Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, October 12, 2020

Page 1

notre dame 42, florida state 26 | monday, october 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Shaking off the dust After two weeks off, Irish defeat Seminoles behind dominant rushing performance

Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton, 14, tries to help tackle the Seminoles ball carrier as other defenders converge during Notre Dame’s 42-26 victory over Florida State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Hamilton tied for a team-best eight tackles, all of them unassisted, during Saturday’s win, and he also registered a quarterback hit.

Lack of turnovers a worrying trend going forward Aidan Thomas Sports Writer

Leading by 16, Notre Dame’s defense was digging in their heels, hoping for another big red zone stop, one that has become almost expected from their bendbut-don’t-break defense in 2020. Florida State, led by new starting quarterback Jordan Travis, had pushed a fatigued Irish defense all night, to the tune of 26 points — doubling the 13 Notre Dame had allowed in their prior two games combined. On third and goal from the Notre Dame 5-yard line, Travis took the shotgun snap and rolled left, firing a pass that was picked off by Shaun Crawford. The interception lead to a clock-draining, game-icing 6-and-a-half minute drive that sealed Notre Dame’s 42-26 win over the Seminoles. It was a satisfying way to end what had been a relatively long and at times sloppy game in Notre Dame’s return to the gridiron see THOMAS PAGE 2

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Writer

Sophomore running back Kyren Williams fumbled on the 2nd play from scrimmage, and the rust was real. Then, No. 5 Notre Dame forced a Florida State field goal and scored two touchdowns on a pair of drives that combined for 8 plays and 151 yards, highlighted by two huge runs from Williams. And the rust didn’t seem as real. Then a muffed punt and dropped pass led to 14 straight FSU points, and Notre Dame (3-0, 2-0 ACC) trailed 17-14 at the end of the first quarter. At this point, it was anbyody’s guess what effects the COVID-induced layoff were playing on the Fighting Irish. After a three-week hiatus, Notre Dame returned to the gridiron and took on a generally overmatched Florida State (1-4, 0-3 ACC) squad. A rocky first quarter had everybody guessing as to whether the Irish were ready to return to action. But as Notre Dame cut down on the miscues and got their offense more time on the field, the early-game wrinkles smoothed out, and the Irish gradually pulled

away for a 42-26 victory. Statistically, this one was all about pounding the rock for Notre Dame. After accumulating seven touchdowns on the ground against South Florida, Notre Dame dominated in the run game once again, racking up 353 yards on 8.4 yards per carry. Leading the way was Williams with 185 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, while freshman Chris Tyree also excelled, racking up 103 yards and a score on 11 rushes. “They have really good guys blocking for them,” head coach Brian Kelly said regarding the success of his young backfield. “Then they’re making good, decisive cuts, seeing things very well.” Graduate student quarterback Ian Book added 58 yards on the ground, punching one into the end zone with his legs as well. The passing game was a complementary piece, as Book played efficiently and mistake-free, notching a pair of passing touchdowns while throwing for 201 yards on 16 of 25 passing. Book’s clean performance was also assisted by spectacular play on the offensive line, as he was able to deal with a

clean pocket frequently, with many of his rushing yards coming on designed runs. “I’m truly blessed. I really feel like we have the best O-Line in the country,” Book said. “They just lay it all out on the line to protect me and our running backs. They show it day in and day out in practice, and I know they can get it done on Saturday.” Book spread the ball to seven different pass catchers, with five of them notching at least two receptions. The star of the day in the passing attack was graduate student receiver Javon McKinley, who reeled in 5 catches for 107 yards, becoming Book’s most consistent target as the game wore on. Notre Dame entered the game at 2-0 and looking to be one of three ACC teams to end the weekend undefeated on the year, joining No. 5 UNC and No. 1 Clemson. The game also presented an opportunity for Notre Dame to jump into the top-four in the AP Poll as former No. 4 Florida (now No. 10 in the AP Poll) had fallen earlier in the day to No. 11 Texas A&M. Meanwhile, see VICTORY PAGE 3

‘Beast Mentality’: McKinley steps to forefront of WRs By JIMMY WARD Associate Sports Editor

After choking up a quick turnover on their second play from scrimmage, the Irish were able redeem themselves on the offensive side of the ball and find the endzone on six of their next eight drives Saturday night against Florida State. Save that one fumble and Florida State’s goal line stand in the final two minutes of the game, the Irish offense was able to answer any questions anyone may have had about how they have maintained their fitness away from the field for the past three weeks. The Irish were able to establish a strong run game with their No. 1 PFF rated offensive line paving a superhighway for sophomore Kyren Williams and freshman Chris Tyree at running back. They rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns and 103 yards and one touchdown, respectively. But the icing on the cake was that Ian see McKINLEY PAGE 3


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