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).

South Bend v. South Beach: Sun Bowl Preview

Notre Dame WR John Goodman recently tweeted: "Yall could be kings but ya'll chose acamademics!" -quote from a Miami player. And yes, that's how he pronounced "academics." Hahahaha.

Those are bold words coming from a player on a team that has recently found it increasingly difficult to fill the seats of Sun Life Stadium, borrowed from the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins for home games.  The 2010 Miami Hurricanes finished with a 3-3 at home, including the first loss to USF in program history which swiftly prompted the firing of head coach Randy Shannnon.  That particular Miami player might need to reconsider his statement since his teammates don’t even seem to be kings of their own castle.  Needless to say, this currently coachless Miami squad is a far cry from the thug-filled teams of the late 80s and early 90s that gave rise to the thug-image associated with “The U” as featured on ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.

Not that Notre Dame coaches, players, or fans should be satisfied with the state of our program considering our own prolific past.  With losses to both Navy and Tulsa, head coach Brian Kelly came under fire from some of the more zealous, irrational, and impatient members of the Fighting Irish fan base during his first year at the helm.  Those same fans seem to be singing a different tune after November wins over Utah, Army, and U$C now that Kelly has his lads poised to ride a swelling wave of momentum to a bowl victory.  A win over Miami in the Hyundai Sun Bowl will be essential to maintaining that momentum throughout the offseason, spring practices, and into next year.

In a press conference on December 18, Kelly commented on the state of Notre Dame Football at the conclusion of his first regular season.  Despite all of the controversy and adversity, much of the same confidence he showed when he first appeared on campus remained.  The most admirable characteristic of his tenure so far has been the unwavering vision he has provided through focus on player development, winning in November, and “getting the defense right.”  In terms of player development, he pointed to the tremendously improved play of almost-forgotten seniors Robert Hughes, Brian Smith, and Duval Kamara.  With only one year under Kelly’s system, these players elevated their games out of the ruts they had previously been stuck in and all three have contributed significantly to our November winning streak.  Just imagine the type of players they could have developed into with four years under the Kelly system.  There is no limit to the potential that can be unlocked by our current players with 2, 3, or 4 more years of eligibility, as long as they come to play every day for the right reasons.

Kelly’s most telling quote during the press conference came during his discussion of offensive tackle Taylor Dever and his passion for the game:  “Let me put it this way, we have some guys that play because there’s 81,000 in that stadium.  Most of our guys would play if not one fan showed up for the game.  Those are the guys that I want… We had too many guys here that were interested in the walk from the Basilica, wearing the Notre Dame helmet, and running out before 81,000.  That can’t be your prime reason for being at the University of Notre Dame.  Now, we’ve changed a lot of that…”

If that quote, reminiscent of the “Irish Creed” that Kelly posted on the wall of the locker room when he arrived, serves as an indicator of where Notre Dame Football is headed, the Fighting Irish Faithful should start preparing now for one hell of a return to glory.

Even though the South Bend v. South Beach matchup on the last day of 2010 does not have the flare that it did during the height of the Catholics v. Convicts rivalry which peaked in 1988 with the “Brawl Miami” game in Notre Dame Stadium (brilliantly recalled by Rocket Ismail here) it represents a first-look at the rejuvenation of our program and a prelude to a reshaped rivalry.

The announcement that Notre Dame and Miami would begin a three-game series two years from now in Chicago’s Soldier Field brought much attention and excitement when it became official this past summer.  Not only does the Sun Bowl provide a prequel, but it also presents tremendous opportunities for both programs.  For one, both teams have been awarded with 15 bonus practices between the end of the regular season and the bowl.  For the Hurricanes, it’s a chance to show off a defense that ranks second nationally in pass efficiency and first in tackles-for-loss.  For the Fighting Irish, the prospect of building upon the confident play of our newfound defense and adding an impressive win to a schedule that was recently ranked by the NCAA as the toughest in the nation (with every opponent besides Purdue and U$C appearing in a bowl) has coaches, players, and fans more than excited.  For those who will be travelling to El Paso, and the millions more across the nation watching on CBS, hopefully it will offer a great way to welcome in the new year with a victory celebration.