Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1290311
24 SEPT. 26, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED TURNING POINT In these types of mismatches one is prone to say the opening kickoff because the Irish were so dominant from the outset. Still … trailing 14-0, USF's lone first down in the first half came on a 42-yard run by sophomore running back Johnny Ford into Notre Dame terri- tory, which provided a brief flicker of momentum for the Bulls. However, on fourth-and-five from the Irish 33- yard line, a makeshift fake punt run by sophomore wide receiver Jah'Quez Evans did not fool sopho- more defensive end Isaiah Foskey, who did not bite on the play and ran down Evans for a nine-yard loss. That set up a 58-yard touchdown march by the Irish that expanded the lead to 21-0 and pretty much deflated the Bulls the rest of the half, if not game. STATS OF THE GAME The game was decided in the first half — just as head coach Brian Kelly and his staff emphasized all week to the team — while scoring touch- downs on five of their six series and missing a 38-yard field goal on the other. Notre Dame had 15 first downs in the first half to USF's one, and was 7 of 8 on third-down conversions in those first 30 minutes while the Bulls were 0 of 6. Some poor special teams play by South Florida also aided Notre Dame significantly with field position. The five touchdown drives in the first half averaged only 46.6 yards — and the sixth touchdown came on another special teams snafu that resulted in a score by freshman defensive end Jordan Botelho. WAR OF ATTRITION Notre Dame vice president and director of ath- letics Jack Swarbrick summarized it best after the opener versus Duke by stating just because the college football season started doesn't mean that all is well and back to normal. Interruptions or even game cancellations could be in the offing for the Irish like anyone else. That sobering reality hit home when eight Notre Dame players were suddenly unavailable versus South Florida, although with sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton's case, it was from a previous injury. But the scholarship roster from one through 85 is as strong as it has been in the program in 30 years, and that's what should continue to keep this operation in College Football Playoff talk entering the month of November, and hopefully beyond. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY LOU SOMOGYI OFFENSE: TE TOMMY TREMBLE The junior tight end helped pave the way for 281 yards and six touchdowns on the ground as a ferocious run blocker. On a few occasions, he moved his man 20 or more yards across the field, to the point they were no longer inbounds. At times, the 6-3, 250-pounder even lined up as a fullback, and on a third-down play, he received the ball on a handoff, running four yards for the first down. In the passing game, he led all receivers with three receptions for a career-best 61 yards. DEFENSE: LB JACK KISER With Marist Liufau and Shayne Simon out for undisclosed reasons, the sophomore linebacker earned the start against USF. He was on the scout team Tuesday and Wednesday, yet he was able to make an impact all over the field. He led the team in tackles with eight (seven solo), made two stops behind the line of scrim- mage and recorded a quarterback hurry. After the game, head coach Brian Kelly gave him the game ball. SPECIAL TEAMS: DE JORDAN BOTELHO The freshman defensive end played on the punt return unit and made a noticeable impact on two separate occasions. In the second quarter, a bad USF snap had the ball rolling to the back corner of the end zone. Bulls punter Trent Schneider recovered it on his feet and was able to get the punt away, but as he did Botelho hit him causing the ball to travel about 30 yards. This resulted in Notre Dame start- ing the ensuing offensive drive at the USF 25-yard line. Later in the game, after sophomore linebacker Osita Ekwonu blocked a punt, Botelho recovered the ball and found his way into the end zone for the first touchdown of his young career. TOP PLAYERS OF THE GAME BY ANDREW MENTOCK Freshman defensive end Jordan Botelho scored his first career touchdown on a blocked punt in the third quarter. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS