BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 16, 2024 15
out the ball," Denbrock said. "You wish
you had 150 footballs, where everybody
could get their lot every week. That
would be my wish, but unfortunately
the game just doesn't always flow that
way. But those guys are invaluable to us."
In a way, it all circles back to Faison.
He was Notre Dame's best wide receiver
down the stretch in 2023, and the Irish
have reached that final-push stage of
the season once again in 2024.
Faison injured his ankle in the sea-
son opener at Texas A&M and then
again against Louisville. He's had two
off weeks to heal up since then, and
he might've announced to us all in the
Navy game by doing a bit of everything
that he's on track to be the player he was
as a true freshman when he caught 19
passes for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns
in just seven appearances.
"The plays that he made in the Navy
game are really just a microcosm of
what he can be within the framework of
this offense," Denbrock said.
The behind-the-scenes grunt work
is necessary. But when it's coupled
with copious catches and end zone en-
trances, that's even better. Faison has
the ability to pull that off. Pull it all off.
He's proven it before, and he's getting
back to that level again this fall.
"Now that he's returning to pretty
much full health, we were able to get him
the ball [versus Navy] and create some
big plays with him," Freeman said. ✦
"Those guys do so many things without the ball. You wish you had
150 footballs, where everybody could get their lot every week.
That would be my wish, but unfortunately the game just doesn't
always flow that way. But those guys are invaluable to us."
NOTRE DAME OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE DENBROCK ON THE IRISH WIDE RECEIVERS
