Print Edition of the Irish Insider for Friday, September 27, 2019

Chasing his dreams An impact player from the start, senior wide receiver Chase Claypool is making the most of every moment in his final season

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INSidER

The observer | friday, September 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

DIANE PARK | The Observer

By JACK CONCANNON Sports Writer

Chase Clay pool has been part of a Notre Dame football class that has had a unique run.

Their freshman year was a 4-8 disaster that saw both coordinators get fired and Brian Kelly pushed to the brink of his job. In the two years since, the team has been in constant College Football Playoff contention, reaching the promised land last season before being blow n out in the Cotton Bowl against Clemson.

Clay pool has been a constant in all of this, progressing each year and improv ing his play just like the program has. Play ing across from Miles Boykin, he caught 639 yards last season, a mark he looks poised to smash this season w ith 256 yards through just three games. Clay pool gave credit to some graduated players for mentoring him early in his career and show ing him the path to being an impactful w ide receiver. “[Former Irish w ide receiver] Corey Robinson was the main guy who stuck out,” Clay pool said. “He was a medical redshirt when I was a freshman. He taught me the playbook and told me how important it is to do each thing right and learn all of the plays, while hav ing a good attitude about ever ything. [Former Irish w ide receiver] Miles Boykin now is keeping touch w ith me even though he is in the NFL. Those two guys have been

prett y good leaders.”

Now that he is a senior as those two once were, Clay pool said he has a different perspective on the program than he once did.

“I understand that ever ything means a little more.

Ever y thing meant the same in prior years, but now it’s kind of a realization that this is my last year and ever y little thing counts,” Clay pool said. “I’m just tr y ing to take that [as a] factor and let the guys know that ever y little thing we do on the practice field is going to translate to the game field.”

Over his four years, Clay pool has heard the criticism of Notre Dame football that has occurred in the media, especially after games like Miami in 2017 and Clemson last year. W hen discussing how many members of the media dismissed the Irish as hav ing no chance against Georgia, he acknowledged people are hung up on the Clemson game but said the team has learned from its experiences.

“I wasn’t surprised — I think a lot of people were hung up on the game against Clemson, and maybe the game against Louisv ille,” Clay pool said. “I knew what we were all about, just based on the practices here. I think we’re going to be able to carr y that momentum [from Georgia] throughout the year. We have a different t y pe of urgency. We can’t start slow, we can’t give up any big plays. We really tightened dow n on the little things.”

As the team seeks to build on its game against Georgia, Clay pool and the offense are receiv ing much needed reinforcements. Junior tight end Cole Kmet had a dominant return in Athens, and the team is expecting junior w ide receiver Michael Young and sophomore running back Jahmir Smith to be healthy against Virginia.

Clay pool is enthusiastic about what these returning players can do for both the offense and his ow n game.

“A ll the pieces are coming together, it’s kind of exciting,” Clay pool said. “Once ever yone comes back, which is prett y soon, it opens up avenues we have not explored yet. Now that Mike is back and Cole is back at tight end, it adds versatilit y to our offense. That only helps me out and ever ybody on the field out.”

That versatilit y w ill be needed as the team faces three ranked teams in Virginia, USC and Michigan in their next four games. It is often a challenge for teams to come dow n off play ing an emotional game like Georgia and coming up short. After the loss to Miami in 2017, the Irish slumped through their remaining schedule before their bowl game, beating Nav y by seven in a game they were favored to w in by 20, and losing their final game at Stanford, eliminating themselves from New Year’s Six bowl contention.

Clay pool said there w ill be no such letdow n this year, as the team respects what Virginia has and is prepared

to compete.

“We’re prett y aware of Virginia’s talent on defense,” he said. “Looking from my perspective, they are going to come into this game f lying around, especially because they’re undefeated and ranked. It’s a game they can use to prove themselves, just as it was for us against Georgia. We are expecting some high energ y from that team, we’re going to match up for sure.”

The Virginia game is the next piece of what w ill come together as Clay pool’s final

season. He hopes this season w ill help his class leave a standard of excellence behind as an aspiration for future Notre Dame football players.

“The standard of play ing — most of all being fast and physical — I think that has to be an identit y that Notre Dame receivers carr y on through the next few years,” he said. “If I can leave that legacy it would be prett y cool.”

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

ann CURTIS | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Chase Claypool is tackled in the end zone during Notre Dame’s 23-17 road loss over Georgia on Saturday.

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ndsmcobserver.com | friday, September 27, 2019 | The Observer

Patience, trust guide Kraemer through season

By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Managing Editor

It didn’t come immediately for Tommy Kraemer, and it didn’t always come consistently.

But as he prepares for Virginia this weekend, the senior offensive lineman has found his rhythm in the Notre Dame offense.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, the highly-touted five-star recruit picked the Irish over a number of programs, including Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia. An example of hard work paying off, Kraemer spent his freshman season — along with classmates quarterback Ian Book, offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg and running back Tony Jones Jr. — on the scout team. As those teammates have risen in the lineup throughout their careers at Notre Dame, they’ve gone as a unit, each capitalizing on their opportunity to cement themselves as go-to guys for head coach Brian Kelly.

However, it didn’t come easily. Following a season on scout team, Kraemer seemed poised for a breakout season, starting in 12 of 13 games his sophomore season. He was part of an offensive line that set numerous program records in terms of rushing

yards and ultimately won the Joe Moore Award, given to the “most outstanding offensive line unit” in college football.

Then junior season descended and much of the progress Kraemer made seemed to have come to a standstill as he was taken out of the starting lineup against Wake Forest, Navy and Northwestern. Despite that, Kraemer has come back stronger than ever, earning himself a preseason FirstTeam All-American nod from CBS sports back in August.

So far, he’s proved he’s worth that wager, as the Irish are currently ranked 24th in points-per-game with an average just under 40, and despite a 17-point performance against the Bulldogs.

While the Irish may have suffered a setback in the hunt for the College Football Playoff (CFP) this past Saturday against Georgia, Kraemer is confident this team has all the tools to compete for a championship.

“Keep doing what we’re doing everyday. We don’t have to be superheroes, we don’t have to do everything,” he said. “… Trust our technique, trust our fundamentals, just play physical.”

He also said the captains and senior leadership called a meeting this week

in preparation for Saturday’s matchup with Virginia.

“Captains decided to call this meeting to make sure that everyone was ready to lock in and ready to attack this week,” he said. “… We showed that we’re tough and physical and really ready to bring that on to Virginia this week.”

While to some the No. 18 Cavaliers might be viewed as a trap game, Kraemer and the offensive line are expecting a hard-fought battle and know they’ll have to show up to help Book in the pocket.

“They’re a very good defense. They throw a lot of stuff at you,” he said. “They’re physical, they play hard. It’s going to be a great challenge 4-up-4. “ Kraemer’s career has been defined by patience and confidence in the process. With the loss in Athens, Notre Dame no longer controls their own destiny to making the CFP and Kraemer will be expected to step up with that same patience and trust throughout the remainder of this regular season.

“As an offense we all love each other, we’re brothers.

Same thing with the defense,” he said “… It’s just the love for each other that’s special.

Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu

CFP hopes may be dashed but season still has purpose Ellen Geyer Sports Writer

A w ise band named AC/DC once said, “It’s a long way to the top.” Granted, they were talking about Rock & Roll, but I’d say the euphemism is relatively applicable to the remainder of the 2019 Notre Dame football season.

Georgia? That was tough, man.

Clemson? That was even tougher.

Unfortunately, it seems like those t wo losses w ill trump each and ever y one of Notre Dame’s last 14 w ins.

And that has ver y real implications for the Irish future — in 2019 and beyond.

Realistically, the College Football Playoff is a t woteam competition. A labama and Clemson all but have their December f lights booked. That leaves t wo spots for the hundreds of remaining teams in Div ision I. Fool me once, Notre Dame makes the Cotton Bowl.

Fool me t w ice, Independent teams are all but eliminated from the playoff conversation.

The CFP Committee certainly received plent y of f lack last year for putting in an undefeated Notre Dame — they won’t make that mistake again by putting in a one-loss Irish.

As much as I hate to say it, this just won’t be our year.

I hope I’m w rong. It would be an incredible step for the program to reach the national semifinals two years in a row under the CFP model. But frank ly, it’s not going to happen unless a slew of absurd events (like Ohio State’s 2018 loss to Purdue) happen again, and all of those things are out of Notre Dame’s control.

At the beginning of the season, that wouldn’t have been my take. With matchups at Michigan and Stanford and against USC, I’d have said that a close loss to Georgia would certainly have hurt Notre Dame’s playoff chances, but not completely dashed them. Now, with the first four weeks of games completely undermining the

Please recycle The Observer. ann CURTIS | The Observer

Irish senior offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer blocks for graduate student wide receiver Chris Finke during Notre Dame’s 23-17 loss to Georgia on the road in Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

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Irish strength of schedule, I simply don’t see a path back to National Championship contention.

It would be a completely different conversation if Notre Dame had a conference championship to play for. If they could run the table during the regular season and cap it off with a gritty title win, they’d make their case just like any other teams who could pick up a mid-season loss might — Ok lahoma, Ohio State. But without that season-ending redemption, the path back to the College Football Playoff is that much more difficult.

It would also be a completely different conversation if Notre Dame hadn’t gotten smacked in the Cotton Bowl, but I’ll let sleeping dogs lie.

The good news is that failure to return to the playoff doesn’t necessarily make the season a waste. The Irish have a lot of good pieces this year that they can continue to develop, and back-to-back 11-win seasons certainly wouldn’t hurt recruiting.

Neither would ending the season at No. 5 or No. 6.

From that perspective, keeping the season on track means nine decisive wins, and a New Year’s Six bowl title.

Notre Dame needs to be the team that we saw against New Mexico and Georgia — the team that can put up style points and compete with top-tier programs.

At the ver y least, the former hasn’t been the Irish way, but if Notre Dame wants to make it back to the CFP in future years, that’s the sort of program that they’ll need to become.

A ll that being said, I firmly believe that the team who shows up Saturday against Virginia is the one we’ll be stuck with for the rest of the season. Let’s hope it’s a good one. Football Playoff chances, may depend on it.

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Insider

The observer | FRIDAY, september 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

HEAD T 2:30 p.m. ET | notre dame stadium

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

IRISH PASSING All things considered, quarterback Ian Book played great against Georgia. He went 29-for-47 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against the No. 3 team in the country, with virtually no help from the run game. With the emergence of tight end Cole Kmet and Michael Young making his return at receiver, the Irish passing attack is looking better and better. Virginia is solid defensively, but their secondary can be penalty-prone because of their physicality. Virginia is tied for the national lead in sacks with 20, but if the offensive line can perform like they did against the Bulldogs, this time without a stadium of rabid fans bearing down on them, they should be fine.

EDGE: Notre Dame

IRISH RUSHING The Irish ground attack has looked lackluster thus far. Granted, Georgia’s defensive line is one of the best in the country, but the Irish still seem to have under achieved this season. And with Jafar Armstrong out, the Irish ground game is asking a lot from Tony Jones Jr. and C’Bo Flemister. Take all of that and the fact that Virginia has held opponents to 2.2 yards per carry thus far, and the Irish could be in trouble. Cavaliers coach Bronco Mendenhall and his team have prided themselves on stopping the run, and it seems to be what Virginia sees as its key to a successful season. Virginia has the edge here.

EDGE: Virginia

IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING Chip Long has built an impressive chemistry with Ian Book, providing a variety of options to go deep to the receiving corps or scramble out of the pocket. Three games into the season, however, this offense has shown

notre dame

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

it has its fair share of weak points.

Hopefully for Notre Dame, the addition of Cole Kmet to the lineup will help open up some of those options but the offense certainly looked rattled at times in Athens. Granted, the sheer noise would be enough to throw most any team off their game.

But this Virginia defense is nothing to scoff at. They can give Book some trouble, particularly when it comes to edge rushing and in-game decisions, something he struggled with at times down the stretch against Georgia.

(Jr.) Tony

Jones Jr

6

(Sr.) Ian Book

12

(So.) Jahmir Smith 34

(So.) Phil Jurkovec 15

RB QB

LT LG C RG RT TE WR WR

Josh Lugg (Jr.) 75

(Jr.) Aaron Banks

76

(Gr.) Trevor Ruhland 57

(So.) Jarrett Patterson 55 (Jr.) Colin Grunhard 61 (So.) John Dirksen 56

(Jr.) Robert Hainsey 72 (Fr.) Andrew Kristofic

73

(Jr.) Cole Kmet 84 (Jr.) Brock Wright 89

(Gr.) Chris

Finke

10

Claypool

83

(Jr.) Michael Young

(Sr.) Chase

87

(Sr.) Javon McKinley 88

(Sr.) Troy Pride Jr. 5 (So.) Houston Griffith 3

(Jr.) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah 6

(So.) Paul Moala 13

(Sr.) Jalen Ellitt

21

(So.) DJ Brown 12

SS

CB

Rover

(Sr.) Julian Okwara 42 (Sr.) Daelin Hayes 9

(R-So.) Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 95 (Jr.) Drew White 4

(So.) Shayne Simon 33

(Sr.) Alohi Gilman

11

(Fr.) Kyle Hamilton 14

MLB

FS

(Fr.) Jacob Lacey 54

(Gr.) Asmar Bilal 22 (Jr.) Jordan Genmark Heath 2

TaRiq Bracy (So.) 28

(Sr.) Jonathan Doerer 39 (Fr.) Harrison Leonard 98

(Fr.) Jay

Bramblett

19

(Fr.) Harrison Leonard 98

(Gr.) Chris

Finke

10

(Sr.) Alohi Gilman 11

PK P PR

Connor Mulvena

Hayden Adams

Sports Editor

Associate Sports Editor

The Irish proved that they are a top-five football team last weekend in Athens. They outplayed Georgia for three quarters total on the Bulldogs’ menacing home turf, and they showed that no matter the Power Five conference, the Irish are here to hang with the big dogs.

On top of that, if you’re on that team, you’ve got to be angry. You had a chance to prove everyone wrong, and it slipped right out of your fingers. I think the Irish will come out with some fire this weekend, and I expect them to run up the score. It’s their only chance of being taken seriously come December.

DE DT NG DE

Buck

(Gr.) Shaun Crawford 20

Managing Editor

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 50, Virginia 23

(Jr.) Kurt Hinish 41 (Sr.) Adetokunbo Ogundeji 91

IRISH SCHEDULE (2-1) Sept. 2 @ Louisville (W 35-17) Sept. 14 New Mexico (W 66-14) Sept. 21 @ Georgia (L 23-17) Sept. 28 Virginia Oct. 5 Bowling Green Oct. 12 USC Oct. 26 @ Michigan Nov. 2 Virginia Tech Nov. 9 @ Duke Nov. 16 Navy Nov. 23 Boston College Nov. 30 @ Stanford

(So.) Jayson Ademilola 57

(Sr.) Khalid Kareem 53

Charlotte Edmonds

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 44, Virginia 22

(Sr.) Liam Eichenberg 74

(Sr.) Tommy Kraemer 78

EDGE: Notre Dame

I was very wrong about this team. While I hesitate to place them definitively in a ranking of other football powerhouses, one thing is certain — this team can compete, and that’s more than could be said after the Cotton Bowl last year. Virginia’s a strong program that’s on the rise, but coming off an emotional loss in Athens will only fuel Brian Kelly’s team, and there’s nothing Bryce Perkins and company can do. Expect them to look to make a statement in Notre Dame stadium.

Virginia presents a unique opportunity for the Irish to capitalize on their strengths — big receiving corps, strong secondary — while continuing to develop the areas that need improvement.

WR

(So.) Braden Lenzy 25

EDGE: Virginia

IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS Irish punter Jay Bramblett had an excellent night in Athens, with three of his four punts downed inside the twenty-yard line. The freshman looks extremely comfortable, as does junior kicker Jonathan Doerer. While yet to be tested from outside of thirtysix yard range, the kicker is perfect so far this season. Beyond the kicking game, the Irish created a massive takeaway against Georgia with Chase Claypool recovering a muffed punt, showing the benefits the Irish often reap by putting their best players on special teams. After an offseason of questioning about the new Irish special teams group, the team appears to have found a winning combination, which is no small feat.

(So.) Lawrence Keys III 13

CB

(Fr.) Jay Bramblett 19 (Gr.) Nolan Henry 17

(So.) Lawrence

Keys III

13

Shannon

54

(Fr.) Kyren Williams 23

(Sr.) John

(So.) Michael Vinson 65

H KR LS

I see the Irish responding in this game and those for the foreseeable future the way they responded after the Georgia loss in 2017, by going on a tear and showing the nation that the showing against the Bulldogs wasn’t a fluke.

That said, a letdown is inevitable after the atmosphere of Georgia. The Cavaliers play hard defensively and, even though their offense has been sloppy, quarterback Bryce Perkins just finds a way to make plays. However, the Irish know they have to show out on both sides of the ball and be convincing in their wins to have a shot at the Playoff, so they’ll put pressure on a shaky Virginia offensive line on one end and rack up points on the other. next week, so he’ll use this game to get back on track.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 38, Virginia 21

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O HEAD on nbc

Virginia BC

Bryce Hall (Sr.)

34

23 Heskin Smith (So.)

WR WR TE RT RG C LG LT WR

H KR LS

14

Noah Taylor (So.)

56 Matt Grahm (Jr.)

Eli Hanback (Sr.)

58

91 Mandy Alonso (Jr.)

Jowon Briggs (Fr.) 76

99

Jordan Redmond (So.)

Richard Burney (Sr.)

16

FS BLB MLB

33

29

Joey Blount (Jr.)

15 De’Vante Cross (Jr.)

Zane Zandier (Jr.)

22 Robert Snyder (Jr.)

4

Jordan Mack (Sr.)

42 Nick Jackson (Fr.)

94 Aaron Faumui (So.)

SLB FC

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

CAVALIERS PASSING

WLB RE NT LE

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

1

Sabre

Charles Snowden (Jr.) 17

11

28

Brenton Nelson (Jr.)

7 Chris Moore (Jr.)

Elliott Brown (Jr.)

Nick Grant (Jr.)

39 Jaylon Baker (R-Fr.)

Joe Reed (Sr.)

2

19 Chuck Davis (Jr.)

Hasise Dubois (Sr.)

8

84 Dorien Goddard (Fr.)

Tanner Cowley (Sr.)

44

85 Grant Misch (R-Fr.)

Dillon Reinkensmeyer (Jr.)

79

67 Derek Devine (R-Fr.)

Chris Glaser (Jr.)

69

75 Ja’Quay Hubbard (Fr.)

55

Olusegun Oluwatimi (So.)

SB QB

21

Wayne Taulapapa (So.)

6 PK Kier (Jr.)

3

Bryce Perkins (Sr.)

36 Lindell Stone (So.)

63 Tyler Fannin (So.)

Ryan Nelson (So.)

54

52 Joe Bissinger (R-Fr.)

Ryan Swoboda (So.)

72

70 Bobby Haskins (So.)

13

Terrell Jana (Jr.)

9 Terrell Chatman (Sr.)

Nash Griffin (So.)

81

Joe Reed (Sr.) 37 2

Perrus Jones (R-Fr.)

62

Lee Dudley (R-Fr.)

61 Enzo Anthony (Fr.)

PK P PR

Brian Delaney (Jr.) 43

Virginia has never relied on its passing game. With a quarterback like Bryce Perkins, why would you? While they have technically attempted passing the ball slightly more than rushing this season, their nine rushing touchdowns to the six passing ones they’ve recorded indicate where they’re comfortable.

Add in an air-tight Irish secondary and don’t anticipate the Virginia wide receivers to be getting too many looks come Saturday.

EDGE : Notre Dame

CAVALIERS RUSHING It was one thing for Louisville to have their two leading returning rushers both be quarterbacks. It’s a different story with quarterback Bryce Perkins leading the Cavaliers. Last season, Perkins and Heisman winner Kyler Murray were the only players in the country with over 2,600 passing yards and 900+ rushing yards.

Perkins’ 65% completion percentage helps to open up running lanes for him, since teams have to respect his arm. With sophomore tailback Wayne Taulapapa contributing 3.9 yards per carry and five rushing touchdowns so far this season, Virginia’s ground game poses a threat. However, UVA doesn’t have the stable of running backs that Georgia has. With Brian Kelly saying the team came away from that game without too many bruises, in a game where the linebackers showed drastic improvement against arguably the nation’s best rushing attack, the Irish front seven shouldn’t wear down like they did against the Bulldog EDGE : Notre Dame

26

Justin Duenkel (Fr.)

81

Nash Griffin (Jr.)

26 Brian Delaney (Jr.)

80

Billy Kemp IV (So.)

88 Tavares Kelly Jr. (So.)

Notre Dame vs. Temple

CAVALIERS OFFENSIVE COACHING The Cavaliers enter South Bend with a balanced attack, having run the ball 129 times and passed it 134 times through four games. This includes several games that saw the Cavaliers forced to run out the clock on the

Ellen Geyer

Jack Concannon

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Notre Dame is mad. Twice in the past three years, a win against Georgia has slipped through their fingers. You can’t expect to escape Athens alive with 12 penalties and two picks, but all things considered, the Irish put up a much better fight than anyone anticipated.

Fresh off of that tough road trip, this team is going to be looking to let off some steam — and unfortunately for Virginia, they’ll be on the receiving end. Sure, the Cavaliers are having a pretty good season and have even crept into the AP Poll, but the Irish will send them packing with a decisive beat-down Saturday.

Emulating the swagger they showed against New Mexico, Notre Dame will play like they have nothing to lose because frankly, they don’t. The Irish will show that last weekend wasn’t a fluke, and it’s going to be fun to watch.

The Cavaliers are solid with an excellent quarterback, but I believe this to be a team that can be defeated relatively handily. They have trailed three out of their undefeated four games at halftime, so the Irish will need to come out fast and dig the Cavaliers into a hole they cannot escape. Back in the comfort of their home stadium, expect Notre Dame to put up points in this one.

The question on defense will be the pass rush.

Virginia has allowed seven sacks this season, and it is time for Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem to start producing sacks. If that pair can get going in this game, it is going to be a long day for the Cavaliers.

Virginia keeps it respectable, but it’s Irish wire to wire.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 35, Virginia 17

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 42, Virginia 17

ground, so expect to see more of quarterback Bryce Perkins’ arm in this one.

Even if the team does choose to throw more, broken plays will still result in Perkins creating on the ground. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall encourages his quarterback to get creative running, which has led to Perkins carrying it himself over twelve times per contest, even more than any Irish running back. This will be UVA’s toughest test of the year, they are going to throw everything in their playbook at the Irish, we will see how Clark Lea’s defense responds.

EDGE : Notre Dame

CAVALIERS SPECIAL TEAMS Brian Delaney is no Rodrigo Blankenship. After facing Georgia’s faultless kicker last week, Notre Dame has much less to worry about this Saturday. Delaney is just 5-8 on field goals this season, which is a pretty tough percentage — particularly in the ACC. In terms of returns, sophomore Billy Kemp IV is averaging 7.6 yards back a punt while senior Joe Reed is pouring in roughly 37.8 yards per kick, even taking one coast-to-coast in Virginia’s 52-17 rout of William & Mary. Regardless, Notre Dame’s had a quiet brilliance in its special teams this year, both offensively and defensively. After seeing Georgia last week, the Irish won’t let anything big get past them Saturday.

EDGE: Notre Dame

CAVALIER SCHEDULE (4-0) Aug. 31 @ Pittsburgh (W 30-14) Sept. 6 William & Mary (W 52-17) Sept. 14 Florida State (W 31-24) Sept. 21 Old Dominion (W 28-17) Sept. 28 @ Notre Dame Oct. 11 @ Miami Oct. 19 Duke Oct. 26 @ Louisville Nov. 2 @ North Carolina Nov. 9 Georgia Tech Nov. 23 Liberty Nov. 30 Virginia Tech

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

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Irish set to shift recruiting to class of 2021

By HAYDEN ADAMS Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame football recruiting has reached a lull.

With the college football season completely underway and teams forming their identities in week 5, and the Irish no exception, there isn’t much recruiting news.

However, that is a good sign for Notre Dame, according to Blue & Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst Mike Singer.

“Right about now things are a little slow due to the fact that Notre Dame has 85 to 90% of its 2020 class already. During the summer, they picked up a bunch of commitments that made this early fall period rather slow, so slow is good right now,” Singer said. “Notre Dame locked up guys like [wide receiver] Jordan Johnson and [tight end] Michael Mayer and [quarterback] Drew Pyne and [running back] Chris Tyree, all these elite offensive weapons, still early in the process, so they can really focus on the season. So yeah, recruiting is going well. It’s a top-15 class in the country, this being the 2020 class, and yeah, things are looking good.”

With Notre Dame solidifying most of its 2020 class already, the Irish can shift their focus towards rounding out the class of 2021, headlined by California quarterback Tyler Buchner, who nearly broke the state record for total yards in a game just recently. Singer said Buchner has looked very impressive in the way he’s performed, especially after coming back from a serious injury.

“He’s phenomenal.

You watch his film and, I don’t want to put huge comparisons on the guy, but he hits some of his throws and you’re like, ‘Holy

crap,’” Singer said. “... Some of his awkward throws look like an Aaron Rodgers throw, like he’s evading a pass rusher and throwing side-arm to get it out to his receiver on the edge. He just throws the ball so effortlessly, and he throws the ball very well from awkward situations on the move. So, Tyler Buckner — remember this is a guy who missed his sophomore season due to an ACL injury that he suffered in his first game. So, this is his first real action since his freshman year of high school. And he’s just dominating.”

Aside from Buchner, several other Irish prospects are off to strong starts to the high school football season.

“Other guys that are performing well off the top of my head, Xavier Watts has put up some really good numbers as a receiver and a defensive back,” Singer said. “Chris Tyree, he’s been banged up a little bit with an ankle injury, but he looked really good to start the season, put up some really nice numbers. [Wide receiver] Jay Brunelle is off to a good start, he’s had over 100 yards in both his first two games this season. Cane Berrong has looked good, the 2021 tight end from Georgia.

Gabriel Rubio, defensive tackle in the 2021 class from St. Louis, Missouri, he looked really good. I mean he had nine sacks in a recent game. … Michael Mayer, he’s been dominant. I mean I could go on and on, but yeah, the commits have definitely had a really strong start to the season.”

Regarding Tyree, the 5-foot-10 running back from Chester, Virginia, is tied as the second-highest rated prospect among 2020 Irish

recruits, according to Rivals. com. Singer said Tyree’s recruitment is indicative of the recruiting mindset of the Irish coaching staff.

“So my understanding is that Notre Dame really values speed; speed and more speed at the running back position, and Chris Tyree really fits that,” he said. “Some of the guys they’re looking at in the 2021 class … they’re really valuing speed at the running back position in that class as well, like Will Shipley, a guy from the Charlotte, North Carolina, area is one that they’re after in the 2021 class.

Shipley is a very speedy, dynamic back. Tyree is one of the best all-purpose backs in the country in 2020, and Shipley, one of the best in 2021. So, Notre Dame wants a fast running back who can catch the ball well out of the backfield, and you can put them in the slot.”

In terms of how the Irish will fare in the recruiting arena, Singer has confidence in

running backs coach Lance Taylor and the job he’s done in his first year.

“Notre Dame is definitely looking like you’re taking that next step at running back recruiting,” Singer said.

“Lance Taylor has just done a great job. I can’t say enough good things about what he’s been able to do in such a short time at Notre Dame, and obviously him coming in helped the Irish land Chris Tyree. I think Notre Dame might’ve been able to land him even if Lance Taylor wasn’t the running backs coach, because he has a really good relationship with Chip Long, but Lance is just doing a good job recruiting running backs right now.”

While Tyree is set on the Irish, Saturday’s matchup with the No. 18 Cavaliers could have recruiting implications for other prospects in the area. However, so long as Notre Dame doesn’t fall off a cliff, so to speak, Singer believes this game doesn’t have major implications for Irish

recruiting.

“The way I see it is, let’s say Notre Dame goes out and loses. I don’t think it really damages recruiting, but if they go out there and win, it’s a positive, unless they completely laid an egg against Virginia at home,” Singer said. “But even if they were upset in a tight battle, I honestly don’t think it does huge damage for recruits. Notre Dame will have some decent recruits at the game on Saturday. Ramon Henderson is a 2020 defensive back from California that will be there for an official visit, he’s a big target for the Irish.

So obviously winning is always a way to solve problems.

But again, I think if they lose, honestly, I don’t see it as a huge impact on the recruiting trail, but it would help things.

I don’t think they’re going to win any recruits just because they beat Virginia, but it’s always a positive thing.”

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

anN CURTIS | The Observer

Irish junior running back Tony Jones Jr. breaks through the line of scrimmage, avoiding a defender in the process, during Notre Dame’s 23-17 loss to Georgia on Saturday. Jones rushed for 21 yards that night.

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Irish sophomore wide receiver Lawrence Keys III secures a pass from senior quarterback Ian Book during Notre Dame’s 23-17 loss to Georgia on Saturday in Sanford Stadium. Keys caught 35 yards on Saturday.

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ndsmcobserver.com | friday, September 27, 2019 | The Observer

7

Virginia gears up for biggest test of its season

By CONNOR MULVENA Sports Editor

For only the third matchup between the two programs facing off this Saturday’s at Notre Dame Stadium, the stakes are high.

No. 18 Virginia will visit South Bend this weekend to take on No. 10 Notre Dame. The Cavaliers (4-0) are coming off a win against Old Dominion while the Irish (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season against the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs.

In his fourth season as Cavaliers head coach, Bronco Mendenhall has built a team with a formidable defense, especially when it comes to stopping the run. The Cavaliers have held opponents to a mere 2.2 yards per carry, and the squad currently leads the FBS in team sacks.

Plus, senior quarterback Bryce Perkins has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in college football, a threat in the air and on the ground.

Ahead of his matchup against Notre Dame on Friday, Mendenhall gave a preview of the game in his weekly press

conference.

Mendenhall said the good start his squad has had this season, along with the national attention the matchup against Notre Dame has garnered, has increased the urgency of the team’s preparation during the week.

“Yeah, every game and every win — put it this way: the number of times this year already I’ve heard, ‘This is the first time since...’ The number of sentences that have started with that after the game when someone walks up, ‘This the first time since...’ and there is some year and some statistic,” he said. “There are a lot of cool and positive things happening in your program. There will always be another metric and this is the next one. So Notre Dame is a very good team, national prominence, powerful name.

We’re anxious to play. So to have a 4-0 start and have some of the attention we’re garnering just adds to the preparation and the urgency for us to continue to grow and learn.”

When asked about playing in a stadium with such a historical mystique as Notre Dame Stadium and how that affects the team’s attitude, Mendenhall

seemed confident his players were concerned with nothing else except the game at hand.

“Well, I think just — and we do this wherever we go — we always see and go to the stadium when we arrive and come off the plane and have a chance to see the field and get familiar with the locker room and make the unknown known for those that haven’t been there,” he said. “But then there is the reality that we’re playing this year’s team with this year’s players.

It’s easy to get caught up in thinking about the different players that might have been there, the names of the past.

While that’s historical and a positive thing for Notre Dame, we’re playing this team, this year, in the stadium that the rest of the guys have played in.

To think about more than that is just a waste of time.”

The Cavaliers have faced notable pressure in their matchups thus far, staving off Florida State in a primetime contest and coming from behind to beat Old Dominion last week.

Mendenhall lauded his team’s cohesion and ability to rely on each other in high-pressure situations.

“The last two games — the Paid Advertisement

stand that we made to hold off Florida State and then coming back from down 17 — when you start winning and winning consistently, which we’re starting to do, wins come in all shapes and sizes and forms,” he said. “Each one of those game scripts end up adding to a collective that kind of binds your team together. I saw after [junior linebacker] Zane Zandier’s interception for a touchdown — I made a point in the meeting today — the defense, how they reacted — I’m talking about the other 10 players that were on the field — the way they reacted, they acted as if it was just those 11. The stadium was irrelevant, fans were irrelevant. It was just those 11. And I saw a connection being formed there that had more depth and substance than could have been formed without the circumstance of being down, needing a play, making the play, and then the collective celebration and investment in each other. And so I think all those things will help us have our best chance to be poised and ready in the setting we’re going into, and not as reliant or concerned about how many people are there or who is there. Just that we’re there.”

Despite Virginia’s previously mentioned proficiency against the run, Mendenhall said there is still progress to be made on the run defense.

“I think it’s a work in progress.

I think there are times where we are doing that, but also when you look at the run numbers, especially in the college game, havoc plays or sacks, those numbers are counted in,” he said. “We’re affecting the quarterback at a high level right now and traditional runs, and if it was only the base run game that was being charted, again, I think we’re improving. I see progress.

Consistency is still what we’re after, play in and play out. If we were to take away all the havoc plays that happened, sacking the quarterback, and say is it truly dominant without that, that’s when I’ll rest comfortable.

We’re not there yet, but we are trending in the right way.”

Virginia will look to stop a Notre Dame run unit which hasn’t been supremely effective thus far in the season, and judging by Mendenhall’s attitude, his defense is coming with its head held high.

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu