Yardbarker: Duval Kamara

Tin Can Opponent Proves to be Made of Cast Iron against Irish

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:55:14 -0500

By Joe Pierce

I hope Saturday's performance by the San Diego State Aztecs was a case of South Bend Fever inferior teams sometimes get when visiting South Bend. It's a funny virus, that South Bend Fever – it makes teams play over their heads for three hours, only for them return to being whipping posts for the rest of their conference. Without David Bruton's timely strip and recovery at the Irish goal line and Jimmy Clausen's late-game heroics, there's no way Charlie Weis would be using phrases like "I'll take an ugly win any day of the week…"

However, the Irish did win, and while they didn't win any style points Saturday, they're 1-0 heading into a showdown with archrival Michigan. They can also hang their hats on some terrific individual performances. Jimmy Clausen, new surfer 'do and all, has officially arrived as the leader of Notre Dame's offense. He rebounded from two Duval Kamara mistakes that gift-wrapped interceptions for San Diego State to have his best quarter of football since he laced them up for Oaks Christian. In the 4th quarter, Clausen was 5-5 for 76 yards & 3-4 for 22 yards with touchdowns on both drives, clinching the win for the Irish. Clausen's poise and confidence, I'm sure, reassured all Irish fans that the program's in capable hands moving forward.

Golden Tate also proved that he's ready to be a full-range WR for this team. Even during slow patches, Tate showed the skill and determination of a #1 receiver. Tate finished with 6 catches for 93 yards and a score. If Duval Kamara can rebound from his poor game and Michael Floyd continues to emerge, the Irish receivers should give defensive coordinators something to worry about.

Saturday also proved to be a coming out party for safety Sergio Brown, who finished with 6 tackles and 2 pass break-ups. Even though Kyle McCarthy was the star statistically with 14 tackles, Brown's presence and big-hitting ability set the tone for a very good outing by a much-improved Irish defense. Though they only managed one sack and had a hard time syncing their blitzes with the snap count, they were stout through most of the game and didn't give San Diego State a whole lot to exploit.

The Irish offensive line also made itself known to the Aztec defense, keeping Jimmy Clausen clean for the first time in his career. In fact, there wasn't a game at all last season where the quarterback wasn't sacked at least once. Let's see what they do against the talented Wolverine front seven next week.

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention the fine game by San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley. Though his stats don't pop out at you (29-59-1-1), the redshirt freshman showed great maturity, leadership, and a quick release that nullified most of Jon Tenuta's blitzes.

Mistakes seem less important when your team wins, but I'm sure Charlie Weis will be drilling them into the heads of his players as he prepares them for a visit from Rich Rodriguez and 1-1 Michigan. He'll be smart to.

Scoring Summary
San Diego St.: RYAN LINDLEY 1 YD RUN (LANE YOSHIDA KICK)
Notre Dame: MICHAEL FLOYD 22 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
San Diego St.: DARREN MOUGEY 15 YD PASS FROM RYAN LINDLEY (MISSED KICK)
Notre Dame: GOLDEN TATE 38 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Notre Dame: DAVID GRIMES 6 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)

WWR 2.0

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:55:13 -0500

By Nick Shepkowski

A few short years ago the campus of Notre Dame was blessed by the presence of the likes of Maurice Stovall, Jeff Samardzija, and Rhema McKnight, forming WWR (Weis Wide Receivers) 1.0 . My fellow followers of football, under the watch of Touchdown Jesus, a new core of receivers has shown its face on Notre Dame's campus and in my eyes looks to be even better than the aforementioned names. That's right, Duval Kamara, Michael Floyd, and Golden Tate will not only equal what Stovall, Shark and McKnight offered, they will be better.

How scary this young group of wide outs has to be for opposing defenses can't be fun to think about. We saw flashes in the pan of what Kamara can do in a jump ball situation against a cornerback in the endzone, with notable catches against Navy last year and Michigan this past week. Need someone to go to in one-on-one coverage? Kamara is amongst the best in the business in the college today, as a sophomore.

What Jeff Samardzija was able to do in a Notre Dame uniform is unbelievable considering how unknown he was a very short time before bringing on his stardom. Samardzija is the kind of receiver I expect to see Michael Floyd be one day. As a freshman Floyd was shown the awareness and leaping ability you expect to see from a veteran, not a player who has now seen the field in only two career college football games.

Michael Floyd already does many things very well, but has time to get even that much better. Floyd has shown his ability to go up for a jump ball much like Kamara is able to do, but he also shows the ability to run away from defensive backs just like we saw from Samardzija. Already seeing valuable playing time as a freshman, expect Floyd to turn into amongst the best wide outs in the nation before his tenure under the Golden Dome is complete.

The biggest play maker of the youthful group so-far in 2008 has to be none other than Golden Tate. Whether it has been a late fourth quarter drive where the Irish face an obvious passing down while needing a first down, or in a surprise deep fly route, Golden Tate has continued to impress early in 2008.

When Tate came onto the scene against Purdue last season he seemed like he was plenty capable of running a fly route, but what scared me was how he struggled in getting open if he wasn't trying to run right by a defender. It is safe to say that Tate has figured out how to go about doing just that.

Whether it was being a key cog in two fourth quarter drives against San Diego State or the receiver of the third touchdown in the win against Michigan, Tate has turned the corner. Not only has he improved in his ability to run routes, he has become the best route runner on this Notre Dame team. He has caught on very quickly, learning proper separation techniques that are even more key because of his lack of height compared to others.

Notre Dame fans have cried about not having anyone to throw the ball to since the departures of Samardzija and McKnight at the end of 2006. Led by Golden Tate, Duval Kamara, and Michael Floyd it is my true belief the wait is over. WWR 2.0 is currently in development and will be even better than its original in due time.

Report Card vs. Michigan

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:55:13 -0500

By Joe Pierce

QB: B+
Jimmy Clausen lead the team well, and made some key passes to put Michigan out of the game. However, you can't ignore the fact that he threw two pretty bad interceptions. One thing's certain, though - Jimmy Clausen's the real deal.

RB: B+
Notre Dame's RB-by-committee trio played pretty well, lead by Robert Hughes' two TDs. James Aldridge contributed with some tough running in the red zone, but Armando Allen played sparingly and poorly, mustering up only 4 yds on two carries. I want to see someone emerge as the featured back.

WR/TE: A
Golden Tate is a star, Michael Floyd is a star in the making, and Duval Kamara rebounded from his poor game last week to score a touchdown on a beautiful jump ball in the end zone. The TEs were quiet in the receiving game, but must be contributing in the blocking game by helping keep Jimmy Clausen clean two weeks in a row.

OL: A+
The big guys didn't allow a sack for the second week in a row, and imposed their will on a very tough Michigan front seven. Trevor Robinson made his Notre Dame debut, spelling Chris Stewart at RG.

DL: D
They were more active than last week, and Pat Kuntz played well, but they were gashed all day by Michigan RB Sam McGuffie. Michigan State will destroy them next week if they don't get it together.

LB: B-
They made some nice highlight reel plays, including Bryan Smith's fumble recovery for a TD, but they need to take some blame for the poor run defense.

DB: A+
David Bruton, Sergio Brown, and Kyle McCarthy pace the defense and are true playmakers. I also believe that Saturday was Raeshon McNeil's coming out party. I haven't seen him play this well his entire career at Notre Dame.

ST: B+
A punt was tipped, but they recovered a muffed kickoff and pinned Michigan deep most of the day. Mike Anello is one of the best gunners I've ever seen.

Overall: B+
This was a terrific and fun game to watch, but there were mistakes made, too. If Notre Dame makes the same mistakes against Michigan State next week, the outcome will be significantly different.

Irish Win Revenge, Respect Against Wolverines

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:55:13 -0500

By Joe Pierce

Who knows what is was - Lou Holtz & the 1988 National Championship team on the field yelling support to the current players after being honored in the first quarter, the thirst for revenge following a 38-0 shellacking in The Big House last year, or this young Notre Dame team coming of age; whatever the cause, Irish eyes were smiling as they watched Notre Dame force two early turnovers, score on four of their first five drives, and outclass Michigan in all three aspects of the game en route to a 35-17 tour de force Saturday in a swampy Notre Dame Stadium.

Sophomore WR Golden Tate proved to be more than a one-week wonder, as he caught four passes for 127 yds and a touchdown, as well as being on the receiving end of a 60 yd beauty by Jimmy Clausen that split double coverage up the seam. Tate's jump from being a deep threat-only last year to being one of the most dangerous receivers in college football (yes, I said in all of college football) is remarkable. Now that the secret's out, we'll see how he responds to double coverage and how Duval Kamara (1-10-1) and Michael Floyd (2-10-0-2 key pass interference penalties drawn) do with having some open real estate to work with.

Jimmy Clausen (10-21-147-2-2) was impressive, even though the stat sheet says otherwise. He threw two picks he shouldn't have, but he made some key throws, including the long pass & touch pass TD to Tate, as well as a nicely-placed jump ball TD to Kamara. Even though he's a sophomore, you can tell that he possesses the intangibles needed to be a top quarterback - poise, control of the team, leadership ability, and a cool as the other side of the pillow demeanor. If he stays through his senior year, there's a good shot he'll be Heisman Trophy winner #8 (#9 in you count Rocket Ismail being robbed).

The Irish running game turned in a fine, but unspectacular performance Saturday. Robert Hughes is establishing himself as the Irish's primary back, rushing 19 times for 79 yds (4.2 ypc) and two scores. James Aldridge made his 2008 debut, moving the offense well in the red zone while rushing 9 times for 28 yds (3.1 ypc). Armando Allen played poorly, gaining 4 yds on 2 carries. While the running back by committee plan has worked thus far, I'd like to see someone step forward to be the featured back before Cierre Wood comes to South Bend and takes over in 2009 or 2010.

If I'm being impartial, Notre Dame's defense scares me a little. Yes, they caused five turnovers (plus another on special teams), and the defensive backs are playing amazing football, lead by David Bruton's 15 tackles and interception, but the defensive line was weak, allowing true freshman RB Sam McGuffie (131 rushing & 47 receiving yds) to look like Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook. Also, they didn't register a sack against a very young Michigan front five. Either Jon Tenuta's blitzes are being figured out, or the Irish need to shake up their personnel, like they did by benching Justin Brown in favor of freshman Ethan Johnson. The LBs played fairly well, but part of the run defense blame falls on their shoulders, too. One thing I'm certain of is that they need to tighten up before next Saturday, when they travel to East Lansing to take on a Michigan State team that thoroughly enjoys pounding the football.

Overall, it was a great win for Notre Dame. They proved that the can handily beat a major conference team (I don't care if Michigan is "down" this year - they're still an arch rival and the winningest program in college football history) and jump on a team early and often. Charlie Weis ended up leaving the game on crutches after tearing his ACL & MCL when John Ryan took him out after being pushed out of bounds by a Michigan player. It's unknown when Coach Weis will get surgery, as he may put it off until the offseason. What can I say, the man's Jersey-tough. Michigan State will be their toughest opponent to date, so we'll see how good this team really is next Saturday.

SCORING
Notre Dame: ROBERT HUGHES 2 YD RUN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Notre Dame: DUVAL KAMARA 10 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Notre Dame: GOLDEN TATE 48 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Michigan: SAM MCGUFFIE 40 YD PASS FROM STEVEN THREET (K.C. LOPATA KICK)
Michigan: K.C. LOPATA 23 YD FG
Notre Dame: ROBERT HUGHES 1 YD RUN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Michigan: KEVIN GRADY 7 YD RUN (K.C. LOPATA KICK)
Notre Dame: BRIAN SMITH 35 YD FUMBLE RETURN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)

Keys to the Game: Michigan State

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:53:40 -0500

There is a lot of momentum for the Irish heading into East Lansing on Saturday. Before the season started, this was one of the two games, Southern Cal being the other, where I felt the Irish would lose. After last week's 35-17 game, I'm not so sure anymore.

Preview: Small School Of No Importance In Northern Indiana

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:54:18 -0500

By Joe Pierce

I hope Saturday's performance by the San Diego State Aztecs was a case of South Bend Fever inferior teams sometimes get when visiting South Bend. It's a funny virus, that South Bend Fever – it makes teams play over their heads for three hours, only for them return to being whipping posts for the rest of their conference. Without David Bruton's timely strip and recovery at the Irish goal line and Jimmy Clausen's late-game heroics, there's no way Charlie Weis would be using phrases like "I'll take an ugly win any day of the week…"

However, the Irish did win, and while they didn't win any style points Saturday, they're 1-0 heading into a showdown with archrival Michigan. They can also hang their hats on some terrific individual performances. Jimmy Clausen, new surfer 'do and all, has officially arrived as the leader of Notre Dame's offense. He rebounded from two Duval Kamara mistakes that gift-wrapped interceptions for San Diego State to have his best quarter of football since he laced them up for Oaks Christian. In the 4th quarter, Clausen was 5-5 for 76 yards & 3-4 for 22 yards with touchdowns on both drives, clinching the win for the Irish. Clausen's poise and confidence, I'm sure, reassured all Irish fans that the program's in capable hands moving forward.

Golden Tate also proved that he's ready to be a full-range WR for this team. Even during slow patches, Tate showed the skill and determination of a #1 receiver. Tate finished with 6 catches for 93 yards and a score. If Duval Kamara can rebound from his poor game and Michael Floyd continues to emerge, the Irish receivers should give defensive coordinators something to worry about.

Saturday also proved to be a coming out party for safety Sergio Brown, who finished with 6 tackles and 2 pass break-ups. Even though Kyle McCarthy was the star statistically with 14 tackles, Brown's presence and big-hitting ability set the tone for a very good outing by a much-improved Irish defense. Though they only managed one sack and had a hard time syncing their blitzes with the snap count, they were stout through most of the game and didn't give San Diego State a whole lot to exploit.

The Irish offensive line also made itself known to the Aztec defense, keeping Jimmy Clausen clean for the first time in his career. In fact, there wasn't a game at all last season where the quarterback wasn't sacked at least once. Let's see what they do against the talented Wolverine front seven next week.

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention the fine game by San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley. Though his stats don't pop out at you (29-59-1-1), the redshirt freshman showed great maturity, leadership, and a quick release that nullified most of Jon Tenuta's blitzes.

Mistakes seem less important when your team wins, but I'm sure Charlie Weis will be drilling them into the heads of his players as he prepares them for a visit from Rich Rodriguez and 1-1 Michigan. He'll be smart to.

Scoring Summary
San Diego St.: RYAN LINDLEY 1 YD RUN (LANE YOSHIDA KICK)
Notre Dame: MICHAEL FLOYD 22 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
San Diego St.: DARREN MOUGEY 15 YD PASS FROM RYAN LINDLEY (MISSED KICK)
Notre Dame: GOLDEN TATE 38 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)
Notre Dame: DAVID GRIMES 6 YD PASS FROM JIMMY CLAUSEN (BRANDON WALKER KICK)

Notre Dame - Washington Game Preview

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:04:36 -0500

Here's another rival blogger piece by John Berkowitz of the Washington Husky Sports Blog. Although we have differing views of this matchup, I do appreciate his views and insights into this game. Tomorrow I'll post my rebuttal to this piece on why and how the Irish will prevail over the Huskies. So without further adieu, here's John's preview of the Washington game seen through the eyes from a delusional Husky fan. Sorry John I had to put that in there.