Going strictly by historical precedent and given the general direction things are headed, maybe the Notre Dame band should shelve the alma mater and the fight song and rehearse “Nearer, My God, To Thee” for a while.
Then again, perhaps an homage to famous shipwrecks can hold. Remaining games against Air Force, Duke and Stanford are collectively a life preserver of sorts for the Irish, chances to provide a punch-drunk fan base even the tiniest molecules of hope.
“You’d like to think the chances of things moving in the right direction in the spring would be greatly aided by a strong rally down the stretch,” Irish coach Charlie Weis said this week.
“That being said, there’s no rule that says that how you play in the last three games is going to have anything to do with [next season’s opener against] San Diego State, but I think the better you play down the stretch, the more information you have going into the spring.”
Those desperate to find reasons to believe the Irish will evade the iceberg in 2008 can start looking to a few critical areas.
*Go long, young man: Inexperienced quarterbacks make eyes roll. It’s expected. But amid the mistakes, there are usually unambiguous, eyebrow-raising flashes of promise.
Has Jimmy Clausen produced many, if any, such moments this season?
The heralded freshman has regained the starting job Saturday for Air Force and likely well beyond. But so far Clausen’s repertoire seems very limited. Injuries have hindered him, though their extent is unclear.
“A lot of zip and a lot of accuracy,” Weis said Thursday when asked what he saw out of the freshman this week. “He’s the healthiest he has been in a month.
“He looked better in just about everything than he looked a few weeks back. He looked very fresh, he looked very sharp, and we’re very encouraged.”
A glint of hope will emerge when that “zip” does likewise, when Clausen stands in the pocket, looks downfield and delivers with authority. Otherwise begin researching the championship potential of the screen pass.
*Protect and survive: Air Force has 21 sacks in 2007. Duke has 19. Stanford has 29, tied for 12th nationally.
Navy entered its game against Notre Dame with five sacks, total. It left with four more, the fault spread between the Irish line, the backs and the quarterback.
So, in seeking hope, keep this number in mind: 10. If the Irish surrender 10 or more sacks in the remaining three games — a number even greater than the opponents’ per-game averages, combined — then remember another number: 0. As in, progress made this year.
*New Laws: Defensive end Trevor Laws leads the Irish with 82 tackles (six for a loss), four quarterback hurries and two blocked kicks. Also, he takes ticket stubs before games and works a pizza concession at halftime.
But seriously, Laws has been one of the most singularly disruptive forces nationally in 2007. And Notre Dame surrenders 31 points and 369 yards a game with him.
He will be gone in 2008. So, too, are two of Notre Dame’s other top five tacklers, Joe Brockington and Tom Zbikowski. But no one has matched Laws’ impact.
Evidence that a returning lineman can create some havoc could give Irish onlookers hope the unit at least will hold at mediocre and not dissolve.
*Sideline evolution: If Weis is becoming more flexible, he must show it. Take the “simple” choice to shun a potential game-winning field goal against Navy with 45 seconds left in regulation, facing a fourth-and-8.
At best, it was over-thinking. At worst, hubris. Yes, Brandon Walker had missed four of his last six tries, including a 40-yarder earlier in the game. But the freshman hit a 48-yarder against UCLA. On a soggy field as a high school junior, he hit a 50-yarder in a playoff game.
Might Walker have missed the 41-yarder against Navy? Absolutely. But this wasn’t a novice leg yanked from the club soccer team. Witness Walker’s 26-yard kick in overtime, in the same direction, that would have been good from a lot longer.
“I’m not going to second-guess any coach,” said Mark Ritzler, Walker’s coach at Findlay (Ohio) High School. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know the conditions. But from that distance, even into the wind, that 41-, 42-yarder is definitely in Brandon’s range.”
There are plenty of coin-flip decisions in which Weis can flex his self-confidence or gambling streak. But Irish watchers should note his self-control, if he now discerns the difference between empirical data and a potentially enchanting moment for a disheartened team.
Who knows if such an observable, in-game scenario will present itself again this season. But, hey, if there are games left, you’re bound to learn something.
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bchamilton@tribune.com
