Notre Dame Men's Basketball 85, Marquette 73

Editor's Note: The women's basketball team also played on Saturday, and the game was aired locally on the Ohio News Network. Unfortunately, I didn't find that out until after the game was finished. The women fell to Big East rival Rutgers on senior day, 76-60. The women are now tied for fourth in the Big East, and play they final regular season game Monday night at DePaul. That game will be televised on CSTV at 8 PM eastern.

And a correction: For most of Wednesday, I had the score of the Tuesday night Notre Dame-DePaul game listed as 78-74. I have since corrected it to 78-54, and I regret the error.

On Senior Day, it was Notre Dame's freshman stars that shone the brightest. (See, sports journalism isn't that hard.) Marquette had no answer for Luke Harangody in the paint, and Harangody finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds - career highs in both categories. Tory Jackson's stock continues to rise, as in this game he had 21 points (a career high for him as well), 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Once again, the Irish started sluggishly. Marquette hustled circles around Notre Dame and quickly built a 13 point lead. But the Irish fought back, and led this game for the entire second half. Marquette threatened at the end, but clutch free throw shooting by Jackson sealed the deal. Jackson carried a 59% free throw record into this game, but made 8 of 11 in this contest, including 5 of 7 in the final 3 minutes. Aided by 8-of-9 made by Harangody and 7-of-8 from Russell Carter, Notre Dame made 27 of 35 free throw attempts overall.
Jackson's final two points, and the final two points of the game, actually came after one of his missed free throws. Jackson was fouled with 2.7 seconds left, and went to the line. With the game won, Notre Dame had all of its players back, leaving only Marquette players lined up with Jackson shooting. Jackson made the first, but missed the second. With the Golden Eagles simply standing there, Jackson tipped in his own miss off the glass as time expired. Unfortunately, ABC's cameras missed this final shot.
Carter had 13 points on the game, and Colin Falls added 14; each had 8 rebounds. With his father in the stands, Colin Falls passed Gerry McNamara's year-old record for career three pointers made in Big East play by hitting his 184th late in the second half. Senior walk-on Kieran Piller made an appearance at the end of the game as Carter and Falls both checked out to a rousing ovation during Jackson's final free throws.
This game also furthered the intensity of what is going to be a great Big East rivalry over the years to come. Early in the game, Russell Carter lost the ball out of bounds in front of the Marquette bench. A Marquette player (one currently in the game) got in Carter's ear to give him the business. Carter casually shoved him away. This took place right in front of Marquette coach Tom Crean, and Crean was incensed that nothing was called on Carter. Crean had to be restrained by his assistants while screaming at the refs. At one point, Crean also walked towards the Notre Dame bench to talk to Mike Brey. Brey remained calm, but it appeared that Crean was still yelling, so it was unclear what the conversation was about. (Hopefully it was simply Brey apologizing for Carter's act in order to soothe Crean.) A bench warning was given to Marquette, but the ABC announcers failed to note whether that warning was given because Crean walked over to talk to Brey (they met at the halfcourt line, so both were out of the coaching box), because Crean stepped onto the court to complain to the refs (it was a dead ball situation, and Crean was only a step onto the court, so I doubt that was the case), or because a Marquette assistant was standing close to the sideline and possible interfered with Carter's attempt to save the ball.
Three techicals were called late in the game, including one after Harangody's fifth foul. Harangody and Dan Fitzgerald were going after a loose ball in the corner, when Harangody used his arm in an attempt to create some separation from Fitzgerald. It wasn't anything malicious or flagrant, but it was a foul, and it was properly called. However, Fitzgerald took umbrage and retaliated by shoving Harangody out of bounds. The big freshman took a tumble, and Fitzgerald was given a technical. The Notre Dame-Marquette rivalry was intense before Marquette's jump to the Big East, but now it may take on the level of passion seen in the late 90s/early 00s between ND and West Virginia.
The men finish their regular season on Saturday, March 3, at Rutgers.

MLB Preview #3: NL East

New York Mets

Lineup
Jose Reyes SS
Paul LoDuca C
Carlos Beltran CF
Carlos Delgado 1B
David Wright 3B
Shawn Green RF
Moises Alou LF
Jose Valentin 2B

Rotation
Pedro Martinez
Tom Glavine
Orlando Hernandez
John Maine
Oliver Perez
Chan Ho Park
Alay Soler
Dave Williams
Mike Pelfrey

If Shawn Green and Moises Alou put up any kind of production this year - and they should - then this is by far the best lineup in the division, if not in all of the National League. If Green or Alou can't get the job done (or if Willie Randolph finally realizes that Shawn Green has no right playing the outfield in spacious Shea Stadium), there's still that Lastings Milledge guy. Last season, Reyes, Beltran, and Wright proved that they are young stars worthy of the hype. Carlos Delgado finally got some attention for the numbers he's been putting up for the past decade plus, and Paul LoDuca put in another solid Paul LoDuca performance. If there's any question, it's whether ageless Andy de la Riva look-alike Jose Valentin can again play second base for a full season. If not, the Mets will be forced to see wheter Anderson Hernandez is ready for the job. The bench features Julio Franco, who was playing in the majors before Reyes, Wright, and Milledge were born (not that that should surprise anyone), a comeback attempt by Damion Easley, and defensive star Endy Chavez.
The Mets may be thankful that this year's team is built around offense. New York spent the entire winter looking for a starter to complement Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez (and to fill in while Martinez is hurt), and all they got was this lousy Chan Ho Park. If Park doesn't work out, of course, there's always Mike Pelfry - that is, assuming he (like Milledge) aren't used as trade bait this year. If the rotation fails them, the Metropolitans can always rely on their bullpen, led by Billy Wagner, who continues to be one of the best closers in the game. Aaron Heilman, another Met rumored to be trade bait, leads the list of setup men that features a "trimmed down" Guillermo Mota, Pedro Feliciano, a (hopefully) healthy Duaner Sanchez, Royals reclaimation project and sometimes French comic book hero Ambiorix Burgos, Mighty Mighty Earmuff Bandit Dave Williams (no really, he's from Anchorage), Scott Schoeneweis, and Jorge Sosa. At least name recognition isn't a problem in the Shea pen.

Philadelphia Phillies

Lineup
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino RF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Pat Burrell LF
Aaron Rowand CF
Wes Helms/Abraham Nunez 3B
Rod Barajas C

Rotation
Jon Lieber
Brett Myers
Freddy Garcia
Jamie Moyer
Cole Hamels
Adam Eaton
Ryan Madson
Scott Mathieson
Eude Brito

Try as they might, the Phillies still can't put together a winner. This team has its stars - Rollins, Utley, and Howard - and its supporting cast - Burrell and Rowand - but this just doesn't look like a lineup that can compete with the Mets. Maybe I'm wrong, though. Maybe Shane Victorino or backup Jayson Werth will break out this season. Maybe the Wes Helms/Abraham Nunez platoon (if that's how Charlie Manuel chooses to play it) will prove surprisingly effective. Or maybe not.
The pitching rotation could go either way. Lieber's always a question mark. Digger Phelps' son-in-law (Jamie Moyer) will probably still surprise a few people with his masterful changing speeds. But was the signing of Adam Eaton enough? And is top prospect Cole Hamels ready for the show? If not, the Phillies will have to expect big things from its bullpen. Tom Gordon did very well in his return to the closer's role, but can he repeat his 2006 success? If not, the Phillies may have to turn to Antonio Alfonseca or other members of its supporting cast, including sometimes-starter Ryan Madson and Rule V pickup (from Cleveland - go figure!) Jim Ed Warden.

Atlanta Braves

Lineup
Ryan Langerhans LF
Edgar Renteria SS
Chipper Jones 3B
Andruw Jones CF
Brian McCann C
Jeff Francoeur RF
Scott Thorman/Craig Wilson 1B
Martin Prado/Kelly Johnson 2B

Rotation
John Smoltz
Tim Hudson
Chuck James
Kyle Davies
Mike Hampton

Atlanta's biggest question looks to be its leadoff spot. After losing both of 2005's top-of-the-lineup hitters (Rafael Furcal and Marcus Giles), who will take the top spot? Renteria could handle the role, if Bobby Cox was up to it. I went with Ryan Langerhans, but that's a blatant guess. Langerhans is a solid ballplayer, but can he hit well enough to play LF full time on a championship caliber team? I guess the answer to that is "no," as Langerhans was the starting LF for a 2006 Atlanta team that only finished third in their division. The addition of Craig Wilson is a good one. Not only can he play first if Scott Thorman isn't ready for the role, but he can also fill in for Langerhans when necessary (and play 3rd and catcher in a pinch). Of course, in getting Wilson the Braves gave up Adam LaRoche, but in addition to Wilson they picked up one of the top shortstop prospects in the game. But that's the future. This year, Atlanta's next question is Marcus Giles' replacement at second. There are quite a few people who could fill that role, including Prado, Johnson, and utilitymen Chris Woodward and Pete Orr. I suppose that Willie Aybar and Tony Pena II are also longshots, if they're up for a position change. In addition to the names listed above, the Atlanta bench also features outfielder Matt Diaz, who could be the next Jeff Francoeur, or the next Matt Franco (not that there's anything wrong with that).
The Atlanta rotation isn't what it used to be, but John Smoltz is still kicking (but most likely taking his shirts off now before he irons them). Tim Hudson struggled last year by Tim Hudson standards, but he's still a decent top-of-the-rotation pitcher. If the Braves can get any production out of Mike Hampton, or even any starts out of him, it will be a plus. Last year, Chuck James surprised a few people with an 11-4 record and a 3.78 ERA. Better yet, he did it in only 119 innings, so his arm should still be fresh for this season. Kyle Davies struggled last year, but he still has time to develop into a good pitcher. After a few years of unrest, it appears the bullpen has finally settled down. Bob Wickman will return as the first established closer Atlanta has seen in a while. He'll be supported by talented setup men Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, Lance Cormier, Chad Paronto, and Tanyon Sturtze. Top prospect Anthony Lerew will try to rebound from a disasterous 2006 to make the 2007 edition of the Braves bullpen.

Florida Marlins

Lineup
Hanley Ramirez SS
Dan Uggla 2B
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Josh Willingham LF
Mike Jacobs 1B
Jeremy Hermida RF
Miguel Olivo C
Alfredo Amezaga CF

Rotation
Dontrelle Willis
Josh Johnson
Scott Olsen
Anibal Sanchez
Ricky Nolasco
Sergio Mitre
Logan Kensing

This young team was so good in 2006 that it got its manager fired. This year, almost everyone returns, and they're all a year older and wiser. It appears that veteran utilityman Alfredo Amezaga has finally found an everyday home in center field for the Fish. The only thing Florida should worry about (besides having the team charter replaced by a 60-year-old prop plane) is having half the lineup enter sophomore slumps. The bench features C Matt Treanor - husband of Olympic beach volleyballer Misty May-Treanor (she's the short brunette that plays with the tall blone one), Aaron Boone, and a quartet of hungry young outfielders trying to prove that they can hit well enough to stick in the majors: Reggie Abercrombie, Joe Borchard, Eric Reed, and Cody Ross.
Like the lineup, the pitching rotation can only be stopped by sophomore slumps. Everyone knows that Dontrelle Willis is a proven commodity. But Scott Olsen and Josh Johnson both posted winning records last season, and Ricky Nolasco went 11-11. All Anibal Sanchez did was go 10-3 and throw the first no hitter the majors had seen in 2+ years. So if the starters weren't losing games for the Marlins, who was? It must have been the no-name bullpen. But hey, if your payroll's only $20, you have to cut corners somewhere. If the Fish want to win again (and, of course, disband a year later), the bullpen is what they need to improve. That is, after they lock up Miguel Cabrera long-term, of course.

Washington Nationals

Lineup
Ryan Church/Kory Casto LF
Felipe Lopez 2B
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Nick Johnson 1B
Austin Kearns RF
Alex Escobar/Nook Logan CF
Brian Schneider C
Christian Guzman SS

Rotation
John Patterson
Mike O'Connor
Billy Traber
Shawn Hill
Jason Bergmann
Jerome Williams
Tim Redding
Beltran Perez

The Nationals basically have four guys - Casto, Logan, and Indians castoffs Church and Escobar - fighting for two outfield spots. Unfortunately, they do not have anyone fighting Christian Guzman for the shortstop role. Of course, the wise thing would be to sign a second baseman (too late - someone just took Ronnie Belliard!) and move Felipe Lopez back to his natural position at short. (A wiser thing would have been to not trade their starting second baseman, Jose Vidro, to a team that already had a starting keystone sacker.) Going into last season, everyone knew that Ryan Zimmerman was already a star with the glove, and the question was whether he could hit well enough to play every day. How's .287 with 20 HR and 110 RBI in cavernous RFK Stadium? Oh, and I'm finally willing to admit that Nick Johnson's a legit player. I'm sure my past criticism had been keeping him up at night.... And for all the criticism Austin Kearns takes, he had a decent 2006 with 24 HR and an .830 OPS.
The Nationals have some options for their rotation, and anyone who isn't named a starter can help out in a bullpen that already looks pretty decent. Chad Cordero is a top closer, and he will be supported by Jon Rauch and Luis Ayala. Micah Bowie, a player who was considered a top prospect when he was traded by Atlanta to the Cubs for Jose Hernandez and Terry Mulholland in 1999, has resurfaced and will also try to earn a spot in the Washington bullpen.

Notre Dame Men's Basketball 78, DePaul 54

A lazy sportswriter would begin this column with a "Fool me once..." joke.

Of course, a lazy sportswriter would also use one-sentence paragraphs for emphasis.

The Irish played with determination from the opening tip on this one. Colin Falls made a three-pointer 15 seconds into the first half, and also closed the first half with a three. He had 19, all in that opening stanza.
Led by Falls' 19, Notre Dame took a 40-22 lead into the locker room. Early in the second half, the Irish looked content to once again let their opponent back into the game. But then something sparked, and the Irish powered their way to a 25 point lead. A huge part of that spark was Tory Jackson, who finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. The refs were letting the teams play a physical game, and Jackson delighted in it, driving the lane for layup after hard-fought layup.
Along with Falls and Jackson, the remaining three starters all scored at least 13 points. Luke Harangody and Russell Carter had 13, and Rob Kurz had 15. The bench only had 5 points - a three from Ryan Ayers and a two from Zach Hillesland. But this was a night when the starters, playing 148 of a possible 200 minutes, didn't need much help from the bench.
Still, it was the Notre Dame bench on the court. The decisive win allowed Luke Zeller, Jonathan Peeples, Kieran Piller, and Joe Harden to see playing time at the end of the game.

Up next, the Irish play host to a very tough Marquette team at 3:30 this Saturday, a game that will be televised on ABC.

Notre Dame Men's Basketball 81, Providence 78

It was a battle between the Big East's top scoring teams. In the end, both teams scored their season average - which is a good thing for #1 scoring Notre Dame.
At the start of the game, things didn't look good for the Irish. The Friars were simply running over, around, and through the home team, on offense and on defense. Colin Falls, going for the school record for made three pointers with his father in the stands, was tight. Rob Kurz learned (or maybe he didn't learn) several times that sometime's it's better to go up soft for a layup, rather than trying to dunk through two or three defenders' hands. Notre Dame was able to scrape back, but at the half still trailed by four.
Then they started attacking Providence's 2-3 zone. Luke Harangody positioned himself just outside of the key and behind the basket itself. It was a strategy that had worked well for other teams against Notre Dame's 2-3, and it worked well for Luke, too. Not only was Harangody able to find passers as the cut to the basket, but he was also able to muscle up a few shots as well. Zach Hillesland played the high post at the top of the key - a spot that Tom Timmermans mastered. But Hillesland has an extra dimension to his game that The Urban Tombrero didn't - an ability to cut to the basket and make plays off the dribble. Russell Carter completed the zone-busting trifecta by nailing several key three-pointers from the right wing.
The Irish looked to have a comfortable lead late in the game, but they still tried to lose it. On offense, the team gave the ball to Falls - their best free throw shooter - in the backcourt. However, they didn't have a plan for getting the ball up the court, and it almost cost them again. On defense, the team when foul-crazy, giving the Friars a chance to come back while the clock was stopped. And despite going to the line 29 times as a team, the Irish only made 19 of their own free throw attempts.
But in the end, Notre Dame improved to 16-0 at home. Unfortunately for the Irish, the RPI formula was changed recently to heavily favor road wins. ND has only 1 Big East away win this season, but they'll look to improve on that Sunday against a Cincinnati team that has only one Big East win overall this season.

MLB Preview #2: AL West

Oakland Athletics

Lineup
Mark Kotsay CF
Shannon Stewart LF
Milton Bradley RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Mike Piazza DH
Nick Swisher 1B
Bobby Crosby SS
Jason Kendall C
Mark Ellis 2B

Rotation
Rich Harden
Danny Haren
Esteban Loaiza
Joe Blanton
Joe Kennedy
Brad Halsey
Jason Windsor
Shane Komine
Dan Meyer

The A's replace Frank Thomas in their lineup with Mike Piazza. Piazza put up decent numbers in pitcher-friendly San Diego, so there's no reason he can't repeat in the cavernous expanses of Oakland. The A's also added Shannon Stewart, which gives them some options. The primary option is the start Stewart, move Swisher from LF to 1B, and take .234 hitter Dan Johnson out of the lineup. The A's have a very deep outfield, and they'll need it as Stewart, Kotsay, and Bradley are all injury prone. Beside Swisher, the A's return Bobby Kielty and add Ryan Goleski, acquired from the Indians in the Rule V draft. Speaking of former Indains farmhands, Marco Scutaro will once again be the Oakland utility infielder.
Oakland lost Barry Zito, but their rotation still appears to be in good shape. At the very least, they have some options. And if needed, Billy Beane always knows how to find good young pitching. The bullpen should be in decent shape, too. A healthy Huston Street will once again be the closer, aided by Kiko Calero, Alan Embree, Jay Witasick, and anyone who can't crack the starting rotation.

The Angels

Lineup
Chone Figgins 3B
Orlando Cabrera SS
Vlad Guerrero RF
Garret Anderson LF/DH
Juan Rivera DH/LF
Shea Hillenbrand/Casey Kotchman 1B
Gary Matthews, Jr. CF
Mike Napoli/Jose Molina C
Howie Kendrick 2B

Rotation
John Lackey
Bartolo Colon
Ervin Santana
Jered Weaver
Kelvim Escobar
Joe Saunders
Hector Carrasco
Dustin Moseley

The Angels added Shea Hillenbrand and made a big splash by signing Gary Matthews to a huge deal. Hillenbrand has never had a high on base average, but he should add some pop to the middle of the lineup. Matthews led off in Texas, but the Angels may be best suited in keeping their top two hitters from last year in place. As Garret Anderson ages, he will likely share LF and DH duties with Juan Rivera. Hillenbrand is also able to play 3B, so Chone Figgins can move to the outfield when needed. The Angels bench boasts a very deep infield. Erick Aybar and Macier Izturis (yet another Rule V pickup from the Indians, albeit from a few years back) can play the middle infield spots. Robb Quinlan and Dallas McPherson can capably play both first and third (when McPherson is healthy, that is), and Cuban Defector Kendry Morales can also play first base.
The Angels rotation will be strong this year. John Lackey has continued to establish himself as a top-flight starter. Bartolo Colon is still Bartolo Colon, strikeout rates be darned. Jered Weaver is only the reigning AL Rookie of the Year (and MVP 07 cover boy), and big things are expected of "the other Santana" (no relation to Johan). Francisco Rodriguez is back at closer until his arm flies out of his shoulder socket - or until the Yankees lure him away as a successor to Mariano Rivera next season. K-Rod is supported by some very capable veterans, including Darren Oliver, Scot Shields, and Justin Speier. Even with a lineup featuring Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero, it appears that the pitching staff will be the strength of this team.

Texas Rangers

Lineup
Kenny Lofton/Brad Wilkerson CF
Frank Catalanotto LF
Michael Young SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hank Blalock 3B
Jason Botts DH
Nelson Cruz RF
Ian Kinsler 2B
Gerald Laird/Miguel Ojeda C

Rotation
Kevin Millwood
Vincente Padilla
Brandon McCarthy
John Koronka
Kameron Loe
Robinson Tejada
John Rheinecker
Edinson Volquez
Francisco Cruceta

Once again, Texas' hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of their big three: Young, Teixeira, and Blalock. Lofton and Catalanotto are no longer spring chickens, but they are still very capable at the top of any lineup. Unfortunately, the bottom of the lineup is where things get dicey. Kinsler proved himself last year when healthy. Laird won the starting job last year, and his backup, Ojeda, is solid. But the question marks come in the #6 and #7 spots in the lineup. Who are Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz? (Well, Cruz is a guy who came over in the Carlos Lee deal.) Can Brad Wilkerson recover from an off year to return to his Montreal form? Fortunately (I guess), the Rangers have quite a few outfielders/DH's to choose from, including Cruz, Wilkerson, Marlon Byrd, former Mighty Mighty Earmuff Bandit Victor Diaz, and spring training longshot Sammy Sosa. Conversely, the Rangers are very thin in the infield, unless you consider that Catalanotto started his career as a second baseman for Texas.
The Rangers rotation doesn't have any stars, but it does have a few solid pitchers in Millwood and Padilla - and to some extent Koronka and Loe as well. The uber-talented Brandon McCarthy comes over from the White Sox, and he will get a chance to start for the first time in his young career. Former Indians prospect Francisco Cruceta comes over from Seattle, where he will have a chance to join the big league club. Closer Francisco Cordero was replaced quite capably by Akinori Otsuka after Cordero was traded to Milwaukee. Otsuka may or may not be challenged by Eric Gagne for the closer's role this year.

Seattle Mariners

Lineup
Ichiro! CF
Jose Lopez 2B
Raul Ibanez LF
Richie Sexson 1B
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jose Guillen RF
Jose Vidro/Ben Broussard DH
Kenji Johjima C
Yuniesky Betancourt SS

Rotation
Jarrod Washburn
Felix Hernandez
Jeff Weaver
Miguel Batista
Horacio Ramirez
Jake Woods
Cha Seung Baek
Ryan Feierabend
Travis Blackley

With the addition of Jose Guillen, it appears that Ichiro will finally make the move to center field. Ichiro's always had the range to play center, but it was his amazing arm that kept him in right. Jose Lopez hit at the top of the lineup for most of last year; even with the addition of Jose Vidro, I wouldn't be surprised if Lopez stayed up there. Vidro may end up platooning with Ben Broussard. Broussard is a very streaky hitter, but you definitely want him in the lineup when he's hot. Broussard can DH or play first and let Sexson DH. Raul Ibanez has quietly put up very good numbers over the past few years for Seattle; he's one of the most underrated players in the game. Last year, Japanese import Kenji Johjima proved that he was more than capable of handling US baseball, and Yuniesky Betancourt didn't do too badly himself. This is a very solid lineup. The bench features super-sub Willie Bloomquist, 6'4 shortstop/outfielder Mike Morse, and center fielder Jeremy Reed, who can certainly field his position, but can't yet hit well enough to stay in the lineup.
Jarrod Washburn returns for his second season as the Mariners ace. Felix Hernandez had a solid outing last year, going 12-14 with a 4.52 ERA, but he didn't come close to the preseason hype fantasy experts gave him. That's the problem with hype sometimes. The Mariners strengthened their rotation by adding Jeff Weaver, still trying to resurrect his career, and Miguel Batista, who is still pitching well enough to stick around for a 16th MLB season. Horacio Ramirez comes over as yet another successful pitching product of the Braves minor league system, and the highly-touted Travis Blackley will be waiting in the wings for his turn to pitch. JJ Putz had a breakout year in 2006 as Seattle's closer, and he'll return to that role in 2007. Putz will be supported by Chris Reitsma, Arthur Rhodes (returning to his 2003 club), and a bunch of people you've probably never heard of before.

Notre Dame Women's Basketball 78, DePaul 70

Editor's note: Had I remembered that Saturday's ND hockey game was on Sports Time Ohio, I could have covered that too. Whoops. The Irish tied Nebraska-Omaha 2-2 one night after beating UNO 4-2.

DePaul led for the first 14 minutes of this game. But Notre Dame used a few extended scoring droughts by the Demons to take a 32-26 halftime lead over DePaul.
ESPN2 was supposed to show this game as part of their "February Frenzy" event, which meant jumping between several games, a la what CBS does during March Madness. ESPN2 strived to show only games that would be interesting to the national audience, including Tennessee blowing out Kentucky, and a battle between powerhouses Miami and Boston College (and by "powerhouses," I mean "two teams with a combined 3 wins on the season"). After showing the end of a thrilling East Carolina game (I actually say that with no sarcasm), The Deuce switched to ND-DePaul with 6 minutes left in the game.
By that point, Notre Dame's lead was quite comfortable, floating around an 8 point margin. You have to like the Muffet McGraw's offense. Whereas Mike Brey uses screens and set plays to open up jump shots, McGraw's plays work to open up easy layups. If you're going to create a shot for someone, why not create the easiest shot possible? It's a good thing, too: The women were 0 for 8 from three point range; had they stuck to the long jumper, this game likely would have been a loss. And this year the women are actually making their layups! (Nothing against the men, it's just the offense I prefer to run.)
Taking shots in the paint also puts you on the free throw line a bunch. The Irish were 26-38 from the charity stripe, while the Demons were only 8-13.
Personal favorite Ashley Barlow put up 13 points in her first career start. You may look at Barlow and think, athletic player known for her defense and rebounding, and only a freshman - she can't possibly be a good free throw shooter, right? False. Barlow leads the team at 89% from the line. I may have also found another personal favorite in Melissa Lechlitner. Lech had 13 points, 3 steals, and 2 highlight-reel assists. She's another very athletic player and a smart and creative passer. She'll be fun to watch in the years to come.
Charel Allen picked up her third career double-double with 25 points and 13 boards; practically a career day for the woman who has become a team leader. And her knee must be healthy again, too. There were a few tense moments in this one, and after playing 38 minutes she was no doubt winded, but Allen proved to be a tough player by fighting through any pain that may have been there.
Crystal Erwin added 9 points and 8 boards, while Tulyah Gaines had 12 points and a team-high 5 assists.

DePaul 67, Notre Dame Men's Basketball 66

The 11-0 start looked typical for the high scoring '06-'07 Notre Dame men's team. But then the Irish reverted to the mistakes that have dogged Mike Brey throughout his tenure: no hustle, poor rebounding, and ill-advised jump shots.
Down midway through the second half, the team once again fed off the energy of their senior leaders, Russell Carter and Colin Falls. With under a minute left to play, Notre Dame was in position to win. Leading by one, Tory Jackson dribbled into the frontcourt and was fouled with just under 30 seconds left in the game. If Notre Dame had been in the bonus, this would have been a smart play for DePaul; Jackson is just a 59% free throw shooter, so DePaul would have gotten the ball back down by at most three with plenty of time to play. Instead, it was only DePaul's 6th foul of the half, meaning the Irish retained posession and now didn't have to worry about the shot clock. So things looked good for the Irish.
The ball was inbounded to Colin Falls just beyond midcourt. Falls dribbled to his left, and had the ball stolen. A quick pass gave Wilson Chandler the chance to dunk home his game-leading 24th and 25th points, and more importantly gave DePaul a 67-66 lead with 16 seconds left.
Notre Dame called time out to set up a play in the frontcourt. Apparently that play didn't go as planned, as Tory Jackson spent 10 seconds dribbling around without direction. Jackson fumbled a pass that barely got Luke Zeller at the top of the circle. With a full 6 seconds left, Zeller showed his inexperience by throwing up a desperation three.
But then, it looked like fate was on Notre Dame's side, as the ball deflected to Rob Kurz alone under the basket. Three Depaul players quickly converged on Kurz and in a flurry of contact were able to block Kurz' shot as time expired. I would like to argue that what's called a foul in the first 39 minutes should be called a foul in the last one minute. But on the same token, Notre Dame should never put itself in a position to need a last second shot to win this game.

MLB Preview 1: NL West

San Diego Padres

Lineup
Marcus Giles 2B
Mike Cameron CF
Brian Giles RF
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
Josh Bard C
Khalil Greene SS
Russell Branyan/Terrmel Sledge/Jose Cruz, Jr. LF

Rotation
Jake Peavy
Chris Young
Greg Maddux
Clay Hensley
David Wells
Mike Thompson

San Diego's lineup has a few new faces, and it should only make the returing defending champs stronger. Marcus Giles may no longer be able to hit leadoff - if he ever was able to - but he appears to be their best option. After Giles and last year's #2 and 3 hitters - Cameron and Brian Giles - the lineup is filled with emerging young hitters. Adrian Gonzalez is starting to live up to the hype he earned as a former Rangers #1 prospect. After Gonzalez is one of the best college hitters of all time in Khalil Greene, and three Indians "castoffs." Kevin Kouzmanoff, who hit close to .400 in the minors last year and hit a grand slam off the first pitch he saw in the majors, was acquired a few months ago in a trade for Josh Barfield. Josh Bard is emerging as an above average hitter for a catcher. Russ Branyan is still Russ Branyan, but the Pads still have Jose Cruz, Jr., and Terrmel Sledge if he doesn't work out. The bench features Todd Walker and Jack Cust - who for Notre Dame fans is Brian Stavisky plus an insane amount of hype.
The Padres decided to support top young starters Jake Peavy and Chris Young by adding veteran Greg Maddux and, for the heck of it, David Wells. The bullpen still features Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman will be set up by the Gammonsesque Cla Meredith, and by the other piece of the Barfield-Kouzmanoff deal, Andrew Brown.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Lineup
Juan PierreCF
Rafael Furcal SS
Nomar Garciaparra 1B
Luis Gonzalez LF
Jeff Kent 2B
Andre Ethier RF
Wilson Betemit 3B
Russell Martin C

Rotation
Jason Schmidt
Derek Lowe
Brad Penny
Randy Wolf
Hong-Chih Kuo
Chad Billingsley
Brett Tomko
Mark Hendrickson

Is Juan Pierre better than Kenny Lofton? Is Luis Gonzalez better than Luis Gonzalez? Those are LA's two main questions on offense, as those are LA's two main acquisitions. For everyone else, it's just a question of being a year older. For Furcal, Garciaparra, and Kent, that may be a negative, but for Ethier, Betemit, and Martin, that should be a positive. The bench will once again feature Olmedo Saenz. If they break camp, it will also feature super prospects Andy LaRoche, who is said to be a better hitter than older brother Adam, and James Loney.
The Dodgers won the 2006 NL Wild Card by having the same record as the Padres; this year it looks like LA's going for the automatic bid. The Dodgers added Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf to a rotation that already featured Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. Of that group, the 3rd and 4th starters (Penny and Wolf) may actually be the best pitchers on the team. Meanwhile, the bullpen isn't what it used to be, but it's still pretty good. Takashi Saito is predicted to have a breakout year at closer, and he'll be set up by Yhency Brazoban and Chin-hui Tsao.

San Francisco Giants

Lineup
Dave Roberts CF
Omar Vizquel SS
Randy Winn RF
Barry Bonds LF
Ray Durham 2B
Bengie Molina C
Pedro Feliz 3B
Rich Aurilia/Ryan Klesko/Lance Niekro 1B

Rotation
Barry Zito
Matt Morris
Matt Cain
Noah Lowry
Brad Hennessey
Jonathan Sanchez
Russ Ortiz

You may want to bat Barry Bonds 3rd just to get him more at bats, but with 3 guys who are essentially #2 hitters at the top of the lineup, Bonds has no choice but to bat fourth once again. That is, unless Molina, Aurilia, or Klesko can handle the cleanup spot for this team. As always, I like Durham in the 5th spot, as the #5 hitter has the second most leadoff opportunities over the course of the season. Once again, this is a very old lineup. Dave Roberts hasn't played center for a few years, and Pac Bell (or whatever it is now) has a rather large outfield. Then again, Winn does have the ability to play center as well. The question is, who will play left when Bonds is hurt? Klesko has played outfield in the past, but that may be an "adventure" now. That leaves Mark Sweeney and... Mark Sweeney.
The big offseason move was signing Barry Zito. But is he even the best starter on the team? Matt Cain is a player on the rise, and Noah Lowry can definitely hold his own as a 4th starter.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Lineup
Stephen Drew SS
Orlando Hudson 2B
Chad Tracy 3B
Conor Jackson 1B
Chris Snyder C
Carlos Quentin RF
Eric Byrnes LF
Chris B. Young CF

Rotation
Brandon Webb
Randy Johnson
Livan Hernandez
Doug Davis
Enrique Gonzalez
Juan Cruz
Edgar Gonzalez
Dustin Nippert

I'll be honest: I have no idea what this lineup will look like. I believe that Drew, JD's younger brother and one of the best shortstop prospects in the game, hit leadoff at the end of last year. Hudson, Tracy, Jackson, and Snyder all put up rather good numbers and deserve to be in the heart of this lineup. After that, it's anyone's guess. Of course, there's a good chance that Eric Byrnes will end up at the top of the lineup instead of Drew or Hudson. Whether that's justified or not is debatable. The bench features several familiar (or at least somewhat familiar) names: Robby Hammock, Tony Clark, Jeff DaVanon, and Jerry Hairston's brother Scott.
The linup looks promising, but it's the pitching staff that will lead to this team's success. (After all, this team did challenge for the division in 2005.) Top starter Brandon Webb and veteran Livan Hernandez is joined by Arizona native Randy Johnson and emerging former Brewer Doug Davis. The bullpen has no less than four players with closer experience. A combination of injuries caused a movement from Brandon Lyon to Luis Vizcaino to Jose Valverde at closer over the past few years; Valverde will retain the job this season. Lyon, Vizcaino, and Valverde will also be joined by Jorge Julio. I would be surprised if the Diamondbacks finished any lower than third in the division this season.

Colorado Rockies

Lineup
Willy Taveras/Cory Sullivan CF
Troy Tulowitzki/Clint Barmes SS
Matt Holliday LF
Todd Helton 1B
Garrett Adkins 3B
Bradley Hawpe RF
Yorvit Torrealba C
Jamey Carroll/Kaz Matsui 2B

Rotation
Aaron Cook
Jeff Francis
Josh Fogg
Byung-Hyun Kim
Rodrigo Lopez
Brian Lawrence
Taylor Buchholz
Jason Hirsh

It looks like Clint Barmes' moment in the sun is over, as Troy Tulowitzki is projected to take over as the stating shortstop. I'll be honest, I've never heard of the guy either. The core of this lineup is very good, with Holliday, Helton, Adkins, and Hawpe. Adkins is actually projected to be one of the best third basemen in the league this summer. But the supporting cast leads something to be desired. Willy Taveras and Cory Sullivan put up very similar numbers last year, so it will be interesting to see if the job will go to the new acquisition (Taveras, from Houston) or the incumbent. Yorvit Torrealba is Yorvit Torrealba. And when you're fighting Kaz Matsui for your job, well.... The bench features C/1B/DH Javy Lopez.
The top of the Colorado rotation features two players who pitch well regardless of the altitude in Cook and Francis. Byung-Hyun Kim returns for another season with the Rockies, and he will be joined this year by Fogg, Lopez, and Lawrence. If nothing else, the Rockies have decent depth in their rotation. Brian Fuentes returns as the Rockies closer, and he's a good one. He'll be joined by AL Central castoffs Jeremy Affeldt (another potential starter) and Denny Bautista from the Royals, LaTroy Hawkins from the Twins, and Tom Martin - who surprisingly has played every year since a two year stint in Cleveland at the end of the century.

Klondike's Frozen Booze Drinking Tips

by Klondike, Resident Alaskan and Wine Taster

Editor's Note: With wind chills in the Midwest lower than Neifi Perez' VORP, and bitterly lukewarm temperatures ravishing the South, we turn to our Resident Alaskan for cold weather survival tips.
One of Klondike's favorite cold weather horror stories involves Alaskans who leave booze outside in freezing temperatures. Alcohol itself freezes at a temperature much lower than water, so it will remain a liquid even if left out overnight. However, if one were to drink said booze the next morning, they could essentially kill themselves by freezing their internal organs. Here are some tips from Klondike for avoiding such an awkward (but yummy) death.

1)Just swish the booze around in your mouth for a bit to warm it up, then swallow it. The first time hurts a lot, but soon you won't even feel it.

2)Only keep really, really hard alcohol outside. Just before you drink it, light it on fire to warm it up.

3)Buy one of these.

4)Cuddle with the bottle for a bit before drinking it.

5)Put the booze in the freezer for a few minutes to warm it up.

6)Heat the booze in an empty soup can over an open fire. Then drink it like the hobo you've become.

7)Buy an SUV. Sit out in the parking lot and gun the engine for an hour twice a day. Wait for global warming to heat the booze.

8)Let Ricky Martin hold the booze for a minute. That guy is hot hot hot!

9)Club a baby seal.

10)Pack the booze in a self-addressed box with sufficient postage. Pack that box in a larger box, and mail that larger box to Guam. Allow a few weeks for the booze to get there and warm up a bit. Then, call Guam and have them mail it back to you.

All the best.

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL PlayoffsFinal Edition

Jordan Black, T - Kansas City: Overall: Black started at left tackle for a team that was able to amass only 126 total yards (44 rushing) in a 23-8 loss to Indianapolis Wild Card weekend. Trent Green was sacked four times.

John Carney, K - New Orleans: Overall: 2 field goals, 5 extra points in two games.

Rocky Boiman, LB - Indianapolis: This Week: Boiman had one special teams tackle in the Super Bowl. Overall: 4 tackles, 1 reception, -16 receiving yards in four games.

Jerome Collins, TE - Indianapolis: On the injured reserve since 12/21 with an Achilles' tendon injury.

Jeff Faine, C - New Orleans: Overall: 810 yards, 6 sacks given up in two games.

Anthony Fasano, TE - Dallas: Overall: Fasano was held without a catch in Dallas' loss to the Seahawks.

Ryan Grant, RB - New York Giants: Ryan Grant has spent this season on New York's Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. He has a wrist.

Julius Jones, RB - Dallas: Overall: Julius did his part for the Cowboys. Jones had 112 yards on 22 carries, including a 35-yard run that helped put Dallas in field goal range for what would have been the winning score.

Mark LeVoir, T - Chicago: LeVoir is a member of Chicago's practice squad.

Corey Mays, LB - New England: Overall: 2 tackles, 1 forced fumble in 3 games.

John Owens, TE - New Orleans: Overall: 1 catch for 21 yards in 2 games.

Luke Petitgout, LT - New York Giants: Luke was placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a broken wrist.

Gerome Sapp, S - Baltimore: Overall: Sapp recorded one special teams tackle in the loss to the Colts.

Hunter Smith, P - Indianapolis: This Week: 4 punts, long of 50, average of 40.5. Overall: 14 punts, long of 58, average of 44.9 in four games. 1 for 1 passing for -16 yards.

Justin Tuck, DE - New York Giants: Tuck joins his fellow Irish Alumni on the Giants Injured Reserve. He recently had surgery for a Lisfranc injury on his foot. (Our Chief Medical Expert quit, so you'll have to Google "Lisfranc" yourself.)


John DeFilippo, Offensive Quality Control - New York Giants (ND Graduate Assistant 2001-02): Overall: The Giants scored 20 point but only put up 305 total yards in their loss to the Eagles.

Jim Johnson, Defensive Coordinator - Philadelphia (ND Defensive Backs Coach 1977-83, Defensive Coordinator 1981-83, Assistant Head Coach 1983): Overall: 47 points and 740 yards of offense over the course of two games.

Dean Pees, Defensive Coordinator - New England (ND Secondary Coach 1994): Overall: 75 points and 1154 yards over three games. (That's right, the Patriots gave up one more point in this game than they did in their first two combined.

Bill Sheridan, Linebackers Coach - New York Giants (ND Safties/Special Teams Coach 2001): Overall: Giants linebackers (including Chris Blackburn, who may or may not suck depending on the Goon Squad you're talking to) combined for 14 tackles and one of New York's two sacks.

Steven Wilks, Defensive Backs Coach - Chicago (ND Secondary Coach 2004): Peyton Manning was named MVP after throwing for 247 yards and a TD. The Bears secondary did combine for 23 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. Overall: 796 yards passing, 64 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 4 fumbles recovered in four games.

Trent Walters, Secondary Coach - Philadelphia (ND Secondary Coach 2002-03): Overall: The Eagles secondary recorded 37 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble while giving up 404 passing yards over two games.

Top Travis Hafner Facts

by Dave Schmitt

Editor's note: My comments are in italics. -Kanka

These are the 10 best things I learned about Cleveland Indians' DH Travis "Pronk" Hafner in this week's incredible Sports Illustrated article:

Bingo Night in his small North Dakota hometown stops every time he comes up to bat

He has his own candy bar called the Pronk Bar
Unfortunately, they're only sold locally. I did see these in the mall the last time I was there, but regretfully I didn't pick one up.

For a pro athlete, his wife is surprisingly unattractive
I'm not saying I wouldn't.

He once ate Lucky Charms 30 days in a row

His only outfit is a pair of jeans and a pro wrestling t-shirt, of which he owns 50
Dave's jealous

His nickname Pronk is a combination of 2 nicknames from his rookie year: “Project,” because he was so raw, and “Donkey,” because he runs the bases like a clumsy donkey. Kanka claims that Donkey refers to the way he is hung
I've only heard the rumor, I can't confirm it. And the exact term I heard was "tripod."

His mother calls him Pronkinator

His parents’ house has black cement bears on the front lawn

He once shattered a backboard with a dunk in a high school basketball game

He learned to hit by whacking rocks in the backyard

Back Only to Ramble

• Notre Dame alumni on the move in the NBA: Troy Murphy was traded from Golden State to Indiana, a move that in a short five games has seen an improvement in minutes, rebounds, and scoring. Meanwhile, Matt Carroll has played his way into the starting lineup for the Charlotte Bobcats, as part of a small lineup that features two guards, two small forwards (including Carroll, unless you count him as a third guard), and Emeka Okafor. Carroll is averaging 11 points per game, and has scored more than 20 points six times since December 29. Carroll is also shooting an impressive 90% from the charity stripe, and 40% even from beyond the arc.


• Current ND basketball player not going anywhere: Kyle McAlarney was suspended for the semester after a drug-related arrest. A straw poll shows that this punishment seems to be in line with similar offenses by non-athletes, so it is good to see Notre Dame walking the walk. (There was a brief discussion about this on the message board, for those interested.) Despite rumored interest from Michigan State, Xavier, and Virginia, McAlarney will apply for readmittance into ND when his suspension is up at the end of this semester.


• Senior Bowl: It wasn't quite the Irish-centric spectacle Notre Dame fans had hoped for. Jeff Samardzija didn't play after committing to baseball, and Brady Quinn sat out with a knee. Ryan Harris had a poor showing in one-on-one drills. Rhema McKnight was praised for his hustle, but was said to lack top-end speed. Victor Abiamiri had a VA-like performance, good but not jaw-dropping.


• Samardzija knows baseball: Jeff Samardzija did give up football for a baseball-only contract with the Cubs. He said he was following his first love, and I certainly admire him for that. The fact that someone is paying him millions of dollars to follow that dream doesn't hurt, either. Samardzija, who is still more potential than polish on the mound, may be added to Chicago's 40 man roster soon. While I'm sure many Notre Dame fans would have loved to see the Shark remain a two sport athlete, the their were certain realities that needed to be faced. At his current weight, he's two wiry to go over the middle in the NFL (even at 6'5). However, if he did put on weight and muscle mass, it could have negatively affected his ability to pitch. (I know, I know, tell that to CC Sabathia....)


• Back to basketball, this time with brackets: CollegeRPI.com currently has the ND men ranked #44, and a projected 10 seed in the tournament. The women are projected at #33 and an 8 seed. While the men's record is 3.5 games better than the women's, the women have the edge in strength of schedule, 27 to 112. Of course, that number is due to improve for the men in the Big East, while the women are likely to drop with Tennessee and UConn already behind them on the schedule.


• You can call me "That Guy": The message board had a lively discussion on music video cameos. Feel free to join in, or to vote in the new poll off to the right.


• On the subject of music: Rodgers and Hammerstein may be a darkhorse for "Best Week Ever," as two of their songs from Sound of Music are being earwormed at every term. They're that car commercial featuring "So Long, Farewell," and of course the Gwen Stefani song featuring "The Lonely Goatherd."


• The Moondog is rolling in his grave: Are Stefani and Fergie just toying with us? Do they know that they'll get radio and TV play no matter what crap they put out? Perhaps. Pop radio stations need to start taking some chances. Instead of looping the same payola-screaming songs over and over, why not take chances? Alicia Keys? John Legend? Even throw in a little Ted Leo? Is Spoon still cool with the hipsters? Aren't there a million other underground hip artists that I'm not even cool enough to know about?


• 200+ days til football!: As you can see, the countdown clock is back up. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to set up pictures counting down to my favorite holiday, Pitchers and Molinas. Boy does Yadier look hitterish in that picture. Only two weeks til baseball.

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL PlayoffsConference Championship Weekend

Jordan Black, T - Kansas City: Overall: Black started at left tackle for a team that was able to amass only 126 total yards (44 rushing) in a 23-8 loss to Indianapolis Wild Card weekend. Trent Green was sacked four times.

John Carney, K - New Orleans: This Week: Carney converted both extra point attempts. Billy Cundiff was called upon for a 57 yard field goal attempt and missed. Carney's career long is 54 yards, and his season long is 51. Cundiff hit a 56-yarder last year for the Cowboys. Overall: 2 field goals, 5 extra points in two games.

Rocky Boiman, LB - Indianapolis: This Week: Boiman recorded three special teams tackles in the win over New England. Overall: 3 tackles, 1 reception, -16 receiving yards in three games.

Jerome Collins, TE - Indianapolis: On the injured reserve since 12/21 with an Achilles' tendon injury.

Jeff Faine, C - New Orleans: This week: New Orleans outgained Chicago 375-340, but put up only 56 yards rushing. The Saints also gave up three sacks, including one for a safety that started the Bears rally. Overall: 810 yards, 6 sacks given up in two games.

Anthony Fasano, TE - Dallas: Overall: Fasano was held without a catch in Dallas' loss to the Seahawks.

Ryan Grant, RB - New York Giants: Ryan Grant has spent this season on New York's Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. He has a wrist.

Julius Jones, RB - Dallas: Overall: Julius did his part for the Cowboys. Jones had 112 yards on 22 carries, including a 35-yard run that helped put Dallas in field goal range for what would have been the winning score.

Mark LeVoir, T - Chicago: LeVoir is a member of Chicago's practice squad.

Corey Mays, LB - New England: This Week: Mays had a special teams tackle that forced a fumble. Unfortunately for the Patriots, a Colts player fell on the fumble. Overall: 2 tackles, 1 forced fumble in 3 games.

John Owens, TE - New Orleans: This week: Owens saw the playing field, but did not record a catch in the loss to the Bears. Overall: 1 catch for 21 yards in 2 games.

Luke Petitgout, LT - New York Giants: Luke was placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a broken wrist.

Gerome Sapp, S - Baltimore: This Week: Sapp recorded one special teams tackle in the loss to the Colts.

Hunter Smith, P - Indianapolis: This Week: 4 punts, long of 58, average of 52.8, and several spectacular holds for Adam Vinatieri. Overall: 10 punts, long of 58, average of 46.7 in three games. 1 for 1 passing for -16 yards.

Justin Tuck, DE - New York Giants: Tuck joins his fellow Irish Alumni on the Giants Injured Reserve. He recently had surgery for a Lisfranc injury on his foot. (Our Chief Medical Expert quit, so you'll have to Google "Lisfranc" yourself.)


John DeFilippo, Offensive Quality Control - New York Giants (ND Graduate Assistant 2001-02): Overall: The Giants scored 20 point but only put up 305 total yards in their loss to the Eagles.

Jim Johnson, Defensive Coordinator - Philadelphia (ND Defensive Backs Coach 1977-83, Defensive Coordinator 1981-83, Assistant Head Coach 1983): Overall: 47 points and 740 yards of offense over the course of two games.

Dean Pees, Defensive Coordinator - New England (ND Secondary Coach 1994): This Week: Indianapolis ran all over their field turf to the tune of 455 yards, 32 first downs, and 38 points. Peyton Manning was sacked three times and intercepted once. The best offense in the league was "held" to 352 total yards and 21 points. The key was turnovers - the Chargers lost three fumbles, and Phillip Rivers was intercepted once. Overall: 75 points and 1154 yards over three games. (That's right, the Patriots gave up one more point in this game than they did in their first two combined.

Bill Sheridan, Linebackers Coach - New York Giants (ND Safties/Special Teams Coach 2001): Overall: Giants linebackers (including Chris Blackburn, who may or may not suck depending on the Goon Squad you're talking to) combined for 14 tackles and one of New York's two sacks.

Steven Wilks, Defensive Backs Coach - Chicago (ND Secondary Coach 2004): The Bears did give up 354 passing yards to the prolific Drew Brees, but they also accounted for 19 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Overall: 549 yards passing, 41 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumbles recovered in two games.

Trent Walters, Secondary Coach - Philadelphia (ND Secondary Coach 2002-03): Overall: The Eagles secondary recorded 37 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble while giving up 404 passing yards over two games.

Samardzija Commits to Baseball

Per this official release at MLB.com, Jeff Samardzija has signed a five year deal with the Cubs, and has decided against playing in the NFL.

More to come (if I remember).

Notre Dame Sports Update

Baseball After losing their two top pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Jeff Manship, and their top hitter, Craig Cooper, National expectations are low. But new head coach Dave Schrage (who unfortunately lost his wife to liver cancer recently) brings hope to the program. Pitchers Wade Korpi and Kyle Weiland have been named to the Roger Clemens Award (top pitcher) watch list, and Korpi has also been named to the player-of-the-year watch list. After the team's Opening Night Dinner on February 12, this year featuring Craig Counsell and Jim Leyland, the team will start the season February 17 against Prairie View A&M and Texas State.



Men's Basketball 15-3/3-2 Big East/20 AP/20 ESPN USA Today The upstart men have ridden two big early season wins to a national ranking, but now comes the tough Big East schedule. Russell Carter is the new face of the team, and the young troops are playing like their energetic leader. The main challenge now is the point guard spot, an already thin position made even thinner with the loss of Kyle McAlarney. The men next tip of Sunday at 1 PM at home against South Florida.

Women's Basketball 12-5/3-1 Big East Notre Dame's other young basketball team has ridden a tough schedule to a 12-5 record. (The women's team has a much better RPI than the men thanks to a much better strength of schedule.) Charel Allen is leading the team at 15.4 points per game. Tough-as-nails freshman guard Ashley Barlow is averaging 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. Barlow became my favorite player after one game, and I'm sure many will share that opinion after watching her.



Men's Cross Country 14 USTFCCCA The men finished 19rd overall at the NCAA Championships in November, led by Patrick Smyth's individual 36th place finish.

Women's Cross Country The women's lone representative at the NCAAs was Sunni Olding, who finished 142nd.



Fencing A Schumacher-less fencing squad begins the Notre Dame Duals this weekend, as Mariel Zagunis has taken a leave of absence from Notre Dame to prepare for 2008 Olympic qualifying.

Football 10-3/17 AP/19 USA Today A list of seniors playing in all-star bowls can be found here.

Men's Golf The men golfers finished between 2nd and 11th in ten matches this fall. The spring season starts on February 18 in Ponte Vedra, FL with the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational.

Women's Golf The women golfers had one first place, two second, and one third place finishes among ten events, and never finished lower than 12th. The spring season starts the weekend of February 19 in Parrish, FL.



Hockey 19-4-1/13-2-1 CCHA/3 USA Today/3 USCHO.com Jeff Jackson's icers have broken out this season to a top ranking, aided by wins over then-#1 Boston College, and a split weekend with top 5 Michigan State. The hockey team travels to Western Michigan for a two game series this weekend.



Men's Lacrosse 16 Inside Lacrosse The men's lacrosse team starts the season at home against Loyola (MD) on February 17.

Women's Lacrosse 5 Lacrosse Magasine Yet another program on the rise, the women's lacrosse team had only 3 wins in 2005, and this year is expected to finish 2nd in the Big East. The women start their season with an exhibition game at Penn on February 18. Pete, I expect you to be there promptly for the 9 AM start.

Women's Rowing It was a quiet fall for the women's rowing team. They competed in a non-score even in Rockford, Illinois, at the beginning of October. A home meet against Michigan State, the only other event on the schedule, was cancelled due to high winds.

Men's Soccer 15-6-2/8-3-0 Big East/6 NSCAA/21 Soccer America The men's soccer program is one on the rise. Following a second round loss in 2005, the men advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before losing 3-2 to Virginia. Greg Dalby was named an All-American for the second straight year, and this time he was joined by Joseph Lapira. Lapira also won college soccer's top individual honor, the Hermann Trophy. Dalby and teammate Nate Norman were both taken in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft.



Women's Soccer 25-1-1/10-0-1 Big East/1 NSCAA/1 Soccer Times/1st Soccer Buzz/1 (Soccer America It never fails: no matter how good Notre Dame is, and how bad North Carolina is, the Tarheels always seem to have ND's number in the NCAA tournament. This year, the Irish women suffered their only loss of the season in the NCAA finals, to who else but UNC. On a positive note, Kerri Hanks was awarded the women's Hermann Trophy, making Notre Dame the only school to have players win both Hermanns in the same year.

Softball The softball team went 4-0 in a special fall tournament. Despite this success, they are predicted to finish only third in the Big East this year. The team's quest to prove the experts wrong will begin at the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Alabama, on the weekend of February 16.

Men's Swimming & Diving 8-0/16 CSCAA The Irish backed up their 8-0 record with a 1st place finish in a quad meet at Cleveland State last weekend. This weekend, they face Northwestern at home, and next weekend they host the Shamrock Invitational.



Women's Swimming & Diving 4-0/19 CSCAA In addition to their 4-0 record, the Irish have managed to finish no lower than 3rd in four tournaments, including two first place finishes.

Men's Tennis 13 ITA The men's tennis season starts on January 26 with a trip to Virginia.



Women's Tennis 4 ITA Catrina and Christian Thompson kicked off the spring season with a win at last week's UNLV invitational. The women next play January 26 at Illinois.

Track & Field The Irish began the indoor season with non-scored meet at home and at Purdue. The season officially kicks off with the Notre Dame Indoor Opener Friday.



Volleyball 18-14/10-4 Big East It was an uncharacteristic down year for an Irish voleyball team that has dominated over the past few decades. For the third time in as many years, Wisconsin ended Notre Dame's season, this time in the first year of the NCAA tournament.

Annual Belated Baseball Hall of Fame Thoughts

It happens every year - I'll get an email from Dave, or Dave will get one from me, that basically starts like this;

Hall of Fame announcements just came out. We forgot to
debate.

In essence, then, a belated analysis of the candidates have become the status quo. So, after taking a glance at this year's results, take in what we think. Dave is in favor of preserving the elitism of the hall. As for me, I'm a traditionalist and like to uphold the high standards, but regular readers may know that I can be an awestruck gee whiz writer when it comes to baseball.

Dave

I would've voted for Gwynn, Ripken,
of course Jack Morris, and I think I said Gossage last year? Don't quite
remember. But those would be my 4.

My buddy at work just came over to inform me that Bobby Bo got 2 votes.
"Shit, it's all good. Ain't no thang," as Bobby Bo would say. (note: I
have no idea if he actually said it, only that this is what his body
languauge after every pop-up showed going through his mind)

Who the hell votes for these guys?! I can see some people voting for
anybody who got 50 or more votes - that shows reasonableness, to have
that many people agree with you. But come on - Paul O'Neill, Bret
Saberhagen, Dante Bichette?! Good players, had some very good seasons,
but it's just irresponsible. This bothers me way too much. And Jack
Morris didn't get in, again, which as it does every year, has ruined my
day. Daaaahh.

Kanka

I'll start by noting that last year I showed Goose Gossage's numbers next to Bruce Sutter's, and they looked very similar. I'm not taking a stand either way, just presenting a fact. Some quick thoughts:

• I started from the bottom of the list and worked my way up. It was
  hilarious to see Brosius get 0 votes... until I saw the 12 for Paul
  O'Neill.


• Growing up, my friend Scott always wanted to be Jay Buhner. I think
  it came from a combination of Scott having a shaved head and
  originally being a Ken Griffey, Jr. fan. By the way, Buhner and I
  share a birthday.


• Wow, Tony Fernandez got 4 votes? What, are there exactly 4 Canadian
  voters? (Fernandez was the second baseman for the Blue Jays.)


• Was Orel Hershiser not that good? I thought he dominated for a few
  years. Don't I ask this every year?


• Don Mattingly. Dah. Although, when Peter Gammons made his
  acceptance speech for his Baseball America Lifetime Achievement Award,
  he said that he made a major turnaround from his anyeurism after he
  received a gold cross from Mattingly. He even pulled it out of his
  shirt during the speech.


• Fernandez, Hershiser, and Baines were all picked up by the Indians
  during their "window of opportunity" in the 90s. Belle came up
  through the minors.

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL PlayoffsDivisional Weekend

Jordan Black, T - Kansas City: Overall: Black started at left tackle for a team that was able to amass only 126 total yards (44 rushing) in a 23-8 loss to Indianapolis Wild Card weekend. Trent Green was sacked four times.

John Carney, K - New Orleans: This Week: Carney had 9 points (2 field goals, 3 extra points) in New Orleans' 27-24 win over Philadelphia.

Rocky Boiman, LB - Indianapolis: This Week: Boiman played against the Ravens, but couldn't get his name on the scoresheet. Overall: 0 tackles, 1 reception, -16 receiving yards.

Jerome Collins, TE - Indianapolis: On the injured reserve since 12/21 with an Achilles' tendon injury.

Jeff Faine, C - New Orleans: This week: Deuce McAllister rushed for 143 of New Orleans' 435 total yards in the win. Drew Brees was sacked 3 times.

Anthony Fasano, TE - Dallas: Overall: Fasano was held without a catch in Dallas' loss to the Seahawks.

Ryan Grant, RB - New York Giants: Ryan Grant has spent this season on New York's Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. He has a wrist.

Julius Jones, RB - Dallas: Overall: Julius did his part for the Cowboys. Jones had 112 yards on 22 carries, including a 35-yard run that helped put Dallas in field goal range for what would have been the winning score.

Mark LeVoir, T - Chicago: LeVoir is a member of Chicago's practice squad.

Corey Mays, LB - New England: This Week: Mays recorded a special teams tackle in the win over San Diego. Overall: 1 tackle. (Did you know: NFL.com's GameCenter Game Stats do not list special teams tackles. You have to click on the "Game Book" link for the full box score, including participation reports.)

John Owens, TE - New Orleans: This week: Midway through the third quarter, the Saints scored a touchdown to go up 27-21, a lead they never relinquished. Owens aided on the drive with a key 21-yard reception.

Luke Petitgout, LT - New York Giants: Luke was placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a broken wrist.

Gerome Sapp, S - Baltimore: This Week: Sapp recorded one special teams tackle in the loss to the Colts.

Hunter Smith, P - Indianapolis: This Week: 4 punts, long of 51, average of 45.0. Overall: 6 punts, long of 51, average of 42.7. 1 for 1 passing for -16 yards.

Justin Tuck, DE - New York Giants: Tuck joins his fellow Irish Alumni on the Giants Injured Reserve. He recently had surgery for a Lisfranc injury on his foot. (Our Chief Medical Expert quit, so you'll have to Google "Lisfranc" yourself.)


John DeFilippo, Offensive Quality Control - New York Giants (ND Graduate Assistant 2001-02): Overall: The Giants scored 20 point but only put up 305 total yards in their loss to the Eagles.

Jim Johnson, Defensive Coordinator - Philadelphia (ND Defensive Backs Coach 1977-83, Defensive Coordinator 1981-83, Assistant Head Coach 1983): This Week: The Eagles defense gave up 435 yards and 27 points in a loss to the Saints. The defense did sack Drew Brees three times and recover a Reggie Bush fumble. Overall: 47 points and 740 yards of offense over the course of two games.

Dean Pees, Defensive Coordinator - New England (ND Secondary Coach 1994): This Week: The best offense in the league was "held" to 352 total yards and 21 points. The key was turnovers - the Chargers lost three fumbles, and Phillip Rivers was intercepted once. Overall: 37 points and 699 yards over two games.

Bill Sheridan, Linebackers Coach - New York Giants (ND Safties/Special Teams Coach 2001): Overall: Giants linebackers (including Chris Blackburn, who may or may not suck depending on the Goon Squad you're talking to) combined for 14 tackles and one of New York's two sacks.

Steven Wilks, Defensive Backs Coach - Chicago (ND Secondary Coach 2004): Matt Hasselbeck threw for 195 yards and a touchdown. The Bears secondary combined for 22 tackles, and Ricky Manning, Jr. added an interception.

Ricky Jr.	Ricky Sr.?

Trent Walters, Secondary Coach - Philadelphia (ND Secondary Coach 2002-03): This Week: Drew Brees threw for 243 yards and a touchdown. The DBs recorded 23 tackles in the game. Overall: The Eagles secondary recorded 37 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble while giving up 404 passing yards over two games.

All-Star Bowling

...and not the kind of bowling that involves me in a Brady Quinn-as-freshman super squat, or the kind that involves me choking and letting Sarah win.

The college football senior all-star bowl circuit started Saturday with the Inta Juice North South All-Star Classic. No Irish alumni participated in that game, however,

On Sunday the 14th, Bob Morton will be wearing his familiar #76 and playing for Mark Richt's East/Aina squad. Morton is one of only four guards on the team, so he should see very good playing time. The Hula Bowl airs at 8:30 PM eastern on ESPN.

The East-West Shrine Game kicks off on Saturday, January 20, from Reliant Stadium in Texas. The game's website lists kickoff at 6 PM, and I'm assuming that's central time. It will air on ESPN2. Dan Santucci will wear his familiar #50 for Don Shula's East team. Santucci will be one of 10 offensive lineman for the East (the roster does not differentiate between tackles, guards, and centers). Derek Landri is expected to play in this game, but as of this writing was not listed on either team roster. Landri would be the ninth defensive lineman on the East squad, or the eighth on the West.

Jon Gruden will coach the Irish! Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight, Ryan Harris, and Victor Abiamiri will play for Gruden's East team in this year's Senior Bowl. Complete rosters aren't available until January 21, but right now it's known that Quinn will share playing time with Troy Smith and Chris Leak. The top-caliber bowl will also feature Abiamiri sharing time with Purdue's Anthony Spencer, and Samardzija and McKnight sharing time with LSU's Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis. The Senior Bowl starts at 3 PM on January 27. The game will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL, so I'm assuming that's 3 PM central time. The game will be "broadcast" "nationally" on the NFL Network. Dah.

Like a One Second Pop Quiz

The college football season is finally over, and that can only mean one thing: It's time to start counting down to the next college football season. Here at Kanka's Sports Page, that means the return of the somewhat-famous player countdown clock. The problem is, many of the faces on the clock are leaving. That's where you, the readers come in.

I'm asking you to help me pick out new faces for the player countdown clock. Like a coach looking for a cheap motivational tactic (or perhaps one not willing to tip his hand so soon before the season starts), I'm putting 9 of the 10 numbers up for grabs. That's right, even the returning players (Charlie excluded) can be replaced.

In case you couldn't tell, I try to relate the clock number to the player's jersey number. Here are some suggestions to get the discussion started. But you don't have to follow my suggestions - pick whomever you like: classmate, dormmate, gutsy walkon, secret crush, whatever. Post your ideas on the message board thread.


Current Face: Charlie Weis, Not going anywhere


Current Face: 10 Brady Quinn, Graduating
Best Suggestions: 1 DJ Hord, 11 David Grimes
Other Suggestions: 15 Leo Ferrine, 17 Geoff Price, 19 George West, 61 JJ Jansen, 71 Bartley Webb


Current Face: 15 Leo Ferrine, Returning
Best Suggestions: 2 Darrin Walls, 20 Terrail Lambert, 22 Ambrose Wooden
Other Suggestions: 12 Zach Frazer, 25 Munir Prince, 26 Travis Thomas, 27 David Bruton, 32 Luke Schmidt, 52 Joe Brockington


Current Face: 3 Darius Walker, Headed to the NFL
Best Suggestions: Walker (should he change his mind)
Other Suggestions: 13 Evan Sharpley, 32 Luke Schmidt, 34 James Aldridge


Current Face: 44 Asaph Schwapp, Returning
Best Suggestions: 4 Demetrius Jones, 40 Maurice Crum, Schwapp
Other Suggestions: 34 Aldridge, 54 Anthony Vernaglia, 74 Sam Young


Current Face: 5 Rhema McKnight, Graduating
Best Suggestions: 55 Eric Olsen
Other Suggestions: Ferrine, 25 Munir Prince, 52 Joe Brockington


Current Face: 66 Derek Landri, Graduating
Best Suggestions: 6 Ray Herring
Other Suggestions: 26 Travis Thomas, 61 JJ Jansen


Current Face: 68 Ryan Harris, Graduating
Best Suggestions: 77 Michael Turkovich
Other Suggestions: 17 Geoff Price, 27 David Bruton, 74 Sam Young, 78 John Sullivan, Jimmy Clausen


Current Face: 83 Jeff Samardzija, Graduating
Best Suggestions: 8 Raeshon McNeil, 80 Richard Jackson, 88 Konrad Reuland
Other Suggestions: 89 John Carlson, 78 John Sullivan, 98 Trevor Laws


Current Face: 9 Tom Zbikowski, Plans to return
Best Suggestions: Zbikowski, 90 John Ryan
Other Suggestions: 19 George West, 49 Toryan Smith, 59 Chris Stewart, 89 John Carlson, 98 Trevor Laws

Here's my "depth chart":

0	Weis
1	Grimes
2	Thomas	Lambert	Wooden
3	Walker	Aldridge
4	Schwapp	Crum	Jones
5	Brockington
6	Thomas	Jansen	Herring
7	Sullivan	Young	Bruton
8	Carlson	Laws	Sullivan
9	Zbikowski	Laws	Carlson

What do you think?

(Credit for the title of this post goes to Catholic Packer Fan.)

Coaching Clipboard

Charlie Weis has said several times that he's not going to the New York Giants. Still, rocker Scott Weiland, son of a Notre Dame grad, wants to make absolutely sure. Perhaps Velvet Revolver can cover Butters' favorite Chicago song.


Ooh, someone's embedding YouTube clips now.

BGS's Jay thinks that Rick Minter's days at Notre Dame are numbered. It's time once again to start up the campaign bus for Coach Joe Yonto.

Notre Dame Alumni in the NFL PlayoffsWildcard Weekend

Jordan Black, T - Kansas City: Black started at left tackle for a team that was able to amass only 126 total yards (44 rushing) in a 23-8 loss to Indianapolis. Trent Green was sacked four times.

John Carney, K - New Orleans: Bye

Rocky Boiman, LB - Indianapolis: 1 reception, 1-16 yards. That's right - Boiman caught a pass. It started with a muffed snap to Hunter The Punter Smith. The calamity that ensued created a serendipitous moment for followers of Notre Dame alumni in the NFL. Smith was able to toss the ball to Boiman, but the play still resulted in a loss of 16 yards. Boiman was flagged for illegal touching, as he was an ineligible receiver on the play. However, Kansas City wisely chose to decline the penalty and take the result of the play - a turnover on downs - meaning that Smith's completion and Boiman's reception still stand in the box score.

Jerome Collins, TE - Indianapolis: On the injured reserve since 12/21 with an Achilles' tendon injury.

Jeff Faine, C - New Orleans: Bye

Anthony Fasano, TE - Dallas: Fasano was held without a catch in Dallas' loss to the Seahawks.

Ryan Grant, RB - New York Giants: Ryan Grant has spent this season on New York's Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. He has a wrist.

Julius Jones, RB - Dallas: Julius did his part for the Cowboys. Jones had 112 yards on 22 carries, including a 35-yard run that helped put Dallas in field goal range for what would have been the winning score.

Mark LeVoir, T - Chicago: Bye

Corey Mays, LB - New England: Mays played but did not record a tackle in New England's win over the Jets.

John Owens, TE - New Orleans: Bye

Luke Petitgout, LT - New York Giants: Luke was placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a broken wrist.

Gerome Sapp, S - Baltimore: Bye

Hunter Smith, P - Indianapolis: 2 punts, long of 43, average of 38.0 1 for 1 passing for -16 yards. (See the Rocky Boiman entry, because I'm not repeating it.)

Justin Tuck, DE - New York Giants: Tuck joins his fellow Irish Alumni on the Giants Injured Reserve. He recently had surgery for a Lisfranc injury on his foot. (Our Chief Medical Expert quit, so you'll have to Google "Lisfranc" yourself.)


John DeFilippo, Offensive Quality Control - New York Giants (ND Graduate Assistant 2001-02): Not a bad way to start your pro coaching career - as a quality control coach for the Giants after a brief stint as a college assistant. That's how Charlie Weis got started. The Giants scored 20 point but only put up 305 total yards in their loss to the Eagles.

Jim Johnson, Defensive Coordinator - Philadelphia (ND Defensive Backs Coach 1977-83, Defensive Coordinator 1981-83, Assistant Head Coach 1983): The Eagles defense did just enough to win this game. The Giants were held to 305 yards of total offense. New York did reach the red zone four times, but twice were held to only field goals.

Dean Pees, Defensive Coordinator - New England (ND Secondary Coach 1994): Pees' defense did give up 347 total yards, but they held the Jets to 16 points. Jets quarterback Chad Pennington was sacked 3 times and committed two turnovers in the game.

Bill Sheridan, Linebackers Coach - New York Giants (ND Safties/Special Teams Coach 2001): Giants linebackers (including Chris Blackburn, who may or may not suck depending on the Goon Squad you're talking to) combined for 14 tackles and one of New York's two sacks.

Steven Wilks, Defensive Backs Coach - Chicago (ND Secondary Coach 2004): Bye

Trent Walters, Secondary Coach - Philadelphia (ND Secondary Coach 2002-03): Eli Manning was held to 161 yards passing. The Eagles defensive backs combined for 14 tackles, one interception, and a forced fumble.

The Class of 2007

There were 9 ballots returned this year. The magic number for induction therefore was set at 5. No one got more than 5 votes, but two lucky candidates hit that total exactly.



Lou Holtz: This should come as no surprise, given the average age of the readers of this site. Those in their 20s grew up watching Lou Holtz lead dominant Irish teams onto the field every Saturday. He has inspired many people in many ways, and is one of the true motivational geniuses of our time. Holtz joins Joe Yonto and Charlie Weis as the third Notre Dame coach in the KankaNation Hall of Fame.



Jeff Samardzija: If you follow college football at all, you know The Shark's story. Now that he has finished setting records at Notre Dame, Samardzija will go on to live the dream of many a young boy or girl by playing not one but two sports for a living. Samardzija joins fellow former Irish players Gary Godsey, Darrell Campbell, and Dick Lynch in the hall.

And now, the also rans, with select quotes from the voters themselves. Young Patrick Hatton made a stunning debut on the charts, just missing induction on his first try. Meanwhile, my impassioned plea for Buck O'Neil's induction fell on deaf ears. And once again, Andy rounded out his ballot with food and buildings (and this time, a major region of the country).

Name	Votes	Comment
Patrick Hatton	4
Carl Monday	3
Peter Gammons	3
Charlie Weis, Jr.	3
Brady Quinn	3
Fr. Ted	3
Fr. Sorin	3	Why not have the man who built the University(twice)?
Jerome Bettis	2
Fr. Joyce	2	He was named after the JACC. That's just cool.
Knute Rockne	2	Without him, who would we cheer for on Saturday?
Wellington Mara	1
ND Women's Soccer	1
Kerri Hanks	1
Travis Thomas	1
Stonehenge War Memorial	1
Rhema McKnight	1
Terrail Lambert	1	Yes, in my mind, that one play will make up for all the bad ones.
Regis Philbin	1
Bill Clinton	1
Count Chocula	1
Hillary Clinton	1
The Aflac Duck	1
Derek Landri	1
Marco	1
Colin Cowherd	1	For publicly stating Tee Time Ty is a terrible coach!
The Yule Log	1
Bratwurst	1	Bratwurst...The perfect pre-game meal.
Nachos	1	The perfect game snack.
The Midwest	1	Ah, the real America.
Alan Page	1	aka Jon's Boss
Buck O'Neil	1
Fake cell phones	1	beep boop beep beep boop

LSU 41, Notre Dame 14

Quarterback: How do you complete only 15 of 35 passes? Dropped balls. High throws. Forcing the ball downfield on 2nd-and- or 3rd-and- long. Wild, off-balance chucks that lead to interceptions. Feeling the need to go deep to make up for the defense's inability to make a stop. You name it.

Running Back:


Darius Walker averaged 5.8 yards per carry and picked up 128 yards - mostly in the first half - against a decent run defense. He looked downright fast on the Superdome turf. Unfortunately, most of those yards came in the first half because the Irish were again forced to go to the air in the second half to mount a comeback.

Receiver: Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight spent more time looking for flags than they did looking for footballs. When you do that, you start paying more attention to the defender and less to the football - and that's when you drop passes. If you learn to shake off the Keyshawn Johnson-inspired sense of entitlement, you go back to focusing on the ball - and start making spectacular catches, even when the defender is legitimately interfering with you. The Big 12 refs were "letting them play" - which meant that McKnight could get away with a few holds on screen passes to Samardzija, but which also meant that interference calls weren't going to come easily.
On a positive note, David Grimes has shown that the receiving corps will be left in quite capable hands. Grimes made a spectacular catch for a touchdown while leaping between two defenders that made his 6'0, 168 pound frame look downright tiny. Grimes also had more than his share of outstanding blocks on outside runs by Walker.

Tight End: Charlie Weis learned his lesson from the last drive of the UCLA game. A max-protect scheme that kept John Carlson, Marcus Freeman, and/or Darius Walker in to block for most of the game did keep Brady Quinn off of his backside. Unfortunately, though, the scheme did limit Carlson to just one catch in his lauded return.

O-Line: The team rushed for 143 yards, and Brady Quinn was only sacked once. On most days, that would be enough against a top-flight defense.

D-Line: Notre Dame rotated seven linemen in this game. Yet, I can only remember two times when a lineman's name was called: when Travis Leitko fell on a fumble, and when Victor Abiamiri stunted to stop a JaMarcus Russell draw up the middle. For the most part, it didn't look like Abiamiri was being double-teamed - he just wasn't getting to Russell in time. Derek Landri, praised for a motor that made up for his size, was finally out-physicalled; Landri was held to zero tackles.

Linebacker:


Maurice Crum may have been the only returning starter at linebacker, but that's no excuse for him needing to tell the other linebackers (and defensive backs) where to line up right before the ball is snapped. Once may be understandable, but it seemed like this happened on every other play, especially when LSU went 3-, 4-, or 5-wide. Did it help that Notre Dame kept their base 4-3 set or nickel package in against 4- and 5-wide sets, leaving linebackers in man coverage against wide receivers? No. It also didn't help that Notre Dame's lack of size finally caught up to them against the larger LSU running backs. As a team, the Tigers averaged 6.6 yards per carry; I'm a little surprised that the number is that low.

Safety: LSU made Chinedum Ndukwe look like a former wide receiver in this game. I would imagine that Pop Warner coaches teach kids how to play safety by saying, "It's easy: don't ever let anyone run past you." Well, Pop Warner coaches and 7-year-old footballers alike were shaking their heads during this one. Tom Zbikowski spent most of the game trying to stop the run or blitz the quarterback. When it came to stopping the run, he did so-so. Zbikowski's 10 tackles were second only to Ndukwe's 12. His blitzes were picked up easily each time. I doubt Zbikowski could pick Russell out of a lineup, since he never got close enough to see what he looks like.

Cornerback: Like Zbikowski, Mike Richardson spent most of the game running right into blitz pickup. Here's a question for people who actually know about football: Coaches can send a quarterback to the line with multiple plays, and tell the quarterback which play to choose depending on which situation. Can the same thing be done on defense? Can the defensive captain or middle linebacker go to the line and say, "Hey, our blitz won't work against this formation, let's drop into coverage?" or "Hey, it looks like the blitz would work in this situation?"
When Richardson did drop into coverage, he once again looked like the player who was posterized by Pitt in 2004. I don't think the other cornerbacks can say that they have much to be proud of. Ambrose Wooden saw good playing time for the first time in months, and he almost had a momentum-changing strip. Of course, "almost" isn't good enough in big games.

Kicker: Carl Gioia missed his only try from 33 yards. Of course, Colt David missed one from 31, so it's not as easy as it looks.

Punter: Even with some unlucky bounces on the field turf, Geoff Price managed to average 47.4 yards per punt on 5 kicks, with a long of 55.

Kick Returner: As the game wore on, the Irish needed a spark of momentum from wherever they could get it. Unfortunately, David Grimes and George West were unable to provide that spark; in fact, they often struggled just to make it to the 20.

Punt Returner: Also unable to provide a spark was Tom Zbikowski, punter returner. Zbikowski was held without a punt return.

Special Teams: Positive note #2: Ndukwe had a bad game, but his backup didn't. On a day when the Irish defense demonstrated new ways to miss tackles, David Bruton made stop after stop in punt coverage. Bruton snuffed three punt returns with solid tackles, and added another good stop on a run play from scrimmage.