2 The observer | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | ndsmcobserver.com Insider recruiting DB Ykili Ross to take official visit to campus

By MIKE MONACO squares off with Louisville, Senior Sports Writer but the California native moved up his trip by one week. After 35 days between home “With him coming in a week games — tied for the lon- early, he’s going to get the red- gest stretch in Notre Dame carpet treatment,” Loy said. program history — the Irish “There’s nobody else coming will return to their home turf in this weekend that’s gon- Saturday when they welcome na steal any attention from Northwestern to Notre Dame [Irish head coach Brian] Kelly, Stadium. And with its first op- Cooks, [ portunity since mid-October Brian] VanGorder, anybody to host recruits for a game really. The whole staff’s gonna weekend, Notre Dame will give a push. welcome class of 2015 four- “So that’s a big key for Notre star defensive back Ykili Ross Dame. They’re very, very much for an official visit. in this.” Ross, the No. 180 overall Loy said he expects the de- player in the country accord- cision to come down to Notre ing to 247Sports’ Composite Dame versus USC. Rankings, took an unofficial Shaun Crawford, visit to South Bend in late June, Nick Coleman and Ashton White per 247Sports. Irish recruiting and safeties Prentice McKinney analyst Tom Loy said Notre and Nicco Fertitta have also Dame is recruiting the multi- committed to the Irish for this skilled Ross as a . recruiting cycle. “You could make an argu- While Ross is the only ment that he’s the top guy scheduled weekend visitor, left on the board just for his Notre Dame already has five versatility to play corner- recruits lined up for next back, safety, ,” weekend’s senior day match- said Loy, who covers Notre up with the Cardinals. Class Dame recruiting for Blue and of 2015 Ronald Gold Illustrated, part of the Jones II, an Oklahoma State 247Sports network. “He can commitment since April, is play anywhere.” among those set to be in at- Irish defensive backs coach tendance. Jones checks in as Kerry Cooks has been Ross’s the No. 9 running back and primary recruiter, according No. 84 overall player in the to Loy. class of 2015. Loy said the Irish “It all makes sense,” Loy have liked Jones for a long said. “They want a long, ath- time and described Jones’s letic, fast corner. He’s exactly commitment to the Cowboys Photo courtesy Blue & Gold Illustrated, 247Sports that. He fits the bill. He’s just as “surprising.” Class of 2015 defensive back and receiver Ykili Ross is scheduled to take an official visit to campus this a freak athlete that could be “The combination of athlet- weekend, according to Irish recruiting analyst Tom Loy. dominant on both sides of the ics and academics offered in ball.” South Bend was a big selling The Irish have continued to running back targets on its (an LSU commitment), Jones Ross was initially scheduled point, and Jones is a strong recruit Jones since his com- board for the class of 2015. Loy and Dexter Williams (a Miami to take his official visit next academic kid and he liked that mitment, Loy added. Notre said Soso Jamabo remains the pledge expected to visit next weekend when Notre Dame about Notre Dame,” Loy said. Dame still has a group of top option, but Nick Brossette weekend) are all in the mix as well. “If they can get their hands on one of these top guys, that collection of running backs, that’s a huge pull,” Loy said. The Irish offered class of 2016 cornerback Damar Hamlin on Tuesday. The No. 11 cornerback in his class, Hamlin also holds offers from the likes of Penn State, Ohio State and West Virginia. “I love Damar Hamlin,” Loy said. “He’s long. He’s only 6-feet tall, but he’s got long arms. He reminds me a lot of [Irish freshman cornerback] Nick Watkins coming out of high school — above-aver- age speed, really technically sound, just a polished corner- back compared to a lot of kids his age. “… I think Notre Dame will be a player for Hamlin.”

For more on Notre Dame recruiting, check out BlueAndGold.com. Email Andrew Owens at [email protected] and tell him The Observer sent you. Photo courtesy Blue & Gold Illustrated, 247Sports Class of 2015 running back Ronald Jones II, an Oklahoma State commitment since April, is expected to visit Notre Dame next weekend when Contact Mike Monaco at the Irish host Louisville on Senior Day, according to Irish recruiting analyst Tom Loy. [email protected] Insider ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, november 14, 2014 | The Observer 3

By ISAAC LORTON watched away games from his Farley said he placed these and experiences that Farley because I wear the same Assistant Managing Editor dorm, Carroll Hall. As a soph- lofty expectations on himself has become a calming source things every day,” Farley omore, Farley was asked to as well, but such thoughts and advisor for his young said. “Every once in a while, Whatever may change on play safety, and shortly there- were hindrances at times. teammates and new starters I throw a curveball and wear the field, Matthias Farley re- after, he was thrown into a “I think I had to grow up on the Irish defense, he said. some cowboy boots. mains the same. starting role after injuries to a lot,” Farley said of his play “I feel like I have gone “There’s not too much vari- “Sweet beard pic,” Farley former Irish safety Jamoris last season. “When you get through a lot of things that ety. I just own it. I just rock it.” said as he wrapped up his Slaughter and put in a situation where you they have gone through,” With his style comes his photo shoot Wednesday. g r a d u a t e do well and then you come Farley said. “My sophomore music. Farley has a great af- Farley’s facial follicles are a student back and things are expected year, I got thrown in due to an finity for music, one he has talent of his, he noted. s a f e t y of you and you don’t do as injury, and last year, I had a been trying to express by “Every time I have had a A u s t i n well or don’t live up to it, it’s lot of ups and downs. So hav- learning the ukulele from beard since I started playing easy to take it hard on your- ing gone through that, and sophomore receiver Corey football, I have played better self and harp on things that seeing guys when they get Robinson. than if I shave my face, his- you should probably let go.” done, it’s really easy for me “I love music,” Farley said. “I torically,” Farley said. As a senior, Farley was to pick up on it because I was don’t think the world should The easy-going, self- asked to play the nickelback right there really not too long exist if there wasn’t music in assured Charlotte, corner position under new ago at all.” it. I have never been musical- North Carolina defensive coordinator Brian Farley remains rooted ly gifted — I am not very good native said it is VanGorder. The position was in and inspired by the les- at the ukulele — but I really this nature that much more complex com- sons his family has taught enjoy playing. I think music allows him to pared to the nickel corner him, he said. His memories is applicable to anything and weather the in former defensive coordi- cover his left arm, chest and everything in life, whether it chaos of nator ’s system, and back in the form of tattoos. is good or bad.” N o t r e after watching a lot of film, On his bicep, his very first Learning the ukulele has D a m e VanGorder asked Farley to tattoo, which reads “Farley not been as easy as changing foot- ball. take on that role. Used to Sempre,” or “Farley Forever,” a position, Farley said. “ I have been changing positions, Farley surrounded by the outline “It’s honestly a frustration t h e exact same said he took it all in stride. of North Carolina reminds because Corey Robinson is w a y since I’ve “I saw it as a way to start him of his family and home. still so much better at it than g o t here,” over,” Farley said of his The “7” on his elbow me,” Farley said. “I always Farley said. position change. “It’s a represents his seven siblings. wanted to play an instru- “ W h e n new coordinator, a new sys- Coming off the “7,” a stair- ment. I joke around all the y o u ’ r e tem. It’s kind of been the sto- case climbs into the clouds time and say I’m really good g o i n g ry of my career: starting over. of heaven in remembrance of at the kazoo, which I actually through I had no reservations about his deceased brother, Titus. am, but that doesn’t take too change, if when he said he wanted to The poem, “Invictus,” on his much talent. It’s been cool y o u ’ r e move me. I was on board 100 back tells him he “is the mas- to learn something new, pick g r o u n d e d percent.” ter of [his] fate” and the “cap- something up.” and find out who you Farley said he was much tain of [his soul],” while the Music connects to all are as a person outside of more prepared for his senior large Icarus on his shoulder things, even football, Farley football — because there’s so year because he put his time reminds him to be humble said. many things that can change at Notre Dame into perspec- and grounded, he said. These “When you’re playing a on a whim in this game — you tive. His even-keeled de- images map out how Farley game like football, [music] can’t be serious all of the time. meanor has contributed to became who he is as a person, definitely adds to it, even if it So I think it has helped me his play this season, which he said. is just a pregame soundtrack,” because I like to goof around has included 32 tackles, 3.5 “I think tattoos are the story Farley said. “If you hear it ev- and have a good time. Just Collinsworth. sacks, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and of my life on my arm,” Farley ery time before you go out, keeping that in mind and un- Farley excelled three . said. “And it’s a constant re- it kind of gets your mind set derstanding that there’s a lot in his new role “I came in [this season] minder of people and things right, adds consistency.” of things at stake in the game with 49 tackles, with a different mindset that that have had huge impacts The consistency and of football [is important], but an I was just going to enjoy this on my life. Just in a visual uniqueness that define Farley just remembering to enjoy it and a crucial sev- because there’s somebody form ... it is a great reminder as a person have shown up and understand it’s a blessing en-yard tackle-for- somewhere — probably thou- to pull me back to home base on the field this season, as to be able to play it period, loss against Stanford sands of people — who would of what I have gone through, he has consistently made the especially to be able to play it in the fourth quarter trade with me in a day - and where I have been and where big play when most needed. here, [is also important]” of Notre Dame’s 20-13 trade with any of us, not just I want to go, and the peo- Farley summed up his per- Farley has played four win in October 2012. myself. It goes so fast. ... I ple who have helped me get sonality and play in his de- different positions in an As a junior, much feel like I just got here. So there.” scription of his beard. Irish uniform and start- was expected from Farley, really I just enjoy every day, The tattoos add to Farley’s “If you have a gift, you ed at three of them. As a now playing at corner, but give my all every day and try unique style, something should share it.” freshman, Farley was on he did not quite live up to to encourage everybody else about which his teammates the practice squad as a those high expectations around me.” make frequent comments. Contact Isaac Lorton at redshirt receiver who often throughout the season. It is through all of his trials “I think it’s kind of comical [email protected] Paid Advertisement

Interested in writing about Notre Dame and Saint

Mary’s sports for The Paid Advertisement Observer?

Email Sports Editor Mary Green at [email protected]

Please recycle The Observer. Insider ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | The Observer 5 commentary Strong bowl options still await ND after ASU loss

bye weeks. Dame. Instead, the Irish Notre Dame to play in the for a few more years. The Irish Samantha Zuba Sorry, what? Notre Dame dropped to No. 18 in the play- Russell Athletic Bowl against proved they could play one of Assistant Managing Editor played last week? The first half off committee’s rankings, and Oklahoma. Two dynamic of- the country’s best teams — not was an abyss of misery as the there’s virtually no way back to fenses and the potential for the just top 10, but top two — and I know what you’re thinking, Irish lost to Arizona State, 55- playoff contention. Irish to get payback for last sea- excel. Irish fans. 31? Are you sure? There are positives, though, son’s 35-21 loss? This could be If this season becomes a Last weekend was great. I am sure, Irish fans. I promise. Maybe seniors who good. stepping-stone to a future With no Notre Dame games, That loss was a slap to the wanted to witness another CBS Sports put the Irish in playoff appearance, maybe the there was more time to huddle Irish, and as hard as it might be national championship game the Belk Bowl against LSU. A phrase “offensive pass interfer- inside and enjoy other college for fans to take, this Saturday won’t see a lot of sunshine in big game against an SEC team ence” will stop driving barbs football games on television. marks the first game since into Irish fans’ hearts. Or at Weird to have two bye weeks Notre Dame’s playoff hopes least barbs not dipped in acid. in a three-week stretch, but ended. For now, Notre Dame fans hey, roll with it. Now, Notre The Sun Devils launched If this season becomes a stepping-stone to have to deal with this current Dame should be ready to keep themselves from No. 9 to No. 6 a future playoff appearance, maybe the season. To write it off would charging against Northwestern in the Playoff be disrespectful to this year’s on Saturday. The Navy game rankings with the win over phrase “offensive pass interference” will team, what it has accomplished wasn’t the prettiest, but the the Irish. They’re solidly posi- stop driving barbs into Irish fans’ hearts. and what remains for it to do. Irish have had plenty of time tioned for a shot at the playoffs Or at least barbs not dipped in acid. The Irish will continue form- to rest and recover before con- with a large helping of football ing their bowl resume Saturday tinuing the College Football still left. against Northwestern, then Playoff quest. What well-timed That could have been Notre on to a home matchup with a Paid Advertisement the possibilities, but Notre would provide an electric at- tricky Louisville team and a Dame is still a top-20 team. mosphere and a quality test for journey to Los Angeles to take This isn’t a 9-4 team with a loss Notre Dame. on a Jekyll-and-Hyde USC to Pittsburgh. Because remember, this team hovering on the edges of The Rose Bowl and Sugar team is still being tested. the polls. Bowl are out, as these will serve Although the Irish are no lon- Sorry, what? Notre Dame as the two semifinal games in ger being measured under the came back from a 34-3 defi- the playoffs. The Cotton, Fiesta pressure of playoff aspirations, cit against Arizona State but and Peach Bowls are long shots this team has a lot of potential. didn’t finish the job? with so many teams ahead of This season still matters be- Irish fans, I have no comfort- the Irish, as is the Orange Bowl, cause Notre Dame does have ing words about that. although the Irish have a tie-in a shot at a pretty good bowl there. game and because there is a The views expressed in this Even if Notre Dame misses lot of player development left column are those of the author one of these major bowls, the to do. and not necessarily those of The Irish could play their way into This season’s team has out- Observer. an intriguing matchup. performed the expectations Sports Illustrated and of many. Underclassmen im- Contact Samantha Zuba at ESPN each recently projected pressed, and they’ll be here [email protected]

Paid Advertisement

ZACHARY LLORENS | The Observer Irish senior Everett Golson scrambles during Notre Dame’s 50-43 win over North Carolina on Oct. 11 at Notre Dame Stadium. 6 The observer | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | ndsmcobserver.com Insider

H3:30 p.m.EAD TO NOTRE DAME Stadium NOrthwestern JODI LO | The Observer JODI LO | The Observer WILDCATS PASSING underwhelming Northwestern ground game. Senior quarterback has ap- peared in 42 games for the Wildcats, splitting EDGE: NOTRE DAME (Jr.) Cameron Dickerson 19 time with Kain Colter in the last two seasons (Jr.) Pierre Youngblood-Ary 11 WR before taking over the job this year. Siemian’s WILDCATS OFFENSIVE COACHING 40 statistics have dropped off slightly from last Northwestern offensive coordinator Mick (Jr.) Dan Vitale (R-Fr.) Jayme Taylor 88 TE/HB season; he has completed 57 percent of his McCall is in his seventh season and has had (Sr.) Paul Jorgensen 78 passes and thrown five touchdowns to eight some good offenses, particularly the one (Jr.) Shane Mertz 70 LT interceptions. Siemian is coming off his best that averaged over 31 points two seasons (Fr.) Justin Jackson 28 (Jr.) Geoff Mogus 53 performance of the season, in which he threw ago. Those offenses, however, came with all- (Sr.) Treyvon Green 22 RB (So.) Ian Park 63 LG for 273 yards and completed over 65 percent of conference in Colter and Dan (Sr.) Trevor Siemian 13 (Sr.) Brandon Vitabile 66 (Jr.) Zack Oliver 10 (Sr.) Hayden Baker 65 his passes in a 10-9 loss to Michigan. Persa and a talented running back in Venric QB C Northwestern has had only one 100-plus Mark. (Jr.) Matt Frazier 57 (So.) Adam DePietro 73 RG yard receiving performance on the season. McCall’s offense has looked much less stel- (Sr.) Jack Konopka 75 Junior superback Dan Vitale, a halfback/ lar this year, ranking 119th in the nation in (So.) Eric Olson 76 RT tight end hybrid, eclipsed the mark against scoring. The Wildcats have scored 20 or more Penn State. Senior Kyle Prater has been points in only four games this season. Northwestern’s most consistent receiver with Irish defensive coordinator Brian (Sr.) Kyle Prater 21 372 yards on the season. The Wildcats’ offen- VanGorder’s defense has allowed more than (So.) Mike McHugh 83 WR sive line has struggled to protect Siemian, al- 30 points in the last four games. Regardless, (Sr.) Tony Jones 6 lowing 28 sacks through nine games. his aggressive defense should be able to ex- (So.) Austin Carr 80 WR Although Notre Dame’s secondary held ploit Northwestern’s struggles in pass block- Arizona State under its passing yards average, ing and establishing a consistent run game. the Irish allowed several big-yardage plays. (Jr.) Nick VanHoose 23 Still, it’s difficult to imagine Northwestern’s EDGE: NOTRE DAME (Jr.) Jarrell Williams 4 LCB passing attack being able to exploit the Irish secondary, especially if graduate student cor- WILDCATS SPECIAL TEAMS (Sr.) Chi Chi Ariguzo 44 (Jr.) Drew Smith 55 WLB nerback Cody Riggs is back. Notre Dame’s de- Sophomore kicker Jack Mitchell has con- fensive line also should be able to successfully nected on eight of his 10 field-goal attempts (Sr.) Ibraheim Campbell 24 (Jr.) Deonte Gibson 13 16 pressure Siemian into some tough throws. this season, and the two kicks he missed were (R-Fr.) Godwin Igwebuike S (So.) Ifeadi Odenigbo 7 DE his only attempts over 30 yards. (Jr.) Max Chapman 96 EDGE: NOTRE DAME The Wildcats have struggled with punting, (So.) Greg Kuhar 93 (R-Fr.) Anthony Walker 18 DT ranking 119th nationally with a net average of (So.) Jaylen Prater 51 MLB 90 WILDCATS RUSHING 32 yards. Northwestern’s kickoff return unit (Jr.) C.J. Robbins (So.) Connor Mahoney 89 DT Northwestern’s rush attack has struggled to ranks 91st nationally, but its punt return unit get going this season. The Wildcats rank 111th has averaged over 12 yards per return. (Jr.) Traveon Henry 10 (Jr.) Dean Lowry 94 in the country with an average of 109 rushing Notre Dame’s recent struggles haven’t hit (R-Fr.) Kyle Queiro 21 S (Fr.) Xavier Washington 98 DE yards per game. In addition, the Wildcats av- the punt and kickoff return units, which both erage only 2.9 rush yards per attempt. rank in the top half of teams nationally. (Jr.) Drew Smith 55 (Sr.) Jimmy Hall 9 SLB There have been positive signs for the Wildcats recently, however, as freshman EDGE: NOTRE DAME (So.) Matthew Harris 27 Justin Jackson has emerged to take the bulk of (R-Fr.) Marcus McShepard 17 RCB carries. Jackson has topped the 100-yard mark WILDCATS SCHEDULE (3-6) in three of his last five games, including a 162- Aug. 30 California (L 31-24) yard effort against Wisconsin and a 128-yard Sept. 6 Northern Illinois (L 23-15) performance against Nebraska. Sept. 20 Western Illinois (W 24-7) Notre Dame’s run defense has dropped off Sept. 27 @ Penn State (W 29-6) (So.) Jack Mitchell 8 (So.) Christian Salem 18 in recent weeks, allowing 360 yards to Navy Oct. 4 Wisconsin (W 20-14) PK H and 188 to Arizona State. But the Irish rush Oct. 11 @ Minnesota (L 24-17) (So.) Chris Gradone 31 (Sr.) Treyvon Green 22 defense has been strong when it has needed Oct. 18 Nebraska (L 38-17) (R-Fr.) Hunter Niswander 32 P KR to be, allowing only 50 yards to Florida State Nov. 1 @ Iowa (L 48-7) (Sr.) Tony Jones 6 (So.) Chris Fitzpatrick 52 and 47 to Stanford. Even if juniors Sheldon Nov. 8 Michigan (L 10-9) PR LS Day and Jarron Jones are not fully healed Nov. 15 @ Notre Dame from various injuries suffered over the last Nov. 22 @ Purdue few weeks, the Irish should be able to stop an Nov. 29 Illinois

Mike Monaco Brian Hartnett Samantha Zuba Senior Sports Writer Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editor

A week after the so-called “debacle in the desert,” Notre After last Saturday’s barrage of turnovers, a game against Turnovers, whoever’s fault they may be, have dogged Dame has a chance to spit out the bitter taste left in its mouth Northwestern might be the remedy Notre Dame needs. the Irish this season, and they did again last Saturday. from the loss to Arizona State. Well, partially, at least. Northwestern doesn’t have the pass rush or powerful Expect Everett Golson to bounce back with a clean — if not Despite its 3-6 record, Northwestern’s defense hasn’t been defense line to create a frenzy like Arizona State did, so necessarily spectacular — performance. The Irish will move too bad overall — the Wildcats actually rank 30th nationally Notre Dame should have a better chance to hang onto the ball without much trouble against the Northwestern in scoring defense. On the other hand, Northwestern’s of- the ball. defense. fense has been dreadful, particularly recently. The Wildcats Northwestern will be aggressive, as head coach Pat On the other side, the Wildcats must find a way to sustain haven’t scored more than 20 points since September. Fitzgerald proved last week with his adventurous two- drives against Brian VanGorder’s defense. Northwestern That statistic spells good news for the Notre Dame defense, point conversion call, but the Wildcats’ offense has quarterback Trevor Siemian found success in the Wildcats’ which has been under siege recently. The Irish should be been largely anemic. last two drives Saturday against Michigan, but Siemian able to push through Northwestern’s offensive line and get Look for Notre Dame’s defense to shut down won’t strike much fear in the eyes of the Irish defense, even to Trevor Siemian often. Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian. with freshman middle linebacker Nyles Morgan. That should give Notre Dame enough of a cushion to come Everett Golson and the Irish should be able to out- The Irish will get back on track in a big way. out with a comfortable win, even if Everett Golson makes a score Northwestern by a large margin. mistake or two. FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 41, Northwestern 17 FINAL SCORE : Notre Dame 35, Northwestern 14 FINAL SCORE : Notre Dame 42, Northwestern 10 Insider ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | The Observer 7 TO HEAD on NBC No. 18 NOtre Dame KARLA MORENO | The Observer KARLA MORENO | The Observer IRISH PASSING Given Notre Dame’s track record, there’s Much attention has been focused on Irish no guarantee the Irish will be able to run it 2 Cody Riggs (Gr.) senior quarterback Everett Golson after consistently. WR CB 19 Nick Watkins (Fr.) his five-turnover performance Saturday. Golson certainly had his struggles — and EDGE: EVEN 9 (So.) his six are cause for concern — but TE/HB WLB 48 Greer Martini (Fr.) Saturday’s performance was far from solely IRISH OFFENSIVE COACHING 45 Romeo Okwara (Jr.) LT DE 98 Andrew Trumbetti (Fr.) his fault, as his offensive line failed to block, Under the direction of Kelly and offensive 22 Elijah Shumate ( Jr.) S 23 Drue Tranquill (Fr.) his receivers bobbled passes, and players coordinator Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame LG 91 Sheldon Day ( Jr.) were out of position. has put up nearly 35 points per game, the DT 53 Justin Utupo (Gr.) 5 Nyles Morgan (Fr.) Golson still managed to throw for a career- highest scoring average in the Kelly era. The C ILB 42 Michael Deeb (So.) 94 Jarron Jones ( Jr.) high 446 yards and two touchdowns against Irish have accrued more than 400 yards in DT 75 Daniel Cage (Fr.) Arizona State, one week after he accounted three of their last four games and still scored RG 10 Max Redfield (So.) S 41 Matthias Farley (Sr.) for six touchdowns versus Navy. Sophomore 27 points in the game they didn’t. 90 Isaac Rochell (So.) RT DE 92 Grant Blankenship (Fr.) receiver Will Fuller and senior receiver Amir Under sixth-year defensive coordinator 17 James Onwualu (So.) Carlisle each had more than 90 yards against Mike Hankwitz, Northwestern has allowed SLB 31 John Turner (Jr.) the Sun Devils. slightly more than 22 points per game. But Unfortunately for Golson, he’ll face a de- the Wildcats have struggled lately, giving up fense that has successfully forced turnovers. more than 35 points in two of their last three The Wildcats have intercepted 11 passes, games. 36 Cole Luke (So.) WR CB 12 Devin Butler (So.) good for 20th in the nation. Redshirt fresh- man cornerback Godwin Igwebuike leads EDGE: NOTRE DAME the Northwestern secondary with three of 2 Chris Brown ( Jr.) these interceptions. IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS WR 88 Corey Robinson (So.) While it would be unlikely for Golson to After its success to start the season, 3 Amir Carlisle (Sr.) WR 20 C.J. Prosise (Jr.) replicate last Saturday’s performance, an Notre Dame’s special teams unit has aggressive, poised Northwestern second- shown some regression to its level of play ary might not exactly be the remedy for him over the last few seasons. 74 Christian Lombard (Gr.) to get back to the level of some of his earlier Senior kicker Kyle Brindza has missed RT 68 Mike McGlinchey (So.) DE 33 performances. three field goals over the last two games, 79 Cam McDaniel (Sr.) Steve Elmer (So.) RB 25 Tarean Folston (So.) though he’s not fully to blame — ju- RG 62 Colin McGovern (So.) 1 Greg Bryant (So.) EDGE: NORTHWESTERN nior holder Hunter Smith, who has since DT 77 Matt Hegarty (Sr.) 5 Everett Golson (Sr.) C 75 Mark Harrell(Jr.) QB 8 (So.) been replaced by sophomore quarter- DT 72 Nick Martin (Sr.) IRISH RUSHING back Malik Zaire, mishandled a snap last LG 65 Conor Hanratty (Sr.) After three consecutive strong efforts, in- weekend. 78 Ronnie Stanley ( Jr.) cluding back-to-back games of more than Northwestern excels in blocking field 70 Hunter Bivin (So.) DE LT 120 yards, Irish sophomore running back goals, ranking second nationally with five 18 (Sr.) Tarean Folston struggled to find a rhythm blocks on the season. TE 80 Durham Smythe (So.) 13 Tyler Luatua (Fr.) against Arizona State, running for only 30 yards on 11 carries. Notre Dame had only 41 EDGE: NORTHWESTERN 7 Will Fuller (So.) yards in the game. 16 WR Torii Hunter Jr. (So.) The Irish have made improvements over IRISH SCHEDULE (7-2) the last month but have struggled to find Aug. 30 Rice (W 48-17) consistent running lanes and currently rank Sept. 6 Michigan (W 31-0) 74th nationally in rushing offense. Although Sept. 13 vs. Purdue (W 30-14) Folston has received the lion’s share of car- Sept. 27 Syracuse (W 31-15) ries, Irish head coach Brian Kelly might play Oct. 4 Stanford (W 17-14) 27 Kyle Brindza (Sr.) 27 Kyle Brindza (Sr.) KO PK 85 Tyler Newsome (Fr.) McDaniel more because he has had more Oct. 11 North Carolina (W 50-43) success in pass blocking. Oct. 18 @ Florida State (L 34-31) 3 Amir Carlisle (Sr.) 27 Kyle Brindza (Sr.) KR 33 Cam McDaniel (Sr.) P 85 Tyler Newsome (Fr.) Northwestern’s rush defense has had its Nov. 1 vs. Navy (W 49-39) 61 Scott Daly ( Jr.) 2 Cody Riggs (Gr.) share of struggles recently, allowing nine Nov. 8 @ Arizona State (L 55-31) LS PR 1 Greg Bryant (So.) touchdowns on the game in its last three Nov. 15 Northwestern games. In total, the Wildcats have allowed Nov. 22 Louisville about 164 yards on the ground per game. Nov. 29 @ USC

Isaac Lorton Mary Green Assistant Managing Editor Sports Editor Check out our The Irish may not have a shot at the playoffs, but they still Notre Dame’s hopes for a national championship may have a lot to improve upon, beginning with Northwestern. have been dashed after last week’s loss, but the team will new Notre Dame The Wildcats are in the top 20 for takeaways in college still look to finish the season on a high note. football with 17 total, which means Everett Golson can- Everett Golson took much of the blame for last Saturday’s Football blog. not think his job of taking care of the ball will be any performance, which included five turnovers. With that easier. Yes, Golson will move the ball against a porous mentality, Golson will rebound this week and let it fly Northwestern defense; however, as seen last week, total against the nation’s 43rd-ranked passing defense. yardage does not matter at the end of the game. The Wildcats won’t have any better luck stopping a surging ndsmcobserver.com/ The Irish offensive line will need to drastically improve, Tarean Folston, whose 99.7 yards over the past three games defense will need to tighten up and special teams will stack up well against the 164 rushing yards Northwestern sports need to be more consistent. Although the Wildcats are gives up each week on average. struggling, Notre Dame needs to prove it that it will not The Irish defense — which did a solid job Saturday despite play to its opponent’s level in order to start to regain its Arizona State’s 55 points — won’t yield enough points this credibility. week for Northwestern to overcome Notre Dame’s offen- The Irish will do just that. sive firepower. FINAL SCORE : Notre Dame 48, Northwestern 20 FINAL SCORE : Notre Dame 38, Northwestern 17 8 The observer | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | ndsmcobserver.com Insider Northwestern looks to revitalize its offense

By BRIAN HARTNETT “At the end of the day, fresh- scheme,” Kelly said of Saturday, Fitzgerald said his going to focus on the prepara- Managing Editor man year is a grind,” Fitzgerald Northwestern. “… They’re nev- team’s focus is on the short- tion. It’s not about the outcome; said Tuesday. “… This is where er really out of position. I think term, not the potential postsea- it’s about getting yourself to go Northwestern’s 10-9 home you rely upon and I think where they’re well coached, funda- son goals. out and do it. So hopefully we loss to Michigan last Saturday you learn the most as a young mentally sound, and they do a “We don’t need to worry will.” marked the team’s fourth con- player. You’ve got to dig down really good job of attacking the about winning out; we need Notre Dame and secutive defeat. deep. You’ve got to rely upon football. to worry about winning next Northwestern will meet It marked the fifth consecu- and trust yourself, but rely “Their guys on the back end, week,” Fitzgerald said last Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Notre tive game in which the Wildcats upon the way you practice each their corners and safeties, have Saturday. “We’ve got a group of Dame Stadium. (3-6, 2-4 Big Ten) scored 20 or week and find one more play. very good ball skills.” seniors that we want to get in fewer points. [Jackson] came back and had a With a matchup against No. the postseason, and you know, Contact Brian Hartnett at And it ended with really good practice today.” 15 Notre Dame looming this if you focus on that, you’re not [email protected] Northwestern just yards short Fitzgerald added that most of victory, as senior quarter- of Northwestern’s inability to Paid Advertisement back Trevor Siemian slipped run Saturday resulted from of- and fell down as he attempted a fensive line breakdowns. The two-point conversion after the Wildcats have surrendered Wildcats scored a touchdown 28 sacks through nine games to close within one point of the thus far, including five sacks Wolverines. Saturday. Still, Northwestern head “We played poorly up front,” coach saw the he said Tuesday. “I think it had close loss as a notable improve- a lot less to do with Justin and ment for his team. a lot more to do with the way “Our guys are coming back; that we targeted. We were out- they’re fighting,” Fitzgerald physicaled, and we did not fin- said during the Big Ten Football ish blocks.” Coaches Teleconference on Although Northwestern has Tuesday. “I’m really proud of struggled to find its offensive the way they fought [Saturday]. rhythm, the Wildcats have been

“We don’t need to worry about winning out; we need to worry about winning next week.” Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern head coach

… We just came up three yards stout on defense. Northwestern short.” ranks 30th nationally in scor- Last Saturday’s game fol- ing defense, allowing slightly lowed a 48-7 Wildcats loss to over 22 points per game, and Iowa on Nov. 1 and a 38-17 de- the Wildcats have held oppo- feat against Nebraska on Oct. nents to fewer than 20 points in 18. five games. Siemian threw for 273 yards, Northwestern also ranks in his single-game season high, the top-20 nationally with 11 and completed over 65 percent interceptions. The schemes put of his passes in the game. together by Wildcats defensive Fitzgerald said he was partic- coordinator Mike Hankwitz ularly encouraged by Siemian’s allows the team’s defenders to 143 passing yards in the fourth make plays, Notre Dame head quarter. coach Brian Kelly said in his “It looked like our whole [of- Tuesday press conference. fensive] line gave Trevor more “They have a very sound than a nanosecond to throw the ball, so that was productive,” Paid Advertisement he said after Saturday’s game. “Looks like we caught it pretty well, a big catch by [junior re- ceiver Cameron Dickerson] to get things moving and obvious- ly the great touchdown catch by [senior receiver Tony Jones] and a bunch in between.” Despite Siemian’s improved efficiency, the Wildcats, who possess the nation’s 119th- ranked scoring offense, struggled to move the ball, as freshman running back Justin Jackson ran for 35 yards on 17 carries. Jackson had run for more than 100 yards in three of his four previous games, put- ting together a 162-yard ef- fort in Northwestern’s victory over Wisconsin on Oct. 4 and a 128-yard, two-touchdown performance in the loss to the Cornhuskers. Fitzgerald said the team’s next few games would provide a good opportunity for Jackson to bounce back and continue to improve. Insider ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | The Observer 9 Offensive line remains optimistic after loss

By MARY GREEN that we want No. 5 behind us.” Matt Hegarty at center, Elmer at Sports Editor The offensive line has under- right guard and Lombard at left gone a fair share of transitions tackle. As Notre Dame looks to re- throughout the season. Martin said the unit’s job re- bound from last week’s loss with After the first three games saw mains the same no matter where a win against Northwestern, Golson sacked six times for 42 or against which team he and much of the attention will be total yards lost and the rushing his teammates play. focused on the Irish offensive attack pick up only 158 yards per “You’ve just got to lock down line’s ability to protect senior game, the identity of the line was your guy,” he said. “You only quarterback Everett Golson. shaken up during Notre Dame’s have to block one guy on each Golson had a hand in a large first bye week, between the play. You only have one man to portion of Notre Dame’s offen- Purdue and Syracuse matchups. block.” sive miscues Saturday against In the season opener against Even with the new look, the Arizona State, including five Rice on Aug. 30, the line featured line has struggled. Last week, turnovers off four interceptions junior Ronnie Stanley at left the blitz-heavy Sun Devils and one lost . tackle, senior Conor Hanratty sacked Golson seven times for a Senior captain and offensive at left guard, Martin at cen- total 64-yard loss. lineman Nick Martin said his job ter, graduate student Christian Irish head coach Brian Kelly description includes keeping his Lombard at right guard and said he was reluctant to put the signal caller’s confidence high. sophomore Steve Elmer at right full blame on the line for that “We obviously reassure him tackle. stat. every practice, and we know if Against Arizona State last “We could probably have an we protect him, he’s going to week, Stanley was the only play- hour-long conversation about WEI LIN | The Observer make big plays,” Martin said. er who did not change positions. this — it’s not about simply the Irish senior guard Nick Martin blocks during Notre Dame’s season- “That’s what he’s been doing all The rest of the line read offensive line’s inability to pick opening 48-17 win over Rice on Aug. 30. year, and there’s no doubt about Martin at left guard, senior up the blitz,” Kelly said Tuesday. “This is all synced into, the ball Paid Advertisement has to come out of your hand on time when they bring the pres- sure. … So it’s not just on an of- fensive line’s inability to pick up pressure. There is more to it than that, so that’s why we’re not pressing the alarm button on our offensive line in this in- stance. There are so many fac- tors that have to get better across the board.” However, Kelly did note the offensive line as a unit shared responsibility for early Notre Dame errors, such as Golson’s fumble in the first quarter, which came on a 13-yards-lost sack and resulted in an Arizona State touchdown. “Well, interesting enough, we’re in max protection on the first turnover, and we have more blockers than they have blitzers, and we have two guys that get whipped, flat out get whipped,” he said. “[Golson] doesn’t expect to have any pressure on that play. “The next play, it’s one of those plays where we’re trying to get the hands down of a defensive end, and we whiff on a block. I could go over every one of them.” Despite those sacks, defensive pressure and turnovers, Martin said he and his linemates were as prepared as they could have been. “I think the biggest thing is, they didn’t throw anything at us we weren’t ready for,” he said. “We knew what they were go- ing to give us, and that’s what they did. You’ve just got to stay in front of your man, and it goes back to, you’ve only got one man to block each play.” Trying to come off that per- formance, Martin said the line is eager to take the field against Northwestern on Saturday. “We have a chip on our shoul- der,” he said. “We want to play next week, and sometimes it’s tough, having a game, and you have to wait a whole week to play again, and we just want to get out there and play the game.”

Contact Mary Green at [email protected] 10 The observer | FRIDAY, November 14, 2014 | ndsmcobserver.com Insider Golson, Irish aim to improve ball security

By MIKE MONACO eliminating itself from College Senior Sports Writer Football Playoff contention — Kelly said his message to the Editor’s Note: A version of this team hasn’t change much. story first ran in The Observer on “We haven’t talked about Wednesday. playoffs since day one,” Kelly said. “All we really talked about Five Everett Golson turnovers was how we compete and what spiraled into 28 Arizona State we need to do this weekend to points Saturday, but Irish head win because we’re all in it to win coach Brian Kelly said the se- it. So our focus is really about nior quarterback isn’t entirely to what do we need to do to win blame for the miscues and the this weekend because they want resulting 55-31 loss to the Sun to sing the fight song at the end Devils. of the day.” “He’s responsible for the The Irish sat at No. 10 in last football. Every one of those week’s College Football Playoff turnovers, he’s responsible for rankings and fell to No. 18 in the because he’s the leader,” Kelly latest batch of rankings released KARLA MORENO | The Observer said Tuesday. “And he took full Tuesday evening. Notre Dame Irish senior quarterback Everett Golson committed five turnovers in Notre Dame’s 55-31 loss to Arizona responsibility and that’s why dropped to No. 15 in this week’s State on Saturday. Golson now has 17 turnovers in his last six games. I’m proud of him. But he’s got AP poll and No. 16 in the coach- 10 other players that have to do es’ poll. the playoffs,” Kelly said. “So we week. And that’s really been the Dame Stadium. their job. And they’ve got to do “We weren’t going to be able focus on things we can control. message.” their job better.” to control even if we won out And what we know we can con- The Irish host Northwestern Contact Mike Monaco at Golson tossed four intercep- whether we were gonna go to trol is what we do during the on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Notre [email protected] tions and fumbled twice, losing the ball once. The Sun Devils Paid Advertisement returned two interceptions for touchdowns and had two scoring drives — that followed Golson turnovers — that lasted a combined four plays and 36 yards. And although Golson was under constant pressure from the blitz-happy Sun Devils, which notched seven sacks, Kelly said the offensive line wasn’t “central to the issues of turnovers.” The line wasn’t to blame for any of the first three turnovers, Kelly said, and the coaching staff isn’t “pressing the alarm button” on the offen- sive line. “Those had nothing to do with the offensive line,” Kelly said. “When we look at it, it’s easy to say, ‘Alright, it’s the offensive line that’s breaking down.’ We don’t see that. … It’s not point- ing to one specific group.” Irish senior running back Cam McDaniel will continue to get more playing time in pass-protection situations as he continues to stay a cut above sophomore running backs Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant as a blocker, Kelly said. Folston and Bryant can improve their “want-to” and technique as blockers, Kelly added.

A New Holder Irish sophomore quarter- back Malik Zaire will take over duties as the starting holder, Kelly said. Zaire replaces junior walk-on Hunter Smith, who has mishandled three snaps — two against Stanford in poor weath- er conditions and one in the warm sunshine against Arizona State — this season. The mishap Saturday occurred with Notre Dame trailing 34-17 at the start of the fourth quarter. “We’ve had three drops. Three is too many. Can’t take a fourth,” Kelly said. Zaire has served as the back- up holder all season, per Kelly.

What Lies Ahead After Notre Dame suffered its second loss of the season and dropped to 7-2 — effectively Follow us on Twitter.

@ObserverSports

Paid Advertisement

Like us on Facebook.

fb.com/ ndsmcobserver Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement