Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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backer and captain Joe Schmidt said. "The energy he provides, he's a real positive guy, loves the team, does anything for the team. He had a great night. He deserves that praise." Hill and 18 other first-year players (not all freshmen) made appearances for the Irish, according to Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Freshmen on defense, including Hill, totaled 11 tackles, led by defensive lineman Andrew Trumbetti's four. That youth movement leads Schmidt to expect only better things from his defense. "We can be better. We have to be better," he said. "Just looking at today, there are a lot of plays I could point to and say we messed this up. Thinking about that, thinking about how much better we can be, I'm positive in that I see where the future could be. "I see that it's bright. Obviously, this is a nice step, a really nice step. We have a lot more in the tank, a lot more to accomplish." HEISMAN CHATTER Through two games, senior quarter- back Everett Golson has amassed 521 yards and five touchdowns through the air and 27 yards and three touch- downs on the ground. Combining those stats with two definitive wins, Golson's name naturally has begun to filter into conversations regard- ing Heisman Trophy contenders. He quickly dismisses those notions. "Avoid the noise," Golson said re- peatedly. "People are going to talk that type of thing, whether it's good or bad, but you have to keep your head on what really matters — my guys around me. That's where it starts. I don't know if I really necessarily hear it." Kelly, on the other hand, somewhat sarcastically encouraged the hardware possibilities. "Sure, throw him in there," Kelly said with a smirk. "I saw one list. He wasn't even in the top 10 quarterbacks in the country. "It still is really early," the head coach said. "He's got a lot more de- velopment to take place. He's getting better. We're two weeks into this thing. So whatever list you got, throw him on it." KYLE BRINDZA KICKS WAY UP RECORD BOOK Only one kicker remains ahead of senior Kyle Brindza on Notre Dame's list of career field goals. Brindza's fourth-quarter three-pointer tied him with Nicholas Setta at 46 success- ful attempts. If Brindza manages to Senior quarterback Everett Golson has efficiently racked up 521 yards and five touchdowns through the air, plus 27 yards and three scores on the ground, eliciting talk of him being a Heisman Trophy contender. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA