NOTRE DAME — Notre Dame finished 2008 with a little bit of momentum. The plan for the spring game was to keep that going in the right direction: for the most part, mission accomplished!

But even Charlie Weis will be the first to admit that the hay's far from being in the barn.

"We've got a lot of room for improvement, a very long way to go," Weis said Saturday after the game.

At the top of the coach's priority list is to control both lines of scrimmage. With a veteran group looking to play like one, holes opened up nicely for Armando Allen (who showed off some wiggle), Robert Hughes, and Jonas Gray.

"This is a major focus for us. We looked at the BCS teams and asked what do they do. Well, they average 4.6 yards a carry, and we average 3.3. If you can run the ball, it just makes everything else all that much easier," Weis added.

Sophomore-to-be Ethan Johnson has taken another step forward on the defensive line, and Robert Blanton continues to make game-changing type plays.

"He just has great ball skills. When he gets his hands on the ball, he can take it to the end zone, he knows what to do with it," said Weis about Blanton.

One of the more encouraging signs came from the left-foot of kicker Brandon Walker, who made a 48-yarder. That, and the fact that the team seems to be maturing together the right way, despite a little game of duck-duck-goose.

"I just hope we have some tape of that so they can see how stupid they looked," joked Weis.

Granted Saturdays in the spring are like playing checkers, and Saturdays in the fall are like playing chess — but the Irish leave the last month thinking a break-out 2009 is in play.

"We kept the momentum going, and we just need to keep working for the fall and Nevada," Armando Allen said.

"It was a good spring, we've got the potential elements in place, but a long way to go," said Weis.