Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 21, 2016 51 IRISH IN THE PROS BY MATT JONES G olden Tate styled his game-win- ning touchdown against the Min- nesota Vikings with a special twist. Tate, a former Notre Dame receiver, turned a short out route into a 28- yard touchdown in the Detroit Lions' 22-16 overtime win Nov. 6. When he reached the goal line, he did a jump- ing barrel roll, holding the ball away from his body while taking a hit from Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell was not a fan of the antics, however. "I certainly would rather have him do something else, like cross it the normal way with the ball tucked un- derneath your arm, nice and tight," Caldwell said during his weekly appearance on "Lions Review" on Monday night on WJR-AM (760). "But Golden is Golden. He's going to have a little flair. But we'll be able to make an example of that because if that ball gets knocked out, then we're all singing a little different tune." Before he scored the touchdown, Tate had to navigate past Vikings safety Harrison Smith, a fellow Ten- nessee native who joined him in the 2007 Irish recruiting class. He slipped that tackle near the 10-yard line be- fore jumping into the end zone. Tate's teammates liked the jump — "Capitalized it. You know how you put a cherry on top? That's what he did," Lions tight end Eric Ebron said — though Tate himself could not explain why he pulled the move. "I don't know," Tate told The De- troit Free Press when asked why he flipped. "It just all happened so quick. I thought the only safety that was on my side was Harrison Smith and I got him off of me. I didn't real- ize [Andrew] Sendejo — is that who hit me? Whichever safety it was, I didn't realize that — was flying over so quickly. "But I'm just happy that I held on to the ball and helped us win." Tate, a second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2010 NFL Draft, is in his third season with the Lions. Through nine games, the 5-10, 197-pounder had 49 receptions on 74 targets for 513 yards and two touchdowns. RONNIE STANLEY STRUGGLES IN RETURN Former Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley came off the injury list and returned to action against the Pittsburgh Steelers Nov. 6, but the Baltimore Ravens rookie did not have a warm welcome. After missing four games with a foot injury, the former No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was ranked the fourth-worst player in week nine, according to Pro Football Focus. "Stanley's excellent preseason per- formance is being overshadowed by the struggles he has had in the regular season, and his return from injury did not go well in the slightest in Baltimore's win over Pittsburgh," PFF wrote. "He allowed a sack, hit and three hurries on 41 pass-blocking snaps, and if anything, those num- bers flattered his performance, be- cause he was also flagged three times and beaten in the run game." Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave his take on Stanley's struggles. "I hope it's a rust issue, and I believe it's a rust issue," Harbaugh told the Ravens website. "He hasn't played for a long time, and he's a rookie. And he's going against good players. "His footwork is really important, and his footwork wasn't right like it needed to be, and it got him in some awkward positions, and he grabbed people. I'll have to see the tape to see if [holding] was a smart thing to do or not, but he's capable of playing much better with his feet." BEN KOYACK MAKES FIRST NFL CATCH Though he's buried on the Jack- sonville Jaguars' depth chart behind Julius Thomas and Marcedes Lewis, former Notre Dame tight end Ben Koyack was able to put his name in the stat book during the team's game at Tennessee Oct. 27. Koyack, who needed surgery in late September to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, has recovered quickly and made his first career catch in Jack- sonville's 36-22 loss to the Titans. Playing late-game snaps in a blow- out, Koyack — drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round in 2015 before he spent all of last season on the prac- tice squad — had five catches for 41 yards on the final drive of the game. This season, Koyack has been a key figure on special teams when healthy and has lined up at tight end in six games. ✦ Golden Tate Scores Game-Winning Touchdown Tate had 49 receptions on 74 targets for 513 yards and two touchdowns through Nov. 10. PHOTO BY GAVIN SMITH/COURTESY DETROIT LIONS NOTRE DAME IN THE NFL: WEEK NINE HIGHLIGHTS • Theo Riddick (Played at Notre Dame from 2009‑12), RB, Detroit Lions: Had 14 rushes for 70 yards and one catches for six yards in a 22‑16 overtime victory at Minnesota … Notched 75 rushes for 297 yards and a touch‑ down, plus 35 catches for 273 yards and four scores through nine games. • Kyle Rudolph (2008‑10), TE, Minnesota Vikings: Had one catch for one yard and a touchdown in the 22‑16 overtime loss to De‑ troit … Hauled in 32 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns through eight games. • Harrison Smith (2007‑11), S, Minnesota Vikings: Recorded seven tackles in the 22‑16 overtime loss to the Lions … Compiled 56 tack‑ les, one sack and one pass defended through eight games. • Ronnie Stanley (2012‑15), OL, Baltimore Ravens: Returned to the lineup at left tackle after missing four games with a foot injury in a 21‑14 win over Pittsburgh … Started the first three games before the injury. • Golden Tate (2007‑09), WR, Detroit Lions: Caught 11 of 12 targets for 79 yards and the game‑winning touchdown during the 22‑16 overtime victory over the Vikings … Also car‑ ried the ball once for one yard … Recorded 49 catches for 513 yards and two touchdowns through nine games.