While I'm not sure it's possible to set these instances to the Benny Hill theme music, the Michigan Wolverines have had their last few weeks be reminiscent of Notre Dame's on-the-field efforts against them in '06 and '07 (Mind you, not nearly as bad as the Irish effort in those games, but still, not great).  Since fall camp officially started, the following has Yakety Saxed the maize and blue:

• Yesterday, top-notch QB recruit Kevin Newsome decommitted, perhaps heading instead to Virginia Tech and Penn State.  They still have a line on Tate Forcier, but Newsome seemed to be in the fold and a great fit Ric Rodriguez's offense.  (I was also scanning the comments, and this one was particularly hilarious to me.)
• This might not be as big of a problem if the new favorite to start this season wasn't a walk-on.  Of course, last time Michigan played the majority of their season with youth in backfield, Henne and Hart led them to the Rose Bowl.  (And lost to the Irish!  Heyo!)
• And perhaps seeing the writing on the wall in regards to the season, running back Kevin Grady had a bit too much to drunk  earlier in the summer, and has plead guilty to drunk driving.  MGo linked to a report about the arrest, and Grady was apparently not just casually drinking and out for a spin, but drunk to the tune of "Thompson said he asked for a number between 12 and 14, and Grady answered '15.'"  Of course, you could just potentially say that a sober Wolverine couldn't correctly answer that question.  (Again, zing!  On fire!)

Over on the left coast, San Diego State is converting a defensive lineman to left tackle after starter Mike Matamua went down with a foot injury.   The Trojans are still trying to find a replacement for Mark Sanchez after his injury, but there's a tiny bit of talent behind him to fill in until Sanchez can return.  Irish Band of Brothers is keeping track of our 2008 opponents' camps, so be sure and check in there.

Hey, at least none of them had the day this guy did.

Cryptozoologists, monster hunters and those just intrigued by the weird are buzzing across the nation over the possibility that a rare, previously believed-to-be mythical creature has been spotted in central Missouri.   

"I've studied a lot of cases over the last decade or so about supposed sightings," said Jeff Meldrum, a professor at Idaho State University and author of the book Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science, "and this seems to be like the most legitimate instance of a 'Whoosh' appearance since late in the summer of 2006."

The 'Whoosh' Meldrum mentions, and the one that hunters and football fans have apparently been seeing about two hours west of St. Louis, exploded in the cryptozoology world in the waning days of the summer of 2006.  There were multiple 'Whoosh' sightings in Missouri before the rumors began concentrating in northern Indiana, near the campus of the University of Notre Dame.   

"The 'Whoosh?'  I never believed it at first," reminisced Jericho Williams from his front porch in Gloster, Louisiana.  Williams has been around the world, attempting to hunt down creatures most people would consider cooked up by crackpots with too much time on their hands.  His left cheek is divided by a long scar, which he claimed came from a run-in with a chupacabra near the Texas-Mexico border.   He leaned back in his rocking chair and added to the spittoon of tobacco juice next to him.  "There were dozens of us in the Mishawaka area over that summer – a damned hot one, too – and we never saw nothin' until, eh, middle of August."

His eyes got bigger and he stared off into the darkness, something in the distance – or perhaps the past – seemingly haunting him. 

"That's when we saw it the first time, speeding across a field in…South Bend?  It was South Bend, I think.  Nobody believed us, but they started to listen after a while."  He shook his head.  "It was so damned fast."

The first buzz about 'Whoosh,' also known by its scientific name of 'Munir Prince', began near the same time as the Fighting Irish's fall football camp.  The stories came from the darkest, least visited parts of the internet, where crazed fans breathlessly recounted stories about the mysterious creature: 

However, it looks as if things are about to change. The whoosh factor appears to have at long last returned to the Irish.

And it comes in the form of a 5-10, 175-pound blur who answers to the name of Munir Prince. Fitting name. For the freshman back from Florissant, Missouri looks to be a prince of a player.  

And given time and the right set of circumstances, Munir has the potential to eventually be a king-sized talent. Someday he might rule the gridiron.

It's also apropos that Munir should hail from the Show-Me state. Because ever since preseason practice began some two weeks ago, Prince has been showing a hell of a lot.  

His performance to date, along with his breathtaking swiftness, has caused both coaches and teammates alike to experience many anatomical reactions. Among these are eyes popping, jaws dropping and mouths salivating.

Even the hard to please Charlie Weis hasn't been able to contain his excitement over his incoming recruit. Weis speaks about Prince's speed as if it's a treasure that just fell into his lap.  

Weis must be intoxicated just thinking about the damage Prince can do whenever he gets a sliver of daylight or just a crease of an opening.

If you combine Weis' knack for scheming with Prince's ability to motor, the results could be spectacular. If Weis can just figure out ways to get his baby back in open space, plenty of thunder will be shaken down from the sky.  

Prince's impact has been so dramatic that he never had the luxury of flying under the radar. He literally thrust himself into the limelight from the get-go. As a result, he's not going to sneak up on anyone. His reputation has already proceeded him.

Before he's even taken his first snap in college, the expectations are that he's destined to be a major contributor to the Irish not only in the years to come but right off the bat.

As September approached, slightly more legitimate sources reported that Coach Weis had actually caught the 'Whoosh' and was apparently using it as a new toy.  There were rumors that the beast showed an uncommon ability to get off the line quickly, verifying Weis' claims of his magnificent speed.  Even some of the most trusted sources in the South Bend area were beholden to the whispers and hints of a previously unknown creature:

One freshman would did stand out in practice was Munir Prince. The 5-10, 175-pound speedster from Florissant, MO is in a battle to handle the backup carries at running back behind starter Darius Walker. If the first session is a good indicator of what's to come, Weis will have a smile on his face many times after Prince touches the ball.  

"I'm not used to seeing that type of speed," Weis said of his freshman back. "The last running back I spent time with (who had that type of speed) was Napoleon Kaufman out of Washington before he went to the Raiders. We all know Reggie (Bush) had giddy up but there aren't that many guys at that position who run that fast. He (Prince) runs really fast.

"I'm not used to seeing that type of speed at running back. When I'm talking speed, I'm talking about 'Whoosh.' I can't describe that sound but you know what I'm talking about." 

Weis was indeed talking about 'Whoosh,' but as summer bled into a cold autumn, the interest in the Munir Prince mystery waned.  There were occasional whispers (to the tune of 15 carries for 21 yards), but there would never be as many 'Whoosh' sightings as there were in that magical August of 2006.  Some hunters thought they had discovered an entirely new creature in the spring of 2007, but it turned out to be an evolved 'Whoosh,' but he wasn't nearly as interesting to cryptozoologists across the country, as they focused on newer, more exciting prospects.

"Do you see how the specimen moves in this footage?" asked Meldrum, showing what a local claimed to be a clip of the ‘Whoosh’ in its natural habitat.  "The locomotion here, taken last week Missouri, matches up exactly with some of the first video supposedly filmed two summers ago in South Bend." 

A family in Southern California visiting for the weekend claimed to have had a gift left outside their hotel room by the 'Whoosh,' but after that, all sightings of the cryptid ended in Northern Indiana, almost as if it had left the area entirely.  There were rumors earlier in the year that hunters in Georgia had recovered the body of a deceased 'Whoosh' and put it in their freezer, but it appears it to have revealed itself against in its native homeland of the Show Me State.

"The 'Whoosh' ain’t there, I tell yeah!" affirmed Williams, shaking his head angrily.  "Ain't nobody seen one in months.  Those people up in Missoura wouldn't know a Sasquatch from a Yeti, and you're telling me the 'Whoosh' is back?  I’ll believe it when I see it, and I tell ya, I’ve seen a lot."  

With Notre Dame’s first game less than 3 weeks away, we figure it’s time to tell you what we’ve heard out of Fall practice thus far.  Here it goes, position by position:

Quarterback:  Starting QB Jimmy Clausen has continued his progress from last spring and is putting together a nice preseason.  Spectators say that Clausen is lightyears away from where he was at this time last year and his arm is fully healed and has the zip to it that we saw in high school.  Highly-touted freshman Dayne Crist has been adjusting to the college game and Charlie Weis has had to sit him down and explain that he is only a freshman and will continue to learn the system.  The good news is that he is by far the biggest quarterback on the squad and it’s safe to say that he’ll be redshirting this season.

Running Back:  The highly competitive battle for the starting RB position has been a three-way contest for most of the spring and summer but it looks to be a Armando Allen-Robert Hughes battle for now.  Reports say that Allen has seen most of the snaps with the #1 unit, followed by Hughes and junior James Aldridge.  Allen has been impressive in the first few weeks and looks to have a big season this year.  Freshman Jonas Gray might be the most physically impressive of all the freshmen but figures to only see time on special teams.

Wide Receiver:  Projected starter Duval Kamara came into practice a little heavy and was given the #60 jersey until he dropped the weight.  Just a week later, he was sporting his #18 jersey.  Both Kamara and fellow projected starter David Grimes have looked impressive and it seems like the coaches are prepping Kamara for a big season.  Golden Tate has been working into the rotation early and often but still needs to practice his route running.  Freshmen Michael Floyd and Deion Walker have both had their moments and should play early by the looks of things.  Robbie Parris has been sidelined for the better part of a week and fellow junior Richard Jackson has left the program.

Tight End:  If the starting tight end position has been set, not too many people know about it.  Sophomore Mike Ragone and juniors Will Yeatman and Luke Schmidt continue to battle it out and all have looked good.  Yeatman was out for a few practices with a concussion, which freed up some reps for Schmidt and Kyle Rudolph, who has been one of the more impressive newcomers and looks like a special player in the waiting.

Offensive Line:  It looks pretty evident that the Irish have four starting lineman so far in Sam Young (RT), Chris Stewart (RG), Dan Wenger (C), and Eric Olsen (LG).  The left tackle position looks to be a contest between seniors Paul Duncan and Mike Turkovich with Turkovich currently leading that battle.  Freshman Trevor Robinson could be the first guard off the bench and sophomores Taylor Dever and Matt Romine figure to shore up the tackle position.  The reports from the preseason have been positive for the group, but let’s remember they were singing the same praises early last year as well.

Defensive Line:  DL coach Jappy Oliver welcomed back senior Pat Kuntz, who missed spring ball due to academic issues.  He is working himself back into the rotation and most project him as a starter by September 6^th.  Morrice Richardson, John Ryan, Justin Brown and Kerry Neal have been battling it out at the defensive end positions with the early nods going to Richardson and Neal depending on the defensive look.  Junior defensive tackle Paddy Mullen has finally turned some heads and will provide decent back-up to Ian Williams and Kuntz.  Freshmen Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore, who has looked much bigger than previously thought, both figure to see some playing time this fall.

Linebacker:  Linebacker is not set in stone due to the fact that the Irish have been rotating between the 3-4 defense and 4-3 defense, causing many personnel looks.  Three linebackers that look to be the starters against SDSU are senior Maurice Crum and sophomores Brian Smith and Harrison Smith.  Brian Smith has probably looked best among the linebackers and maybe even the entire defense.  He should be fun to watch in the middle of the defense.  Freshmen Steve Filer and Darius Fleming look to be early contributors, with Fleming sometimes playing as a DE.  He will be used as a pass-rusher in all likelihood.

Secondary:  Senior captain David Bruton has looked outstanding this preseason and should have a big year for the Irish.  Terrail Lambert, Raeshon McNeil and Kyle McCarthy have all looked good and have probably locked-down their starting roles.  Freshman RJ Blanton (left) has turned many heads this fall and should play early.  He looks like a gamer.  Look out for junior Sergio Brown to play some as a back-up in 2008 and maybe even occasionally fill in for Harrison Smith at linebacker.

Special Teams:  Not a whole lot to report here, but it seems that junior kicker Ryan Burkhart has finally thrown his name into the ring for starting kicker.  It is a good bet to see him on kickoffs at the very least.  Weis seems confident with his kick and punt returners, but admits that return blocking will need to be improved in 2009.

As a particularly robust August (Olympics!  Presidential races!  The Dark Knight rolling towards box office immortality!) reaches its midpoint, I imagine we in the Irish blogging business should begin looking ahead to this season's opponents.  When you go 3-9, you're not allowed to overlook anyone, so Michigan will be placed on the backburner – occasionally stirred, but not the focus of our attention - until the evening of September 6^th, when the first contest against San Diego State has been decided.

Coach Chuck Long, former Heisman Trophy runner-up, is in his third season, and despite a pledge to "Win now" way back in December 2005, his team has struggled mightily to do so since he took over.  The story linked above makes it seem as if there is limited pressure on Long, who is making slight progress in local recruiting and in the middle of a five-year, $700,000 per year (plus incentives) contract after time spent working under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  Unless that article is drastically underestimating the need for Long to start winning now in year three, there will be considerably more pressure on the sidelines in South Bend than in San Diego during the season, although there are dissenting opinions.

On paper, it doesn't appear as if Long has a whole lot to work with in 2008.  On offense, he lost his quarterback and top two receivers in the NFL draft, but the Aztecs were a below average offensive team last season with a future third round pick running things.  It's hard to say what will happen without some pro talent there to support things, but it appears as if freshman Ryan Tindley will be in charge of running Long's offense.  Things did not go particularly well for Tindley – or any of the quarterbacks, for that matter – in the spring game, where he went 2 for 7 with a pick.  Things certainly turned around in Saturday's spring game, where he was a crisply efficient 11 for 13 for 125 yards and three scores.  It's looking like it will be a committee at running back, with former quarterback Darren Mougey and sophomore Vincent Brown on the outside.  Bottom line for the San Diego State offense is that they're replacing the quarterback and wide receivers in an offense that wasn't good at running the ball last year, meaning there could be some big problems in producing points.

The defense has a slew of starters remaining, but it's debatable whether that is a good thing considering the Swiss cheese-like performance they turned in last season.  If trends continue from last season, it'll be a blessing for the much beleaguered Irish offensive line, since the Aztecs ranked 107^th in the country last year in sacks, registering only 1.25 per game.  The Robert Hughes (or James Aldridge) Show should also continue rolling on, as the fine gentlemen up front for SDSU gave up 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns – on a 6.5 per carry average – in the final four games alone.  Before he broke all of our hearts at SBN and departed for Yahoo, Sunday Morning QB Matt Hinton put together this handy chart of just how bad the Aztec defense was:

The one guy you really feel for in this whole mess is linebacker Russell Allen, the only guy on the team to have a hint of All-Mountain West honors last season and a pick in the preseason's All-MWC team.  The team is 12-24 in his time there, despite some amazing efforts from Allen, who averaged over ten tackles a game last season, highlighted by a 22 takedown effort against a very good Utah team.  This story makes him seem like the perfect player, teammate and representative for a university, and it seems safe to say that if one Aztec is making a consistent impact when the Irish are on offense, it'll be Allen.

Injuries have maimed the front line of San Diego State defense, and they're turning to a massive man with a sledgehammer, which I happen to think is a fantastic solution to any problem.  It's possible Darias Jones will be putting a little pressure on the Irish defense come September 6^th, but I doubt he'll be in too great of playing shape that early in the season.  Jones is probably more of a beacon of hope for a downtrodden unit than anything else, which makes him a perfectly good story but not a particularly important factor come the season opener.   

When things have been as dour as they were the past few years for the Aztecs (as dour as things can get in southern California), you need to get creative in both motivational tactics and training.  Coach Long chose to embrace the strong ties between the Navy and San Diego, taking his team to Marine boot camp at the start of the season and unearthing a 28-year old linebacker who is a Navy veteran.  Apparently the Chargers did this in 1963 and won the AFL Title, so it seems like a fool proof plan for dominance in 2008.  At the very least, since the Marines are under the Department of the Navy, they’ll learn how to leap over running backs trying to block you.  To the video:

BEIJING -- In a surprise decision just before the start of the 2008 Notre Dame football season, NBC Sports announced that they will be making additions to their broadcasts of Fighting Irish home games.  Due to the overwhelming ratings success the Summer Olympics have been for the network this month, they will be incorporating some of the breakout stars from the games to football Saturdays in South Bend.

Former American women's gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi will be joining Tom Hammond and Pat Haden in the booth, providing the unrelenting enthusiasm and unfiltered partisanship that Notre Dame fans appreciate, all bundled in a loveable old man with a great mustache and accent.

"Working with Bela has just been great," said Olympic host Bob Costas, leaning back in his chair at the Beijing studio and placing both shackled ankles onto his desk.  "I'm chained to the set until the Closing Ceremonies, so my time spent watching gymnastics with Bela has been one of the few bright spots in a rather smog-covered week-plus here."

Karolyi, famous for training Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strugg, defected from Romania to the United States in 1981.  He is perhaps best known for the conclusion of the 1996 women's gymnastics team competition, when one of his students, Strugg, executed a gold-winning vault on a bad ankle and had to be carried to the podium by Karolyi.

Karolyi has had a renaissance in popularity during these games, as his reaction to American victories and his crusade against underage Chinese gymnasts have made him a popular face on the primetime broadcasts.  Karolyi, who is not known to have any knowledge of American football, is also expected to provide additional commentary on the cheerleading routines of both Notre Dame and any visiting squads.

Also joining Karolyi during the broadcasts will be fourteen-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who has helped NBC reach record ratings since he began his epic quest.  In an attempt to ride the Phelps mania that has swept the nation, the network will be attempting to incorporate him across their entire fall schedule.  The most accomplished medalist in history he will be hosting Saturday Night Live, attempting to get his name into Emmy consideration with a guest spot on 30 Rock, becoming Christian Slater's third personality in the freshman drama My Own Worst Enemy and starring as an "Aquaman"-type character and Hayden Panettiere's new love interest in Heroes.

NBC representatives said they were not sure what role Phelps would be playing during the Notre Dame broadcasts, but stated they were sure America would never, ever tire of Phelps no matter how often they put him onto the airwaves.

Position: Tight End

Projected Starter: Mike Ragone (sophomore) or Will Yeatman (junior)

Backup(s): Luke Schmidt (junior), Kyle Rudolph (freshman), Joseph Fauria (freshman)

2008 Outlook:  While it looks to be a battle for the starting position at tight end between sophomore Mike Ragone and junior Will Yeatman (right), both will see significant playing time in 2008.  Ragone played as a true freshman and forced himself into the #3 role in 2007 while Yeatman was the second option behind John Carlson.  So naturally it would look like Yeatman would be the starter with Ragone backing him up but with the suspension of Yeatman in spring practice due to a DUI in January, Ragone has just as good of a shot to be the starter on September 6^th.  Ragone is not nearly as big as Yeatman but figures to be a much better target in the passing game.  Yeatman’s strength is his size and power and figures to become the top blocking tight end for the Irish.  Both players have a lot of talent and should give new Irish playcaller Mike Haywood some nice options for starting quarterback Jimmy Clausen.  Luke Schmidt looks to make the full-time switch from fullback to tight end this season and figures to push both Ragone and Yeatman for playing time.  The junior has battled some injuries in his first two years and is finally playing healthy at a position he can succeed in.  He gives the Irish a little bit of both receiving ability and blocking ability and could be a Chris Cooley-type player.

Notre Dame was also fortunate enough to pull in another top notch TE recruiting class in 5-star Kyle Rudolph and Joseph Fauria.  Rudolph is probably the best bet to see the field out of the freshman, as he is one of the more physically ready players in the entire freshmen class.  The 6-5, 255 lb. high school All-American is probably the same size as John Carlson was last year and is only 18 years old.  He was the top rated TE in the nation last year and figures to play early, although with the depth at the position, he probably will only see time in multiple sets and on special teams.  He is a big target and will be a force in time.  Speaking of big targets, Fauria might be the tallest guy on the team.  The nephew of former pro Christian Fauria, Joseph is just one big dude at 6-8, 250 lbs.  He’ll likely need some time growing into his frame and might be a better candidate for a redshirt but he has looked good in practice and his size will help him get on the field.

Tight End coach Bernie Parmalee instructs Yeatman, Fauria and Ragone

Grade: B.  While not the most experienced group of players on the team, this position has both talent and depth.  Weis figures to use 2 or 3 TE sets a lot this season with the guys he has and Jimmy Clausen will likely look to the TE’s a lot during the season.  Ragone and Yeatman figure to share most of the snaps, but don’t count out Schmidt or Rudolph.  Ragone has the speed and attitude to have a big year and Yeatman’s size should prove to be a terrific asset in the running game.  This unit will be a force in the years to come and should be a fun group to watch.

I'm not sure if Notre Dame fans are properly prepared for the rude awakening they'll receive on November 1^st when Pittsburgh rolls into South Bend.  Under Diamond Dave Wannstedt, the Panthers have been consistently underachieving in everything but recruiting rankings, failing to make a bowl in any of his three seasons, even with quality signal-caller Tyler Palko under center for two of them.  Perhaps the turnaround those in the Three Rivers area have been waiting for began on that chilly December evening last winter, when Wannstedt's crew pulled off the most improbable of upsets in Morgantown.  In denying West Virginia its championship bid, the Panthers began the catastrophic chain reaction that led to Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor, Oklahoma getting embarrassed in the Fiesta Bowl, the Connecticut freaking Huskies being co-Big East champions, LSU winning the least recognized championship since the '99 NBA Finals and Bill Stewart somehow getting hired as a Division I head coach.

The main catalyst in that turnaround?  LeSean McCoy, freshman phenom who would most likely be playing at a program with brighter lights than Heinz Field if not for a gruesome ankle injury suffered during his senior year of high school.  With a true freshman starting at quarterback and stud wide receiver Derek Kinder missing the entire season with a torn ACL, McCoy was more or less responsible for the majority of Pitt's five wins, eclipsing a hundred yards in all of them save the season opener against Eastern Michigan, the sole game he didn't start.  The coming out party was against Michigan State, where he rolled for 172 yards and would have earned the upset in East Lansing if not for some truly atrocious QBing.  The Panthers actually started going into the Wildcat formation popularized by Darren McFadden, realizing that if everyone knew they were going to run McCoy, they might as well drop any pretense of throwing the ball.

After a season's worth of tough losses (Pitt had a bunch of close ones last season, which probably had something to do with Diamond Dave, although I imagine the true freshman QB also played a role), no one gave Pitt a chance going into what was to be a coronation for the Mountaineers.  Instead, it was Pat White getting hurt, Steve Slaton not producing in a big game (again) and McCoy carrying the load to keep the WVU offense off the field, toting the rock a season-high 38 times, scratching out 3.9 yards per carry and doing whatever it took to get his team the victory.

His reward?  A ton of preseason hype, and a potential prime position in next spring's draft, as the year he spent rehabbing his injury and getting his grades in check will qualify him as three years beyond high school when this season concludes.  McCoy recalls being offered by "USC, Miami, Tennessee. … Florida and Penn State" before the compound fracture of his right ankle that ended his senior season only four games in.  After spending a season at Milford Academy in New York, McCoy was visiting Oakland and attending a Panther basketball game against Georgetown.  His method of signing will probably remain in Pitt lore for sometime:  

 "A Pitt fan at the game had a sign listing names of Panthers football recruits, with a check beside each who had committed. McCoy's name was on the sign. 'I checked it, and everybody went crazy,' says McCoy, who signed for real shortly after."

 As far as I can tell from reading about McCoy and watching his highlights, he's almost the perfect back.  He's powerful and able to shed tacklers, but also capable of just avoiding them, with speed to turn on upon finding the open field (we’re talking 4.25 here, people).  Look at his run against Michigan State below, where the offensive line does a good job of getting him a hole and it is good night, Sparty.  He doesn't catch a lot of passes (only 33 last season), but he's capable, grabbing 6 for 83 yards in a loss to South Florida.  He managed to put up the monster numbers he did (1328 yards, 14 TD's) and break separate freshman records held by both Tony Dorsett and the entire Big East conference with little or no help from other skill players on the Panthers, causing the 1976 Heisman Trophy winner to state "This is the first player who has come along who truly reminds me of me."  McCoy was first team All-Big East, the Big East Rookie of the Year (edging out Backyard Brawl counterpart Noel Devine) and a unanimous selection to the Freshman All-American team.

Perhaps the most important asset in McCoy's repertoire is the fact he now realizes he is the feature back in a Dave Wannstedt offense and will have to score if he wants to get off the field.  You might remember Wannstedt as the guy who caused Ricky Williams to retire in his prime, as he called the dreadlocked demon's number 383 times in 2002 and an astounding 392 times in 2003, running behind an offensive line that on its best days could be described as "decent."  (To put that sort of mileage into perspective, only one player – Larry Johnson, who had 416 attempts in 2006 – has had more carries in a season since 2002.)  Perhaps Wanny held off a bit on a freshman running back who was still working out the kinks a couple years after that ankle injury, but no such reservations will be made this season.  McCoy knows that after he did everything in that West Virginia game, his coach will be putting the ball in his hands most of the time, even with some weapons on the outside and some experience at quarterback.  His survival and livelihood (fewer carries equal a lesser chance of injury and more money in the pros) depend on him getting off the field, which depends on him getting the ball into the endzone.   He's literally running for his life every time he gets a carry, and with the talent he has, the skill level plus level of desire sum does not bode well for opponents.

"Shady" was contained a few times last season, unable to get over a hundred in losses to Connecticut, Virginia, Rutgers and South Florida, but there was some serious talent up front on some of those teams (Chris Long, George Selvie) and a 27-7 halftime deficit to UConn that rendered running the ball somewhat useless.  From all reports, McCoy didn't just hang out this offseason, catching up on Gossip Girl and counting his the accolades strewn upon him, so I imagine those sub-100 yard games will be happening infrequently.  Throw in the fact putting eight in the box (or ten, as was the case sometimes last year) will result in Kinder or Oderick Turner hauling in an easy touchdown grab and you have all the makings of a fantastic season, a run at the Doak Walker award and a high draft position.  One potential problem to note for Pitt will be the departure of first round pick Jeff Otah at left tackle and third rounder Mike McGlynn at right, meaning there will need to be some replacements made in the group of gentlemen creating holes for McCoy.

How can the Irish stop McCoy?  No idea, unless the front seven on defense is better than anyone imagines it will be.  Perhaps the best course of action will be to just score enough points that Pitt has to throw, which the Irish will hopefully be doing by the time November rolls around.  While there are a lot of talented players lining up against Notre Dame in 2008 – and with no offense meant to any other fanbases – methinks that McCoy just might be the best of the bunch, meaning that there might not be a gameplan in existence for stopping him.

Yes, real Irish football has started, but for those still interested here's how the Irish did in NFL camps this week.

Sidenote: each image you see today will be the first one that pops up when I Google Image search the particular player's name without quotation marks or SafeSearch on.

• In Cleveland, Brady Quinn led the Browns on four drives which ended in an interception, touchdown, 3-and-out and a field goal against "Brett Favre Presents: The New York Jets."  He ended the game 13 of 17 for 133 yards, one pick and no touchdowns.  He also scrambled for an 11 yard gain in the second quarter, his only rush attempt.

Google knows what it likes

• Travis Thomas got his first taste of NFL action gaining 12 yards on 7 carries with a long of 6 yards.  He had some issues blocking and missed a big hole on one attempt, but he's about as raw as they come and still a good bet for the practice squad.
• Speaking of alumni running backs:  Darius Walker continues his battle for a spot in the increasingly crowded Texans backfield.  Since the last update, Houston acquired RB Mike Bell after the Broncos cut him.  For those keeping track at home the backfield in camp now holds: Ahman Green, Chris Brown, Chris Taylor, Steve Slaton, Darius and Mike Bell.  Bell and Brown have been sidelined with injuries/conditioning issues, which have provided Slaton and Darius chances to impress the coaching staff.  Taylor has been taking reps at fullback as well.  The word is that the Texans might look to sign Darius to the practice squad, but are concerned that another team will snatch him quickly if he is cut.  On Saturday against the Broncos, Darius rushed for 29 yards on 8 carries in the 3rd quarter and the first drive of the 4th.  Green tweaked his groin on the first play of the game and is day-to-day which only help Darius's cause.
  
• Nothing but good things out of Minnesota.  John Sullivan appears to be right on track to back up veteran Matt Birk.  Also, during practice he "accidentally" tripped Gus Frerotte, who remained down for a few moments apparently injured.  That shows that Sullivan really cares about his team, at least enough to try to ensure that Frerotte isn't on it.  Vikings took on the Seahawks on Friday, but I can't find any mention of how Sullivan played, but as a backup center no news is probably good news.
  

Major General John Sullivan backed up Brigadier General Matt Turk in the war of 1812.

• Mr. Holmgren's Opus:  Drafted to give the Seahalks a legitimate threat at TE, John Carlson has been solid so far.  Also, he liked Legos as a child.  Me too.  Against Sullivan and the Vikings, Carlson had 2 catches for 21 yards, couple good blocks, couple missed blocks.  Considering the investment made in Carlson and the lack of anything outstanding from the other TE contenders, things are looking good for him to start the season.
  
• Good News/Sad News out of Philadelphia.  First, Trevor Laws has been solid and is listed on the second team on the depth chart.  He had 4 tackles and took down Dennis Dixon for the Eagles on sack against the Steelers on friday night.  Sad news: Victor Abiamiri is out at least for a little while after having wrist surgery to repair ligament damage.
• Finally, MoSto update because I loved him at ND:  He's still fighting with Old Man Ike Hilliard, Michael "Do I Look Like I'm Negotiating!" Clayton, Antonio Bryant and rookie Dexter "Big House" Jackson from App State.  Against Miami on Saturday night, he was thrown to 4 times and caught 2 balls for 22 yards (the exact same stat line as Clayton).  Regardless of his WR status, he'll still be blowing people up on special teams this year.

I miss you.

That wraps up this week, enjoy your practice reports and presser transcripts until your next Irish camp update.

*UPDATE* -  RB Mike Bell has already been cut from the Houston Texans.  According to both Denver coach Mike Shanahan and Texans coach Gary Kubiak:  Mike Bell = fat.

Leading an American sweep of the podium, Mariel Zagunis, who helped Notre Dame to a fencing national championship in 2005, won the gold in individual saber over teammate and countrywoman Sada Jacobson.  You might remember Mariel from 2004, when she also won the gold medal, becoming the first individual to win gold medals in back-to-back Olympics since some French guys in the 80's (that's a rough citation of what the color commentator said after her victory). 

USA!  USA!  USA!  USA!

Position: Wide receiver

Projected Starter: David Grimes (senior), Duval Kamara (sophomore)

Backup(s): George West (junior), Robby Parris (junior), Golden Tate (sophomore), Richard Jackson (junior), Michael Floyd (freshman), Deion Walker (freshman), John Goodman (freshman)

2008 Outlook:  There is probably no other position with so much concern and hope at the same time as the wide receiver position for the Irish in 2008.  Veteran receiver David Grimes figures to be the early starter at one of the receiver slots come September against San Diego State.  A smaller receiver, Grimes is one of those classic possession receivers.  He won't beat you with his speed or his physicality, but he continually makes plays and is a dependable target.  One thing he needs to work on a lot is his blocking.  The loss of Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija were not only a big loss to our passing game, but to our running game because they were such good blockers down the field.  Grimes needs to continue to work on that to see the potential we all think the offense has.  Also penciled into a starting role is sophomore Duval Kamara.  Kamara is the polar opposite of Grimes in that he is a big (6-5) receiver who is able to matchup against a corner and make plays above them.  He had a solid freshman season but needs to focus on having a big year as one of the features of this offense.  I don't think a 700 yard, 8+ TD season is out of the question for the big receiver.  A season like that could help the Irish win some big games this year and surprise some people.

Sophomore Duval Kamara hopes to build on an impressive freshman campaign

Returning to the Irish as backups to Grimes and Kamara are three juniors and one sophomore.  George West figures to build on a decent sophomore season and fight for the 3^rd receiver position with a number of others.  A smaller WR like Grimes, West is one of the more experienced receivers and while not a star in the making, is a very good backup player.  Joining him in the fight for the 3^rd position is junior Robby Parris.  Parris had some glimpses of great play in 2008, but he also struggled in a few games with his hands.  A good athlete at 6-4, 210 lbs, Robby hopes to become a favorite target for Jimmy Clausen in 2008.  The dark horse of the group is sophomore Golden Tate.  Tate had a good freshman campaign and at times looked downright scary on the football field.  The knock on him last year was his problems with route-running that led him to be somewhat of a one-trick pony – just running down the field hoping to blow by his defender.  With a position on the baseball team, Tate didn’t see too much time in the spring but figures to earn a lot of reps in summer and fall practice.  He is a player to look out for, as he could easily put up some of the best numbers on the team.  Lastly is Richard Jackson, who three years into the program has failed to make much of an impact as of yet.  He’s been battling injuries and some catching issues, but when he has been healthy he has shown some talent.  He’ll have to make his case for playing time early, as there are a number of guys fighting him for it.

While the starting positions for Grimes and Kamara may not be in jeopardy yet, it figures to change when the freshmen wide receivers first practice with the team in a few days.  Arguably the best wide receiver class in the country and one of the best WR hauls in recent history for Notre Dame, each of the three receivers has the ability to play early for the Irish.  The most probable player for Notre Dame to see early time is high school All-American Michael Floyd (left)  Floyd was one of the best receivers in the nation last year and has already been turning heads in summer practices.  At 6-3, 210 lbs., Floyd is the perfect size for a go-to receiver.  He is in the same build as an Anquan Bolden or Terrell Owens and has surprisingly terrific speed.  He was a tremendous athlete in high school and figures to compete for a lot of playing time this season.  If you don't know much about him, be prepared to be well-acquainted because this is one player you should be excited about.  After Floyd, the next freshman wide receiver that could see some time is Deion Walker, a 6-4 receiver from Virginia.  One of the surprise commits of last season, Deion was a top 10 receiver in high school and was recruited by most of the big boys.  He has a great frame and has play-making abilities, but he might need to physically mature to adjust to the size and speed of the college game.  In one or two years, he figures to be a Javon Walker-type player.  Rounding out the freshmen trio is John Goodman, a local product out of Fort Wayne.  Goodman was also a high school All-American and played quarterback for his high school last season.  At 6-4, 190, he also figures to need some time to season and get adjusted to the physical nature of college football.  He figures to be a very good college football player, one of those players that comes out of nowhere to make an impact, but most are assuming he would be a prime candidate to redshirt and save a year of eligibility.

Grade:  C-.  I’m probably being a little tough on this position, but that is because they haven’t exactly been the most impressive bunch in their short time here.  The good news is that they are one of the deepest potential-wise and that low C mark could turn into an A or B with a successful season.  The unit has some very good talent, mostly in the more recent classes but the upperclassmen have shown some hints of success in the past.  While their grade might be a little low, if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on a B or a B+.  The unit has some stars in the making and a freshman campaign for Floyd that is in any way reminiscent of Arrelious Benn’s debut at Illinois and we could have a very good season on our hands.  For this unit to exceed expectations, at least two of Kamara, Tate, and Floyd need to have big seasons.  I don’t think that is too much to ask out of those three.