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INSidER
The observer | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Mangaing Editor
DeShone Kizer said he did his best to relax over Notre Dame’s bye week and the University’s fall break. “You can’t be too far away,” Kizer said during captain’s availability Wednesday. “Obviously we still have some great games to play in and half of the season to go through. So you remove yourself away in the sense of physically getting off your feet and getting your body back to where you want it to be. But mentally you have to
stay locked in.” It was typical press conference jargon: guarded and focused on the task at hand. When asked about his eightmonth old puppy though, the caution f lew away like the chairs around the dining table when the 105-pound Neapolitan mastiff spotted Notre Dame’s quarterback walking into his house over break. “Right now he’s pretty fast,” Kizer said. “He’s super energetic, but the older he gets, he’s going to get to about 185, 190 pounds. “It’s going to be a pretty
ironic name to have when you’re big and slow but his name’s Dash.” Dash originally lived with the junior in South Bend but quickly needed a little bit more room to roam. Now he’s back at Kizer’s parents’ household in Toledo, Ohio, where Kizer said he’s finishing up his house training. The teething phase has passed too, Kizer added, so there are no more “drive-by bitings” after someone’s toes wandered a little too far off the edge of the couch. “Dash is all over the place. The guy’s just so energetic
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer scrambles through traffic while keeping his eyes downfield during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium.
— he won’t leave you alone,” Kizer said, his face visibly losing tension as he spoke. “He’s out back chasing anything he possibly can. If you have anything in your hand and he wants to get your attention, he’s going to take it out and try to fetch it.” Of course there were other distractions at home: Kizer said his mother kept him busy with chores around the house, and he celebrated his sister Maelyn’s birthday. “Part of her birthday present was to redo her room, so I was back — just like I never left — helping my mom remodel my sister’s room,” Kizer said. “We were painting. We put on two new layers of everything, from the walls to the f loors, redoing her wood f loors, to the ceiling. We were painting absolutely everything.” Add in a couple homecooked meals alternating with Vito’s chicken bacon ranch pizza and you have the secret ingredients for escaping the pressures of being Notre Dame’s starting quarterback — at least for a few days. “The goal is to do nothing,” Kizer said of the first few days being at home. “There’s so much pressure on you here, and when you’re walking around campus, whether you acknowledge it or not, there’s people all over who are putting out different things. “ … And when you get to go back home you get to go back to what got you to this position and truly relax in that sense. Being home allowed me the opportunity to hang out with friends who were back home doing things in Toledo and talk about things other than football for once. Just to remove yourself, regather yourself, so that when you come back you have as much of a fresh slate as you possibly can.”
Kizer and the rest of the Notre Dame football program have certainly felt the pressure after a 2-5 start to a season that started with a top-10 ranking and playoff expectations. Now the Irish welcome a Miami team that reached the top 10, only to lose its last three games and join Notre Dame in a rankings free fall. The two teams certainly share a storied history, but the connections continue through to the present, especially in the pocket with Kizer and his friend Brad Kaaya, Miami’s junior quarterback. “Brad and I came out in the same [recruiting] class and actually were in the Elite 11 [national quarterback competition] together and developed a good friendship,” Kizer said. “We kind of were two of a couple pro-style guys in the Elite 11. Coming out being the tall, athletic stature, you’d expect us both to be dual-threat guys, but we’re two guys who pride ourselves on being in the pocket and trying to stay in the pocket as much as we can to be a prostyle guy. So we definitely related along those lines.” Both players have drawn notice around the country. “[Kaaya] runs the system very well,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. “He can go from direct snap to shotgun. There’s a little bit of everything that he can do. He can run a little bit of zone read. He’s not going to kill you with it, but he keeps you off balance. He’s a guy that likes to push the ball down the field. “His numbers speak for themselves. He’s a veteran quarterback. He’s probably the most veteran quarterback that we’ve played up to this point in terms of experience.” “[The roster] says 230 [pounds]. He looks like he might be even a little bigger than that, in a good way,”
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Miami head coach Mark Richt said about Kizer. “Very strong, very physical, very athletic.” Many preseason mock drafts had Kizer and Kaaya as potential high first-round choices should they declare for the NFL Draft after this season, but both have struggled as of late. Kizer has thrown for just 208 yards combined in his last two games, being intercepted three times while failing to find the end zone. Kaaya has been sacked 13 times over the Hurricanes’ losing streak — including eight times in Miami’s 37-16 loss to Virginia Tech last weekend — while throwing for four touchdowns and two interceptions. Overall, however, each quarterback’s body of work has been solid. Kaaya came in and played as a true freshman, earning ACC Rookie of the Year honors, and improved his numbers and Miami’s record during his sophomore season; Kizer’s rise to the starting role early last season has been welldocumented as well. “He was obviously put in position as a true freshman to go out and show himself early, and then I came out a year later and now we’re being compared together as the same style of quarterback,” Kizer said. “Being a good friend with him, it’s fun to see him be as successful as he’s been. We go all the way back to junior year of high school where all we have are aspirations of being great, and now we’re in positions where we’re starting for two major college football teams.” “I think they’re carbon copies,” Notre Dame graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones said about playing against Kizer and Kaaya. “I think DeShone’s more willing to run because Kaaya doesn’t run that much. He
ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | The Observer
3
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
DeShone Kizer tucks the ball and takes off toward the sideline during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford. Kizer finished the game with 154 yards on 14-for-26 passing. He added another 83 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushing attempts, including a 49-yard scamper.
likes to wait in the pocket a lot more, but he’s a great quarterback. He knows his reads. He makes great throws. If he has to run it, he’s very dangerous running it as well.” After a few days away from football over break, Kizer said he began working his way back into the game by watching Miami play Virginia Tech last weekend, though he doesn’t usually watch football games while on break. “It’s hard, especially when Miami’s on offense and you want to get involved with looking at what their offense looks like because you typically don’t get that side of things when you’re getting ready to play against someone,” Kizer said. “You’re just
evaluating as much as you can. “For me, to watch football or, frankly, any sport with the analytical mind that you have from being within college sports, it’s hard not to look through the entertaining side of things and evaluate everyone out in the field. I’m reading defenses from my couch, from [Buffalo Wild Wings], from wherever I’m standing, so it’s pretty difficult. So I try to stay away from watching sports as much as I can and allow my time at home to be away.” Now, Kizer said, it’s about finding the offensive production that scored an average of 39.8 points over its first five games but has combined for
just 13 over the last two. “Everyone has come in and put together these great looks and these great ideas about specific defenses, specific style,” Kizer said. “And that’s great, to check those all out. But I think there’s an understanding now that we have to figure out what we are doing well and put emphasis on that.” With a defense that’s improving, Kizer said the team’s turnaround is coming after the “reset” fall break provided. “It’s time to spread the ball around and keep pushing forward. I believe that our offense is one of the best in the country, no matter what statistics say,” Kizer said. “And
all it takes is for us to buy into that, have the confidence to do what we do, and make sure that we’re out there executing the game plan. “The only thing that’s stopping us these last seven games is ourselves. We’re putting ourselves in the position to win the game in the fourth quarter each game, and lack of execution is the only thing that’s stopped us from winning those. If we can buy in, be focused, be disciplined, continue to do what we do and do it well, we’re going to be fine. We’re going to win some games at the end of this season.” Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
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INSidER
The observer | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
commentary
Notre Dame can do better than the status quo Alex Carson Assistant Managing Editor
Amidst a season chock full of questionable decisions from Brian Kelly, the Irish head coach is absolutely right on one count: That it’s not a good thing when your director of athletics has to give you the public “vote of confidence,” as Jack Swarbrick did last week. Even Kelly’s most ardent supporters would admit that, after a 2-5 start, conversation about the coach’s future is an appropriate, if not necessary, chat. Every year, before the season starts, Notre Dame’s players and coaches talk about the team’s goal of winning a national title. Such is life when you’ve retained your independent status — it’s that or nothing. So let’s look at a profile of recent championshipwinning coaches. In the past 16 years, 11 coachschool combinations have won a national title, and most arrangements fit a similar story — a coach shows up, recruits well early to supplement the talent already sitting in the program (fired coaches often leave behind a wealth of talent they couldn’t manage), and wins a championship within his first few years at the school. Of those 11 coaches, 10 won their first title at a school in their first four years at the helm; the only exception is Mack Brown, who bucks the trend, winning his first crown in his eighth year at Texas. Next fall, Kelly would enter his eighth year at Notre Dame, so let’s take a quick look at Brown’s path. Unlike Kelly, Brown’s Texas teams were consistent contenders until the 2005 breakthrough, going 43-8 from 2001 through 2004, never dropping below the 10-win mark. That, clearly, is not where Notre Dame sits today. To go back and find coaches who have won their first crowns later than year eight at a school, as it’s likely Kelly would be doing if he ever won a title at Notre Dame, you have to move to 1993 and 1994, when Bobby Bowden and Tom Osborne won their first national titles 18 and 22 years into their tenures. Respectfully, Kelly isn’t either of those guys. Combining the “eye test,” which shows a head coach’s questionable decisions aiding Irish defeat after defeat, with the aforementioned historical comparison, it’s hard for me to imagine a world where the 2012 win at USC — the one that sent Notre Dame to play for a national title — isn’t the zenith of Kelly’s tenure in South Bend, no matter how much longer he sticks around. One of two things needs to change: the head coach or the expectations. Are those expectations — both internal and external — out of whack with reality? Thanks to the University’s insistence on
focusing on the “student” part of student-athlete, this isn’t an easy job, no, but I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect more out of Notre Dame than what Kelly has provided in seven seasons. If I broke down college football’s top-end programs into tiers, I’d set Notre Dame in the third-highest. At the top, you have Alabama and Ohio State, schools who will consistently have the top talent and top coaches in the game. In a second tier, you have programs like Florida State, Oklahoma and Clemson. These schools are consistently good, with a top-15 mark often the floor and a title the ceiling. Notre Dame is, right now, a step behind those schools. When things are clicking, the Irish can compete, but they don’t do it often enough to give them a good chance of winning a title in a long-term stretch. Joining that second tier is, in my eyes, a fair expectation and, at this point, I just don’t see it happening under Kelly. Think back to that earlier stat — that nearly all title-winning coaches in recent memory have won their first title at a school in the first few years of a tenure. Notre Dame is primed to compete two years from now, in 2018. Josh Adams and Dexter Williams will form a top-tier senior running back tandem, the young receivers and secondary will be veterans, and no matter who quarterbacks the squad, it’ll be a signal caller who’s one of college football’s 10 best. And when looking at the 2018 slate, one thing stands out: Michigan’s visit to open the season. If you want to look at a present-day application for what a coaching change can do, just look to Ann Arbor, where Jim Harbaugh has resurrected that program in his second year. In what will be the biggest game at Notre Dame Stadium in 13 years, is Kelly the man best suited to lead the Irish out of the tunnel? The current reality of Notre Dame’s program doesn’t match the stated goals. If Swarbrick retains Kelly, which I believe he will, it’s a vote for the status quo, an affirmation that Notre Dame is only interested in occasionally, not perennially, competing; an assertion that “win a national title” isn’t truly every season’s goal. Instead, Swarbrick can make a change and take a chance, not on Kelly, but on Notre Dame. There is no guarantee that a new coach would provide a better, or even the same, result. But don’t you owe it to yourself to try? Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer
Irish head coach Brian Kelly walks off the field after Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium. Kelly and the Irish have gone 2-7 since Notre Dame lost to Stanford last season. Paid Advertisement
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recruiting
Jeter flips from Notre Dame to Michigan By MAREK MAZUREK Sports Editor
Despite not playing a game, the Irish saw their season take another hit last week when four-star defensive line prospect Donovan Jeter decommitted from Notre Dame
and verbally committed to Michigan just a few days later. To rub salt in the wounds for Notre Dame fans, Jeter said talking to Irish head coach Brian Kelly “wasn’t fun. It wasn’t cool,” in an interview with the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. Jeter later apologized for those comments. Blue and Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst Br yan Driskell said there’s more than meets the eye in Jeter’s case and believes academic scheduling issues may have lead to Jeter’s departure.
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“Well, there was a bit of an issue with Donovan about what he needed to do to gain admittance to Notre Dame in the spring,” Driskell said. “Donovan wants to be an early-enrollee, and right now, there’s some work he needed to do. Not a lot, just a minor thing — a class here — that he needed to take before he could get enrolled. So that wasn’t going to work out.” And though Jeter’s comments about Kelly may anger some Irish fans, Driskell said Jeter’s decommitment probably won’t start a trend among other Notre Dame commits. “W hen you look at the way the other recruits like C.J. Holmes and Aver y Davis and guys like that, the way they responded after [Jeter’s] decision, it’s obvious they’re still bought in,” Driskell said. “I think that if the season continues to go in a downward direction, it wouldn’t surprise me if other kids had some doubts about the direction of the program. But I don’t think Donovan Jeter’s decision will have anything to do with that.” Though Jeter’s departure did make headlines over the bye week, the Irish did pick up a verbal commitment from cornerback Elijah Hicks. Driskell said Hicks stands out as an athletic player, as he has experience against top high school receivers. “I really like that pickup,” Driskell said. “W hat he does — it brings an upgrade in athleticism and versatility in a secondar y that’s ver y young and lacking proven, experienced players. The
thing I like about Elijah is he can play cornerback. He’s a ver y talented corner, [and] he goes against top-notch competition in California … this is a kid that gets tested on a weekly basis, and he’s really stepped up and performed.” Another aspect of Hicks’ game the Irish like is his ability to play all over the field, Driskell said. “The other thing he brings to the table is he’s ver y versatile,” Driskell said. “He can play nickel easily. He could come in as a freshman and help out at nickel. He’s a kid that’s got the instincts, he plays the ball exceptionally well for a high school kid [and] drives on routes quickly, which would translate ver y nicely to the free safety position. He’s a kid you could see starting at three different positions. … Guys like that are great additions to the class … you could easily slide, if the need arose, Hicks to free safety, or maybe that addition allows you to move an upperclassmen corner to safety. Notre Dame loves versatility and this staff loves going after guys that can play multiple positions, and he certainly fits that bill.” The Miami game this weekend marks the second to last game at Notre Dame Stadium this season, and though the weather may still be pleasant, Driskell said the Irish have only a small list of recruits scheduled to be in town this Saturday. “Right now, the only 2017 kid I’m aware of that’s coming up right now is receiver Noah Igbinoghene,” Driskell said. “I’d say the best kid on campus this week … [is] four-star California corner Brendan Radley-Hiles — really talented player [who] posts with the some of the current commits. They tweet with him a lot, [and he’s] ver y high on Notre Dame’s list.” And with the 2017 class being mostly filled out, Driskell said the Irish have their eye on the future with a few of the recruits coming into town. “And then also Kenny McIntosh, who’s a 2019 player, so he’s a current sophomore,” Driskell said. “Extremely talented running back, [and] he’s the younger brother of [current Notre Dame freshman] Deon McIntosh. I know Notre Dame is ver y high on him; he’s a ver y talented player. It’s a small weekend as of right now from a numbers standpoint, but the guys that are going to be on campus this weekend are ver y talented players.” Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
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The observer | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
HEAD T
3:30 p.m. ET | Notre Dame Stadium KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer
HURRICANES PASSING The Miami aerial attack begins and ends with Brad Kaaya. The junior quarterback has been touted as a potential first-round pick should he chose to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft at season’s end. His play this year has largely reflected that status, as he’s thrown for 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns against just five interceptions on the season. The dropoff in his play during the Hurricanes’ three-game losing streak can be attributed to Miami’s struggles with pass protection during the stretch, as the Hurricanes offensive line has given up a combined 13 sacks in the three losses. After a poor start to the season, the Irish secondary and pass rush have shown improvement in its last three games, holding opposing passing attacks to an average of 175 yards through the air and accumulating five sacks, as compared to an average of 253 passing yards allowed and just one total sack in its first four games. Kaaya will be the best quarterback the Irish secondary have faced to date. Notre Dame’s ability to disrupt Miami’s aerial attack will hinge on its success or failure to pressure Kaaya and use its recent improvements in that area to take advantage of a struggling Miami offensive line.
EDGE: MIAMI HURRICANES RUSHING The Hurricanes ground attack features a one-two punch in sophomore Mark Walton and junior Joe Yearby. Both running backs have averaged over 5 yards per carry so far this season and have combined for 1,097 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Much like the passing game, however, the rushing attack has struggled during the Hurricanes’ three-game losing streak, averaging just 81 yards per game on the ground during that stretch. Much like its secondary, Notre Dame’s front seven has shown improvement since Greg Hudson took over as defensive coordinator. After allowing over 200 rushing yards in three of their first four games, the Irish have not allowed a team to reach that threshold in its last three games and has held opponents to under four yards per carry.
EDGE: EVEN
miami
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
HURRICANES OFFENSIVE COACHING This season is head coach Mark Richt’s first in Coral Gables. Richt is well respected as an offensive mind, having served as an offensive coordinator at Florida State prior to his time as a head coach at Georgia and, now, Miami. During his seven years as a coordinator at Florida State, the Seminoles were among the nation’s top-five scoring offenses five times and a top-12 unit in total offense five times. In three games since taking over the defense, defensive coordinator Greg Hudson and head coach Brian Kelly have seen statistical improvements both in the secondary and along the front seven. However, its last to matchups have been against North Carolina State in defensively favorable weather conditions and against an anemic Stanford offense without Christian McCaffrey. The Hurricanes will represent the biggest challenge yet to the improving but largely untested Irish defense under Kelly and Hudson.
WR
(Sr.) Stacy Coley 3
(R-So.) Malik Mayweather 31
LT LG C RG RT TE
(Jr.) Trevor Darling 73 (Fr.) Bar Milo 79
(So.) Mark Walton
(Jr.) Joe Yearby
1 2
(Jr.) Brad Kaaya 15 (R-So.) Malik Rosier 12
RB QB
(Jr.) Kc McDermott
52
(R-Fr.) Hayden Mahoney 62
(Jr.) Nick Linder 68 (Sr.) Alex Gall 67
(Sr.) Danny Isidora 63 (So.) Tyler Gauthier 74
(So.) Tyree St. Louis 78 (R-Jr.) Hunter Knighton 54
(Jr.) Chris Herndon IV 23 (R-So.) David Njoku 86
(Jr.) Braxton
Berrios
(R-Sr.) Malcolm Lewis
8 9
WR
WR
(Fr.) Ahmmon Richards 82 (R-So.) Dayall Harris 80
(Sr.) Corn Elder 29 (So.) Michael Jackson 28
CB
EDGE: MIAMI HURRICANES SPECIAL TEAMS Junior kicker Michael Badgley has been effective this season for the Hurricanes, hitting seven of his 10 field goal attempts, including all three of his tries from beyond 40 yards. Senior punter Justin Vogel, meanwhile, has averaged 44.1 yards on his punts this season and has pinned teams inside their 20 on over a third of his punts this season. Although the Irish have shown flashes on special teams with one blocked field goal and two blocked extra points, the unit has struggled to make a consistent impact this season.
(R-Sr.) Rayshawn Jenkins 26 (Fr.) Romeo Finley 30
FS
(Fr.) Michael Pinckney 56 (R-So.) Darrion Owens 58
WILL
(Jr.) Chad Thomas 9
(Fr.) Joe Jackson 99
(Fr.) Shaq Quarterman 55 (R-So.) Mike Smith 57
MLB
(So.) Kendrick Norton
7
(R-So.) Gerald Willis 91
(So.) R.J. McIntosh 80 (Jr.) Courtel Jenkins 92
(So.) Jaquan Johnson 4 (Sr.) Jamal Carter, Sr. 6
(R-So.) Demetrius Jackson 31
SS
(Jr.) Trent Harris 33
(Fr.) Zach McCloud 53 (So.) CJ Perry 34
SAM
(R-Sr.) Adrian Colbert 25
EDGE: MIAMI
DE DT DT DE
(So.) Sheldrick Redwine 22
CB
HURRICANES SCHEDULE (4-3) Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 20 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26
Florida A&M (W, 70-3) Florida Atlantic (W, 38-10) @ Appalachian State (W, 45-10) @ Georgia Tech (W, 35-21) Florida State (L, 20-19) North Carolina (L, 20-13) @ Virginia Tech (L, 37-16) @ Notre Dame Pittsburgh @ Virginia @ North Carolina State Duke
(Jr.) Michael Badgley 15 (R-Jr.) Diego Marquez 98
(Sr.) Justin Vogel 16 (R-Fr.) Jack Spicer 43
(Jr.) Braxton
Berrios
(Sr.) Stacy Coley
8 3
PK P PR
(Sr.) Justin Vogel 16 (R-So.) Malik Rosier 12
(R-Sr.) Malcolm (So.) Jordan
Alex Carson
Zach Klonsinski
Marek Mazurek
Assistant Managing Editor
Assistant Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Both Notre Dame and Miami have struggled lately. The Hurricanes, once considered a fringe national title contender until a missed extra point derailed their season, have regressed to 4-3 on the back of three straight losses. But unlike Notre Dame’s five defeats, the Hurricanes’ losses are respectable — each of Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech are ranked, with one of the latter two likely to play for the ACC title in December. The larger storyline might be Brad Kaaya against DeShone Kizer, two quarterbacks that could very well be first-round picks in the spring, but the more important one is whether or not the Irish defense can continue to improve in Greg Hudson’s fourth game. One of these teams will get back on track this week. That team is not Notre Dame. FINAL SCORE: Miami 31, Notre Dame 24
What looked like a matchup with playoff implications — at least for one team — when the calendar flipped to October now features two teams in utter free fall trying to do damage control. Luckily for Notre Dame, last week’s fall break provided a chance to hit the reset button and get away from everything for a few days. It might just be the antidote the Irish needed, since nothing else seems to have worked so far. Unluckily for the Irish, this Miami squad has the most raw talent of any team Notre Dame has played this season. I want to say what happened to the Irish offense against Stanford was a fluke, not a trend. There’s only been one consistent trend this year, though. If Brad Kaaya returns to form, the Irish could be all but eliminated from bowl contention before November. FINAL SCORE: Miami 31, Notre Dame 17
Lewis
9
Butler
39
(Jr.) Braxton Berrios
8
(R-Sr.) Frank Gabriel 55
H KR LS
Will a bye week change Notre Dame’s fortunes and get its season back on track? Probably not. The defense has certainly looked good sans VanGorder, but the Irish have yet to play a complete team game. The special teams needs work, the defense needs to prove itself and the offense now has a turnover problem. To make matters worse, Miami has a solid team coming into South Bend, led by future-NFL prospect Brad Kaaya. The Hurricanes defense isn’t sophisticated, but it is extremely athletic. And Deshone Kizer needs to make sure he doesn’t develop an interception problem. Utlimately, the defense has an OK game, but Kizer and the offense continue to struggle. This season isn’t getting better anytime soon. FINAL SCORE: Miami 28, Notre Dame 20
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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | The Observer
7
O HEAD on NBC
Notre Dame
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
IRISH PASSING
CB
Julian Love (Fr.) 35
27
Donte Vaughn (Fr.)
WILL DE DT DT DE
WR WR RT RG C LG LT TE WR
H KR LS
Te’von Coney (So.)
S
Andrew Trumbetti (Jr.)
98
9 Daelin Hayes (Fr.)
Daniel Cage (Jr.) 94
75
Jarron Jones (Gr.)
Jerry Tillery (So.)
99
MLB
5
8
Devin Studstill (Fr.)
28 Nico Fertitta (So.)
Nyles Morgan (Jr.)
48 Greer Martini (Jr.)
58 Elijah Taylor (So.)
Isaac Rochell (Sr.)
90
S
55 Jonathan Bonner (Jr.)
SAM CB
4
22 Asmar Bilal (So.)
36
17
James Onwualu (Sr.)
23
Drue Tranquill (Jr.)
21 Jalen Elliot (Fr.)
44 Jamir Jones (Fr.)
Cole Luke (Sr.)
18 Troy Pride Jr. (Fr.)
Equanimeous St. Brown (So.)
6
81 Miles Boykin (So.)
C.J. Sanders (So.)
3
15 Corey Holmes (Jr.)
Alex Bars (Jr.)
71
EDGE: NOTRE DAME
78 Tommy Kraemer (Fr.)
Colin McGovern (Sr.)
62
66 Tristen Hoge (So.)
53
Sam Mustipher (Jr.)
75 Mark Harrell (Gr.)
RB QB
33
Josh Adams (So.)
25 Tarean Folston (Sr.)
14
DeShone Kizer (Jr.)
8 Malik Zaire (Sr.)
Quenton Nelson (Jr.)
56
57 Trevor Ruhland (So.)
Mike McGlinchey (Sr.)
68
70 Hunter Bivin (Sr.)
80
Durham Smythe (Sr.)
82 Nic Weishar (Jr.)
16
Torii Hunter Jr. (Sr.)
29 Kevin Stepherson (Fr.)
4
Montgomery VanGorder (Jr.)
14 DeShone Kizer (Jr.)
3
C.J. Sanders (So.)
10 Chris Finke (So.)
61
Scott Daly (Gr.)
54 John Shannon (Fr.)
Miami is not the only team in this matchup with a potential first-round talent at quarterback, as Notre Dame has depended on the play of DeShone Kizer for its offensive success this year. The junior has thrown for 1,775 yards in Notre Dame’s seven games this season and has accounted for 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, Kizer, like Kaaya, has struggled as of late, completing under 50 percent of his passes in his last two games, both Notre Dame losses. The last three games have seen the Hurricanes’ secondary struggle, as the unit has allowed seven total passing touchdowns while intercepting just one of the last 112 passes thrown against them during that span. Miami’s pass rush has been modest during its current losing streak, however, accumulating six sacks over the three games. For Notre Dame to rediscover its success through the air, the Irish offensive line will need to protect Kizer and provide him with time to take advantage of a struggling Hurricane secondary.
PK P PR
19
Justin Yoon (So.)
85 Tyler Newsome (Jr.)
85
Tyler Newsome (Jr.)
42 Jeff Riney (So.)
3
C.J. Sanders (So.)
10 Chris Finke (So.)
Notre Dame vs. Temple
Ben Padanilam
Renee Griffin
Associate Sports Editor
Sports Writer
On paper, this matchup looks like it should be close one between two sliding programs in desperate need of a midseason turnaround. Notre Dame has struggled to find any amount of consistency this season, as just when the defense appears to be finding something that works, the offense has fallen off entirely. And on the other side, Miami started its year with four straight wins before quickly dropping each of its last three games. But Miami’s losses have all come to teams ranked in this week’s top 25, and it still has an NFL-level quarterback leading the way in Brad Kaaya. Despite the extra week to prep, Notre Dame has too many holes to expect a turnaround this week. FINAL SCORE: Miami 45, Notre Dame 24
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
allowed mobile quarterback Jerod Evans to rush for nearly 100 yards and touchdown, indicating Kizer’s ability to run could also pose problems for a Hurricane defense that starts three freshman linebackers.
EDGE: NOTRE DAME IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING In it’s last two games, the Irish offense has totaled just 13 points after scoring at least 28 points in its previous five games. Both games have featured decisions by head coach Brian Kelly that received heavy criticism, as he featured a relatively pass-heavy game plan in unfavorable weather conditions against N.C. State and pulled Kizer midway through the team’s loss to Stanford. On the other side, Miami is led by head coach Mark Richt and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz in particular has been successful in his career as a coordinator, having coached a defense at Louisiana Tech that led the nation in turnovers forced in 2014 and a defense at Georgia that finished in the top 10 in redzone defense just last season.
EDGE: MIAMI
IRISH RUSHING
IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS
In addition to his arm, DeShone Kizer’s legs have been Notre Dame’s most effective weapon on the ground as of late. He led the team in rushing with 83 yards against Stanford two weeks ago, and he leads the team on the season in rushing touchdowns with seven. He’s joined by a trio of running backs in the backfield, as senior Tarean Folston and sophomores Josh Adams and Dexter Williams have all rotated in for the Irish this season at the position. Of the three, Adams has the most carries (89) and yards (416), while Williams has hit paydirt the most with his three rushing touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, the Hurricanes have largely been effective against the run this season, holding opponents to under 150 rushing yards per game and just 3.4 yards per carry. In two of their last three games, however, the Hurricanes have allowed an opposing back to rush for over 130 yards. In its latest defeat to Virginia Tech, Miami
Sophomore kicker Justin Yoon has converted a modest six of his nine field goal attempts on the season for Notre Dame, but his longest make on the season is just 40 yards, as he has only attempted one field goal longer than that distance this year. Junior punter Tyler Newsome has averaged 43.7 yards on his 35 punts this season.
As it was against Stanford, Notre Dame is fortunate to meet the Hurricanes at the lowest point of their season, coming off a miserable three-game losing streak after they had won their first four games to rise to No. 10 in the national rankings. Less fortunately, Notre Dame has proven time and again that it is incapable of consistently taking advantage of its opponents’ deficiencies. The defense was able to contain Stanford’s struggling offense well enough, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Similarly, the Irish will probably be productive passing against an injury-plagued defense and might even record a sack or two. However, expecting them to pull out a win at this point would require ignoring the inability to finish games the team has shown all season. FINAL SCORE: Miami 28, Notre Dame 27
EDGE: EVEN IRISH SCHEDULE (2-5) Sept. 4 @ Texas (L, 50-47, 2OT) Sept. 10 Nevada (W, 39-10) Sept. 17 Michigan State (L, 36-28) Sept. 24 Duke (L, 38-35) Oct. 1 vs. Syracuse (W, 50-33) Oct. 8 @ NC State (L, 10-3) Oct. 15 Stanford (L, 17-10) Oct. 29 Miami (Fla.) Nov. 5 vs. Navy Nov. 12 vs. Army Nov. 19 Virginia Tech Nov. 26 @ USC
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The observer | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
D-line makes strides as it readies for Miami By RENEE GRIFFIN Sports Writer
Notre Dame’s pass rushing stat line in the 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15: three sacks for a total loss of 13 yards, plus two quarterback hurries. Notre Dame’s combined pass rushing stat line in the six games prior to Stanford: three sacks for a total loss of 11 yards, plus 22 quarterback hurries. The Irish were among the very last in the FBS to record a sack this season, failing to do so until Week 4 against Duke. Statistically, the defense’s efforts to hassle the Stanford quarterback was its most successful since a 2-sack, 11-hurry performance in the 50-33 win over Syracuse on Oct. 1. Senior captain and defensive lineman Isaac Rochell, who is the team leader in quarterback hurries by far with nine, said the improvements are largely due to the team’s upbeat mentality. “I think guys have bought in and had really positive attitudes,” Rochell said. “Guys have been excited about playing well, and when you get excited about playing well, you keep playing well.” The Irish weren’t the only team able to take advantage of poor pass protection by the Cardinal and the Orange, who are among the worst in the NCAA at sacks allowed, with Stanford giving up three per game on average and Syracuse giving up 2.75 per game. Miami may be similarly vulnerable to sacks after its star junior quarterback, Brad Kaaya, was taken down behind the line of scrimmage eight times in his team’s loss to Virginia Tech last week, though Rochell emphasized how the Hurricanes’ tempo and athleticism will keep the Irish defense on its toes. Graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones, whose strip-sack and fumble recovery was one of the highlights of Notre Dame’s performance against Stanford, agreed with Rochell’s assessment of the eagerness to compete that remains strong in the Irish locker room. “We just play for each other,” Jones said. “Just being here, at Notre Dame, a lot of people would kill to have this. Yeah, our season’s not going the way we wanted, but we’re blessed to be here. Not the best situation, but we’re going to make the most out of it. Football ends at some point … you’re gonna miss your brothers.” Jones said that fraternal
atmosphere is directly related to the team’s ability to step up and make plays. He pointed to coaches and player leaders demanding accountability, like the way junior linebacker Nyles Morgan sometimes gets on sophomore defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in practice: “You’d think he’s about to fight him.” “It trickles, and it leads to a better defense,” Jones said. With an interception and two quarterback hurries this season, in addition to the sack and fumble recovery he recorded two weeks ago, Jones hopes his presence in the middle frees up his teammates – and Tillery in particular – to take down the quarterback, he said. “[The offensive line will] pay attention to me regardless, just because I’m the biggest guy that comes out there on the D-line,” said Jones, who stands at 6-5 1/2 and weighs in at 315 lbs. “Jerry, I want to give him a lot of opportunities, because to be honest I think he’s a better pass rusher than I am. … He’s better one-onone pass rushing. It’s kind of a team thing.” Jones said his big play against Stanford was possible because of his ability to catch on to how the Cardinal were guarding him in certain formations, but that it’s rare he can expect to penetrate the opposing line so successfully. “I just always expect a double block. When I bull rush somebody like that, especially, a lot of times a guard will come down and just knock me out of the gap,” Jones said. “I’m just trying to look out for my teammates and making sure I’m not making too big of a seam for their quarterback. “I’m just trying to push the pocket and keep the quarterback corralled.” Looking beyond the line, Jones said he’s seen significant progress from the defense in practice, making him think that the Irish will finally begin to turn around their 2-5 season in the upcoming matchup with Miami. “I really expect a shutout out of our defense, because our defense has been playing lights out in practice,” Jones said. “The way we carry ourselves in meetings, there’s just a new sense of excitement. Even though our record’s not where we want it, there’s still excitement to come to meetings, to go to practice. “I really feel like this will be the game we put it all together.”
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones dives over Cardinal senior quarterback Ryan Burns to recover a fumble during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15. Paid Advertisement
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Hurricanes look to rebound after recent downturn By BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor
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It’s been a ta le of t wo ha lves for Mia mi up to t his point in t he season. The Hurrica nes (4-3, 1-3 ACC) sta rted t heir season w it h a four stra ight w ins, a stretch in which t hey outscored t heir opponents 188-44. Since t hen, however, t hey’ve played t hree tea ms ra nked in t his week’s A P Poll — No. 12 Florida State, No. 21 Nort h Ca rolina a nd No. 25 Virginia Tech — a nd have fa iled to score 20 points aga inst a ny of t he t hree tea ms en route to t hree stra ight losses. A nd it’s t he lack of of fensive production which severa l members of t he tea m believe has been t he dif ference in t he t wo contrasting performa nces. Pa rt of t heir recent str uggles is t he result of t he streng t h of t he opponents t he Hurrica nes have faced in t heir last t hree ga mes, a nd pa rt of it comes dow n to t heir recent inabilit y to execute of fensively. “I t hink we played better defenses t he last couple weeks, which ma kes a dif ference,” Hurrica nes of fensive coordinator Thomas Brow n sa id Tuesday. “Obv iously, when you play better ta lent a nd better-coached tea ms, it’s gonna be ha rd to r un t he ba ll aga inst t hem a nd a lso t hrow t he ba ll aga inst t hem.” “We just haven’t scored enough points on of fense,” junior qua rterback Brad Kaaya sa id a f ter Mia mi’s loss to Virginia Tech on Oct. 20. “We gotta help our defense out, gotta score a nd f ind a way to get t he ba ll in t he red zone. We ca n’t sett le w it h f ield goa ls — just have to get t he ba ll in t he red zone somehow a nd someway. [ We] gotta ma ke plays.” In pa rticula r, Mia mi’s offensive str uggles have been highlighted in t wo a reas specif ica lly: pass protection a nd t hird-dow n conversions. In t heir last t hree ga mes, t he Hurrica nes have a llowed 13 sacks a nd converted on just 11 of t heir 43 t hird dow ns. Brow n sa id t he recent uptick in sacks a llowed does not fa ll squa rely on t he shoulders of t he tea m’s offensive line, but it is rat her t he result a combination of factors. “I t hink a lot of t hings k ind of go into what [has] happened from a sacks sta ndpoint,” Brow n sa id. “… It’s a ll including us of fense
— being able to protect t he qua rterback but a lso getting t he ba ll out on time. W hen t heir bringing pressure, we ca n’t hold t he ba ll forever. We ca n block g uys for a certa in a mount of time, we gotta give [Kaaya] a nswers a nd he gotta be conf ident to t hrow t he ba ll a nd let it rip.” The sa me sentiment was echoed by Kaaya when expla ining t he tea m’s str uggles on t hird dow n. He sa id success on t hose plays comes dow n to ever yone executing t heir indiv idua l assignments. “At ever y position, we have to come toget her because it ta kes a ll 11 [players],” Kaaya sa id. “So on t hird dow n especia lly, you have to do t he right t hings to stay on t he f ield. … If t he [of fensive] line does t heir job [a nd] gives me time, t he receivers r un t heir routes, r unning back eit her blocks or r uns his route, if we a ll come toget her a nd do t he right t hing [a nd] if I put it on t he money, we’re going to be successf ul on t hird dow n. But if one position doesn’t do t heir job, t hen it’s ver y ha rd to be successf ul.” Hoping to turn t heir season a round a nd return to t he form t hey displayed ea rly on in t he season, t he Hurrica nes w ill look to incorporate some of t heir more basic of fensive sets, which t hey had moved away from lately, Brow n sa id. “I t hink being able to be multiple on of fense — get back to being more under center at times a nd having some play-action shots — w ill help us out,” Brow n sa id. As for t he players, Kaaya sa id t he Hurrica nes k now t hey a re str uggling but still f ully believe in t hemselves a nd w ill f ind a way to dig t hemselves out of t heir current f unk. “I t hink t his tea m has been close, even before t he season, a nd right now our ca ma raderie a nd our fa mily is gonna get tested,” Kaaya sa id. “We just have to stay toget her a nd keep playing a nd keep grinding. … We ca n’t just sit here a nd mope a round a nd keep losing. We have to just sta nd up a nd f ight. We ca n’t just be mediocre — we have to do somet hing. “… Mia mi Hurrica nes don’t quit. No matter what t he record is, we a ren’t gonna quit.” Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
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The observer | FRIDAY, october 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior running back Tarean Folston takes a handoff from sophomore quaterback DeShone Kizer during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15. Folston returned to the Irish lineup after missing Notre Dame’s games against Syracuse and N.C. State with an ankle injury. The senior finished the Stanford game with 49 yards on eight carries.
KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer
Irish senior cornerback Cole Luke tries to bring down Stanford sophomore running back Bryce Love during the rivalry game.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior quarterback Malik Zaire is tackled by Stanford sophomore linebacker Sean Barton in the second half of Notre Dame’s loss. Zaire finished 0-for-2 passing and three yards rushing on three attempts.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior linebacker James Onwualu and Cardinal freshman receiver Donald Stewart dive for a loose ball during Stanford’s victory. Onwualu made five tackles, forced a fumble and broke up three passes.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer scans the field during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
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MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish senior running back Tarean Folston carries around the edge as senior offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey leads the way.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish freshman cornerback Donte Vaughn covers Cardinal sophomore receiver Trenton Irwin coming off the line of scrimmage during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish senior receiver Torii Hunter Jr. cuts upfield after making a reception during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford on Oct. 15.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish sophomore receiver Chris Finke carries the ball after a shovel pass during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium. Finke lost a yard on the play.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish sophomore kicker Justin Yoon connects with his only field goal attempt of the game during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford. Yoon’s 29-yard attempt was good.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer drops back and loads to throw during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
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