Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/80757
✦ FOOTBALL NOTES BY LOU SOMOGYI INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS LIMIT NOTRE DAME'S NUMBERS The NCAA permits 85 players on schol- arship for football. However, given the rash of injuries, suspensions and transfers that have occurred this summer, Blue & Gold Illustrated counted 67 Notre Dame scholar- ship players available to play against Navy in Ireland. Several players are recovering from injury or surgeries that leave them indis- posed, among them junior safety Austin Collinsworth, sophomore running back/ slot Amir Carlisle, junior offensive tackle Tate Nichols and junior outside linebacker Danny Spond. Junior tight end Alex Welch is out for the season with a torn ACL, while sopho- more offensive tackle Jordan Prestwood has left the program. Junior running back Cam Roberson and sophomore offensive lineman Brad Carrico have sustained inju- ries that won't permit them to play football anymore. Most recently, senior running back Cierre MISCELLANEOUS NOTES • There was no revelation about who will be the nickel or dime defensive backs for the Irish because it was not applicable to the game preparation against Navy's triple option. "That's still a work in progress, because there's really very little nickel work this week," head coach Brian Kelly said. "That's still going to evolve next week." • Sophomore running back Cam McDaniel, who worked at cornerback this spring, is and Riddick] are very comfortable in the position they are in right now and one is evolv- ing in George." • Carlisle, a transfer from USC who broke his ankle prior to spring practice, might be back exclusively — for now — on offense, especially with the absence of Cierre Wood (suspension) and Amir Carlisle (injury). He is a third option behind senior Theo Riddick and sophomore George Atkinson III. "He played in the spread offense in high school," Kelly said. "Two of them [McDaniel ready later in September. The Irish medical staff is monitoring him closely. "I'm very, very optimistic that he may be close [to full recovery]" Kelly said. "He's a really good football player, and we don't want him to play 80 percent. That's why we have been hesitant to get too far along, but we have made really good progress." • First-year offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin, who worked with the Irish defensive backs the past two years, will be stationed in the press box to assist Kelly with the aerial view of the opposing defense. • In an average football game, an offense will have about 12 to 14 possessions, or about three per quarter. In recent years against Navy's grinding triple option, it's been about eight. Still, last year Notre Dame scored 56 points against the much smaller Midshipmen defense that finished 92nd against the run (186.92 yards allowed per game) and 86th total defense (413.83 yards surrendered per contest). "You know how Navy's offense is — you're probably only going to get seven or eight possessions — so it's going to definitely critical that we score on each drive," senior run- ning back/slot Theo Riddick said. • Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo is the cousin of Manti Te'o's father, and he was effusive in his praise of his nephew's dominant performance last year against the Midshipmen. "I only see my uncle Ken after the game," Te'o said. "The only thing he tells me is 'I love you nephew.'" With players like senior running back Cierre Wood out, in his case due to suspension, the Irish will have only 67 scholarship players available for Saturday's season opener against Navy. ✦ PAGE 9 PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA