We Are A Nation

The following was shared by Ronald Reagan on Rock's House:

She is � in ways perhaps unimaginable by those who�ve never walked her hallowed grounds � Our Mother.

Some may assume her fame to be borne of football glory, her greatness measured merely by championships and trophies, her mystique arising solely from the legend and lore of illustrious heroes past. Some, sensing that there must be more, may invoke her academic prestige or uncommon acclaim. And some � adopting the na�ve premise (or the wishful thought) that she must be like the rest � may choose to blithely call into question her specialness, her inimitability, and even her relevance.

But for those of us who�ve glimpsed the famed Golden Dome gleaming in the midmorning sun, for those who�ve watched the autumnal mist settling across the tranquil waters of St. Mary�s Lake, for those who�ve spent a quiet evening embraced by the candlelit prayers of the Grotto, or simply strolled across the campus and, looking up, caught sight of Our Lady majestically standing atop the dome, surveying her university and all who call it home � for those of us who�ve been so blessed to have experienced these moments, we understand.

These are the sacred moments in which you feel yourself transported, and through which you become inextricably linked with those who�ve come before you, whose own moments of valor and victory have been inspired in and by this place for generations.

How vividly I remember my first glimpse of the Golden Dome as my parents drove me to campus for freshman orientation. We had just turned north onto Notre Dame Avenue, and there it was � stately and serene, set against a clear blue sky, shimmering in the brilliant August sunlight, seeming to grow taller and brighter as we approached.

Two days later, now alone, I took my first unguided tour of the campus. I gazed upon Touchdown Jesus, unaware that the mural�s official name was �The Word of Life.� I walked around the stadium, trying to imagine the cheers of the crowd on a football Saturday when the Irish took the field. I visited the Grotto and watched the steady stream of students whose faith compelled them to come to this sacred place and offer prayers on bended knee. I experience the breathtaking beauty that is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and I pondered the words inscribed above the east door � �God, Country, Notre Dame.�

As I circled the Administration Building (as it was then known), I came upon two priests who were quietly conversing. One of them called me over. �You look lost,� he said with a good-natured laugh. �You must be a freshman!�

�I am,� I confessed. �My parents just left a few minutes ago.�

He extended his hand. �I�m Father Ted,� he said. �This is Father Ned Joyce. Welcome to Notre Dame.�

�Welcome home,� Father Ned added. �Welcome home.�

�Do you have plans for dinner?� Father Ted asked after we had chatted for several minutes.

�No, Sir,� I answered.

�Good,� he replied without hesitation. �Then join us. We�re waiting for someone I�d like you to meet. His name is Emil T. Hofman and he�s the Dean of the Freshman Year of Studies.�

We went to a local restaurant (I�m not sure which one, but it was fairly nice). I do remember that during dinner, Father Hesburgh sat next to me. At one point, he turned to me and said, �So, tell me about your goals while you�re at Notre Dame. What do you want to accomplish during your career here?�

I answered honestly, and, I must admit, in a way that I thought would�ve impressed the University�s President. �I want to make straight A�s and graduate at the top of my class,� I boldly proclaimed.

Father Ted studied my face for a moment, and then leaned closer. �Son,� he said in a gentle voice befitting a man of wisdom, �I�m sure you have the academic credentials to make all A�s and to be one of these super students at Notre Dame. I have no doubt of it. But that would require you to lock yourself in your room and do nothing but study for the next four years. Now some people do that, but I don�t think they should.�

�You don�t?� I asked.

�I don�t,� he responded. �Now, of course I want you to do well academically, but I also want you to promise me that you�ll go out and live the Notre Dame Experience. You�re going to make great friends here � enjoy your time with them. Enjoy the campus. Enjoy all that Notre Dame has to offer. Don�t sacrifice the experience for the grades. This is a special time in your life, and I want you to promise me you�ll soak in everything it means to be a student at the University of Notre Dame.�

Thus was my introduction to Notre Dame.

I would come to learn over time that the experience of which he spoke was indeed made of moments just such as these, each more special than any test score, each more meaningful than a grade point average, each more brilliant than even a dome of gold.

From my window in Alumni Hall, I could see both the Golden Dome and Notre Dame Stadium � one, the iconic symbol of a world-renowned university, and the other, her celebrated field of legends.

But in between the two, I found autumn afternoons and trees ablaze with color. I found guys tossing footballs on the quad, and the band playing the Fight Song as they marched across the campus. I found the calming waters of the lakes, and the profound serenity of the Grotto. I found quiet snowfalls that could mesmerize with their magical beauty, yet could chill a Southern boy like me to the bone.

I found students volunteering their time in the service of those less fortunate, raising money for those in need, and selflessly performing small acts of kindness without the slightest thought of repayment.

I found passion and purpose, I found loyalty and honor, and I found friendships that have endured to this day.

And through it all, I found that the Notre Dame Experience, as Father Hesburgh had described it on my very first day, was more than anyone could ever grasp by simply reading a book, or writing a paper, or even becoming a valedictorian. That experience, that spirit, dwells deep within the hearts of all who�ve lived here, of all who�ve studied here, and of all who�ve come to know and love this place we call Notre Dame.

What some may find most extraordinary is that the Spirit of Notre Dame doesn�t emanate from her championships, as important as they are. In fact, just the opposite is true � the championships of Notre Dame emanate from her spirit. And that spirit is unique. It�s real, it�s palpable, and it�s clean. There�s a freshness about it that couldn�t exist if it weren�t authentic.

There stands, in a niche along the southern face of Alumni Hall, the statue of a student. He wears a cap and gown, and holds a diploma. He�s known simply as �The Graduate.�

I remember my final drive down Notre Dame Avenue only hours after my own graduation. I turned to look out the rear window of my parents� car, and, gazing once more upon the Golden Dome, watched as it reflected the last rays of the afternoon sun and receded into the distance.

In that moment, I finally came to understand the emotions of that carved scholar. Now I, too, was going forth into the world, carrying with me the lessons and the spirit of this place, excited to begin the journey beyond, but quietly wondering what would become of me.

Years later, I�ve come to embrace the wonder as part of the journey, and the journey as part of the destination. And yet something about it always leads me back to Notre Dame.

What I�ve learned to be true is that for all the spectacle and splendor of a football weekend at Notre Dame, she reserves her most treasured gifts for those quiet moments when one strolls across the campus, admiring the freshly fallen snow, breathing in the crisp, clean pine-scented air, listening to her beating heart, warm beneath the mantle that is her embrace.

These are the times when one discovers her truest blessings � the grace that must be sought, the spirit that must be nurtured, and the irresistible beauty that is Our Mother and our home.

And so it is that we willingly defend her honor on Saturdays in the fall when we do strong battle against those who would dare to take that which she has bequeathed to us. We strap on our pads, we don our helmets, and we rise up with explosive force to engage in masculine, titanic struggle for the ultimate victory of the Lady on the Dome.

Victory is a decision. And it is a decision that we make without apology. No matter the foe, no matter the price, we seek victory and nothing less. We shall not be defined by circumstance, and we shall never ask anyone for permission to succeed.

Those who openly pine for Notre Dame�s luster to be tarnished, or who brashly claim that she�d prefer to live in the glory of a bygone era, indict themselves by their very words, for it is they who do not � and perhaps cannot � understand the nature of this place.

While we rightly honor the towering achievements of those who�ve gone before us, let it be known by one and all that we hold forever firm the ideal that our greatest dreams have yet to be dreamed, our greatest works have yet to be done, our greatest heights have yet to be scaled, and our greatest victories have yet to be won.

We, the sons and daughters of Notre Dame, share a common heritage. We speak a common language, are united by a common destiny, and are inspired by a common vision. We are, therefore, a nation � bound together not simply by golden helmets or athletic fame, but more so by the very ideals that set us apart, that define who we are, that enlighten our path and enrich our journey as we navigate the glory and travail of this life.

We are poised at the front line of history, the heroes of the past standing shoulder to shoulder behind us, their mythical deeds echoing through time, supplying us with courage and hope for the future. Now it is our turn, and we are both humbled and honored by the privilege of lifting her banner high for the world to see.

We are a nation triumphant. We are a nation compassionate. We are a nation accomplished, yet forever aspiring. We are a nation sublime, a nation united, and a nation set apart, destined to be loved, to be feared, to be admired, and to be envied, but, above all, destined to prevail.

We are, in the final analysis, a nation of champions, who, with Our Mother atop the dome, stand victorious.

We are Notre Dame.

5 Keys to the season

From PeteatND's post on Rock's House:

It's presented in what I consider to be a vague order of importance (and it shows that I have too much time on my hands). Just a little fodder for criticism before the season starts.

(1) Run blocking when the defense is expecting the run

This might be the most obvious key to the season but, given that most are predicting between 8 and 10 wins, it's clear that most already assume that the OL will be vastly improved in this area.

Anyone who paid attention last year will know how atrocious we were at the power running game, and at running when the defense expected it. According to Blue-Gray Sky's excellent article Four Horses Running Downhill, we averaged 3.38 yds/carry on inside runs, 2.83 yds/carry on FB runs, and an awesome 2.00 yds/carry on "wham" plays. In another excellent article of their's, Evolution of an Offense, we averaged 3.72 yds/carry out of our 1FB/1HB/1TE formation, 2.28 yds/carry out of our 1HB/3TE formation, and a horrific 1.92 yds/carry out of the 1FB/1HB/2TE formation. It doesn't take a genius to see that these numbers are truly abominable.

We'll be using these obvious run formations much more frequently and, without Quinn, defenses will be truly expecting the run for the first time in Weis' tenure. We'd better be really freakin' improved in this area or we can forget about 8 wins, let alone 9 or 10.

(2) Pass rush by our OLBs

As most will know, outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme are tasked with providing probably 90% of the pressure the defense brings. The good news is that ND has a lot of guys at the position who were big sack producers in high school (Vernaglia, Ryan, Neal, B. Smith, as well as S. Smith and Richardson to a lesser extent); The bad news is that they haven't a single career sack -- or even a "hurry" -- between them. In other words, the next time one of them puts even a small amount of pressure on a QB will be the first time.

We know we have talent at the position, and there is lack of experience among our opponents at OT for us to exploit. But, whenever someone absolutely has to "emerge" for a team to have success, there's uncertainty.

(3) Ian Williams

I'm relatively confident in Pat Kuntz, something I never would've expected to say after we beat out Michigan State and Louisville for him a few years ago. If you want to kill some time before Saturday, watch the 9 vs 7 drills from the open practice on UND.com -- every play is a running play with (almost) full contact on the line. Focus on Kuntz: He made a couple plays in the backfield, did a nice job of using his quickness to minimize the effectiveness of the double team, and was generally a pain in the butt. Unfortunately, Ian Williams didn't seem quite as comfortable during the 10 or so plays they showed. On one play, he was double teamed, pushed back about 7 yards, and the RB broke through and "scored".

Regardless of how effective Kuntz might turn out to be, there's zero chance he'll be able to take those double teams all year long without breaking down if he doesn't have a viable back-up. Williams has had some time to acclimatize over the last few weeks, and he'll have to show it right away against GT. If Justin Brown has to be the back-up at NT (as was apparently the case for a few plays at the student practice), it won't be a good sign.

(4) The corner opposite Terrail Lambert

Lambert is the only guy in our defensive backfield with a proven ability to make plays on the ball in coverage (aside from perhaps '05 Zbikowski). He likely was the difference in our victories against MSU and UCLA.

Ambrose Wooden has been a solid corner at times, but he has a problem with turning and making a play. In two years of significant game action, he has 2 interceptions and 7 passes broken up. He was also beaten by Grimes on a deep ball from Jones in the open practice. Walls is unproven, but did at least look darn good in the WR-DB drills at the open practice. One of them will have to step up and take on our opponents' No. 2 wideouts, because we're playing some good ones this year (Butler/Norwood at PSU, Arrington at UM, Orton/Lymon at PU, Hazelton/Ausberry at SC, Evan Moore at SU).

(5) WRs making plays against the blitz

When we do have to pass this year (3rd downs / 2 minute drills / when behind), it's no secret that we'll be blitzed. A lot. The best way, as far as I'm concerned, to negate the blitz is not with a mobile quarterback or the option, but with accurate passing and WRs that can break off their routes and make yards after the catch.

It's not really his fault, but I'm not sure if David Grimes -- after all his catches last year -- has a single yard after the catch to his name. And the other WRs are obviously unproven in that regard. Will they be able to take a 5 yard pass and take it 20 or 30 yards against a blitzing defense, or will they just get wrapped up after 3 yards?

Armando vs. Golden

I'm not sure who has the better name or the better video. Something to kill the time 'till kickoff.

A Box of Chocolates

As is the case with every new year there's a ton of optimism around ND 2007 and there are a lot of good reasons to be optimistic:

• We might finally have a punishing offensive line that will allow us to have a power running game.
• Rarely have we seen backs with as much promise as Armando Allen and Robert Hughes possess combined with the experience talent and leadership of Travis Thomas, five-star recruit James Aldridge and big surprise Junior Jabbie.
• Nothing breeds optimism like having a fiery defensive coordinator talking about an aggressive take no prisoners approach that maximizes talent.
• Our defensive backfield could be the best ND has had since 1993 (is it that long ago?)
• There's young talent at every position you look at.
• The quarterbacks have a lot of potential.
  

Now here's the problem.

Or a couple of them.

That's not an awful lot of positives.

If a fan from Oklahoma told you that the Sooners were going to start a quarterback with no previous starts operating behind an offensive line replacing three out of five starters, with new wide receivers and replacing a multi-year thousand yard rusher... you'd be a bit crazy to think that they 'should' put up good offensive numbers.

If that same fan told you that the Sooners were installing a completely new defensive scheme run by a guy who's never been a DC, starting two brand new undersized defensive lineman who weren't highly recruited in a defense that was ranked in the bottom half of 1-A... what would you think?

And, oh yeah I forgot this, the senior and junior recruiting classes may the worst back to back recruiting classes of the modern era and they've been decimated by transfers.

I know of course that other teams have question marks, but Notre Dame simply has too many to have any clue what we're going to get.

If the offensive line blocks well, the backs perform great (btw, check out wr Golden on the left at rb) and the defense plays above expectations, the Irish could still lose if a young quarterback throws a couple of pics. The difference in good and bad seasons (relative to expectations) can usually be found in the turnover column.

There are simply too many variables that have to go right to expect the Irish to win their way to a BCS game -- and I haven't even talked about the schedule.

BUT!!!!!!!

I believe the Irish have one ingredient they've been lacking since Coach Weis showed up that could be the magic dust that leads to a memorable season.... coaching synergy.

I know I've wrote about it before, but Weis finally has a guy who's defense he knows and a guy who can motivate players. Just as important, he has a guy who can pressure test Weis's own strategies and decisions. Good coaching staff's elevate fair players to good and good players to great and do the same for each other. And as I mentioned above, Corwin's a motivator, which is a necessary ingredient in a college team.

Mix that with an influx of young talent and this year could be a redux of 2005.

I'd pick the Irish by 10 this Saturday, but Cash and JVan are going to this game and they're like the grim reapers of Notre Dame football. We should get a collection to send them both on weekend vacations on game weeks. Despite their presence, we'll notch a W. Weis didn't go down to West Virginia to go white water rafting. *Let me know if the goods (jerseys etc.) on the right are distracting and I'll tone them down.

ND Depth Chart

The official ND depth chart is out and of note Sharpley is listed ahead of Jones and Clausen but there is that conjuction 'or' in there which means it's wide open. It's Travis Thomas then anybody else at tailback. It's Justin Brown or Dwight Stephenson at DE and Joe Brockington or Toryan Smith at MLB. Probably the biggest surprise is Walls over Wooden at cornerback, as some have speculated, a sign of great competition at that position. And it looks like we're going to have some speed on kick returns with Armando Allen and Golden Tate listed as 1-2 (they just sound fast.)

Notre Dame Offense

X 19 George West 5-10 197 So.
1 D.J. Hord 6-1 196 Jr.
18 Duval Kamara 6-5 222 Fr.

LT 72 Paul Duncan 6-7 308 Jr.
70 Matt Romine 6-5 279 Fr.

LG 77 Mike Turkovich 6-6 301 Jr.
55 Eric Olsen 6-5 303 So.

C 78 JOHN SULLIVAN 6-4 303 Sr.
67 Thomas Bemenderfer 6-5 285 Jr.

RG 51 Dan Wenger 6-4 287 So.
73 Matt Carufel 6-5 295 So.

RT 74 SAM YOUNG 6-8 310 So.
75 Taylor Dever 6-5 289 Fr.

TE 89 JOHN CARLSON 6-6 255 Sr.
84 Will Yeatman 6-6 264 So.
88 Konrad Reuland 6-6 255 So.
83 Mike Ragone 6-5 230 Fr.

Z 11 DAVID GRIMES 5-10 177 Jr.
82 Robby Parris 6-4 209 So.
21 Barry Gallup Jr. 5-11 185 So.
23 Golden Tate 5-11 188 Fr.

QB 13 Evan Sharpley 6-2 216 Jr.
or 3 Demetrius Jones 6-4 213 So.
or 7 Jimmy Clausen 6-3 207 Fr.

FB 44 Asaph Schwapp 6-0 261 Jr.
32 Luke Schmidt 6-3 248 So.

HB 26 Travis Thomas 6-0 216 Sr.
34 James Aldridge 6-0 222 So.
or 5 Armando Allen 5-10 190 Fr.
or 37 Junior Jabbie 5-11 205 Sr.
33 Robert Hughes 5-11 238 Fr.

Notre Dame Defense

LDE 98 TREVOR LAWS 6-1 296 Sr.
93 Paddy Mullen 6-3 290 So.

NT 96 Pat Kuntz 6-3 285 Jr.
95 Ian Williams 6-2 300 Fr.

RDE 94 Justin Brown 6-3 261 Sr.
or 57 Dwight Stephenson Jr. 6-2 272 Sr.
97 Kallen Wade 6-5 257 So.

OLB 90 John Ryan 6-5 253 So.
53 Morrice Richardson 6-2 244 So.

ILB 40 MAURICE CRUM JR. 6-0 230 Sr.
41 Scott Smith 6-4 235 Jr.

ILB 52 JOE BROCKINGTON 6-2 240 Sr.
or 49 Toryan Smith 6-1 245 So.

OLB 54 Anthony Vernaglia 6-3 234 Sr.
56 Kerry Neal 6-2 245 Fr.
or 58 Brian Smith 6-3 233 Fr.

LCB 2 Darrin Walls 6-0 180 So.
22 **Ambrose Wooden 5-11 196 Sr.
15 Leo Ferrine 6-0 189 Sr.

FS 27 David Bruton 6-2 207 Jr.
28 Kyle McCarthy 6-1 207 Jr.
29 Jashaad Gaines 6-0 203 So.
30 Harrison Smith 6-2 205 Fr.

SS 9 TOM ZBIKOWSKI 6-0 207 Sr.
6 Ray Herring 5-10 197 Jr.
31 Sergio Brown 6-1 196 So.
24 Leonard Gordon 5-11 194 So.

RCB 20 TERRAIL LAMBERT 5-11 191 Sr.
8 Raeshon McNeil 6-0 187 So.
25 Munir Prince 5-10 184 So.

Notre Dame Special Teams

PK 35 Nate Whitaker 5-9 170 So.
or 14 Brandon Walker 6-3 197 Fr.

P 17 GEOFF PRICE 6-3 208 Sr.
43 Eric Maust 6-2 177 So.

KO 35 Nate Whitaker 5-9 170 So.
or 14 Brandon Walker 6-3 197 Fr.

HLD 13 Evan Sharpley 6-2 216 Jr.
or 17 Geoff Price 6-3 208 Sr.

Notre Dame Special Teams

SNP 61 J.J. JANSEN 6-3 242 Sr.
39 Kevin Brooks 6-2 241 Jr.

PR 9 TOM ZBIKOWSKI 6-0 207 Sr.
11 David Grimes 5-10 177 Jr.
19 George West 5-10 197 So.
5 Armando Allen 5-10 190 Fr.

KR 5 Armando Allen 5-10 190 Fr.
23 Golden Tate 5-11 188 Fr.
2 Darrin Walls 6-0 174 So.
19 George West 5-10 197 So.

Representin' Big Blue

Pratice Reports From Cartier Field

These are NDNation poster accounts of last night's student practice:

Those punts weren't as long as you mentioned. The ball was being snapped from the 30 and getting to about the 25 or 30, which is about 40-45 yard punt. Punting distance is measured from the LOS and not where the punter kicks from, so that's just a clarification. With that being said, Price looked good.

I was encouraged by Brandon Walker. He seemed to have a consistent and solid pop to his kicks. I suspect that he will be kicking our FGs this season and Whitaker will handle KO's. Regardless, Walker will be a good kicker for us for the next 4 years. Burkhardt was nowhere to be seen except running sprints at the end.

I thought Clausen's arm looked alright. Maybe he's not ready to really let it go yet, but his motion looked fine and he didn't seem to be favoring anything. Sharply didn't look as solid as he has in the past. This could be attributed to the fact that he was running the 2-minute drill, which is a little more hectic. He threw an easy ball well behind Carlson on a crossing route. DJ's pick was poor decision, but an ever poorer decision was during his pursuit of the run back. He pulled back his throwing arm and tried to punch the ball loose, and in doing so seemed to make perfect contact with the defender's helmet. I was surprised by that a little. My one deduction from tonight's practice with regards to the QB situation was that Jimmy won't be starting anytime soon. He was doing most of the running plays, whereas DJ and Sharply were throwing the ball and running a 2-minute offense. I could be wrong, but that's my guess.

Robert Hughes doesn't look like a freshman at all. He is LARGE and runs well. David Bruton was killing on special teams punt coverage. He beat his man on about every play, and should be a valuable gunner for us this year. West, Gallup and Zibby were fielding punts. Walls was back for a few Kickoff returns. Joe Brockington looks to have put on a lot of weight since last year, which is good because he'll be taking on a lot of OG's this season. Crum looked considerably bigger too. Just a few random observations.

--------

No surprise, Price was great at punts.

Whitaker definitely looked to be the best FG kicker tonight. As jesuitirish said below, he was 5/6 in one stretch where he missed 1-40 yarder, made the same 40 yarder the next try, then hit a 50 yarder. On the 40 yarder miss, it looked like the holder bobbled the snap to him a bit and that is what distracted Whitaker (something he needs to work on not being distracted by, just kick it like it's held perfectly and if the holder doesn't get it there, then it's on him, at least that's what I think a kicker should train to do).

It seemed to me that Clausen was in on about half the snaps that were taken between him, Sharpley, and Jones. I'd make something of that but all of Clausen's snaps were under center with 85% or so being runs while Sharpley and Jones both ran hurry-up offenses where 80% or so were passes. If all three were running similar plays, it would have been easier to infer something about it and is probably why Weis ran the practice like he did.

One thing that I noticed was that the 2-3 deep o-line seemed to get a good push and get the D-line back 2-3 yards before the RB got to the line. I don't know the reason for this (could have the d-line been told to play soft?). If both sides were playing to ability, hopefully that means the o-line is very good this year and not that the d-line is not so good (or that the 3-4 defense that is being practiced is weak against the run).

Good thing there is only about 5.5 days left to the first game. I'm anxious to get the seasons started.

----------

There were about 1000-2000 students in attendence. Many freshmen in their new dorm t-shirts.

I will try to refrain from drawing any conclusions or making any commentary and just try to share some of what I saw.

After stretching, it was punting. Price and number 43 alternated two kicks a piece. Price was averaging about 55 yards, 43's average was about 50. Receiving the punts were West, Grimes, Gallup, and finally Zibby. West put one on the turf. Zibby was the only returner to appear to break free. Much has been made of his weight, but he doesn't appear any thinner. He does appear to be fast as shit.

Price's longest was 60 yards.

Field Goals were next. Walker made a 20 yard kick, a 32, a 35, a 40 from the left hash, but missed twice on a 40 yard kick on the right hash. My program says Burkhart wears 39 and Whitaker 33, but I seem to remember the other kicker wearing #35. I could be mistaken. He scored on a 20, a 32, a 35, missed a 40 yarder on the left hash, and then made the same kick. He then made a 50 yard kick down the center.

Kick-offs followed, with #35 and and Walker alternating. Most kicks came down on the 5 yard line. The shortest fell at the 20 yard line (kicker #35) and the longest fell on the goal line (Walker). The return tandems were Allen and Tate, Walls and West, and McNeil and Gallup. Gallup dropped one ball.

11 on 11 scrimmage.

Jimmy Clausen came out with the first team. (All commentary violently suppressed at this point). With him were Thomas, Schwapp, Hord, the expected starting OL (Duncan, Turkovich, Sullivan, Wenger, Young), and two TEs (Carlson, Yeatman).

JC ran about 30 plays. Almost all were running plays. (Cough, cough). The first personnel change was to bring in Aldridge and Schmidt. JC then threw a ten yard dart to Carlson. Nothing seemed wrong with his motion. Then Kamara, Reuland and Ragone were brought in. Schmidt saw a few carries and caught a nice 10 yard pass.

More running plays and more running plays. A pass complete in the flats to Hughes. And a 25 yard INT, picked off by #24 (fourth string safety?). On the INT I was disappointed with Kamara's lack of fighting for the ball. On the very next play, Kamara lined up on the wrong side. JC yelled at him and as he was correcting himself, Weis whistled everything dead and had some strong words for the freshman. Hord quickly replaced him.

2 more pass plays where Clausen found no one and tucked the ball to run, both times to his right.

In comes Sharpley. Same OL and Carlson. Now with Parris, Grimes, West in a three receiver set (as opposed to the two TE's JC had) and Jabbe at HB. Clausen had been operating out of a huddle, but Sharply ran a two-minute no-huddle drill. Almost every play was a pass. He wasn't connecting perfectly. He looked mostly to Carlson. A few passes behind the big TE, a drop or two from Carlson. Sharply did move the team, though, bringing them from their own 40 or so down to the red-zone, mostly with short passes to Jabbe and draw plays to Jabbe. He was hurrying up the offense, getting the snap off as quickly as he could. In the end-zone he air-mailed some balls and Weis blew the whistle.

Jones's team came out, with Thomas, Hord, Kamara, Yeatman and Carlson. He also ran something of a no-huddle, but not as up-tempo as Sharply. About 80% of the plays were passes. He connected with Thomas in the flats. He missed Yeatman. He threw a very poor INT to Walls that could have gone for 6 points the wrong way. He tripped (on the center's feet? on his own feet?) and fell down. At one point he sent two TE's wide, spreading 4 receivers and hitting Hord on a fifteen yard pass. The next two plays he hesitated, found nothing, tucked and ran.

Weis blew this whistle and brought in Bragg.

I will allow myself one comment: Asaph Schwapp is an enormous and angry man.

Why Charlie is Smarter Than Mandel

There are many answers for this, but this ajc article sums it up nicely. Charlie's taken the pressure off his quarterbacks and put it on Georgia Tech's defense and angst ridden reporters.

Jackets prepare for 3 possible QBs
Notre Dame coach won't reveal starter

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/27/07

Kyle Manley hasn't been himself lately.

Sometimes, he's a pro-style quarterback so highly hyped he held a news conference at the College Football Hall of Fame last year to announce his commitment to Notre Dame.

Your Turn Who do you think will start for Notre Dame at quarterback in the opener against Georgia Tech? Jimmy Clausen, the hotshot freshman. Evan Sharpley, Brady Quinn's former backup. Demetrius Jones, the athletic sophomore. Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

RELATED STORIES Jackets prepare for 3 possible QBs Guyton stronger now at weakside What we've learned about the Yellow Jackets • More Tech coverage

Sometimes, he's a junior who threw only two passes in eight games as Brady Quinn's backup.

Sometimes, he's a sophomore who has yet to play a down for the Fighting Irish but is so athletic he has been compared with Vince Young.

Manley plays all those roles on the scout team for Georgia Tech, which doesn't know which of the three quarterbacks it will face in Saturday's season opener against Notre Dame. On the subject of quarterbacks, Irish coach Charlie Weis has declared only that he won't declare. Even candidates Jimmy Clausen, the hotshot freshman, Evan Sharpley, Quinn's former backup, and Demetrius Jones, the athletic sophomore, don't know who won the job, Weis told reporters last week.

That leaves Tech guessing. Or, more accurately, not guessing and covering all three bases.

"We've got to be prepared for anything," linebacker Shane Bowen said. "There's not much we can say or do about it. They're going to come out that day with a quarterback, one of the three of them, so we've just got to be prepared for anything."

"It's not as easy as if you knew who the quarterback was," Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "It would be a lot easier if you knew."

The secrecy goes beyond the starter's identity. Unlike Tech, which kept practices open until classes began Aug. 20, Notre Dame held a single open practice, at which Clausen, the hotshot freshman coming off arthroscopic elbow surgery, never threw the ball downfield. Did that mean anything? Was it a ruse to throw off onlookers, and by extension the Yellow Jackets? Who knows?

Gamesmanship can extend beyond what coaches do when practices are open to what coaches and players say when talking to reporters.

Are people at Notre Dame really reading newspaper coverage to mine for insight into Tech?

"Every day," Gailey said.

And does Tech read newspaper coverage of its opponents?

"Every day," he said.

Does it ever yield anything useful?

"A little. Not a lot," Gailey said. "Not that's going to make a vast difference, but injuries always help. Little things here and there we learned."

In the end, though, the big things aren't really secret. Weis has a long, very public history of designing offenses and calling plays. Whoever he puts at quarterback will still be running a Charlie Weis offense, which is likely to be similar in most key respects to what the Irish ran against the Yellow Jackets last season.

"There will be a wrinkle here and there for us, but it's Notre Dame. You've got to prepare for Notre Dame," Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta said. "We have film on all their games. You prepare for Notre Dame. I know probably more than they want me to know."

The secrets will be revealed Saturday.

Meanwhile, Manley plays three roles.

Imitating Clausen and Sharpley isn't much different; they're both expected to pass first and run only if necessary. But when Manley imitates Jones, he has to try to use his legs to get past Tech's defense. Manley's legs weren't really designed for that.

"We say move around the best you can," scout team coach Nathan Burton said, "and watch out for [linebacker] Philip Wheeler."

Here Comes the 'Ramblin Wreck

A quick reminder of Notre Dame's struggle in Terminus:

Brady Quinn Looking Like an NFL Vet

I was going to write a recap Quinn's NFL debut against a number one defense, but IAND75 did a better job below. You can check out the video here.

The two things that Brady's pre-season games are demonstrated are directly related to his ND experience and Weis.

He is playing with a very limited playbook and minimal experience with his teammates. This is what seems to have Crennel and Savage so worried. He hasn't had the time in the system to learn all the nuances and develop timing and raport with the starters.

What he has done is play very sound fundamental football. Solid mechanics and execution.

The other is solid mental football. He knows what he should and shouldn't be doing in these situations. He is mentally disciplined.

This is all now second nature to him. He didn't learn this in NFL training camp or game experience. It is what he learned from Weis and his ND experience. The two minute drill he ran last week was pure instinct, a direct result of all those same situations at ND and learing to do it right.

The level of his fundamental skills is high, and his mental skills and discipline even greater. It is all the more obvious when he is seen in comparison to the other Browns' QB's. They have more time in the new Browns' system, have spent more time working with the starters, and have more NFL game experience, but have less of a command of the situation. The biggest knock on both of them is costly stupid mental mistakes.

I really don't think the Browns give up much, if any, chances of winning games by having Brady start. I don't think Charlie Frye's NFL game experience gives him that much of an edge. It sure isn't visible in his play so far this year.

It may not be the NFL, but Brady has had some pretty good experience in high pressure, high power games and has proved himself. It doesn't get much more intense than the Southern Cal 2005 game.

From what I've seen the Browns would do just as well, if not better, with Brady starting instead of Frye. That's not to say that they shouldn't start Frye against Pittsburgh and give Brady a few games to learn more of the offense and experience the game from the sideline.

But it does mean that Charlie was right when he told everyone before the draft that Brady could come in and start day one in the NFL.

The combination of the public spotlight, the intense pressure, the complex pro offense, and the teaching abilities of Weis make ND the premier place to get your training if you want to be a top NFL quarterback.

The NFL gives the game ball to Quinn:
Brady Quinn delivered his second straight standout performance for the Browns, as he completed 7-of-11 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. Despite getting stuffed at the goalline on his two-point conversion, Young still came through with 91 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

That's Mr. Blanton to you

Notre Dame recruit Robert Blanton wasted little time setting the tone for his senior campaign. Here are some short snippets from game one:

If anyone in the stadium didn't know of Butler's All-State defensive back and Notre Dame signee Robert Blanton, they did after the first half. With a kickoff return for a touchdown, an interception, a couple tackles on punt coverage and a catch where he smoothly bounced off a defender, Blanton's name was about every other word out of the speakers.

---------------

Senior defensive back Robert Blanton, however, set the tone. After Charest threw an interception deep in Butler territory on the first series, North Meck would score two plays later on a 9-yard Xavier Joplin run. Blanton needed about 10 seconds to erase that deficit, when he took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the touchdown.

Au revoir Jeffy - Hello eTruth

Bowing to popular reader demand and in our ongoing effort to cleanse our site of the leeches and hair pullers, we will no longer link or reference Jeff Carroll articles on NDNation. We will instead steer our traffic to the good work being performed by Ben Ford at eTruth, who's done a nice job covering Notre Dame. Note what an unbiased account of Clausen's press conference reads like. We'll work with our internet cohorts to highlight articles are that free of petty attacks.

And the winning quarterback is?

No one on the outside is quite sure, though I do know who it isn't. But I'm already hearing some fans whining that they're worried Charlie isn't handling this right.

Hold me, I'm Irish.

He's handling is perfectly from where I sit. Charlie told you exactly what he was going to do about the quarterback situation last week:

"But I also don’t believe in playing mind games. Let’s say you have one guy who expects to be the starter, and he is not the starter. He’s not going to tell you, but he’s going to know. Because the last thing you want to do five seconds before the game starts is have the guy go into the tank because the guy who thought he was going to be the quarterback, is not the quarterback. I’m not that dumb, I’ll make sure everyone is aware of what the situation is. I think mind games hurt the quarterback position.”

And he told you the week before that:

"They’re three different types of players. So there’s no intrinsic value of me saying which one is doing which before I go into the first game. It’s to my advantage, and to Notre Dame football’s advantage, to do it that way for the first game. I promise you, it’s not because I’m trying to hold back from the guys that are here every day. It’s that I’m trying to win the opener. I’m trying to beat Georgia Tech and it’s the only game that I have this card to play, and I’m going to hold them. My answer won’t change; it’s going to be a game-time decision; that will be my answer on this one."

So Charlie told you that he knows who the starter is going to be and his players know, but they're going to tell you they don't know. I can't understand why this upsets some people. Is it necessary for fans to "know" who's going to start? Granted, it's not as bad as petulant little sports writers throwing writing hissy fits, but it comes from the same place. There's no advantage to you knowing. It's better for ND if you don't know.

Charlie's making Georgia Tech overprepare and that's all to his advantage. Even if his trip to West Virginia doesn't add one new play to the playbook, it's making Georgia Tech think, because the Mountaineers ran all over the jackets in their bowl game.

I know that they know our offense and in addition to our offense, they know we have this athletic quarterback in Demetrius. So what if he plays? Everyone says Weis went down to West Virginia for a day, and in a day I don’t think I could throw out our whole offense and put in their whole offense. Could I have gotten a couple of ideas from them to go ahead and use? Absolutely, so now what you do is practice against a couple of those things to make sure you are prepared for those. You practice against our offense and you practice against the 34. Now if people want to sit there and say, why would Weis want to tell Georgia Tech what to do? That’s what any staff is going to do. I’m only speaking the obvious. That’s what they’re going to do.”

On Monday, when you begin to narrow the quarterback choice from three to two, how difficult will this be for the young offense to handle?

“The team will know what we are doing. Instead of a three-way race, they will know it’s more two-way, and they will know it’s either what he does; or what he does. It’s not either/or because there are three guys involved. We will run our offense, and I also add some stuff to add to the strength of that quarterback; that’s only smart football.”

It's okay that you don't know who's going to start, it really is. Fans don't need to know. Personally, I'd be surprised if we didn't see Demetrius Jones in the opener.

From Cartier Field and Rock's House

Couple of quotes from Ronald Reagan on Cartier Field:

We're fast. We're high energy and aggressive. I think it's not going to be so much a different look ... it's just going to be a feel. I think the defense has a different mindset this year. I think they're aggressive and into it and excited. And I think it's going to show." - Anthony Vernaglia

"I'm very excited about Coach Brown because I like his attitude. A team takes on the attitude of its defensive coach, and his aggressive style of teaching and coaching, I think our teams is really going to take on that personality, and I'm really excited about those opportunities." - Justin Brown

And, my personal favorite ...

"He's an aggressive coach. I think the team's identity comes from the coach. He's a real fiery guy and he's real excited and is real active with the players, so the players kind of feed off of that. Anytime I can go out there and knock some heads, I'm down for that." - Toryan Smith

---

Frozen moment, Notre Dame vs. Nebraska, 2001, from omahadomer:

That was a tough situation for N.D. almost no matter who was the coach. Nebraska had played two games already and N.D. was trying to open on the road, at night in front of 77,000 screaming fans. (I was there; it was loud.)

The game could hardly have started worse. NU converted on a 3rd and long on its first possession and wound up with a TD. Howard fumbled on the first play for N.D. and NU immediately converted for a TD. N.D. couldn't move the ball again but forced a fumble, couldn't move and then had a snap over the punter's head leading to an NU field goal.

LoVecchio throws an interception on the next possession. With LoVecchio in the game we now have 3 turnovers (not all his fault), no first downs and are actually negative on total yards (40 yards lost on the snap over the head).

But the breath of life is that Crouch fumbles on the next play and Dykes recovers. Finally N.D. makes a first down with LoVecchio at QB and punts out of trouble. The defense starts to get it legs and Weaver gets a sack and forces a punt.

Now into the game comes Holiday at QB and NU is clearly concerned about his running ability and can no longer jam the running lanes in the middle. Fisher breaks loose for a 35-yard run. On 4th and 7 at the NU 38 Holiday running for his life hits Javin Hunter for a 1st down. Nebraska is on its heels. Holiday scrambles for 12 yards. N.D. stalls and kicks a field goal but it's 17-3, it's the middle of the second quarter and clearly N.D. can move the ball with Holiday.

Nebraska responds with a T.D. drive to make it 24-3 and now the situation is desperate. We really need a TD to make it 24-10 but if we get it the game could be manageable. We get the 2nd half kickoff. It's not too late.

And onto the field at QB trots LoVecchio. N.D. goes 3 and out and NU leads 27-3 at halftime.

I suppose I knew it all along at some level, but it hit me then what a terrible game coach Davie was. He clearly had some foreordained QB rotation in mind and he was sticking to it no matter what.

I think we can count on Weis to stick with what's working.

The Invincibles 2007

Every year I try to pick through the bin of overlooked or under appreciated players and find some who'll beat the critics expectations. In 2005, I feel like I did well with Stovall, Wooden and Mays. Last year my picks of Thomas and Nedu didn't exactly pan out as planned, though Price came through in a big, big way.

This year's first invincible I get to pick again because everyone was so down on him last year. I didn't understand the negativity against Ambrose Wooden last year. He brings great speed to the corner position and showed toughness last year despite playing hurt. Wooden had a great 2005 and will be back this year.

So many choices on the defensive side of the ball, but I'll have to lean in with Justin Brown as choice #2. Brown has flashed the ability to attack the backfield, but never consistently. He was one of those 'project' recruits. Very good speed and explosiveness, but never the complete package. Not a surprise, most don't remember that Brown never even played football until his senior year in high school. This is from his bio:

played only one season of organized high school football but was an immediate standout ... made 65 tackles, nine sacks and three fumble recoveries in 2003 during his first season of organized football as a defensive lineman

He's changed his body around and could have a surprise year in 2007. Remember the biggest thing that good coaches do is elevate the play of the mid-tier players. When teams win championships, it's because guys like Justin Brown come out of now where to have memorable seasons.

On offense DJ Hord was just being written off a few weeks ago, but he's my invincible pick for 2007. He was a highly rated recruit, but never considered a natural receiver. He was more of a track guy with Reggie Bush like speed (a 10.4 100 meter time,) but he suffered an Achilles injury and was lumped in the disappointment bin. But the last few weeks he's really been playing well and if he can get that 10.4 speed back to go with improved hands we may have a surprise playmaker in Hord.

As I wrote above, these are the kinds of guys who are the difference between a 7-5 year and a 10-2 year. If Justin Brown can get to the quaterback, Wooden can shut down a Manningham and Hord can break one big play you never thought he would, then this team has a chance to finish much higher than #39 in the country.

Quinn Under Pressure

Quinn running a 2-minute drill effectively is nothing new, I think he played his best games when everything was on the line. Here's what I wrote about Quinn and the Pressure Myth:

But I'll go further. I think Quinn possesses a little Favre in him, but he was forced to become more of a technician under Weis because this offense simply couldn't afford mistakes. Far from this offense making Quinn, in some ways I think it constrained him. He's much more of gunslinger than Notre Dame fans saw -- but his Weis training is perfect training for the NFL. Quinn generally played the best UNDER PRESSURE, against MSU, UCLA and Georgia Tech with the game hanging in the balance. I don't think it's a coincidence that he played some of his best ball when the offense was the most open and the tempo was forced.

In case anyone needed a reminder, here's Quinn against UCLA:

And against Michigan State:

And Georgia Tech:

Brady Quinn's Debut

Jeff Carroll's Chronic Distortion

We know he's not a good stylistic writer.

We know he's not bound by journalistic ethics (as witnessed by his hack attack series last year,) but Jeff Carroll should at least, by now, know when he's making himself and his paper appear stupid. I really can't think of a word that better describes his 'commentary' on Jimmy Clausen's latest non-story.

Carroll's latest distortion attempts to create some strange linkage between Clausen's recruiting announcement, his injured arm and the fact the he was busted on a beer run as if this is some pattern. I don't get it, Jeff. Did he hurt the arm that caused the "soap opera black cloud" during his "abominable" commitment press conference causing him to drink and "run afoul of the law?"

The distortion here starts with a misleading headline: Clausen Drama Creates Doubts

Doubts among whom?

Whom Jeffy, have you talked to who has expressed doubt?

Well, turns out Jeffy hasn't talked to anyone he deemed worthy of mentioning in print who had expressed doubt about Clausen.

Perhaps, as a 'reporter,' you could ask someone, like, I dunno, connected to the team? Perhaps you could, for balance, find someone who doesn't share your distorted opinion?

Check out this next line:

Jimmy Clausen hasn't taken a snap at Notre Dame, and already his time with the Irish has been emotionally exhausting.

Again for whom?

Whom do you know, Jeffy, who's 'emotionally exhausted.'

For you? Are you 'emotionally exhausted?'

Do you really get 'emotionally exhausted' writing about a freshman? If so, that's rather pitiful. More likely, he was looking for something to write that didn't have to be based in something that's important to most journalists, facts.

So he picks this useless phrase.

No one's 'emotionally exhausted' you hack.

It gets so much worse; I won't kill you with it. Basically, he tries to rehash the Clausen announcement as justification for his silliness and then uses a strange strategy: he creates hyperbole and steps back from his own hyperbole to make himself appear objective.

That's distortion, not journalism.

We had the news on NDNation last week (a policeman was apparently running his mouth) and I personally deleted it because it was so trivial. I'd be more worried about the kid if he wasn't on a beer run in June.

He saves the worst for last. You can't help but snicker at the overwhelming stupidity wrapped up in this closing gem:

"you can't help but start to wonder whether it's worth the aggravation, whether Clausen will really play four years at Notre Dame. And you start to wonder if he should. If, for all his prodigious talent, he's worth the distraction."

I feel like I need a shower after reading that.

Now that I think about, it's all becoming clear.

Clausen Drama Creates Doubts?

The headline of the story refers to Carroll's credibility.

For that, Carroll's writing has created much doubt.

Current Recruiting Rankings

Rivals
1. Notre Dame
2. UCLA
3. Texas
4. Southern Cal
5. Miami-FL

Scout
1. Notre Dame
2. UCLA
3. Texas
4. Miami (Fl)
5. USC

Well Trained For the NFL

If Notre Dame has one huge advantage over other schools, I mean besides the tradition, the unparalleled exposure and the top-tier academics, it's that ND players are being mentored by NFL coaches who understand what it takes to succeed at the next level. Note this blurb on Chinedum Ndukwe, an afterthought pick in the NFL Draft.

WELL TRAINED: One of the most exciting players at camp has been rookie safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who carries himself on the field like anything but a seventh-round pick. Like first-round pick Leon Hall, Ndukwe has adjusted quickly to NFL life. Ndukwe credits the big-time atmosphere at Notre Dame for the leg up on pro football: "It's a different world (in the NFL), but being at Notre Dame was kind of a different place. All the tradition and aura and hoopla at Notre Dame prepared me to become a professional athlete. At Notre Dame you're expected to act like a pro, to take care of your business in the classroom and
on the field."

Whether it's Anthony Fasano, Maurice Stovall or now Brady Quinn, Notre Dame players are making the transition to the NFL and crediting their Notre Dame experience for their success, which has been out of proportion to their draft position. With Corwin Brown now on the staff along with Bill Lewis, I'm expecting to see a lot more Ndukwe stories in the coming years on the defensive side of the ball.

Reggie Brooks Jukes Corwin Brown

ND Practice Observations

From Rock's House:

Br. Andre

1. Armando Allen is getting lots of reps. I think he is going to play a lot if he continues to progress. He is probably the worst running back in carrying the ball high and tight like the coaches want. He was corrected today by Charlie after a fumble and made to run a lap as a punishment. He also ran a little high and got stood up and absolutely hammered on one run. But I agree that he is very exciting and they are working a lot with him on fundamentals. He will probably make a big difference this year.

2. Nothing stood out in regards to the quarterbacks. I personally think it looks like a race between Sharpley and Jones. Sharpley's arm was better than I expected. Jones performed just like I expected: exciting with his legs, so-so with his arm. Clausen did some nice things and I can't put my finger on it, but it just seemed like Sharpley and Jones were going at it more. I realize that that's a pretty subjective evaluation so take it with a grain of salt.

3. Charlie got pissed and sent the whole defense on a lap around the stadium. He then stared them down when the returned.

4. When the #1 defense lined up, it looked pretty much as expected in the secondary: Zibby, Wooden, Lambert and Bruton.

5. Zibby had a nice punt return for a touchdown.

6. Ian Williams looks huge. He has some baby fat, but does not look like a typical freshman.

7. Darrell Hand was nowhere to be found (unless I missed him).

8. The freshmen sang the alma mater to the crowd after practice. The rest of the team joined them for the Victory March afterwards.

9. We won't suck at wide receiver. We may not be as good as the past few years, but it looks like we've got enough decent players to find a few who will make plays.

10. Good to see Corwin Brown heavily involved in special teams.

JesuitIrish

1. Allen was also the player who impressed and surprised me the most. One 7-on-7 running play had him juking through about three "tacklers".

2. Golden Tate saw the ball a lot. He fumbled a reverse fifteen yards behind the line of scrimmage but then picked it up and went yard the opposite direction. Maybe we should run it that way?

3. The OTHER two QBs (the walk on and Bragg) got lots of reps. I dont understand why.

4. Jones threw some very poor passes, including one deep INT.

5. Clausen did NOT look at all injured or hesitant to me. He was always next to some other blonde kid, talking. Im wondering -- was this Crist? I heard a FB mom on her cell phone saying what sounded like "Yeah, Dayne is down on the field." The mystery kid was in all the QB huddles with Powlus, so I figure he is a QB.

6. We can not put a kick off in the endzone. We can not put a kick off on the 5 yard line. We sometimes get it to the 10.

7. We have at least two FG kickers whose 30 yard kicks wouldnt have been good if the goal posts were twice as wide. #14 was the best kicker, by far. And he looked average.

8. Price punted long, high balls. The second team punter also has hang time. Why cant Price try kick offs? He has a strong leg.

9. Zibby is first team punt return and navigated a TD this morning.

NDIrish1

Armando can definitely get the corner. He is strong enough, and did, run between the t