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History of the matchup: Notre Dame vs. FSU
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
When the college football season began back in late August, many fans reasonably dreamed about this Saturday’s contest between Florida State and No. 10 Notre Dame. The Seminoles had come off an undefeated regular season and entered the year ranked in Notre Dame’s current position. The Irish came in ranked three spots ahead of Florida State. Add in a primetime Nov. 9 date, huge playoff implications and the prospects of a College Gameday appearance, and the hype was all there.
Forget that. At this point, it looks as if Florida State will end up the worst team Notre Dame plays at home this season. The Seminoles enter South Bend at 1-8 and on a five-game losing skid. They have been dreadful, hence their 25.5-point underdog status for Saturday’s game.
Barring a major letdown from the Irish, we don’t have much to look forward to in terms of competitiveness here. But at least there’s a historical significance to this matchup. Here’s a look back at the 11-game history of the Florida State-Notre Dame series.
Series overview
Notre Dame and Florida State first met in South Bend on October 10, 1981, when the Seminoles won by a 19-13 score. Since then, the Irish and Seminoles have met 10 more times, with Florida State
holding a narrow lead of 6-5 in the overall series. They’ve faced off in two postseason contests, the 1996 Orange Bowl and the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl. Florida State won both games. Notre Dame has been the better team as of late, having won all three matchups with the Seminoles since 2018.
Combined, Florida State and Notre Dame have produced 14 claimed national titles, 17 unclaimed national championships, 10 Heisman winners and 154 consensus All-Americans.
Greatest games: 1993 and 2002
If creatures from another planet were to visit The Observer and ask what this “college football” thing is all about, I would show them the scenes of Nov. 13, 1993. This day pitted No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame, two unbeaten squads, against one another in the “Game of the Century.”
It all started with the first onthe-scene episode of ”College Gameday”, which set up shop inside the Joyce Center lobby. NBC also aired a lengthy intro for the game that captured the quest of young football players to partake in games like the one held in South Bend on Nov. 13. The buildup? Unheard of. The game itself didn’t disappoint, either. Notre Dame jumped out to a sizable lead early on the shoulders of a 100-yard rushing effort from Lee Becton. The Irish would carry a 31-17 advantage into the fourth quarter, but Florida State
and soon-to-be Heisman quarterback Charlie Ward weren’t done yet. The Seminoles engineered a scoring drive to move within seven points, stopped the Irish on three plays and earned one last chance to reach the end zone and stay alive. With three seconds left, Florida State snapped the ball from the 14yard line and threw to the goal line, but Shawn Wooden batted the pass down, winning the game 31-24 for Notre Dame.
For the sake of our Notre Damesupporting readers, we won’t talk about what happened a week later. We will, however, talk about 2002.
In that season, Notre Dame went down to Tallahassee at 7-0 and ranked No. 6 in the country. No. 11 Florida State, however, entered the game as the favorite by a doubledigit point total. In terms of yardage, the Seminoles outdid the Irish by a 418-301 margin, but four Florida State turnovers and 11 Seminole penalties put Notre Dame in position to snatch a victory. The Irish did exactly that, winning 34-24 to enter November at 8-0.
Unfortunately for the Irish, the season fizzled out into a 10-3 record, setting up for an ugly 2003. During that year, Florida State went back into South Bend and pummeled Notre Dame with a 37-0 shutout.
Greatest games: 2014 and 2021
In 2014, a year after Florida State’s national championship, the No. 5 Irish and No. 2 Seminoles met on
the biggest stage we’ve seen them on together since 1993. The midOctober scenes at Doak Campbell Stadium were remarkable. Osceola planting the spear at midfield. The Tomahawk Chop raining down from a crowd of 82,431. Brian Kelly and the Irish waiting impatiently in an air-tight visitors’ tunnel rivaled only by that of Notre Dame Stadium.
Notre Dame certainly appeared unfazed by the environment to start, finding the end zone later in the first quarter to go up 7-0. The Seminoles wouldn’t take long to answer, and the game would remain close all night. Reigning Heisman winner Jameis Winston and Notre Dame’s Everett Golson put on a quality show of quarterback play, battling to a stunning finish. It happened with 13 seconds left, when the Irish trailed by four and hit Corey Robinson for a 2-yard touchdown to seemingly win the game. The officials, however, ruled that Will Fuller used an illegal pick play to free up the scorer. Backed up to fourth and goal from the 18, Golson threw an interception that sealed Florida State’s 31-27 victory.
Seven years later, Notre Dame would return to Tallahassee and begin the 2021 season on a Sunday night in Florida State’s house.
Excitement abounded for both the ninth-ranked Irish, who had made the College Football Playoff a year earlier, and the Seminoles, ready to snap their rebuild in Mike Norvell’s second season.
Barely more than two minutes
into the game, Notre Dame set the tone with a 42-yard passing touchdown from debuting quarterback Jack Coan to star tight end Michael Mayer on fourth down. Notre Dame would eventually pull away to a 38-20 lead in the fourth quarter, only for Florida State to rally furiously. Riding the feel-good story of backup quarterback McKenzie Milton, who entered the game after suffering a tragic leg injury at UCF two years earlier, the Seminoles scored 18 points in less than 14 minutes to force overtime.
To start overtime, Florida State would miss its 37-yard field goal, leaving Notre Dame a shot to win the game by simply scoring points. The Irish would get it done, escaping Tallahassee and a 41-yard make by Jonathan Doerer. After the game, Kelly spoke with ABC’s Katie George on the field and hilariously butchered John McKay’s line about favoring his team’s execution.
“I’m in favor of execution,” Kelly said with a straight face. “Maybe our entire team needs to be executed after tonight.”
Florida State most recently visited South Bend in 2018 and 2020. Notre Dame reached the College Football Playoff in both of those seasons, hanging 42 points on the Seminoles in both games.
This weekend, the Irish hope to follow a similar blueprint — blow out Florida State and, eventually, make the 12-team playoff.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Mitchell will show FSU what they’re missing
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Kris Mitchell always had his eyes on Florida State. The Notre Dame graduate wide receiver grew up in the area of Jacksonville, Florida, attending high school within three hours of Doak Campbell Stadium.
“Florida State was definitely my dream school, definitely my favorite school,” Mitchell recalled after Tuesday’s practice. “Growing up watching EJ Manuel, Jameis Winston — it’s always been a dream of mine to play there.”
After watching the Seminoles capture a national championship at age 13, Mitchell suited up for Mandarin High School and took his best run at a Florida State offer. In his senior season of 2018, he shined with 11 touchdowns, leading Mandarin to a state championship as the team’s Offensive MVP.
But the Seminoles remained out of his inbox. Mitchell’s gamechanging speed drew plenty of interest, but his narrow frame kept many of the bigger programs off his trail. At 6-foot-1
and 150 points upon graduating from Mandarin, Mitchell ranked beneath some 200 prospects in the state of Florida.
Rather than heading west on Interstate 10 out of Jacksonville, Mitchell turned south on I-95 to begin his college career at Florida International. After arriving in Miami in 2019, he would have to wait his turn. Mitchell redshirted as a freshman, then started two games as a sophomore, then three as a junior. Finally, in 2022, signs of his breakout began to show as started eight times and accumulated 348 receiving yards.
Last year, it all came together for Mitchell in his final season at FIU. Having filled out into a 185-pound frame, he broke FIU’s single-season record for receiving yards with 1,118, bypassing Tyrese Chamber and four-time NFL Pro Bowler T.Y. Hilton.
That success put him on the move to South Bend, where he’s played patiently in his debut season at Notre Dame. It took a little while for the Irish offense to get going back in September, and
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Graduate wide receiver Kris Mitchell (10) secures the catch and cradles the ball as he hits the turf during Notre Dame’s 31-13 defeat of Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct. 19, 2024.
KRIS MITCHELL FEATURE
Dowd leads post-election prayer service
Prayer service calls for unity amongst tri-campus community amidst the nation’s political divide
By MEGAN CORNELL News Writer
University President Fr. Robert Dowd and assistant vice president for Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick hosted a prayer service at Our Lady of The Lake Peace Plaza.
After an opening prayer and hymn, President Dowd read from 1 Corinthians 1:1017 before praying over the student body. “We come together after a hotly contested election across many differences, and we pray for peace: peace in our hearts, peace in
CFAM, DEI, OSIA host election discussion
By BERHAN HAGEZON
News Writer
On Wednesday evening from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Rice Commons, the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry (CFAM), the Division for Inclusion and Equity (DEI) and the Office for Student Involvement and Activity (OSIA) at Saint Mary’s College held a “Speak Your Truth Post Election" discussion. This event was intended as an opportunity for all students to have a reflective and open dialogue about the 2024 election with Saint Mary’s faculty and
peers in small groups.
CFAM’s assistant director for justice and solidarity Sarah Neitz, who organized the event, said the discussion was aimed to provide students a space to process the election cycle, while being open and respectful to all political perspectives involved.
“The purpose was to promote understanding and give everyone a space to speak and be listened to. It can sometimes be difficult to find people that you can talk to about your politics on campus, and when we all commit to listening to each other, then it creates a safe space
where you can speak what is on your mind, too,” Neitz said.
She explained the presence of SMC staff and faculty provided further professional support for students, including for student leaders that typically volunteer for similar events.
“A lot of the times we lean on student leaders to be able to facilitate events like this, but for something after a big election like this, we thought it was very important that we have professional staff and faculty facilitate so that all of the students can
Journalist, peace activist gives lecture on Ireland
By CAROLYN FREESE
News Writer
On Tuesday evening the Keough-Naughton Institute hosted Emma DeSouza, founder and co-facilitator of The Civic Initiative, to give a lecture titled “From Partition to Partnership: The Future of Ireland’s Peace Process.”
As a campaigner, journalist and peace activist, DeSouza used her experiences in peace work to discuss Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement (GFA).
DeSouza began her discussion on the current state of the peace process by outlining how interconnected
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are.
“The island of Ireland has never been more connected and more integrated than any other period post partition than it is today,” DeSouza said.
DeSouza then went on to
our minds as well as peace in our country,” Dowd said.
Dowd also prayed for unity and friendship. “We pray that we might have the courage to be bridge builders, each in our own way, and that our community, our country and our world be brought together in a greater sense of unity and communion,” Dowd said.
Dowd reflected on what unity and bridge building looks like in a divided political climate. First, he acknowledged that working in unity is difficult, and that total agreement is not the
goal. Instead, he called for students to find common ground in service to the common good. “Let us commit ourselves to a new work of bridge building,” Dowd said.
Students found Dowd’s push for unity hopeful.
Disheartened by the division on campus, freshman Connor Savage attended the prayer service to hear an optimistic message.
“There’s a lot of divisive rhetoric … and a big divide. What this prayer service was nailing home was that God
Zebrafish center studies genetics
By SOPHIA TRAN Staff Writer
When asked to describe the Center for Zebrafish Research (CZR), professor David Hyde, the memorial director of the research center, called it a “giant pet store.” The CZR, a 3,000 square-foot facility in the Galvin Life Science Center, houses about 100,000 zebrafish. As one of the largest zebrafish systems in the United State, the facility has been used extensively for biological research.
A few decades ago, Hyde helped to put in place Notre Dame’s first zebrafish tanks with the resources and space provided by Francis Castellino, the dean of the College of Science at the time. The first batch of zebrafish was received from University of Oregon Zebrafish Information Resource Center (ZIRC). Hyde discussed how zebrafish research facilities have
MEGAN CORNELL | The Observer
Students gathered at Our Lady of The Lake Peace Plaza for a unifying prayer service hosted by president Fr. Robert Dowd after the election.
SOPHIA TRAN | The Observer
Maria Iribarne, a senior researcher associate in the Hyde lab, has studied the genetic molecular pathways of zebrafish for six years.
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Leighton Concert Hall
8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Singing classical and popular songs.
Saint Mary’s vs North Central Angela Athletic
6 p.m.
Women’s basketball against North Central.
Panel Discussion: Child Development McKenna Hall
12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Forum about vulnerable youth.
Saints Lecture: St. Carlo Acutis Geddes Hall
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Learn about the Eucharist.
Film: “Annie” (2014)
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. A film following an orphan and her new
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have a chance to just be taken care of for a day,” Neitz said.
According to Neitz, the event was structured similar to synodal conversations that are typically held within Catholic churches globally. Through the concept of synodality, “everyone’s voices should be heard, and that should be a part of the way that we operate as an institution,” she said.
Neitz hopes that outside of the post-election discussion, students will practice both attentive listening of others and reflectiveness by being present and open-minded in the moment, even with conflicting perspectives.
“I think sometimes it’s not always possible to be able to affect how other people in your life are talking about politics, but it’s always possible to have an effect about how you’re listening to other people about politics — and bringing that spirit of expecting that someone might say something unexpected, bringing a sense of attentiveness and love to every conversation you have and a willingness to listen,” Neitz said.
Neitz encourages students to reach out to resources on campus if they would like additional support for their feelings on the election.
“All of the offices that facilitated this event, the Division for Inclusion and Equity, CFAM and OSIA are very open spaces to be able to come and talk about the election. All of our staff are here to be able to have conversations
Fish
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continual exchanges with one another in order to further research initiatives.
“The zebrafish community, which is quite large throughout the world, is very open and generous,” Hyde said. “We’ve gotten fish from all over the world. We’ve sent fish all over the world to other people who’ve asked for them, because we have some fish that basically were created here at Notre Dame [that] either contain specific mutations or express specific genes, [making] them unique in the world, so we’ve shared those with other labs."
With his own lab research focusing on the regeneration of retinal neurons, Hyde explained how the zebrafish serves as a favorable candidate for a variety of biological research experiments.
“From a single pair of fish, we can get up to 200 fertilized eggs per week,” Hyde explained. “If we want to do genetics, we can get large numbers of progeny.”
Because the female extrudes the egg, Hyde
like that, and we all love talking with students about the tough stuff in life,” Neitz noted.
Students that attended the event said the event was a beneficial experience for them in terms of reflection and being able to hear others’ opinions.
“I’m glad I really came here, because I think that everyone wanted to get something off their chest, and I just wanted to see how other people were feeling. We’re all affected, but I know other people are really passionate about it, and I wanted to hear them out,” freshman Suzette Hernandez said.
Junior Caitlin Price noted how the discussion opened a new type of dialogue and helped her meet new people.
“The group technique that we were doing, sitting in silence, being very reflective, I think that was incredibly beneficial in order to propel the conversation and offer some more dialogue that we didn’t think about. I loved listening to my group and meeting new people,” Price said. Neitz suggested to students that whether they did or did not like the results of the election, “hope is always found in action.”
“It’s found when you get together with other people and do a good thing. So keep having conversations like this. Keep being involved politically. Find ways to get involved in your community. Find ways to make the world that you want to see. Hope is in action, and that's part of who we are as a College,” she said
Contact Berhan Hadezon at bhagzom01@saintmarys.edu
explained, the embryonic occurs outside the female, which makes it easier to study.
“In addition, the developing embryo is transparent, so we can actually see internal organs, the heart, the brain and the kidney,” Hyde added. “We can see them develop, and we can see things happening with them.”
Aside from the zebrafish’s reproductive capabilities and transparent embryo, the zebrafish’s ability to regenerate cells has also proven essential in research.
Maria Iribarne, a senior researcher scientist in the Hyde lab, discussed the usefulness of zebrafish’s capacity for regeneration.
“They are super successful to regenerate,” Iribarne stated. “[We] try to understand how they can do it, understand all the molecular pathways. And the idea is, in the future, we will transfer that information and induce similar results in the mice or humans.”
With the zebrafish’s regenerative capabilities, a number of research projects have been performed in conjunction with the Center for Zebrafish Research. Andrew
Ireland
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
discuss the current challenges Northern Ireland continues to face in its peace process, despite being 26 years since the GFA. She described that the largest problem with the GFA is that it has never been fully implemented and the peace process is stagnant.
“What happens is, we make an agreement, we make commitments, and we don’t deliver on them.” she said. “We then reward those commitments, put them in a new agreement and then the cycle just continues where it doesn’t actually get implemented.”
DeSouza highlighted some most pressing issues Northern Ireland is facing as a result of the unfinished implementation of the GFA. Northern Ireland continues to experience religious segregation in housing and the education system as well as a high volume of young people leaving the area due to unfulfilled economic promises.
DeSouza explained why the departure of so many young people is especially concerning.
“Young people are often the drivers of change,” she said. “But there has not been enough done to equip the next generation of peace builders in Northern Ireland.”
DeSouza explained that another shortcoming of the
Button, a third-year graduate student in the Hyde lab, is one of the researchers conducting experiments with the zebrafish.
“My project involves creating a transgenic zebrafish line,” Button explained. “I've created a new transgene, a gene from another animal, and I put it into the zebrafish. A lot of what I work with is the people in the fish facility who help me keep certain fish lines that have different transgenes, so that we can use them for different experiments.”
In addition to conducting extensive research with the zebrafish, Hyde emphasized the importance of proper maintenance. Due to different genetic mutations, there are approximately 50 different zebrafish lines within the facility and this calls for specific procedures tailored to each type of fish.
“Some fish get fed three times a day. Some get fed two times a day,” Hyde stated. “We have outstanding animal technicians who take care of the fish, they monitor their health, they do the feeding and they help with some of the breeding of the fish.”
Aside from basic
GFA is persistent genderbased violence.
“Women are only mentioned twice in the Good Friday Agreement with no reference to gender based violence or the lived experiences of women conflict,” DeSouza said.
She opened her discussion on how to address the current injustices in North Ireland by noting that “positive peace is defined as a more lasting peace built on investment and economic developments as well as sustained institutions and attitudes that foster peace.”
She explained that a two-track approach of reform and implementation is needed to provide stability in Northern Ireland.
DeSouza underscored the importance of reform and a change in attitude that improvement is possible.
“It’s been seen as this will do,” DeSouza said. “That’s never the attitude you should have towards politics. You should always try and make it better.”
She stressed that civic engagement and a citizen’s ability to be part of policy change is a crucial aspect of reform. As part of the implementation process, DeSouza described that there needs to be a critical, independent analysis of implementation, then the development of an implementation strategy and finally an evaluation done by a third party monitor.
DeSouza went on to
maintenance for the zebrafish facility, the CZR also adheres to specific protocols when handling the zebrafish in experiments. Hyde explained how the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) must approve all procedures performed with the zebrafish to ensure ethical treatment of the animals.
“When we study traumatic brain injury, we basically anesthetize [the zebrafish], cause the traumatic brain injury and then monitor how they are recovering,” Hyde shared. “In the protocol that we write that has to be approved by the IACUC committee, we have to describe after we damage [the zebrafish] how we are going to monitor them to make sure that they're not in any sort of unnecessary pain or discomfort.”
Hyde continued to connect back to the zebrafish’s regenerative capabilities.
“In our case, because the fish regenerate, even though we blind them, even though we give them a traumatic brain injury, they regenerate their neurons, so that they're functioning perfectly normal within a matter of a couple weeks,” he said.
discuss public attitudes towards the border poll — a vote to either remain in the United Kingdom or create a united Ireland. She explained there is strong support for unification and polling has failed to show support for maintaining Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom.
DeSouza expressed that more dialogue and an island-wide assembly are one the most critical aspects of preparation.
“We need to be much more ambitious about reaching people in their communities,” DeSouza said. “The national dialogue model is much better at achieving that.”
Ultimately, DeSouza advocated for the Irish government to push harder for a united Ireland, especially in the upcoming election.
“There has been a lack of concerted efforts from the Irish government to turn this aspiration into a political objective,” DeSouza said.
She concluded the lecture portion of the event by explaining the unfulfilled need for political leaders of the peace process.
DeSouza left the audience with the question: “who will have the political courage to step up and prepare for a peaceful transition to a new, United Ireland? We’ll wait to see.”
Contact Carolyn Freese at cfreese2@nd.edu
With more interesting research projects in the near future, Hyde discussed his goal of increasing collaborations with other fish facilities to share knowledge and benefit the global zebrafish research community. In particular, Hyde shared his hopes of sharing the technique with other institutions as well.
“We’ve set up collaborations with groups at Johns Hopkins, University of Florida, Florida State and the Cleveland Clinic to try to take what we’ve learned in fish and try to translate it into what happens in mammals like mice,” Hyde said.
“We [are] planning to perhaps expand it, [and] continue having more collaborations with other i nstitutions with zebrafish,” Hyde continued. “The University College Dublin is going to be sending a postdoc here in the spring to learn how to do certain techniques that we developed here at Notre Dame, so they can learn the technique and take it back to Ireland and share with other people there.”
Contact Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
Krak Boba hosts grand opening on Eddy Street
By AMELIA BELTRAN and SOPHIA TRAN News Writer and Staff Writer
Tucked in a corner of Eddy Street, Krak Boba shop held its grand opening two weeks ago with the Chamber of Commerce. They made 1,000 drinks in just that one day. Lines were reported to go all the way down to East Angela Blvd. and even on the day after opening, about 980 drinks were made.
Hong Tran and Hannah Tran are the co-owners of the new Krak Boba shop. A father-daughter team, they have been working together for two years in their nail salon business before deciding to fulfill Hannah’s dream of opening a business geared toward an audience closer to her age.
“During one of our previous
visits to California, our sister-in-law said, ‘you guys should check this place out,’” Hong Tran said. “We loved it so much, and we wanted to bring something like that back here.”
In comparison with other boba franchises, they both appreciated the overall message of Krak Boba, which is named after the Polish folktale, “King Krakus and the Dragon.” The story follows a village’s brave attempt to work together with King Krakus to beat a fiery dragon. When discussing his business in terms of this story Hong Tran emphasized the importance of creativity.
“The message I feel behind that story is releasing your true potential by going above and beyond,” Hong Tran said. “I told my employees that we’re going to try to embody
“It’s a gift to live in this pluralistic society where social, cultural and yes, political differences abound.”
unites us. As a community, we need to practice peace together and love together instead of division,” Savage said.
While Dowd pushed for unity, he also reminded students to celebrate their differences.
Dowd said. “While our differences can cause challenges at times, they also fuel amazing creativity and innovation and vibrancy. Perhaps most importantly, these differences reflect the wonder of God’s creation.”
The prayer service offered
the ideal of the story … that ideal of becoming a better person [and] expressing your true potential.”
In addition to innovation and teamwork, Hong Tran and Hannah Tran discussed how their relationship as father and daughter has strengthened as a result of their increased collaboration. Known jokingly as Hong’s “favorite (and only) daughter,” Hannah discussed her strengthened relationship with her father.
“I sat right next to him [in the nail salon] every single day for two years,” Hannah Tran said. “Just having a little project for ourselves has made our relationship grow a lot stronger. We have a lot of inside jokes nobody else in our family would get.”
Aside from the strong connections within the work environment,
students a place where they could respect each other’s differences without judgement. Sophomore Olivia Antolak appreciated the safe space the service provided.
“Regardless of who you voted for, I think we all want America to be the best it came be. Coming here is a good way to reach out a hand and know that no one is judgmental of each other.
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the two also discussed the process behind making each drink. The Taro Twist, one of the customer favorites, requires two hours to properly grind the fresh taro. Hong stated that all their boba is freshly made three to four times a day and their King Brulee drink consists of homemade creme brulee.
With the temperature dropping rapidly in South Bend, Hong Tran and Hannah Tran discussed possibly introducing more hot drinks as well.
When asked whether there is a secret menu, Hong and Hannah stated that the secret menu is a closely guarded secret kept within the staff. Since their shop is part of the Krak Boba franchise, they emphasized the importance of sticking to the traditional drinks when serving customers. However, this
We all want the best for each other,” Antolak said.
Finally, Dowd reminded students that above all else, our identity as children of God transcended our differences.
“Let us commit ourselves to treating each other as such with the respect and dignity that is due to every person as a creature of God,” Dowd said. “Let us commit
is not to say that there are no other interesting combos behind closed doors.
“We have a drink called the Butterfly Passion Fruit,” Hannah Tran said. “Every day, when I come in, I make a passion fruit soda with mango juice. That’s my secret menu item.”
With new ideas already happening behind closed doors, Hong Tran and Hannah Tran also discussed perhaps starting more small businesses in the future.
“I really want to bring a Paris Baguette near here,” Hannah Tran said. “I feel like [people would] go there [and] grab a bite. Or even just little pastries to celebrate.”
Contact Amelia Beltran at abeltra4@nd.edu and Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
ourselves to working tirelessly as so many have gone before us in service of our nation and its highest ideals. Let’s commit to being bridge builders in the truest sense of the word. Let us ask for God’s grace for us to be the Notre Dame the world needs.”
Contact Megan Cornell at mcornell@nd.edu
THE THOMAS H. QUINN LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS:
the Election: Where Do We Go From Here?
The talk is free and open to the public. No tickets or registration
The Thomas H. Quinn Lecture is an annual event hosted by the Mendoza College of Business and sponsored by Notre Dame alumnus and trustee John W. “Jay” Jordan II, Quinn’s college roommate, longtime friend and business partner, in his memory.
Law professor discusses religious freedom
By LUKA VAICEKAUSKAITE News Writer
On Monday, Notre Dame Law school professor Richard W. Garnett delivered a timely lecture titled “Freedom of Religion in Catholic Teaching and Constitutional Law.” His lecture addressed the complexities of religious freedom from two perspectives: as understood within the Catholic tradition and as protected by
the U.S. Constitution, revealing how these viewpoints influence public policy and individual rights in a democratic society.
Garnett began with a foundational quote from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Professor Garnett used this quote to illustrate the bedrock of religious freedom
in American law. However, he noted that, unlike many European nations, the United States lacks explicit legal protections for “conscience rights,” leaving certain ethical and moral issues susceptible to shifting legal interpretations.
After identifying this perceived gap, Garnett addressed issues surrounding religious freedom like the accommodation problem and the cooperation problem in the context of U.S. law.
Garnett posed a question central to
the accommodation issue: “How should the law deal with situations where, for religious reasons, some people are unable or unwilling to comply with the law?”
He pointed out that, while Americans generally support religious accommodations, the principle can become challenging to apply fairly, especially in a pluralistic society.
“Because for us, we don’t just settle for accommodating beliefs,” Garnett said. “We don’t have any kind of requirements to stand by any particular belief. We don’t have religious tests for offices ... the accommodation problem is more challenging for us because we believe that the free exercise of religion is the ability to act out your faith — not just on Sunday morning — but as a way of living.”
Garnett cited the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as an example, arguing that it imposed a conflict between law and religious freedom. In 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services mandated that employers provide cost-free contraceptive coverage. This requirement extended to employers with strong religious convictions, sparking widespread debate about the ACA’s perceived lack of religious accommodations.
“Sometimes in a pluralistic society,” Garnett said, “there will be laws placed where some people, usually religious minorities, but not always, are unable to exercise their beliefs.”
Garnett also elaborated on the cooperation problem, which arises when religious institutions collaborate with government entities to provide public services — often with government funding.
“These cases usually involve money. These are the cases where the political authorities cooperate with the religious institutions to bring about some form of political good,” he said. “We have always had this in the United States.”
The line between permissible and impermissible government support of religious entities can be thin.
“The government would give money to churches for these types of organizations and institutions. Now, the Supreme Court agrees that cooperation between the government and the Church is permissible. But the question is, how far can that cooperation go,” Garnett said. “Government money can be used to subsidize loans in a Catholic university. But a trickier question is, if there is a hurricane that destroys a Catholic church, how much money can the government provide in aid to rebuild the Catholic church,” Garnett said.
Contact Luka Vaicekauskaite at lvaiceka@ nd.edu
W. Paul Jones is the retired CEO of Payless ShoeSource. He joined Payless in October
LETTER EDITOR
A reflection on this year’s spooky season
Since I can remember, fall has been my favorite season. There is something magical and comforting in the soft and vibrant colors of the trees and the crispness of the cool air. From the crunch of fallen leaves to the sweet sting of the breeze on my face to the signature tastes of pumpkin, cinnamon and spices, fall is a wake-up call for my senses — it makes me feel more alive.
Fall is football weekends, cozy sweaters, a transition to hot coffees, Halloween decorations and autumn playlists with the overture of new-semester excitement. However, this particular fall has been different. The usual comforts of the season have been drowned out by one thing: the presidential election.
Whether I am reading articles carefully curated and dropped into my inbox by my dad, swiping through political posts on social media, deleting countless spam texts from my messages (as a registered Pennsylvania voter, they’ve been especially overwhelming and seemingly unending) or just discussing the election with friends and family, it is all I can seem to hear, read, talk or think about.
As a 20-year-old this was the first time I voted in a presidential election, so maybe this is the norm and I am just unfamiliar with the all-encompassing democratic process.
But talking to my parents and even reflecting on my memories of past election cycles, I can tell that something is different this year.
This election is being framed as “the most important of our lives.” Players on both sides of the aisle have emphasized its all-or-nothing, makeor-break nature, most likely with the intention of promoting voter turnout and engagement.
Anytime I feel stressed about the future, whether it be a question of life post-grad or an upcoming exam week, my mom tells me to “not borrow worries from the future.” It’s a reminder to remain in the here and now which usually recenters my thinking and allows me to focus on what is right in front
of me — the things that I can immediately control.
Unfortunately, this good advice feels obsolete right now. The existential, inescapable stress I feel in anticipation of this upcoming election is based solely on borrowed worries about the future and, no matter which side you take, this feeling seems like common ground — a rarity nowadays, I know.
It’s tempting to wonder how we got to this point — when did we start associating with a political party more than our country? When did demonization and hate start to infiltrate the highest office in our nation and trickle down to infect our communities and dinner tables? Was January 6th the axe that split our nation in two or was that day the culmination of something that had been building for years before? When did we forget Abraham Lincoln’s words that “a house divided against itself cannot stand?” Were there signs? Could we have stopped it?
No matter what your individual answers to those questions are, there is no denying the stark difference between this election season and election seasons from the past. We are a great distance away from the type of political discourse that allowed the late Senator John McCain to defend President Barack Obama from a racist attack during a 2008 Town Hall, saying “he’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”
These signs of mutual respect, bipartisanship and civility are lacking in the discourse surrounding the 2024 election where candidates themselves have become the ones levying racially-motivated attacks. Discussions of golf handicaps, garbage and sizes, of both crowds and Arnold Palmer, distract from the real issues that will be decided in this election.
This type of immature and divisive rhetoric in an effort to score cheap political points from already loyal bases does nothing but detract from the dignity that is supposed to be embodied by the President
The arena
Liam Kelly News Editor
Throughout this election season, the attributes of presidential candidates have been discussed and dissected. Are they honest? Are they intelligent? Are they competent? Are they good leaders? Such questions are important and help us decide whom we should vote for. Missing in this discourse, however, has been a discussion about what attributes voters themselves should display when they go to the polls tomorrow.
In an era of intense polarization, one value most of all appears to be lacking in the electorate — courage. Ask many voters today what they think of the election, and the likely response is one of dismay and dejection. Voters on the left and on right feel that they have been left with poor choices, that the political system has left them behind, or that whoever is president makes no meaningful difference in their lives.
Although this feeling is understandable, it has
unfortunately lead this group of people to stay home on Election Day, to forgo their duty to vote and retreat from the political fray. They may feel that they are bucking the system or are taking the honorable, valiant path in doing this.
Eventually, however, what happens politically affects us in one way or another. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we will be caught up in the consequences as idle bystanders, or if we will take a stand and support a candidate. We must not be afraid to take up this duty.
Another sizable portion of the electorate may vote for one of the two major candidates, but will be doing so out of fear, or out of pressure. Political polarization has reached the point that many voters may like a certain candidate, but are afraid to vote for him or her for fear of backlash from friends or neighbors of different political persuasions.
This lack of courage to disagree politely with our fellow countrymen, and have a stake in our political future, is a cancer on our democracy. It cedes the political arena to extremists, fosters resentment and further polarizes our politics.
of the United States.
It is not unimportant to ask how we got here, but those questions are already decided — they will be answered in the history books of the next generation. The questions that remain undecided, that we should all be asking, are: where do we go from here? And how can I be empowered to make an impact and make sense of this, the (potentially) most consequential election of my generation?
Voting was a start; whether you live in Pennsylvania or California, your vote matters — it is your voice and you should use it.
But our impact, our rights and our responsibility as American citizens goes beyond our vote. If the leaders of our country will not commit to civility, justice, decency, lawfulness and respect then we must take it upon ourselves to remind them what it looks like.
So, read, listen, learn and read, but be aware of what you are consuming. Take active steps to stop the spread of misinformation. Read reputable sources, read across the aisle and engage others in conversation and discussion with civility not hostility. What better place to do that than an institution of higher education like Notre Dame? This is the time and this is the place to ask questions of each other, access new ideas and engage in difficult, sometimes contentious discussions, but to do so separate from the negativity and disrespect that is endemic of politics today.
Be curious, not judgmental and be open-minded. Despite what you may have heard, it is not us versus them and it is not you versus the “enemy within.” It is just us, we the people, the one, collective people. The question of where we go from here may be uncertain but it will certainly be better if we can go there together.
Nov. 3
However dangerous cowardice may be to our politics, though, it has a simple remedy: courage. Americans must exercise it, or they will lose control of their own futures, and further delve our politics into chaos. This change can only occur if good Americans choose to enter the political fray.
As Theodore Roosevelt put it, “it is not the critic who counts,” but rather “the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.” Such a man may fail, but he at least has the courage to face the battles and challenges of his time and strives for and has a stake in a better version of his country.
This Election Day, let courage guide our votes. Let us decide what type of country we want to live in and which candidate best exemplifies our values. Then let us stand by our convictions, explain our stances to those who disagree with them and face the consequences. Let us have the courage to enter the political arena.
The views expressed in this inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Emi Kartsonas junior
Joe Rudolph, Esquire
Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
For the past two years at Notre Dame, I have been diligently recording everything that both my friends and myself have spoken. I now have the ability to get everyone who knows me canceled, and so I’d like to share some of my work with you today. I present to you:
The Quotebook
“Gary Community College — the Harvard of the proletariat!”
“Nuke the whales!”
“That freak accident which killed JFK reminds me of how short life is!”
“Marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries.”
“I will never drive sober again!”
“No more trampoline? Let’s jump on the car instead!”
“I think it would be more American if we just forgot about bait altogether and shot the fish directly with guns.”
“She looks that way because she was in Russia during intense periods of radioactivity.”
“I am allergic to WD-40 lit on fire and pointed in my direction!”
“Do you believe in the fundamental right of all human beings to commit tax evasion?”
“Remember the time we got loaded and set those beavers loose in that pine furniture store?”
“There was chaos at Chipotle. I had to punch many, many people in order to restore order.”
“I can see your ankles. Scandalous.”
“HE ISN’T ALLOWED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT HIS ANKLE MONITOR!”
“Not A Sad Time, But A Joyful One: The Horse We’ve Been Training To Skydive Has Returned To The Arms Of The Lord.”
“1984 is clearly a nonfiction analysis about how great living in Canada is!”
“Surely I won’t be lobotomized when I express beliefs that conflict with those of the leaders of our government!”
“This bill will convert the children’s hospital into a brand new state of the art gambling casino!”
“To Borg, or not to Borg: that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings
The quotebook
and Borgs of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a Borg of troubles and, by opposing, end them?”
“Coke Zero has all the taste you need at only zero grams of sugar! And no brainwashing government fluoride!”
“I feel rejuvenated. Like a salamander that is newly moist!”
“Kars4kids … who is harvesting these kids?”
“I can guarantee that my experience of life would be over if I consumed sunscreen.”
“Sleep tight! Don’t let the government DNA pricking spy drones (the bed bugs) take your DNA (bite)!”
“Faith, family, friendship. Those are the three demons you must slay in order to become a successful businessman!”
“The S&P 500 is not a Nascar event.”
“Did I tell you I shotgunned a whole beer?”
“I got carsick in your office.”
“Organ transplants are best left to the professionals.”
“Alexa, add red Sox legend Ted Williams to my shopping list.”
“Those white flags are no match for our muskets!”
“Gummy bears hibernate in your colon.”
“I have inhaled 250 micrograms of lysergic acid diethyl-amides, given to me by the CIA!”
“We took some mail from the mail truck and threw it down the sewer. Don’t quote me on that.”
“I got Grandma an ankle holster for Christmas.”
“Some people call it a gut feeling. Others call it a tapeworm.”
“I am a proud contributor to crime rates.”
“We put the ‘fun’ in fundamentalist dogma!”
“I trust the groundhog with my life.”
“Christmas is a time where people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.”
“Equatorial New Guinea: ripe for conquest!”
“If Canada doesn’t annex itself to the Union, I myself may need to take matters into my own hands. Justin Trudeau, consider yourself warned.”
“I fear this may not be honorable.” — [Redacted], on the operations of Amazon, Inc.
“Hmm, a flaming bag on my front step filled with a brown fire starting substance? Well, these new Italian loafers will make quick work of it!”
“This music is not helping me become a better Catholic or a better man.” — [Redacted], upon hearing Rich Baby Daddy’s new album.
“Because of Fr. Mike, I gave up evading my taxes for lent!”
“Today was shower day — the worst day of the year!”
“THESE WEEDS HAVE FLOWN TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN, THEIR HUBRIS TO BE PUNISHED BY THE INDOMITABLE HUMAN WILL AS DEIGNED BY THE ALMIGHTY THROUGH HIS ADOPTION OF OUR RACE.” — [Redacted], while gardening
“Jinx! Owe me a coke … in an IV bag … with a needle.”
“Currently on the sleigh (a charter bus) while the reindeer (the bus driver) takes me and my elves (baseball teammates) to the North Pole (IMG Academy).”
“It’s not homicide. The suspect merely plunged the knife into the artery, causing uncontrollable bleeding, resulting in heart failure!”
“Are you guys single? Yes? Eh, not my type.”
“Don’t worry, if we drink all of this crude oil and then jump in the ocean, we’ll float!” — Shipwrecked Survivors
“I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who once said that ‘A house divided against itself cannot party rock.’”
“Sigh … the Edmund Fitzgerald. Every night I drink 29 beers to remember the 29 lives lost that fateful night!”
“What do you mean ‘investing all your money in Sierra Leone child diamond mining’ isn’t ethical?”
“I know Jedis aren’t supposed to do this, but … can I put my arm around you?”
“I cry when I do long division and there’s a remainder.”
“Lead paint: Delicious but deadly.”
“I usually cut everyone in the confession line and then confess it so I’m off the hook immediately.”
“Discount surgeons of South Bend: ‘Are you short on cash? We’ll do anything! $195.95.’”
“Don’t worry, I already self-vaccinated in the alleyway three days ago.”
“One nacho cheese Dorito has more flavor than an Amish person will ever experience in their entire life.”
“Your cup of skim milk will serve as my ashtray.”
“I welcome any and all lawsuits pertaining to my loose and inappropriate character!”
To file a complaint, reach out at jrudolp3@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the
Do’s and dont’s: daylight savings
I am not an astrologist nor do I strictly follow the principles of astrology, however I have the Co-Star app downloaded on my phone and once in a great while I like to hear what those tarot card readers on TikTok have to say about my future.
According to these two sources alone, I learned that Saturn and the moon will have a conjunction that only occurs every so many years and will significantly affect a handful of zodiac signs, Taurus included. Since I strongly resonate with every description made about Tauruses, I took the tarot reader’s opinions to heart and am hoping to be affected in a positive way.
I found it coincidental that this event is happening so
close to daylight savings, for both events mark the last quarter of the year. Creeping up on us like clockwork, only this time it’s sandwiched between Halloween and the presidential election, it signals us to wind down and prepare for the hibernation and horror that are the cold, winter months.
In light of the sun going down earlier and your to-do list getting longer, I offer you a do’s and don’t list. Use what you best see fit and discard the rest, I’ll literally never know.
Do: Something spontaneous.
I participated in this today by getting a new ear piercing and seriously feel like a million bucks. I’ve been wanting to get my cartilage repeirced for a year now and I finally bit the bullet.
Don’t: Rot in bed.
I fault this daily, and I bet your bed is comfy, but if you can, try your best not to.
Do: Prepare for Spotify Wrapped
I have a personal vendetta against Spotify Wrapped because it always humbles me. I’m not completely confident on when they stop collecting data for the year but I believe there is still time. This also can apply to Apple Music users, but I don’t really speak your language.
Don’t: Procrastinate
Whether it be your homework or pulling out your winter coat, stay on top of it! You got this.
Alright, that’s enough from me. Until next time!
Moira Quinn is a senior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound. You can contact Moira at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Moira Quinn Working Title
Connor Marrott
Dear men: are you lonely?
“The only men talking about this crisis are guys like Andrew Tate,” Patrick, a college sophomore, told me as he explained why he’s attracted to the digital “manosphere,” a space where patriarchal ideals about women — who they exist for and what their bodies are made for: men. As 1950s as this ideology may seem, Patrick has a point: men are lonely.
In 2023, two-thirds of men aged 18-24 admit that “no one really knows me,” and one in four say they have “no real close friends.” Meanwhile, young women in the same age group are forging ahead — six out of ten aspire to higher leadership roles. Just a decade ago, nearly half of young women were content with the idea of being stay-at-home moms. The stark difference in how young men and women navigate modern life reflects a shift in the very definitions of masculinity and femininity.
While masculinity remains tethered to traditional ideals — reinforced by figures like Andrew Tate and Donald Trump, who champion a 1950s-style patriarchy — femininity has evolved. No longer constructed as a complementary accessory to men, it is now a bold assertion of power and ambition. Men are, as a consequence, sad. Awww.
“It seems like women aren’t interested in being girlfriends anymore,” Patrick complained, shifting the blame for this crisis not onto toxic masculinity, but onto women themselves. The typical “solution” to male loneliness is for more women to marry men (1950s). But for young women today, a man is no longer a prerequisite for achieving the American Dream.
“Why should we spend our lives to entertain you? I can get a job. I don’t need to have your kids. I can support myself,” Olivia, a senior, pointed out. And she’s right. Women no longer need men for social and financial stability — let alone to open a credit card. While
the patriarchy is still alive (and very much well), women’s romantic relationships with men are increasingly dependent on what they should be: love, attraction and the mutual want to do something fun after the bar — rather than necessity.
The invasion of women into male-dominated spaces, from our classrooms to our workplaces, is making young men lonely because the attention has shifted off of them, with the patriarchal dominance of the 1950s resurging. About one in three young males have favorable views of Andrew Tate, a man who claims women are men’s “property.” Owning women was an insurance of a man’s happiness in 1950 — and, fortunately, the right to own a woman has been overturned by society. Instead of finding ways to coexist with successful women, young men are desperately trying to assert their ownership over their female counterparts, often through sexual violence. Take choking during sex as an example: in one survey, two thirds of college-aged women said they’ve been choked, with 40% of reporting their first experience being between the ages of 12 and 17. Ask your mom: choking wasn’t common thirty or even five years ago. This trend reflects the desperation of young men to reassert dominance in a world where women are liberated.
The desperation of young men to cling onto the 50s — onto their power — has fueled the rise of toxic masculinity, but it has also fueled the loneliness epidemic. “U wonder why men are lonely,” Olivia texted me, but “no one understands that men are just trash.”
Sure, cool men like Barry Keoghan exist; but the majority of men continue to expect women to be their accessory. Half of young men claim that women should do the “primary” work around the house, so when the girl you are snapping doesn’t snap back because she’s at work, or when dinner isn’t waiting for you because you both get off at the same time, you get upset, claiming you’re lonely and searching for ways to assert dominance. Why would a woman want to date you if that’s
your reaction?
To be clear, I don’t see male loneliness as BS. I see it as a symptom of the wrong reaction to female empowerment. Existing in this world is hard. Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on. But women are no longer, nor should they be, your built-in shoulder. “The problem is, when they have an issue, they think someone’s gonna come help, when women have been learning how to help themselves for eternity,” Olivia further explains. “It just seems like when men are lonely, they don’t see it as their problem, they see it as ours.”
What many young women, like Olivia, don’t understand is that existing as a man is uniquely hard. We are, of course, told to exist as an emotionless statue of power.
Matt, a freshman, doesn’t blame women, but rather the “individualistic society that gives men no common struggle to unite around.” Men’s major milestones— building resumes, achieving in school, or personal accomplishments — are typically earned and celebrated in isolation. “We fight alone. We conquer alone. We are alone,” he says.
In the 1950s, men weren’t alone — women were waiting at home for a free therapy session. That dynamic has changed, and it should be celebrated. The solution to male loneliness isn’t reverting to the 50s, but rather fostering actual relationships that adapt to the necessary liberation of women from antiquation.
So this weekend, tell that cute girl in your class you liked what she said about the reading. And, maybe, get a therapist. They’re free at the UCC.
Connor Marrott is a senior from Cleveland, Ohio. His writing has appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He serves on the board of SoildarityND and is always eager to discuss any and all ideas. You can contact Connor at cmarrott@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Notre Dame’s very own Area 51
It was a dark and stormy night. After the long drive back from night one of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, my friend and I pulled into an open spot in Rugby Lot as the clock struck 3:17 am. Never in our ”Wildest Dreams” could we have imagined what we were about to uncover. Just as we began our trek back to the dorm, the stillness of the night was broken by an industrial-looking golf cart speeding past and nearly running us over. I felt a chill run down my spine. Perhaps it was merely that signature South Bend cold. But perhaps it was due to something much more sinister.
With tired eyes, we watched the golf cart swerve around the corner and slam on the breaks in front of a section of campus I’d never paid much attention to. It sits, hidden in plain sight, on the east side of Wilson Drive, right across from the rugby field. The plot of land contains one square brick building, a large grey cylinder and several other bunkerlike buildings. I’ve driven past it in many times my trusty Honda Civic without a second thought. But as I watched a shadowed figure emerge from the golf cart and unlock the gate in the wee hours, I knew there were secrets hidden inside. Adding to the intrigue, the area is unidentified on Apple and Google Maps and has no identifying sign outside. Shrouded in mystery and oozing with weird vibes, there is not a doubt in my mind that this is the Notre Dame version of Area 51, which I have officially named Area 42 (based on the founding year of Our Lady’s University).
I had to learn more about the most classified area on this beautiful campus. However, the exhaustion
from the 3.5-hour Taylor Swift through the ages extravaganza was hitting harder than the “Cold as You” x “Exile” mashup Taylor performed and I quickly drifted into a deep slumber. The next morning I woke more resolved than ever and marched myself to Area 42. Despite hiding top-secret experiments, there was a surprising lack of security. That being said, the eight-foot-tall fence was enough to stop me. I tried several tactics. Channeling Taylor in the ”Blank Space” music video, I pretended a nearby stick was a golf club and began swinging at the fence. But the soggy stick was no match and immediately broke in half. Tossing the stick aside, I started to Naruto run but had to stop every 10 seconds a car drove by to preserve my image of normalcy. After I gave that up, I tried picking the lock with the broken stick and failed again. Unfortunately, due to a recent tear in my Plantar Fascia, I was in no condition to climb the fence and had to walk home in defeat.
Because I couldn’t investigate inside Area 42, I can’t be sure what sort of agenda the operators are pursuing, but I have some guesses. Inside the brick building is probably where they manufacture SIBC project leaders named Jack and John. Alternatively, it is where they keep the mythical creature that produces the ”Boom Boom” sauce. My instincts tell me they use the large cylinder building to brew a hypnotic potion that coerces students into becoming theology minors. If not, it is surely where they conduct chemical experiments on Knott Hall freshmen. The auxiliary buildings are likely where they torture students who have been OCSed in a full-out 1894 style (rats and all), until they admit to violating du Lac. What’s more? Any student who fails their first theology exam is held hostage, where they are forced to run on treadmills
that power the machines projecting the hologram of the golden dome atop the main building. But who could be behind this crazy experiment? Several suspects ran through my head: Lou Holtz, an RA alliance, the labeler or fifth-year architecture students. But in the end, it was clear that only one group could be behind this: the Glynn Family Honors program. I’ve never had a good feeling about them and I finally know why. Between the hours they spend studying everything and doing anything, they hide away conducting experiments in Area 42. After my failed run on Area 42, I looked up the building on Notre Dame’s official campus map where I found a short (and likely false) description of the building’s purpose. It is called East Utilities Plant and is disguised as a geothermal energy system that heats and cools campus water sustainably. How clever of them to camouflage it as a sustainability project, knowing that deep down, most students don’t care to learn about the University’s sustainability efforts. It’s too convenient of a lie. Also, if this place is dedicated to heating and cooling water, then how come the water temperature in Flaherty’s showers is so inconsistent? It doesn’t add up. But for now, as we approach the winter, all I ask is that the people behind this dedicate some of their resources to defeating the permacloud.
Allison Abplanalp is a junior finance and accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect March Madness bracket. You can contact Allison at aabplana@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Lefty with a Laugh
Allison Abplanalp Under Further Scrutiny
By AYDEN KOWALSKI Scene Copyeditor
A sea change in the American cinematic diet might be on the horizon. According to an article by Liz Shackleton for Deadline, major Japanese film and television producers are expanding to international and specifically American markets, with the hope of adapting their properties to reach new audiences. Per Shackleton, this is “[in] part inspired by the global success of Korean content,” as well as “[Japan’s] huge domestic market . . . shrinking as Japan’s population declines.” As the American film and television industry move through a transitory phase out of cable and, potentially cinematic universes, into streaming and the franchises of the future, how might new global players with strong stories in their arsenal impact Hollywood’s plans? Are American screens going to show more of the whole world?
If superheroes are drying up, then anime and Japanese video game IP probably seem natural successors for American studios, with comparably strong, online fan cultures. Of course, American studios have traditionally not done well with these sorts of properties, only succeeding with Japanese video game adaptations recently (see Paramount’s “Sonic” franchise, Warner Bros.’ “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,” and Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”). Netflix
has stepped up to the plate of anime adaptations most boldly, and surely more adaptations from all major studios are soon to follow. But just as superhero films required piloting artists who understood and appreciated the characters to succeed, Hollywood will need to make way for partner studios in Japan who understand their works in ways even the most open-hearted, benevolent American fans cannot. Given how studios continue to cynically approach and bungle properties, it is hard to imagine all the major Hollywood content mills realizing this and not hideously crashing an adaptation in front of American fans who saw through whatever halfhearted, inconsiderate effort they believed would pass. The main question for this forthcoming cultural exchange is how receptive American audiences and partner studios will be to presenting works from a distinctly different culture and to what degree studios will meddle according to their own ideas of what American audiences want to see. While I would like to say that inauthenticity would sink this whole initiative, that just isn’t true. American audiences will want stories catered to their specific tastes, visual language, and cultural mores, because naturally, most audience members want to see their values, cultural and artistic, commended and reinforced. The key to successful important and adaptation, as always, is attention to detail and a belief in craftsmanship. Every effort to translate a work across the Pacific will require its own
distinct creative and marketing approach. The studios willing to humble themselves, admitting there are no easy, universal answers and put in the work for each individual project will be those most primed for successful partnerships. And while commercial cross-cultural adaptations will surely sacrifice cultural specificity and try to solve potential areas of cultural difference before audiences can meditate on how interesting they are, there may also be many opportunities for stories to gain something new in an American adaptation.
Reimagining a story for different tastes may unlock dormant possibilities in the narrative that a new adaptation can explode. This can help facilitate an exchange of ideas and taste between cultures, as a middle-ground piece eases American audiences into that conversation. While that may mean less artistically-ambitious works at the onset of this exchange, it may yield more curious, thoughtful and open audiences in the future, as audiences grow accustomed to new storytelling approaches and cultural ideas that can live alongside their own conventions. To me, that is a future of cinema worth pursuing, and while I don’t imagine Cinemark will become some transcendent forum for international ideas and styles, I do believe these upcoming efforts can bring American audiences to somewhat more global considerations of art, culture and humanity.
Contact Ayden Kowalski at akowals2@nd.edu
By MACKENZIE HORTON Scene Writer
It’s an early Saturday morning, I’m ten years old and Lucky Charms are being practically inhaled by my three messy brothers and me. Together, we gather around the television to watch a movie. We immediately begin to argue over what exactly to watch … “Finding Nemo?” “Home?” “Kung Fu Panda?” “Princess and the Frog?” “Lego Movie?”
Fast forward almost eight years later, I still find myself on our family couch arguing with my brothers over which to choose. Believe it or not, most of the time we resort to these quintessential kids movies that were our favorite all those years ago, but why is that?
Sometimes we think we are too grown up to fall back on “classic” kids movies, but children’s movies are for adults too. We, as young adults, feel like we need to watch movies with deep philosophical themes that need to be discovered and pondered fully after watching, in order for it to be labeled a movie with “serious value” and “actually worth watching.” In reality, kids movies teach us the most basic lessons that are revealed easily in the film and are usually easy for us to
digest.
The first kids movie that comes to my mind is “Inside Out” directed by Pete Docter. Within this movie and the characters of Joy and Sadness, we learn that life is not at all “picture perfect” like we want it to be. Rather, throughout the plot which consists of sacrifice, love and loss, we learn that the feelings of sadness and joy have to coexist with each other. You can’t have one and not the other. We learn, at a young age, that we need moments of sadness and imperfection to appreciate when things are really good. Life is messy and sad sometimes, but when wonderful and joyous things happen to us, we are encouraged to live fully in that moment and relish it, given it is fleeting existence. Learning this at a young age is important, but being reminded of these fundamental lessons as a young adult is almost as valuable.
Additionally, falling back on these kids’ movies gives us a sense of comfort that reminds us of “the good old days.” I think back to my wonderful and playful childhood filled with soccer, playdates, candy, books about fairies and story tales, and my biggest worry being whether my parents would let me stay up past my curfew or not. This life was so perfect. The harsh truth is
— life is no longer like this. Now, I don’t have to ask my parents to push back my curfew, as I’m living by myself.
Now, my biggest worry consists of much bigger predicaments, like what career path I want to follow, and who I want to be when I’m older. Life goes on, we change and we grow. But, we can always grow back down. Movies have this transformative power in which they can take you back to a specific time in your life and tap into certain memories. This sense of nostalgia that is tied to these movies, which 10-year-old me considered “classics,” shows the power of entertainment and its effect on my daily life.
These movies that we watch when we are young stick with us as we grow. They teach us core lessons about human nature, and serve as something to fall back on when life becomes “too complex.” Our attachment to them is not a sign of immaturity, rather maturity as we are able to acknowledge their use and place in our new “adult world.”
What is your favorite children’s movie? What does it mean to you?
Contact Mackenzie Horton at mhorton5@nd.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
About three or four years ago, I decided to sit down and watch a movie (as people often do) and came across “Guardians of the Galaxy.” (I know guys, I was late to the party — don’t come at me.) As I sat and watched the movie with its ’70s and ’80s music and interesting plotlines about how the group met and saved the world, I found that this action/comedy movie was one to truly enjoy.
The first scene in the movie is very emotional, showing a young Peter Quill (Wyatt Oleff) and his mother (Laura Haddock) as she passes away. I find it interesting that this scene was included because the rest of the movie is very comedic, so it strays away from this emotional character. Next, after a 26 year flash forward, we meet the castaway/rebel Peter Quill, or “Starlord” (Chris Pratt).
We see Quill, or Starlord (as he insists on being called), having what we call “a main character moment” — two minutes of him listening and vibing to the iconic song “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone while stealing an orb (which we find out contains an “Infinity Stone”) off an almost entirely destroyed planet. The way he dances and lip-syncs throughout the entire scene, just living his best life, sets up the rest of the movie as we meet this comedic and slightly clueless character.
Cue meeting the first three members of the newly formed band. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) stalks Peter on the planet Xander and attempts to assassinate him. Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Krystian Godlewski) are also trying to catch the outlaw. As a result, the newly formed “group” ends up in prison where they meet the final member, Drax (Dave Bautista). That’s definitely how you make, friends right?
If you know me, you know that I am a very sarcastic
person. One thing I love about this whole entire plot is the sarcastic comments we hear from the extremely smart and creative Rocket — he’s my favorite, by the way. The amount of eye-rolls, sarcastic comments and straight-up sighs as the new “Guardians of the Galaxy“ navigate through the movie in attempts to save Xandar are astounding.
Another thing that I love about the movie is the music, from Blue Swede to the Jackson 5, from Marvin Gaye to Tammi Terrell, plus the Raspberries and many more. I think that the use of this fun ’70s and ’80s music is a good way to add a color to the ever-changing plot. Overall, the music, the comedy, the sarcastic comments and the questionable get together of this group make the movie into the “Guardians of the Galaxy” we know and love, which is celebrating ten years of release.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
By CHRISTOPHER COPE Scene Writer
‘NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY
Back in 10th grade, I listened to “Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven”(LYSF) by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GYBE) for the first time. It was also the first time I listened to anything musically powerful enough to induce a rare moment of being completely moved. In the first track, “Storm,” you feel yourself slowly ascending while being sonically blasted by a platoon of instruments. GYBE induces a nervous anticipation as the wall of sound lifts you higher and higher until, suddenly, the music mellows and the track lowers you onto a plane of ambient bliss. From the non-dynamic parts to the field recordings, this rollercoaster continues for the duration of the album in various forms. While I don’t get nearly the same amount of enjoyment out of it as I did when I listened to it originally, I still have an appreciation for the piece. Aside from the album itself, the title for LYSF is eyecatching; moreover, it reflects the music. The title hints that the album has the capacity to radiate some experience of the divine in a non-megalomaniacal, almost humble, manner. It moreover not only complements the music but accurately describes what the music is clearly attempting to convey.
24 years later, after LYSF, GYBE released “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD.” The title references the number of Palestinian deaths from the Israel-Hamas war at the time of publishing. I did not like the album, and ended up finding only a few parts enjoyable. I liked the finale of the second song, “BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD,” and parts of the song “RAINDROPS CAST IN LEAD” weren’t all bad.
Aside from those brief moments, I felt like it was nothing substantial. The texture felt dry, and there seemed to be a complete lack of novel material. It seemed like the band was still doing the exact same thing 24 years later.
As for whether the music seemed reasonably affected by its subject matter, it was clear after listening to the music that the band hasn’t been emotionally taken by the death of the Palestinians in any eulogistic sense, nor is it riding any wave of fury directed towards the Israeli government. If anything, you could characterize the album as powered by noble yet artistically vacant empathy.
Like LYSF, the title accurately illustrates the band’s intent. Unlike LYSF, the album was written as a political flier first and as an album intended for artistic merit second.
My opinion on this album seems to be a minority one. Music rating sites such as Rate My Music rate it on par with their early masterpieces. Pitchfork gave it a 7.8, and almost all other major music magazines didn’t give the album anything less than four out of five stars. Some sites even proclaimed that this album was a clear sign of redemption from their other recent disappointing works.
I strongly believe that the reason for all this unwarranted love is because the conflict arouses so much justified passion in listeners, especially the listeners of GYBE. Furthermore, I have the feeling that the quality of this album was assessed not by the music itself but purely by the noble intentions of the title. More evidence for my point is found in the charmingly principled Youtube music reviewer, Anthony Fantano, who refused to rate the album, giving GYBE’s project
a badge of honor and insinuating it’s a piece immune to criticism. His calculation? Better to avoid giving an unworthy album a high score than sacrifice the integrity of your rating system.
I recognize that most of the review is about reactions and the artistically damaging politics involved. A perfectly valid question some of you might be having is: Where is the review of the music? Aside from believing that giving my own adjectives to describe the music is boring for the reader, and redundant, the album doesn’t have a lot to comment on. Despite it being 50 minutes of music, most of the album is repetitive droning with some crescendos. There is very little music to apply meaningful review beyond the sentences I devoted to it in the third paragraph.
One could argue, in response to my complaints, that I may have listened to the album passively or with ambivalence. Furthermore, one could suggest the way to implement political conflicts into music or art without damaging the album’s purity could be by encouraging the listener to contemplate the artist’s political statement as the album plays. I decided to heed this hypothetical advice when I listened to it for a second time. I played “GREY RUBBLE — GREEN SHOOTS” while envisioning a scene from Gaza. I concede that this exercise did arouse empathy and furthermore served as a mental filmography to the music. But in the end, as it is with any piece of music, what you hear is what you hear, and nothing I could attach to the work through my own imagination could redeem this album to be anything greater than a disappointing wall of banal sound. Contact Christopher Cope at ccope@nd.edu
Happy
to
A passionate
your
and
to life will lead to knowledge and incorporating pastimes that encourage you to explore what’s available and connect people heading in a similar direction. Your numbers are 5, 16, 26, 32, 37, 45, 49. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make choices that put your mind at ease. Put your trust in facts, not hearsay. Create opportunities that enhance your looks or encourage better health. Take a journey that propagates a healthy lifestyle and connects you to a group that helps you build solid values and set a routine.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s time to stop talking and act. A change will exhilarate you and help get your confidence back. Rethink your strengths and weaknesses and aim to enforce a healthier routine. Let go of the past and tone down indulgent behavior. Refuse to let drama overcome common sense.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refuse to let anyone ruin your plans or take advantage of you financially. Consider what you want to achieve and keep an eye on your objective. An unexpected offer will have flaws. Research thoroughly and walk away from any deal that lacks authenticity. Partnerships will lead to personal gain.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now is not the time to be a homebody. Engage in networking events, exhibits, or activities that interest you. You’ll gain insight into something that brings you joy or points you in a direction that helps you get ahead professionally. Mix business with pleasure and prosper.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Look for opportunities to shine. Step into the spotlight and let your dynamic personality inspire others to see the possibilities. Your input will attract attention and offers that are worth considering. Both personal and professional deals can turn into a lifelong partnership. Romance is favored.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Respond carefully. Someone will overreact or misinterpret what you say. Pay attention to detail and leave nothing to the imagination. Bring forth positive ideas with solid proof that what you propose is doable, and you’ll gain ground and avoid being upstaged by someone trying to outmaneuver you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Accumulate information to make your journey easier. A mental or physical trip will allow you to test the plausibility of setting out on a new adventure or educational pursuit or attending a reunion that takes you back in time to either reopen or close unfinished business.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Try something new and explore the possibilities. A creative outlet or a novel proposition will lead to sourcing how to use your skills, possessions, or ideas to bring in extra cash or make your life easier. Take care of your physical and mental health. Say no to temptation.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put an investment plan together, or use your skills or talents to bring in extra cash. Hard work will pay off if you refuse to let outsiders interfere or scammers take advantage of you. A chance to meet someone of interest or reconnect with an old friend is likely.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s up to you to initiate a change if that’s what you want. Altering your environment will spark your imagination and influence your perception. Don’t let negativity or lack of understanding stand in your way. Seize the moment, get the lowdown, and turn a thought into a reality.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refuse to let your emotions stand in the way or lead you astray. Keep situations in perspective and go directly to the source before you act on hearsay. You stand to make the most progress if you use your intelligence and engage in events that concur with your beliefs.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Spend time rearranging your workspace to optimize output. It’s up to you to organize, customize, and declutter your life. Allowing someone to define what’s best for you will hinder your chance to advance. Refrain from letting anyone else handle your money, health issues, and decisions.
Birthday Baby: You are bold, charismatic, and determined. You are energetic and wise.
Irish head to Ann Arbor for first B10 road series
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
For Notre Dame hockey, making the three-hour drive to the University of Michigan means a lot of things. The Irish have a track record of stealing wins at Yost Ice Arena, sweeping the Wolverines in 2019-20, 202021 and 2021-22. The last of those three seasons featured back-to-back overtime wins courtesy of Ryder Rolston and Max Ellis. Two years ago, Notre Dame went into Yost on the regular season’s final weekend and stole home ice for the Big Ten quarterfinals with a shootout win and a Drew Bavaro-supplied overtime victory.
Last year, however, Notre Dame’s success in the 101year venue dried up. The Irish ended their season with four straight losses at Yost, falling out of the Big Ten Tournament with a sweep loss in Ann Arbor. Notre Dame competed, taking the Wolverines to a onegoal game in three of the four.
As Irish head coach Jeff Jackson put it this week, Michigan’s traditionally skilled program played with more grit and toughness than he had seen from it a year ago.
Now, after ending the regular season at Yost in each of the past two years, Notre Dame visits for its Big Ten road trip of 2024-25. Will the 20th-ranked Irish, off to a 5-3-0 start after splitting with Wisconsin last weekend, kick their season into high gear with another emotional win (or two)? Will No.
7 Michigan put the Irish on the ropes before they take on No. 4 Michigan State and No. 3 Minnesota in the coming weeks? Here’s a glimpse at a few factors that could bring answers to those questions this weekend.
On the road again
It’s been a minute since Notre Dame played outside Compton Family Ice Arena. You’d have to go back nearly a full month to Oct. 1112, when the Irish started 2-0 against St. Lawrence and Clarkson in New York’s North Country. After that weekend, they went 3-3 in a long homestand, splitting against Alaska, Long Island and Wisconsin via the same blueprint: win on Friday, lose on Saturday.
Notre Dame has started slow in every Saturday game to date. Even in their 5-2 win at Clarkson four weeks ago, the Irish fell behind 2-0 in the first period and didn’t begin their comeback until 21 seconds remained in period two.
Perhaps returning to the road will light a fire under Notre Dame to maintain its energy across both nights. Everyone loves to play at home (and why wouldn’t they?), but the idea of getting too comfortable during a six-game homestand bears some validity.
Keep an eye on Notre Dame’s first few shifts of both games this weekend and how well their juice sustains across 60 minutes.
Firing up the forwards
During Wednesday’s weekly press conference,
Coach Jackson expressed some concerns about Notre Dame’s scoring depth and hinted at the possibility of shifting forward lines for the Michigan series. At even strength, Notre Dame hasn’t generated all that much outside of senior winger Justin Janicke and sophomore center Cole Knuble, who share the second line with graduate winger Ian Murphy. Knuble has been a revelation to start his second season, posting six goals and six assists in eight games. With three goals and six assists on the year, Janicke is right there with him.
Outside of those two, Notre Dame doesn’t yet have another high-level scorer or producer.
On the top line, sophomore Danny Nelson has just one goal outside of powerplay time, graduate student Blake Biondi hasn’t scored since the season opener and sophomore Brennan Ali also has just one goal so far. The first line did score a critical goal to tie the game in Friday’s overtime defeat of Wisconsin thanks to an Ali deflection, so don’t rule out a more productive November.
Regardless, Notre Dame still has just one combined even-strength goal from its third and fourth forward lines. Third-line senior center Hunter Strand has lit the lamp twice on the power play, and he’d be the most likely candidate to spark Notre Dame’s bottom-six depth given his 19 points from last season.
The Irish have still largely gotten by on offense this
season for three main reasons. First, their power-play percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the nation. Second, their defensemen have overperformed on the offensive end with five goals in eight games. Finally, junior goaltender Owen Say remains the nation’s leader in save percentage (.960) for goalies with at least two games played.
In the grind of Big Ten play, Notre Dame cannot expect all — even any — of those three trends to hold up. Be on the lookout for the forward lines and their results this weekend.
Michigan on a mission
After reaching the Final Four and leading the Big Ten’s deepest postseason run last year, Michigan might be carrying a chip on its shoulder early this season. The Big Ten Preseason Poll tabbed the Wolverines at third in the conference behind Michigan State and Minnesota. And while the Spartans and Golden Gophers, two teams Michigan outlasted in the NCAA Tournament, have risen to the national top five, the Wolverines remain on the outside looking in at No. 7.
Now, Michigan did not at all deserve a top-five ranking with its play in October.
The Wolverines opened the year 3-2-1, splitting twice at home against lower-ranked opponents Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. The last team to visit Yost Ice Arena three weeks ago, St. Cloud State outplayed Michigan and shut out the Wolverines, 4-0, in their own barn on
Saturday night.
Based on last weekend’s results, though, it seems that the Wolverines have found their game. Michigan visited a Boston University team ranked fifth in the country and swept it out of Agganis Arena, winning 5-1 and 5-4 in overtime. The Wolverine power-play went 3 for 7 on the series, with sophomore Colorado College transfer Evan Werner scoring twice on Friday and junior Jackson Hallum tallying a Saturday hat trick. Michigan now sits at 5-2-1 on the season with the Notre Dame series marking its first Big Ten weekend.
Like Notre Dame, Michigan has started the season with a tandem goaltending plan. Logan Stein, a graduate transfer from Ferris State, has handled Fridays, while freshman Cameron Korpi has manned the crease on Saturdays. Stein has played better with a .932 save percentage to Korpi’s .900 and looked much more comfortable between the pipes last weekend.
Sophomore Garrett Schifsky and freshman Michael Hage have shouldered the bulk of Michigan’s offensive production, combining for nine goals and 16 points.
Last year, Michigan took five out of six meetings from Notre Dame, including five straight after the Irish opened the season series with a 6-1 home win on Dec. 1. The rivalry renews at 6 p.m. on Friday with a 7 p.m. puck drop to follow on Saturday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Belles come back to defeat Albion 3-0
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
After a seemingly rough past few games, the Saint Mary’s volleyball team improved to 9-13 on the season and 1-6 in the MIAA as it took the 3-0 win over the Albion Britons (Brits) on Wednesday.
Saint Mary’s took the lead early on in the first set thanks to freshman outside and middle hitter Kalli Lewkowski, who started the set strong with a block to gain the first point. Senior outside hitter Cali Allen would also contribute, adding two service aces to make the score 3-0. An 11-4 run from the Belles put them comfortably ahead with a score of 14-4 over the Brits as they continued to dominate on the court throughout the set. With multiple kills from sophomore middle hitter Caroline Carens, the team won the first set 25-18.
The second set went back and forth between the two teams as there were multiple lead changes and ties throughout the set. However, thanks to the duo of Allen and freshman setter Giuliana Graczyk, the team pulled ahead to a 20-16 lead over the Brits. Forced errors from the Belles and a kill from junior outside and middle hitter Delaney Martin made the final score in the second set 25-21, bringing the overall score 2-0 in favor of the Belles.
A duo effort from Lewkowski and junior middle hitter Patricia Settlemier helped the Belles gain a quick lead in the third set to make the score 2-0. A 12-6 run from the Belles kept them ahead as the score was 14-6 nearing the middle of the set. While the Brits attempted to make a comeback scoring a few points of their own, the Belles used errors made by Albion to finish the final set 25-15 and take the
final 3-0 win.
The Belles stayed in control throughout the entire match as they totaled more kills than the Brits (41-35) and had an overall team hitting percentage of .271. Carens led the match with 13 kills, Lewkowski followed with eight kills and Settlemier put up seven kills alongside Allen, who also added seven kills. Graczyk led the
match with 18 assists and sophomore setter Abby Reese added on 11 for herself.
Allen and junior defensive specialist Karli Fegan led in digs, both finishing with 14 while Reese followed with 11.
This match also was an important moment for Allen as she passed a notable milestone for the Belles having now more than 500
kills in her career.
The Belles now prepare for their last match of the season against Olivet on Nov. 9 starting at 1 p.m. This game is also going to be senior night for the Belles, as they will celebrate their only senior, Cali Allen.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
a little while for the Irish offense to get going back in September, and we haven’t yet seen the vertical threat Mitchell flashed to score the gamewinning touchdown in the Blue-Gold Game. But with two scoring grabs in his last three games, he’s coming around. What’s kept him focused?
“Continuously winning,” Mitchell said. “Winning brings a lot of joy to myself. I haven’t been a part of a winning team since high school, so it feels great.”
Despite his best individual efforts, Mitchell and FIU didn’t do a whole lot of winning during his five years there. Between 2019 and 2023, the Panthers compiled a total record of 1539, going winless in five games in 2020. Even as Mitchell broke records a year ago, FIU went 4-8 and missed out on bowl season for the fourth consecutive season.
Suffice to say Notre Dame will play in a bowl game this year. At 7-1 and on a six-game win streak, the Irish enter their final four games right in the thick of postseason contention. Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings slotted Notre Dame in at No. 10, projected to play a firstround game at Tennessee if the season ended this week.
While Mitchell cares deeply about winning, he couldn’t care less about a hypothetical win in Knoxville — or anywhere else — in December. The focus remains on winning the interval, practicing well and preparing for Saturday’s primetime game at Notre Dame Stadium.
“I feel like we just live in the moment,” Mitchell said. “We don’t think about the road. We’re not even thinking about the playoff right now … So I just feel like making sure they’re not getting too ahead of the moment — we could all lose it just like that.”
Nevertheless, Mitchell admitted he’ll be aware of the team on the opposite sideline come Saturday night. Florida State might enter South Bend with a shockingly poor record of 1-8, but that doesn’t change how the wideout sees — and has always seen — the Seminoles.
They’re the dream team that wouldn’t give Mitchell a shot. Now, he aims to make them pay.
“Going against them, I take it personal,” Mitchell said. “They didn’t believe in me coming out of high school, so I’m going to go show them what I got.”
Mitchell will have a chance to oppose Florida State for the first time in his career at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy2@nd.edu
Irish look toward Purdue
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
After a season-opening blowout against Mercyhurst with a 105-61 win on Monday, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks ahead to face off against Purdue on Sunday. Last year, the team took a 76-39 win over the Boilermakers at Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame started off the first quarter strong in last season’s contest, as current junior guard KK Bransford shot a free throw and a jumpshot to score the first three points of the game. Closely following, current graduate forward Maddy Westbeld put up her first four points of the afternoon, sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo added two and then-senior forward Natalija Marshall added two, making the score 11-0. A jumpshot, layup and three-point shot from Purdue closed the gap to 11-7, but the Irish responded as Hidalgo made two more layups to make the score 15-7.
A layup from Purdue and a three-pointer from former graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe made the score 18-9. Hidalgo added another layup to round out the first quarter, making the score 20-11.
With this lead, the two teams went back and forth during the second quarter until DeWolfe made a three-pointer to make the score 2311. Two free throws from Purdue made the score 23-13, but the Irish wasted no time as Marshall made three jump shots and Westbeld made a layup and a jumper to make the score 33-13. Purdue managed a pair of two-point buckets to make the score 33-16, but two successful free throws from Hidalgo made the score 35-16. After one more layup from Purdue, the final score in the second quarter was 35-18 in favor of the Irish.
Marshall and Westbeld kept the ball rolling in the third quarter as Westbeld made a jumpshot and a layup, while Marshall added two layups to make the score 43-18.
Bransford would add two free throws in response to points scored by Purdue to make the score 45-21.
Nine points scored by Hidalgo, five points from DeWolfe and two points from Bransford ended the third quarter with a score of 61-25 in Notre Dame’s favor.
With this 30-point lead, the Irish kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter as current graduate forward Kylee Watson added her first points of the day within the first 20 seconds of the quarter’s
opening inbound to make the score 63-25. After two points from Purdue, Hidalgo and Marshall each put up a pair of points to make the score 67-27. Purdue managed five more points for itself, but thengraduate forward Becky Obinma put up her first points on the day to put the Irish ahead 69-32. Two points from Purdue made the score 69-34, but Notre Dame responded as Obinma and Hidalgo both put in a layup for a 73-34 score. A jumpshot and a three-point shot made by the Boilermakers brought the score 74-39, but Bransford finished the game with two free throws to make the final score 76-39.
Hidalgo led the Irish on offense with a total of 23 points, closely followed by Westbeld who finished the day with a total of 15 points. Marshall also contributed 14 points for the Irish. On the inside, Westbeld took the lead as she totaled 12 rebounds, with Hidalgo closely behind having 10 rebounds for Notre Dame.
With that big win in mind, this year the Irish prepare to keep their success going as they prepare to travel and face off against Purdue on Nov. 10 starting at 7 p.m..
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
Holy Cross women fall to 1-2 on the season
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An Evening with
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Monday, November 25
7:30 p.m.
Moreau Center for the Arts O’Laughlin Auditorium
Tickets for this event can be purchased through the QR code or online at saintmarys.edu/events.
Members of the tri-campus community are invited to attend at no charge, but must reserve a ticket.
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
On Tuesday, the Saints’ women’s basketball team traveled to play IU Kokomo and suffered a close 69-65 loss.
Holy Cross struck first with freshman forward Allie Caldwell jumper in the first twenty seconds of the game. Neither team scored for the next few minutes until senior forward Grace Adams added a free throw to make the score 3-0. Two free throws and a three-point shot from IU made the score 5-3. Holy Cross managed to pull ahead at the end of the quarter, taking a 14-9 lead into the second.
Sophomore guard Lilly Toppen kept the ball rolling in the second quarter with a layup to make the score 16-11. After a jump shot from IU, junior guard Audrey Tallent made a layup to bring the score to 18-13. As the two teams battled for the lead, a jump shot from Tallent and a layup from IU tied the score at 20. IU pulled ahead with a threepoint shot but the Saints quickly responded with a layup and free throw from sophomore forward Brooke Lindesmith.
IU managed to pull ahead and finish the second quarter with a 30-27 lead.
Adams made two free throws to open up the third quarter and close the gap to 30-29. A layup
from IU and a three-point shot from Caldwell made the tied the score again at 32 points. IU pulled away with a 5-0 run to make the score 37-33. Caldwell made a layup and three free throws to help the Saints regain a 38-37 lead. The two teams went back and forth, the score eventually tied at 40. The two teams managed to stay within a point or two of each other throughout the rest of the quarter, but two layups from IU gave them the 51-44 lead heading into the fourth.
IU carried momentum into the quarter, scoring the first three points to open up a 5444 lead. Lindesmith’s basket stopped the bleeding to make the score 54-46, but The Cougars managed to stay ahead for the remainder of the quarter. They closed out the game with a 69-65 victory.
Caldwell led the way for the Saints with 17 points alongside Adams who finished with 16. Lindesmith also contributed ten points for the Saints offense. On the glass, Lindesmith led with 11 rebounds while Adams finished with ten.
The Saints wrap up their two-game road trip against Michigan-Dearborn on Saturday with tip-off set for 12 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
HCC WOMEN’S
Irish volleyball on the road
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
After taking two losses against Louisville, the Notre Dame volleyball team will go on the road to face Boston College and Syracuse.
Boston College
Last year, the Irish played Boston College to open ACC play and took a 3-2 win in a five-set thriller over the Eagles.
In that matchup, the first set was strong for the Irish, who overcame an early deficit to make a quick comeback. The Eagles started off strong with a 7-3 run, but Notre Dame fought back as they went on a 12-5 scoring run to regain the lead. The Eagles fought back to close the gap to 22-21 but the Irish pulled through to finish the set 25-21. Then junior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo, junior setter Phyona Schrader, freshman outside hitter Ava Lange and graduate student setter Nicole Drewnick all contributed kills to help the team take the set.
As the two teams battled for the lead in the second set, keeping it within one or two points of each other, Boston College went on a 4-0 run to pull ahead and make the score 13-7. The Eagles kept that momentum going to take the second set 25-16 and tie the overall score at 1-1.
The third set was a hardfought battle between the two teams, the score tied up seven different times along with three lead changes. While the Irish were trailing late in the set 2319, Palazzolo, Drewnick and Lange shined with multiple kills to close the gap to 24-22. Two plays later, senior libero Hattie Monson provided a huge dig to help tie the score at 24. The late Irish surge was not enough, however, as Boston College managed the next two points to win 26-24 and make the overall score 2-1.
While the Irish were trailing heading into the fourth set, they did not let it rattle them. They came straight out the gate to take an early 4-1 lead. Notre Dame continued their momentum as they went on a 12-2 run to make the score 17-6. The Irish kept on pushing to take the final 25-15 score and tie the overall score at 2-2.
The two teams battled it out in a very close fifth set, the score tied four times in the early part of the set. Power trio on the court Palazzolo, Drewnick and Schrader provided more kills to help the Irish take control and make the score 12-5. Lange added on a kill which was followed by two Eagles errors en route to a final score of 15-6. Lange led the Irish attack with 17 kills while Palazzolo had 15 kills and 18 digs. Schrader added 11 kills and Drewnick finished the night with a total of 46 assists and seven kills.
Syracuse
Last year, Notre Dame took a 3-0 win over the Syracuse Orange.
In the first set, the two teams fought back and forth with a total of 16 ties and five lead changes throughout. Notre Dame managed to take a 14-11 lead but the Orange went on a 4-0 run to make the score 15-14. As the teams continued to go back and forth, nearing the end of the set, the score was tied at 23. A kill from Schrader brought the score up but Syracuse answered right back to tie the score at 24. The Irish forced errors on the ensuing two points to make the final score 26-24 and take the first set of the night.
The Irish took the second set in dominant fashion as they never surrendered a lead. After jumping out to a 7-2 lead, they went on a 9-7
run to make the score 15-9 before finishing the set in with ten unanswered for a final score of 25-9 and a 2-0 match lead.
The third and final set of the night went in favor of the Irish as they took a 25-18 win. Halfway through the set, they trailed 15-13, until a huge block from Drewnick ignited a nine point run to make the score 22-15. The two teams went back and forth before Palazzolo closed out the set and the match with the final kill.
She led on the court with 13 kills with Schrader adding 10. Drewnick finished her night with a total of 34 assists and two blocks.
This year the Irish will see Boston College on Friday at 7 p.m. and Syracuse on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo (12) reaches her right hand up for an attack during Notre Dame’s 3-1 defeat of Colorado State.
Holy Cross men win over Kuyper
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
On Tuesday, the Holy Cross men’s basketball team took a very close 77-72 win over Kuyper College.
While the two teams went back and forth throughout the first half of the game, Kuyper controlled the lead making the score 24-18. Holy Cross managed to close the gap thanks to points scored by sophomore guard Joey Garwood, making the score 31-28 nearing the end of the
first half. But Kuyper kept a 39-32 lead heading into the half.
Junior guard AJ Roseman put up 13 points for the Saints and Garwood put up 11 before the break.
The teams continued to go back and forth in the second half and the Saints jumped out to a lead.
A jump shot and two free throws from Garwood brought the them ahead 52-50.
Roseman added a jump shot to keep the momentum
going but Kuyper continued tying the score up. Senior guard Phil Robles II helped the Saints pull ahead in crunch time, making the score 75-72.
Two free throws from Garwood would ice it, the final score 77-72. Garwood was the key player in the second half, putting up 20 points while Robles contributed 11 of his own.
For the game, Garwood led the Saints with 31 points, Roseman finished with 17, Robles with 14 and
senior guard Justin O’Neal with eight. Garwood also led on the glass, finishing the night with a total of nine rebounds.
Roseman and senior guard Nash Hostetler also contributed six rebounds throughout the game.
The Saints now looks ahead to a road matchup against Northern Illinois University on Thursday with tip-off at 7 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
scored 18 points each in what is now the largest Notre Dame victory of the Shrewsberry era. As a whole, the Irish shot over 50% from the floor, converted on 16 of 22 free throw attempts and knocked down 11 shots from beyond the arc. Junior forward Kebba Njie added nine points on four for five shooting and totaled 10 rebounds in his nineteen minutes. Speaking to the media postgame, Njie cited his offseason development, saying, “I’ve worked on my body in the offseason, and I just try to play with a high motor every time I touch the floor.” He continued by saying, “I just have to make the most of my touches in the low post.”
Shrewsberry concluded his press conference by highlighting the importance of winning, saying, “I’m not satisfied with how we played. I definitely think that there is tons of progress to be made, but the main takeaway is that winning is hard.
You get to the tournament by taking care of these games, and by beating prominent teams in league play.”
After falling behind by as many as 12 in last year’s season opener against Niagara, the Irish never trailed after an early 2-0 deficit on Wednesday night. The victory moved Notre Dame to 3-0 all-time against the Skyhawks.
The Irish will return to action next Monday night to play host to the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference.
Monday’s tilt is set for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off inside Purcell Pavilion and can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Irish down Stonehill to open the year
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Year two of the Micah Shrewsberry era got underway Wednesday night at Purcell Pavilion, as the Notre Dame men’s basketball team welcomed fellow Congregation of Holy Cross institution Stonehill to South Bend for the 2024-25 season opener.
The Skyhawks came to South Bend looking to start the young campaign 2-0, following their 8162 victory over DIII Framingham State on Monday.
Expectations for the Irish are high entering the 2024-25 season.
The team returned nearly 86% of its scoring from last year’s 13-20 season, a level of continuity rarely seen in college hoops anymore.
Shrewsberry and staff reeled in a talented class of newcomers to complement the returning core, but reigning ACC freshman of the year Markus Burton will still shoulder much of the load for this edition of Irish hoops. The sophomore guard from Mishawaka Penn High School was selected to the preseason all-ACC first team on the heels of his 17.5 points per game in 2023-24.
Donning the traditional home white threads, the Irish started hot on both ends of the floor, taking an early 29-16 lead at the under-12 media timeout. The defense, which ranked third in the ACC allowing just over 67 points per game last year, remained stingy, while the improved pace offensively was also evident. Speaking with the media postgame, Coach Shrewsberry said, “I thought we were jittery to start, but our pace improved as the game went on. These guys have
been itching to play again since last Wednesday.”
Senior guard J.R. Konieczny provided a spark when he subbed in early off the Irish bench. The South Bend St. Joseph High School product connected on a baseline drive and a wing three on back-to-back possessions to push the Irish lead to seven following an early Micah Shrewsberry timeout.
It was a three-point barrage after that as consecutive triples from Lehigh transfer forward Burke Chebuhar and sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry capped off a 10-0 Irish run, prompting Stonehill head coach Chris Kraus to call a timeout. Princeton transfer guard Matt Allocco and sophomore guard Logan Imes also connected from beyond the arc late in the opening half. All told, Notre Dame connected on seven of their twelve three-point attempts in the first half, a welcome sign of improvement for a group that shot 31.8% a year ago, which was third-worst in the ACC.
Led by ten points from Shrewsberry and nine from Burton, the Irish took a 46-29 lead into the intermission. The 17-point halftime edge matched the Irish’s largest a year ago, when they led Virginia 41-24 at the break on Dec. 30.
Despite his inefficient shooting in the first half, Burton was able to make good on three of his first six attempts coming out of the locker room, helping the Irish balloon the lead to 27 points.
The large lead allowed Shrewsberry to distribute minutes to thirteen different Irish players, eleven of which scored.
The Irish depth and defensive scheme managed to hold Stonehill’s dynamic duo of Josh Morgan and Todd Brogna to a combined 24 points on four of twelve shooting from the field.
The two prolific Skyhawk scorers had teamed up to tally over half on Stonehill’s points on Monday.
Wednesday night also witnessed the much-anticipated debuts of talented freshmen Sir Mohammed, Cole Certa and Garrett Sundra. Mohammed
scored five points and added six rebounds in his seventeen minutes of action, while Sundra’s first career bucket put the finishing touches on Notre Dame’s 89-60 win. Shrewsberry touted Mohammed’s development and work ethic, saying, “He’s a pleaser. He wants to do so well. He was a little jittery too, but he’s gotten so much stronger over the summer and he really knows the game.”
Notre Dame dominated on the glass, out-rebounding Stonehill
50-23. It was the first time under Shrewsberry that Notre Dame had recorded 50 or more rebounds.
Additionally, it was the first time Notre Dame had doubled its opponent’s rebounding total since a 34-15 advantage against Bellarmine back in December of 2020.
Burton and Shrewsberry
Junior forwards Kebba Njie (14) and Tae Davis (7) reach up for a defensive rebound during Notre Dame’s 89-60 defeat of Stonehill at Purcell Pavilion Nov. 6, 2024. The Irish outrebounded the Skyhawks 50-23.
Watts steps up as leader of elite secondary
By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing Editor
Graduate student safety
Xavier Watts has been a longstanding key force for the Irish, consistently building on his momentum this season. Last year, Watts stood out as a powerhouse in the Irish defense, starting all 13 games and leading the nation with seven interceptions.
He recorded 52 tackles, 30 of them solo, earning All-American honors and winning the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player.
Though he burst on the scene last year to win plenty of accolades, he has stepped
up as the anchor of a secondary that ranks among the nation’s best.
Aside from significant roster turnover last season, adding on the loss of junior cornerback Ben Morrison, the transfer portal entrance of junior cornerback Jayden Mickey and the young talent of sophomore Christian Gray and freshman Leonard Moore, his steady leadership could not be more crucial for the Irish defense.
“I think my biggest thing I’m most proud of this season, so far, is probably my communication,” Watts explained at post-practice media availability on Nov.
5. “Being able to relay the
message to the rest of the defense and moving around guys if they’re not in the right spot. Then obviously kind of just my technical, you know footwork, getting in and out of my breaks. Overall I feel like I’m playing better football than last year.”
The reigning defensive player of the year got some attention in the Here Come the Irish Notre Dame football documentary released in early August, where he discussed his paralyzed father’s influence on his gameplay and overall mentality about perseverance and hard work.
With the College Football Playoff’s first official rankings now released and
postseason hopes high, it would be easy for the Irish to get caught up in the noise. But when asked about how the rankings impact the team’s mindset, Watts shared his approach to keeping things grounded.
“We reinforce that there’s still a lot of football left to be played -- still four to five weeks left of football -- so I mean, it’s kind of just focusing on us,” Watts said on Tuesday. “Trying not to pay attention to that, I mean obviously you‘re going to see stuff like that, but not paying attention to it too much. We are just focusing on winning out the rest of the season, and the rest will play out on
its own.”
So far this year, Watts has had 31 total tackles (19 solo), one forced fumble and three interceptions for 34 yards for the Irish. He has been key in breaking up passes on crucial third-down moments, seeming to find the ball in his hands every game and delivering with standout performances.
This weekend, Watts will be key to beating up an already downtrodden Florida State defense to ensure an Irish victory at home and continue leading the march to the CFP
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Keys to Victory: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
By ANNIKA HERKO Associate Sports Editor
If anyone had expected Florida State to have this bad of a season, this game probably would not be a night game. With the Seminoles failing to generate more than 300 yards of offense in any game this season and defeating only ACC newcomer Cal, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a blowout in favor of the Irish.
Notre Dame is coming off one of, if not its most, impressive win of the season so far, handling Navy, 51-14, and giving the Midshipmen their first loss of the season.
The Irish recovered five fumbles and caused several more, showing
that their defense, despite many key players being out with injuries, remains a force to be contended with.
While the odds are in their favor, there is no room for complacency in the Notre Dame locker room. The Irish do not need a repeat of Northern Illinois.
No. 1: Score early, score often
The Seminoles are 1-8. They are already coming into this game disheartened. This is almost an argument that it would be better for Notre Dame if they started the game with the ball rather than deferring to the second half if they win the coin toss. Making the Florida State offense play the entire
game behind could just completely deflate the Seminoles and help the Irish make quick work of one of last year’s top teams.
Notre Dame has a lot of offensive weapons. The Irish can beat you on the ground with running backs or quarterbacks. They’ve shown in this second half of the season they can beat you through the air as well.
No. 2: Have a positive turnover margin
A turnover against No. 10 Notre Dame could motivate the Seminoles to rise above the level of play we’ve seen out of Florida State so far this season. Obviously, sloppy play against a poorly regarded
team will not be looked upon favorably by the College Football Playoff committee. Notre Dame needs to keep the Seminoles on their heels all game to win by as great a margin as possible, which includes generating turnovers.
No. 3: Put in younger players
Look, if everything goes right, and if Notre Dame is the kind of team that deserves to be in the playoff, the Irish should pull away from Florida State quickly. When they do, I’d really like to see them put in the younger players as soon as possible.
Junior quarterback Steve Angeli deserves some reps of course, but giving the two young quarterbacks
sitting behind him a solid bit of time will be huge for their continued development and the future of this program. Notre Dame has a recent tradition of having older quarterbacks transfer in, and that’s a fine temporary solution, but what incentive will that give to recruits to commit to play in South Bend? Beyond the quarterback position, this is an ideal game to get players who rarely see the field in as the crowd will bring high levels of energy, and the opponent has been struggling to find any positives from this season.
Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu
Cahill: Can Freeman’s team handle success?
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
On Tuesday night, the muchanticipated first College Football Playoff top 25 was revealed. Coming off of its second bye week of the season, Notre Dame slotted in at No. 10 in the rankings, meaning it would have a spot in the 12-team field had the season ended today. The Irish would go on the road to face No. 7 Tennessee in late December for their first-round matchup. Judging the resumes of the teams below them, even with four weeks of football remaining, not including conference championship weekend, the Irish should control their own destiny. The Athletic’s playoff projections have Notre Dame at an 88% chance of making the playoff with a 65% chance of hosting after the rest of the field shakes out.
While this will require some help from teams like Indiana and BYU, who both remain undefeated, the outlook of the season gets brighter by the week. Had you told an Irish fan back in September that they would be four wins away from the playoff after the catastrophic loss to Northern Illinois, they would not have believed you. In retrospect, trading the Texas A&M win albeit for a nightmare loss a week later appears to be the better of the two outcomes with the No. 14-ranked Aggies currently tied with Georgia atop the SEC.
Looking at the remaining schedule, hopes get even higher. The Irish come out of the bye at home against a 1-8 Florida State team in utter disarray before their final home game against Virginia. Their final stretch will be a test, with No. 25-ranked and undefeated Army in Yankee Stadium and rival USC in
the Coliseum to close out the year.
That said, the Irish enter both contests as clear favorites and will get a week off while the rest of the country dukes it out on championship weekend.
Heading into a tough test against Louisville back in Week Five, Marcus Freeman’s team was staring at the prospect of a season that began with playoffs written all over it ending before October. A loss in that game, and the conversations would have gotten very challenging as the track record of crushing losses mounted. But as he has throughout his entire tenure, Freeman got the necessary response from his team in the face of adversity. Now on a six-game winning streak, the bigger question begins to resurface for the third-year head coach: can this team handle success?
Much of Notre Dame’s offseason was framed in the context of what would be a potentially season-defining matchup in College Station for the season opener. While a Week One loss is never a death sentence, one-upping an SEC team was a massive opportunity at a statement in the context of a weak schedule that offered very few, if any, others. Going into one of the most hostile environments in college football with a true freshman starting at left tackle, the Irish left with a program win, the best of the Freeman era.
I described the win back in September as a culmination of Freeman’s development as a coach thus far. He placed his team in the proper headspace amidst all the noise and managed the game perfectly, balancing a conservative game plan with aggressive decisions when they were called for. His team did not make mistakes,
and in the end both physically and mentally outlasted the Aggies in their building. Only one week later, it felt like all that hard work had been undone in the span of a few hours. He had fallen victim to the fatal flaw of success yet again, overlooking and unforgivably losing to NIU, who became the first MAC team to ever defeat an opponent ranked in the top five of the AP Poll.
With a now established history of these kinds of losses, doubt lingers in the minds of Irish fans as to whether or not this team can do what it is capable of and take care of business down the stretch. However, there have been signs that it can, the biggest being the evolution of the offense. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and the coaching staff felt compelled to call a specific style of game against Texas A&M, one that eliminated as many mistakes as possible. This approach proved wise as Notre Dame went almost mistake-free all game while benefitting from a pair of Aggie turnovers en route to the 23-13 victory. Propped up by a stellar defensive display, the offense did just enough, putting together a late go-ahead touchdown drive and a field-goal drive to ice the game. The expectation was for the offense, particularly quarterback Riley Leonard and the passing attack, to be unlocked in the weeks ahead.
However, while Denbrock seemingly called a game against NIU that reflected his vision for the offense, the group and especially Leonard were not yet prepared to execute.
The senior transfer from Duke threw for an underwhelming 163 yards on 20 of 32 passing with two interceptions, the second of which
was a woefully underthrown downfield shot that set up a game-winning field goal for the Huskies. It was a playcall that encapsulated how far behind this offense was from where it needed to be — and where Irish fans thought it would be with the addition of Leonard. But while it was not pretty in the following two home wins against Miami (Ohio) and Louisville, there were flashes of the group’s potential and its ceiling which was raised by Leonard’s elite rushing ability. Even during his roughest stretch as a passer in the early season where he threw only a single touchdown in the opening four games, he was the team’s leading rusher, totaling 322 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Coming out of the first bye against Stanford, he put together his best passing performance to date, throwing for 229 yards and three touchdowns without a single interception.
He has since shown signs of improvement every single week, from the timing of his reads to the layering of his throws downfield. The wide receiver corps have established a stronger connection with their captain as the offense has found more balance and the young, inexperienced offensive line has improved in pass protection.
The success of the group continues to hinge on the immense threat of the run game as sophomore star Jeremiyah Love continues to blossom into one of the most exciting backs in the country. No. 4 has a touchdown in every single game this season and has a pairing of vision and explosiveness that adds a fundamental dimension to the offense. All the while, arguably Notre Dame’s best offensive player, senior tight end
Mitchell Evans, has yet to be fully unlocked after easing back from the ACL tear that sidelined him for the 20232024 season. This is all to say that the arrow is pointing up for the offense, and that could change the picture for this team.
There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said about an Irish defense that, despite several key injuries, continues to play at a national championship level. Some of the casualties, especially graduate student vyper Jordan Botelho and junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison, may prove more costly in higher leverage games, but Al Golden’s group should have more than enough to finish the job in the regular season. With the offense improving and the defense dominating, this Irish team has been doing more than winning in recent weeks. They have been blowing teams off the field in the kind of routine fashion that a team of their caliber should against this caliber of competition. That said, the brand of boring winning that Irish fans became accustomed to under Brian Kelly has not been a given in the first couple of years under Freeman. This year, that could be changing. The spotlight once again returns to the third-year head coach. C an Marcus Freeman make the leap that so many Notre Dame coaches of the past have in that magical third season? Can he get this team to the level everyone believed it could reach before the year and after the first win? Only time will tell.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Beat picks: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
By Observer Sports Staff
Noah Cahill
What appeared to be one of the marquee matchups of Notre Dame’s season has since become arguably the easiest game on the schedule. Florida State is a program in utter disarray. Entering the year ranked No. 10 in the country coming off nearly missing the College Football Playoff, head coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles now sit at 1-8 heading into Notre Dame Stadium for the Week 11 matchup.
There remain lingering doubts about this Irish team’s ability to handle success, questions that start to resurface amidst their dominant six-game winning streak and recent top-10 ranking in the first CFP poll, but I don’t think they overlook this game. The offense has shown signs of improvement every single week of late, particularly in the passing attack as senior quarterback Riley Leonard becomes more comfortable in the Mike Denbrock offense. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love continues to shine in the backfield and will look to keep his streak alive, scoring a touchdown in every game so far this season.
He should have ample opportunity to do so against a Seminole defense that ranks 114th in the nation against the rush, allowing 191.4 yards per game on the ground. On the other side of the ball, I expect this Irish defense to have a field day. Averaging a miserable 14.4 points per game, the Florida State offense has very little to turn to as they prepare to face a group allowing fewer than two touchdowns per game.
D.J. Uiagalelei started the season at the helm and passed for 1,065 yards in five games with four touchdowns and six interceptions. He was replaced by the combination of redshirt freshman Brock Glenn and true freshman Luke Kromenhoek, but both have also been underwhelming. Ja’Khi Douglas and Malik Benson will command most of the targets, the duo combining for 706 yards and seven touchdowns for the season. Lawrence Toafili leads the backfield and has carried it 78 times this season albeit for an inefficient 3.9 yards per carry. Expect the quarterback duo to get involved in the rushing attack as well.
Coming fresh off of a bye week and returning to an excited home crowd, I expect a walk in the park for a Notre Dame team that is building momentum. This game will never get close.
Prediction: Florida State 7, Notre Dame 42
Matthew Crow
Part of me feels like this matchup features a lot of the classic ingredients of a “trap game” — a sentiment some Notre Dame fans might share in the aftermath of the Irish’s still-shocking September loss to Northern Illinois — but I’m going to try not to overthink it. Florida State has struggled greatly all season en route to a disappointing 1-8 record and is currently riding a five-game losing streak.
Most of the Seminoles’ troubles have come on the offensive side of the ball, where they haven’t eclipsed 20 points since their season opener, have thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes and have averaged just 2.7 yards per carry on the year. That doesn’t bode well against a formidable Irish unit that has ceded 20 points just once this season and ranks fourth nationally in points allowed per game at just 12.1 after stifling a Navy offense that entered the game as one of the top units in the country.
Defensively, Florida State had no answer for North Carolina on the ground in a blowout 35-11 home loss last weekend, as the Tar Heels rumbled their way to nearly 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Notre Dame’s elite running back tandem of Jeremiyah Love and junior Jadarian Price should similarly have their way on Saturday, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see talented freshman backs Kedren Young and Aneyas Williams get in on the action as well.
Combine that strong rushing attack with another standout effort from Riley Leonard — who has very quietly played like one of the nation’s top quarterbacks over the last few weeks, a significant development that not many would have seen coming early in the season — and I predict a big day for a steadily improving Irish offense that has scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games and should have a great opportunity to do the same against the reeling Seminoles.
Notre Dame finally snapped its streak of slow starts against Navy by opening the game with a pair of quick touchdowns and will look to do the same on Saturday.
Notre Dame Stadium should be rocking for the Irish’s lone home night game of the season, and there won’t be much drama in this one as Notre Dame opens up a big first-half lead before rolling to a seventh straight victory to keep pace in the College Football Playoff race.
Prediction: Florida State 10, Notre Dame 45
Annika Herko
Florida State put up 21 points in their first game of the season, a three-point loss to Georgia Tech when they were ranked No. 10 in the country. Through the rest of the season, they have been unable to score more than 16 points.
Their defense has kept their opponents’ score low enough in most games that they could’ve had a comeback, but with such an unproductive offense, there’s only so much the defense can do.
It is likely that Florida State will switch between quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek to see if either of them can get anything done. Glenn is still the starter. However, an old football saying comes to mind, especially this late in the season — “if you have two quarterbacks, you really don’t have any.”
Prediction: Florida State 10, Notre Dame 55
Madeline Ladd
It’s hard to remember a program that has plummeted to the depths of college football like the 2024 Florida State Seminoles. Once a powerhouse, the 1-8 Seminoles have hit rock bottom, ranking 134th in total offense and failing to score more than 20 points in eight straight games.
The other side of the ball isn’t much better, ranking 96th in total defense and giving up an average of 392 yards per game. With a depleted roster after losing key players to the NFL and transfers that haven’t panned out, this FSU team looks disjointed and uninspired. This is evidenced by their five-game losing streak since their lone win over Cal in September.
Head Coach Mike Norvell’s seat is hot as this will be his third losing
season in five years. Put simply, FSU looks like a team that has quit.
However, as we Irish fans have well learned, this does not make the stakes of the game any lower. This is a must-win for Notre Dame. Leonard must continue his game-over-game improvement and avoid careless interceptions that may give FSU a spark. Keeping it simple by running the ball with Love and Price feels like a smart option. With FSU’s offensive struggles, the Irish defense should have no trouble containing redshirt freshman quarterback Brock Glenn, who has struggled with turnovers this season.
The Seminoles will most likely be playing a lot of freshmen to gain experience, so they will be looking to make an impact. Notre Dame must come out strong at home in the first night game of the season.
One bright spot for the Seminoles, however, is special teams. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald is a perfect 10 for 10 kicking field goals, including five from at least 52 yards. Punter Alex Mastromanno leads the nation in punting average (49.3 yards per punt).
Barring a special teams miracle or any big Irish blunders, this matchup should be a stepping stone for Notre Dame to try to impress the committee and continue their march to the CFP.
Prediction: Florida State 13, Notre Dame 49
Tyler Reidy
This one’s not going to be pretty. I don’t know how else to put it.
Florida State has trudged along as a dead team walking for weeks now, and the situation
doesn’t get any better this week.
The Seminoles have not scored more than 21 points all season and now oppose one of the nation’s strongest defenses with a second-string quarterback.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame has torched opposing defenses during its active six-game win streak, scoring at least 28 points in every game.
The Irish defense also hasn’t allowed more than 24 in a game this year, supporting the idea that the Seminoles won’t be sniffing 20 points on Saturday night.
Sometimes, you have to just follow the numbers. They don’t lie after all. Notre Dame’s going to score a lot of points, while Florida State will be lucky to reach the end zone.
The only counterargument I’ll entertain is the “Notre Dame might overlook the Seminoles” claim, because there sure is nothing about the X’s and O’s that point the way of Florida State.
I even have a hard time convincing myself that Notre Dame would struggle to handle business here, namely because the Irish are on the back end of a bye week.
Marcus Freeman’s have played four post-bye games in the last three seasons: 2022 against BYU, 2023 against Pittsburgh and Wake Forest and 2024 against Stanford.
Did the Irish underperform in any of those wins? I certainly don’t believe so.
Jeremiyah Love easily clears 100 yards on the ground. Notre Dame’s defensive line feasts. Irish by 31.
Prediction: Florida State 10, Notre Dame 41
CHANCELOR GORDON | THE OBSERVER
Graduate wide receiver Kris Mitchell (10) holds the head of senior quarterback Riley Leonard (13) during the first half of Notre Dame’s 51-14 victory against the Navy Midshipmen at the Georgia Superdome.