Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/388723
UNDER THE DOME NICKY BARATTI SIDELINED THE REST OF 2014 Junior safety Nicky Baratti has been shelved from playing football a second straight season following shoulder surgery from an injury sustained during the Sept. 13 victory against Purdue. Sidelined all of 2013 after two shoulder surgeries, Baratti gradu- ally returned to action last spring but suffered a dislocated shoulder to his non-surgically repaired one during the Blue-Gold Game. That setback did not require surgery, but he did need to play with a harness. With fifth-year senior captain Austin Collinsworth recovering from an MCL strain suffered two days before the Aug. 30 opener against Rice and senior Eilar Hardy a day earlier not permitted to practice with the team because of the academic probe, Baratti began the season behind sophomore Max Redfield at free safety. A letterman his freshman season, which was highlighted by his end zone interception during a 13-6 win over Michigan, Baratti saw late action against Rice this season, none against Michigan and then was thrust into the top role in the second quarter against Purdue when Redfield was ejected from the game for a targeting infraction in a helmet-to-helmet collision. Baratti was in for one play before suffering his latest setback. From there, junior strong safety Elijah Shumate was shifted to free safety and praised by head coach Brian Kelly for his leadership on the back end, especially after shutting out the Boilermakers in the second half of the 30-14 victory. Taking Shumate's place at strong safety was freshman Drue Tran- quill, who had been aligned at linebacker in Notre Dame's dime defense. The Irish defensive backfield has had numerous setbacks, but it also has fortunately had safeties in numbers. — Lou Somogyi 2015 Notre Dame Football Packages Sept. 5 Texas Sept. 19 Georgia Tech Sept. 26 UMass Oct. 10 Navy Oct. 17 USC Nov. 19 Wake Forest A Notre Dame trip makes A GREAT GIFT: Birthday, Father's Day, Graduation, Christmas, Retirement All details at diamondtravel.com or call 602-870-9197 DIAMOND TRAVEL 27 years in business Notre Dame PaNoramic Puzzle Blue & Gold Illustrated P.O. Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 1-800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com Please add Sales Tax if you live in NC (7.5%), MI (6%), or IN (7%) $19.95 +$8.00 S&H* Item #6656 1,000 pieces • Size 39"x13" *Shipping within continental U.S. only Recurring shoulder problems have sidelined junior safety Nicky Baratti for a second straight season. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA