Quincy Notre Dame football coach Bill Connell and his staff found themselves in unfamiliar territory Friday night when it came to calling offensive plays.

Should they run or pass?

The Raiders unveiled a wrinkle to their traditional power-I formation, coming out in a spread offense starting with the first play from scrimmage. It was successful as QND routed Macomb 49-14, picking up 418 yards of total offense.

And it was a very balanced effort — 202 yards rushing, 216 yards passing. That also created some interesting sideline conversations as offensive coordinator Joe Obert and the rest of the staff called plays.

“We’re working our way down the field and we’re debating run or pass,” Connell said. “Nobody knows. We’ve never been in this position before. A lot of us have coached 18 years together, but we’ve never had that mindset. It was a different mindset.”

It should get easier. This was the first time QND ran the spread against an opposing defense, other than at the University of Missouri team camp back in June. The coaching staff seemed pleased with the overall effectiveness of the offense.

“I’m very proud of the way the players and the coaches adjusted and worked together,” Connell said. “We walk out of here knowing there is some work to be done, but we did some things right.”

Line ’em up, knock ’em down: Macomb coach Kelly Sears struggled to get his safeties to move up into the heart of the defense to take away the quick slants which QND quarterback Kramer Barnes used effectively.

However, he noted the real success of the spread offense came up front as QND’s hulking front line adjusted to new blocking schemes. The line kept Barnes from getting sacked and allowed QND to average 7.3 yards per carry in the first half.

Junior tailback Daniel Weiman had 114 yards on 13 carries, an average of 8.8 yards per touch.

“Weiman is one of the best running backs in the area,” Sears said.

Rotating receivers: Connell did not say which two wide receivers would line up as starters. Instead, he said to be prepared to see six different receivers rotate in and out of the lineup.

He didn’t lie. Six receivers caught passes, along with Weiman, and collectively, the group believes they will only get better.

“It’s one of those things where you have to run it a lot,” wide receiver Brandon Ley said of the spread offense. “It takes repetition.”

Already, the receivers seemed to have found some synergy with Barnes.

“We have all the different routes and you have to be on key with Kramer,” wide receiver Quenton Keating said. “With so many guys in routes and guys coming at him, it’s hard for him to see what’s going on in the field. You have to make life easy for Kramer.

“Kramer communicates well with everyone. We’re working on our routes and they are getting better every day.”

Game balls: The coaching staff handed two game balls following the victory. One went to Barnes, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. The other went to defensive tackle Connor Miller, who had seven tackles and one sack as the Raiders limited the Bombers to minus-5 yards rushing on 13 carries.

The Boxscore

QND 49, Macomb 14
MAC        QND
6    First downs    24
13-(minus 5)    Rushes-yard    34-202
199    Passing yard    216
194    Total yards    418
10-19-1    Comp-Att-Int    13-20-0
9-70    Penalties-yards    4-25
1-0    Fumbles-lost    2-0
Macomb    0    0    7    7—14
QND    14    28    7    0—49
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Q—Anthony Bruns 24 pass from Kramer Barnes (Blake Doane kick), 6:05
Q—Daniel Weiman 7 run (Doane kick), :05
Second Quarter
Q—Adam Niemann 8 pass from Barnes (Doane kick), 10:14
Q—Ryan Terstriep 1 run (Doane kick), 7:00
Q—Weiman 9 run (Doane kick), 5:08
Q—Weiman 11 run (Doane kick), :34
Third Quarter
M—Matthew Gordy 39 pass from Seth Wickert (Quin Johnson kick), 4:51
Q—Quenton Keating 37 pass from Barnes (Doane kick), :59
Fourth Quarter
M—Brian Elliott 36 pass from Wickert (Johnson kick), 4:55
Individual Statistics
RUSHING—Macomb, Alex Roberts 7-11, Chris Jackson 1-5, Brandon Cousins 2-(minus 7), Wickert 3-(minus 14). QND, Weiman 13-114, Zak Thompson 5-22, Conner McLaughlin 3-16, Barnes 4-15, Ian Hinkamper 2-14, Brandon Ley 1-9, Aaron Reiter 3-6, Terstriep 2-5, Cody Kessler 1-1.
PASSING—Macomb, Wickert 10-19-199-1. QND, Barnes 13-20-216-0.
RECEIVING—Macomb, Gordy 4-56, Zach Grover 2-69, Elliott 1-36, Roberts 1-20, Bradley Mason 1-14, Jackson 1-6. QND, Bruns 4-64, Keating 3-71, Ley 2-42, Luke Stamerjohn 1-12, Doane 1-11, Weiman 1-8, Niemann 1-8.

It’s been more than 15 years since the Quincy High School football team won its season opener, but facing an Alton team mired in similar struggles, this looks like a prime opportunity for the Blue Devils to open the season 1-0. It helps starting at home. but regardless of where this game is played, the Blue Devils can’t afford to make mistakes.

So what will it take for the streak to end?

Here are three keys for the Blue Devils:

1. Grab the lead

To get things going in the right direction, QHS coach Rick Little knows it is imperative that the Blue Devils score first. Not only will confidence soar if they can move the ball, but the Blue Devils would take away some of Alton’s swagger if they can get the lead. Alton has won 10 straight against Quincy, so the Redbirds expect to win. Put them in a hole and you don’t know how they’ll react.

2. Turnovers equal trouble

Little stressed the need for his defense to force turnovers and keep Alton from time-consuming drives. The same is true in reverse. The offense cannot make mistakes and needs to limit any three-and-outs. Junior quarterback Mitch Marold will be starting under center, and he is an electric athlete. In fact, the Blue Devils are blessed with a wealth of athletes. They simply have to play smart, something Little is confident they will do.

3. Be aggressive

Little wants to end the trend of getting off to slow starts. The best way to do is that is be physical from the opening snap. Not only does the coaching staff want the defense to fly around — the Blue Devils responded well in drills to everyone pursuing the ball — but the offensive line has to muscle up. If the line can put the Redbirds on their back, it sets a tone that this team can overpower people. Until the Blue Devils prove they can do that, teams will attack them up front.

The Quincy Notre Dame football team opens its season at 7:30 tonight with its traditional rivalry game against Macomb. This will be the final meeting between the schools since Macomb will join the revamped West Central Conference next season, and the Raiders will be looking for their seventh consecutive victory — a run that includes a first-round playoff victory in 2005.

So what will it take to make it happen?

Here are three keys for the Raiders:

1. Spread the success.

All preseason, the talk at 10th and Jackson has been about the implementation of the spread offense. The Raiders won’t be going wholesale to the spread — the running game is still the bread and butter of any Bill Connell-coached team — but when the Raiders use it, they better have success at it.

If they struggle in the passing game or the spread offense looks gimmicky, the coaching staff and those in attendance will question the decision to implement it.

2. Attack the football

Over the years, QND’s linebacking corps has mirrored the head coach’s personality. Connell won’t settle for this unit to be any less aggressive than those he has coached in the past. There will be several fresh faces playing linebacker, but the coaching will still demand pursuit from sideline to sideline. This team needs to find some ferocious hitters, and the likes of Cody Boots and Ryan Terstriep get to prove they can fill that role.

3. Special teams need to be special

The Raiders will unveil a new kicker, although Blake Doane did boot a few balls last season in mop-up duty. Physically, he has the tools to be an outstanding kicker and should handle the pressure well. The Raiders also need to establish a return man. Andrew Juette, who returned a kick 92 yards for a score last year against Macomb, is out with a knee injury. The Raiders have plenty of skilled runners to put back there, but the key is the units have to remain mistake-free.

Each Friday, I will break down the three keys to success for both the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame football teams in their respective games. This week, the Blue Devils open the season at home against Alton, while the Raiders open at home against Macomb.

QND has not lost a season opener since 2003, while QHS has not won a season opener in at least 15 years.

Will those streaks continue? Can the Raiders end their series with Macomb on a winning note? Can the Blue Devils break the trend of getting off on the wrong foot?

I’ll post three keys for each team that could make that happen.

Quincy’s Luke Guthrie shot a 1-under-par 69 Tuesday in the 109th annual U.S. Amateur Championship and moved into a tie for 61st, putting him in a playoff for one of the final four spots in match play.

There are 27 golfers vying for four spots.

“I’m pumped right now,” Guthrie said. “I’m excited. This is a great opportunity.”

The top 64 golfers after two rounds of stroke play advance to match play, set to begin Wednesday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Guthrie is scheduled to tee off at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday off the 10th tee.

Check www.whig.com for a full story on Guthrie’s second round.

Jack Cornell’s sprained ankle won’t keep down long.

The University of Illinois redshirt sophomore guard suffered what was termed a severe sprain during practice early last week. By Saturday, the Quincy Notre Dame product was off crutches and not noticeably limping.

Illinois coach Ron Zook told the Champaign News-Gazette’s Bob Asmussen that Cornell was improving. So there’s a chance he will be ready to play by the Sept. 5 season opener against Missouri.

Cornell likely will start the season as the backup at right guard, although he was running with the first team before his injury.

I believe any outdoorsman will tell you the chance to get as close as possible to some of nature’s most imposing beasts is the ultimate thrill. A couple of times during a trip to Yellowstone National Park earlier this month I was able to get within 30 yards of wild buffalo. No fence. No protection. Nothing keeping the buffalo from turning and running at me.

That was intense.

Actually, the trip through the entire park was incredible. It made every sense tingle with excitement and left my girlfriend, Michelle Clements, and I with memories to last us a lifetime. Well, at least until we go back.

Below are pictures Michelle and I took on our trek through the park.

It starts with a view of the snow-capped mountains you see as you enter the park from the east entrance in Wyoming. The second photo lets you know where you’re at. I didn’t get close to this buffalo in the third photo, but it illustrates how they roam the park wherever they want. The Dragon’s Mouth was a sulphur spring which Michelle said sounded like a washing machine as it bubbled out muddy water. The canyon is one of the most beautiful sites in the park. And look close and you’ll see two moose cows who had turned around after drinking from the river.

Hope you enjoy the look at the park through our camera lens.

Just before practices began for the high school and college football teams, I was able to get away for a nice vacation. I met my girlfriend’s extended family in Colorado. Participated in La Marcha for the first time (in case you don’t know because I didn’t, it is the Spanish wedding march). Reached the summit of Pike’s Peak. Found buffalo. And made it to Yellowstone National Park.

One word describes Yellowstone: Amazing.

Above is one of my favorite pictures from our day there. We spent more than 10 hours in the park and didn’t get to see everything. You could stay a week I think and not see everything.

Check out the Saturday edition of The Herald-Whig for my column about Yellowstone. For now, here’s a picture of the sunset as we were driving toward the park’s exit.

John Smoltz looked out of place Thursday night.

Sitting in the St. Louis Cardinals dugout, chatting with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright during the Redbirds’ 5-1 victory over the Padres, Smoltz was adjusting to his new surroundings.

It’s going to take time for him and us.

There isn’t much of that.

September call-ups are looming. A division title is at stake. Hopes for a trip to the World Series are growing. With that in mind, Smoltz doesn’t have the luxury of multiple starts to work himself into shape. It’s a now-or-never proposition.

He is scheduled to make his first start Sunday and will have the opportunity for a few starts before Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan decide if he is the elusive fifth starter or he goes to the bullpen. It’s easy to see why they like him. He’s a potential Hall of Famer who Duncan sees as a reclamation project.

Credit Duncan for helping a lot of veteran pitchers reinvent themselves. At the same time, why hasn’t he developed more young pitchers into quality big-league arms? That’s a discussion for another time.

This is about Smoltz and how he can help win a pennant. I’ll admit my first reaction to his signing was negative. Just another reclamation project for La Russa and Duncan to toy with, so I thought. The more Cardinals fans I spoke with — rarely have I heard another dissenting voice — I saw the bigger picture.

The Cardinals aren’t risking much, and the reward could be huge.

No one will know just how big until late October. If the Cardinals are still playing, it could be worth every penny.

A wealth of experience, unmatched size up front and playmakers galore are the reasons why expectations seem to be soaring around the Quincy Notre Dame football team.

Injuries, however, temper everything.

Three returning starters are currently sideline and a possible key contributor is expected to miss the season with a knee injury. That has QND coach Bill Connell and his staff concerned with depth and how they rebuild a linebacking corps that was one of the area’s best last season.

The Raiders likely will start the season without senior defensive back Andrew Juette, junior defensive end Eddy Holtschlag and junior safety Luke Stamerjohn.

Juette could return from an injury to his right knee Week 1 against Macomb, but it’s more likely he’ll be at full strength by Week 2 against Palmyra or Week 3 against Spring Valley Hall.

Holtschlag is targeting a Sept. 5 return from a shoulder injury suffered in the playoff loss to Bloomington Central Catholic. Holtschlag looks as fit as any player on the field, but he has to regain strength in the shoulder and arm before being cleared for full contact.

Stamerjohn suffered a knee injury during baseball season and could be up to full speed by Week 3. Sophomore lineman Nick Reichert, who was expected to add depth up front, is likely out for the season with a knee injury.

There are other tweaks and twists that could impact this team’s depth, but most other returnees have avoided injury thus far. Most of them have become stronger and more physical through offseason conditioning.

That’s evident in the case of James Aschemann, the 6-foot-7, 350-pound tackle, and Conner Miller, the defensive tackle said by many to be the toughest player to block on the team. Add in Division I recruit Zach Reichert, a 6-2, 270-pound guard, and the Raiders again have an edge up front.

Watching the linemen go through their paces the last two days, the size isn’t limited to the seniors. This program, which has five linemen playing at Division I schools this fall, could have more in the future if they continue to progress, grow and stay healthy.

Although there are hints the Raiders will line up in a spread offense more this year than ever before, the bottom line is running is their bread and butter. With a line like QND has, it makes sense to play smashmouth football as much as possible.