Sean O'Shea

Brian Kelly 's Notre Dame sent a strong signal that they will be a major force to be reckoned with next year when they defeated an outclassed Miami team in the Sun Bowl.

It was Notre Dame's fourth consecutive victory and their most impressive win of the season.

Kelly has begun to put his own brand on Notre Dame and the team with so many seniors returning will be a major force next year and beyond.

SECOND QUARTER REPORT
Miami started the second quarter just as poorly as they did the first when quarterback Jacoby Harris lobbed rather than threw a pass that was intercepted by Notre Dame's Harrison Smith.

Moments later running back Serra Wood took an option pass from Rees and ran for thirty five yards for another touchdown as Miami seemed paralyzed by indecision.

NOTRE DAME 21 MIAMI 0

The Sun Bowl at El Paso kicked off under rare winter like conditions with temperatures of just 36 degrees following a West Texas snow storm on Thursday.

Tommy Rees showed rare poise in the first possession for Notre Dame after Austin Collinsworth had set them up with a great opening kick off runback to the Notre Dame 40.

Rees showed rare poise finding who else, Michael Floyd on a third and fifteen and then , after an interference call in the end zone i it was Rees to Floyd again with a coolly executed throw to put Notre Dame up by a touchdown.

Next Friday night will see the Fighting Irish and the Hurricanes meet in the Hyundai Sun Bowl after both teams finished the season at 7-5.

Speculation is rampant that wide receivers WR Michael Floyd and TE Kyle Rudolph will forego their final year of eligibility and try to make the NFL draft this season. Both players have requested NFL Advisory Committee evaluations.

Notre Dame fans heading for the Sun Bowl have been warned to avoid Juarez across the border from El Pas.,

Juarez is a center of the drug smuggling region in Mexico and scenes of violent shootouts between drug gangs. (pictured)

Sun Bowl officials are warning fans that Juarez is one of the most violent cities on earth with 3,000 slayings last year.

Keith Arnold over at NBC had a recent blog about Notre Dame's quarterback of the future and he still rates Dayne Crist as the likely starter in 2011.

I think he's wrong.

Crist has proven himself injury prone and it was interesting when given the opportunity after the season Kelly did not stick by his No. 1 if he got healthy by next year.

The revelation that Jets coach Rex Ryan has a major foot fetish may spell a major de-feet fro the Jets coach.

His enemies, and there are many, may use this to get him fired.

This season for the Jets was weird enough already with off field antics by the likes of Braylon Edwards and the tripping incident by the special teams coach.

End of year stats show that the NFL had 13 of the top twenty rated shows on national television in 2010.

It also showed that on cable, ESPN's 'Monday Night Football' swamped the opposition week in and week out.

The popularity of the NFL has never been greater.

Antrim-born jockey Tony McCoy has been named Britain's sportsman of the year by the BBC.

It is a fitting reward for the redoubtable McCoy who finally won the English Grand National this year, adding to every other major race in the calendar.

"I am dazed," said the 36-year-old. "It's just not something you think is ever going to happen in your life. I looked in front of me and, I can't even think of the names there was so many of them. They're just, they're people you watch on television. To be standing in front of them holding such a prestigious trophy is a very surreal feeling."

England's top soccer player, Wayne Rooney has stated that Susan Boyle inspires him before big games.

The Manchester United star told the News of the World newspaper that Susan was his game changer

Rooney explained: "I have a playlist I listen to before games.

The decision not to prosecute in the Lizzy Seeberg case, involving an alleged attack by a Notre Dame football player, brings to an end an incident that reflects well on no one.

Seeberg later committed suicide but had a troubled mental history.

The county prosecutor has found that he can not proceed because the only evidence he has is the word of a now dead young woman which makes her statements inadmissible in court.

In a shock move Newcastle have sacked manager Chris Hughton, the former Irish international, despite the fact that he'd led them to promotion last season and a mid table position in the Premier league this year.

Former England international Peter Beardsley has been appointed the interim manager. He currently manages the reserve team.

Graeme McDowell pulled out an historic victory over Tiger Woods at the Chevron World Challenge golf championship when he holed a 15 footer on the first play off hole.

Aferwards he described his victory as "dream stuff at this point, to beat the greatest golfer that ever played in his own backyard."

McDowelll celebrated his fourth victory of the year, including the US PGA title, his first ever major.

It will be Notre Dame against Miami in El Paso on December 31st in the Sun Bowl.

The pairing was apparently confirmed in the last hour after much speculation and last second intrigue.

While both teams are a long way from their glory days, a Notre Dame/Miami showdown will set the juices flowing on both sides.

Unsettled Irish midfield player Stephen Ireland may sign for Celtic says the Sunday People newspaper.

Ireland signed for Aston Villa form Manchester City a few months back for $10 million but has failed to make an impact at Villa.

He has started in only five of fourteen games.

Are the Champs Bowl folks wavering over picking West Virginia and taking Notre Dame instead for their bowl game?

Just when it looked like a dream match up between Notre Dame and Miami was set for El Paso it now appears that Champs bowl folks are having second thoughts about West Virginia who are 9-3

UConn's last gasp field goal win over South Florida tonight almost certainly means the Irish will be heading to a great bowl game, the Hyundai Sun Bowl against Miami on December 31st in El Paso.

That is infinitely preferable to playing North Carolina State or Maryland in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 28th a game with all the excitement of Mickey Mouse's underpants

That was the alternative if South Florida won.