Tag: NCAA football

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman responds to flag planting

Coach knows how to properly celebrate a win

As you may have been over the course of this college football season, many teams have planted flags on opposing logos, and on Tuesday Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] weighed in on this act.

When speaking with Robert Griffin III and his wife Grete Griffin on the “Outta Pocket” podcast, the Irish boss came out against flag planting. He wants his players to “go to the locker room, and spend the time together, celebrate the way we need to.”

You have to love this response from Freeman, as many coaches wouldn’t mind if their players did something like this. We’ve seen it happen much more frequently over the past few years, especially in some of the big-time rivalries like Ohio State and Michigan.

Freeman is a players-coach, but has clearly drawn the line as to what is acceptable in the program. It’s getting increasingly hard to find reasons to dislike him, and we are glad that he’s roaming the sidelines for the Blue and Gold.

Ohio State football defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) grabs the flag that Michigan players tried to plant on the Block O in the Ohio Stadium field after the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines Saturday, November 30, 2024 in Ohio Stadium.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame football routs Army, extends winning streak to 9-games

An impressive win for the Irish

(This story was updated to add new information.)

While this was a top-25 matchup, Notre Dame football dominated Army from the start, cruising to an easy 49-14 victory in Yankee Stadium.

The win improves the Irish’s record to 10-1, as they’ve won their last 9-games. The Black Knights 13-game winning streak came to an abrupt end, as they took their first loss of the 2024 season.

Notre Dame scored a touchdown on its first drive of the game, and took off from there. A blocked punt led to another first quarter touchdown, then Navy answered with a score of its own to put the score at 14-7 early in the second quarter.

The Irish would add two more touchdowns before the half ended, taking a commanding 28-7 lead into the break. Another two scores gave Notre Dame a 42-7 cushion which they’d coast to the final outcome. The Irish have yet to take a loss in a Shamrock Series game.

Running back Jeremiyah Love was the star for the Irish, while only rushing 7 times, he accounted for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He added a catch for another score, an impressive day from the sophomore.

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) leaps over Army Black Knights cornerback Donavon Platt (28) for a touchdown during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Notre Dame travels to USC next weekend to conclude its regular season portion of the 2024 schedule.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame’s defense dominates Florida State, extending its winning streak

The Irish defense leads the way against the Seminoles

While Notre Dame’s matchup against Florida State didn’t have as much anticipated juice as it did preseason, the Irish still handled business a won convincingly 52-14.

The story of the game was Notre Dame’s defense, as they had 8 sacks on the night, while allowing just 206-yards on the day.

The game started off with a scoring drive from each team, with the Irish leading 7-3 after the early seesaw. Both teams traded 3-and-outs each of the next two times they had the ball before Notre Dame found the end zone on a Jadarian Price 65-yard touchdown run.

Another touchdown right before the half for the Irish, as quarterback Riley Leonard found tight end Mitchell evens for a 12-yard score to take a 21-3 lead into halftime.

The Irish would continue to score, but the defense was dominant, keeping the Seminoles at bay and even scoring a late touchdown. The win improves Notre Dame’s record to 8-1, and its winning streak was extended to 7-games.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates getting a sack during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend.

Notre Dame is back at is next weekend, as Virginia comes to South Bend for a 3:30 p.m. ET start.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame football’s hype video for Florida State has been released

Watch it here!

Notre Dame football expected that its game this weekend against Florida State would have national implications for both teams, but that isn’t the case.

Only one team, the Irish, have a lot riding on this game, as the Seminoles have fallen hard this fall, with a 1-8 record heading into this game. The FIW staff has made their choices along with the FSU Wire staff making theirs.

While this is still somewhat of a rivalry game, that doesn’t matter for Notre Dame’s social media team. They released the Irish’s game trailer for tomorrow’s matchup against FSU, using the same theme they have had all season, old school hip-hop.

They once again used an EPMD song, this one being “Let the Funk Flow,” as the soundtrack to get Irish Nation pumped up for the game. Check out the video here, as we creep closer to seeing Notre Dame football back on the field after an off week.

The day after: Final thoughts on Notre Dame’s impressive win over Navy
Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a rushing a touchdown with teammates during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans is a national award semifinalist

‘Mitchapolooza’ makes the cut

It has been a very successful bounce back season for Notre Dame tight end [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag].

Early in the year, the senior continued to recover from offseason surgery, but made his first appearance in Week 2 against Northern Illinois. While the team’s result wasn’t what Evans was looking for, him getting back on the field was a significant development.

He’s had at least two catches every game, with his high of four coming against Georgia Tech. Evans hasn’t yet found the end zone, but that didn’t seem to matter to the [autotag]John Mackey Award[/autotag] committee, as on Tuesday they named him as one of its semifinalists.

The field won’t be easy for Evans to take home the award, but being named one of the eight top tight ends in the country isn’t anything to scoff at. Hopefully another week off helps with his recovery, and we see “Mitchapalooza” making a big splash for the Irish as they try and make the College Football Playoff.

Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Antonio Stevens (11) defends the pass to Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

College Football Playoff rankings show: Where to watch, stream for Notre Dame

2024’s first CFP rankings will offer an early look at the playoff bracket for [TEAM] football. Here’s how to watch.

While the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Poll both give us a glimpse at how good teams really are, Notre Dame and many other college football teams really want to know where they stand in front of the College Football Playoff committee.

With the playoff going from 4 teams to 12, it brings a level of excitement that we have yet to see. The expectation is that Oregon will be the top team, as they’ve shown it on the field so far this fall.

After that, it is a mystery, as teams like Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Texas, Tennessee, Penn State and the Irish all should be safety inside the top-8 when they are announced.

While this matters, it doesn’t as much as it will later in the season when everything shakes out. It is a good barometer for teams, as they’ll know where they stand.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show

TV Channel: ESPN

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch CFP rankings reveal live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]

College Football Playoff rankings release date:

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 5

What time is CFP rankings release

Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Notre Dame football CFP rankings projection

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Notre Dame getting ranked inside the top-8, but higher than that isn’t a likely scenario. The loss to Northern Illinois is the worst of the one-loss teams, so that most likely will hurt the Irish in the eyes of the committee.

How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?

For the first time, there will be 12 teams participating in the College Football Playoffs. There are five automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to the seven at-large teams.

How does the College Football Playoff format work?

The top four seeds will be on a bye as the CFP kicks off. The next four highest-seeded teams will host on-campus playoff games as follows:

  • No. 5 vs No. 12, winner will play No. 4
  • No. 6 vs No. 11, winner will play No. 3
  • No. 7 vs No. 10, winner will play No. 2
  • No. 8 vs No. 9, winner will play No. 1

Does Notre Dame football control its own destiny with the College Football Playoff?

Win and the Irish are in?

After the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, it looked like Notre Dame football was going to be left out of the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] picture.

Fast forward to Week 10, and the Irish haven’t lost since the upset, and have been playing some of the best football in the country. They’ve risen back up into the top-10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll, and are squarely in the mix for an at-large bid.

We’ll know soon how the CFP committee views Notre Dame, as the first ranking are set to be released next Tuesday. College Football Report posted a graphic on team’s chances to make the tournament, and while the Irish weren’t in the top two tiers, they did make the “control their own destiny” section.

Now the big question is if that is true, and I for one believe that is exactly the case. If Notre Dame wins out, the question should be what seed will they get instead of if they will get in.

Notre Dame jumps back in top-10 in US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 9
Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Rod Heard II (2) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Now a loss would throw a wrench into the scenario, especially if it isn’t to a ranked Army team. While there isn’t much room for error for the Irish, but they should be favored in the rest of their regular season games.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard makes national award list

Leonard is starting to get national recognition

The national hype for Notre Dame football quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] is really starting to pick up steam.

On3 recently named him one of its top-10 Heisman Trophy contenders after Week 9, but on Tuesday the [autotag]Davey O’Brien Foundation[/autotag] named Leonard as one of its top quarterbacks of the year.

The list in total was 35 players with some big names like Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ohio State’s Will Howard, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

It’s a stacked field that Leonard will have to contend with, but if he continues to play like he has over the last few weeks, there is a chance.

There will be another cut to the list, which will trim it down to 16 semifinalists. The winner will be selected by a national committee along with a Fan Vote. So make sure you log onto Facebook, Instagram or X, the website formerly known as Twitter if Leonard makes it to the next stage.

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) warms up before the game Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame football solidly defeats Georgia Tech for win No. 6

The Irish weren’t perfect, but still got a solid win against GT

It was fairly easy for Notre Dame football on Saturday afternoon, as Georgia Tech was missing two of its best players, as the Irish played well in a 31-13 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Once again, the Blue and Gold got off to another slow start, as through one quarter the Yellow Jackets led 7-0.

The Irish offense would then wake up, with two rushing touchdowns from starting quarterback Riley Leonard. Notre Dame would strike first after the half, scoring on a Jeremiyah Love 1-yard run.

The scoring would continue in the fourth quarter for the Irish, as Zac Yoakam hit the first first field goal is his career and safety Adon Shuler picked off a pass and returned it 36-yards for a score.

Georgia Tech would score a touchdown with under a minute left in the game, but it was over at that point. With the 31-13 victory, Notre Dame improves to 6-1 while the Yellow Jackets fell to 5-3.

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Irish return to the field next weekend, as they once again hit the road to face Navy at MetLife Stadium.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame announces start time for October 19th game vs. Georgia Tech

Set your calendars

You can now make an adjustment to your Notre Dame football fall calendar, as we now know when its game against Georgia Tech will kickoff.

Announced on social media on Monday morning, the Irish will start their contest against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, October 19th at 3:30 p.m. ET. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, this game has lost some of its luster.

After Georgia Tech started its season with an upset win over then No. 10 Florida State and a victory over the following weekend Georgia State, they found themselves as a ranked team in the AP Poll, as just outside of the US LBM Coaches Poll at the top of the other teams receiving votes.

Everything came crashing back to earth following some national love, as they’d go on the road to lose to Syracuse and Louisville with a win over VMI sandwiched in between. On paper, Notre Dame should have a fairly easy time against Georgia Tech, but we’ll all find out that answer soon.

Notre Dame still hasn't impressed certain pundits.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates scoring a touchdown during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Louisville at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in South Bend.

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

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen