San Diego State (4-8)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB – K. O'Connell – 257 of 439 (58.5%) attempts for 3,063 yards 15 TDs and 8 ints.
RB – B. Bornes – 88 rushes for 354 yards (4.0 avg.) and 3 TDs
WR – C. Schilens – 35 receptions for 679 yards (19.4 avg.) and 3 TDs
WR – B. Swain – 58 receptions for 973 yards (16.8 avg.) and 5 TDs
TE – S. Schmidt – 31 receptions for 241 yards (7.8 avg.) and 1 TD
OT – W. Robinson
OT – M. Kravetz
OG – P. Manuma
OG – B. Dombowski
Defensive Starters Lost:
DT – N. Osborn – 54 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 passes broken up
LB – B. Martin – 13 tackles
CB – S. James – 13 tackles, 2 passes broken up
Special Teams Starters Lost:
P – M. Hughes – 43.93 yard average
K – G. Palmer – 13 of 15 on FGs
2007 Offensive Rank: 76th
2007 Defensive Rank: 102nd
Outlook: Offensively, the Aztecs lose 9 starters and this from an offense that was already not leading the pack. O'Connell was not only their leader passer, but leading rusher as well. They shouldn't be very potent through the air or on the ground where they have to make new starters out of inexperienced backups. On defense they have most of their starters back, although this is from a squad that was one of the worst in the nation. They also have to replace both the punter and kicker, which as any ND fan can attest, can really cost the team points. It is unlikely they will be able to challenge Notre Dame on either side of the ball.
Michigan (8-4)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB - C. Henne - 137 of 239 (57.3%) for 1,565 yards, 14 TDs and 7 ints.
RB - M. Hart - 233 rushes for 1,232 yards (5.3 avg.) and 12 TD
WR - M. Manningham - 67 receptions for 1,096 yards (16.4 avg.) and 11 TDs
WR - A. Arrington - 58 receptions for 729 yards (12.6 avg.) and 6 TDs
OT - J. Long
OG - A. Kraus
Defensive Starters Lost:
LB - S. Crable - 84 tackles, 26.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 4 FF
LB - C. Graham - 83 tackles, 7 TFL, 1 sack, 2 FF
S - J. Adams - 83 tackles, 3 int., 10 passes broken up
S - B. Englemon - 80 tackles, 3 int., 3 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 68th
2007 Defensive Rank: 23rd
Outlook: On the offensive side of the ball, 2007 was not a great year for the wolverines, and next year should be a real step backwards if Manningham and Arrington leave for the NFL. Though Mallett got some experience, he will have to be the core of a rebuilding offense and find new targets in a hurry, without the security of Hart backing him up. Defensively they lose fewer starters, but the four that leave are the four leading tacklers on the team and a large part of why they fielded a tough D in 2007. In all likelyhood this will be an ugly defensive showdown of a game.
Michigan State (7-5)
Offensive Starters Lost:
TE - K. Davis - 28 receptions for 475 yards (17.0 avg.) and 5 TD
OT - P. Clifford
OG - K. Shane
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - E. Baldwin - 53 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks
DE - J. Saint-Dic - 47 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10 sacks, 8 FF
NT - O. Nwagbuo - 28 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack
LB - S. Adams - 47 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 int.
LB - K. Thornhill - 59 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 passes broken up
S - N. Warrick - 57 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 24th
2007 Defensive Rank: 58th
Outlook: On offense the Spartans may be one of the best teams on the 2008 schedule. They return almost every skill player and were already a strong offense in 2007. Hoyer (QB) and Ringer (RB) may present the first real challenge to the Irish D. On the other side of the ball they lose a lot, 5 of the front 7 to be specific. Most likely the Irish will try to found the ball up the middle a lot against a green defensive line to minimize the offensive threat of Sparty. This is always a tough game for the Irish and looks to be one of the tougher teams the Spartans will field in recent years.
Purdue (7-5)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB - C. Painter - 321 of 515 (62.3%) for 3,300 yards, 26 TDs and 9 ints.
RB - K. Sheets - 156 rushes for 832 yards (5.3 avg.) and 9 TDs
WR - J. Standeford - 27 receptions for 284 yards (10.5 avg.) and 2 TDs
WR - D Bryant - 82 receptions for 871 yards (10.6 avg.) and 8 TDs
TE - D. Keller - 61 receptions for 731 yards (11.98 avg.) and 6 TDs
OG - J. Grimes
C - R. Powell
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - C. Avril - 37 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 1 int, 2 FF
LB - S. Keglar - 67 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 passes broken up
LB - J. Fergusen - 67 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 FF, 6 passes broken up
CB - T. Vinson - 78 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks, 11 passes broken up, 5 int.
S - J. Scott - 67 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 5 passes broken up, 3 int.
2007 Offensive Rank: 31st
2007 Defensive Rank: 47th
Outlook: The Boilermaker offense takes a big step backwards with the loss of their stars Painter and Bryant, which hurts even more since they are a pass-happy system. Much like UM and SDSU, they may have a hard time coming together as a unit at this stage in the season. On defense they lose some leading tacklers, but if Keglar and Vincent come back they should have a solid LB corps. An already weak seconday loses its two best players and should be a glaring weakness. ND should be able to win this game comfortably.
Stanford (4-8)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB - T. Ostrander - 130 of 229 (56.8%) for 1,422 yards, 7 TDs, and 3 ints.
WR - M. Bradford - 51 receptions for 642 yards (12.59 avg.) and 3 TDs
WR - E. Moore - 39 receptions for 481 yards (12.3 avg.) and 1 TD
OG - M. Brewer
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - U. Udofia - 31 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 FF
NT - C. Horn - 24 tackles, 3.5, 1 sack
CB - N. Sanchez - 53 tackles, 3 TFL, 4 ints., 3 passes broken up
Special Teams Starters Lost:
K - D. Belch - 15 of 27 on field goals
P - J. Ottovegio - 41.22 yard average
2007 Offensive Rank: 105th
2007 Defensive Rank: 67th
Outlook: On offense it's tough to say what the Cardinal will do. They were almost as bad as ND and it's tough to say that they would step back but they have to replace the entire passing game. With most of the line back along with a group of RBs with experience, they will probably try to be a run-first offense. The defense already far out-performed the offense in 2007 and they were a lot younger, so it seems Stanford will rely on their defense in 2008. If Standford can keep up in this game they will most likely have to rely on their D and a strong rushing game.
North Carolina (4-8)
Offensive Starters Lost:
C - S. Lenaham
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - H. Taylor - 49 tackles, 16 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 3 FF, 2 passes broken up
DT - K. Balmer - 59 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
LB - D. Mapp - 132 tackles, 7 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 1 int.
Special Teams Starters Lost:
K - C. Barth - 19 of 22 on field goals
2007 Offensive Rank: 97th
2007 Defensive Rank: 43rd
Outlook: North Carolina is almost scarily similar in their 2007/2008 situation, at least as far as roster, compared to ND. They lose one starter on an offense that was bad last year, but has a lot of young talent. Most likely they will make large strides on offense with their talented youth. On defense they don't lose many players, but Mapp was a beast and they will miss his presence. Notre Dame will still have the edge in talent and may win this by attacking the youthful front 7, that will need a new leader to emerge in 2008.
Washington (4-9)
Offensive Starters Lost:
RB - L. Rankin - 233 rushes for 1,294 yards (5.6 avg.) and 6 TDs
WR - M. Reece - 39 receptions for 761 yards (19.5 avg.) and 8 TDs
C - J. Garcia
Defensive Starters Lost:
LB - D. Howell - 34 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 sack, 1 int.
CB - R. Lewis - 94 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 int., 9 passes broken up
S - M. Forrester - 93 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 int., 2 passes broken up
S - D. Harris - 73 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 int.
2007 Offensive Rank: 52nd
2007 Defensive Rank: 94th
Outlook: The offense returns most of a decent Husky O and phenom Jake Locker should be able to have some success, although he loses a good RB in Rankin. Defensively Washington loses some of its best players from an already-flammable secondary. I'd say ND wins this in a shootout but I don't have that kind of confidence in Ty taking the team forward on offense. Barring a miracle by Locker, ND should roll.
Pittsburgh (5-7)
Offensive Starters Lost:
OT - J. Otah
OT - M. McGlynn
C - C. Vangas
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - J. Clermond - 54 tackles, 14 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 pass broken up
DE - C. McKillop - 44 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF
CB - K. Cox - 32 tackles, 1 int., 5 passes broken up
S - M. Phillips - 53 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 int., 3 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 92nd
2007 Defensive Rank: 42nd
Outlook: Although they have some replacing to do along the front 5, a year of experience should make the Panthers young offense more capable by the time they play ND. With some relative youth and newer lineman I hope to see us getting aggressive with the blitz. They get a lot of their young playmakers back on D so losing some solid starters may not hurt them too much. They will have a very solid group of linebackers, so this may be a game where we try to isolate a weakened secondary.
Boston College (10-3)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB - M. Ryan - 366 of 607 (60.3%) for 4,258 yards, 28 TDs, and 18 ints.
RB - A. Callender - 206 rushes for 956 yards and 4 TDs, 72 receptions for 705 yards and 4 TDs
WR - K. Challenger - 44 receptions for 545 yards (12.4 avg.) and 5 TDs
OT - G. Cherilus
OG - R. Poles
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - N. Larkin - 35 tackles, 10 TFL, 6 sacks, 1 FF, 1 int.
LB - T. Pruitt - 38 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 2 ints., 4 passes broken up
LB - J. Dunbar - 83 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 passes broken up
CB - J. Tribble - 33 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FF, 3 ints., 8 passes broken up
CB - T. Morris - 40 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 int., 5 passes broken up
S - J. Silva - 115 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 FF, 6 ints. 1.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up
Special Teams Starters Lost:
P - J. Ayers - 40.7 yard average
2007 Offensive Rank: 55th
2007 Defensive Rank: 23rd
Outlook: Boston college lost all their firepower on offense, with Purvis possibly being the exception (from my high school - go Crusaders!). Ryan was to their offense what Brady was to ND, so it will be a challenge to fill his shoes. Graduation takes a bigger bite from their defense with 6 starters gone and among them some real stars. This is a team that will not be as good as they were in 2007, and it will most likely be a challenge for Jagodzinski to turn them into a plus .500 team. Notre Dame should be able to control this game on both sides of the ball.
Navy (8-4)
Offensive Starters Lost:
SB - R. Campbell - 64 rushes for 464 yards (7.25 avg.) and 5 TDs, 12 recs. for 213 yards and 4 TDs
SB - Z. Singleton - 64 rushes for 478 yards (7.47 avg.) and 9 TDs, 10 recs. for 199 yards
FB - A. Ballard - 135 rushes for 644 yards (4.77 avg.) and 5 TDs, 4 recs. for 40 yards
WR - OJ. Washington - 11 receptions for 234 yards and 1 TD
OT - J. Meek
OG - B. Gabbard
C - A. Harper
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - C. Kuhar-Pitters - 35 tackles, 4 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass broken up
LB - I. Spencer - 82 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1 sack, 7 passes broken up
LB - M. Wimsatt - 73 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 ints., 1 FF, 3 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 8th
2007 Defensive Rank: 109th
Outlook: Well Navy finally broke the streak in 2007. Now they face the challenge of replacing most of their offense and some key members of the defense. On offense they lose 3 of their 4 rushing threats so they shouldn't be as prolific as the 2007 version. Losing so many players has to be tough for an offense that relies heavily on doing the small things well. On defense they may be marginally better, but are still unlikely to present a real physical challenge for the Irish. ND should win if the defense can make a few key stops.
Syracuse (2-10)
Offensive Starters Lost:
TE - J. Nesheiwat - 17 receptions for 270 yards (15.88 avg.) and 2 TD
OT - L. Norton
OG - C Madison
C - M. McCall
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - J. McClain - 74 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 FF, 1.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up
CB - D. Davis - 62 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 4 passes broken up
S - J. Fields - 96 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 4 ints., 2 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 116th
2007 Defensive Rank: 103rd
Outlook: Syracuse doesn't lose any serious skill players on offense, but the way they have been for the past few years, it likely wont matter. On defense they lose some of their best players from an already weak team. ND should dominate this game in every facet.
Southern Cal (10-2)
Offensive Starters Lost:
QB - J. Booty - 189 of 302 (62.6%) for 2,096 yards 20 TDs, and 9 ints.
TE - F. Davis - 55 receptions for 794 yards (14.44 avg.) and 7 TDs
OT - S. Baker
OT - D. Radovich
Defensive Starters Lost:
DE - L. Jackson - 72 tackles, 14 TFL, 1 FF, 9.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up
NT - S. Ellis - 56 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 6 passes broken up
LB - K. Rivers - 73 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 FF, 4 passes broken up
CB - T. Thomas - 41 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 FF, 1 sack, 4 ints., 7 passes broken up
2007 Offensive Rank: 41st
2007 Defensive Rank: 4th
Outlook: On offense USC should reload and fit Sanchez in comfortably. If their offense has a weakness it will be the passing game with a new starter, TE, and two new tackles. On defense they lose some very good players, but again have very able replacements waiting. Barring anything very suprising this will be the toughest team Notre Dame has scheduled in 2008.
