2005 Statistics

Quarterback
Brady Quinn is this year's Matt Leinart – he is that clean-cut superstar QB who turned down millions to remain in school. The difference is he doesn't have a Heisman, national title or Reggie Bush. Quinn, who will be a fourth-year starter, owns just about every passing record at the nation's most storied program, but he has plenty left to accomplish. He also feels he has plenty left to learn as he decided to stick around to get another year in under head coach Charlie Weis. The former New England OC will be more comfortable throwing increasingly complex schemes on Quinn's plate, which will only make this offense that much tougher to contain. Quinn has the big arm, smarts, experience, leadership, pocket coolness and escape-ability for another great Irish season. More importantly, he's surrounded by the solid cast of characters needed for an award-winning show. The drop-off in experience behind Quinn couldn't be much larger. Junior David Wolke, who saw mop-up time in six games and threw just three passes, is a slightly smaller, slightly more mobile backup. One of Weis' top priorities in recruiting was bringing in a pair of signal callers -- four-star QBs Zach Frazer (PA) and Demetrius Jones (Chicago) -- and he went hard after a third in Mitch Mustain, who opted for the Razorbacks. Don't be surprised if Frazer, who fits Weis' system better than Jones, makes a run at the back-up spot and sets himself up to take over in '07.

Running Back
Believe it or not, the Irish ran a little bit more than they threw last year. That offensive balance will continue with a potent cache of weapons here that will continue to keep defenses honest. Explosive starter Darius Walker, who averaged 4.7 yards per carry en route to a 1,200-yard campaign, has 4.4 speed and is a chore to contain, especially with Quinn's deep throws opening up the box. He's also an excellent dump-off target (43 grabs). Senior Travis Thomas brings a blend of power and quickness to the backup role, where he'll continue to take some of the burden off Walker. The Irish also signed in-state (Crown Point) stud James Aldridge, a Walker-esque early enrollee rated third in the country at his position by Rivals.com. Weis utilizes the fullback position, which accounted for 59 carries and six TDs, and he has a tested true soph in Asaph Schwapp, a good blocker and a load on short yardage who won't blow anyone away with his speed or pass-catching ability.

Receiver
The Irish have one of the nation's top pass-catch tandems in Quinn and senior wideout Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija is Quinn’s go-to guy, his deep guy, and his possession guy. “Shark” is that heady kind who infects others to give more, so count on 10+ throws per week going in the direction of the Valparaiso-native. Getting better overall speed here and someone to complement Samardzija after the loss of the team's second-, third-, fifth- and sixth-ranked receivers are the most pressing concerns for this offense. Rhema McKnight, who was supposed to The Man in ‘05, returns after losing last season to a knee injury, which has put his effectiveness in question. Weis wanted to upgrade his team's speed with this year's recruiting class, and he pointed to early enrollee George West as one of the guys who will do that. West and redshirt frosh D.J. Hord are a couple of small playmakers who figure to go along great with the lanky Samardzija. Three other WR recruits join the team this fall. There's obviously not much experienced depth here, but Quinn's accuracy, along with the attention commanded by Samardzija and the balance coming from the running game, could make some of these youngsters look pretty good. Well, that and Weis’ direction(s). This is the same coach who won with a New England offense boasting the likes of Deion Branch and David Givens, so fans need not panic.

Tight End
Quinn needs a reliable, short-range target out of this spot as an underneath option in Weis’ vertical attack. The job goes to senior John Carlson as potential-laden soph Joey Hiben left the program. Carlson backed up early draft entry Anthony Fasano last year and proved to be a dependable blocker with decent mitts (seven catches, one TD). With Hiben gone, expect true freshman Konrad Reuland to see time in the frequent double- and triple-TE sets Weis employs. Rivals.com pegged Reuland, a 6-6 SoCal native with 4.75 speed, as the third-best prep TE, while the possible return of three-year reserve Marcus Freeman for a fifth year would further bolster what will be a key position. Whatever the case, expect some drop-off early from this group, which won't have an easy time accounting for the talented Fasano's numbers (third on team in receptions).

Offensive Line
This area has been singled out as the biggest offensive hole, while WR and TE spots are largely overlooked. Though thin on depth, the O-line will remain experienced, despite the loss of a pair of underrated starters. Senior center John Sullivan is the unit's leader and glue, while fifth-year senior Dan Santucci (LG) and true senior Ryan Harris (LT) are back to cover Quinn's blindside (21 sacks allowed). Big Bob Morton, basically the sixth lineman, should settle in at RG, while a handful returning reserves will battle with six incoming freshmen (five of whom are rated at four-stars or above) for the RT spot. Improvement here was crucial to the offense's turnaround, and this solid group figures to maintain par or possibly get a little better. Barring injuries, bettering 3.6 yards per carry is a needed mission.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Despite some questions at WR and TE, Quinn will continue to put up Heisman-caliber numbers. Opponents can break down all the film they want, but Weis is the type of coach whose offense is always one step ahead of foes’ adjustments. With an experienced QB like Quinn, he'll attack with increasingly subtle/complex looks that would frustrate many NFL teams, let alone18-22 year olds. The balance is there - Walker will key the running game (that should improve on last season's No. 55 national ranking) while providing a quick and reliable receiving target underneath. The line will gel quickly and provide adequate if not better protection for Quinn. The biggest question on this team, other than pass defense, is overall speed at the receiver spots, the lack of which was exposed by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. The need was addressed by the incoming recruiting class. If those true freshmen can make an immediate impact (Weis played 11 freshmen last year), which is highly possible with Quinn’s braintrust hurling the ball at them, this offense will reach a higher gear. That's scary, considering it was good enough in ’05 to have jumped from 81st to 10th (total offense) in the nation.

Defensive Line
Expectations are higher for a unit that took an anticipated step back last fall. There are no excuses now as almost everyone returns, including all four starters, making for an experienced rotation. These guys are undersized but quick, so moving guys in and out to wear on offensive lines is essential here. A more physical approach is also necessary for a D-line that was manhandled by some larger opponents, such as Ohio State. DE Victor Abiamiri is coming off an eight-sack year and is poised for a star season, while counterpart Chris Frome returns after having a promising year cut short by a knee injury against USC. Inside, NG Derek Landri and DT Trevor Laws do a decent job plugging holes for a run defense that ranked 34th in the nation, though the lack of experienced depth behind them must be addressed. The D-line will also have to take charge on a defense with new faces at LB and all kinds of problems at DB. Led by Abiamiri, this group provided good pressure (ND ranked 34th in sacks), but the struggling secondary will need even more help than that from this crew to cut down on big plays.

Linebacker
Plugging holes here will be vital for a unit that did a decent job containing the run, but not nearly enough in pass coverage. For the second straight year, two starting LBs must be replaced, and this time the losses (Mays and Hoyt) constitute five forced fumbles, 11 sacks and 29 TFLs. And there's not much experience remaining to plug in. Junior Maurice Crum returns at the Apache spot, a hybrid backer-safety role in Rick Minter's D. The athletic Crum, who actually looked good at times in pass coverage, has the talent to be a breakout performer and must be effectively utilized. The middle and weak-side spots could go to soph Scott Smith and senior Joe Brockington, respectively. Both have speed and decent size and have seen extensive time on special teams. Mitchell Thomas, Steve Quinn and Anthony Vernaglia aren't far behind. Incoming freshmen Morrice Richardson and Toryan Smith have speed, size and upside, and could factor in immediately as none of the returnees possess eye-popping talent.

Defensive Back
Here it is: These guys must improve (103rd against the pass) or the Irish might not get close to another BCS bowl, let alone a national title. All four starters from this embattled unit return, along with nickel-back Leo Ferrine, but don't expect to see all of those players starting this fall. When Weis talked about upgrading the team's speed, he wasn't just talking about the skill positions. Five defensive backs were in this year's recruiting class, including U.S. Army all-American CBs Raeshon McNeil and Darrin Walls, who Weis has indicated will play right away. Minter, who got burned relying on man schemes last year, could have the right guys for one-on-one coverages now. At safety, returning starters Tom Zbikowski and Chinedum Ndukwe will be pushed by true sophs Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton. Zbikowski, a true blazer who can catch just about anybody from behind and had five picks, is the hard-hitting senior with big-play potential who will be the unit's leader. Ohio State's four TDs of 55-plus yards were indicative of this group's season. The addition of the youngsters and all those reps against Quinn should result in at least improvement. How much improvement will be the biggest factor in determining how far this team gets.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
In the last 25 years at South Bend, the second-best one-year improvement on D came in 1991, when the Irish jumped from 73rd to 32nd nationally in total defense. That turnaround came under Minter, who is being counted on to produce similar results in his second go-round with the Irish. His ’06 defense is smallish as a whole. Penetration off the edge, smart LBs freed up to make plays by the D-line, and a secondary that limits breakdowns while more creating game-changing turnovers are among the keys for a crew forced to rely on speed rather than size. The front seven must remain solid against the run while supplying more pressure. In the secondary, Minter has to find the right mix by the opener at Georgia Tech, or any dreams of a national title will abruptly end. With an offense that will put up plenty of points, moderate improvement should be sufficient to keep this team in the national title chase.