Doerer was not the only nervous one on Sunday night…
Sunday night’s game against the Florida State Seminoles gave some pretty good shocks to the nervous systems of Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans. Four players addressed the media for an update.
Isaiah Foskey
Foskey gave a shoutout to the entire Irish defensive line and praised a “collective win.” Keeping with that positivity, he explained the Irish defense is working on a shift toward a more cohesive style by “moving forward from Florida State right now… focusing on Toledo.”
He explained where he fits into the Irish defensive style and said, “I can cover now. I do a lot more covering and I rush a lot… The potential for me is very high.”
Jonathan Doerer
The Irish kicker said, “The ritual doesn’t change. I think in those moments I try to focus on my eyes… not wandering too much… If I can stay focused on where I’m trying to hit the ball, seeing the ball well, those moments, they slow down a little bit for you.”
As for the seconds leading up to those game-winning points, Doerer explained, “I can’t really remember. You kind of blackout in those moments.”
Doerer also explained it’s the pressure that drives his game. He said, “It makes me feel alive. Twelve times a year I get to go do something that makes my blood flow a little bit, that makes me a little anxious, that makes me a little nervous… When I’m done playing football, I’m not really going to feel that ever again.”
Michael Mayer
On working with Irish quarterback Jack Coan, Mayer said, “We had built a ton of chemistry through the summer and obviously eighteen days of camp.” He emphasized the sense of trust the two built heading into the season, in particular.
As for learning from the setbacks of Sunday night, Mayer said, “I know what I did on both the drops… got a little eager and took my eye off the ball before it hit my hands….” He went on to explain how the improvement of his blocking was a highlight of his summer work and to express confidence in his blocking against the Seminoles.
JD Bertrand
The Irish managed to lock it in Sunday night despite a shaky structure. On what seemed to line up for the Irish during the season opener, Bertrand said, “It’s just an awesome environment. Going in, we knew it was going to be a great environment. The coaches did a great job preparing us, whether it was playing FSU’s… song during the practices or anything like that… just go out there and felt pretty comfortable being able to make some plays.”
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