Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8 SEPT. 7, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Louisville Is The Toughest Out By Todd D. Burlage Be it through rivalry, history and/or brand, Florida State is indeed the knee- jerk answer to the question of toughest home game for Notre Dame this season. But a deeper dive into the Irish schedule and opponent rosters makes it clear that Louisville will be the marquee game at Notre Dame Stadium in 2024. Sure, Florida State won 13 games last season and probably should've been a playoff team. But 13 starters are gone from the 2023 Seminoles, includ- ing star quarterback Jordan Travis, the engine to FSU's success last season. For Louisville, defense was the key to a 10-win season in 2023. And six starters return from a unit that finished last season No. 21 nationally in total defense, No. 9 in rushing defense and No. 1 in red zone defense. Add to that a veteran secondary that returns seniors Quincy Riley and Devin Neal, and this talented defense will be among the best in the country again this season. As a history lesson, Riley and Neal intercepted Irish quar- terback Sam Hartman three times in the Cardinals' 33-20 upset of Notre Dame last season. None of this is meant to say that the Irish won't win this game. But be warned, this is a Louisville program on the rise under second-year head coach Jeff Brohm, who compiled the nation's No. 2 transfer portal class this offseason. Coming off of the upset of Notre Dame and coming in with terrific program momentum, Louisville will be the home-game opponent Notre Dame needs to worry most about this season. Florida State Reloaded, Remains Dangerous By Jack Soble Louisville is going to be good. Along with the players Todd mentioned, senior defensive end Ashton Gillotte is a monster. And the Cardinals went ballistic in the transfer portal, building a talented roster. How- ever, there are a few reasons Louisville isn't Notre Dame's most difficult home game. First, the Cardinals did not solve their quarterback situation. Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough has not started a full season in any of his six (!!!) previous years in school. Second, South Alabama transfer wide receiver Caullin Lacy broke his collarbone and may miss the game. This would be a huge loss because Lacy led college football in yards after catch during his 1,316-yard season in 2023. And finally, after what happened last season, Notre Dame just won't let it- self lose to Louisville at home. The Irish will treat this game like their Super Bowl, refusing to underestimate Brohm's bunch twice. Florida State, on the other hand, has proven under fifth-year head coach Mike Norvell that it can build a championship-caliber team. While Norvell lost a good chunk of his roster that started its 2023 season 13-0, he still has loads of talent and augmented it with high-profile transfer additions. FSU's defensive line, led by redshirt junior and first-round hopeful defensive end Patrick Payton, is up there with Texas A&M's as the best the Irish will face. Its cornerbacks are championship-caliber. It has the best offensive line on Notre Dame's schedule, too, featuring All-ACC left tackle Darius Washington. And transfers, such as senior wide receiver Malik Benson (Alabama) and junior defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia), could be very impactful. Don't underestimate the Seminoles because of what they lost. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH HOME GAME SHOULD NOTRE DAME WORRY MOST ABOUT? To say that multi-sport Fighting Irish star Jordan Faison had an exhilarating, exciting and exhaust- ing year as a true freshman in 2023-24 doesn't begin to describe everything that the rising Irish sophomore went through. Recruited to Notre Dame as a lacrosse player, Faison excelled for the Irish as a midfielder this spring and finished fifth on the Irish with 22 goals and sixth on the team with 30 points, all while becoming a major cog during a second straight national championship season. Meanwhile, on the football field last fall before lacrosse, the versatile Irish wide receiver finished fifth on the team in receptions (19), fourth in re- ceiving yards (322) and tied for second in touch- down catches (4), all in just seven games. Faison's quick ascent earned him a full football scholarship from the Irish coaches at the midway part of the 2023 season, and made him one of the most dangerous and valuable returning play- ers on the Irish offense in 2024. Blue & Gold Illustrated and other local media recently caught up with Faison and asked him about his whirlwind freshman year, and what lies ahead for his second go-around. BGI: How would you describe the challenges of juggling academics, football and lacrosse as a freshman? Faison: "It was definitely difficult. The body was hurting, the mind was hurting, you kind of have to take time for yourself. But the sports per- formance staff was amazing through the whole process toward recovery, and my mental state." BGI: What lessons did you take away from lacrosse on what it takes to win a national championship? Faison: "To see the expectations of the seniors, and what they had before you was a big thing. I'm trying to translate that into the football side because you take a ton of information from la- crosse — inside the locker room, the tiny details of what it takes to win a national championship. "I'd say that has definitely gone a long way so far." BGI: What specifically stood out with lacrosse? Faison: "The biggest thing is attention to detail. It starts in the locker room and that was the big- gest thing, kind of keeping the locker room clean, and everyone cleaning up their own trash, and your helmets had to be a certain way. "It may not seem like it, but it goes a long way, and that helped us get to a national championship." BGI: Football-wise, what are your early impres- sions of a new-look wide receiver room? Faison: "We have everything. We have the big guys, the fast guys, the quick guys. We can hit you from every angle. We can attack zone. We can at- tack man. And I think it is just a testimony to what we've developed." BGI: Finally, what's the biggest transformation from Jordan Faison as a freshman to a sophomore? Faison: "My IQ is definitely way higher than it was last year. Playing most of my [football] snaps out of the slot last year, and coming in this year, playing more on the outside, that has definitely developed my game and opened my eyes to not only one position but the offense as a whole." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JORDAN FAISON Faison finished fifth on the team in receptions (19), fourth in receiving yards (322) and tied for second in touchdown catches (4), all in just seven games last season. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER QUINCY RILEY PATRICK PAYTON