Not the Soap the Football Team Spring Drills!! :roll: :roll: I watched Charlies press conference online today and I read a 2 part interview that Prister did with Charlie. Both were great. I'm pumped and jacked about next year! Terry
For the interested, Mich and Notre Dame square off tonight for the CCHA Championship. From what I gather no matter who wins both will be seeded highly in the Frozen Four. Still beating the evil empire is always a good thing!
The QB's. It's been awhile since we had 2 healthy QB's competing in Spring where they are both really good and have expectations. No doubt Clausen is the starter, Charlie confirmed the obvious when he said it's Jimmy's job to lose. But Crist has a ton of talent, has been in the system a year now and will give JC a battle. Plus it will help the WR's that there are 2 top QB's to throw to them this spring. Then there is Nate Montana, who I haven't really read anything about in terms of how he's developing. But he's bound to be pretty far back since he never really played that much as a starter in HS, and even then it wasn't in a passing offense. Hopefully he is developing as we need 3 guys. I'm sure there are some walkons to throw balls as well. This is the big Spring for JC though, he's 100%, he's improved each year and now he has good WR's and lots of them to throw to as well as a full compliment of TE's. It's time for him to have that kind of year that everybody has expected of him.
I will be interested to see just how much Crist closes the gap on Clausen. I don't think JC's tools can be denied at all, but from multiple reports I've read, the Crist kid appears to be something special as well... he is also bigger and faster.
Congrats, Terry. The second Mason Cup in three years for the Irish, Terry. If you want, I can send you an e-mail explaining what the Mason Cup is. There is a really good chance that the Irish and Wolverines will both be in the Frozen Four. The Wolverines were sent out east but look like the class of that region. ND is playing in Grand Rapids with Cornell, Northeastern, and Bemidji State and look to have a clear path to the Frozen Four. Jackson has really done a sensational job especially if you consider that ND was playing hockey as a club level program not so long ago.
Corey, No doubt that Crist has talent and a future. I like reading that he's not in a waiting mood that he's ready to challenge Clausen now. Of course Cheeseburgher Charlies offense is not one that you can absorb quickly. Even someone who was as well prepared as Clausen coming out of high school struggled with it. I expect that Clausen will retain the job and have a great year. Charlie has told him he needs to improve his movement within the pocket. Against UNC last year it was his movement within the pocket that caused him some problems, granted you don't have to worry about that if your OL is blocking really well, but the real world is that they don't all the time. Brady Quinn was pretty good at that, he didn't have a very good OL his Sr. season and yet he still was able to move in the pocket and get his pass off and not take the sack. Naturally practice reports are all glowing and positive, the new coaches are the real deal, etc.
One thing I didn't understand was that Charlie mentioned playing John Goodman some at QB this spring. I don't really understand that, I know Sid saw him play in HS and said he could play QB for a Div 1 football program. But it would seem like he's a WR and needs all the work he can get at that position. I don't know if he's an emergency QB incase Clausen and Crist go down, if so what does that say about Nate Montana?
I'm under the impression that Goodman is an "insurance policy" QB who provides more depth than just a 3rd string unproven QB (Montana), especially for spring drills. Trust me, Goodman as a QB is the real deal, how much of a "real deal" in the world of high-level D-1 football will be revealed over time in spring and fall practices.
There is an article in BGI where Crist and Clausen say that Goodman can throw the ball farther than either of them. He may never throw a ball at ND but if ther opponents know what he can do with his arm when he is split out as a WR that can change the defensive scheme.
TOK, I should not joke about the depth of hockey knowledge and celebrate you joiningg the few SBers who are fans of the sport although the motive for your conversion is unseemly. But, after all, you are probably the only one here you actually shook Mr. Hockey's hand although I am surprised Gordie did not try to hit you up for some free dental work. The Mason Cup is not of sinister origins and can be possessed by Catholics without concern since it is named after the Sparty's AD, Ron Mason, who a long and sucessful career as MSU's hockey head coach
Thanks I looked him up, he'd had quite a career as a collegiate hockey coach. Hopefully someday their will be a Jackson Award or something like that, maybe Notre Dame will even name it's new Hockey arena after him!
TOK, I should not joke about your depth of hockey knowledge and celebrate your joining the few SBers who are fans of the sport although the motive for your conversion is unseemly. But, after all, you are probably the only one here who actually shook Mr. Hockey's hand although I am surprised Gordie did not try to hit you up for some free dental work. The Mason Cup is not of sinister origins and can be possessed by Catholics without concern since it is named after the Sparty's AD, Ron Mason, who a long and sucessful career as MSU's hockey head coach.
Yikes, I need to learn how to edit better. Jackson also had a nice career at LSSU winning a NC there. After he left, the program has suffered. Is ND building a new hockey arena? Michigan's old barn is named afer Yost although it had been known as Yost Fieldhouse when the basketball team played there. The Spartan's hockey arena is named after Biggie Munn, their great football coach of the 50s. I suspect that if a new arena is built, Ara's name might be on it.
Yes it was announced last month. They had been dinking around with remodeling the Joyce ACC (basketball arena) to expand the hockey side but finally decided the team deserved a state of the art facility of it's own. Now no drawings have been released but the size will be less than that other ND named after native americans. Lol...Sparty naming anything after Ara!
I meant ND naming their new arena after Ara...Of course overtimes and shootouts do prevent playing for a tie. 8) The other ND's $$$$ were the result of a former player who made a fortune owning a Las Vegas casino. Your ND is well endowed but it took a lot of bad blackjack bets to allow the other ND benefactor to put in those cherry hardwood seats.My guess is that some of us here may contributed indirectly to building that arena.
And they allow ND to play there? :lol: (Sorry, Bobda. Couldn't resist. You know to what I am referring. :lol: ) The rink at the new hockey arena will be named after a large donor, but I can't recall the name.