Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 PRESEASON 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Beware Of The Wounded Trojans By Lou Somogyi There seems to be a unanimous opinion that Notre Dame's most likely loss in 2019 will be at Georgia (Sept. 21), where the Bulldogs have been installed as an early 11.5-point favorite. The next popular picks are road outings at Michi- gan (Oct. 26) and Stanford (Nov. 30). The Irish are 1-7 in their last eight trips to Ann Arbor and 0-5 in Palo Alto, Calif., since 2007. Home games with Virginia (Sept. 28) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 2) could also be dangerous because of letdown possibilities following the trips to Georgia and Michigan. For me, though, the correct answer is USC (Oct. 12). Yes, the Trojans were 5-7 last year and head coach Clay Helton is on the hot seat, but it wasn't long ago the same was thought about 4-8 Notre Dame and Brian Kelly. This USC team is just as talented to make a turnaround, especially if it can taste some early success versus a challenging slate. The passing attack will be among the most lethal nationally with sopho- more quarterback JT Daniels and a premier receiving corps paced by Michael Pittman, Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown, who combined for 159 catches in 2018. The defensive front also could be among the best, led by former five-star recruits Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu. Combine that with USC having a bye the week before the Notre Dame game and the Irish facing mid-term exams (see Pitt game last year), and the makings of an ambush are there. Stanford Remains The Top Rival By Bryan Driskell If you pay attention to preseason polls and listen to the hype heading into the season, the easy an- swer is Michigan. There are good reasons to rank the Wolverines as the second toughest foe on the schedule. However, the game that concerns me the most is the regular-season finale at Stanford. The Irish are coming off a 38-17 victory over the Cardinal in South Bend last year, but head coach Brian Kelly is 0-4 on the road against Stanford, with those losses coming by an average margin of 10.3 points. Until Notre Dame proves it can beat the Cardinal in Palo Alto, Calif., this remains a tough contest. On top of that, there are some matchups that could prove problematic. Notre Dame was able to domi- nate the Stanford offense in the trenches in 2018, but the Cardinal is poised to have a much better line this season and quarterback K.J. Costello had a lot of early success before the Irish pass rush took over. Stanford will be young at the skill positions, but players such as junior tight end Colby Parkinson, sophomore wideout Michael Wilson and sophomore receiver Osiris St. Brown will be potent. Defensively, the Cardinal could have some issues from a depth standpoint, but their starting 11 has talent. This is a game Notre Dame can and should win, but when I look at the Irish schedule top to bottom, there isn't another game outside of Georgia that has me more concerned than this one. Point ✦ Counterpoint: AFTER THE SEPT. 21 GEORGIA GAME, WHICH REGULAR-SEASON FOE WILL BE NOTRE DAME'S TOUGHEST TEST? CLAY HELTON DAVID SHAW Nixon Dorvilien was well aware when he re- cently accepted the job as the new athletic trainer for the Notre Dame men's basketball team that he would have huge shoes to fill. Dorvilien is taking over the duties previously held by legendary Irish trainer William "Skip" Meyer, who retired after 40 years on the job — a tenure that dates all the way back to the first de- cade of the Digger Phelps coaching era. After working in the NBA, most recently as the director of rehabilitation and assistant athletic trainer with the Utah Jazz (2016-19), Dorvilien arrives with a number of ties to Notre Dame and its surrounding community. Dorvilien's mother-in- law was born in South Bend and his father-in-law played football for the Irish in the early 1940s. BGI: What were your initial impressions of the basketball program and campus? Dorvilien: "The thing that really stands out is the community. I've been welcomed with such open arms, Notre Dame is very family oriented. I've seen some of the older pro players come back to visit campus, and the way they are treated was amazing. "Just to see the alumni come back and visit, and to see how much pride people have in the program, that really stands out to me." BGI: What's it like trying taking over for Skip Meyer, a university icon? Dorvilien: "Skip has been wonderful helping me transition this past month, showing me the ins and outs of the program, connecting me with all of the health care providers for the team, intro- ducing me to the different parts of the program. "He's been huge taking me step by step along the way. Skip has just been wonderful and I have tons of admiration to how he is helping me transition." BGI: What attracted you to Notre Dame? Dorvilien: "Three years in a row at previous jobs I worked with [former Irish players] Carleton Scott, Chris Quinn and Luke Zeller. It stood out how they were very professional, coachable guys, and that stuck with me. "When I heard about the position, there were no ifs, ands or buts that this is someplace I want to be. I just feel like me coming here to Notre Dame, I can help impact some of these student-athletes." BGI: What's the most important aspect of your job? Dorvilien: "I have been fortunate enough to be part of championship teams, worked with Hall of Famers, and along the way you see the patterns of elite behaviors and really good routines. "If you are able to help teach and instill these for the student-athletes, that's going to help them along the way and prepare them for life outside of this place." BGI: What do you anticipate the biggest differ- ence will be in moving from the NBA to college? Dorvilien: "The biggest difference, especially here at Notre Dame, will be the academic de- mands. Already working with some of the stu- dents, you get to see how much they have to put into their academics. I respect that. "That's like the only difference because from an age standpoint, some of the guys at Notre Dame are older than the NBA guys I worked with." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … NEW NOTRE DAME MEN'S BASKETBALL TRAINER NIXON DORVILIEN Dorvilien comes to Notre Dame after more than a decade working in the NBA. He is replacing the legendary William "Skip" Meyer, who retired after 40 years with the Irish. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA