Official Fall Practice Thread

[johnnd05]

August 16, 2007

Thursday Notebook

by TODD D. BURLAGE
Assistant Editor

The meetings have begun and the player evaluations are starting to yield some answers.

Charlie Weis met with his staff Thursday morning to begin trimming the depth charts and “getting to the guys that you would actually play in a game.”

The objective sounds simple enough, but getting there is a multi-step process.

“You have to look at it as if you’re cutting the team down to a more manageable size of players,” Weis said. “(Those that) are going to be going to a game if you’re going to an away game, and then even to a smaller size as to who the 2-deep are that you’re going to play.”

A little more than two weeks of training camp remain but Weis said he is “pretty close” to knowing what the depth charts are going to look like. Like Weis said last Saturday, “either you’re in the mix, or the ship has sailed.”

“There’s very little time left for people to play themselves into that two-deep rotation,” Weis added Thursday. “...I’m pretty close. In most cases, I’m pretty close.”

Weis didn’t offer names or details about any of the competition for starting spots – most notably the quarterback – but he did say that some positions will go deeper than two spots and the objective the rest of this week is to settle on who is ready to play.

Those final decisions are made as an entire staff with the position coaches and the coordinators offering input. But, of course, Weis carries the power of veto.

“We’re usually fairly close to being on the same page,” Weis said. “Every once in a while, if it’s too close to call, I’ll let them make the call. Or else, if I really feel strongly about the potential upside of one guy over another, then I’ll say, ‘If that’s how close it is, then let’s play the guy with the upside.’”

Through the first two weeks of camp, the No. 1 offense has worked against the No. 1 defense. “This allows you to best evaluate where you are on both sides of the ball,” Weis said.

That will change next week when the second part of practice will feature show teams and the start of Georgia Tech preparations. At that point, Weis said the depth chart needs to be pretty much set.

“You have to start getting the guys ready to play the game and play it with some kind of continuity so you know what your rotations are going to be like once you start playing,” Weis said.

More Than Xs and Os

Weis said when it comes to coaching quarterbacks, there’s more to it than simply teaching plays and schemes, especially when you’re working with three.

In Sharpley the junior, Jones the sophomore and Clausen the freshman, the three quarterback candidates have a different familiarity level with Weis. All three also have unique personalities.

Jones is friendly and impossible not to notice, while Sharpley is more outgoing and Clausen more reserved than most perceive them to be.

“I think that it’s a learning process of their personalities of making sure you know how far you can push them before it becomes detrimental,” Weis said of handling the three. “I’ve dealt with some players in the past where the first time you even looked at them the wrong way, they’d go in the tank. I wouldn’t say any of these guys fit that bill.”

Time Demands

Being the head coach at Notre Dame is a job many could only dream about. Money, fame, perks, pressure, who wouldn’t sign up? But for Weis and others who have held the position, the time constraints are tough and saying “no” to endless appearance and interview requests can build some resentment.

Weis wasn’t complaining, but he said trying to get football, family and charity to peacefully coexist can be challenging enough without additional time demands.

“You have to say no to an awful lot of things,” Weis said. “People think the reason you are saying no is the wrong reason. In reality, there are only so many windows of opportunity for you to do something. And when you’re trying to spread them in between being the head coach at Notre Dame, your family and own charity, you spread yourself a little thin.”

Quoteable:

“Sometimes I say this too often that I’m never happy but I’m pleased where we are right now. Obviously, we’ll find out Sept. 1, but based off of the evidence of what we’ve had in practice right now, I’m pleased.” -- Charlie Weis on the progress of his defense

 

[johnnd05]

I know I really should be getting work done, but this is just so much more fun ...

Thursday with Charlie

Posted: August 16, 2007 04:11 PM

Charlie Weis spoke to the media for about 25 minutes this morning, and while nothing Earth-shattering came out of it, these mini-press conferences are essential because as worthwhile as it is to talk to the other coaches and the players, he speaks for the team.

Probably most interesting were his comments on the personalities of the quarterbacks, and I'll have more of these in my story in Friday's paper, but here are a couple quick quotes:

“Evan, who a lot of people think is a quiet guy, is kind of a fiery guy, and Jimmy, who a lot of people think is a flamboyant guy, is kind of a quiet guy. They’re all competitors, now, and because your personality comes across one way it doesn’t mean you’re not a fierce competitor.”

On Demetrius Jones, Weis said, "He’s got that bubbly personality, he’s fun to be around and he can take it. He’s one of the guys you can ride real hard and he won’t go in the tank. A lot of times, there’s quarterbacks that their feelings are very temperamental. If you chastise them in front of the team, they go in the tank. But he’s not one of them.”

A few other topics of interest:

• Weis is pretty close to having a depth chart (at least a preliminary one) set in his mind. And if you're a Notre Dame player and you want to be on it, well, you'd better hurry.

“At this time, we’ve gone 1s against 1s the whole camp. We have not put ourselves in a situation where the good guys have not gone against anyone but the good guys the whole time," Weis said. "This allows you to best evaluate where you are on both sides of the ball. Now that’s about ready to come to an end, here, because on Monday when we start practicing against Georgia Tech, because it’s still two weeks out before we play, we’ll use the first part of practice staying competitive, good guys against good guys, but then we’ll have a break and then we’ll start using show teams and start simulating the opponent’s offense and defense. I think there’s very little time left for people to actually play themselves into that 2-deep rotation.”

• Weis is taking more of an active role with the kickers this season, returning to his roots. He was an assistant special teams coach with the Giants in 1990, his first NFL season.

“For the first time since I’ve been here, I’ve had big pow-wows with the whole group of kickers, which I’d never done before," Weis said.

Corwin Brown and Brian Polian, who also have special teams experience, are also in on the coaching of the kickers.

• The outside demands of being coach at Notre Dame are sometimes as pressing as the ones normally associated with the job. Weis' office is generally flooded with requests to have the coach speak to alumni and booster groups participate in other projects.

He has to turn down 95 percent of those requests, though, because there simply aren't enough hours in the day. Still, it bothers him to have to do it.

“I love my job as the head coach at Notre Dame and I understand there’s a certain notoriety that comes with that position. But you have to really try to, as best you can, see if you can take whatever time you have available, between the head coach at Notre Dame, doing stuff with your family and obviously, in my case, charity work, and try to peacefully get them to co-exist," Weis said. "The problem sometimes with that is you have to say no to an awful lot of things. People think that the reason why you’re saying no is the wrong reason. The reality is there only so many windows of opportunity for you to do something, and when you’re trying to spread them between being the head coach of Notre Dame and your family and our own charity, you spread yourself pretty thin.”

I'll have today's 20 minutes of practice observations up shortly.

 

[johnnd05]

Thursday's 20 minutes

Posted: August 16, 2007 04:34 PM

"It's a good day to get better," assistant coach Bernie Parmalee told a couple of players before the start of Thursday's practice at Cartier Field. The Irish practiced in full pads again today, and in front of four NFL scouts, which might be a season high so far. The teams represented that I saw were the Bears, Buccaneers, Falcons and Lions.

I mentioned yesterday that safety Ray Herring is suffering from what defensive backs coach Bill Lewis called a "minor" injury. Herring was stretching out with the rest of the players and going through drills today, but it's hard to tell just how badly the injury is affecting him. Speaking of injured defensive backs, freshman corner Gary Gray has been out there running around, though he's out for the season.

Another thing I've noticed, and not just today, is that freshman nose tackle Ian Williams doesn't have anyone to stretch with. I don't know why. You'd think there would be a trainer or assistant coach that could help him out. And if someone has to stretch by himself, why is it a scholarship player?

The defensive practiced in nickel formation today, though I was kind of far away to get a great look. But it looked to me as if Darrin Walls was the fifth guy in there.

Inside linebackers coach Brian Polian to senior Joe Brockington, who was slow in arriving to a drill: "Hey old man, whenever you're ready!" Maurice Crum Jr. was even further behind Brockington, leading Polian to say, "My two wily veterans are on training camp pace!"

On my way out, I saw the running backs running a bullfighting-type drill, with offensive coordinator Mike Haywood serving as the matador. He held a long pad vertically and the running backs charged it. Looked kinda fun, actually.

I'll be back tomorrow with 20 more minutes and some comments from people on the offensive side of the ball. See you then.

 

[tgolden]

i'm glad you find these articles instead of doing work. it saves me the time i would have to spend finding the articles.

 

[johnnd05]

i'm glad you find these articles instead of doing work. it saves me the time i would have to spend finding the articles.

Sure thing. Just tell that to my dissertation advisors.

This is the transcript from Charlie's press conference today. I especially love his answer to the one question about Zbikowski, which is highlighted in blue.

Weis Transcript
By Mike Frank

Posted Aug 16, 2007

Coach Weis met with the media on Thursday to discuss the latest from practice.

When you make decisions about players, how important are the scrimmages and the unit stuff?
“We’ve been meeting on this stuff all morning today, in addition to meeting with the players. We’ve been meeting on a lot of these personnel decisions today. A home game is a little different from an away game. You have to look like you are cutting the team down to a more manageable size of players who are going to be going to the game, if you are going to an away game, and then even to a smaller size as to who the two-deep are; let’s say you are going to play. At this stage you are just trying to get to who would go to an away game; to get on the bus; to get on the plane; to go to an away game; versus the core guys. These are the guys that are going to play. So there are two different sets of evaluations that you are doing. One, is to try to get that group that gets to go to an away game and (B) is just getting those guys that actually play in a game, if the game were meaningful, that’s who you play in the game. So, it’s really a two-tiered answer to the question.”

What are the most important things that you consider in making these decisions?
“At this time, we have gone ones-against-ones the whole camp. We haven’t had any situations where the good guys haven’t gone against anybody but the good guys the whole time. This allows you to evaluate where you are on both sides of the ball. Now, that’s about ready to come to an end here because on Monday, when we start practicing against Georgia Tech, because it is still a week out - two weeks before we play. We’ll use the first part of practice staying competitive, good guys against good guys, but then we’ll have a break and start using show teams and start simulating the opponent’s offense and defense. I think there is very little time left for people to actually play into that two-deep rotation. Hey, there are a couple of positions that aren’t going to be two-deep - like at corner we are going to have the possibility of playing six; at quarterback we have three guys involved. There are a couple positions that are more than two-deep, but you have to start getting the guys ready to play the game and play with some kind of continuity so that you will know what your rotations are going to be like when you start playing the game.”

Do the position coaches have input in the decisions or do you make all of them?
“Every position coach has input regardless of position; the position coach has input; the coordinator has input; the whole group has input and, of course, I have input. I think we are usually fairly close to being on the same page. Every once in a while, if it’s too close to call, I’ll let them make the call. Or if I really feel strongly about the potential upside of one guy over another, then I’ll say, ‘Hey, if it’s that close, let’s play the guy with the upside.’”

How involved are you in tweaking the defense as you prepare for this first game?
“I’ll do it every day. Sometimes I may not run the play, but sometimes as I watch something, I’ll say you are very vulnerable right here if I was game-planning us. I don’t game-plan the defense when we are practicing. In other words, I don’t go out there and say, ‘Here’s how I am going to try and beat you.’ We’ll actually stand there and before a play is actually happening, I’ll say, ‘You are going to get killed on this play.’ Because I’ll see how they are lined up and see what the motion is going to be, and I know we are going to end up with an advantage at the end of the play. I may not have the play called to beat what he has at the time, but I would say, ‘If I was going against you, if you were going to do this, this would be my counter to what you are doing.’ It’s not so much as to say whoever has the pen last, it’s just trying to expose where I think vulnerabilities would be based off of what they are doing.”

Based on that process, do you feel pretty good about where the defense is right now?
“Sometimes I say this too often, I’m never happy. I’m pleased where we are right now. Obviously, we’ll find out September 1. Based off of the evidence we have had in practice right now, I’m pleased.”

Why do you think a lot of people gravitate to Demetrius Jones?
“It naturally happens with the quarterback position. I’ve never known a quarterback where people didn’t gravitate to him though. He’s got that bubbly personality and he’s fun to be around and he can take it. He’s one of those guys you can ride real hard and he won’t go in the tank. A lot of times, there are quarterbacks whose feelings are very temperamental. If you chastise them in front of the team, they go in the tank. But he’s not one of them. Usually at the quarterback position, you have to have that leadership about you or you probably don’t have a chance of being a very good quarterback.”

How much of the execution does he have down?
“I feel pretty good about Demetrius, and I feel pretty good about the quarterbacks that we have here. Not to be evasive and make it a three-man answer to your question, but I feel the team has confidence in the three quarterbacks and I think they can believe with them in there. If Demetrius is in there, I think they could believe in him being in there just as much as the other guy.”

Do you ride all three quarterbacks the same way or do you have to treat them differently?
“You know different people for different lengths of time. Evan (Sharpley) has been here a year longer than Demetrius, and Demetrius has been here a half year longer than Jimmy (Clausen), so I think it’s part of a learning process of their personalities, making sure you know how far you can push them before it becomes detrimental. I’ve dealt with some players in the past where the first time you even looked at them the wrong way, they went in the tank. I wouldn’t say any of these guys fit that bill.”

Brady is going to get a lot of snaps this week, have you talked to him lately?
“I’ve talked to him. He doesn’t know how many snaps he’s going to get. I think with rookies, coaches always play mind games with rookies, and you never tell them anything. If you tell them they might get a lot of snaps, they might not get any; and if you tell them, you’re not getting many, he might be in there in the second quarter. He was excited last week to potentially get in there and just get his feet wet and just get a couple of snaps. He’s hoping to get in there this week, and he’s a lot more ready to play this week than last week because he has been getting some reps, with not just the show team, where he actually gets to run the offense.”

What advice would you give him in playing in his first pro game?
“I think he has answered all the questions the right way. I’ve kind of tracked it a little bit and he’s basically said, ‘I’m a rookie and I don’t know anything.’ and that’s the right answer. And that has been his answer pretty regularly. I just think, don’t get too excited because then every ball will go 20 yards over the receiver’s head. Just go run the team because you have to earn the confidence of the players when you are a new quarterback. It isn’t just like everybody automatically believes in you.”

What are the personalities like of the other two quarterbacks?
“It’s interesting. With Evan, who a lot of people think is a quiet guy, he’s kind of a fiery guy; and Jimmy, who a lot of people think is flamboyant, is kind of a quiet guy. Now, they are all competitors. Because your personality comes across one way, does not mean that you are not a fierce competitor. I think because of their different upbringings from different parts of the country, a little flavor of their geographics come with them. It’s a really interesting combination because they are very diverse in the threesome right there as far as their personalities.”

Will you wait until the last minute to tell the quarterback that he is the starter?
“I don’t believe in playing mind games with the quarterbacks. What I do is get them ready to play in the game. I think all the quarterbacks need to be ready to play in the game and, because the margin between one, two, and three is relatively small, I think you have to have them all ready to play in the game. But I also don’t believe in playing mind games. Let’s say you have one guy who expects to be the starter, and he is not the starter. He’s not going to tell you, but he’s going to know. Because the last thing you want to do five seconds before the game starts is have the guy go into the tank because the guy who thought he was going to be the quarterback, is not the quarterback. I’m not that dumb, I’ll make sure everyone is aware of what the situation is. I think mind games hurt the quarterback position.”

Will it be the week of the Georgia Tech game when the quarterbacks find out and when will the rest of the team know?
“Officially, when we are standing on the sidelines and ready to go. I have confidence they’ll know.”

All the assistant coaches are very involved with special teams. Who is working with the kickers?
“The three guys who are most involved with the kickers are Corwin (Brown), Brian (Polian), and myself. I would say we’re the three guys most involved with the kickers themselves. I’ve coached special teams before; Corwin has coached special teams before; and Brian has coached special teams before - and Bernie (Parmalee) has coached special teams too. For the first time since I’ve been here, I have had big powwows with the whole group of kickers, which I have never done before. They don’t answer to me, but it’s more both Corwin and Brian, because the defensive staff has the punt team and the kickoff team as far as coverage goes. Therefore, they would have the kickoff guys and the punters for them to be dealing with.”

As you prepare them for September 1st, how are you going to be confident about the guys that you picked?
“We’ve created more pressure situations for the field-goal kickers. Field goals now are a totally different thing than the kicker and the punter. Now you are talking points on the board, so that is a totally different kind of competitive situation than a kickoff guy. Because with a kickoff guy, you can talk hang time and distance, but you have to start to get the team ready to time that kicker out because you’ve got righty kickers and you’ve got lefty kickers; because there are things that are a little different when you are doing those things. So a lot of that is just a mesh of the unit working with you. With a field-goal kicker, you just have to keep putting pressure on them to see if they are going to fold under the pressure or be able to handle the pressure.”

Have there been some guys that have jumped out at you on special teams?
“Travis Thomas, I think will be on a lot of special teams. A lot of times, people misconstrue because a guy, i.e., a starting running back type is not going to play on special teams. I think Travis will be on all four cover units. One of the reasons Travis came back here is because he would like an opportunity to play in the NFL. The easiest way for him to play in the NFL is to walk in the door as a backup running back who can play on special teams. So you can bet he wants to go out there and perform on a very high level, which I believe he is very capable of doing. There are very few players who are starters on our team that are not involved in a starting role on special teams. You name them; if they are a skilled guy, they are probably involved on a special team somewhere. If there is not much separation, for example, John Carlson starting on the punt team, if there is not much separation between John Carlson and the next guy, then you would put the next guy in there. But the one thing we’re not going to do is get beat because we want to rest John Carlson, and all of a sudden a punt gets blocked. We’re going to make sure we take care of the special teams.”

Have some of the younger guys turned your head on special teams?
“There are a whole bunch of guys who are involved in special teams right now. In the next couple of days, which will culminate Sunday night, in the next couple of days, we have a couple of heavy special team situations where we can start settling in. Just like offense and defense, you have to start settling in two-deep in those too. You might be running three or four deep on kickoff coverage right now. But in a game, you’re probably going to play a couple guys at a spot at the most. By the time we finish Sunday night’s practice, we have to start cutting down on the number of guys who are getting meaningful reps on those units as well.”

Do you think Tommy Zbikowski is being too hard on himself about the way he played last year?
“First of all, Zibby is not a guy to make excuses. He’d rather point his finger at himself rather than someone else. There were two things that really came into play with Zibby last year. Number one, he went through that boxing match in June and he gained weight. I think he fought at 215. I don’t remember what exactly it was but it was more than 210. I think he came into camp 210 or 212, somewhere like there. If you look at him compared to last year, he’s a lot more sleek this year than he was last year. You can see his body is definitely toned down where he looks a lot faster on the field. That was always one of his mainstays that he could run well for a safety. The second thing is, he’s our starting punt returner and, although he loves to do that, he took a good shot in the Purdue game and to be honest with you, I don’t know how long it was before he was really the same. He’s going to hold himself accountable and say that was last year. And I think he is one of those players that has come in here with a chip on his shoulder for this year because he believes he has a lot to prove. From a coach’s standpoint, that’s a good thing; you have a guy in here that he’s trying to prove he’s a top-notch player; which I believe he is.”

Is this typical of him?
“Absolutely, he is one of the first guys on our team who will make himself accountable for things that didn’t go well. The flipside of that is that the upside this year should be tremendous.”

Do you regret at all letting him box last year?
“No, the kid made $100,000 for ten minutes. I wish I’d have done it myself (laughing).”

As you begin your third year, has the demand for your time outside of football increased or decreased and how do you handle that?
“The question is a tough one. I love my job as the head coach of Notre Dame, and I understand that there is a certain notoriety that comes with that position. But you really have to try as best you can to see if whatever time you have available between being the head coach of Notre Dame, and doing stuff with your family, and obviously in my case charity work and try to peacefully try to get them to coexist. The problem with that is you have to say no to an awful lot of things that the people think the reason why you are saying no is the wrong reason. In reality, there are only so many windows of opportunity for you to do something and, when you are trying to spread them between being the head coach at Notre Dame and your family and our own charity, you spread yourself a little thin. My wife has done a lot better job this year of making my charity responsibilities fewer than we have done in the past; bigger ones, but fewer ones, so that you don’t spread yourself too thin.”

Are you where you want to be in this phase of training camp?
“I’m caught up to Sunday night. I finished that this morning. Now those practices have to play out first. We have practice today; we have a couple tomorrow; and we have one on Saturday; and we have one on Sunday. Personally, I’m done with scripts and what I have to do to that point. Usually, I’m one or two days ahead of the coaches because I need to do my work before they do their work. Tomorrow will be the first time that I can sit down after I watch today’s practice again and start watching Georgia Tech which I really haven’t spent a whole heck of a lot of time on in the last couple weeks because it has been more about us than about them.”

Are you crystallizing in your mind who the starters are going to be?
“I’m pretty close; I’ve met with the offensive staff and defensive staff, and I’m pretty close. But things can change in a couple of practices. Somebody could come on like gangbusters or someone who is playing could have a couple of real bad days and you could have some reservations. The answer to your question is yes, I’m pretty close in most cases.”

Earlier you said you were pleased with the defense. Can you say the same about the progress of the offense?
“I can’t say that I’m surprised. Let’s just say I’m pleased where we are right now. I wouldn’t say in either case I’m doing cartwheels. I am pleased where we are right now. That’s the best I can say.”

 

[NDboy15]

Nice article.

 

[johnnd05]

From a Georgia paper:

Notre Dame starting QB a 'game-time' decision

Published 8/17/07 in The Times-Herald

By ADAM VAN BRIMMER
Morris News Service

ATLANTA – The only thing Georgia Tech knows for sure about Notre Dame's quarterback situation is that Brady Quinn won't be under center for the season opener.

The Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis said he will not name Quinn's successor prior to the Sept. 1 game at Notre Dame Stadium. Quinn, twice an All-American, is now with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

"It's to my advantage and to Notre Dame's football program's advantage to do it that way for the first game," Weis told reporters Monday according to the South Bend Tribune. "I promise you it's not because I'm trying to hold back from the (media members) that are here every day. It's that I'm trying to win the opener. I'm trying to beat Georgia Tech.

"It's the only game that I have this card to play, and I'm going to hold it. My answer won't change. It'll be a game-time decision."

Three quarterbacks, including heralded freshman Jimmy Clausen, are vying for the starting job.

But only one of them, Evan Sharpley, has playing experience: two passes, one complete, in eight games last season. So Weis' ploy will make little difference in the way Georgia Tech prepares, coach Chan Gailey said.

"You look at their overall package and go with their basics," Gailey said. "Their basics are going to be there no matter what. First game of the year, you have to get ready for new things anyway."

The Yellow Jackets have a history of rattling first-time starters. They coaxed Auburn's Brandon Cox into five turnovers in the 2005 season opener.

 

[johnnd05]

Luck of the Irish
Posted: Friday, August 17, 2007 12:04 AM EDT

The countdown is at 14 days before the new college football season is upon us, at least the college football season that matters to me.

Notre Dame starts its season Sept. 1 when the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets invade South Bend.

I know a lot of people are asking why I am getting excited about Notre Dame football when they are going to be a very young team with a freshman starting at quarterback, but the truth of the matter is that I don’t care. I get excited every year when Notre Dame steps on the field once again.

This year could be a struggle, but with Charlie Weis calling the plays and leading this team anything is possible.

I have been around for teams that have had far less talent than this one is expected to have and they have achieved great things as well. My biggest concern this year is finally winning a bowl game though.

It has been way too long for since the Irish have called themselves bowl game winners and hopefully that comes to an end this season.

Do I expect a National Championship?

No.

Would I like a National Championship?

Of course.

With that said here is my pick for the national championship.

OK, maybe I am going to give half of my pick. I can’t honestly make a prediction before the season starts, but I have a feeling about one of the teams finding their way to the season finale.

As much as it pains me to say this, I truly feel USC is going to find themselves in the thick of the things come the end of the season. I expect them to be playing in the National Championship, but I don’t have any idea who they are going to be playing.

There are a handful of teams that could match up against them in the season finale.

I don’t even know where to begin with picking a team to face the Trojans. Ideally, I would love for the Irish to upset the Trojans when they come calling to Notre Dame Stadium and end USC’s hopes of playing for another National Championship.

It has to be expected that at least one team from the SEC will be in the hunt for the National Championship come the end of the season since that conference is perennially the toughest conference each year.

The Big Ten always produces a few contenders and I expect no different this season.
Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State would be my picks to challenge out of the Big Ten.

College football is always a crap shoot when it comes to finding the winners.

There are always surprises and teams that come out of absolutely nowhere to find themselves in the picture.

There are always the big powerhouses that come up short in a game they have no business losing, but that is what makes college football so special.

As much as people like to think there is no way certain teams can lose to other teams, it almost always happens each year.

And every time that happens I just sit back and enjoy.

Upsets are what make college football what it is today.

To be able to turn on ESPN at night and see the fans and students storm the field after their team upsets a top 10 team.

Or to be able to wake up Sunday morning and find the polls that came out and see just how far the losing team dropped after blowing it the night before.

Anything is possible in college football.

And I can’t wait for it to get under way.

I will give my major breakdown at the midway point of the season and check in next week for my preseason picks in the NFL.

Football is just around the corner and hopefully this will be another exciting year just as last year was.

 

[johnnd05]

Today seems to be a slow day for actual news, but here's some more commentary:

Irish facing uphill battle in '07
Weis refuses to concede his team is in rebuilding mode

August 17, 2007
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brady Quinn is finally in camp with the Cleveland Browns. Jeff Samardzija is a minor-league pitcher with the Chicago Cubs. Darius Walker and Rhema McKnight are trying to land NFL jobs.

There are few big-name players left at Notre Dame other than safety Tom Zbikowski -- who himself expected to be in the NFL by now.

With only three starters back on offense and five back on a defense that has struggled the past two seasons, it appears to be a rebuilding season for the Fighting Irish.

Coach Charlie Weis doesn't see it that way.

"May God strike me dead if I use that word," he said. "I'll never use that word. You use it. I'm not using it."

Weis concedes, though, this season presents "challenges."

Notre Dame must replace a record-setting quarterback, a tailback who was on pace to become the school's career rushing leader, the two most prolific receivers in school history and find three starters on an offensive line that struggled unexpectedly last season. Oh, and a defense that gave up 40 or more points to Michigan, USC and LSU last season must learn a new 3-4 defense.

Complicating all that is the fact this Irish squad is inexperienced. Even with nine returning fifth-year seniors, the Irish have just 16 seniors and 14 juniors. They have 27 sophomores and 18 freshmen on scholarship.

The inexperienced Irish face a tough early schedule with four of the first six games on the road, including games at Penn State, at Michigan and at UCLA. They then face Boston College and USC at home. The Irish know some outsiders aren't expecting much.

"A lot of people saying, as usual, we're going to win one game in the first eight games," Zbikowski said.

Add to that, Weis is entering his third year at Notre Dame -- a year that has provided landmark seasons for Notre Dame coaching greats. Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz all won national titles in their third seasons, as did Dan Devine, and the Irish went 9-0 in Knute Rockne's third season in 1920.

The last Notre Dame coach to have a bad third season, Tyrone Willingham, was fired before that season ended.

So how is Weis, who is 19-6 in two seasons at Notre Dame, feeling about all this? Weis said he is calm and doesn't feel under any pressure.

"I feel better now than I felt the last two years. I feel great," he said. "I know the indecision or the question marks that come into it. I'm not oblivious to that. I'm not ignorant. I understand that a bunch of guys are gone. But to me, that makes you even more driven, provides even greater challenges."

The most immediate challenge is to find a starting quarterback. Because who will start will decide what type of offense the Irish will run. Will they depend on the arm of freshman phenom Jimmy Clausen, the mobility of Demetrius Jones or the versatility and experience of Evan Sharpley? No one at Notre Dame is giving any clues.

Asked whether he could remember going into a season with so many questions at quarterback, Weis recalled the 1993 season with the Patriots when Drew Bledsoe was a rookie. That team went 5-11.

Asked if he could recall a successful season with so many questions at quarterback, he recalled the 1999 season with the New York Jets. That's when Vinny Testaverde had a season-ending Achilles' tendon injury in the first game. The Jets started the season 1-6, but finished 7-2 with Ray Lucas as the starter.

Those two comparisons might not give Irish fans a lot of hope, but Weis insists he's comfortable with where the Irish are.

He has no choice.

"Either you accept being OK or you strive to be better," he said. "That's the two choices."

Irish fans have had reason to be optimistic the past two seasons. After mostly alternating good seasons with bad seasons from the mid-1990s until 2004, the Irish have been ranked every week since they won their opening game under Weis in 2005 and have made back-to-back Bowl Championship Series appearances.

Weis believes low expectations from those outside the program may help the Irish, saying last year's high expectations probably hurt the team.

"It's easier to get your team to buy into it when you can sit there and say, 'Look, no one thinks you're worth a darn," he said.

 

[johnnd05]

August 17. 2007 6:59AM

Irish focus primarily on Tech

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Charlie Weis announced Thursday he won't be doing cartwheels anytime soon -- not that it was necessarily expected by the media or anyone else.

But the third-year Notre Dame head football coach almost was in a good enough mood to. Almost.

The extent to which the refurnished Irish offense and refurbished defense have met -- maybe even, gasp, exceeded -- Weis' expectations to this point account for the buoyancy in both his voice and his step. In the same breath, he knows how ugly the schedule starts out, beginning with a Sept. 1 date with Georgia Tech in Notre Dame Stadium.

