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Photo and Graphic Illustration by Ian Gavlick and Andrea Archer page 2 The Observer N IRISH INSIDER Friday, November 6, 2009 COMMENTARY FOOTBALL RECRUITING Irish season now Arizona athlete Flowers visits means he’s pretty interest- more than 15 major schools By MICHAEL BRYAN ed.” that offered him a scholar- four games long Associate Sports Editor While the Irish hope to ship, including Texas A&M, impress Flowers Saturday, Oregon, Florida State and After a blowout victory over they appear to have already Oklahoma. We’ve been told 9-3 is not good criticism on Weis’ performance, Washington State in San made strides towards future The Irish also recently enough. not all of it undeserved. He’s won Antonio that may have helped recruiting in Texas following received good news regard- Is 10-2? one bowl game in five years, he Notre Dame’s future recruit- their 40-14 rout of ing top wide receiver Because that’s where the Irish coached the team to 15 losses in ing in Texas, this weekend Washington State in San prospect Kyle Prater, who is could be. But it’s going to take the 2007-08, the highest two-year the Irish will welcome official Antonio last week. Several currently verbally committed same kind of focus that dragged loss total in school history, and his visitor Marquis Flowers to high school to USC. The them back from fourth-quarter team lost to the first eight-loss South Bend to see the team juniors were in number one deficits earlier this season. team (those pesky Orange) in take on Navy. attendance and receiver in Because last school history. He hasn’t beaten Flowers is an Arizona looking to “[Marquis Flowers] is many recruit- season, if USC in five tries and is 3-11 native that plays both safety learn more ing service you’ll remem- against opponents ranked higher and running back for his about Notre a tremendous talent, r a n k i n g s , ber, Notre than the Irish. Millennium High School Dame and the he could play a Prater is Dame had a Uninspiring, right? At face team. The high school senior football pro- number of positions returning to 5-2 record, value, yes. But that’s not the piled up 87 tackles and three gram. South Bend for then dropped whole story. The nice thing about interceptions on defense in “I think a lot for Notre Dame.” an official visit four of its last the fact that sports follows the 2008 while rushing for 932 of local players to see Notre five and fin- what-have-you-done-for-me-late- yards and eight touchdowns enjoyed being Mike Frank Dame take on ished the Bill Brink ly doctrine is that it works both on offense. able to check Irish recruiting analyst Connecticut. regular sea- ways. True, 2007 was awful and “Marquis is a tremendous out Notre The Illinois son 6-6. That Managing 2008 failed to live up to expecta- talent, he could play a num- Dame,” Frank player was stretch Editor tions. But it’s 2009, the Irish are ber of different positions for said. “It’s a also on campus included an winning and they’re clearly not Notre Dame,” said Mike nice way for Notre Dame to for the USC game on an unof- overtime loss the same team as before. Frank, a Notre Dame recruit- showcase their program, and ficial visit. to Pittsburgh, a four-interception He’s got a chance this season to ing analyst who runs the tell recruits to check them “Kyle Prater is a big guy goose egg against Boston College, burst out from under those stats, ESPN-affiliated Web site out because they probably that makes plays,” Frank a game-that-shall-not-be-spoken- to prove to fans and the media irishsportsdaily.com. “He don’t know much about said. “He uses his body well of against Syracuse and a beating that he can coach a team to suc- makes a ton of plays, has a them.” and has the potential to be a out behind the woodshed against cess using his players. He’s done it lot of offers, and seems to Notre Dame already heard Michael Floyd down the road. USC. so far this year. It’s that time, his really like Notre Dame. I good news last week shortly He likes a lot about USC but True — the Irish can win some fifth year, when he put all of his think Notre Dame likes his before arriving in Texas, staying close to home could and lose some and be bowl-eligi- players in position and refined his potential a great deal and receiving a verbal commit- interest him, and his best ble and go to a bowl at 8-4 and system and defined his role in the you just don’t see this caliber ment from Lone Star state friend Corey Cooper is also win, but with what this team has coaching staff. of athlete come along very native Toney Hurd Jr. last interested in Notre Dame.” shown itself to be capable of, that My hunch says the Irish do it. often.” Friday. would be a disappointment. They certainly have the talent. Flowers is also considering “Toney’s stock just contin- For more on Notre Dame It could also be a reality. Jimmy Clausen, Kyle Rudolph and USC, Arizona, Arizona State ues to rise and rise. He’s a recruiting, check out Mike Look at who they face. Navy has Golden Tate can throw and catch and UCLA. very smart kid, extremely Frank’s irishsportsdaily.com. had, um, success at Notre Dame against anybody. Robert Hughes’ “He seems to have a strong intelligent, and I think its E-mail Mike at mike- Stadium recently. Pittsburgh increased performances interest in Notre Dame,” starting to come into play and [email protected] and proved last year how tough it enlivened the offense and coun- Frank said. “He was sched- work with his athleticism,” tell him The Observer sent plays (granted, the Panthers lost tered Armando Allen’s speed, and uled to visit [for the USC Frank said. “He’s becoming a you. LeSean McCoy to the Eagles). if he gets a head of steam he’ll game] and then rescheduled, very good corner and has had Connecticut presents the easiest uproot the defenders in his way. and the fact that he’s willing a great senior year.” Contact Michael Bryan at potential win for the Irish but The defensive line’s increased to reschedule and come back Hurd chose the Irish out of [email protected] we’ve seen what overlooking a penetration and the emergence of Big East team on senior day can Manti Te’o as a playmaker solidi- do. Toby Gerhart has 994 yards fied a defense that was shaky at rushing and 13 touchdowns for the start of the season. Stanford and Andrew Luck has Which brings me back to my passed well so far this season. On point. As Rick Moranis said in the road, that’s going to challenge Spaceballs, the Irish are at now the Irish. now. They shouldn’t be worried But they’ve been challenged. about then, about what hap- Last season, I wrote that winning pened, about how they got here. wasn’t necessarily the be-all end- They’ve got four teams to beat to all of the game, that in a blowout capitalize on the opportunities win over Washington the Irish this season presents, of which needed to find other positives there are many: postseason besides the W. I’ve clearly never awards, a BCS bowl, vindication claimed to be the smartest crayon of Weis’ recruiting and playcall- in the box because this season has ing, erasure of last year’s poor fin- shown that winning supercedes ish. everything. The Irish squeaked But the cliché “clichés art true” out five wins in the final minutes. is true for a reason, and the one- It doesn’t matter that they had game-at-a-time approach must defensive lapses or poor offensive still guide the team. The Irish execution because they won. must use what’s worked for them No one, not the fans or the play- all season to beat Navy. They’re ers or the coaches or the BCS, going to need Te’o to break up the should care how the Irish got option and they’re going to need here. They’re 6-2. That’s the the defensive line to plug the full- important part. They have the back’s hole. They’re going to need potential to win out, go 10-2 and that passing game against a Navy be eligible for a BCS bowl. pass defense that ranks 23rd in This would give the Irish some- the nation. thing they desperately need: suc- The Irish season is now four cess under Charlie Weis with games long. If they focus and play players he recruited. He orches- like they know they can, the after- trated great wins with Brady party could be pretty exciting. Quinn, Jeff Samardzija and Darius Walker running the The views expressed in this col- offense. Then they left and the umn are those of the author and Irish went 3-9 and 6-6. not necessarily those of The Now Weis has his players run- Observer. ning his system. Contact Bill Brink at Fans and critics heap tons of [email protected] Recycle The Observer. Friday, November 6, 2009 The Observer N IRISH INSIDER page 3 Heart and soul Sergio Brown uses natural speed and personal strength to expand his role lighted by 28 tackles, six pass “We race a lot in the neighbor- By MATT GAMBER breakups and a pair of blocked hood to see who’s the fastest,” Sports Editor punts.

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