Tag: Blake Grupe

Twitter reacts to Audric Estime’s go-ahead touchdown before halftime

Notre Dame has found itself trading touchdowns with North Carolina. It’s a little surprising given how little success the Irish have had on offense for the first month of the season, but we’ll take it. The question is whether they can survive a …

Notre Dame has found itself trading touchdowns with North Carolina. It’s a little surprising given how little success the Irish have had on offense for the first month of the season, but we’ll take it. The question is whether they can survive a blow-for-blow game for 60 minutes. The answer to that will come soon enough.

After a game-tying score by [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag], the Irish took the lead on a 30-yard play-action touchdown pass from [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag] to [autotag]Lorenzo Styles[/autotag]. The Tar Heels responded quickly when Drake Maye hit J.J. Jones for a 43-yard reception to the Notre Dame 3-yard line, then found Josh Downs for his second touchdown of the game three players later. The game wouldn’t stay tied for long as a series of big runs and a couple of nice passes got the Irish to the 1. It was from there that [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] ran into the end zone to put the Irish back in front.

The Irish made the lead 24-14 on a 40-yard field goal from [autotag]Blake Grupe[/autotag], but here’s how Twitter reacted to the go-ahead score:

Twitter reacts to Notre Dame’s first touchdown against California

At least it’s a step.

It’s turning into an accomplishment for Notre Dame just to reach the end zone. We haven’t been able to give you a lot of highlights this season because there haven’t been many of them. But the Irish were bailed out on a missed field goal from [autotag]Blake Grupe[/autotag] on an offsides penalty against California. They took advantage of it, and [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag] found [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] in the end zone to tie the game in the second quarter:

Irish fans have been desperate to talk about anything positive. The first quarter only featured punt after punt after punt, so that made it boring. When the Bears scored a touchdown off a fumble the Irish lost on a bad snap, it went from bad to worse. At least the Irish finally got on the scoreboard.

Here are a few Irish fans who expressed their gratitude for completing what’s increasingly becoming a difficult task:

Three more Notre Dame players make award watch lists

Hopefully, one of these players wins.

College football continues to creep closer, and preseason award watch lists to continue to come out. On Thursday alone, three more Notre Dame players were named to them. Actually, it was two new players and one player making a second list. When it rains, it pours.

Look, we have no delusions that the Irish are going to sweep every award with one of their players on one of these lists. Not only is that a virtual impossibility, but outsiders would become extremely suspicious that the whole system is rigged for one school. Heck, the College Football Playoff is rigged for only two or three conferences, so it’s not like there should be another reason to get on fans’ bad side.

Still, it’s nice to see which players there are to watch for the Irish this season. They may not all pan out, but the expectations will be there.

Anyway, here are the latest Irish players on watch lists: