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After the final whistle blew in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to end Louisiana State's 41-14 trashing of Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame linebacker Travis Thomas could do little but look forward to 2007.
With many of the stars from the Irish leaving for the NFL, the leadership and skill positions for the Irish were vacant. There was an opportunity for the eight fifth-year seniors, Thomas among them, to step up and take leadership roles.
Thomas is indeed taking an increased job with the Irish, just not at the position he spent most of his time at last year.
After totaling 35 tackles and a sack last year playing the majority of his time at linebacker, Thomas has been moved back to running back, where he does have collegiate and high school experience. Thomas will play in the backfield in addition to his role as Notre Dame's special teams ace, and his leadership and experience will be invaluable for a youthful Irish team that has experienced growing pains so far this season.
Hailing from Washington, Pa., Thomas was a backup to former Irish running back Darius Walker for the past two years, scoring seven touchdowns, but now he will share time with a multitude of players in the Notre Dame backfield.
In high school, Thomas also played both sides of the ball, playing at running back on offense and strong safety and outside linebacker on defense. On the offensive side of the ball, Thomas totaled 2,730 yards and 56 touchdowns during his career, becoming the third all-time leading rusher in Washington High School history.
Although the majority of his playing time this season will come on the offensive side of the ball, head coach Charlie Weis expects Thomas to make the most impact in special teams, where he is entering his second year as captain.
"With Travis, I know one thing - he's going to play well on special teams," Weis said. "And I would expect starting with that, before you even get to running back, I would expect a big day out on him on special teams."
Though Weis may put Thomas' special teams prowess at the top of his mind, Thomas feels that the success of the Notre Dame running game will fall on his shoulders throughout the season because of his experience.
"I take a lot of responsibility for that," Thomas said on Aug. 28. "When my number is called to run the ball, I feel like I have to run the ball well. That's what I'm here to do now is run the ball and do the things that a running back is called to do."
Like the Irish in general, who have started the season 0-2 and have yet to score an offensive touchdown, Thomas has not hit his stride yet. He has just five yards on 13 carries so far in 2007.
Still, Weis is expecting his leaders, including Thomas, to lead an inexperienced team back to the winning ways of the past two years.
"I think that off the field, these guys have been great," Weis said. "I think they've been invaluable to our program. And I think the best part is they're the ones that feel about as bad as I do."
Before the season even began, Thomas knew that he would have to change his leadership techniques because of the youth movement taking place in South Bend, Ind. With freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen the most glaring example of the young players starting for Notre Dame, Thomas feels the need to grow both on and off the field.
"Me personally, I've along the way kind of been the guy to be more so of a leader by example, and I've seen myself grow more as a vocal leader now," Thomas said. "I try to do things the right way and hopefully, everyone picks up on that and tries to do the same, as well."
Heading into this week, the Irish will be on the road for a second consecutive week against traditional Big Ten powerhouse Michigan. Both teams enter the game 0-2, something that has never happened in the illustrious histories of these two programs. Weis will look to players like Thomas to help the team overcome the tough start and recover this week in Ann Arbor, Mich.
With many young players that may be falling behind in practice, Thomas feels that he must take responsibility for getting that player up to speed with the rest of the team.
"When you see a guy who may be lagging along and really doesn't have a clue as to how things are working right now," Thomas said, "it kind of feels like it's my responsibility to bring him along and get him up to speed as a leader."
Game to watch
No. 10 Ohio State at Washington
Coming off two impressive wins against Syracuse and Boise State, the Huskies will look to make their biggest statement of the young season as they welcome the Buckeyes to Husky Stadium. Sophomore quarterback Jake Locker has exceeded the preseason hype with four total touchdowns in only two games.
Ohio State will face its first real challenge of the season after wins against inferior Youngstown State and Akron.
Boise State's streak snapped
With Boise State's defeat at the hands of Washington, 24-10, last Saturday, the Broncos' 14-game winning streak, the longest in the nation, came to an end. After an undefeated season last year, Boise State was shut out in the second half by the Huskies. The 10 points scored by the Broncos was their lowest offensive output since a 17-7 loss to Fresno State on Nov. 10, 2005. The Broncos' loss, combined with a loss by Brigham Young, means Wisconsin now owns the nation's longest current winning streak in the country at 11.
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