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Dec. 27—SOUTH BEND — Marcus Freeman didn’t jump around it Monday. The significance of the loss of fifth-year graduate defensive tackle Rylie Mills was not minimized.
“You can’t replace Rylie Mills,” Freeman said. “I mean, yes, the production, but the leadership, a captain, very similar to the things I said about Benjamin Morrison when he was out. You feel awful for him as a person, a guy that decided to come back, improve his draft stock, be a captain.
“The value he provided this team is tremendous, and he’s done an excellent job as a football player and a leader, but you have to replace the production. You got to replace what he did for our defense in different ways, and so we have capable guys that will step up, that have stepped up all year, that we’re very confident in, and those guys will have a bigger role this week.”
Mills, who went down after a sack in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff First Round playoff game against Indiana a week ago, is now lost for the season. The captain and emotional leader was 32nd in the country in sacks (7.5). No defensive lineman on the Fighting Irish roster had registered more snaps this season.
When asked Friday, defensive coordinator Al Golden gave a sharp “never” when asked if he has ever led a defense this plagued by the injury bug.
Having lost several pieces this season already, Golden’s unit continues to be dominant. Life without Mills will still be a big change.
“We just don’t flinch,” Golden said. “At the end of the day, we feel badly for whoever has been injured, in this case, Rylie. Rylie’s meant a lot to this program and obviously the coach Freeman-era, not just necessarily our defense, but just the era itself, just being a leader.
“You feel badly for him, but at the same time, we just don’t flinch. We move forward and it’s time for somebody else…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nd-notebook-mills-absence-means-031600321.html
Author : Goshen News, Ind.
Publish date : 2024-12-28 03:16:00
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