Category: 2021 ND Football

Five best bowl gifts for players in 2021-22 bowl season

Did Notre Dame and Oklahoma State get the best bowl gift?

One of the underrated parts of college football’s bowl season is when the list of gift giveaways for players comes out.  It’s a little bit late in bowl season this season and we’ve had plenty of strange happenings in regards to games being cancelled and teams being changed out but there were still five different games that had better giveaways than all the others.

Which bowl games were they and what did the players get in each of those games?

After looking at all the bowl game gifts for players here are the ones we decided were the five best:

Jack Coan discusses Fiesta Bowl and his year at Notre Dame

What will you most remember about Jack Coan from his one year at Notre Dame?

Jack Coan only played football at Notre Dame for one season but had enough memorable moments in that season that his efforts won’t soon be forgotten in or around South Bend.  Coan will play his final collegiate game on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl as he’ll quarterback the Irish against a stingy Oklahoma State defense.

Coan met the media earlier this week and discussed his career, Oklahoma State’s defense, and his one-time commitment to Notre Dame as a lacrosse player.

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Notre Dame-Oklahoma State Staff Predictions

What is your prediction for the Fiesta Bowl?

The 2021 Notre Dame football season will be remembered for many things:

Will the 2021 season end on a high note as Notre Dame looks to end their drought of not having won a major bowl game since January of 1994?

Here is how the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees the Fiesta Bowl going…

Significant injury news regarding Notre Dame defense

How much would Notre Dame miss him Saturday?

Notre Dame is just days away from taking on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl and the Irish already knew they’d be without star safety Kyle Hamilton who hasn’t played since mid-October.  Now it appears that Notre Dame may be playing without another stellar member of their secondary as cornerback Cam Hart was seen at Wednesday’s practice with his leg heavily wrapped and not moving around well whatsoever.

Hart was stellar in Notre Dame’s secondary this season with his biggest game coming against Wisconsin when he recorded a pair of interceptions.  If he’s  unable to go expect to see more playing time at corner for senior Tariq Bracy or possible some of freshman Ryan Barnes.

Related:

Photos from Notre Dame’s Tuesday Fiesta Bowl practice

What to know about Oklahoma State

Shuffling on offensive line for Notre Dame ahead of Fiesta Bowl

Ryan Day’s offer to Marcus Freeman

Notre Dame WR Kevin Austin talks Fiesta Bowl, future

Should Austin stay one more year?

Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin has been discussed for his great potential for seemingly years.  Injuries and off-the-field issues kept Austin from reaching that potential for a long while however.

That is until this regular season when Austin hauled in 42 receptions for 783 yards and six touchdowns.

Will Austin, who still has eligibility remaining, return for another go at Notre Dame or will he dip his feet in the NFL draft waters?

He discussed that and the Fiesta Bowl ahead of Saturday’s contest versus Oklahoma State.

Tagovailola-Amosa accepts Shrine Bowl invitation

How much will you miss watching MTA?

Myron Tagovailola-Amosa (MTA) will be officially be playing his final game for Notre Dame in Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl as the defensive end has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl.  Notre Dame’s official Twitter account made the announcement on Wednesday.

MTA is a fifth-year senior but has a year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID year the NCAA put into place for all players in 2020.

MTA finished this regular season with 20 tackles, a pair of sacks, and a fumble return for a touchdown that will go down as one of the greatest senior day memories in recent Notre Dame memory.

Related:

Photos from Notre Dame’s Tuesday Fiesta Bowl practice

What to know about Oklahoma State

Shuffling on offensive line for Notre Dame ahead of Fiesta Bowl

Ryan Day’s offer to Marcus Freeman

Veteran Notre Dame defender details how Marcus Freeman has changed

How much would getting a job like that change you?

When you get promoted to be the head coach of perhaps the most known program in all of college football at just 35 years old it’s probably easy to change as a person.  According to veteran Notre Dame defensive lineman Kurt Hinish, that’s exactly what has happened in regards to Marcus Freeman since the 35 year old was named head coach earlier this month.

Well, sort of, anyway.

Hinish met the media for perhaps the final time as a Notre Dame player on Wednesday ahead of the Fiesta Bowl and was asked how Freeman has changed to which he gave a golden response.

Alright, so maybe the quick rise in the coaching ranks doesn’t change you that much after all.

Related:

Photos from Notre Dame’s Tuesday Fiesta Bowl practice

What to know about Oklahoma State

Shuffling on offensive line for Notre Dame ahead of Fiesta Bowl

Ryan Day’s offer to Marcus Freeman

No Notre Dame band for Fiesta Bowl

Bummer of news this Wednesday

Notre Dame will be without a famed part of its football tradition in Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl as their band will not be making the trip from South Bend to Glendale, Arizona.  The official Notre Dame band Twitter account announced that information on Wednesday.

With COVID cases again rising we’re guessing that is the reason for the band’s trip being halted.  It’s a shame for anyone in the group but especially the seniors and not hearing the “Notre Dame Victory March” at a Fighting Irish bowl game will certainly be strange.

Related:

Photos from Notre Dame’s Tuesday Fiesta Bowl practice

What to know about Oklahoma State

Shuffling on offensive line for Notre Dame ahead of Fiesta Bowl

Ryan Day’s offer to Marcus Freeman

Fiesta Bowl: Marcus Freeman discusses Notre Dame’s prep

Scale of 1-10 how excited are you for this Fiesta Bowl?

New Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will be coaching his first game as a head coach on Saturday when the Irish take on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.  It’s a chance for Notre Dame to record their first major bowl victory since January of 1994 and for the Irish to start the Freeman era with a bang.

How has Freeman prepared for his first game as head coach and who has he leaned on for support?

And what does he see as the biggest key to beating Oklahoma State?

He discussed those things and more to start the week:

Fiesta Bowl: Rees says Notre Dame underestimated Jack Coan

How did Jack Coan perform compared to your expectations for him in 2021?

When Jack Coan announced last January that he’d be transferring to Notre Dame it was seen as a placeholder type of thing until Tyler Buchner was ready to take control at the quarterback position.  Some thought that would be by the middle of 2021 but clearly that isn’t the way things worked out.

After bailing Notre Dame out with a pair of late fourth quarter drives to tie and eventually win the game at Virginia Tech in early October, any thought of Coan not starting were silenced.  Now offensive coordinator Tommy Rees says the Notre Dame staff actually underestimated what Coan would bring to the table.

“He’s going to make a roster next year in the NFL, I have no doubt about it” Rees said during his media availability on Monday, “Our biggest regret is that we only get one year with him.”

Coan threw for 2.641 yards along with 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2021.  It’s not the stats but the comebacks against Toledo and Virginia Tech as well as his leadership and the obvious respect from his teammates that I’ll remember most about his year at Notre Dame however.

Oh, and the winning.

Related Fiesta Bowl Items:

What to know about Oklahoma State

Shuffling on offensive line for Notre Dame ahead of Fiesta Bowl

Ryan Day’s offer to Marcus Freeman