Tag: BYU

Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. BYU

This matchup is pretty reminiscent of the Irish’s last game, no?

Notre Dame still hasn’t fully gotten out of the sluggish start to its season. Sure, the punting is impressive, but the offense mostly still leaves a lot to be desired. It’s no wonder the Irish are at .500 through four games because if that offense was any better, we’d most likely be talking about a 3-1 team with the first win coming against Marshall. Still, we’ll take a team that holds onto the ball for extended periods of time and also doesn’t give up a lot of first downs.

BYU is a lot like North Carolina, which the Irish faced in their last game. The offensive numbers are off the charts, but the defense could stand to be a lot better. To this point, the offense has been able to overcome the defense to the point where the Cougars are ranked. The question is whether the Irish will be just as forgiving of that as most of their other opponents have.

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

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame football: BYU game start of the redemption roadmap

What happens Saturday will go a long way in telling the ultimate story of the 2022 Fighting Irish.

On the surface, one could think that since Notre Dame already has two losses and is unranked, there isn’t much at stake in the grand scheme of things.   However, when the Irish and BYU kickoff in the latest [autotag]Shamrock Series[/autotag] game under the bright lights of Las Vegas, that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Saturday’s game presents itself as a pivot point, a delineating line, even a tipping point if you will for what the rest of this season can and will become for Notre Dame. Sure, notching two losses before anyone even needed to dust off a hoodie or jacket ended Notre Dame’s playoff chances early this year, but there is a bigger picture dynamic in play. One of finding your identity, building confidence and establishing a solid foundation from which the long term Freeman Era can begin to build from. This is a critical mission that would need to be accomplished whether Notre Dame was undefeated or in its current state of record. 

The opportunity to face the 16th ranked team in the country in a game with extra juice due to its location and buildup, coming off a strong road win and two weeks to rest and recharge should have the Irish salivating at the chance to notch a ranked win and build on the momentum gained in Chapel Hill.

There is nothing that can be done now to undo the early September slip ups. What can be done is for Notre Dame to show that they are a different team, have found themselves and are improving every week and can end this season strong which would be terrific for the current teams’ morale and also would go a long way in recruiting as well.

Page Two- The Redemption Tour Roadmap

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Notre Dame-No. 16 BYU: Staff game predicitons

What happens Saturday night in Vegas? (In terms of the game, not the other stuff!). @gfclark89, @mikefchen, @alwaysirishinc, @jf_fey, and @nickshepkowski give their picks

Sometimes you look up, see you’re a week into October and all of a sudden that disastrous start to the 2022 season for Notre Dame feels like it was a lifetime ago.  That’s almost certainly how things will feel for the Irish if they’re able to take care of business in the [autotag]Shamrock Series[/autotag] game Saturday night in Las Vegas against a solid BYU team.

But just as easily, if things go south in this one it would feel like a massive step back after a strong showing in North Carolina to close September 2-2 ahead of last week’s bye.

So what happens Saturday night in Sin City and is it the first step in a favorable October that could see Notre Dame go unbeaten for the month?

Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees happening Saturday night:

What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame vs. BYU

Looks like not many people have faith in the Irish.

After a week off, Notre Dame is back in action for its annual Shamrock Series game, which is in Las Vegas this year. BYU is the school that gets to face the Irish in an event that typically goes Notre Dame’s way. Will it happen again?

Let’s look at what some college football experts, including fellow College Wire sites, are predicting for this game:

Notre Dame football: Marcus Freeman on Jacob Lacey’s departure

So who fills in for Lacey upon his sudden departure?

When Notre Dame picked up their first win of the 2022 season against Cal it came with a massive sigh of relief as they stopped the bleeding after an 0-2 start.  Perhaps the biggest star on defense that afternoon for the Irish was defensive tackle Jacob Lacey who recorded a pair of sacks and five tackles on the afternoon.

Fast forward a few short weeks later and Jacob Lacey has officially played his last down for Notre Dame as he announced on Thursday that he’ll be sitting out the rest of the season, redshirting, and transferring out of Notre Dame.

Marcus Freeman did his regular Thursday session with the media via Zoom and discussed Lacey’s departure.

“It’s a position that’s extremely deep. The defensive tackle position is one of the deepest positions we have on our team. Chris Smith will play a little bit more. You’ll see a guy like Gabe Rubio play a little more.  Jason Onye has moved from scout team to getting reps with the defense.

“Lacey was a great player who did a lot of great things for us. But it’s a deep position. He made a decision that ultimately was best for him. We respect it. We love Jacob, and the best thing about it is he leaves here with a degree in his hand. That’s what I want for these young men. If you decide to leave in hopes of going somewhere and playing more, don’t waste this opportunity to earn a degree from this university.”

-Marcus Freeman on defensive tackle Jacob Lacey’s departure

Notre Dame looks to move to 3-2 on the season in their first game without Lacey on Saturday night as they travel to Las Vegas to take on BYU in the Shamrock Series game.

[lawrence-related id=62198,62124]

[listicle id=62176]

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Michael Mayer vs. Keanu Hill

Who do you think will have a better game?

Finally, Notre Dame is seeing at least one offensive skills position live up to the preseason hype. [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] received a lot of attention before the season, but like the Irish as a whole, he hasn’t always aligned with where many thought he would be at by the Irish’s first game in October. The question now is whether he can hold onto this top receiver distinction for the rest of the season. Given how unpredictable 2022 has been so far, anything is possible.

First, let’s say BYU’s Keanu Hill has one of the coolest names you’ll encounter in college football right now. Now, let’s give him credit for being more efficient this season than Mayer. Granted, neither player is averaging that many yards. However, if this year’s Shamrock Series game absolutely must come down to a pass, it’s likely that either of these players will be the main target depending on which team is on the field at that particular time.

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

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Discussing Notre Dame running back’s ‘controversial’ comments

Did you have anything wrong with what he said?

A lot of eye brows were raised and attention was put on sophomore Notre Dame running back [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] on Wednesday as he met the media and provided the next Fighting Irish opponent with some surefire bulletin board material.

Estime was asked about what he sees in BYU, who sits at 4-1 and ranked 16th in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.  Despite the solid start to the year and nationally ranking to go along with it, Estime isn’t fearful of what BYU brings to the table.

But was what Estime said worth the pushback some seem to want to give it?

You first have to listen to the actual audio before making a grand conclusion, so let’s go ahead and do that.

If you ask me (and you should if we’re being honest) it’s a 19-year old answering a question honestly and a pleasant change of pace for Notre Dame fans.

NEXT: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COMMENTS

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Notre Dame vs BYU: Confidences & Concerns

A few things to feel good about and a few things to worry about

After a tumultuous and stressful first month of the Marcus Freeman Era, it feels like the bye week was a much needed and welcomed chance for everybody around the Notre Dame program.  Players, coaches and fans alike were  able to sit back, take a breath and just slow things down for a moment.

As we emerge from the break and focus on the Irish’s Shamrock Series game versus BYU in Las Vegas this weekend, a tremendous opportunity presents itself to Notre Dame. The chance to knock off the 16th ranked team in the country and show that early early September was a mirage and not who the Irish are.

n this regard, what happens in Vegas most definitely does not stay in Vegas. The Irish can take the proverbial “next step” in forming their early Freeman Era identity by notching a ranked win in primetime this Saturday. Let’s take a look at three confidences and three concerns I have pertaining to the Irish entering this affair. 

Tale of the Tape: Leading Rushers – Audric Estime vs. Chris Brooks

Do you agree that this is about even?

Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series game with BYU likely won’t be known for what the running backs will do. That’s not to say [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] hasn’t done well for the Irish this year. Even though we’ve said before that [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] should be the one leading this category, it’s time to come to terms with the likelihood that Estime is the main man to run with the ball going forward. Hopefully, that also means more of an opportunity to break out.

Before transferring to BYU this season, Chris Brooks was a two-time rushing leader with California. Not missing a beat, he has ended up right where he was with his previous program.

In the case of this matchup with Estime, Brooks is about even with nothing to really separate one from the other. The most interesting part to watch here will be if either running back has a surprise breakout game.

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

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame football: Shamrock Series history

Which Shamrock Series game was the best one?

For the 11th time in program history Notre Dame is officially taking a home game to a road location as the [autotag]Shamrock Series[/autotag] is set to take place this Saturday night in Las Vegas as the Irish play “host” to BYU.  As you’re likely aware, Notre Dame has done extremely well all-time in these games going 10-0 to date with really only a couple even being competitive.

Saturday will feature a game against one of the better opponents Notre Dame will have played in this series however with the 3-1 Cougars.

Notre Dame has worn alternate uniforms for the game on nine occasions,  a tradition that wasn’t a part of things when the series began back in 2009.  Here is a quick look back at Notre Dame’s all-time showings in the Shamrock Series.