Notre Dame Mitchell Evans Focused on Seizing the Moment in Miami
The Sugar Bowl victory was big for Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans.
It starts with Notre Dame advancing in the College Football Playoff, and somewhere down the list, Evans would have family bragging rights as his sister, Kacie, played volleyball for the Dawgs and her fiancè is a Georgia alum.
At a minimum, Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory allows Evans to walk into family functions with a smirk.
“It’s awesome,” laughed Evans. “Right after the game, I was on my phone texting my family because my sister’s fiancè and his side of the family and my sister all went to Georgia. I’m going to have this for the rest of my life. It’s going to be great. A lot of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, it’s going to get brought up.”
That said, the Georgia win is in the past (until the holidays) and Evans is focused on Penn State. Priority No. 1 for Evans will be his recovery, as he’s just over a year out from tearing his ACL, so his process is even more crucial this week with the quick turnaround.
“I haven’t played ball this late in the year ever. It’s a critical aspect to stay on top of my game, recovery, nutrition and wellness,” Evans said. “I’m just trying to put the right things in my body and that’s the number one thing. I’m trying to get the best night’s sleep possible.
“As I’m getting older, I’m only 21, but all those aspects really actually start to matter. What you fuel your body with is really critical.”
Evans won’t need any extra motivation for the College Football Playoff semifinal, but if he did, he can just look across the field as the game will feature 2024 John Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren, who has recorded 92 catches for 1,095 yards and six touchdowns this fall, while also adding 197 rushing yards and four more scores.
The two tight ends don’t have a relationship, but Evans is well-aware of the season Warren has had in Happy Valley.
“He’s a great player on the field,” explained Evans. “I don’t know much about him off the field, I haven’t been in contact with him. I’m sure he’s a good guy to be around. Just to see his versatility from what I’ve seen, his highlights, or just from watching he’s a very versatile player. He can run, block, catch, and I’m sure he throws. He can do it all. He’s been balling. He’s earned and he’s deserved everything that came his way. It’s pretty cool.”
The Ohio native isn’t going to make the game about topping Warren, but it’s easy to tell Evans is more than ready to make a statement if the game calls for the ball to come his way. If not, Evans will do whatever it takes to move on to Atlanta.
“With him kind of getting all the recognition or whatever you want to say, it’s obviously a motivating factor to be like, ‘Hey, people are forgetting I can do that also,’” stated Evans. “Football doesn’t really work like that sometimes. How the ball rolls and who gets the ball isn’t really up to me. Whatever we need to do to win, I’m all for.
“We’re playing a team sport, it’s eleven people. If I just wanted to go off and care about individual accolades, I would’ve played golf or tennis. If they needed me to sit there and just block 99 plays at a time, I would do that in a heartbeat. Whatever this team needs to do to win.”
Notre Dame’s explosive run game will need to show itself this week and Evans is a significant part of that. The buy-in isn’t only from Evans but the receivers and everyone on offense, which has allowed the Irish to have a special season.
“I feel like you can see with how we play,” Evans said. “For those explosive plays to happen, you need the extraordinary to happen. You also need grit. I feel like a lot of guys show that grit with how they block downfield and go with that extra strain at the last second to force that hole open or whatever. I feel like you can see with how we play and how our team is selfless towards one another.
“I’m going to speak for everyone on how we can give two craps about individual stuff. As long as our team is doing good, that’s what we all care about.”
And similar to the Sugar Bowl, the Orange Bowl will feature two great defenses, so every yard will matter. In fact, Thursday night might be even more physical as both Midwest programs know this game will be won in the trenches.
“I think it takes the saying it’s a game of inches into fruition,” Evans explained. “Against teams like that, in games like this, you want every yard. Yards are more important than ever. When you get those 12-yard runs, when you get those six-yard runs, that kind of gashes them. Even though when you look on paper, it’s a six-yard run, that kind of gashed them and crushed their spirits in a sense. It’s really important.
“When you have that third down, those teams are going to throw everything at you - throw something new, something you’ve never seen yet. They’re a good team. They know how to attack us. They’ve studied our film and know what we like to do in certain situations, so you have to expect everything. When you get that opportunity to get those 12-yard gains, you have to take it and be able to reload and do it the next time.”
Yet, if there is a time for Evans to win a 50-50 ball as he did against USC, he’ll be ready.
“When those opportunities arise, you’re going to like that,” said Evans. “When it happens, seize it. But, sometimes, the ball doesn’t go your way, and that’s perfectly fine. As long as we have the highest score at the end of the game, that’s what matters to me.”
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