Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2018 15 UNDER THE DOME Holy Cross Village is a continuing care retirement community, sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross, with a tradition of caring, compassion and trust. Holy Cross Village welcomes people of all faiths. 54515 State Rd., 933 North, Notre Dame, IN 46556 www.holycrossvillage.com ... AND ENJOY THE GAME OF LIFE AT HOLY CROSS VILLAGE I magine making new friends and developing new talents, where everything you need to enjoy the game of life is right outside your front door. Nestled among three institutions of higher learning, Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame is a senior living community unlike anything else around. Our warm and inviting community offers: Independent Living Homes and Apartments Assisted Living Apartments Skilled Nursing Memory Care Rehabilitation Services Call (574) 251-2235 today for more information and to schedule a tour. KEEPING A "WATCH" AT RUNNING BACK AND RECEIVER Who will be Notre Dame's 2018 go-to players at running back and wide re- ceiver? Not even the college football "watch lists" can say. For the first time since 2007 — when the Fighting Irish posted a single-season school-record nine losses — the football team is not represented this preseason among the 62 running backs on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, nor among the 50 receivers on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award. Had running back Josh Adams and wideout Equanimeous St. Brown returned for their senior seasons in 2018, they would have been repeat figures on their respective watch lists, but both turned pro last winter. Consequently, Notre Dame's projected starter at running back in the Sept. 1 opener versus Michigan is junior Tony Jones Jr., who was the team's fifth-leading rusher last year with 232 yards. His top two backups throughout August training camp — sophomores Jafar Armstrong and Avery Davis — didn't even play run- ning back last year while going through redshirt seasons. Meanwhile, senior Miles Boykin has been classified by the Notre Dame coach- ing staff since the spring as the alpha figure among the wideouts, but even he has only 18 catches through his first three seasons. Senior tight end Alizé Mack did make the Mackey Award watch list for the third straight year, but his 19 grabs totaled only 8.7 yards per catch. Overall, the top playmaker returning on offense is far and away senior quar- terback Brandon Wimbush, who last year accounted for 2,673 yards of total offense (1,870 passing and 803 rushing) and 30 touchdowns (16 passing and 14 rushing). At running back and receiver, one can only follow the dictum of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz (1986-96) regarding preseason evaluations: "I don't mind starting a season with a bunch of unknowns. I just hate finishing one with them." For the third straight year, Alizé Mack has been named to the watch list for the Mackey Award, which is presented to the nation's best tight end. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL