Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 OCT. 2, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME According to a Sept. 21 report from The Detroit Free-Press, Notre Dame will host Western Michigan on Sept. 19, 2020 to round out its schedule that season. The Fighting Irish were originally slated to play at Purdue on that date, but with the Shamrock Series game arranged earlier this season between Wisconsin in 2020 at Green Bay's Lambeau Field and in 2021 at Chicago's Soldier Field, it would have meant that Notre Dame would have had only five home games in 2020. Thus, the Purdue series was rearranged into a six-year deal from 2021-28, leaving the Sept. 19, 2020 slot vacated. That has now been filled by the Broncos, who last played the Irish in 2010 and who last sea- son were 13-0 under head coach P.J. Fleck (now at Minnesota) before losing 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl to Wisconsin. Like in 2010, it will be a one-game series with the Broncos, who according to the article will receive $1.175 million for the game. Notre Dame must pay Western Michigan $500,000 if it cancels at least one year in advance, and $1.1 million if less than that time. The Broncos from nearby Kalamazoo, Mich., will receive 4,000 tickets to sell to fans. Hosting a Mid-American Conference opponent in the first half of the season is becoming a part of Notre Dame's annual schedule. In addition to Miami (Ohio) visiting this Sept. 30, the Irish will also welcome Ball State in 2018, Bowling Green in 2019, Western Michigan in 2020 and Toledo in 2021. Here is the tentative look of the 12-game 2020 schedule with eight dates confirmed: Sept. 5 vs. Navy (at East Rutherford, N.J.) Sept. 12 Arkansas Sept. 19 Western Michigan Sept. 26 vs. Wake Forest (at Charlotte, N.C.) Oct. 3 vs. Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.) Oct. 10 Stanford Nov. 14 at Georgia Tech Nov. 28 at USC The other four ACC games with dates still to be slotted are a road game ver- sus Pitt and home games against Clemson, Duke and Louisville. Report: Notre Dame Will Play Western Michigan In 2020 The last time the two schools met, Notre Dame defeated Western Michigan 44-20 in South Bend in 2010. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS FRESHMEN DEFENSIVE TACKLES PROVIDING SOLID DEPTH Next to right offensive tackle Robert Hain- sey, the two members of Notre Dame's 21- man freshman class that have made the top — and maybe most surprising — impact through the first quarter of the season have been defensive tackles Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. After three games Hinish had played 59 snaps and Tagovailoa-Amosa had 54, while helping give veteran starters, junior Jerry Til- lery and senior Jonathan Bonner, a breather. Although Tagovailoa-Amosa's penetration on a crucial fourth-and-one stop at Boston College helped blow up the run and swing the momentum in Notre Dame's favor, the rise of the two rookies under line coach Mike Elston has been not so much about stats as it is as- signment awareness, consistent intensity in play and taking instruction well. "From the very beginning, we trust that they're going to execute the techniques that we've asked them to," Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. "They're not jumping out of their fits. There might be times where physically or technically there might be some mistakes, but they're extremely coachable. They're smart. They are always trying to do the right things. "… If we ask them to do something, they're going to do it. They've got some physical traits that allow them to be effective at the position as well." UPON FURTHER REVIEW … Several facts needed to be added and corrected from Notre Dame's 515-yard rushing performance versus Boston College Sept. 16. • It was reported the rushing figure was the most by the Irish since 597 versus Navy in 1969. Further research shows it was the third most, behind the 545 versus Army in 1974 and 526 at Navy in 1972. • It was reported that junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush was the first Irish player to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since Allen Pinkett versus Penn State in 1984. The Notre Dame record books confirmed it at the time — but further research revealed that during a 58-21 win versus Navy in 1994, sophomore Emmett Mosley scored four rushing touchdowns. Inter- estingly, they were the lone four scores for him that season, and Mosley finished with three more his final two seasons. • Finally, junior Josh Adams (229 rushing yards) and Wimbush (207) represented the seventh time in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivison history that two players from the same school rushed for at least 200 yards in the same game, not the sixth occurrence. The one that was omitted was recorded last year by Middle Tennessee State's I'Tavius Mathers (213) and Richie James (207) versus Florida Atlantic. Freshman defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa- Amosa recorded four tackles (1.5 for loss) while playing 54 snaps during the first three contests of the season. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL