Nov. 17, 2006
By Peter A. Kollmann
The Fighting Irish, fresh off a dominating win (39-17) at Air Force, enter today’s home finale playing arguably their best football of the season. Notre Dame hopes to keep the momentum going this afternoon in preparation for next week’s pivotal showdown against Pac-10 power USC. The 9-1 Irish, currently ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and fifth in the BCS standings, play their penultimate regular-season game today having won seven in a row. They are clicking on all cylinders, as evidenced by their performance last week in Colorado Springs, Colo., against the Air Academy (4-5).
Playing in Falcon Stadium some 7,200 feet above sea level, the Notre Dame offense took flight literally before the Air Force defense took the field. Quarterback Brady Quinn hooked up with wide receiver Jeff Samardzija on the first two plays of the contest, the first one covering 29 yards and the second going for 51 yards and the game’s first touchdown to put the Irish ahead 7-0.
Quinn was just warming up, though, as the senior signal caller also connected with tight end John Carlson and wide-out Rhema McKnight for touchdown passes in the first quarter. Notre Dame never looked back, as it rolled to a 22-point win. Running back Darius Walker had a monster game, rushing for a season-high 153 yards on 15 carries, including a 39-yard scamper in the second half, his longest carry of the season. On special teams, Terrail Lambert returned a blocked field-goal attempt 76 yards for a touchdown that resulted in a 27-3 advantage going into halftime.
The Irish defensive unit continued its solid play this season, containing the Air Force offense and its triple option attack for most of the day. Chinedum Ndukwe, who made 22 tackles (15 solo, seven assisted), solidified his status as one of the elite defensive backs in college football.
THE COACHES
It’s a good bet that Charlie Weis has been sleeping well on Saturday nights of late. The team has bought in to his philosophy of taking care of business on the road, as Notre Dame has won eight straight contests in hostile territory under Weis. With their win against Air Force last week, the Irish remained undefeated on the road in 2006–a good sign for next week’s showdown against the Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Aside from the UCLA contest in South Bend, which saw the Irish pull out a dramatic win in the game’s final minute, Notre Dame (31.7 points-per-game) has been piling plenty of points on the opposition and rarely playing from behind. When the Irish have the lead, Weis has the flexibility to toy with the opponent’s defense in the second half. On the Army sideline, Bobby Ross is wrapping up his third year coaching the Black Knights. The Richmond, Va., native, who started at both quarterback and defensive back for two seasons at the Virginia Military Institute in the 1950s, has quickly made his presence known at the U.S. Military Academy. Ross guided championship programs at both the collegiate and professional level, and has imparted a no-nonsense, workmanlike coaching style at West Point. This trait was evident in 2005, the most successful one since 1997, when Army posted four consecutive wins in its 4-7 campaign.
Like Weis, Ross was directly involved with a National Football League squad that made it to the Super Bowl. While Weis was part of the New England Patriots’ dynasty earlier this decade, Ross led the San Diego Chargers to the 1994 AFC Championship. In 1990, he coached a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team that went 11-0-1–the only unbeaten team in college football that year–and won the national title by beating Nebraska, 45-21, in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Senior defensive back Chinedum Ndukwe played exceptional last Saturday against Air Force, making 22 tackles against the Falcons – the most by a Notre Dame player since 1979. The Irish defense has allowed opponents to score an average of 21.6 points per game in 10 games this season. (Photo by J.D. Smith)
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A LOOK AT THE IRISH
Notre Dame comes into today’s game playing well on both sides of the ball and with everyone relatively healthy. One concern is the condition of tight end John Carlson, who sustained an injury to his right knee last week against Air Force and is doubtful for this afternoon’s game against the Black Knights.
With four more touchdown passes last Saturday (giving him 29 on the year), senior Brady Quinn has emerged as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy. He steps on the field at Notre Dame Stadium today looking to add to his 52 career touchdown passes at home. The Dublin, Ohio, native has thrown 17 touchdown passes this year at the “House that Rockne Built,” just shy of the 21 he threw last year, establishing a single-season school record.
Quinn, who has thrown 25 touchdowns and one interception in the past seven games, has benefited from having a plethora of explosive receivers to throw to. Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight each have amassed over 700 yards, while Darius Walker is adept at catching short passes out of the backfield.
The Notre Dame opposition has witnessed firsthand numerous Irish underclassmen step up to complement the stellar play of the veteran starting unit. In addition to the contributions from players such as freshman offensive tackle Sam Young and sophomore speed-burner David Grimes, last week saw the continued emergence of running back James Aldridge. The 6-foot, 209-pound freshman carried the ball five times for 27 yards, and–for the first time this season–saw action in the first half. Even though Walker will wear the Blue and Gold for another season, the Irish faithful will have a lot to look forward to from the backfield for the next three years. If Notre Dame gets off to another fast start today against Army, expect Aldridge to get his share of carries.
THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army (3-7) comes into today’s game in South Bend looking to rebound after a disappointing performance against Air Force two weeks ago. (Army didn’t play last week.) Turnovers have plagued the Black Knights in 2006, and the Nov. 3 game at Michie Stadium was no exception. Army turned the ball over six times–including on four consecutive plays in the first half–leading to 36 straight Falcon points and a 36-point loss (43-7) amidst 36 (and under) degree temperatures.
Freshman quarterback Carson Williams started for Army in its last game against Air Force, and enters today’s contest with three touchdown passes against seven interceptions this year. Junior David Pevoto (five touchdowns, 13 picks) may also take snaps today, as neither of the two signal callers has seen the lion’s share of playing time. On the ground, sophomore Wesley McMahand has rushed for 592 yards this year with four touchdowns. Junior Jeremy Trimble (44 catches, 453 yards) and senior Walter Hill (27 catches, 291 yards) anchor the wide receiving corps, while senior Tim Dunn (17 catches, 216 yards) serves as a reliable option at tight end.
The Army defense has surrendered an average of 26.8 points-per-game in 2006. Linebackers Cason Shrode (85 tackles) and Barrett Scruggs (80 tackles) have been solid all year, and the Black Knights rank 18th in the NCAA in allowing 164.3 passing yards per game. Army will look to turn in a quality effort today in preparation for the 107th Army-Navy game in Philadelphia next weekend.
Peter A. Kollmann is the editor of the Notre Dame football GameDay magazine.