Tag: Blue and Gold Illustrated

Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship established in memory of writer

Lou Somogyi’s name will carry on in a meaningful way.

The Notre Dame writing community was shaken last weekend by the sudden loss of longtime Blue & Gold contributor Lou Somogyi. However, efforts to keep Somogyi’s legacy alive already are underway. Coman, the publisher of Blue and Gold, has announced the establishment of The Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship. Donations will be accepted beginning Thursday.

Somogyi, who was from South Bend, took the Rudy Ruettiger route of transferring to Notre Dame from Holy Cross. Appropriately, South Bend natives who transfer from the smaller school to the big school will be given first priority for this scholarship. Next priority will be given to any other student who transfers from Holy Cross to Notre Dame. Finally, any Notre Dame student in financial need will be considered.

Somogyi may be gone, but this scholarship ensures he will remain an integral part of the university community. It’s the least that could happen after all of the lives he touched during his longtime association with Notre Dame.

Source: Lance Taylor to remain as Notre Dame running backs coach

Another Irish assistant is staying put.

Kyren Williams probably is headed to the NFL after this season, but the man who coaches his unit appears he will stay at Notre Dame. A source has told Blue and Gold Illustrated that running backs coach Lance Taylor will remain in his position when Marcus Freeman takes over:

Taylor, currently in his third season with the Irish, will have quite the amount of returning talent next year. Chris Tyree and Logan Diggs both have made great strides in 2021, and it will be interesting if either one of them can make up the production Williams is sure to leave behind after he most likely turns pro. It also will be worth monitoring how Audric Estime grows next year with more opportunities sure to come his way.

We don’t know if any of those running backs will develop into the next Christian McCaffrey, who Taylor coached at Stanford, but anything is possible after we’ve seen what Williams has become under the coaching of Taylor.

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Notre Dame mourns loss of Blue & Gold senior editor Lou Somogyi

The Notre Dame writing community just lost a giant.

Whatever team you root for, there always is someone who has a deeper knowledge of it than you could dream of. Consequently, that person wins the utmost respect of people connected to the team. In the case of Notre Dame athletics, that person was Blue & Gold senior editor Lou Smogyi. Sadly, Smogyi died suddenly of an apparent heart attack Saturday at age 58.

The news was shocking to many in the Notre Dame athletics community, and Twitter tributes began to pour in. Among those expressing sadness were Brian Kelly, Mike Brey, Tommy Rees, Ryan Humphrey, Brian Polian, and Jack Nolan:

It never is easy to lose someone with encyclopedic knowledge about the thing they love. Those of us who write about Notre Dame know that we never will be able to duplicate what Somogyi contributed during his time covering the Irish. However, we can honor his legacy by striving for the excellence he did, and we owe at least that much to you readers.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Great Forecast Given for Incoming Notre Dame Freshman RB Chris Tyree

Bryan Driskell, publisher of Sports Illustrated’s Irish Breakdown site, has written a lot about Notre Dame since 2014.

Bryan Driskell, publisher of Sports Illustrated’s Irish Breakdown site and football analyst for Blue and Gold Illustrated, has written a lot about Notre Dame since 2014. He also coached college football for a decade. The man knows talent when he sees it, and he thinks he’s found it with one of the Irish’s newest players.

Driskell has written about incoming Notre Dame freshman running back Chris Tyree. For a long time, the Irish have lacked someone in the backfield with game-changing speed, and Driskell thinks they’ve found that player in Tyree. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s kept up with Notre Dame’s recruiting for the Class of 2024.

Though Driskell doesn’t anticipate that Tyree will start or even get the majority of carries right away, he advocates for Tyree to not only play this fall, but get seven to 10 touches in each game. He figures it’s the best way for Tyree to foster his game, even as he’s coming off an injury-plagued senior season in high school.

The idea of a Notre Dame running back being automatic seems ludicrous to longtime fans. That Tyree might be the one to change that generates excitement. The pressure is on the coaching staff to develop this kid the right way. Whether they actually do it will be a burning question for some time.