Notre Dame Football’s TBT Tonight – 2017 NC State

If baseball returning isn’t your thing then enjoy a huge win from Notre Dame’s 2017 football season tonight on the ND Athletics Youtube page

If you’re one of the few in the nation that hasn’t gotten tired of watching old games yet then it’s a good night for you to check out Notre Dame’s Thursday Night Watch Party.

That’s not meant as a knock at the premise whatsoever, it’s been fun to tune in and watch parts of old games with their YouTube setup the last few months. It’s just that tonight I’m really happy live, meaningful baseball is finally back.

But if baseball isn’t your thing then Notre Dame Athletics again has you covered as they’ll be replaying the 2017 win over North Carolina State.

As you may recall, Notre Dame entered the contest ranked in the top-ten while the Wolfpack weren’t half shabby themselves as they were ranked in the top 15 nationally.

Josh Adams had a long touchdown run that afternoon when “33 Trucking” was a Heisman campaign and a sophomore defensive back named Julian Love essentially ended the Wolfpack hopes of victory with a pick-six.

The win moved Notre Dame to 7-1 and at the time, had them thinking College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

If you’re interested in re-watching tonight or at some point down the road, use the link right here and relive some of one of the best afternoons from a fun 2017.

2020 New York Jets Position Preview: Running Back

Jets Wire breaks down New York’s running back room with training camp and the 2020 season approaching.

With the beginning of training camp less than two weeks away, it’s time to take a closer look at the makeup of the Jets’ roster entering the 2020 season.

New York’s rushing attack was nearly non-existent last season despite adding Le’Veon Bell to the backfield. Bell seldom had holes to run through due to putrid offensive line play. As a result, he turned in one of the worst seasons of his decorated career. Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery did not contribute much in complementary roles, either.

As training camp and the beginning of the regular season inch closer, Jets Wire will be providing a look at each of New York’s position groups and what could be in store for the unit in 2020. Let’s breakdown the running back room at One Jets Drive.

The starter

Le’Veon Bell is back for his second season as the Jets’ bell-cow back, which should take some of the load off Sam Darnold assuming Gang Green’s offensive line gives the three-time Pro Bowler holes to run through on a consistent basis.

Bell is due for a bounce-back 2020 campaign. He is simply too talented of a rusher to endure another underwhelming season. As long as New York’s offensive line does its job, Bell should be able to get back to producing at the level he did when he was considered one of the best running backs in football with the Steelers.

Depth

New York’s running back room is in a better place than it was at this time last year thanks to an offseason spent addressing the position.

Veteran Frank Gore is in as the No. 2 running back, giving the Jets a durable, hard-nosed rusher they can turn to in an effort to lighten Bell’s load. Fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine will also bolster New York’s depth in the backfield, as the fourth-round pick has a diverse skillset that will net him some occasional playing time as a rookie.

Josh Adams, Trenton Cannon and Kenneth Dixon round out the Jets’ running back depth chart. All three will have to fight to make New York’s 53-man roster, as Bell, Gore and Perine will take up the bulk of the playing time in the backfield. Cannon has the best chance to break camp with the team as a return man.

Outlook

There should be high hopes for the Jets’ rushing attack entering 2020. New York’s offensive line is not loaded with elite run blockers, but the unit has taken a major step forward from where it was last season. This bodes well for Bell’s chances of rebounding.

Even if Bell struggles a bit, his ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield makes him an integral part of Adam Gase’s offense. Gore will also see the field with regularity and Perine will likely factor into the equation at some point during the year. That will allow Gase to keep Bell fresh and use the Jets’ depth at the position to his advantage.

Bell might not get back to being a 1,000-yard rusher in 2020, but odds are he will not be a non-factor as he was a year ago. If New York’s ground game is producing in 2020, its offense has the potential to operate at an entirely new level. If not, Darnold is going to have to figure out how to pick apart defenses with seven or eight defenders dropped back into coverage.

See more from Jets Wire’s Position Previews series:

67 days until Notre Dame football returns

Continue the countdown to Notre Dame football today by reliving a memorable run from a forgettable game and year as we hit 67 days to go!

Check one more day off the calendar as we have just 67 more to go until we get Notre Dame football officially back in our lives. We’ll be breaking down plenty of position battles, starting spots and everything regarding the 2020 Fighting Irish football team.

Yesterday we counted down by looking at the Notre Dame/Pitt rivalry that has been played 68 times. Today we look back at a memorable run before a forgettable collapse.

67: Josh Adams touchdown run length against Virginia Tech in 2016

Already leading 24-21 late in the third quarter against Virginia Tech, 4-6 Notre Dame was looking to have a chance to perhaps get into a bowl game if they could finish that win off and then get an upset at USC a week later.

Josh Adams then took a handoff at his own 33 yard line and ran 67 yards in a sign of things to come for the Irish in 2017, as he put Notre Dame up 31-21.

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The bad news was that Notre Dame couldn’t finish the deal and wound up falling to 34-31 and ultimately finished the year just 4-8.

It was an impressive highlight for Adams however who found the end zone 21 times that year and 41 times with Notre Dame.

Related – Way too early game-by-game predictions for Notre Dame football in 2020

97 Days Until Notre Dame Football (We Hope)

We’re 97 days from Notre Dame football returning, at least we hope. Get hyped for the Irish with your fact about 97 in ND lore now!

The countdown continues!

In 97 days (we hope) Notre Dame will return to the football field for Season 133 when the Irish take on Navy in a Week Zero affair. Whether that game is played in Dublin, Washington, DC or in Annapolis, we’ll be even more excited than normal for it to get here.

Each day from now until Notre Dame kicks off the year we’ll count down the days with the number and why it’s significant in the history of Notre Dame football.

Saturday it was Josh Adams record touchdown run that got us through the 98 day mark.

Today we go back to special teams for the second time in the last three days.

97: The longest punt return in Notre Dame football history, Ricky Watters against SMU in 1989.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJnOhgxv0j4&w=560&h=315]

I was always told to never field a punt inside the ten yard line, let alone inside the five. For some reason I don’t think Lou Holtz was too upset when Watters chose to return this one 97 yards against SMU in 1989.

Notre Dame – Way Too Early Game by Game Predictions for 2020

98 Days Until Notre Dame Football (We Hope)

Here we are just 98 days, 14 weeks exactly from the SCHEDULED start of Notre Dame football in 2020. Get ready for Irish football now!

The countdown is on!

Exactly 14 weeks from now, just 98 days (we hope) Notre Dame will return to the football field for Season 133 when the Irish take on Navy in a Week Zero affair. Will the game be played as scheduled? I’m guessing not in Ireland but perhaps with the way the news has gone this week we’ll see it get underway on time.

Each day from now until Notre Dame kicks off the year we’ll count down the days with the number and why it’s significant in the history of Notre Dame football.

Yesterday, Nick Setta’s nearly-perfect career PAT conversion percentage got us through Friday.

Today we get into the weekend back on offense, with the longest run in Notre Dame history.

It was November of 2015 and Notre Dame was sitting fourth overall in the country, looking to take another step towards their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Leading Wake Forest 14-0 early in the second quarter the Irish had the ball backed up nearly to their own goal line.

98: Josh Adams sets the record for the longest run in the history of Notre Dame football.

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Notre Dame would win easy that afternoon, 28-7 as Adams would finish with 141 rushing yards. Just three years later Dexter Williams would nearly match the mark, taking a run 97 yards to the house at Virginia Tech in 2015.

That 2015 Notre Dame squad would eventually fall on the last play of the regular season at Stanford to miss out on their first CFP appearance.

Updated look at Jets’ running back depth chart with Frank Gore in the fold

Here is an updated look at Jets’ running back depth chart following signing veteran RB Frank Gore to a one-year deal on Tuesday.

Adam Gase was adamant about lessening Le’Veon Bell’s load and he stuck to his word.

The Jets agreed to a one-year deal with veteran running back and future Hall of Famer Frank Gore on Tuesday. The addition means Bell, who accounted for 311 combined carries and catches as the Jets’ bell-cow running back in 2019, now has some experienced help behind him. Gase wants a less is more approach for Bell, which is where Gore comes in.

Following the worst statistical season of his career, Bell will return to the Jets backfield running behind a remodeled offensive line. By adding La’Mical Perine and Gore, the Jets have sufficiently replaced both Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell.

Here’s what the depth chart currently looks like:

Starter: Le’Veon Bell

Backups: La’Michal Perine, Frank Gore, Trenton Cannon, Kenneth Dixon, Josh Adams

As one of the Jets’ fourth-round picks, Perine presents himself as the perfect young complement to Bell. Perine is a hard-nosed runner who is also versatile out of the backfield. At the same time, Bell is a patient runner who is viewed as the best pass-catching back in the league. These two in the backfield allows Gase to be more creative than he was with both Bell and Montgomery in the backfield.

Perine benefits from the Gore signing the most, although he certainly won’t be seeing as many carries as once thought. He now has the opportunity to learn from and pick the brains of two-generational running backs. It’s hard to ask for two better players to help with the development of a young rusher.

Gore is a great locker room add for the Jets. He completely embraced being a mentor for Devin Singletary in Buffalo and did the same the year before with Gase in Miami for Kenyon Drake. His attributes aren’t tangible, he’s tough as nails and has terrific leadership ability for a younger locker room.

The Jets will most likely add another tailback or two before training camp starts, as they parted ways with Jalin Moore on Tuesday. Beyond Gore and Perine are two reclamation projects in Dixon and Adams, who were drafted by front offices that Joe Douglas is rather familiar with. On the other hand, Cannon was drafted by the previous regime and has added little value on offense. However, he presents himself as a primary special teamer for Gang Green.

Adam Gase hopes to lessen the load for Le’Veon Bell in 2020

Adam Gase wants to ease the workload of Le’Veon Bell with a running back by committee. He also wants to utilize other options on offense.

Adam Gase wants to change the way the Jets utilize their running game in 2020.

Gase was on ESPN’s Rich Cimini’s “Flight Deck” podcast and explained how he wants to take some of the pressure off Le’Veon Bell’s shoulders. Instead of trying to maximize Bell’s usage, Gase prefers using a committee of running backs to ease the workload of the 28-year-old. It’s all part of Gase’s “less is more” style of running.

“I do think we have some guys that can help maybe lessen the load on [Bell] to where it’s not all on him,” Gase said. “Hopefully, we can get some of the younger backs to where we can make a good one-two punch to where we can really excel instead of feeling like it’s just all on him all the time.”

Despite what many think, Gase used Bell a lot last season. Between rushing attempts and receptions, Bell had 311 touches. It wasn’t nearly the amount he got in Pittsburgh, but keep in mind it was Bell’s first season back after taking a year off in 2018. Gase couldn’t just throw him into the fire and expect 400 touches out of him. The Jets would’ve run him into the ground had they done that.

While Gase says they want to have a committee of running backs, there isn’t much depth after Bell. Fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine figures to be second on the depth chart, but after that, it’s a collection of unproven rushers in Kenneth Dixon, Josh Adams and Trenton Cannon.

What should help Bell next season is an improved offensive line and more playmakers in the offense. The Jets might have five new starters on the offensive line next season. Meanwhile, they added some weapons in Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims. They’ll also get Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin back.

Those players should help open up the offense more. Last season, Bell was facing a loaded box on 36.3 percent of his runs. It’s hard to have success as a running back when opposing defenses know what’s coming. So Gase thinks Bell should see fewer players in the box because of the other threats the Jets have.

“If you have the vertical threats like I think we’re going to have with the wide receivers now, hey, maybe we’ll start seeing two-high zone instead of them just focusing on one guy in the receiving corps,” Gase said.

A Way-Too-Early Look At MWC Rosters For 2020-2021: Colorado State

A Way-Too-Early Look At The Colorado State Rams There is plenty to be excited about for Rams fans next season, as they return a quartet of starters from a top-5 Mountain West team. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire With out without Nico …

A Way-Too-Early Look At The Colorado State Rams

There is plenty to be excited about for Rams fans next season, as they return a quartet of starters from a top-5 Mountain West team.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

With out without Nico Carvacho, this roster has talent, but if he came back that would be nice too.

Players have already accepted reality and have begun taking the next step in their careers. For some that is beginning NBA draft preparations a little earlier than expected, for others it is finishing their remaining course loads online to better gear up for next semester. Though the last group of players it is looking for their next opportunity and entering the transfer portal.

After sporting leagues around the globe either canceled or postponed their seasons in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA followed suit by outright canceling scheduled spring sports but rewarding seniors another year of eligibility to return and compete next season. This was a swift and just decision in a time of uncertainty for a lot of student-athletes, but there was still a group left in with uncertainty.

Winter sport athletes have currently been left with hope, given a ruling from the NCAA that would grant them any sort of extra eligibility given their abrupt cancellation of the big dance. So in the spirit of pure fun we will take a look at Mountain West team’s rosters for next season. Taking a look at both scenarios, just in case the NCAA surprises us.

2020-2021 Roster: In the event seniors are granted further eligibility

G Hyron Edwards 6-0 165 R-Sr. East Chicago, IN-East Chicago Central/Trinity Vallley C.C./Texas Tech

G Kris Martin 6-4 190 R-Sr. Frisco, TX-Kimball HS/Oral Roberts

F/C Nico Carvacho 6-11 245 R-Sr. Frisco, TX-Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)

G Teyvion Kirk 6-4 185 R-Jr. Joliet, IL-Joliet West HS/Ohio

G Kyle Lukasiewicz 6-6 200 Sr. Centennial, CO-Arapahoe HS/NE Oklahoma A&M*

G Kendle Moore 5-10 145 Jr. Danville, IL-Danville HS

G P.J. Byrd 6-1 185 Jr Houston, TX-Bush HS/VCU

F Adam Thistlewood 6-6 00 Jr. Golden, CO-Golden HS

G Ignas Sargiunas 6-5 205 R-So. Kaunas, Lithuania-Jonas Basanavicius Gymnasium/Georgia

G Isaiah Stevens 6-0 160 So. Allen, TX-Allen HS

F Dischon Thomas 6-9 215 So. Phoenix, AZ-Hillcrest Prep

G David Roddy 6-5 250 So. Minneapolis, MN-Breck School

G John Tonje 6-5 195 So. Omaha, NE-Omaha Central HS

F James Moors 6-10 200 R-Fr. Auckland, New Zealand

F Isaiah Rivera 6-5 185 Fr. Geneseo, IL-Geneseo HS

C Jacob Jennisen 7-0 205 Fr. Sauk Centre, MN-Sauk Centre Secondary School

G Trace Young 6-3 165 Fr. Dripping Springs HS-Austin, TX*

Point Guard	Shooting Guard	Small Forward	Power Forward	Center
Isaiah Stevens So.	Kendle Moore Jr.	Adam Thistlewood Jr.	David Roddy So.	Nico Carvacho Gr.
P.J. Byrd Jr.	Teyvion Kirk R-Jr.	John Toje So.	James Moor R-Fr.	Jacob Jennisen Fr.
Hyron Edwards Gr.	Kris Martin Gr.	Isaiah Rivera Fr.
Trace Young Fr.*	Ignas Sargiunas R-So.	Kyle Lukasiewicz Sr. *

Things of Note:

This team would have 16 players total with two walk-ons in Young and Lukasiewicz.

Niko Medvid has done a great job in Fort Collins in just two seasons in charge since arriving from Drake. The Rams enjoyed a top-five conference finish, 20-win season and conference accolades for multiple players.

With four returning starters and transfers Teyvion Kirk and Ignas Sargiunas eligible to play next season after sitting out 2019-2020, this team is loaded. But given the chance to welcome back one of the best big men to dawn a Colorado State uniform in Nico Carvacho, next year’s squad would challenge any in the Mountain West for the top spot.

It’s hard to say whether Carvacho or any of the three seniors scheduled to graduate this spring would be guaranteed returns next season. Carvacho already spurned high major programs when former head coach Larry Eustachy was fired after his sophomore season, would he do it again given extra eligibility? It’s hard to say.

But in the event that the NCAA rules against awarding additional eligibility for winter sport athletes, which still seems like a possibility given how long it has taken to hear any news regarding the matter. Here is a list followed by a depth chart of the Colorado State roster given their current recruiting class and who we know has entered the transfer portal.

Next: Roster and Depth Chart

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Notre Dame Football All-Decade Team – Running Backs

I know I wasn’t the only one invigorated by the short-lived Adams Heisman run as I’ve seen other people wearing the campaign-sanctioned trucker hats at games,

One position down on our All-Decade Team, now it’s on to the Fighting Irish backs that carried the rock at a high level during the last decade.

The three players selected had the first, fifth and eighth most carries among running backs from 2010-2019, but we didn’t simply weigh longevity. We weighed impact on the program during the time they played.

There are really good backs we left off this list but the three backs we did include were the only three running backs to have seasons of at least 900 rushing yards while averaging six yards per carry. That wasn’t the determining factor, it just so happened to work out that way.

First up – The Backups:

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Avoiding the season sweep among Jets vs. Dolphins pregame storylines

The Jets avoiding the season sweep to the Dolphins is among the pregame storylines for this week’s game.

After an embarrassing loss to the Bengals last week, the New York Jets will look to avoid the season sweep when the Dolphins come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Dolphins had their way with the Jets in a 26-18 win in October. At the time, the Dolphins were a winless team, which made it look even worse. With both teams out of the playoff race, so the loser of this game will be in a better position for the 2020 NFL draft.

With that being said, let’s take a look at this week’s pregame storylines.

Can the Jets avoid the sweep?

Coming into 2019, everyone looked at the Dolphins as an easy victory. For the Jets, they’ve been a challenge.

In the first matchup, Ryan Fitzpatrick torched the Jets defense for 288 yards and three touchdowns while Sam Darnold struggled. Since then, Darnold has improved drastically, but Fitzpatrick is still playing quality football.

Given the injuries the Jets have on defense, Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins have a great opportunity to come in and light up the scoreboard. If the Jets were to lose this game, it would be the topper for a forgetful season.

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