Eric Hansen

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - This was supposed to be the spring in which curiosity finally fermented into cynicism, when the comeuppance for inflicting more growing pains than obvious growth on fans over the past two Notre Dame football seasons would manifest itself into blanket disinterest come Blue-Gold Game time.

Yet there they were, the army of yellow-jacketed ushers opening up the upper bowl of Notre Dame Stadium at halftime Saturday to handle the overflow crowd that the construction-constricted lower tier couldn’t handle.

There was a gaggle of elite recruits among the fifth-largest crowd (31,104) in ND spring game history, including the sons of Notre Dame national title-catalyzing quarterbacks Terry Hanratty (1966) and Joe Montana (1977) – New Canaan, Conn., junior-to-be offensive lineman Conor Hanratty and Westlake Village senior-to-be quarterback Nick Montana.

There were former All-Americans who came to see if they could spot any future All-Americans on the field. There were former walk-ons who dominated the roster in the alumni flag football game prelim, then stuck around to see if the next Mike Anello might be anointed during the main event.

Not that everyone in the sun-drenched crowd was necessarily pro-Irish coach Charlie Weis. Some came to the game for the same twisted logic a smattering of NASCAR tickets are sold —to watch the crashes.

Actually confusion more or less reigned in a 68-33 victory for the Blue, with a scoring format that allowed for a 10-point touchdown by the Gold’s Robert Blanton on a 48-yard interception return and, in the same sequence, allowed the Blue to score on the play by kicking the extra point.

The third-leading rusher on the day and the only one of the three running backs not to score a touchdown, junior-to-be Armando Allen, was voted the game’s Offensive MVP. And poor P.A. announcer Mike Collins was bombarded with so many requisite pregame announcements, he never got a chance to explain why points were going on the scoreboard for such things as first downs and sacks.

In the end, even conventional rules wouldn’t have transformed the Blue-Gold Game from a series of disconnected glimpses into a full-fledged sneak peek at the 2009 season. There was too much vanilla in the game plan, too many missing pieces (both injured players and still-to-arrive prodigies) and a natural evolution that should take place over the summer.

Here then is what we did learn about Notre Dame through its 15 spring practices and what’s left to be uncovered:

THE KNOWN
Sophomore quarterback Dayne Crist appears to have as high a ceiling as Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen — maybe higher. But right now, Clausen is clearly No. 1.

Clausen’s numbers Saturday (8-of-17 for 70 yards, one interception, no touchdowns) were ordinary, and his timing with receivers seemed off, both with good reason. Top targets Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, and Duval Kamara missed large chunks of the spring, and that showed on Saturday.

What showed in the other 14 practices is how far Clausen has evolved in a year.

“It’s really a three-step deal,” Weis explained of the junior’s development. “You first call the plays. Then you run the plays. Then you run the offense. He’s gotten to where he’s running the offense. I think once you get to the point, the sky’s the limit.”

The running game looked like it was no longer stuck in neutral.

The rushing attack was not without disturbing ripples Saturday, most notably 11 negative-yardage plays, but the offensive line and the running backs have clearly begun to distance themselves from the two worst rushing seasons in ND history (2007 and 2008).

Allen ran with better vision and power than before. Slimmed-down Robert Hughes, the day’s leading rusher (93 yards, 21 carries, 2 TDs), was more elusive. Sophomore Jonas Gray looked like he could push them both. And freshman Cierre Wood joins the mix in June as the most celebrated of them all.

The offensive line, meanwhile, opened holes more than intermittently, played with more purpose and fewer mental errors than last season. Left tackle Paul Duncan, a fifth-year senior with a flat trajectory the past two years, continues to surprise.

“To be honest, since I’ve been here, we haven’t been that ‘pound ’em’ team that is just outright in control of the line of scrimmage,” Weis said. “That’s one of the goals we set from the beginning of spring, to try to get to where we could control the line of scrimmage, because it makes everything easier.”

The front seven appears up to speed.

That’s not to say there is glut of experience, but there is a sudden abundance of speed and athleticism, and new defensive line coach Randy Hart is harnessing it.

There are rising stars in sophomore defensive linemen Kapron Lewis-Moore and Hafis Williams and linebackers Darius Fleming, Steve Filer and David Posluszny. Sophomore defensive tackle/end Ethan Johnson had a dominant spring. Incoming freshman linebacker Manti Te‘o may eventually become the most dominant force on the defense when he arrives. Junior Brian Smith has already arrived, literally and figuratively.

The two healthy early-enrolling freshmen — defensive tackle Tyler Stockton and linebacker Zeke Motta — combined for 11 tackles Saturday, with Motta’s seven representing a game-high.

“I think they’ve very versatile, especially Ethan,” New York Giants Super Bowl XLII hero Justin Tuck, a guest coach Saturday, offered. “That D-line has the opportunity to make a lot of strides. They’re young, but they’re athletic.

“It seems like they’re all interchangeable. The all can play multiple positions, and you can do a lot with that. Offenses really can’t get a bead on what you’re trying to do in that defensive front.”

Harrison Smith is at home at free safety.

The junior, who was such a surprise when he filled in at outside linebacker last season, has made the loss of ND’s most productive defensive player in 2008 — David Bruton to graduation — almost unnoticeable.

Smith’s surrounding cast helps. The Irish have three frontline experienced corners in Blanton, Raeshon McNeil and repatriated senior Darrin Walls. Gary Gray should return from exile in the summer and Jamoris Slaughter looks ready to contribute.

The McCarthy brothers, Kyle and Dan, had strong springs at safety as did Sergio Brown.

ND fan and detractors alike are lamenting the lack of gristle in the Irish schedule.

In a backward sort of way, that’s a mark of progress. At least they’re no longer looking at, say, the November matchup between ND and Connecticut, and concluding Connecticut’s schedule lacks gristle.

Along the same lines, Irish offensive tackle Sam Young is getting swarmed by agents, something that wouldn’t be happening if the buzz was that new line coach Frank Verducci hadn’t made an impact, and Young wasn’t poised for a big senior year.

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