Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527190
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 12, 2024 19 Golden said. "I'm proud of him. A lot of people get opportunities, but they're not ready for that opportunity. He just put his head down and got ready for his opportunity. "And when the opportunity came he cashed in on it in a big way. Couldn't be more proud of him." Golden went as far as to say he does not believe Notre Dame would have played as well as it did in holding the RedHawks to three points without the presence of Tuihalamaka. It wasn't just the interception. It was the bat-out-of-you-know- where tackle for loss on third-and-2 when Tuihalamaka peeled off a block from Miami (Ohio)'s right tackle and sprinted out to the flat to wrap up a tailback who caught a pass well behind the line of scrimmage in Irish territory. It was the constant setting of the edge that Botelho was providing in the first two and a half games of the season that Notre Dame feared it would miss with Botelho going down for the year. Tuihalamaka, in tandem with sopho- more Boubacar Traore, made the Irish feel a lot better about what they're go- ing to have at vyper without Botelho by the way he played against Miami (Ohio). He had previously only played 20-plus defensive snaps on four occasions in the prior two seasons. It's going to be the norm moving forward, and if what he did in his first big-time opportunity of 2024 was any indicator of what's to come the rest of the year, No. 44 will be showing up in highlight reels time and again. All he has to do is trust the work he put in to get to this place. When he steps on the field, that's the easy part. "Just being out there, not thinking too much and just going out there and playing with a free mind," Tuihalamaka said. ✦ Tuihalamaka received the highest defensive rating of any Irish player in the 28-3 win over Miami (Ohio), with an 87.5 grade according to Pro Football Focus. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER