Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/894058
14 NOV. 6, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom Kevin Connors — Golf The junior from Downingtown, Pa., placed ninth individually at the Quail Valley Intercollegiate Oct. 23‑24 in Vero Beach Fla. He carded a 10‑under‑ par 206 in the three‑round event, helping the Irish match a program record for low score (22‑under 842) and finish in a tie for fourth out of 15 teams. Connors fired a career‑low 6‑under 66 in the opening round, topping his previous best by two strokes. Joe Coumos — Swimming And Diving The senior from Tomball, Texas, was named the ACC Men's Diver of the Week Oct. 24 after record‑ ing 18 points in No. 17 Notre Dame's 175‑125 de‑ feat of Georgia Tech Oct. 20 that moved the Irish to 3‑1 on the season. Coumos won both div‑ ing events in the meet, registering a score of 333.90 in the one‑meter completion and a 357.75 in the three‑meter. Jennifer Westendorf — Soccer The sophomore from Grayson, Ga., was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 24, marking the second time in her career she has earned that honor. She netted two goals for the Irish in a 4‑3 comeback win over Florida State Oct. 19, with both of her scores coming on free kicks. Westendorf recorded four points against the Seminoles, matching her career high achieved three other times. Jemma Yeadon — Volleyball The sophomore from Mercer Island, Wash., was named the ACC Co‑ Player of the Week Oct. 23 after leading Notre Dame to consecutive conference wins over Florida State (3‑1) and Miami (3‑2). In the two matchups, Yeadon averaged 21.5 kills and 16.0 digs with a hitting percentage of .238 in nine sets of play. She recorded double‑digit kills in each of Notre Dame's first 19 matches this season. TOP OF THE CLASS ✦ GIMME FIVE Notre Dame's 49‑14 rout of USC Oct. 21 marked the second largest margin of victory for the Fighting Irish in the rivalry's history. It was the 47th victory overall versus the men of Troy and the eighth time that Notre Dame toppled USC by at least 30 points. Interest‑ ingly, in five of those seasons that it happened — 1947, 1949, 1953, 1966 and 1977 — the Irish either won the national title or finished unbeaten, if not both. The combined record in those years was 48‑1‑2, which put the 2017 Notre Dame team on a good path to follow. The other two such conquests occurred in 1961 (30‑0) under third‑year head coach Joe Kuharich and in 1985 (37‑3) with fifth‑year head coach Gerry Faust. Despite their lack of overall success as Notre Dame head coaches, Kuharich was 3‑1 versus USC while Faust was 3‑2, winning each of the last three while los‑ ing in controversial fashion in 1982 with USC's "Phantom Fumble." Here are Notre Dame's five largest margins of victory versus the Trojans: Rk. Year Score 1. 1966 51‑0 2. 2017 49‑14 3t. 1953 48‑14 3t. 1985 37‑3 5. 1949 32‑0 Getting To Know … SOPHOMORE CORNERBACK JULIAN LOVE Hometown: "Westchester, Ill." High School: "Nazareth." Major: "Business." Nickname: "Everyone calls me J‑Love. My girlfriend calls me Juju, but J‑Love is the main one." Favorite Food: "I love His‑ panic food and Italian food." Favorite Place To Eat In South Bend: "I love Evil Czech. That's a good spot." Favorite Pro Sports Team: "I'm a White Sox fan, and I'm a big Cavs fan." Favorite Movie: "I like 'The Express,' the Ernie Davis movie." Favorite Music: "I love hip/hop and R&B. I like all types of music, but mostly hip/hop and R&B." Favorite Musician: "I'm a big J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem fan." Favorite TV Show: "I like 'Fresh Prince of Bel‑ Air' and 'How I Met Your Mother.'" Favorite Part About Playing for Notre Dame: "Probably just the atmosphere and the fans." Who's The Best Player You've Lined Up Across From?: "I kind of have a rivalry with my good friend from high school. His name is Flynn Nagel; he's at Northwestern. Probably him." CHARTING THE IRISH MEN'S BASKETBALL IN THE PRESEASON POLLS Head coach Mike Brey and the Notre Dame men's basketball program have made noise in the postsea‑ son over the past few years, winning an ACC Tournament title and making two Elite Eight runs. That success has caught the attention of col‑ lege hoops prognosticators, which means the Irish won't be able to sneak up on teams in 2017‑18. Despite losing V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia to graduation, Notre Dame was ranked No. 14 in the preseason coaches poll put out by USA Today Oct. 19. Notre Dame's preseason rankings have var‑ ied throughout the years, with Brey's program entering five of the past 10 seasons among the nation's top 25 teams. This year's No. 14 ranking in the coaches poll is the highest for the program since 2008‑09, when the Irish began the season at No. 9 in both polls. If the Irish earn a ranking of No. 18 or better in the AP poll, it also would mark their highest preseason rating in that vot‑ ing since 2008‑09. MOVING? Let our customer service department know your new address! Call 1-800-421-7751 or email gevans@comanpub.com IRISH PRESEASON RANKINGS SINCE 2008 Year AP Poll Coaches Poll 2008‑09 9 9 2009‑10 — — 2010‑11 — — 2011‑12 — — 2012‑13 22 23 2013‑14 21 22 2014‑15 — — 2015‑16 19 18 2016‑17 — — 2017‑18 N/A 14 N/A — Not available (had not been released as of Oct. 27)