Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, November 28, 2017

stanford 38, notre dame 20 | tuesday, November 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

A November to forget Irish unravel in final quarter against Cardinal in double-digit loss

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush is sacked while graduate student offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey looks on during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to Stanford on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. Wimbush passed for 249 yards and rushed for 61 yards during the defeat. He was Notre Dame’s leading rusher in the game.

This season cannot be considered a success for ND Elizabeth Greason Sports Editor

STANFORD, Calif. — I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. If you had told me at the start of the season I would be disappointed in a team with a 9-3 record, I don’t know that I would have believed you. In fact, I predicted this team would finish the season 9-3 at the start of the year. And I like being right. However, this year’s Notre Dame squad has both the benefit and curse of being a totally different one from last season. It left last year in the past, and while that’s great in terms of football, it helped to send expectations skyrocketing, my own included. The Irish powered up the rankings throughout the season, ascending week after week, with big win after big win, ultimately reaching No. 3 in the country. At that point, they were fully immersed in see GREASON PAGE 3

By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Editor

STANFORD, Calif. — Things were looking good for the Irish there for a minute. And then everything fell apart. Take your pick of the plays that actually marked the end for Notre Dame (9-3) in its 38-20 loss to Stanford. There was the first of junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s two interceptions. There was the fumble on the kickoff return by junior wide receiver C.J. Sanders that the Cardinal (93) recovered. There was the second of Wimbush’s interceptions. But, somewhere in the midst that series of Notre Dame misfortunes, a previously tight, backand-forth game became totally out-of-reach for the Irish, as it spiraled wildly out of control. The game opened with a series of traded punts from Notre Dame and Stanford, as four drives passed before either team was able to make anything happen offensively. But it was the Irish who struck first. On the fifth drive of the game, junior running back Dexter Williams took a handoff from Wimbush and pushed forward three yards from the Notre Dame

14-yard line. Wimbush followed up with a screen to sophomore wide receiver Kevin Stepherson, which dropped incomplete. But he targeted the wideout again on the next play — this time with a different result. Stepherson took the pass from Wimbush to the house for an 83-yard touchdown, Notre Dame’s longest passing play since 2010. However, on the very next possession, the Cardinal struck back. A pass interference call on Irish junior cornerback Shaun Crawford helped Stanford march down the field, as sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello connected with junior wide receiver Trenton Irwin to tie the game at seven. And from there, the back-andforth nature of the first three quarters was afoot. After a three-and-out from the Irish, the Cardinal offense was back at it.Costello was able to lead his team down the field through the air, connecting with sophomore tight end Kaden Smith twice for gains of 20 and 26 yards before finding junior receiver JJ ArcegaWhiteside in the endzone. Irish head coach Brian Kelly said he felt the Irish secondary needed to make better plays on

the ball throughout the game. “We needed to make some plays on the ball in the air,” Kelly said. “I think if you were to, like, break down the defense, we’ve got to make some plays on the ball in the air, and we can’t put the defense on the short field like we did twice.” After a three-and-outs from either side, Notre Dame was able to produce an uncharacteristically long drive, but was unable to find the endzone, ultimately turning to junior kicker Justin Yoon. Wimbush marched the Irish 69 yards in 15 plays, eating four-and-a-half minutes of clock, highlighted by junior wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown’s first reception of the night for eight yards to pick up the drive’s first first down and gains of 13 from both Stepherson and Wimbush, whose rush put Notre Dame at the Stanford 21-yard line. Wimbush threw to the end zone on first down, but it fell incomplete as graduate student tight end Durham Smythe couldn’t hang on. After an Irish penalty and a five-yard throw to Williams, Wimbush’s third-down pass see UNRAVEL PAGE 3

Irish second-half mistakes prove costly By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor

STANFORD, Calif. — For a moment, it seemed like Notre Dame had Stanford on its heels. After a back-and-forth first half that saw both the Irish (93) and the Cardinal (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) struggle to establish the run game and instead turn to their quarterbacks for an offensive spark, Notre Dame came out swinging. On the first play of the second half, junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush found fellow junior Equanimeous St. Brown on a simple slant route, and the wideout raced past Stanford senior linebacker Jordan Perez and down the sideline 75 yards for the score. The Irish defense then managed to halt a Cardinal drive and force a field goal, as Stanford pushed all the way to see MISTAKES PAGE 2

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Insider

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Mistakes Continued from page 1

the Notre Dame 7-yard line but couldn’t punch it in. While the Irish pushed down the field on their next drive, the offense stalled and was before forced to punt. But senior punter Tyler Newsome’s kick was downed at the 1-yard line to put Stanford right back on its heels. The Cardinal survived the safety scare but were forced to punt in a threeand-out, and junior wide receiver Chris Finke promptly brought the punt back 41 yards for his longest return of the season all the way to the Stanford 19-yard line — giving Notre Dame an excellent opportunity. But that’s when it all started to fall apart. In great field position with a chance to go back up a touchdown, the Irish recorded two costly penalties in a row to push them back 10 yards. The offense couldn’t recover, and a four-play drive which netted -2 yards ended in a field

goal. “Just dumb penalties,” graduate student offensive lineman and captain Mike McGlinchey said of the drive. “It can’t happen, that’s the only thing you can say about that.” Opportunity wasted. Stanford suddenly seized back the momentum, and moved 39 yards on two plays, thanks to a 15-yard facemask call against sophomore cornerback Julian Love on a tackle of Stanford junior running back Bryce Love. Five plays later on a third-andeight, Cardinal sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello — who threw for a careerhigh four touchdowns in the win — found his roommate, sophomore tight end Kaden Smith, on a perfect strike in the back of the end zone to put Stanford up 24-20. Pressure on. Down four, the Irish came out looking to punch right back. On the first play, Notre Dame went right back to the air, and Wimbush stepped confidently into a throw to graduate student tight

Durham Smythe on a short curl. But the junior didn’t notice Stanford sophomore linebacker Curtis Robinson tracking back in coverage and fired the ball right to the sophomore, who made no mistake and snagged the interception for the first turnover of the night for either team. “I just didn’t see the defender, and he made the play on the ball,” Wimbush said of the play. Pressure mounting. Stanford wasted no time in capitalizing on the Irish mistake, as it took the Cardinal offense all of three plays for Costello to f loat a pass to a wide-open Dalton Schultz, and the senior tight end fell back into the end zone to make it 31-20 Stanford. Make-or-break time. On the ensuing kickoff, Irish return man C.J. Sanders tried to make a play out of the end zone to give Notre Dame some life. But the junior only made it to the Irish 18-yard line before a hit from Cardinal sophomore linebacker Jordan Fox jarred the

ball loose, and sophomore corner Malik Antoine recovered for Stanford to suck any air out of an Irish comeback. The Cardinal and Bryce Love subsequently powered their way to the Irish 3-yard line, where junior back Cameron Scarlett punched in the score to put Stanford up 18 with 10:10 left. Game over. In just a span of 3:36 on the game clock, Stanford went on a 21-0 run to go from down 20-17 to up 38-20. Notre Dame pushed to try and mount some sort of comeback on the following drive, but by the time Wimbush threw another interception — this time on a pass intended for St. Brown that was cut off by Cardinal junior safety Frank Buncom in the end zone with five minutes left — the winner had already been decided. Although it wasn’t a collapse as epic as the one in Miami two games earlier, the impact of Notre Dame’s errors was just as costly. “We lost the football game,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said postgame. “Stanford

made more plays than we did. We turned the football over late in the game. Each game that we’ve lost this year, we’ve turned the football over against quality opposition, against good football teams. Stanford is clearly a good football team. Did that against Miami, did that against Georgia. You can’t turn the football over against really good football teams. Then, you got to make some plays. We got to coach better. Got to play better, got to coach better. Stanford made the plays when they needed to. “ … We didn’t play bad football teams and turn it over, we played really good football teams and turned it over. If you’re going to do that, you’re going to put yourself in a bad situation. There’s not that guys were tired, not mentally sharp, they didn’t come ready to play. They came ready to play. They were ready to win today. Got to hold onto the football. Can’t turn it over.” Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Stanford sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello steps in and fires a pass while under pressure from Irish freshman defensive lineman Kurt Hinish during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to the Cardinal on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. Costello passed for 176 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in the win over the Irish.

Play of the game

player of the game

curtis robinson intercepts brandon wimbush

stanford quarterback k.j. costello

The Irish were down four in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush threw a pass intended for graduate student tight end Durham Smythe — but Stanford sophomore linebacker came down with the ball at the Notre Dame 35yard line. Wimbush’s first interception of the game marked a momentum shift, as it allowed the Cardinal to score and sparked a series of miscues for Notre Dame.

Coming into the matchup with the Irish, Stanford sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello had never passed for more than two touchdowns in a game. He matched that in the second quarter and went on to reach a career-high four passing touchdowns to four different receivers. Costello passed for 176 yards and completed 14 of his 22 attempts in the game.

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Volume 52, Issue 54 | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Dorms uphold decorating traditions Residence halls welcome Christmas season with section competitions, unique decorations By MARIE FAZIO News Writer

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

A homemade shamrock wreath adorns McGlinn Hall as a response to O’Neill Hall’s “O” wreath. Many dorms celebrate Christmas with decorating traditions, from candles in the windows to special bushes.

Saint Mary’s president condemns racist graffiti Observer Staff Report

After race-related graffiti was found on campus, Saint Mary’s affirmed its mission to foster an inclusive atmosphere, according to an email College President Jan Cervelli sent to the community Nov. 21. In the email, Cervelli said students should vocalize opposition to injustice they may encounter

on campus. “Hate- and bias-related incidents, including race-related graffiti that occurred on campus this past weekend, are an affliction that undermines the mission of higher education,” Cervelli said. “For the vast majority of Saint Mary’s faculty, staff, students and administrators who detest such behavior, our community needs your help. Please

speak out against injustice, racism and bigotry, and, especially, reach out to support those among us who suffer from their effects to remind them of their place as valued members of the Saint Mary’s family.” A Saint Mary’s education emphasizes the importance of interacting with individuals of

Several Saint Mary’s students have been nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition that will take place in Indianapolis in December. The competition, which will take place at the American College

Theatre Festival (ACTF), is statewide and features students from colleges around Indiana. Sophomores Rebecca Strom and Genesis Vasquez and senior Makena Henell were nominated for their performances in the fall play, ‘Once a Belle.’ Junior Stephanie Johnson and sophomores Katy Stalter and

News PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 5

News Writer

By MADISON BOLLENBACHER News Writer

see ACTING PAGE 3

Viewpoint PAGE 6

ND W basketball PAGE 12

see GRAFFITI PAGE 3

Elizabeth Ferry were nominated for their roles in this past semester’s spring performance, ‘Lucky, Liar, Loser.’ Strom said she believes she was nominated because of the vulnerability and honesty required of her role as an openly

see DECORATING PAGE 3

Club hosts forum addressing LGBTQ issues PrismND will be hosting a Facebook livestream event Tuesday at 8 p.m. to address questions from the Notre Dame community related to allyship and LGBTQ issues. In an attempt to further their reach and better understand the issues that community members are facing, the organization decided to host a Q&A session. They created an online forum, which closed Monday night, for questions to be submitted through, which they hope to find topics that are most indicative of the community as a whole from, senior Baylea Williams, PrismND’s president, said. “We knew there were a lot of questions in the community, so we wanted to get the information out there because

Students nominated for state acting competition By GINA TWARDOSZ

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on campus. Though there may not be snow on the ground, many dorms have already begun to get into the Christmas spirit by decking the halls with unique decorations. From the outside, passersby can see Breen-Phillips Hall’s Christmas spirit shining through candles in the windows that are put out every year after Thanksgiving, Ashley Huffman — Breen-Phillips’ president — said. However, Breen-Phillips residents get more excited about competitive holiday-themed section decorating, Huffman said. “Each section will choose a theme, and everyone in the section decorates the whole

hallway with that theme,” Huffman said. “We have judges come in and pick a winning section. … This year, we’re announcing the winner at a Christmas Party.” Past themes have included “Creaster” (a blend of Christmas and Easter), Harry Potter and naughty and nice. Most of the decorations are handmade, Huffman said. “The candles look really pretty when you see them on the quad, but [it’s] especially the decorations in the sections people really like,” Huffman said. “It’s cool to see, but it’s also cool to see all the sections because all the girls can work together and have fun doing that together.” Pasquerilla West Hall celebrates the holiday season with

a lot of people just don’t know where to go,” Williams said. Williams said the organization hopes to promote participation and an understanding of allyship using social media as a first step. After the forum closes, the officers and members of the organization will sift through the questions and, if time permits, answer all of them throughout the livestream, Williams said. “We really have no expectation about the questions. It’s more so trying to answer what questions people have — whether it’s specifically about their personal life or about the community at large or about their faith life,” Williams said. In addition to creating a safe space for questions about LGBTQ and allyship see PRISMND PAGE 3

hockey PAGE 12

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TODAY

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The Notre Dame Leprechaun, senior Joe Fennessy, runs across the field with a Notre Dame flag at Stanford Stadium after an Irish touchdown Saturday. The Irish lost to the Cardinal 38-20 in the last regular-season football game of the 2017 season.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Blood Drive Rolfs Sports Recreation Center noon - 6 p.m. Appointments encouraged.

Yoga Class in Italian Rolfs Sports Recreation Center 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Class mostly in Italian and free of charge.

Madrasa Discourses Panel Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Discussion on science and religion.

Third Coast Percussion Leighton Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Multimedia performance.

Holiday Gift Auction Robinson Community Learning Center 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Tickets available for fundraising event.

“Architects as Leaders” 104 Bond Hall 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. SMC President Jan Cervelli speaks.

Stories of Grace Geddes Hall Chapel 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. An evening of prayer and reflection from community members.

New Faces Exhibition A|AH|D Gallery 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Art from first-year MFA students displayed with reception.

EXALT Adoration Moreau Seminary 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. All invited for praise and worship music and reconciliation.

20 Seasons of Love Washington Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. A show produced by the Pasquerilla East Musical Company.

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Club addresses America’s major health issues By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor

Junior Jean Llenos said he wanted to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public. So when he learned that The Health Guardians of America was looking to found a chapter at Notre Dame, he submitted an application to be the club’s founding president. “Science is very important,” he said. “We need people who make scientific breakthroughs. They save lives, but for me personally, [medicine] has been a lot more about the people because [one of] the biggest problems in medicine today, among many other things, is that we have such a disconnect between what the scientific community

Decorating Continued from page 1

a tradition not to be found anywhere else on campus: a lighting and decorating ceremony of the bush located in the center of the roundabout in front of the dorm. “We have the ugly bush lighting ceremony every year around Christmas time,” Allison Huffman, Pasquerilla West’s president, said. “Everyone stands in a circle around the ugly bush, and we count down to the lighting of the bush. Once the lights are plugged in, everyone sings our ugly bush song to the tune of ‘O’ Christmas Tree.’ After singing, we go inside and have a memory night and look at all of the pictures from the past semester.” This year, Pasquerilla West will light the ugly bush Tuesday. “The ugly bush is unique to PW, so I think that a tradition only we have makes the girls in PW feel special and connected to something,” Huffman said. “It is also just a weird tradition, but it is fun and brings us all together.” The McGlinn shamrock shines as the dorm’s

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different backgrounds and life experiences, Cervelli said in the email. “We all share the obligation to uphold Saint Mary’s mission ‘to bring together women of different nations, cultures and races,’” she said. “To do so successfully requires respectful engagement with each other. Such diversity enhances the educational experience for all students, instilling a deeper sense of understanding of all people and putting into practice a central tenet of the Catholic character … respect for the dignity of all people.”

knows is good for people and how that information is given to the public.” The Health Guardians of America is a national organization originally founded in California that aims to address America’s health issues, with a particular focus on heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Llenos said the organization’s founder reaches out to universities’ pre-health programs and invites students to apply to found a chapter. “Everything that we do is coordinated between the chapters, and then the results of all the chapters are kind of compiled in order to see what works on a really large scale,” Llenos said. “So this is about implementing very scalable and measurable interventions for health

on a global scale.” Senior Meghan Cohoon, the club’s vice president of external relations, said she was drawn to the club because she enjoys teaching people about how their lifestyles can impact their health. “I’ve always had a profound interest in and passion for teaching people that their lifestyle choices have effects on their resulting health conditions and that making healthier changes can often be more effective in addressing one’s wellbeing than necessarily taking a plethora of medications, [though] obviously, not in all cases,” she said in an email. As one of its main initiatives, the club is implementing a program, “FitlifeFlow,” to incentivize exercise, Cohoon said. The

program is part of a nationwide initiative and allows students to earn money by consistently exercising. “As a college student, I know how easy it can be to push one’s health and fitness to the back burner as academics take over our lives,” she said. “Yet, with our program, ‘FitlifeFlow,’ we hope to help students find a better balance between academia, health, fitness and [maintaining] a social life.” One of the club’s other initiatives will focus on nutrition and healthier options in the dining halls, Llenos said. “Looking forward, one of the things I personally want to do while I’m president is get more of an interaction between the student body and the dining halls,” he said. “ … Exercise is

important, but diet is 100 times more important when it comes to regulating health than exercise is.” The organization is unique in that it does not have a general membership, Llenos said, and each member is involved with a specific project. Students must submit a resume and undergo an interview process in order to join the organization. “If you’re a member of the club, you’re assigned a role,” he said. “ … If you’re part of the club, you will have a lot more independence and a lot more direct impact on something, especially in a relatively quicker amount of time than you would with another club.”

own Christmas star for the Christmas season. The shamrock was made by a student around 10 years ago to rival O’Neill’s signature “O wreath,” McGlinn president Madeline Petrovich said. “Around 10 years ago, a girl in McGlinn actually made it when she wanted to put something up for Christmas,” Petrovich said. “She made it with wires and put the lights on. I guess it fell apart, but the workers who put it up fixed it, and they still put it up every year. … It goes up every year around Christmas.” Though the shamrock, made of garland, wires and lights in the shape of a giant shamrock, isn’t a traditional Christmas symbol, it has become one for the dorm over the years, Petrovich said. This year, the shamrock will be put up on Dec. 5. “Most people really appreciate it when you’re walking back from the library at an ungodly hour for finals and you turn around the corner on South Dining Hall and you see it,” Petrovich said. “It’s very nice, kind of calming. You’re like, ‘Alright, it’s Christmas.’”

PrismND

understand the atmosphere of campus. “Advocacy is only effective when we seek to understand the setting we are operating within, and every college campus responds differently,” Wang said. Though the main goal of the livestream may be to help students in the LGBTQ and ally community find answers to their questions in a safe atmosphere, the organization also hopes to have an influence on

the rest of Notre Dame’s campus by developing a deeper understanding for the problems faced by members of the LGBTQ community. “Every human has a right to their sexuality,” Wang said. “Allyship is about acceptance more than anything, so by uniting the allies on campus, PrismND will be able to have a powerful presence.”

time focusing on musical pieces than I would in a production where I would not be playing an instrument on stage. My acting process is one of constant discovery and exploration, learning more about the character and how I relate to them.” Strom said she prepares for her roles by filling in the character’s background and using it as the basis for her portrayal. “For every role I’m cast in, I always try to fill in the “unknowns” of the character’s background based on context from the script,” she said. “It’s important for an actor to imagine the entirety of their character’s life, not just the events within the play. For ‘Once a Belle,’ this process was a bit different because we were working with real interviews from members of the Saint Mary’s community. For my role as the professor, I made sure to read the original interview, which included some experiences and thoughts that didn’t make it into the final script. My goal was always to honor the experiences of the professor who was courageous enough to share her story with us.” Johnson said she thinks that good acting is inseparable from being dedicated to the work. “Good acting to me is putting yourself into the work,” she said. “You don’t need to be the best actor on stage. If you care and are dedicated to what you are doing, you deserve the credit for that.”

Strom said focus is what separates a good actor from a great actor. “To me, good acting means focus,” she said. “An actress must always be focused on every aspect of the character she is portraying, including her motivation, movement, desires, speech, relationships and background. A good actor will make the audience forget that there was ever a script.” Strom said acting has given her the opportunity to express herself without fear. “Being a part of theatre productions has always been a way for me to express myself without fear of judgment,” she said. “I am severely introverted, so people always ask me how I manage to stand onstage and perform in front of large audiences. I tell them that when I am onstage, I can’t be afraid because I’m a completely different person. Becoming the character I’m portraying and immersing myself in the world of the play allows me to release any anxiety or fears that I have in real life.” Johnson said even though performing onstage is frustrating, it is worthwhile upon completion of the show. “The ability to perform is equivalent to working out. It is difficult, but ultimately makes you feel stronger and happier once you have completed a show,” she said.

Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu

Cervelli said the College will respond to instances of racism in a timely fashion to preserve an inclusive campus environment, as outlined in Saint Mary’s policy prohibiting discriminatory harassment against students. “Saint Mary’s is also committed to providing an environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation,” Cervelli said. “As such, Saint Mary’s does not tolerate, and specifically prohibits, any kind of unlawful discrimination or harassment by a member of the College community. Saint Mary’s takes prompt and appropriate action to address such conduct and to end a hostile environment if one has been created.”

Continued from page 1

be answered, the group also hopes to open the doors and help students on Notre Dame’s campus to get more involved in allyship. Junior Justine Wang, moderator and coordinator of the Facebook livestream and the organization’s diversity and allyship committee chair, said the submitted questions are necessary in order to

Acting Continued from page 1

lesbian professor. “The scenes in which I played the professor were especially emotional and honest,” she said. “I had to learn to be emotionally vulnerable onstage, so it became increasingly difficult to run through those scenes each night because my character was facing so much opposition and stress. I think the ACTF respondents and theatre professors really responded to the emotional weight of the scene. I was honored to be nominated for the award, but I really believe that the credit should go to all of the students, faculty members and alumni who shared their stories with us.” Johnson said she will be attending the American College Theatre Festival not only for the competition, but also for the opportunities the festival provides. “I will be attending ACTF not only because I was nominated for the Irene Ryan scholarship competition, but also because the festival provides me the opportunity to meet more people from other colleges, learn new skills and enjoy other’s art,” she said. Johnson said her process for getting into character is different each time. “I change my process depending on the role I am preparing for,” she said. “For my role in ‘Lucky, Liar, Loser,’ I spent more

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

Contact Madison Bollenbacher at mbollenb@nd.edu

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

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The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MAGGIE WALSH Scene Writer

Four and three and two and one. Cue the psychedelic, catchy title sequence because “Broad City” is funnier, smarter and more relevant than ever. With the fourth season’s finale approaching, it’s time to take a look at what makes “Broad City” especially important this year. “Broad City” started in 2009 as a YouTube web series starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, both veterans of the comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade. These early videos are much shorter and less polished than their formalized successors, but the early stages of clever scripting are nonetheless visible. The web series caught the attention of comedian Amy Poehler, who now serves as one of the executive producers on the television show, which first aired in 2014. “Broad City” follows two women, appropriately named Abbi and Ilana, as they make their way in New York City. While the plot line may sound cliche, “Broad City” is actually the opposite. The show tackles difficult socio-political topics and holds an affectionate but critical mirror to American society, all the while feeling refreshingly real and completely relatable. Season four has been no exception to the show’s enticing qualities, and its messages seem more appropriate than ever in our cultural landscape. “Broad City” is, and always has been, an empowering show for women. Ilana may have traded (yas) queens for

By SUSAN KRATZER Scene Writer

What you think about “Justice League” will probably depend on what you expected from the film. If you go into the movie theater expecting to see a well-rounded film with both an engaging plot and complex characters, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re looking for explosions and CGI, this is just the film for you. I won’t bother going into too much detail about the plot of this film because it doesn’t really matter. A bad guy wants to destroy the world, and it’s up to the Justice League to stop him. Among the new characters we meet is the Flash (Ezra Miller), who provides some of the more lighthearted moments in the film. Fifty percent of his jokes are cringe-worthy awkward puns, and the other 50 percent will make you genuinely smile. Next, we’ve got Aquaman (Jason Momoa), whose rugged version of the hero seems like the only creative license taken with the characters. Momoa manages to give us more consistent laughs than Miller, and his charismatic performance made me more excited for the solo Aquaman film than for the second “Justice League.” Finally, we’ve got Cyborg (Ray Fisher), for who we are given the most backstory about, and whose powers — besides Superman’s — seem most essential to defeating the bad guy. His serious and

witches as her superlative this season, but the sentiment remains the same: Females are beautiful and powerful. The show inspires unequivocal acceptance of all sexualities and questions gender stereotypes in a light but compelling manner. This season has also given topics commonly deemed taboo a close yet comedic examination. Episode four centers on Abbi and Ilana’s escapades with shrooms, with the majority of the episode appearing as a hilariously animated depiction of their trip. Other drugs are repeatedly mentioned throughout the season — it’s clear that Glazer and Jacobson invite conversation about seemingly controversial topics. The following week’s episode follows Ilana’s battle with seasonal affective disorder and Abbi’s mother’s visit to New York City in the midst of what appears to be a midlife crisis. Behind the scenes interviews reveal that Glazer and Jacobson struggled to write this episode about mental health with respect and humor, but the end result was both amusing and thought-provoking. “Broad City” — particularly season four — cannot be discussed without mentioning politics. Since the election, popular culture has found it difficult to reconcile what feels like rampant political turmoil. Glazer and Jacobson themselves were outspoken in their disappointment regarding the election; this sentiment is evident throughout “Broad City.” Season four features an episode entirely dedicated to Ilana’s inability to enjoy sex following Trump’s election. The plot line is

primarily comedic but highlights an important and underexplored issue in the midst of political turbulence: the toll politics can take on emotional well-being. In episode three, Ilana’s expensive custom manicure features depictions of the Obama family. Another episode finds Ilana amusingly christening herself Ilana Rodham Obama Wexler. One of the most blatant examples of their distaste for the current administration is their choice to censor Trump’s name. This small detail on the show was certainly comical, but the joke has taken on a life of its own — since then, the show has even released a Google Chrome extension that allows users to censor Trump’s name on their browsers. Beyond season four’s astute commentary on a wide variety of social and political issues, this season sees the show maturing more than ever before. The actors are growing in experience and talent, and the material is continually fresh and engaging. This season also features guest appearances from celebrities like Shania Twain, Wanda Sykes and RuPaul. The show airs Wednesdays on Comedy Central. This week’s episode features a cameo from Steve Buscemi and details Ilana’s struggles with a common New York plight — bedbugs — while simultaneously following Abbi’s quest for confidence in the face of unemployment. “Broad City” has already been renewed for a fifth season.

brooding character seems more complex than the others we meet, but he still often feels like an extra in the film whose potential is not fully utilized. And of course, there are the big three who we’ve met already: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) — who I don’t think anyone actually believed was dead. As in “Wonder Woman,” Gadot gives life to any scene she is in. Unfortunately, too many shots focus on Gadot’s cleavage or butt — in one shot her leather clad butt takes up almost the entire screen. The other Amazons are also wearing notably less clothing than they had on in “Wonder Woman.” “Justice League” loses something when it over sexualizes the women, particularly Wonder Woman. It’s less uplifting and inspiring; it becomes just another bro-y action movie. Louis Lane’s (Amy Adams) quiet moments with Clark Kent/Superman give the film some surprisingly tender moments. In comparison to Superman’s calm demeanor, Batman seems like a moody teenager — though that could also be because it seemed like Affleck regretted taking this role throughout the entire movie. In general, the problem with “Justice League” doesn’t seem to be with the characters, the casting or even the massive amounts of CGI. The film simply lacks depth, and the dialogue is hollow. The audience never really

becomes invested in the plot or the characters. The movie feels like it is just going through the paces of a superhero action movie. In the Marvel movies, “Iron Man” set the stage for the entire franchise, and there was a slow build up to “The Avengers” which allowed us to become invested in the characters, which hasn’t been the case for the DC Universe. It seems like they are trying to play catch up to the Marvel Universe when they need to worry about creating their own cinematic universe and characters. The DC movies have all the pieces to make really good films, but they are rushing through the best stories.

Contact Maggie Walsh at mwalsh30@nd.edu

Contact Susan Kratzer at skratzer@nd.edu

“Justice League” Director: Zack Snyder Writers: Chris Terrio, Joss Wheden Starring: Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck

Dominique DeMoe | The Observer

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The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Breen-Phillips Hall and the chamber of secrets Lauren Weldon Graphics Editor

In its 175 years, Notre Dame has taught many generations of students, felt great moments of triumph and loss (not unlike this year’s football season) and experienced eras of change and transformation. While some of this history can be found throughout buildings on campus, in past yearbooks, trophy cases, plaques and history books, or even down in The Observer’s archives, a glimpse of student life throughout the years can be found within our humble walls — the walls of Breen-Phillips Hall specifically. I have no doubt these small-hole-dwelling time capsules can be found throughout the resident halls on campus, but a certain fourth floor double in Breen-Phillips Hall — founded in 1939 — holds a wealth of history. When I first selected this room (no, I won’t give away the number, that’s for future inhabitants only) at the end of my freshman year, my soon-to-be roommate and I were told by the current inhabitants at that time that there was a time capsule that we should open together and add to at the end of our time there. A time capsule? Close your eyes and imagine for a moment what you would expect that to look like. I’ll wait. Okay, well in my mind, I was expecting maybe a small- or medium-sized tin box, filled with small trinkets perhaps or maybe some photos. This is because we were given the location of this time capsule: behind the vanity mirror. Many dorms have similar mirrors, with a hinged door behind which you can put your toothbrushes and face wash. But what did they mean behind the mirror? Well as it turns out, if your vanity dates back like ours does, there are a couple of rusty screws holding it in place in the wall. Once you unscrew the vanity, you can pull it right out to reveal a rectangular hole in the wall, maybe 2 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide (no, I didn’t measure). So what is behind the hole in the wall from our DIY room deconstruction? Are you picturing that medium box I described? Well, we were certainly in for a surprise. I can’t enumerate every item that was back there, and much should be left to some mystery for future residents, but when we peaked our heads in with a flashlight, it certainly was not a tin box of trinkets. Replace that vision instead with bags upon bags and boxes upon boxes of stuff. Lots of stuff. But of course, we didn’t know how to get it. There was a large candy cane prop that appeared to be a tool for removing some of the vessels, but that was going to be inefficient. So we went with the next best strategy: stuffing my roommate’s boyfriend into the wall. Yep, into the cavernous hidden enclave of Breen-Phillips through a tight vanity mirror cutout he went. And out came the stuff. Some of it was fragile, some of it tattered, and there were a weird number of vintage 21+ glass bottles and pokey bits that he had to dodge around. By the time we’d unloaded it all, there were bags and boxes in massive piles, covering the entirety of our floor. There were journals and letters dating back to the young BP men of the 1940s talking about the ‘darling gals’ of Saint Mary’s College and the various libations and cigars they preferred. There were posters and special editions of major championship wins by the Irish. There were issues of the South Bend Chronicle outlining women’s fashion trends in the 1940s. There were headliners from The New York Times of Martin Luther King, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the death of Princess Diana. There were old train and plane tickets. There were memories written on little slips of paper by the many past inhabitants of BP. Let’s do some quick math: In 78 years, this double-occupancy room has seen likely close to 150 residents, and many have left a tidbit of themselves, and their time, in that hole in the wall. So what did I leave? Well, working here, I had to leave a little piece of the eventful year 2016 through the eyes of The Observer. The good news is I’ve stayed for a double feature in this room for my junior year here, so please let me know if you have any recommendations for what items you think represent the year to you. Note: Please don’t go taking apart your room to see if there’s a time capsule. Sometimes they do get ‘lost’ for some years, but if there is one, you’d probably know about it. Contact Lauren Weldon at lweldon@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

It is time for the murals to go Dear Fr. Jenkins, It is time for the murals to go. The 12 Luigi Gregori murals have adorned the main hall of Main Building for over 130 years, greeting millions of campus residents and visitors with a highly problematic vision of Western triumphalism, Catholic militarism and an overly romantic notion of American expansion. Christopher Columbus, as admitted by the University published pamphlet and widely acknowledged by modern scholarship, was an owner and distributor of humans as slaves. Columbus’ fortune, fame and wealth came from the destruction, mutilation and transaction of Native American and African persons. According to the University’s own pamphlet, the murals are specifically designed to “create a heroic impression” of someone who owned, traded and sold humans as slaves, as well as someone who initiated one of the largest genocides in human histor y. The murals welcome ever y newcomer and greet ever y football fan with their place of honor in Main Building, posing a clear answer to the question, “W ho is Notre Dame? ” And while the reasons for removing the murals have been repeated many times by many individuals and groups over the last three decades, we must continue to repeat them until something is done. First, to any Native American student, staff member, faculty member or visitor who enters Main Building, the murals offer the most debasing form of insult. The Native persons are depicted as stereotypes, their destruction is gilded over and their slaver y is celebrated. The murals commemorate and laud the beginning of the centuries-long systematic removal of Native American persons and culture from the United States. W hile recent efforts to honor the past relationship between the Pokagon Tribe and Notre Dame are commendable, true progress will be impossible until the murals are removed. Second, to any student, staff, faculty or guest who identifies with an historically oppressed group, the presence of the murals in 21st centur y America mocks ever y attempt to make campus more inclusive, more diverse and more culturally sensitive. African slaves are depicted comically, and Columbus’ incipient role in the buying and selling of humans as chattel is depicted as a holy and Christian act. Once again, while the University has made strides to become more ethnically diverse in recent years, the continued central presence of the murals nullifies the inclusive message that, for example, the iconic image of Father Hesburgh and Dr. King attempts to demonstrate. Third, art histor y is replete with racial biases and problematic tensions. Such tensions belong in museums where they can be studied, not alongside Notre Dame’s most honored award recipients and former presidents. This includes Fr. Sorin, after whose image Gregori modeled Columbus specifically in order that Columbus be more revered. To claim, as the University does, that one could revere other figures on the walls of Main

Building but view the murals dispassionately, “in an almost clinical way,” can only be described as willful blindness to the reality of the effect of the paintings. Fourth, and finally, the theological message of the murals is one the University should utterly disavow and repudiate. For example, several of the images offer the explicit theological message that the sufferings of a slave trader are analogous to the sufferings of Christ. Many popes have apologized and worked to make amends for the harm done to Native and African populations in the name of Christ. The Church as a whole regrets and repents the abominable actions of torture, enslavement, rape and systematic execution that became commonplace with the advent of Columbus’ voyages. God will judge historical persons according to God’s own merits, but the Church demands that those of us following Christ today must strive for universal human dignity in order to begin to mend the broken global body of Christ. There is no place in the modern Church, not to mention in a modern Catholic university, for glorif ying a Christianity of murder and enslavement. Native students have been urging the administration to deal with the murals since at least the early 1990s. The administration, time and time again, has delayed, obfuscated, printed pamphlets and denied any ability to effectively fix the concrete problems the murals represent. As such, while it is tragic that a letter like this is necessar y in 2017, as long as the murals remain unchanged, we must continue to protest, write, plead and demand their removal. There are many different options available to the University moving for ward, and more discussion is necessar y, but status quo is not enough. The easily overlooked pamphlets are not enough. In this era of political divisiveness and a renewed rise of dangerous nationalism, it is time for Notre Dame to remove its own version of a Confederate monument. It is time for the murals to go. Sincerely, John P. Slattery, Ph.D. ’17 Dominic Acri ’18 Sicangu Oyate Carrera Brown ’18 Diné Molly Demel ’18 Chickasaw Angela Dunsmoor ’18 Chippewa Armani Porter ’18 Eastern Band Cherokee William Wolfe, MBA ’18 Potawatomi Nation James L. Weitzel ‘19 Diné Mark Brinegar ‘20 Muskogee Creek Jebraune Chambers ’20 Choctaw Grayson Maker ’20 Cherokee Sarah Maazouz ’20 Cree Tribe See the full list of signatures at ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Thankful for home Lucy Collins Stuck in the Middle

A lot of things run a bit differently here across the pond. One custom they (obv iously) don’t celebrate over here is Thanksgiv ing. Given the day was originally in part a celebration of escaping the dear ole’ Brits, this wasn’t exactly unexpected, and I knew I would have to sacrifice my favorite holiday in order to have a semester abroad. I know, what a dismal life I have, spending months in Europe at the expense of a few hours of guiltless gluttony. Still, this week has been hitting me rather hard. W hile I am stuck in a countr y that goes straight from an underwhelming Halloween into an extravagant display of Christmas cheer, my distance has allowed me to analyze the holiday from a different perspective. W hen a stranger in a pub asked me (rather obnox iously), “W hat have you Americans got to be so thankful for? ”, I had to do some ref lection. After all, it wouldn’t be hard — based on the news ever yday — to assume America is in a situation of complete turmoil and we would be better off spending our time tr y ing to pull ourselves together rather than stuffing our faces w ith food. Perhaps it was this curiosit y that spurred my research into articles and ref lections on Thanksgiv ing online. W hat started by taking some Buzzfeed quizzes to discern what t y pe of side-dish I would be ended in my stumbling across the Thanksgiv ing proclamations of past Presidents, featured in a New York Times piece on the holiday. Thanksgiv ing is a somewhat unique holiday in that the current President must announce it each year, and George Washington started these proclamations, asking

Americans to unite in thanks for — among other things — “the peaceful and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government.” The tradition stalled for a period, but it was rev italized when Abraham Lincoln asked Americans to give thanks “w ith one heart and one voice” in the midst of the Civ il War. These t wo great leaders were separated by a centur y filled w ith war, exploration, innovation and discover y; a centur y that took America from a rock y, unsure start to an established nation — a nation that had come so far only to see itself tearing apart at the seams. Washington wanted to use the collective thankfulness — for defeating the British, for establishing an unprecedented form of government, for forming a new national identit y — to unite all of the new Americans, regardless of the political and constitutional strife that was happening in the early years of the republic. And Lincoln had more reason than any other to ask his fellow citizens to put aside hate, put aside pett y loyalties and, if just for a moment, unite to give thanks for the blessings that abounded in America, even during the horrible war. The w ielding of the day of Thanksgiv ing as an instrument of peace seems to have been instrumental throughout U.S. histor y. One of the most poignant proclamations was Proclamation 3560 from John F. Kennedy in 1963: “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely w ilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiv ing.” He then details what our forefathers gave thanks for: their safet y, their fields, their children, concluding by noting “the love which bound them together.” He also quotes our first President, who asked for the creation of a day of

thanksgiv ing and asked citizens “to pardon our national and other transgressions.” Kennedy, like his predecessors, recognized the unif ying power of our special national holiday in a decade that was nearly as tumultuous as ours seems now. Proclamation 3561 was released just 19 days later, by Ly ndon Johnson, signif y ing a national day of mourning in the wake of JFK’s assassination. If nothing else, this bit of reading helped me form an answer to the random jerk in the bar who tried to undercut any pride I have for my countr y and our traditions. I’m not about to spit some fire truth about the path to national unit y or profess to know the cure to the plethora of issues plaguing the U.S. The North and South didn’t just drop their arms at Lincoln’s words, and Kennedy’s professions of peace didn’t stop the bullet from killing him. It just seems to me that there is, and has always been, something to be said for designating a time to simply be thankful for the nation and opportunities we do have. It’s kind of reassuring to look back at some of the darkest times in our histor y and know that Thanksgiv ing has been a constant through the years. If we could get through those times, we might just have a shot today. Happy (belated) Thanksgiv ing to all in the Notre Dame family. Aside from incessantly quoting “Hamilton” and other perfect works of theater/film, Lucy Collins majors in economics and history, is a sophomore at Notre Dame and is often found trying to balance her hopeless romanticism and nearly constant cynicism. Please direct comments to lcollin8@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Catalonia at an impasse Devon Chenelle The Gadfly

For all their ideological intricacies, Marxists are remarkably pragmatic. Nowhere was this better demonstrated than in Lenin’s Oct. 17, 1921, address to the All-Russian Congress, when he stated, “The whole question is — who will overtake whom?” He thus reduced the entirety of class conflict, at its core, to a question of which side will achieve domination, making all incidences of debate, compromise and agreement between opposing sides in the great class struggle ultimately nothing more than disguised attempts to gain mastery. This ultimately reduced all political debates to confrontations of power, not arguments on right or wrong. Could this framework be applied to similar debates over popular sovereignty? This question is more relevant than ever, for a fever has swept the Earth — a fever of secession. Demands for autonomy or independence, long simmering in a myriad of locales from Quebec to Kosovo, have exploded in recent years. Perhaps the recent wave might be most accurately traced back to the 2011 secession of South Sudan from the government in Khartoum. Three years later, separatists in eastern Ukraine began fighting — with the aid of “little green men” from the Russian government, the government in Kiev — for autonomy. That year, Scots voted on their own independence, over 300 years gone. Recently, the Kurds have set up their own state structure, independent in all but name, in the parts of lawless Syria and Iraq they reside in. And of course, Catalonia has just held an independence referendum in which a vast majority of votes favored independence from Spain. Across the planet, everyone seems at the ready to condemn, or continue condemning, the Spanish government in Madrid if they evince the

slightest hint of oppression in their interactions with the Catalonian separatists. However, few seem to be asking the most important question of all: On what grounds do the Catalans demand independence, and are they justified in so doing? Nothing is more central to the Catalans’ — and other separatists’ — claims for independence than a successful plebiscite. On Oct. 1, 2017, the Catalonian government — defying Spanish courts’ denunciations of the election — went ahead with a referendum asking, “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state?” Defying police barricades, 43.03 percent of eligible voters participated, and over 90 percent answered “Yes.” On Oct. 10, the regional president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, declared independence for his region despite repeated warnings not to do so from Spanish authorities. This resulted in the arrests of the speaker of the Catalan National Assembly and the leader of a pro-independence group. On Oct. 27, the Catalan Parliament voted in favor of independence, and shortly thereafter, the Spanish government dissolved Catalonia’s regional government and charged Puigdemont and 13 others with “rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds,” but only after they had fled from Spain. Another wave of nine arrests took place on Nov. 2, and there has been little resistance to the Spanish takeover of Catalonian government and services. Of course, there were serious issues with this particular referendum — including low turnout and suppression from the Spanish government. But let us ask whether or not, if those issues were not so salient, this referendum mechanism provides sufficient moral force for independence via popular sovereignty? I think not. All arguments for popular sovereignty eventually succumb to reductio ad absurdum because they incite unanswerable questions. Why can’t my town vote to secede? Why can’t my

family? Why can’t I? What is the quorum for being a self-determining people? Can any group that reaches this number automatically and successfully apply for independence and sovereignty upon realization of a 50.1 percent majority? It just isn’t a workable concept, if truly and fully applied, in the real world. It is highly relevant that it appears, regardless of popular support, Catalonia has lost its battle for independence because it never fought an actual battle. The case of the Russian minorities in Ukraine is instructive, as is the example of the Kurds — asserting a claim to independence without being able to defend it isn’t really asserting a claim to independence at all. Independence-minded Scots and Puerto Ricans should feel thankful that their secession bids failed and the Catalans themselves may soon be thanking their lucky stars they refused to take up arms to uphold their nationhood. For a sampling of independence’s fruits, observe the dismal state of South Sudan or Kurdistan’s approaching doom. These practical concerns ought decide the issue. However, the ideological case for regional independence is also hollow. Independence movements live or die on questions of power and nothing else. As the Catalans aren’t willing to fight for their independence, they won’t have it. Don’t weep for them; they have no more of a right to secede than you or I, which is to say, none until they make one. Devon Chenelle is a senior, formerly of Keough Hall. Returning to campus after seven months abroad, Devon is a history major with minors in Italian and philosophy. He can be reached at dchenell@nd.edu —“On resiste a l’invasion des armees; on ne resiste pas a l’invasion des idees.” The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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daily

The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Positive change will unfold if you are willing to share your feelings and let others know what you want. Incorporate more discipline into whatever you decide to do and be willing to live up to your promises. Your reputation will depend on honesty, integrity and reliability. Take your responsibilities seriously and the changes that take place this year will be exceptional. Your numbers are 5, 11, 23, 25, 33, 39, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look inward and discover how much you have grown this year. Express who you have become through the image you present to the world around you. A responsible attitude and an energetic approach to learning are encouraged. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be creative when dealing with other people. You can spark greater interest in what you plan to do if you approach your target in a unique fashion. A romantic gesture will win someone’s favor. A business meeting will offer new possibilities. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Proceed with caution. You’ll be set up by someone using emotional tactics to get his or her way. Listen carefully and use discretion if temptation provokes you to get involved in something risky. Be smart and avoid loss. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take a unique path. Share your ideas with a partner or someone you want to collaborate with. Much can be accomplished if you are open about the way you feel and what you want to see happen. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The people you are close to may not understand the current influences in your life. Be more open and receptive with anyone who will be affected by the choices you make. Explain your actions intelligently and you will gain approval. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do your best to get along with others. Partnerships will suffer if you aren’t up-front about the way you feel. Positive changes can only take place if you are willing to discuss problems and ways to solve them. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Confusion will set in if you rely on others for your information. Be resourceful and do your own research. Matters pertaining to earning a living and getting along with your peers should be handled creatively. A domestic change should be monitored carefully. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share your thoughts and ideas with someone creative. A chance to do something different will be a learning experience. Children and loved ones will encourage you to do your own thing. Follow your heart and let your intuition guide you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Communication will be difficult when dealing with peers, a close friend or sibling. It’s important to clarify your intentions in order to avoid a misunderstanding. An educational pursuit or business trip will pay off. Don’t count on favors. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Stay focused on getting ahead. Use your intuition to come up with solutions and ideas that will separate you from any competition you encounter. An unusual opportunity will sprout from a conversation you have with someone you used to work with. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Live and learn. Let experience guide you into the future and help you make wise choices. Choose a healthy lifestyle and aim to set a high standard that will push you to the top. Discipline coupled with intelligence will equal success. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll know instinctively what to do. Refuse to let anyone interfere in what you know is best for you. Opportunity is apparent if you take advantage of what’s available. Personal improvements and romance are highlighted. Birthday Baby: You are colorful, unique and sensitive. You are assertive and energetic.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

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Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | The Observer

Hockey

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Taylor did not deserve the bench Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer

An interception is likely the most game-changing play in football. Touchdowns decide the score, but it’s hard to score one unless you have the ball. Getting it without forcing the other team to punt is an instant game-changer. Of all quarterbacks with 750 or more passes, nobody has a lower interception percentage than Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Tyrod Taylor. I don’t mean the least total interceptions — he has that record too, but great quarterbacks with long careers can’t really compare there. I mean he’s thrown the least interceptions per attempt, a statistic where he should have no inherent advantage over longer-serving players. And not in Bills history; in the history of the entire NFL. Taylor throws interceptions less frequently than anyone. Less than Tom Brady, less than Aaron Rodgers. Those two are ranked second and fourth, respectively, which should speak volumes about the importance of the stat. Brady is a leading candidate for MVP. Rodgers would have been before a collarbone injury derailed his season. Just over a week ago, Taylor got benched. He was benched for Nathan Peterman, a player who did his best to match Taylor’s Bills total for picks as fast as possible, throwing five in just 15 attempts against the San Diego Chargers. Yes, the benching lasted less than a full game, and Taylor looks to have retaken his job for the remainder of the season, but it still needs to be answered. How does a player like Taylor get benched? Well, maybe his team was struggling. Sometimes a team just can’t win games, and it’s worth a shot to try anything new if you’ve got nothing to lose. Except the Bills went to Los Angeles at 5-4, sitting in a wildcard spot that would have ended the longest playoff drought in the NFL. For once, Buffalo had a real chance to be playing postseason football, and head coach Sean McDermott decided to risk it all on an untested quarterback. Maybe it wasn’t because of wins. Maybe avoiding interceptions wasn’t enough. If Taylor wasn’t completing passes and scoring touchdowns, his benching could be excused, right? Except he’s combined for 59 passing and rushing scores in 37 games in Buffalo. This year, he’s completed over 64 percent of his passes and he has a passer rating of 91.7, all while providing a dynamic threat on the ground as one of a dangerous rusher. No other statistic puts Taylor in the elite company that his interception rate does, but all of the evidence would suggest he’s at

least above average. Maybe those interception numbers are misleading then? What if they all came at the worst times. Except Taylor’s didn’t. This year’s three picks came on third-and-eight, third-and-12 and third-and-15. One was with the Bills trailing with barely over two minutes left, another was with the Bills down by 21 in the second half. In other words, they came in situations where Taylor needed to take risks and an incompletion or a sack would have been almost as game-changing. So maybe Nathan Peterman was just really, really good? Nobody feels a sense of injustice over the Patriots benching franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe for Tom Brady, right? Um, well Peterman’s performance against the Chargers kind of speaks for itself. No disrespect to the former Pitt quarterback, he might have been able to turn into a solid player with some time, but he was forced to start a game he never should have, before he was ready, because a much better player was benched. So what does that leave? Is there something else about Tyrod Taylor? Something that marks him as different from the average NFL quarterback? In 2017, surely racism isn’t still affecting personnel decisions this blatantly? Well, we already saw Colin Kaepernick — who sits right between Brady and Rodgers in interception rate, by the way — get blackballed by the league for speaking up about racial issues. Now, Taylor is the reminder that even a non-controversial black quarterback playing like an aboveaverage starter has a short leash. Black quarterbacks can certainly be given opportunities in today’s league, as Russell Wilson and Cam Newton have proven, but they never seem to be given the same opportunities to prove themselves as their white counterparts. One bad game after a career of aboveaverage ones, and Taylor found himself on the bench. In 1969, the Bills became the first pro football team to open a season with an African-American starting under center. Today, you’d expect that negative perceptions about black quarterbacks would have passed. Yet nine days ago, a 5-4 team’s new quarterback threw five interceptions. The most damaging play in football, five times. Because all-time great levels of ball security and a path to the playoffs aren’t enough for a black quarterback. It’s hard to believe that can still be said in 2017. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 12

Bobby Nardella assisted on the score, which was the only goal of the game scored by either team. Notre Dame recorded 23 shots on goal on the night, while Minnesota recorded 44 shots. Notre Dame went 1-3 on the power play while Minnesota went 0-4. After the game, Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson praised Morris’ strong play and his team’s defensive effort. “[Morris] has been in the zone for the last month,” Jackson said Friday. “He’s ver y focused. He’s been doing a good job of controlling rebounds. Our guys also did a good job of blocking shots, which probably took away another 10-15 shots. [Morris] deser ves most of the credit, but I thought our defense played well in front of him not allow ing second shots. I thought our defensive sticks were prett y good. Minnesota shoots for sticks all over the ice; they’re really good w ith their sticks offensively. We did a good job of controlling sticks for the most part, so the defense deser ves credit, too. But it all starts w ith your goaltender. He’s got to be the guy back there that keeps the puck in front of him.” Jackson gave credit to his team’s penalt y kill unit, which has stopped 22 consecutive opponent powerplay opportunities. “That starts at the goal, but we have a couple of defensemen and for wards that are w illing to block shots, and that’s a big part of it, too,” Jackson said Friday. Jackson also talked about the challenges playing a fast-paced team like Minnesota presents. “They’re ver y fast, ver y skilled,” Jackson said Friday. “They’ve got four good lines, and they come at you in waves. It was certainly a challenge, but I think we can play better. We need to play better. “They always come out fast. They’ve been up on ever ybody the last month in the first period. They come

out w ith a lot of energ y and we have to tr y to match that. That really put us on our heels, and then it settled dow n for a while, and then we played prett y well in the second period and late in the first period. We just have to do a good job of making good decisions, especially coming out of our zone.” Notre Dame set the tone early in Saturday’s game. Just 1:36 into the first period, senior for ward Jake Evans passed the puck bet ween his ow n legs to sophomore for ward Cal Burke in front of the net, who fired the puck past Minnesota junior goalie Eric Schierhorn to give the Irish an early 1-0 lead. Minnesota responded w ith a power-play goal to tie the score 1-1 w ith 4:47 left in the first period. The goal snapped Notre Dame’s streak of 23 consecutive penalt y kills. The Irish were able to kill off a t wo minute 5-on-3 power play opportunit y for the Gophers before the period ended, however. Notre Dame once again took the lead 2:45 into the second period when an errant shot attempt bounced off the boards and onto the stick of Irish sophomore defenseman Tor y Dello, who was able to fire a shot into the net for his first goal of the season to put the Irish up 2-1. Notre Dame extended its lead nearly 10 minutes later when Evans knocked in a rebound off Schierhorn to give the Irish a 3-1 lead. Minnesota was able to score another power play goal before the period ended, however, to cut the lead to 3-2. The score remained the same until half way into the third period, when Burke took a pass from Gross and buried it into the net for his second goal of the game to give Notre Dame a 4-2 lead w ith 10 : 04 left in the third period. The Irish added on to their lead when sophomore for ward Mike O’Lear y recorded his first goal of the season to give Notre Dame a 5-2 advantage w ith 4:59 left in the game, a lead which would hold for the remainder of the game. Morris recorded 40 saves

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on 42 shots by Minnesota, while Notre Dame finished w ith 35 shots on goal. After the game, Jackson said he was pleased w ith his team’s performance but added that his team needs to stay out of the penalt y box. “I thought we were much better tonight than last, although we took some bad penalties,” Jackson said. “I thought we put ourselves in a bad position sometimes w ith some of the penalties that we took, but other than that, five-on-five, I was ver y pleased.” Jackson also praised his team’s first line. “I made the sw itch moving Andrew [Oglev ie] back to center, and I’ve been wanting to put Cal Burke up w ith Jake,” Jackson said. “Cal’s an energ y guy and Jake is a cerebral guy, and I thought it gave him some speed and some tenacit y on his line. I thought Cam Morrison had a really good night tonight and was part of the reason that line was really good, and Jake just makes plays.” Jackson said when playing back-to-back games, things can boil to an emotional level and teams need the abilit y to control those emotions. “That’s the tough thing about college hockey when you’re play ing a team backto-back, t wo nights in a row,” Jackson said. “The first night, some things brew, and the second night, they come out. [Minnesota] took some unnecessar y penalties, too, probably. I just think we have to have better discipline w ith several of those penalties. You can’t take penalties 200 feet away from your net, and our first penalties were all in the offensive zone. We’ve got to clean that up.” The Irish w ill look to keep their w inning streak alive when they travel to East Lansing, Michigan, this weekend for a t wo game series against conference-foe Michigan State, beginning a four-game road trip. Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu

ZACH YIM | The Observer

Irish freshman forward Max Eisenmenger looks to pass to teammate and senior defenseman Jordan Gross in Notre Dame’s 2-2 tie against Denver on Nov. 13 at Compton Family Ice Arena. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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M Bball Continued from page 12

close the game out. But senior guard Matt Farrell stole the pass and found senior forward Bonzie Colson, who scored to put the Irish back within one. “Just never give up. I saw him coming, and I just read it and tried to come from the backside and just tip it,” Farrell said of the play. “Bonzie was right there. It just worked out, and you just never give up and just got to play hard until the horn sounds.” So, after a foul on the next inbounded ball and subsequent missed free throw by the Shockers, the Irish had their third opportunity. They put the ball in Farrell’s hands this time, and he drove to the rim with just four seconds remaining — and was blocked by Shockers senior forward Zach Brown. 0-for-3. But the Irish weren’t out. Junior guard Rex Pflueger hustled for the loose ball and drew a jump ball with the possession arrow in Notre Dame’s favor, rewarding the Irish with one more opportunity. On the proceeding inbounds play, Pflueger found Martinas Geben on a late cut to the basket, and the senior forward drew a foul on his way up for the dunk. And the 60 percent foul shooter calmly hit both of his foul shots. 67-66, Notre Dame. 1-for-4. But that one conversion was all the Irish needed to win themselves the Maui Invitational crown. “We said we wanted to have our name up on this wall,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said after winning the crown. “We felt our program was one of those programs now that deserved to be on the Maui wall here, and I’m thrilled that it’ll be there.” Early in the game, it looked the Irish wouldn’t even be in the position to have four chances to take the final lead. In the first half, the Irish struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, shooting just 40.7 percent from the floor and a 1-for-5 mark from behind the 3-point line. In their previous two wins, the Irish made five and seven 3-point shots in the first half, respectively. But the Shockers defense played the Irish tough on the perimeter, forcing Notre Dame’s offense to score on tough shots in the paint and also forcing it into six turnovers. Wichita State’s offense, however, found its rhythm early. The Shockers shot 50 percent from the floor and were 5-of-11 from beyond the arc to build a 37-23 lead at the half. Senior guard Conner Frankamp led the way for the Shockers, scoring 12 points in the first half. He took a team-high seven shots in the half as well, as the Shockers’ weren’t able to get much from their usual go-to scorers — senior center and leading scorer

Shaquille Morris played only eight minutes in the period after picking up two early fouls, while sophomore guard Landry Shamet was just 1-for-4 from the floor in the half. “Their [man-to-man] stuff is so downhill. It’s coming at you,” Brey said. “The first 20 minutes … we couldn’t deal with it, and we’re a pretty good defensive team I think. We just couldn’t deal with it.” But in the second half, the Irish played much more aggressively and efficiently on both ends. Offensively, the Irish shot 58 percent from the floor — including a 10-of-15 start — and got to the foul line 15 times, converting 13 of their shots there. Defensively, the Irish switched to a two-three zone and held the Shockers to just 41 percent from the floor and 3-of-12 from 3. And while Colson and Farrell led the way for the Irish — Colson finished with game-highs 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Farrell added 15 points and

three steals on his way to tournament MVP honors — it was neither of them who ended up hitting the two most important shots for the Irish on the night from the foul line. After a close, back-and-forth final four minutes of action, Brey went to Geben to score the go-ahead points. “We never ran that look out of it [before], we never run that,” Brey said of the inbounds play. “ … [Farrell] came off it first, he takes a lot of traffic. Then, [Colson] came off it. And the great thing, I kept telling them even though they were fired up, is ‘Don’t rush to it, let it develop.’ [Geben] did a great job diving hard, [Plueger] is great taking the ball out of bounds and I would’ve been shocked had [Geben] missed.” And when he delivered, the Irish were able to complete their comeback — leading in the game for only 22 seconds and winning by a one-point margin after trailing by as many as 16.

“We got veteran guys,” Farrell said. “ … We’ve been in [similar] game situations before, we were confident when it got down to those last 20 seconds, and it’s just about making winning plays and trusting in each other.” Ahead of Wednesday’s battle with Wichita State, Notre Dame had to dispatch of Chaminade on Monday and LSU on Tuesday. Against the Silverswords (3-2), the Irish shot nearly 54 percent from the floor and forced 12 turnovers en route to an 83-56 win. And against the Tigers (3-2) in the semifinals, the Irish upped their play by knocking down 15 3-point field goals and holding the Tigers to just under 37 percent shooting from the floor to coast to a 9253 win. “I wish I could bottle that for the rest of the season,” Brey said Tuesday of his team’s win over the Tigers. “We really played well on both ends of the

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floor. Our experience showed, and I’m just thrilled with our defense. … I think the difference with our group is how we’re playing defense.” And for one half of play Wednesday, the Irish were able to dip into that bottle again, allowing them to head into Thanksgiving as Maui Invitational champions. “We fight. We fight, and we give it our all every game,” Colson said after the win. “We give a lot of credit to Wichita State. They came out hitting shots, but we stayed composed and our talk in the locker room was phenomenal — everybody came together and said, ‘Hey, we got to pick things up,” and we did that. We just came out fighting. “ … We were hungry for this. We wanted another trophy in our locker room, and it’s great for our program.” Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

Sports

Vball Continued from page 12

her three seasons w ith the Irish. The Irish also concluded the season with three members earning All-ACC team recognition. DeJarld earned first team honors, as she currently ranks fourth in the nation in digs per set with 6.14. She has dug 731 balls this season. DeJarld has also made an impact with her service game this season, recording 41 service aces, second only to senior defensive specialist Natalie Johnson who has posted 50. DeJarld’s first team honors makes her the first person in program history to accomplish that honor. Yeadon and Fry each earned second team honors. Yeadon leads the Irish in kills per set at 3.91. Yeadon

ndsmcobserver.com | Tuesday, november 28, 2017 | The Observer

has also posted 311 digs, 69 blocks and 29 ser vice aces this season. Fr y’s secondteam accolade is her third consecutive time being named to the squad. She currently leads the ACC in total blocks with 257 on the season. By winning six of their last seven matches, the Irish have gained an NCAA tournament berth, their first since 2012 and the first under head coach Jim McLaughlin. The Irish hold a 14-18 record in their previous trips to the tournament and last advanced to the second round of play in 2005 when they defeated Dayton and Northwestern to advance to the Round of 16. Notre Dame is set to play Western Kentucky in the first round at 5 p.m. on Friday, in Lexington, Kentucky.

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W Bball Continued from page 12

Despite shooting just over 42 percent for the game, the Irish were able to lead throughout the game and pull out a win and advance to face No. 17 South Florida (USF) on Saturday. Once again, Notre Dame never trailed, as it charged to a 76-66 win over the Bulls (6-1). However, it was no one in an Irish roster who was the star of the contest. Instead, Bulls junior guard Kitija Laksa stole the show, as she singlehandedly scored 36 points, accounting for more than half of USF’s total offense. “Honestly, the first half was about as well as we played all year except for our defense on Laksa,” McGraw said after the game Saturday. “She was phenomenal. We had no answer for her. I thought Jackie was going to be able to shut her down, but we didn’t have any help. We didn’t play great team defense. But other than that, I thought we played pretty well.” However, Young and Ogunbowale also tallied significant point totals on the other side of the court, picking up 23 and 21 points, respectively. The Irish also improved their 3-point shooting slightly in the matchup, going 3-for-11 from beyond Paid Advertisement

the arc, with Ogunbowale accounting for two of those 3-pointers and junior guard Marina Mabrey coming up with the third. After turning the ball over 24 times against the Buccaneers, McGraw said eliminating the turnovers against the Bulls was a major focus in the limited practice time her team had between the two games, as Notre Dame cut the turnovers to 12 against USF. “Turnovers. We cut them in half. I thought that was great,” McGraw said Saturday. “I was really happy with our execution. You know, we got shots. We didn’t make them all, but I thought we got shots.” With their win over the Bulls, the Irish advanced to the showcase’s final, facing off against the defending national champions in the then-No. 3 Gamecocks (6-1), something McGraw said before the game she was looking forward to. “We play a lot of good teams, we’ve already played two ranked teams,” McGraw said. “But it’s great to be able to challenge ourselves against [senior forward A’ja Wilson] ... and a great, great South Carolina team.” The Irish fell behind quickly in the first quarter, as the Gamecocks jumped out to a 28-18 lead by the end of the first quarter after opening the game

11

with an 8-0 run. However, the Irish battled back, going on a 17-5 run midway through the second quarter, culminating in a 3-pointer by Mabrey to send the Irish into halftime with a 41-38 lead. The Irish continued to build on their lead after the half and did not relinquish it for the rest of the game. The Irish built up a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Gamecocks, led by Wilson, were able to trim the deficit to as slim as five points in the game’s final minutes. However, Notre Dame held on to take down its highest-ranked opponent so far this season, 92-85. Young led the way once again, finishing with her first career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Ogunbowale scored a team-high 23 points and snagged seven rebounds, while Shepard pitched in 10 points and five rebounds. Young was named the Gulf Coast Showcase Most Valuable Player, and Ogunbowale earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Young was also named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday. The Irish will continue their road trip on Wednesday when they take on No. 22 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at 6 p.m. Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

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The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd women’s basketball | GULF COAST SHOWCASE

ND downs reigning champs By elizabeth greason Sports Editor

No. 3 Notre Dame’s sevengame road trip is officially in full swing, as the Irish emerged victorious at the Gulf Coast Showcase after coming out on top in the tournament’s finale Sunday, which featured a marquee matchup against reigning national champion South Carolina. The Irish (6-0) began their trip to the final against East Tennessee State University (ETSU) on Friday. On paper, the Irish dominated the game. However, Irish head coach Muffet McGraw was not pleased with her squad’s performance against the Bucanneers (4-4). “I thought we were bad,” McGraw said Friday. “Passing was just abysmal, we shot poorly from the 3-point line, everything, I thought was bad. I thought [junior guard] Arike [Ogunbowale] played well, I thought [sophomore guard] Jackie Young gave us a lift a lot of the time. [Junior forward Jessica Shepard] rebounded, but overall, just a really poor

performance.” McGraw was not exaggerating when speaking about her team’s play from beyond the arc — the Irish went 1-for-15 from behind the 3-point line, with the lone success coming from Ogunbowale to put Notre Dame up by 15 with 51 seconds remaining in the first half. Shepard and Ogunbowale led the way for the Irish offensively and defensively, as each recorded a double-double in the 77-46 win for Notre Dame. Shepard tallied a team-high 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Ogunbowale followed with 12 points and 10 rebounds. McGraw said the Buccanneers’ employment of a zone defense helped stifle the Irish offense. “We saw a lot of zone against Western Kentucky, and we shot poorly in that game as well,” she said Friday. “I think we just have to be smarter. We have to be able to pass the ball, and we’re not great passers. Ball fakes, fundamentals. Really the basics, we’ve got to get a lot better.” see W BBALL PAGE 11

Men’s basketball | maui invitational

Late game defense lifts squad over Shockers By Ben PADANILAM Sports Writer

Four chances. That’s how many times Notre Dame had a chance to take the lead in the final three minutes of Wednesday’s top-15, heavyweight bout between the 13thranked Irish and No. 6 Wichita State. With the Irish (6-0) trailing 62-61 with 3:04 to go, sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs missed a contested layup, and the Shockers (4-1) picked up the rebound. 0-for-1. Then, after a pair of defensive stops on the other end, Gibbs had another chance to put the Irish ahead with 1:50 to go. But he picked up an offensive foul, giving the ball back to the Shockers. 0-for-2. After another 1:35, it didn’t seem like the Irish would even have an opportunity for a third chance. Wichita State led 66-63 with 16 seconds left in the game — get the ball inbounds, and the Shockers would have an

ZACH YIM | The Observer

see M BBALL PAGE 10

HOCKEY

Irish senior guard Matt Farrell shoots through contact during Notre Dame’s 105-66 win over Chicago State on Nov. 16.

Women’s VOLLEYBALL

Notre Dame builds on winning streak By Michael ivey

Observer Sports Staff

Sports Writer

No. 4 Notre Dame extended its winning streak to nine games this weekend by sweeping Big Ten rival No. 6 Minnesota at Compton Family Ice Arena. On Friday night, Notre Dame (12-3-1, 6-0-0 Big Ten) defeated Minnesota (9-6-1, 3-4-1 Big Ten) in a tight, 1-0 contest. Irish sophomore goaltender Cale Morris was strong in net, stopping all 44 shots he faced throughout the night — including 17 in the first period to keep the game scoreless. The Irish were able to break through two minutes into the second period on a power play when a shot by junior forward Andrew Oglevie def lected off a Minnesota defender and into the back of the net to put the Irish up 1-0. Senior defenseman Jordan Gross and junior defenseman see HOCKEY PAGE 9

Irish continue postseason run

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

Irish sophomore forward Cam Morrison skates in Notre Dame’s 2-2 tie against Denver at Compton Family Ice Rink on Oct. 13.

The Irish concluded their regular season by splitting their last t wo road matches losing to Sy racuse, but sweeping Boston College to conclude the season 22-9. Notre Dame (22-9, 12-8 ACC) started the first match of the road trip on a sour note, losing a close fifth set to Sy racuse (20-13, 12-8), and ending a five-game w inning streak. The Orange took the first, third and fifth games by scores of 25-23, 25-18 and 15-9, respectively. The Irish took w ins in the second and fourth stanzas by margins of 25-15 and 25-23. Irish sophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon recorded a career night, posting a career-high 27 kills in the match to go along w ith her nine digs. Senior middle blocker Sam Fr y also tallied 13 kills. Senior setter Caroline Holt posted 50 assists along w ith t wo kills in

the game, while junior libero Ryann DeJarld recorded 31 digs. The Irish got back on track for their final game of the season by defeating Boston College (7-23, 4-16), 3-0. The scoreboard read 25-23, 2523 and 25-17 in favor of the Irish at the culmination of the match. Notre Dame’s top performer of the match was senior outside hitter Sydney Kuhn, who recorded 17 kills and seven digs. The trio of Yeadon, Fr y and junior outside hitter Rebecca Nunge each recorded seven kills in the v ictor y. DeJarld posted 20 digs as her squad came out on top of sister Jane’s — Boston College’s sophomore setter. Jane DeJarld recorded 33 assists in the matchup. Ryann DeJarld also broke Notre Dame’s program career digs record w ith 1,792 digs during the game in see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11

Insider

Unravel Continued from page 1

dropped incomplete, intended for Stepherson in the end zone. Yoon sent the 38-yard field goal attempt through the uprights, making the score 14-10 in favor of the Cardinal going into halftime. The Irish started with the ball after the half. But they didn’t keep it for long. After a touchback on the kickoff, St. Brown took a short pass from Wimbush all the way on the first play from scrimmage, going 75 yards to the endzone: a one-play touchdown drive, putting the Irish back on top, 17-14. Wimbush said having talents like St. Brown and Stepherson as members of his receiving corps has proven to be a major asset to his game. “If you give them the ball, as a quarterback, it’s lovely,” he said. “It’s lovely to throw a five-yard pass and they take it 75, 80 yards. They’re two huge assets that I’m able to use, and they’re obviously great football players.” The Cardinal fired back with a field goal of their own on the next drive to draw the score even once again. The teams then traded punts, as Notre Dame’s was downed at the 1-yard line and forced Stanford into a three-and-out. The Irish subsequently recorded their longest punt return of the season — 41 yards — courtesy of junior wide receiver Chris Finke, who was finally brought down at the Stanford 19-yard line. But, three plays and a loss of two yards later, Notre Dame was forced to

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settle for another field goal, its final points of the game. “ … First of all, we do a great job with the punt. Down it on the [1yard line]. Great defensive transition,” Kelly said. “Got a great punt return. Then, two silly mistakes with the procedure personalities. Then, settle for a field goal. We’ve been really good all year about taking those possessions and turning them into touchdowns. “Just felt like we left some points out there. I didn’t feel like it was slipping away in that sense, but I felt like we left some points out there.” Stanford once again fired back on the next possession, aided, once again, by a key penalty from Notre Dame — a facemask call on sophomore cornerback Julian Love, which moved the Cardinal well into Notre Dame territory. Costello found Smith in the endzone, putting Stanford on top, this time permanently, 24-20. On the very first play of Notre Dame’s next drive, things began to spiral. Wimbush threw his first pick of the game, as a pass intended for Smythe fell into the hands of sophomore linebacker Curtis Robinson instead. The Cardinal was able to covert the turnover into an additional seven points. Irish senior linebacker Drue Tranquill said although many of Notre Dame’s struggles were on the offensive side of the ball, the defense needed to step up and help in the situation. “We got to get a stop,” Tranquill said. “Our offense was struggling a little bit, and whenever that happens, our defense has to force a field goal or force a turnover themselves. And that didn’t happen

tonight, and ultimately, the results are what they are because of that.” On the next kickoff, Sanders took the ball out of the endzone and out to the 18-yard line before losing control of the football on a fumble forced by Stanford sophomore cornerback Malik Antoine. The Cardinal recovered and found themselves deep in Irish territory once again. And they converted the opportunity into a touchdown once again, putting them up 38-20. Tranquill said the game came down to turnovers, as the Irish turned the ball over three times and failed to force any turnovers of their own. “I felt like we didn’t execute, and ultimately, in a college football game, you can’t turn the ball over, and you’ve got to create turnovers to win the game. And we didn’t do that,” he said. The Irish would march down the field twice more but each time fail to convert. The first time, Wimbush threw his second interception of the night on a fourthdown attempt. And, on the final Irish drive of the game, sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool would be unable to control the ball in the end zone, and Notre Dame eventually turned the ball over on downs. “It’s pretty difficult because, obviously, you want to come out here and make a statement, and things were going well,” Wimbush said of the result of the game. “And, like I said, we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that were presented for us, and we come up on the short end.”

Scoring Summary 1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

7 7

7 3

3 10

21 0

38 20

Notre Dame 7, stanford 0

Kevin Stepherson 83-yard pass from Brandon Wimbush (Justin Yoon kick)

3:40

remaining Drive: Three plays, 86 yards, 0:39 elapsed

notre Dame 7, stanford 7

Trenton Irwin 29-yard pass from K.J. Costello (Jet Toner kick)

0:43

remaining Drive: Five plays, 72 yards, 2:49 elapsed

2

stanford 14, notre dame 7

JJ Arcega-Whiteside 4-yard pass from Costello (Toner kick)

11:29

remaining Drive: Six plays, 55 yards, 2:40 elapsed

stanford 14, notre dame 10 Yoon 38-yard field goal

2:36

remaining Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 4:34 elapsed

3

Notre dame 17, stanford 14

Equanimeous St. Brown 75-yard pass from Wimbush (Yoon kick)

14:48

remaining Drive: One play, 75 yards, 0:12 elapsed

Notre dame 17, stanford 17 Toner 24-yard field goal

10:23

remaining Drive: Nine plays, 64 yards, 4:19 elapsed

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

Notre dame 20, stanford 17 Yoon 38-yard field goal

Greason Continued from page 1

the College Football Playoff picture. And once that happened, the baseline for a successful season was reset. And that’s why this season, this 9-3 regular season, is a failure, regardless of what happens in whatever bowl game the Irish end up in. Because, that’s just it. They should have been guaranteed a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl after going 10-2 with a win over Stanford on Saturday. But that didn’t happen, did it? While there is still a good chance they will make one of the top bowl games, the three-loss Irish have essentially sealed their fate in the sense that a New Year’s Six Bowl is out of the picture. Once they hit No. 3 in the country, that’s what became a successful season in my mind — an appearance in a bowl game that actually matters. And a win in anything less than a New Year’s Six Bowl does not cap off the season on a genuinely positive note. This senior class doesn’t want to leave Notre Dame with another win at the Music City Bowl. In hindsight, Notre Dame could have gone undefeated this season. Not should have. But could have. The Georgia game could have gone either way. And once the Miami (FL) game was underway, it was almost immediately out of

Notre Dame’s hands. But, in reality, the Irish should have been able to keep pace with the Hurricanes. Which brings me to this week’s fiasco. Fear the tree? No. There was no need. The Irish chopped themselves down on Saturday, and not vice versa. There was nothing particularly menacing about the Cardinal. They proved themselves to be a quality opponent, absolutely, and they deserve credit for playing an excellent game against Notre Dame. But they also didn’t stop the Irish. Notre Dame defeated itself in a truly pathetic manner. Notre Dame had no excuse to not win that game. Instead, it proved itself, once again, incapable of winning a game that mattered — a game on the road that held actual consequences in the balance. This time, those consequences were the reputations of its season, as well as the quality of its postseason competition. Instead of rising above the mistakes it has made so far this season, namely an embarrassing loss at the hands of Miami (FL) in South Beach, the Irish cracked under the pressure of their first major mistake: junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s interception to start a drive early in the fourth quarter that yielded a Cardinal touchdown. And the domino effect from that one mistake was jaw-dropping, proving that Notre Dame still isn’t quite at the level of a fully-functioning team.

Teams that only win at home don’t win titles. And until the Irish can overcome this truly problematic road-win road-block, there isn’t a whole lot of success on the horizon, in the grand scheme of things. Yes, all three of Notre Dame’s losses this season are quality losses. But you reach a point where a quality loss only means so much. A loss is still a loss. The Irish should have been able to pull out at least one win of those three in order to achieve that 10-win milestone in the regular season. There are different metrics for success. But in my mind, no matter how you spin and no matter what this Notre Dame team does during bowl season, the 2017-18 season was a failure for the Irish. A win in a lesser bowl game means nothing to a team that had a shot at making the Playoff at one point in the season and to a team that absolutely should have made a New Year’s Six Bowl. And a ninewin season without a win when it mattered most simply isn’t good enough. Instead, 9-3 will go down as the record of a team that was only able to win when it was inconsequential. Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

1:23

remaining Drive: Four plays, -2 yards, 2:43 elapsed

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stanford 24, notre dame 20

Kaden Smith 19-yard pass from Costello (Toner kick)

13:46

remaining Drive: Seven plays, 70 yards, 2:31 elapsed

stanford 31, notre dame 20

Dalton Schultz 12-yard pass from Costello (Toner kick)

12:21

remaining Drive: Three plays, 29 yards, 1:22 elapsed

stanford 38, notre dame 20

Cameron Scarlett 3-yard run (Toner kick)

10:10

remaining Drive: Four plays, 18 yards, 2:06 elapsed

statistics RUSHING yards 154 152

PASSING yards 261 176

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Insider

The observer | tuesday, november 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore wide receiver Kevin Stepherson attempts to break free of a Stanford tackler as he runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to Stanford on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. Stepherson was Notre Dame’s leading receiver in the game with 112 yards, outpacing junior receiver Equanimeous St. Brown by one yard.

costly collapse

It was a back-and-forth battle between the Irish and the Cardinal throughout the game until a single mistake in the fourth quarter — a Brandon Wimbush interception — created a domino effect that Irish could not overcome. Notre Dame gave up three fourth-quarter turnovers and 21 fourth-quarter points before yielding the game to Stanford, 38-20.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush runs up the middle during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore cornerback Julian Love tackles a Stanford player during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to Stanford on Saturday.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Notre Dame tacklers bring down the Cardinal ball carrier during Notre Dame’s loss at Stanford.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore cornerback Julian Love attempts to defend a pass, but Cardinal junior receiver JJ ArcegaWhiteside catches the touchdown pass, during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to Stanford at Stanford Stadium.