Category: Notre Dame Football

Lou Holtz seemingly trolls Ohio State with his Top 16 rankings

Lou Holtz and Ryan Day coming to a daytime soap opera near you…

Perhaps you or a close friend of yours loves reality TV.  The love is probably there because it offers an escape from ones own reality and the indescribable drama that is observed usually can’t be made up, even though it often is.

The drama both on the field and off, certainly is the same for college football and Lou Holtz continues to participate in it with Ohio State.

We’re all aware of Holtz’s comments about Ryan Day and Ohio State the day before they met Notre Dame in South Bend.  We’re aware of Ryan Day firing back right after the game and Holtz reacting.

But it’s seemingly still somehow not over yet.

Holtz participates in the Football Writers Association of America/National Football Foundation Super 16 Poll each week.

Do they actually matter?

If the AP Poll doesn’t really matter then Lou’s really don’t, either.  However, that doesn’t mean they’re not compelling.

Check out where Holtz ranked Ohio State in this weeks’ rankings below after Ohio State had a week off.

Notre Dame football’s Howard Cross earns national recognition for play vs. Duke

What a weekend for Cross!

If you had [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] defensive tackle [autotag]Howard Cross[/autotag] on your 2023 Irish bingo card to win a weekly national award, you might as well just go home with your prize now.

After a game against Duke where Cross completely dominated to the tune of 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack and 2 forced fumbles, it shouldn’t be surprising at all that he was named the [autotag]Reese’s Senior Bowl defensive player of the week[/autotag].

The fifth-year player is making a name for himself in his final go-around with the Irish. It would not surprise me one bit for Cross to hear his name getting called in the [autotag]2024 NFL draft[/autotag].

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Notre Dame Football: Irish Halfway Through Brutal Stretch

Think the last two weeks were tough?

Notre Dame’s 2023 schedule breaks down into three segments. Segment one is ensuring they were 4-0 heading into the Ohio State game. That mission was accomplished. Games 5-8 are where this season will be made or broken for the Irish. So far they are 1-1 with 2 very challenging games that lie ahead before reaching the bye. Segment 3 is ideally about closing out a playoff push.

This schedule looked daunting on paper in the summer. It looks even more so now. Notre Dame played undefeated NC State at their place. Undefeated Ohio State. Undefeated Duke at their place. Now undefeated Louisville awaits at their place before the Irish return home to face what will almost certainly be an undefeated USC team. Brutal.

Let’s examine this historic schedule stretch in more detail.

Notre Dame moves up in US LBM Coaches Poll following comeback win at Duke

The Irish move up, but how far?

[autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag] is still riding their high from last night’s thrilling comeback victory on the road against Duke and the win reflected well in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Irish found themselves down 14-13 with just under 9 minutes remaining and on their final actual drive, went 10-plays for 95-yards, with running back Audric Estime capping it off with a a 30-yard touchdown scamper.

Notre Dame avoided an upset, like Georgia, Washington, USC and Missouri did, but others like Utah, LSU and Florida lost to lesser teams. It was another wild weekend of college football, but that’s why we love it.

The Irish benefitted from some of these losses and moved up in the latest coaches poll, which you can see below.

Notre Dame football: Outstanding photos from thrilling win at Duke

The game might not have been pretty but the pictures sure were. W!

It wasn’t worthy of any awards for best picture but by night’s end it was enough for Notre Dame to move to 5-1 in 2023.

We’re of course talking about the 21-14 comeback victory the Fighting Irish had over Duke on Saturday night.  It was a night that things started well for Notre Dame but mistakes and failed executions kept Duke hanging around until momentum had finally fully switched in the second half.

For the second week in a row, Sam Hartman helped guide Notre Dame on a late touchdown drive to take the lead.  His 4th and 16 run that extended the drive and game for the Irish won’t be forgotten about anytime soon.

Audric Estime then taking a handoff up the middle and running it for the game-winning touchdown instead of settling for a last second field goal was music to Notre Dame’s ears.

Again, the game might not have been pretty but the end result was, as were the photos from Duke.  Check out the very best of them on a night nobody will soon forget below.

5 stars: The best and worst of Notre Dame’s comeback win at Duke

That was fun but things went well and some didn’t for Notre Dame

[autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] is riding the roller coaster that we all love, college football.For the second week in a row, the Irish were in a 60 minute battle, but this time on the road against [autotag]Duke[/autotag], Notre Dame found a way to win.

Quarterback [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag], with his 6 years of experience found a way to drive the Irish 95-yards for the game winning drive.Running back [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] put the exclamation point on the win with his 30-yard touchdown run, to provide the go-ahead score.

Like always, there was good, 5-stars, and not so good, 1-star, performances for the Irish tonight. Find out below what went well and didn’t in Notre Dame’s 21-14 road win over Duke.

Notre Dame-Duke: Reaction to Sam Hartman’s incredible run

A run for the ages!!!

Notre Dame was dead to rites Saturday night.

After a 4-0 start the Irish were seconds away from falling for the second week in a row.

Forget College Football Playoff dreams, the New Year’s Six was one play away from being taken out of the picture.

4th and 16 at the Duke 47-yard line with just 51 seconds to play and Sam Hartman delivered a run that will go down in Fighting Irish history.

To me it wasn’t the same stage obviously, but it brought back memories of John Elway in Super Bowl 32.

Hartman made it 17-yards and kept the Irish alive.  Here is how the college football world reacted to the incredible run below.

Watch: Sam Hartman’s epic run converts 4th down for Notre Dame

Notre Dame needed a miracle and Sam Hartman provided it. Watch it again here!

It looked like it was just about done for Notre Dame.

Trailing 14-13, the Irish faced a 4th and 16 at Duke that failing to convert would send them to 4-2.

The Irish needed a miracle to extend the game and quarterback Sam Hartman provided exactly that.

Duke dropped eight men in coverage and protected against pretty much anything down the field.  Hartman, who came up short on a pair of key fourth down runs last week against Ohio State, wasn’t coming up short this time.

If you haven’t seen it, check out the video below immediately.

Heck, if you were watching live, check out the video a time or two, or ten, below.

My instant thought went to John Elway in Super Bowl 32 when he helicoptered on a run to secure the win for the Broncos.

Sam Hartman.

Your table is ready.

Notre Dame without leading receiver vs. Duke

Not ideal.

Notre Dame and Duke are set to kickoff in just moments and although widely speculated this week, we now have official word that Fighting Irish leading receiver Jayden Thomas will not play.

Thomas tweaked his hamstring in last week’s loss against Ohio State.  The injury occurred in the second half and he did not return after suffering it.

Along with Thomas, it also sounds like freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse won’t be able to play either.

It’s not an ideal way for things to start on a huge night for Notre Dame at undefeated Duke.

Keep it at Fighting Irish Wire throughout the night for everything on the game.

 

Notre Dame vs. Duke: Staff predictions as Irish look to rebound

Leave your prediction in the comments/responses…

What Notre Dame team is going to show up Saturday night in Durham, North Carolina?

The Irish will be looking to get back in the win column after suffering a heart-breaking loss at home to Ohio State last week.  All they have to do to get win No. 5 of the year is beat an unbeaten Duke squad that is playing their biggest home game since the second World War.

No pressure.

Will Notre Dame answer the call against one of college football’s sweethearts of the early part of 2023?  Or will they suffer the same fate Clemson did to start the year and have the home Blue Devils crowd rush the field after an upset?

The Fighting Irish Wire staff is back at it again and has their predictions for Saturday night’s action below: