Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/163197
top players of the game By tom loy Senior quarterback Tommy Rees got off to a great start to the season by throwing three touchdown passes — two in the first six plays of the game — and, more importantly, he didn't throw an interception in 23 attempts. photo by bill panzica Offense: Tommy Rees The senior quarterback completed 16 of 23 passes for a career-high 346 yards. He threw for three touchdowns, two of 32 yards and one of 66 yards, and didn't throw an interception. He looked poised in the pocket, kept his eyes down field and showed an ability to throw a quality deep ball. Defense: Matthias Farley Safety Matthias Farley had a very strong game in the secondary. On the day, the junior finished with three solo tackles, but what stood out was his work against standout Temple wide receiver Jalen Fitzpatrick. There were many situations when Farley covered Fitzpatrick one-on- one. He was physical and aggressive against the Owls' speedster, who finished with only two catches for 16 yards. Special Teams: TJ Jones Senior wide receiver TJ Jones didn't take any punts back for a touchdown. He didn't break any long returns and didn't burst onto the scene as a threat in the return game in the opening matchup against Temple. However, Jones caught the ball well and showed the assertiveness that you look for in a return man. He returned three punts for 23 yards with a long of 11 yards. By comparison, the Irish totaled 46 yards in punt return yardage with a long of 11 yards in 13 games last season.