Wake Forest Week: Coach Kelly With Media

As has become customary for Tuesday's during the football season -- Coach Kelly met with the media today to talk about his team and Saturday's opponent Wake Forest. 

This is the last home game for 26 seniors in the Notre Dame football program!

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

Manti Te'o's Notre Dame Farewell...

There will be many tears in the stands this Saturday night around 7:30 PM ET when #5 -- the "Hawaiian Hitman" -- takes a lap around Notre Dame Stadium for the very last time.

He's quite a young man.

THANK YOU TE'O FAMILY (photo above) FOR SHARING YOUR SON WITH NOTRE DAME!

LINK:  MANTI'S NOTRE DAME FAREWELL

LINK:  MANTI TE'O HIGHLIGHTS

"Echoes Awakened, Thunder Shaken"

I found this piece by Charles P. Pierce -- who writes for ESPN's Grantland -- to be quite fair and entertaining.

He's obviously not a fan of our Fightin' Irish -- but, he respects what's happening...

LINK:  CHEER, CHEER FOR OLD NOTRE DAME...

Saint Mary's Student Takes on Celine Song...

NBC's hit show THE VOICE has a Saint Mary's (Notre Dame, IN) student in their final 12.  Sylvia Yacoub -- who's on Christian Aguilera's team -- sang Celine Dion's mega hit "My Heart Will Go On" last night.  Here's a video of her performance:

LINK:  SYLVIA'S PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT

Manti Te'o: The Making of a Legend

Folks, you have got to watch this -- it's a special that a local Hawaiian TV station is running on Notre Dame's Manti Te'o this week.

You're going to love this.

LINK:  THE MAKING OF A LEGEND

ND vs. Kansas State: Common Opponents

Here's a graphic we haven't seen on any television screen over the past couple of weeks -- and it has to do with COMMON OPPONENTS between the University of Notre Dame and Kansas State University.

We've played two common opponents:  Miami and Oklahoma -- here's the combined offensive and defensive points scored and allowed in those two games involving Kansas State and Notre Dame:

• Kansas State:  76 - 32  -- margin:  44 points
• Notre Dame:  71 - 16 -- margin:  55 points

Why haven't we seen this discussed?   Is it because it's not favorable to Kansas State?

#7 Notre Dame Scores with 37 Seconds Left...

To tie the game with #4 Georgetown to take the Big East Men's Soccer Championship Final into OVERTIME!

The IRISH then win it in the 2nd OT!  You're going to want to watch these highlights!

LINK:  BIG EAST CHAMPIONS!

The Stories Keep Coming: Does Notre Dame...

This will be the story over the next four weeks -- does an undefeated Notre Dame deserve to play for the National Championship?  Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde weighed in on that very subject as did ESPN's Adam Rittenberg -- take a read:

LINK:  SEC ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN...

LINK:  SEC WILL NEED HELP

Notre Dame Moves up to #3 in BCS Rankings

I will still hold out that our Fightin' Irish have played the most difficult schedule to date.  They've beaten THREE of the current Top 25 in the BCS Rankings -- two in the Top 15, which no other team in college football can claim.

Notre Dame is #1 in four computer polls / #2 in the other computer poll -- yet, ND is #3 in the human polls. 

I guess "humans" don't like DEFENSE...

LINK:  BCS RANKINGS

Notre Dame Student Wins National Math Prize!!!

You do not want to play "FLASH CARDS" with this woman!

Notre Dame senior MurphyKate Montee (Sturgeon Bay, WI) was awarded the 2013 Alice T. Schaefer Mathematics Prize -- which is awarded to only ONE UNDERGRADUATE WOMAN in America each year!

LINK: AMERICA'S BEST!

The "Mornin' After" Notre Dame Goes to 10 - 0 !

We should all be SMILING right now.  Our Notre Dame Fightin' Irish are undefeated -- ONE OF ONLY THREE TEAMS IN THE FBS that can say just that!!!

Here's what our friends in the media have to say about our IRISH in the wake of ND's 21 - 6 win over BC.

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE

LINK:  THE SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN/ABC POST GAME VIDEO 

LINK:  USA TODAY

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

Notre Dame Locker Room's 10 - 0 Celebration !!!

After what our football program has been through over the past number of years -- I'm absolutely shocked at how many IRISH fans are disappointed this morning in HOW WE WON the past couple of weeks.

Folks, WE ARE UNDEFEATED!  Let's celebrate that fact and not worry about STYLE POINTS.

I've got a good feeling that much will happen these next three weeks of college football and WHEN we keep winning -- things will fall in place quite nicely for our IRISH.

Here's the post game celebration in Chestnut Hill after Notre Dame's FIFTH PRIME TIME WIN this season.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME LOCKER ROOM

Coach Kelly's Post Game Press Conference

Coach Kelly met with the media after last night's 21 - 6 win over Boston College in PRIME TIME!

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESSER

Hey, We're 10 - 0 !!!!!!!!!!

Who cares about this made-up term called STYLE POINTS?

The Notre Dame Fightin' Irish are 10 - 0 and we're a lock for a BCS game (with an 11th win) -- looks like we'll be COMING UP ROSES -- at worst!

What must they be thinking in Ann Arbor and Columbus!

Here's a look at the media's quick reaction to Notre Dame's 21 - 6 victory over Boston College:

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

A Team With 2 Wins in Prime Time on ABC?

Only if you play Notre Dame...

Has there ever been a team with 2 wins -- this late in the season -- playing in front of a national TV audience in Prime Time?

NEVER.

Folks, if you run into BIG TEN, SEC, PAC 12, BIG 12 fans -- and they question the power of the Notre Dame brand -- just point them to this evening.  And ask them this -- if your team was playing an opponent with two wins, would that game be televised nationally?

Kick-off is set for 8:12 PM ET on ABC -- GO IRISH!

Muffet's #7 IRISH Beat #19 Ohio State Today

The grand experiment -- playing basketball on the deck of an aircraft carrier, floating in water in less than ideal conditions...

The Notre Dame women's basketball team traveled to Mount Pleasant, SC to play in the 2nd Annual Carrier Classic "outside" on the deck of the USS Yorktown -- and beat Ohio State 57 - 51.

The Irish were led by Natalie Achonwa's 17 points and 10 rebounds.  ND frosh Jewell Loyd -- in her college debut --- grabbed 12 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end.

LINK:  VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  GAME BOX SCORE

Coach Kelly -- Last Media Session Prior to BC

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media after practice, last night, to talk about his team's week of preparation for Saturday night's PRIME TIME tilt with Boston College.

LINK:  COACH KELLY MEETS WITH MEDIA

Boston College's "Bowl Game" This Saturday!

The Boston College Eagles were eliminated from post season bowl competition with their loss last Saturday to Wake Forest -- thus, this is THEIR BOWL GAME!

I trust Coach Kelly has made his IRISH well aware of this fact!

Took a quick lap around the web -- some 30 hours before kick-off to see what the media has to say about Notre Dame vs. Boston College:

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD #1

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD #2

LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE #1

LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

Sylvia Yacoub Advances to Final 12 -- The Voice

Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN) student Sylvia Yacoub keeps advancing on NBC's hit show THE VOICE -- as it was announced this evening that she was one of the top eight in the audience vote!

Yacoub will perform again next Monday night!

LINK:  YACOUB ADVANCES!

LINK:  VIDEO OF SYLVIA'S PERFORMANCE

Lady Irish to Play on Aircraft Carrier Friday!

Muffet McGraw's #7 Fightin' Irish will take their game "outside and off-land" on Friday as they play in the 2012 Carrier Classic on the deck of the aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown -- docked in Mount Pleasant, SC.

This is the first time a women's college basketball game will have taken place on an aircraft carrier.

Notre Dame will be playing Ohio State -- Irish fans can watch the game on the NBC Sports Network beginning at 11 PM ET (tape delayed basis) Friday night.  The game tips-off at 4 PM ET.

LINK:  COACH McGRAW'S PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  CONVERTING AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO A BASKETBALL STADIUM

LINK:  CARRIER CLASSIC WEBSITE

LINK:  UND.COM WEBSITE

ABC Already Previewing ND vs. BC Game

ESPN's Brad Edwards was given the assignment of talking about the ABC Prime Time Matchup Saturday night at 8 PM ET between Notre Dame and Boston College.  Here's what he had to say:

LINK:  PREVIEW -- NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE

Five Domers Win Election Tuesday Night!

Four University of Notre Dame graduates were elected to the United States House of Representatives and a fifth was elected to the United States Senate!

• Peter Visclosky -- a 1973 Notre Dame Law School grad won his fifteenth term in Congress (Indiana)
• Peter King -- a 1968 Notre Dame Law School grad was re-elected for an eleventh term in Congress (New York)
• Michael Kelly -- a 1970 Notre Dame graduate was re-elected for a second term in Congress (Pennsylvania)
• Keith Rothfus -- a 1990 Notre Dame Law School grad won his first term in Congress (Pennsylvania)
• Joe Donnelly -- a 1977 Notre Dame graduate and a 1981 Notre Dame Law School grad won his first team in the U.S. Senate after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2006 (Indiana)

LINK:  DOMERS WIN TUESDAY!

BC's Head Football Coach Talks Notre Dame

Frank Spaziani -- the head football coach at Boston College met with the media today to talk about Saturday's game against our Fighting Irish.  Here's a link to the teleconference:

LINK:  SPAZIANI TALKS NOTRE DAME

Two Irish Football Players Among Top 32!

The folks at USA Today published a story "today" on the top rated 32 college football players for next year's 2013 NFL Draft.  Notre Dame fans will recognize a couple of names on that list!

LINK:  TOP 32 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS

Could the IRISH End Up in the Rose Bowl?

The folks in Pasadena are already talking about the prospects of Notre Dame returning to the Rose Bowl -- the Irish last played in that game in 1925! 

This could be fun!   

Thanks to ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Shawn Gallagher for alerting me to this story.

LINK:  IS NOTRE DAME ROSE BOWL BOUND?

Coach Kelly on the Dan Patrick Show Today

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly was a guest this morning on the Dan Patrick Show.  Coach Kelly let the world know where he voted his Fightin' Irish, in the latest Coaches Poll.

LINK:  COACH KELLY -- DAN PATRICK SHOW

Photo of the Day: The Green Fire Truck!

You've got to love this!

ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Corey Angst (Mendoza College of Business faculty member) was kind enough to forward me these photos of a 1934 Ford Fire Truck that a number of "Notre Dame" families have restored; the Angst family, Kidder family, Cullinan family, Dugard family, Cox family, Egan family, Sedlack family, Curran family, Smoker family, Haigh family, Barrett family, O'Shaughnessy family and the O'Brien family.

You can find it over in the Hesburgh Peace Studies parking lot on football weekends!

Corey believes the GREEN FIRE TRUCK has brought the IRISH Good Luck and should be given some of the credit for NOTRE DAME's undefeated season!   

Hey, we're 9 - 0  -- they better drive that truck to Los Angeles over Thanksgiving!

Chicago Tribune Story: ND's Zach Martin

He's one of the best offensive linemen in the country -- and he wears #70 for the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish!

Irish captain and left tackle Zach Martin was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune -- enjoy!

LINK:  ZACH MARTIN

Take the Blind Test -- Who Should Be #1 & #2?

Folks, the gang at CBS Sports put together a BLIND TEST of the top five teams in the polls -- based on their performance on the field and their opponents performance.

You need to take that TEST -- I will tell you, the two teams I voted for ended up getting 61% of the vote and it did include the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH!

LINK:  TAKE THE TEST!

Boston College Week: Coach Kelly Presser

The head football coach of the undefeated Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame met with the media today to talk about his team and their game this Saturday in PRIME TIME against Boston College.

If you'd like to watch Coach Kelly -- click on the link below:

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

Luke Zeller Has Never Missed a Shot in NBA!

Former Notre Dame basketball player -- Luke Zeller '09, made the Phoenix Suns roster this year and after playing two games -- he's NEVER MISSED A SHOT!

Luke is 3 for 3 from the field -- including a three-pointer!

Phoenix Suns GM Lance Blanks has called Zeller "...one of the best shooters in the world."

Zeller worked his way into the NBA by playing professional basketball in Japan, Lithuania and the NBA Development League (Bakersfield, CA and Austin, TX) -- since graduating from Notre Dame in 2009.

LINK:  ZELLERS MAKES SUNS ROSTER

It's a Bird, It's a Plane -- No, It's "GOL"DMAN!

This is a photo of the greatest TWO POINT CONVERSION in the history of Notre Dame football!

If Everett Golson -- AKA "GOL-DMAN" -- doesn't make that great dash from the ten yard line and LEAP OVER the final three yards into the end zone, our National Championship hopes would have vanished!

Here's a look at a piece produced by Fighting Irish Digital Media about "Gol"dman -- my nickname for Everett Golson.

LINK:  GAME BALL TO EVERETT GOLSON

Irish Move Down to #4 in BCS Rankings...

A 3 OT win over Pittsburgh and a win over USC where a defense gave up 51 points and 615 yards of offense -- led to the Ducks moving ahead of the IRISH in the BCS rankings this week...

It just goes to show you "what sells" to the human voters -- OFFENSE.

Anyway -- there's three more games left for Notre Dame and four for the others; Alabama, Kansas State and Oregon -- plenty can happen.

It may come down to the IRISH beating USC by more than 10 points on November 24th.

GO IRISH!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME MOVES TO #4

STAT OF THE GAME -- In Notre Dame's Win

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame out gained Pittsburgh 222 yards to 20 yards in the 4th quarter and the three OT periods! 

Think about that!!!

ESPN Jumps the Gun -- Posts IRISH Loss

The folks at ESPN.COM posted this on their site right after the fumble by Cierre Wood in the 2OT and as the kicker for Pitt was lining up for the 31 yard FG to win the game...


Maybe it was the ESPN.COM "JINX" -- that led to the field goal miss?

A ND fan was quick to pick this up before ESPN took it down.

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING! Undefeated 9 - 0 !

You'll find a number of stories about Notre Dame's 3 OT win over Pittsburgh -- in my post last night.  Here's a few more for your reading pleasure!

Oh, what a night!!!

LINK:  YAHOO SPORTS

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

LINK:  ESPN

NBC's Coverage of Notre Dame's 3 OT Win!

The gang at NBC may have picked up another RATINGS WINNER tonight -- as Notre Dame struggled, yet found a way to beat a game Pittsburgh squad in TRIPLE OVERTIME!

Here's a look at NBC's coverage of Notre Dame's 29 - 26 win over the Pitt Panthers -- including the FULL GAME REPLAY:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  COACH KELLY WITH ALEX FLANAGAN

LINK:  KAPRON LEWIS-MOORE POST GAME

LINK:  FULL REPLAY OF GAME

LINK:  GOLSON'S WINNING TD IN OVERTIME

Media's Initial Reaction to ND's 3 OT Win!

The Fightin' Irish are 9 - 0 and that's really all that matters right now for this football program.  There were some positives tonight:

• 522 yards of total offense
• Holding Pittsburgh to 1 for 14 on third down
• 34 first downs against only 13 for Pitt
• 231 yards of rushing
• And, almost eleven more minutes in time of possession

Yet, it took THREE OVERTIMES and a MISSED FIELD GOAL for Notre Dame to go to 9 - 0 on the season.  The Irish overcame:

• Three turnovers on offense -- while getting ZERO on defense
• Special teams that were not so special -- kick-off and punt -- all struggled big time
• Field goal miss and an extra point miss
• 170+ rushing by Pitt's Graham
• Two long drives to start the game on offense and NO TD's to show for it

LINK:  PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE

LINK:  PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

It's His Team Now: Everett Golson Leads IRISH!

Folks, there were many who didn't BELIEVE after Golson threw an interception in the endzone with approximately three minutes left and the IRISH down 8 -- they left Notre Dame Stadium.

Yet, here we are THREE OVERTIMES later and Notre Dame is 9 - 0 thanks to a two-point conversion (PLAY OF THE YEAR), a missed field goal and a team that refuses to lose...

Notre Dame 29 -- Pittsburgh 26

The photo above - taken by Travis Mather -- is the Play of the Year for Notre Dame football.  That's Everett Golson diving into the endzone to tie the game!

Here's all of the post game coverage -- Coach Kelly's press conference, Players after the game and the halftime and post game locker room celebration, etc.

ENJOY!

LINK:  ND LOCKER ROOM AND SIDELINE

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  PLAYERS POST GAME

LINK:  ZACH MARTIN ON FIELD AFTER THE GAME

Best Day of the Week: Gameday at Notre Dame!

The Pitt Panthers roll into Notre Dame Stadium to take on our #3 BCS ranked Fighting Irish -- in what typically is a very close and hard fought battle.  This will be the 68th time these two schools will have met on the football field.

To get you ready for today's 3:30 PM ET kick-off -- here's a look at what the media "experts" think about today's game:

LINK:  PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE

LINK:  PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

Protect This House Friday -- Must See Video!

The gang at Turning Point continue to impress with their weekly PUMP UP video for the Fightin' Irish!  Take a look:

LINK:  PROTECT THIS HOUSE FRIDAY

Photo of the Day -- DOMER Curing Skin Cancer!

ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Dr. Carlos Gomez-Meade '01 in Austin, TX (Longhorn country) sent me this photo today of him at work!  Got to love the "scrub cap" he wears curing skin cancer every day!  Thanks Doc!

LINK:  DR. CARLOS GOMEZ-MEADE BIO

Coach Kelly's Last Media Session Before Pitt

"118 plays in practice -- which is 30+ more than what the IRISH have been able to run in a typical practice this season..."

This is one of the key things Coach Kelly discussed in the last media session before kick-off tomorrow.

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S MEDIA SESSION

Miami Herald -- Great Story on ND's Importance

Notre Dame football -- at its best -- is good for sport.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S SHINING LIGHT

Notre Dame Alum Receives Global Honor!!!

Jimmy Small a 2008 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and NASCAR's Manager of Industry Marketing -- was selected as one of the 10 NEXT in the sports industry -- a spotlight on rising executives around the globe who will shape the sports industry of tomorrow.

Small, a former Irish Guardsman, will be honored in a ceremony at Columbia University on November 16th.


LINK TO STORY:  SMALL RECEIVES GLOBAL HONOR


Here's what the ProSports Magazine press release had to say:

Launched in 2011, the 10 NEXT annually recognizes a distinct group of ten sports executives under the age of 30, from around the world, that have achieved an exceptional level of success that is truly rare at such a young age. Nominees must be under the age of 30 and must demonstrate a truly remarkable curriculum vitae.

The Selection Committee, a diverse group of leading sports executives, determines the 10 NEXT winners based on a number of criteria including, but not limited to, uniqueness and exceptionality; size and scope of responsibilities; measurable accomplishments and business results as well as creativity, innovation and leadership.

This years selected individuals will be honored at the 2012 Ivy Sports Symposium on Friday, November 16 at Columbia University in New York with a special ceremony. In addition, their achievements will be profiled in an upcoming edition of SportsPro magazine and on the SportsPro website.

In the spirit of full disclosure -- Jimmy Small '08, is the oldest of our three children; Kara, St. Bonaventure '10 and Brady, Niagara University '14.  A pretty special moment for the Small, Doyle and Manhard clans...