tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76823531617895224832012-01-31T20:27:27.766-05:00IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-25788373744802514472008-04-25T10:28:00.003-04:002008-04-25T11:07:04.176-04:00

Coming into the spring, the defense faced many difficult questions: Who would step up to replace the production of Trevor Laws? What would Jon Tenuta bring to the defense? How would Tenuta and Corwin Brown mesh? I am not sure the spring answered all of our questions about this defense. Here are my thoughts about what we did learn:1. The DL needs Pat Kuntz back, and the sooner the better. This

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-21734211407483266092008-04-22T10:51:00.002-04:002008-04-22T13:17:56.241-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything here, but I wanted to wait until after spring ball to get a handle on my thoughts about where the Irish are. In general, I think the Irish made dramatic improvement this spring as a team. There are still holes, some glaring, but the biggest improvement I saw and heard was that this team has galvanized. There is a very different attitude on this

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-41577452619920438442008-04-02T10:32:00.002-04:002008-04-02T10:53:51.447-04:00

I don't know if I am the only one who has noticed this, but it appears that there is a concerted effort recently to change the commonly held (mis)perceptions about Coach Weis. We have all heard the criticisms and complaints -- he is arrogant, he ignores former players, he is brash, he is difficult to work with, he is hostile, etc. etc. etc. Let me be clear in stating that I do not believe any

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-86842007364321231252008-04-01T10:54:00.003-04:002008-04-01T11:23:15.310-04:00

We are almost 1 week into spring practice and I wanted to take some time to answer some questions. Thank you to those who have emailed me. Please feel free to email any questions you have to irishglory2007@gmail.com.Q: What do you think of Tenuta in the early going? Do you think this is going to work with Tenuta and Corwin together?A: I think Jon Tenuta has been EXACTLY what this football

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-30690248765818257052008-03-17T11:09:00.003-04:002008-03-17T11:44:40.709-04:00

It has been a while since I have stopped to answer some reader submitted questions, so I wanted to take the opportunity to do that today. Thank you for emailing the questions and please keep them coming to irishglory2007@gmail.com.Q: Will the Irish be deep enough on the OL to run a no huddle offense next year?A: Will they be deep enough? Yes. Will they be capable enough? We can't answer that yet.

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-3221068658152159142008-03-13T11:32:00.002-04:002008-03-13T11:59:14.618-04:00

NOTE: This is the last in the series of articles I have written recapping the 2007 Irish recruiting class. With spring practice around the corner, it is time to look ahead and get fired up for Irish football again. It has been a looooooooong time since I have been able to say that the Irish secondary is a STRENGTH of the team. However, we can say it now. One of the strength of Charlie's

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-87856697485884635912008-03-11T10:54:00.002-04:002008-03-11T11:16:34.230-04:00

One of the glaring weaknesses on last year's Irish squad was the play at LB. On the outside, the Irish were extremely young, with Kerry Neal and Brian Smith garnering huge minutes. On the inside, the Irish were simply not productive enough and lacked elite talent. The Irish took a step towards addressing this weakness by signing 4 LB prospects who will immediately upgrade the competition at

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com209tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-57918077848114193162008-03-10T11:52:00.002-04:002008-03-10T12:40:51.661-04:00

Finally!!! That is my reaction to the Irish finally bringing in a big time haul of numbers and talent on the D Line. For years, D Line recruiting has been an Achilles heel for the Irish, but finally the Irish began to address their needs in this position group this year.Sean Cwynar: As an early enrollee and already a big kid, Cwynar is exactly what the doctor ordered for a depleted DL this

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-84169092920898781822008-03-07T10:16:00.003-05:002008-03-07T10:54:12.141-05:00

After witnessing the Irish O Line struggle throughout the 2007 season, you can't overestimate the importance of getting some fresh blood injected into this unit. While I expect that significant improvement on the line next year will come from current players refocusing and developing, you always need an infusion of fresh bodies and talent on the line. The Irish added 4 solid prospects to the O

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-61186811396875570572008-03-04T10:02:00.002-05:002008-03-04T10:22:35.275-05:00

With the departure of John Carlson to graduation and Konrad Reuland to transfer, the Irish entered this recruiting season looking to secure 2 TEs. They certainly succeeded, as they landed 5 star TE Kyle Rudolph and solid TE Joseph Fauria. Rudolph and Fauria are different players, but both are extremely talented and will help the Irish.Kyle Rudolph: In my view, Kyle was the #1 TE recruit in the

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-351323485765046862008-03-03T10:18:00.003-05:002008-03-03T11:00:56.983-05:00

The Irish signed a bumper crop of receivers in this year's class, and it could not come at a better time. Mike Floyd, Deion Walker, and John Goodman are in my view the best WR haul the Irish have signed in quite some time. I have reviewed the film on all 3 now and all I can say is WOW! Mike Floyd: Mike Floyd is hands down the most talented overall WR the Irish have signed in the last decade +.

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-53721380975049627132008-02-11T15:08:00.000-05:002008-02-11T15:42:27.119-05:00

Last year, the Irish landed 2 what I would consider elite RBs in Robert Hughes and Armando Allen. Therefore, we all knew it was going to be a challenge landing another elite guy at the position this year. As much as we would love to be in the recruiting position of USC where we can simply stockpile 5 star guys at the position year after year, the reality is ND is not there yet. Nevertheless,

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-11600584758194305422008-02-08T14:24:00.000-05:002008-02-08T15:18:17.589-05:00

I will be returning to my recruiting recap articles shortly, but today I wanted to comment on the press conference from today and the announcements that Coach Weis made regarding the program:1. Coach Weis giving up the playcalling and total control of the offense.I am going to be completely honest here -- this shocked me. I did not see this coming at all. I didn't get to watch the press

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-91839734976070737062008-02-07T10:43:00.000-05:002008-02-07T11:36:06.481-05:00

Dayne Crist is one of my favorite recruits in this class. Let me get that bias out in the open right off the bat. To commit to Notre Dame early in the process knowing that the Irish signed the most heralded QB recruit in the last decade just 1 year prior, and then stay true to that commitment despite an awful season and an onslaught of attention from other schools speaks volumes not only about

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-61226850676940759562008-02-06T15:50:00.000-05:002008-02-06T16:05:16.474-05:00

Signing day is here and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have closed out by all accounts a hugely successful recruiting campaign. As of this writing, the Irish signed 23 players, with Milton Knox the only remaining undecided. In the coming days, be sure to check back on this blog as I will be breaking down the recruits individually position by position, much like I did following the season with my

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-5500437082711385542008-02-01T10:43:00.000-05:002008-02-01T11:55:13.907-05:00

Wow. That is the first word that comes to mind when I think about the coaching change announced yesterday, where Bill Lewis retired and John Tenuta was hired to replace him. Tenuta will hold the same title of Assistant Head Coach for Defense that Bill Lewis held. His specific positional responsibility has not been officially announced yet. I first heard about this rumored change last weekend,

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-46409884048829344672008-01-25T09:28:00.000-05:002008-01-25T10:07:44.001-05:00

In the past 2 weeks, the Irish defensive line has suffered 2 significant blows, first with the news that Pat Kuntz is not currently enrolled at ND (though he hopes to return) and second with the news this week that Derell Hand's football career may be over due to a reported spinal condition. With the graduation of dominant DE Trevor Laws and also Dwight Stephenson, there is some reason for

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-39593801383565541432008-01-11T09:55:00.000-05:002008-01-11T10:51:03.813-05:00

Just wanted to take some time to address the latest round of questions about Irish football:Q: Hi--- I thought offensive line play improved with Wenger at C.. your thoughts?A: This is probably going to be a longer answer than you were hoping for because I have several thoughts on this. In general, the O Line did appear better with Wenger at center. However, I am not willing to draw any

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-45134043566500682032008-01-09T09:49:00.001-05:002008-01-09T10:21:55.191-05:00

Yesterday, it was released that Ian Williams has been named a Freshman All American. Following the text of the und.com release, I share my thoughts on Ian and what his performance shows:From und.com:Notre Dame nose tackle Ian Williams (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman) was named to the 2007 AON Insurance Freshman All-America Team, the Football Writers Association of America announced Jan. 7 during

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-33947077545119011042008-01-07T10:09:00.000-05:002008-01-07T11:02:16.653-05:00

Like most Irish fans, I anxiously awaited the Army All American Game that was played this weekend. It was a chance to take a glimpse at the future of Notre Dame football. After only seeing highlight clips of most recruits, it was a chance to watch them compete over the course of a game and see how they stacked up to other immensely talented football players. Having suffered through the down

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-54737253709436977392008-01-03T10:57:00.000-05:002008-01-03T13:23:47.816-05:00

