Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JANUARY 2023 9 UNDER THE DOME Jaden Mickey Has To Step Up By Tyler Horka Notre Dame has not had to experience what a world without Cam Hart is like much in the last two seasons. The senior has started 20 games for the Irish since becoming a go-to cornerback at the beginning of 2021. A taste of what life is like without Hart came against Southern Cal in the regular-season finale, though, and it was as bitter as the purple cough syrup your mother used to spoon-feed you before bedtime. In Hart's absence, Notre Dame started two freshman corners against the Trojans and their Heisman Trophy front- running quarterback, Caleb Williams. With an array of talented receivers to pinpoint, Williams often went to the one lined up across from Jaden Mickey, the less experienced of those Irish freshmen cornerbacks. Mickey was the most targeted Notre Dame defensive player versus USC. Williams threw his way 4 times and completed all of those attempts for 71 yards. Mickey's coverage grade of 40.3 per Pro Football Focus was the second worst of any Irish player, ahead of only linebacker JD Bertrand (36.2). South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is not Williams. And he does not have quite the arsenal of weapons at his disposal. But he has thrown for 8 touchdowns in his last two starts, both of which were against top-10 op- ponents. Rattler is going to come out slinging the ball in the Gator Bowl, and with Hart still sidelined because of a shoulder injury that requires surgery, Mickey is going to have to be much better than he was in Los Angeles if the Irish are going to keep a hot Gamecocks offense at bay. With Michael Mayer Gone, Mitchell Evans Is The Man By Todd D. Burlage The logical and expected decision made Dec. 7 by junior tight end Michael Mayer to ditch the Gator Bowl and start prepping for his NFL career provides a perfect dress rehearsal and a future forecast for one Irish player more than any other. With Mayer out the door — exiting a position group already thinned by season-ending injuries to junior Kevin Bauman and freshman Eli Raridon — sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans has a postseason audition to replace Mayer next season. And expect Evans to handle it well. Evans missed the first five games this season with a foot injury. And, while he never caught a pass or was even tar- geted in the seven games upon his return, the versatile 6-5, 255-pound player still earned cult status during the regular season with his work as a bulldozing quarterback in the "Mitch-A-Palooza" short-yardage package that netted him 7 attempts for 11 yards with a 1-yard touchdown plunge against UNLV. And if Tommy Rees has enough faith to let Evans take snaps under center, the Irish offensive coordinator will trust his emerging tight end to fill Mayer's void, and Evans will get his shot in the bowl game. Expect some tight end combination of sophomores Cane Berrong and David Sherwood, along with freshman Holden Staes, to get plenty of reps against South Carolina. And that's good news for these talented young players. But when it comes to audition opportunity without Mayer, Evans — who re- corded 2 catches for 21 yards as a freshman backup last season — is the man who more than any Irish player on the roster needs to slay this TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH NON-QB IS NOTRE DAME'S MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER IN THE GATOR BOWL? There's no debate that when TaxSlayer Gator Bowl President/CEO Greg McGarity discussed his upcoming matchup between No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4) and No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) on Dec. 30, that this marquee game might have even exceeded his own expectations for bowl quality. Obviously landing two ranked opponents — one among the most recognizable brands in col- lege football, and the other, arguably the hottest team in college football — tops his excitement list. Both teams won three games against ranked opponents this season. Most recently, South Car- olina beat No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Clemson to finish its regular season. But beyond that, this game provides Jackson- ville, Fla., TIAA Bank Field and an entire region a chance to finally offer the terrific bowl-week experience it's been providing since 1946. McGarity, who retired in 2020 after 11 years as the athletics director at the University of Georgia, explained how COVID-19 dragged down interest and attendance for this game the last two years. The previous two Gator Bowls didn't draw 40,000 fans combined. But based on early projections for this year's matchup, McGarity said he expects at least 60,000 in the stands for the Gamecocks and Fighting Irish. Blue & Gold Illustrated spoke with McGarity to discuss fan base reactions to this game and a growing anticipation for what's expected to be one of the best bowl matchups this season. BGI: How excited are the Gator Bowl folks about Notre Dame versus South Carolina? McGarity: "Everybody is over the moon. They see this as one of the best matchups among the 43 bowl games. Two nationally ranked teams, one team [South Carolina] that is really on the upswing after consecutive victories over the two participants in the Orange Bowl." BGI: How has that anticipation translated to feedback and excitement? McGarity: "Those who have followed and sup- ported the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl throughout the years I expect will be even more attracted to our game now. These are two fantastic brands in col- lege football." BGI: What kind of positive impact do you see that making? McGarity: "We've had crowds of less than 30,000 the last two years. And this year, we have an opportunity to reach close to a capacity crowd. We're not there yet. But we're moving in that direction." BGI: Would you expand on the level of interest you've witnessed? McGarity: "For both fan bases, and really just fans of college football, they see this as an op- portunity to pay more attention to our game now with two fantastic brands that are going to face off against each other. Excitement is at a premium." BGI: What can folks expect during bowl week in the Jacksonville area? McGarity: "We're in a place in North Florida that is one of the fastest-growing relocations to move to because of the weather, the beaches, great restaurants, great golf courses. It's a beau- tiful spot in the world and this game gives us a chance to show it off." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL PRESIDENT/CEO GREG MCGARITY McGarity expects at least 60,000 fans to travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take in the matchup between Notre Dame and South Carolina. PHOTO COURTESY GATOR BOWL SPORTS EVANS MICKEY