Tag: Blue Gold Game

Watch: Andrew Yanoshak catches first touchdown pass of Blue Gold Game

Here’s the first time the Irish found the end zone in their spring game.

The great thing about Notre Dame’s annual Blue Gold Game is that we get to see players shine who otherwise might not during the season. Take sophomore tight end Andrew Yanoshak for example. His impact on the Irish has been so minimal so far that we didn’t even have a tag for him in our system until this story. But catching a touchdown pass from Drew Pyne is a good way to break through:

We know we were kind of rough on Pyne in our last story considering he threw two interceptions in the first half. However, he showed that for his flaws, he’s just as capable of making scoring plays. Then again, he’s shown it before as he threw for touchdowns in 2021 against Wisconsin and Cincinnati. The question is whether he will be able to do it on a more consistent basis in 2022 or at least match the three touchdown passes Tyler Buchner threw as Jack Coan’s backup last year.

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Watch: Drew Pyne throws second interception of first half

How are you feeling about this?

With an ankle injury forcing Tyler Buchner to the sidelines for the Blue Gold Game, all eyes turned to Drew Pyne. If he was going to have any chance of making Buchner feel his starting job was threatened, this was the time to for it to happen. Instead, Pyne has made it easier for Notre Dame fans to believe that Buchner isn’t moving from his top spot om the depth chart. In the first half, he threw two interceptions, the latter of which came on this play:

No disrespect to Marist Liufau for making a heck of a play. However, Irish fans would sleep easier knowing their team has a solid backup in case Buchner gets hurt when the actual games start. The Irish are on their way to another great season, but how great exactly could depend on how many blows they’re able to absorb to their best players. Pyne’s line of completing nine of 17 passes for 82 yards after that interception won’t exactly inspire confidence.

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Watch: Freeman leads Notre Dame out of tunnel for Blue Gold Game

We could get used to this.

Few if any Notre Dame fans count anything in the Blue Gold Game unless someone gets seriously hurt. Therefore, Marcus Freeman leading the Irish out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium hasn’t officially happened yet. Still, it’s nice to get a preview of what it will look like once September rolls around with a packed stadium and an actual opponent to play. That’s why it was exciting for the decent-sized crowd that gathered for the Irish’s annual spring game to see this:

Here’s hoping Freeman will be doing this for a long time during Saturdays in the fall. He clearly has the respect of everyone in that locker room, and he definitely loves where he’s at. Maybe it’s because this is first opportunity to lead a major college program, or maybe deep down, he’s completely shed his Ohio State roots and doesn’t want to coach anywhere else ever. Either way, the Irish are lucky to have him (no pun intended).

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Watch: Notre Dame releases Blue vs. Gold hype video

Get hyped up!!!

Today is the day when the Irish take on
. the Irish. Football is back, sort of, but that shouldn’t subside the significance of the annual spring game. The Blue vs. Gold game is a preview of what we will see this fall. Players who didn’t see the field next year will get a chance to show their off-season improvements.

Stars get a chance to work on the little things that will continue to elevate their game. Depth charts start to materialize, who has the coaches confidence right now as they will bide their time until fall camp starts. Either way, it’s an exciting day and this hype video released by the Notre Dame Football Twitter account gets us just a bit more amped up.

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Watch: Young Notre Dame fans practice ‘Celtic Chant’

Teach your children and grandchildren well.

With the Blue-Gold Game only days away, Notre Dame fans are feeling the 2022 season creeping closer. Now is the time to get back into gear for the return to Notre Dame Stadium. That includes moving with whatever the Band of the Fighting Irish chooses to play at any given moment. One piece is the “Celtic Chant”, and two young Irish fans are preparing for what they’ll do when the band makes that selection:

It’s safe to say the future of the Notre Dame fan base is in good hands when you see videos like this. That’s a comforting thought knowing that one day, we won’t be around to carry on all these traditions the Irish have become famous for. Therefore, it’s up to us to show the next generation how it’s done. The Irish are rooted greatly in tradition, and we want to make sure those keep going for as long as possible.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Running back recruit Gi’Bran Payne commits to Notre Dame

Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.

For the past month-and-a-half, our Michael Chen has been keeping tabs on Gi’Bran Payne, a running back recruit based in Cincinnati. Earlier this week, Payne set Good Friday as the day he would announce his decision. True to his word, he did just that, and it’s good news for Irish fans:

Notre Dame’s gain is a loss for Indiana, with which Payne previously had signed a letter of intent before asking for and being granted his release. Not so coincidental is that Marcus Freeman hired Hoosiers Deland McCullough to the same position after losing Lance Taylor to Louisville.

As for whether the Irish needed another running back in their 2022 recruiting class, Irish beat writer Pete Sampson of The Athletic offered this:

“With Payne on board, Notre Dame should have five scholarship running backs on the roster this fall with Chris Tyree, Logan Diggs, Audric Estime and Jadarian Price. A year from now, that number could grow to seven after adding Class of 2023 commitment and top target Jayden Limar, who plans to visit for the Blue-Gold Game next weekend.

Would Notre Dame really carry seven scholarship running backs at one time? Probably not, which might be a tell of future roster turnover. There’s nothing wrong with letting a group of four-star prospects fight it out for carries, then wishing those at the bottom of the depth chart well if they’re looking for a bigger opportunity.”

Hey, if running back becomes as powerful a position for Notre Dame as tight end, there’s nothing wrong with that.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame announces the date of this years Blue-Gold game

Mark your calendars

The spring football season is right around the corner and the Irish have already narrowed down a date for their spring contest. The annual Blue-Gold game will be held on Saturday, April 23 at an unknown time.

This will be the first spring under new head coach Marcus Freeman and that’s not the only change the Irish will deal with. Gone are massive contributors from last years team like running back Kyren Williams, quarterback Jack Coan, defensive tackle Kurt Hinish and safety Kyle Hamilton. In are a new set of potential stars in safety Brandon Joseph, a Northwestern transfer, and a host of incoming freshman who will try and make their mark immediately like offensive tackle Joe Alt did this past season.

The glorified scrimmage will give fans an idea of what Notre Dame football team might look like this fall, but if I had to guess, Freeman won’t be showing too much on the second-to-last Saturday in April.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame fans now can get The Shirt for 2021

It has arrived.

A simple name like The Shirt doesn’t sound exciting, but it definitely is for Notre Dame fans. For over 30 years, the release of The Shirt has represented another step toward the new college football season. It traditionally is released ahead of the Blue-Gold Game, which will return one week from now after COVID-19 wiped out last year’s game. Right on schedule, the 2021 edition of The Shirt has been released, and you can buy your own here:

As always, proceeds from The Shirt will be given to The Shirt Charity, which benefits Notre Dame students. Even with the end of the pandemic in sight, there are plenty of Notre Dame students who could use financial help after everything that’s happened over the past 13 months. The reasons for that help vary, but this definitely is a time for the community to come together for a great cause. Why not support this cause and look stylish for the upcoming season at the same time?

Watch: Notre Dame releases hype videos ahead of first spring practice

Preparations for the 2021 season officially began Saturday with Notre Dame’s first of 15 spring practices.

Preparations for the 2021 season officially began Saturday with Notre Dame’s first of 15 spring practices. Those who follow these practices intimately will be interested in all of the different storylines. Of course, there are fans simply excited to see their team back in action, and highlights of watching the team succeed during games and work out at the practice facility will suffice. That’s why with the initial spring practice underway, Notre Dame chose to release a couple of videos celebrating the offense and defense, respectively:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxM_JjOwdaY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6D6ibP45g8

While the Irish have lost a few key players from the memorable 2020 season, there will be no shortage of returning talent to keep fans hyped. Among them are Kyle Hamilton, Kyren Williams, Drew White and Isaiah Foskey. Fans also will be eager to see if a returning quarterback wins the starting job or if that honor goes to transfer Jack Coan. These are only a few of the reasons fans will be watching this series of workouts leading up to the Blue-Gold Game.

Watch: Notre Dame releases hype videos ahead of first spring practice

Preparations for the 2021 season officially began Saturday with Notre Dame’s first of 15 spring practices.

Preparations for the 2021 season officially began Saturday with Notre Dame’s first of 15 spring practices. Those who follow these practices intimately will be interested in all of the different storylines. Of course, there are fans simply excited to see their team back in action, and highlights of watching the team succeed during games and work out at the practice facility will suffice. That’s why with the initial spring practice underway, Notre Dame chose to release a couple of videos celebrating the offense and defense, respectively:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxM_JjOwdaY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6D6ibP45g8

While the Irish have lost a few key players from the memorable 2020 season, there will be no shortage of returning talent to keep fans hyped. Among them are Kyle Hamilton, Kyren Williams, Drew White and Isaiah Foskey. Fans also will be eager to see if a returning quarterback wins the starting job or if that honor goes to transfer Jack Coan. These are only a few of the reasons fans will be watching this series of workouts leading up to the Blue-Gold Game.