Photo Illustration by Pat Coveney, Dan Jacobs and Blair Chemidlin

In 1913, Notre Dame and its“forward pass” upset Army 35-13. After that game, peoplestarted to notice the blue-collarteam from Indiana. In 1924, Notre Dame and its

“FourHorsemen”defeated Army,13-7, on theway to the firstof 11 NationalChampionships.After thatgame, sports-writerGrantlandRice madesure every-one knewabout theIrish. In 2006, 48 games and nearly

100 years after the teams’ firstmeeting, No. 5 Notre Dame andits green jerseys steamrolledArmy, as expected, 41-9. Not long after that game, peo-

ple started wondering where theIrish had gone. Any first-year theology student

can explain that at Notre Dame,“Tradition” is spelled with acapital ‘T.’ It is the fabric of theUniversity and, at least in theo-ry, should be consulted as amajor factor when deciding howto move forward. This is true in a lot of areas at

the school, but especially foot-ball. Traditions have flourishedsince the days of Knute Rockne(who, in 1928, at YankeeStadium, against Army, askedhis team to “Win one for theGipper”). But it has been a whilesince those traditions have beensomething more than an exer-cise in remembrance, and fanswant the whole thing back. In a way, fans’ wants have

been met. Notre Dame is playingArmy at Yankee Stadium. Butthe Yankee Stadium in questionis noticeably shinier, while NotreDame and Army are noticeablyweathered. The administration is doing all

it can, and more, to bring atten-tion to this match up, the 50thmeeting between the two teamsand the 22nd in the home of theYankees. What the administration fails

to realize is scheduling gamesdoesn’t mean a return to thepast. This year it’s Army. In 2012,

it’s Miami at Soldier Field inChicago. In 2015 and 2016, theIrish and Hurricanes will play ahome-and-home series, anotherwish granted for all who repeat-edly bring up 1988’s “Catholicsvs. Convicts” game as the lastreal testament of Notre Dame’steam and fans. That win, of course, came

soon before Notre Dame’s lastNational Championship, nownearly 22 years ago. And it will take much, much

more than playing Army orMiami to bring around anotherone. Fortunately, Irish coach Brian

Kelly knows this. After NotreDame’s 28-3 win over UtahSaturday, Kelly said his players“didn’t have on their shouldersthe traditions and reputations”that come along with playinghere.“We were just playing,” he

said. “We’re back to playing thegame of football the way itneeds to be played.”It seems hard to imagine an

Irish team under the lights inYankee Stadium, playing Armyin green jerseys, and not con-cerned about the past. But Kellysaid there is a distinction. “We want to know about our

tradition. We want to embraceNotre Dame,” he said. “We justcan’t carry all of the unfulfilledexpectations.”Expectations were fairly low

going into the game againstUtah, which could explain whythe team’s metaphorical shoul-ders were lighter. But if the Irishcontinue to play like they didSaturday, they will probablystart to pile up again, and quick-ly. But Kelly doesn’t want his

team to feel that. He wants themto go out and play.“Play the game of football,” he

said. “Enjoy it. Play it hard, playit fast.” The burden, then, may fall not

on the team, but on the fans andthe administration to allow theteam to do just that. Notre Dame’s tradition is spe-

cial and important. It is right tocelebrate that tradition. Askinga team of young men, most ofwhom weren’t alive in Januaryof 1989, to emulate that tradi-tion is different. They know about the past,

and they love the tradition. It’swhy they’re here. They want towin against Army Saturday andagainst USC next week. Theywant to beat Miami in twoyears. No matter what, though, this

team can’t bring back the past,and neither can games againsthistorical rivals. What this Notre Dame team

can do, with its own offensivescheme, its own backfield andits own green jerseys, is winagainst Army. After that game,with a bowl game in the works,people will start to wonder if theIrish are bringing in the future. Hopefully they’ll keep those

thoughts to themselves andallow the team to keep playingthe game of football.

The views expressed in thiscolumn are those of the authorand not necessarily those of TheObserver.Contact Laura Myers at

lmyers2@nd.edu

The Observer � IRISH INSIDERpage 2 Friday, November 19, 2010

Recreating historyisn’t all that simple

Laura Myers

Sports Writer

COMMENTARY

Follow our LIVE blog from the

press box at Yankee Stadium:ndsmcobserver.com/sports/irish-football/irish-insider-extra

Notre Dame may advertiseSaturday’s game at YankeeStadium as a home game,but as far as recruiting isconcerned, it is anything but.By holding the game off cam-pus, the Irish are neitherallowed to host recruits onof f ic ia l v is i ts nor holdextended conversations withthem, Irish recruiting expertMike Frank said.“What they can do is give

recruits tickets to the games,so they can come to thegame and see Notre Dame,”said Frank, who runs theESPN.com-af f i l iate Ir ishSports Dai ly. “They can’treally meet with them andhave long conversat ionswhen it’s off-campus.”Even without the official

visits, Frank said the off-sitegames could serve a benefi-cial purpose for the Irish.“It’s a good thing because

there is a lot of talent in theJersey, Philadelphia area, allthat area, including some inNew York State,” he said.“Just having them come tothe game to actual ly seeNotre Dame is a big deal.That was the whole idea ofthese of f -s i te games, toincrease the exposure.”Frank estimated 20 to 25

recrui ts could watch thegame from within YankeeStadium to get a better feel-ing for Notre Dame.“I suspect [running back]

Savon Huggins will come in.[Linebacker] Ishaq Williamswill be there,” Frank said.“And I think a bunch of guysin that area, class of 2012kids, wi l l come in and beintroduced to Notre Damefootball.”Huggins, a four-star recruit

from Jersey City, N.J., holdsscholarship of fers fromnumerous schools, includingFlorida, Oregon and Rutgers,and all of those schools —including Notre Dame — willhave to wait a few months tolearn Huggins’ final decision.“Savon is going to visit a

number of other schools,”Frank said. “He doesn’t planto make a decis ion unt i lS igning Day, so we won’thave a decision out of himfor quite some time, but I dothink Notre Dame is verymuch still in the race.“I certainly do think they

have a great shot , and i twould help if they ran theball on Saturday. Obviouslylast weekend they were ableto and that is a good thing toshow to running backs.”Williams, another four-star

recruit, from Brooklyn, N.Y.,holds even more offers thanHuggins — including Florida,

Oregon and Rutgers again —and will likely hold off on hisdecision as well.While having two dozen

recruits at a game is typical-ly considered a high number,Saturday’s game shouldaf fect many more NotreDame recruits, Frank said.The 7 p.m. k ickof f wi l lincrease the national audi-ence, and catch the eyes ofmany potential Notre Dameplayers.“Any time you can play in

that type of environment,that is a good thing,” he said.“There are a lot of eyes outthere wanting to watch thisgame. A lot o f t imes, 17-year-old kids, recruits, areout there during the dayhanging out with their bud-dies. They aren’t at homewatching college football.“You catch them at 7 p.m.

before they go out in theevening, and show themsomething on the field, thatcan certainly have a tremen-dous effect.”

For more on Notre Damerecruiting, check out MikeFrank’s irishsportsdaily.com.E-mail Mike atmikefrank18@sbcglobal.netand tell him The Observersent you.

Off-campus game brings pros, consFOOTBALL RECRUITING

By DOUGLAS FARMERSports Editor

Contact Douglas Farmer atdfarmer1@nd.edu

Tommy Rees walks into theinterview room, and the assem-bled media immediately flock tothe freshman signal-caller. Forsomeone who was in highschool just a year ago, he han-dles the situation with completeaplomb and nonchalance.“It’s a change of pace from

what I’m used to since I’ve beenhere,” Rees said with a smile.“It’s kind of cool to have theattention, but at the same timeit’s not that big of a deal.”It’s all part of the job descrip-

tion for the man who probablynever expected to be here.Entering the season, juniorDayne Crist was firmlyentrenched as Notre Dame’sstarting quarterback and Reeswas competing with junior NateMontana for the back-up spot.Suffice to say, the freshman hascome a long way.

Getting a jump startLast season, when it became

apparent that former Irishquarterback Jimmy Clausencould leave early for the NFL,the Irish coaching staffapproached Rees about possiblyenrolling in January. Seeing anopportunity to get a leg up onlearning the Irish offense, theLake Forest, Ill., native got hisacademics in order to get toSouth Bend in time for springpractice.Even though he was initially

recruited by former Irish coachCharlie Weis, Rees elected tostay committed — and followthrough on his plan on earlyenrollment — when Weis wasfired in December. Rees saidnew coach Brian Kelly’s pastsuccess sealed the deal for him.“The first thing that jumped

out at me when I met [Kelly]last winter was how much of awinner he was and how com-mitted he was to bringing NotreDame back,” Rees said. “That’ssomething I really wanted to bea part of.”Throughout spring practices,

Rees and Montana split prac-

tices reps with the second team.In the 2010 Blue-Gold Game,Rees completed all three of hispass attempts for 18 yards, butwas outshone by Montana, whothrew for 223 yards and threetouchdowns.Still, Rees said the experience

he gained in spring practicewas invaluable in preparinghim for the real game action.“[Spring practice was most

helpful for] just the little thingswithin the offense, like gettingthe footwork down, getting yourreads down and all that,” hesaid. “It’s a little different [dur-ing the season] when you’regame-planning for an oppo-nent.”The experience Rees gained

in spring practice would comeinto play earlier than anyonecould have anticipated. In NotreDame’s second game of the sea-son against Michigan, Cristwent down with an apparenthead injury and Rees wasforced into action. On his firstcareer passing attempt, Reesthrew an interception toWolverine linebacker JonasMouton. After one more incom-pletion, Rees was pulled for therest of the half in favor ofMontana. After the Irish lost 28-24, Kelly admitted he “did apoor job” preparing both back-ups.For his part, Rees said he did-

n’t let the poor first perform-ance get him down.“Against Michigan there were

some butterflies going, somepre-game jitters,” Rees said.“You’ve just got to keep work-ing hard after that and keeppreparing like you know youcan play.”Even though he wouldn’t

admit it at the time, Rees saidthe trial by fire helped preparehim for the rigors of big-timecollege football.“Now, I’d say yes, [it helped],”

he said. “But at the time youobviously want to do a little bet-ter. In hindsight, it’s probablyhelped out getting that out ofthe way.”

All about confidenceAfter struggling in his first

action against Michigan, Reesbegan to work his way back upthe depth chart. Against Navy,with the game out of reach,Rees came in to relieve Crist.Displaying a poise that wasnoticeably absent against theWolverines, Rees went 6-of-7for 79 yards. Even if it was ingarbage time against a second-string defense, he said he couldfeel his confidence starting tobuild.“Getting some more game

experience along the way reallyhelped,” Rees said.On Oct. 30 against Tulsa, Crist

went down again — this timefor the season. The game repsagainst Michigan and Navyappeared to have paid off, asthe freshman played with matu-rity beyond his years. Crist’sinjury may have set off a panicamong Notre Dame fans aroundthe country, but Rees stayedcool under pressure, andbecame the first Irish freshmanquarterback to throw fourtouchdown passes in a game.Even though the game ended ona costly interception, Rees drewrave reviews from Kelly afterhis 334-yard performance.“Awesome,” Kelly said of Rees

in the post-game press confer-ence. “Are you kidding me? Icouldn’t be more happy for thekid. True freshman going outthere, hasn’t played. He justcompetes. Took some big hits,got right back up. I don’t knowif he knew where he was a cou-ple of times. Got right back up,said some things. I knew thathe was going to competeagain.”Rees admitted he surprised

himself a little bit with his per-formance, but added that he feltprepared for the situation.“I had a lot of confidence in

what I can do going out there,and to play as I did is somethingI worked hard for and some-thing I couldn’t do without allmy teammates’ support andhelp,” Rees said. “They shouldget a lot more credit than I have— the line, the receivers —they’ve done their job andadapted to a freshman quarter-back being in there.”

In his first career startagainst Utah, Kelly and thecoaching staff implemented aslightly more run-based offen-sive system. Rees only threwthe ball 20 times, but completed13 passes for 129 yards andthree touchdowns. More impor-tantly, though, the Irish domi-nated the No. 14 Utes for a 28-3win. After the win, Rees said hewas shaking hands with Utahplayers when he noticed some-thing unusual.“I see a couple of students

that I know, and I’m kind ofconfused as to why they’re onthe field, then all of a suddenthe whole student section is outthere going nuts,” he said. “Itwas really great.”

His team nowWith the Irish now one win

away from bowl eligibility, Reessaid he was just focused on hisjob on the field.“You stay with what you’re

doing in the program, staywithin your offense and work-ing hard through football andtry not to let all the outsideeffects get to you,” he said.That could be difficult this

weekend, with the pomp andcircumstance surroundingNotre Dame’s first game atYankee Stadium since 1969.Kelly acknowledged that it isquite a way for Rees to start hiscollege football career.“Last year at this time he was

in high school,” Kelly said. “Andhe’s going to get a start at NotreDame, Yankee Stadium and the[Los Angeles Memorial]Coliseum. That’s not too bad.”To be successful in such high-

profile environments, Reesmust be comfortable in his roleas Irish starter. Even though ittook a while, he said he finally

feels like it’s his team now, andhe’s not just filling in for Crist.“Dayne would probably say

the same thing,” Rees said.“That’s kind of the mentalityyou have to have as a quarter-back. You’ve got to come in, bein charge and be a leader.”Other players are buying into

Rees’ leadership, too.“He sees the field very well,

and I like him a lot out there,”junior receiver Michael Floydsaid. “And I feel confident withhim — everybody out theredoes feel confident with him outthere, too.”Rees said Crist has been more

than helpful in his developmentboth as a quarterback and aleader.“He’s been great,” Rees said.

“We watch film together and wetalk after practice. He’s beenthere for me every step alongthe way.”Another confidant for Rees

has been his father, Bill, a for-mer NCAA assistant coach atUCLA and Northwestern.“We talk once or twice every

day and the bulk of the conver-sation is football,” Rees said.“It’s great to have him theresupporting me and it’s great tohave another person I can turnto to talk about the game.”The attention can be over-

whelming at times, but Rees iskeeping calm under pressure,both on and off the field. Withso many possible external pres-sures, it’s all about keeping aneven keel.“We’ve got to prepare just like

we did last week, have a consis-tency with how we play and justtry to stack some wins here atthe end.”

The Observer � IRISH INSIDERFriday, November 19, 2010 page 3

Ready for Rees

Contact Sam Werner atswerner@nd.edu

After entering the season third on the depth chart, freshman Tommy Rees now holds Notre Dame’s fate

By SAM WERNERSports Writer

JAMES DOAN/The Observer

Freshman quarterback Tommy Rees waits for the snap during NotreDame’s 28-3 victory over Utah Saturday.

SUZANNA PRATT/The Observer

In the past two games, Rees has thrown for seven touchdowns. Against Tulsa on Oct. 30, hebecame the first Notre Dame freshman to throw four touchdowns in a game.

HEAD T The Observer � IRISH INSIDERpage 4 Friday, November 19, 2010

Irish Offense vs. Black Knights Defense

Brian Kellyhead coach

First season at Notre Dame

career record: 176-62-2

record at ND:5-5

against Army: 0-0

Notre DameFighting Irish

Record: 5-5AP: NR Coaches: NR

Irish freshman quarterbackTommy Rees was effective, butcertainly not spectacular, in hisf i rs t s tar t for Notre Dameagainst Utah. He threw threetouchdowns and no intercep-tions en route to a blowout ofthe Utes.Rees is still young and inexpe-

rienced, though, and likely will

not be able to be counted on to win agame for the Irish. Luckily for Rees and Notre Dame,

junior wide receiver Michael Floyd isplaying up to his potential. He hasnine touchdowns on the year, includ-ing seven in the last four games inwhich he has played. Senior DuvalKamara also played well againstUtah, catching two passes for 38

yards, both for scores.The Black Knights defense is 22nd

in the NCAA in stopping the pass,partially because of their impressivetime of possession. Notre Dame willneed to keep control of the ball ifthey are going to have success pass-ing the ball.

EDGE: ARMY

While the Irish have been apass-heavy team for the majorityof the season, they had a solidday against Utah withoutArmando Allen, putting up 127yards on a Utes team that hadthe nation’s No. 14 rush defense. In relief of Allen, sophomore

running back Cierre Wood ledthe Irish with 71 yards on 19

carries against the Utes for just 3.7yards per carry, slightly below hisseason average of 4.4. Junior runningback Jonas Gray, however, explodedfor 44 yards on just three carriesagainst the Utes and provides a sparkfor Notre Dame in relief of Wood. Army brings the nation’s No. 45

rush defense into the game presents asimilar profile to Navy, whose No. 52

rush defense held Notre Dame to just109 rushing yards in the Irish’s 35-17loss Oct. 23. The Black Knights’ small,quick front seven could presentmatchup problems for the Irish onceagain. The Irish will need to beatArmy’s defenders off the ball in orderto open up holes for their runners.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Brian Kelly’s gameplanagainst Utah was superb.He led an unexperiencedquarterback to successwith a good mix of run andshort passes that made iteasy for Rees to play well.The Irish offense did notmove the ball as well asthey have in the past, but

they made the most oftheir opportunities,which has to be, inpart, credited toKelly’s playcalling. Hewill once again needto help Rees along theway.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Though he has notattempted a field goal intwo games, kicker DavidRuffer is still perfect onthe season. A semi-final-ist for the Lou Grozaaward for best kicker,Ruffer is 13-for-13,including a long of 50yards. Notre Dame

should be able to count onhim to come through in theclutch if need be.Army ranks in the top 40 in

kick coverage and the top 15in punt coverage, which doesnot bode well for an strugglingIrish return game.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Sept. 4

Sept. 11

Sept. 18

Sept. 25

Oct. 2

Oct. 9

Oct. 16

Oct. 23

Oct. 30

Nov. 13

Nov. 20

Nov. 27

Purdue—W

Michigan — L

@ Michigan St. — L

Stanford — L

@ Boston College — W

Pittsburgh — W

Western Michigan — W

@ Navy — L

Tulsa — L

Utah — W

Army

@ USC

2010 Schedule

ND PASSING

Statistical LeadersND OFFENSEQB TOMMY REES

52-83, 542 yards, 7 TDRB CIERRE WOOD

78 rush, 345 yards, 2 TDWR MICHAEL FLOYD

59 rec., 767 yards, 9 TDWR DUVAL KAMARA

9 rec., 106 yards, 2 TDTE TYLER EIFERT

16 rec., 207 yards, 1 TD

ARMY DEFENSELB STEPHEN ANDERSON

72 total, 8.5 TFL, 1 INTLB STEVE ERZINGER

61 total, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sackDB DONOVAN TRAVIS

25 solo, 43 total, 4 INTDE JOSH MCNARY

39 total, 12 TFL, 9.5 sackDE JARRETT MACKEY

32 total, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sack

Head-to-HeadND OFFENSEScoring: 26.20 ppg (68th)

Total: 387.40 ypg (58th)

Rushing: 114.80 ypg (100th)

Passing: 272.60 ypg (21st)

Turnovers against: 19 (76th)

Fumbles lost: 6 (88th)

Interceptions: 12 (91st)

Sacks Allowed: 19 (58th)

T.O.P. for: 26:41 (117th)

ARMY DEFENSEScoring: 24.40 ppg (56th)

Total: 329.0 ypg (30th)

Rushing: 140.40 ypg (45th)

Passing: 188.60 ypg (22nd)

Turnovers for: 22 (19th)

Fumbles rec.: 12 (12th)

Interceptions: 10 (48th)

Sacks: 22 (44th)

T.O.P. against: 25:55 (3rd)

Bob DiacoDef. Coordinator

Charley MolnarOff. Coordinator

ND RUSHING

NDSPECIALTEAMS

NDOFFENSIVE

COACHING

I’m a Yankees fan. Have been mywhole life. Thus, there is no chance Ipick against the home team at YankeeStadium.Yes, I, the pessimistic one among us

am picking Notre Dame this week. TheIrish finally showed the competitivespirit they have lacked all season intheir romp over Utah.Against Army, Notre Dame will need

that competitive edge again, if not moreso than last week, as service academiesare always ready to play. With thatedge, that spirit, Tommy Rees and theIrish can outdo the Black Knights in allaspects of the game, for another rout.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Army 13

One thing is for sure: Brian Kellyshould have no trouble getting his Irishup for this game. Primetime, in the BigApple, with a chance to become bowleligible, against a historic opponent atYankee Stadium? We’ll get a good lookat how Tommy Rees handles the brigh-est of lights on the biggest of stages,and if his solid performance againstUtah was any indication, I think he’llbe just fine. While I have concernsabout Notre Dame defending theoption, I believe the Navy game wassuch an abomination that it has effec-tively served as a wake-up call that hashelped the Irish prepare.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 27, Army 14

Which Notre Dame team will we seethis weekend at Yankee Stadium? TheIrish squad who lost back to backgames to Navy and Tulsa and lookedcompletely unprepared to face theMidshipmen triple-option attack? Orthe one that dominated Utah in everyfacet of the game?Notre Dame took a smashmouth

attitude against Utah, and beat themin the trenches. Clearly they have thatability, and Army is another opponentwith inferior talent and size on theline of scrimmage. As long as thereisn’t a Senior Day let-down, the Irishwin big.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Army 10

DouglasFarmer

Sports Editor

Matt Gamber

Sports Writer

Eric Prister

AssociateSports Editor

HEAD TO HEADThe Observer � IRISH INSIDERFriday, November 19, 2010 page 5

Black Knights Offense vs. Irish Defense

Rich Ellersonhead coach

Second season atArmy

career record64-45:

record at Army:11-11

against ND: 0-0

ArmyBlack Knights

Record: 6-4AP: NR Coaches: NR

Sept. 4

Sept. 11

Sept. 18

Sept. 25

Oct. 2

Oct. 9

Oct. 16

Oct. 30

Nov. 6

Nov. 13

Nov. 20

Dec. 11

@ Eastern Michigan — W

Hawaii — L

North Texas — W

@ Duke — W

Temple — L

@ Tulane — W

@ Rutgers — L

VMI — W

Air Force — L

@ Kent State — W

@ Notre Dame

Navy

2010 Schedule

Statistical LeadersARMY OFFENSEQB TRENT STEELMAN

154 rush, 596 yards, 11 TD

FB JARED HASSIN

150 rush, 858 yards, 9 TD

SB PATRICK MEALY

80 rush, 369 yards, 2 TD

SB BRIAN COBBS

42 rush, 268 yards, 5 TD

WR AUSTIN BARR

13 rec., 202 yards, 3 TD

ND DEFENSEMLB MANTI TE’O

54 solo, 109 total, 8.5 TFL

LB DARIUS FLEMING

19 total, 8 TFL, 6 sack

S GARY GRAY

50 total, 4 TFL, 1 INT

S HARRISON SMITH

41 solo, 75 total, 3 INT

CB DARRIN WALLS

21 solo, 31 total, 2 INT

Head-to-HeadARMY OFFENSEScoring: 31.0 ppg (41st)

Total: 354.60 ypg (77th)

Rushing: 272.80 ypg (8th)

Passing: 81.80 (120th)

Turnovers against: 10 (6th)

Fumbles lost: 9 (75th)

Interceptions: 1 (1st)

Sacks Allowed: 4 (1st)

T.O.P. for: 34:05 (3rd)

ND DEFENSEScoring: 22.70 ppg (45th)

Total: 380.30 ypg (66th)

Rushing: 155.20 ypg (66th)

Passing: 225.10 ypg (76th)

Turnovers for: 18 (50th)

Fumbles rec.: 7 (60th)

Interceptions: 11 (38th)

Sacks: 26 (19th)

T.O.P. against: 33:19 (117th)

Ian ShieldsOff. Coordinator

Payam SaadatDef. Coordinator

There’s only one thing to knowabout the Army passing offense —they do not do it. The Black Knightsrank dead last in the NCAA in pass-ing attempts, yards and touchdowns.Sophomore quarterback TrentSteelman has a 138.93 passer rat-ing, but is averaging less than 100yards per game. Army is not a threatto pass often, but when they do, it

can be devastating.Steelman’s main target this season

has been junior wide receiver AustinBarr, who leads the team with 13catches and three touchdowns.Three of his catches have gone forover 30 yards this season.The Irish rank 76th against the

pass, giving up 225 yards per game.They were caught off guard by a

long pass for a score againstNavy, who run a similar offenseto Army’s. Senior cornerbacksDarrin Walls and Gary Gray willneed to keep their focus on thereceivers while defending therun, or one of Army’s few passescould go for a score.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

The Black Knights’ offense beginsand ends with their running game.Their triple-option style offensethrives on keeping possession of theball and wearing out opposing defens-es. Seven players on the Army roster

average over four yards per carry, andeight players have scored a rushingtouchdown this season. Sophomore

fullback Jared Hassin leads the teamin rushing yards, with 858, andSteelman is top on the team in touch-downs with 11. Hassin is averaging5.7 yards per carry and will be diffi-cult to stop for a banged up Irishdefense.Notre Dame’s defense failed miser-

ably against their other opponentwhich runs the triple-option — Navy.

They gave up 367 yards and fourtouchdowns on the ground to theMidshipmen in a 35-17 loss. Withsenior nose tackle Ian Williamsand sophomore linebacker CarloCalabrese injured, the rest of theIrish defense will need to step upto stop Army’s rushing attack.

EDGE: ARMY

Kicker Alex Carltonhas struggled so far thisseason, connecting ononly 63 percent of hisfield goal attempts. Hisrange has been good,making a kick from 49yards out, but his consis-tancy has been lacking.Punter Jonathan Bulls

ranks 77th in the nation inpunting distance, but Army’sreturn defense has beensolid. Since the Irish willlikely be looking for quickscores, the Black Knightsmust keep focused on specialteams.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

ARMY PASSIN

G

ARMY SPECIAL TEAM

S

ARMY R

USHING

Against Navy, Notre Dame dis-played a complete and utter inabilityto stop the option. Even still, unlessArmy does something Saturday theyhaven’t shown on film this season,the Irish should be fine.Kidding aside, Army is not the

same option team as Navy. The BlackKnights are bowl-eligible, but haveplayed one of the weakest schedulesin the country. The venue alone isenough to get Irish players fired upfor this game, and it’s hard to believethat at least some of the momentumbuilt up against Utah won’t carryover to this week.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 34, Army 13

As I began to think of my predic-tion, I couldn't remember the lasttime I had witnessed Notre Damebeat an Academy. I investigatedand realized that's because I'venever seen it happen.There's a first time for every-

thing.And much as I hate to predict a

win for the home team at YankeeStadium, the Irish should take thisone easily.The team is confident and knows

the stakes involved. Plus, I'm pret-ty sure they 're fami l iar wi thArmy's offensive scheme.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 30, Army 16

Sam Werner

Sports Writer

Laura Myers

Sports Writer

Coach RandyEl lerson made h ismark on college foot-bal l as the headcoach of Cal Poly, ateam which he led toprominance in theFCS d iv ison. Histriple-option schemeis a s taple o f the

academies , but he sawsuccess last season, as theBlack Knights f in ished16th in rushing offense. IfEllerson can keep Notreoff-guard as well as Navydid, he will have successon the ground.

EDGE: ARMY

ARMY OFFENSIVE

COACHING

The Observer � IRISH INSIDERpage 6 Friday, November 19, 2010

Remember the last time NotreDame played against a team thatran the option?Saturday night’s showdown

with Army gives the Irish playersand coaches a chance at redemp-tion and an opportunity to erasethe memories of a forgettabledefensive showing against Navy.Notre Dame’s game plan againstthe Midshipmen was clearlyexposed and exploited, and whilethe Irish have certainly madeadjustments, Irish coach BrianKelly said Tuesday it still comesdown to basic defensive concepts.“Physical and mental tough-

ness, controlling the line of scrim-mage, those are all the thingsthat I’m sure you’ve all heard afootball coach talk to the media,”Kelly said. “We have to do thesame things we did against Utah,and we have todo it against anoffense and adefense wedon’t see verymuch.”Navy fullback

A l e x a n d e rTeich gave theIrish defensefits, and NotreDame will haveto contend withanother rush-ing threat atfullback inArmy’s Jared Hassin. The BlackKnights sophomore leads theteam in rushing with 858 yardson 150 carries, for an average of5.7 yards per attempt.“He’s somebody that obviously

we’re quite aware of,” Kelly said.The Black Knights know the

Irish will be more prepared fol-lowing the disastrous resultsagainst Navy, Black Knightscoach Rich Ellerson said in apress conference Tuesday.“We know they’ll adjust,”

Ellerson said. “We know they’llplay better. We know they’ll bemotivated. They were hurt bythat performance on the defen-sive side of the ball and they’regoing to respond.”Though Army’s offense does

most of its damage on theground, quarterback TrentSteelman is a threat to throw theball as well. “[They have] great balance

offensively in the sense that if youjust try to take away one phase ofit, as evident last week, nine-for-10 throwing the football with wellover 100 yards, they can hurt youthere as well,” Kelly said. “TrentSteelman is a very tough, compet-itive guy. He’s obviously veryimportant to their offense. Their

receivers arerangy, 6-foot-3 types thatcan go upand get thefootball.”Steelman is

the team’ssecond-lead-ing rusherwith 596yards and 11touchdowns,and he hasthrown for798 yards

with five touchdowns to only oneinterception — good for an effi-ciency rating of 138.9.Ellerson said the pass is impor-

tant in keeping the defense off-guard. “You defend the option with all

11 defenders, and one of the way

you control that back row is withplay-action pass,” he said. “Beingable to get the ball over theirheads a few times is really impor-tant to the outcome of that game.People will pick their poison, butthat should slow down the runsupport along the perimeter.”But defending the pass and var-

ious types of run plays that make

Army “a little bit more diversethan a typical option team” willbe secondary to stopping whatthe Black Knights do best, Kellysaid.“It’s still about defending the

triple option. It’s still about thesame principles that you have todefend the entire width of thefield in the running game, and

then obviously the passinggame,” Kelly said. “They do avery good job of getting the foot-ball out and can really makesome plays in the passing game.But it’s still about the principles ofoption football.”

Army presents another triple-option challenge

Contact Matt Gamber at mgamber@nd.edu

By MATT GAMBERSports Writer

“We have to do the samethings we did against

Utah, and we have to do itagainst an offense and adefense we don’t see very

much.”

Brian KellyIrish coach

AP

Army sophomore fullback Jared Hassin leads the Black Knights with 858 yards rushing on only 150 carries.By defeating Kent State 45-28 Saturday, Hassin and Army became bowl eligible.

The Irish last played inYankee Stadium in 1969. Then,Ara Parseghian and the Irishtrounced none other than Army45-0. The victory brought NotreDame’s record in The HouseThat Ruth Built to 15-6-3.More than four decades later,

Notre Dame and Army returnto the Bronx, but not much elsehas remained the same. BrianKelly now fills Parseghian’splace as Irish coach. YankeeStadium has moved 100 yardsnorth of its previous location.Nonetheless, the Irish havehardly contained their excite-ment about the primetimegame in New York.“They know they’re going to

New York,” Kelly said in hisTuesday press conference. “Idon’t think I’ve ever had moreinjured guys ask me if theywere traveling this week.They’re all excited about that.”Notre Dame’s history at

Yankee Stadium is well-chroni-cled: from Knute Rockne’s “Win

one for the Gipper” speech in1928 to a 3-0-2 record underFrank Leahy in the 1940s,when Notre Dame won fournational championships. Infact, two of those titles resultedlargely from the outcome of theIrish match-up with Army. In1943, top-ranked Notre Damebeat No. 3 Army 26-0, and in1946, the No. 2 Irish tied thetop-ranked Black Knights atzero.“I think [this is] just a great

atmosphere for college foot-ball,” Kelly said. “50th meetingof Army versus Notre Dame, sothere’s a lot to the game. We’reexcited about that certainly.”The encounter may be the

50th in the historic seriesbetween the Irish and the BlackKnights, but this version ofYankee Stadium, now two yearsold, has never hosted a collegefootball game.“Just to have the first game

to be played there, it’s an excit-ing time for us,” Irish juniorreceiver Michael Floyd said.The tradition the Irish will

add to began in 1923, when theoriginal Yankee Stadium

opened with Yankees sluggerBabe Ruth sending a three-runhome run over the fence in a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.Up until its closing in 2008, theStadium hosted event after his-toric event, including the firsttelevised boxing match, whenMax Baer defeated Lou Novaon July 1, 1939, the debut ofsoccer great Pelê in the NorthAmerican Soccer League in1976 and three Papal Masses,as Pope Paul VI (1965), PopeJohn Paul II (1979) and PopeBenedict XVI (2008) each saidone. Thus, while the field maystill be 100 yards long by 53.3yards wide, playing at YankeeStadium holds more weightthan the average game, sopho-more linebacker Manti Te’osaid.“Same size, same field goals,

but of course it’s going to bedifferent playing in YankeeStadium,” Te’o said. “Similar tohere, you can feel the traditionthere, and it’s going to be fun.”Amid the tradition, playing a

football game in a venuedesigned for baseball brings itschallenges. The end lines in theend zones will be closer towalls than usual Saturday, butKelly said precautions havebeen taken to insure playersafety.“I know that has been a great

concern of everybodyinvolved,” he said. “We have alot of people that have beenworking on this for quite some

time. ... It’s clearly somethingthat has been at the forefrontof every conversation that I’veheard of, from moving a foulpole to making sure there’senough access on the side-lines.”Once on the field, and

assured of safety, the Irish willhave only one goal on theirmind.“We’ve just got to make sure

we keep all the laughter andjoy down and just make surewe compete on Saturday and

do everything we’ve got to do towin,” Floyd said.Although, junior defensive

lineman Kapron Lewis-Mooredid admit he wouldn’t mindseeing some celebrities at thegame.“I’m pretty excited about it,”

he said. “Hopefully, it’d be kindof cool if some of the Yankeesplayers were there, but younever know.”

The Observer � IRISH INSIDERFriday, November 19, 2010 page 7

Irish head to Yankee Stadium for 25th timeBy DOUGLAS FARMERSports Editor

Contact Douglas Farmer at dfarmer1@nd.edu

Courtesy of the New York Yankees

The field at Yankee Stadium has been realigned to fit a football field, with one end zone near theusual home plate area, and the other end zone in deep center field.

AP

Notre Dame topped Army 7-0 in this 1937 match-up at YankeeStadium. The two teams have met in the Bronx 22 times.

page 8 Friday, November 19, 2010The Observer � PAID ADVERTISEMENT