Heisman hopeful Ryan next challenge for Irish
You couldn't blame Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis for gushing over Matt Ryan.
Everyone else is.
Ryan, the Boston College senior quarterback, is soaring up Heisman Trophy watch lists after a near flawless first half. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound standout ranks ninth nationally in passing average (309.5 ypg) and tied for 10th in completions per game (26.7).
He opened the season with a 408-yard, 5-touchdown performance against Wake Forest and has led Boston College to its first 6-0 start in 65 years and its highest AP ranking (No. 4) since Doug Flutie called signals in Chestnut Hill 23 years ago. Ryan and the Eagles visit Notre Dame on Saturday (2:30 p.m., Channel 5).
Weis sees similarities between Ryan and his two most successful quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Brady Quinn.
"He's got a little bit of both," Weis said. "Brady is a little bigger than him. Tommy, when he was in college, was a little thinner then. But he reminds me a little bit of those two guys, both in his physique and his style of play."
Ryan grew up admiring Green Bay Packers star Brett Favre, but his college surroundings have steered his attention toward one quarterback.
"Being in Boston, you can't help but watch Tom Brady and what he's done this year," Ryan said. "It's been a lot of fun to watch him develop."
NFL scouts are saying the same about Ryan, who figures to hear his name called in April much earlier than Brady (sixth round) and probably sooner than Quinn (No. 22 overall). Weis called Ryan an "early, early pick."
Notre Dame's defense forced 7 turnovers against UCLA, ambushing walk-on freshman quarterback McLeod Bethel Thompson for 5 takeaways (4 interceptions, 1 fumble). The Irish fared decently against Purdue's Curtis Painter and Penn State's Anthony Morelli, but Ryan should provide a tougher test.
"He's poised, he's tough, he's efficient, he's accurate," Weis said. "He's a very, very, very good player."
At a crossroads: Michigan State and Purdue have been here before. Both programs typically start strong before falling off in October to varying degrees.
Michigan State's recent collapses have been particularly damaging, but first-year coach Mark Dantonio is preaching mental toughness after back-to-back losses.
"This is a new program, and this is going to be measured long-term," Dantonio said. "We're still a 4-2 football team. We're not a 2-4 or 1-5 football team."
Swan finished: Wisconsin senior wide receiver Luke Swan will undergo season-ending surgery today to repair a torn left hamstring. Swan, a former walk-on who ranks second on the team with 25 receptions for 451 yards, suffered the injury in the second quarter of Saturday's loss to Illinois.
His future playing status largely depends on the results of the surgery.
"Early indications were that he had some separation between the muscle completely in the bone," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "The only way you can fix that is to go in and surgically repair it, and that gets a little bit touchy in there."
Inches to go: Notre Dame wide receiver David Grimes practiced Tuesday and should be ready for the Boston College game. … Irish wideout Golden Tate suffered a head injury against UCLA and is listed behind Barry Gallup Jr. on the depth chart. Gallup's father, Barry, is the assistant athletic director for football operations at Boston College. … Penn State coach Joe Paterno did not elaborate Tuesday on the indefinite suspension of running back Austin Scott. The senior was suspended Friday for an unspecified violation of team rules. … Notre Dame freshman Kerry Neal is listed as a starting outside linebacker on this week's depth chart.