Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Torn ACL Injury
Oct 30, 2023
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 28: Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) runs the ball for positive yards during the college football game between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 28, 2023, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans, who leads the team with 29 receptions and 422 receiving yards, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed the news to reporters on Monday (h/t LeVon Whittaker of ABC57 News).
BREAKING: Tight End Mitchell Evans is out for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL (again) in the win over Pittsburgh Saturday. pic.twitter.com/2szGZD4jdb
"He will have surgery here in the next week or so, depending on when the doctors decide to do it," Freeman added.
Per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the injury occurred during the third quarter of Notre Dame's 58-7 win over Pitt on Saturday. Evans was seen clutching the back of his left leg after attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Sam Hartman. The junior out of Wadsworth, Ohio had five catches for 66 yards before exiting.
Losing Evans, who is third among Division I FBS tight ends in receiving yards, is obviously a tough blow for the Fighting Irish.
"You don't make up for the production that Mitch gave our offense with one guy," Freeman said, per Mike Berardino of the South Bend Tribune. "Every person in that tight ends room will be asked to do more, and I'm confident they'll be able to."
That room includes sophomore Holden Staes, who has 12 catches for 63 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman Cooper Flanagan, who caught his first career pass (a 19-yard score) on Saturday against Pitt, may also be in line for more work.
As for Evans, the 6'5", 251-pound junior did amazing work just to come back from a broken foot suffered during 2022 offseason workouts.
He missed part of the 2022 season and sat behind starter Michael Mayer upon his return, but he emerged as a superstar when given his shot to shine in 2023. Evans' best game this season came in a night matchup against Duke, when he caught six passes for 134 yards in a 21-14 win.
Unfortunately, the Notre Dame offense will now be without him for the remainder of the season. Up next is a road matchup against Clemson on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame Lambasted by Fans for Struggles in Upset Loss vs. Louisville
Oct 8, 2023
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 07: Sam Hartman #10 of Notre Dame against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Notre Dame's season has come to a screeching halt.
After looking like world beaters over the first few weeks of the year against inferior competition, the Irish have come back down to earth in a big, big way, losing two of their last three games. Both of those losses have come against Top 25 opponents, including Saturday's 33-20 defeat to Louisville.
It was a game that may have had some Notre Dame fans worried after their team barely hung on against Duke last week. And all their fears were realized as the Cardinals exploded in the second half after going into the locker room all tied up.
Quarterback Sam Hartman, who has had his difficulties against Louisville in the past dating back to his time with Wake Forest, struggled mightily once again.
The once Heisman hopeful ended the game with 254 yards to go along with two touchdowns and three critical interceptions after entering Saturday's game not having thrown one all season.
Hartman had bookend interceptions, with one on Notre Dame's opening drive and another on its final one.
He also fumbled the ball twice.
Each of Hartman's turnovers ultimately led to Louisville putting points on the board.
So, what was once a promising campaign for the Irish has now seen them essentially eliminated from CFP contention.
Notre Dame’s offensive staff has to have a come to Jesus moment this week. As in come to Touchdown Jesus, go to the sports section, and crack open a book on how to call the Good Plays.
— Notre Dame Fighting Irish (@Insidetheirish) October 8, 2023
Things aren't gonna get any easier for Notre Dame as it has yet another Top 25 opponent next week in rival USC and Heisman favorite Caleb Williams.
Coach Marcus Freeman will have to find a solution quickly.
Sam Hartman, Audric Estime, Notre Dame Hailed by Fans for Final Drive in Win vs. Duke
Oct 1, 2023
DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 30: Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman (10) throws on the run as Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles (16) gets hands up during the college football between the Duke Blue Devils and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on September 30, 2023, on Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
To say Saturday's matchup between No. 17 Duke and No. 11 Notre Dame went down to the wire would be an understatement.
Trailing by a single point with a dwindling clock, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman needed to deliver a comeback drive. That is exactly what he did.
It wasn't an easy drive, the Irish even faced a fourth-and-16. Hartman looked for a play but eventually kept it himself, galloping to a clutch first down. Two plays later, running back Audric Estime took it 30-yards for a touchdown that would prove to be a game winner.
Duke would get a possession but a fumble would seal it for the Fighting Irish.
The victory comes after the Fighting Irish dropped last week's matchup to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the final seconds. It looked like it would be a heartbreaking final once again for the Notre Dame faithful, but instead it turns into a huge ranked victory.
Hartman's day was not necessarily his best. He was 15-of-30 for 222 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He also had six rushes for 23 yards, with the 17-yard dash on the fourth down being his highlight of the day.
Fans on social media praised his fiery effort despite the struggles.
Notre Dame Wins!!! ☘️☘️☘️ 21-14 Fighting Irish!!! Sam Hartman plays hero on 4th down and Audric Estime follows it up with a go ahead TD as Notre Dame wins a thriller against Duke! ND goes to 5-1 on the season #GoIrish ☘️🏈 pic.twitter.com/8siGNYrQBc
Notre Dame is now 5-1 and have officially rebounded from last week's loss to the Buckeyes. The Fighting Irish have numerous big games remaining on the schedule, including a matchup with Caleb Williams and USC, a matchup with Clemson and Hartman's chance to take down Wake Forest, his former team.
Next week's matchup is also a significant one as Notre Dame will face undefeated Louisville. That game is set to kick of October 7 at 7:30 P.M. ET.
Lou Holtz Apologized to Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman After OSU HC Ryan Day's Comments
Sep 26, 2023
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - MARCH 13: Lou Holtz winner of the Reds Bagnell Award for contribution to the game of Football attends the 78th Annual Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala at the Tropicana Casino March 13, 2015 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Bill McCay/WireImage)
Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz apparently believes he was a motivating factor for Ohio State in Saturday's 17-14 loss for the Fighting Irish.
Appearing on Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich (starts at 69:00 mark), Holtz said he called Marcus Freeman to apologize for putting Notre Dame in a "bad position" going into the team's marquee showdown with the Buckeyes.
"I called Coach Freeman yesterday and apologized because I put him in a bad position, maybe," Holtz said. "I don't feel bad about saying it because I believe it, and Notre Dame was the better football team."
Appearing on the Sept. 22 episode of The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Christopher Breiler of SI.com), Holtz was critical of Day's track record against elite-level competition.
"He has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice, and everybody that beats him does so because they're more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach," Holtz said.
After Ohio State escaped South Bend with a victory, Day specifically called out the 86-year-old College Football Hall of Famer during his postgame interview on NBC.
"I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," Day said (h/t 10TV in Columbus). "What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We're proud to be from Ohio. It's always been Ohio against the world, and it'll continue to be Ohio against the world. But I'll tell you what: I love those kids. We've got a tough team."
Holtz didn't say anything that Day could reasonably argue against. Closing has been a big problem for his teams in big games. The two losses against Michigan came because the Wolverines wore them down over the course of the game before dominating late.
The Buckeyes have been outscored by a combined score of 56-17 by their Big Ten rivals in the previous two games. Alabama dominated them in a 52-24 win in the 2021 College Football Playoff Championship Game.
In the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal, Clemson finished the game on a 29-7 run after falling behind 16-0 in the second quarter. Georgia outscored Ohio State 18-3 in the fourth quarter of last year's playoff semifinal.
Granted, it's hard to fault Day too much for losing games to these teams. Three of the five losses were in the College Football Playoff and the two against Michigan determined the Big Ten East representative in the conference championship game.
Ohio State wasn't favored to beat Clemson, Georgia or Alabama. Day has only lost six games during his tenure as Buckeyes head coach, with five of them coming against teams that made the College Football Playoff.
Day's only loss to a non-playoff team was in Week 2 of the 2021 season against an Oregon team that won 10 games and was in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Saturday's showdown was a defensive battle that saw just one field goal in the first half. Notre Dame took a 14-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter on an 11-play, 96-yard drive.
The Buckeyes stole a win almost at the buzzer on Chip Trayanum's touchdown run with one second remaining after Notre Dame's defense got stops on the first two plays from the one-yard line.
Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll as a result of the win. Notre Dame dropped two spots to No. 11.
Holtz had a 34-year coaching career from 1969 to 2004. He's best known for his 11-year stint with the Fighting Irish from 1986 to '96. He went 100-30-2 and won a national title during the 1988 season.
Freeman: Notre Dame to Use Signal to Take Penalty, Get 11th Player on Field If Needed
Sep 25, 2023
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on September 23, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is prepared to learn from his mistake.
The Fighting Irish lost 17-14 to Ohio State on a walk-off touchdown and the team only had 10 defenders on the field. Freeman said that the team will have a signal to take a penalty in a situation like that in the future.
"You win or you learn," Freeman said, per Heather Dinich of ESPN.com, "Hopefully it never happens again, but do we have a signal to tell somebody, when it's loud and crazy, jump offsides and touch somebody?"
Freeman continued by saying that the coaching staff can't get "caught watching" and "not do our jobs."
"I know people are like, take the penalty," Freeman said, per Dinich. "By the time we realized—it got communicated—you couldn't get a guy from the coaching box to touch somebody on offense. To stop the play, you have to touch somebody on offense. We would've gotten a penalty and they would have scored, so it really didn't matter because we figured it out too late. What we learned from that situation is that, (1), don't ever be in the situation where you've got 10 guys on the field, but (2), if something happens, we have to have a signal to tell somebody to jump offsides and touch somebody."
Freeman also said that the team will focus on execution going forward. The loss drops the Fighting Irish to 3-1 on the season but the team has several high-profile games on the schedule. Notre Dame has games against USC, Louisville, Clemson and Wake Forest—quarterback Sam Hartman's former team—further down the schedule.
Another huge one is coming this week as the Fighting Irish will travel to Durham to take on the 4-0 Duke Blue Devils.
Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Explains Only Having 10 Players for OSU's Game-Winning TD
Sep 24, 2023
SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 23: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts during a college football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 23, 2023 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made a huge mistake on Ohio State's game-winning touchdown on Saturday night in South Bend.
Notre Dame only had 10 defensive players on the field when Buckeyes running back DeaMonte "Chip" Trayanum crashed into the end zone to help Ohio State secure a 17-14 victory.
After the game, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters that he was trying to substitute in a defensive lineman before the play but didn't want to risk a penalty.
"Didn't want to give them a freebie," Freeman said. "That's why I made the decision not to call timeout."
Had the Fighting Irish taken the penalty, the ball would've only been moved up inches. Wouldn't it have been better for Notre Dame to take the penalty and get their entire defense on the field instead of giving up the game-winner?
Even if Ohio State had scored after the penalty, at least Notre Dame would have gone down fighting with their entire defense on the field. And who knows, given how close Trayanum was to being outside the end zone, it's possible the Fighting Irish defense would've held on.
This is surely an ending Freeman will have nightmares about after Notre Dame seemingly gave it away.
Neither team's offense was particularly impressive on Saturday night as Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord was held without a touchdown pass and Notre Dame signal-caller Sam Hartman was limited to 175 yards and one score.
The game ended up being more of a defensive battle, and it was one that Notre Dame ultimately lost on a crucial error.
Although they have played sparingly over the years, the Fighting Irish have now lost six straight to the Buckeyes dating back to 1936.
Notre Dame fell to 4-1 on the season while Ohio State improved to 4-0. The Fighting Irish are slated for a matchup against the Duke Blue Devils next weekend, and ESPN's College GameDay will be in Durham for the matchup for the first time ever.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame Leave Fans Stunned by Late Collapse in Loss to Ohio State
Sep 24, 2023
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 23: Sam Hartman #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish breaks a tackle from Jack Sawyer #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on September 23, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
It looked like Notre Dame had done enough.
The No. 9 Fighting Irish seemed to be on the precipice of the program's biggest win this decade after a big defensive stop late in the fourth quarter against No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday night with a 14-10 lead and just a few minutes remaining.
And then it all went wrong.
A poor offensive drive led to Ohio State getting the ball back with enough time to get within scoring range and punch the game-winning touchdown in against a gassed Notre Dame defense with just a second remaining.
It was the type of collapse Notre Dame Stadium hadn't seen since the "Bush Push" game in 2005 vs. USC.
The Fighting Irish's defense was elite for most of the night, and quarterback Sam Hartman had a relatively clean game, throwing for 175 yards and a clutch touchdown against arguably the nation's best defense in Ohio State.
But none of it was enough as Notre Dame still couldn't get it done.
And college football fans were not hesitant to call them out.
OH WOW!!!!! THE GREATEST GAME WINNING DRIVE I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!! RUDY IS STUNNED. NOTRE DAME IS STUNNED. KYLE MCCORD HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS. CHIP TRAYANUM. WHAT A PLAY CALL. OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW. HOLY BUCKEYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OHIO STATE WINS! OHIO STATE WINS! OHIO STATE WINS!
While Saturday's result will certainly be a tough hit to the Fighting Irish's CFP hopes, they still have a number of opportunities coming up to make their case to the committee, namely a marquee matchup against No. 5 USC on Oct. 14.
Notre Dame's next game will be on the road against No. 18 Duke.
ESPN College Gameday 2023: Week 4 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions
Erik Beaston
Sep 22, 2023
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 02: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot and student section celebrate prior to the game against the Tennessee State Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 02, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The ESPN College Gameday crew returns Saturday for Week 4 of the 2023 college football season, headlined by a marquee showdown pitting Notre Dame against Ohio State.
A year ago, the Buckeyes outplayed the Fighting Irish, earning a 21-10 victory in the season opener.
This year, with exceptional play from sixth-year senior Sam Hartman, Notre Dame looks to assert its status as a National Championship contender with a quarterback that can finally get them over the proverbial hump.
Their first test comes Saturday against a solid defense and the best wide receiver corps in the country.
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+
Panel: Reece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee
The time is now for Notre Dame to establish itself as a legitimate threat to win the national title with a win over a team that is perpetually in that conversation.
The team has rarely enjoyed the type of play from the quarterback position that it currently is getting from Hartman, who has tossed 13 TDs and zero interceptions through four games and has compiled over 1,000 yards in that span. He has exceeded all expectations to this point but will face his toughest test to date in a formidable defense featuring a solid front and superb secondary.
You couldn’t run down the field and directly put the ball in Chris Tyree’s hands in a better spot than Sam Hartman did on a throw from ~50 yards away.
Hartman has not faced the pass rush often this season but, with all due respect to the likes of Navy, Tennessee State, and Central Michigan, none are as stout as what the Buckeyes will present.
The team may only have five sacks to this point but in Saturday's game, it may not be as much about sacking Hartman as it is pressuring and disrupting him. Throwing looks at the veteran QB that he has not seen to this point and preventing him from developing early rhythm is something Ohio State will attempt to do. If it can do so successfully, the physical secondary should be able to win match-ups against the Irish's receivers.
Speaking of receivers, Ohio State is home to the best in the college game in Marvin Harrison Jr.
The second-generation wideout has demonstrated an ability to dominate games. Through three so far in 2023, he has caught 14 balls for 304 yards and three touchdowns. More impressive than his personal stats is what his presence does for the rest of the offense.
It opens up the other receivers to thrive by forcing defenses to shift coverage while also allowing the rushing game to heat up.
The Notre Dame defense did a solid job of containing the explosive passing game of the Buckeyes a season ago and returns starting corners Cam Hart and Benjamin Morrison. In that season opener, Harrison Jr. was held to just five catches for 56 yards and no scores.
If the Irish can replicate that performance in Week 4, and the front seven can contain running back TreVeyon Henderson, the potential for victory will be enhanced significantly.
Even more so if the Notre Dame defense can force Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord to beat them.
The junior is completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 815 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. He has had two consecutive three-touchdown games, but they came against Western Kentucky and Youngstown State teams that were fodder for the national powerhouse.
He has yet to put together a complete game that instills complete confidence in fans that he is the guy to lead them to their first championship since 2014. Until he does that, there is no reason to believe that McCord can put the team on his back and beat a quality opponent in a primetime setting.
The easiest way to erase that mentality?
Do it.
Whether McCord does or not remains to be seen. What is a certainty, though, is that the visitors have the better roster on paper and in games like Saturday's, big time players show up in big time situations.
Ohio State has been in games of this magnitude before and won them. Notre Dame, under second-year head coach Marcus Freeman, is still discovering what it can be.
Despite renewed energy and the excellent play of Hartman, it is difficult to pick the Irish until this squad earns a signature win.
Prediction: Ohio State by three
Sam Hartman's Brilliance Has Fans Talking Heisman Trophy After Notre Dame Routs Navy
Aug 26, 2023
DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 26: Sam Hartman of Notre Dame throws his side's fourth touchdown during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic game between Notre Dame and Navy at Aviva Stadium on August 26, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Sam Hartman's tenure in South Bend is officially underway.
The former Wake Forest quarterback transferred to Notre Dame for the 2023 season and his debut with the Fighting Irish came in the third annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Navy.
Hartman did not disappoint, going 19-23 for 251 yards and four touchdowns as he led the Fighting Irish to a 42-3 blowout victory over the Midshipmen.
His four touchdowns tied a program record for touchdown's in a debut, joining Jack Coan in 2021 and Ron Powlus in 1994.
Hartman's debut comes against a Navy team that ranks 68th going into the season so the dominance is not necessarily indicative of how he and the Irish will handle all opponents. Still, seeing the offense firing on all cylinders with a consistent presence at quarterback is a welcome sign for a program that saw two quarterbacks assume the starting role in 2022 and went 9-4.
Fans on social media were even more optimistic, hyping up Hartman's performance and even making a case for the 24-year-old to be in Heisman Trophy contention.
If the season ended right now, Sam Hartman is the Heisman
Backtracking a bit here, but Sam Hartman delivering a dime to Deion Colzie on the play before the Jaden Greathouse touchdown is what Notre Dame did not have with either Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne last year
Man in his face, takes a hit, still gets a rope out to the wide receiver
Very impressed with this Notre Dame team right now. Also impressed with how Sam Hartman came out and performed for the Fighting Irish. I’ll however be even more impressed if Notre Dame can play every game like they have played in this one right now 💚💛 #FightingIrish
If Hartman were to ride this performance into a Heisman Trophy victory he could further ascend the University's stature with the award. They are tied for the most winners of all-time with seven, so an eighth would put them alone at the top.
However, it's been awhile since South Bend has produced a winner in the award as Tim Brown is the last member of the program to win the Heisman when he earned it in the 1987 season. Hartman does not head in as the favorite but he is certainly a contender.
The next chapter of Hartman's time with the Fighting Irish is only a week away as the team is set to host Tennessee State September 2.
Video: Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman Wears Necklace Made of Surgically Removed Rib
Aug 26, 2023
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - APRIL 22: Sam Hartman #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up before the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 22, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Perhaps the most unique fashion accessory in college football is now a reality.
Notre Dame showed off Sam Hartman's rib necklace ahead of Saturday's game against Navy.
In case you're unfamiliar with the rib necklace, it's pretty self-explanatory.
Hartman underwent surgery ahead of the 2022 season to address a blood clot, and doctors removed one of his rib bones as part of the procedure. In December, he first revealed his plan to memorialize the medical ordeal. He froze the rib bone in hopes of featuring it in a necklace.
The Athletic's David Ubben detailed the arduous steps that Hartman's mother, Lisa, undertook to make this a reality. They included buying a "special bio enzyme laundry detergent to clean the rib" and soaking the rib in "a special type of peroxide that's around 20 to 30 percent stronger than what can be bought in a store."
"It doesn't look anything like it used to," she said of the rib. "It's nice and white and clean. It looks like something that can be hanging on a necklace."
As long as you don't know the entire backstory, the necklace looks great.
