Apparently, Notre Dame's new helmets are just as strong as the old ones.
The Fighting Irish debuted new head gear against arch rival USC on Saturday and wasted little time cracking Trojans wide receiver Brandon Carswell with their Golden Dome-inspired hats.
Carswell pulled down a pass from Matt Barkley amidst a crowd at the 25-yard line in the second quarter and promptly paid dearly for the grab. Irish corner Jamoris Slaughter came up hard and fast with a helmet-to-helmet hit that did everything but dislodge the ball from Carswell's grasp. The violent hit earned a 15-yard personal foul penalty...and a rousing reaction from the attendant crowd at Notre Dame Stadium.
Brian Kelly's club needs to do more than try to knock players out of the game if they are to beat 'SC for the second time in as many seasons.
That being said, Slaughter's big strike is emblematic of an improved dedication to playing a physical brand of football among the players in South Bend. The Irish went soft during the Charlie Weis era and paid the price for their flimsiness on the field.
In just his second season at the helm, Kelly has managed to instill the program with the sort of toughness that was once the hallmark of Notre Dame football but had been curiously absence over the last decade or so.
If the Irish are to continue their march back to the top of college football, they will need to put that new-found mean streak to good, legal use, rather than flippantly punishing their opponents and drawing penalties as a result.
But, hey, progress is progress, right?
Wade Belak Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne
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