Print Edition of The Observer for Friday November 17, 2017

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The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Mike McGlinchey | OT | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

LAUREN WELDON and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor

Football and family.

For Mike McGlinchey, the two go hand-in-hand. The two-time Notre Dame captain and graduate student was raised with football in his blood — he followed his cousin and current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan through the ranks at Penn Charter in Philadelphia before joining the Irish ranks.

“Football is everything to me; it’s everything I love,” McGlinchey said. “I’ve put everything I have into it, and I was an Irish Catholic kid growing up, I’ve always had an attraction to Notre Dame, it was kind of like the Mecca of football and school and all that kind of stuff when I was growing up. “ … When I got the offer, it was kind of a no-brainer when I visited. Notre Dame’s awesome. I fell in love with it the first time I was out here, and it’s lived up to every folklore it has ever had.”

And now as his storied Irish career comes to a close, McGlinchey has forged his place in the family of Notre Dame football greats.

But it wasn’t a straight path to stardom for the left tackle.

While highly recruited out of high school as an offensive lineman, the 6-foot-8inch McGlinchey was under 300 pounds when he came in his freshman year, and still had to develop his technique as a blocker after playing a number of positions in high school, including tight end.

The Philadelphia native didn’t see the field his freshman season and was redshirted, but that didn’t stop him from growing from the experience, something

McGlinchey credits to the wisdom of some of his mentors on the line at the time.

“That’s kind of what football is, it’s always a game that presents a lot of challenges and a lot of struggle no matter how much experience you have,” he said. “Early on, I had to earn my place. I came in at like 265-270 pounds and was a thin, tall guy and wasn’t strong enough to play, so I had to work in the weight room a lot harder than most people did, and learned my way under [former Irish offensive linemen] Zack [Martin] and Ronnie [Stanley] and all those guys that came before me.”

His sophomore year, McGlinchey appeared in all 13 games, mostly with special teams, before earning his first start in the Music City Bowl against then-No. 22 LSU. McGlinchey and the Irish won that game and haven’t looked back, as the tackle has started all 35 games for Notre Dame since.

As he has become a staple for Notre Dame, McGlinchey credits his relationship with some of the older guys on the line, including current NFL standouts Zack Martin and Ronnie Stanley, as one of the principal factors in his development both on and off the field over his career.

“Those guys kind of laid the groundwork for me when I got here,” McGlinchey said. “I had one year with Zach [Martin] and Chris [Watt] and then Ronnie and Nick [Martin] for three. Those guys just showed me the way, showed me how to work, showed me how to play, showed me how to go about my business the right way and how to try and make that easier for everybody on the rest of the team, because

that’s what those guys did.

Those guys were the best, and I hope I’ve kind of led that legacy on for the younger guys on our team and that’s all you can really hope for.”

After playing his junior season at right tackle, McGlinchey was named a captain for Notre Dame and moved to left tackle as a senior, where he was one of the bright spots for the Irish in an overwhelmingly disappointing season, and was named a second team All-American.

While projected as a firstround pick in last April’s draft, McGlinchey had no reservations about his desire to return to Notre Dame for a fifth and final season.

“I think individually, I had a lot left to work on,” he said on the decision. “It’s about being honest with yourself with what’s on film and [offensive line] coach [Harry] Hiestand and I are definitely that about my game and with everybody else’s game, so individually I felt like I wasn’t ready to move on quite yet.

“I had a lot of things that I wanted to improve before I got to the league, and as a team we kind of stunk last year, and I wasn’t ready to leave Notre Dame in the place that it was in. I love this place and I hated to see where we were last year and needed to bring it back.”

But furthering his on-thefield development wasn’t the only reason McGlinchey decided to return — the preseason All-American also stressed his growth as a leader this season as one of the biggest areas of personal improvement.

“You learn what not to do, when you struggle so badly like that,” McGlinchey said on his experiences being a

captain last season. “You test things out and see what works and how to deal with your teammates, and how to deal with different personalities, and I think that you have to grow and trust your teammates, and trust yourself, and not spread yourself too thin.

“I think that’s one of the areas I’ve really grown throughout the last year, in that I know what to focus on, who to help me out with it, and I know where I need to speak up as a leader. I think I was forcing the issue a little bit last year, and that’s where I think I grew up the most.”

And while being a leader to the whole team has certainly been an important facet of McGlinchey’s career, his relationship with his fellow offensive lineman is the thing he treasures the most.

“That’s the best part of playing at Notre Dame, is the camaraderie that I have with the guys in the locker room, especially with the O-line, we do everything together — eat, sleep, party, whatever you want, we always are with each other, no matter what,” he said. “That’s what coach Hiestand has kind of worked on since he’s been here and that’s been the way our culture is.

“No matter what age you are, whether you’re a fifthyear senior like me or a true freshman like Rob Hainsey and all those guys, it’s just about being a brother to each other and taking care of one another and helping out anywhere you can. I think that’s where the biggest blessing has been, playing at Notre Dame.”

As his storied career draws to a close, McGlinchey has a lot of gratitude for the opportunities he’s been giving

at Notre Dame. But beyond football, the graduate student is ultimately most thankful for the friendships he’s forged during his time with the Irish, both on and off the field.

“Hands down, it has been the relationships that I’ve built,” McGlinchey said.

“Notre Dame is a special place, in more ways than one, but I think the best part about it is the people you get to meet. I’ve certainly been fortunate here to work, play and meet some of the best people I’ll ever meet and have some of the best friends I’ll ever have for life, and that’s certainly the thing I’ll miss the most, and certainly the thing that I cherish here — more than anything I’ve ever had on the football field.”

When the Irish take the field to play Nav y for the 91st consecutive time Saturday, the team will be sporting uniforms honoring legendary Irish coach Knute Rockne.

For McGlinchey, he’s excited about the opportunity of ending his legacy with Notre Dame by honoring the legacy of arguably Her greatest son.

“I think it’s something that we talk about all the time,” McGlinchey said on Rockne’s legend. “Notre Dame, you talk about the tradition, you talk about all that legacy stuff, and I think that it kind of gives a little bit of tangibility to the people that just hear about the tradition. We really know about it, and it’s cool to finally bring that story out.

I mean, with Knute Rockne, I don’t think Notre Dame is where it’s at today, and he cemented what has become one of the greatest programs in college football history.”

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | The Observer

3

Quenton Nelson | OG | Holmdel, New Jersey

LAUREN WELDON and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

In the atrium of Notre Dame’s Guglielmino Athletics Complex sits seven iterations of the statue college football players dream of winning.

But behind those seven Heismans sits six more trophies, a selection of some of the “other” individual awards in college football.

In the middle of those six sits the Outland Trophy.

Given to the best interior lineman in the nation, it doesn’t get the recognition the Heisman does. Its purpose, after all, was to recognize the players that John H. Outland felt were given the least attention.

“Outland moments,” aren’t really a thing. They certainly don’t usually make the rounds on Twitter.

Frames aren’t captured of players incidentally striking an in-game “Outland pose:” low, almost diving, as if the block being made is a desperate, necessary attempt.

But, on Sept. 9, Quenton Nelson inadvertently made an Outland pose. Georgia redshirt-sophomore free safety J.R. Reed blitzed Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush from the quarterback’s right side. With a seemingly unabated path to the Irish signal caller, Reed was knocked out of his way by Nelson, who had picked up the blitz and carried his 330-lb frame across the play quickly enough to protect Wimbush.

“Yeah, I remember that one,” Nelson said of the play.

“The tackle looped outside, so I looped to my right and no one was coming at me, so I slid to the opposite side of the line. The safety popped up and I just smashed him.”

If ever an offensive lineman had an Outland moment, that was it.

The play did what guard highlights usually don’t: It blew up on Twitter.

“Some of my friends sent me it, it was pretty fun to see,” Nelson said.

It wasn’t the only play this year to have done so, a new Quenton Nelson highlight seems to follow every Irish game, whether he’s mailing a defensive lineman downfield, pulling to the right side of the line or picking up a blitz as he did against the Bulldogs.

It’s those kind of plays that have made him a preseason and midseason First Team All-American selection — almost certain to win the real honor when the season ends — and a leading candidate for the Outland Trophy.

Nelson could have had an accomplished college career without all of that. He started in both 2015 and 2016. During the former year, he helped the Irish rush for over 200 yards per game, post a 10-3 record, play in the Fiesta Bowl and finish with a top-10 ranking.

After the latter, he was rated as arguably the best guard prospect in his class and a potential first-round NFL Draft selection.

But like when the Irish guard saw no Georgia player directly in front of him to take on, Nelson knew he still had more to do. He wasn’t satisfied with the team’s 4-8 record and set about improving. That included improvement in his own game, but also as a leader. Nelson became a captain for 2017, determined to instill the standard that has turned him into perhaps the college game’s best guard into every player.

“I considered it, but I knew

I had a lot of work to do and a lot of stuff to improve in terms of my technique and just leaving the team on a better note,” Nelson said. “I knew I wanted to come back this year after a 4-8 season and have a better season as a team, be a captain this year and have a chance to lead this team.”

Nelson had, after all, committed to the Irish in the offseason following 2012’s 12-1 season, and said the team’s winning mentality, as well as factors such as the focus on academics, was a major reason for choosing Notre Dame.

“I came here because of the type of guys that are here,” Nelson said. “Everyone comes here to get a degree and try to win a national championship.”

That winning mentality meant sticking around to avoid finishing on a disappointing season. However, while his reasons were primarily for the team, it hasn’t hurt his personal draft stock either. It’s hard to improve upon being the top guard in your class, but Nelson looks to have done just that. Nelson is likely to be the highestdrafted player to play exclusively guard in college since at least Jonathan Cooper (seventh overall) in 2013, and — if teams value him as much as CBS Sports, which rates him as the nation’s fourth-best overall prospect — he could be the top prospect to do so since 1975, when Ken Huff went third overall.

The mentality that led Nelson to return has also meant he embraces the dirty work. It’s hard to be a great guard without doing so. The offensive line is hardly a glamor position in football, but the Irish — who have consistently focused on recruiting linemen

under Brian Kelly, including the five-star Nelson — understand its importance.

Nelson, big since he was born at 10 pounds and 10 ounces, had to understand that importance early, playing lineman throughout his childhood and quickly growing to appreciate the joys of making a block to get a teammate into the endzone, rather than getting there himself.

“I think when you’re younger you want to have the ball, but at the same time I quickly learned I had a role to play,” Nelson said. “Blocking for your teammates and celebrating with them in the endzone is fun too.”

It helps though, that the Irish offensive line as a unit has been considered one of the best in college football this season, helping four different players to 100-yard rushing games this year, and two more to 50-yard games, as the Irish have rushed for an average of 303.2 yards per game, the most since the national champion 1973 Irish set a program record with 350.2 yards per game. Nelson said communication both on and off the field has allowed the line to be more than simply the sum of its parts.

“We communicate every play and hang out with each other every day,” Nelson said.

“I don’t hang out with anyone except the offensive line.

We all have the same attitude and the same kind of goals, and when you have everyone fighting for goals, fighting to achieve them, it’s a great thing. It’s very special.”

But perhaps the most important relationship on that line is between Nelson and the player to his right, fellow All-American candidate and possible future NFL

first-round selection graduate student Mike McGlinchey.

The pair exchange a fist bump between every snap, a ritual that represents the closeness off the field between the two linemen who have dominated mauling defenders on it.

“We saw a former NFL player Olin Kreutz do it to everyone on his offensive line, so we started doing that too,” Nelson said. “It’s just something to start every play that regroups you for the next play.

He’s been a great guy to have outside of me and I think our relationship’s a big reason why we’ve had so much success on the line this year.”

But even among offensive linemen, guards can easily feel unrecognized. Tackles are typically the stars of the line and centers at least get to touch the ball and call out protections. Guards tend to get the least notice. Nelson, a high school tackle, had to move inside when he arrived at Notre Dame.

“I just wanted to contribute to this team in any way I can, even if it wasn’t playing tackle and I fit in pretty well at guard,” Nelson said. “I was lucky to play it my first year next to Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin, and it was a lot of fun. Now I’ve played there a few years, it’s worked out great.”

But in the three years that followed, Nelson turned the guard position into one that produces highlight plays every week. Nelson may not become the first guard to ever win the Heisman Trophy, but as long as there are still games to come in his Notre Dame career, he might just produce a few more Outland moments.

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Jay Hayes | DE | Brooklyn, New York

LAUREN WELDON and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Oct. 27 edition of The Observer.

Jay Hayes doesn’t stop smiling.

But the senior defensive lineman’s, and his self-described “big personalit y,” road to the top wasn’t always an easy one.

Hayes came to football through his best friend after the death of his father when he was 11 years old.

“I ended up play ing football just from my best friend,” Hayes said. “I was dealing w ith my father’s death and my friend just told me, ‘You want to get your mind off that? You want to join a football team w ith me? ’ And like, might as well do it.”

Hayes’ father, Joseph Hinds, who had been in and out of Hayes’ life, died a week after being shot. Hayes also lost his grandfa ther — w ith whom he was ver y close — and uncle in the same year.

Hayes said the experience of losing so many male role models in such a short period of time at such a young age forced him to appreciate the other men in his life.

“It just grew me to be stronger and it just grew me to understand the male figures in my life,” Hayes said.

“The father figures that were coming in and out of my life through church, through football, through different coaches, through school.

Take certain life nuggets from ever ybody. Ever y man that I met.”

Hayes, however, lights up and breaks into a smile when talking about the women in his life — his mother and grandmother, who raised him.

“They’ve just been so loving and supportive and

keeping me out of trouble grow ing up,” he said. “They gave me all the resources that I needed to get to where I am right now and I appreciate that. “ … My role model is my mom. My mom did so much for me grow ing up. She did the best she could and I respect that and that means so much to me. My mom is a big part of my success.”

Eventually, Hayes found himself at Poly Prep, an independent prep school in the Dyker Heights region of Brook ly n. The school is know n for its academic rigor — Hayes was forced to repeat eighth grade — and he leaned on football and his teammates.

“I just had my teammates there at Poly Prep just helping me and guiding me and my coach, Coach Mangiero and a lot of good people to help me w ith school,” he said. “And I also had [former Notre Dame cornerback] Jesse Bongiov i right by my side, helping me.”

W hile in high school, Hayes worked w ith the Gridiron Group in BedfordStuy vesant, Brook ly n, and his local Y MCA to give back to his communit y and teach local kids to play football.

“We just said let’s go back to the Y MCA and take kids and help out,” Hayes said. “ … It meant a lot to learn from an NFL defensive tack le and at the same time, show my face and help other kids that were in the same position as me and that went to the same Y MCA that I went to grow ing up.”

Upon arriv ing at Notre Dame, Hayes was set to redshirt his freshman year — until Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones went dow n to injur y.

Hayes was forced to burn his redshirt w ith three games remaining in his freshman season, picking up tack les against Louisv ille and LSU. “It was exciting just to get

out there and play,” Hayes said. “A lways, to play in a game is fun. It was a real exciting moment.”

Things took a turn for Hayes the next year. He saw no game action and was moved to the scout team.

In fact, he was benched for Notre Dame’s 62-27 w in over UMass after apparently criticizing his coaches in a t weet.

“I just learned ever y thing that you do has a consequence and you should be mindful of the things that you do, because what you do has a consequence,” Hayes said.

The lows of not play ing hit Hayes hard, to the point that he seriously considered transferring. “[Sophomore year] was prett y frustrating, but at the same time, I told myself if I just keep working, something good is going to happen,” Hayes said. “ … I mean, yeah, [I thought about transferring]. I feel like a lot of people do and I was one of those people. And I spoke to a lot of people that brought me back to my senses and said it’s just too early in my career.”

The decision to stick around w ith the Irish has paid off for the 6-foot-4inch, 290 pound senior.

Last season, he saw action in 10 games and recorded 10 tack les. However, last season’s improvement did not leave Hayes satisfied. He was not a starter and he was splitting time.

“Splitting time w ith players can be frustrating for players, especially for me,” Hayes said. “It was always just go to work, go to work, go to work, do my craft and keep working. And when I keep working something good is going to happen. So, it was a little frustrating.

Just the season as a whole was frustrating because we were losing games, so that’s

what I was more frustrated about.”

This season is a different stor y for Hayes. He has been in his element.

The defensive lineman has tallied 18 tack les so far this season, along w ith a sack, a fumble recover y, t wo passes defended and a safet y. Hayes said he hasn’t changed anything this season; it’s been about continued focus for the path to success.

“Just continue to watch film, attention to detail,” he said. “I’m just hav ing fun, really, right now. I’m hav ing fun play ing real hard w ith my guys out there. That’s really it, just practicing and play ing real hard.

“It feels good. It feels real good. And I know we’re going to continue to have the success that we want if we work hard.”

The major change for Hayes this season has been fitting in w ith a new defensive coordinator in Mike Elko.

“I think I fit in real well [w ith Elko’s scheme], just being a physical part of the defense up front and doing a lot of the dirt y work and beating up on some of the tight ends and tack les,” Hayes said. “I think I fit real well.”

Hayes is one of the bestknow n players off the field, as well. He is well-know n for cracking jokes and smiling continuously.

“I’m always being myself.

I’ve always been a big personalit y, I’ve always been myself,” he said. “ … I just like to be a teammate that people like to have around.”

He takes pride in know ing the names of ever y player on the roster, to the point that he instituted “Know Your Teammate Tuesday,” the first iteration of which occurred Tuesday.

“Yeah. I know ever ybody’s name,” he said, shaking his head as if it were obv ious and

laughing. “We had ‘Know Your Teammate Tuesday’ yesterday. So, I got quizzed on that and I quizzed a few people. And some people, they need a little bit of work.

They know who they are, but yeah … it started yesterday. Ever y Tuesday. Ever y Tuesday, you’d better know the name that I call. We go by last names, so you’d better know the first name. …

Yeah there are consequences. People are gonna boo you. People are gonna shun you. Shame ! People are gonna shame you. You’ve got to know your teammates.”

Hayes, the self-described big brother of the team, said he knows how to rally the team together and sees himself as a hy pe man in the locker room. “[My relationship w ith my teammates is] fun, it’s loving. It’s big brother-ish. It’s a funny relationship. And it’s serious,” Hayes said, smiling, as always. “W hen it’s time to work, it’s time to work. W hen it’s time to have fun, it’s time to have fun. “ … My role in the locker room is to give energ y, to make sure ever ybody is cool.

Make sure ever ybody in my section is feeling good. Make sure ever ybody in my section has their stuff together, their stuff is clean. That’s my role.”

W hile Hayes w ill graduate w ith a degree in film, telev ision and theater in May, he still has another year of eligibilit y. However, at the moment, he isn’t sure of what his next step w ill be. He is simply focused on what comes tomorrow.

“I’m just taking ever y thing a day at a time, so whatever happens happens,” Hayes said. “Right now I’m just living a day at a time, a day at a time, a day a time, a day at a time.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | The Observer

5

GREER martini | lb | cary, North carolina

LAUREN WELDON and MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 15 edition of The Observer.

Greer Martini likes playing downhill.

Just ask former Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan, who Martini sacked on a key third down with just under five minutes to go before halftime in Notre Dame’s 2015 game against the Cardinals — just the third start of Martini’s career.

Or ask former Nav y quarterback Will Worth, who Martini stopped dead in his tracks on a 4th-and-four at the beginning of the second quarter last year against the Midshipmen.

You could also try Darik Dillard, a former running back at Rice, who Martini shoved out of bounds in just his second defensive snap as an Irish linebacker just after halftime of Notre Dame’s 2014 season-opener against Rice.

No matter who you ask, they’ll tell you that Greer Martini has made an impact from the minute he’s worn an Irish uniform — especially against the run.

In his freshman season, Martini tallied 26 tackles, with nine of them coming against the triple-option offense of Nav y.

Martini’s sophomore season saw similar success versus run-first teams as the Cary, North Carolina, native racked up eight tackles in his first collegiate start against then-No. 14 Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense before recording eight more against Massachusetts and another nine against Nav y.

Martini said he owed his early success to determination and to the help he got from the elder statesmen on the team at the time.

“I think it was just a want to,” Martini said. “I also had a lot of older guys that really helped me out when I was a freshman. Joe Schmidt, Jarrett Grace, these type of guys, just took me under their wing and really allowed me to focus in on what I needed to focus in on as a freshman.

Because a lot can kind of get lost in the process because it’s all new. I think having guys like that really settled me and allowed me to be effective against those teams.”

Through his first three years with the Irish, Martini’s playing time in matchups against non-option opponents remained limited.

However, Martini still made an impact in his junior year by notching a career-high 11 tackles in a 28-27 loss to Nav y in Jacksonville, Florida, and following it up with a ninetackle performance against Army a week later.

“I think that early on for me, it was easier for me to run downhill and try and find the ball then get back in pass coverage and pick up routes and stuff like that,” Martini said. “I think that takes some time to develop.”

But as Notre Dame heads into Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, for the first time since 2012, Martini’s name is at the top of the depth chart for the Buck linebacker slot.

And no one is thinking twice about it.

That’s because this offseason saw Martini make the transformation from a tripleoption-stopping specialist to starting linebacker in defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s new defense. “[Earning a starting role] was my goal from the start,” Martini said. “It was a long process and it wasn’t always easy. But now that it’s here, it’s really exciting and I’m glad that this is my senior year and this is the way it’s going to end.”

For Martini, that process started with new strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis and his intensive, often punishing, offseason workouts.

“First off, it’s just strength, [Balis] increased my strength and my speed and my stamina,” Martini said.

During his sophomore season Martini was listed at 245 pounds. Now at 236 pounds, he’s leaner and quicker.

But pure strength only goes so far. In addition to more physical tools, Martini said his mindset and confidence also played large roles in his transformation.

“Each year you pick up new things, new traits, but ultimately I think it was a combination of the Balis strength program, as well as the confidence from me just knowing that I could be that everydayback,” Martini said. “And just showing up each day with the attitude that, each day I just have to get a little bit better.”

So far in 2017, Martini’s improvements have yielded noticeable results. Martini recorded six tackles in both games this season, including a forced fumble on a fourthdown attempt in the season opener versus Temple.

But beyond his increased playing time, there’s another difference between the Martini Irish fans saw on the field last year as opposed to this one.

This year, he’s sporting the captain’s “C” on this chest.

“It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true to wear the “C” on my chest,” Martini said.

Martini said he first found out he was to be named a captain during his exit interview with Irish head coach Brian Kelly at the end of the 2016 season.

“For me, I didn’t really know what to think at the time,” Martini said. “I remember I walked out of the Gug and called my dad and my dad just started crying, so it was a

pretty special moment.”

In a break with tradition, Kelly named the captains for the 2017 season before the 2017 calendar year rolled around. But Martini said he liked having captains established before spring practices, as the rigorous Balis workout regimen provided an excellent platform for the team, and its leaders, to build around.

“So much of that training was mental toughness,” Martini said. “And [Balis] really, through shared adversity, made this team change the culture and that was really exciting this offseason to come together as a team through his workouts because they were so tough it brought us together and created a different culture.”

Shared adversity in training can work wonders, but Martini also touched on the importance of leadership outside of the Guglielmino Athletics Complex.

“But I think it’s all about relationships, whether I was

a captain or not, it’s all about developing relationships with the younger guys as an older guy and making them more comfortable around the locker room, on the field, bringing them to different things outside of the Gug,” Martini said. “It’s all about creating a team culture that they feel very comfortable in, being in the locker room and learning from you, so that the next years, when you’re gone, Notre Dame football’s going to continue. And you want that to be a great historic thing from us.”

So what does Martini think the next generation of Notre Dame linebackers needs to do to be successful against Boston College come gameday?

Play downhill.

“I think ultimately, just f lying to the ball,” Martini said.

“As long as we’re moving and playing aggressive, we’ll be alright.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Greer Martini reads the offense during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over North Carolina State on Oct. 28.

6

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The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

NYles Morgan | lb | crete, illinois

LAUREN WELDON and EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer

By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Oct. 6 edition of The Observer.

Nyles Morgan has always been a guy that let his talking happen on the field.

An Army A ll-American in high school, Morgan committed to Notre Dame over a number of schools, including SEC powerhouses Ole Miss and Florida.

“I took my official at the USC game, and that was like one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” Morgan said on experiencing Notre Dame as a recruit.

“We won that game, and it was like this place just kind of just erupted. You know, that’s what prett y much sold me here.”

As a freshman, Morgan featured heav ily in the second half of the season, starting four of the final five games after Joe Schmidt went dow n w ith a broken leg against Nav y, and finished seventh on the team w ith 47 tack les.

“He made some real big physical plays for us,” Brian Kelly said on his performance after that 2014 w in over Nav y. “We just know he’s going to be a good player, he’s just a young guy that just needs to continue to grow and he’s going to get that opportunit y because he’s going to be put in that position now.”

W herever Notre Dame has needed Morgan, he’s done the job.

After Schmidt returned in 2015, Morgan stepped back into more of a special-teams role, and subsequently led the team w ith eight tackles on kickoffs. In 2016, in a starting role he was one of the few bright spots on a defense that suffered from a lack of experience, leading the team w ith 94 tack les.

And now in 2017, as a captain, he’s taken on the task of leading Team 129, both on and off the field.

“I’ve definitely made some progress,” Morgan said on his overall progression as a player. “Coming in as a freshman, ever y thing is brighteyed, ever y thing is kind of new for you. And coming in as a senior [this year] and looking back, I’m proud of my struggle and success, my grow th and now I’m taking the knowledge I’ve learned and giv ing it back to our younger players.”

And now as a captain, he’s taken it upon himself to make sure the younger guys develop on and off the field.

“The biggest thing I do is to make sure to keep them on the right course off the field, and on the field that’s where we specialize,” Morgan said. “That’s where guys are learning each and ever y day. I’m always throwing out tips here and there, left and right, but you make sure that they understand that it’s more than just football, it’s who you are as a person too. “ … You have to lead by example because you have to play well, you have to do the right things well or there’ll be guys that kind of look side-eyed at you like ‘Well you don’t that.’ And w ith my voice, when the time is right guys need to hear your voice so you kind of have to pick and choose your moments.”

For Morgan, one of the biggest impacts on his time here at Notre Dame was Butkus award w inner and former Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith, who really took Nyles under his w ing.

“I talk to Jaylon like ever y day. [His impact] has been huge,” Morgan said. “I’ve learned a lot from Jaylon from his time here. He was always like a big brother to me, making sure I stayed out of trouble, making sure I was

doing the right things, and I learned a lot from him on how to be a pro, little linebacker stuff here and there that you may not get from a coach and he’s had a ver y good impact on my life.”

Notre Dame’s defense has undergone a radical transformation this season as a unit under first-year Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Through their first five games, the Irish have given up an average of 18.2 points, dow n 15.3 from last year, as well as 75.2 less yards than 2016. The unit has also recorded 12 turnovers so far this year, compared to just four through five games last season.

“Mike Elko has done a great job of bringing guys together, and making it so that we all have one job to do, and then if you just do that job ever y thing w ill work itself out,” Morgan said on the shift this year. “ … He’s

made it to a point where we can understand it and taught it to where we can get it in a good fashion and he’s done a good job of bringing it dow n to where we understand it and schematics and concepts, when you start apply ing them it makes sense. “ … We’re just doing our job and when the ball pops up in your gap it’s like: ‘I expected this.’ You don’t have to find the ball or any thing like that, ever yone has their fit in the defense and if ever ybody does that we all make plays, we all do great and the ball just seems to come out.”

Under new director of football performance Matt Balis’ strength and conditioning program, the team has raved about the recent performances after an off-season of hard work. For Morgan, it has stemmed from the program being oriented around the team.

“Ever y thing was v igorous but it was team-oriented, so you weren’t just lifting weights, you weren’t just running around, you were doing it for someone else,” he said. “That plays well into the game of football because all we do it for is each other, we all want to see each other succeed and we all want to succeed as well, and we know we can’t do it w ithout our teammates. So that played a ver y big role in how we are play ing right now.”

And the next step? Like it’s always been for Morgan, what matters is the here and now.

“Right now, I’m just really worried about the season, I’m not really looking too much ahead to any thing right now, because the biggest thing is to finish off this season strong. “ … The sk y is the limit.”

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Nyles Morgan makes a break on the ball carrier during Notre Dame’s 48-37 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 4 at Notre Dame Stadium. Morgan had seven tackles in the game.

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7

DRUE TRANQUILL | LB | Fort Wayne, InDIANA

LAUREN WELDON | The Observer

By BEN PADANILAM Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 29 edition of The Observer.

Perfect.

In one sense, the notion of perfection is one of completeness. In another sense, it describes the f lawless exemplar.

But if you put both together? Well, it’s probably not a bad way to describe senior Drue Tranquill.

The list of accolades and qualities speaks for itself: a Notre Dame captain who juggles academic All-American status as a mechanical engineer, an engagement, leadership within the South Bend community and a purpose inspired by the life of Jesus Christ.

Just about everyone would have no problem saying such a person is as close to perfect as you can get.

Well, everyone except Tranquill. “[I’m] just a constant work in progress, trying to get better each and every day and approaching it with a sense of humility,” Tranquill said.

“That there’s always room to grow is kind of where I’m at and where I’ll continue to be.”

On the field, that dedication to progress has been more evident. Perhaps that’s because his career took some time to get going in the first place, as injuries his freshman and sophomore year kept him off the field for a combined 12 games.

The first came against Louisville on Nov. 22, 2014.

While diving to make a tackle, he tore his ACL in his left leg, ending his freshman season and beginning a long road to recovery.

“One of the biggest things it taught me was grit and the ability to overcome and handle adversity,” Tranquill said of the injury. “It made me realize how blessed I am and how fortunate I am in life,

because I have so many great people in support around me.

Whether it’s Notre Dame, my teammates, my coaches, the staff inside the Gug just helping me, my family and friends — just to feel that support and know that they’re behind me through the ups and downs.”

And shortly after completing that lengthy process, Tranquill would suffer another setback. Just 10 months after tearing his left ACL, Tranquill tore the same ligament in his right leg while celebrating a pass breakup in the endzone against Georgia Tech. Unlike the first time, however, he’d be away from the field much longer, missing all but three games of his sophomore season.

“The emotional battle initially was more difficult, in a sense that I had just worked so hard to come back from something that’s extremely devastating in our sport — any sport for that matter,” Tranquill said. “So the initial emotional shock was very difficult, but afterwards it was something I was familiar with. I was familiar with the process, I was familiar with what it would take to get back.

So having that experience definitely helped the second time around.”

Fortunately for Tranquill, he had several people in his life to help him overcome that emotional shock on both occasions.

“Joe Schmidt the first time around, we both — I had my left ACL, he had his ankle. And then Shaun Crawford — when I had my right ACL, he had an ACL as well,” he said. “Having that competition kind of fueling our rehab was good.

“But the biggest person I relied on was my brother, Justin, who plays at Western Michigan.We both went through two ACLs together actually. He went through his first one and then I went through my first one, and then I tore my second against Georgia Tech and he tore his second a week afterwards. So

we kind of went through them at similar times and had each other to lean on. We’re best friends, so that was someone that was crucial for my process of coming back.”

And with their help, Tranquill was able to make it back on the field for all 12 games his junior season. And while he said it was great to be back, it was also a “low season,” as the Irish stumbled to a 4-8 mark. The game lost some of its fun, he said.

But after a bev y of offseason changes, he and the Irish set their sights on the future — which for Tranquill meant learning a new position.

Moving from the safety position to the rover linebacker spot in new defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s system, Tranquill had to make several adjustments. And even though he has 20 tackles and is the only Irish player with both a sack and an interception, he said he’s still making those adjustments.

“I’m a constant work in progress,” Tranquill said. “It’s always a work in progress, and it’s been a work in progress ever since I moved from the safety position. I’m kind of learning the mechanics of moving down at the linebacker level. But the rover position allows me to still do some things that I did at safety, so it’s not completely foreign.”

In addition to learning a new position on the field, Tranquill took a new position off of it: captain. And that’s a role he has embraced fully.

“My job as a captain is to help and allow my teammates to be the best versions of themselves that they can be, whether that’s on the field, in their life, in their academics, studying tape — whatever I can do to help make them better people and better players, that’s what I’m going to try to do here,” Tranquill said.

And perhaps no player on the team is better equipped to do just that. For although he’s a self-proclaimed “constant work in progress,” Tranquill

seems to have a firm grip on just about every aspect of his life off the field.

Within the South Bend community, Tranquill started the “5th Quarter” program last year to share the lessons he learned about perseverance in the aftermath of his ACL injuries. He said it was the perfect opportunity to put his passion for speaking and teaching to use and give back to the community which has given him so much over the last four years.

“In football, sometimes not everyone necessarily has the opportunity to play. But in my time here at Notre Dame, I had gone through stuff off the field — be it injury or whatever,” Tranquill said. “And life’s a game, just like football, and we all have to play. So preparing ourselves and equipping ourselves properly to handle the ups and downs of life, I think, is really important. It’s something that I want everyone to see the hope that I have in my heart, and a lot of that comes from my faith in Jesus Christ. I just wanted to share that hope.”

“5th Quarter” isn’t Tranquill’s only avenue for his faith life. In fact, his faith is central to his identity — he is heavily involved in Lifeworks Ministry and Notre Dame Christian Athletes, and it formulates his purpose in life.

“Life doesn’t make sense without it. Without the story of Christ, life just doesn’t make sense to me,” Tranquill said. “I’ve studied engineering, I’ve studied a lot, I’ve been to Israel and studied a lot of different religions and different ideas, but to me, life just doesn’t make sense without the story of Christ and what he did on the cross.

Each and every day, that just gives me a renewed hope. I’ve seen so many people’s lives changed by the power of the Gospel — I’ve seen my life changed by it. That’s just a message that I want to bring to this world. In a world that day in and day out seems

to have its ups and downs, seems to be at war with itself, dividing — I just hope that my life speaks a renewed hope of the Gospel, and that’s what I want my life to be about.”

And one area of his life where that message will be loud and clear? His marriage.

The senior got engaged this summer, proposing to his girlfriend in Iceland during a break in his summer schedule. She had spent the summer studying abroad in London and was traveling with her dad after her program ended, Tranquill said, so he had the opportunity to plan his proposal, get a ring and bring one of his best friends along to film it all. And now the couple’s wedding sits less than a year away.

“She’s the love of my life,” Tranquill said. “I love her with everything I have. … It’s a huge step. It seems a little surreal. I’m just studying and doing football, and I feel like just a kid still. But each and every day, I’m working to be the best husband I can be for her, and so it’s really exciting, man. It’s less than a year away, and I’m pumped.”

Until then, Tranquill will continue to do what he does best: study mechanical engineering — whether it be in the engineering library or the quiet confines of his own room — and lead the Irish to victory one game at a time.

Living life in the present, not fretting about the future and constantly progressing towards the best version of himself that he can possibly be.

“Everything’s still up in the air. We’re kind of just playing it by ear and seeing how the season goes,” Tranquill said.

“I know I’ll be getting married next year, that’s about the only thing I do know, so we’ll see. I’m just excited for the season of life I’m in right now and enjoying every minute of it.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

8

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Alex bars | og | nashville, tennessee

Bars continues family football tradition

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Alex Bars pulls from the right side of the offensive line during Notre Dame’s 38-18 win over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sept. 23.

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

Being a member of the Notre Dame offensive line has been one of the most valuable experiences on and off the field for senior and Nashv ille, Tennessee, native A lex Bars.

Working together as one cohesive unit, Bars mentioned the brotherhood among them comes naturally.

“They’re great guys,” Bars said. “[Graduate student] Mike [McGlinchey], [seniors Quenton Nelson], Sam [Bush], [graduate student] Hunter [Bivin], [sophomore] Tommy Kraemer, [freshman Robert] Hainsey. Obviously I played three years with Mike, Q and Sam, so I am super tight with all of them. We can connect super well, we all understand where we are going to be. Hainsey and Tommy have developed week to week, they’re redshirted freshmen, and the connection with them is really good as well.

We’ve been able to tie us four seniors with both of them …

And I’m probably closest to Q. He’s my roommate and we’ve been best buds since day one. He’s a jokester and from day one we hung out together. After freshmen year we bonded great, we were v ying for the guard spot our redshirt freshman year so we spent a ton of time watching film together.”

Despite the constant pressure and criticism Div ision I athletes are subjected to, Bars said the line’s motivation comes from its teammates, which keeps the unit going.

“We know it’s on us to get our job done, as one unit to see things as one set of eyes and be on the same page,” Bars said. “We make sure our skill players can make the big plays. And we love

when they can make the big plays cause that means we can do our job and that’s the underly ing factor of our motivation.”

Bars said intelligence and aggression is key to being successful on the field.

“Essential trait is being smart, and I’d also say aggression,” Bars said.

“Know ing the plays and what to do w ith different fronts, different looks, different linebacker alignments.

Know ing to get different path detections if it’s man side, zone side, five side, you got to give protection. Versus a blitz and how to pick up a blitz w ith the play call and how to approach each block accordingly.”

In addition to hav ing the abilit y to scan, assess and act accordingly, Bars said the offensive line takes on the responsibilit y to support one other and the other offensive players. “‘Do your job no matter what at all times, no matter the circumstances,’ describes what goes on through our heads,” Bars said. “W hen we mess up, we obv iously feel bad for ourselves, but we feel bad because you let the line dow n and the guys around you. A lot of the time, we play for the guys next to us. You’re not pay ing the price for it, the running backs are pay ing for it, or the receivers. Lot of it falls on us when we don’t do our job, but that comes along w ith the job.”

Without hesitation, Bars said offensive line coach Harr y Hiestand has been instrumental in making his football career at Notre Dame memorable.

“He’s the best,” Bars said.

“He’s tough but awesome, he cares so much about us. He’s going to get on you, but by the end of the day he really cares about you. He’s going

to take that time to make sure you reach your full potential no matter what.”

Ref lecting on his time play ing, Bars said he noticed the strong camaraderie from the beginning of his Notre Dame career.

“My first starting game was really fun and I was also really ner vous,” Bars said.

“It was really fun. It was a day game, 3:30 game, and I can recall almost ever y block from that game. It was the salute your troops day I

think so, we were all wearing the specialized cleats and gear. It was really fun, seems like forever ago. I was just play ing next to [former offensive linemen] Ronnie [Stanley] and Nick Martin and they took care of me.”

In addition to his Notre Dame family, Bars’ family back home steered him in the direction he is taking today.

“I have two older brothers and a younger sister,” Bars said. “Two older brothers played ball, one at Penn State and one at Michigan.

My little sister is playing volleyball at Ole Miss. I got to play my brother my freshman year when he came here for the Michigan game. So, I saw him on the field so that was cool. My dad played here back in the 80s, from 1981 to 1984.

They helped me out a ton.

They were already playing and I was just coming up so I got more of a look at the field.”

A lthough all three Bars boys all play football, Bars said his dad especially enjoys watching A lex follow in his footsteps.

“He’ll never admit it, but I’m his favorite,” Bars said.

“He didn’t push me play ing here, but you could tell. Of course, he is going to want me to go and follow in his Paid Advertisement

steps. He’s loved ever y minute of me play ing or being a part of this school and universit y.”

As a student-athlete at the Universit y, Bars said his experience and connections at Notre Dame w ill have a great impact on what he w ill pursue as a future career.

“My time here w ill tremendously affect my future,” Bars said. “It has prov ided exposure first and foremost for the NFL and also for jobs.

Tons of people are looking to hire athletes and if you are coming from Notre Dame, it’s a no-brainer. A lso at the same time, just the net work you already have from going to Notre Dame w ill greatly help you outside of college.”

A lthough Bars intends to go into the NFL, as his brother and former Penn State linebacker Brad Bars did, he said it is not his main focus at the moment.

“NFL is a goal but we w ill see from there,” he said. “I am getting a finance degree, both my brothers majored in that and I ended up liking it as well. I talk to former players all the time about the NFL, but I’m just focused on the season right now.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

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9

Sam Mustipher | c | Olney, maryland

Mustipher grows into leader on offensive line

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

Maryland native Sam Mustipher began playing football at the age of five and fell in love with it.

“My dad played football, so when I was younger, straight out of the womb, that was the first sport I was taught,” Mustipher said. “I did that, basketball, baseball — I was terrible at that — and I wrestled for a little bit as well, but football is always my first passion.”

When the time for the recruiting process hit, though, Mustipher found it was not all it is cracked up to be.

“It was fun at first, getting all of that attention, but after a while it gets stressful,” Mustipher said. “A lot of phone calls from coaches and the media members were the worst, but it’s alright. It was fun, it was a blessing obviously, but I’m glad I’m here.”

Eventually, Mustipher fell in love with Notre Dame.

“I don’t know, there’s just something special about this place,” he said. “That’s probably your generic answer. Growing up, I wasn’t a Notre Dame fan. I didn’t even know where Notre Dame was, but I visited my first time and fell in love with the campus and everybody.”

Running through the tunnel

for the first time was an incredible experience, according to Mustipher.

“It’s indescribable. All your teammates tell you ‘You’ll never forget it,’” Mustipher said. “That was something that they preached to me Day One, ‘You’ll never forget your first time ever running out of the tunnel.’ Ours was Rice my freshmen year and you’ll never forget it. It’s like, ‘Wow, I’m at the University of Notre Dame.’”

Mustipher’s success at Notre Dame as been undeniable. The senior center is currently on the Rimington Trophy watch list — which is awarded to the best center in college football each season.

“It feels good. It’s an honor,” Mustipher said. “I owe a lot of credit to obviously my coaches and my teammates for pushing me to be better every day and I feel like if this team continues to do what it’s destined to do, we work the way were supposed to work, all the individual things will come with time.”

After coming off a 4-8 season, Mustipher is very appreciative of his coaches and his teammates, and the transformation the squad has been able to make, coming together.

“It’s pretty incredible. I felt that it was coming,” Mustipher said.

“The games we lost last year were by very little margins. With [Irish head coach Brian] Kelly being

receptive to all the suggestions that the players had and the suggestions that the coaches had. I feel like he understood what this team needed and what this team wanted moving forward.”

On and off the field, Sam Mustipher is a well-rounded person. He can speak, write and read basic French off the field, while on the field he serves as the vocal leader of the tightly-knit offensive line.

“On the field, I feel like my job is to tie the group together, make sure the scheme is set up in the right way, and that all the guys are on the same page each and every play,” Mustipher said. “Off the field, I kind of take a less vocal leadership role than obviously the captains do, but obviously I try to lead by example and also just by caring for guys. I feel like guys know they can reach out to me.”

Mustipher said he looks up to both his parents as his role models.

“My dad, especially [is my role model]. We share the same name,” he said. “It’s just something special in our family that we do and just his work ethic. From where he’s come from to where he is today is awesome and incredible and something I aspire to do.”

Looking at the rest of the season, Mustipher’s goals are the same as the teams.

“Obviously, I’m going to do whatever I can to help Notre Dame Paid Advertisement

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Sam Mustipher pass blocks during Notre Dame’s 48-37 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 4.

win and I feel like everybody else does to,” he said. “I want to help my unit be the best, our offensive line, our six guys and then all the guys in the group whether second string, third string or scout team, it doesn’t matter. We want to be the best that we can be. Just working hard every day and get to our ultimate goal and see what happens.”

Thinking back to his time here at Notre Dame, Mustipher has enjoyed it all.

“This season has been pretty fun. It’s my second year starting. I’m understanding the game a little better,” he said. “I already had experience so it was fun this

year to go out and play ball. USC was obviously one of our biggest ones. A lot of fun beating a rival like that.”

Currently, Mustipher does not have any set plans after graduation.

“I am probably going to come back for a fifth year next year,” Mustipher said. “If the NFL presents itself down the road that’s definitely something I will pursue, but if not then I will enter into the working world. Hopefully in a cyber security job.”

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

10

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TYLER NEWSOME | P | Carrollton, Georgia

Newsome embraces all aspects of Notre Dame

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

If Notre Dame football ever needed a spokesperson, senior punter Tyler Newsome’s powerful and uplifting personality would make him the perfect candidate.

From his first game as a recruit to his first time playing on the field, Newsome fell in love with the Irish and views his ability to play at Notre Dame as one of the best opportunities he has had.

“My first game as a recruit, I came up here definitely deer in the head lights, not knowing what to expect,” Newsome said. “I just finished a high school playoff game and we just came up to South Bend early morning, about this time of the year, it was the last home game they played against BYU … My stepdad actually left because it got too cold and he went inside, but I stayed the whole game. And I watched the whole game; Notre Dame won. And I didn’t really have any hesitation even though it was so cold.

“My first game here, my redshirt year, was against Rice. It was awesome. Seeing everything from a different point of view on the field than in the stands, walking in the player walk, I still get chills every time I get to do that. I love that. Definitely one of my favorite parts of football.

My first game playing was against Texas. Surprisingly enough, when I went out there, I was not nervous at all. Just kind of like ‘Wow, I’m actually doing this, living the dream,’ and I’ve had the same feeling ever since as I am able to do what I love for the university I love.”

On top of putting some records into the books, such as the highest single-game punt average of 52.4 yards against UMass and the second overall highest career punt average of 44 yards in 2015, Newsome has received honors regarding community service. This season, he has been put on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list and has been nominated as for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

“Anytime Notre Dame has an opportunity to go out and get out in the world, I love doing it,” Newsome said. “An hour out of my week in the grand scheme of things is not that much time. I honestly feel as though I benefit more from doing it and have more fun doing it than the people involved. You always make time for the things that are important to you, I believe. I have been mentoring a young man right now, we meet up every couple of weeks and just hang out. I got involved with him through the Boys and Girls Club in South Bend. I think it has

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish senior punter Tyler Newsome prepares to drop the ball and punt it away during Notre Dame’s 41-8 loss to Miami on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

been such a blessing for me to have a young man like him in my life, to see him mature and grow, honestly it’s helped me mature and grow as well.

You realize that everything you do is seen through someone else’s eyes. Even when you think no one is watching, I’ll often say to myself, ‘How would my young man that I mentor view me?’ It encourages me to make the right decisions.”

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior punter Tyler Newsome makes contact with the ball on a punt during Notre Dame’s 35-14 victory over North Carolina State on Oct. 28 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Similar to his passion to give back to the larger community and serve others, Newsome mentioned he would give anything for his teammates, especially the senior class.

“If any of these guys called me at 3 a.m. and said ‘I need you,’ I’d have their back. My best friends since I have been here are the guys I came in with,” Newsome said. “ … All of us seniors have been really close, and I’ve been spending time with those guys because they’re with you since Day One. You develop a bond with them, and it is kind of crazy how some of us have already gone, some of us have transferred and it’s like, where has the time gone? DeShone [Kizer] left last year, and it’s just crazy that our class is getting smaller and smaller and now it’s Senior Day. I still remember getting here and moving here, and now here I am the old man.”

Acknowledging his accomplishments and support on the field, Newsome said his professors have had an equal impact on him in his future endeavors.

“Each one of my professors here at Notre Dame has poured so much time and energy into me,” Newsome said.

“It has made my academic experience such a blessing.

I thought about it one day, if I’m ever blessed enough to have kids I would want them to come to an institution very similar to this, where the professors genuinely care about you, they care about you learning. A professor that particularly inspired me was Chris Stevens my sophomore year. Just a genuine guy that you can tell he cares about people. He is nice to people

and cares for them regardless of what they have to offer, which is what I think being a Notre Dame person is all about.”

Whether he is on the field, in the classroom or out around campus, Newsome said the people here are constantly inspiring him and reminding him why coming to the school is one of his biggest blessings.

“I’m so grateful for Notre Dame. I wouldn’t change my decision to come here for anything. I love this place so much and I will always love Notre Dame no matter what,” Newsome said. “It has been one of the best things that has happened to me, to get to come here and be around students that care so much about their academics. It has made me such a better student … It’s so humbling to think that I am in the same classroom as doctors, future CEOs, people that are going to be running the world. And that inspires me to do better academically because I want to be up there with those people working hard. This is kind of weird of me but I will go to the library and sit at a table or close to people I see studying really hard. Cause it motivates me and I won’t bring my phone out and I will lock in and not say anything. But sometimes I am a little talkative and I will chat to them. Just things like that, everyone at Notre Dame is so inspiring. You know you have teammates here that work so hard, and my fellow students and classmates also work hard to inspire me and better myself.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

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11

durham smythe | te | belton, texas

Smythe carries on Irish tight end tradition

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe attempts to break a tackle during Notre Dame’s 48-37 win over Wake Forest on Nov. 4.

By DARCY DEHAIS Sports Writer

During his five years in the program, Irish graduate student Durham Smy the has strived to become what he calls a “complete tight end” — a player that can contribute in ever y facet of the game.

From making an impact in the pass game to learning the importance of doing his part as a blocker, Smy the has grow n into a player who can do it all w ithin an offense.

Aside from his contributions on the field, his role as a leader and mentor has been what truly molded him into a complete player.

Smy the grew up in a big football family that closely followed football in Texas.

He grew up in Belton, Texas, just 30 minutes from the campus of Baylor Universit y where his father played college football. Each Friday his family attended the Belton High game and each Saturday they attended the Baylor game.

Despite his family ties in Texas, Smy the was an Irish fan grow ing up, always tr ying to get to a T V to check the score of the Notre Dame game. He originally committed to play at the Universit y of Texas but changed his plans after v isiting Notre Dame.

“I like to tell people that there was two feet of snow on the ground,” Smy the said. “It was a month before signing day in the middle of Januar y, I had never really been around snow before in my entire life; it was 10 degrees, but I still fell in love and committed on the spot.”

In high school, Smy the played receiver and was not responsible for much blocking. Coming to Notre Dame, he elected to take a redshirt freshman year in order to learn the role of tight ends on the Irish team.

“I had to focus on getting bigger in the weight room and really developing the blocking skills,” Smy the said. “[My redshirt year] really gave me an opportunit y to establish time management just w ithin college in general. I was at practice ever y day, but I didn’t have to focus on preparing to contribute in a game on Saturday. I established a schedule that would work.

“I also developed physically and learned from the older guys. [Former Irish players] Troy Nik las and Ben Koyack were the two tight ends playing ahead of me, and they are both still play ing in the

NFL. I got a chance to watch and learn from them and develop myself.”

Smy the played in all 13 games of his sophomore season, but he suffered critical injuries to his shoulder and right MCL during the second game of his junior year against Virginia.

The injur y required a double surger y and extensive rehab, putting Smy the out just as he has begun to be a key contributor and start games for the Irish squad.

Smy the said that, while his injur y kept him off the field, it gave him an opportunit y to develop more as a team leader.

“That’s something that obv iously no one wants in their career,” Smy the said. “At the end of the day, I think that just gave me another opportunit y to step back in the middle of my career and develop other skills such as leadership. We had a bunch of younger tight ends under me that needed a bit of guidance throughout that season. I got to step back and watch the game from an outsider level, developing a really complete mental understanding of the game.”

After missing 10 consecutive games in the middle of the season, the Notre Dame athletic trainers gave Smythe the go-ahead to play in the Fiesta Bowl in January 2016.

“It was awesome,” Smy the said. “W hen it happened, I thought I was for sure going to be out for the rest of the season. Being able to go play in the Fiesta Bowl against an extremely talented team in Ohio State after missing 10 consecutive games was something I w ill never forget. Overall, I was just really excited to get back on the field.”

After learning from players like Nik las and Koyack ahead of him, Smy the has seized the opportunit y to share his experiences w ith the younger tight ends coming through the program.

“I take it as my responsibilit y to pass some of the things dow n that were passed dow n to me from the older guys,” he said. “Stay ing in the moment is something that I was taught as a young player here, and I think that has been something that is ver y useful to pass dow n to the other guys. I just tr y to help them along w ithin the offense, in reading defenses and w ith a bunch of tactical things. I tr y to be there for them when they have questions.”

Overall, Smy the said the tight ends have meshed well as a group. He credits the dy namic bet ween them for the success they find on the field.

“The camaraderie in the

tight end room is extremely close,” he said. “I’ve been w ith [senior tight end] Nic [Weishar] and [junior tight end] A lize [Mack] for a few years now, and I love both those guys. These t wo freshmen came in, and they are extremely talented and ready to play right away. I think this unit this year is definitely the deepest unit I’ve ever been a part of in terms of talent. We all want to see each other succeed to the highest degree.”

Smy the said his time at Notre Dame has not only taught him to be a complete tight end, but has shaped him into the kind of person he wants to be.

“After being around this program and the people for five years, whether it be players, support staff or coaches, something I’ve really taken away is being able to treat people in the right way on the field, off the field or in ever yday life,” Smy the said. “I took a step back in this past offseason and really thought about what has happened so far. It’s been a night and day difference in how on a regular basis I treat people, and that is a testament to all the people that surround me in this program.”

Contact Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

MONICA VILLAGMOEZ MENDEZ | The Observer

Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe carries the ball upfield during Notre Dame’s 49-14 victory over USC on Oct. 21 at Notre Dame Stadium. Smythe has 234 receiving yards on 13 catches this season, and he has also hauled in one touchdown.

12

Insider

The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

ANDREW TRUMBETTI | DL | Demarest, new jersey

Trumbetti transforms into defensive leader

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

Coming into 2017, no one was expecting much from Andrew Trumbetti.

Or from anyone on the Irish defensive line, for that matter.

In 2016, the entire line managed 16 tackles for a loss and three sacks.

And then it lost two players for the NFL in Jarron Jones and Isaac Rochell.

But this season, Notre Dame’s front seven — and the defensive line — has set the tone for a top-50 rush defense which has allowed only seven rushing touchdowns all season. That type of turnaround started with changing the culture of the program Trumbetti said on Sept. 13.

“It starts with the room,” Trumbetti said. “The whole defensive line group’s got to have the right kind of attitude and [defensive line coach Mike] Elston has made sure to instill that in us, and then us more experienced guys make sure to instill that in the younger guys.”

That change in the unit’s culture has bred a new sense of chemistry within the group, with Trumbetti and fellow senior Jay Hayes setting the tone.

“I feel like I try to set an example,” Trumbetti said. “A lot of the upperclassmen set the example. Jay can be the jokester but it’s not like he’s taking away from what we’re trying to do. When it’s time to work, we work and that’s it. That’s the way it is for everyone: We know when to have a good time and when to get serious.”

After 10 games, it’s evident that chemistry and depth has bolstered the group’s on-field play, in addition to Trumbetti’s own. Last year Trumbetti put together 26 tackles with .5 tackles for a loss. With two regular-season games left to play in 2017, Trumbetti has 21 tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss, half a sack and five quarterback hurries.

“We’re not worried when any of us go in,” Trumbetti said. “It’s just really great to know that I don’t need to watch Jay and Jay doesn’t need to watch me. You don’t have to run in there like you’re worried about the guy’s experience, you trust the guy on both sides. That’s great for the coaching staff and great for the team.”

For Trumbetti, that improvement started in his offseason workouts during spring practice.

Trumbetti was ranked as the No. 85 overall player in his class by 247Sports, 97th by ESPN and 166th

by Scout.com. When he joined the team as a freshman, he weighed in at 251 pounds and was known more for his speed.

“Trumbetti, he’s showing progress in the pass rush,” former Irish defensive line coach Keith Gilmore said in the spring of 2016. “He’s probably our quickest guy. He’s got the most speed off the edge, and just finding what he’s good at. …

He’s got the physical ability to do it.”

And Trumbetti has showed flashes of that speed throughout

his Notre Dame career.

Like in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl versus Ohio State, when Trumbetti recorded a sack and two tackles for a loss. Or against Wake Forest in 2015, when the Demarest, New Jersey, native intercepted a pass and ran it back 28 yards for a touchdown.

Now in his senior year, Trumbetti measures in at 263 pounds and he said his workouts under new strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis have made him bigger, stronger and able to play at a high level more consistently.

“I’ve put on a lot of weight, which has helped me,” Trumbetti said.

“Jay’s been really physical. He’s always been physical but he’s more consistent with it now. We’re playing like upperclassmen and being better players. All the weight that I’ve put on is good weight. There’s no sloppy weight.”

Now, even their counterparts on the offensive line are taking notice.

“I give these guys a lot of credit because everybody, and a lot of people in this room [the media], have given them a ton of crap since we’ve moved forward from last season,” Irish graduate student offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey said. “We’ve got guys from [sophomore] Daelin [Hayes] to [junior] Jerry [Tillerry] to Trumbetti to [senior Jonathan] Bonner, anybody that’s going to play for us up front is going to play their hearts out, and that’s all you can really ask for them. They’ve done a great job ever since camp started and even in spring ball working on improving.”

In his last game at Notre Dame Stadium, Trumbetti and the Irish will take on Navy — a team Trumbetti recorded a career-high six tackles against last season.

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Irish senior defensive lineman Andrew Trumbetti jumps out of his stance during Notre Dame’ s 35-14 win over NC State on Oct. 28.

Beyond that, a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl could await Notre Dame if it wins out.

But Trumbetti hasn’t been concerned with outside expectations or bowl possibilities all season.

“We weren’t focused on any of

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that. We don’t care,” Trumbetti said. “We know how hard we worked in the offseason and that’s all that matters.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | The Observer

13

Austin webster | WR | westchester, california

Webster works his way from walk-on to captain

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

From a walk-on to a captain on scholarship, w ide receiver Austin Webster’s stor y at Notre Dame w ill warm any football fan’s heart.

“It’s been a blessing for sure,” Webster said of his journey. “Pros [of being a captain], you got more responsibilit y on your belt, you feel like your actions and your words are always valued, That can be a pro and con, con is that you always have to be on your A game, since ever yone is watching. They are going to v iew you as a way to go about ever y thing. ”But w ithout a doubt it’s a pro for me cause I love to be in that kind of position. It’s kind of my bread and butter so I feel comfortable in that position. Best part is that I get to do it w ith a group of guys that I love.”

Working his way from the ground up, Webster was a member of the offensive scout team his freshman year, made his debut against UMass sophomore year, continued to be on the scout team junior year w ithout seeing any action on the field and now steps on the field w ith the honor of being a captain.

“Definitely a big shout out to my parents first,” Webster

said. “There were multiple times my freshman year when I would call my dad especially, but also my mom, and just be like ‘Yo this is tough, how do I get through this? ’ They were there since day one.”

After three years of persistence and the support he received from his parents and the team, Webster was awarded his scholarship on Aug. 10 during summer camp.

“I remember that day clearly, w ithout a doubt,” Webster said. “We were right towards the end of summer camp at that point. Doing it for four years, you learn how to stay focused. You kind of get in the grind and your mind is ‘Wake up, eat, football, sleep.’ You get into that routine. It was like any other normal day. Only difference was that we were going to see the new locker room for the first time. ”Coach started talking about this new locker room, us being the first team to ever play in it and what that meant. He was talking about how he wanted to put one guy’s name up first and he put my name up. At that point I had no idea, I had the mindset of just getting through the day and improv ing. It was a shock at first. That was the dream, that was one of the bigger

reasons why I am here, to help my teammates, help w in a national championship and on a personal level get a scholarship and help my parents pay for me coming here. It took 30-45 minutes to sink in.”

Follow ing the scholarship announcement and practice, Webster said the support and love radiating from his parents and team is unforgettable.

“We had practice right after that in the stadium and I didn’t have access to my phone,” Webster said.

“There was 45 minutes to an hour before I could call my parents. I was like ‘Oh jeez, are they going to announce it on social media? ’ Because my mom is all over that. I thought she was going to find out before I even got to tell her. But after those 45 minutes, I was able to tell them first. Telling them was the best part in the world, to hear their reaction over the phone. I w ill never forget when I was awarded the scholarship how my teammates reacted. How excited they were for me, that reaffirmed for me I chose the school for the people and the guys. And I chose right.”

A long w ith being awarded a scholarship and a captain position, Webster said the game against Stanford his freshman year and the USC

EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Austin Webster lines up at the line of scrimmage during the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 22. Webster was named a captain and earned a scholarship this year.

EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Austin Webster waits for the snap during the Blue-Gold Game on April 22 at Notre Dame Stadium.

game this year are the most memorable games in his career.

“First biggest game I w ill remember is when I played Stanford my freshman year,” Webster said. “It was 35 degrees, just warm enough to be rain and not snow ing, and it was pouring rain. It came dow n to the last second, my boy [former Irish tight end Ben] Koyack caught a touchdow n in the end zone right in the corner. That was the first big game I participated in D1 football. To have it come dow n to the w ire like that in the freezing cold, rain, it was fun. ”This year, the most memorable for me was the game against USC. This is the year I’m getting the most playing time and being from L A it meant something different, something special. To go out and dominate, I w ill never forget. That’s the kind of game I w ill be telling my kids and friends for years.”

Play ing for the Irish for four years and creating memories on the field, Webster noted his experience at Notre Dame w ill continue to affect him well after graduation.

“Probably the biggest thing I w ill obtain from being at this universit y is knowing how to get through really difficult times and just know ing how to be gritt y,” Webster said. “Especially when things aren’t going your way. Especially coming from high school, you are kind of the top dog, the big fish in the small pond. But when you come here, starting as a walk-on, you are now the lowest on the totem pole. You learn how to persevere through all of that, as well as being at a highly talented D1 football school and being at a premier academic institution, you learn to balance all of that. I have those skill for the rest of my life, how to perform at a high level in multiple fields. It

was academics and athletics in this setting, but no doubt in the future it w ill be ver y helpful.”

Stepping into life after graduation, Webster’s perseverance w ill aid him through his career journey.

“Last semester I had what I call a ‘mid-college’ life crisis. I did a couple internships and I am a fan of finance, but I wasn’t finding a lot of finance jobs available that made me feel fulfilled.

So I started looking towards a medical route, potentially going to medical school and that’s still an option for sure. ”But while thinking of that, I always wanted to ser ve in the militar y, and I found a position that is kind of the best of both worlds.

It’s called a combat rescue officer in the Air Force. A Spec Ops, operation where they are basically certified EMTs and they command paramedics. It combines the whole medical aspect I was looking for and feeling fulfilled. I saw that as an opportunit y. As of now that’s the goal — it’s not easy, but that’s the initial goal to work towards and I w ill see what God has in store for me. I am along for the journey.”

Ref lecting on his four years at Notre Dame and all the relationships he has built, Webster said he cannot thank the senior class enough.

“Shout out to senior class, this senior class has been through a lot,” Webster said. “We’ve been through the Fiesta Bowl, been a season when we’ve gone to the Music Cit y Bowl, and a season when we haven’t gone to a bowl, we have gone through v irtually almost ever y thing except playoffs, which is the goal this year.

We have been through the thick and thin of it and we all love each other.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

HEAD T

3:30 p.m. ET | Notre Dame Stadium MIDSHIPMEN PASSING Navy is not a team known for passing the football. The Midshipmen may occasionally catch opponents off guard with a big passing play — as evidenced by the team’s 25 yards per completion — but, as always, Navy is built on the option run.

This week, the Midshipmen passing game faces further questions, as it is still unclear who will start at quarterback for the team. Zach Abey began the season and is the team’s strongest passing option with over 700 passing yards and a rating of 155.0, but sat last week with a shoulder injury as Malcolm Perry took over.

Perry, who played running back before last week, is a run-first quarterback even

by Navy standards and ran for 282 yards against SMU, but he is also facing an ankle injury this week.

The Irish pass defense was a relative highlight against Miami, giving up only 5.7 yards per attempt and one touchdown, though the Hurricanes had little need to pass the ball with a commanding lead.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME MIDSHIPMEN RUSHING As a triple-option team, the Midshipmen make no secret about their dependence on the run. Navy is one of the few teams to have outrushed the Irish this season, with over 369 yards per game to lead the nation in rushing offense. Abey has shown great success when keeping the ball himself, rushing for over 1,200 yards and 13 scores, while Perry’s dominant game against SMU and 9.6 yards per carry for the season make him a player the Irish will have to worry about, regardless of which position he plays.

Two weeks ago, the Irish run defense looked like one of the best in the nation, but after back-to-back weeks of giving up over 230 yards and three touchdowns, the Irish have slipped to 39th in the nation in rushing defense, and now they face the option attack.

EDGE: NAVY MIDSHIPMEN COACHING

OFFENSIVE

It takes discipline to run the option, and Navy has discipline in spades.

Midshipmen head coach Ken

Navy

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Niumatalolo has consistently led his team to one of the best rushing offenses in the nation while maintaining enough of a passing element to take advantage of teams that sell out against the run during his time in charge, achieving this by making sure his less-talented recruits can execute the Navy offense to perfection.

Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko looked like one of the best coordinators in the nation before the Irish faced Wake Forest, but his defense has now struggled in consecutive weeks. However, strong field position from turnovers certainly helped the Hurricanes, while familiarity with Elko helped Wake Forest the week before. Elko should still be trusted to bring the Irish defense back to an elite standard.

(Sr.) Tyler Carmona 88 (Sr.) Terrence Laster 80

(Sr.) Josh

Brown

28

(Sr.) John Brown III 20

SB

(Jr.) Jake Hawk 57 (Sr.) Michael Raiford 73

(Sr.) Robert Lindsey

75

(So.) David Forney 68

(So.) Malcolm Perry 10 (Jr.) Zach Abey

9

(Sr.) Chris High 33 (Jr.) Anthony Gargiulo 38

QB FB

(Sr.) Parker Wade 62 (Jr.) Bryan Barrett 77

(Sr.) Evan Martin 71 (Jr.) Laurent Njiki 78

(Jr.) Andrew Wood 61 (So.) Ford Higgins 72

(Sr.) Darryl Bonner 29 (Fr.) Keoni-Kordell Makekau 36

EDGE: EVEN

SB

(Sr.) Craig Scott 82 (Sr.) Brandon Colon 87

WR LT LG C RG RT WR

MIDSHIPMEN SPECIAL TEAMS Navy’s option offense makes the team perfectly suited to converting fourthand-short plays, meaning Niumatalolo is less likely to turn to his special teams unit if there’s an opportunity to keep his offense on the field instead. The team has gone for it on fourth down 21 times this year, tied for 15th in the nation.

When the Midshipmen have elected to kick field goals, they have not had great success. Junior kicker Bennett Moehring has converted only 6-of-10 kicks this year, after making 8-of-10 last year. Sophomore punter Owen White has only punted 29 times, averaging 39.2 yards per punt, while also attempting five extra points and making four.

(Sr.) Tyris Wooten 17 (Fr.) Micah Farrar 32

(Sr.) Jerry Thompson 11 (Sr.) Justin Norton 5

(Jr.) Jarid Ryan

2

(Jr.) Juan Hailey 13

S

(Sr.) Winn Howard 51 (Sr.) Brandon Jones 3

(Sr.) Micah Thomas 44 (Sr.) Winn Howard 51

(Jr.) Sean Williams 6

(Jr.) John Gillis 18

MLB SAM

(So.) Nizaire Cromartie 96

(So.) Jackson Pittman 99 (So.) Dave Tolentino 97

(Sr.) Tyler Sayles 91 (Jr.) Josh Webb 92

(Sr.) D.J. Palmore 45 (Sr.) Kevin McCoy 40

(Sr.) Elijah Merchant 14 (Jr.) Khaylan Williams 7

MIDSHIPMAN SCHEDULE (6-3, 4-3 AAC)

(Jr.) Bennett Moehring 16 (So.) J.R. Osborn 18

(So.) Owen White

4

(Jr.) J.R. Osborn 18

(Sr.) Craig Scott 82 (Fr.) Reggie Hayes

1

PK P PR

(Fr.) Reggie Hayes (So.) Zack Fraade

Elizabeth Greason

Assistant Managing Editor

Sports Editor

There’s not a lot to take away from Notre Dame’s blowout loss to Miami from a X’s and O’s standpoint. The Irish were dominated in every aspect of the game, and a lot of that falls on Brian Kelly for not having his team better prepared.

The only thing to judge Notre Dame’s upcoming game against Navy by is whether or not you believe Kelly and the captains can turn the mindset of the team around in time for a run to a New Year’s Six bowl.

I believe they can. Especially on Senior Day versus an opponent they lost to last year.

Look for Notre Dame to avenge last week and the loss to Navy last season with a vastly improved offensive attack against an undersized and less talented Midshipmen defense.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 28, Navy 14

1 83

(Sr.) Ronnie Querry 85

Marek Mazurek

NG RE

CB

(Jr.) Bennett Moehring 16

Editor-in-Chief

LE

RAID

(So.) J.R. Osborn 18

Ben Padanilam

Nothing went right for the Irish on Saturday.

They played their worst game of the season against a very good team in Miami (FL), and the 41-8 result indicated just that.

And now, with Notre Dame out of the playoff picture and having put together five consecutive concerning quarters of football, the question heading into this game is a simple one: Which Notre Dame team — the one ranked No. 3 heading to Florida or the beaten one that left — will we see Saturday?

I’m going to guess closer to the former.

I expect Senior Day to provide extra motivation for the Irish. So should the desire to put last weekend’s embarrassment behind them. And with injuries at the quarterback spot, Navy probably won’t be at full strength, either.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 38, Navy 21

STR

(Jr.) Jarvis Polu 90

S

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Sept. 1 @ Florida Atlantic (W 42-19) Sept. 9 Tulane (W 23-21) Sept. 23 Cincinnati (W 42-32) Sept. 30 @ Tulsa (W 31-21) Oct. 7 Air Force (W 33-25) Oct. 14 @ Memphis (L 30-27) Oct. 21 UCF (L 31-21) Nov. 2 @ Temple (L 34-26) Nov. 11 SMU (W 43-40) Nov. 18 @ Notre Dame Nov. 24 @ Houston Dec. 9 Army

CB

(So.) Michael Pifer 44

KO KR LS

Last week took the wind out of Notre Dame’s sails.

Offensively, the Irish couldn’t get anything going and on defense, nothing went right.

Navy is never an easy task for Notre Dame — the Midshipmen’s triple option attack always poses a challenge. However, with this year’s matchup coming on Senior Day and the week after a blowout loss, the Irish will have additional incentives.

The Irish run game should be back in full force, and Brandon Wimbush should come out with a renewed confidence after a week of practice. There are a wide variety of possible outcomes to Saturday’s matchup with the Midshipmen, but Notre Dame should be able to right the ship this weekend to take down Navy and end up victorious in its last home game this season.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Navy 17

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | The Observer

15

O HEAD on NBC

no. 8 Notre Dame CB

Julian Love (So.) 20

27

Shaun Crawford (Jr.)

Buck DE DT DT DE

48

Greer Martini (Sr.)

4 Te’von Coney (Jr.)

S

Jay Hayes (Sr.) 98

93

Andrew Trumbetti (Sr.)

Jonathan Bonner (Sr.)

55

95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (Fr.)

Jerry Tillery (Jr.)

99

MLB

5

21

Jalen Elliott (So.)

14 Devin Studstill (So.)

Nyles Morgan (Sr.)

44 Jamir Jones (So.)

41 Kurt Hinish (Fr.)

Daelin Hayes (So.)

9

S

98 Andrew Trumbetti (Sr.)

Rover CB

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

7

23

24

Nick Coleman (Jr.)

17 Isaiah Robertson (Fr.)

Drue Tranquill (Sr.)

22 Asmar Bilal (Jr.)

Nick Watkins (Sr.)

18 Troy Pride Jr. (So.)

WR WR

Equanimeous St. Brown (Jr.)

6

81 Miles Boykin (Jr.)

RT RG C LG LT TE WR

H KR LS

83

Chase Claypool (So.)

10 Chris Finke (Jr.)

Alex Bars (Sr.)

70 Hunter Bivin (Gr.)

53

Sam Mustipher (Sr.)

57 Trevor Ruhland (Jr.)

RB QB

33

Josh Adams (Jr.)

34 Tony Jones Jr. (So.)

7

Brandon Wimbush (Jr.)

12 Ian Book (So.)

Quenton Nelson (Sr.)

56

76 Josh Lugg (Fr.)

Mike McGlinchey (Gr.)

68

74 Liam Eichenberg (So.)

80

Durham Smythe (Gr.)

86 Alize Mack (Jr.)

29

Kevin Stepherson (So.)

15 Cam Smith (Gr.)

4

Montgomery VanGorder (Sr.)

85 Tyler Newsome (Sr.)

3

C.J. Sanders (Jr.)

34 Tony Jones Jr. (So.)

54

John Shannon (So.)

82 Nic Weishar (Sr.)

IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING

Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush appeared to have taken huge strides since the beginning of the season going into the Miami game, but came crashing back down to earth with three turnovers and only 119 passing yards, bringing his passer rating for the season back below 120.

A home game against the less talented, and perhaps more importantly, less ball-hungry Midshipmen might be just what Wimbush needs. The Midshipmen have given up almost 250 passing yards per game and four passing touchdowns in each of their last two outings, to the passing attacks of Temple and SMU. The Midshipmen have accrued a total of six interceptions this season, a welcome change from Miami last week for Notre Dame.

Yet, Wimbush’s struggles against Miami are still a concern, and the Irish will likely do their best to avoid putting the junior in a position where he needs to make many throws.

After Notre Dame’s blowout to defeat to Miami, Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt said his defense was aware of which plays the Irish offense was running, while Notre Dame seemed to struggle to adapt when the Hurricanes stopped them early on.

However, before that, Chip Long’s offense had looked like one of the best in the country, putting up impressive numbers even when stars like junior running back Josh Adams were out.

Nav y’s defense has not been formidable under defensive coordinator Dave Pehrson, giving up over 30 points per game both this year and last, despite the team’s offense giving opponents few possessions per game.

IRISH RUSHING

72 Robert Hainsey (Fr.)

71

IRISH PASSING

EDGE: EVEN

Tommy Kraemer (So.)

78

PK P PR

19

Justin Yoon (Jr.)

39 Jonathan Doerer (Fr.)

85

Tyler Newsome (Sr.)

42 Jeff Riney (Jr.)

10

Chris Finke (Jr.)

3 C.J. Sanders (Jr.)

The Irish run game, dominant in eight of the first nine weeks of the season, struggled to get going against Miami, as the Hurricanes chased down Irish plays from the backside and held the team to only 109 yards on 36 attempts.

But considering the way the Irish ran the ball after struggling against Georgia, bouncing back should not be an issue, and it appears that it takes a rare combination of talent and experience on the front seven, where Nav y certainly don’t match up to Georgia and Miami, to stop the Irish on the ground.

The Nav y run defense ranks 64th in the nation, although that is boosted by strong performances in the opening three weeks of the season, where the Midshipmen gave up an average of less than 100 yards per game. Since then, Nav y’s opponents have averaged more than five yards per rushing attempt, and against the strong Irish ground game, that could continue.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Tobias Hoonhout

Daniel O’Boyle

Associate Sports Editor

Sports Writer

Last week’s loss to Miami furthered the narrative of road struggles for Notre Dame in the Brian Kelly era. It also made it possible for the Irish to slip to another loss Saturday against Navy, much like 2014.

The question now is whether Notre Dame can rally and push for a strong end to the season. And while Navy always poses a challenge, the Irish undoubtedly have the talent to pull out the win.

The biggest concern for Notre Dame should be capitalizing on its possessions and keeping the Navy offense off the field as much as possible. If the Irish offense does that, it should be a long day for Navy.

Don’t be surprised if Brandon Wimbush bounces back in a big way this Saturday and Notre Dame gets back to its winning ways.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 38, Navy 17

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Notre Dame fell back to earth hard last week with a blowout defeat to Miami.

Navy will always present a unique challenge, which means they’re far from the perfect team for Notre Dame to bounce back against. But a weak pass defense and health questions at quarterback means the Midshipmen should give the Irish an opportunity to get back into the swing of things.

The Irish might have a few adjustment problems with the Navy offense, and they will need to do a much better job at getting their defense off the field than last year when they lost to Navy. But their talent should be more than enough for a win, and when the team gets on top, the mindset of domination could return.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 41, Navy 14

EDGE: NOTRE DAME IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS Junior kicker Justin Yoon remains relatively untested this season, not being called on at all last week and having only attempted 13 kicks this season, leaving it still up for debate if his careerlow field goal percentage of 69.2 percent is a f luke or a cause for concern.

In the punt game, the Irish have had more success, with senior punter Tyler Newsome averaging an impressive 43.7 yards per punt this year.

Perry was Nav y’s leading returner this season, but likely won’t be used if he’s starting at quarterback. Seven other Nav y players have returned a kickoff, but none have gained much ground, as Perry accounted for 13 of Nav y’s 28 kick returns.

EDGE: EVEN IRISH SCHEDULE (8-2) Sept. 2 Temple (W 49-16) Sept. 9 Georgia (L 20-19) Sept. 16 @ Boston College (W 49-20) Sept. 23 @ Michigan State (W 38-18) Sept. 30 Miami (OH) (W 52-17) Oct. 7 @ North Carolina (W 33-10) Oct. 21 USC (W 49-14) Oct. 28 North Carolina State (W 35-14) Nov. 4 Wake Forest (W 48-37) Nov. 11 @ Miami (FL) (L 41-8) Nov. 18 Navy Nov. 25 @ Stanford

Follow Observer Sports on Twitter for live updates and analysis during the game this weekend and all season long. @ObserverSports

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HUNTER BIVIN | OL | Owensboro, Kentucky

Bivin reflects on team traditions in fifth season

By CASSIE CORBIN Sports Writer

It took a bit of courage for southern Kentucky native Hunter Bivin to bid farewell to his hometown and pursue life under the Dome.

However, playing for Notre Dame was the graduate student offensive lineman’s lifelong dream and he has not looked back.

“I’ve always loved Notre Dame football from the time I was a little kid,” Bivin said. “They’re the team I have always rooted for since I can

remember. Notre Dame is always where I wanted to go.”

Bivin’s journey to that of a contributing offensive lineman began similarly to that of many: as a redshirt freshman. Bivin said his redshirt season was integral to his ability to acclimate and adjust to being a top-notch student and football player at Note Dame.

“That was nice to have that first year as a redshirt to get my feet wet in the college atmosphere. I could get used to everything and just be a normal student for a little bit,” he

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish graduate student offensive lineman Hunter Bivin moves to make a block in the Blue-Gold Game on April 22 at Notre Dame Stadium.

said. “Now, halfway through my fifth year, I remember the times during my redshirt-freshman year that we didn’t travel to away games and we would hang back on campus. It was cool to make friends with kids in the dorms. That year also allowed me to get bigger and stronger. I could get used to the game and acclimate to the speed of the game. I definitely wasn’t the biggest kid on the field anymore.

Everybody was better and faster and motivated.”

In addition to easing the transition from high school to, Bivin’s redshirt year also made him eligible for a fifth year of playing time.

The chance to be on the Irish roster one last time was an opportunity Bivin refused to pass up.

“To be able to play college football anywhere is a blessing, and it’s a great opportunity that not many people get to do and can experience,” Bivin said. “I consider myself lucky to have this extra fifth year.

There are so many people who would give their left arm to play college football. It’s had its ups and downs. I’ve had tough times. Times that weren’t easy and times that would be easier if I had just called it quits. But, my brother always told me that when something is tough or when you are doubting yourself, if playing college football is the hardest part of your day, you are living a pretty good life. It has been a blessing.

“I love the guys here. I love the people at Notre Dame. I love Notre Dame. This has become my home; I don’t want to be anywhere else.

It has been really special for me to come back and live my dream for another year.”

Bivin reflected fondly on his time as a student, saying that the traditions and spirit throughout campus make playing for Notre Dame an unequivocal experience.

Elaborating on this, Bivin recalled his favorite game-day tradition: the player walk to the stadium. “ … I think my favorite tradition is the walk to the stadium from the Gug,” Bivin said. “It is really my favorite thing that we do, as far as game-day traditions. I go through and there are all the college kids and adults, but I always try to make it a point and see the little kids that are standing there with stars in their eyes and seeing us as like, these great, superstars. They don’t ever picture themselves as being college players and I was that way.

It seems like yesterday that I was a little kid, just looking up to these guys thinking: ‘Wow, that’d be so cool.’ “[Graduate student tight end] Durham [Smythe] and [graduate student offensive lineman] Mike [McGlinchey] always make fun me while we walk over as the kids go for the fives, but I rub them on their heads. I’m just hoping that maybe one day, I can inspire a little kid to

chase his dream like I did. To see a little Notre Dame fan looking up to us like we’re superstars and hoping that they, too, will someday be a player themselves is really special to me.”

Amidst the Saturday chaos, Bivin looks forward to partaking in the age-old ritual — the slapping of the “Play like a Champion Today” sign — as a reminder to give his all before taking the field each home game. “‘Play like a Champion’ clicks in my head as ‘mental toughness,’” Bivin said. “Coach Hiestand talks about it all the time. It’s being your best on-command, no matter what. That’s the definition of mental toughness. When the lights are on and it’s time to go, you have got to turn it on. You cannot be lethargic and not bring intensity. You need to have energy on the field and be your best at that moment, be your best on-command.

“It’s been so engrained into the tradition and history of Notre Dame. It’s so cool to hit the same sign that so many great players did. Every time I go down the tunnel and run out in front of 80,000 people, I get goosebumps. Every single time. It’s a really awesome part of the tradition here, unlike anywhere else. I mean nobody else really has anything like that.”

Contact Cassie Corbin at ccorbin1@nd.edu

Jonathan BONNER | DL | CONYERS, GEORGIA

Bonner completes goal by starting as senior

By MIA BERRY Sports Writer

In the summer of 2013, defensive lineman Jonathan Bonner was heading into his senior year of high school at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, still undecided about where he would spend the next four years.

Bonner was Missouri Class 5 All-State selection as a junior, but he had only received a few offers and wasn’t nationally ranked at the time. But on June 26, after talking on the phone with the former Irish defensive backs coach Bob Elliot and Brian Kelly, Bonner received an offer from Notre Dame and gave a verbal commitment to the Irish the same day.

The offer came days after Bonner traveled to South Bend and impressed Notre Dame coaches with his skills at a summer football camp. Bonner attributes his rapid commitment to Notre Dame to wanting to follow his family’s legacy.

“One of my dream schools growing up, my grandfather was a huge Notre Dame fan, and that was the school I knew growing up,“ Bonner said. “Outside of me, other members of my family went here too. My uncle Dan Knott was on the 1977 championship team with Hall-ofFamer Joe Montana, and Sergio Brown, who is like a cousin to me,

also went here, and went on to the league, so I knew all about Notre Dame, and when I got offered here I knew it was the right place to go.

It was like a dream come true for me.”

Four years later, Bonner is a consistent starter on the defensive line in his senior season. Known on the field for working alongside junior Jerry Tillery and fellow senior Jay Hayes to create a pass rush and run defense that has helped bolster Notre Dame into the national spotlight. To his teammates Bonner is known affectionately as “Lean,” a nickname derived from the fact that Bonner is undersized as a defensive lineman.

Nevertheless, Bonner’s skill and technique has made him the target of numerous double teams. His career statistics for the Irish include 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries.

Reflecting on his initial goals he had set for himself his freshman year, Bonner is proud to say that he accomplished much over his career — both academically and athletically.

“My goals when I first started here was to find a major that I liked because I was unsure at the time, and that worked out well because I found a major [IT management] I liked,“ Bonner said. ”[For football] the goal was to earn a starting spot on the team, which I finally did this

year.“ In his freshman season Bonner, like many college freshman, redshirted to maintain a year of eligibility due to a talented defensive line that featured future NFL players in Sheldon Day, Isaac Rochell and Jarron Jones.

After recovering from a toe injury that sidelined him in the spring season, Bonner earned a backup role on the defensive line.

In his sophomore and junior seasons, Bonner played as a consistent backup defensive lineman and alternated between linebacker and lineman. In his senior year, Bonner cemented himself as a starting interior defensive lineman in new defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s system.

As time winds down on his Notre Dame football career, Bonner says the thing he will miss the most is the camaraderie between him and his fellow teammates.

“The best part about being on the team is hanging out with the guys in the locker room, the live jokes, and it a very fun atmosphere to be in with my brothers,” he said.

Throughout his journey both on and off the field, Bonner has learned valuable lessons from his time at Notre Dame that he believes will help him live a successful life after football.

“My biggest takeaway is working hard,“ he said. “It takes a lot a work

PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer

Irish senior defensive lineman Jonathan Bonner, left, makes a tackle during Notre Dame’s 52-17 win over Miami (OH) on Sept. 30.

to accomplish the things you want to do, and if you take shortcuts things won’t work out. So if anything I learned the importance of work ethic. “… I also feel like I’ve heard from a lot of people not to regret anything, so I make sure when I get out there I do the things that I know to do, and not keep my bubble too small.”

Heading into the last few games of his college football career, Bonner is uncertain what the future holds for him. The NFL may not come knocking for Bonner, and he is fine with that. He is set to

graduate in May of next year with a degree in IT management from the Mendoza College Business.

The only thing he is certain of for the time being is that he won’t seek a fifth year of eligibility after redshirting his freshman season.

As of now, Jonathan plans to pursue a career in IT management and although he hasn’t officially signed to work with any company, but he hopes to go into IT consulting or any line of work relating to technology.

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

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Chris bury | te | brookline, new hampshire

Bury’s hard work pays off as senior walk-on

By BRENNA MOXLEY Sports Writer

Chris Bury already has a college degree.

The senior tight end attended Stonehill College for three years and earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science before transferring to Notre Dame.

He redshirted his freshman year at Stonehill because of a shoulder injury, but the New Hampshire native played the following two seasons at tight end.

Bury transferred to Notre Dame to pursue a degree in computer engineering and to take advantage of the Engineering DualDegree Program, which allows a student to gain an engineering degree in two academic years.

Bury has a job offer for after graduation, but is also considering the ESTEEM Program, if he learns that he has another year of eligibility left.

Bury’s passion and commitment to school and sports were instilled in him at a young age, and have driven him throughout his football and academic careers.

“My dad always told me when I was a kid going to school and practice while everyone was out having fun in the summer, ‘You’re trying to do something different. You’re trying to be

something great and in order to do that you have to do what most people aren’t willing to do,’” Bury said. “I always took that with me and I think about it in moments when I wish I were hanging out.

It is a part of me now and it adds to my character.”

Bury suffered a torn labrum and rotator cuff in the second game of his senior year of high school. While he played through the injury during the season, he was later forced to undergo surgery.

“Since my injury was in high school, I had a lot of schools just stop talking to me,” he said. “I trusted in the plan that I was going to end up where I was supposed to end up. I just think it is important to go day by day, create your own opportunities and make the most of what is in front of you. You just have to keep pushing and, just as anything else, you can’t just quit when there’s a roadblock.”

Bury wanted to join the team immediately upon transferring, but since there wasn’t an open tryout for potential walk-ons until the following spring, he viewed the time off as beneficial even though it was not part of his initial plan.

“There wasn’t an open tryout the first year that I came here, but it was still something I wanted to

do,” Bury said. “I saw it as an opportunity to have another year to prepare myself for the future because they told me that there would be a tryout the following spring. It was tough because I definitely wanted to be a part of it as soon as I could, but I just think you have to embrace the circumstances you’re given and make the most of it.”

Bury credits his high school coach with supporting him through throughout his extensive football career and looked forward to his visit for the Wake Forest game. From the injury, to playing at Stonehill and eventually walking-on at Notre Dame his coach has been by his side.

“He’s been a part of my process so much,” Bury said. “He went to a couple of my games at Stonehill.

I’m excited more so for him to be a part of the tradition and experience the feeling of walking into the stadium.”

Bury commented on Notre Dame’s rich tradition and the unwavering loyalty of its fan base.

“The tradition behind Notre Dame is so special,” he said. “The fans on gameday and outside our practices — it’s just such a big deal to me. It’s a really cool group to be a part of. The success we’ve had as a team and the guys I get to share that with are

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Irish senior tight end Chris Bury stands with his teammates during the Alma Mater following Notre Dame’s win on Oct. 28.

awesome. I do anything I can to help and I appreciate being able to ultimately help the team win games.”

Bury values hard work and resilience, and has tried to emulate that throughout his collegiate endeavors.

“I wanted to come here to try to show that the hard work does pay off,” he reflected. “You have to keep pushing through and trusting your process. A lot of people are taught in high school not to

get their hopes up and to just play at any college level, especially for football. But to that, everyone can see that with taking risks, the reward can be great. The amount I have learned from both school and football and the networking opportunities this school provides now and in the future is something I want to leave behind to show that it is possible.”

Contact Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu

SAM BUSH | OL | NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Bush fulfills dream playing for Notre Dame

By DARCY DEHAIS Sports Writer

When he was just 12 years old, senior offensive lineman Sam Bush took a trip with his family from his home in Newport Beach, California, to Chicago, making the extra drive to see Notre Dame host the University of Southern California.

Bush grew up in southern California, where many members of his extended family attended USC. However, he was always a Notre Dame fan as a child and set his sights on playing for the Irish

early on.

“There’s always been something special about this place for me,” Bush said. “Every time I saw the gold helmets running out of the tunnel as a kid or every time I got to see a picture of the dome, Touchdown Jesus, the Basilica or the Grotto, that’s how I felt.”

Bush transferred high schools after his sophomore year, making the switch from Newport Harbor to Mater Dei, a football powerhouse in Santa Ana, California.

He knew he wanted to play Notre Dame football and was drawn to the national exposure that came

SARAH OLSON | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Sam Bush sings the Alma Mater after Notre Dame’s win over North Carolina State on Oct. 28.

with playing at Mater Dei. Bush looked at Princeton, Yale and Cal-Berkeley after being told he wasn’t going to be able to play for the Irish. A mere 10 hours before committing to play for Princeton, he received the call that he had been waiting for for more than 10 years.

“I had talked to Notre Dame early in my senior season, and they told me that they weren’t going to have a scholarship spot available for me,” Bush said. “I had gone on thinking that Notre Dame was off the table. That night I got a call from Coach [Mike] Denbrock, who is a former offensive coordinator.

He told me they had a preferred walk-on spot for me, and that was it.”

Bush noted his spot on the Irish roster is truly a dream com true. “[Having a spot on the team] is the greatest honor I could ever hope to experience,” he said. “Growing up, I was the kid who told people that I was going to go play football at Notre Dame. [It is an honor] to be able to fulfill that dream and goal of mine. I get to wake up every day at the best university in the world.

When I talk about it I get goosebumps because this place is a part of me and I have a part of this place.

I’m able to take it wherever I go.”

Despite the rivalry between the two schools, Bush said he respects his family members that attended

USC. “Regardless of what schools we go to or what the rivalry entails, I’m so proud that they got to go an academic institution like the University of Southern California,” Bush said.

This year’s game against USC on Oct. 21 was particularly special for Bush because he saw his first playing time after four years of starting on the scout team. Fifteen members of Bush’s family were present at the game.

“I’m not the kind of guy who is looking for the accolades,” Bush said. “I’m not bitter about never having seen the field. After four years, I saw my first playing time against USC with 15 members of my family present. I’ll never forget the four plays that I was in. Right after the game I ran over to the players’ parents section and ran into the stands and buried my head in my mom’s shoulders. It was the most unbelievable experience of my life, and it’s something that I’m never going to forget.”

In addition to his role as a member of the scouting team, Bush was given a special task by head coach Brian Kelly in the offseason this past year. Before this season, the locker room was organized according to position groups. In his one-on-one meeting with Kelly last year, Bush suggested intermingling the locker room by putting

members of the team from different positions near each other. “[We wanted to] just get the whole dynamic and chemistry of this team rolling and put guys together who wouldn’t normally be together on a daily basis,” Bush said. “I can say from where I’m sitting in the locker room now, it’s really made all the difference. [Kelly] gave me that task, and it means the world to me. I’m honored to have helped out in any way, shape or form that I can. It was more so just along the lines of putting all of our team together and really making us brothers.”

Bush said he embraces opportunities like these to help his team in ways off the field. He has developed an important role on the team over his four-year career.

“Being able to find my own niche on this team is incredible,” Bush said. “Personally, my goal every day is to go out there and help my team get better in whatever way that is going to be and whatever form or shape that takes. Whatever Coach Kelly or any of the other coaches ask me to do, I’m going to do to help my team get better. As a team, we’re going to put our heads down and work until there’s no work left to do. And then we’ll pick our heads up and see where we’re at.”

Contact Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

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Jimmy byrne | OL | Cleveland, Ohio

Byrne brings easy-going personality to squad

By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO Sports Writer

Irish senior offensive lineman Jimmy Byrne is a complete juxtaposition to a Notre Dame that consists of high-profile games, sold-out crowds and intense media coverage.

Hailing from Cleveland, Byrne has developed into an easygoing individual who also happens to be an offensive lineman for one of the best college football programs in the country. In his own words, he is a “pretty simple guy, easygoing.”

The 6-foot, 4-inch senior fell in love with the University when he visited as a high school recruit, adding that the combination of great football and great academics, combined with the campus size was the key for his decision to don the gold helmet on Saturdays.

“First, was the education obviously, can’t beat that,” Byrne said.

“Second, was the coaching staff, couldn’t beat that; I was a big fan of coach [Harry] Hiestand, the offensive line coach. Then just getting on campus and seeing it, being a little bit smaller, it’s more of my style than a big state school or something like that.”

Byrne even turned down his local football powerhouse, Ohio

State, in order to play for the Irish, despite the Buckeyes being the first to come calling at his door with an offer.

Every Notre Dame student has an especially special moment in his or her undergraduate career.

For Byrne, the most memorable experiences have been playing under the bright lights at Notre Dame Stadium, where the largerthan-life, electric atmosphere remind him of what playing for Notre Dame is all about.

“Every year there’s that one game that just really sticks out when you run out of the tunnel you’re like, ‘Wow this is Notre Dame football,’” Byrne said.

“My freshman year we played Michigan at night and it was 37-to-nothing, I think, we won.

You know, playing Texas under the lights and games like that where you just run out of the tunnel and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is Notre Dame.’”

This season will also include one more memorable game for Byrne and the rest of his classmates, as the game against Navy will also commemorate the seniors of the team. Byrne’s parents will be on the field with him to celebrate the grit, grind and success that Byrne has endured throughout his collegiate football career.

“I think it’s just as big of a day

EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Jimmy Byrne moves upfield to run block during the Blue-Gold Game on April 22 at Notre Dame Stadium. Byrne has seen the field in three games so far this season.

for my parents as it is for me,” Byrne said. “Obviously, they get to be on the field and that’s a really cool experience for them.”

For incoming freshmen to the football team, Jimmy provided some veteran advice.

“I’d probably just tell them the same thing that I was told when I was a freshman: Just stick with it,” Byrne said. “You know, it gets tough with school sometimes, it gets tough with football, it’s a big constraint on your time. Just stick

with it, you got a ton of resources around you, a lot of great people around here that want nothing but the best for you, they’re all going to help you succeed. Four years later, still here.”

Byrne said he has learned a lot from working as a member of a team, especially a tightly-knit group like the offensive line.

“I think it’s just to be able to work in a team environment,” Byrne said. “Guys from all around the country — we talk about it all

the time in the O-line — we got like 15 guys from like 15 different states, just everyone coming together, one goal, figuring everything out and moving forward towards one common goal.”

Byrne will be graduating in December, a semester early, with a degree in IT management and plans to work in the IT field.

Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu

freddy Canteen | wr | Elkton, maryland

Canteen embraces opportunity despite injury

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish graduate student wide receiver Freddy Canteen, center, jogs onto the field during Notre Dame’s 49-16 win over Temple on Sept. 2 at Notre Dame Stadium. Canteen had one reception for seven yards in the game.

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

Transfer graduate student Freddy Canteen has had an impressive career thus far. In high school, the Maryland native was a four-star prospect and ranked by 247Sports as the No. 41 wide receiver in the country.

As a senior at Eastern Christian High School, he played against his future Irish teammates [junior quarterback] Brandon Wimbush, [senior offensive lineman] Jimmy Byrne, [sophomore offensive lineman] Liam Eichenberg

and [junior cornerback] Shaun Crawford.

The wide receiver played at Michigan throughout his undergraduate career. As a freshman, he played 11 games and started two of them. However, as a sophomore, he only played in six games due to an injury and was unable to play junior year due to an injury. Canteen graduated from Michigan in just three years.

During graduate school, Canteen made the decision to transfer to Notre Dame.

“I thought the opportunity here was great. Academics played a

huge part, trying to pursue a master’s degree here,” Canteen said.

“I’m not sure what yet, but overall [I transferred because of] the opportunity with the coaches and the degree.”

The original idea to transfer was actually initiated by Notre Dame.

“It was random. I got a call from one of my old coaches from high school saying that Notre Dame was interested,” Canteen said.

“From there we set up an official visit. I liked what I had seen on campus. I liked what I heard from the coaches, players as well. I kind

of thought this is the place for me.

As far as academically, I graduated from Michigan in three years so it wasn’t a big deal.”

In terms of the differences between age-old rivals, Notre Dame and Michigan, Canteen said the only major one is in the coaching staff. “[Notre Dame is] one of the most prestigious programs in football. I don’t really see too many differences,” Canteen said. “The only differences would be the coaches I would say. The atmosphere with the coaches is different.”

After transferring onto the team, Canteen came in ready to prove himself.

“I just wanted to come in to show the players and the coaches what I could do,” he said. “Just show them that I’m here and committed. Obviously, the injury was a little setback, but it’s like I said, again it doesn’t hinder my thought process.”

Canteen started his first two games here at Notre Dame against Temple and Georgia, but unfortunately is out for the season with a torn labrum. Canteen commented on his injury, saying that he is healing well.

“The coaches, the trainers, the strength staff have done a tremendous job in helping me rehab and get back into things. I appreciate everything they’re doing for

me,” Canteen said. “They’re with me 100 percent, I’m with them 100 percent. Everything’s going well.”

Canteen has torn his labrum twice, but he said his faith in God has helped see him through the tough times.

“I think everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I feel like my story already written. The injuries, I feel, are just the test of my faith, with the Lord. I’ll continue to work hard and do what I do, keep competing and try to fulfill my dreams.”

On and off the field, Canteen considers his role to be the best teammate that he can be. He is closest with junior wide receiver C.J. Sanders, junior running back Josh Adams, Crawford and graduate student wide receiver Cam Smith on the team. He considers God and his mother to be his greatest role models.

Until graduation, Canteen is focused on the rest of this football season.

“For the team of course we want to win a national championship,” Canteen said. “Personally, I just want to continue to be a good teammate, get back to 100 percent and help any way I can and help us reach that goal of national championship.”

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

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19

Keenan centlivre | wr | fort wayne, Indiana

Centlivre leaves his mark off the field at ND

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

Observer File Photo

Irish senior wide receiver Keenan Centlivre jogs off the field during the Blue-Gold Game on April 18, 2015, at LaBar Practice Complex.

From breaking his collarbone during his senior year of high school, to walking-on to a prestigious college football program to tackling a tough major, wide receiver Keenan Centlivre has been on quite a journey at Notre Dame.

Being injured during his senior high school football season, Centlivre said he persistently worked on his recovery outside of school.

“It was the first time I missed the rest of the season and my team went to state and lost by one point,” Centlivre said. “It was tough. And then I played basketball. Since I lost so much weight and time, I would go before school to lift in the morning and have basketball practice afterwards. After the season I just kept working at it to get my strength back . . . The transition here at Notre Dame was difficult though. Definitely a step up. College football is very different from high school football and it felt almost as if I have never played before.”

After four years as a scout player, Centlivre played his first collegiate snap for Notre Dame against Miami (OH).

“It was very surreal,” Centlivre said. “I’m out there

practicing every day and I know the plays and what to do, but I am always there on the sideline. To actually be on the field, the lights are a little bit brighter.”

Although Centlivre’s great grandfather, James Keenan, was a Notre Dame graduate who donated and dedicated the dorm Keenan Hall in memory of his son, James Keenan Jr., Centlivre said he did not grow up thinking he would attend the university.

“I had no idea I would end up going here,” Centlivre said.

“My mom always told me she wanted me to go here when I was little. But I wouldn’t say I’m a traditional legacy . . . I’ve never even met my grandfathers, they passed away before I was even born. It was kind of over my head when I was little.

They donated a dorm, which is cool, but I didn’t feel entitled to anything. I didn’t even think I could get in here.”

Pursuing a degree in neuroscience and behavior, Centlivre plans on taking the MCAT in April, taking a gap year and then going to medical school.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but at same time knew I wanted to be exposed to things past medical school and make sure I was engaged,” Centlivre

said. “Neuroscience sounds cool, so I started it and stuck with it, but it has definitely been hard, especially with the hard sciences.”

As a senior interested in the medical field, Centlivre has found his own niche in leadership on the team as the Uplifting Athletes president of Notre Dame chapter.

“Not everyone can be a captain as far as leadership goes,” Centlivre said. “I try to do my best as a senior to lead where I can on and off the field and be my best with them as far as the scout team goes.

“I’ve been handed down the presidency of Uplifting Athletes that raises money and awareness for rare diseases.

We always do a bowling event in the summer, and I organized that and kept it going. This year we also did a Lift for Life. It was the first year doing it and it was a huge success. We raised over $17,000 for rare diseases research. Personally, I never had anyone close to me affected by rare diseases. It was something when I came here as a freshman that the older guys helped out with and I thought it was really cool and it’s in the field I’m interested in.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

GRANT HAMMANN | wr | Dyersville, iowa

Hammann learns from football experience

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

Iowa native Grant Hammann followed in his father’s footsteps.

Hammann’s father played at the University of Iowa, and Hammann chose to play college football as well — as a wide receiver at Notre Dame.

Hammann said the decision to come to Notre Dame came down to the academics, as well as the school’s culture.

“It started with academics and then [former assistant coach Bob] Elliott called me when I was a junior and asked me if I wanted to consider playing football here and I decided yes,” Hammann said.

“Academics kind of just sold it and then the culture of Notre Dame.”

The marketing major played wide receiver, safety and quarterback at Beckman High School in Dyersville, Iowa.

He was named to the All-TriState Regional Team and was awarded All-Iowa, All-District, team co-MVP and District MVP, helping his high school team to the state semifinals.

Hammann is also exceptionally fast. In high school he achieved 14 state medals and clocks in at 4.34 seconds for his

40-yard dash time.

When discussing what he plans to take away from his experiences at Notre Dame, Hammann said his experiences with difficult situations will be the ones that stick with him.

“If you have someone that you don’t necessarily like or if you are in a situation that you don’t necessarily like how you can kind of dig yourself out of that and just kind of manage the adversity so that you can come out on top and be successful with it,” Hammann said.

Hammann said being on the team has taught him many valuable life lessons. One of the best ones, he revealed, is the time management skills he learned.

“Right now I am in eight classes and I have football too,” he said. “Trying to manage pretty much being up from six in the morning and then not getting home ‘til 10 at night.

You have to figure out the little 15 minute increments that you can get your work done in and you really have to plan everything out.”

Being on the scout team has also taught Hammann a lot about perseverance.

“It’s just a thankless job,” he said. “You just have to do your

job regardless of what’s going on and just kind of roll with the punches.”

The former Keough resident plans on working in sales after graduation.

“After graduation I am doing sales for a company called Stryker and I’m actually really excited about that, so it’ll be fun.”

Hammann will miss his teammates themselves most of all. He said he is closest with senior defensive lineman Ryan Kilander, his roommate.

“I’ll miss all the guys. My closest friends are on the team,” Hammann said. “It’ll be kind of different to go out and not see them every day.”

One quote that he hoped to remember and take with him is “Don’t let anyone steal you happiness.”

“I don’t remember who said it but the quote was, ‘Don’t let anyone steal your happiness’ and someone told me that I think my freshmen year,” Hammann said. “That just kind of stuck with me throughout, so no matter how hard anything gets, you just have to be happy and don’t let anyone steal it from you.”

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

Irish senior wide receiver Grant Hammann jogs out of the tunnel before Notre Dame’s game against Temple on Sept. 2.

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Sam Kohler | K | Lincoln, Nebraska

Kohler walks-on, joins Notre Dame family

By ELLIE OLMANSON Sports Writer

For senior kicker Sam Kohler, a piece of paper that said “degree” was not enough to fulfill his college dream.

A Lincoln, Nebraska, native, Kohler proved to be a stud on the field and in the classroom as he was weighing his options between Vanderbilt and Stanford for college, w ith Notre Dame third in his rankings.

“I actually wasn’t originally looking at Notre Dame that much,” Kohler said. “I was leaning more toward Stanford and Vanderbilt.

Notre Dame was the one place out of the three I wasn’t going to be able to play football [w ith the ability to walk on]. I actually visited Notre Dame on the last day I had left to decide and absolutely fell in love w ith campus. I knew it’s where I wanted to be. I actually gave up football by coming here ... but I eventually did get the chance to tr y out.”

Though it was originally a “complete whirlwind,” as Kohler described it, when the process began his freshman year, Kohler said he got his

decision on whether or not he made the team through a text two days after tr youts.

It said, “Be at the Gug in two hours.”

Through the confusion and chaos of the beginning, Kohler said, it was the closeness of the special teams players that made the transition ideal.

“The specialists players are all ver y tightknit and act as a little family,” Kohler said. “They took me in and made the transition really easy. Once you’re able to get acclimated to that little group, the whole rest of it is simple.”

Kohler said this group ser ved as his rock through his time on the team. It had his closest friends, greatest motivators and biggest role models.

“These are some of my best friends. I see myself staying friends w ith them for a long time,” Kohler said. “Us specialists are ver y, ver y tight knit ... We have certain traditions that don’t change and rules to live by. There’s even a group chat that goes back enough to include the guys from the team six, seven years ago.”

As most anyone who knows

an engineering major understands, it takes time.

Adding football to the mix forces incredible adjustment and time management that Kohler said he learned from the older players on the team.

“My first year here there was a senior in the specialist group, Hunter Smith,” Kohler said. “He had my same major as a chemical engineer and was an overall great guy. He was always super helpful in what classes I should be taking and when to schedule them.

“I didn’t realize how much time I had until I started playing football. It is a lot of time management. You aren’t able to do things you would do other wise, like sit and each food with your friends for a couple hours or sit around with your roommate.”

Ironically, the friends and meals that Kohler shared through the specialists prove to be some of his fondest memories.

“We have our specialist dinners on Thursdays, and one time, Show time was on campus filming us,” Kohler said. “We were just so ridiculous during our meal that

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior kicker Sam Kohler kicks an extra point during the Blue-Gold Game on April 22 at Notre Dame Stadium.

they couldn’t use any of the footage in the show. It would all be too filtered.”

Beyond this season and graduation, Kohler will be working for Bain Capital in Chicago with a degree in chemical engineering and the knowledge of a varsity

athlete at Notre Dame.

“This experience has definitely taught me a lot,” he said. “It’s a great thing to be a part of, and I love these guys.”

Contact Ellie Olmanson at eolmanso@nd.edu

Ryan Kilander | DL | Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Kilander fulfills dream on Irish defensive line

By PETER BALTES Sports Writer

For senior defensive lineman Ryan Kilander, playing football at Notre Dame was a lifelong dream. He always rooted for the Irish growing up, and fondly recalls watching “Rudy” with his family at the beginning of every Notre Dame football season.

It is perhaps worth noting that Kilander’s experiences on the team have had a few parallels with those of the film’s titular character.

“My dad went here, he graduated [in] ‘91, so I grew up with Notre Dame,” Kilander said. “I’ve watched the football games my entire life …

I’ve been a Notre Dame guy through and through.”

Kilander was born in

Germany when his father was stationed there while serving in the Army. About six months later, Ryan’s family moved back to the United States. A former standout player at Santa Margarita High School in California, Kilander walked onto the football team his freshman year and spent his first three seasons with the Irish as an important member of the scout team.

W hile appearing on the sideline during games, Ryan had yet to make it onto the field. During games, he has worked to keep up the energ y on the sideline and has used his status to be a mentor and a leader for the younger walk-ons on the team. “[I’m] just providing as much energ y as I can on the

sidelines … making sure the guys are all ready to go,” he said of his in-game role up to this point. “Off the field, just providing a voice, especially as a senior now to the younger guys who just walked in, [saying] ‘I might not play, but I’ve worked for four years,’ and to kind of tell them how things are done.”

It would be during Notre Dame’s 52-17 victory over Miami (OH) on Sept. 30, however, that Kilander’s dream would really come to fruition.

Kilander received his first college football playing time on three plays against the RedHawks. He was thrilled to have finally had the opportunity to finally appear on the field and make a direct impact, after having spent so

much time preparing other players to do the same on the scout team. “[I was] probably the most happy and satisfied I’ve been up to that point, just knowing that your work does pay off,” Kilander said. “Three plays for most people is not much, but for someone like me or one of the other walk-on guys here, it means the world.”

For Kilander, those three plays were something of a blur, but nothing could replace the feeling of having been in the game.

“I don’t really remember it that much, it kind of all just happened so fast,” Kilander said. “I was actually talking to someone on the sidelines and they were like, ‘You’ve got to get your helmet on, you’re going in.’ I don’t

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really remember much, but I remember just feeling awesome for like two or three hours after that.”

Kilander has grown very close to his teammates over the past four years. He cited senior wide receiver Grant Hammann, his current roommate and a fellow walkon, as one of his best friends on the team.

“A lot of the O-line and D-line guys are some of my closest friends,” Kilander added.

Currently a finance major in the Mendoza College of Business, Kilander intends to further his education after graduation by pursuing an MBA degree.

Contact Peter Baltes at pbaltes@nd.edu

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23

Pete Mokwuah | DL | Staten Island, New York

Mokwuah pursues football dream at ND

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

Senior defensive lineman Pete Mokwuah began playing football when his family moved to Staten Island, New York.

“I moved, and when I moved, there was a football field about 10 minutes from my house and I said, ‘Mommy, I want to play football,’” Mokwuah said. “Yeah, that was exactly what I said. I was 8, and I said ‘Mommy, I want to play football.’ She didn’t want me to play because she thought I would get hurt or something, but I wasn’t that good at basketball, so it was time to start playing.”

Originally, Mokwuah was recruited by Rutgers University, but when Notre Dame came knocking, he couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

“I was actually recruited to Rutgers University for eight or nine months,” Mokwuah said.

“ND came knocking at my door around late December, but that was my best offer and that was the best university to choose, so I committed on the spot. I kind of chose Notre Dame mostly on my gut instinct, knowing something about that program — not a lot, but just knowing that it was an elite program. I just knew that I had to make that move, and it was getting close to signing day, so I

didn’t even want it to linger on.”

The humble defensive lineman used to play running back before switching to the defensive line.

“I told [Irish junior running back] Josh Adams that, yeah, he can laugh it up all he wants, but if he had seen me in sixth grade, I don’t think he would’ve been able to catch me,” Mokwuah joked.

According to Mokwuah, the feeling of running through the tunnel never changes.

“It always feels like the first time. You approach the stadium, you see the fans with all of their attention looking towards that center part of the stadium, and you just start to get the chills,” Mokwuah said. “You realize that in that tunnel, you are with your teammates, you are in the moment and you are about to go out with your brothers and battle to the very end.”

On and off the field, Mokwuah said he knows when it is game time.

“On the field, I am tough, hard to move, hot-headed at times, slightly emotional and edgy,” Mokwuah said. ”Off the field, I am the jokester. Everybody comes to me for the jokes.”

After coming off a 4-8 season in 2016, Mokwuah said there is definitely a different feel to the team.

“The feeling, how do I describe it? I mean, I’m in the same

building that I was in the 4-8 season, but there’s a different feel to it,” he said. “You can just tell. The procedures that this team takes in order to be champions is evident of the attempt to execute that plan. I think that’s what was different from last year — we didn’t really have an identity. We lost like seven games by one possession.

What we did this year, the little things that we did and some of the traits that we’ve implemented and even made permanent within us is the reason that we don’t have those type of games or we don’t feel that we don’t have an identity. We know who we are and we have to come out every week and execute the same exact way, and that’s different from this year and last year.”

Mokwuah has a lot of respect for his fellow teammates and for his coaches, Adams, senior punter Tyler Newsome and junior wide receiver C.J. Sanders.

“I respect their demeanor and their work ethic,” Mokwuah said. “[Senior offensive analyst Jeff] Quinn brings energy to practice every day, and I really respect that. His consistency is crazy. He is always wanting you to get better, and he wants you to grow your game. I respect him.”

One of his favorite quotes is, “Count on me.”

“I like it because, to everybody,

MICHELL MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior defensive lineman Pete Mokwuah fights to get off of a block during the Blue-Gold Game on April 22.

it can mean something different, but when everybody means the same thing ... is when you know you have something special,” Mokwuah said. “That quote can go either way, but it has a lot of significance.”

Looking at the rest of the season, Mokwuah plans to stay focused.

“For the team, I would like to contribute to this awesome defense, get some tackles, get some TFLs for all my D-line guys and just ball out for my brothers really.

That’s all I really want to do,” he said.

In life, Mokwuah said he owes a lot to his mother and considers her to be his greatest role model.

“She raised me to have enough

work ethic to put me in the position that I am in now, and I can’t thank her enough for that,” Mokwuah said. ”Maybe I was being stubborn back in the days and hard-headed, and I didn’t know all the good that she was doing for me and the lessons that she was trying to teach me. Every day, I might just think of something that she might have taught me years ago, and I just realize, ‘Man, it’s crazy.’”

The senior is currently taking one step at a time and waiting to see what opportunities may end up presenting themselves.

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

CAM SMITH | wr | Coppell, texas

Smith proves his worth despite injuries

SARAH OLSON | The Observer

Graduate student Cam Smith makes a cut with the ball during Notre Dame’s 20-19 loss to Georgia on Sept. 10 at Notre Dame Stadium.

By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO Sports Writer

Graduate transfer Cameron Smith joined the Notre Dame roster to add depth to the receiving corps. The wide receiver from Arizona State University (ASU) came to South Bend seeking to prove what he can do and easily integrated into the system.

The product of Coppell, Texas, racked up 1,000 yards his senior year of high school. Smith said he

enjoyed his time playing in high school especially because of the atmosphere.

“Good times [in high school], I miss high school football,” Smith said. “It’s — I wouldn’t say a small city — my high school was pretty big but, the city wasn’t that big, so football was pretty big there because that was like, not all you have but, a lot of the attention went there. I enjoyed my time there.”

He added his success in his senior season of high was a result

of trying to make up for an injury that sidelined him for much of his junior season.

“So, I was hurt my junior year — missed like half the season — so I came into my senior year just trying to make the most of it, the expectations weren’t really there,” Smith said. “I got my first offer like halfway through and it was Illinois, for me, that was great like, I was ready to sign right there.

Just game after game I continued to click with my quarterback and more offers rolled in and here I am now.”

On his decision to come to Notre Dame, Cameron added that he thought this was a good opportunity for him to prove what he was able to do on the field.

“I have a history of injuries at ASU and at that point, I felt like my opportunities there were kind of limited,” Smith said. “So, the coaches that were at ASU are now here — some of them — and I felt like coming here, I would have an opportunity to display what I’ve already showed back then, before I was injured because that’s what they saw. I just felt they would know what I’m capable of doing.”

The ASU wide receiver managed to make the All-Pac-12 FirstTeam and Second-Team squads while playing for the Sun Devils, but Smith says that those accomplishments don’t mean much to

him. Football, he says, is more about personal growth than it is anything else.

“The rewards never really got my attention too much,” Smith said. “I just try to handle my business on and off the field, and whatever happened, happened. I appreciate it but, it’s not the end goal for me; it’s just more about bettering myself, the accolades and awards never really had been a focal point. I play football because it gives me an opportunity to show my growth essentially, day-by-day progression type of deal. That’s what I think life is all about, just growing.”

With that in mind, it is no surprise that Smith’s favorite experience at Notre Dame has been becoming a part of the brotherhood of the football team.

“Honestly, just going through the grind with my teammates [has been my favorite part],” Smith said. “We have tough workouts so, just being able to see my brothers on my left and right sticking together and going through difficult times and enjoying the triumphs have been my favorite moments.”

Apart from football, Cameron has found a passion for bodybuilding, a product of being sidelined for the entire 2015 season at ASU due to injury.

“Bodybuilding man, I’m really into bodybuilding,” Smith said.

“When I got hurt that 2015 year that’s all I did, like three times a day I was in the gym, lifting. After football, that’s what I plan to do.”

In respect to that 2015 season, Cameron commented on how tough that season was for him adding that he grew mentally from it.

“Yeah, it [was] very tough, staying on the sideline is not fun at all once you’ve already been out on the field,” Smith said. “I was itching to get back on the field and just play some football. [Mental growth is] inevitable in my opinion. If your heart is into it, I think you learn things not being on the field and just watching other players play.”

Smith provided some final thoughts about his gratitude for an opportunity to play for the Irish and his hope that he can get back on the field, after recovering from a current injury.

“I’m just grateful that I was given an opportunity to come here and I appreciate everyone who has supported me through the tough times,” Smith said. “I’ve missed a couple of games now so I kind of feel like I haven’t been contributing the way I should have but, I hope that soon, very soon, I can get back out on the field.”

Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu

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Montgomery vanGorder | qb | buford, georgia

VanGorder embraces role as holder, leader

By MIA BERRY Sports Writer

Although he hasn’t been on the field for many offensive plays during his career, senior quarterback Montgomery VanGorder still plays an important role for Notre Dame.

As the main signaler for the offense, VanGorder has been relaying plays in his red visor to the Irish over the past four years.

When VanGorder first entered Notre Dame in 2014, he was a walkon quarterback with aspirations of seeing the field in any capacity that he could. Aside from being a signal caller on the sideline, Van Gorder has earned his way onto the field as a holder for the Irish. Although it’s been in a smaller role compared

to his initial dream of being a starting quarterback for the Irish, VanGorder’s team-first mindset is the reason Brian Kelly has entrusted him with the responsibility of being the team signaler. “… [I wanted to] help the football team any way I could as a scout team quarterback, and I worked my way up to be a holder,“ the senior said. ”Obviously, you want to be a starting quarterback, but I mean I came in as a walk-on originally. I always work as hard as I can to get as high on the depth chart as I can. At the same time, I just what to do whatever I can to help us win. “[Holding] is something I had set my sights on when I first got here, and getting to do it just gives me another job, and it helps me have

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Senior quarterback Montgomery VanGorder, left, holds the ball for an extra point in Notre Dame’s 48-37 win over Wake Forest on Nov. 4.

a bigger role in victories. I know it gets overlooked every now and then, but every time I get on the field we have the opportunity to put points on the board.”

VanGorder’s current role as a holder for the Irish is a transition from his freshman year as a scout team quarterback for the Irish.

His promotion for the Irish comes with newfound privileges that VanGorder believes has further expanded his mentality of always helping the team.

“My freshman year when I was on the scout team I didn’t really get to sit in on the meetings like with the game plan … that was something I missed out on,“ VanGorder said. ”As a signaler, you have to be in there because you have to know everyone’s job. You have to know if that’s a motion on this play or if the quarterback needs to be under center or in the shotgun for one play … or just another set of eyes for Brandon [Wimbush], or whoever might be in, to see what the coverage is, things like that. So I get to sit in on the meetings now and see the game plan and sometimes I give input and help the guys when they get on the field.”

While reflecting on his career at Notre Dame, VanGorder believes that the best part of being a part of the Irish football team is the tradition and legacy that comes with putting on the jersey, in addition to the camaraderie with his

teammates.

“The most important thing to me is my teammates,“ VanGorder said. ”I’ve created a lot of good relationships with those guys in the locker room, and those are some relationships I will carry out in my entire life — just the guys the culture and the atmosphere that we’ve created here its second to none.”

As a senior signal caller for the Irish, VanGorder has used the lessons he’s learned from previous Notre Dame quarterbacks to take underclassmen under his wing, especially sophomore Ian Book and freshman Avery Davis.

“When I first got here I was with Everett Golson, and I got to see a lot of quarterbacks come through in my time — him, Malik [Zaire], then DeShone [Kizer]. So I got to pick up on their tendencies, good and bad,“ he said. ”So when you have a guy like Ian come in and a guy like Avery come in, you try to take them under your wing and teach them as much as you know and as much as you can. And you get to see those guys come a long way. Both Ian and Avery have come a long way since they’ve come on campus, and I’m excited to see what they do once I’m gone.“ Aside from his father Brian’s tenure at Notre Dame, VanGorder has forged his own path at Notre Dame, and wants to be known primarily for that, not his father’s stint as an Irish defensive coordinator.

“Obviously when I first got here my dad was the defensive coordinator, but I think I was able to build my own path and friendships and being involved things around campus just trying to create a work ethic with the team,” he said.

The next path for VanGorder isn’t clear yet, but he is determined to continue to make a name for himself. VanGorder will graduate in the spring with a degree in management consulting, but doesn’t envision his future working for a management consulting firm or primarily using his degree for that matter.

“I wanted to have my major as a fallback plan because it teaches you good leadership skills,” he said.

“But I [have] always wanted to be a coach.”

Whether his first coaching job is a graduate assistant coaching job at Notre Dame or a coaching job in his native state of Georgia, VanGorder will be happy for the opportunity.

As his final season for the Irish comes to a close, VanGorder is simply grateful for all of his opportunities “I just want to say thank you to my teammates, my family, my friends — everyone who’s helped me be successful here and get to where I am today,” VanGorder said.

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

Nick Watkins | cb | Desoto, texas

Watkins takes on crucial role in senior season

By MIA BERRY Sports Writer

When Nick Watkins stepped onto the practice field his junior season, he had hopes of earning a starting position in the secondary for the Irish. But eight practices into the spring football season, Watkins snapped his arm, and was rushed to the hospital where surgery was performed that same day to insert plates and screws, casting a doubt over the coming season.

The corner eyed a return to the field during the summer, but his arm stopped healing. After a stem bone marrow treatment, Watkins and coach Kelly were hopeful he would return for the Michigan State game that season, but that never happened. Additional plates and screws were inserted into his arm, and Watkins’ arm injury forced him out for the season.

Watkins road to recover from his broken arm to his current staring position wasn’t as simple as Watkins’ had hope it would be, but he is thankful for the Notre Dame coaches and trainers that helped him get back to where he wanted to be.

“If I didn’t play football I would’ve been fine, but since I play football it didn’t feel healed enough to where I could go on the field and contribute,” Watkins said. “... It feels good to accomplish

one of my goals. I feel like it’s put me one step closer to my dream of playing in the NFL. “... The whole process was just hard and frustrating because I couldn’t do the things that I wanted to do, but credit to Coach Balis for helping me get the muscle back in my left arm even though it was panful due to the scar tissue hindering me from lifting. But we have great trainers and strength coaches that really helped me get through that.”

Watkins’ strong football pedigree drew him into the sport as a young child. His father, Bobby Watkins, played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions from 1982 to 1988, and his brother Bobby III played defensive back at Air Force.

In 2014, Watkins came to Notre Dame as a heralded recruit from DeSoto, Texas, an Under Armour All-American that held multiple offers to a number of top programs across the country. In the end, Watkins chose to continue his football career Notre Dame, especially due to the opportunities a Notre Dame education offers.

Heading into his freshman season for the Irish, Watkins wanted to help the team on the field.

“The goal I set for my self was to pretty much just get on the field,“ he said. “Nothing too crazy, just to get on the field and not just to play special teams— to play defense as

well.”

In his sophomore year, Watkins earned his first start on defense for the Irish in Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State on New Years Day. After a long recovery from his broken arm, Watkins is a currently a starting safety on defense. This season, Watkins has amassed 26 tackles and eight pass defenses in only 10 games this season. While on the field, the senior‘s mindset while playing in the secondary mimics a defensive checklist by defensive backs coach Todd Lyght.

“Coach Lyght always says alignment, assignment, technique and effort. So I go through that checklist throughout the play. But I also just say to myself if the ball’s thrown my way, either I catch it or it’s a pass breakup,” Watkins said.

Now in a senior leadership role, Watkins’ advice to younger players is simply to just have fun.

“I embrace [leadership] by just telling them to have fun, embrace playing the game and not to take it too seriously—because once you take it too seriously, you’re putting pressure on yourself,” Watkins said. “Just have fun with it like you’re a kid. It’s just a game.”

Watkins will graduate this winter with a degree in management consulting from Mendoza, and plans on pursuing a fifth year before ultimately starting the draft process for the NFL.

PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer

Irish senior cornerback Nick Watkins holds off a blocker during Notre Dame’s 52-17 win over Miami (OH) on Sept. 30.

When his career does come to an end for Watkins, he wants to be known for bringing joy to people and being himself.

“I want them to remember me as the guy in the locker room who always laughed and joked around,” Watkins said. ”I don’t think there hasn’t been a day where I wasn’t smiling. I just want people to remember me as having fun and being myself.”

As Watkins’ career at Notre Dame winds down, he wants to thank everyone who has encouraged and helped him throughout

difficulties in his Notre Dame career.

“I want to thank Coach Kelly for giving me the opportunity to come up here and play Notre Dame football by offering me a scholarship. I just want to thank him for believing in me throughout my whole career here, throughout all the ups and downs. I want to also thank my teammates for making every day fun and the locker room a hilarious experience.”

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

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25

Nic Weishar | TE | Midlothian, Illinois

Weishar thrives on field in senior season

By MIA BERRY Sports Writer

The Irish fake the run and sophomore quarterback Ian Book passes to a wide open Nic Weishar. Touchdown.

His second touchdown of his career the first one coming against Temple several weeks prior. Weishar used one word to describe his touchdowns: awesome.

In his senior year, tight end Nicholas “Nic” Weishar has finally earned his spot on the field for the Irish. In only ten game this season, Weishar has matched his career receptions and has caught the first two touchdowns of his career, most recently against Wake Forest.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” Weishar said on scoring against the Demon Deacons. “Obviously there’s nothing like getting into the end zone it’s really cool, and having all your teammates come hug you after is an awesome experience.”

But the Chicago native’s journey to catching touchdowns in front of thousands of fans wasn’t a direct one.

Before committing to the Irish, Weishar was an Army All-American and four-star tight end at Marist High School. Weishar recalls developing his love for football from his two older brothers, and Weishar committed to Notre Dame over the likes of Ohio State, Oklahoma and Michigan.

“Notre Dame was just the perfect fit for me,” Weishar said. “I’m pretty close to home. I’m from Chicago, so not too far of a drive for everyone to come to a game.

Just the combination of the

athletic tradition and academics as well is what really attracted me here.”

Weishar redshirted his first season at Notre Dame, and started off his college career as a valuable member of the scout team while he strived to get better with the hopes of one day seeing the field. He remembers his redshirt year as difficult, but looking back he also realizes it was beneficial to him in the long run.

“It was definitely hard especially coming from high school where you know you’ve been making a lot of plays in the last four years.

You’re the big man on campus, but coming in here you have to get humbled a little bit. I think every freshman needs that,” Weishar said.

“I kind of took the mindset that I was on the scout team and I wanted to make our own defenses as good as they could be. For me personally, I wanted to get better playing against great defenses — every practice helped me get better, and obviously the weight room helped me make great strides as well. It was a really beneficial year for me.”

When enrolling in Notre Dame almost four years ago, Weishar created goals that he had hoped to accomplish over his Notre Dame career.

“My goals on the field were to just be doing what I can to find a way on the field anyway possible. My freshman year I ended up getting redshirted and the year after that I was able to play a lot of tight end, and that was a great thing for thing for me.

Obviously, the goal is to win a National Championship has always been a goal too,” Weishar explained. “Off the

field would be to continue to grow as a man, and do well in school. It’s been good I think most of my goals have been reached so far. So it’s been a great time.”

Weishar is far removed from his redshirt days, as he has contributed on offense for the last three seasons, but he believes he will never fully get used playing in front of thousands of spectators on a weekly basis.

“It’s awesome, and it’s hard to describe. It’s kind of the feeling when you’re out there you’re not really thinking about it, but it when you rewatch the game on tv you’re thinking ‘Holy Cow! A million people just saw that.’ It’s a surreal feeling for sure,” Weishar said.

It’s no coincidence that Weishar is thriving in his senior year, especially since the hiring of offensive coordinator Chip Long, who is known for his two tight end system.

Weishar admires the presence Long has brought to the locker room in his lone season with the Irish, and as a senior he’s finally embracing his leadership role within his position.

“It’s been awesome. The offense does feature a lot of two tight end sets which is something pretty cool and unique about us,“ he said. “[Long’s] come in and brought a different culture to the locker room. You know it’s a lot of fun listening to him, and everyone respects him so much, but he also knows how to have fun in the locker room too. It’s a pretty cool combination between everybody.

“This year has been great, obviously Durham [Smythe] and I, the older guys in the

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior tight end Nic Weishar celebrates after scoring a touchdown in Notre Dame’s 48-37 win over Wake Forest on Nov. 4.

room, so to say we have a little bit of a leadership role there, bringing the younger guys Brock [Wright] and Cole [Kmet] in and taking them under our wing and leading and showing them what a Notre Dame tight end is supposed to be. It’s been an awesome experience and obviously Alize [Mack] has been around too. We have a great group of guys.”

In the spring, Weishar will graduate a with a degree in finance from Mendoza College of Business. Currently, he has a fifth year of eligibility stemming from him redshirting his freshman year. If he were to take a fifth year he would apply for Notre Dame MBA

program to further the possibility of a future in finance.

The senior hasn’t ruled out the possibility of going to the NFL, and would love to continue his football career at a higher level.

As his career comes to a close, Weishar only hopes he’s made a mark here at Notre Dame.

“I want my legacy to be someone who was a great teammate, a man of integrity and just someone that people could always count on to either brighten their day or lead them in the right direction.”

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior tight end Nic Weishar takes the ball upfield during Notre Dame’s 48-37 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 4 at Notre Dame Stadium. Weishar has two touchdown receptions this season.

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Insider

The observer | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

recruiting

Irish set for final home recruitment weekend

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Editor

No. 8 Notre Dame will have its final chance to show recruits what it has to offer at home this season Saturday as the Irish take on Navy.

Notre Dame (8-2) will have some ground to make up with recruits after its blowout loss to Miami (FL) last weekend. The Hurricanes knocked the Irish out of contention for the College Football Playoffs in front a number of recruits who were on their official visits to Miami but also have Notre Dame on their radars.

According to Blue and Gold recruiting analyst David McKinney, one loss should not be too detrimental to Notre Dame’s pursuit of recruits, as most high schoolers are able to look past one poor showing.

“It’s only one loss, obviously it was a blowout, that’s not what they wanted to do on the national stage as a top-10 team, but I think a lot of these kids, most of these kids are smart enough to not hang their hat on one loss,” McKinney said. “So, I don’t think it will have a huge negative connotation, but there were a lot of recruits there visiting Miami, who obviously saw Miami be better than Notre Dame that night, but in the long run, I don’t know if it will have a huge, huge effect.”

Miami followed a similar strategy to one that Notre Dame frequently employs in marquee matchups and brought in a number of recruits who are also looking at the Irish. This paid off for the Hurricanes, as the Irish struggled mightily. McKinney said in order to make up for this performance in front of recruits, the Irish need to win out and focus on getting to a New Year’s Six bowl.

“You just keep winning, close the season strong, go to a New Year’s Six Bowl, beat Navy, beat Stanford,” McKinney said. “Obviously, the Playoffs are pretty much out of the picture unless absolute chaos happens, but they beat Navy, they beat Stanford, they go to a New Year’s Six Bowl, they’re looking a lot better coming off the season than they were last year, when they were sort of limping to signing day — losing recruits like Pete Werner and Elijah Hicks and Paulson Adebo. This year, I don’t think they’re going to have that situation after the season where guys are backing off their pledges. I really don’t see that happening. So just win these last two games, go to a good bowl game and win that game, and I think that’ll speak for itself.”

The Irish did not pick up any commitments this week after gaining a verbal commitment from three-star corner Joe Wilkins Jr. the previous week and three-star wide receiver Geordon Porter the week before. McKinney noted this week’s lack of commits is likely not as much due to the squad’s showing at Miami, but can simply be attributed to the fact that the recruiting season is reaching a slowing point for many athletes who plan on holding out on their decision.

“I don’t think the loss has

anything to do with it,” McKinney said. “It’s kind of getting down to the point where kids are making decisions, but a lot of them will hold off until mid-February.

[Notre Dame] got three commitments over the last month, so it’s been kind of a quick time. A lot of times, things get really fast for a bit of time and things slow down a lot. I think from Aug. 11 was when Kevin Austin committed, then I don’t think they had another commitment until Paul Moala on Oct. 22. In recruiting, sometimes things are going really fast and sometimes things are going really slow. It’s kind of a cyclical thing.”

Looking forward to this weekend, four of the nation’s top recruits will be on campus.

“Probably the biggest name is Payton Wilson, who is a four-star linebacker. He’s in the top 250, from North Carolina,” McKinney said.

“He’s committed to the University of North Carolina, but he’s taking visits, Notre Dame obviously being one of them. He’s got a really good relationship with [Irish linebackers coach] Clark Lea and [defensive coordinator] Mike Elko, who recruited him when they were at Wake Forest, so that’s carrying over and that’s been very important to him. So, he is kind of the marquee name for this weekend for the class of 2018.

“And then for 2019, there’s two guys to really keep an eye on. One is Joseph Anderson, he’s a four-star defensive end from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He’s obviously important. He really likes Notre Dame.

This is his second visit this year and his third visit overall to Notre Dame and I think Notre Dame has a really, really good shot with him.

Then there’s John Olmstead, he’s a 2019 offensive tackle. I think Notre

Dame is in very good position with him. He’s from New Jersey, so a state that Notre Dame obviously makes a priority. They’ve got three guys in the class of 2018 committed out of the state of New Jersey.”

Three-star tight end Tommy Tremble will also be returning to campus this weekend for an unofficial visit, just weeks after making his official visit at the USC game.

“We’ve thought for a long time that Notre Dame is the leader and I expect Tommy Tremble to be in the class when all is said and done,” McKinney said. “Whether that happens sooner or later, we don’t have an exact read on. He wants to take other visits. He’s got visits set up to Michigan and UCLA, but he’s coming back to Notre Dame on his own dime less than a month after making his official visit, so I think that should be really all you need to know.”

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This weekend will be Notre Dame’s last chance to seal the deal with any potential commits with a home game.

“I think any time there’s an atmosphere like that [in playing Navy], that’s a positive and obviously they’re wearing those alternate uniforms, some guys are into those, some guys aren’t, but you know, I think that will catch the eye of various guys coming into town,” McKinney said. “It’s the last home game, I think they’ll probably play into the tradition and the atmosphere of everything and just kind of that aura that Notre Dame gives off. Obviously, with this being it for those seniors, I think they’ll kind of be into that a little bit, talking to these recruits, ‘You’ll be doing this in four years,’ stuff like that.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 17, 2017 | The Observer

Triple-option offense set to test Irish defense

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Former Navy quarterback Will Worth tries to juke Irish junior safety Nick Coleman in Notre Dame’s 28-27 loss to Navy on Nov. 3, 2016.

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

When Notre Dame’s defense watches film of opposing teams, it sees a lot of different looks from week to week. But this week, Notre Dame won’t see spread offense or read-option looks that have become commonplace in college football.

Instead, Notre Dame (8-2) will see the same offense it’s seen for much of its last 91 meetings with Navy (6-3, 4-3 AAC) — the triple option.

“First of all, it’s about getting back to our traits, and you have to have an incredible attention to detail when you play Navy and their offense,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. “I think everybody knows quite well how prolific they are and how difficult they are to stop. They do things offensively that teams each and every week struggle to defend.”

While Navy’s offensive system is generally a known-quantity, who will quarterback that offense on Saturday is up in the air.

Navy started the year with junior Zach Abey as the signal caller, and he has over 700 rushing yards on the season. But Abey injured his shoulder during the fourth quarter of Navy’s contest with Temple two weeks ago, and so Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo had sophomore slotback Malcolm Perry play the quarterback position versus SMU last week.

Perry ran wild for 282 yards and four touchdowns, but he twisted his ankle toward the end of the game.

“Malcolm for his first start, he played phenomenal,” Niumatalolo said during Monday’s teleconference. “He wasn’t perfect, didn’t get everything right, but provided the spark we were looking for. … he’s the best ball carrier in all my years of being here.”

Should Perry and Abey both be unavailable, junior Garret Lewis — who led the Midshipmen to

a game-winning field goal drive against SMU — would be Navy’s next best option. On Monday, Niumatalolo said the team has to wait and see the extent of Perry’s ankle injury as to whether or not he can start versus Notre Dame.

“There’s clearly a little bit of difference in terms of who they are with their quarterback situation,” Kelly said. “So just looking at their numbers, Zach right now is their leading rusher, and if you go by just looking at that, you’d say, all right, how do you defend him? He’s difficult in itself, but Malcolm Perry runs for over 200, and they rush for 556. So you’ve got two quarterbacks of different style, but one’s the leading rusher that didn’t play last week because he’s banged up, and then Malcolm Perry comes in and rushes for over 200.

“So, obviously, you have to be able to play the triple option. You still have to be able to play both of them out, and that’s what makes them very difficult to defend.”

Whoever starts at quarterback will be asked to carry the ball a lot.

Navy is the nation’s leading rushing offense, averaging just under 370 yards on the ground each game. Navy is also one of only five teams with more rushing yards per game than Notre Dame.

But for the Irish, Navy’s total yardage may not pose as much of a problem as its time of possession. Last season, Navy defeated Notre Dame 28-27 and controlled the ball for 33:53, and wound down the final 7:29 off the clock in the fourth quarter with the game in the balance. The Irish only managed six offensive possessions and scored on five of them, but still fell short.

“Offensively, we have to be able to score,” Kelly said. “Last year, obviously, we scored, but we didn’t score touchdowns. You have to score touchdowns. You have to finish off your drives. You have to be extremely efficient, and that’s what their offense forces you to do is to be extremely efficient on offense.”

The way to get more chances with the ball, Kelly said, is to play better defense.

“Get off the field defensively, right? It starts there,” Kelly said.

“So each year you look at what you’re doing defensively, and we’ve been much better on third down, much better taking the football away. We’ve got to get back to playing that kind of defense where we’re much more aggressive. We’re defeating individual blocks and making plays on third down to get off the field.

We need more than six possessions. Six possessions is not going to do it. It’s too razor thin.”

With six wins, Navy has reached bowl eligibility for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons, but the season had a chance to be truly special for the Midshipmen.

Navy started the year with five straight wins, but lost three weeks in a row, before a close win over SMU last week.

But no matter Navy’s record, Niumatalolo’s squad has given the Irish fits in recent years.

Notre Dame beat Navy in each game from 1964-2006. Since a Midshipmen win in triple-overtime in 2007, however, Navy has won the matchup in 2009, 2010 and 2016. Even in Notre Dame’s wins in 2009 and 2010, Navy put up 36.5 points a game.

One recent addition that should help the Irish slow down the triple option is defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Kelly said one of the things he looked for in a new defensive coordinator was the ability to coach against the triple option.

“His background is that he’s had to stop option teams before, Georgia Southern,” Kelly said of Elko. “He’s been in the option system. That was something that we vetted out in the interviewing process. So very comfortable with what we’ll be doing in terms of — this isn’t a defensive coordinator that’s coming in inexperienced in terms of stopping the option.”

But while Elko has experience against triple-option teams, Navy’s offense falls into its own category in terms of giving different looks, Kelly said.

“They have so many different formations, so many different looks,” Kelly said of the Navy offense. “They made a change obviously at the quarterback position, you know, after the Temple game.

They had a bye week, and they made a change there, and that made a huge difference to their running game.

“Clearly, they are always looking to make some adjustments, and you have to be prepared for every look for the last 10 years.

They did some things against us two years ago that we hadn’t seen in six, seven years. So you have to be able to adjust and sometimes adjust on the fly.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

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commentary

Next two games define ND’s year Ben Padanilam Editor-in-Chief

41-8. Safe to say no one saw that one coming — at least not like that.

The result was surprising — as a team in the thick of the playoff picture potentially controlling its own destiny, Notre Dame was expected to do much better than a 33-point defeat to a team it was favored to beat on the road.

So yes, Saturday night’s performance was disappointing.

But what wasn’t surprising — but was equally disappointing — was the quick, negative reaction from fans across social media. Some were quick to crucify then-No. 3 Notre Dame, calling the season a failure with its College Football Playoff hopes essentially dead. Others called for head coach Brian Kelly to get fired or leave of his own accord.

Now those reactions were and still are, by definition, overreactions.

When the season started, the Irish (8-2) were coming off an extremely disappointing 4-8 season and expectations were relatively low. The team was unranked, not expected to even be in the Playoff picture and hoping to build a foundation for a brighter future.

Personally, I figured in the spring when our sports staff made its annual season predictions that this team would be 8-4 heading into its bowl game — with losses to Georgia, USC and Miami (FL) at this point.

Sitting at No. 8 in the latest edition of the Playoff rankings and a strong chance at a New Year’s Six bowl game, Notre Dame has exceeded those expectations thus far.

And, for the most part, the Irish have showed themselves capable of playing to the standard which has defined this season — embodying the buzz phrases such as “laser focus” and “attention to detail” written on the walls of the auditorium in the team’s practice facility.

So no, no one should outright dismiss this season as unsuccessful or call for the head of its head coach after Saturday’s loss.

But there is a flip side to that.

Underlying the bevy of social media overreactions is very real and very fair concern for what transpired in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday. The conclusions being drawn might not be realistic, but that doesn’t mean the blowout defeat can be altogether dismissed.

Because it is fair to say expectations for this team changed. By entering the game 8-1 and ranked third in the country, Notre Dame was expected to come away from Hard Rock Stadium with a win, and there was nothing unreasonable about that.

A loss to an undefeated and

talented Miami team shouldn’t have been altogether surprising; but a 33-point shellacking warrants criticism.

It can’t be ignored the Irish came in with a poor offensive game plan — they knew Miami’s defensive front was defined by its speed, but they countered with slow-developing run plays and read options.

And when those inevitably stunted the run game against the fast front, the Irish were forced to ask junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush to carry them with his arm, a task he was altogether unready for.

On the defensive side, the Irish missed several tackles and looked soft up the middle. They allowed the Hurricanes — particularly redshirt-junior quarterback Malik Rosier and sophomore running back Travis Homer — to move the ball with ease, just as they allowed Wake Forest to do so in the fourth quarter of its last game.

It doesn’t matter so much that Notre Dame lost to Miami; rather, it matters much more how they lost.

Because that standard I just said the Irish have played to all season so far? It wasn’t played to Saturday.

And that’s why Notre Dame’s next two games are so important.

In it’s last five quarters of play, Notre Dame has failed to play to the standard it set in its previous 27 quarters. And that’s a significant problem when Kelly has said all season — including in the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat — Notre Dame’s “one mission” entering this season was to redefine the standard for football at Notre Dame and to play to that standard.

If that statement is true, then Notre Dame’s goals haven’t changed, even if its prospects of competing for a Playoff appearance have.

So this weekend’s game against Navy offers a new test for Notre Dame; because at least in Georgia, the Irish can say that attempted to play to their undeveloped standard and just narrowly missed out on a victory against an elite team.

The same can’t be said for their loss to Miami.

So, just as my colleague Marek Mazurek previously said, Notre Dame’s season is far from over — and in some ways, it’s most important games are still ahead of it.

Because they’ve lost sight of their standard as of late, and they have a chance to rediscover it starting with Saturday’s Senior Day game against Navy.

For although Notre Dame’s season outlook has changed, the standard it plays to in every game — its “one mission” for this season — shouldn’t.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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