Blue and Gold Illustrated

UNDER THE DOME C.J. Prosise By Andrew Owens Through the first month of the 2015 season, junior wide receiver Will Fuller and senior running back C.J. Prosise had tallied six touchdowns each for the Irish. Fuller's production was hardly a surprise — he notched 15 scores as a sophomore in 2014. But Pro‑ sise, who began his Notre Dame career as a safety and displayed his playmak‑ ing ability as a slot receiver last year, has been one of the top national surprises while starring for the Irish. While Fuller, barring in‑ jury, is a lock to reach a double‑digit touchdown total, it would seem logical that opposing coaches will double‑team him more of‑ ten than they have to this point. With starting tight end Durham Smythe out for the season and his replacement Tyler Luatua hardly a receiving threat, a lot of that will depend on freshman Alizé Jones' ability to claim the middle of the field. He has yet to do that consistently. At wide receiver, junior Corey Robinson has mostly been absent from the stat sheet through four games while senior Chris Brown and fifth‑year senior Amir Carlisle are steady, yet unspectacular, options. Fuller seems like an obvious candidate to cover consistently with a pair of defensive backs. Prosise, however, has proven his ability not only to break free in the open field, but also to muster the tough yardage after contact that not many expected when he transitioned positions. With an easier second‑half schedule, Notre Dame will run even more than it already has, which will provide Prosise the opportunity to pass his teammate in touchdowns by the end of the season. Will Fuller By Bryan Driskell As long as he stays healthy, senior running back C.J. Prosise should continue scoring touchdowns at a strong rate. Notre Dame's offensive line is too good and Prosise is too talented to get shut out of the end zone. Of course, Will Fuller has also proven he can score touchdowns at a record pace, even when opponents are looking to keep him out of the game. Opponents will certainly look to double Fuller more moving forward, which might limit the number of long, over‑the‑top touch‑ downs he has scored thus far in the season. But in order to stop something, you have to give something up. The emphasis on slowing down Fuller's big plays will also impact the ability of Prosise to rip off as many big runs. It also serves to open up the screen game, where Fuller made a significant impact in 2014 but has yet to do the same in 2015. The other factor working in Fuller's favor is that teams will continue to focus more and more of their attention on Prosise once Notre Dame gets into the red zone, opening up better one‑on‑one opportunities for Prosise. The rise of talented freshman running back Josh Adams means the Irish coaches will look to spell Prosise at times, limiting his scoring opportunities, whereas Fuller rarely comes off the field. A look at the schedule also sways this decision. Over the final seven games, Notre Dame plays five defenses that rank in the top 45 in rushing defense but only two that rank that high against the pass. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHO WILL FINISH WITH MORE TOUCHDOWNS, WILL FULLER OR C.J. PROSISE? FULLER PROSISE

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