^^I think a faster pace gives them a better shot at an upset of Southern Cal in 2010 (assuming Dayne Crist is 100% at the start of fall practice). Southern Cal was absolutely gassed at the end of 2009's game; huffing and puffing and linemen sucking air all during every play. If Weis' pro-style offense was pushing them to the brink, I imagine a fast-paced offense could wear them out.
It's a shame Crist's mop up duty against Washington State could hamper him in 2010. With 2010 the Notre Dame season could rather easily turn to disaster. Not to change the subject, but look at Notre Dame's potential 2010 offense:
Quarterback: Dayne Crist?
Tommy Rees?
John Goodman?! Your guess is as good as mine. Pray for a miraculous recovery with Crist's knee.
Running Backs: I'm tempted to say this will be a strength for the Irish. They return Armando Allen, Theo Riddick, and Robert Hughes. I personally coach at the high school level, and tend to believe running backs benefit more from a spread offense than people might think.
Armando Allen is a vastly-improved back, albeit injury prone as of late. He's got great speed and is a terrific receiving back; he'll be a great tool for Kelly if he improves as much as he did heading into 2009.
Robert Hughes is a a terribly-inconsistent power back, but I think will benefit from being one-on-one with defenders. Instead of being asking to be the power back against several defenders, he'll be able to overpower fewer potential tacklers after initial contact.
Theo Riddick is the fastest back and has the potential to be a real stud. I thought he ran with more authority than an injured Allen and a Hughes that appeared lost sometimes. Speed kills, and he will allow fresh speed on the field at all times should Kelly want it. I think the Irish have three solid running backs with Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood providing depth. Wood hasn't seem a snap, so don't hold your breadth.
Receivers: Replacing Tate cannot be easy; but who, prior to his 244-yard performance against Washington, thought Tate was better than Floyd?
Michael Floyd has had a litany of crucial mistakes down the stretches of many games throughout his first two years at Notre Dame, but he's one of the most gifted receivers in the country. He demands a double team at all times, which makes things easier for everyone else. Notre Dame has a younger corp than they'd like, but with Floyd and
Duval Kumara leading the way, they should be fine.
John Goodman will easily replace Robert Parris in my opinion.
Shaq Evans is the one who will be crucial for this group. He will be the athlete called upon to replace Tate; he was asked to replace Floyd early but came up short. He was highly touted coming in from high school, but he and
Deion Walker haven't shown up yet. Nonetheless I think this area is deep and loaded with talent, Kelly has a lot of tools to work with here.
Tight End: They won't be nearly as important in Kelly's offense; Weis absolutely loved the tight ends. Still though, Kelly has one of the best receiving tight ends in the country with
Kyle Rudolph. He was one of the first to mention how excited he was with Kelly after their initial talk. One can assume it went like this; Kelly: "Here's what I'm thinking, half the blocking and twice the catching. Sound good?" Rudolph: "Do me." This paragraph begins and ends with Kyle Rudolph, I don't think you'll see much of the others.
Offensive Line: Your guess is as good as mine. Landing Seantrel Henderson would be more than awesome; he'd start at Right Tackle from day one. Unfortunately he strikes me as an individual who wants an cozy ride to the NFL instead of actual homework. That said, I hope to be cheering him on as a Buckeye if it's not Notre Dame. I do think he will be the best linemen since Orlando Pace; he would help mitigate the effects of graduation immediately. Assuming Seantrel Henderson isn't heading to South Bend, Notre Dame is in some serious trouble. Notre Dame loses Sam Young, Eric Olsen, Kris Stewart, and Paul Duncan. I'm fairly certain a few are eligible for a fifth year, but either way Notre Dame needs a lot of work at these positions.
