Putting The Axe Down, Continues...

The players and coaches are trying to move on...

Floyd Is Back To Work, And Weis Words...

Video Bonanza: Skunkbear Hunting Season

Post Wolfpack Video Post

Floyd, Allen, And Walls Laying it Down

Walls looking to be the best @ Rivals Video

Floyd raising the bar @ Rivals Video

Allen looking forward not back @ Rivals Video

Wu Am I? Tha Bitter Bandit & Sabre-Toothed Portillo

Welcome to another edition of Wu Am I? for the 2009 season. Once again- I am trying to identify the 36 players of impact for the 2009 squad. So without any further bullshit, I open chambers 19 & 20...

Michael Floyd #3
Wide Reciever
6' 3" 215 lbs.
Sophomore
St. Paul, Minnesota
Wu Name: Tha Bitter Bandit

I remember the recruitment of Mike Floyd well. Just about every program in the country was after Floyd, and there is no question that he was one of the top WR's coming out of high school that year. Every week there would be a different rumor about Floyd- whether it be one that stated he was an Ohio State lean, or that he was a Notre Dame lean. The news kept rolling in- as did the losses for the 2007 Irish team. That's what make Floyd's commitment after the U$C game such a shock to most recruiting insiders. I was there. I witnessed the thrashing of the Irish team by the Dirty Sanchez and his steroid crew. We looked awful... we looked beyond repair. Somehow, Floyd was mature enough to see past the growing pains and decided ND was the place for him. Fast forward to 2008: Micheal Floyd becomes a beast. Consider this, Floyd was out for the last three games of the year Navy (knee injury on first drive), Syracuse, and U$C, and he had minimal playing time against San Diego State. Those were 2 losses and 2 close wins. Without Floyd, even as good as Tate was, the offense looked a lot like the 2007 version. Floyd's name somehow gets lost in the mix with Julio Jones ( AL.) and AJ Green (GA.), but he is as good as both of those players- if not better.

Floyd should be able to increase on his record-breaking freshman year that saw him total 48 receptions for 719 yards and 7 TD's. With Golden Tate lining up on the other side, Notre Dame creates an enormous mismatch for opposing defenders. Floyd has gotten a little bigger than what he was during his freshman year, and with his ability to jump up and grab the ball at the highest point- Floyd should not be denied 13-15 TD's this year. As long as Michael stays healthy this year, I see no real reason that he shouldn't be in the All-American discussion.

Hafis Williams #79
Defensive Tackle
6'2" 306 lbs.
Sophomore
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Wu Name: Sabre-Toothed Portillo

The commitment of Hafis Williams went widely uncelebrated. We had very little video to see of Hafis and he was pretty quiet throughout the entire recruiting process. He had a couple of really good offers in Notre Dame, Penn State, and Maryland. He was a Weis guy. A hard working Jersey kid that Notre Dame craved at a position that was in need of talent and size. Hafis committed to Notre Dame in early May of his junior year. He redshirted his freshman year and became a key figure on the scout team that raised more than enough eyebrows.

Entering his sophomore year, Hafis was slated as a key member of the rotation along the defensive line in the spring, and impressed coaches and media alike with his hard-nosed play. The Fighting Irish need big, able bodies along its defensive front, and Hafis is primed to get the job done. He will still enter the 2009 season as a virtual unknown nationally, but I truly feel that he will make his name early in the season. Notre Dame needs its young defensive lineman to perform this year to help a very talented linebacker corps and an insanely talented secondary.I look for Williams to get the job done and start to really make a name for himself.

The Interviews Keep Coming...

Mike Floyd

Floyd raising the bar @ Rivals Video

James Aldridge

Aldridge on the move @ Rivals Video

Robert Hughes

Hughes back in action @ Rivals Video

Luginbill's Got Our Back?

This was one of those moments where you are watching ESPN, and as Howard and Stewart are listing off their top 50 wide receivers coming back in 2009, you want to throw a brick or at least a Pringle at the TV screen. Then, something happens and you realize yet again that the first letter stands for "entertainment." Luginbill comes to the rescue... Tom Fucking Luginbill.

A Golden Shower

I can't believe porn is now acceptable on basic cable. ESPN must be desperate for ratings.

Link-O-Rama 12/18

It's time to throw your calender out and rearrange the week. It's not Friday- it's Sunday. Blasphemy you say? Hardly. If the Hawai'i Bowl was played on a Saturday- then today would be Sunday. It's Outback Math. Anyways- here's a few links to keep you occupied:

• The Blue-Gray Sky has an Irish Bowl quiz. Take at your own risk.
• Sarah, at Bad Trade, has been counting down the days until the Hawai'i Bowl. The weather report is always key.
• Sprout and Eric give their Bowl Preview. Just in case you missed it, but I'm sure you haven't.
• Michigan Defensive Coordinator, Scott Shafer, is out at Skunkbear U. For a better understanding of this fire, WLA provides a more in depth perspective.
• Another rival defensive coordinator is out- but I have a hard time understanding why he wasn't fired.
• The triple-option is alive and well, and here is your proof.
• Despite reports of the contrary, Joe Pa is not dead. A zombie? yes. But certainly not dead as he will continue to eat BRAINS in Happy Valley for at least 3 more years.
• You only have a limited time to still sign up for the Subway Domer Bowl Pick-Em. The winner takes home a t-shirt of their choice. Do you need anymore motivation?
• The "Team Report" from Rivals.com / Yahoo.
• Kyle Rudolph is cleaning house. Mike Floyd is not forgotten.

Interviews Galore... #3, #7, #12, #23, #58

Mike Floyd returns to action.


Golden Tate is glad Floyd is back.


Jimmy is happy Floyd is back too... duh.


R.J. talks trash?


Brian Smith is tougher than Charlie Weis.

Link-O-Rama 12/13

Since news is kind of scarce and time is a hot commodity during the holiday season, I will give you a small list of Links that you need to check out.

• Charlie Weis is a tough bastard. So tough, that he probably damaged his other knee himself. Now 2 surgeries await Chuck.
• Her Loyal Sons breaks down the youth movement at Notre Dame in 2 parts. Part I Offense. Part Deaux Defense.
• Three freshman and one sophomore were named to CFN's All Freshman Team and All Sophomore Team.
• Looking for some last minute gifts?
• Mike Floyd is back in action. Somebody was missing him.
• We talking about practice? Practice?
• Remember to sign up for the Bowl contest to win a free t-shirt.
• If you are actually going to Hawai'i, please read this summery to help you along the way, or just read it because you want to be there.
• The only weapon that Michigan had, just left.
• Brian Smith is practicing and is ready to go. Dance lessons for the haka will be followed by a kick in the nuts. Thank-you.

Shit. They're out.

Brian Smith and Mike Floyd are gone for the season with knee sprains suffered in the win over Navy.

They should be out 4 weeks with a return likely in the bowl game.

(Per Weis presser).

Wu-Banga Tuesday... There's A Method

Here we are with another Wu-Banga MVP post...

Michael Floyd. Floyd is making a name for himself out on the field very quickly. The true freshman represents the lone score for the Irish against Michigan State. His fumble was heartbreaking to say it mildly, but the way he plays every down is very refreshing. His routes will get better and the plays will get bigger.

Raeshon McNeil. McNeil has been very solid this year. The Irish needed him to step up in place of Darrin Walls, and Raeshon has done just that. He will go against his toughest test so far this season, Saturday versus Purdue. McNeil should make a statement Saturday, because he will have ample chances going against that type of offense. Look for multiple big plays.

P.S.- He Is Going To Fly...

In case you didn't know, the Air Traffic Controller is Mike Floyd. He will catch touchdowns.

Pretty Boy Floyd

Finally. Irish Fans have been waiting on this day since offers went out last year. Notre Dame is still going full speed on the recruiting trail despite its lack of steam on the field. 5 star wide receiver, Michael Floyd, committed to the Irish over the weekend.

The Irish won out over Ohio State, Minnesota, Florida, and of course... Michigan, for the talented wideout from Minnesota.

This gives the Irish their 20th verbal commitment for the incoming 2008 class, and solidifies their number 1 ranking on both Scout.com and Rivals.com recruiting services.

Back in July, I wrote a piece that discussed how important Floyd was to the future of this team as well as 3 others in Newman, Filer, and Flemming. Take the time to read it again... I'll wait.

Along with John Goodman, this is already an excellent haul at WR for the Irish. Floyd has been their number one guy from the start at this position and it could get better with guys such as Walker, Baldwin, Harper, and Robinson in the mix as well. One more of those 3 would give the Irish the players at WR they were looking for from last year when they lost out to Greg Little and "Don't call me Regis" Benn.

Other Recruiting Tidbits...

• 3 other prospects ( Trevor Robinson, Kenneth Page, and Jonas Gray) had a visit with the Irish on Saturday.
• Robinson and Gray are both Nebraska commits that are now wavering after seeing the sinking ship that is Cornhusker football.
• Page has said that his visit was great and ND is rising fast on his list.

Four 2 Score

Before this 2008 recruiting class really took off into the stratosphere for the Irish, a lot of ND fans had 4 guys pegged as MUST gets for this class. Those 4 are; Steve Filer, Brandon Newman, Michael Floyd, and Darius Fleming. It was said back in March, that landing these 4 Blue-Chippers would make the 2008 class a huge success.

Steve Filer has been on the tip of every tongue in NDNation. He was one of the first offers for the '08 class and represented a huge need at linebacker. Just as important, was to begin to really establish that Chicago pipeline to ND. Filer is being courted by a bevy of schools, but none more important than Illinois and Michigan. Most Irish fans expected Steve to commit early as ND appeared to be the leader early on in the process. That may or may not have changed, but Steve is keeping very low key at the moment and is putting his Senior year as a top priority. According to some, he does not talk to the coaches (any school) all that much and will probably make a decision sometime after his H.S. season. The Irish have already took 3 commitments from linebackers for this class with Fleming, McDonald, and Posluszny. They have offers out to a few others as well. Look for the Irish to hold out for Filer, but they may also take another LB to fill much needed depth. I believe Filer should be, and is, a top 2 priority for the Irish. It may be a long wait, and the Skunkbears are breathing down our necks, but I see Filer at ND via Corwin Brown.

Michael Floyd is another prospect that Irish fans have been drooling over for quite some time now. He has been mentioned as a huge Irish lean since last year, along with Filer. Floyd is maybe what may make this class something VERY special. The need at WR is undeniable, and with last years debacle with Benn, and Greg Little, ND can not afford to lose out on a WR of this caliber. ND has some major competition as well with Mike. He has offers from perennial recruiting powers Michigan, Ohio State, and Florida. He also is considered job #1 for Minnesota and their new head coach Tim Brewster (a huge dork). ND has one commitment so far for the 2008 class at WR; John Goodman. John may be good, but Floyd looks as though greatness is upon him. We may not have to wait very long to know the outcome for Floyd, he is nearing a decision and most insiders believe it will be before July is over, and some think the Irish are a lock. With all that said, ND looks to be very much in the mix for another Blue-Chipper at WR in Brice Butler. He will make his decision in August and the Floyd decision could make an impact on Butlers college choice. (I can't say what kind of an impact, but it will none-the-less).

Darius Fleming was a enormous get for ND. He represents a lot of tangibles in ND recruiting that has already been mentioned with Steve Filer. He was considered a MUST get for ND and was courted by Corwin Brown as such. A Chicago guy and a bigtime defensive player at a position of need at LB. Flemming was considered a big ND lean all late winter and he eased the Irish faithful as he pulled the trigger for the Spring Game. Fleming has been a H.S. DE but in Brown's 3-4, he will play the OLB spot as a pass rusher. Darius chose the Irish over a host of schools , but most notably; Michigan, Illinois, and USC. He wants Filer at his side in South Bend, and make it a point to say so publicly whenever asked about the 2008 class. Fleming is solid and we should see no wavering come signing day, or beforehand.

Brandon Newman became the target for ND and its fans throughout the Winter and Spring. ND needed a NG for its new 3-4 scheme and the recent commitments of Hafis Williams and Sean Cwynar did not ease the burden as they are considered DEs in Browns defense. The Newman watch was in full force and everyone had a tidbit to add or a rumor to throw in. He finally did commit to ND (after spending the weekend at Braxton Cave's home) in May and the Irish faithful did jigs of joy. DT has been a huge need for a long time and despite promises of early playing time, big-time recruits have steered away from the Irish for one reason or the other. Brandon chose the Irish over in-state schools Louisville and Kentucky. With the recent addition of Omar Hunter, the depth may finally be coming at this position.

As stated, of the 4 prospects, 2 are already Irish. The other 2 (Floyd and Filer) are still being wooed by the ND staff. The 2008 incoming class may be the best class ND has seen since the days of Holtz. To cement this notion, and to ease ND fans everywhere, ND must receive commitments from both Filer and Floyd. ND may still get Butler and another LB or 2, but none of which will ease the loss of Filer and Floyd. It may be a while before we know the outcome of this saga, but it is something Irish fans should be seeing a lot more of in the future. Weis has already proven his recruiting prowess and will be in a lot more of these battles in the future. If we win these battles, the wars with U$C and the Skunkbears should and will turn in our favor.