Tag: Brian Kelly

No. 16 Notre Dame Blasts Boston College: A Few Good Numbers

Kmet’s sixth touchdown reception of the year also joined him with Ken MacAfee for the school record for most in a single season by a tight end.

40-7 has a good ring to it as Notre Dame routed Boston College and moved to 9-2 on the year. In our Five Instant Thoughts piece after the game we discussed some of the bizarreness in terms of Notre Dame’s incredibly evenly disturbed offensive production.

What other numbers are worth taking a second look at after the blowout victory.

Cole Kmet:

Became the tenth tight end in Notre Dame history with 400 or more receiving yards in a single season and the first to do so since Troy Niklas in 2013.

Kmet’s sixth touchdown reception of the year also joined him with Ken MacAfee for the school record for most in a single season by a tight end.

Chase Claypool:

Claypool’s touchdown reception against Boston College was his tenth of the season and sixteenth for his career. No player has reached the 10-plus touchdown reception mark since Will Fuller in 2015, while his latest touchdown reception tied him with Jim Seymour for the tenth-most by a receiver in Notre Dame history.

Going Streaking:

In completing their second-straight undefeated home season the Irish are now winners of their last 18 home contests. It marks the first time since the 1988-89 seasons that Notre Dame went unbeaten at home in consecutive seasons.

With Saturday’s 40-7 win over Boston College the Irish won their third straight game by 30 or more points for the first time since 1989 when they beat up Pitt, Navy and SMU in consecutive games.

Notre Dame: 2022 Running Back Leaves with Offer

Class of 2022 running back Nicholas Singleton of Reading, Pennsylvania was on campus for Saturday’s 40-7 win over Boston College and walked away from his visit with a little more than just a t-shirt from the bookstore. Singleton, listed as 5’11” and …

Class of 2022 running back Nicholas Singleton of Reading, Pennsylvania was on campus for Saturday’s 40-7 win over Boston College and walked away from his visit with a little more than just a t-shirt from the bookstore.

Singleton, listed as 5’11” and 195 pounds walked out of his visit with an official scholarship offer.

Singleton also made an unofficial visit to campus for the USC game back in October.  The Notre Dame offer is the eighth he’s listed as receiving, joining Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and William & Mary.

 

No. 16 Notre Dame Blasts Boston College: 5 Instant Thoughts

Hamilton went from a relative-unknown as a recruit as little as 14 or so months ago.  By the time he actually enrolled in school some outlets had him as Notre Dame’s highest ranked recruit in the class and his instant-impact isn’t going unnoticed.

 

Although the first half was closer than most would like, the final score was a rout as No. 16 Notre Dame improved to 9-2 on the season as they beat up Boston College, 40-7, as four scores, three being field goals in the first half turned into four scores with three being touchdowns instead in the second.

The win completes a second-straight undefeated season at Notre Dame Stadium and gives the Irish a great chance at their third 10-win season in a row, something that hasn’t been done since 1991-93.

No. 1: Domination on Defense

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No. 16 Notre Dame/Boston College: Keys & Predictions

Notre Dame lost four times alone on their home field in 2016. Since then they’ve lost only six times total and only once one their home field, that coming against eventual national runner-up Georgia in 2017.

No. 16 Notre Dame welcomes Boston College this weekend as Senior Day is upon us. It’s not a perfect formula seeing as plenty from the 2016 recruiting class have a year of eligibility remaining and will be back next season but take this into consideration as many will play their final game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday:

Notre Dame lost four times alone on their home field in 2016. Since then they’ve lost only six times total and only once one their home field, that coming against eventual national runner-up Georgia in 2017.

I know that ultimate goal of another appearance in the College Football Playoff isn’t attainable but an unbeaten November for a program that has had their issues late in seasons to play hard and play well through the end is worthy of some praise, although not everything.

So how do the Irish avoid coming out flat in their final home game of 2019 and walk out victorious while preferably not hopefully not having things get overly interesting late?

Keys:

Offense:

Jeff:

Things probably aren’t going to come as easy as they did last week but I thought the diversity of the play calling last week from Chip Long was on point. Continue to use the skill sets of these young receivers like Keys and Lenzy and build their confidence. If all else fails, throw it to Claypool 🙂

Nick:

Boston College gets thrown all over all the time. Ian Book has looked very good since the last two drives against Virginia Tech, keep that rolling today and hang a big number.

Defense:

Jeff:

Stop AJ Dillon. Make BC work through the air. It’s really that simple to me. Dillon is one of the toughest players in the country to bring down and there’s no doubt the Irish have struggled against running games that can at least throw the ball a little. I’m looking at you Navy. 

Nick:

Contain the running game. AJ Dillion is great and he’s a threat in their pass game as well but David Bailey is solid too, assuming he ends up playing Saturday. Michigan made you look a fool while you went and just did the same to Navy – now take care of business against BC’s rushing attacking.

Predictions:

Jeff: Notre Dame 38, Boston College 17

Nick: Notre Dame 34, Boston College 20

Notre Dame Bowl Projections: New Years Six Chances Improving?

So what does the blowout victory win and ultimately more importantly, what does this week’s No. 16 ranking matter for where Notre Dame will be headed this post-season?  

No. 16 Notre Dame had one of their best wins of the season last Saturday as they put a beating on previously 23rd ranked Navy and moved to 8-2 in the process.

Notre Dame didn’t move up in the College Football Playoff rankings despite Auburn having their third loss of the season, this one coming on their home field.  As much as it stings Fighting Irish fans, as we discussed earlier this week, the Irish have nobody to blame for that but themselves.

So what does the blowout victory win and ultimately more importantly, what does this week’s No. 16 ranking matter for where Notre Dame will be headed this post-season?

Knowing that last week only one of the eight experts we track had Notre Dame headed to a New Years Six Bowl Game, you may be pleasantly surprised what this weeks projections have for the Irish.

Notre Dame Bowl Projections:

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How Do You Build the All-Time Greatest Notre Dame Receiver?

I’ve only been contributing to the Irish Wire for a short time, but in that time, I feel like I’ve used it as a forum to serve as President of Chase Claypool’s fan club. And guess what? I’m ok with that! But during the course of our frequent …

I’ve only been contributing to the Irish Wire for a short time, but in that time, I feel like I’ve used it as a forum to serve as President of Chase Claypool’s fan club. And guess what? I’m ok with that!

But during the course of our frequent exchange of e-mails and direct messages, Irish Wire Grand Poobah Nick Shepkowski brought up the idea for the following: How would you build your perfect Notre Dame wide receiver?  He says it was because of something Golden Tate tweeted in regards to Claypool earlier this week.

Me, being the sucker for any article idea with historical context, started mapping out my ultimate pass-catcher. A few rules before we get started on my list. First, each player can only be used once for the various characteristics. Of course some of these guys could be on there for various things, but we’re trying to spread the love. Next, my own historical reference dates back to right around 1990. Sorry Tim Brown, Tom Gatewood and Jack Snow fans. Finally, this is my list. I’m not going to pretend like I know everything. I welcome the debate. Now, on with the construction.

We start with my most important trait for a wide receiver. 

First up: Best Hands

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Florida State Reportedly Interested in Brian Kelly

Fast-forward 17 days and we have found claims that Florida State is indeed interested in Notre Dame’s Kelly as their next head coach.

When Florida State fired head coach Willie Taggart back on November 3 we were quick to tell you to be on the lookout for rumors about whoever your favorite head coach is to be taking the job in Tallahassee, Brian Kelly included.

Fast-forward 17 days and we have found claims that Florida State is indeed interested in Notre Dame’s Kelly as their next head coach.

Bud Elliott and Ingram Smith of NoleCast cite independent sources that Florida State has interest in Brian Kelly and give reasons behind why it would at least a hair of sense.

“Two people have told us FSU has interest in Brian Kelly”

“There’s a little bit of question about the fit, but the proven track record of hiring assistant coaches and having them get promoted to other jobs and hiring new ones who are as good or better is really impressive.”

“He’s a really good recruiter with his staff. I think he knows what goes on in the south east, because we know he’s recruited some of these guys, and not always gotten them, but we know that’s due to some of the academic stuff” 

-NoleCast Podcast on November 19, 2019

Elliott and Smith also discuss how Notre Dame’s academic standards and the difficulty winning big with them creates would make the Florida State job appealing to Kelly.

I get where they’re coming from and if you’re Florida State you should be looking anywhere and everywhere for a proven coach who is going to turn their recent sorry state of affairs around.  As much as I’m not a Florida State fan, they’re a team that the game of college football, or at least the ACC, is just better when they’re good.

My only question though: Why would Kelly have any interest in going to a Florida State program where a massive rebuild is needed just to get in the same ballpark as Clemson, let alone pass them?

How likely is it to happen?

On a scale of “Beating Bowling Green to Lennay Kekua”  I’d be somewhere near George O’Leary but short of Kekua.

CFP Rankings: Notre Dame Done No Favors by Committee

Auburn clearly has a better win to its name than Notre Dame has as the Tigers knocked off now No. 6 Oregon way back on opening weekend.

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The latest College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night with little actual movement at the top as Nos. 1-6 all remained the exact same as a week ago.

What will perhaps anger some Notre Dame fans however is what happened to the Irish after dismantling previously No. 23 Navy:

The Irish remained at 16 with three-loss Auburn coming in a spot above them at 15.

Auburn clearly has a better win to its name than Notre Dame has as the Tigers knocked off now No. 6 Oregon way back on opening weekend.

The Irish have one win over a top-25 team, that being in mid-October over No. 23 USC. They also knocked Navy out of the top-25 last week while Virginia Tech is knocking on the door to enter the rankings.

Is it frustrating that you see three losses next to Auburn’s name and two next to Notre Dame’s yet see the Tigers ranked ahead?

Absolutely.

But the problem here isn’t an Auburn/Notre Dame problem, it’s a Notre Dame/Michigan problem.

If Notre Dame shows up for that game and simply doesn’t get routed they’re not sitting at 16 right now, they’re a couple spots higher and the path to a Cotton Bowl is much easier to figure out.

But get blown out in a game where a 45-14 was somehow worse than the score even indicated.

I wish I could work up the energy to be upset but it’s as simple as that late-October date in Ann Arbor will probably cost the Irish a New Year’s Six date, which sucks for Irish fans but is plenty deserved.

Vanderbilt Keeping Mason Good News for Notre Dame

What it means for Notre Dame is that defensive coordinator Clark Lea won’t be leaving to take that head coaching vacancy that many feared he would.

Derek Mason is returning to Vanderbilt for a seventh year, Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports reported today which means good things for the Notre Dame football program.

You may be asking or saying to yourself “How the heck does it matter, they play Vandy once every 20 years or so, if that, so it’s not like an easy win is coming anytime soon for the Irish…”

Not that the last two times the two met were any walks-in-the-park for Old Notre Dame.

What it means for Notre Dame is that defensive coordinator Clark Lea won’t be leaving to take that head coaching vacancy that many feared he would.

Lea walked onto the football team at Vanderbilt after spending time early in college playing baseball at a couple of smaller schools. He wound up at Notre Dame as linebackers coach in 2017 before taking over the defensive coordinator position a year later.

With the success Lea’s defenses have had at Notre Dame the link to him taking a next step and becoming a head coach, specifically at his alma mater is obvious.

Right now the Notre Dame defense ranks in the top-20 nationally in fewest points per game, fewest yards per play, third down conversion percentage, passing yards per game, completion percentage and yards per pass-attempt.

As frustrating as the run defense was at times this year, you can’t argue the unit overall has produced yet again.

This isn’t an athletic director giving out a “yeah, we love him, he’s our coach” type of line, it’s an actual report that Mason will be back at Vanderbilt, who currently sits 2-8.

Which means Lea should in all-likelihood be back at Notre Dame in 2020, a great thing for the program.

Notre Dame Opens a 19.5 Point Favorite vs. Boston College

Standing between them and a 7-0 home record and a 9-2 overall mark is Boston College who has been known to be a general nuisance over the years.

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No. 15 Notre Dame has the chance Saturday to secure their second-straight undefeated home season. Standing between them and a 7-0 home record and a 9-2 overall mark is Boston College who has been known to be a general nuisance over the years.

Notre Dame has taken six-straight in the Holy War and 15 of 24 all time versus Boston College and will be a significant favorite to do so yet again Saturday, opening as a 19.5 pick.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated 11/18 at 2:09 p.m. ET.

Boston College is seeking bowl eligibility as they enter at 5-5. The Eagles will be coming off a bye but lost their last time out, November 9 against Florida State, 38-31.

No. 15 Notre Dame meanwhile will enter at 8-2 and winners of their last three and are still in play for their third-straight ten-win season, which they haven’t accomplished since 1991-93.

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