Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, September 26, 2016

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DUKE 38, NOTRE DAME 35 | monday, september 26, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Shaken up Brian VanGorder fired after Duke scores 38 points to stun heavily favored Notre Dame

KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer

The Irish coaching staff patrols the sideline during Notre Dame’s 38-35 loss against Duke on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Head coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder on Sunday afternoon, just four games into his third season at the position. Notre Dame has allowed over 35 points in three of its four games this season.

Notre Dame flirts with rock bottom in Duke defeat Renee Griffin Sports Writer

The loss to Michigan State a week ago confirmed that Notre Dame had exited the playoff hunt. The loss to Duke on Saturday showed that it has instead entered the hunt for rock bottom. And, like the variety of Blue Devils players who found the end zone in Notre Dame Stadium, rock bottom might be something the Irish (1-3) haven’t actually hit yet. There were a number of times Saturday when it seemed the team could sink no lower. First, when it allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown and 78yard touchdown drive to Duke to close out the first quarter, surrendering a 14-point lead in a span of fewer than six minutes. Then, when Duke (2-2) recovered a fumble by junior quarterback DeShone Kizer and immediately scored on a 25-yard pass over the head of Irish junior safety Drue Tranquill to take the lead. Then, when the Notre Dame see GRIFFIN PAGE 3

By ALEX CARSON Assistant Managing Editor

On Saturday night, following Notre Dame’s 38-35 home loss against Duke, Irish head coach Brian Kelly backed defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s staff in his post-game press conference. On Sunday afternoon, just 18 hours later, Kelly announced VanGorder’s exit. “This is a difficult decision,” Kelly said in a press release announcing the change. “I have the utmost

respect for Brian as both a person and football coach, but our defense simply isn’t where it should be and I believe this change is necessary for the best interest of our program and our student-athletes.” VanGorder will be replaced by Greg Hudson, who joined the Irish staff as a defensive analyst over the offseason following a threeyear stint as defensive coordinator at Purdue. Kelly said Hudson, a former Irish linebacker, will be expected to get the struggling defense

playing to its potential. “He’s got great spirit on the defensive side of the ball and bringing him here, [we were] looking for some more experience and brain power and we got that,” Kelly said. “And now as the defensive coordinator, he’ll assume the responsibilities of the coordinator to get some energy into the group, some passion and get that unit playing the kind of football that I know they are capable of.”

Sports Writer

Notre Dame’s secondary problems continued to prove problematic as the Irish fell to Duke 38-35 Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium. All four of the Blue Devils’ touchdowns on offense came on plays of 18 yards or more. Both the defense and offense looked inconsistent as the Irish fell to 1-3 on the season. It was a totally different story at the beginning of the game. The Irish offense got off to a roaring start as junior

quarterback DeShone Kizer led the Irish on an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on their first possession of the game. Kizer found sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown on an eight-yard touchdown pass to cap the scoring drive. After Duke (2-2) went three-and-out, the Irish offense went right back to work as Kizer threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Kevin Stepherson to put the Irish up 14-0 with 8:57 left in the first quarter. That’s when the tide began to turn. On the ensuing kickoff,

By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Sports Writer

Duke junior returner Shaun Wilson took the ball 96 yards to the house to instantly cut the Irish lead in half. After a Notre Dame three-andout, Duke freshman quarterback Daniel Jones led the Blue Devils on an eight play, 78-yard drive capped by a 25-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jela Duncan to tie the game at 14-14. In the middle of the second quarter, Kizer fumbled a snap and Duke recovered on the Irish 25-yard line. The next play, Jones threw a

After last week’s playoffcrushing loss to Michigan State, Irish head coach Brian Kelly said, “There’s no panic.” How times change. Fast forward a week, and Notre Dame is now 1-3, losing to a Duke team that many thought would be a walk in the park. In a season that is now about playing for pride, Team 128 failed to defend their home turf against a Blue Devils team that had had only scored 27 points combined over its last two games with arguably mediocre opponents in Wake Forest and Northwestern. And who then scored 28 in one half against the Irish. Despite all the talk centering around Brian VanGorder and his firing Sunday, Kelly was very clear where he thought the problem lay after Saturday’s game. “Once you feel like you’ve got something going pretty good, we tend to make a mistake and let teams back into the game,” Kelly said. “So, I told our guys essentially that we’re going in the wrong direction. We’re

see COLLAPSE PAGE 2

see PERSONNEL PAGE 3

see VANGORDER PAGE 2

Fast start gives way to Irish collapse against Blue Devils By MICHAEL IVEY

Kelly promises personnel changes following loss


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