Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1031117
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 1, 2018 13 THEY SAID IT "I just told [owner Jerry Jones] that I'm back. I got a chance to show it tonight on Sunday Night Football. It's a great opportunity to play for America's Team. They believed in me when no one did. People thought I'd never play the game again, just reminding him that I'm back." Former Irish and current Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith (The Dallas News) "Every game is a non-conference game when you're an independent, but the Irish needed this one not only to get the season started in the right direction, but also to give them a cushion to stumble somewhere else down the stretch. Considering they've been winning by an average of less than a touchdown per game, it seems like a matter of time before the Irish fall. "But FPI projects Notre Dame to win each of its remaining games — except Oct. 6 at Virginia Tech (45.4 percent). The jury is still out on Michigan, fair enough, but if the Wolverines can eliminate their penalty problem and continue to improve against better competition, the value of this win can be greater for Notre Dame." — ESPN's Heather Dinich on Notre Dame's 24-17 win over Michigan being one of the best during the non-conference slate "Are the Irish playoff contenders? Technically. For now, it's an incomplete team offensively that has won its three games by seven, eight and five points after slipping by Vanderbilt." — Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports on Notre Dame showing up No. 8 in his power rankings "I had some good reps against him, and I had some poor reps too. I feel like I beat myself a lot. In my technique, in the way I target and stuff like that. I feel like I could improve a lot from last week to this week." — Former Irish and current Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson on going against All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals in his first NFL game "I think for me you look at the [Bucks], you look at the new coach, [Mike Budenholzer] and the way he likes to play … they're young, it's a playoff team in the East and it's an area where they love their basket- ball. We've got a new arena and they're really growing as a team; that's what I want to do with my career. "I did a good job of being able to do that in Portland, but obviously at some point I was going to have to branch out and try to build off the success that I've had and take stuff that I've learned from guys like Dame [Lillard] and CJ [McCollum]. Those guys have accelerated their careers — and I want to make sure that I put in work and create my own type of story." — Former Irish guard Pat Connaughton on signing with the Milwaukee Bucks (The Eagle-Tribune) OF THE WEEK "Take PRIDE in how far you have come. Have FAITH in how far you can go." Notre Dame senior tight end Alizé Mack (@AlizeMack97) Sept. 18 PHOTO BY JEREMIAH JHASS/DALLAS COWBOYS UNDER THE DOME 800.777.1574 meridiantitle.com PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR 80 YEARS