Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 26, 2020 11 UNDER THE DOME • Sophomore running back Kyren Williams had two firsts in the 27-13 victory versus Duke Sept. 12. It was his first career start, and he also became the first Notre Dame football player to earn a confer- ence player of the week honor. Williams was named ACC Running Back of the Week versus the Blue Devils with 112 yards and two touchdowns on 19 rushing attempts, plus two catches for 93 yards (highlighted by a 75-yard screen). The last time a Notre Dame player achieved at least 90 yards rushing and receiving in a game was Allen Pinkett in a 1983 loss to Air Force in which he rushed for 197 yards and racked up 93 more via receptions. Williams took 52 snaps versus Duke, and the next most at running back was freshman Chris Tyree with 13. Senior Jafar Armstrong did nab a 20-yard screen to set up a touchdown, and junior Jahmir Smith was used late, while junior C'Bo Flemister dressed but did not play because of a collarbone injury. Eventually, there might be more committee than monopoly with Williams — who was split wide on his 75-yard screen — but for now he is "The Man." "What he can do to this offense has separated itself a little bit," head coach Brian Kelly said. "But all of those guys are going to be integral and im- portant to our success." • Where Kelly and his staff absolutely want to balance snaps a little better is in the defensive backfield. Whereas 11 defensive linemen and seven linebackers were utilized in the hard-fought victory versus Duke, fifth- year senior Nick McCloud played all 68 snaps (per Pro Football Focus) at bound- ary corner, while junior TaRiq Bracy — who made the PFF Team of the Week by allowing zero catches — had 66. "They played a little bit too much and they got a little tired," Kelly said. "We'll do a better job there." Freshman Clarence Lewis, listed as a co-starter with Bracy, did not play on defense. McCloud's backup, Cam Hart, played four snaps at the end in dime packages. "We need to get some rotation in that group," Kelly said. "Same with the safety position." • Safety depth became more vital when star sophomore Kyle Hamilton, following an ankle in- jury in the third quarter versus Duke, was in a walking boot in the early part of the preparations for South Florida and was listed "day to day" to play against the Bulls. Nickel DJ Brown was his replacement. Junior Houston Griffith played 12 snaps, mostly in sub packages, in relief of starter Shaun Crawford. Ohio State graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor played exclu- sively special teams against Duke. • Fifth-year senior receiver Ben Skow- ronek pulled a hamstring against Duke and was ruled out for USF. However, junior Braden Lenzy — who did not play in the opener because of a hamstring pull — did prepare for the USF contest. • Among Notre Dame's three top-100 recruits in 2020, Tyree and tight end Michael Mayer debuted well. Tyree had 110 all-purpose yards (90 on kickoff returns), while Mayer snagged three passes for 38 yards, highlighted by a crucial first down to set up the touchdown drive that expanded Notre Dame's lead to 24-13. However, despite some setbacks at receiver, five- star wideout Jordan Johnson was not inserted. "He's still finding himself as a student-athlete here," Kelly summarized. "… This isn't just about football." • On the Monday before the USF game, Notre Dame announced two positive COVID-19 tests out of 419 conducted in the prior week, and two other players in quarantine due to contact tracing. None of them played versus Duke. Per ACC requirements, Notre Dame is testing three times per week, but there also is daily access as needed. Since June 18, the testing positivity rate among Fighting Irish football is less than one percent. — Lou Somogyi Our life plan community for those over the age of 62, provides residents with exceptional personalized services, a secure atmosphere and carefree luxury lifestyle – while making it possible to ease into further healthcare levels as needs change throughout retirement years. Notre Dame Personnel News & Notes NICK MCCLOUD