Anthonie Knapp: From the future to present
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
When starting left tackle Charles Jagusah got injured during preseason practice, Marcus Freeman and the coaching staff were left with a big decision: turn to the experience of fifth-year graduate student Tosh Baker, or bet on true freshman Anthonie Knapp to play the first snap of his college career in front of over 100,000 Aggie fans in week one. After a fall camp competition for the spot concluded, Notre Dame released its depth chart for the Texas A&M game. It read: “Left Tackle 1-54, Anthonie Knapp, Fr.”
When Jagusah first went down, Knapp continued to run with the twos. The veteran Baker, who appeared in 11 games as a senior, seemed to be the clear replacement. It made sense to Knapp at the time. Only a true freshman, he would likely have to wait his turn. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to compete for the job. Eventually, his hard work and preparation paid off. Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph made the call for Knapp to run with the ones.
“He gives me the job. I worked
KEYS TO VICTORY
for the job. Now it’s my time to show that I’m capable of doing that job,” Knapp said in a press conference Tuesday. “I wasn’t surprised, but I was definitely excited.”
After receiving the opportunity, Knapp had a chip on his shoulder, something to prove.
The storylines going into the A&M game were heavily focused on the offensive line’s inexperience, the group only sharing six starts between them. The biggest question was whether or not a true freshman left tackle could hold up in one of the most hostile environments in the sport. He had to have heard all the noise, but it didn’t affect his preparation.
“I wouldn’t say [I was] nervous for the fact that I thought I was going to fail. I’d say [I was] more excited,” Knapp said. ”I spent so long preparing, watching so much film. Everything I could possibly do. You kind of just want to take the test, you just kind of want to go.”
Knapp set himself up to succeed, not only with his confident mindset going into the game, but also with an understanding of his own limitations. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, it’s no secret he is undersized for his position. This is something
Knapp is well aware of, and uses as motivation to find other advantages.
“I kind of missed a lot of physical attributes of a tackle so I try to find every edge I can get,” Knapp said. “I’m still not too big. I’m 290 [pounds] right now, 290-ish, which isn’t the ideal size for a left tackle at Notre Dame. So any edge I can get watching all the film, anything I can do. Notebook full of what their moves are, what their tendencies are and I try to study that the best I can and perform the best I can.”
No matter how much preparation you do and no matter how experienced you are, stepping on to the field is always a different beast, especially in College Station. In the heat of the game, most thoughts give way to pure instinct and emotion. When the nerves start to set in, it helps to have the belief in the 21 other guys joining you on the field and most of all, your head coach who chose you for this moment.
“It’s just a great program. It’s truly family here,” Knapp said. ”Since I stepped on campus, I could feel it. I knew these guys had my back. They wouldn’t put me in a position like that if they didn’t have my back. They all
believed in me.”
Fueled by that belief, Knapp helped his team to a monumental victory to start his college career 1-0. Behind the young offensive line, the Irish rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns, all while keeping projected first-round edge rusher Nic Scourton at bay. As expected, the game had highs and lows for the true freshman.
Knapp described the feelings of stepping on to the field and making contact on the first block.
“Obviously, you get those emotions coming into Texas A&M. You’re walking in the tunnel, you get that feeling behind your neck. I’m pretty sure all of us have felt that before. Then once you get that first, for us it was a screenplay, a quick firm set, I got my hands up and was like, ‘Alright, now it’s just one play at a time,‘” he said.
Despite settling in nicely, it was not all smooth sailing. Knapp had two penalties in the game, a false start and a hold that killed any opportunity for points heading into halftime. And while he held his own against Scourton all night, Knapp admitted to a lapse in judgement reflecting on a rep where he got torched with the spin move.
“I was like, ‘Alright, I’m feeling myself a little bit.’ And then I open up a little bit and try to be an athlete with him, and bam, [he] just spun me around. I just learned right then and there, you gotta stay true to your game,” Knapp said.
These are mistakes Knapp is expected to make. It’s his selfawareness to understand his strengths and weaknesses that encourages the coaching staff. Graded on a curve, Knapp met the standard on Saturday. He was thrown in the deep end and managed to keep his head above water. Mistakes are a part of growth, something we are watching happen in real time. But life should only get easier as the season goes on. The A&M defensive line may be the best Notre Dame faces all season, and Knapp more than survived with as little preparation as one could have. Given more time to integrate with the rest of the line as the season goes on, the arrow is pointing in the right direction for the true freshman. To use his words at the end of the press conference, “it’s only going to be up from here.”
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Keys to victory: Notre Dame vs. N. Illinois
By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer
It feels like a giant weight has been lifted off the back of the Notre Dame football program. Last Saturday, the Irish earned arguably their biggest win in the Marcus Freeman era, traveling to College Station and emerging with a gritty, 23-13 victory over Texas A&M. It wasn’t always pretty, as Notre Dame never led in the first half and needed nearly 40 minutes to reach the end zone for the first time before finally scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes. But behind a masterful defensive performance, a young offensive line that (as expected) made some mistakes in one of the nation’s toughest road environments but steadily improved throughout the game and a gutsy outing from senior quarterback Riley Leonard in his first Irish start, Notre Dame delivered in all the key moments to start the season with a huge road win.
On Saturday afternoon, the No. 5 Irish will look to build on that momentum in their home opener at Notre Dame Stadium as they play host to Northern Illinois. In the aftermath of the dramatic primetime thriller against the
Aggies, it might seem easy to overlook the matchup with the Huskies. But as Notre Dame fans learned two years ago against Marshall, no game should be taken for granted.
And while last Saturday was a nearly ideal start to the season for the Irish, their performance certainly left room for improvement over the remainder of their schedule as they look to continue their push toward the College Football Playoff.
As football returns to South Bend for the first time in 2024, here are three ways Notre Dame can ensure that it’ll send Irish fans home happy on Saturday.
Unlock the downfield passing game
Against Texas A&M, it didn’t take long for Notre Dame’s vaunted rushing attack to start firing on all cylinders.
Running behind an inexperienced but talented offensive line, the three-headed Irish backfield monster of the dual-threat Leonard, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love and junior running back Jadarian Price torched the Aggies front seven to the tune of 198 yards on 34 carries. Love and Price were responsible for Notre Dame’s two biggest
offensive plays of the night in the form of a pair of long touchdown runs, and Leonard picked up 20 crucial yards on the ground in what would ultimately be the game-winning drive.
The passing game, however, was a different story. It’s worth noting that the Irish were handicapped by the limited availability of senior tight end Mitchell Evans, who played just 10 snaps and had no receptions against the Aggies in recovery from an ACL injury suffered last season (he’s expected to see more action on Saturday), but the real issue was the ineffectiveness of the wide receiver unit.
The receiving corps was a clear weak point of last year’s team but was widely expected to be much improved this fall behind key additions in the transfer portal and the further development of highlytouted underclassmen. On Saturday, Clemson graduate transfer Beaux Collins gave the Aggies defense headaches all night, compiling 62 yards on five receptions and making a crucial 20-yard grab to help spark Notre Dame”s winning touchdown drive. Apart from Collins, though, Irish wide receivers combined for just 68 total yards.
With a new quarterback and offensive scheme — and opening against a high-level defense like Texas A&M’s — it makes sense that Notre Dame needed some time to work out the kinks in its passing game. But to be competitive against top-ranked opponents, the Irish offense will need to be more explosive through the air and far less one-dimensional. With the threat of the run game drawing defenders toward the line of scrimmage, look for offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock to find more opportunities for Leonard to take shots down the field. Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison will miss Saturday’s game with an ankle sprain, but the Irish will look for more production from sophomore Jaden Greathouse, senior Jayden Thomas and FIU graduate transfer Kris Mitchell.
Take control early defensively
With Notre Dame entering Saturday’s game as nearly 30-point favorites, it seems to be flying a bit under the radar that Northern Illinois posted arguably one of the nation’s most impressive offensive performances during last weekend’s season-opening
54-15 demolition of Western Illinois. With the obvious caveat of that effort coming against FCS competition compared to an Irish defense that is among college football’s best, the Huskies offense was absolutely dominant in all facets from start to finish. Quarterback Ethan Hampton was nearly perfect, finishing 18 of 20 with 328 passing yards and five touchdowns, and Northern Illinois added 312 yards on the ground at a clip of 7.6 yards per carry to post a video game-esque 706 yards of total offense. A similar output shouldn’t be expected on Saturday, as Notre Dame stifled Texas A&M, limiting the Aggies to just 100 passing yards and 246 total yards. The Irish have the personnel in both their secondary and front seven to shut Northern Illinois down, but the Huskies are likely to come to South Bend full of confidence, and for good reason. An early scoring drive would only add to that energy and could lead to continued offensive success throughout the game.
Conversely, if Notre Dame, backed by a rocking Notre Dame Stadium, can start the
University temporarily uncovers murals
The murals
Observer Staff Report
The infamous Columbus murals in the main building at Notre Dame were temporarily uncovered from Tuesday until Friday at noon this week.
The murals were painted by Vatican artist-in-residence Luigi Gregori between 1882 and 1884. Gregori also painted other artwork in the main building and in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The murals were covered in fall 2020, following an announcement by the University President Fr. John Jenkins in January 2019.
The murals in the main building depict the different stages of Columbus’ voyage to America in 1492, including the mutiny on the voyage, the sighting of land, his visit to the Spanish court and his death years later. Before the murals were covered, protestors described them as racist and outdated. The murals were originally painted to mark the 400th
will be revealed for faculty use in their classes again later this fall semester
for
SMC hires new LGBTQ+ Center assistant director
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA
Saint Mary’s News Editor
New hire Eli Williams has taken on the brand-new position as assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Center under the division for inclusion and equity at Saint Mary’s College.
Williams, previously the executive director of The LGBTQ Center in South Bend, takes on this new position with hope to focus the center on the student body’s needs.
“I’m trying to dream big and keep the center sustainable for decades to come,” Williams said. “I will be creating and coordinating programs, hosting drop-in hours, and listening and learning as I develop a plan for the future.”
In the three weeks she has worked at Saint Mary’s, Williams said she already feels very comfortable and welcome on campus.
“I expected to find my allies on campus with some work. I did not, however, expect it to be this easy. I have been in non-stop meetings with students, faculty and staff building relationships
on campus. Everyone has been so overwhelmingly supportive,” Williams said. “Nearly all agree having an LGBTQ+
BAVO hosts new support group
By SAMANTHA GEBERT News Writer
The Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) started a new support group for survivors and allies of interpersonal and sexual violence last Friday.
BAVO coordinator Alex Zapata said the support group, meant for both survivors and allies, will be hosted each Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry Resource Room on the second floor of the Student Center. Zapata defined allies as “anybody that supports the cause.”
Zapata noted that the group also offers support to those helping survivors. Zapata gave the example of “Hey, my friend is dealing with this, and it’s also taking a toll on me.”
The group is also there to help answer any questions about interpersonal violence and sex education. “It’s really just kind of
like a safe space to be able to process tough topics and ask those tough questions that you might not be able to ask elsewhere,” Zapata said.
The group is facilitated by BAVO’s student advisory committee as well as the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of North Central Indiana.
“YWCA is a local women’s shelter that assists women, men and families in general, who have gone through domestic violence or interpersonal violence. And they also assist individuals that have difficulties with substance use,” said Zapata.
Zapata pointed out the group is not led by any staff at Saint Mary’s. “I made it that way because I feel like students are kind of weary of going to groups when a staff member leads it,” Zapata said.
Liam Kelly | The Observer
The murals in the main building, which have been covered since fall 2020, were revealed this week
“instructional purposes.” Painted by Vatican artist Luigi Gregori, the murals are a subject of controversy due to their depictions of Columbus’ first voyage to America in 1492.
Courtesy of Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame Eli Williams serves Saint Mary’s College as the first assistant director for the LGBTQ+ Center in the division for inclusion and equity.
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A humorous sign is held high in a crowd for ESPN’s College Gameday, as co-host Pat McAfee looks on, before the beginning of the Notre Dame game last weekend vs. Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish pulled away to defeat the Aggies 23-13 after a tied-up
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anniversary of Columbus’ voyage and were meant to highlight the role of Catholics in the discovery of America.
Notre Dame’s website explains the murals were uncovered for “instructional purposes” so that teachers who use the murals in their courses can view them. The murals will be uncovered again from October 28 through November 1, as well as two yetto-be-named times during the spring upcoming semester.
BAVO
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Instead, the support group is led by one of YWCA’s counselors who specializes in domestic violence every other week. On the days the counselor would not attend, a student on the BAVO student advisory committee would lead the group.
Zapata described the BAVO office as a one-stop shop. According to the College’s own website, BAVO “cultivates a culture free from violence through education, training, support, and advocacy. BAVO engages the Saint Mary’s College community to prevent and respond to sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking.”
Zapata shared more about BAVO and her role. “Students that maybe have questions on interpersonal violence or healthy relationships, sex education ... sexual assault, they can come to me, and I am a confidential person.”
“I actually can’t report to the school or to the police ... unless they ask me to help them with the reporting process, I’m not going to report anything that [students] tell me,” Zapata added.
BAVO will host an event Sept. 10 in honor of Lizzy Seeberg, a student who died by suicide before graduating.
According to Zapata, Seeberg was a freshman in 2010 who accused a Notre Dame football player of sexual assault and later died by suicide as a result of the trauma. “Her death is September 10 ... we are going to be having an event to honor her, remember her, and to help empower other survivors of sexual assault.”
The event will be held in the South Lounge in Holy Cross Hall from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Zapata said the 2015 documentary “The Hunting Ground” will be shown. Afterward, a moment of silence will be observed in Seeberg’s memory.
“It’s a heavy topic, but, you know, it’s the truth of the matter and what happened. And I think it’s a good way to remind people to empower one another and to honor those that are no longer with us,” Zapata said.
Contact Samantha Gebert at sgebert01@saintmarys.edu
Center on a Catholic campus supports Saint Mary’s mission of justice, community, learning and faith/spirituality. In the center, we are affirming human dignity, caring for the whole person, and promoting love at the center of all we do.”
Williams wants the LGBTQ+ Center to be a safe space for all students and a large part of campus.
“I want the Center to be an integral part of the college community, where every student can feel at home and welcome,”
Williams said. “Mostly, I just want students in the space for whatever they need at that moment. I welcome visitors; I hope people will stop by to say hi.”
Williams graduated from Smith College, a women’s college in Massachusetts, with a bachelors in the study of women and gender. She also earned her master’s in leadership
studies from Meadville Lombard Theological School and a doctoral degree in sociology and gender studies from the University of Notre Dame. Williams additionally taught at Notre Dame while earning her doctorate.
Passionate about women’s colleges, Williams said “Smith was empowering for me personally and professionally, in the same way Saint Mary’s is for its students … I am excited to work at a faith-based institution and further the mission of Saint Mary’s College.”
Williams said several people reached out to her about her now-position when the College posted an application online.
“When the position was posted, literally four people emailed me about it that morning. I love South Bend, women’s colleges, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and teaching, so this was a perfect fit. I honestly feel I have found my dream job,” Williams said.
Williams said she was inspired
to work with the LGBTQ+ community after having positive experiences and support in college.
“In college, I was lucky to have mentors and friends who supported me when I chose to come out. They inspired me to become my true self and helped me feel proud of who I am,” Williams said. “I am also inspired by the LGBTQ+ young people I work with. They are brave and resilient, even in hardship, and give me hope for the future.”
In addition to her work with Saint Mary’s, Williams is also close to publishing a book narrating the lesbian history of South Bend.
“My book is a collection of stories about lesbian history in South Bend, Indiana, from 1974 to the present,” she said. “I explore how these women built community despite the odds being stacked against them, from opening the city’s first gay bar to the successful campaign to amend the city’s Human Rights
Ordinance.”
Writing her book helped Williams rediscover South Bend, her hometown, in a new light and found greater appreciation for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Writing the book was transformative for me; I found a side of my hometown I didn’t know existed. It led me to move back here and find ways to become part of this community,” she said.
Overall, Williams hopes to use her position within the division for inclusion and equity to support students and their journey for self-discovery.
“I want students to feel like the center is a space for them to just be,” Williams said. “I know it’s sometimes hard to be LGBTQ+, and I want to support you in whatever way I can. I promise to make this space one where you can feel respected, valued and empowered.”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
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ELECTION DEBATE 2024
College Republicans: an existential election
Thakur
On the evening of July 13, 2024, President Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. For a moment, the world stood still as it appeared the worst had come to pass a President killed, a movement extinguished and the tenuous fabric of a nation irreparably shattered.
But out of the chaos emerged the former President, his fists raised, his face visibly scarred by the marks of battle. “Fight, fight, fight!” he declared. By the grace of God, Trump’s life had been spared that day. To quote the Emperor of the French Napoleon, destiny had made him “invulnerable, unassailable,” until the goals to which fate pushed him had been realized.
For President Trump, this goal is finishing the project he started when he rode down the golden escalator to declare his candidacy in 2015. Taking the political world by storm, he upended establishment orthodoxy by decrying a system that had served the interests of globalist elites at the expense of ordinary Americans. He challenged the failed, neoliberal consensus forged within both parties — that of mass-immigration, unfair trade and forever-wars — that turned America into nothing more than an economic zone to be ransacked by the highest bidder. He envisioned a ruling elite that once again was rooted in faith, family, love of nation and above all, put America first. Against all the odds, he won.
During his time as President, Trump made significant strides towards realizing such a vision. Economically, manufacturing employment grew the fastest in thirty years, wages grew at the fastest rate in decades and the U.S. became a net exporter of energy. On immigration, net migration declined significantly, and illegal border crossings hit their lowest levels in modern history. On foreign policy, Trump made significant breakthroughs in relations in North Korea, the Middle East and wisely avoided starting any new foreign conflicts. Finally, the Trump Administration was an ardent defender of Christian and traditional values. Trump’s judicial picks were responsible for overturning the barbaric Roe v. Wade decision as well as gutting anti-white policies like affirmative action. His administrative state also did important work in pushing back against the Obama Administration’s promotion of
transgender ideology in public schools.
In just four years, the Biden-Harris admin has waged a crusade to undo the progress of the Trump years, and the collateral damage has been the common good of the American people. On the economy, costly spending bills like the “Inflation Reduction Act” and cumbersome regulations on the energy sector have contributed to massive price increases for ordinary Americans. As a result of this inflation, the Federal Reserve increased interest rates to a 23-year high, making it onerous for Americans to buy a home or start a business. On foreign policy, Biden-Harris has presided over one of the most geopolitically unstable periods in recent history, from a disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan that left 13 U.S. veterans dead to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the ongoing war in Gaza. They have failed to make meaningful progress to quell any of these crises. Perhaps worst of all, however, has been Biden and Harris’s open cooperation in an invasion on the U.S. southern border. Estimates suggest more than 10 million illegal aliens have entered the country since 2021, a total greater than 41 U.S. states. Many of these illegals have committed other serious crimes upon arrival, such as the brutal rape and murder of college student Laken Riley earlier this year. These policy failures have made Joe Biden one of the most unpopular Presidents in U.S. history. Before being forced to exit the race, Biden responded to his failing poll numbers by attempting to jail his political opponent. Even the Kremlin wasn’t so obvious.
If elected President, Kamala Harris would ensure that the damage of the Biden years is irreparable. The clearest way in which she would achieve this is through her radical expansion of mass immigration. During her campaign for President in 2019, Harris promised to decriminalize all border crossings and offer amnesty, free healthcare and other benefits to illegal immigrants on the taxpayer dime. The current 2024 DNC platform has even called for an increase in immigration levels with little to no vetting of personal backgrounds. Such proposals are not the result of incompetence or ignorance. Rather, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the fabric of American society through displacing the native population, importing a reliable voting base and distorting America’s traditional cultural practices.
Vice President Harris’s resentment for traditional conceptions of order and civilization is also evident in her approach
to crime. She has endorsed significant cuts to police budgets, the abolition of cash bail and has called for the extension of voting rights to violent terrorists such as the Boston Marathon Bomber. Her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, took no action as the city of Minneapolis suffered historic riots after the death of George Floyd in 2020. Harris even bailed out the few that were actually charged with a crime.
Finally, on economics, Harris proposes dangerous price controls on everyday goods and services as part of a strategy to divert blame onto “corporate greed” for the inflation of the last four years. The result of such a disastrous policy, if implemented, would be massive shortages in essential goods, bankruptcies and a subsequent economic crisis. She also plans to pass the Green New Deal, a 93 trillion dollar plan that seeks to forbid nuclear and fossil fuel energy sources in favor of wind and solar. This proposal kills two birds with one stone, both bankrupting the nation’s finances and ensuring mass-scale deindustrialization.
Harris and Walz are fundamentally anti-civilizational candidates, ideologues who detest the order and tradition that built the West and seek to use the full force of the state to dismantle them. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance embody the opposite of this pathological ethos — visionary leaders who have lived the American dream and seek to preserve it for future generations. If elected to a second term, Trump will finish what he started. He will reduce immigration and secure the border. He will revitalize the economy by continuing to bring home American manufacturing, bringing down inflationary spending and unleashing the American energy sector. He will negotiate a just end to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. And he will continue to fight for the Christian values that made Western civilization the greatest in the world.
November 5th, 2024, will mark the most existential election in American history. But together, we will heed Trump’s rallying cry on that fateful July day. We will fight. We will win. And we will make America great again.
The College Republicans of Notre Dame have agreed, along with the College Democrats of Notre Dame, to write a bi-weekly debate column in The Observer’s Viewpoint section in the name of free, civil discourse in the 2024 election cycle. You can reach out to the college democrats at creps@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
An usher’s suggestions for gameday
Our Fighting Irish begin their home season this Saturday after a great victory Saturday night at Kyle Field, considered by many to be the toughest place to play in college football for a visiting team. As we begin the home season and my eighth season of ushering in the student section, I offer a few comments for your constructive consideration:
1. Please do not come to the stadium with alcohol or drugs on your body or with an intoxicating amount inside your body. You may be tired of hearing about this, so my only comments are: (a) there is a police station in the stadium and students have been and can be arrested — an arrest is not a resume builder; and (b) a near-state of sobriety reduces the likelihood of vomiting on other students or the need to call paramedics, which has happened.
2. Safety is critical, and one of the most formidable challenges for ushers is to keep aisles clear.
Medical emergencies do arise and paramedics need a clear path. Accordingly, if possible, come to the game before the middle of the first quarter and find out where friends plan to sit before you do. This will serve to reduce the clogging of aisles by students on cell phones “looking for my friend”.
3. Another means to reduce the clogging of aisles is to use the restroom facilities before going to your seat if possible. The number of students who find their seats and then need to use the restroom facilities five minutes later is astonishing. They must walk against the inflow of students, which can be difficult and frustrating for many. Given the demographics of the student body, the use of medications to stimulate the emptying of bladders should be infinitesimal at most.
4. If you do not wish to sing “America the Beautiful” and the “National Anthem,” kindly show respect to those who do. Many of us have
served or have had parents, relatives and friends who have served and desire to sing respectfully without distractions.
5. Please use your best efforts to limit profanity to a few decibels or preferably to under your breath. Not everyone who sits in the student section is a student. Visitors draw impressions of Notre Dame based on their observations.
6. Notre Dame Stadium is not in the top ten toughest places to play for visiting teams. Consider changing that. My ushering position is almost on the field and can attest that the noise level can make a huge difference.
You are the greatest student body in the world. Please continue to demonstrate it.
Many thanks and GO IRISH!!
John Lushis, Jr.
Shri
College Republicans of Notre Dame Political Affairs Director
The agenda of replacing the Rock’s weights
What capitalism once stood for has vanished. What once was a collection of independently-minded thinkers and workers pursuing a shared mission of affluence and security has been thoroughly vanquished by the powers which reign supreme in this nation. Those with power and wealth have reached their position through exploitative means — they cheated, they lied, did whatever necessary to crush their opponents and adversaries. Now that they’ve reached what they believe to be the peak of power on this earth, THEY HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO CRUSHING ANY MAN OR WOMAN WHO POSES A THREAT TO THEIR EMPIRE OF WEALTH, DOMINATION AND SIN.
A culture created by a perceived authority is only created to serve its creators. This culture has made us weaker, fearful and submissive to those with this power. We listen to the lies blasted by the media and absorb them. We conform ourselves to the jurisdiction of the commandments of a ruling class which does not have our best interest in mind, yet we continue to conform out of fear of being ostracized, ridiculed or expelled from our society. We change our behavior to meet the ever-so-demanding needs of the oligarchical class so that they will be satisfied. What have we become? Depressed, SUBMISSIVE AND ENSLAVED. The deep state has succeeded in its quest for power, and it continues to thrive on our submission and conformity. It will continue to thrive until we realize that WE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED, ABUSED AND EXPLOITED.
One would like to think that these powers have not infiltrated what serves as a force for goodness and beauty. Alas, humans are fallen. No matter what they do, who they work for or what they stand for, they will always engage in the unceasing battle of attempting to resist temptation. When we do resist, a sense of accomplishment appears, but it does not last. When we don’t, however, we are lauded with money, power and pleasurable gratification which launches us into the throes of addiction. Evil infiltrates us all, and the ones with power give into it the easiest. NONE OF US, EVEN AT INSTITUTIONS THAT STAND FOR SOMETHING COMMENDABLE AND VIRTUOUS, ARE SAFE FROM THOSE CONSUMED BY POWER.
This past summer, the deep state of Notre Dame revealed their commitment to suppressing our inert desire to live freely by replacing the weight room in the Rockne Gymnasium with a series of treadmills. What was once a breeding ground of self-motivation, physical discovery and maturity was destroyed. What was once a place where a young college kid could transform into a man of strength, discipline and character was replaced by a confined jail cell where one could do nothing but run. No longer can a man at Notre Dame blossom into a state of undeniable physical maturity. Nay, instead, we are told to run, to stay skinny. WE HAVE BEEN FED POISON. SO WE BUY THEIR ‘CURES’ — WE ARE TOLD TO RUN — WHILE THEY SUPPRESS OUR MEDICINE — THE WEIGHT ROOM.
The weight room in Rockne was then transplanted on the first level of the building, where it has been cut in half. No longer are there exercise cables, no longer are there machines. Instead, there are four — just four — squat/ bench racks, an assortment of dumbbells and few curling barbells. For a student body of 8,000, we are given four racks to grow in strength, discipline and character. WE ARE BEING SUFFOCATED.
There is certainly no shortage of benefits of running, to be fair. Mental health improvements, endurance, enhanced breathing and better sleep all come from consistently running. However, lifting heavy weight brings with it those benefits as well. So why would Notre Dame cut its weight room? The deep state of Notre Dame understand a truth which they fear: A STRONG MAN, A RIGHTEOUS MAN, IS A THREAT TO THEIR POWER STRUCTURE AND THEIR ENFORCED CULTURE OF SUPPRESSION. Whether a man thirsts for power, or God forbid, he longs for goodness: if he displays strength, he displays his UNDISCOVERED ABILITY TO DESTROY THE EMPIRE OF EVIL WHICH WE RESIDE UNDER.
A man who runs may be strong, but it is not often visible to the public eye. Granted, he may have muscular definition and a thin torso, but that is covered up by the clothes he wears. Additionally, when we are left running, we are put in a hamster wheel of the Rockne Memorial Gymnasium by the deep state of Notre Dame. A strong man, however, cannot use the guise of clothing to hide his well-built stature. It is obvious to those who observe that he is a man of strength — OF DISCIPLINE.
THE DEEP STATE HAS NO BOUNDS, ABIDES BY NO RULES, RUTHLESSLY ACTING TO SERVE ITS OWN INTEREST AT THE EXPENSE OF HUMAN SOULS, SUPPRESSING OUR DIGNITY AND AUTONOMY AT WHATEVER COST NECESSARY. THEY MAKE OUR CHOICES FOR US TO MAKE US CONFORM TO THEIR ENSLAVING, POWER-HUNGRY IDEOLOGY.
Their vision is clear. Once men see that there is less ability to endure a challenging task (lifting heavy weights), the Notre Dame bureaucrats are COUNTING on our temptation to give up, to push it off for another time. Where do they next direct our choices?
The dining halls, where we are fed POISON. They force our wonderful chefs to cook our foods with hazardous seed oils (against the chefs’ will, as they are often held at gunpoint), the same seed oils used in vehicle production and maintenance repair. ONLY A BIOCHEMIST WORKING FOR THE CIA STATIONED IN TAIWAN COULD TELL YOU THE INGREDIENTS IN THE SOY-BASED VEGAN PATTY THAT YOU JUST ATE FOR LUNCH TODAY. Furthermore, THEY MAKE IT HARD TO EAT WELL AND EASY TO EAT POORLY! They refuse to flavor their chicken and make it juicy. They keep their greek yogurt plain and sour. They keep their fruit and vegetables soggy and rotting. And yet, the cookies are always fresh, their ice cream cold and tantalizing, their brownies and cake so addictive and delicious. Why does this dynamic exist?
THEY WANT TO FATTEN US, ERODE OUR MINDS AND DESTROY OUR BODIES.
We then go to class, bloated, with physical turmoil, hazy. And what are we taught? LIES. Our convictions and our brain matter, by then, have deteriorated, and we’re led to believe whatever may come out of the professor’s lips. Oh, maybe Jesus was just a prophet! Oh, maybe atheism sounds reasonable! Hmm, maybe an oligarchy or dictatorship wouldn’t be that bad of a political system, they begin to think! And before we can dispute the false claims we hear, they distract us again by distributing pounds of busy work. WE ARE MANIPULATED AT EVERY TURN, FORCED TO CONFORM TO STANDARDS AND IDEAS THAT THE HUMAN SOUL INHERENTLY REJECTS.
With no gym, unhealthy eating and the constant consumption of deep state propaganda from the ‘Ministry of Truth,’ we have no confidence in our physical appearance or our intellectual capacity. We then struggle to court women, MARRY THEM AND SIRE AN ARMY OF
CHILDREN CAPABLE OF CLEANSING THIS WORLD FROM ITS SIN AND REACHING THE PEARLY GATES OF HEAVEN THOUGH THEIR INDOMITABLE PURSUIT OF TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS!
WITHOUT A STRONG BODY, WE LACK THE DISCIPLINE TO STRENGTHEN OUR MIND. WITHOUT PHYSICAL STRENGTH, WE LACK THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP COURAGE, MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND FORMIDABLE CHARACTER. WE LACK THE COURAGE TO STAND UP TO OUR ADVERSARIES AND SHOW SIGNS OF STRENGTH. WHAT THE DEEP STATE HAS DONE TO ROCKNE IS SHAMEFUL AND WILL LEAD TO DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR US ALL.
THERE IS NO INCENTIVE FOR THE BUREAUCRATS OF NOTRE DAME TO RAISE INDEPENDENT, ABLEBODIED MEN. WE ALREADY LIVE IN A CULTURE WHICH CALLS FOR THE FEMINIZATION OF MEN, WHICH CONDEMNS MASCULINITY IN ITS ENTIRETY, THUS WEAKENING THE BROTHERHOOD WHICH WAS ONCE IMPENETRABLE. BY SATISFYING THE DEMAND FROM THE EXTREME PARTS OF OUR SOCIETY, OUR BUREAUCRATS HAVE AN EXPLANATION, AN EASY EXCUSE, AS TO WHY THEY WANT TO FEMINIZE THEIR MALE STUDENTS. BUT WE ALREADY KNOW WHY THEY WANT TO DO THIS: THEY WANT TO CRUSH ANY SIGN OF HOLY, STOIC STRENGTH WHICH OPPOSES THEIR REGIME OF EVIL!
THEY WANT TO FEED US POISON, TO DUMB US DOWN AND HAZE OUR BRAINS. THEY WANT MEN TO RUN LIKE HAMSTERS, SO THEY WILL LOOK WEAK. THEY WANT US TO CONSUME THEIR LIES WITHOUT QUESTION. THEY WANT TO MINIMIZE THE SIZE OF THE MALE BODY SO AS TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MUSCULAR SPACE IN WHICH CHRIST CAN RESIDE. We are fallen. We are cursed with original sin. It plagues our bodies and corrupts our minds. Instead of accepting God’s call to cleanse us of our sin, some INSTEAD CHOOSE TO BASK IN IT, RELISH IN THEIR LUST FOR MONEY AND POWER, PLEASURE AND PURSUE THEIR INSATIABLE DESIRE FOR THESE SINFUL TEMPTATIONS. This mindset which has captured the political elite and the deep state bureaucrats poisons and corrupts the youth, exploits the poor and causes ETERNAL SUFFERING FOR THE PROLETARIAT. I WILL NOT SIT IDLY WHILE MY FELLOW BRETHREN SUFFER FROM A LACK OF WEIGHTLIFTING. I WILL NOT STAND FOR SUCH TYRANNY. HOW DARE THE BOURGEOISIE OF NOTRE DAME ACT IN SUCH AN APPALLING MANNER IN OUR LADY’S NAME. HOW DARE THEY!
WE MUST RETURN TO OUR ROOTS. WE MUST TRANSFORM NOTRE DAME INTO WHAT IT ONCE WAS. FREE FROM THE CONTROL OF THE DEEP STATE, STOIC, DISCIPLINED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: BASED. I URGE YOU ALL TO HEED MY CALL WITH SINCERITY: THOSE IN POWER WILL DO EVERYTHING TO KEEP IT. YOU ARE THEIR ENEMY, AND SO THEY WILL RUTHLESSLY EXPLOIT YOUR SHORTCOMINGS. THEY WILL KEEP YOU WEAK. THEY WILL KEEP YOU UNHEALTHY. AND THEY WILL KEEP YOU FROM HITTING THE GYM SIX DAYS A WEEK BY THROWING EVERY POSSIBLE TEMPTATION AT YOU!
DOWN WITH THE OLIGARCHY. DOWN WITH THE DEEP STATE. GO HIT THE GYM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! TURN BACK ROCKNE! TURN BACK ROCKNE! TURN BACK ROCKNE!
You can reach out to the Joe at jrudolp3@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Joe Rudolph Speaking My Truth
By JAYDEN ESPINOZA Scene Writer
Doechii has dropped what might be the most authentic and entertaining rap project of the year.
“Alligator Bites Never Heal” is the newest project from 26-year-old Doechii (whose real name is Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon), and — as the title implies — she’s taking a major bite out of anyone who has doubted her abilities as a performer and lyricist. Even better, she does it with no regard for what will be left of the listener once she’s done or what the industry might think when it drops.
Over the mixtape’s 19 songs, Doechii’s persona becomes three dimensional, ascending past the vapid conversations about what rap is and what it has to be, and instead focusing on processing the world around her in a way that make sense. But longtime fans would know that creativity and boldness are nothing new for the artist, and neither is intentionality. Earlier this year when speaking to fellow Florida-born rapper JT for Interview Magazine, Doechii was candid about the matter, saying “As far as boxes and shit, I don’t do that. I jump from genre to genre. I’ll be making a rock song, then I make a pop song, then I make this, that and the third … It’s a balance.”
She’s also not afraid to admit (on your behalf) that people might not get how she moves through genres and sounds — like an alligator in water. Even her label
doesn’t get it: She describes it on the satirical “Boop Bap,” rapping “I just can’t sang a little bit? I mean that shit was a hit!” in reference to her platinum song “What It Is.”
But moments like these, ones full of braggadocious behavior (notably on songs like “BULLFROG” and “CATFISH”), they come and go. The lasting power of the mixtape is its dedication to balancing the scales between the “good” and “bad” present in the last few years of her life.
This balancing act is present most clearly on track four’s “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” where Doechii speaks to a therapized version of herself who is attempting to coach her through the various addictions that have found their way into her life, even as the artist feel she doesn’t have a problem with her relationships. As the voice inside of her begins the uphill battle that is sobriety, she fails to begin a breathing exercise, and it results in a panic attack. While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy, the song itself is clearly playful, with her alter ego’s voice being clearly pitched to sound like she’s pestering herself. In additional tracks like “HIDE N SEEK,” the listener finds Doechii at a crossroads. Does she want to hide from those around her or be sought out? She explains that monetary gains are always a source of temptation, and asks what we should strive for: a transaction or genuine relationship? Difficulties with relationships to those around you and even to yourself are
also recurring themes on the album. As she describes in “BLOOM”, “I’m constantly trying to remember, like, okay / You have to chase your goals, but you gotta check in with your mom / And you gotta make sure your sisters are okay / You gotta make sure your bills are paid, but you gotta make sure you have fun and time for you, time for your friends / And like, I just constantly feel like I’m neglecting parts of my life.“
Even with the heavy subject matter, keeping the album upbeat is not a problem for Doechii, with songs like “NISSAN ALTIMA,” “SLIDE” (feeling reminiscent of this summer’s “Alter Ego” featuring JT) and “WAIT” (providing R&B fans something to turn up on their next drive). What remains impressive is the way that these themes, messages and sounds are all seamlessly transitioned between on this body of work, which won’t surprise longtime viewers of “Swamp Sessions” — a weekly segment on Instagram where Doechii has to create an entirely new song and perform it for live viewers. The practice shows, as each song sounds like a piece of a puzzle she has access to. The result is what could possibly be 2024’s most innovative and risk-taking rap album. Even if you‘re unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of her alligator’s bite, it won’t matter — not to her at least. While you‘re tending to wounds, she‘s tending to her pen and already one verse ahead of everyone else.
Contact Jayden Espinoza at jespino4@nd.edu
By MARGUERITE C.J. MARLEY
Scene Writer
As TikTok keeps reminding us, we have entered the ‘ber’ months. It’s time to bring out our sweaters, boots and scarves as the air (slowly) gets colder. It’s also that time of year when we, as a community, find ourselves deeply immersed in the emotional and warm embrace of the fall season, forgetting our loneliness as we rewatch many Nora Ephron films. This shared experience, this sense of community, is what makes this time of year so special.
Films written and directed by Ephron have a particular style that has informed other romcoms. Her unique blend of humor, romance and relatable characters has set a benchmark for the genre. Her films, often set in New York, not only capture the essence of the changing seasons but also inspire a new perception of fall, filled with the emotions that come with it. They have influenced our understanding and appreciation of this season, making us see it in a new, more romantic
light.
What most people remember from her films are the incredible fall outfits. Whether it’s Billy Crystal’s immaculate sweater in “When Harry Met Sally” or Meg Ryan‘s cardigan game in “You’ve Got Mail,” these aesthetics of Nora Ephron’s fall have greatly influenced me and created a sense of nostalgia in Gen Z. Platforms like TikTok have played a significant role in this, with users recreating iconic scenes, making Halloween themed cookies, and wearing oversized cozy sweaters, all inspired by Nora Ephron’s films and the fall season. They have turned this influence into a cultural movement.
Walking down Saint Mary’s Avenue amid the fall is one of the most comforting activities. No matter how I feel, I always find solace in the reassuring uniformity of the trees as I make my way to Notre Dame.
Nora Ephron focused on big, sprawling metropolises, but she always made New York feel like a small town. Her focus on interesting buildings or museums makes me feel like Notre Dame could be
in a Nora Ephron film. The grandeur and charm of Notre Dame, its architectural beauty, and the sense of community it fosters, all resonate with the spirit of Ephron’s films.
According to my alumni father, ‘Notre Dame is the most beautiful in the fall,’ and I couldn’t agree more. The sight of the orange leaves scattered on the ground and trees always brings to mind that iconic scene from ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ It’s like a living painting, with Meg Ryan’s big eighties hair, a symbol of the era’s fashion; the vibrant yellow and orange color palette, reminiscent of the fall season; and the blanket of leaves on the floor, a visual representation of the changing seasons. Fall always makes me think that I’m in my own Nora Ephron film and maybe everything will be alright. As we start to stress about the new school year, let’s take a moment to enjoy the beauty of campus and fall in love with the new school year.
Contact Marguerite C.J. Marley at mmarley2 @ nd.edu
ND FOOTBALL
Observer on the Ground: Texas A&M
By NOAH CAHILL
Associate Sports Editor
Our journey began on Friday morning at Main Circle, where we departed for O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. After a two-hour drive broken up by a gas station snack run, we arrived with time to spare. The group went their separate ways, some doubling down on the snack approach, others seeking out a heartier breakfast. The flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston was smooth and uninterrupted and even touched down ahead of schedule.
I had been looking forward to this trip not only because of the opportunity to cover Notre Dame football in College Station, but also to see my aunt and uncle. I broke off from the group to join them on a mini tour of Texas, feasting on authentic à la carte-style barbecue, seeing the highlights of Houston and stopping in at the famous Buc-ee’s on the way to the hotel. Meanwhile, in Aggieland, the rest of the group decided on chicken for dinner before heading to the A&M campus. We all
reconvened outside the student center before heading back to the car, holding out some hope that we would encounter Pat McAfee on the way after seeing the location of his most recent tweet. We unfortunately had no luck.
Next was the long-awaited mini-golf match. The location: PopStroke. Upon arriving, we discovered that many had the same idea. But the impressive venue more than accommodated the large numbers across its two golf courses, multiple bars and assortment of other games from ping-pong to foosball. After a hard-fought contest with some late holein-one drama, we were left with a tie at the top. With plans for an early wakeup the following morning, we decided to leave it a tie and call it a night, albeit after a few moments of close consideration. We returned to our modest motel, the Days Inn by Wyndham Bryan, and hit the hay. Modest may have been an overstatement after seeing their breakfast selection, but I digress.
Leaving bright and early at 7:30 CT, we arrived on campus in time for the start of College Gameday. Seeing
it start at 8 rather than 9 didn’t feel right. We viewed the spectacle from a variety of angles, getting up close and personal with the cannon before it fired and judging the various fan signs. We also took in the bustling tailgate scene, which stretched across large grassy fields surrounding the stadium and featured some heavy-duty barbecue equipment. Eventually, after a break from the heat in the Memorial Student Center, we made our way back to the set for game picks, cheering on Lee Corso as he strolled out in a leprechaun costume to loud boos from the Aggie faithful. The Gameday legend, now entering his 38th year with the show, was the only one to pick the Irish.
Whataburger was our next stop before returning to the hotel to regroup. At around 3:30, we came back to the stadium, now getting the full gameday experience with the fans in full force.
Approaching the entrance, we took in the towering Kyle
Field. We then took an elevator to the press box on the eighth floor. We had to overcome some obstacles with the seating arrangements, but eventually settled in.
After eating some press box chicken sandwiches and overlooking a Ted Cruz interview about NIL, we spent pregame on the sidelines.
The noise right behind us was deafening, as were the spontaneous cannon blasts.
The kickoff was our cue to return to the box and get to work covering the game.
We all predicted a close one with late drama, and that’s exactly what the game delivered. Notre Dame kept the 12th Man at bay for most of the game, but when Mo Bamba came on in the fourth quarter, the box started to physically shake. A touchdown at the start of that quarter sent the crowd into a frenzy. A near pick-six on the following drive almost caused an eruption that may have brought the box down.
The Irish were resilient in the hostile environment,
however. When they got the ball with a little over six minutes remaining and a chance to win the game, we had to get back down to the field. We watched Jeremiyah Love punch in the go-ahead touchdown. Then the fourand-out. Then the dagger, a 46-yard kick from Mitch Jeter to make it 23-13.
As celebrations commenced, we got behind the team as they interlocked arms and sang the alma mater to the traveling Irish faithful. Next was the press conference, before one final return to the box to finish postgame stories. We were politely ushered out at half past midnight, and returned to the hotel around 2 a.m. The four hours of sleep did not kill our good spirits for the flight home, though it did lead to a few naps. The flight was packed with equally relieved and overjoyed Notre Dame fans, a refreshing sight to see.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Aggie fans all the way up to the third deck of seating wave their white rally towels during a crucial moment of Notre Dame’s 23-13 takedown of Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Aug. 31, 2024. More than 107,000 spectators packed the Home of the 12th Man in Week One, combining to create the fourth-largest crowd in stadium history.
Happy Birthday: Slow down, smell the flowers, take a moment to relax, and remember what life is about. It’s necessary to reduce excess, spend more time with loved ones, and reassess what’s next. Change begins with you; ignoring habits, health, and overall wellbeing will make you vulnerable. Take notes, correct what’s failing you, and embrace the future optimistically. Sustainability comes from good lifestyle choices. Your numbers are 8, 19, 21, 24, 30, 36, 45.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Expand your mind, prospects, and relationships. Test what works best for you and take advantage of an opportunity to learn or try something new. Don’t let the changes others make deter you from doing what’s best for you. Focus on implementing cost-efficiency and control. Self-improvement is favored.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep personal information private. Listening will be in your best interest. Knowing what others want or are thinking will help you make better choices and more suitable offers. Sharing a common interest or experience with someone will bring you closer together and enhance your chance to advance.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Participate in events that allow you to show your strengths. Your go-getter attitude will make the competition reluctant to fight back and teammates enthusiastic to support your leadership. Strive for perfection, initiate high standards, and continue until you are satisfied with your results. Romance is favored.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stifle your emotions, gather the facts, and sit tight until the time is right for you to make your next move. Look for a unique way to get what you want. Add flair and detail to whatever you do, and let your work and performance lead the way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let your actions lead the way. Take the initiative to be a leader and present what you offer through gestures instead of words. Thoughts, followed by actions, will have the best impact on how others respond and open doors to new beginnings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Turn a negative experience into a positive, and you’ll find it easier to open doors to more significant opportunities. Learn from what transpires and differentiate between outdated, current, and futuristic ideas. Use your imagination to create something that captivates and entices those you approach.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Spread love to neighbors, friends, and family and let them know you are there for them. Your outpouring of kindness and generosity will lead to new connections that benefit your goal. What you put out, you will get back tenfold. Romance is on the rise.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Check your bank account before you donate or spend frivolously. A misconception will arise if you listen to hype or someone trying to sell you something. Look inward and determine what you need and what you can do without. Discipline is encouraged where money, health, and entertainment are concerned.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Drop everything and examine what’s fact and what’s fake. You require an honest evaluation before you can make a choice. Refrain from scrimping when it comes to knowledge. The more information you have, the better armed you will be when faced with tough decisions. Do what’s best for you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t let anger set in when action is necessary. Stop waiting for someone else to do things for you. Size up situations and make things happen. Initiate a move, and you’ll impact how situations unfold. Take control of your emotional and physical well-being.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be consistent; if you keep changing your mind, you’ll face opposition and the right to choose. Be pragmatic; sum up cost, emotional wear and tear, and sustainability; you’ll know what to do next. Life is only complex when you invite drama and indecisiveness into your orb.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Refuse to let foolishness or excess become your disadvantage. Discipline will be necessary to avoid falling behind. Say no to temptation, and surround yourself with those who set a good example. Don’t let life bring you down; rise above and use your assets to forge ahead.
Birthday Baby: You are meticulous, opportunistic, and insightful. You are encouraging and intelligent.
Stock up, stock down: Northern Illinois week
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Saturday, Notre Dame football scored a true program-building win, going into Texas A&M and triumphing by a 23-13 score. Heading into their Week Two home opener against Northern Illinois, the Irish have plenty to build on and one big correction to make. Here’s a look at the team’s active strengths and weaknesses in our inaugural edition of Stock Up, Stock Down.
Stock up: the offensive line
Entering the game, no position group on the team
created more apprehension about Notre Dame’s chances than the offensive line. Five men with a combined six starts took the field in one of college football’s harshest environments on Saturday. No senior was present for the season’s first snap for the first time in at least four decades. And the inexperienced line got the job done.
Sure, the line didn’t perform perfectly. On several occasions, the extremely raw left side of the line, featuring freshman Anthonie Knapp and sophomore Sam Pendleton, opened the door to free rushers. A couple of low snaps also put senior quarterback Riley Leonard in
scramble mode. But against a vaunted Texas A&M front, the offensive line did not allow a sack — a credit to offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s gameplan.
Through two-and-a-half quarters, Notre Dame’s rushing attack — or lack thereof — would have kept this stock fairly flat. The Aggies piled up seven tackles for loss, most of them early on, to stymie a typically consistent Irish ground game. However, with the offensive line leading the way, that ground game woke up when needed most. On sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love’s game-winning, 21yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, the line absolutely plowed the middle of the field open. For all that could have gone wrong with this group, it held its own.
Stock up: youth on defense
Everyone knows about the proven talent on Notre Dame’s defense. Without question, players like graduate safety Xavier Watts, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison, graduate linebacker Jack Kiser and graduate tackles Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III each made impacts on the game. But it takes not five, but 11 players to form a defense. And Notre Dame’s young pieces filled out that Irish defense wonderfully in College Station.
In the secondary, Notre Dame’s youth shined brightest. Sophomore safety Adon Shuler essentially jumped Northwestern graduate transfer Rod Heard II on the depth chart and ran with the opportunity. Shuler’s first career interception set up a game-tying
field goal in the second quarter. Another sophomore, cornerback Christian Gray, bounced back from early miscues to make the gamewinning pass breakup in the fourth quarter.
If you watched Notre Dame’s personnel closely, you may have seen a number of new faces anchoring the defense at linebacker. Behind Kiser and junior Jaylen Sneed, the combination of sophomore Drayk Bowen, sophomore Jaiden Ausberry and freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa totaled 69 snaps. Ausberry finished as the game’s highest-graded defender by Pro Football Focus.
Stock up: special teams
Texas A&M also posted a strong night in this department, but that shouldn’t take away from Notre Dame’s special teams success. Graduate kicker Mitch Jeter, an experienced transfer from South Carolina, returned to SEC country and stole the show. Jeter poured in three field goals, including two 46-yarders, and accounted for 11 of the 23 Irish points. His second 46-yarder iced the game for Notre Dame, building a 10-point lead with 30 seconds remaining.
Graduate student and Australian import James Rendell also performed well in the punting game. Rendell pinned the Aggies inside their own 20-yard line three times on five kicks. When Texas A&M did have a chance to return, Notre Dame consistently held the Aggies to below-average kickoff and punt runbacks. Overall, special teams played out smoothly.
Stock up: the coaching staff
This rise starts and ends with head coach Marcus Freeman, who just picked up the biggest win of his career. You can argue for 2022 Clemson or 2023 USC to rank higher, but Notre Dame played with nothing to lose in those games. Here, the team’s biggame identity and Freeman’s ceiling as a head coach likely hung on the line. Freeman and company delivered.
Notre Dame appeared more prepared than ever to handle both the noise and the game’s taxing effects — a testament to strength coach Loren Landow. Freeman also knew exactly what his team needed, an emotional leader absent of fear, while entering Kyle Field. His and the coaching staff’s ability to adapt to and learn from novel technology, namely sideline iPads and inhelmet communication, also deserves praise.
Finally, Freeman largely allayed the decision-making concerns Irish fans held out for him. Notre Dame chose the right fourth downs to attack and would have gone 2-for2 if not for a controversial review. Freeman also made the proper call to go up by 10 points on Jeter’s late field goal rather than pin the Aggies deep down seven. However, his best move happened at the two-minute timeout. In a tie game, Notre Dame sat just outside the red zone with a chance to wind the clock and kick a late, go-ahead field goal. Instead, Freeman looked to score as soon as possible (which the Irish did), trusting his defense to protect the go-ahead touchdown (which it also did).
Stock down: early-season discipline
Notre Dame fans can stomach this one. Hostile environment. Week One. Something had to break off and deny the Irish a perfect operation, and that something emerged as penalties. The Irish finished the night with 11 penalties for 99 yards, struggling early with Texas A&M’s hard count. In the second quarter, a holding penalty wiped out a lengthy run from junior running back Jadarian Price. In the fourth quarter, Cross III took a foul for hands to the face that accelerated the Aggies’ gametying touchdown drive.
Nevertheless, Notre Dame’s advantage in the turnover game helped to offset its lack of discipline. With four of their next five games at home, the Irish are in a good position to straighten this area out.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish head to Starkville for StarkVegas Classic
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Notre Dame volleyball enjoyed a highly successful opening weekend out west in the Catholic Challenge. The Irish won the event, winning six of their seven combined sets against Villanova and Santa Clara. As a result, they are 2-0 for the first time under third-year head coach Salima Rockwell.
Looking ahead to this weekend, the competition begins to stiffen for Notre Dame. The Irish will make another lengthy trip to Dixieland and face both Michigan and Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi. The StarkVegas Classic will run between Friday and Sunday.
Notre Dame newcomers wasting no time
The Irish entered the season with a potent group of returners led by graduate libero Hattie Monson, senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo and senior setter Phyona Schrader. While all three of them performed well last weekend, Notre Dame’s new contributors shined.
ND HOCKEY
Anna Bjork, a decorated freshman middle blocker from Wisconsin, made quite the first impression at the Catholic Challenge. Her .480 hitting percentage led all Irish attackers with at least five kills (she had 14). Already one of the tallest players on the team, she added 11 total blocks, leading the Irish with 1.57 rejections per set. Bjork contributed away from the net, too, compiling two service aces while recording nine digs.
On the other end of the experience scale, graduate setter Ella Sandt has stepped into the role occupied last year by Nicole Drewnick, another fifth-year transfer. Sandt has begun her Irish career with an All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention season to build on, and she’s off to an excellent start. Last weekend, she paced the Irish with 40 assists (5.71 per set) while also notching 16 digs – good for second on the team.
Michigan making first road trip on short rest
Facing all mid-major programs so far, the Wolverines
are off to a 4-0 start after plummeting from 1713 in 2022 to 7-22 last year. Michigan has defeated Delaware, Kent State (twice) and Eastern Michigan – all at home. The Wolverines head to Starkville having just swept the Eagles on Wednesday in a crisp three sets.
Michigan operates a balanced offensive show that runs through Morgan Burke. The sophomore already has 148 assists to her name, averaging just a hair under 10 per set. Another sophomore, Argentinian Valentina Vaulet, brings a dangerous serve to the table. With 15 service aces this season, Vaulet has been a consistent weapon with at least three aces in all four Michigan games. Her rate of one service ace per set leads the Big Ten by plenty.
Notre Dame represents the first of three ACC teams the Wolverines will challenge this year. Michigan will also travel to Duke and North Carolina for a back-toback two weeks from now. Of course, the Wolverines will also deal with a Big Ten conference that wields a whopping eight ranked teams.
Michigan will face all eight of them, including No. 8 Purdue twice.
The Irish are 9-8 against Michigan all-time but have lost four of five meetings over the last 15 years.
Mississippi State hosting Notre Dame for the first time
Overall, the Irish and Mississippi State Bulldogs have met only twice, splitting between 2015 and 2022. Both of those contests were played in South Bend at early-season invitationals. Now, Notre Dame and Mississippi State square off in Starkville for the first time.
Since a rough 2020 season, the Bulldogs have hovered right around .500, finishing 13-15 overall and 6-12 in SEC play last year. They have a 1-1 start going in 2024, having lost in five sets against Samford before rebounding to defeat UAB. Unlike Notre Dame and
Michigan, Mississippi State has the luxury of playing regionally to start the season. The Bulldogs won’t travel beyond a neighboring state until the final weekend of September, when they go to South Carolina early in conference play.
Southeast Louisiana transfer Kailin Newsome has led Mississippi State with backto-back double-doubles. The redshirt senior has 23 kills and 29 digs to start the season. Two other Bulldogs, Amina Shackelford and Karli Schmidt, have more than 20 kills this year. Shackelford’s .400 hitting percentage leads the team.
Notre Dame will take on Michigan at 7 p.m. on Saturday before turning around quickly to face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
WRITE SPORTS.
Big Ten releases 2024-25 hockey conference schedule, completing Notre Dame’s slate
By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
The Big Ten Conference released its 2024-25 league hockey schedule last week, bringing Notre Dame’s full slate into picture. Notre Dame Athletics had previously announced Irish hockey’s 10-game non-conference schedule.
A trip to Wrigley Field on Jan. 3 highlights the Notre Dame conference slate. The Irish will face off against Penn State at the Friendly Confines as part of the Big Ten’s Frozen Confines series. Ohio State will play Michigan and Wisconsin will take on Michigan State as part of the series, which sees three Big Ten games at Wrigley over the course of two days.
The Irish will open conference play at home against Wisconsin on Nov. 1. A return trip to Madison will bookend Notre Dame’s season, coming in the second to last week of regular season play. For Irish fans, the late-February trip to Madison will be vaguely reminiscent of last year’s similarly-scheduled series that doomed Notre
Dame’s hopes of hosting a Big Ten conference tournament series.
Notre Dame will visit Michigan and Michigan State in back-to-back weekends beginning Nov. 8 and 15. The marquee home series against Michigan will take place Jan. 10 and 11 — winter break for Notre Dame students. The Spartans will come to Compton Family Ice Arena for senior weekend, Feb. 28 and March 1. The previously-released non-conference schedule features a Thanksgiving trip to Northern Ireland for the Friendship Four. The Irish will appear for the first time at the overseas college hockey tournament, which has been held at SSE Arena in Belfast since 2015. Notre Dame will face off against Harvard in their first game on Nov. 29 and will play the winner of Merrimack and Boston University the following day.
The Irish kick off the season with a tour of New York’s north country, facing St. Lawrence and Clarkson on back-to-back nights Oct. 11 and 12. Notre Dame’s home
opener is the following week, when they host AlaskaFairbanks Oct. 18 and 19. Long Island University and Lindenwood round out Notre Dame’s list of non-conference opponents.
The Irish are seeking to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 in head coach Jeff Jackson’s final year at the helm. Notre Dame has lost in the opening round of the Big
Ten Tournament and failed to advance to the national tournament in each of the last two seasons.
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
MEGHAN LANGE | THE OBSERVER
Sophomore center Cole Knuble skates with the puck during Notre Dame’s game against Michigan State at Compton Family Ice Arena on Feb. 3, 2024. The Irish will host the Spartans for the season’s final series.
ND MEN’S SOCCER
Irish start ACC play, seek first win in Louisville
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Last season, the ACC opener for Notre Dame men’s soccer turned into a national championship preview. The Irish outlasted Clemson, 3-2, in South Bend before facing the same Tigers in December. They played that second, winnertake-all match in Louisville, where Notre Dame heads this weekend to start this year’s ACC schedule.
It’s been an unusually competitive start to the season for the Irish, who have tied their first two games for the first time in program history. Notre Dame opened with a 1-1 result at home against Akron before visiting Indiana and playing to another 2-2 draw last Thursday.
Now, according to the national rankings, the Irish face their toughest challenge yet. Louisville ranks 15th in the United Soccer Coaches poll after a 3-0 start, good for the fifth-highest position among ACC teams. The Cardinals also did something to the Irish last year that no other team did for a near threemonth stretch.
Series history
Between Sept. 13 and Dec. 10 of last year, only one team defeated Notre Dame. That team was Louisville in perhaps one of the wildest ACC matches of the season.
The Cardinals traveled to South Bend on Nov. 5 for the ACC Tournament quarterfinals as the bracket’s No. 9 seed. Notre Dame meanwhile, had just taken a firstround bye after locking up the top seed in the conference. The Irish, playing their best soccer of the year at that point, had every reason to cruise past Louisville.
But Sander Roed, who is still in the Cardinal midfield, refused to let that happen. The Norwegian registered a hat trick in the game’s first 52 minutes, sending Louisville into a 3-0 lead just after halftime. And yet, by the 88th minute, Notre Dame had tied the score at 3-3. Back-to-back goals from Bryce Boneau, another senior midfielder still with the Irish, sent the game into a frenzy. However, less than 66 seconds after Boneau’s equalizer, a Josh Jones goal pushed Louisville into a 4-3 lead it would
not relinquish.
Louisville has also given Notre Dame trouble well beyond last year’s barnburner. The Cardinals have reached the NCAA Tournament in 15 of the last 17 seasons, and the Irish have borne the brunt of their success. In the last 15 meetings, Louisville holds an advantage of 9-4 with a pair of draws mixed in. The Irish have not won outright in the Derby City since the 2006 season.
Another test for Blake Kelly
True freshman goalkeeper Blake Kelly enters Friday’s match still looking for his first collegiate win. The Michigander has started each of Notre Dame’s first two games and carries a save percentage of .727.
Last Thursday, Kelly started on the road for the first time in his career, and Indiana threw plenty of looks at him. With the Hoosiers sending 18 shots in his direction, Kelly held his own and made eight saves, doing enough to get Notre Dame out with a draw. After the
game, Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley praised Kelly’s ability to make saves from distance and in tight, command Indiana’s services and play like a veteran.
Lining up Louisville
Under fifth-year head coach John Michael Hayden, the Cardinals are off to a 3-0 start for the third consecutive season. Louisville has defeated both Jacksonville (2-0 score) and Bellarmine (3-1) at home while taking care of Tulsa (2-1) on the road.
Three games in, a pair of seniors have led the Louisville offense with a goal and an assist each. Gage Guerra, a forward and former Army transfer who bypassed Portland’s third-round MLS SuperDraft selection during the offseason, has registered a point in all three games. Roed, the three-time All-ACC selection who torched the Irish a year ago, has scored in each of the last two contests.
Overall, Louisville only returned five of its players who started double-digit games last year. Among the team’s top six point-scorers
from 2023, only Guerra and Roed are back. Like Notre Dame, the Cardinals have also gone to a first-year team member in goal. Sophomore Englishman Harvey Sellers has immediately taken over as Louisville’s goalkeeper after an NJCAA All-American season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. Sellers has played every minute of Louisville’s season thus far, conceding only two goals while making eight saves.
Friday’s match against Notre Dame begins a challenging stretch of the schedule for Louisville. Over the next four weeks, the Cardinals will face four consecutive teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago and are ranked now. After the Irish, No. 16 Kentucky, No. 8 Pittsburgh and No. 20 Syracuse await before the competition lightens in late September. First touch between Notre Dame and Louisville is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Junior midfielder Sebastian Green takes a swing at the ball with his left foot during Notre Dame’s match against Indiana at Alumni Stadium on Aug. 24, 2023. The Irish played the Hoosiers to a 2-2 draw in Bloomington last Thursday and now head further south to open conference play against Louisville, one of three teams to beat Notre Dame a season ago.
game with a few three-andouts or force an early turnover, it would effectively set the tone for the matchup and show the Huskies that they’re in for a long afternoon. If the Notre Dame defense can come out of the gates with the same aggressiveness and intensity that they played with against the Aggies, they should be able to prevent Northern Illinois from ever finding a rhythm on offense.
Capitalize on thirddown opportunities
If there was one key area in which the Irish struggled against Texas A&M, it was converting on third downs. Notre Dame was a dismal 2 of 12 on thirddown conversions, and it was that ineffectiveness that forced them to punt five times and settle for field goals on three other occasions. The good news for the Irish is that they came through on the most important third down of the night. With under five minutes remaining and the score knotted at 13-13, Notre Dame faced a third and five at its own 20-yard line, staring down a punt situation that would put the Aggies in prime position to drain the remaining time off the clock before kicking a game-winning field goal. Instead, Leonard connected with Greathouse for a nine-yard gain and a first down. Five plays later, Love ran for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Irish an advantage they would never relinquish.
That’s the type of scenario in which Notre Dame needs to find more success on Saturday and throughout the season. Personnel-wise, the Irish have all the pieces needed to be a strong thirddown team. Love and Price can be counted on to move the chains in short-yardage situations, Leonard is extremely dangerous with his legs on both designed runs and scrambles and shifty receivers like Greathouse can make plays on quick passes just beyond the line to gain. Furthermore, Notre Dame will be even more difficult to stop as Evans and the other tight ends continue to be integrated into the passing game. If the Irish can convert on third downs at a high rate and do a better job of capping off drives with sevens instead of threes, they should be able to put points on the board in bunches on Saturday and fans should be able to enjoy a much less stressful fourth quarter in the home opener.
Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu
STAFF PREDICTIONS
Football beat picks: ND vs. NIU
By Observer Sports Staff
John
Bailey
After a hard-fought victory in its opener, Notre Dame returns to South Bend to face Northern Illinois. While this matchup may not be as highprofile as last week, it offers the Irish a crucial test: avoiding a letdown and sustaining momentum. Notre Dame must remain focused and execute effectively against a team it is heavily favored to beat. The key question is whether the Irish can maintain their intensity or risk falling into the trap of overconfidence against a Northern Illinois squad eager to make a statement. With the support of the home crowd, Notre Dame has a prime opportunity to secure a win while refining its performance. Facing a Northern Illinois team that can’t compete in terms of pure talent, the Irish can afford to experiment and take risks in the name of longterm development. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is likely to expand the playbook, giving quarterback Riley Leonard a chance to strengthen his connection with receivers and test the Huskies’ secondary with deep passes. The offensive line, which performed well in Week One, will continue to build cohesion and dominate both the run and pass games.
On defense, Notre Dame can consistently rotate in fresh players, testing its depth and providing young players with valuable reps while still keeping Northern Illinois’ offense in check. Although the Huskies are scrappy, they lack the firepower to consistently challenge the Irish defense. The focus will be on creating turnovers and refining defensive schemes to ensure preparedness for tougher opponents later in the season. With a significant talent advantage and the backing of their home fans, Notre Dame is well-positioned for a decisive victory. This game provides the Irish an excellent opportunity to sharpen their skills and build momentum as they prepare for more formidable challenges ahead.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 6, Notre Dame 41
Noah Cahill
After a triumphant Week One win over Texas A&M, the Notre Dame faithful will be riding high in South Bend for the home opener against Northern Illinois. However, while last week’s win was a major step in the right direction for the Irish,
they cannot take this game lightly. For as much praise as Marcus Freeman is receiving for finally getting over the hump in game one, and rightfully so, he has yet to put together a season with sustained success. Losses to Marshall and Stanford stand out as games Notre Dame should never lose, but did. That can’t happen Saturday afternoon.
Northern Illinois, a team projected to finish high in the MAC, comes in as a frisky underdog. Their offensive firepower was on full display in week one, albeit against FCS competition, putting up 54 points with 706 yards of offense in a win over Western Illinois. However, this Notre Dame defensive unit is a different beast. The elite group proved why it was touted as one of the best in the nation against A&M and will continue to dominate in this game. Offensively, I see Denbrock taking a more aggressive approach through the air compared to the more conservative Week One game plan. The rushing attack will continue to produce behind an improving young line, which will unlock Leonard and the receivers. I see this team coming out with major energy at home, jumping out to a multiple-touchdown lead in the first quarter and never looking back. Notre Dame waltzes to 2-0.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 13, Notre Dame 52
Matthew Crow
Notre Dame fans could likely use a breather after watching the thrilling Irish victory against Texas A&M, but a strong Northern Illinois team expected to finish near the top of the MAC could pose a challenge in Saturday’s home opener. The Huskies’ offense was nearly flawless against Western Illinois last week. Despite this, I have no reason to lack confidence in the Irish defense, a unit that entered the season expected to be among the nation’s best and looked to be just that while shutting down the Aggies. The secondary impressed especially with a pair of interceptions from safeties Adon Shuler and Xavier Watts. For me, the combination of Notre Dame’s elite defense and steady rushing attack should be enough to propel it to a win at home. Whether the Irish win comfortably or in another low-scoring, tight game, however, will be decided by their success in the passing game. Riley Leonard and the Irish receivers were up and down in College Station but really seemed
to be hitting their stride in the game’s closing stages. With an extra week of practice under their belts (and a healthier Mitchell Evans) and facing a considerably weaker defense, I expect Notre Dame’s aerial attack to have shaken off the rust and be firing on all cylinders on Saturday. Leonard will surpass 300 all-purpose yards, Beaux Collins and Jayden Thomas will secure the first Irish receiving touchdowns of the season and the defense will force another pair of turnovers as Notre Dame jumps out to a big firstquarter lead and never looks back.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 41
Annika Herko
Notre Dame fans are going to be doing a lot of touchdown push-ups on Saturday. While Northern Illinois’ massive victory last week turned some heads, it was against FCS opponent Western Illinois. Over 700 yards is impressive, and nine different players contributed to the team’s 312 running yards, which suggests a lot about the talent on this team. However, those backs are going to be running straight into the Notre Dame defensive line, a group of players unlike anyone the Huskies have faced recently.
This is not one of the big matchups on Notre Dame’s schedule this year, but there is still an opportunity for Notre Dame to show the college football world that it can dominate in big and small games. The team took care of business in College Station last weekend but needs to score a lot of points and keep the Huskies in single digits the weekend to convince folks they deserve to be in the top five.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 7, Notre Dame 48
Madeline Ladd
Notre Dame has to avoid the hangover following the huge win at Texas A&M. While this happens to many teams, the Irish are particularly susceptible as evidenced by recent history. Ghosts of the 2022 loss to Marshall after opening at Ohio State and the 2021 comeback in the final minute against Toledo still loom around this team.
Northern Illinois visits South Bend for the first time this weekend, fresh off a 54-15 victory over Western Illinois. While the Irish are 28-point favorites, they have to be careful as the Huskies are a veteran team. NIU returns 18 starters from
a squad that knocked off Boston College on the road and finished 7-6 last year, including a win over Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl. NIU is a run-dominant team led by running back Antario Brown who rushed for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, averaging an eye-popping 6.1 yards per carry. Wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph is another threat, as he totaled 171 all-purpose yards last week, including a 43-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, Northern Illinois is solid. It held opponents to 21 points per game last year and was ranked in the top 10 in pass defense. However, the Huskies will be without the services of leading tackler Raishein Thomas, a huge loss for their defense.
For Notre Dame, discipline is key — 11 penalties against any opponent can prove costly. The offensive line has a chance to gel further, and Riley Leonard should have a big day in the passing game. As long as the Irish don’t sleepwalk, they should win comfortably.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 48
Tyler Reidy
I am the only one here with an 0-1 record in predictions this year, so feel free to skip over this part. Fortunately, I’m in lockstep with everybody on Notre Dame’s home opener. Last week, I marked this game down as Notre Dame’s easiest at home. I still believe that’s true. Northern Illinois isn’t the yearly 10-win team it was a decade ago and finished just one game above .500 last year. Sure, the Huskies come in with maxed-out momentum after hanging over 700 yards on Western Illinois, but how much can they realistically do against Notre Dame’s defense?
On the flip side, the Irish come off the emotional high of a win before 107,000 people on the road. Concerns are plentiful regarding the possibility of a home-opener letdown, but I don’t think it happens. Marcus Freeman and the Irish displayed a level of preparation we haven’t seen from a modern Notre Dame team last week. They know not to take this game for granted, and they’ll play with that at the top of their minds. I think Northern Illinois hangs in there early, but it won’t stay close for long. Notre Dame will score a long touchdown or two through the air, pull away and get to 2-0.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 45.
LANDOW FEATURE
By JOHN BAILEY Associate Sports Editor
Crimson and white confetti fluttered from the rafters of Sun Life Stadium to the verdant Bermuda grass below while the Million Dollar Band blared the heavy brass anthem “Yea, Alabama,” reverberating throughout the stadium and filling the streets of the surrounding Miami suburbs. Once the stream of confetti tapered off and the band concluded playing with a triumphant drumroll, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban flashed a rare smile and triumphantly raised a crystal football trophy to celebrate his fourth national championship following a 42-14 beatdown of Notre Dame. This embarrassing defeat grew even more humiliating after Irish players made comments reminiscent of a Daft Punk song, describing the Alabama linemen as harder hitters, better competitors, faster athletes and stronger football players.
“[Alabama offensive linemen] D.J. Fluker and Chance Warmack come running out of the locker room, and they had their shirts pulled up,” said former Notre Dame linebacker and captain Manti Te’o. “I remember silence behind me. I glanced back at my teammates, and the eyes on them were so large. I knew at that time this is going to be a long day.”
Though the end date of the 5,162-year-long cycle in the Mayan calendar did not coincide with the apocalypse at the close of 2012, perhaps it did foretell the demise of Notre Dame football’s status as a championship-level program. But nearly 12 years later, following a convincing victory over Texas A&M at Kyle Field, Notre Dame has its best chance in decades to end a 36-year national title drought, due in large part to new strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow. Landow’s training regimen had the Irish better prepared for the humid Texas heat than the Aggies themselves. By the fourth quarter, the Aggies had lost several starters to severe cramping, and their defense looked visibly exhausted, hands on their hips between snaps while greedily sucking in as much oxygen as possible with each haggard breath. With their improved endurance from Landow’s offseason conditioning program, the Irish remained loose and notched big runs against Texas A&M’s weary defense to secure the win.
Now that the College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, Notre Dame will have to survive a 16-game gauntlet to earn its 12th national championship, making depth and durability more important than ever. As such, Coach Landow’s strength and injury prevention training will also become
Train like a champion today
more important than ever, and there is little doubt he will rise to the occasion. Having worked with elite NFL players and Olympic gold medalists for years, Landow knows what it takes to play like a champion.
Notre Dame’s size and strength didn’t come in the form of an overnight growth spurt. Former head coach Brian Kelly fought to stave off the 2012 apocalypse by drastically overhauling the team’s recruiting strategy to target bigger, stronger personnel. In the following seasons, the Irish built around the trenches, producing elite NFL talent the likes of Quenton Nelson, Ronnie Stanley and, most recently, Joe Alt. Despite this sustained success earning Notre Dame the nickname “Offensive Line U,” something feels different about the Irish linemen this season, with many players making the leap.
Even ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit noticed these drastic improvements, saying, “[Notre Dame] used to always have big linemen, big tight ends, big d-linemen, big linebackers, but with their skill, it just looks different. They’re long — they’re bouncing, athletic guys.”
“They’re a team that’s going to be in the playoff without a doubt,” Herbstreit said.
This rapid improvement over such a short period of time can largely be attributed to Landow’s offseason workouts, which began promptly after his hiring on Dec. 19, 2023. Once football season ends, there are dead periods during which head coach Marcus Freeman is prohibited from contact with the players or times when he’s stretched too thin by the recruiting calendar. That’s when Landow steps in and serves as the de facto head coach, meticulously planning lifting sessions down to the second. These winter workouts are especially important for early enrollee freshmen, helping them acclimate to the schedule of a Notre Dame student-athlete and strengthen their bodies to withstand the rigor of a full collegiate football season.
“The biggest thing we talk to [the early enrollees] about is to learn our process, learn what we do here, how we’re going to do things. It’s not about what you do but how you do it,” Landow said.
“I told all of them, you know, I’m sharpening the ax right now, and then we go cut down the tree. Technical proficiency is absolutely the number one priority.”
Early enrollee freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp took these lessons to heart, wielding his sharpened ax with technique and precision during each lifting session to gain 25 pounds in five months. To improve flexibility and correct range-of-motion issues,
Landow would have Knapp and the other linemen train barefoot to correct imbalances in quads or hamstrings. A season-ending torn pectoral injury to sophomore left tackle Charles Jagusah thrust Knapp into the starting lineup and guaranteed a showdown with elite pass rusher Nic Scourton in College Station. Now weighing in at 294 pounds, Knapp flashed his immense potential in a strong first start. He excelled in pass protection, allowing just one pressure on 36 pass-block snaps, shutting down and frustrating Scourton so much the Aggies flipped him to the opposite side of the field only to get stonewalled by junior right tackle Aamil Wagner, another beneficiary of Landow’s weight program.
“[Coach Landow] helped me tremendously. He’s met me where I’m at,” Wagner said.
“He knows even though I’m a lineman, I’m not the typical lineman. He’s just working me daily, whether it’s stretching, flexibility, weight training, whatever it is, he’s done a great job with breaking down individual plans and I’m thankful for it.”
Prior to his arrival in South Bend, Landow owned and operated Landow Performance in Centennial, Colorado. From Christian McCaffrey to Missy Franklin, each wall in the facility is covered in framed jerseys and memorabilia from some of the 700 professional athletes Landow trained in the NHL, MLB, UFC, WNBA and NFL, including more than 20 NFL Draft first-round picks. He joined the Denver Broncos staff as head strength and conditioning coach in 2018, helping safety Justin Simmons grow from a mid-round pick to a four-time All-Pro and team captain.
Simmons improved his game by first improving his training. After running a diagnostic on his training technique, Landow determined Simmons had improper squatting technique. The safety lifted with his feet too wide and toes angled out, putting unnecessary pressure on his knees
and back that contributed to season-ending injuries during his first two years in the league. After Landow corrected this improper lifting technique, Simmons didn’t miss a snap for over two seasons, turning availability into productivity and a four-year, $61 million contract extension.
Landow combines old school motivation with new school sports science, emphasizing flexibility, deceleration and body control to prevent injuries while developing specific routines for each player. These training techniques help protect against soft tissue injuries, which could help prevent a repeat of last season when Irish receivers suffered a string of hamstring injuries that left the team with just three healthy scholarship wideouts by the end of September. Though they would see the field again, those receivers never fully recovered, preventing Sam Hartman and the Irish offense from fully recovering, too.
After Broncos head coach Sean Payton cleared house and dismissed all supporting staff, Landow returned to his training facility to reset and return to basics. During that time, he remained in contact with many of his former players like Simmons and former Irish offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey. Landow also reconnected with another former player, legendary Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. Landow helped Quinn rehab from his Lisfranc surgery after being traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Broncos. Landow also trained Quinn’s future wife, U.S. gymnast and Olympic silver medalist Alicia Sacramone.
During one of their many conversations, the topic of Notre Dame football’s vacant strength and conditioning position arose, leading to Landow expressing his interest in joining the storied tradition of the Fighting Irish.
“The question that was asked to me in the interview process was ‘why college football?’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s Notre Dame,’” Landow said.
“I love working with athletes of all levels, but I think the thing that intrigues me with college is the ability to develop. Having the time to develop them is key.”
Quinn advocated for Landow’s hiring to Coach Freeman throughout the season and facilitated conversations between the two coaches after the end of the regular season. Ultimately, Landow said he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to join the legendary Notre Dame program while Freeman couldn’t resist hiring a proven strength coach who helped such varied athletes excel at the highest level of their respective sports.
“I was told when I got here I was going to get a hardworking group, a good group of smart kids,” Landow said.
“They’ve bought in. They want to hear about those guys at the professional level and what they do specifically. They listen to coaching and that’s been the biggest thing I’ve been looking for.”
Just as the players have bought into Landow’s culture, he has bought into Notre Dame’s. He says he’s here for the long run, eager to oversee player development for years to come. While already successful in his first year, his strength and agility training will only grow more successful in subsequent years. Youthful linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry, though already talented contributors, could become the cornerstones of the Irish defense after a year or two adding muscle in Landow’s program.
Landow’s expertise across multiple sports could even help inform where Notre Dame puts its resources for the new Shields Family Hall training facility, keeping the program on the cutting edge of sports science and recovery to ensure that this time, the Irish will be the team playing harder, better, faster and stronger in the national championship game.
Contact John Bailey at jbailey9@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp (54) seals off Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford before racing up the field to join sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love (4) on his 21-yard, go-ahead touchdown run.