It has been a while since I have answered some questions so I thought today would be a good day to do that. I really enjoy reading the questions from you all so keep them coming to irishglory2007@gmail.com! The new year has re-energized me and I can't wait for the high school all-star games this weekend. I am already counting down the days till spring practice. So here goes...Q: [paraphrasing]

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-87412310136786804622008-01-02T10:56:00.000-05:002008-01-02T11:44:57.495-05:00

I am back after taking some time to relax and enjoy the holidays. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year to all! This will be the final article in my series reviewing the 2007 Irish squad. I know I haven't reviewed special teams, but I can't bring myself to do it. It is a new year and positive thoughts abound. Thinking about the 2007 special teams, with a few exceptions,

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-81144768629385565952007-12-21T11:22:00.000-05:002007-12-21T12:01:23.997-05:00

If there was one unit on the Irish team that epitomized the good, the bad, and the ugly, the LB corps was it. For Irish LBs, it was a year in which some guys flashed incredible potential, others showed their physical limitations, and still others were downright mediocre.In the switch to a 3-4 scheme, you simply cannot survive with mediocre or even average LB play. Those guys absolutely have to

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-12983074895989728312007-12-20T15:06:00.001-05:002007-12-20T15:48:52.243-05:00

Entering the 2007 season, the position group I was most concerned about was the D Line. I knew we had a solid football player in Trevor Laws, but beyond that, I saw an awful lot of question marks, no depth to speak of, and I was concerned about the loss of 2 productive football players from last year's squad -- Derek Landri and Victor Abiamiri. Combine that with a switch to a 3-4 look where the

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-71594728368598215582007-12-19T11:00:00.000-05:002007-12-19T11:54:45.885-05:00

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am not someone who is overly negative and critical when writing about the Irish. I generally try to look at things from a glass half full perspective and find the positives. As I prepared to write this review of the Irish O Line from 2007, I was really dreading it. There is a time to be positive, and then there is a time to just be brutally honest. And

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-48934140553349090442007-12-17T10:45:00.000-05:002007-12-17T11:32:37.995-05:00

Coming into the 2007 football season, everyone expected All American TE John Carlson to have a huge season for the Irish. With the graduation of Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, fans expected John Carlson to become the leading receiver in the Irish offense. While Carlson did not set the world on fire catching footballs, he still wound up with a solid season of 40 receptions for 372 yards and

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-35896627763886051762007-12-13T10:11:00.000-05:002007-12-13T10:58:49.911-05:00

I decided to take a brief break from writing my 2007 ND position reviews to comment on the recent trend of NFL coaches leaving to go back to college. Last year, the big name was Nick Saban. This year it is Bobby Petrino. Aside from the classless manner in which they left their NFL employers, these two men also had other things in common -- losing NFL teams, disastrous QB situations with their

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-17586831266422457872007-12-11T10:03:00.000-05:002007-12-11T10:45:24.174-05:00

2007 was an up and down year for the Notre Dame receiving corps. There were flashes of excitement surrounded by too much inconsistency, too many lapses in concentration, and too many drops. While this group took strides to improve as the year progressed, I don't feel they ever attained the level of consistency that the Irish will need moving forward. Speaking of the group as a whole, one of

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-69710444750863158742007-12-10T10:31:00.000-05:002007-12-10T11:47:24.114-05:00

Entering the 2007 season, we knew 2 things about the RB situation at Notre Dame -- we had a lot of them, and they all did different things well. Travis Thomas, Junior Jabbie, James Aldridge, Armando Allen, and Robert Hughes formed one of the deepest RB corps in recent memory at Notre Dame. As the season unfolded, we learned a lot about the RBs collectively and individually.Travis Thomas: As

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-39279122111168682672007-12-06T10:09:00.000-05:002007-12-06T11:23:55.612-05:00

No one would deny that 2007 has been a year of tumult at the QB position for the Irish. It has been a year of experimentation and draa for certain, but also a year of discovery. The Irish certainly saw their share of struggles from the QB position this year, but ultimately, I firmly believe that we have found our franchise QB in Jimmy Clausen. The season began with the drama of a spring and

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-35566306103839258772007-12-04T09:46:00.000-05:002007-12-04T10:59:37.235-05:00

As I mentioned previously, I wanted to go position by position and provide my thoughts on 2007 with an eye towards 2008. I purposely took more than a week following the final game to do this because I wanted to be as objective as possible. These are just my thoughts and opinions and as always, I welcome your insights, disagreements, and opinions as well. One thing I will not be doing is

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-52911997781697002262007-11-26T11:12:00.000-05:002007-11-26T11:46:45.325-05:00

On Saturday afternoon against Stanford, the Irish mercifully concluded the 2007 campaign by beating the Cardinal. In many ways, this game epitomized the season for the Irish -- sloppy at times, inconsistent, but with fashes of promise. Here are my thoughts:1. This was not a great game for Jimmy Clausen. I was really hoping he would have 1 game before the season ended where he put it all

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-57612852436890873802007-11-21T10:59:00.000-05:002007-11-21T11:51:40.086-05:00

I wanted to take some time before the Thanksgiving holiday to address some questions I have received:1. Q: What do you think of Charlie Weis going back to New England after the season? Tom Pagna thinks it is a bad idea. A: Thank you for the question. I think it is a great idea, regardless of what Tom Pagna says. After a season as difficult as this one, a good head coach needs to sit down,

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-47849828681471136382007-11-19T10:12:00.001-05:002007-11-19T11:03:19.954-05:00

It really feels good to be writing this after a win. Having watched the tape, there is plenty of material for me to comment on:1. Jimmy is developing quickly. A few things really stood out to me:Arm strength - For those who complained earlier in the year that Jimmy doesn't have a strong arm, watch this game. Take a look at the TD toss to Grimes. Take a look at the TD toss to Duval while

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-89600320248863111982007-11-15T13:28:00.001-05:002007-11-15T14:30:11.734-05:00

I want to address some questions I received this week from readers:1. Q: Do you actually think the O line is actually giving up plays just so the QB can get hit? I wonder? They sure don't take up for him with the cheap shots he's been getting lately.A: This is a popular question I have heard an awful lot. I will answer it as directly as I can. I do not see any way in which any member of this

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-36869100773464298552007-11-13T10:32:00.000-05:002007-11-13T15:16:19.789-05:00

I have decided not to write up a recap of the Notre Dame-Air Force game from this past weekend. I thought about it and I just didn't see what would be gained by writing that. The issues that manifested themselves against Air Force are the same issues we have been talking and writing about all season. Instead, I am going to go against the grain of many of the other ND sites I have seen and talk

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-86494615537111203032007-11-09T10:35:00.000-05:002007-11-09T12:04:03.796-05:00

I wanted to address some questions I have received this week:1. Q: What do you think of the decision to start Jimmy Clausen?A: If Jimmy is healthy, and that is a big if, then it is absolutely the right decision. At this point, I think Jimmy's hip and other bruises are more of an impediment than his arm. I think his arm has benefited the most from not starting. Coach Weis has made the

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-72625876211291983402007-11-08T11:12:00.000-05:002007-11-08T11:50:20.868-05:00

This week, Coach Weis made the decision to limit the availability of players and assistant coaches (except coordinators) to the media. My reaction??? GREAT MOVE. There is simply nothing left to say. What is to be gained by continuing to expose yourself, your players, and your coaches to the endless barrage of repetitively negative questions from the media?Do we really need to hear the media

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-55392917060295270182007-11-05T09:58:00.000-05:002007-11-05T10:59:01.831-05:00

Another Monday morning coming off another Notre Dame loss. I have lots of thoughts and lots to say, especially after watching the game a second time on tape. I suspect that many of my thoughts this week will spark some serious questions and debate, which is good. I look forward to reading your comments, questions, and opinions. With that said, here are my thoughts:1. Charlie Weis is the head

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-68277343476440334242007-11-02T14:44:00.000-04:002007-11-02T15:17:24.826-04:00

I wanted to post the first installment of the IrishGlory Q&A based on questions I have received from readers. Again, I stress that my answers reflect my thoughts and opinions only. Thank you and please keep the questions coming!1. Q: Since we are not Bowl eligible at ND can the coaches still practice the team through December under NCAA rules or is it "hands off?A: Since the Irish are not

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682353161789522483.post-79942594855648313302007-11-01T11:07:00.000-04:002007-11-01T13:54:16.881-04:00

The bye week has re-energized me and I can't wait to watch some Irish football this weekend against Navy. I don't know about you, but it didn't feel right to have a fall weekend last weekend with no Irish football. I believe the coaches and players used the bye week to recharge the batteries not only physically, but also mentally. Here are my fearless thoughts and predictions of what to expect

IrishGloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263748547586643876noreply@blogger.com4