nd w soccer

observer Fantasy Football — Week 6

Aidan Thomas, Nate Moller, Liam Coolican, Patrick Gallagher

sports Writers

It’s time for another rendition of the observer Fantasy Football corner. no time for small talk. Let’s get to it.

Sam Ouhaj Must Start — Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

In what feels like a lifetime, the Titans finally played their first game in two weeks against the buffalo bills last night. however, this game counts for week five in fantasy, and that is not the matchup we will be looking at. derrick henry is set to face the houston Texans week six, and I am almost certain he will have a big game. The former heisman winner has finally found a groove in the nFL since last season and up until the Titans’ covId-19 outbreak, was continuing this.

The houston Texans have been rather disappointing after starting the season 1-4 and in a divisional battle in which Jacksonville almost came back, there is little doubt that the Titans won’t dominate them. The Texans defense has given up six rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs and an average of 4.7 yards per carry. henry is averaging 3.9 yards per carry but due to the limited amount of games the Titans have played (three), this number should be overlooked. In henry’s last game against the Texans, he rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns which makes him my favorite play this week. expect henry to have another great game and continue his blooming career.

Must Sit — Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Joe mixon is having a much better start to the season than he did last year. Averaging 4.1 yards per carry, mixon’s success has not translated to wins for the bengals. Granted the bengals are still a developing team with a rookie Qb and a poor offensive line, it makes sense as to why they are about a year from competing in a stacked AFc north. mixon is set to face one of the leagues best defenses in the Indianapolis colts. The colts’ defense has allowed only one rushing touchdown and 432 yards to opposing running backs this season which is pretty impressive. This defense is legit and was my sleeper pick to be among the top five units in the nFL. do not play mixon this week even if he is among your top backs as he will probably have less than 10 fantasy points. This is just a bump in the road for mixon, and any other week I would have no hesitation to start him.

Who to Pick up? Andy Dalton, QB, Dallas Cowboys (owned in 0.2% of leagues) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (owned in 35.6% of leagues)

Andrew McGuinness Must Start — Jonathan Taylor, RB Colts

Taylor continues to chug along in the midst of a solid rookie season for an equally solid colts offense that has over 20 points in four of their first five games. The colts starting running back and second round pick has rushed for over 55 yards each of the last four weeks, scoring a touchdown in three of them. Indianapolis doesn’t have an overly difficult matchup this week against the cincinnati bengals, and with Indy having a bye week following that matchup, expect Taylor to be used maybe a little bit more than normal thanks to the scheduled extra rest after.

Must Sit — Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams

higbee was a surprise superstar in week two with a threeTd showing against the eagles (while sitting on my bench, unfortunately), but he hasn’t found the end zone since. Against a Washington defense that isn’t exactly stout, especially when it comes to defending tight ends (fourth best matchup for Tes, according to Yahoo), higbee had a season low 12 receiving yards on just two targets (tied with week three for his season low), as the rams offense hummed to a 30-point performance and win over Washington with him contributing much. To make matters worth, higbee will have a much tougher matchup this week against the 49ers on sunday night Football. better off passing on higbee for the time being, at least until he shows signs of getting his groove back in the rams’ pass game.

Who to pick up? WR Chase Claypool (owned in 17% of leagues)

Jamison Cook Must Start — Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Thielen has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling vikings team, and following stefon diggs’ departure in the offseason, Thielen has become the clear number one receiver in minnesota. he has seen eight or more targets in four out of five games this season, with double digits targets in both of the last two weeks. Thielen has caught a whopping six touchdowns through five games, which is tied for the league lead with mike evans, and has scored over 26 points three times in standard PPr leagues. next week the vikings host the Falcons, another enticing matchup for Thielen in the passing game. Atlanta ranks 31st in the league in passing yards given up per game at 335.8 and 30th in points given up per game at 32.2, providing plenty of opportunity for Thielen to get loose and find the end zone.

Must Sit — Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

ryan has now had three abysmal weeks in a row after finishing with a singledigit performance against the Panthers. The Falcons are now 0-5 and their offense, which many saw as loaded with talent coming into the season, has been producing less and less as the season progresses. ryan also seems to have a knack for throwing interceptions at crucial junctures within games, and his interception in the end zone this past week was a tough pill to swallow for his fantasy owners. A matchup with minnesota, who likes to chew up the clock with long, run-heavy drives, is not very appealing, so it is best to keep ryan on your bench until he rediscovers his early season form, especially with Julio Jones potentially out with an injury.

Pick up: Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (owned in 17% of leagues) Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (owned in 41.6% of leagues)

John Kalemkerian Must Start — Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets

despite missing two games early in the season, crowder has been the only bright spot on an otherwise talent-deprived team. he has eclipsed 100 yards and been targeted at least 10 times in each of his three games played so far in 2020, two with sam darnold and one with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Facing a weaker miami defense this upcoming week, crowder will once again be able to pace the Jets wideouts in targets and perhaps extend his 100-yard game streak to four on the season. The hamstring injury that forced him to miss weeks two and three is firmly in the rearview mirror, so feel confident putting crowder in your starting lineup this week.

Must Sit — Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

This may come as a surprise, given the outstanding season scary Terry is having so far for the newly minted Football Team. however, things have changed significantly in Washington since the first four weeks of the season, over which mcLaurin averaged nearly 100 yards per game with dwayne haskins under center. mcLaurin’s chemistry with haskins was undeniable, but the projected starter this week, Kyle Allen, holds much less promise. The matchup poses another problem, as the Giants have a surprisingly good defense for an 0-5 team. mcLaurin figures to be shadowed by lockdown corner and dPoTY contender James bradberry for most for most of the game, severely limiting his already reduced upside and should be riding the pine for your fantasy team this week.

Must Add: Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (owned in 17% of leagues) Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (owned in 20% of leagues) Gavin Aitken Must Start — Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson has been one of the standout rookies this season, already boasting two games with over 75 yards despite limited targets in four of his five games. however, this play isn’t really about that. What makes Jefferson such a surefire start is the team his vikings will be playing next week. Through five games, the Atlanta Falcons have been an absolute dumpster fire, and their defense is a big part of that. They’re the second worst pass defense in the nFL, and with dan Quinn’s firing this last week they’re unlikely to be any more organized than before. expect a total air raid attack from the vikings, with Jefferson being a huge beneficiary of this matchup.

Must Sit — Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

This one might feel like a stretch. After all, this is Aaron rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. The same Aaron rodgers who, after finally showing the first glimpses of Father Time last season, has bounced back for a resurgent year to start this season. however, I feel like his start is a mirage, and last year’s rodgers is what we’re going to start to expect moving forward. of the four teams he’s gone up against so far, three of them rank among the top seven worst defenses in the nFL thus far, while the fourth (new orleans saints) gives up the fourth most fantasy points to Qbs in the country. sorry, but I think his upcoming matchup with a destructive Tampa bay defense might expose some of the flaws we saw from him last season.

Who to pick up: Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (owned in 9.4% of leagues) Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (owned in 22.8% of leagues)

Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@ nd.edu, Andrew McGuiness at amcguinn@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu and Gavin Aitken at gaitken@ nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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@ObserverSports

“There were some factors that were unique in that we had a lot of guys that were not practicing during the week, and it showed that you have to practice this game to be at your very best,” Kelly said. “There were some uncharacteristic defensive lapses that occurred that we do not normally see. We will address those and they’ll be corrected for this weekend.” before Kelly turned his attention to specific players, he stressed the importance of doing what is best for the team as a whole with the wildly fluctuating circumstances. When asked about sophomore running back Kyren Williams, Kelly expressed pride in his transformation and his self-awareness to seize his opportunity in the backfield.

Kelly has been impressed with the running back committee’s ability to run between the tackles and their “ability to pick up tough yards.”

Patience, maturity and toughness have been three characteristics this season that have stood out to Kelly regarding his young backfield. Kelly attributed it to how the running backs worked over the offseason in their strength and conditioning program.

“it started with understanding that he had to change the way he was living and how he was taking care of himself,” Kelly said about Williams. “Then coach bayless, obviously, improved him with our strength and conditioning program.” speaking of Jerimiah owusuKoramoah, Kelly praised his ability to cover receivers in man coverage as well as effectively rush the passer. regarding the image of Liam eichenberg’s heavily bruised and swollen eye from the FsU game, Kelly expressed that this exact mindset is what makes the tackle a superior leader and presence in the locker room.

“i think all of our guys in the locker room after the game had a lot of respect for him anyway, but i think it just solidifies the kind of respect that they had for him as a leader on our football team,” he said. “he is gritty and is always fighting through to get back out on that football field.”

Kelly hopes to take this grit and toughness into upcoming weeks of the season, but is not interested in in looking too far ahead.

When asked about the standings, Kelly responded that he only pays attention to the teams on the schedule, but did admit (to some chuckles) that clemson is, in fact, good. Kelly said he just wants to live hour to hour and stay week to week, focusing on the road ahead so that the irish can be in a good position in the final weeks of the season.

no. 5 irish prepares for 3rd series against no. 11 Panthers

Observer Sports Staff

The no. 5 ranked notre dame volleyball team is gearing up for their third series of the season against no. 11 Pitt this weekend. The irish (3-0) have only given up one set through their first three games of the season. They shut out Louisville in their first game of the season, but the second game of the series was postponed due to covid-19 concerns. The following weekend proved to be a major test for the irish, however, as they played host to the then-fifthranked syracuse orange. Junior outside hitter charley niego led the way throughout the weekend with 34 combined kills in the two games. sophomore outside hitter caroline meuth followed closely behind with 32. Junior setter Zoe nunez racked 51 assists and 12 digs in the last game. nunez’s performance has been consistent this season, as she is currently ranked third in the country averaging 12.6 assists per set with her 126 total assists through ten sets. Trailing behind her is freshman libero hattie monson with 12 assists total. The irish are currently leading the nation in assists per set with 148, thanks to the stable base

Observer File Photo

Irish junior outside hitter Charley Niego jumps to hit the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory over Syracuse on Nov. 17 at Purcell Pavilion. Niego has a combined 34 kills against Louisville and Syracuse.

that nunez is providing. The Panthers, on the other hand, are led by senior outside hitter Kayla Lund, who has 76 kills on the season and also leads the team with four aces on the year. Pitt ranks sixth in the country in hitting percentage at .277 and is sitting two spots ahead of notre dame, who sits at eighth with .261. Pitt is sitting at 2-2 on the season but both of those losses came to no. 8 syracuse in their season opener. They were able to respond with two wins over boston college the next weekend though. The first game of the series will be on Friday at 7 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion on esPn2, and the second matchup is scheduled for sunday at 3:30 p.m., broadcast on acc network.

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

FOOTBAll

Kelly talks Louisville, Irish backfield to press

By TAYLOR KELLY

sports Writer

notre dame football head coach brian Kelly spoke with the media monday, analyzing key players in the Irish’s 42-26 win over Florida state while also looking ahead to Louisville and the rest of the Acc schedule in light of the pandemic.

Kelly stressed that Louisville is a much better football team than their record indicates, saying that the cardinals are a “talented team,” and much better than their 1-3 record represents. he commended Louisville’s coaching staff and quarterback malik cunningham, saying he is well-coached and surrounded by some talented offensive players, and does a great deal of running the offense.

Kelly went on to explain that Louisville has a dynamic rushing attack featuring cunningham and running back Javian hawkins, who are, in his opinion, near the top of the Acc in terms of skill.

“[cunningham] is probably as good as we’ve seen in space, as a skill player, complemented with [dez] Fitzpatrick and [Justin] marshall,” he said. “Then you look at the running game and hawkins, I think he’s third in the country, best in the Acc, and arguably one of the best if not the best in the country. [All in all], its a very talented offense.”

Kelly said he is also conscious of Louisville’s athletic 3-4 defense with talented linebackers.

“certainly athleticism is — when you look at their defense — the thing that shows up the most,” Kelly said. “They can run, they are athletic, they’ve got some experience in the back end. From a defensive personnel standpoint, we’ll have to do a really good job against their three-four defense and create some unique situations for us. They are a well-coached football team, that, in my opinion, could very easily be on the other side of that 1-3 record.”

Kelly admitted that notre dame’s defense needs to have a better performance than it did last weekend against Florida state, but acknowledges that this particular week was a unique situation with the covId-19 regulations.

see KeLLY PAGE 15

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish sophomore running back Kyren Williams carries the ball during Notre Dame’s 42-26 victory over Florida State on Oct. 11 at Notre Dame Stadium. Williams scored two touchdowns during the game.

ND W SOCCER

Undefeated Irish team looks to extend winning streak against demon deacons

By LIAM COOLICAN

sports Writer

The notre dame women’s soccer team will be looking to win its fourth consecutive game Thursday, hosting Wake Forest. Following a 5-0 season opening defeat on the road to Florida state, the Irish (3-1, 3-1 Acc) have bounced back with three consecutive wins. however, the three teams the Irish defeated, miami, boston college and syracuse, are a combined 0-11 to start the season. Wake Forest (14-1, 1-3-1 Acc) is also near the bottom of the standings, notching just one win thus far. The Irish are ranked 14th in the country, according to the United soccer coaches Poll. It is the only poll this season due to the number of universities not playing fall sports. Including this matchup, notre dame has just four games left until the Acc championship tournament, which begins nov. 10 in cary, north carolina. The top eight regular season teams qualify, and with just an eight-game season, each match means a great deal. The Irish have two more home games, before finishing the season with two games on the road. Last year, the Irish were defeated in the first round by eventual conference champions north carolina. notre dame will likely continue to rely on the production of forwards Kiki van Zanten and sammi Fisher. van Zanten, a sophomore, has played exceptionally through four games, scoring six goals. she scored once in each half in the Irish’s 2-0 win against syracuse in the Irish’s last time out and scored a hat trick in the Irish’s 6-0 win over miami. van Zanten is second in the nation in goals scored. Fisher, a senior, has also been impressive so far, scoring three times, including a brace in win over miami. notre dame is third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 2.5 goals per outing. Junior goalkeeper mattie Interian has played well; since the loss to Florida state, she hasn’t conceded a goal while making five saves. Wake Forest scored five goals this season while conceding 14. The demon deacons are led by senior forward ryanne brown, who has scored twice this year. They are 0-2-1 on the road, while the Irish are 2-0 at home. The Irish, who haven’t played since their 2-0 home win over syracuse on oct. 4, will be well rested for this game, whereas the demon deacons are coming off of a 2-0 road loss to clemson on sunday. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Alumni stadium. continuing with University policy, no fans will be permitted, but the game will be televised on Acc network extra.