Category: Notre Dame Football

Notre Dame Wasn’t Tight End U Until This Birthday Boy Paved Way

It’s not that great tight ends weren’t a thing before Derek Brown joined Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish in 1988, but the high level of performance at the position wasn’t as steady as it is now.  More on that later, let’s focus on Brown, the birthday boy, for now.

Think for a second about how Notre Dame has become Tight End U in the last few decades.  Just tracking the position from now to the late 80’s is remarkable in a way to do.

In a few weeks Cole Kmet will join Alize Mack, Durham Smythe, Ben Koyack, Troy Niklas, Tyler Eifert, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Anthony Fasano, Jerome Collins, Josh Owens, Jabari Holloway, Dan O’Leary, Pete Chryplewicz, Irv Smith and Derek Brown as the 15th different Notre Dame tight end to be drafted since 1992.  On average, every other year has seen a Notre Dame tight end get drafted in that time.  So let’s examine that last name listed a bit as he turns 50 today.

It’s not that great tight ends weren’t a thing before Derek Brown joined Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish in 1988, but the high level of performance at the position wasn’t as steady as it is now.  More on that later, let’s focus on Brown, the birthday boy, for now.

Derek Brown’s numbers at Notre Dame look rather pedestrian by today’s standards, having pulled down 62 receptions in four seasons.  Eight of those receptions wound up being touchdowns while he totaled 899 yards along the way, 71 of which came against West Virginia to clinch the ’88 national title.

He was also very key in helping run an offense that required tight ends that were willing to throw their body around and get physical, something his career stats don’t show.

With Brown turning 50 today I looked up any stories or information I could find about him.  Back in 2013 he did an interview with “Her Loyal Sons” that shares the bizarre feeling he had after winning the ’88 title, why he chose Notre Dame over Miami and plenty on what he’s been up to since leaving football.

Ultimately Brown didn’t prove worth the 14th overall pick, scoring just one touchdown in his NFL career but he did raise the bar significantly for what has since become Tight End U.  There were greats before him in the form of Ken MacAfee, Dave Casper and Mark Bavaro but the regularity they came out wasn’t nearly as great, although still impressive.

Those soon to be 15 draft picks at the position in 29 years is insane. For comparisons sake though, in the17 years previous to Brown being drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft, five Notre Dame tight ends were drafted.  That’s not bad talent at the position but clearly after Brown ended the four year drought of Irish tight ends getting drafted at all, it’s become a regular occurrence.

Happy 50th, Derek Brown!

FIW Tournament 2020: Final Four Set After Two Upsets

Will it be the top two seeds meeting in the championship? Our final four is set, take a look and make your votes now.

We’ve reached the end of the road, the Final Four has been determined by you, the Fighting Irish Wire viewers.  The tournament was all chalk through three rounds with only one and two seeds remaining in the Elite Eight.  Well, we’ve reached the Final Four and a pair of those one seeds won’t be joining us in it.

Your Elite Eight Results:

Basilica Region:

It’s one of the greatest games in all of college football history, not just Notre Dame football history so it should be no surprise whatsoever that Notre Dame’s 31-30 win over Miami in 1988 rolled its way through the Basilica Regional.  The classic 1988 affair again dominated in the regional final as it knocked out the second seeded Sugar Bowl upset of Florida from the 1991 season, 95-5%.

We figured it’d be tough to slow down but we thought maybe there were some Jerome Bettis die-hards out there that would have voted for upsetting Spurrier.  Nope, not the case.

Grotto Region:

In the Final Four it will be the ’88 Miami game facing a two-seed as it was the 1992 Penn State game getting by the ’89 team’s Orange Bowl upset of top-ranked Colorado, 58-42%.

Which game meant more?  Beating and ruining a team’s chances at a national championship in the Orange Bowl is about as big as anything short of winning your own title – or so we thought.

There is something about doing it on your home field, in snowy conditions and all of it happening in the final home game in the career of Jerome Bettis, Reggie Brooks and Rick Mirer.  Now factor in the how, a last-second comeback over a team that had won a pair of national titles themselves in the decade previous and stacked with future NFL players.

The upset in the Orange Bowl was great, but somehow South Beach just doesn’t hold a candle to a snowy November day in South Bend.

At least not in this case.

Other side of the bracket results…

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CFN Calls for Notre Dame to be “Major Player” in 2020

We’ve seen Notre Dame ranked anywhere from eight to the teens in pre-season polls. Are they a real threat to the CFP? One expert says yes.

In recent weeks we’ve seen the second wave of pre-season rankings for the 2020 college football season with some being positive about Notre Dame’s outlook while others scale back expectations a bit.

Chances are if you’re reading this that you’re a Notre Dame fan.  Well, get ready to get really pumped up.  You can find the entire post by my podcast partner Pete Fiutak at College Football News.  From his post on “Five Nutty College Football Predictions That Just Might Be Right”, he brings up Notre Dame as his second biggest and says the following:

Notre Dame will be a major player in the College Football Playoff chase

This year, they won’t have to go unbeaten to be in the CFP mix.

…That leaves three killers on the slate to deal with.

The first is against Wisconsin in Lambeau Field. Win or lose that, at worst, Notre Dame should be 7-1 when it’s time for Catholics vs. Cats.

November 7th will be the first time Clemson comes to South Bend since it beat the Irish 16-10 back in 1979.

If the Tigers are unbeaten and No. 1, and Notre Dame can pull off the win, it’ll be enough of a boost to deserve top four discussion in the CFP at the end of the rainbow if it can also pull off a win at USC.

Pete goes on to praise Ian Book, the offensive line but wonder about who steps up to replace the departing talent that is NFL-bound.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times.  Tell me if this team’s offensive line is able to road grade like some of the teams in recent memory.  I know it’s rare when lines can dominate quite like the offensive lines did in 2015 or 2017, but last year’s unit took a significant step back in the running game, specifically against the big-time opponents.  Now can it take a step forward this year?

And who steps up as targets for Ian Book as both Cole Kmet and Chase Claypool depart for the NFL?  While you’re at it answer for me what happens with the Notre Dame secondary. Kyle Hamilton is a star in the making but will the inexperience around him rise to the occassion?

You answer these questions and this should be a team that could potentially knock off Clemson and play in the College Football Playoff.

If the answers to these questions aren’t to our liking?  This team is full of nine or ten win potential, plenty good enough to get back to Orlando for another Camping World Bowl appearance.

Happy Birthday, Ian Book!

When I think of Ian Book it’s not the game-winning touchdown he scored against Virginia Tech I remember first, it’s instead his 2018 performance against a stingy Northwestern team while playing with a rib injury that would keep him out the following week.

Ian Book has started 22 games at Notre Dame and has won all but three of them.  Today he celebrates his 22nd birthday and I get that he’s not every Notre Dame fan’s cup of tea, but he’s going to leave the Notre Dame football program towards the top of several lists.

He will enter 2020 sixth in all-time passing yards at Notre Dame and have a real shot to be second on that list by seasons end as just 2030 yards separate him from Jimmy Clausen.  Brady Quinn sits atop with 11,762 passing yards.

His 57 touchdown passes are the fourth most already and just four fewer than second place Tommy Rees, who shared birthday wishes for Notre Dame’s current QB1 earlier today.

To top that off Book has 1032 career rushing yards which ranks 15th most in school history and could finish in the top-ten if his 2020 numbers are anywhere near what he did in 2019.  His eight rushing touchdowns are also tied for 24th in school history and are the same amount Armando Allen ran for in his four seasons.

Book will go down as a great on the stat sheet but barring something unforeseen in 2020, I’m not going to remember him for numbers.  When I think of Ian Book it’s not the game-winning touchdown he scored against Virginia Tech I remember first, it’s instead his 2018 performance against a stingy Northwestern team while playing with a rib injury that would keep him out the following week.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LKS8RIGi5Y&w=560&h=315]

The guy competed and stuck final thorn in the paw of the Northwestern Wildcats to stay unbeaten, all while playing through a bunch of pain.  If that doesn’t say enough about a guy for yo u

So happy birthday, Ian.  Now go enjoy a burrito or two!

WATCH: Notre Dame Ranks Top 10 Kick/Punt Returns (We React)

Timmy Brown went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1987 and the campaign got kick-started with a pair of punt returns against Michigan State that season, a team that would go on to win the Big Ten en route to the Rose Bowl.  I’m more on Team Rocket here than Team Timmy

In the days of no actual events we’ve been given different types of content from the places we’re used to seeing press conferences, highlights of practice or sound bytes from different players and coaches.

Notre Dame Athletic Department’s YouTube channel has done that as well.  Last week they introduced the “Notre Dame Minute” in order to keep fans connected with the Fighting Irish football team.  This week we’ve already seen the Notre Dame Fighting Irish athletic page release their own fresh content.

#NDTopTen debuted Monday afternoon with the YouTube channel counting down the “Top Ten Kick/Punt Returns”.  Since we crave sports highlights of any type right now, enjoy their work and the trip down memory lane:

OK, so they made their top ten, now it’s time for mine.  Or at least thoughts on their ten…(made it on a different page to avoid any spoilers that might upset some of you)…

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Notre Dame’s DB Hamilton Highlighted Once Again

Irish safety Kyle Hamilton makes yet another Top list of players, this time under 20 years old.

You should be accustomed to hearing Notre Dame defensive back Kyle Hamilton’s name pop up on lists of top players in the country, with it happening again today as 247Sports named their Top 20 players who haven’t turned 20. A list like this is merely a projection to future success, but for Hamilton it is another validation that the soon to be sophomore is in line for a huge season.

Although the writers did not individually rank each player, it is still an impressive feat for Hamilton. The emerging sophomore should step into a starting spot at safety this coming season. “People around Notre Dame believe Hamilton was the most impactful true freshman defender of the Brian Kelly era,” is high praise for Georgia native, 247Sports wrote. Check out some of his highlights from his freshman year here.

So far Hamilton has been everything the Irish could have hoped for through less than one year on campus. If he fulfills the hype that is building for his second season in South Bend, we might just see one more year after that.

Notre Dame Greatest Game Tournament – Final Day of Elite Eight Voting

Last call for voting in the Elite Eight of the greatest games tournament is here. Check it out and get your votes in. Will any 1 seed fall?

We’re into the closing minutes (hours, actually) of the Elite Eight round in the 2020 Fighting Irish Wire Tournament.  In determining the greatest Notre Dame football games since 1986 we’ve gone from 64 to eight and will be into our Final Four later tonight.

Thoughts on the tournament so far?

Mine are that the seeding committee did too good of a job to date.  With eight “teams” remaining, all are the 1 and 2-seeds in their respective regions.  Sure we’ve seen a few upsets but there is no Cinderella in the round of eight.

So who moves on?  That’s up to you and you have until 10 p.m. ET Monday night to get it done.  Vote here for the Elite Eight match-ups:

Basilica Regional Final:
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Grotto Regional Final:
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Hesburgh Regional Final:
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Golden Dome Regional Final:
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Voting will close again at 10 p.m. ET and we’ll know our Final Four then.  Based off the time of posting (just after 3 p.m. ET) we already seem to know one of your regional winners as ’88 Miami has a 97-3% lead in voting over the Sugar Bowl upset of Florida.

Notre Dame Football: Elite Eight Voting – Golden Dome Region

The Golden Dome Regional Final finds Notre Dame’s last national championship clincher meeting up with the final regular season game that year, a 1. Notre Dame vs. 2. USC match-up.  As you’re probably not surprised, 1988 remains well-represented in this as we continue to narrow things down.

We have reached the Elite Eight in determining the greatest Notre Dame football game since 1986.  As we said upon selection, there were some great ones that didn’t end in Notre Dame’s favor, no doubt.  We did decide make the requirement that Notre Dame did in fact need to win in order to garner consideration for a tournament berth.

The Golden Dome Regional Final finds Notre Dame’s last national championship clincher meeting up with the final regular season game that year, a 1. Notre Dame vs. 2. USC match-up.  As you’re probably not surprised, 1988 remains well-represented in this as we continue to narrow things down.

Tale of the Tape:

What else is there really to say other than “Notre Dame clinched a national championship!” when they beat West Virginia to cap the 1988 season in the Fiesta Bowl.  If you require more though, here you go: Notre Dame was in control for the majority, winning 34-21 and also out-gaining the Mountaineers by 173 yards.  It was dominating for a title performance which to me would probably be the third or fourth most-memorable game from that season, actually.

In order to get to the Fiesta Bowl and have a national championship shot though, Notre Dame had to finish the regular season unbeaten.  To do that the No. 1 Fighting Irish had to go to No. 2 USC and take care of business against Rodney Peete and the Trojans.  They had to do so without Ricky Watters or Tony Brooks who were sent home for missing team dinner Friday night.  Notre Dame lost everywhere that day except the scoreboard and turnover battle.  On just eight first downs and 253 yards (21/356 for USC), Notre Dame completed the perfect regular season with a 27-10 win in the Coliseum.

So Who Moves On – You Decide…

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And don’t forget to vote in the other regional finals, either:

Basilica Region: ’88 Miami vs. ’91 Florida

Grotto Region:  ’89 Colorado vs. ’92 Penn State

Hesburgh Region: ’93 Florida State vs. ’12 Oklahoma

Voting will close Monday evening at 10 p.m. ET so get it done now and share with your friends until then.

Notre Dame Football: Elite Eight Voting – Hesburgh Region

In the Hesburgh Regional Final we see the ’93 Florida State game meet up with what most people consider Brian Kelly’s biggest win to date at Notre Dame, the 2012 win at Oklahoma.

We have reached the Elite Eight in determining the greatest Notre Dame football game since 1986.  As we said upon selection, there were some great ones that didn’t end in Notre Dame’s favor, no doubt.  We did decide make the requirement that Notre Dame did in fact need to win in order to garner consideration for a tournament berth.

In the Hesburgh Region we have our third of four 1 vs. 2 match-ups to decide who goes to the Final Four.  In it we get the last time Notre Dame knocked off number one, 1993’s Game of the Century that saw the Irish beat Florida State in a thriller.

In the Hesburgh Regional Final we see the ’93 Florida State game meet up with what most people consider Brian Kelly’s biggest win to date at Notre Dame, the 2012 win at Oklahoma.

Tale of the Tape:

1993 Notre Dame got off to a hot start upsetting a top-five Michigan team in September but a large chunk of the nation didn’t buy in that they could compete with Florida State’s team-speed by the time November rolled around.  Not only did they compete, they physically dominated the Seminoles for the majority of the afternoon until eventual Heisman Trophy Winner Charlie Ward led Florida State on a late run that got them deep into Notre Dame territory before Shawn Wooden batted Ward’s final pass attempt away as time expired for a 31-24 win over Florida State, vaulting the Irish to number one.

2012 saw Notre Dame complete a 12-0 regular season but most of the nation still wasn’t sold on them as being anything special when they rolled into Norman, Oklahoma with a 7-0 mark in late October.  The Irish entered as a 10 point underdog but quickly proved they belonged on the same field as Oklahoma with Cierre Wood breaking free for an early score.  Tied at 13 in the final frame, Everett Golson found Chris Brown for huge yards to set up the go-ahead score before a Dan Fox deflection wound up intercepted by Manti Te’o to set up a 15 yard touchdown run by Theo Riddick to essentially end things and show that Notre Dame was deserving of a top-five ranking.

So who moves on?  It’s up to you…

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Also vote in the other regional final match-ups if you haven’t already:

Basilica Region: ’88 Miami vs. ’91 Florida

Grotto Region:  ’89 Colorado vs. ’92 Penn State

Voting will close Monday evening at 10 p.m. ET so get it done now and share with your friends until then.

A Flurry of Notre Dame Football Offers Out This Week

The Irish staff offered five more players this week, find out who got a coveted Notre Dame offer.

This normally would be a time where many schools around the country would be having prospects on their campus’ for visits during spring practices, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, recruiting has been quite a bit different. No visit to campus’ allowed currently, but contact is allowed via calls and mailers, and Brian Kelly and his staff have been quite busy this week offering 2021 prospects.

Fighting Irish Wire took a look at the wide receiver recruiting earlier today with the offer out to J. Michael Sturdivant of Texas this week. He wasn’t the only offensive player offered as Illinois ATH Sam Jackson got a coveted Irish offer as well. The former Minnesota commit plays quarterback currently, but at the next level his size might be an issue for the position at 5’11” and 170-pounds. Jackson could potentially be a slot receiver but there is potential on the defensive backfield as well.

Florida defensive back Philip Riley also got an offer from the Irish staff as his recruitment blew up this week. Just in the past few days, Riley added Miami, FL and Colorado to an already impressive offer list that included Clemson, Texas, Penn State among others. Riley posses’ great size for a corner at 6’1” and 190-pounds, so look for Notre Dame to keep recruiting the talented defender going forward.

Staying in the Sunshine state, the Notre Dame staff offered safety Terrion Arnold as well. Similar to Riley, the size is impressive, as Arnold is just a bit taller than Riley at 6’2” and weights almost the same at 187-pounds. The two-sport standout, Arnold is also a star on the hardwood, could play anywhere in the secondary when he arrives in college. Arnold will have his choice of elite schools as he holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Georgia and others.

One more defender got an offer, staying in the defensive backfield with Maryland’s Ryan Barnes. Barnes, like Arnold and Riley, has the elite body type at 6’2” and 175-pounds, for a player in the secondary. What the Irish have going for them with Barnes is that he is also elite in the classroom, with Duke and Virginia among his schools he’s considering. When you think about the academic and athletics mix, Notre Dame is a perfect fit for prospects like Barnes who are looking for that.

The focus of the most recent offers are in the secondary, with just one of the Irish’s 7 commits in the defensive backfield, safety Justin Walters, the staff is hard at work to change that with some elite prospects. After DE David Abiara’s commitment yesterday, the class is back up to 6th nationally according to the 247 composite team rankings. Look for Notre Dame’s class to continue to rise if they add any of the talented prospects that were offered this week.