Muffet's #7 Ranked Fighting Irish Play Tonight

In about an hour from now "basketball without Skylar" begins at the University of Notre Dame as the #7 ranked Fighting Irish kick-off the 2013 - 2014 season with an exhibition game vs. California (PA).  Muffet "tweeted" earlier today that her "three senior starters" would not play this evening because of injuries -- so we'll probably be looking at a starting line-up that looks like this:

• Jewell Loyd 
• Michaela Mabrey
• Madison Cable
• Lindsay Allen
• Taya Reimer

Allen and Reimer are both freshmen who come in with big-time credentials.  Should be fun!

LINK:   WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Brian Kelly's Navy Game Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today to talk about Saturday's game with the Naval Academy.  Click on the link below:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY PRESSER

Everett Golson's Sports Illustrated Interview

Everett Golson agreed to talk with Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples.  Here's a link to the on camera interview:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

Domer Chris Quinn Takes Northwestern Job

Former Irish student-athlete Chris Quinn '06, was named Director of Player Development for the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team today.  Quinn played six seasons in the NBA. 

Congrats Chris!

LINK:  DOMER TO NORTHWESTERN

Notre Dame Bowl Options: Orange or Pinstripe?

The South Bend Tribune's Eric Hansen updated Notre Dame's bowl options today -- and it looks something like this:

• Win the rest of the games and play in the Orange Bowl against Florida State
• Win all but one of the games left and play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers

Sun or Snow...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S BOWL OPTIONS

Golden Tate's 80 Yard TD Catch on MNF!

Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver and now Seattle Seahawk Golden Tate -- caught an 80 yard TD catch on Monday Night Football in a game against the St. Louis Rams.  The Seahawks held off the Rams 14 - 9 with a last second goal line stand. 

Here's a link to the video of the TD catch.

LINK:  GOLDEN'S TD CATCH ON MONDAY NIGHT

Trick Shot Monday -- "AKA Torii Toss"

They might as well just give the ping pong ball to Torii Hunter Jr. and let him star in his own production every Monday night...

For the fourth time this season -- Hunter made the winning toss on Trick Shot Monday at Notre Dame.

LINK:  TORII TOSS

OT: Oregon Fake Punt Against UCLA

You have to wonder what the UCLA special teams coach was thinking on this approach to rushing a punter...

LINK:  OREGON'S FAKE PUNT

98 Years Ago ND Scored 27 TD's in One Game!

Folks, on this day -- 98 years ago, the Ramblers of Notre Dame beat the American College of Medicine and Surgery of Chicago 142 - 0 !!! 

And, the game was called off -- after only 33 minutes of play...

This game stands as the GOLD STANDARD for offensive output in the 126 year history of Notre Dame Football.  (That's the team photo from the 1905 Notre Dame football team above.)  See the story below:

LINK:  27 TD'S IN ONE GAME!

Notre Dame Back in the Top 25 Today

I'd like to know how these VOTERS can justify the following...

• In the AP poll the Irish are ranked #26 -- ranked ahead of them is Arizona State.  The same Arizona State the IRISH beat earlier in the season.
• In the Coaches Poll the Irish are ranked #25 -- ranked behind Michigan State.  The same Michigan State the IRISH beat earlier in the season.  Michigan State has beaten two teams with winning records.
• Wisconsin ranked #22/#23 has two losses, just like Notre Dame -- one of those losses was to Arizona State -- the same Arizona State team that Notre Dame beat this season.  Wisconsin has beaten two teams with winning records.  

LINK:  AP & COACHES POLLS

Brian Kelly's Post Game Presser: Air Force

Minutes after Notre Dame's 45 - 10 win over Air Force last night -- Coach Kelly met with the media. Here's a link to the post game press conference:

LINK:  AIR FORCE POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Quick Media Reaction to Notre Dame's Victory

Notre Dame outscored Air Force 45 - 10 -- in a game the Irish trailed in the first quarter 7 - 0.  Tommy Rees had the best game of his career -- TAKING OVER THIRD PLACE ALL-TIME AMONG NOTRE DAME QB'S FOR CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASSES -- and the Fighting Irish finally figured out the triple option in the second half.  Here's the initial media reaction to the game:

LINK:  DENVER POST

LINK:  COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE 

LINK:  CBS SPORTS NETWORK

"Touchdown" Tommy Rees Throws 5 TD Passes

Notre Dame beat the Air Force Academy 45 - 10 today in a game that Tommy Rees will remember for the rest of his life... 

Here are the higlights!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME SCORES 45!

Troy Niklas Boarding Team Bus for Game

This was just "tweeted" by @NDSportsBlogger -- Troy Niklas and Zach Martin (inside the bus) heading off to game with Air Force.

The #2 Ranked Fighting Irish Win Again!

The Notre Dame hockey team continued their streak of not trailing in any hockey game this season...

Last night the #2 ranked Fighting Irish beat #21 Minnesota-Duluth 3 -2 in front of almost 7,000 fans at Duluth's Amsoil Arena. 

College hockey fans will remember that Minnesota-Duluth won the 2011 NCAA Division I National Championship in hockey -- beating Notre Dame in the semi-finals of the Frozen Four that year 4-3.


LINK:  IRISH BEAT MINNESOTA-DULUTH

Notre Dame's Ties to Colorado Springs Area

The Colorado Springs Gazette must have decided to boost their readership this week by pumping out a number of Notre Dame stories.  Here's one about a former Notre Dame student -- now a Holy Cross Priest -- and some talk about the Notre Dame Club of Colorado Springs tailgate which had sold more than 1,000 tickets...

There is a second link to a story about Joe Montana and his game against the Air Force Academy.

LINK:  ONLY NOTRE DAME

LINK:  THE LEGEND OF MONTANA

Story: Inside the Obsession of Notre Dame Fans

The Colorado Springs Gazette's Brent Briggeman penned this story today about the obsession of Notre Dame fans.

Frankly, I don't know what he could be talking about!  :)

LINK:  INSIDE THE OBSESSION

Media Preview of Notre Dame vs. Air Force

The Fighting Irish are favored to win this game -- the oddsmakers have us as 20 point favorites.

Not so fast my friends...   Our Irish are coming off of a tough / emotional win over USC, we're playing a team that runs the option and we'll be without Louis Nix and Christian Lombard...

Here's what the media has to say:

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  DENVER POST

LINK:  COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE 

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Alabama Students Punished for Leaving Early

Maybe Alabama should send these "student groups" to the University of Notre Dame for a football game...

LINK:  ALABAMA STUDENTS PUNISHED

Will the High Altitude Impact Notre Dame?

When Notre Dame's football team walked out to to their chartered jet yesterday at South Bend Airport they were standing 799 feet above sea level...

Today, when they walk onto the football field in Colorado Springs they'll be standing more than a MILE CLOSER TO THE SUN -- as the elevation is 6,621 above sea level.

The story linked below speaks to the impact of altitude change at Denver's "Mile High" Stadium on football players and the game -- from the perspective of the Philadelphia Eagles.

FUN FACT:  The Air Force Academy's football stadium is 1,000 feet higher above sea level than Denver's.

LINK: PERFORMANCE AT HIGH ALTITUDE