Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME "How can you win it all if you're 67th in rushing yards?" — ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski on Notre Dame's biggest flaw in its title résumé "I definitely understand it's a team sport. There are no individuals trying to be above everyone else. That's one of the cool things I think this team has this year. We're definitely more of a team sport. We want to help each other be successful. It's not about any one person's success or anything. We know as a team, if we do well, then individually we'll have that success. That's one of the biggest things I learned from the Spurs." — Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver Corey Robinson on what he learned hanging around the locker room of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, whom his father, David, played for from 1989-2003 TWEET OF THE MONTH @TomMendozaTalks: "Just met Bill Clinton. He said 'The ND-FSU game evoked an emotion in me that I never expected. Sympathy for Notre Dame. Terrible call.'" — Tom Mendoza, the benefactor and namesake behind Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN REPORT Of the 12 defensive freshmen Notre Dame signed last February, eight have already seen action — most notably ends Andrew Trumbetti and Grant Blankenship, nose guard Daniel Cage, linebacker Kolin Hill and safety Drue Tranquill. Linebackers Greer Martini and Nyles Morgan have seen action on special teams, while cornerback Nick Watkins has also had a bit role. The four who appear headed toward redshirts are ends Jhonny Williams and Jay Hayes, nose guard Peter Mokwuah and tackle Jonathan Bonner, who was a linebacker but is developing at three-technique behind junior Sheldon Day and fifth-year senior Justin Utupo. Along with Hill, Williams might be the best speed rusher on the team but needs more seasoning. Head coach Brian Kelly has admitted it's been tempting to play both Hayes and Bonner, but it would be more pru- dent to preserve a year of eligibility. At 325 pounds, Mokwuah needs to grow into his body. "They're getting a chance to line up against a heck of an offensive line every day and work the techniques," Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. "We try to keep them involved in our meetings … in the spring they'll be playing right away." Morgan came in with the highest rating of anyone in the freshman class, but is serving his apprenticeship behind Schmidt at the complex Mike position that gets the defense aligned. VanGorder said Morgan is no different than the many rookie linebackers he coached in the NFL who had no grasp of the defense early on before beginning to click in their second or third season. "It's been tough," VanGorder said of Morgan's gradual progress. "It's a lot of defense. It's been difficult for him to learn it all, let alone then communicate it all to everybody. "[We put] lot of coaching pressure on him and he holds up really well, He doesn't flinch. It's going to hap- pen. … He's got some really outstanding physical traits."