with a hamstring injury, providing more opportunity for Clark to ge

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Miami-Notre Dame game Saturday wont be Catholics vs. Convicts as the game was known in its heyday.The winner of the rivalry game won the national championship each year from 1987-89. There also was bad blood, with Notre Dame upset at Miami coach Jimmy Johnson for running up the score 58-7 in Gerry Fausts last game as coach after announcing his resignation in 1985. There was a pregame fight in 1988 and pregame taunting the next year.With the Hurricanes (4-3) limping in with a three-game losing streak and Notre Dame (2-5) seeking to avoid a four-game home losing streak , theres no chance Saturdays game will have that intensity, especially because the two have only played twice since Notre Dame officials ended the series in 1990 because it was growing too intense.That is why Irish coach Brian Kelly hasnt talked much about the rivalry.Its really not central to what were going through right now, he said. Whats central to this football team, in my estimation, is execution and confidence and all of the things that are more germane to this team. Its not about retribution and tradition and things of that nature.Miami coach Mark Richt, the starting quarterback when the Hurricanes lost to the Irish 16-14 in 1982, planned to talk to his players about the series.I think its important for them to know the history of the series and some of the great games that have been played by two teams that have a national brand, he said.Players on both sides, who werent born when the series ended, dont know a lot about it.I dont know if they played with my dad in the early `80s, said Notre Dame right guard Alex Bars, whose father, Joe, played for Notre Dame from 1981-84 and faced the Hurricanes each year. Catholics-Criminals? I dont know.Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, a Miami native, still thinks the game is important.At Miami, you get judged by whether you beat Notre Dame or not. If you dont beat Notre Dame, its a failure, he said. Its a big deal. Its a big thing in this university. Its a big thing in this town. And if were both 12-0 or 0-12, playing here, there, or on the moon, Miami must beat Notre Dame.Some other things to be aware of when Miami faces Notre Dame on Saturday:LESS IS MORESimplifying the defense has led to improved play, so now Notre Dame is going to try to do the same for its struggling offense.We have fallen into a similar trap that we were dealing with earlier defensively, is were probably doing a little too much, Kelly said. I think from an offensive standpoint, we can just be who we are. Lets practice what were good at and lets be better at execution in this kind of game.LOT OF YOUTHNotre Dame and Miami have combined to use 41 freshmen this season, including 27 true freshmen. Notre Dames use of 14 true freshmen is already a record for the Kelly era in South Bend, and more than half of the players Miami had on the field in its last game at Virginia Tech were either freshmen or sophomores.PASS RUSH VS. PASS BLOCKINGNotre Dame ranks 125th in the nation in sacks with six in seven games. Only one of those sacks is by a lineman. Miami surrendered eight sacks against Virginia Tech last week after giving up seven through the first six games.OCTOBER TO FORGETMiami is trying to avoid losing four October games for the first time since 1953. In the last 40 years, theres only been one instance of the Hurricanes losing four games in any month -- November 2007.HONEYMOON IS OVERNotre Dame wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. spent his day off last Saturday getting married to his longtime girlfriend.I knew she was the one, so I wasnt really nervous about it, he said.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org Giovanni Fiore Jersey . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. John Gibson Jersey . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http://www.authenticduckspro.com/Ondrej-kase-ducks-jersey/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Korbinian Holzer Ducks Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Korbinian Holzer Jersey . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. There are a lot of tremendous athletes in the NFL and, sometimes, all they need is a new and better opportunity to improve their production. While a new team, or scheme, doesnt guarantee production, the opportunity is what matters. Last season, for example, Brandon Marshall set career highs in receptions (118), yardage (1,508) and touchdowns (11) upon joining the Chicago Bears; Demaryius Thomas broke through in his third season with the Broncos, thanks in no small part to having Peyton Manning as his quarterback; Vincent Jackson had a career-best 72 catches for 1,384 yards in his first season with Tampa Bay. Those three ranked third, fourth and fifth in receiving yardage last season. It should be noted that some players, like Mike Wallace going to Miami and Ahmad Bradshaw going to Indianapolis for example, may continue to be productive with their new teams, but may not be as likely to improve on the numbers theyve put up previously. So, who are some players getting new opportunities this year that might be in for productive seasons? Steven Jackson, RB, Atlanta - Jackson has run for more than 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons. Hes 30-years-old, which can be a time of decline for running backs, but Jackson joins an Atlanta Falcons offence that is much more prolific than the Rams offence that hes been trying to carry. For all of the yardage hes accumulated -- last seasons 1,363 yards from scrimmage was his lowest since 2007, Jackson hasnt scored more than eight touchdowns in a season since 2006. The back that Jackson is replacing, Michael Turner, scored 61 touchdowns over the last five seasons with Atlanta, so a double-digit touchdown season shouldnt be out of the question for Jackson. Daryl Richardson, RB, St. Louis - In the wake of Jacksons departure from St. Louis, there is opportunity for Richardson, the second-year back who gained 638 yards from scrimmage as a rookie after he was a seventh-round pick in 2012. Richardson may not be big enough to handle a full starters workload, and Isaiah Pead will compete for touches, but whoever gets to run for the Rams will have a chance to produce. David Wilson, RB, N.Y. Giants - A first-round pick in 2012, Wilson found himself in the doghouse for much of his rookie season after a fumble on the second carry of his NFL career, but showed potential late in the year, rushing for 247 yards in the last four games. Wilson will share backfield duties with Andre Brown, and could lose touchdown opportunities as a result, but hes a good bet to be the more productive back for Big Blue. Greg Jennings, WR, Minnesota - After injuries limited him to just eight games for the Packers last season, Jennings gets a fresh start with a division rival and does so as the Vikings number one wide receiver. That brings no guarantee of production, considering the focus on the running game with Adrian Peterson and the fact that third-year quarterback Christian Ponder isnt exactly Aaron Rodgers, but Jennings is a three-time 1,000-yard receiver who has scored nine touchdowns in a season four times, and he could get back to those numbers over a full season with the Vikings. Tony Moeaki, TE, Kansas City - AFter sitting out the entire 2011 season with a knee injury, Moeaki returned last season and had modest numbers for the Chiefs, but could be poised for a bigger role as the Chiefs offence is overhauled, with new quarterback Alex Smith and new head coach Andy Reid implementing an offence that has tended to be good for ttight end production.dddddddddddd If its not Moeaki who benefits, maybe it will be newcomer Anthony Fasano, who was reliable, if perhaps under-utilized, in Miami. Danny Amendola, WR, New England - Few newcomers have the notoriety of Amendola, the slot receiver who is set to replace Wes Welker in the Patriots offence. Amendola has missed 20 games over the last two seasons, so health is a primary concern, but hes productive when he plays, recording 153 receptions in 28 games (5.46 per game) over the last three seasons. If Amendola can build trust with Brady, though, Amendola will have far better opportunities to produce than he did with St. Louis while quarterback Sam Bradford was in the infancy of his NFL career. Can he catch 100 passes and gain 1,000 yards, like Welker? That might be asking a lot, but its not out of the question. Jared Cook, TE, St. Louis - Following a breakthrough season with the Titans in 2011, when he had 759 receiving yards, Cook took a step back last season and has moved on to a Rams offence which, due to unproven receivers, offers plenty of room for Cook to become a big part of the passing attack. Cook is a big target and athletic enough to get down the field. If he becomes a red zone threat (hes scored eight touchdowns in four NFL seasons), then his value will really take off. Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago - Going from a back-up role in Dallas to a starting spot with the Giants last season paid off for Bennett as he registered career-highs in receptions (55), yardage (626) and touchdowns (5) and now he moves to the Bears, where there should be ample opportunity to play a big role in the Bears passing game under new head coach Marc Trestman. Maybe Bennett wont improve dramatically over last season, but the Bears are likely to pass more than they have in the past and Bennett can be part of that production. Dallas Clark, TE, Baltimore - Far enough removed from his career-best 2009 season, with the Colts, when he caught 100 passes for 1,106 yards, Clark could be a valuable addition to the Ravens offence in the wake of Dennis Pittas hip injury. Re-connecting with offensive co-ordinator Jim Caldwell, who coached Clark with the Colts, provides familiarity and, even at 34, Clark could put up good numbers with a good quarterback and an offence that targets the tight end. Ed Dickson is also a consideration for the Ravens, but hes currently dealing with a hamstring injury, providing more opportunity for Clark to get settled into his role. Jacoby Jones, WR, Baltimore - Staying with the Ravens, Jones could see a bump in production as he moves into the starting lineup due to the departure of Anquan Boldin. Jones is a terrific return man, but has a career-high of 562 receiving yards, so he has a chance to exceed past production. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Arizona - Injuries sabotaged Mendenhalls 2012 season, but hed run for 3,309 yards and 29 touchdowns in the previous three years and he seems likely to be the Cardinals No. 1 back, though he does face competition from Ryan Williams. If Mendenhall is healthy and remains the starter, a 1,000-yard season isnt an unreasonable expectation. There are others, including some that will be included in an upcoming position battles post, but these are some of the new faces in new places that could make a difference this season. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '