Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1428488
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2021 13 UNDER THE DOME THEY SAID IT THEY SAID IT "I'm always prepared to go in when the offense has the ball. Imagine you're a tight end and you're subbing out every series. It's kind of like that. It's the same at quarter- back. You have to stay ready whenever your number is called. "I have a sense now at this point in the season. When Coach [Tommy] Rees calls a play for me, it's typically not on the first drive and more so in plus territory. Some - times he'll call down on the phone to let me know [in advance]." — Freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner on being ready to go into the game when called upon "It's a mentality you have to have. I think I had some of it coming in here, but it's the Notre Dame culture, being a gritty, tough dude. A lot of that comes from my strength and conditioning. Know- ing how to push through walls. So much of it is mental toughness and what you have to have. "A lot of that comes from this place. I've been here for five years and became what Notre Dame has instilled in me." — Graduate student linebacker Drew White on pain tolerance and being tough "It's just the way you grow up in the system. You want as many reps as you can, but you also know you have a role in that defense. Every time you get on the field, you have to make the plays when you get a chance. You have seniors and great players in front of you, so you're not just going to take them off the field. "You want to see your other teammates succeed. When you're out there, take the opportunity to make the plays. When you're not, you're there for them." — Junior Jacob Lacey on Notre Dame's deep defensive line rotation "Notre Dame brings back more experience than any team in the league. Last season the Fighting Irish hit 55 percent of their twos in ACC play, and this season the rotation will be top-heavy with seniors like Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski, Cormac Ryan, Trey Wertz and Yale trans- fer Paul Atkinson. "The Irish outscored ACC opponents by a single point over 18 games last season but came away with just a 7-11 record to show for it. The hoops gods owe Notre Dame a good bounce or two, and you're looking at a veteran group that's well- positioned to cash that check. "This won't be the No. 1-ranked defense in the ACC, and indeed it's likely ND opponents will never commit turnovers. But Mike Brey's guys will score some points." — ESPN's John Gasaway on his "ACC team not nearly enough people are talking about heading into 2021-22" "Notre Dame has put together a really good class, especially on the defensive side with new coordinator Marcus Freeman. Linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Niuafe Tuihalamaka are the Irish's two top-rated commitments. The staff has two ESPN 300 offensive linemen in the class with interior lineman Joey Tanona and tackle Ty Chan. The Irish offensive line had some struggles early on in the season but has turned things around of late with some shuffling. "Adding another interior lineman such as Schr- auth, who is the No. 231 prospect overall, would be a big help. He's the No. 4 recruit in Wisconsin, and if history is any indication, Wisconsin offensive linemen are always a good bet. He has a top four of Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin." — ESPN.com's Tom VanHaaren on Notre Dame's key college football recruiting target being Fond du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary's Springs offensive lineman Billy Schrauth "Notre Dame's Mike Brey had to answer questions multiple times down the stretch last season on whether he would be back in South Bend. The Fight- ing Irish should be better this season (I have them going to the NCAA Tournament), but they have also gone four years without an NCAA Tournament appearance. Like [Miami head coach Jim] Larranaga, this would be a retirement more than a firing. "Last month at ACC media day, I asked Brey about last spring's retirement rumors. 'I'm no- where near that,' he told me. 'I'm 62, got good juice. This contract goes until 2025. … We gotta keep swinging.'" — ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello on including Notre Dame's Mike Brey among his coaches on the hot seat in 2021-22 PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER OF THE WEEK ➤ "Iconic " — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) on Pat Connaughton taking a team selfie during their visit to the White House Nov. 8