Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528160
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 26, 2024 23 3rd Blocked kick of the year for Notre Dame — tied for third in the FBS, behind only Florida State (5) and Georgia Tech (4) — came on 35- yard field goal attempt by Georgia Tech late in the third quarter, with freshmen defensive end Bryce Young doing the honors for the second time this season. 5 Games with four or more catches for Notre Dame graduate student wide receiver Beaux Collins in seven outings this season. Against the Yellow Jackets, Collins led the Irish with 5 receptions for a team-high 51 yards. 9 Tackles for sophomore linebacker Drayk Bowen against Georgia Tech — a new career high and a game high. 10th Career interception — and third of this season — for Notre Dame graduate student safety Xavier Watts. Per Notre Dame media relations, Watts is the 19th Irish player to intercept 10 or more passes in his career and is tied for 12th (with six other players) on the all-time list for career interceptions in program history. 13th Different NFL stadium Notre Dame has played since 2016 was Mercedes-Benz Stadium. No other FBS team has played in more than the Irish during that time span. 14 Tackles for freshman Leonard Moore in his two career starts for the Fighting Irish. Starting in place of injured junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Moore matched his career high with 7 stops against the Yellow Jack- ets. He also broke up a pair of passes. 31-6-1 Record for Notre Dame in the all-time series versus Georgia Tech. The Fighting Irish are also now 14-2-1 in road games against the Yellow Jackets. 36 -Yard interception return for sophomore safety Adon Shuler's first career touchdown. His pick six came late in the fourth quarter and put Notre Dame up 31-7. 42 Yards was the length of junior kicker Zac Yoakam's first career field goal for the Fighting Irish. 64 Yards rushing for Georgia Tech against Notre Dame — a new season low for the Yellow Jackets. The previous low had been 93 versus Lou- isville. Georgia Tech entered the game averaging 204.4 yards per contest and had rushed for 616 yards in its last two games (371 at North Carolina Oct. 12 and 245 versus Duke Oct. 5). BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 2 Successful fakes run by Notre Dame's special teams against Georgia Tech — one on a punt and one on a field goal, both in the fourth quarter. The first came after the Irish set up to punt on fourth-and-8 at the Notre Dame 46-yard line. The snap went to the short man, senior tight end Davis Sherwood, who completed a short shovel pass to graduate student wide receiver Jayden Harrison who then pitched the ball back to sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love on a reverse that produced a 14-yard gain and a first down. That drive ended with a field goal that gave the Irish a three-score lead at 24-7 with just more than 10 minutes to go in the game. The second came on a field goal attempt on fourth-and-4 at the Georgia Tech 26-yard line. Junior wide receiver TYLER BUCHNER, who shares the same jersey number (26) as normal holder Chris Salerno, took the snap and ran for 4 yards to get the first down. Unfortunately for the Irish, that drive ended in a missed field goal. PHOTO BY MATT RUDOLPH