Sun Bowl Awards

The 2010 Fighting Irish celebrate after defeating Miami 33-17
 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl (Louis Nix throws down an upside-down "U")

The Fighting Irish finished off 2010 with a 33-17 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Hyundai Sun Bowl, completing a four-game winning streak during which they outscored opponents 108-39.  The offense jumped out to an early lead, and the defense completely shut down Miami's passing game en route to a dominating performance.

Top-Ten most valuable influences on the game:

1.  Brian Kelly –  It was evident from the outset that Kelly had his team motivated, focused, and ready to play despite the many distractions that go along with playing in a bowl game.  He obviously took advantage of the 15 bonus practices between the win over U$C and the Sun Bowl, coming up with a crisp game plan that utilized Notre Dame's strengths and took advantage of Miami's weaknesses perfectly.  It all starts at the top, and due to Kelly's coaching the Fighting Irish were worlds apart from a sloppy and flat Miami team who may have treated their trip to El Paso as nothing more than a vacation.  Unfortunately for them, their holiday was cut short with a rude awakening due to the lethal combination of sub-40 degree weather and an opponent that wanted it much more than they did.

2.  Bob Diaco –  Our defensive coordinator took a tremendous amount of heat after an embarrassing defensive performance against Navy followed by a loss to Tulsa.  Since then, he has engineered a total transformation by forming a defense that has been truly lights-out.  The trend began against the high-powered Utah offense, which could not find the endzone in Notre Dame Stadium, and it continued when U$C could not establish a run game on senior night in the Coliseum.  In the Sun Bowl, Miami's ground attack never had a chance to get going and Diaco's defensive scheme tormented the Hurricane quarterbacks from the outset.  For the first time in a while, defense has become a strength at Notre Dame thanks to Diaco.

3.  Tommy Rees – Kelly's choice for the game ball, the now 4-0 signal caller looked like anything but a true freshman against Miami.  He showed poise in the pocket as he methodically and systematically picked apart a defense that ranked #2 in pass efficiency during the regular season.  Not only did he connect on accurate throws all game long, but he easily recognized and exploited the mismatches that his receivers created.  Most importantly, he played within himself while executing Kelly's game plan brilliantly.

4.  Michael Floyd - Nobody was going to stop Mike from playing like Mike in what may turn out to be his last game for the Fighting Irish.  The superstar receiver broke the all-time record for touchdown receptions in the first quarter, going on to finish the game with 6 catches for 109 yards with 2 scores.  He earned the MVP accolades he was awarded at the end of the game by imposing his will on Miami's secondary, just as he did against U$C and throughout his career at Notre Dame.  He will be sorely missed if he does end up heading to the NFL in 2011, but his leadership and many clutch performances will not be forgotten.

5.  Harrison Smith – Harry became the definition of ball-hawk against Miami, flying all over the field on his way to 7 tackles and 3 interceptions.  Every time Miami looked like they might get a drive started while the game was still within reach, he snatched away all hope by coming up with a big play.  More than once, he came out of absolutely nowhere to jump a route and rip the ball away from a receiver.  Not only did he force Harris our of the game after picking him off for the second time, but he added one against Morris as well.  Needless to say, both quarterbacks are probably still having nightmares about #22.

6.  Theo Riddick – The Chronicles of Riddick continued as Theo returned to his true form by making Riddick-ulous plays in various roles within the Fighting Irish offense.  He helped establish the running game by presenting a dangerous threat every time he lined up in the wild-cat (or Leprechaun, as Kelly calls it) formation, and he showed off his natural ability by gaining positive yardage several times even when plays broke down.  Hopefully his Sun Bowl performance was just a glimpse of future greatness as Kelly continues to come up with creative ways to get him the ball.

7.  Robert Hughes – The only downside to Hughes' recent explosion is that it took this long for him to realize his full potential.  The big bruiser ran with authority in the Sun Bowl, leaving bruised and battered Hurricanes in his path.  His power provided the perfect compliment to Cierre Wood's speed and Theo Riddick's moves, and he even showed off some impressive speed when he caught up to his own fumble along the sideline.

8.  The Irish O-line: Zack Martin, Chris Stewart, Braxston Cave, Trevor Robinson, and Taylor Dever - These beasts gave Rees more than enough time to shred Miami's secondary, and they opened up holes for Hughes, Wood, and Riddick early and often against a defense that was ranked #1 in tackles-for-loss during the regular season.  Most importantly, they set the tone early on by smashing the Hurricane defense in the mouth and letting everyone know that the Fighting Irish came to play.

9.  David Ruffer – Can everyone please beg Brian Kelly to give this kid a scholarship?  (Ask him via twitter!)  Even though he had his first miss of the season, he accounted for 12 points, including an impressive 50 yarder that effectively put the game out of reach before halftime.  Notre Dame hasn't had a consistent kicker in years, and Mr. Dependable continued to prove himself worthy of a scholly with this latest performance.

10.  El Paso, Texas – The hometown crowd sent a volley cheer on high when the Fighting Irish took the field, and they continued to provide Notre Dame with the clear home-field advantage throughout the contest.  The 37 degree temperature coupled with a dusting of snow didn’t hurt either.  Even though the Miami quarterbacks probably won’t blame all those interceptions on their ridiculous neck-warmers (shouldn't the Convicts be well accustomed to wearing ski-masks?!) their discomfort was evident.  While almost all of the men from South Bend went sleeveless, the boys from South Beach looked eager to pack their bags and head back to warmer weather (ironically, chants of "Warm up the bus!" could be heard before the first half even ended).

Sun Bowl Prediction

The Notre Dame vs. Miami Sun Bowl matchup might very well resemble Notre Dame’s last regular season game against the Trojans of Southern Cal. Notre Dame will try to pressure the errant Jacory Harris into his habit of poor decision making, and will need to focus on stopping the dominant, diverse running game that the Hurricanes will try to tire the Irish defense with.

Offensively, Irish fans should expect to see a tough, physical defense, with a Miami front 4 that may be even stronger than that of the Trojans. Miami also boasts the nation’s #2 passing defense, holding opposing quarterbacks to just under 50% completion rates. Tommy Rees has shown good composure and remains confident even after tough series, so one should not be worried about the imposing defense getting into the young starter’s head. The USC game was a solid warm-up for Rees who has had a month to work on his mistakes and improve his game and vision. The recent dominance of rugged Robert Hughes will allow Notre Dame to set up the pass with his hardnosed downfield runs, taking some of the pressure off of Rees.

In the end, Notre Dame will pull out a strong 34-27 win and have some solid momentum going into Coach Kelly’s second season as the commander of the Fighting Irish.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Hyundai Sun Bowl Edition

Thanks to Subway Domer for taking charge of the Irish Blogger Gathering: Sun Bowl Edition. The original questions posted by Subway Domer, links to answers written by fellow Fighting Irish bloggers, and an interactive poll that allows all fans to weigh in can be found here.


Q1: What is your biggest “FEAR” going into the bowl game?
a.) Tommy Rees will look like a freshman QB.

b.) Our running game gets shut down.

c.) Jacory Harris decides he is a good player, and proves it.

d.) Losing to a coachless team.

e.) Other.


A1: b.) Our running game gets shut down.

Unless Tommy Rees has aged dramatically over the past month, he will still look like a 12-year-old instead of a freshman QB. All joking aside, he played like a freshman at U$C and we still won when our defense bailed us out. Remember the game winning drive of that game? Kelly "put the fight back in the Fighting Irish" with some good old smash mouth football featuring Robert Hughes as he ran over Trojans left and right. As Kelly has already said, we will need a similar effort in order to beat the Hurricanes, who boast a defense that is ranked second nationally against the pass and first in tackles-for-loss.


Q2. True/False: Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph will enter the 2011 NFL draft.


A2: Other

Assuming there will be an NFL draft in 2011, there are still far too many variables to choose a definitive answer at this point. I believe Floyd when he says that he is 100% focused on beating Miami right now, and will weigh his options after the bowl. As for Rudolph, campus rumors have it that he did not enroll in spring classes. Even so, I’m holding on to hope that he will be back in Blue and Gold next year.


Q3. True/False: Duval Kamara did not make the trip for personal reasons. This is very bad.


A3: False

Whatever personal reasons are keeping Kamara out of the game are by definition personal and none of our business. The recently resurgent receiver will be missed, but TJ Jones and Johnny Goodman will be able to step up in his absence.


Q4. Which senior will have the bigger game?

a.) Brian Smith

b.) Harrison Smith

c.) Robert Hughes

d.) Ian Williams


A4: a.) Brian Smith

Not to take anything away from our other senior leaders, but I ran into BSmith at Jamba Juice (best thing to happen to ND since Brian Kelly) and I can tell he is primed to leave a lasting impression in his last game playing for the team and university he has loved his whole life. As Kelly said after the win over U$C, he is also coming off the best performance of his career. Look for #58 to make sure we all remember his name.


Q5. Vegas has us as a 3 point dog.

a.) That’s about right.

b.) They are horribly mistaken.


A5: a.) That's about right.

Nothing good ever comes out of being the slight favorite in a bigtime game. The Notre Dame Football legacy was built off of big wins against favored opponents, and it wouldn't be right to have it any other way as we renew our rivalry with Da U. Plus, Clashmore Mike, our first mascot, was a dog.


Q6. Does Notre Dame NEED this bowl win for a good start to 2011?


A6: YES

Our defense is rolling right now. Our whole team is brimming with confidence. If we can add Miami to our recent kill list of Utah, Army, and U$C then our momentum will carry over into spring practice and fall camp. With this win, the Fighting Irish might never look back.


Q7. Notre Dame will:

a.) win big

b.) win close

c.) lose big

d.) lose close

e.) other


A7: b.) win close

With 15 practices under his belt since the win over U$C, Rees will have learned enough to manage the offense throughout what should turn out to be a tough battle. Look for the Fighting Irish to take control if we can establish the ground game with a one-two punch of Hughes and Wood. Overall, our rejuvenated defense will carry the day with clutch performances out of Brian Smith and Ian Williams, who will both be suited up in Blue and Gold for the last time.


Enjoy the building hype as the Hyundai Sun Bowl approaches, and check back with Irish Creed on December 30 for our final game-notes and score predictions. If you are looking for a great read in the mean time, check out Jeff Carroll's book Perfect Rivals: Notre Dame, Miami, and the Battle for the Soul of College Football.