Notre Dame’s playmakers showed up on Saturday afternoon in the 52-0 drubbing of Rice.
The game started with a bang as Irish captain Adon Shuler forced a fumble, and defensive end Boubacar Traore scooped it up and raced 24 yards to the end zone.
Traore might have gotten the touchdown, but he was quick to highlight the play of Shuler, who has started the year on a mission.
“He's playing really well,” stated Traore. “Adon, he's going to set the tone every game. I just happened to be around the ball when he made that big hit. I just picked up the ball and just scored.”
Notre Dame could have played its C+ game on Saturday and still won 52-0.
But the Irish stayed focused and sharp, which was the message all week as Notre Dame dealt with a quick turnaround.
“I definitely feel like we did that today,” Traore said when asked if Notre Dame played to its standard. “At the end of the day, we got to play like that every week because the competition is going to be a lot better. We just got to attack practice and just continue to play hard.”
On the offensive side of the ball, captain Jordan Faison echoed Traore’s comments, saying Notre Dame understands the importance of attacking practice because it shows up on Saturdays.
“Coach Free is always juiced up,” Faison stated. “If he sees any ounce of complacency throughout the times we're coming here before the game, he's going to address it. He kind of got us to be like, ‘OK, it's time to go.’ We got to respect each and every opponent we play. Come out here and do what we got to do.”
The senior receiver recorded two first-quarter touchdowns as Notre Dame jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the opening 15 minutes.
“Both touchdowns, obviously, the play call was good,” said Faison. “Coach (Mike) Denbrock got the right defense we wanted. The execution we put throughout the week let us go out there and be disciplined in our playmaking abilities.”
Faison finished his day with four catches for 54 yards and two scores, but he admitted seeing Shuler deliver the big hit and Traore return the fumble for a touchdown gave the offense even more juice to start the game.
“We love it on the offensive side,” explained Faison. “It reminded us of the Syracuse game a little bit. They don't get to get the ball many times, but when they do, they make something out of it. It's awesome to see.”
Notre Dame will now look to string together another efficient performance when Michigan State comes to South Bend on Saturday.
And it will be on the shoulders of Faison to help make sure the Irish don’t become complacent entering the primetime clash.
“It's the greatest honor I've ever had in my life,” said Faison. “Such an amazing group of dudes. They make my job easy because they go out there every day, wanting more. It's a pretty great experience.”
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