Weis restores Notre Dame image

The first-year coach also has transformed Brady Quinn into a star.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis says he no longer has to scold quarterback Brady Quinn to get a point across. Those animated, early-season sideline tutorials are much like the Notre Dame team that Weis inherited from the fired Tyrone Willingham: Long gone.
In less than a season, Weis, whose sixth-ranked Fighting Irish visit Stanford (5-5) on Saturday, has restored the image of college football's most storied program and transformed Quinn into a bona fide star.
The expectations have changed so dramatically that when Quinn goes 21 of 37 for 270 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions -- his numbers Saturday against Syracuse -- the junior quarterback calls it a bad game.
"That's really a good thing," Weis said Sunday, "because good or bad he's starting to be more like me. He has raised his expectation of his own play."
Made modest strides
In two seasons under Willingham, Quinn made modest strides but was hardly spectacular. Last season, his second as a full-time starter, Quinn threw 17 touchdown passes, had 10 interceptions, averaged 215.5 passing yards per game and completed 54.1 percent of his attempts.
This season, Quinn already has 29 touchdown passes, only five interceptions and averages 320.1 passing yards per game. He also has a 64.9 completion percentage.
"The kid's a sponge," Weis said. "He'll take in anything you say."
Weis, a no-nonsense coach, had plenty to say after he resigned as offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots to return to his alma mater. The man largely credited for turning Tom Brady into a megastar handed an NFL-type playbook and video of Brady to Quinn and demanded nothing short of excellence.
"Coach Weis allows us to take on a physical, tough attitude where there are no excuses," Quinn said. "The big thing is just get the job done."
Took Weis 101 course
Quinn has certainly done that. The 6-foot-4, 231-pound quarterback took a Weis 101 crash course in the winter and spring, spending as much time with the coach as rules permit, and has mastered the offense this fall. As he did, Weis started to loosen the reins.
"You don't need to say as many things as you would earlier because he already understands what you're saying," Weis said. "He already has a much higher level of understanding -- where you can say it quickly without being condescending or demeaning."
Under Weis, the entire team has much better understanding despite skeptics who insist that the schedule and admission standards are a recipe for disaster.
With a victory Saturday, the Irish (8-2) are a good bet to qualify for their first Bowl Championship Series game since the January 2001 Fiesta Bowl -- which Notre Dame lost 41-9 to Oregon State.
Weis' contract extended
Notre Dame officials are so impressed by Weis' success that they extended his contract last month from five years to 11, hoping to keep him from returning to the NFL.
Weis is a sucker for tradition. Saturday, he made sure to play all 34 seniors in the home finale and then soaked in all the pageantry when it was over.
"It was really cool to be able to stand away from it and just enjoy the moment," Weis said, "because I really looked at it as an alum, to tell you the truth. The only thing is, I had a better seat than most of the alums."