Game Day 2010-10-08

PHOTO BY: ANDREW HOWARD / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ... DESIGN BY: JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

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G A M E DAY

OCTOBER 8, 2010

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

KnightsGameday RUTGERS VS CONNECTICUT

GAME 3: Rutgers Stadium, 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPN RADIO: 1450 AM

SPREAD: Connecticut by 5

Big East opens with primetime rivalry

BY SAM HELLMAN CORRESPONDENT

Just six days after arguably the most embarrassing loss since the turn of the Rutgers football program in 2005, the Scarlet Knights have a shot at redemption.

Not only does tonight’s “Blackout” face-of f with Connecticut represent a tr ue rivalr y, it also represents a clean slate with the star t of Big East play.

Though the Scarlet Knights stand at 2-2 with a major demerit against Tulane, the winner of the Big East gets an automatic bid to a BCS game and Rutgers, like ever y other team, is tied for first.

“I do think the league is wide open,” said head coach Greg Schiano. “I think it has been wide open for a couple years now. … I think we are going to win the league ever y time we start the year. That is my belief.

That hasn’t come true yet, but that is what I believe. It is wide open, but it doesn’t really matter to me though.”

The Huskies (3-2) lost close contests to the Scarlet Knights in each of the last two seasons and are just 3-16 on the road in Big East contests in their last four seasons.

Former wide receiver Tim Brown’s heroic touchdown grab on a pass from Tom Savage last season sealed a last-second victory for Rutgers.

Two years ago, former defensive tackle Blair Bines stopped current Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown in the end zone for a safety and a late UConn field goal bounced off the post to preser ve a 12-10 victor y for Rutgers.

“It’s definitely a ver y big game and we have to be more prepared than we were the last couple of games,” said sophomore receiver Mohamed Sanu, who leads the Knights in both rushing and receiving yards. “It was a ver y tough, physical game [last year] and it was back-andforth, back-and-forth. We had to grind out the whole game and stay focused. I see it being another one like that.”

Big plays won the game for Rutgers last year against

[

INSIDE the NUMBERS

SCARLET KNIGHTS (2-2)

CONNECTICUT (3-2)

PASSING CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. 3 99.8 T. Savage 51.5% 399 1 1 60.7 C. Dodd 43.8% 182 1

CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. PASSING C. Endres 68.3% 318 4 1 159.0

RUSHING NO. YDS TD LNG AVG. 37 238 3 91 M. Sanu 6.1 J. Martinek 43 187 1 35 4.1 RECEIVING NO. YDS TD LNG AVG. 21 234 2 29 11.1 M. Sanu 61 0 37 10.2 6 J. Thomas 73 0 25 14.6 4 J. Deering TKL SCK 36 0.5 0 28 1 27

DEFENSE

A. Lowery J. Lefeged S. Beauharnais

INT 0 1 0

SCHEDULE Sept. 2 Sept. 11 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 8 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Nov. 3 Nov. 13 Nov. 20 Nov. 26 Dec. 4

Norfolk State FIU N. Carolina Tulane Connecticut Army Pittsburgh South Florida Syracuse Cincinnati Louisville West Virginia

Sophomore wideout Mohamed Sanu leads the Scarlet Knights in both rushing and receiving yards and scored five touchdowns thus far.

Connecticut. The 81-yard Brown touchdown sealed the win, but cornerback Devin McCour ty’s kick return for a touchdown opened the scoring for Rutgers.

“Special teams are critical for us in ever y game,” said senior safety and top kick returner Joe Lefeged. “That swings the momentum either against you or toward you, and I think it helps your team if you’re able to capitalize.”

Connecticut r unning back Jordan Todman leads all Big East running backs with 638 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

The Huskies produced two top running backs in the last three years in Brown and New Brunswick native Andre Dixon.

Todman is just as tough.

“They get after you,” Lefeged said. “The last few years they’ve

had great running backs and this year is no dif ferent. [Todman] is Nor th to South. He can put a move on you. He’s got a great stif f-arm. The of fensive line is big and aggressive and they can throw the football. We have to prepare ever y hour of each day to have a chance against this football team.”

Brown and Dixon were not the only NFL backs to draw comparisons to Todman on the Rutgers side of things this week.

“I think he is right up there with them, I really do,” Schiano said. “Donald was a little bigger.

Like I said before, Jordan reminds me of Ray [Rice] in a lot of ways. Even sometimes when he breaks out, you know how Ray had that different gate. Jordan has a little bit of that too. He is a really fine back.”

RUSHING J. Todman D. Shoemate

NO. YDS TD LNG AVG. 6.5 98 638 7 59 4.1 28 115 1 28

RECEIVING M. Smith K. Moore D. Difton R. Griffin

NO. 20 15 10 7

YDS 373 182 110 43

DEFENSE

L. Wilson S. Moore G. Lloyd

LNG 56 35 27 18

AVG. 18.6 12.1 11.0 6.1

TKL SCK 48 1 31 1 24 0

INT 0 1 1

TD 2 2 0 1

INJURIES Out — RB R. Frey, LT J. Bennett Questionable — DE J. Joseph

INJURIES Probable — J. Martinek Questionable — T. Savage Out — J. Dumont

NICHOLAS BRASOWSKI / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

]

W, 31-0 W, 19-14 L, 17-13 L, 17-14 7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA 7 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA

SCHEDULE Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 8 Oct. 23 Oct. 29 Nov. 11 Nov. 20 Nov. 27 Dec. 4

Michigan Texas Southern

Temple Buffalo Vanderbilt Rutgers Louisville West Virginia Pittsburgh Syracuse Cincinnati South Florida

L, 30-10 W, 62-3 L, 30-16 W, 45-21 W, 40-21 7:30 p.m.

TBA 8 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA

Key Matchup Rutgers front seven vs. RB Jordan Todman Connecticut running back Jordan Todman is coming off a Big East Honor Roll performance and leads the conference with 638 rushing yards and seven scores, presenting a challenge to the Scarlet Knights’ rushing defense.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

MOHAMED SANU Wide Receiver

DESMOND STAPLETON Tackle

DESMOND WYNN Guard

HOWARD BARBIERI Center

ANTWAN LOWERY Guard

ART FORST Tackle

D.C. JEFFERSON Tight End

MARK HARRISON Wide Receiver

CHAS DODD Quarterback

PAUL CARREZOLA Fullback

JOE MARTINEK Running Back

Sophomore 6’-2”, 218 lbs.

Junior 6’-5”, 285 lbs.

Junior 6’-6”, 290 lbs.

Senior 6’-5”, 304 lbs.

R-Freshman 6’-4”, 302 lbs.

Junior 6’-8”, 311 lbs.

Sophomore 6’-6”, 258 lbs

Sophomore 6’-3”, 230 lbs

Freshman 6’-0”, 197 lbs

R-Freshman 6’-2”, 235 lbs

Junior 6’-0”, 215 lbs

DAVID ROWE Cornerback

JOE LEFEGED Strong Safety

KHASEEM GREENE Free Safety

BRANDON BING Cornerback

Junior 6’-0”, 196 lbs

Senior 6’-1”, 205 lbs

Sophomore 6’-1”, 215 lbs

Senior 5’-11”, 180 lbs

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

JONATHAN FREENY Right end

CHARLIE NOONAN Tackle

SCOTT VALLONE Tackle

ALEX SILVESTRO Left end

MANNY ABREU Linebacker

STEVE BEAUHARNAIS

Linebacker

ANTONIO LOWERY Linebacker

Senior 6’-3”, 250 lbs

Senior 6’-2”, 274 lbs

Sophomore 6’-3”, 270 lbs

Senior 6’-4”, 260 lbs

Junior 6’-3”, 245 lbs

Sophomore 6’-2”, 230 lbs

Senior 6’-2”, 225 lbs

G AMEDAY

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

OCTOBER 8, 2010

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

MOHAMED SANU SOPHOMORE WR

“You could just see a focus and concentration in [Savage’s] eyes when he was getting ready.

He was just like, ‘I got you,’ and went out there and made the play.”

RAMON DOMPOR / ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

FINAL VERDICT

UCONN, 20-9

Cody Endres and Jordan Todman do enough for the Huskies, while Rutgers, offense struggles again.

DODD LEADS ROUT IN FIRST CAREER START Not only does Rutgers get back on the winning track, but the Scarlet Knights do it in a NCAA ’11 SIM b i g way with a 22-3 romp over Connecticut tonight according to The Daily Targum’s weekly “NCAA Football ’11” simulation.

With Chas Dodd as the starting quarterback, the passing game led the way for Rutgers as the true freshman threw for 348 yards on 51 attempts. Dodd threw one interception and did not reach the end zone in the air.

The only offensive score came from Joe Martinek, who ran for 78 yards on 23 carries. Jordan Thomas ran the ball 15 times behind him for just 10 yards.

Tight end D.C. Jefferson and wideout Mohamed Sanu caught seven balls apiece for a total of 205 yards. Jeremy Deering caught three balls for 54 yards and Mark Harrison pulled in six for 46 yards.

The defense was the strongpoint in scoring for the Scarlet Knights. Joe Lefeged, who also returned a kick 91 yards for a touchdown, took an interception to the house to go along with nine tackles.

Jordan Todman, the Huskies’ leading back, was ineffective at best, rushing 22 times for just 50 yards.

The Daily Targum’s simulation is 3-1 this season and finished last season 10-2.

— Sam Hellman

Redshirt freshman cornerback Logan Ryan (11) was flagged for pass interference in his first collegiate game with the Scarlet Knights, but bounced back. The Eastern High School product has three tackles on the season as his playing time gradually increases.

Ryan uses short memory to earn bigger role

BY STEVEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

Logan Ryan had a redshirt season to adjust to the collegiate game with the Rutgers football team.

The cornerback took the time to learn the speed, the physicality and the complex playbook, but there was one lesson he could not learn until he took the field: Opposing quarterbacks were going to attack him.

“In high school, no one wants to throw your way,” the Eastern High School product said. “You come to college and you’re just a freshman and guys like to pick on you. It’s definitely something you have to get used to. Everyone gets beat, so you have to put it in the past and keep that mentality and that confidence level up.”

Ryan faced the ultimate test in keeping his confidence up the

first time the ball came his way in the Scarlet Knights’ opener against Norfolk State.

The referee flagged Ryan for pass interference, but he quickly forgot about it.

“As a corner, you have to put that behind you, but coach [Greg] Schiano just looked at me and told me to keep chopping,” Ryan said. “I forgot about that play as soon as I got over to the sideline.”

With the pass interference in the past, Ryan only progressed.

He joined the Knights as the No. 1-ranked cornerback in New Jersey, according to Rivals.com, and he made an impression on the coaching staff in spring practices.

After beginning the year with a role in the Knights’ third-down subpackages, Ryan’s playing time gradually increased until last week,

when he shared significant minutes with junior Brandon Bing.

“There’s a lot of stuff he needs to get better at to really be a guy that we can say is a big-time guy,” Schiano said. “He has the ability to do it, he just needs to improve.”

Ryan has three tackles through four games and was largely unnoticed since his first taste of action against Norfolk State — not necessarily a bad thing for a cornerback.

“My job right now is to do oneeleventh, which is do my job and deny my man the ball, however that may be,” Ryan said. “I don’t care how many times my name is announced or what my stats are, I just want to go out there and help these guys win.”

These guys are helping Ryan, as well, as the 6-foot, 186-pound corner needed to learn to play press coverage for the first time in his career at Rutgers.

He credited New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty, junior David Rowe and Bing with helping him adjust to the new style, but Rowe said his pupil is a quick learner.

“Every week there may be a new question and I look to help him,” Rowe said. “But he’s been coming along great and asking me less, so that shows a lot.”

The ability to make a smooth transition from role player to every-down player is as much a product of Ryan’s ability to learn the system as his athleticism.

“He’s a smart football player,” Schiano said. “He’s a responsible guy. He’s only a redshirt freshman, but he has a maturity about him. That helps at his position, because it’s a lonely position.”

Especially when quarterbacks are picking on the new guy.

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

GAM

SEPARAT

THE SAVAGE FILE HEIGHT: 6-FOOT-4 WEIGHT: 226 POUNDS HOMETOWN: SPRINGFIELD, PA. HIGH SCHOOL: CARDINAL O’HARA

THE SAVAGE FILE - 2010 COMPLETIONS: 35-OF-68 PASSING YARDS: 399 YARDS PER GAME: 99.8 LONGEST PASS: 37 YARDS TOUCHDOWNS: 1 INTERCEPTIONS: 3 EFFICIENCY RATING: 96.8

RAMON DOMPOR / ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

THE SAVAGE FILE - 2009 COMPLETIONS: 149-OF-285 PASSING YARDS: 2,211 YARDS PER GAME: 184.2 LONGEST PASS: 81 YARDS TOUCHDOWNS: 14 INTERCEPTIONS: 7 EFFICIENCY RATING: 128.75

TOM SAVAGE SOPHOMORE

Quarterback Tom Savage’s biggest play came against UConn last season, when he found former Rutgers wideout Tim Brown with less than a minute to play for the winning score. But the 6-foot-4 signal caller has one touchdown and three picks in a rough sophomore year.

Struggles put Savage’s UConn pass in rearview

BY STEVEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

It was Tom Savage’s defining play, just six games into his career as the Rutgers football team’s starter: An 81-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to play gave the Scarlet Knights a 28-24 win last season against Connecticut.

It was arguably Savage’s best game — three touchdowns and 236 yards passing to lead the Knights to a Big East road win and a 6-2 record.

With the sophomore quarterback questionable for tonight’s nationally-televised conference opener against UConn, last year’s win is nothing more than a distant memory and reminder of what once was.

“That was definitely Tom’s moment,” said sophomore wideout Mark Harrison, who caught one of Savage’s three touchdowns in that game. “He stayed calm, took a deep breath and just put it out there and put it on the spot for Timmy [Brown].”

If Savage does not play tonight, the reason will be because of his injured throwing hand.

But that does not discount the fact that his sophomore season has been a far cry from the promise he showed last year, when he set Big East records for passing yards and touchdowns for a true freshman.

The 6-foot-4, 226-pound Savage finished his first

season with 2,211 yards and 14 the Knights needed him, they touchdowns. He threw seven leaned on him. interceptions, but six of them In his second year, the came in the final four games. adjustment period was supThat carried over to this posed to be over. season, as Savage has a 96.8 Savage talked the part, claimquarterback efficiency rating ing ownership of the offense, but with one touchdown toss and has yet to act on it. three interceptions.

Countless hits that injured The reasons are manifold, his ribs and hand hampered him but it is impossible not to in the past two losses against think back to that North Carolina and Tulane, but UConn win. he was no better in Rutgers’ first “You could two wins. just see a focus Opponents and a concentra“That was definitely sacked Savage 11 tion in his eyes times this season, Tom [Savage’s] when he was and although the getting ready moment. He ... just offensive line [for the final play was undeniput it out there and ably play],” said poor sophomore throughout the put it on the spot for w i d e o u t first four games, Mohamed Sanu.

Timmy [Brown].” Savage shares “He was just responsibility.

MARK HARRISON like, ‘I got you,’ “There are Sophomore Wideout and went out some themes, there and made but it’s not one the play.” thing and it’s not Brown was the stor y of one player,” said head coach the game.

Greg Schiano. “We have some The speedy wideout split technique errors, we have some the secondar y and outran the assignment errors and we also defense to the endzone in the have some pocket-presence first game at Rentschler Field errors. So the three of those after UConn safety and combined add up to a number of Brown’s childhood friend sacks I’m not happy with.”

Jasper Howard was stabbed to Savage’s entire season death on campus. resembles a lowlight of his first But it was Savage’s year — a nine-sack, two-intermoment too. ception showing against The Cardinal O’Hara High Syracuse — not the highlights School (Pa.) product faced the against Connecticut. challenge of managing games Few could blame him, in his first season, but when though. Savage went down 35

times last season on sacks, but he continually blamed himself for holding the ball too long.

The affect appears to have carried over. He looks uncomfortable in the pocket, more prone to take off on a scramble than target a receiver downfield.

He locks in on Sanu, who leads the team with 21 receptions, while the next closest receiver has five. While Savage completed passes to eight different wideouts this year, tr ue freshman Chas Dodd connected with seven receivers last week.

It is a product of play calling and progressions certainly, but there is no denying the starting quarterback’s play leaves room to be desired.

“We haven’t executed as much,” Sanu said. “We just have to execute to the best of our ability. We didn’t play as 11. A couple guys missed things. It was just a lack of execution.”

When Savage’s hand heals, he will claim the of fense once again.

He had that opportunity at the beginning of the season, but his claim was hardly definitive.

Having the weight of an offense on his shoulders is nothing new to Savage, but almost a year later, the play where he lifted a team is fading fast.

“Coach just told us to relax, take a deep breath and concentrate on what we have to do,” said Harrison, thinking back to that UConn game. “Tom went out there and did exactly that.”

E DAY

TE PATHS

OCTOBER 8, 2010

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THE DODD FILE HEIGHT: 6-FOOT-0 WEIGHT: 197 POUNDS HOMETOWN: LYMAN, S.C. HIGH SCHOOL: BYRNES

THE DODD FILE - 2010 COMPLETIONS: 14-OF-32 PASSING YARDS: 182 YARDS PER GAME: 60.7 LONGEST PASS: 25 YARDS TOUCHDOWNS: 1 INTERCEPTIONS: 1 EFFICIENCY RATING: 95.6 NICHOLAS BRASOWSKI / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

True freshman quarterback Chas Dodd is 14-for-32 through the air for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his young Rutgers career. The Lyman, S.C., native had a dominant high school career, throwing for 10,292 yards and 81 touchdowns at Byrnes.

Unheralded Dodd gets call quicker than thought

BY STEVEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

Something about Chas Dodd just does not seem to fit in the Rutgers football team’s locker room.

It could be that his Southern drawl and floppy blonde hair stand out as different in the heart of the Northeast, or his generously listed 6-foot frame makes him among the smaller players on the squad. Throw him in the huddle, though, and those attributes do not fit any better.

But they do not hold him back either.

“Everyone thought he wasn’t a 6-foot-4 quarterback, but he had everything but the height that you want out of your quarterback,” said Dodd’s Byrnes High School head coach Chris Miller.

“He gets it done with all the other things. He overcomes it.

“I don’t think he’s ever let his height bother him in any way.

He’ll get it done one way or another, and everything he’s done so far has proven that point.”

Dodd’s Scarlet Knights résumé consists of three games and nine meaningful drives in losses to North Carolina and Tulane.

His 14-for-32, 182-yard, onetouchdown, one-interception stat line does not prove any points, but his style and high school résumé do.

The L yman, S.C., native threw for 10,292 yards and 81 touchdowns at Byrnes, leading the national powerhouse to a 423 record as a starter. He is not afraid to take shots downfield —

something his high school er him. He doesn’t hang his head coach saw firsthand. and pout about it. He goes back to “Oh yes, that’s what we do work and gets it done.” here,” Miller said. “We’re going With questions as to whether to … try to stretch the defense Dodd or sophomore Tom Savage as much as we can. He’s not will get the start under center for afraid to do that, especially if it’s the Knights, Rutgers wideouts called or if he’s given an oppor- insist timing is not an issue. tunity to check to it, he will defiSavage and sophomore nitely do that.”

Mohamed Sanu have an obvious Dodd proved that against connection, established in their first Tulane, although he did not career games a year ago and always connect. strengthened during voluntary offHis longest completion was for season workouts.

25 yards to fellow But Dodd was freshman Jeremy just as involved in “I played with him those summer Deering, and one pass attempt fell games of catch. my whole life — short of a wide“Chas would ever since we were definitely always open Mark Harrison in the Sanu said. little. I know he’s got come,” end zone. On a “Me, Tom, Chas fourth-and-6 he and all the it in him to lead looked downfield, receivers, we just Rutgers to a win.” all went out there avoiding a near interception, and and catch balls, MARCUS LATTIMORE Tulane picked off run routes and South Carolina Tailback his third-and-20 work on our timpass attempt to ing. I feel comfortend the game. able with both of them back there.”

But his pocket presence was Head coach Greg Schiano’s undeniable and his comfort obvi- comfort in Dodd was evident from ous. Fear was absent.

Day 1, before it was apparent that “He’s so comfortable in the Dodd’s role would be greater than pocket: He keeps his head up, a signal caller on the sidelines. eyes downfield and waits for his Schiano is no stranger to receivers to break the route,” handing the offensive reins over Miller said. “Going through it as to a true freshman — he did the a quarterback, you’re going to same thing last season with have to go through some adver- Savage. But that was different. sity, you’re going to have to go Savage was the highest-toutthrough different situations. ed recruit Schiano ever landed.

“He’d go through some tough He is the prototypical quarknocks, but before the night was terback at 6-foot-4 and 226 over, I guarantee you he had it fig- pounds. He was an Elite 11 ured out and he didn’t let it both- selection and he became the

face of the Rutgers program the day he put on a scarlet hat in his junior year of high school.

Dodd had just one major college scholarship offer, but he also had football maturity.

“Him and his dad would study the game and watch film at home,” Miller said of Dodd and his stepfather, an assistant on the Byrnes staff. “When he was being recruited, him and his dad would talk to Rutgers’ coaching staff. [Schiano] knew he was the guy they were looking for, because he could talk about everything they were doing, what he was supposed to read and how to read it.”

Schiano could not argue with the results.

The 10th-year head coach made a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last season to see No. 2 Byrnes take on No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas.

Dodd’s Rebels fell, 42-34, but he threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns.

South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore, who is fourth in the nation in rushing for freshmen, was normally there to help Dodd, but he lost three fumbles in the game.

“I played with him my whole life — ever since we were little,” said Lattimore, who has six scores for the No. 19 Gamecocks. “He’s always been our leader. He always led us, our whole team — me, [South Carolina teammate] Nick [Jones], everybody who went to college, everybody that played at Byrnes — he was the leader. I know he’s got it in him to lead Rutgers to a win this week. I think he’s going to do fine.”

THE DODD FILE - HS PASSING YARDS: 10,292 TOUCHDOWNS: 81 RECORD: 42-3 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 S.C. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

CHAS DODD FRESHMAN

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G AMEDAY

OCTOBER 8, 2010

T HIS W EEK ’S FOOTBALL A CTION

GRID PICKS

TA R GUM S P O R TS S TA FF Connecticut at RUTGERS No. 17 Michigan State at No. 18 Michigan No. 12 LSU at No. 14 Florida No. 23 Florida State at No. 13 Miami Pittsburgh at Notre Dame Connecticut at RUTGERS No. 17 Michigan State at No. 18 Michigan No. 12 LSU at No. 14 Florida No. 23 Florida State at No. 13 Miami Pittsburgh at Notre Dame

Connecticut

RUTGERS

Michigan

Michigan

LSU STEVEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR 5-5

Florida State Pittsburgh

LSU The U Notre Dame

Connecticut

RUTGERS

Michigan

Michigan

A.J. JANKOWSKI ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR 7-3

LSU

Florida

Miami

Miami

Pittsburgh On the heels of two straight home losses, Rutgers upped the ante this week by calling for a blackout in the student section.

Prior to the game, all students can pick up black T-shirts in the back of the student section to wear under the Friday night lights.

Rutgers fans put up attendance numbers of 52,038 and 47,963 in the last two home games and, with tonight’s game airing nationally on ESPN, expect another large crowd in Piscataway.

SAM HELLMAN FOOTBALL BEAT WRITER 8-2

TYLER BARTO ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR 7-3

Notre Dame “The fans have been great all year and they really drive us to perform,” said senior safety and team captain Joe Lefeged. “Ever since I’ve been here they’ve been great. With the game being on Friday night and everything, I know the student section is going to be rocking.”

The “Black Friday” shirts will be available when gates open at 5:30 and fewer than 800 student tickets remain unclaimed.

— Sam Hellman

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

C HAS

IS ON True freshman quarterback Chas Dodd is likely to get his first career start, as sophomore Tom Savage recovers from an injured throwing hand.

JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR