Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Story Created:
Oct 7, 2009 at 1:58 PM EST
Story Updated:
Oct 7, 2009 at 1:58 PM EST
SOUTH BEND - Leave it to Jimmy Clausen to find a way to top his penchant for last-minute heroics.
Tuesday evening he did something ever bolder. He vetoed Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis.
Weis wanted to give the turf-toe-challenged junior quarterback the entire week off to rest/heal, with the original plan calling for him to resume practice next Monday in preparation for the Oct. 17 clash with seventh-ranked USC (4-1) at Notre Dame Stadium.
Both the Irish (4-1) and the Trojans have an open date Saturday.
But Tuesday, after Clausen and roughly 10 of his ailing teammates spent practice time undergoing treatment in the training room, the QB campaigned to be a part of Wednesday’s proceedings.
“This is the only week I can really give him as much rest as I can,” Weis said. “He asked to go tomorrow, so he’ll end up going at least the first half.”
Perhaps Clausen, the nation’s leader in passing efficiency, realized he’s up against on Oct. 17. USC is the only team in the nation that has yet to surrender a touchdown pass this season.
Weis is giving the entire team four days off once Thursday morning’s early-morning lifting-and-running session is complete.
Clausen also didn’t pursue the option of taking a cart to class. Instead, he walks in a protective boot.
“It’s like his security blanket,” Weis said. “It takes all the pressure off his toe and gets people’s sympathy.”
Weis has had players take carts to class before, but he was leery of trying that with Clausen and roommate Armando Allen, the latter nursing a sore ankle.
“I think those guys would use those to race,” Weis said.
Jimmy Cleisman?
Notre Dame will take a subtle approach to Clausen’s burgeoning Heisman candidacy, but a conscious approach, nonetheless.
Notre Dame football sports information director Brian Hardin said that the school will soon unveil a Web site promoting honors candidates Clausen, tight end Kyle Rudolph, safety Kyle McCarthy and wide receiver Golden Tate.
“We’ll probably do a little something extra for Jimmy,” he said.
Clausen already is. His exploits this season have landed him in third place in the latest ESPN Heisman poll, second in Sports Illustrated’s and first in CBSSports.com’s.
“If I could make Clausen rhyme with Heisman, I’d do it,” Hardin quipped.
He did dig up this nugget: The Irish has have played 20 quarters of football this year - 10 with Michael Floyd, 10 without the injured standout wide receiver.
While Clausen’s and ND’s overall offensive numbers shriveled last year during a three-game absence by Floyd, that doesn’t appear to be the case this year.
In the 10 quarters with Floyd, Notre Dame had 11 passes of 20 yards or more. In the 10 without, Notre Dame has 11 passes of 20 yards or more.
Personnel matters
Three days after recording 10 tackles in the first extended playing time of his collegiate career, Irish freshman linebacker Manti Te’o had perhaps the best practice since coming to ND.
“I think the arrow is pointing way up on Manti,” Weis said.
Beyond the 10 or 11 players who missed practice completely Tuesday, another handful of starters - among them Rudolph and offensive tackle Sam Young - had limited contact and did not practice in full pads.
Starting fullback James Aldridge had his first full-contact practice Tuesday since suffering a shoulder injury in the season opener with Nevada on Sept. 5 and could return to action Oct. 17 against the Trojans.
“It didn’t look like there were any ill effects,” Weis assessed.
Freshman tight end Tyler Eifert has a back injury that is likely to require surgery in the coming days, Weis said. Eifert would be eligible for a medical redshirt year.
A couple of sophomore backup linebackers who see a lot of action on special teams for the Irish - David Posluszny and Anthony McDonald - will have to pass cognitive tests before returning to full contact next week.
Both suffered blows to the head Saturday against Washington, with McDonald’s serious enough that he actually started running the wrong way after the hit and then started heading to the Huskies’ bench before ND trainers grabbed him.
Former starting kicker Brandon Walker, a junior, continues to be a no-show at practice as he and doctors evaluate a back condition.
On the mend
USC running back Stafon Johnson continues to make remarkable progress after suffering critical injuries to his neck and throat in a weight-lifting accident last week.
Johnson has a Web site through Caring Bridge, where fans can read his journal and leave him messages: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stafonjohnson
He is also on Twitter (@stafon 13) and has more than 10,000 followers.
Close, but no record - yet
Former Notre Dame coach Elmer Layden must have had an iron stomach.
While the current Irish team has strung together three victories all by a touchdown or less, they’re still two games away from jumping into the records books.
The Notre Dame football record for consecutive wins by seven points or fewer is five, the first five games of the 1939 season (Sept. 30-Oct. 28) under Layden.
The current Irish football streak marks just the fifth time Notre Dame has won three straight games by seven points or fewer. The others are the streak in 2002, the last three games of 1941, the first five games of 1939 and the last three games of the 1937 season.
Trojan trivia
Trojan coach Pete Carroll is 92-16 in his nine seasons at USC. Fifteen of the losses were by a touchdown or less. The opposing coach for the 11-point “blowout?”
Former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie.
The 27-16 verdict came during Davie’s final season in 2001 (5-6).
USC tailback Marc Tyler is one of Clausen’s best friends and a former high school teammate at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif.
He, like Clausen, has a toe injury. His, though, will keep him out of the USC-ND clash.
Staff writer Eric Hansen: ehansen@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6470
