Daily Domer: Saved by Zero (Sacks)

After two games -- and this is sure to shock anyone who witnessed the 2007 season -- Notre Dame is tied for No. 1 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed. The Irish, who surrendered an NCAA-record 58 sacks two years ago, have yet to allow a sack. Compare that figure to 2007, when after four games the Irish had surrendered -- and I don't use that term casually -- 24 sacks.

The Irish are one of 12 teams yet to yield a sack. But the numbers are more impressive than that, actually. The Irish are one of seven teams who have played two games that have not allowed a sack yet. And of those seven teams -- Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, the Irish, Pittsburgh, San Diego State and West Virginia -- Notre Dame has attempted the second most passes.

Jimmy Clausen has attempted 60 passes thus far -- completing 40 -- and Dayne Crist another two for a team total of 62. Only Ryan Lindley of San Diego State, who's dropped back to pass 75 times, exceeds that figure. Auburn's Chris Todd has attempted 49, Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt 25, Chris Masson of La.-La (but no one else) 60, Pitt's Bill Stull 46, and West Virginia's Jarrett Brown 57.

Clausen is completing 66.7 percent of his passes, has yet to throw an interception, and is third nationally in passing efficiency behind Ryan Mallett of Arkansas -- who has only played one game -- and Florida icon Tim Tebow. Lindley, by contrast, is completing 50.7 percent of his passes and has thrown three picks.

Want more? No? Too bad. Clausen has thrown seven touchdown passes and zero interceptions, or seven more TD passes than picks. No other quarterback has a plus-seven touchdown to interception differential. Houston's Case Keenum has also thrown seven TD passes but been picked off once. Taylor Potts, the latest creature to emerge from Mike Leach's Frankensteinesque QB laboratory (la-bor-a-tory, say it that way) in Lubbock, has thrown nine TD passes, but he has three picks.

From a passing offense perspective, the Irish could hardly be doing any better. Zero sacks allowed and a quarterback whose numbers are arguably the best in the land.

All of which confirms what we already knew: Say what you want about Charlie Weis otherwise (and people sure do), but the man can put together a prolific passing offense. And the Irish, who have been known the past decade for making the quarterbacks who face them a pile of cash (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, JaMarcus Russell, to name a few), are under Weis making their own some NFL coin as well.

And that may be the most frustrating part for Irish fans: After two games, with a passing attack that is humming as well as possible, the Irish are but .500. But, as Eric Hansen pointed out in Monday's South Bend Tribune, you have to be able to stop the run. And for as well as the Irish have slinged it, they are 88th in rush defense after two games (171.5 yards per game). That rating is going to earn much more attention a week from now, when the Irish prepare to visit a Purdue team that after two games has the nation's leading rusher (Ralph Bolden, 178.5 ypg)

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Michigan State, also 1-1, has middling statistics across the board as a team. The Spartans are no lower than 79th nationally in any category (fortuitously for the Irish, they are 79th in both pass defense and pass efficiency defense) and are no higher than 14th (passing efficiency) in any non-special teams category. They are fourth in net punting.

The Spartans' most valuable player, and the numbers back this up, is linebacker Greg Jones. The junior is third nationally in tackles with 14.5 per game and could be headed for a first-team All-America campaign. As for the Irish individuals, besides Clausen, Michael Floyd is second nationally in receiving yards per game (160) behind Greg Salas of Hawaii (187.50). We should find out in a couple of hours if Floyd, who needed 15 stitches to close the cut in his knee he suffered when falling hard to the track that rings the field at Michigan Stadium, will be available to go on Saturday.

One other Irish standout worthy of mention is strong safety Kyle McCarthy, who leads the Irish in both tackles (18) and interceptions (two). McCarthy, who started just one game his first two seasons in uniform for the Irish, is sort of the defensive version of Jeff Samardzija in the Weis era: a non-factor as an underclassmen, and as valuable a member of his unit as anyone the final two.

Alright, Charlie's presser starts at noon. Gotta gas up my Schwinn (yes, my wheels in South Bend are actually a Schwinn that's nearly as old as I am) and head over to the Gug.