USC's Lane Kiffin Talks Loss to Notre Dame

USC coach Lane Kiffin met with the media -- along with QB Max Wittek -- after losing to Notre Dame 22 - 13.  Some of the key comments from Kiffin:

• "We only ran 48 plays on offense -- which is unheard of..."
• "We were 1 for 8 on third down..."
• "They're the number 1 goal line defense in the country for two years now -- they did this to everybody..."
• "Notre Dame showed me they have phenomenal senior leadership..."
• "They (Notre Dame) are not very exotic -- they're old school..."

LINK:  LANE KIFFIN POST GAME

USC Network: "Best Team We've Played..."

USC Network's Dan Weber and Johnie Freatman talked about their game with the Fightin' Irish -- and they shared that the Trojans' admitted Notre Dame was the BEST TEAM THEY HAVE PLAYED this season...

Found it interesting they chose the backdrop of the Notre Dame Equipment truck!

LINK:  USC NETWORK ANALYSIS OF GAME

"HE IS MANTI" -- Play the Game!

Notre Dame Athletics released this video that was just "tweeted" by @CoachBrianKelly

LINK:  HE IS MANTI

Notre Dame's PERFECT Defensive Unit!

Just let this sink-in for a few seconds:

Notre Dame allowed ONE TD or LESS to 

NINE OF THEIR TWELVE OPPONENTS THIS SEASON!

Now let's look at how dominant this defensive unit was this season.  Here's how ND's defense stacked up against each of the offensive units they played this season.

• Navy:  Gave up 10 points -- 15.5 points less than Navy's average for the season.  Navy is bowl-eligible.
• Purdue:  Gave up 17 points -- 12.9 points less than Purdue's average for the season.  Purdue is bowl-eligible.
• Michigan State:  Gave up 3 points -- 17.3 points less than Michigan State's average for the season.  Michigan State is bowl-eligible.
• Michigan:  Gave up 6 points -- 24 points less than Michigan's average for the season.  Michigan is bowl-eligible.
• Miami, FL:  Gave up 3 points -- 28.4 points less than Miami's average for the season.  Miami is bowl-eligible.
• Stanford:  Gave up 13 points -- 15.6 points less than Stanford's average for the season.  Stanford is bowl-eligible.
• BYU:  Gave up 14 points -- 15.2 points less than BYU's average for the season.  BYU is bowl-eligible.
• Oklahoma:  Gave up 13 points --  28.7 points less than Oklahoma's average for the season.  Oklahoma is bowl-eligible.
• Pittsburgh:  Gave up 26 points -- 1.5 points less than Pittsburgh's average for the season.  Pitt wins their game next week and they will be bowl-eligible.
• Boston College:  Gave up 6 points -- 13.8 points less than Boston College's average for the season.
• Wake Forest:  Gave up 0 points -- 18.5 points less than Wake Forest's average for the season.
• USC:  Gave up 13 points -- 21.2 points less than USC's average for the season.
   

Mornin' After We Earn a Championship Shot!

Here's what the media's sayin' this morning about Notre Dame's 22 - 13 win over USC last night to finish a PERFECT SEASON!

LINK:  BILL PLASCHKE -- LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI -- ESPN

LINK:  GARY KLEIN-- LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  MATT FORTUNA -- ESPN

LINK:  GARY PASKWEITZ -- ESPN

LINK:  KEITH ARNOLD -- NBC

LINK:  STEWART MANDEL -- SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  FRANK SCHWAB -- YAHOO

LINK:  RICH HAMMOND -- ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LINK:  MARK WHICKER -- ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LINK:  DENNIS DODD -- CBS 

Think ND Fans Will Be Playin' This Song !!!

WELCOME TO MIAMI -- NOTRE DAME FAMILY!!!

Video: Notre Dame Football's Return to Campus

The Fightin' Irish returned to the campus of the University of Notre Dame around 6 AM ET this morning -- and the cameras were rolling when the buses parked at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex.  Special thanks to WSBT-TV for posting this video!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL RETURNS HOME

Mark May -- In His Leprechaun Suit...

ESPN's Mark May made the proclamation that "if Notre Dame goes 12 - 0 this season I'll dress like the Notre Dame Leprechaun..."

Well, WE DID and HE DID!

What PERFECTION Looks & Sounds Like!

I couldn't wait to get up this morning for MASS at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart -- and to watch the videos coming out of last night's PERFECT WIN over USC.  Thank you Fightin' Irish Digital Media!

Coach Kelly's halftime speech and post game speech -- had me in tears, big time!  OH WHAT A NIGHT!

Be sure to check out Joe Theismann using his iPhone to catch all the locker room action...

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  PRE-GAME ON FIELD AND POST GAME LOCKER ROOM!!!

Notre Dame's "OTHER UNDEFEATED TEAM"

Muffet's Fightin' Irish were on the left coast tonight to watch Notre Dame's big win over USC.  Here's a shot of the team before the game!

Skylar Diggins "Tweets This Photo" From LA

Looks like Notre Dame's All-American Skylar Diggins and Natalie Achonwa were standing on the field of the LA Coliseum celebrating the IRISH victory!

Just "Tweeted" Photo -- ND TEAM BUS!

Photo of Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick handing out burgers on TEAM BUS.  Photo tweeted by #125NDFB

NOTRE DAME IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

A New York Times' writer took a different look at the success of Notre Dame's football season. 

You'll enjoy reading this!

LINK:  WHY NOTRE DAME IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

The Media Reacts to a PERFECT Notre Dame!!!

This is going to be fun to read!

Took a lap around at 1 AM on Day #8 of Notre Dame being atop of the college football world -- to see what our "friends" are now sayin' about our UNDEFEATED FIGHTING IRISH!

ENJOY THIS NOTRE DAME!

LINK:  LOU HOLTZ

LINK:  ESPN -- ND'S BALANCED ATTACK

LINK:  ESPN -- COACH KELLY AFTER WIN

LINK:  ESPN -- WILL IRISH WIN IT ALL?

LINK:  ESPN -- HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  ESPN -- NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES #2

LINK:  NEW YORK TIMES 

LINK:  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

We're Takin' Our Talents to South Beach!!!

Here's some of the highlights of Notre Dame's 22 - 13 win over USC tonight to go 12 - 0 for the season!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS!

NOTRE DAME IS PERFECTION! Hallelujah!

Folks, it wasn't pretty it was PERFECT!

For only the second time in the 125 year history of Notre Dame football an IRISH team is 12 - 0 on a season.  Think about that!

Here's some video I took of Notre Dame students celebrating on campus -- just minutes after the IRISH beat USC tonight!

LINK:  STUDENTS CELEBRATING #1

LINK:  STUDENTS CELEBRATING #2

It's Less Than 16 Hours to IRISH Perfection!

Folks, I have a GREAT FEELING about tonight's game between our Fightin' Irish and that school in Los Angeles.  Around 11:42 PM ET -- I expect to be watching a number of Notre Dame students gathered at North Quad's "Stonehenge" celebrating PERFECTION!
  
This is the sixth time we've gone to the LA Coliseum #1 to play USC and the IRISH are 3 - 2 in those contests.

Now, there's a few media types who don't agree with me -- so, to get you fired up for tonight's game -- here's what's being said:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  THE SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  PACIFIC TAKES

LINK:  THE OBSERVER

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  ESPN USC BLOG

LINK:  ESPN'S DESMOND HOWARD

LINK:  ESPN'S DARRELL REVELL

LINK:  ESPN'S KIRK HERBSTREIT

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES #2

Mel Kiper Picks NOTRE DAME over USC

Kiper readily admits he's a Notre Dame fan -- so it comes as no surprise to me that he picks the Fightin' Irish over USC tomorrow:

LINK:  KIPER ON THE IRISH

Their THIRD TIME Coaching ND vs. USC

The following Notre Dame football coaches BEAT USC in their third-year running the IRISH football program -- Ara Parseghian in 1966, Dan Devine in 1977 and Lou Holtz in 1988 -- and all three won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP that season!

Note to the Notre Dame Family -- this is Coach Kelly's THIRD SEASON at the helm of the Fightin' Irish!

1966:  ARA PARSEGHIAN'S IRISH ROLL USC

1977:  DAN DEVINE'S IRISH ROLL USC

1988:  LOU HOLTZ'S IRISH ROLL USC

IRISH Did Have A Walk Through @ Coliseum!

Here's a photo of Coach Kelly with ABC's Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musberger on the LA Coliseum field this afternoon.  "Tweeted" by #125NDFB.  I'm attaching some additional photos as well!