Offensive line displays improvement in spring
Chris Stewart lined up across from fifth-year senior linebacker Maurice Crum Jr. on Saturday. And he plowed over Notre Dame’s defensive leader.
It was only one battle during the drill but it signified more. For a line that allowed 58 sacks last season and had been pointed to as one of the problem areas during Notre Dame’s 3-9 season in 2007, it proved a point.
“They were battered pretty good about their performance, not only by the coaching staff but by everyone,” Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. “Not without merit. There were a lot of things we could have done better, but these guys are a prideful group.
“They are out to right a wrong.”
The wrong was allowing last season’s quarterbacks, Jimmy Clausen, Evan Sharpley and since-departed Demetrius Jones, to be constantly sacked while having one of the nation’s worst rushing offenses, averaging less than 76 yards a game.
But judging from the lone open practice of the spring, the line looks improved. Often during the drill, the offensive lineman either pancake-blocked the defensive player or pushed him off to one side allowing the running back a clear lane.
And in April, that’s considered progress.
Building confidence
One of Weis’ mantras this spring has been to build his team’s confidence. He has encouraged his team to show emotion and celebrate after impressive plays during practice.
He stopped a drill after a big defensive play because the players didn’t celebrate fast enough. This is a contrast to previous years, when the Irish seemed unemotional on the field. And with emotion comes confidence.
“They are starting to get that, too,” Weis said. “It’s a process. It’s not like you say ‘OK, play with emotion, fellas,’ and they flip the switch on. I think that it’s a slow process. But we’re making strides.”
This and that
Notre Dame football sports information director Brian Hardin said kicker Nate Whitaker chose not to walk on this year. Whitaker missed his one field-goal attempt last year but had split kickoff duties with Brandon Walker. … Weis said about 20 players planned on traveling to Cincinnati after practice Saturday for the funeral of Valerie Wade, the mother of outside linebacker Kallen Wade, who died last week from cancer. … Tight end Mike Ragone didn’t practice because of an injured knee, and tight end Luke Schmidt, who hit his head, was kept out of hitting for precautionary reasons. … Offensive lineman Matt Romine missed practice with an undisclosed injury.
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