Print Edition of the Irish Insider for Friday, September 16, 2016
By BEN PADANILAM
Associate sports e ditor
It’s s aturday night in n otre d ame s tadium. n otre d ame and m ichigan s tate are battling it out in a top20 showdown. The Irish offense takes the field, ready to square-off with the formidable s partan defense.
The ball is snapped, and war is waged in the trenches of the line of scrimmage. Who wins that battle on that play will ultimately determine the success or failure
of that play.
b ut once the play is over, the players line up again and ready for the next snap. They prepare to once again dig in, put their hands on the turf and assert their will. They may have won the battle, but the war has just begun.
It’s a physical beating not many people can handle, let alone embrace and look forward to. b ut not many people are m ike m cGlinchey.
“It’s going to be a pretty physical football game,” m cGlinchey said Wednesday.
“ o bviously guys like me are chomping at the bit for that. … That’s why you play college football as an offensive lineman is for a game like this. It’s not every week you get to play against guys that they’re not trying to sugar coat what they’re doing. They’re going to lineup and play and see what you’ve got, and that’s what’s fun about it.
“… That’s what we play the game for.”
Yet, football isn’t just a game for the captain
and senior offensive lineman. It’s a way of life. The Philadelphia native comes from one of those big football families, where many of his cousins have played or currently play at the collegiate level. o ne of them — former b oston c ollege quarterback and current signal caller for the Atlanta Falcons, m att r yan — has even gone on to play in the n FL, and m cGlinchey might just go on to join him after the conclusion of this season. With that kind of pedigree, it’s no surprise m cGlinchey considers football as formative for him as he finds it enjoyable.
“[Football] kind of made me and my family who we are,” he said. “It’s always kind of been the center point to what we did and who we were, and all of our focus was always on what we could do together as football players — how to get better and how to chase dreams that were in front of us.
“It’s been vital to who we were. … We love it, and it’s just everything about us.”
b ut the 6-foot-7.5, 310-pound lineman wasn’t always just a bruiser who set the tone at the line of scrimmage. h e played all over the field growing up before settling in as a tight end in high school. b ut when his coaches asked him to make the switch to the trenches, he was more than willing to oblige.
“A lot of it was just need at my high school, and that was pretty much just it,” m cGlinchey said. “I played whatever my high school needed me to play, and I guess it was kind of my destiny to eventually put my hand
in the dirt. It worked out, so I can’t really complain.”
Work out it did, as the transition to offensive tackle and his success with it earned him several accolades in high school. h e was ranked in the nation’s top-25 offensive tackles coming out of high school, per r ivals.com, and his play earned him an invitation to the s emper Fidelis All-American b owl as a senior. And after hearing what several college programs had to offer during his recruitment, he ultimately settled on n otre d ame. b ut m cGlinchey wasn’t a starter the minute he stepped on the field for the Irish. In fact, he didn’t see any time his freshman year. Then, the following season, he spent most of his time on special teams. While he wasn’t playing on the line for most of those first two seasons, he was still learning a lot from the players who were. In guys like Zack and n ick m artin and r onnie s tanley, m cGlinchey witnessed firsthand how to play the position with professionalism.
“I think [I learned] just how to be a pro, really,” m cGlinchey said. “Just how to go about your business the right way, how to be a leader and how to be a good teammate, and I think that’s been the most important thing they’ve bestowed upon me. It’s just the hard work that they did — they just showed you the right path, and we took over.”
And after 25 games, his opportunity finally came at the end of his sophomore season, when he was named the starter at right tackle for the final game of the year: a date
CAROLINE GENCO | The Observer
Irish senior offensive lineman and team captain Mike McGlinchey leads the way on senior running back Tarean Folston’s touchdown run late in the second quarter during Notre Dame’s victory over Nevada.
with a ranked L s U squad in the m usic c ity b owl. Yet when game day finally arrived, m cGlinchey said he wasn’t even focused on the difficult task of keeping a physical, athletic Tiger defensive line at bay.
“To be honest with you, I was really focusing on trying to be healthy — I had a really bad stomach bug that day, so I was really just trying to get through it,” m cGlinchey said. “I mean, I was nervous the whole month leading up to it, and it was my first [start]. I knew I was going to get the start, and I was pretty excited about it. b ut when the game day finally hit, I was more worried about the stomach bug than I was L s U’s defense.”
b ut his play showed no ill effects from the bug as he helped anchor the Irish offensive line in what ended up as a 31-28 victory for the Irish. And, as he flipped the page from his sophomore season to his junior season, he said that game gave him confidence and let him know he belonged.
“I finally figured out that I can do it when it’s the real time, and I got feel for how you had to operate within the game,” m cGlinchey said. “And that’s all very important. It was a huge experience for me for sure.”
And it was that confidence that allowed m cGlinchey to flourish his junior season, as he helped to anchor an offensive line that was a finalist for the inaugural Joe m oore Award, which is given to the nation’s best offensive line. It brought attention to him that carried over into this year, as he was named
to the o utland Trophy and Lombardi Award watch lists heading into the season. h e is even being talked about as a potential first-round draft pick in this year’s n FL draft, following the footsteps of s tanley and m artin.
Yet, with all these lofty expectations being placed on him, m cGlinchey knows he has to focus on being the best player he can be and not worrying about the footsteps of those who came before him.
“I can’t focus on the expectations that are put on me,” m cGlinchey said. “ o bviously there is an
expectation when you’re the veteran and the captain, and you have to know your job at all times and perform at the highest level. That’s what I’m trying to do each and every week. It’s a matter of focusing on what’s important and not those lofty expectations that will help me exceed them.”
n ow, as the Irish prepare to play host to the s partans on s aturday night, those expectations will be as high as ever. In a game many believe will be won at the line of scrimmage, n otre d ame will need m cGlinchey and the rest of its offensive line to be at its best against a
formidable m ichigan s tate front seven. b ut that doesn’t change the way the unit will prepare, as they are treating the matchup just as they would any other.
“We don’t prepare differently,” m cGlinchey said. “We prepare hard each and every week, and it’s about sticking to routine and being consistent. That makes players great. s o we’re not really changing a whole lot — we obviously have certain intricacies in the game plan that we’re putting in for m ichigan s tate, but other than that, not really a whole lot of change.”
b ut the history of the rivalry
between the two programs isn’t lost on m cGlinchey. h e said he knows how hardfought the games of the past have been between them.
And he said that will only make s aturday’s game more physical and more exciting.
“It’s a physical football game, and that’s the way football is supposed to be played,” m cGlinchey said. “I’m really excited about it, and I know the rest of our guys up front are too. It’s gonna be a fun game, and it’s gonna be a great challenge.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
McGlinchey, who is the cousin of Matt Ryan of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, grew up in a family obsessed with football. The Philadelphia native was a jack-of-all-trades in high school, threatening defenses as a 6-foot-7.5 tight end before finding his place as an offensive lineman.
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PAI d AdverTIsemen T
SpARtAN pASSINg
After getting torched two weeks ago against Texas, the Irish got back on track last week against the Wolf Pack. notre dame let up 201 passing yards and held nevada’s quarterbacks to 12 completions on 26 passes. The Wolf Pack game saw bounce-back performances from nick c oleman and d rue Tranquill. defensive lineman Jarron Jones also got into the action with an interception, which set up notre dame for a short touchdwon. however, there are still holes in the Irish secondary and with better throws, the Wolf Pack may have had two more touchdowns.
meanwhile, m ichigan state, through one game, compiled 190 yards of passing against Furman two weeks ago. s enior quarterback Tyler o’c onnor may not win the heisman, but he is more than just a game manager and there is little he hasn’t seen at this stage in his collegiate career. The running game is m ichigan state’s bread and butter, but if need be, the spartan passing attack can come alive.
eDge : e V eN
SpARtAN RuSHINg
m ichigan state has long been known for its tough, old-school running game and this year is no different. The spartans rushed for nearly 2,500 yards last season and through one game in 2016, they have 171 yards on the ground. The spartans have an experienced offensive line with three seniors and one junior in front of sophomore LJ s cott and spartan head coach m ark d antonio will go to the ground early and often. o n the other side of the trenches, the Irish front seven are a far cry from the formidable 2012 team. Against Texas, the Irish surrendered 237 rushing yards after switching to a 3-3-5 defensive scheme. While the Longhorns employed a highempo offense, the s partans will present the Irish with a more traditional ground attack. Against the Wolf Pack, the Irish held a run-first team to only 99 yards on 30 attempts. how well the Irish control the spartan ground game will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.
eDge : mIcHIgAN StAte
SpARtAN OFFeNSIV e cOAcHINg
spartan head coach mark dantonio is one of only six active head coaches to boast a .700 win percentage after 100 games at a school. dantonio’s teams are known for their hardnosed, old-fashioned approach and reliance on the run game and the defense. however, the spartan offense in past years is more two dimensional than many think. michigan state threw for 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions last year. co-offensive coordinators Jim bollman and dave Warner have coached three current nFL quarterbacks in Kirk cousins, connor cook and brian hoyer. on the other side of the ball, Irish defensive coordinator brian vanGorder has some work to do to mold his young defense into a top-tier unit. The defense had a much stronger showing against nevada as the Irish limited big plays and came up with a key fourth -down stop en route to allowing only 10 points to the Wolf Pack. A solid performance against a legitimate top-15 team will go a long way towards vanGorder’s job security.
eDge : mIcHIgAN StAte
SpARtAN SpecIAL te A mS
michigan state went 6-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less last season and senior kicker michael Geiger is a big reason why. many will remember his most famous kick — a 41-yard game-winning field goal as time expired agaisnt then-no. 2 ohio state on nov. 21. Geiger went 12-for-19 in field goal attempts on the year.
It is rare that defensive special teams make an impact in a game, but against Texas, the Irish blocked an extra-point attempt and returned it for a defensive twopoint conversion.
e Dge : e V e N
SpARtAN ScHeDuLe (1-0)
sept. 2 Furman (28-13 W)
sept. 17 @ Notre Dame
sept. 24 Wisconsin
oct. 1 @ Indiana
oct. 8 BYU
oct. 15 Northwestern
oct. 22 @ Maryland
oct. 29 Michigan
nov. 5 @ Illinois
nov. 12 Rutgers
nov. 19 Ohio State
nov. 26 @ Penn State
don’t expect this to be anything but a tight game. Three of the last five have been one-score encounters, and in a game where each team really needs a win for playoff aspirations — though that’s still long down the road — count on every yard being hard-fought.
It’s tough to know what to make of these spartans, though. his win at no. 2 ohio state last year aside, Tyler o’connor is still a largely unknown quantity at quarterback for michigan state, and without a data point against an Fbs opponent this year, it’s hard to speak much to the caliber of michigan state. Just look at the line, where the Irish are favored by a decent margin, to get a pulse on that.
At the end of the day, though, defense wins these tight, hard-fought games. And michigan state’s will be better.
FINAL SCORE: m ichigan state 21, notre dame 17
HEA d
NO. 12 Michiga N S TaT e
ditor
There’s one clear narrative for the game this weekend: It’s going to be physical.
mark dantonio and his program have more than earned their gritty, hard-nosed reputation, and this has the makings of a slugfest to match 2013’s 17-13 notre dame victory. however, even after a dominant showing against nevada’s power attack, I’m still wary of the Irish defense’s ability to hold the spartan offense in check. In much the same way, although I respect the michigan state defense, my gut tells me notre dame will put up more points than many expect. The over/under for this game currently sits a hair over 50 points, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the game reaches 70 and threatens 80.
For me, the winner’s a toss-up, but I’ll go with the home team.
FINAL SCORE: notre dame 41, michigan state 38
This is a tough game to get a read on. I can very easily see n otre d ame showing up big in a primetime home atmosphere and beating s party for the fifth time in six years.
b ut then I can also see m ichigan s tate rolling over the Irish defense with a strong run game. n o matter what, the s partans are well-coached and will fight to the very end. If the weather turns sour, m ichigan s tate gains the advantage despite the game being at n otre d ame s tadium.
At the end of the day, however, I have to go with the team that has the h eisman hopeful at quarterback. If Kizer is anything less than perfect, the Irish fall, but he’ll be on his game and the Irish win ... somehow.
Zach Klonsinski Assistant managing e
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Alex Carson Assistant managing e ditor
OHEA d
NO. 18 NOTR e Da Me
IRISH pASSINg
Though the number of yards may not show it, the Irish had a successful day passing against nevada. de shone Kizer and malik Zaire threw for a combined 205 yards, and Kizer completed 15 out of his 18 passes, including two touchdowns and one interception. s ophomore receiver e quanimeous st. brown continues to emerge as a standout target for Kizer, hauling in six receptions for 85 yards s aturday, and with Torii hunter Jr. returning from a concussion, the Irish receiving corps has depth and will continue to improve as it gains experience.
m ichigan state has historically been a good school for defensive backs, including recent standouts darqueze dennard and Trenton robinson. The spartans are one of the few teams known for an aggressive press coverage that has the potential to give notre dame fits. Last season, the spartans allowed 234 yards per game through the air. Two weeks ago, the spartans held Furman to just 139 yards passing.
The biggest difference between the two offenses is the play at quarterback. de shone Kizer is a heisman candidate and the speed the Irish have at reciever wil be miles ahead of what m ichigan state saw versus Furman.
e Dge : NOt R e DA me
IRISH RuSHINg
While m ichigan state may be the team more traditionally associated with the running game, notre d ame is no slouch in this department. The Irish are averaging 222.5 rushing yards per game so far this season behind a strong offensive line and the backfield of Tarean Folston and Josh Adams. Adams was especially effective against nevada, accumulating 106 yards on only 10 carries.
The spartans possess a strong run defense, having allowed Furman only 87 yards on 33 carries. The spartans also had three players with eight tackles or more against the Paladins, with junior linebacker c hris Frey leading the way with nine. Last season, the spartans gave up 3.6 yards per rush and 116 yards per game.
e Dge : NOt R e DA me
Associate
After watching notre dame’s performance in its first two games, I don’t feel currently confident in its odds against most of the top-25 teams in the country. but michigan state is one of those few teams that I think the Irish match up well with.
With new quarterback Tyler o’connor, the spartan passing game doesn’t strike fear in me. That’s not to say the spartans haven’t proven they can win with him under center — they have — but I think it bodes well for a developing Irish secondary.
This game will be won in the trenches. And two things notre dame has done well thus far are protect the quarterback and run the football. I expect the Irish to do both just well enough to come out on top saturday.
FINAL SCORE: notre dame 24, michigan state 20
not much has been proven about either notre d ame or m ichigan s tate so far this season. The Irish of the first half against Texas would have no chance against the s partans, but the team that showed up for the second half against the Longhorns and for the last three quarters of the game against nevada would fare much better.
m ichigan s tate’s 28-13 win over Furman, meanwhile, hardly confirms their claim to the no. 12 spot in the AP poll. If the Irish do just enough on defense to limit the s partans, and the offensive line opens holes for the n otre
backs like it did last week, the
IRISH OFFe NSIV e cOAcHINg
With deshone Kizer taking snaps, brian Kelly and offensive coordinator mike sanford have hit on something that works. Look for Kelly to put the ball in Kizer’s hands in big situations. Kelly also seems to have michigan state’s number, winning four of the last five games against michigan state, with the last loss coming by way of a fake field goal in overtime back in 2010.
defensively, michigan state’s continuity is a strong suit. spartan co-defensive coordinators harlon barnett and mike Tressel have been with dantonio since his arrival in east Lansing in 2007 and in fact, coached under dantonio when he was with cincinnati from 2004-2006. The michigan state staff has a wealth of experience and it will be up to the Irish to out-execute the spartans since they won’t confuse them.
eDge : NOtRe DAme
IRISH SpecIAL te AmS
The Irish continue to struggle with consistency on special teams. Punter Tyler newsome has not been fantastic, averaging 44.8 yards per punt against nevada, but only 38.3 versus Texas. A smooth day for special teams was also marred by a missed extrapoint on saturday by Justin Yoon, although the hold on the play was subpar. on the bright side for the Irish, sophomore c.J. sanders has boosted the Irish return game, averaging 37 yards per kick return in the nevada game.
michigan state’s special teams can also make an impact. most visibly, the spartans blocked a punt in the final seconds of a game versus michigan and returned that ball for the game-winning touchdown.
e Dge : e V e N
IRISH S cHe DuL e (1-1)
sept. 4 @ Texas (50-47 L, 2OT)
sept. 10 Nevada (39-10 W)
sept. 17 Michigan State
sept. 24 Duke
oct. 1 vs. Syracuse
oct. 8 @ NC State
oct. 15 Stanford
oct. 29 Miami
nov. 5 vs. Navy
nov. 12 vs. Army
nov. 19 Virginia Tech
nov. 26 @ USC
Ben Padanilam
sports e ditor
Line readies for powerful rushing attack
By RENEE GRIFFIN sports Writer
If there’s a single word Irish players and coaches have repeatedly used to describe no. 12 m ichigan state in the week leading up to s aturday’s game, it’s “physical.”
That’s especially true of the s partan offensive line, which will meet a notre d ame defensive front that allowed 237 yards on the ground in the double-overtime loss to Texas in Week o ne, then 99 rushing yards to a weaker nevada squad last s aturday.
m ichigan s tate’s run-first offense put up 171 rushing yards, including 105 from sophomore back L.J. s cott, in its only contest of the season so far, a 28-13 win against F cs opponent Furman. Perhaps more importantly, the s partans averaged more than 150 rushing yards per game en route to a 12-2 record last year.
“They’re a running team, and their offensive line is known for their physicality,” notre d ame junior lineman d aniel c age said. “Up front, we gotta make sure we get off the ball, be just as physical back. It starts up front with the d -linemen. We set the tone.”
The line is led by senior captain and end Isaac rochell, who has 14 total tackles and is striving to replace the leadership role held by class of 2015 alumnus s heldon d ay.
The top players surrounding r ochell are sophomore defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, graduate student nose tackle Jarron Jones, junior end Andrew Trumbetti and c age, who notre d ame head coach b rian Kelly said had the best game of his college career against the Wolf Pack.
Part of c age’s recent growth has been due to altering the management of his sleep apnea, a disease in which a person’s breathing starts and stops while asleep.
“he had a sleep pattern problem, which is allowing him to gain the rest,” Kelly said. “Then it’s a trickle down from there. he’s getting the right nutrition, which is giving him an opportunity to train better at a higher level.”
c age said he’s looking forward to the physicality of the s partans despite some nerves.
“I love games like this, really,” he said. “Just to show how tough I really am, and the other team, and our team as a whole, it really sets the standard of how things like this should go and it’s gonna set us on the right track.
“It’s gonna be a little nervewracking for me, but right now I’m just focusing on my technique and focusing on the game plan.”
health has also been a
factor in the performance of the veteran Jones, who missed all of 2015 with a torn mc L.
“I think Jarron is feeling more comfortable coming back from an injury,” Kelly said. “ he’s certainly understanding leverage and understanding what he needs to do to continue to get more work for us and him, and d aniel had two really good games and we’re going to need it.
“o bviously, playing teams like m ichigan s tate and s tanford and teams that are going to really pound the football, we’re going to need more of that than we got from them this past weekend.”
Jones hauled in an interception off a nevada screen pass deep in opposing territory last week, which led to an Irish touchdown a few plays later. h e said after the game that the defense’s performance against the Wolf Pack was heartening after the squad gave up 50 points to the Longhorns.
“It picked up our confidence a lot, just being able to go out and execute,” Jones said. “It showed us that we do have the ability to make plays. Just having this win under our belt is huge, especially going into a game like m ichigan s tate.”
Tillery, meanwhile, is second on the line behind r ochell with six overall tackles. he said the line is prepared for the unique ground game challenge that the s partans will bring to n otre d ame s tadium on s aturday night.
“They run the ball in a lot of different, creative ways, and it’s our job on the d -line to stop it,” Tillery said. “What [coaches have] been preaching all week is that we have to come ready to play and we have to fire off the ball and do what we do best.
“We’re really confident in our game plan, we’ve got some good stuff for ‘em. It’ll be fun.”
While the running game will be the at the forefront of m ichigan s tate’s offensive game plan, the pressure is also on for the notre d ame defensive line to get to s partan senior quarterback Tyler o ’c onnor, who has seen action in 15 games over his five-year career. The Irish are one of just five teams in the F bs to have zero sacks through two weeks of play.
Tillery said he and the rest of the linemen were more than ready to end that slump.
“Trust me, we know,” Tillery said. “We know about it. It’s something that’s kind of a chip on our shoulder.
“When we get one, it’ll be a big party on the field.”
Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
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Notre Dame players celebrate an interception by senior defensive lineman Jarron Jones, center, in the second quarter of last weekend’s 39-10 victory over Nevada at Notre Dame Stadium.
Irish toughen up for football the Spartan way
By ZACH KLONSINSKI
Assistant managing e ditor
It’s a familiar refrain when notre dame lines up against michigan state.
“[michigan state head coach] mark dantonio’s teams, obviously a hallmark of their teams, are physical,” brian Kelly said.
“You have to play physical football,” Kelly added to his description of michigan state football. “They’re a physical team. They’ve got a mindset of the way they want to play. They’re going to run the football. They’re going to be physical on defense.”
Forgive anyone who didn’t realize that first quote is from Kelly’s preview press conference before the two teams’ 2013 matchup while the other was from Tuesday’s preview for this weekend’s showdown between no. 18 notre dame (1-1) and no. 12 michigan state (1-0).
The tone is the same. even before dantonio took over the spartans in 2007, the spartans have fielded a reputation as one of the most physical teams in the country year in and year out. This formula has led to success on the field recently, including an appearance in the college Football Playoff last season and a 13-1 2013 campaign that ended in a rose bowl victory and a no. 2 ranking in the final AP poll.
The spartans’ only loss that season? That game at notre
dame stadium in 2013, an ugly, gutsy 17-13 Irish victory.
senior linebacker James onwualu is one of just six players on the notre dame roster who played in that game, appearing on special teams, but Wednesday he said that game left its mark, in more ways than one.
“[Physicality is] part of their culture at that university and within their team,” onwualu said. “ … I remember their
special teams being pretty tough. I mean their guys, a lot of teams show up and you can tell how the game’s going to go by and how their special teams played. so on the first kickoff, are they coming to knock my head off or are they trying to block me and see what happens? michigan state is the kind of team that will play every single snap on special teams.
“so I remember coming out of that game a little banged up.
Felt physically tired and a lot of times playing special teams, that doesn’t happen.”
Preparing for a team like michigan state brings about an added intensity to practices, onwualu said.
“You’ve got to practice tough all week long, so that when saturday comes along, you’re not just trying to flick the switch on,” onwualu said. “You’ve already been practicing like that every week.”
Part of the spartans’ in-yourface mentality is their pride in playing press coverage on receivers, allowing them to stack the box against the run game. This will put pressure on notre dame’s receivers to take advantage of the man opportunities, senior receiver Torii hunter Jr. said.
“The emphasis is just to make plays because we’re going to have to make plays on the other side,” hunter said. “because they’re going to try to stop the run and they’re going to try to get an extra man in the box at all times. They’ve got some pretty hard safeties.”
hunter said he is “fairly confident” he’ll play saturday after missing last weekend’s game against nevada while recovering from the concussion he suffered in the third quarter against Texas. hunter said he passed all the concussion protocol tests sunday and participated in noncontact drills Tuesday.
hunter’s return will provide a boost of experience at the receiver position for the Irish, but junior quarterback deshone Kizer said he believes the rest of the young Irish receiving corps is more than capable of handling the pressure.
“Those guys are out on the island,” Kizer said. “We have an opportunity with receivers that we recruit to kind of expose that island. They’re not getting a lot of inside help from linebackers who are box-folding guys and safeties
who want to play low.
“ … I believe we have the talent all the way across the board to attack that one-on-one coverage when we need to.”
Kizer added he’s familiar with the michigan state brand of football growing up in northern ohio, just an hour and 45 minutes from east Lansing, michigan.
“The perception I have being a midwest guy is these are two powerhouse teams in the midwest who are going to play inside the tackles and play you tough,” Kizer said. “ … I was able to learn that they’re a team who is going to be who they are and be that well. I’ve been watching their corners play man coverage since I think I’ve watched football. I’ve been watching their front line be big, strong guys since I’ve watched football.
“And that’s exactly who they are today.”
Kelly said it’s this identity that makes playing the spartans such a tough task.
“You’re getting an aggressive defensive front seven,” Kelly said. “They’re blanketing you in the back end of the defense and they’re forcing you into mistakes.
“Then, offensively, they’re very methodical. They’re extremely methodical. They’re going to run the football, take their shots. A four-yard completion in a passing game is just fine with them because it puts them in a very good situation to continue to run the football and stay controlled with the chains.”
Kelly also admitted he had a tough competitor across the field in dantonio, even if Kelly said he would have the advantage in a heavyweight bout.
“[dantonio] is not that tough. he’s only about 190 pounds, so I don’t have much of a challenge with him,” Kelly said. “but [his] team is a challenge.”
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
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EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Senior linebacker and team captain James Onwualu finishes tackling Nevada sophomore receiver Ahki Mohammad in the backfield during Notre Dame’s victory over the Wolf Pack last weekend. Onwualu finished the game with five tackles, tied for most on the team.
ND, MSU an old-fashioned gridiron rivalry
Alex
Carson Assistant managing e ditor
Just a look at the final score tells you it’s from a bygone era. so might the fact that the Irish made the journey to east Lansing, m ichigan, via train, or perhaps that the game wasn’t televised live nationally — despite being between the two top-ranked teams in college football.
It finished no. 1 notre dame 10, no. 2 m ichigan state 10.
The 1966 “Game of the century” was one for the ages, and a game that, ever since its conclusion, has lived on as one of college football’s greatest and most impactful games.
A quick aside before we go further. I’m not going to devote 500 words to defending then-Irish head coach Ara Parseghian’s decision to run out the clock, rather than go for the win, because it’s clear it was the right call. The next week, notre dame throttled no. 10 Usc , finished 9-0-1 and won the national championship. That’s the whole goal, right?
but that game was everything a college football fan could’ve wanted. The two top teams in the land, playing a rivalry game, going headto-head for a national title, effectively. The Irish, down a starting quarterback and running back by the end of the first quarter, rallying from 10-0 down to tie the game. And, of course, a coaching decision from Parseghian that would’ve made skip bayless’ head roll monday morning on cable television.
We won’t get anything like the 1966 showdown saturday, but this week’s matchup between the two programs, 50 years on from that great game, provides a great opportunity. An opportunity to reflect on that game, to look at the state of the programs and, perhaps above all else, to remind ourselves of how great this series has been over the years. It might not end up being the case this year, but one season ago, the spartans and Irish
were both in the thick of things for the playoff race. Ahead of notre dame’s trip to stanford last year, Irish fans were involved in a politicking battle with state fans over which team had the better resume for inclusion in that year’s college Football Playoff. And while it ultimately proved irrelevant thanks to notre dame’s loss Thanksgiving weekend at stanford, wouldn’t it have been a little annoying if one school missed out on the playoff because the series was on a short hiatus?
For notre dame to make the playoff in any given year, it must assert itself as being better than two major conference champions. The Irish will likely have that opportunity regularly with stanford, a perennial power in the Pac-12,
and this year, that opportunity might present itself with the spartans. If the cardinal and m ichigan state win their leagues and notre dame wins out, the Irish are in the playoff. e nd of discussion.
What head coach mark dantonio has done at m ichigan state is nothing short of remarkable. In 2013, he led m ichigan state to within one game of the bcs national c hampionship — that game?
A loss at notre dame, of course — and last year, he took his program into the playoff out of a division with m ichigan and ohio state.
You know what you’re going to get with the spartans: a good, physical, old-fashioned football team. Quite fitting, right?
but when it’s all set and
done, with campus crossroads construction and reminders of the school’s membership in the Acc around, perhaps this weekend will offer a glimpse back in time. To an era where notre dame’s local rivalries with the spartans, Purdue and, yes, m ichigan flourished. While perhaps hatred has never been the theme of this specific game, we’ve seen some great moments, from Golden Tate jumping into the spartan band in 2009 or the fake field goal state won to win in overtime the next season.
After notre dame makes that 150-mile trip to spartan stadium next season, it’ll be another six until a 2023 neutral-site game reunites the once-annual rivals. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of conference realignment that’s
happening all around the country — not just at notre dame — and one that forces us to pause a bit when those rivalries are able to take place.
Fifty years ago, in the thirdever edition of The observer, Ara Parseghian had the following to say about the spartans: “m ichigan state is a fine opponent year after year, and we are fortunate to enjoy such a series.”
It’ll be an old-fashioned college football saturday this week in south bend. A half century on from the “Game of the century,” to echo Parseghian, we’ll be “fortunate” to enjoy it.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish freshman receiver Chase Claypool tackles Nevada sophomore punt returner Andrew Celis. Claypool made two tackles on special teams while also hauling in a recpetion.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish linebackers sophomore Te’von Coney, 4, and junior Nyles Morgan, 5, show blitz while Nevada senior quarterback Tyler Stewart waits for the snap last weekend.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore receiver C.J. Sanders weaves his way through traffic after making a reception against the Wolf Pack. Sanders made five catches for 46 yards and a score.
CAROLINE GENCO | The Observer
Irish senior running back Tarean Folston scores on an option play late in the second quarter against Nevada. Folston’s score put the Irish up 25-0 going into halftime.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer waits for a snap. Kizer finished 15-for-18 for 156 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore receiver Chris Finke can’t quite haul in a pass during Notre Dame’s win over Nevada last weekend at Notre Dame Stadium.
