Category: 2021 ND Football

Kirk Herbstreit calls Michael Mayer the nation’s best tight end

Will Mayer be the best Notre Dame tight end of all-time?

Michael Mayer had a massive debut season in 2020 as he pulled down 42 receptions for 450 yards and a pair of scores while being a force as a blocker as well.  The young man looked more like a seasoned NFL veteran than he did a person who was barely old enough to vote in last November’s election.

Just how good will Mayer be as a sophomore this fall?

Time will tell but during his annual “Herbie’s” preseason awards show longtime college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit called Mayer the best tight end in the game.

Herbstreit mentioned Notre Dame’s use of tight ends being such an old school approach and noted he’s excited to see Mayer after a full year of collegiate workouts as he’ll be bigger, stronger, and faster.

In other words:

Good looking stopping him.

Related:

Michael Mayer Player Profile/Photo Gallery

 

On Notre Dame’s ‘offensive’ mascot, nickname

Does the nickname “Fighting Irish” offend you?

Sadly I’m not at all surprised SOME people are offended by the Notre Dame mascot and nickname.

Some people also have enough time on their hands to complain and moan about a mascot but don’t use any time to actually research said mascot or team nickname.  They’d instead rather be upset and distraught than listening for a minute and perhaps learning a thing or two.

That’s not to take anything away from some of the egregious mockeries sports have made with names, logos and mascots over time.  The Washington Football Team’s old nickname, Cleveland Indians former logo, and Marquette University’s appalling old mascot were all called out until changed and rightfully so.  Each of those examples were done to make a mockery of a certain group of people and that can’t be denied.

The Notre Dame leprechaun mascot however?

Since it was just named the fourth most-offensive mascot in college sports let’s go over just a few things to see just how “offensive” the mascot and Fighting Irish names are.

*-please note that all bold type below is taken from Dana Hunsinger Benbow’s recent piece for the Indianapolis Star

Tommy Rees Medical Update

Not a fun way to spend a Monday night…

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees underwent an appendectomy on Monday night.  He will be resting on Tuesday before returning to the team on Wednesday according to a release from the Notre Dame football public relations department.

Notre Dame is set to open their 2021 season on Sept. 5 as they travel to Florida State.

Related:

What they’re saying: Everything Tommy Rees said after practice

 

I’m tired of this Virginia Tech hype

Is anyone really that fearful of a little loud music?

At one time Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium was home to one of the seemingly best home field advantages in all of college football.

From 1993 to 2019 the Hokies played in a bowl following each season, a stretch that was broken at 27-consecutive years following last year’s 5-6 overall showing, an incredible run considering Virginia Tech combined to go just 5-17 in Frank Beamer’s first two years on the job.

In five seasons at Virginia Tech, head coach Justin Fuentes and the Hokies have gone just 38-26 which has him entering the season on a rather hot seat.

Furthermore, Fuentes and the Hokies are just 4-12 in 16 games played against ranked opponents during his time, with zero of those four wins coming against teams that ultimately finished the season ranked.

All of that, but whenever going to Blacksburg gets brought up, we’re still greeted with this:

As Notre Dame fans are well aware, the ACC Network left out a key part of that night’s events as the Irish walked out a 45-23 victor.

The part of the Virginia Tech game that does scare me a bit in 2021 isn’t at all the fact that Notre Dame has to go to big, bad, and mighty Lane Stadium, nor is it that they’ll have to hear Mariano Rivera’s entrance music, but instead it’s where the game is at on the schedule.

In the two weeks before the Virginia Tech trip Notre Dame will play two of their toughest opponents; Wisconsin and Cincinnati.  A bye follows the trip before USC and North Carolina come to South Bend on consecutive weekends.

Playing in the College Football Playoff twice in three years, Notre Dame has a lot of players who have played on much bigger stages than at Lane Stadium on a Saturday night.  If there is a time for a letdown it would appear that game at Virginia Tech is as likely as any to me on Notre Dame’s schedule.

But fearful of the actual trip to Blacksburg because of some loud music before kickoff?

Exit light, enter night.

Related:

Ranking Notre Dame’s 2021 schedule by difficulty

Winningest coaches in college football history

Watch: Notre Dame freshmen butcher fight song

Be honest: do you know all the words?

It’s the most iconic fight song in all of college sports that most recognize after hearing the first couple of bars.

But what about the words?

Junior defensive back Litchfield Ajavon took fans behind the scenes a bit as he recently asked Notre Dame freshmen enrollees to sing the words to the Victory March and it went even more horribly than you would probably expect.

Take a look at the video below that includes an appearance from a certain former Notre Dame quarterback turned Notre Dame assistant coach:

There are some (cough, my sister, cough) that will get more upset that players don’t know the words to the fight song than they got when Notre Dame was blitzed by Michigan in 2019.

Would it be cool if every player knew the words perfectly before they stepped foot on campus?  Sure, but if they don’t it’s going to take a lot of convincing for me to think that has any real impact on if the Irish go 12-0 this regular season or if they go 3-9.

Related:

Notre Dame’s preseason rankings under Brian Kelly

Notre Dame’s 2021 football schedule

First Notre Dame home game to sell out a bit surprising

Maybe the third or fourth home game you’d expect to sell out but probably not the first…

When you look at Notre Dame’s home slate in 2021 the list of opponents is fairly impressive, but it may come a bit as a surprise as to which game sold out first.

It wasn’t the “Greatest Intersectional Rivalry” in college football as tickets for the USC game remain and it wasn’t potential first overall pick Sam Howell and the North Carolina Tar Heels that opponents sold out first.

Instead it was the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats the first weekend of October that sold out first.

Related:  Notre Dame Football 2021 Schedule

Initially one would look at Notre Dame’s biggest rival and then probably Carolina as the two most likely to sell out first, but Cincinnati makes a ton of sense when you consider it’s been a top-ten to fifteen program in recent years, is coming off a New Year’s Six appearance, the fact it’s plenty driveable to South Bend, and since the Bearcats have never played in Notre Dame Stadium.

Then factor in all of the storylines between it being the former employer of Brian Kelly, Marcus Freeman, and Mike Mickens and it only makes more sense.

You can purchase Notre Dame tickets online for the other games still by visiting UND.com/tickets.

 

Watch: Kyren Williams mic’d up at practice

How many running backs in the nation would you take over Williams?

Few teams have a better running back situation entering 2021 than Notre Dame as they’ll have a strong backfield featuring Kyren Williams, Chris Tyree, and C’Bo Flemister to start.

Williams, last year’s ACC Offensive Freshman of the Year, leads the unit and is one of the best all-around backs in the country as he’s a threat in the running game, passing game, and blocks as well as just about any back in the nation.

Williams was mic’d up for a Notre Dame practice recently and the end result was a video you can see below:

Related: 

2021 Player Profile – Kyren Williams

Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams wows LeBron James

Coan named to Golden Arm Watch List

On a scale of 1-10 how good do you feel about Notre Dame’s quarterback situation in 2021?

This release is from the University of Notre Dame athletic department:

University of Notre Dame graduate student quarterback Jack Coan was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List Thursday afternoon. The Golden Arm Award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.

Coan joined the Irish in the spring as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Wisconsin. During his time with the Badgers, he played in 25 games while making 18 starts. He finished his Badger career ranked third all-time in completion percentage (68.0%) and third in pass efficiency rating (144.7) all-time and held a 12-6 record.

Prior to his final season at UW, he was named to the Golden Arm Award Watch List along with the Maxwell Award, Manning Award and Davey O’Brien Award Watch List. He ended up missing the entire 2020 season due to injury before transferring to Notre Dame.

Related:

Notre Dame names Jack Coan starting quarterback

Everything Brian Kelly said after Thursday’s practice

What they’re saying: Brian Kelly after Thursday’s practice

What has been your biggest takeaway from this fall camp?

We’re just over two weeks away from Notre Dame stepping on a plane and heading to Tallahassee to open the 2021 football season at Florida State.

Are the Irish ready and what still needs fine-tuned before kickoff the first Sunday night of September?

Head coach Brian Kelly met the media following Thursday’s practice and updated the masses on everything related to Notre Dame football.  Here is everything the head coach had to say:

What They’re Saying: Tommy Rees after Wednesday’s practice

What are fair expectations for Notre Dame’s offense this year?

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is trying to take Notre Dame from having a very good offense to having one of the best in college football.

How likely is that to happen in 2021?

Rees discussed the development of several of his players at Wednesday’s media session following practice.