Clausen, Irish hungry to turn things around

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Among the priorities on Jimmy Clausen's return to California this weekend is a visit to the local In-N-Out Burger, and you could not order a more fitting stop.

What place more aptly encapsulates the Notre Dame quarterback's debut season than In-N-Out? And what better salve for some double trouble than a Double-Double?

"None of us expect to lose," Jimmy Clausen said Tuesday, during the third of the four media sessions for Irish freshmen this season. "It's hard, but at the same time, you see a bunch of young guys playing and getting experience, and that's going to help in the long run.

"Having tribulations and troubles like this, we're never going to want to be in this (1-7) position again."

The same likely holds for Jimmy Clausen. Though, as usual, the freshman maintained a diplomatic line on any remotely controversial topic, including relinquishing the starting quarterback gig to Evan Sharpley.

Jimmy Clausen clung to the prescribed term "day-to-day" to describe his general health, which in part prompted the switch to Sharpley. As for idling by after starting for three years in high school and then six out of the first seven games for the Irish?

"It's different," Jimmy Clausen said, "but whatever my role is on this team is what I'm going to do."

Lately, the Irish have pushed the notion that sideline time will boost Jimmy Clausen's game comprehension.

"I think probably the first time he saw [the speed of the college game] clearly was actually standing on the sideline the other day," Irish coach Charlie Weis said. "When things start slowing down, when the players can start seeing things happening, that is usually when good things start to happen."

Said Jimmy Clausen: "When you go to the sidelines without playing, you get a feel for it, but you don't really get a feel for it. After being in the game for however many starts I had, you come off the field and you see things develop that you didn't see on the field sometimes."

Jimmy Clausen sported some discernible stubble Tuesday, the flaxen growth a product, he said, of no time to shave. Too much football, even in the off week. But he planned to clean up before his trip home, which will provide some respite from a season far hairier than he imagined.

*Notre Dame received more good recruiting news Monday when running back Jonas Gray of Detroit made an oral commitment, according to multiple recruiting Web sites. Gray, a 5-foot-10-inch, 213-pounder, is a consensus top 15 running back nationally.

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