After leading Notre Dame to seven consecutive victories and into the Fiesta Bowl last season, Matt LoVecchio can probably thank the Irish's tough 2001 schedule for continuing to hold onto the starting quarterback job heading into the season.
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| Matt LoVecchio will be chased by two redshirt freshman QBs when fall camp begins.(Allsport) | |
Coach Bob Davie continues to say that LoVecchio is his No. 1 quarterback, but has left the door open in the fall for Jared Clark or Carlyle Holiday to make inroads and perhaps even pass the sophomore starter early in the season.
"He's the starter going into Nebraska," Davie said at the conclusion of the spring. "When we walk out there in Lincoln I want a guy who's been under the gun and can play."
LoVecchio is the only guy who fits that description, since Clark and Holiday redshirted last season as freshmen.
In the spring game, LoVecchio completed just 3 of 10 passes, as the defense dominated the proceedings. LoVecchio passed for 48 yards (and was intercepted at the very end of the scrimmage), while the other two quarterbacks threw the ball better but sustained turnovers -- certainly something Davie noticed.
Holiday was 7-of-13 for 66 yards with an interception. Clark was 3-of-7 for 78 yards with an interception and a fumble.
Last year, in a workmanlike season with solid-not-spectacular play, the key to Notre Dame's 9-2 regular-season record was the fact that the Irish turned the ball over only eight times -- fewest of any team in college football.
That's why Davie rigs his spring games with a bizarre scoring system that rewards the defense for particular types of plays ... and why the defense won the "game" 74-40. Defenders gained 25 of their points with five takeaways.
"It shows us that when you turn the ball over, there's going to be a bunch of points for the other team," Davie said. "It's a great lesson to our team."
It's also instructive to why Davie probably will stick with LoVecchio at least for a while in 2001, despite his horrendous performance in the 41-9 Fiesta Bowl loss and performing unimpressively through the spring.
Three of ND's first four games are on the road -- at Nebraska, Purdue and Texas A&M -- which is no place for a raw rookie to be indoctrinated.
Holiday is recognized as a sensational option runner, and the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Clark is seen as the best pure passer of the three.
LoVecchio does some of each (58 percent completion rate, 980 yards passing; 300 yards rushing), and not to be overlooked are his 7-0 regular-season record as a starting quarterback and his 11-to-1 TD-to-interception ratio.
Noteworthy
- Senior David Givens provided the biggest offensive highlights of the spring game, catching TD passes of 47 yards from Clark and 36 yards from LoVecchio.
- Arnaz Battle completed his transition (started during bowl workouts) from quarterback to wide receiver, and now is considered the receiver with the best hands on the team. He can be expected to return punts or kickoffs. In the spring game he caught three passes for 38 yards, and bolted 17 yards on a run. Battle also figures to play some QB in short-yardage situations.
- Davie disputed the notion that Oregon State's domination of his team in the 41-9 Fiesta Bowl exploited Notre Dame's lack of team speed, pointing out that they looked plenty fast against athletic teams like USC, Texas A&M, Purdue and even Nebraska.
- The Irish have agreed to play Maryland in the season-opening 2002 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J. It will be the last of the preseason games, which are being phased out by the NCAA.
- Looking for a surprise on offense and defense for Notre Dame in the spring? How about senior fullback Mike McNair on offense. McNair, called a "freak of nature'' coming out of high school, never has lived up to expectations but flashed signs of consistency during spring ball. On defense, converted wide receiver Jerome Collins made a big -- and loud -- impression at outside linebacker filling in while injured Rocky Boiman rested.
An early glance at the Irish
2000: 9-3 overall
STARTERS RETURNING (Offense): 7 -- The backfield is in great shape, with Julius Jones, Tony Fisher and Terrance Howard all back after combining for 1,688 yards and 17 touchdowns.
STARTERS RETURNING (Defense): 6 -- The defense took a hit when cornerback Brock Williams decided to skip a fifth season and enter the NFL Draft. Sack leader Anthony Weaver (eight) returns to anchor the defensive line, which will benefit from the return from injury of opposite end Grant Irons.
STARTERS RETURNING (Special teams): 2 -- Punter Joey Hildbold enters his third season as the punter; he's improved throughout his career and become one of the most consistent legs in the country -- fitting the ND style of play well. Kicker Nick Setta was inconsistent last season, but with three years of eligibility remaining, the Irish are counting on him for similar improvement.
COACH: Bob Davie surprised most last season, finishing high in national coach of the year balloting and gaining a contract extension through 2005.
He's 30-19 in his four years at the helm, but none of those wins has come in the postseason. The Irish lost the 1997 Independence Bowl 27-9 to LSU, the 1999 Gator Bowl 35-28 to Georgia Tech and the 2001 Fiesta Bowl to Oregon State.
Good news and bad
PLAYERS TO WATCH: C Jeff Faine, QB Matt LoVecchio, FL David Givens, SE Arnaz Battle, DE Grant Irons, DE Tony Weaver
PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Defensive line led by Grant Irons and Tony Weaver, could dominate. The Irish retooled defensively last season and with Davie calling the signals might help keep opponents out of the end zone even more consistently. Pass rush is key. With the defense what it is, and the way the offense holds onto the ball, the Irish could use the same formula for success as last season.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Can the Irish run the ball when it matters? They didn't in the Fiesta Bowl and you saw what happened. Davie also must decide quickly whether LoVecchio is his starter or just keeping the seat warm for Carlyle Holiday or Jared Clark.
OVERVIEW: A killer schedule and uncertainty at quarterback and in the defensive secondary threatens to turn what was once thought to be a promising season into one riddled with inconsistency.
2000 regular-season review
This was not a great Notre Dame team, but one that found ways to win -- with a true freshman at quarterback for the majority of the season, no less.
Ranking 76th nationally in total offense (345.7 yards per game) and 51st in defense (353.8 yards allowed per game), the Irish won because of great special teams and fundamentals.
Special teams as in two blocked punts vs. USC, two kick returns for touchdowns vs. Nebraska, and kicker Nick Setta running for a touchdown one game and throwing for a touchdown the next. Fundamentals as in an NCAA-low eight turnovers in the regular season.
FINAL POLL RANKINGS: No. 15 AP, No. 16 coaches
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