Social media reacts to Eli Raridon scoring touchdown for Notre Dame

Nice job, young man.

Notre Dame’s home finale against Wake Forest is turning into a game in which some unlikely names are contributing. We already have seen touchdowns from [autotag]Devyn Ford[/autotag] and [autotag]Tobias Merriweather[/autotag]. Now, we have one from [autotag]Eli Raridon[/autotag], who didn’t really have any stats next to his name before this contest. That didn’t stop him from catching a 19-yard scoring pass from [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag]:

Raridon is a sophomore tight end and has a lot of time still to make his mark on the Irish. One touchdown won’t do a lot to move the needle, but he at least showed that he has the potential to move it even further. Hopefully, this is the first of many big plays he’ll make for the program over the next few years.

Once again, social media found itself in the position of reacting to a player most people weren’t think about before the game. Here are some of those reactions:

Social media reacts to Devyn Ford scoring Notre Dame’s first touchdown

There you go, Devyn.

[autotag]Devyn Ford[/autotag] had yet to score for Notre Dame since transferring over from Penn State. Senior day was his last opportunity to get a touchdown at Notre Dame Stadium. He finally broke through on a 12-yard reception late in the first quarter to give the Irish a 7-0 lead over Wake Forest:

Entering the game against the Deacons, Ford had 36 yards from scrimmage in nine games with 22 of those yards coming on passes. So you would have to forgive any Irish fans who somehow forgot he existed. Waiting until the last home game of the season to get on the scoresheet is an easy way for you to slip through the cracks. Still, he has to be happy to have that monkey off his back at last.

Social media probably didn’t expect to tweet about Ford today, but here are some of the best tweets that were found regarding his touchdown:

Notre Dame statistical leaders through seven games

Having lost two of its past three, Notre Dame officially has little left to play for. Before it can enjoy its first of two bye weeks, it must first deal with yet another ranked undefeated in USC. This could get worse before it gets better. Alas, the …

Having lost two of its past three, Notre Dame officially has little left to play for. Before it can enjoy its first of two bye weeks, it must first deal with yet another ranked undefeated in USC. This could get worse before it gets better. Alas, the Irish must carry on because the schedule dictates such.

Here’s who leads the major statistical categories for the Irish:

Notre Dame statistical leaders through six games

Who’s most likely to help defeat the Cardinals?

Notre Dame is getting ready to face another surging program, this time in Louisville. It probably would prefer to have an easier time than it did against Duke, which it barely escaped against. The road atmosphere the Cardinals fans will provide unlikely will be anymore forgiving though. That’s why the Irish must prepare for any and all possibilities.

Here are the statistical leaders for the Irish at the midway point of the season:

Notre Dame statistical leaders through five games

Who can get the Irish back on track after their heartbreaking loss?

Notre Dame doesn’t have time to think about what could have been against Ohio State. Its focus now must shift to a resurgent Duke team. Wins continue to be necessary because you never know what can happen over the next two months. The College Football Playoff might still remain in play.

Here are the Irish’s statistical leaders to watch for against the Blue Devils:

Notre Dame football: Injury updates headed to Central Michigan game

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.

Social media reacts to Sam Hartman’s running, passing touchdowns

This dude is good.

A 7-3 Irish lead nearly became 7-6 but for a blocked field goal by [autotag]Jason Onye[/autotag] on a short field set up by a questionable no-call for targeting after [autotag]Devyn Ford[/autotag] was hit hard and lost the ball on a kick return. That no-call should spark some debate among college football fans.

Regardless of whether targeting should have been called, [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] led the Irish’s offense back onto the field and did some work. A 50-yard run by [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] ultimately set up a Hartman keeper that required only 5 yards to reach the end zone:

How many of you knew Hartman could leap into the end zone like Walter Payton if need be? Whether you knew that or not, it impressed all Irish fans. And if that wasn’t enough, he was able to get back to work quickly after [autotag]Ramon Henderson[/autotag]’s interception on the second play of the Tigers’ ensuing drive. He needed only four plays to hit [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] for a 24-yard touchdown, extending the Irish’s lead to 21-3:

Let’s see what social media has to say about all of this:

Notre Dame statistical leaders through one game

The first of many updates this season.

Notre Dame looked like a team that was ready for the season against Navy. Hardly any weaknesses were on display. Now, we get to see if the Irish can repeat that performance or at least mimic it in their home opener against Tennessee State. To get you started for the week, here are the team’s statistical leaders after the first game:

McGuire’s Musings: Notre Dame and USC off to the races in Week 0

The first McGuire’s Musings of the college football season is here! Week 0 quick thoughts and reactions, updated playoff projection, and more.

After months of waiting and talking nothing but conference realignment, college football games finally returned to our lives this weekend. Week 0 served as a light appetizer for the grand opening of the college football season with a couple of power conference teams with high hopes for the 2023 season getting their seasons started with comfortable victories, but it was a week where even the most diehard college football fans could afford to take another Saturday to do other things without really skipping a beat.

That was the case for me. Instead of scheduling my day around the college football programming, I had a fun game night with some family where I learned to play a new game (and nearly won), but the eyes were distracted at times by the games on TV as my wife’s cousin kept track of his fantasy college football stats.

But it was good to have college football back. My focus has been on another potential playoff run for the Phillies developing, but anyone who knows me probably knows I am all in on college football once again. This is the first week I really ramp up my commentary and focus on college football, and each week I hope to share some of my thoughts about Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten and national scene with my weekly roundup thoughts in what I like to call McGuire’s Musings.

This idea has been around for a few years on a couple of different outlets and I am happy to once again share it with you here on Nittany Lions Wire each week throughout the season.

So, let’s dive in, shall we?

Notre Dame statistical leaders using 2022 statistics

Get ready for the season with some familiar names.

The first buildup to a Notre Dame football game for 2023 finally has arrived. You all have been very patient in waiting for this week, but that patience has paid off. Waiting for this long deserves a pat on the back, so give yourself one as you’re reading this. And even if you have heard this preseason spiel before, give yourself a pat on the back anyway.

With that schmaltz out of the way, let’s talk about the players on the 2023 Irish roster who performed the best in 2022. We should see some of that on display in the season opener against Navy. Although the Midshipmen are not exactly the best opponent to use as a measuring stick, we at least can get an idea of what’s to come. After all, they don’t call it Week 0 for nothing.

Here are the 2023 Irish players who did the best in football’s top statistical categories: