SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame defensive end Kerry Neal wants no part of turn-the-other-cheek scripture, which puts him on the same page with defensive coordinators Jon Tenuta and Corwin Brown.

Yes, that's a page found, not in the Good Book, but the good book of defense, Irish style.

It's about doing unto others before they do it to you. Attack, smash, punish, intimidate and, in short, disrupt opposing offenses into mush.

“Who wouldn't want that?” Neal said. “If you're on the defensive side of the ball, you've got to love that. That's the game right there - betting a lot of hungry, aggressive guys flying around and making plays.”

Neal is one of six returning starters (seven if you count cornerback Darrin Walls, the 2007 starter who missed last season for personal reasons) back on what looms as a go-for-the-jugular defense for a win-big-or-else team.

Nothing showcases that approach better than attacking the quarterback. That's a role Neal, who has four sacks in his two-year career, lives for.

“I love it. I like to come off the edge and use my speed. And getting inside untouched between the guard and tackle is even better.”

The key, Neal said, is speed.

“You have to get off the ball, watch the ball, key the ball,” he said. “If you get off the ball before the lineman moves, you're going to be in the backfield before he knows it.”

Welcome to the mind-set of a unit that last year ranked in the top 50 nationally in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and passing defense.

It also returns safety Harrison Smith (57 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven passes broken up), linebacker Brian Smith (54 tackles, two fumble recoveries) and cornerback Raeshon McNeil (41 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes broken up).

Then there's a potentially explosive offense led by junior Jimmy Clausen, a candidate for the Davey O'Brien Award, presented annually to the nation's top quarterback.

Last year Clausen threw for 3,172 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 60.9 percent of his passes.

It was the third-best passing season in school history, surpassed only by Brady Quinn's last two seasons.

Clausen was almost perfect in December's Hawaii Bowl victory over Hawaii by going 22-for-26 for 401 yards and five touchdowns.

Consider junior tailback Armando Allen, a Doak Walker Award candidate.

He's averaged 109 all-purpose yards a game over his first two seasons.

He's rushed for 933 yards and three touchdowns. He's caught 74 passes for 479 yards and three touchdowns. He has another 1,247 yards on 54 kickoff returns. Last season he led Notre Dame in rushing (585 yards, 4.4-yard-per-carry average).

Consider that Notre Dame basically returns all five starting linemen, led by right tackle Sam Young.

Left tackle Paul Duncan missed all of last season with an injury, but started every game the previous year.

The Irish are strong at wide receiver with Golden Tate (58 catches, 1,080 yards 10 touchdowns) and Michael Floyd (48, 719, seven).

Don't count out redshirt freshman John Goodman, a former Bishop Dwenger standout.

They even have preseason polls listing them as a top-25 team.

They have everything, it seems, except a strong desire to talk about their potential.

“We know if we get too caught up in things outside of football, it's not going to do us any good,” Harrison Smith said.

“Everybody knows we have talent and experience, so we should be able to put together a strong team. We'll see what we can do.”