Game balls: Five standouts for Notre Dame football in win over UNLV
The 44-21 win Saturday over UNLV provided a robust list of Notre Dame players to choose from.
Following are the five Irish who enjoyed the most notable outings in this much-needed get-well performance.
Tight end Michael Mayer
We’ll just put the Irish junior at the top of this list every week.
Demonstrating again that he’ll someday leave Notre Dame as the best tight end ever to play at “Tight End U,” Mayer was critical in the first half against UNLV and finished the game with 6 catches for 115 yards and 1 touchdown.
Mayer’s 12 targets easily led all Irish pass catchers.
Linebacker Marist Liufau
The Irish senior enjoyed arguably the most menacing game of his season, tying for second on the team with 5 tackles, including 2 for loss with 1 quarterback hurry.
Liufau didn’t necessarily stuff the stat sheet, but his pressures and disruptive work in the UNLV backfield, beyond his raw numbers, created myriad problems in both the Rebels’ run game and their pass protection.
Tailback Logan Diggs
After starting this season with limited carries while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, the talented sophomore maximized his increased workload Saturday with career highs in both carries (28) and rushing yards (130).
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A workhorse in the second half, Diggs highlighted the Irish running game with 17 carries for 81 yards in the third and fourth quarters. And while Diggs never scored, his second-half work proved him to be a valuable ball-protecting, third-down, clock-grinding option moving forward.
Defensive end Isaiah Foskey
After taking some heat for not creating enough havoc on the Irish defensive front through his first six games, the Irish All-American played like one Saturday.
On defense, Foskey recorded 5 tackles with 3 sacks and 1 quarterback hurry.
On special teams, Foskey blocked two punts on consecutive UNLV possessions that the Irish parlayed into 10 points to expand its first-half lead to 20-7.
Placekicker Blake Grupe
The transfer from Arkansas State had an active and notable game Saturday, connecting on three of his four field-goal attempts (46-yard long), and all 5 of his PATs for a season-high and game-high 14 points scored.
