depending on how Greggers and the Orange defense give the Irish, Notre Dame needs to control their offense methodically with quick slants and some out routes. Syracuse's opponents are completing over 64% of their passes on the Orange defense, which has the Irish salivating.

Golden Tate has been quiet as of late, but could have another strong performance with huge yards after catches. Robby Parris and Duval Kamara need to use their height to their advantage against the smaller Orange secondary, while David Grimes will close out a good career with at least one touchdown reception.

Look for more screen passes and a few fades to keep the Orange defense honest.

6.) Force the Orange to pass. Syracuse's offensive weakness is Notre Dame's strength. The Orange are 112th in the country in passing (125 ypg) and are completing less than 50% of their passes (48.4%). So if the Irish can get up on Syracuse quickly and stuff the Orange rushing attack, Notre Dame can pull away easily.

The Irish will see both Syracuse quarterbacks in Cameron Dantley and Andrew Robinson. Dantely has been the starter for most of the season with nine touchdown passes, four interceptions, for 1,117 yards, and a 50 percent completion average. Robinson, last year's starter, has three interceptions, 132 yards, and a 40 percent completion average to his 2008 resume.

Notre Dame has one of the best pass defenses in the nation (22nd) by yielding only 179 yards through the air. Their opponents are barely completing 50 percent of their passes (51.1%), and have given up only nine passing touchdowns.

When the Orange do pass, look for the Irish to have relative ease behind David Bruton, Kyle McCarthy, and a bevvy of lock down corners. Watch out for Robert Blanton to have a big game defensively.

Closing out the home portion of the schedule at 5-1 is definitely a lot better than that of last season. This will definitely be a building block for the future, but a date in the Coliseum looms Thanksgiving weekend, as well as, a to be decided bowl game.

As the clock hits zeros on Saturday the only thing turning green will be Orange fans as the Irish dominate the contest throughout.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/19/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Wednesday, November 19th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

The 2009 football season already has been established as a do-or-die test for San Diego State football coach Chuck Long. So how will he save himself? He's already hinted at possible coaching staff changes. After Saturday's season finale against UNLV, will he go for the quick fix and load up on junior college recruits?
Not exactly, Long said.

SDSU does hope to land around three JUCO recruits to fill gaps on the defensive line, offensive line and defensive secondary. Other than that, SDSU's third-year coach is banking his job mostly on the same players he has now.

“I believe with our guys coming back in another year, with the guys coming up, they'll be good, with all the experience we've got this year,” said Long, whose team is 1-10 this year and 8-27 in three seasons. “I think that will really pay off next year.”

About 50 non-seniors have logged playing time, including about 20 juniors. In Long's view, that seasoning will translate into a much better team next season despite its struggles in 11 statistical areas where the Aztecs rank among the nation's 20 worst teams. On defense, which ranks last in the nation against the rush, SDSU loses its top two tacklers: departing senior linebacker Russell Allen and safety Corey Boudreaux.

The good news on defense is that its line returns all starters, though only one will be a senior in 2009: Jonathan Soto. “One of our main goals is to increase our size,” said Soto, one of SDSU's bigger defensive linemen at 270 pounds.

It's why Long will seek a stopgap there from the JUCO ranks. Beyond that, he plans to mostly stay the course with his roster as he enters the fourth year of a five-year contract. Earlier this season, SDSU Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel said Long was assured of coaching through 2009.

For him to get to 2010, the bulk of his 2009 roster probably will have to show a side of itself it hasn't yet done. Long is betting his employment that it will.

“Yes, yes, very much so, yes,” Long said. “We believe in them and what they're doing.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

After playing well in a tightly defined role at quarterback against Minnesota, freshman Justin Feagin essentially dropped from sight last week against Northwestern. Be ready for a reappearance, University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Tuesday.

With regular starter Steven Threet doubtful for the season finale at No. 10-ranked Ohio State (9-2, 6-1) because of a shoulder injury, redshirt sophomore Nick Sheridan is expected to start and be backed up by Feagin.

"Justin's gotta be able to do all the same plays that Nick and Steve are doing and we're gonna practice him that way this week," Rodriguez said on the Big Ten teleconference.

In two games on offense this season, Feagin hasn't attempted a pass. He rushed seven times for 49 yards in the win over Minnesota, but carried the ball only once in the loss to the Wildcats.

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

For years, Michigan State's football program was known as one that had a fragile mentality – one that could just as easily upset the top team in the conference as lose to the worst team in the conference.

In less than two years, head coach Mark Dantonio has helped stabilize the program, helping the Spartans stay even-keeled. During his weekly Big Ten teleconference, he says the players are responsible for the turnaround.

"A lot of the credit, in terms of what we've been able to do," Dantonio says, "belongs to our football players. Every coach stresses discipline on the football field; every coach stresses fundamentals. But you have to be able to play with that, and that starts with our seniors and runs down through our team.

"So if we've changed the culture, I think we have a very unselfish attitude. We've had a lot of younger players step up, a lot of inexperienced players step up and play very, very well at times throughout the season, and I think, because of that, we have good chemistry, which has created a great culture."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Purdue coach Joe Tiller hinted at it on Sunday. He made it official on Tuesday. Senior Curtis Painter will start at quarterback against Indiana in Saturday's Old Oaken Bucket game.

"Yes, he'll start his last game unless he's in the infirmary on Saturday," Tiller said.

That was great news for Painter, who didn't start three games because of a slight shoulder separation but looked sharp coming off the bench last week at Iowa.

"It's exciting," Painter said of being able to start his final game as a Boilermaker. "It's a very fun game to play in, the rivalry is a great tradition. To be able to start really means a lot."

Stanford via http://www.mercurynews.com

Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday night that he plans to sign a three-year extension after the season, which would put him under contract through 2014.

ESPN, citing an anonymous source, reported that the deal would be worth in excess of $1.25 million per season. The five-year contract Harbaugh signed when Stanford hired him from the University of San Diego in December 2006 was believed to be worth about $500,000 annually.

Harbaugh's name has been linked recently to a potential opening with the Raiders. But he has repeatedly said that his heart is at Stanford, telling reporters as recently as Monday, "I'm 100 percent committed to Stanford University. I love my job at Stanford. I gotta a great wife, a new baby, I love my job. I love the guys I coach for. I cannot imagine coaching anywhere else but Stanford."

As he walked off the practice field Tuesday, Harbaugh made it clear that he was only thinking about Saturday's Big Game at Cal.

"Right now, it's Cal, Cal, Cal," Harbaugh said.

Washington via http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

The Huskies had a different look for a Tuesday game-week practice --- shorts. UW is usually in full pads for a Tuesday, but the banged-up Huskies appear to be trying to get through the week with no new harm.

The running back situation continued to be interesting --- Willie Griffin was back in gear running around, but Brandon Johnson was not visible, nor was Terrance Dailey. Dailey has a hip pointer, but unsure where Johnson was. But that left Griffin as the only RB going through drills while we were watching.

Also of note:

--- Ben Ossai (concussion) was not practicing.

--- Matt Mosley was limping heavily and it sounds like he's done for the year with the knee injury he suffered last game.

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo made a widely anticipated move, electing to start sophomore Ricky Dobbs at quarterback against Northern Illinois. Niumatalolo informed Dobbs and season-long starter Jarod Bryant of the decision on Monday, reiterating his previous comments that it was based on a combination of game results and gut feeling.

"We need a spark offensively. Hopefully, Ricky can provide that spark," Niumatalolo said yesterday. "Ricky still does a lot of stuff wrong, but for whatever reason the ball moves and the team scores points when he is in there."

Niumatalolo emphasized that this decision was more of an endorsement of Dobbs than an indictment of Bryant, who has started six of 10 games this season.

"Most of our offensive woes against Notre Dame and in previous games were not Jarod's fault. However, there comes a time when you have to do something in order to move the ball. At this point, we are pretty desperate."

Syracuse via http://blog.syracuse.com

It's not over, 'til it's over, and that includes you, Randy Edsall.

Syracuse University director of athletics Daryl Gross said this morning on his weekly spot with The Good Guys at Syracuse radio station TK99 that the search for a new head football coach is moving along and that everybody - from Randy Edsall of Connecticut to Mike Leach at Texas Tech - is a candidate

"We want to be as efficient as possible," Gross told TK99 of the timetable for hiring a replacement for Greg Robinson. "Recruiting is the key but we're ahead of the game and that feels good. We're going to work hard to get this done."

TK99's Dave Coombs asked Gross specifically about Edsall, who said this week he's not interested in being a candidate for the SU job. Coombs said from Edsall's statement on Monday that Syracuse is probably giving up, right?

Gross laughed and said, "Everybody's a candidate, guys."

Coombs used the same tactic in asking about Leach, who Coombs suggested wouldn't dare leave Texas Tech, right, Daryl?

"Everybody's a candidate. Let's put it that way," Gross said. "*He's (Leach) a lot of fun, I love watching those guys play and how they move the ball."

On the question of Turner Gill at Buffalo, Gross said, "Turner's done a fabulous job. He's a hell of a ball coach. The guy's a winner. You take the Buffalo program and what he's done is very admirable. He's done a good job. A lot of schools are attracted to Turner ... for the right reasons."

And on Lane Kiffin, the former Oakland Raiders head coach and USC assistant. Gross said: "Lane's a great coach. I've known him a long time. When I talk to him, that's not an unusual thing. I talked to him when we didn't have anything going on (with a coaching opening). He's obviously very talented. A lot of people are looking at him and want his services.

"Everybody's a candidate. We're doing a good job of collecting a lot of data. It's going to be a grind. We want to get the perfect person to resurrect this program and move it back to prominence."

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

Ronald Johnson, who had 75- and 45-yard kickoff returns in the Trojans' victory over Stanford, is averaging 31.3 yards a return, which would make him tied for second nationally if he qualified.

But the Trojans, thanks to their defense, have had only 17 kickoff-return opportunities. Johnson's 10 returns, therefore, fall below the NCAA minimum of 1.2 per game for individual players.

Because there is no minimum for team statistical leaders, USC leads the nation with a 30.1-yard average.

Techno-coach via http://www.latimes.com

USC Coach Pete Carroll will hold a 30-minute video conference with fans Thursday at 11 a.m. Those who register on his website at www.petecarroll.com can type in questions and Carroll will try to answer as many as possible.

"I'm pretty clueless about the whole technology side of it, but I think I'm going to just wind up talking to the screen," Carroll said. "Hopefully, it will be cool.

"If I'm talking to [Notre Dame Coach] Charlie Weis or something like that, I hope I can tell."

On the Defensive: Irish Look to Shine in 09

As the saying goes, defense wins championships. And for the Fighting Irish it looks like they are priming themselves for one heck of a defensive unit. When Charlie Weis took over the reigns in 2005, his teams were not the most stout defensively. After several top recruiting classes and getting two top notch coaches in Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta, Notre Dame is becoming one of the better defensive teams in the country.

Below are the Irish's defensive stats and national rank from 2005 to the current 2008 season:

2005 Defense
Rushing: 132.33 ypg (34th)
Passing: 264.58 ypg (103rd)
Pass Eff.: 126.40 avg. (69th)
Total Def.: 396.92 ypg (75th)

2006 Defense
Rushing: 136.85 ypg (61st)
Passing: 203.38 ypg (60th)
Pass Eff.: 137.59 avg. (90th)
Total Def.: 340.23 ypg (65th)

2007 Defense
Rushing: 195.42 ypg (96th)
Passing: 161.58 ypg (2nd)
Pass Eff.: 111.78 avg. (22nd)
Total Def.: 357.00 ypg (39th)

2008 Defense thru 10 games
Rushing: 137.70 ypg (57th)
Passing: 179.70 ypg (22nd)
Pass Eff.: 101.46 avg. (11th)
Total Def.: 316.40 ypg (31st)

Some might argue that this year's squad is benefiting from a weak schedule, but you cannot disregard the fact that the Fighting Irish have greatly improved across the board defensively. Just look at last week's performance against the Naval Academy, where Notre Dame held the second-ranked rushing offense to only 178 yards. That's 117 yards below their season average! Pittsburgh, who has one of the better rushing defenses in the country didn't hold the Middies to that yardage.

One of the reasons for the rise in success of Notre Dame's defense is that they are generating depth. Better yet, they are generating depth with high caliber athletes! Some of the downfalls of recent Irish teams were that there was not enough depth along the defensive front or in the secondary. This season Notre Dame is getting quality minutes from a lot of players who will be called upon in the near future.

Here's a preview of what the defensive starting lineup could look like next season:

DE Morrice Richardson
NT Ian Williams
DE Ethan Johnson
SAM Harrison Smith or Steve Filer
MIKE Brian Smith
JACK Toryan Smith
WILL Kerry Neal or Darius Fleming
LCB Raeshon McNeil or Gary Gray
FS Sergio Brown
SS Kyle McCarthy 5th yr (DNP as a Freshman)
RCB Darrin Walls or Robert Blanton

Key backups that saw game action this season
NT Paddy Mullen
SAM Scott Smith 5th yr (DNP as a Sophomore)
WILL John Ryan
JACK Anthony McDonald (Special Teams in 2008)
DE Emeka Nwankwo

Will see action next year
DE Sean Cwynar
DE Kapron Lewis-Moore
FS Dan McCarthy
NG Brandon Newman
LB David Posluszny
DB Jamoris Slaughter
DE Hafis Williams

Waiting in the wings
LB Carlo Calabrese
LB Dan Fox
LB Zeke Motta
DB Marlon Pollard
DL Tyler Stockton

So you can see the Irish are finally stockpiling at the positions where the elite schools have done for years.

The other equation to having an ever-improving defense has been the addition of Coordinator Corwin Brown and Assistant Head Coach Jon Tenuta. The end results of their tutelage has shown from last season to this season and from week to week in 2008. Hopefully the Irish and Charlie Weis can keep both in tact for the long haul.

The pieces to the puzzle are now setting into place for the Irish defensively. Next year will be the start of a big successful run in Notre Dame's leap back into elite status and waking up the echoes of season's past.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/18/08

Here's the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for Tuesday, November 18th:

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Reserve wide receiver Zion Babb is no longer with the University of Michigan football team, effective last Sunday, coach Rich Rodriguez said on the Big Ten teleconference.

Babb, a sophomore from California, played in six games this season and started once, against Toledo. He had two receptions, both against Notre Dame.

Rodriguez did not offer an explanation for Babb's departure Tuesday.

Stanford via http://www.mercurynews.com

Coach Jim Harbaugh reaffirmed his commitment to Stanford on Monday, saying he's close to a contract extension with the school and doesn't anticipate talking to an NFL team after the season. But is Toby Gerhart in the Cardinal's future?

The star running back hasn't ruled out the possibility that he might leave after this season — though he has two years of eligibility remaining — if he were chosen high in the baseball draft in June.

"The only way I'd leave is if something extraordinary happens," Gerhart, an outfielder with power and speed, said Monday. "It's bad to say, but it essentially comes down to money, in a sense."

Though Harbaugh's situation has generated buzz since the Mercury News reported two weeks ago that the Raiders are interested in talking to him about becoming their next coach, Gerhart's status has not gone unnoticed inside the Stanford football office.

It's to the point that Gerhart, Stanford's first 1,000-yard rusher in 17 years, said that he and Harbaugh have joked about each other's futures.

"He asked me if I was coming back and I tried to turn it around right back on him," Gerhart said. "He said, 'I'm coming back. I'm not going anywhere. I'm building a program. I'm here for the long haul. So, can we shake on it that I'm coming back, you're coming back?'

"I was like, 'Well, it all depends on money.' "

The two laughed and shook hands.

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

North Carolina coach Butch Davis has reopened the starting quarterback position after all. A day after saying junior Cameron Sexton would remain behind center for Saturday's game against N.C. State, Davis said Monday he planned to tell Sexton and sophomore T.J. Yates to be prepared to start.

Davis changed his mind after watching Yates on Sunday, and after studying film of UNC's 17-15 loss at Maryland with his staff. Yates broke an ankle Sept. 20 and has played only one series since.

"We're going to take this week, watch them both practice, put them both in situations and see how the week unfolds before we try to decide who's going to be the quarterback," Davis said.

The opening comes as Yates appears more comfortable on his mended ankle, and Sexton seems less comfortable on the field.

Washington via http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

UW quarterback Jake Locker won't recover in time to play in the Apple Cup and is likely done for the year despite having what was termed as successful surgery on Friday to remove a plate and some other hardware from his broken thumb.

A week ago, UW coach Tyrone Willingham hadn't ruled Locker out for a return this year. But Monday, he said a definitive no to Locker returning this week and said it's unlikely he will play against Cal Dec. 6.

"It's probably not the right move to make right now,'' Willingham said.

He also said that CB Matt Mosley, who suffered a knee injury Saturday, is likely out for the Apple Cup, as well. G Ryan Tolar, who missed some of the UCLA game with a shoulder injury, should be fine.

Willingham said he would need to wait until Tuesday's practice to get a better feel for some of the other injured players.

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

Boston College strong safety Marcellus Bowman was selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive back of the week. Bowman's 87-yard interception return for a touchdown was part of another strong defensive effort by the Eagles in their 27-17 win over Florida State Saturday night.

Syracuse via http://blog.syracuse.com

Taking a page from UConn's Randy Edsall's policy on being ambiguous about who is playing quarterback, Syracuse's lame duck Greg Robinson said today he's not saying who will play for the Orange on Saturday against Notre Dame.

"We'll get through through that as we go through the week," Robinson said. "I'm not going to spend time talking about all that right now. Again, getting things adjusted and fixed is part of the strategy of the game."

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC tailback C.J. Gable was selected special teams co-player of the week in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Gable, a third-year sophomore from Sylmar, returned a second-quarter kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the Trojans' 45-23 victory at Stanford. He also rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries as the Trojans amassed 282 yards on the ground.

Gable's touchdown return was his first in 24 career kick returns. Gable's longest return before Saturday went for 55 yards against Washington State in 2006.

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Despite giving 24 points against Stanford, USC remains No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (8.3 points a game) and pass defense (132.3 yards per game).

The Trojans fell from No. 1 to No. 2 in total defense (222.5 yards per game) and from No. 3 to No. 6 in rushing defense (90.2 yards per game).

IBB Report Card: The Navy Game

For 58 minutes of the Fighting Irish's game with Navy, it seemed liked Notre Dame would easily get their sixth win of the year. Unfortunately for the remaining two minutes, 2 Navy Touchdowns off of 2 successful onside kick recoveries, the Irish and Coach Weis were holding on for dear life in ND's 27-21 win at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

QB: C
Once again Jimmy Clausen had a rough outing by throwing two interceptions and fumbling once. After that, he actually managed the game well completing 15-of-18 passes for 118 yards. The pivotal third quarter, Clausen guided the Irish down the field on two scoring drives that seemed to put the contest out of reach.

RB: A-
The Irish rushing attack had the second most rushing yards this season by gaining 230 against a formidable rushing defense in Navy. It's almost a rarity that the Midshipmen get outrushed by their opponents.

James Alridge led the charges with 80 yards, while Robert Hughes (64 yards) and Armando Allen (60 yards) each had a rushing touchdown for the Irish. Allen also was Notre Dame's leading receiver with seven catches for 60 yards.

Jonas Gray got some meaningful carries (7 rushes for 20 yards) but fumbled at the two yard line in the fourth quarter during a downpour.

FB: B
Asaph Schwapp is making the most out of his time on the field, that's for sure. Schwapp made some key lead blocks for his fellow Irish backs. He'll be expected to do the same this coming Saturday as Syracuse is not that great in stopping the run.

TE: C
Just an average day for Kyle Rudolph as he only had one catch for eight yards. He had a few good blocks down the field on some runs. Other than that, just a ho-hum day for the freshmen.

WR: B
Things looked to go south from the get-go when Michael Floyd went down with a knee injury on the third play from scrimmage. Navy, like Boston College, put six and seven defenders in pass coverage all day to stop the Irish passing attack; which forced Notre Dame to short, intermediate passes.

David Grimes led the receiving corps with three receptions (22 yards), while most of Clausen's passes went to Armando Allen out of the backfield.

OL: B-
The offensive line did a tremendous job with running plays up the middle, en route to their 230 rushing yards. However, there are still some lingering issues of missed assignments, which led to Clausen's fumble and second interception.

It should always be a given that Notre Dame can rush on Navy since they out man the Midshipmen by over two inches and 50 pounds across the line.

Overall Offensive Grade: B/B-

Defensively, this was most impressive showing of the season before the starters were pulled late in fourth quarter. The Irish defense held the second-leading rushing team in the country to only 178 yards. But wait, that's not the most surprising stat of the game. Notre Dame forced Navy into eight, 3-and outs for the game. Coming into the game, Navy only had 17 on the year.

DL: A-
I'm not sure if it has to do something with Navy, but Ian Williams seems to shine when the Irish face the Midshipmen. Williams led the defensive front with seven stops. Justin Brown had a good outing with five tackles and one fumble recovery, while Pat Kuntz had four stops, including a key half sack at the end of the game.

LB: A
Toryan Smith stepped up like the player he was touted to be when he first arrived in South Bend. Smith led Notre Dame with 10 tackles and a touchdown off a blocked punt in the first quarter.

Maurice Crum bounced back after having no tackles the previous week at Boston College with seven stops and a forced fumble.

DB: B-
For most of the contest, the defensive backs were all over the field shutting down the vaunted Navy option attack. Even good secondaries have some blunders, which the Irish did on the first Navy touchdown, but they almost gave it away at the end if the Midshipmen receiver didn't cross up his feet with a dropped pass inside the 10 yard line.

Now for the positives! Once again David Bruton (six tackles, 2 passes broken up) and Kyle McCarthy (five stops) led the way for the Irish secondary.

Overall Defensive Grade: B+

ST: C-
If it wasn't for the way things ended, Notre Dame's special teams would be looking at a significantly higher mark. Mike Anello's blocked punt which was returned for a touchdown was the play of the game and set the tone for the Irish.

Brandon Walker has now become Mr. Reliable connecting on his two field goal attempts of the day. Since his last miss against Stanford, Walker has made nine out of his lat 10 field goals.

Giving up one onside kick is alright, but giving up two is uncalled for in this type of game. Players need to go after the ball and fall down, period! It's a huge problem if you don't even attempt to go after or try and stop the defenders from knocking you down on your ass. I'm sorry, but I have a major problem with that. Hopefully Notre Dame won't have to be in that situation again this season.

Coaching: C-
Weis coached a decent game through three and a half quarters, but again he doesn't finish them strong. I didn't have a problem with him pulling some of his offensive starters in the fourth quarter. They almost put it out of reach with a touchdown or field goal, but unfortunately Jonas Gray fumbled at the two.

Another Weis hiccup was not electing to punt the ball on the Navy 40 yard line and pinning them deep into their territory. Instead he elects to go for it, and turns the ball over on downs. Navy made the most of their short field by scoring five plays later with a minute and change left. A 15-yard personal foul penalty didn't help either.

I didn't mind seeing Golden Tate in the Wildcat formation whatsoever. I do have a problem of how he set it all up. Coming out of a timeout, the Irish lined up and showed the Midshipmen exactly what they were doing. The proper way would have had the Irish still huddled up and then go in formation with a quick snap. That would have forced Navy to either A.) call a timeout, or B.) run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Overall Grade: B-/B (2.73)

Next to Washington and San Diego State, Syracuse is the worst opponent the Irish will face this season. After Greg Robinson was officially fired this past Sunday, the Orange have nothing to lose and will give it their all. Unlike Washington, where they just rolled over and took it, I expect Syracuse to have some fight in them.

Under Weis, the Irish have faired extremely well in their home finales: going 3-0 with wins over Syracuse (34-10), Army (41-9), and Duke (28-7). That's an average score of 34-8. The last time Notre Dame lost a home finale was Coach Willingham's last season in 2004 when the Irish lost to Pittsburgh 41-38.

Saturday should not be in doubt whatsoever as they will go 7-4 on the year before heading out to Los Angeles for their annual showdown with Southern Cal.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/17/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps from this past weekend for this Monday, November 17th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

In giving his football coach a vote of confidence through the 2009 season last month, San Diego State Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel said he wanted to see what Chuck Long was capable of when afforded a full deck, alluding to a season in which 19of 22 starters have missed at least some playing time due to injury.
Where Long's staff is concerned, the deck is about to be reshuffled.

Saying the program was in no position to “stand pat,” Long gave every indication yesterday that staff changes will be forthcoming after the Aztecs fell to 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the Mountain West Conference in being swatted aside by No. 8 Utah 63-14 on Saturday.

“Changes will happen,” Long said. “I know fans are looking for hope. They look for hope and they look for something to cling to. We have to give them that; I have to give them that.

“Everything is on the table. I need to give it careful thought. There has to be some significant change.”

SDSU, which has never endured a 10-loss season, has dropped seven straight, its longest losing streak in 25 years. Should the Aztecs lose their season finale against UNLV this week, they would finish without a league win for the first time since 1960.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

There's one game left in the University of Michigan football season and the team's quarterback position remains as muddled as ever. In his second straight start, Nick Sheridan bore no resemblance to the poised passer who led Michigan to victory last week at Minnesota. He completed 8 of 29 passes for 61 yards and was pulled in favor of Steven Threet.

Threet, who started eight games this season but missed the one at Minnesota with a concussion, was really no better, completing 4 of 7 passes for 22 yards in the second half. He also threw a crucial fourth-quarter interception in Saturday's 21-14 home loss to Northwestern.

Between the two, they did little to help Michigan (3-8, 2-5 Big Ten) in the league passing efficiency ratings - where the Wolverines rank last - or to help beat the Wildcats.

"It's very frustrating to us," Sheridan said about the offensive inconsistency. "We're gonna keep fighting, keep trying to get better."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Considering how well Curtis Painter performed during Saturday's 22-17 loss at Iowa, it was only natural to ask Purdue coach Joe Tiller on Sunday what the plans were at quarterback for this week's game against rival Indiana.

"We'll probably start Curtis just out of courtesy to Curtis, as a senior," Tiller said.

Redshirt freshman Justin Siller had started his third game in a row as a result of Painter having suffered a slightly separated throwing shoulder against Minnesota three weeks ago. But Painter came off the bench against the Hawkeyes to complete 24 of 30 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, Tiller said he thought Painter was about 80 percent recovered, but he cautioned against expecting too much this week.

"We played him both quarters when the wind was at his back," Tiller said. "His longest pass was 16 yards, except for the very last throw of the game. So he didn't throw any deep balls.

"We thought if he threw any deep balls that would maybe put him in a little jeopardy. So, although he looked really sharp and he completed a lot of passes, you probably noticed that a lot of them were 4, 5 and 6 yards.

"Hopefully as the week progresses, he'll get better. He didn't suffer a setback, and that was huge."

Stanford via http://www.mercurynews.com

When the mouth of Jim Harbaugh opens and speaks, there is never a dull moment. We witnessed another example Saturday night, when the Stanford football coach addressed the media after his team's 45-23 loss to USC.

"There was a lot of talk about revenge coming into this game," Harbaugh said, referring to USC's attitude after being upset by Stanford a year ago. "That's a word I hate to use in college football."

Really? Why?

"I just don't think that the word should be used," Harbaugh said, refusing to elaborate.

Fair enough. Unfortunately, the winning Trojans did not subscribe to the same dictionary. Or the same belief system.

"It was revenge," said USC tailback C.J. Gable. "They beat us last year, and it was at our house. That can't happen. We wanted to come back and show them something, what kind of team we are. That's what we proved."

They especially proved it in the fourth quarter. In that final period, with USC's massive offensive line grinding away against Stanford's defense, the Trojans scored 21 points and rolled up 220 yards to break open a previously competitive game.

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

North Carolina quarterback Cameron Sexton called his performance during the Tar Heels' 17-15 loss at Maryland on Saturday the worst of his season. But when coach Butch Davis was asked Sunday whether he would give any thought to starting T.J. Yates next Saturday, he said, "No."

"I think that certainly T.J. is improving every week; he's getting back into the routine,'' Davis said. "He missed a significant amount of practice time. ... I've made this statement, and this is how things are: The quarterback is not any different than any other of the other players on the team; the person that gives us the best chance to win the game is the guy that obviously we're going to play.

"Certainly, yesterday Cam did not play as well as he had played in previous ballgames, but he had a lot of help in that. The protection at times wasn't good, guys dropped balls, we just didn't play well. So there's no one single individual that ever wins you a ballgame or loses a ballgame."

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com/

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo is leaning toward a quarterback change, but he does not feel that will solve all of the Navy football team's offensive struggles.
After reviewing tape of Saturday's 27-21 defeat at the hands of Notre Dame and talking with offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, Niumatalolo is seriously considering starting sophomore Ricky Dobbs in Navy's next game.

Senior captain Jarod Bryant started against Notre Dame and was unable to direct any sustained drives. The Midshipmen punted on six of nine possessions and scored one touchdown with Bryant at the helm.

Dobbs replaced Bryant late in the third quarter and initially did not have any more success as Navy failed to gain a first down on his first three series. However, Dobbs led the Midshipmen to two touchdowns in the final 1:39 to make the game interesting.

"It's more of a gut feeling than anything else. My mind tells me that from an assignment standpoint that Ricky is not there with Jarod," Niumatalolo said yesterday. "But things happen when Ricky is in there. He makes plays and moves the team."

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Syracuse University head football coach Greg Robinson was fired on Sunday by director of athletics Daryl Gross, ending a turbulent era that began with great optimism only to deterioriate into misery, hopelessness and the worst four-year run in the program's 119 years of competition.

Robinson's record at Syracuse is 9-36 overall and 3-24 in the Big East. The Orange is 2-8 and 1-5 after losing to Connecticut 39-14 on Saturday night at the Carrier Dome. The Orange has remaining games against Notre Dame on Saturday and Cincinnati November 29. Robinson, who has a year remaining on his contract and earns $1.1 million per season, is expected to coach the Orange for the last two games.

Southern Cal via http://conquestchronicle.com

Saturday's game marked Pete Carroll's 100th with the Trojans.

Carroll is 85-15 and has won two national titles, but when asked what came to mind when he thought of his time with the Trojans, he said: "A handful of games that had we won, we would've done a whole lot better.

"There were three or four that [could have] made an enormous difference as far as being out ahead of the pack."

Notes via http://www.latimes.com

Pete Carroll said he called a timeout with three seconds left because the Trojans had too many players on the field when Stanford lined up for a field goal. The Cardinal then executed a pass play for a touchdown. Carroll said Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh "was trying to score points and keep battling. He sent a good message to his team.". . . . McKnight aggravated his right big toe while rushing for 72 yards. . . . The 230 yards in kickoff returns by Gable and Ronald Johnson moved the Trojans into first nationally at 30.1 yards per return.

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 32

Enough is enough, Coach Weis needs to cut his loses with part of his staff. As we all remember, one of Ty Willingham's many downfalls was his loyalty in keeping staff members.

After watching last Saturday's game, no way should have Navy been able to get back into that game the way they did. Two onside kick recoveries, really? It looked liked they did not know what the heck they were doing or even practiced it all all this season. That's just some of the special team blunders in 2008!

The Offensive Line actually had a good game against the Midshipmen, but that's what should be expected, right? Well under Latina's tutelage, the Irish are averaging only 118.75 yards a game, and have an average rank of 81st in the country. Sorry, but that's just not going to to cut it here at Notre Dame.

If Weis want to have a run at a BCS bowl and a successful 2009 campaign, changes need to be in order at the end of the year.

Notre Dame vs Navy: Tale of the Tape

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen resume their annual rivalry this weekend, as they meet at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Irish enter the contest on a down note, as they were blanked by Boston College, 17-0, this past weekend. It was the second loss in a row by the ND, which dipped to 5-4 overall. Most of the team's struggles this season have come on the road, where the Irish have won just once in four tries. As for Navy, it was idle this past week after pulling out a thrilling 33-27 victory over Temple on November 1st. The win was the second straight, as the Mids became bowl eligible at 6-3. Navy already has intentions of playing in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl in the nation's capital in mid December. With regard to the all-time series, ND owns a commanding 70-10-1 lead over Navy and that includes a 44-6-1 advantage at neutral sites. The Mids however, snapped a NCAA-record 43-game losing streak to the Irish with a 46-44 triple-overtime victory last season. It was the first time Navy beat ND since a 35-14 victory in 1963 when Roger Staubach was quarterback for the Midshipmen.

ND has had success on offense for the most part this season and enters the weekend averaging 24.3 ppg and 375.0 total ypg. The team has been more effective through the air (259.4 ypg) than on the ground (115.6 ypg), but has had some issues with turnovers, committing 20 on the year. Last weekend, the Irish turned the ball over five times and gained just 292 total yards in a 17-0 loss at BC. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen had just an awful game, as he threw for 226 yards and four interceptions on 26-of-46 tosses. It was certainly a disappointing effort from Clausen, who has fared much better on the year, passing for 258.8 ypg, with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Michael Floyd and Golden Tate have provided Clausen with a pair of dangerous targets and they have accounted for 89 receptions, 1,444 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Last weekend, Tate hauled in six passes for 66 yards, while Floyd finished with five catches for 69 yards. ND hasn't had all that much success on the ground and Armando Allen and his modest 457 rushing yards pace the team.

The Irish have really clamped down on defense this year and are limiting foes to 20.4 pg and 324.7 total ypg. The unit has done a respectable job versus both the run (132.1 ypg) and pass (192.6 ypg) and has also managed 17 takeaways. In last weekend's loss, ND's defense actually played very well and was only responsible for 10 of the 17 points allowed. The defense didn't force any turnovers, but did hold BC to just 236 total yards, including only 79 through the air. The Irish also stepped up on third down, holding BC to only a 3-of-14 effort. Harrison Smith guided the team in defeat with nine stops, while Kyle McCarthy made eight stops. On the year, McCarthy heads the club with 84 stops, but David Bruton is a close second with 76 tackles. Bruton also has a team-best three interceptions to his credit.

Behind their option attack, the Mids are turning out an impressive 308.0 ypg on the ground behind a 5.4 yard per carry average. Of the offense's 29 touchdowns scored, 24 have come via the run. In its 33-27 overtime victory over Temple on November 1st, Navy amassed 293 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground. Eric Kettani led the way, as he rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He currently ranks second the team with 673 yards, trailing only Shun White, who has rushed for 834 yards and six scores. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada added 64 yards and a score on 11 carries in the win, but he left the game with a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable for this weekend. Kaheaku-Enhada has missed significant time with injuries this season and that has resulted in an increase in playing time for Jarod Bryant and Ricky Dobbs. With Bryant out of action last game due to a shoulder injury, Dobbs was called upon and he responded by rushing for 47 yards and a score and throwing for 87 yards and another touchdown. Bryant, who ranks third on the team in rushing with 440 yards, is also listed as questionable for this game and that could land Dobbs the starting gig. Dobbs has seen action this season and has rushed for 342 yards and six scores.

Defensively, the Mids have been up and down all season and enter the contest allowing 25.6 ppg and 373.0 total ypg. The unit has fared well against the run (116.3 ypg), but has been torched for 256.7 ypg through the air. Creating turnovers though, has helped compensate for some of those yards, as Navy has recorded 20 takeaways. Against Temple, the Mids generated a pair of turnovers and even tied the game on a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Clint Sovie with 37 seconds left in regulation. That miscues helped the defense overcome 409 yards of total offense by Temple, which hadn't had much success moving the ball this season. Ross Pospisil had 11 stops and a forced fumble in the win, while Corey Johnson logged 10 tackles and a forced fumble. Johnson tops the club with 62 tackles this season, including 5.5 for losses.

Navy has had plenty of success this season, but ND should be able to throw the ball all over the Mids' soft defense en route to the victory this weekend.

Notre Dame 35
Navy 21

Navy Injury Report
QB Jarod Bryant (11/12, right shoulder) is probable
DE Michael Walsh (11/12, foot) is questionable
KR John Angelo (9/29, concussion) is out indefinitely
OL Andrew McGinn (10/3, concussion) will miss the remainder of the season
QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (11/12, hamstring) is doubtful

Notre Dame Injury Report
OL Chris Stewart (11/12, leg) is expected to miss Saturday's game
LB Kerry Neal (11/12, leg) is questionable
WR George West Jr (11/12, undisclosed) is questionable
FB Luke Schmidt (10/1, headaches) is out indefinitely
TE Will Yeatman (10/1, disciplinary/legal) will miss the remainder of the season DB Jashaad Gaines (9/12, personal) is out indefinitely
DB Darrin Walls (8/27, personal) will miss the fall semester
TE Mike Ragone (8/23, left knee surgery) will miss the entire season

Team Leaders
Receptions: Navy Barnes (15), ND Floyd (46)
Rec. Yards: Navy Barnes (280), ND Tate (742)
Rushing Atts: Navy Bryant (129), ND Allen (102)
Rushing Yds: Navy White (834), ND Allen (457)
Pass Atts: Navy Bryant (32), ND Clausen (335)
Pass Comp: Navy Bryant (18), ND Clausen (198)
Pass Yards: Navy Bryant (265), ND Clausen (2,329)
Comp %: Navy Dobbs (85.7), ND Clausen (59.1)
TD passes: Navy Bryant & Kaheaku-Enhada (2), ND Clausen (18)
INTs: Navy Bryant (3), ND Clausen (13)

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/14/08

Here's the Friday edition of the Buzz Around Team Camps for November 14th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

San Diego State's distressed football program has tested the patience of many local fans and alumni over the past 10 years, especially recently with 12 losses in its past 13 games.

Now even the city of San Diego is frustrated by it.
Negotiations between the city and SDSU for a new long-term lease to play at city-owned Qualcomm Stadium have been described as “very difficult” and “very, very frustrating” by a stadium official.

The negotiations have dragged for almost a year since SDSU's last long-term lease expired at the end of the 2007 season. To be able to play the last two games of the current season at the stadium, the Aztecs recently had to agree to a special two-game permit in lieu of a long-term lease.

“I'd hate to get to the position where we might say, 'Sorry, but the stadium's not available next year.' But it could be,” said Jeff Jeffery, who has been involved on behalf of the city as a member of the Qualcomm Stadium Advisory Board.

SDSU Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel dismissed that notion as “positioning.”

“It has been slower than we hoped it would be, but not because both sides haven't been working hard to get it done,” said Schemmel, whose team plays Utah tomorrow at Qualcomm Stadium. “There is not a single bit of doubt, nor has there ever been any doubt, that we're getting this done.”

Stanford via http://www.mercurynews.com

Jim Harbaugh called Stanford "the ultimate destination" and added that he "can't imagine coaching anywhere else" during an appearance Wednesday on Dan Patrick's radio show. But that didn't stop Patrick from asking Harbaugh whether he has said he isn't interested in the Raiders job.

"I guess we have a difference in the definition of commitment," Harbaugh said. "I'm committed to Stanford."

When Patrick pressed the issue further, wondering whether Harbaugh should put out a statement saying that he isn't going anywhere, the coach said, "You asked me at the beginning (about) the hypotheticals. I've told you that I can't imagine being anywhere else than where I am here at Stanford University. I hope that suffices."

Patrick closed by saying, "Good, OK, I just wanted to make sure. Because sometimes these come out and if the coach doesn't respond or he says no comment, then all of a sudden we sort of move in for the kill. I wanted to be fair to the situation. I hope you understand where I'm coming from."

"I appreciate that," Harbaugh said.

North Carolina via http://tarheelblue.cstv.com

North Carolina's Robert Quinn is this week's nominee for the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Quinn, a freshman defensive end from Ladson, S.C., underwent emergency brain surgery in October 2007, during his senior year of high school, but has recovered to earn a starting position for the Tar Heels.

He's a candidate for ACC defensive rookie of the year honors, with 18 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles. The forced fumbles came last week, when he also had six tackles in North Carolina's win over No. 22 Georgia Tech.

Washington via http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

The Huskies' 39-19 loss to Arizona State on Saturday left the Huskies at 0-9, tying the 1969 team for the worst start in school history.

It's also among the five worst starts in Pac-10 history. Only two schools and three teams have had worse starts — Oregon State in 1980 (0-11 for the season) and 1991 (10 straight losses before winning the season finale); and California in 2001 (10 straight losses before winning the season finale). Stanford in 2006 went 0-9 before winning in Seattle. No other Pac-10 school has had a start worse than 0-8.

A schedule still judged among the toughest in the nation has contributed. UW played Oklahoma, BYU and Notre Dame in nonconference games, meaning the Huskies didn't have a chance to clean up on a smaller-division opponent as has often been the case for Pac-10 teams that have struggled. The 2004 Huskies, for instance, beat San Jose State at home in the fifth week of the season en route to finishing 1-10.

The ASU loss was also UW's 11th in a row dating to last season, which is now the longest losing streak in school history, surpassing a 10-gamer in 1968 and 1969.

The Huskies are not yet in immediate danger of the Pac-10 record for consecutive losses, however. The record is 15 by Oregon State in 1990-91 and again in 1995-96. However, there's pressure on the Huskies to win at least one of their last three games this year. Losing all three would give UW a 14-game losing streak heading into next season, which begins with a home game vs. LSU.

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Pitt has used the open week productively but not necessarily as a way to get a head start on preparing for the Cincinnati Bearcats, who the Panthers play Nov. 22. The team has spent the bulk of its time working on fundamentals and healing some bumps and bruises.

"We have really taken this week and looked at ourselves from a self-scout standpoint," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "With our last three opponents all being potential Big East champion-caliber opponents, red-zone and two-minute drills are going to be a major factor in all of those games. So two out of the three days we've practiced so far, we went red zone against each other, red zone against Cincinnati and two-minute drills against each other."

Although the Panthers lead the country in red-zone conversions -- Pitt is 35 for 37 (95 percent) in scoring in red-zone opportunities -- Wannstedt said there are some new wrinkles specific to the kinds of defenses they will be seeing in the final three weeks of the season.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Coach Randy Edsall will bring his UConn Huskies and a heavy dose of speculation to the Carrier Dome on Saturday night for Syracuse's final home game of the season.

Edsall, who spent about 15 years at SU, first as a backup quarterback and later as an assistant coach, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for embattled SU coach Greg Robinson.

While Edsall has refused to answer questions about this speculation, saying he has "too much work to do," Post-Standard columnist Bud Poliquin asserts Edsall is an obvious choice for the Orange.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC's marching band practices across the street from Howard Jones Field and usually drowns out much of the sound that emanates from Trojans football practice.

Linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., however, turned up his already prolific decibel level Thursday to make sure he was heard. Norton wanted to make sure defensive players knew all about Stanford running back Toby Gerhart.

"Toby Gerhart rushed for more than 3,000 yards!" Norton yelled, alluding to Gerhart's senior year total for Norco High. Norton went on to cite everything from grade-point average to how many rushing yards Gerhart needs to reach 1,000 yards this season.

Senior linebacker Kaluka Maiava said the Trojans are accustomed to buildup of opponents -- and Norton's voice.

"He just gets louder for some reason," Maiava said. "That just sets the tone."

The sixth-ranked Trojans believe that controlling Gerhart on Saturday will be a key to defeating the Cardinal and avenging last year's upset loss at the Coliseum.

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Cornerback Kevin Thomas did not practice because of a knee bruise, but said he would play on Saturday. . . . Freshman D.J. Shoemate, who worked some at tailback Tuesday, did not practice again because of shoulder soreness and will not make the trip, Carroll said. . . . Tight end Blake Ayles (knee), who did not play against Cal, did some light running for the first time this week.

USC Upstate Game Preview

Game 1: Notre Dame vs. USC Upstate
Date: Sunday, November 16
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Notre Dame will tip off their 2008-2009 season on Sunday when they host USC Upstate. The Spartans are entering only their second full season of Division I competition and will have their hands full when they face the ninth ranked Fighting Irish.

The Irish have looked solid with two exhibition wins over Briar Cliff (103-64) and Stonehill College (79-47). Notre Dame will be looking for a good start because after Sunday, the Irish will start a five game stretch in 11 days that includes a trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.

USC Upstate will have already played one game on the season as they travel to Athens, Ga. and face the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night. The Spartans shouldn't put too much of a fight against the Irish, but do have one of the tallest, if not the tallest player Notre Dame will face all season in Nick Schneiders. Schneiders is 7-3, 250, and was the leading shot blocker on the Spartans last season with 25. USC Upstate's best player is forward Bobby Davis. He was their leading scorer and rebounder in 2007-2008.

Look for the Irish to get out of the gates fast behind the inside-outside combo of Luke Harangody and Kyle McAlarney. This contest should be over by halftime as Mike Brey will look to empty his bench in the second half.

USC Upstate
Head Coach: Eddie Payne (career 360-310); seventh year at USC Upstate (100-77)

LAST YEAR: 7-23 overall, 5-11 (Atlantic Sun)

STRENGTHS
The roster is deeper than it's ever been with three returning starters, four other returning contributors and a freshman class that's five deep.

WEAKNESSES
While the roster is deep, it's also inexperienced. Top returning scorer Bobby Davis (9.8 ppg) and Mezie Uzochukwu (7.5 ppg) are the two main returning contributors, and everyone else will be playing a lot more minutes against tough competition.

Projected Starters

USC Upstate
C Nick Schneiders
F Bobby Davis
F Mezie Uzochukwu
G Gabor Boros
G Josh Chavis

Notre Dame
F Luke Zellar
F Ryan Ayers
F Luke Harangody
G Tory Jackson
G Kyle McAlarney

Classic Moments in the Notre Dame vs Navy Series

1937

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1940

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1964


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2007

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Buzz Around Team Camps 11/13/08

Here's Thursday's edition of the Buzz Around Team Camps for November 13th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Call it crazy, but the San Diego State athletic department has about 500,000 reasons to root against its own football team Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium. If the Aztecs lose against Utah, as expected, SDSU stands to get a lot more money after the season – about a half-million dollars – than it would with a win. Just don't expect any SDSU staff members (even the accountants) to act like they care about that money right now.

“Obviously, the football program is not involved in worrying about those kinds of things,” said Chuck Lang, SDSU's assistant athletic director for business administration. “Their job is to win games.”

The irony can be blamed on revenue-sharing rules. If the seventh-ranked Utes (10-0) beat SDSU (1-9) and win again next week against No. 16 Brigham Young, they likely will earn a berth in a lucrative Bowl Championship Series game, probably the Fiesta, Sugar or Orange Bowl. That means more than $9 million in additional revenue for the Mountain West Conference, which would share a big portion of that bonanza with all of its members, including SDSU. About $500,000 would go to each of the league's eight other schools, with Utah getting about $4 million.

But if SDSU, a 28-point underdog, somehow pulls off the upset, the conference likely will not earn a BCS berth or the extra money that comes with it.

“If it happens, it happens,” Lang said of the potential payoff. “If it doesn't, what can you do?”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

After leading the University of Michigan football team to victory over Minnesota last weekend, quarterback Nick Sheridan will start Saturday against Northwestern.

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said before practice Wednesday that Sheridan will get the nod over regular starter Steven Threet, who missed the Minnesota game because of a concussion. Threet is practicing this week, and is expected to be available.

"I want to make sure Steve is ready to go completely, not only from a health standpoint but from a concept standpoint, what we're doing," Rodriguez said. "Both have played well in their last starts, so it's not an issue of one guy's playing better than the other. Nick has practiced more than Steve has the last couple of weeks."

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

Big Ten teams have struggled this year after bye weeks. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio isn't worried about it, though, even as the Spartans play their biggest game of the year against Penn State following their break.

"In our case, (the bye) comes before the last game," Dantonio says during his weekly teleconference. "We need to get healed up. We've gone through 11 straight weeks so we've got a lot of nicks and bruises. We need to get refocused on the task at hand, which is beating Penn State.

"It's a little bit different bye week. I've never had one with one game left in the season, so it's a bit unchartered."

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

Asked again Wednesday about the job opening at Tennessee, North Carolina football coach Butch Davis gave his most definitive answer yet.

"I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the University of Tennessee job," Davis said during the ACC teleconference.

"It's a great job, but I have no interest in it," he said. "As I've said for the last couple of weeks, I love being here, my family loves being at Carolina. We're building with the administration everything we can every single day to build a championship football program here."

Davis also said Tennessee had not contacted his agent. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said Tuesday night that "we haven't had any conversations with any candidates at this point."

Washington via http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

They might do it differently. But despite all the losses, the coaching changes, the disappointments, they'd also still do it again if they had the chance.

That's the general feeling of a few of the 19 Washington Huskies who will play their final home game on Saturday. It's a class that will go down as one of the least successful in school history. The 11 fifth-year seniors have a record of 12-45 heading into Saturday's game against UCLA, and a Pac-10 mark of 6-35.

There have been no winning seasons — the closest was 5-7 in 2006 — and obviously no bowl games. And only so much as one win against a ranked team — a 24-10 victory over then-No. 22 Boise State last season.

"It's definitely nowhere near how I thought it was going to be," said one of those fifth-year players, tight end Michael Gottlieb.

But given the chance to turn back time and re-enlist as Huskies, they say they'd be the first in line.

"I would do it over again in a heartbeat," Gottlieb said. "I would love to get another crack at it. But it is what it is and I'm going to take all the positives out of it and move on with my life. I'm taking a lot of positives out of it that are going to better me for the rest of my life. So I'm OK. I'm all right."

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Pitt got some good news on the injury front this week as defensive tackle Tommie Duhart (ankle) returned to practice. Duhart has missed the past two games. ... Scott McKillop was named a semifinalist for the Lott Trophy and LeSean McCoy was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. ... Pitt announced its captains for the season as voted on by the players yesterday. They are: McKillop and Rashaad Duncan (defense), C.J. Davis and LaRod Stephens-Howling (offense) and Conor Lee (special teams).

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

With sophomore fullback James McCluskey sidelined with a broken leg, Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski had to reshuffle his depth chart again today, inserting sophomore Codi Boek as the new starter and switching redshirt freshman Dan Williams from linebacker.

Also, Jagodzinski said Steve Aponavicius would tentatively remain the primary field goal kicker ahead of Ryan Quigley, who will continue to handle the kickoff chores in Saturday night's game at Florida State.

"I moved Danny Williams to fullback from linebacker and we have Codi,'' said Jagodzinski before practice this afternoon. "Kicker, we're going to see who kicks the best and who kicks the best is going to play on Saturday.''

Boek, who transferred to BC last winter from American River Junior College, began the season as a quarterback and moved to backup fullback in training camp.

"It's unfortunate that James had to get injured,'' said Boek. "But I'm ready. And James has been talking to me a lot about doing the job.''

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

Joe McKnight is accustomed to making stops and starts while running with the football. The sophomore tailback, however, has experienced an inordinate number of personal setbacks this season that have made the last four months a continuous series of restarts.

On Wednesday, McKnight returned from Louisiana and practiced after missing two days to attend his grandmother's funeral.

"It's just another thing for him to have to deal with and understand and put in some kind of perspective," Coach Pete Carroll said.

McKnight's season has been stunted from the beginning. During training camp in August, he was one of many Trojans stricken with what players and coaches described as "jock itch." He also suffered a broken finger when a teammate accidentally slammed a door on his hand, and a hyper-extended elbow during a scrimmage.

McKnight scored his only touchdown of the season on a pass reception in the opener against Virginia, but he was forced to leave the Ohio State game in September because of a migraine. In October he suffered a toe injury while rushing for a career-best 143 yards against Arizona State.

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Defensive tackle Averell Spicer returned from an ankle injury and is available for Saturday's game, Carroll said. . . . A day after taking repetitions at tailback, freshman D.J. Shoemate did not practice because of shoulder soreness.

10 Must See Fighting Irish Basketball Games

Unfinished business after last season's second round ousting by Washington State in the NCAA Tournament has been the motivating force for the 2008-2009 Fighting Irish Basketball season. A 25-8 record and a Top 20 finish in the polls, as well as, a strong returning nucleus sets up high expectations and a #9 preseason ranking.

Notre Dame returns one of the best inside-outside duos of college basketball in Luke Harangody and Kyle McAlarney. The Big East Player of the Year, Harangody, averaged 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a night, while McAlarney's deadly range from beyond the 3pt. arc (44.1%) was near tops in Division I. On the year he averaged 15.1 points and nearly four assists a night.

Backcourt mate Tory Jackson (8.0 pts., 5.1 rebs., 5.8 asts.), swingman Ryan Ayers (7.8 pts, 45.1% 3pt. FG), and bruiser Zach Hillesland (6.1 pts, 5.2 rebs), round out the projected starting lineup for the Irish.

So with all these accolades comes the added pressure to perform. The Irish now have to deal with being the hunted, instead of the hunter. Now entering in his 9th season, Head Coach Mike Brey will be facing his most difficult schedule of non-conference and Big East games. Notre Dame will have plenty of frequent flyer miles as they will play on both coasts, as well as, Hawaii.

Below are the IBB's Top 10 Must See Games for the 2008-2009 Season:

#10) ND vs. Indiana (Nov. 24)
The intrastate rivalry continues in Hawaii during the opening round of the Maui Invitational. With a new coach (Tom Crean) and only one scholarship player from last year's squad, the Hoosiers should not put up too much of a fight against the Irish. Look for both Harangody and Hillesland to dominate the inside.

#9) ND vs. Ohio State (Dec. 6)
The first ever basketball contest at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will be the backdrop to an instant classic between two teams that have plenty of talent and contrasting styles. Some might say that the Irish's last victory over the Buckeyes in 1999 was the kickstart in the revival of Notre Dame Basketball. This time around it will be proof of the Irish's existence as one of the elite teams in 2009.

#8) ND @ Pittsburgh (Jan. 31)
The halfway point of the Big East portion of the Irish schedule should provide plenty of action between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Brey's boys snapped a five game skid last season to the Panthers and kept their Joyce Center winning streak in tact. Look for Pittsburgh to have another difficult time stopping Harangody (23 pts and 12 rebs.) in a back-and-forth affair.

#7) ND vs. Texas/St.Joe's (Nov. 25)
Depending on the outcomes, a Notre Dame-Texas matchup will make for another star-studded performance. Both squads like to push the tempo in a fast paced game, which should tilt in the favor for the Irish. The key to this game will be the backcourt play, and Notre Dame has one of the best in McAlarney and Jackson. Look for these two to have big games on both ends of the court.

#6) ND @ Louisville (Jan. 12)
A big Monday showdown in Freedom Hall could have first place implications and a leg up in the Big East on the line. Notre Dame almost pulled off an amazing comeback last season in their only meeting behind Harangody's career high 40 points and 12 rebounds, but fell short 90-85. Don't blink or you might miss something amazing. Home court and a deep bench might be too much for the Irish to overcome in this one.

#5.) ND @ Connecticut (Feb. 28)
The return matchup at Storrs in front of a national audience (CBS) will be witness to another knockdown, 12 round fight between the Irish and the Huskies. It will be the battle of the big men as Harangody and UConn's Hasheem Thabeet lock horns for the fourth time. The winner will have the inside track on the conference standings and Player of the Year honors.

#4.) ND vs. Louisville (Feb. 12)
Depending on their outcome on Jan. 24, Notre Dame could be defending their Joyce Center winning streak against the Cardinals. The crowd will be electric on a cold and blistery Thursday night in South Bend. Snowflakes and 3-pointers will be coming down in buckets as Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers will have big nights for the Irish.

#3.) ND @ UCLA (Feb. 7)
A late season non-conference clash featuring two preseason Top 10 teams will have a major impact on the march towards March. The Irish will look to have the same magic when they faced Bruins the last time in Westwood. The X-factor will be the play of Mr. Everything Zach Hillesland. If he can produce on both ends, the Irish will bolster their NCAA resume.

#2.) ND vs. Connecticut (Jan. 24)
Not only will ESPN's college GameDay crew be on campus all day Saturday, but the Irish's first true test of defending the nation's second longest home court winning streak will be on the line. UConn's Hasheem Thabeet already threw down the gauntlet saying that Luke Harangody was soft. Well if averaging a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds against Thabeet is considered soft, then Hasheem will be in for a real beat down then. Be careful what you wish for Connecticut, because Here Come the IRISH!

#1.) ND vs. North Carolina/Oregon/Alabama (Nov. 26)
If things go according to plan, the Maui Invitational will have the Irish facing preseason #1 North Carolina for the championship game. This game will feature the two best big men in college basketball in Harangody and Tyler Hansborough. Notre Dame will have a leg up on the scouting report on Hansborough, as the the Irish have Tyler's younger brother, Ben on their sidelines. A third game in as many days and facing a formidable opponent in the Tar Heels could be too much for the Irish to handle. This game will be the true indicator of whether or not Notre Dame will be a contender or pretender for the 2009 season.

Keys to the Notre Dame vs Navy Game

Honor, Courage, Commitment, are Navy's core values; and you could say the same for what Notre Dame's team will be fighting for during the remaining 2008 season. Notre Dame's Mission: Back to Respectability starts Saturday when the Irish face a 6-3 Midshipmen squad looking to make it two in a row.

1.) Playing with emotion. A very simple thing to ask for, right? Well it has been a little difficult the past few weeks after losing a heart breaker at home to Pittsburgh and then being totally non-existent against Boston College.

After Golden Tate's fumbled punt return after Notre Dame stopped the Eagles on their first possession of the second half, the team was lost and seemed like they were just going through the motions.

On Saturday, the Irish need to have some fun and play with passion. In fact, they should play pissed off. Not only have they lost two straight, but they owe a little payback from last season at Notre Dame Stadium. They still have a lot to play for, including a bowl game. If that doesn't get their juices going, then I don't know what will.

So look for the Irish to play some inspired ball from start to finish on both sides.

2.) Establish a running game. If Notre Dame needed their running game the most, now would be the perfect time. Pittsburgh and Boston College have provided a perfect example of what the Irish offense should expect with Cover 3 and Cover 4 defenses and five to seven defenders back in coverage. Having some sort of a running game will make the Midshipmen defense honest, and help the Irish spread out their passing attack.

The battle of this game starts up front with the push of each team's offensive line. Whoever dominates will win the game. Navy doesn't have the size or speed, but makes up with heart and discipline. Notre Dame will have to match that heart and tenacity so they can provide a smash mouth style of ball. Navy's strength on defense is stopping the run as they yield only 116.3 yards per game (30th nationally). So this is the one key area to watch closely.

Two years ago James Aldridge had his coming out party with several good runs, and last season Armando Allen had a game he would rather forget. Watch for the both of them to have strong performances behind an inspired run blocking offensive line.

3.) Pass efficiency. Jimmy Clausen cannot afford to have another multiple interception game. He needs to make the most out of each and every single pass he throws against Navy. Like I stated earlier in #2, defenses are putting a ton of defenders back to stop the Irish passing attack and Navy has the second-worst pass defense in the country as they give up 256.67 yards a game.

To combat that type of Cover 3 and Cover 4 defenses, Notre Dame will have to throw a few slants to Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, as well as some dump passes to Kyle Rudolph in the middle of the field. Even quick outs and screens are going to be there for picking, so Clausen and the Irish will have to make the most of it.

Good things will happen when Tate, Floyd, and Allen run after the catch! Another positive will be the presence of David Grimes. This is a game where he could definitely put up some big numbers.

Ball control and moving the chains will be essential; and the only way that will be accomplished is connecting on 60 or more percent of their passes. Heck, if Temple can complete 21-of-28 passes for 409 yards against the Middies, the Irish should do the same, right?

4.) Keeping the ball. Notre Dame can ill afford three and outs and turning the ball over. We all now that if the Irish turn it over a few times, the harder the chances are they will win the game.

The same goes for the success of the Navy defense. The Middies have 20 takeaways on defense this season, which compensates for their yardage they give up through the air. During their last outing, Temple, who has one of the worst offenses in the nation (115th in FBS) amassed 409 yards. Two costly second half turnovers by the Owls, including a fumble returned for a touchdown, was what gave Navy the spark to win the contest 33-27.

Look for the Irish to limit their turnovers and continue their streak of not punting against the Midshipmen by making the most of each possession.

5.) Safety dance. One of the major keys in stopping the Navy rushing attack is the play of the safeties. For the Irish, the two top tacklers on the squad are Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton. Both will be called upon to creep up and stuff the Midshipmen option.

Look for both to have double digit tackles as they will limit Navy to modest yardage on the ground.

6.) Navy QB play. Navy has looked more confident running their offense with senior Kaipo-Noa Kanheaku-Enhada under center. He's the only quarterback since Roger Staubach to have beaten the Irish. Kanheaku-Enhada has been hampered with a hamstring and is questionable on Saturday.

Jarod Bryant, the backup, too has also been hit with the injury bug against Temple, which means Ricky Dobbs could be the starter.

Whether it's Bryant or Dobbs, the Irish need to get to the quarterback and supply pressure and force them into making mistakes. If Kanheaku-Enhada is playing, Notre Dame will have to contain him and not give up big plays or easy third down conversions.

The heart of a team is shown the most through adversity, and this squad has been through it a lot the last year and a half. How they respond on Saturday will show everyone the true character of Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/12/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Wednesday, November 12th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Chuck Long said sophomore tailback Brandon Sullivan (turf toe) is unlikely to play the rest of the season, leaving the Aztecs with just two healthy running backs (Atiyyah Henderson and Tyler Campbell) against Utah. Among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the Utes are No. 8 in rush defense while SDSU is 117th in rush offense.

“We're on pins and needles with (our running back situation),” Long said. “ . . . We're going to have to be careful with the way we handle that situation going into the game.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is a big proponent of the "24-hour rule." Rodriguez doesn't want his players to dwell on a loss nor savor a victory for too long. That said, he does think it's important to keep the 29-6 win over Minnesota fresh, in terms of confidence that the Wolverines can carry throughout the week of practice and into the next game.

"What the wins do more than anything," Rodriguez explains during his weekly teleconference, "is (give you) confidence going into the next ball game.

"But I think winning a ballgame, no matter the situation, I think it gives you a level of confidence for your players, going into the next one. And hopefully, it gets them excited about preparation. And that's what I want. I want our players to be excited about our preparation for this week's ballgame – it's a big one, the senior's last home game – and I think they will be."

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio isn't upset by the dismissive attitude aimed at the 9-2 Spartans these days. In fact, he embraces the way most college football analysts write off MSU as having no chance against Penn State on Nov. 22.

As far as Dantonio is concerned, let the ESPN talking heads continue to project a Rose Bowl matchup between the Nittany Lions and USC, with Ohio State facing Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. But he doesn't want his players to ignore the snubs over the next two weeks.

"I'm sure they hear it," Dantonio said at his regular Tuesday news conference. "I mean, I hear it. So I think you've got to use that as a way to help you focus a little bit more."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

It may not be in super sharp focus, but the Purdue quarterback picture is clearing up ever so slightly. Senior Curtis Painter, who has missed the past two games with a slight separation of his throwing shoulder, threw a lot Monday (the team's off day) under the watchful eye of athletic trainer Denny Miller.

"Feeling better. It's actually feeling really, really good on everyday things. The first week I probably wouldn't have said that," Painter said Tuesday. "But I went out (Monday) and threw a lot of balls, a pretty good workout. It felt really good. Hopefully we'll start working in a few more drills and throw in practice today and see how it does.

"I felt pretty good about how it felt at the end of the workout. It's not any more sore today than it has been. It gives me a chance."

North Carolina via http://blogs.newsobserver.com

North Carolina receiver Hakeem Nicks said recently he hasn’t decided yet whether he will jump to the NFL next year because he wants to concentrate on this season. Meanwhile, coach Butch Davis doesn’t plan to talk to him about it until after UNC plays its final game of the year.

“Hakeem and I have had discussions prior to the start of the season, and after we had those discussions, it’s ‘play as great at you can, don’t worry about that.’ When the season is overwith, he and I will sit down with his family, we’ll take a look [at it] realistically,'' Davis said.

“I’ve had ongoing conversations with a high percentage of the NFL teams already – GMs, coaches and scouts – about this year’s seniors, so I can give good advice to Brandon [Tate], to Brooks [Foster] and Trimane [Goddard]. ... When the season is overwith, we’ll make the same calls as it would relate to Hakeem.”

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Jason Douglas, an all-purpose running back from Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla., made a verbal commitment to Pitt Sunday night. Douglas chose the Panthers over scholarship offers from Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Troy. He is 5 feet 6, 174 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. In addition to competing for time at the running back spot, he is projected to help the Panthers as a kick and punt returner and perhaps a slot receiver.

He is the 14th player from the class of 2009 to commit to Pitt.

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com

Win over Irish would be 2nd straight. For more than three decades, much of the talk leading up to the annual Navy-Notre Dame game surrounded "The Streak."

Navy players and coaches won't have to answer that annoying question this week. Not after the Midshipmen snapped their monumental 43-game losing streak to the Fighting Irish with a dramatic 46-44 triple-overtime victory in South Bend last season.

Now the new question is: Can Navy beat Notre Dame again?

"Why not? Let's start a streak for us," Navy fullback Eric Kettani said.

For the record, Navy has not defeated Notre Dame twice in a row since 1960-61 when Wayne Hardin was head coach. The Midshipmen actually went 5-3 against the Fighting Irish from 1956 through 1963.

Of course, everyone knows what happened after that. Navy didn't win another game in the series until 2007 as Notre Dame built the longest winning streak over the same opponent in college football history.

"Last year, we talked about making history. The seniors wanted to be remembered for being on the team that finally beat Notre Dame," Navy sophomore safety Wyatt Middleton said. "Now we have a chance to make history again if we can beat Notre Dame again."

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Syracuse coach Greg Robinson said Tuesday Cameron Dantley will remain the starting quarterback when SU hosts UConn on Saturday night, but Andrew Robinson has been told he'll play as well. "I don't know how much time I'm going to get on Saturday and I don't know the rotation," Andrew Robinson said.

Robinson came off the bench on Saturday in SU's 35-17 loss at Rutgers. He looked rusty and completed 2-of-7 passes for 16 yards. Dantley, who sprained his ankle, was 3-of-12 for 19 yards.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

Tailback Broderick Green said playing time was not an issue in his decision to stop practicing and transfer at the end of the semester. The redshirt freshman from Arkansas reiterated that he was leaving because of family issues, including the health of his maternal grandmother who suffered a stroke last year.

"Even if I was the starting back here, with all the family stuff going on, I'd probably leave," Green said during an interview outside Heritage Hall.

Green talked to coaches about remaining with the team through the end of the season, but with family concerns weighing on him, "I just got to the position where I couldn't take it anymore," he said.

It might have been different if his family was close by, said Green, who rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns against Washington State but did not play in the next game against Arizona. Green has not decided upon a destination but mentioned Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana State and Tennessee as possibilities, all of which are closer to home.

"I don't care about football compared to my family," Green said. "My family comes first."

Patience is a Virtue

Things are not going well according to plan, are they? After last Saturday's 17-0 loss at Boston College, everyone is calling for Charlie Weis' head. At Notre Dame, everything is magnified by a thousand, whether it is justified or not. And this latest bout of whether Weis is on the hot seat or not is getting out of hand and tiresome.

Irish fans don't have to look very far at all with coaching situations. During his first three seasons, Mike Brey had a good thing with the Irish Basketball program by taking them to the NCAA Tournament, including their first Sweet 16 appearance in over a decade. The next three years after that, they took a step back by barely making the N.I.T. There were a lot of fans, alumns, and whatnot wanting to get ride of Coach Brey.

I was actually in a small majority saying you can't forget about his first three years. You don't throw away those successful seasons just because you have some bad years. Everything goes on your resume whether it's good or bad.

You have to give the Coach some time to re-evaluate the situation, take the program in a different direction, and give him a chance to fix the problem. And I don't think you can find one Irish fan out there that is disappointed that Mike Brey is still the Notre Dame hoops coach. He's changed the direction of the program, he's changed the direction of his recruiting, and he's changed a whole lot of things surrounding Fighting Irish basketball. Now all of a sudden we have a basketball team this going to the NCAA Tournament with regularity. We have a top 10 team this year and hope they are just as good at the end of the year as well.

Basically we are in the same boat with Charlie. Everyone wants to talk about the last year and a half. But you have to bring it up that he had huge success his first two years. You just cannot throw that away when you evaluate the entire situation. Let this baby play out through 2009 and I think this whole thing will have played out by the way the next year and a half goes, whether it be for better or worse!

If you are still unsure and are itching for the trigger finger to get rid of Coach Weis, let's not forget about the history of the last few coaching searches, shall we. I was definitely for the jettisoning of the last two Irish coaches (Bob Davie and Ty Willingham). Heck there were some folks that were getting sick and tired of Lou Holtz at the end of his tenure. That move right there was a major mistake that has trickled down as one of the major reasons why Notre Dame has inconsistent success on the football field.

When I saw who the viable candidates were, when Notre Dame was looking for a head coach, I was completely dumbfounded. I don't think it will be any different if Jack Swarbrick looks this year or next year, or the next couple of years for that matter from the way the program is going. It shouldn't make any Irish fan excited about making a coaching change anytime soon. Who would want this position, and who could we get?

One of the reasons Davie and Willingham were let go was because they didn't recruit well. One of Bob's stellar recruiting classes didn't have one single offensive linemen. That right there is one of the most ridiculous National Signing Day blunders in college football history. How can you not recruit one single offensive linemen? You have to stockpile linemen, two, three, or four a class at the very least depending on your needs. Ty didn't get it done in the recruiting circles whatsoever. He did bring in Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija, but lacked the depth.

Charlie Weis and his staff are doing a tremendous job of bringing in the talent, which we are seeing on the field. Now it is the task of meshing it all together and putting forth an outstanding football team; and that's why ND is stuck in the mud right now.

Another one of the reasons why Notre Dame got rid of Willingham after three years was that Dr. Kevin White and the movers and shakers of the ND community felt that could deliver Urban Meyer. They felt they could make a serious play and that there was a major candidate out there who could turn this ship around. Obviously that did not pan out the way they had hoped for, and it is definitely not the right way at going at a coaching search of this magnitude, don't you think?

When Gerry Faust was fired, people in the athletic department and administration already knew that Lou Holtz had made noises that he wouldn't mind coaching at Notre Dame and that this would be a job he would be very interested in.

So at this juncture, I believe there is not a candidate out there that would fit the bill. We all need a little patience and good things will come of this. Notre Dame was founded on giving an opportunity for the underdog and giving students a fighting chance. Can't we still do the same with this coach and team?

I'm not giving up, are you?

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/11/08

Here's the Tuesday edition of the Buzz Around Team Camps for November 11th:

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Nick Sheridan's left hand remains a little swollen. He's a bit bruised and sore, but two days after playing the best game of his college career against Minnesota, the University of Michigan quarterback said he's doing "pretty good."

The same could be said of the Michigan team as a whole, which snapped a five-game losing streak behind a resurgent defense and an offense led by Sheridan, who started in place of an injured Steven Threet.

In his most extensive playing time yet, Sheridan completed 18 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 33 yards, and did not commit a turnover in Michigan's 29-6 win.

"A lot of times you hear coaches say, 'He managed the game,' " Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday. "That's really what he did. He managed the game well. He made some sound decisions and didn't play perfect, but he played solid and didn't have the big mistake."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Nothing is set in stone, but Purdue coach Joe Tiller said Sunday that he's hoping to be able to watch a quarterback battle in practice this week. He believes senior Curtis Painter has recovered enough from his slight shoulder separation to begin throwing more, in an effort to regain the starting job from redshirt freshman Justin Siller.

"Maybe one (bit of) good news is that Painter has his arm above his head and he's going to throw some (Sunday)," Tiller said. "So that's encouraging."

What does that mean in terms of the quarterback situation for Saturday's game at Iowa?

"If he's healthy, we would scale the offense down for him too," Tiller said of Painter. "We would have maybe a Siller package and a Painter package. I'm assuming that this week Painter will be the best he's been since his injury, but I don't think we can ask him to go out there and throw the ball all over the place (against the Hawkeyes)."

Siller, who started for the second week in a row this past Saturday at Michigan State, suffered a hyperextended knee and a bruised sternum in the 21-7 loss. Neither injury is believed to be serious and he was cleared to practice Sunday.

After earning co-offensive Big Ten Conference player of the week in his first start, leading Purdue to a 48-42 victory over Michigan on Nov. 1, Siller struggled against a physical, blitzing Spartan defense.

North Carolina via http://www.newsobserver.com

North Carolina athletics director Dick Baddour has a longstanding policy not to discuss whether any other school has called him to inquire about a coach, or whether he has called any school to ask about one of their coaches.
So when asked Monday whether Tennessee has asked permission to talk to football coach Butch Davis about its head coaching vacancy, Baddour said he wanted to stick with that policy.

However, "Coach Davis has spoken clearly and loudly about his commitment to North Carolina," Baddour said. "... All of us, especially Coach Davis, are so focused on the team and this week's game at Maryland ... and I'm just so proud and happy for this program, and what he has done."

Davis, who earned a raise and contract extension last season after rumors swirled that Arkansas was interested in luring him away, said last week that being linked to other jobs is just part of being in the business for so long. "You just grin and bear it," he said.

When asked whether he had any interest in the Tennessee job, Davis said then: "The long and short of it is that the administration and I are completely, firmly committed to building a championship football program at North Carolina. And my family and I are very happy in Chapel Hill." Asked about it again Sunday, he referred to his previous statement.

Baddour, meanwhile, said he thinks all of the speculation is unfair to players and fans.

"I think it's one thing if people have some direct knowledge of things," he said. " ... Rumors are flying all over the place, and I regret anything that takes away from energy to this program, and focus on this program. These players deserve that, Coach Davis deserves that."

Meanwhile, Baddour said he plans to meet soon with the Educational Foundation to further discuss funding for Phase I of the Kenan Stadium renovation, which is expected to cost $22 million. The state legislature has already approved $50 million in borrowing for the project which will be backed by user fees, ticket sales and private donations.

The design was approved by the Board of Trustees in July; upgrades are slated to begin after this season. The other two phases of the project will need the trustees' approval. Baddour said the concentration right now is on Phase I, and he doesn't know when the full project will be presented to the Board.

Washington via http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

The return of Rick Neuheisel will undoubtedly get a lot of media and fan attention this week. But to UW players and coaches, it doesn't seem to be that big a deal.

UW coach Tyrone Willingham said today, when asked if he was glad that the spotlight would shift away rrom here for a week, "I don't think it's that big a thing. My situation is done. Everyone knows what's going on with me. It's old news. It's today's fishwrap. I don't know where the spotlight will be, but it will be a football game.''

UW quarterback Ronnie Fouch said he'd heard some of the older players talking about it but that "we're not focused on that. We're focused on UCLA coming into our house and getting a win for the seniors in their last home game.''

Fouch was the only UW player to attend the media luncheon today so there were no other players to ask.

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Now that Pitt has secured its seventh win and locked up its first bowl bid of the Dave Wannstedt era, the Panthers can focus on their next challenge -- winning the Big East Conference championship. But Wannstedt isn't about to let the Panthers start thinking about anything other than getting some rest and getting ready for their next opponent, Cincinnati.

Pitt should be rested going into the game because the Panthers are off this week and don't play the Bearcats until Nov. 22. Cincinnati plays at Louisville Friday.

"To talk about bowl games and rankings at this point is not something we want to do," Wannstedt said yesterday at his weekly teleconference. "The biggest challenge is to keep our feet on the ground and approach things the way we have approached it all year.

"Last week we knew we needed to get seven wins, and that's where our focus was because the reality is that's what we can control, wins and losses."

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/

It's an announcement about no announcement, which is kind of funny that it's come to this and reminds me of the time when Paul Pasqualoni said, "I've got no comment about no comments." These are weird times at Syracuse University, which is three games away from ending the football season led by a coach everyone knows is going to be dismissed.

Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross ended his silence, if you want to call it that, by releasing this written statement late last night:

"Syracuse University has not made an announcement regarding the football program," Gross said. "We are focused on the final home game and our senior day."
As Greg Robinson says from time to time, "your actions speak so loudly we can hardly hear your words."

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC safety Taylor Mays made big hits and broke up several passes in the Trojans' victory over California, fueling already rampant speculation that the junior will declare for the NFL draft after the season.

But Mays, who was selected Pacific 10 Conference defensive player of the week Monday, said he was not allowing himself to think about his future and would discuss his options with his father and Coach Pete Carroll after whatever bowl game the Trojans participate in.

"Guys make a lot of plays in college and don't turn out in the NFL," said the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Mays, whose father, Stafford, played defensive end in the NFL. "I know Coach Carroll knows what he's talking about and trust what he says. It will have a big influence on my decision."

Mays and the sixth-ranked Trojans have turned their attention to Saturday's game at Stanford. Mays intercepted a pass last season against the Cardinal at the Coliseum, but that play became an afterthought when Stanford won, 24-23, in one of the greatest upsets in college football history.

"That was a tough loss that taught us you can lose any game in college football at any time," said Mays, who then referenced the Trojans' loss to Oregon State this season.

"We kind of felt that earlier this year in Corvallis and were reminded of it. But ever since then we've tried to be on a tear."

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

McKnight participated in a few drills and then left to catch a flight to Louisiana because his grandmother died, Carroll said. McKnight will be absent from practice today but is scheduled to return Wednesday. . . . USC could be in for another flag festival when it plays at Stanford on Saturday. USC ranks 114th out of 119 Bowl Subdivision teams, averaging 8.6 penalties and 78.7 penalty yards a game. Stanford is not a lot better, ranking 97th and averaging 7.3 penalties and 66.4 penalty yards a game. . . . Safety Kevin Ellison (knee) said he might try participating in a few football drills Wednesday.

IBB Report Card: Boston College Game

Definitely a bitter pill to swallow as the Irish looked more like the 2007 version, instead of a team progressing for the future. 5 turnovers, including another returned for a touchdown was the story of the game. Here's a more interesting tidbit about the game. Out of the 5 Notre Dame drives that were 30 yards or more, only one did not result in an turnover, or basically, a Jimmy Clausen interception!

QB: D-
Clausen had his worst outing of the season and it couldn't have come at the most inopportunitistic time too! The leader of the offense couldn't find any rhythm whatsoever as he finished the night off 26-of-46 passing for 226 yards and four crucial picks.

It was stated yesterday by Coach Weis that Jimmy was battling the flu, but his illness should not be the cause of throwing into double coverage and whatnot. He did, however, have 19 yards rushing.

RB: D+
Here's a scary fact about Saturday's game: Jimmy Clausen was the second leading rusher for the Irish with 19 yards! Yes, Boston College has a formidable defense, but having your quarterback who's not the most nibble on his feet as your second leading rusher is quite disturbing.

The only reason this grade was not significantly lower was that fact that Armando Allen became the safety valve for Clausen with 9 catches for 47 yards. On the ground, he only gained 24 yards.

FB: C
Aspah Schwapp not only got his first carry (1 for 2 yards) for the 2008 season, but he also caught one for 10 yards. I almost thought about giving him a higher grade, but they way this game went, average is good as it going to get for this position.

WR: B-
Besides the defense, which, I'll get to shortly, the receivers had a so-so night which is why I gave them the B- grade. They were the only positive on the offensive side of the ball against the Eagles. Michael Floyd led the charges with 5 catches for 69 yards, while Golden Tate had 6 receptions for 66 yards.

TE: C
Kyle Rudolph emerged as another target for Jimmy Clausen, and it provided some relief for Floyd and Tate. Rudolph finished the night 4 catches for 29 yards. His blocking is still to be desired, but it is still a work in progress.

OL: D
66 yards rushing, enough said! I don't care they were still going up against the NCAA's 10th-best rated defense, Notre Dame should have some success and push with their offensive linemen's size. These guys were some of the top rated players in the country and it is still not showing up on the field. Since Charlie Weis has arrived, everyone has been saying the same things.

I'm not going to pin the blame solely on the offensive line for these woes, Coaching has a lot to do with this.

Overall Offensive Grade: C-/D+

Boston College did come in as one of the worst offensive teams the Irish would face all season long. But Notre Dame's defense did it's job to give the Irish a fighting change. The Eagles only had two drives of 30 yards or more. Horrible field position and not having amble amounts of rest due to the fact the offense had many three and outs didn't help the cause.

DL: C
The defensive front actually one of their better games this season as Pat Kuntz led this unit with 5 stops. Morrice Richardson had a good out with three tackles, while Ethan Johnson provided the pressure with one sack.

These guys will be tested early and often this coming week with Navy.

LB: B
The Smith boys, Harrison and Brian provided the only bright spot on the night with 9 and 8 tackles, respectively. Although they did not record any sacks, they did disrupt the Eagles offense several times.

DB: B
ND's secondary had a decent night only giving up 79 yards of passing. Kyle McCarthy had 8 tackles, while Sergio Brown had 3 stops and 2 passes broken up. Raeshon McNeil didn't have too bad of an outing with 2 tackles and 3 PBUs.

Overall Defensive Grade: B-

ST: D
Another blocked punt for the second week in a row set up a scoring opportunity for the opposition, and a fumbled punt was a cause for one punched hole in the basement.

The only bright spot was the kick coverage. Yeah, kick coverage, woo-hoo!

Coaching: F
Coming out flat and not making any adjustments whatsoever is no excuse. The team took quite a few steps back for what any semblance of progress they made this season.

Overall Grade: C- (1.67)

I'm not sure if taking the reigns of the play calling duties is going to help much for Charlie Weis against Navy and Syracuse.

Notre Dame can get back on the winning side again with Navy and Syracuse next on the docket. Weis and Company better not overlook the Middies that's for sure, or a two-game losing skid to Navy could be in store. Hopefully the Irish will right their own ship and sink Navy's in the process.

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/10/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Monday, November 10th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

San Diego State's inability to go deep is proving more than a bit detrimental. The Aztecs, who managed just 280 total yards in Saturday's 41-12 loss at BYU, have scored 13 or fewer points in seven of 10 games this season.

One of the major factors has been the health of redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Lindley, who after suffering a slight separation of his throwing shoulder against TCU five weeks ago has been limited in his ability to throw deep.

“What we've really been struggling with is our ability to get the ball down the field,” said coach Chuck Long, whose team dropped to 1-9 overall and 0-6 in the Mountain West Conference after Saturday's 41-12 loss at BYU. “Ryan's tough, and he won't complain about anything, but he's just not as sharp as he was and he's still not all the way back from the shoulder injury."

“If you look at his statistics from the (BYU) game, he had a nice percentage (21-of-36), but not many yards (160). And the yards per completion (4.3) obviously weren't very high, either. We've got to find a way to get the ball down the field.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Last week, freshman Justin Feagin made his long-awaited debut ... by playing on special teams against Purdue. On Saturday, Rodriguez used the all-around athlete in a role that onlookers expected.

With 11:01 left in the second quarter, Feagin made his offensive debut, taking a direct snap behind center and running for 4 yards. On the team's next drive, he rushed 34 yards up the middle of the field on a crucial third-and-three play.

"We had a plan to do that, and (Minnesota) lined up like we thought they would," offensive coordinator Calvin Magee said. "Feagin has been doing that in practice for the last two or three weeks, and it was just time to break him loose."

That drive resulted in a Michigan touchdown. Feagin finished the game with seven carries for 49 yards. While he was often a ballyhooed option at quarterback and now carrying the ball, Rodriguez has said that he projects Feagin as a slot receiver in the U-M offense.

Whatever his role, Feagin embraces it.

"If he needs me at receiver next week, I'll play receiver," said Feagin, who was a quarterback and safety in high school in Deerfield, Fla. "If he needs me at quarterback, I'll play quarterback. I just want to help my team win games. That's all I'm here for."

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

The formula Michigan State must follow in its final regular season game to capture a Big Ten championship for the first time since 1990 is simple, although the one and only ingredient has been impossible to come by lately.

All the 18th-ranked and first-place Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) need to earn at least a share of the title is a win at Penn State (9-1, 5-1) on Nov. 22.

"I think it's pretty big," coach Mark Dantonio said after MSU set up the showdown by beating Purdue 21-7 on Saturday. "It's going to be a great moment and one we will not forget for the rest of our lives, because there are very few times you get to play for a Big Ten championship in the last game.

"And that's what will happen."

Unfortunately for Michigan State, it's 0-7 at Beaver Stadium since the Nittany Lions joined the league in 1993.

Purdue via http://www.jconline.com

Following Purdue's 21-7 loss Saturday at Michigan State, Joe Tiller was asked what role injuries have played in this disappointing 3-7 season.

"I cringed a bit, hoping the answer wouldn't lay all of the blame on injuries. Because -- with guys like Jason Werner, Kyle Adams, Jaycen Taylor, Curtis Painter, etc. out of action for various lengths of time -- the opportunity was there."

Tiller resisted the temptation, but he did touch on another valid issue, one that showed up in Saturday's loss -- the amount of shuffling that has taken place in the offensive line because of injuries.

Many linemen missed some or all of spring practice, and so far there have been six different starting combinations this season.

"We got off to a flying stop last spring, and we've never recovered in the offensive line," Tiller said. "It's been difficult for us to put an offensive line on the field. Really, we have four of the five starters back, we should be improving in the offensive line, but we are not. Looking back on it, I don't think we ever recovered from the spring."

Looking back, it's hard to argue with him.

Stanford via http://www.mercurynews.com

Toby Gerhart's streak of 100-yard rushing games was stopped at four when he injured his upper-right hamstring early in the first quarter at Oregon on Saturday. Gerhart appeared in the second half but wasn't a factor, carrying four times for 15 yards.

Stanford lost to the host Ducks 35-28.

"It was definitely bothering me," Gerhart said. "I told Coach I could go, but I preferred to go downhill. No sweeps. I couldn't burst on it."

Gerhart said he expected to be "perfectly fine" for this week's home game against USC. He finished with 21 yards in eight carries and needs 68 yards to become Stanford's first 1,000-yard rusher since Tommy Vardell in 1991.

North Carolina via http://blogs.newsobserver.com

During his Sunday conference call, North Carolina coach Butch Davis was asked about a newspaper report out of Tennessee that stated he us the leading candidate to replace fired football coach Phillip Fulmer. The story in the Knoxville News Sentinel credited multiple unnamed sources as stating the Volunteers want Davis.

But is there any circumstance under which he would listen to Tennessee or take the job?

"I addressed that last week," Davis said, "and there's no further discussion about that."

When asked about the opening last week, Davis said: “The long and short of it is that the administration and I are completely, firmly committed to building a championship football program at North Carolina. And my family and I are very happy in Chapel Hill."

Last season, Davis' first at UNC, his name also often came up in speculation about the Arkansas opening. Instead, he was given a raise and a contract extension in Chapel Hill.

Washington via http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

After all the early emotion Saturday, after all the reverse passes and trick plays, Washington's 39-19 loss to Arizona State came down to two simple seasonlong truths — the Huskies can't run the ball on offense and can't stop the run on defense.

Even against a mediocre team like Arizona State, the game revealed that even though the schedule may be easing during the last few weeks of the Tyrone Willingham era, Washington's problems aren't.

When the FieldTurf settled Saturday, Arizona State had rushed for 182 yards, or 51 more than the Sun Devils had rushed for in any other game this season, and 96 more than their average. And UW had rushed for 52, just the second time all season the Sun Devils had held an opponent below 100, and 106 yards below ASU's average.

"You can't replace [the running game]," Willingham said. "That's something we've got to have and it's something we've struggled with."

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

Head Coach Jagodzinski announced that fullback James McCluskey suffered a broken leg against Notre Dame and is done for the season. "We're going to find another guy to take his place,'' said Jagodzinski. "I don't know who that is yet, but we will find someone.'' With Steve Aponavicius missing two of three field goal attempt, Jagodzinski said that the job of field goal kicker is open for competition, presumably between Aponavicius and freshman punter Ryan Quigley, who also handled the kick off chores. Jagodzinski had praise for the defense and Herzlich in particular. "He's stringing a bunch of them together,'' said Jagodzinski. "When you see the same number over and over again, the guy is doing something right.''

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com

It appears that Navy's revolving door of quarterbacks will continue. Just when you think you've got the situation figured out, it changes.

Jarod Bryant took all the snaps with the first team offense during practice yesterday and head coach Ken Niumatalolo said the senior captain would likely start against Notre Dame. It would be the sixth start this season for Bryant, who has rushed for 440 yards and six touchdowns, passed for 265 yards and another two scores.

Bryant suffered a sprained shoulder against SMU and was not available to play quarterback against Temple. He did serve as the holder on place kicks during the miraculous comeback victory over the Owls.

"I thought Jarod was playing well in the SMU game before he got injured. He was on his way to having a big game," Niumatalolo said.

Bryant rushed for 48 yards on just six carries versus SMU before giving way to Ricky Dobbs, who rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns against one of the nation's weakest defenses.

Senior incumbent Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada returned from a lingering hamstring to start against Temple, but only lasted until late in the third quarter. Dobbs entered the game and led Navy to a remarkable 20-point comeback in the fourth quarter by rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown and completing 5 of 6 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. The Midshipmen won 33-27 in overtime on Dobbs' 1-yard plunge.

Dobbs' back-to-back relief performances excited Navy fans and many expected him to start against Notre Dame if Kaheaku-Enhada was unable to play. Niumatalolo said he understood the fan sentiment, but could not let it sway his decision-making.

"I can't worry about what other people think, I have to do what's best for the program," he said.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Syracuse University head football coach Greg Robinson walked off the practice field and began his slightly delayed Sunday press conference to address the team's 35-17 loss to Rutgers on Saturday with this concern:

"OK. First of all, how did the basketball game go?," Robinson asked. Told the Orange men had won its exhibition game at the Carrier Dome this afternoon, he moved onto the subject of his football team.

If you were expecting something else - and at least one television station ordered up a satellite truck outside and a few strangers to these Sunday deals straggled into the Manley meeting room - you got your basic Sunday-following-a-defeat speech from Robinson.

"Watched the films and it didn't look a lot different than what it looked like there at the stadium," Robinson said. "I give Rutgers a lot of credit. They did a nice job. I wish the outcome had been better than it was. It is what it is. The 24-hour rule is over and the focus is moving on to Connecticut."

The Orange hosts the Huskies on Saturday at 7 in the final home game of the season. For the occasion, Robinson said he's considering the possibility of playing two quarterbacks - Cameron Dantley and Andrew Robinson.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC tailback Broderick Green, a redshirt freshman from Arkansas, will no longer practice with the team and will transfer at the end of the fall semester, Coach Pete Carroll confirmed Sunday.

Green did not suit up for the Trojans' 17-3 victory over California on Saturday night, a win that helped move the Trojans up one spot to No. 6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

USCfootball.com, a website not affiliated with the university, reported late Saturday night that Green had told coaches he intended to transfer because of family reasons.

"If this is what he wants to do, I'll try to help him any way that we can," Carroll said on Sunday.

Carroll acknowledged that playing time also had a role in Green's request to be released from his scholarship.


"I think the number of guys he's battling against was a concern," Carroll said. "Somewhere in there, that was one of his concerns, but he has a lot of things that are weighing on him."

Green, who has rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns in 32 carries, could not be reached for comment.

But in a statement posted on Carroll’s website, Green cited his grandmother's health as the reason he will leave USC.

"Because of unforeseen family health issues with my maternal grandmother who raised me and my mother, I have asked the University of Southern California to grant me a scholarship release at the end of the semester," Green said. "Over the last few weeks, as I have tried to maintain the desire to be a part of the USC football family, a stronger desire to be closer to family in this time of need has emerged."

Shaq-tastic! Evans Verbals to ND

Notre Dame truly is a magical place, no doubt about that. Today, Shaquelle Evans echoed those sentiments by becoming the Fighting Irish's 17th verbal commitment for the 2009 class.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Evans visited Notre Dame for the first time the weekend of Sept. 27th, and watched the Irish beat Purdue, 38-21.

“I’m about a month removed from the trip and I still feel that way,” Evans told Irish Eyes on Thursday night. “I felt good about it when I first left there, and I still feel good about it now. It’s a good place I can accomplish my goals, and I feel it’s the best for me."

In what is becoming a staple in the Irish offense, Notre Dame is getting some of the best receivers in the land. Here's what ESPN had to say about the latest Irish recruit:

He is a true difference-maker in the return game and moves like a smaller, quicker receiver in the open field. Has good size and has room on his frame to get even bigger. Shows an explosive surge off the ball and eats up a cushion quickly. Uses his body effectively to shield defenders from the ball. He isn't afraid to go over the middle and can catch in traffic. Has big, soft, strong hands. Can pull the ball away from defenders when fighting for it in the air.

Asked during his press conference about what made his decision easy was the Notre Dame community and atmosphere. “What made Notre Dame special to me was the fans. The fans were passionate and the students are supportive, they stand up the whole game carrying their team. Everybody was into the game. It was crazy to see that. A great college town. That helps out a lot when you have fans like that behind you."

Buzz Around Team Camps 11/7/08

Catch the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Friday, November 7th:

San Diego St. via http://www.signonsandiego.com

Despite negotiations that have dragged on for almost a year, San Diego State and the city of San Diego have failed to reach a new long-term agreement for the Aztecs to play football at Qualcomm Stadium.

Now the two sides may be forced to work out a short-term, two-game permit that will allow SDSU to finish the season at the city-owned venue.
SDSU's long-term lease to play at the stadium expired at the end of last season. To be able to play its first four home games this season, SDSU signed a short-term permit that expired last week.

The sticking points on a long-term deal have been rent and costs. The city has said it has lost money on Aztecs games and doesn't believe city taxpayers should be responsible for subsidizing SDSU's football program while it fails to draw fans. SDSU, meanwhile, has been strapped for cash and wants to minimize any rent increase or additional costs.

“I think they understand the city has subsidized the program to a certain extent, and I think it's fair to say we'd like to be able to recover our costs and earn a little bit of rent, whatever that is,” stadium manager Mike McSweeney said.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Though Michigan has struggled through Rich Rodriguez's first season as coach, there's little rest for the Wolverines in their last three games. The home stretch starts with this Saturday's matchup with Minnesota. The Gophers offense may be one-dimensional, says Ann Arbor News Wolverines reporter John Heuser says, but it's certainly high-powered.

"Minnesota's offense certainly is one-dimensional," Heuser points out during his weekly noon Q&A. "There's very little running going on there, but I don't see anyone putting the clamps on (Gophers receiver Eric) Decker.

"Plus, the Minnesota defense is solid this year, leading the country in takeaways. I like their chances against Michigan's backup QBs."

Michigan St. via http://www.freep.com

As the only Big Ten team to play 10 games so far, Michigan State is in need of a pit stop. However, with an important game coming up against Purdue at noon Saturday in Spartan Stadium (Big Ten Network), the Spartans say they can stay on the track as long as necessary to get the win.

No. 18 MSU, the nation's only 8-2 team, are banged up and running on fumes, especially on defense. However, the Spartans can expect their aches and pains to be minimized by the fact Saturday will be the senior's final home game and they will have a week to rest and heal before heading to Happy Valley to face Penn State on Nov. 22. MSU has lost seven in a row at Penn State.

If MSU beats Purdue, the Spartans would play the Nittany Lions for at least a share of the Big Ten championship.

"After 10 games, you get kind of worn down," MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said this week. "There are only two Top 25 teams right now that have played 10 games.

"We're one, and (No. 11) TCU is the other. Everyone else got a bye week someplace in the middle. We played 10 physical games, and it takes a toll on everyone."

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Curtis Painter or Justin Siller? Who will get the starting nod at quarterback when Purdue lines up Saturday to take on No. 18 Michigan State?

Coach Joe Tiller insists it will come down to a late-week, possibly a game-time, decision. The impact has obvious repercussions on the two main characters in this saga, but what affect does the QB roulette game have on the other Boilermaker players on offense?

"As a teammate, the biggest thing for us is to just be positive and helpful to both of them," center Cory Benton said. "And try to make them feel as comfortable as they can be while they're on the field, because we know they'll have their own battles.

"The good thing is that they're two very good quarterbacks. Now that we have two who can play and win a football game, that's going to help us a lot. Either one of them out there is fine with me. They both bring a lot to the table."

Pittsburgh via http://www.post-gazette.com

Coach Dave Wannstedt and Matt Cavanaugh said Bill Stull will play against Louisville. He has practiced both days this week and said there has been no lingering effects from his concussion. "It is still early but he had a good day yesterday and we're encouraged by that. I think he'll be fine," Cavanaugh said. Cavanaugh was then asked if he had ever taken a hit like Stull did and he quipped: "Yeah, but it never caused any alarm back then, they just said, 'Get up and go play again.' But they are a lot smarter now. I'm teasing, it really is a scary thing." ... The only other injury concern is at defensive tackle where Tommie Duhart (ankle) is still questionable. Wannstedt said that if Duhart can't go, redshirt freshman Myles Caragein will step in and take his reps for the second week in a row.

Boston College via http://www.boston.com

Boston College sophomore kicker Billy Bennett has been suspended, meaning senior Steve Aponavicius's role will increase significantly.

"Billy Bennett has been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules,'' said Jagodzinski before practice this afternoon. "And that's all that I will say about it.''

Bennett and Aponavicius had shared the Eagles' kicking duties this season, with Bennett handling most of the kickoff duties and Aponavicius kicking the field goals.

Although Jagodzinski had designated Bennett as his "long range'' kicker, the 6-foot-1-inch, 204-pound sophomore had yet to even attempt a field goal, while Aponavicius handled the short range kicks (7 of 10, his longest coming from 36 yards) and the extra-point attempts.

Bennett, who had a back problem which sidelined him for a stretch last season, had made all but one kickoff this season, but had only three touchbacks. That had been an issue for Jagodzinski last season as he looked for better field three position for his defensive unit.

Aponavicius said he was ready to handle his expanded duties.

"I think I can get the ball down there consistently,'' said Aponavicius. "I've done it before and I can do it again.''

The Eagles will be down two more players for the game against Clemson. Defensive tackle Jerry Willette injured his left knee in last week's 45-24 loss to North Carolina. He had arthroscopic surgery Monday and will miss the game.

Also, redshirt freshman guard John Elliott is out with a disc problem in his back, which could require surgery. He had an operation on the same disc last season.

Southern Cal via http://www.latimes.com

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez overcame a dislocated kneecap in training camp and other physical setbacks to enter Saturday's game against California as the Pacific 10 Conference's passing efficiency leader.

Sanchez, however, turned in perhaps his grittiest performance of the season during practice Thursday after suffering an ankle injury, apparently during warmups.

Sanchez missed a few early drills while getting his ankle and foot taped, and then rejoined the workout with his shoe wrapped to the size of a small football. The junior took all of the first-team snaps, but hobbled on rollouts after handoffs, grimaced repeatedly when out of view from teammates and conversed several times with team trainers.

Coach Pete Carroll said he was unaware of any problem with the quarterback, who has recently been counseled by offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to keep his emotions in check while moving from one play to the next.

Meantime, tailback Joe McKnight made it through the week without aggravating a toe injury that forced him to sit out two of the last three games. Carroll said the sophomore would play against Cal.

"I've been kind of holding my breath a little bit because I want to get him back out there and get him on the field for us," Carroll said. "Having [Friday] and all the way till Saturday night helps him as well.

"He looked 100% out here practicing all week long and he was determined to show that too."

Quick Kicks via http://conquestchronicles.com

Nose tackle Averell Spicer (ankle) did not practice but did a few running drills on the sideline. It is doubtful that he will play against Cal. . . . Tight end Blake Ayles (knee) did not practice and also is doubtful for Saturday's game. . . . USC has not lost to Cal at the Coliseum since 2000, when the Golden Bears won 28-16.

Notre Dame at Boston College: Tale of the Tape

A couple of teams trying to find their way back into the win column clash at Alumni Stadium this weekend, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish tangle with the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill. The Irish were involved in a thriller this past weekend, unfortunately, they ended up on the short end of a 36-33 four-overtime decision against Pittsburgh. It was the second setback in the past three games for ND, which dipped to 5-3 on the campaign. To make matters worse, the Irish now head back out to the road, where they have won just once in three tries. As for BC, it too is coming off a loss, suffering a 27-21 setback at the hands of Clemson. It was the second straight defeat, as the Eagles fell to 5-3 overall and 3-2 at home. BC, though has owned ND of late, winning the last five meetings dating back to 2001. The Irish however, still own a 9-8 edge in the head-to-head series.

Offensively, Notre Dame has improved greatly from a season ago, as it is gaining 121.8 ypg on the ground and 263.7 ypg through the air for an average of 27.4 ppg. Last weekend, the Irish totaled 386 yards of offense, but they had to settle for four field goal attempts in the overtimes, failing on their last try in a 36-33 loss to Pittsburgh. Jimmy Clausen guided the club in defeat, converting on 23-of-44 pass attempts for 271 yards and three touchdowns. It was another solid outing from the emerging quarterback, who has now thrown for 2,103 yards, with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season. Michael Floyd and Golden Tate are his two most dangerous weapons in the passing game and they have accounted for 78 catches, 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns. In last weekend's loss, Floyd grabbed 10 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, while Tate pulled in six balls for 111 yards and a score. Armando Allen paced the ground attack with 73 yards on 19 carries versus Pittsburgh, and he continues to lead the team with 433 yards on the season.

The Irish aren't the best defensive team around, but they have done a rather nice job in holding opponents to only 20.9 ppg. The unit is limiting foes to 127.8 rushing ypg and 206.8 passing ypg and has forced 17 turnovers, including 10 by way of interception. Last weekend, ND did a decent job in limiting Pittsburgh to 346 total yards, although the defense gave up a majority of those yards in the fourth quarter and overtime. The defense though, did record three interceptions and two sacks, giving the Irish a chance to win. David Bruton guided ND in the loss with 16 stops and interception, while Raeshon McNeil had two picks of his own. Bruton now ranks second on the team tackles (73) and first in interceptions (three) and he also has two forced fumbles to his name.

Behind 149.9 rushing ypg and 184.8 passing ypg the Eagles have been able to produce 28.0 ppg this season, but that number would be higher if they could just hang onto the ball, committing 20 turnovers. Last weekend, BC turned the ball over twice and managed just 236 total yards in a 27-21 loss to Clemson. Quarterback Chris Crane completed just 18-of-39 tosses for only 116 yards and a score and he added 27 rushing yards on four carries in the setback. The versatile quarterback has struggled some this season and has thrown just eight touchdowns against 12 picks. He however, does pace BC with seven rushing scores. Brandon Robinson is Crane's top target with 27 catches and 444 yards, and he performed well last weekend, snaring five passes for 60 yards and a score. In the backfield, BC is led by the duo of Montel Harris and Josh Haden, who have combined for 684 yards and five touchdowns.

Defensively, BC had gotten off to a good start this season but has shown some vulnerability of late. After holding foes to just 6.5 ppg through their first four outings, the Eagles have surrendered 31.5 ppg over their past four contests. Still, the defense has done great work in limiting foes to just 274.8 total ypg, while forcing 22 turnovers (14 interceptions). In last weekend's loss, BC's defense played rather well, holding Clemson to 339 total yards and forcing four turnovers. Mike McLaughlin had seven stops and a pick in the game, while Mark Herzlich logged six tackles and an interception. Herzlich currently leads the Eagles in tackles (68) and TFLs (seven) and he is tied for first with three interceptions.

The Irish appear to have the more potent offense here, but the Eagles have the edge on defense. BC also has a big advantage hosting this game and with the support of its home crowd and a stout effort from the defense, but they have been struggling mightily on their pass defense. So look for the Fighting Irish to emerge victorious for their second road win of the season and officially become bowl eligible.

Notre Dame 31
Boston College 24

Boston College Injury Report
LB Brian Toal (10/19, broken right fibula) will miss the remainder of the season
LB Mike Morrissey (11/2, appendectomy) is questionable
WR Dominick Magazu (8/30, personal) has left the team
DE Brady Smith (4/23, personal/legal) was dismissed from the team

Notre Dame Injury Report
FB Luke Schmidt (10/1, headaches) is out indefinitely
TE Will Yeatman (10/1, disciplinary/legal) will miss the remainder of the season
DB Jashaad Gaines (9/12, personal) is out indefinitely
CB Darrin Walls (8/27, personal) will miss the fall semester
TE Mike Ragone (8/23, left knee surgery) will miss the entire season

Team Leaders
Receptions: BC Robinson (27), ND Floyd (41)
Rec. Yards: BC Robinson (444), ND Tate (676)
Rushing Atts: BC Harris (73), ND Allen (96)
Rushing Yds: BC Harris (411), ND Allen (433)
Pass Atts: BC Crane (255), ND Clausen (289)
Pass Comp: BC Crane (143), ND Clausen (172)
Pass Yards: BC Crane (1,427), ND Clausen (2,103)
Comp %: BC Crane (56.1), ND Clausen (59.5)
TD passes: BC Crane (8), ND Clausen (18)
INTs: BC Crane (12), ND Clausen (9)

Keys to the Notre Dame vs. Boston College Game

Last week's four overtime loss not only took it's toll on the Fighting Irish, it took Weisgipper a week to recover! The importance of this game is vital for the remainder of both squad's season. Not only does a win guarantee a bowl eligibility but bragging rights for this so-called sibling rivalry.

After coming off a 36-33 loss to Pittsburgh, Notre Dame has remained upbeat for their trip to Boston. The Eagles on the other hand, are on a two-game losing streak in which their defense has given up a lot of yardage through the air.

1.) No Huddle, Five-wide. The Irish need to establish a rhythm on offense, and their best way of doing that is by spreading the defense going four and five wide sets. Notre Dame needs to disrupt the Boston College defense and put them on their heels throughout. If Clausen and the boys can start off hot through the air, the Eagles will have a hard time keeping up matching score.

The last two weeks, the Eagles have given up an average of 245 yards through the air against North Carolina and Clemson. Both of those teams do not have the caliber of receivers the Irish have. Look for Michael Floyd and Golden Tate to have their usual games. David Grimes will be a key factor if he is a definite go, while Kyle Rudolph needs to make his presence known down the middle of the field.

Notre Dame is just too talented in this phase of the contest not to dominate.

2.) Force the Eagles to throw. Boston College is not the most stout offensive team the Irish will face this season. In fact, the Eagles offense rates 82nd in the nation in total offense (334 yards per game). One area where they struggle mightily is passing. BC quarterback Chris Crane has struggled most of the season throwing 12 interceptions and 8 touchdowns, while completing only 56% of his passes.

The Irish defense will have to stuff the Boston College rushing attack and force the Eagles to pass. If Notre Dame can score quickly like they have done in recent games, it will make it a lot harder for BC to get into a scoring match.

3.) Contain Crane in the Pocket. Crane is not what I call a speedster, but he can be quite effective on the ground. This season Crane has made the most out of his runs by leading the Eagles with 7 rushing touchdowns. The Irish will have to keep him in check and not convert third downs with his legs.

If Notre Dame can maintain the dominance on third down conversations, the Irish will be in good shape for their second road win of the season.

4.) Kicking with confidence. I know a lot of folks want to point the blame on last Saturday's loss on Brandon Walker, but that's just not the case. For Notre Dame to be successful against Boston College, they'll need the leg of Walker to come through. After starting out the season 1-7, Walker has connected on 7 of his last 8 attempts.

The Eagles' Steve Aponavicius is not that much better in the accuracy department as he has made only 58.3% of his kicks.

If it does come down to a kicking battle, Walker will have to step up and kick with the confidence he has shown the last couple of games.

5.) Blitz bonanza. Boston College has yet to face a squad this season that blitzes as much as the Irish do. Guys like Harrison Smith, Kyle McCarthy, Brian Smith, and Sergio Brown will be licking their chops to get into the Boston College backfield.

If the Irish can apply pressure and hurry Crane, and get around 5 tackles for losses against the Eagles, Notre Dame will win this game.

Like the Fighting Irish, Boston College really doesn't have that signature win this season. The Eagles best win so far has been their last, a 28-23 victory over Virginia Tech. While both teams come in on a losing note, BC is really struggling mightily to get back in stride. This contest will be another classic in the Notre Dame - Boston College series.