Print Edition of the Irish Insider for Stanford Week, Friday, October 14, 2016

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INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

By RENEE GRIFFIN Sports Writer

Irish senior captain and linebacker James Onw ualu has fond memories of Stanford’s last v isit to Notre Dame Stadium.

From that cold, rainy day in October 2014, one moment specifically stands out to him: then-No. 14 Stanford, up by a touchdow n against then-No. 9 Notre Dame, was deep in Irish territor y late in the first half. Cardinal

running back Kelsey Young took a handoff up the middle and burst through a hole in the line. Onw ualu, who had yet to make a tack le that game, promptly leveled him w ith a pop loud enough to be heard on the telev ision broadcast and draw shouts from the commentators.

Stanford turned the ball over three plays later, the Irish offense scored a gamet y ing touchdow n before halftime and Notre Dame eventually went on to w in

17-14.

Onw ualu said that play might be his favorite that he’s made in his Notre Dame career — he described it as “prett y sweet” — though it came in just his fourth start at linebacker.

The Saint Paul, Minnesota, native was recruited as an “athlete,” hav ing played running back, w ide receiver and defensive back in high school. He spent his freshman year at w ide receiver, catching t wo passes for 34

yards and earning the starting spot in four games.

Entering 2016, Onw ualu had the most starts of any receiver on the Irish roster despite the fact that he hadn’t played the position in t wo years.

It was Onw ualu’s big hits on special teams that made him consider a sw itch to the other side of the ball, he said. Head coach Brian Kelly granted his request, and the rest is histor y.

“I had some success on

special teams,” Onw ualu said. “Coach kept on talking about my physicalit y, so I just figured it was worth giving it a shot. I went to Coach and asked if I could get a couple practices to tr y it out, and maybe go both ways or just play defense, and it ended up working.”

By the time the seasonopening game of his sophomore year rolled around, Onw ualu was a starter at linebacker, play ing alongside stars Jaylon Smith and

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish captain and senior linebacker James Onwualu wraps and brings down Wolfpack senior running back Matthew Dayes during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. Onwualu made four tackles in the game, and his total of 32 tackles on the season is the fourth-highest mark on the Irish defense.

Photo Illustration by SUSAN ZHU and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

insider

Joe Schmidt. He recorded 24 overall tack les in the regular season, plus four more in the Pinstripe Bowl at the end of the season.

He continued to develop at the position as a junior, recording 38 tack les, three sacks and a forced fumble in 11 games. This season, he has 32 tack les and a sack, plus a fumble recover y

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016 | The Observer

against North Carolina State last Saturday. His t wo pass breakups this year equal his final 2015 tally in that categor y, and his five tack les for loss are only one fewer than he had in all of last season.

Onw ualu attributed his progress at linebacker to an increase in confidence and comfort level this season.

“Through this year, I feel

like I’ve found a bit more confidence,” Onw ualu said.

“I feel like I’m more comfortable w ith where I’m at, not only doing my job but making some plays.”

That confidence and playmaking allow Onw ualu, now a team captain, to lead by example. He said the honor of being named a captain comes w ith “great

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker James Onwualu pursues Wolfpack sophomore quarterback Jalan McClendon during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

responsibilit y,” but also that it’s something he enjoys and benefits from as well.

“It’s been fun just being the leader of this team and being around such great guys, and being able to teach them what I know, but also learn a lot from those guys,” Onw ualu said.

The need for defensive leadership is especially high in 2016 follow ing the unit’s dismal performance in the first few games of the season, leading to the firing of coordinator Brian VanGorder and the reliance on several inexperienced freshmen to fill some of the holes that opposing offenses have been able to take advantage of.

W hether the team is w inning or losing, Onw ualu said responsibilit y, effort and encouragement are what he focuses on when speaking as captain and tr y ing to elevate the team’s morale.

“For me, it’s just holding guys accountable for the way they work … just making sure they’re working ever y single day to be on point and be the best players they can possibly be,” Onw ualu said. “And when they do good things, it’s making sure to let them know that the things that they’re doing are helping them be successful, as well as just continuing to motivate some of the younger guys and not letting them get dow n on themselves.”

Onw ualu said that the emphasis on hard work partially comes from what he learned play ing w ith Smith and Schmidt.

“The things that I picked up from them is how to work ever y single day and how to carr y yourself as a Notre

3

Dame linebacker,” Onw ualu said. “The work that you have to put in, the amount that you have to study the game and really take care of your body — all of those aspects, you learn from guys like that.”

W hile his predecessors at linebacker taught him what it meant to be a linebacker at the Universit y, Onw ualu credits his older brother w ith teaching him the life skills that allowed him to reach a collegiate field in the first place. Onw ualu said it’s part of his game day ritual to text his brother and let him know that he’s the reason “why I’m fighting and playing that day.”

“My brother’s my best friend,” Onw ualu said. “He’s the guy that kind of raised me in my life, and took care of me when I was a kid and always put me in situations I wanted to be in. He’s definitely my mentor. For me, he’s a brother, but he’s also a best friend and he’s also a father, and I wouldn’t be where I am w ithout him. “[Football] has always been a motivation for doing well in life: He was the one that always made me do my homework before I could go to practice and was training me out in the front yard.”

With Onw ualu leading the Notre Dame defense’s attempt to make a statement against the Cardinal on Saturday — and perhaps aiming for a repeat of that bone-crunching tack le he remembers from two years ago — it seems those front-yard training sessions paid off.

Contact Renee Griffin at rgriff6@nd.edu

Photo Illustration by SUSAN ZHU and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

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recruiting

Irish compete with Stanford for top recruits

By ZACH KLONSINSKI Assistant Managing Editor

Five-star offensive lineman and Rivals.com’s thirdrated recruit overall Foster Sarell headlines Notre Dame’s v isit list for what is “the biggest game of the year for Notre Dame,” according to Blue and Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst Br yan Driskell.

Stanford and Notre Dame are two similar institutions that often compete over the same talent on the recruiting trail, Irish head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday.

“We’re competitive w ith Stanford in recruiting,” Kelly said. “There is no question that somebody fits the similar profile that would go to Stanford that would look at Notre Dame as well. I wouldn’t say it’s a slam dunk that we’re recruiting exactly the same player across the board, but there’s definitely a similar character kid that fits the profile of Notre Dame and Stanford.

“And, you know, they’re going to w in some and we’ll w in some on those. I would say more times than not, the fit there is good student, good character kid.”

This weekend is an important opportunit y for the Irish to regain the upper hand in their rivalr y w ith the Cardinal, not just on the gridiron — where Stanford has won five of the last seven installments — but also in the battle for recruits choosing between two extremely similar institutions, Driskell said. He added the Cardinal’s current advantage comes from three factors: a slightly

higher academic ranking, a better geographic location and the program’s stronger performance over the last decade or so.

“The biggest reason to me is just look at the success Stanford’s had the last five or six years,” Driskell said.

“They’ve been the better program. So you’re going to play in better weather, you’re going to w in more football games, and you’re still going to go pro. So I think that’s what Stanford’s had over Notre Dame the last five years. [Cardinal head coach] David Shaw has won four Pac-12 titles, and then you look at what Jim Harbaugh did before he got there.

They’ve beaten Notre Dame four of the last six times they’ve played.

“So that’s why I [said at the beginning of the season] the Stanford game was the biggest game of the year for Notre Dame. Still is, no matter what impact it has on the season because I think it can have a big impact on recruiting.”

Stanford’s recent control of the rivalr y is a relatively new phenomenon, Driskell said.

“The reason Notre Dame always got all the recruits they wanted was because they were a far better football program,” Driskell said.

“Notre Dame needs to get back to show ing that, ‘Hey, we’re a better football program than Stanford,’ and beating them this season … would mean [the Irish] have won three out of five.

Now all of a sudden you’re not only competitive w ith them, but now you’ve got the

edge. And I think that could help sway some of the kids that are really torn between Notre Dame and Stanford, and there’s a few.”

Sarell, the 6-foot6, 315-pound Graham, Washington, native, is one of those recruits.

“You look at Foster Sarell, for example, who’s v isiting for [the] Stanford [game].

Notre Dame and Stanford are two of his three finalists. He’s also looking at Washington,” Driskell said.

“Well, Washington just pounded Stanford, so if Notre Dame can come out offensively, for example, and run the ball well and look good doing it, that’s going to have an impact.”

Driskell said he thinks the geographic distance between Sarell’s home and Washington and Stanford as compared to Notre Dame would lead him to believe Sarell w ill stay on the West Coast, but he added a w in for Notre Dame this weekend could conv ince the five star to head east.

“I wouldn’t want to say that going into the weekend Notre Dame’s third — they beat Stanford by 30, they get [Sarell],” Driskell said. “I don’t want to say that.

“But I think the weekend can affect the overall tone of the weekend for his v isit. If that crowd’s going crazy and fired up and screaming the whole game because they’re just pounding Stanford or it’s a great game, I think that factors into that experience.

I think then, w ith a w in, going into the dorms and spending the night around the players, spending time

Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

Five-star offensive lineman Foster Sarell, the third-rated prospect nationally, will visit campus Saturday for the Stanford game.

Saturday night and then the next day Sunday w ith the players, the whole tone, the whole mood can change.

“And those are the things that when it comes dow n to a kid looking at three schools prett y equally, I think those things kind of can factor into where it’s going to be.”

Driskell also said a w in this weekend w ill begin regaining respectabilit y for the Irish for recruits deciding between Notre Dame and other programs it plays like Stanford, USC and Miami, especially on the defensive side.

“The defense really has

to go show that ‘hey, Brian VanGorder was an issue,’” Driskell said. “‘We’ve fixed the issue. He’s gone. We’re back to playing defense the way Notre Dame is capable of playing defense.’ And I think that’s going to be a big thing to conv ince [players like four stars cornerback Thomas Graham and defensive lineman Josh Paschal] that Notre Dame is a team that you can come play championshipcaliber defense for, which they really haven’t show n the last couple seasons.”

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, october 14, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

commentary

Kelly’s job should be on the line Ben Padanilam Associate Sports Editor

“Everybody on our staff for the rest of the [season] is on a very public interview. …

All coaches’ jobs are on the line as well.”

That is what head coach Brian Kelly said in a press conference Sept. 25, just one day after Notre Dame’s 38-35 home loss to Duke.

Just over two weeks later and with his team sitting at 2-4, Kelly has very much failed his “very public interview” so far this season.

Annually bringing in one of the nation’s top recruiting classes — and carrying preseason top-10 expectations along with them — Notre Dame clearly has the talent on its roster to be a winning football team this year. But it hasn’t played like one, and coaching is a big reason why.

Top-level talent doesn’t cease to be top-level talent just because the stage is bigger. But what does happen is that coaches sometimes fail to develop that talent, and that amounts to minimal production as the players fall short of the lofty expectations set for them. And this is a problem Kelly has admitted has plagued the Irish this year.

Well, at least when he’s not blaming just about everyone else around him for his team’s problems. Sure, Kelly has taken some responsibility for his team’s failures this season. But that’s only after he’s put the spotlight on everyone else, as if he’s minimized his own role in the losing efforts. And even more than that, he’s come across as disingenuous given

his actions.

For the first four games of this season, Kelly scapegoated former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder through the way he handled the situation. Sure, VanGorder needed to go, but for Kelly to stand before the press for four straight weeks — including the very day before he fired him — and both defend and praise him brought further attention to a complicated problem.

Firing a coordinator during the season is not easy, but Kelly clearly mishandled the situation and only further fueled the fire. He also hurt his own credibility, which can create a clear strain in the locker room if players are unable to trust their coach.

Soon after, Kelly put the onus on his offense. He criticized junior quarterback DeShone Kizer for not doing enough, then criticized him the next week for trying to do too much. He said after the loss to Michigan State that Kizer would not be asked to carry the load for the offense this season, but then he seemed to expect Kizer to do just that when he called nearly as many pass plays as run plays this past weekend in conditions as far from conducive to an aerial attack as possible.

And now, he’s put the blame on the special teams unit this week. And just as before, he’s made it a point to say he will have to become more involved in coaching up the group, as if he didn’t already carry the responsibility to ensure its performance was up to the standard he expects from them.

The thing is, a captain is

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior punter Tyler Newsome punts the ball during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to N.C. State on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

supposed to go down with his ship when it’s sinking.

He holds the ultimate responsibility for the ship and every single person on it, putting everyone else before himself.

But Brian Kelly has given me no reason to believe that he’s done anything but ensure his own safety first while Notre Dame drowns during its disastrous 2016 season.

Because the ideal captain would’ve taken responsibility for the poor way in which he handled the midseason coaching change. He would’ve recognized that he hasn’t put his players in a position to succeed with his play calling, stubbornly running the ball when the lanes weren’t there against the Spartans or throwing the ball when the weather just wasn’t having it against North Carolina State.

Since he put his program on notice that nobody’s job was safe, Kelly has seen his failures loom larger than anyone else’s on his team.

His job should be on the line based on his own standard.

That’s not to say Notre Dame should fire Kelly. He’s brought the Irish to a national championship during his tenure with the program,

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish head coach Brian Kelly walks off the field following Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday.

and he nearly led them into a position to compete for another one last season when they narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff.

And he’s still got at least six games left this season to turn his program back in the right direction, including this weekend’s matchup against rival Stanford.

Zach Klonsinski, a fellow Observer beat writer, wrote an article earlier this year laying out the case for fans to be patient with Kelly, and he makes a great point: Kelly’s accomplishments at Notre Dame thus far can’t be ignored.

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But neither should his missteps at nearly every point of adversity this season.

College football coaches are expected to be leaders, and he simply hasn’t been that for the Irish this season. He’s the captain of this season’s ship, but he isn’t acting like it.

But if he wants to keep his job come the season’s end, he’s going to have to change that very soon.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Irish senior linebacker James Onwualu, left, and junior safety Drue Tranquill combine for a tackle during Saturday’s loss to N.C. State.

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Monk’s Tale

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer sets to fire a pass during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday.

e Presidential Years, 1987–2005

F R I DAY, O C T O B E R 1 4 3:30pm – 5:00pm Hammes Bookstore 1 Eck Center Notre Dame, Indiana $29.00 cloth • 480 pages • Illustrated

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Irish senior linebacker James Onwualu attempts to make a tackle during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday.

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The observer | FRIDAY, october 14, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

HEAD T

7:30 p.m. ET | Notre Dame Stadium CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

CARDINAL PASSING When the Irish and Cardinal met last November, the Notre Dame defense held dynamic running back Christian McCaffrey under 100 yards rushing. But despite that, the Cardinal put up 38 points on the strength of quarterback Kevin Hogan’s arm.

Hogan’s arm is now gone at “The Farm,” and his replacement, senior Ryan Burns, has struggled to emulate the success of the now-Cleveland Browns quarterback. The Cardinal have thrown for just 166.2 yards per game, one of the lowest marks in the nation, finding the end zone just five times.

But on the other side of the ball, the Irish secondary has been one of the nation’s weaker units this season. Notre Dame has allowed 10 aerial gains of 30 yards or more this year — at least one in each of its games not played in a hurricane — and 20 gains through the air of more than 20 yards.

Saturday’s contest presents an opportunity for either the Cardinal pass offense or the Irish pass defense to get its season back on track.

STANFORD

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Greg Hudson look to junior Nyles Morgan to fill a similar role?

Notre Dame has, at times, struggled to stop the run this season, ceding more than 200 yards against Texas, Michigan State and Duke. But a matchup against an uncharacteristically weak Stanford offensive line gives the Irish front seven a chance to make its mark at home under the lights.

EDGE: EVEN

(Sr.) Francis Owusu

For the second time in three years, Stanford is firmly out of the playoff picture in mid-October. The Cardinal, who went 8-5 in 2014 before rebounding last year to finish the season No. 3 in both the AP and coaches’ polls, have largely stuck with their grind-itout offensive system that relies on getting a strong push from the offensive line.

The Irish defense looked better last week at North Carolina State, but weather conditions worked in the unit’s favor. It still needs to find a full-game effort in normal conditions to prove real strides have been made.

(Jr.) Christian

McCaffrey

5

(So.) Bryce Love 20

(Jr.) Keller Chryst 10

(So.) Reagan Williams

15

(5th.) Chris Harrell 82

RB QB FB

(Jr.) Brandon Fanaika

71

(Sr.) David Bright 64

(Jr.) Jesse Burkett 73 (So.) Brian Chaffin 65

(5th) Johnny Caspers 57 (So.) Nick Wilson 54

(Sr.) David Bright 64 (Jr.) Casey Tucker 77

(Jr.) Dalton Schultz 9

(Sr.) Greg Taboada 88

WR

(So.) Trenton Irwin 2

(Sr.) Taijuan Thomas 13

(So.) Quenton Meeks 24 (Jr.) Alameen Murphy 23

CB

EDGE: EVEN CARDINAL SPECIAL TEAMS

Stanford junior running back Christian McCaffrey entered 2016 among the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy. But without strong play at quarterback or on the offensive line, McCaffrey hasn’t been as effective as expected, rushing for 520 yards and accounting for 154 receiving yards.

Both those stats, as well as his all-purpose touchdown and return yardage marks, lag behind his 2015 numbers.

But he only factors into Stanford’s plans if he’s able to go Saturday, after McCaffrey left last week’s game with an injury.

Cardinal head coach David Shaw indicated McCaffrey’s status would not be known until Friday at the earliest. If he doesn’t go, the Cardinal will go to sophomore Bryce Love, who’s carried just 21 times this year, in McCaffrey’s place.

Regardless of who’s in the backfield for the Cardinal, though, it will be interesting to see how the Irish attack their opponents’ run game. Last season’s game saw Notre Dame have success limiting McCaffrey’s impact — having Jaylon Smith on the field helped with that. Will Irish defensive coordinator

LT LG C RG RT TE

(Sr.) David Bright 64

EDGE: EVEN CARDINAL RUSHING

6

(Jr.) A.T. Hall 75

(Sr.) Ryan Burns 17

CARDINAL OFFENSIVE COACHING

WR

(5th) Michael Rector 3

Irish fans will look to the field Saturday and see the man who ended their team’s playoff chances last year: fifth-year kicker Conrad Ukropina. Ukropina, who’s already hit from 50 this year, gives Stanford a fairly reliable kicker who’s hit at an 81.8 percent clip in his career.

Sophomore punter Jake Bailey is much improved from 2015, averaging 45 yards per effort this year, while the Irish return game has, bright flashes aside, largely struggled to get going.

OLB

(Sr.) Peter Kalambayi 34 (So.) Justin Reid 22 (So.) Ben Edwards 9

(So.) Casey Toohill 52

FS

(Jr.) Solomon Thomas 90

(Jr.) Bobby Okereke 20 (So.) Sean Barton 27

(Sr.) Kevin Palma

44

(5th) Noor Davis 3

(5th) Dallas Lloyd

29

(Sr.) Zach Hoffpauir 10

ILB ILB

(Sr.) Eric Cotton 80

(Jr.) Harrison Phillips 66 (5th) Jordan Watkins 75

(So.) Dylan Jackson 97 (5th) Luke Kaumatule 99

SS

(Jr.) Joey Alfieri 32 (Sr.) Mike Tyler 33

OLB

(So.) Frank Buncom IV 8

EDGE: STANFORD

DE DT DE

(Jr.) Terrence Alexander 11

CB

CARDINAL SCHEDULE (3-2) Sept. 2 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26

Kansas State (W, 26-13) USC (W, 27-10) @ UCLA (W, 22-13)

@ Washington (L, 44-6) Washington State (L, 42-16) @ Notre Dame

Colorado @ Arizona Oregon State @ Oregon @ California Rice

(5th) Conrad Ukropina 34 (So.) Jake Bailey 14

(So.) Jake Bailey 14 (Sr.) Alex Robinson 47

(Jr.) Christian

McCaffrey

(5th) Michael Rector

5 3

PK P PR

(5th) Dallas Lloyd 29 (Jr.) Christian

(Fr.) Richard

Alex Carson

Zach Klonsinski

Marek Mazurek

Assistant Managing Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Sports Editor

Eleven months ago, Notre Dame and Stanford played the game of the 2015 season. This week, the Irish start the fight for their bowl-eligibility lives against an unranked Cardinal team. What a difference a bit of time makes.

Here’s the thing about this Notre Dame team: it’s bad.

It should have beat Texas. It didn’t. It should have beat Michigan State. It didn’t. It should have beat Duke. It didn’t.

Perhaps Notre Dame “should” beat a Stanford team that’s reeling right now, in more ways than one. The Cardinal offense is miserably bad, and right now, its defense ain’t much better. But despite all that, the Cardinal are still going to be the best team the Irish have played.

I won’t take much from last Saturday’s joke of a football game, but until Notre Dame shows the Syracuse win was the start of a new trend, not the anomaly, I can’t pick the Irish.

FINAL SCORE: Stanford 37, Notre Dame 24

Everything I’ve seen this season from Notre Dame says this should be an easy decision. But everything we’ve seen from Stanford the last couple weeks makes it more difficult.

Couple that with my gut feeling that Notre Dame matches up extremely well against a Stanford team that may be without its top offensive star and is led by a quarterback that is struggling to fill Kevin Hogan’s shoes.

Don’t read anything into Notre Dame’s offensive woes last week. In fact, look for Notre Dame to use that as motivation this week against a rival. If Brian Kelly stays out of his team’s way, this could be a game that regains some respect for this season.

That’s a big if, but my gut says the Irish win big under the lights.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 41, Stanford 24

McCaffrey

5

(5th) Michael Rector

3

McNitzky

69

(Jr.) C.J. Keller 68

H KR LS

Before last week, not many would have predicted Notre Dame to upset Stanford. Now, it would not even be an upset.

Stanford is struggling, being outscored 86-22 in their last two games, and star running back Christian McCaffrey may not play due to injury.

Notre Dame matches up well with the Cardinal, as Stanford’s strength is not throwing the football and thus, the weak point of Notre Dame’s defense — the secondary — may not be tested.

But last week’s loss showed that this team simply isn’t ready, from a mental standpoint, to win close games. All of Notre Dame’s losses this year have been by one score or less, while its two wins have been blowouts. The Irish want revenge for last year, but they will have to wait.

FINAL SCORE: Stanford 35, Notre Dame 27

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O HEAD on NBC

Notre Dame CB

Julian Love (Fr.) 35

27

Donte Vaughn (Fr.)

WILL DE DT DT DE

WR WR RT RG C LG LT TE WR

H KR LS

4

Te’von Coney (So.)

22 Asmar Bilal (So.)

S

Andrew Trumbetti (Jr.)

98

9 Daelin Hayes (Fr.)

Daniel Cage (Jr.)

75

94 Jarron Jones (Gr.)

Jerry Tillery (So.)

99

MLB

5

8

Devin Studstill (Fr.)

28 Nico Fertitta (So.)

Nyles Morgan (Jr.)

48 Greer Martini (Jr.)

58 Elijah Taylor (So.)

Isaac Rochell (Sr.)

90

S

55 Jonathan Bonner (Jr.)

SAM CB

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

36

17

James Onwualu (Sr.)

23

Drue Tranquill (Jr.)

21 Jalen Elliot (Fr.)

44 Jamir Jones (Fr.)

Cole Luke (Sr.)

18 Troy Pride Jr. (Fr.)

Equanimeous St. Brown (So.)

6

81 Miles Boykin (So.)

C.J. Sanders (So.)

3

15 Corey Holmes (Jr.)

78 Tommy Kraemer (Fr.)

Colin McGovern (Sr.)

62

66 Tristen Hoge (So.)

53

Sam Mustipher (Jr.)

75 Mark Harrell (Gr.)

RB QB

33

Josh Adams (So.)

2 Dexter Williams (So.)

14

DeShone Kizer (Jr.)

8 Malik Zaire (Sr.)

Quenton Nelson (Jr.)

56

57 Trevor Ruhland (So.)

Mike McGlinchey (Sr.)

68

70 Hunter Bivin (Sr.)

80

Durham Smythe (Sr.)

82 Nic Weishar (Jr.)

16

Torii Hunter Jr. (Sr.)

29 Kevin Stepherson (Fr.)

4

Montgomery VanGorder (Jr.)

14 DeShone Kizer (Jr.)

3

C.J. Sanders (So.)

10 Chris Finke (So.)

61

Scott Daly (Gr.)

54 John Shannon (Fr.)

IRISH PASSING

IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING

Junior DeShone Kizer and the Irish passing game really struggled for the first time all season last Saturday at North Carolina State, but it’s hard to put too much blame on the unit while playing in driving rain and tropical stormlevel wind gusts. The young receiving corps struggled to get open in the rough conditions, as Kizer struggled to a 9-for26 day.

More stock, perhaps, should be taken in the stellar display the unit put forward against Syracuse two weeks ago.

Kizer threw for 471 yards, keying in on sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown as the target of 182 of them, as he set the school record for passing yards in a win.

Stanford’s defense has struggled the last two weeks, giving up 86 points to Washington and Washington State, with the Cougars amassing 357 passing yards in their 42-16 win last Saturday. But on the whole of the season, the secondary has been suspect, surrending 200 or more passing yards in every game so far.

In the last week, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has often noted that the Irish offense has had chances to tie or win the game in each of the team’s four losses. However, the common retort from Irish fans is that Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford haven’t put the unit in a position to be successful down the stretch. Against Texas, facing third-and-long, the Irish opted for a conservative rush in a tie game, taking away Kizer’s ability to win the game, while last week’s decision to throw 26 times in adverse conditions remains a baff ling one.

Stanford, on the f lip, has seen its defense hemmorhage points the last two weeks after posting three straight solid games to open the season. The highpowered Irish pass game should test a secondary that’s struggled.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Alex Bars (Jr.)

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PK P PR

19

Justin Yoon (So.)

85 Tyler Newsome (Jr.)

85

Tyler Newsome (Jr.)

42 Jeff Riney (So.)

3

C.J. Sanders (So.)

10 Chris Finke (So.)

Notre Dame vs. Temple

Renee Griffin

Associate Sports Editor

Sports Writer

At the beginning of this season, everyone expected this week’s game to carry playoff implications.

But now, the Irish come into the game with a losing record, and the Cardinal are missing several key pieces on their defense, still looking for production at quarterback and might not have their best player on the field come Saturday.

With just one offensive touchdown in each of its last three games, Stanford doesn’t have the pieces to truly take advantage of a weak Irish defense, especially if Christian McCaffrey doesn’t play.

And barring a hurricane, the Irish offense should return to form, doing just enough to give Notre Dame a victory.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 27

IRISH RUSHING Despite playing in rough conditions a week ago, Notre Dame largely stayed away from the ground game at N.C. State.

For most of the game, the Irish offensive line struggled to get the necessary push, as sophomores Josh Adams and Dexter Williams combined for just 64 yards on 20 carries. Senior Tarean Folston, through injury, has not seen a carry the last two weeks, with his big run at Texas now a distant memory.

Its crushing loss at Washington aside, the Cardinal run defense has been a stout unit so far this year, ranking 26th nationally in yards ceded — just 120.2 per game. Even in the Washington State defeat, the Stanford rush defense had a solid game, limiting the Cougars to just 101 yards on 30 carries.

The Irish ground game, which rushed for more than 200 yards against both Texas and Nevada, has not hit the mark since, will need a banner day to do so against the Cardinal front seven.

EDGE: STANFORD

Ben Padanilam

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

At last, one of the season’s most anticipated matchups has arrived: No. 8 Stanford, with star running back Christian McCaffrey, against No. 10 Notre Dame, with prolific passer DeShone Kizer, under the lights.

That’s what could have been written in the preseason. Instead, Saturday will be a matchup between the 2-4 Irish, whose playoff hopes were crushed weeks ago, and the 3-2 Cardinal, who began the season with three solid wins only to see their dreams crumble after being routed 42-16 by Washington State last weekend.

With McCaffrey questionable, this is Notre Dame’s best chance at another win in Notre Dame Stadium this year. Yet Stanford still has plenty of talent, and as Brian Kelly noted, the Irish have repeatedly failed to win close games. Expect that trend to continue.

FINAL SCORE: Stanford 32, Notre Dame 28

EDGE: STANFORD IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS It’s another week for the Irish special teams unit and the story line remains the same: inconsistency. When sophomore kicker Justin Yoon was called upon at N.C. State, he was successful from 40 yards. But junior punter Tyler Newsome, after hitting a 69-yard punt earlier in the game, conceded the only touchdown of the loss when his fourth-quarter punt was blocked andreturned by the Wolfpack for a score.

If healthy enough to go, Newsome and Yoon will be kicking to Christian McCaffrey this week. That’s not necessarily a recipe for success.

EDGE: STANFORD IRISH SCHEDULE (2-4) Sept. 4 @ Texas (L, 50-47, 2OT) Sept. 10 Nevada (W, 39-10) Sept. 17 Michigan State (L, 36-28) Sept. 24 Duke (L, 38-35) Oct. 1 vs. Syracuse (W, 50-33) Oct. 8 @ NC State (L, 10-3) Oct. 15 Stanford Oct. 29 Miami (Fla.) Nov. 5 vs. Navy Nov. 12 vs. Army Nov. 19 Virginia Tech Nov. 26 @ USC

Follow Observer Sports on Twitter for live updates and analysis during the game this weekend and all season long. @ObserverSports

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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

The Irish defensive line collides head-on with the Wolfpack offensive line at the line of scrimmage during Saturday’s game durning N.C. State’s 10-3 victory during Hurricane Matthew at Carter-Finley Stadium.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore running back Josh Adams takes a handoff during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday.

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Stanford looks to right its own ship against ND

By MAREK MAZUREK Sports Editor

With a 2-4 record midway through October, it’s safe to say Notre Dame’s season is not going as planned.

However, when the Irish host Stanford on Saturday, they w ill take on a team in the same boat.

Stanford opened the season ranked eighth in the countr y in the AP preseason poll, and the Cardinal promptly rolled off w ins over Kansas State, USC and UCL A. However, in its past two games, Stanford has been outscored by a 64-point margin and now sits at 3-2 after losses to No. 5 Washington and Washington State.

A point of concern for the Cardinal is the offensive line, which has surrendered

12 sacks in the last t wo games, but Cardinal head coach Dav id Shaw said the whole offense unit was to blame in his press conference Wednesday.

“We have been inconsistent from one through 11 w ith guys on the field,” Shaw said. “Receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks [and] running backs as well. It is not just the offensive line. It looks like the offensive line just because we did not run the ball ver y well and have given up sacks in the last t wo weeks. It’s not just on those guys. They have a hand in it, and we all have a hand in it.”

Another huge question mark hanging over Stanford’s head is the health of star junior running back Christian McCaffrey. Last year’s runner-up for the

Heisman Trophy, McCaffrey left last week’s game against Washington State in the second half and did not return to the game. Shaw said McCaffrey’s status is questionable for the matchup w ith the Irish and stated a decision regarding his availabilit y w ill not be made until later in the week.

“He just got banged up over the course of the game,” Shaw said. “We’ll be cautious w ith him, as we are w ith all of our guys that are prett y beaten up. We’ll see where he is. We probably won’t have an answer until Friday or so or maybe game time unless we rule him out before then, but I don’t think that w ill happen. He already felt a little bit better, but it w ill be a late-week decision.”

Regardless of his status,

Notre Dame is preparing as if McCaffrey is play ing and at full health, Irish senior linebacker and captain James Onw ualu said.

“He’s the guy that kind of wants to get on the edge and use his speed,” Onw ualu said. “So containing him in the box and play ing well against that run game [is important]. Again, he’s tr ying to get outside, stretch the field. Once he gets in open field, he’s tough to take dow n and really contain. So whatever we can do to keep him as confined as possible.”

Last season, the Irish held McCaffrey in check, allowing him only 97 yards on 27 runs, good for an average of 3.5 yards per carr y.

The real hero for the Cardinal one year ago was now-fifth-year kicker Conrad

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Ukropina, who nailed a 45yard field goal in the game’s final seconds to end thenNo. 6 Notre Dame’s playoff hopes and give the Cardinal a 38-36 v ictor y.

In recent years, the Cardinal-Irish rivalr y has picked up. In each of the last four seasons, the game has been decided by only one score, and in each of those four contests, both teams were nationally ranked heading into the matchup.

In fact, this Saturday’s game marks the first time since 2009 that neither team w ill be ranked the week before the clash.

“I think for both of us, we’ve been wounded, both literally w ith injuries and w ith a couple of losses,” Shaw said. “But you got t wo proud football teams, t wo talented football teams [and] t wo physical football teams that ever y year, really in the last seven years, this has been one heck of a football game.

It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be intense. The records don’t matter: It’s going to be a good football game.”

Irish senior receiver and captain Torii Hunter Jr. agreed w ith Shaw and said Notre Dame fully understands the depth of the rivalr y.

“I think it’s definitely a game we highlight. I think ever ybody in the locker room highlights [it], and especially this year,” Hunter said. “Because, you know, they took us out of the playoff [picture] last year from what we thought. So we’re eager to go out there and play these guys and get a little bit of revenge.

“I was actually here for that Stanford game, and they kind of stressed how important the game was and how big of a rivalr y it was.

And also went to a game the year before that at Stanford, and they talked about it there, too. So I knew it was a big game coming into Notre Dame and, being able to play in those games, I see why.”

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ND offense eager for Stanford matchup

By ALEX CARSON Assistant Managing Editor

Through five games, Notre Dame’s offensive statistics were some of the best in the nation. Last Saturday’s game at North Carolina State, though, told a different stor y — though the Irish (2-4) can thank Hurricane Matthew for that one. Say ing the unit

is happy to be back in South Bend this weekend may just be one of the year’s biggest understatements.

“I’ve never been more excited to be in South Bend, I can tell you that,” Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer said.

“Hurricane Matthew has gone past, and we’re thankful up here.”

In Kizer’s eyes, though,

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer lofts a pass toward the sideline during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to N.C. State on Saturday.

the Irish can still find some takeaways from the 10-3 loss in the adverse weather conditions.

“Obv iously it wasn’t ideal for us w ith the weather, and it was difficult to execute our jobs across the board, but to play against an N.C. State team who has a ver y strong front line that they had and ver y sound defense, the things that we can take away are some of the pre-snap looks that we had,” Kizer said. “ … It was nice to see us go out and execute before the ball’s throw n in some of our routes and things like that.

We had a lot of premier looks to get the ball out there, but unfortunately w ith the wet ball that we had it was hard to execute those looks.”

W hile the Irish pass game has been productive most of the year, Notre Dame has struggled on third dow ns and ranks 111th in the nation w ith just a 33.3 percent success rate. Irish head coach Brian Kelly blamed a lack of first-dow n execution for the third-dow n struggles early this week, and senior offensive lineman and captain Mike McGlinchey said Paid Advertisement

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Senior offensive lineman and captain Mike McGlinchey clears the way for junior quarterback DeShone Kizer during Saturday’s loss.

more success on first, and subsequently third, dow n w ill come if the Irish can better attack the mental side of the game.

“I think it is a mindset, and it’s a mindset about execution,” McGlinchey said.

“And that’s all really offense comes dow n to is executing your job. Because if you

have all 11 guys executing their job, that means somebody’s going dow n the field or somebody’s getting the right block. “ … I think it just comes dow n to a mindset of, ‘Yes, I’m going to get my job done, and I’m going to execute to the best of my abilit y on each and ever y play.’ And

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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Senior receiver Torii Hunter Jr. battles with a Wolfpack defensive back during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to N.C. State on Saturday.

as soon as we can do that as consistently as we want to do that, I think we’ll be a lot better off.”

In each of Notre Dame’s four losses this year, the Irish offense has had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final few minutes. But in each of those games, the unit hasn’t come up w ith

that final, signature drive to seize the moment.

Senior receiver and captain Torii Hunter Jr. said the Irish just need to play at their “highest level” dow n the stretch in crunch time.

“Across the board, coaches, players, we’ve just all got to be on our P’s and Q’s and just perform at a high level

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at the end of the game, and we’ve just got to make it happen,” Hunter said. “I think that’s probably the biggest difference.”

Consistency throughout a full 60 minutes is also an issue the Irish have identified heading into the Stanford matchup — Hunter noted Notre Dame needs to “stand on the gas and continue to put points on the board” when it jumps out to an early lead, while Kizer identified it as a key issue leading to the team’s 2-4 mark.

“We need to be a team that goes out, starts strong, maintains that same strong start throughout the whole game and then finish as strong as we started,” Kizer said. “We go out and we show great spurts. We have athletes all over the field. We have a great offensive line. We’re completely sound across the board and ver y skilled.

“But w ith that, we haven’t done a good job of going out and keeping our pedal to the f loor the whole game. We hit lapses, and that’s the truth.

That’s the realit y of how this season has started and those lapses have come back and ended up w ith four losses.”

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu

Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer carries the ball upfield during Saturday’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State.

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SATURDAY SCHOLAR SERIES A different game plan for autumn weekends from the College of Arts and Letters You are invited to join in discussion with Notre Dame’s most engaging faculty in the Saturday Scholar Series on home game Saturdays. Each lecture and Q&A, sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters, is presented in the Snite Museum’s Annenberg Auditorium at 12:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

" 10.29.16 (vs. Miami) Representing Latinos in Television’s New Golden Age Jason Ruiz, Associate Professor, Department of American Studies

Flooding the Desert: Faith-Based Mobilizing to Save Lives Along the Arizona-Sonora Border Kraig Beyerlein

" 11.19.16 (vs. Virginia Tech) Monk’s Tale: The Presidential Years Father Edward A. “Monk” Malloy, C.S.C., President Emeritus

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology Drawing on a large number of original interviews and surveys, this talk focuses on the emergence and growth of the faith-based movement in Southern Arizona to save the lives of undocumented migrants crossing the Sonoran desert.

Mainline Protestant and Catholic congregations led the way in both phases of this movement. Professor Beyerlein will also discuss resistance to humanitarian efforts along the border as well as how secular participants have been changed through their life-saving work with faith communities.

Saturday, October 15, 2016 4 p.m.

Snite Museum’s Annenberg Auditorium Lecture and Q&A free and open to the public. No tickets required.

To explore the entire Saturday Scholars Series, visit saturdayscholar.nd.edu.

A video of each lecture is available online one week following the event.

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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Wolfpack sophomore running back Nyheim Hines, center, dives to recover a fumble as a group of Irish defenders surround the loose ball during North Carolina State’s 10-3 win over Notre Dame on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack fumbled six times in the game and lost two of them, while the Irish lost two of their four fumbles.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore kicker Justin Yoon follows through on a field goal during Notre Dame’s 10-3 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. Yoon hit the kick, his only attempt in the loss.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Freshman cornerback Julian Love reads a play during Saturday’s game. Love had three total tackles for the Irish in the loss.

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