Fiesta Bowl Win Important to Notre Dame & TE George Takacs
Notre Dame tight end George Takacs got his first real taste of college football last fall as he broke into the rotation as the third tight end.
In 2021, Takacs became a more significant piece to the offense as he upped his snap count from 67 plays last year to 374 snaps this fall.
The 6-foot-6, 247-pounder not only felt growth this year, but he believes he grew week to week with his snaps increasing.
"This year has been huge for me as someone who didn't have a ton of playing because of the people who have come through the room," Takacs said earlier this week. "This year has been awesome for me. I can feel myself improving every single week.
"There isn't any practice that's like playing in a game. The speed and physicality come with time. I feel great about my improvement during the season."
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman wants practices to feel closer to games and he's added more competition to practice, which is much appreciated by Takacs.
"Since Coach Freeman got hired, the practices have been physical and highly competitive, which is awesome," stated Takacs. "At the end of the day, it's still preparing for a game."
The Naples (Fla.) native feels the 2021 campaign went well and Notre Dame has a chance to finish strong against a top 10 program.
"I feel great about the year," said Takacs. "Everything came out the way you wanted it to go. We had a tough one with Cincinnati, but since then, we really dominated everyone we played. Finishing off the stretch with a win against a top 10 team would be a great way to end the season."
Takacs isn't the only one excited for the chance to win a New Year's Six game as the team has the same approach.
"It's an awesome opportunity," explained Takacs. "I know it's not the playoffs, but it's a New Year's Six bowl. Oklahoma State is a great team and that was in the hunt too. Everyone is excited and practicing hard. People are excited and ready to go."
What would a win mean? It'd mean a great deal for the upperclassmen, but also starting Freeman's tenure off with a bang.
"At the end of the day, the focus is getting a win for our team and the players on the team," said Takacs. "It'd definitely be nice to start Freeman off like that.