<TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><TABLE borderColor=aqua cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; WIDTH: 466px" vAlign=top>
Irish lift Weis' holiday spirits
<!--END Headline--><!--ArticleByline-->
ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer
<!-- STORY BODY -->
SOUTH BEND -- Christmas came early for Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis this week.
Two injured starters -- fifth-year senior kicker/punter D.J. Fitzpatrick and sophomore defensive end Ronald Talley -- were back in midseason form during the team's seven Fiesta Bowl practices crammed into the past five days.
The players were released at noon Friday to go home for the holidays before reconvening Tuesday in Tempe, Ariz., and resuming preparations for the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 2 against Ohio State.
<!--START Inline Ad--><TABLE style="WIDTH: 321px; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top"><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--OAS_AD('Middle');//--></SCRIPT>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--END Inline Ad-->Both Fitzpatrick and Talley were injured in ND's home finale Nov. 19 against Syracuse. Talley missed the regular-season-ending 38-31 survival at Stanford the following week. Fitzpatrick, a fifth-year senior, probably should have skipped the Stanford game as well, given that he missed two field goals and an extra point while trying to play through the injury.
"D.J. kicked without any side effects of that leg getting banged up," Weis said Friday. "Ronald looked like he was running around full speed. They both looked perfectly normal this week, which lifted my spirits."
Also adding some cheer to Weis' holiday were the Irish players' grade cards. Fifty-six of the 97 players on the roster (including walk-ons) achieved a 3.0 grade-point average or better for the fall semester, and the team's aggregate GPA topped the 3.0 mark.
"I don't know if that's ever been done before, to tell you the truth," Weis said. "It's a huge jump from where they were last semester, and I really don't know how to account for it. I'd like to sit there and take credit and pat myself on the back, but I was here last semester, too."
Even though everyone is academically eligible for the bowl game, Weis said there could be a player or two left behind for not living up to his academic standards.
"No one significant, he said. "My standards are a little higher than the rule. I believe there's a right way and wrong way of doing things. We'll see. There's a little time there left (before the team leaves)."
The road ahead
Weis, who spent the previous 15 seasons coaching in the NFL, will have Christmas Day off for the first time in his married life.
"I'm sure I'll be driving my wife nuts by Sunday night," he said.
Once the team arrives in Tempe and resumes practices, there will be no installation of the game plan going on there. That already took place this past week.
"Now we'll tweak a whole bunch of things (in Arizona) -- either things we like or things we didn't like," Weis said. "We'll add a few plays. We'll eliminate a few plays, but the nuts and bolts of the game plan are already in.
"I think there's too many distractions to be putting everything in the week of the game. It's just like going to the Super Bowl. When you have two weeks, you put everything in the first week."
Touched by tragedy
Weis' heart sank when he heard the news of the death of 18-year-old James Dungy. The son of Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy was found dead in his Florida apartment Thursday, the result of an apparent suicide.
"I went home last night and had a long conversation with (son) Charlie about how a parent's worst nightmare is having to hear news like that about one of their kids," Weis said. "I explained to him what that meant to me. I know Tony's got four other kids he has to worry about, but I'll tell you right now, our hearts and prayers are with him right now. It definitely affects me, because I'm a football coach who's a family guy, and I definitely think Tony epitomizes what that really is."
Recruiting rumblings
Springdale (Ark.) High School quarterback phenom Mitch Mustain continues to throw Notre Dame out as a possible landing place after decommitting to Arkansas earlier this month, but don't expect it to happen as long as ND's two QB commitments -- Zach Frazer and Demetrius Jones -- remain firm.
The 6-foot-3, 198-pound Mustain is rated the nation's top QB prospect by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming and No. 2 high school senior, regardless of position, overall. Frazer (6-4, 220), from Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the nation's No. 12 prospect and Jones, from Chicago, No. 33 on Lemming's top 100.
Weis was asked Friday if he was finished recruiting quarterbacks.
"We're pretty much done, period," he said. "There's not too much -- just a few guys we're involved with." It is believed Notre Dame is still pursuing defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and offensive tackles Sam Young and Matt Carufel.
With regard to recruiting, Weis also added, "First of all, the one thing you have to do is make sure that the guys you think are coming, do come, so you can't take anyone for granted. What I tell these guys in recruiting is these relationships are lifetime ones, not (just) until they say 'yes.' I think that's the responsibility you have, so I make sure I go to every one of their houses."
Additionally, Weis will host some of the nation's top junior prospects Jan. 14.
"I'll take time off after Feb. 1," Weis said. "That's signing day."
<!-- END STORY BODY --><!-- Story Tools: email, print, discuss -->
E-Mail Story |
Print Story
</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=240>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!-- END MAIN SECTION --></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#ffffff> </TD></TR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><!-- FEATURED SITES --><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
