IRISH SAIL PAST NAVY

Brady Quinn passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as Notre Dame defeated Navy 38-14 on Saturday. Quinn hit 18 of 25 passes for 295 yards, and once again demonstrated that the rush by ABC and ESPN to award the Heisman trophy to Ohio State’s Troy Smith is not only premature, but also misguided.

The Irish jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a 40 yard field goal by Carl Gioia and Quinn’s 36 yard scoring pass to David Grimes. Navy moved the ball well on its first possession, but a third down sack by Victor Abiamiri and a missed field goal by Matt Harmon killed the drive.

Navy came back in the second quarter to score twice, but the Irish matched each score with one of their own to take a 24-14 lead at the half. Paul Johnson’s option attack shredded Rick Minter’s defense throughout the period by ripping off huge chunks of yardage, and Irish fans began to question the team’s preparation. Notre Dame answered with a 33 yard pass to Rhema McKnight and a 16 yard scoring burst by Travis Thomas. The touchdown by Thomas came on his only carry of the afternoon.

Prior to halftime, the Irish could not match the quickness and deception of quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and wingback Reggie Campbell. The Middies were consistently able to get to the outside against Notre Dame and keep the heavily favored Irish on their heels. The first three Navy possessions resulted in two scores and over 200 yards of offense, but the tables turned dramatically after intermission.

Navy took the second half kickoff and quickly went three and out, setting the stage for Quinn’s 19 yard scramble to paydirt and a 31-14 lead. The Middies tried to answer by moving into Irish territory, but solid hits by Terrail Lambert and Maurice Crum followed by a fourth down sack ended what turned out to be Navy’s last threat of the game.

As the game moved into the fourth quarter, Quinn completed his stellar day by hitting McKnight on a six yard rollout pass to stretch the lead to 38-14. Notre Dame’s second team defense was stout the rest of the way and Coach Charlie Wes substituted freely on both sides of the ball. Punter Geoff Price may have been the only Notre Dame player not to see action, only because his services were not needed.

The Midshipmen, who had been averaging three fumbles per game, handled the ball flawlessly until late in the game. A botched double reverse left the ball on the ground deep in Navy territory, but the Middies recovered and punted it away. Navy’s final possession ended after a sack by Notre Dame jarred the ball loose from backup quarterback Jason Bryant and the Irish recovered.

Anthony Vernaglia was the only Notre Dame player to suffer an injury (knee) on the day, but its severity is not known at this time. The game closely followed the predicted script, and the Irish should be in good position to defend similar attacks by future opponents Air Force and Army.

In the meantime, Weis continues his search for a running game to balance the offense. Darius Walker gained 103 yards on the day, but the offensive line faltered when it had golden opportunities to run the ball in for scores. Fortunately for Notre Dame, Quinn was there to make sure it didn’t matter.

John’s Top 20

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. West Virginia
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. USC
7. Auburn
8. Florida
9. Tennessee
10. Louisville
11. California
12. Wisconsin
13. LSU
14. Boston College
15. Virginia Tech
16. Texas A&M
17. Clemson
18. Arkansas
19. Georgia Tech
20. (tie) Rutgers, Boise State, Wake Forest, Missouri


John’s Bottom Ten

1. Duke
2. (tie) Miami (Fla.) and Florida State
3. Michigan State
4. Illinois
5. Anyone from the MAC
6. Temple
7. Stanford
8. North Carolina
9. San Diego State
10. Colorado

Dishonorable mention: Northwestern, Minnesota and the State of Mississippi

IRISH FACE NAVY IN BALTIMORE

Notre Dame takes to the road for the first time in five weeks to face Navy, whom the Irish have beaten 42 consecutive times dating back to 1964. Paul Johnson’s Midshipmen are 5-2 this season and are coming off a bye week after losing their starting quarterback against Rutgers on October 14.

When Brian Hampton injured his leg and was lost for the season, the job of running Navy’s efficient option offense fell to Kaipo Kaheaku-Enhada. The Middies average over 316 rushing yards per game, and Kaipo’s task will be to keep the ball away from the Irish and Brady Quinn. When asked how Kaipo will perform after using the bye week to prepare for his first career start, Johnson supported his new quarterback and backup Jarod Bryant.

“He's human. Is he going to be a little uptight Saturday right before the game? Probably and so will I. But I would be uptight if Brian was there too. Once he starts playing he will be fine. I'm not worried about him or Jarod. Both of those guys have played in some big games. They will be OK.”

Johnson is probably correct provided Navy can stick to its base attack. If they fall behind and have to throw the ball, it’s doubtful that Kaipo can keep them in the game. Navy has run the ball six times for every pass this season, and their 5.4 yards per carry average is the main reason.

Hampton had been the team’s leading rusher prior to his injury, but Adam Ballard is a productive fullback and diminutive slot back Reggie Campbell is a triple threat running the ball, returning kicks and as the team’s leading receiver. The Middies will certainly try to catch the often-vulnerable Irish secondary with play action shots downfield.

Navy’s offensive line is on the small side as one might expect. The right side appears to be the weakest, so look for the Middies to run away from Victor Abiamiri. Kaipo is also only 5’11”, so the Irish should be able to knock down a few of his pass attempts.

The key for the Irish is to win the battle on first down and ultimately force Navy into third and long situations. As long as the Middies are able to gain 5-6 yards on first down, they will stay in the game.

Defensively, Navy has done a good job early in its first seven games by allowing only 14 total points in the first quarter. It will be interesting to see if they can jump out to a quick lead while Notre Dame adjusts to the option attack, while at the same time frustrating the Irish with a quick 3-4 defensive alignment.

The defense is built around 280 lb. nose tackle Larry Cylc and senior linebackers Rob Caldwell and Dan Mahoney. End John Chan joins Mahoney to lead the team with 4.5 sacks each. The secondary has some talented players, especially sophomore cornerback Rashawn King and free safety Jeromy McGown.

Notre Dame should be able to run the ball provided they can solve Navy’s scheme and maintain discipline in its blocking assignments. Brady Quinn should have time to throw and put enough points on the board to overcome any early success by the Midshipmen. The outcome should not be in doubt after halftime.

The Irish enjoy favorable matchups in all three phases of the game, but the offensive line will be tested mentally as much as physically. After a dismal effort against UCLA, this group needs to be aggressive and efficient against all three service academies on the schedule.

The question among Notre Dame fans is not whether the Irish will win, but how well they will play. Coach Charlie Weis expressed displeasure this week with his team’s standing in the polls, but the best way to alter voter perception is to dominate regardless of the opponent. As much as the fans want the team to turn in a break out performance, Navy is talented enough and certainly coached well enough to give the Irish a few problems and stay away from a blowout.

NOTRE DAME 31 NAVY 14

MIRACLE DRIVE LIFTS IRISH OVER BRUINS

Notre Dame’s football team had a bye last week, and most of the students returned from fall break just in time for the kickoff against UCLA. Meanwhile, 80,000 fans were forced to wait an extra 59 minutes for the Irish offense, who arrived just in time to pull out a heart-stopping 20-17 victory over the stunned Bruins.

Trailing 17-13 with 1:02 and no timeouts left, a bruised and battered Brady Quinn led his mates on an improbable 80 yard drive in only three plays. A 45-yard scoring pass to Jeff Samardzija with 27 seconds remaining provided the game winning points. Samardzija caught the ball over the middle from a scrambling Quinn, broke a tackle, somehow retained his balance and darted into the end zone.

The drive was improbable ending to a day of domination by both defenses. Neither team’s rushing attack generated so much as 50 yards, and both quarterbacks took a beating on third and long plays. The Bruins harassed Quinn all day, sacking him five times and hitting him on countless pass attempts. The Irish blitzed more than usual in an effort to unnerve UCLA’s Patrick Cowan, but he was able to burn Notre Dame’s secondary for two first half scores when his line gave him sufficient protection.

Notre Dame started poorly when Darius Walker fumbled on the first possession, but a missed field goal kept UCLA scoreless. Searching for a spark, Coach Karl Dorrell went for a fourth and one in his own territory on the Bruin’s second possession. The Irish stuffed Cowan’s attempted sneak and took over on the UCLA 44. Quinn surprised UCLA on the next series with a fourth down pass to John Carlson covering 24 yards. Three plays later, he hit Samardzija with a two-yard scoring pass and a 7-0 lead.

UCLA directed its passing attack at Irish cornerback Terrail Lambert, but the strategy backfired when the junior intercepted a deep sideline pass on the next series. Notre Dame was unable to capitalize despite excellent field position and punted to the Bruin 13. Cowan was able to squeeze out three first downs, but faced a third and long near midfield. The sophomore then surprised the Irish by hanging in the pocket and firing a strike over the middle to Marcus Everett, who completed the 54-yard scoring play by leaving Irish defenders in the dust.

With the game tied at 7-7, neither team was able to move the ball until Geoff Price shanked a punt and UCLA took over inside Notre Dame territory. Cowan again beat the blitz on third down and hit William Snead, who bounced off two Irish safeties and scored midway through the second quarter.

Quinn tried to drive his mates for the tying score before the half, but the drive ended inside the five yard line eighteen plays and more than seven minutes later. Carl Gioia came on to kick a short field goal to end the half at 14-10 in favor of the Bruins.

The Irish could not generate any offense after the break, and the fans began to understand that UCLA’s defense deserved much of the credit rather than Notre Dame’s sluggishness coming off a bye week. Coach Charlie Weis ordered a no huddle attack midway through the third period, and the Irish began to march downfield.

When a third down pass to Samardzija at the UCLA six yard line was negated by holding, the Irish faced a third and 23 instead of first and goal. Quinn connected on third down and again on fourth and six as Weis gambled in search of a touchdown. UCLA dug in once more, however, and Gioia was summoned once again. His 33 yarder brought Notre Dame within one point at 14-13 as the game moved into the final quarter.

Notre Dame’s defense began to assert itself, but a borderline pass interference call on Lambert helped the Bruins move into the red zone. This time it was the Irish that rose up to make a key stop, but Justin Medlock extended the UCLA lead to 17-13 with a short 3-pointer with 7:19 remaining.

An exchange of punts moved the clock past the four minute mark, and it appeared that Notre Dame would have a final shot at victory. Unfortunately for the Irish, a promising drive ended at the Bruin 35 when Quinn was stuffed on a fourth down sneak. With 2:20 left, the only remaining hope was that the defense would continue its superb second half play and hold UCLA to a three and out.

The Irish did just that, and judicious use of its remaining time outs gave the ball back to the offense with 1:02 remaining. The 80 yards of real estate seemed like a mile, but Quinn calmly went right to work without wasting a second. He hit Samardzija and David Grimes along the right sideline to move the ball to the Bruin 45, and followed with a play that will live in Irish lore for decades to come.

The thrilling final minute temporarily overshadowed another lackluster performance by the offense. Until the last minute, Weis’s passing game had been reduced to dink and dunk, while the running game never materialized. The Irish offensive line was thoroughly outplayed by UCLA’s defense, and Walker’s limitations as a runner were often in evidence.

Fortunately, the week off was extremely beneficial to Notre Dame’s defense. Aside from the two coverage breakdowns that resulted in Bruin touchdowns, the Irish flew to the ball, delivered several big hits and finished the game strong. Their performance was similar to the Georgia Tech game, and the offense again delivered just enough points to win.

John’s Top 15

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. USC
4. West Virginia
5. Texas
6. Notre Dame
7. Auburn
8. Florida
9. Tennessee
10. Clemson
11. Louisville
12. Wisconsin
13. California
14. LSU
15. Arkansas

John’s Bottom Ten

1. Temple
2. Duke
3. Miami (Fla.)
4. San Diego State
5. Illinois
6. Anyone from the MAC
7. Stanford
8. North Carolina
9. Colorado
10. Florida State
Dishonorable mention: Northwestern and Michigan State

BRUINS RETURN TO NOTRE DAME AFTER 42 YEARS

The last time UCLA played Notre Dame in football, John Wooden’s Bruins had just won their first of ten national championships over what would become an historic twelve year period. While UCLA has not approached that type of success on the gridiron, the Bruins carry a proud tradition and high expectations into South Bend this weekend.

Both teams are coached by an alumnus. Karl Dorrell was an excellent receiver for UCLA in the mid-1980’s, and is in his fourth year as head coach. The Bruins have steadily improved under Dorrell and are 4-2 this season following a 10-2 mark in 2005. The losses this year have come on the road against PAC-10 rivals Washington and Oregon by a margin of ten points each.

Those who have watched UCLA in the recent past may expect a potent offense and a porous defense, but this team breaks the mold. The Bruin defenders are a strong, balanced and fast group of athletes, led by ends Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis and their 12 combined sacks. The other outstanding characteristic of this group is their relative youth. Hickman is the only senior starter, and he is joined by nine juniors. Many of these players saw considerable action as sophomores last season due to injuries to others, and are now battle tested veterans.

The best players besides Hickman and Davis among this group are middle linebacker Christian Taylor, free safety Dennis Keyes and cornerback Rodney Van. There is plenty of depth and injuries are not a factor coming into this contest. Notre Dame will have its hands full in trying to keep Brady Quinn upright against a team that has recorded 18 sacks in six games, and tackles Ryan Harris and Sam Young will certainly be working in the spotlight.

Offensively, UCLA lost its starting quarterback, Ben Olson, two weeks ago against Arizona. Pat Cowan took over and has performed admirably, completing 59% of his passes with two scores and one interception. Cowan suffered a throat injury last week at Oregon but will start against the Irish.

Surprisingly, the Bruin passing game does not have a receiver with 20 catches after six games, but seven different players have caught ten or more. Wideouts Brandon Breazell and Justin Taylor lead the team with 17 and 15 catches, respectively, and one touchdown each.

The running game is very respectable with tailback Chris Markey operating behind a young but capable offensive line. Center Robert Chai is the only senior in this quintet, and the Irish will hope to bring pressure on Cowan. It should be noted that Markey guaranteed a Bruin victory in a recent interview. The Irish players took appropriate notice but were not outwardly impressed.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is coming off a much-needed bye week and expects to regain the services of Travis Thomas and Tom Zbikowski on defense. Cornerback Ambrose Wooden is still questionable, while end Ronald Talley has left the team. Terrail Lambert and Chris Frome will start for the Irish.

Coach Charlie Weis should be able to counter the speed and aggression of UCLA’s defense, but it will be important for the Irish offensive line to build upon its most recent performance against Stanford. Darius Walker will be a key figure in the game – Notre Dame will win if he rushes for 100 yards.

Defensively, the matchup to watch will be the Irish defensive line against the Bruins’ forward wall. Cowan must never be allowed to get comfortable, and Markey is capable of igniting his mates if he has room to run.

UCLA’s Justin Medlock, who is virtually automatic from 50 yards or closer, is the best kicker the Irish have seen to date. The punter is 6’4” Aaron Perez, whose kicks are rarely returned against solid coverage. The Bruin return teams have been unremarkable so far this season.
The Irish should be prepared for yet another capable team to come into town and deliver its best shot. UCLA’s defense will provide a dress rehearsal for the game against that other Los Angeles team later this season, but its offense may have problems scoring enough points to win absent an explosive passing game. The Bruins have started fast in their first five games until stumbling out of the gate at Oregon last week, but Notre Dame must guard against a sluggish start after two weeks off and player visits to home base during the fall break.

The positional matchups are as follows:

Position / Advantage
Quarterback – Notre Dame
Running Back – Even
Wide Receivers – Notre Dame
Tight Ends – Notre Dame
ND OLine vs. UCLA DLine – Even
UCLA OLine vs. ND DLine – Notre Dame
Linebackers – UCLA
Secondary – Even
Punting - Even
Kicking - UCLA
Return Teams - Even
Intangibles - Even

Notre Dame opens the second half of its season against another quality opponent, and the Bruins led by Markey have their full attention. The Irish have too much firepower for the visitors to pull the upset, but the game can be close if Quinn and his mates are not sharp right from the outset.

NOTRE DAME 31 UCLA 20

IRISH MID-TERM GRADES

The first half of the season is history and it’s time for performance evaluations.

Quarterback – B

Brady Quinn has performed admirably despite a few uncharacteristically horrific moments. Many folks jumped off his Heisman bandwagon when he misfired a few times against Georgia Tech, turned the ball over to Michigan and threw an INT/ touchdown to Michigan State before turning things around in that game. Still, Quinn has hit on 63% of his passes and has 16 touchdowns against four interceptions against some very good teams. The bottom line for this season for him and the entire team will come down to the showdown at USC, whom Quinn has never beaten.

Running Back – B+

Darius Walker has done a terrific job of catching the ball out of the backfield, and recently has put up some impressive rushing numbers as Notre Dame moves into the weaker portion of its schedule. Walker is also called upon to block blitzing linebackers, which he does at a high rate of success despite his diminutive frame. The team needs to develop a change of pace back with more speed to complement Walker and absorb a share of the punishment. It finally appears that Coach Charlie Weis is taking the wraps off Munir Prince and James Aldridge.

Wide Receivers – B

Opponents focused coverage schemes on Jeff Samardzija during the first few games, and Rhema McKnight had a number of passes thrown his way. He has 37 receptions and seven touchdowns, although he is guilty of a few inexplicable drops. The distribution has evened out lately, and Samardzija now has 34 catches and five scores. The biggest disappointment has been the lack of production from the third receiver slot, where David Grimes has five receptions and two others have one each. Walker in essence has become the third receiver, but the Irish are not getting the ball down the field as frequently as they did last season. Passing yards are down to 273 per game from last year’s 330.

Tight Ends – A-

John Carlson has emerged as a legitimate down the field threat with good hands and above-average speed. He does not block as well as Anthony Fasano, but he is a different player. Marcus Freeman is a decent blocker and has caught the few balls that have been thrown his way. Konrad Reuland and Will Yeatman are freshmen who are getting their feet wet in limited situational action.

Offensive Line – D+

This veteran group has recently begun to play better, but the Irish were outplayed by the front seven of Georgia Tech and Michigan. Despite the lopsided win over Penn State, the line barely held its own against the Lion’s defensive tackles. Purdue’s Anthony Spencer also had a career afternoon against Ryan Harris and Sam Young. The 3.3 yards per rush and 107 yards per game are telling statistics. It says that Notre Dame was not executing many second level blocks, at least until the Stanford game where they rushed at a five yard per carry clip. As for pass protection, Quinn has already been sacked 15 times and absorbed countless other hits. The Irish allowed 21 sacks during the entire 2005 season.

Defensive Line – C-

Victor Abiamiri is clearly Notre Dame’s best lineman, as evidenced by the fact that he is double-teamed on nearly every passing down. This should open up rush lanes for his mates, but the Irish have failed to generate consistent pressure on opponents and the weak side defensive end spot (WDE) has zero sacks to date. Opponents have also rushed for higher per carry and per game averages this season as compared to 2005. The loss of Ronald Talley at WDE does not help a unit whose main problem is lack of depth. Wear and tear on tackles Derek Landri and Trevor Laws is a major concern going forward.

Linebackers – C

The Maurice Crum experiment in the middle has produced mixed results. Crum has played well overall and leads the team in tackles, but his lack of ideal size sometimes proves costly against the run. The Irish have no answer for a back such as Michigan State’s Jehuu Caulcrick, who was stopped only by the ineptitude of his head coach. Travis Thomas has been a pleasant surprise at the weak side spot, although his mysterious chest injury is somewhat disconcerting. On the strong side, Mitchell Thomas has only nine tackles and seems lost more often than not. Backups Joe Brockington and Anthony Vernaglia have gotten themselves into the mix of late, but there is insufficient data to form any definitive conclusions.

Cornerback – B-

Injuries have forced players such as Terrail Lambert and Darrin Walls to take on larger roles, and both have shown game to game improvement. Lambert was burned badly by Michigan’s Mario Manningham, but that has proven to be no fluke as Manningham has emerged as one of the nation’s best. To his credit, Lambert bounced back with an outstanding performance against Michigan State and is becoming a solid player. Mike Richardson has quietly been the team’s best cover man, while Ambrose Wooden has missed significant time due to injury. Notre Dame should be improved when Coach Bill Lewis can put Richardson and Wooden at corner with Lambert at nickel back. This trio can cover reasonably well but will continue to be hampered by an unproductive pass rush.

Safety – B

Tom Zbikowski was having a pretty good year before his injury against Purdue, and Ray Herring did a commendable job as his replacement. Chinedum Ndukwe has shed pounds and is indeed faster. He is tied with Crum for the team lead in tackles, but still has a disturbing tendency to bite on the play action fake. Overall, the Irish are still giving up big plays in the passing game, and the improvement from 2005 has not been dramatic.

Punting – A

Geoff Price, with his 46.6 yard average, has become a weapon for Notre Dame. Most fans would have been happy if he were merely adequate. Instead of questioning the wisdom of giving him a scholarship in the first place, Notre Dame can only hope that he decides to return again next year.

Kicking - C

Carl Gioia has been respectable after a shaky start, but most fans will be tempted to cover their eyes if he lines up for a kick with the USC game on the line. Bobby Renkes and Ryan Burkhart have improved productivity on kickoffs.

Return Teams – C

This has been an area where results have not met expectations. Zbikowski provided numerous thrills last season with spectacular returns, but he has fumbled and stumbled this season. Various kickoff return men have shown flashes of brilliance and maddening inconsistency.

Cover Teams – B+

Opponents have returned punts for nearly ten yards per attempt, but this is probably a function of Price’s booming efforts. Kickoff coverage is exemplary at 17 yards per attempt.

Coaching – B-

Despite the shaky opener and the Michigan meltdown, Weis earns the benefit of the doubt for his ability to rally the troops from the brink of disaster in East Lansing. The Irish are still on track to make a BCS appearance, although any hopes of a berth in the title game have been reduced to wishful thinking due to the margin of defeat in a critical home game.

The jury is still out regarding many staff members. For example:
- John Latina’s offensive line has been disappointing, although Latina got Sam Young ready to play and a few freshmen have shown improvement.
- Rob Ianello has been unable to coax any production from anyone other than McKnight and Samardzija.
- Jappy Oliver has not figured out how to generate a pass rush and has not developed depth or a substitution pattern to relieve the pressure on his starters.
- Rick Minter got Travis Thomas ready to play, but the bad news is that a number of linebackers that have been in the system for two years are not close to making meaningful contributions. Minter’s defense held up well against Georgia Tech, although injuries and capable opponents have subsequently combined to make it look very ordinary. That’s no surprise since there is little help for Abiamiri to chase the quarterback, no physical force at linebacker and no real ball hawk in the secondary. Despite these shortcomings, Minter will continue to be the target of Irish fans and the grumbling will reach critical mass if his troops are dissected in Los Angeles.

Despite the obvious problems, the overriding fact is that the team is 5-1 against a quality schedule.


John’s Top 15

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. USC
4. West Virginia
5. Texas
6. Notre Dame
7. Auburn
8. Florida
9. Tennessee
10. Clemson
11. California
12. Georgia Tech
13. Louisville
14. Oregon
15. LSU

John’s Bottom Ten

1. Miami (Fla.)
2. Temple
3. Duke
4. San Diego State
5. Illinois
6. Anyone from the MAC
7. Stanford
8. North Carolina
9. Michigan State
10. Colorado

Dishonorable mention: Every offense in the SEC

IRISH CRUISE PAST STANFORD

Notre Dame, led by Brady Quinn and Darius Walker, stayed in control and was never seriously threatened in its 31-10 victory over a competitive but overmatched Stanford squad. Quinn passed for three touchdowns and Walker accounted for just under 200 yards of total offense as the Irish dominated the Cardinal. Notre Dame outgained Stanford by 437-226 and had 29 first downs to 15 for the Cardinal.

With very few exceptions, the Irish defense was in control throughout the afternoon despite the absence of three injured starters. Notre Dame did benefit from a couple of dropped passes by Stanford that could have made matters more interesting. To be fair, Walt Harris’ team was also missing its two best wide receivers, and it definitely hurt them in this contest.

The Irish took the opening kickoff and marched 90 yards to take a 7-0 lead as Quinn played pitch and catch with Jeff Samardzija. Excellent play calling by Harris and the passing of Trent Edwards led the Cardinal right back to the Notre Dame four yard line before Kelton Lynn dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone. Stanford settled for a field goal and trailed 7-3 as the first quarter came to a close.

The defenses took over early in the second quarter. The Irish managed to move to midfield, but the drive stalled and Walker was stopped for no gain on a fourth down and two. The Cardinal had a chance to move into scoring position, but another drop by a wide open receiver on third down abruptly ended the threat.

Just when it appeared the lackluster Irish would end the half with a paltry four point lead, Quinn took over with 2:35 left and led Notre Dame on a textbook 68-yard march for a 14-3 lead. Rhema McKnight grabbed a well-executed slant pass and darted into the end zone with 29 seconds remaining.

Victor Abiamiri ended the half with a sack of Edwards, and he added another to stop Stanford’s opening drive in the third quarter. The Irish took over and marched for another score as Walker covered the final 51 yards capped by a 32-yard touchdown romp at the 9:25 mark.

The Cardinal could not respond as Trevor Laws and Derek Landri joined the sack party at Edwards’ expense. Quinn and Walker went back to work, but the drive ran out of steam just inside the red zone. Carl Gioia came on to boot a 35 yard field goal and the Irish stretched their lead to 24-3 with sixteen minutes remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Stanford recorded its only highlight after the opening drive. Edwards threw to tailback Anthony Kimble, who squared up and tossed a deep floater to a wide open Kelton for a 57-yard score. Free safety Chinedum Ndukwe was victimized on the play, and he received an earful from secondary coach Bill Lewis on the sidelines.

With its lead cut to 24-10 and fourteen minutes remaining, Notre Dame’s offense answered the bell. Walker ripped off chunks of yardage and the Cardinal pitched in with a 15-yard penalty for hitting Quinn out of bounds. A third down pass to McKnight and a run by Walker brought the ball to the Stanford one. Quinn faked a handoff and hit tight end John Carlson, who made a one-handed grab for the score.

The Irish were determined not to allow the Cardinal to put a dent in their 31-10 advantage, and they shut down Edwards and backup T.C. Ostrander over the last nine minutes despite substituting freely on both sides of the ball. Anthony Vernaglia was particularly impressive and freshman Toryan Smith got his uniform dirty at middle linebacker.

The highlight of the final minutes for Notre Dame fans came when heralded freshman tailback James Aldridge saw his first action behind a few of his classmates along the offensive line. Aldridge flashed an impressive glimpse of power and speed in his four carries for 26 yards before the clock ran out.

Notre Dame stands at 5-1 at the halfway point of the season, and the entire team will benefit from a much needed week off. Key starters such as Tom Zbikowski, Travis Thomas and Ambrose Wooden should return against UCLA, and the Irish defense will face a trio of option teams in the upcoming weeks.

The offense was able to achieve balance during the last two games as Walker rushed for more than 300 yards and Quinn’s accuracy exceeded 73%. Penalties are down, although Notre Dame was hurt by a holding call that negated a 60-yard kickoff return by Darrin Walls and Maurice Crum was called for a late hit on Edwards. Crum atoned for his mistake with an interception of Ostrander that was the game’s only turnover.

The Irish have a long climb after falling to #12 in the national rankings, but the best days for this team may lie ahead. Last season, the opposite was true as that group wore down and stumbled down the stretch. Weis is developing depth and building for the future by bringing a few more of his talented freshmen into the mix. This trend should continue as Notre Dame plays a softer second half schedule until the showdown with USC in Los Angeles on November 25. For now, however, the Irish are looking ahead only as far as an upcoming week of rest.

JV's Top Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. USC
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. West Virginia
7. Notre Dame
8. Tennessee
9. Georgia Tech
10. (tie) Auburn/California/Louisville

Bottom Ten
1. Temple
2. Duke
3. San Diego State
4. Colorado
5. Anyone from the MAC
6. Stanford
7. Mississippi St.
8. North Carolina
9. Miami (Fla)
10. Florida State
Dishonorable mention: Michigan State, Illinois

IRISH AWAIT STRUGGLING STANFORD

When Notre Dame visited Stanford last November for the purpose of securing a BCS bowl invitation, Irish fans were surprised to find themselves wringing their hands during the game’s final two minutes. This season, the Cardinal arrive at Notre Dame a winless and battered bunch, and not even the most pessimistic Notre Dame backer can envision anything but a comfortable Irish victory.

The statistics lend credence to the notion that Stanford will be unable to stay with the Irish. Injuries to key skill position starters have crippled the Cardinal offense, which is averaging only 12.6 points against an unremarkable schedule. Stanford’s offensive line has enabled a meager 87 rush yards per game while allowing 21 sacks, and senior quarterback Trent Edwards has been forced to throw to different wide receivers every week.

In last week’s loss to conference rival (and future Irish opponent) UCLA, the fifteen Cardinal possessions ended as follows:
Punts – 7
Turnovers – 5
End of the half – 2
Missed FG – 1

This performance had to discourage Stanford’s 3-4 defense, which has played respectably in the first half of each game. It has been different story in the second half, where the Cardinal has been outscored by a 100-16 margin.

Since Notre Dame has its own injury problems with players such as Asaph Schwapp, Ambrose Wooden and Travis Thomas, it would not be shocking if the game was close until the last five minutes of the first quarter. Stanford does have quality talent in nose tackle Ekom Udofia, linebackers Michael Okwo and leading tackler Clinton Snyder, and David Lofton and Brandon Harrison in the secondary. The 6’4” Lofton is the son of legendary Stanford wide receiver James Lofton.

Notre Dame must battle fatigue and an emotional letdown after five tough opponents and a long-awaited bye week staring them in the face. Coach Charlie Weis and the players would prefer to end the suspense quickly on Saturday, but they cannot afford to become frustrated if they stop themselves with mistakes and penalties or if Stanford simply does not go quietly.

The matchups favor the Irish in nearly every category except linebacker, where Travis Thomas’ absence is somewhat problematic. The Cardinal has precious few weapons to support its pair of outstanding quarterbacks, starter Edwards and backup T.C. Ostrander. Tailbacks Anthony Kimble and Toby Gerhart have been serviceable, but have scored only one touchdown between them. Coach Walt Harris has lost fullback Nick Frank to injury, as well as starting receivers Mark Bradford and 6’7” Evan Moore.

Notre Dame will wear down the Cardinal defense quickly if Edwards must run for his life and his mates generate numerous unproductive possessions. The Irish sacked Edwards and Ostrander seven times last season, and this year’s defense is sick and tired of hearing about its failure to shut down its last three opponents.

This could be the week that Notre Dame gets a chance to showcase freshman running backs James Aldridge and Munir Prince, so it will be worthwhile to watch well into the second half. Stanford will put forth maximum effort as long as its depleted personnel will allow, but this time there is little doubt that the Irish will prevail.

NOTRE DAME 42 STANFORD 7