1st half for ND leaves lots of questions

I am a week late, but I hope I am not a dollar short. I wanted to do a Notre Dame report card after 6 weeks, but the extra week helped me make some decisions as well. Here it goes:

QB: When you start with a team, you generally first look at the QB. Brady Quinn is a stud. He is as tough as they come. However, he has been getting the snot kicked out of him (we will get to the O-line later). I personally can’t decide if Quinn’s missing WR’s are a reflection of him or the fact that the WR’s are not making the same plays they did last year and he has no time. I will give him an A for effort, heart and toughness, but overall a B+. If he wants to be the man, then he must shoulder some of the responsibility.

RB: Walker fumbled against UCLA for the first time since his eighth grade picnic. The bottom line though is that Darius has only eclipsed 100 yards rushing twice, three if you want to count the 99 yards at G-Tech. He has played a very large role in the passing game averaging 6 catches a game with 40 additional yards a game. No other RB has gotten enough time to even discuss. Darius is a slightly above average college RB, but will never make it for long in the NFL, see former ND RB’s Lee Becton, Autry Denson, and Reggie Brooks as examples. I thought Weis would teach him how to hit the hole rather than dance into it. I think if he ever learns to ram into the line and run with confidence, he could become much more effective. He must learn that a 1 yard gain on some plays is not necessarily a bad play. Overall I give him a B.

WR: The Shark (just so you know I can’t spell his last name so I go with his nickname), Rhema and the recently emerging Grimes to me have been disappointing. While they have made several good plays, they have not made the great plays that defined the receivers of 2005, save The Shark’s last catch against UCLA. It seems to me that Quinn has been trying to throw it up a couple of times a game, but these guys are not helping him. Combine this with the dropped passes, this corp has been disappointing to me. I think I am being generous giving them a C+.

TE: Carlson is really the only none worth discussing. He has done everything asked of him. He has opened the middle of the field and made himself a weapon to consider. I do not think his rare drops are a concern. I am not sure off hand if Freemen or Carlson have more eligibility, but if both leave, this could be a weakness next year. Overall, I give this group the highest grade of A-.

OL: Saying this group stinks would be complimenting them. I think most of these guys will get a chance to play on Sunday. However, Harris gets out of his break and handles the speed rusher like a guy on Atkins in a beer store (yes I am describing myself). Santucci and Sullivan have been OK…which is a big compliment for this line. Bob Morton stinks. He allows more defenders through than pimp with a heroin addiction. Sam Young is young. I think he has potential, but he has had his problems as well. The biggest problem with this crew is that the holes exist on the right side and defenses are attacking that weakness. Overall a D is very generous for this group.

DL: Laws and Landri have been solid and spectacular at times. Talley decided to leave the team and we think it has to do with the fact that Weis was using Frome so much because he is better. Abriamari is another example of a guy who has been very good at times, but disappears too often for my liking. These guys are much more solid against the run than pass. Overall I give this group a decent C+.

LB: Grading this group is tough. I expected nothing and thought they would be horrible. They have made some plays and not been as bad as I thought. Maurice Crum Jr. has been solid, but not great, however he is undersized as a MLB. Both Travis and Mitchell Thomas have been okay. Brockinton has played and practiced so well that Weis and the staff have insisted he get some playing time. Overall, they don’t make many great plays, but don’t make many horrible plays. The problem is that this group should be making more plays. Overall I give them a C.

DB: Do I really need to talk about them? The CB’s are bad. The safeties are aggressive that often leads to them being out of position. Hard to find something nice to say about a group who is giving up 200+ yards a game. The only positive is they have made some plays when necessary, i.e. MSU. The other thing is that they have always let only one man really get to them in every game. I honestly thought the 200+ yards per game would have been closer to 300 yards…that being said, they still aren’t very good. Overall I say C- is very generous. I am not deducting due to the lack of pressure.

Coaches: I have not been shy about liking Weis. I think he is a good coach. I questioned his hiring of Minter as D-coordinator and I still wonder about it. I think Weis has not installed a sense of discipline and urgency that is needed. In addition, I don’t think he has made the necessary adjustments during a game to make a difference. If I can see it, then everyone should see the need for “max protect” on more occasions throughout the game. At the same point, I don’t think this team is near this close without Weis’ preparation. I think a B- is also very generous.

Please let me tell me what you think.