The lingering effects of the missed targeting hit in the end-zone against Texas keep coming for Notre Dame and Torii Hunter. Hunter, Notre Dame’s most experienced wide receiver will not play in today’s season opener versus Nevada due to the concussion he suffered on a hit the Big 12 officials laughably said shouldn’t have been targeting.
Hunter still addressed the crowd at last night’s pep rally stating the following according to WNDU’s Angelo Di Carlo.
“As you all know, I took a pretty big shot last week,” Hunter said at the pep rally. “I took a pretty good shot last week. He caught me slipping. He didn’t want to see me face-to-face. He caught me slipping. I’ll be back. I’m working on it. i’m working on coming back. Just like this team, we got knocked down last week but we are glad to be back in front of the greatest fan base in the United States.”
“We are excited to be back at home and play in front of our home fans and whoop some butt [Saturday] and take some names.”
It’s not surprising that Hunter will be out on Saturday. The concussion occurred just six days ago with Notre Dame playing on Sunday and the Irish are a 28 point favorite at home even with Hunter listed as doubtful all week. Notre Dame has what figures to be a knock down, drag out fight next weekend with Michigan State and resting Hunter, even if he had been medically cleared would have been the prudent and responsible thing to do.
With Hunter officially our, junior Corey Holmes will likely get the start. Brian Kelly didn’t say who would start at the X position earlier this week if Hunter couldn’t go, but when he inserted freshman Kevin Stepherson, the frosh speedster with great hands was clearly not ready. At one point, sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown – himself making his first career start – ran up to Stepherson and basically hit him to get him lined up properly.
Stepherson will still likely play some but Holmes, a junior slot wide receiver, has experience at the X position and should be a capable replacement this weekend. Next weekend? Well, let’s just hope Hunter is ready to go a week from today when the Spartans come to town.
Avery Sebastian also suffered a concussion against Texas and missed the final, deciding play of the game; but the 6th year senior will suit up today. Sebastian will be doing so in a reserve role this week, however, with freshman Devin Studstill taking over at free safety.
The supervisor of officials, Walt Anderson, needs a new pair of glasses. If the actual officials, of the Texas vs Notre Dame Football game on September 4, 2016, are not ‘homey home boys’ I really do not know who/whom would be considered ‘homey home boys’! I am not a Notre Dame fan (cheering for Texas) but clearly, and I do mean clearly, this was/is/will be ‘TARGETING’ in every sense of the word. The replay official should be sanctioned. The ‘TARGETING’ rules were changed well before the start of the college football season. Walt Anderson and the entire officiating crew of the Texas vs Notre Dame football game should be sanctioned, not just suspended. Apparently all were missing on the ‘continuing education’ of rule changes for the 2016 college football season!! There is absolutely no excuse for ‘missing’ ‘misinterpreting’ ‘or ‘misjudging’ this unjustifiable assault!
It is ridiculous that the play was not flagged for targeting. What exactly did the referees not see that everyone in the stadium and on television did? Talk about incompetence. How about the booth official not calling for a replay. He must have had his dark sunglasses on. So who gets punished? Tori Hunter thats who. The referees walk away free as a bird. My take is that they should be suspended and have to sit out a week, just like the player. To be totally honest it was as bad a hit to the helmet as I’ve ever seen. What good is replay if the Big 12 official in the booth doesn’t use it? Hunter hopefully will recover from the vicious hit and the refs, we can only hope they use better judgement the next time.