Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 SEPT. 2, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: TENNESSEE STATE the iconic interlocking "ND" logo. Then he chuckled. "Oh my gosh," he said to himself. "I'm actually going to be coaching on the sideline at the stadium that Knute Rockne built." Like the legendary Notre Dame head coach who put the Irish on a path to greatness a century ago, George has a ' been there, done that' résumé in college football. In addition to his Heisman Trophy, he won the Doak W a l k e r A w a r d a n d w a s n a m e d a unanimous first-team All-American in the same season. So how could a guy like that be so wowed by something as simple as an empty stadium? He used to put tens of thousands of folks on their feet in ven- ues just like it, regularly. It's because Notre Dame is Notre Dame, and his sit- uation is totally different than it was 28 years ago as a player. Sitting on a stage in South Bend af- ter his waltz to the 50, the 48-year-old George looked as if he could still rush for 1,000-plus yards like he did twice at Ohio State and seven more times in the NFL. But he's the head coach at Tennes- see State now, as indicated by his strik- ing blue suit, and come Sept. 2, he'll forever be the man who led an FCS/His- torically Black College and University (HBCU) program against mighty Notre Dame for the first time ever. The Irish have been playing football since 1887. Never before have they faced a team like Tennessee State. "It's overwhelming to think I can help bring light to all the great things we're trying to do — that we're going to do — at Tennessee State University and expose our kids to this," George said. "Playing in this building, this venue, this is the cathedral of sports venues." 'NOT A GIMMICK' George watched his son play against the Irish for Vanderbilt in 2018. That was more of a celebratory event. A proud father watching his child play on a grand stage. Next year, George will be lead- ing dozens of players into the same en- vironment. Some will be playing their first ever college game. Others will begin their final year as a college player at one of the sport's most revered locations. Their performances, young and old, will ultimately fall on George's shoul- ders with the world watching on NBC. There is obvious pressure to perform in that scenario. A demand to represent Tennessee State and HBCUs everywhere as best he can. Tennessee State director of athletics Dr. Mikki Allen grew up a Notre Dame 2023 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Aug. 26 vs. Navy* W, 42-3 Sept. 2 Tennessee State (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at NC State (ABC) 12 p.m. Sept. 16 C. Michigan (Peacock) 2:30 p.m. Sept. 23 Ohio State (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Duke TBA Oct. 7 at Louisville TBA Oct. 14 USC (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 Pittsburgh (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Clemson (ABC) TBA Nov. 18 Wake Forest (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 25 at Stanford TBA * at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland Senior Draylen Ellis, who threw for 1,807 yards and 8 touchdowns in his first season at Tennessee State last year, is expected to get the start at quarterback against Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS 2023 TENNESSEE STATE SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 2 at Notre Dame (NBC) 2:30 p.m. Sept. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff* 6 p.m. Sept. 16 Gardner-Webb (ESPN+) 5 p.m. Sept. 30 at UT Martin (ESPN+) 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at Kennesaw State (ESPN+) 2 p.m. Oct. 14 Norfolk State (ESPN+) 5 p.m. Oct. 21 Lincoln (ESPN+) 2 p.m. Oct. 28 Lindenwood (ESPN+) 2 p.m. Nov. 4 at Charleston Southern (ESPN+) 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at Eastern Illinois (ESPN+) 12 p.m. Nov. 18 Tennessee Tech (ESPN+) 2 p.m. * at the Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn.