Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8. PITTSBURGH NOV. 3 2011 record: 6-7 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 15, Pittsburgh 12 (2011) Impact Player: RB Ray Graham — The standout ball carrier averaged 135 rushing yards per game in 2011 before a knee sive coordinator Paul Chryst as head coach. Chryst's offensive philosophy fits the Steel City well and should jell with the talented running backs on the roster. Graham leads the way in that category, but sophomore Isaac Bennett and incoming freshman Rushel Shell are both expected to be in the mix this fall. Senior quarterback Tino Sunseri won the starting job this spring after two seasons under center. He has struggled for injury knocked him out in late October. He is expected to be healthy for his senior season in time for fall camp in August. He is an ideal fit for the ground-and-pound offense of new head coach Paul Chryst. Outlook: Pitt stepped off a nauseating year on the coaching carousel this winter when it hired former Wisconsin offen- consistency throughout his career (28 touchdowns and 20 interceptions), but reportedly looked more comfortable than ever with the new coaches this spring. He'll have two solid targets this season in tight end Hubie Graham and wide receiver Devin Street. Pitt's defense will need to be its strength this fall. They have a good, young core on the defensive line with sophomore KK Mosley-Smith and juniors Tyrone Ezell and Aaron Donald. Safety should also be strong with four solid candidates still competing for starting spots heading into the summer. Spring Storyline: Chryst is in his first season as a head coach and readily admitted that he'll be evolving on the job as he gets used to all of the different ins and outs that go along with being the face of a program. He passed all the tests during spring ball, but how he fares in the new role will be a story to watch throughout the year. 7. MIAMI OCT. 6 2011 record: 6-6 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 33, Miami 17 (2010) Impact Player: QB Stephen Morris — A back injury kept him out of spring practice, but he is expected to be at full strength in plenty of time to start the season at quarterback. The junior has had an up-and-down career to this point with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 11 appearances. Outlook: The dearth of talent on Miami's roster this season is as dire as it has been in a long time at "The U." Six talented ated senior Travis Benjamin were the top three offensive producers for the Canes last year. The bright spot on offense for Miami is the massive line that lost only one early defector to the pro ranks. The starting underclassmen left the program early for the NFL Draft, leaving second-year head coach Al Golden with a lot of rebuilding to do. The losses that sting most are running back Lamar Miller and wide receiver Tommy Streeter. Miller, Streeter and gradu- group averages 6-6, 318 pounds and is led by juniors Seantrel Henderson and Brandon Linder. Sophomore Denzel Perryman takes over for senior Sean Spence at middle linebacker after emerging as a force at outside linebacker as a freshman. If returning safeties Ray Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque can live up to their potential in the secondary, the Miami defense should be able to keep games close while the offense finds its next set of playmakers. Spring Storyline: Relief may be on the way for the Hurricanes who signed a monster 33-man recruiting class in anticipa- tion of upcoming NCAA sanctions. Miami completed spring practice knowing that some of those newcomers will have to step in right away to fill out the depth chart. Cornerback Tracy Howard and running back Duke Johnson are both expected to make immediate contributions. JUNE/JULY 2012 72