Notre Dame was favored by nineteen points at home on Senior Day against a 2-8 team, but it was not to be for the Irish on this cold afternoon. Though Syracuse Head Coach Greg Robinson had been fired the prior Sunday, he wouldn’t quit on his team and elected to coach out the season, and his players didn’t quit on him, overcoming a 23 – 10 deficit in the second half to pull within six at 23 -17. The game appeared secure for the Irish when they punted the ball back to the Orangemen with 42 seconds to play, but Syracuse marched quickly down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown with two seconds remaining. A sad day for the Irish, but an inspired sendoff for their coach by an Orangemen team which wouldn’t quit.





WR - Mike Williams, , 6' 2.0", 204, 0.00, 2010 – Kicked off the team for cheating on exams, no grade.

OG - Ryan Durand, 75, 6' 5.0", 303, 0.00, 2009 – Big, thick linemen who excels at nothing but generally does a good job in all facets of the game. Gets some push in the run game, mirrors and slides well in pass protection, and shows a nice hand punch. Can absorb a bulrush, but occasionally will miss his assignment on stunts. Looks to have NFL backup potential. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

K - Patrick Shadle, 42, 5' 8.0", 209, 0.00, 2009 – Missed a long field goal (48) but made another (47). Has a live leg and gets his kicks up quickly. Doesn’t kick off, which is viewed as a negative unless the kicker never misses. GRADE: Somewhat Negative

DT - Arthur Jones, 97, 6' 4.0", 305, 0.00, 2010 – Best player on the field for either team had an astounding fourteen tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks – from the nose position. Great athlete with an extremely large lower unit and very long arms, and is still growing into his body. Can be driven some if lined up head to head, but if shaded to a shoulder is virtually unblockable. Very good quickness and leverage and tremendous hand usage allow him to control and shed blocks. Protects his legs well against cuts, and is nearly impossible to knock off his feet. Pursues all over the field, and shows up in every facet of the game. Quick off the ball and generates good push as a pass rusher. Ready for the NFL and may make the jump since his coaching staff will not return next year, but would be a top prospect in 2010 if he returns for his senior season. GRADE: Very Positive

Notre Dame - IA Independents - Columnist: Adam Bendiksen

FB - Asaph Schwapp, 44, 5' 11.5", 261, 4.80, 2009 – Big, thick powerful player who doesn’t catch and almost never touches the ball. Used exclusively as a lead blocker, and should fill that role nicely in the NFL. Has the look of a mean wedge-breaker on special teams. Stock will rise dramatically if he proves in postseason all-star games and the combine that he can catch the football, but will play on Sundays regardless. GRADE: Positive

OT - Sam Young, 74, 6' 7.4", 330, 5.45, 2010 – Tall, long and strong athlete bears a resemblance to Jake Long and has another year in school to prove it. Good feet and balance and drops his hips and bends his knees to get leverage. Can run and shows the ability to recover. Proficient as both a run and pass blocker, and never misses an assignment. Not quick enough for LT but should prove to be an ideal RT at the next level. GRADE: Positive

QB - Jimmy Clausen, 7 , 6’2.0", 212, 4.90, 2011 – Young, raw prospect has all the physical tools but mentally is not there yet. Has a big arm and is a good athlete who scrambles to throw, but is inconsistent in his delivery and doesn’t always display touch. Tends to lock onto receivers and force some throws, and will hold the ball too long. Must stay in school. GRADE: Neutral

HB - James Aldridge, 34, 5' 11.5", 222, 4.60, 2010 – Physical tackle-to-tackle runner had no where to go in this contest as the powerful Syracuse DT pairing blew up the running lanes all game. Doesn’t start but fills the role of chain-mover in addition to returning kicks. Need to see more. GRADE: Incomplete

DE - Justin Brown, 94, 6' 2.0", 271, 4.90, 2009 – Solid athlete and respected veteran, but not a playmaker. Rugged physique and good strength, but not much explosiveness. Can stack at the point versus the run, but struggles to shed. Not much pass rush. Can play DT. GRADE: Somewhat Negative

S - David Bruton, 27, 6' 1.0", 205, 4.50, 2009 – One of a trio of team captains and will be N.D.’s highest drafted player. Pure Free Safety who plays a very deep centerfield and runs the field in halves. Good instincts and tremendous range as a pass defender, but drops easy interceptions. Great speed and is a fantastic gunner on special teams. Very smart, and a solid hitter and tackler. Not asked to play in the box or cover man-to-man, so may be viewed as somewhat one-dimensional. A bit high-cut with long legs. Quality kid who’ll play on Sundays. GRADE: Positive

LB - Maurice Crum Jr., 40, 5' 11.5", 235, 4.70, 2009 – Another captain who may play on Sundays. Undersized and struggles when blockers get to him, but a good hitter and tackler when shielded. Good range and can do a little of everything. Sometimes gets overaggressive and bites on playfakes or overruns plays, but generally is in the right spot. Must play special teams at the next level. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

WR - David Grimes, 11, 5' 9.5", 175, 4.50, 2009 -- Third graduating team captain is a smart player and team leader who might sneak onto an NFL roster. Not big or tremendously fast, he plays with good quickness and fine toughness. Gets off the line pretty will, runs slants and goes over the middle. Good hands and body control. Strong, compact physique. Not many catches, but lacked great quarterbacking. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

CB - Terrail Lambert, 20, 5' 10.5", 195, 4.60, 2009 – Injured, DNP

DE - John Ryan, 90, 6' 4.0", 260, 4.80, 2010 – Injured, DNP

DT - Pat Kuntz, 96, 6’2”, 283 4.90 2009 – Free spirit who plays very hard and competes, but lacks size and bulk and gets bounced around some. Solid athlete but is not overly fast or strong. Solid quickness off ball and into gaps. Aware, pursues plays and can be disruptive. Gets driven off the ball on runs right at him. Bats a lot of passes, the most in the NCAA in 2007. GRADE: Neutral

Other Game Notes: Notre’ Dame’s Golden Tate may be the most talented WR/KR to don the Irish Jersey since Rocket Ismail. Only a sophomore, he has time to develop and is well worth watching. Junior OG Eric Olsen is a fine athlete who needs time in the weightroom and more experience, but has the size and feet to play at the next level. Syracuse, despite their record, has some talent. The running back combo of Curtis Brinkley, an inside grinder, and electrifying freshman Antoine Bailey consistently move the ball. Bailey has it all, including vision, balance, explosion & tackle breaking ability, and is effective in blitz pickup. Big, powerful DT Nick Santiago pairs with Arthur Jones to form one of the best interior duos in the nation, and safety Max Suter, a playmaker who can do it all, is coming off three straight big games.

Excellent review, as always, Adam. Thanks man! Great win for Syracuse. Perhaps there is hope for them after all?

Arthur Jones moved up.

Going to have a look at Durand, Schwapp and Bruton now....