Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, November 3, 2017

2

INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

Julian Love has the ball, but he’s tack led at the 3-yard line.

Back when the sophomore cornerback played on offense in high school, getting taken down so close to the goal line would have been frustrating.

It’s still a little frustrating for Love as he records his first career interception in an Irish uniform and tries to run 97 yards upfield for a score in Notre Dame’s win over Army on Nov. 12 of last year, only to be stopped after two yards.

But fast for ward to the

present, and Love has two pick-sixes on the season — a jumped slant route against Michigan State, and a 69yard tip-toe down the sideline in Notre Dame’s most recent game against North Carolina State. To casual Notre Dame fans, the two pick-sixes come as a welcome surprise, but for Love, it was only a matter of time until he put the ball in the end-zone.

“I told myself before the season, ‘If I get my hand on the ball, I’m going to score,’” Love said. “Last year I had a pick against Army and immediately, I was kind of tackled, the guy was on me pretty quick. I was a little upset because I wanted a little room

to work and I think that’s all I need to make something happen. That feeling of picking off a ball and having some space means a lot and I tr y to take advantage of it.”

Love’s will to score was apparent during his most recent return against North Carolina State. As soon as he caught caught Ryan Finley’s errant pass, Love turned upfield and started directing sophomore defensive lineman Daelin Hayes to block, channeling some of his old running-back vision.

“Since I was young, I’ve always played both offense and defense. I was a patient runner so I would wait for my blockers to set up before

I would take off,” Love said.

“On that play, I felt the angle of ever ybody running towards me, I felt like I needed to get behind somebody and redirect. And Daelin, that’s just a great play by him, just following my point and realizing what he needed to do. He turned around. You have Shaun Craw ford coming in and cross blocking the quarterback and it was great blocking — my style of running basically.”

Love has shown a propensity for scoring this year, but he isn’t the only turnover machine in the Irish secondar y. Sophomore cornerback Shaun Craw ford has two picks of his own and a forced

SARAH OLSON | The Observer

Irish sophomore cornerback Julian Love, right, follows sophomore defensive lineman Daelin Hayes down the sideline after his interception of NC State redshirt-junior quarterback Ryan Finley and returns it for a 69-yard touchdown during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win Saturday.

fumble on the goal line to prevent a touchdown versus Michigan State, and senior Nick Watkins recorded an interception against USC. Love said the secondar y’s success has gone hand-inhand with defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s message of dominating opposing offenses.

“It’s basically all of us communicating on the back end and talking to each other,” Love said. “Basically just putting our hands on balls, that’s what coach Elko always says, we always need to have our hands near the football. That started in practice a couple weeks ago and he basically challenged us to take the next step as a defense from being great to being a dominating, championship defense. I think that’s been showing itself the past couple weeks.”

But while Love looks to dominate his opponents on the field, off the field he can’t stop smiling.

Like honestly, he can’t. Just ask senior linebacker Nyles Morgan.

“He’s always happy. Like, I don’t know why he’s always happy,” Morgan joked Wednesday. “We’ll be lifting, dying, he’s [smiling] like this the whole way. I’m like, ‘You’re crazy.’

“But no, on a serious note, Julian is the one that brings just the energ y around to ever ybody. He walks in the building, he’s happy. We need that, though. I personally love it because sometimes I might be in a grumpy mood. I’ll talk to him about 10 seconds, I’m back to normal, I can talk to ever ybody else. Definitely need it.”

“I do get that a lot, a lot of people ask, ‘Can you go a couple seconds without smiling? ’” Love said. “Most of the time, I don’t realize it.

I feel like when I step into the Gug and when I step around these players, I just have so much fun. That’s something

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | The Observer

3

LAUREN WELDON and CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

I’ve always strived to do and be that type of person where I can have fun all the time.

That’s why I play football, I don’t play in the hopes of a job, it’s not all business for me.”

But Love also admits he likes poking fun at his teammates.

“I love messing with Nyles about it, asking ‘Oh what’s wrong? W hy are you so angr y? ’” Love said with a laugh.

Now in his second year, and after starting eight games as a true freshman, Love finds himself as a leader in the young Irish secondar y. For Love, leading is easy because the defensive backs are so close.

“Honestly it’s the other DBs making it easier for me,” Love said. “We all work together so well. They’re not resistant at all to coaching by our staff or advice by our players such as me and that ease of leadership, it’s always there. I feel like everyone is a leader. We’re all around the same age, we’re all sophomores and juniors and we’re all brothers and we love each other.”

The group is so close they’ve given each other nicknames based off of the Justice League characters.

For a leader and starter like Julian Love, one would expect Superman to be the nickname of choice.

But Love’s moniker of Aquaman speaks to his leadership as much as what he does in the game.

“We decided before the season — the players and coach Lyght — that we shouldn’t have a Superman,” Love said.

“Because when you think of Superman, you think of the leader, the alpha, and we’re a team. We all work together, we’re all equal. I like that. I like Superman, everybody wants to be Superman, but sometimes you have to be Aquaman to make a team work.”

Though he always

possessed a natural charisma, Love’s role as a leader evolved dramatically since last year, as both Love individually, and the Irish defense as a whole, have come a long way.

After a tough start which saw defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder fired, Love was asked to play a larger role and more minutes for the Irish in just his freshman year. That experience, Love said, taught him a lot about playing freely and without reserve. “[Playing a lot freshman

year] taught me I can’t play with the fear of making mistakes,” Love said. “W hen you’re a freshman, you’re worried about getting pulled off too quickly or making a mistake and your team looking at you and not trusting you. That was going through my mind early on. But as I started more and more, I got more confident. Once the season ended, I realized, ‘I belong here, this is my spot.’

And now I’ve made the transition from being a role player to being a playmaker for the team. That’s kind of my

whole mindset coming into this year.”

That improvement and playmaking ability has attracted the attention of Love’s teammates and the Irish coaching staff. On Tuesday, Irish head coach Brian Kelly praised Love’s lower-body strength and ability to read plays.

“He has a unique skill set in that physically he’s one of our strongest players from the waist below,” Kelly said. “And it allows him to really transition well at the position in which he plays. He can really

stick his foot in the ground and drive on receivers. He learns well. He bit on a double move early [against NC State], got hit with a double move again later in the game and was able to see it coming.”

But Love said defensive backs coach Todd Lyght has a better way of putting it.

“They say water covers two-thirds of the planet, and the other third is covered

by Julian Love. That’s Todd Lyght’s joke about that.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Sophomore cornerback Julian Love reads the play as the ball is snapped during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over NC State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Love has two interceptions returned for a touchdown this season — one against the Wolfpack and one against Michigan State.

4

INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

recruiting

ND adds wideout to 2018 class

By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor

With the Irish beating their second-straight top-15 opponent by at least 20 points for the first time since 1944, No. 3 Notre Dame is sitting in a great position on the recruiting trail, according to Blue and Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst Dav id McKinney.

“I think any time you blow out a top-ranked team like that in front of guys, it’s obv iously a good thing, and it’s going to keep momentum mov ing for wards,” McKinney said.

“Notre Dame is obv iously hav ing a huge turnaround season, so that’s going to catch people’s eyes, and it’s going to catch recruits’ eyes. Big w ins like that are only going to help you.”

The Irish (7-1) had two recruits on official v isits during their 35-14 w in over No. 20 North Carolina State: four-star athlete A lontae Taylor and three-star cornerback Noah Boykin. W hile both players are currently committed to Tennessee and Mar yland, respectively, Notre Dame has yet to add a corner recruit to its 2018 class, and McKinney said the program left a great impression on both players.

“They both gave great feedback, really liked what they saw from Notre Dame — both are still committed to the other schools, but Notre Dame should be right there for them the rest of the way,” he said. “I think Notre Dame gave both of them a lot to think about going for wards.”

A lthough the Irish have t wo commits at the safet y position in their 2018 class, the program has yet to land a cornerback commit.

McKinney also said Notre Dame is right in the mix for other secondar y recruits, including four-star cornerback Kyler Gordon, who v isited the Irish on Sept. 2 for the Temple game.

“I think Notre Dame is probably in the top two for Kyler Gordon — I don’t want to say they’re the leader, but I think there’s a good chance that they are,” he said.

“Julius Ir v in, a [defensive back] out there in California — Notre Dame is in the top t wo for him, so they’re on the cusp of landing some of these guys, they just have to close dow n the stretch and get the deal done and get the signature in Februar y. But they are really close on a lot of these guys.”

On the offensive side,

Notre Dame continues to make moves. On Wednesday, the Irish added a third w ide receiver recruit to the 2018 class, as three-star speedster and California native Geordon Porter picked the Irish over several Pac-12 schools, including Arizona State and UCL A. Besides Taylor, the Irish are also monitoring current Tennessee-commit and five-star offensive tack le Cade Mays, and they may be able to f lip the Knox v ille, Tennessee, native if the 3-5 Volunteers end up firing head coach Butch Jones.

“Cade Mays is going to be here for an official v isit in December, I think for the awards ceremony after the [regular] season,” McKinney said. “I think Notre Dame is in the mix for both of them — right now, I would say Taylor more than Mays just because Mays hasn’t been here yet; he’s also been f lirting w ith Clemson a lot, I believe. Obv iously, there’s a lot of unrest at Tennessee, so there’s no reason not to go after elite guys that are committed to Tennessee because who knows what’s going to happen w ith that program over the next couple weeks and months.”

And what may help the Irish f lip some recruits and lock in some others is this year’s playoff push. Notre Dame came in at No. 3 in the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings, and McKinney said that could make a difference.

“I don’t think it’s the deciding factor for most kids, but I do think it has an impact, just like a 4-8 season had an impact last year, and they lost Pete Werner, Donovan Jeter, Elijah Hicks, Paulson Adebo and Jordan Pouncey [and Robert Beal],” McKinney said. “So they both have impacts, and I think you’re seeing renewed interest from AmonRa St. Brow n [and] from Solomon Tuliaupupu, who was at the USC game. I think Notre Dame was kind of on the back burner for those guys, but now things have changed.

“I think it matters how they finish. I think it’s more so to do w ith just Notre Dame has show n they have the abilit y to be where they are and get there on a regular basis. If Notre Dame goes to the playoff, I think they’ll see a significant bump in recruiting momentum going for wards.”

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu

Please recycle The Observer.

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | The Observer

5

commentary

Notre Dame cannot get caught up in hype Elizabeth Greason Sports Editor

Notre Dame captains Josh Adams, Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini and Drue Tranquill all said they were not watching Tuesday evening when the first edition of this season’s College Football Playoff rankings was released.

Notre Dame came in at No. 3, behind only No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama with Clemson rounding out the top four. Morgan was coaching f lag football. Adams was spending time with a foster child he mentors. Martini was working on a group project. And Tranquill was in the engineering librar y.

And while all four are aware of where their team stands in the Playoff standings, they appear to be among the few who don’t really care.

The buzz around campus so far this season has been of non-stop football.

Listening to conversations, you’d think Josh Adams has the Heisman Trophy on lock and the Irish are about to board their plane to Atlanta.

W hich I, personally, find concerning.

Because, while the team may still be locked into the idea of dominating each and ever y opponent, the student body is not. The general student body is thinking bigger picture and seems to have decided Notre Dame winning each game is a given, with only a few potentially problematic matchups left on the schedule that the Irish should easily

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish captain and junior running back Josh Adams, right, carries the ball and looks to cut upfield during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over NC State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Adams ran for 202 yards in the game, his second 200-yard rushing performance this season.

overcome.

W hile being currently inside the Playoff cutoff, objectively one of the best teams in the countr y at the moment, is a welcome change of pace from the 4-8 squad of 2016, I’m here to remind ever yone that it doesn’t mean anything yet. There is still plenty of football left to play. As a one-loss team, ever y game is make-or-break for Notre Dame. A single-digit loss to Stanford will end its season as quickly as a loss to Wake Forest this weekend.

W hat the committee has said by placing the Irish in the top-four is that if Notre Dame can win out, it’s in.

But that’s it. It’s a big if.

And it’s easy to get your focus pulled away. Between the social media hype, the “I cast my Heisman ballot for Josh Adams” tweets and the

talking heads discussing all the hypothetical situations that would have to occur for Notre Dame to make the Playoff, or, at this point, not to make the Playoff, it is ver y easy to see how a team of 18to 22-year-olds gets caught up in their sudden national celebrity.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday his team’s No. 1 ranking is “nothing more than a distraction.” The same could be said for Notre Dame’s No. 3 ranking.

Brian Kelly even made an appearance on ESPN during Tuesday’s rankings show, which he himself admitted was because a number of other coaches, including Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney declined the offer. Kelly’s appearance on the show could

be construed as a distraction in and of itself.

I’m not saying the team is going to collapse, or even slip up. This is a team that made it to No. 3 in the countr y, and deser vedly so. This is a ver y strong team and it is a team that has proven its mental toughness week after week.

But maybe it would’ve been better to come in at No. 5 this week and give the team something to work for.

Because Nos. 1 and 2 are more than likely out of reach for the one-loss Irish. So, from here on out, it’s about maintaining No. 3. And as so many have learned the hard way, it can often be harder and more ta xing to be the one being chased than the one doing the chasing.

Sure, coming in at No. 3 had to be a great moralebooster. It has to feel good to

know that the powers-thatbe, the powers that matter in terms of college football, think you would deser ve a spot in the Playoff if they were to be played tomorrow.

But what really matters is where they spot you when the regular season comes to a close.

I may sound like a cynic.

I just want to warn against this ranking becoming a mandate to fans and players alike, as opposed to an actual representation of the team’s talent, which is what it currently is. So fans, don’t get ahead of yourselves, because nothing is guaranteed.

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Paid Advertisement

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Irish captain and senior linebacker Drue Tranquill attempts to tackle Wolfpack sophomore receiver Kelvin Harmon during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over NC State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

6

Insider

The observer | FRIDAY, November 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

HEAD T

3:30 p.m. ET | Notre Dame Stadium KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

DEMON DEACONS PASSING Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford looks like he may have taken a major step forward as a passer for his senior season, with his numbers skyrocketing from last season in just about every measure. Last week was the clear highlight of Wolford’s season, as he went 28-for-34, throwing for 465 yards, five touchdown passes and no interceptions against Louisville, bringing him to an impressive 15 passing touchdowns with only two interceptions this year.

But Demon Deacon wide receiver Greg Dortch’s underwent season-ending abdominal surgery this week, leaving the Demon Deacons passing attack in question.

The Irish defense has proven adept at forcing turnovers — making NC State senior quarterback Ryan Finley throw his first pick of the season last week — but has given up 232.5 passing yards per game, placing them in the bottom half of the country.

The Demon Deacons passing attack without Dortch will be much weaker, but 6-foot-5 sophomore wide receiver Scotty Washington may still cause trouble.

EDGE: EVEN DEMON DEACONS RUSHING The combined attack of Wolford, redshirt-freshman running back Akeem Byrd and junior running back Matt Colburn II has led the Demon Deacons to 171 yards per game. Those numbers may be middling, but they represent an impressive improvement under heach coach Dave Clawson for a program that was completely incapable of running the ball when he arrived, falling short of 500 total rushing yards in his first season. The Demon Deacons’ average this year would be their highest rushing average since 2005.

But the Irish have made much better rushing attacks look like the impotent attacks of Jim Grobe’s later years at Wake Forest — particularly in the last three outings, in which North Carolina, USC and NC State were all held under 100 yards, bringing Irish opponents to an average of just 116.6 yards per game and 3.4 yards per attempt. Even more impressive, the Irish defense has still allowed only one rushing touchdown this year.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Wake forest

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

DEMON DEACONS COACHING

OFFENSIVE

There may have been some early struggles, as the Demon Deacons offenses in 2014 and 2015 were anemic, but now that Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero have been able to work with their own recruits, Wake Forest’s offense has come on significantly from Jim Grobe’s units, which consistently struggled to put up points.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko will face his former school, having spent three years at the same position under Clawson. That familiarity may give the Demon Deacons more of a chance, but Elko’s record this season with a defense that struggled the year before speaks for itself, as he has still not given up more than 20 points in a game at Notre Dame. Experience with Elko may not be enough for Clawson.

(R-Jr.) Cortez Lewis 15

(R-Sr.) Cam Serigne 85 (R-So.) Jack Freudenthal

86

(R-Jr.) Justin Herron

75

(R-Fr.)Taleni Suhren 60

(Jr.) Matt

Colburn II (R-Fr.) Arkeem Byrd

22 5

(Sr.) John Wolford 10 (R-So.) Kendall Hinton

2

RB QB

(R-Jr.) Phil Haynes 74 (Fr.) Sean Maginn 79

(R-Jr.) Ryan Anderson 70 (R-So.) Nathan Gilliam 71

(R-Jr.) Patrick Osterhage 68 (R-Fr.) Tyler Watson 58

(R-So.) Jake Benzinger 73 (R-Fr.) Je’Vionte’ Nash 63

(Jr.) Tabari

WR

1

(Jr.) Chuck Wade

Jr.

(R-So.) Amari Henderson 4

(Fr.) Ja’Sir Taylor 24

(R-Jr.) Cameron Glenn 2

(R-Jr.) Thomas Dillon 37

FS

(Sr.) Jaboree Williams 6

(R-So.) Justin Strnad 23

CB

Buck

(R-Sr.) Duke Ejiofor 53 (R-Fr.) Carlos Basham Jr. 18

(R-Sr.) Grant Dawson 50 (R-So.) Nate Mays 35

MLB

(R-Jr.) Zeek Rodney

93

(R-Fr.) Elonte Bateman 54

(R-Jr.) Willie Yarbary 48 (R-Fr.) Sulaiman Kamara 90

(R-Fr.) Luke Masterson 12 (Fr.) Coby Davis 20

(R-Sr.) Wendell Dunn 14

SS

(Jr.) Chris Calhoun 51

(R-Fr.) Ja’Cquez Williams 30

(So.) Essang Bassey 21 (R-Fr.) Malik Grate 13

DEMON DEACONS SCHEDULE (5-3, 2-3 ACC)

(R-Sr.) Mike Weaver 7

(So.) Dom Maggio 48

(So.) Dom Maggio 48 (R-Sr.) Mike Weaver

(Jr.) Tabari

Hines

7

1

(Jr.) Alex Bachman 17

PK P PR

(Sr.) John Wolford 10

(Jr.) Chuck Wade 9 (Jr.) Tabari Hines

(So.) Dayton

Marek Mazurek

Elizabeth Greason

Editor-in-Chief

Assistant Managing Editor

Sports Editor

Notre Dame has a big No. 3 in front of its name going into Saturday’s matchup with Wake Forest that has “trap game” written all over it.

With the first College Football Playoff rankings out, Notre Dame’s biggest enemy is losing focus down the home stretch of the season.

The last time the Irish were in the playoff hunt in 2014, they barely beat a horrible Boston College team 19-16 and most likely would have been left out of the final four, even if they had beaten Stanford.

Though it will be by a little more than three points, Notre Dame will let this one get closer than it should, while never being in danger of losing.

Wake Forest will load the box and force Wimbush to make throws.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 31, Wake Forest 21

CB

(So.) Dom Maggio 48

Ben Padanilam

DE DT DT DE

Rover

(R-Jr.) Demetrius Kemp 34

EDGE: EVEN

Aug. 31 Presbyterian (W 51-7) Sept. 9 @Boston College (W 34-10) Sept. 16 Utah State (W 46-10) Sept. 23 @ Appalachian State (W 20-19) Sept. 30 Florida State (L 26-19) Oct. 7 @ Clemson (L 28-14) Oct. 21 @ Georgia Tech (L 38-24) Oct. 28 Louisville (W 42-32) Nov. 4 @Notre Dame Nov. 11 @ Syracuse Nov. 18 NC State Nov. 25 Duke

WR

9

(Jr.) Alex Bachman 17

DEMON DEACONS SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame is coming off consecutive top-15 victories by margins of 35 and 21 points, respectively.

So in comes a pretty solid Wake Forest squad, a week ahead of a top-10 showdown with Miami and the same week the Irish found themselves ranked in the season’s first CFP rankings.

And off go the sirens, blaring a trap-game alert.

It’s easy to see this game posing a stiffer challenge than it should on paper for that reason, but like The Who, I won’t get fooled again. This team has cultivated a mindset of dominating its opponents, and that’s exactly what it has done — the defense has yet to allow more than 20 points in a game, while outscoring opponents by an average of 24.

Expect just another day at the office for the Irish.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 45, Wake Forest 14

Hines

(R-So.) Steven Claude 88

EDGE: NOTRE DAME

Wake Forest redshirt-senior kicker Mike Weaver is 11-of-13 on field goals this season but has rarely been tested, attempting only one kick of 40 or more yards: a miss from 50 yards out. While his field goal kicking has been solid, he has missed two extra points this year.

Sophomore punter Dom Maggio earned freshman All-American honors last season and has one of the most powerful legs in the nation with a career-high 80-yard punt and a season-high 61-yard punt.

Juniors C.J. Sanders and Chris Finke have been solid but unspectacular in returns, avoiding turnovers but rarely creating big returns.

WR TE LT LG C RG RT

(R-So.) Scotty Washington 7

Diemel

1

52

(Jr.) Garrett Wilson 15

H KR LS

The Irish have proven they have a dominating mindset in each and every matchup they enter.

They have been able to blow out two top-15 opponents in back-to-back weeks, and this week’s contest should be no different, as Wake Forest is objectively a less talented team than USC and North Carolina State.

W hile this game has all the makings of a trap game on paper, the Irish are simply too good and too focused to let that happen. And without redshirtfreshman wide receiver Greg Dortch, the Demon Deacons are in for a difficult time offensively.

The Irish rushing game should continue to be out in full force, and Mike Elko and Clark Lea will try to embarrass their former team.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 49, Wake Forest 14

Insider

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, november 3, 2017 | The Observer

7

O HEAD on NBC

no. 3 Notre Dame

IRISH PASSING

CB

Julian Love (So.) 20

27

Shaun Crawford (Jr.)

Buck DE DT DT DE

48

Greer Martini (Sr.)

4 Te’von Coney (Jr.)

Andrew Trumbetti (Sr.)

Jonathan Bonner(Sr.)

55

95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (Fr.)

Jerry Tillery (Jr.)

99

MLB

5

21

Jalen Elliott (So.)

14 Devin Studstill (So.)

Nyles Morgan (Sr.)

44 Jamir Jones (So.)

41 Kurt Hinish (Fr.)

Daelin Hayes (So.)

9

S

98 Andrew Trumbetti (Sr.)

Rover CB

S

Jay Hayes (Sr.) 98

93

7

23

24

Nick Coleman (Jr.)

17 Isaiah Robertson (Fr.)

Drue Tranquill (Sr.)

22 Asmar Bilal (Jr.)

Nick Watkins (Sr.)

8 Donte Vaughn (So.)

WR WR

Equanimeous St. Brown (Jr.)

6

81 Miles Boykin (Jr.)

RT RG C LG LT TE WR

H KR LS

83

Chase Claypool (So.)

10 Chris Finke (Jr.)

IRISH RUSHING

72 Robert Hainsey (Fr.)

Alex Bars (Sr.)

71

70 Hunter Bivin (Gr.)

53

Sam Mustipher (Sr.)

57 Trevor Ruhland (Jr.)

RB QB

33

Josh Adams (Jr.)

34 Tony Jones Jr. (So.)

7

Brandon Wimbush (Jr.)

12 Ian Book (So.)

Quenton Nelson (Sr.)

56

76 Josh Lugg (Fr.)

Mike McGlinchey (Gr.)

68

74 Liam Eichenberg (So.)

80

Durham Smythe (Gr.)

82 Nic Weishar (Sr.)

29

Kevin Stepherson (So.)

15 Cam Smith (Gr.)

4

Montgomery VanGorder (Sr.)

85 Tyler Newsome (Sr.)

3

C.J. Sanders (Jr.)

34 Tony Jones Jr. (So.)

54

John Shannon (So.)

82 Nic Weishar (Sr.)

The Irish have been excellent in almost every part of the game this season, but continue to struggle to move the ball through the air.

Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush may have passed for multiple touchdowns and no interceptions for the third consecutive week, but accuracy remains a problem — with a completion percentage of 51.8 — and he has rarely been asked to throw the ball, with his last 20-attempt game coming in Week 4 at Michigan State. While he has been good enough lately to expose defenses who commit too hard to the run, passing as a standalone trait is still a weakness.

The Demon Deacons pass defense has been strong this year, with senior defensive end Duke Ejiofor recording seven sacks, good for second in the ACC. The team is also ranked in the top-20 in the nation in completion percentage allowed, at just 51.9 percent, and passer rating allowed, at 108.4.

EDGE: WAKE FOREST

Tommy Kraemer (So.)

78

PK P PR

19

Justin Yoon (Jr.)

39 Jonathan Doerer (Fr.)

85

Tyler Newsome (Sr.)

42 Jeff Riney (Jr.)

10

Chris Finke (Jr.)

3 C.J. Sanders (Jr.)

Notre Dame vs. Temple

Before the Irish hosted North Carolina State last week, the Wolfpack were the nation’s No. 6 rushing defense. Now, they rank 19th. Running for over 300 yards against one of the best run defenses in the nation is the latest in the long line of evidence that the Irish run game is one of the best in the country, with Notre Dame ranking sixth in rushing yards gained.

The Demon Deacons have not looked as good against the run as they have against the pass, giving up 183 yards per game, though that may be inf lated by playing one of the run-heaviest slates in the country, including Clemson, Georgia Tech and Louisville in their last three games. But even if they’re better than the numbers indicate, it’s unlikely the Demon Deacons are good enough to stop junior running back Josh Adams and the Irish ground game.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING After some questions in adjusting to

Tobias Hoonhout

Daniel O’Boyle

Associate Sports Editor

Sports Writer

While the Demon Deacons are usually a punching bag in the ACC, they are no pushover this season. But Notre Dame just beat two top15 teams in consecutive weeks by at least 20 points for the first time since 1944, sit third in the first edition of CFP rankings and have a potential Heisman winner in Josh Adams.

Brian Kelly’s team has walked over every team it’s played except No. 1 Georgia, who beat it by one point. The Irish clearly are very hungry, very deep and have shown no signs of slowing down. What’s even scarier is the fact that Wimbush hasn’t even reached his threshold yet.

I made the mistake of not predicting a blowout last week. But not this time.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 49, Wake Forest 13

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

It’s easy to imagine the Irish looking past this game and failing to put in the kind of performances that’s seen Notre Dame dominate every team it’s played this season except No. 1 Georgia.

But the same could have been said last week, when the Irish still dominated. And much more importantly, the Demon Deacons will be without redshirt-freshman Greg Dortch, by far their best offensive player and a potential AllAmerican candidate before he went down.

After easy wins against two ranked teams, the Irish performance here will not be quite as good as we saw in the last two weeks.

But the win will still be comfortable.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 38, Wake Forest 20

a run-heav y attack early in the season, offensive coordinator Chip Long now appears to have firmly adapted the Irish offense to its personnel.

The Demon Deacon defense under defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel may still prove to be a challenge, however. Sawvel led Minnesota’s defense to No. 21 in the nation in points allowed per game, and despite the challenge of following Elko at Wake Forest, has the Demon Deacons currently allowing just over 21 points.

His defense has struggled to force turnovers, however, recording just 10 this year, which could be a problem against a team with the talent the Irish bring.

EDGE: EVEN IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS The Irish success in the red zone this season means that junior kicker Justin Yoon continues to be rarely called-upon, still at 7-for-10 on the season and continuing to leave fans unsure if his disappointing showing more than two months ago against Temple was meaningful or a fluke.

His 43-of-43 record on extra points suggests it may be the latter.

A blocked punt for a touchdown put the Irish behind against NC State, and although that may prove to be a one-off, senior Tyler Newsome’s punting for the remainder of the game was below his usual standard. Yoon’s kickoffs also appeared to have taken a step back, with one kick landing out of bounds.

Dortch was the Demon Deacons returner of both kicks and punts this season, meaning Wake Forest will use a less-experienced returner Saturday.

EDGE: NOTRE DAME IRISH SCHEDULE (7-1) Sept. 2 Temple (W 49-16) Sept. 9 Georgia (L 20-19) Sept. 16 @ Boston College (W 49-20) Sept. 23 @ Michigan State (W 38-18) Sept. 30 Miami (OH) (W 52-17) Oct. 7 @ North Carolina (W 33-10) Oct. 21 USC (W 49-14) Oct. 28 North Carolina State (W 35-14) Nov. 4 Wake Forest Nov. 11 @ Miami (FL) Nov. 18 Navy Nov. 25 @ Stanford

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

8

INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Familiar faces, schemes headline showdown

By BEN PADANILAM Editor-in-Chief

W hen Wake Forest comes to tow n Saturday to take on No. 3 Notre Dame, there w ill be a familiar face on the sideline.

Except he w ill be on the sideline opposite the one he had patrolled each of the prev ious three seasons.

From 2014–2016, Mike Elko ser ved as the defensive coordinator for the Demon Deacons (5-3, 2-3 ACC). But now, he heads an Irish defense currently ranked No. 10 in scoring defense and tied for No. 12 in turnovers forced so far this season.

And while the matchup w ith an old friend might add another level of intrigue to Saturday’s matchup bet ween the Demon Deacons and Irish (7-1), it doesn’t change things for Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson — well, except in maybe one regard.

“It doesn’t bring a degree of emotion,” Clawson said Tuesday. “Mike is an outstanding coach. He did a great job for me w ith four different programs. He’s spent well over half of his career w ith me. I think in

my 18 years of being a head coach, he’s been w ith me for 12 of them. He’s a great. He’s doing a great job there, and I’m proud of him.

“On Saturday, we want to beat him, and he wants to beat us. We talk regularly, text after ever y game … but that w ill cease this week.”

But w ith Elko just months removed from leav ing a foundation on the defensive side for Wake Forest and bringing his system — as well as linebackers coach Clark Lea — to Notre Dame, it comes as no surprise that both Clawson and Irish head coach Brian Kelly are being asked about how that impacts Saturday’s game and what advantages can be had.

Yet, for Kelly, hav ing Bill Rees on his staff — the father of Irish quarterbacks coach Tom Rees and former director of player personnel for Wake Forest in 2015 and 2016 — prov ides just as much of, if not more of, a substantial advantage as hav ing Elko does for Saturday’s matchup.

“Bill Rees is a bigger advantage. Bill is an evaluator,” Kelly said Tuesday. “It takes out the emotional piece that Mike brings. … Bill does all

of our scouting evaluations of the personnel. Obv iously, his background in evaluating and NFL evaluating has been crucial in allow ing us to get a glimpse at our next opponent and getting that evaluation of our opponent and allows us to go to work w ithin our planning.

“So Bill gave me his evaluation. … It was interesting to get his evaluation and to get Mike Elko’s. There was definitely a little bit more emotion in Mike Elko’s compared to the straight, standard, plus/minus evaluation of Bill Rees. So hav ing both of them, we’ve got a prett y good understanding of the personnel, but just maybe a little bit of a different f lavor.”

One player neither Rees or Elko w ill need to evaluate for this week, however, is Demon Deacons w ide receiver Greg Dortch. A lthough only a redshirt freshman, Dortch was leading the team w ith 53 receptions, 722 yards and nine touchdow ns this season — including 10 catches, 167 yards and a school-record four touchdow n grabs in Wake Forest’s 42-32 v ictor y over Louisv ille this past Saturday — while Paid Advertisement

also ser v ing as the team’s punt and kick returner.

However, Dortch sustained an abdominal injur y during Saturday’s game and was forced to undergo seasonending surger y that night.

“Injuries are part of football,” Clawson said of losing Dortch. “We w ill miss Greg.

He was hav ing a great year.

But we’ve recruited and we have depth now. I think we are better prepared to deal w ith this than we have ever been before. I w ish we had him, but I think we are really fortunate to have a player of the caliber of [junior] Tabari Hines ready to fill in. … Next man up.”

A lthough Dortch’s replacement as a starter, Hines — who actually opened the season listed as the starter on the depth chart before Dortch supplanted him — has already been an integral part of the Wake Forest offensive attack, as he is second on the team in receptions (18) and third in yards (250), the production is nowhere near the level of Dortch. Demon Deacons senior quarterback John Wolford said he has full confidence in Hines as well as

his team’s other play makers, such as redshirt-senior tight end Cam Serigne, junior w ide receiver Chuck Wade Jr. and redshirt-sophomore w ideout Scott y Washington.

“It’s next man up, and Tabari is a tremendous talent,” Wolford said Tuesday.

“He came into the year as the starter. The fact that he beat Greg out tells you how talented he is. We have our full confidence in Tabari — he’s played a lot of football, and he’ll be ready to go this Saturday. He’s chomping at the bit, so it works out for him. It’s next man up, injuries happen and that can’t be a crutch.” “ … We have play makers all over the field in my opinion. … W hen guys are getting open, when guys are making plays, it’s my job to get it to them. As much as I can get guys involved, you know get guys like Chuck Wade going, Cam going and Tabari going now — Scott y had a big day [against Louisv ille]. So, any time we can get the ball to our weapons, it’s kind of what I’m supposed to do.”

But according to Kelly, its the senior under center — and not his plethora of

insider weapons — who w ill pose the biggest challenge for the Irish defense. “[He is] probably the most experienced quarterback that we’ll play,” he said of the Demon Deacon’s starting quarterback. “Wolford has been in the system, has experienced the ups and dow ns and grow ing [pains] in this offensive system.

Led them last week to over 600 yards, counted for five touchdow ns, just really knows it ver y well. So that w ill certainly be a challenge for us.”

On the other side of the football, Wake Forests boasts a talented secondar y that is “really ascending,” according to Kelly, even w ith Demon Deacons redshirt-sophomore cornerback Jessie Bates III being announced out Tuesday by Clawson.

But the player the Irish w ill be focusing on the most, Kelly said, is defensive lineman Duke Ejiofor.

“One of the best pass rushers that we’ve seen,” he said of the redshirt senior. “I think he’s got 6 1/2 sacks, 14 tack les for loss — ver y loose and ver y mobile in terms of pass rush abilit y, can get to the quarterback. Really like his abilit y to get to the

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | The Observer

quarterback. We’ll have to keep an eye on him, whether we move it back over there or chip him. He’s somebody that we’ve got to keep an eye on.”

For the Demon Deacons, there was a question as to whether or not there would be enough meaningful game tape on the Irish, given its propensit y to blow teams out and rest some of its starters — such as junior running back Josh Adams — in the second half. However, Clawson said he is confident the Demon Deacons have more than enough to key in on what Notre Dame’s identit y and plan of attack is in the tape he has.

“They have eight games on tape,” Clawson said. “There are still plent y of meaningful snaps to look at. If this had been the second or third game of the season, it might have been a little more problematic. I don’t think Notre Dame was holding any thing back to tr y to beat Georgia and NC State. W hen you play teams w ith new defensive coordinators, if it’s game one or two, you might be guessing a little bit. However, in games nine and 10, there are some w rink les, but their identit y is their identit y.”

However, regardless of

9

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko walks up the field during Notre Dame’s New and Gold scrimmage Aug. 20 at Notre Dame Stadium. Elko was the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest from 2014–2016.

what’s identified by either team on tape or what the personnel looks like on either side come the first snap, Saturday’s w inner w ill likely be decided by who executes their game plan best, Kelly said.

“Good personnel, ver y Paid Advertisement

comfortable w ith the scheme,” Kelly said of Wake Forest. “There’s a lot of similarities, a lot of carr yovers from last year and the year before. It looks a lot like our scheme, so we’re ver y familiar w ith what the looks are.

But again, it’s going to come

dow n to execution and some of the one-on-one matchups. So really good, solid football team, play ing well right now, and we’ll have to play our best.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

10

INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Tight ends play integral role in Irish offense

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

W hen Notre Dame needed to strike back fast after giving up an early punt-block touchdow n to North Carolina State this past weekend, junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush looked to graduate student tight end Durham Smy the for a score.

W hen the Irish needed a conversion on third-andsix just outside the red zone w ith the score tied at 14-14, Wimbush looked to Smy the again, who caught the ball at the sideline and managed to keep his toes in bounds for a crucial first dow n, setting up a touchdow n pass to sophomore w ide receiver Kevin Stepherson on the next play of the game that gave the Irish a lead they would never again relinquish.

A lthough collegiate tight ends ty pically don’t see a huge share of targets, a reliance on the tight end position shouldn’t be a surprise when you remember the Irish have a prolific histor y there.

But although Smy the noted the record of Irish players at the position before him, he said he believes this year’s group brings a depth of talent the Irish have rarely had.

“There’s a responsibility I think as a tight end here,” Smy the said. “We’re almost carr ying the torch a little bit because there’s so many guys. It dates back to the ’70s and the ’80s, even a few before that. There is a bit of a responsibility to keep up that tradition in our room and I think as a group we’re doing the best we can there.

“I’ve been around some

great tight ends here. I was here w ith Troy Nik las and Ben Koyack earlier in my career, and those rosters were a little bit top-heav y at the position. But, as I’ve said numerous times this season, this roster is deep from top to bottom and I think that’s just a testament to these young guys coming in and being ready to play right away.”

The Irish success there should be even less of a surprise when you remember Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long has become know n for his work w ith the position. That started back in his playing days, as Long was named a Division II A ll-American at the role by the Football Gazette. Since then, he moved into a role as tight ends coach at Illinois and Arizona State, coaching standout tight ends Jay Prosch at the former and Chris Coyle at the latter, before becoming offensive coordinator at Memphis.

Smy the said he was extremely pleased Long became the team’s offensive coordinator and the choice played a role in him returning to the team for a fifth year.

“It’s ver y exciting to have Coach Long leading the offense,” Smy the said. “He played tight end in college; he was an A ll-American. The past, and what he’s done w ith tight ends in the past, has show n that he really knows how to utilize them both in the pass game and the run game. W hen I finally heard about it and got to research him a little bit it was exciting.

“It’s kind of crazy how

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe runs up the field to block during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over NC State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Smythe has the most receiving yards of the tight ends.

well it worked out for the team and me personally coming back. I don’t think I could have asked for someone better who has played the position, who knows the position, who has coached the position and was an offensive coordinator. The first day I came back from Christmas break I met with him, I was back earlier than some of the other guys and right away I knew from a personality standpoint I clicked with him. That was obvious.

And he showed me some film of some guys he utilized and I felt extremely confident in how he was going to utilize our room.”

Together, the Irish tight end group has combined for

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe falls into the endzone for a touchdown during Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over NC State on Saturday. Smythe caught three passes for 52 yards in the game.

356 yards on 30 receptions, w ith Smy the’s touchdown last week the second the group has scored this season, as he also leads the group in receiving yards with 182.

Yet pass-catching has been just a small part of the game for Smy the. The graduate student may have caught his sixth career touchdown last week, but he remains known primarily as a blocking tight end in contrast with junior A lize Mack, who is known as the bigger receiving threat in the group. Smy the said that although he enjoys catching passes, he gains an equal amount of pleasure from blocking in the run game.

“I think we’ve progressed pretty well as an offense,”

Smy the said. “And then our role as tight ends, it’s difficult to explain because we’re doing so many different things on ever y game plan and on ever y play. It’s nice to be renowned for making a big plan in the last game, but for me it’s just the same as making a play on the edge, sealing the edge and helping Josh Adams run 77 yards for a touchdown. There’s been some progression in terms of making some bigger production in the passing game for me personally, but I think it’s something we’ve done as a tight end unit the whole season.”

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Junior tight end Alize Mack secures a pass and turns upfield during Notre Dame’s 38-18 win over Michigan State on Sept. 23.

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement