More Than ACCeptable: ND to ACC

For the past several years, the only constant in collegiate athletics has been change. Teams have been moving conferences, some have said they would move ultimately to change their minds, and surprisingly enough some have stayed put.

Without question, football has been the primary driver of the changing landscape. After all, it is the primary revenue generator by a wide margin. Basketball has played a small part and even to some extent hockey, but that is essentially it when it comes to revenue generators. Perhaps some ACC institutions would consider baseball to be in the black but the majority of the country would disagree.

Speaking of the ACC, groundbreaking news was shared earlier today when the University of Notre Dame announced it accepted an invitation to join the ACC in all sports except football, which will remain independent, and hockey, which will join Hockey East in 2013. Hear firsthand from Notre Dame's Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick in the following interview about today's historic announcement.

Many are quick to display their disgust and resentment of the Irish for retaining its independence in football, wondering why on earth the ACC, its commissioner John Swofford, and each instutition's athletic directors would permit such an atrocity. If partisanship for the Irish, whether in favor of or against, is removed from the equation, the carefully trained eye uncovers that while the Irish certainly benefit from the move, members of the ACC benefit as well.

To get the sticking points of the football side of the deal out of the way, Notre Dame will play five ACC schools each season - three at home and two on the road - with the qualification that each ACC member must be scheduled at least once every three seasons. 

Notre Dame will in turn be able to retain games against traditional rivals such as USC, Navy, and Stanford among others. There is also likely to be a rotation of traditional Big Ten rivals Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.

Moreover, and this is likely the biggest feather in the cap for the Irish, Notre Dame will gain access to the ACC's post-season bowl tie-ins. In possible scenarios, Notre Dame could actually play in the Orange Bowl as an at-large against the ACC Champion. No, the Irish will not be permitted to play in the ACC championship game since they will not be a full time football member.

Additionally, a Notre Dame team within one win of an ACC school would be eligible for selection over that ACC school, though. In other words, a 7-5 Notre Dame team could be selected to take an 8-4 ACC school's spot in one of their bowl tie-ins.

Where do the benefits for the ACC start kicking in, you ask? It's simple - exposure. Like them or not, the Irish draw attention wherever and whomever they play. Unlike most schools, Notre Dame has a national fan base that will naturally allow ACC schools, who by definition reside along the Atlantic Coast in eastern cities, exposure in markets they would not normally have an opportunity to take advantage of. 

After all, there were two big announcements today: Notre Dame's conference move and the iPhone 5. Depending on your news outlet, it is difficult to discern which communication received more press.

Going back to the point on exposure, it is likely that the ACC will experience ratings boosts in games featuring the Irish, which will only help in future television contract negotiations with networks. To be sure, the ACC will only have broadcasting rights to games featuring the Irish on the road against its full member schools, but something is certainly better than nothing.

This point on exposure is not based on pompous attitudes that Notre Dame football is better than everyone else. As it is, the product on the field has been quite mediocre as of late so that argument is out of the question. Where Note Dame arguably does a better job of any other institution, though, is in terms of its fan base.

Most schools have established fans in very specific geographic regions within close proximity to campus. Florida, for example has a strong base within Florida, USC has a strong base on the west coast, and Michigan has a strong base in the midwest. Notre Dame has a tremendous fan base everywhere, not just in the US but also abroad.

What the move also does for the ACC is create excitement within each school's respective fan bases. After all, anti-ND fans look forward to beating the Irish. Of course, schools want to beat every team on their schedule, but given Notre Dame's illustrious history and boastful fan base, victories over the Irish are relished more so than usual.

Traditional rivalry games, such as Virginia Tech versus Virginia and Duke versus North Carolina, will rein supreme for each respective fan base, but games against the Irish will also hold special meaning.

Aside from football, other sports should benefit for all parties involved as well. Notre Dame's soccer programs, perennial national championship threats, will fit in nicely with the ACC's rich tradition in the sport. Lacrosse will also benefit as the Irish have quickly ascended the national ranks and are now one of the nation's top programs with trips to the final four in two of the last three seasons. In fact, one of their title losses came to ACC power Duke. Track and Field has been a strength of Notre Dame's as well as the ACC's so there is mutual benefit there as well. Golf and baseball in the ACC were probably better off without Notre Dame, but the addition will not hurt.

John Swofford and the ACC athletics director's clearly must have seen such benefits, else they would have had no reason to extend an invitation to Notre Dame in the first place. Let it be clear, Jack Swarbrick and Notre Dame did not force the ACC into offering an invitation. A mutual agreement was reached between all parties due to the realization that each had something to gain from the deal.

Case in point, while Notre Dame retains its exclusive NBC contract for broadcast of its home games, the Irish will not share in the ACC's contract with ESPN. It's a give-take relationship and all parties benefit.

All in all, Notre Dame and the ACC are better off today than they were yesterday. At the very least, ACC fans can take solace in the fact that the conference raised its exit fee charge to $50MM. Suffice to say, the ACC will look like this for years to come. It is undoubtedly stable and perhaps now immune from future conference expansion threats and opportunities.

Notre Dame Football 2012 Preview

Notre Dame gets a lot of press - both positive and negative - wether it's in-season or in the doldrums of the offseason, but the intensity always seems to rise this time of year.

Joining together to form the 2012 edition of Fighting Irish Football squad are veteran players growing into new roles and a talented group of underclassmen and new players.

It sounds like a lot of change on paper, but in reality not much should change from last season.

Sure, several key players are gone from the 2011 team, such as Michael Floyd, the school's all-time record holder in many wide receiving categories and 1st round NFL draft pick, and Safety Harrison Smith, another 1st round draft pick. Jonas Gray, a late bloomer at running back, graduated and is attempting to create his own NFL destiny. Ethan Johnson, a four-year starter at DE, Trevor Robsinon (OG), and CBs Gary Gray and Robert Blanton moved on to chase their NFL dreams as well.

For as much as those players will be missed, the group of returnees and newcomers should put the Irish on a level playing field talent wise in 2012.
Manti Te'o (ILB) and Tyler Eiffert (TE) were expected to bolt for the NFL, but both return as the superstars and likely captains of their respective sides of the ball.

On offense, RB Cierre Wood looks to build on his 1,000+ yard season behind a veteran offensive line anchored by C Braxston Cave. Michael Floyd's graduation leaves a tremendous hole in the Irish receiving corps but Eiffert's unlikely return and pass-catching dependabilily will help comfort the to-be-determined starting quarterback.

On defense, DE Kapron Lewis-Moore and DTs Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt will anchor a stout defensive front to Notre Dame’s standard 3-4 set. Aaron Lynch, who transferred to South Florida in the off-season due to homesickness, will be sorely missed but for the first time in many years there is considerable depth with veterans Sean Cwynar and Kona Schwenke and can supplement when needed. In all, they will help clear the way for Te'o and his fellow linebackers (Danny Spond, Prince Shembo, Carlo Calabrese, Dan Fox) to attack opposing quarterbacks.

Nonetheless, two monumental questions (at QB and in the secondary) loom that will determine how good the Irish can be in 2012.

First and foremost, who will be under center for the Irish in Dublin and beyond?

Tommy Rees, last year's starter, won't step foot in Dublin, so the answer to the first part of that question becomes a little easier. Rees was suspended by Coach Kelly as a result of a charges stemming from an off-campus incident in the spring (resisting arrest and punching an officer). While his suspension doesn't mean he's entirely out of the picture for 2012 it does put him at a considerable disadvantage.

Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson, and Blair Kiel will all compete for snaps in Dublin. Golson, whose performance in the spring game was spectacular, seems most likely to earn the first opportunity. Although Hendrix actually saw sparingly meaningful minutes on the playing field last season, Golson is essentially a more athletic, quicker, and younger version of Hendrix.

Regardless of who starts, the inexperience at the position will yield mistakes. Unlike last year and with any bit of luck, though, there will hopefully be fewer than 10 turnovers in the first two games of the season. In building the future of the program it is more likely Kelly will side with someone who has more upside and development potential. That doesn't rule out freshman Blair Kiel, but chances are he will redshirt and preserve a year before being thrown to the wolves.

The second biggest question is who will step up in the defensive secondary? Stout veterans Robert Blanton, Harrison Smith and Gary Gray are all gone, rendering the defensive backfield with inexperienced raw talent.

Jamoris Slaughter and Zeke Motta, who have each seen meaningful minutes and have already made positive contributions at the safety position, will attempt to fill some shoes but their inexperience in pressure situations may leave the Irish vulnerable. Bennett Jackson and Lo Wood are two upperclassmen cornerbacks with blazing speed and minimal experience, and being the only non walk-on upperclassmen makes them the likely starters in the high-pressure position.

David Ruffer, the alk-on turned scholarship sensational kicker, graduated but his roles will be assumed by experienced place kicker and Kyle Brindza and former placekick starter Nick Tausch. Ben Turk, who struggled at the start of last season but recovered by mid-year, returns as the team's punter.

Without a doubt this is the most difficult schedule (on paper) in years. After starting the year overseas against an ever-challenging Navy team, the Irish return home to face Purdue, Michigan State on the road, and Michigan at home all before October.

A bye week preceeds the continuation of the Shamrock Series, Notre Dame's now annual offsite home game, against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes. Consecutive home games against Stanford and BYU will prep the Irish for arguably their toughest opponent of the year as they head on the road to face Oklahoma. Easier breathing will ensue with a home game against Pittsburgh, road game Boston College, and home game against Wake Forest. All of that leads up to the regular season finale at USC, argubaly the second toughest opponent on this year's schedule.

With all of that in mind, this will certainly be a defining year for Coach Kelly's program. He has publicly stated that this his finally his team as they've begun to reflect his personality. One can only hope that fewer turnovers and more consistent quarterback play will steer the Irish to their third consecutive season of at least eight wins. If so, it would mark the first time since the Lou Holtz era that Notre Dame teams accomplished that pedestrian feat.

Objectively speaking, the translation of the aforementioned challenges and aspects to Notre Dame's 2012 season will likely equate to seven or eight wins and a modest bowl invitation. Given what is probably the nation's toughest schedule, earning more than six wins would surely be a treat. After all, last year's team was a few turnovers away (South Florida, Michigan, Florida State) from finishing 11-2 with at least a New Year's bowl berth.

Double digit wins seem highly unlikely given the magnitude of questions and difficult schedule, but Kelly will go a long way in earning some good faith with AD Jack Swarbrick in guiding the team to eight regular season wins and a bowl win to boot.

Time to get to work, Irish!

Notre Dame Second Most Valued College Football Team

Forbes recently released its annual list of most valued college football teams (2011) and the Fighting Irish again found themselves in the second spot. Texas earned the top honor again just like last year.

A number of factors contribute to the rankings, including TV rights, game revenue, sponsorships, revenue sharing and more. Notre Dame, of course, lacks one major contributor for most other schools due to its independent status: revenue sharing.

Nevertheless, the Irish netted a current value of $112 million, $17 million behind the first-ranked Longhorns ($129 million).

An interesting tidbit from the rankings, Notre Dame was the only school this season to generate more than $10 million per home game.

While the Champs Sports Bowl left Irish fans with a pitting feeling in their stomachs, they can take solace that regardless of the team's record the Notre Dame name still caries more (economic) clout than nearly every other college football program.

2011 Notre Dame Football Perspective and 2012 Implications

Last week, the regular season came to as disheartening a close as the opening performance from the 2011 edition of Notre Dame Football.

 

2011 Season Recap 

In its entirey, the 2011 Fighting Irish season was a roller coaster ride with more lows than highs despite an 8-4 record. The tone was quickly set after back-to-back defeats against South Florida and Michigan. Turnovers were the undoing in both events as the Irish would have emerged victorious in both save for the 5 turnovers committed in each contest.

 

One week after the crippling meltdown against the Wolverines the Irish played inspired football and defeated Michigan State, serving as the most quality win of the year for the Irish. Three additional victories over Purdue, Pittsburgh and Air Force set the stage for a measuring stick matchup against Southern Cal.

 

Seemingly over its turnover troubles, Notre Dame returned to early-season form against the Trojans and giftwrapped what would go on to be a runaway win for Lane Kiffen's squad.

 

Recovery mode took over once again as the Irish rattled off another four-game winning streak before heading into the season's ultimate test in primetime at Stanford. There were slight concerns along the way, including a narrow escape at Wake Forest and an even closer call against Boston College. For the most part, though, the Irish seemed to take care of business and make progress along the way.

 

In fact, they even added to the growing strength in the offensive backfield with breakthrough performances from Jonas Gray. Sadly and tragically for the IRish, Gray's season came to an abrupt stop against Boston College thanks to a torn ACL. Before the injury, he was on pace to eclipse the 1,000 yard rushing mark alongside fellow backster Cierre Wood, who vastly improved his vision and blocking abilities from a year ago.

 

Enter the Stanford Cardinal and Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck, and it felt like deja vu as another team from California thumped the Irish in prime time. From the very first possession, it was clear the Irish would bein for a long night against a tough Stanford Cardinal team. For as much credit as Luck receives, he actually did not play all that well against the Irish. Sure, he threw for 4 touchdowns, but he failed to capitalize on several golden opportunities handed to him by the Irish secondary.

 

So as the dust settles on the year, Notre Dame earned eight wins and deserved four losses (if not more).

 

State of the Program

There are signs that head coach Brian Kelly has the Irish headed in a positive direction. For one thing, the defensive line is as strong as it has been since Lou Holtz's teams of the early 90s. More encouraging is that most of the strength was built from underclassmen such as Stephon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch that Kelly managed to pluck away from elite competition.

 

Additionally, Notre Dame has a running game worth talking about again. Before Gray's season-ending injury the Irish were on pace to have two 1,000 running backs, a feat that will at most be accomplished by three other schools this year (Michigan, USC and Texas A&M). Credit a ferocious and veteran offensive line for the growth in running the football, too. Lou Holtz is smiling somewhere.

 

Linebacking play has been outstanding this year, led by all-world player Manti Te'o. If you are reading this, Manti, please take this as an open invitation to return for your final year of eligibility next season.

 

Quarterback, on the other hand, has been a position marred by controversy all season. Despite closing out 2010 with four consecutive victories for the Irish, Tommy Rees was not named the starter for the season opener against South Florida. Instead, senior Dayne Crist was given the reins back to an offense he was forced to watch from the sidelines during Rees' winning streak due to a torn ACL.

 

But after a miserable and ineffective first half against the Bulls, Crist was pulled in favor of Rees. Notre Dame was able to claw its way back from the huge first half deficit but could not fully overcome the five total turnovers from the game (some of which were attributed to Rees).

 

Throughout the year, Rees did not wow anyone with his stats, as his propensity to through interceptions clouded his inate ability to win football games. Winning seems to solve all problems, so despite his inability to run a true spread offense and avoid turnovers he remained in charge of the Irish offense.

 

Against Stanford, however, he took a shot to the ribs on his very first snap and played the remainder of the first half gunshy and out of sync with his receivers. That opened the door for Kelly to reinsert Dayne Crist. After all, he has one season of eligibility remaining.

 

But Kelly opted instead for seldom-used Andrew Hendrix, a mobile quarterback who more closely fits the mold of a typical spread signalcaller than Rees or Crist ever have or ever will.

 

Down 21-0 at the half, Hendrix helped guide the Irish to two touchdowns and ran what looked like the most complete version of Kelly's spread the Irish have seen in his short two year tenure thus far.

 

Despite the positive momentum Hendrix's presence created, the comeback fell short and deceptively made the 28-14 final score appear closer than the contest really was. Coming into the matchup, Notre Dame's offensive line had allowed only five sacks on the year, but quickly doubled that yearly total as they were overmatched and outschemed by a very disciplined Cardinal team.

 

So instead of closing out the season with a signature win like 2010, questions abound for the future of the program. Namely, who will be Notre Dame's quarterback in 2012? One might also add, can the Irish avoid turnovers and beat the opponents they are supposed to beat (like the South Florida's of the world)?

 

Quarterback of the Future 

Kelly may tip his hand toward 2012 when he decides who will start in the upcoming to-be-announced bowl game. Options include Rees, Hendrix and even Crist.

 

All signs point to Crist's Irish career coming to a close with an ensuing transfer. The NCAA recently instituted a rule that allows players who have graduated to enroll at a different university's graduate program and avoid having to sit out a season to play. Crist will almost certainly dress as a member of the Fighting Irish in the bowl game.

 

That leaves Rees and Hendrix as the logical candidates vying for the starting nod. My guess is the opponent will dictate who the strating quarterback is in this contest. Reason being that he will want to give Notre Dame its best chance of winning the bowl game. Logical, right? Where it gets tricky is understanding why he could wind up choosing a quarterback who will NOT be the starter in 2012. That could be said of either option, Rees or Hendrix.

 

Starting with Rees, it is entirely possible that he will start given his record as a starter. Kelly even defended Rees during the press conference after beating Boston College. But Rees could just as easily as poorly as he did against Stanford and earn himself a seat on the bench in the second half (or sooner), paving the way for Hendrix to audition for the 2012 role early.

 

Likewise, Kelly could take a gamble on an unproven winner and start Hendrix. But if Hendrix falters he might seal his fate for the 2012 competition.

 

Then there is the wild card that has yet to take a game snap: Everett Golson. A freshman with a powerful arm and elusive speed, it is plausible Kelly wanted preserve an extra year of eligibility while Golson learned the offense and developed his conditioning in practices. To date he has only spent time on the 'show' team.

 

Bowl Game and Beyond

Regardless of who starts the bowl game, or who finishes it for that matter, Notre Dame must win to show that 2011 was not a total loss. Many pundits tabbed the Irish for at worst 9-3 and a BCS bid. Kelly even set his expectations to the BCS, but alas the Irish will be resignated to bowls just beneath that tier. Now, the Irish must rely on their bowl game to earn their ninth victory of the season and eclipse last year's mark.

 

A bowl loss would not be the end of the world, but it certainly would not help on the recruiting front, where the Irish have yet to sign an elite back in the class of 2012 despite several potential candidates.

 

Win, and the sour taste of the poor beginning, middle and end to the regular season will be quelled.

Yet Another Round of New Notre Dame Football Helmets

For the second time in four weeks the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Team will feature yet another variation of their classic gold helmet. It will mark the third different helmet donned by the Fighting Irish squad this season alone.

Playing Under The Lights at Michigan in early September, the Irish placed shamrocks on their helmets for the first time since the 1960s.

Fast forward more than a month later and the Irish revealed what had been in the works for more than a year by equipment manager Ryan Grooms: an entirely new process of applying gold paint to the helmets. It marked the second twist of their golden domes on the young season, this time coming against archival Southern California.

Now, Notre Dame is set to unveil its latest creation this Saturday as it takes on the Maryland Terrapins in a neutral site 'home' game at 7:30pm ET on NBC.

According to a Notre Dame press release, the helmet variation coincides with the Shamrock Series, which is the name given to the annual neutral site 'home' games hosted by Notre Dame throughout cities across the United States.

This marks the first in a series of uniform features that will be utilized for Notre Dame's Shamrock Series contests. After the 2011 game at FedExField, the Shamrock Series in 2012 moves to Soldier Field in Chicago for a game against Miami. In 2013 the Shamrock Series matchup against Arizona State will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Irish will showcase uniform variations in their annual Shamrock Series games but otherwise will wear their standard uniforms the rest of the season.

It is clear a primary directive is to showcase the Irish in green jerseys and, accordingly, drive corresponding merchandise sales.

Purists scoff at the mere suggestion that Notre Dame try to capitalize on its cachet by altering its brand identity through uniform variations. While it is unmistakable an outcome of uniform variations is increased sales, it is not to say potential revenue is the sole driving factor behind the decision to create and promote new merchandise.

From our point of view, as long as the uniforms stay true to traditional colors worn by the university, which includes green along with blue and gold, there is nothing wrong with a little variety. It also helps to steer clear of extreme departures from the norm. This weekend's opponent, Maryland, cannot say it heeded our advice.

The uniforms shown above were debuted by the Terrapins in their season opening win against Miami (FL). Ironically, the Terrapins were supposed to save those jerseys for this weekend's matchup against the Irish. Ultimately, the Terps could not resist the temptation to unveil them in primetime on a Monday night as the only college game on the board.

Even if you find yourself among the helmet change naysayers, no Irish fan can deny their desire to see this change yield a different result than the prior two 'change games' earlier in the year. Emerge victorious and the critics will still exist, but in a much more subdued manner than they would in a loss.

That said, any argument claiming a loss is a result of a uniform change should immediately be rejected as unfounded, illogical and downright comical.

Suit up, play ball and look good (read that double entendre as you will) while winning.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame Football Tour: Welcome to The Gug

Until recently, Notre Dame Football did not have a training table or set of unshared locker rooms and facilities. In fact, the team's practice facilities were spread across three different locations: Notre Dame Stadium, The Joyce Center and the Loftus Sports Center. Instead of lavish dedicated facilities like the ones at Oregon and Texas, the Irish trailed far behind in the college football arms race.

That all changed with the opening of Guglielmino Athletics Complex, or as the players affectionately call it "The Gug." Conjoined to Loftus Sports Center, The Gug is a 96,000-square-foot masterpiece made possible by the late Don F. Guglielmino and his wife Flora.

In 2005, Notre Dame Football officially unveiled The Gug as its solution to unify the program under one roof. As a result, the Irish had weight training, meeting rooms, practice locker rooms and even a lounge to relax. The addition of a training table did not come until current Head Coach Brian Kelly's inaugural season at the helm.

The following video, presented by Irish Sports Connection (ICON), opens the doors of The Gug for a public tour, led by Sr. C Mike Golic, Jr. and Sr. NG Brandon Newman.

All in all, The Gug is a remarkable facility that warrants showing off as one of the many perks provided to Notre Dame's football squad.

Arguably, the most meaningful perk is the premier education afforded to all of Notre Dame's athletes. While the University held up its end of the bargain, Irish athletes responded to the academic challenges by earning a #1 ranking in 2011 NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR).

2011 Notre Dame Football Preview

In less than a month Notre Dame Stadium will swell to capacity with all 80,795 fans anxious, eager and perhaps even a bit nervous about the official kickoff to the 2011 season for the Fighting Irish. Unlike previous years, there are no rumors of coach firings or hirings, but that does not mean the newest installment of golden domers are void of drama and national intrigue.

To be sure, there are several stories circulating about Brian Kelly's program throughout the national media to date, including Michael Floyd and his DUI situation, the quarterback derby and lack of depth at running back. This sneak peak preview of what 2011 will mean to Fighting Irish football fans will cover these and more. This obviously is by no means going to be gospel, but last year's prediction was only one game off so take that for what it's worth.

Consistency
In year two of the Brian Kelly era the modus operandi is consistency. At a thirty-thousand-feet view, the Fighting Irish program is equipped with consistency across the board: game plans, players (17 returning starters) and perhaps most importantly coaches (all retained from last season).

Kelly has remarked how big of a deal it is now that they have had a year under their belt learning the ins and outs. From his opening season press conference before the start of fall camp:

Certainly if you look at our football team and the way we came together at the end of the year, a lot of people would say, 'That's the momentum that you want to carry.' I think what's happened more than anything else is when we come into this camp now, we know our football team so much better. I think year two is a year where you're not as concerned about what your personnel are going to do. You know your players. You know what to expect. They know what to expect. It allows you to get to football. It allows you to get to the fundamentals of the game. It allows you to start to look at your scheme particularly situationally. Those are things I couldn't talk about at this time last year. I was talking about learning the names of our players, knowing their strengths and weaknesses. 

What's the difference between this press conference and last year? I think more than anything else, our football team knows what's expected of them on a day to day basis. What's the strength of this team? They know what to expect from us and we know what to expect from them.

Comments from players reinforce those sentiments from the start of fall camp and the attitudes are much more confident this season as opposed to last. Rather than players and coaches learning each other's names they are now learning intricacies of the system Kelly is establishing. Instead of teaching fundamentals coaches are enhancing the fundamentals base for veterans while also being able to count on them to fortify the basics with the underclassmen.

Some units forged cohesion as the season wore on, such as the offensive line, which returns all but one starter. Without a freak injury to QB Dayne Crist the offensive line might not have jelled as well as they did (more on the injury and the controversy it has created later in the preview). Forced to play a true freshman QB (Notre Dame does not officially redshirt), Coach Kelly resorted to a much simpler playbook and fewer passing situations. As a result, the ground game took off over the last four games with then freshman Tommy Rees at the helm.

Another unit that saw remarked improvement and consistency was the entire defense. Few defenses put up better numbers than the Irish did in their final four games. Over the last 15 quarters of the year they allowed just one offensive touchdown, and that was a fourth and goal after USC recovered a fumble inside the red zone. Moreover, they improved from 77th to 50th in total defense and from 62nd to 26th in scoring defense over those last four games.

In 2010 the Irish were able to play hard for four quarters for the first time in years. Director of Strength and Conditioning Paul Longo was instrumental in building that stamina by developing plans both on and off the field to maximize the endurance and power of his athletes.

If you recall, the Irish teams under the Charlie Weis era were infamous for coming out of the gate strong but collapsing both late in games and late in the season. Case in point, when Notre Dame manhandled Utah 28-3 on November 13, 2010 it was only the second Irish win in the month of November since 2008. Moreover, it sparked their first undefeated November since 2005.

For the Irish to reach their goal of a BCS game this year they will have to continue to harvest the traits they honed over the final stretch of 2010. If there is any key to Irish success in 2011 it is consistency.

Quarterback Controversy
After two weeks into fall camp the Irish were no further along in the process of naming a starter for the September 3 opener against South Florida than they were in at the same time in 2007. During that season, Charlie Weis was toiling between Demetrius Jones, Zach Frazer, Evan Sharpley and Jimmy Clausen. Weis ultimately opted in favor of Jones for his opener that year against Georgia Tech and tried to force an option/spread style offense on a team nowhere near equipped to execute.

This time around, the Irish are fully able and prepared to execute the spread offense and even have more than one option to pick from. Sr. Dayne Crist is viewed as the incumbent starter but he was in a tight battle with another incumbent in So. Tommy Rees.

Crist suffered a second season ending injury in as many seasons when he went down against Tulsa on Halloween last year. Enter then true freshman Tommy Rees in his first major action of the season (he entered when Crist sat a few quarters against Michigan at home, threw a pick and promptly was benched). Although the Irish wound up losing to the Golden Hurricane, Rees managed to lead them onward to victory in the final four games of the season (Utah, Army at Yankee Stadium, at Southern Cal and Miami in the Sun Bowl).

According to Brian Kelly, however, the quarterback race was still very close between the two gunslingers vying for the starting role as the Irish entered their final week of practice before game week.

Today, it was announced that Crist earned the starting role with a slight nod over Rees.

Regardless of who the starter is between those quarterbacks playing time is likely to be shared in some capacity with two underclassmen: So. Andrew Hendrix and Fr. Everett Golson. Both young quarterbacks showed signs of brilliance during the spring game, especially with their ability to pose as running threats to the defense.

Kelly has also publicly stated he feels confident in each of his quarterbacks. While the upperclassmen have clearly separated themselves, Hendrix and Golson have shown they are capable of handling bits and pieces of the offense meaning they likely will bring in during certain situations.

Michael Floyd Status
Toward the end of last season all indications were that then Jr. WR Michael Floyd would forgo his senior year to enter the NFL draft. Even in an injury-plagued career at Notre Dame he had already put his name atop nearly every major receiving record at the school. He is first in receiving touchdowns (28) and second in career receptions (171). What more was left to accomplish?

In a decision that surprised many outside the program Floyd declared he would return for his final year to complete his degree and gain more experience. Unfortunately, he thereafter made another shocking decision when he decided to drive while under the influence of alcohol - an action that left his future under the dome in doubt. His third run-in with the law due to an alcohol related offense was no laughing matter, as Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame administration pondered how to enforce the proper punishment.

Kelly believed Floyd would not learn anything from a game suspension, so instead of going that route he gave Floyd two options: clean up your act and change yourself as a person or no longer be a member of the team. Floyd chose the former route and had a laundry list of items to check off before Kelly would fully reinstate him to the team.

There is no margin for error anymore with Floyd, but from how he has handled himself off the field ever since the incident it is evident, his focus is on making better decisions. It also helps that he was humbled and embarrassed by the whole experience.

I embarrassed myself, my family, the university, my football team and many more people. I know it will take time to earn the trust and confidence from everyone I let down last spring but I am prepared to do so and will strive to become not just a leader on the team again, but one also in the community.

If he can avoid injuries unlike his previous three years under the dome the Irish offense will be able to capitalize on not only his abilities but also the other skill position players such as WR Theo Riddick, RB Cierre Wood and WR TJ Jones who will each benefit from inevitable double teams on Floyd.

Defend Your Turf
The double entendre here is manifested by two key elements of defense that the Irish need to solidify in 2011: rush defense and winning games at home.

Starting with the rush defense, this is a unit that finished 50th against the run last year. Nose guard Ian Williams played a significant role in helping the Irish improve from 89th in that category in 2009. He is gone now, though, fighting for a spot with the San Francisco 49ers so the Irish have a big hole to plug in the middle of their 3-4 line.

To remedy the situation, a tandem of talent both used (Sean Cwynar) and unused (Louis Nix) talent will help fill the void left by Williams' absence. For the first time in what seems like decades, the Irish defense will have quality depth on its line. Even though Nix has not yet seen game action, he already is legendary amongst Irish faithful for having committed to team while it was without a head coach. Credit Tony Alford, who was retained by Kelly, for his Herculean efforts in keeping the gas on Nix even though he was unsure if he would be kept on board.

On the ends, Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson provide experience and a wealth of ability. Together the veteran duo will provide a stable foundation that is only enhanced by two mammoth and quick freshmen in Stephon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch. Both Tuitt and Lynch were pulled from the fertile SEC country and turned down offers to play in the famed conference for the opportunity to don blue and gold. Combined, the four defensive ends represent the level of depth and talent that Brian Kelly understands is necessary to compete for national championships.

The heart of the defense lies with the talented linebacking corps headlined by Manti Te'o. From the day he stepped foot on campus Te'o was an instant impact player, even though it took him a few games to crack the starting rotation his freshman year. With Te'o leading the charge the rest of the unit will have to help alleviate some of the pressure on Te'o after he recorded a team high 133 tackles last year. Darius Fleming, Dan Fox, Carlo Calabrese and Prince Shembo all provide valuable experience for the unit and should be used somewhat interchangeably throughout the season. Stopping the run boils down to their ability to make plays while offenses focus their attention on Te'o.

Moving on to the other 'defense' Notre Dame needs to employ this year, the Irish simply must win more home games. It has not been since 1998 that the Irish, under Bob Davie's tutelage, finished with an undefeated season at home. Prior to that, it was 1988 during Notre Dame's most recent national championship season under Lou Holtz.

A typical tough home slate awaits the Irish with bouts against South Florida, Michigan State, Air Force, Southern Cal, Navy and Boston College inside Notre Dame Stadium. A neutral site home game against Maryland at FedEx Field is also in store. While the Irish have an off chance of being favored in each of those contests, none of them will be a walk in the park.

In order to compete for a national championship teams essentially need to win all of their games. A few slip-ups could be overcome but the few 'acceptable' losses are either at the beginning of the season or on the road in a tough environment. Notre Dame Stadium used to be one of the most intimidating places to play but it has been hard to sustain any level of fear in the eyes of opponents when winning has become much easier. Look no further than recent losses to Connecticut, Syracuse, Air Force and Navy in support of these claims.

Defend your home turf and the path to championship-level success becomes much more attainable. Notre Dame has the potential to reach a BCS game in 2011 if they combine the right proportions of the keys mentioned above.

2011 Predictions:
1) Notre Dame vs. South Florida, September 3 at 3:30p EST on NBC
First game of the year means that no one, not even the coaches, knows how the players will react. Skip Holtz, the son of Irish coaching legend Lou Holtz, leads South Florida. The younger Holtz still has his team in rebuilding mode just like Notre Dame's Brian Kelly, but the Irish have too much talent not to squeeze by the Bulls. Regardless of who the ND starter is (likely Dayne Crist) it will be the stout Irish defense that is the difference maker in this contest.

Result: Irish 27, Bulls 13

2) Notre Dame at Michigan, September 10 at 8p EST on ESPN
Why not celebrate two newly minted coaches with a special throwback game 'Under the Lights' in the first ever night game at the Big House? Kelly is one season Brady Hoke's elder and that will play a pivotal role in the game's outcome. Hoke comes from San Diego State where he nearly defeated the Irish in 2008 with far inferior talent. Now with more talent and weapons at his disposal he should have a serious shot at winning this one. But don't discount who was coaching the Irish in '08 and how putrid their defense was. In its second year under Defensive coordinator Bib Diaco the Irish defense needs to continue improving from its remarkable close to '10. Speaking of defenses, the Wolverines still have several issues to fix in that department, which winds up being the deciding factor in this one. The Irish win and look good doing it, too.

Result: Irish 35, Wolverines 24

3) Notre Dame vs. Michigan State, September 17 at 3:30p EST on NBC
When the Spartans come to town seasoned Irish fans become nervous. Michigan's 'little brother' has controlled the series at Notre Dame over the past decade with only a few slip ups. Mark Dantonio had to employ some trickery in OT to help his team pull out a victory and might have to do so again this year. Riding high off of the emotions from the win in the Big House the Irish come out flat and it costs them. It will be a tight matchup but the edge goes to the Spartans who have more experience in Dantonio's system than the Irish in Kelly's system.

Result: Spartans 33, Irish 30

4) Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, September 24 at noon EST on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Motivated by the loss the prior weekend the Irish come out looking for payback in a focused effort on the ground. Notre Dame puts up the most rushing yards recorded for the team since Julius Jones was in school. While none of the Irish backs will eclipse his outstanding mark set in '03 at Heinz Field it will be an all out ground attack. Throw in a little play action and the Panthers, who are breaking in a new coach, are simply overmatched.

Result: Irish 42, Panthers 21

5) Notre Dame at Purdue, October 1 at 8p EST on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Boilermakers head coach Danny Hope, aka Wilford Brimley III, is on a short leash with his university. He has had nowhere near the level of success as his doppleganger predecessor Joe Tiller and that's not saying much. Another night contest for the Irish leaves their opponent wishing they never turned the lights on. On 'black and gold' night the Boilermakers return to their homes feeling blue.

Result: Irish 49, Boilermakers 17

6) Notre Dame vs. Air Force, October 8 at 3:30p EST on NBC
With a bye week looming in the near future the Irish could potentially be distracted in this contest. Any cause for concern among Irish faithful should be dissipated by the fact that the Falcons will be coming off an emotional rivalry contest with Navy. Notre Dame will overwhelm the Falcons from opening kickoff.

Result: Irish 35, Falcons 14

7) Notre Dame vs. Southern California, October 22 at 7:30p EST on NBC
A rare home night game provides the backdrop for the Irish to do something they haven't even had an opportunity to do in years: beat the Trojans in consecutive attempts. South Bend will be emotionally charged and rested for this one coming off a bye. Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly are each in year two and while the jury is still out on both programs the Irish appear far better equipped for success under Kelly's leadership than Southern Cal under Kiffin's. In fact, Kiffin continues to be distracted by his previous endeavors where his work is being contested (Tennessee). Notre Dame will be coming off a bye and it will show in their preparation and attention to detail. It will not be as close as the matchup won by the Irish at the Coliseum last November.

Result: Irish 28, Trojans 17

8) Notre Dame vs. Navy, October 29 at 3:30p EST on NBC
It's hard to imagine, after three lackluster performances in the past four years, that Notre Dame used to own the series against the Midshipmen. After winning 43 in a row the Irish have now succumbed to a dreadful 1-3 showing in recent seasons. What is more disappointing is the manner in which the Irish have competed in those contests. Last year, Diaco's defense was torn to shreds. Although it proved to be a turning point for the Irish defense they would much prefer to consider that a lesson learned rather than subjecting themselves to that pain once again. It is a distinct possibility that the Midshipmen will emerge victorious in this one with the Irish coming off an emotional game the week prior.

Result: Midshipmen 28, Irish 24

9) Notre Dame at Wake Forest, November 5 at noon EST on ESPN2
The Demon Deacons will be jazzed for this rare visit from the Fighting Irish. Aside from the excitement about the game, though, the Demon Deacons will have little to be excited about once the game is over.

Result: Irish 45, Demon Deacons 10

10) Notre Dame vs. Maryland (FedEx Field, MD), November 12 at 7:30p EST on NBC
Continuing the tradition of neutral site 'home' games, the Irish square off against the Terrapins at the home of the NFL's Washington Redskins. While not as entertaining as the pomp and circumstance surrounding last year's neutral site game at Yankee Stadium this will yield a similar result for Irish fans.

Result: Irish 31, Terrapins 20

11) Notre Dame vs. Boston College, November 19 at 2:30p EST on NBC
Boston College is often subjected to criticism and many jokes from Notre Dame students, alumni and fans alike. Without question, though, the Eagles have been a thorn in the sides of the Irish numerous times throughout the history of the 'Holy War.' Notre Dame easily handled a dazed and confused Boston College team in Chestnut Hill last year. Don't expect this season to be any different.

Result: Irish 27, Eagles 13

12) Notre Dame at Stanford, November 26 at 8p EST on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2

Jim Harbaugh is no longer with the Cardinal after departing for the San Francisco 49ers. Despite his departure, Heisman candidate Sr. QB Andrew Luck returns to lead a dangerous Stanford team. The Cardinal are in everybody's book as a pre-season top 10 and in some cases top 5. South Bend played witness to a blowout Cardinal victory last season and even with Harbaugh's leadership gone this will be a tough matchup for the Irish. Stanford plays the kind of smash-mouth football that Notre Dame is on the verge of attaining and aspires to enforce. In one of the few sellouts in Palo Alto Notre Dame will put on a show before ultimately falling to the more advanced Cardinal.

Result: Cardinal 35, Irish 28


Final Thoughts
Domers are hoping that this will be the year they finally return to a BCS game. While it is possible the most likely outcome is an upper-echelon bowl berth, such as the Champs Sports Bowl, as the Irish still do not have all of the right pieces to consistently compete at the highest level. They may surprise and delight but a realistic outlook on what 2011 has in store for Notre Dame is a 9-3 record with a bowl berth and, potentially, win in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Notre Dame Unveils Throwbacks for 'Under The Lights' Game at Michigan

On September 10, 2011 Notre Dame will Michigan in the first ever night football game at Michigan Stadium. To celebrate the event, the two teams and their apparel sponsor Adidas, partnered to honor past uniform designs.

The throwbacks were unveiled on Friday for both Notre Dame and Michigan and if the designs are any indication of how the teams will perform on the field I must say Notre Dame is primed to send Wolverines fans disappointedly back to their homes.

For the Irish, the uniform alterations are modest at best. The traditional blue numbering will change to green and two green stripes will be added to both shoulders. Additionally, they will wear white socks with two green stripes along with white and green shoes.

The biggest change will come on the helmet as shamrocks will be added to both sides for the first time since the 1960s.

For the Wolverines, a block 'M' will replace the typical numbers shown in their uniforms along with the addition of maize and blue stripes along the sides, which remind me of Marquette's basketball jerseys. Numbers will be added to their helmets and a small number will adorn the upper left chest. Also, according to their press release the block 'M' and numbers are marked with a "quilting stitch design" that, quite frankly, looks like shattered glass.

Ultimately, while the intent is to commemorate the first night game at Michigan Stadium this is certainly an added way to generate revenue for the two schools and the adidas brand.

That said, I could honestly care less what the motives behind the move are as I find it refreshing and nostalgic to celebrate one's history.

After all, the only thing fans on either side will find fashionable after the game is a win. Here's to an Irish victory while looking sharp doing it.

Notre Dame Is All In With Adidas

The partnership between Adidas and Notre Dame began in 1997-1998 at a time when the athletic supplier provided footwear for all Notre Dame teams and additional apparel for other Irish teams.

Ever since the initial agreement the two powerful athletic brands have formed a powerful bond, one which was furthered in 2004-2005 with a 10-year extension to their mutual contract. In a deal worth excess of $60MM, the extension forged a relationship Adidas supplying all Irish sports teams with adidas footwear and apparel through 2013-2014.

Late last season came the introduction of techfit jerseys, which Mark Daniels, Director of Football and Team Sports for Adidas, said "will make old jerseys obsolete." At a weight 30% lighter than standard football jerseys, Daniels also had this to add:

Adidas is changing the game with this revolutionary jersey construction and compression fit because we know the right gear can make a difference during a split second play. Less material and a tighter fit means the jersey is harder to grab and you can’t tackle what you can’t grab. College football is more competitive than ever before and teams need every advantage they can get on the field.

The jerseys were debuted against Western Michigan for the Fighting Irish and experienced continued use throughout some of the remaining games. Promotional ads were released for each of the participating schools, which included Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and UCLA. Here is a look at Notre Dame's video:



In continuation of their partnership together, Adidas recently launched a new "All In" campaign featuring, among others, the Notre Dame Football Team. Others included in the advertisements include Katy Perry, B.O.B, Dwight Howard, Derek Rose, and Eric Berry.

Below is the :60 version of the new campaign though 2:00 and :30 versions can be found as well. As a whole, the campaign plays off of the notion of competitive spirit while adding a modern twist. Even if you aren't an Irish fan you have to admit that this is a really well done ad in terms of editing and content alike.

Go Irish!

Michael A Saint No More: Floyd Arrested for DUI

Notre Dame football opened spring practice today with a notable returning star missing from action, for the foreseeable future I might add.

Early Sunday morning, rising senior WR Michael Floyd was arrested for a DUI. He failed several sobriety tests and blew a 0.19 blood-alcohol content level, more than double Indiana's legal state limit of 0.08. 

Floyd was coming off a successful season for the Irish which led him to contemplate leaving school early for the NFL draft. His draft stock was not as high as he had hoped it would be, though, so he opted to return for his senior season at Notre Dame this upcoming fall. He thought that he would not only be able to improve his draft status but also aspired to bring Notre Dame to a BCS game and, of course, finishing his degree.

All of those hopes are temporarily on hold now as Irish Head Coach Brian Kelly suspended Floyd indefinitely. In fact, Floyd's name is nowhere to be found on the newly released spring roster issued by the Irish.

From his press conference yesterday, here is what Kelly had to say regarding the matter:

"I've spoken to Michael Floyd and his mother and, in light of what took place this past weekend, I let him know he has been suspended indefinitely from football team-related activities," Irish coach Brian Kelly said. "Football needs to take a backseat at the moment while Michael gets his life in order. ... What's most important right now is Michael focusing on maturing and developing more as a person while working to improve his decision-making processes."

It is a classy handling of the situation by a surely frustrated Kelly, who was looking to take advantage of Notre Dame's most prolific wide receiver in school history in nearly every statistical category.

Floyd, who will appear in court on May 2 and is awaiting inevitable punishment from the Office of Residence Life at Notre Dame, did offer an apology for his actions:

"I understand the gravity of the decision I made and how it could have had catastrophic effects on myself and others," Floyd said in a statement released by the university. "I absolutely recognize that I have many things to work on to become a better person and will need to regain the trust of all whom I have hurt within my immediate family and the Notre Dame family. I fully intend to spend the immediate future improving myself to become a better member of our community."

It is unfortunate that he said the right things in his apology because he could have avoided the entire situation had he simply done the right thing and not gotten behind the wheel after drinking.

At this point it is hard to tell whether or not he will ever suit up in an Irish uniform again. Past precedent from incidents with former FB Rashon Powers-Neal and former TE Will Yeatman indicate Floyd's days playing under the dome are over. 

As a team, the Irish will be fine. It hurts to lose one of your best players but it provides an opportunity for the younger players and rising veterans to take advantage of the open spotlight awaiting them.

My hope is that Floyd is able to personally come to terms with his past decisions and learn from the mistakes. It should be noted that he was cited for an underage drinking violation last summer, so there is a pattern of history repeating itself here. If his playing days under the dome are indeed over I hope he is able to find fulfillment either in the NFL or his professional working career.

It is a sad loss for the team but the Irish will no doubt have to become stronger as a unit because of it. 

Hughes Win for Irish

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Almost nine full days later and the ND victory over arch-rival USC is still just as sweet. For the first time in eight years, the Irish knocked off the Trojans in the battle for the Jeweled Shilelagh.

Senior RB Robert Hughes came up huge in the final series for ND as the Irish offensive line helped plow the way, dominating a worn out and overmatched USC Trojan defensive line.

At times it was difficult to discern whether or not Hughes was a Jerome Bettis reincarnate or not but make no mistake about it, Hughes put on a show that the aforementioned Bettis would have been proud of.

Notre Dame took command of the game at the end of the 2nd quarter with a pair of 1-yard touchdown passes from Tommy Rees to Michael Floyd and Duval Kamara. Floyd scored with 2:29 remaining and Kamara notched one just before the horn sounded with 0:07 remaining. Kamara's score put the Irish up 13-3 at the half and seemingly in the driver's seat.

But sloppy play in the 3rd quarter allowed the Trojans to tie it up 13 apiece when Mitch Mustain converted on 4th and goal from the 1. It was the first defensive touchdown allowed by the Irish defensive in 13 quarters of play, the longest such streak since 1980.

Tommy Rees, who is undefeated as an Irish starting signal-caller at 3-0, threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble in an otherwise ho-hum effort. However, when needed, he stepped up on the final Irish drive and connected on two passes to keep the drive alive and help the Irish overcome their short-lived deficit.

Many folks in Trojan land are writing off this loss by saying their team was without its starting quarterback. What those fans neglect to admit or realize is that the Irish were also without their starting quarterback, but instead of turning to a senior who had won 8 games in a row previously turned to a true freshman with minimal experience. Additionally, ND was without arguably the best tight end in the nation in Kyle Rudolph, running back Armando Allen, and nose guard Ian Williams.

Perhaps the biggest callout led by the men and women of Troy is that senior wideout Ronald Johnson dropped what would have surely been a go-ahead touchdown with 1:17 remaining. But with heavy rain pouring down as it had the entire evening Johnson let the ball bounce off his shoulder.

As Coach Brian Kelly said, "It was about time we caught a break."

Moments later, Harrison Smith intercepted a pass to confirm the Irish victory with :36 left.

Fitting that the Irish victory was sealed by its defense, which has gone from bottom-feeder to powerhouse in the matter of one season.

After an abysmal effort against Navy, the Irish D seemed re-energized and determined to show it could handle the triple option as it shut down Army in Yankee Stadium a few weeks ago. Similarly, the Irish D showed up big as the high-octane Utah Utes' offense was also held to just 3 points.

Make no mistake about it, the Notre Dame football team caught fire and did so at the right time of the year, finishing November with a 3-0 record, remarkable considering the back-to-back losses to Navy and Tulsa that preceded the winning streak.

The sweetest of the wins without question is the victory over USC though. In case you missed any of the action, take a look at the highlight clip below. It is slightly over-produced but overall a sound compilation of the moments that led to long overdue jubilation for fans of the Blue and Gold.

2010 NFL Draft: Hokies and Irish Have Big Weeks

As always, there were plenty of surprises during the NFL Draft and several of them happened to involve the schools we follow here at Stars & Slights.

The biggest news was certainly Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen falling all the way to the Carolina Panthers who selected him with the 48th overall pick.

This will be viewed by many as a bad thing, but I see some positives in the fall for Jimmy. The biggest knock on him is his perceived "cockiness" and this will certainly take him down a peg or two. It's important to be humbled (though the many sacks he took in college certainly helped) and there's no doubt Mr. Clausen now has a very different perspective from which to learn and work.

Also, Carolina is a very talented team. The big problem for them was an oft-injured Jake Delhomme. With the Rajun' Cajun' now in Cleveland, Clausen has a shot to be the guy in Charlotte once he's ready.

For me, the most exciting moment of the draft came four picks later when Brian's Pittsburgh Steelers selected Virginia Tech defensive end Jason Worilds, who will move to outside linebacker in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defensive set.


Worilds was the first Hokie drafted and will take his relentless motor and strong work ethic to an organization that values those things perhaps more than any other team in the NFL.

Some other surprises included Irish wide receiver Golden Tate slipping to the 60th overall pick (far lower than I would have taken him) and former Hokie walk-on Cody Grimm was selected in the 7th round.

Grimm is an undersized linebacker who has worked extremely hard and made himself into one of the Hokies' leading tacklers and an NFL safety prospect picked up by Tampa Bay. Truly inspiring.

Here is the complete list of players drafted from both schools. Best of luck to all of those drafted and to everyone signing free agent deals as we speak (type).

Notre Dame

QB Jimmy Clausen- Carolina, Round 2
WR Golden Tate- Seattle, Round 2
OT Sam Young- Dallas, Round 6
C Eric Olsen- Denver, Round 6

Virginia Tech

LB Jason Worilds- Pittsburgh, Round 2
S Kam Chancellor- Seattle, Round 5
OT Ed Wang- Buffalo- Round 5
P Brent Bowden- Tampa Bay, Round 6
S Cody Grimm- Tampa Bay, Round 7

Official Brian Kelly Announcement from Notre Dame

What follows below is the body of an email sent out to Notre Dame alumni...

December 10, 2009

Brian Kelly Named 29th Head Football Coach at Notre Dame

Brian Kelly, a veteran of 19 seasons as a collegiate head coach -- and most recently the architect of two consecutive Bowl Championship Series appearances at the University of Cincinnati, including a perfect 12-0 regular season in 2009 that earned him national-coach-of-the-year honors – tonight has been named the 29th head football coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Currently the ninth-winningest active coach in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in terms of victories, Kelly has signed a five-year contract to coach the Irish. He will be introduced at a 1:30 p.m. EST Friday press conference at the Guglielmino Athletics Center. Kelly officially takes over at Notre Dame on Monday; he will not coach the Bearcats in their Sugar Bowl date against Florida.

Kelly’s head coaching resume includes:

• Three seasons at Cincinnati from 2007-09, including a 34-6 record (.850) and two straight outright BIG EAST Conference title teams that earned BCS appearances in 2008 (Orange Bowl) and ’09 (Sugar Bowl).
• Three seasons at Central Michigan University from 2004-06, including a 19-16 overall record (.542) that featured a 9-4 mark and Mid-American Conference title in 2006.
• Thirteen seasons at Grand Valley State University from 1991-2003, including a 118-35-2 record (.767) that was highlighted by NCAA Division II national championships in 2002 (14-0) and 2003 (14-1).
• An overall record of 171-57-2 (.747) in those 19 seasons as a head coach.

“I am very pleased that a thorough and extensive search has led us to a new head coach in Brian Kelly, who I am confident will help us accomplish our goal of competing for national championships,” said Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Brian and his family to the Notre Dame family,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “He brings to us a long and successful career as a head coach, and I am confident that he will have even greater success here. I’m also very pleased that he has put considerable emphasis on excellence in the classroom and that his student-athletes graduate at a rate well above the norm.”

Kelly earned the Home Depot National Coach of the Year Award in 2009, was the BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009 (the first time a BIG EAST football coach has won the award three straight years) -- and was the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2003. Kelly currently ranks ninth among active FBS head coaches in victories with 171. He is the winningest active BIG EAST football coach and the only league coach with more than 150 wins.



He boasted a 2-1 record at Cincinnati in postseason bowl games – including a 27-24 win over Western Michigan in the International Bowl after the 2006 season (he coached in that game immediately after taking the job at Cincinnati), a 31-21 win over Southern Mississippi in the Papajohns.com Bowl after the ’07 season and a 20-7 loss to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl after the ’08 campaign. Kelly’s ’06 Central Michigan team finished 9-4 and qualified for the Motor City Bowl (Central Michigan defeated Middle Tennessee 31-14, though he did not coach after accepting the head coaching position at Cincinnati) – and his 12-0 team in ’09 earned a Sugar Bowl assignment against Florida.

In six NCAA Division II playoff appearances at Grand Valley State, Kelly’s teams combined for an 11-4 (.733) postseason record – including four straight victories in winning both the ’02 and ’03 NCAA titles. His ’01 Grand Valley State team fell 17-14 to North Dakota in the Division II national title game.

Kelly’s ’09 team at Cincinnati finished third in the final BCS standings and fourth in both the final regular-season Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN polls. His ’08 team ended up 11-3 and 17th in both polls – and his ‘07 Bearcat squad finished 10-3 and 17th (AP) and 20th (USA Today/ESPN) in the final polls.

His 2009 Cincinnati team won all 12 of its regular-season games, led the nation in passing efficiency (166.19), ranked second in kickoff returns (29.2 each) and sixth in total offense (464.25 yards per game), passing yardage (320.33) and scoring (39.83 points). Meanwhile, Kelly’s Bearcat defense rated third nationally in tackles for losses (8.42 per game) and eighth in sacks (2.92). Among the standouts he coached on the ’09 Bearcat roster are first-team All-America receiver Mardy Gilyard (he ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards at 203.5 per game) and quarterback Tony Pike (ninth in passing efficiency at 155.36). Eleven Cincinnati players merited all-BIG EAST honors for ’09 (five first-team selections), including Gilyard, the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight season.

In three years at the helm of the program, Kelly put together a 34-6 record and led the Bearcats to their first two BIG EAST Conference championships in 2008 and ‘09.

 Cincinnati achieved a then-school-record 11 victories in 2008, followed that up with a dozen wins in ’09, and had back-to-back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. Kelly’s Bearcats in ’08 won the school's first outright conference championship since 1964, and earned the school's first berth in a BCS game, playing against Virginia Tech in the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl. 

In ’08 Cincinnati achieved its then-highest ranking to close the regular season – 12th in the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls and the BCS standings entering the Orange Bowl. The Bearcats held down a postseason ranking of 17th in both polls, tying the top postseason ranking in school history and marking the first time Cincinnati was ranked in the end-of-season polls in school history.



Following the close of the ’08 regular season, Kelly was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second straight season. He also was named the American Football Monthly Schutt Sports FBS Coach of the Year, earned AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors and was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year by Sporting News.



Cincinnati placed 10 players on the 2008 all-BIG EAST teams (including first-team selection Connor Barwin) – with kick returner Gilyard named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and punter Kevin Huber earning the first AFCA All-America nod in program history. Huber became the first two-time AP first-team All-America selection in Bearcat football history.

The Bearcats' 27-24 bowl victory over Western Michigan in 2006 came just 34 days after his hiring.

 Then, in his first full season at the helm in ‘07, Kelly put the Bearcats on the national radar by jumping out to a 6-0 start and earning the Bearcats their first appearance in the polls in more than 30 years. By winning 10 games for the first time since 1951, the Bearcats earned their 10th bowl appearance in program history and sixth bowl appearance in eight years. Cincinnati finished 17th in the AP poll, earning its first appearance in a final poll.



Along the way to the 2007 Papajohns.com Bowl victory, the Bearcats’ third straight bowl win, Kelly earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors. Cincinnati listed seven individuals on the all-BIG EAST teams, including BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and consensus All-America punter Huber. The national leader in punting, Huber was one of three Bearcats to be named to an All-America team.

 Cincinnati ranked second in the BIG EAST and 24th nationally in passing offense (254.1), and was also second in the league and 27th nationally in passing efficiency (139.4). At the same time, the Bearcat defense led the BIG EAST in sacks (2.9) and tackles for a loss (6.5).

 Kelly’s Bearcats led the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in net punting with an average of 41.5 yards per punt. Cincinnati also led the BIG EAST in kickoff returns (24.2).



During his three years at Central Michigan, he transformed a Chippewa program that had won more than three games only once in the past four seasons into a conference champion. Central Michigan posted a 9-4 record in 2006 en route to winning the MAC title and qualifying for its first bowl game in 12 years.

 Kelly inherited a program that had produced a mere 12 wins over its previous four seasons when he took the helm at Central Michigan in 2004. He guided the Chippewas to a 4-7 record in 2004 and a 6-5 slate -- the school's first winning season in seven years -- in 2005.



The Chippewas in 2005 defeated both defending MAC divisional champions, Miami and Toledo, and also knocked off eventual ‘05 league champ Akron. Central Michigan was ranked 35th nationally in total offense and 26th in passing offense while the team's rushing defense was ranked 20th (while leading the MAC at 113.7 yards per game, compared to 245.8 in ’03 -- the year before Kelly arrived). 

Kelly's 2006 Chippewas lost non-conference contests to bowl-bound Boston College and Kentucky by a combined 16 points. Central Michigan rolled up a 7-1 record in conference play to win the MAC West, then dominated Ohio 31-10 in the league championship game. Central Michigan boasted the 19th-most prolific passing attack in the nation, averaging 252.4 yards per game, and was ranked 31st in total offense (380.2 yards per game) and 24th in scoring offense (29.6 points). Quarterback Dan LeFevour, a freshman who passed for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns, was ranked 20th in passing efficiency and 14th in total offense. 

Kelly had 12 of his players achieve first-team all-conference honors over his three years at Central Michigan (including ’05 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Daniel Bazuin) -- and three advanced to the NFL (including 2005 draftees Eric Ghiacuic and Adam Kieft and free agent Tory Humphrey). 



Kelly arrived at Central Michigan after winning the back-to-back NCAA Division II national titles at Grand Valley State. The Lakers were 41-2 in Kelly's final three seasons, at one point winning 32 consecutive games. Grand Valley State went 14-0 in 2002 en route to its first national title and was 14-1 in 2003 when it claimed its second crown. Kelly was named the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year after both seasons. 

Kelly led the Lakers to five conference titles and six Division II playoff appearances in his 13 seasons at Grand Valley. The Lakers never finished lower than third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference. 



Kelly mentored a pair of finalists for the Harlon Hill Award, presented annually to the top player in Division II. Curt Anes won the award in 2002 after finishing as runner-up in 2001, while Jeff Fox was third in the balloting in 1998. Both players were quarterbacks in Kelly's system. 

Kelly's Grand Valley State players earned 77 All-America awards (11 in 2002 alone). Four players moved on to the NFL and another three to the Canadian Football League.

His 2001 national runner-up squad set 77 NCAA, GLIAC and school records, including the all-time Division II scoring record by averaging 58.4 points per game. The 2001 team also became the first Division II unit in 53 years to average more than 600 yards per game in total offense (600.8). 

Grand Valley State followed up its record-shattering 2001 season by averaging 497.5 yards and 47.0 points during its undefeated 2002 national championship run (that ended with a 31-24 championship game win over Valdosta State) The 2003 team, meanwhile, was more noted for its defense. The Lakers defeated North Dakota 10-3 in the 2003 national title game.

 In 10 of his 13 seasons at Grand Valley State, Kelly’s teams won eight or more games – and he finished with a 103-22-2 mark in GLIAC contests.

Born Oct. 25, 1961, in Everett, Mass., and raised in Chelsea, Mass., Kelly attended St. John's Prep School in Danvers, Mass. He was a four-year letter-winner at Assumption College (Worchester, Mass.) as a linebacker, captaining the squad in both ’81 and ’82 under coach Paul Cantiani on teams that finished 8-3 and 7-1-1. After graduating from Assumption in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in political science, he served as linebacker coach, defensive coordinator and softball coach from 1983-86 at Assumption under head football coach Bernie Gaughan.



Kelly joined the Grand Valley State staff in 1987 as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach. He became the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 1989 and took over as head coach in 1991 (replacing Tom Beck, who left to become running backs coach at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz). His very first team Laker team finished 9-3 and qualified for the NCAA playoffs. In 2009 Kelly was inducted into the Grand Valley State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Kelly has served on the AFCA Ethics Committee – and he’s currently one of 59 FBS head coaches who vote in the USA Today poll.

Kelly and his wife Paqui are parents of three children – Patrick, Grace and Kenzel.

Notre Dame Football: Irrelevant or Irresistable?

In light of all that has transpired over the course of the season for Notre Dame I feel compelled to address a prominent question that constantly arises and ceases to be put to rest: is Notre Dame football still relevant?

What follows is a series of additional questions that help frame the reasoning behind my ultimate conclusion.

Abdicated or Vindicated?

Unless you've been living in a cave over the past few days you probably heard the news that Charlie Weis was let go by the University.

Coming off the heels of a 4-game losing streak Notre Dame Athletic Director recommended to University President John Jenkins that Weis not be retained for the 6th year in his 11-year contract.

This was not the first time an Irish coach was ousted with years left on his contract. George O'Leary was fired just one day after he was hired as a result of lying on his resume. His replacement, and prior head coach Tyrone Willingham, was let go with two years left. Prior to that, Bob Davie received his pink slip the season after receiving a 5-year contract extension.

Over the span of those firings Notre Dame's record was 91-67 (.576 winning percentage) with 0 BCS bowl game victories and a lousy 1-7 in bowl games. The Irish have not legitamately been in contention for a national championship since 1993 and the most recent title was in 1988.

With those stats in mind I wonder whether or not Weis' firing signals abdication or vindication?

In truth, the answer to that question lies with AD Jack Swarbrick. If Swarbrick hires a stud coach who adds another title to Notre Dame's pedigree then the answer is vindication.

However, if Swarbrick hires another dud along the lines of Weis, Willingham, O'Leary, or Davie then the answer is clearly abdication. Additional and subsequent years of mediocrity will only continue to tarnish Notre Dame's impeccable brand.

Below is a quote from Swarbrick's press conference on Monday that announced the firing of Charlie Weis. His intentions were made clear:

Well, I won't go into the specific criteria. We have developed a list of criteria to help us shape the search. But I think I will say that it is important to us to look first and foremost at people who have demonstrated an ability to build and sustain a Division I college football program.

All indications are that he is serious about ending the run of duds and unproven coaches. This hire will not only define Swarbrick's tenure at Notre Dame but will also signal to the rest of the world how serious the Irish are about resurrecting its storied past.

Verdict: the jury is out and will remain so until the new head coach is hired... but all signs point to vindication

Sore Losers or Sorely Missed?
Many people scream sour grapes whenever Notre Dame fans talk about the storied Irish past. They claim that domers cry wolf when defending the current state of the program by referencing the storied past.

Such accusations include that 1) academic standards are too tough for premier athletes to gain admission nowadays, or that 2) the NBC TV contract automatically puts the Irish at an advantage (with recruiting) over other schools, or that 3) domers are too enamored on the past that they forget the harsh reality of the present state of the program.

1) While academic standards at Notre Dame are higher than some other schools, though, they are proportionately the same as they were years ago when the Irish were a shoe-in for national title consideration.

2) As for the TV contract, while the Irish once enjoyed exclusive status as the only institution with a TV contract that perk no longer exists. The Big Ten created its own TV network to broadcast its games and other major conferences like the SEC and ACC have contracts with ESPN, CBS and other networks to carry their games. Notre Dame might still have an advantage that every one of its games are nationally broadcast but for all intents and purposes the playing field is now level.

3) It is true that domers are proud of the rich tradition of the program but can you think of a program in the nation that doesn't celebrate its past? I suppose those conference title banners or retired numbers are based on premonitions? No. Every school, organization, company, and human being celebrates the past in some way, shape or form.

Too much emphasis on the past can put one at risk of never again meeting (or exceeding) those past achievements but, even so, with a tradition as rich and memorable as that of the Irish it is near impossible to ignore or downplay the history.

With the records of recent Irish teams in mind I contend that Irish faithful like myself simply pine for the days when national titles and other accolades like Heisman trophies flowed like water.

After all, in times of disappointment or depression it is not uncommon for people to yearn for the happy things from their past. Focusing on those happy things fills a void left by current lack of satisfaction.

Verdict: sorely missed past

Independent or Affiliated?

Domers and non-domers alike have passionate, though contrarian, views on whether or not the Irish can and should remain independent.

Supporters of Notre Dame retaining its independence cite the need for the University to leverage its unique independent TV contract with NBC. Others want the heritage of being an independent University to remain in tact. Yet even more want the Irish to maintain its own bargaining power rather than succumbing to the dictations of a conference president.

A more spiteful group wants independence for all the reasons listed above in addition to honoring prior wishes of affiliated teams. After all, Notre Dame was denied admittance to what is now known as the Big Ten when the Michigan Wolverines informed member schools that it would refuse to play them if Notre Dame was also an opponent. Now that opposing fans want the Irish to give in and join a conference this spiteful group seeks to live out the destiny carved in part by the Wolverines.

There is a small group of Notre Dame detractors that actually want the Irish to remain independent. They claim that if the Irish joined a conference they would have too much influence over it and still dictate a favored nations clause for itself.

Outside of that small group, the vast majority of Notre Dame detractors welcome the thought of conference affiliation for the Irish. Among their contentions, they claim that the Irish need to join the 21st Century and stop resting on its laurels. More notably, they hypothesize that Notre Dame would be at the bottom rung of any conference it would join so there would be no real harm done to their own teams.

Lastly, a group of pro-Notre Dame fans contends that the Irish need to join a conference in order to avoid falling behind the curve. When Penn State joined the Big Ten in the 90's Notre Dame was left as the last major independent program.

Conferences have become so powerful that they have their own TV networks and seemingly unlimited bowl tie-ins while Notre Dame is left with just two remaining non-BCS bowl tie-ins starting in 2010. Conferences and their respective power mark the zeitgeist of the past decade.

As much as it pains opposing fans to realize, however, the Notre Dame brand still carries enough weight to merit independence. This is not to say that the Irish won't ever join a conference but the odds are stacked in favor of independence unless the Irish fail to negotiate their own contracts by leveraging their iconic brand.

In all likelihood, the Irish will sustain independence while simultaneously generating enormous revenues for itself.

Verdict: once an independent, always an independent

National Champs or National Chumps?
Run through any rational person's list of top collegiate football programs over the years and Notre Dame without question makes every list (along with the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Southern Cal, Florida, Alabama, and Ohio State).

With eleven national titles to its name the Irish are equaled by only Southern Cal. Notre Dame's title years include 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988.

Since the last championship in 1988 nearly twenty different teams have won national titles. The current high school recruits for the class of 2014 were not even born the last time the Irish won and were only a few years old when the Irish last legitimately competed for the title in 1993.

Increasingly difficult academic standards at the University add fuel to the debate of whether a highly competitive academic institution can compete at a high level athletically.

Universities with highly achieving academics, such as Michigan Southern Cal, have shown an ability to pair on-field excellence with off-field performance (Matt Leinart's rigorous ballroom dancing course load notwithstanding).

So if other schools have shown a propensity to achieve both athletically and academically why can't Notre Dame?

This is not the first time the Irish have faced criticism that academic standards are too stringent to succeed athletically. Before Ara Parseghian was hired there were declarations of the difficult academic standards, but he won two national championships. Before Lou Holt was hired there were similar proclamations, but he too won a national championship.

As a proud alumni of Notre Dame Jack Swarbrick acknowledges the defiance of the tough academic standards and, accordingly, will not accept the argument that admissions requirements and the University's vision for its football program do not gel.

Well, I think Notre Dame remains a critical piece of the college football landscape. There is no denying our recent struggles, but that doesn't change the equity of the brand or the importance of Notre Dame being able to succeed.

We need to prove, as I was quoted as saying recently, that universities who are committed to integrating the student athlete, first and foremost, into the university of students, can also have them achieve optimal football success as athletes. It's important for the entire industry that we be able to do that. We have the background and I believe the equity to do it, and we now have the foundation laid and the improvements made in the program in recent years to put us in a position to do that.

Charlie Weis may have failed as a head coach but he succeeded in attracting top talent to South Bend. Most of his recruiting classes were ranked in the top 10-15 by all major recruiting services (Rivals, Scouts, ESPNU).

Defensive talent has been the biggest question mark as the Irish have posted back-t0-back abysmal seasons defensively.

If the Irish truly want to engage themselves in legitimate national championship contention the next coach will have to win the hearts of the nation's defensive elite and it probably wouldn't hurt to pick a scheme and stick with it.

Antiquated facilities marred the Irish program earlier in the decade but over the course of the past four years Notre Dame opened the Guglielmino Complex, a state of the art training facility devoted to football, and LaBar Practice Complex, a set of three practice fields (two artificial turf) intended primarily for football. Both additions provided much needed upgrades to an otherwise unimpressive list of facilities.

TV exposure, facilities, a tremendously equitable brand, and commitment to excellence provide the Irish with all the necessary tangibles to compete among the nation's elite.

Verdict: the Irish will compete for a championship again... in the year 20??

Irrelevant or Irresistable?

This subject marks probably the most commonly debated topic about Notre Dame: are the Irish still relevant?

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit even begged this rhetorical question on College GameDay last week.

The notion of irrelevance with respect to Notre Dame makes sense if relating it to domers who up past accomplishments rather than current (lack of) achievements when defending the University against its critics.

That said, I have a hard time believing that the Notre Dame football program is 'irrelevant' especially when in the course of one hour, coming off a 6-6 season mind you, it garnered more attention than the entire Boise State, Cincinnati and TCU programs, which are currently all undefeated and ranked six through four respectively in the BCS standings, were exposed to combined all season.

Want proof? Take a gander at this marked up ESPN homepage by the fine folks at Her Loyal Sons.

Other coaches were fired already this year or recently stepped down but none of them garnered as much attention as the Notre Dame coaching change. Not even Bobby Bowden, who announced he is stepping down as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles where he roamed the sidelines for 55 years!

The fact of the matter is that Notre Dame is like the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys. People either love or hate those teams and there is no middle ground. Whether or not those teams are winning or losing is irrelevant because people always have strong opinions about them.

It's not like the Yankees haven't gone through down periods (anyone remember the 80's and early 90's?) or that the Cowboys never faced adversity (late 80's and early 00's).

Notre Dame has had dark periods, too. But just as the Yankees and Cowboys overcame their dark days so too will the Irish.

While it has been 21 seasons since the last national championship the current drought will not last forever. Notre Dame is to college football as the Yankees are to major league baseball, not as the Red Sox or Cubs are to major league baseball.

The key thing to remember is that whether the Irish or Yankees are cowboys are on top of their sport or on the bottom they are always one of the most talked about teams in their sport.

The propensity to evoke such debate, criticism, and conversation is unmistakably a testament to the relevance and irresistability of those teams.

Final Verdict: the Irish football program is and always will be relevant until the general public either decides to behave differently or the University gets rid of the program, and I can say for certain that the latter is not even in consideration.