rarily hampered. End Ishaq Williams had an ACL injury the week prior versus
Air Force, also on a cut block.
"It's unfortunate," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said the day after last
year's hard‑fought 38‑34 victory over Navy. "It's the style of offense that the
academies play. It is what it is."
The NCAA made the chop block illegal in 1980, but the cut block is still legal.
The chop block is defined as a defensive player who is blocked below the thigh
or knee by an offensive player when another offensive player is already blocking
him. The fine line with a cut block can also occur on whether the block is head
on or coming from the backside.
"Stop being crybabies and go play the game," Kelly said four days before the
Navy game. "I don't want to hear about cut blocks. They're legal and you've got
to get off the ball and go play. This is a no‑cry zone this week. I don't want to hear
about it. Go play the game and play it the right way."
UNDER THE DOME
Junior defensive lineman Sheldon Day suffered a severely sprained ankle on a cut block during last
year's 38-34 victory over Navy, an injury that hindered him the remainder of the 2013 season.
PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA
