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AUSTIN, Texas -- A season opener between college football heavyweights Texas and No. 10 Notre Dame should be a preview for the national title chase.Instead, its a referendum on Longhorns coach Charlie Strong.Hes coming off two losing seasons at a program that likely wont tolerate a third. Strong is still searching for a dependable quarterback and has put his future in the hands of hotshot offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, who wouldnt leave Tulsa until he was pried away with a personal visit from the Texas president and athletic director and a three-year guaranteed contract worth $850,000 annually.And now here come the Irish, who expect to be in the College Football Playoff hunt in December. Beat Notre Dame and the pressure -- for now -- eases off Strong. Lose again and it only gets worse . No Texas coach has had three consecutive losing seasons since the 1930s.Its big, said Strong, whose 11-14 record includes a 38-3 loss to the Irish last season. Were at home ... We need it within our program to play well. I expect us to go play well.Win or lose, all praise or blame will fall on Strong, who charged Gilbert with lighting up defenses like everyone else in the Big 12 does. Gilberts biggest challenge has been finding a starting quarterback in either senior Tyrone Swoopes or freshman Shane Buechele, who had a tantalizing spring.Strong wont reveal his starter until the game. Gilbert seems confident in whoever it will be.Well just call it and theyll ball it, Gilbert said.A few things to watch when Notre Dame and Texas play Sunday night:IRISH QUARTERBACKS: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has been just as coy about his quarterbacks , refusing to say if hell start Malik Zaire or DeShone Kizer. Unlike Strong, Kellys dilemma is choosing between two proven playmakers. His bigger problem is the potential for hurt feelings and disrupted team chemistry whichever way he goes.Wed both rather ourselves be the only guy playing. But this is how it is, Kizer said. We want to win games. Thats one thing we can agree on.18-WHEELER: Even if he doesnt start, look for Swoopes to get on the field. At 6-foot-4, 250-pounds, he was effectively brutish runner in the 18-Wheeler package in upset wins over Oklahoma and Baylor. The set calls for Swoopes to take the snap, dive off tackle and drag defenders with him.THIRD DOWN: The Texas defense was notoriously bad on third down last season, ranking among the worst in the country. If Notre Dame can keep moving the chains, Gilberts offense may never get a chance to get on the field. As for Notre Dame, expect a steady rush of blitzes to disrupt Swoopes or Buechele in passing situations. Swoopes has shown he can be rattled and no one knows yet how Buechele will handle pressure.DEFENDING THE DEEP BALL: Texas will throw deep. The offense typically accounts for a deep target, and with speedy receivers John Burt, Devin Duvernay and converted quarterback Jerrod Heard, the pressures on the Notre Dame secondary -- notably freshman Devin Studstill -- to prevent the long touchdown.NOTRE DAME DISCIPLINE: Kelly has said he intends to make four of the five players arrested by state police on marijuana possession during training camp available to play. Wide receiver Kevin Stepherson and linebacker Tevon Coney were listed on the depth chart this week. Kelly has said he expects running back Dexter Williams and cornerback Ashton White to contribute this season. Kelly dismissed safety Max Redfield, who also was charged in the same Aug. 19 incident with a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun without a license.Justin Pugh Cardinals Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. Kyler Murray Youth Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/Customized/ .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Kyler Murray Womens Jersey . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. Byron Murphy Youth Jersey . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week.NEW YORK -- ??? Johnny Boychuk picked a great time for the first short-handed goal of his career.The veteran defensemans goal early in the third period lifted the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night. It was a key win for a team playing 22 of its first 34 games at Barclays Center, including their current run of 10 of 11 at home.It was a good win for us, especially at home, said Boychuk, who has 38 career goals. We need to get as many home points as we can while we have this home stretch.Dennis Seidenberg and Ryan Strome also scored for New York, and Jaroslav Halak stopped 23 shots to help the Islanders win for the second time in three home games after opening with two road losses.Boychuks goal at 4:24 of the final period -- with teammate Calvin de Haan in the penalty box -- came after Brock Nelson won a faceoff in the Coyotes zone and sent the puck back to Boychuk at the point. Boychuk fired a shot that found its way past Louis Domingue for his first goal of the season.He won the face-off clean and it was rolling, Boychuk added. It took a 12-to-6 curve ball and went in.Brad Richardson and Radim Vrbata scored 13 seconds apart in the first period to tie the score for the Coyotes. Domingue had 28 saves as Arizona lost its third straight on the road after opening with a home win.You just have to turn the page, its been a tough start to the year, said Domingue, elevated with starter Mike Smith injured earlier this week. I know Boychuk is a shooter in that situation. Sometimes pucks just find their way.The game marked the first NHL meeting between the Strome brothers. Dylan Strome, 19, was the third overall pick by the Coyotes in the 2015 draft and made his debut earlier this week. Ryan Strome, 23, was the fifth overall pick in the Islanders in the 2011 draft.Seidenberg opened the scoring at 4:45 of the first with his first goal as an Islander, rifling the puck past Domingue after a cross-ice pass from Casey Cizikas. The 35-year-old Seidenberg joined the Islanders after playing the last seven seasons with Boston.Ryan Strome made it 2-0 with about 6 1/2 minutes left, knoocking a rebound past Domingue for his second of this season.dddddddddddd Boychuk got his 100th career assist on the play.It was pretty weird, Ryan Strome said about facing his younger brother. Honestly, its tough because youre watching and making sure your brother is doing alright too.Richardson pulled the Coyotes within one with 5:51 remaining in the period before veteran Vrbata tied when he tipped a shot by rookie defenseman Jakob Chychrun past Halak.Shane Doan, the Coyotes 40-year-old captain and third among active NHL players in games played with 1,470, assisted on Richardsons goal.Domingue made key saves on Jason Chimera and Andrew Ladd on point-blank shots from in front as the Islanders had a 16-4 edge on shots in the second period.The Islanders are 2-1 at home against Western Conference opponents this season after going 12-0-2 at Barclays Center a year ago.We competed hard but we have to find ways to win, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. We have to keep pounding away at it. We have to do a better job of executing to give us a better chance to win.Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock made his season debut with Nick Leddy out with an upper-body injury. However, Pulock played only five shifts in the first period before leaving with a lower-body injury.Game notesThe Coyotes are halfway through a six-game trip that continues against the New York Rangers, New Jersey and Philadelphia. ... Arizona concludes its season series against the Islanders at home on Jan. 7. ... New York is 2-0-0 when scoring first, and 0-3-0 when giving up the first goal. ... Ladd, the Islanders big free-agent acquisition this summer, has no points through the first five games. ... Nelson (2 goals, 3 assists) is the only Islanders player with at least a point in each of the first five games ... Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic played his 400th NHL game.UP NEXTCoyotes: At the New York Rangers on Sunday night.Islanders: Host Minnesota on Sunday night in the fourth contest of their five-game homestand. ' ' '