Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, Nov. 17, 2023

IRISH INSIDER IRISH TO THE END

SENIORS SUIT UP FOR FINAL HOME GAME AFTER ENDURING HISTORIC TRANSITIONS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA SAYUT | PHOTOS BY SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI

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JACK KISER

THOMAS HARPER

Kiser looks to elevate Irish linebackers to new heights

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Sept. 1.

Notre Dame’s 2023 season got off to a flying start with a dominant 42-3 win over Navy in Dublin. Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman and the offense earned most of the headlines with a nearly flawless performance. While the defense didn’t draw the lion’s share of the attention afterwards, they were just as dominant.

An Irish group with several question marks and newcomers, particularly at the defensive line and secondary, pitched a de facto shutout. The Midshipmen managed a mere pity field goal in the waning moments of the fourth quarter when there was no longer any doubt in the outcome.

There were several standouts for the Irish in Dublin, as one would expect. As usual, graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser was in the middle of the action all game. The fifth-year Royal Center, Indiana, native led the Irish with eight tackles and a QB hit. He also nearly recovered a fumble forced by fellow graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau, but his foot was just barely out of bounds.

“It’s one of those things you learn from,” Kiser said about the near recovery. “Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back on film there’s a lot of Notre Dame football players around, so maybe next time I bat that in and let someone else get that ball.”

It’s a sentiment symbolic of the trust Kiser and this Irish defense have in each other. The linebacker corps returns all three starters and brings over 100 combined games of college experience. Though the secondary also returns three starters and features a preseason All-American, linebacker is the defense’s most important position group. They are already the

heart of the defense, but that effect applies to the Irish to an even greater degree. It’s an experienced and talented group that put it all together in Dublin to quiet Navy’s unorthodox triple option.

“The communication on defense was great,” Kiser said. “Any time you get everybody on the same page you’re going to be able to play fast and be able to play at a high level. I think we did that on Saturday.”

That leadership is important both on and off the field. The Irish flew back to South Bend on Sunday with their sights firmly set on the Tennessee State Tigers who come to town as the first FCS opponent the Irish have ever played. Notre Dame’s veteran leadership has no plans to replicate last year’s week 2 buy-game upset against Marshall.

The team is looking forward to hosting an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Kiser said.

“It’s a big deal. Notre Dame has never played a team like [Tennessee State],” Kiser said.

“We’re really excited to get them to Notre Dame Stadium.”

Even in the midst of the historic matchup, defensive coordinator Al Golden talked about the challenge of preparing to play a team they’ve never seen before.

“We have to keep our eyes on the challenge,” Golden said when asked about the unique matchup. “[They have] two talented quarterbacks, three running backs, a really big-time wideout…that’s where our focus is.”

Head coach Marcus Freeman praised the linebackers’ performance against the Midshipmen last weekend. He mentioned Liufau’s forced fumble and a concerted effort to create turnovers.

That stands in stark contrast to last season, when Notre Dame didn’t generate a turnover in its first three games. The unit generated two fumbles against Navy, although the Irish failed to recover

one.

“You can see defensive guys being aware of the football, trying to get it out,” Freeman said. “Credit to them, the turnovers and takeaways will come as long as we are constantly aware of where the ball is.”

Tennessee State’s offense marks a big adjustment for Kiser and the Notre Dame defense after months of preparation focused on denying Navy’s triple option rushing attack. The Tigers’ passing attack is far from elite. But Notre Dame will still have to transition from a game that saw them defend just seven pass attempts. Despite the adjustment, Freeman foresees a seamless transition for Golden’s unit.

Freeman pointed to preparation as a source of confidence in the defense, explaining that the first-team offense and defense practice against each other. The two sides practice “good on good,” meaning the starters get plenty of reps against a “normal” offense in the lead-up to Navy. Regardless, the coaching staff wants to keep it simple ahead of Tennessee State’s visit and focus on “letting great players play great,” Freeman said.

“I think the adjustment from [Navy] to now won’t be a big one,” Freeman said. “The thing is, we have to be smart about our preparation. You can’t go from the Navy gameplan to a gameplan this week that is super complicated.”

Kiser said he too sees Saturday as a chance for the defense to get back to the system they’re comfortable with: the system they’ve practiced all year and the system they’re counting on to lead them to great heights this season — Kiser’s final one at Notre Dame.

“Schematically it’s a lot different,” Kiser said. “You have to adjust, but we practice this a lot more than the option so it’s a bit easier to go back to it.”

Harper makes most of ND time

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

After four seasons at Oklahoma State that saw him compile 93 tackles and a pair of interceptions, safety Thomas Harper decided that the time was right for a change.

“It was a mixture of things. I think it was kind of just learning from some new coaches, trying to learn new things and add different things to my toolbox. I think it was the schedule — I wanted to just showcase my ability versus different opponents,” Harper said about his reasoning for transferring to Notre Dame as a graduate student. “Mostly just new scenery and just learning new things.”

Since arriving in South Bend in the spring, Harper has slotted into the Notre Dame secondary perfectly, playing a key role for an elite unit that has seemingly gotten better with every game.

“It’s been great. I think we have one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the nation -secondaries as well,” Harper said about playing alongside the other Irish defensive backs.

“Everybody kind of has their own playstyle and we have a lot of vets on the defense, so being able to learn from Cam [Hart], learn from DJ [Brown], learn from X [Xavier Watts].

Even people younger than me, learn from B-Mo [Benjamin Morrison]. Just learning from everybody and kind of bouncing ideas off each other has been great.”

Harper contributed to the Irish holding their first two opponents — Navy and Tennessee State — to a combined 6 points

before breaking out over the ensuing two weeks. He recorded a season-high 7 tackles and broke up 2 passes on the road against NC State and added a sack and forced fumble in his following outing against Central Michigan. That run of strong play has continued as he’s gotten more comfortable with the Irish defense over the course of the season.

“It was kind of smooth,” Harper said about his transition to Notre Dame. “I came here to learn new things and I feel like, throughout the season, I’ve just been learning and learning. And if I made a mistake, I made sure not to make it again. Everything’s a learning experience, so I feel like I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot.”

Harper’s role among Notre Dame’s defensive backs this season has been a unique one.

While he’s still relatively new to the Irish, he’s also one of the most experienced players on the defense. He wasted no time in establishing himself as a leader for the unit’s talented young players, focusing on setting a positive example every time he stepped on the field in practice and during games.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys,” Harper said about the Irish defense. “They look up to me, I know that. I know that I have influence, so [I’m] just making sure I do everything the right way -- making sure that whenever I’m out there, I’m communicating. That’s a big thing that I’ve been trying to do a lot lately, just communicate and be more vocal.” see HARPER PAGE 3

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

CHANCELOR GORDON | The Observer Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser during Notre Dame’s season-opener game in Dublin, Ireland.

Irish graduate student Thomas Harper transferred to ND this year after four seasons at Oklahoma State, where he saw 93 tackles.

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BRYAN DOWD

‘I just had to do it’: Notre Dame soccer star Dowd takes opportunity to play football

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor

When you think of Bryan Dowd, you probably imagine him standing between the goalposts in a long-sleeved shirt and gloves like he has for three years as the starting goalkeeper for Notre Dame men’s soccer.

This Saturday, he’ll be wearing a different uniform as he suits up for his final home game as a reserve punter on Notre Dame’s football team. Dowd had never played football before his freshman year of high school. Now he’s running out of the tunnel for one of the most historic teams in all of college football.

“It was talked about a bit before … when I was in high school,” Dowd said about joining the Irish football team.

“When Brian Mason took over as special teams coordinator,

he reached out to me and that’s how all this started.”

Dowd eagerly embraced the opportunity.

“My desire to do it came from just wanting to do whatever I can for this University,” Dowd said. “When the opportunity presented itself, to help out the school on the football team, I jumped at the opportunity, and I just had to do it.”

Despite his two-sport status, Dowd’s athletic legacy at Notre Dame is undoubtedly on the soccer pitch. This season, he’s again been the anchor at the back of a formidable Irish men’s soccer team. In his career, he’s made 58 appearances for the soccer team while spending three seasons as the team’s starting goalie.

Two years ago, he kept six consecutive postseason clean sheets as part of the team’s run to an ACC Tournament title and

a College Cup semifinal appearance. This season, he was named ACC Goalkeeper of the Year for the No. 4-ranked Irish.

Dowd has strived to deliver the same mentality of success to the football team, as he splits time between both sports.

“Those championship mindsets and championship habits on the soccer field, I think carries over into the specialists’ room and the football team as a whole,” Dowd said. “I just try to take as much as I can over into the Gug [Guglielmino Athletics Complex].”

Dowd’s soccer commitments mean he can only make it to football practice when the Irish soccer team has an off day. Even with the limited practice time, Dowd said he has felt supported by his football teammates even when he’s on the soccer pitch.

“The football family has embraced me, and all those

brothers are always there supporting me, whether they can attend a game or they’re watching on their own, texting me after, congratulating me, stuff like that,” Dowd said. “It’s very close-knit community, and I really value the support that each one of those guys has given me.”

Despite not taking a snap in his two years on the team, Dowd has had the chance to suit up for the team’s home games and even went to the Gator Bowl last year. He said the walk into the stadium is his fondest memory of being on the team.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” he said.

Dowd said he’s excited for his final walk into Notre Dame Stadium with the team on Saturday for Senior Day against the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons. But even when chatting about football, his mind wanders to his soccer game the

following day.

“I’m feeling good,” Dowd said about his final home football game. “The guys look really strong, and I’m excited to support them and play my part, excited to get a win on Saturday and hopefully win on Sunday, too.”

He mentions Sunday because of Notre Dame soccer’s upcoming NCAA Tournament opener at home that evening. The Irish received a No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face Kentucky.

Dowd is hoping the Irish make a deep run in the tournament, but a part of him is also cognizant of the future. After four seasons of high-level play for Notre Dame soccer, he said he is currently leaning toward entering the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, slated to take place Dec. 19..

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

AIDAN KEANAAINA

Keanaaina makes the most of every situation

By DANNY NERI Senior Spor ts Writer

Courtesy of ND Athletics

In addition to his soccer prowess, Irish senior reserve punter Bryan Dowd embraced the opportunity to be part of the ND football team.

Harper CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The Irish have taken part in several memorable games this season, and Harper described the USC game as his favorite moment at Notre Dame. Playing in a rivalry game under the lights, the Irish dominated all phases en route to a 48-20 victory. Harper finished with 3 tackles and a critical fourth-quarter sack but was even happier to see his teammates rise to the occasion on the biggest stage.

“The defense played so good -- every unit played good,” he said. “Just to see all that hard work pay off, and just seeing everybody excited and to execute

the way we did, it was probably my most exciting moment here.”

Notre Dame’s season has been something of a roller coaster, but that hasn’t changed the Irish’s mentality as they head into their final home game. Harper came to South Bend to grow as a player and leader, and to help his team win games. He’ll continue pushing toward those goals in the closing stretch of the season.

“Just trying to stay focused,” Harper said about his mindset.

“We obviously didn’t expect to be in this situation at the beginning of the year, but we’re here, so [we’re] kind of just making the most of it.”

Contact Jon-David Regis at jregis@nd.edu

Senior defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina has spent all four years of his college career w ith the Irish. Over the course of those years, Keanaaina has appeared in nine games and tallied 9 tack les. The Brighton, Colo., native answered simply when asked about his decision to attend Notre Dame.

“The people are what brought me here,” he said.

Keanaaina said he appreciates the t y pe of person who attends Notre Dame and he desires to be around indiv iduals who are “always competing to be the best and have the same mindset as I do.”

Speaking about his experiences at Notre Dame and how he has grow n as a person and a player, Keanaaina said he has grow n through each of the different challenges he has faced during his time in South Bend.

“You start finding new motivations and new ‘whys,’” he said. One of the situations that Keanaaina said was crucial to learning how to overcome obstaces was play ing under three different defensive coordinators in four years and hav ing to constantly adjust to new

coaching and philosophies.

W hile admitting that it was a challenge, he believes it only made him a better player. “[They’re] ver y different systems, but they all help build some portion of your toolbelt,” Keanaaina said.

W hile there have been challenges, there have also been plent y of good moments. Some of Keanaaina’s most memorable moments in his career came both at the ver y beginning and ver y end. He remembers lining

up against the first-teamers in practice his freshman year and realizing that college football was the real deal. He also remembers lining up against new freshmen his senior year and realizing how far he has come from being that same w ideeyed newcomer only four years ago.

Before he runs out of the tunnel for potentially one last time at Notre Dame see KEANAAINA PAGE 4

Courtesy of ND Athletics

After spending four years with the Irish, senior defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina has tallied nine tackles in nine game appearances.

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Keanaaina

SPENCER SHRADER

There’s no moment — or kick — too big for Spencer Shrader

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Irish graduate student kicker Spencer Shrader made each kick count.

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Sept. 22.

Fourth-and-10 at the opposing 41-yard line could be described as “no man’s land” for an offense.

Your first thought might be to punt and try to pin your opponent near its own goal line. Or maybe you go for it, counting on your defense to step up if you come up short.

Not many college teams would consider trotting out their kicker to attempt a 59-yard field goal. But that’s exactly what Notre Dame did last weekend against Central Michigan.

Graduate student Spencer Shrader has only been on campus for a few months, yet he might just be the most trusted player on the Irish football team.

Shrader and first-year special teams coordinator Marty Biagi both arrived in South Bend during the summer. One of the first items on Biagi’s to-do list was determining what kind of range his new kicker possessed.

“We always start close up,” Biagi

said about evaluating kickers. “We work backward to see where his comfort zone is.”

Apparently, they didn’t stop moving back for quite some time.

Through the first four games of the season, Shrader has received the type of green light on long field goal attempts that is typically reserved for NFL kickers.

“We don’t sit there and try and put a specific number on it, but he’s perfectly capable [of making long field goals],” Biagi said. “He’s kicked all the way back to 60, 65 yards, even a little further.”

No athlete is ever really a finished product, especially at the college level. But for Shrader, who arrived at Notre Dame having already made 28 career field goals as a multi-year starter at USF, opportunities for growth are more subtle than they might be for an 18-yearold freshman.

“I think the main thing is the mentality,” Shrader said about how he’s improved during his time with the Irish. “Really, there’s no specific technique or form that’s necessarily going to help you have

that distance. It’s just having the confidence in yourself that you can go out and execute a kick from 59 yards the same as you would do an extra point.”

The 59-yard attempt was ultimately no good, and Shrader’s current stat line — three-for-six on field goal attempts — sounds closer to average than elite. But while numbers don’t lie, they can mislead. And a deeper dive is needed to tell the full story of his performance this season.

All three of Shrader’s misses have come from over 40 yards.

Two of them, the 59-yarder and a 56-yard attempt against NC State that bounced off the left upright, missed from well beyond that mark.

His makes have also come with a high degree of difficulty. Shrader connected from 50 yards later in the game against Central Michigan.

Most notably, he drilled a 54-yarder in wet conditions against the Wolfpack that gave him the longest field goal in Notre Dame history.

Even in a short time, Shrader has developed strong bonds with his new teammates. That off-the-field connection is a big part of what has made his transition to Notre Dame so seamless. And it’s what made his record-breaking kick that much sweeter.

“That was a really cool moment.

[I’m] very, very blessed to have the privilege of having a record like that at such a prestigious university,” he said. “But the thing that meant the most to me was my teammates’ support and their reaction when [head] Coach [Marcus] Freeman announced it in front of the team.

That made it more special. The individual achievement is great, but it’s doing something for the team and for the guys around me.”

So what actually goes into Shrader’s new and improved mentality? What gives his coaches and teammates complete confidence in his ability to put the ball between the uprights every time he steps on the field, even from more

Correll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Wearing number 52, Irish graduate offensive lineman Zeke Correll started every game this year. Correll played with the Irish for 5 years.

feeling after that game especially was really awesome.”

Under his third offensive line coach in as many years, Correll has again started every game for the Irish this season. While Harry Hiestand optimized his preparation last year, first-year man Joe Rudolph has further developed his cerebral and technical capabilities in 2023. Working under the tutelage of so many different individuals can pose a career challenge with the disappearance of continuity. But even as coaches change, Correll understands that the important things always stay the same.

“Each coach has their own

than 50 yards away?

It starts with treating every kick equally, as best he can.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was aware of the distance — I am,” Shrader said. “But my approach, my mentality, is pretty much the exact same.”

He then eliminates the high stakes from his mind, instead focusing on repeating the same mechanics he’s been fine-tuning for years.

“I try to stay as focused as I can and just treat each individual kick for what it’s worth.

You feel the environment, but it’s almost like a haze around you.

And so it’s hard to imagine that each individual fan is a person that either wants you to succeed or wants you to fail,” he said. “You kind of just block it out and get as much into a mindset of perfect execution as you can.”

Finally, he feeds off the aforementioned energy from his teammates, letting their trust in him fuel his own self-belief.

“My mindset and my work ethic have shifted a little bit because I love being part of this team so much. I love my teammates so much that I think about working hard for them,” Shrader said. “I couldn’t care less about what’s next for me.

I’m only focused on the moment.

I just love competing with these guys, and I want to work hard for these guys. And so that’s the coolest part about it.”

If Saturday’s showdown with No. 6 Ohio State comes down to a late kick with everything on the line (as big games often do), Irish fans can be confident in Shrader’s ability to stay calm and rise to the occasion. After all, his teammates and coaches certainly are.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit nervewracking, and it’s a big game. But at the end of the day, it’s just such a blessing to be here,” Shrader said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Stadium, Keanaaina said he expects to feel all the long-lasting memories he has made at Notre Dame.

He expects those to be at the forefront of his mind as he takes the field for the last time. Though his career may be w inding dow n, he said he’ll carr y those memories w ith him after his career.

Senior Day is always a difficult one for those players who must say goodbye to their alma mater, and Keanaaina summed up those bittersweet emotions perfectly.

“It’s going to be different, it’s going to be hard and emotional, but it’s something that I’m excited for,” he said.

After what w ill undoubtedly be an emotional day on Saturday, Keanaaina w ill turn his gaze toward the future. He hopes to work in the healthcare industr y, specifically hospital administration, and plans to attend graduate school to pursue his master’s in healthcare administration.

ContactDanny Neri at dneri@nd.edu

Baptiste CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

coaching philosophy, coaching style. But one thing that will never change is Notre Dame,” Correll said. “You commit to a school not for a coach. You commit to a school for the place and the people that surround it, and it’s been nothing but a blessing for me. Just being able to work with all these great people and all these awesome football minds, it’s been an honor.”

The former Knott Hall resident hopes to follow his Notre Dame career by playing in the NFL for as long as he can. After that, he eyes coaching or going into the gaming-specific marketing field with his economics degree.

Trojans. Jean-Baptiste recalled the energy that night was an exciting moment for him and the team.

“That performance and that night…it was a great night,” he said. “I mean, we just emphasized starting fast and getting after [Caleb Williams] and then by us doing that it just allowed us the opportunity for plays to be made.

And that’s for us to come together as a defense and to just share that energy that one person created and it just became infectious. So it was good.”

Looking ahead, football is still the answer for JeanBaptiste. As this is his last year of eligibility, he will turn his eyes towards professional ball and prepare for the NFL Draft come the spring.

“I’m gonna, after the season, go prepare for the League and go train somewhere and Combine prep and stuff like that,” he said.

“But aside from football, I really haven’t given it too much for thought yet. Still got a lot of time to think about that.”

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@ nd.edu

Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

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SAM ASSAF

Two sport walk-on Assaf reflects on athletics, academic workload

By THOMAS ZWILLER Senior Sports Writer

This season, freshman wide receiver Jordan Faison emerged as one of the team’s breakout players and was constantly introduced as a lacrosse player who walked onto the football team. And Faison has absolutely earned the attention he has received. He has stepped up in big moments, like when he answered the bell against Louisville with a 36-yard touchdown reception.

But Faison’s path is by no means a unique one. Graduate student running back Sam Assaf walked onto the football team at the suggestion of his older brother, Mick. Sam had only one thought: “Why not?”

The decision was an easy one for Assaf. After he spent a year and a half playing lacrosse at Amherst College in Massachusetts, he transferred to Notre Dame. He spent his sophomore spring semester training for lacrosse tryouts in the fall, but the solo routine felt isolating, especially during COVID-19.

Assaf remembers thinking how much he wanted to be a part of a team again for the unique sense of camaraderie.

“I am so lonely. I just want to be on a team, competing,

practicing,” he said. “The team is just so special, being a part of a team.”

Thanks to his excellent conditioning as a lacrosse player — Assaf plays defense — Assaf made it onto the football team as a running back, a position he had never played before in his life.

“I never played running back before in my life,” he said. “Like the first spring ball practice, [I] got kicked out of run tracks, which is like quarterback-running back handoffs, by Tommy Rees because I didn’t know how to take a handoff.”

Assaf continued playing on the football and lacrosse teams while balancing a full academic course load. During his undergraduate years, he studied economics with a concentration in financial economics and econometrics while minoring in data science and classical studies. He finished with a 3.998 GPA. Now, as a graduate student, he is studying data analytics with a concentration in sports analytics at the Mendoza College of Business. The entire experience, from the classroom to student life to, of course, athletics, has been better than Assaf could have imagined.

“I couldn’t have even have dreamt of all this,” he said.

“Sometimes I’ll be laying in bed

or whatever just thinking about it, like, how the heck is this real. Practicing on Notre Dame football, playing lacrosse. It’s unbelievable.”

In his time at Notre Dame, a few special moments stand out to Assaf: winning the lacrosse national championship last year, gaining a first down against Central Michigan this season and earning Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year last season.

Assaf said the coaching staffs of each team have been incredibly accommodating to his schedule, allowing him to participate with both teams in the spring.

“In the fall, I don’t do any lacrosse. But typically, in the spring, I’m doing all football lifts and anywhere from one to three football practices a week.

And then, lacrosse every afternoon. The spring can get really exhausting,” he said.

Assaf doesn’t have any concrete plans as of right now; those will come later, after the lacrosse season. But whatever he does end up doing, odds are high it will involve a sport he played at Notre Dame.

“I want to do sports analytics, likely in football, but some sort of sports analytics.”

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

Irish graduate student running back Sam Assaf is also on the lacrosse team, managing to finish his undergraduate years with a 3.998 GPA.

CHASE KETTERER

Ketterer’s versatility helped Irish execute

By JAKE MILLER Senior Sports Writer

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish senior running back Chase Ketterer grew up about 30 minutes away from Notre Dame and signed as a preferred walk-on in 2020.

For Chase Ketterer, Saturday’s game against Wake Forest represents a fitting conclusion to the Indiana native’s football career.

Ketterer, a senior running back who also contributes to the scout team, grew up in La Porte, Indiana, only about 30 minutes away from Notre Dame. Ketterer had a standout high school career, rushing for over 5,400 yards and throwing for over 1,400.

“For me, it’s always kind of been a dream to come here,” Ketterer said. “So when I got the opportunity, I just took it.”

Ketterer signed with Notre Dame as a preferred walk-on, practicing with the team upon his arrival in 2020. His time in the football program has been an up-and-down journey. After appearing in two games in 2021, including the Fiesta Bowl, Ketterer did not see the field in 2022, battling injuries. However, this year, he played in contests against Tennessee State, Central Michigan, USC and Pittsburgh. So

far, he has one reception and one carry, totaling 7 yards.

Ketterer was pleased to see the playing field, even though initially, he didn‘t expect to.

“As a walk-on, it’s kind of tough and I was never really expecting to play,” he said. “So you just continue to work, and I eventually got on the field. So [it] just shows you have to work for what you want.”

In addition to his role as a backup running back and special teams player, Ketterer frequently plays a big role at practice. In high school, Ketterer ran a variation of the triple option. So for the past two seasons, when Notre Dame prepped for Navy, head coach Marcus Freeman relied on Ketterer for help. Leading up to that game, during practice, Ketterer served as scout team quarterback. In an interview with NDInsider, Freeman relayed his gratitude: “The look he’s been able to give us is invaluable. He’s been a huge part.”

Additionally, Ketterer is one in a small group of current FBS players with a carry, reception and tackle. In 2021, he made a special

teams tackle against Navy during a kickoff.

However, Ketterer was quick to mention that the Notre Dame experience goes beyond the gridiron.

“I never anticipated coming here — or coming to college in general,” he said. “But everything that comes with a ‘4 for 40’ slogan has been fulfilled.”

Upon graduation, Ketterer hopes to work in the sports business world. The finance major has previous experience interning at 3 Strand Sports & Entertainment, a Nashville-based sports agency. Before graduation, though, Ketterer is excited for what the rest of the season entails, especially the bowl game. His favorite football memory so far was winning the Gator Bowl last year. However, the humble Ketterer shifted his focus to the present.

“My goal right now is to finish off the season, win these last two and then hopefully, you know, go and win the bowl game,” Ketterer said.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu

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RYLIE MILLS

Mills able to ‘leave no stone unturned’ in dominant defensive effort against USC

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish senior defensive tackle Rylie Mills arrived with Notre Dame in 2020 and had a stellar performance with seven tackles against Duke.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Oct. 13.

Although he stands out in a crowd at 6-foot-5, senior defensive tackle Rylie Mills has consistently worked behind the scenes to help drive the Irish defense since his arrival in 2020. Eye-catching stats don’t come easy for an interior lineman focused on creating opportunities for others to gain the glory of tackles and sacks. However, Mills has set a career-high for tackles already this season with 27.

His improvement shined at Duke, where he amassed seven tackles and earned East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Defensive Player of the Week.

Last year, Mills rotated between defensive end and tackle, weighing in around 275 to 290 pounds.

Changes to his diet and weightlifting regimen bulked him up in the offseason to focus fully on defensive tackle this year at 306 pounds.

Despite his gains in size, he hasn’t lost any quickness. He contributed heavily to the Irish defense’s respectable fight against Louisville with five total tackles. Aside from the brutal loss, Mills had praise for the defensive line.

“Obviously there’s some plays you want to execute better and

some plays you want back. For the most part, I think we played really sound football,” Mills said. “In terms of [the] D-line, we had guys executing. It’s great to see. We got depth in the D-line and we got playmakers. It’s just a big deal to have people come out there when their name is called and make a play.”

Though Mills mentioned the team takes Sunday and Monday to recover and reflect, he emphasized getting out of the “rearview mirror” when Tuesday practice rolls around. Instead of dwelling on the what-ifs, the Irish focus on improvements for the next matchup.

“I just think about the next game and what can I do better, what can I improve on,” Mills said. “If you start thinking about bowls and playoffs and get caught up with the future, you miss what’s ahead. For me, I think about what I can do better each game and what I can focus on.

The Lake Forest, Illinois, native will be needed this week to slow down the powerful USC offense led

by Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams. Mills knows the threat in front of him.

“He’s a playmaker,” Mills said of Williams. “He won the Heisman, and he’s a really good athlete. So he’s definitely someone you want to take care of. You gotta make sure you’re on your A-game. As we go into practice we are trying to make

sure we leave no stone unturned and keep executing.”

Mills has proven himself against powerful running teams such as Ohio State, where he garnered four tackles, with two being solo. Playing disciplined defense, just as the Irish did back in September, will be key against the latest undefeated and ranked opponent this weekend.

“We’ve definitely played some good running backs. [Against] Ohio State, we had multiple challenges,” Mills said. “The biggest thing with that is executing and playing sound defense. Not to sound like a broken record, but we know our jobs and we know what to do. I think the whole defense has really come around and makes sure we’re on it and we gotta fix things we need to fix. That’s why Tuesday practice[s] [are] so important. We gotta go out there and act like it’s a game today.”

When Notre Dame met the Trojans last year (and lost), Mills didn’t even appear in the box score.

In 2021 against the Trojans, he only made two tackles.

However, his breakout performances this season have created an expectation that he will make an impact on the powerful Trojan offense. Mills said he’s prepared to give his all.

ContactMadeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

JAVONTAE JEAN-BAPTISTE

Jean-Baptiste takes on big role after transferring

By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

Graduate student Javontae Jean-Baptiste has been an instrumental addition to the Notre Dame defensive corps.

Transferring from OSU for his fifth and final year of eligibility, Jean-Baptiste came out of the Fighting Irish gates swinging, notching four tackles in the Dublin season opener against Navy. It was only up from there for the defender; heading into the final home game against Wake Forest, Jean-Baptiste has 39 total touchdowns to his name (14 solo, 25 assisted), more than doubling his OSU season best of 19, which he earned last year. He will seek to beat his season record of eight tackles in a single game, which he recorded in the contest against his old alma mater.

Heading to South Bend, Jean-Baptiste went in with few expectations. The only goal he set out to achieve was working hard and capitalizing on his extra year of eligibility.

“I’ll say I just had open expectations,” he said. “I wasn’t really expecting much, I was just ready to put my head down and go to work and make the most out of the opportunity that I was given to be here.”

Though he has certainly done just that, another draw to Notre Dame was a reunion with old Buckeyes coaches.

Al Washington, who took up the position at Notre Dame to coach the defensive line in 2022, used to be the Ohio State linebackers coach. Because of this, the stars aligned for JeanBaptiste in the perfect fifthyear opportunity.

“I’ll say [the decision to come to Notre Dame] was just looking for the best opportunity and fit for me in a program and a way that I could help them out and they can help me out,” he said. “And just being that I have coaches that I’ve played with at Ohio State come here, it just made everything easier.”

Reflecting on his season, Jean-Baptiste had several plays that stook out to him as

highlights, including and especially ones against USC, Duke and, of course, OSU. Especially after playing Notre Dame last year and being on the other side of that rivalry this season, it was a rewarding match for the graduate student against the Buckeyes. However, even though he was facing his old team, he treated the game like every other.

“It was fun for me,” he said.

“I just treated it like another practice, and just going to get a chance to go against my old brothers and play against them. That’s how I took it.”

While the Irish ultimately did not come out on top against OSU, Jean-Baptiste and the Irish defense had a signature game against USC and Heisman-winner quarterback Caleb Williams. Jean-Baptiste recorded two assisted tackles, two quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble that was forced by Xavier Watts to help turn the tide against the see BAPTISTE PAGE 4

CHANCELOR GORDON | The Observer

Irish graduate student defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste has been an instrumental addition to the Notre Dame defensive corps.

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7

XAVIER WATTS

Xavier Watts calls interceptions, forced fumble ‘something you never really imagine’

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Oct. 15.

Xavier Watts came to South Bend in 2020 as a three-star wide receiver. The Irish coaching staff moved him to defense at the start of his sophomore season, but Saturday night against USC, he caught two passes off former Heisman winner Caleb Williams’ fingertips. In addition to the interceptions, he returned a fumble for a touchdown and forced another.

Many athletes will say they saw a big moment coming after a great performance. Notre Dame senior safety Xavier Watts didn’t even expect to be playing defense in college. Nonetheless, he posted one of the most impressive individual stat lines in all of college football this season. He did it while leading the Irish to a 48-20 win over No. 10 USC. Watts, hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, may not have seen the vision right away when coaching staff moved him to defense. But that didn’t stop him from giving his all at practice every day, trusting that his coaches saw something in him that could make him a special player in the secondary.

“I was kind of just going along with the flow. Kind of just came every day, just tried to work and get better at my craft every day, be

the best player I could be,” Watts said about his move to safety after Saturday’s game. “Just kind of playing it by ear, just going along, and [it] ended up going well, I guess.”

It certainly did, as the master plan crafted by Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and safeties coach Chris O’Leary came to fruition against the Trojans.

Watts’ stats on Saturday read like they came from a video game.

Not a primetime matchup against an offense that had been nearly unstoppable for two years.

He was largely responsible for the Irish’s first two touchdowns, intercepting two passes in the first half and utilizing his wide receiver background to evade several tackles and return the picks for a combined 61 yards. Both of those plays set up the Notre Dame offense to start in the red zone. Quick scoring drives of 12 and two yards gave the Irish a 17-3 advantage that they would never relinquish.

“It definitely boosted us, gave us momentum. We needed some juice, we got some juice,” Watts said about his first interception, which came on just the fourth play of the game. “Got the offense going as well. Just gave us a good boost that we needed to [carry] for the rest of the game.”

Watts, and the Irish defense as a whole, would indeed maintain

that high level of play through all four quarters. After a shaky effort against Louisville last weekend, Freeman pushed Notre Dame to be an “anti-fragile” program. The Irish focused on learning from their mistakes rather than using them as an excuse for future failures.

“I challenged those guys and said, ‘Are we going to let a defeat that happened in the past dictate how we prepare for this?’ This wasn’t about the outcome. It was about preparing the way we needed to prepare to give us a chance to have this kind of performance,” Freeman said. “I couldn’t speak more highly of the performance of our defense.”

Watts shared those sentiments.

The senior credited Notre Dame’s dominant pass rush and standout defensive back efforts paving the way for his highlight plays.

“None of [those plays] happened without my teammates — the pressure they brought, coverage downfield,” Watts said. “So I would say they helped me out.”

But despite Watts’ masterful first half — he picked off Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams more times than USC’s previous six opponents combined — he was just getting started. In the week leading up to the game, Freeman constantly emphasized the importance of playing one snap at a time, putting all your focus into

doing your job in each individual moment.

“Win the interval on this play.

That’s all that matters,” he said about his message to the team.

“Whatever happened before doesn’t matter.”

The Irish defense played true to those words on Saturday. Even with Notre Dame holding a comfortable 41-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, they did not let up.

On USC’s first play from scrimmage after the Irish extended their advantage to 21, graduate student cornerback Cam Hart dislodged the ball from the hands of Trojans wide receiver Mario Williams.

After coming up just short of the end zone twice in the first half, Watts finished the job this time. He scooped up the loose ball in stride and took it 15 yards for the first touchdown of his Notre Dame career.

That play alone sent the Irish crowd into a frenzy. Watts forced yet another fumble just two plays later, with graduate student defensive lineman Javontae JeanBaptiste recovering it. The crowd erupted again. It felt like Notre Dame Stadium might explode.

“Just something you never really imagine,” Watts said about the celebration that ensued after his forced fumble, the fourth turnover he was involved with during the game. “I was just out there

playing, just trying to have fun, do my job, and things ended up happening. Just crazy.”

Watts delivered a performance that won’t be easily forgotten, especially if Saturday’s emphatic victory sparks a late-season surge by the Irish.

Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman summed the moment up best. Watts walked into the press conference room while Hartman was fielding questions.

Hartman paused mid-answer to deliver a simple message.

“That guy’s really good at football,” he said.

He was more than “really good” on Saturday. He was the primary difference-maker in Notre Dame earning an emphatic rivalry win that the program badly needed.

The challenge will be to carry the momentum through the upcoming bye week and into the rest of the season. But, as we know, the Irish take things one play at a time. So the only thought on Watts’ mind Saturday was enjoying the near-perfect night that unfolded at Notre Dame Stadium in large part because of him.

“Just don’t take the opportunity for granted,” Watts said. “[We] just wanted to come out and dominate and play as best [we] can. Just ended up going good, I guess.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

ZEKE CORRELL

Correll applies lessons learned from the best

By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish senior safety Xavier Watts caught two passes off of former Heisman winner Caleb Williams in the Irish’s matchup against USC.

Few players on the gridiron process more information than the center. The offensive line’s anchor studies and calls out aspects of the defense, identifies protection schemes and, on a basic level, uses everything seen and heard on the field to decide when to start the play. Not to mention that, once the play begins, the center deals with blocking only the largest defensive players.

It all requires precise attention and discipline, traits which Notre Dame graduate student Zeke Correll has refined across a fiveyear, 31-start career. Now, as his time in South Bend draws toward a close, he’s passing them on.

“It’s a cycle. When you get here, you look up to older guys, have them try and light the way and you follow. You learn what to do and learn how to do it well,” he said. “And then, once you get better and better as the years go by, you become the leader. Guys look up to you and guys count on you

because they know that, no matter what, you’re gonna get the job done.”

Correll, a four-star offensive lineman out of Anderson High School in Cincinnati, arrived on campus in 2019 with quite the group to learn from. All five starters on his freshman year line went on to play in the NFL. For Correll, relationships with those players and other people around campus make Notre Dame special.

“Going through my recruiting process, every place has their selling point,” Correll recalled.

“All the places have their nice equipment and all that. But the people are different here. They care, and they truly do care, and they want to see you succeed, so I wanted to surround myself with like-minded people.”

For the better part of a year and a half, Correll did his best to pick the brains of older linemen. He saw the field four times as a freshman before stepping into a major role late in the 2020 season. With a foot injury to former starting center Jarrett Patterson, he started

his first two games, which included the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Alabama. The next season, the offensive line, in its last year under Jeff Quinn, saw Correll slide back to left guard as Patterson returned. However, the Irish struggled to run the football through six games, replacing Correll with Andrew Kristofic.

Since then, Correll has settled back in nicely as the centerpiece up front. He has started all 23 Notre Dame football games since the end of 2021, adding size and physicality as his career has progressed. During 2022, Correll made his favorite collegiate memory, helping Notre Dame to a 35-14 upset of No. 4 Clemson at home. In that game, the Irish line dominated at the line of scrimmage, springing 100-yard rushing performances from two different running backs.

“That feeling — you can’t buy it, and especially when your guys do such a good job and put in all that work,” Correll reflected. “The see CORRELL PAGE 4

8

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ANDREW KRISTOFIC

BEN KRIMM

Kristofic’s commitment to culture defines his career

By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer

If there’s one consistent thread through Andrew Kristofic’s Notre Dame football career, it’s a positive culture.

Coming out of Gibsonia’s Pine-Richland High School in Pennsylvania, Kristofic ranked 21st among offensive tackles nationally and 1st among all Pennsylvania players by 247Sports.com. When he made his first visit to Notre Dame, it was that very thing — culture — that drew him to South Bend.

“I remember first, my first visit here, like, it was just something different about it,” Kristofic said.

“Just getting to experience the culture of it from an outsider’s perspective, [it] was so strong. I couldn’t pass it up to be a part of something like that.”

Since enrolling early with the Irish in January of 2019, Kristofic’s Notre Dame experience has “passed every expectation.” This is despite the amount of change he has seen in the locker room during his career. In his five years with the Irish, Kristofic has played under three different offensive line coaches — Jeff Quinn, Harry Hiestand and now Joe Rudolph.

“Anytime you get a coaching change, it’s difficult, but you really rely on the guys in your room,” Kristofic said. “It’s the guys in the room that you know, regardless of who comes in, there’s always going to be that tight bond that you’re gonna be able to get through it and make the most of it.”

Over his career, Kristofic has dug deep into the bonds formed by the offensive line group. After appearing in only four contests

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic was drawn to Notre Dame because of the culture he felt on his first visit.

Liufau CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

That strong performance was a harbinger of things to come. With the injury now behind him, Liufau quickly showed the promise that made him a fan favorite leading up to his ankle injury. Over the last two seasons, only fellow graduate student linebackers JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser have racked up more tackles. From pass breakups to sacks, Liufau has filled just about every section of the stat sheet as an upperclassman.

He’s even picked off a pass and recovered two fumbles.

Liufau’s Notre Dame experience goes beyond the numbers, though.

Over the years, the culture shock faded, allowing him to see and experience the special culture

that led him to South Bend in the first place and will be with him long after he leaves. “[I’m] definitely gonna remember my teammates. I’m gonna remember all the games. Memories from the games are definitely going to stick out to me,” Liufau said.

“Just Notre Dame’s culture, both as a football as well, like, as a football team, our coaches, football team. It’s just culture overall. Just being a student here. I think it’s gonna stick out, stick with me for the rest of my life.”

Liufau is hopeful the next place it will be with him is in the NFL. But he also wants to stay in the moment.

And Saturday will be a special one for him as he remembers everyone he’s shared these few dozen special Saturdays at Notre Dame Stadium with. Even better, he’ll finally get to share one with

during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Kristofic has now taken the field in every game for the last three years. Occupying different places on the depth chart, few can better testify to the strength of the culture than him.

“That’s part of what makes this place so special is kind of the connection, like you have with the guys that are in your room,” Kristofic said. “I came in with guys that had all been starters for at least a year, and then were starters for a couple years when I got here. Regardless of how talented someone was, at any point in our room, their head was never too big. They were never too good for anyone else. Those guys were oftentimes the ones that did the most to help out, especially with the younger guys and stuff.

“The culture is so awesome. [I am] so very thankful to be a part of that and get to experience it.”

Kristofic counts a few of the recent games in which he appeared as some of his favorite on-field memories. Field stormings against Clemson in 2020 and 2022, and against USC this season, come immediately to mind.

But so do some dramatic road finishes.

“Going on the road in 2021 and beating Florida State and V-Tech, like those are two unbelievable away games. There are a ton of great memories on the field,” he said.

After graduating last spring with an undergraduate degree in marketing, Kristofic will now officially walk away from Notre Dame with a masters in data analytics as well. While his plans for the future aren’t concrete, the perks of his resume are hard to ignore — though Kristofic remains humble about them.

“I’m blessed because I was able

Krimm cherishes relationships

By JON-DAVID REGIS Sports Writer

There’s a saying that history repeats itself. It’s true for Notre Dame football with regard to its punting rooms.

For the second straight year, the Irish have used the transfer portal to get an Ivy League punter, this time with Penn graduate transfer Ben Krimm.

“The people and level of football is what brought me here, being around great people, good education and a high level of football,” Krimm said.

Krimm credits special teams coach Marty Biagi for teaching him a lot of technique work with punting and working through film daily.

The growth hasn’t just occurred on the field, however.

“I have grown as a person and been able to meet so many new people at Notre Dame,” he said.

Krimm has acquired a different perspective on school, life, sports and others around him as a result, he said.

Krimm, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was Penn’s starting punter for the previous two seasons. Krimm led the Ivy League with a 41.6 per punt average as a senior, and he also led the league with 11 punts of at least 50 yards on 44 total boots. For his efforts with the Quakers last

season, Krimm earned Firstteam All-Ivy League honors.

In terms of average yards per punt, he finished 24th in FCS. While Krimm has not seen a lot of time on the field at Notre Dame, he has made sure to soak up every opportunity that was presented to him on and off the field.

“Going on the field during the Pitt game was a really good moment,” Krimm said.

Krimm highlights more of the process of getting acclimated to Notre Dame and the friendships he has made.

Krimm said he enjoyed the process of coming to Notre Dame. He appreciates the academic standards at Notre Dame along with gaining exposure to a high level of football.

“There are a ton of amazing individuals and getting to meet them and them being my friends through this process has been amazing,” he said.

What he credits most, though, are the relationships and friendships he has made at Notre Dame. He singled out the relationships in the punter room.

“Being in the punter room is amazing,” Krimm said.

“We are all very close friends and have a tight friendship.”

Those relationships have see KRIMM PAGE 9

see KRISTOFIC PAGE 9

the people he wants to the most. “[It’s the] first time my whole family is going to be, at least my immediate family, they’re all going to be here in South Bend,” Liufau said. “Like I said, my older sister [Melean] and brothers [Marcus and Mark] never got to watch me play in person yet, so I’m excited about that.”

Liufau went through some difficult times early in his Irish career.

But they’re firmly behind him.

Saturday will allow him and his family to celebrate that, and all that is to come.

“Family is everything to me. So having them able to have a handle here at my last time was just such a blessing for me and for them,” Liufau said. “It’s gonna be so fun.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student punter Ben Krimm transferred from Penn, making him the second Ivy punter that the Irish picked up this year.

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Students lead panel on Gaza conflict

By ANNELISE DEMERS News Writer

Student Voices for Palestine and the Muslim Student Association of Notre Dame hosted a studentled panel Thursday to discuss a brief history of events that lead up to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and the current crisis in Gaza.

“The goal is to provide a perspective on an issue that is not often shared in the USA,” Mohamed El Gazzah, president of the Muslim Student Association, said. “We know that we perhaps might not change your mind on this issue and we’re not here to tell you exactly what to think.

But we’re simply here to propose that there’s another perspective

with valid arguments that we can consider.”

The event also included voices from the local community.

Zenah Farhan, a South Bend resident and graduate of Saint Xavier University, attended with her sister.

“We’re both here to learn more about what’s going on. And we are also Palestinian, so we want to make sure that we’re as educated as we can be. We have to be informed advocates,” Farhan said.

“It’s not enough to be outraged by what you see in the media. [You need] to be able to eloquently explain how you feel and why it’s wrong.”

Farhan and her sister, who attends a local high school, heard

about the event on social media.

Graduate students Seham Kafafi and Francesca Freeman spoke alongside Notre Dame sophomore Blair Kedwell on the panel. Kedwell is the president of Student Voices for Palestine.

The presentation began with an account of the history of aggression between Palestinians and Israelis, as well as the current state of Gaza.

“So this has been happening for 75 years plus an additional 40 days,” Kafafi said.

The panelists took turns speaking and sharing statistics on different areas of the conflict.

“There have been over 11,000 civilians that have died. That’s one out of 200 people,” Kafafi

Palestinian professor speaks from Jerusalem

By PETER McKENNA News Writer

Berna rd Sabel la, a ret ired sociolog y professor f rom Bet h lehem Universit y, t he on ly Cat holic universit y in t he Holy La nd, gave a lecture on t he Israel-Pa lest ine conf lict Thursday.

He current ly ser ves as

t he execut ive secreta r y of t he Depa r t ment of Ser v ice to Pa lest inia n Ref ugees of t he Midd le East Counci l of Churches. In 2006, he was elected to t he Pa lest inia n Leg islat ive Counci l on t he quota reser ved for Christ ia ns f rom Jer usa lem.

Two pa nelists — Aune Ca rlson a nd Jef f rey Abood

— spoke a longside Sabel la.

Ca rlson is t he senior director of operat ions for Churches for Midd le East Peace, a coa lit ion of Christ ia n churches.

Abood cha irs t he Cat holic Adv isor y Counci l for t he sa me orga ni zat ion a nd was k nighted by t he Vat ica n in 2010.

The lecture was cosponsored by t he A nsa ri Inst itute, Churches for Midd le East Peace, Bet h lehem Universit y Foundat ion, Liu Inst itute for Asia n Studies, K roc Inst itute for Internat iona l Peace Studies, a nd t he Cat holic Peacebui lding Net work.

Sabel la sa id Pa lest inia ns a re disappointed in t he internat iona l communit y’s inact ion in t he face of Israeli v iolence.

“Pa lest inia ns have w itnessed t he horrendous a nd horrible k i l lings of hundreds a nd hundreds of civ i lia ns a nd t he w iping out of ent ire neighborhoods, combined w it h t he

PETER McKENNA | The Observer

Bernard Sabella gives a lecture via Zoom Thursday. Sabello speaks about his Palestinian persepctive on the current Israeli violence.

NEWS PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

see LECTURE PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 7

said. “There are 1.5 million people who are now homeless.

Forty thousand homes have been destroyed. And there are over 700,000 people who are sheltering in UN facilities.”

The panelists discussed the “Nakba,” the displacement and dispossession of Palestinian Arabs that occurred during and after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, according to panelists and the U.N. “Every Palestinian has a personal relationship with the Nakba in very different ways, whether they were forced to be refugees or whether they were forced to become Israeli citizens. My family became Israeli citizens,” Kedwell said. “But the Nakba resulted

in the dispossession of 750,000 Palestinians, which at the time was about half of the population. Hundreds of villages were destroyed.”

The Partition Plan of 1947, which the panelists identified as a key moment in the history of the conflict, proposed the division of British Mandate Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with an international administration for Jerusalem.

“The distribution of the territory gives over 50% of the land to Israelis when they were at the time the minority population,” Kafafi said.

The panelists then discussed see GAZA PAGE 3

Thousands try marriage pact

By GRACE TADAJWESKI News Writer

W hi le some spouses meet each ot her t hrough school, work, fa mi ly f riends or mutua l connect ions, ot hers may meet t hrough t he Not re Da me Ma rriage Pact.

Back for its t hird yea r on ca mpus, t he Ma rriage Pact recent ly concluded its

a nnua l matching ef for ts w it h 3,711 submissions. The pact is a n init iat ive t hat inv ites students to f i l l out a n on line form to later be matched w it h someone simi la r to t hem — “your best backup pla n.”

“I love t he Ma rriage Pact,” senior Nicole Bauma nn

see MARRIAGE PAGE 4

SMC fundraises via book fair

By SALLY BRADSHAW News Writer

In t he upper level of t he Student Center, Sa int Ma r y’s Col lege is holding t he PaperPie Lea rning book fa ir t his week. The sa le, which ra ises money for t he Lea rning Tree, ra n f rom 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday a nd w i l l cont inue f rom 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Tea rsa Smit h, an

BARAKA BOUTS PAGE 12

educat iona l ser v ices representat ive for PaperPie Lea rning, recent ly took over r unning t he a nnua l event.

PaperPie Lea rning is a compa ny focused on prov iding books a nd resources to ma ke lea rning enjoyable to chi ldren of a l l ages.

Fif t y percent of a l l proceeds f rom t he book fa ir go to t he Lea rning Tree, t he see BOOKS PAGE 4

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Kathryn Muchnick Aynslee Dellacca Keira Stenson

Andrew McGuinness Madeline Ladd

Graphics

Christine Hilario

Maria Tobias

Photo

GRAY NOCJAR| The Observer

Students enjoy the sunshine and mild weather on South Quad. The high temperatures this week were in the 60s, with sunshine on the forecast for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. Next week is expected to be cooler, dropping to the 30s before Thanksgiving.

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Scene Viewpoint Claire Lyons

Gray Nocjar

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.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Tabling Event: Diwali SMC Student Center Noon - 2 p.m.

Stop by for sweets, window clings and ornaments.

Service Saturday Bonfire Prep Sustainable Farm 10 a.m. - noon Help prepare for a bonfire.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m.

Morning Mass offered and all are welcome.

Strategic Framework Town Hall Carey Auditorium 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

For graduate and professional students.

Lecture: Climate Change and SocialEcological Resilience Hesburgh Center, Room C103 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Wake Forest Purcell Pavilion 6:30 p.m.

Senior night for volleyball.

ND Football vs. Wake Forest Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m.

Watch the last home game of the season.

Open Mic, Open Floor Second floor of the SMC Student Center 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Watch or participate in an open mic night.

Adoration St. Joseph Chapel 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Adoration at Holy Cross. Confession held at the same time.

Spotlight Exhibit 102 Hesburgh Library 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

“Path to Sainthood: Brother Columba O’Neill.”

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NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

3

SMC celebrates education with culture festival

By SARAH CATE WHITE News Writer

In honor of International Education Week, Saint Mary’s hosted an International Cultural Festival. Thursday night, Haggar Parlor was filled with dancing, singing, performing and food from various cultures. The event was organized by the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Jennifer Zachman, associate professor in the modern languages and cultures department, helped organize the showcase. Zachman said she values the importance of an international education and is pleased with the efforts SMC has made to embrace international education.

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Zionism and how World War II shifted the Jewish American perspective on the movement.

“Up until World War II, Jews in America were actually quite divided on Zionism. There was like a really big split. And mostly, people didn’t really care,” Freeman said.

Freeman, who now identifies as an anti-Zionist, said she is Jewish but became more critical of Israel after a trip there in college. She spoke about the power of Christian Zionism in the United States. Christian Zionism is the theological and political movement that supports the establishment and preservation of a Jewish homeland in Israel, in part because the group believes that it is a prerequisite for the second coming of Christ.

“In U.S. discourse, [there is] the idea that anything that is anti-Zionist is also inherently antisemitic. This comes from a few other

“The International Cultural Festival highlights and showcases the talent that we have at Saint Mary’s ... Every year, it’s a program that is nationally sponsored by the state department to celebrate international education. This includes the benefits and rewards students receive from getting an international education,” Zachman said.

Every language that the College has to offer was represented by a performance of a student or professor in that discipline. There were more than 15 performances by students, including spoken word poetry, dancing, singing, piano, guitar, percussion and visual art.

“There are poems, songs, dances — things that we

places, but the Anti-Defamation League, which is sort of tasked with writing on antisemitism, is very insistent that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and this is obviously highly problematic,” Freeman said. “This is not true, and in fact, insisting that that’s the case is actually in of itself antisemitic, but that is a hugely influential narrative that shapes American discourse and policy.”

The panel concluded with questions from the audience, and several students shared their opinions on the situation.

“There’s a lot of losing sight of what the value of human life is on both sides,” junior Andrew Donovan said. “It’s not like a football game where you choose a team and you want them to win. We’re trying to end a war, and we’re trying to stop children from dying, and we’re trying to save lives.”

Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu

teach, things that we study and things that bring enjoyment to peoples lives,” Zachman said.

Katie O’Connell performed “La Vie en Rose” with Bernadette Petty, Victoria Olabintan, Emma Smiley, Sophia Meyer and Mia Ritschard. The group is in an intermediate French class taught by Tara Beth Smithson. O’Connell emphasized her excitement to share her talent and love of French with the College community.

“This was such a special opportunity to have here on campus, combining my favorite things: performing and French. I think it was such a fresh opportunity to showcase all of the cultures represented here at Saint Mary’s and all of the talent as well,”

O’Connell said.

O’Connell said she feels that learning outside of the classroom, through opportunities like this, is valuable.

When students are able to engage in lively expression of culture, she noted, they feel more a part of it.

“I learned how important it is to highlight these different cultures and showcase how even though we are all different, we can all share an appreciation for culture and ideas,” O’Connell said.

Ava Zalduendo and Tegan Kania performed a salsa routine to “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony. The pair decided to participate in the festival after being encouraged

by Ruth Solarte-Hensgen, their Spanish professor.

“It meant a lot to showcase my talent to the Saint Mary’s community. I loved hearing the audience cheer us on as we performed. I feel more confident with myself and my talent,” Zalduendo said.

Zachman said she is proud of the community and inclusion demonstrated at the International Cultural Festival.

“It makes me proud to be a part of this community because it shows we can come together and celebrate all the talents that represent many different cultures in the world, many different cultural traditions and many cultural artifacts,” she said.

Contact Sarah Cate White at swhite01@saontmarys.edu

SMC professor performs at Carnegie Hall

By CHLOE TROXEL News Writer

Choral Choral music conductor Nancy Menk recently returned from Carnegie Hall in New York City after conducting her eighth performance in the historical hall.

Menk first started performing in first grade, participating in choir throughout high school and college.

She has conducted the AllState Choir in Heinz Hall in her hometown of Pittsburgh, in addition to singing in the hall with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Menk also sang with the Saint Mary’s Women’s Choir in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles after the group was selected for the National

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American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) convention.

Not only has Menk worked in these renowned spaces, she also commissions new composers to help them gain exposure.

“That’s one of my favorite things to do is to work directly with a composer and to bring their music to life in a first performance,” Menk said.

She said she enjoys working with brand new material and helping find it a voice that will reach many people.

“Performance is my life, it’s what I do,” Menk said. “Preparing other performers to present music is what I do and what I love to do.”

For her eighth performance at Carnegie Hall, Menk conducted a group of 125 vocalists and

26 instrumentalists in Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” The vocal group is composed of women of all ages from around the world.

To create a unified sound, Menk collaborated closely with several other directors to achieve the desired performance. The directors made decisions on every detail, including pronunciation for Latin songs, the best beats to breathe on and the articulation of vowels and consonants.

Menk said that if someone is aiming for a similar career path, no subject is entirely beyond the realm of conducting. She advised prospective conductors to learn as much as they can by taking courses in literature, foreign languages, history and music history.

Each course is relevant to understanding of the world of music, Menk said. Literature aids in giving a story to work with.

Foreign language classes help in diction, specifically with Latin songs. History and music history helps one gain an understanding and respect for the art of vocals and music.

“You need to know how to make a piece from the Baroque sound different from a piece from the 20th century. If you haven’t studied history and music history, you don’t really know how to do that,” Menk said.

The more one takes the time to educate themselves about the material, the easier it will be for them to understand and work with the material to truly gain an appreciation for it, she said.

Menk explained that being a conductor involves taking everything one has learned over the course of their life and putting it into use.

She said she lives by a key piece of advice: “Bloom where you’re planted.”

Contact Chloé Troxel at ctroxel01@saintmarys.edu

4

NEWS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

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sa id. “Li ke, I love ma king it a t hing. I send it to a l l my g uy f riends. I t hin k t he quest ions asked a re super f unny. I just t hin k it’s a f un phenomenon at Not re Da me, a nd so I’ve a lways been into it.”

The Ma rriage Pact includes about 50 quest ions which determine t he percentage of compat ibi lit y bet ween t wo matches. Coming in w it h a 93% match, Bauma nn is current ly dating her sophomore yea r Ma rriage Pact.

“It wasn’t unt i l li ke a couple mont hs later at a forma l t hat someone told me li ke, ‘Oh yea h, your Ma rriage Pact’s here,’” Bauma nn sa id. “So I went up to him a nd I sa id, ‘Hi, I’m Nicole.

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disrega rd for internat iona l huma nita ria n law,” Sabel la sa id.

He sa id t hat t he IsraelPa lest ine conf lict persists due to a dispa rit y in power a nd lack of accountabi lit y.

“W hen Israelis a nd Pa lest inia ns a re lef t a lone, you have a imba la nce of power of Israel — f rom a Pa lest inia n perspect ive — doing what t hey wa nt w it hout a ny w i l ling ness to ta ke

I’m your Ma rriage Pact. Do you wa nt to da nce ? ’” Bauma nn beca me f riends w it h her Ma rriage Pact when t hey met t wo yea rs ago, a nd t he t wo just recently bega n dat ing. Bauma nn a lso has t wo f riends who a re dat ing t heir Ma rriage Pacts.

As a resu lt, she t hin ks ever yone shou ld f i l l out t he pact.

“But I t hin k li ke, at t he worst, it’s just li ke you get t he person a nd you a lready k now t hem or maybe you k now t hat you don’t wa nt to date t hem, you don’t reach out,” Bauma nn sa id. “But for most people, I f ind t hat it’s eit her li ke a f un date or a f unny stor y, a nd bot h of t hose t hings I t hin k a re posit ive.”

Sophomore Libby Meister has f i l led out t he Ma rriage Pact her f reshma n a nd

sophomore yea rs, a nd she encourages ot hers to “do it for t he plot.” Last yea r, she received a “So how’s life ? ” Instag ra m direct message f rom her Ma rriage Pact, a nd she has since ga ined a fami lia r face in her classes.

Meister sa id t he pact ser ves as a n oppor tunit y to ma ke a new f riend.

“You ca n discover somet hing about yourself, a nd you a nd t his person clea rly have somet hing in common, a nd t hat’s somet hing you ca n recog ni ze in each ot her a nd maybe bot h g row as people whet her or not it turns out to be a roma nt ic relat ionship or not,” Meister sa id.

“Li ke t here a re va luable relat ionships t hat you ca n f ind f rom Ma rriage Pacts t hat a ren’t necessa ri ly just roma nt ic.”

The pact was created by t wo Sta nford Universit y students in 2017 for a Ma rket Desig n class a nd has since spread to ma ny ot her col leges in t he U.S. Freshma n Josh Tighe, a n internat iona l student f rom Irela nd, found t he pact to be interest ing because col leges in Irela nd wou ld not do somet hing li ke t his, he sa id.

“Just t he fact t hat we wou ldn’t have somet hing li ke t hat at home, so I t hought it was f unny f i l ling it out,” Tighe sa id. “Li ke some of t he quest ions were just rea l ly persona l. But I st i l l did it because I t hought it was f unny.”

Deacon Peter Pu leo, a teacher at St. Joseph Grade School a nd former assista nt rector of Sorin Ha l l, sa id t he Ma rriage Pact

seems “relat ively ha rm less” a nd cou ld be a good way to be meet someone. Pu leo ca l led upon his adv ice f rom conversat ions w it h Sorin residents last yea r.

“I wou ld a lways encourage t hem never t hin k about a relat ionship in terms of a list of att ributes or a nswers to quest ions,” Pu leo sa id. “As in li ke, ‘Wel l does she have, et cetera, et cetera? ’ Because, you a re not ready to ma rr y a nybody t hrough a relat ionship.”

“You g row, to be ready to ma rr y t hat person. A nd t hat person, no matter who t hey a re, w i l l cha nge according to t heir relat ionship w it h you,” he sa id. “You’re ma rr y ing a person, not a list of att ributes.”

responsibi lit y for a ny of its act ions,” Sabel la sa id.

He ack nowledged t he div isions w it hin Israeli societ y a nd polit ics, but a rg ued t he lack of polit ica l w isdom f rom Israel cont ributed to wea k ness in dea ling w it h Pa lest inia n Aut horit y.

Sabel la noted t hat Israeli policy t hat wea kened t he Pa lest inia n Aut horit y inf la med conf lict.

“The Pa lest inia n aut horit y has been wea kened aga in a nd aga in by Israeli policy, especia l ly in t he occupied sett lements of t he West

Ba n k,” he sa id.

Israel’s fa i lure to f ind or achieve “a ny peacef u l resolut ion w it h t he Pa lest inia n Aut horit y” f ur t her exacerbated tensions, Sabel la added.

“The Pa lest inia n Aut horit y was propped up by t he U.S., Europe a nd Israel for securit y pur poses in order to coordinate w it h each ot her,” Sabel la sa id. “But it was not g iven, I wou ld say, a ny st rong incent ive to ma nage t he conf lict w it h Israel a nd to achieve cer ta in polit ica l ga ins t hrough a negot iated

peace process.”

Sabel la a rg ued t hat U.S. a nd Europea n polit icia ns have been la rgely uninterested in ma nag ing t he conf lict.

“They have been lu kewa rm in adva ncing a ny t y pe of peace brokering. A nd now a l l of a sudden, we a re in a t rag ic, terrible moment of conf lict when t his peacef u l resolut ion shou ld have come yea rs ago,” he sa id.

Sabel la sa id t here w i l l be g reat dif f icu lt y in hea ling t he wounds of t he Pa lest inia ns in t he f uture.

“We must coordinate a pla n for t he [rest r ucture] of Ga za — to hea l t he economic, physica l a nd psycholog ica l da mage t hat has occurred in t his conf lict to move past it,” he sa id. “We ca nnot just simply say t hat we ca n cont inue t he way we were before. We must avoid a imposit ion of government upon t he Pa lest inia ns especia l ly in t he West Ba n k.”

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resource center in Madeleva Ha l l for t hose study ing to be teachers.

“The books a re desig ned to get k ids excited about reading a nd lea rning,” Smit h sa id. “A lot of our books a re interact ive in some form or fashion, so t hat t hey ex tend t he lea rning.”

The book fa ir includes pu zzles, toys a nd, of course, books — a l l gea red towa rds encourag ing chi ldren to engage in reading a nd lea rning. One product, t he “Shine a Light” series, is desig ned to mot ivate k ids to t hin k about t he natura l world, w it h pages t hat revea l a second image, li ke a n X-ray, when held aga inst a light source.

“There’s no way I cou ld pinpoint a specif ic just absolute favorite because t here’s just so ma ny of t hem,” Smit h sa id. “We have somet hing for just about ever ybody.”

Freshma n business administ rat ion a nd ma rket ing major Emma Busk sa id she hea rd about t he book fa ir t hrough her f riends a nd a Sa int Ma r y’s ema i l.

“I went because I just love books. I’ve a lways g row n up lov ing reading, a nd I was just super interested in what t hey had to of fer,” she sa id.

Busk sa id she most enjoyed t he w ide va riet y of books present at t he event a nd t he way t hey engage k ids in lea rning.

“I w ish I had somet hing li ke t hat g row ing up,” she sa id, adding t hat she v iews chi ldren’s literature as necessa r y for a chi ld’s development.

“I’ve a lways found reading ver y t herapeut ic, especia l ly as a k id. It’s just such a nice way to pass t ime a nd escape ot her t hings,” Busk sa id.

She sa id t hat reading has been a way to connect w it h her younger niece a nd nephews because reading acts as a bridge w it h which she ca n engage w it h t hem.

Smit h sa id her favorite pa r t of book fa irs is when t he chi ldren leav ing “hugg ing a book.”

“They’l l f ind t hat book t hat’s t heir book a nd t hey’l l wa l k away hugg ing t hat book,” she sa id.

Contact Sally Bradshaw at sbradshaw01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Grace Tadalweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu

Contact Peter McKenna at pmckenn2@nd.edu

5

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

You are not your college major Meg Tamura Subject to Change

Do you ever t h i n k about how wei rd it is t hat t he age of 18 — when we’re ba sica l ly st i l l teenagers w it hout f u l ly developed bra i ns a nd not much l i fe ex per ience — is when we ma ke some of ou r big gest l i fe decisions ?

It’s at t h is age t hat ma ny people choose where t hey wa nt to go to col lege a nd what t hey wa nt to st udy a s t hei r major. It’s t hese decisions t hat ca n deter m i ne t hei r f i rst jobs a nd t hei r event ua l ca reer pat hs. So, t he choices we ma ke when we’re st i l l teenagers — who m ig ht not even have a f u l l u ndersta nd i ng of who we a re a s people, much less what we wa nt to do — a re what beg i n to out l i ne t he maps to t he rest of ou r l ives.

T h is is somet h i ng I’ve been t h i n k i ng about a lot lately, especia l ly when I f i nd mysel f beg i n n i ng to feel bad about one of t hose big l i fe decisions I made t h ree or fou r yea rs ago : my col lege major. It’s a bit sca r y when, a s a sen ior a nd way pa st t he poi nt of cha ng i ng my major, I beg i n to spi ra l i nto one of t hese per iods of “reg ret t i ng” my decision to major i n pol it ica l science yea rs ago. I somet i mes wonder i f t h is is a com mon ex per ience, a nd I’d i mag i ne t hat it is because not a l l of us a re t he sa me people we were at t he age of 18 or 19 or even a few mont hs ago. T hat’s t he whole poi nt of bei ng i n you r 20s — it’s a t i me i n l i fe t hat i nvolves consta nt ly t r y i ng to f ig u re out who you a re a nd what you wa nt out of l i fe — so it’s got to be nor ma l for me, a s a 21-yea r-old, to look back at decisions I made a s a n 18-yea r-old w it h a bit of “reg ret.”

I put quotes a rou nd “reg ret” because, when I t h i n k about it, I don’t act ua l ly reg ret my major. It got me a job, a nd I enjoy my cla sses a nd bei ng able to lea r n about systems of power, ideolog ies a nd hu ma n behav ior f rom mu lt iple perspect ives.

I’ve been able to leverage a nd combi ne t he qua l itat ive a nd a na ly t ica l sk i l ls I developed i n my major w it h t he more qua nt itat ive a nd nu mbers-d r iven sk i l ls I lea r ned i n my data science a nd busi ness economics m i nors. But, at t he sa me t i me, I don’t pla n on ever becom i ng a lawyer, I’m not a big “pol it ics person” l i ke most of my peers (I f i nd more va lue a nd potent ia l for good i n pol ic y, rat her t ha n pol it ics — t wo t h i ngs wh ich, I bel ieve, a re ma ssively d i fferent). I’m usua l ly more d isg usted t ha n i nterested i n pol it ics a nd pol it icia ns a s t hey put money a nd power above hu ma n it y, a nd I of ten f i nd mysel f t h i n k i ng t hat my persona l it y

just doesn’t rea l ly f it w it h what t he stereot y pica l pol it ica l science st udent is supposed to be.

W hat I’ve not iced is t hat t h is sense of “reg ret” t r ick les i n when I beg i n to t ie too much of my sense of ident it y, a nd my academ ic wor t h, to what I’m st udy i ng i n school. I t h i n k t h is is com mon a mong col lege st udent s who, aga i n, a re you ng adu lt s w it hout f u l ly developed senses of “sel f.” So, it’s ea sy to overly ident i f y w it h t he col lege you go to or t he major you’re st udy i ng. Just because I’m major i ng i n pol it ica l science doesn’t mea n my ident it y ha s to revolve a rou nd t hat — a nd sa me goes for t he computer science major, t he neu roscience major, t he f ina nce major, etc. At t he end of t he day, you r col lege major isn’t who you a re a nd (u n less you wa nt to become a doctor or a n eng i neer or a not her profession w it h ver y speci f ic prerequ isites) doesn’t deter m i ne you r f ut u re. It’s si mply what you’re st udy i ng i n school a nd not much more t ha n t hat.

I t h i n k sepa rat i ng my sense of sel f f rom my major ha s act ua l ly helped me to appreciate it more a nd a lso to feel more of a sense of f reedom to ex plore i nterest s out side of my st ud ies. I’ve been t r y i ng to be more i ntent iona l about usi ng t he relat ive f reedom, ex t ra t i me a nd bra i nspace t hat col lege a f fords me to ex plore a ny a nd a l l of my n iche a nd “i rreleva nt” i nterest s usi ng resou rces l i ke t he i nter net a nd t he l ibra r y.

I’ve beg u n check i ng out book s f rom Hes (wh ich I never took adva ntage of before for some rea son) to read i n my f ree t i me. I watch v ideos on YouTube a nd docu menta r ies on Net f l i x t hat cater to my i nterest s i n a n ef for t to rem i nd mysel f t hat lea r n i ng doesn’t have to be “product ive” — it ca n just be for f u n, too.

People a re mu lt id i mensiona l.

I’m major i ng i n pol it ica l science, but I’m a lso i nterested i n lea r n i ng about a rch itect u re a nd desig n, psycholog y a nd ph i losophy, music a nd d i f ferent cu lt u res, a r t h istor y a nd nat u re. Don’t feel t he need to l i m it you rsel f to you r major (a nd, for t hat mat ter, you r ca reer) — it m ig ht ta ke a whole lot of pressu re a nd “reg ret” out of you r l i fe.

Meg is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in data science and business economics.

Besides writing, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves, riding on public transportation and listening to good music. You can contact Meg at mtamura @ nd.edu .

T he views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of T he Observer.

The accident of birth Kat Regala The Absurd-ver

T h is su m mer I l ived i n a m ig ra nt shelter i n Monter rey, Mex ico. On Su nday a f ter noons, a g roup of wea lt hy com mu n it y members a nd st udent s f rom t he loca l pr ivate u n iversit ies wou ld gat her i n t he big d i ni ng ha l l, seek i ng ref uge f rom t he bla z i ng Mex ica n su n, for a n or ientat ion lect u re on t he ser v ices t he shelter wou ld prov ide. Ador ned i n desig ner clot hes, t hey wou ld clutch t hei r bot t les of cold, pu r i f ied water a s t hey scrol led t h roug h t hei r phones a nd adjusted t hei r jewel r y i n t he sa me seat s t hat t he m ig ra nt s ate t hei r mea ls at.

Ever y week, i n a n ef for t to hu ma n i ze t he sit uat ion, a m ig ra nt wou ld be chosen to tel l h is or her stor y. One a f ter noon, a Venez uela n woma n wa s chosen to sta nd up i n f ront of t he g roup a nd descr ibe her jou rney to Mex ico. Tea rs rol led dow n her face a s she descr ibed h i k i ng w it h her you ng sons t h roug h t he Da r ién Gap. A s she spel led out t he prayers t hat she wh ispered to G od i n her moment s of fea r, her todd ler clu ng to her ca l f, a sk i ng h is mot her why she wa s cr y i ng.

Du r i ng t h is deeply mov i ng speech, severa l of t he mot hers i n t he room bega n to cr y a longside her. One of t he Mex ica n mot hers told t he Venez uela n woma n how t hey, too, had t h ree you ng ch i ld ren t hat t hey loved. T h roug h tea rs, she told her t hat she cou ld n’t i mag i ne ever hav i ng to put hersel f or her ch i ld ren t h roug h t he sa me ex per ience.

In Mex ico, I met hu nd reds of people l i ke t he Venez uela n woma n who had lef t t hei r careers, homes a nd fa m i l ies to escape ga ngs, econom ic despa i r, pol it ica l oppression a nd i nstabi l it y i n hopes of a bet ter l i fe. T hey lef t home for a sa fer, more prosperous l i fe where t hei r ch i ld ren wou ld be g iven bet ter oppor t u n it ies. In t h is pu rsu it, t hey t raversed ju ng les f i l led w it h crocod i les a nd mon keys, scorch i ng hot deser t s a nd r ush i ng r ivers. T hey r isked get t i ng k id napped, ex tor ted, abused a nd ex posed to some of t he most hor r i f ic def i lement s of hu ma n bod ies. T hey ostensibly d id a l l of t h is to have t he t y pe of l i fe t he Mex ica n mot hers at t hat or ientat ion a nd I have.

At t he end of my t i me i n Mex ico, I had never been happier to be a n A mer ica n. W hen I la nded i n Houston, I wa nted to k iss t he d i r t y a i r por t f loor a nd cha nt, “U.S. A ! U.S. A ! U.S. A ! ” However, a s much a s I love my cit i zensh ip a nd a m i m mensely g ratef u l for a l l of t he pr iv i leges t hat it a f fords me, I st r ug g le w it h t he idea of bei ng “proud” of bei ng a n A mer ica n. To me, pr ide is t he product of hav i ng done somet h i ng, but I have done not h i ng.

T he cond it ions a nd ci rcu msta nces i n wh ich we a re bor n i nto is ou r accident of bi r t h. By whatever cha nce, I wa s bor n i n t he Un ited States. I wa s bor n i nto a com for table sit uat ion, f ree f rom persecut ion, v iolence or fea r. I wa s bor n i nto a lov i ng fa m i ly i n a ca r i ng com mu n it y where I a m accepted ex act ly how I a m. I wa s bor n i nto t he t y pe of l i fe t hat t housa nds a re w i l l i ng to r isk t hei r l ives i n t he at tempt to have.

In t he world t hat we l ive i n, people put t hemselves i n i mmed iate da nger to leave t he place i n wh ich t hey were bor n for t he oppor t u n it y of a better l i fe somewhere else. At t he sa me t i me, wa rs a re foug ht over t r y i ng to remove people f rom t he place of t hei r bi r t h. In bot h sit uat ions, t he accident of bi r t h becomes a deter m i n i ng factor i n l i fe.

Seei ng how t he accident s of ou r bi r t h a re just t hat — accident s — what ca n we do to suppor t t hose who may have had accident s less for t u nate t ha n ou rs ? Un less we a re act ively shapi ng a nd refor m i ng pol ic y, probably not much. But, w it h i n t he scope of ou r da i ly l ives, t hat a re bot h mu nda ne a nd chaot ic at t he sa me t i me, what we do have access to is ou r perspect ive. We ca n sta r t to see people a s t hey a re, not t hei r ci rcu msta nces.

Kat Regala is a junior studying the Prog ram of Liberal Studies with minors in Computing and Digital Technolog y and Science, Technolog y and Values. She originally hails f rom Naples, Florida , but loves traveling.

W hen not reading or writing, you can f ind her drinking cof fee, practicing yoga or binge-watching realit y television. You can contact her at kregala @ nd.edu .

T he views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of T he Observer.

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

6

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

INSIDE COLUMN

The joys of motherhood Christina Sayut Graphics Editor

I have had the pleasure of being born a younger sibling. As everyone knows, being the youngest sibling comes with the most responsibilities.

You have to be the funniest, coolest, prettiest and overall best member of your family, which is a lot of pressure.

I had been the baby of my family for a long time, reaping the benefits of being the cutest and, therefore, receiving all of the presents and exclamations of “Aw w, how precious.”

(Sorry, John.) Ask any member of my family, and I guarantee they will tell you that I was the sweetest little girl to ever be.

Did you need comedic relief ? I was there. Did you want to watch a fashion show of some arguably atrocious outfits? I was there. Did you need someone to sit and ask you endless questions about things that you had no idea about? I was there. I provided endless entertainment for my family.

Then I grew up. Now I am 21, no longer a baby. I am still the funniest, coolest, prettiest and overall best member of my family. (Sorry again, John.) However, I have to concede and say that some cuter girls have popped up in the last few years.

To the three E’s — Evee, Ellie and Edee — in my humble, but correct, opinion, you are the three cutest girls that I will ever have the privilege of loving. One could even go as far as to say that they are my pride and joy!

There is nothing that makes me smile harder than hearing their laughter or seeing their sweet smiles.

Something that makes me a little sad is the fact that I have not been to my hometown in Florida for almost a year. I haven’t been back since January. However, I choose to believe that it has always been for a good reason. A short drive from the beautiful city of Pittsburgh is where the majority of my family has set up roots, and this is where the girls live. I have decided to pick the much shorter drive to Pittsburgh instead of either the long drive to Florida or facing my fears of f lying. I would make this decision a million times to see those girls.

In less than a week, Edee is getting baptized. And I have the beautiful opportunity to be her godmother. I have embraced this identity wholeheartedly and have done my due diligence of bringing presents for her when I go to visit. I remember when Maddie first asked me to be her godmother, and I cried. I was so excited that I cried. I remember the day when Edee was born. I also cried. While I may not be her real mother, being able to

sit and watch her and her sisters grow up is such an insane feeling.

I think this is exactly how everyone in my family felt watching me. I blinked, and Evee (who was born in 2018) is now walking and dancing. Nobody knows when she went from not being able to crawl to chasing us through the yard. One day, my family members looked at me and I was no longer the baby. I was old and capable.

I don’t want Edee to grow up. Even in the past 6 months, Edee has just kept growing. I know that I’m going to shut my eyes to play peek-a-boo and open them to see her in elementary school. Or her high school graduation. Or her college graduation. Or her wedding.

But for now, I’m savoring the fact that she is little, and the fact that her and her sisters love to play peek-aboo and hide and seek. I’m savoring the fact that Evee still tugs on my arm to ask me to help her color. I’m savoring the fact that Ellie puts stickers on me in complete silence.

While I am reminiscing on the joys of motherhood, I want to take a moment to shout out some important moms in my family. First, I’d like to shout out my own mother. Thank you for picking up a phone call from me every single time I walk somewhere, even if it is five minutes after I just called you. To Nana, thank you for raising such a great mom and for supporting me with love and endless baked goods. To Aunt Pam and Joy, thank you for always treating me like your own daughter — I am comforted by the fact that I can call you and ask you anything and you will always be there. To Maddie, thank you for being the closest thing I have to an older sister and for being such a good role model. Thank you for being the cool mom to three of the sweetest girls I will ever know, and thank you for making me a godmother.

Taylor Swift put it best when she said “Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room / Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home / Remember the footsteps, remember the words said / And all your little brother’s favorite songs.”

I am so happy that I was fortunate enough to have such a strong group of women to support me as I grew older.

I look at Maddie and her daughters, and I love knowing that I am a part of their web now.

Hug your mom. Hug your grandma.

Hug your aunts. Hug your family. Hug your godmother.

You can contact Christina at csayut@nd.edu.

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

The pregame is the best part about going out Moira Quinn Working Title

The year 2023 is slowly, but surely, coming to a close. With Saturday marking the last home football game of the season and Thanksgiving next week, I have spent a lot of time reminiscing on all of the memories I have made this past year. As I mentioned in my most recent column, I am a very nostalgic person and I usually wind up spending a lot of the holiday season ref lecting on my life.

Looking back, I am noticing that I have become a social butterf ly and I’m a lot more outgoing than I used to be. Every party and event was fun and notable in its own way, but one thing has stayed consistent: I will always have way more fun at the pregame.

This may be an unpopular opinion, so let me try to explain myself.

Let me preface this by saying that I love going out and if I didn’t enjoy it I wouldn’t be writing this column in the first place. Now that I am a junior and have established a good friend group, being social is a lot easier and way more enjoyable than it was a few years ago. I like meeting new people, dancing in crowded rooms and ending up at Five Guys on Eddy Street in the early hours of the morning. That being said, there is something about the getting ready process that I can’t help but like so much more.

Here are a few reasons why.

Good vibes I have never had any incredibly negative experiences while out, however, I am almost always left slightly underwhelmed. But when I am in my room getting ready, I can still bask in the excitement of not knowing how my night will turn out — which makes the experience so much more enjoyable. I can only compare this feeling to the one I get when I am on a road trip and finally get to the destination. I am glad to be where I wanted to go but am almost a little sad that the ride is over.

Playing dress up When I think about getting ready to go out, my mind goes straight to the hair, makeup and outfit. I tend to have some dilemma regarding one of the three almost every weekend, but that’s what it’s all about. When I’m surrounded by my friends blowing out our hair, trying new makeup products and raiding each other’s closets for the perfect going-out top, I’m reminded of playing dress up as a

little kid. It feels very girlhood. I believe getting ready with girlfriends has become a really important part of my personal college experience, especially as a Saint Mary’s student. As women, we thrive off of setting time aside to talk with each other and bond over things like hair and makeup, but during the week it is difficult to do that due to school and other commitments. This is a time when we are all usually in high spirits and get to do that with one another.

Easy going What I love about a good pregame in comparison to larger parties is that most of the time the atmosphere is relatively calm. While I have to get ready every day anyhow, I am usually rushing late to a destination, whether it be class or a meeting. On weekends, however, I can slow down and get ready with ease, accompanied by a curated playlist of my choosing that is played at a volume that will not burst my eardrum. I can leisurely eat and drink without bumping into random people and can converse with my roommates and friends as we come in and out of each other’s dorm rooms because we have the time.

My house, my rules When I am in my room getting ready, I am in complete control of what is happening. It is also usually the only time everyone will be close to one another because we all know as soon as we get to our intended destination, we will drift away into a sweaty swarm of strangers, getting lost in the shuff le for who knows how long.

So sure, going out is a good time, and this will by no means end all social events forever. But truthfully, just lounging around and messing with hair and makeup with my friends is so very ideal to me. In many ways, it’s a party in and of itself. So as we prepare for one last home game and wrap up the semester, try to prioritize taking the time to enjoy everything that happens before the madness of your day and take in the sweet moments you have just hanging out and getting ready with your friends.

Moira Quinn is a junior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound.

T he views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of T he Observer.

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

7

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

Recently, I’ve found it hard to look forward to Marvel Studios’ films.

That’s not to say I’ve stopped being a fan of the studio or their films, but recently it feels like every good movie they make is followed by one of lesser quality. Earlier this year, Marvel released both their worst and best films in years: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” So where does that leave their new film, the team-up story “The Marvels”? Well, I think it’s safe to say “The Marvels” is Marvel’s funnest movie in years and that is a great thing to see.

A brief MCU debrief Due to the fact that Marvel Studios’ products now come with a required watch list, I’ll explain some context for what you should know before watching the film. Obviously, the film’s three stars have all headlined their own projects in the past. Brie Larson starred as the title character in 2019’s “Captain Marvel,” which this film references heavily. The Disney+ show “Ms. Marvel” featured Iman Vellani as the titular hero and is similarly essential for full enjoyment of “The Marvels.” The third co-lead, Teyonah Parris as

Captain Monica Rambeau, played a supporting role in Disney+’s “WandaVision,” but this project is the least important to understand the new film.

Everything necessary to know about her character is established within the film.

The film advertises itself primarily as a sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” The villain is tied to the first film and the focus is on the dynamic between Larson’s Captain Danvers and Parris’ Captain Rambeau established in the first film. However, “The Marvels” is really a continuation of “Ms. Marvel” more than anything else.

Most of the film’s supporting cast are returning characters from the show and Ms. Marvel’s interactions with the older heroes are a focus of the film. That all being said, the best part of the film is Samuel L. Jackson, returning to the role of Nick Fury.

After the events of the Disney+ show “Secret Invasion,” led by Jackson’s Fury, many fans questioned what would happen next.

The film did not acknowledge “Secret Invasion” whatsoever, which is good news for me as I did not care to watch that show.

Jackson steals the show whenever he’s on screen and the writers consistently give him the best lines that are only bolstered by his delivery.

The merry merits of the movie “The Marvels” Earlier I said this movie felt the most fun out of Marvel’s recent output. I view this as a good thing. It’s not Ibsen, but it does not have to be. Enjoyment of a film relies on the expectations of the audience, too. Some might feel that taking a breather and forsaking the seriousness of the genre detracts from a film’s quality. If that is how you feel, this might not be the best film for you.

I am, for lack of a better word, a sucker. To paraphrase my favorite movie theater ad, that is why I go to the theater: to care. For that reason, it wasn’t difficult for me to get sucked into the movie and its fun moments. I found the film charming.

A common criticism I have seen is the characterization of Vellani’s Khan as overeager and a little annoying. I do not share that criticism, as her character directly apologizes for these things later in the film. While I do think her character’s excitement was a bit much, I also acknowledge this is what the directors and writers were going for.

My thoughts on the film fit into one word: fun. If you want a fun time at the theater, “The Marvels” is a solid choice. Just keep your expectations in check.

Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu

THE BEAUTIFUL BUILD-UP TO ‘THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES’

By CLAIRE McKENNA Scene Writer

The day is here. Today, the movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” arrives in U.S. theaters. For those unaware, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a prequel to the famous “Hunger Games” trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. The prequel focuses on Coriolanus Snow, the eventual dictator of the country of Panem. It follows Coriolanus as he guides District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird through the 10th Hunger Games and beyond.

Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike (which has now ended), there had been no promotional activity for the movie until about three weeks ago after the film landed an interim agreement with the union allowing promotions to begin. Due to the agreement, fans recently have begun to see the movie’s stars on red carpets and interviews.

The first of the promotions that came out after the interim agreement was actually a song. Olivia Rodrigo joined other famous musicians like Taylor Swift, Lorde, The Weekend and Coldplay on the list of famous artists to have a song on the soundtrack for a “Hunger Games”

movie. In her track titled “Can’t Catch Me Now,” Rodrigo sings from the perspective of a vengeful Lucy Gray Baird. I won’t share too much for fear of spoilers, but the song beautifully conveys how Coriolanus will never be rid of Lucy Gray. Rodrigo’s crooning vocals and the song’s prolonged build-up to its climax beautifully enhance this message. “Can’t Catch Me Now” is a great song, and I’d recommend it even if you are not a fan of the “Hunger Games” franchise.

The real highlight of the promotional activities, however, has been the red carpets. So far there have been three — Berlin, London and Los Angeles — and the outfits of Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray, have definitely been the highlight of each night. Each of Zegler’s outfits was connected to an outfit seen in the original trilogy. At the Berlin premiere, her outfit resembled the flaming wedding dress worn by Katniss before the 75th Hunger Games. Zegler paid homage to Katniss’ dress during the Quarter Quell’s Tribute Parade at the London premiere. During the final red carpet in Los Angeles, she channeled the wedding dress worn by Annie Cresta in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2.” Zegler stunned in each outfit, and it was wonderful that she wanted to build such a

strong connection to the original movies during each premiere.

Zegler’s stunning outfits aside, the red carpets have been a cause for excitement for other reasons as well.

At the London premiere, both Josh Andrés Rivera and Hunter Schafer stunned in gold — another homage to the original trilogy. In Los Angeles, fans were also able to see some other familiar faces — such as Jena Malone and Jacqueline Emerson, who played Joanna Mason and Foxface, respectively — walk the red carpet. Of course, no one can discount the queen Suzanne Collins, who wore a lovely green outfit which (perhaps coincidentally or perhaps not) matched the book cover of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”

The amount of excitement new and old “Hunger Games” fans have as they eagerly await for for “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is unreal. Both on the internet and in real life, I am surrounded by fans who are sharing their enthusiasm for the series itself and this new movie. Today, the world of the “Hunger Games” is once again be available to us on the big screen, and the long wait is over.

Contact Claire McKenna at cmckenn4@nd.edu MARIA TOBIAS, MARISSA PANTHIERE | The Observer

8

SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Irish women’s offense excels in injurydampened home win over Northwestern

By J.J. POST A ssociate Spor t s Ed itor

It took a l l of t wo m i nutes a nd ten seconds on Wed nesday n ig ht for Niele Ivey to sig na l for a t i meout.

In t he Ir ish’s much-a nt icipated home opener, it was t he v isit i ng Nor t hwester n Wi ldcats t hat ca me out for t he open i ng t ip ra r i ng to go.

T he Wi ldcats scored t he ga me’s f i rst 8 poi nts as Not re Da me qu ick ly racked up 3 t u r novers. A oncebu z zi ng Pu rcel l Pav i l l ion hushed as Ivey took her ea rl iest t i meout of t he you ng season.

T he qu iet d id n’t last for long. Fresh ma n g ua rd Ha n na h Hida lgo d ra i ned a t h ree-poi nter just 19 seconds a f ter Ivey’s t i meout to get t he Ir ish on t he boa rd.

A stea l-a nd-score f rom g raduate st udent g ua rd A n na DeWol fe f u r t her f i red up t he crowd before Hida lgo’s second t h ree i n as ma ny m i nutes t ied t he ga me.

DeWol fe a nd Hida lgo wou ld t hen combi ne for a Spor tsCenter Top 10-wort hy play t hat gave Not re Da me a lead it wou ld never rel inqu ish. Receiv i ng

a f u l l-cou r t pass f rom jun ior g ua rd Son ia Cit ron, DeWol fe went beh i nd her back to f i nd Hida lgo, who f i n ished t h roug h contact for a n “a nd-one” lay up.

Wit h Pu rcel l on its feet, t he Ir ish h it t he accelerator.

T hey’d event ua l ly cap of f a 15-0 r u n later i n t he qua rter, lead i ng by 8 at t he end of t he per iod. It was on ly t he sta r t of what wou ld be a n ex plosive day for t he Not re Da me of fense.

Wit h Nor t hwester n reeli ng, t he Ir ish pi led on.

Not re Da me ta l l ied 32 second-qua r ter poi nts, i nclud i ng a n 11-0 r u n by Cit ron a lone to end t he ha l f. Nor t hwester n d id n’t score a si ng le basket i n t he f i na l t h ree m i nutes of t he f i rst ha l f.

T he of fensive out put ra n ked a mong t he g reatest i n Ir ish h istor y, w it h t he 110-52 w i n ma rk i ng t hei r most lopsided v ictor y over a Power Five opponent, as wel l as t hei r most poi nts scored aga i nst such a n opponent, si nce 2012.

A l l but t wo players on t he Not re Da me roster recorded at least one bucket i n t he w i n.

A f ter t he ga me, Ivey pra ised her tea m for

f i nd i ng its g roove a f ter a roug h sta r t.

“Cred it to Nor t hwester n, t hey ca me out ver y agg ressive. I t houg ht t hey had a g reat sta r t,” Ivey sa id a f ter t he ga me.

“T hen we k i nd of sett led ou rselves i n, had to ca l l a t i meout.

A nd t hen [we] sta r ted play i ng Ir ish basketba l l…

Def i n itely wasn’t t he sta r t t hat I wa nted, but I was proud of t he g roup [for] respond i ng to hav i ng a l itt le bit of adversit y a f ter t he ga me. But we need to sta r t better.”

T he w i n was da mpened by t he loss of Cit ron to i nju r y late i n t he t h i rd qua r ter.

Cit ron went dow n u nder t he Nor t hwester n basket w it h what appea red to be a lower-body i nju r y fol lowi ng a ta ng le of severa l players a nd had to be helped of f t he cou r t.

In t he postga me press con ference, Ivey sa id her message to t he tea m was to si mply cha n nel t hei r emot ions about t he i nju r y i nto t he ga me i n f ront of t hem. “[T he w i n] was bittersweet just because Son ia went dow n,” Ivey sa id. “I ta l ked to t hem about t r y i ng

to f i n ish t he ga me a nd play for her… It’s out of ou r cont rol, so t he on ly t h i ng we ca n do is t r y to play for her for t he rest of t he ga me.”

T houg h t he ex tent a nd speci f ic nat u re of Cit ron’s i nju r y rema i n u nclea r, a ny long-ter m loss of t he combo g ua rd wou ld be a br uta l blow for Ivey’s squad. T he ju n ior has emerged as one of t he ACC’s best t wo-way players a nd was beg i n n i ng to combi ne w it h Hida lgo to for m a h ig h ly potent of fensive duo.

Even w it h Cit ron’s ea rly depa r t u re, t he pa i r i ng combi ned for 44 poi nts on Wed nesday n ig ht to go w it h 52 poi nts on Su nday aga i nst NJIT. Cit ron’s potent ia l absence, combi ned w it h jun ior g ua rd Ol iv ia Mi les st i l l recover i ng f rom a n ACL i nju r y susta i ned at t he end of last season, mea ns Not re Da me may face t he rema i nder of its non-con ference schedu le w it hout its leaders i n most stat ist ica l categor ies f rom 2022-23.

Shou ld t hat be t he case, ex pect Hida lgo’s a l ready outsi zed role to g row even bigger.

T he f resh ma n cu r rent ly

leads Not re Da me i n poi nts a nd assists a nd is second on t he tea m i n rebou nds.

She leads t he ent i re cou nt r y i n stea ls on a perga me basis, notch i ng 6 more ton ig ht.

A f ter t he ga me t houg h, Ivey st ressed t hat a ny replaci ng of Cit ron’s out put wou ld need to be a col lect ive ef for t: “I t h i n k it’s a n opport u n it y for ever yone to do more,” Ivey sa id.

“We have a n i ncred ible tea m, not just one person.

T h is tea m is ver y ba la nced.

Cass[a nd re Prosper], K K [Bra nsford] is back.

We have a lot of g reat players on t h is tea m.

Ever ybody’s just got to do a l itt le bit more.

Just l i ke when Ol iv ia went dow n, ever ybody stepped up a nd d id a l itt le bit more.

So t hat’s just what I’m goi ng to ask ou r ent i re tea m to do.”

Not re Da me now heads to Wash i ng ton D.C. to face Il l i nois i n t he 2023 Cit i Sha m rock Classic.

T he ga me t ips of f at 1 p.m. ET a nd is ava i lable on NBC a nd Peacock.

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

ND SOCCER

Irish women’s soccer to kick off crowded weekend in NCAA Tournament

By J.J. POST Associate Spor ts Editor

Both Notre Dame men’s and women’s soccer w ill have NCA A Tournament action this weekend, though the two teams w ill be in different situations and locations.

Women’s soccer w ill play the first match of what could become a loaded weekend slate for Irish soccer fans on Friday at 4 p.m., facing Memphis in the national round of 32 in Fayettev ille, Ark. Notre Dame earned its second-round spot w ith a tense w in over Valparaiso in South Bend last weekend.

The Irish dominated possession, but it took a pair of late goals for the home side to separate and advance.

Memphis won their firstround game 2-1 over LSU, adding another v ictor y to a streak that rivals some of the NCA A’s longest this season. The Tigers haven’t

lost since August and have ripped off 16 consecutive w ins since that loss, their only one of the season.

Graduate student Mya Jones has led the way for Memphis, putting together one of the best two-way seasons in the countr y. Jones has been equally strong as a scorer and creator, w ith her 11 goals and 11 assists leading the team in each categor y. She was recently named A AC Offensive Player of the Year.

Should Notre Dame emerge v ictorious, they’ll face the w inner of Arkansas and Pitt in a Sunday round of 16 tie.

Either matchup is guaranteed to have plent y of histor y at play.

The Irish have familiarit y w ith both of their potential opponents, even beyond hav ing played each already this year (draw ing both).

Notre Dame’s ties to Arkansas lie in their

tournament histor y against the Razorbacks.

In 2021, head coach Nate Norman and co. faced off against Arkansas in the same round and stadium as they could this year. That game ended w ith a 3-2 w in by the Razorbacks in a test y affair.

As for Pitt, the Panthers are led by former Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum. Waldrum led the Irish to a pair of national titles in his tenure before departing to coach the Houston Dash.

Men’s soccer w ill begin their NCA A Tournament journey on Sunday from the friendly confines of A lumni Stadium.

Notre Dame drew the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament thanks in large part to

an undefeated regular season in ACC play. That high seed earned them the bonus of a first-round bye.

Follow ing Kentuck y’s w in over Xav ier on Thursday night, Notre Dame w ill square off w ith the Wildcats for their opening tournament game.

The big stor yline for the Irish w ill be the availabilit y of junior for ward Matthew Roou and sophomore defender Mitch Ferguson.

Ferguson has missed a couple of weeks of action w ith a minor injur y.

Roou, tied for the team lead in goals, did not play in Notre Dame’s ACC Tournament game against Louisv ille w ith a similar knock.

Irish head coach Chad Riley confirmed during the

week that both players are still working back to full fitness.

Both figure to start for the Irish in their tournament run once completely healthy.

Notre Dame women’s soccer w ill start the weekend w ith their matchup against Memphis on Friday at 4 p.m. in Fayettev ille, Arkansas.

Should the Irish w in, they’ll play again on Sunday, a 7 p.m. kickoff against the w inner of Pitt and Arkansas.

That potential matchup w ill be preceded by Notre Dame men’s soccer home game against Kentuck y at 5 p.m. on Sunday. A ll of the matches w ill be available on ESPN+.

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

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 all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

DAILY

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CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

9

HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Look for opportunities, make changes that position you to reach your goal and follow your heart. Happiness is your responsibility, and doing what makes you feel good about yourself will ensure you reach your expectations. Put your energy where it counts and you’ll reap the rewards you deserve. Surround yourself with people who share your beliefs and contribute to your success. Your numbers are 9, 14, 23, 28, 36, 42, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Limit spending. Use your intelligence to devise different ways to utilize your skills, and you’ll find a lucrative and fulfilling path. Refuse to let emotional factors stand between you and what you want to pursue. Take responsibility for your happiness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An open mind will help you reach your destination. Don’t fear change if it can catapult you to a position that offers clout. Let your ambition take over and your experience and knowledge lead the way. Put your energy where it counts, and prosper.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Someone will mislead you. Go directly to the source if you want to avoid a mistake. Offering false information will compromise your reputation. Self-improvement is in your best interest and will encourage you to listen to experts before you embrace change.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Get out and talk to people in the know and you’ll discover what you want to pursue. Preparation will help you overcome any pitfall and ensure you reach your target and make a difference.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Emotions will surface along with opportunities. Weigh the pros and cons, and be sure to discuss your plans with those affected by the decisions you make. Share your vision, listen to complaints and make decisions you can live with mentally, emotionally and financially.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Listen to allies. It will be worthwhile to accommodate complaints with action if you want to maintain peace and finish what you start. Learn from the experience, be open to suggestions and adjust to please the majority, and you will make headway.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll mesmerize those eager to follow a winner, but expect opposition from those who play by different rules. Don’t let your integrity slip away when honesty and compassion are necessary if you want your charm to carry you to victory.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t take anything for granted. If you want something, it’s up to you to make it happen. Trust and believe in yourself and follow through with your plans. A change of heart will help you resolve issues holding you back. Live life your way.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Settle any differences you have amicably and move forward. Make the most of your time and put forth an innovative effort, and you’ll attract positive attention. Don’t dwell on what you cannot change when you should be embracing what life has to offer.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Implement a healthier lifestyle. A disciplined approach to exercise and maintaining an energetic routine will result in confidence and leadership qualities that will help you advance. Don’t let controversy get to you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Observe the changes going on around you and learn from the mistakes others make. Be aggressive in your approach to investments, and you’ll make your money stretch. Update documents, contracts and legal matters that need an adjustment. Physical or medical issues will require thought.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t limit your chance to advance or let emotional matters ruin your judgment. Let discipline lead the way, and you’ll figure out how to use your skills, knowledge and experience to reach your goal. Listen to your inner voice, not someone trying to sell you something.

Birthday Baby: You are determined, unique and ambitious. You are flexible and intuitive.

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SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Baraka CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

opening exchanges were fairly even in the second round until Landry landed a hit, causing Whitman to lose her balance and hit the canvas. She quickly stood up but received a count regardless. Once the bout resumed, the two fighters seemed more patient until Whitman closed the distance and landed a solid combination shortly before the bell. The patience was all gone at the start of the third as both fighters came out throwing haymakers. They kept trading blows, throwing with all they had until they clinched and the referee intervened. It was an even end to the round as they both emptied the reserves and threw all the punches they had left. After a tightly contested bout, the judges gave Whitman the championship via split decision.

Gabi “Texan Perfection” Cano def.

Maria “La Leche” Silvestri Both boxers came out swinging, much to the excitement of both sets of fans. After exchanging blows to the head, Silvestri knocked Cano to the ground toward the end of the first and she received a standing eight count. She stumbled again but remained on her feet to finish the first round. Silvestri continued to push Cano around during the second round and was able to back her into the ropes several times before Cano eventually landed a solid headshot. The round ended with Silvestri receiving a standing eight count. Both competitors landed a lot of punches in the third round and Silvestri received a second standing eight count, even though she continued to direct Cano around the ring. After the final bell, Cano was awarded the victory in a unanimous decision.

Olivia “Manny” Mancuso def. Annie “Big Ann” Guinan Throughout the fight, the two moved at each other quickly and

struck with authority. Mancuso seemed to favor shots to the body while Guinan tended to aim higher. Guinan backed Mancuso back into the ropes toward the end of the first round before Mancuso landed the last strike of the round.

Mancuso seemed to maintain her control until Guinan suddenly took the upper hand and forced her back about 10 feet and into the ropes again. Both landed solid shots on their opponent until the bell at the end of the second round. To start the third, Mancuso put her fists into Guinan’s face several times and dodged a key blow. Finally, Mancuso forced Guinan to receive a standing eight count, which stopped the clock. After that, Mancuso was driven toward the ropes twice more as the third round ended.

In a split decision, the judges awarded Mancuso the victory.

Ocean “The Matador” Leto def.

JJ “Soldier Boy” Jorgensen In the final bout of the night, Jorgensen came out strong, doling out strike after strike to her opponent. This opening barrage resulted in a standing eight count and several pushes into the ropes. Leto landed a few punches of her own to end the first round.

Jorgensen controlled the contest again through the second round, pushing Leto around the ring.

The referee broke the pair up several times. Leto landed a few head shots in a row, and Jorgensen received a standing eight count. Leto let her guard down, and the referee checked her helmet, but she came back to push Jorgensen back around the ring. At the end of the round, Jorgensen kept Leto away and delivered a few key hits to end the fight. In the final decision of the night, the judges named Leto the winner by split decision.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu, José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu, and Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

SPORTS AUTHORITY

Predicting Notre Dame’s 2023 bowl game

By TOM ZWILLER Senior Sports Writer

As Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman threw four straight incomplete passes late in the fourth quarter against Clemson, turning the ball over on downs, I stood on the Death Valley field, taking it all in.

It felt different from the Louisville loss — that defeat felt more shocking than anything.

Early in the second quarter against Clemson, it already felt like Notre Dame’s sputtering offense just would not be able to catch up to the Tigers.

The loss gave a massive blow to Notre Dame’s season. The Irish fell to 7-3 as they went into their second bye week, a complete 180 from when they entered their first bye after shredding an imploding USC team.

The hopes of a New Year’s Six bowl game — much of what fans had been discussing during the first bye — were gone. Fans on Twitter began to lament the “wasted” season, with some even suggesting that the Irish should simply forfeit whatever bowl they were awarded.

If Notre Dame were to have finished in the top 10, there was a chance they could have made the Orange Bowl and faced a Big Ten team. The result did depend on how Louisville finished the season, but in all likelihood, being ranked in the top 10 would guarantee the Irish a New Year’s Six appearance.

Now, depending on which projection site you look at, the Irish will be awarded a much less glamorous bowl game. The Athletic predicted that the Irish

would make the ReliaQuest Bowl, playing Tennessee. CBS has Notre Dame playing in the PopTarts Bowl against Oklahoma State.

What would it take for the Irish to make the ReliaQuest Bowl? Or are they more likely to make the Pop-Tarts Bowl? Let’s find out.

20 North Carolina is still mathematically alive, but if Louisville wins out, they will meet the Seminoles at Bank of America Stadium. I would take Florida State every time in that game, but Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm can scheme up a plan that keeps the Cards in the game.

Notre Dame The obvious starting point is Notre Dame and how the Irish finish the year. I am going to work with the assumption that the team finishes the regular season 9-3. Notre Dame is currently a 24.5-point favorite over Wake Forest and ESPN gives Stanford just a 4.8% chance to pull off the upset in the season finale.

Quite honestly, if Notre Dame lose to Wake Forest on Senior Day or to a 3-7 Stanford on the Pac-12 Network, they do not deserve the ReliaQuest Bowl. Just put them in the Gasparilla Bowl.

The Pac-12 and Big 12 are where things get interesting.

The Big 12 Championship Game should be a rematch between No. 7 Texas and No. 14 Oklahoma. However, there is a massive but. If Texas loses to Iowa State on Saturday, the Longhorns may miss out. Should Oklahoma and No. 23 Oklahoma State win out, they would make the Championship Game.

Right now, I am taking Texas.

However, by just putting that sentence in print, I fear I just guaranteed that Texas will “Texas” against Iowa State and lose.

The Pac-12, to me, is No. 6 Oregon’s to lose. The Ducks should make the conference title game, with a road game against Arizona State and a home game against No. 11 Oregon State being all that stands in their way.

Although I am taking Oregon State this weekend, No. 5 Washington is the team likeliest to meet Oregon there. I like the Ducks in a rematch.

So, we have Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Oregon in the CFP (sorry, Texas, I still think you are going to “Texas” against Iowa State). On the outside, looking in Texas, Washington and Alabama.

The CFP Race I am projecting No. 3 Michigan to beat No. 2 Ohio State in its season finale and then defeat No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. I think, realistically, that would put the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff. I’ll be curious if Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is allowed to coach in the Big Ten title game, should his team make it that far.

For the SEC, give me No. 1 Georgia. While the Bulldogs don’t yet look like last year’s team, they are rounding into form at the right time.

The ACC title game should come down to No. 4 Florida State and No. 10 Louisville. No.

The

New

Year’s

Six

see BOWL PAGE 11

FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS

The Observer predicts ND vs. Wake Forest

By Observer Sports Staff

Notre Dame 42, Wake Forest 3.

José Sánchez Córdova, Assistant Managing Editor

Andrew Sports

Here we are again. Notre Dame football has to rebound from a disappointing loss in 2023.

Thankfully, their opponent this weekend is the lowly Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who sit at the very bottom of the ACC. Wake Forest’s middling defense and woeful offense opens up a great chance for the Irish to shine. The Notre Dame defense should realistically be aiming to keep a shutout this weekend and give the struggling offense plenty of breathing room to figure things out. The Sam Hartman vs.

Wake Forest storyline will be fun to watch, and I expect the Irish captain to find his groove this weekend in a comfortable Notre Dame win on Senior Day.

Though Notre Dame has consistently said they want to be an “antifragile” program, it’s hard not to feel like they’re up against the ropes.

Fortunately, there’s no cure like the energy boost of Senior Day. And playing a Wake Forest team with a struggling passing attack of its own and with just one win since Sept. 16.

The Demon Deacons aren’t a total pushover — they did almost upset Duke on the road a couple of weeks ago. But after a few pitiful weeks, graduate student Sam Hartman finally resembles his September self again — at least long enough for the Irish to leave Notre Dame Stadium on a high note.

Notre Wake

McGuinness, Editor

Dame Forest

34, 10.

Notre Dame 41, Wake Forest 7.

J.J. Post, Sports

Associate Editor

I usually stray on the side of pragmatism with these predictions, and in most of Notre Dame’s games against Power Five opposition this year, such a strategy has proven prudent. I don’t foresee Saturday’s game being an especially even contest, though. Wake is a very wellcoached squad and will be sure to have a meticulous gameplan.

But the offensive firepower just isn’t there for the Demon Deacons.

Notre Dame’s offense has had its own struggles, but the Irish have also shown an ability to brute force their way through games at home in a way Wake has not. The Irish have dominated each of their last two senior days. I think that trend continues this weekend. Let the marshmallows fly.

Madeline Associate

Sports

Ladd, Editor

While the Notre Dame offense has had its struggles recently with Hartman, the Wake Forest offense he left has been a disaster.

Averaging just over 20 points per game, the 4-6 Demon Deacons have lost three games in a row and have turned the ball over 20 times this season.

Wake is also unable to find consistency in a starting quarterback, having had to rotate through three starters due to injury. To make matters worse, Wake can’t run the ball well due to poor offensive line play.

The Demon Deacons rank 128th in the nation in tackles for loss allowed. The Wake defense, by comparison, isn’t bad and has a solid pass rush led by Jasheen Davis (7.5

sacks) and Jacob Roberts (6).

This should be a “get right” game for Hartman as he takes on the team where he knew his greatest success.

Unfortunately, it is the penultimate game in a season of lost hope and broken playoff dreams. The Irish always perform very well on Senior Day, so this should be a blowout, see PREDICTIONS PAGE 11 PAID ADVERTISEMENT

SPORTS

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

11

HOCKEY

Irish take hot streak to clash with Minnesota

By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor

On its first six-game unbeaten streak since November 2021, Notre Dame hockey hits the road this weekend. The No. 17 Irish (63-2, 2-0-2 Big Ten) will visit No. 6 Minnesota (5-3-2, 1-2-1 Big Ten).

Last weekend, the Irish swept Ohio State on home ice, taking sole possession of third place in the Big Ten with 9 points. This is Notre Dame’s second conference road trip after opening the month with two ties at Penn State.

In 72 meetings, Minnesota leads the all-time series with 41 wins to Notre Dame’s 25. Last season, the Golden Gophers posed the toughest in-conference challenge for Notre Dame, taking 10 of 12 available points from the Irish.

Minnesota has swept one of its two series with the Irish in each of the last three seasons, doing so in the Twin Cities in October 2021 and November 2022. Still, head coach Jeff Jackson and company look forward to competing at 3M Arena at Mariucci, one of four

Predictions CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

leaving us wondering what quarterback might be coming to South Bend this winter in the transfer portal.

NotreDame49,WakeForest10.

Matthew Associate

Sports

Crow, Editor

Notre Dame has been tough to predict during its recent 3-3 stretch, but the one constant has been the outstanding play of the Irish defense. Another strong showing from that unit should be enough to stifle a Wake Forest offense that managed just 6 points against NC

10,000-seat buildings in college hockey.

“Mariucci’s a great barn. It’s one of the biggest in the country, and they usually have a full house every time we play,” Jackson said.

“For players and coaches alike, you’re more into it when there’s big crowds and there’s a great environment. It just gets you going.”

The trip to the State of Hockey doubles as a trip home for eight Irish players. Notre Dame’s Janicke brothers and Nelson brothers hail from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. So do graduate goaltender Ryan Bischel, senior defenseman Jake Boltmann, freshman forward Maddox Fleming and senior forward Grant Silianoff.

“These kids, they basically get raised on Gopher hockey,” Jackson said. “But during the development of their careers, that kind of changes as they get older just based on specific interests they have. Part of the reason we have so many Minnesota kids on our roster is because, generally, those kids are really good in school…For us, it’s not unusual

to get Minnesota kids, and it goes way back to Lefty Smith’s era.

Recruiting in Minnesota’s kinda been one of the prime recruiting areas for Notre Dame, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

State last weekend. On offense, the keys for the Irish to break out of their slump will be to avoid turnovers and convert on third down, two areas where they’ve struggled recently. Audric Estimé will have a big day while surpassing 100 rushing yards for the fifth time this season, and Hartman will connect on a few timely downfield passes to help Notre Dame close out its home slate with a win over his old team.

NotreDame31,WakeForest14.

Coming off back-to-back Frozen Four appearances under Bob Motzko, Minnesota was the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten. And though Wisconsin has stolen the title of conference frontrunner for now, the Golden Gophers have all the right weapons for another deep run.

This season, Minnesota has already played six games against opponents inside the nation’s top 10. It started 3-0-0, impressively shutting out current No. 2 North Dakota in Grand Forks. However, since summiting the national rankings in late October, the Gophers have quieted down. After grabbing 4 points at Michigan last weekend, they own a 2-3-2 record in their last seven games.

“They still bring in some of the top players every year. So

it’s not rebuilding for them, it’s just reloading,” Jackson said of Minnesota. “It starts with their goaltender, with Justen Close being one of the best goalies in the country.”

One of Minnesota’s top returners, Close has taken off over the past two seasons. During that timeframe, the Canadian netminder played to a 40-15-1 record with a .926 save percentage.

This year, Close has a .919 save percentage after denying 74 total shots last weekend in Ann Arbor.

The matchup in net will certainly be worth a watch this week, as Close and his 11 career shutouts square off with Bischel, a fellow graduate student with 10.

Up front, Minnesota lost two major talents in Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies. The two already have 19 points in 30 combined NHL games this season. At this point, the Gophers have looked to replace Cooley and Knies by committee. They have two freshmen, Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore — both first-round picks of Chicago — leading the team in assists.

Two sophomores pace the team in goals, beginning with 7 from Jimmy Snuggerud, a first-round St. Louis choice. Right behind, fourth-round Rangers selection Brody Lamb has 6.

On the blue line, Minnesota is working to cover the loss of NHLcaliber players in Brock Faber and Jackson LaCombe. Having five returning defensemen is a good place to start. Fifth-rounder Mike Koster headlines a young, but promising group of players tasked with defending Close in net.

“They are usually pretty sound on the back end. I’m sure that hasn’t changed that much even though they lost a lot back there,” Jackson said. “And the same thing up front. They lost a fair bit but, again, they replaced that with more skill and speed and talent, so it’s not like there’s gonna be a big drop off for them. You just assume that it’s gonna be a good transition game — a fast, hightempo game.”

could not be more different, and initially, it made me want to predict a closer game. But in the spirit of optimism, I decided to dive into the numbers and tried to find a comparable opponent to Wake that Notre Dame has already played, landing on Pitt.

Offensively, Wake seems to be a bit more of a ground-and-pound

squad. The Demon Deacons average 40 rushing attempts per game for about 3.3 yards per carry, while Pitt averages 3.4. Wake tends to run 70 plays per game and possesses the ball a bit better than Pitt.

Defensively, both teams allow a completion percentage greater than 60% and over 210 passing yards per game. Both teams are

allowing around 150 yards per game on the ground, with Wake allowing 4.2 yards per carry, slightly more than Pitt.

During his Tuesday press conference, Audric Estimé said he wanted the Irish seniors to go out with a bang. I think Wake Forest will allow them to do just that.

Gauging the Golden Gophers

Bowl CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Tom Sports

Zwiller,

Senior Writer

The feelings coming out of the first bye versus this second bye

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Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Oregon Rose Bowl: Michigan vs Florida State

and the Military Bowl.

While Notre Dame might wind up as eligible for the Military Bowl or Fenway Bowl, it seems like they would go to teams further down on the ACC board. In reality, there are only three possible spots for the Irish: the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Sun Bowl and the PopTarts Bowl.

Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs SMU Orange Bowl: Louisville vs Ohio State Peach Bowl: Missouri vs Penn State Cotton Bowl: Washington vs Alabama I am less committed to those teams in those specific matchups.

But those are the teams that I have making the NY6 if my proposed CFP scenario happened. The important thing is removing those teams from the pool of bowl-eligible squads.

Here’s

what’s

left

Notre Dame can qualify for any bowl game that is an ACC bowl or an at-large bid.

So that leaves us with the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Sun Bowl, the Fenway Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl

ReliaQuest Bowl This seems to be one of the more likely projections. Right now, The Athletic has this as where the Irish end up, taking on the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers. My own Power Model would have No. 15 LSU with a better finish, meaning that the possible Brian Kelly-Notre Dame grudge match is alive and well.

Sun Bowl This bowl would pit Notre Dame against a Pac-12 team and, based on my proposed scenario, I would guess that the Irish’s opponent would be No. 22 Utah. An interesting game because of the Andy Ludwig-to-Notre Dame storyline during the offseason.

An alternative team would be Oregon State, though that likely hinges on the Beavers upsetting either Oregon or Washington in the next two weeks.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Notre Dame 56, Wake Forest 3.

Pop-Tarts Bowl I have a vested interest in the Irish making this bowl. Reason number one: I met a super friendly Pop-Tarts Bowl Committee representative at the Clemson game. We spent halftime talking and he gave me a pin with the Pop-Tarts logo.

Reason number two is that the bowl game is in Orlando, which would be a perfect way to spend winter break.

The Irish would face the team that finishes third in the Big 12, likely either No. 21 Kansas State or Oklahoma State.

Anything could happen down the stretch of the season, but right now, based on my power rankings, I would take Oklahoma State.

It might seem a little crazy, but Kansas State has No. 25 Kansas remaining and a home game against Iowa State. a Oklahoma State has Houston and BYU left.

A Notre Dame-Oklahoma State matchup would give Marcus Freeman the opportunity to avenge the team’s 2022 Fiesta Bowl loss, his first ever game as a head coach..”

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

12

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

BARAKA BOUTS

Nine boxers prevail in Baraka Bouts Finals

By MADELINE LADD, JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA, ANNIKA HERKO Associate Sports Editor, Assistant Managing Editor, Sports Writer

“The Grillmaster” Nguyen def. Elle “The Greek Freak” Strogilos After a touching bell toll tribute to the late boxing referee and Mendoza College of Business teaching professor Mike Montalbano, the opening bout of the finals was underway. Met with plenty of cheers from the crowd, Nguyen took over early with plenty of contact as Strogilos assumed the defensive for the duration of the first.

In the second round, Strogilos managed to land respectable jabs despite several skilled dodging maneuvers by Nguyen. Nguyen came out swinging in the third, landed some damaging blows as Strogilos made a valiant effort to counter. Ultimately, by split decision, it was Nguyen who took home the win in the first bout.

Sarah “Midshipmenace” Nowak def. Ellie “The Hammer” Hammerschmitt There was no shortage of energy

as the second bout of the night got underway. An early stumble to the ground by Nowak briefly paused the contest. Nevertheless, Nowak quickly regrouped and took the offensive, despite expert dodging

by Hammerschmitt. At the end of the round, a successful right hook

by Hammerschmitt caused the crowd to erupt. In round two, the two women got in close, able to both deliver direct blows, though Nowak moved around the ring with more aggression and proactivity than Hammerschmitt as the ending bell sounded. In the third, both women put up a strong fight with impressive contact that caused the referee to separate the clinch. By split-decision, Nowak captured the championship in this bout.

Nicole “Knuckles” Lies def.

Abby “Silence of the” Lamm It was a scrappy first round, as both women delivered repeated blows in the ring. However, Lies assumed more accuracy and control as time went on, with Lamm unable to regroup until the round ended. Round two saw much of the same dance, with Lies gaining control again by the time the bell tolled. Both women gave

it all in round three. Lies delivered direct punches to the face and body shots that left Lamm unstable. Out of the gold corner, Lies captured the trophy in this contest by a unanimous decision.

on energy, but Buetow found the last of her reserves to land a strong head blow that closed the bout.

It was a dominant display from Buetow, who won the championship via unanimous decision.

Lauren Buetow def.

Smaller”

Frankie “Frank the Tank” Masciopinto def. Maggie “Read the Observer” Eastland

“Blondie” Sami “The Jorgensen

After a brief feeling-out period, Buetow kicked off the action with a few strong jabs that connected with Jorgensen’s head straight up the middle. Jorgensen fought back the best she could, but Buetow largely controlled the first round, pushing the pace and mostly dictating the engagements in the opening 90 seconds. Jorgensen came out of the break forcefully, landing a few body shots. Buetow quickly replied with a strong headshot and eventually forced a count as she cornered Jorgensen with a some strong blows. The rest of the second round was slower, with both fighters taking deep breaths and saving energy for the final round. Buetow once again won the round’s opening exchanges, pushing Jorgensen to the ropes twice in the opening 30 seconds. The rest of the round saw both fighters seemingly low

Editor’s Note: Eastland is Editor-in-Chief of The Observer.

The bout started at a high pace with Eastland scooting in and out of Masciopinto’s range and throwing jabs. Masciopinto counterpunched with varying rates of success, but landed a few solid shots. This dynamic continued for much of the first round as the two engaged one another, looking for openings and throwing rapid jabs in a tight opening frame. Eastland came out of the gate quickly and landed a few strong shots, much to the delight of her ringside support. Eastland threw more often, but the patient Masciopinto found good spots to reply and landed some forceful blows to Eastland’s headgear. Undeterred, Eastland kept up her fast pace as Masciopinto seemingly invited the pressure

but landed consistently. Dueling chants of “Maggie” and “Frankie” kicked off the third round as Eastland kept up her high-paced attack. Masciopinto seemed to find a groove though, pushing Eastland and dictating the pace for the middle portion of the round. Eastland made a strong final argument, landing a hard blow that forced a count for Masciopinto just before the bell.

Despite the count late in the third, Masciopinto had done enough.

The referee raised her hand and she was crowned the champion by unanimous decision.

Lily “The Dagger” def.

Caroline Persuasion”

Chelsea Whitman “Wasian Landry

It was a manic start to the bout with Landry getting the better of the opening exchanges and even dislodging Whitman’s headgear.

The quick pace kept up throughout the round, but Whitman found her feet and landed a few blows of her own. The fight was mostly going on up close, with the pair nearly clinching near end of the of the round. The see BARAKA PAGE 10

INSIDER

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

9

HAKIM SANFO

Sanfo’s Notre Dame experience has been ‘a beautiful story’

By RYAN EASTL AND Spor ts Writer

Senior tight end Hakim Sanfo didn’t take the standard route of the Notre Dame football player.

The t y pical Notre Dame football recruit is treated like royalt y throughout the recruiting process.

Starting in high school, they are simply bigger and better than most in their high school communit y.

They w ill go on a v isit, tr y on the gold helmet and take a photoshoot in the uniform. Sanfo, however, was a walk-on.

W hile an amazing talent at Mount Vernon High School in A lexandria, Virginia, he didn’t have all the glitz and glamor of a t y pical Notre Dame recruit.

Because he didn’t walk on the team until the beginning of his sophomore year, Sanfo’s path started out like that of a t y pical Notre Dame student.

Formerly a resident of

Kristofic CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

to go to school here [and] play football here,” he said. “It’s given me a lot of opportunities, to set myself up [for] whatever is going to be for my next phase of life.

So I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity I’ve had to be here and obviously, hopefully I can make the most of that going forward.”

No matter where Kristofic goes next, his role in upholding what brought him to Notre Dame — the team’s culture — is bound to last.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

Krimm

Morrissey Hall and currently study ing sciencebusiness, Sanfo decided he wanted to play for the Irish football team his sophomore year. After going through the walk-on process, he made the team.

“Ever y day, waking up w ith a purpose, w ith a mindset to come out here to compete, and be the best I can be, and make my teammates the best they can be,” Sanfo said of the walk-on process.

Being a walk-on is no easy task. To the average person, the task of being on the Notre Dame football team w ithout a scholarship or clear path to starting can seem like a burden.

However, Sanfo doesn’t feel that way at all.

“I’ve learned so many valuable skills that you just can’t be taught…Play ing football at Notre Dame gives you that unique experience,” Sanfo said.

This Saturday w ill be Sanfo’s last time running out of the tunnel as the smoke

blasts and the Victor y March plays.

“It is a blessing, and I want to value it as long as I can,” Sanfo said.

After graduation, Sanfo w ill work at Bank of America doing equit y research.

However, he is uncertain of his long-term future as he considers going back to school for his master’s in global health.

If there is one takeaway about Sanfo, it’s his attitude.

As a walk-on riddled w ith the demands of an elite school and football program, he strives to always be grateful.

He continually describes Notre Dame and his experience as “a blessing.” Sanfo summed up his memories on the football team and at Notre Dame: “The good and the bad combined makes it so memorable, the highs and the lows, and it becomes a beautiful stor y.”

Contact Ryan Eastland at reastlan@nd.edu

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish senior tight end Hakim Sanfo started out as a typical student, walking on to the football team at the beginning of sophomore year.

HENRY COOK

Cook reflects on Notre Dame career

By NOAH CAHILL Sports Writer

Attending Catholic Saint Ignatius High School only a few hours away in Cleveland, Ohio, Henry Cook was a perfect fit for Notre Dame. The senior wide receiver walked on all four years of his collegiate career, adeptly balancing life as a student-athlete. A business analytics major, Cook is set to work at the BlackArch investment

bank after graduation.

His time at the university and with the football team has shaped and prepared him for this next chapter.

Making the transition from high school to college comes with challenges. Cook remembers having to do a lot of things on his own for the first time but being well-prepared thanks to high school. He described his first experiences with the team, particularly joining

during the COVID-19 year.

“I only knew two kids on the team coming in with Liam Eichenberg and Chris Velotta, so having a few familiar faces made it comfortable at first.” Cook adds, “It was definitely a cool experience, just really quick, you get here and hit the ground running, but I’ve loved it. It’s been a great four years.”

As a part of the scout team, Cook’s role has developed across three

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

helped him with the younger punters on the team.

“The advice I give to those guys is, ‘Take everything in stride.’ I learn from them and they learn from me, and I like that,” Krimm said.

With his time at Notre Dame coming to an end, Krimm gave his insight on his post-graduation plan.

“I have a job lined up, but I still want to see what I can do with football in the future”, he said.

Contact Jon-David Regis at jregis@nd.edu

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish senior wide receiver Henry Cook overcame an ACL injury sophomore year, something he remembers as a proud career moment for Notre Dame football.

different defensive coordinators: Clark Lea, Marcus Freeman and now Al Golden. He highlighted Freeman’s implementation of Scout Team Player of the Week as a reflection of the scout team’s importance.

“Your hard work is definitely appreciated and people notice it,” Cook said. “Players will tell you that, on the defense, the starters appreciate the work so just kind of showing up every day, giving it your all and trying to make plays. It was definitely really fun.”

While Cook could not point to a single game as his career highlight, he mentioned the triumphant feeling of overcoming an ACL injury during his sophomore year. That was not the first time he endured a serious injury.

Cook tore his other ACL in high school. Cook said that with an unrelenting commitment to the rehab process, he overcame the obstacle. He attributes his confidence in returning to the field to the

teammates he worked with in the weight room, the training staff and strength coaches who all pushed him to get better.

“Getting back into playing football after missing it for so long... it was definitely just great to kind of be back out there doing fall camp and scout team again,” Cook recalled. ”You really appreciate it and enjoy that experience.”

Cook shared the biggest lesson from his experience at Notre Dame, one that he will carry into his post-graduation work.

“A sense of holding yourself accountable when no one is watching,” he said.

Playing on the scout team, it may have been easier not to give full effort every practice.

However, in making the most of every single rep and opportunity that came his way, Cook put those words to action in his four years and will continue to do so in the future.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

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COLE AUBREY

‘I can say I am a Notre Dame football player’: Cole Aubrey reflects on Irish career with pride

By ADAM AK AN Sports Writer

Much of the focus this Saturday against Wake Forest will be on Notre Dame football’s “household names” — the Sam Hartmans, the JD Bertrands and the Cam Harts. But Senior Day at Notre Dame represents something more.

It’s an opportunity to honor and celebrate all those graduating who made a significant impact on the football team, the University and the

community. In other words, it’s also for players like Cole Aubrey.

Aubrey has only spent a single year in South Bend but serves as a shining example of seizing an opportunity. The 6-foot, 230-pound defensive lineman out of Laguna Niguel, Calif., attended one of the nation’s elite high school football programs in St. John Bosco.

He parlayed a high school career in which he set school single-season and career sack records and a league

sack record into an offer and enrollment at Princeton University. He shined with the Tigers, playing a full senior season in which he recorded 18 tackles and 2 sacks.

Aubrey transferred to Notre Dame this past summer in a decision he dubs a “no-brainer.”

“W hat Notre Dame stands for is just different,” Aubrey said. “It’s the elite combination of academics, athletics and the Catholic faith. The prestige of it all… the air is

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student Cole Aubrey spent a single year with Notre Dame football after transferring this past summer from Princeton University, where he played a full senior season with 18 tackles and 2 sacks.

Cross III CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

practice that paid off, according to Cross.

“Like with any running quarterback, as I’m sure we are going to see a lot for the rest of the season, we practiced all week,” Cross said. “In the game there was nowhere for him to go because we had eyes on him wherever he could’ve gone.”

Cross led the defensive charge with a career-high 13 tackles, three of them solo and 3 ½ of which were for a loss. This game also marked the second in his career where he finished with double-digit tackles.

Cross had 33 total tackles at the end of last season. He currently sits leading the team with 35 after this game just halfway into the slate, showing the improvement he’s made this season.

He also played the entire game while dealing with a sinus infection. Cross humorously remarked “I’m not going to touch anything,” at the postgame press conference.

“I am not going to lie to you, I have a really bad sinus infection,” Cross said. “There were like three or four plays I was like, I can’t breathe, like I don’t know what’s going on, but I just kept going, and I looked at my dad in the stands which I do every game. All I saw was keep moving, if you want to feel better run it out.”

He embodied the defense’s ability to power through, to execute when it mattered.

Cross’ two forced fumbles — his first pair of the season — were difference-makers with regard to the outcome of the game.

“That’s how great defenses are made,” Cross said. “When the chips are down, and you don’t really know what’s going to happen, what are you going to do with the hand that you have? We went out, we played our hearts out and when it mattered, we made the stop.”

Cross will prove beneficial as the Irish prepare for the second half of their schedule, especially with opponents like No. 9 USC on the horizon.

ContactMadeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

just different out here.”

Aubrey did not choose to be an Irish football player with “any expectations.”

He says his “mindset was to control the controllables and maximize every opportunity I got”. He made his season debut in Notre Dame’s dominant 56-3 victory over Tennessee State, which he describes as his favorite moment as an Irish player.

Aubrey smiled as he recalled the moment.

“It was a little different here than Princeton in terms of the fans and the energ y. Going on that walk from the Basilica to the stadium, it really hit me. This is Notre Dame,” he said.

Aubrey says he has felt a sense of belonging ever since his transfer. He shouted out the unparalleled community of the Irish faithful.

“Even at local restaurants, when people see I go to Notre Dame, they’re all so friendly and kind,” Aubrey described. “It’s been great.” As he transitions into the next chapter of his life, Aubrey is grateful for what the Mendoza College of Business provided him given his liberal arts background at Princeton.

He says he was able to “dial in and learn transferable

skills such as accounting, statistics, quantitative business analysis and finance.”

He believes these are skills he’ll be able to use in his career moving forward.

Aubrey plans on securing a position working in mergers and acquisitions consulting following his graduation.

Aubrey knows his time playing college football and his year at Notre Dame are reaching their conclusion.

“At this point, I’m an old man. It’s time to hang up the cleats pretty soon,” he acknowledged with a chuckle.

“I have been so happy with this opportunity and thankful for the people that made it happen.”

Despite only donning the blue and gold for a single season, Aubrey achieved much more than “just being a part of it.”

Aubrey may be leaving the bright lights of Notre Dame Stadium and the brilliant stature of the Golden Dome behind, but the memories he forged both on the practice field and on campus will live on. Filled with gratitude, he ref lected, “I can say I’m a Notre Dame football player who ran out of that tunnel and shook those fans’ hands walking into the game.”

Contact Adam Akan at aakan@nd.edu

CHASE DIXON

Dixon ‘happy to be Irish’

By JACK HORTON Sports Writer

Ever since his uncle introduced him to Notre Dame football in third grade, Chase Dixon has dreamed of attending Notre Dame.

“That was always kind of the dream,” Dixon recalled.

“So then when I got in, it was just a major accomplishment and really just a dream come true.”

After enrolling at Notre Dame, Dixon selected computer science as his major and moved into Dunne Hall.

However, Dixon did not stop there. He joined one of the most exclusive groups on campus: the Notre Dame football team.

“I walked onto the team [as a wide receiver] spring of my sophomore year,” Dixon said.

“So I mean, from that moment onward, just all the changes

Courtesy of ND Athletics

see DIXON PAGE 11

Irish senior wide receiver Chase Dixon walked on to the team in the spring of his sophomore year and studied computer science.

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Dixon CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

and getting to experience playing football and getting close to the guys in the locker room. It’s just meant the world.”

After living in Dunne for three years, the Rockford, Ill., native chose to move off campus for his senior year. Dixon believes that he will carry the perspective that he’s gained from Notre Dame for the rest of his life.

“Coming from my background and seeing all the different backgrounds that are here, you just learn that the world is so much bigger than you think you know growing up,” he said.

“So just getting to hear different people’s opinions and thoughts and way of life just really opens your eyes to how different

everybody is but that we can all still come together as a Notre Dame community.”

When reflecting on his experience, Dixon said he’s glad to be a member of the Notre Dame football team.

“I just say it’s been a great, great four years and I’m just so glad,” he said. “The experiences and memories that I’ve been able to make throughout these four years, some of the best friends I could ever ask for in the world, so [I’m] just super happy to be here and happy to be Irish.”

After graduating from the University, Dixon plans to put his bachelor’s degree in computer science to work in the tech space, specifically in a software engineering role.

ContactJack Horton at jhorton6@nd.edu

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Irish graduate student offensive lineman Quinn Murphy comes from an academic family, so Notre Dame was a drawing choice for him given the academics, elite football program and storied history.

QUINN MURPHY

Murphy deems late move to Notre Dame a success

By CARL ALEXANDER Sports Writer

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student safety Eddie Scheidler made his college debut in 2021 before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for a year.

11

Five years ago, if you had asked graduate student offensive lineman Quinn Murphy where he saw himself, his response would likely have painted a different picture compared to where he finds himself today. The walk-on was not highly recruited coming out of Duxbury High School in Massachusetts, receiving attention only from Ivy League schools and other lower-tier programs. While football was important to Murphy, academics were a much bigger priority.

Coming from an academic family, he always faced a higher standard at school. As a result, Murphy had his mind set on attending an Ivy League school to pursue his football dreams.

This led to him committing to the well-esteemed institution in New Jersey, Princeton University. However, after a lastminute visit to Notre Dame and a preferred walk-on offer to the football team, Murphy decided to take his talents to South Bend.

“This opportunity came for a

school that is right on par with the Ivies, with a better football program and with more history and culture in football,” Murphy recalled. “Being from Boston, I grew up an Irish Catholic kid, so [Notre Dame] was kind of the perfect fit for me and what I wanted to pursue.”

While Murphy has not seen the field much during his time at Notre Dame, he has still pushed himself significantly — athletically and especially academically. Murphy has embraced the academic rigor at Notre Dame and is extremely proud of his academic achievements. He received his undergraduate degree in finance last May and is currently pursuing a master’s in business analytics.

“Academically, it is a grind here,” Murphy said. “I am very proud of myself, finishing my undergrad in finance and getting into a master’s program.

Overall, academic achievement, that I have held a standard to myself, is my biggest memory here.”

Murphy has taken advantage of the resources that Notre

Dame has provided for him. All of the relationships he has built with other top athletes combined with being able to uphold his mother’s high academic standard have made his time at Notre Dame worthwhile and unforgettable. Murphy’s dedication to his education has provided him with a solid foundation for his future endeavors after football. For now though, he’s still in football mode, so he hasn’t completely narrowed down on what he wants to do with his future.

After Notre Dame’s bowl game, he plans to hone in on his professional aspirations.

“As soon as the bowl game is over, I am going to start hammering into it pretty hard. I’d love to work in private equity [and] I always wanted to stay in the East Coast,” Murphy said. “I don’t want to go back to Boston at the moment, but I would definitely love to end there. With a more analytics-based master’s, it kind of has opened my horizons to different positions in finance.”

Contact Carl Alexander at calexan2@nd.edu

EDDIE SCHEIDLER

Scheidler savors small moments

By ANNIK A HERKO Sports Wruter

The sixth-year star graduate student safety Eddie Scheidler comes from a huge Notre Dame family and always wanted to play for the Irish.

Looking back on his time with the team, the small moments with his friends on the team, running out of the tunnel and walking out of the Basilica will stick with him just as much as the big moments — like USC and the Clemson games — will.

“It’s a cliche, but it’s a dream come true. It was even more special when my

younger brother, who’s now a sophomore, also became a preferred walk-on last year [and we started coming out of the tunnel] at the same time.

And we’ve made it a kind of tradition through the last season or two where we…run out to the end zone, get pumped a little bit and say a prayer together,“ Scheidler said.

Even though Scheidler plays defense, he was initially recruited to Notre Dame by former offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who used to attend Scheidler’s high school in Lake Forest, Ill. His head coach introduced the two because the Irish were looking

for walk-on defensive backs.

Scheidler made his collegiate debut in 2021 during the Notre Dame’s 34-6 win over Nav y before having a serious knee injury that kept him off the field for a year.

This season, he appeared against Tennessee State when the Irish won 56-3.

Ref lecting on his five years with the team, Scheidler feels that he’s grown into the person and player he wanted to be.

“I’d say the biggest difference is the person I am,” he said. “I feel like I’m more confident, I feel like I’m more mature. I have a better sense of the values I want to carry

with me for the rest of my life.

And all that is the culture of the football team, the culture of Notre Dame on campus.

“I think when you come into it fresh out of high school, you don’t really understand it beyond the surface stuff like the Grotto and the Golden Dome…but I think it’s the people you surround yourself with [such as] being in the football building, [and being around the coaches and mentors], the guys in the locker room.

I think all that combined just kind of shapes you into the person you are today.

And I think I got better at

football along the way but I think most importantly, it’s the kind of person I am.”

Scheidler plans on finishing up his master’s degree in the spring and intends to go into broadcasting after graduation. But before he finishes up with the team, he wants to end the season in the right way.

“We as a team obviously want to finish on a high note, win out and go to a bowl game,” Scheidler said.

“The season f lew by and personally, I’m just savoring everything we have left.”

ContactAnnika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

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BRENNAN WICKS

Wicks helps offensive line set lasting example

By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

Courtesy of Brennan Wicks

Keeping his plate full, Irish senior offensive lineman Brennan Wicks majored in Aerospace Engineering and was a Navy ROTC member.

Senior offensive lineman Brennan Wicks certainly had a lot on his plate throughout his time in South Bend. As an aerospace engineering major, offensive lineman and Navy ROTC member, one could certainly say he kept himself busy during his time under the Dome. For Wicks, this choice was always a factor in his decision to come to Notre Dame. It would allow him to operate at the highest level possible in both college athletics and academics. “[Notre Dame is] just a place where you can maximize your potential as a person,” Wicks said.

“And there’s a faith aspect that goes into that as well, I’d say.”

Despite Notre Dame being an ideal place for his college career, balancing a demanding major with a demanding football program had its learning curve.

Wicks noted that it was harder as a younger player to do so, but that once he got experience in both departments, it came more readily to him. This, he said, was largely due to the qualities football instilled in

him.

“It was definitely more difficult when I was a younger player,” Wicks said. “I think it’s one of the things football establishes in you, is accountability to yourself and your teammates on the football field. And part of that is taking care of your business with academics and learning how to manage your time. So it’s something I’ve definitely gotten better at over time.”

Part of that accountability comes from the bonds Wicks has with his teammates. He said the longer he has been on the team, the closer he has gotten to his teammates.

The culture he has been a part of since freshman year has helped him grow as a person both on and off the field.

Some of that development involves being a leader for those same teammates on the field. For Wicks, everyone can be a leader in their own way, which allows the team to remain bonded throughout any struggles or changeover, especially in the coaching staff. The offensive line that Wicks is a part of has especially experienced this.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that leadership

comes not just from the guy at the front of the room, it comes from everybody,” Wicks said. “The O-line has that culture built into it. So even with the leaders changing, we still hold each other accountable, still a tight group that does what’s required.”

Especially as a senior lineman, that leadership role has grown for Wicks and is one of the largest takeaways he has from his time at Notre Dame. Even though the offensive line has been celebrated in the media, the unit focuses on “doing things the right way,” choosing not to worry about the press and instead leading by example.

“To be a good leader, you have to lead by example,” Wicks said.

“So even if you’re not the guy who’s maybe contributing on the field as much, you have freshmen coming in, and if they see one guy not taking something seriously, you’re not giving it your all, they think ‘Well, that might be okay.’ So you learn that you have to take care of your business and be a good example and then help other people.”

ContactEmily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

NANA OSAFO-MENSAH

Osafo-Mensah reflects on Irish community

By J.J. POST Associate Sports Editor

Nana Osafo-Mensah’s ascent over the last few years has been steady and subtle.

The graduate student defensive end is oftentimes easy to miss on the stat sheet – OsafoMensah currently ranks twelfth on the team in tackles and is tied for fifth in tackles for loss – but his impact cannot be overstated. A key member of Notre Dame’s front seven rotation, he plays a major role in, among other situations, helping the Irish set the edge against the rush.

Coming out of high school, it wasn’t hard for the then-four

star recruit to choose Notre Dame.

“I really just wanted to go to a school that had the best of both worlds in terms of football and education,” said Osafo-Mensah.

“And then on top of that, being able to practice my faith, practice Catholicism was a big thing for me. I visited a lot of schools back in high school, but when I came to Notre Dame, all the people here I met were just different, from the student body to the players on the team. They just were like really a big family, and that was just a cool thing to me because I really could see myself fitting in with them. So when the time came to make a decision on where I wanted to

go, Notre Dame was the easy choice for me.”

Once he arrived, though, Osafo-Mensah didn’t immediately see the field. He played in just two games during his first two years with the program, recording a single assisted tackle.

But patience would pay off for the Fort Worth, Texas, native, as he found his place as a key depth piece along the defensive line during his junior season.

He played in 12 games, notching 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss along the way. The reps continued into his senior year, when he played in 13 games and forced his first career fumble.

The

forced

fumble

came

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish graduate student defensive end Nana Osafo-Mensah ranks twelfth on the team for tackles for loss.

in what was perhaps OsafoMensah’s best individual performance of his career, a game against Stanford in which the rest of the Irish roster seemed to struggle. Osafo-Mensah added three tackles (including a tackle for loss) to go with his forced fumble on the night. His strong outing in the loss drew specific praise from head coach Marcus Freeman after the game.

“Nana has really shown up. I think that’s the most amount of plays he’s ever played,” Freeman said. “It’s the most production he’s had, too. He’s done a really good job developing in practice. That’s the one thing I said to [defensive line] Coach [Al] Washington Sunday when we were watching film - ‘How many plays did Nana play? He needs to play more.’”

This past offseason, though, Osafo-Mensah faced a choice.

He had completed his four years of undergraduate studies at Notre Dame and had plenty of options as for what to do next.

He had additional eligibility, accumulated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a freshman year redshirt. Few would have faulted him for moving on, either to another program or to the professional world, after four years with the Irish. He all but certainly could have sought out an even bigger role at a different school.

But Osafo-Mensah opted to stay in South Bend and earn

an additional degree. He described the process of earning his Master’s while still playing football as difficult, but an experience in which he always felt supported.

“Going through that whole process but also still playing football and being in season was a big difficulty,” OsafoMensah said. “But the thing about Notre Dame is they’re always gonna have the resources to help you out, and always have the resources to make sure you succeed as long as you want them… Our coaches are always supportive of it. Even if there were times when you had to miss practice or miss meetings for an exam, or for a class, for some type of outside project – they’re always willing to help out with that.”

Osafo-Mensah’s graduate season has been perhaps his best yet. He’s one of 16 defenders to have played in every one of Notre Dame’s games this year. More than just a rotational substitute, Osafo-Mensah has been counted on to contribute in all sorts of critical situations.

And though he still has two regular season games left to play, he’s already registered career highs in tackles and tackles for loss in a season, with 18 and 3.5, respectively.

In 2022, Osafo-Mensah’s best game aligned with Notre see MENSAH PAGE 14

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CHRIS TYREE

Chris Tyree shows versatility against Pittsburgh, joins Irish legends

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Oct. 31.

Halfway through the first quarter, Notre Dame needed a spark against Pittsburgh. The Panthers entered the game with a 2-5 record, but they held a win over No. 15 Louisville, a team that beat Notre Dame less than a month ago. Pat Narduzzi’s defense had already shown some fight early in the game, too, picking off Irish quarterback Sam Hartman on the team’s opening possession.

Enter Chris Tyree.

The wide receiver and former running back stood back deep to field a punt from Pitt’s Caleb Junko.

As the punt spiraled through the air, Tyree settled under it and fielded it at Notre Dame’s 18-yard line, under duress from two would-be tacklers. Tyree absorbed the first hit and slipped under the second.

A few more Pitt players put their hands on him, but Tyree’s speed was too much. In the blink of an eye, he had burst free and by the time he crossed the 40-yard line, he had a convoy of blockers behind and nothing but green turf ahead.

By the time he crossed into the end zone, Tyree became the first Irish player since C.J. Sanders against UMass in 2015 to return a punt for a touchdown.

Asked how he escaped all the Panther tacklers on his way to scoring, Tyree kept it simple.

“Don’t think, just run,” Tyree said.

The punt return touchdown turned out to be just the opening act of what ended up being a masterclass on all three sides of the ball for Notre Dame after a shaky opening quarter. After Tyree’s

score, the Irish went on to score another 51 points on Pitt. In total, it was the most points Notre Dame has scored since it hung 66 on New Mexico in Week 2 of the 2019 season.

The score meant Tyree became just the fourth Notre Dame player ever to score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kick return touchdown in their career. He joins Irish legends Tim Brown, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail and Julius Jones.

A running back throughout his first three seasons in South Bend, Tyree has scored eight rushing touchdowns in his Irish career. He also had four receiving scores in his time as a running back. His move to slot receiver before this year has naturally meant many more opportunities through the air, already amounting to three receiving scores this season.

His kickoff return came two years ago against Wisconsin in a 41-13 Shamrock Series blowout at Soldier Field. Tyree took the ball 96 yards to give Notre Dame a 1713 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Much like Saturday, that special teams score in Chicago was the catalyst for a big Notre Dame burst on the way to an impressive victory.

The achievement is a perfect encapsulation of Tyree’s versatility on the football field. On Saturday alone, he had the big punt return and added 62 yards on just three catches. He even got a carry on an end around. No matter how he got it, good things happened when Tyree touched the football on Saturday against Pitt.

“Growing up playing football, that’s what I did,” Tyree said. “They would just give me the ball and tell me to go run. As simple as that, but it’s something that I really take

pride in. I want to be able to add value to the team as much as I can and whether that’s catching the ball or running it, returning and things like that, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability and I’m trying to show it each and every play.”

In his Monday press conference, Marcus Freeman had nothing but good things to say about the running back turned receiver. “[Tyree] just continues to work at it,’” Freeman said about the position change. “It is a great example of, I want to say resiliency, but even anti-fragile, right? As a guy that can move positions, have setbacks and

get better because of it.”

The Irish will have to rely on Tyree even more as they move into the last few games of the season.

He’s currently the team’s secondleading receiver with 417 yards, behind only tight end Mitchell Evans.

Monday’s announcement that Evans will have to undergo seasonending surgery for an ACL tear means others will have to shoulder more of the offensive load.

Freeman talked about other tight ends Holden Staes and Eli Raridon stepping up in Evans’ absence, but presumably, this will also see Tyree’s target share increase. He’s

only had 19 receptions in nine games this year, but he’s made the most of them, averaging 21.9 yards per catch. Despite the tremendous efficiency, Freeman believes there’s more potential for Tyree to tap into at his new position.

“I think he’s still getting better,” Freeman said. “He’s a guy I hope will come back for another year.

He’s just starting to scratch the surface of how good he can be as wide receiver for our program.”

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Chris Tyree has demonstrated tremendous versatility on the field for the Irish.

During thePitt game, Tyree returned a punt for a touchdown and helped Notre Dame decisively win 58-7.

HOWARD CROSS III

Howard Cross III clinches signature win

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Oct. 2.

Graduate student defensive lineman Howard Cross III arguably had the game of his career this past Saturday in Durham, North Carolina against No. 17 Duke.

The Paramus, New Jersey native has been with the Irish for five seasons and has been a consistent defensive presence in all six matchups this season. This game, though, Cross broke out. He was a disruptive force, especially when the Irish needed him most. Cross was responsible for the clinching strip sack that turned the ball loose from the hands of Duke quarterback Riley

Leonard and into those of senior linebacker Marist Liufau.

This would end the game and allow the Irish to claim their thrilling 21-14 victory.

“It’s ecstatic, there’s really no other feeling like it,” Cross said. “That’s what every guy in my position chases, is that feeling of everybody looking at you, everybody so proud of what you’ve done. It just goes to show what we’ve worked on. I couldn’t have done what I did without the rest of my D-line.”

Though they were not able to be as explosive against a motivated Duke offense, the defense — led by Cross — was able to keep Leonard at bay despite his mobility. It was the see CROSS III PAGE 10

CHANCELOR GORDON | The Observer

Irish graduate student Howard Cross III broke out for the Irish in their winning matchup against Duke.

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

GRIFFIN EIFERT

Eifert’s Irish experience ‘everything and more’

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

Courtesy of ND Athletics

As a lifelong Irish fan from Indiana, Irish senior wide receiver Griffin Eifert has fulfilled his dream of playing football at Notre Dame.

For senior wide receiver Griffin Eifert, attending and playing football at Notre Dame was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Eifert grew up as an Irish fan in nearby Fort Wayne, Ind., and got an inside look at the football program while watching his older brother Tyler, who starred at tight end for Notre Dame from 2009-2012.

“I grew up coming to all of [Tyler’s] games. His senior year, I went to every game, home and away,” Eifert said. “I love Notre Dame and Notre Dame football.

And then the academics just kind of topped it off, can’t get a better degree than that.”

Four years after making the decision to come to South Bend, Eifert has no second thoughts or regrets.

“It’s been everything [I hoped for] and more,” he said. “Just the friendships I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, it really paid off and I’m happy I did it.”

Eifert’s freshman year began during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the various restrictions made it a challenge to

quickly forge relationships with his new teammates. But sharing that experience has made the Irish senior class, and the team as a whole, all the more tight-knit in the seasons since “As a freshman, I was pretty shy. It was also during COVID, so we didn’t get to hang out with the guys outside of football that much,” Eifert said. “But now it’s [like], I can feel the brotherhood around the locker room, and it’s changing for the better.”

His first year was also memorable in some positive ways, though. The Irish finished the regular season undefeated and reached the College Football Playoff. That run featured a double-overtime victory over No. 1 Clemson at home, which Eifert refers to as the most memorable game he’s experienced at Notre Dame.

But while not every game results in a field storming, each time he gets to step on the field in front of 80,000 fans at Notre Dame Stadium is special for Eifert. Even now, in the days leading up to the final home game of his career, hearing the opening strains of “Here Come the Irish” over the

loudspeaker prior to the opening kickoff has never gotten old.

“I would say my favorite moment [of playing football at Notre Dame], and it happens every game, is the kickoff to start the game when the lady’s singing,” Eifert said. “I think that’s probably one of my favorite parts.”

With the season drawing to a close, the seniors’ time with the Irish is dwindling. That’s especially true for Eifert, who will graduate in December with a degree in Marketing. On the heels of a loss to Clemson, he and his teammates are focused on bouncing back the same way they have done after their previous defeats this season and capping off their time at Notre Dame on a high note.

“It’s really [about] just finishing strong,” Eifert said. “Obviously, November’s an important month in football – that’s how teams are remembered,” he said. “So we don’t want to be remembered [as] the team that gave up, but [the team that] persevered and finished strong.”

ContactMatthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

SKIP VELOTTA

Velotta still all-in after five seasons of Irish football

By CARL ALEXANDER Sports Writer

After watching “Rudy” as a kid and traveling to South Bend to watch the Irish play, graduate student running back Chris Velotta fulfilled his dreams of playing college football after four successful years with the Irish football team.

Velotta, who also goes by “Skip,” is a political science major from Cleveland who previously lived in Knott Hall.

Velotta’s signature nickname actually comes from his time playing a different sport: basketball.

On his youth basketball team, coaches would always refer to Velotta as “Skip” because of his constant energy. The name stuck since that moment.

“You can probably ask a lot of people here; I think I still have that energy,” Velotta said with a laugh.

Velotta chose to attend Notre Dame because of his love for the University from a young age.

Mensah CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Dame’s worst team outing of the season. This fall, however, the opposite was true. As the Irish defense put forth one of its best team performances of the year

“Since I was a kid, I always thought Notre Dame was magical,” he said.

While in high school, Skip “forgot about” Notre Dame, hoping to attend an Ivy League university to play college football. He decided to apply to the Notre Dame after some honest advice from his mom. “‘If you’re going to apply to Harvard, why don’t you apply to Notre Dame?’” Velotta recalled her saying.

Notre Dame accepted Velotta in 2019, and he walked onto the football team as a freshman. He saw the field from his sophomore year to now, playing on offense and the special teams unit.Velotta highlighted one moment during his junior year as his favorite moment on the field. In an away game against Virginia Tech, the Irish trailed by one score in the fourth quarter. Velotta was subbed in for a kick return late in the game, and he remembers the play vividly.

“A whole bunch of childhood dreams were materialized in that very moment,” he said. “The fans were screaming. The lights were as bright as they could ever be.

“I was a kid once, watching college football in my living room and dreaming of this moment,” Velotta said, explaining that the play was his “dream come true.”

When asked about his plans for the future, Velotta said he wants to stay around the game of football after he graduates.

“I really don’t think I can step away from the game,” he said. “I [plan on] taking an internship with the University of Iowa as a strength coach.”

From this, Velotta hopes to continue working around football in the future.

“Long-term? I’d love to coach the game of football or be a strength and conditioning coach,” he said.

Contact Carl Alexander at calexan2@nd.edu

Irish graduate student running back Chris Velotta goes by “Skip,” a nickname given to him during his energetic youth basketball days.

against USC, Osafo-Mensah shined as well. He notched a personal-best four tackles as well as his second sack of the season.

Looking back on his time with the Irish, Osafo-Mensah says it was the community within the team that made his experience a

strong one.

“The people that I’ve met in my five years here are definitely people that I’m gonna cherish for the rest of my life,” said Osafo-Mensah. “Even those that have graduated, from four years ago to last year… Not only are they just brothers and sisters

to me now, but they’re really people that I’ve been through a lot of stuff with. Been through the pandemic with them, been through injuries with them, been through just learning and growing as a person. Especially like between the ages of 18 to 23, a lot of stuff goes on in those

Courtesy of ND Athletics

days. Just being able to have those types of people, especially being far from home, too, they’ve just been super important and super impactful people in my life.”

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

INSIDER

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

Hartman

JD BERTRAND

Bertrand steps up as leader

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 25.

It might not seem like much is new for JD Bertrand in the fall of his fifth year at Notre Dame. The graduate student has started at middle linebacker for the past two seasons, has been a team captain and has played in the College Football Playoff. Bertrand even played a football game in Dublin, the site of the Irish’s season opener against Navy, as a high schooler in 2016.

The same could be said for Notre Dame’s entire linebacker unit. When the Irish released their depth chart for the Navy game earlier in the week, the linebacker rotation offered no surprises. Last year’s trio of starters – current graduate students Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau – will once again be piloting the Irish defense.

For a group that has proven their ability to play at a high level and has all the big-game experience you could ask for, questions lingered about how they could raise the bar in 2023, what they could do differently to continue elevating their own performance and that of the entire defense.

To Bertrand, who led the Irish with 82 tackles last season (8.5 TFL) and was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year, that growth has been multifaceted over the nearly eight months since Notre Dame’s Gator Bowl victory last December. For starters, the unit has continued to build the same trust and chemistry on the field that they have off it.

“One of the coolest things is just having them as my best friends off the field,” Bertrand said about Kiser and Liufau during fall camp. “I think that really does come onto the field [when] we’re trying to beat

each other to checking the defense or we’re trying to make sure that each other knows every single little detail and [can anticipate] the offense.”

That trust has also been built with the coaching staff, especially second year defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Al Golden. With a full season in South Bend now under his belt, Golden has felt more comfortable raising his expectations for the unit and Bertrand has eagerly taken on added responsibility.

“One of the biggest things is that he’s able to put more load on us as linebackers because he knows that we’ll be a common voice for the defense,” Bertrand said about the difference in Golden’s coaching from last season. “So when a motion comes in or a check needs to be made, we can make that check really fast and calm everyone else.”

While the Irish’s starting linebacker core remains the same, the group features several talented young players. Now a two-time captain, Bertrand’s responsibilities extend to preparing his younger teammates for the big moments that they may step into at some point in the season.

“Having so many younger guys in our system, it’s been an opportunity to teach,” Bertrand said. “Whether it’s answering every single question they have or looking at the details and their technique, it’s been a really cool opportunity to almost test my knowledge by getting all these kinds of questions.”

In terms of on-field performance, Golden noted four areas that the Irish’s linebackers have prioritized this offseason.

“We need great ball disruption, we need to finish [with] effort and attitude on every single play,” Golden said. “We need to understand, identify

and execute in situations and then we need to be better tacklers.”

Maybe the improvements that Bertrand and the linebackers have made won’t jump off the page as much as they will for some of the Irish’s less experienced position groups.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t be present.

They could show up as the heightened effectiveness with which Bertrand communicates to his teammates.

Or the standout play of the unit’s younger members that stems from his leadership. Or the Irish linebackers disrupting more passes, playing with more energy, reading and reacting quicker and tackling better while taking on an expanded role in the defense.

Those subtle developments could turn a good unit into a great one during a Notre Dame season that kicks off against Navy on Saturday. It will be a special game for Bertrand – he expects upwards of 20 friends and family members currently living in Ireland to be in attendance.

“My family’s excited, our family and friends in Ireland are excited,” Bertrand said.

“The energy there is just going to be unreal.”

When asked about the identity of this Irish defense, Golden was hesitant to put a label on it. He preferred to defer to his players, who were more than happy to oblige.

“We’re going to be a defense that is hard-hitting, physical, wreaking havoc,” Kiser said.

“But at the same time, [we’re] going to bring consistancy and execution that hasn’t been seen in a while.”

Notre Dame’s linebacker trio is back for an encore season and they’re not the same players they were last year. They’re ready to prove it.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish graduate student linebacker JD Bertrand has been a team captain and played in the College Football Playoff. He led the Irish with 82 tackles last year and also won Defensive Player of the Year.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

all-time ACC leaderboard in each respective categor y.

Hartman also showed a knack last year for sav ing his best for the biggest moments. He started t wo games against top-15 opponents in 2022, posting a total of 10 touchdow ns against one interception and a combined 657 passing yards.

The graduate student’s stacked resume has translated to a dazzling start at his final collegiate stop in South Bend. His 15 total touchdow ns lead the countr y.

His passer rating of 217.8 ranks third and his 1,061 passing yards rank fifth.

Notre Dame’s offense looks and feels different w ith Hartman at the controls.

The Irish had just one passing touchdow n exceeding 50 yards last season, a 75-yard catch-and-run by Logan Diggs in the Gator Bowl.

Hartman threw t wo such deep scores last week against Central Michigan alone.

Hartman’s abilit y to stretch defenses is a unique weapon, one more recent Notre Dame offenses haven’t been able to deploy. There’s an ease in how well he sees the game. His arm allows him to access ever y area of the field. That combination makes shutting dow n the Irish offense a much harder task than in prior years.

“He’s just a smart player,” Nav y head coach Brian Newberr y said.

“He sees the field really, really well, and he was able to identif y things that we were doing really well, and he put the ball in the right places when he did. He’s like a coach out on the field.”

This concern from opposing coaches regarding the Notre Dame receiv ing corps wouldn’t occur w ith many other quarterbacks under center.

The unit lacks a true star, as well as general experience.

Just one senior w ill be in the receiver rotation against the Buckeyes, and no player w ill enter w ith more than a dozen catches in 2023.

But Hartman’s cool patience in the pocket has made the collective unit a potent one for the Irish. With the composure of a player who w ill start his 50th collegiate game against the Buckeyes, Hartman always takes his time to sur vey all his options.

He’s got the touch to find freshman Jaden Greathouse in a pocket of space over the middle, and the strength to hit streaking sophomore Tobias Merriweather dow n the sideline.

If an Irish receiver can get open, Hartman w ill hit them. If they can’t get open, Hartman

15

still might find them.

“He’s an NFL guy,” Merriweather said after the Central Michigan w in.

“The difference bet ween college and NFL is a lot of the time the quarterbacks just don’t give the receivers a choice but to catch it.

They just throw it on you, and it’s going to be there, and you expect it to be there. And I think that’s what Sam does for us. He just lets us make plays, puts the ball in our hands and lets us do what we do.”

For all his abilit y throw ing the ball though, Hartman’s greatest asset for the Irish on Saturday w ill likely be his leadership. It’s not easy to arrive on a new campus after five years w ith the same teammates.

It’s even harder when you’ve been anointed w ith the expectation of being the one to take your new team to the next level.

Yet from the day he arrived for the spring semester in South Bend, the praise for Hartman was as much about his abilit y to connect w ith teammates and lead his new team as it was his artful deep ball.

He officially received the designation of team captain just five months after his first spring practice, an honor he has proven worthy of at ever y step.

Hartman’s leadership in the locker room shows on the field as well.

There’s a v isible assurance in his voice from the offense that helps the unit move w ith precise efficiency when they find their rhy thm.

He has already successfully engineered three t wo-minute drills before halftime in just his first four games. W hen watching those drives, it’s impossible to miss the speed w ith which Hartman can reorganize the offense after ever y play.

“Ever y play you play is going to be different than the last,” Hartman said.

“It’s just going to be about trusting the guys around me and know ing that the support group around me is really, really talented.

And they believe in me, and I believe in them.”

Notre Dame is ready for its national telev ision close-up.

They’ve felt that way in prev ious years, only to be proven w rong in the biggest moments.

But things may be different this time because the Irish finally have a quarterback equipped w ith the physical and mental tools to lead his team into the spotlight.

“This moment won’t be too big for Sam. I mean, [it’s] year six for him,” said Freeman.

“I have a lot of confidence that he’ll be well prepared.

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

16

INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

SAM HARTMAN

Quarterback Sam Hartman steps up as leader of the Irish in his first-year

By J.J. POST Associate Spor ts Editor

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI| The Observer

Irish graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman stole the college football spotlight this Notre Dame football season.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story ran online Sept. 22.

Sam Hartman w ill be the first one to tell you he’s not the star of Notre Dame’s 4-0 start to the 2023 season. In fact, he’d probably insist on it.

Ever y time the graduate student quarterback has faced the cameras this fall, he’s found new people to credit when asked about his success. Follow ing his debut against Nav y, he offered shoutouts to the Universit y’s athletic administration, sports information department and Aer Lingus. After the team’s w in over NC State, his praise went to, among others, the scout team and team dietitian A lexa Appelman.

Despite the best efforts of Hartman to stay humble though, it’s hard for him to def lect the spotlight any longer.

On Saturday, the Irish w ill host No. 6 Ohio State in what’s set to be the biggest game Notre Dame Stadium has hosted (w ith

fans, at least) in over a decade.

The Marcus Freeman era is fully under way in South Bend.

The Ohio State game could be its defining moment. Last year’s Clemson game was a euphoric experience for the Irish faithful.

But Notre Dame’s early season woes meant that even a dominant w in put Freeman’s squad as, at best, a fringe top-15 team.

If the Irish beat the Buckeyes, they w ill immediately join the season’s premier title contenders. They w ill look ahead to a season where they are the ones being chased in the Playoff race, not doing the chasing.

The reason Notre Dame w ill walk into this monumental game at The House that Rockne Built w ith confidence?

Sam Hartman.

The Irish brought in Hartman for moments like this. The sixth-year star overf lows w ith experience. He may have more snaps under the spotlight to his name than any other active collegiate player. Hartman’s college career is so extensive that he is closer in age (24) to

Notre Dame’s youngest position coach (31-year-old safeties coach Chris O’Lear y) than he is the youngest recruits the Irish w ill have v isiting campus this weekend.

It’s easy to get starstruck by the primetime lights that w ill define Saturday’s contest.

But Hartman was a picture of veteran maturit y speaking to the media on Monday, both embracing the high-stakes nature of the moment and acknowledging the importance of day-in, day-out fundamentals to hav ing success in it.

“It’s a big game. To shy away from that is foolish.” Hartman said. “But like ever y week it’s going to be about us executing at the highest level.”

Executing at the highest level is something that Hartman has established quite a knack for in college. He arrived in South Bend w ith 110 career passing touchdow ns and 12,967 career passing yards to his name. He ranks first and second on the see HARTMAN PAGE 15

MARIST LIUFAU

Liufau overcame culture shock, brutal ankle injury to become key piece of comeback

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

The destination Marist Liufau has arrived at is quite a stellar one.

The fifth-year linebacker is part of a three-headed graduate student monster in the middle of Notre Dame’s defense. Liufau has started every game for the Irish this season, just as he did a year ago.

He was third on Notre Dame a year ago in tackles and is near the top of that list once again in 2023.

He trails only senior defensive end Jordan Botelho in sacks. Liufau has developed the resume and skills necessary to give himself a chance at reaching the NFL. It’s all even more impressive when zooming out and looking at Liufau’s Notre Dame journey. The Kalihi, Hawaii, native didn’t think his next step from Punahou High School would be South Bend. But Liufau was coached in high school

by Robby Toma, a wide receiver for the 2012 Notre Dame team that reached the BCS National Championship. He helped Liufau realize what Notre Dame was all about.

“What they’ve heard about Notre Dame is basically I came here just because it was a great school and they had great football.

I was going to be able to develop myself mentally, physically on and off the field,” Liufau said. “So it was just the best opportunity to take.”

That didn’t mean it was easy.

Like most Irish freshmen, Liufau didn’t see much game action his first year on campus. But the bigger transition for Liufau happened on days that weren’t Saturdays in the fall.

“I definitely was thrown off a lot.

It was a big culture shock for me,” Liufau said. “Everything was different. So transitioning here my freshman year was pretty hard. I missed the food back home and mainly missed my family, obviously. Then winter came over with us wanting to go home every day.

But never stuck it out. I know it’s gonna benefit me in the long run.”

The benefits came fast. Liufau started to make a name for himself in the 2020 campaign, making his first three collegiate starts and notching 22 tackles.

Twelve of them came in the ACC Championship and College Football Playoff, showing Liufau could make plays on the biggest stages. It all set Liufau up for a breakout 2021 season when he could take his place as a week-in, week-out impact player.

But Liufau’s journey had other plans. Just before the start of the 2021 campaign, Liufau suffered a brutal injury making a tackle in an otherwise ordinary August practice. A broken ankle ended his season before it even began.

It wound up being 610 days between that 2020 playoff performance and the next time Liufau stepped on the field. The Irish had changed head coaches, defensive coordinators and linebackers coaches. It was fair to wonder how Liufau would perform in his return after the arduous recovery and with all of the coaching turnover. But against No. 3 Ohio State, Liufau was right back near the top of the tackles category, racking up 5 in a strong defensive effort as a whole. see LIUFAU PAGE 8

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI| The Observer

Irish graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau is part of the threeheaded graduate student monster powering the Notre Dame defense.