Blue and Gold Illustrated

August 2017

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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14 AUGUST 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME CHARTING THE IRISH NOTRE DAME-GEORGIA: COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S HOTTEST TICKET To the average college football fan, there might be nothing special about Georgia's visit to Notre Dame Sept. 9. The Fighting Irish are coming off one of their worst seasons ever (4-8), while the Bulldogs lost all their rivalry games last year (Tennessee, Florida and Georgia Tech), were crushed 45-14 by Ole Miss, were defeated at home by Vanderbilt and even barely survived a 26-24 decision versus Football Champion- ship Subdivision member Nicholls State, which finished 5-6. Yet according to CoachingSearch.com in late June, the Notre Dame-Georgia showdown is currently No. 1 on the most-demanded college football ticket. According to the website, here are the top five based on using the cheapest ticket currently available on StubHub: MOVING? Call us at 1-800-421-7751 Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom Isabella DiLisio — Golf The rising junior from Hatfield, Pa., was one of three members of the Irish women's golf team to earn Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America Scholar honors along with teammates Emma Albrecht, a rising junior and Jordan Ferreira, a Notre Dame graduate. DiLisio finished the year with a 74.77 stroke average, the second-best mark on the team. In her two years with the Irish, she has recorded three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Jeff Farina — Soccer The rising senior from Wilmette, Ill., was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the second time in his Irish career. As a junior in 2016, Farina saw action in 13 matches, starting 12 of them. In those 13 games, he scored one goal and had one assist. For his career, Farina has netted six goals and recorded 13 assists, including a team-high seven as a freshman in 2014. Marina Mabrey — Basketball The sophomore from Belmar, N.J., was one of four members of the Irish to be invited to the United States U23 National Team training camp. Mabrey is joined on the roster by Irish teammates Arike Ogun- bowale, Jessica Shepard and Jackie Young. The invite comes following a 2016-17 season that saw Mabrey named to the All-ACC Tournament team and the All-Lexington Regional team in the NCAA Tournament. Morgan Partridge — Fencing The rising sophomore from Swansea, Mass., participated in the USA Fencing National Cham- pionships in Salt Lake City July 1-10, and took home the silver medal in the women's foil, a competition that fea- tured 185 competitors. As a three-time selection to the Cadet World Fencing Team, Partridge is used to competing at a high level. She also was part of the Junior World Team in 2014-15. TOP OF THE CLASS ✦ GIMME FIVE Fifth-year senior Durham Smythe and junior Alizé Mack have caught only 13 career passes apiece as Notre Dame tight ends. Neverthe- less, the duo made the preseason watch list for the 2017 John Mackey Award, which is comprised of 55 players and highlights the na- tion's top tight ends. Mack had a strong freshman campaign in 2015 with 13 catches for 190 yards to make the preseason watch list for the 2016 Mackey Award, but he was declared academically ineligible and was sidelined from game ac- tion. Smythe started all 12 games last year and caught nine passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Notre Dame joins Louisville, Minnesota and Wisconsin as the only schools to have two tight ends on the Mackey Award watch list. The Irish have almost annually featured a tight end on the Mackey watch list since the inception of the award in 2000, with Tyler Eifert winning it in 2012. Here are the top five pass reception totals in a season accumulated by a Notre Dame tight end (bowl games included): Rk. Tight End (Year) Rec.-Yds.-TD 1. Tyler Eifert (2011) 63-803-5 2. Ken MacAfee (1977) 58-842-6 3. Tyler Eifert (2012) 50-686-4 4t. John Carlson (2006) 47-634-4 4t. Anthony Fasano (2005) 47-576-2 Getting To Know … JUNIOR BASKETBALL GUARD REX PFLUEGER Hometown: "Dana Point, Calif." High School: "Mater Dei." Major: "Business marketing." Favorite Movie: "'Inception.'" Favorite TV Show: "'Supernatural.'" Favorite Type Of Music: "That's impossible. I love all genres of music." Favorite Food: "I love pasta." Favorite Place To Eat In South Bend: "Ruth's Chris Steak House." Favorite Part About Play- ing For Notre Dame: "Rep- resenting this school and the tradition that comes with it. Right when I committed, I watched 'Rudy' three times. I just got that feel and that buzz and felt excited for the school and the whole atmosphere. Representing a community that loves and respects each other as much as Notre Dame does is definitely the main part for me." Best Player You've Ever Faced: "I don't want to give him too much hype, but right now it has to be [former Duke standout] Jayson Ta- tum. I think he has full potential." 1. Georgia at Notre Dame (Sept. 9) — $499 Word has it that at least 20,000 Georgia followers are seeking to make the trip to Notre Dame. 2. Alabama vs. Florida State in Atlanta (Sept. 2) — $422 The winner puts itself in the pole position for the national title — and a rematch could occur in the College Football Playoff. 3. Oklahoma at Ohio State (Sept. 9) — $347 New OU head coach Lincoln Riley in his second game must travel to Columbus to face Urban Meyer. 4. Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 25) — $295 One of the most heated rivalries annually. 5. Penn State at Ohio State (Oct. 28) — $285 The Buckeyes seek to atone for last year's 11th-hour loss in Happy Valley.

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