Everyone just needs to relax
b reathe in … and breathe out.
Feel better? Good. b ecause there are still 11 games left to go, and it isn’t going to be any less exciting from here on out.
What does decrease, though, for n o. 18 n otre d ame is its margin of error.
b ecause if the Irish plan to make the c ollege Football Playoff, they have some work to do.
I can’t believe I’m saying that right now, but I am. I’ve watched 15-plus years of n otre d ame football, and rarely have they overperformed or turned around a losing season — see 2014.
Yet, here I am, talking about n otre d ame and the playoff in the same sentence.
b ecause that’s the expectation at n otre d ame. The players know it. The coaches know it. And most importantly, the fans know it. The only question, therefore, is how the 2016 team can get there after a heartbreaking loss in the first game of the season.
And although we only have seen one game, the roadmap for n otre d ame is clear: outscore the opponent. Junior quarterback d e s hone Kizer looked stellar in the season opener, and it’s clear to almost everyone that head coach b rian Kelly made the right call to give him the starting nod. The time for “giving both guys a chance” is over — it should never have started — and with one established quarterback, the Irish offense should thrive.
In almost any game, 47 points on the road equals a win, and the Irish reached that number in an incredibly hostile environment while switching quarterbacks. With Kelly giving his h eisman candidate a chance to play the full game — with continued improvement from sophomore receiver e quanimeous s t. b rown and the running game — this offensive unit could become something special.
And make no mistake, this offense will need to score early and often, because the defense needs a lot of work.
Look, everyone, they played horribly against Texas. They missed tackles, they didn’t know how to play c over 3, they had trouble handling Texas’ up-tempo offense; the list goes on and on. b ut they will improve. d efensive coordinator b rian vanGorder is
not — and never will be — a top defensive coordinator in the college game, but he’s serviceable.
The defense lost a lot of pieces from last season, including Jaylon s mith, Kei varae r ussell and s heldon d ay. We all knew it was going to take some time to find an identity. And for how many young players the Irish threw out there at d arrell K. r oyal–Texas m emorial s tadium, it’s almost surprising they didn’t give up any more points.
s o give n ick c oleman, d evin s tudstill and some of the younger players some time. e ven some veterans — like d rue Tranquill and Avery s ebastian — are coming off of injuries. Give n yles m organ a few games as “the guy” in vanGorder’s scheme, and then we’ll evaluate the group. This defense will get better, either because it will genuinely improve or because it simply can’t be any worse.
I’m not saying n otre d ame will make the playoff. I personally don’t think they will, but if you want to keep believing that, you aren’t delusional yet. A nice home opener gives the team a chance to rebound and lick its wounds before another test against m ichigan s tate. If the Irish beat the s partans, they’re back on track. e ven if you thought the Irish were going to make the playoff before the season, you would still probably have had them losing one game. A loss in the season opener on the road to an improved Texas team is likely to be viewed more leniently by the committee than a loss at home to s tanford or a trap-game loss to Army or n avy.
Any college football season is full of ups and downs, and to rush to conclusions after one game isn’t always the wisest thing to do. We certainly found out a lot about this 2016 n otre d ame team. It’s full of talent, but it needs a lot of work. As Lou h oltz famously said, “ n otre d ame is always ranked too high at the start of the season and too low at the end.” The season isn’t over, no matter what your family group text may say. Take a deep breath, and focus on the next game.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By RENEE GRIFFIN sports Writer
equanimeous (proper noun ): the first name of the notre dame sophomore receiver who burst onto the scene against Texas on sunday with his first career touchdown, plus one more. Pronounced eck-wuhn Im-ee-us. derived from the word equanimity, “which means level-headed, calm in tough situations,” he says. Perhaps there’s a verb form, too. equanimeous: to cartwheel into the end zone on primetime television and send social media into a GIF frenzy. or, alternatively, equanimeous (adjective ): fluent in three languages – specifically, english, French and German. maybe equanimeous st. brown — full name equanimeous Tristan Imhotep J. st. brown, or simply e .Q. — defies definition altogether.
The 6-5, 205-lb. wideout had five catches for 75 yards last weekend, far surpassing the one reception for eight yards he recorded in the seven games he played as a freshman. no highlight reel of the game was complete without his secondquarter catch-and-flip for the team’s second touchdown of the night, either.
“I didn’t realize what I did at the moment,” st. brown said of the dramatic score that led to a deluge of notifications on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. “I thought I just fell in the end zone.”
and three-time m r. World in weight-lifting. brown added the st. to the surname of equanimeous and his two younger brothers, osiris Adrian Amen-ra J. st. brown and Amon-ra Julian heru J. st. brown, both of whom are receivers at mater dei high school in santa Ana, california, and are attracting a great deal of attention from recruiters.
“st. brown sounds better,” equanimeous said. “he didn’t like that brown was a slave name, so he decided to change it.”
despite the paternal legacy, st. brown said neither he nor his brothers ever had any interest in weight lifting, or really in any sport other than football. so, trained in the weight room from a young age by his father and trained on the field by a number of expert coaches, the eldest st. brown arrived at notre dame ranked as the 63rd-best prospect in the country by esPn 300 after a standout high school career in Anaheim, california.
most of the action he saw as a freshman was on special teams, highlighted by his blocked punt against Usc that was returned for a touchdown.
during a late-season practice, he suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the final four games.
of his position group heading into the 2016 opener.
“b eing behind Will, I learned a lot just by watching him run routes and watching what he does,” st. b rown said.
While his breakout performance was remarkable, st. brown’s non-football background is perhaps even more so. Just look at the people who gave him his extraordinary name. st. brown’s mother, miriam, was born in Germany. she’s the one who pushed her three sons to learn new languages and carted them to her native country every summer, st. brown said. his father, John brown, was a two-time m r. Universe
In other years, a player with just one catch in a real game would probably be considered inexperienced. but when the 2015 season ended, many of notre dame’s top targets departed: Will Fuller, c hris brown and Amir carlisle headed to the n FL, and corey robinson retired.
Thus, st. brown, who had just a year to learn from those veterans and take reps in practice, suddenly became one of the most seasoned members
“Whether you’re playing special teams or offense, it’s still football. It’s still going to be hard, you just have to do your best.”
st. brown said he’s the same player now as when he was a freshman and is unfazed by the heightened pressure to contribute he faces this season.
“There’s not much difference for me this year from last year,” st. b rown said. “I’m just more focused, playing a bigger role on the team, so I’ve got to step up more.”
st. brown also moved from the X receiver spot to the W, the receiver closest to the sideline, this offseason. notre d ame coach b rian Kelly said he would be kept there for the foreseeable future.
Again, st. b rown downplayed any extra work he had to do to adapt to the new position.
“A route is a route,” he said.
“It wasn’t much adjustment. You just have to beat the cornerback.”
And beat the cornerback he did on s unday. The scoring ability displayed by the Irish offense — and s t. b rown
in particular, with his two touchdowns — did boost the confidence levels of the young receiving corps, he said. however, he also noted that there wasn’t a deficit of confidence to begin with.
“As receivers, we put in the work, we had good camps, so we were confident in our ability, but now that just solidifies it, and I think we’ll be more confident,” st. b rown said.
“We feel pretty good [as an offense], but we still think we could’ve scored more points to win the game. That’s how we’re going to go into nevada.” notre d ame head coach b rian Kelly said st. b rown played well in s unday’s 50-47 loss to Texas, but he pointed to run blocking as an area that would be targeted for improvement.
“he’s a guy that is going to be in a position to make some plays for us when called upon,” Kelly said Tuesday.
“he’s a part of what we do offensively. It’s not going to revolve around him, but I think he gained some great confidence in his first game and it’s what we recruited him for — a long, athletic kid that can make plays for us at the W position.”
Kelly also said st. b rown’s role “requires somebody to really build a rapport with the quarterback.”
Judging by the high confidence, and high expectations, that starting junior quarterback d e s hone Kizer has expressed for st. b rown, the sophomore is fitting the bill so far.
“he’s a stud,” Kizer said about st. b rown after the loss to the Longhorns. “We expected it out of him. We treated him as if he was a veteran because quite frankly, all the reps he got last year as well as all the things he did this year, he is a veteran.
“We’re relying on him to make big plays just like he did [ s unday].”
With senior receiver and captain Torii hunter Jr. questionable for s aturday’s game against nevada, st. brown’s playmaking ability is more in demand than ever for the Irish.
“e verybody comes to college expecting, you know, to be the guy and be the starter. I am who I am right now, and I just want to get better,” s t. b rown said. “ … s ome younger guys are going to have to step up, which they will. o f course we wish Torii the best, but I think we’ll be okay.
“It adds a little more pressure, but it’s nothing that anyone can’t handle. I’ll be ready.”
Marek Mazurek sports e ditor
CAITLYN JORDAN The Observer
Irish junior linebacker Nyles Morgan wraps up Longhorn junior receiver Jake Oliver during Notre Dame’s 50-47 loss against Texas on Sunday at Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
CAITLYN JORDAN The Observer
Irish sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, left, celebrates his second touchdown of the game with sophomore running back Josh Adams, right, during Notre Dame’s 50-47 loss to Texas on Sunday.
Kizer set to lead Irish offense against nevada
By ALEX CARSON
Associate
m anaging e ditor
After a six-touchdown day last week at Texas, n o. 18 n otre d ame finally has its one, undisputed starting quarterback. That man is d e s hone Kizer.
r ather than make the announcement himself, Irish head coach b rian Kelly let the junior announce the decision Wednesday evening, when Kizer indicated he was the starter going forward for the Irish (0-1).
“I had a conversation with c oach Kelly today, and he decided that this week that I was going to get the first snap for sure,” Kizer said. “ h e kind of congratulated me on fighting through the process and encouraged me to maintain the same mindset and just ensured me that I would be the guy on s aturday.”
Kelly’s decision brings to a close a quarterback battle that has, in some way, been brewing ever since Kizer burst onto the scene 52 weeks ago in c harlottesville, v irginia. With 19 seconds left and the Irish down 2726, Kizer slung a 39-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller, pushing n otre d ame ahead and condemning one distraught v irginia fan to internet immortality.
From there, Kizer kept the Irish in playoff contention — the only two regular season losses were two-point road losses to teams that finished n os. 2 and 3 in the end-ofseason AP poll — launching an assault on now-senior m alik Zaire’s starting job. Through spring and summer, each quarterback entered the season opener against Texas with a chance to win the n o. 1 gig.
After a performance that generated early h eisman Trophy and n FL d raft chatter on Twitter, Kizer has secured the job. b ut the Toledo, o hio, native said the player that takes the field s aturday as the starter against n evada is better than the one that walked off the field Jan. 1 against o hio s tate.
“In the last eight months, I’ve learned quite a bit about myself as a quarterback, as a leader, as a teammate,” Kizer said. “From that, I’ve definitely developed into someone that I wanted to be for this season. m alik really challenged me, and he will continue to challenge me, and I’m really grateful for this situation because it really helped me develop into the guy who’s going to go out and compete play-by-play.”
Just because Kizer won the competition, it doesn’t mean he won’t continue to be pushed in practice by Zaire.
“ n ot much is gonna change. We had a really good, smooth way of going about this competition and I plan on treating it the same way,” Kizer said. “ h e’s a good quarterback; I’m going to have to be good every day.
That’s one of the big things that I completely understand is that with a guy as good as he is, as a n o. 2 now, he’s definitely going to push me.”
And just because Zaire lost the competition, Kizer doesn’t see any change in how the senior is going to lead the team.
“There’s one quarterback now, but there’s still two
leaders,” Kizer said. “We’re still gonna lead the exact same way. m alik doesn’t fall off the face of the earth now, he’s a huge component to this team and he’s gonna go out and lead the same way he’s been leading. I expect him to. I will fully allow him to step in and say the things that need to be said.”
As for Kizer’s leadership message, he said it’s not time to reinvent the proverbial wheel after an openinggame setback.
“We don’t have to change much,” Kizer said. “We all are elite athletes, we all know how to self-correct. To
go out and give a brand-new message after a game one loss would be idiotic on my part. We played good ball. The defense is going to make the corrections they need to make and they’re going to come back better than ever against n evada and I completely trust in that.
“As an offense, we just have to make sure we execute what we’re supposed to do. We had a really good game plan against Texas, putting up 47 points is obviously a success. b ut there’s quite a few plays where if we would have executed … we would have come out with 21
to 28 more points in that situation. s o to go out and give a brand-new message would be wrong on me.”
o nce Zaire played the last of his three drives s unday, Kizer came alive, leading the Irish back from a 31-14 deficit to take a 35-31 lead.
That’s one of the things that might be most different this s aturday — Kizer will have an opportunity as “the guy” to get into a rhythm from the opening snap.
Irish fans are hoping he’ll do just that.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
defense learns from Texas, looks to improve
By ALEX CARSON Associate m anaging e ditor
A year ago, when n otre d ame opened its season against Texas, the defense put forth a masterpiece, holding the Longhorns to just one field goal.
b ut the story was different this year, when the Longhorns offense, led by the quarterback tandem of freshman s hane b uechele and senior Tyrone s woopes, dropped 37 regulation points on the n o. 18 Irish (0-1) in a 50-47 double-overtime win.
This week, with a visit from n evada on deck, the Irish defense knows where it needs to make changes.
o ne of the defense’s rough
patches against now- n o. 11 Texas (1-0) came in the tackling department, with key missed tackles hurting the Irish effort. Junior linebacker Greer m artini said the team made progress this week in practice in the build-up to s aturday’s game.
“I think that week-by-week we’ll get better,” m artini said. “ b ut I definitely think we’re a lot better this week.”
Another key issue for the Irish defense s unday was giving up big plays; senior defensive Isaac r ochell knows n otre d ame needs to limit those moving forward.
“[Preventing] explosive plays is a big thing, we’ve gotta cut that out,” r ochell said. “And then just doing
the little things right.”
s enior cornerback c ole
Luke acknowledged the secondary’s going to get burned a few times, but that the team’s younger cornerbacks have to put mistakes behind them.
“It’s gonna happen. That’s your position,” Luke said.
“You play corner, if you mess up, it’s exposure. We’re the most exposed position on the field and I don’t take that lightly.
“ … You’re in a battle with yourself. That’s pretty much it. It’s gonna happen, you’ve gotta move forward.”
A silver lining from s unday’s performance was the effort the Irish defense turned in — and it’s a reason why he has confidence in the group moving forward.
“ o ne of the big positive takeaways was effort and that was there,” r ochell said. “We’ve gotta keep having that. s o with elite effort and doing what you need to do, our defense will be fine.”
m artini echoed r ochell’s sentiments on big plays.
“That’s the cancer of the defense, the explosive plays,” m artini said. “We want to get rid of them.”
m artini also pointed out the play of junior linebacker n yles m organ, who recorded 13 tackles in his first start since 2014.
“ n yles is a beast. h e played really well,” m artini said. “ h e’s really physical, he made a lot of plays for us.”
r ochell praised his teammates’ approach this week, and wanted to make sure the Irish were taking an approach that stressed winning, rather than not losing.
“ e verybody’s done a great job this week of
understanding the goal hasn’t changed,” r ochell said. “ e verybody’s worked extremely hard; I don’t need to do anything extra. Guys get it. We’ve told guys already what the goal is and that it hasn’t changed. You don’t want to overemphasize, ‘We can’t lose, we can’t lose.’ Let’s go win. Let’s go dominate.”
With a young secondary, Luke has been thrust into a leadership role this season — and he’s just now getting adjusted to it as the Irish hit an early rough patch.
At the end of the day though, a victory remains the best way to get the Irish season back on track.
“I’m still pissed, obviously. e verybody’s still pissed,” Luke said. “ b ut the one way that you can get rid of that disappointment and that negative energy is to just go out this s aturday and obviously get a ‘W.’”
“It was a role that I wasn’t very comfortable with at first, at the beginning of camp,” Luke said. “ b ut it’s just something they’ve been pushing on me so much I’m kind of getting used to it. I’m pretty comfortable in that position.”
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
PAI d AdverTIsemen T
CAITLYN JORDAN The Observer
Irish junior linebacker Greer Martini, left, and other Irish defenders tackle the Longhorn runner in Notre Dame’s 50-47 loss Sunday.
CAITLYN JORDAN The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer looks to fire a pass during Notre Dame’s 50-47 loss against Texas on Sunday at Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. Kizer, who was named the starter for the Irish on Thursday, accounted for six touchdowns against the Longhorns.
WoLF pACK pASSInG
The Irish got torched last week in a number of blown coverages, which may have been expected considering the amount of underclassmen notre dame played in its season opener. The Irish gave up 280 yards passing and allowed 10.4 yards per completion. Irish head coach brian Kelly anounced that freshman devin studstill will start in the place of graduate student Avery sebastian, adding another young face to the Irish secondary. notre dame also had no pass rush to speak of against the Longhorns and let freshman quarterback shane buechele settle into the game and he made the Irish pay. meanwhile, nevada and senior quarterback Tyler stewart threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns against cal Poly in the Wolf Pack’s opening game. Those aren’t particularly inspring numbers and nevada is unabashadely a run-first team. If nevada wins this game, it won’t be through the air, but when nevada does pass, notre dame’s defense is suspect. e xpectations will be low for notre dame’s pass defense until it proves otherwise.
eDGe : e V en
WoLF pACK
RUSHInG
nevada’s running game is its bread and butter. Last week agaisnt c al Poly, the Wolf Pack racked up 174 yards on the ground.
Junior James butler ecplised the career 2,000-yard mark last week and now has 2,100 yards to his name. nevada also has an experienced offensive line with three seniors and a junior and while they won’t totally overpower brian vanGorder’s front seven, they certainly won’t be fooled by anything he can throw at them.
For the Irish, moving on from Texas can’t come soon enough. Texas outrushed the Irish last week 237-205 and the Longhorns had four runners who had 30 yards or more on the ground. What was more troubling than the sheer yardage was notre dame’s inability to get off the field in short yardage situations. The Longhorns were 2-for-2 on fourth down conversions and, of course, Tyrone swoopes’ six-yard goal line charge sealed the game for c harlie strong’s team. o verall though, the Irish have too much talent and too much anger to roll over.
eDGe : notRe DA me
so, last week’s game happened.
WoLF pACK oFFenSIV e CoACHInG
Irish defensive coordinator brian vanGorder’s switch to a 3-3-5 against the Texas attack didn’t work particularly well, so a return to the standard four-man front should help his unit against nevada. The Wolf Pack offer the only chance to fix any problems before no. 12 michigan state comes to town next week; it will be interesting to see what other changes vanGorder makes saturday.
While nevada won’t present as many problems as Texas did, there is still plenty to worry about. nevada’s offensive coordinator, Tim cramsey, engineered an effective offense during his tenure at montana state, averaging 38 points per game in his three years with the program. A senior quarterback and an experienced offensive line help cramsey as the Wolf Pack offense transitions toward a spread system from a power-running attack. simply put, however, cramsey and the Wolf Pack will not see a team with the amount of talent notre dame has all season.
eDGe : notRe DA me
LonGHoRnS SpeCIAL te A mS senior Alex boy is currently third in nevada’s history, averaging 43.2 yards per punt — and he got off a monster 71-yard effort against caly Poly last week. senior kicker brent Zuzo was 1-for-2 last week, with the made field goal coming from 25 yards out.
The Irish return game, meanwhile, seems to be on the verge of breaking out. sophomore c.J. sanders still lacks some explosiveness after returning from an injury and besides a blocked field goal, notre dame’s special teams play was solid against Texas.
e DGe : not R e DA me
WoLF pACK SCHeDULe (1-0)
sept. 2 Cal Poly (30-27 W, OT)
sept. 10 @ Notre Dame
sept. 17 Buffalo
sept. 24 @ Purdue
oct. 1 @ Hawai’i
oct. 8 Fresno State
oct. 15 @ San Jose State
oct. 22 Wyoming
nov. 5 @ New Mexico
nov. 12 San Diego State
nov. 19 Utah State
nov. 26 @ UNLV
When deshone Kizer was on the field, the Irish offense looked great, so there shouldn’t be too much concern from Irish fans about the unit’s ability to put up points this week against the Wolf Pack. The real concern is whether or not the defense is able to handle anyone after surrendering 37 regulation points to Texas on sunday. but while nevada will offer a better test for notre dame than massachusetts did a year ago, the Wolf Pack aren’t good enough to mount much of an upset bid. If the Irish offense had 10 meaningful possessions, it could easily score on nine of those. notre dame should be well ahead at halftime in a comfortable win, but don’t be shocked when nevada comes through with a back-door cover.
FINAL SCORE: notre dame 52, nevada 28
He A d
He A d t
No. 18 Notre Dame
IRISH pASSInG
It was a tale of two quaterbacks, or rather four quarterbacks, last week at Texas, with both the Irish and the Longhorns two playing players at the position. This week, that won’t be the case, with junior deshone Kizer being named notre dame’s starter Wednesday. Kizer accounted for six touchdowns last week, five of which were through the air, including a perfectly-lofted ball for sophomore running back Josh Adams to put the Irish ahead in the fourth quarter. If Kizer can turn in a similar performance in the second week of the season, it should lead to another prolific day for the passing game.
notre dame has an experienced line, but did allow a few sacks to the Longhorns.
The biggest blow to the Irish passing game, though was senior reciever Torii hunter Jr.’s injury. hunter is notre dame’s only experienced option and with him gone, the Irish will rely heavily on sophomore equanimeous st. brown to carry the load. If his breakout performance at Texas is repeated, the Irish should have all the production they need.
nevada’s secondary was not heavily tested agasint cal Poly last week as the mustangs passed for only 62 yards, but rushed for 383. The Wolf Pack will have trouble with notre dame’s speed.
e DGe : not R e DA me
IRISH RUSHInG
The Wolf Pack gave up 383 rushing yards to c al Poly and now they have to take on a reloaded Irish rushing attack that inlcudes Tarean Folston, Josh Adams and dexter Williams. Folston does not appear to have lost any ground after returing from his Ac L injury, as the senior rushed for 88 yards and averaged just under five yards per carry against Texas.
Kizer was also effective in the run game with 77 yards to his name and one 29-yard touchdown run.
The Irish line looked solid, if not spectacular against the Lonhorns. There were some big holes, but there were also a lot of plays that were blown up from the get-go. Though the Irish don’t run the option like c al Poly, there should be plenty of holes to run through s aturday.
e DGe : not R e DA me
Zach Klonsinski Assistant managing e ditor
consider my faith in the notre dame defense shaken. do I think it’s going to concede 37 points to nevada on saturday? The same nevada team that barely squeaked by with 30 points against cal Poly last weekend? no. Theoretically notre dame plays angry after last weekend, too.
While brian Kelly has said he’s going to drag the quarterback battle out another week, notre dame’s offense should be able to return to its second-half form against an inferior defense. e xpect a lot of deshone Kizer until the game’s in hand. how the Irish respond will show us how much stock to put in this team. Anything less than a dominant performance should be worrisome for Irish fans everywhere.
FINAL SCORE: notre dame 45, nevada 24
n otre d ame clearly did not play to the level of its talent last week in Austin. m issed tackles and blown coverages plauged a young defense and then came the increasingly customary calls for b rian vanGorder’s head. This week, the Irish will win, but it’s going to be boring compared to last week’s drama. The Irish offense will grab a lead early and then they’ll sputter in the second half when the game is already out of reach. n evada may get some garbage-time points, but n otre d ame will get back on track and the young defense will get a much-needed shot of confidence. Look for the Irish to improve on the little things
After its loss to Texas, notre dame made very clear that it has a lot of potential but isn’t quite there yet as a contending team.
Fortunately for the Irish, they get a chance to fix those problems against a nevada team that’s coming off a game that saw it just get by cal Poly in overtime.
That’s not to say the Irish should take the Wolf Pack lightly because, frankly, they’re in no position to take anyone lightly after a tough loss to start the season. but I doubt that will be the case for notre dame anyways. They will come out ready to play, and their talent on both sides will take care of the rest.
FINAL SCORE:
The second half at Texas proved notre dame is capable of fulfilling the expectations set for its offense this year. The first half proved its defense was as vulnerable as many feared; it also proved that whatever two-Qb system brian Kelly envisioned for Week 1 was not sustainable.
Fortunately, nevada is not nearly as well-positioned as the Longhorns were to take advantage of Irish weaknesses and stage an upset. notre dame’s defense will fare much better against a middling Wolf Pack offense than it did against a high-tempo and fiery Texas, especially if defensive coordinator brian vanGorder adjusts for last week’s struggles. deshone Kizer and company shouldn’t have any problems scoring, either.
IRISH oFFenSIV e CoACHInG nevada defensive coordinator scott boone now knows he will see Kizer at quarterback this week for the Irish. boone has decreased the points per game allowed in both of his two years with the Wolf Pack, a feat only 24 other college programs have managed.
When Kizer was on the field for the Irish, Kelly looked like a genius at times, especially with a few well-timed screen passes and st. brown making some big catches. There were plently of questionable calls however, including a run play while facing thirdand-12 near the end of the game and the forced substitution of Zaire when it looked like Kizer had the momentum. however, with a clear advantage in the running game, Kelly will look to run early and often against a suspect nevada front seven.
e DGe : e V en
IRISH SpeCIAL te A mS consistency was the biggest concern for notre dame’s special teams unit last year, and that inconsistency was on display again in the season opener at Texas, as junior punter Tyler newsome shanked two punts and sophomore kicker Justin Yoon saw a field goal blocked. but on the flip side, sophomore c.J. sanders was productive in the return game, and Yoon’s ability to convert in a high-pressure overtime situation, especially after having an earlier attempt blocked, is a positive — as were his kickoffs, which were good all game. nevada’s kick return unit, which only got one opportunity a week ago, might remain unknown for another seven days.
e DGe : not R e DA me
IRISH SCHe DUL e (0-1) sept. 4 @ Texas (50-47 L, 2OT) sept. 10 Nevada sept. 17 Michigan State sept. 24 Duke oct. 1 vs. Syracuse oct. 8 @ NC State
Neva D
Irish bolster social media usage on recruiting trail
By ZACH KLONSINSKI
Assistant managing e ditor
social media is changing the way the world communicates, and college football is far from immune to the revolution.
That’s the lesson notre dame learned as it worked to play catchup over the last couple seasons since recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach mike elston took over.
“We’ve dumped a ton of resources into [recruiting],” elston said at notre dame’s media day on Aug. 17. “I think it’s been a priority for us from the moment coach Kelly asked me to take over the recruiting. It was the number one objective. We have a brand, and we want to get our brand out there.” notre dame is far from the only program revamping how it uses social media in to attract and connect with recruits. According to blue and Gold Illustrated analyst bryan driskell, the evolution of social media has changed that game nationwide.
“What you have now are more opportunities for coaches to interact with players,” driskell said Wednesday. “There’s less restrictions on [direct-messaging] kids. now coaches can literally tweet at kids. They can sub-tweet and retweet kids. so you’re obviously seeing more coach interaction with players sort of through that venue, and it’s more constant.”
“The [notre dame] coaches have done a better job interacting on social media with players, whether it’s either a direct message or now being able to follow them and favorite and like what they’re doing,” elston said. “so social media’s huge in college football.”
elston added that for notre dame, the first step was to expand the amount of resources put in to managing the program’s social media accounts. This started by adding new positions like a fulltime social media coordinator and a full-time graphic design coordinator, two positions that were originally one.
“A year ago we had one guy that did both, and he was overworked. he didn’t have time to do, in my opinion, great quality at both of them,” elston said. “so when we made two positions, we hired Laura [Thomas] as the social media director, and then we hired Grant Apgar who’s done a fantastic job with graphic design. so he runs that, she runs the social media, and they can pour all their energy into that one phase of it.”
driskell agreed, saying the sheer volume of interactions on social media has been the largest difference he’s seen in notre dame’s approach to social media recruiting over the last couple years.
elston also commented on how the increased staff in the social media office have allowed notre dame to customize recruit visits to fit their likes and interests.
“It’s more of an analytical piece now where if a kid’s tweeting this, what’s his interest?” elston said.
“ok, well he likes Jay-Z, so when he comes to campus what can we do cool with Jay-Z? so it’s just little things like that that before we never even messed with.”
driskell added that using Twitter to spread the notre dame brand is far more efficient, and less costly, than the old mailing system the Irish used until a couple years ago.
“You send something out and you got a kid that you’re looking at and he retweets it, and he’s going to be friends with a bunch of top-ranked recruits, and they’re going to see it,” driskell said. “so I think that helps give you a little bit more exposure and seems to be a little bit more relevant with younger people.”
Last year notre dame partnered with showtime to film “A season with notre dame Football.” While the show was a hit with Irish fans across the country, driskell said it barely scratched the surface with
recruits, whereas notre dame’s partnership with bleacher report this year will be much more effective at reaching high-school aged prospects.
“I think [bleacher report] is going to have a far greater impact [than showtime],” driskell said. “elston made the comment that only 10 percent of the recruits they polled had ever watched the show.
You’ve got to be real intentional with watching the show. First you have to have a cable package that gets you showtime, which a lot of recruits don’t have. And then you’ve got to be real intentional about it.
“Whereas, if I’m the top quarterback recruit and [I follow] a bunch of guys on Twitter, I don’t necessarily have to be intentional to see the bleacher report stuff that they’re putting on social media. so if one of my buddies tweets this out, I’m
going to hit play.”
As all social media users know, however, people can see everything you post on social media, even the unimpressive material.
This is true for recruits looking at schools and coaches, but also for coaches looking at recruits.
“social media has allowed coaches to really get a better feel for their [recruits] and how they are from a character standpoint,”
driskell said. “A lot of times kids unknowingly reveal things about themselves on social media that they would never do in an interaction with a coach when you’re trying to put your best foot forward.
“If you’re a ‘Yes sir, no sir’ kind of kid to the coach, but then you’re on Twitter sort of being disparaging towards females or being crude or saying things, that can give a coach a little bit of a clue that, ‘You know what? I need to do some digging
into this [recruit’s] background.’
“And there’s flat-out been kids who’ve had their offers pulled because of how they are on Twitter.” still though, driskell said overall the shifting landscape of college recruiting has provided both coaches and players to develop deeper relationships with each other which benefit both sides on the whole.
“ … When it gets down to it, end of the day the most important thing is not that mike sanford puts out cool tweets, it’s that mike sanford behind the scenes is talking to this kid. … That [the recruit thinks], ‘These guys are going to look out for me. They’re going to develop me as a person, develop me as a football player and give me an opportunity to be highly successful on and off the field.’”
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
The Shirt Project began in 1990 as a student-led initiative to support the Notre Dame student body and to unify the stadium. The Shirt is worn by students at football games and is sold to the public, raising over $10 million in funds for student activities, The Shirt Charity Fund, and the Rector Fund over the past 27 years.
Polian set for homecoming
By BEN PADANILAM
n o. 18 n otre d ame last played n evada in 2009, when they dominated the Wolf Pack to the tune of a 35-0 shutout victory.
2009 was also the last of the five seasons that b rian Polian spent as a special teams coordinator for the Irish (0-1). n ow, as the head coach for the Wolf Pack (1-0), Polian will be returning to n otre d ame s tadium for the first time since taking over the reigns in r eno, n evada.
“That’s the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place professionally — five years,” Polian said.
o ver the course of his career, Polian has spent time at m ichigan s tate, b uffalo, b aylor, c entral Florida, n otre d ame, s tanford, Texas A& m and, since 2013, n evada. Yet, given the relative extent of his time at n otre d ame, Polian acknowledged the importance of his time with the Irish.
“It was an incredibly formative time in my life and my career,” Polian said of his time at n otre d ame. “I do have personal feelings for the place — you can’t help but to. m y wife and I were very young in our marriage when we got hired there. We welcomed our son when we were there — he was christened in the log chapel on campus.
“ … I’m forever indebted to c harlie Weis for giving me the opportunity at 29 years of age to go coach there. And my memories at the University and my times there are very fond.”
Polian’s connection to the blue and gold extends beyond his coaching tenure with the Irish, however. Which is why s aturday’s game will be a highlight of his coaching career thus far.
“I grew up as a kid — n otre d ame was my team,” Polian said. “… And then when you get hired there at the age of 29, it’s a dream come true.
“ … s o to walk back in to n otre d ame s tadium as a head coach is a really cool thing.” b ut, despite all the attention that has been paid to Polian’s personal connection to n otre d ame in this game, the Wolf Pack head coach has said he’s made it very clear to his players that s aturday’s game is about taking care of business above all else.
“[I told my players], ‘ h ey, there is going to be some stuff for me here personally, but those are not your distractions. That’s got nothing to do with you. … All of those guys I was connected to have been long gone,’” Polian said. “ s o I’ve made it very clear to the team that my ties there have nothing to do with them. They’re going to try to win a football game.”
And now, as he and n evada ready for s aturday’s showdown with n otre d ame, Polian says he’s right where he wants to be: on the opposing sideline at n otre d ame s tadium.
“I’m walking down the tunnel and I’m wearing silver and blue, and I couldn’t be prouder,” Polian said.
“I’m going to be on the correct sideline, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to go with these guys that are my family now here — I’m blessed every day to come to work and coach these guys and be with these coaches and support staff.
“If this was the way it was all supposed to play out when it’s all said and done, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
PAI d AdverTIsemen T
PAI d AdverTIsemen T
