The Young and the Restless

How many ND blogs have used a soap opera as a metaphor for analysis?  None? Just us?  We are the first!  We rule. (or, maybe, we like "Daytime Dramas". either one)

As has been much discussed, ND was a young team this year.  Some claimed 'oh, but other teams are young, blah blah blah'.  I can shut down arguments based on blah blah blah anytime.  And in this case, I just respond with the overall young-ness of the team, both in age and inexperience.  Sure, some other teams have a frosh here or there playing a key position.  Generally speaking though, those freshmen are surrounded by more experienced players.

At Notre Dame this year, those freshmen were surrounded by...other freshmen! In very key positions. Or maybe a first-year starting Sophomore.  And once in a while, a first-year starting Jr/Sr/5th or someone with actual playing experience.  Yay for those guys!  But they weren't the norm this year.   Recently, some great data was posted by some smart number-crunching types over on NDN by the names of "FunkDoctorSpock" and "Revue Party" that helps sum up our Young issue.   Clearly, these guys have their junk together.  Here's the data:

Points by class:

Fr....118 points
So.....13 points
Jr.....12 points
Sr......6 points
5th....48 points

Yardage by class:

Receiving
FR: 635 yards
SO: 579 yards
JR: 258 yards
SR: 123 yards
5th:371 yards

Rushing
FR: 497 yards (including -165 for Clausen)
SO: 469 yards
JR: -71 yards
SR: 35 yards
5th 50 yards

So, breaking it down into percentages, here's the % accounted for by Frosh and Frosh/Sophomores this year:

Points

Freshmen:  60%   Freshmen+Sophomores:  66%

Receiving Yards

Freshmen:  32%   Freshmen+Sophomores:  62%

Rushing Yards

Freshmen:  51%   Freshmen+Sophomores:  99%

Good Lord!  The team is young as all hell! Not only that, those young players account for 66% of points, 62% of receiving yards and 99% of rushing yards!  Craziness.  And Charlie knows it:

“All along we knew we were playing with some talented young guys,” Weis told reporters after the Stanford game.

“And that there was going to be a growing process that takes place. There are some growing pains that take place when you’re doing it..."

Young, yes. 

Restless? 

After this year, you better believe it...