2006 Opponent Preview - Tight Ends/Offensive Lines | by Pat

We've looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. Now we move onto the players who block for them (and sometimes catch a pass or two). A bit of a change from past previews here as I'll include the Phil Steele ranking -- when applicable -- in the intial team summary for the offensive linemen rather than at the end. I'll keep the Steele ranking for the tight ends in the summary rankings at the end. The offensive line is kind of a hard position to preview, so if you know anything more about the guys being mentioned, please chime in.

GEORGIA TECH

TE - George Cooper. 8 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.

George Cooper moved into the starting lineup halfway through last season and had his best two performances in Tech's final two games. More of a receiving tight end than a blocking one, Cooper is still pretty big at 6-5, 260 pounds. If he continues to earn the trust of Reggie Ball, he could be a threat in the passing game. Depth: Likely splitting time with Cooper will be senior Michael Matthews. Having moved from defensive end to fullback to tight end, Matthews is more of a blocker and is usually brought in for two-tight end sets.

LT - Andrew Gardner. Returning starter.
LG - Matt Rhodes. Returning starter.
C - Kevin Tuminello. Returning starter.
RG - Nate McManus. Returning starter.
RT - Mansfield Wrotto. New starter.

Last year the Tech line led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed with 10. Andrew Gardner started every game at left tackle and was named a 1st Team Freshman All-America. Coming into his redshirt sophomore year, he should be a very capable left tackle. Matt Rhodes will be entering his third year as a starter while Kevin Tuminello returns for his second year as a full time starter. Also in his second year as a starter is Nate McManus, who can also spell Tuminello at center if need be. Calling Mansfield Wrotto (right) a new starter is a bit of a misnomer as he's actually a three year starter at defensive tackle who has been switched to right tackle for his final year. Big and strong, Wrotto might also be used at guard if tackle doesn't work out. Depth: The backups are generally untested sophomores, with Jacob Lonowski a top sub at either tackle or guard.

PENN STATE

TE - Patrick Hall. 2 receptions, 6 yards, 2 TDs. New starter.

Senior Patrick Hall played quarterback and inside linebacker in high school, was shifted to outside linebacker, then fullback, then defensive end at PSU before finally landing at tight end. He had a pretty efficient stat line (2 catches, 2 TDs) from last year and should see his numbers grow now that he is the new starter. At 6-2, 250 pounds, Hall is solid at both blocking and catching passes and his QB background will probably help him be effective in Nittany Lion offense. Depth: Jordan Lyons is a former QB that most likely will be used as a receiver when he's out on the field.

LT - Levi Brown. (#3 T) Returning starter.
LG - Gerald Cadogan. New starter.
C - A.Q. Shipley. New starter.
RG - Robert Price. New starter.
RT - John Shaw. New starter.

Levi Brown (left) is one of the top tackles in the country and probably the best the Irish will face this season. Massive at 6-5, 328 pounds, Brown will be a force on running and passing plays. The rest of the line is a big question mark. There are four new starters with only one collegiate start to their name. Robert Price started the first game last year, but lost his job by the second. Both A.Q. Shipley and John Shaw finished up last season practicing at defensive tackle, so they also are without the benefit of getting reps at offensive line last year. Shaw in particular is the biggest question mark on this young line. Depth: If Price loses his starting gig again, sophomore Greg Harrison will probably be the guy to take it.

MICHIGAN

TE - Tyler Ecker. 21 receptions, 285 yards, 2 TDs. Returning starter.

Tyler Ecker saw a lot of time last year as Michigan runs plenty of two tight end sets. He also notched a few number of starts when Tim Massaquoi was out with injury. Comfortable both blocking and receiving, Ecker is a versatile tight end who will see plenty of passes thrown his way. One third of all his 2005 receptions came against Notre Dame. Depth: Mike Massey isn't that big at 240 pounds and for now is more useful as a receiving tight end than a blocker. If he can improve his blocking and overall strength, he'll make a solid #2 TE for Michigan. If not, Brian Thompson is a darkhorse candidate to make a rise up the depth charts over Massey and current third-stringer Carson Butler.

LT - Jake Long. (#7 T) Returning starter.
LG - Adam Kraus. (#30 G) New starter.
C - Mark Bihl. (#16 C) Returning starter.
RG - Rueben Riley. (#16 G) New starter.
RT - Mike Kolodziej. (#44 T) New starter.

The normally solid Wolverine OL is in a bit of a transition year in 2006. It seems that all starting spots are still up for grabs and fall camp will determine which five actually get the starting nod. Jake Long is probably set as the left tackle and if he can stay healthy, he should finally have the big year Michigan fans expect out of him. Mark Bihl (left) took over the starting center job towards the end of last season and while he only started four games, he did play in big matchups like the Ohio State game and the bowl game against Nebraska. The other players are listed as new starters, but that's technically not the case as all do have starting experience from last year -- but it was a game here, a game there, and not always at the position they likely will be manning this season. Rueben Riley started 8 games last year, but 7 were at right tackle and 1 was at left guard. So, the starting five won't be totally new to starting, but they also won't be used to playing in this particular configuration either. Depth: Versatile Alex Mitchell will fight in fall camp for a starting spot along the right side of the line with redshirt freshman Mark Ortmann and Jeremy Cuilla adding more depth. Star OL recruit Steve Schilling might see action, but it's always hard for a freshman offensive lineman to crack the rotation early in the season.

MICHIGAN STATE

TE - Kellen Davis. 15 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TDs. New Starter.

Kellen Davis will move into the starting tight end spot with the departure of last year's starter, Kyle Brown. Utilized as a receiver more than a blocker, Davis will need to fine tune his blocking now that he is the starter. He has enough speed to be dangerous running routes and is a tough player. ND fans might remember him holding onto a Drew Stanton pass and scoring a touchdown last year against the Irish while being knocked unconscious by Chinedum Nduwke. Depth: Dwayne Holmes is clearly a blocking tight end at 6-0, 275 pounds. When he's in, look out for the run.

LT - Mike Gyetvai. (#56 T) Returning starter.
LG - Kyle Cook. (#53 G) Returning starter.
C - John Masters. New starter.
RG - Roland Martin. New starter.
RT - Jesse Miller. New starter.

The left side of the Spartan offensive line will be very tough indeed, while the right side will need to quickly overcome their collective inexperience. Mike Gyetvai started every game at right tackle last year and now slides into the left tackle spot and is expected to be an all-conference caliber player. Next to him, Kyle Cook (right) is the most veteran player on the line with 23 starts under his belt at left guard. Roland Martin was a huge recruit for the Spartans a few years ago and the 6-5, 324 pounder has some hefty expectations to live up to coming into his redshirt sophomore year. Sophomore Jesse Miller only appeared in four games last year in garbage time so he'll be the player with the most to prove. Depth: Tom Kaczmarek started one game last year at left tackle. Most of the other backups haven't seen much time, but are all 300+ pound space eaters.

PURDUE

TE - Dustin Keller. 13 receptions, 128 yards, 3 TDs. New starter.

A converted wide receiver, Dustin Keller will be a threat in the passing game. Despite not being #1 on the depth chart last year, only Dorien Bryant had more receiving touchdowns for the Boilermakers than Keller. He's not a great blocker and at 244 pounds might have some trouble with bigger defensive lineman, but probably will be used much more as a receiver than blocker. Depth: Jerry Wasikowski is a former walk-on with no game experience playing as a tight end yet.

LT - Mike Otto. (#22 T) Returning starter.
LG - Uche Nwaneri. Returning starter.
C - Robbie Powell. (#15 C) Returning starter.
RG - Jordan Grimes. (#1 G) Returning starter.
RT - Sean Sester. (#35 T) Returning starter.

It's an extremely veteran line with five returning starters and Mike Otto (left) is the leader with 36 career starts at the left tackle position. He's one of the best tackles in the Big 10. Uche Nwaneri returns to the starting lineup after being suspended all last season. This same group, minus Nwaneri, only gave up nine sacks over all of last season. All-Big Ten player Jordan Grimes is entering his second full year as a starter and so is redshirt sophomore Sean Sester, a huge 6-8, 310 pound tackle, who just might be Purdue's best lineman. Depth: Despite all the experience on the starting lineup, the depth behind them is rather sparse. Tackle Eric Hedstrom was a highly recruited prospect but hasn't played in a game yet. Garrett Miller did see some action last season and is the backup to Otto at left tackle. Most of the backup guards don't have more than a game or two's worth of garbage time experience.

STANFORD

TE - Matt Traverso. 19 receptions, 223 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.

Matt Traverso was suspended from the program for the spring semester, but should be back with the team in the fall and regain his starting spot in the offense. A well-rounded TE, Traverso will be a positive force both blocking and receiving for the Cardinal. Depth: Patrick Danahy came out of the spring practices as the starter and the career backup might get to see more playing time in his final year at Stanford. Jim Dray is the inexperienced sophomore that has many Stanford fans hopeful for the future. He could very well be the top TE target by the ND game.

LT - Allen Smith. Returning starter.
LG - Josiah Vinson. (#57 - G) Returning starter.
C - Tim Mattran. Returning starter.
RG - Alex Fletcher. (#17 - G) Returning starter.
RT - Jeff Edwards. Returning starter.

The Stanford line has plenty of experience, but these same group of players gave up an awful lot of sacks last year, including seven to Notre Dame. An additional year of weight lifting and experience will help, but the group overall isn't as dangerous as they might look. One-time ND recruit Allen Smith has potential to be a very good college player entering his first full year as a returning starter. Jeff Edwards was the other starter at left tackle last year with Smith, but now will take his 26 career starts over to the right tackle spot. Alex Fletcher (right) was the one of the best centers coming out of high school, and provides the ability to play guard or center. Depth: Jon Cochran started 7 games at right tackle last year and 11 games at left tackle in 2004, but was beaten out for a starting spot by the end of last season. Another backup with over 20 career starts, Ismail Simpson (#58 G) should push Vinson for the starting left guard position while Mikal Brewer returns as a servicable backup at center or guard.

UCLA

TE - J.J. Hair. 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TDs. New starter.

J.J. Hair gets the honor of replacing Mackey Award winner Marcedes Lewis, UCLA's leading receiver last year. Hair is more of a blocking tight end as his three career receptions might indicate. How he'll adapt to becoming more of a target in the passing game will dictate his success in the starting lineup. Depth: Both Ryan Moya and Logan Paulsen are faster than Hair and provide more of a receiving threat. If they can prove competent at blocking, they might find increased roles in the offense by the ND game.

ST - Brian Abraham. Returning starter.
SG - Shannon Tevaga. (#23 G) Returning starter.
C - Robert Chai. (#33 C) New starter.
WG - Chris Joseph. Returning starter.
WT - Aleksey Lanis. New starter.

The Bruins offensive line situation is still a work in progress with a few players on the verge of gaining or losing a starting spot based on their work in fall camp. Shannon Tevaga (left) is the really the only sure thing so far as he enters his third year starting on the UCLA offensive line. The other guard, Chris Joseph, was knocked out of the season after the 4th game last year and also missed the spring. If his knees hold up, he'll be a tough run blocker for the Bruins. Center Robert Chai also missed the spring due to knee surgery and although I listed him as a new starter, he did start the final four regular season games for UCLA after the original starter, Mike McCloskey, went down with an injury. Brian Abraham started nine games last year before leg injuries limited his play at the end of the season. Aleksey Lanis is a huge tackle at 6-6, 330 pounds and the redshirt freshman has plenty of high expectations from Bruins fans. Depth: Battling Lanis and Abraham for a starting tackle spot will be Noah Sutherland, who subbed in for the injured Abraham late last season. JUCO transfer Nick Ekbatani will provide depth and physical presence at guard while Nathaniel Skaggs is a backup policy if Chai's knees force him out of the game.

NAVY

TE- not applicable

Navy doesn't use a tight end in their option offense. Instead, they use an additional slot back, as covered in the running backs preview.

LT - Matthew Pritchett. Returning starter.
LG - Zach Gallion. Returning starter.
C - James Rossi. Returning starter.
RG - Antron Harper. Returning starter.
RT - Joe Person. New starter.

Navy still doesn't have a big offensive line by college football standards, but this year's version is plenty experienced and quick enough to handle the complicated option offense. In a time where 6-5, 300 pounds seems to be the norm, it's odd to see a starting offensive guard like Antron Harper who checks in at 5-11, 249 pounds, but Harper was part of the same line last year that led to 5.7 yards per carry for the Navy runners. The team isn't all undersized heart and grit though as Navy does have a 300-pounder in the form of Zach Gallion at the other guard spot. James Rossi (right) is a smart player and a leader from the center spot. Joe Person is the only new starter although he isn't totally inexperienced as he did start two games last year. Still, he had surgery in the spring that forced him to miss vital spring practice time. Depth: Andrew McGlinn filled in for Person in the spring and will continue to fight him for that right tackle spot in the fall.

NORTH CAROLINA

TE - Jon Hamlett. 21 receptions, 212 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.

Jon Hamlett returns for his second year as the Tarheel starter and is a steady, though unspectacular tight end. Only 3 of his 46 career receptions went for touchdowns, although it's possible he'll become more of a red zone threat this season. He'll add a veteran presence to the team and Coach Bunting is high on his improvement, so he could come through with a solid junior year. Depth: Junior Rock Wells is a blocking tight end who will fight for the #2 TE spot with sophomore Richard Quinn.

LT - Brian Chacos. Returning starter.
LG - Charlson Gray. (#11 G) Returning starter.
C - Ben Lemming. Returning starter.
RG - Kyle Jolly. New starter.
RT - Garrett Reynolds. New starter.

Brian Chacos will return to the Tarheels after getting the NCAA to greenlight a sixth year of eligibility. He was healthy last year and started every game at left tackle, where he is expected to be a solid force yet again. Ben Lemming is listed as a returning starter, but he's only played in two games in his career. He started at center in the 2005 season opener, hurt his shoulder, came back two games later, re-injured his shoulder, and missed the rest of the year. Expectations are high on him should be be able to keep his shoulder healthy this year. The right side of the line is young with redshirt freshman Kyle Jolly expected to land the starting right guard spot and redshirt sophomore Garrett Reynolds starting next to him at right tackle. Depth: Junior Scott Lenahan is the backup plan at center while redshirt freshman Andre Barbour will contend with Reynolds for a starting right tackle spot. Nearly all of the depth on the team is very inexperienced.

AIR FORCE

TE - Travis Dekker. Injured last year. New starter.

Travis Dekker missed all of last year due to injury but came out of spring practice as the starting tight end. His main contribution will be as a blocker and he isn't likely to be much of a threat in the passing game. Depth: Like Dekker, Chris Evans is a blocking tight end that will be used more to protect the quarterback and open lanes for running backs than running against linebackers and safeties in the secondary.

LT - Robert Kraay. Returning starter.
LG - Tyler Dohallow. Returning starter.
C - Stuart Perlow. New starter.
RG - Curtis Grantham. Returning starter.
RT - Blaine Guenther. New starter.

As with most teams, the most experienced lineman is at left tackle. Senior Robert Kraay is a very good pass blocker and hasn't missed a start at left tackle in the past two years. Curtis Grantham is solid as a run blocker and the only other lineman who has more than 5 career starts as Tyler Dohallow didn't crack the starting lineup until midway through last season. Blaine Guenther looks to have the early lead at the right tackle spot after being a backup at center last year. Depth: If Guenther loses his starting job, it will be to junior Ryan Zeman who is athletic, but undersized at 265 pounds. Caleb Morris started 6 games in 2004 before missing all of 2005 due to injury. He'll provide depth at the left guard position.

ARMY

TE - Tim Dunn. 4 receptions, 31 yards, 0 TDs. New starter.

Army ran plenty of two tight end sets last year, so while Tim Dunn is technically the new starter at tight end, he saw the field plenty. However, as his stats attest, he wasn't really an option in the passing game. A decent blocker, Dunn will need to gain the confidence of his coaches and QBs if he wants to be more of a receiving threat. Depth: Justin Larson probably will become the receiving tight end in the offense though, leaving more of the blocking to Dunn. The junior presents a tall target at 6-5, 236 pounds.

LT - Ray Zelenak. Returning starter.
LG - Dan Evans. Returning starter.
C - Pete Bier. (#30 C) Returning starter.
RG - Matt Weisner. Returning starter.
RT - Jonathan Connon. Returning starter.

Army is the only team on the 2006 schedule where all 5 offensive lineman return playing the same position they did in 2005. However, while the line as a whole has some potential and the returning experience helps, many of the players are average at best. Pete Bier at center is a team leader and one of the rare 4 year starters, although he did miss the spring while recovering from surgery. The only lineman listed who didn't start all 11 games last year is Ray Zelenak who broke into the starting lineup over the last four games of the season. At only 262 pounds, he's small by most left tackle standards. Depth: Probably rotating with Zelenak will be big sophomore Brandon Cox who brings much more size at 6-4, 292 pounds.

SOUTHERN CAL

TE - Fred Davis. 13 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TDs. New starter.

Fred Davis was a top 3 wide receiver prospect coming out of high school but has since bulked up to tight end. Trojan fans have been waiting for him to have his breakout year and now that he's the de facto starter at tight end, this could be it. Still able to run like a receiver, the 6-4 Davis will be a very big threat in the passing game. At only 245 pounds, he probably won't be relied on too much for his blocking skills. He saw plenty of action last year and even started three games so he does have some decent amount of experience. Depth: Dale Thompson hasn't done much more than special teams, but will be a solid blocker for the Trojans in two tight end sets. Jimmy Miller had an impressive 2 touchdowns on 3 receptions last year as a productive red zone target.

LT - Sam Baker. (#6 T) Returning starter.
LG - Jeff Byers. (#20 G) New starter.
C - Ryan Kalil. (#2 C) Returning starter.
RG - Chilo Rachal. (#44 G) New starter.
RT - Kyle Williams. New starter.

Despite losing three talented lineman to the pros, the Trojans will field another great offensive line, and any intial inconsistency between new starters will likely be mostly cleared up by the time the Irish roll into town at the end of the season. If Penn State's Levi Brown is the best left tackle that the Irish will face, USC's Sam Baker is a close number two. A 3rd Team All-American last year, Baker is a three year starter at left tackle and a force in the running and passing game. Lining up next to him is former high school player of the year Jeff Byers, who returns from a hip injury that knocked him out for all of 2005. If he's fully healthy, he should be a load of a player up the middle. Continuing the bad news for Irish fans is center Ryan Kalil, another three year starter who also was named to a few All-America teams in 2005. The right side of the Trojan line does suffer a bit from attrition as Chilo Rachal and Kyle Williams have the early lead as replacement starters on the SC line. Both saw time as backups last year with Williams coming as the extra lineman on goalline situations. Depth: Big Thomas Herring missed the spring, but at 6-6, 335 pounds is a huge backup at the tackle position. Similarly massive Alatini Malu (6-4, 340 pounds) will push for time with Rachal at the right guard spot.

2006 Tight End Analysis and Ranking

My first reaction is that the 2006 schedule looks pretty barren of experienced tight ends. Only four are returning starters and of those four, only two (Stanford's Traverso and UNC's Hamlett) began the 2005 as the team starter. It does seem like most of the tight ends that ND will face are more receiving threats than strictly blockers. That doesn't mean many of the guys listed are going to be a threat to their QB's safety when they stay in to block, but there don't seem to be many of the jumbo-sized tight ends.

Last year the ND defense did a very solid job against tight ends. They only let up four receiving touchdowns to tight ends, with one of those being a garbage time TD by Syracuse. Still, there is always a tight end or two who goes off and has a great game against the Irish. Last year those tight ends were Michigan's Tyler Ecker (7 catches, 74 yards, 0 TDs), Stanford's Matt Traverso (7 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD), and BYU's Jonny Harline (8 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD). Ecker and Traverso appear on the schedule again so obviously the defense will have to keep an eye on them. Also, USC's Fred Davis so far has been impressing Trojan fans and should be a threat in the passing game. The rest don't sound particularly noteworthy, althought I suppose Dustin Keller for Purdue could be productive if too much attention is paid to his wide receiver teammates. This is all good news for the inexperienced ND linebackering crew as they won't have too many top threats to cover.

As for the rankings, no real team stood out as a clear #1. I went with Stanford for depth reasons and the fact that I think Dray could be a pretty good tight end. Still, Michigan always has a steady tight end group even if I don't really see it this season. Fred Davis is the best athlete in this grouping, but like the SC quarterbacks and running backs, has only really had to perform when the pressure is off. How will he adapt to face other team's starters? As with the other lists, Phil Steele's tight end rankings are in parentheses.

1. Stanford - Traverso is experienced, Danahy is a decent backup, and Dray has plenty of potential.
2. Michigan - Ecker (#33) is a capable tight end and the depth could be useful if they have a strong fall camp.
3. USC - Fred Davis (#16) has the most potential of anyone on the list. Decent backups.
4. Michigan State - Kellen Davis (#21) is a tough player and solid receiver. Not much depth.
5. Purdue - Keller (#32) should have a productive year. Walk-ons as backups are never ideal.
6. North Carolina - Hamlett is a veteran who might see more footballs thrown his way this year.
7. Georgia Tech - Cooper is a big tight end and just started to really produce at the end of the season.
8. Penn State - Hall will need to gain Morelli's trust as a viable safety outlet.
9. UCLA - Hair is pretty unproven, so it's hard to say just how good he really is.
10. Army - Dunn and Larson are both decent, but one-dimensional as of now.
11. Air Force - An unproven tight end who missed all last year with an injury isn't very frightening.
12. Navy - No tight end on the roster means last place in the rankings.

2006 Offensive Line Analysis and Ranking

All off-season the talk has been of generating a better Irish pass rush. And looking at all of the experienced linemen facing us this year, the Irish have their work cut out for them. Granted teams usually put their best (and often most experienced) lineman at left tackle to protect their QB, but every single team on the schedule this year is returning a starting left tackle. Not only that, but three teams are returning the entire line from last season. Some of the tougher teams, like Michigan, Penn State, and USC are going through some OL transition, but the overall strength of the talent at those schools should lessen the learning curve.

The chink in the experience angle is that 9 of the 12 teams will have a new right tackle. And two of the returning three are for Army and Stanford, two teams that ND lit up for 7 sacks in 2005. Normally Victor Abiamiri will be the one lining up against the RT -- and most of the time a tight end as well -- so if he's going to have that dominant breakout year, he's not going to have too many stud right tackles in his way.

Here's my crack at ranking the offensive lines. My criteria was overall experience, the presence of top caliber players, and at least a few competent backups should injuries strike. I anticipated USC or Michigan filling the top spot, but Purdue really sounds like they'll have the top OL this year. USC gets the advantage of an entire season for their new line to get used to working together, but the Boilermakers still should have a really tough, physical line from day one.

1. Purdue - A tough returning starter with plenty of experience at every position.
2. USC - A mix of All-Americans and unproven players with plenty of potential.
3. Michigan - Plenty of talent, but will need to gel quickly as a unit before travelling to ND.
4. Georgia Tech - This really sounds to me like an underrated offensive line. Experience and talent.
5. Michigan State - A few good established starters and a promising player in Martin.
6. UCLA - A decent mix of veterans and up and coming younger players.
7. Stanford - Experience and size is there, but past production isn't pretty.
8. North Carolina - A few good players, a few that need to step up, and not much depth.
9. Penn State - Brown is one of the best, but the line overall is the least experienced of any opponent.
10. Navy - Quick and tough, though a bit undersized in places.
11. Army - Everyone's back but the overall skill level isn't that high.
12. Air Force - Like Army, the overall skill level is average. Unlike Army, there a few new starters too.

Next up....Defensive Line.

Roster Rundown | by Jay

UND.com just released the fall roster, complete with jersey numbers for all the frosh:

James Aldridge - 34 Sergio Brown - 31 Ryan Burkhart - 39 Matt Carufel - 73 Zach Frazer - 12 Jashaad Gaines - 29 Barry Gallup - 21 Leonard Gordon - 24 Richard Jackson - 80 Demetrius Jones - 4 Eric Maust - 43 Raehson McNeil - 8 Paddy Mullen - 93 Eric Olsen - 55 Robby Parris - 82

Munir Prince - 25 Konrad Reuland - 88 Morrice Richardson - 53 John Ryan - 90 Luke Schmidt - 32 Toryan Smith - 49 Chris Stewart - 59 Kallen Wade - 97 Darrin Walls - 2 Bartley Webb - 71 Dan Wenger - 51 George West - 19 Will Yeatman - 84 Sam Young - 74

Other roster notes of interest:

• Travis Leitko is on the roster and thus, I presume, officially back on the team. Welcome back, Trav!

• Is Junior Jabbie back on the team? Well, he's on the roster and that's always a good start. Listed as a running back, Jabbie would add depth to a position that may lose Travis Thomas to linebacker.

• Some of the weights seem slightly adjusted from last year, but most don't. Take all weights with a grain of salt for now.

• As for the numbers themselves, speedy and shifty Munir Prince has #25. No pressure, kid. And #39, the number most recently worn by Brandon Hoyte, Notre Dame's eighth-best all-time tackler, goes to....the kicker? Speaking of linebackers, Anthony Vernaglia ditched his #4 jersey in favor of a more traditional linebacker number, #54. Darrin Bragg also switched from #7 to #81. The move makes sense since he's no longer a quarterback and now plays wide receiver. But that also leaves #7 open...for 2007.

• Abdel Banda seems to be missing from the roster. He's been injured nearly his whole career at ND. Maybe his injuries finally got the best of him and he had to shut it down.

Feel the Power | by Pat

As we tick off the days until the start of fall camp, tonight presents a fun opportunity for Irish fans to hear one of ND's all-time greats. Joe Montana will be on the Irish Power Hour podcast at 8pm Eastern, chatting about ND football, Coach Weis, the NFL, and whatever else comes up.

If you're not aware of this podcast, I recommend checking out the Irish Power Hour archives. This internet radio show hosted by Mike Frank has been going strong for just under a year now and the archives have a great collection of interviews with former, incoming, and future ND players, as well as some other famous guests like Tony Roberts.

Additionally, keep an eye out for later in August when Lou Holtz will be on the show. I think that's the perfect time to ask him what he really thinks about Mark May.

the Annual Irish | by Jay

If you're looking for some quality preseason reading material, consider "Here Come the Irish", a collection of really cool essays and articles pulled together by '99 ND grad Jim Walsh. It's even got a few BGS submissions from Pat, Michael, and yours truly. Check it out.

2006 Opponent Preview - Wide Receivers | by Pat

Quarterbacks? Check. Running backs? Check. Now for the wonderful wideouts.

GEORGIA TECH

Calvin Johnson. 54 receptions, 888 yards, 6 TDs. Returning starter.
James Johnson. 14 receptions, 185 yards, 2 TDs. New starter.

The big name here is Calvin Johnson (right), perhaps the best wide receiver in college football. Johnson is big, strong, has fantastic hands, and he's particulary dangerous on long pass plays to the corner of the endzone. He has been nicked up a bit in the past, but should be healthy for the first game of the season. James Johnson was the team's third leading receiver last year and has the chance to benefit from all of the attention given to Calvin, but James missed the entire spring with injury. Depth: Xavier McGuire has plenty of size at 6-4, 215 pounds and senior Chris Dunlap has a chance to step up from being a special teams standout. Another one-time ND verbal commit, Martin Fierson, snagged three touchdown passes in the GT spring game so he just might be ready for a solid year as well.

PENN STATE

Derrick Williams. 22 receptions, 289 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.
Deon Butler. 37 receptions, 691 yards, 9 TDs. Returning starter.
Jordon Norwood. 32 receptions, 422 yards, 0 TDs. Returning starter.

The Nittany Lion receiving corp is led by a trio of sophomores who were all thrust into action last year. Derrick Williams (left), the consensus #1 recruit out of high school, was becoming more and more dangerous until he broke his arm and was forced to miss the rest of the season. This season he'll probably the be the #1 option on offense due to his playmaking abilities. Look for him to get a few carries out of the backfield too. Former walk-on defensive back Deon Butler helped replace Williams when he was hurt was and wound up leading the team in receptions. Butler isn't the biggest receiver at 5-10, 166 pounds but has good hands and his 18.7 yards per catch last season hints at deep threat potential. Jordon Norwood rounds out the sophomore trio; he was the team's leading receiver in the Orange Bowl and was very solid in the PSU spring game. Depth: Big-time recruit Justin King played some receiver last year, but will focus soley on cornerback this year. Still, he's an option if the team needs him. Junior Terrell Gordon adds a bit more experience while brief Notre Dame verbal commit James McDonald and incoming freshman and highly touted recruit Chris Bell add more size to the Nittany Lion receiving corp.

MICHIGAN

Steve Breaston. 26 receptions, 291 yards, 2 TDs. Returning starter.
Mario Manningham. 27 receptions, 433 yards, 6TDs. Returning starter.

Steve Breaston returns for his final year wearing the winged helmet and is poised for a solid senior campaign. Often hobbled by injuries, the star return man seems healthy and ready to be even more of a dangerous weapon in the open field. And as with the Notre Dame game last year, look for Breaston on a number of reverses this year. Mario Manningham (right) had a breakout freshman year and if he can improve his route-running should have a great sophomore year. His 16.0 yards per catch was tops on the team and he will probably be the deep threat weapon for the Wolverines this season. Depth: There are a number of names here familiar to recruitniks, but not much in the way of experience yet. The depth chart took a hit when Antonio Bass tore his ACL in the spring. He's likely out for the entire season and definitely shouldn't be back for the ND game. Adrian Arrington is the tall target in the Michigan arsenal and if he can shake his ankle issues should be a solid #3 WR for the Wolverines. Rounding out the group are a senior, Carl Tabb, and a redshirt freshman, LaTerryal Savoy, with a fair amount of potential.

MICHIGAN STATE

Jerramy Scott. 49 receptions, 722 yards, 4 TDs. Returning starter.
Matt Trannon. 40 receptions, 573 yards, 4 TDs. Returning starter.
Terry Love. 28 receptions, 430 yards, 3 TDs. Returning starter.

The Spartan receiving unit doesn't have any All-American players, but it will be one of the most complete groups that the Irish will face. There is plenty of experience and a good mix of size and speed. Jerramy Scott led the team in receptions last year and has started 22 games in his MSU career. Matt Trannon (left), who co-stars on the Spartan basketball team, is a huge target at 6-6 and also has good speed to evade tacklers. ND fans might recall his 65-yard TD catch and run last year. He'll need to become more consistent as he had 6 games last year where he failed to top 36 yards. Terry Love is a quick receiver who can do damage on shorter routes if too much attention is paid to Scott and Trannon. Depth: Kerry Reed is a JUCO transfer who started slow last year, but came on strong later in the year. He also led the Spartans in TD receptions. Carl Grimes, brother of ND receiver David, is a speedy threat with good hands and Ryan Allison is a 6-3 sophomore who didn't see much action as a freshman, but has a bright future with the Spartans.

PURDUE

Dorien Bryant. 80 receptions, 960 yards, 4 TDs. Returning starter.
Kyle Ingraham. 41 receptions, 500 yards, 0 TDs. Returning starter.
Selwyn Lymon. academically ineligible. New starter.

Dorien Bryant (right) is a speed threat with good hands who will also see the ball as a kick returner and rusher. His 1,561 all-purpose yards and 8 all-purpose touchdowns in 2005 highlight his versatility. Quick in the open field and with enough speed to be a deep threat, Bryant will be the top target of Purdue QB Painter. Kyle Ingraham missed the spring due to academics, but if he's back on the team in the fall, the 6-9 receiver will pose problems for defensive backs all year. Selwyn Lymon is a 6-4 blue chip recruit who was ineligble last year but should show up in the fall and work right in with the first team. He's strong and fast, and if he can learn the offense, he'll be a threat. Depth: Greg Orton is another 6-4 receiver who could work his way into the starting rotation with a strong fall camp. Just a freshman last year, Orton has a bright future. Angelo Chattams is a dependable veteran reserve and will add experience and depth to the Purdue receivers. Purdue has a fast, tall, and deep receiving corp, but the high expectations be undone if a few key players like Ingraham and Lymon run into any complications returning to the team.

STANFORD

Mark Bradford. 37 receptions, 609 yards, 6 TDs. Returning starter.
Evan Moore. 1 reception, 22 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.

Mark Bradford (left) has been a bright spot on the Stanford Cardinal the past few years and this year should be no different. A nice sized target at 6-2, Bradford will be a leader on offense for Stanford and a quality opponent for the Irish defenders. Evan Moore has power forward height at 6-7 but must recover fully from a hip injury that knocked him out for the season last year in the Cardinal opener. If he's back, he'll be another quality receiver and a very dangerous red zone weapon. Depth: There really isn't much depth on the team behind Bradford and Moore. Marcus McCutcheon is the only other receiver on the team with a collegiate reception and he only has 3 to his name. One-time running back Michael Miller and walk-ons Charlie Hazlehurt and Kelton Lynn will look to round out the depth chart. Freshman Richard Serman has size at 6-3 and a track background that could translate into early playing time if none of the other receivers step up in fall camp.

UCLA

Joe Cowan. 35 receptions, 469 yards, 3 TDs. Returning stater.
Junior Taylor. 6 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TDs. Returning starter.

The Bruins return every single wideout from last year, but they lose tight end Marcedes Lewis and running back Maurice Drew, who were their #1 and #3 receivers. Brother of backup QB Pat, Joe Cowan was their #2 receiver and he will be back. At 6-4, he will be a tough matchup on jump ball plays and with 34 games played under his belt, is not new to the field. Veteran Junior Taylor (right) returns from a knee injury that knocked him out early in his senior year (a la Rhema McKnight) and will add more leadership and experience to the Bruins receiving corp. Depth: Marcus Everett missed the first two games of 2005 with an injury, but was still the 4th leading receiver on the team. He'll be fighting Junior Taylor for a starting spot early in the season. Sophomore Gavin Ketchum played in every game last year and if he continues to develop, Gavin and his 6-4 frame could play a bigger role this season. Incoming freshman Terrance Austin was a one-time ND recruit and has plenty of speed and quickness.

NAVY

Jason Tomlinson. 25 receptions, 445 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.
Tyree Barnes. 6 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TDs. New starter.

I say that these previews are all about production, experience, and potential, but it is hardest to ignore coaching when looking at the Navy receivers. It's difficult to tell just how good they really are, since they're targeted so infrequently. Jason Tomlinson (left) is a veteran with plenty of speed and is a great blocker. He also has best hands on the team according to Coach Johnson. Tyree Barnes appears to be a leading candidate for co-starter alongside Tomlinson. Blocking skills tend to get receivers on the field early for Navy and has the size at 6-2 175 to be a competent one. Depth: O.J. Washington doesn't have the size of Tomlinson or Barnes, but is a speedster who could get behind the defense if the forget to worry about him. Kyle Kimbro is another big receiver who's best contributions so far have been his blocking skills.

NORTH CAROLINA

Jesse Holley. 47 receptions, 670 yards, 1 TD. Returning starter.
Brooks Foster. 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs. New starter.

Jesse Holley(right) is the star of this outfit, but also the only receiver on the team who caught a pass last year. A durable All-ACC honorable mention, the 6-3 Holley was also a walk-on with the basketball team as a freshman. On the football field he was the team's leading receiver, yet he only caught one touchdown last year. The #2 spot opposite Holley looks like it's still up in the air with Brooks Foster the early leader. Foster is another basketball team walk-on and starred on special teams last year. Like Holley, Foster is 6-3 which gives the Tarheels a fairly tall starting receiver lineup. Depth: Brandon Tate was the team's best returner as a freshman last year and might find more passes thrown his way in his sophomore season. The biggest receiver on the team at 6-5, 225 pounds, Kenton Thompson has high expectations from UNC fans but first has to crack the rotation. Freshman Deunta Williams was a big recruit who will add more speed to the receiver depth chart.

AIR FORCE

Victor Thompson. 6 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD. New starter.

Like Navy, the Falcon receivers are used more often for their blocking skills. Still, there are occasions when Air Force will throw the ball and Victor Thompson (left) is the best returning wide receiver on the team. The top two targets from last year are gone so Victor will need to step up his game in order to keep the threat of the pass alive. Depth: Mark Root is a bit taller than Victor, but hasn't caught a pass yet so his contributions in that area are still largely unknown. Sophomore Mike Moffett adds a bit more depth.

ARMY

Jeremy Trimble. 42 receptions, 535 yards, 4 TDs. Returning starter.
Walter Hill. 34 receptions, 410 yards, 2 TDs. Returning starter.

Army returns its top two receivers and Jeremy Trimble (right) should be the go-to-guy in the Black Knight offense. He's quick and experienced and was named an all-CUSA Freshman in 2004, while leading the team in receptions in 2005. Senior Walter Hill has good hands, is solid over the middle, and has experience experience but is more of a possession type receiver than deep threat. Depth: Corey Anderson isn't very big at 5-8, but the speedster is one of the fastest players on the team and a good kick returner. Senior Mike Castelli and 6-4 sophomore Elliot Emmerich had solid springs but might not see many passes thrown their way initially.

SOUTHERN CAL

Dwayne Jarrett. 91 receptions, 1274 yards, 16 TDs. Returning starter.
Steve Smith. 60 receptions, 957 yards, 5 TDs. Returning starter.

The best receiving corp that the Irish will face and probably the best receiving corp in the nation. Dwayne Jarrett (left) is the star of this ballyhooed group. One of the best receivers in the nation, the 6-5 Jarrett has size, speed, and with even more experience should have a stellar junior year. Joining him yet again will be the sure-handed Steve Smith who has over 100 career receptions for the Trojans. Depth: Patrick Turner looks to be the next big star receiver for the Trojans. Also 6-5, this should be his breakout year. Chris McFoy has never grabbed too many headlines, but started 16 games over the past three years and adds another veteran presence to the team. Ryan Ting shifted over from free safety but by November might be overtaken by one of talented receivers the Trojans brought in. David Ausberry is already big at 6-5, 215 pounds while 6-3 Vidal Hazelton was one of the most heavily recruited receivers in the nation. Jamere Holland and Travon Patterson add speed threats to a receiving corp heavy on tall receivers.

2006 Wide Receiver Analysis and Ranking

I hope the Irish secondary is ready and I hope tinkering with the pass rush pays off, because there are a number of impressive threats lining up at wideout against us this fall. If Samardzija doesn't win the Biletnikoff Award for best college receiver, it will probably go to one of two Irish opponents, Dwayne Jarrett or Calvin Johnson. And players like Dorien Bryant, Steve Breaston, Mario Manningham, Derrick Williams, and Mark Bradford are no slouches. Experience-wise, 8 of the 12 teams return two or more starting wide receivers, so there won't be a whole lot of wide-eyed newbies running routes against ND.

Honestly, I'm not too worried about teams with only one stud receiver (like Tech) but teams with two or more quality targets like USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Stanford, and Purdue will quickly reveal if the Irish pass defense has improved. Luckily, the Irish will face a talented receiving duo in practice everyday that I honestly think is as good as any in the nation, so hopefully that will help with the defensive preparation.

To be honest, I had a hard time ranking these units. After Southern Cal, who I think have the best receiver group in the nation, the #2 through #7 corps aren't all that far apart. Purdue is especially interesting. If Kyle Ingraham and Selmon Lymon are back with the team from day one, they'll combine with Dorien Bryant and Greg Orton to form a very talented wideout group that honestly could be the best in the Big Ten. Phil Steele's numbers (he ranked the top 66 wideouts) are included once again in parentheses.

1. USC - Jarrett (#2) and Smith (#7) are stars now. Turner (#57) and the freshman are potential stars.
2. Michigan State - No All-Americans, but Trannon (#48) and Co. are a deep and solid corp of receivers.
3. Michigan - Breaston (#35) and Manningham (#20) are a good 1-2 punch. Need someone else to step up.
4. Penn State - Williams (#14) , Butler (#49), and Norwood are a young, but talented trio.
5. Georgia Tech - Calvin Johnson (#1) by himself gives this unit a boost.
6. Purdue - If Ingraham (#34) and Lymon are back and ready to join Bryant (#18), #6 is probably too low.
7. Stanford - Bradford (#37), Moore, and not too much else.
8. UCLA - Cowan and Taylor aren't superstars, but have a decent amount of experience.
9. North Carolina - Holley (#52) will need someone else to make plays and help take attention off him.
10. Navy - Tomlinson will be a threat when Navy decides to throw and a great blocker when they don't.
11. Army - Experienced starters are back, but nothing that is especially worrisome.
12. Air Force - Not much in the way of returning experience or potential.

Next up: Tight Ends and Offensive Lines

Time's up...pass your papers to the front. | by Pat

How'd you do on our quiz?

1. Since the inception of Sports Illustrated in 1954, there have been 11 Notre Dame quarterbacks pictured on the cover. Name them.

The list of ND quarterbacks on the cover of SI reads as follows:

Paul Hornung -'56 George Izo - '59 John Huarte - '64 Terry Hanratty - '66, '67 Joe Theismann - '70, '70 Tom Clements - '74

Rick Slager - '75 Tony Rice - '88, '88, '89, '89 Rick Mirer - '90 Ron Powlus - '96 Brady Quinn - '05

All told, there have been 40 different SI covers that reference Notre Dame in some way.


2. The very first college football game televised live in Hawaii was a Notre Dame regular season game. What was the year, and who was the opponent?

The year was 1966, and the game was the "Game of the Century" 10-10 tie with Michigan State. In addition to being the first game televised live to Hawaii, the game was also the first televised live to Vietnam. And in what also makes an excellent trivia question, the regular season matchup drew better TV ratings than that year's Super Bowl. (Of course, 1966 was the year of Super Bowl I, so it's a little lesser distinction.)


3. Frank Leahy was known as an excellent recruiter and judge of talent. Which of the following players was not recruited and offered a Notre Dame football scholarship by Leahy?

a. Jack Kerouac
b. Creighton Miller
c. Harry Agganis
d. Paul Hornung

The correct answer is b. Creighton Miller. Miller would star on Frank Leahy's teams in the early 40's, but Creighton came to campus just as Leahy arrived as the new head coach. In fact, no coach actually "recruited" Miller.

"Neither Tom nor I had a choice of colleges to attend," says Creighton with a smile, "My father simply told us what time the train left for South Bend. And he added, 'and you better be on it.' "

And once on campus and playing in the team, the wealthy Miller didn't even start out on a football scholarship, much to the exasperation of Coach Leahy.

Jack Kerouac, most commonly known for his voice of a generation with On the Road was recruited by Frank Leahy to play football at Notre Dame. Turning down ND, Kerouac accepted a football scholarship to Columbia University. He broke his leg playing during his freshman year, and didn't get along with his coach anyway, so he quit the sport.

Harry Agganis is a not a familiar name to many college football fans outside of Boston, but Leahy called the quarterback "the finest propsect he had ever seen". Agganis chose hometown Boston University over 75 other offers and became an All-American for the Terriers. He was then drafted into the NFL by Cleveland's Paul Brown to become his quarterback of the future. But Agganis decided to play first base for the Red Sox instead, where he notched a .316 average. Agganis was on the verge of becoming the first two-sport star after agreeing to be the quarterback of the Baltimore Colts in 1955, before suddenly dying of a pulmonary embolism at the young age of 26.

And of course, Paul Hornung played under Terry Brennan at ND, but it was Leahy who recruited and signed the talented prospect out of Louisville, Kentucky right before retiring from the Irish. Of course, Leahy had some help beating out rival recruiter Bear Bryant thanks to a well-timed nap.


4. Which Notre Dame football player was named the 2005 Offensive Lineman of the Year at the annual football banquet?

Three-year starter Dan Stevenson was named the winner of the Guardian of the Year Award at the annual post-season football banquet.


5. George Gipp's final play in a Notre Dame uniform resulted in a touchdown. True or False?

True. With the Fighting Irish playing Northwestern in 1920, Gipp was injured and wasn't even going to play. But the fans were clamoring for Gipp, so Rockne put him in for the final play with a giant pad on his shoulder. Gipp took the ball on the snap and heaved a pass downfield that was caught by All-America halfback Norm Barry, who ran the ball into the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown. Gipp came down with strep throat a few days later and never played again. You can read more about this final play at Irish Legends.


6. Notre Dame has played a football game in 8 different baseball stadiums. Name them. (question thanks to William P. Tunell, Jr.)

The eight stadiums are Comiskey Park (previously known as South Side Park), Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium (pictured right - squint to see the band spelling out "Irish" at midfield), Fenway Park, Briggs Stadium (later known as Tiger Stadium in Detriot), Shea Stadium, and Bank One Ballpark.

William was nice enough to provide a list of all of the Irish game played in these ball parks, and you can check that list out here. Out of 33 games, Notre Dame is 22-7-4 when playing in baseball park. Notice that the Irish have a winning record in all of these parks, save one: the Irish are 0-1 at Bank One Ballpark after losing the Insight.com Bowl 38-21 to the Oregon State Beavers while under the direction of interim head coach Kent Baer.

And I still say that the Irish should play one last game in Yankee Stadium before it closes after the 2008 season. Currently, ND has two byes in October of 2008. I say get San Diego State off the schedule, replace them with Army, and pencil in a Notre Dame-Army game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, October 25th, after the Yankees season is over. Make it happen, ND.


7. Of all the great Notre Dame quarterbacks, one QB in particular led the Irish to an undefeated season in his junior year. But in his senior year he was moved to another position. Who was it? Why was he moved? (question thanks to Bob McConn)

The answer to this question is Harry Wright. In 1941, Wright was the quarterback of the Fighting Irish as they marched to an undefeated 8-0-1 record in Frank Leahy's first year as head coach. Still running the famed box formation installed by Knute Rockne, Wright's duties involved more blocking than running or passing, but he was still the team's quarterback.

In the off-season, Leahy decided to scrap the Rockne shift -- much to the utter dismay of many Irish fans -- and install a new offense built around the "T" formation. But this required a more accurate passer at quarterback, and Leahy had one in mind in halfback Angelo Bertelli. So the undefeated quarterback Harry Wright was moved to guard, where he earned All-America honors in 1942, and Bertelli was installed as the new quarterback, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1943.


8. What Big Ten Conference team has Notre Dame never defeated? (question thanks to John Lukacs)

In four games against the University of Chicago, one-time member of the Big Ten Conference, the Irish went 0-4. The first game was played in 1893 and the Irish lost 8-0 to a Chicago team that was led by quarterback Frank Hering. The 1896 Irish team (pictured left) and 1897 team, now coached by Hering, lost to Chicago 18-0 and 34-5. The final game between Notre Dame and the orignal Monsters of the Midway was a 23-6 victory for the University of Chicago in 1899.

It should be noted that while the University of Chicago was a charter member of the Big Ten, the conference did not come into existence until 1896, so the first matchup between ND and Chicago was a battle between two schools with no conference affliation.


9. Notre Dame has played a game out of the country twice. When and where were these games? (question thanks to Ryan Moran)

The two trips for the Fighting Irish outside of the country were to Japan and Ireland. On November 24th, 1979, Notre Dame beat the Miami Hurricanes 40-15 in the Mirage Bowl at National Olympic Stadium in Toyko, Japan. Seventeen years later in 1996, Notre Dame traveled to Dublin, Ireland and won a 54-27 contest against Navy at Croke Park. A third international matchup is scheduled with ND set to play a rematch game with Navy in Dublin in 2012.


10. Who wrote the following?

"I will stand for the fierce and continued spirit of Notre Dame teams. Spirit is the most vital of all football factors. They got this from the Fathers at Notre Dame and from Knute Rockne. It can't and should not be destroyed. During more than one period in Notre Dame's illustrious football history was this spirit in danger of destruction. But always, something or somebody would come along to revive it."

That fantastic quote was written by none other than Grantland Rice. I haven't been able to find when or where this quote first appeared, other than this reference on Irish Legends, so if anyone can help track that down, it would be greatly appreciated.


11. What year was Notre Dame's first homecoming game?

a. 1920
b. 1929
c. 1948
d. 1957

The answer is a. 1920. Knute Rockne had the idea to bring back notable football alumni from great Irish teams of the past for the November matchup against Purdue. Over 12,000 fans were on hand to watch ND beat the Boilermakers 28-0 and see former greats like ND's first All-American Louis "Red" Salmon paired up with current greats like George Gipp (both pictured right). Perhaps the best line about the event is this one from an Irish Legends description of the weekend.

Homecoming wasn't restricted to former athletes, because more than 600 alumni showed up for the three-day celebration. Most of them cheered when it was announced that the Oliver Hotel (reunion headquarters) had seceded from the United States for the weekend, effectively eliminating enforcement of the Volstead Act (Prohibition).

12. The running backs on the 1990 team were about as talented a collection as Notre Dame has ever had. The depth chart included Jerome Bettis, Ricky Watters, Rodney Culver, Tony Brooks, Reggie Brooks, and Dorsey Levens. Which one led the team in rushing? (question thanks to K. Mullaney)

The answer is Rodney Culver, who led all rushers with 710 yards rushing. Watters was second with 579 yards. Rocket Ismail actually came in third with 537 yards and Tony Brooks notched 451 yards. Freshman Jerome Bettis picked up 115 yards while the lightly used Dorsey Levens picked up 53 yards. Reggie Brooks was actually still a cornerback in 1990, and didn't shift to running back until his season year in 1992. All told, the Irish ran for 2,760 yards and 31 touchdowns that year.


13. How many Notre Dame national championships resulted from Lou Holtz bowl victories?

The correct answer is two. Every Irish fan remembers the 34-21 Fiesta Bowl win over the West Virginia Mountaineers to give the Irish the 1988 National Championship. But in 1977, the Holtz-led Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 31-6 in the Orange Bowl. This win allowed Dan Devine's Fighting Irish squad, who dispatched the Texas Longhorns 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl, to move up from 5th place to 1st place in the rankings and claim another national championship.


14. Who or what is "The Phantom" and what role did it play in ND football history?

"The Phantom" was the author of pre-game motivational letter that each Irish football player found in his locker in the days leading up to that week's game. The true identity of "The Phantom" was never revealed as far as I can determine. Some thought it was Parseghian himself, although it could have been an assistant coach.

Here's an excerpt from one of the letters, written to the players in 1966 after the 10-10 tie to Michigan State and right before the Irish traveled out to California to battle Southern Cal.

Irish! You are hurting...but unbowed and unbeaten. There are no sophmores on our squad. Having lived and fought your way back against Michigan State made all of you grow up...beyond any point of inexperience.

I remember 1964 in this same Coliseum, the Irish squad walking the long, empty walk from the field to the tunnel after our defeat. I remember their full-grown bodies -- shaking with sobs of dejection. I recall the fantastic turn of events that robbed us of a national championship. We never cried FOUL!

We're going back there. The odds are these: They are a good wound, quick football team on their home turf. We must travel there and play in warm weather. We must overcome their advantages. We are fighters-hurt tho we may be! We are aware of all the obstacles, all the memories. Go, Irish-become undefeated!!! The champions you are!

15. Who holds the NCAA record for most career touchdowns on interceptions, punt returns, and kickoff returns, with a total of 9? The player must have had at least one TD in each category. (question thanks to Joe Donovan)

The answer to this question is Allen Rossum(see page 9). Technically, the record he owns is "Most Touchdowns on Runbacks" with the caveat that said player must have at least one touchdown in at least three categories. Rossum finished with 3 touchdowns via interception return, 3 via punt return, and 3 via kickoff return. He had two TDs his sophomore year, four during his junior year, and three his senior year, with the record-breaking 9th touchdown coming in his last regular season game. On the first snap of the match with Hawaii, the Rainbow Warrior QB Josh Skinner dropped back and fired a pass that Rossum intercepted and returned for a TD.


16. How many Heisman winners faced Notre Dame during their Heisman winning year?

a. 13
b. 19
c. 24
d. 31

The answer is c. 24. Here is the list of the 24 that won the Heisman in the same year their team played Notre Dame. We lost every game unless otherwise noted.

1939 - Nile Kinnick (Iowa) 1945 - Doc Blanchard (Army) 1946 - Glenn Davis (Army) - T 1952 - Billy Vessels (Oklahoma) - W 1958 - Pete Dawkins (Army) 1960 - Joe Bellino (Navy) 1961 - Ernie Davis (Syracuse) - W 1963 - Roger Staubach (Navy) 1965 - Mike Garrett (USC) - W 1968 - O.J. Simpson (USC) - T 1972 - Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska) 1976 - Tony Dorsett (Pitt)

1977 - Earl Cambell (Texas) - W 1979 - Charles White (USC) 1981 - Marcus Allen (USC) 1991 - Desmond Howard (Michigan) 1993 - Charlie Ward (FSU) - W 1994 - Rashaan Salaam (Colorado) 1995 - Eddie George (Ohio State) 1997 - Charles Woodson (Michigan) 2001 - Eric Crouch (Nebraska) 2002 - Carson Palmer (USC) 2004 - Matt Leinart (USC) 2005 - Reggie Bush (USC)

So the overall record of Notre Dame against Heisman winners was a not-surprising 5-17-2. When you mix in the ND Heisman honorees, 44% of all the Heisman winners (31 of 71) played in a Notre Dame game in their Heisman-winning season.


17. The world premiere screening of Knute Rockne: All-American was held in South Bend on a Friday in the fall of 1940. The following day, the Irish played a game against a team whose head coach made a credited appearance in the movie. Who was the coach and what was his team?

The coach in question was Amos Alzono Stagg and his team was The College of the Pacific at the time. As part of a week-long world premiere that filled up downtown, Elmer Layden and the Irish faced off against Stagg and came away with a 25-7 win. In the movie, Stagg is one of the many famous coaches, including USC's Howard Jones, Glenn 'Pop' Warner, and William 'Bill' Spaulding, who all have cameo appearances backing up Rockne as he delivers an impassioned speech to NCAA reformers. On a related sidenote, Knute Rockne: All-American will finally be released on DVD this August.


18. Why did the late Dave Huffman wear red elbow pads while manning the center position for the Irish in the 1970's? (question thanks to Tom Hedrick)

The All-American center wore them so his mom could pick her son out of the pile while watching the game on TV. No kidding.


19. How many Heisman Trophy winners played in the 1946 scoreless tie between Notre Dame and Army? Who were they? (question thanks to Dick Meece)

The answer is four. John Lujack (1947 winner) and Leon Hart (1949 winner) played for the Irish while Army featured Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, also known as Doc Blanchard (1945 winner) and Glenn Davis (1946 winner).


20. Among Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Victor Abiamiri, and others, ND has a number of hopefuls for the NFL draft. Since 1967, the current record for most number of Fighting Irish football players drafted in a single NFL Draft is 11. In what year did this take place?

a. 1969
b. 1975
c. 1989
d. 1994

The answer is a. 1969. When the draft was still a marathon 17 rounds, 11 ND players were selected starting with George Kunz as the 2nd overall pick and ending with Tom Quinn in the 13rd round. 1994 saw 10 Irish players drafted, though it should be noted that all 10 went in the newly-shortened 7-round draft. 10 players were also selected in the 1975 draft while only 5 players were drafted in 1989.

You can check out every ND pick in the history of the NFL Draft starting in 1935 at this website. Scroll down to "Notre Dame" and enjoy. I'll point out here that the reason I picked 1967 as a starting point in the question is because that draft was the very first AFL-NFL combined draft.

---

And that's all she wrote for the 2006 edition of the BGS Trivia Challenge. Thanks to all those who sent in guesses and special congrats to those who nailed a few correctly. As you can guess, a lot of the history behind these questions and answers came from the Irish Legends website. I highly recommend all ND fans take some time to browse through the expansive collection of stories, pictures, and antcedotes about the good 'ol days of Fighting Irish football.

the Whammy | by Jay

Lotto results care of the BGS informal poll. Good response; we had over 1,000 legitimate entries (I say 'legitimate' because some clown decided to enter six tickets won, none requested on about a hundred surveys. We sleuthed him out. Who does he think he's dealing with, a bunch of morans?)

Requested & Won are in numbers of tickets.

	Regular Alum			Sorin Society			Monogram
Game	Req	Won	%	Req	Won	%	Req	Won	%
@ Georgia Tech	375	14	4%	192	16	8%	--	--	--
Penn State	1325	100	8%	682	606	89%	140	112	80%
Michigan	1183	146	12%	632	560	89%	138	128	93%
@ Michigan State	124	30	24%	100	40	40%	--	--	--
Purdue	688	129	19%	436	380	87%	100	100	100%
Stanford	540	52	10%	424	336	79%	88	88	100%
UCLA	910	209	23%	594	550	93%	118	116	98%
@ Navy (Baltimore)	435	269	62%	232	168	72%	--	--	--
North Carolina	824	130	16%	596	556	93%	94	92	98%
@ Air Force	107	47	44%	52	16	31%	--	--	--
Army	490	119	24%	418	388	93%	66	66	100%
@ Southern Cal	620	87	14%	390	84	22%	--	--	--

Moral of this story? Be sure to letter in a sport -- any sport -- when you go to Notre Dame.

I still have all the backup data, so if anyone thinks of another interesting way to slice it, let me know.

Pick Six Preseason Hype | by Jay

Check out what just arrived via FedEx:



Remember this? The Official Joe Paterno Drink Tray, circa 1977! It's also the prize to last year's Pick Six contest. Our reader "Al" won it but I wasn't able to get my hands on one until now. I tried to buy it on Ebay way back when, but was outbid by a zealous Nittany Lion fan (I thought nobody would go higher than $6.98, but apparently there are a lot of JoePa kitsch collectors out there who got into a bidding war). Anyway Al, I'll be sending it out as soon as I've enjoyed a few beverages on it. Nothing protects your lap from dangerous Dr. Pepper suds like JoePa's visage. (Enjoy a Coke on his Cokebottle glasses! Etc.)

Anyway, this hallowed prize reminds me that Pick Six will be coming up again soon, and we need a prize for this year. Something like this. Or this. Any ideas?

Full rules and entry forms for the Pick Six coming as soon as the AP unveils its preseason top 25. In the meantime, you can always use Orson's methodology to generate your own top 25. Here's what I came up with using the EDSBS crib sheet:

Number one. WHEW! Hard one here. Make things easier on yourself by just putting a.) last year’s champion here if they’ve got the same quarterback, or b.) Grab a team that won a BCS game last year and still has the same quarterback. You won’t look too crazy by doing either. If last year’s champ has lost their quarterback, move to slot 5 AUTOMATICALLY.
1. Ohio State

Another easy one! Remember number two at the end of the year last year? You got it: just slide ‘em in here and keep rolling, rockstar.
2. Southern Cal

Okay, tricky one at three, one that might require one or two GOOGLE SEARCHES. The team that won their big BCS bowl game last year by a shocker? Roll ‘em right in. SPECIAL NEW YORK TIMES PROVISION: this is where you put Michigan. Because you know a guy who went there, and he was pretty smart and cool and all that, and you didn’t really have a good football team where you went to school since lacrosse was really the thing there.
3. West Virginia

Another research one: take a team that’s a traditional power in the top ten. Did they go 8-4 last year? Or something like it? Okay, that’s your pick!
4. Penn State

(RESERVED FOR LAST YEAR’S CHAMP MINUS QUARTERBACK. IF ABSENT, INSERT TENNESSEE.)
5. Texas

A really easy one for the ol’ seis-spot: NOTRE DAME. They’re on television all the time and they had that movie with the kid from Goonies in it, plus they score like crazy these days. Even if they fall from the top ten you’re actually creating content for yourself, since you can then write one of your standard pairs of filler columns, the “wake up the echoes” preseason Notre Dame column/ “what the hell happened to the goddamn echoes” post-season Notre Dame column.
6. ND

Time to get bold here. Got a program that’s won a ton of games but never a big one? An offensive juggernaut whose almost beat significant opponents on a national stage but racks up fifty and sixty points on the midgets of the world? Seven is the place for them. It gives you BOLD pundit points and must be accompanied by a phrase of great certainty, like “This is the year they get it done.” If you hedge, just put Michigan in here and move on.
7. TCU

Find out who the SEC champion was last year. Go ahead and put them here.
8. Georgia

This is always a good place to put a Larry Coker-era Miami team. If not, have you considered putting Florida State here? They’re always a nice place holder, too.
9. Miami

Have you put all your Florida teams in the top ten? It’s essential to put them all in your to ten, if only to put them lower in your post-season poll, which then–thinking ahead!–gives you still more column filler in the form of “Sunshine State ain’t so sunny anymore” piece. If you hesitate to do this, again, just put Michigan here if you havent’ used them already.
10. Florida

11-25: A little secret of the trade….no one reads these. No one. The only people who will read them in total are basement-dwelling slobboids who will then write 13 page screeds in response to your critical underestimation of Clemson/Cal/Northwestern/Louisville/Tech/Florida/etc...In reality, you will simply take the next fifteen teams you can name off the top of your head and rattle them off on the page, just listing them in no particular order and tagging each one with the only thing you can remember about them at the time.

Okay, here goes...11. Virginia Tech, 12. Oregon, 13. Florida State, 14. Michigan, 15. Auburn, 16. Wisconsin, 17. Louisville, 18. Fresno State...uhh...19. Oklahoma, 20. Cal...let's see...21. Alabama...shit. 22 UCLA? 23. let's go with Clemson, then...crap, forgot LSU. They should be a lot higher, but oh well. 24. LSU and 25...Oklahoma. Wait, used them already...okay, 25. Nebraska. Done. Whew.

It seems silly, but I don't doubt a lot of "pundits" fill out their ballots that way...and not just in the preseason, but probably every damn week of the season, too.

the BGS wire | by Pat

A quick roundup of various ND-related items that came across the BGS wire in the past few weeks...

• Former fullback/defensive end Nate Schiccatano is transfering to Temple to finish off his final season of eligibilty. Nate is taking advantage of the new NCAA rule that allows players who have already graduated to transfer to another college and play football right away. Calling him a "transfer" is a bit odd since he did graduate and wasn't invited back for a 5th year, but the good news is he gets to play right away at Temple and I wish him all the best.

I suspect that in the coming years we'll see a few more ND players take this option. Will we ever see a player from another smaller school, a defensive tackle perhaps, transfer into ND for his final year of eligibility? I'm still not sold on this rule because I just don't trust many coaches to have their players' best interests in mind, but so far it seems to be going ok.

• Speaking of transfers, Notre Dame just picked one up in the form of Northwestern offensive lineman Thomas Bemenderfer. Thomas, who is from the South Bend area and had an older brother who was a walk-on, will have to sit out a year before suiting up for the football team. I imagine he'll be a walk-on initially, but with no offensive lineman in the junior and sophomore classes, every little bit of depth helps. The 6-5, 280-pound Bemenderfer didn't play last year as a freshman, so he should have three years of eligibility left after sitting out his transfer year.

• Renewed interest in the program is hitting all parts of South Bend, including the airport. Last year parking was tight at the airport for private planes in for the ND/USC game (those poor unfortunate souls) and with big expectations for the upcoming Penn State and Michigan games, the South Bend airport decided to expand the parking.

"We've already [received] a large number of requests for hotel reservations and rental cars from people who are our regular clients," Heiter told the South Bend Tribune for a story published Saturday. "We're expecting at least 225 airplanes this year for the opening game, but we're planning for 300."

Schalliol said the airport's expanded apron, expected to cost more than $715,000, will be 1,600 feet long and 200 feet wide and provide space for about 100 planes.

• Coach Weis recently joined previous ND coaches Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian for a Kickoff for Charity event that raised an estimated $1 million. Regis (who else?) emceed the $1000 a plate event that helped to raise money for the three pet charities of the three coaches; Hannah and Friends, The Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, and The Lou Holtz Foundation. Check out the first link for a video news story on the event.

• It was noted in the Boston Globe recently that Coach Weis is following in the grand tradition of Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, and various other ND coaches and co-authoring a book.

Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis will coauthor a book, ``No Excuses," with nfl.com writer Vic Carucci, according to Publishers Lunch, an industry electronic newsletter. The book will include stories of his days as a Patriots assistant under Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

I'm sure Carucci did most of the heavy lifting on this so don't fret that Weis was pounding away at Microsoft Word rather than trying to figure out a better pass rush. The book is already listed on amazon.com, but no release day yet.

• Finally, offered without comment.

[BC coach Tom] O'Brien said Boston College might struggle to develop a natural rival in the ACC because the school is located so much farther north than the rest of the teams in the league. "It's something we've always fought," he said. "Ever since Holy Cross dropped football, Boston College hasn't had a rival. Our school thinks it's Notre Dame, but they won't play us anymore."

*sigh*

Press Your Luck | by Jay

Hit the big whammy in the ticket lottery this year? Wondering how everyone else did? If you have a minute, let us know your results by filling out this quick but unscientific survey.

2006 Ticket Lottery Survery

If you sent in two applications, go ahead and fill out two forms. We'll publish the findings in a couple of days. Really curious on what those Penn State winning percentages were...