Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Nickname: "Skywalker, because I look like Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars." Dorm: "O'Neill Hall." Major: "Business marketing." Favorite TV show: "It changes a lot with Netflix, but right now I'd say 'Supernatural.'" Favorite place around South Bend to eat: "I enjoy the local Blaze Pizza. I usually go for jalapeños, pepperoni and sausage." Favorite movie: "'Inception.' It's just a lot of twists and turns that make it great." Toughest player you've played against: "That's tough, I played so many great guys in AAU. Stanley Johnson was a former teammate of mine. Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay are two others." Favorite pregame music: "Rap and EDM, it changes depending on the mood." Favorite part of playing for Notre Dame: "The feeling and the bond you have with all the other student-athletes." Getting To Know … FRESHMAN GUARD REX PFLUEGER From 2012-14, Notre Dame did not generate a single touchdown from its special teams. That kind of three- year drought at Notre Dame hasn't occurred since the early 1960s. During its 6-1 start this year, how- ever, the Fighting Irish kicking game already produced three touchdowns — and through three different means: a fake field goal that resulted in a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback/holder DeShone Kizer to junior tight end Durham Smythe at Virginia, a 50-yard punt return for a score by freshman wide receiver CJ Sanders versus UMass and a blocked punt by freshman wideout Equanime- ous St. Brown that fifth-year senior slot receiver Amir Carlisle scooped up for a touchdown versus USC. Those scores against Virginia and USC in particular made a significant difference in the hard fought 34-27 and 41-31 victories versus the Cavaliers and Trojans, respectively. Overall, the special teams perfor- mance against USC, which also in- cluded two field goals by freshman Justin Yoon, a couple of pooch punts by Kizer — who did some punting in high school — that pinned USC inside its 20 and kept the ball away from dangerous return many Adoreé Jackson, and a fourth-quarter punt by sophomore Tyler Newsome that was downed at the 1-yard line may have been the best in head coach Brian Kel- ly's six seasons. The resurrection of Notre Dame's special teams has been fueled in part SPECIAL ADDITIONS