Here's a glimpse at what's rattling around in Weis' mind, beyond the decision on whether to do cartwheels, as the season opener approaches:

1. Playing the numbers game. Give or take a couple of positions, most of the depth chart issues have been settled.

"Things can change in a couple of practices," Weis said. "Somebody could come on like gangbusters or somebody who's playing could have a couple of really bad days and you could have some reservations ..."

But, there shouldn't be a lot of movement -- not even at quarterback. Now the world won't know for sure until sometime around 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 1, but the quarterback himself will know well before that. And it wouldn't be surprising if he already does know.

"I think all the quarterbacks need to be ready to play the game, because the margin between 1, 2 and 3 is relatively small," Weis said. "But I don't believe in playing mind games with quarterbacks.

"The last thing you want to do is, five seconds before the game starts, have a guy go in the tank, because the guy who thought he was going to be the quarterback is not the quarterback. I'm not that dumb. I'll make sure everyone is aware of what the situation is. I think mind games hurt the quarterback position."

What changes Monday, from a personnel standpoint, is that the No. 1 offense will no longer be playing against the No. 1 defense exclusively. Unlike a lot of college coaches, Weis likes to keep a taste of that in each practice throughout the season instead of just having the 1s going against scout teams.

And there will be scout teams, or show teams as Weis prefers, next week. Those players will no longer be working in the framework of ND's offense and defense regularly but mimicking what the upcoming opponent does.

In the bigger picture, Weis must cut the team down in his mind in a couple of ways -- who would make a travel roster and more definitively who all makes the rotation in a competitive game. Again, it's not always a two-deep situation. Weis, for example, could play as many as six cornerbacks against Tech.

2. Playing for now. "The best players play" is Weis' mantra -- regardless of recruiting rep, regardless of class, regardless of who uses the phrase "fundamentals and techniques" the most to frustrate the media. But who and what determines who the best players are? Position coaches and coordinators have input as does Weis. It's not a democracy, but it's not a dictatorship either. If it's too close to call, the tiebreaker goes to the player with more "upside."

3. Testing the defense. As Weis is lining up his offense to play against the new Irish 3-4 personnel scheme in practice, he persistently looks for cracks and holes in it. It's his way of trying to gauge whether it's game-ready.

"We can stand there before a play has even happened, and I'll say, 'Well you're going to get killed on this play,' because I can see how they're lined up and I know what the motion's going to be and I know we're going to end up with an advantage on the play. ... It's just trying to expose where I think the vulnerabilities are going to be."

4. Turning up the heat. Though every assistant coach and Weis are involved in special teams this season, the onus for fixing the place-kicking situation over the next couple of weeks falls on Weis, defensive coordinator Corwin Brown and inside linebackers coach Brian Polian.

The candidates -- sophomores Ryan Burkhart and Nate Whitaker and freshman Brandon Walker -- combined to go 6-for-14 on field goals in Saturday's opening practice, with Burkhart, a NorthWood High graduate, missing all four of his attempts. They all had done markedly better in practices when only their teammates were watching.

So how do you recognize the guy, among three unprovens, who can do it when the bright lights come on?

"We've created more pressure situations for them (in practice)," Weis said. "You've got to keep the pressure on them, to see if they're going to fold under the pressure or if they're going to be able to handle it."

For what it's worth, Whitaker recently changed his uniform number from 33 to 35.

5. Starters are special. As in starters will play special teams in abundance this season. Fifth-year senior Travis Thomas, likely the No. 1 option at running back, will be on all four coverage units.

"There are very few starters on our team that aren't involved in a starting role on special teams," Weis said. "We're going to make sure we take care of special teams."

6. Zinging Zibby. It's not just a healthier safety Tom Zbikowski who sets the tone in practice and in the weight room. It's a sleeker, more focused version as well. The fifth-year senior could very easily have padded his bank account this summer in professional boxing, but he pushed it away to be single-minded on football.

Does Weis wish Zbikowski had done that last summer, when he made his pro debut in Madison Square Garden?

"No," he said. "I mean the kid earned $100,000 for 10 minutes. I wish I could have done it myself."

 

[johnnd05]

Published: August 17, 2007 6:00 a.m.

Irish face uncertainties
Topping lengthy list are new QB, defensive scheme

By Michael Rothstein
The Journal Gazette


There are questions everywhere for Notre Dame entering this season, perhaps more than even two years ago when Charlie Weis first took over at South Bend.

The Irish lost almost their entire offense, half their secondary and three-fourths of the defensive line. And that’s just the players. The Irish also fired defensive coordinator Rick Minter in the offseason and replaced him with Corwin Brown, who brings a 3-4 defense to his first defensive coordinator’s job.

Any questions about what will happen in Weis’ third year start at quarterback, where the Irish must replace record-setter Brady Quinn with one of three inexperienced contenders: junior Evan Sharpley, sophomore Demetrius Jones or freshman Jimmy Clausen. Whoever starts will have, with the exception of tight end John Carlson, inexperienced receivers to throw to as only junior wide receiver David Grimes has seen meaningful playing time.

On defense, Brown is switching to a 3-4, but no one knows whether Notre Dame’s personnel can match the switch.

There are proven playmakers on defense with fifth-year senior safety Tom Zbikowski, fifth-year senior defensive end Trevor Laws, senior linebacker Maurice Crum Jr. and senior cornerback Terrail Lambert, but those around them leave plenty of questions.

Then comes the schedule, which is brutal in the first two months. Tough road games at Penn State, Michigan and Purdue highlight September, with a game at UCLA and home games against Boston College and USC the first three weeks of in October. All of those teams could be in the Top 25 when the Irish face them.

The kicker to all of it: Notre Dame doesn’t even know who its kicker will be as sophomores Ryan Burkhart and Nate Whitaker will compete with freshman Brandon Walker to handle field goals and kickoffs.

The answers will begin Sept. 1, when Notre Dame and Georgia Tech play in South Bend.

 

[NDboy15]

Nice article.

 

[johnnd05]

Friday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 17, 2007 10:56 AM

On a surprisingly warm morning (for those of us who wore jeans and sweatshirts, anyway), Notre Dame, wearing protective shells, took to dewy Cartier Field for what is, by my count, practice No. 15 of 25 in fall camp. Among the guests were the fathers of players Tom Zbikowski, Steve Paskorz, Luke Schmidt and, for the third straight day, Darrin Walls. Also on hand were a scout from the San Francisco 49ers and a pair of scouts from the Houston Texans. There were also several thousands gnats present, which didn't make viewing very enjoyable.

During the stretching portion of practice, tight ends coach Bernie Parmalee walked down the line quizzing his guys. He'd name a play and then say, "Where are you lined up?"

Hey, Ian Williams had a stretching partner today! Maybe somebody is reading this blog, because one of the strength coaches was helping him out today. It's about time.

We also learned that it's offensive graduate assistant Shane Waldron's 28th birthday today.

After the stretches, the defensive backs did the "Hoosiers" drill I described last Friday, and then went into some agility drills.

"Don't hop, pick your feet up," DBs coach Bill Lewis said.

The linebackers and defensive linemen were next to the defensive backs doing footwork drills of their own.

"Don't stare at your feet," inside linebackers coach Brian Polian said. "They'll be there when you look back down."

And what do you know — they were.

Both defensive groups did a drill Lewis called "playing the piano," where they ran laterally and reached down to touch a series of bags. The important thing here is to keep your rear end low to the ground and your eyes ahead.

"Low man wins!" Polian said.

Over on offense, the wide receivers did a drill where they sprinted forward, stepped nimbly around a cone, sprinted forward again to another cone, danced around that one and caught a pass. Nice movement by D.J. Hord on this one.

The running backs were catching balls for the first time, as far as I've seen. This is yet another thing Armando Allen does well. So does Schmidt, the fullback. They also did the "monkey drill" (see Tuesday's 20 minutes) for an explanation of this.

"Ball security is the issue," offensive coordinator Mike Haywood said.

Quarterbacks worked on drops with Ron Powlus while Charlie Weis watched. I haven't seen Weis anywhere but with the quarterbacks during the media portions of practice.

I'll be back a little later with some news from the offense, so check back this afternoon.

 

[johnnd05]

Saturday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 18, 2007 03:34 PM

Today's practice, which was held in the Loftus Center, was livened up considerably by a competition to see which group — the quarterbacks and wide receivers or the running backs and tight ends — could finish their agility drills the fastest. The QB/WR group, led by receivers coach Rob Ianello, lined up on one side of the field and the RB/TE group, under the direction of offensive coordinator Mike Haywood, on the other. (This competition must have been planned for today, because during stretching, Haywood taunted Jimmy Clausen and Darrin Bragg by saying, "You guys go through the bags like the Bad News Bears.")

Ianello's group took a lead at the start, prompting coach Charlie Weis to say in the direction of Haywood's group, "Be prepared to run!", but it looked to me like Haywood and Co. came back to win, though both groups were celebrating at the end of the friendly competition.

While those guys were laughing and trash-talking, the defensive line was doing the hands-and-knees drill, where they reach out to hit a blocking sled in an effort to better their technique.

"When we step on the field, it's gotta be serious business," D-Line coach Jappy Oliver said.

Apparently the offense didn't get the memo.

The rest of the defense practiced a skill I'm sure they want to use often this season — creating turnovers.

The linebackers worked on dropping into pass coverage and making the interception, while the cornerbacks practiced stripping the ball from the receiver. To do this, one corner wrapped up a ball carrier while another came in a second later, ripped it away and took off on the opposite direction.

The corners also worked on jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.

"You gotta step up, jam him and flatten him out," DBs coach Bill Lewis said, meaning that he wanted the cornerbacks to keep the receiver parallel to the line of scrimmage. "Don't let him turn your shoulders."

The Irish are off tomorrow, and that means so am I. I'll be back Monday with another 20 Minutes and some comments from Coach Weis.

 

[johnnd05]

Practice Notes: 8/16 & 8/17

It gets harder and harder to make any sort of observations based on all of the videos out there on a daily basis, but here’s a few points from the past couple of day.

* Mike Ragone runs through some of these agilities drills quicker than some of the running backs. He’s clearly got the speed and athleticism to play early.
* Barry Gallup dropped a pass in the one four cone drill on Friday.
* Duval Kamara looks more and more comfortable out there running through these drills every day.
* John Ryan had to redo a back pedal drill Friday because his footwork was not very good.
* Golden Tate appears to be running through these drills with a lot more confidence as well. Early in camp it looked like he was thinking too much about his cuts. Lately they’ve been looking effortless. He’s still got to parlay this into other drills, but he is definitely progressing nicely.
* George West has looked very smooth in almost every drill this summer and he looked particularly good in one drill where the receivers run up to a cone, back pedal behind it, then run to another cone and do that again before sprinting to the end of the drill and catching a pass. West looked better than Grimes in this drill IMO. Maybe Sporting News was right about West having a breakout year.
* Toryan Smith destroys the blocking sled when they work on working off blocks.
* Scott Smith was told he had better footwork on the same blocking sled drill.
* It looks like Darrin Walls was working as the nickel back with the linebackers being Smith and Crum.
* I said it the other day, and I’ll say it again, Taylor Dever is a BIG kid.
* In almost all of the practice videos, Michael Haywood is seen instructing the RBs on how to carry the ball and has them run through a “human gauntlet” where the ball carrier has the ball swiped at by all of the other backs.

 

[KamaraPolice]

great reads

 

[johnnd05]

Practice Observations, 8/20/07

With rain drenching South Bend and most of Northern Indiana the past two days, Notre Dame went inside the very muggy Loftus Center for practice.

* Running back Robert Hughes lagged behind the rest of the offense while doing high-step line calisthenics. He didn't appear hurt, though, as he ran well during the other drills Notre Dame did during the media portion of practice.
* The team appeared more chipper than the first two weeks of camp. Quarterback Evan Sharpley and punter Geoff Price joked loudly during the stretching -- they stretch next to each other -- and wide receiver Robby Parris was chirping with offensive coordinator Mike Haywood from almost a third of the way across the field. Don't know if it is a comfort level or not -- but they seem looser than before.
* Haywood spent a few moments clutching two footballs and banging them together during stretching, saying "Let's go. Let's get going."
* As the team has been doing in recent days, the offensive skill players divided into two teams -- today was quarterbacks/wide receivers and running backs/tight ends -- and race in agility drills in and out of bags on the ground. Tight end Will Yeatman almost fell on his face while leading during one drill, but the players were very competitive about it.
* Meanwhile, Charlie Weis stood at the start line, a huge smile on his face almost cracking up.
* The quarterbacks/wide receivers team won the drill and Jimmy Clausen tossed a ball in the air. Other players spiked footballs. Haywood, the running backs coach whose guys lost, lamented "They got us."
* Wide receiver groupings: First group -- George West, David Grimes, Robby Parris. Second group -- D.J. Hord, Barry Gallup Jr., Richard Jackson. Third group -- Duval Kamara, Golden Tate, Nick Possley.
* We didn't see Fort Wayne native and walk-on wide receiver Jake Richardville at practice. We know his MCAT test was coming up so today might have been the day.
* Right tackle Sam Young's size has increased considerable. Purely from a body standpoint, he looks like an NFL player right now.
* Center John Sullivan is growing out a beard -- something he's done off-and-on over the last three years.
* Offensive line coach John Latina brought sophomore Dan Wenger over to work on a defensive line/linebacker pickup drill. After one repetition, Latina said Wenger was moving in "slow motion." On the last one, he told him "Good, good," showing improvement.
* Fifth year senior tight end John Carlson is by far the most aggressive blocker among Notre Dame's tight ends. During a pad drill, he attacked the player holding the pad much more ferociously than either Konrad Reuland or Will Yeatman. Of the four, freshman Mike Ragone might have hit the guy second-hardest.
* Tight ends coach Bernie Parmalee lectured the tight ends about balance when moving in motion before a play. He particularly noted that Carlson had a "good base."
* Assistant athletic director Stan Wilcox attended a portion of practice.
* Finally, a person on a bike. Not a player, though, as director of football operations Chad Klunder was sitting on one as Notre Dame went through individual drills. If Klunder is the only one on the bicycle, that is a good sign for the Irish.

Should you have questions in general or for our weekly Mailbag or comments, feel free to put them below posts or e-mail us at mrothstein@jg.net. Don't forget, too, that our guess-the-score contest will continue for a second straight year. Deadline for the Georgia Tech game will be Saturday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. Eastern. E-mail your predicted final score to mrothstein@jg.net. Be the first one to guess it correctly and we will send some sort of prize.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

 

[johnnd05]

Monday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 20, 2007 05:30 PM

As anyone who's tried to watch the NASCAR race in not-too-far-away Brooklyn, Mich., knows, it's been raining pretty steadily in this part of the country for the last 36 hours or so. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said the Irish practiced in the slop last night in Notre Dame Stadium to get some work in in adverse weather conditions, but they were inside the Loftus Center today.

There was a rematch of Saturday's quarterbacks and wide receivers vs. tight ends and running backs competition, and you could tell the stakes were a lot higher because there was a lot more pre-race jawing going on.

"We'll see who gets warmed up here today," said receivers coach Rob Ianello, who had the managers move the bags to the center of the field so it would be easier to judge a winner.

Someone — either Demetrius Jones or Barry Gallup Jr., I think, said, "Make sure you count the people," trying to ensure the competition was fair. (It wasn't — read on.)

Quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus told Jimmy Clausen not to fall. "Who?" answered Clausen. "You!" Powlus said.

Jones also asked offensive coordinator Mike Haywood how much he had riding on the competition.

There seemed to be some strategy involved, too. There was a lot of discussion as to who would go first. For Ianello's team, it was Clausen taking the lead, and for Haywood's it was freshman running back Robert Hughes — only Hughes didn't have a ball with him, so he had to go back to the end of the line and tight end Will Yeatman was actually the first man through.

Now about that cheating. Haywood's bunch wasn't waiting until the last player finished to start the line back in the other direction, so there were two players passing each other in the bags at times. And their bags got kicked around so much they were barely running the drill anymore by the end. But justice prevailed as the Ianello team won anyway. The whole thing reminded me of that old cartoon show "Laff-A-Lympics", except neither of the teams could be called the Really Rottens, even the cheating Haywood squad.

Things got a little less interesting after that. The running backs did something I'll call the "5" drill, because the cones were set up like the 5 on a die. The players zigged-zagged around the cones, working on their agility and cutting. They repeated the drill, this time catching a pass in the center of the 5. James Aldridge looks as if he's really improved in this area. I wouldn't say he's Darius Walker by any stretch, but he's not bad, either.

The offensive line had a 3-on-3 drill of sorts going, designed to help them work on different blocking schemes. Three linemen — Paul Duncan, Mike Turkovich and John Sullivan were the first group through — lined up with three others playing the roles of two defensive linemen and a linebacker. Offensive line coach John Latina signaled the "linebacker" as to what to do and the linemen blocked straight ahead, having to adjust for the way the defense was coming at them.

"Too wide there, Danny, too wide," Latina said to guard Dan Wenger, who was in the second group through. Wenger did a better job on the second rep.

The tight ends did a blocking drill of their own, straddling a pad a little wider than a balance beam and practicing blocking their man straight back, staying along the pad at all times.

Quarterbacks worked on drops with Powlus, while defensive coordinator Corwin Brown concentrated on the safeties.

It's back to the offense for interviews tomorrow, so come back tomorrow for some comments from folks on that side of the ball and some more practice notes.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I haven't heard of any injuries yet. Thats great. I hope everyone stays healthy. Go irish!

 

[johnnd05]

Notes from Weis’s Presser: 8/20

* On his dealings with Romeo Crennel with regards to the quarterback race in Cleveland: “I don’t want to be involved in anything that’s going on with the quarterback situation. The timing isn’t right.” “Even though we’re very close friends, that conversation could go somewhere I don’t want it to go so I’ll just try to stay out of that one.”
* On Brady Quinn’s performance Saturday night: “If you look at every pre-season game, there’s always a few guys that are just better than everyone else out there when they’re playing and he was one of them.”
* On the quarterback race: “We have three guys and that will be the case until Georgia Tech.”
* On where they stand with dividing up the reps in practice at quarterback: “We’re right on track.”
* Weis had the players practice outside in the rain yesterday to get them used to playing in bad weather since they have been indoors whenever its rain this summer.
* The first half of every practice this week will still be focused on individual drills and first team offense vs. first team defense, but the other half will be show teams.
* On the development of Will Yeatmen and Konrad Reland : “I feel a lot more confident at this time about our backup tight end situation than I felt last year at this time because you had two young pups at the time last year. Now they’re a lot more seasoned. They know what to do. They both have different strengths and weaknesses, but they both have shown they can play on the field.”
* On the differences between Will Yeatmen and Konrad Reland:“Will’s a lot bigger. He’s a big muchacho.” “They’re different in their body types and they’re different in how they play, but they both are capable of playing any of the tight end spots that we’ve put out there. They’re smart, and that’s the one thing they have going for them.”
* On settling in on a wide receiver rotation: “I think that there’s a lot of guys in the mix. The good thing about the skill positions, just like the tight ends, is that at wide receiver, running back, and tight end – all of them – we have more players than we’ve had before. You have to keep them involved in the game plan because if you don’t have them involved in the game plan, not that you lose their interest, but their psyche drops some because they don’t think they’re involved in the mix.”
* On the competition at place kicker: “We are coming closer and the thing is, it looks to me like there’s a possibly that you might have a different place kicker then you might have a field goal kicker. Just like at every other position, if they’re too close to call you try to give them one job instead of two. That’s a possibility that might play out like that as well.”
* On the development of Justin Brown: “He’s probably, of the entire team, the most pleasant surprise on the entire team during this training camp. It isn’t just his strength gains, it’s been his motor. That’s what’ really impressed me the most. He’s always shown flashes, you know, he’s always shown flashes since I’ve been here, but I’ve never seen him play with the motor he’s playing with now. It’s been very encouraging.”
* On the development of David Bruton: “We put him with the first group, but you still don’t know what’s going to happen once he gets out there and he looks like a man amongst boys out there. It’s nice to see that tall rangy kid who’s now close to 210 that can run like a deer and hitting people and covering ground.”
* On the development of Luke Schmidt: “He gives us some versatility because not only can he play fullback from the backfield, but he can play fullback from close to the line of scrimmage as well.”
* On the development of John Carlson as a leader this year: “Not only is he a leader by example because on offense it was clear in the winter and in the spring that the two guys, well you could include Sully in there as well, so the three guys that really stood out during everything we did were Travis, John, and Sully. “ “In John’s probably the most pleasant surprise is how he’s become so much more vocal.
* On how he has changed his coaching style with a very inexperienced team this year: “I’ve had to show easily the most patience that I’ve had to show since I’ve been here because you’re playing with some many guys that are stepping on the field for the first time in a true meaningful role. There’s some things that you want to say and you find yourself biting your lip. You pick and choose when to ride them and it’s not as often as you normally do.”
* Weis addressed the status of Derrell Hand who has been suspended indefinitely all training camp: “He’s going through some things here soon in the next couple of days that will help clarify his status. Once that happens, I’ll have a better idea of where we’re going. I said at the time there were two things he had to do. He took care of one part of it and now he’s dealing with the other part of it and once that’s cleared up, then I can act accordingly.”

 

[johnnd05]

Tuesday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 21, 2007 11:51 AM

It's another day in the Loftus Center following more rain here yesterday. I can't decide whether the smell of the artificial turf trapped in that enclosed space is intoxicating or nauseating.

Somebody remind me next year to keep a running count of how many times strength and conditioning coach Ruben Mendoza uses the phrase "On the hop!" to keep the tempo high during the stretching portion of practice. If I had done this beginning at the start of camp, it's safe to say the count would be in the triple digits by now.

Today we got to see some of that energy defensive coordinator Corwin Brown has become known for in his relatively short tenure at Notre Dame. He put the defensive players through a quickly paced bag drill with a pretty high degree of difficulty. The players ran laterally, stepping over a series of bags while keeping their heads up to watch Brown and defensive graduate assistant coach Patrick Graham. Brown and Graham were giving the players hand signals to tell them how many feet to put down between each bag. Needless to say, your typical uncoordinated person would trip on the bags and land flat on his face before getting halfway through that drill, but the Notre Dame players made it through very well. I especially liked the quickness of cornerback Terrail Lambert here.

After the defense broke up into its position groups, the secondary worked on backpedaling, taking their cues on which way to swivel from DBs coach Bill Lewis. Cornerback Munir Prince slipped during his turn — you can tell he's still trying to perfect his technique, though he seems to be improving every day I watch him — but recovered to make a catch on a ball thrown in his direction by Lewis.

Junior strong safety Ray Herring was back and working with the second team. Alongside him were cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil and free safety Kyle McCarthy. The third group was corners Leo Ferrine and Prince and safeties Jashaad Gaines and Sergio Brown.

The linebackers did a drill where they lunged forward while kneeling to punch a bag that was being held by a teammate before heading over to a long, balance beam-like pad to do almost the same thing while standing. More good energy here from everybody.

Head coach Charlie Weis spent the first few minutes watching the defense before taking his customary spot next to the quarterbacks. (I noticed there was an office chair stationed just in front of where the quarterbacks warm up, but I don't think it was for him.) Weis generally allows Ron Powlus to do the coaching and just stands there and stares intently. Here's the could-mean-something, probably-doesn't-mean-anything note of the day: Demetrius Jones was in the center during the drop-back drill today, with Jimmy Clausen on his left and Evan Sharpley on his right.

As I was on my way out today, the receivers were starting a blocking drill, which they haven't done much during the media portions of practice. Receivers coach Rob Ianello shouted "Punch it up! Punch it up!" shouted to his guys as they hit bags being held by teammates.

I'll be back this afternoon with some comments from today's media session, which features coaches and players from the offense.

 

[johnnd05]

Practice Observations, 8/21/07

While the rain has ceased in South Bend, golf courses and other fields are still sopping, so Notre Dame moved inside a less-muggy-than-Monday Loftus Center.

* The mood -- fairly jovial over the past two practice days -- seemed much more subdued and serious on Tuesday.
* Defensive backs coach Bill Lewis to the defense during stretching: "Get yourself loose."
* Quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus talked with Demetrius Jones and Evan Sharpley for a long time during stretching.
* The quarterbacks worked on play-action passing -- without actually throwing -- again.
* It is probably nothing, but freshman Armando Allen led the running backs during the step-over-the-bag drill with Travis Thomas second. Freshman Robert Hughes was missing during stretching and the first part of the first individual drill, as he disappeared out of the Loftus Center just before the media session started. Presumably, it was for a bathroom break.
* Wide receiver David Grimes had the first ball of a cone drill hit off of his hands, causing wide receivers coach Rob Ianello to have him start over again. It was a rare drop for the junior from Detroit.
* Fort Wayne native and walk-on wide receiver Jake Richardville was back at practice Tuesday after missing Monday.
* In a change during the media session, Charlie Weis wandered about 20 feet over to the outside linebackers to watch them practice. His stay was brief, though, as he then headed back to where the quarterbacks were working out.
* When the media walked in, long-snapper J.J. Jansen started playfully barking at Irish Illustrated's Tim Prister, saying "Sold me out now." Apparently, it came from a story where he spoke with Geoff Price about a bad hold and Price blamed it on Jansen. The long snapper, though, didn't seem very serious about it.
* Defensive back groupings (not much has changed): First grouping -- Ambrose Wooden, Tom Zbikowski, David Bruton, Terrail Lambert. Second grouping -- Darrin Walls, Ray Herring, Kyle McCarthy, Raeshon McNeil. Third grouping -- Leo Ferrine, Sergio Brown, Jashaad Gaines and Munir Prince. Fourth grouping -- Mike Anello, Leonard Gordon, Harrison Smith and Gary Gray. Gray, though injured and likely out for the season following shoulder surgery, moved around pretty well.
* Freshman linebacker Steve Paskorz appears to be very strong. During a drill where linebackers lifted up the sled, Paskorz picked the sled up high and tossed it aside in one fast, decisive motion that looked more fluid than the other linebackers.
* Senior Anthony Vernaglia -- who looks to be winning a starting slot at outside linebacker -- looked very fluid while working on a dropback drill where the linebacker cuts back and forth based on where a coach moves the ball, all while backpedaling.

Don't forget about our predictions contest for Notre Dame-Georgia Tech. Send your guesses to mrothstein@jg.net. First one to send us a correct predicted score wins a prize -- just like last season. Deadline for Georgia Tech is 10 a.m. Eastern on Sept. 1. Also, have a question for the weekly Mailbag or just in general, drop a comment in the box or e-mail us at mrothstein@jg.net.

 

[johnnd05]

Wednesday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 22, 2007 05:43 PM

Notre Dame returned to Cartier Field for practice Wednesday, and the heat was back, too. The corporate tailgating tents were going up at Moose Krause Stadium, another sign that the opener is drawing near.

"It's good to be outside and get a real sweat going," quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus said with a grin on his face.

Someone said "shut up" in a surly voice back to him, but I'm not going to rat that person out.

As the team came out for its stretches, tackle Sam Young tossed one of his gloves at tight end John Carlson. It missed and Carlson didn't even notice.

There were a few interesting conversations during stretching:

• Defense intern LeRoy Knight tried to explain pre-digital film editing techniques to Ambrose Wooden.

"You actually had to cut the film and splice it together," Knight said, demonstrating with his hands.

Wooden just seemed baffled by the whole concept. He's too young, I guess.

• Gary Gray tried to teach defensive coordinator Corwin Brown a game where someone names a movie title and the next person names another title starting with the last letter of the first word of the previous title.

Brown just seemed baffled by the whole concept.

OK, onto the field.

Maurice Crum Jr. looked good moving laterally through the bags today. He did a nice job of keeping his body square and his shoulders low. Defensive end Trevor Laws, meanwhile, announced that he "ate too much ribs."

Corwin Brown worked with the cornerbacks and defensive backs coach Bill Lewis with the safeties in a reverse of Monday's coaching setup.

Brown had a funny exchange with Leo Ferrine, saying, "You're playing man press. You're too far off him." Ferrine said something in reply, and Brown shot back, "I don't care!" and guided him forward, grabbing him by the hips.

Later, Brown went on to signal the cornerback "playing" the wide receiver as to what route to run. The corner who was supposed to be defending couldn't see the call and had to react at the line of scrimmage. Playing the receiver seemed to be Munir Prince's chance to shine as he returned to his offensive roots for a play.

The safeties were reacting to calls of "Pass!" and "Ball" as they backpedaled. Lewis, for an older coach, can still sling the ball, tossing it 30 yards downfield pretty easily. Ray Herring did a nice job of leaping to catch the ball at its highest point in this drill, while Jashaad Gaines didn't even leave the ground on his rep. That won't look good on film.

Wide receivers ran sort of a slalom drill through a set of 3 cones — placed to coincide with the cuts on a certain route, I'm sure — and then making a catch at the end.

"You gotta get better every day, men," receivers coach Rob Ianello said. "You can't take a day off."

Next to the receivers, the running backs were studder-stepping down the 30-yard line, working on making cuts and juke moves. Then they went over to the gauntlet, where offensive coordinator Mike Haywood told them to "Explode!" through the equipment. I don't know if he'll actually get on the field during a game this year, but I'd want walk-on halfback Nikolas Rodriguez on my side in a fight. He looks like a really strong, muscular, chiseled guy.

LInebackers had an interesting drill where they practiced reacting to draw plays. The linebackers backpedaled, as if dropping into pass coverage, until hearing assistant coach Brian Polian yell "Draw!" Once he said that, the linebacker reversed field, came up to take on a guy with a pad playing the part of an offensive lineman, shed that person and then found the ball carrier, being played by Polian. The key is to dispatch the blocker in front of you before looking for the ball carrier, because if your eyes are on the guy with the ball you're going to get blindsided. Seems like a good way to work on this skill.

On our way out, defensive lineman Justin Brown was hitting the blocking sled by himself.

"You've been summoned to the principal's office," D-Line coach Jappy Oliver shouted.

I wonder if this was more about Brown slacking off on a drill or taking him down a peg after Charlie Weis' glowing comments about him the other day. Either way, I bet it worked.

Tomorrow's practice observation period doesn't begin until 5:30 p.m., so don't look for Thursday's 20 Minutes until the evening. Coach Weis also talks to us for the final time before next Tuesday's first game-week press conference, so I'll have some of his comments later on tomorrow night.

 

[IrishRamMan10]

nvm

 

[johnnd05]

This is a bit old, but it's pretty substantial.

Irish 'good enough to win' under center'

By Pete Sampson, IrishIllustrated.com Editor – Rivals.com

Charlie Weis can't name his starting quarterback just yet. But for perhaps the first time since Brady Quinn departed for the NFL, the Notre Dame head coach is comfortable with his choices.

"I think that we'll be good enough to win, that's what I've learned," Weis said. "If you think you have a question, try being me! That's the biggest question mark that the guy who's directly responsible for the position has to worry about. What I've learned is that we'll be good enough to compete to win."

Saturday's practice inside Notre Dame Stadium, which was open to the public, provided a few reasons why. Demetrius Jones turned in a strong workout, making more plays with his arm than his legs. The sophomore was sharp in his delivery, hitting receivers in stride and avoiding the bad pass. Evan Sharpley, who worked almost exclusively with the second team, was also efficient. Jimmy Clausen was limited, never throwing a downfield pass all practice.

While Weis doesn't expect any of the three to pick up right where Quinn left off, the first week of practice provided hope that Notre Dame's offense can be more than running plays and passes to the tight end.

"They've been OK," Weis said of his quarterbacks. "They haven't been great; they haven't been terrible."

Time is running out for the trio to make an impression, with Monday looming as a potential cut down day. Because the Irish will continue their offensive installation into early next week, Weis doesn't feel rushed to steer his attack toward one quarterback's skill set just yet.

"We're right at about the time where all these guys have given us an opportunity to start evaluating whether or not there's separation between them," Weis said.

Weis downplayed Clausen's lack of activity as part of the regular schedule. He said the quarterbacks rotate through practice drills by the day, with Saturday set for Jones and Sharpley to throw one-on-one with a receiver and defensive back while Clausen worked with the goal line operation under Weis' supervision.

The coach remained coy on Clausen's status.

"Can he throw the ball deep?" Weis asked. "I think we'll have to wait until Sept. 1 to find that out."

Weis did learn more about his team on Saturday than who might win the quarterback job. He got a long look at his kicking game, wide receivers and defensive depth too, not that those three aspects produced equally.

At receiver, David Grimes, D.J. Hord and Richard Jackson all made impressive grabs as the position could exceed outside expectations. Hord and Jackson have done little to make a mark since they arrived, but with Duval Kamara and Golden Tate bearing down on the depth chart the prospect of scarce playing time may have spurred the former four-star recruits.

"We've put some pressure on guys like D.J. and Richard and Barry (Gallup) and those guys who've been here before because you've got these two young guys that you haven't even seen practice yet," Weis said. "If you're trying to give people reps and you want to see the two young guys, we don't have time to wait around here. Either you're in the mix or the ship is sailing.

"They're feeling the pressure not just from the top down, they're also feeling the pressure from the bottom up."

The defensive depth showed in how coordinator Corwin Brown substituted liberally in his base set, giving a starting look to freshman Brian Smith and employing a lineup sans Maurice Crum. The intent was to both audition young talent and protect against injuries. Without Crum, Notre Dame relied on Joe Brockington and Toryan Smith in the middle, with the fifth-year senior taking over the playing calling.

"What happens if Mo Crum is down?" Weis said. "If you build some position flexibility, you'll have an older guy that's always calling the defense. From a defensive coordinator's standpoint it's always a refreshing thing when you have a veteran guy running the show and not putting that responsibility on a younger, more inexperienced guy."

Weis credited Brockington and Smith with strong practices, noting that both have thrived since the full pads came out.

As for the kicking game, it left plenty to be desired, both on kickoffs and field goals. The Irish kickers already faced one challenge when the kickoffs moved back to the 30-yard line because it makes touchbacks even more likely. Of the nearly dozen kickoff tries, not one dropped inside the five-yard line.

All three kickers were erratic on field goals, although Brandon Walker showed enough pop in his leg to consider him a strong contender. He connected on his extra point attempt as well as two field goals. Nate Whitaker struggled early but nailed a 40-yarder to close practice. Ryan Burkhart missed his extra point attempt and failed to make solid contact on his field goal attempts. Weis said Whitaker had been the best on field goals during the week with Walker leading the way on kickoffs.

"We're not ready to cut the team as far as making a decision on who the guy is," Weis said. "It was good that the fans and the media were there for these guys today because it isn't the same as when you're in practice. When you're in practice sometimes you can nail eight in a row because there's really not the same pressure as when eyes are on you."

With a few hundred fans in the stands, there was no shortage of onlookers. But only one vantage point really mattered at the end of the workout, and for the most part, Weis liked what he saw.

Updated on Saturday, Aug 11, 2007 3:27 pm, EDT

 

[johnnd05]

August 22, 2007

Wednesday Roundup

by RYAN O'LEARY
Assistant Editor

Much is being made of the fact that Georgia Tech will be breaking in a new quarterback and trying to find someone to replace All-Everything wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

According to linebacker Maurice Crum, though, there isn’t much change in game-planning from last year’s season opener with the Yellow Jackets and now.

“I think you prepare the same,” Crum stated. “I don’t think it’s that much different, other than them not having Calvin. But it’s still the first game of the season, so there are always unknowns.”

There are plenty of knowns though, too, beginning in the backfield. Tech brings back ACC rushing leader Tashard Choice, who was held to 54 yards against Notre Dame last September.

Crum says that Choice is “the complete package,” but adds that the variegated skill sets of the five Irish tailbacks have greatly aided the defense.

“I think seeing our different guys kind of helps prepare for everything he has,” the senior captain said.

As far as adjusting to their own schematic changes, Crum believes that there isn’t necessarily as much to it as some might think.

“Football is football,” he said. “It’s just the one-on-one battles, just basically beat the guy in front of you, whether you run a 4-3 or a 3-4.

“The first thing is having a good group of guys regardless of the system, and I think we do have a good group of guys.”

Practice Observations

Now that we’re midway through the third week of fall camp, it’s only natural that there be some aches and pains, however minor. Perhaps it was just as precaution, but during the team stretching drills there were a handful of players who bypassed the carioca portion (which primarily works the hips, abductors, adductors, glutes and ankles).

On the offensive side, those jogging straight ahead as an alternative included David Grimes, Asaph Schwapp, John Sullivan and Chris Stewart. Schwapp seemed to be avoiding any type of side-to-side motion during the 20-minute viewing period.

- The team was dressed down for the Wednesday heat, sporting shells and shorts.

- There has been some concern on the message boards regarding the hands of Richard Jackson. Perhaps coincidentally, the sophomore wideout had his left hand and forearm wrapped today – so maybe it’s more a case of a sore hand than stone hands.

- Golden Tate took a small earful from receivers coach Rob Ianello after slipping on one cone drill.

- Offensive coordinator Mike Haywood and quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus spent most of the stretching time hovering over Demetrius Jones and Evan Sharpley. Nothing was audible from the sidelines, though, and it was tough to gauge from body language whether the coaches were focusing their words more on one than the other.

Not surprisingly, Charlie Weis – who noted (likely sarcastically) that he was “just chipper” as he walked by – also went straight to the quarterback drills after having a brief chat with a couple of practice visitors.

 

[johnnd05]

Thursday's 20 Minutes

Posted: August 23, 2007 07:20 PM

Thursday's practice, which was held inside the Loftus Center and began just before a torrential downpour passed through the area — proving once again that Charlie Weis is the master of weather prediction — was a little different. Instead of watching practice, we spent our 20 minutes watching Weis make a few guys very happy. (I'm using mostly quotes here because I thought people would be interested to hear the way Weis addressed his team.)

"Take a knee, fellas," Weis said as the players silently gathered in a half-circle at midfield. "Take your hats off.

“When I got here a few years ago, one of the things I said I always wanted to do at the end of training camp was make sure I tried to find one of the over 20 walk-ons we have and put him on scholarship," he said. "Fortunately-slash-unfortunately, what’s happened in the past was that because our numbers have been well below the 85 limit, I’ve been able to give multiple scholarships. That’s about ready to come to an end because after recruiting’s done this year, we’ll be right to the max."

Weis said he'll still save a scholarship for a walk-on in the future, but said there's no established criteria for giving it out.

“You guys who are paying your own freight to go to school here really earn your keep just as much as the guys who are on scholarship," Weis said. "One guy does the same practice who’s on a full scholarship, the next guy does the exact same practice and gets no aid at all. So I’m going to take care of a little business before we get started.

“Last year one of the guys we put on scholarship was J.J. (Jansen), and he came back here with a clear understanding that it’s a one-year deal. All you other guys who come in, you really have to mess it up to not be on scholarship. We never, ever take away a scholarship based on performance. But out of all the guys, the one guy as far as playing that we’re counting on is J.J., so J.J., you’re back again, and you’re on full-ride.”

Jansen mouthed the words "thank you" in Weis' direction as the team applauded.

Jansen, a senior long-snapper from Phoenix, has played in all 20 games the last two years for Notre Dame and has been flawless on all 186 of his snaps. Worthy of a scholarship, I'd say.

“I was really torn," Weis went on, "because I could have ended it right there because that’s what I promised when I got here. When I got here, I promised I would go ahead and give one. But I figured, ah, what the hell, I’ve got these extra scholarships to burn and as long as I didn’t be respectful to Notre Dame and go out of line here, I felt that this would be the last opportunity to take care of a few more people.

“There’s one guy who’s here that’s really pretty close to playing on a regular basis. He’s not there, but he’s pretty close. I had one of the guys set him up by talking to him and let him know that I already knew he wasn’t getting one. So he’s been sweating all week, but Bemenderfer, guess what? You’re on scholarship.”

Thomas Bemenderfer, a junior offensive lineman from nearby Penn High School, transferred from Northwestern and was listed at the No. 3 spot at center before the start of training camp. He, too, looked grateful when his name was called, and the team applauded again.

“I figured, well, I got a special teams guy, I got an offensive guy. Well, I couldn’t not pick someone from defense," Weis said next. "This was a little bit tougher, because really, on the depth chart on defense there really wasn’t anyone that was really close to being on the field a whole lot. So I sat down with the coaching staff and hashed it out and said, ‘What, really are we looking for if we’re going to close this out with more than one scholarship?’ We narrowed it down to two guys and it was a very, very close call. We looked at a couple guys and one guy had a little over 3.9 grade point average and one guy was even a little higher than his. We went back and forth and said, ‘Who are we going to pick?’ So we said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do.’ Where are you William? You’re on. "

William David Williams, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., is a cornerback and a guy who's been in the program for three years.

"I think sometimes people look at the people getting scholarships and just want to know how many plays they make on the field," Weis said to Williams. "Well all I know is you make plays every day on the show team, you’re a senior.”

Weis had one more scholarship to give.

“The problem with that was there was another guy who earned it just as much as you," he said to Williams. "He’s been in the program one year longer than you and has a 4.0 grade point average. So even though I don’t want this to turn into a Penn lovefest, where are you, Wade? You’re on.”

Iams, another Penn graduate, plays cornerback, too, and has run the offensive show teams on occasion when the Irish prepared to play a team with an option offense.

“If you can go to Notre Dame, carry our schedule and have over a 4.0 grade point average and have over a 3.9 grade point average, in William’s case, and have a 3.5 or higher like the other two guys, that’s what, really, Notre Dame’s supposed to stand for," Weis said. "Because so many other schools are worried about just winning or losing that they’re forgetting about all the other things that are part of being part of being a program.”

That was it for the scholarships, but Weis made one more announcement to make.

“The coaching staff has unanimously decided we’re adding a fifth captain to the team this year," Weis said. "Sully, you’re it. We feel that in the absence of Quinn, not only have Travis and John done their part, but since you’re the center of our offensive line and through this entire training camp have been part of our offense, we can’t see any better way to honor what you’ve done for us. Call it a coaches’ choice, even though you’re a pain in the butt.”

So center John Sullivan is also a captain this season, joining John Carlson, Travis Thomas, Maurice Crum Jr. and Tom Zbikowski. And judging by what I've heard about Sullivan from the other players and coaches, it's a well-deserved honor.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I love Charlie Weis. There is noone else I want coaching our team. I'm really happy for Sully and the walk-ons who got scholarships. We really do have a class program. Go Irish!

 

[johnnd05]

August 23, 2007

Practice Notes from the Past Couple Days

* The Irish wrapped up two a days today with a couple practices in the Loftus Center due to overnight rains and then more rain throughout the day.
* The 2007 season will be the last year Weis can hand out multiple scholarships to walk-ons. This year’s walk-ons who were given a scholarship for the year are JJ Jansen, Thomas Bemenderfer, and William David Williams.
* Weis also named John Sullivan as a the fifth captain for this season.
* The order of wide receivers through the drills is still Grimes, West, Parris, Gallup, Hord, Jackson, Kamara, Tate.
* He hasn’t been talked about that much this summer, but Barry Gallup is a guy who I think could find his way on the field more than people think this year. He’s looked very quick and has been the forgotten man at the position this summer.
* Robert Hughes has had some trouble running through the gauntlet drills at times this spring because he hasn’t been bending his knees when running through.
* Armando Allen just looks a little more comfortable running through drills every day.
* Jashaad Gaines could be a very physically imposing safety with a little bit more weight. It looks like he has the frame to accommodate it as well.
* Put a #83 jersey on Robby Parris and it would be like watching Jeff Samardzija all over again.

 

[johnnd05]

Holding in the growls

Irish coach Charlie Weis is showing more patience and less bark with an inexperienced team.

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Charlie Weis stumbled upon a term Thursday that the third-year Notre Dame head football coach gags on more than "rebuilding."

Players' coach -- at least when it pertains to him.

"Don't say that," he said after Thursday's practice, his pained look more authentic than a reach for a laugh.

Weis admits he is a kinder, gentler Charlie this fall with a team flush with neophytes -- but he's only willing to go so far in that direction.

"I think everyone realizes this team is different than last year's team, different in the fact there's not the same level of experience that there was last year," said Weis, whose Irish open the season Sept. 1 at home against Georgia Tech.

"Part of your job as a coach, you can't stay the same if your team changes. You have to figure out what is going to be the best approach to get the most out of your team. Now, that doesn't mean I haven't been tough on them. It just means I've bit my tongue much more often than I have in my entire coaching career to make sure I don't send somebody deep into the tank too quickly."

While he has been biting his tongue, he's also been zipping his lips about the starting quarterback and putting the finishing touches on the remaining personnel decisions. (The university itself is expected to rule on suspended defensive lineman Derrell Hand's status Monday.)

Here's what Weis' to-do list might look like as he approaches the clash with the Yellow Jackets:

1. Hone Plan B. The starting quarterback hasn't been named, but he knows who he is and so does the rest of the team. The educated guess here is that sophomore Demetrius Jones gives the Irish the best chance to win.

He is not the safe choice, and Weis indicated he wouldn't take that route. With Jones' 4.5 speed in the 40, with his strong arm, with his continued steps toward maturity on and off the field, with his appreciation of Notre Dame's tradition, his Brady Quinn-like obsession with film study, his respect from his teammates, he is the right choice.

That doesn't mean he is the permanent choice. One thing Weis has that predecessors Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham didn't have and Weis himself didn't possess in his first two seasons, is options beyond the starter. If the starter gets injured, if he gets scorched by the spotlight, option No. 2 has to be ready.

This is where new quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus will have to earn his money. Weis spends most of his practice time with the No. 1 QB. Powlus will have to keep the backups fresh and focused and not looking for a trap door out of ND.

2. Take care of the little things. Well, little things in the public eye. In Weis' mind, the events during Thursday's practice are the kind of things that help build team chemistry.

Weis stopped practice after the skipping-and-stretching portion to inform fifth-year senior John Sullivan that he would be added as a fifth captain, joining linebacker Maurice Crum, safety Tom Zbikowski, running back Travis Thomas and tight end John Carlson.

He also awarded scholarships to four walk-ons, including two former Penn High players. Penn grad Thomas Bemenderfer is a transfer from Northwestern who was a scholarship player with the Wildcats but took the chance to follow his dream. He is a junior backup center who will likely see action this season.

Penn's Wade Iams also received scholarship status. The senior cornerback earned a 4.0 GPA last school year and currently has a 3.92 cumulative. Fellow cornerback William David Williams also got upgraded to a scholarship.

Long snapper J.J. Jansen earned a scholarship for the second year in a row.

3. Settle on a kicker -- or two. Weis will depend on the ND students during Student Appreciation Night Sunday to help create a game-like atmosphere for his three kicking candidates -- sophomores Ryan Burkhart and Nate Whitaker and freshman Brandon Walker.

Weis' gut feeling is that two of those players will split the duties. Look for lefty kicker Walker to emerge on kickoffs and walk-on Whitaker to handle field goals and extra points -- for now.

4. Let's get physical -- not. Pacing and tempo in practice does make a difference on game day, and Weis wants fresh legs for Georgia Tech. Monday may be the last practice of the week in full pads in preparation for the Yellow Jackets.

5. To redshirt or not to redshirt. OK, OK, redshirt is a frowned-upon term in Notre Dame protocol, but preserving a year of eligibility is still weighed with each freshman. The most intriguing cases on this year's team are freshman tackles Taylor Dever and Matt Romine,

Offensive line is the one position that automatically goes the redshirt route at most schools, but Romine especially presents a case for unconventional wisdom. Both he and Dever already are No. 2 on the depth chart at left and right tackles, respectively. Romine can play both tackle positions in case of an injury to the starter. And Weis has had positive results playing freshman offensive linemen.

Mike Turkovich and Paul Duncan got thrown in for cameos of lopsided games two years ago as freshmen, and now they constitute the starting left side of the line. Prodigy Sam Young started every game at right tackle last year and is regarded as one of the top sophomores at his position in the country going into this season.

"We talked about that subject this morning, whether or not we should give them some exposure and get their feet wet," Weis said of Dever and Romine. "Usually there's a very strong, positive effect the next year and the year after that if they've just kind of gotten it out of their system."

6. Snarl just a little bit. But not at the media. At the players, just to make sure they don't use the term players' coach.

"I'm never in the business of trying to get the players to like me," Weis said. "It's never been my manner of coaching. I want my players to respect me. I think when you're fair, you're honest and they know you're respectful and they're cognizant of how you try to get the team in the best position to win, I think that's all they can ask of you."