ND & FSU: A Common Opponent -- Syracuse

I have yet to see ESPN or any media site look at how each team fared against their only common opponent this season -- Syracuse.

Here's how it looks:

SYRACUSE OFFENSE:  It's important to note that Syracuse's starting QB did not play against Florida State -- he was injured -- they went with a 2nd string and 3rd string QB (their first college action) against the Seminoles

• Versus Notre Dame:  429 total yards
• Versus Florida State:  412 total yards

• Versus Notre Dame:  294 yards passing
• Versus Florida State:  256 yards passing

• Versus Notre Dame:  135 yards rushing
• Versus Florida State:  156 yards rushing

• Versus Notre Dame:  3 for 15 on Third Down
• Versus Florida State:  7 for 14 on Third Down

SYRACUSE DEFENSE:

• Versus Notre Dame:  523 total yards
• Versus Florida State:  482 total yards

• Versus Notre Dame: 161 yards rushing
• Versus Florida State:  165 yards rushing

• Versus Notre Dame:  362 yards passing
• Versus Florida State:  317 yards passing

• Golson:  32 for 39 passing
• Winston:  30 for 36 passing

• Notre Dame:  5 turnovers against Syracuse
• Florida State:  2 turnovers against Syracuse

Photos From the Florida State Campus Today

A colleague of mine at Notre Dame -- took these photos this morning on the Florida State campus...

The bottom photo is of the home of Florida State's "Introduction to Circus" academic program.

LINK:  FSU'S CIRCUS CURRICULUM

Brady Quinn Talks Notre Dame vs. Florida State

Former Notre Dame All-American QB Brady Quinn -- who now works for FOX Sports -- was a guest on a CBS Podcast this week to talk about today's big game.  Just click on the link below:

LINK:  QUINN ON ND vs. FSU

ESPN Feature Story on Matt Hegarty...

Notre Dame's starting center -- the heart of a champion.

LINK:  HEGARTY

Notre Dame Football at Florida A&M this AM!

Brian Kelly likes to get his Fighting Irish out of the hotel for a "shake-out" the morning of a night game.  This morning was no exception as Notre Dame bussed over to Florida A&M's campus (also in Tallahassee) to work out on their football field...

Florida A&M is famous for their MARCHING 100 -- see link below:

LINK:  THE MARCHING 100

Media Coverage of Today's ND vs. FSU Game

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what was being said about today's game between our Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminoles.

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  FOX SPORTS

LINK:  NBC SPORTS

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  WASHINGTON POST

LINK:  TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  ORLANDO SENTINEL

LINK:  ELKHART TRUTH

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

Grantland Rice Penned This 90 Years Ago...

This very day...

"Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below."

This was published in the New York Herald Tribune on October 18, 1924

I can just see tomorrow's headline in the South Bend Tribune:

"OUTLINED AGAINST AN AUTOGRAPHED OCTOBER SKY..."

Notre Dame's "Tune-In" Message for Recruits

This says it all...

Game Face: Notre Dame's "Four-Legged" Fans

If you have a family pet who's "dressed and ready" for today's Notre Dame game against Florida State -- send me a photo and I'll post it here. 

You can get me at TWITTER:  @NDJimSmall or on email:  jim.small@ndgoirish.com

Florida State's Athletic Director is a Domer

Stan Wilcox '81, a former student-athlete at the University of Notre Dame -- was named Florida State's 11th Athletic Director in August of 2013.

He played 100 games for Digger...
 

LINK:  WILCOX INTERVIEW

Gameday Edition: Tallahassee Democrat

Here's what the Florida State Seminoles' hometown newspaper has to say today about the game and their QB's off the field woes...

LINK:  TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Notre Dame is Ready -- Are You Ready!!!

Take a look at this view...

MUST SEE: No Better Way to Start Today

21 years ago -- #1 Florida State came into South Bend to take on #2 Notre Dame...

For those of us who were tuned in to NBC that day to watch the game on TV -- we witnessed the greatest "game intro" ever written and produced. 

So, to get your heart pumping -- here's a look at Bob Costas -- setting the stage for Florida State vs. Notre Dame.  It doesn't get any better than this...

LINK:  SOMEWHERE AROUND THE CORNER FROM MAIN STREET

Tallahassee TV Stations Coverage: ND vs. FSU

Here's what the local TV stations in Tallahassee are reporting tonight on tomorrow's game between Notre Dame and Florida State:

LINK:  WCTV

LINK:  WTXL

LINK:  MY FOX

Notre Dame Football Has Arrived in Tallahassee

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame rolled into Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium  a little after 5 PM today -- here's an on-field interview of Cody Riggs linked below...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME ARRIVES

LINK:  DEPARTING SOUTH BEND

ESPN's Desmond Howard Talks ND vs. FSU

If you expect Desmond to find a way that Notre Dame can't win -- you won't be disappointed...

LINK:  HOWARD

A Notre Dame Grotto Engagement: Last Night

One of my teammates, Brandon Tabor -- "popped the question" to his girlfriend Emily Kendall at the University of Notre Dame's Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes last night at 6:13 PM ET.  To say that Emily did not see this coming -- would be an understatement -- nor, the many surprised visitors at the Grotto, who were witness to this special moment...

Our team had a hand in orchestrating the surprise -- and Notre Dame alum Kaity Fuja '09,  from OMG Photography was kind enough to show up and capture the moment on camera.  You'll see in the photo sequence above; Brandon started out giving Emily a hug -- after they had lit a candle, then he drops to one knee...

Now Brandon admitted this morning that he was so nervous and excited -- he doesn't remember if the words "Will you marry me?" ever came out of his mouth.  I think the pictures confirm the ask...

Oh, by the way -- Emily said "YES!"

Domer Zack Martin '13 -- Guest on Mike & MIKE

Former Notre Dame student-athlete -- and now first round draft pick and starting right guard for the Dallas Cowboys -- Zack Martin '13, was a guest this morning on ESPN's Mike & MIKE.  Here's the interview:

LINK:  ZACK MARTIN

Notre Dame's Observer -- Winston Timeline

Notre Dame's student-run newspaper The Observer -- published this story today...

LINK:  WINSTON TIMELINE

Bobby Bowden Offers His Opinion on Winston

Former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden -- weighed in on the Jameis Winston saga in Tallahassee...

LINK:  BOWDEN