The Irish rolled to victory for only the 2nd time this season, disposing of Duke by a score of 28 to 7. Yes, this was Duke football, but yes, a win is a win for this season's Irish edition. The Irish played well in all aspects of the game, which represented a baby step at the beginning of a long journey to the top. Hopefully the Irish can finish the season on an uptick with a visit to Stanford this weekend.
The real story of this game were the true freshman that not only played, but shined. Robert Hughes (pictured in middle below) had 110 yards on 17 carries, including 60 yards after the first contact. He had one TD (click for video) and numerous runs that elicited the crowd to cheer "Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuughes!". He reminds some of a Jerome Bettis, with the ability to shake and bake a little in a big mans frame. I love the way this kid plays, and have been saying all season long that I think he is better than James Aldridge, the other big Irish RB that has gotten the most carries this season.
Duval Kamara (on right) had 2 catches for 32 yards, including 1 TD on a "box out" reception over a 5 foot 9 defender. The 6 foot 4 Kamara is a carbon copy of Maurice Stoval, who had a fantastic season in 2005 and is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently. There doesnt need to be a complex play when you have a 7 inch advantage at WR over a CB. Get him in 1 on 1 coverage, and throw lob passes. Thats what Clausen did with Kamara on the second touchdown pass of the game - an easy lob into the endzone, letting Kamara use his size and go get the ball.
Finally, Jimmy Clausen (on left), quarterback. Irish fans have seen his poise all season long, despite our teams record. Very few true freshman look comfortable and in control on the field. Clausen is the exception. While he made mistakes and was never perfect or even great, he just looked like he belonged. Once he was injured in game 5 at Purdue, he needed to have a seat on the bench. Since he has returned healthy from the bench, he has been nothing short of great, throwing 6 TDs and no INTs in two games against Air Force and Duke, amassing about 500 yards. If it weren't for a combined 9 drops the pass two weeks, Jimmy's pass completion % would be near 70%. He has moved better in the pocket, made better passing decisions, all while maintaining the same poise that he showed early in the year. He has even completed passes to 10 different receivers. View his TD passes against Air Force and Duke by clicking here and viewing the list of individual plays.
Its hard not to like this kid. He has a solid arm, even better accuracy, and appears to have the pedigree to be a Notre Dame quarterback. He must get in the weight room, and become the warrior that Brady Quinn became after his first and second years at ND. I think we have found our QB for the next 3 seasons, assuming he works hard in the film and weight rooms.
Armando Allen didnt necessarily have a big game on Saturday, but he has been the most consistent and biggest impact player of all the freshman for the course of the whole season. Kerry Neal, Ian Williams, and Brian Smith on defense have also performed fantastically for true freshman. More on those guys after the season with the Pope's season recap. Lets finish off the season right this Saturday with a win against the Trees.
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