By my count my alma mater's football team (USC) lost 11 starters all together before and during this season. Also two important unanticipated transfers. However, the death blow to a national championship was dealt when Booty our qb injured his finger against Stanford and convinced the coach that he could still do the job. He did a job all right. He threw 4 interceptions in that now famous game and sat out 3 more games (including our second loss to Oregon State) nursing his finger. The SJU connection? I hope that Mase and Rob Thomas are used prudently in Hawaii and are all set to go in January. I don't want to lose to anybody but if I had to lose to Ohio in order to beat Providence, that's exactly what I'd do. We need significant minutes from Mase, Burrell and Thomas if we are going to win in the Big East. I saw both Justin Burrell and Rob Thomas play in prep school and in my opinion - at the same stage - RT was at least as good as JB - if not better.