I Had No Idea It Was This Bad In Kansas...

I just read a story about the upcoming season for the Kansas Jayhawks football team and I saw this astonishing fact:

THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS' WIDE RECEIVERS DID NOT CATCH A SINGLE TOUCHDOWN PASS LAST SEASON.

This is hard to believe -- especially with what we saw out of Coach Charlie Weis '79 and his offense at Notre Dame...  YIKES!

LINK:  THIS CAN'T BE

What Though the Odds be Great or Small...

The Fightin' Irish are a 3.5 point underdog to the Michigan Wolverines -- so says the odds makers in Las Vegas.  Prior to the season this game was a "pick-em" -- but, after Michigan's 50 pt. win over CMU they are the favorites of the betting public...

LINK:  MICHIGAN FAVORED

Brady Hoke Expects "Electric Atmosphere"

I guess when you use your lights for a night game in Ann Arbor you fill the atmosphere with electricity...

Next Saturday's game with Michigan will be the second game in Michigan Stadium's history played under the lights -- the first was also against Notre Dame.  The gang from ESPN'S COLLEGE GAMEDAY will be in attendance.  And, this will be the last time the maize and blue region will see real GOLD HELMETS in their stadium for many years...

Yeah, it's a big game.

LINK:  BRADY HOKE ON GAME WITH NOTRE DAME

This Is "Bulletin Board Material" -- Really?

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly does not feel the Michigan game is a "historic rivalry" for the Irish and he said so in a teleconference yesterday with the media.  Well, the "Michigan media" picked up on this story...

LINK:  BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL

New England Patriots Sign Braxston Cave!

The former Notre Dame football player was released yesterday by the Browns and 24 hours later he's signed by the New England Patriots to their 53 man roster.  Time will tell if he remains on this list or is moved to the practice squad.  Congrats Braxston!

LINK:  CAVE SIGNED BY PATRIOTS

Tommy Rees #2 in QB Rating After Week 1

Notre Dame QB Tommy Rees has a QB rating of 239.0 after yesterday's opener against Temple.  His 349 yards passing (16 for 23) and 3 TD's was one of the best performances of the day!

Here's how this performance stacked up against all QB's in the FBS:

• Yards per attempt: 15.0 yards -- #1 in the country
• TD passes:  3 -- #9 in the country
• Total yards passing:  346 yards -- #12 in the country

 
LINK:  QB RATINGS -- RANKINGS

LINK:  YARDS PER ATTEMPT -- RANKINGS

LINK:  TOTAL YARDS PASSING -- RANKINGS

LINK:  TD PASSES -- RANKINGS

21 Wins in the Last 23 Regular Season Games

This is Notre Dame's record in their last 23 regular season games -- spanning the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Not bad!

Notre Dame Opponents -- Coaches' Post Game

Here's how Notre Dame's NEXT FIVE opponents fared in their opening games this week -- along with a link to their coaches' post game press conferences or the media's take on their performance. 

GO IRISH!

LINK:  MICHIGAN 59 - CMU 9

LINK:  CINCINNATI 42 - PURDUE 7

LINK:  MICHIGAN STATE 26 - WMU 13

LINK:  OKLAHOMA 34 - LOUISIANA-MONROE 0

LINK:  USC 30 - HAWAII 13

Watch ND's IRISH CONNECTION

The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media do a great job in covering all that is Notre Dame football...

You'll see a "surprise visitor" to the Notre Dame locker room who gives Coach Kelly the game ball from the 200th victory of his career.

LINK:  IRISH CONNECTION

Philly Media Talkin' About Notre Dame's Win

The Philadelphia media and fanbase can be some of the most critical in sport.  So, I just had to take a look at what was being said this morning about Notre Dame's win over Temple.  The first link is the transcript from Temple Coach Matt Rhule's post-game press conference:

LINK:  TEMPLE HEAD COACH

LINK:  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

LINK:  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER #2

LINK:  NBC PHILADELPHIA

Notre Dame Players' Post Game Interviews

Here's what a few of the Notre Dame football players had to say about yesterday's opening win against the Temple Owls:

LINK:  DAN FOX

LINK:  AMIR CARLISLE

LINK:  TOMMY REES -- MATHIAS FARLEY -- T.J. JONES

The Mornin' After Notre Dame Beats Temple

As has become tradition here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- the morning after a Notre Dame football game -- I take a lap around the worldwide web to see what the media is saying about yesterday's game.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE #1

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL #1

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #3

Brian Kelly's Post Game Press Conference

Coach Kelly met with the media immediately after today's 28 - 6 win over the Temple Owls.  Here is what he had to say:

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Slaughter, Golic, Cave -- All Cut by NFL Teams

While it was a good day for three of their Notre Dame teammates (see post below) -- Jamoris Slaughter, Mike Golic Jr., and Braxston Cave were cut from their NFL teams today.  Here's hoping they get picked up in the next few days by another NFL team.

The great news is each of them have a NOTRE DAME DEGREE!

Riddick, Wood and Motta Make NFL Rosters!

The #41 turned out to be a LUCKY NUMBER for three former Notre Dame football stars!  Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood and Zeke Motta -- all are wearing the uniform number 41-- and they will be again next weekend when the NFL kicks-off the 2013 season!

Congratulations!

Tough Day for Former ND QB's in the NFL...

Both Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen were released today from the Seahawks and Panthers respectively...  Hopefully, they'll be picked up by other teams in the next day or two...

I wonder what Coach Weis '79 must be thinking...


LINK:  QUINN RELEASED

LINK:  CLAUSEN RELEASED

Brady Hoke Talks Win Over Central Michigan

The Wolverines put up 59 points today in a rout over Central Michigan University -- a team expected to finish "next to last" this year in the Mid American Conference. 

Here's what Hoke and his QB had to say about their big win...

LINK:  MICHIGAN WINS BY 50

Swarbrick Announces Coach Kelly's Contract

Just minutes after Brian Kelly's Fightin' Irish delivered him career victory #200 -- Notre Dame's Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick announced they had finalized a new contract with the head football coach. 

IT'S A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION.

Congratulations Coach Kelly!

LINK:  ANNOUNCEMENT

Notre Dame Pays Tribute to Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney, the famous Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner, passed away yesterday at the age of 74.  Heaney, who received an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 2008, first visited campus back in 1995.  Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins C.S.C. -- offered the statement linked below...

LINK:  HEANEY

LINK:  IRISH TIMES

Great Proof That Stats Don't Score Points!

Here's a look at Notre Dame's offensive productions today as compared to Michigan's offensive production:

POINTS:

• Notre Dame:  28
• Michigan:  59

TOTAL OFFENSE:

• Notre Dame:  543 yards
• Michigan:  463 yards

RUSHING OFFENSE:

• Notre Dame:  188 yards
• Michigan:  242 yards

PASSING OFFENSE:

• Notre Dame:  355 yards
• Michigan:  221 yards

TURNOVERS:

• Notre Dame:  0
• Michigan:  3