i can't believe that i was stupid enough to play buffalo....i should be shot for that.
a few games that i'm playing this weekend.
nevada+3.....
i question how effective ian johnson will be playing with a harness to protect a collapsed lung.
here is something interesting that i read pertaining to a play against boise st.....
unbeaten teams playing their final game of the regular season on the road are 9-16 ats (36%) when playing an opponent who is >.600. they are 3-11 ats (21%) when the opponent averages 180 > rushing yards per game. and in games in which the opponent manges to score 19> points, they are 2-14 ats (12.5%).
usc-6(127).....
got this earlier in the week....
everybody remembers the great game & how close it was last year between these 2 teams. the fact of the matter is that usc dominated the game from the line of scrimmage......they outgained nd 7.4 ypl to 4.8 yppl. i don't see why that won't happen again this year.
here is something that some might find helpful.... scout's inc.(espn) breakdown of the game this year.....
Notre Dame Offense vs. USC Defense
Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn has been in a remarkable zone recently In fact, the senior signal caller has thrown 21 touchdowns compared to just one interception since the Michigan State game. While his accuracy and decision-making have been impressive, the level of competition must be taken into consideration, as those seven outings were against Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, Navy, North Carolina, Air Force and Army, which have a combined record of 32-45. While Quinn is an experienced veteran with elite physical tools, it may be difficult to immediately adjust to the speed of USC's defense on Saturday. The biggest advantage that the Irish have in this game is on the perimeter, where wide receivers Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight are clear mismatches versus cornerbacks Terrell Thomas and Cary Harris. Thomas is a savvy veteran with good size, but he lacks elite top-end speed. He can't be trusted on an island against Samardzija or McKnight, who have combined for 1,655 yards and 24 touchdowns on 122 receptions this season. Harris has good speed and adequate height, but he is a first-year starter who also can't be trusted in man-to-man coverage. As such, the Irish will rely heavily on the playmaking ability of their elite receiver-tandem to exploit these mismatches on a consistent basis. If Samardzija and McKnight get going early, it will open up the middle and underneath zones for tight end John Carlson and RB Darius Walker, who are key cogs in the Irish passing attack. Carlson is listed as questionable for Saturday's game. If he cannot play it will be a considerable loss for the Irish, as his pass-catching skills over the middle of the field have been critical to Quinn's success this season.
Notre Dame's offense is at its best when there's a balance between run and pass. The problem, however, is that the rushing attack has been unreliable at times this season. Walker has rushed for 1,083 yards through 11 games this season, but he has failed to hit the century mark in close wins against Georgia Tech, Michigan State and UCLA, as well as in the team's only defeat this season (Michigan). Coach Charlie Weis should want to establish Walker early in this game, as it will keep the Trojan defense honest and help slow down the surging pass rush. Running at the USC defense seems to be far more effective than attempting to run around it. The Trojans have tremendous speed along their defensive front-seven, but they lack ideal size in some spots, particularly at right end with Sartz (245 pounds). USC is giving up just 92.1 yards rushing per game, though, so don't expect miracles from Walker and the inconsistent Notre Dame ground-attack.
In fact, USC's defense is peaking at just the right time. Last week it surrendered only one touchdown and pitched a second-half shutout against a Cal offense that averaged 34.7 points in its first 10 games. The biggest difference recently has been the increased pressure generated by the Trojans' front four. After failing to notch a sack in the team's first eight games, junior DE Lawrence Jackson has turned up the heat with four sacks in the last two outings. Brian Cushing has been moved from linebacker to defensive end this season, which gives the Trojans great speed and athleticism on the perimeter of their defense. Also expect SLB Dallas Sartz, who is tied with Jackson for a team-high four sacks, to get involved as a fifth pass rusher when the Trojans elect to send extra pressure. LOT Ryan Harris is an established veteran with fine athleticism, so expect USC to target the other side with blitzes and stunts in an effort to confuse the talented but inexperienced freshman ROT Sam Young into some assignment errors. Another noticeable improvement has been the play of USC's young safety-tandem of Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays. Ellison, a true sophomore, and Mays, a true freshman, combined for 13 tackles and an interception versus the Golden Bears offense. Ellison led the Trojans with seven total tackles, while Mays came up with one of three Nate Longshore interceptions.
USC Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense
Notre Dame's pass defense is abysmal. Defensive coordinator Rick Minter tries to mask his secondary's lack of speed and athleticism by mixing in lots of different coverage looks -- mostly zone -- but play-calling only helps so much. SS Tom Zbikowski is outstanding in run support and has a history of making big plays in coverage. However, the senior's lack of fluidity in coverage has been exposed in deep-zone at times and he has yet to record an interception this season. Making matters worse is that FS Chinedum Ndukwe is cut from a similar mold, which limits the amount of real estate that the Irish can cover down the middle of the field in Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone schemes. Needless to say, QB John David Booty could put up career numbers on Saturday night if given the time he needs in the pocket to survey the field and step into his throws. Booty's best asset is his playmaking wide receiver trio of Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and Patrick Turner, which has combined for 1,736 yards and 17 touchdowns on 131 receptions this season. Jarrett suffered a mild concussion last week, but has been cleared to play. His 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame presents all sorts of matchup problems for Notre Dame's duo of 5-foot-11 cornerbacks Mike Richardson and Terrail Lambert. Smith lacks elite size and speed, but he is an instinctive route runner with great quickness and reliable hands. Finally, Ambrose Wooden is a solid nickel cover corner for the Irish, but he gives up more than five inches if matched up one-on-one in the slot versus Turner.
The only chance Notre Dame has to slow down the USC passing attack is to get great pressure from its defensive front. LDE Victor Abiamiri (10 sacks) and RDT Derek Landri (seven sacks) are legitimate pass rushing threats who must come up big on Saturday night. ROT Kyle Williams will likely need double-team help against Abiamiri on passing downs and the same may be true for LOG Drew Radovich in his matchup versus Landri. If that's the case, it will limit the role of TE Fred Davis in the passing game.
Notre Dame's defense has been stronger versus the run than it has been versus the pass, but it still surrenders an average of 126.8 yards per game on the ground. While tackles Landri and Trevor Laws play with good quickness and discipline, neither is especially big at the point of attack. As a result, guards Radovich and Chilo Rachal should handle Landri and Laws one-on-one, which will free mobile OC Ryan Kalil to pursue MLB Maurice Crum on the second level. Crum, who leads the Irish with 83 total tackles on the season, is the unit's most consistent run defender. Although he has good instincts and quickness to make plays from sideline-to-sideline, Crum lacks ideal size at 225 pounds, which means he will struggle to hold up if forced to consistently fight through traffic. RB Chauncey Washington has emerged as the Trojans' premier back in recent weeks, and he displays enough power and speed to exploit Notre Dame's penetrable run defense. Washington showed good toughness playing through injury last week and is expected to once again shoulder most of the load versus the Irish on Saturday. C.J. Gable and Emmanuel Moody are both talented freshmen who could also see carries if necessary.
Special Teams
Notre Dame's special teams units are strong in some areas and weak in others. The highlight of the group is the PT Geoff Price, who ranks fifth nationally with an average of 45.7 yards per attempt. Field goals have been far more adventurous, though. PK Carl Gioia has missed four of his 11 field goal attempts and five extra point attempts on the season. His long of the season is 40 yards and he has missed all three attempts from beyond that distance. Zbikowski averages just 9 yards per punt return, which was boosted by one 52-yard return for a score. On the season, Zbikowski has been far less explosive and not as sure-handed as he has been in the past. The majority of the kickoffs have been handled by David Grimes, who is averaging 26.6 yards per return on the season.
The Trojans have a slight edge on special team's thanks largely in part to the consistency of PK Mario Danelo, who has connected on 12 of his 13 field goal attempts on the season. Backup PK Troy Van Blarcom handles the kickoff duties and he has a strong leg to consistently force touchbacks in that department. P Greg Woidneck displays good directional skills and is capable of pinning the Irish deep inside their own territory. However, while he has landed 12 of 35 attempts inside opponents' 20-yard line, Woidneck is averaging only 38.8 yards per punt on the season. The Trojans have been solid, but unspectacular in the return game. KOR C.J. Gable reaches his top speed quickly, but he still makes inexperienced mistakes at times. He is averaging a respectable 27.6 yards per kickoff return. PR Desmond Reed has been disappointing this season, which is why USC is using Patrick Turner in that role more frequently. The team, as a whole, ranks 108th nationally on punt returns.
Matchups
? Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn vs. USC DS's Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays
? Notre Dame WR Jeff Samardzija vs. USC CB Terrell Thomas
? USC WR Dwayne Jarrett vs. Notre Dame CB Michael Richardson
Scouts' Edge
There will be no shortage of offensive weapons inside The Coliseum on Saturday night. In what projects as a track meet, it will be the team that creates more big plays on defense that comes out on top. Quinn gives Notre Dame an advantage in experience at the quarterback position, which cannot be overlooked. Also, Quinn's wide receiver-tandem of Samardzija and McKnight is stellar. But Walker will be a non-factor versus USC's stiff run defense, which will make the Irish offense too one-dimensional and predictable. The Trojans, on the other hand, should find plenty of balance between run and pass. Washington will churn out tough yards on the ground, setting up big play opportunities for Booty to exploit via the air. Weis' Irish squad should keep pace for a while, but expect the Trojans to have matters well in hand come the fourth quarter, extending their home winning streak to 33 games and Carroll's November record to a perfect 20-0.
Prediction: Trojans 35, Fighting Irish 24
good luck.
