Luck of the Irish: John O'Farrell and Notre Dame (TCY/FOF)

[Big Six]

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL

CB Maurice Rosenberg ('04) was the first Notre Dame player chosen in the 2005 NFL draft, and he saw action in all 16 games for the Buffalo Bills (7-9). Rosenberg made two tackles and broke up one pass, playing mostly in the Bills' nickel and dime packages.

DT D.J. Hanks ('04) of the Houston Texans (7-9) appeared in eight games, recording one tackle.

DT Robbie Morrison ('04) was released by the Rams in training camp, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts He started all 16 games for the Colts, making 51 tackles and recording a sack. He intercepted a pass and broke up another one, and forced one fumble. The Colts went 9-7 and earned a wild card berth, and upset the New York Jets in the first round of the playoffs. They were then eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Morrison started both playoff games and made 12 tackles.

WR Howard Purnell ('04) participated in all 16 games for the hapless Chicago Bears (4-12). He caught five passes for 62 yards, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. Unfortunately, Howard also dropped three passes.

TE Archie Ward ('04) was also released; the Jets let him go, but he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles. Appearing in all 16 games, Ward caught five passes for 50 yards.

G Gary Keith ('04) appeared in 14 games at guard for the San Diego Chargers. He recorded one key run block.

[Big Six]

Notre Dame recruits again among nation's best
Irish recruiting class ranked #5 by rivals.com

In his first two years as Notre Dame's head football coach, John O'Farrell is proving he can recruit with the best in the business.

Last year's Fighting Irish recruits were judged the best in the nation, and O'Farrell and the Irish followed up that performance with another strong effort this time around. Rivals.com recently ranked Notre Dame's incoming class the fifth-best in the nation. Perennial powerhouse USC ranked first, with Michigan, UCLA, and Penn State also placing higher than Notre Dame. Texas A&M, Texas, Iowa, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse rounded out the top ten.

The Irish signed four of the ten best players in the country, according to several sets of rankings. Offensive linemen Marco Mathis and Robbie Francis, defensive lineman Jeff Butler, and running back Johnny Brewer are all among the nation's most prized recruits.

"We brought in some players we believe will develop into impact players at this level," said O'Farrell. "We're very pleased with the depth we're building on the offensive and defensive lines."

Criticized for not signing a quarterback last year, O'Farrell made recruiting a signal-caller a top priority. The Irish landed Harvey Duffy, generally considered among the top ten players at his position in the class. "We think very highly of Harvey," O'Farrell commented. "If anything, we think he was underrated."

Fullback Clyde Stargell and placekicker Blaine Allen were also considered the best players at their position by several experts.

"What's more, the players we signed are all strong academically," O'Farrell added. "We're out to prove that it's possible to win without compromising on academics."

[Big Six]

A total of seven players from the 2005 Notre Dame team were selected in the 2006 NFL draft.

First to hear his name called was G Freddie Burton, who was drafted by the NFC champion Detroit Lions in the first round. He signed a five-year contract that will pay him $550,000 his rookie year, with a $1.6 million signing bonus.

Two former ND linebackers were chosen in Round Two. LB Dennis Gonzalez was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, and signed a four-year deal. He'll receive $440,000 this season, and he got a nice $2.16 million bonus.

The Dallas Cowboys selected LB Mercury Goffee, and inked him to a 3-year contract. Mercury received a $1.44 million signing bonus, and would earn a $480,000 salary as a rookie.

C Rick Rice was the Fighting Irish's last Day One selection. The third round pick of the Detroit Lions, Rick earned a $1.4 million signing bonus and a rookie salary of $270,000.

DE Dusty Barton went to the New England Patriots in Round Four. His three-year deal will pay him the league minimum salary of $270,000 as a rookie, and he received a $270,000 bonus, too.

The third member of Notre Dame's stalwart linebacking corps heard his name called in Round Six. Emmitt Hutton was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, and received a $90,000 signing bonus. His three-year deal will pay him $270,000 this season.

Finally, the St. Louis Rams drafted S Rufus Mitchell in Round Seven. He signed a three-year contract, will be paid the league minimum as a rookie, and didn't get a signing bonus.

Somewhat surprisingly, LB Lester Martinez went undrafted. Perhaps he'll sign somewhere as a free agent,

[Big Six]

Here's the schedule John O'Farrell and his Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face in 2006. Home games are listed in ALL CAPS:

 
Week 2   SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Week 3   at Michigan
Week 4   PURDUE
Week 5   MICHIGAN STATE
Week 6   at Western Michigan
Week 7   TEMPLE
Week 8   at Navy
Week 10  at Brigham Young
Week 11  at LSU
Week 13  CONNECTICUT
Week 14  BOSTON COLLEGE

TCY seemingly has locked the Irish in to yearly matchups against USC, Michigan, Purdue, Western Michigan, Navy, BYU, UConn, and Boston College.

[Big Six]

Here are the starters and other key players for the Notre Dame offense in 2006.

 
POS  NO  NAME                HT    WT    CL  CUR  POT   HOME TOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
QB   14  Junior Turnbull     6-0   203   Sr   51   51   South Bend, IN/Clay 
RB   40  Ronnie Schulz       5-9   200   Sr   82   82   Elkhart, IN/Central
FB   31  Kyle Chandler       5-8   207   Sr   47   67   Kentland, IN/South Newton
FL   89  Jackie Blanchard    5-10  184   Sr   82   88   Jackson, MI/Jackson  
SE   81  Isaac Leiter        6-0   184   Sr   68   74   Culver, IN/Culver Community
TE   88  Kurt Carpenter      6-2   234   Jr   64   72   Curwensville, PA/Curwinsville Area
LT   74  Levon Thomason      6-3   277   So   66   75   Lagrange, IN/Prairie Heights
LG   71  Preston Flannery    6-5   294   Sr   39   85   Glendale, CA/Herbert Hoover
C    59  Doug Thomason       6-3   273   So   48   96   Bedford, IN/Bedford-North Lawrence
RG   64  Benjamin Cloude     6-5   305   Fr   41   74   Opelika, AL/Opelika
RT   62  Desmond Mullis      6-4   283   Sr   57   70   Sparta, NJ/Sparta
 
QB    2  Nathan Brodhead     5-11  194   Jr   38   59   Gridley, CA/Gridley
RB   32  Oscar Sowers        5-6   182   Jr   65   65   Indianapolis, IN/Decatur Central
RB   33  Billy Joe Lang      5-11  195   Jr   57   64   Knightstown, IN/Knightstown
FB   26  O.J. Doser          6-2   256   Fr   30   77   Saginaw, MI/Saginaw
WR    8  Ralph Borders       5-11  187   Sr   46   57   Aberdeen, IN/Aberdeen
WR   80  Courtney Cadrez     6-1   199   Fr   52   70   Milford, OH/Milford
WR    1  Mickey Washington   6-0   183   Fr   55   94   Hinesville, GA/Liberty County
TE   19  Jerome Urbina       6-4   250   Fr   42   96   Oak Ridge, TN/Oak Ridge
T    65  Freddie Husak       6-5   285   Fr   51   88   Newark, OH/Newark

I thought Turnbull might just be a placeholder until the Irish brought in a hotshot recruit, but his 28 TD passes in '05 changed that perception. Ditto with Schulz, who has matured into an excellent player. Look for Blanchard to break out this year if he stays healthy.

The offensive linemen have potential, but with the exception of L. Thompson, and perhaps Mullis, probably haven't developed into impact players yet.

This unit is loaded with seniors, especially at the skill positions, so if the line jells, look for the Irish to put plenty of points on the board.

Sowers and Lang provide great depth at RB, and the backup WRs are even better. The first of O'Farrell's fine recruits are beginning to appear on the depth chart. One challenge O'Farrell will face is finding them enough playing time, so they develop their talents properly.

[Big Six]

The 2006 Fighting Irish defense has a lot to live up to, after the fine performance of last year's unit. Here are the players who will face that challenge, plus the kicker and punter.

 
POS  NO  NAME                HT    WT    CL  CUR  POT   HOME TOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
LE   75  Floyd Benton        6-3   260   Jr   50   79   Libertyville, IL/Libertyville-Butler Lake
LT   92  Ian Von Hagel       6-2   279   So   39   78   Edgar, WI/Edgar
RT   91  Cory Cameron        6-3   262   Jr   38   56   Bastrop, TX/Bastrop
RE   70  Renaldo Samuels     6-6   274   Sr   62   69   Hagerstown, IN/Hagerstown
SLB  45  Emmitt Boone        5-10  214   Jr   39   58   Amarillo, TX/Caprock
MLB  51  Dixon Tyler         6-2   246   Fr   58   81   Saint Johns, MI/Saint Johns
WLB  43  Colin Carpenter     6-3   238   Sr   45   52   Grand Rapids, MI/Kelloggsville
LCB  20  Antoine Rivers      5-9   171   Jr   76   82   Plainfield, IN/Plainfield
RCB  22  Herman Fisher       6-2   189   So   69   81   Sterling Heights, MI/Henry Ford II
FS   39  Sean Fields         5-11  189   Fr   54  100   Corinth, MS/Corinth
SS   38  Norbert Bensen      5-11  180   Sr   47   65   Ooltewah, TN/Ooltewah
 
K    13  Blaine Allen        5-9   174   Fr   47   98   Hilliard, OH/Hilliard Darby
P    12  Dale Collins        5-11  182   So   47   76   Greenfield, IN/Central
 
DE   79  Travis Edmondson    6-3   238   Jr   31   78   Leopold, IN/Perry Central
DE   73  Peter Banks         6-3   261   Jr   33   78   Pell City, AL/Pell City
DT   76  Greg Ungerer        6-4   300   Fr   28   79   Coraopolis, PA/Moon
LB   44  Kevin Schwartz      6-0   222   So   55   79   Monroe, IN/Adams Central
LB   58  Harold Kinney       6-1   235   Fr   27   99   Tucson, AZ/Flowing Wells
CB   23  Riddick Danko       5-9   177   Sr   51   58   Oklahoma City, OK/U.S. Grant

Samuels has developed into one of the most ferocious pass rushers in all of college football. He'll be the key member of a D-line that returns three starters.

Boone, Tyler, and Carpenter have huge, huge shoes to fill. Between the three of them, they've made exactly 10 collegiate tackles.

The secondary is clearly the strength of this year's Irish defense. Cornerbacks Rivers and Fisher are both rock-solid. If Fields lives up to his potential, look out, NFL.

Allen steps right in to the kicking job, and Collins should be just fine.

Again, the backups are mostly young players O'Farrell has recruited. Look for Schwartz to get a lot of playing time; he's too talented to keep off the field.

[Big Six]

Week 2: #6 USC 20, #17 Notre Dame 13

The Fighting Irish never got their offense going against the powerful Trojans. Ronnie Schulz gained only 39 yards on 17 carries, and things got worse for Ronnie and the Irish when he was diagnosed with torn knee cartilage after the game. It seemed likely that Schulz would miss most of the season. Notre Dame’s sole touchdown came on a pass from Junior Turnbull to RB Oscar Sowers. LB Dixon Tyler, playing his first collegiate game, was all over the field, making 20 tackles.


Week 3: #3 Michigan 24, Notre Dame 11

Before a capacity crowd at the Big House, neither Michigan nor Notre Dame could move the ball on the ground. The teams combined for TEN yards rushing, as Notre Dame, without Schulz, amassed minus-6 yards on 25 carries. Michigan freshman QB Patrick Inzinna, whom the Irish had recruited heavily, threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns. Once again, Notre Dame scored once, on a short Turnbull-to-Sowers pass play.

Notre Dame's record: 0-2.

[Big Six]

From the "College Football Roundup" radio show, with "Cowboy Greg" Bowman:

Jake from Chicago: Hi, Cowboy Greg...thanks for taking my call. I'd like to hear what you think about this year's Notre Dame team. I'll take it off the air. Thank you.

"Cowboy Greg": Thanks for your call, Jake. I know there are a lot of Notre Dame fans out there who won't want to hear this, but I'm not ready to say the Irish are back. Yeah, they won ten games last year, but look at who beat them: USC and Purdue. They beat a pretty good Michigan team, and they had a good win against LSU. But that means they went 2-2 against ranked teams.

Now they've started the season 0-2...they've lost to USC and Michigan. I commend them for playing the big boys right away, but they simply haven't proven to me that they're ready to beat teams like that. They're not there yet.

Now their running back, Schulz, is hurt, and without him, it doesn't look like their running game can get going. They'll win some games, sure; they'll beat the Navies and Western Michigans on their schedule. But they're not looking like one of the best teams in the country.

John O'Farrell is a good young coach, but he's 0-3 against USC now. He's 1-2 against Michigan, and he's 0-2 against Purdue. If he doesn't start winning games against teams like that, he might have a hard time holding on to his job...

[Recoil]

Tough start. I'm sure ND will pick it up

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Recoil

Tough start. I'm sure ND will pick it up

Yeah, it was a difficult way to open a season. I have to wonder if the Irish might have beaten Michigan if Ronnie Schulz hadn't been injured.

Notre Dame's next two opponents aren't pushovers, either. Purdue is ranked #16 in the country. The Boilermakers are 2-0, with wins over cupcakes Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette by a combined score of 122-10. And, as "Cowboy Greg" pointed out, O'Farrell's Irish teams have lost two straight to Purdue.

Michigan State is 1-1, but their loss was against #4 Texas on the road. It's conceivable that the Irish could end up 0-4 before they encounter the weaker teams on their schedule.

Because they'll play both Purdue and Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium, I'm guessing they'll win at least one of the two games. If they don't, expect the bloggers (perhaps even Taylor) to come after Johnny O pretty hard.

Thanks for the comment, Recoil.

[Big Six]

Week 4: Notre Dame 17, #16 Purdue 14

Coach John O’Farrell’s Fighting Irish played their third consecutive game against a ranked team, and this time they defended their home turf and pulled out a victory. Junior Turnbull threw two more TD passes, a 71-yard bomb to Isaac Leiter and another short toss to Oscar Sowers. The Irish continued to struggle when they ran the ball. Reserve Billy Joe Lang led the team’s rushers with 33 yards; Sowers was held to 19 yards on 22 carries. Turnbull went 17-26 for 334 yards, with Leiter catching five balls for 154.


Week 5: Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 20

The Irish finally got their offense going, raking the Spartans for 40 points and 433 total yards, while the Irish defense forced seven turnovers. Billy Joe Lang romped for 81 yards on 14 carries, while Oscar Sowers added 36 more and scored a touchdown. Sowers also caught another TD pass, extending his string of games with a touchdown reception to four. Freshman wideout Courtney Cadrez scored his first collegiate touchdown, catching a short pass from Junior Turnbull and racing 76 yards to paydirt. LB Colin Carpenter returned an interception 90 yards for a score, and the Irish kicked five field goals—four by Blaine Allen and one by Roosevelt Lynn. However, the game’s biggest star was CB Herman Fisher, who made ten tackles and intercepted three passes.


Notre Dame's record: 2-2.

[Big Six]

Week 6: Notre Dame 45, Western Michigan 23

In the days before the game, the Irish received more bad news from the team’s medical staff. Senior WR Jackie Blanchard, whose career had been plagued by injuries since he arrived in South Bend, learned he had a degenerative hip condition that would end his season and, most likely, his career. The Irish, even without Blanchard, had no problems with the outmanned Chippewas, who had lost four of their first five games. Oscar Sowers (124 yards, two TDs) and Billy Joe Lang (62 yards) split the tailback chores, and both played well. Junior Turnbull and Nathan Brodhead both looked good at quarterback, with Brodhead hitting TE Kurt Carpenter for a TD pass. Unfortunately, Turnbull sprained his wrist badly, and was expected to miss up to seven weeks. Now the Irish would be forced to play without their leading passer, rusher, and receiver.


Week 7: Notre Dame 44, Temple 10

A sellout crowd was treated to a big Fighting Irish win on a beautiful autumn Saturday in South Bend. In a performance reminiscent of last year, the ND defense smothered the Owls, while the offense produced on the ground and in the air. QB Nathan Brodhead was nearly perfect in his first start for Notre Dame (15-17, 207 yards, 2 TD), connecting with Courtney Cadrez twice for scores and scrambling for a touchdown himself. Oscar Sowers darted for a career-high 188 yards and two touchdowns. Safety Norbert Bensen scored on a 26-yard interception return.


Week 8: #21 Notre Dame 56, Navy 17

The Midshipmen were, once again, no match for Notre Dame. Four Irish running backs—Kyle Chandler, Billy Joe Lang, Myron Drauch, and Oscar Sowers—ran for touchdowns; Sowers scored twice. Kicker Blaine Allen shook off the effects of a lingering quad strain to boot eight extra points without missing. Twenty-four Notre Dame players recorded at least one tackle. MVP honors went to WR Isaac Leiter, who caught eight Nathan Brodhead passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns.


Week 9: #19 Notre Dame 45, Brigham Young 20

Who would have thought that the Fighting Irish offense would bust loose, with three of its leading playmakers on the sidelines? For the fourth consecutive game, the Irish scored at least 40 points, as Nathan Brodhead ran his record as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback to 3-0. Brodhead completed 24 of 28 attempts for 365 yards, and threw TD passes to RB Billy Joe Lang and freshman WR Mickey Washington. Lang rushed for 109 yards and ran for two more scores, and Oscar Sowers rushed for 2 TDs for the fourth straight game. Renaldo Samuels led the defense with 2.5 sacks.

Notre Dame's record: 6-2.

[hoopsguy]

Lets go LSU!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Lets go LSU!

Over 90,000 screaming LSU fans will be on hand in Death Valley to give Coach O'Farrell and the Fighting Irish a taste of "Southern hospitality," Bayou Bengal style.

I think what you really mean to say is "Let's GEAUX LSU," right?

[hoopsguy]

So how do the Tigers look this year? Have they been giving their 90,000+ screaming fans at Death Valley much to cheer about so far? Will they have a a chance to extend O'Farrell's anti-run against Top 10 competition?

[Big Six]

From the "Irish Eyes" blog, Week 10, 2006

Sure, it's a whole lot easier to find silver linings in the clouds when you look at a 6-2 team than it is when you're staring at 0-2. Still, before ND Nation convinces itself that the dark days are over, it might be smart to examine the sky a little more closely.

Coach O'Farrell has been fortunate to have a deep enough roster to weather the losses his offensive unit has suffered. He remained calm when Ronnie Schulz went down, refusing to burn Johnny Brewer's redshirt and trusting Oscar Sowers and Billy Joe Lang to carry the load. He trusted Nathan Brodhead to lead the team when last year's sensation, Junior Turnbull, got hurt. And he gave Courtney Cadrez and Mickey Washington a chance to demonstrate their big play-making ability after Jackie Blanchard's career reached its sad end.

However, O'Farrell could have another sort of problem on his hands. Turnbull, who was believed to be injured so badly that he wouldn't be back until the postseason. should be ready for action against LSU next week. In his absence, Brodhead has led the Irish to three victories, and he's completed 75 percent of his passes.

Turnbull, a senior, is highly respected by his teammates, and O'Farrell likes him. He's said several times that Turnbull's breakout performance was one of the biggest keys to Notre Dame's successful 2005 season. Nobody would, therefore, blame O'Farrell if he sends Turnbull back into action with the first offense against LSU.

However, the team has caught fire with Brodhead at the controls. In one sense, the safe move for O'Farrell would be to rest Turnbull one more time and go with Brodhead against LSU.

But, in another sense, starting Turnbull is the more conventional, less risky move. No coach in the country would blame O'Farrell for giving a senior quarterback the opportunity to return to the field as soon as he's physically able.

Is O'Farrell bold enough to roll the dice with Brodhead against LSU? Or, is he bold enough to go with Turnbull, whose heart might well be big enough to help him overcome his aching wrist?

Or, will he waffle, while a genuine quarterback controversy ruins what's left of Notre Dame's season?

-Taylor Hughes

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

So how do the Tigers look this year? Have they been giving their 90,000+ screaming fans at Death Valley much to cheer about so far? Will they have a a chance to extend O'Farrell's anti-run against Top 10 competition?

At first glance, LSU looks a whole lot like Notre Dame. The Tigers bring a 6-2 record into the game, the same as that of the Fighting Irish. Like Notre Dame, LSU has whooped up on the inferior teams they've played and have struggled against ranked opponents.

The Tigers gave #6 Florida a decent game in the Swamp, losing 27-15. They lost at home against #20 Georgia. Their 37-10 victory over Alabama looks good, until one notices that Alabama has only won two games. Easy wins over teams like Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are just about equally impressive as Notre Dame's romps over Navy and Michigan State.

However, LSU possesses one weapon that will keep O'Farrell up at night: a stalwart defense that makes the '05 Notre Dame roughnecks look mild by comparison.

Opponents average 1.0 yards per carry against LSU. You read that right: ONE YARD PER CARRY. The Tigers aren't much easier to throw against, either. Only one team, #1 Texas, has allowed fewer points per game than LSU. Even without All-American DE Courtney Bailen, who is out with a torn ACL, the Bayou Bengals can put a hurtin' on people.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if, without Ronnie Schulz, Jackie Blanchard, and a healthy Junior Turnbull, the Irish can't score against the Tiger defense. LSU is favored by five points, and I think that's probably just about right.

LSU is the only Top Ten team the Irish have beaten under O'Farrell. Between us, I don't think the Tigers will let it happen again.

[Big Six]

Week 11: #15 LSU 24, #19 Notre Dame 22


Coach O’Farrell went with his veteran quarterback, tapping Junior Turnbull to start against the nightmare-inducing LSU defense in Death Valley. LSU’s star RB, Billy Joe Reilly, scored twice, and a TD pass from Kent Knight to Wendell Farmer and a short field goal gave the Tigers a 21-0 lead.

The Fighting Irish gamely battled back, as Turnbull connected with Courtney Cadrez on two TD passes. Both times, the Irish went for two and converted.

Early in the fourth quarter, Turnbull led Notre Dame on an 89-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 4-yard TD pass to Ralph Borders. Two points down, O’Farrell again called for a two-point conversion attempt that would tie the score. However, as a capacity crowd rocked Tiger Stadium, the LSU defense stuffed Billy Joe Lang a few inches short of the goal line and preserved the lead.

The vaunted Tiger defense was every bit as good as advertised. They held Notre Dame to 21 rushing yards on 27 carries; would the presence of either Ronnie Schulz or Oscar Sowers have made a difference? Turnbull produced three TD passes, but the Tigers held him to 18-for-40 on the day and picked him off four times. Would Nathan Brodhead have fared better?

Notre Dame's record: 6-3.

[Big Six]

Week 13: #19 Notre Dame 49, Connecticut 17

QB Junior Turnbull redeemed coach John O'Farrell's faith in him, completing 30 of 48 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns in an easy Notre Dame victory over the Huskies. Turnbull, the game's MVP, also ran for a touchdown. True freshman RB Myron Drauch led all rushers with 89 yards on 11 carries, and walkon RB Louie Whipple will one day tell his grandchildren about the 10-yard touchdown run he made in front of 80,800 fans at Notre Dame Stadium.



Week 14: #19 Notre Dame 38, #14 Boston College 22

In his final appearance at Notre Dame Stadium, senior WR Isaac Leiter returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown and caught a TD pass from Junior Turnbull to spark the Irish to victory over a tough Boston College team. The Irish took the lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back. LB Colin Carpenter led the Notre Dame defense, who held the Eagles to 20 net yards rushing and recorded seven sacks. Carpenter earned 2.5 sacks himself.

Notre Dame's record: 8-3.

[Big Six]

Aloha

From: John O'Farrell ([email protected])
To: Mark Carson ([email protected])
Date: 13 December 2006

Hey Mark,

It was great to get your Christmas card the other day. Your sons are really growing up! Who knows? One day I might be recruiting them.

I'm happy to be going back to the Aloha Bowl, and I think most of the players are, too. Unless we finish the year as one of the top eight teams, it looks like the Aloha Bowl will be our destination every year we're bowl-eligible. I suppose if you're "stuck" going somewhere, Hawaii isn't such a bad place to be.

I know Kelly is probably asking you if you know whether or not I'm seeing anyone, since she asked me that question twice when you were in town for the Temple game. I'm not exactly sure what the correct answer to that question is, but here's the story, so you can come up with your own answer if you like.

Taylor and I have had dinner together twice in the past three weeks. They haven't been romantic dinners--we've had burgers and pizza--but we're enjoying hanging out. She's going to Hawaii for the bowl game, but we haven't made any firm plans to get together. Needless to say, I'll be kinda busy that week. One of her friends texted me and told me that Taylor's interest in going to the Aloha Bowl wasn't entirely related to her ND football blog. I'll let you know what happens.

On a more football-related note, I think we have a good chance to beat San Diego State. Their defense is young, and they've allowed some of their opponents to move the ball pretty much at will. They've won some shootouts, because their offense is balanced and productive. Honestly, I'm glad we're getting them now, because in a year or two they're going to be a very, very good football team. Right now, they're good, but I think we're better.

Again, thanks for the card, and please tell Kelly and the boys Merry Christmas for me.

John

[Big Six]

Aloha Bowl
#17 Notre Dame 38, San Diego State 0

The weather was perfect, and the Notre Dame defense was nearly so as the Fighting Irish shut out San Diego State. The Aztecs managed only 25 yards rushing, 91 total yards, and five first downs as Notre Dame played as well defensively as they have at any time in Coach John O'Farrell's three years at the helm.

The offensive stars for the Irish were RB Oscar Sowers, who racked up 119 yards on 20 carries and scored on runs of 10 and 2 yards. QB Junior Turnbull and WR Mickey Washington added touchdown runs of their own, and Turnbull threw a TD pass of 5 yards to freshman WR Courtney Cadrez.

The Irish MVP was redshirt freshman G Benjamin Cloude, who delivered key blocks on six running plays.

Notre Dame's record: 9-3.

[Big Six]

Here are the statistics for the 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Graduating seniors will be highlighted in blue.

 
PASSING        ATT  COM   PCT   YDS   TD  INT
Turnbull       304  174  57.2  2404   15   16
Brodhead        96   73  76.0  1074    8    3
TEAM           411  251  61.1  3541   23   21
 
RUSHING        ATT   YDS   AVG   TD
Sowers         171   691   4.1   14
Lang           129   574   4.4    3
Drauch          23   165   7.1    3
Chandler        21    72   3.4    1
Schulz          21    52   2.4    0
Whipple          1    10  10.0    1
Turnbull        62   -11  -0.2    2
TEAM           466  1733   3.7   26
 
RECEIVING       NO   YDS   AVG   TD
Leiter          51   982  19.2    6
Washington      38   542  14.2    1
Carpenter       31   422  13.6    2
Sowers          26   211   8.1    4
Cadrez          25   428  17.1    7
Chandler        20   160   8.0    0   
Blanchard       15   273  18.2    0
Lang            18   222  12.3    1
Borders          9   132  14.6    1
Doser            6    46   7.6    0
Urbina           4    45  11.2    1
TEAM           251  3541  14.1   23
 
KICKING        FG  FGA  LNG  XP  XPA   PTS
Allen          12   18   40  49   49    85
Lynn            1    2   28   0    1     3
TEAM           13   20   40  49   50    88
 
PUNTING        NO   YDS    AVG  LNG  In20
Collins        41  1585   38.6   51   14
 
DEFENSE        TCK   AST   SACK   TFL   INT   PD
Tyler           60    20    2.5    14     0    7
Fields          55    22    0.0     7     6   12
Fisher          46    13    0.0     6     5   10
Samuels         37    13   11.0    17     0    0
Rivers          35    11    0.0     2     1    5
Boone           33    19    3.5    12     0    4
Danko           32     6    0.0     5     1    4
Bensen          30    15    0.0     3     4    9
Carpenter       26     9    2.5     6     1    3
Schwartz        23     7    1.0     4     0    2
Foster          21     2    1.0     1     1    3
Benton          20    15    9.0     9     0    1
Von Hagel       19    15    4.0     5     0    0
Cameron         18     7    1.0     5     0    0
Kinney          12     4    0.5     0     0    1
Banks           10     4    3.0     5     0    1
Kaplan           7     2    1.5     2     0    1
TEAM           582   198   43.0   110    20   61

It's a shame Ronnie Schulz and Jackie Blanchard lost so much of their senior seasons to injury. They both deserved a much better fate.

The defense will really miss Renaldo Samuels. "Sack Daddy" leaves South Bend with a three-year career total of 39 sacks, sixth-most among Division I-A players.

[Big Six]

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL

Class of 2005

Despite the fact he'd started all 16 games in 2005, G Gary Keith was cut by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and once again started every game. Seeing action for a total of 990 plays, Gary delivered 18 key run blocks in 64 opportunities. Gary's 49ers were the NFC West champions, won two playoff games, and lost the NFC Championship game to the Super Bowl champion Carolina Panthers.

DT Robbie Morrison of the St. Louis Rams, who missed part of the season with an ankle injury, participated in 11 games and 147 plays. He recorded 8 tackles, 3 assists, and a sack.

WR Howard Purnell played in all 16 Chicago Bears games. He participated in 226 plays, and caught 7 passes for 92 yards (13.1 avg).

CB Maurice Rosenberg played in all 16 games for the Buffalo Bills, starting five times and recording 45 tackles, 16 assists, and 2 sacks. He intercepted two passes, one of which he returned 66 yards for a touchdown. Maurice also broke up 10 passes. He was on the field for a total of 574 plays. Maurice's Bills won the AFC East title, won their first playoff game against the Jets, and barely lost the AFC Championship game to the Jaguars.

TE Archie Ward remained on the New York Jets' inactive list all season long.

DT D.J. Hanks was cut by the Texans, and didn't sign with anyone else.


Class of 2006

DL Dusty Barton participated in four games and 82 plays for the Patriots as a rookie. He was in on three tackles, assisted on another, and was credited with half a sack.

G Freddie Burton, the Lions' first round pick, played in six games for a total of 31 plays. He delivered one key run block. The defending Super Bowl champions were the NFC's best team at 13-3, but were upset in the playoffs by San Francisco.

LB Mercury Goffee of the Dallas Cowboys started seven games, and appeared in all 16. On the field for a total of 478 plays, he recorded 43 tackles, 17 assists, and five sacks.

Atlanta Falcons LB Dennis Gonzalez was a key contributor as a rookie. He appeared in all 16 games, starting 12, and participated in 590 plays. Dennis was productive, with 60 initial hits and 27 assists.

LB Emmitt Hutton got in all 16 Seattle Seahawks games. In 255 plays, he recorded 20 tackles, 10 assists, and a sack.

G Jamal Lomond signed with the Rams as a free agent. His season began splendidly, as he started the first six games of the season and recorded seven key run blocks in 14 opportunities. However, an elbow injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. He was on the field for exactly 200 plays.

S Rufus Mitchell made the Rams roster, but spent the entire season on the inactive list.

Ray Rice saw action at center in three Browns games. He was on the field for 15 plays. At 12-4, the Browns had the AFC's best record. However, like Freddie Burton's Lions, the Browns were upset in the playoffs; wild card Jacksonville, the eventual AFC champions, eliminated them.


Here are the updated ratings (current/potential) for the Notre Dame alumni:

 
Keith          42/42
Morrison       24/45
Purnell        34/53
Rosenberg      38/57
Ward           31/49
 
Barton         26/54
Burton         33/73
Goffee         46/77
Gonzalez       42/78
Hutton         23/55
Lomond         50/54
Mitchell       42/46
Rice           41/71

The members of the Class of '06 clearly have more upside than the '05ers. Four or five of them could be on their way to long, productive NFL careers.

[Big Six]

South Bend Tribune, February 9, 2007

Notre Dame lands another top recruiting class
Only Michigan’s rates better, according to TCY Today

SOUTH BEND— Determining which high school football players have the best potential for collegiate greatness is, at best, an inexact science. Many highly touted recruits never realize their immense potential; many lesser-known high school players emerge into collegiate stars.

That being said, the ability to lure large numbers of the nation’s most prized recruits to your campus is a skill any college football team would love its coach to possess.

Right now, the hottest recruiter in the land might be John O’Farrell. TCY Today recently released its list of the top recruiting classes in the nation, and O’Farrell’s Fighting Irish placed second. Only Michigan’s class ranked higher.

In three seasons, O'Farrell has recruited classes that ranked first, fifth, and second in the nation.


O’Farrell landed five of the top ten players in the country, according to one set of rankings. North Carolina running back Edgar Pearson, Virginia receiver Ricardo Josephson, Pennsylvania defensive end Kirk Ferderer , and Maine linebacker Shane Lebow were all among the nation’s most coveted recruits. O’Farrell even lured quarterback Donovan Shelton out of the Wolverines’ backyard.

“Notre Dame is targeting a certain kind of player,” said recruiting guru Shane Richards. “They’re going after the best players in the country who are also outstanding students, and they’re landing almost everybody they’re pursuing.”

Notre Dame’s success on the recruiting front hasn’t yet paid off in the form of national championships or BCS bowl berths. However, it’s hard to argue with O’Farrell’s commitment to making sure Notre Dame football players are truly student athletes.

Here are the 16 members of the latest Notre Dame recruiting class:

NAME                 POS   HT    WT    HOME TOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Joe Bradley          CB    6-0   169   Wadsworth, OH/Wadsworth
Roman Durham         OLB   6-0   224   Wilson, NC/Beddingfield
Emmanuel Everett     DE    6-3   240   Bedford, IN/Bedford-North Lawrence
Kirk Ferderer        DE    6-2   236   Linesville, PA/Linesville-Conneaut-Summit
J.T. Grismore        G     6-5   283   Rockford, IL/Auburn
Ricardo Josephson    WR    6-0   192   Newport News, VA/Warwick
Shane Lebow          ILB   6-1   224   Fairfield, ME/Lawrence
Devin Malek          OLB   6-1   216   Oswego, NY/Oswego
Winston Oliver       TE    6-5   219   Deming, NM/Deming
Ross Patterson       G     6-4   289   Prince Frederick, MD/Calvert
Edgar Pearson        RB    5-11  180   Kings Mountain, NC/Kings Mountain
Chris Petruzziello   G     6-1   276   Quakertown, PA/Quakertown Community
Aaron Seaver         DE    6-3   239   Duncan, SC/James F. Byrnes
Donovan Shelton      QB    6-1   192   Centreville, MI/Centreville    
Andy Terrell         T     6-6   288   Las Cruces, NM/Onate
Zack Woolford        QB    6-1   205   Hebron, IL/Alden-Hebron
 
Name                POS   NRank  ByPos  StRank  ByPos   GPA    SAT  Major
Joe Bradley         CB     907    54      40      3    3.91   1280  Business
Roman Durham        OLB     70     4       4      1    3.69   1390  Music 
Emmanuel Everett    DE      34     7       1      1    3.87   1510  Marketing
Kirk Ferderer       DE       5     1       1      1    3.52   1430  Differential Equations
J.T. Grismore       G       14     1       1      1    2.96   1000  Geology
Ricardo Josephson   WR       3     1       1      1    3.81   1440  Jurisprudence
Shane Lebow         ILB      7     2       1      1    3.51   1350  Art
Devin Malek         OLB     30     1       2      1    3.20   1170  Medicine
Winston Oliver      TE     183     2       2      1    3.52   1270  German
Ross Patterson      G       25     2       1      1    3.52   1310  Nursing
Edgar Pearson       RB       2     1       1      1    3.51   1410  Random Number Theory
Chris Petruzziello  G      140    10       9      2    3.43   1400  Algebra
Aaron Seaver        DE      36     8       2      2    3.56   1410  History
Donovan Shelton     QB       4     1       1      1    3.35   1220  French
Andy Terrell        T       16     5       1      1    3.66   1470  Jurisprudence
Zack Woolford       QB      93     7       7      1    3.56   1450  Economics

[bbgunn]

This is shaping up to be a very very good Notre Dame team.

[Recoil]

Wow. 5 out of the top 10 players in the country. ND should be set for the future. Good luck in 2007.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by bbgunn

This is shaping up to be a very very good Notre Dame team.

I hope you're right, bbgunn. I've found, however, that some of the uberstuds I think I've recruited don't turn out to be game-changers once they reach the field. That's the way it is in real college football, though, so I think that's pretty realistic.

Originally Posted by Recoil

Wow. 5 out of the top 10 players in the country. ND should be set for the future. Good luck in 2007.

I always recruit the best players who have good grades and SATs, but I don't figure I'll sign nearly all of them. This time, I hit nearly every target I aimed at, which was really pretty cool.

I think one thing that made a difference was the fact that Notre Dame could offer this year's top players almost exactly what they wanted. For example, both Edgar Pearson and Ricardo Josephson wanted to get away from their home towns and attend schools with strong academic reputations. I was surprised I pulled Donovan Shelton away from Michigan, but the Wolverines are loaded at QB, and that might have made the difference.

We'll have to see how good some of these guys turn out to be. Looking back, I should have set the difficulty level higher. I'm playing at "Second String," the third most difficult setting, because I hadn't played TCY for a while before I started this dynasty.

By the way, is it possible to change the difficulty setting once a game has begun?

Thanks for your comments!

[Big Six]

Professor Laertes' grades are in, and here's how the Notre Dame football program did in 2006:

 
Team Performance         69/100
Academic Performance     82/100
Recruiting Performance   86/100
Television Revenue       37/100
Alumni Donations         57/100
Attendance/Stadium       78/100
FINAL GRADE              68/100

[Big Six]

The 2007 NFL Draft

Four Notre Dame players were selected in the 2007 NFL draft, two of whom had very little opportunity to showcase their skills as seniors.

Despite the fact that he was only on the field long enough to catch 15 passes, WR Jackie Blanchard impressed the Oakland Raiders enough for the Raiders to draft him in the first round (24th overall). Blanchard signed a three-year, $2.55 million contract and received a $1.14 million signing bonus that made him a wealthy young man in a hurry.

Blanchard was the only Fighting Irish player selected on the first day of the draft. In Round Five, the New Orleans Saints drafted another ND wideout, Isaac Leiter. His two-year contract will pay him a total of $720,000, and he signed for a $180,000 bonus.

In the same round, the Atlanta Falcons chose RB Ronnie Schulz who, like Blanchard, lost most of his final collegiate season to injury. Ronnie signed a three-year, $1.3 million contract, with a $120,000 signing bonus.

G Preston Flannery was drafted by the Washington Redskins in Round Seven. His contract was identical to Leiter's--two years, $730,000--but his signing bonus was only $80,000.