Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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resulted in a first down for Notre Dame. "He's a big target," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "He tracks the ball so very well. If you can keep the ball in a position where he can play [it], he's very difficult to defend." His large, 6-5 frame also drew a flurry of flags and contributed largely to Michigan State's 115 penalty yards. A pass interference call against Michigan State near the end zone led to junior Cam McDaniel's game-winning score. "I can't worry about [trying to draw penalties]," Robinson said. "I'm just focused on winning the one-on-one matchup. I can't worry about what the officials are doing. If I'm winning the matchup, I get the call. If not, I have to catch the ball regardless." Robinson noted the adjustment going from facing high school cornerbacks against which his frame would usually be enough to make the catch to collegiate defensive backs that are more adept at breaking up passes to tall receiving targets. "You've just got to be super confident and know that you have to go in there and make the catch to help the team win," Robinson said. "Everyone's counting on you to make the play." Irish Fall Short Of Century Mark Again For the third consecutive game, Notre Dame failed to reach the 100yard rushing mark. All three games came against Big Ten opponents. With 82 yards on the ground and 142 Junior running back Cam McDaniel scored the game-winning touchdown on a seven-yard run, but he finished with just 44 yards on 16 carries and the Irish totaled only 82 yards on the ground against a tough Michigan State defense. photo by Bill panzica yards passing, the Irish had trouble moving the ball often against the talented Spartans defense. Head coach Brian Kelly, however, said he was not surprised by the lack of yards offensively. "I think both defenses really carried the day," said Kelly, who added that a recipe for success against the Spartans depends more on passing than rushing. "I think Michigan State has a great defense. They're very difficult to play against in so many fashions. "I thought we played very well today up front, getting three-man pressure and four-man pressure. When you can do that, you can drop a lot of guys in coverage. I think the defenses had a lot to do with today's ballgame." Junior Cam McDaniel rushed 16 times to pace the Irish, but finished with only 44 yards. Depth On Display In what head coach Brian Kelly described as a better definition of roles,