SUNDAY SOLITUDE: PART III

(Live from Gate H-6 at O'Hare International Airport)

Just finished listening in to Charlie Weis' Sunday presser. But before we discuss that, let's talk about this man. In the last two games he has blocked a punt and caused a fumble. He is the smallest Notre Dame football player (smaller than even the punter and field goal kicker) to see any regular game action. He is tied for tenth in the team in tackles (22, or 2 per game) despite playing just a handful of snaps all season long on defense. He has forced two fumbles, recovered another, and blocked a punt.

If you were to base a team Most Valuable Player award based on impact per play, he might just be the MVP of the Fighting Irish this season. He is shorter, I think, than the 5-10 at which he is listed. He is a remarkable athlete, though, let's not take that away from him. 

But he is a kid who walked onto this team. He was not recruited, unlike all the four- and five-star studs on the roster. He was a kid who just loved football and probably Notre Dame, as well. He had desire. Persistence. Will. And it shows every play in which he is on the field.

And so my question is, How come Charlie Weis cannot get more of his roster to perform like Mike Anello?

I understand there's a difference between being an impact player on special teams and on offense or defense. And certainly Anello is not the only playmaker on this squad--names such as Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, David Bruton, Pat Kuntz, Mo Crum and Sergio Brown come to mind. The play that Toryan Smith made on the fumble recovery was terrific (and, yes, the facemask to Gary Gray should have been called and would've given the Irish a first and goal at the 3 and well, who knows?).

But what the Irish (Do they really deserve the "Fighting" modifier at this point?) lack are players who make plays when it truly matters. And you can talk about talent. You can talk about inexperience. But two of the players most responsible for Syracuse's win yesterday were a former walk-on quarterback, Cameron Dantley, and a true freshman tailback (Antoin Bailey). In bitter cold weather, on the road, these two made the plays that mattered to win the game.

It's not about talent any more. It's not about inexperience. It's about Coach Weis finding the means to get more of his four- and five-star recruits to play the way that Mike Anello does. The way Chris Zorich did. And Derrick Mayes. Etc.

(I saw Zorich on the field about 15 minutes after the game yesterday. He just looked at me and shook his head. His face said it all. I read, "How can you play for Notre Dame, how can you play football, and not just leave every drop of effort on the field?")  

Tom Coyne of the A.P. re-broached the "Why are you fit to be coach?" question, and while I was unable to write quickly enough to quote Coach Weis verbatim (that will appear on a transcript in a few hours, hopefully), he essentially said, "Last year we were a crummy team. This year we're a decent team, not a good team, but a decent team. And next year we have the chance to be a pretty darn good football team."

A few more items...

--Weis was asked about next Saturday's nemesis, Pete Carroll, and he praised Carroll for being able to recruit a stable of outstanding talent and, perhaps more importantly, keeping them all happy (Two words: Sorority girls!). (Woo!). As an example, Weis cited Marc Tyler (Jimmy Clausen's high school teammate), "a guy we really wanted, and he's a 4th-string halfback there."

--More on his job status: "I can't worry about my job status. I'm the head football coach and that's what I intend to be."

--On whether a 6-6 Irish squad should go bowling: "The downside of not going to a bowl game is all the practices that you miss. Hey, no one's jumping up and down (about our record)."

--On the snowballs being launched at the sideline from the student section, Weis was strangely, and overly, diplomatic: "I was taken back by it to tell you the truth. Maybe it was meant in fun. But it's a dangerous thing. I wish that it could have been avoided."