SCOUTING REPORT Notre Dame

2002 record: 10-3.
Coach: Tyrone Willingham.
Returning starters: 14; 5 offense, 8 defense, kicker
Players to watch: WR Maurice Stovall, RB Ryan Grant, WR Omar Jenkins, QB Carlyle Holiday, CB Vontez Duff, DE Justin Tuck, ILB Courtney Watson
Outlook: Eight starters and a handful of others with extensive experience return from last year's 13th-ranked defense, including standout linebacker Courtney Watson. The defense has both speed and power.
Replacing four of five starters on the offensive line will make Notre Dame perilously inexperienced up front -- not an ideal situation for a program still making the transition to a new system.
Dogged by injuries last season, quarterback Carlyle Holiday and running back Ryan Grant must have better protection to improve their offensive production. Willingham managed to win with defense and special teams last season while performing an overhaul of the Irish offense that remains a work in progress. Another rugged schedule that includes trips to Michigan, Purdue and Pittsburgh in the first five weeks, followed by home games against Southern California and Florida State, will test that progress.
Schedule:
Sep. 6 -- Washington St.1:30
Sep. 13 -- at Michigan3:30
Sep. 20 -- Michigan St.1:30
Sep. 27 -- at PurdueTBA
Oct. 11 -- at PittsburghTBA
Oct. 18 -- Southern Cal1:30
Oct. 25 -- at Boston CollegeTBA
Nov. 1 -- Florida St.2:30
Nov. 8 -- Navy2:30
Nov. 15 -- BYU2:30
Nov. 29 -- at Stanford8
Dec. 6 -- at Syracuse1
-- Scripps Howard News Service