Notre dame 44, army 6 | monday, November 14, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
A ‘complete performance’ Notre Dame picks up fourth win of the season in display of offensive firepower
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Senior tight end Durhman Smythe hauls in a 31-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback DeShone Kizer in Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory over Army on Saturday in San Antonio. It was Smythe’s second touchdown grab of the day, and the Irish scored on all but two of their drives and held the Black Knights to under 200 yards of total offense.
Irish young players need to carry torch into next season Alex Carson Assistant Managing Editor
SAN ANTONIO — As the Notre Dame band played “Deep in the Heart of Texas” at halftime of Saturday’s 44-6 win over Army, I couldn’t help but think back to the last time I heard the ever-catchy tune. It was just under 10 weeks earlier, as the Irish were mere minutes from kicking off their 2016 season at Texas. It was a moment of optimism for Irish fans. Notre Dame was the preseason No. 10, after all, and with a favorable schedule and a couple of breaks, there’s no reason the Irish couldn’t have found themselves in a playoff semifinal come New Year’s Eve. Of course, that conventional wisdom didn’t come close to holding. Ultimately, for many weeks, the Irish were a fatally flawed team. When DeShone Kizer and the offense were clicking on all see CARSON PAGE 3
By ALEX CARSON Assistant Managing Editor
SAN ANTONIO — Notre Dame has made a habit of quick starts this season; when sophomore receiver C.J. Sanders took the opening kickoff to the house Saturday, it marked the ninth time in 10 contests that Notre Dame had scored the game’s first points. But unlike the monotonous pattern that had developed this season, where the Irish would quickly give up an early advantage, Notre Dame pulled away at the Alamodome in Saturday’s Shamrock Series contest, running away with a dominant 44-6 win over Army. “You know, starting off with the special teams touchdown obviously gave us a great deal of energy and momentum in this game,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “And any time you can steal a possession like that against a team like Army that you know is going to be a battle, I think it gave us a great deal of confidence. A week ago, the Irish (4-6) struggled to get off the field against Navy’s triple-option attack. But from its first opportunity Saturday, Notre Dame’s
defense showed things would be different this week against Army (5-5), forcing the Black Knights off the field with an openingdrive three-and-out. It took just five more plays for junior quarterback DeShone Kizer to start the rout in earnest, hitting freshman receiver Kevin Stepherson over the middle for a 37-yard score just five minutes into the game. Kizer said looking deep for big gains against an Army secondary hit by injuries was part of the Irish game plan from the very beginning. Irish freshman receiver Kevin Stepherson hauls in a touchdown reception during Notre Dame’s 44-6 win at the Alamodome on Saturday. “Yeah, we understood that we had to challenge their [defensive backs],” Kizer said. “Obviously, unfortunately they were down a couple guys, and they played some guys who were a little less experienced than most, and with that, we had to take our guys, and if they gave us a look, attack that. We were able to do that on the first drive.” Sophomore running back Josh Adams got his name on the scoring summary on Notre Dame’s next drive — this one an
eight-play, 44-yard one — scoring on a 2-yard touchdown to push the Irish advantage to 21-0 before the end of the first quarter. The Black Knights did get on the board their next time out, with freshman running back Kell Walker scoring on fourth-andgoal from the 2-yard line, but after a missed extra point, the lead was only cut to 21-6. Notre Dame had a response, though, going 71 yards on nine plays, restoring its three-score lead when Kizer hit a wide-open senior tight end Durham Smythe from 10 yards out for a 28-6 lead. Irish senior tight end Durham Smythe catches a touchdown during Notre Dame’s 44-6 win over Army on Saturday in San Antonio. Army’s defense fared a little better the next time out, holding the Irish to a 27-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Justin Yoon to make it 31-6, but right before the half, the Irish aerial game struck again, with Kizer hitting Smythe again pushing the advantage to 38-6. Smythe, whose only two receptions Saturday were his two touchdowns, does a lot more see ROUT PAGE 3
Julian Love shines with first career interception By ZACH KLONSISKI Assitant Managing Editor
SAN ANTONIO — Following Notre Dame’s resounding victory over Army on Saturday, Julian Love uttered words that have rarely come from a Notre Dame defensive player’s mouth this season: “I couldn’t stop smiling.” The freshman defensive back nabbed his first career interception while standing on his own goal line with just under nine minutes remaining in the game. Although the pick was basically a formality — the game’s score was already at its 44-6 final margin — Love said that couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as every member of the defense congratulated him on his way back to the sideline. “There was a safety concept and I saw [senior cornerback Cole Luke’s] guy run a dig, and he was kind of hesitating and I looked at the quarterback and I feel like me and Cole thought the same thing,” see LOVE PAGE 2