'99 Outlook: Can We Return to the
Elite?
by: KLB
August 25, 1999
A lawsuit by a
coach who physically assaulted his players - and won. An investigation which could
cause a loss of both football scholarships and some of the prestige of a fine
university. Enough talent left in the cupboard which is comparable to the talent at
Virginia Tech (and we didn't even have a 218 lb. All-American DE...). A disastrous
opening season by Irish standards. Ron Powlus.
The question we must ask ourselves is how come
Davie hasn't turned entirely gray yet. But hope looms as the season starts against Kansas
this Saturday. Yes, eight starters are gone on offense, but were they that
good? Just because the Giants' front office was somehow drugged draft day, Luke
Petitgout was still a third round draft pick. Wisne, Rosenthal, Ridder? The
line was never that dominant last season, and it's been since '95 that the OL could
overpower teams with consistency. Denson's gone. So what? He appears to
have lost a step from his freshmen season, and was never a break away threat. Jamie
Spencer. Ooh, yeah, he'll be missed. Many probably thought that Good speed was
the starter last year. The biggest loss will be Malcolm Johnson, who finally was
able to refine his receiving skills last year and use that 6'5" frame to his
advantage. Trust me, JJ will miss him. Who did we lose on defense? I
really don't feel like wasting type on that. Only Bobbie Howard will be missed.
Offense
J.J., who
impressed all last season, will be returning with a new, young, and inexperienced
cast. The upside? Last year's crew, despite a wealth of talent performed
mediocre; it will be nice to see some fresh faces. Many say returning center Jon
Merandi played so well last year that he deserves some pre-season All-American
accolades. Reality is he was solid if unspectacular. In limited time Mike
Gandy may have been the best OL the Irish had last season, and he is clearly an
outstanding athlete for his size, and he will fill in the RG spot. Very talented
sophomore Jordan Black steps in at LT, and if he is all that is advertised, look for him
to become a star. Both RT and LG are still somewhat up in the air as the season is
hours away. Whoever starts on game day, expect them to be replaced very soon if
their performance is less than convincing. An extremely good five man freshman class
looms in the background.
The running back questions loom large, but expect
Tom Lopienski to take over for Joey Goodspeed at starting fullback. The kid is just
too good of a hitter and an athlete to let sit on the bench. However Davie often
does prefer experience over raw talent (see Gator Bowl), so Goodspeed will get a lot of
work. The tailback battle is of course the biggest, as everybody has come up with
the true but extremely annoying "Two Tony's" slogan. I could be
professional about this, but would prefer to rant:
I have seen every carry Tony Driver has made in
his ND career. Maybe it's just me, but he just doesn't look like a RB. The
advertised speed just isn't there, and he seems slow to hit holes, and is brought down on
the first hit. He has also been poor on kickoff returns. Never-the-less, he
will share time with Tony Fisher. A promising sophomore, he did ok as a freshman in
the few carries he was given, and hopefully will improve. Terrance Howard and Mike
McNair will also get some playing time. The only question mark about this is why the
staff hasn't given David Givens a look at tailback. He looks the part, played
extensively in three back sets, and excelled at running back his senior year in high
school. I know WR is thin, but with no clear back emerging, he should be given a
chance.
One thing is clear. Anyone who remembers
the '93 season remembers that with a great line, Davie could line up Nick Setta at
tailback and be fine.
Defense
For the first time in too long, there's depth
along the defensive line. With a 4-3 front, expect the run defense to stiffen.
Grant Irons should make a big impact at end, and Weaver, if he ever gets healthy, could be
the first force at tackle since Bryant Young. If a pass rush develops, look
out. Of course, since five (at last count) of the eight man rotation has injuries of
some type, struggling looms. Three new linebackers are here, but it's not like they
are replacing names that will stay in the minds of Irish faithful (quick, name all four
starters from last season). All four starters in the secondary are back, but that's
not a good thing. At least some fresh faces will get chances with the starting
corners on the bench. Deveron Harper is injured, and with Brock Williams having
problems with the school and the law, Donald Dykes and Clifford Jefferson, two sophomores
might start Saturday. Deke Cooper and Ajani Sanders have minor injuries, but should
be ready sometime this week.
Outlook
Make no mistake, if the younger players develop, there is enough talent here for a title run. Kevin Rogers should give the offense a huge boost, putting less pressure on the defense. The schedule is murderous, and it is questionable or not whether this team, healthy or not, can beat the Vols come November. A successful season would be one or two losses.
Around College Football
- And then there's the looming sanctions that could come in any form. The problem? A bimbo groupie gave gifts to Irish football players. None of them will pay for what they have done, while Pat Ryan's dream of playing at ND could be shattered. Reports leaked that the University expects the worst, which may have been a public relations ploy to gain sympathy. It's beyond me how Dunbar represented the University because she paid $25 bucks to $%#@ a bunch of young athletes, but them's the rules. Looking back, the Quarterback club was a bad idea in the first place, but my sympathy lies with the University. Let's hope the NCAA is on my side...
- To all sportswriters: FSU will not win the national title. They didn't deserve it in '93, and every year for the past eight now they've been picked to compete, and have come up successful once. Expect another one loss, #2 season. The same applies to Penn State. Only they will lose three games this year, starting with Arizona.
- Doesn't the NCAA have better things to do than deal with UCLA's parking permit situation? How many collegiate athletes abuse drugs? Or gamble? God forbid your car is in the wrong place...
- Nebraska will lose four games again. And Mr. Evans will be on the bench for most of the season, again.
Comments? Questions? Think I'm an idiot? All email is appreciated: klb1@keene.edu