2007 Notre Dame
Fighting Irish
Recap:
While most everyone figured Notre Dame would be rebuilding in the
post-Brady Quinn era, few expected it to be so painful and
profound. The Irish became a national punch line in 2007 with a
historically ugly campaign, losing nine games for the first time in
school history, including an unthinkable six straight in South
Bend. The offense, head coach Charlie Weis’ domain, was a
particular calamity, averaging a mere 16 points a game, while
finishing last nationally in total offense and sacks
allowed.
Offensive Player of the Year: TE John Carlson
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Trevor Laws
Biggest Surprise: Shocking UCLA at the Rose Bowl, 20-6, on
Oct. 6. Yes, the Irish were aided by the Bruins’ lack of healthy
quarterbacks, but at the time, Notre Dame was 0-5 and reeling out of
control. Despite managing just 140 total yards, the Irish used
seven turnovers and a touchdown from LB Maurice Crum to mercifully
break into the win column.
Biggest Disappointment: Losing to Navy, 46-44, on Nov. 3 in
an epic triple-overtime thriller. Throughout the good times and the
bad, handling the Middies had become a given for the Irish for more
than four decades. Until this fall. Navy went toe-to-toe with
Notre Dame before foiling a potential game-tying two-pointer for the
long-awaited victory. For the Irish, the loss was more symbolic
than anything else, a sign of just how far the program had
plummeted.
Looking Ahead: At least the Irish will have momentum heading
into next year, courtesy of season-ending wins over Duke and
Stanford. Notre Dame played a ton of kids this fall, including true
freshman QB Jimmy Clausen, so the program should be in a better
position to compete in 2008. How much better is a question that’ll
be answered under a blue and gold microscope.
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2007 Irish Preview
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2006 Irish
Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record:
3-9
Sept. 1
Georgia Tech L 33-3
Sept. 8 at
Penn State L 31-10
Sept. 15 at
Michigan L 38-0
Sept. 22
Michigan St
L 31-14
Sept. 29 at
Purdue L 33-19
Oct.
6 at
UCLA W 20-6
Oct.
13
Boston Coll
L 27-14
Oct.
20 USC
L 38-0
Nov.
3
Navy
L 46-44 3OT
Nov.
10
Air Force
L 41-24
Nov.
17
Duke
W 28-7
Nov.
24
at Stanford
W 21-14 |
Nov. 24
Notre Dame 21 ... Stanford 14
In an ugly game, Notre Dame got a six-yard scoring dash from Robert
Hughes with just over six minutes to play, and then the Irish
defense came through, sort of, with Stanford stalling on the Notre
Dame six in the final minute with two dripped passes. Anthony Kimble
ran for two touchdowns for the Cardinal for a 14-7 lead, but the
Irish scored 14 unanswered points to pull out a second straight win.
The two teams combined for six turnovers and five missed field
goals.
Player of the game:
Notre Dame RB Robert Hughes ran 18 times for 136 yards and a
touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy
Clausen, 19-32, 196 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 18-136, 1 TD. Receiving: Duval
Kamara, 6-93
Stanford - Passing: Tavita Pritchard, 10-24,
102 yds
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 20-80, 2 TD. Receiving: Mark
Bradford, 7-111
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Considering the way things have gone, coming away with two wins to
close out the year means a lot. This wasn't the first ten-loss
season in school history, Jimmy Clausen started to make strides at
the end of the year, and Robert Hughes appears to be a big-time
talent to build a rushing attack around. There are still way too
many problems, but the nightmare is over for now. Now it's time to
go back and figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
Nov. 17
Notre Dame 28 ... Duke 7
Notre Dame finally had an
easy win with Jimmy Clausen throwing three touchdown passes with
25-yard plays to David Grimes and Duval Kamara in the second quarter
and on a nine-yard pass to John Carlson in the fourth. Robert Hughes
ran for 110 yards with 13-yard dash in the third quarter. Duke
finally got on the board with a six-yard run from Zach Asack with
1:12 left to play. The Irish held on to the ball for 35:35.
Player of the game:
Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 16 of 32
passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis,
16-33, 121 yds
Rushing: Justin Boyle, 8-45. Receiving: Jomar Wright,
5-11
Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 16-32, 194
yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 17-110, 1 TD. Receiving: George
West, 4-24
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Beating Duke doesn't exactly save the season, or does it? Now, after
Jimmy Clausen's excellent performance, there's hope for next year
and will put the spotlight on the Stanford game to see if the team
can keep the positive momentum going. There was an actual living,
breathing running game with Robert Hughes moving well, but the real
key was Clausen. He kept the chains moving, kept the Duke defense on
the field, and he started to look like the players he's expected to
become.
Nov. 10
Air Force 41 ... Notre Dame 24
Air Force outgained Notre Dame 285 yards to 58 on the ground in a
tougher win than the final score might indicate. After getting down
early on a Ryan Harrison field goal and a 19-yard John Robold fumble
recovery for a score, the Irish tied it up with a 28-yard Brandon
Walker field goal and a two-yard John Carlson catch. And then the
Falcons took over with a 21-point run on two Shaun Carney touchdown
passes and an eight-yard Spencer Armstrong run. Jimmy Clausen threw
two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 21-yard
play to David Grimes, but the Falcons were able to put it away with
a one-yard Carney touchdown run with less than two minutes to play.
Trevor Laws came up with 17 tackles for the Irish.
Player of the
game:
Air Force RB
Chad Hall ran 32 times for 142 yards, and caught two passes for 31
yards
Stat Leaders: Air Force - Passing:
Shaun Carney, 10-16, 120 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chad Hall, 32-142. Receiving: Mark Root, 2-36
Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 22-40, 246
yds, 3 TD
Rushing: James Aldridge, 14-62. Receiving: David Grimes,
6-67, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Notre Dame stinks, yeah, yeah, that's nothing new. However, there
was a glimmer of sunshine in the loss to Air Force thanks to Jimmy
Clausen. For the first time all year, a Notre Dame quarterback made
everyone around him better. Clausen started to bomb away in the
second half and he actually started to lead the Irish to scores.
This is a lost season anyway, so it's important to use the Duke and
Stanford games to keep developing the young star. He's the key to
getting the program out of the doldrums next year.
Nov. 3
Navy 46 ... Notre Dame 44 3OT
In the third overtime, Notre Dame's Travis Thomas ran for a
five-yard score, but after a pass interference call on the two-point
conversion, the Irish's second attempt, a Thomas run, was stuffed,
and Navy broke the 43-game losing streak to the men from South Bend.
The Irish had an apparent shot to win it in the final minute of
regulation, but chose to go for it on fourth and eight on the 24
rather than try the field goal, but Navy came up with a sack. Eric
Kettani ran for two scores, including a one-yarder in the first
overtime, Joey Bullen nailed a 32-yard field goal in the second, and
Reggie Campbell caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the third, along
with a two-point conversion catch. Thomas and James Aldridge carried
the Irish running game for 235 yards, with Thomas running for
three short scores, while Evan Sharpley and Duval Kamara hooked up
for two touchdowns in the see-saw game.
Player of the
game:
Navy S Wyatt
Middleton made 14 tackles with a tackle for loss.
Stat Leaders: Navy - Passing:
Kaipo Noa Kaheaku-Enhada,
6-5, 81 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Eric Kettani, 20-70, 2 TD. Receiving: O.J.
Washington, 2-19
Notre Dame - Passing: Evan Sharpley, 17-27, 140
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Aldridge, 32-125. Receiving: Duval Kamara,
5-44, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
How in the world did Notre Dame only throw for 140 yards on the Navy
secondary? The Midshipmen are giving up mega passing yards to
everyone. To have two weeks off to prepare and not be able to
generate more yards through the air is inexcusable. Yes the running
game worked for the first time all year, and yes the plan is to
normally use the stronger offensive line against the smaller
Midshipmen front to grind it out as the game goes on, but the plan
didn't work, and now Notre Dame's miserable season becomes an
all-timer of a clunker.
Oct. 20
USC 38 ... Notre Dame 0
USC had no problems rolling past Notre Dame, as Mark Sanchez
threw two first half touchdown passes, a ten-yarder to Fred Davis
and an eight-yard play to Allen Bradford, and two in the third
quarter. Stanley Havili caught a scoring strike from five yards out,
and Vidal Hazelton made the play of the game taking a Sanchez pass
48 yards for a score. Joe McKnight finished the scoring with a
51-yard dash in the fourth. Notre Dame gained just 165 yards of
total offense.
Player of the game:
USC QB Mark Sanchez completed 21 of 38 passes for 235 yards and four
touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Evan
Sharpley, 17-33, 117 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Armando Allen, 11-58. Receiving: Duval Kamara,
4-33
USC - Passing: Mark Sanchez, 21-38, 235 yds, 4
TD
Rushing: Joe McKnight, 7-65, 1 TD. Receiving: Fred Davis,
5-40, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
It's still USC, so there's no real
reason to be too upset about a loss, but once again the problem is
the offense. There isn't any. Evan Sharpley did what he could to
hold up against the Trojan pass rush, but there continues to be a
stunning dearth of weapons to help him out. If the defense isn't
forcing a slew of turnovers and making life easy for the offense,
there aren't any points coming. Now the real season begins with
Navy, Air Force, Duke and Stanford. The Irish have to win three of
those, and it has to use the two weeks off to figure out something,
anything to beat Navy and keep the 41-game streak going.
Oct. 13
Boston College 27 ... Notre Dame 14
Andre Callender ran for two short first half touchdowns and
caught a nine-yard scoring pass in the third quarter to a 20-0 lead,
but Notre Dame fought back with a 19-yard Evan Sharpley scoring pass
to Robby Paris and a 25-yard Brian Smith interception for a
touchdown. Matt Ryan answered with a five-play, 44-yard drive with a
13-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Challenger, and then the defense
took over. The Irish finished with just 193 yards of total offense
and 28 rushing yards.
Player of the
game:
Boston College
RB Andre Callender ran 23 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns, and
caught ten passes for 91 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Matt
Ryan, 32-49, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Callender, 23-90, 2 TD. Receiving:
Andre Callender, 10-91, 1 TD
Notre Dame - Passing: Evan Sharpley, 11-29, 135
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Aldridge, 5-17. Receiving: Robby Parris,
4-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Basically, if the defense isn't forcing
turnovers, or scoring, Notre Dame doesn't have much of a shot
against anyone with a pulse. The running game was stuffed against
BC, gaining just 28 yards, but the coaching staff never even
attempted to make a commitment to pound the ball. Trying to find a
consistent quarterback between Jimmy Clausen and Evan Sharpley has
proven futile so far, and now they have to face the USC defense. On
the plus side, the defense is doing a relatively strong job. It
didn't stuff BC, but it kept the game from getting out of hand.
Oct. 6
Notre Dame 20 ... UCLA 6
In a game that might have set back offensive football 50
years, Notre Dame forced seven turnovers to pull off the win despite
amassing just 140 yards. The Irish scored in the third quarter on a
one-yard Jimmy Clausen touchdown run, and 50 seconds later, got a
Maurice Crum 34-yard fumble recovery for a score. UCLA lost starting
quarter Ben Olsen to a knee injury, and was only able to manage two
first half Kai Forbath field goals.
Player of the
game:
Notre Dame LB
Maurice Crum made seven tackles, one sack, forced a fumble,
recovered two fumbles, picked off two passes, and scored a 34-yard
touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy
Clausen, 17-27, 84 yds
Rushing: James Aldridge, 22-52. Receiving: John
Carlson, 6-38
UCLA - Passing: McLeod Bethel-Thompson, 12-28,
139 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Kahlil Bell, 18-64. Receiving: Joe Cowan, 5-69
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The win
over UCLA doesn't really solve anything. The defense turned things
up a notch, and it kept Ben Olsen in check when he was in, but as
soon as McLeod Bethel-Thompson came in, it was a free-for-all on
forcing turnovers. UCLA self destructed, allowing the Irish to
overcome yet another putrid offensive performance. Basically, Notre
Dame needs to win the turnover battle 7-0 to win games right now. At
this point, a win is a win.
Sept.
29
Purdue 33 ... Notre Dame 19
Purdue added to Notre Dame's misery as Kory Sheets scored from
one-yard out, Dorien Bryant caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, and
Chris Summers nailed three field goals on the way to a 23-0 halftime
lead. Notre Dame opened the scoring in the second half on Jimmy
Clausen's first career touchdown pass, hitting John Carlson from
five yards out, and got within seven on two Evan Sharpley touchdown
passes. The Boilermakers got comfortably ahead with a 14-yard Dustin
Keller scoring grab.
Player of the
game:
Purdue RB Kory
Sheets ran for 141 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and had a
reception for eight yards.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Evan
Sharpley, 16-26, 208 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Armando Allen, 6-25. Receiving: Robby Parris,
7-93
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 22-37, 252
yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 27-141, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorien
Bryant, 8-82, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Jimmy
Clausen certainly tried to gut it out against Purdue, but even
though he had a good game, Evan Sharpley moves the offense better.
The offense has more of a rhythm, and appears to be far more
productive when he's in. Without a running game to fall back on, the
offense needs someone who makes things happen, and that's Sharpley
more than Clausen at this point. Even so, if he's healthy, ND has to
stick with Clausen. It's all about playing for the future and
getting its star as much experience as possible.
Sept. 22
Michigan State 31 ... Notre Dame 14
Notre Dame scored its first offensive touchdown of the year on
a one-yard Travis Thomas touchdown run for a 7-0 lead, and then MSU went on a
17-point run with two short Brian Hoyer touchdown passes and a 27-yard Brett
Swenson field goal. The Irish marched 80 yards in five plays with Robert Hughes
busting in a three-yard scoring run, but the Spartans owned the second half with
two more Hoyer touchdown passes, highlighted by a fourth down 30yard touchdown
throw to Kellen Davis, his second score of the day. The Irish ended up getting
outgained 354 yards to 203.
Player of the game:
Michigan State QB Brian
Hoyer finished 11-of-24 for 135 yards, four touchdown passes, and one
interception..
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 11-24,
135 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 26-144. Receiving: Devin Thomas, 4-55, 1 TD
Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 7-13, 53 yds
Rushing: James Aldridge, 18-104. Receiving: George West, 3-25
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Irish might be 0-4 for the first time in its history, but there were positive
signs against Michigan State. For the first time all season long, the offensive
line was pushing someone off the ball. It didn't happen on a regular basis, but
there were a few good pounding drives to provide a glimmer of hope for the
running game for the rest of the year. The offense tried to diminish the role of
Jimmy Clausen and the passing game, but to have a chance to stay with Purdue and
UCLA on the road over the next two weeks, the offense will have to finally start
getting something down the field.
Sept. 15
Michigan 38 ... Notre Dame 0
Michigan dominated Notre Dame on both sides of the ball, as
Mike Hart ran for two first half touchdowns, Ryan Mallett threw
touchdown passes to Greg Mathews, Adrian Arrington and Mario
Manningham, and the defense came up with eight sacks and held the
Irish to -6 net rushing yards. Notre Dame only averaged 1.4 yards
per play and turned it over four times.
Player of the game: Michigan RB Mike Hart ran 35 times
for 187 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 14 yards
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing:
Jimmy Clausen, 11-17, 74 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Aldridge, 10-51. Receiving:
David Grimes, 3-10
Michigan - Passing: Ryan Mallett, 7-15,
90 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Mike Hart, 35-187, 2 TD. Receiving: Mario
Manningham, 2-35, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Broken record time; the lines aren't
even close to playing well enough for the team to be competitive.
This could be the softest team Notre Dame has had, well, ever, with
no pass protection, no running game, and no ability to hold up on
the defensive line. Worse yet, this looks like a horrifically
coached team with bad snaps, poor execution, penalties, and general
sloppiness all over the place. Step one to improvement is to ditch
the passing game and run, run, and run some more. That might sound
crazy considering this is the nation's worst running team, but the
coaching staff has to try to force the front five to get physical.
Sept. 8
Penn State 31 ... Notre Dame 10
Penn State held Notre Dame to zero net rushing yards and 144
total, but it was a closer game than it might appear in the final
score. The Nittany Lion offense finally started to put the game away
late in the third quarter when Austin Scott ran for a one-yard
score, and then close out with a five-yard scoring run in the fourth
quarter. The Irish started off the scoring when Darrin Walls returns
an interception 73 yards for a score, but Penn State's Derrick
Williams one-upped the play with a brilliant 78-yard punt return for
a score. Jordan Norwood scored on a ten-yard catch midway through
second for all the points Penn State would need.
Player of the game:
Penn State LB Dan Connor had 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one
sack, and one pass broken up.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen,
17-32, 144 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Travis Thomas, 6-12. Receiving: Armando
Allen, 6-38
Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 12-22, 131
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Austin Scott, 28-116, 2 TDs. Receiving:
Jordan Norwood, 3-20, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Where are the lines? This might be a weekly beef, but the Notre Dame
lines are stunningly awful. When Penn State wanted to pound the ball
in the second half, it did. When Notre Dame had any desire to run
the ball, it couldn't. There isn't any talent in the backfield to
run the ball, there's a true freshman slinging it, and the defense
isn't good enough to pitch shutouts. Other than that, everything is
all good. Fortunately, Michigan is up next. If the offense can't
score next week, then it'll truly be time to pack it in and work on
next year.
Sept. 1
Georgia Tech 33 ... Notre Dame 3
Georgia Tech blew out Notre Dame in a game that wasn't even as
close as the ugly final score might indicate. The Yellow Jacket defense held the
Irish to -8 rushing yards thanks to nine sacks, while the offense got two
Tashard Choice touchdown runs, including a 22-yarder off a direct snap. Travis
Bell connected on four field goals for Tech. Notre Dame's only points came late
in the third quarter on a 24-yard Brandon Walker field goal.
Player of the game ...
Georgia Tech RB
Tashard Choice ran for 196 yards and Jonathan Dwyer two touchdowns on 26
carries, and added three receptions for 22 yards.
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech- Passing: Taylor Bennett, 11-23,
121 yds
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 26-196, 2 TDs Receiving: Greg Smith,
3-31
Notre Dame - Passing: Evan Sharpley, 10-13, 92 yds
Rushing: Demetrius Jones, 12-28 Receiving: Robby Parris, 3-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Much
will be made out of the quarterback situation and what'll happen next before
facing Penn State, but it doesn't matter. As the Georgia Tech pass rush showed,
the Irish offensive line will be in big, big trouble over the first eight games
of the year. Yes, the quarterbacks have to make better decisions, and they have
to hang on to the ball, but they never, ever got time to operate, and they had
no running game to help out. The secondary didn't have a great game, even though
the stats might not show it, and the run defense was non-existent. Basically,
this is a team in big, big trouble.
Sept. 1 -
Georgia Tech
Offense: Is it possible an offense can lose the offensive coordinator, a
sure-fire NFL superstar and a four-year starting quarterback and be better?
Absolutely. Calvin Johnson's departure will sting, but the passing game should
be even better with Taylor Bennett (or any one of a slew of terrific prospects)
taking over for Reggie Ball. Patrick Nix left to take over the Miami offense,
but John Bond is a veteran who did a good job with the Northern Illinois program
for the last three years. James Johnson will be a decent number one target, and
now someone else has to quickly emerge to take the heat off and give Bennett
more options. Tashard Choice is an All-ACC caliber back leading a deep and
talented group of runners working behind a fantastic line loaded with experience
and
depth.
Defense: The defense had two lousy games against Clemson and West
Virginia and was solid against everyone else. With just about everyone
returning, expect another great year holding almost everyone to under 300 yards
and around 20 points. The defensive line will be one of the team's strengths
with one of the best groups of ends in America. MLB Philip Wheeler deserves
All-America attention while the safety tandem of Jamal Lewis and Djay Jones will
be one of the ACC's best. The corners are a bit suspect and the proven
linebacker depth is a bit thin, but those aren't glaring problems.
Sept. 8 – at Penn State
Offense: Known for being button-down conservative, now it's time
for Penn State to open the offense up. At least, that's what it has to do to
play to the team's strengths. The receiving corps has the potential to be the
best in the league with three great targets in Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and
Jordan Norwood, and an all-star-to-be in tight end Andrew Quarless. If senior
quarterback Anthony Morelli is consistent and gets the ball to his speedy
receivers deep, the passing game will be fantastic. The line, despite the loss
of Levi Brown, will be excellent with the expected emergence of tackles Dennis
Landolt and Gerald Cadogan, but the real question mark will be running back
Austin Scott. The one time star recruit Austin Scott has to finally show he can
be the workhorse for the running game. If not. it'll be throw, throw and throw
some more.
Defense: As always, the defense will revolve around the linebackers. Paul
Posluszny might be gone, but Dan Connor, who'll take over in the middle, could
turn into a better all-around playmaker, and Sean Lee will be an All-Big Ten
performer. The line doesn't have much experience with only one starter
returning, but there's plenty of promise on the inside in beefy tackles Phil
Taylor and Abe Koroma. The secondary will be stellar if Anthony Scirrotto gets
past his off-the-field legal troubles. If not, corner Justin King and safety
Tony Davis, who moves over from corner, will keep the pass defense from sliding
after a good 2006.
Sept. 15 – at Michigan
Offense: Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord didn't change things up much
in his first year, and there aren't going to be a lot of bells and whistles for
an attack with all the stars returning. Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Mario
Manningham form the best skill trio in America, while tackle Jake Long and
quarter Adam Kraus form one of the nation's best left sides. The only issue is
depth, which is stunning undeveloped or a program like Michigan. Of course there
are talented prospects waiting in the wings, but there will be major problems if
injuries strike early on.
Defense: Defensive coordinator Ron English did a fantastic job in his
first season sending the dogs loose to attack more than previous Michigan teams.
Now the hope will be for overall speed and athleticism to make up for the lack
of experience and a few gaping holes. This won't be the nation's number one run
defense again, and it won't be fourth in sacks, but it will create plenty of
turnovers and force a ton of mistakes. It'll also give up too many big pass
plays. The safeties are fine, the linebacking corps won't be an issue, even
without David Harris to anchor things anymore, and the line, in time, will grow
into a strength. The biggest issue will be at corner, where Morgan Trent isn't a
number one lockdown defender, and there are several untested prospects waiting
to get their chance to shine.
Sept. 22 - Michigan State
Offense: In keeping with the overall belief system of the new coaching
staff, the offense will try to become more physical and should play to the
strength, which will be running the ball. The line is big, and now has to start
hitting to open things up for the speedy duo of Javon Ringer and A.J. Jimmerson
and the pounding Jehuu Caulcrick. All eyes will be on Brian Hoyer, who might not
be Drew Stanton talent-wise, but should be a more consistent quarterback as long
as the receiving corps, which loses the top three targets, becomes productive
right away.
Defense: The aggressive, attacking approach didn't work under the old
regime, and now the new coaching staff will want to play it a bit closer to the
vest to start, and then will start to make big plays as everyone figures out
their roles. There won't be too many bells and whistles in the basic 4-3, but
some chances will need to be taken, and head coach Mark Dantonio is great at
adjusting and forcing teams out of their gameplans, after not doing much to
generate any pressure in the backfield last year. A pass rusher has to emerge,
but the overall potential is there to be better with Otis Wiley and Nehemiah
Warrick good safeties to build around, while the linebackers should be one of
the team's biggest strengths. The line is the key after a few awful years of
doing a lot of nothing.
Sept. 29 – at Purdue
Offense: The Purdue offense was like a big
budge action movie with a ton of fireworks and explosions, but had a plot that
goes nowhere. It cranked out yards in bunches but did absolutely nothing against
the big boys scoring three points against Wisconsin, seven against Maryland, 17
against Iowa, and was shut out by Penn State. It'll be in the top ten in the
nation in yards again with Curtis Painter getting a jaw-dropping good receiving
corps to work with led by the amazing Dorien Bryant in the slot. The 1-2 rushing
punch of Jaycen Taylor and Kory Sheets is the best yet in the Joe Tiller era,
while the right side of the line, Sean Sester at tackle and Jordan Grimes at
guard, along with center Robbie Powell, will be dominant. The left side of the
line is a concern and there's no developed depth anywhere, but the starting 11
should move the ball at will.
Defense: The Boilermakers haven't played defense for two years, and now
the hope is for experience to turn into production with nine starters returning.
Stopping the run will be priority one after finishing last in the Big Ten
allowing 191 yards per game. The porous secondary should be better with all the
young, inexperienced prospects of last year ready to shine as veterans. Overall,
the pillow-soft D needs to find a nasty streak and start to play far tougher.
Oct. 6 – at UCLA
Offense: Tired of his feeble offense and conservative play calling, Karl
Dorrell is turning the unit over to Jay Norvell, a Nebraska import who’ll be
calling plays for the first time in his career. With him comes an up tempo
version of the West Coast offense that’ll be rooted in high percentage passes
and the occasional use of the shotgun. Norvell’s triggerman will be lefty Ben
Olson, who’s held off the challenge of Patrick Cowan, and is still waiting for a
breakthrough season five years after being a ballyhooed BYU recruit. Although
12 players with extensive starting experience return, only guard Shannon Tevaga
and running back Chris Markey can be considered bona fide threats for all-league
honors. To help get Olson where he needs to be, a playmaker or two needs to
emerge among a pedestrian receiving corps.
Defense: Kudos to defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who did the
improbable in 2006 by whipping a sorry Bruin defense into shape. Ten starters
are back from that unit, which finished No. 2 in the Pac-10 in total defense and
tops against the run. One All-American rush end, Justin Hickman, has departed,
but one, Bruce Davis, returns to wreak havoc on league quarterbacks. Although
the linebackers look nothing like the ones across town at USC, they’re fast,
instinctive and a nice fit for Walker’s defense. Middle linebacker Christian
Taylor is the definition of a hard-working college athlete that makes a ton of
plays, but likely won’t be wearing pads beyond 2007. The secondary is an enigma
that’s loaded with returning talent, yet still vulnerable through the air.
Strong safety Chris Horton laid the groundwork last year for what should be a
terrific final season at UCLA.
Oct. 13 - Boston College
Offense: It's Matt Ryan's offense and everyone is just playing in it. The
new coaching staff will install a new zone blocking scheme, putting a premium on
quick, flashy runners, but the line might not be suited for the system. The
receiving corps is decent, but nothing special, and the tight ends are
promising. It all comes down to Ryan, who'll have more control in the attack,
able to change things up a bit on the fly, and he should be tremendous now that
he's healthy. He was the best quarterback in the ACC last year, and that was
with a broken foot.
Defense: Is it time to start giving the
BC defense a little love? It allowed 17 points per game in 2004, 15.92 in 2005,
and 15.69 last year. With defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani back, it should
be even better with nine starters returning including the entire front seven if
linebacker Brian Toal is back from a shoulder problem. The monster tackles, B.J.
Raji and Ron Brace, will gum up everything inside, while the deep linebacking
corps will quietly be among the ACC's best. DeJuan Tribble is one of the
league's best shutdown corners, and Jamie Silva is a top free safety. The
problem? There isn't a reliable second corner, and strong safety is a question
mark.
Oct. 20 - USC
Offense: Does anyone in the country reload faster than the Trojans?
While there’ll be new faces on the line, at wide receiver, and at offensive
coordinator, the high-powered results that have become commonplace in the Pete
Carroll era aren’t about to change. Of course, it helps to have at the controls
strong-armed senior John David Booty, one of the early favorites to add a fourth
Heisman Trophy to Heritage Hall in the last six years. He’ll be surrounded by
an absolutely decadent amount of skill position talent, but most of the
receivers lack experience at this level. In this case, talent will overcome
inexperience in a rout. At 6-5 and 220 pounds, junior receiver Patrick Turner
has the imposing size and sticky fingers to conjure up images of Mike Williams
and Dwayne Jarrett, and have a breakout year. Although the line is going to
miss the presence of center Ryan Kalil, returning two-time All-American Sam
Baker to protect Booty’s blindside will help cushion the blow.
Defense: The Trojan offense is good. The Trojan defense is scary good.
Backed by a Who’s Who of future first-day NFL Draft choices, USC is ready to
unleash the nastiest and stingiest unit of the Pete Carroll era. Led by Sedrick
Ellis at the nose, Keith Rivers at middle linebacker, and Terrell Thomas at
cornerback, the Trojans boast seven players capable of making a run at
All-America honors in 2007. Yeah, a few more sacks and takeaways would be nice,
but this is as close to a flawless unit that there is in the country. From
front to back, they’re aggressive, experienced and fast enough to create a
swarming effect on the ball carrier. Although the Trojans will give up yards to
teams playing from behind, scoring meaningful points on them in the first three
quarters is going to be a year-long nightmare.
Nov. 3 - Navy
Offense: Navy led the nation in rushing in 2005, led the nation in
rushing in 2006, and will lead the nation in rushing in 2007. What's the
difference? The ground game will be terrific as always, but now it'll be truly
special with the best combination of backfield talent and experience head coach
Paul Johnson has ever had. There won't be any passing game, but it won't matter
with a ground attack that can crank out a big run from anywhere on the field.
The big concern will be the line with no experience among the backups whatsoever
and a shaky starting five if left tackle Josh Meek's injured knee isn't healthy.
Defense: Uh oh. Wholesale changes need to be made with only three starters
and seven lettermen returning. The best defense will be a good offense needing
the ground game to crank out long drives to keep this inexperienced, woefully
undersized, untested group off the field. Pass rushers need to emerge with the
hope for Chris Kuhar-Pitters and Casey Hebert to turn into playmakers around
rising star tackle Nate Frazier. Clint Sovie and Irv Spencer will turn into
reliable inside linebackers, but outside linebacker will be a question. The
secondary will be a work in progress around solid corner Rashawn King.
Nov. 10 - Air Force
Offense: For what seems like the 19th year in a row, Air Force is going
to make an attempt to be more diversified and add some passing to the mix. This
time, under new offensive coordinator Tim Horton, it might actually happen.
Slowly. Running the ball will still be the team's bread-and-butter, but there
will be some shotgun, some spread, and a mish-mosh of other offenses to try to
get thing moving. Shaun Carney is a good, veteran quarterback to handle all the
changes, but he doesn't have much to work with. The receiving corps needs work
before it can become a threat, the backfield will be fine in the triple-option,
but could struggle in a traditional set, and the offensive line needs to undergo
major changes.
Defense: Air Force hasn't played defense in about three years and it'll take
a major overhaul and a fantastic coaching job by new coordinator Tim DeRuyter to
change things up. There's no size, not enough speed, and little in the way of
experienced reserves. There has to be some semblance of a pass rush, and the
hope will be for the speedy outside linebackers in the 3-4 to generate it. Far
more has to be done against the pass. Now for the positives. Drew Fowler is one
of the Mountain West's best linebackers and safety Bobby Giannini is a tackling
machine.
Nov. 17 - Duke
Offense: Eleven starters return to an offense that lived through
the growing pains of a youth movement in an attempt to take a giant leap
forward. New offensive coordinator Peter Vaas, who comes over from Notre Dame,
should help make quarterback Thaddeus Lewis more consistent. Helping the overall
cause even more is a veteran line that needs to be far better after doing next
to nothing well throughout last year. It'll be tailback by committee with
several different options to see carries, while the overall strength will be at
receiver with several young, big, good-looking targets for Lewis to use to push
the ball deeper.
Defense: The defense is still not going to be a rock, but there's promise
with several good young players to revolve around. Top prospects Vince Oghobaase
and Ayanga Okpokowuruk are rising stars on the line, while Patrick Bailey is a
playmaker who'll be one of the ACC's better pass rushers. Michael Tauiliili is a
playmaker at middle linebacker, but the outside linebackers are question marks.
Safeties Chris Davis and Adrian Aye-Darko are good, and they'll need to be with
major concerns at corner.
Nov. 24 – at Stanford
Offense: Jim Harbaugh wants to attack defenses with an up tempo offense
that’ll feature lots of pre-snap motion and a ball control element that harkens
back to the Bill Walsh days of the West Coast offense. It worked swimmingly at
the University of San Diego for the past couple of years, but this is Stanford
where ten points and less than 250 yards a game was the norm last year. The
Cardinal is experienced everywhere and pretty deep at the skill positions, but
none of that will matter unless the offensive line does a complete 180 off last
year’s atrocious performance.
Defense: New defensive coordinator Scott Shafer is scrapping the 3-4 this
year in favor of an attacking 4-3 that is designed to create more turnovers and
more plays for negative yards. The Cardinal is open to suggestions after
finishing last in the Pac-10 in just about every defensive category in 2006.
There are holes, to be sure, but Shafer will also inherit some exciting young
talent at each unit, such as sophomore tackle Ekom Udofia, sophomore linebacker
Clinton Snyder and junior cornerback Wopamo Osaisai. Above all else, the
defense has to find some answers against the run after being humiliated for more
than 2,500 yards and nearly five yards a carry a year ago.