Game balls: Four Irish players who excelled in a 24-17 win over Cal
Notre Dame enjoyed improved work from its defensive line and its running backs, following are four standouts from the 24-17 win over Cal, the first victory for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE JACOB LACEY
The senior Irish lineman enjoyed the best game of his career with 5.0 total tackles and 2.0 sacks, including the first two solo sacks of his career.
Lacey entered the game with 0.5 sacks for his career.
Lacey, and the entire Irish D-Line, spent much of the game in the Bears backfield and added a goal-line stop on a Cal running play in the third quarter.
TAILBACK CHRIS TYREE
Notre Dame may have finally found some promise in its running game after the Irish junior had the best game of his season. Tyree finished with 17 carries for 64 yards, and added 5 receptions for another 44 yards with a touchdown catch.
The versatile tailback entered the game with only 9 carries on the season.
Tyree’s touchdown came in the second quarter on a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Drew Pyne that tied the game 7-7.
TAILBACK AUDRIC ESTIME
Finally making good on the thunder and lightning tailback combo with Tyree that was promised in the preseason, the beefy 229-pound Estime led the Irish with 18 carries for 76 yards with a touchdown, his second of the season.
Estime also notched 3 receptions for 43 yards, including a 36-yard catch in the fourth quarter that set up a 6-yard touchdown pass on the next play from Pyne to junior tight end Michael Mayer that capped the game’s scoring and ended up the game-winning TD.
PUNTER JON SOT
During a game where neither offense could effectively move the ball in the first half, the graduate kicker was called on early and often and responded with 7 punts that averaged 45.6 yards and included three kicks downed inside the 20-yard line and two of more than 50 yards, with a long of 57.
The Harvard graduate has done a solid job this season. Notre Dame entered Saturday’s game ranked No. 9 nationally in net punting with a 44.8-yard average.
