Tag: irish

Lots To Be Thankful For In Irish Nation

It doesn’t always feel like it but there is a lot for Notre Dame fans to be thankful for this year

I always like to think of Thanksgiving as a time for reflection. One for taking some time to ponder the blessings each of us have in our lives even amid our unique struggles in an increasingly seemingly busier world than ever before. This concept also applies to football fandom as well, a big part of many of our lives.

Certainly, this year didn’t turn out as well as Notre Dame fans had hoped it would, but I’ve still found plenty to be thankful for from my unique position as an Irish voice in print and video this season. Here are 3 specific items of note that jump out to me.

Notre Dame player shares details on mental health battle

Props to him for getting the help he needed…

Notre Dame spent a large part of the 2023 season without linebacker Nolan Ziegler.

Ziegler has been out as he’s been having some battles with mental health.  Marcus Freeman briefly mentioned as much back in September, but on Thanksgiving day, Ziegler took to social media to detail what he’s been going through a bit more.

For the past 6 months I had a really bad infection after my surgery. This led to a severe depression. I’m getting the help I needed, I came back letting my ego think it was me and my TMS treatment that saved me. But I have now realized it is God, Treatment, Doctors, Family, Coaches, Teammates, and friends that have gotten me out of the evil zone I was in. I am so thankful to be here and I can’t wait for Gods plan to help me stay in the No Evil Zone, help others, and be a warrior on the field.

– Nolan Ziegler

Props to Ziegler for being open to getting help and then using the proper channels to go and get it.  It’s not an easy thing to do and I’m guessing it’s only that more difficult when you’re a football player at a big-time college program.

Hopefully not only does he find the peace he clearly craves, hopefully his message reaches someone else that needs to hear it.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Analyzing Notre Dame’s Dominating Senior Day Send-Off

Nice win but a bit of a “too little, too late” feel, Irish fans?

There was nothing that could be done to erase the three losses that besmirched Notre Dame’s record entering Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. The best thing the Irish could do, the only thing they could do was to beat the Demon Deacons badly. They did exactly that to the tune of a 45-7 win on a send-off on senior day.

The Irish are now through 11/12 games on the schedule and will look to get in the clubhouse at 9-3 in their finale against Stanford in Palo Alto. There was a lot to like today about the Irish, but underpinning it is the frustrating thought of “too little too late” when thinking about the year in totality. Let’s take a look at some things that stand out about the last home game for the Irish in 2023.

Notre Dame routs Wake Forest 45-7: Immediate Takeaways

Dominating Senior Day win for the Irish

Notre Dame didn’t have the fastest of starts on their 2023 senior day but at the end of the afternoon it was enough for a 45-7 victory over Wake Forest to move to 8-3 on the season.

All that remains for Notre Dame this regular season is a trip west to Stanford next weekend to close the year and hopefully secure their ninth win of the season for the second-straight year.

What went well in Notre Dame’s blowout victory of Wake Forest on Saturday?

And what didn’t exactly click for the Fighting Irish?

Here are our instant takeaways from the senior day victory.

Notre Dame football: Estime selected to Doak Walker Award List

Predict Estime’s stat line for 2023: Rushing yards, yards per carry, and touchdowns…

If you’re looking for fan favorites on the 2023 Notre Dame football team it’ll be tough to find one bigger than running back [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] – both literally and figuratively.

The powerful back who rushed for 920 yards last season was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List for 2023 on Wednesday.  The award is given out annually to the nation’s top running back.

Estime is coming off a season where he had three 100-yard rushing performances, and a Gator Bowl where he ran for 95 more in a comeback win versus South Carolina.

According to the notes provided by Notre Dame’s sports information department, Estime has rushed for 10 or more yards on 23 of his 92 second half carries over the past two seasons (14%). That’s the highest of any Power Five running back in that time.

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Notre Dame football: Sam Hartman’s draft stock understandably plummets

Will he end up being drafted?

Veteran quarterback Sam Hartman had a chance to go to the NFL last year but chose to transfer from Wake Forest and enroll at Notre Dame.  The plan was to use a year in a pro-style offense to his advantage and grow his NFL draft stock, while hopefully winning a whole lot of games along the way.

If you’re reading this then you know how 2023 has gone for Hartman and Notre Dame.  A great first four games and then when the competition got tough, things got fairly ugly for the Irish and their quarterback.

As you can probably guess, Hartman isn’t climbing up draft boards like he had hoped he would.  That’s obvious but just how low are some draft prognosticators viewing him?

Jordan Reid of ESPN released his top-16 quarterback rankings for the 2024 NFL draft earlier this week and Hartman made the rankings.

Just barely.

Hartman checked in 14th overall and was given a late-third day evaluation, meaning maybe he gets picked in the sixth or seventh round.

Happier things:  Sam Hartman photo gallery at Notre Dame

From what we’ve seen in the 2023 money games I honestly think Reid is being fairly generous even ranking him there.

Notre Dame’s updated bowl projections from USA TODAY Sports

On Holiday (Bowl)?

With four games to go there are a variety of bowl games Notre Dame could end up playing in.

For instance, if they win their four remaining contests and finish the regular season 10-2 with wins over both USC and at Clemson, it’ll be difficult to keep them out of a New Year’s Six contest.

Will the Irish run the table to get to 10 wins this regular season though?

USA TODAY Sports released their latest bowl projections and they seem to think not.  They have the Irish taking on UCLA in the Holiday Bowl in the latest projection.

Notre Dame has never lost to UCLA on the football field and if this game were to happen, would be taking on a quarterback they recruited very hard, Dante Moore.

A lot of games left but certainly a possibility to keep an eye on.

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Notre Dame vs Clemson: Palpable Disappointment

Maddening. Frustrating. Angering. What else?

For the most part, people were fairly understanding of Notre Dame’s struggles last year. Marcus Freeman was new on the job, there were many moving pieces on and off the field, the roster was in major flux, the schedule was challenging, etc. This year was going to be different though. Everyone was more settled in, the roster felt deeper and let’s not forget that the Irish would be led by the best transfer quarterback available this year as well.

The ultimate goal of course was to make the College Football Playoff and win games. At a minimum be in playoff contention throughout the year. But that dream perished the first weekend of October after the Irish lost Louisville’s Super Bowl at their place. If Notre Dame could run the table from there, they could at least possibly make a New Years Six game and win it. Then Clemson happened. Be honest with yourself. What big-picture goals are left to attain? There are none. That makes this year a disappointment.

Let’s examine exactly what I mean and how Notre Dame can grow from this frustrating experience moving forward.

Notre Dame football’s chances of winning 10 games per ESPN FPI

The computers and formulas are liking the Irish more and more…

Notre Dame has just three games remaining in 2023’s regular season with the most challenging task coming Saturday at Clemson.  Sure, the Tigers are just 4-4 but do bring one of the nation’s more talented rosters and best home environments to battle.

At Fighting Irish Wire we gave our predictions to what happens in the game but now we check in on a source that uses straight statistical analysis, not feeling or opinion.

That source is ESPN’s Football Power Index which is updated on a weekly basis.  How does it feel about Notre Dame’s chances to win on Saturday following Clemson’s loss to North Carolina State?

And are the Irish a shoe-in for 10 wins this regular season, something they’d have to win out to accomplish?

Here is what ESPN FPI says about Notre Dame’s remaining slate.

Notre Dame-Clemson: FIW Staff Predictions

Does Notre Dame move to 8-2 or is trouble a brewing in Clemson?

Just a couple of short months ago any college football fan would have looked at Notre Dame’s trip to Clemson on November 4 and thought one, if not both teams would be in the College Football Playoff race.

Instead, neither are.

Notre Dame enters 7-2 and has hopes of ending their New Year’s Six bowl game losing drought that dates back to 1993.  In order to end that unfortunate streak though they must get by a talented Clemson team.

A talented Clemson team that hasn’t played to their potential this season, sitting just 4-4 and actually at risk of possibly missing a bowl game.

Will Notre Dame keep up the level of play after dominating wins against USC and Pitt?  Or will Clemson put it all together for just one afternoon and ruin the Irish hopes of the New Year’s Six?

Here is what our staff sees happening Saturday in Death Valley: