Offensive Backfield

[johnnd05]

This thread is for posting news and opinions on the ND running backs and fullbacks. Here's a nice article on the forgotten man, Junior Jabbie, from what looks like his hometown paper:

Hun grad could start for Notre Dame
By: Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
08/10/2007

Jabbie's big spring makes him running back frontrunner

Junior Jabbie has arrived at Notre Dame University each of the previous three summers excited for the start of the football season.

When The Hun School graduate returned for preseason practices that began Monday, there was an even stronger reason for excitement.

Jabbie has a chance to start at running back for the Fighting Irish, who open the season by hosting Georgia Tech on Sept. 1.

"That makes things a lot more fun," Jabbie said, "but I still look forward to each year as much as the next."

The first three years of Jabbie's career at Notre Dame have been spent largely in obscurity. His playing time has totaled just over 22 minutes. It's a far cry from his one post-graduate season at Hun in which he accounted for almost 1,200 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns as the Raiders went 7-2. He also made four interceptions, and it was on the defensive side of the ball that he tried to make the field first for Notre Dame.

"I came in as corner," he said. "I feel like I'm more of an offensive type of guy. I like playing offense more than defense. My mind was always there.

"I was always thinking, I wish I was carrying the football. It's what I liked to do. There would be practices where I didn't even touch the football (as defensive back)."

He did not see action as a defensive back in 2004 or 2005; then after switching to the offensive side of the ball, he played on the punt return and kickoff teams last fall for Notre Dame in its 10-3 season. When starting tailback Darius Walker left early for the NFL, it opened the door.

"I knew since a lot of the seniors left, there would be a lot of openings," said Jabbie, who is a senior. "When Darius decided for the draft, I knew they would be looking for a new running back. It's anybody's job to take."

Jabbie took a big step forward during last spring's practices. It culminated in the Blue-Gold Game. Before more than 51,000 fans, Jabbie led the Gold team to a 10-6 win by rushing for 87 yards on 13 carries. He was named offensive Most Valuable Player.

"It was a lot of things," Jabbie explained of his sudden impact. "It's my first spring game that I actually got a chance to play in. There's just a whole bunch that the coaches asked for. When it came to picking captains, they made me an honorary captain so I had a lot to prove.

"I just wanted to go out there and perform as well as I could," he added. "I wanted to make sure I went out and ran hard and tried to put up as many big plays to help us win as I could."

Jabbie is hoping he has the chance to do the same this fall. While his spring performance gave him a strong start, there is stiff competition for the running back spot.

"There's five of us," he said. "We're all competing every day and going out and working hard. We're all going out there and battling and getting as much playing time as we can get.

"It's been OK so far. Right now, they're trying to give all the running backs an equal number of reps. We'll see how it progresses."

There hasn't been any indication from Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis if he will rotate running backs or go with one main runner this season. Jabbie is hoping that he fits what the Fighting Irish are looking for in a back.

"I think we all have our different kinds of strengths," Jabbie said. "It depends on what they look for at that point in time.

"I'm kind of a shifty guy. I like running between the tackles. I like running outside. I don't want to be considered a back that does just one specific thing."

At Hun, Jabbie was unique in that he did a little of everything. In addition to being a standout on defense, he made an impact on offense while lining up either at tailback or at wideout. Either way, he proved dangerous. In his Hun debut, he rushed for three touchdowns. Later in that season, he scored on a 49-yard pass play from Domenic Natale, who's now at Rutgers. Now, he is trying to find the holes in college defenses or use his moves to evade would-be tacklers.

"People are a lot faster and some of them don't work as well," Jabbie said. "It's still a lot of fun to go out and carry the football."

Jabbie still credits his year at Hun for helping him get to Notre Dame. He had the opportunity to play Division I football following four years at Sayreville High, but chose to take a post-graduate year in which he also played basketball for the Raiders.

"It helped me a lot," said Jabbie, who is on track to graduate with a business degree this spring. "It was a year to do better in the classroom and do better on the field. It was a good year. I was able to get away from home and get the college feel. It was very beneficial towards me."

Jabbie is trying to make an impact now for Notre Dame after working in the background his first three years. Even if he doesn't win the starting running back job, he is comfortable contributing on special teams.

"I'm perfectly fine doing that," said Jabbie, who never objected to being moved around the field at Hun. He was on the field so much for the Raiders that it made for a dramatic change when he didn't play as a Notre Dame freshman or sophomore.

"It was frustrating and it was learning experience," Jabbie said. "It was hard not to red-shirt my first year. Then, it turned into a learning period after that."

Jabbie is looking to put those lessons to work when Notre Dame kicks off the season in three weeks. Jabbie hopes to be on the field plenty by then.

"I think we look very, very good," he said. "We have a lot of spots that people are looking to fill. It's going to be good competition at every spot on the field."

Junior Jabbie is a frontrunner for the Fighting Irish tailback spot, and that's reason for even more excitement for the Hun School graduate.

 

[KAPLAN]

I think Thomas will be the starter with Aldridge coming in. Looks liek we have a VERY full backfield. Is Schwap the only one that is a guarantee? He might not even be back. We will always have fresh legs at TB which is a huge plus. Tate was an absolute stud at RB in high school and looks like he would be 4 of lower.

 

[ACamp1900]

Yeah I have been hearing a lot about Jabbie since the spring game... not the name you would think is it?? but if he truely has out preformed JA and Travis then he must be doing something well...

 

[Sureal]

Why wouldn't Schwap be back?

 

[KAPLAN]

Why wouldn't Schwap be back?

B/c I did not know if he graduated. Not up to date on the fullback situation. Basically I did not want someone calling me out saying "hey moron he graduated"

 

[NDChatt]

B/c I did not know if he graduated. Not up to date on the fullback situation. Basically I did not want someone calling me out saying "hey moron he graduated"

Hey moron he didn't graduate

 

[bayernarsch]

Asaph is a junior this year. If he weren't to play, it'd be due to injury rather than eligibility. Good news to this point is that his injury of last season has not appeared to bother him in practice to date according to statements made, or not made, by coaches.

 

[KAPLAN]

Hey moron he didn't graduate

takes one to know one

 

[Sureal]

Asaph is a junior this year. If he weren't to play, it'd be due to injury rather than eligibility. Good news to this point is that his injury of last season has not appeared to bother him in practice to date according to statements made, or not made, by coaches.

Oh ok. I thought something happened to him injury wise. The kid comes from CT and we are extremely proud of him. He is actually from Hartford Connecticut and played for the Weaver Beavers. So our community is behind him 100%

 

[OCIrish]

I would almost like to see a ploethera of TB's during the game. Keep fresh legs coming in and give people a break, maybe cut down on the little nagging injuries that pop up during the season. We'll see.


Go Irish!!!

 

[Irishtim]

I have been checking to see whom has really added the bulk. Kuntz is a prime example.
We are building monsters in the weight room like in years past under Holtz. I remember Jim Flanagan going from a 240 pound linebacker to a 280 pound studly down lineman.
Do you guys know how big Kallen Wade is? I know Young is 315. I would appreciate any other updates. Any idea when we get the complete roster and up to date weights?

 

[GoshenGipper]

I have been checking to see whom has really added the bulk. Kuntz is a prime example.
We are building monsters in the weight room like in years past under Holtz. I remember Jim Flanagan going from a 240 pound linebacker to a 280 pound studly down lineman.
Do you guys know how big Kallen Wade is? I know Young is 315. I would appreciate any other updates. Any idea when we get the complete roster and up to date weights?

This thread is for the backfield, but I'll be nice. I've heard that Wade really worked hard this offseason and put on quite a biu of muscle as well as Dwight Stephenson.

 

[johnnd05]

From etruth:

Asaph Schwapp story
Posted: August 09, 2007 12:40 AM

My story on fullback Asaph Schwapp that ran in today's paper didn't make it onto the Web site, apparently, so I thought I'd post it here.

———

By Ben Ford
Truth Staff

NOTRE DAME — The best way to describe the way Notre Dame fullback Asaph Schwapp plays football is to equate it to another sport.

Imagine a linebacker as a head pin on a bowling lane. Now imagine Schwapp as the bowling ball. If you’re picturing that head pin flying back toward the end of the lane, taking other pins with it, and the bowling ball rolling on, barely slowed by the initial impact and ready to knock over something else, you’re starting to get the idea.

"He'll hit you, and he'll hit you hard,” Irish coach Charlie Weis said. “Pound for pound, he might be the strongest guy we have. He is a powerful person."

The Irish missed Schwapp powerful badly after he injured his knee during the second game of the 2006 season and was forced to sit out the rest of the year. Ashley McConnell filled in at fullback, but couldn’t create the holes the 6-foot, 255-pound Schwapp could. Notre Dame also suffered at times in short-yardage situations, having to turn to Darius Walker to pick up the 1 or 2 yards Schwapp could usually earn by simply barreling over a defender.

Schwapp, on the other hand, just missed hitting people.

“My strength as a running back would be my lead-blocking ability,” Schwapp said. “That’s what I like to do, clear the path for everybody else to run through.”

The day Schwapp has been waiting for since that game almost a year ago is nearly here. Notre Dame dons full pads on Friday, and Schwapp will finally be able to do what he likes best.

"He's been on and off for the last year and change with his knee, so this is the first time in a while where he's uninhibited,” Weis said. “Asaph is not in his element until Friday, because Asaph does not get to do what Asaph does until you put full pads on."

Schwapp’s path to a starting spot isn’t as clear as the running lanes he creates because of the continued development of sophomore Luke Schmidt. Schmidt, a former Indiana Mr. Football from Jasper who is 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds, had a strong spring and is pushing Schwapp for playing time.

Even though he’s back to 100 percent physically, has a large edge in experience over Schmidt and is one of Weis’ favorite players, Schwapp isn’t approaching training camp with the attitude that he’s entitled to reclaim his starting spot.

“There’s nothing ever etched in stone,” Schwapp said. “I have to prove myself all over again, to myself as well.”

Schwapp didn’t know what to expect of himself or his comeback because he had never before suffered a significant injury. Even at first, he didn’t think the knee injury that eventually ended his season was all that serious.

“One day in practice I tweaked it a little bit, I tried to cut a little bit, and it sort of like snapped. It felt like it just locked up,” Schwapp said. “A few minutes later it felt fine and I went back to practice and everything. Later on in the Penn State game, that’s when I re-aggravated it and tore it up pretty bad.”

And that’s where the negative thoughts started to creep in.

“The first thing I thought was, what exactly was wrong with it? I knew it wasn’t too good,” Schwapp said. “It was scary just coming off the field. I wanted to know if I could get back and play again.”

Schwapp did plenty of leg extensions and presses to rebuild his quadricep muscle, but that wasn’t the worst thing about the long, tedious rehabilitation process.

“The worst thing to me was not so much the rehab, but watching everybody else run around and play and not be able to do anything,” Schwapp said.

Not being able to tattoo anyone on the field, Schwapp gained strength from a tattoo on the inside of his right forearm that he sat for 2 1/2 hours to get earlier this year. It’s a picture of his mother, Evelyn, who died when he was 9 years old. Her named is tattooed on his other arm.

It’s a way for Schwapp to remember his mom, though it’s probably not the method she would have chosen herself.

“She wouldn’t like me having a tattoo,” Schwapp said with a laugh. “She was very religious, very humble.”

Schwapp gets his humble, soft-spoken nature from Evelyn, who taught him to “keep my mouth shut and do what I’m told.”

She might not have liked him playing football — she always considered it too rough a game for Asaph — but he thinks she would appreciate what the game has done for him.

“I hope she’d be very proud. I think she’d be very proud,” Schwapp said. “Mostly for me to get the degree and go to school for free.”

And of the way he fought back from injury to earn another opportunity to do what he does best.

 

[johnnd05]

Back in Irish backfield
Ex-linebacker bids to become top ballcarrier

By Michael Rothstein
The Journal Gazette

SOUTH BEND – When Travis Thomas heard Darius Walker decided to head to the NFL, his ears perked up.

First, it came as a surprise to the fifth-year senior, who was switched to linebacker last year because Walker was ahead of him on the depth chart. Second, it meant he’d have a chance to be Notre Dame’s featured running back.

“I was shocked like the coaches,” Thomas said. “It wasn’t something he talked to me about. When I got in contact with him and we talked he said it was something he was contemplating a lot, and he kept it very private.

“But I knew when he made that decision it would open up a door for me to come in here and prove something and really do it on my own.”

When he played linebacker last year, it seemed like he always longed to carry the ball.

Now, he’s back in the running back role, and he will likely be the pacesetter for Notre Dame’s offense.

So while Walker is trying to make the Houston Texans in a reserve role, Thomas – who gained 351 yards and scored seven touchdowns in his Notre Dame career – is fending off a group of young running backs trying to take carries away from him.

But Thomas isn’t too concerned.

“I’m in a position where I want to be, and I feel comfortable there,” Thomas said.

He still may have to share playing time. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis indicated with an inexperienced quarterback that the Irish would likely run the ball more.

Considering the talent he has, it makes sense. Weis said he has five running backs on the roster he’d feel comfortable giving the ball to: Thomas, senior Junior Jabbie, sophomore James Aldridge and freshmen Armando Allen and Robert Hughes.

“Right now it’s too premature because there are five halfbacks you can put on the field and you can win with any of the five of ’em,” Weis said. “Now obviously you can’t play five running backs. But it is a little too early to etch in stone that Travis is going to get every snap or Armando Allen is fast so let’s give him every snap and everywhere in between. …

“I’d say the running back position is the one position right now that I’m not worrying too much.”

 

[tgolden]

From etruth:

Asaph Schwapp story
Posted: August 09, 2007 12:40 AM



Even though he’s back to 100 percent physically, has a large edge in experience over Schmidt and is one of Weis’ favorite players, Schwapp isn’t approaching training camp with the attitude that he’s entitled to reclaim his starting spot.

I know Schwapp is supposed to be at 100%, but in the practice videos, when the RBs go side to side through the bags, he always just runs in a straight line off to the side. does anyone know the reason for this? it seems an indication that his knee isn't 100%, although it could be for some other reason I guess.

 

[johnnd05]

August 15. 2007 6:59AM

Schmidt looks for his inner Schwapp

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- He is buried beneath all the who's-the-next-quarterback drivel, beneath all the gaping and gasping over freshman running back Armando Allen's speed and classmate Robert Hughes' power.

He gets pushed aside by the news that freshman Matt Romine is already running No. 2 at left offensive tackle, that wide receiver D.J. Hord no longer appears to be running on empty after a season-long injury in 2006, and that freshman tight end Mike Ragone runs like a wide receiver.

Luke Schmidt just blends in, keeps his mouth shut and quietly provides a potentially exciting option in the Notre Dame football team's retooled offense.

"I just want to get on the field," the 6-foot-3, 248-pound sophomore fullback said.

Irish head coach Charlie Weis has bigger plans, provided Schmidt keeps making the transition from oversized halfback to versatile fullback.

What kept Schmidt off the field last year as a freshman was the turbulent adjustment to playing the more physical position.

"I couldn't block, to start with," Schmidt said.

And the player he's competing with for playing time -- junior Asaph Schwapp -- is sort of one-dimensional. But the dimension he does do -- and arguably does as well as any fullback in the country -- is block.

"I worked on it a lot, really watched a lot of film of Asaph and tried to do what he does," Schmidt said. "I also worked on my versatility a lot, too. I know I'm taller than most fullbacks and faster than most fullbacks, so I worked on catching passes from the JUGS machine all summer.

"I think I've learned a lot and, hopefully, put myself in position to help the team."

 

[johnnd05]

August 15. 2007 6:59AM

Junior's long journey
Jabbie still running toward his distant dream

COMMENTARY

JEFF CARROLL

SOUTH BEND -- Like a lot of kids playing football at the major college level, Junior Jabbie has a recurring daydream.

Everyone is entitled to their own selection of details, and Jabbie's don't include an opponent or necessarily the precise game situation.

In the Notre Dame running back's vision, he has just scored a touchdown, the first of his college career.

It is in Notre Dame Stadium. That detail is important.

It is in the north end zone, northwest corner. That's vital, too.

"I want to score a touchdown right in front of the student section," Jabbie says, grinning at the idea. "Just look at them and think, 'Wow, I finally did it.'"

The last time we saw Jabbie was really the only time we've seen him, at least with any clear focus.

At the Notre Dame spring game this past April, 50,000 anxious fans waited to see, among other things, how running backs Travis Thomas and James Aldridge, two of the favorites to earn the bulk of the carries this fall, might distinguish themselves.

But suddenly it was Jabbie, without a college carry through three years in South Bend, putting a charge into the offense. Jabbie had been mentioned just once at any spring press conference, and when ND coach Charlie Weis said he liked him, he felt compelled to defend his answer to what must have looked like a disbelieving audience.

"I'm not being evasive here," Weis swore.

Jabbie's 87 yards on 13 carries in the spring game earned him the unlikely title of Blue-Gold Game Offensive MVP.

It wasn't a fulfillment of the dream.

The performance, however, did mean the dream was still alive.

Is it still, though?

Months now have passed between the afternoon that Jabbie was the man of the hour until now, when he is one of four scholarship players competing for carries behind Thomas.

"After the first guy, no one knows who is two, three, four and five," says offensive coordinator and running backs coach Mike Haywood. "They're getting equal reps."

Nonetheless, a lot of the buzz seems to surround recent recruits like the sophomore Aldridge, plus freshman lightning bolt Armando Allen and bruiser Robert Hughes.

Just four months after Jabbie's introduction, he has already been surpassed in the public's imagination, if he ever really earned a spot there, if not the on depth chart.

Then again, he's overcome long odds before.

After growing up playing baseball, Jabbie took up football at age 12 because it was a popular sport in his new neighborhood. His mother Horatia didn't exactly warm up to the idea, but she let him play anyway.

"What mother isn't kind of skeptical about football?" Jabbie says. "It's one of the roughest sports you can play. Who wants to see their kid tackled by a bunch of people?"

Jabbie attended Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, N.J. He graduated in 2003, leading his team in rushing and making four interceptions for the defense. A left knee injury, however, halted the flow of major offers to play college football.

At that time, Jabbie decided to take a risk. He enrolled in The Hun prep school in Princeton, N.J., working to bolster both his grades and his health in the hopes that he would be better off after the year had passed than he had been at the conclusion of the last one.

As a dedicated Jabbie proved his merits, the offers came in. Penn State wanted him as a running back. Boston College, too.

Notre Dame wanted him to play defensive back.

"Pretty much every other school that offered me a scholarship wanted me to play running back," Jabbie explains. "I sat down with my coach and my family and just thought, 'OK, you've got to do something after football. What school is going to give you the best chance of getting a job after football?'"

Maybe it wasn't an easy sell. After all, Jabbie entered college football with the same goals as most wide-eyed freshmen.

As a sophomore, he was asked what he would do with three wishes.

"Go to the NFL, be a billionaire and live in a mansion," he said.

The path there hasn't been very smooth. Jabbie made the decision to leave Notre Dame once, after his sophomore year, only to return in the fall at a new position, running back.

He has watched most of his friends from his severely depleted recruiting class leave before their time. The toughest one to see go was Darius Walker, his best friend on the team, in a shocker after last season.

What mixed feelings that had to inspire. Walker and Jabbie were close. Yet Walker's presence this season -- he left after his junior year -- would have probably ensured Jabbie's permanent burial as the last back on the list.

Not that that still can't happen.

It's a long way from the spring game to Georgia Tech on Sept. 1 after all.

But for now, Junior Jabbie's modest dream remains intact.

The student section will be waiting.

 

[tgolden]

I really hope he gets that TD just like he's imagined. We will most definitely be waiting.

 

[Irish Legend]

Just go to NDNation.com!

 

[johnnd05]

Just go to NDNation.com!

??

 

[johnnd05]

From B&G:

* I have little doubt that Luke Schmidt will see the field as a fullback in 2007, but there is a certain gleam in Weis’ eyes when he discusses Asaph Schwapp. Schwapp is a self-made man in that he came with little fanfare from Connecticut as a high school senior, but sure enough, he trotted onto the field in his first game with the Irish at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

He was banged up last year and that cost the Irish in the running game. He has returned to health and the weight room, where he is a machine. He is just so strong and loves the physical contact. It remains to be seen if he can be a factor coming out of the backfield as a receiver, so that is where Schmidt figures to contribute this year.

I can’t help but think of the first 4-and-1 at the opponents’ 25 and Weis looking at whichever kicker wins the job on one side and Robert Hughes and Asaph Schwapp on the other. First and Ten, Irish.

(snip)

* Armando Allen and Robert Hughes are two freshmen who seem very hungry to play early for Weis and Haywood this year. Allen has that burst of speed that the Irish backfield has missed recently. Hughes does as well and he might burst some linebackers along the way for good measure.

I also still believe that Travis Thomas can have a very good year at running back and could even limit the number of carries available for the other backs, obviously including the aforementioned freshmen. Thomas is already the forgotten man because of the excitement about the freshmen and James Aldridge, who looks healthy but not quite up to his top form from junior year film, but Thomas is experienced and athletic. The key for him is to experience success early and not be stung by the fumbles.

 

[johnnd05]

Here's a nice article on Aldridge:

Former Merrillville star wants to be ND's go-to back

BY JOHN O'MALLEY

SUNDAY SPECIAL | JAMES ALDRIDGE

SOUTH BEND | Charlie Weis has alluded to the fact he'd like to play more smash-mouth football this fall since he doesn't have an experienced quarterback.

Notre Dame running back James Aldridge would like very much to help accommodate the Irish head coach's quest to accomplish the goal.

The former Merrillville High School star is currently embroiled in highly intense competition with Travis Thomas, Junior Jabbie and freshmen Armando Allen and Robert Hughes in an attempt to determine who will become the go-to player in ND's backfield.

While Thomas is considered the favorite to earn the job, Weis didn't rule out a running back by committee system.

"Right now it's too premature because there are five halfbacks you can put on the field, and you can win with any of the five of 'em,'' Weis said. "Now, obviously, you can't play five running backs. But it is a little too early to etch in stone that Travis is going to get every snap or Armando Allen is fast so let's give him every snap.

"I'd say the running back position is the one position right now that I'm not worrying about too much.''

While Aldridge said he's behind whatever Weis decides to do, there's no mistaking he has designs on winning the job after rushing for 142 yards on 37 carries in seven games as a freshman last season.

In fact, Aldridge, the team's leading returning rusher, is just itching to carry the load.

"Yeah, I am,'' he said. "I really got limited carries last year and now I feel it's, like, time to really get out there and play some ball. Obviously (winning the job) is what I'm trying to do, but you know it's all up to coach Weis. I'm just going to do what I can to compete and to make the position mine, but actions speak louder than words.''

Even though he put in a lot of time working out with ND's running backs this summer, Aldridge put in some overtime of his own.

He did some extra running and swimming to try and build up his strength and stamina and gain an edge.

"I did anything that could help you out,'' Aldridge said. "It was recovery from one workout to the next. I guess extra pool workouts would be it for me.''

When Aldridge wasn't working out, he was concentrating on academics.

He took three classes this summer -- African American Women's history, psychology statistics and piano.

His favorite class was piano, because he learned how to read music.

"I hadn't played before and I wanted to learn,'' Aldridge said. "It was a lot of fun. I'm going to keep taking lessons while I'm here.''

Aldridge said the only songs he learned to play were "Jingle Bells" and "Brother John", but he's determined to learn how to play a lot more.

Aldridge is also determined to earn more playing time this fall as well.

"The more you can do to improve, the better your chances, I guess,'' he said.

 

[NDboy15]

I like Aldridge, I think he is a little underated.

 

[johnnd05]

BGS has a great (and really long) post up about our running game. The whole thing is very worth reading, but here are some highlights:

Throughout Walker's tenure, experts regarded the Irish running game as a primarily finesse attack, predicated on draws, misdirection, and outside runs. But Walker has moved on, and Notre Dame enters the 2007 season carrying five multi-talented tailbacks: Travis Thomas, Junior Jabbie, James Aldridge, Armando Allen, and Robert Hughes. This diversity of sizes, skills, and styles should improve the Irish ground attack in '07, making it more unpredictable and more effective.

(snip)

Get the Motor Runnin'. Through player turnover, a heavy dose of strength and conditioning, and continued coaching and development, last year's limitations have given way to hopeful expectations for '07. The offensive line is already much bigger than last year's, not only according to roster weight comparisons, but also according to Maura Weis, who sized them up after a recent cook-out. Bigger bodies means a bigger push for the front five, which means opening bigger holes for backs to run through. Furthermore, having five running backs you can trust means you can spread the carries around and keep everyone fresh. And let's not forget the potential of a guy like Demetrius Jones, who would bring a running dimension to the quarterback position not seen since Tony Rice.

Net result? Charlie should feel more comfortable calling those power running plays he shied away from in '06. The offense should become more unpredictable, and as the rushing offense diversifies and improves, play action fakes will start to genuinely draw in the safeties and freeze linebackers. A stronger running game will mean a more open field for the passing game.

On a final note, it's worth mentioning that the most heavily used run in the Irish playbook the last two years -- the draw -- was a no-show during the recent open practice. Was this a smokescreen, or a confirmation that Notre Dame's offense won't be centered around this finesse running play?

Perhaps that question was already answered by running backs coach Mike Haywood at last April's coaching clinic. According to a coach who attended Haywood's session, the Irish running back coach kicked things off by saying the finesse identity of the Irish was a thing of the past. His eyes lit up as he described the new focus: "Last year, we were a draw and screen team. No more. This year, you're gonna see four horses running downhill."

 

[johnnd05]

Fresh legs

Running back James Aldridge was never 100 percent physically fit as a freshman in '06. It often showed as Aldridge limped around the practice field following a serious knee injury.

It's a much different story now as he competes with Travis Thomas, Armando Allen, Junior Jabbie and Robert Hughes for playing time at halfback.

"I feel fine, 100 percent now," Aldridge said. "Last year at this time, there was no way I could compete for anything. This year is a totally different story. A 180 (degree difference)."

 

[johnnd05]

From eTruth:

At running back, Travis Thomas will probably still be the starter, but he'll have plenty of reinforcements.

“I very easily see all five of those halfbacks playing in a game,” Weis said, referring to Thomas, James Aldridge, Armando Allen, Junior Jabbie and Robert Hughes. “In different roles, and in different amounts, but I see them all playing in a game.”