Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Hawaii
- Surprise, surprise - Hawaii is in the Hawaii Bowl! The Notre Dame Fighting Irish head to the islands on Christmas Eve to battle the Warriors at Aloha Stadium in the Hawaii Bowl.
The Warriors have played in four of the past six games and opened as small favorites to win it again.
Oddsmakers currently have the Fighting Irish listed as 1½-point favorites versus the Warriors, while the game's total is sitting at 48.
Notre Dame gained just 96 total yards in a 38-3 loss to USC in Week 14, as 32-point underdogs. The 41 points went UNDER the posted total of 50.
Brandon Walker booted a 41-yard field goal for the only Irish points, while gaining just 96 total yards in the loss.
Greg Alexander had two TD passes in Hawaii's 29-24 loss to Cincinnati in Week 15.
The Bearcats weren't able to cover the 7.5-point spread in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (48.5).
Team records:
Notre Dame: 6-6 SU, 6-6 ATS
Hawaii: 7-5 SU, 5-5-1 ATS
Notre Dame most recently:
When playing in December are 1-3
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 3-7
When playing outside the conference are 4-6
Hawaii most recently:
When playing in December are 6-4
When playing on turf are 5-5
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing outside the conference are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Notre Dame is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Hawaii is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Hawaii is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hawaii's last 6 games
Hawaii Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Hawaii
Notre Dame
9-1 Under in road games
8-0 Under Away off SU loss
Hawaii
6-0 ATS after BB games w/ TO margin of +1 or better
12-4 Under on turf
NOTRE DAME vs. HAWAII
Notre Dame is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Hawaii is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Hawaii is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Weis to call plays for Irish in Hawaii Bowl
December 22, 2008
HONOLULU (AP) -Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis will call the offensive plays against Hawaii in Wednesday's Hawaii Bowl instead of offensive coordinator Mike Haywood.
``I'll be calling the game,'' Weis said during his first media availability Monday. ``He's here. Don't worry. Coach Haywood and I are on the same page on this one.''
Weis called plays during the team's final three regular-season games and downplayed the move.
``That's the other thing you read when you do that: All of the sudden you're trying to run someone out or there's a rift between you, but we couldn't be any closer than we are right now,'' Weis said.
The Fighting Irish (6-6) are seeking to snap their NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak against the Warriors (7-6).
Haywood took over play calling for the Irish this season, but Weis led the offense against Navy because Haywood missed a practice attending a cousin's funeral. Weis also called plays the following weeks against Syracuse and Southern California.
Haywood had indicated he has no problem with Weis calling the plays, saying, ``Whatever I'm asked to do, I do.''
Weis wouldn't elaborate on the decision, which leaves open questions surrounding Haywood, who has been interviewing for head coaching jobs the past two seasons, including at Washington.
``That's just the way it is. That's why,'' he said. ``There's no further explanation. That's just the way we're doing it for this game. After this game, we'll worry about next year.''
Weis said at the beginning of the year that Haywood would be calling plays all season and dismissed those who said he would take over before the season was over.
Receiver David Grimes, one of the three team captains, said there wasn't a difference for the players as far as which coach calls the plays.
``At the end of the day, it's still the same plays called,'' he said. ``We still have our packages and what we run on third down, first and second downs, and red zone.''
Grimes spoke highly of Haywood, who is in his fourth season at Notre Dame.
``He's been here ever since I've been here. I learned a lot under him,'' Grimes said. ``He's had a tremendous impact on my career here. he's helped me on and off the field. He's had a big impact on me.''
What bettors need to know: Sheridan Hawaii Bowl
By STEVE MERRIL
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hawaii Warriors (-1, 48.5)
Line movement
Despite playing on their true home field, the early money has come in on Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish opened as 2.5-point underdogs and were quickly bet down to 1.5 within the first day. The line has continued to decline and now stands as a pick’em.
The total opened at 48 points and has held steady. There was a small movement down to 47.5, but it soon returned back to the opening number of 48.
Weather
As might be expected, the weather conditions should be fantastic for this bowl game. The forecast is calling for mid 70 degree temperatures with only a 10 percent chance of rain. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Christmas Eve, but it will still be daytime in Hawaii as there is a five-hour time difference with a local kickoff of 3 p.m.
Key injuries
Hawaii enters this game healthy with only one key player on the injury report. Running back Kealoha Pilares has a foot injury but is listed as probable. Pilares is second on the team in rushing yards this season with 281 yards (5.2 ypr) and has seven touchdowns. Pilares is also fifth on the team with 26 receptions.
Notre Dame also has one key injury as wide receiver Michael Floyd is listed as questionable with a knee injury. Floyd did not play in the final three regular season games but still finished the season second on the team in receiving yards (702) and third in total receptions (46).
Home cooking
It will be the fifth time in the past seven years that the Warriors have participated in the Hawaii Bowl. They were blown out in a rare BCS bowl appearance when they lost 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl versus Georgia as 7.5-point underdogs last year. Hawaii has fared better at home as it was 3-1 SU in its previous four Hawaii Bowls with a 2-2 ATS record in those games.
Notre Dame will be making its 29th bowl appearance but only its second appearance in Hawaii. The Irish beat SMU 27-20 in the 1984 Aloha Bowl. Notre Dame missed the postseason last year after a disappointing 3-9 SU campaign that followed its 2006 trip to the Sugar Bowl and 2005 trip to the Fiesta Bowl. Both of which were SU/ATS losses.
Struggling Offenses
Hawaii had an amazing run during the nine years June Jones coached the team. They went from 0-12 SU to a Sugar Bowl appearance. Jones implemented an extreme pass-based offense and Hawaii averaged 46.9 points per game in 2006 and 43.4 ppg in 2007. The team lost seven starters this season, including quarterback Colt Brennan. New head coach Greg McMackin has installed a more conservative offense. The Warriors averaged just 24.9 points per game and only 5.3 yards per play this season.
Notre Dame has also relied more on its defense this season. The Irish have only scored 22.7 points per game and average just 5.0 yards per play. The Irish have are particularly weak on the road where they average just 15.7 points per game and only 4.7 yards per play. Notre Dame has won with its defense as it allows just 22.2 points per game and only 5.0 yards per play.
2008 Hawaii Bowl Preview
by Matt Severance
Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6)
Conference matchup: WAC vs. Independent
When: Dec. 24, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu
Spread: Notre Dame -1, total at 48.5
Line movement: The money has definitely come in on the Irish, as they opened as underdogs between 1.5-2 points but now are favored. The total has been relatively unchanged.
The Irish are 13-15 in bowls, and it has been well documented that they haven't won one since the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day in 1994. That's an NCAA-record nine losses in a row. Notre Dame didn't qualify for a bowl last year and was routed in its last bowl by LSU, 41-14, on Jan. 3, 2007, in the Sugar Bowl - Brady Quinn's final game. The Warriors are 5-3 in bowls but suffered an embarrassing loss in last season's Sugar Bowl to Georgia. The Warriors have played in the Hawaii Bowl four times since its inception in 2002, winning three.
How they got here: The Warriors opened the season 1-3 and were looking for a QB to replace Colt Brennan. Hawaii closed the season with three wins in four games, and that loss was a hard-fought 29-24 home setback to No. 13 Cincinnati. Notre Dame lost four of its past five games, including a shocking home defeat to an awful Syracuse team and a 38-3 rout at USC when the Irish didn't get a first down until late in the third quarter.
Key trends: Hawaii is 4-0 ATS in its past four games as an underdog. The under is 7-2 in the Warriors' past nine non-conference games. Notre Dame is 0-6 ATS in its past six bowls. The over is 6-0 ATS in the Irish's past six games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Stability at QB: The Warriors found it when they inserted Greg Alexander as the starter for good (he started the opener at Florida but then went to the bench). At the time, they were 3-4, but they finished 4-2. Alexander threw 12 touchdown passes in those six games, including at least two in five of them. He only had two interceptions during that span. The junior has thrown for 1,142 yards, nine TDs and completed 65.9 percent of his passes over his last four games.
There is one problem for Hawaii: protecting Alexander. The Warriors are 118th out of 119 teams when it comes to protecting the QB, having allowed 41 sacks on the season.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, held seven of its 12 opponents below 200 passing yards, but yielded 27.2 points over its final five games.
Woeful Irish offense: Notre Dame's offense definitely regressed late in the season, with the low point coming in that Southern Cal game. Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw eight interceptions and just two touchdowns in the final four games.
Part of that could have been the absence of freshman WR Michael Floyd, who missed the Irish's final three games with a sprained knee. He set a freshman school record for receptions with 46, touchdown catches with seven and receiving yards with 702. He also had four 100-yard games. With him out, teams could double-team fellow WR Golden Tate, who is Notre Dame's best playmaker.
In the nine games Floyd played in, Notre Dame averaged 259 yards per game passing. In the three games he missed, the Irish averaged just 147 passing yards. Floyd expects to return for the bowl game, which should be a boost. The Irish need him, because they still cannot run the ball.
Hawaii's defense allows 203.85 passing yards per game, 54th nationally.
Overview: Obviously there will be a massive home-field advantage for Hawaii, and those fans will be pumped to see Notre Dame, which is in the islands for the first time since 1997 (the Irish and Hawaii have met twice, both in Hawaii, with Notre Dame winning both). Irish fans generally travel well and bring big followings all over the country, but with the economy what it is and this game being on Christmas Eve, you can bet it will be at least 85 percent Hawaii fans, if not higher. The Warriors win this one fairly easily.
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