Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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28 NOV. 7, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED JARRON JONES DOMINATES Fifth-year senior nose guard Jarron Jones not only had the best game of his career in Notre Dame's 30-27 vic- tory over Miami, he had one of the most epic performances ever by an Irish lineman. Jones set career highs with seven solo tackles and six tackles for loss, helping fuel an Irish defense that held Miami to just 306 yards of total offense and a season-low 4.0 yards per play. He is the first player in the country to record six tackles for loss in 2016, and just the 23rd to do so since the NCAA started recording tackles for loss in 2000. It was evident early on that Jones was primed to have a big game. On Notre Dame's first defensive snap, he beat Miami left guard Kc McDermott up the field and dragged down run- ning back Gus Edwards for a three- yard loss. Two plays later, Jones beat right guard Danny Isidora into the backfield and tackled sophomore running back Mark Walton for a five- yard loss. "A dominant effort against a Power Five football team that was nation- ally ranked a few weeks ago," Kelly said of Jones' performance. "I think that's about as good a performance that we've had in a while here. Jarron was outstanding." Jones was awarded the game ball for his efforts, the first time he has received that honor during his Notre Dame career. Getting strong play from the nose guard position is huge for any de- fense. Notre Dame has been strug- gling all season, and it needed its veterans to help get the team on track. That is what impressed Kelly the most about Jones' performance. "What I think stands out to me more than anything else is when your senior is playing his best ball," Kelly explained. "That says a lot about how he feels about coming to work every day, getting better, re- gardless of the record. I think that's a real positive for our program and for him individually. "He was a beast today." Jones showing off improved play is not just about him elevating his game. Ever since Greg Hudson was promoted from defensive analyst to defensive coordinator, Jones and the rest of the defensive line have been more disruptive. The reason is the adjustments the staff made, which have put Jones in position to be more effective. "We're playing a lot more three down [linemen], so Jarron is one-on- one with the center," Kelly noted. "A couple times, we were able to get him one-on-one. You can't block him one-on-one." Jones has certainly benefited from the defensive adjustments in recent games. His improved play has also impacted the players around him or — better yet — the players behind him. With Jones controlling the mid- dle of the line, junior Mike linebacker Nyles Morgan was able to put to- gether a strong performance himself, finishing with eight solo tackles and a pair of sacks. "That was my job to do — push the pocket, eat up space, close my gap and let the linebackers make plays," Jones explained. "But if the play came to me, I had to make that play." NYLES MORGAN CONTINUES STRONG SEASON When a defense struggles as badly as Notre Dame's has for much of the 2016 season, recognizing strong per- formances from individual players can be difficult. Junior Mike linebacker Nyles Mor- gan was outstanding in a victorious effort against Miami. Morgan tied with junior safety Drue Tranquill for the team lead with nine tackles, while adding career highs with three tackles for loss and two sacks. It was not a surprising perfor- mance to head coach Brian Kelly, who has been impressed with Mor- gan all season. "He's been as consistent of a player that we've had on defense, from game one to game eight," Kelly said of Morgan. Kelly has said in the past that Mor- gan isn't very vocal, and at times he has to encourage him to speak up more. Morgan has made up for his lack of a vocal presence with strong physical performances. "His toughness, his demeanor and the way he comes to practice every day," the Irish head coach explained. "In the locker room right now, if you're asking who do you want in your foxhole? They want Nyles Mor- gan in their foxhole. "He's a guy that you want watch- ing your back because he's there ev- MIAMI GAME NOTES BY BRYAN DRISKELL Junior Mike linebacker Nyles Morgan notched nine stops (eight solo), three tackles for loss and two sacks against the Hurricanes. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA