Hawaii Five-O Pt. 6: The Mele Kalikimaka Edition

The sixth and final installment of our look back at Hawaii's 2008 season recaps the final three contests of the Warriors regular season.

After winning only their second contest on the road, Hawaii closed out the regular season with their remaining games at Aloha Stadium starting with the Warriors matchup with Idaho.

For the second straight game Hawaii got production from both sides of the ball to steamroll to its most lopsided win of the year 49-17 over the Vandals. Greg Alexander completed 14-of-24 passes for 264 yards and a career-high three touchdowns to power the Warrior offense. Malcolm Lane caught four passes for a career high 144 yards and two touchdowns, while Daniel Libre scored two rushing touchdowns.

The Warrior defense was just as impressive as they held Idaho to 219, picked off three passes, and recovered one fumble. Hawaii also set a season high in sacks with seven, as they held the Vandals to 49 yards on the ground.

Hawaii made quick use of their offensive possessions as they had four touchdown drives lasting 30 seconds or less, while another was just 68 seconds long.

Next up for the Warriors was an out of conference contest with Washington State. Hawaii got off to a quick start and despite missing numerous opportunities, won comfortably against the Cougars 24-10.

Hawaii was in complete control of the game early, though the Cougars hung around through the final quarter. The Warriors never trailed, but needed a late third quarter touchdown to help seal the win.

Once again Greg Alexander led the Hawaii attack as he threw for a career-best 315 yards on 19-of-34 passing. Wide receiver Greg Salas led a potent Hawaii receiving corps with a career-high 131 receiving yards on seven receptions. Aaron Bain (71) and Michael Washington (81) also combined for 152 yards receiving.

Meanwhile, the Warrior defense held Washington State to just 10 points and 196 yards of offense, both season lows for a Hawaii opponent. The defense recorded five sacks and recovered two fumbles.

Big East Champ Cincinnati rounded out the regular season finale for the Warriors, who blew a 14-pt. lead with 12:36 remaining in the game, and lost 29-24.

Hawaii trailed 10-0 for much of the first half before rallying with 24 straight points of their own which spanned three quarters before the Bearcats rally. Warrior QB Greg Alexander completed 28-of-42 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw one interception that ignited the Cincinnati squad.

The Warriors were not very disciplined against the Bearcats being penalized 11 times for 109 yards and gave up five sacks.

Senior Day was a downer, but a home bowl game against the Fighting Irish was looming as they try and finish off the 2008 campaign with another winning record.

The X Factor: Zach Hillesland is the Key to the Irish Success

Coming into this season many were worried who could step in Rob Kurz's spot of doing the dirty work for the Fighting Irish. So far it has been off and on, but Notre Dame needs Zach Hillesland to be the aggressor.

It couldn't have been more evident last Saturday when the Irish squeaked out a close one at home to Boston University. Hillesland was a lot more active than he was in previous contests as he scored 11 points, pulled down four rebounds, dished out three assists, and had three steals in 28 minutes of action. He was a lot more aggressive on both ends of the court and will hopefully continue that as conference play looms.

Hillesland has to be that way if this Irish team wants to get where they want to go. Luke Harangody has to bring the double-doubles. Tory Jackson has to the facilitator and heartbeat, but you really need Hillesland to be active and aggressive. And when he is like that, he's a matchup nightmare in the Big East.

There's really no one in the conference, maybe one or two players, that can get it off the defensive backboard at 6-9, push the pace up the floor with the dribble, and try and find the open man. When Hillesland is doing that, and screening for guys like Kyle McAlarney, that's when he is the most effective for the Irish.

Against Ohio State he got into early foul trouble that put Notre Dame at a disadvantage early on and got them out of any rhythm. You really had to look back at the final box score and think how long was he in the game, because he really didn't do anything that would make you believe he was on the court.

So if he stays out of foul trouble and doesn't take it upon himself to score many points, because Notre Dame has plenty of guys that will be able to score; he can be active the way Coach Brey and the Irish need him to be. If that happens then this Irish team will be more difficult to matchup against this season in the Big East.

Another X-Factor that might loom large in conference play could be the human highlight reel in Carleton Scott. Nobody on this squad is better playing above the rim than Scott. He's an absolute freak when it comes to being an athlete. I know I'm throwing a Tom Lemming recruiting term around, but just the way he plays reminds me of a young Ryan Humphrey.

When Humphrey was donning the Blue and Gold, you'd think where ever he was on the court he'd slam it down. Whether if he drove down the lane and threw it down or on the other end and swatted it away up into the gold seats of the JACC, Carleton Scott has all those features which could make him a important commodity.

Scott sat out all of last year to preserve that year of eligibility. He's still coming along slowly and it would be very nice for Brey to get him going in the rotation. But with the way Brey works his rotation, only eight guys are playing double-digit minutes. Scott is on the verge of playing six, seven, maybe eight minutes a game, but he needs to step it up a little more if he wants to see the floor.

Again if this team is going to do something special, they'll need a contribution from Carleton Scott somewhere along the line. Whether it's Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, UConn, or any other Big East foe, he'll have to come through with a pretty good showing.

Hawaii Five-O Pt. 5: The Brady Bunch Tiki Idol Edition

Today's installment of the Warriors 2008 football season centers around games nine and ten.

As bad as many Irish fans felt when they lost 24-23 to Syracuse, Hawaii fans felt just as bad when the Warriors suffered one of its most disappointed losses of the season, falling to Utah State, 30-14. Once again, Hawaii had a tough time away from the friendly confines of Aloha Stadium.

This was a game of missed opportunities for the Warriors who out-gained Utah State (374-368), but failed to score on three first-and-goal opportunities and had a field goal blocked by the Aggie defense.

Greg Alexander, making his first start since the season-opener at Florida, finished 13-of-27 for 186 yards and one touchdown for the Warriors. The junior quarterback also added 57 yards of rushing, including a 9-yard touchdown run.

Michael Lane led the Warrior receivers with seven catches for 77 yards, while Daniel Libre rushed for 59 yards on seven carries.

The lingering effects of the loss to Utah State didn't last long as the Warriors won their second game on the mainland, this time defeating New Mexico State 42-30. Hawaii rebounded by exploding for a season-high in points (49) and yards (447). The Warriors also got its second defensive touchdown of the season.

Once again Greg Alexander led the Warrior offense by completing 26-of-32 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The junior quarterback also ran for a score, the second straight week that has happened. After sitting out last week, Kealoha Pilares returned with 99 yards of total offense on 10 catches and two runs.

Hawaii won the total yardage battle as well, out gaining New Mexico State 447 to 400. Despite giving up 394 yards through the air, the Warriors intercepted two passes, including one returned 91 yards by DB Ryan Mouton for a game changing touchdown.

With this win, Hawaii evened it's overall record to 5-5 on the season and are putting together some cohesiveness on offense with Alexander under center.

Tomorrow we'll concluded our look at the Hawaii Warriors 2008 season with their three remaining contests against Idaho, Washington State, and Cincinnati.

Buzz Around Team Camps 12/18/08

Here's the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Thursday, December 18th:

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

Brady Hoke, San Diego State's new football coach, said yesterday that he is in the midst of ongoing discussions with Ball State Athletic Director Tom Collins and Cardinals offensive coordinator Stan Parrish regarding the latter's potential hiring as the Aztecs' offensive coordinator.

Under Parrish, who worked with Hoke for six years at Michigan before joining Hoke's staff at Ball State in 2005, the Cardinals ranked 11th nationally in total offense during the regular season.

On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Parrish, who likely will coach Ball State in Hoke's absence in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, is in line to become the Cardinals'head coach. Parrish and Collins denied the report. Attempts to contact Parrish yesterday were unsuccessful.

“Obviously, (Parrish) is the logical choice,” Hoke said. “In talking with Stan and with Tom Collins, I think they're still going through the gyrations of everything that goes along with a situation like that. (Parrish) hasn't made a decision, but we'll have more contact and see where it goes.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Following a season in which the University of Michigan football team allowed the most points in school history, defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has resigned.

The university announced the resignation in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

"Scott and I agreed that moving in a different direction was in the best interest of the program," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said in a written statement. "I appreciate Scott's hard work on behalf of Michigan football the past year. He is a good football coach, a good person and a true professional. We wish him well in the future."

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

Michigan State running back Javon Ringer has added another honor to his nation-leading 477 carries and 1,590 rushing yards and school-record 21 touchdowns. On Tuesday, Ringer was named first-team All-American by The Associated Press.

"By playing for Michigan State, I've been fortunate enough to have an opportunity to perform on a national stage," Ringer said in a statement released by MSU. "In this offensive system, I've been asked to play an important role, and that's certainly not something that I've shied away from.

"I've taken my share of hard hits, but I've been fortunate to play the entire season with just some bumps and bruises. I also have to give credit to all of my teammates, but especially my offensive line, fullbacks and tight ends. Those are the guys that gave me room to showcase my ability."

Last week, Ringer became MSU's 77th All-American when he was selected to the Walter Camp All-America team. He was the first Spartan running back named to the team since Lorenzo White was a consensus selection in 1987.

Stanford via http://gostanford.cstv.com

Adding another impressive honor to his 2008 season, Stanford defensive end Tom Keiser was named to the Sporting News All-Freshman first team today. Keiser, who finished among the Pac-10 Conference leaders in sacks and forced fumbles, earned a spot on CollegeFootballNews.com's All-Freshman second team last week and also garnered honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades.

Keiser burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2008, ranking third in the Pac-10 Conference in forced fumbles per game (0.25) and was 10th in the conference in sacks (6.0). The Wexford, PA native played in all 12 games, compiling 24 total tackles (17 solo efforts) and two pass breakups.

Keiser is one of only two Pac-10 players to land a spot on the Sporting News All-Freshman team, joining Arizona State defensive tackle Lawrence Guy.

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

With an offensive coordinator hired, defensive coordinator now becomes the most high-profile opening left on UW's coaching staff.

Rocky Seto of USC turned it down Tuesday and explains why in a blog item in the Orange Country Register.

Former New Mexico coach Rocky Long has been rumored as another possibility. Sarkisian said only that he had a couple of guys in mind and that no offers had been made.

Louisville DC Ron English has also been rumored, but this report says he is also in the mix to be the head coach at Eastern Michigan and one source indicated English wasn't all that interested in coming to UW.

Indications are also that DeWayne Walker doesn't have much interest in coming to UW, either.

The story with English mentions instead that Walker could be a candidate for the DC job at LSU, one of several big-name schools that has an opening for coordinator, including Clemson, Syracuse, and most recently Michigan, which opened Tuesday.

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

Pitt Coach Dave Wannstedt formally announced yesterday that freshman Shayne Hale (Gateway) has moved from linebacker to defensive end. Wannstedt said Hale had a good scrimmage Monday at defensive end and "has a chance to be real good there." ... Redshirt junior defensive back Dan Cafaro was named a finalist for the Rudy award, which annually goes to a college football player who "demonstrate exemplary character, courage, contribution and commitment as members of their team." The award is named for Rudy Reuttiger, former Notre Dame player and inspiration for the movie "Rudy."

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

The Syracuse University football team could sure use another tight end. Here's one who apparently is looking for a new home. This was reported by John Jiloty of Insidelacrosse.com:

Inside Lacrosse has learned that Will Yeatman has asked for and received his release from Notre Dame and is in the process of transferring. The 6-foor-6, 260-pound lacrosse attackman and football tight end played one season for the Irish lacrosse team. In 2007, he earned honorable mention All-American honors after scoring 21 goal and 25 assists.

His next destination is unknown, though a source told IL that it most likely will be a school where he can play both lacrosse and football. The release is still being finalized and it likely will go through, according to a source and an online article by the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

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

Linebacker Rey Maualuga was announced Wednesday night as USC's most valuable player during the team's annual awards banquet at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel.

Maualuga, a senior from Eureka, also has been selected to several All-American teams, was the Pacific 10 Conference defensive player of the year and won the Bednarik Award.

Maualuga sat out one game because of a knee injury but still has a team-best 73 tackles and also two interceptions for the Trojans, who resume practice today in preparation for the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl game against Penn State.

Other team award winners: Senior defensive end Kyle Moore (most inspirational); sophomore center Kristofer O'Dowd (offensive lineman); senior defensive tackle Fili Moala (defensive lineman); senior kicker David Buehler and senior defensive end Clay Matthews (special teams).

Quick Kicks
Maualuga and safety Taylor Mays were selected to the ESPN.com All-America and the Sporting News All-American teams. . . . Linebacker Brian Cushing was selected to SI.com's All-American team. . . . Jared Blank, USC's assistant director of football operations, will join Steve Sarkisian's staff at Washington as director of player personnel. Former USC graduate assistant Demetrice Martin was hired to coach the secondary. . . . The Trojans are tentatively scheduled to practice today through Sunday at 1 p.m. and Monday at 11 a.m. They will be off Tuesday through Christmas Day.

Hawaii via http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com

The Warriors spent the past three days working on techniques and fundamentals. But they already have studied videos of the Fighting Irish, and crafted a game plan. Because of the extra days afforded for bowl preparation, McMackin used the final hour of yesterday's practice "to have some fun and get some looks" at developing players.

"It was really competitive," McMackin said. "They were going back and forth. It was fun. You've got to have some fun when you're playing this game, especially deep into the season as we are."

Hawaii Five-O Pt. 4: Give Me Some Poi Edition

The fourth part of our look back at Hawaii's 2008 Football season takes us to the Warriors contests with Boise State and Nevada.

After winning two straight over rival WAC foes, Hawaii traveled to Boise and faced the 15th ranked Broncos. The Warriors held Boise State to its lowest first-half point total of the season and trailed just 10-7 at the break. But once again turnovers would prove to be very costly to Hawaii.

The Warriors turned the ball over four times in the second half, including its first two possessions after the break, to allow the Broncos to pull away and secure their 27-7 victory. In all Hawaii's Inoke Funaki threw five interceptions with Boise State sophomore defensive back Brandyn Thompson recording three of the picks.

The Warriors came out strong on both sides of the ball to begin the game. The Warrior defense forced Boise State to punt after four offensive plays. The Hawaii offense took over on its own 14-yard line and proceeded on a 15-play drive that took nearly half the quarter. The Warriors, however, saw the drive stall deep in Bronco territory when they were stuffed on a fourth-and-one.

Hawaii once again was held under 300 yards of total offense (288) and gave up seven sacks to the Broncos.

Getting back to the island was all what the Warriors needed as Greg Alexander connected with Malcolm Lane for a 24-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining to lift Hawaii to a 38-31 victory over Nevada.

Alexander took the reigns of the Warrior offense after Funki went down in the first half. And Alexander didn't disappoint. The junior quarterback finished 17-of-22 from 205 yards and two touchdowns in one half’s work.

Hawaii won despite being out-gained 481-331. Hawaii had just 42 yards of offense in the first half but the Warrior defense and special teams helped the team stake a 14-10 lead at the half.

The Warriors pulled off the win after a fourth-quarter rally by the Wolf Pack. Nevada erased a 14-point deficit and tied the game with 1:31 left before Alexander's last second heroics.

Hawaii has now evened their record to 4-4 with two road contests looming at WAC doormats Utah State and New Mexico State. Will the Warriors struggle once again on the road are will they come out prevailing?

Come back tomorrow to find out!

Yeatman's Journey Still Has Plenty of Forks in the Road

He was going back and forth for quite some time with his decision, but Will Yeatman is officially transferring from the University of Notre Dame. While he has made up his mind of leaving, there are still a few other entanglements involved here.

As we all know Yeatman is a good football player and an exceptional Lacrosse player, where he earned All-America honors as a Freshman. He requested permission to talk to some schools on this past Monday, Dec. 15, and was granted that permission to do so.

Will's indecisiveness has been going on since December 5th and has been in talks with both coaches and administrators about possibilities. There were a lot of NCAA rules he had to navigate, as well as, some Notre Dame policies which will make any one's head spin.

He definitely will be playing both football and lacrosse at some institution in the near future. The question now will be how soon?

Many will be wondering if whether his decision was based on the coaches or his teammates. Rest a assure that Yeatman's decision was 100% based on the non-athletic related issues. Basically what happened is that Will feels that both sets of coaches and teammates were extremely supportive. What he can't get past and what tried to do was serve his suspension and move forward. Yeatman is not a kid that is trying to duck any punishment.

He just felt like that he couldn't start over. He did take it upon himself and said numerous times to everyone that he wanted to start over and show everyone that he's of good character and can make significant contributions to the university on and off the fields. But there were other folks on campus that wouldn't let Will do that (Student Affairs and Residence Life Offices).

So Will thought maybe a fresh start is what everybody needs so that's when he decided to talk to his respective coaches. Coach Weis was very understanding and knew that North Carolina was a school that he always wanted to go to. In fact, when Yeatman was on his recruiting trip to Chapel Hill, Charlie called him and convinced him to come to Notre Dame. So UNC is the top school of where he wants to be.

The stickiness is that North Carolina is also a powerhouse in lacrosse, which happens to be on the Fighting Irish's schedule this spring. There are not a lot of schools, in fact there's 11 of them that play high level football and lacrosse. So once you take Notre Dame out of the mix, then the list narrows down to 10, and then you look at both the Irish's lacrosse and football schedules. After that, then you're pinpointing to 4 schools, which I'm not sure is real fair.

Banned List for Football
Navy: Definitely out because ND and the Middies play every year
Army: Play the Irish at Solider Field in 2010
Syracuse: Details are in the works, but definitely out as well

Banned List for Lacrosse
Air Force
Penn State
Ohio State
North Carolina
All of these schools play the Irish this season

Schools Left
Duke
Maryland
Rutgers
Virginia

This decision was something that came to Yeatman fairly recently. When everything came down originally after his latest arrest, which those charges were never filed for mind you, his first instincts were he should have left South Bend on the next plane. Instead he decided he's not going to run away from this and serve his punishment and try to start all over again here at Notre Dame. Basically he was taking his medicine and seeing how this thing wold play out.

But once October turned to November and November turned into December, the same kind of negative attitudes were coming at him. He felt that he could never start over again here, so then he decided why not go someplace where he can be happy at.

Again it had nothing to do with the football coaches or his teammates. They couldn't have been more supportive throughout this entire ordeal. Yeatman felt that another place of scenery would be the best for his well being. That's when he got the ball rolling on December 5th and met with both coaches. Coach Weis told him that he wouldn't stand in his way whatsoever.

But again there might be some entanglements that won't allow him to play lacrosse this spring and sit out another year. This will be the second year that Yeatman will be away from his best sport.

When he did speak with Coach Corrigan, there was a lot of tension because Corrigan stated a number of reasons why he should continue and stay in South Bend. Coming into this meeting, Yeatman was still undecided on whether or not he was leaving for another school. But after his meeting with Corrigan, he made up his mind and decided on another program.

When reached for comment yesterday, Coach Corrigan did not release anything about Will's status and North Carolina, except that he said this issue is still not over. So you can decide for yourself how he feels about Yeatman's decision.

Make no mistake about it, Will Yeatman loves Notre Dame, but he felt that this is not a good fit for him anymore. This was finally one of the better decisions he has made since he arrived to South Bend.

Best of luck Will on your future endeavors.

Hawaii Five-O Pt. 3: The Magnum P.I. Edition

The continuation of our six part series of the 2008 Hawaii Warrior Football season takes us to games five and six. After dropping two straight to Oregon State and lowly San Jose State at home, Hawaii started to gain some momentum beginning at Fresno State.

The Warriors pulled off the improbable with a 32-29 overtime win over No. 22 Fresno State, which saw Hawaii surrender a 17-point second-half lead and survive a last-minute field goal attempt by the Bulldogs to win the game in regulation.

Hawaii was out gained by Fresno State, 522-342, but won the turnover battle. A week after turning the ball over six times and losing on a last-minute field goal to San Jose State, Hawaii turned the tables at Fresno. The Warriors took advantage of six Bulldog turnovers to lead for nearly the entire game. The Warriors intercepted three Bulldog passes, including two picks by Keao Monteilh, and recovered three fumbles. UH turned four of those turnovers into 20 points.

The Warriors rushed for a season-high 172 yards, led by Quarterback Inoke Funaki's 79 yards. He also threw for 170 yards and 2 scores.

What was even more impressive was this was the first-ever Hawaii road win over a ranked opponent. Fresno State was 22nd coming into this matchup.

Game six saw the Warriors return back to Aloha Stadium for Homecoming against WAC foe Louisiana Tech. Once again Hawaii got off to a fast start and created opportunistic turnovers to beat the Bulldogs24-14.

The Warriors produced four turnovers—two fumbles and two interceptions— sealing its second straight WAC win. Funaki moved the Hawaii offense by passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. The junior completed 16-of-27 and finished with a career-high 224 yards.

The Warriors out-gained the Bulldogs 402-358 yards and allowed just 52 yards of total offense by Louisiana Tech in the second half, until the final drive with the game already decided.

As you can see, Hawaii is starting to gel as a team and protecting the football, while creating turnovers. Plus they are gaining needed leadership on offense from Fuanki.

Tomorrow we'll dive into the second half of the season with recaps of the Boise State and Nevada games.

Hawaii Five-O Pt. 2: The Don Ho Edition

This is the second part of our in depth look at the Hawaii Warriors 2008 campaign. The last time we left off, the Warriors were standing at 1-1 with their home opening win over FCS foe Weber State. But unfortunately for Hawaii, things would get worse before they got any better.

Game three included a trip out to Corvallis, against a good Oregon State team which beat up on the Warriors 45-7. In this contest, Hawaii had less total yards than any game in the last ten years (211 yards). Tyler Graunke got the start, which made him the third quarterback to play for the Warriors this season. The Beavers racked up a lot of rushing yards against Hawaii which was not atypical because Oregon State pounded the ball on almost everyone they faced this season.

So this was not the same Hawaii club we saw the previous year under June Jones and Colt Brennan as they were struggling early and dropped to 1-2 on the year.

The next week the Warriors faced WAC foe San Jose State. This was a real big surprise, because Hawaii generally plays great at Aloha Stadium and the Spartans are not that great, but lost to San Jose St. 20-17. And this showed they were a struggling football team. Losing to San Jose St. was, I'm sure; something Greg McMackin had not planned on at the beginning of the year.

Hawaii had six turnovers against the Spartans. They did a decent job defensively in holding San Jose St., but four interceptions and two fumbles was just too much to overcome. This was the Warriors second, six turnover performance of the season (Florida). That obviously was an early season problem the Warriors had to correct to right their ship.

One of the reasons why Hawaii turned it around was the play of quarterback Alexander. I'm not sure why it took so long for the Warriors to settle on him to be their quarterback. He started the first game, and then didn't get the not till the end of the year.

These were two very interesting games but this team does not look anything like games three and four. They made those changes at QB with Alexander as they finished up 7-6. The Warriors played very competitively against Cincinnati, which shows that they're a quality team that can play with anybody.

For the Fighting Irish, it's going to be very tough to win because the Warriors play extremely tough at Aloha Stadium and will be traveling quite a ways for the Christmas Eve showdown. It doesn't mean here's no reason why the Irish can't play the way they're capable of, unlike the second half of the season.

Last week, Tom Lemming said Notre Dame is definitely more talented than Hawaii, but then again, the Irish are more talented than 11 of the other teams they faced this season. At some point the talent will have to show up on the field. A good start would be 12/24/08!

Tomorrow will look back at Hawaii's contest with Fresno State and Louisiana Tech.

Buzz Around Team Camps 12/15/08

Catch up on the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Monday, December 15th:

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

San Diego State has hired Ball State head coach Brady Hoke as its new head football coach, sources close to the situation said. An announcement of his hiring could come as soon as today, after Hoke informs his players of his decision this morning.

Hoke, 50, was one of three finalists interviewed last week, along with UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker and former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione. Sources said Walker didn't have the best interview and that Franchione has been notified he is not the choice.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Fred Jackson realized that Sam McGuffie was struggling long before the University of Michigan freshman running back decided he wouldn't return for his sophomore season. Even before what turned out to be his only campaign in Ann Arbor began, McGuffie admitted he was homesick.

The News confirmed a Rivals.com report Friday that McGuffie had been granted his released, allowing him to transfer to a school closer to his home in Texas, ending speculation the speedy tailback wouldn't return.

Jackson, Michigan's running backs coach who talked to McGuffie nearly on a daily basis, wasn't surprised.

"(His issues) have been going on since he got here," Jackson told reporters at halftime of Michigan's 91-60 basketball win over Eastern Michigan. "It's just difficult. "The kid wanted to be here, but he just had things happen with family that weighed heavy on him. And because of those things, he couldn't concentrate."

McGuffie, who sustained two concussions during his freshman year, ran for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 118 carries in 10 games.

"He did the best he could," Jackson said. "I commend him for what he did - but there were a lot of things that happened that affected him. "When a kid's heart is in something else, it's going to be hard for him to help us."

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

The heat was on the Michigan State football team today. The Spartans practiced in hot conditions inside the Duffy Daughtery indoor football facility in preparation for their Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl game against Georgia in Orlando, Fla. Coach Mark Dantonio also had crowd noise and music blaring over loudspeakers.

Some might question the value of working out in an artificial environment with the belief it will get the players prepared for what they'll face on game day. But, quarterback Brian Hoyer said it worked last season when MSU played in the Champs Sports Bowl also at Citrus Bowl Stadium.

The difference is, the Champs Bowl was played in the evening while the Capital One will kick off at 1 p.m., although Hoyer didn't recall anybody having trouble with the heat during mid-day practices.

"It feels pretty hot in here and it probably won't even be as hot in Florida so we'll be prepared for it," Hoyer said. "I guess they assume that six days here in the heat will get us acclimated. I remember the first day we got down there last year it was real hot, but we gradually got used to it especially after practicing up here where it's about 80 degrees.

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

University of North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, linebacker Mark Paschal and linebcker/tight end Ryan Taylor were named the Tar Heels' Most Valuable Players at the 2008 senior football banquet Friday evening.

Nicks earned team MVP honors for the second consecutive season after setting school records for most receiving yards in a season (1,005) and career (2,623). A junior from Charlotte, N.C., Nicks tied the single-season record with nine touchdown receptions and was named first-team All-ACC. He enters the Meineke Car Care Bowl game vs. West Virginia, needing just four receptions to tie the school's all-time mark for catches.

Paschal started 11 games this year before a spine injury in the NC State game ended his career. He finished the season with 103 tackles, ranking fourth in the league in tackles per game. He also had 6.5 tackles for losses, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The Charlotte, N.C., native played in 47 consecutive games until the injury.

Taylor graded out as Carolina's top special teams player with 18 tackles. Against NC State, he became the first Tar Heel in several years to play offense, defense and special teams in the same game.

Washington via http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

The Washington Huskies are expected to announce a handful of new assistant coaches in the next day or two. And Sunday night, it was confirmed that Jim Michalczik will become the offensive coordinator for Steve Sarkisian's staff.

Michalczik has been the offensive-line coach at California the past seven years and was also the Bears' offensive coordinator in 2007. He is a Port Angeles native who played guard at Washington State from 1984 to 1988, playing alongside current Cougars coach Paul Wulff on the 1988 Aloha Bowl champs.

Michalczik told the Contra Costa Times Sunday night that "professionally, it was an offer I couldn't turn down."

While Michalczik will be the offensive coordinator, Sarkisian has said he will call the plays for the Huskies.

UW's defensive-coordinator spot is still uncertain as USC secondary coach Rocky Seto has yet to decide if he will accept an offer.

Boston College via http://bceagles.cstv.com

Sophomores Anthony Castonzo and Thomas Claiborne and true freshman Montel Harris were each honored by College Football News for their performances this season. Castonzo was a 2008 CFN All-Sophomore First Team selection while Claiborne was put on the second team. Harris was tabbed an honorable mention among the freshman class.

With Castonzo at left tackle and Claiborne at right guard, the BC offensive line has paved the way for two true freshmen running backs and a pair of first-year starters at quarterback. The Eagles have allowed just 21 sacks of QBs Chris Crane and Dominique Davis. They rank 49th in the country in sacks allowed (1.69) and 25th in tackles for a loss allowed (4.77).

The line also blocks for Harris and classmate Josh Haden. The duo is the second-best true freshman running back pair in the country, averaging 105.9 yards per game.

Harris has established new BC freshman rushing records with 832 yards and five 100-yard performances. He broke Shelby Gamble's 1976 record of 776 yards. Harris ranks third in the country in rushing among true freshman at 69.3 yards per game.

Syracuse via http://www.syracuse.com

Syracuse University head football coach Doug Marrone has been turned loose from his remaining duties as offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints in order to turn his full attention to his new position with the Orange men.

The Saints and Marrone mutually agreed to let him out of the final two games of the NFL season. Marrone had planned to finish out his duties with the Saints. The two sides made the decision on Saturday.

Marrone said he will be in Syracuse on Sunday after finishing packing up his belongings from his New Orleans coaching office. On Saturday, he said his goodbyes to players and coaches with the Saints.

"Today was a hard day," Marrone said. "Going into New Orleans ... these players that I've had ... they were so happy for me. It made it a lot easier."

Southern Cal www.latimes.com

Junior running back Stafon Johnson said he submitted paperwork Friday for an evaluation of his possible NFL draft position.

"I just want to know where I'm at, what I need to work on," said Johnson, who has 642 yards and nine touchdowns in a team-high 123 carries. "For the most part, I'm here to stay and that's my mind-set right now. After the Rose Bowl, we'll see what happens."

Quick Kicks
Linebacker Rey Maualuga and safety Taylor Mays were selected to the Football Writers Assn. of America and the cbssports.com All-American teams. . . . The Trojans will not practice again until Thursday.

Hawaii via http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com/

The Warriors are going to use the extra practice days as a mini camp, giving work to the redshirts and developing players. This will give them a boost for spring ball. Starting Wednesday, the Warriors will focus solely on Notre Dame.

Hawaii Five-O, err, I mean the Warrior 411

Who are these Hawaii Warriors you speak of? Well today will be the first installment of six covering Hawaii's 7-6 season, and leading up to their matchup with the Fighting Irish on December 23rd.

Hawaii Warriors
Conference: Western Athletic
Conference Record: 5-3, T-2nd
Home Record: 5-2
Road Record: 2-4
Best Win: at Fresno State 32-29, OT
Best Loss: Cincinnati 29-24

Head Coach: Greg McMackin, 1st Season

McMackin was named Hawaii's head coach January of this year after June Jones left to take the head coaching position at SMU. He became the 21st Coach of the program's history and served two stints as defensive coordinator in 1999 and 2007.

Prior to joining Hawaii in 1999, McMackin was a defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks for four seasons under former coach Dennis Erikson.

So he's been around for quite some time now. He's a defensive oriented guy, but he obviously doesn't have the weapons on defense to get the job done because this Hawaii team gave up a ton of points this year (27.3). They were 72nd in the FBS in scoring defense, and gave up a lot of points to big name teams.

National Rankings

Offense
Rushing: 107th (99.3 ypg)
Passing: 33rd (245 ypg)
Total: 74th (344 ypg)

Definitely a huge drop off from last season's squad that made it to the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.

Defense
Rushing: 73rd (148 ypg)
Passing: 54th (203.85 ypg)
Passing Eff.: 64th (126.3)
Total: 59th (351 ypg)

One statistic that pops out that should make Irish fans hopeful is Hawaii's pass efficiency numbers. Being 54th in the nation is alright, but then when you look at the Quarterbacks they faced, it should give Notre Dame some reason they could move the ball down the field with ease through the air.

This season it seems like when the Warriors were on the road they were not a very good team, and even when they were at home they were not as dominate as they have been. Hawaii was 5-2 at home this season, and are 22-4 over their last 26 games. So playing them on their own carpet is not an easy task for the Fighting Irish whatsoever.

Hawaii's pass offense is still pass happy as they threw 452 passes this year. They did give up 49 sacks, which is one of their weaknesses and one of the worst in the FBS. They're still dangerous because they can score a little. Anytime you throw that much in that system you have to be ready for it.

In terms of the start of the year Hawaii lost 14 starters. They had 12 returners, only four on offense (3 OL and 1 RB), and on defense they had five returning starters. They did have three speciality players back, so this was a team that didn't have a lot of key guys back. But this was a program that had been making some noise in the previous years under Coach Jones. So I guess we'll have to give Colt Brennan a lot of credit because he put up some ridiculous numbers in Honolulu.

Now we're going to look back at Hawaii's first two games of the season and get a sense of how their season unfolded.

Their first game of the year was not exactly a fun trip because A.) it was a long trip, and B.) you're playing a powerhouse in the Florida Gators. 90,575 fans, the second largest to witness a Hawaii football game, dropped their fourth season opener in the last five years, 56-10.

Hawaii got off to a good start as they drove down in Gator territory on their first two possessions and held the high powered Florida offense scoreless in the first quarter. But it was all Gators as they scored 56 points in the middle two quarters of the game. The Warriors turned it over six times, including four interceptions.

With so many new faces on the Hawaii roster, the Warriors knew it was going to be difficult. But running into Florida was a tough circumstance for a team that went through some coaching and personnel changes.

Florida scored in four different ways against Hawaii: two by interception, a punt return, a run, and then a couple of long passes by Tim Tebow. One of the interceptions was returned 80-yards, so that was not a good way to kick off the season.

In terms of first downs it was Florida 20, Hawaii 16. But if you look at some of the other numbers - Rushing (24 carries for 60 yards) and Passing (21-of-39 for 181 yards and 4 ints) - that's just not Warrior football in terms of throwing the ball effectively. Florida won the total yards battle, 406 to 231, and when you're minus six in turnover margin you have ZERO chance to win the game.

Another telling stat of the game was that Hawaii used three different quarterbacks.

The best way to remedy a bad start is to schedule Weber State in game two. And that's exactly what the Warriors did as they won 36-17 at home.

After trailing 17-7 at the half, Hawaii scored 29 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win. In this game Hawaii had 305 passing yards, out gained Weber State 438-213.

The comeback was sparked by Tyler Gronkey, the senior quarterback who replaced the starter. So far Hawaii has used four different quarterbacks through two games!

Early on in the season the Warriors had a difficult time taking care of of the football, and that's something that will not win you a lot of games. And that too has been a big problem for the Fighting Irish over the last month and a half of the season.

Both Hawaii and Notre Dame had reversals of seasons. During the beginning, Hawaii was not a very good team, while the Irish came out of September playing very well; minus the Michigan State game. Once the teams got to October, the roles reversed as the Irish began to struggle while Hawaii started to come on strong beating the likes of Nevada, a horrible Washington State team, and almost had Cincinnati beat last Saturday. So that right there should open the eyes of the Irish players and coaches.

We'll continue to go over the Warriors season the next few days with the Oregon State and San Jose State recaps coming tomorrow.

Buzz Around Team Camps 12/11/08

Here's the latest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Thursday, December 12th:

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

Former Texas A&M head football coach Dennis Franchione interviewed as an apparent finalist yesterday for the vacant coach's job at San Diego State. Franchione was in San Diego with his wife, Kim, and received the VIP treatment while he was in town. Both were at dinner yesterday evening with SDSU Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel.

Franchione, 57, has a reputation as a program builder after helping breathe life into troubled programs at New Mexico (1992-97) and TCU (1998-2000). TCU was 1-10 in 1997 before he took over and went 25-10 over the next three years, including 10-1 in 2000, when TCU was led by current Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson.

“He was good for me and good for the TCU program,” Tomlinson said. “We won a whole bunch of games. We went to three straight bowl games. If San Diego State decides to hire him, I think they'll be pretty pleased with the coach they're going to get.”

Asked if he had talked to Franchione, Tomlinson said, “I'd rather not say.”

No contact for Edwards

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, who played at SDSU, said he had not been contacted by his alma mater. Asked if he was interested in the job, he said, “I'll say it again for the hundredth time: We gotta play the Chargers this week and that's all that's on my mind right now.”

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

Tailback Sam McGuffie's status remains unknown as he deals with several family- and health-related issues.

"He's still looking at what he needs to do," Rodriguez said. "But we have several concerns - Sam has concerns with home and we have concerns because he's had multiple concussions.

"But until we talk to him and see all of his options, we'll keep discussing everything."

Rodriguez wasn't overly specific on the topic of if his coaching staff will remain the same. When asked if the fact he has completed evaluations of his assistants means everyone will return, Rodriguez replied, "It means I'm evaluating everything."

Stanford viahttp://gostanford..com

The Pacific-10 Conference announced its year-end awards and all-conference teams today and senior offensive lineman Ben Muth has been named to the conference's first team offensive squad.

Muth started all 12 games at left tackle and helped pave the way for the second-most productive rushing attack in school history. Stanford's 2,395 yards gained on the ground this season ranked second only to the 1949 squad that rushed for a school-record 2,481 yards. Muth is the first Stanford offensive lineman to first team all-conference honors since Kwame Harris in 2002.

Running back Toby Gerhart, center Alex Fletcher and special teams standout Wopamo Osaisai earned second team all-conference marks.

Six Stanford players earned honorable mention selections, including defensive ends Tom Keiser and Erik Lorig, fullback Owen Marecic, offensive tackle Chris Marinelli, linebacker Pat Maynor and place kicker Aaron Zagory.

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

North Carolina's football players are taking final exams this week, but they're not the only ones at the school who may have to solve a potential math problem.

The Tar Heels will lose 12 scholarship seniors after they complete the 2008 season vs. West Virginia at the Meineke Bowl on Dec. 27. But coach Butch Davis and his staff have already secured 24 verbal commitments for next season -- and they're still recruiting.

Football Bowl Subdivision teams are allowed a maximum of 85 scholarship players on the roster and can sign a limit of 25 athletes each year. So how does the equation work?

"It may seem like a large number of extra players right now, but it's hard to judge ... because at the end of the season, guys might leave, some of [the recruits] might not qualify; it's just a fact of football," said Allen Wallace, editor of SuperPrep magazine. "... It's incredibly complicated, managing a football team in that regard. You have to weigh a lot of different factors -- injuries, transfers, borderline academic problems."

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

There aren't expected to be any official announcements on new coaches until early next week, according to what Steve Sarkisian has said several times in recent days.

However, sources have indicated tonight that there may be a few done deals. Specifically, current Idaho assistant Johnny Nansen is reported to have been hired as the new defensive line coach, Demetrice Martin as the secondary coach and Charlie Camp as the linebackers coach.

I'm hearing conflicting things on the defensive coordinator job with both Rocky Seto and Ron English said to be involved. Official word out of USC on Seto is that nothing has happened with him and UW and he is currently on a recruiting trip for the Trojans. A Louisville source also said there didn't appear to be anything imminent with English.

I was also told tonight that Ivan Lewis will be the new strength coach and that current USC graduate assistant Yogi Roth has been interviewed for the QB job but that nothing official has happened on that.

Also, heard one new name on the offensive side of the ball --- Al Dorsey, who is currently an administrative assistant at USC. Word is he could be a candidate to become the O-line coach.

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

Pitt linebacker Scott Mc-Killop yesterday was named the Big East Conference defensive player of the year and West Virginia quarterback Patrick White -- its offensive player of the year the previous two seasons -- highlighted an array of Panthers and Mountaineers on the all-conference first and second teams, league officials announced.

Pitt placed five players on the first teams, including unanimous selections McKillop of Kiski Area High School, running back LeSean McCoy, guard C.J. Davis of West Allegheny, tight end Nate Byham of Franklin and place-kicker Conor Lee of Upper St. Clair, who beat out his friend West Virginia's Pat McAfee of Plum, relegated to the second team. McKillop is the second Pitt player in three years to win the top defensive honor, with linebacker H.B. Blades winning in 2006.

Navy via http://navysports..com

Navy senior fullback Eric Kettani (Kirtland, Ohio) has been selected to the 2009 East-West Shrine All-Star Game, which will be played Saturday, January 17 at the University of Houston. Game time is 3 p.m. (4 p.m. in Annapolis).

Kettani is the 22nd player in school history to be selected for the game, including the sixth in the last seven years. Fullback Adam Ballard played in the contest last year.

Kettani, who is the ninth leading rusher in school history, has rushed for 2,041 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career. His career average of 5.4 yards per carry is the sixth-best rushing average in school history. He enters next Saturday's EagleBank Bowl just 68 yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing for the season. If he can eclipse that mark, Kettani will join Shun White as the first backfield in school history and second in Service Academy history to have two running backs over 1,000 yards in the same season.

Syracuse via http://blog.syracuse.com

East Carolina University plans to put out a statement later this afternoon regarding the future plans of head coach Skip Holtz, who interviewed for the head coach vacancy at Syracuse. Holtz spent an extra day in New York City on Tuesday talking with Syracuse athletics director Daryl Gross about the Orange job.

An ECU official said today Holtz is still scheduled to fly from New York to Memphis this morning where he will participate in a press conference for the Liberty Bowl, where East Carolina will play Kentucky next month. East Carolina director of athletics Terry Holland returned to Greenville Wednesday and is scheduled to travel with a contingent from East Carolina to Memphis today.

The Daily Reflector of Greenville, N.C., posted a story this morning that mentions two local television stations reporting that Holtz has turned down the Syracuse job. One of the TV stations is WITN, which had a brief statement posted on its web site.

Meanwhile, University of Buffalo head coach Turner Gill is expected to attend a press conference today in Toronto to promote his team's appearance in the Independence Bowl. A school spokesman said this morning that Gill will be in Toronto for the 1:30 press conference.

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

Pete Carroll met with receivers coach John Morton on Sunday to discuss the possibility of becoming offensive coordinator. After the Trojans' victory over UCLA on Saturday, Carroll said Morton was the front-runner to replace Steve Sarkisian, who is Washington's new head coach but will also remain with the Trojans through the Rose Bowl.

Morton, 39, worked for the Oakland Raiders from 1997 to 2004, coached at the University of San Diego in 2005 and worked on the New Orleans Saints' staff in 2006. He has been receivers coach at USC for two seasons.

"I've earned my stripes," Morton said, citing his experiences with head coaches Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton and Carroll.

Quick Kicks
Carroll said he encouraged all draft-eligible players, including quarterback Mark Sanchez, to fill out paperwork that would allow them to receive a projected draft evaluation from the NFL . . . The Trojans are off this week for finals but are tentatively scheduled to practice Friday and Saturday.

Hawaii via http://www.starbulletin.com

Coach Greg McMackin said the coaching staff has started studying Notre Dame game tapes and the Warriors will get back on the field on Monday to prepare for their Christmas Eve game.

The Warriors' return to their morning practices next week coincides with final exams on the Manoa campus.

"A couple of guys have said they have things they have to do, so we'll be flexible with that," McMackin said. "Academics will come first."

Hard Lessons Learned: ND Regroups after Tough Loss to Buckeyes

If there was any doubt, Luke Harangody erased them in the first few minutes of last Saturday's game. He put forth an incredible effort in the five point loss, and he still wasn't at full strength.

In fact he wasn't around 80-85% healthy. During timeouts and stop in play he was really working hard to catch his breathe. Laphonso Ellis had pneumonia three times, and talked about it on the radio broadcast. Your stamina is basically shot, and what Luke did against the Buckeyes, 25 points and 16 rebounds, was amazing. Right now, no one can stop this guy, which bodes well for the Irish.

The rest of the team, however, did not play very well at all. Nobody was happy of the way they played, and it was not at all near the way I think they could play. And yet with 28 seconds left in the game it was still a one point contest after being down by as many as 10.

Ohio State, not ranked at the time, is a very talented team with a couple of young McDonald's All-Americans. They just beat a ranked Miami squad on the road and played with nothing to lose. That was abundantly apparent from their tenacious defense.

The Buckeyes 1-2-2 zone was so active that I wasn't sure if they were in zone or man defense. That's how effective it was against the Irish. OSU's players are long, quick, and played together as a team. They also effectively took Kyle McAlarney out of the game, as none of the other Notre Dame players stepped up. Ohio State deserved to win this game.

But if you could trade this learning lesson for an important Big East conference game in January or February, I'll take it. It's better to get these tough goings out of the way now so they can be prepared in the next months ahead.

What Saturday's game came down to was physical and mental toughness. The Irish weren't tough enough on the boards on either end of the court. They have to be more physical, tougher at getting rebounds off the glass, and getting to loose balls. That's probably the biggest thing that came out of this game. And it's something Coach Brey said after the game to his team.

If they don't show up tough rebounding and executing better on offense, then they're just an average team. They need to do those two things to be a good team now and later down the line.

Even though he had a rough go at the beginning of the game, Tory Jackson remains the heart of this team. He's the one that makes them go by being a leader and becoming more vocal on the court. He personally had the last 11 of the Irish's 12 points. Jackson was the one that brought them back to within one by connecting on several 3-pt. buckets.

Tory has to be on his game and has to be confident. This was the first time I'm seen him make two, back-to-back mistakes since his first game he played after McAlarney was suspended two seasons ago. I've never seen him go into a funk like he did on Saturday. And that has to be a learning experience for him too. He has to be the leader on the floor, as well as, through his actions. He emotionally charges them up with his play. He's done it well to this point, and I know he'll do it again. I'm pretty sure he's already addressed it since.

I'm definitely not pinning this loss on Tory, because his numbers were that bad: 13 points, 5 assists, a couple of steals, and 3 turnovers (2 in a span of 30 seconds that changed the momentum of the game).

Notre Dame has to realize that they are no longer under the radar by any means. They have made a living out of exceeding expectations. Well when you're a Top 10 team, and when those expectations are awfully high, you don't sneak up on anyone. Ohio State was ready and played their game to perfection. They're going to be one of the top teams in the Big 10, especially if they can keep that pressure zone and play that 1-2-2 zone defense to perfection.

I'm glad Notre Dame got to play at Lucas Oil Stadium and get that big time atmosphere out of the way. First of all it is a massive building. The ceiling is so high that it is one of the biggest buildings that I've ever been in . That fact that is is not round, but rectangular makes it even bigger. Because the Midwest Regional is there, as well as, other Regionals being played in these big facilities, I'm glad the Irish got this one under their belts.

Now the Irish can regroup and get the kinks out the next few games before they face DePaul in Chicago on New Year's Eve.

Tiny Bubbles: Irish Prepare for Hawaii Bowl Against the Warriors

With the travel plans already set in stone, the Fighting Irish are setting their sights on their Hawaii Bowl game with the hometown Rainbows. Even though this is not what many Irish fans had hoped for, this game is a good alternative on many levels.

First of all this a pretty good option considering that the other bowls like Shreveport was not a marquee destination that you want to send your team or fans to. To perfectly, honest, I believe the Irish have a good chance to win this ball game even though you are playing in Hawaii's backyard. The alternative would have been a dangerous 9-3 Rice squad that is loaded on the offensive side of the ball. Definitely a shootout that Notre Dame wouldn't have wanted to be a part of.

What I don't understand is why all the negativity of going to the Hawaii Bowl? It's a snobbish, elitist thing to do if they didn't go; and worst yet, the media and all the ND haters would have thought the same too. I'm perfectly happy with this game on many levels:

1.) Playing in front of their top target. Notre Dame didn't do a good sales pitch the first time Manti Teo saw the Irish against Syracuse. Now he has two huge weeks of Notre Dame infomercials throughout his state of the Irish playing in the bowl game.

2.) Keeping up with the Joneses. With all the extra practice time, Notre Dame can stay on par with the other 60+ schools that will be playing in the postseason. If the Irish don't go, then they are well behind the other programs that are benefiting from the 15 extra practices. Better yet, Nevada is going to a bowl and will have this time to get other ready for spring ball and next season.

3.) Stresses fundamentals. These extra practices the Irish get for Hawaii Bowl preparations is great for the younger players. It helps them get up to speed on technique and a leg up for spring ball.

4.) Stop the streak. Simply put, if you don't play, the streak continues for another year. What do they have to lose, really? Is there much difference between 6-6 and 6-7? With a win, it won't erase the entire 2008 season, but it will definitely build some momentum heading into the 2009 campaign.

So leading up to the Christmas Eve showdown, their are a lot of questions that still need to be answered.

Q. How are the Irish health-wise?

A. They are going to be fairly healthy and full go with most of their players. Brian Smith and Michael Floyd are the two most Irish fans are concerned about. If everything goes well with them this week, they should be on the practice field on Friday before they chart the plane to Hawaii. So they'll get in a few practices before they head into the Aloha state.

The Irish are only practicing 10 times total before the game, and both Smith and Floyd have already missed practices one and two. The both of them are pretty much good to go on Friday unless there is a snag in the plans.

Armando Allen is also scheduled to be back on Friday as well. His return will give Notre Dame some more added depth at the running back position.

Robert Hughes, who was originally thought to have been suspended for the first half of the bowl game, instead will miss the first half of the Nevada game. Per NCAA rule, a player must sit out a half of a regular season game. They do not punish a student-athlete during a bowl game.

Terrail Lamber, who missed the last three games, is back practicing at full speed.

Mike Anello will not be playing against the Warriors due to a cracked fibula, and will miss two to four months to heal. Basically he'll miss spring ball. And yes, he's right at the top of the list of 5th-year returners.

Lastly, Robby Parris had a knee sprain and missed the USC game. If he does come back for practices it won't be until the Irish arrive in Hawaii on Dec. 20. So you're probably not going to see Parris in action at all during the bowl game.

Q. Any Possible Transfers Looming?

A. This is definitely the time of the season for it, and you're probably not going to hear any talk until after the bowl game. There's not going to be as many like last season, but I've already heard rumblings of one player. He's not a surprise by any means if he does decide to transfer; and he would be leaving on good terms, which wasn't the case for some players last season.

We'll have to wait and see how it plays out this week. You're not going to see a mass exodus with hard feelings like last year, that's for sure.

Q. Did Notre Dame have many bowl options, and is the best option for the Irish?

A. After hearing the players talk on Monday, I do believe this is the best situation for them. They were pretty excited about going to Hawaii and breaking the bowl skid. Had it been Shreveport or Detroit, I would have said it would have been a real downer. You're 6-6 and being rewarded with the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech, Yee-Haw! I don't mean to bad mouth Shreveport, but I've spent almost two years down there and it felt like forever. It's not a fun place to go for a bowl game.

I realize this is a business trip, but when you're 18, 19, or 20 year's old, you want to enjoy this moment. And from that stand point it was a good decision.

Plus there are a few benefits from going which I didn't state from above. Besides being in Teo's face for a few weeks, if we land him to South Bend, he'll be the biggest victory for the Irish this season. He's that good of a player.

Secondly, this bowl game gets Notre Dame away from the negative residue that is still bubbling around the team's recent struggles and Charlie Weis. If the Irish are going to have a lot of media following them around on this trip, which there won't be too many, it's not going to be bash on ND week. So you won't see and read stories of an Irish meltdown or train wreck.

So basically you're going to see the media legitimately cover the Irish in a professional manner. So no Jeff Carroll hate on the Irish pieces. Thank God!

If fans weren't happy about this game, the alternative would have been worse - Rice in Houston at the Texas Bowl. The Owls have a dynamic offense with a good quarterback and an All-America receiver in Jarret Dilliard. Once again Notre Dame would have been playing in an opponents backyard. Plus how many fans have the NFL network?

I'll take paradise over a bad loss any day. And yes, I'll explain why I believe the Irish will beat Hawaii in the coming days.

Q. How often does a long snapper get a scholarship?

A. How many teenagers are willing to clean their rooms without any complaining? that's how often it happens in college football. Jordan does come from a great high school that produced Sam Young and Dan Wenger, and also next year's punter Ben Turk.

Maybe Charlie is looking back at the bad snap in the Syracuse game. We do criticize him for not taking special teams seriously. But by getting a guy who's only going to be doing this for four years, and doing it well is definitely worth the scholarship. He's one of the best in the country at long snapping, so this one is justified.

Maybe this is something new we haven't seen before, but ND usually can get someone like a J.J. Jansen to do this job. Charlie, unlike some other coaches, doesn't like to use other position players as long snappers. So if Weis is serious about special teams, he's putting his money where his mouth is.

Q. Scholarship Availability: Are they OK to give one to a long snapper?

A. It's okay because the Irish are not chasing many players. I think if there was a coaching change, you would have seen Notre Dame go after a quarterback. Right now, all they are mostly looking at is defensive linemen and linebackers for their remaining scholarships.

When you start looking at some of the positions, the Irish are building some depth. There's pretty good depth at running back as long as nobody leaves. They've got the two recruits, Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick, as well as this year's freshmen Jonas Gray. At the receiver positions, ND is awfully deep, and at tight end they'll be back to being deep next season.

It's really the front seven of the defense they are focusing on, with the two top targets at linebacker in Teo and Jelani Jenkins. Both are the top linebackers in the country and chances are the Irish are not going to land both, if any at all. So it is justified to give a scholarship to Cowart.

Charlie hasn't used his 85 scholarship limit either. ND is not going to get involved in anyone new that is looking at non-BCS conferences.

Irish Have Tough Road to Hoe

As the regular season and conference championship games conclude this weekend, the overall statistics of Notre Dame still might be a little hard to swallow for several Fighting Irish fans.

Although this year's numbers are better than last season's 3-9 squad, it still didn't pan out the way Charlie Weis and the Irish had hoped for.

Offensive Statistics

Rushing: 98th (113 ypg)
Passing: 46th (231.4 ypg)
Total Off.: 74th (344 ypg)
Scoring: 85th (22.6)

With some incredible skill position players, specifically at wide receiver and tight end, I'm a little disappointed in the overall numbers, especially the scoring average. This football team, inside their opponents 30-yard line, did not finish at the rate you wanted to see them finish off drives. In the second half of the season they did not get the ball into the endzone. There were too many field goal attempts for one's liking. So I'm very disappointed in the scoring average being 85th in the country. Just too much talent there to be scoring that low.

Total offense, I have to say is very disappointing at 74th among the Football Bowl Subdivision teams. That passing offense at 46th is livable, but everything in the world about the Irish offense gets better if they could run the football than 98th in the nation. Passing should have been better, especially the way things heated up from the second half of the Michigan State game through the third quarter of North Carolina. Top 25 easily with the receiving corps of Golden Tate and Michael Floyd.

Defensively, this was an area of concern many Irish fans alike had coming into the start of the 2008 campaign. Luckily, they improved drastically from last season.

Defensive Statistics

Rushing: 96th (195 ypg)
Passing: 2nd (161.5 ypg)
Pass Eff.: 22nd (111.78)
Total: 39th (327 ypg)

Notre Dame's pass defense, statistically, ended up very, very solid. You would have to say that is was a decent number when they couldn't get to the opposing quarterback frequently. It could have been a lot worse, as I understand sacks don't take away from the pass defense numbers. But at the same time you're asking a lot from your secondary to cover pretty well when you don't get pressure on the quarterback.

The Irish didn't see many great QB's this season until last week when Southern Cal's Mark Sanchez popped up on the their schedule. I wouldn't qualify Sanchez as a great QB, but a very good one. The defense was indeed shredded at times during the season because they didn't get to the quarterback. And that has to be a point of emphasis next season, as well as, getting a defensive line that can push people around. That will only make it a whole lot easier for the Irish to excel in 2009.

And what happened to this defense that wanted to attack? They blitzed a lot in the early going, but if you noticed they called off the dogs a lot during the second half of the season. Well if you're not going to get there, why take the gamble?

Two other statistics that were glaring was the turnover margin and tackles for losses. The Irish were 84th (-.42) and 112th (4.3 tfl avg.), respectively. That definitely has to change or we'll see some wholesale changes in the football offices.

Speaking of changes, here are the "for certain" candidates that will be seeing pink slips in the near future for the Notre Dame staff:

John Latina (Offensive Line Coach)
Ron Powlus (Quarterback Coach)
Mike Haywood (Offensive Coordinator)
Reuben Mendoza (Strength and Conditioning Coach)

Once these changes will be made with suitable, proven replacements, the Irish tread into the spring with hopes of a better 2009.

For now, there's still some unfinished business to attend to in Houston!

11 Questions Concerning Notre Dame Basketball

With seven games in the book, and the Irish standing at 6-1 with a quality win over Texas and a quality loss to #1 North Carolina, here are some burning questions leading into tomorrow's matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Q. Is Notre Dame on pace where they should be right now?

A. Absolutely! They've done everything they were supposed to do. When the schedule came out, you'd figure the Loyola Marymount game was going to be a little easier than what it turned out to be that night out in Los Angeles.

But other than that, they basically have done everything everyone has expected them to do. That's what it is going to make tomorrow so interesting down in Indianapolis, whether Luke Harandogy plays or not, because this is a confident, but young team they will face in Ohio State.

Q. Speaking of Harangody, what's the latest on his status?

A. I'd say if I was a betting man, and which I'm not because I'd finish dead last in all the NCAA Bracket office pools. If I had to make a guess, he will suit up and play tomorrow against the Buckeyes. Before practice yesterday he was shooting around with Ben Hansbrough, whom by the way, hit nine 3pt. FGs in a row. So don't worry folks, this kids shot will be in full swing come next season.

As for Harangody, he's going to take it slow as Mike Brey and the training staff are saying all the right things that it will be a game time decision. I think he has had enough of sitting there and watching those guys have all that fun like the Irish did against South Dakota.

Q. If he does play, will he be at or near 100%?

A. I understand what Coach Brey is saying how they want to take it slow and don't want to rush him back. But look, this is a really good game they need to get, and if Luke Harangody can give them only 13 points and seven rebounds like he did the other night against UNC, which was almost good enough to get the job done; It should definitely be good enough tomorrow.

He'll still have plenty of enough time to rest all of December until Big East play starts New Year's Eve at the AllState Arena against DePaul. So if he can give them something, a little low post presence to give the Buckeyes a little something more to think about, it will be a positive.

Nobody thinks he'll go for 28 points and 15 rebounds or 30 and 18 like he has been doing so far. If he can give this team a few good minutes, that will be good enough to get the victory against Ohio State.

Q. What has this team learned the last two games without Harangody?

A. Actually you could say two and a half games, because of his health condition against North Carolina.

First and foremost, this team knows how to shred a zone defense. Get the ball to Kyle McAlarney, and get the ball to Ryan Ayers.

They've also learned that Tyrone Nash can give this team some good minutes. He has played very well the last two outings, setting career highs in minutes and had nine points and eight rebounds against South Dakota. I know that game was so lopsided so early, but if they can bring a guy like Nash along and give them another body in the low post that can use up five fouls especially in Big East play. That's going to be a real boost for this team.

Q. Can we expect more of the same from Ryan Ayers after he set a career high 35 points?

A. I have always liked Ryan Ayers. He's a great kid, but the bottom line is, just like the case with guys like Luke Zeller and Jonathan Peoples; is that he needs to do this against better competition (Big East competition!). Let's see him six, seven, or eight 3-pointers against Pittsburgh or Connecticut or Seton Hall or Louisville, or any other important game where McAlarney maybe be smothered or when Harangody might not be getting it done.

When they needed Ayers big time last week in Maui where he had six points each against Texas and North Carolina, he just didn't get it done. He had a lot of open shots against the Tar Heels in the first half that could have made a big difference in the game.

It's great that he did this against South Dakota, but he needs to step that performance up where they need it along the lines in conference action.

Q. With the emergence of Ayers as a scorer, is there enough basketballs to go around, especially with an All-American (Harangody) and almost All-American (McAlarney)?

A. The way Notre Dame plays they'll get enough possessions to where their should be enough shots to go around. The fact that if Ayers' misses a shot, he goes in a funk, and the next time down the court if he gets an open look he'll hesitate and give the defense enough time to recover. That's when he would kick it down the post to Harangody or swing it around to McAlarney for a better shot.

If Ayers can shoot more like he did the other night, that will give Harangody more confidence where if he is facing a double team in the low post, he doesn't have to just look for Kyle for a shot. Ryan Ayers is almost too nice in the fact that he is the ultimate fit in guy, where he doesn't want to stray from the norm and not take the game over.

Just like Coach Brey said the other night, that he wants Ayers to be an assassin like McAlarney was against North Carolina. If Ayers can do that on a night where one of these guys isn't hitting, this makes this team a lot more difficult to defend.

Q. Is there anything that we've seen after seven games where the Irish can take it to the next level?

A. Not really. It was good the way we saw them against Texas and bring that "A" effort in a game where they were mentally tough. Even when they were down to UNC, they didn't fold in like Michigan State against the Tarheels.

They believed that they belonged on the court with a team like North Carolina, unlike last year against Washington State. ND felt overmatched in every area.

So we've seen glimpses a little bit last week in Maui against Texas and North Carolina, but we won't see how this team differs than last year until Big East play where it really means something.

Q. Are you concerned about the Irish's ability to make free throws, and to make them in clutch situations?

A. Oh absolutely! Coach Brey really hasn't addressed it, and he doesn't want to get it into his team's head. But if they hit free throws that way they did that night in Los Angeles, they're going to lose at least two Big East games down the road and down the wire.

Loyola Marymount was just bad enough to where they didn't know how to capitalize. I don't care who you do that against, but if you do that in a conference game against Seton Hall, Rutgers, or South Florida, those teams will find a way to beat you if you don't make your free throws.

I know Mike Brey doesn't want to address it, but that is a problem area because the Irish are going to get to the line enough where they really need to be one the top free throw shooting teams in the Big East.

Even against Texas, where all you need is one free throw from Harangody or Tory Jackson and they are moving on without any desperation shot from AJ Abrahms that bounced off the front of the rim. You just can't live that dangerously with this team. A college basketball season is too fragile to have to give a team like Texas so many opportunities to win a game like that because you can't do something that is so basic like making a free throw.

Q. Is the Irish pretty much the same defensively like they were a year ago?
A. No, they are not as good defensively. I think they are soft. If you look at the stats against the rest of the Big East teams , Notre Dame is in the bottom three in FG% defense and 3pt. FG% defense. They give up way too many shots. The South Dakota game the other night was just basically a church league game in the second half where they were giving the Coyotes any three point shot they wanted. And they were knocking down shots, where a 34 point game all of a sudden turned into a 19 point game.

I think defensively this team has some strides to make. Maybe that has to do with the competition they have faced. Maybe it has to do with focus when you're up 20 or up 40 and you really don't need to sting a few stops together. But this team really does need to get a lot better defensively if they want to better last year's team.

Q. What about the other Big East Teams. Are you sold on Louisville being one of the better teams in the conference or the nation?

A. Louisville is not right now. That's historically the way Rick Patino coaches his team. He takes them along slowly and they are a difficult team to figure out right now. If you look at the standings, Syracuse is 8-0, Pittsburgh is 8-0, ND has played seven games, and Louisville is only 2-1. They've played three games and it is December 5th.

So they're starting slowly. Historically Pitno doesn't like his guards, and he wants to throw nine guys off the team because of their practice habits. He hates what he has, and then you look up at the end of February, Louisville has a chance to win the Big East.

Right now they're not the #3 team or the # 13 or whatever they are right now. But by the end of the year they could be a scary team once he figures out what he has and throws it all together and says alright guys this is what it's going to take to be successful. They'll probably be in the top four in the conference with everything is all said and done come March.

Q. If Harangody is in the lineup tomorrow, who is the favorite, and if he's not in the lineup, who's the favorite?

A. You've got to go with Notre Dame in both situations. I think Ohio State has done a lot with that win the other night against # 21 Miami could go a long way later down the line. But looking at tomorrow in that atmosphere against a veteran team, Ohio State still has eight new faces from last years team and they have never been in this type of atmosphere. With what ND has seen already in Maui, and even that game against Loyola Marymount because that was one of the toughest games they have had to win on the road. Those three games right there, Notre Dame should really understand what it takes to go in there and take care of business to get a big time victory.

Buzz Around Team Camps 12/5/08

Here's the lastest Buzz Around Team Camps for this Friday, December 5th:

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

Former Texas A&M and Alabama head football coach Dennis Franchione has had contact with San Diego State representatives about the vacant head coaching position there, according to a source close to the situation.

Franchione could not be reached for comment yesterday. Sources said others who have been contacted about the position include UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz, former Minnesota coach Glen Mason and Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen.

Andersen was named Utah State's new coach yesterday. Martz declined to comment when asked about it Wednesday. Mason's agent didn't confirm or deny involvement, instead referring questions about it to SDSU. Walker has made his interest known and is believed to have an interview set up soon.

Franchione, 57, resigned from A&M last year. He failed to meet expectations at A&M with a 32-28 record over five seasons but before that had developed a reputation as a program-builder at New Mexico and TCU.

SDSU is seeking a replacement for Chuck Long, who was fired Nov. 22. The Atlanta-based firm Parker Executive Search is assisting SDSU with the search.

Michigan via http://www.mlive.com

The crowd was relatively small, the speeches were short, and the University of Michigan football team wrapped up its 88th annual bust about two hours quicker than usual.

After a 3-9 season, the Michigan awards banquet on Thursday was, for the most part, a perfunctory affair.

School president Mary Sue Coleman addressed the audience of more than 700 and explained that "transitions are hard. We're in it for the long run."

McGuffie a No Show via http://www.mlive.com

When members of the Michigan football team took their seats at the annual football bust Thursday night, Sam McGuffie was absent from the group. The reason for his absence was unclear.

Coach Rich Rodriguez spoke before the team filed into the Laurel Manor, but said he would not address personnel issues or the status of assistant coaches.

Last week, Rodriguez said that McGuffie was dealing with some family issues at home in Texas, but said he expected that the running back would return to the Wolverines next season.

Carson Butler was also missing from the banquet Thursday night. Butler, who just completed his junior season, had lost his starting job at tight end and moved to the defensive line during the '08 season.

Running back Avery Horn was also not in attendance.

Rodriguez also said Thursday he expected to sign a full 25-member recruiting class this offseason, an estimate higher than the 20 to 23 he projected last week shortly after the season ended.

Purdue via http://boilerstation.jconline.com

Danny Hope has moved quickly to form his first staff as Purdue's head football coach, hiring two new assistants and promoting a graduate assistant Monday.

Gary Nord is the new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, replacing Ed Zaunbrecher. Shawn Clark takes over offensive line coaching duties from Hope and departing assistant John McDonell, who was in charge of tight ends and offensive tackles under retiring coach Joe Tiller.

In addition to the two hires, Hope has elevated J.B. Gibboney to special teams coordinator, relieving defensive tackles coach Mark Hagen of those duties.

Indications are there will be no further changes to the staff, unless one or more of the current assistants leave for another job.

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

North Carolina's football team appears to be the choice of the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

"I think the chances are good that it's going to happen," said Will Webb, the executive director of the Meineke Car Care Bowl. He added that an offer had not yet been formally made to the university.

UNC officials could not be reached for comment. UNC (8-4) is likely to play No. 23 Pittsburgh or West Virginia in the Dec. 27 game at Bank of America Stadium.

Washington via http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Steve Sarkisian and the Washington Huskies wanted to wait a few more days to make their marriage official. But a search that began Oct. 27 when it was announced that Tyrone Willingham would not be back next season culminated Thursday when the Huskies decided to offer their head football coaching position to Sarkisian, an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at USC.

The Huskies may make it official at a news conference on Sunday, said a well-placed source. And they had hoped that the news would wait until then.

An ESPN report broke the news about 6:30 p.m. Neither Sarkisian nor Washington athletic director Scott Woodward would confirm the report when talking later with reporters.

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

Since the Gator Bowl invited Clemson, North Carolina is now the most likely ACC representative in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. That's good news for Pitt because it pushes Rutgers -- who has already played the Tar Heels -- out of the mix for that bowl and squarely into the PapaJohns.com Bowl. Pitt still needs Rutgers to beat Louisville tonight to keep Notre Dame out of the mix, but if the Scarlet Knights win, the developments with North Carolina virtually guarantee that Pitt is headed to the Sun Bowl regardless of what happens Saturday against Connecticut. West Virginia appears headed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. But if the Sun takes West Virginia, Pitt would go to the Meineke Bowl as opposed to the PapaJohns.com bowl.

Navy via http://www.hometownannapolis.com

It is becoming more and more likely that Navy's opponent in the EagleBank Bowl will be Wake Forest.

Ball State's decision to decline an offer to play Boise State in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl greatly increased that possibility. It now appears the Humanitarian Bowl will select Maryland and the way the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference is sorting out Wake Forest may be the only team left for the EagleBank Bowl.

Syracuse via http://blog.syracuse.com

LSU football coach Les Miles has apparently inquired about bringing former Syracuse coach Greg Robinson to Baton Rouge as his defensive coordinator. Contacted Thursday night, Robinson did not deny the contact about the LSU job, though he said the information might be "reaching a little bit." He said he's weighing all his options.

"I don't see myself having the ability to do something right now," Robinson said. "First of all, I want to continue to work on our coaches to help them (find new jobs). Secondly, I have to weigh all my options. That's going to take some time."

Robinson indicated he's received other coaching inquiries. He said there have "been some calls about certain things. I'm not in a position at this time to make a decision."

At the same time, he said he is putting his own professional opportunities on hold, which "might remove me from some situations, possibly," he said. "That's where I'm at."

Southern Cal via http://conquestchronicles.com

Safety Kevin Ellison (knee) completed the full practice and said he would play against UCLA. Coach Pete Carroll said a decision on whether Ellison might start ahead of Will Harris would be made at game time. . . . Fullback Stanley Havili, still nursing two sprained ankles, practiced and said he would play.

Safety Advisory via http://www.latimes.com

The Pasadena Police Department on Thursday issued a safety advisory for Saturday at the sold-out Rose Bowl, where UCLA will host USC in football.

In a news release, police announced they would be taking a "zero tolerance policy to drunk and disorderly conduct both inside the stadium and on the grounds surrounding the Rose Bowl."

That includes areas used for tailgate parties.

"We recognize that there are longtime traditions in relation to this well-known crosstown rivalry," Police Chief Bernard Melekian said, "but our mission is to ensure public safety."

Jack Not So Nimble: Swarbrick is your Typical Lawyer

In today's South Bend Tribune, Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick claimed he did not interview anyone for the head coaching position and that he knew Charlie Weis was still his man to get the Fighting Irish back to the promise land.

Unfortunately for Jack, I've got one word for you: BULLSHIT!

If Mr. Swarbrick knew about these realizations of retaining Weis, why did it take so long to make the announcement?

And indecisiveness was not a factor, Swarbrick insists, in why it took four days after Saturday night's 38-3 waxing by USC to make an announcement. Finding a day when he could meet in person with Weis was a critical step, but not the first.

"The analysis took a lot of time," he said. "I talked to a lot of people. I gathered a lot of information and it had to involve a substantive and lengthy discussion with the coach. You can only do it on the timetable you can do it on. And frankly I'm skeptical that there's any cause and effect between those four days and the decision any recruit makes."

First off, it has become widely documented (ESPN and Irish Illustrated.com) that both Charlie Weis and Jack Swarbrick did, indeed, speak with each other after the Southern Cal game. Weis flat out asked Swarbrick last Sunday if he should be going out hitting the recruiting trail, and was told to do so by the first year athletic director.

If Swarbrick knew he was going to retain him and spoke with Weis, why did he have to wait till December 8th to make any announcement?

Secondly, Swarbrick was quoted as saying he didn't interview anyone, "I didn't do it," he said. "No one representing the university did it. I didn't authorize any intermediary or third party to do it. It just didn't happen."

Interesting, because in that same story in the South Bend Tribune and Irish Illustrated.com both are citing Swarbrick as saying he did contact others.

“…polled resources from across the sporting spectrum, tapping the expertise of sources in the NFL, college football and inside Notre Dame. Swarbrick said the feedback confirmed his preconceptions and let him reach a conclusion before meeting Weis back on campus on Dec. 8.”

So what exactly and who were these sources Jack was trying to gauge from? Why was he out on the West Coast for four days after the Southern Cal game?

If he knew all along, why did he wait so long? It just doesn't make sense to prolong an announcement if he wasn't looking around. Basically Swarbrick is not being truthful about his dealings.

The Burning Questions to Ask Swarbrick:
Q. Why did you wait so long?

A. Because he was getting the final word from feelers about their interest in the coaching position.

Q. Why were you on the West Coast for over four days?

A. Is it because Urban Meyer's agent was on the West Coast, and that Boise, Idaho is not too far off the beaten path.

Q. Why did media leak the return of Weis hours after Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was reported as saying he is not interested in other coaching jobs?

A. Because Swarbrick and Jenkins could not land Kelly, as he used ND as a leverage piece to negotiate more to his contract.

Q. Why lie about not looking around and contacting others about the position?

A. Swarbrick didn't want this to affect recruiting, even though it would no matter what the outcome will be. Also he didn't want to reveal that ND was snubbed by a home run candidate (Bob Stoops), a proven winner with an out clause to come to Notre Dame (Urban Meyer), a perfect fit for central casting (Brian Kelly), and a up and coming offensive genius from a Mid-Major (Chris Petersen).

If you look at the big picture of this, Jack Swarbrick is a lawyer through and through. He's a spin doctor and will say anything to not only make himself look good, but show he was supportive of Charlie Weis from the get go.

I hate to break it to ya, but Lawyers lie. Heck they defend criminals, don't they?

At least it would have been a good sign to know that he was going out looking for the best possible coach out there to turn this ship around. It would have shown that he is looking out for the best interest of this program and university.

Instead he stands by a coach who lost to their first 8-loss team, and has the worst 2-year loss total in school history. What makes this worse is the fact that Notre Dame is now third in All-Time wins and is falling fast!

He needed to try something, because Weis is just not getting the job done in developing players and putting a winning program out on the field. Hopefully this is not a sign of Simple Jack's predecessor!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack is totally full of shit!

Wait or Not to Wait: The Last 48 Hours behind Notre Dame Football

Now that Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick has publicly announced that Head Coach Charlie Weis will be back for a fifth season, many fans and alumni alike, wondered why wait till next Monday?

Personally, I didn't have a problem with the university and Swarbrick waiting till December 8 to announce Weis' fate. You have to assume a decision was made or partially made after the Southern Cal game. But with the back-and-forth comments and hearsay of his staying and the athletic department not commenting until today, makes one wonder. Why was Swarbrick still on the West Coast? And what business does he have over there? Better yet, is Boise, Idaho, considered West Coast? We'll get to that in a little bit.

I will say this, I think it was very important that the university needed to keep this week as normal as possible. And I say this for a couple of reasons. Number one, this Friday is the annual Football Banquet. I think it's a little disrespectful to the senior class if something had happened to Coach Weis' future in South Bend. Remember a couple of years ago during the last coaching change, and they cancelled the football banquet? That would really be unfair to the seniors who put four or five years of service here. They gave up a lot of sweat and blood for the Lady on the Dome. The least they could do is be honored by the university at this banquet. Luckily, the show will go on.

Another importance of this week deals with the recruiting of high school juniors. According to former Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Bob Chimel, you want to make sure the junior recruiting gets off to a solid start or continue to progress well. So that's very, very important for the Irish right now.

Waiting till this coming Monday also allowed Swarbrick and Fr. Jenkins to go out and look around a little bit. You can make some secondary connections with people if they felt the need to look and see who the next head coach might be. Then they could have talked to a friend of a friend and work around bothering a coach who is still very active.

I will say this; I didn't have a problem waiting till this Monday because there was still some good coaches if Notre Dame did want to make a change that were still very busy in conference championships or finishing up their regular season. Heck, many criticized Washington for taking Mike Haywood out of his element during a practice week to interview for the Husky vacancy. So if Swarbrick and Jenkins waited a few more days when all the games were played and the bowl bids were handed out, then they could have had a few days to do some serious talking over the weekend. They could have talked to one or two coaches on a Saturday night or Sunday morning because their regular season or conference championship game was done, and they wouldn't have to worry about affecting some other team's preparation for a big contest.

You know Charlie gets paid very well, and if something had changed and didn't come back, he would have been taken care of financially. So the week's worth of effort he did on the road recruiting would have been made up nicely in a financial settlement to the tune of $20 million dollars.

Lastly, there's nothing wrong with looking around the landscape of college football and seeing who the top coaches are, and if there is any mutual interest in the Notre Dame program. If there was a coach out there that Swarbrick and Jenkins wanted to talk to, this would have been the prime time to do so because they could have contacted those individuals one-on-one than through secondary people.

Swarbrick has had a Plan A, Plan B, and a Plan C for quite some time now after it was evident when Weis' team was regressing. After the Boston College game, Swarbrick asked Fr. Jenkins permission to get some feelers on replacements for Coach Weis. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden and his agent did place a call to Swarbrick's office, but that talk was brief and didn't have much substance.

Most of the behind the scenes work was done the last two weeks and, most recently, the last 48 hours.

Timeline:
November 22
Notre Dame loses to Syracuse 24-23. Swarbrick dodges media questions.

November 24
Swarbrick makes call to the University of Oklahoma. Sooners Coach Bob Stoops tells Swarbrick he's comfortable in Norman.

November 25
Swarbrick places calls to the University Florida and the University of Cincinnati to speak with coaches Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly.

November 28
Meyer and agent would only speak with Swarbrick and Jenkins' after the SEC Championship game.

November 29
Notre Dame loses to Southern Cal 38-3. Swarbrick tells media that he'll talk with Weis about his future on Monday, December 8th.

November 30
Weis asks Swarbrick if he should go out recruiting, and Swarbrick tells him yes. Meyer and agent tell Swarbrick he's staying put in Gainesville.

Brian Kelly and agent talk with Swarbrick and Jenkins' via phone conference and discuss possibilities.

December 1
Swarbrick calls Boise State to speak with Head Coach Chris Petersen. Petersen's agent calls Swarbrick that there's no interest.

December 2
Kelly leverages with UC administration and trustees for more incentives for their football program and scoffs at Swarbrick's and Jenkins initial figure.

Media reports hit wire of Kelly's statement of not interested in any jobs and is staying as Bearcats head coach.

Swarbrick and Jenkins meet with Weis in California to let him know that he's being retained for another year and that they will discuss changes within in the program early next week.

Swarbrick calls Associate AD John Heisler to let him and the Sports Information Department that Weis will be back next season.

WNDU-TV Sports Director Jeff Jeffers and IrishEyes.com's Mike Frank get calls from the ND SID Office of Weis' return.

December 3
Notre Dame's Jack Swarbrick releases official statement of Weis' return as head coach next season.

As you can see this has been a whirlwind of events for the Notre Dame Football program. I, personally, don't mind seeing the aggressiveness of new Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick getting information and testing the waters with several top notch coaches. If it panned out, the incoming coach would have had some nice foundation to work with because of Weis' recruiting efforts.

On the flip side, what can you say about stability? It's good to see that Weis will get at least one more year to right this ship. Changes will indeed be made as the Irish will be shopping for a new Offensive Coordinator, Offensive line coach, Quarterbacks coach, Strength/Conditioning Coach, and most likely a Special Teams coach, after this holiday bowl season.

Parameters will be established next week for Weis or this will definitely be his last hur-rah in South Bend. So fans of Weis, I leave you with this little diddy by one of my favorite 80's groups Crowded House.

South Dakota Game Preview

Game 7: South Dakota (3-4) at #7 Notre Dame (5-1)
Date: Tuesday, December 2nd
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Despite not having the services of Luke Harangody for the second straight contest, Notre Dame should not have too much trouble with first year Division I foe South Dakota.

As was the case on Sunday against Furman, the Fighting Irish will have to rough it for at least one more night as Harangody is still battling the effects of pneumonia. It showed during the first 14 minutes of the contest before Kyle McAlarney started heating up where he left off in Hawaii. The senior guard almost broke his 3-point FG mark as he connecting on nine in 28 minutes of action. He finished the game with 32 points.

South Dakota like to play an uptempo game as they average 74.7 points a contest, which plays into the hands of the Irish. Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they can not hold their opponents either. They are giving up 72.7 points, 42.8 FG%, and 38.5 3FG, a night to their opposition.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, is playing at midseason form behind the sharp shooting of McAlarney, the toughness of Harangody and Zach Hillesland, and the steady play of guard Tory Jackson.

Currently the Irish rank high nationally in several categories:
1st Assist-to-Turnover Ratio (1.9)
6th Turnovers (9.8)
15th Assists (18.7)
17th Scoring (84.7)
27th 3pt. FG (40.4%)

This one should be over very quickly as Coach Mike Brey will empty his bench and give quality minutes for guys like Tim Abromitis, Tyrone Nash, and Carleton Scott. Anything less than a 30-point victory will be disappointing.

South Dakota Coyotes
Head Coach: Dave Boots (538-226), 21st season

Last Season: 22-7 in Division II

STRENGTHS
The Coyotes do have a strong nucleus back from their 22-7 squad of a season ago. South Dakota starts three seniors, a junior and one freshmen.

Junior forward Tyler Cain provides the scoring and muscle for the Coyotes. He has three double-doubles so far this season and had 16 last season for South Dakota.

WEAKNESSES
Entering their first season of Division I basketball, South Dakota is going to experience a few bumps and bruises. The talent level will be quite noticeable when they face bigger squads.

Projected Starters

South Dakota
C Steve Smith 8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg
F Tyle Cain 16.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg
F Dylan Grimsley 11.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg
G Jesse Becker 12.6 ppg, 3.6 apg
G Louie Krogman 15.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Notre Dame
F Zach Hillesland 6.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg
F Luke Zeller 7.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg
G Ryan Ayers 10.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
G Tory Jackson 14.3 ppg, 5.7 apg
G Kyle McAlarney 19.7 ppg, 3.8 apg

Notre Dame's Postseason Destination Still Uncertain

What a long strange trip it has been this season for the Fighting Irish as they came away even at 6-6 for the 2008 campaign. Other than who will be Notre Dame's head coach next season, the question now is where will the Irish be playing this postseason?



Sun Bowl (Dec. 31st)
This game will be signed, sealed, and delivered, if Louisville beats Rutgers this Thursday night. Currently the Scarlet Knights are a 10 and a half point favorites at home.

Possible Sun Bowl Opponent: Oregon State (8-4)
This is definitely not a matchup any Irish fan or alum wants to see Notre Dame play. All oneself has to do is remember the Fiesta Bowl and the Insight.com Bowl with the Beavers.



Texas Bowl (Dec. 30th)
This Houston-based bowl game will not be a fan favorite either because this contest will be aired by the NFL Network. Unless you are a subscriber to this channel, most Irish fans will be watching this game at their local sports bars!

Possible Texas Bowl Opponent: Rice (9-3) or Houston (7-5)
Whichever squad the Irish could possibly face in this game will definitely have the backing of the home crowd as both schools are just a stone's throw away from Reliant Stadium.

Both Rice and Houston are two of highest scoring teams in the nation averaging a little over 41 points per game. Houston has the second-best offense in the country with a 575 yard output, while Rice is 10th averaging 472 yards. The Owls also have one of the better receiving tandems in Division I in Jarrett Dillard (102 ypg) and James Casey (101 ypg).

So if the Texas Bowl becomes a reality, the Irish could have their hands full with these explosive offenses.



Independence Bowl (Dec. 28th)
There are a lot better places to spend your holidays than Shreveport, Louisiana, but this game could be the streak breaker if the Irish land there.

Possible Independence Bowl Opponent: Louisiana Tech (7-5) or UL-Lafayette (5-6)
Both the Ragin' Cajuns and Bulldogs are a run first team as they rank 5th (273 ypg) and 27th (195 ypg) nationally. On the flip side, both squads are giving up a lot of yardage to their opponents. Louisiana-Lafayette is yielding 431 yards, while Louisiana Tech is giving up 379 yards.

If there's anything close to a sure bet win, place your money on the Irish if they go to Shreveport.



Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24th)
The most ideal vacation spot could be the most hostile environment. Notre Dame has not been on the Island since Bob Davie's first season as head coach, and the Irish barely survived.

Possible Hawaii Bowl Opponent: Hawaii (7-5)
The Warriors are not potent as they were when they had Colt Brennan and June Jones running the show, but are still and dangerous squad when they play at home. Would it be worth the price to play in paradise for such a risky bowl game? that's the three-quarter million dollar question the Irish could be asking themselves.



Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 23rd)
Another beautiful vacation spot (San Deigo) with a lot of bad scenarios for the Irish.

Possible Poinsettia Bowl Opponent: BYU (10-2)
Once considered a BCS buster, BYU is settling for Poinsettia Bowl appearance which doesn't make the Cougars much happy one bit. Besides playing a squad that feels jolted in not playing a better bowl, the Cougars are a dangerous team that the Irish would have a hard time with.

This is the most likely of destinations for the Irish, and definitely one of the worst matchups for the Notre Dame.

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