"Joe Schmidt can't come off the field,"
otherwise the defense will suffer.
Yeah, sure, Coach — a former walk‑
on with 21 career tackles and zero
starts entering his senior year will
make a difference.
It proved to be the most prophetic
statement of the year. MVP isn't mea‑
sured necessarily by who is the "best"
player, but more so by who makes
everyone else around him better to
where he becomes the least expend‑
able figure. That defined Schmidt. The
Irish were 7‑1 with him in the lineup
during the regular season, and 0‑4 —
and lost and searching — without him.
Despite playing inside linebacker for the first time in his career, sophomore Jaylon Smith racked up a team-
high 103 tackles en route to second-team Associated Press All-America honors.
PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA
