Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 JANUARY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Paddy Burns — Soccer The sophomore defender f ro m N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d had himself a day in Notre Dame's Elite Eight matchup against Pittsburgh Dec. 4. He scored the Irish's lone goal during regulation on a header off a free kick in the 67th minute. He scored again during the penalty shootout to help send the Irish to the College Cup for the first time since 2013. Burns finished the season with three goals and five assists. Charley Niego — Volleyball The senior from Chicago capped the year with her fourth All-ACC nomination in a row. She totaled 272 kills and 264 digs during the regular season. Niego had 11 double-doubles to increase her career total to 48, which ranks as the third-most in program history. She had six matches with 15 or more kills this year, while helping the Irish finish 13-15 overall and 10-8 in ACC play. Spencer Stastney — Hockey The senior defenseman from Mequon, Wis., scored a pair of goals in Notre Dame's 3-2 comeback victory over Michigan State Dec. 10. He scored his first goal of the season midway through the second period at the end of a tic-tac-toe passing display from the Irish. He tallied his second on a shot from the point on a power play. Stastney, a key cog on Notre Dame's blue line, also had seven assists through 17 contests. Rachel Tanczos — Track & Field The graduate student from Danielsville, Pa., got off to a roaring start Dec. 3 in the Blue & Gold Invitational. She was named the ACC Field Performer of the Week after taking first place in the weight throw with a mark of 21.52 meters. She also placed first in the shot put with a throw of 15.34 meters. Those marks had Tanczos ranked first nationally in the weight throw as of Dec. 14. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom ✦ GIMME FIVE We live in an era in which the second-oldest active head coach in college football is arguably the best of all time. That's Alabama's Nick Saban, who turned 70 in October. We also live in an era in which youth move- ments are starting to take hold around the country. There's one happening in South Bend. New Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is one of the youngest active head coaches in the sport. Only one Power Five head coach, Oregon's Dan Lanning, is younger than Freeman. Only two other coaches across the FBS, South Alabama's Kane Wommack and Kent State's Sean Lewis, are younger than Freeman. Freeman's offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, doesn't turn 30 until May. Safeties coach Chris O'Leary just turned 30 in November. Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens turns 35 in July. There are young coaches up and down the sideline in South Bend, but Freeman obviously headlines that list as the head coach. Brian Kelly was 47 when he got the Notre Dame job in 2009. Freeman will have to keep the job as long as Kelly did to still be coaching the Fighting Irish when he's 47, and that hasn't always been easy to do at Notre Dame. Kelly tied Knute Rockne for longest tenure in Notre Dame history before leaving abruptly for LSU. A lot can happen in 12 years. Many thought Lincoln Riley would be a longstanding replacement for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma when he was hired as a 34-year-old head coach in 2017. Riley stayed in Norman for just five seasons, though, after Stoops stayed for 18. Freeman isn't thinking about a lengthy tenure. Not yet. He has said time and time again in the early stages of his time as head coach that he's sim- ply trying to take it one moment at a time. Once he has established himself and shows he can keep the program rolling like Kelly did, then there will be time to think about the future. For now, he's simply one of the youngest coaches in the game. — Tyler Horka CHARTING THE IRISH QUARTERBACKS HAVE REASON TO BE WARY IN FIESTA BOWL If Notre Dame was up against Oklahoma State two or three months ago, it would be a matchup nightmare for the Fighting Irish. Remember, Notre Dame was on pace to shatter its record for most sacks allowed during the Brian Kelly era early in the season. The Irish allowed 20 sacks in the first four games. The most sacks the Irish had allowed in Kelly's 12-year tenure prior to this season was 30 in 2017. Notre Dame has allowed 33 this season to set a new mark in that regard, but only 13 of those have come in the last eight games. The Irish offensive line is much improved from where it was in September, but that unit is going to get its toughest test of the season in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma State leads the nation in sacks with 55. Freshman defensive end Collin Oliver paces the Cowboys with 10.5. Senior defensive end Brock Martin has seven, and senior linebacker Devin Harper has six. Ten different Cowboys have at least two. Notre Dame has a fairly comparable rundown on its roster in the sacks department, just not to the same extent as Oklahoma State. Junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey has 10. The Ademilola brothers, Jayson and Justin, have combined for 9.5. A total of nine Irish players have at least two. It all adds up to 40, which is tied for eighth nationally. In other words, two of the 10 best teams at taking down oppos- ing quarterbacks will go head-to-head Jan. 1 in Glendale, Ariz. Notre Dame is tied for 99th nationally in sacks allowed be- cause of the poor start to the season. Oklahoma State, mean- while, is tied for 13th. The Cowboys have only allowed 16 sacks. Oklahoma State has a mobile quarterback in junior Spencer Sanders. Sanders isn't the most prolific passer, but he has a knack for extending plays and avoiding negative ones. Just like the Notre Dame offensive line faces a challenge in Oklahoma State's impressive front seven, the Irish defensive line will have its hands full trying to take down Sanders. — Tyler Horka National Team Sack Leaders (as of Dec. 17) Rk Team Sacks 1. Oklahoma State 55.0 2. Pittsburgh 51.0 3. Alabama 46.0 4. Houston 44.0 5. Utah 42.0 6. Georgia 41.0 Clemson 41.0 8. Notre Dame 40.0 Nevada 40.0 Ole Miss 40.0 Youngest FBS Head Coaches Rk. Coach, School Age (Birthday) 1. Kane Wommack, South Alabama 34 (April 19, 1987) 2. Sean Lewis, Kent State 35 (April 11, 1986) 3. Dan Lanning, Oregon 35 (April 10, 1986) 4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame 35 (Jan. 10, 1986) 5. Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana 36 (Sept. 29, 1985) Junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey leads the Irish with 10 sacks. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER