Irish Insider: Virginia Tech for Friday, November 1, 2019

2

INSidER

The observer | friday, November 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

DIANE PARK | The Observer

By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Managing Editor

Notre Dame has always been about so much more than football for Jalen Elliott.

The senior safety from Richmond, Virginia, Elliott has emerged as a leader in the program and an anchor among one of the elite secondary units in the country.

That leadership earned him the honor of being named one of seven captains this past August, a title he shares with fellow senior safety Alohi Gilman. In some ways, Elliott seems born for this position, but to him it’s just business as usual.

“I was extremely honored — extremely honored — but also knew that [being named a captain] meant my team was really looking at me to step up and be that leader it needed me to be,” Elliott said. “So it was important for me to keep working and continue to be the person I was that got me to that point.”

Elliott’s hardworking attitude began well before his time in South Bend. As a standout star at Lloyd C. Bird High School, Elliott proved to be one of the most versatile athletes in the class of 2016, playing a number of different positions including quarterback, wide receiver

and eventually, of course, safety. W hile he had some experience on the defensive side of the ball, Elliott said the transition to playing at the speed of the NCA A when he was still adjusting to the position proved challenging. However, he was able to convert some of the skills he developed as a play caller to become a key presence on the field.

“It took a lot of practice and a lot of work. I was very raw coming in,” Elliott said.

“I played quarterback in high school so it was a little different, but a lot of the same tools I used vocally playing quarterback I use playing safety, so it was just about learning the technique and making sure that I was in the right spots for my team.”

He took quickly to those adjustments as he earned himself a spot in the rotation in his freshman season, appearing in all 12 games. As the team struggled to find their momentum, eventually posting a 4-8 record on the season, Elliott was part of the coalition of freshmen defenders — headlined by current New York Giants player Julian Love — that started to find their groove down the final stretch of the season.

W hile that first season had its fair share of challenges,

Elliott said it also came with some incredible learning experiences, particularly pointing to the 47-50 doubleovertime season-opening loss to the University of Texas in Austin.

“It was an unbelievable game,” he said. “You know, it was my first one, and the first taste of college football and just how it would go — it was just amazing to realize that I was here and how much work I had to go.”

Elliott chose the Irish over fellow powerhouse programs such as Auburn, Georgia and Miami (Florida). He credited the family environment head coach Brian Kelly and his staff worked to create as being one of the major reasons he picked Notre Dame.

“It was big to me that there was a family aspect wherever I went, and I felt like Notre Dame embodied that,” Elliott said. “W hen my family came out here, they treated them like they were part of their family, so that really stuck out, and that was one of the main reasons that I chose to come here.”

That decision paid off, as Elliott said he found a whole community of teammates that have impacted him as a player and leader. One he said stood out among the rest is two-time captain and

linebacker Drue Tranquill.

Tranquill, who graduated this past year, was known to help mold leaders and integrate underclassmen in the program.

“He was … the first person to really sit down and talk with me and say that I could be somebody that the team looks to to lead,” Elliott said. “Having him in my corner and having him give me those couple insights was really huge for me.”

The encouragement of Tranquill and other respected members of the team helped build Elliott’s confidence within a team that was still discovering its identity. After that 4-8 season, the Irish bounced back to finish 10-3 in 2017, capped off with a 21-17 win over LSU at the Citrus Bowl. The improvements in that season were largely due to that defensive corps coming into their own.

Elliott, by then a starter, was a key piece.

Although he had a strong sophomore campaign, Elliott proved he still had more to show. In the second game of the 2018 season, Elliott made two interceptions against Ball State, a game the heavily-favored Irish would go on to win by only eight points, making Elliott’s contributions that much

more invaluable. He added two more interceptions on the season, becoming one of 35 players in the country to record four or more interceptions.

Elliott credited much of the improvements made in the secondary to the coaching staff, particularly defensive pass game coordinator Terry Joseph, who joined the Irish in 2018.

“Having Terry Joseph has really helped us to not think as much and just play fast and play together,” he said.

With the recent loss to Michigan, it might be easy for this team to hang their head, knowing their hopes of returning to college football’s biggest stage are dashed.

But not Elliott. Just as Notre Dame has always been about more than just football, this season is about more than just a bowl game.

“We’ve still got all of our goals in front of us,” he said.

“With five games left in the season, we’ve still got a lot of season left. We’re really excited to get back to work and work together. … Being a senior, being that this is my last season, I’m going to cherish these last five games and go give them my all.”

Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 1, 2019 | The Observer

Robert Hainsey reflects on loss, moving forward

By ELLEN GEYER Sports Writer

Robert Hainsey isn’t one to look in the rear v iew mirror.

The right tack le, who was the only junior to be named among this year’s seven captains, is focused on practice and progress.

And he’s taking it one day at a time.

“The goal is always graduating w ith a championship,” Hainsey said. “Right now, the next step for us is to w in our next game. We’ll watch the film from today, get better in practice tomorrow and take it one day at a time, one play at a time until Saturday and we go out there and play Virginia Tech.”

The offensive lineman is taking the same for wardlooking approach when ref lecting upon his team’s 45-14 loss to Michigan; it was a lesson, but he and his teammates have to have a short-term memor y.

“I don’t think you can use [that loss] as motivation, because then if you do that, you think about ever y thing you did w rong and you go play not to lose,” he said. “You can’t play this game not to lose. This is a competitive game where you have to go out w ith the mindset, ‘I’m going to w in.

I want to dominate my man across from me ever y play for the whole game.’ And if you think about what happened last week, it’s not going to help you in that regard.”

W hat w ill help?

“Practice,” Hainsey said.

“You’ve got to practice how you play. You’ve got to have great practices, hard practices, physical

practices, w ith effort until the finish and attention to detail. You’ve got to make sure you go out there ever y day tr y ing to get better.”

Hainsey went on to emphasize keeping that mentalit y in spite of last week’s loss, noting the importance of hav ing confidence in the grow th process.

“We learned a lot of things [last week], but like I said, right now we have to we have to focus on us. We can’t play any differently than we have in prev ious games where we dominated. We have to focus on us, get back to the basics and dominate our opponents like we know how to do — like we’ve done in the past,” he said.

One obstacle to repeating the team’s early season success, however, w ill be the absence of fellow offensive lineman and starting right guard Tommy Kraemer, who sustained an MCL sprain in his left knee in Ann Arbor last weekend. Head coach Brian Kelly anticipates the injur y w ill sideline Kraemer for any where from four to six weeks.

“It hurts,” Hainsey admitted. “Tommy’s one of my best friends, so he knows I have his back no matter what, [but] he knows he’s got good support behind him, and he’s in good spirits.”

Filling the spot on the line w ill likely be graduate student Trevor Ruhland, who found himself in a similar position last year w ith the injur y of lineman A lex Bars. Hainsey expressed his confidence in Ruhland’s abilit y to step up to the plate in a similar fashion this year.

“We have a next-man-in

mentalit y, so the next guy just steps in. W hoever needs to take reps is taking reps, and we’re just play ing ball from there,” Hainsey said.

“I’ve played next to Trevor before, and we’re cohesive together, so there’s not a concern w ith him stepping in next to me.”

Looking ahead to the game in which Ruhland w ill step up, Hainsey noted the importance of being cognizant of the Virginia Tech strateg y coming into South Bend, particularly behind the craft y mind of defensive coordinator Bud Foster.

“He’s one of the best defensive coordinators in the countr y. We played them last year, and he has his ow n tricks that he does that we need to be ready for,” Hainsey said.

“Really, it’s just about doing our job, sticking to our technique and being able to communicate what we see up front. [We need to see] ever y thing through one set of eyes so we know what to expect.”

That message of cohesion goes beyond just the offensive line, though — it’s reinforced by the captain unit, and from there spreads out to the rest of the team.

“I think the captain position is always one that needs to be outspoken,” Hainsey said. “We all are great leaders, and I trust all those guys, and I know the guys in the steam room trust us. It’s up to us to continue to lead and motivate and bring other guys along. They’ll look to us first, and we need to be there ready to go.”

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Irish junior offensive lineman amd captain Robert Hainsey steps up to protect senior quarterback Ian Book during Notre Dame’s 14-45 loss to Michigan at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 26.

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commentary

How does ND plan to bounce back?

Connor Mulvena Sports Editor

I’ve been uncharacteristically confident in Notre Dame football this year. Having gone through the horrific 2016 season in my freshman year and the devastating Miami blowout in 2017, I expected a regular season collapse for the Irish even last year. This year, in my predictions and comments, I thought it’d be different. But I didn’t really think it’d be different, did I? I think a big part of me simply wanted a playoff run during my senior year. I sat for hours playing with FiveThirtyEight’s College Football Playoff predictor, going through countless ridiculous scenarios that would put the Irish in the playoff just so I could have a moment of peace. Today, writing this column, I feel like a fool blinded by desire.

The worst thing Irish fans can do right now is talk about the weather, injuries or any excuse that masks what Saturday’s loss actually was.

You can’t go on about Notre Dame’s historical greatness and elite status and at the same time justify that loss. That’s precisely why people like to hate Notre Dame football fans — it’s understandably annoying. And clearly I’m not exempt from such a categorization, because I tried to justify Notre Dame as a top five football team several times this season.

Notre Dame was exposed last Saturday. That game said virtually nothing about a Michigan program who has struggled mightily as of late and everything about a Notre Dame football program that is hiding behind its name.

The Irish defense, which we’ve loved to tout all year long, was humiliated. Jim Harbaugh ran the ball 57 times. FIFTY SEVEN. The Wolverines posted 437 yards on the Irish in a rainstorm. That doesn’t happen to Alabama or Clemson. It doesn’t happen to Ohio State or LSU. It doesn’t happen to any genuine top 10 team.

The Irish offense was anemic. It was predictable and weak. Junior running back Tony Jones Jr. may be a solid power back and a go-to force on third down. But he is not the back that can take you to a playoff. Ian Book is not the guy.

The senior quarterback may have been sufficient to lead the Irish to a playoff last year, but it’s reasonable now to say that Notre Dame probably didn’t deserve to be there in the first place.

During last Saturday night’s

loss, it became painfully clear that the Irish lack what virtually every elite team has: playmakers. When Notre Dame was down 17, there was no feeling that one guy, or a few guys, could make some of those big plays any team would need to get back in a prime-time game like that. It felt like the only way Notre Dame could get back was for Michigan to make mistakes, and that is the mark of a football team that doesn’t belong in the top 10.

I say all of this because we have to be brutally honest with ourselves before Notre Dame can ever be “back,” and right now, it’s certainly closer than it was five years ago, but it has a ways to go. And where does that process begin?

I hate to agree with ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, but I think it has to start with the firing of Brian Kelly.

Kelly has done a fantastic job lifting this program out of that 2016 rut, but his time to elevate that rebuild to an elite championship level has come and gone. It’s time to part ways.

Next, we have to move on from Book. All things point to him being a great guy and a good captain, but it’s time to part ways there as well. A lot of people said it took too long for the Irish to do so with Wimbush, so let’s not let that happen again. And in the larger picture, you’d have to think that if Notre Dame wants to reach that elite level of being in the College Football Playoff picture every year, you have to think recruiting needs to improve.

Admittedly, I don’t know where that begins, and I’m not in touch with the process enough to comment on how you can begin to steal recruits from elite programs, but I’d imagine that Notre Dame is in a position which would allow them to do as such if it made some changes.

I realize these suggestions aren’t anything novel or groundbreaking, but I just think it’s important that the Irish team, fanbase and staff move on from this game with brutal honesty.

At some point, the name and history of Notre Dame football loses its weight, and you can no longer hang on to titles without beating the elite. So let’s recognize that, have some self-awareness and urge changes in the right direction.

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Insider Sports

The observer | friday, November 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Last week’s dumpster fire in Ann Arbor certainly reminded the Irish faithful that there are still plenty of kinks to be worked out in the Notre Dame offense. For all his effort, Ian Book couldn’t get anything started, but his unit likely took a long, hard look at their game through the air this week at practice.

Saturday’s contest against Virginia Tech is a good opportunity for Notre Dame to bounce back. The Hokies’ defense has been allowing their opponents an average of just under thirty points, most notably giving up 45 in a loss to Duke and 41 in a six-overtime victory over UNC. The Irish should have productive receivers in this matchup, particularly since the ground game of late has left much to be desired.

taken completely off guard by it. That said, there were opportunities for the Irish in the passing game that Ian Book didn’t capitalize on. While that performance hurts the Irish offense’s reputation, they get a nice chance to rebound against Virginia Tech. The Hokies’ defense is helmed by Bud Foster at defensive coordinator, the longest active continually-tenured coach at a single school with 33 straight years at Virginia Tech. Foster is a solid coordinator, but the fact is that his personnel don’t match up to the Irish in any way like Michigan’s did. Even with Notre Dame’s struggles offensively, they’re going against a team that has given up 29.57 points per game with no marquee opponents whatsoever on their current resume.

EDGE: Notre Dame

EDGE: Notre Dame

IRISH RUSHING

IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS Despite the numerous shortcomings one could point to in Notre Dame’s loss to Michigan on Saturday night, the special teams unit actually showed signs of promise. The unit managed to block a punt early on in the game, and of course Jonathan Jones’ decision to touch the ball after the fact turned a positive into a negative, but the blocked punt itself was impressive. Plus, Jay Bramblett fired off a few good punts, and Jonathan Doerer has looked pretty good since USC. Virginia Tech hasn’t shown particular promise in any special teams area, and since Notre Dame is home, it’s reasonable to give the Irish the edge here.

IRISH PASSING

Within an already lacking offensive scheme, the run game is painfully underperforming this season. The crazy weather of last week’s game exposed these gaps in the Notre Dame offense as Tony Jones Jr. and Jahmir Smith were unable to gain any momentum to counteract the Wolverines. It’s never a good sign when you’re pro-style quarterback is third on the team in rushing yards with 13. With the possibility of inclement weather making its way to South Bend this weekend, the Irish may have to turn to the ground game again and will need a much stronger performance. Meanwhile, one of the few bright spots in the Virginia Tech defense is their containment of the run game so this one goes advantage Hokies.

EDGE: Virginia Tech IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING To put it bluntly, Chip Long’s plan for the loss against Michigan was extremely disappointing given a bye week to prepare and a good yet predictable defensive coordinator in Don Brown. The weather certainly played a factor, but the Irish seemed to be

notre dame

ANNA MASON | The Observer

(So.) Braden Lenzy 25 (so.) Joe Wilkins 18

(Sr.) Liam Eichenberg 74 (Jr.) Tony

Jones Jr.

6 8

(Jr.) Jafar Armstrong

(Sr.) Ian Book 12

(So.) Phil Jurkovec 15

RB QB

(Jr.) Dillan Gibbons 76

(So.) Jarrett Patterson 55 (Jr.) Colin Grunhard 61

(Gr.) Trevor Ruhland 57 (So.) John Dirksen 56

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

73

(Jr.) Cole Kmet

84

(So.) Tommy Tremble 24

(Gr.) Chris

Finke

10

Claypool

83

(So.) Lawrence Keys III

(Sr.) Chase

13

(Sr.) Javon McKinley 88

(Sr.) Troy Pride Jr. 5

(Gr.) Shaun Crawford 20

(Jr.) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah 6

(So.) Paul Moala 13

(Sr.) Jalen Elliott

21

(So.) Houston Griffith 3

SS

LT LG C RG RT TE WR WR

CB

Rover

(Sr.) Julian Okwara 42 (Sr.) Jamir Jones 44

(R-So.) Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 95 (Jr.) Drew White 40 (So.) Bo Bauer 52

(Sr.) Alohi Gilman

11

(Fr.) Kyle Hamilton 14

MLB

(So.) Jayson Ademilola 57

(Jr.) Kurt Hinish 41 (Fr.) Jacob Lacey 54

(Sr.) Khalid Kareem 53

FS

(Sr.) Adetokunbo Ogundeji 91

(Gr.) Asmar Bilal 22 (So.) Shayne Simon 33

DE DT NG DE

Buck

(So.) TaRiq Bracy 28

EDGE: Notre Dame

(Sr.) Donte Vaughn 8

CB

IRISH SCHEDULE (5-2) Sept. 2 @ Louisville (W 35-17) Sept. 14 New Mexico (W 66-14) Sept. 21 @ Georgia (L 23-17) Sept. 28 Virginia (W 35-20) Oct. 5 Bowling Green (W 52-0) Oct. 12 USC (W 30-27) Oct. 26 @ Michigan (L 45-14) Nov. 2 Virginia Tech Nov. 9 @ Duke Nov. 16 Navy Nov. 23 Boston College Nov. 30 @ Stanford

(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

Charlotte Edmonds

Connor Mulvena

Hayden Adams

Managing Editor

Sports Editor

Associate Sports Editor

A year ago, the Hokies marched in to face the undefeated Irish to the tune of “Enter Sandman.” While the Irish left Blacksburg with a commanding win, it marked a shift in the momentum for a team that went on to make their first program appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Fast forward a year, and you’ve got a two-loss Notre Dame facing a very average Virginia Tech team.

While it’s tempting to draw all sorts of conclusions from last week’s massacre in Ann Arbor, they’ll likely have very little bearing on Saturday’s game. No chance Kelly drops two in a row back at home. I expect this one to go as most games have gone — Notre Dame defense takes care of business and the offense does enough to get by and move the Irish to six wins on the season.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Virginia Tech 14

(Jr.) Josh Lugg 75

(Jr.) Aaron Banks 69

WR

I’ve been uncharacteristically confident in the Irish this season, and I now realize that came from me just wanting to see another playoff run in my senior year. Brian Kelly and his team got exposed last week. A true top-10 football team does not lose that game,.

Virginia Tech is no Michigan, but it has come up with some wins against some good football teams, including North Carolina, who has shown promise under Mack Brown. I really would not be surprised if this game is very close. Normally, I might say the Irish would come out with a vengeance after a loss, but at this point, what is there to seek vengeance for?

No matter what Notre Dame does the rest of the season, it has proven what it is on the national stage: a mediocre football team. I think the Irish win here, but not by much.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 21, Virginia Tech 14

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

(So.) Lawrence (Sr.) John

Keys III

13

Shannon

54

(So.) Joe Wilkins 18

(So.) Michael Vinson 65

H KR LS

As an inherent optimist, Notre Dame’s blowout loss to Michigan didn’t make me lose faith in the team as much as it returned my expectations to reality.

Virginia Tech is a middling team. While 5-2 on the season, they lost to a 35-28 Boston College team that lost to Kansas at home, and they got blown out 45-10 by a Duke team that lost 48-14 to Virginia, who lost 28-21 to a Louisville team that gave up 59 points to Wake Forest. The ACC Coastal Division title is anybody’s race, and the Hokies could legitimately win it, but they haven’t faced a test like Notre Dame. Combine an Irish squad looking for redemption with a young Virginia Tech team whose head coach mistakenly described Ian Book as someone who “keeps his eyes downfield” and the Hokies are in for some trouble.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Virginia Tech 14

Sports Insider

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, November 1, 2019 | The Observer

5

O HEAD on nbc

virginia tech

ANNA MASON | The Observer

ANNA MASON | The Observer

HOKIES PASSING

RCB

Caleb Farley (R-So.)

3

27 Armani Chatman (R-Fr.)

OLB RDE NT DT LDE

WR WR TE RT RG C LG LT WR

Dax Hollifield (So.)

FS

Emmanuel Belmar (R-Jr.) 41 8

Jaylen Griffin (R-So.)

Jarrod Hewitt (R-Jr.)

5

96 Norell Pollard (Fr.)

Dashawn Crawford (Jr.) 96

36

MLB

23

17

Divine Deablo (R-Jr.)

18 Tyree Rogers (R-Jr.)

Rayshard Ashby (Jr.)

4 Dax Hollifield (So.)

Norell Pollard (Fr.)

Tyjuan Garbutt (R-So.)

45

Nickel

46 Eli Adams (R-Fr.)

Rover LCB

4

34 Alan Tisdale (R-Fr.)

28

1

Reggie Floyd (Sr.)

22

Chamarri Conner (So.)

9 Khalil Ladler (R-Jr.)

7 Devon Hunter (R-So.)

Jermaine Waller (So.)

26 Jovonn Quillen (Sr.)

11

Tre Turner (So.)

14 Damon Hazelton (R-Jr.)

Hezekiah Grimsley (Jr.)

6

Virginia Tech quarterback Ryan Willis was touting a nine touchdown-five pick ratio and 61.5 completion percentage before he suffered a concussion which left him sidelined. That leaves the Hokies with second string sophomore Hendon Hooker, who remains largely untested in the limelight. That being said, Virginia Tech tends to favor the ground game, which is likely the same strategy they’ll employ against Notre Dame. The Irish can get off the line quickly, pressuring an already shaky Willis to throw into an incredibly skilled secondary. With the exception of last week’s game in Ann Arbor, Notre Dame have been successful in having their way on defense, and we should expect a repeat performance of that this week.

Dalton Keene (Jr.) Silas Dzansi (R-So.)

82 James Mitchell (So.)

60

95 Luke Tenuta (R-Fr.)

Doug Nester (Fr.)

74

52 Austin Cannon (R-Jr.)

61

Bryan Hudson (Fr.)

57 John Harris (R-Fr.)

RB QB

33

Deshawn McClease (R-Jr.)

35 Keshawn King (Fr.)

2

Hendon Hooker (R-So.)

4 Quincy Patterson (R-Fr.)

Lecitus Smith (R-So.)

54

52 Austin Cannon (R-Jr.)

Christian Darrisaw (So.)

77

71 T.J. Jackson (R-Jr.)

80

Kaleb Smith (R-Fr.)

8 Phil Patterson (R-Jr.)

HOKIES SPECIAL TEMAS

HOKIES RUSHING

Virginia Tech special teams is true to form — slightly above average. The Hokies 48.25 yards per punt is strong but not enough to contain teams long term. On the offensive side of the ball, this team is yet to prove to be much of a threat on the return and Notre Dame’s special teams should have no problem keeping them in the backfield. Add in a lackluster 7-11 field goal completion and this team likely won’t be scoring through their special teams. Likewise, the Irish shouldn’t anticipate too many errors made by the specials teams and will still have to show up.

Similar to the Irish, the Hokies run game has struggled as times, averaging four yards per carr y. However their 71 first dow ns on the ground could prove beneficial dow n the stretch on Saturday. There’s no question who the go-to guy for Virginia Tech w ill be redshirt junior Deshaw n McClease who has recorded 492 yards on 97 attempts.

W hile the Hokies have a respectable run game, they’re yet to post any significant runs and as long as the Irish defensive unit can contain them to small yards they should have no trouble. This w ill be an important test for a defensive line that got embarrased last weekend.

EDGE: Notre Dame

H KR LS

91

Oscar Bradburn (Jr.)

Keshawn King (Fr.) 24

35

Terius Wheatley (R-Fr.)

97

Oscar Shadley (So)

64 Sam DeLuke (R-Fr.)

PK P PR

Brian Johnson (R-Jr.) 96

HOKIES OFFENSIVE COACHING

93

John Parker Romo (Jr.)

91

Oscar Bradburn (Jr.)

96 John Parker Romo (Jr.)

6

Hezekiah Grimsley (Jr.)

83 Tayvion Robinson (Fr.)

Notre Dame vs. Temple

There was blame to go all around the Notre Dame football team during Saturday’s blowout in the Big House.

That said, the defense at least had moments of strong play. After starting slow against the Wolverines, defensive coordinator Clark Lea did what he has

Ellen Geyer

Jack Concannon

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Notre Dame and Virginia Tech may have the same records, but these teams are far from equal. Though last week’s loss in Ann Arbor made me vow to never visit the state of Michigan again, I see that spectacular failure as the exception, not the rule. Shocking take, I know, coming from me, the self-declared token football pessimist, but the Irish don’t have anyone left on their schedule that’s giving me much cause for concern (granted, at the moment I say Notre Dame will lose to Duke, but still).

Notre Dame didn’t play as well in the Virginia game as I anticipated after that tough Georgia loss, but Virginia Tech’s not Virginia, and Michigan’s not Georgia. Virginia Tech’s no team to write home about, so I figure Notre Dame should be able to escape this one with a fairly comfortable victory.

One has to wonder about the mental implications of losing a massive game to Michigan. It reminds me of two years ago when the Irish were blown out by Miami, then limped through the remainder of the year, beating Navy by just seven and taking a massive loss at the hands of Stanford.

More than anything, there just seem to be a lot of question marks and distractions that didn’t exist before. This Virginia Tech team isn’t built to keep up with Notre Dame after losses against Duke and Boston College, but I think Notre Dame will start slow and have to play from behind in this one. The Irish win, but they don’t inspire confidence in the state of the program.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 35, Virginia Tech 17

EDGE: Notre Dame

EDGE: Notre Dame

83 Tayvion Robinson (Fr.)

29

done all season and made appropriate adjustments at halftime to, at the least, momentarily stif le the Wolverines offense and allow the Irish offense to make it a 17-7 game. The defense was by no means on top of their game against Michigan, playing well for only about a quarter’s-worth of the game, but they at least had the excuse of being exhausted for all the time they were on the field.

Against Virginia Tech they will be back in home territory. They’ll also face an offense with quarterback questions and an offensive line featuring redshirt sophomores as their most veteran starters. The only issue will be if the Irish defense remains demoralized from the recent loss, but Lea should rally them enough in this one.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 24, Virginia Tech 17

EDGE: Notre Dame

HOKIES SCHEDULE (5-2) Aug. 31 @Boston College (L 28-35) Sept. 7 Old Dominon (W 31-17) Sept. 14 Furman (W 24-17) Sept. 27 Duke (L 10-45) Oct. 5 @ Miami (W 42-35) Oct. 12 Rhode Island (W 34-17) Oct. 19 North Carolina (W 43-41) Nov. 2 @ Notre Dame Nov. 9 Wake Forest Nov. 16 @ Georgia Tech Nov. 23 Pitt Nov. 29 @Virgina

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

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Insider

The observer | friday, November 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Recruiting

Irish recruiting efforts shifting to rising stars

By JACK CONCANNON Spor ts Writer

It was a tough week for the Irish football program on the field against Michigan, losing 45-14 in a nationallyhy ped matchup watched by many, including potential recruits. There were many recruits v isiting Michigan that are interested in both schools. Many in the media have suggested that losses like this one hurt teams in recruiting, and that this result w ill give Michigan a leg up in landing these players.

Blue and Gold recruiting insider Mike Singer believes that in the long run game results like this do little to move the needle for recruits.

“Some fans have said Notre Dame might lose three or four commits because of this, but no not at all.

Nothing is changing with Notre Dame’s commits,” Singer said. “It could change things with a guy who was at the game who was considering both schools seeing Michigan curb stomp Notre Dame in that fashion. There were a few guys at that game considering both schools, a couple linemen in the 2021 class. Rocco Spindler from Clarkson, Michigan, and Landon Tang wall from Olney, Mar yland, from Good Counsel High School.

Even with those guys, they’re just juniors in high school. There’s a lot of time for Notre Dame to make up ground w ith those kids.

In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

With the Michigan game in the past, the Irish will focus

on putting on a good display for the recruits visiting this weekend. Perhaps most important among them is 2022 quarterback Nicco Marchiol.

Marchiol is a four-star quarterback prospect out of Aurora, Colorado. If the Irish were to sign a quarterback in that class, he would be Notre Dame’s third four-star high school quarterback commit, with 2020 commit Drew Pyne and 2021 commit Tyler Buchner already slated to arrive at Notre Dame in the near future. Singer believes that the Irish committing quarterbacks early allows them to look into the future and be aggressive.

“Drew Pyne committed in April of 2018. They get Tyler Buchner in the spring of 2019. Having those guys already committed allowed them to look at 2022 and even the freshmen guys in 2023.

It’s great for Notre Dame to get these early commitments so that [quarterbacks coach Tom] Rees can go out and identif y future names,” Singer said. “Nicco is one that when you put on his film you’ll see in about three plays why he got big time offers from schools across the country. I would not be surprised at all if Nicco is one of the first two quarterback offers Notre Dame gives out in that class.”

With Pyne and Buchner having major success in high school, some would wonder if the surplus of young quarterbacks will turn a prospect like Marchiol away from Notre Dame. Singer emphasized that good quarterbacks are not afraid of competition, and anyone committing

to a football power like Notre Dame can expect that there will be competition once they arrive.

“Kids want to compete. If they’re going to a big-time football program there’s going to be other highly-ranked quarterback commits and on the roster,” Singer said. “If you don’t want to compete you probably don’t want to be play ing at Notre Dame.”

Notre Dame w ill also play host to Ohio State transfer safet y Isaiah Pr yor. Pr yor has show n significant interest in the Irish, and could be a key player in helping them prepare for life w ithout safeties A lohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott. Pr yor already officially v isited for the USC game, but w ill come out for a second trip so that his mother can get a look at the campus. Singer believes that Pr yor is close to committing to the Irish.

“Even before he v isited the feeling was that Notre Dame was the leader,” Singer said.

“To my knowledge he has not v isited any where else.

Recruiting has changed in the past several years, but the one thing that w ill always stay true in football recruiting is follow the v isits.

See where guys are v isiting and where they’re not v isiting. That gives you a really good indication of where things are at. Pr yor is now taking a second v isit, this one on his ow n dime, and he hasn’t been any where else. Follow the v isits, and it gives you a good indication of where the kid is going.”

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Irish junior kicker Jonathan Doerer attempts a kick during Notre Dame’s 14-45 loss to Michigan at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 26.

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

Irish sophomore defensive back DJ Brown makes a tackle during Notre Dame’s 14-45 loss to Michigan at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 26.

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7

OPPONENT

VT hoping to give Notre Dame variety of looks

By H AY DEN ADAMS Associate Spor ts Editor

Coming off a disappointing blowout loss to Michigan in the Big House, No. 16 Notre Dame returns to action this Saturday against Virginia Tech. This will be only the third time the Hokies (5-2, 2-2 ACC) and the Irish (5-2) have faced off, with each team holding one road win over the other.

Virginia Tech prevailed in the inaugural matchup with a 34-31 win in South Bend in 2016, a season in which the Irish mustered a measly 4-8 record. Notre Dame evened the score with a 45-23 win last season in Blacksburg, in a highly anticipated matchup between the then-No. 6 Irish and then-No. 24 Virginia Tech, though the Hokies finished the year with a 6-7 record.

Despite the recent history between the teams, Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente said he doesn’t believe their win three season ago will hold any sway in this matchup.

“I don’t know how many of them we’ve got that were there [in 2016],” Fuente said. “It doesn’t seem like very many.

We know we’re going to go play a very talented football team in a hostile environment. So I don’t know if there’s much to glean from things that happened [three] years ago.”

While the loser of the previous matchups ended up having a disappointing season, that likely won’t be the case this year, especially for the Hokies. Virginia Tech currently sits tied for third in the ACC Coastal Division at 2-2 in conference play.

The ACC Coastal, made up of seven teams, has seen six different teams win the division in the past six years, with the lone outlier being Virginia. The Hokies will conclude their regular season with a road matchup against the Cavaliers (5-3, 3-2), but have not lost to Virginia since 2003.

Fuente discussed the freefor-all nature of the Coastal Division.

“I feel like we had the same discussions last year. I feel like it’s just kind of the way the division is,” Fuente said. “It seems like anything can happen and, in some cases, anything has happened. But, in my short time it seems to be a fairly regular occurrence.”

In anticipation of the coming game, Fuente commented on Notre Dame’s recent loss to Michigan during a torrential downpour.

“The weather certainly was a factor, just watching the game,” he said. “I know that we will see the Notre Dame team we saw in all the weeks before that. Just reading their comments and watching the game, they’ll be ready to respond after that game last week.”

Fuente said the Irish pose a challenge not only because of their talent, but their experience as well — particularly with the Irish defensive front.

“If you look at their team across the board, they seem to be an older, developed team,”

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Irish senior wide reciever Javon McKinley tries to break free from a defender’s tackle during Notre Dame’s 14-45 loss to Michigan at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 26. The Irish atttempted 29 passes, completing 11.

Fuente said. “Particularly on the defensive front, where they can certainly rush the passer and have been very good against the run. So, it’s going to be a challenge for our young guys to keep their technique when playing against really talented, good football players.”

Fuente had particular praise for Irish senior quarterback Ian Book and his ability to elevate Notre Dame’s play.

“Some point early [last] year they made a move to go fully with him as their quarterback and it really changed them offensively,” Fuente said. “And it really hasn’t stopped since they made that move. He’s a guy that can throw the ball but is athletic, gets out of trouble. He makes plays with his feet but keeps his eyes downfield, and can really hurt you on the move. I think he’s been a really efficient, good player for them and maybe one of the reasons over the last year and a half they’ve made pretty big strides on that side of the ball.”

For the Hokies, their offense has been helmed by several quarterbacks throughout the season. After starting the first four games of the season for Virginia Tech, and following a 45-10 blowout loss to Duke, redshirt senior quarterback and Kansas transfer Ryan Willis was benched in favor of redshirt sophomore quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Hooker performed well in his first two starts, going 10-20 for 184 yards and three touchdowns through the air to go along with 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in a 42-35 win over Miami. He followed that performance by completing 16 of 27 passes for 261 yards and another three

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passing touchdowns in a 34-17 victory over Rhode Island.

Unfortunately for the Hokies, however, in a six-overtime grudge match with North Carolina, Hooker went down and was succeeded by both Willis and redshirt freshman quarterback Quincy Patterson II, who willed Virginia Tech to a 43-41 win.

In terms of who will start for the Hokies against Notre Dame, evidence from Fuente points to Patterson getting the starting nod. However, Fuente said that in addition to Hooker’s recovery going well, the team will continue to rely on Willis in spots. “[Hooker]’s out there going and looks good,” Fuente said. “[Patterson’s] taken more reps as we prepare for this week and, you know, on in the future.

We’ll still need Ryan [Willis] as we move forward, whether it be situationally or just in the game.

Things can change awfully quickly, all three of those guys gotta be ready to play.”

The Hokies benefited from a bye week following the game against the Tar Heels (4-4, 3-2 ACC), according to sophomore wide receiver Tré Turner, who said it was the first time the wide receivers were collectively healthy.

Fuente talked about the importance of having a complete receiving core.

“It’s nice to get them all out there together competing for playing time,” Fuente said. “I hope that they can continue to improve. I think [wide receivers] coach [Jafar] Williams has done a great job with them, bringing those guys along. And I’m optimistic that they continue to get better, kind of get their feet underneath them, and hopefully for this big, long stretch we’ve got here of five straight games that they can stay healthy and continue to be productive.”

While the Hokies are an inexperienced team, Fuente said he has enjoyed seeing his young players grow together over the course of the season.

“Well I’ve enjoyed [it],” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, and we’ll have plenty of tests in front of us. But I like our group of guys; they seem to enjoy each other’s company and enjoy competing together. We’re still learning and evolving as a team, from a maturation level and preparation every week. I think that’s something that’s a little more normal for older players and a little bit harder, little bigger strain on some of the younger guys. But I’ve enjoyed it thus far and I’m excited about what they and what we can be moving forward.”

The Irish kickoff against the Hokies at Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Contact Hayden Adams at Hadams3@nd.edu