Chargers Excited About Watt's Possibilities...

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Chris Watt '13, earned some high praise from the San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy.  The Bolts are thrilled with Watt's smarts and ability to play three positions on their offensive line -- very well.

LINK:  POSITION FLEXIBILITY

Photo of ND Football Motorcade to South Bend

After this evening's Pep Rally the Fighting Irish jumped aboard three buses for their trip downtown to the Double Tree Hotel -- their Friday night headquarters...  Note the police escort.

Photos From Tonight's Notre Dame Pep Rally

Here's the view of tonight's Pep Rally in South Quad -- note the new Under Armour gear for the Notre Dame cheerleaders.

LINK:  VIDEO

Houston Chronicle Coverage of Rice Owls FB

Took a visit to the Houston Chronicle site to see what they're reporting about their "home team" Rice Owls and their game with our Fighting Irish tomorrow -- here's what I found:

LINK:  HOUSTON CHRONICLE

LINK:  HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Forecast: Can the New Field Turf Handle Rain?

We're going to learn tomorrow if Notre Dame Stadium's new Field Turf surface can handle rain -- maybe lots of it...

Rice vs. Notre Dame is scheduled to kick-off at 3:42 PM ET.

Here's the latest forecast -- click on the link below:

LINK:  RADAR

OT: Under Armour Did the Naval Academy Right

I really like this helmet, uniform combination created by Under Armour for the Naval Academy. 

Notice the player's rank on the shoulder boards and pants (bars).

SHARP!

LINK:  UNDER ARMOUR & NAVY

Brian Kelly Met With Media After Practice Today

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today after practice to talk about Saturday's game with Rice (and some other news concerning the team).  This is the last time he'll speak with the press until after the game:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY WITH MEDIA

MUST SEE: Notre Dame's 30-Second TV Spot

Folks, this was all done by our team in University Communications at the University of Notre Dame -- in house!

BRAVO!!!

LINK:  MUST SEE

Watch LIVE: Brian Kelly Radio Show 7 PM ET

The Brian Kelly Radio Show returns to the worldwide web this evening beginning at 7 PM ET.  You can watch it LIVE -- right here at the link below:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY RADIO SHOW

Dan Patrick Interviews Brian Kelly Today

I have to admit I always enjoy the interview approach Dan Patrick takes with Brian Kelly -- he asks questions we don't normally hear...

You'll see that in this interview today.  Enjoy!

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY INTERVIEW

Notre Dame to Move Forward on Stadium Work

The University of Notre Dame just announced that they will move forward with the Campus Crossroads Project -- beginning immediately after the last home game this season.

The projected 33-month construction project will bring academic and student life facilities to the heart of Notre Dame's campus.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME ANNOUNCEMENT

LINK:  CAMPUS CROSSROADS SITE

Notre Dame NFL Rookies Survive Roster Cuts

The NFL required each of their teams to cut down their rosters to 75 players yesterday -- as they lead into the last games of the exhibition season tonight.

The next cut (the final cut) -- which will happen by this Saturday at 4 PM ET -- will reduce the rosters to 53 players.

Here's how Notre Dame's NFL Rookies are doing: the eight players drafted in the 2014 Draft are still collecting an NFL pay-check as are two free agents; Dan Fox and George Atkinson III.

LINK:  ZACK MARTIN -- COWBOYS -- 75 MAN ROSTER 

LINK:  STEPHON TUITT -- STEELERS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  TROY NIKLAS -- CARDINALS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  LOUIS NIX -- TEXANS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  CHRIS WATT -- CHARGERS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  PRINCE SHEMBO -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  T.J. JONES -- RESERVE PUP LIST

LINK:  BENNETT JACKSON -- GIANTS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  DAN FOX -- GIANTS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

LINK:  GEORGE ATKINSON -- RAIDERS -- 75 MAN ROSTER

Back to FOX Broadcast Booth for Brady Quinn

The Miami Dolphins QB tryout ended yesterday for former Notre Dame All-American Brady Quinn.  Quinn was given a two-week look by the Phins to try to win the back-up QB position...

However, not all is bad for Brady -- he can now return to FOX SPORTS where they have a broadcasting gig for him.

LINK:  QUINN RELEASED

Current Weather Forecast for Saturday's Game

Here's what the weather team at WNDU-TV is currently forecasting for this weekend's weather for Rice vs. Notre Dame...

Skylar Named WNBA's Most Improved Player

Her sophomore season as a professional has been one for the record books.

Former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins was just named the WNBA's Most Improved Player.  Skylar received 29 of the 38 votes from a panel of national and local sportswriters and broadcasters.

Skylar averaged 20.1 points for game this season -- after averaging 8.5 points per game last year.  In the process she set the Shock's single season scoring record.  She also led the team in assists, steals and minutes played.

Diggins led the entire WNBA in minutes played per game, she was 2nd overall in points per game and finished 4th in assists.  Way to go Skylar!!!

LINK:  ANNOUNCEMENT

Rice Owls Head Coach Talks Notre Dame Game

The Rice Owls head football coach Dave Bailiff met with the media to talk about his team and Saturday's game against our Fighting Irish:

LINK:  PRESS CONFERENCE

Local News Stories on Notre Dame FB Players

Took a lap around the worldwide web and found a couple of stories in local newspapers about two members of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame's defensive line.  Just click on their names below to read their story:

LINK:  JARRON JONES

LINK:  ANDREW TRUMBETTI

Rice Week: Coach Kelly's Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today to discuss Saturday's game against the Rice Owls -- the first game of the 2014 season.

Here's a link to the press conference -- click on the link below to watch:

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

Reflection: "A College Bound Son..."

ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Rick Becker penned a piece the other day about dropping off his son Friday at the University of Notre Dame.  Rick's son Ben is a member of the Class of 2018.

Rick, who has a gift for the written word, passed along a blog post (last night) he had written a few weeks ago as he contemplated sending his oldest off to college.  Enjoy!

LINK:  QUESTIONS FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND

Maybe USC's Josh Shaw Didn't Rescue Boy

University of Southern California defensive back Josh Shaw claimed to have jumped out of a two-story window Saturday night -- onto concrete -- and then crawled into a swimming pool to save his 7 year-old nephew from drowning.

Shaw, a fifth-year senior for the Trojans, suffered injuries to both ankles and is lost indefinitely to the team.

Well, the story breaking in the past hour is -- this may not be true -- see story linked below.

LINK:  RESCUE ???

LINK:  LAPD UPDATE

ND Players & Students to Stand for Alma Mater

The Observer is reporting leaders of the Notre Dame football team met with Student Government last night to inform them that the "team and student body" would stand together after EVERY home game going forward -- not just after wins.

Here's the story:

LINK:  STANDING FOR THE ALMA MATER 

LINK:  ALMA MATER

Domer Jonas Gray Earning Praise With Patriots

Former Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray is making the long comeback from an ACL injury suffered during his senior campaign in South Bend.   This past weekend he earned some reps with Tom Brady in their exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers...

LINK:  JONAS GRAY

Uni-Watch's Look at the New Helmets & Jerseys

The 2014 college football season begins this season for most of the FBS teams -- and the folks over at UNI-WATCH published this look at a number of the new helmet and uniform combos...

LINK:  THE NEW LOOK FOR 2014

Doug Flutie Interviews Everett Golson for NBC

The former Heisman Trophy QB from Boston College interviews the Fighting Irish's starting QB -- click on the link below:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

Rice Week: Trick Shot Monday at Notre Dame

Yes, it's back -- the Notre Dame football program's TRICK SHOT MONDAY. 

Click on the link below:

LINK:  TRICK SHOT MONDAY

Night Sky Before Classes Start at Notre Dame!

My wife Susan and I headed over to the University of Notre Dame tonight during the "golden hour" -- the last hour of sunlight -- on the most beautiful campus in America.

We took these photos with our iPhones -- hope you like! 

The second photo down is of St. Mary's lake on the north end of campus -- behind the Main Building.

ND: Toughest Football Schedule in America!

College football "guru" Phil Steele just released his list of the top 10 toughest football schedules in the country...

NOTRE DAME WILL TAKE ON THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE COUNTRY!

BRING IT ON!


LINK:  TOP TEN TOUGHEST SCHEDULES

MUST SEE TONIGHT! Strong & True 6:30 PM

Notre Dame fans will want to tune-in to the NBC Sports Network tonight to watch STRONG & TRUE -- Prelude 2014.  A look at our Fighting Irish as they prepare for the upcoming season.

The show airs TONIGHT at 6:30 PM ET -- NBC Sports Network.

Here's a "sneak-preview" of tonight's show:

LINK:  STRONG & TRUE

Notre Dame Student-Athlete: Higher Standards

The Wall Street Journal published a piece over the weekend that offered this question -- "Is Notre Dame Football to demanding?"  It is linked below...

The story goes on to compare the academic demands placed on student-athletes at a school in the SEC vs. the demands of a Notre Dame student-athlete.

LINK:  WSJ STORY

Classes Start This Tuesday at Notre Dame

If you visited downtown South Bend today -- you would have seen this message on their marquis...

Here's a quick look at the quality of Notre Dame's Class of 2018:

LINK:  CLASS OF 2018

Jimmy Clausen Earns Bears' Back-up QB Job!

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Jimmy Clausen will start the NFL season as the "back-up" to Jay Cutler in Chicago -- congratulations Jimmy!

LINK:  CLAUSEN #2

49ers Having Trouble Growing Grass in Cali

The brand new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA -- the home of the San Francisco 49ers -- has a grass problem.

I guess $1.3 billion (the cost of the brand new stadium) can't buy a great grass surface.  The original sod was planted in April -- and it didn't make it through one game...  The replacement sod isn't doing much better today in the game against the Chargers.

The gang at Field Turf might be getting a phone call from northern California.

LINK:  TURF TROUBLES

Tate & Floyd -- NFL Fantasy Football Top Picks

If you play Fantasy Football -- you've got to look at a couple of former Notre Dame All-Americans for your team...

Golden Tate with the Detroit Lions and Michael Floyd with the Arizona Cardinals -- both are projected to be big time Fantasy Football draft picks.  Here's what the Fantasy "experts" think:

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE

LINK:  MICHAEL FLOYD

Update: NFL Final Roster Cuts for Domers

Took a lap around the worldwide web to see how a few of the Fighting Irish players who were on the proverbial "bubble" of making their NFL team's 53-man active roster -- were doing -- here's what I found out:

That's Jonas Gray in the photo above.

LINK:  JONAS GRAY -- PATRIOTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  T.J. JONES -- LIONS -- RESERVE "PUP" LIST FOR THE SEASON

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- BEARS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  DARIUS FLEMING -- PATRIOTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  PRINCE SHEMBO -- FALCONS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  RJ BLANTON -- VIKINGS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  SERGIO BROWN -- COLTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  LOUIS NIX -- TEXANS -- LOOKS POSITIVE  

LINK:  CHRIS WATT -- CHARGERS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  ROBERT HUGHES -- CARDINALS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  THEO RIDDICK -- LIONS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  ERIC OLSEN -- TITANS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  DARRIN WALLS -- JETS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  RYAN HARRIS -- CHIEFS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  TREVOR ROBINSON -- BENGALS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  BRADY QUINN -- DOLPHINS -- NOT SO POSITIVE 

LINK:  GEORGE ATKINSON III -- RAIDERS -- NOT SO POSITIVE

LINK:  DAN FOX -- GIANTS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  CIERRE WOOD -- RAVENS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD 

LINK:  SAM YOUNG -- JAGUARS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  BENNETT JACKSON -- GIANTS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  KONA SCHWENKE -- CHIEFS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  ZEKE MOTTA -- FALCONS -- ON "PUP" LIST

Golson Picked "One of 25 Most Interesting..."

The gang at ESPN is doing a feature on the "25 Most Interesting People in College Football" -- and wouldn't you know it -- the QB at NOTRE DAME is on that list!

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON -- MOST INTERESTING

Notre Dame Football -- GET READY!

This video will get you pumped up for the Notre Dame football season!!!

LINK:  PROTECT THIS HOUSE

OT: The Brilliance of Robin Williams "The Flag"

Must See: Robin Williams telling the story of our American Flag.  What a talent he was...

LINK:  THE FLAG

Know Thy Opponent: Rice Owls Video Update

With Notre Dame 127th football season just 7 days away -- I took a look around the worldwide web to see what I could find about our first opponent, the Rice Owls. 

Just click on the links below:

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- SCRIMMAGE #2

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- SCRIMMAGE #1

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- PRACTICE #4

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- FIRST DAY IN PADS

LINK:  MEDIA DAY -- HEAD COACH

LINK:  MEDIA DAY -- DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

LINK:  LSU TRANSFER JOINS RICE TEAM

ND Volleyball -- Experiences "The Program"

Debbie Brown's Fighting Irish were caught off guard with a two-day experience they won't soon forget!

LINK:  THE PROGRAM

Story: A Dad Drops His Son Off at Notre Dame

If you haven't had the honor of dropping off a son or daughter at college -- please know you're in for a rush of emotions that will hit you like Niagara Falls...

I remember all three of our "drop-offs" at college -- I balled my eyes out -- every time.

Well today, ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Rick Becker had the great honor of dropping off his son Ben at the University of Notre Dame.  Here is Rick's story -- a MUST READ!

Rick, thanks for sharing -- and yes, it's going to be alright!

LINK:  "STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE"