Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 6, 2021 9 UNDER THE DOME 0 Forced fumbles and fumble recoveries for junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey entering the 2021 season. In Notre Dame's first seven contest this fall, though, he had a hand in a team-high five (all fumbles) of Notre Dame's 16 turnovers forced, which were tied for eighth nationally. Last year, the Fighting Irish's stout defense created 17 turnovers in 12 games. Foskey was tied for fourth in the country in fumble recoveries (two) and was tied for fifth in forced fumbles (three) in games played through Oct. 23. 3rd Was where ESPN listed Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton Oct. 22 in its re-ranking of the 2019 recruiting class, behind only Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal. Hamilton was rated as the No. 165 overall prospect in the ESPN 300 in 2019, while Thibodeaux was No. 1 and Neal was No. 4. "A top-10 safety in the 2019 class, Hamilton has developed into one of the premier defenders in college football," ESPN noted. "With elite length and range, the Irish safety has been a defensive playmaker for the Irish, not only being among their leaders in tackles but also the team leader in interceptions." 9 Finalists were named for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award by the NCAA Oct. 21, including Notre Dame fencer STEFANI DESCHNER. The award is considered one of the most prestigious handed out by the NCAA, and honors academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service and leadership. A total of 535 graduating female student-athletes were nominated in 2021, a list that was trimmed to a top 30 before the nine finalists were named. Deschner captured the 2021 NCAA women's foil national championship after an undefeated regular season to help Notre Dame capture its 11th NCAA fencing national championship in program history. She was the 2020 and 2021 ACC Fencing Scholar-Athlete of the Year, closed her Irish career with a 109-30 record and as a junior in 2020 was named the ACC's Women's Foil Fencer of the Year after capturing the ACC crown. The Versailles, Ky., native earned an undergraduate degree in pre-professional studies and theology, and she was a 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and three-time All-ACC Fencing Academic Team honoree. She served as the co-executive chair of the ACC Student-Athlete Advisory Council mental health board, and organized additional mental health town halls, developed education modules, and created a mental health station to help direct student athletes to proper mental health professionals. Deschner also actively served the local com- munity, particularly via the Fighting Irish Fight for Life program, an initiative that pairs severely ill children with the university's sports teams. 13.5 Sacks by Justin Tuck in 2003 currently stands as the single-season school record at Notre Dame. However, Foskey is on pace to challenge that mark after recording 8.0 sacks in Notre Dame's first seven games this season. That figure ranked third in the country heading into the final weekend of October. 15 Collegiate golfers were named to final fall Fred Haskins Award watch list for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States, including Notre Dame's Palmer Jackson. The junior posted four top-five finishes in five competitions this fall, including a first- place effort at the Stephens Cup Oct. 19. He finished under par in 17 of 18 rounds this fall and helped the Fighting Irish claim team victories at the Stephens Cup and the Gopher Invitational. According to Golfstat.com, Jackson is the ninth-ranked collegiate golfer in the nation with an adjusted scoring average of 69.29. 32 Straight wins for the Fighting Irish when allowing less than 20 points per game, following their 31-16 win over USC Oct. 23. The last time Notre Dame lost a game in which it allowed fewer than 20 points was a 17-10 home loss to Stanford on Oct. 15, 2016. The week prior to that, the Irish also suffered a 10-3 loss at North Caro- lina State in a game played while Hurricane Matthew was ravaging the Tar Heel State. ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS