Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, Nov. 18, 2022

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE KLAERS | PHOTOS BY MAX PETROSKY AND RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

2

INSidER

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

TaRIQ BRACY

Keys to victory

Bracy sets the ‘Golden Standard’

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

As a high schooler in Milpitas, California, TaRiq Bracy strived to play on the biggest stage that college football had to offer.

That’s why selecting a school became easy when Notre Dame came calling.

“The combination of a great education and a Power Five football team is hard to resist,” Bracy said. “Notre Dame was my biggest offer and I wanted to show the world my skills.”

He would not have to wait long for that opportunity, appearing in 11 games as a true freshman cornerback. Fast forward five years, and he is a key cog of one of the nation’s best defenses, and perhaps just as importantly, one of Notre Dame’s primary leaders.

“It’s my fifth year here, so I’ve been able to play a lot of football.

I’ve learned from mistakes, from the good and bad,” Bracy said.

“The older guys pride ourselves on our leadership, being able to string some of the young guys along and create a solid defense, especially in the secondary.”

Despite an impressive high school career that saw him lead Milpitas to a state championship during his senior season, Bracy was overlooked by many top programs because of his slight stature. Seeing him on the field today, it is clear that hard work has resulted in significant improvements in his strength and physicality. However, his growth in the game’s mental aspects has played just as big a role in his development.

“Being able to get in the film room a lot, watching the opponent, learning their tendencies and what they like to do,” Bracy said about how he has improved at Notre Dame. “Being able to build up my body from my freshman year, because [low] weight had been a problem, that’s what the narrative was. I really honed in on trying to get my body stronger and being able to take hits and deliver hits as well.”

As part of Notre Dame’s defensive back rotation for the past five seasons, Bracy is among college football’s most experienced players. Freshman cornerbacks rarely receive significant playing time, especially for national championship contenders. Even so, Bracy was an important contributor to the 2018 Irish team that finished the regular season 12-0 and reached the College Football Playoff.

Having proven his ability to compete at a high level, Bracy took a huge step forward as a sophomore. He finished the 2019 season with 34 tackles and seven pass breakups while showing a knack for making big plays in timely moments, forcing one fumble and recovering

two more. In Notre Dame’s third game of the season, the Irish traveled to Athens to face Georgia. Despite suffering a narrow defeat, Bracy describes it as the most memorable game of his career. The atmosphere was electric, College GameDay was in town and the game was a high-stakes, hard-fought battle between top-10 teams. Bracy, having grown up in a small town, said he never imagined playing under such bright lights, and he rose to the occasion, breaking up two Georgia passes in his performance.

The next two seasons saw Bracy play key roles for Irish teams that posted a combined regular season record of 21-1 and appeared in another College Football Playoff in 2020. He started in a memorable double-overtime victory against Clemson during his junior year and posted a career-high eight tackles while defeating Florida State in the same season. As a senior, Bracy recorded his first career interception, a highlightreel play against Virginia Tech.

After graduating in 2022 with a degree in psychology, Bracy opted to return for a fifth season at Notre Dame. His play this year has made that decision look like a good one. Against BYU, he memorably intercepted a pass on the game’s opening play, setting Notre Dame up to earn a huge victory in Las Vegas. Weeks later, in front of a sold-out Notre Dame Stadium, Bracy brought down Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei for his first career sack, a play that helped guide Notre Dame to one of its biggest victories in recent memory. He attributes Irish performances like that to the high standard that every player holds themselves, and each other, to a mentality that he has helped cultivate as a defensive leader.

“The Golden Standard is what we pride ourselves on, and we don’t take anything less,” Bracy said. “Having that, along with great players and great coaches, it can come together very well.”

As his time at Notre Dame winds down, Bracy remains as locked in as ever, looking forward to the challenge of continuing to chase his goals at the next level.

“The NFL is my number one goal,” Bracy said. “I’ll be working towards that.”

The Irish defense will soon have to adjust to not having Bracy as a mainstay in the lineup for the first time in over half a decade. Until then, he will try to close out his illustrious Notre Dame career the only way he knows how: by leading the Irish to victory.

Keys to Victory: Boston College

By NATE MOLLER Senior Sports Writer

The Irish are coming off of their first four game win streak of the season, and they will look to extend their late season surge with a win against Boston College on senior day.

Here are the keys to an Irish victory this Saturday against the Eagles.

of the game.

This Saturday, the Irish need to play sixty minutes of football if they want to avoid an upset against the upsethungry Eagles, who are coming off of a stunning ranked win against North Carolina State. If the Irish have a lapse in play again, then they might very well find themselves on the losing end of yet another upset.

1. Play four quarters of football

2. Run the football

At times this season, the Irish have looked like one of the best teams in the country.

At other times, however, the Irish have looked incompetent on both sides of the ball. This was apparent in last week’s win over Navy, where the Irish jumped out to a 35-13 lead at halftime, but then had to hold on for a 35-32 win.

The first half of that game saw junior quarterback Drew Pyne and the Irish offense firing on all cylinders, as Pyne threw for four touchdown passes and had his way with the Midshipmen defense.

In the second half, however, the Irish offense ceased to exist, totaling just two net yards the entire half. Pyne also looked like a completely different quarterback, as he took five sacks and threw an interception.

This inconsistent play has been common for the Irish this season. For example, the Irish hadn’t scored a touchdown in the first quarter until the seventh game of the season. This inconsistent play also led to a loss against Stanford this season because the Irish had failed to score in the first half

This has been a theme in keys to victory for the Irish, but it is still essential as ever that the Irish establish the run game and stick to it throughout the entire course of the game. In the second half of the Navy game, the Irish were too one dimensional in the passing game, which led to a completely ineffective half on the offensive side of the football.

Boston College ranks 82nd in the FBS in rushing defense, and they are allowing a healthy 4.12 yards per carry.

In the Irish win two weeks ago against Clemson, the Irish showed that they could run the football against a high quality rushing defense team.

The Irish need to commit to running the football again on Saturday against an inferior Eagles’ defense that has struggled to stop the run all season.

The Irish have established a dangerous trio of running backs in sophomore Logan Diggs, sophomore Audric Estime and junior Chris Tyree, and they should rely heavily on all three of them to lead the way for the Irish on offense come Saturday.

Another reason the Irish

may have to rely on the run game is the weather forecast for Saturday’s game. With the expected high hovering around 28 F with winds expected, it will make it even more difficult for the Irish to find success in the passing game.

3. Continue to find success on special teams One of the strong suits of this Notre Dame team has been the special team units, specifically the punt block team. Through ten games this season, the Irish have recorded seven blocked punts, which is first in the FBS. In the win against Clemson two weeks ago, the blocked punt generated a special teams touchdown, and last week, the Irish scored just one play after the blocked punt. It seems like every time the Irish block a punt, the offense pounces on their opportunity to put points on the board. In a game where the score might be lower because of the weather, the Irish could use yet another blocked punt to spark the offense.

Aside from blocking punts, the Irish have excelled in the punting game this season.

Graduate student punter Jon Sot has been more than reliable for the Irish this season, and he is averaging 40.86 net yards per punt this season. Although the Irish will try to avoid punting the ball this weekend, in situations where they have to, they will lean on Sot again to set the Eagles’ offense up with poor field position.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE| The Observer

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Sophomore running back Audric Estime dodges a Navy defender as he runs with the ball. The Irish beat the Midshipmen 35-32, Estime notched 49 yards in the matchup and 711 yards this season.

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

3

staff predictions

Observer staff predicts Notre Dame vs. Boston College

By AIDAN THOMAS, MADDIE LADD, NATE MOLLER, LIAM COOLICAN, EMILY DeFAZIO and MANNION McGINLEY Sports Editor, Associate Sports Editors and Assistant Managinv Editor

Notre Dame faces Boston College to conclude their home schedule on Saturday as double-digit favorites.

The Obser ver Sports Staff prov ides their picks for the chilly showdow n.

Aidan Thomas, Sports Editor In a weird year for Notre Dame, there’s a couple of statistical trends that have proved constant. The Irish are undefeated (5-0) when the over hits, and they’re 0-5 against the spread (but 3-2 overall) when favorites of more than a touchdow n.

I feel confident that Notre Dame is going to do enough to score on BC and get over the 46-point mark currently set for this game. I also feel confident that the Eagles, w ith some former Irish players coming back to Notre Dame for the first time and coming off a big ranked w in, w ill have the juice to keep this one close for a while.

Notre Dame should be able to dominate in the trenches and make Boston College one-dimensional. This game feels like it w ill either be annoyingly stressful or one of those lazy, lackadaisical w ins that are never a total blowout, but also never super close either.

Notre Dame 31, Boston College 14 Maddie Ladd, Associate Sports Editor Here we go again …

Boston College is not a good team but Notre Dame has played dow n to their opposition consistently this year, especially at home.

Boston College is last in rushing in ALL of college football, though they have some great offensive weapons in quarterback Phil Jurkovec (a former Notre Dame player) who has been injured but may play Saturday. Tight end George Takacs also transferred from Notre Dame, and w ide receiver Zay Flowers is one of the best in the nation and is an NFL prospect.

Boston College is coming off a huge road upset of then-No. 17 North Carolina State, and certainly w ill be up for this game as the traditional rival looking to play spoiler. However,

Saturday is Senior Day for the Irish and they w ill be looking for a strong home finish. Will the Irish be able to control their emotions and play focused?

Have they forgotten the awful performance in the second half of Nav y? Can Drew Pyne revert back to his first half efficiency from last week?

Notre Dame should have top tack ler JD Bertrand back on the field, and safety Brandon Joseph may return as well, which w ill add depth to the lineup. The Irish should be able to control w ith its running game and smart passing from Pyne. Notre Dame w ill continue its four game streak of scoring 35 points in a game, and Steve Angelli w ill finally make an appearance in this final home matchup.

Notre Dame 38, Boston College 13 Nate Moller, Senior Sports Writer The weather on Saturday w ill not be ideal for either offense w ith the high temperature hovering around the upper 20s and 20 mile per hour sustained w inds likely. A lthough the Irish are much more talented on both sides of the football than the Eagles, the weather w ill ser ve as a leveling factor, allow ing the Eagles to keep this one interesting.

To make matters worse, I expect the Eagles to have a ton of energ y and excitement coming into this one because of the multiple Eagles players that used to play for the Irish.

If the Irish are going to avoid an upset in this one, they need to exploit the Eagles’ poor run defense, especially w ith the nonideal weather conditions for passing.

Unfortunately, I think the Irish get off to one of their classic slow starts, and they w ill not be able to complete a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

Boston College w ill convert a couple of trick plays in this one to pull off their second consecutive ranked road w in.

Notre Dame 23, Boston College 27 Liam Coolican, Associate Sports Editor Despite the rock y second half last week against Nav y, Notre Dame proved they could w in games in more than one way — through the air or on the ground.

They’ll likely need to return to the ground game against Boston College this weekend if the frigid weather forecast holds.

The Eagles rank dead last in rushing offense, and neither former Irish signal caller Phil Jurkovec nor redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead is a particularly inspiring option under center. Meanwhile, Notre Dame hasn’t scored less than 35 points on their four-game w in streak.

Boston College w ill be fortunate if they can score double digits in this one, so the Irish offense won’t have to do too much to get the w in on Senior Day. Notre Dame 17, Boston College 3 Mannion McGinley — Assistant Managing Editor It is going to be cold in South Bend on Saturday.

The weather alone w ill be a second opponent for both the Irish and the Eagles in their 2:30 face-off. Not only w ill the temperature be below freezing but there w ill be 20 mile per hour w inds at random points during the day. With that said, 20 mph w inds contributed positively to an Irish w in two weeks ago so who’s to say the running

back room can’t take advantage of it again? Still though, holding onto the ball w ill be significantly more difficult for ever yone involved, and on-target passes w ill be seemingly out of the question.

For the Irish to come away w ith this one, they cannot underestimate the fourth backup quarterback they’ll face in as many weeks. Morehead just stepped into the role, dethroning Phil Jurkovec after the former Notre Dame QB suffered several injuries.

He can throw but also makes enough rookie mistakes that there is room to take advantage of the young quarterback so long as the Irish defense is properly prepared for him.

On the other side of the ball, it w ill be on the Irish offense to control the scoring and the clock. Nav y almost had enough time to control the game last weekend and the Irish cannot give up that opportunity again.

Morehead has already figured out the two-minute drill, he proved that against NC State.

Behind the run game, the Irish pull away early and Irish fans get riled up for

the second half to keep Notre Dame in control.

Notre Dame 35, Boston College 17 Emily DeFazio — Associate Sports Editor In an anomaly of a year for the Fighting Irish, the rivalr y Boston College game can go either way.

Let alone the w inter storm brew ing, significantly limiting the offensive play to the run game, the Irish have fallen to teams they should have beaten and demolished teams people thought they never stood a chance against.

Boston College has been a game to watch from the beginning because of its potential to surprise. The Eagles are not an opponent to underestimate.

The Irish should focus on running the clock on offense, and learning the backup quarterbacks rookie shortcomings to exploit them on defense. The Irish cannot play dow n to the Eagles. Should they go in w ith the mentality that brought them success against Clemson two weeks ago, the Irish should end their games in South Bend for the season w ith a high note.

Notre Dame 35, Boston College 21

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Graduate student lineback Jack Kiser fight for the ball in Notre Dame’s 35-32 win against Navy last Saturday. Kiser has 45 total tackles on the year, eight of which were accumulated against the Midshipmen.

4

Insider Sports

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Isaiah Foskey

Dedication and focus: Foskey celebrates culture, learning to lead

By MANNION MCGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

At t he close of t he 2021 sea son, defensive end Isa ia h Foskey opted to ret u r n to Not re Da me rat her t ha n head to t he NFL . In Ja nua r y, Foskey gave severa l rea sons why he i ntended to stay.

“I believe in Coach Freeman and I just believe in the whole team that we can actually w in a national championship,” he said. “I believe that we can actually do that. The best of both worlds: I can come back, develop as a defensive end, not just as a pass rusher, but as an all-around defensive player. But I feel like this team can really w in a national championship, that’s the main reason I came back.”

That reason to stay mirrored Foskey’s orig ina l reason for joining t he Irish in 2019. W hi le v isit ing Michiga n, Foskey sa id proximit y to Sout h Bend was his on ly reason to sw ing dow n to India na, a nd he v isited Not re Da me on a whim.

That whim ended up a perfect f it for t he Ca lifornia nat ive, who chose to stay in Sout h Bend because of a cu lture he says t he tea m st i l l embodies today — even now under Freema n.

“I feel like ever yone has been getting a lot closer because we’ve been carr y ing on FTB, For the Brotherhood, and I feel like ever yone is really for the brotherhood,” Foskey said. “That was the same thing in my high school, which is another reason why I came here. There was always something, and when I first v isited, it was always about the Brotherhood and [even now] ever yone’s close-knit, ever yone’s tight, ever yone’s always doing something for each other.

Prett y much what we’ve been doing now is we just keep grow ing and grow ing.

It’s been cool to actually be part of it.“ Now, although the Irish started the season 0-2 and a championship title seems firmly out of the question, Foskey has continued playing as a force to be reckoned w ith on the Irish defense.

The defensive end finished last season w ith 52 tack les — 12.5 of them for a loss — and 11 sacks. This season, Foskey has already amassed 39 tack les, 10.5 of them for a loss w ith 8.5 sacks. A lthough he started the year a little slower than he wanted to, Foskey says dedication and

focus in practice were the keys to his improvement.

“I feel like it was just my mindset and working after practice,” Foskey said.

“Not just working on the run game part of it, but working on pass rush. Going into the season, ever yone was knocking me off for my run defending, so I was really working on run defending throughout the season. Once I finally worked on pass rush, that’s when it started clicking.”

Foskey has found another role on the Irish roster to boost his impressive resume and continue working: He has become a special teams stud under Brian Mason, earning two punt blocks against UNLV and helping to force another in the first Clemson drive of Notre Dame’s most recent home game.

Play ing on special teams has contributed to Foskey’s confidence in both himself and the defense he said, especially in terms of setting the tone.

He said he knows it’s not just him who needs to succeed but the whole unit, on defense and on special teams.

“I know it wasn’t me who made that play or made that ‘perfect move,’ it was pressure going up the middle,” Foskey said. “That’s why I give a lot of props to my teammates.”

Foskey noted the defense’s most collaborative performance was during the Clemson game. The punt block on the Tigers’ opening drive was the moment Foskey felt the Irish had the game in the bag.

There, he saw the Clemson offense just wasn’t as prepared as the Irish defense mentally. So, when Ben Morrison ran the ball back for a pick-six t wo quarters later, Foskey said he just took it all in.

“I was on the field, I saw it happen,” Foskey said. “At that exact moment I just f lipped a sw itch to block one guy, and then I see him just running straight dow n the sideline. Running dow n w ith him was just exciting … I knew he was going to get into the end zone, so I could just jog a little bit and take in ever y thing. I’m not the one w ith the ball, they’re not chasing me. So, I saw the student section going crazy, I looked in the family section, they’re going cra zy, ever yone’s on their feet, ever yone’s prett y much going crazy. It’s a cool experience.”

It’s being able to sw itch gea rs in moments like t hat which has cont ributed to Foskey’s play ing. From going a f ter t he ba ll to protect ing t he ma n who has it, Foskey has a mind for t he ga me.

Aga inst Sy racuse, he was able to r un dow n Sea n Tucker, t he sta r r unning back for t he Ora nge, a nd ma ke t he tack le 35 ya rds dow nf ield. As a defensive end, t hat tack le wasn’t his responsibilit y, but it was a testa ment to his intense combinat ion of speed, st reng t h a nd sk ill.

Foskey credits the defensive linemen of rosters past w ith shaping him into the player he is today and says he wouldn’t be who he is on or off the field w ithout them.

“Since freshman year, I’ve been watching the older guys lead and been under their w ing,” Foskey said.

“K halid Kareem, Daelin Hayes, Julian [Ok wara] and Ade [Ogundeji], just being under their w ings as a defensive end and learning from them to be one of the older guys is something to look back at and see like, ‘Wow, I really came a long way.’ Especially being a captain now, people really look up to you, not just your position, but ever yone on the team. It’s

just something you look for ward to, even from freshman year. I would’ve never thought freshman year coming here that I’d want to be a leader, but coming here you just really want to become a leader and that’s what I became.”

Foskey continued, “The biggest thing I learned from them was taking care of the people around you.

Those people that I mentioned, they always took care of the defensive linemen. They always inv ited them over if they didn’t have a place to watch the Super Bowl or something like that.

Or to watch a game, they’d always inv ite the younger guys over, and that’s something that I’ve been doing. I just always hang out w ith the younger guys nowadays. They’re always fun to joke around w ith and to hang around w ith them.”

One of t he st rongest relat ionships Foskey has formed w it h t he younger g uys outside his posit ion has been w it h Audric Est ime.

The defensive end a nd t he r unning back bot h don number seven for t he Irish a nd relish in t hat fact.

“It’s great, because we’re both wearing number seven — that’s prett y much how the relationship started, we

always say ‘Okay, let’s go seven’ and say it back and forth to each other,” Foskey said. “So it’s always great we always root for each other.”

Foskey started the season oriented around a national title. W hile that hope has fallen out of reach for the Irish, Foskey said he has faith in Freeman and the program and is just looking to perfect his craft.

Tied w ith Justin Tuck for the Universit y sack record, Foskey seems to have done just that: perfected his craft.

But he’s not done. With three games left, Foskey has the opportunit y to break the record, but his focus is on something else.

“I think about the sack record, yeah, but I don’t go in the game thinking, ‘I need to get one more sack to get the sack record.’ I just go in and focus on myself and my technique and tr y and dominate ever y single play,” he said. “I don’t really go in a game and say, ‘I’m gonna work this pass rush move to tr y and get the sack, and once I get the sack I’ll celebrate and do this.’ I don’t really think about that. I just think about doing my job ever y single play.”

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Senior defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey goes for the tackle in the 35-14 win over Clemson. Foskey has 8.5 sacks on the season and 24 sacks total in his time with the Irish, one of which came against the Tigers.

Sports Insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

QUINN MURPHY

Blake Grupe

Murphy’s ‘full circle’ experience

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

In 2019, Quinn Murphy was committed to play at Princeton Universit y. But, a phone call changed his course, and w ithin weeks, Murphy was committed as a preferred walk-on at Notre Dame.

“Kind of a blessing,” said Murphy on the sw itch up, “Strong faith, great education. I always looked at it as, you know, the cliche 4 for 40. I believed in that prett y heav ily. You know, it’s been great to me, and the opportunities and doors that have opened for me at this Universit y.”

W hile Murphy has not seen a lot of the field in his time at Notre Dame, he has made sure to soak up ever y opportunit y that was presented to him. W hile he was open to all the changes that occurred over the course of his time at Notre Dame, Murphy credits the bond w ith his teammates as the glue throughout his four years.

“I think just bonding over all the [stuff ] we’ve had to go to, really brought us closer. So I think my favorite memor y overall — favorite and worst memor y — is the worst days we’ve had here,” said Murphy.

“You know it sucks for a while, but hav ing people in your support group, you know, teammates going through the same thing you’re going through … it’s a huge honor and a priv ilege.”

Murphy has been with the Irish through staff changes and the pandemic, but also through two college football playoffs. He is honored to be on the team and has called the playoff experiences “unbelievable,” even if the Irish ultimately lost the games.

5

Murphy has not just been challenged athletically, but also academically at Notre Dame. “[Notre Dame] humbles you pretty quickly to realize that this is a challenge, and you are going to have to grind for the next four years, and I think you know they really let you know that,” Murphy said.

“But at the same time, there is so many resources here both athletically, academically, in your faith, mental health whatever you need. I think you know the University has legit everything for you, and I think people should really make sure they utilize all those resources.”

Murphy is making sure to soak up everything that he has access to while at Notre Dame. And while this upcoming game against Boston College will be Murphy’s last, he is hopefully not done with Notre Dame as Murphy is looking to pursue a master’s degree here.

“Hoping that happens so I can get another year of education here,” said Murphy.

“That’s kind of the goal right now, to get higher education and then from there hopefully get a job in private equity and kind of take a finance route.”

With that on the horizon, Murphy is just focused on appreciating everything that Notre Dame football has provided him with.

“It’s a dream come true.

As any little kid growing up, wanting to be on a Power Five program, especially one as big as Notre Dame, and just the history of this program,” said Murphy. “Going up there, being on that field for the last time, it’s gonna suck, but it’s gonna be a full circle ending to an amazing experience.”

Sun Belt to South Bend: Grupe embraces the Irish

By T Y LER REIDY Spor ts Wr iter

Five years ago, Bla ke Gr upe emba rked on a cha llenge.

Coming out of Seda lia, a mid-si zed Missouri tow n, he accepted a wa lk-on of fer to k ick at A rka nsas State. Now, w it h f ive seasons in Jonesboro behind him, Gr upe is ta king on t he u lt imate task: sta r t ing k icker at Not re Da me.

“It’s been ver y unexpected,” Gr upe sa id.

“Ever y t hing t hat I’ve been able to get t hrough a nd accomplish in my ca reer has been a ride t hat I wou ldn’t t rade for a ny t hing.”

Bet ween 2018 a nd 2021, Gr upe a massed t he most prolif ic k ick ing ca reer in Red Wolves histor y. He f inished last season as t he prog ra m’s a ll-t ime leader in points, f ield goa ls made a nd ex t ra points made.

However, t he A ll-Sun Belt select ion needed somet hing more for his f ina l season. W hen t he Fight ing Irish gave Gr upe a ca ll in mid-Ja nua r y, he shut dow n his sea rch.

“I wa nted to cha llenge myself aga in a nd get on t he biggest stage,” he sa id.

“I k new I cou ld do it, so I wa nted to step out of my comfor t zone a nd improve myself.”

From day one on ca mpus, Gr upe ex pressed a w illingness to lea rn. The tea m cu lture, one of t he dif ference-ma kers in his t ra nsfer

choice, helped him a long f rom t he sta r t. Graduate long snapper Michael Vinson a nswered his quest ions, whi le senior sa fet y Bra ndon Joseph related to his ex perience of sw itching schools.

“A lot of dif ferent g uys have been helping, but t hose t wo a re my roommates in t he spring as wel l, so us t hree got in here a nd k inda had to f ig ure it a l l out,” he reca l led.

Gr upe’s wea lt h of ex perience has eased his t ra nsit ion to Sout h Bend as wel l.

At A rka nsas State, he played 47 ga mes a nd made 64 f ield goa ls, developing a proven t rack record. Interest ingly enough, he has most ly had to adjust of f t he f ield.

Un li ke Joseph, who simply t ra nsferred across La ke Michiga n, Gr upe made a nine-hour t rip nor t h.

“I did not k now about a ny of t he snow, so t hat was a pleasa nt sur prise,” he admitted w it h a chuck le. “I’ve lea rned to enjoy it, a nd I love ever y t hing about it up here.”

A midst t he cold weat her, Notre Dame’s specia l teams unit is among t he nation’s hottest.

Under specia l teams coach Brian Mason, t he Fighting Irish lead FBS w it h seven blocked punts.

“The year t hat we’re having a ll across t he board on specia l teams is one like I haven’t had before,” Grupe said. “Ever y single unit is going out t here and prett y much dominating

t his year.”

Grupe has contributed reg ularly as well, hitting 10 of 15 f ield goa l attempts and converting a ll 35 extra-point tries. In week t hree’s 24-17 v ictor y over Ca l, he nailed a seasonlong 47-yarder to tie t he game in t he fourt h quarter. Through t he highs and lows, Grupe has embraced each and ever y moment of t he 2022 season.

“The experience t his whole team gets to go t hrough toget her is prett y specia l,” he said. “Play ing in Vegas, play ing in t he Ravens stadium — ever yt hing t his team gets to do, and getting to do it w it h t he g uys you work w it h ever y single day ma kes it t hat much better.”

Last weekend, t he Irish delivered t heir f inest moment yet, upsetting No. 4 Clemson 35-14 in front of 77,662 fans at home. Grupe did not play before a home crowd larger t han 20,000 last year. He had to pinch himself as t he clock hit zeros and t he Irish fait hf ul rushed t he f ield in celebration.

“Last year, I was sitting at home watching teams storm t he f ield, and I was t hink ing, ‘That’d be awesome. I rea lly hope I get an opportunit y to experience t hat’,” he reca lled.

“Winning t he way we did against t hat team and seeing ever ybody on t he see GRUPE PAGE 12

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Senior offensive lineman Quinn Murphy gets ready for a game with his teammates. Murphy has played three games under the Irish.

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Graduate student kicker Blake Grupe kicks the ball in Notre Dame’s 28-20 win over BYU in Las Vegas, Nev. on Oct 8. in Allegiant Stadium. Grupe has gone 66.7% for field goals on this season overall.

6

Insider

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

BO BAUER

Bauer inspires future of the program through grit and grace

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

Graduate student linebacker and captain Bo Bauer has been a strong presence for the Irish throughout his four years at Notre Dame.

Though a season-ending knee injur y cut his gameplay prematurely, Bauer’s legacy surely w ill be remembered among the team and Irish fans. As an emotional leader of the team, Bauer has helped motivate and hold his teammates accountable in times of failure and doubt.

Bauer came to Notre Dame after a ver y successful high school career where he was a finalist for the 2017 Butkus Award, geared toward the top high school linebackers in the countr y. The Erie Pennsylvania native turned dow n offers from Michigan State, Penn State and Vanderbilt, among others, to suit up for the Irish.

Bauer wasted no time getting in on the action, as he played in all 13 games as a freshman. Bauer started his career as a third dow n specialist as a linebacker and a major contributor on special teams, but earned more play ing time as his career progressed.

Bauer blocked a punt as a sophomore against Michigan and continued that trend this year against Marshall. This first blocked punt of the season set the tone for the Irish, who are now leading the nation in blocked punts. With Bauer, Foskey also had game changing punts, this time against UNLV. The two had a

running joke back and forth about who could get the most blocks for the season.

“He gets a couple punt blocks ever y year,” Foskey said post-UNLV. “We’re going back and forth tr y ing to get punt blocks, but I think I’m ahead right now.”

This “competition” between the two players had to come to an end after Bauer’s injur y, though he was still as much involved w ith the block game from the sidelines. After his injur y, Bauer watched the Stanford game on crutches and predicted Kollie would get his first career punt block after helping him w ith film study during the week.

“He’s a great captain. He leads the special teams in the right way,” Foskey said.

“He was coaching up ever ybody, especially me, to get a punt block.”

Arguably Bauer’s best season came last year in 2021 as he had 47 tack les, 4.5 for loss and garnered 1.5 sacks.

The linebacker also had a pivotal 79 yard interception return against USC to secure the Irish v ictor y.

The leadership he displayed as team captain this season helped carr y the Irish through devastating losses such as Marshall.

Bauer stressed the importance of self-evaluation and took accountabilit y for the success of his team.

“The first thing I said is ‘what could I have done to, you know, get these guys to the point,’” Bauer said days after the Marshall loss.

“We’ve had great leaders who have not let the standard

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Graduate student linebacker Bo Bauer goes for the tackle against a Marshall player. Bauer had two tackles against the Thunder. Bauer was injured after the Notre Dame 28-20 win against BYU.

fall. And now, that’s on my shoulders.”

These high standards made a tough loss to Marshall extra difficult for Bauer as a leader.

“It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life … to walk around the locker room and look these guys in the eye who’ve given me the greatest gift, the greatest trust in my life to be a captain and lead these guys,” Bauer said before the Cal game.

Fast for ward, and the Irish were on a w in streak follow ing Marshall. Bauer had his sights set on former defensive linemen Kurt Hinish’s record of 61 games played. However, the pursuit ended abruptly at 56 games as he also suffered a

season ending knee injur y, this time in practice after the BY U game. Dick Corbett head coach Marcus Freeman and fellow teammates were devastated at the news. “[Bauer] sustained a knee injur y in practice on Tuesday, which is devastating just because he’s a captain and he prov ides so much more than just production,” Freeman said pre-Stanford.

“Just the energ y, the abilit y to motivate our players, it’ll be a tremendous loss for us.

So, he’s out for the year.”

Though he has not seen as much time on the field this year, Bauer’s role as a leader, motivator and beacon of hope on the sidelines as well as in the locker room has set the right example for the team.

“I think a lot of the time that it comes dow n to the guys, we all love each other so much that we wanna make the play,” Bauer said. “It’s ‘we want to w in the game together to see our brothers happy and successful’ and we just kind of have to make the game smaller. Just, ‘look, what’s my job this play’ and do that over and over and over again.”

Bauer’s senior day may not be the one he dreamed of as a freshman, but his impact on and off the field has helped the Irish nav igate a choppy season and the Irish faithful w ill miss hav ing his energetic presence on the field.

Griffith

his abilities as a leader in the locker room as well: “Just being able to gel with all the different guys, knowing what they’re good at and what we can work on as a unit, we were able to play off each other’s strengths,” said Griffith. “It was awesome during the second half of that year being able to teach those young guys like Ramon [Henderson] and X[avier Watts] how our defense works and where to be on certain plays. Seeing them go out there and make plays was a nice confidence booster for [me] as a leader.”

Griffith credits the veterans of the locker room from when he was an underclassman himself with laying the foundation for him to eventually step into a leadership role: “I saw older guys like Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott, they

were the leaders for me in the safety room then,” Griffith said. “So I just continued to keep that hard hat that I had and continued to show the young guys what it’s like to be a safety at Notre Dame.”

Looking back on his career, Griffith said perhaps the most memorable play he made during his time with the Irish was his first, a pass breakup in a gritty 19-14 win over Pittsburgh in 2018 that helped Notre Dame continue an undefeated regular season: “It was a home game, right before fall break. TaRiq Bracy and I, I was the nickel corner and he was the field corner.

We were both young guys, and on back to back plays we made plays and were able to help our team win the game.

That’s something I’ll never forget and a moment I’ll always remember.”

Continued from page 9

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Graduate student safety Houston Griffith dodges a Navy blocker in the Midshipmen’s visit to South Bend in 2021. The Irish won 34-6.

The season after, the senior would prove indispensable, starting every game for the Irish. Even as Freeman shuffled his rotation at safety following Kyle Hamilton’s season ending injury, Griffith would prove a constant. His 23 solo tackles in 2021 doubled his career total up until that point.

Griffith has kept up his production so far through his graduate season in 2022.

Once again starting every game, his 29 total tackles sit fourth on the roster.

But Griffith’s emergence in 2021 had a deeper impact on his game than simply being a showcase of his best onfield play to that point in an Irish uniform. Griffith credits the enlarged role he took on with helping him develop

Contact Madeline Ladd mladd2@nd.edu

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

7

Cam hart

Hart overcomes adversity, leads on and off field for Irish program

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

On Saturday afternoon, senior cornerback Cam Hart and his classmates will run out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium. For many, it will be the last time they do so. For Hart, it’s a second straight week of high emotions surrounding game day.

Just last weekend, Hart came back home to Baltimore when Notre Dame played Navy.

“It was very emotional. I had 35-plus people there …

For some of [my family], it was their first time able to see me live action at this stage,” Hart said. “And here we are coming into Senior Day, and it could be the last time I play in Notre Dame Stadium ever, and it’s emotional. It’s kind of surreal, it all happened so fast.”

It’s been quite the journey for Hart, who came to Notre Dame as a two-way player, but he committed as a wide receiver. At the time, he felt it was his best path to playing time.

However, Hart quickly transitioned to defensive back and worked his way up the depth chart. He became a starter as a junior and delivered his breakout performance with a two-interception game against Wisconsin in the Shamrock Series game. This season, despite a bumpy road

at times, Hart has led an Irish secondary allowing just 193.8 passing yards per game. He has four pass breakups and has been a huge factor in Notre Dame’s turnaround after their 0-2 start.

“It was tough. I’ve never been on a team that faced as much adversity. It honestly shows the character of the players on the team. I think it’s brought us closer because we’ve been through those tough months. We came to practice, and were all fighting together, all trusting each other. This is one of the closest teams I’ve been on at Notre Dame. That adversity brought us closer.”

Adversity has been a major talking point for Hart and the Irish over the last few seasons.

As a freshman, Hart earned a sack in his first collegiate game, but he suffered a season-ending injury after three appearances. As a sophomore, Hart and the Irish battled through the long COVID season, playing in front of little to no fans all season. However, that season also boasts one of Hart’s favorite memories — a win over No. 1 Clemson that led to Notre Dame students, the only fans in attendance, storming the field.

“We had been playing in stadiums with zero fans, or a few hundred fans. To play

at home, a top-five team, we weren’t expecting much fanbase-wise. We were adamant about bringing our own energy,” Hart remembered. “But as the momentum started to shift our way, the fans got more into it, started to get louder. It was all a surprise for us, and with the way it ended, it was one of the most exciting games I’ve been a part of.”

Then, there was this past offseason. A coaching change brief ly rocked the program, but the Irish stabilized things with the promotion of Marcus Freeman. Hart lauded Freeman’s approach to coaching.

“I have much love for Coach Kelly, but if he had to move on, Coach Freeman would be the person I would want to be in that position,” Hart commented. “There’s no hierarchy. [Freeman] puts respect as a fundamental element in the program.”

Of course, with Freeman now leading the program, that meant Hart worked under his third defensive coordinator in as many years. This one is Al Golden who brought 10 years of head coaching experience to the table, along with six years of NFL coaching. His most recent position was as a linebackers coach with the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.

“Obviously Coach Golden being an NFL cat, it’s nice to be able to play under him,” Hart said. “We’re learning a lot of the stuff that hopefully we’ll get to learn at the next level.”

So working under a new coaching staff, Hart immediately got hit with more adversity. A slow individual start to the season, coupled with the team’s 0-2 start and a home loss to Marshall piled the pressure on Hart. But, Notre Dame has righted the ship, going 7-1 since that ugly start. That included a beatdown of previously unbeaten Clemson, 35-14. Hart noted the victory was sweet, but the mentality felt different.

“It was very special to have one of those big wins in my senior year. I feel like [Freeman] has another level that he can tap into. It felt different than 2020,” he said. “I appreciated the win, but I felt like there was something more there that he can tap into.”

The ceiling is higher, and that’s in no small part due to the young talent that Freeman is bringing in. Young players like Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison, both freshmen cornerbacks, give Hart a chance to be a leader for the Irish.

“Guys like [Notre Dame football alum] Troy Pride,

Shaun Crawford, Nick McCloud all took me under their wing and taught me tricks of the trade,” Hart said. “[They] taught me how to be a leader and be a big brother. I took what they taught me and put it into effect this year and last year.”

For Hart, seeing those young guys he’s taken under his own wing have their own big moments is just as gratifying as making big plays himself.

When asked about his favorite memory from this season, Hart recalled Morrison’s picksix against Clemson.

“To see that, on that stage versus Clemson, it was amazing for me to be a part of it.

I know where we stand as brothers, as friends. It was special for me, like a big brother moment.”

On Saturday, it’ll be Hart’s moment, at least for now, as he soaks in what could be his final game at Notre Dame Stadium. But once the pregame ceremonies are over, it’ll be back to business for Hart. After a career and senior season filled with adversity, with his days donning the blue and gold potentially coming to a close, Hart is looking to close out the 2022 season with a bang.

ContactAidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Senior cornerback Cam Hart lunges for the tackle in the Notre Dame 21-26 loss against Marshall. Hart has played 34 games with the Irish and has emassed 69 total tackles over his college career. This includes 24 total tackles on this season alone. Hart’s season high was in Notre Dame’s loss against Stanford: he totalled 5 tackles, 3 of which he notched alone.

8

Insider

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

OSITAdinmA EKWONU

Ositadinma Ekwonu emerges as a senior leader for Irish special teams unit

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Although senior defensive lineman Ositadinma Ekwonu has had to endure some injuries during his time at Notre Dame, he has still emerged as a leader on and off the field for the Irish. Ekwonu truly has embraced the Notre Dame spirit during his time here. He described how the people at Notre Dame are what sets it apart from other schools he considered during his recruiting process in high school.

“I think the most special thing about Notre Dame is all the really great people I have met along the way,” Ekwonu said. “The people are what set Notre Dame apart from other schools.”

One of the highlights from Ekwonu’s career came in his sophomore season against South Florida where he recorded two solo tackles and blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown by now junior linebacker Jordan Botelho.

Ekwonu explained the emphasis on special teams at Notre Dame and why the unit has found so much success this year.

“The emphasis here is that we put our best players on special teams,” Ekwonu said. “It really helps us change the game on that side of the ball. Practicing and preparation has helped us affect the game and get a lot of blocked punts.”

Blocking punts became a frequently-used tool for the Irish this year, especially present in the most recent home game against Clemson. For Ekwonu, both wins against Clemson were his most memorable games.

“I would definitely say both Clemson home games are the most memorable. Just coming in as underdogs and holding our own and then storming the field. Those were both pretty good games,” Ekwonu said. Ekwonu tore his achilles last year which preceded a long recovery before the lineman could be back on the field.

“Thankfully, I am healthy now, but it was a long recovery process,” Ekwonu said. “Right now I am just getting back into the motion and swing of things.”

In light of his injury, Ekwonu has embraced his leadership role as a senior, and he has enjoyed helping out his younger teammates in every aspect of the game.

“I definitely try to help the younger guys that come to me with questions on special teams, and I try to give them advice,” Ekwonu said. “It’s a hard process being here because you are challenged on and off the field.”

Ekwonu stepped into the “For the Brotherhood” culture of Notre Dame after playing in high school with his brother Ikem. Ikem played college football at UNC and while Ositadinma said it was different, it

didn’t disrupt their relationship not to play together.

“It was definitely an adjustment because we used to do everything together. We actually considered attending the same school, but it just didn’t work out,” Ekwonu said.

“We always stayed in touch and talked all the time and we still are as close as ever.”

In his time with the Irish, Ekwonu saw the defensive coordinator hat pass from Clark Lea to Marcus Freeman and from Freeman to Al Golden. He said the transition has never been too difficult for him and his focus is learning the new play book in those transition moments.

“It’s really just learning the playbook as it comes. There have been three different defensive coordinators since I have been here and the main difference has just been learning the playbook as it comes,” Ekwonu said.

With the play book down for Golden, Ekwonu hopes that the Irish can start fast in their remaining two regular season games and bowl game to finish the season on a high note.

“We’re just trying to start fast and play hard in the remaining games we have and win out the rest of the season,” Ekwonu said. “That starts with Boston College and then USC and then our bowl game.”

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

Senior defensive lineman Ositadinma Ekwonu smiles at the scoreboard. Ekwonu has played in 15 games for ND in his four years.

Mike graves

‘Bigger than any one person’: Graves reflects on Notre Dame career

By ANNIKA HERKO Sports Writer

COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

Graduate Student safety Mike Graves hypes himself and his team up before the Irish take the field against the Clemson Tigers on Nov. 5.

After walking on to the football team in the spring of 2021, safety Mike Graves has enjoyed every moment of his collegiate career. Like many members of the Notre Dame community, Graves’ favorite memories were the two Clemson wins at home, in 2020 and this season.

“Just the electric atmosphere, so loud. That was just a really good team win. [The 2020 game was a good game too] because it was so close, so back and forth. And then beating them again here at home in a much more dominant fashion was pretty memorable as well.”

Settling the debate, he did say the 2020 Clemson game was better because the Tigers were number one in the country at the time.

The entire Notre Dame community’s dedication to the program is not lost on Graves who has learned a lot about what this program, and university, means to so many people over

the past few years. He recognizes that any team sport will teach a player selflessness and perseverance, but this team really embodies those qualities.

“What I’ve learned the most about not just playing here and being a part of the program, but at Notre Dame as a whole, is that Notre Dame is bigger than any one person.

Being on a team, it’s a collective effort to accomplish a goal, and everyone bonds together to accomplish that goal. But I think that it’s pretty unique at Notre Dame because the brand stands for [so much more].”

The Notre Dame coaches have also played a big role in his development, and Graves is incredibly grateful for their confidence in him.

“Starting off with my position coach, Coach O’Leary, he always believed in me, from day one, and is always pushing me to be my best. [Coach Freeman] knows and loves everyone and has a belief in everyone. And that’s motivating.

You want to play for a guy like

that. That inspires me to work hard every day and just do what I can for the team. I’m not a starter, but knowing the role that I have, and do it the very best I can.”

One of Graves’ roles that he thinks is most important is working with the younger guys on the team.

“I don’t see myself as an older guy above them, but I just try to help them with their transition to college as a whole. And not just how to go about themselves on the field or in practice, but also helping them with any questions they may have about navigating college. I also make sure to have a really positive attitude all the time and a really infectious energy to inspire them to play harder and play to their potential.”

After completing his Master’s of Finance, Graves will look to get into the financial services industry, specifically investment banking.

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 57, Issue 34 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

University mourns the loss of student Community and family grieve the loss of James “Jake” Blaauboer

By BELLA LAUFENBERG Associate News Editor

James “Jake” Blaauboer passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Nov. 11. Blaauboer was a sophomore at Notre Dame, veteran of the U.S. Army and avid runner, but most importantly, he was a brother, a son and a friend.

Born in December 1995, Blaauboer grew up in upstate New York in a small town called Clifton Park. He lived with his loving parents, Mary and James “Jim” Blaauboer, and younger sister Molly Blaauboer.

Molly Blaauboer, only 20 months younger than Blaauboer, said she was always the “proud younger sister,” following behind Jake throughout their schooling.

“Molly is very outgoing and social, and Jake was very reserved and would keenly observe,” their mother, Mary Blaauboer, explained.

Right out of high school, Blaauboer enlisted in the U.S. Army, and then spent the next few years of his life in active and reserve duty, during most of which he was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado.

After his service, Blaauboer started community college and applied to a myriad of other universities and colleges — one of which was the University of Notre Dame. Although his parents said they had no personal connection to Notre Dame, the family grew up watching Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish win

football games.

Blaauboer first transferred into the University in the fall of 2019, where he was a sophomore English major in St. Edward’s Hall, according to priest-in-residence Fr. Kevin Sandberg.

His family explained that although Blaauboer loved to read and write, he didn’t know what he wanted to accomplish with an English degree— which was why he took a leave of absence from the University in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

When he left Notre Dame, Blaauboer went directly into technical school where he learned to be a welder. Working with his hands was something see OBITUARY PAGE 4

Town hall debates U.S.China relations

Courtesty of Mary Blaauboer

James “Jake” Blaauboer, a sophomore history major at Notre Dame and U.S. Army veteran unexpectdly passed away on Friday, Nov. 11.

Study shows ND fanbase size

By GRACIE EPPLER News Writer

ISA SHEIKH I The Observer

Notre Dame experts Michel Hockx, Joshua Eisenman, Isheika Cleare and Tengfei Luo (from left to right) partook in the debate on the relations between the United States and China on Wednesday evening.

By ISA SHEIKH Associate News Editor

As President Biden flew back to Washington D.C. from the G20 summit, where he met with Xi Jinping, members of the Notre Dame community stepped out of the snow into Jenkins-Nanovic Hall on Wednesday night for a conversation about U.S.-China relations.

Notre Dame was one of 80 locations to partake in the CHINA Town Hall, a project of the non-profit National Committee on U.S.-China Relations hosting local conversations across the

News PAGE 3

country around the American approach to China, followed by a livestreamed address to all the gatherings delivered this year

by Jon Hunstman, former U.S. ambassador to Singapore, China and Russia.

“The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is an organization that for decades has been trying to promote understanding of China in the U.S.,” Michel Hockx, director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, told The Observer.

Sponsored by the Liu Insitute, Notre Dame’s panel event featured Isheika Cleare, a Notre

VIEWPOINT PAGE 8

Dame political science doctoral candidate, Joshua Eisenman, a professor of politics in the Keough School and Tengfei Luo, a professor in the College of Engineering.

“The relationship between China and the U.S. is extremely worrying,” Hockx said. “One thing we can do at universities is to try and use our brains to come up with potential solutions and to be willing to have debates and dialogues.”

Eisenman delivered remarks on why rapprochement — an see TOWN HALL PAGE 5

SCENE PAGE 10

Despite an undergraduate student population far smaller than that of other traditional college football powerhouses, a study from this past summer found Notre Dame to have the second largest fanbase in college football at an estimated 8.21 million.

The study, put together by strategy consultant Tony Altimore at Altimore Collins & Company, ranked the top-16 largest college football fanbases. It found Ohio State to have the largest fanbase in the country at 11.26 million fans.

Texas trailed Notre Dame at number three, followed by Penn State and Michigan.

Altimore, who attended USC and has worked with consulting companies such as Deloitte and Booze Allen, as well as the CIA, used sources such as FiveThirtyEight, The New York Times and Vivid Seats to draw his conclusions.

He normalized his findings with data from the census and Google.

Although he admits the data is “not perfect,” Altimore said he was able to document insightful findings about loyalties toward college football programs.

“What I really wanted to do was

M BASKETBALL PAGE 16

help sports fans see how the teams they rooted for aligned with the college’s institutional strategy,” Altimore said. “Sports are just a small chunk of what a university is.”

Notre Dame differentiates itself from most universities by how it establishes a unique identity outside of football, Altimore explained.

Many of the colleges with top fanbases have a strong “sense of place” and encapsulate “the essence of its people,” he said. Football teams like Ohio State, West Virginia and USC align their branding and image with their respective state and regions and subsequently draw many fans simply due to geography.

“Someone in southern Indiana might not necessarily always root for the Fighting Irish. They may be a Purdue fan, or even an IU (Indiana University) fan,” Altimore said. “But for the majority of people in Ohio, they feel a connection to OSU and feel as though they can root for it.”

According to Altimore, Notre Dame doesn’t necessarily shine in the proximity of its fanbase or even the size of its alumni network.

Altimore said what makes Notre Dame such a national fanbase is its unique and successful branding, along with its track record and deep see FANBASE PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

What is your favorite way to take a study break?

Want to be featured in the next issue? Email your name, year, hall and answer to “What app makes you procrastinate the most?” to photo@ndsmcobserver.com

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Julia Gattozzi

Mariella Frisina

senior Ryan Hall

sophomore Flaherty Hall

“Eat a meal with friends.”

“Get a treat.”

Grace Gasper

Emma Uremovic

senior Welsh Family Hall

senior Johnson Family Hall

“Talk with a friend.”

“Watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.”

(574) 631-6900 advertising@ndsmcobserver.com

Megan Panacek

Holly Hruskoci

Editor-in-Chief

sophomore Flaherty Hall

sophomore Lyons Hall

“Go for a walk.”

“TikTok.”

Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Aidan O’Malley Asst. Managing Editor: Mannion McGinley Asst. Managing Editor: Genevieve Coleman Asst. Managing Editor: Maggie Eastland Notre Dame News Editor: Ryan Peters Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange Viewpoint Editor: Hannah Hebda Sports Editor: Aidan Thomas Scene Editor: Willoughby Thom Photo Editor: Ryan Vigilante Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Anna Hurt Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas Ad Design Manager: Christina Sayut Systems Administrator: Rachel Johnson Talent & Inclusion Manager: Angela Mathew Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

(574) 631-4542 aguffey@nd.edu Managing Editor

(574) 631-4542 aomalle2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 mmcginl3@nd.edu, gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu, meastlan@nd.edu Business Office

(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk

(574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Meghan Lange Emma Duffy Kendelle Hung-Ino

Grace Kurzweil Liam Coolican Aidan Thomas Olivia Schatz

Graphics Christina Sayut

Scene

Photo

Ayden Kowalski

Max Petrosky

Viewpoint Carolina Jimenez

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Notre Dame students can be seen bundled up while walking through the quads following the recent snowfall this week. Campus is now blanketed in white after Wednesday night and is expecting more snow to come this weekend as well as a dip in temperatures.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Nepalese Fair Trade Sale 2148 Jenkins Nanovic 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Selling items handcrafted in Nepal.

Saturdays with the Saints Andrews Auditorium 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Game day spirit and Catholic faith.

Global Celebration of Young People Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

All are welcome.

Mind and Heart Lecture Driscoll Auditorium 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Lecture on virtuous leadership.

Men’s Basketball: ND v. Bowling Green Purcell Pavilion 6:30 p.m.

Request free ticket by Sunday, November 20.

Building an AntiRacist Vocabulary Andrews Auditorium 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lecture on Canadian First Nations.

Game Day Alternative Stapleton Lounge 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Make a fun craft or take it to go.

Yoga Class Angela Athletic Center Studio 2 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Yoga club led class to relax before break.

Western Film Discussion 145 Spes Unica 9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Discuss the film “Little Big Man.”

Need To Talk?

113 Coleman-Morse 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Campus minister available to talk, no appointment needed.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | The Observer

SMC talent show celebrates culture

By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT News Writer

On Thu rsday n ig ht, Sa i nt Ma r y’s st udents a nd commu n it y members gat hered i n Hagga r Col lege Center for ‘A r ts A rou nd t he World’, a ta lent show h ig h l ig hti ng d if ferent cu lt u res.

T he show was pa r t of t he week-long celebrat ion for Inter nat iona l Educat ion Week.

Spectators saw da nci ng, poet r y, si ng i ng, fol k ta les a nd pieces of h istor y f rom cu lt u res across t he g lobe.

Most presenters were st udents of Sa i nt Ma r y’s moder n la ng uage classes, especia l ly Spa n ish, French, A rabic a nd Ma nda r i n.

One such presenter was Mishel le Yepez who presented a n or ig i na l poem i n bot h Spa n ish a nd Eng l ish about bei ng a Lat i n x in t he Un ited States.

“Socia l med ia creates such beaut y sta nda rds for us. You have to f it into a l l t hese wh ite sta nda rds” Yepez sa id.

She a lso ta l ked about feeli ng t he need to represent especia l ly as a f i rst-yea r st udent a nd f i rst generat ion col lege st udent i n a prom inent ly wh ite inst it ut ion.

T he show ended w it h a d r u m per for ma nce f rom professor Cha rles Law rence of t he Moder n La ng uages depa r t ment, who has 50 + yea rs of percussion ex per ience. Before he bega n, he asked t he aud ience to t h i n k about t he beats he wou ld be play i ng a nd how t hey relate to ot her songs hea rd t h roug hout t he n ig ht. T he si m i la r it ies seen show t hat a l l cu lt u res a re con nected, especia l ly t h roug h music.

A ssista nt professor in

KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT | The Observer

Saint Mary’s junior Hannah Bruckman performs a song in Arabic during the ‘Arts Around the World’ show to celebrate the culture along with her peers during International Education Week in Haggar.

t he Moder n La ng uages depa r t ment Ma relys Va lencia was key in orga n i zing t he event. Hav i ng just rev ived t he event last yea r, Va lencia jok i ng ly refer red to last yea r’s show as “t he f irst episode of t he second season, a nd now t h is yea r is t he second episode.”

However, Va lencia a lso voiced a bit of d isappointment at t he t u r nout a nd her desi re for a broader scope of bot h ta lents a nd represented cu lt u res.

“I wou ld l i ke to see more cu lt u ra l ma n ifestat ions, a r t ist ic ex pressions.” She hopes to have more inst r uments a nd g roup per forma nces i n t he f ut u re.

Va lencia a lso wa nts to get more i nvolvement f rom t he t r i-ca mpus com mu n it y.

“We a re t r y ing to att ract more st udents, not on ly f rom Sa i nt Ma r y’s,” she sa id. “I mea n, t here a re t h ree ca mpuses t hat ca n a l l be involved.”

Th is is related to t he desire to get more d iversit y in t he ta lents a nd la ng uages seen.

“We wa nt a l l t he ta lents t hat a re out t here, a nd t hat represent d if ferent cu lt u res a nd la ng uages,” she sa id.

Va lencia a lso wa nts to see more facu lt y f rom ot her reg ions involved to better represent t he a mou nt of d if ferent world cu lt u res.

But t he per for mers a nd aud ience d id n’t seem as d isappointed.

“I loved seeing a l l t he da nces a nd hea r ing t he poems a nd songs. It was ver y interest ing to lea r n about music I wasn’t fa m i lia r w it h,” sophomore Ruby Meza sa id, who presented a Ch i lea n mov ie f rom her Spa n ish Conversat ion class.

Yepez echoes t hose t houg hts.

“It was a good way to encapsu late i ntercu lt u ra l educat ion, especia l ly

d if ferent cu lt u res I d id n’t even k now about,” she sa id.

Va lencia says t hat t he ta lent show is hosted by t he Moder n La ng uage depa r t ment ever y November du r ing Inter nat iona l Educat ion. W h i le ma ny of t h is yea r’s pa r t icipa nts were f rom Col lege la ng uage classes, it’s not a requ irement.

“We wa nt to ma ke v isible t h is inter nat iona l presence a nd a nyone who wa nts to be involved ca n just ema i l me,” she sa id. “If you have a ny ta lent, maybe you ca n present a piece f rom Ita ly or Ch ina or a ny cou nt r y.”

The event ua l d rea m in Va lencia’s eyes is to have Inter nat iona l representat ion more t ha n once a yea r.

“I t h in k t hat it shou ld go beyond Inter nat iona l Educat ion Week, she sa id.

“Maybe we w i l l do some sor t of fest iva l in t he spr ing.”

Paid Advertisement

All are cordially invited to

“Virtuous Leadership in a Time of Global Upheaval” a talk by Alexander Havard, founder of the Virtuous Leadership System Monday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m.

Driscoll Auditorium, Holy Cross College The lecture is free and open to the public

3

Fanbase Continued from page 1

football history.

“Notre Dame has a great combination of national recognition, relevance and strong brand identity,” Altimore said. “Notre Dame fans are everywhere.”

Whereas colleges like USC appeal to a large population of fans, they are mostly concentrated in Los Angeles, with fans that tend to “fully lean into L.A. stereotypes,” Altimore said. Notre Dame fans are so spread out across the nation that they do not have to live in South Bend or graduate from the University to feel a part of the fanbase, he said.

Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and reputation as a premier academic institution create an inviting brand image that appeals to a wide variety of fans across the U.S., Altimore said. Notre Dame also brings in fans who attended small Catholic schools with no football teams. Notre Dame has such a large fanbase, he explained, that it is the leading college football fanbase in New York City.

But it’s not just the University’s Catholic heritage and academic rigor that make Notre Dame an attractive fanbase.

“Winning matters,” Altimore said.

This is why football teams from the Ivy League have deteriorated in recent decades, he explained, because although they draw a lot of national recognition and have large alumni bases, they do not experience much success on the gridiron. Because of their poor track records, children of Ivy League fans tend not to become fans themselves, Altimore said.

While Notre Dame has not won a national championship since 1988, they have consistently stayed relevant with successful regular seasons.

Altimore said he was surprised to find that fanbase size did not affect television and streaming ratings as much as he assumed it would.

“People who watch college football don’t just watch their team,” Altimore explained. “They also tune in to watch their competition. People will watch Notre Dame games whether or not they like Notre Dame because Notre Dame is a relevant team who are fun to watch.”

Drawing from this data also allowed Altimore to make predictions about the future of college football fanbases and viewings.

Altimore believes the sport might start to see a split in fanbases, similar to British football teams.

“In Britain, fans cheer for local teams just based off of proximity, as well as cheer for one of the globally recognized teams like Manchester United or Chelsea.”

Altimore thinks that college football might be headed that way as well.

“Fans might cheer for Southern Illinois because they live close to it but also cheer for Notre Dame because they like the Irish.”

Contact Gracie Eppler at geppler@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Obituary Continued from page 1

that Blaauboer began during his time as the Army when he was randomly selected to be a mechanic, Molly Blaauboer said.

“We’re getting outreach now about how great he was at being a mechanic and what a great soldier he was, which we totally believe, but it’s interesting to see the ripple,” she noted.

After he finished technical school, the family said Blaauboer moved to Maine to work as a welder, far away from his hometown in New York.

While the family was in Maine celebrating Easter 2022, Molly Blaauboer mentioned that Blaauboer announced his intention to return to Notre Dame unexpectedly.

“This is completely out of the blue,” she said. “[He said,] ‘I have something to tell you guys … I’ve applied to be unparoled from Notre Dame.”

Molly Blaauboer noted that this wasn’t unlike Blaauboer and that he often changed his mind about what he wanted to accomplish with his life.

“I would joke about how I wonder what he wants to do this week,” she laughed.

Mary Blaauboer explained that Blaauboer wasn’t happy as a welder because he needed something more intellectually

stimulating. The family said he loved to debate politics, philosophy and history with anyone who would listen.

“He’s an intellectual person, you know, he was a deep thinker.

He was a reader,” Mary said.

Blaauboer had to go through an entire re-entry process, Molly said, and finally found out he was retuning in July. So, in August 2022, now 26 year old Blaauboer moved to Notre Dame for the second time but as a history major instead.

Because adjusting to college life can be hard — especially the second time — Notre Dame’s care and wellness consultants in the Center for Student Support and Care put together a support group filled with re-admitted students, including Blaauboer and fellow sophomore Ua Tom. Tom, a theology major and native of the Bronx in New York City, said he was originally a Gateway student, but he took time off from the University because he didn’t want his first semester at Notre Dame to be controlled by the COVID-19 pandemic. While away, Tom returned to NYC and was a teacher in Chinatown.

“All of us re-admits, we have our mental health issues, for sure, every single one of us. But that’s also what got us close,” Tom noted.

The support group, colloquially named “we back” by the

members, met every Wednesday at 4 p.m., according to Tom. “Self-deprecation was the highest form of humor that we have for ourselves in that group.

We dropped out but we’re back,” he joked.

Tom explained that Blaauboer stood out as a natural mentor and leader of the group.

“When Jake spoke, people listened, he was just so earnest and genuine. Jake always checked up on me and was a wonderful influence on myself and the rest of the readmitted students,” Tom said. “He happily and naturally took on the role of an older brother and mentor, and whenever I saw him it would totally make my day. It was clear from the moment that I met him that he had a big heart. His positivity and compassion was contagious.”

Tom said he would never forget one moment when Blaauboer helped Tom during a difficult period of time.

“I’ll never forget when I was really having a tough time [at the beginning of the semester] when I was in the thick of [transitioning] and really struggling to focus on class,” he explained. “Jake gave me a hug. He told me he was there for me, and I wasn’t alone.”

Although he had only known Blaauboer for a short time, Tom noted how much of an impact Blaauboer had on him, saying that he wished they had spent

more time together.

“He really was a light of a human being. He was such an easily likable guy who was really gentle and kind,” he said. “In some ways, he knew us better than we knew ourselves.”

Apart from classes and the support group, Blaauboer was also active in the Notre Dame Running Club. Race coordinator for the club and Stanford Hall junior Jonathan Karr said Blaauboer was an active member of the group and often volunteered to drive the team to and from meets.

“He was very supportive of the entire team. He took pictures when we ran, he wanted us to succeed, and he cheered for all the runners,” Karr said.

Karr emphasized how deeply grateful he was for Blaauboer’s positive influence on the team and for him personally.

“I was a very close friend with Jake, and he really helped the team,” Karr noted. “He really, really embodied what it means to be a Fighting Irish.”

The family also emphasized how important running, particularly the routine of the sport, was to Blaauboer.

“He was strict with himself,” Mary Blaauboer said. “Routine and ritual were important to him in every aspect. So, there was a routine for food and exercise and friendships and then the school

and work and everything. For him, overlapping those things was uncomfortable.”

They said he also loved comedy and was a huge fan of movies. Overall, the Blaauboers said the outpouring of love they have received from family, friends, teammates and anyone who knew Blaauboer has meant a lot to them.

“That’s an amazing blessing and comfort — to know that he’s remembered and prayed for,” Mary Blaauboer said.

Tom emphasized that anyone, who knew Blaauboer personally or not, can honor his memory by living fully and not being afraid to reach out to others.

“Live with the same spirit that he did,” Tom said. “Reach out and ask someone how they are doing, like he did for us.”

Fr. Pete McCormick, the inaugural assistant vice president for campus ministry, echoed Tom’s sentiment during Notre Dame’s mass of remembrance on Nov. 16.

“Sometimes words fail and can’t always communicate the depths of sorrow,” he said. “Be unafraid to reach out to a member of hall staff, the University Counseling Center (UCC) or campus ministry. Know that you are never alone.”

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

THE THOMAS H. QUINN LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS:

TOM V. MORRIS Bestselling author, philosopher and renowned speaker

“Plato’s Lemonade Stand: Stirring Change into Something Great” Friday, November 18 | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Mendoza College of Business Jordan Auditorium The talk is free and open to the public. Lecture attendees will receive a free copy of Tom’s newest book, Plato’s Lemonade Stand: Stirring Change into Something Great.

The Thomas H. Quinn Lecture is an annual event hosted by the Mendoza College of Business to honor the Notre Dame alumnus and former member and chairman of Mendoza’s Business Advisory Council.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | The Observer

Town Hall Continued from page 1

establishment of cordial or harmonious relations — with China is unlikely in the current moment. Tracing a history of growing extremity in the top ranks of the Chinese Communist Party over the past decade as one of the obstacles to a positive relationship. He said that the U.S. would need to wait for leaders in China who might be more open to a relationship.

“Look at the leadership right now. These are hardcore guys, man… These are not people who want rapprochement for the United States,” Eisenman told the audience. “You have to have a tango partner, you got to have someone who wants to dance.

And I just don’t see anybody in the Chinese leadership who can dance, because Xi Jinping is the chairman of all things.”

Cleare spoke to the effects of the U.S.-China rivalry on the region, a focus of her ongoing dissertation research.

“What about the other nations in Asia? It’s not all China and the U.S. There are other nations, I assure you,” she said.

Cleare identified a push-andpull between the need for security and economic development, and how the two superpowers impact those priorities. She said that American disengagement in Asia, particularly with regard to trade, has weakened our alliances.

“There’s worry about U.S. commitment.

The United States tends to struggle with

maintaining focus on Asia.

Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew criticized American policymakers for treating international relations as though it was a movie, where they could press pause when they got distracted and then simply press play when they were ready to reengage,” she said.

Closing her remarks, she harkened back to Lee’s metaphor.

“So America needs to be able to show that it’s willing to fulfill its obligations and promises, that it’s able to do so, and that it intends to concentrate on Asia for the long haul, instead of coming back to press play, and hoping that the movie is just where they left it,” she said.

Luo spoke to American policies “made with the intent to enhance use the U.S.’s position to compete with China,” arguing that they did more damage than harm.

In particular, Luo made reference to the Department of Justice’s China Initiative, which sought to target espionage, particularly in academic settings, and intellectual property theft.

The project was ended earlier this year, but he argued that the attempted prosecution of Chinese scientists for collaborating with colleagues in China under the initiative was damaging to the United States by scaring ChineseAmerican scientists and scaring away potential talent that would seek to come to the U.S. “You don’t start a fight by stabbing yourself in the hands, no matter how strong you are.

I think the policy is changing,

fortunately, but the damage is done,” he said.

Luo’s comments on the China Initiative sparked debate on the panel, and throughout the room. Eisenman shoehorned in a response while answering a separate question, citing a Chinese proverb which he translated as “one piece of s*** spoils the pot of porridge.”

“We should not pretend as if the China Initiative fell out of space, guys. A lot of sneaky nasty business was going on. A lot of stuff was walking out the door.

And I’m sorry, but the way you presented is like classic selection bias. Because you forgot all the cases when people really were up to nasty business and you selected only the ones where they’re doing the good,” Eisenman said.

“I think it’s important to recognize that U.S. policy is not formulated based on the desire to destroy U.S.-China relations.

It’s formulated because there’s a response to a certain behavior that may go too far or may do things that are wrong, but it doesn’t come in a vacuum,” he elaborated.

In a response to a separate audience question, Luo added his defense.

“I actually want to take this opportunity to respond,” he said.

Eisenman interjected to say, “Good, that’s how we debate.”

Luo disagreed, saying, “No, this was not a debate. You said that I selected cases if you look at the stats, all of the charges are not about the technology transfer.

Okay, so the China initiative

is supposed to catch Chinese spies … there’s strong empirical evidence that like the rate of bad cases being bought by the FBI is very high.”

The room also debated the merit of internment camps in Xinjiang province, where the U.N. has accused the Chinese government of human rights abuses against more than a million Uyghur Muslims. The United States has declared the situation a genocide, as have a number of other countries. An audience member originally from the province stood to argue that prior to 2008, Uyghurs “actually lived pretty good,” and that the Chinese government was compelled to establish the camps over concerns of terrorism.

Eisenman said that China values its domestic priorities over its international ones, and because the camps in Xinjiang are a domestic issue, the government would not allow the international alarm to curb its actions.

“So it was a choice between the U.S.-China relationship, and China’s Xinjiang policy, it’s gonna be prioritized, and this is what we’ve seen,” he said.

Much of the room cleared out for the hour-long Hunstman address, streamed via a YouTube live video. In his talk, the former ambassador who has served in every administration from Reagan to Trump, addressed the current situation with China, identifying ways to move forward, and levels of collaboration that are possible while challenging China’s aggression.

5

Hunstman also spoke to the connection and conflict between China and Russia, both countries he has served as an ambassador.

“Being large border states — Russia and China — they’re not natural friends and allies because border states typically are not. If you look at the late ‘60s, you know how close they came to nuclear war over border disputes. This is not a match made in heaven,” he said.

Hunstman added that he believes the relationship is superficial due to Putin wanting legitimacy in the eyes of Chinese.

“I’ve watched this relationship for a very long time. And I’m asked a lot about, well, ‘What about this relationship?’ And you know, ‘Is it really as deep as we’re led to believe?’ I don’t think it’s that deep,” he said. “I think it’s very superficial. I think that it’s very transactional. So what does Putin want? Putin wants to be seen in the presence of Chinese leadership. It brings in what he craves, which is legitimacy and credibility. I hate it every time I see it, because I don’t want Putin to get legitimacy and credibility.”

Hockx reflected on the evening’s town hall. He pointed out “the exchange of opinions, with our panelists coming at the question of U.S.-China relations from different angles, which is exactly we at the Liu Institute like to do.”

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

Swing Club dances to their own beat

By PETER BREEN News Writer

Amidst the bustle of student activities, any undergraduate is going to struggle finding a more dedicated crew than the Notre Dame Swing Club.

Three days a week, club president Ryan Mantey alongside vice presidents Anna Schmidt and Megan Sherry teach an hour-long lesson on the jazzinspired social dance and some of its derivatives: East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Charleston.

Less formalized than Old

World ballroom dancing, swing dance developed out of the Harlem Renaissance, Schmidt said. The accompanying music can totally vary.

“It’s actually a deeply African American dance and it has spread across the country,” she said. “Social dancing is really big in Europe so ballroom dancing there is popular, [but] swing is a little bit more loose.”

The easiest swing style to learn is east coast, the club executives agreed. If “you’ve ever seen old people” swing dancing, Schmidt said, it’s likely west coast. This year, the club

Paid Advertisement

is focusing on Lindy Hop, the original style of swing dancing.

“Lindy Hop requires a lot of energy,” Schmidt said. “It’s the historical young people’s dance.

If you’ve seen swing dancing aerials, where people are getting thrown around, that’s a Lindy Hop.” The club meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in the Smith Center and at 6 p.m.

Thursdays in “The Rock.” After an hour of instruction, there’s a second hour for open dance.

“Much of the actual learning happens when we have our open dance,” Schmidt said. “We play music, and you dance with people—like that’s pretty much all that happens—and you get really comfortable with it.”

It can be intimidating to pick up social dance without prior exposure, Schmidt added. The typical club meeting, about a handful of couples, provides a relaxed environment for twisting and turning.

“I first learned [how to social dance] here at swing club a year ago and now I’m teaching,” she said. “You get close with everyone that you’re working with, you learn everyone’s dance style and everyone feels really comfortable asking us questions. It’s not like you’re in a huge group.”

In social dances like swing, there is a lead and a follow. Basic moves incorporated specific footwork routines and maybe a spin thrown in the middle, but Schmidt said it’s important not to get too caught up on these details. “[Experts] talk of swing dancing as a sort of language, where the lead is speaking, and the follow is listening. Your dancing is quite literally a form of communication,” Schmidt said. “The footwork is sort of secondary to the communication you have going on. You’re usually connected at each of your hands.”

Mantey underscored this fondness for communication between dance partners through tension and pressure, and through the ways each partner maintains his or her frame and follows through on momentum.

“Even slight shifts [in pressure] tell my follow, ‘I want to go forward, or I want to go back.’ I raise my hand and that’s an invitation to a turn of some kind,” Mantey said. “The structures and the footwork patterns get to be swept away […] you really do focus on just rocking, communicating with your partner.”

The swing dancing club puts together a signature dance

every semester. Last weekend, the club held their fall dance in the LaFortune Student Center ballroom.

“Though we don’t have a competition, that’s kind of like our big event that we do so people can come and get to do everything they’ve learned,” Schmidt said.

Because of a variety of converging factors, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for clubs to reserve space on campus through the Student Activities Office (SAO) for dances, even with a priority request.

“We don’t have a location for a spring dance. [SAO] told us they couldn’t do it for us,” Schmidt said. “We have to go find an outside venue now and we don’t know how we’re going to do that. Dorm dances have a proud history. That one’s fine, but there are some things where I’m like: ‘we’re a social dance club, please get this priority!’”

In the meantime, swing club will be twirling about this roadblock, having so much fun doing so. Since 1998, Notre Dame students have handed down the mysterious Swing Bible—and it hasn’t faded yet.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

6

The observer | Friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Inside Column

Twenty years from now Cora Haddad News Writer

Somewhere in Indiana I w ill discover myself, I hope.

On Tuesday, I entered my twentieth year of life. There is so much life I have already lived.

So much time spent laughing and cr y ing and cr y ing some more. W here do I see myself twent y years from now?

Hopefully, I am far away from my haunting past and bad decisions, but I doubt I w ill be. W here does anyone see themselves twent y years from now? Worst case scenario, still in the Midwest. Best case scenario, also, still in the Midwest. I think a house w ith a fireplace would be nice. Somewhere to sit and read my books and drink my tea. I may ow n a cat or two, depending on how large that said house is. I would most of all want for it to be a home, filled w ith people I love and who love me.

It’s not fair to tr y to predict where my future leads though, so I won’t be pick y on specifics, like kids names, or professions. A ll of it w ill be a product of mov ing for ward. Each day now brings a new part of myself I didn’t know existed, a little part of myself who I am beginning to acknowledge. Especially these days I w ish I could meet myself as a child, the blunt bangs and spunk y attitude combined w ith big dreams.

My parents would always tell me I was braver than my brothers, no. A lways taking risks. No fear, no pain, nothing to lose.

Would that little girl, w ith the bright colored sweaters and painted nails, look at me, look at the life I am liv ing and be excited I made it?

W hat would I tell her? I may not be much different than that girl now. Maybe she is braver than I. W hen did I lose that? And how do I attempt to get it back? Will I twent y years from now and think the same thing about myself now? I hope not. I think my younger self would like the way I hang important moments on my wall. Quotes and photos and memories, illuminated by tw ink ling lights. I think she would like the friends I’ve made. The ones I can sit in silence w ith and laugh about how life has brought us together.

I think she would like the amount of concerts I’ve been to, and the places I’ve seen, the nature I’ve been able to take in. I think she’d love my hair, and my nose, that took me a little too long to grow into. I think she would love the books I’ve read and the love I’ve been able to express.

But most of all I think she would like the strength I continue to have ever y day. I continue to push myself to make her proud. And to make my future self proud as well. Twent y something, such an odd time to be liv ing in, somewhere I was terrified to be, but somewhere I can find comfort in reaching.

You can contact Cora at chaddad01@saintmarys.edu.

The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

College Republicans’ response to the College Democrats’ Letter to the Editor This week, the College Democrats published a Letter to the Editor accusing our club of promoting “racist, transphobic, and antisemitic rhetoric” in the 2022 midterm debate that took place on Wednesday, Nov. 2. They call for our debater’s remarks to be formally condemned by the University administration and to require our officer corps to face “comprehensive anti-bias training.” The allegations made by the authors of the letter are categorically false and defamatory.

We call on the College Democrats to retract them and issue a formal apology immediately.

The College Democrats fail to provide any evidence for their charge of racism, while any rational person can judge for themselves the intellectual seriousness of the allegation that opposing the genital mutilation of children constitutes “hate speech.” And although the Democratic letter claims that our representative made antisemitic comments during the abortion segment of the debate, their accusations contradict the plain meaning of what was said that night. Their deliberate misinformation campaign is reprehensible, and we encourage anyone who wishes to hear the full debate to watch it on YouTube. At the thirty-eight minute mark, the Democratic representative, makes the following charge. “[The Republicans are] trying to impose their own worldviews. The science is not clear on when life begins.”

Ultimately, what lies at the heart of the College Democrats’ argument is their defense of the indefensible: the grave evil of abortion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion ...

Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law” (no. 2271). It further states that “the inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation” (no. 2273).

Despite the Democratic representative’s claim to the contrary, we know — through both science and the exercise of reason — that life does begin at conception. The sanctity of unborn life cannot be left up to pluralistic interpretation.

Our representative made no claims about Judaism, even taking care to point out that he could not speak for the Jewish faith on the matter of abortion when he said, “I’m not making any kind of claim about Judaism.” Therefore, the College Democrats must promptly withdraw their libelous claim of antisemitism.

Additionally, we ask that their officers receive adequate pastoral care to inform them of the

Church’s teaching on the evil of abortion in light of their spiritually perilous position. Using the platform of Our Lady’s University to promote an industry which has claimed the lives of more than 63 million American children since Roe v. Wade is unacceptable and represents an attack on all pro-life students on this campus who are committed to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

We condemn moral relativism. We condemn the barbarism and depravity of the Culture of Death, which is predicated on the false notion that abortion is a necessary means to the attainment of human f lourishing. We affirm the intrinsic value of every human life. Putting an end to abortion is, without question, bigger than politics. However, as partisan legislative attitudes with regard to abortion move increasingly further apart, we believe that our club and our party have no choice but to take a stand.

We, the Notre Dame College Republicans, will not be intimidated or harassed for holding true to orthodox Catholic doctrine. Our members — and the millions of Republican voters across the country — care deeply about safeguarding the sanctity of life in the face of direct attacks on the unborn by the Democratic Party. As the country’s leading Catholic university, Notre Dame has a duty to boldly witness to life. The administration can succumb to intimidation, or it can defend the truth.

In his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI writes, “In Christ, charity in truth becomes the Face of his Person, a vocation for us to love our brothers and sisters in the truth of his plan. Indeed, he himself is the Truth.” The Catholic character of Notre Dame still matters.

We take seriously the work of proclaiming the truth, even when our peers deny it. As the words of the First Epistle of Saint John the Apostle remind us, to love our neighbor genuinely requires us to share in the charity of God’s very nature: “And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity” (1 John 4:16).

PJ Butler President of Notre Dame College Republicans Mark Ballesteros Vice President of Notre Dame College Republicans Jose Rodriguez Secretar y of Notre Dame College Republicans Merlot Fogarty President of Notre Dame Right to Life Nov. 16

Interested in Viewpoint?

Contact us at viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | Friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

The midterm election: Voters turn against extremism Rachel Hartmann Write to Vote

The midterm election occurred on November 8, 2022 with surprising outcomes. A midterm is supposed to be the time that the opposing party can make up ground for the next Presidential election, in this case a “Red Wave”, but that is not what happened.

Voters rejected antidemocratic and autocratic candidates this election by denouncing many of the candidates that Donald Trump backed, including all of Trump’s secretary of state candidates who ran on the lie that the 2020 election was rigged.

Voters also chose progress instead of regression.

The US broke its record for the most female governors elected at once with nine female governors.

Wes Moore was elected as the first Black governor in Maryland and he is only the third in US history, Maura Healey is the first out lesbian governor in US history and the first female governor in Massachusetts, James Roesener is the first out transgender man to become a state lawmaker and Alex Padilla is the first Latino senator in California. Voters pushed for historic firsts and pushed back against oppressive, hateful candidates in many places.

There was no red wave because many people are tired of Trumpism. People are tired of election denial and when candidates refuse to accept the results of a legitimate election, that is a step too far for many moderate voters. The key independent and moderate voters that Republicans needed to win back from Biden in 2020 did not go back. Even with Trump’s campaign announcement on Tuesday, he is not in as strong of a position in the run for the presidency as he was in 2016.

As well, the Supreme Court’s decision, reversing Roe v. Wade through the Dobbs decision was a large push to prevent a red wave. Abortion was on the ballot in five states: California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont.

California voted to add a provision to their constitution which prevents the state from interfering with or denying an individual’s reproductive freedom.

Kentucky voted against adding a provision to their constitution that would remove any protection for abortion. Michigan voted to add a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom. Montana voted to not add the possibility of criminal charges for healthcare providers unless they take “all medically appropriate and reasonable actions to preserve the life” of a fetus born alive. Lastly, Vermont added the right to personal reproductive autonomy to their constitution. All

five states voted to limit the state’s reach in reproductive rights issues.

Republicans still won the House, but by a lower margin than previously predicted and Democrats kept the Senate. It seems that voters are tired of extremism in many ways and the question remains as to what the Republican party will do now as Trump prepares to run again for the presidency. Voters are searching for alternatives to what they have been given in the past. Many high profile Republican politicians even say it is time to move away from Trump and not have the Republican party as the “party of Trump”. Still, the question remains: in the future will the party choose extremism again? Or will they risk standing behind someone else?

Rachel Hartmann (‘24) is majoring in Political Science and is minoring in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and Civil and Human Rights. She is a member of ND’s Write to Vote chapter.

W2V is the Notre Dame chapter of the national Write to Vote Project, a non-partisan, pro-democracy initiative. Its goal is to support democracy, encourage civic engagement and advance voting rights in the U.S. and around the world. You can contact NDW2V at ndw2v@ nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the

Let’s talk about the scooter problem Notre Dame’s campus has a few givens: Touchdow n Jesus, the Golden Dome, Saint Mar y’s La ke and, of course, electric scooters. Electric scooters, which can reach speeds over 20 miles per hour, are ubiquitous at the Universit y and have become a nuisance.

Scooters can be a fun way of getting around and can be important a lternatives to costly transportation or a way to get around for students who are mobilit y-impaired, but they won’t be for much longer if unsafe scootering persists. It is time for pedestrians to reclaim the sidewa lks.

Think about it. How frequently do you have to dodge a scooter while wa lk ing to your class in DeBart? How often do you watch it happen to someone else? Pedestrians should not have to slow dow n or jump out of the way as scooters reck lessly zoom past. It is time we recognize that scooters don’t have the right of way and some riders need to start being more careful.

In case you need ev idence of this, here it is spelled out in the Persona l Electric Vehicle Policy from the NDPD: “Persona l electric vehicle users must stay to the right on a ll roadways, crosswa lks, pathways and sidewa lks.

Pedestrians have the right of way.”

There is no need to travel 20 mph on campus, let a lone on sidewa lks. W hile the appea l of scooters is understandable — especia lly for students who live off campus and don’t have a car — the way students use them on campus is unsafe. A lmost getting hit by a scooter has become a running joke and a campus-w ide issue.

This isn’t just a problem at Notre Dame either. In August, an incoming Indiana Universit y freshman hit a bump on his scooter, lost control and crashed. This student eventua lly died from his injuries, the Bloomington Hera ld-Times reported. W hile this tragic example may seem extreme, it occurred just a few hours away from our ow n campus and should ser ve as a sobering reminder of how scootering can become dangerous.

These are not Ra zor Scooters we’re ta lk ing about. Scooters don’t need to be banned, but safer scootering needs to be practiced for the well-being of ever yone.

Here are some tips: • • •

Yield (please) to pedestrians around campus and signa l if you need to pass.

Consider riding a bike or a manua l scooter instead if you are able to.

Don’t text and scooter.

• •

Don’t drink and scooter.

Obey traffic rules as you would when driving a car.

• Stay to the right on roads and sidewa lks.

• If you’re scootering in the dark, consider buy ing a light or ref lector for cars that might not be able to see you other w ise or pedestrians who may not k now you’re coming.

• As the weather changes, be even more careful in the snow. Ride slowly and look out for ice and slipper y roads. Leave for class a little early to accommodate that pace.

• This applies to other seasons, too. Pay attention to bumps in the road and rocks or sticks that could k nock you off your scooter.

• Be a lert. This means don’t listen to music so loudly you can’t hear any thing.

• Register your scooter w ith NDPD. • A nd for some recommendations from NDPD: • Limit speeds to 10 miles per hour.

• Avoid use in areas w ith heav y pedestrian traffic.

• Use a U-t y pe lock when you aren’t scootering, just in case.

W hile banning scooters is extreme and preposterous, so is fearing injur y on your daily wa lk to class. We’d rather not report on scooter injuries.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Paid Advertisement

INFO SESSION 11-month M.S. program that emphasizes the action of entrepreneurship, not just the study of it.

JOIN US

DID YOU KNOW?

Calling all tech-savvy students from STEM, Social Sciences and Design backgrounds.

Join us to learn how you can be part of our 60-person cohort of top talent from all over the world!

Nov. 29 Tuesday

LEARN MORE

6 - 7pm

The Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine just ranked Notre Dame in the Top 15th Nationally for Graduate School Entrepreneurial Studies

DeBartolo Hall Room 131

FREE FOOD

Paid Advertisement

Honor the late, great Knute Rockne with Something in the Game: An American Musical The amazing story of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football coach Knute Rockne and his journey to discover what’s important in the “game of life.”

Available now only on Broadway on Demand

somethinginthegame.com broadwayondemand.com

SomethingInTheGame_BOD_Ad_10.5x16.indd 1

11/2/22 10:43 AM

10

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA SAYUT | PHOTO BY CLAIRE LYONS

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

11

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Put your energy into home, family and finances. Pay down debt and save for something special. Think outside the box, and you’ll discover something you can do that makes you happy and encourages you to use your expertise. Extra income and personal gain are within reach, and self-improvement will lead to greater confidence and a chance to advance. Your numbers are 7, 19, 25, 28, 33, 39, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Spending while you’re feeling emotional is discouraged. Take care of your physical and mental well-being.

Do your best to eliminate stress by putting your energy into something that makes you feel good about who you are.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make a move. Do your own thing, and leave nothing to chance. Focus on how you earn your living and what you can do to improve your position, the type of work you do or how much you make.

Take ownership of your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful what you wish for, or you may end up in a feud with someone you least expect. Getting along will be half the battle.

Aim to please, compliment and offer a fair deal, and you’ll bypass controversy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Knowing what everyone else is doing will help you make better decisions. Consider what you can do to bring greater dimension to whatever you pursue. Someone will praise you for your contribution. Keep your personal feelings to yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Have fun and enjoy the benefits of doing business with people who share your concerns and direction. Keeping things amicable, simple and to the point will pay off and help you get a nod of approval from those who can contribute to your success.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Stay on track, and don’t lose sight of your goal. Don’t let outside interference or emotional stress brought on by comments or gestures someone makes cause you to react in haste. Bide your time, think matters through and do what’s best for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do your due diligence and go directly to the source.

Getting the correct information is crucial if you want to come out on top.

Sign up for events that will bring you in contact with people who have something to offer.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Interact with people from different backgrounds, and you’ll learn something new. Be cautious regarding joint ventures. Do your own thing if you don’t share the same motives as someone who wants to partner. Don’t make decisions under emotional duress.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotions will interfere with common sense.

Take a moment to evaluate whatever situation you face and the suggestions made by those closest to you. Anger will hold you back and push you into a compromising position. Rethink your strategy and begin again.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A money deal will turn out better than anticipated.

Look over contracts, prepare documents and invest more time and money in yourself. Choose to use your skills more diversely, and you’ll enjoy what you do and bring in additional cash.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Just keep moving. Channel your energy into something you want, and you won’t be disappointed. Refuse to let a change someone makes affect your plans. Don’t make unnecessary adjustments at home or to a relationship experiencing a transformation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t share too much information about yourself or your plans. Check out what everyone is doing, and you’ll gather the knowledge to help you move forward with your goals. An emotional situation will turn into a valuable learning experience.

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, spontaneous and fun-loving. You are proactive and protective.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Support student journalism.

Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate

Square Comic XXX Square SquareComic Comic|||XXX XXX

Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to:

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip

12

Classifieds

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Improve Berhalter criticisms J.J. Post Sports Writer

Let me preface by saying this: I am no fan of Gregg Berhalter. From the start of his tenure, I have maligned his implementation of positional play and often conf licting ideals. It’s hard for me to imagine a world where he is the best possible coach the USSF can muster to coach the USMNT. With that being said, so much of the criticism of the USMNT’s current manager as the team gears up for its first World Cup in eight years is misplaced.

If you want to take shots at Berhalter’s tactics, so be it.

I, for one, don’t think much of what he has tried in terms of structure fits the current roster. But critiques of the players he’s bringing to play (or lead, given this is the youngest USMNT roster since any of its current players were alive) miss the mark.

Take current first-choice center-back Aaron Long, for instance. Over the last year and change, criticizing Long has become something of a stand-in for criticizing Berhalter. The case against Long makes sense in a vacuum. He is by any definition a f lawed player. He doesn’t boast an expansive passing range, he doesn’t excel in 1v1 defensive situations and there are still questions about how much of his game was affected by a seasonending injury suffered at the start of the 2021 season.

But using starting Long as a building block for a “fire Berhalter” case is ridiculous.

Because, as f lawed as Long may be, he absolutely makes the most sense from a tactical perspective for the current USMNT. Most USMNT fans would agree that Walker Zimmerman is, given the current injury status of Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, the best option for the team in their first match against Wales.

And Zimmerman’s consensus status as a starter is why Long is his partner.

Zimmerman, for all his aerial prowess, is, simply put, slow. Throughout qualifying, the USMNT has played a high defensive line. And such a line would struggle if Long was removed from the rotation because no other center back in the current fold complements Zimmerman like he does. Tim Ream offers experience at the highest club level in the world and an underrated passing

range. But Tim Ream is 35 years old and even slower than Zimmerman.

Just because Ream plays in the Premier League (and at a high level at that), means that he’s an automatic fit to start for the USMNT. One of the reasons Ream has excelled for Fulham is the fact that they play a deep block, where the veteran centerback is tasked with being dominant in the air. This system fits his skillset, and as such enhances his performance. The opposite is true for how he would fit into the USMNT lineup.

The reason we know this?

Ream was himself in Long’s position just a few years ago, the whipping boy of the USMNT picked on as a consequence of continued faith from Berhalter despite poor performances. Perhaps most notably, in what would go on to be an iconic 3-2 statement victory against Mexico, Ream spent most of his 82 minutes on the field being toyed with by quicker players like Hirving Lozano. On Mexico’s second goal, Diego Lainez was isolated directly with Ream and beat him with a cut inside.

And this performance came in a defensive structure that offered Ream even more security (he was the left center back in a back five) than the current 4-3-3 high line would. While Ream will certainly be an important factor in the squad for Qatar. It may be merely offering a veteran presence in the locker room of one of the youngest teams in the tournament. Or it could be as someone who can help close out a lead when teams are sending long balls into the box at every chance. He’s not fit to be the starter. Berhalter is making the right choice rolling with Long.

And on the note of the USMNT being one of the youngest teams in the tournament, that fact also helps to explain some of Berhalter’s more heavily criticized roster decisions.

Christian Roldan, for instance, is perhaps the player heading to Qatar that has drawn the most questions from USMNT fans. Sure, the wide midfielder is a reliable MLS starter who brings versatility to the table. But there’s not much in his pure skillset that excites anyone as a game-breaker on the international level.

For one, at 27, Christian Roldan is basically an old man by USMNT midfield

Berhalter’s leadership: subdued outlook for U.S. Adam Akan Sports Writer

The first thing you need to understand, if you are an American inexperienced with world soccer, is that Greg Berhalter is not a “bad guy.”

He’s not the Bobby Petrino or Urban Meyer of American soccer. I personally have had the opportunity to engage in a number of brief conversations with the man and can confirm he is a genuine, humble and approachable person who truly cares about U.S. soccer.

Another thing you need to know is that Gregg Berhalter likely obtained his current position due to nepotism. His brother was an executive in the U.S. Soccer Federation and reportedly fought hard to elevate him, then the head coach of the MLS Columbus Crew toting a 39% win percentage, to the nation’s most prestigious soccer position.

Throughout the post-2018 disaster era of the USMNT, whether it be friendlies, World Cup qualifying, recruitment, roster selection or, most recently, preparation for the World Cup, Berhalter’s reign has had its ups and downs. There were the bright moments, such as recruiting dual nationals Yunus Musah, Pepi Ricardo or Malik Tillman, emphatically defeating Mexico dos a cero in Cincinnati or expanding the USMNT player pool into Europe. Then, there were the lows, like an embarrassing loss to far inferior Canada in qualifiers, notching zero goals in recent September friendlies or the alienation of veteran players.

Many always believed Berhalter’s most mind-numbing lapse in leadership was his commitment to a stringent system in international play. Again, to my potentially inexperienced readers, international soccer is thrown together in a matter of weeks. There is no time to establish a system similar to that of FC Barcelona or Manchester City in, at most, a combined month together over the course of a year. Yet GGG (Berhalter’s nickname) has emphasized “verticality” as if it was his Bible.

The system of “verticality,” which puts a priority on building from the back, slow methodical play and a bevy of runs in behind, has done nothing but stunt the growth of this team. It has neutered star attackers such as Christian Pulisic or Giovanni Reyna and alienated talented players that deserve to suit up, such as Jordan Pefok or John

Brooks, simply because they do not “fit the system.”

Yet Berhalter’s masterclass of troughs came this past week, when the Federation announced the 26-man roster that would be attending the World Cup in Qatar. As someone who has meticulously scouted this pool of players, lets just say, I was far more than a bit underwhelmed. Now, the roster is no failure — there were some lock picks that elevate it, as well as a few pleasant surprise selections that will be vital in the Cup matches. Yet overall this roster provides little prospects for the United States exceeding expectations in Qatar.

In the defense, GGG selected Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtics, Sergino Dest of AC Milan, Aaron Long of NY Red Bulls, Shaquell Moore of Nashville SC, Tim Ream, captain of Fulham, Antonee Robinson of Fulham, Joseph Scally of Borussia Monchengladbach, DeAndre Yedlin of Inter Miami and Walker Zimmerman of Nashville SC. It is important to note that Chris Richards of Crystal Palace sustained an injury and thus was unfit to play.

This slew of selections screams “MLS quota.” There is absolutely no reason this many players from a far inferior domestic league should be representing our country in 2022. We have far better options available. I am pleasantly surprised to see Tim Ream, who has been in fantastic form for Fulham, on the roster. Dest and Robinson have played fantastic for the national team, and Carter-Vickers and Scally deserved nods based off immense club performances.

Zimmerman has been a beast for the USMNT, and was the sole MLS player I believed deserved a spot.

But then… it gets bad. Long has a great comeback story after injuring himself at the start of qualifying. That’s all well and good, but he should be nowhere within 500 miles of this roster.

His form has been questionable in the retirement league of the MLS, he has played mediocre at best for the national team and has major injury concerns.

Perhaps there’s hope President Biden could sign an executive order to kick him off the roster.

Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin exist. There’s not much to say about them. They’re not very good for their already underwhelming clubs, nor the national team. Their principal accomplishment is that they can run and sometimes kick.

Hooray! One could make the argument Yedlin is here for past

WC experience, but if that’s the case, where is John Brooks, who scored in a World Cup? Reggie Cannon, Mark McKenzie or John Brooks would have been far more talented options. But Gregg had to show the USSF is “in league” with the dead weight and talentless MLS, leading to a back line that lacks critical depth.

The midfielders are a far more elite group, mostly because there was little way GGG could screw it up. Brendan Aaronson and Tyler Adams of Leeds United, Luca de la Torre of Celta Vigo, Weston McKennie of Juventus, Yunus Musah of Valencia, Kellyn Acosta of LAFC and (deep sigh) Cristian Roldan of Seattle Sounders (screams in agony). It is likely the captain will be in this midfield group, whether its Adams or McKennie. All of the European selections here are top-notch.

Each has been in top form for their clubs, particularly the Leeds United boys, and contributed immensely to the heart of the USMNT. The MLS players are highly questionable at best. Kellyn Acosta has a high motor.

Congrats, you can run a lot.

That may come in handy against inferior pawn teams such as Jamaica or Cuba, but will be utterly useless against a side of immense talent like England.

Cristian Roldan should be triple the distance of Aaron Long from this side. He has been fine for Sounders, but utterly invisible on the national team. He may even be a net negative. GGG apparently believed one spot needed to go to a “glue guy,” and the selection was Roldan. The idea that Berhalter would overlook the talents of a Malik Tillman or James Sands simply for a “glue guy” to record some funny videos in the locker room is befuddling. Actually, more like downright negligent.

Roldan has no business warming the USMNT bench, much less seeing minutes.

The forwards provided perhaps the most shocking exclusions of the roster. Christian Pulisic of Chelsea, the undisputed star of the team, was joined by Tim Weah of Lille, Gio Reyna of Borussia Dortmund, Josh Sargent of Norwich City, Haji Wright of Antalyaspor, Jesus Ferreira of FC Dallas, and … Jordan … Morris … of Seattle Sounders. The first four names mentioned were locks and should be critical contributors and shining stars of this side.

The bottom three warrant not see USMNT PAGE 13

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit

see FIFA PAGE 13

all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | The Observer

USMNT Continued from page 12

just discussion, but anger. Jesus Ferreira is not the second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo because he scored some sexy free kicks in MLS. In fact, recently his form has been utterly disgusting, as he sends easy goals 30 yards into the air as if he was kicking a field goal. GGG’s favoritism is more than apparent there; it’s blinding. Haji Wright has been blazingly effective in the Turkish Super Lig, yet was underwhelming at the national level. His skill set is utilized better by Jordan Pefok, who at one point was the top scorer for his Bundesliga team. Pefok was not selected due to “form concerns,” yet Ferreira was given an almost guaranteed spot, despite a form that could be rivaled by certain writers at The Observer.

Jordan Morris has no merit to be on this team. It is 2022 and Jordan Morris is still receiving call-ups, despite proving time and time and time again he is an underwhelming winger who cannot effectively create attack chances. He is undoubtedly the worst pick here.

Pepi Ricardo, who struggled in the Bundesliga but now is tearing it up in the Eredivisie, was not selected. Pepi saved the USMNT a number of times in contested qualifying matches and was, at a point, the secondleading scorer behind Pulisic.

He proudly chose to represent the USMNT over Mexico, and was a fierce proponent of the American vision of football throughout 2021 and 2022. Yet, he will remain at home, a heartbreaking decision for fans and Pepi alike. These are the sorts of decisions that may threaten Berhalter’s job come January.

At least he did a good job picking goalkeepers in a historically weak USMNT keeper pool.

So, what can American hopefuls, both diehards and casuals, expect when the U.S. plays its

first match next Monday? That will ultimately come down to Berhalter. He needs to ditch the ideas of “verticality” and loosen up his coaching style. Let talented players like Christian Pulisic (who truly is Chelsea’s best attacker), Gio Reyna (Golden Boy nominee) and Timothy Weah take players on and beat them.

Let the trio of Musah, McKennie and Adams operate with more independence as opposed to following a script. Let Dest shoot from deep outside. In other words, let the youngest team in the tournament play like the youngest team in the tournament. Do not restrict them to playing like your mediocre Columbus Crew sides of old or a middling Premier League side. There is a fire here in this side that can come out at any time. GGG needs to stop trying to work to tame that flame and instead let youthful exuberance be what propels this unbelievable group of teenagers forward.

This article may have been bleak. I know. But, readers, you must understand this is the most talented team the USA has ever sent to a World Cup, and it’s not close. If utilized correctly, these players have the potential to make some noise in this tournament. They will be likely favorites against Iran and Wales and, despite the pompous celebrations of the English media, reports are Gareth Soutgate and the Three Lions are uneasy about their match versus the Americans. This is the group of boys we will be sending — there are no more changes to make, barring injury or emergency.

Let’s show them the support they need as they undertake the most iconic tournament in the world. And Gregg, try not to screw things up.

FIFA

Ademilola

Continued from page 12

Continued from page 16

standards. The oldest expected starter in the center of the park for the United States in Qatar will be Weston McKennie, at the ripe old age of 24. He’ll likely be accompanied by Tyler Adams (23) and Yunus Musah (19) to help lead a lineup that won’t be much older in average age than McKennie, if at all. It’s easy to see why veterans of both club and country such as Roldan (who also consistently has been praised for his tactical acumen and ability to act almost like a player-coach at times) and DeAndre Yedlin made the roster over some of their more exciting counterparts.

The USMNT is entering the World Cup knowing the odds are stacked against them. Just one player on the roster (Yedlin, who’s likely to be used in a rotational role if at all) has played in a World Cup before. Just about every team they face will be more battle-tested on the global stage. Berhalter knows this and knows he needs to add reliability and veteran know-how wherever he can.

And in his eyes, that means starting a flawed center-back he knows fits the system and filling his depth spots with experienced options even if they lack upside. Many fans see such decisions as weakness. Berhalter likely sees them as insurance. And if the USMNT is able to put together a run in spite of their collective youth, that insurance will almost certainly be invaluable.

Contact Adam Akan at aakan@ nd.edu.

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@ nd.edu.

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

five sacks last season, trailing only Isaiah Foskey. Together, they both formed part of a formidable pass-rushing trio along with Justin’s twin brother Jayson Ademilola.

Notre Dame recruited the Ademilolas in tandem, and on June 26, 2016, the twins committed to the university together. Six years later, Justin reflected on that process.

“I just wanted to get here and see the Notre Dame experience,” he said. “I got here and my twin brother and I camped here. We earned an offer, and not even 48 hours later we decided to commit to Notre Dame because of the coaching staff, everything it had to offer, the academics — you really couldn’t go wrong,” he said.

He was especially appreciative of the opportunity to continue playing with his brother after high school.

“It’s an awesome experience. Not too many people get to play at the next level with their brother or their twin, so it’s an experience that I’m forever grateful and thankful for — that Notre Dame gave us the opportunity to play together here,” Ademilola said.

Ademilola added to that sentiment, mentioning head coach Marcus Freeman’s coaching philosophy and talking about the drive to compete and get better alongside his brother. “[Jayson and I] are always competing to get better but it’s also all love. Coach Freeman’s got a saying called ‘competitive spirit,’ so you always have to compete and bring the best out of your brothers, but at the end of the day it’s all love,” he said.

Throughout his time at Notre Dame, Ademilola has played under three different

Paid Advertisement

Hockey Continued from page 15

Buckeyes, finishing the year with an outstanding .931 save percentage. He is a 5th round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens from 2020.

Scouting the Irish Notre Dame is coming off a momentum changing, 3-2 overtime win against rival Michigan last Saturday night.

Previously, the Irish had lost 3 straight games, including a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Wolverines the night before.

When, the next night, the Irish headed to the locker room after the first period trailing 2-0, there was little life in Compton Family Ice Arena. The feeling seemed to be that Notre Dame was on the precipice of getting swept for the second weekend in a row.

But the Irish had something to say about that. Grappling their way back into the game, Notre

Dame tied the score late in the second period. After a stalemate third, junior forward Grant Silianoff scored the dramatic game winner 2:26 into overtime, and life burst anew for the Fighting Irish.

“I’m hoping we can build on what we did Saturday as opposed to taking a step back,” head coach Jeff Jackson said Wednesday. “I think a lot of it had to do with playing with better discipline, both within our system and not taking unnecessary penalties.”

Puck management was also key for Notre Dame in the win.

In the second and third periods of the Saturday contest, the Irish made good decisions with the puck, controlling possession in the offensive zone and on zone entries. Puck management will continue to be important for the team going forward.

“For me, it’s about just doing a better job with the puck — both off the rush on our entries into the offensive zone, and then in

13

defensive coordinators including current head football coach Marcus Freeman. That experience has also given him a great perspective of what sets Freeman apart.

“Coach Freeman’s a handson guy. He’s a coach that always leaves his door open. He has relationships with every one of his players, and he’s just there for us. That means a lot for our players. Anything we need from Coach Freeman, he’ll try his best to get it done for the team. We love playing for a coach like that,” Ademilola said.

It’s that love for Freeman that generated a different level of buzz around the program this season.

Ademilola felt that buzz in the locker room too. Especially on the night of a big game, like when Clemson came to Notre Dame Stadium earlier this season.

“Waking up that morning when we had walkthroughs, everyone was saying upfront, ‘It’s in the air tonight, guys.’

We knew what we were getting into, and we knew that we were coming out victorious.

It’s a credit to our preparation and our execution,” Ademilola said.

Ademilola said he is still unsure of what his future holds.

However, he looks forward to the end of the season and giving his best for the team.

Despite the uncertainty, he expressed deep gratitude for his experiences and his teammates.

“Every year, being a part of a different team — new leadership and just the guys. I’m gonna be grateful and thankful for this experience with the guys and my teammates. I’m blessed to be able to leave here upper-handed,” Ademilola said.

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch12@ nd.edu

the offensive zone. To me, those are the things that impact the game the most for us,” Jackson said.

As Notre Dame seeks to capitalize on the fresh momentum, they will be forced to find results on the road. Road games have been a challenge this year for the Irish, who are winless in five games away from Compton.

“We’ve always been a good road team, and yet we haven’t won a road game yet this year, and that gives me a little pause,” Jackson said.

The Irish will play their next four on the road. This weekend sees two games at Value City Arena against Ohio State before the Irish head east to Boston.

Notre Dame will play the 6-30 Boston University Terriers at Agganis Arena Wednesday, then will go across town to take on the Boston College Eagles on Friday.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND VOLLEYbAlL

Irish volleyball looks to tame Wolfpack in second meeting

By TYLER REIDY Sports Writer

After a four-game homestand at Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame volleyball is hitting the road once again on Saturday.

The Irish will take a one-game excursion to Raleigh to face NC State for the second time in 13 days. Though Notre Dame has hosted all four North Carolinabased ACC schools, they have yet to visit the Tar Heel State.

The Wolfpack, led by third-year head coach Luka Slabe, are 1313 overall and 7-8 in ACC play.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is 9-16 overall and 4-11 within the conference under first-year head coach Salima Rockwell.

Last chance for a turnaround Both teams have taken a tumble since the middle of October.

Notre Dame’s losing streak has ballooned to seven games after a 4-4 start to conference action.

The Irish have taken the first set just once during the skid. With No. 4 Louisville awaiting on Thanksgiving Eve, they could certainly use a jumpstart on Saturday.

Meanwhile, NC State has dropped six out of eight games.

The Wolfpack hit below .200 in all six losses and delivered less than 35 kills twice during the stretch. On Sunday, the Wolfpack fell 3-1 at Clemson after blanking the Tigers just two weeks prior. NC State outhit them .189 to .174 but were overtaken in the game’s biggest moments. Clemson secured both the first and last sets by three points or less. The Wolfpack must return to the win column to uphold a tie for sixth in the ACC. Three teams are within half a game of them in the standings.

Irish hope to “Trump” growing pains With a freshman-heavy

HCC Men’s BASKETBALL

Saints drop to winless Jaguars

By ADAM AKAN Sports Writer

The Holy Cross Saints came into Wednesday night’s game at McKenna Arena looking to rebound from four straight losses following a victory to begin the season. This would be the last game the Saints played at McKenna Arena until Dec. 10, with five straight games on the road approaching. The game would also represent the Saints’ third game of conference play in CCAC, in which they were winless thus far. Their opponent was the Governors State Jaguars, a previously 0-5 team.

Holy Cross came out on fire against the underwhelming Jaguars defense, shooting 57.1% from the field and 44% from the three point line in the first half.

Senior forward Mick Sullivan, a transfer from Quincy University, set a strong pace for the Saints offense. He would ultimately finish the game as the team’s leading scorer with 22 points, sinking 11 out of 14 shots.

The Saints’ 42-37 led going into the second half, but the lead quickly evaporated through a combination of revived Jaguar play and an inability for the sloppier Saints team to put the game out of reach. The Jaguars took a slight lead, and the game became a tussle of rebound battles and turnovers. It would be those turnovers which would

bunch, the Irish have had plenty to iron out since August. On a per set basis, Notre Dame bottoms out the ACC in points, kills and assists. However, Notre Dame is among the conference’s best defensive teams with 14.44 digs per set. Junior libero Hattie Monson leads the group with 4.19 digs per set and sits at fourth in the ACC. The ultra-versatile sophomore setter Phyona Schrader has 3.08 to go with a team-high 7.94 assists per set.

Notre Dame’s strongest development of late has been freshman outside hitter Lucy Trump. The Kentucky native has expanded her game significantly, and it is paying off down the stretch. She totaled four kill-dig double-doubles in the season’s first 19 games. In the last four games, she has delivered three such performances.

Trump’s outing in last Friday’s loss to Florida State was easily her best in ACC play. She collected 17 kills at a .279 hitting percentage to accompany 15 digs. The freshman leads the Irish in kills (2.71), points (257), and is third in digs (1.95).

Wolfpack howling on the defensive end NC State occupies the middle of the ACC pack in most

Notre Dame can run with the Pack, but must clean up NC State defeated Notre Dame 3-1 back on Nov. 6, but the Irish were not entirely outplayed. They blocked the

Wolfpack 12 times to win set two and keep sets one and four tight. However, NC State was generally better in the attack, outhitting ND .234 to .180. Notre Dame committed six reception errors, while the Wolfpack made only one.

Lucy Trump was everywhere for the Irish, pounding 13 kills to go with 12 digs and 8 blocks.

Phyona Schrader was her usual self as well, racking up 32 assists along with 10 digs and seven kills. On the NC State end, sophomore outside hitter Martyna Leoniak earned an impressive double-double (15 kills, 18 digs). Sophomore opposite hitter Amanda Rice and graduate student opposite hitter Vanja Bukilic each contributed 14 kills. Senior setter Kristen McDaniel and junior setter Naomi Cabello also teamed up for 51 assists.

Saturday’s first serve will fly at 5 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. This will be the antepenultimate match for both teams. Notre Dame will return home on Wednesday to host Louisville before a final road tilt at Virginia Tech. NC State will take on Virginia and Syracuse to close out the regular season.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

produce an extra 17 points for the Jaguars, demoralizing the Saints as they tried to battle back. The Saints’ bench also failed to adequately produce compared to GSU, scoring four points to the Jaguars’ 16. Head coach Mike McBride chose to only play eight players in this battle while Governors State brought out 11.

The Saints continued to shoot the ball efficiently, however, leading to a nail biter.

Freshman guard Phil Robles II had an opportunity to win the game with a last second three point shot, but just missed the clincher. The Jaguars secured the game 76-74, extending this streak of difficulty for the Saints. Despite out-rebounding the Jaguars 32-26, shooting better from three point range and the free throw line, scoring more points in the paint (38-28) and second chance points (167), the Jaguars capitalized extremely well off Saint miscues.

The Saints have now dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Their next game will be Saturday at Judson University, in a conference matchup in Elgin, Illinois. The Saints hope they can rebound and get this season back on track against a 1-5 Eagles team that stands above them in the CCAC. Contact Adam Akan at aakan@nd.edu

statistical categories. They populate the bottom two with Notre Dame for both hitting percentage and service aces.

However, the Wolfpack lead the conference in digs (15.56) and are second in blocks (2.63).

With both teams playing such consistent defense, offensive mistakes must be avoided and capitalization on overplays will be key. Sophomore outside hitter Madison Williams stepped up offensively against Clemson, racking a career-high 17 kills.

The Wolfpack are one of three ACC teams with multiple players among the top ten in blocks. The other two squads, Louisville and Pittsburgh, are nationally ranked. Junior middle blocker Riley Shaak is fourth in the conference with 1.24 denials per set. She has also executed 14 digs over her last two games to expand her defensive prowess. Sophomore middle blocker Jada Allen is seventh with 1.13 rejections per set. She notched eight kills on Sunday — her most since conference play began.

Voted your favorite Irish Pub One of the 50 Best Irish Pubs in America - Travel + Leisure

SB-32921738

View Menu

SCAN WITH YOUR PHONE TO VIEW OUR

MENU

Ask Uber, Lyft, or Siri to take you to Fiddler’s Hearth. 127 N Main, SB • (574) 232-2853

sports

MBB Continued from page 16

side of the ball as well as dictating what they were doing,” Notre Dame graduate student for ward Nate Laszewski said after the game. “Just being a little more aggressive.”

Those adjustments paid div idends for the Irish, who held the Screaming Eagles to just 25 points on 34% shooting in the first half. Notre Dame had prev iously allowed at least 36 points in ever y half this season. By steadily opening up a lead that eventually ballooned to 17 points at the end of the half, the Irish were able to create significant separation from their opponent for the first time this year. Graduate student guard Trey Wertz attributed that to the team’s talented offensive players buy ing in on defense.

“I think it was just getting stops,” Wertz said about Notre Dame’s first-half advantage. “I think when you can string together stops — w ith the way we’re scoring right now on offense — you can start to build leads like that.”

The offense was led early on by Laszewski, who made a three-pointer on the game’s opening possession on his way to scoring 11 points in the first half.

For Laszewski, who won ACC Player of the Week after averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds in Notre Dame’s first t wo games, these t y pes of offensive outbursts have seemingly become the rule, rather than the exception.

Laszewski has been a key player for several seasons, but after the departure of volume scorers like Blake Wesley and Paul Atkinson Jr. in the offseason, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey challenged him to take on an expanded work load in the offense. After recording his third consecutive doubledouble w ith 18 points and 10 rebounds against Southern Indiana, it is clear that Laszewski is ready to step into that role.

WBB Continued from page 16

stepped up and scored consistently on the Wildcats’ defense. Notre Dame was able to secure a 30 point lead by the end of the period, nearly doubling the 17 point lead they had at the beginning of the quarter.

Sophomore guard Oliv ia Miles, the night’s second highest scorer, contributed nine points in the frame.

Miles, however, also received a number of fouls throughout the game, and after receiv ing her second technical foul of the night was removed from the game and was unable

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | The Observer

“The stage has been cleared out for [Laszewski] to be the star, it took me time to explain that to him,” Brey said. “I love that he’s grabbed it.”

W hile Laszewski was critical in Notre Dame’s w in, it was Wertz who led the Irish in scoring. He recorded a season-high 20 points in a continuation of his breakout season. After making t wo three-pointers in the first half, Wertz took over in the second period by key ing in on the rim, consistently attacking Eagle defenders off the dribble and converting several tough finishes. For Wertz, who has primarily been a spot-up shooter for much of his Irish career, this season has highlighted the expansions of his offensive game.

Laszewski’s dominant offensive performance so far this season was easy to see coming. Wertz’s play, and even more so his leadership and game management, has come as more of a pleasant surprise, according to Brey.

Wertz was not expected to be a starter for the Irish but seized his opportunit y follow ing graduate transfer guard Marcus Hammond’s knee injur y.

Hammond is expected to return to action in the coming weeks, but w ith Wertz hav ing been perhaps the Irish’s best offensive player through three games, it is difficult to see him letting go of his spot in the starting five any time soon.

“I need a guy that’s running the team and who I can talk to, and we weren’t sure who that was going to be through June,” Brey said.

“With Marcus Hammond out, [we said], ‘Trey, we need you, and we need 35 minutes [per game].’ He has just grabbed it. He’s calm and he sees the f loor. I just love his demeanor.”

Wertz is clearly on the same page, as he attested after the game as to how Brey’s confidence in him has allowed him to make the leap from averaging four

to play for the remainder of the night.

To w rap up the contest, the Irish scored 19 points in the 4th quarter to Northwestern’s 15, securing the w in w ith a score of 92-58.

Notre Dame continues to move through their season w ith comfortable w ins over their opponents, and have made for a strong start for head coach Niele Ivey’s third season.

The Irish w ill face the Ball State Cardinals in their upcoming game on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Purcell Pav ilion.

Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu

points per game last year up to nearly 18 in the current season.

“I’m someone w ith the ball in my hands a lot and the coaches trust me to make decisions,” Wertz said.

“It feels good [to be scoring more], I know last year wasn’t the best scoring output that I’ve had. The guys trust me, coach trusts me. I worked hard all summer and the confidence is there now.”

Coming out of the halftime break trailing 42-25, the Eagles continued to fight, whittling the lead dow n to single digits several times.

Most of the damage came in the paint, as the Irish struggled to contain Southern Indiana’s Trevor Lakes, who scored a team-high 21 points, and Jacob Polakov ich, who added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Polakov ich, who was not expected to play for another month follow ing surger y to treat a Jones fracture, had several emphatic dunks in his first game back from injur y.

A pair of Polakov ich free throws trimmed the Irish lead to 51-43 w ith under t welve minutes to play, but the Eagles were ultimately unable to get any closer.

The dagger came midway through the half when graduate student guard Cormac Ryan and Wertz made consecutive three-pointers to boost the Irish advantage from 10 to an insurmountable 16 in a matter of seconds. With the game in hand, Notre Dame emptied their bench in the final minutes to close out the 82-70 v ictor y and improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2017.

Looking ahead, Notre Dame has a quick turnaround before returning to Purcell Pav ilion to play Lipscomb on Friday at 7 p.m.

The Irish w ill conclude the Gotham Classic next week, hosting Bowling Green on Tuesday and traveling to New York to face St. Bonaventure on Black Friday.

nd hockey

Irish face road test at Ohio State

By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer

With five of their six Big Ten league opponents ranked in NCAA hockey’s top 20, the #20 Notre Dame hockey team is no stranger to top-20 matchups.

This weekend is no different, as the Irish travel to Columbus for a ranked battle with the #12/13 Ohio State Buckeyes. It is set to be an important series for both sides, as Ohio State tries to get back on track after being swept at Michigan State and Notre Dame looks to build off the momentum of last Saturday’s overtime win against Michigan.

Series History The Irish and Buckeyes have played 94 times since their first meeting in the 1968-69 season, and the series has been close throughout. Notre Dame holds the overall edge with a 42-41-11 record against Ohio State, although the Buckeyes lead the series on their home ice 21-19-7.

Last year, Ohio State took seven of 12 available points in the season series, with two regulation wins and an overtime loss. Despite that, Notre Dame narrowly edged Ohio State for the third seed — and first round home ice — in last year’s Big Ten tournament.

Among the ties between the teams is longtime Notre Dame associate head coach Paul Pooley. Pooley is a 1984 graduate of Ohio State and holds Buckeye hockey’s career records for goals (114), assists (156) and points (270). He also got his coaching start at Ohio State in 1988 and had his number retired by the program before a game between the Irish and Buckeyes in 2006. Pooley is now in his 18th season behind the Notre Dame bench.

Scouting the Buckeyes Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Soccer Continued from page 16

earlier game is the No. 4 seed Michigan State. The Spartans have enjoyed a dream season in Jeff Hosler’s second year as head coach. The Spartans won the Big Ten regular season title, continuing a stunning cur ve of improvement from a 2020 team that finished 1-10-1 and ended the season on a 10-game losing streak. Goalkeeper Lauren Kozal anchors the Michigan State back line and has enjoyed a career year in her final season that has placed her among the nation’s best goalies. Senior

15

Ohio State was one of the final teams left out of last year’s

for ward Lauren DeBeau leads the charge on offense for the Spartans, w ith a team-high 11 goals as well as four assists.

Looking to end Michigan State’s stellar run is TCU, whose up-and-dow n results throughout the season make them likely the biggest w ild card of the regional. Early on in the season, the Horned Frogs notched perhaps the biggest statement win of the year in college soccer, dismantling then-No. 16 Santa Clara 7-0 in Fort Worth. But from that point on, TCU went just 1-1-2 against ranked teams. That included a 3-0 defeat at the hands of USC. The Horned Frogs have

NCAA tournament. With 22 players from that squad returning, the Buckeyes opened this season with motivation and a vengeance. One of the hottest teams in the nation at the time, they attracted eyes around the country with a 7-11 start. The best results from that streak were 0-0 tie at current #7/8 Connecticut and a 6-4 win against #2 Minnesota. The Buckeyes, though, have cooled off lately, and are losers of three straight. Coming out of an open weekend, Ohio State was swept by surging Michigan State in two close games last weekend.

As a veteran team, depth has been the key to Ohio State’s success this season, and it will continue to be. All 21 players with at least five games played so far have one point or more for the Buckeyes, and 15 have one goal or more.

The Buckeye depth is especially strong down the middle, with their top three centers leading the team in scoring.

Graduate student Jake Wise, a 2018 draftee of the Chicago Blackhawks, leads all skaters with five goals and 12 points.

Wise played three years at Boston University before transferring to Ohio State last year.

Meanwhile, freshman Stephen Halliday (a 2022 4th round pick by Ottawa) and junior Travis Treloar are right behind Wise, with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Special teams have also been key for the Buckeyes, who are second in the nation on the penalty kill. Much of that has to do with consistent goaltending by sophomore Jakub Dobes, who has started all 12 games this year for Ohio State while posting a .911 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average.

A native of the Czech Republic, Dobes played in 35 games last year as a freshman for the see HOCKEY PAGE 13

offensive weapons, most notably graduate student forward Messiah Bright, who seems destined for the NWSL once her collegiate career ends. But will they show up against a disciplined Michigan State team that has had a week of rest from a grueling extra-time win in round one?

The South Bend regional kicks off Friday at 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium when Michigan State takes on TCU. Notre Dame will play the second match of the afternoon, taking on Santa Clara at 6 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

16

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd women’s basketball

football

Irish rout Wildcats

By LUCIA AGUZZI Sports Writer

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team faced Northwestern on the road on Wednesday night. It was an impressive performance for the squad as a whole.

The collective efforts from both defense and offense helped the team emerge as w inners 92-58, improv ing their season record to 3-0.

Sophomore guard Sonia Citron shined on the court, leading all scorers w ith 24 points for the Irish. Citron, who was named the ACC Rookie of the Year last season, was a force on the court, play ing 35 minutes and knocking dow n four of five three pointers.

The beginning of the game had Notre Dame continuously increasing their lead for the first few minutes, scoring nine points before Northwestern scored their first. The Wildcats struggled to catch up to the Irish, and were unsuccessful in closing the point gap

‘End of the day, it’s all love’: Justin Ademilola

in the first quarter, and for the duration of the game.

The f irst qua r ter ended w it h a score of 21-14 in Not re Da me’s favor. Graduate student center Lauren Ebo was a notable player, scoring 11 of t hose points in t he f ive minutes she was on t he cour t during t he qua r ter on 5-5 shoot ing. Ebo was t he t hird highest scorer of t he night, w it h a tota l of 19 points.

Going into t he second qua r ter, t he Irish ma inta ined a comfor table lead aga inst t he Wildcats, who scored a tota l 16 points in t he period, which turned out to be t heir highest scoring period of t he night. Not re Da me’s defense was impressive t he ent ire night a nd prevented t he any indiv idua l Nort hwestern player f rom scoring double dig its. The Irish, mea nwhile, rode a ba la nced scoring attack w it h t hree players w it h at least 19 points.

In the third quarter, the Irish offense really see WBB PAGE 15

By JOSÉ SÁNCHEZ CÓRDOVA Sports Writer

Max petrosky | The Observer

Graduate student defensive lineman Justin Ademilola rushes at a Clemson offensive lineman. Ademilola has 2.5 sacks on the season.

ND men’s BASKETBALL

see ADEMILOLA PAGE 13

nd women’s soccer

Strong start carries Irish to win over Southern Indiana

By M ATTHEW CROW

Irish host South Bend regional

By J.J. POST

Spor ts Writer

After opening the season w ith two tight v ictories, Notre Dame men’s basketball sought a less stressful finish on Wednesday night against Southern Indiana in the opening game of the Gotham Classic. The Irish got just that, building a big first-half lead and holding on to earn an 82-70 w in in Purcell Pav ilion.

With a veteran group made up of several high-level shooters and play makers, the Irish offense has run seamlessly in the early stages of the season. Their struggles in narrow w ins against Radford and Youngstow n State came on the defensive end and getting stops was a point of emphasis for the team entering Wednesday’s game. “[Defense] was obv iously a focus for us yesterday in practice, being a little bit more vocal on the defensive

Since arriving on campus in 2018 Justin Ademilola has done nothing more than put in the work and carve out a spot on the Notre Dame football team.

Arriving as a 3-star recruit from Jackson, New Jersey, he has found a consistent role on the team, using his versatility to appear in every game for the Irish over the last three years.

“Since I got here, every year my football IQ has been increasing, and that’s helped with my play. I can play numerous different positions and I know the nuances of a lot of positions up front – even the linebackers.

I think that works as an advantage for me,” Ademilola said.

During his career, he played at both ends of the Notre Dame defensive line.

Ademilola racked up 102 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He has steadily improved his numbers every year, putting together a stellar 35 tackles and one forced fumble in 2021. He was also second on the team with

Spor ts Writer

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Graduate student forward Nate Laszewski goes for a rebound in Notre Dame’s 80-72 win over Southern Indiana where he scored 18 points.

Friday afternoon, a weekend of soccer w ill kick off at A lumni Stadium to decide who w ill be among the final eight teams in the NCA A tournament.

Notre Dame w ill host both their ow n game w ith Santa Clara, as well as an earlier contest between Michigan State and TCU to determine who w ill play the w inner of the Irish/ Broncos matchup.

Here’s ever y thing you need to know about the three teams Notre Dame w ill play or might play this weekend in South Bend.

Santa Clara is the Irish’s Round of 32 opponent, and they present an immediate tough task for a Notre Dame squad that glided by Omaha in the Round of 64 w ithout much difficult y.

The Broncos have NCA A experience Tournament that few others in the nation can boast. Last year’s squad made the College Cup, and in 2020 they took

home the national title.

Neither of those Broncos teams were highly seeded, and both took dow n No. 1 seeds in their tournament runs.

Izzy D’Aquila leads the charge for Santa Clara. The nation’s top goalscorer, D’Aquila outjumped three defenders and the Cal goaltender to deliver the w inning header in the first round of the tournament.

She is one of the most dangerous players on the field if she’s able to get the ball at her feet. But for that to happen, Santa Clara needs big games from w ingbacks and Bourgeois A lyssa Colby Barnett. That pairing leads the team in just about ever y chance creation stat possible. They need to break through a stout Notre Dame defense Friday night.

Michigan State, TCU round out quartet Headlining

the

see SOCCER PAGE 15

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

HOUSTON GRIFFITH

EDDIE SCHEIDLER

Griffith finds definitive role

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Houston Griffith arrived in South Bend with high expectations. A top 100 national recruit, Griffith was the highest rated member of Notre Dame’s 2018 recruiting class.

And after five seasons and one position change, Griffith has delivered on those expectations, developing into a lynchpin and model of consistency in a changing Irish secondary and defense.

Griffith’s path to Notre Dame started early on. The Irish were one of the first teams to get involved in Griffith’s recruitment, with that initial interest playing a major role in the IMG Academy product eventually choosing to commit.

“Coming to Notre Dame always came back to them being one of the first schools to recruit me when I was young,” said Griffith. “I always was coming up here for recruiting visits, whether it was spring ball or just regular visits.

They were just so consistent with my recruiting process, I just fell in love with the staff and then fell in love with the school and the team. What the University could provide for me after college, they always talked about four for forty, that was a big thing my parents cared about. That was something that really struck us and led me to Notre Dame.”

Griffith’s becoming a staple

9

of consistency in the Notre Dame secondary was far from an immediate process. He slowly but surely established himself in the Irish defensive back rotation, making just three starts in his first three seasons in South Bend.

After that third season, in which Griffith played in all twelve games but only made two starts, he entered the transfer portal. With his spot in the defense unclear following the departure of Clark Lea, who had been defensive coordinator for the entirety of Griffith’s Notre Dame career to that point, it would have been hard to blame the then-junior for exploring opportunities elsewhere. But, he was convinced by newly hired defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, and the rest of the Irish defensive staff to stay.

“The trust in Marcus Freeman’s defense [brought me back],” Griffith said. “Just knowing where I would fit in the defense, knowing that I was welcome back at the program. The coaches were talking to me throughout that whole process, those two and a half weeks. They showed a lot of love and I just knew my heart was still at Notre Dame and wanted me to finish where I started at.”

That return from the portal would prove to be a key inflection point in Griffith’s career.

see GRIFFITH PAGE 6

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Graduate student safety Griffith Houston prepares to battle against BYU in the Notre Dame 28-20 win over the Cougars.

Eddie Scheidler, off Eddy St. and in the locker room

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

For Eddie Scheidler, Notre Dame was always a part of the plan.

“Grew up a diehard fan; parents came here, older sister came here, grandparents came here. So, a lot of Notre Dame in my blood.”

Football, however, was not.

It was in Scheidler’s senior season at Lake Forest High School in Illinois, that current Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees noticed the defensive back while visiting to recruit Rylie Mills who is now a junior defensive end with the Irish. Scheidler’s 35 tackles as a senior ranked among the team leaders. As a junior, he led the team with two forced fumbles. Rees took notice.

“One day, early in the fall, when Tommy came and visited [to recruit Mills],” Scheidler recalled.

“He was like ‘hey we have some walk on spots open, would you consider walking on’ and that kind of snowballed to where we are today.”

While becoming a walk-on for the Fighting Irish may have been unexpected, Scheidler has been sure to take advantage of opportunities presented to him, both in and outside the football program. A member of Siegfried Hall, — “Go Ramblers,” the safety added — Scheidler is a marketing major and history minor. Outside of that, Scheidler is eyeing career opportunities in sports media, having taken several classes within the Sports, Media and Culture minor. He’s utilized some of that

media experience with the football team this year. Continuing a tradition of player-produced media content, Scheidler created a video series titled “Welcome to Eddie St”, where he interviews Irish fans on Eddy St. He took over for former Irish safety Litchfield Ajavon and his ‘tiny mic nation’.

“I talked to Litch about it last year. Once he left, it was like trying to fill a void,” Scheidler noted.

“I tore my ACL in the spring, so I wasn’t going to practice for about nine months. I wanted to do something, and might as well do it.”

However, Scheidler’s role expands far beyond the short videos posted on social media before each home game. Unable to practice with his injury, Scheidler sought out various ways to continue to have an impact. “I started doing defensive signaling so I could stay a part of the team, find a role and still contribute,” Scheidler said.

Beyond that role, Scheidler embraces his role as an upperclassman among the walk-ons, helping younger players adjust to life as a college athlete.

Among those underclassmen is Scheidler’s brother, Leo, who walked on as a wide receiver.

“As an older walk-on, you have to show these guys the way things are done. I think it’s a different role as a walk-on. You’re not in the limelight and you have more of a backseat role,” Scheidler said.

“It comes in things off the field ...

Classroom, weight room, time management, things that you don’t see on the field but translate

well into life.”

Scheidler’s presence in the locker room contributes to an overall program culture that many laud as the best in the country. “Biggest thing for the culture is, my freshman year, it felt not as fluid. You come into the locker room now, as a freshman walk-on, and a superstar senior will talk to you.

Everything’s more fluid, everyone knows what’s going on in each other’s lives. It wasn’t like that my freshman year. It’s like night and day. It’s awesome, it’s so much better.”

When asked about favorite memories, Scheidler, like many seniors, noted the two Clemson wins in the past three years as highlights, but he focused mainly on the off-field memories. “My favorite memories all time have to be locker rooms, before and after practice. The camaraderie, you’re just jumping around. It’s funny., some of the best conversations I’ve had in my life have come in the showers.”

Scheidler isn’t quite done with Notre Dame football; he is preparing to come back for a graduate program, but he still says the emotions of Senior Day feel surreal.

“It’ll be fun to stick around. It’s been a weird year not being able to practice because of my injury,” Scheidler said. “But it’s weird, I don’t feel like a senior. It’s gone by fast. It’s bittersweet. But it’s the best experience I’ve ever had in my life.”

ContactAidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Senior saftey Eddie Scheidler freaks out during the 35-14 Notre Dame upset of Clemson, on Nov. 5. The Tigers were ranked No. 4 at the time. He served as a defensive signaler during the game for the Irish.

10

INSIDER

The observer | friday, NOVEMBER 18,2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Jon Sot

conor ratigan

Crimson red to Irish green: Ratigan follows Sot shines for Notre Dame father’s footsteps

By MANNION MCGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

The 2022 off-season saw definitive upheaval for Irish football in every sense of the word.

A new head coach, new coaching staff, a new starting quarterback, and then another one two games into the season.

Harvard graduate transfer punter Jon Sot became a major player in this upheaval. No one expected the Irish to start the season 1-2 and need a new quarterback after two games.

But now, that that is the reality Irish fans live in, they’re looking for reliability. Sot has been able to fill that need for consistency.

Sot has taken 19 punts on the season, more than half of those placed within the 20, including all four punts he took against Marshall. In the season opener at Ohio State, the former Ivy League punter unleashed a 75yard bomb, and he averages about 45 yards per punt.

Initially, Sot said he was nervous to come into the Irish locker room. However, he found that this game is life to everyone at Notre Dame, and they’re welcoming because of that.

“It’s been awesome,” Sot said during camp. “Football-wise, it’s been great. The facilities here are awesome. The coaches are the best around. The guys on the team are so dedicated to this, you know, they love this.

This is their life. Being able to come in here and be a part of that is incredible. I feel like I belong here, they’ve made me feel that way. I can’t wait to see what this team does.”

Despite how the season opened, that energy and that excitement haven’t faltered.

Sot said he’s seen where the good has come through.

“I love it here,” Sot told Irish

Sports Daily. “Not the start we hoped for as a team. Special teams-wise [though], we’ve done a good job. [But special teams] coach [Brian] Mason tells us being good isn’t good enough. We want to be the best of the best. We want to be elite. There’s improvements to be made all around special teams.”

For himself, Sot says he could be more consistent than he has been thus far, something he wouldn’t have been able to see in himself earlier in his career.

“When I was young as a freshman, I wasn’t able to find my deficiencies,” Sot said.

“Now that I’ve been in college for quite a while, I’m able, when I hit a bad punt, to figure out what I’m doing wrong and that’s been the most helpful thing for me.”

Making those adjustments required Sot to rely mostly on his confidence and putting the work in, he said.

“Being a fifth-year guy, I’ve played college football. It might not have been on the same stage but I’ve been out there and I’ve prepared for different teams … I’m confident in what I do,” Sot said.

Before he joined the Irish, Sot found success at Harvard too, albeit on a smaller stage.

The 5-foot-10, 198-pound New Jersey native matched this year’s longest punt in his freshman year and punted farther than that in his sophomore year. His average hovered around 40 yards at Harvard. Now three games in with the Irish, that average is up 5 yards. But he has seen the most improvements over the years with his placements.

Sot went from no placements inside the 20 to 10 in just three games. Those 10 punts tie him second in the nation.

Sot’s numbers have improved

from his Harvard days in spite of a more intense stage, going from a crowd of about 20,000 people per game to close to 100,000.

“When I was a kid, it was the moment you dream of, just being able to run out there but you’ve got to be able to settle that down and go do your job.

That’s been the biggest change for me, just the atmosphere and seriousness of this level of football.”

Making that adjustment required Sot to dial in and rely on both the players around him and his coach, Mason.

“I’m fortunate enough to have great blocking and a great special teams coordinator that trusts me,” Sot said. “I’m especially thankful for [long snapper] Michael Vinson, he’s made my job so easy.”

Off the field, Notre Dame is also where Sot wanted to be, he said. The graduate student will complete a master of science in management program at the end of the year. He said he’s about to declare a finance concentration and is looking forward to finishing that second degree.

“For me, aside from the football, another reason I was attracted to here was being able to pair Harvard and Notre Dame with my two degrees.

That’s really something I’m proud of,” he said.

Sot takes pride in his work both on and off the field. He says his well-placed punts are just as exciting as the game changing plays.

“Putting them inside the 10, for me, is like throwing a touchdown or getting an interception because that’s what I do, so I take pride in that,” Sot said.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish graduate student punter Jon Sot kicks the ball away in the season opener against Ohio State on Sept.

3. Sot transfered to Notre Dame from Harvard to take over the starting punter role for the 2022 season.

By MANNION MCGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

Conor Ratigan has been a walk-on at Notre Dame for all four years of his collegiate career. Now, the WOPU President has followed in his father’s footsteps both on and off the field to find himself graduating from Notre Dame.

To join the ranks of the Irish was not his first choice, though.

“I grew up close to Notre Dame and both my parents went to school here,” Ratigan said. “My dad actually played on the team, as well, so I kind of grew up Notre Dame through and through. But I didn’t always want to go here, I wanted to do something different, and then as I grew up and I was able to see what Notre Dame could offer you both on the field and off the field, I thought it was the best decision to make.”

In his career w ith the Irish, the Granger, Indiana native said he has grow n to love the communit y, especially on the team.

“Notre Dame’s different.

Ever yone says that and it sounds like a cliche, but it really is,” Ratigan said.

“Ever yone has a lot more going on. Ever yone wants to do something w ith football and then after football …

Ever yone is united around the same goal of championship and then graduate. It’s what they said to us coming here and they still say it to us now … [T]he team just seems ver y close, I mean all the guys, you know, I found my best friends at Notre Dame.”

Ratigan said the communit y made finding his role on the team even easier.

In his first three years, his main role was on the scout team, but w ith the Irish low on numbers, Ratigan said he started to see reps w ith the “real team.”

“I felt that I’ve always been someone that w ill do whatever job is asked of them,” he said. “I had to step up and rep w ith the real team for almost the whole time and even now, still repping w ith the real team, doing ever y thing that’s needed of me. I’ve always been someone that’s been a leader on this team, especially for the WOPU guys. As the president of the current WOPU nation, you know someone felt I should have that role. So

I’ve tried to help all the new freshmen, whether it’s WOPU or not, get acclimated to Notre Dame. You know, to be someone you could talk to, whether it’s about football or not, and someone the team can also count on on the field.”

The first time Ratigan stepped on the field for the Irish was as a junior in the 2021 season against Georgia Tech. The Irish were ultimately able to w in the game 55-0.

“Experiencing that, experiencing the crowd and ever y thing, hav ing my parents there and them experiencing that, it was cool for my dad to see because he did the same thing,” Ratigan said. “So getting on the field for the first time would have to be my favorite football memor y.”

Ratigan’s father, Brian Ratigan, also played football at Notre Dame as a walk-on. Now, he is the Director of Orthopaedic Care for Notre Dame Athletics and specifically the head orthopaedic physician for several programs, including football. After grow ing up surrounded by his dad’s work, Conor Ratigan intends to go to medical school but has yet to start the application process. The former Keough Hall resident said he w ill soon begin applying to schools for the fall of 2024.

“Obv iously, when I first started play ing football when I was young, the goal was to play professionally but for me, that wasn’t really in the cards,” he said.

“So when Notre Dame offered me a preferred walkon spot my senior year in high school, I thought that was the best of both worlds.

I knew I probably wasn’t going to go to the NFL, but I was going to give it my best shot. In the back of my mind, though, I knew that medical school was what my ultimate goal was always going to be.”

In terms of the rest of the season, Ratigan said he knows what’s expected of him and what he expects of himself.

“I am going to tr y to help the team in any way I can, and that includes helping them w in out in these games and whatever bowl game we’re put in,” he said.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

INSIDER

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18,2022 | The Observer

JOSH LUGG

BRANDON JOSEPH

Joseph thrives after transfer

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

After the 2021 season, Notre Dame was looking for a high-level safety to replace the vaunted production of first-round draft pick Kyle Hamilton; Northwestern junior safety Brandon Joseph was looking for a high-level program that could help him prepare for the NFL after his collegiate career.

A match just waiting to happen.

“I did my three years at Northwestern and for my fourth year, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL. Because of that, I wanted to be in the best position possible in my last year in college,” Joseph said. “Once I hit the portal, I knew I wanted to go to a top-level university. For me, personally, that meant academically, on the field and the ability to build the biggest network possible, which is why I wanted to come to Notre Dame.”

On Jan. 8, Joseph made it official, announcing his transfer to play for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. He joined a Notre Dame program bonded by the recent turmoil of the abrupt Brian Kelly departure. With a tightly knit culture that players refer to as the brotherhood, Notre Dame boasted a locker room of close relationships.

It made it easy to be daunted by the prospect of transferring into the midst of the culture. But Joseph noted that his new teammates made the transition easy.

“My teammates took me in as soon as I got here.

Being a new guy, I didn’t know if I’d be able to get relationships with the guys.

How quick, how nice and how well they took me in, it was truly a blessing,” Joseph said. “I built great relationships with so many guys. For it to happen so quick, it’s been so great. I appreciate the guys for taking me in the way they did.”

Joseph was not a stranger to big stages. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, Joseph notched six interceptions for Northwestern, helping the Wildcats to the Big Ten championship. There, Joseph picked off Ohio State’s Justin Fields and nearly led Northwestern to a stunning upset. Thus, Joseph had big game experience when he got to Notre Dame, but he still cited the environment at Notre Dame as being a high point of his

11

A ‘Notre Dame man’: Lugg develops as player, leader albeit primarily for kicking duties. His first “big break” came the next season, with a Robert Hainsey injury opening the door to start five games. Injuries cracked the door open again for Lugg in 2020. In particular, he showed off his versatility by making one start at right guard and two more at center due to injuries to Tommy Kraemer and current graduate student Jarrett Patterson, respectively.

Lugg didn’t need injuries to crack the door open to become a first-time full-time starter a season ago. In fact, he started 12 of Notre Dame’s 13 games last season. He and the rest of the offensive line helped weather some early-season storms, helping the Irish develop a groundfirst identity. Notre Dame’s run game has progressed from a liability to a lifesaver, especially in Notre Dame’s most memorable game of the season, its 35-14 upset of then No. 4 Clemson on Nov. 5. The Irish rushed for 263 yards and held the football for 33 minutes flat. After watching most of Notre Dame’s 2020 upset of Clemson from the bench, Lugg was front and center this time.

Part of the reason why Lugg has such a strong influence is the wide variety of experiences he’s had. He called Heistand’s departure for the Chicago Bears after his freshman year “devastating” and went through the turmoil of last offseason when Brian Kelly unexpectedly left to go to LSU. “It’s important to be happy for the coaches, and understand that you committed to Notre Dame, not necessarily a coach,” Lugg said. “Coaches are gonna come and go, but the players you have at 5:30 when you’re sitting in the locker room in the morning before winter workout — those are the guys that are gonna be with you.”

While Lugg downplayed Alt and Fisher’s need for help in particular, calling them “mature and ahead of their age, very much aware of what the standard is here as a Notre Dame offensive lineman,” everyone can always use a helping hand.

That help goes beyond football, too. The former Duncan Hall Highlander will do anything to help his younger peers fit in.

Maybe that means going out to dinner. Maybe that meets talking about real-world things like “faith and family.” Whatever it means, Lugg is up to the task.

The challeng of Notre Dame, particularly on the academic side, was a huge attractor to bring Lugg to South Bend. After graduating last year with his finance degree, Lugg is currently getting his masters in analytics.

He knows how difficult Notre Dame can be.

But it’s that difficulty that helps create the brotherhood that Lugg also said drew him to Notre Dame. “[It was] something I didn’t really see at other schools,” Lugg said. Lugg knows his football life won’t last forever.

Though he hopes to go pro, he also cited the common quip of the NFL standing for “Not For Long.” In particular, he is passionate about real estate, which he minored in at Notre Dame. In fact, he worked for former Notre Dame basketball star ‘15 Pat Connaughton’s real estate development company Three Leaf Partners a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Right now, though, Lugg is focused on two things. First is not “wast[ing] any of God’s talent.”

Second, teaching the next crop of Irish o-line stars everything they need to know to ensure they don’t either.

experience in South Bend.

“The atmosphere that Notre Dame brings, it’s insane, it’s something that I haven’t really had before.

These sold out home games, having fans come to the away games the way they do.”

That atmosphere that Joseph talked about came to what felt like a massive high just two weekends ago against Clemson. The Irish thrashed the previously unbeaten Tigers 35-14 in primetime in front of a sellout crowd.

“It was insane. The atmosphere in that stadium was something you dream about as a little kid,” Joseph said.

“For me to be able to experience that, to be on the field when you hear the crowd scream, it’s been crazy, it’s been a blessing.”

Joseph is currently considered a potential firstround draft prospect, should he declare for the draft at the end of this season. Some consider him the top safety in the draft class.

Joseph credited the Irish coaching staff for their efforts in his development this past year.

“I think we have one of the best coaching staffs in the country … and I think I developed into the best player that I could be which is the biggest reason I wanted to come here.”

There’s still two regular season games and a potential bowl game left in this 2022 campaign for Joseph.

And from there, there’ll be decisions to make regarding his future on the gridiron.

But right now, Joseph isn’t focused on that, as much as he is focused on taking advantage of the time he has at Notre Dame, regardless of when that comes to an end.

“My time here has been the biggest blessing of my life … It’s been great. To come to a place like Notre Dame and meet everyone on my team and everyone I’ve met through my time here, it’s been great.

I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be. I learned so much in terms of becoming a better man,” Joseph said. “I know it’s not over yet, but almost a year out of my decision of coming here, it’s been everything I could imagine. My time here has been great, and I’m really appreciative of Notre Dame.”

By ANDREW McGUINNESS

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

Graduate student offensive lineman Josh Lugg protects the ball in the Notre Dame’s matchup against BYU. Lugg assisted in the Irish 28-20 win over the cougars. He has played 58 games over his four years at ND.

Associate Sports Editor

There were two things that went into Josh Lugg’s decision to return to Notre Dame for a sixth year in 2022. First, there was the practical side of it. Lugg felt he needed more development before pursuing his NFL dream. The return of universally regarded offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, who recruited and coached Lugg during his first season with the Irish, made the decision even easier.

But there was a second part.

The Irish have long held a reputation for churning out quality offensive linemen. Two of the team’s starters Lugg’s freshman year, Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson, became top10 NFL draft picks. However, they weren’t just great players, they were great mentors for Lugg, the No. 15 offensive tackle of his recruiting class.

Over the last two seasons, the Irish have welcomed some more highly touted offensive line recruits, such as sophomore Blake Fisher, sophomore Joe Alt, freshman Billy Schrauth and more. The chance to return to Notre Dame Stadium and better his NFL chances was obviously important to Lugg. But, so was the chance to provide the same type of guidance that Lugg received from McGlinchey, Nelson, Hunter Bivin and others that helped him get to where he is.

“I wanted to be a mentor for the young guys,” said the Wexford, Pa, native. “Help them understand what it means to be a Notre Dame man.”

Lugg in his sixth year at Notre Dame has followed a fairly traditional development curve.

He redshirted in 2017, then saw the field in all but one of Notre Dame’s games in their College Football Playoff run of 2018,

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

12

Insider

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Ademilola Continued from page 16

t he Fighting Irish. The pair arrived in 2018 and while Jayson took to t he f ield immediately, Justin saved a year of eligibilit y.

Ademilola discussed what t he college journey w it h his brot her has been like since t hey arrived t heir freshman year and how it feels to have t he chance to play w it h each ot her.

“We still remember our f irst day on campus, our f irst camp and our f irst game. It’s just a journey, and we are gratef ul to even be here,” Ademilola said. “Sometimes you just go on w it h t he day. I don’t t hink about it as much any more, but I do get times where I rea lize t hat I am rea lly doing t his w it h my t w in brot her. Not many people can say t hat t hey even went to college w it h t heir family, and we get to play footba ll toget her at t he highest level.”

Ademilola reca lled t he f irst

summer camp he ever went to at Notre Dame. There, he met some of his lifelong Notre Dame friends and teammates.

“From t hat day, it was seeing who were going to be my best friends during my time at Notre Dame ... Now I am a f if t h year senior, and a lot of years have gone by, but we are still close,” Ademilola said.

Ademilola understands t he importance of enjoying t he f ina l set of college footba ll games w it h his brot her.

“We are rea lly just tr y ing to enjoy t he moment,” Ademilola said.

“We are probably going to remember t he last t hree games of t he season rea lly well, so why not go out w it h a bang. That’s rea lly what our t hought process is at, which is to tr y to be t he best versions of brot hers around for t he last t hree games.”

Ademilola believes t hat t he work t he team has done t his season w ill have a huge

MAX PETROSKY |The Observer

Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola sacks Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei with senior teammate Howard Cross Jr. during Notre Dame’s Nov. 5 win over the Clemson Tigers.

impact on t he Notre Dame footba ll program in t he upcoming years.

“This whole season, my only goa l each week is to w in and w in one for t he

team and for t he g uys. This season is way more t han what anyone ever expected.

We may not ta lk about t his season and what it was until anot her f ive years from

Sam Asaff

Assaf takes on dual-athlete grind at Notre Dame

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

Sam Assaf was not supposed to play football at Notre Dame, or football at all. Rather, Assaf played lacrosse at Amherst and transferred to Notre Dame w ith full intentions of continuing to play lacrosse. This was until the spring of his sophomore year, when his brother Mick Assaf conv inced him to tr y out for the football team.

“I came here w ith all intentions of play ing lacrosse, but as I got here my sophomore spring I got really bored of not being on a team and then figured why not tr y out for football,” Assaf said. “I was like the worst thing happens, I get cut, and I didn’t want to wait until the fall to tr y out for lacrosse.”

After getting a spot on the football team, Assaf looked to lacrosse.

“I tried to talk to the [lacrosse] coach. He said he needed someone in my position, literally just needed another body in practice.

Ended up tr y ing out for them in the middle of their preseason and made it,” Assaf said.

Even though Assaf was excited about the opportunit y, being a dual-sport athlete at Notre Dame is not an easy task “Last spring was probably the most tiring thing in my life. Like 5:30 a.m. workout

and 8 p.m. practices w ith lacrosse ever yday,” said Assaf.

“But, you know, it’s an honor to play both [sports] here and prep both teams on scout teams and continue to work. It’s cool to do something like that.”

On top of all of his athletic endeavors, Assaf is ver y involved academically. He is working on a major in economics w ith a concentration in financial econ and econometrics. Additionally, he has minors in data science and classical studies. Assaf is not done academically or athletically w ith the Irish. He is returning for a fifth year to pursue a masters in business analy tics w ith a concentration in sports analy tics.

Assaf is also involved in WOPU ( Walk On Players Union). He says that it’s where he met most of his friends. “[WOPU] accepted me right away as soon as that first spring ball practice happened my sophomore spring. It’s just awesome to have that culture inside, that little almost mini team inside the team. Of people who go through ver y similar things as you, [you] can reach out to, talk to,” said Assaf. “Liv ing in the WOPU house for two years is a lot of fun. I got really close w ith a lot of cool seniors last year and liv ing in it again w ith some seniors this year is a lot of fun. Me, [Chase] Ketterer

and [Chris Velotta] Skip are, you know, couldn’t be closer and walk-on running backs together.”

Their closeness proved true when Ketterer notched a tack le against Nav y last year.

“I mean it’s unreal. You literally couldn’t be happier,” said Assaf on his friend’s play. “We all know what we go through during the week, which just about no one else goes through. But, you know,

that first defense and second defense really beat our a** … So, just being able to see someone who goes through the same things as all of us, and someone else being able to thrive in the game, all that pay off, in front of all those fans, and do something really on the real field, it’s awesome.”

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

now, but it’s a lot. It ta kes a lot to go out t here and w in,” Ademilola said.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Grupe Continued from page 5

f ield was a prett y specia l experience.”

Feeling t he love on t hat Saturday night was va luable on quite a few levels for Grupe. He cherishes t hose who have come a long for his magica l ride, and he goes a ll in to return t he favor on and of f t he f ield. Dozens of friends and family members drove up to see Grupe in action for t he Stanford game.

“You do it for t he ones t hat support you, and t he support circle t hat I have is phenomena l,” Grupe said. “It’s cra z y to have a lmost 40 people at a game and people driv ing 9 hours ever y single week to come v isit you.”

A f ter t his season, Grupe plans to keep training and w ill participate in Notre Dame’s Pro Day in March.

Wit h an MBA and undergraduate degree under his belt, Grupe is ready for post-footba ll success as well.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3 @nd.edu

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish senior running back Sam Assaf stands ready on the sidelines at a Notre Dame home game. Sam also plays lacrosse for the Irish.

Please recycle The Observer.

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

CHRIS SMITH

Christian opperman

Opperman walks on from rugby

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

To say Christian Opperman had a unique route to becoming a linebacker for the Notre Dame football team would be an understatement.

Hailing from South Africa, Opperman was a rugby player by trade until he arrived at Notre Dame. Unlike many walk-ons, he didn’t arrive in South Bend with the intention of joining the team.

“At the end of high school I wanted to get an international degree, just to broaden my horizons, get out of my comfort zone,” Opperman said. “I decided to apply to colleges in the U.S. I wanted to do business, and Notre Dame’s Mendoza business school was very highly ranked. So I chose Notre Dame.”

Even after arriving on campus, Opperman’s journey to joining the football team was far from immediate. He stuck with rugby initially, before graduate student linebacker Bo Bauer eventually convinced him to walk onto the football team.

“I played rugby growing up and I played rugby here at Notre Dame,” said Opperman. “Before coming to Notre Dame, playing football was always part of my agenda. But after being at Notre Dame, experiencing the whole football culture, and after making some friends on the team that idea started to grow… Bo [Bauer] was actually a good friend of mine, he said I should do this whole tryout thing, and I kind of just went in to see what would happen. You never know if you don’t try- I tried, and they offered me a spot on the spring roster” The switch from rugby to its Americanized cousin wasn’t as simple as one might imagine. It took some time for Opperman to get a feel for the difference in style of play. Specifically, he had to adjust to football making greater use

13

of specific plays.

“I thought that they were pretty similar,” Opperman said. “But it turns out they’re vastly different.

The only things that are the same thing would be the ball being the same shape and [they’re both] contact sports. But football is a lot more like chess, one play with all these different moving parts, whereas rugby flows more. It was a steep learning curve, having to study the plays, but it was really fun.”

A common theme among many seniors, Opperman highlighted the strength of the locker room culture as one aspect of the program he really enjoyed in his short time with the team.

“How competitive the environment is, it’s really a whole organization where everyone is striving together collectively to become better,” Opperman said. “We have all these catchphrases. The gold standard, competitive spirit, through it not to it. That really starts to become ingrained in who you are. You wake up, you have morning lifts, you don’t have time to complain about it. But you have a whole team going through the same stuff. And when you don’t feel like going, when you get into the weight room and the whole team is there, Balis is there… you gotta go. And it’s awesome. I love being a part of it.”

Oppperman’s experience with the football team was brief, spanning just two semesters so far.

However, he mentioned getting to play in the spring game as a highlight moment of his career.

“That was the first time for me playing in that stadium, actually playing as a linebacker. And I got a few reps in that game, and that’s something I’ll always remember.”

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

Harvard transfer Smith prepares for bigger role

By LIAM COOLICAN Assiociate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Oct. 14.

A year ago, Notre Dame’s defensive line was one of the deepest units on the team.

But after star defensive linemen Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa graduated and junior Aidan Keanaaina suffered an ACL injury in the spring, it became clear the Irish needed reinforcements.

When Notre Dame brought in Chris Smith, a graduate transfer from Harvard, he wasn’t expected to compete for a starting job. That was before Jacob Lacey unexpectedly announced he would be entering the transfer portal.

Now, Smith has been asked to step up and take on a bigger role than he may have originally been expecting.

“The guys here have been great in helping me adjust,” Smith said after practice on Tuesday. “It’s felt like family since I’ve gotten here.”

Against BY U on Oct. 8, w ith senior Howard Cross III also absent due to a high ank le sprain, Smith saw a then season-high-t y ing 28 snaps. That was the second most among Irish defensive linemen, according to Blue and Gold Illustrated. Smith also saw 28 snaps in the season opener against Ohio State but his usage rate declined significantly since then.

“I know ever y guy wants to play ever y single snap, but that obv iously can’t happen, so just doing what we can,” Smith said.

Smith steps up in larger role Alongside sophomore Gabriel Rubio, Smith — who is listed at 6’1 and 310

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish senior linebacker Christian Opperman runs out with the team.

Hailing from South Africa, he played rugby before learning football.

pounds — will be expected to step up and fill the gap left

by Lacey. Lacey’s best game of the season had come recently against Cal, where he racked up five tackles, including two sacks. The recent performance made Lacey’s abrupt departure surprising tomany.

“Anytime that happens, either departure or injury, you always feel badly for the young person that’s experiencing that,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

“But the other guys have an opportunity to step up.

Certainly Gabe (Rubio) and Chris did that, and there’ll be others here as the season moves on.”

Smith was named to the 2021 First Team All-Iv y League team after posting 40 tackles on the year for the Crimson. The Iv y League does not allow graduate students to play, and Smith had a year of eligibility left because the Ivies canceled all sports for the 2020-21 academic year.

He sought a transfer and was initially planning to enroll at Minnesota. But Smith f lipped his commitment to Notre Dame in April after a visit to South Bend. It has turned out to be a wise decision for both Smith and the Irish.

Through five games for the Irish, Smith had seven total tackles, including three solo stops, but his role increased in the absence of Lacey and with Cross continuing to battle an ankle injury. Ten games down now, Smith has 14 tackles, eight of them alone and he has forced a fumble.

Smith isn’t the only Harvard graduate transfer to play an important role for Notre Dame this year. He is joined

by punter Jon Sot, his teammate for three seasons in Cambridge. Sot has been a revelation for Notre Dame this year, averaging nearly 43 net yards per punt.

Defensive line seeks continued improvement As a unit, Notre Dame’s defensive line has played well this year. The Irish have been stout against the run — except in the loss against Marshall. They have held dual-threat quarterbacks CJ Stroud, Drake Maye and Jaren Hall largely in check.

At times, though, they have struggled to get pressure late in games.

“I feel like we’ve been pretty successful so far,” Smith said. “Obviously we’ve still got a lot we can work on, still got a lot we can get better on. We’re not content with where we are. We think we can definitely kick it up another gear.”

Smith said the execution of the defensive line has improved since the start of the year though.

“In the beginning, you get a lot thrown at you, and then now, ... [we’re] getting more adjusted to the roles we’ve been playing.”

Notre Dame’s defensive line has already been critical to the team’s performance in the second half of the season and w ill continue to be in the last t wo regular season games. Smith w ill likely continue to play a key part in the unit moving for ward.

“You tr y to get better each day, I think [that] is our goal,” Smith said. “We’re still not done, and being our best product.”

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish graduate student defensive lineman Chris Smith sets his sights on the football during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over Clemson. Smith has tallied 14 tackles and 0.5 a tackle for loss this season.

14

Insider

The observer | friday, November 18, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

greg mailey

Mailey’s path sparked by a Brady Quinn high five

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

In 2006, Greg Mailey’s father brought him to campus for his first Notre Dame football game. During the player’s walk that fall in South Bend, Irish starting quarterback Brady Quinn high-fived Mailey, unknowingly setting Mailey on course to be a future walk-on for the team.

“I fell in love with it, the campus and everything,” Mailey said of that visit 16 years ago.

“I was a Notre Dame fan growing up, my whole life and I wanted nothing more than to play football at Notre Dame,” he added.

Even so, it was not a straightforward path for Mailey who received offers from FCS schools and even a preferred walk-on spot at Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State.

“Ultimately, I got a preferred walk-on opportunity here [at Notre Dame]. It was

a no-brainer and I’m so glad I did it,” Mailey said.

Five years later and his experience lets him take a wider view of the program and the reasons he’s so happy with his decision all that time ago.

“W hat stands out about Notre Dame is that people are genuine and they want to see you succeed,” he said.

“And not just for the team, they want you to succeed as a person and that’s what’s so special about this place and this program.”

This is Mailey’s last semester on campus. After the season is over, he will wrap up the fall semester then move to Chicago for a consulting job. With a looming conclusion to his time at Notre Dame, Mailey had a chance to look back on some of his fondest memories from college.

“Both those wins versus Clemson are something I’ll hold on to for a long time, especially the one in 2020 when

it was No.1 vs. No. 4. With everything else going on, getting COV ID tested and just trying to survive the week, to make it to the game and then going on to beat them and have everyone storm the field was pretty special,” he said.

As he enters his final games as a college football player, Mailey offered perspective on the lifelong bonds that he has built with his Irish teammates.

“Never again will you walk into a locker room with a hundred of your closest friends that you consider family and work toward one goal,” Mailey said. “It’s special and once you realize that, you start to make the days count that much more because when you take that gold helmet off, it comes off forever, but the relationships and the bonds built over the years don’t.”

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish graduate student wide receiver Greg Mailey carries the ball during warm ups at Notre Dame’s 41-24 win over Syracuse on Oct. 29.

JARRETT PATTERSON

‘I still love what I do’: Patterson provides leadership amidst adversity

By M ADELINE L ADD Spor ts Writer

In a public display of anger and frustration, fifth-year senior offensive lineman and captain Jarrett Patterson stormed off the field after the clock hit zero in Notre Dame’s devastating 26-21 loss to Marshall last month. Patterson had a rough game at left guard,

only adding to his turmoil. Ripping off his jersey and hav ing to be forcibly pulled back for the alma mater seemed inappropriate to many Irish fans — especially for a captain.

Nevertheless, as time has passed, Patterson has taken it as a learning situation and described the emotions he felt that day.

“It’s a combination of

seeing the disappointment on those guys’ faces after seeing how hard they work, Patterson said. “And then indiv idually for me, just all the rehab I’ve had to go to since March and had to push through and get to the point where I could play.”

Patterson’s histor y makes it clear why he got especially emotional. He postponed NFL plans to return to Notre

The Observer File Photo

Irish graduate student offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson stands ready at the line of scrimmage, as his teammates get set during Notre Dame’s 32-29 win over Toledo on Sept. 11 in Notre Dame Stadium.

Dame for a final season. But he suffered from a torn pectoral muscle in the spring causing him to miss the Ohio State game. Coming back for a frustrating Marshall loss was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Nevertheless, Patterson continues to remember why he plays the game.

“A big reason why I came back is because of the guys in that locker room,” Patterson said. “I love playing next to them, I love our coaches and ever y thing about that place. At the end of the day no matter what I’ve gone through, I still love what I do.”

As the leader of a young but talented offensive line, Patterson was pleased with their performance at UNC. Moving from center to guard this season caused Patterson to switch gears, but he has focused on building continuity. The chemistry seen in that game gave hope to the team, especially in establishing the run game. There was much that the offensive line did well against the Tar Heels, yet Patterson also stresses the importance of focusing on the mistakes.

“It is exciting to see all the hard work pay off,” Patterson

said. “But we all agreed, we can never be satisfied w ith our performance. You can’t let w inning mask the mistakes you made during the game. W hen you lose, those mistakes are bright spots.

W hen you w in, it kind of gets hidden.”

According to Patterson, the Irish’s bye week has helped them w ith their indiv idual critiques.

The team has spent extra time at practice focusing on technique and what w ill allow them to stand up to a competitive opponent in 16thranked BY U this weekend.

The Irish are ready for Vegas and ready to w rite the stor y of the rest of this season.

“If we take care of business the way we are supposed to, most people are going to forget what happened in the beginning of the season,” Patterson said.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking on Patterson’s part, but only time will tell. This weekend’s Vegas matchup will be the litmus test for the Irish and how they have been able to handle a tough beginning of the season — both physically and emotionally.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 18, 2022 | The Observer

Liufau

BRADEN LENZY

Lenzy weathers change in up-and-down career

By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer

Braden Lenzy has seen many changes throughout his career at Notre Dame.

From a change in offensive coordinator, to his own role in the offense and eventually a head coaching change, not much remains the same as it did when he first arrived on campus in 2018.

Initially, his role in the offense was a combination of receiver and running back.

After redshirting his freshman year, Lenzy emerged onto the scene as a sophomore, hauling in 11 passes for 254 yards and a pair of scores, while adding 200 yards and another two touchdowns on the ground.

“I’ve been used in a lot of ways,” Lenzy said. “When you’re in college, whatever the pieces are that year, the coach comes up with a game plan that best helps the team, and my role is what it is right now, and I’m just doing whatever I can to help the team win. It’s been a lot of fun.”

More recently, his role has shifted towards being a full-time wide receiver. As a senior in 2021, he hauled in 32 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Many expected him to build on that breakout performance this

year, but his performance has tapered off slightly. He did, however, make an incredible touchdown catch in last weekend’s win over Navy which helped spark an Irish victory.

Lenzy arrived in South Bend as a highly touted prospect. He was a four-star recruit out of Portland, Oregon, choosing the Irish over schools like Oregon, USC and Michigan State.

“Recruitment was very [stressful], very much a hassle. I’m glad I never have to go through it again,” Lenzy said. “If I could do it all over again, I’d for sure choose Notre Dame, [it’s] been a great help both on and off the field. I’ve met the best people in my life and really started my adult life here.”

One of the most abrupt transitions of Lenzy’s career was Brian Kelly’s sudden departure for LSU at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

New head coach Marcus Freeman was able to retain most of Kelly’s former assistants, including director of football performance Matt Balis, which Lenzy said contributed to a sense of continuity.

“The level of work is set by him, he sets the standard for everyone,” Lenzy said of Balis. “Bringing him back, it

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Graduate student wide receiver Braden Lenzy catches a pass for a touchdown. Lenzy had 67 yards in the 35-32 Irish win against Navy.

still felt like Notre Dame.”

Lenzy was a part of two College Football Playoff teams, watching from the sidelines as Notre Dame rattled off an undefeated season in 2018 before they again were selected to the Playoff in 2020. This year, though, was not what Irish fans were expecting.

“We’ve had the winning formula for a long time, a lot of us have won a lot of games,” Lenzy said. “Quite honestly, you just have to take it on the chin. I think Irish fans as a whole have been very privileged for us to win those tight games when it does happen.”

September’s loss against Marshall was only the second home loss of Lenzy’s career, and the first loss against an unranked opponent. Notre Dame followed it up by once again losing to a double digit underdog, this time to Stanford.

“We’ve had these mistakes and we were able to correct them, and this time we weren’t,” Lenzy said. “But now we’ve seen it, we’ve addressed it… just kind of stepping up and going through those bumps of an in-season grind.”

Yet the Irish were able to turn the season around, and now they sit at 7-3 with two games to go. Lenzy credited continual growth for the Irish’s second half turnaround this year: “You could really see a lot of the coaches, a lot of the players, while in the offseason, but also very much so during the season, have grown on and off the field.”

Notre Dame has welcomed plenty of new talent into the wide receiver room in recent years, notably sophomore Lorenzo Styles and freshman Tobias Merriweather.

Lenzy sees himself as a mentor for that group of younger players.

“Every year you have different tasks,” he said. “Right now, my biggest task is being a leader for the young dudes in the receiver room.”

Lenzy was able to learn from receivers such as Chase Claypool, Miles Boykin and Chris Finke when he arrived as a freshman. Now, Lenzy hopes he can fill that same role.

“It’s a very full circle moment,” Lenzy said. “I remember being younger and looking up to some of the old dudes. I hope they look up to me the same way.”

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

Continued from page 16

and Liufau played a major role. With three tack les on the day, the crow ning jewel in his Saturday afternoon came during the third quarter when he snagged an interception.

“It was awesome,” Liufau said. “It was my first one so it was really exciting and it was a good point in the game as well. Any thing that helps your team makes you feel good.”

The pass from Sy racuse backup quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was tipped by junior defensive lineman Howard Cross. Liufau dove for ward to make the catch once the ball was off course.

The second Liufau came off the field he said he was thanking Cross.

“I don’t think I would’ve gotten it w ithout the batted ball,” he said.

Liufau also said he knew how important any interception could be so it was exciting to be the one to reel one in.

“It’s a big change of momentum really. It gets ever yone going, gets ever yone’s hopes high and gives ever yone energ y,” he said.

Liufau and the Irish got a big w in at Sy racuse, but they knew they needed to carr y that energ y into the next weekend they prepared to take on Clemson.

“It was a great feeling to w in away but we know this week is a new week,” Liufau said ahead of that Clemson matchup. “We emphasized that early on and we know that we have to earn a w in on Saturday by our hard work in practice this week.”

In terms of taking on the higher-ranked opponent

15

though, Liufau said the preparation remains the same.

“It’s always attack ever ything full speed and work our game plan,” he said.

“Ever y opponent we respect.

We prepare the same way for ever yone. There’s always a high urgency around here ever y week.”

After missing a year, Liufau embraced the opportunit y to play in big moments. Echoing sentiments from Freeman, he said “this is what you come to Notre Dame for” — to play in games like the Clemson one.

Despite facing major challenges like the Clemson offense and other difficult attacks, the linebacker said he isn’t too worried though, he trusts the defense to step up to the plate behind one mantra.

“Relentless. We like to pride ourselves on being relentless and attacking w ithout stopping,” he said. “I think we’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the season and I’m really proud of the way we work ever y day.”

That mentalit y led to a stif ling effort in that Clemson game, shutting out the Tigers for three quarters.

As much as he is leading that relentless charge, Liufau said he is learning from the rest of the linebacker corps as well and rely ing on their continued communication both in-game and at practice.

“Going out there and doing what you’ve got to do even when you don’t feel like it is the main thing they’ve taught me,” he said. “[We’re] just working hard ever y day.”

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Marist Liufau breaks through the Ohio State offensive line trying to get to C.J. Stroud during the season opener.

16

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18,2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

MARIST LIUFAU

‘This is what you come to Notre Dame for’: Liufau ready to take on Clemson

By M ANNION McGINLEY Assista nt Ma nag ing Editor

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Marist Liufau goes after the ball carrier during Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series matchup against BYU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The Irish beat the Cougars 28-20 on Oct. 8.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Nov. 4.

In summer of 2021, no one could get enough of thenjunior linebacker Marist Liufau. He had f lashes of success in camp, became the talk of the tow n and was seemingly unblockable.

Then, his season ended before it could start. Liufau suffered a broken ank le midway through camp, ultimately keeping him from a season’s worth of play.

“I missed running around w ith my teammates,” he said. “I missed being out there w ith them. I felt not as involved because I couldn’t practice and play but I missed the people too.”

Now a senior, Liufau is back in full sw ing and racking up tack les left and right while stepping up as a leader for the defense. He’s third on the team w ith 42 tack les.

To start the season, Liufau eased back into football. He took about half the reps for

each appearance but slowly worked his way back up through camp. In his time off the field, Liufau said he began to study the game a lot more and it put things back into perspective for him.

“Things can be taken away from you in an instant so being out here ever y day — I am just grateful to be out here ever y day I can,” Liufau said.

Out on the field now, Liufau has reclaimed what would have been his starting opportunit y last year w ithin the linebacker corps. A long w ith his 42 tack les, Liufau has notched 3.5 tack les for loss. Additionally, he’s assumed a role as an extra pass rusher. During Notre Dame’s confrontation w ith UNC, he brought enough pressure to force a sack. On Oct. 29, though, Liufau broke into the top tier of defensive statistics.

Against Sy racuse, the Irish defense dominated see LIUFAU PAGE 15

jayson ademilola

‘For the Brotherhood’: Jayson Ademilola steps up when teammates need him most

By NATE MOLLER Senior Sports Writer

Graduate student defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola has been a huge part of t he Irish defense t he last t wo seasons, and he has found ways to ma ke big plays at t he most important of times t his season.

So far t his season, Ademilola has been key to t he Irish defense, tota ling 24 tota l tack les, si x solo tackles, t hree tack les for loss and 2.5 sacks.

A rg uably t he biggest moment for Ademilola came in Las Vegas against BY U. Wit h t he Cougars driv ing late in t he game, Ademilola came up w it h a big stop on a key fourt h-and-one w it h t he Irish up by eight points.

Head coach Marcus Freeman praised Ademilola for his timely stop af ter t he w in against BY U. “At t he biggest moments,

he shows up,” Freeman said.

“He’s going to ma ke sure he ma kes a play.”

Jayson’s t w in brot her, Justin, commented on Jayson’s stop after t he game. “[Jayson] was rea lly excited. I t hink I got t he stop before on t he t hird dow n, and t hen I said ‘Jay, go get it right now. Let’s w in it.’ A nd he did just t hat,” Ademilola said.

Justin a lso ta lked about how his brot her w rites FTB, which stands for ‘For t he Brot herhood,’ on his body before ever y game.

“Jayson is a ver y emotiona l g uy and ever y game he puts FTB on his w rist, arm and a ll over his body.

A nd when it’s time to go get it for t he brot herhood, he’s going to get it and get it done for t he brot herhood,” Ademilola said.

A f ter practice t his week, Jayson commented on how t he lead up to senior day has been and what it

means to his family to have bot h t w ins on t he f ield Saturday.

“It’s been great. I am so happy for my family,” Ademilola said. “They are coming out here for t he last time for t he last home game. I ta lked to my parents and Justin t his morning, and t hey are super excited to capture t he whole moment.”

A nd in terms of how meaning f ul t his f ina l trip w ill be for t hem, Ademilola said, “It’s going to be great.

It’s going to be a great experience for my family. Justin and I are excited for t he moment, but I k now t hat [my family] are probably going to have even bigger smiles on t heir face k now ing t hat we made it t his far. It’s going to be a great moment for my family.”

The Ademilola family w ill be celebrating t heir sons

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

see ADEMILOLA PAGE 12

Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola denies the Clemson offense a first down during ND’s 35-14 Nov. 5 Tiger taming.