SOUTH BEND, IND. — A long Notre Dame incomplete pass from campus sits The Linebacker Inn, a faded yellow-brick shelter that has been slinging beer for Irish greats and the people who love them since 1962. On the sign next to an appropriately tipsy martini glass is the inscription, “The Tradition Continues.”
Inside on Wednesday afternoon, Bob Couch was the one longtime townie who can remember when Notre Dame last experienced this kind of tradition. Couch, 59, grew up 3 miles from Notre Dame Stadium, where his father was an usher for 72 years.
They both were there back in 1963, the last time Navy beat Notre Dame – until Saturday. For an idea of the apocalyptic nature of what has transpired under coach Charlie Weis in this 1-8 season, the great debate here is what is the low point. Navy is just another broken bone in a train wreck.
This brings us to the potential low point in Notre Dame history. Hey, you Air Force Falcons. When you walk out of Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, you may witness Irish football at its lowest ebb. This team could be looking up at the ’63 squad, the one saddled with the program’s unprecedented fifth consecutive non-winning record.
“The expectations weren’t so much back then,” Couch said. “We just went through (Terry) Brennan, (Joe) Kuharich and Bob Lehmann right there in that period. This is the same type of thing. Then came Ara (Parseghian) after that. But he turned it around in one year.”
Irish eyes are now turned to a fallen star, a former Notre Dame student who found his niche as an NFL offensive coordinator and returned to become the second person Notre Dame fans believe could walk on water. But Irish eyes are no longer smilin’ at Weis. The torch of blame has been passed from Tyrone Willingham, fired three years ago after two subpar recruiting classes, to Weis and some inexperienced assistants who have done little with the two top-seven classes he signed.
“I don’t know how much better they’re going to get,” Couch said. “I’m just wondering if he can teach college kids how to play football.”
It’s a common theme spewed from bitter fans, embarrassed to hold up blue shamrocks in light of subterranean numbers.
Historically bad stats
A win by Air Force (7-3) would give Notre Dame nine losses and six consecutive home losses for the first time in its 119-year history. The Irish are last nationally in total offense (205.44 yards per game) and next to last in rushing (56.44 ypg) and scoring (13.78 points). The 43 sacks allowed are a school record.
After their first three games, they had totaled minus-14 rushing yards. Against Michigan State, they had six fumbles (two lost), two interceptions, eight sacks and 14 negative-yardage plays.
Considering Notre Dame’s history, this is Baryshnikov losing at hopscotch, the Stones failing an audition at the Dubuque Holiday Inn.
“I take all the responsibility,” Weis said Thursday night. “Not that behind closed doors I don’t share the wealth or share the blame, but I feel that rather than pointing a whole bunch of fingers, you’d better start by evaluating yourself first.”
Here’s what others are evaluating: Weis’ three-year record of 20-14 is curiously close to the 21-15 three-year mark that got Willingham fired, triggering an avalanche of criticism about a program that prided itself on coaches getting a full five years. Recruiting, however, doomed Willingham, and it’s what might save Weis. Willingham’s last recruiting class in 2004, those who would be current juniors, didn’t even rank in most top 40s.
Consequently, 54 percent of Notre Dame’s roster is freshmen and sophomores, the fifth-highest amount in the country.
“I wouldn’t say we’re less talented,” senior linebacker Maurice Crum Jr. said. “I would just say we have young talent.”
Each starting offensive lineman was his state’s prep player of the year, four of which signed with Weis. However, this is the same unit that is arguably the worst line in Division I-A. The Irish are averaging 1.6 yards per carry.
“The star-studded offensive linemen are all in their freshmen and sophomore years,” Weis said. “You can get a dynamic skill player and play as a freshman or a sophomore because speed is speed or quickness is quickness. But as an offensive lineman, the more experience you have, the more girth you have, the more strength you have, the better you end up playing.”
Strategy often falls flat
While Weis’ three Super Bowl rings are impressive in a prep All-American’s living room, they aren’t worth much on the sideline. He found that out in August, when he tried rushing in a spread offense to face Georgia Tech, knowing the Yellow Jackets had struggled against it.
It was a catastrophe. Sophomore Demetrius Jones couldn’t get a first down on four possessions and fumbled on two others. He was pulled in the first half of the 33-3 loss and eventually transferred to Cincinnati.
Freshman QB Jimmy Clausen, who starts Saturday, has alternated with junior Evan Sharpley with no discernible improvement until last week. Then Weis infuriated Notre Dame Nation when, facing a fourth-and-8 from the Navy 24 with 45 seconds left in a 28-28 tie, Weis went for it rather than try a field goal. Sharpley was sacked and Navy won in triple overtime.
Weis said kicker Brandon Walker had been struggling (4-of-8 this season) and the 41-yarder would’ve been into the wind.
Still, athletic director Kevin White said of the fan base, “It’s surprisingly supportive to me in what can only be described as a terribly challenging time, a historically challenging time. I’ve received much more supportive mail than negative mail and e-mail and telephone calls.”
There is reason for optimism.
The offense broke out against Navy, 14 starters return next year and Clausen should be healthy. ranks the Irish’s upcoming recruiting class No. 1 in the country at this point, and Weis did coach the Irish to BCS bowls the past two years. Starting in 2009, White has scheduled seven home games every year. Sources say he wasn’t in favor of dumping Willingham and will make sure that rare three-and-out won’t happen again at Notre Dame.
“We’re trying to break the cycle,” he said.
That doesn’t help the crowd at The Linebacker. Yes, they’ll watch the Air Force game on TV, but forgive them if their conversation wanders. Said Greg Delinski, The Linebacker general manager, “People don’t care about the rest of the season now. It’s over.”
