Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/728553
30 SEPT. 26, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED into tonight and we didn't execute it at the times we needed to." SPECIAL TEAMS MISCUES PROVE COSTLY The tone was set on the first play of the game. On the opening kickoff, sophomore return man C.J. Sanders went 99 yards for a would-be score. However, freshman Jalen Elliott was called for holding, negating the scor- ing play. Notre Dame remained in control during the first quarter, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. The Spartans were forced to punt deep in their own ter- ritory, and Notre Dame was poised to get the ball back with good field position after a short kick. But the ball bounced off the leg of sopho- more wide receiver Miles Boykin and Michigan State recovered. The Spartans scored a 38-yard touchdown on the next play. On Notre Dame's ensuing series, Sand- ers fumbled and the Spartans once again recovered. Notre Dame never seemed to get back on track after those miscues. "From the start of the game we have a kickoff return called back, and then we muff a punting situ- ation," head coach Brian Kelly la- mented. "Two big plays there … two huge mistakes on special teams and the difference in the game was eight points." In the third quarter, Sanders re- turned a punt to the 38-yard line, appearing to give the Irish excellent field position. Instead, an unsports- manlike penalty on sophomore Nicco Fertitta pushed the Irish back to their own 23-yard line. ✦ NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No. Gain Lost Net Avg. TD Lg. Adams 12 33 4 29 2.4 0 7 Folston 4 14 0 14 3.5 0 9 Kizer 9 27 13 14 1.6 2 14 Total 25 74 17 57 2.3 2 14 Passing Att. Comp. Pct. Int. Yds. TD Lg. Kizer 37 20 54.1 1 344 2 48 Total 37 20 54.1 1 344 2 48 Receiving No. Yds. TD Lg. Hunter 5 95 0 47 St. Brown 4 83 1 48 Sanders 2 53 0 34 Stepherson 2 42 0 23 Claypool 1 33 0 33 Adams 4 17 0 12 Smythe 1 12 1 12 Holmes 1 9 0 9 Total 20 344 2 48 Punt Returns No. Yds. TD Lg. Sanders 2 9 0 6 Boykin 1 -2 0 0 Total 3 7 0 6 Kick Returns No. Yds. TD Lg. Williams 2 40 0 24 Sanders 1 20 0 20 Total 3 60 0 24 Punting No. Avg. Lg. Blk. TB FC 50+ In 20 Newsome 6 50.3 71 0 0 3 3 3 Total 6 50.3 71 0 0 3 3 3 Field Goals Made Att Lg Blkd None Defense Tac Ast Tot Tfl Sac Pd Ff Fr Morgan 8 2 10 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Coney 5 4 9 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Martini 6 1 7 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Tranquill 5 1 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Coleman 4 1 5 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 Luke 5 0 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Onwualu 3 2 5 1-2 0-0 1 0 0 Tillery 4 1 5 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 Jones 3 1 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Sebastian 4 0 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Cage 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Fertitta 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Rochell 1 1 2 1-9 0-0 0 0 0 Studstill 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Trumbetti 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Claypool 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Hayes 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Hayes 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Love 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Interceptions No. Yds. TD Lg. Studstill 1 30 0 30 Total 1 30 0 30 MICHIGAN STATE INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No. Gain Lost Net Avg. TD Lg. Holmes 13 110 10 100 7.7 2 73 Scott 22 103 5 98 4.5 1 23 O'Connor 10 43 0 43 4.3 0 6 Shelton 3 16 0 16 5.3 0 7 Line 1 3 0 3 3.0 0 3 Terry 2 2 0 2 1.0 0 2 Team 1 0 2 -2 -2.0 0 0 Total 52 277 17 260 5.0 3 73 Passing Att. Comp. Pct. Int. Yds. TD Lg. O'Connor 26 19 73.1 1 241 2 38 Total 26 19 73.1 1 241 2 38 Receiving No. Yds. TD Lg. Corley 4 88 1 38 Shelton 8 80 1 23 Madaris 2 40 0 33 Price 2 24 0 23 Line 2 6 0 3 Scott 1 3 0 3 Total 19 241 2 38 Punt Returns No. Yds. TD Lg. None Kick Returns No. Yds. TD Lg. Stewart 1 26 0 26 Williams 2 16 0 13 Total 3 42 0 26 Punting No. Avg. Lg. Blk. TB FC 50+ In 20 Hartbarger 7 38.0 42 0 0 1 0 2 Total 7 38.0 42 0 0 1 0 2 Field Goals Made Att Lg Blkd None Defense Tac Ast Tot TFL Sac PD FF FR Reschke 6 2 8 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 Bullough 2 2 4 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 Dowell 3 1 4 1-6 1-6 0 0 0 McDowell 2 2 4 0.5-2 0-0 0 0 0 Copeland 3 0 3 0-0 0-0 2 0 0 Hicks 3 0 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Nicholson 2 1 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 Cooper 1 1 2 1.5-3 0-0 0 0 0 Cox 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Frey 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Morrissey 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Smith 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Williams 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Williams 2 0 2 1-5 1-5 0 0 0 Dowell 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Jones 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Miller 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 O'Connor 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Willis 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Caflisch 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 Interceptions No. Yds. TD Lg. Reschke 1 0 0 0 Total 1 0 0 0 PARTICIPATION CHART OFFENSE QB: DESHONE KIZER RB: JOSH ADAMS, Tarean Folston WR: COREY HOLMES, C.J. Sanders WR: TORII HUNTER JR., Chase Claypool, Kevin Stepherson WR: EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN, Miles Boykin TE DURHAM SMYTHE, Nic Weishar LT: MIKE MCGLINCHEY LG: QUENTON NELSON C: SAM MUSTIPHER RG: COLIN MCGOVERN RT: ALEX BARS DEFENSE DE: ISAAC ROCHELL, Julian Okwara, Jay Hayes DT: JERRY TILLERY, Jonathan Bonner NG: DANIEL CAGE, Jarron Jones DE: ANDREW TRUMBETTI, Daelin Hayes WLB: TE'VON CONEY, Greer Martini MLB: NYLES MORGAN SLB: JAMES ONWUALU CB: COLE LUKE CB: NICK COLEMAN, Julian Love S: DRUE TRANQUILL F: DEVIN STUDSTILL, Avery Sebastian SPECIAL TEAMS Kick Return: Dexter Williams, C.J. Sanders, Ja- cob Matuska, Nic Weishar, Durham Smythe, Greer Martini, Jalen Elliott, Chase Claypool, Nicco Fertitta, Javon McKinley, Asmar Bilal Kickoff Coverage: Nicco Fertitta, Julian Okwara, Chase Claypool, Asmar Bilal, Greer Martini, Justin Yoon, Ashton White, Jalen Elliott, Avery Sebastian, Julian Love, Nick Coleman Punt Returner: C.J. Sanders Punter: Tyler Newsome Placekicker: Justin Yoon Holder: Montgomery VanGorder Long Snapper: Scott Daly Short Snapper: Scott Daly Other: James Onwualu, Mark Harrell, Miles Boykin, Jay Hayes