Mr. Detail
If you have any doubt Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis studies USC intensely, check out this amazingly long (and intricate) answer about the Trojans. Did Weis leave anyone out?
They're pretty stout on offense. Everybody says, well, Reggie is gone, LenDale is gone, Leinart is gone. Well, they're averaging 31 a game and rushing for 142 and throwing for 250, and that's 392 total yards per game, and they've only given up 13 sacks all year long.
Everyone says, well, they've got Booty in. Well, he started all ten games this year, completed 62.3 percent of his passes, 22 to 6 touchdown/interception ratio, 241.7 per game. Just like last night against Cal, you watch the game, he was 18 for 31, 238 yards, two touchdowns, about how he is every game. That's why he averages 241.7 and he threw for 238 last night.
The running back is kind of interesting. Moody got hurt in the Oregon game, got an ankle injury. We don't think he'll be back. We're not positive. As a matter of fact, Washington got hurt in that game, as well, and he got an MRI and it revealed he had a sprained knee, but he did play against Cal even though they started the freshman C.J. Gable, which I'm assuming the reason they started him is because of the knee that Washington had just come off of. But he started four of the last five games and is their leading rusher. He's rushed for 703 yards and just under five yards a carry with eight touchdowns.
I think that if Moody is not back we'll see him and Gable, who came onto the scene last night. It seems like every time you turn around they've got a new front line running back that runs real well. So Gable starts last night, he's third on the team in rushing after last night. He's got 250 yards and 4.23 average with three touchdowns. He also is dynamic on kickoff returns, where he's averaging 27.6 a kickoff return. Last night they give him the start versus Cal, which obviously is a huge game. He comes out and starts, 19 carries for 91 yards at 4.8 average, and he also had a 35?yard catch.
It's obvious what they've been able to do with their running backs is they lost Reggie and they lost LenDale, and these other guys have stepped right in and performed really well.
They've had a slew of injury at the fullback position. They've gone through about four different guys. Let's take right now Allen Bradford, who's a true freshman, looks like he's now at the top of the depth chart because of the number of injuries they've had. We were involved in trying to recruit Allen ourselves last year. I know he's a very, very, very good athlete who can play on either side of the ball. He was both a linebacker and a running back in high school. Last night he started at fullback.
At tight end, there's three guys. Fred Davis is the starter, he actually came to USC as a wide receiver, he's fourth on the team in receptions with 26 catches and three touchdowns. Dale Thompson, he'll show up, as well. He's played in all ten games and he's actually started the last three. And they do have a third tight end that shows up, Jimmy Miller.
Probably the greatest strength of their offense positionally, as far as depth goes, wide receiver, because it's really status quo from last year only with a year more experience. They've got one of the best combinations of wide receivers in the country. I don't think anyone would argue that point. Steve Smith right now this year is their leading receiver. Dwayne was ?? we'll get to him here in a couple seconds, but Steve started in all ten games and he's got 55 catches for 874 with a 16?yard average and eight touchdowns. Typical for him, he had another good night last night, six catches, 88 yards, touchdown along the 37.
Dwayne Jarrett, he missed one game against Washington, but he obviously is their go?to guy, second leading receiver on the team statistically for 48 catches with 610 yards and seven touchdowns. Last night he had five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, as well.
Patrick Turner ?? they have great size with Jarrett, not that Smith is small, but at 6'0", 200, he's the smallest of the bunch, because now you come with Patrick Turner who's another 6'5", 230 guy, he's a third wide receiver, he's played in all ten games. He's the third leading receiver on the team with 28 catches and a couple touchdowns. Last night he had a couple catches.
Now, they have one injured receiver, Chris McFoy, he got hurt early in the year in October. He fractured his shoulder, and he was expected to miss six to eight weeks, so we don't know if we'll see him or not. After the first three guys they have two freshman, Vidal Hazelton and Travon Patterson I think are the two guys that we would expect to see after the first three. But that combination of Smith, Jarrett, Turner, that's probably as good as it gets.
On the offensive line, basically the offensive line is anchored by two guys. All five of them have been starting all year long, but we can start with Kalil, their center. He's played and started in every game in the last three years, and last season he was All?PAC 10 first team. And the left tackle Sam Baker has played and started every game in the last three years, but he's a former guard that was named All?PAC 10 in 2005. He was also named to multiple All?American teams, as well.
Kalil and Baker anchor the line, but the left guard, Radovich, he's played all ten this year, Rachal, the right guard, he's played and started nine games this year. He missed the Washington game. And Williams, he's played and started all ten games at right tackle. So they're pretty solid at their offensive line.
Once again, a lot of the reason you hear them just starting this year is they had three guys go into the pros last year. I mean, they've done a great job of just replacing the guys ?? guys leave to go to the NFL, they've got another set of guys coming in of that caliber of player that just come in right behind them. They obviously have done a nice job recruiting and coaching.
On defense, Nick Holt returns to them. He's been head coach at Idaho for the last couple years, but he had been the linebacker coach at USC from 2001 to 2003. Their defense is pretty stout.
This team is probably as complete a team as we go against on offense and defense. They're giving up 14 points a game, three yards per rush, 92 yards rushing a game, 196 and a half passing per game for a total of 288.6. They have 23 sacks. They're 39 percent on 3rd down. The teams getting in the red zone only score a touchdown 50 percent of the time, and I think that's pretty good statistically when teams can hold them to scoring touchdowns 50 percent of the time.
Now, let's start with the front seven or so. I'm going to include more than seven guys because this is as fast a group as you're going to come against. Lawrence Jackson, he's played and started all ten games this year. 2005 he was All?PAC 10 last year. This guy is athletic, he uses his hands, plays the run, he can rush the passer, he has good leverage and he can come off the edge, as well. Last night, typical game, five tackles, one and a half for loss, force fumble a sack and a pass breakup. His typical game.
Now, Sedrick Ellis will man one defensive tackle. He's played seven games. He missed the Nebraska game, the Arizona game and the Washington State game. They are the three games he's been out of this year. He played against us last year and had nine tackles and a sack, and he was 2005 All?PAC 10 Honorable Mention. He's a tough inside player. He's got pass rushability, he's a good player against the run; last night four tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
Now, manning the other tackle will either be Moala or Barrett. Now, Barrett, he's played nine games this year and started the first six, and he didn't show up in the participation report in the Cal game last night. I really didn't see him in the game, so I'm not really sure ?? when I watched it this morning and when I watched it last night, here's a guy who started off as a tight end, then they moved him to defensive end, now they moved him to defensive tackle.
Now, Moala, he's played in all ten games and has seven starts. He started in the Cal game where he had three tackles and a pass breakup.
Brian Cushing, he actually is playing like a standup end for them. They call it 3?4 but he's really playing like an end. He's a Will or end for them and their 3?4 personnel grouping. He's played and started in all ten games this year, and he is a lot like Shaw from Penn State. When we went against Penn State, they used him virtually almost identically in what they do with him because he can drop and cover or he can rush. He gives them the versatility to go in and out of packages, and he's the guy that gives them a lot of flexibility in their defense.
Now, when they want to take Brian out they'll either put in Kyle Moore, or last night I saw Alex Morrow a little bit. They'll put in a bigger body if they want to just put in a true defensive end and go to a 4?3 defense, they have the capability of doing that with either Kyle Moore or Alex Morrow, and the other thing, you'll also see Tofi inside as a backup tackle.
Other linebackers, I'd say this is ?? just like I talked about their wide receivers before, I'd say their linebackers really make this team go. They are fast and they are athletic and they are aggressive, okay, and I'll work my way from strong side to middle to weak side.
Let's start with Sartz. In this season he's played and started in ten games, he's fourth on the team in tackles, 50 tackles, five and a half for loss, four sacks, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups. This is a guy in 2005, again the season starting the first two games but dislocated his shoulder missed the rest of the season. He's playing very well. Last night he had four tackles and a pass breakup.
Maualuga in the middle, he's played ten games this year and started nine. He's their second leading tackler on the team with 66 tackles, four for loss, a sack, a pick and a forced fumble. He's a good player, he runs well, he's physical and he flies around to the ball. Last night he had four tackles and a half a tackle for a loss.
And then you've got Keith Rivers, their Will. He's played and started in all ten games this season. He's their leading tackler, 67 tackles, five and a half for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery. He's another guy who runs well, he makes some plays, athletic.
I'll tell you what, when you watch these guys blitz, you better be ready because whether it's Rivers or Maualuga coming inside or whether it's Sartz or Cushing or those guys coming outside, you'd better be ready because they bring it when they bring it. I'll bring up the safeties here in a second because they bring it, too.
Now, they did lose two defensive backs this year. They lost Pinkard at safety and they lost Thomas at corner. Pinkard tore ligaments in his left knee in the first game of the year and he's off for the year. And then Thomas started two games this year, he suffered a broken foot against Arizona State and he's supposed to be out six to eight weeks.
Cary Harris, he's played in all ten games, made eight starts at corner this year, he took over for Thomas when Thomas went down. He took over for Kevin Thomas.
At the left corner you've got Terrell Thomas, he started all ten games this season ?? excuse me. At the other corner is going to be ?? let me take a time out here for a second and let me regroup.
Terrell Thomas, he started all ten games this season. In 2005 he tore ligaments in his right knee and missed the rest of the season, but last night against Cal there he is, six tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Two safeties, Taylor Mays took over at safety after the injury to Pinkard. He's a true freshman. We tried to recruit him, too. He played in all ten games this season, he's making nine starts. He's fifth on the team in tackles with 48, leads the team in picks, he had three interceptions, had a big one early in the game last night, three pass breakups.
Kevin Ellison, he's their starting strong safety. He played and started all ten games. He's third on the team in tackles with 52. Now, here's a guy you'd better look for him near the line of scrimmage because he's looking to blow plays up, not that Mays isn't, but this guy is around there, he's aggressive in run support, he likes to be around the line of scrimmage. He was the leading tackler last night with seven tackles and a pass breakup.
The other DB that we'll see significantly, especially if we go to multiple wide receivers, is McCurtis. Now, McCurtis is the backup for everybody when they put four out there. He's the backer corner or safety. So he's the backup for everybody. When they go to nickel, he's the guy that comes in and plays their nickelback. Only other DB we might see is we might see Wright, but we will see McCurtis.
Special teams, Tom McNair is their running back coach, also the special teams coordinator. I'll tell you what, if they're not scoring touchdowns, you know they're going to make field goals and extra points because Danelo, he's 13 of 14 in field goals and 36 out of 37 on PATs.
We have Woidneck handling the punting and Buehler as a transfer. Last night ?? it isn't enough of a worry to worry about Danelo, they've got this kid coming in here who's listed as a kicker and a safety and a fullback. All of a sudden they trot him out there and he makes a 49?yard field goal, okay. Made it easily, too. Pete calls time out, they think about it, they bring out this guy I've never heard of before, he nails a 49?yarder.
Their kickoff guy, Van Blarcom, he's kicked off 59 times this year and has 35 touch backs. Collins is their long snapper, McDonald is their holder, and I had mentioned Gable before as a kickoff returner, but Reed and Harris are the two other guys we expect to see back there as returners.
And that's all I've got at this point.



Is this for real? Was he reading off a stat sheet? I've heard he's done that before when he rattles off 'answers' like this...
He definitely knows SC's personnel and stats...But can be coach against them? Guess we'll see soon.
He knows he needs to beat USC. Otherwise, "Irish" fans will start to realize he hasn't won any significant games against any top teams. That's why he starts preparing for us, even as his team practices to play Army.
Also, it's just part of the BS he's built about himself; this fuels that "genius" crap.
Earlier today, an ND-SC special aired on local TV here in LA. The producers were listed at Barry Mendelson and Adam Strain - two apparantly accomplished guys in the biz of sports specials.
However, how could they horribly butcher the following:
1) as one of the highlights of the '88 game, the show's narrator Kimberling says that ND db 'Samagara' (or something like that) returned a Rodney Peete pass for a TD. This mispronunciation normally wouldn't be a big deal except that the show then proceeded to run TV footage - and the ND radio feed - of the play with ND radio voice Tony Roberts clearly (and correctly) crediting (3 times) the TD to Stan Smagala. Shouldn't they have listened to this tape before making such an error?
2) About ND's 1966 substitute qb Coley O'Brien...they never mentioned his first name - only 'a qb named O'Brien'...I guess they couldn't find a history book.
...And for the ultimate blunder of all:
3) regarding the 1996 game when SC finally stopped the dreaded 13-year curse...THEY SHOWED A PHOTO OF PAUL HACKETT AS THE NARRATOR SAID HACKETT WAS THE NEW USC COACH WHO ENDED THE STREAK!!!!!!!!!!
Bottom line: mediocre attempt at documenting the rivalry, but the show gets and F for credibility.
(Besides, the OJ emphasis was too much given recent history)
K-Mart sucks.
Oh wow how impressive ole Charlie reads from a stat sheet.
Clearly a genius.
Let's see how the Domers like their fat Einstein after a 21 point beatdown Saturday night....
You think that was detailed you should hear him describe food.
"And that's all I've got at this point."
Is he trying to be funny?
SC has been my team for life, but I don't hate this guy Weiss like the rest of you do. Sure I hope the Domers take a dump Sat., and I know about the hi-grass incident last yr, which impacted his players too.
It's his football brain that you have to respect, not his fat ass. He's an excellent coach.
I also respect him for what he did for that kid that died from cancer last year. ESPN did the story of how Weiss let the kid call a play and Weiss kept his word and ran it. That was a class act.
I'd still rather have Carroll and this SC dynasty. And I'd rather read Weiss than the LA Times...
Thanks Wolfie, very cool reading...
Well, he has had alot of time to obsess about the Trojans having played the service academies and a few other lousy teams like Michigan State over the last two months.
You think that was long, Charlie ordering food "to go" is the length of a bible!
Idiot savant, clearly. Think that he obsesses?
Weis has this same "analysis" every week for each opponent. It is painful watching him run through this whole thing. I don't understand his point. Is he trying to impress someone?
anybody who has watched a Weis press conference knows that he does the same thing every week
he rattled off 10 minutes of useless navy midshipmen stats in similar fashion
Charlie had to pause a couple of times to take a few more bites of the cheeseburger
Seriously, he seems to know his stuff, from reading this, my guess is he was asked this stuff after watching the video a couple of times and taking notes.
I do respect his offensive genious and how he will find a way to make SC pay a few times, but if SC limits it to a few times, then SC should be fine. All the magic/football smarts in the world isn't going to make that ND defense stop the SC offense
Dear Charlie "Fat Man" Weis,
F**k you! F**k you! F**k you!
Pete Carroll
Charlie better find out who they are dating as well if he wants to have any chance of beating SC at home...I wonder how long the grass will be Saturday?
When dissecting the LBs, you cant forget about that one that seems to stop the run all the time and stops Duck qbs from converting a 4th down conversions, early in the game, to thwart a score. Unless you are planning on exploiting Oscar, which then you would not mention him.
Anyways his DJ analysis would have more complete if he expanded on the Washington game, where DJ was playing hurt, had one completion (probably should not have suited up, but hey he is a competitor)and I think didn't play in the second half at all.
Sounds to me like he's lowering expectations and perhaps hoping the powerful USC team lets down just a little Saturday looking ahead to the BCS CG.
Does anyone else read this and get the feeling that Charlie is just one step away from being a stalker?
Scott, anyone, help me...
Why in God's name did ND pull out the green jerseys against Army!?!?! What will the Domers do for SC, paint their heads gold? Charlie the Hut is showing signs of desperation, but when you're proclaimed a genius before your first game and you know you're actually the Wizard of Oz, I guess you'll try anything.
He'll be going after those young DB's for sure. We've got to get some TOs and sacks to slow down Quinn, or they will move the ball and it will be a long night.
On the other hand, I don't think they have the speed on D to slow us down much, when they don't have the long grass to assist. I'd expect a game in the 30's for both teams, but I'll take USC by at least 4....
sickenly sad...a man possessed. He has probably been watching Leinart falling into his endzone in his sleep for the past year now. His obsession almost is worrisome. One sick man in my humble opinion. I guess there's something to the need to know your enemy. Now Charlie, at least you have full knowledge of what is going to ruin your day this coming Sat.
that was ridiculous. he must have put everyone to sleep w/ that answer.
impressive though
Charlie Weiss looks like the number 8
I was hoping he would have covered which starters family gets to stay at the "Reggie Bush Memorial" condominium this year, guess we will find out on the next Yahoo investigates segment.......
Does anyone else believe the grass on the Coliseum field will be as long as Sinead O'Conner's hair?
Wow, do you think he is lookung for an excuse in case he loses, he sure made a couple of them, oh well USC will beat ND this saturday anyway no matter how well he knows their stats, stats don't win games, heck they won't help on saturday, ND is just gonna know who the players who will byry them is.
Hey Goliath. I agree with you. He's got to be one sick MFer.
Gillyking@yahoo.com
You SC fans are a bunch of d------ bags!
Think Chuck will remember "Tom" Mcnair's name when his RBs run through the silent D in ND...and then Tom Mcnair will bury Chuck in recruiting (especially NJ).
Sure glad Brian Cushing remembered Todd---er--Tom's name when he called a couple yrs ago!!!
FIGHT ON!!!
that was not an answer to a question. Weis does that at every press conference for his next opponent. He comes in and starts off by going over the whole list of the team ND is about to play, covering all their posiitions. He did it with Army the week before so don't consider yourselves that special.
I hope he remembers Desmond Reed when he returns the ball back, shades of Anthony Davis.
Also he didn't mention McDonald, the holder, is also a quarterback who's thrown for a touchdown this year. Maybe his information is not all that complete.
1. You can watch Charlie's press conf. via streaming video at www.und.com. He is not reading from a stat sheet...
2. The Irish wearing of the green against Army was a suggestion by Charlie's son, Charlie Jr., as a way to honor the senior class on their last home game at ND.
3. Charlie doesn't make excuses. After last year's loss to SC, He said clearly that there was nothing to take away from the loss and that there are no moral victories in losing a game. "We got beat and they deserved to win."
4. Weis is definately obsessed with beating SC as is the entire ND nation. ND & SC are rivals. Wouldn't want it any other way.
I think I sense a little fear mixed with all the WEIScracks. Yeah old cheeseburger Charlie aint the sexiest coach, but the man knows the game. I haven't seen anything to be considered genius but he does have some class. So talk your crap, but watch out for that sword, he might just stick it in your ass!!
This man needs to get a hobby.
ND Dave,
Do you think Chuck can win 1 big game as a HC before we call him a genius?
High School doesn't count.
Weis ain't no Rocke...at least not yet. But he is competent and shows promise. I don't understand all the bitterness...does he really frighten you that much?
I'm an ND grad but I'm realistic...SC has the better athletes. Senior Quinn is better at this stage than Freshman Booty but that's not hardly enough. On paper USC should win.
But this is a real test for Weis because the job here isn't to go all out for a win. ND can't use a win. Beating SC would just strengthen Michigan's claim to play in the championship. The issue here is can SC beat ND by enough to make people forget the clobbering Michigan put on ND? If they do (and UCLA goes as expected) they will play Ohio State. If they fail to soundly beat ND, it's Michigan or a one-loss SEC team. So Charlie needs to have the smarts to keep the game close and that will guarantee that ND doesn't fall out of the BCS entirely. That's the real game Saturday night.
Watch to see if Charlie is really a "pro" or just another college boy.
This is a great Blog!