Six And Six - Got New Tricks

Last season there were many times when Charlie Weis' platter of plays smelled so much like old folks odor that even vultures wouldn't land.

Also, the Notre Dame coach was so transparent, through his assistant Mike Haywood, in his play-calling that opposing players never had to dance in the dark. They just cut in, as it were, and confused our OL and tripped the light fantastic over our runners. President Obama would like to have such a see-thru policy. Oh, Knute, wherefore were thou?

There are realistic ripples of recovery coming out of training camp and even elsewhere. Touchdown Jesus paid well for those so-inclined thoroughbred racing handicappers (we were among them) at Louisiana Downs over weekend. A setback, according to some purists came a few days ago, however, when an ESPN scribe named Weis one of College Football's top five villains, principally because he's an arrogant bastard. He is, in our judgment, far from villains top shit heads, but right up there with the rude, crude and socially unacceptable mentors, headed by messrs. Meyer and Paterno. Hey, their doing alright!

We continue to be impressed with the coaching and chattering of Charlie's assistants, and the low key approach he is taking to voicing forecasts, forebodings and forewarnings. Notre Dame has a damn good team that can run and pass the field and defend it from foes, beginning with Nevada.

Wolfpack coach Chris Ault's vaunted Pistol offense, which is designed for quick strikes, can be forced to draw blanks by simply stopping one player Period! Yes, they have some good rushers and receivers, but the Pack wins or loses with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who can pass, run, and receive. He is a good one, yes, maybe the best the Irish will face this year. Nevada is counting on a weak Notre Dame defense. That's the word from the Reno campus.

Enter Jon Tenuta and his cunning plots. The stars are aligned, his charges are into the schemes, and the Pistol offense meets gun control in the form of relentless blitzes.

Faithful, we are going to take a break from quick strikes and give you a quick bit of levity:

Two Mormon mission men go up to a house in South Bend and knock on the front door
of this Irish Catholic home.
It's opened by little Fergus, a ten-year-old boy who has a lighted cigar in one hand, a glass of whiskey in the other, and a Penthouse magazine tucked under his arm.
One of the proselytizing adults says, "son, is your mom or dad home?"
The loaded lad replies: "now, what the fuck do you think!"

Notre Dame's offense, including that much-maligned line corps, looks less like a 6-6 team and more like a solid group with a bag of tricks on both sides of the ball. While Jimmy Clausen was saved from handsomeness by a small pie-face, he has a very nice looking passing arm, evidenced in camp and a fine bunch of receivers to catch those tosses. Bombs away! It is going to be hard to keep Shaquelle Evans on the sidelines and John Goodman, as well, so predicts NDs offensive guru, who also is very pleased with Jonas Gray if the running game stalls with Armando Allen in the lead.

Yes, this is the best camp ND has had for years. Barring significant injuries, the lads and coaches have an attitude and focus that can't be denied: The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are going to kick some ass this fall.

--Wee Leprechaun and Old Shillelagh