Temple Week: Temple Players Talk Notre Dame

Here's a few Temple football players with the media yesterday -- talking about Notre Dame...

LINK:  TEMPLE PLAYERS

Temple Week: Temple Coach Talks Notre Dame

Here's a link to Temple Head Coach Matt Rhule talking about Saturday's game with Notre Dame...

LINK:  PRESS CONFERENCE

Temple Week: Coach Kelly's Press Conference

Domer Dad Torii Hunter, Sr. -- Retires from MLB

Notre Dame Dad Torii Hunter, Sr. (father of Fighting Irish wide receiver Torii Hunter, Jr.) called it a career yesterday as he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after 19 years in the big leagues...

What a career it was!

• 19 seasons
• 9 Gold Gloves
• 5 All-Star Game selections
• 309 home runs
• 195 stolen bases

How's this -- he turned 40 years-old this past July and he still produced these types of numbers for the Twins in his final season:

• 22 home runs
• 81 RBI

To put Torii Hunter's career in perspective -- there's only one man in the history of baseball who has more than 9 Gold Gloves, 309 home runs and 195 stolen bases -- WILLIE MAYS.

Torii Hunter was a great teammate -- a class act -- Major League Baseball loses a gem today.

It will be nice seeing him around Notre Dame a little more often! 

Temple University Readies for Notre Dame

   

OT: Third Graders Mimicking the Jackson Five

Students from Baldwin Hills Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA -- got to love it!

ESPN's 30 For 30: "Catholics vs. Convicts"

Here's the back story about the film producer that ESPN hired to tell the story about Notre Dame's 1988 National Champions -- and their battle with Miami...

LINK:  CATHOLICS vs. CONVICTS

ESPN's College GameDay Going to Philadelphia

We're coming to Philly! See you Saturday, @Temple_FB and @NDFootball. pic.twitter.com/g0EVhjJMAn

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 26, 2015

#9 Notre Dame vs. #22 Temple -- the biggest football game in Temple's history...

LINK:  INDEPENDENCE MALL

Must See: There is a Game at Notre Dame

Heywood Banks performing "There is a Game at Notre Dame" -- on the Bob & Tom Radio Show in Indianapolis.

OT: I Have Never Seen This on a Football Field

I made the trek up to Big Rapids Saturday to see the #3 ranked Ferris State Bulldogs host the #16 ranked Huskies of Michigan Tech.

Ferris won 24 - 14 to remain undefeated!

What caught me off guard was the photo above -- this is Ferris State's "standard" punt formation.  TWO PUNTERS -- one a right-footed kicker, the other a left-footed kicker.

Ferris makes the call at the line of scrimmage as to which punter will take the snap...

Maybe that school in Ann Arbor should have tried this...

Episode 7: A Season With Notre Dame Football

Episode 6: A Season With Notre Dame Football

Connaughton & Grant Make NBA Rookie Top 10

Coming in at #7 & #9 on top NBA rookie plays, I see Connaughton and Grant are still up to their old tricks! #NDMen https://t.co/feeZSlANAA

— Mike Brey (@NDMikeBrey) October 25, 2015

Notre Dame Moves Up to #9 in Both Major Polls

The Fighting Irish move up in the polls this week.  Still have three games on the schedule --- ALL ON THE ROAD --- against team ranked in the TOP 25:

• Temple
• Pittsburgh
• Stanford

LINK:  COACHES POLL

LINK:  AP POLL

QB Comparison: Kizer vs. Golson Against GT

Here's a QB comparison between Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer '18 and Florida State's Everett Golson '15 -- against their only common opponent this season -- Georgia Tech:

KIZER'S 1st COLLEGIATE START vs. GEORGIA TECH:  WIN!

• Passing:  21 for 30 for 242 Yards -- 1 TD & 1 Interception
• Rushing:  5 for 6 Yards -- Longest rush:  13 yards 
• ND Total Offense:  30 points / 457 yards

GOLSON'S 32nd COLLEGIATE START vs. GEORGIA TECH:  Loss

• Passing:  20 for 30 for 210 Yards -- 0 TD & 1 Interception 
• Rushing:  7 for -12 Yards -- Longest rush: 7 yards
• FSU Total Offense: 16 points / 280 yards

Pretty amazing that a QB (Kizer) who would have been 3rd string to Golson had he not transferred -- had similar, if not better numbers in his first ever collegiate start...  

SEASON STATS:

DeShone Kizer -- 5 starts

• Passing 100 for 153 (65.4%) -- 1,370 yards
• Passing TD / Interception:  10 TD's / 4 Interceptions
• Passer Rating:  156.9
• Rushing:  55 attempts for 175 yards 
• Rushing TD's:  3

Everett Golson -- 7 starts

• 139 for 207 (67.2%) -- 1,659 yards
• Passing TD / Interception: 11 TD's / 1 Interception
• Passer Rating:  151.0
• Rushing: 43 attempts for (-33) yards 
• Rushing TD's:  0

ND's Path to the Playoffs -- Got a Little Clearer!

WOW!

Going into this weekend I felt there were five teams in the way of Notre Dame earning a spot in the College Football Playoff; Baylor, TCU, Utah, Clemson and Florida State.

I'm assuming the Big Ten winner (Ohio State or Michigan State) will get a spot and I still believe the SEC winner (LSU or Alabama) will get one.

So here's where we stand after tonight's games...

I'm quite confident Georgia Tech's win over Florida State (video proof above) takes the Seminoles out of contention for a Playoff spot.  And USC's 42 - 24 win over Utah -- leaves the Notre Dame vs. Stanford winner (assuming ND beats Temple, Pitt, Wake Forest and Boston College) the Pac 12 "nominee" for the College Football Playoff...

That leaves two conferences who currently have teams ahead of Notre Dame in the race for a Playoff spot.  The ACC and Big 12 -- and we need to beat just one of them now for one of the four Playoff positions.


BAYLOR

• Lost their starting QB today with a neck fracture
• Still have to play; Oklahoma, @Oklahoma State and @TCU

TCU

• Still have to play;  @Oklahoma State, @Oklahoma and Baylor

CLEMSON 

• Florida State

Now, here's where it gets interesting...

What if:

• Ohio State beats Michigan State
• Ohio State loses to Michigan
• Notre Dame wins all of their games -- ND moves ahead of the BIG TEN teams 

What if:

• LSU beats Alabama
• LSU loses to Ole Miss or Texas A&M
• Notre Dame wins all of their games -- ND moves ahead of the SEC teams 

Bottom line -- I believe if we win our remaining five games -- we're heading to the PLAYOFFS!

Georgia Tech's "Miracle on Techwood Drive"

Click on the arrow above to listen to the radio call of Georgia Tech's final play win over Florida State!

ND Football Fan Wins World Championship!

Sam Grewe -- a 17 year-old from Middlebury, IN -- and an "official team member" of Notre Dame's 2012 football team -- won the high jump at the International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qata!

Grewe, a huge Notre Dame fan -- lost his leg to cancer three years ago. 

What a great story!

LINK:  STORY

Here's the "Game of the Day" for Notre Dame!

It's Utah at USC -- and it's not even close.

If the Trojans can beat Utah this evening -- then the winner of Notre Dame vs. Stanford will become the "Pac 12 Championship" game -- eliminating any PAC 12 team from the Playoff conversation.

Leaving Notre Dame with only FOUR TEAMS in its path to the College Football Playoff.

LINK:  TEAMS IN NOTRE DAME'S WAY

Notre Dame's Depth of Talent on Display!

How many teams ranked in the TOP-25 have lost SEVEN of their top 28 players to SEASON ENDING injuries?

None.  Only Notre Dame...

Here's the list:

• Jarron Jones -- starting DT, lost for the season in August.  Torn ACL
• Shaun Crawford -- starting Nickel CB, lost for the season in August.  Torn ACL
• Tarean Folston -- starting RB, lost for the season in Week 1.  Torn ACL
• Malik Zaire -- starting QB, lost for the season in Week 2.  Dislocated Ankle
• Durham Smythe -- starting TE, lost for the season in Week 2.  Torn ACL and Shoulder injury
• Drew Tranquill -- starting Safety (top Safety replacement), lost for the season in Week 3.  Torn ACL
• Alex Bars -- starting OG (top OL replacement), lost for the season in Week 6.  Dislocated Ankle

That's a lot of BIG TIME TALENT...

Just goes to show you how well Coach Kelly & Company have recruited and developed the talent here at Notre Dame -- we keep on winning -- and no one is talking about all of these injuries.