Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481872
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 22, 2022 17 That's a credit to film study and look- ing for tells, Correll said, but also the chemistry between the linemen now that they have played only with each other for a few weeks. No absences, no rotations. Flashes of cohesion the first two games have turned into long stretches where it's present. Patterson brings the study habits of a fifth-year player, the experi- ence of a four-year starter, the play of a future pro and the credibility of being a captain. He's easy to trust for the tackle or center next to him. "They're continuing to improve be- cause there's a consistency of who's in the game and who's beside you," head coach Marcus Freeman said. There's also a consistency in voice and message from the offensive line's leader. It wasn't the message and the reality Patterson expected or wanted to encounter, but one he had to embrace. Captains figure out how to flip a mind- set when adversity hits. Patterson being an extension of Freeman's improvement message and his on-field contributions to that are telltale signs he's fully on board after a look over the ledge. "I told everyone, 'Let's finish it the right way," Patterson said. "Let's do ev- erything we can to finish this how we can and win them all.' At the end of the day, that's all we can do." ✦ Patterson moved to left guard this offseason after starting 34 games at center. The graduate student captain's leadership has been invaluable this fall. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER