UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 16, 2023

Tobias Merriweather

Press Conference

Q. Tobias, we'll start with an easy one. Just take me through the play and also how it feels to get in the end zone.

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: I think, obviously, first, that's your dream. You want to score every play. So it's, obviously, great to get in. But taking it easy, being patient throughout the first few weeks. And then, obviously, alterego comes your way, so yeah.

Q. Where's the confidence level on this team right now?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: As a team, I think we're very high. I think we proved that on offense and defense we can play together. Sometimes, like, last week when offense is going three and out first drive, defense is complementing us and getting stops. And today, defense not doing so good, still scoring points and helping them out.

Q. Hey, there's a lot of distractions when you're a player for Notre Dame. And a guy like you, you've been talked about in the fan base a lot. In; terms of having a role in the offense, how does that affect your patience maybe in adapting to your role in the offense when you see a lot of people on the outside saying, We need more of Tobias?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: I think that -- I don't have Twitter or anything, so I don't really pay attention to the media. I think football is a patient game. You have to wait for the ball to come your way. A lot of things have to happen for you to get the ball and for you to make big plays. So I think just staying patient and having a good support group around me; my close friends, my family, my coaches just telling me to keep going. You know, that's all it is.

Q. The offense has scored over 40 points in every single game so far. And then you hear your coach come back and say, This team can be a lot better, we haven't hit our best, what does that do for you as a player in terms of motivation and finding that next step hearing in all these blowout wins that, We can still be better?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: Yeah, I think that just helps us not be complacent. Obviously, we can't be like we made it already. It's only week three and we have -- or week four and we have a lot of room to grow as a team before we have 12 opportunities. So between now and then, we have a lot of room to grow and I think we just have to stay busy and stay focused on getting better every week.

Q. Hey, Tobias. How much does it do for your offense as a whole, particularly your running game, when you guys are able to stretch the field like you were able to do today?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: I think running and passing the ball is, obviously, complementary. Like, you run the ball well, run RPOs and pass the ball well, then they're trying to back up and drop eight, you can run the ball down their throats.

Q. And then you're out there with Audric when he's running over people or hurdling over people. What's he like on the field when those plays are happening? Just how much does that jazz up the rest of the --

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: Yeah, I think Dric's just a fiery guy. Sometimes it's hard because I don't see what's happening behind me and I hear the crowd going crazy. And I go, Oh, no, I got to block this guy because he's probably going to score right now. So I think just having him back there -- he's so great for offense and just a good leader and a good guy.

Q. Tobias, last week you got chased down from behind. Was that in your mind at all when you were running away from the defense on that touchdown?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: No, I'm not really used to getting chased down from behind. But that guy's a heck of an athlete, No. 11. But that was probably -- and we didn't score that drive, which really took it out of it for me. So I was like, I got to get it next time. This time, the ball's in my hands, finished in the end zone.

Q. Sam Hartman connected on a few deep balls today. What is he able to do with that deep ball placement that makes things easy for you guys as receivers?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: Yeah, he's an NFL guy. The difference between college and NFL, the quarterbacks just don't give the receivers a chance but to catch it -- I mean, a choice but to catch it. They just throw it on you and it's going to be there and you expect it to be there. And I think that's what Sam does for us. And he just let's us make plays, puts the ball in our hands and let's us do what we do.

Q. I want to go back to last week, actually. Because the big play with Audric, the 80-yarder, it looked like you blocked one guy and shielded another. Just if you could comment on that and your role as a blocker maybe when you're not always intimately involved in the pass catching department?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: Yeah, I think being a complete football player is what I want to be. I don't want to just be out there and just running routes. Obviously, blocking for those guys. Because if they got protection back there, and I want to score, they're going to be back there blocking. So, obviously, when they're trying to get down the field and score, I'm going to be working my butt off like Hall and Fisher do.

Q. On film, what did that 80-yard run look like last week in terms of your role within it?

TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER: Obviously, slow to start and then Dric breaks through the hole, and then just trying to get back to him, finish, making sure no one catches him from behind like I got caught from behind.