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25
Notre Dame
On the field and off, this once proud program continues
its struggle to live up to the standards of the
past
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Tackle
Mike Rosenthal anchors a typically massive Irish
O-line.
(Jonathan
Daniel/Allsport)
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"Three on
the bumper!"
barks
Notre Dame strength coach
Mickey Marotti. It is an
oppressively hot July day, and Marotti, who would have been a hit
at a Spanish auto-da-fé, has commenced a creative
conditioning exercise. Using a Ford Club Wagon as a
blocking sled, Marotti makes the Irish players push the car
up and
down a practice field in increments of 25 yards per trio.
This, it should be noted, is a "voluntary"
workout.
Meanwhile, some 100 miles to the
southwest, in Lafayette, Ind., lawyers representing Notre Dame in an
age-discrimination suit are attempting to convince a jury
that Irish coach Bob Davie fired
then 64-year-old offensive line coach Joe Moore in December
1996 not because Moore was old but because he was abusive.
The line between inspiration and abuse is fine
indeed.
Many Notre Dame players will attest that a few more
martinets are just what their foundering program needs.
"You gotta have pain," says outside linebacker
Kory Minor. "That's what it takes to
win."
Minor understands pain. In his three years in South Bend
the senior
tri-captain has endured three-, three- and six-loss seasons, in that
order. He has lost one coach (Lou
Holtz, who resigned after the 1996 season) and watched a second
(Davie) lose a lot of face in the wake of Moore's
age-discrimination trial. (The Infighting Irish
would lose that contest too, as the jury ultimately awarded
Moore $86,000 in back pay and
damages.)
If only the Irish put up as much fight on the field last
year as they did in court this summer. The defense reeked,
er, ranked 83rd in the nation against the run, and after
the linebacking unit of Minor, fellow seniors Jimmy Friday
(a team-leading 109
tackles in '97) and Bobbie Howard, and sophomore
star-in-the-making Grant Irons, the talent level of the D
falls off sharply, especially in the secondary. Sophomore
Tony Driver, who ran for 125 yards last year as understudy
to tailback Autry Denson, will
start at free safety, which underscores two
facts: (1) Driver is too good an athlete to be wasted on the
bench, and (2) right now
ND stands for "no
depth."
The offense too has holes, particularly at wideout, but it
does possess more proven talent and should put up big
numbers now that Davie has opted to return to the
option-oriented attack that served the Irish so well during
the Holtz years. Denson, who
needs 989 yards to break the school career rushing record of
4,131 yards held by
Allen Pinkett, will run behind a typical
Club Wagon-sized Notre Dame line, which averages just under 300
pounds per player. Though senior quarterback Jarious
Jackson is an average passer and has yet to start a college
game, his superior running skills make him an excellent fit
for the new offense.
Those worried about Jackson's lack of experience might
recall the last time the Irish installed a senior as a
first-time starter at quarterback: In 1993, option
quarterback Kevin McDougal led Notre Dame to an 11-1 record
and a No. 2 final
ranking.
Not that anyone is predicting the same outcome for this
Notre Dame team. The Irish open at home on Sept. 5 against
national champion Michigan, then face Michigan State,
Purdue and Stanford, all of which defeated Notre Dame in
'97. An Oct. 10 duel at
Arizona State also looms ominously. Yes, the Irish remain a
formidable opponent capable of beating a quality team (see
their 24-6 win at
LSU last November). But given the recent tumult, the golden
days in South Bend seem further away than ever.
—John Walters
Fast Facts
1997 record: 7-6 (Independent)
Final ranking: unranked
| 1997 Averages | Offense | Defense |
| Scoring | 22.8 | 19.8 |
| Rushing Yards | 174.9 | 184.8 |
| Passing Yards | 185.3 | 180.3 |
| Total Yards | 360.3 | 365.1 |
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Pivotal Players
At
6'7" and 300 pounds, senior left tackle
Mike Rosenthal
is more than just a big load; line coach Dave Borbely calls
the three-year
starter a "great
technician."... No
freshman defender saw more playing time in '97 than
6'5", 256-pound
Grant
Irons. The younger brother of former Michigan All-America
Jarrett Irons, he could lead the team in sacks from his
rush linebacker
spot.
Key Games
Schedule strength: 27th of
112
Sept. 5 vs. Michigan
Senior quarterback Jarious Jackson's first start comes
against the nation's top defense in
'97.
Oct. 10 at Arizona State
The first-ever meeting between Domers and Devils will be
the toughest test of the year for the Irish
D.
Bottom Line
Bob Davie's return to the option plays to
Notre Dame's strengths, but shortcomings on defense spell another
up-and-down
year.
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