Izzo & Valentine Talk OT Loss to Notre Dame

I just found these this morning -- here's what Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo and star guard Denzel Valentine had to say after their 79 - 78 OT loss to our Fighting Irish Wednesday night.

LINK:  IZZO #1

LINK:  IZZO #2

LINK:  VALENTINE

ESPN Looks at UCONN vs. NOTRE DAME

It's the biggest rivalry in all of women's sport -- UCONN vs. Notre Dame.  You can watch it today on ESPN at 3:15 PM ET.  

In the photo above that's Muffet on the left and UCONN coach Geno Auriemma on the right!

In the story linked below -- ESPN's Graham Hayes looks at this rivalry. You're going to want to read this!

LINK:  ESPN

UCONN Talking About Game Against IRISH!

The two biggest names in women's college basketball meet again tomorrow -- this time in Notre Dame, IN.

The game will be nationally televised by ESPN -- again, proof of the importance of this game.

Here's what's being said by that team from Storrs -- click on the links below:

LINK:  NEWS TIMES

LINK:  HARTFORD CURANT

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD

Sunday's ACC "Notre Dame Lottery" for Bowls

You know this hasn't happened before in the ACC -- the use of a lottery to pick the BOWL that will host a team who doesn't belong to the ACC...

LINK:  CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

How Notre Dame Wins This Game Over MSU!

It's been about 22 hours since #22 and #11 led Mike Brey's Fighting Irish with clutch plays down the stretch to beat #18 Michigan State 79 - 78 in OT.  A game the "stat man" says the Spartans win every time...

KEY STATS:

• Field Goal %:  MSU .492% vs. ND .464%
• 3 Pointers Made:  MSU (9 - 17 .529%) vs. ND (7 - 23 .304%)
• Rebounds:  MSU 43 vs. ND 26

The game ended up being decided at the FOUL LINE:  ND (20 - 25 .80%) vs. MSU (5 - 9 .56%)

Here's a video of Coach Brey in the locker room after the game along with a second link to game highlights.  BIG WIN FOR THE IRISH!

LINK:  COACH BREY

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Notre Dame #1 Shooting Team in the Country!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are the #1 team in the country in field goal percentage -- by a wide margin over the other 350 colleges in the NCAA Division I -- hitting 58% of their shots this season!

We will be tested tonight with Tom Izzo's defense...

ADDITIONAL FUN FACTS ABOUT NOTRE DAME'S OFFENSIVE PROWESS:

• #9 in the country in points per game:  86.3
• #9 in the country in total three-point field goals made: 69
• #14 in the country in three-point %:  43%
• #15 in the country in assists per game:  17.9

Here's the NCAA stats:

LINK:  FIELD GOAL % RANKINGS

Notre Dame to Unveil New Under Armour Shoes

Here's what the Fighting Irish will be wearing for the first time tonight -- in the game against #18 Michigan State.

If you'd like to buy your own pair -- click on the link below:

LINK:  BUY WHAT THE IRISH WEAR!

MSU vs. ND on ESPN2 Tonight at 7:15 PM ET

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish's first big "TEST" of the season happens tonight when Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans invade Purcell Pavilion.

The game will be televised on ESPN2 -- beginning at 7:15 PM ET.

To get you ready for the action -- click on the link below -- and check out Notre Dame's NEW UNDER ARMOUR SHOES!

LINK:  GAME PRIMER

LINK:  GAME NOTES

Wonderful Article on Domer Golden Tate

I thought you'd enjoy reading this story about Golden Tate and his days at Notre Dame and the Polian scouting report...

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE

Brey Talks Wednesday's Michigan State Game

The Fighting Irish will play their first "marquee" game of the season at Purcell Pavilion when Tom Izzo brings his Spartans to campus for the first meeting between these two schools on the hard court in 35 years!

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with 59 wins and 35 losses.

Coach Brey met with the media to talk about Wednesday's game -- just click on the link below:

LINK:  COACH BREY

MSU's Tom Izzo Talks Notre Dame Match-up

Michigan State's hoops coach Tom Izzo talks about the Notre Dame game and his team's status as they get ready to play our Fighting Irish tomorrow night in the ACC vs. BIG TEN CHALLENGE...

Izzo grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with his school-boy pal Steve Mariucci -- both were big Notre Dame fans -- so this should be a special visit for him tomorrow night.  You'll see him talk about being a ND fan late in the media session linked below.

LINK:  IZZO ON NOTRE DAME

Full Replay: Fox's Telecast of ND vs. USC

Not that any Notre Dame fan would ever want to watch this again...

LINK:  FULL GAME REPLAY

Domer Jed York to "Trade" Jim Harbaugh

How would Michigan fans feel about a Notre Dame alum trading away their #1 choice to replace Brady Hoke -- to another NFL team?

LINK:  TRADING HARBAUGH

Notre Dame's ACC Bowl Options This Morning

Now that Notre Dame is aligned with the ACC's post season bowl game package -- here's what the options look like for the Fighting Irish:

• Orange Bowl has first selection
• Russell Athletic Bowl has second selection
• If the Orange Bowl picks a Big Ten Team to play opposite an ACC team -- then a spot opens up in the Capital One Bowl for an ACC Team
• After those choices have been made -- the following Bowls could conceivably pick Notre Dame; Hyundai Sun Bowl, the Belk Bowl and New Era Pinstripe Bowl 
• In addition, an ACC team or Notre Dame will have the option of appearing in the Gator Bowl (three times) or the Music City Bowl (two times) over the next five years

BOWL PAYOUTS -- PER TEAM (last year):

• Orange Bowl:  $17 million
• Russell Athletic Bowl:  $2.275 million
• Capital One Bowl:  $4.55 million
• Hyundai Sun Bowl:  $2 million
• Belk Bowl:  $1.7 million
• New Era Pinstripe Bowl:  $1.8 million
• TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl:  $3.5 million
• Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl:  $1.837 million

If I was a betting man (and I'm not) I would bet we'll end up in Charlotte playing in the Belk Bowl -- since we've played in the Hyundai Sun Bowl and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in Coach Kelly's previous four seasons at Notre Dame.

But, don't be surprised if the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl makes a run at a 7 - 5 Fighting Irish football team -- to sell tickets!  They took two 4 loss teams last year...

And, you just know the folks in El Paso, TX and the Bronx, NY will be making pitches to get the Fighting Irish back in their Bowls.  Jack Swarbrick's phone must be ringing off the hook this morning.

LINK:  BELK BOWL -- DECEMBER 30TH 

LINK:  CBS -- ND VS. TENN IN BELK BOWL

Notre Dame Football's "Fighting INJURED Irish"

Never seen anything like this -- especially on the defensive side of the football.

Four more Notre Dame defensive players were hurt against USC -- a fifth, Austin Collinsworth re-injured his shoulder...

• 21 Notre Dame defensive players missed game action from injuries or academic suspensions this season

Here's a look at Notre Dame Football's injury / suspension list this season:

OFFENSE -- starters (or projected) in bold

• Amir Carlisle -- missed a couple of games
• Torii Hunter Jr. -- missed a couple of games
• Tyler Luatua -- missed a few games
• Davaris Daniels -- out for season

DEFENSE -- starters (or projected) in bold

• Jarret Grace -- out for season
• Ishaq Williams -- out for season
• Keivarae Russell -- out for season
• Tony Springman -- out for season
• Sheldon Moore -- out for season
• Eilar Hardy -- missed first 9 games
• Joe Schmidt -- out for season (5 games)
• Jarron Jones -- out for season (3 games)
• Nicky Baratti -- out for season (10 games)
• Sheldon Day -- missed 2 games / maybe 3
• Andrew Trumbetti -- missed a game
• Daniel Cage -- missed a game
• Austin Collinsworth -- missed 9 games -- injured again in USC game
• Drue Tranquill -- out for season (2 games)
• Ben Councell -- missed 3 games
• Cody Riggs -- missed 3 games / maybe out for season
• Greer Martini -- injured in USC game
• Jacob Matuska -- injured in USC game
• Jay Hayes -- injured in USC game
• Max Redfield -- injured in USC game

The Malik Zaire Era -- Video of First Three Plays

Here's a look at Malik Zaire's first three plays against USC...

LINK:  ZAIRE

Coach Kelly's Post Game Press Conference

Here's Coach Kelly's post game press conference after the humbling loss to USC.

LINK:  COACH KELLY

"Jekyl and Hyde" Football Season for the IRISH

A 6 - 0 start -- with a penalty flag away from being 7 - 0 and ranked in the top THREE in the country.  And, then it all went wrong for our Fighting Irish...

A season that looked like we were heading to a BIG TIME BOWL BID -- has left us shaking our heads wondering if we'll even have enough healthy defensive players to play another game.

Here's what our scores looked like the second half of the season:

• FSU 31 -- ND 28
• ND 49 -- NAVY 39
• ASU 55 -- ND 31
• NW 43 -- ND 40
• LOU 31 -- ND 28
• USC 49 -- ND 14

If you want to relive today's game -- just click on the link below:

LINK:  FOX RECAP 

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Say a Few Prayers for Family of Connie Morris

Connie Morris, a Notre Dame employee and huge Fighting Irish fan -- was killed yesterday morning in a fire in Elkhart.  So sad...

LINK:  FATAL FIRE

Photos From Notre Dame's Trip to West Coast

Here's a few photos of Notre Dame's trip to USC -- what a difference a few hours in a plane can make...