Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Sophomore Jonathan Bonner Enters The Rotation It's been a long road for sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Bonner, with position changes, an injury and time on the Irish scout team leading up to meaningful minutes against Wake Forest Nov. 14. In Notre Dame's 28‑7 win, Bonner played 11 snaps at the three‑technique position to let senior Sheldon Day rest a few plays. Bonner ended up on the stat sheet in a negative way for something he didn't do, and was left off for a positive play he made. Late in the first half, Bonner was charged with a 15‑yard facemask penalty that was actually committed by senior defensive end Romeo Okwara. The flag also wiped Bonner's sack on the play off the books. Even if that play kept Bonner off the stat sheet, he felt like his performance represented a significant point in his career. "It was a great experience playing for my dream school and going out and getting my first sack as a defensive lineman," Bonner said. "It was a huge step for me." The sophomore redshirted last season and head coach Brian Kelly praised Bonner's play in the spring before a turf toe injury set him back. "Coming off an injury, it took a little to get back into it, but I feel like I'm getting back to knocking down more doors in my game," Bonner said. "Early on, I was just working back into it, and I knew every day I had to get better whether it was one thing or another. Every day I'd focus on one thing and it would all come together." Bonner played 56 snaps in the first 10 games, but is a pass‑rushing option for an Irish team that — outside of Okwara's recent emergence — is short in that department. "He brings us a pass rush, and he's becoming a lot more comfortable working inside," Kelly said. "He was an outside player for us, and I think it's just [defensive line coach Keith] Gilmore's feeling much more comfortable with his ability to play the inside tackle techniques that are needed." — Andrew Owens Bonner played 56 snaps in the first 10 games and had his first quarterback sack wiped out by a pen- alty flag. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA