Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/208902
Under the Dome Personnel Notes • Junior Dog linebacker Ben Councell tore his ACL against Navy and was scheduled for surgery sometime in the ensuing week. The procedure will keep him out for the rest of the season and limit him in spring practice. Councell, who had been playing behind star freshman Jaylon Smith, saw action in each of the first nine games and was credited with 15 tackles (10 solo, one for loss), a forced fumble and a pass defensed. He has two more years of eligibility remaining (2014 and 2015). • Senior safety Austin Collinsworth did not practice the Tuesday of Pittsburgh week. He had strained his neck against Navy and was having muscle spasms there. He did suit up the next day and was cleared on Thursday by the medical staff to play at Pitt. Another safety, sophomore Elijah Shumate, who sat out the Air Force and Navy games with a hamstring injury, was cleared by doctors from the outset to prepare for Pitt. • Ishaq Williams, who suffered a knee injury in the 45-10 win at Air Force Oct. 26, was projected by head coach Brian Kelly to be possibly ready for the Nov. 23 home finale against Brigham Young. He had been in an immobilizer, but did not require surgery. • Starting at Pitt, fifth-year senior left guard Chris Watt was projected to play through a torn PCL — where no surgery is involved — he incurred at Air Force. He suited up Nov. 2 against Navy after practicing on the Thursday Junior linebacker Ben Councell, who made before the game, but didn't feel strong enough to play, 15 tackles in the first nine games in a thus ending his consecutive starts streak at 34. The tear reserve role, tore his ACL against Navy and doesn't limit him the way an MCL or ACL injury would, will miss the remainder of the season. Panzica photo by Bill but it still makes the knee less stable. • With Watt out against Navy, fifth-year senior Zack Martin was the lone multi-year starter along the Irish offensive line. Sophomore right tackle Ronnie Stanley, freshman right guard Steve Elmer, junior center Nick Martin and junior left guard Conor Hanratty had never started until this season. It was Hanratty's starting debut. "What you love about Hanratty is you've got a chance when a guy goes in there and battles, and he's an aggressive, tough kid," head coach Brian Kelly said. • Junior tight end Ben Koyack might be a candidate for Most Improved Player this year. His presence in the two-tight-end look with classmate Troy Niklas has aided the offense's ability to maintain a run-pass balance. While catching three touchdown passes in the four games from Oct. 5 through Nov. 2 received most of the attention, it's been Koyack's blocking that has stood out to the staff. "Ben has been outstanding this year and his maturation from earlier in the year where he was just soso," Kelly said. "His toughness, ability to stick his nose in there and block for us, has really risen."