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Cole Luke Moving Forward In Notre Dame's Defense

Senior cornerback Cole Luke is looking forward to better days than the one against Michigan State. (Bill Panzica)

In a defensive backfield laden with inexperience and at least two freshmen — safety Devin Studstill and nickel/cornerback Julian Love — in starting or major roles, it was senior cornerback Cole Luke who had the roughest night last weekend in the 36-28 loss to Michigan State.

From the potential interception that left his grasp and led to the Spartans’ first and go-ahead touchdown, to a missed coverage assignment on third-and-seven that resulted in a long completion that enabled Michigan State to run out the clock, it was the nightmare game that any premier athlete will experience at some point in his career.

The contest against the Spartans was Luke’s 29th consecutive start, most on the team.

“He's the smartest defensive player we have,” said head coach Brian Kelly three days after the setback. “… All I've told Cole is that he's a really good football player. He's put himself in good positions. He's just got to go make some plays. We've got to rely on him because he's a three-year starter for us out there, and he's got to be able to play better for us, and I'm confident he will.”

Cornerbacks are going to get beat their share of times, just like the greatest hitters in baseball will generally fail seven out of 10 at bats. Still, it is small consolation to Luke for now.

“It’s very difficult,” said Luke during his meeting with media on Tuesday. “It’s shi-. Whenever you make a mistake or don’t capitalize, it’s going to be shi-. It happened to (five-time All-Pro) Darrelle Revis this past weekend too, and I guarantee you he’s still going to be the best corner in the league.”

Luke has been on the winning side more often, and what he is attempting to impart to his young cohorts on defense is whether it is one’s darkest days or triumphant moments on the field, the opportunity to have new chances is a blessing.

“This situation and this opportunity we have is not going to be here forever,” said Luke of his message. “Football is here for four years in your long life. Playing football here is such a short … don’t take it for granted.

“When you come here, you hold yourself to the gold standard. That’s what you come here for. So anything less, you’re cheating yourself.”

Although he’s had the backing of a support system with his teammates and coaches, especially defensive backs assistant and former two-time consensus All-American Todd Lyght, Luke said returning to the right mental framework begins with himself.

“The biggest thing is not losing confidence,” Luke said. “It’s how you bounce back, how you react to it in the face of adversity, which shows a true man.

“It happens. We all have confidence in each other, I hope they have confidence in me, which they tell me every day. I have confidence in them. We can’t do anything about that loss, so why dwell on it? You’re going to have your down days, but we have so much more football left to play.”

Last year, senior Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell had a rough early part of the season, including a loss at Clemson, but rebounded to make crucial fourth quarter and game-clinching interceptions in hard fought wins over USC and Temple before becoming a third-round NFL selection. Corner is a position with constant ebbs and flows.

“You can have a perfect game — and then two plays can go wrong for you as a corner and it’s exploited,” Luke said. “It happens to the greatest corners, it’s going to happen to the worst, it doesn’t matter.”

The ability to backpedal effectively is extremely important at cornerback. For Luke, though, what is more important is moving forward.

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