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Notre Dame By The Bye Notes

With Notre Dame now on fall semester break from Oct. 19-27, a lot of self-scouting was on the docket this week for the staff and players prior to earnest preparations for the contest with No. 16 Michigan on Oct. 26.

The Wolverines are at No. 7 Penn State tonight. The past three years in this series have been unusual in that although the teams appear evenly matched on paper, it’s been a blowout all three times.

If cornerback Donte Vaughn is to return for a fifth season in 2020, he cannot play in more than one more game this season.
If cornerback Donte Vaughn is to return for a fifth season in 2020, he cannot play in more than one more game this season. (Mike Miller)
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Michigan won at home last year 42-7, and in 2016 it rocked the Nittany Lions 49-10 in Ann Arbor — even though Penn State would go on to win the Big Ten title. Yet at Happy Valley in 2017, it was Penn State that won 42-13.

This would ostensibly set up ideally for Notre Dame in that while it has extra time to prepare and no classes to attend next week, Michigan will be coming off a marquee matchup in which either its Big Ten title hopes get dashed with a defeat, or it at least puts itself back into playoff conversation with an upset win.

It’s a contest in which I have mixed emotions about the result either way. Should Michigan win, I don’t like the idea of it coming into the Notre Dame game with positive energy or momentum. Should it lose, then possibly it becomes an angry group determined to right itself against the Irish.

One element I never expect, though, versus Notre Dame is a letdown.

THE DONTE VAUGHN DECISION

Entering last weekend's game with USC, the Notre Dame football media relations release had senior cornerback Vaughn down as having not played versus Louisville and Bowling Green, but appearing against New Mexico, Georgia and Virginia in the consecutive games from Sept. 14-28.

That meant that when Vaughn played 36 snaps against USC (in place of the slightly injured TaRiq Bracy), that would have been his fourth game, and therefore he could not appear in another game this season if he wanted to apply for a fifth season in 2020 (which has been the plan).

Upon further review and confirmation from Notre Dame, Vaughn actually did not play versus Georgia and his third game in 2019 was versus USC. That means he can play one more contest in 2019 (including the bowl) without losing the chance at a fifth season.

With fifth-year senior Shaun Crawford projected to return by head coach Brian Kelly against the Wolverines after suffering a dislocated elbow and tearing four ligaments in it during the Sept. 28 Virginia game, the trio of Troy Pride Jr., Crawford and Bracy could handle the cornerback rotation the rest of the year unless an emergency situation transpires (as it did versus USC).

Kelly said last Sunday that he is not certain yet how the staff wants to go about balancing the need to win now with the desire to have Vaughn back in 2020 at a position that needs much more experience sans Pride and Crawford (who has indicated no desire to apply for a sixth season for which he is eligible).

“It’s not an easy answer for us right now,” admitted Kelly on Sunday. “We want to be able to do what’s right for the program (in 2019), and for the young man too. I don’t have an answer for you yet.”

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TOMMY KRAEMER NAMED 2ND-TEAM AP MID-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN

The senior right guard, fresh off a 308-yard rushing performance spearheaded by the line in the 30-27 victory versus USC, received the honor earlier this week when college football reached the halfway point of its season.

Kraemer also had been a preseason second-team AP pick, even though last season he did not grade out among the top three Notre Dame linemen and even lost his starting position for a brief period. Also on the preseason first team were senior drop end Julian Okwara and senior safety Alohi Gilman, but they were not on the midseason chart.

Kraemer and the rest of the starting offensive line all are eligible to return in 2020.

Had he not missed the first two games while recovering from shoulder surgery, junior tight end Cole Kmet might have had the numbers to join Kraemer. Currently, he has 21 catches for 265 yards (12.6 yards) per catch and three touchdowns.

If he remains healthy through the postseason, Kmet is on pace to reach almost 60 catches for more than 700 yards, plus surpass 1977 Walter Camp Award winner Ken MacAfee’s single season school record six touchdowns by a tight end.

However, the data for Oregon’s Jacob Breeland and Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam also have been notable. First-team midseason pick Breeland has 26 catches for 405 yards (15.6 yards per catch) and six scores, while second-team selection Okwuegbunam is at 16 catches for 240 yards (15.0 yards per catch) and five scores.

NOTRE DAME IN THE XFL DRAFT

Five former Fighting Irish players were selected in this week’s XFL Draft, the fledgling new eight-team winter/spring league in 2020.

• Offensive lineman Jarron Jones (2012-16), who played defense for the Irish — New York Guardians

• Linebacker Greer Martini (2014-17) — Dallas Renegades (coached by Bob Stoops)

• Linebacker Nyles Morgan (2014-17) — Seattle Dragons

• Long-snapper Scott Daly (2013-16) — New York Guardians

• Safety Max Redfield (2013-15) — DC Defenders. Redfield finished his collegiate career at Indiana (Pa.) after getting dismissed at Notre Dame prior to the 2016 season.

Among those in the drat pool not selected were running backs Tarean Folston and Jonas Gray, tight end Nic Weishar, defensive lineman Jay Hayes, linebacker Te’von Coney and punter Tyler Newsome.

The 10-game regular season begins in February and will conclude with the championship April 26 at a site to be determined.

According to a report from Pro Football Talk, the players drafted and retained by teams will become full-time XFL employees Dec. 4 and will stay employed through May 31 if they remain on a roster.

The Action Network’s Darren Rovell reported that guaranteed pay on a standard contract will be $1,040 a week (about $54,080 per year) and that maximum weekly salaries will be $4,947, which totals $257,244.

The XFL, whose commissioner Oliver Luck is the father of former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, will attempt to succeed where the short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) failed last spring, folding before its first season was even completed.

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