NEWS & NOTES: Nov. 21

As Notre Dame struggles to try to reach the .500 mark this weekend at 7-2 Stanford, now is the time to look to the future.

	It appears that redshirt freshman QB Carlyle Holiday has a bright future in South Bend.

While Bob Davie's status for next season is obviously questionable, you won't see any change at quarterback. That's because the Fighting Irish have a dynamic, multitalented signal caller in redshirt freshman Carlyle Holiday -- who is bringing back memories of former Notre Dame star Tony Rice.

Holiday is the one true difference-maker the Irish currently have on their roster. Even though he has tossed seven interceptions compared to two TD passes, his completion percentage is an acceptable 57.5.

With his quickness and his strong 6-foot-2½, 220-pound frame, Holiday presents quite a running option. He has picked up 548 yards and two rushing TDs.

What Notre Dame must do now is surround Holiday with a supporting cast that accentuates his ability. Fortunately for the Irish, it appears that two skill-position freshmen present intriguing long-range potential: RB Ryan Grant and wideout Carlos Campbell.

While you may remember Grant's unfortunate fumble a few weeks ago in the loss to Tennessee at South Bend, he caught the attention of the coaching staff with the flashes he showed during preseason practice. At the time, neither Julius Jones nor Tony Fisher were 100 percent, allowing Grant the necessary preseason work to showcase his skills.

Next season, I would expect the athletically gifted 6-1, 205-pound Grant to become a key factor in Notre Dame's ground game.

As for Campbell, he has ideal size (6-3½, 188) and the necessary package of skills -- and could be a starter in 2002. The Irish will definitely need productivity from Campbell, considering that both David Givens and Javin Hunter will be lost to graduation.

Don't overlook Fresno State's Berrian
Throughout the season on my Web site, I've highlighted a number of blue-chip junior wide receivers who have performed at an extremely high level.

That list includes Wisconsin's Lee Evans, Missouri's Justin Gage, LSU's Josh Reed, Florida's Reche Caldwell, Virginia's Billy McMullen and Hawaii's Ashley Lelie.

However, let's not overlook Fresno State's gifted junior wideout and return man, Bernard Berrian.

In early September, Berrian's 96-yard kickoff return for a TD to start the second half ignited a rally over Wisconsin. The Bulldogs overcame a 20-10 deficit and posted an impressive 32-20 victory that created quite a stir around the country.

Berrian's progression at Fresno State has been at just the pace you look for. He flashed his ability in '99 as a freshman, hauling in six receptions that year. He then improved to a team-leading 43 receptions the following season, averaging 16.4 yards per catch and scoring six TDs.

The 6-1–, 190-pounder gives the Bulldog offense vertical-stretch ability, and his hand-eye coordination and body control allow him to outduel DBs for the football. He's also a major-league threat after the catch.

Entering Friday's game against San Jose State at Bulldog Stadium, Berrian has 64 receptions for a team-leading 15.7-yard average and nine TDs. He's also averaging 14.5 yards per punt return and 25.4 yards on 21 kickoff returns.

In my opinion, Berrian is the most complete and gifted wideout the Bulldogs have produced since Henry Ellard, who had an outstanding NFL career after being chosen in the second round of the 1983 NFL draft by the then-Los Angeles Rams.