Meet Notre Dame's "Rhodes Scholar"

Alex Coccia '14 was named a RHODES SCHOLAR...

LINK:  ALEX COCCIA

The #1 College Football Stadium Experience

The "House that Rock built" was just named the #1 College Football Stadium Experience by Stadium Journey Magazine...

LINK:  RANKINGS

LINK:  NOTRE DAME STADIUM -- REVIEW

Les Miles Talks About Notre Dame Game...

Les Miles was talking with reporters about the Music City Bowl game against Notre Dame -- got the sense he's not too worried about either Golson or Zaire...

LINK:  LES MILES

NBC Sports Network To Televise ECHOES 14

I don't think there is another football team on the planet whose annual awards show is aired on one of the national sports networks...  ONLY NOTRE DAME!

Be sure to tune-in this Saturday afternoon (December 20) at 1:30 PM ET to the NBC Sports Network to watch Skylar Diggins and Mike Mayock host ECHOES 14.

Long-Time Notre Dame Team Doctor Passes...

98 year-old Dr. Les Bodnar left for heaven this morning...

Bodnar served as Notre Dame Football's Team Doctor from Frank Leahy to Gerry Faust -- 35 years on the job -- while building his own private practice, South Bend Orthopedics.

He authored two books, served Joe Montana the legendary "chicken soup" in the Cotton Bowl game against Houston -- and worked the sidelines of four Notre Dame National Champions; 1949, 1966, 1973 and 1977.

He lived quite a life.

I want to thank ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Janet Geans for alerting me to this story.

LINK:  BODNAR OCTOBER INTERVIEW

LINK:  BUY HIS BOOK!

LSU Safety Talks Notre Dame QB Preparation

The MUSIC CITY BOWL is only 13 days away...

Here's LSU safety Ronald Martin talking about the Notre Dame QB's and how they're preparing for them.

LINK:  LSU PLAYER

Domer Jimmy Clausen Gets Sunday NFL Start

Word on the street is former Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen will get his first NFL start (since 2010) when he leads the Chicago Bears against the first-place Detroit Lions this Sunday at Soldier Field.

Good luck Jimmy!

LINK:  BEARS BENCH CUTLER

LINK:  CLAUSEN CAREER STATS

Notre Dame Men's Hoops Now Ranked #21

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish have moved up in the polls to #21 in both the AP and Coaches Poll -- after the 20 point win over Florida State Saturday night.

Notre Dame is the "fifth" highest ranked team among the ACC schools.

LINK:  BASKETBALL POLLS

Coach Brian Kelly: "Both QB's Will Play..."

Well, I can't say I'm surprised...

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today after the Fighting Irish's third practice for the Music City Bowl game against LSU -- and he broke the news that both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire would play against the Tigers...

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Replay: Domer Rust Scores First NHL Goal!

 

Former Notre Dame hockey player Bryan Rust scored his first NHL goal tonight (in the second NHL game of his career) for the Pittsburgh Penguins!

Here's the replay:

LINK:  REPLAY OF RUST'S FIRST GOAL

A Blind Notre Dame Fan's First Football Game!

Mitchell, a blind 8th grader at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired -- attended his first Notre Dame game this season...

You must watch this!

LINK:  MITCHELL

Coach Mike Brey Talks Win Over Florida State

Notre Dame is 1 - 0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after last night's 83 - 63 win over Florida State.  After the game Coach Brey met with the media -- click on the link below:

LINK:  BREY POST GAME

No Flag! IRISH Defeat Florida State -- (AGAIN)

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish got the first crack against Florida State -- since "the flag" in Tallahassee -- and they delivered!

Notre Dame hammered the Seminoles 83 - 63 with a display of dunks like we haven't seen on this campus in a long-long time.  It got so fun that the "twitter-verse" started renaming Purcell Pavilion to "Dunks DuLac."

Here's a look at the DUNKS along with a trip inside the Notre Dame locker room:

LINK:  DUNK HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  LOCKER ROOM

LINK:  ESPN DUNKS

Most Physically Imposing Player in College BB

His name is Michael Ojo and he's a 7'-1" -- 290lb., basketball player at Florida State University. 

It's going to be fun to see how #25 Notre Dame's "four-guard" offense deals with Ojo and the other two 7 foot-tall players on the Seminoles roster tonight.

OT: America's Game: Nike vs. Under Armour

It's Army vs. Navy -- it's also Nike (Army) vs. Under Armour (Navy).  Both typically roll out a helmet, uniform, shoe combination for "America's Game."

Here's what Under Armour has created for the Naval Academy today:

LINK:  DON'T TREAD ON ME STORY

Got To Love This Promo for ND Basketball

 

Notre Dame plays Florida State tonight at 8 PM ET...

The game will be televised LIVE on ESPN2.

Won't be any flags for picks tonight!

America's Game -- Army vs. Navy -- MUST SEE

Folks, I must admit I tear up every time I watch the "tease" videos that CBS creates for the Army Navy Game.  If this doesn't get to you -- I'm afraid nothing will -- click on the link below.

The telecast begins at 3 PM ET on CBS.

LINK:  MUST WATCH 

LINK:  2010 TEASE

LINK:  2009 TEASE

Notre Dame's "Early Action" Admit Letters...

There will be many high school seniors around this country and around the world -- running to their mailbox today, Monday and Tuesday -- hoping to learn if they've been offered early admittance to Notre Dame's Class of 2019.

Here's a video of Notre Dame's AVP of Undergraduate Enrollment -- Don Bishop -- signing the letters!

LINK:  EARLY ADMIT!

Photos: Notre Dame Football Awards Show

The Fighting Irish football program held their annual awards show last night -- ECHOES.  Here's a list of the award winners:

• Monogram Club MVP:  Joe Schmidt
• Offensive Player of the Year:  Will Fuller
• Defensive Player of the Year:  Jaylon Smith
• Nick Pietrosante Award:  Cam McDaniel
• Lineman of the Year:  Sheldon Day
• Guardian of the Year:  Ronnie Stanley
• Next Man In Award:  Justin Utopo
• Offensive Newcomer of the Year:  Torii Hunter, Jr.
• Defensive Newcomer of the Year:  Drue Tranquill
• Special Teams Player of the Year:  C.J. Prossise
• Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year:  Cory Robinson
• Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year:  Tyler Plantz
• Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year:  Austin Larkin
• Irish Around the Bend Award:  Kyle Brindza
• Father Lange Iron Cross Award:  Christian Lombard
• TireRack.com Play of the Year:  Ben Koyack

LINK:  WNDU-TV

LINK:  WSBT-TV

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

Water Issue Forces Evacuation of DeBartolo

A water main break in the basement of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center has forced the evacuation of the building -- and the Football Awards Show -- that's why you can't find it on the link in the story below.

Just wanted to give you a heads up on this.