As Notre Dame junior linebacker Jarrett Grace laid on the turf at AT&T Stadium with a fractured fibula in the first half of his team's 37-34 win over Arizona State on Oct. 5, senior linebacker Kendall Moore knew it was his turn to embrace the team's philosophy of "next man in."
Louis Nix has grown.
TJ Jones arrived at Notre Dame as its highest-rated offensive recruit in the class of 2010.
College basketball has been in a slump the last few years. Last season was the lowest-scoring in the sport since 1952, the one-and-done rule has led to a lack of consistent stars and conferences have been torn apart due to decisions made with football in mind. Even the NCAA itself acknowledged its product needed a boost by making rules this offseason that restrict contact on defense in an effort to increase scoring.
Amid all the distractions, Irish senior defensive lineman Kona Schwenke just likes to relax on game day.
Growing up in Frankfort, Ill., Tyler Plantz and his brothers would wake up every morning to a panorama view of Notre Dame Stadium. Now, Plantz has seen an insider's view of the very structure he grew up admiring.
Something you might not have suspected about senior offensive guard Christian Lombard? He's quite the cook, especially when it comes to scrambled eggs.
After defeating Virginia Tech 3-1 on Wednesday, the Irish will try to continue their momentum against Virginia today at 4:30 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion.
After sitting out all of 2012 with shoulder and back injuries, senior safety Austin Collinsworth is back with a vengeance.
Senior defensive lineman Arturo Martinez had only played one year of high school football when he walked into the student section to watch Notre Dame's first game of the 2010 season. He now admits he didn't really know that much about football at the time.
Irish senior nose guard Louis Nix will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus yesterday morning, Irish coach Brian Kelly said in his media briefing Thursday. "Louis Nix had surgery today to repair a meniscus that is one that has been troublesome for him," Kelly said. The 6-foot-2.5, 342-pound defensive lineman played in Notre Dame's most recent contest, a 28-21 loss to Pittsburgh, but had missed the two previous games, wins against Air Force and Navy. Team surgeon Dr. Brian Ratigan performed the surgery after a second opinion from noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews confirmed the necessity of an intervention. "I didn't think my week would go this way," Nix said. "Throughout the week, my leg was just painful and then [I] just communicating with the doctors, and told them how I felt, got treatment and we kept going and going. But it continued to hurt." Nix has 27 tackles on the season, two tackles for loss and two passes batted at the line. The Jacksonville native has 90 tackles and 2.5 sacks for his career and has compiled a number of honors and awards throughout his career. A third-team All-American last season, Nix entered 2013 on the Maxwell and Bednarnik awards watch lists, given annually to the most outstanding player and the top defensive player, respectively. "Suffice to say that he battled through this knee injury and just could not answer the bell." Kelly said "... Very disappointing for him, but again, I think what he's done for our program and what he has battled through, we'll remember him as a great teammate and what he's tried to accomplish here these past few weeks in trying to get out on the field. And we all know what he's accomplished in helping us build success on the field." Now the outstanding senior, whose recovery time will last at least six weeks before he resumes full mobility, won't even be able to end his year on the sidelines. "I can't go out to practices, doc said it's not good for me to be standing around," Nix said. "So I'll just go into the locker room and wait around, communicate with my guys and just be there for them. "I mean, that's tough too because I love being on the sideline. I love being in Notre Dame Stadium, and a lot of people do. Just being out there is exciting and it won't be the same in the locker room. But my guys know and everybody knows the reasons why, and I'm with them in spirit." Nix's parents will still travel to South Bend to participate in senior day ceremonies before the game. "I'm happy for them because they get to share something special with me, just being at this great university, 'cause they know it turned my life around." Nix said. "I had a lot growing up, a lot of issues, a lot of things that could have happened to me and it didn't. And I chose to come here and it changed my life for the best. So that's a special moment for my family." Nix has one year of eligibility remaining but will complete his degree in December. He is ranked among the top 15 draft-eligible prospects by multiple sources, but Nix said he is not yet ready to make a decision regarding his future. "I don't know what to consider," he said. "This is a great place, a great university and it's done a lot for my life. I feel like if I did come back it would still do numerous things for me and it would help me out. So there's a lot of choices on both sides, but at this time, I'm not even thinking about it. "I don't think either decision is wrong. ... This is a great place, and I enjoy all my experiences: my highs, my lows, here." Nix will most likely not be able to travel with the team for its final regular-season game at Stanford on Nov. 30, but will do his best to make his presence felt in the limited way he can. "I battle for my teammates, and I play hard for them," Nix said. "And this hurts me because I can't do anything, but at this point I'm just going to try to be the biggest cheerleader and support my guys on the sidelines." Contact Joseph Monardo at jmonardo@nd.edu
Editor's Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Aug. 30 edition of The Observer.
After a dominant 4-1 win over then-No. 25 Iowa at home on Nov. 15, No. 23 Notre Dame travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. this Friday to square off against an upset-minded Western Michigan in the second round of the NCAA championships. The Irish (12-7-1, 7-5-1 ACC) exploded offensively against the Hawkeyes, reaching their highest output since a 5-0 victory over Maryland on Sept. 26. Irish coach Randy Waldrum credits the deluge to the week's worth of training the Irish had to prepare for the Hawkeye defense. The squad has had another week off since the first round, which gives Waldrum confidence heading into Friday. "Our training [this week] has been as great as it was before Iowa," Waldrum said. "[Wednesday's] practice in particular was phenomenal. It reminds me a lot of the 2010 [NCAA] championship team. We seem to hit our stride once the tournament starts. Our practices have been so consistently good and we feel really confident heading into this game." The Broncos (11-5-5, 10-2-2 MAC) are also coming off an impressive first round. Playing on the road, they took down second-seeded Marquette 1-0, making Marquette the highest seed to be eliminated in the first round. Waldrum said his squad cannot afford to focus too much on any individual player on the Broncos. "They're more of a collective team," Waldrum said. "In the past month we've played some teams with some really talented star players. From what we've seen, Western Michigan has had their success based on their organization. They work together and press the ball very well. We have to be very good in our ball movement and our speed of play. If we come out too slow or too casual, they really come after you with pressure." The Western Michigan defense allows just .859 goals per game, which will challenge an Irish offense that has struggled in the latter half of the season, averaging only 1.22 goals per game since September. Waldrum said the team spent most of their week off preparing for this challenge. "We've just tried to continue to get better and work on the attacking third," Waldrum said. "We've really struggled all season in that area. In the Iowa game we were quite good at creating attacking opportunities for ourselves, so we're trying to build on that and work on our set pieces. The deeper we get in the tournament the more important free kicks and corner kicks will become as the defenses get better. Even though we scored four against Iowa, I think we can still get more out of our forwards." In particular, Waldrum said he wants his team to avoid digging an early hole for themselves. Against Iowa, the Irish fell behind 1-0 in the first five minutes off a free kick. "Western Michigan is a team like Iowa," Waldrum said. "They bring pressure in the first 20 minutes. If you give up an early goal, it's hard to play down. We need to come out with speed early on in the game." Waldrum said his team is not taking Western Michigan for granted, but they have are aware of a looming matchup with No. 3 seeded Michigan should they win. Michigan (16-3-1, 9-1-1 Big Ten) plays Illinois State immediately following Notre Dame's match. "It's the first time in a few years that we've been to Michigan," Waldrum said. "They've built a new facility, so no players of ours have ever played here before. Friday's game is at a neutral site so that shouldn't be a problem, but if we're lucky enough to get to Sunday, depending on who advances, we could be dealing with a home-field advantage for them. Mostly though, we're taking the approach that Friday is another game and another job." The Irish take on Western Michigan on Friday at 4 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich. in the second round of the NCAA championships. Should they win, they will advance to play the winner of the Michigan-Illinois State game on Sunday. Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
Editor's Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 27 edition of The Observer.
COUGARS PASSING Cougars sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill is eighth in the nation in individual offense with 333 yards per game, but much of that production comes from his role in the run game. As a passer, Hill is completing just 52 percent of his attempts, and has 12 interceptions to go along with his 16 touchdowns. Hill's favorite target is senior wideout Cody Hoffman, whose 33 career touchdown catches are the most of any receiver in the country. At 6-foot-4, Hoffman is a big-play threat on the outside, and is averaging 17.5 yards per reception this season. After Hoffman, however, BYU's targets fall off - no other Cougar receiver averages over 45 yards a game. If the Irish can contain Hoffman, their secondary has a chance to shut down BYU through the air, and possibly force some game-changing interceptions. Notre Dame can also disrupt the passing game with its pass rush, powered by marquee defensive lineman senior Louis Nix and junior StephonTuitt. The Cougars have allowed 30 sacks this year, and Hill's proclivity to scramble can backfire when the defense drags him down for big losses. EDGE: NOTRE DAME COUGARS RUSHING After struggling with mobile quarterbacks early in the season, Notre Dame will have to stop another dual threat in Hill. The dynamic senior is BYU's leading rusher, and has over 1,100 yards rushing on the season, excluding sacks. Hill has the speed to get through a hole in the Irish defense, and the strength to run through arm tackles, as he exhibited by rushing for 259 yards against then-No. 15 Texas. Joining Hill in the backfield is sophomore running back Jamaal Williams, who is another option averaging over 100 yards a game for the Cougars. BYU's rushing attack, when combined with its frenetic pace on offense, will require big days from Notre Dame's front seven, with linemen filling holes and graduate student linebackers Dan Fox and Carlo Calabrese wrapping up on tackles before the Cougars can reach the open field. EDGE: BYU
Senior offensive lineman Bruce Heggie was not the typical Notre Dame recruit. He had the accolades, having been named an all-county performer for Mount Dora High School in Mount Dora, Fla. He had the lineage, with his father, Bruce Sr., having played defensive end for Florida State in the 1980s. What he lacked, however, was a position.
The No. 6 Irish travel Saturday to Penn for a game in the iconic Palestra gymnasium.
Solutions by The State News
