Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1349365
10 APRIL 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME the most popular media request be- cause he had no rehearsals about "know your clichés" and spoke what was on his mind. What made the defense so effective and overwhelming? "You get sick of being on the field so long," Nix replied. "You're so tired, you're just ready to go and sit on the bench and get some water, and these guys are trying to score, so you have to stop them to get some water." Any other motivation? "You just have to want the water," repeated Nix. When the 8-0 Irish prepared to face an Oklahoma team that was 79-4 at home in its last 83 games, Nix was at his loosest. "Norman?" Nix replied with a huge smile when asked about the Soon- ers, noting their hometown. "That's where dreams go to die, I heard." In an instant, the grin turned into a scowl. "We'll see about that," he continued, prior to the 30-13 Irish victory. "I'll still eat my Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I'll still be cranky in the morning. It won't change too much for me." Yet it was the following week ver- sus Pitt where Nix's value was es- pecially on display. Laid up in the infirmary during the week with an illness, Nix missed most of the game while the Irish fell behind 20-6, but his insertion in the second half helped turn around the game's momentum and the Irish ultimately prevailed in three overtimes, 29-26. Nix credited often underrated fifth-year senior lineman and captain Kapron Lewis-Moore for keeping him on an even keel. "I get upset a lot," Nix said. "When things go wrong I get an attitude. I'm a big, angry guy inside sometimes when it comes to football, but he cools me down and keeps me level headed. "That's the type of leadership we need — somebody to keep everybody like me in sync, keep everybody sta- ble, and just stay in the game. That's how we end up winning games. Guys like that keep us in line and make sure we just stay focused on what we try to accomplish, and that's winning." In his senior season, Nix switched from No. 9 — so that star freshman linebacker Jaylon Smith could have it — to No. 1 and fantasized about playing quarterback in what he called "The Irish Chocolate Package." Kelly humored him with in the spring game when he scored from the shot gun on a scramble up the middle while de- fenders got out of the way. A torn meniscus cut short Nix's se- nior season, and dropped his draft sta- tus from potential first round to third round (83rd overall pick), and he had a short-lived three-year career in the NFL with continued knee issues. "We can look back on his time here and know that there was a spirit, an energy and a vibrant young man that passed through these hallways here," Kelly said. "That's what we choose to remember. When he came back, there was always a smile and there was other-centeredness that he was about. "We know we've lost somebody way too early. We're certainly devas- tated by it. We're all asking the same questions. There will be peace for him, and we're doing all we can to help the family at this time." ✦ In February, Notre Dame and Florida announced a home-and-home series between the two programs in 2031 and 2032. The Fighting Irish will host the Gators on Nov. 15, 2031. The next season, the Irish will visit Gainesville, Fla., on Sept. 11, 2032. It will be the first time the two programs will meet during the regular sea- son. The only other time they had faced each other was in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1992, when the 9-3 and No. 18-ranked Fighting Irish upset head coach Steve Spurrier's 10-1 and No. 3-ranked Florida team, with sophomore fullback Jerome Bettis romping for three-, 49- and 39-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone to clinch the outcome. The matchup continues Notre Dame's recent emphasis on attempting to schedule a school from the Southeast Conference on an almost annual basis. • From 2006-16 there was no SEC representation on the Notre Dame regular-season slate, but then in 2017 and 2019 there was a home-and-home agreement with Georgia, the first time the two met during the regular sea- son. In between was a 2018 home game versus Vanderbilt. • Arkansas was scheduled to visit Notre Dame in 2020 with a return trip to Fayetteville by the Irish on Oct. 4, 2025, but the 2020 game was canceled because of COVID-19. It would have been the first meeting between the two programs. • Notre Dame is slated to visit Texas A&M on Aug, 31, 2024, with the Aggies returning to Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025. • In 2028-29, Alabama will be the season opener for the Irish, on Sept. 2, 2028 at Notre Dame and on Sept. 1, 2029 in Tuscaloosa. The Irish had a home-and-home series with the Crimson Tide in 1986-87, and the two schools also met in 1976 and 1980. Among the 14 current SEC teams, the Irish have faced 10, either in bowl games or regular season. Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and Mississippi State are the only SEC teams that have never played Notre Dame. — Lou Somogyi Notre Dame And Florida To Meet In 2031-32 Nix, continued from page 9 Nix's senior season was cut short by a torn meniscus, and his draft status dropped from potential first round to third round (83rd overall pick). He had a short-lived three-year career in the NFL with continued knee issues. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA