Clausen needs good performance against Michigan

Sep 12, 2008 - 8:18 PM By Zachary Ingraham PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Fair or not, the results of Saturday afternoon's game against Michigan will be a reflection of Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

One of the most prized recruits in recent history, Clausen will shoulder a great deal of the blame if the Fighting Irish come up short against the rival Wolverines.

On the other hand, the sophomore will likely receive much of the credit if Notre Dame pulls off the slight upset.

Following a 3-9 season, Irish fans will not tolerate a sub-par performance from Clausen that results in a loss. If the 19-year-old struggles, expect the South Bend faithful to shower him with boos.

Clausen, who turns 20 in nine days, passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday as heavily-favored Notre Dame escaped with a 21-13 victory over San Diego State.

The teenager showed some great poise in the fourth quarter, though. He completed 9-of-10 passes for a pair of scores in the final period, helping the Irish overcome a 13-7 deficit.

"I think it's good, not just for me but for the team," Clausen said of the comeback win. "We were down pretty much throughout the whole game. Just coming back, staying focused, knowing what we're supposed to do, just sticking with our game plan. I think the biggest thing was just for the offense to go out and execute."

"He never panicked. He remained calm," senior receiver David Grimes said his quarterback. "We were still in his corner. We needed Jimmy to step up, make sure that the team could fall right behind him. But he stayed calm the whole time."

The younger brother of former Tennessee quarterback Casey and Rick Clausen, Jimmy struggled last season as a freshman but was given a pass by many Notre Dame fans because of his inexperience and the lack of talent around him.

The same will not be the case this weekend for Clausen in what many view as a very winnable contest against Michigan, which is still trying to assimilate to new coach Rich Rodriguez's style.

"Rich came over from West Virginia where he'd been for the last seven years, going to six Bowl games in a row. Obviously, he comes with big credentials," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "Calvin McGee came over with him to coordinate the offense, and so they obviously are used to being able to develop and get rolling with a highly-efficient, high-powered, high-scoring offense.

"There are elements of that already in place."

Clausen will be responsible for countering Michigan's offensive attack.

In 2007, Clausen passed for 1,254 yards and seven scores with six interceptions. He also rushed for a pair of scores and was sacked 34 times but appeared to improve as the season went on.

Clausen posted back-to-back three-touchdown games against Air Force and Duke in November, raising expectations for this season.

During the Clausen era, the Fighting Irish are yet to treat their home fans to a win over a major college program, beating just Duke and San Diego State in eight games at Notre Dame Stadium over that stretch.

Notre Dame will look to change that in one of the most storied rivalries in college football.

"This is a big game on Saturday. It goes back a long ways," Clausen said of the meeting between college football's two most winning programs. "There's a lot of tradition between these two teams."

The Wolverines destroyed the Irish, 38-0, last season in Clausen's second career start. He completed 11-of-17 passes for just 74 yards with one interception, and was sacked eight times before being pull late in the game.

"Every loss is an embarrassing loss to us," Clausen said. "We just don't like losing. When you have that attitude, that mentality, whether it's a one-point loss or a 50-point loss, it's going to be embarrassing for you."

Clausen remembered one thing from last year's meeting.

"A loss," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing that I got out of last year playing against Michigan. They're a real athletic team - coached real well. They know what they're doing out there."

It was just the beginning of a forgettable season for Notre Dame, which rotated quarterbacks throughout the campaign.

A bad start from Clausen on Saturday could create another unneeded quarterback controversy for the Irish with senior Evan Sharpley still on the roster.