Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Who doesn’t love a little #MACtion on an October Tuesday night?
For the sixth time in program history Notre Dame will take on a member of the Mid-American Conference, better known as the MAC, on Saturday.
The Irish are 5-0 all-time against current MAC schools and welcome Central Michigan to South Bend for the first time this weekend.
Here is how Notre Dame has fared all-time against the folks that have blessed us all these years with weeknight MACtion as well as which MAC teams show up on Irish schedules in future seasons:
Injury update for Central Michigan week…
Notre Dame is preparing for a Saturday afternoon affair with Central Michigan as the Irish look to move to 4-0. Fresh off a 45-24 victory at North Carolina State on Saturday, Marcus Freeman announced that senior linebacker and captain JD Bertrand exited the game with a head injury.
Freeman met the media for his weekly press conference and updated the status of Bertrand as well as a few other players dealing with pains.
Will Bertrand be able to play Saturday? And what is the status of a few of the others recovering from injuries?
Here are the updates Marcus Freeman gave on a handful of players on Monday.
For the first time ever we can say its Central Michigan week.
Notre Dame sits 3-0 on the college football season and is 11th in the US LBM Coaches Poll. It is rated even higher in the AP Poll.
A 4-0 record looms: Notre Dame has a date with Central Michigan (1-1) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Consider it a tuneup for the Irish. Ohio State comes calling next weekend in one of the most anticipated games at Notre Dame Stadium in some time.
Notre Dame has released its updated depth chart for the Central Michigan contest. It’s worth noting that JD Bertrand, a graduate senior linebacker who suffered a head injury against North Carolina State, is still listed as a starter.
Here is how the entire Fighting Irish squad is set to lineup on Saturday.
Here’s who to watch against Central Michigan.
Notre Dame not only got through its first real test of 2023, but it stepped on the gas against NC State to show how talented it is.
Up next is Central Michigan, which should provide a bit of a breather. More importantly, it will serve as a tuneup for when Ohio State comes to South Bend the following week.
Here are the statistical leaders to watch out for in the upcoming contest:
Best quotes from Mel Tucker’s press conference previewing Richmond match-up
After a sluggish start, Michigan State football was able to handle business and take care of Central Michigan, 31 to 7.
Now, the Spartans will look to hold off Richmond, who will look to rebound after being upset in their week one match-up.
Before the week of prep, Mel Tucker spoke to the media about his team and their upcoming game. You can find the best quotes from that media session below.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
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Michigan State football dominates Central Michigan in season opener following slow start
Michigan State football had fans a little nervous in the start to their season opener against Central Michigan, going down 7-0 until taking a late 10-7 lead to close out the first half, but the Spartans thoroughly dominated Central Michigan in the second half to win their first game of the year, 31 to 7.
The biggest story going into this game was regarding the quarterback position. There was a lot of chatter this summer about who the starter would be. Noah Kim is the veteran and seemed to be the favorite, but Katin Houser also got some buzz, and true freshman Sam Leavitt also made some noise at the end of camp. However, the Spartans went with Kim, a decision that led to some varied results in this one.
Kim, who finished 18-for-31 with 279 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, clearly has a live arm, and isn’t afraid to throw the deep ball and trust his receivers, which was a lot of fun to watch, but he also missed some easy passes throughout this one, so don’t expect the quarterback situation to be settled quite yet. Katin Houser, the redshirt freshman, got some snaps at the end of this one and will likely get more against Richmond as well.
There were some other great bright spots on the offense in this one, as transfer running back Nathan Carter looked like a beast in this one, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown.
MSU’s receivers also impressed, with Jaron Glover and Christian Fitzpatrick both getting huge gains through the air, and Maliq Carr and Tyrell Henry added some very impressive touchdown receptions.
The defense also looked strong in this one following a shaky start against the shifty Bert Emanuel Jr., but they shored it up and held the Chippewas to 7 points on the day.
The Spartans will face Richmond next week at 3:30pm ET.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
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Welp.
Watching Notre Dame’s Sept. 16 game against Central Michigan might have just gotten more challenging if you’re an Xfinity subscriber. You probably didn’t bat an eye when it was announced that this particular would be available only on Peacock. Well, you’ll want to rethink that because it was announced that some Xfinity customers will lose their free access to Peacock’s starter package after June 26. That access reportedly will continue for a two-year period for those with Xfinity’s gig-speed internet.
It definitely is another frustrating development that many now have to jump through even more hoops to watch this game. While this news first was announced in February, it barely registered on the radar. Now, with this game three months away, it’s suddenly more prominent. And it definitely stinks to have to pay anything to watch the Irish, even if it’s only chump change, but the streaming services have a lot of leverage these days and likely will for a long 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
Don’t turn to NBC on Sept. 16.
For the past few years, Notre Dame fans have been left to wonder which home game will be moved off NBC and exclusively onto Peacock. In conjunction with the Irish’s announcement of kickoff times for 2023 home games, we have our answer to that question for this season. The Sept. 16 game against Central Michigan will be seen only on the NBCUniversal streaming service. That game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. EDT, the earliest start time for an Irish home game this season.
Yes, we know it’s frustrating to have to jump through extra hoops to watch a Notre Dame game. It particularly is rough for those have yet to give into streaming or might not even know it exists. That’s why it’s the time to be neighborly and find a way for them to watch. No matter how many times someone might resist it, streaming is here to stay and probably will be the only way anyone watches TV down the line.
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
Former Central Michigan guard Jesse Zarzuela has committed to Oregon via the transfer portal.
Former Central Michigan guard Jesse Zarzuela has officially transferred to Oregon and will be a Duck for the 2023-24 season.
Eugene will be Zarzuela’s sixth stop in six seasons. He previously went to UTEP where he redshirted before going to junior colleges Navarro College and Missouri State West Plains. The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter then made stops at Coppin State and most recently Central Michigan.
Zarzuela had his best year last season at CMU where he averaged 16.3 points per game and shot nearly 36 percent from three-point range.
Oregon is retooling the roster after missing the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Shooting was a big problem in 2022-23 as the Ducks shot just 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.
The Ducks are adding a Top 10 recruiting class along with junior college transfer Jadrian Tracey, who shot 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Report: Central Michigan TE Joel Wilson did not pass his physical, meaning he did not sign with the New Orleans Saints:
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This is a bummer: SI.com’s John Hendrix reports that rookie tight end Joel Wilson did not pass his entrance physical with the New Orleans Saints, meaning he didn’t sign with the team after all. The undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan suffered a season-ending ankle injury on a touchdown reception last November, and though he was able to complete some pre-draft athletic testing it did limit what he was able to do.
So how does this shake up the roster at tight end? The Saints expect Foster Moreau to be on the field next week after completing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this spring, pairing him with Juwan Johnson on top of the depth chart. Second-year pro Lucas Krull is still in the mix, as is veteran free agent pickup Miller Forristall, and Taysom Hill is technically still listed as a tight end (even if he rarely lines up there).
We’ll see if the Saints sign another player here. They invited a couple of tight ends to try out at rookie minicamp this weekend in Cethan Carter (Nebraska) and Jamal Turner (Toledo), so maybe one of them makes a strong impression.
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