Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, September 5, 2016

Page 1

TEXAS 50, Notre Dame 47 | monday, september 5, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Strong-armed Irish defense gives up 50 points to Texas as Notre Dame stumbles out of the gates in 2016

CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer

Longhorns senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes dives into the end zone to secure Texas a 50-47 victory over Notre Dame at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sunday. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime period before Texas held the Irish to a field goal and scored the winning touchdown in the game’s second overtime.

Kelly’s mistakes cost Notre Dame season opener Alex Carson Assistant Managing Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — Notre Dame deserved to lose that game. Not because they played worse than Texas — they didn’t — or because they had inferior talent. But because Irish head coach Brian Kelly staked himself on two calls, neither of which paid off. Kelly didn’t have to go for a twoquarterback system, especially not one without well-defined roles for either player. On the surface, senior Malik Zaire would’ve been a good choice, and we know junior DeShone Kizer was good enough to get the job done. Though from seeing what we saw from the two quarterbacks Sunday night, it’s hard to see why Kelly wouldn’t have seen separation in the build-up to the season opener. But in the grand scheme, the plan could have had some merit. If you wanted to run with the hot hand, I could’ve gotten behind that. If you wanted to define see CARSON PAGE 3

By ALEX CARSON Assistant Managing Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — Despite trailing 31-14 early in the third quarter, the win was right there for No. 10 Notre Dame. One more score, one more stop, one more big play. That’s all the Irish needed to avoid an upset loss on the opening night of their season. But instead of the Irish getting that stop, or getting that score, it was the host Longhorns who executed down the stretch, winning a 50-47 double-overtime thriller Sunday night at Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. On the strength of junior quarterback DeShone Kizer and a re-emergence from the Irish defense, Notre Dame (01) held a 35-31 lead as Texas (1-0) took over on its own 32-yard line after a shanked, 24-yard punt by Irish junior Tyler Newsome. Not even two minutes later, the Longhorns had taken the lead back, 37-35, when junior running D’Onta Foreman back scored from 19 yards out after an eight-play, 68-yard drive. There was, of course, another twist on hand, when Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones blocked

Longhorns senior kicker Trent Domingue’s extra-point attempt. Irish sophomore cornerback Shaun Crawford scooped up the loose ball and ran it back for two points, knotting the game at 37-37 with 3:29 to go. “I was kind of hesitant at first, but just great preparation — [coach Scott Booker] does a great job with special teams, talking about scoring on special teams, and I just saw the opportunity and it was a great one,” Crawford said of the score. Kizer and Notre Dame had a chance to have the final word on the game, but the Irish settled for a three-and-out. Thanks in part to a chop block penalty against the Longhorns on the ensuing drive, overtime beckoned in Austin. Neither team took long to score in that first overtime period. Senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who pounded the Irish defense for three rushing touchdowns in a limited role, scored from three yards out on the Longhorns’ fourth play of the overtime period, while a Kizer-to-sophomore receiver C.J. Sanders screen pass developed into a touchdown on Notre Dame’s first overtime play from scrimmage.

The Irish didn’t find it so easy in the second overtime, though. On third-and-7, Kizer threw high when aiming for freshman receiver Kevin Stepherson, forcing Notre Dame to settle for a 39-yard field goal from sophomore Justin Yoon. Five plays later, the 102,315-strong record crowd erupted as Swoopes broke through from six yards out to give the host Longhorns the upset victory. Keeping the ball on the ground with Swoopes in the Longhorns’ “18-wheeler” formation was a key part of Texas head coach Charlie Strong’s strategy for a win Sunday. “At the end with the last session with Swoopes, I said, ‘Listen, we’re not throwing the ball. We’re going to line up and we’re going to let 18-wheeler just run over people,’” Strong said. While it ended as poorly as it could have for the Irish, the game started about as well as Notre Dame could have hoped, with Kizer leading a six-play, 78-yard touchdown drive inside the game’s first three minutes. The drive was highlighted by a 54-yard rush by senior running back Tarean see OT LOSS PAGE 2

Defense leaves lots of unanswered questions By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Managing Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — In a game where Notre Dame entered with its biggest question on offense, it left with the same tired questions on defense. Yes, sophomore defensive back Shaun Crawford made what — had Notre Dame won — would have been the biggest play of the night, intercepting Texas freshman quarterback Shane Buechele and setting up Notre Dame’s touchdown that brought the game within three, 31-28, midway through the third quarter. And yes, the defense held Texas scoreless for nearly 20 minutes in the third and fourth quarters while its offense dug out of a 17-point hole to take the lead. But Notre Dame’s defense is far from championship caliber. When it came to crunch time late in the fourth quarter and into overtime, it barely offered resistance. The Longhorns were a blocked extra point return away from see DEFENSE PAGE 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.