Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Touchdown.
14-0.
Usc sought a foothold in the game, and got one when Wimbush was sacked by Usc redshirt-senior safety c hris hawkins on third down for a loss of 10 yards. darnold couldn’t connect with a wide open redshirt-senior steven m itchell Jr. deep downfield on the first play of the drive, but hit junior receiver d eontay burnett for a 34-yard gain to enter the Irish red zone for the first time. Kelly said he was impressed with how his defense performed against darnold and the Trojans, but darnold’s talent ensured he still made some important plays.
“s am darnold is an outstanding quarterback,” Kelly said. “They’ve got great receivers. They’re very difficult to defend. We’re swimming upstream in some situations
trying to defend them. We just got into some good leverage situations in third down where you can’t make them all.”
d espite a holding penalty against sophomore safety Jalen e lliott, the Trojans couldn’t get the ball into the endzone, instead needing to attempt a field goal from 27 yards out.
It was no good. still 14-0.
The Irish started the following drive with promise, but couldn’t get past the Usc 39yard line. but senior punter Tyler newsome’s punt was fumbled by junior running back ronald Jones II, setting up notre dame’s offense from just nine yards out. Adams’ first run took the Irish to the three.
h is next was a touchdown.
21-0.
darnold, needing a major completion, made a 17-yard pass to burnett, but on his next attempt, senior cornerback nick Watkins came down with the interception. Kelly
said he was impressed with how opportunistic his defense had been all season, forcing sixteen turnovers, as well as with how well his offense capitalized on those turnovers.
“obviously, the plan was in hiring [defensive coordinator] m ike e lko that he’s got a great reputation in taking the football away,” Kelly said. “Then, it was the offense was going to have to be opportunistic and cash those in. And the plan has come together nicely, quite frankly.”
A 20-yard pass to graduate student tight end d urham smythe and a 24-yard Wimbush run put the Irish back in the redzone.
Wimbush ran it into the corner for the fourth Irish touchdown.
28-0.
And it wasn’t even halftime.
Jones II started the second half with an 18-yard run. A 28-yard pass to redshirt-freshman receiver Tyler vaughns set up first-and-goal, and darnold hit burnett on a
third-down slant.
28-7.
Until the Irish marched right back downfield. Wimbush finished this time, on an eightyard run with the help of a block from Jones Jr.
35-7.
Usc ’s hopes seemed lost, but darnold quickly put together four big plays, three in the air and one on the ground, finishing with a 16-yard pass to burnett to bring the lead back to 21.
35-14.
For 19 seconds.
That’s how long it took Josh Adams to run 84 yards into the notre dame endzone. he glanced over his right shoulder once, and his left three times. b y the last time he checked, he was one yard from the goal line, just checking to see if a Trojans player would touch him on the way in.
nobody would.
42-14.
The Irish still weren’t done.
Leading by 28-points in the fourth quarter, the Irish
showed why they had been talking about dominating opponents all season. Leading by 28 points in the fourth quarter, notre dame attempted a flea-flicker. It didn’t work as designed, with none of Wimbush’s receivers open. but Wimbush escaped a sack and stepherson got himself open for a 23-yard gain. Another pass to stepherson put the Irish into the red zone once more, where Adams scored his third touchdown of the game, bringing him to 191 yards on 19 attempts on the day, and 397 yards on 38 career carries against the Trojans.
And bringing the score to 49-14.
There were still over 13 minutes left, but Wimbush and Adams were done. s o was darnold.
That’s how the game would end.
49-14.
6-1.
Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu
Play of the game
te’von Coney Stri PS Sam Darnol D at mi D fiel D
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish junior linebacker Te’von Coney, bottom, sacks and strips Trojans redshirt-sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold of the football on the Trojan’s first offensive snap of the game during Notre Dame’s 49-14 win over USC on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Coney, who started in place of injured senior linebacker Greer Martini, had a game-high 11 tackles.
sexual assault reported Policy change excuses absences
Observer Staff Report
a rape was reported to a university administrator sept. 13, according to the Notre dame security police (N dsp) crime log for t hursday.
t he alleged rape occurred aug. 25 in a “north side” women’s residence hall, according to the entry.
t he incident did not appear in the crime log for almost a full month after it was reported. w hen asked about the timing of the posting, the university had no additional information to provide. information about sexual assault prevention and resources for survivors of sexual assault are available online from N dsp and from the title i X office.
Saint Mary’s addresses limitations on student participation in March for Life
By STEPHANIE SNYDER News w riter
a policy change that took effect on s ep. 27 now allows c ollege students who attend the m arch for l ife, a peaceful demonstration that takes place in washington d c in protest of the legalization of abortion in the r oe v. wade case, to have excused absences.
a pproval for the policy change was due to a s aint m ary’s senior, Katherine d unn, religious studies major and president of b elles for l ife, and her proposal.
i n the past, s usan vanek, associate dean for advising and director of first year studies at s aint m ary’s, has sent out an email to faculty asking them not to penalize students for missing class for the m arch for l ife, d unn said. h owever, this has not stopped students from being
Panel highlights role of history in modern society
By TOM NAATZ News writer
h istorians c iaran brady of trinity c ollege d ublin, and peter onuf of the university of v irginia participated in a discussion of historicity and how the past is remembered entitled “a rguing with h istory:
memory, monuments and making s ense of the past in an e ra of fake News” on monday afternoon in Jenkins-Nanovic halls. t he wide-ranging discussion focused on the current state of historical study and dealt with questions
see history PAGE 7
penalized.
“ s tudents have experienced penalties through judgment by professors, attendance markdowns or other sly penalties, especially stem majors,” d unn said.
“ t herefore, we found that it’s necessary to officially excuse absences for the trip.”
Jana Zuniga, a studio art major in the class of 2016, along with other passionate students, formed a peti
tion in the 2015–2016 school year in order to try to get the policy changed. t his is a method that many other students have tried in the past, Zuniga said. t he reason Zuniga wanted to try again, she said, was because of her friends who have not had the ability to attend the march.
“ i had some friends who were nursing majors and they always talked about
see march PAGE 4
Seminar encourages community engagement
By KELLI SMITH News writer
s ophomore diane l ee said she had not showered in a week.
her wrists cramped from spending one morning that week digging a ditch and spreading mulch around an orchard, l ee said, but she made her way across campus eagerly, her anticipation to shower propelling her
forward.
“it was a pretty shocking experience,” she said.
l ee, along with about 240 other students, spent fall break in the a ppalachia region as part of the a ppalachia s eminar, a one-credit-hour course with an immersion experience offered through the c enter for s ocial c oncerns ( csc ).
Kyle l antz, assistant program director of social
c oncerns s eminars, directs the fall semester programs and said the course introduces students to the complexity of history and current realities in the a ppalachian region. “ we look at the current challenges facing the region [and] the vibrancy of the culture utilizing c atholic s ocial tradition as a way to approach these communities with humility and
see appalachia PAGE 5
Man dies at football game
Observer Staff Report
a 76-year-old man died after going into cardiac arrest during the Notre dame-usc football game at Notre dame stadium on saturday night, according to an email from university spokesperson dennis brown. t he st. Joseph county coroner’s office confirmed the man was stephen briley of m idway, utah, according to a report from w N du briley went into cardiac arrest at about 8:10 p.m. and paramedics from Notre dame and the south bend fire department tried to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful, according to the email. t he university “extends its deepest condolences to the family,” the email said.
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Professor Peter Onuf of the University of Virginia addressed the recent conflicts surrounding Confederate statues in southern cities.
Observer File Photo
Saint Mary’s new attendance policy will excuse students from class during the March for Life, a peaceful protest against abortion.
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
Allison Dopazo junior ryan hall “snowy.”
Melina Valencia senior off campus “snow days.”
Erin Bradford senior Pasquerilla east hall “snowy days.”
Songting Luo from the department of mathematics at Iowa State University gives a lecture for the ACMS Colloquiuium called “A Multiscale Model For Optical Responses of Nanostructures.” The lecture was Monday evening at Hayes-Healy Center.
Today’s Staff
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Corrections
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Tuesday
Idea Challenge IDEA Center (Pit Road)
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
All Notre Dame students welcome to pitch competition.
Big Dance Theatre Philbin Studio Thetre
7:30
7 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Community members share stories on impact of God’s grace.
ND Volleyball vs. Louisvile Purcell Pavilion
7 p.m.
The Irish take on the Cardinals.
Thursday
“Confronting Brave New World”
1050 Nanovic Hall
noon - 1 p.m. A discussion on prolife literature.
“The Forgotten Army” (2017) Browning Cinema
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Film shows GDR army as the Berlin Wall fell.
Friday
Monster Mash Soup Fundraiser
135 Malloy Hall
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Proceeds for breast cancer screenings.
Highlights of Snite Museum of Art
Snite Museum of Art
1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Free guided tour and discussion.
Saturday Game Day
8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Running tour of Notre Dame campus from Game Day Operations.
“Intimate Objects of Beauty and Faith” Annenberg Auditorium
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lecture and Q&A with Charles Rosenberg.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Group explores dangers of pornography
By MARY STEURER news Writer
i n order to spread awareness about the dangers of pornography, s tudents for c hild o riented Policy ( sco P) is hosting White r ibbon a gainst Pornography (W ra P) Week. The initiative aims to inform students and faculty about the detrimental effects of pornography through a series of educational events.
“We’re trying to look at the issue from several different vantage points for comprehensive coverage,” senior s haun e vans, president of sco P, said.
s enior Tierney v rdolyak, sco P vice president, said the organization believes pornography is dehumanizing
to both its consumers and the actors who produce it.
e vans said the escalating nature of pornography causes people to “seek more extreme, often violent, abusive types of pornography,” over time. This may lead its consumers to have an increased inclination towards sexual assault, e vans said.
d espite issues like these, pornography remains a little-talked about topic, v rdolyak said.
v rdolyak identified this as a major reason why organizations like sco P work to promote public discussion about pornography and how it influences society’s understanding of sexuality.
s he said sco P hopes that in addition to educating about the harms of pornography,
W ra P Week will provide a chance for those deeply affected by it to access help.
“We want people to know there is a community who cares,” v rdolyak said.
W ra P Week kicked off on s unday night with a prayer service in the Grotto. The service began with several readings, followed by a sermon by Fr. Terrence e hrman and a chance for students to offer prayer intentions for further reflection.
sco P also handed out white ribbons and other W ra P Week resources outside e ck h all on m onday morning to spread awareness about the program and its events.
The initiative continues on Tuesday with “ o n b oth s ides of the s creen”, a panel
Paid a dverT isemen T
discussion featuring c rissy m oran, a former pornography actress, and Tray and m elody Lovvorn, a married couple who overcame previous struggles with pornography and seek to help others do the same.
sco P hopes sharing these stories will help students to “reflect on what pornography means for people in relationships,” e vans said.
The panel will take place in d e b artolo h all, r oom 102 beginning at 5 p.m, and is open to the public.
sco P will also host a dinner presentation at Legends on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. with e hrman. e hrman will be discussing his latest book, “ m an of God: Lessons to Young m en about Life, s ex, Friendship, vocation
and Loving with the h eart of c hrist.”
“The book seeks to instill virtue in young men and women affected by pornography,” v rdolyak said.
Thursday, Jess Keating and b rett r obinson, both representatives from the m cGrath i nstitute for c hurch Life, will host a lecture on hypersexualization in the media. e vans said the lecture will address how the normalization of sexual content in media affects the public perception of sexuality.
W ra P week concludes on Friday with a petition signing calling for n otre d ame to apply WiFi filters restricting access to pornography websites on campus. e vans said because n otre d ame’s internet is the means through which pornography is accessed on campus, the University is indirectly responsible for the negative effects it has upon the students who view it. v rdolyak added that, as a virtue-conscience univeristy, restricting access to pornographic websites would allow n otre d ame to take a public stance against pornography’s deteriorating effect on individuals’ character.
The petition signing takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside both dining halls. The petition may also be reached at bit.ly/ nd pornfilter.
Contact Mary Steurer at msteure1@nd.edu
openness to learning,” Lantz said in an email. “This seminar is about learning through experience and encounter so the immersion is an essential part of the course. Students take part in direct service as well as conversations and engagement with community members.”
With 20 teams each assigned to a different community in the Appalachia region of the country, Lantz said each immersion program focused on certain themes such as housing repair, education, health, environment, energy, poverty, sustainability or cultural engagement.
According to the CSC’s website, to prepare for the experience, the accepted applicants of the program take a weekly class where they discuss the seminar’s themes and form individual teams leading up to the immersion.
“Our community partners continually tell us that our students come very prepared and they especially enjoy the Notre Dame groups,” Lantz said. “While students do encounter challenging situations at times, they come away with very positive things to say about the people they met and a realization that there is need for justice in all corners of our world.”
Of the community partners, Lantz said one of them was new this semester while many were with people and organizations the CSC has worked with for
years. Overall, he said the goal is for students to take away a better understanding of the layered complexities of social challenges.
“We hope [students] see the resilience and hospitality in the communities who welcome them,” Lantz said. “We hope they consider ways to become more active citizens moving forward in light of what they learned on immersion and in light of what Catholic Social Tradition calls us toward.”
Along with direct servicework, Lantz said certain programs also engaged students in a variety of activities, including religious services, local music events, community potlucks and high school sporting events.
Lee, who explored food justice with the Grow Ohio Valley program in Wheeling, West Virginia, said she learned not just about food injustice in the area, but also about other issues residents are facing, such as homelessness and those brought about by mining and fracking practices.
“Each day was different, but most days we were doing some sort of work around one of the different farm or garden sites,”
Lee said. “Some days we would go weed through the orchard or spread mulch or do other manual labor like that. But we also had a lot of fun activities that they had planned for us, so we got to visit a beekeeper for example and hear from different people in the community.”
According to the Appalachia
Seminar website, the immersion maintains that students live “intentionally and simply,” with some sites allowing “fewer showers” or “simpler sleeping arrangements.” Lee said her group was the first in Wheeling to all accomplish the challenge of not showering throughout the entire week.
Lee said her group also participated in the food stamp challenge, in which each member of the group was given the same amount of money — $1.25 — for lunch that each member of a similarly-sized family on food stamps would receive in reality.
“[The immersion] was a very different experience from most people’s fall breaks,” Lee said. “I thought it was going
to be a sobering and almost depressing experience, but all the people who were working with Grow Ohio Valley and all those different organizations had such true and pure joy for everything they were doing which was so inspiring to see.”
Sophomore Tim Thompson said he and eight others visited McDowell County, one of the poorest areas in West Virginia, through the Sharing With Appalachian People program. There, he said the group split up and dedicated themselves to home repair for two different houses.
“Before I started the seminar, I thought it was just going to be a service trip and I was just going to be doing servicework with Notre Dame people, but I felt like there was a lot of value going somewhere completely new,” Thompson said. “Now that I’ve seen different areas of the country and people in severe poverty there, it makes me want to be more involved in the community and escape the Notre Dame bubble
to see other things.”
Thompson said seeing how complicated one person’s situation could be and the number of struggles a family could go through by themselves was an eye-opening experience for him. He said the program exceeded his expectations despite some of the tedious work, such as redoing an entire kitchen and scraping off old paint, that they conducted.
“Being a Notre Dame student, I always want to analyze situations and try to fix everything and come up with big solutions and change the world, but since I’ve been [to McDowell] I realize that there are so many different problems in the area and that’s just how life is,” Thompson said. “There isn’t a single solution to everything. Everything is more complicated than what it seems. It takes good people doing small things to make a big difference.”
Contact Kelli Smith at ksmith67@nd.edu
PAID A DVErTISEMENT
Courtesy of Diane Lee
Students explore food injustice through the Grow Ohio Valley program, one of Notre Dame’s community partners in Appalachia. The seminar aims to challenge students to live out Catholic Social Teaching.
Courtesy of Diane Lee
Students perform a variety of services, from healthcare to home repair, and participate in community events throughout the week.
Caroline Humphreys Kindred
This I am not so sure I am more capable now than I was at 18, or just better at hiding my confusion. At 18, I was nervous about picking a major and couldn’t care for a beta fish. And today, finding a career path is terrifying and I am afraid of commitment — to fish, boys, Target memberships, etc. The stress I felt years ago when starting college is alive and well, but I’ve learned the most important lesson in the last three years: we aren’t left to our own devices. often I feel lost and without direction. or as if I’m screwing absolutely everything up and making life-altering mistakes. Thankfully, this is never the case because although life is our own, the part we are responsible for is merely responding to what we can’t control. In other words, our fate is a combination of what happens to us and our reactions to these
Our own devices
circumstances.
my sister once sent me a letter when I felt life had cheated me of a relationship torn apart by distance and timing. she wrote about fate, and how it is “a name we give to the things we can’t control.” It’s the unexpected circumstances life leads us to because of the choices we’ve made in the past to the situations we have faced. she said that fate is “something you create for yourself. You’ve brought yourself to this page in your life, to this day, and this moment, and you’ll undoubtedly write yourself into more days and more moments for however long you’re here.” This is because life will keep going and circumstances will keep changing — the only two constants in life. but I take comfort knowing that God or the universe or whatever divine force subscribed to is conspiring in my favor. That life will take care of itself, despite the decisions we make. And our choices will affect us in good and bad ways, and definitely stress us out, but when we arrive to where life is taking us none of that
will matter.
starting senior year I reminded myself of this often. It’s so easy to give into the fears that feed on my insecurities. but somehow knowing I’m not completely in control or totally at fault for what happens is a huge comfort. Life will happen, things will change and we will move onto more difficult and brighter days than we could have dreamed.
my sister also told me that when it comes to fate, we need to trust that life takes us where we need to be. because it will do just that, regardless of our fears and confusion of what is to come. We don’t need to know all the details, just to trust ourselves and the universe, knowing that life will always work itself out.
Caroline Humphreys is a senior studying political science and peace studies. Find her at Whole Foods and here, chumphr1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The truth about Columbus
recently, members of the native American student Association rallied in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ day (IPd ) by protesting the c olumbus murals in the main building.
They didn’t bother explaining the connection between IPd and c olumbus in their call to action, because it has become well-known in recent years. The theory goes as follows: since c olumbus’ arrival, the suffering of indigenous peoples has been horrendous, therefore his legacy should not be celebrated. I have no opposition to holidays honoring indigenous peoples at notre dame or elsewhere. I grew up in Phoenix, where the culture is deeply enriched by native peoples, and I think that other communities have much to learn from their histories. however, I must oppose the flawed facts and logic underlying this attack on c olumbus.
In the spirit of full disclosure: I have spent months researching c olumbus as part of my employment at the headquarters of the Knights of c olumbus. Given the movement against him, my team found it essential to dig deep and examine whether c olumbus is a defensible patron for our organization. I can say with full confidence that he absolutely is. recent attacks fault c olumbus both for being a genocidal mastermind and a dunce. People of intellectual integrity should raise an eyebrow at this. Are we supposed to dismiss c olumbus because he was on a mission to exterminate whole peoples and steal their gold, or because he miscalculated the size of a planet?
In truth, c olumbus was a brilliant navigator, and he didn’t know he hadn’t reached Asia (though he knew the world was round — it was in Aquinas ). Yes, he hoped to find gold for his patrons, but he also hoped that the natives — whom he greatly admired
— would be attracted to c hristianity in the course of their exchanges. he actually left money in his will to train missionaries to learn their languages. c ritics also say c olumbus was a violent man, often citing as proof the fact that he was once sent back to spain in chains. In fact, he had enraged his fellow europeans when he punished two men for mistreating the natives. e ven b artolome de las c asas, the outspoken critic of spanish colonial practices, said that c olumbus’ motivations and intentions were above reproach.
In general, c olumbus’ critics tend to despise all symbols of Western influence. howard Zinn, for instance, had little good to say about any American historical figure. Ward c hurchill compared c olumbus to a nazi — but he also leveled that same charge at victims of the 9/11 attack. These two individuals are behind the theory that unfortunately influenced the native American student Association to think their (very legitimate!) call for recognition ought to be set in front of the c olumbus murals. This is a shame.
even more divisive than the twisted facts employed in anti- c olumbus rhetoric, however, is its twisted logic. It simply doesn’t make sense to argue that c olumbus should be held responsible for all the crimes committed by those who came after him. (Three-quarters of Americans agree, according to recent polling.) Almost no cultural icon’s legacy is perfect, not even the saints of our c atholic c hurch. If we go on a revisionist crusade, only mary atop the d ome is safe.
In new haven this past year, I supported Yale’s decision to rename c alhoun c ollege. surely, other people our society currently honors are undeserving. but c olumbus was no c alhoun.
This overbroad political attack ignores the reasons that c olumbus day exists in the first place. It is revelatory that the same year Luigi Gregori began painting notre dame’s c olumbus murals, 1882, the Knights of c olumbus were founded.
American c atholics faced serious discrimination at that time — especially if they were immigrants from Ireland or southern and eastern europe. c atholics had to convince other Americans that we could be loyal citizens, too — which is why we read the Preamble to the c onstitution before every Irish football game to this day.
c olumbus has come to symbolize the contributions of immigrants to America — especially c atholics, Italians and h ispanics, who often commemorate the blending of european and native cultures as el d ia de la r aza. In keeping with this tradition, the notre dame council has maintained a fund since the 1960s that currently helps 15 minority students attend notre dame.
Fact: native Americans have suffered awfully. Fact: c olumbus neither intended nor caused the vast majority of this suffering.
Fact: c olumbus is an important figure in the history of American c atholicism, and to many other communities that make up our diverse nation. h is image is appropriately housed in the main building of America’s greatest c atholic university, just steps away from the Knights of c olumbus building, where young c atholics who bear his name carry out countless works of charity, unity and fraternity each year.
oct. 13
Rebecca Devine class of 2016
Letter to tHe edItor
Happy Birthday: change can be good if you are prepared to forge ahead. look at your options and choose to take on projects or endeavors that fit into your plans. getting involved in something unfamiliar to you may be intriguing, but will require time and patience. Take precautions or you’ll be at a loss because you’ve taken on too much, too fast. your numbers are 2, 15, 21, 24, 27, 33, 47.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Jump in and get things done. The experience you gain along the way will motivate you to do more. collaborating with someone who shares your goals or interests will lead to a long-lasting friendship.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Joint financial ventures are not looking good. don’t trust your cash with anyone or let others negotiate on your behalf. stick to your own script and make your thoughts crystal clear. you don’t have to overreact, just be up-front and honest.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): network, enjoy friends and family, and work hard to keep your relationships running smoothly. If you offer to help someone, make sure you follow through, but don’t get taken for granted. balance and equality will be important.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): dealing with issues that affect your home and family are best done with patience and intelligence. children will offer insight into something that you’ve been questioning. An opportunity to bring about change should not be ignored. be receptive to proposals.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): emotional confusion is prevalent. refrain from letting generosity turn into a form of persuasive manipulation. Work hard, play hard and take care of your health through exercise and proper nutrition. Physical improvements are encouraged.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): keep your facts straight and your communication articulate. There will be no room for mistakes when dealing with relationships and domestic matters. Take care of your responsibilities and hold others to the same standard. consider your motives.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): contemplation will not get you where you want to go. It’s time to head out and to live in the moment. express your feelings and find out where you stand. once you know, wise choices and changes can be made.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): dealing with creative people will bring you the most joy. discussing new possibilities will encourage you to put your plans into motion. A change regarding how you earn your living or your own personal finances will be beneficial.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): dance to your own beat. express your feelings and share your enthusiasm. offer unique solutions and help to those less able to get moving. change will empower you and intrigue others.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): do what you say you are going to do. your reputation will be dependent on the way you look and how you perform. It’s ok to be different as long as you achieve what’s expected of you. follow your intuition.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): refrain from overreacting or getting caught up in someone else’s dilemma. moderate spending is encouraged, along with saying “no” to temptation. Put greater emphasis on diet, exercise and maintaining good health. Personal and professional gains can be accomplished.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): disillusionment will lead to confusion. make sure you get your information straight from the source before you make a comment or get involved in something questionable. lean toward unique opportunities and you will find a way to get ahead.
Birthday Baby: you are informative, adaptable and unique. you are spontaneous and progressive.
Jumble | dAvId hoyT And Jeff knurek
sudoku | The mePhAm grouP
wINGIN’ It | olIvIA WAng & bAIlee egAn
W s occer
the locker room at halftime, notre dame ultimately fell short as the hokies were able to sneak out the 2-1 win.
Things turned around for notre dame later in the week, as the irish were able to pick up a pair of wins within the sunshine state. on Thursday, the team had an extremely important matchup down in Tallahassee against no. 18 Florida state, and the offense delivered in a big way as the irish picked up a 4-3 win over the seminoles. Play went back and forth throughout the contest, and after a goal in the 87th minute by freshman midfielder sammi Fisher, notre dame had the lead for good. The final score also marked the sixth time notre dame has notched four goals in a game, and improved the irish record on the road to 4-1-2.
The trip to Florida wrapped up
this past sunday with a matchup against miami, a game notre dame was able to pull out by a score of 2-1 to complete the sweep in Florida. The victory came thanks to a hot start as the irish were able to net a pair of first half goals of the feet of sophomore forward natalie Jacobs and senior forward meghan doyle. For doyle, this marked her second game-winning goal of the season and helped continue a long string of successful sundays for the irish who have been 7-1 this year when playing on sunday. The win left the irish at 9-5-3 on the season and 5-31 in conference play.
With the season coming into the home stretch, notre dame has just one regular season game remaining Thursday night on the road against north carolina. The Tar heels currently sit at no. 3 in the nation, while notre dame currently sits at fifth in the conference standings.
Play Thursday night gets underway at 6 p.m. in chapel hill.
Paid a dverT isemen T
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish sophomore forward Natalie Jacobs battles with a Blue Devils defender for the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 loss to Duke on Sept. 21.
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish senior forward Meghan Doyle looks to cross the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 loss to Duke on Sept. 21 at Alumni Stadium. Doyle scored her second game-winning goal of the year against Miami (FL) on Sunday.
Irish were undone by a couple of penalty calls — both of which led to both Akron’s goals in the 35th and 88th minutes. The Zips finished the game with a 13-6 edge in shots, and preserved the shutout to hand the Irish their second straight loss, 2-0.
Looking to stop the bleeding, n otre d ame returned to Alumni s tadium to host n o. 15 d uke (10-3-2, 3-3-1 A cc ) on s enior d ay. After an early d uke surge gave the b lue d evils an early 3-1 lead in shots, n otre d ame began to dominate the flow of the game from there on, as the Irish outshot the b lue d evils by a 16-4 margin the rest of the way.
The game quickly turned into a goalkeeper battle, as n otre d ame graduate student goalkeeper c hris h ubbard made three key saves in the first half, while d uke’s freshman goalkeeper Will Pulisic — cousin of U smn T star c hristian Pulisic — made threes saves of his own against n otre d ame senior forward Jon Gallagher in the early portion of the second half to keep the game scoreless.
The Irish would have other chances, but failed to capitalize and the game went to overtime. b oth defenses continued their stellar play in the extra period, but n otre d ame found its last bona fide chance in the 110th minute, when Gallagher was tackled by Pulisic and awarded a penalty kick. h owever,
the d uke freshman saved Gallagher’s attempt and a follow-up from fellow senior forward Jeff Farina, improbably ending the game in a tie. While n otre d ame couldn’t come away with a win over break, Irish head coach b obby c lark believes his team continued to grow over the three games.
“They were all good games — I think we learned something from each game,” c lark said. “ b oth the Pitt game and the d uke game we really dominated [time of possession]. Akron was a different game. o bviously it was on the road, and they’re a very good team, but I thought we played well in the game. It came down to two penalty kicks, and maybe one of those [fouls] wasn’t even in the box.”
“There were three referee decisions that were [harmful]: two offsides on Jon Gallagher — he might be too quick for the linesman — and the second penalty kick was certainly not in the box. That’s life, and I thought we played well. We had periods in the Akron game where we were very, very good — we just had two lapses where they got behind us.”
Last season, n otre d ame stumbled over this portion of the schedule as well, as the Irish lost all three games over their fall break stretch.
c lark commented that the Irish have learned from the results of what is the unfortunate reality of scheduling, and still find themselves in a position to succeed in the postseason.
“It’s always a hard period … because you’ve just come off a lot of midterms,”
c lark said. “It’s the same every year, around this time. There’s no way you can get the 17 games in without playing these games — if I had my way we wouldn’t have any midweek games during fall break, but it’s impossible to do that.
“That’s tough, but we’ve moved on, and I think we’ve learned some things. In a funny way I was quite pleased with how the team played in all three games. o bviously not happy with the results … but we’re still in a very good position if we can finish of the year [well].” c ontinuing their string of tough opponents, the Irish will now face off against n o. 9 m ichigan s tate on Tuesday in the team’s final non-conference game of the regular season. The Irish have compiled a 6-2 record against non-conference foes this season, and although the s partans (11-2-2, 5-0-2 b ig Ten) will present a big challenge on their home turf, c ark believes the team is ready to get back on track.
“This is possibly the best m ichigan s tate team there’s been,” c lark said. “They’re a good team; they play well, they’ve got good players, and they’re well-coached. It’ll be another tough game — we’ve got two really good road games to finish [the regular season] — but I think we’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to it, and the players are too.”
The Irish and the s partans will face off at 7 p.m. at the d e m artin s occer c omplex in e ast Lansing, m ichigan.
Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
Volleyball
were decisive Irish victories, c lemson made the score 1110 part way through the third set. n otre d ame pulled away by winning 10 of the next 13 points, making the score 2113 before taking the win.
d uring Friday’s 3-1 win against Florida s tate (11-7, 5-5), Yeadon matched her career high in kills with 24, and senior setter c aroline h olt recorded 51 assists.
The Irish won the first set easily by a score of 25-18, but allowed the s eminoles to take the second set 25-17 after keeping the score close for much of the set.
n otre d ame won the third set 25-18 and the fourth set by the closest margin of the night, 26-24.
s enior middle blocker s am Fry completed her 1000th kill of her career in the victory over Florida s tate, becoming the 22nd player in n otre d ame volleyball history to achieve this milestone.
Additionally, d eJarld posted 35 digs on the night, and so became just the third player in n otre d ame volleyball program history to reach the 1,500-dig milestone for her career.
Finally, n otre d ame defeated m iami (12-4, 6-4) in a 3-2 comeback win s unday afternoon after trailing the h urricanes by losing the first two sets of the match.
m iami secured the first set by a narrow margin, holding off the Irish by a score of 25-23. They carried this momentum into the second set, winning 25-19 and going ahead in the match 2-0.
The Irish came out of the intermission re-energized, going ahead in the third set 21-11 and causing the h urricanes to call a timeout. They kept the pressure on a won their first set 2513, making the score of the match 2-1 in favor of m iami.
m iami managed to keep the score closer in the fourth frame, but n otre d ame got the 25-21 win, tying up the match at 2-2.
s everal lead changes occurred in the final set, but Kuhn’s kills down the stretch allowed n otre d ame to take the set 15-13.
n unge recorded her career high with 17 kills in the match against m iami.
Looking ahead, the Irish will host n o. 25 Louisville on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Pittsburgh on s unday at 1 p.m. b oth matches will take place in Purcell Pavilion.
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer Irish senior forward Jon Gallagher controls the ball and looks to get past a Wildcats defender during Notre Dame’s 2-1 overtime win over Northwestern on Oct. 3 at Alumni Stadium.
con TI n U ed From PAGe 20
MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer Irish sophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon follows through on a serve during Notre Dame’s 3-0 win over Michigan State on Sept. 15.
MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer
Irish junior libero Ryann DeJarld prepares to pass the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 win over Southern Illinois on Sept. 16.
of the 2017 Frozen Four in c hicago back in a pril. The i rish struck first when senior forward Jake e vans scored his third goal of the season to give the i rish a 1-0 lead. The lead would last for 15 seconds, however, when d enver responded with a goal of their own to tie the game 1-1. The score would remain the same until the third period when d enver took a 2-1 lead on a power play goal with 5:22 left in regulation. The i rish would get a power play opportunity shortly after and made the most of it, as junior forward a ndrew o glevie scored his third goal of the season to knot the score at 2-2.
The game would go to a
five-minute overtime period to try and decide a winner.
n otre d ame recorded seven shots in the overtime frame
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but couldn’t get any past d enver goaltender Tanner Jaillet.
a fter neither team scored during the overtime, d enver won a four round shootout by converting two goals to n otre d ame’s one. h owever, the result will go down nationally as a tie. n otre d ame freshman goaltender d ylan s t. c yr recorded 46 saves while facing 48 shots.
b oth teams looked to earn a win the next night in the second game of the series. d enver took a 2-0 lead during the first period and would hold that lead all the way to the third period. s ophomore forward c am m orrison put n otre d ame on the board with his first goal of the season to cut the deficit 2-1 with 5:16 left in the third period.
Just 24 seconds later, senior defenseman Jordan Gross scored a power play goal to tie the score at 2-2. The tie wouldn’t last long, however, as d enver took the lead again on a goal that came 24 seconds after Gross’ goal. d enver would add an empty net goal with 1:20 left to seal the win.
s ophomore goaltender c ale m orris recorded 30 saves while facing 34 shots. The i rish converted on one of their three power play opportunities on the night. a gainst s acred h eart on Thursday, n otre d ame got off to a quick start. s ophomore forward c al b urke buried his first goal of the season just a minute into the first period to give the i rish an early 1-0 lead. s acred h eart responded about six minutes into the second period with a goal of their own to even the score 1-1. n otre d ame responded with a goal of its own just two minutes later as senior forward d awson c ook recorded his first goal of the season to give the i rish a 2-1 lead.
a fter the Pioneers evened the score again six minutes later, junior forward a ndrew o glevie continued his hot start by scoring a power play goal, his fourth goal of the season, to once again give the i rish a one goal lead with 2:27 left in the second period.
The Pioneers came out for the third period scoring two
goals during the first 7:30 of the period to give themselves a 4-3 lead. Junior forward Joe Wegwerth tied the game when he scored a power play goal with 7:42 left in the game to even the score at 4-4. s acred h eart would pull ahead again, however, just a minute after Wegwerth’s goal to take the lead for good. The Pioneers would add an empty net goal with one second left to seal the win.
n otre d ame freshman goaltender d ylan s t. c yr recorded 22 saves on 28 shots. 11 n otre d ame players recorded a point during the game and the i rish scored on two of their three power play opportunities.
Looking for revenge on Friday night, n otre d ame got to work early. Wegwerth scored his second goal in as many nights and second of the season just 3:51 into the first period to give the i rish an early 1-0 lead. Gross and sophomore defenseman a ndrew Peeke recorded the assists on the goal. e ach team was held scoreless until the 12:54 mark of the second period, when senior forward d awson c ook scored to give the i rish a 2-0 lead. Junior forward Jack Jenkins and senior forward b o b rauer assisted on the goal. With 3:33 left in the second period, Wegwerth scored his second goal of the game and third of the season to give n otre d ame a 3-0 cushion. Peeke and freshman forward c olin Theisen recorded the assists on Wegwerth’s second goal. s acred h eart could only respond with a third period goal to cut the deficit to two, as sophomore goaltender c ale m orris shut the door to a 3-1 victory. m orris recorded 24 saves on 25 shots. Wegwerth finished with two goals on the night, while Peeke recorded two assists during the game.
The i rish will continue their month-long home stand this weekend when they host n ebraska– o maha at the c ompton Family i ce a rena on Thursday and Friday night.
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ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish junior forward Jack Jenkins passes the puck during Notre Dame’s 2-2 overtime tie with Denver on Oct. 13 at Compton Family Ice Arena. Jenkins had three shots in the game. The junior also has two assists on the season, including one in Notre Dame’s win Friday over Sacred Heart.
m artini (knee), graduate student wide receiver c ameron s mith (hamstring) and junior running back d exter Williams (ankle) all missed the victory with injuries. h owever, Kelly said all three players are expected back to play n orth c arolina s tate on s aturday.
“We made a conscious decision not to play d exter until he got back to 100 percent,” Kelly said. “We think he’s going to be 100 percent for the n orth c arolina s tate game. a nd we’ve got a lot of big football games. We’re going to need d exter. s o expect to see him play a big role in what we do down the stretch here.
“a s it relates to other players, c am had a grade-one hamstring on Wednesday. h e just wasn’t 100 percent. We expect him, obviously, back next week. Greer m artini is cleared to practice on tuesday. We expect him back. a nd the rest were just really bumps and bruises that we had from s aturday night.”
i n m artini’s absence, junior te’von c oney started at the “ b uck” outside linebacker role and recorded a team-leading 11 tackles, as well as two tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the opening trojans offensive play. Kelly said the game was the best of c oney’s career.
“ h e played his butt off,” Kelly said. “ h e was outstanding. a nd not only obviously sets up the biggest play of the game, which was the strip early on in the game, which sets us up in great field position — he had two and a half tackles on special teams.
“ h e played the whole game. o bviously came off the field when we went dime and nickel, but played that position by himself as well as contributed heavy to special teams. i t was his best performance at n otre d ame.”
t wo-back s ets
t he i rish employed two-back sets against the
trojans, with junior Josh a dams and sophomore tony Jones Jr. joining Wimbush in the backfield. Kelly said the formations had been something he had been hoping to use for some time, but Jones’ health meant the trojans were the first opportunity to do so.
“Well, it’s something we’ve wanted to do, quite frankly, for the last four or five weeks, but we haven’t been healthy,” Kelly said. “ tony provides us another dimension, especially as a blocker and as a pass catcher. h e’s a big kid. h e’s physical. a nd Josh, obviously, is a big, physical kid, too. We just think with two guys that are closing in on 220 pounds in that split set, it’s a pretty imposing backfield and gives us another wrinkle within our offense.
“ b ut as you know, tony has not been healthy. We feel like he’s back at that level where we can feature that formation. t hat formation can be broken out and tony can be a slot receiver in it, which, again, we feel really good about his ability to impact the passing game as well. s o expect to see more of it.”
recruiting t he weekend was tabbed as the most important recruiting weekend for the i rish this season, with fivestar wide receiver a mon- r a s t. b rown highlighting the group. s t. b rown — who also received an offer from the trojans — was one of four c alifornia natives making an official visit on s aturday.
Kelly said the dominant win could be a huge boost for recruiting, especially among West- c oast-based players.
“Well, it’s obvious that you feel a whole lot better talking about a victory in this fashion, especially when you’ve got a number of kids from the West c oast,” Kelly said.
“ i t’s a long weekend, but obviously one that is very profitable in that sense, because we’ve got great kids on campus and it was a great, great s aturday.”
Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu
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ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush celebrates a rushing touchdown during Notre Dame’s 49-14 win over USC on Saturday.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer Irish junior running back Josh Adams evades a diving Trojans defender as he rushes through the open lane during Notre Dame’s 49-14 win over USC on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium.
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish sophomore running back Tony Jones Jr., left, takes a handoff and prepares to give it to sophomore wide receiver Kevin Stepherson, center, on the reverse during Notre Dame’s win over USC on Saturday.
Irish squads take two of three in break action
By MIA BERRY sports Writer
The n o.17 men’s team and the n o. 25 women’s team claimed victories over m ichigan s tate and Georgia Tech, but fell to the 15thranked men and the 5thranked women’s Texas a & m teams while competing over fall break.
The i rish’s first meet over the break was a dual meet against Texas a & m and m ichigan s tate. b oth the men’s and women’s team beat the s partans 136-30 and 139.5-27.5, respectively. While victorious over the s partans, the i rish trailed the a ggies 65.5-101.5 on the men’s side and 46-121 on the women’s side after day one of
the two-day, 38-event meet. i n day two, the i rish managed a comeback by winning 10 of the remaining events, and the men’s team outscored the a ggies 94-92 during the final day. i n the end, however, their comeback efforts fell short, as the a ggies outlasted the i rish men 193.5-159.5 and the i rish women 211-136. i rish head coach m ike Litzinger commented on the difference of the team’s performance between the two days.
“The biggest difference was that we settled down and started matching up,” Litzinger said. “ o n the women’s side we were competing with a team coming off a 3rd place finish at ncaa’s, so we over-swam some races and
used our energy unwisely. o n the men’s side, we lost a few touch outs early, but we recouped well.”
The i rish ended their fivemeet home stretch with a victory over acc rival Georgia Tech. The men’s team beat the Yellow Jackets 175-125, while the women’s team easily handled the Yellow Jackets 203-95. Litzinger attributed the victory to a well-rounded team effort.
“The women handled Georgia Tech with a fair amount of confidence,” Litzinger said. “We swam some of the athletes in secondary events, and they responded to that challenge. The men had their hands full with Tech’s top end. i n a dual meet, four really strong athletes can control the scoring in their events, but acc champion and senior Joe c oumos came online to win both diving events, and our depth showed to carry the day.”
Five meets into the season, freshmen Zach Yeadon and Lindsay s tone have proven to be a consistent force for the i rish. i n five meets, Yeadon has won both the men’s 500yard and the 1000-yard freestyle for the men’s team, and s tone is a five-time event winner for the women’s 500 freestyle. Last week, Yeadon was named the inaugural national swimmer of the week by the acc and the c ollegeswimming.com. Litzinger not only praised the efforts of Yeadon and s tone, but he also praised the entire distance group and the coaching staff.
“ b oth Zach and Lindsay are having terrific freshman outings. c oach a aron b ell is doing a great job with the whole distance crew, and having Zach and Lindsay train at a high level has helped the whole group,” Litzinger said. “ i would say that the distance athletes are really feeding off each other’s success. i t is a team thing.”
i n addition to Yeadon, sophomore a bbie d olan was also named national swimmer of the week for her performance against n o.9 Louisville. d olan finished the meet with wins in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle events, and she swam a leg in the winning 400-yard freestyle relay for the i rish in the meet.
Friday, the 17th-ranked men’s and the 25th-ranked women’s team will head to West Lafayette, i ndiana to face in-state rival Purdue at 5 p.m.
Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu
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RUNJIE PAN | The Observer
Irish junior Tabahn Afrik competes in the 200-yard freestyle during Notre Dame’s win in its dual meet with Louisville on Oct. 7.
Notre Dame secures two ACC wins during week
Observer Sports Staff
While the majority of students were able to head home and relax over fall break, the n otre d ame women’s soccer team was still hard at work, playing three games over the past week and going 2-1 in the process as it nears the end of the regular season. This stretch started o ct. 15 on s enior n ight with the Irish playing their final game at Alumni s tadium for the year. Play was postponed s aturday and conditions were still rather wet for the matchup when v irginia Tech came to town. n otre d ame got off to a good start taking the lead in the 37th minute when senior defender and co-captain m onica Flores buried her shot from 30 feet out. The goal marked the first of Flores’ career, a fitting accomplishment on senior night. h owever, despite taking a 1-0 lead into see W soccer PaGe 15
squad falls in denver rematch
n o. 5 n otre d ame experienced many ups and downs during its fall break home stand. d uring the weekend of o ctober 13–14, n otre d ame (3-2-1, 0-0-0 b ig Ten) recorded a tie and a loss to defending n ational c hampion d enver. In its two game series against s acred h eart on Thursday and
Friday, n otre d ame fell by a score of 6-4 Thursday night, but rebounded to defeat the Pioneers 3-1 Friday night. o n o ct. 13, n o. 4 n otre d ame hosted n o. 1 d enver at the c ompton Family Ice Arena. It was the first meeting between the two teams since d enver defeated n otre d ame 6-1 in the semifinals
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Kelly discusses game plan, health
By DANIEL O’BOYLE sports Writer
n otre d ame head coach b rian Kelly talked about his team’s blowout victory over U sc , the health of his team and new wrinkles in the Irish offense during his s unday teleconference.
d espite its success in the run game all season, n otre d ame (6-1) opened its 4914 victory over the Trojans (6-2, 4-2 Pac-12) with an attempted deep pass from junior quarterback b randon Wimbush to sophomore wide receiver c hase c laypool. The Irish went deep again on their first touchdown of the game to junior wide receiver e quanimeous s t. b rown and their second, to sophomore wide receiver Kevin s tepherson before dominating on the ground for the remainder of the game. Kelly said the team’s bye week before the game gave them extra time to prepare the game plan.
“Yeah, you have a week off, you look at some things that you’ve done and you want to break some tendencies,” Kelly said. “We had a couple things that we wanted to get accomplished tactically with getting their eyes off of some things that we had shown before, quite frankly. And part of that, as you saw, was to add some misdirection within the offense, get the ball on the perimeter and then come back and attack them inside-out.”
“ s o that’s kind of how we started the game with a little bit of misdirection, get the ball on the perimeter, and then come back and attack them inside-out. And, again, a lot of that has to do with your self-scouting and how you wanted to attack your opponent based upon some of those things.”
Health s enior linebacker Greer
Irish struggle over break
By JOE EVERETT sports Writer
For the second year in a row, n o. 12 n otre d ame stumbled during fall break action. The Irish (9-4-2, 3-2-2 A cc ) fell to Pittsburgh and Akron, but salvaged the stretch by tying d uke at home on s enior d ay on Friday.
o n o ct. 13th, the Irish
Observer Sports Staff
n otre d ame secured victories in three of its four matches over the fall break, winning against c lemson, Florida s tate and m iami . Their defeat came at the hands of Georgia Tech, only the second home loss this season for the Irish.
s ophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon and junior outside hitter r ebecca n unge contributed big kills
hosted unranked Pittsburgh (8-7, 2-5), aiming to extend their undefeated streak to five games. That never materialized, as the Panthers weathered the Irish offensive pressure in the first half — which saw the Irish outshoot their opponent 11-0 in the final 20 minutes — and then proceeded to capitalize on a counterattack in the 52nd minute for
the game’s only score. The Irish couldn’t generate a response, and despite controlling the game for large portions, walked away with their second conference loss and first home loss of the season.
Traveling to face then- n o. 19 Akron (10-3-1, 2-1-0 m idAmerican) last Tuesday, the
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to lead n otre d ame (16-5, 6-4 A cc ) to victory in the first set against Georgia Tech (10-11, 5-5) on o ct. 13.
h owever, the Yellow Jackets took over in the next three sets, defeating the Irish 3-1. With 14 kills and 13 digs against Georgia Tech, Yeadon recorded her thirteenth double-double of the season and has had at least 10 kills in 16 matches this year.
The Irish came out swinging, finishing the first set with a .400 hitting percentages while holding the Tigers to just .071. While the first two sets
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Against c lemson (6-16, 1-9) at home on o ct. 15, n otre d ame secured a win in three sets. s enior outside hitter s ydney Kuhn posted 12 kills and junior libero r yann d eJarld recorded 12 digs on the night.
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish senior defender Monica Flores chases the loose ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 loss to Duke on Sept. 21 at Alumni Stadium.
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish freshman goaltender Dylan St. Cyr, right, takes a break during a stoppage in Notre Dame’s 2-2 overtime tie with Denver on Oct. 13.
Observer Sports Staff
securing 377 yards on 47 carries. Captain and junior running back Josh adams led the way with 191 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns — including an 84-yard scamper for his seventh run of the season of at least 59 yards — as he took advantage of a trojans defensive line softened by injuries.
“t hat 84-yard run was pretty — it was awesome,” irish senior center Sam mustipher said. “r ight up the middle, that’s really how you take it to an opponent. it was a statement run by Josh, [and] statement blocks were made on that play on the field.”
“Josh isn’t going to do the talking for himself, but Josh adams is one of the best — if not the best — running back in the country, and he’s the engine that’s been making our team go,” irish captain and graduate student offensive lineman mike mcglinchey said. “t here’s no doubt about it that he should be talked about for the best player in the country.”
Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush also found success with his legs, scrambling for 106 yards and two touchdowns of his own with his 14 carries. early on, however, he took several deep shots down the field with his arm, throwing four of his first five passes at least 20 yards down the field. a fter the game, Wimbush said those shots helped opened up the running lanes for adams and
Mazurek
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championship.
t he i rish jumped on the trojans early, taking advantage of a uSC fumble and going up 14-0 in the first quarter. a nd they never looked back. Last year’s team would have easily gotten complacent and let the trojans back in. But this year’s team slammed the door, went for the jugular — whatever metaphor you want to use for utter domination. a nd for as many times as head coach Brian Kelly has been criticized for coming up short in the biggest moments, he undoubtedly had his team ready to play with an edge that defines top-10 programs.
Junior running back Josh adams continued to build up his dark-horse Heisman candidacy.
Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush did what he needed to do, and the defense held the potential first-overall pick in the nf L draft to just 14 points.
But for as well as notre dame played, and for as important of a win as it was, the most important games are still to come.
it’s the beautiful reality of
himself, which the offensive line sealed off to truly set them loose.
“up front, they were so physical and dominant,” he said of the uSC defense. “But i think throwing the ball down the field kind of backed them off a little bit, took a couple of guys out of the box.
“ … [t he offensive line did] what they always do well: Being physical, using their size, and their dominance to move guys up front, they’ve been effective doing that all year. So why change what you’re doing and you’re being successful with it? So they’ve done a great job all year.”
on the defensive side, the irish held the trojans (6-2, 4-1 pac-12) to just 76 yards on 31 carries. Junior running back ronald Jones ii, who entered the game averaging just under 107 yards per game, finished with 32 yards on 12 carries. t he irish defensive line also put redshirt-sophomore quarterback Sam darnold and the uSC offense under pressure throughout the night, finishing with five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
“We just got into some good leverage situations in third down where you can’t make them all. We just got them into so many third down situations where they had to be almost flawless,” irish head coach
Brian Kelly said. “ … We were able to mix things up enough with some pressures and some drop-eights and some different looks that they were going to have to play so well because we got on to them so quickly with that 28-0 that again it made
college football that every week matters in the playoff hunt. But notre dame may find it more cruel than beautiful, because the next stretch of games for the i rish is brutal.
next week, a sure-to-be top15 north Carolina State team arrives in South Bend, fresh off its bye week. i n two weeks, an above average Wake forest team comes to town as well, in what could be a classic trap game.
i f notre dame comes out of those two games unscathed, it sets up an extremely large showdown with current-no. 8 m iami, who could be in the top five by mid-november. a nd then, an always competitive navy team and a trip to current-no. 22 Stanford finish up notre dame’s season. Saturday’s win over uSC sets the stage for the playoff hunt that will now be the second half of notre dame’s season. it gives the i rish confidence, and it puts other teams on notice. it puts notre dame on the map.
But that map still has twists and turns that need to be navigated. We’ve seen highly-ranked notre dame teams falter in the middle of campaigns as the pressure mounted.
for such a difficult climb for them.”
a nd the defensive line found plenty of success in those “good leverage situations,” which irish sophomore defensive lineman daelin Hayes credited to the unit’s mentality as much as it’s performance and depth.
“physicality is as much a physical act as it is a mentality as well,” Hayes said. “i think being able to come out with that mentality to dominate, to keep your foot on these guys’ throats, to keep pounding them, i think that was huge for us, that mentality. Just continuing to finish our opponents and breaking our opponents.
“ … You guys see our depth, it’s awesome. We’re electric off the edge and our guys inside are electric.”
notre dame came into the game knowing it would need to set the tone with its physicality, and Kelly said his team answered the challenged he presented to them prior to the game.
“i challenged our football team,” he said. “i said, ‘Look, we’re going to stick with our process. our preparation has been great. But this game will be won by who’s more physical.’ i think when you run for 370-something yards and you hold them to 70, i think we know who the more physical football team was.
“again, it was a challenge that our players needed to win this game by being more physical, and they were more physical today.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
i n 2014, a no. 5-ranked i rish squad played its heart out against then-no. 1 f lorida State, but fell on a controversial pass-interference call. t hat team went on to lose four straight games and finished the regular season at 7-5 after starting 6-0.
Brian Kelly said it best in his postgame press conference, saying he wants his team to be unique.
“t his is not the crown jewel for us, if you will,” Kelly said. “We want more. t his was a great victory. We’re excited about the win, beating a very good uSC team. But our guys want to be unique. So there’s more out there for them.”
it’s one thing to say that in the locker room after a big win, it’s another to play like it the next week. a nd the next week. a nd then the week after that, until the season’s over. t he i rish can and should celebrate their biggest win in a while. But there’s no rest for the weary, and the going only gets tougher the closer they get to the top.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Scoring
n otre d ame 7, u S c 0
equanimeous St. Brown 26-yard pass from Brandon Wimbush (Justin Yoon kick)
12:45 remaining
Drive: Three plays, 51 yards, 1:04 elapsed
notre dame 14, u S c 0
Kevin Stepherson 23-yard pass from Wimbush (Yoon kick)
n otre d ame 28, u S c 0 Wimbush 4-yard run (Yoon kick)
3:54 remaining
Drive: Seven plays, 59 yards, 3:08 elapsed
n otre d ame 28, u S c 7
Steven mitchell Jr. 5-yard pass from Sam darnold (Chase mcgrath kick)
10:00 remaining
Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:00 elapsed
n otre dame 35, u S c 7 Wimbush 7-yard run (Yoon kick)
6:06 remaining
Drive: Eight plays, 65 yards, 3:54 elapsed
n otre d ame 35, u S c 14
deontay Burnett 16-yard pass from darnold (mcgrath kick)
3:26 remaining Drive: Six plays, 73 yards, 2:40 elapsed
n otre dame 42, u S c 14
adams 84-yard run (Yoon kick)
3:07 remaining
Drive: One play, 84 yards, 0:19 elapsed
n otre dame 49, u S c 14
adams 14-yard run (Yoon kick)
13:17 remaining
Drive: Five plays, 52 yards, 1:37 elapsed
total yard S
and another two touchdowns on 19 passing attempts.
Ruling TRoy in T he TRenches
The Irish cruised to victory from the beginning, outscoring the Trojans 28-0 in the first half behind two passing touchdowns from Brandon Wimbush and a 194-yard rushing advantage. Josh Adams would add two scores in the second half — including an 84-yard touchdown — to bring the game to its final score of 49-14 and return the Jeweled Shillelagh to Notre Dame.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback Brandon WImbush runs up the field through the open lane during Notre Dame’s 49-14 victory over USC on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium. Wimbush ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in the game for the Irish, and he also threw for 120 yards
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe catches a pass and takes it down the sideline for a 20-yard gain during Notre Dame’s win Saturday. Smythe has a career-high 130 receiving yards this season.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool blocks a Trojans defender during Saturday’s game.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer Junior wide receiver Chris Finke returns a punt during Notre Dame’s 49-14 win Saturday.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer Irish junior kicker Justin Yoon kicks an extra point during Notre Dame’s 49-14 win over USC on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
