Tag: Daelin Hayes

Skowronek, Hayes Named to Comeback Player of the Year Watch List

Notre Dame’s list of players worth watching continues to grow.

Notre Dame’s list of players worth watching continues to grow. It was announced Wednesday that receiver Ben Skowronek and linebacker Daelin Hayes are on the 2020 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Watch List. The award recognizes college football student-athletes who have overcome illness or injury. Three winners will be announced at this year’s Fiesta Bowl.

That these particular Irish players have been selected for this watch list shouldn’t be a surprise. Skowronek, the transfer who suffered an injury that needed surgery during his final season at Northwestern, was the unanimous selection for our offensive game ball after making two touchdown receptions for 107 yards against Pittsburgh. Likewise, we unanimously picked Hayes, the captain whose 2019 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder injury, for our defensive game ball thanks to two sacks and two forced fumbles against Georgia Tech. So even if they haven’t been impactful in every game, their contributions thus far have not got unnoticed, even by those of us watching from our homes.

Notre Dame football: Hayes named ACC defensive lineman of the week

After what was perhaps his best game ever in a Notre Dame uniform, Daelin Hayes was a named the ACC Lineman of the Week on Monday.

After Saturday’s 31-13 win at Georgia Tech, defensive end Daelin Hayes walked away with game ball honors from his head coach Brian Kelly as well as from every member of the Fighting Irish Wire staff.

On Monday it was announced that the graduate student received an even bigger award, this as the ACC’s defensive lineman of the week.

Release:
NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Notre Dame graduate student defensive lineman Daelin Hayes was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the 31-13 win at Georgia Tech last week. The selection marks the first ACC weekly honor for Hayes, and the sixth of the season for the Irish.

Hayes, named the Pro Football Focus Defensive MVP of the Week, totaled 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles at Georgia Tech, both career-high single-game marks for the graduate student. Both forced fumbles came on the sacks. Hayes’ two forced fumbles tie for the most in a single game among all FBS players this season, and he was the only player in the Power 5 to reach the mark over the weekend.

In Atlanta, the Irish D-Line held Georgia Tech to just 88 rushing yards, while entering the game, Georgia Tech had averaged 180.7 rushing yards per game (sixth in the ACC). With the help of Hayes’ 2.0 sacks, the Irish sacked Georgia Tech a total of 5.0 times. Entering the game, Georgia Tech had allowed just 1.67 sacks per game (10 total).

Hayes finished the day totaling 2.0 sacks (-14 yards), two FF, five tackles (four solo) and one QBH.

No. 4 Notre Dame (6-0, 5-0 ACC) returns home to face No. 1 Clemson (7-0, 6-0 ACC) Saturday. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NOTRE DAME ACC WEEKLY HONORS: 

9/14: Kyren Williams, Running Back of the Week (Duke)

9/21: Robert Hainsey, co-Offensive Lineman of the Week (South Florida)

10/19: Kyren Williams, Rookie of the Week (Louisville)

10/26: Ian Book, Quarterback of the Week; Liam Eichenberg, Offensive Lineman of the Week (Pittsburgh)

11/2: Daelin Hayes, Defensive Lineman of the Week (Georgia Tech)

No. 4 Notre Dame bests Georgia Tech: 5 Takeaways

What was there to takeaway from Saturday’s 31-13 Notre Dame win at Georgia Tech? We do exactly that right here as it’s now Clemson week.

No. 4 Notre Dame moved to 6-0 on the season and set up the biggest home game in quite some time next week with their 31-13 win Saturday over Georgia Tech.

It wasn’t at the level it needs to be across the board if this team is going to knock off the top-ranked Tigers next week but it was the sixth straight win to open the season for Notre Dame and their national best, 12th straight victory overall.

As we turn to Clemson week, the most anticipated week for a game at Notre Dame Stadium in 15 years, here are five takeaways from the 31-13 win on Saturday…

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Notre Dame beats Georgia Tech: Game balls for Irish

In yet another dominating game by Notre Dame’s defense, one player shined brighter than all others as the Irish moved to 6-0.

No. 4 Notre Dame coasted their way to a 31-13 victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday to improve to 6-0 on the season and to set up an unbeaten showdown next Saturday when the Irish host No.1 Clemson.

Maybe it wasn’t as dominating as some would have liked but the issue was never in doubt and had it not been for a freakish play that felt like a 14 point swing, this thing would have been a complete blowout by halftime.

Either way, it’s a 31-13 win and it’s 6-0.  With that, here are the Fighting Irish Wire staff game ball awards for the Notre Dame victory.

First up:  Geoffrey Clark…

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Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: Third-Quarter Analysis

It took a quarter longer than it should have, but Notre Dame finally has Georgia Tech on the ropes.

It took a quarter longer than it should have, but Notre Dame finally has Georgia Tech on the ropes. Some quality play on both sides of the ball puts the Irish within striking distance of keeping their perfect record heading into Clemson. While the college football world was reacting to the news of Trevor Lawrence being out for that game, the Irish were building a 24-7 lead that last through the end of the third quarter.

The Yellow Jackets threatened to close the gap after a 39-yard completion from Jeff Sims to Jalen Camp put the ball on the Irish’s 22-yard line. That hope was snuffed out on the next play when Daelin Hayes IV strip-sacked Sims, and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa recovered the ball. Though the subsequent drive was defined by the run once again, the big blow was Ian Book’s 31-yard completion to Javon McKinley that put the Irish in the red zone. Kyren Williams took the ball for the next two plays because that’s all he needed, scoring a touchdown from 4 yards out on the latter of those plays.

The Irish suffered a loss for this game and next week when Marist Liafau was disqualified was ejected for targeting. He will miss the first half of the Clemson game as a result. Jude Kelley badly missed a field goal for the Yellow Jackets on the same drive, so no harm was done, at least in the short-term.

Notre Dame announces 5 captains for 2020 season

Notre Dame has announced it’s five captains for the 2020 season. Find out who they are here.

Notre Dame has announced their five captains for the 2020 football season and none come as any real surprise.

Quarterback Ian Book is a captain for the second time in as many years as is offensive lineman Robert Hainsey.

Joining them will be graduate student and starting strong safety Shaun Crawford, defensive linemen Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji.

The five team captains are scheduled to meet the media Tuesday evening and we’ll share it all here at Fighting Irish Wire, your daily stop for everything Notre Dame.

Irish have 6 players on Senior Bowl Top 250

There could be up to six Notre Dame Football seniors who could play in this years version of the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl has been a great sendoff for collegiate seniors since 1950, giving them once more opportunity to impress the NFL scouts as the finish off their eligibility. This year six Notre Dame players made their top 250 list, which were: offensive linemen Tommy Kramer, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey, quarterback Ian Book, and defensive linemen Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji.

This game has been a spring board for some great prospects, as their alumni consists of Cowboys quarterback Dan Prescott and New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. The Irish have had one MVP of the Senior Bowl, coming all the way back in 1959 when running back Norm Odyniec shared the title with Georgia full back Theron Sapp.

All six of the Notre Dame players on their top 250 list have a great shot at making the All-Star game. Last year Chase Claypool impressed many while Troy Pride Jr., Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott each made their marks during the week. Hopefully they all get their chance to shine one more time wearing the Blue and Gold.

Notre Dame Football: Injury Bug Bites Defensive Line

Notre Dame is only three days into fall practice but the injury bug has already started to make its unwanted presence around the football team. 

Notre Dame is only three days into fall practice but the injury bug has already started to make its unwanted presence around the football team.

Just over a week ago news came out that receiver Kevin Austin, who was expected to have a breakout season, broke his foot and will be out an unknown amount of time.

Then on the first day of actual practice this past Wednesday we got word that three players would go on medical scholarship as their football careers are over due to different injuries.

And Friday morning brought news that defensive lineman NaNa Osafo-Mensah will likely miss the entire 2020 season after injuring his knee in football related activities on Tuesday and having surgery to repair his lateral meniscus on Thursday.

Osafa-Mensah was a four-star recruit getting set to start his sophomore campaign at Notre Dame.  Osafa-Mensah played in two games as a freshman in 2019, recording a tackle against New Mexico.

Osafa-Mensah figured to be in a battle to make the second string on the depth chart as an edge rusher behind the likes of Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji.

9 Notre Dame players miss first practice after pair of positive COVID-19 tests

Notre Dame football has now administered 619 COVID-19 tests since testing began in June with only four positive tests in that time.  The concern is that half of those four came in this latest round, after students returned to Notre Dame’s campus.

Notre Dame football administered their latest round of COVID-19 testing this past Monday as tests were administered to 117 players.  Although still not a huge number, two positive tests came back.

One of the players who tested positive had what is being called a mild case while the other is asymptomatic.

An additional seven players are in quarantine after contact tracing which leaves a total of nine players out for the first practice of the year this Wednesday afternoon.

43 staff members were also given tests, all of which came back negative.

Notre Dame football has now administered 619 COVID-19 tests since testing began in June with only four positive tests in that time.  The concern is that half of those four came in this latest round, after students returned to Notre Dame’s campus.

The question now is can the spread be contained in and around both the football team and University.  Quick action was taken which is obviously a great step but when the next round of testing comes how many more players and potentially coaches will have been exposed?

Even without a massive number of positive tests, this sets up an incredibly important round of testing next time around for Notre Dame football.

Why Notre Dame thinks they can pull football off in 2020

Notre Dame has had very few positive COVID-19 tests in the last two months and thinks football is still possible. Find out why, here.

With roughly 40% of FBS college football pulling the plug on the 2020 fall season, Notre Dame and the ACC remain scheduled to start games a month from today.

On the day Notre Dame opens fall training camp, the morning kicked off with Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and start outside linebacker Daelin Hayes appearing on NBC’s Today Show.

The entire interview between Craig Melvin and both Kelly and Hayes can be seen in full below.

The biggest quotes from both were Kelly strongly sharing that “we believe we can play” as he detailed how thorough Notre Dame has been in using precaution to try and keep COVID-19 as far away from campus as possible.

Hayes shares his belief that essentially, if there is added risk in anything we do anymore, why not at least do what what we enjoy while being exposed to those risks, especially if players are under constant supervision and given weekly tests, like he says.

Full video of interview:

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I get both sides of the argument as to whether or not there should be games played and practices held.

If someone with COVID-19 plays football against a bunch of healthy young men then it’s inevitable that the between the blood, sweat, spit and whatever else gets passed along, that the virus will spread.

But if the players, coaches and staff have followed through with a plan and things have gone incredibly successful like they have, I have trouble with the thought that they don’t deserve at least a chance to play,until they prove they don’t.

I know we’re talking about a lot of 18-22 year old student-athletes and the mind of someone that age doesn’t always make the best of decisions.  So far protocols appear to have been followed with great success.

It’s easy to understand why the players and coaches believe they can pull this off, even while acknowledging the difficulty of the situation.  Obviously things can change in a moments notice with this like they’ve been doing nationwide for months, but until that time comes I fully see why the players and coaches so badly at least want a chance.