Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, November 14, 2016
Love said. “Like, ‘This guy is for sure not going to throw this ball,’ and he did and I stepped in front of it and just made a play.”
As part of n otre d ame’s defensive adjustments, Love played the safety position against n avy and Army instead of his usual cornerback slot, a shift Irish head coach b rian Kelly said he doesn’t see as permanent.
“The safety position was set up within defending the option that you really wanted guys that could run and hit at that position from sevenand-a-half, eight yards,” Kelly said. “The game changes a little bit when you get back in a traditional defensive structure, but if you were to ask me right now whether we’re
making that move, there was no intention there to move him to safety. It was just to structurally defend this particular offense.”
Irish freshman defensive back Julian Love engages with an Army blocker during n otre d ame’s 44-6 victory over the b lack Knights in the eighth edition of n otre d ame’s s hamrock s eries at the Alamodome in s an Antonio on s aturday. e mmet farnan | The o bserver
Irish freshman defensive back Julian Love engages with an Army blocker during n otre d ame’s 44-6 victory over the b lack Knights in the eighth edition of n otre d ame’s s hamrock s eries at the Alamodome in s an Antonio on s aturday.
It was a move that paid off s aturday: Love finished with three total tackles and a pass break up in addition to the
interception.
“That’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was 10 years old. That was my first pick,” Love said of his interception. “I was just smiling the whole time, and then I realized I should probably stop smiling because I look like a young kid, but I was super happy.
“You’ve got to look a little old.”
This developing maturity has caught senior linebacker James o nwualu’s eye from even before Love stepped on campus.
“The kid was here for his spring break when he was in high school trying to learn and doing what he could,” o nwualu said after n otre d ame’s victory. “c an’t say enough good things about him. The kid works so hard every single day and is always asking great questions,
always trying to get more time from some of the veterans, and he’s continued to get better every single week.
“I can’t wait to see what his career becomes.”
Love’s development hasn’t gone unnoticed by his head coach, either.
“ h e’s a smart football player. h e’s got — when you talk about freshmen playing, you worry about the mental more so than the physical, but he has a great sense of the game, whether it be option or the traditional offenses that we see. h is maturity, the way he handles himself is well beyond being an 18-, 19-year old.”
And after beginning to play a featured role in n otre d ame’s defense, Kelly said Love is quickly establishing himself as a leader of the future — if not sooner.
“When you talk about
leadership as a freshman, it’s how he handles himself both on and off the field,” Kelly said. “ p eople will follow him, and they’ll follow him because they respect him. h e’s not afraid to get on his teammates if they’re not doing the right thing.”
“I used to be really quiet. I’m trying to step up and be that leader,” Love said. “ … These past two weeks I feel like I’ve gained a lot of respect, and I’m happy I can show them what I have to offer.
“And that’s huge going forward with all the freshmen too, we’re making plays, and we’re just in this together. And we’re showing the team, the coaches, everyone, the world basically, that we can play.”
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
Play of the game
c.j. Sander S 96-yard kickoff for a touchdown
The Irish came into san Antonio suffereing from poor special teams performances over the past few weeks. sophomore c.J. sanders bucked that trend from the start of saturday’s game. sanders took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown down the Army sideline. sanders’ touchdwn gave notre dame an early 7-0 lead, a lead which the Irish did not relinquish. sanders is fourth all-time in notre dame history for
quarterback d eShone k izer
Kizer’s
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore C.J. Sanders runs down the sideline on a 96-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff during Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory over Army on Saturday in San Antonio. Sanders’ return was the first kick returned for a touchdown this season and it puts him at fourth all-time in Notre Dame history for kicks returned for touchdowns.
Cervelli inaugurated 12th SMC president
Cervelli reflects on journey to SMC in address
By NICOLE CARATAS and MARTHA REILLY
s
For saint mary’s president Janice a cervelli, a south bend native, who was officially installed saturday as the 12th college president at an inauguration ceremony, the phrase “there’s no place like home” has a special meeting.
cervelli began her address by acknowledging the legacy president emerita carol ann mooney has imprinted on the college.
“From me personally, thank you for creating such a vibrant, thriving, ambitious atmosphere,” cervelli said. “it’s like receiving the keys to a classic car with a new engine. Tuned and humming, we are in for an exhilarating ride.”
cervelli said she hopes to continue fostering a welcoming campus and tight-knit community.
“i promise you that i will put all my strength into living up to the
Students organize demonstration at inauguration
By NICOLE CARATAS
s
aint mary’s e ditor
“i’m with you, i’m with you,” president Jan cervelli said as she walked down the line of students holding signs reading “latinx lives matter,” “love conquers hate” and “climate change is real.”
in light of the election of donald Trump, sophomore Teresa brickey said she noticed a growing division, accompanied with a growing feeling of hatred on saint mary’s campus.
“as someone on campus who has had to talk to students and be there with them and heard their fears — i’ve had to hold their hand while they’ve been crying — they’re afraid,” she said. “They’ve had interactions with peers on this campus that have not been positive. we’ve had some tangible things happen too, on Facebook and social media sites.”
brickey organized a silent student demonstration for solidarity
Students participate in Shamrock Series events
By COURTNEY BECKER news writer
w hile the annual s hamrock s eries always serves as an opportunity to bring a notre d ame football game experience to fans in different cities throughout the country, this year’s festivities additionally paid tribute to men and women serving in the armed forces.
“ veterans d ay was essentially at the nucleus of the entire weekend,” sophomore a rmy ro T c member m ary n inneman said in an email. “not only were we playing a military academy, but veterans d ay added significance to the phrase ‘g od, c ountry, notre d ame,’ making it particularly relevant and omnipresent.”
n inneman attended the game along with several of
her fellow a rmy ro T c cadets thanks to an opportunity the program provided in honor of the occasion.
“a s a member of a rmy ro T c , it was especially meaningful to attend the notre d ame-a rmy game,” she said. “ watching the west point team and viewing them in the context of individuals i will serve our nation with in the future truly placed an emphasis on selfless service. … it was incredibly humbling and awe-inspiring to see so many veterans at the game and so many individuals who knew people who had served and were serving.”
b ecause the s hamrock s eries is technically a home game for notre d ame, the b and of the Fighting i rish also traveled to s an a ntonio
see shamrock PaGe 4
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Janice Cervelli speaks at her inauguration as the 12th president of Saint Mary’s on Saturday. Cervelli honored the 11th College president, Carol Ann Mooney, and Mooney’s legacy during her speech.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Senior drum major Danny Martin conducts the Band of the Fighting Irish during Notre Dame’s 44-6 win over Army at the Shamrock Series in San Antonio. All 405 members of the band traveled to the game.
Udall Scholarship Information Session Brownson Hall
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Supports sophomores and juniors.
Have a question you want answered? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Jack Mazanec sophomore Zahm house
“au bon pain’s hazelnut roast.”
Diego Alvarez sophomore Zahm house
“i’ve never had coffee in my life.”
Maura Mullahy junior walsh hall
“waddick’s green mountain coffee.”
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Cynthia Cruz Reading Eck Center Auditorium
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Cruz will be reading from her four poetry collections.
Conversation on Sustainability Geddes Hall
8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Discussing the sustainability strategy.
Thursday
Sexuality and Faith: What’s Right for this Relationship?
Coleman-Morse Center
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Hockey vs. UMass Lowell Compton Family Ice Arena
7:35 p.m.
ND returns to home ice.
Friday
Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola Maryland Purcell Pavilion
7 p.m. The Irish take on the Greyhounds.
Fall Concert: Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Notre Dame remembers Jake Scanlan one year after his death
By RACHEL O’GRADY
Today’s Staff
Corrections
The observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. we do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. i f we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
d espite temperatures dropping into the low 40s, more than 100 people filed into the g rotto late Friday night for a remembrance of Jake s canlan, a member of the class of 2017 who died last year.
“ o ne year ago, someone came up to me and asked how we were going to get through this,” senior l ucas Joseph said at the service. “ i told him, ‘ o ne week at a time. w e’re going to get through one week at a time.’”
s canlan, a resident of s iegfried h all and graduate of g onzaga c ollege h igh s chool in w ashington, d c ., died suddenly in his room n ov. 11, 2015 of natural causes.
Joseph said he woke up Friday morning, exactly a year from Jake’s death, and ran into a friend outside his room.
“[ m y friend] said, ‘There’s a lot to smile about today. b ecause there’s 20 years of good things to smile
O’GRADY | The Observer
Students memorialized Jake Scanlan, a member of the class of 2017 who died in his sleep due to natural causes last year, during a prayer service at the Grotto on Friday.
about today,’” Joseph said. Friends of s canlan placed candles spelling out “Jake!” in the g rotto and held a quiet reflection
following remarks from Joseph. Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu
RACHEL
tradition of excellence that i have inherited and carrying it forward with the same indomitable spirit,” she said. “i am grateful for the faith the board of Trustees has instilled in me, and i assume the responsibility with great joy, excitement and hope.”
she feels honored to return south bend, where she derives inspiration from loved ones who have shaped her as a person and helped her discern her life path, she said.
“it’s a great thrill to be back amongst family and friends,” cervelli said. “being back in the town where i grew up provides everyday reminders of all the people who have nurtured and supported me.”
she said she hopes to continue partnerships with notre dame and holy cross in preservation of the holy cross tradition of unity.
“There is an energy and momentum and a culture of innovation coursing through both south bend and the tri-campus community
that i hope to develop for our mutual benefit,” she said.
according to cervelli, saint mary’s encourages its students to accept distinct viewpoints and foster open dialogue.
“understanding and unity can and should come from paying respectful attention, in our divisive climate, to the ways in which we are alike,” she said. “we must be open to learning about each other. our college, named for st. mary can be a bridge for that learning, helping to guide a wounded, divided world toward healing.”
many people divide themselves by religion, political party or race instead of recognizing a common humanity, she said.
“beneath those surface categories, we are more alike than different,” she said. “only an institution with the depth of st. mary’s soul can educate students to widen their view and expand their self-conceptions, not only to help themselves navigate this changing world but to understand the need to make room for everyone.”
she said she feels honored to serve such a united and supportive community where ambitious students use their talents to contribute to the greater good.
“i take particular pride in representing an institution that recognizes in word and deed that the ideal of service to one another must not be reduced to occasional acts of generosity, segregated from our real lives, but an essential part of who we are,” cervelli said. “That is the soul of saint mary’s.”
A new chapter chair of the board of Trustees mary burke said cervelli once called her presidency a “blessed calling.”
“Today, we would like you to know how blessed we are to benefit from your leadership, enthusiasm and vision,” burke said. “long after these events, we are confident that we will be celebrating your presidency for years to come.”
kelly o’shea carney, president of the alumnae association board of Trustees, said saint mary’s women have been pioneers.
“as a south bend native, educated in the holy cross tradition and with a sister who is a belle, Jan is familiar with the proud history of saint mary’s college,” she said.
south bend mayor pete buttigieg welcomed cervelli on behalf of surrounding communities.
“i congratulate you not only on your presidency, but also on your timing,” buttigieg said. “you’re arriving in a leadership role in one of the most valued institutions located in our community during a decade that may represent the greatest period of positive transformation in that community in living memory.”
sr. veronique wiedower, president of the sisters of the holy cross, welcomed cervelli by reflecting on cervelli’s holy cross education and her ability to shape the future of the college.
“saint mary’s is the oldest daughter in the institutions of the sisters of the holy cross, and it holds a treasured place in our heritage,” she said. “Jan now joins the exceptional procession of sisters, and other women and men, who have read
the signs of the times in women’s education, have trusted in the providence of god, and have responded with zeal and faith.”
Looking forward
cervelli said saint mary’s should preserve its ideals of acceptance and community while progressing in educational tactics, always providing students with the best resources for discovery.
“The liberal arts are an education in the common good, where we raise and rustle with humanity’s biggest questions,” she said. “addressing the environmental crisis that threatens to destabilize the world for generations will not simply be a matter of developing the needed technology.”
cervelli said saint mary’s classes instill critical-thinking skills and further develop a moral awareness in students, preparing them to embrace the challenges of life after graduation.
“we come to see the context in which we live our lives, our place, the continuum of humanity’s past and future through history and theology and philosophy and literature and the creative arts and the sciences,” she said.
she said the college’s emphasis on community manifests itself in alumnae’s commitment to the school, contributions from donors and measures to advance campus sustainability.
“most of all, i see the impact of the classroom in the challenging and inspiring interactions between faculty and students through innovative teaching and research, which is the beating heart and soul of saint mary’s,” she said. “as we work to fulfill sister madaleva’s promise of discovery, i feel called to accelerate the growth of saint mary’s, to develop a culture of innovation, to fully support trailblazers throughout the college.”
cervelli said she plans to implement the promise of discovery award, which will award one faculty member each spring with a $50,000 to explore an area of interdisciplinary concern.
“our world needs new models of social, environmental and economic sustainability,” she said.
Never stop learning
cervelli said she hopes saint mary’s women embrace life’s unexpected twists and turns, always pursuing growth and discovery.
“a year ago, i would have never imagined that i would be returning to my hometown as president of this extraordinary institution,” cervelli said. “i picked a great time to come home.”
senior and student body vice president mary Joy dingler said she appreciates cervelli’s willingness to listen to suggestions from the saint mary’s community.
“president cervelli concentrates a lot on shared governance, and i think that’s really important, especially in an academic setting,” she said. “i’m excited to see where she goes with that, and i know that’s part of why she was selected.”
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu and Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
with students from saint mary’s, notre dame and holy cross to show that students at saint mary’s will not tolerate hate for any group. brickey said her goal was not to protest against the college’s administration, but rather to vocalize what students want from their administration.
“i understand that the administration is behind us and supports us, but they need to be more vocal about it,” brickey said. “They need to publicly denounce these actions that do not coincide with our values of learning, community, justice, faith and spirituality because we stand for these diverse people, we stand for our students.”
The demonstrations occurred the morning of cervelli’s inauguration as the 12th president of the college, but were not organized to protest against her or her presidency.
“we support cervelli and we’re very hopeful, but we also want it to be vocalized that we will not be silent,” brickey said. “you can see what we stand for, you can see what we want from our administration, you can see what we want from our new president. we stand with her, but we want her to stand with us.”
brickey said protests and demonstrations like this one are an important right for americans that people have fought for and one that should be utilized when important issues need to be challenged. she said many americans this past week have denounced protests, but she felt this was the most appropriate manner in which to fight against issues surfacing across the country.
“This country, the possibilities, is what makes us great,” brickey said. “not what has happened, but what can happen, so i hope that administration hears us and sees us and feels our pain because these are not my experiences to share, but i can only help other people be validated. some people cannot speak out for fear of their identities being attacked.”
senior caylin mccallick decided to join the demonstration to stand up for people’s lives.
“i think it’s important that people start to see things, reactions, not as tantrums. i saw on the news this morning they were calling [protests] ‘Tantrums against Trump’ and i think it’s time that we listen to each other. … Just because we don’t experience it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” mccallick said.
citing a quote by sr. madeleva wolff in which she promises students “the discovery of [themselves], discovery of the universe, and [their] place in it,” brickey said the current environment is not fulfilling that promise.
“how can we promise that to our students when they don’t even feel physically safe,” she said. “They don’t feel like they can vocalize their fears and their emotions in a healthy manner. how can we promise that?”
however, brickey recognizes that sr. madeleva’s promise did not extend to a level of comfort or complacency.
“we were never promised … to be comfortable,” brickey said.
“we were promised to be challenged, and i think that by speaking out against these issues, we are challenging ourselves and we are challenging our peers to be better citizens, to really take a deep reflection on what our core values are, and what we, as saint mary’s students can do to better our community.”
notre dame sophomore logan mcabee-Thomas attended the demonstration to make people understand why this 2016 election caused such a response in people. he said he wanted to help spread love in the aftermath of the election.
“i believe there is good in the world that is being overshadowed by a lot of hatred and a lot of anger,” he said. “we need to have a louder voice and a larger voice to bring awareness to people because the real issue is we’re not aware. a lot of people grow up and never have to deal with these issues of discrimination — racism, sexism, xenophobia, what have you. They don’t understand that it exists, or if they understand it exists, they don’t speak to them because they don’t have to undergo it.”
mcabee-Thomas said he does not want people to think protesting as a response to the election results is “whining.”
“we’re not whining about the outcome,” he said. “we want to spread the message that hate should not be tolerated in this country.”
senior maria Teresa valencia said she wants to stand up for everyone who has been affected by the election.
“i’m here to stand up for people of color, immigrants, the lgbTQ community, and people of all faiths, women, people with disabilities and sexual assault victims,” she said. “i’m here to show solidarity with all those who are vulnerable to discrimination because of our political system not only within saint mary’s college, but throughout the united states. i am here to advocate for the vulnerable and the oppressed; especially for those living in poverty.
“i have chosen to speak up for those who fear these upcoming years in the united states. if it affects one of us, it affects all of us. we stand together and we will not back down. we deserve to be respected. we deserve to be heard. we deserve justice.”
brickey said the demonstration aimed to show support to students who would have otherwise felt marginalized.
“The most important thing on this campus is our students, so we should validate them,” brickey said. “we should validate their experiences, we should validate how they feel. we should support them.”
in response to the demonstration, cervelli said she is proud of saint mary’s students.
“i am so proud of our students for expressing what we are at saint mary’s, and that this is a place where we show respect for all — all opinions, all beliefs — and that we work together to make that environment. we learn from each other and that’s what’s going to heal our country. i could not be more proud.”
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu
Shamrock
to participate in the festivities. s ophomore baritone player John l ombardo said in an email the highlight of the weekend was the band’s concert on the steps of the a lamo.
“ s eeing our i rish fans, native Texans and the band all together in one hallowed location and celebrating our freedom to come together and enjoy our way of life was really something else,” l ombardo said. “it reminded me just how much notre d ame means to our fans and people everywhere. it was also an honor to have the opportunity to play in front of such a historical landmark that is an integral icon for both Texan and a merican history.”
l ombardo traveled to b oston with the band for last season’s s hamrock s eries game and was able to connect more with s an a ntonio’s culture, he said.
“This year’s experience was different in that we had a little more opportunity to explore the city of s an a ntonio than we did b oston,” he said. “The culture of s an a ntonio is much more apparent and the band got to really immerse themselves in that culture through the authentic restaurants, music and local historical attractions like the a lamo, which was only a
stone’s throw away from our hotel.”
l ombardo was amazed by the number of people who came to watch the band’s various performances throughout the weekend.
“The special events like the concert at the a lamo and the march out were something to be remembered,” he said. “it’s a humbling reminder to see such a turn out for the i rish in a city a thousand miles away and to feel so graciously welcomed by that city.”
Junior Tommy c larke, who made the trip to s an a ntonio as part of a group of 24 notre d ame students who demonstrated science experiments for over 1,200 junior high school students Friday morning, made sure he took time to see the band perform.
“ s eeing them play in front of the a lamo on Friday or march through downtown to the a lamodome on s aturday was pretty neat,” c larke said in an email. “ s eeing people come out of stores or leave their tables at restaurants along the r iverwalk and line the river to watch and listen to the band as they passed was awesome.”
n inneman said the s hamrock s eries festivities were focused largely in one area, as opposed to the game day activities at notre d ame.
“ w hen we are at notre d ame, activities are all over campus on s aturdays from the band marching all over
paid a dverT isemen T
campus to the widespread tailgates,” she said. “d own at the s hamrock s eries the events prior to the game were all directly outside of the a lamodome. it was a very fair-esque atmosphere with food trucks, the live music and performances, and people everywhere.”
b ecause these events took place mainly outside the a lamodome, n inneman took advantage of the opportunity to run a s hamrock s eries 5 k through s an a ntonio.
“it was an excellent way to experience the city of s an a ntonio while still being there for the overarching reason of notre d ame,” she said. c larke appreciated seeing the extent of notre d ame’s fan base outside of campus.
“it was so cool to see notre d ame pretty much take over a city,” he said. “There were so many notre d ame fans from all over the country who came in to see this game. … w hole restaurants were filled with what seemed to be only notre d ame and a rmy fans.”
l ombardo said the spirit of the two schools was evident in his interactions with fans.
“The a rmy fans were some of the most respectful and friendly i’ve ever encountered,” he said. “e ach one i encountered congratulated us on the win and they complimented the band’s halftime show.”
Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
InSIde ColuMn
l iving without jack
i have recently gotten the i p hone 7 p lus after returning my g alaxy n ote 7 due to its explosive battery recall. Though it is an amazing device, the i p hone 7 p lus is subpar in some specifications compared to the n ote 7, such as the screen, bezel size, i ris scanner, stylus capability and of course, the headphone jack.
a s a previous owner of the i p hone 6, i didn’t really mind most of the differences since the fluidity and simplicity of i os made up for it, and i thought some of the features on the n ote 7 were gimmicks. h owever, the removal of headphone jack really threw me off. For many decades, the headphone jack has been an essential part of many electronic devices, especially for heavy music listeners. i really needed that port for my headphones to listen to songs on my long walks to class from c arroll.
To reduce the frustration of their consumers, a pple provided ear pods with a lightning port and an adapter that people can plug in their headphones into the lightning port. b ut this has been raising a couple of small, yet very annoying, issues. o ne issue is when i have to charge or sync my i p hone while still listening to music. a nother issue is that i have to carry my adapter to places in case i want to plug it in an aux cable in my u ber driver’s car or at my friend’s party.
c ertainly, it isn’t the end of the world because of b luetooth technology, something that a pple thinks is the future. i disagree. i was very annoyed at the idea that i had to charge my headphone every night and disconnect/connect each time i switched to my m ac b ook or i p ad. b ut then, i was even more annoyed at the issues with the headphone port. s o, i decided to invest in a pair of b luetooth headphones.
a t first, i was very uncomfortable with the new headphones. i kept thinking to myself, “ h ow hard is it to include a headphone port?” or, “ m aybe was it a pple’s ploy to get more money?” i really regretted getting the i p hone 7 p lus and really wished s amsung didn’t make a mistake in their n ote 7 production.
b ut after spending a week with the b luetooth headset, i found the change to be less of a deal and realized why a pple thinks b luetooth is the future. i t has been convenient while exercising; the lack of wires made my range of movement wider and gave me more freedom. i found it helpful that i don’t have to unravel the cord every time i listened to music, since there is no cord. i adjusted to charging the headset before i slept and have been able to last a day on one charge.
a pple removing the headphone port might have been an unnecessary move, but at the same time, it might have been a smart tactic in pushing consumers to a more advanced technology. Just as how we are fine without a cd drive on our laptops, i think living without a jack isn’t that bad.
Contact Joseph Han at shan3@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
leTTer To THe edITor
i am not a racist
i am not a sexist.
i am not a xenophobe.
i am not a homophobe.
i ’m an a merican who tries to be a good person. i ’m an a merican who does his best to treat all those around him with the respect they deserve. i ’m an a merican who believes that while our system of governance is not perfect, it is our system and it works. a nd i trust that it will continue to work as it has for the last 200 years. i ’m an a merican who voted for d onald Trump.
i ’m an a merican who believes in law and order. i ’m an a merican who believes that history cannot be forgotten or rejected. i ’m an a merican who does not fear a d onald Trump presidency; i ’m an a merican who did not fear a h illary c linton presidency. i ’m an a merican who recognizes the limits of the presidency.
i ’m an a merican who believes that a merica is great; that a merica was great; that a merica always will be great. i ’m an a merican that also believes that a merica has not recently been great in the way that d onald Trump wants it to be great. i ’m an a merican who did not believe that a merica was not great in the way that b arack o bama wanted to fundamentally change a merica to make it great. b ut i ’m an a merican who could not be prouder to be an a merican.
i ’m an a merican who believes that a merica is tired of the same-old, same-old. h illary c linton is the same-old, same-old. w hether or not p resident Trump will be a success or not is unknown, but he is anything but the same-old, same-old. i ’m an a merican who is excited and nervous for the next four years. b ut i am an a merican who is not afraid. i ’m an a merican who knows that p resident Trump will surround himself with experienced advisors and cabinet members. i ’m an a merican who knows that p resident Trump will be unable to act unilaterally in most situations. i ’m an a merican who believes that p resident Trump will not overstep his executive powers, that he will act within his constitutional bounds and work with c ongress in achieving his goals for the country. i ’m no more afraid of p resident Trump having both houses of c ongress within his party than i was of b arack o bama having that same setup in his first two years. i ’m an a merican who trusts the a merican system of government.
i ’m an a merican who believes in federalism. i ’m an a merican who does not think the e lectoral c ollege should be abolished. i ’m an a merican who knows that this is not the first time the c ollege’s vote and the popular vote did not align. i ’m an a merican who believes that was the result of h illary c linton’s limited popularity and not because of an ineffective system. i ’m an a merican who believes the e lectoral c ollege maintains state powers and sovereignty. i ’m an a merican who believes that p resident Trump won rightfully.
i am not a racist.
i am not a sexist.
i am not a xenophobe. i am not a homophobe.
i am an a merican.
a n a merican who has been appalled by the way he has been treated by people who claim their motto is to “go high.” b y people who claim to desire peace and understanding and openmindedness. b y people who claim love trumps hate. i ’m an a merican, though, who is not entirely surprised by this treatment. u nderstanding and open-mindedness are too often reserved only for those who think the same way as they do. o nly for those whom they believe are on the “right” side of things. i ’m an a merican who believes we all have rights to our opinions, to our beliefs, to what we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts.
i don’t know what d onald Trump holds nearest and dearest to his heart; i cannot know the man’s soul. b ut i know my own heart, i know my own beliefs and i have made them known before and will not be silent about them simply to pacify those around me. For months i have listened to others chant the praises of h illary c linton, but i have not personally attacked anyone for their beliefs. i ’ve been told that i ’m a sexist and a bigot and a hateful person for not supporting her — or for supporting p resident Trump. i voted for m arco r ubio in the primary; d onald Trump was not my first choice. b ut i ’m an a merican with viewpoints that far more aligned with his than they ever would with h illary c linton’s. w hat was most important to me would be best-accomplished by Trump. i ’m an a merican who had every right to that belief; it could never be taken from me. i ’m an a merican who did not deserve to fear expressing that belief. o n Tuesday night, i was viciously attacked for posting a tame status on Facebook that pointed out that a merica had spoken and chosen a president. i ’m an a merican who knows that we will all never agree on so many things. i ’m an a merican who believes political discourse is good and proper. i ’m an a merican who believes vitriol and hatred and protests are unproductive and far more dangerous and disgusting than anything Trump has done or proposed to do. i ’m an a merican who knows that violence of any sort against others for their religion, their race, their sexual orientation is wrong; i ’m an a merican who knows that violence against a person for simply supporting p resident Trump is also wrong.
i ’m an a merican who thought friendships and family bonds would always be stronger than political disagreement. i ’m an a merican who is saddened to learn he was wrong.
d onald Trump is my president.
d onald Trump is your president.
d onald Trump is our president.
d onald Trump is a merica’s president.
i ’m proud to be an a merican, yesterday, today and always.
g od bless this great country.
g od bless us all. m ay h e bring us peace and understanding.
Matthew Linnabary second-year law student nov. 11
Joseph Han graphic designer
d onald Trump’s unexpected win last week came as a shock to millions of a mericans. s ome rejoiced at the landslide r epublican victory; others took to the streets to burn a merican flags, riot and yell hysterically at one another. i , too, was surprised by the outcome of Tuesday’s election. This column was originally written in anticipation of a c linton victory — someone who, let’s just say, has enjoyed a tangential relationship with the law. That said, the issue of executive overreach is one that transcends party lines and often shrouds our understanding of the presidency.
The c onstitution of the u nited s tates establishes the president as the nation’s chief executive. u nder a rticle ii , s ection 3, this requires that his primary domestic function is to “take c are that the l aws be faithfully executed.” e qually, the c onstitution grants federal legislative power exclusively to c ongress and federal judicial power exclusively to the s upreme c ourt.
The president cannot refuse to enforce a federal law for ideological reasons. h e or she has the power to veto a bill for whatever reason, but once that bill becomes a law, the president has a constitutional responsibility to administer it as it is. p erhaps the most destructive legacy of the o bama administration is the view that the president can choose to selectively enforce federal statutes if c ongress “fails to act” in a certain way. i n 2014, for example, p resident o bama unilaterally declared that 5 million illegal immigrants would be exempt from deportation. i n an effort to defend its actions, the administration employed “prosecutorial discretion,” arguing that the executive branch has the power to prosecute criminals as it sees fit.
Hail to the chief
p rosecutorial discretion exists for efficiency purposes; it is based on the understanding that the executive branch cannot possibly pursue every violation of federal law due to the limited resources at its disposal. i t allows the Justice d epartment to prioritize and prosecute cases based on the relative severity of the crime. p rosecutorial discretion cannot, however, be applied to entire laws or entire categories of individuals. The president simply cannot refuse to enforce federal immigration statutes and decline to deport illegal immigrants.
i f that were the case, it would establish a dangerous precedent for future presidents to selectively enforce or entirely ignore the laws they disagree with. r ather than directing ice agents not to deport illegal immigrants, p resident Trump could direct irs agents not to prosecute anyone who refuses to pay capital-gains taxes. h e could effectively repeal o bamacare on his own, just by refusing to enforce its provisions. i f a president has the authority to enforce some laws but not others, how can the congressional representatives of the people trust he will administer any laws with fidelity or objectivity? i n the words of once- s en. b arack o bama, “ w hat do we do with a president who can basically change what c ongress passed by attaching a letter saying i don’t agree with this part or that part?”
m uch of p resident o bama’s legacy of executive overreach will be determined by the courts after he leaves office, such as his deeply controversial 2013 gun control initiative. e ven so, the president’s unprecedented efforts to unilaterally recreate the law over the past seven years have already been met with fierce resistance from the s upreme c ourt and from appellate courts across the country.
i n the specific case of o bama’s executive amnesty program, it was effectively deemed unconstitutional earlier this year. i n June, five months
after the death of conservative justice a nthony s calia, the s upreme c ourt held a tied vote on the amnesty program. The 4-4 vote effectively upheld the ruling of a lower appellate court to strike down o bama’s executive actions. l iberals condemned the decision on ideological grounds, defending the president’s view that unlawful immigrants living in the u nited s tates should not be deported, detained or penalized.
This reaction demonstrates the real danger of executive overreach: it will always be supported by those who agree with the political or ideological aims of the perpetrator. o f course, such a stance is inherently short-sighted, because expanding the power of one president today will inevitable expand the power of the next president tomorrow. i t is ironic that the same liberal pundits anxious about the authoritarian overtones of Trump’s campaign said nothing as p resident o bama sought to unilaterally establish law by executive decree.
a s both parties continue to move further and further apart, the temptation to use the o bama model of “pen and phone” legislation will become increasingly attractive to politicians and their supporters. h owever, this model is simply incompatible with the a merican values of republicanism, checks and balances, and the separation of powers. i urge president-elect Trump and his supporters to remember this as we approach i nauguration d ay in January.
Liam Stewart is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Letters, majoring in political science. Liam was born and raised in the beautiful Irish city of Dublin, although he has been proud to call Seattle home for the past six years. He enjoys country music, hardback books and binge-watching TV shows. He can be reached at lstewar4@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The importance of many looks of leadership
w ith the election just passing, there is much discussion and debate about what leadership is and isn’t. The definition is different depending on who you ask, as one’s definition is based on a multitude of factors which make us all individually unique. Therefore, the only thing that is certain is that there isn’t a constant as to what defines leadership. hence, all looks of leadership are important to honor.
a little more than a year ago, women’s clothing brand The l imited launched its “The new l ook of l eadership” campaign that “embraced female empowerment and celebrated the various faces of leadership.” a fter replying to an open casting call, i was selected as one of 35 women in its c hicagoarea campaign. b eing recognized and selected as a leader was nice of course, but meeting and developing relationships with women from various cultural backgrounds, professional industries and
across various life stages were the much greater gifts.
women in this campaign included ceo s, art directors, non-profit leaders, teachers, writers, advocates, entrepreneurs, police detectives, doctors, attorneys and industrial designers among many other professionals. w hile we all demonstrated clear differences, we also shared similarities as well. o ne key similarity is that we all felt passionate about things that were important to us. These passions ranged from helping the homeless get back on their feet and helping women build their professional network to growing the tech community in the m idwest and helping philanthropists create their legacies.
i n many ways, the women i met in this campaign remind me of the community at notre d ame. a 2005 alum who has been working at the university for almost three years now, i have met a number of
students who are leaders in their own right. i am happy that six of them will be featured monday night as student models in a dress for success event co-sponsored by The l imited, notre d ame women c onnect, The morris i nn and notre d ame c areer c enter. i hope that you will join us in celebrating not only these six student leaders but also the importance of having many looks of leadership.
“l eading l ooks l ike: from the c ampus to the o ffice and b eyond” will be held monday night at the morris in, with check-in at 6:30 p.m. and the event starting at 7 p.m. Free raffle prizes and desserts will be served, and the event will go until 9 p.m.
marketing
director office of o utreach and e ngagement recruitment nov. 11
Jetaun Davis
program
Liam Stewart
onservative
leTTer To THe edITor
By ALVARO DEL CAMPO s cene writer
“cozy Tapes: vol. 1 Friends” is the debut full-length album of a$ap mob, the harlem-based hip hop collective founded by the late a$ap yams and brought into the mainstream consciousness by the success of a$ap rocky and a$ap Ferg. w ith yams gone, a$ap rocky takes the helm of the group. “cozy Tapes” represents a culmination of a$ap mob’s work to create an aesthetic that draws heavily from fashion and drug culture. The twelve tracks on the album give a consistent, if not versatile hip hop experience.
The opening track is “yamborghini high,” a cloud rap anthem with booming 808’s and crisp snares that complement an ethereal vocal sample. appropriately, a$ap rocky opens the project with a verse highlighting his smooth, signature flow. his verse is the strongest here, with Juicy J and a$ap mob’s verses proving respectable yet largely conventional. it’s a boast track at its core, with some comical self-awareness offsetting the otherwise vapid subject matter.
“crazy brazy” follows, another cloud rap track featuring a$ap Twelvy and key. rocky also shines in this song, with a syncopated verse that playfully rides the beat in a way that requires a second listen to fully appreciate. Twelvy and key’s verses are functional, continuing the trend of rocky overshadowing his comrades in style
and execution.
w iz k halifa and bJ the chicago k id bring notable features to“way hii.” w iz’s verse is a signature boast, with a loose flow and singing vocals. “young n---- l iving” has one of the best instrumentals on the album, with ethereal vocals over a trap beat and unexpected video game samples. The verses are great, but the lack of familiarity with individual members of a$ap mob makes it hard to distinguish who is rapping.
“cozy Tapes” breaks away from trap conventions for the first time on “nasty’s world,” a boom-bap posse cut with an energetic hook and beat that is a welcome aside from the slow and foggy beats present on the rest of the album. a fter “nasty’s world,” the rest of “cozy Tapes” follows the formula set in the first few tracks and closes with “Telephone calls,” whose fantastic feature from Tyler, The creator shoots it to the top of the track list as one of the album’s best songs.
“cozy Tapes” suffers from a few consequential problems. The lack of diversity in the instrumentals makes it a homogenous listening experience, with barely any deviation from the tried and true trap rap conventions that propelled rocky to international fame. This is functional in serving the hazy aesthetic of a $ap mob, but detrimental to the musical integrity of the album itself.
w hile rocky and Ferg are unique voices today in the rap world, the rest of a$ap mob has been largely inactive in output and, as a result, there aren’t many
distinct voices among them. The lack of connection to these artists makes “cozy Tapes” less enjoyable than a g o o d music or black h ippy album. granted, this is only volume 1, so a$ap mob can change that before the next one.
o verall, “cozy Tapes: vol. 1 Friends” is a solid project with some glaring flaws, but these flaws can be addressed through more versatile instrumentation and a better attempt at differentiation by those in not named rocky or Ferg. The cozy aesthetic is well established by this album through some bona fide bangers and swagger-filled posse cuts, and with some work, a$ap mob is on its way to being a major voice in the hip hop community.
If you like: A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Tyler, the Creator
By ADRIAN MARK LORE
s cene writer
you made it. a fter four years of hard work, you stand on the stage at your commencement to receive your diploma, full of pride. w hen the day comes to an end, you lay on your apartment bed one last time. now you can relax — until a sudden realization brings a cold sweat to your forehead. you have finished your studies: now what?
The scenario is admittedly frightening, yet that vague sense of future insecurity is familiar to many university students long before their senior year. w hile most will not even discuss it, the young british pop group kero kero bonito confidently embraces that uncertainty on their starry-eyed sophomore record “bonito g eneration.”
a s the record’s title suggests, the band — fronted by vocalist sarah m idori perry — outlines the adventures of the cosmopolitan millennial generation throughout the length of its 12 brief tracks, which stand independently yet maintain a measure of narrative continuity. The subject of the record makes it inherently relevant to its youthful audience, but even so perry’s lyricism is surprisingly relatable — perhaps one of the record’s greatest strengths.
The story begins on “waking up,” a punchy morning pump-up track on which perry sings about her unwillingness to get out of bed before she devolves into a pseudo-rap introducing the band’s superhero-like mythos. some of the imagery is juvenile, yet perry’s charismatic lyricism is comically accurate and even
quotable, especially when she comments: “back in the place / i’m looking great / bet you can’t tell i’m halfawake.” she is no different from the next person, much less “together” than she may actually appear. a s a former member of a Japanese girl band, perry’s vocal performance itself sparkles with an overly saccharine sheen, yet the change in tone is effective and ultimately refreshing. on “heard a song” — which she often performs both in e nglish and Japanese — her delivery is sweeter than the sweetest carly rae Jepsen song, and occasionally mirrors the hyper-feminized vocals of the most radio-friendly sophie tracks. yet she renders listening so easy and carefree that the record quickly becomes irresistibly addicting, just begging to be replayed.
The record follows up with “graduation,” its thematic centerpiece and perhaps the track with the most attention-grabbing production among them all. parallel to perry’s joyous tone, a heavy synth rips through a trap beat that pounds in the background in hyper-modern fashion. The juxtaposition is odd, but perhaps quirky is a better descriptor; the group sticks out its tongue at club music, then licks it. similarly, the groovy “l ipslap” mirrors the deconstructionist dance music on olga bell’s innovative “Tempo,” released earlier this year. w hat is best about “bonito g eneration” is its openness to eclecticism and experimentation. it is a pop record yet it does not rely on shameless imitation or hedonism. on “Fish bowl,” one of the record’s briefest yet most satisfying tracks, a couple of idyllic verses burst into a hazy sea of melody that recalls the best dream pop of luminaries like sweet Trip and school of seven
bells.
The following track, the stellar and heart-warming “big city,” fuses the syrupy idiosyncrasies of Japanese pop with the cosmopolitan sound of future funk in an ode to youthful independence. The song follows perry’s journey into urban life as a young adult — it is seemingly the flip side of “graduation.” but rather than succumb to desperation, perry spiritedly embraces this new world, encouraging others to do the same: “some days are tough / when you gotta keep up / but it’s all worth the rush / ‘cause we stick around, anyway!” on their breakthrough record “bonito g eneration,” the playful british group kero kero bonito drafts the perfect pop recipes from saccharine vocals, addicting melodies and skillful production to create a work that is greater, lovelier, more hopeful and more relevant than the mere sum of its parts.
Contact Adrian Mark Lore at asanch11@nd.edu
“Bonito Generation”
Kero Kero Bonito
Label: Double Denim
Track: “Big City”
If you like: Carly Rae Jepsen, SOPHIE, School of Seven Bells
By MIKE DONOVAN s cene writer
on the night of nov. 4, all manner of standard-issue demagogues roam the halls of stockholm’s grand hotel. Their lively banter reflects the spirit of gratuitous self-congratulation wafting through the air. This is not a time to debate divisive issues. it’s a time to celebrate.
The event — dubbed the european Freedom awards — recognizes europe’s loudest radicals for their commitment to political disruption. it’s an opportunity for bombastic political outsiders from around the continent to indulge their more controversial proclivities among agreeable folk. The “alternative nobel p rize ceremony,” as The l ocal labeled it, offers a safe space for the right-wing incendiaries to collectively pat themselves on the back.
The european Freedom awards, and the controversial organizations behind it, represent a disconcerting shift in the european political mentality. The growing controversy surrounding immigration policy, international economic cooperatives and nationalist sentiment has primed the political arena for boisterous, right-winged political organizations. These groups advocate aggressive foreign policy, preach economic isolation and convey racist undercurrents. even sweden, a haven of nordic progressivism, faces this threat in the form of the sweden democrats — the neo-fascist party responsible for the Freedom awards.
The r adio dept.’s fourth studio album “running o ut of l ove” revolves around this bleak facet of european politics.
a s a writer, the band’s creative leader Johan d uncanson makes no attempt to conceal his ideological leanings. The album’s lyrics read like a democratic socialist’s manifesto.
on “ we g ot game,” d uncanson fires shots at rightwing economics. “it’s not a game if you can’t win,” he
protests. “i f we want it we’ll have to take it from the overfed.” l ater in the song, d uncanson transparently belittles neo-fascist parties as a “bunch of racist goons / the kind of guys you would not like to spoon.” To d uncanson, the rise of fringe groups presents a real fiscal danger for the common citizen. w hen radical policy reduces immigration and stifles tax revenue, he fears, income inequality and social unrest will grow.
“occupied” sees the progressive lyricist call out conservative policy makers for insincerity, specifically pointing to their insidious tendency to “be one thing or another / when, in fact, it’s nothing but an act.” The radical agenda and persuasive facade, d uncanson claims, makes prisoners of unwilling citizens. The political lies have “taken [the people] hostage with no war in sight / robbed of youth and freedom.”
d uncanson also expresses his disgust with the proliferation of violence at the hands of right-wing policy. From his simple denunciation of arms dealing on “swedish guns” to his portrait of hopelessness on “c ommitted to the c ause,” the songwriter flashes a poetic warning against the enduring consequences of toxic thinking. i n an interview with The atlantic, d uncanson stressed his concern that the marriage of far-right policies and weapons production leads to violence in the developing world, and lamented that “there were a lot of people defending it.”
musically, d uncanson further develops his potent social message by clashing mesmerizing synth pop with post-punk morbidity.
The album’s interwoven keyboard lines and infectious hooks draw listeners into a sleepy hypnosis. The opening track “sloboda narodu” administers its synth swells with impeccable timing — lifting the listener up without sacrificing auditory suspense. “swedish guns” and “ we g ot game” wield choppy chord rhythms to convey an acute sense of excitement and tension. “Teach me to Forget” mimics a minimalist club track with its pulsing bass and contagious tempo,
entrancing the listener in a web of tones. These hooks and motifs, when taken together, act as dream-like musical facade. They’re the sonic equivalent of sweden’s progressive reputation — masking the abundance of turmoil and discontent bubbling just beneath the surface. a careful listener can pick up on d uncanson’s auditory cues — his use of dissonance and rhythmic quirks — to piece together a more complete picture of his soundscape, but to do so requires a meticulous attention to detail. The structure of his work mirrors the chaos of politics, forcing the listener to explore its depths and embrace its conflicts. The intricate nuances and post punk edge of d uncanson’s electronic arrangements may bring to mind new order and depeche mode’s epic singles, but the music’s political idiosyncrasies are unique to The r adio dept. w ith his latest effort at the helm of The r adio dept., d uncanson swings for the fences. “running o ut of l ove” is a blunt display of civic anger made on behalf of a silent and repressed european majority a courageous move for a pop album in the age of easy listening. w hile his art will probably never reach the hotel demagogues or the sweden democrats, it may very well sway the nation’s youthful masses.
Editor’s note: This week, Sports Authority columnists will attempt to answer the question, “What is the best sports venue?”
i knew i needed to stay on brand here with my answer.
i thought about a lot of different venues, from around the world, but at the end of the day, i felt i’d only be able to definitively talk on the venues that i know the best, the ones i grew up attending annually. s o that narrowed it down pretty quickly to a couple options.
one choice was h inkle Fieldhouse, which for my money remains the greatest basketball venue this world has — and yes, i’ve been to the palestra in philadelphia. built in the late 1920s as the largest basketball venue in the world, the then-butler Fieldhouse significantly shaped the development of the sport in its true spiritual home, i ndiana.
w hile i could talk for days about h inkle, i’ll stop now with one other venue on my mind: the i ndianapolis motor speedway.
Throughout the history of sports, there may be no single venue more synonymous with its purpose than ims is with auto racing. dating back to 1909, when the brickyard was, well, actually made entirely of bricks, the speedway has served a merica’s need for speed.
but for all, the speedway, and its signature i ndianapolis 500 race, stands for to the racing world, its impact has been felt well outside of the 2 1/2-mile circuit on the former corner of 16th street and g eorgetown road. (They replaced that old intersection with a roundabout, which by definition has no corners, that g eorgetown no longer actually connects to. it’s neat.)
i n the same way that many credit nasa’s space programs for so many developments in day-to-day life, what went on in speedway, i ndiana — yes, the town is actually named for the track — shaped the direction of the auto industry for years and years. The progress and innovation on the track led to progress and innovation on the road. w hen r ay harroun won the first-ever 500 in 1911, he did it driving with a rearview mirror so he wouldn’t have to ride with a mechanic. a few years later, it was a popular addition to early automobiles. s oft tires? They got their start in i ndianapolis. Front-wheel drive and
superchargers? First seen in the 1920s at the speedway. harnesses made their appearance at i ndianapolis long before seatbelts were found in everyday cars, while i ndy teams’ aerodynamic advancements in the ’70s found their way to the tails and spoilers of modern automobile design as time went on.
a nd then there’s the nonracing significance of what’s gone on at the speedway. much in the same way that going to the moon didn’t practically improve lives, the improvements we’ve seen over the last 100-plus years at ims have been a beacon of the a merican spirit, that need to push farther and to innovate. The 500’s first qualifications, held in 1912, saw a top speed of just 80.93 miles achieved. b y 1921, r alph depalma topped 100 mph, and as time went on speeds progressed ever quickly. i n 1962, parnelli Jones finally hit 150 — 10 years later, speeds topped 195 miles per hour.
w hile we haven’t set a qualifying record in 21 years, innovation has taken a new turn since at ims : safety. i n 2002, i ndianapolis was the first track to receive the so-called sa F er barrier that greatly reduces risk in high-speed crashes. we still haven’t really touched on the 500’s numerous traditions — from the pre-race playing of “back home a gain ( i n i ndiana)” to the winner’s post-race celebratory swig of milk — because they’re the icing on the cake here. w hen the calendar turns to may in i ndianapolis, it might as well be the start of summer, even if school’s still in session past memorial day. a longside our nearby neighbors down i nterstate 65, where l ouisville’s kentucky derby serves a similar purpose, few events are as synonymous with their home towns as the 500 is with i ndianapolis.
The i ndianapolis motor speedway, the venue itself, is great enough as it is. sitting in that first corner, watching cars dive so gracefully into a turn at 230 miles per hour, is one of the most beautiful views in the world. but add in the innovation that’s impacted both the racing and “real” world, combine that with the track’s traditions and factor the impact it has on an entire city, well, you have one heck of a venue. perhaps the best in sports.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Seahawks hand New England its second loss
Associated Press
F oX borough , m ass. —
This time, s eattle won it at the goal line.
it certainly won’t make up for the s uper b owl loss two seasons back, but the s eahawks’ goal-line stand lifted them to a 31-24 victory over the n ew e ngland p atriots on s unday night.
Tom b rady couldn’t connect with r ob g ronkowski on a fade pattern on fourth down as n ew e ngland (7-2) failed four times from inside the 2 in the dying moments.
“ h e was playing off me ... pretty far, farther than usual,” g ronkowski said about safety k am c hancellor.
“ you don’t usually see that. a fade, i had to go up to him and initiate a move. i just wanted get on top of his toes, that is what you are taught. i just got up on his toes too much.”
it was reminiscent of how the s eahawks (6-2-1) lost the 2015 s uper b owl when m alcolm b utler intercepted at the goal line to win the n F l title for the p atriots.
“ w hen it got down to it, when you get a chance to win a game on the 1-yard line , there ain’t nothing like it in football,” said coach p ete c arroll, whose s eahawks worked on defending that exact play at the end of Friday’s practice. “ it’s one of the great challenges that a team and a defense gets. a nd our guys just came through,
and hung in there, and just fought for every inch and let us walk away with the win.”
d oug b aldwin caught three touchdown passes from r ussell w ilson, including a 15-yarder for the final margin. s trangely, s eattle went for 2 points and failed on the conversion, leaving the p atriots a chance to tie with a touchdown and an extra point kick.
“ we wanted to make it a two-possession game,” c arroll said.
b ut l e g arrette b lount, who earlier rushed for three touchdowns and has 12 this season, couldn’t get into the end zone from close range, nor could b rady on a pair of sneaks.
“o ur execution wasn’t great,” b rady said, “and they put a lot of pressure on you defensively. They have a lot of good players and they make you earn every yard. They play to the end, they have been in a lot of close games.
“ it came down to a yard at the end and we didn’t get it.”
w ilson finished 25 for 37 for 348 yards and the three scores to b aldwin. b rady was 23 of 32 for 316 yards but no T d s after throwing for 12 in his first four games since returning from suspension.
n ew e ngland’s m artellus b ennett had seven receptions for 102 yards to lead all receivers.
a game of swings
i t was a fierce, sometimes viciously physical game. g ronkowski took one particularly hard hit from s eahawks standout safety e arl Thomas and temporarily had to leave the game in the first half.
i t also was a game of big plays and big swings, perhaps none more so than Julian e delman’s spectacular over-the-shoulder 33yard catch on a third-and 25 to end the third quarter. That set up s tephen g ostkowski’s 30-yard field goal for a 24-22 lead.
o r maybe it was rookie c .J. p rosise’s 38-yard catch between two defenders to the n ew e ngland 2, leading to h auschka’s fourth field goal after a strong goal-line stand by the p atriots.
o r any of b aldwin’s three T d receptions.
o r, in the end, the power of s eattle’s interior defense on the short runs by b lount or b rady, and k am c hancellor’s tight coverage on g ronkowski on the final play.
Pick-free no more b rady’s interception in the second quarter derailed the p atriots’ chance to tie the 1960 c leveland b rowns for an n F l -record nine games without an interception. d e s hawn s head made the pick.
n ew e ngland had thrown 258 passes before being intercepted.
grabner leads rangers to win over oilers
Associated Press
edmon T on , a lberta — m ichael g rabner scored twice, a ntti r aanta stopped 38 shots, and the n ew york r angers beat the e dmonton o ilers 3-1 s unday night.
d an g irardi also scored to help the r angers win for the seventh time in eight games — including two victories against the o ilers.
a ndrej s ekera scored for e dmonton and c am Talbot finished with 24 saves. The o ilers have lost three straight to fall to 2-5-1 since starting the season 7-1-0.
the scoreboard just 1:20 in, getting to a big rebound and scoring his ninth of the season. i t was the fifth time in seven games the o ilers allowed a goal in the first two minutes.
g irardi made it 2-0 with 6:42 left in the first as the r angers had an extra attacker on for a delayed penalty and the defenseman redirected k evin h ayes’ pass past Talbot from in front of the net.
g rabner got n ew york on
e dmonton pulled within one with 1:15 left in the opening period when c onnor m c d avid spotted a pinching s ekera swooping
past the r angers net and he deflected a shot past r aanta.
g rabner scored again with five minutes left in the second when r yan n ugenth opkins gave up the puck at the n ew york blue line. Talbot made the initial stop, but g rabner was able to swat in the rebound for his 10th.
i n 16 games this season, g rabner has eclipsed the nine goals he had in 80 games with Toronto last year.
e dmonton had good pressure in the third period, but r aanta shut the door. nHl | rangers 3, oilers 1
Alex Carson a ssistant managing e ditor
she’s a pass-first point guard, but if you give that opportunity, she’s gonna score. she can score. so, i think it was good. [Junior forward brianna Turner] wasn’t open on the roll, so lindsay was open on the jumpers. so, i think she was very smart in taking what they gave her.”
Junior guard mychal Johnson racked up more minutes than any of her teammates after starting in place of sophomore guard marina mabrey. mcgraw felt that coming off the bench motivated mabrey, allowing her to pick up 17 points.
“[mabrey] wasn’t ready in the walkthrough,” mcgraw said. “so, we went with mychal, got that defensive side of things going. i thought [mabrey] really responded well to coming off the bench. i was really pleased with how she handled it.”
Freshman forward erin boley and sophomore guard a li patberg each made their regular season debuts for the irish Friday. boley scored eight points, snagged two rebounds and picked up three assists in her 25 minutes on the court. patberg, who missed last season with a torn acl , had three rebounds and three assists. mcgraw feels that patberg is improving and has done a good job at being focused on developing in her role as a passer.
“i think she’s right where she needs to be,” mcgraw said sunday. “i think that she is coming along. she’s getting better every day. she’s learning the offenses, she’s learning the nuances of the offense. she’s figuring out where everybody needs to get the ball. i think defensively she’s picking things up. she’s working really hard. i’m happy with where she’s heading. … i think she’s just trying to get settled into her role as the passer and the one delivering the ball. so i think it’s gonna be a while until the shots start.”
despite holding the chippewas to fewer than 50 points, mcgraw felt there are still improvements the irish need to make on the defensive side of the ball.
“we forgot a couple of things that we were trying to do,” mcgraw said. “we were trying to trap a little bit more in certain situations and we didn’t do that well, so we can still work on that a little bit more. i think the zone was pretty good. we gave up some [3-pointers], so i think we can still work on that, but offensively i think we executed really well. i think defensively we probably still had a couple of holes.”
w hile the irish dominated central michigan, mcgraw knows that their next opponent, Fordham, could pose a challenge monday.
“They’re a very good team, very well coached,” mcgraw said. “They’re very fundamentally sound. They’ve got a great defense; they are a team that really likes to execute their offense. They’re gonna run the stuff. i think they, well they could try to slow us down.”
mcgraw noted that notre dame’s depth will be an asset against the rams (1-0), as most teams focus their energy on neutralizing the threat Turner poses, although the irish want to get the ball to her more often.
“i think that teams come in trying to take one person away and i think they find that we have a lot of weapons,” mcgraw said. “i think that we’re incredibly physical, the last game looked very, very physical and our guards were able to really get loose and they played really well. inside, it was a battle. a very physical battle. i think [senior forward k ristina nelson] did a really good job. i don’t think we got the ball to bri as much as i wanted to, she only played 19 minutes, but i’d like to give her the ball a little bit more.”
a lso of note, irish freshman guard Jackie young, who missed the central michigan game with an injured thumb, will sit out versus Fordham and will likely be questionable for Thursday’s game.
The top-ranked irish will look to embark on a winning streak monday at 7 p.m. as they take on the rams in the preseason wniT quarterfinals at purcell pavilion.
Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
M bball
a nine-point lead early, but the bulldogs answered with a 12-2 run to take a 19-15 lead. beachem put the irish back on top, however, scoring seven consecutive points. brey said beachem played solid minutes on both sides of the floor.
“we had him on [bryant junior guard hunter] ware, who’s a shooter, he’s taking away that guy, which is exhausting, chasing shooters through stuff,” brey said. “and then [he is] being efficient on the other end. That’s a big step forward for him … he was so ready to play in our shoot-around this morning. i love when he puts it on the floor and gets to the bucket, and getting to the foul-line for him is an added dimension.”
beachem went 7-of-7 from the free throw line, and the irish made 26-of-29 foul shots as a team. colson and beachem led the irish into halftime with a 43-31 lead.
despite the 12-point lead, the irish didn’t make a run in the opening minutes of the second half. notre dame’s poor 3-point shooting — 3-for-16 on the afternoon — caused the two teams to
trade baskets for 10 minutes coming out of the break.
Finally, however, sophomore guard rex pflueger sparked what proved to be the winning run with a 3-point play with 11 minutes to go. pflueger stole the ball on the defensive end, dribbled it the length of the court and finished through the contact to put notre dame up 63-49.
“rex, he’s fabulous, are you kidding me? i love that guy,” brey said. “how about that nose for the ball? That drive and 3-point play was a big play. That kind of said, ‘ok, we’re going to get out of here today.’”
soon after pflueger’s play, vasturia made his only 3-pointer of the game to extend the lead to 17 points. after a dunk from senior forward austin Torres, pflueger came up with another old-fashioned 3-point play to push the lead to 22.
colson said the key to the run was figuring out bryant’s offense.
“it was just learning what they were doing on both sides, we have to do a better job of understanding what they’re doing early so they won’t be able to do that,” colson said. “but we clicked, sometimes it takes time to find out what they’re
doing and you get stops and you run from there.” after pflueger’s second 3-point play, notre dame ground out the rest of the game to take the 89-61 victory.
brey wasn’t shy about going to his bench in the season’s first game — 12 irish players saw time on the court and 10 scored points. Junior forward martinas geben put up four points and seven rebounds in his first regular season game as a starter and freshman guard Temple gibbs saw extended playing time while scoring five points. Junior guard matt Farrell reached career highs in steals and assists with three and nine, respectively, and sophomore forward elijah burns notched five points as well.
“i thought our bench gave us great stuff in the second half,” brey said. “we went to Torres, we played a little small because they were smaller. i liked what Torres gave us, i liked what elijah gave us.”
The irish next take the court wednesday night at purcell pavilion versus seattle at 7 p.m.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
forward cam morrison deflecting in the pass from defenseman dennis gilbert at the point. The deflection just cleared the glove of sophomore northeastern goaltender ryan ruck to give the irish the critical 3-2 lead about nine minutes into the third. a little while later, goals by junior forward Jake evans and freshman defenseman andrew peeke just over a minute apart sealed the win. For peeke, this marked his first career goal as his shot from the point was able to find the back of the net. The late surge lifted the irish to victory, giving irish head coach Jeff Jackson his 250th win at notre dame.
after outscoring northeastern 3-0 in the final period on saturday, the irish are now outscoring opponents 17-6 in third period play. another point of emphasis from this game was the
fact that notre dame was able to get a pair of goals from defenseman in gross and peeke, and Jackson recognizes how big that is for his team.
“it’s important that our defense is contributing offensively because in this game you don’t win anymore without your defenseman being active,” Jackson said. “northeastern is always a tough team to generate a lot of stuff on down in around the net, so you have to stand the zone and try to get pucks through because they do a good job blocking shots too. we were fortunate we got a couple through tonight and that’s where traffic can help you score goals.”
in bizarre fashion, the second game of the weekend series between the two programs was called after two periods with both teams skating to a scoreless tie. during the second intermission, a zamboni breakdown and the subsequent issues with ice conditions resulted in the game
being postponed with a tentative plan to make up the third period at a later time in the season pending both teams’ schedules. The following statement was made by the hockey east association: before the delay, during the first forty minutes, both goaltenders were standing strong with petersen coming up with 16 saves for the irish while junior northeastern net minder Jake Theut kept a clean sheet for himself on 22 shots in his first career collegiate start. notre dame will be faced with a quick turnaround time as it will get a series at home underway starting this Thursday against no. 5 umass-lowell. The river hawks currently sit at 7-3-2 on the season and are coming off a split series at home against maine. play on Thursday gets underway at 7:35 p.m. at compton Family ice arena.
Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
BRIDGET USHER | The Observer Irish sophomore guard Arike Ogunbowale fires a shot from the threepoint line in Notre Dame’s 129-50 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Nov. 3.
MACKENZI MARINOVICH | The Observer Irish sophomore forward Andrew Oglevie turns around with the puck during Notre Dame’s 4-2 loss to UConn on Oct. 27 at Compton Family Ice Arena. Oglevie scored in Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Northeastern Saturday.
westendorf, whose header was saved off the post by rossi. The rebound fell to junior forward karin muya, but rossi made another save to deny her, and junior meghan doyle’s follow-up shot was blocked. it ended up being the best opportunity of the half, as siue hunkered down even more, limiting the irish to corners and shots from distance. after the break, it started in much of the same way as the first half, with notre dame controlling the ball and looking to break the deadlock. westendorf looked to provide the spark, as she blazed a free kick over the bar from 30 yards out in the 50th minute, and then a few minutes later whipped a dangerous cross in that no one got on the end of. in the 66th minute, she crossed to doyle at the back post, who had time but, in tune with the common theme of the night, shot high. in the closing minutes of regulation, the irish had some wonderful chances, only to be again denied by the heroics of rossi. in the 82nd, a doyle cross was headed on goal by junior kaitlin klawunder, but rossi made a big save to deny her, and in the 88th, olmsted had a rip from the top of the box, but rossi once again was there on the save. w hen the
whistle blew, the irish had the shot advantage 21-3, but no goals to show for it.
in overtime, it was clear that siue was playing for penalties, and the irish pushed forwards looking for the winner. in the 98th minute, doyle crossed in to junior megan mccashland, but her shot was wide. notre dame followed soon after with another chance, but a header from junior midfielder Taylor k lawunder was saved. in the second overtime period, the irish grew more and more desperate to find a winner and end the game before penalties. in the 113th minute the k lawunders had perhaps the best chances of the game, but kaitlin’s shot was saved point-blank, and Taylor’s subsequent header went over the bar. at the end of the 20 minutes, siue hadn’t managed a single shot, but the game needed penalties to find a winner.
in penalties, both senior goalkeeper kaela little and rossi made several saves to give their team a chance to win. but the moment of the game came on the third kick for the cougars. after junior katie uhler’s shot was saved by rossi to give siue the early advantage, little saved the next kick from freshman forward becca Jostes. but as she dove, the ball slipped from her hands and roll over the top of her into the goal, giving the cougars the lead. a lthough she saved the next one,
little had missed a golden opportunity, and the mistake proved lethal. six kicks later, siue junior mariah vollmer scored to give her team the win and the improbable upset.
“kaela obviously didn’t have a lot of action in the game, she had to gather a couple of crosses and that was about it, but i thought she played well,” romagnolo said. “and in a penalty shootout, you typically ask your keeper to make one or two saves to win you the game, and she did that so i think she really did all we asked. and with that one that she saved and it somehow rolled over her and into the net, i’ve never seen that, like how does the ball do that? i mean that is about as unlucky as you can get, and soccer is a tough game, and to go out like that hurts a lot, and my heart goes out to her and the rest of our seniors on an amazing year. but still, it hurts.”
a lthough it was certainly a tough moment for the acc regular-season champions, romagnolo said she is extremely proud of the group.
“i’m just so proud of how this team played together and how the attitude was so positive, and they grew so much from august until now. The seniors set the example on how to just be yourself, and everyone embraced their roles, and we just focused in the moment and one game at a time. and we had everyone contributing. like
paid a dverT isemen T
megan mccashland, who comes off the bench for us, she scored two game winners. and kaitlin klawunder, who has had a great impact. it was just so awesome to see how this group grew together, and i’m so proud of them. They
set a great standard but i know the group returning will be eager to use this as motivation as we move forward.”
Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer Irish junior forward Karin Muya fights for the ball during Notre Dame’s loss on penalty kicks to SIUE on Friday.
Men’S baSkeTball | nd 89, bryanT 64
notre dame topples bryant to start season
By MAREK MAZUREK sports e ditor
c oming off of back-to-back e lite e ight appearances, n otre d ame started its season with an 89-64 win over b ryant on s aturday.
s eniors s teve vasturia and v.J. b eachem and junior b onzie c olson combined for 61 of n otre d ame’s 89 points on the night, but the i rish (1-0) struggled to put the b ulldogs (0-1) away until late in the second half.
“ i think that was good because it was a hard game,” i rish head coach m ike b rey said. “ … The ‘big three’ had to play more minutes.”
n either team appeared ready for the noon start time as the game’s first two minutes saw no points. c olson soon tallied n otre d ame’s first points of the season with a 3-point basket.
The i rish jumped out to
89-64
nd woMen’S baSkeTball | nd 107, cmu 47
Steve
nd opens season with win
By ELIZABETH GREASON sports writer
a rike ogunbowale led the no. 1 irish to a commanding 107-47 victory over central michigan in their home opener and first round of the preseason wniT tournament.
The sophomore guard tallied a career-high 30 points, the most from a single irish player since Jewell loyd scored 31 in 2015. ogunbowale was perfect from beyond the 3-point line, something the milwaukee native mentioned she spent much of the offseason working on.
“i shot a lot [of 3-pointers], because freshman year they sagged off on me a lot,” ogunbowale said. “i knew they would probably start this year thinking i didn’t take as many threes, so now they really have to play me fair. They have to guard me on the three and guard me driving. i think my teammates were just finding me. it was a good day. i mean, they were a great team, they played great defense, but it was just a great day.”
The irish (1-0) scored the first points of the game 10 seconds in and maintained the lead until the
final buzzer. notre dame head coach muffet mcgraw felt that her team dominated the chippewas (0-1) offensively.
“i thought that was a great first game for us,” mcgraw said. “defensively, i think we really set a tone early. i thought [senior guard] lindsay a llen came out, really controlled the pace of the game and really set a tone for what we wanted to do. i think our defense through three quarters was really phenomenal. a nd to watch offensively, how we just, i mean, we just really were clicking. i think a rike was in a zone tonight … not on defense, but she was, offensively, she was definitely — career-high, just outstanding game.”
a llen totaled 13 points with eight assists and five rebounds. mcgraw felt that a llen played an intelligent game and took advantage of the opportunities the chippewas handed her.
“[a llen will] have to take what the defense gives her,” mcgraw said sunday. “i mean, they were giving her wide-open jumpers at the beginning of the game and she can make that shot. i mean,
see w bball PaGe 14
woMen’S SoCCer | siue 0, nd 0 (5-4 penalTy kicks)
i rish ncaa tourney run ends
By TOBIAS HOONHOUT sports writer
second-seeded notre dame began its quest for a national championship on Friday night, hosting siu edwardsville.
110 minutes later, the irish were out, losing 5-4 in penalties after a 0-0 draw.
it was a night of missed chances.
“obviously, it was tough to swallow, but all in all i thought we played a good game,” irish head coach Theresa romagnolo said.
“The team played like they have all year, and it was just not our night. we possessed, we defended well, we created chances, but the soccer gods were just not on our side, and that makes it so much harder, to go out like that. but i’m still so proud of this group. They battled in each game all year and were such a pleasure to coach, and really are a great example of what it means to be a team.”
notre dame (13-3-5, 7-1-2 acc) dominated the game from start to finish, controlling possession and looking to create chances. The
HoCkey | nd 5, norTheasTern 2
final product was lacking, however, as the cougars (10-7-5, 6-3-1 ovc) sat back and forced the irish to try and break them down. and when notre dame did get opportunities, junior goalkeeper Juli rossi denied them, making eight saves to keep the game scoreless through regular time and overtime.
“i don’t know if i would call it a game plan,” romagnolo said on the strategy. “i think they just adjusted to the fact that we had most of the possession and so they got behind the ball, which is what any team would do, so they just focused on defending and staying in the game and not letting us score. … Their keeper was one of the players we looked at before in film, so we knew she was a star player heading into it. but still, she made some unbelievable saves to pad her stats for sure, and it was just very tough to get one past her.”
The first real chance of the night came in the 17th minute, as irish senior midfielder sandra yu crossed the ball in to freshman Jennifer
see w soccer PaGe 15
Zamboni malfunction cancels contest
By ALEX BENDER sports writer
as the weekend in boston concluded with what proved to be an unusual finish for notre dame, the irish were able to come away with a win and a postponed game on the road against northeastern. play on saturday got underway with the huskies (3-4-3, 0-3-1 hockey east) taking the first period as both teams headed to the locker room with northeastern leading 1-0. in net, junior goaltender cal petersen had to stay strong to keep it at one, having faced 12 shots in the first period. he would finish the game with 23 saves total on the night. both teams went back and forth in the second period with notre dame (5-3-1, 2-1-0 hockey east) getting an early period goal by junior defenseman Jordan gross and one just before the end of the period by sophomore forward andrew oglevie, tying the game at two before the intermission. in the third period, notre dame was able to open things up and would pull away with three goals to take the game by a score of 5-2. The scoring got started with freshman
ALLISON CULVER | The Observer
Irish senior guard
Vasturia looks for the ball during Notre Dame’s
win over Bryant on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion.
MACKENZI MARINOVICH | The Observer Irish junior defenseman Jordan Gross moves the puck up the ice during Notre Dame’s 4-2 loss to UConn on Oct. 27.
for the irish than simply catch red-zone and end-zone passes, Kelly said.
“his biggest contribution is he’s a guy that has to do a lot for us, whether he’s blocking or running vertical routes or option routes,” Kelly said. “he’s asked to do a lot. You know, he’s a committed player. he’s highcharacter and well-respected by his teammates.”
The black Knights got off to a bright second-half start, gaining 49 yards on their first two plays from scrimmage, but the irish defense stepped up to keep the score where it was. With a rmy facing third-and-9 from the irish 11, notre dame junior linebacker greer martini got through uninterrupted to sack a rmy sophomore quarterback chris carter. on the next play, junior blake Wilson missed a 33-yard field goal try, leaving a rmy with no points on an otherwise-productive drive.
a nd for the first time all game, the a rmy defense followed with a stop, when on play 16 of a 76-yard drive, black Knights senior defensive back Xavier moss intercepted Kizer in the end zone, keeping notre dame off the board.
but next time out, notre dame got back to its scoring ways when senior running back Tarean folston capped off a 37-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown rush. When Yoon missed the ensuing point-after attempt, it halted the game’s scoring at 44-6, the final margin. freshman cornerback Julian Love preserved it with a goal-line interception near
the midway point of the fourth quarter, keeping a rmy out of the end zone on its final drive.
a week ago, notre dame’s defense didn’t force a navy punt in 60 minutes. This week, notre dame never needed to go to the punt game; the i rish were 10-for-13 on third down, and picked up a first down both times they set up to go for it on fourth down — once on a conversion, and once on a penalty. Kelly credited Kizer’s play for the resounding success on third and fourth downs saturday.
“We got out of trouble a lot on third down, and a lot of it was deshone keeping plays alive,” Kelly said. “When they dropped eight, he was able to scramble. When they brought pressure, he was able to get the ball out of his hands, so he did a really nice job.”
Kizer, who threw for 209 yards and three scores while adding 72 yards on the ground, earned the game ball, Kelly said.
“he got the game ball,” Kelly said. “i thought he matured — he made a mistake obviously in the red zone. You can’t make those, but i liked his leadership today. i liked his leadership all week. he was vocal. he was holding players to a higher standard. i liked his toughness, and he’s growing.”
notre dame players and head coach brian Kelly, right, run onto the field before notre dame’s 44-6 win over a rmy on saturday at the a lamodome.
emmet farnan | The observer notre dame players and head coach brian Kelly, right, run onto the field before notre dame’s 44-6 win over a rmy on saturday at the a lamodome.
a nd as always, when playing a service academy, notre dame and a rmy joined together for the playing of each school’s alma mater — it’s something special, Kelly said.
“You know, they’re tough to play these games, first of all. These teams are tough,” Kelly said. “navy and a rmy are tough teams to play. but when you’re done playing the game, there’s just a natural respect that you have for them, and for how they do their business, in the classroom, out of the classroom, their preparation, their sacrifice, and then to go on the football field and compete against them and then share in singing the alma mater together, it just makes it a special event.”
The win means notre dame keeps it bowl game hopes alive for at least one more week. a nd when no. 14 v irginia Tech comes calling this weekend, it’ll take a little adjustment for notre dame — since it won’t be that triple-option look anymore.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to get to work on Tuesday, and it’s got to be a schedule that allows our guys to get a lot of work at cover 4 and cover 6 and cover 2 and what we do normally.”
but as far as saturday’s performance goes, there’s not much Kelly found wrong.
“You know, [it was] a complete performance by our guys,” he said. “There’s something to pick at always, but a pretty good performance all around by our football team.” at was the difference.”
Kevin stepherson 37-yard pass from deshone Kizer (Yoon kick)
10:00 remaining
Drive: five plays, 71 yards, 2:42 elapsed
noTr E D am E 21, army 0
Josh adams two yard run (Yoon kick)
3:44 remaining
Drive: Eight plays, 44 yards 3:35 elapsed
n oTr E Dam E 21 , army 6
Kell Walker two-yard run (mitchell howard missed kick)
14:14 remaining
Drive: Nine plays, 63 yards, 4:30 elapsed
n oTr E Dam E 28, army 6 durhman smythe 10-yard pass from Kizer (Yoon kick)
9:34 remaining
Drive: Nine plays, 71 yards, 4:40 elapsed
n oTr E Dam E 31, army 6
Yoon 27-yard field goal
3:39 remaining
Drive: Nine plays, 49 yards 4:22 elapsed
n oTr E Dam E 38, army 6
smythe 31-yard pass from Kizer (Yoon kick)
0:37
Seven plays, 48 yards, :59 elapsed
noTr E D am E 44, army 6
Tarean folston four-yard run (Yoon missed kick)
0:55 remaining
Drive: Five plays, 37 yards, 1:39 elapsed
cylinders, the defense couldn’t stop anyone. once the defense got things figured out, the offense suddenly sputtered, putting up just 13 combined points in two consecutive losses. it was a combination of a lot of things — poor coaching put players in bad positions, but those same players (many of them young) made costly mistakes themselves.
a fter a performance like saturday’s, it might be tempting to play the “what if?” game. What if notre dame could’ve gotten one more stop against Texas? What if key special teams errors hadn’t cost the irish dearly against michigan state? What if the defense played like this all year, not just over the last few weeks?
The “what if” game, especially when there’s so many possible questions, is dangerous, because it requires so many things to have gone differently — to the point where the chances of all of them happening would have been small. so instead of playing the “what if?” game, let’s ask something different: what’s next?
notre dame is a young team, which while frustrating, often spells positive things for the future. Take the receiving effort saturday, for example.
Losing a senior captain to injury, as the irish did this week with Torii hunter Jr., would be a blow to any receiving corps — let alone one as young as notre dame’s. but notre dame barely skipped a beat. freshman Kevin stepherson stepped up, with 75 yards receiving and a score, leading a crew of seven wide receivers to haul in a catch saturday. of those seven, just one — junior corey holmes — is an upperclassman.
Then there’s the rushing game, where sophomore Josh adams carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards and a score. or the secondary, where freshman Julian Love looks like a star in the making as part of a defense filled with youngsters. one could do the same exercise with most position groups.
You can’t find a way to deny that this notre dame season has been a disappointment — the irish still likely won’t make a bowl game after starting the season a top-10 squad, and there’s still a reason brian Kelly being the team’s head coach next season isn’t a certainty.
but when that team does take the field, in 2017, 2018 and even 2019, it will be better for this year’s experiences.
Kelly, as any head coach, probably isn’t a fan of having to play as many freshmen as he has this season. The benefits, though, will be tangible down the road.
over the last few weeks, notre dame — its youth and all — is starting to show some signs of life. That, in and of itself, should be reason for optimism.
but the pulse of the 2017 season will be set over the next two weeks, with virginia Tech coming to south bend and the irish traveling to no. 15 usc if notre dame can come away with one or two wins, it’ll be a success — one indicative of hope for the future. it’s an opportunity, beyond chasing a 6-6 record and a bowl berth, to take something away from an otherwise rotten season.
so let’s see what these kids have got.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Irish sophomore running back Josh Adams sprints through a hole in Army’s defensive line during Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory against Army on Saturday in San Antonio. Adams ran the ball 15 times and gained 70 yards, good for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. Notre Dame outrushed Army on the day 261 to 229.
Never a doubt
Notre Dame scored 21 points in the first quarter to take control of the game from the start. The Irish led 38-6 at halftime and scored just once in the second half to finish the game 44-6. Kizer threw three touchdowns — two to Durhman Smythe and one to Kevin Stepherson — and over 220 yards. For the second time on the season, the Irish allowed less than 10 points.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior tight end Nic Weishar holds onto the ball in the Irish victory over Army on Saturday.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Senior running back Tarean Folston dives into the end zone in Saturday’s 44-6 victory over Army.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer Irish defenders swarm the ball carrier in Notre Dame’s fourth win of the season against Army.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish senior tight end Durham Smythe jumps to make a catch in Notre Dame’s 44-6 win over Army on Saturday in San Antonio.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer DeShone Kizer looks upfield as he rolls out of the pocket in Saturday’s win over Army in San Antonio.
