1996 Offensive Outlook

Backfield A Strong Point

Quarterback Ron Powlus (124 of 217 for 1,853 yards, 12 TDs, 7 ints.) -- elected a captain for '96 along with Marc Edwards and Lyron Cobbins -- should rank among the best in the nation at his position. He enters his third season as the Irish starter needing only 11 touchdown passes to better Rick Mirer's career record of 41.

Ranked 16th nationally last year in passing efficiency, Powlus must rebound from a broken left arm that kept him out of the final regular season contest in '95 plus Notre Dame's '96 Orange Bowl appearance. He also missed '96 spring drills, but the Irish medical staff expects him to be at full strength once fall camp opens.

Depth at the quarterback slot would have come in the form of senior Tom Krug (14 of 24 for 140 yards, 3 TDs in '96 Orange Bowl vs. Florida State), a veteran of starting assignments in '95 against Air Force and then Florida State in the Orange Bowl, both coming after Powlus' injury. But discovery last spring of congenital bone fusion in Krug's neck forced him to retire.

Waiting in the wings is sophomore Jarious Jackson, who didn't play at all in '95 as a rookie but showed promise in extensive work during '96 spring drills.

The makings for an excellent running attack definitely are present, with backs responsible for 96 percent of the '95 Irish rushing yards returning. Look for senior tailback Randy Kinder (143 for 809, 5.7 yards per carry, 9 TDs), sophomore tailback Autry Denson (137 for 695, 5.1, 8 TDs) and senior fullback Marc Edwards (140 for 717, 5.1, 9 TDs -- 25 catches for 361, 3 TDs) again to play major roles.

Both Kinder and Denson showed flashes of brilliance a year ago, Kinder with four straight games of 100-plus rushing yards and Denson with three 100-yard efforts of his own in an outstanding job of filling in as a neophyte. Farmer, out most of '95 with a knee injury that was aggravated again during spring drills, hopes as a senior to regain the form that saw him rush for a team-leading 93 yards in the '96 Orange Bowl against Florida State.

Irish followers could have made a solid case for Edwards as the Irish MVP last fall, given his all-around contributions. He ranks as the top returning Notre Dame receiver for '96 after leading the team in scoring as a junior (he, Kinder and Denson combined for 26 rushing touchdowns) -- and receiving skills among the Irish running backs figure to be particularly important in Lou Holtz's plans to utilize the spread passing attack.

Also working at fullback behind Edwards will be potential-laden sophomore Jamie Spencer (9 for 22 in '95), who during spring drills showed signs of becoming a major factor, and junior Ken Barry (3 for 11 in three game appearances in '95).

Three Regulars Back On Offensive Line

The Irish made major strides in consistency and production on the offensive line in '95, and expectations remain high in that area in spite of the graduation losses of starting offensive guards Ryan Leahy and Dusty Zeigler.

Returnees include seniors Mike Doughty and Chris Clevenger at tackle along with senior Rick Kaczenski at center, though Clevenger missed spring drills while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Senior Jeremy Akers returns at left guard after missing most of '95 with a knee injury, while sophomore Mike Rosenthal shifts from tackle to guard and holds down the starting role at the right guard spot.

There are a number of talented sophomores on the line who should have their first chances to play noteworthy roles in '96. That list of second-year players includes Tim Ridder and John Wagner at tackle and Jerry Wisne and Alex Mueller at guard. Neither Wagner nor Mueller played at all as freshmen, while Ridder played briefly in four games, Wisne in one.
Wisne made a strong run at the starting left guard job during springs drills with Akers still not at full strength and those two figure to continue that battle in fall camp.

Junior Jon Spickelmier is back at center and could be the Irish special-teams snapper, though he didn't play during spring drills coming off January knee surgery. Senior Jeff Kilburg adds extra experience at center (he played in five games in '95), and junior Luke Petitgout adds insurance at tackle after working previously both as a tight end and offensive lineman (he played at guard in three games in '95).

Questions at Receiver Slots

Lou Holtz hopes to utilize the same spread passing game in '96 that he unveiled in the Orange Bowl, but he'll have to do it without a proven deep threat at wide receiver with Derrick Mayes gone, as well as flanker starter Charles Stafford and flanker and kick returner Scott Sollmann (he signed a professional baseball contract in June).

Part-time flanker regular Emmett Mosley (17 catches for 268 yards, 1 TD in '95) is the most experienced of the returnees at split end and flanker. The Irish continue to look for development amongst their younger players at these spots, including returning lettermen Malcolm Johnson and Cikai Champion (neither accounted for a reception in '95). Another possibility is sophomore Bobby Brown (he didn't play at all as a rookie in '95).

At tight end is fifth-year veteran Pete Chryplewicz (17 catches for 204, 1 TD in '95). Working with him is fifth-year player Kevin Carretta (he earned a scholarship last year after joining the program originally as a walk-on) and sophomore John Cerasani, who watched his rookie campaign from the sidelines.