JIM SMALL'S NOTRE DAME GO IRISH BLOG -- www.NDGOIRISH.com -- A NOTRE DAME BLOG

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Hey Irish Fans -- Adopt My Bulldogs This Week!

Since our Fighting Irish are not playing this Saturday -- I have a team for the Notre Dame Nation to adopt and cheer for this weekend!

The undefeated FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS -- the #3 ranked football team in NCAA Division II -- play the #16 ranked Michigan Tech Huskies this Saturday in a "nationally televised" game at 12:04 PM ET.

The Bulldogs are led by QB Jason Vander Laan -- who's the ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER IN NCAA HISTORY (any level) for a QB! Vander Laan has already rushed for 5,218 yards in his 40-game career.

The 6'-4" 244 lb. QB, who won the NCAA Division II "Heisman" last year -- the Harlan Trophy -- is now just 3 TD's away from breaking the all-time NCAA rushing TD record for a QB of 72.

You can watch the Ferris State Bulldogs LIVE at the link below -- beginning at NOON ET this Saturday!

LINK: FERRIS STATE vs. MICHIGAN TECH

USC's Adoree Jackson on Will Fuller's Speed

Thought you'd enjoy reading this story...

LINK: "RARE TO SEE A GUY..."

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

ACC Women's Basketball Media Day 2015

LINK: IRISH PICKED TO WIN ACC

OT: The Rush to be First in TV News, Backfires

The good folks at WZZM-TV 13 in Grand Rapids learned this the hard way at the end of Michigan State's last second win over Michigan...

LINK: TV STATION APOLOGIZES

ESPN's College Football Power Rankings

The Fighting Irish are in ESPN's Top Twenty...

LINK: POWER RANKINGS

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

ND In Possession of All Six Rivalry Trophies!

The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy (bottom photo) was returned today -- as USC shipped it back home to Notre Dame! At this moment -- Notre Dame is in possession of all six of the "rivalry" trophies:

USC -- Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy
Purdue -- Shillelagh Trophy
Michigan State -- Megaphone Trophy
Navy -- Rip Miller Trophy
Stanford -- Legends Trophy
Boston College -- Ireland Trophy

Inside Notre Dame's 41 to 31 Win Over USC

C.J. Prosise on Pace to Smash Rushing Record

Notre Dame All-Time Single Season Rushing Records:

Most Rushing Yards: 1,437 -- Vagas Ferguson
Games Rushing for 100 Yards or more: 9 -- Allen Pinkett
Most Rushing TD's: 17 -- Allen Pinkett & Vagas Ferguson
Rushing Yards Per Game: 130.6 -- Vagas Ferguson

C.J. Prosise Stats after 7 games this season:

Rushing Yards: 922
Games Rushing for 100 Yards or more: 5
Rushing TD's: 11
Rushing Yards Per Game: 134.1

Notre Dame Football in Elkhart Monday Night

Monday, October 19, 2015

Dan Patrick Talks Trip to USC vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame vs. Temple -- Prime Time on ABC

The folks at ABC just announced that Notre Dame's game with Temple at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field will be played at 8 PM ET -- in PRIME TIME!

Just another prime time tilt for the Fighting Irish.

This will be the 25th out of the last 32 road/neutral site games for Notre Dame that will be played in PRIME TIME -- since 2010. TV RATINGS!

A Different View -- Top Plays USC vs. ND

USC Week: Inside Notre Dame Football

The Five Teams in Notre Dame's Playoff Path...

If you follow the NDGOIRISH blog you would have seen my post last week where I laid out the five teams in Notre Dame's way of earning one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.

That's assuming -- Notre Dame runs the table and beats three ranked teams -- ALL ON THE ROAD -- over the last six weeks of the season...

Now, I'm giving one of the four spots to the SEC Champion and I'm giving another spot to the Big Ten Champion -- so, as I see it -- Notre Dame needs to finish ahead of two of the following conference champions: ACC, Big 12 and Pac 12.

Here are the FIVE TEAMS from these conferences in Notre Dame's way of earning a College Football Playoff spot -- and the ranked teams left on their schedule:

BAYLOR

Oklahoma
@ Oklahoma State
@ TCU

UTAH

They do not face a ranked team for the rest of the season

TCU

@ Oklahoma State
@ Oklahoma
Baylor

CLEMSON

Florida State

FLORIDA STATE

@ Clemson
@ Florida

So, here's how it needs to play out:

BAYLOR / TCU -- this needs to happen:

We need Baylor and TCU to lose one of their games with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
If only one of the teams loses -- that team needs to win the game between Baylor and TCU on November 27th

UTAH -- this needs to happen:

Utah needs to lose one game -- they have these games left on the road; USC, Washington and Arizona

CLEMSON -- this needs to happen:

They need to lose to Florida State

FLORIDA STATE -- this needs to happen:

They need to beat Clemson -- then get hammered by Florida when they travel to the Swamp to take on the Gators on November 28th

And, we need STANFORD to keep on winning -- BIG!!! Setting up our game in Palo Alto on November 28th as our "play-in" game for the College Football Playoff!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

ND Alum George Blaha: Voice of MSU Spartans

The long-time radio voice of the Michigan State Spartans is Notre Dame alum George Blaha '66 -- here is his call on the fumbled punt snap in Ann Arbor...

Full Game Replay: Notre Dame 41 -- USC 31

Here's the full replay of NBC's broadcast of Notre Dame's win over USC Saturday night...

I Found My Notre Dame Halloween Costume!

This photo was taken yesterday somewhere in the vicinity of Notre Dame...

AWESOME is all I can say!!!

USC Players Talk Loss to Notre Dame

USC's Interim Coach Talks Loss to Notre Dame

Notre Dame Moves Up in Both Major Polls

The Fighting Irish are now ranked #10 in the latest Amway Coaches Poll and #11 in the AP Poll after last night's 41 - 31 win over USC.

LINK: RANKINGS

OT: Michigan's Radio Call of Last Play vs. MSU

If you're a Michigan fan -- you won't want to listen to this radio call (home team announcers) of the last play of the game against Michigan State. TOP LINK BELOW.

On a sad note for MSU -- the player who scored the game winning TD -- dislocated his hip in the celebration. See bottom link.

LINK: MICHIGAN'S RADIO CALL

LINK: MSU PLAYER DISLOCATES HIP IN CELEBRATION

A Photo Coach Kelly Will Not Want to See Again

Notre Dame QB Deshone Kizer "flipping" for a first down...

WNDU-TV Post Game Coverage ND Over USC!

WSBT-TV Post Game ND 41 -- USC 31

The Mornin' After ND Beats USC 41 to 31 !!!

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media has to say about Notre Dame's come from behind 4th quarter win over USC last night...

LINK: LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LINK: SPORTING NEWS

LINK: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK: FOX SPORTS

LINK: NBC SPORTS

LINK: ESPN

"Sneak Peek" at Notre Dame's ICON

Corey Robinson Talks Touchdown Catch

Coach Brian Kelly Talks 41 - 31 Win Over USC

Pre-Game Fun With the "Four Horsemen" at ND

Comedic star Bill Burr was at our home prior to the USC vs. ND game yesterday along with fellow comedians; Paul Virzi, Joe Bartnick and Jason Lawhead -- AKA "The Four Horsemen."

They along with the NFL Players Association's Willis Whalen and film producer Ben Tishler (Notre Dame "Fighting For" TV spots) were here at Notre Dame to see the Fighting Irish beat the Trojans. As you can see from the photos, my family had a great time hosting these guys.

The bottom photo shows Bill holding court -- he was telling the story of appearing in Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" -- with ND alums Jimmy Small '08 and Dan Dunne '08.

Top photo L to R: Joe Bartnick, Paul Virzi, Bill Burr and Jason Lawhead.

The four comedians begin their tour tomorrow in Fort Wayne, IN -- leading up to a big date at Madison Square Garden on November 14th. The tour schedule is linked below:

LINK: BILL BURR CONCERT TOUR

Saturday, October 17, 2015

WSBT-TV -- USC vs. Notre Dame Pep Rally

WNDU-TV -- USC vs. NOTRE DAME

Game #412 of the Last 414 for Stanley Weber!

Notre Dame super-fan Stanley Weber will be attending his 412th game tonight -- out of the last 414 at Notre Dame Stadium -- over the last 74 seasons!

The streak began November 22, 1941 when Frank Leahy's Fighting Irish beat USC 20 - 18 !!! It was the 16th game in this rivalry.

Stanley has kept every ticket over the 74 years at Notre Dame Stadium -- that's him holding the scrap book with the tickets.

His ticket cost for that first game in 1941 against USC -- $2.20 -- his ticket cost for tonight's game: $125.

These are the tickets to his first eight games at Notre Dame Stadium -- CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

Sell-Out Streak at #248 -- Notre Dame Stadium

Wake up. It's Game Day. #BeatSC pic.twitter.com/BtJ4U2yNOu
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) October 17, 2015

Tonight will be sell-out #248 in a row for Notre Dame Stadium!

Notre Dame Beat Writers Talk USC vs. ND

USC vs. Notre Dame -- Media's Take on Game

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media has to say about this evening's PRIMETIME matchup between USC and Notre Dame.

Here's what they have to say:

LINK: LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK: HEAVY

LINK: OBSERVER

LINK: ESPN ND BLOG

LINK: NBC SPORTS

Friday, October 16, 2015

Brennan Elected Notre Dame Trustees' Chair!

Former CEO of Vanguard and Notre Dame parent Jack Brennan (all three children are ND alums) was elected Chair of Notre Dame's Board of Trustees.

He will assume these duties on July 1, 2016.

LINK: STORY

Photo: Football Royalty with Will Fuller!

There's not many people walking around the planet with this pedigree:

Notre Dame alum
Heisman Trophy Winner
All-American
College Football Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Famer

That's Tim Brown with Will Fuller -- this morning at Notre Dame!

Stanford Game Could Be a "Play-In" Game!

Thank you Stanford -- for your convincing 56 - 35 win over UCLA last night!

If Notre Dame and Stanford -- run the table undefeated the rest of the season -- this will be the Fighting Irish's "play-in" game for the College Football Playoff.

LINK: STORY