Schedule
Sept 06, SAN DIEGO STATE
Sept 13, MICHIGAN
Sept 20, @ Michigan St.
Sept 27, PURDUE
Oct 04, STANFORD
Oct 11, @ North Carolina
Oct 25, @ Washington
Nov 01, PITTSBURGH
Nov 08 ,@ Boston College
Nov 15, @ Navy (Baltimore)
Nov 22, SYRACUSE
Nov 29, @ Southern Cal
Jan 1, Bowl Game
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Spring Ahead or Fall Back |
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Written by Don Juan
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Thursday, 03 April 2008 |
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As we all sit and ponder the new depths and changes made, one thing remains the same. No one has a clue what is going to happen this year. The metamorphosis that can happen with an offensive line is undeniable, and like a domino-effect the rest will follow. If they can be a cohesive unit, then look out. If not, then it will be another long winter.
What happens if we gel? Does James Aldridge suddenly blast through holes and find pay dirt? That would be a safe bet. With all of our tailback-talent, he runs north the best. A good comparison for him would be Beanie Wells. Not the same speed as Wells, but a good forward- runner. And next in line is Mr. Hughes. He runs through tackles the best and finishes a close second for down-hill running. After those two pound out the yardage, I would expect Notre dame to have its ground game back after a near decade absence! Anyone else getting excited yet? And that’s why Armando Allen will probably have the biggest impact this year amongst the running backs. Remember, this is all pending a gelled offensive- unit. When you have two snowplows grinding their way between the tackles, it makes it easier for a game breaker like Armando to make way. He will probably be in there when the defense has tired legs (especially the linebackers) which is the whole point behind a multiple-attack ground game. James and Robert will lead the way with yards, while Armando will lead the way with touchdowns. It'll be fun to watch NBC on Saturday afternoons again!
Now there's an important order to this puzzle. Offensive-line play being the number one priority followed by the ground game. The next would be how Jimmy Clausen matures and becomes the next great Notre Dame quarterback. When discussing our team, everything is relative. He would be the next domino to fall into place, and not the type of grass-eating he did last year. Everyone has seen the picture of four Michigan defenders pile-driving Jimmy into the dirt, but I wish we had a photo of him getting right back up and giving it back to those four. Now’s his chance! And with the aforementioned improvements above, Michigan fans will suffer defeat from a crazy ,myriad of passes and runs that will leave them eating turf the next day in practice, when Rich-Rod has them running no-huddle for two consecutive hours! This is how important our offensive-line is. It’s the plinth in our Roman house of cards holding the whole thing up.
There won’t be any mention of our defense here. Just think of Corwin and Jon being our All State and Notre Dame being in safe hands. I can’t say enough about this hire. Pure confidence is what Tenuta brings along with an attacking, blitz-happy defense that won’t need to be looked into. Paired with Corwin’s energy, they form a mighty foe. Kicking will be an important factor this year but not as important as the above. If Brandon Walker can increase his accuracy and range, I like his chances. Who knows what happened to Ryan Burkhart? He had a supposed “cannon” of a leg yet was supplanted by the incoming Walker fresh out of Findlay. Charlie mentioned a “plan B” but did not elaborate on it. I would assume he was referring to a current player who has kicking experience from high school. Is it that hard to find a kicker who can kick it to the other end-zone? Even teams from the MAC have guys that are capable of going the distance. But this really is near the back of my concerns until we prove that we can get near the goal-posts on a consistent basis.
This whole theory depends on the offensive-line foundation, we all know this. Of all the turn-around teams, ours has a fighting chance. It was mainly lack of experience and over-complicated schemes that led to our demise last season. From what we’ve seen physically from the over-all appearances of our players, they’ve put in the work. Now, can they put in the mental aspect and become a unit with a poised leader ready for any challenge? I certainly hope so! But the answer lies in the front. This whole year has been put into five bags and given to Duncan, Turkovich, Wenger, Olsen and Young. How will they respond? This spring will be a character-mill which should develop the talent we all know we have. It will be an exciting, encouraging time for the team and likewise, the healing fans. Let’s all join hands and pray that Charlie’s lasagna tasted great and brought a dismal team back from the grave. After all, the real battle is in their minds now!
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 April 2008 )
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2009 Recruiting
Jake Golic, TE
Cierre Wood, RB
Tyler Stockton, NT
Theo Riddick, RB/ATH
Carlo Calabrese, MLB
Dan Fox, OLB
Alex Bullard, OL
Ben Turk, P/K
Nicholas Tausch, K
Marlon Pollard, DB
Tyler Eifert, WR/TE
Chris Watt, OG
Zach Martin, OT
E.J. Banks, DB
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