Notre dame 24, ball state 16 | monday, September 10, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Not the prettiest Brandon Wimbush, Irish offense struggle to put away the Cardinals in 24-16 win
EMMA FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior safety Jalen Elliott, right, tackles a Ball State reciever in the air on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium during Notre Dame’s 24-16 win over the Cardinals. Elliott picked off two passes to record his first career interceptions to return for 21 yards. Elliott also recorded a career-high seven tackles during the victory over the Cardinals.
Don’t just blame Wimbush for close game Connor Mulvena Associate Sports Editor
What a whirlwind. From victory over then-No. 14 Michigan under the bright lights of prime time to the dreary chill of a grey Saturday afternoon against Ball State in a game that was almost a little too interesting, it’s hard to tell where the Irish stand right now. After my column in this week’s Irish Insider, in which I said Notre Dame didn’t really prove itself against Michigan, my mother chided me for my general negativity in a lengthy phone call. Well, I hate to say “I told you so,” but we all saw a very different Notre Dame team against a much inferior Ball State. There were a number of areas that simply did not align with the performance the Irish put on in Week 1. Senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush did not have a good see MULVENA PAGE 3
By PETER BALTES Sports Writer
It was never easy, but No. 8 Notre Dame was able to get a win this weekend. The Irish overcame miscues and fended off a difficult challenge from Ball State on Saturday afternoon, outlasting the visiting Cardinals (1-1) by a score of 24-16. In a matchup widely anticipated to be a blowout, Ball State stayed within striking distance of the Irish, who never seemed to be able to fully put the Cardinals away. While acknowledging areas to improve, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was ultimately satisfied to pick up the team’s second win in as many games this season. “You can never apologize for winning,” he said. “Winning is hard. So understand that, that first and foremost you won a football game.” The Irish (2-0) appeared appeared strong on the game’s opening possession, picking up large chunks of yardage and 7 points in a five-play, 74yard drive. Sophomore running back Jafar Armstrong
capped the possession off with a one-yard touchdown run, his third of the season, and Notre Dame seemed the more prepared squad. “We’ve got to keep up the same level of energy that we came out with for the whole game,” Irish graduate student guard Alex Bars said. The Cardinals struck back on the next possession, driving 85 yards and converting on three third downs before eventually settling for a 25yard field goal. Ball State held the ball for nearly seven minutes on this drive and won the possession battle overall, running 97 offensive plays and keeping the ball for 34:22 of the game’s 60 minutes. “They ate up clock,” Kelly said. “They did the things necessary to be in a position to compete. They did a great job. Their preparation was great. Their coaching was better.” Neither offense was able to get into a rhythm after the initial round of scoring. The teams traded punts after three-and-outs on fourconsecutive possessions, the score remaining 7-3 in favor of the Irish by quarter’s end.
The Irish nearly scored early in the second quarter, driving all the way down to the Cardinals 10 yard-line on a combination of rushes from Armstrong and long passes from senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush. On thirdand-14, Wimbush was sacked for a 10-yard loss, setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt from senior kicker Justin Yoon that sailed wide right. The Irish defense held firm, though, again restricting Ball State to three plays and a punt. Notre Dame responded by marching down the field once more, this time sputtering at the opponent’s 26-yardline after Wimbush’s pass to junior wide receiver Chase Claypool landed incomplete on fourth-and-8. As before, the Cardinals were then limited to three offensive plays, this time the drive ending when junior Irish safety Jalen Elliott intercepted a third-down pass from redshirt-junior Ball State quarterback Riley Neal, giving Notre Dame the ball 31 yards from the end zone. see ENERGY PAGE 3
Irish secondary the difference maker against Ball State By MIA BERRY Sports Writer
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in South Bend, where temperatures barely rose beyond 65 degrees, there was still one ray of light in Notre Dame Stadium. Despite lackluster weather and offensive play for the Irish, the defensive secondary of juniors Jalen Elliott, Alohi Gilman and Julian Love were dynamic in Notre Dame’s 24-16 win over Ball State. The Irish defensive line propelled the team to a 24-17 win over then-No. 14 Michigan, but against the Cardinals (1-1), the defensive secondary made the loudest noise and was the difference maker for the Irish (2-0). “We’re just trying to do our jobs. It wasn’t just the mindset of ‘Let’s go get a pick.’ It was the mindset of ‘Let’s go do our jobs and the plays will come.’ see SECONDARY PAGE 2