The primary beneficiary of the fund is Horizons for Youth.  Their mission, to help Chicago children from low-resource areas reach their full potential, resonated with the Sullivan family. The Sullivans quickly discovered that their connection to the organization went far deeper than just the mission. Horizons for Youth was founded by three Notre Dame alumni, several Notre Dame alumni serve on the Board of Directors, and the Executive Director, Audrey George, graduated from Notre Dame in 1990. Another staff member is also a young alumnus, just a few classes ahead of Declan. In addition, the Horizons for Youth office is located in an Old St. Patrick’s Church building, the church where Declan’s parents were married and where he was baptized.

We invite you to join Declan’s family for an evening of celebration at No Ordinary Evening. The event is a black tie optional, sit-down dinner and will include a live and silent auction, live music, dancing, and remarks by Father Jenkins, as well as Declan’s parents, Alison Drumm and Barry Sullivan. Please visit the foundation website for more event and ticket information.

Yet here I sit filling out my NDN pool sheet, and there I see the magic words.

Whoda thunkit?  Not me, that’s for damn sure.  And there are about a dozen players and half a dozen coaches who deserve all the credit in the world for making that happen.  Instead of rolling over and giving up, they went out there and proved everyone wrong, winning 13 games in the Big East, finishing third overall, and securing the conference tourney (which still blows, by the way) double-bye.  An outstanding accomplishment for such a young and depleted squad, and if South Florida hadn’t come from nowhere to get an NCAA berth as well, Mike Brey’s name likely would have been on the Coach of the Year trophy yet again.

12 straight years of postseason play, nine of them in the NCAAs.  93 home wins in the last 100 games.  A top-15 recruiting class coming in, and finally some fanbase traction on the sorely-needed practice facility.  Like Virginia Slims, ND hoops has come a long way, baby, and that won’t change regardless of the result on March 16th.

But is it as far as it can go?  That’s the $64k question, and one that all the aforementioned folks need to start asking themselves.

When Mike Brey got here, ND was in a 10-year NCAA drought.  That thirst was slaked by three bids in succession, and the goal was set to get to the tournament consistently after missing it for so many years.  The playing arena was dilapidated and shoddy, with duck tape securing some of the hardware.  Two years ago, it got a complete facelift and finally looks like a major college facility.  The program was rudderless, with two coaches in successive seasons and fan and student apathy at a peak.  The butts are going in the seats again for the most part, and people are interested in watching ND win again.

Mission accomplished.  Time for the next mission.

No one should expect to go to the Sweet 16 every year.  Very few teams do that, let alone teams with the natural hindrances ND endures in men’s basketball.  But it’s also not enough to look at the bid itself as a be-all end-all anymore.  We’ve grown beyond that status, and that which does not grow withers.

No, we won’t and shouldn’t expect to make the Sweet 16 every year.  But how about once every five?

No, we won’t and shouldn’t expect to make the Final Four every year.  But how about once every 10?

Are those reasonable goals?  Given where ND is now, I believe they now should be well within reach, provided everyone involved from Jack Swarbrick on down commits themselves to them.  It may require more work to accomplish, but a lot of similar work has been done in the last 10 years.  Last time I checked, no one at Notre Dame was afraid of hard work.

The house that the owners burned to the ground now has its foundations re-laid and a decent first floor.  It may not be the mansion it was before the damage, but there’s space to be explored between there and here.  Let’s get the hammer out.

His father accompanied the young man on his weekend journey.  Upon his arrival home, he thought the ND fans he had among his friends would be interested in seeing an official visit from the “other side”.  So he put together an email to a group of his buddies talking about what had gone on during the visit weekend.  Included in that synopsis were opinions about things the coaching staff had or had not done, some of them very unfavorable.

His friends certainly enjoyed the email.  But some of his ND friends had the same reaction the author had — my ND friends probably would find this interesting.  So unbeknownst to dear old dad, at least one of those friends forwarded the email to his own list of ND emailers.  At least one of them carried the idea forward, and the email got passed around the electronic ether until the sets of email recipients and NDNation posters finally (inevitably?) intersected, and the email itself was posted on Rock’s House.

Within a few hours, we got a frantic email from the recruit’s dad, begging us to remove the content and asking us how he could remove it from general circulation.  We were happy to accommodate him on the former, but on the latter, we were powerless.  The dad had fallen victim to the oldest of Internet adages:

If you’re saying it to one person, you’re saying it to the world, so be careful what you say

These were the days before sites like Facebook and Twitter, so what used to apply to emails applies a million times more today.  Just as you have no control over what someone you email forwards, you also have no control over what your friends “share” or “re-tweet”, or even copy-and-paste.  You may think you’re only addressing a dozen, but that can become a dozen dozen before you can blink.  Data moves fast in the electronic age.

Of course, this is nothing new to NDN.  We were dealing with this issue long before Mark Zuckerberg had his programming epiphany.  But we’re really no closer to the answer than we were 12 years ago when we started.

The topic came up recently on the Pit, when one poster took another to task about an alleged tweet he’d made regarding a poor performance by an ND men’s basketball player.  In the resulting discussion, some posts on some of the boards were pointed out to me as being unnecessarily critical.  After reading them, I agreed they were inappropriate for the forum in which they were made.  The posts were removed, and (in some cases) the posters disciplined.

But I did those things with a twinge of regret.  While I didn’t want the posts made on NDN, the content really didn’t differ a lot from what people sitting around me at the game in question were saying to their seatmates.  While there was no doubt the player in question was giving a good effort, he didn’t have a good game.  How do you talk about that without crossing the line?  Why is it all right to say something to the guy next to you at the bar, but not all right to say the same thing to him in an email the next day?  If you’re willing to say to someone’s face what you say about him or her on the Internet, should it really be censored?

None of those questions are easy to answer after more than a decade of trying.  I’m philosophically a free-market guy, and I believe our communities, in general, have become pretty good at self-regulating their content.  Having said that, though, sometimes stuff can hang out there while it’s being self-regulated.  I’m also not unaware that the families and friends of ND-related figures can and do read the site and can and are sometimes hurt by what they read.

So where do you draw the line?

I think people need to remember when you say something on the Internet, it’s going to be out there pretty much forever.  Emails can be printed off and saved.  Search engines can grab post content.  Tweets and status updates don’t necessarily go away.  The opinion you express today may not be your opinion tomorrow, but don’t tell that to the T1 lines and servers because they’re going to hold you to what you said for a long long time.

Remember that when you sit at your keyboard.

When A.D. arrived in South Bend in the fall of 1973, he was the latest delivery out of the D.C. Pipeline that had served the Fighting Irish so well.  Besides the legendary Carr, such luminaries as Collis Jones, Bob Whitmore, and Sid Catlett had preceded Dantley to play for Johnny Dee.  “What really got me started at Notre Dame were the Washingtonians who had attended Notre Dame [previously],” Dantley remembered.  “That’s what got me interested in Notre Dame when I was in high school.  When I was a young kid, they were always on TV, so everyone knew about Notre Dame and everyone thought about attending Notre Dame.  My senior year, I really wasn’t that interested in Notre Dame because they’d had a pretty bad season the year before.  But Digger wanted me to come out for just one day.  So I came out for one day, and it was a great visit, and I knew that’s where I wanted to go.”

His timing couldn’t have been better — for the first time, freshmen were allowed to play instead of sitting on the bench watching.  So A.D. had the advantage of playing early on a star-laden team – not that he was bothered by such a situation.  “When you’re a freshman,” he said, “you don’t really think about chemistry.  You just want to come to school, do well academically, and contribute to the team.  In my case, I wanted to come in and start.  That was my goal – try to do well academically and start.”

Start he did, and contribute he did.  While he didn’t burn up the scoreboards like Carr had, his consistency at the rim and on the glass was unequaled.  He didn’t have the typical size of a down-low banger, but opponents forgot that quickly.  “He was the best 6’5” presence I ever saw inside,” said Blue and Gold Illustrated’s Lou Somogyi.  “He had the best head fake ability I ever saw here.  He got about four or five offensive rebounds a game where he’d head-fake the defender into the air, draw the foul, and either get a three point play or two points from the foul line.  He would get 10 or 12 points at the foul line almost every game.  Yet he could also take you outside and beat you off the dribble.”

“He could score in the low post for his size,” agreed teammate and fellow Pipeline product Donald “Duck” Williams.  “Adrian was about 6’5″, but he was so strong inside.  He knew how to play the game in drawing fouls on the bigger guys he played against.  He knew how to give them the head fake and draw the contact.”

As the games passed, his scoring and rebounding totals continued to mount.  Would the youngster catch his predecessor before he left?  Perhaps with one more year, he would have.  But he had higher goals in mind.  “I went into that [1975-76] season thinking that it might be my last year,” he said.  “I had attended summer school every summer, so I was pretty ahead of the game academically.  But the decision wasn’t that tough.  I was a two-time first-team All-American, so there wasn’t much sense in me coming back.  I felt I was ready.”

“Personally,” agreed Williams, “I thought that after that year he’d probably be gone because of the year he’d had — being an All-American and one of the leading scorers in the country and all.  At that point, to me, it was a foregone conclusion because of who else was out there and where he’d go in the draft.”

Dantley left South Bend the second leading scorer in Fighting Irish hoops history, and while he remains second in scoring average, he now sits third behind A.C. and Luke Harangody.  But no one has attempted or made more free throws than A.D. at Notre Dame, and he remains among the leaders in rebounds and rebounding average.  He carried his work ethic with him to the pros, and was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Friday, though, he will get his due from the place where it all started.  And the fans couldn’t be happier.

The Irish combined red hot shooting from behind the arc (60%) with tenacious defense and dominance (the Irish won 13 of the first 17 rebounds) in the paint to open up a 18-point advantage at one point, leading by 12 at the half and holding off Syracuse for a 68-59 upset.

“He was just a beast on the front line, which he’s done before,” Brey said of Cooley. “Some of those plays, when he ripped out loose balls and got second shots, made his teammates believe even more. The crowd loves him. It got the crowd juiced.”

Syracuse was never able to close the gap to less than 8 as Notre Dame continued to dominate the defensive boards.  Cooley, Atkins, Martin and Connaughton each had at least 6 defensive rebounds as the Irish won the defensive rebounding battle 29-17.

The Irish have a history of taking down #1 one teams. Saturday night’s win was the eighth  time the Irish had knocked off #1, something Brey  reminded the team about that history by showing them a video of previous Irish upsets.

“I just wanted them to see the history of our place against No. 1s,” Brey said. “I mean, we were channeling all week as much as possible. In the midst of the videos, I had our guys doing good things and making big plays. It was only about five minutes, but it was really well done and we watched it last night in the team meeting.”

The win puts the Irish at 11-8 and 3-3 in the Big East.

The Irish sent their fans on a roller coaster ride at the outset before the game settled into a defensive battle. A 41-yard punt return (yes, it’s permissable to return a punt in college football) by Michael Floyd set up an opening drive that reached the FSU four yard line before Rees threw an interception in the end zone. The Seminoles took over and immediately coughed up the football as Manti Te’o forced a fumble that safety Zeke Motta scooped up and returned for a 29-yard touchdown.

These seven points turned out to be the only scoring in the first half. The Notre Dame defense repeatedly blitzed FSU quarterback E. J. Manuel and held the Noles to 18 yards of total offense before intermission. Menawhile, neither Rees nor Hendrix had much success against the Florida State defense. A missed field goal by David Ruffer and a certain touchdown pass that was dropped by Floyd prevented the Irish from building a safe lead.

George Atkinson opened the third quarter for Notre Dame with a long kickoff return, and a personal foul on the Noles helped the Irish get into the red zone. Hendrix rushed three times to get inside the five, and Rees came on to throw a fade to Floyd for a score. The ball probably should have been intercepted, but Floyd took it away from the defensive back and was able to secure it after a brief juggling act.

Lamarcus Joyner retaliated with a 77-yard kickoff return for Florida State for its best field position of the night. The Noles could not manage a first down, but Dustin Hopkins kicked a 42 yard field goal to make it a 14-3 ballgame at the nine minute mark of the period. Notre Dame appeared to be in good shape at this point, as the defense was still playing well and the Seminoles had lost their two starting cornerbacks to injury. Unfortunately for the Irish, Floyd went out of the game shortly thereafter with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

After pinning Florida State deep in its own territory with time running short in the third quarter, Notre Dame’s defense suddenly became conservative. The Noles were starting four freshman on the offensive line and could not handle the Irish pressure, but coaches Brian Kelly and Bob Diaco opted for a three man rush and soft zone coverage. The strategy backfired as FSU’s speedy receivers found open spaces and Manuel suddenly had time to get them the ball. The Noles scored their first touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter to make it 14-9 when Manuel hit Bert Reed from 18 yards out.

A failed two point conversion kept Notre Dame in control, but the Irish relinquished the advantage on the next series when Hendrix forced a pass right into the hands of Seminole linebacker Nigel Bradham. Starting at the Irish 18, it took Manuel only two plays to fire the go-ahead scoring pass to Rashad Greene. In a mere two minutes, Notre Dame lost control of a game it had in hand for three quarters. There was time to make amends, however, as the FSU lead was just a single point after another failed two point conversion attempt.

Rees hit Tyler Eifert near midfield on the ensuing drive, but the Seminoles sacked him on the next series to end the threat. Manuel was again able to stand tall in the pocket, and he used the time to launch a 42-yard bomb to Greene. This set up a short field goal by Hopkins to stretch FSU’s advantage to 18-14 with 8:05 remaining.

Notre Dame reached midfield again before stalling. This time, Ben Turk punted the ball to the Seminole one yard line and Irish fans prayed for a defensive stop. Manuel misfired on third down and punter Shawn Powell got off a poor boot that rolled dead on his own 43 yard line. A facemask penalty during the punt gave Notre Dame another 15 yards, so the Irish took over at the Seminole 28 with four minutes remaining.

After earning a first down at the FSU 18, Notre Dame was penalized for holding. Rees went for broke on the next play and his heave into double coverage was picked off in the end zone by Terrance Brooks. The Noles effectively ran out all but 13 seconds of the clock on the next series, and the Irish could manage only a few Hail Marys that went unanswered.

The loss dropped Notre Dame to 8-5, which is the same result that Kelly delivered in his first season. Two season-ending losses and numerous unforced errors leave a much more sour taste in 2011 though, and the lack of a reliable quarterback is the most urgent problem facing the coaching staff this offseason. Replacing Floyd and possibly Eifert will also be difficult given the lack of playmakers on the current roster.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

Which offensive line will best be able to protect the passer? The Irish protected well except when Rees held the ball too long, and the defense made life miserable for Manuel until they inexplicably backed off. 

Can either team generate over 100 yards in the running game? Notre Dame gained 122 yards but netted out at 95 when sack yardage was subtracted. The Noles finished with a net of only 42 yards.

Which team will overcome the effects of the long layoff and avoid costly mistakes? The Noles handed seven points to Notre Dame in the early going, but it was the Irish who made all the errors from that point forward.

Can either Irish quarterback have success against the formidable FSU defense? Not really. A few good throws did not translate into sustained drives, and the best pass of the night was dropped by Floyd.

Which special teams will have the most influence on the outcome? The Irish were better in the punting game and FSU had a slight edge on kickoffs. The edge to the Noles is based on Hopkins’ two field goals and Ruffer’s miss.

Will Michael Floyd be able to get open against the Seminole secondary? Xavier Rhodes did a good job on Floyd before suffering a sprained knee in the third quarter. Floyd did bail out Rees for Notre Dame’s only offensive touchdown, but was not on the field later when the Irish tried to come from behind.

Are the Seminole War Chant and Tomahawk Chop more obnoxious than USC’s “Conquest”? The Noles were pretty quiet for the first 45 minutes, but they made up for it with incessant chants once their team woke up.

In the final analysis, the season ended as it started. Turnovers, ineffective offensive and defensive strategies, seemingly random  substitutions and shuffling at quarterback, uneven special teams play and late defensive collapes. The pattern has become so familiar that Irish fans had just better get used to it.

Head coaches Brian Kelly for the Irish and FSU’s Jimbo Fisher are in the second year of their respective efforts to restore these proud programs to elite status, and this matchup has resulted in a sellout for the first time in the game’s history. ESPN will provide national television coverage starting at 5:30 PM EST.

The play of the quarterbacks will hold the key to the outcome. The Seminoles are led by E.J. Manuel, a 6’5” junior whose injured shoulder was a critical factor in their three game losing streak earlier this year. Tommy Rees, who took over the reins during an 0-2 stumble out of the gate in September, will start for the Irish. Andrew Hendrix is also expected to play, but the exact timing and distribution of snaps is something Kelly is still pondering.

“We know he’s going to play,” Kelly said regarding Hendrix. “He’s prepared to play. I don’t know how it’s going to eventualize itself. I haven’t said in my own mind what it’s going to be, but I know he’s going to be in the game.”

The teams share three common opponents during the season. Notre Dame defeated Maryland, Boston College and Wake Forest while Florida State went 2-1 against that same trio. The Seminoles played Wake Forest during the period where Manuel was not 100% healthy, and they compounded the problem by committing five turnovers to none for the Deacons. Irish fans can certainly identify with that statistic to explain an upset loss.

Notre Dame remains without the services of a pair of key linemen in center Braxton Cave and defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore. Ethan Johnson and Manti Te’o should give the defense a boost since they have had time to heal from nagging leg injuries, but the offense will continue to miss Cave and running back Jonas Gray. Florida State has a few problems of its own on the offensive side. Wideout Bert Reed and guard Jacob Fahrenkrug are injured and unlikely to play, and backup tailback Jermaine Thomas has been declared academically ineligible.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. FLORIDA STATE’S DEFENSE

Notre Dame will face a very tough front seven that may be the best they have played this season. The Seminoles rank among the nation’s best in run defense and have yielded only 15 points per game. Their 4-3 alignment boasts a solid rotation of 300 pound tackles and physical pass-rushing ends. Fisher’s teams specialize in pressuring the passer, so Kelly may be forced to utilize Hendrix if the Irish line falters in protection and the less-mobile Rees cannot withstand the heat.

Florida State’s linebackers have above average size and speed. Nigel Bradham is the leading tackler for the Noles, and running mates Christian Jones and Vince Williams are right behind him in that category. It will be tough to run right at this defense, but they are fast enough to pursue to the sidelines as well. Rees will be called upon to throw quick, short passes with a high degree of accuracy, and Notre Dame must run the ball often enough to keep the sack-happy Noles from teeing off on the quarterback. Quick-hitting traps should be more effective than slow-developing stretch plays against FSU, and Cierre Wood will have to get to the hole fast and make decisive cuts.

The Irish will again rely on Michael Floyd to create opportunities in the passing game, which is not a surprise given his selection as the team’s most valuable player for the second consecutive year. Tight end Tyler Eifert must also be effective, and Notre Dame fans can only hope that this game won’t be his last as a Domer as is the case with Floyd. Theo Riddick’s return to the running back position does not remove him as a threat to catch the ball downfield, but the Irish will need him to share some of the workload with Wood now that Gray is unavailable.

The Florida State secondary has benefitted from the consistently strong pass rush, but there is considerable depth and some very talented players in the mix. Terrance Parks and Lamarcus Joyner start at safety, but Terrance Brooks is a playmaking backup who is also a demon on special teams. Fisher has three cornerbacks that he trusts in Xavier Rhodes, Mike Harris and the super quick Greg Reid. Rhodes, who is 6’2” and 215 pounds, would appear to be in line to match up with Floyd.

FLORIDA STATE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Seminoles average nearly 32 points per game and have a solid defense, so four losses seem excessive. Upon investigation, a few reasons for these failures begin to emerge. The offensive line appears to be the culprit, with 36 sacks allowed and an anemic running game. A rash of penalties has also hurt the Noles this season, while their turnover margin is slightly favorable.

Freshman Devonta Freeman took over the starting tailback job in October after seniors Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas failed to distinguish themselves during the early going. Thomas is academically ineligible for this bowl game, so another freshman, James Wilder, Jr., will likely be the first man in to share the workload. The ground game is marginally better since Freeman took over, but many of the yards were piled up against the weaker ACC opponents. In games against Miami and Florida, the Noles had a combines 75 carries for only 93 rushing yards.

Injuries continue to plague Florida State on this side of the ball. The loss of Reed and Fahrenkrug remove a productive wide receiver and perhaps the team’s best offensive lineman from the equation. The line is already a patchwork group of young players as prior injuries have taken their toll, and another true freshman, either Tre’ Jackson or Josue Matias, could start in Fahrenkrug’s spot.

Manuel will spread the ball around in the passing game to a group of capable receivers, but there is no superstar among them. Freshman Rashad Green will replace Reed, joining 6’6” Rodney Smith and Kenny Shaw in the lineup. Christian Green is another young but talented receiver who will see action in this contest. Tight end Beau Reliford is a huge target, but the Seminoles use him almost exclusively as a blocker.

The key for Notre Dame is to stop the Florida State running game with its front seven and take away the deep pass. This will force Manuel into passing situations where his accuracy and patience will be tested. The Irish should be able to hold their own in the trenches, while the Noles will try to exploit their linebackers in pass coverage.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Florida State boasts a pair of outstanding specialists in punter Shawn Powell and kicker Dustin Hopkins. Each has been recognized on various All-American teams, with good reason. Powell averaged 47 yards per punt this season and very few were returned. Hopkins has tremendous range and is deadly accurate. The Noles have excellent coverage teams, and the stats of return men Reid and Joyner are well above average. Any of these weapons could be the deciding factor in a close ballgame.

Kicker David Ruffer will be playing his last game for Notre Dame. The former walk-on started slowly this season but has steadily returned to form in the field goal department. The depth of Kyle Brindza’s kickoffs diminished as the season progressed as various bumps and bruises took their toll, but he should be sufficiently healed by now and will be counted upon to get the ball past the goal line. Punter Ben Turk has improved his consistency, but occasionally gets off a short boot or one that can be returned for significant yardage.

SUMMARY

Both defenses should have the upper hand in a low scoring game. The team that best protects the passer, establishes a respectable running game and avoids costly turnovers and penalties will emerge victorious. The Seminoles have an edge in special teams that could also tip the scales in their favor. The Irish in particular will need to start fast to avoid playing from behind, which means that Rees must be sharp if he indeed gets the starting nod. The first team that is forced to become one-dimensional will find itself in trouble.

Motivation is also a significant factor in bowl games. Notre Dame was the beneficiary last year when the Miami Hurricanes came to the Sun Bowl in disarray just after Coach Randy Shannon was fired, and the Canes appeared disinterested as the Irish put them away early. This season, both teams should have equal motivation, as the game carries significance to both programs despite the lack of impact on the national polls.

Here are a few questions that will have a bearing on the outcome:

Which offensive line will best be able to protect the passer?

Can either team generate over 100 yards in the running game?

Which team will overcome the effects of the long layoff and avoid costly mistakes?

Can either Irish quarterback have success against the formidable FSU defense?

Which special teams will have the most influence on the outcome?

Will Michael Floyd be able to get open against the Seminole secondary?

Are the Seminole War Chant and Tomahawk Chop more obnoxious than USC’s “Conquest”?

PREDICTION

It’s almost certain that the outcome will be decided on a few critical plays – a turnover, an untimely penalty, a dropped pass or a missed block resulting in a sack could be enough to tip the scales. Field position will also play a role in that both defenses are not likely to yield long scoring marches. The Noles’ formidable defensive front seven, the absence of Irish center Braxton Cave, and Florida State’s special teams add up to a slight edge for Fisher’s squad.

FLORIDA STATE 23  NOTRE DAME 20

Clashmore Mike Comes Home tells the story of an Irish Terrier named Mikey, who makes a trip to a Notre Dame home game with his humans. While there, he learns the story of Clashmore Mike, the long-time mascot of the Fighting Irish who shares his lineage, and even finds a way to become part of the Irish game day experience himself.

Created by Notre Dame alums Susan Mullen Guibert and Brendan O’Shaughnessy, the book is a cute reminder of our pre-Leprechaun days, when the Irish mascot prowled the sidelines snarling at foes and wagging for friends. As your elementary schooler pours over its contents, you may find yourself getting caught up in the tale.

More information on Clashmore Mike Comes Home can be found online at NDClashmoreMike.com or on its Facebook page. Copies can be ordered via Corby Publishing, but you’d better hurry if you want it by December 25th.

And sometimes, you’re waiting on a willing opponent and a fractured orbital bone.

Such are the hurdles in ND alum Mike Lee’s path as he seeks to improve his ranking in the professional boxing world.  He takes the next step this Saturday, battling Allen Medina in a six-round bout on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito rematch at Madison Square Garden — a bout and rematch that seemed in danger of not taking place as recently as a week ago.

Finding willing opponents at Lee’s current career stage, according to the light heavyweight, can be a challenge.  At seven wins and no defeats, Lee’s been around long enough to get attention, but not long enough that defeating him is viewed as a feather in the career cap for potential opponents.  “We had two or three opponents fall through,” he said in a recent interview.  “One guy said he was in, and ended up pulling out.  It’s frustrating, because you look at tape of these guys, and then have to look elsewhere.  But we just got Allen [Medina] recently, so that’s set.”

Once his own bout was set, Lee then had to worry about the event itself.  The state of New York threatened to withhold a boxing license from Margarito until he could prove the recent injury to his right eye was properly healed.  With no license, the event would have to be postponed or moved … something Lee definitely didn’t want to see.

“For me, all I could think of was I wanted to fight and I wanted December 3rd to happen. I didn’t care if it was in Mississippi or Denver or New York, I just wanted to be in that ring.  But once I found out it was back on in New York, I felt that surge of excitement.  There’s nothing like the Garden, and that fight needed to be in New York.”

Even with the perceived pressure of fighting in a pro-Notre Dame town in a legendary venue, Lee believes it will work to his benefit.  “If I feel pressure,” he said, “I feel ‘good pressure.  If I fought in some small country-club fight in front of 30 people, I’d probably have my worst performance.  But I’ve fought on big world-title undercards.  Top Rank has shown a lot of faith in me, putting me on stages like Cowboy Stadium and ESPN for my fourth pro-career fight.  I really do love it, and I don’t shy away from it … I look forward to the Garden and the pressure.”

Highlights from Lee’s bout with Allen Medina will be shown during the pay-per-view Cotto/Margarito event this Saturday, December 3rd.  Tickets are still available at TheGarden.com or at TicketMaster outlets.

The game looked like a mismatch at the outset, as the visitors committed two false starts before running a single play. When they did snap the ball, Rees was slammed to the ground by the Cardinal pass rush as he released his first throw of the night. Hendrix finished the series and Notre Dame punted the football to the Stanford 43. Andrew Luck quickly marched his team down the field, and the Cardinal took a 7-0 lead when the Heisman candidate hit Levine Toilolo with a short touchdown pass.

Rees was battered again on the next Irish possession despite gaining a couple of first downs, and he coughed up a fumble in Stanford territory on a sack by Chase Thomas. The defense held, and yet another drive by Notre Dame ran out of steam as the game moved into the second quarter. This time, the offense stayed in on fourth down near midfield. After failing to draw the Cardinal offside, Rees dropped back a few yards to punt the ball, but his attempted quick kick was smacked to the ground by a Stanford lineman. 

The sloppiness continued as Luck returned the favor a few plays later. His screen pass was deflected and fell into the arms of Notre Dame’s Darius Fleming, who chugged deep into Stanford territory before being hauled down by a horsecollar tackle. The Irish found themselves in position to tie the game when disaster struck again. Another false start inside the five yard line and an errant Rees pass to a wide open receiver ruined the scoring opportunity, and David Ruffer came on to miss a chip shot from a tough angle to preserve Notre Dame’s goose egg on the scoreboard.

The Cardinal restored order by embarking on an 80-yard drive capped by a 28-yard strike from Luck to Cory Fleener. The senior tight end dragged Irish cornerback Robert Blanton the last seven yards into the end zone with just under five minutes left in the half. After a Notre Dame punt, Stanford appeared to be moving again when they fumbled the ball away to the Irish. With yet another chance to get on the board and back into the game, Rees then completed a miserable first half by throwing  an interception at the Cardinal 36.

Luck used the clock to perfection and hit paydirt with only ten seconds remaining in the half by connecting with freshman Ty Montgomery on an 11 yard slant pass for a 21-0 lead. The Irish trudged to the locker room having gained only 75 yards to 287 by Stanford, and did not in any way resemble a team with a winning record in late season form. Whether it was the fact that the Irish mistakes were self-inflicted or that they were playing their first quality opponent since mid-October, the offense looked completely inept and disorganized.

To no one’s surprise, Coach Brian Kelly started Hendrix in the third quarter. The Cardinal had been teeing off against Rees in the pocket, rendering him bruised, battered and ineffective. The teams exchanged punts in the early going until Hendrix caught fire. A pass to Tyler Eifert was followed by an option style pitch to Cierre Wood, and suddenly Notre Dame was in the red zone. Hendrix completed the drive by rumbling for 13 yards and hitting Michael Floyd for a six yard score with 6:21 left in the third period.

Stanford’s offense suddenly could not move the ball against the rejuvenated Irish, who were sparked by Hendrix’ energy and began playing with intensity instead of seemingly going through the motions. A combination of crisp throws and tough runs by Hendrix put the Cardinal defense on its heels as the fourth quarter began, but they regained control with creative blitzes that confounded Notre Dame’s offensive line and turned away further scoring threats.

The Irish had to punt the ball down by 21-7 with 8:11 left, and Luck iced the game moments later. A few running plays lulled the Irish to sleep and Luck used a perfectly executed play action pass to Fleener for a 55-yard score as safety Zeke Motta slipped on the treacherous turf. With a 28-7 lead and Luck’s stats for the night now respectable enough for the Heisman voters, all that remained was for Hendrix to close the evening on a positive note for Notre Dame. In the final minute of the game, Hendrix displayed a strong arm and good touch as he moved the Irish 85 yards in three plays to the Cardinal two. With less than 30 seconds remaining, he plowed over the goal line in Tebow fashion for the final 28-14 margin.

Even though the game was essentially over by halftime, Hendrix provided Notre Dame fans a reason to watch the last 30 minutes. His arm strength was obvious but his accuracy in the pocket and on the move was a pleasant surprise. Certainly, he gave his team a lift when it appeared the night would yield nothing of value.

Let’s look at the answers to the pregame questions:

Will Wood effectively pick up the slack for the injured Gray? Wood ran hard on a couple of occasions, but the early deficit limited his attempts to just a dozen for 41 yards. 

Can Stanford pressure the usually well-protected Rees in the pocket? Absolutely. Rees will be feeling a few of those hits for a couple of weeks, and Hendrix was walloped a few times as well.

Will Notre Dame have an effective answer if the Cardinal drop eight men into coverage? The Irish made a few plays down the sidelines, but a couple of throws over the middle were picked off by the Cardinal.

Can the depleted Irish defensive line slow down Stanford’s running game? Not often enough. The Cardinal had nearly 200 yards on the ground on a night when Luck was not exceptional. Notre Dame’s defense was hardly to blame on this night, though.

Will Notre Dame put a dent in Luck’s 70% completion rate? Luck was 20 of 30 for 67%, but the Irish contained him fairly well except for the last scoring bomb to Fleener.

Can the Irish avoid a negative turnover margin? No. Notre Dame had three turnovers, came away with no points inside the five yard line and screwed the pooch, while the Cardinal committed a pair of miscues.

Will Notre Dame be able to slow the Cardinal in the red zone? Unfortunately not. Two trips resulted in two touchdowns, while Stanford’s other two scores came from long range.

Will Luck be holding the Heisman Trophy in New York next month? Probably. He seems like a decent and humble team player with very good athleticism. He also displayed patience and made quality decisions against an above-average defense.

The Irish fall to 8-4 and await a bowl invitation that will hopefully provide an attractive matchup. The matter of his starting quarterback now becomes an issue for Kelly for the first time since early September, but most fans would like to see more of Hendrix after a few more weeks of repetitions in practice. If nothing else, Notre Dame followers have proven to be a resilient bunch, needing only a grain of hope to nurture on the long and often tortuous road back to relevance.