Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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provided a comfortable 10-point cushion. "When you've got a guy with that kind of confidence asking to kick the football, it makes it easier for me to make a decision to put him out there," Kelly said. "He's a great weapon for us." Kelly admitted that choosing to kick the long fourth quarter attempt was a bit of a gamble. A miss would have given the Cougars offense the ball on their 34-yard line with a chance to tie the game. Brindza, though, has been almost automatic in similar situations. That kick brought him to 12 of 13 on fourth-quarter attempts in his two years as the Irish placekicker. The Michigan native said he was used to kicking in the wind and the snow from his high school days, and it didn't faze him Saturday. He considers himself a little more mentally stable than most of his placekicking brethren. "I'm probably the calmest, most confident guy you'll ever meet, very laid back," he said. "That's weird for a kicker. Some people say kickers are head cases, but that's not me. "The strongest aspect of my game from kicking is not just my leg, but definitely my head. My mental toughness is one of the biggest things for me." More Injuries Another week, another opportunity for Notre Dame to test its "Next Man In" mantra. Senior defensive lineman Kona Miscellaneous Notes • Irish freshman linebacker Jaylon Smith traded in his regular No. 9 jersey for No. 13 against BYU to pay tribute to senior Danny Spond. After retiring from football this August due to paralyzing migraine headaches, Spond became a tutor for Smith, his replacement. Spond ran out of the tunnel in uniform and full pads to greet his parents on Senior Day. "It was a great feeling to be able to basically put myself in a great player's shoes like that in Danny Spond," Smith said. "I was really just honored. I loved it." Senior Luke Massa, normally No. 14, wore No. 78 for his final game in honor of high school teammate Matt James. Massa and James — an offensive lineman — both signed to play for the Irish in their final year at Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. James died after falling from a balcony on a spring break trip months later. • BYU's offense stayed in the game through more than three quarters by staying on the field. The Cougars converted nine of their first 14 third-down plays and ended with a 55.0 percent (11 of 20) conversion rate. Their lone score came on a seven-yard touchdown pass to JD Falslev on a third down. • Junior safety Eilar Hardy made his second career start and freshman running back Tarean Folston his first, versus the Cougars. Hardy finished the game with eight tackles, one behind linebacker Dan Fox for the team lead. Folston carried the ball 13 times for 78 yards and scored a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter. • Twenty-seven different players were credited with tackles for Notre Dame. Seven of them had at least seven tackles. • BYU ran a total of 83 plays on offense. The Cougars entered the game averaging 86.8 snaps per game, fourth in the country.