Tag: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

AP Poll: Notre Dame Back in Top 15

What it all means is that if Notre Dame wins out they’ll have a realistic chance at finishing the regular season in the top-10

The latest AP Poll is out after Week 12 concluded and Notre Dame moved up in that one as well, just like the Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today, earlier today.

The latest poll is as follows:

Here is the new top 25:

1) LSU

2) Ohio State

3) Clemson

4) Georgia

5) Alabama

6) Oregon

7) Utah

8) Oklahoma

9) Penn State

10) Florida

11) Minnesota

12) Michigan 

13) Baylor

14) Wisconsin

15) Notre Dame

16) Auburn

17) Cincinnati

18) Memphis

19) Iowa

20) Boise State

21) SMU

22) Oklahoma State

23) Appalachian State

24) Texas A&M

25) Virginia Tech

Others receiving votes:

Indiana 47, Iowa State 31, Virginia 23, Navy 13, Air Force 12, Pittsburgh 9, San Diego State 7, USC 6, Washington 6, Texas 4, Illinois 1

How high can Notre Dame get by the end of the year? It’ll need help to be in the top-10 but here are a few things to take note of:

Wisconsin and Minnesota still have to play in two weeks, while Baylor has a great chance of meeting Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship which would mean a pair of guaranteed loses ahead of Notre Dame.

It’s also worth noting Penn State and Michigan both have to play Ohio State where the Buckeyes will be favored against both, meaning two more very possible losses for teams Notre Dame is within shouting distance off.

Finally Oregon and Utah meeting in the PAC-12 Championship will mean one more guaranteed loss by one of them.

What it all means is that if Notre Dame wins out they’ll have a realistic chance at finishing the regular season in the top-10 and in turn, have an actual chance at a Cotton or Orange Bowl appearance.

Stay tuned as the Irish continue their quest for a ten-win regular season and possibly a NY-6 bowl as they welcome Boston College to South Bend on Saturday.

Amway Coaches Poll: Notre Dame Moves Up

A week after dropping a spot, Notre Dame moved back up in the latest Amway Coaches Poll, Powered by USA Today

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Last week some Notre Dame fans were upset when the Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today was released because the Fighting Irish dropped a spot to No. 16 despite having their way at Duke.

The Irish were rewarded for their win over previously No. 23 as they moved up one spot to No. 15 in this week’s poll.

Here is the latest Amway Coaches Poll, Powered by USA Today:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Alabama

6. Oregon

7. Oklahoma

8. Utah

9. Penn State

10. Florida

11. Minnesota

12. Michigan

13. Baylor

14. Wisconsin

15. Notre Dame

16. Auburn

17. Cincinnati

18. Memphis

19. Boise State

20. Iowa

21. SMU

22. Appalachian State

23. Oklahoma State

24. Texas A&M

25. San Diego State

Dropped out:

Navy, Texas and Indiana

Notre Dame Recruiting: Second 2022 Defensive Back Offered on Navy Weekend

Xavier Nwankpa of Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill, Iowa became the second defensive back in the class of 2022 to receive a scholarship-offer from Notre Dame.

While Iowa was busy ruining Minnesota’s perfect season and Iowa State was upsetting Texas on a last-second field goal, Notre Dame was dismantling Navy and attempting to steal defensive back prospect out of The Hawkeye State.

Xavier Nwankpa of Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill, Iowa became the second defensive back in the class of 2022 to receive a scholarship-offer from Notre Dame.

Iowa, Iowa State and Nebraska were the first three programs to offer Nwankpa a scholarship.

Mike Singer of Blue-Gold Illustrated caught up with Nwankpa who said he was “excited and in shock” upon receiving the offer.

Check out Nwankpa’s sophomore highlight tape below and stay tuned to FIW for any breaking recruiting news!

Watch: Braden Lenzy Does Another Rocket Ismail Impression

Some things never get old. Seeing a No. 25 wearing blue and gold show off his blazing speed and burn an opponent for a touchdown is one of those.

On an afternoon known as the Chase Claypool celebration as he’s already put up four touchdown receptions but with the Irish leading 21-0 in the second quarter this afternoon we saw Braden Lenzy do another Rocket Ismail impression, getting behind the Navy defense for a 70 yard touchdown reception.

Some things never get old. Seeing a No. 25 wearing blue and gold show off his blazing speed and burn an opponent for a touchdown is one of those.

The Irish lead 45-3 at the time of this post. A pleasant change of pace for a Notre Dame/Navy game for the second year in a row.

Notre Dame/Navy: Injury Update (Pre-Game)

The good news is that Braden Kenzie appears back after dealing with fatigue issues.

As No. 16 Notre Dame gets set to kickoff against Navy, a couple of injury notes to keep an eye on for the game.

The Irish have been hit with injuries at the receiver position this season, dressing just four scholarship receivers last week at Duke.

The good news is that Braden Lenzy appears back after dealing with fatigue issues.

The bad news?

McKinley has pulled in 11 receptions and four touchdowns for Notre Dame this year.

Navy-Notre Dame odds: Fighting Irish favored in South Bend

Previewing Saturday’s Navy Midshipmen at Notre Dame Fighting Irish college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2) and Navy Midshipmen (7-1) play Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., at 2:30 p.m. ET.

We analyze the Navy-Notre Dame odds and betting lines while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Navy at Notre Dame: Three things you need to know

1. Notre Dame looked much better against Duke as the offense and defense finally gelled and played a solid game. The result was a 38-7 road rout that few honestly expected given how poorly the Irish looked against Virginia Tech the week before.

2. Navy, number one in the nation in rushing, comes in riding a five-game winning streak, which includes last week’s 56-10 romp over Connecticut.

3. Controlling the lines. This one can be staple gunned on here because of consistency issues with Notre Dame. That has and will be its one constant going forward. If Notre Dame can slow down the Navy’s rushing attack even a little, the Irish can easily win this game. If not, they are in trouble.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Navy at Notre Dame: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Notre Dame 34, Navy 24

Moneyline (ML)

NOTRE DAME carries a -304 moneyline. The Fighting Irish are averaging only 177 yards per game on the ground, which is an unusually low total for them.

Navy (+240) must run and run often to keep Notre Dame off the field. Navy is tops in the nation averaging 348.3 yards per game. That will be vital if it expects to keep this one close. If Notre Dame can keep the Navy defense on the field, this figures to be an easier victory. Taking the moneyline is our pick but it is not that profitable.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Notre Dame is just 5-4 ATS and 3-2 ATS at home this year coming in just under a point above the cover projections. Navy is 2-1 ATS on the road and exceeds the cover by a whopping 15.7 points per contest.

The 8.5-point spread seems in line with what most are predicting. Irish QB Ian Book looked a little more composed against Duke than he had in the last several weeks. Notre Dame should be able to run better and get passes downfield against the Navy defense. Our pick is for NOTRE DAME to cover with the +105 number.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is 53.5. This will be close but it is hard to trust Notre Dame’s defense in this tilt. Taking a small wager with the OVER (-110) is our pick.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Irish in the NFL: Will Fuller nearing return for Texans

The Houston Texans will soon get back former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller V has been out with a hamstring injury since getting hurt in Week 7, but the speedy receiver is nearing a return for the Houston Texans.

After a bye week last week, Houston reported that Fuller is a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.

Fuller is Houston’s primary deep threat, recording 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Drops have continued to plague the speedy receiver, but his rapport with Deshaun Watson will be a welcome boost for this Houston offense.

Fuller is in his fourth NFL season, all spent with Houston after they plucked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.

Fuller was a monster in college, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior, and totaling 30 career touchdowns.

Although he has yet to find that level of success in the NFL, he is liable to break out in any given week, and will help the Texans the rest of the way as soon as he is healthy.

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ESPN bowl projections: Matchups against historical programs

Currently at 9-3, Texas could end up anywhere this bowl season. ESPN projects the Camping World Bowl and the Alamo Bowl for the Longhorns.

Currently sitting at 9-3, which bowl game the Longhorns will make is still up in the air. They could go as high as the Allstate Sugar Bowl or they could end up as low as the Texas Bowl. According to ESPN’s bowl projections, Texas is somewhere in between there.

Here is a look at where ESPN thinks the Longhorns will be bowling:

First, Kyle Bonagura projects Texas to participate in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, FL. Since 2015, it has been a bowl game between Big 12 and ACC teams. If the Longhorns were to play in the Camping World Bowl, it would be the first time they would participate in it. What sticks out is their opponent, Notre Dame. Two of the most historic programs of all time, both schools are in the top 10 in all-time wins in NCAA history.

Playing as recent as 2015 and 2016, the Fighting Irish and the Longhorns have played a total of 12 times, with Notre Dame leading the series 9-3. The latest game in 2016 is the infamous “Texas is back folks!” game when Tyrone Swoopes scored a touchdown to beat the No. 10 ranked Irish in Austin, 50-47.

With Mark Schlabach projecting both Oklahoma and Baylor to get spots in a New Year’s Six Bowl game, that would leave the second-best Big 12 bowl game, the Valero Alamo Bowl, open for the Longhorns. Texas has not played in the Alamo Bowl since doing it in back to back seasons in 2012 and 2013 when they played Oregon State and Oregon respectively. Playing Pac 12 opponents, Schlabach says Texas will face the Trojans of USC.

These two teams have a lot of recent history and if they met, would be playing each other for the third year in a row. The Longhorns lost a heartbreaker on the road in 2017, while they beat the Trojans by 23 at home last season.

As usual when talking about Texas and USC, you have to mention the 2006 Rose Bowl game for the National Championship. Widely considered the greatest college football game of all time, Texas fans will be remembering this game for the rest of their lives.

Even if the Longhorns are not able to make the most prestigious bowl game this season, these matchups could still be some fun ones. Especially when you are playing against historical blue blood programs like Notre Dame and USC.

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Notre Dame Football: Sellout Streak Over

Where were you on Thanksgiving Day in 1973?

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Where were you on Thanksgiving Day in 1973?

If you answered with being at Notre Dame Stadium when the Irish dismantled Air Force 48-15 en-route to a national championship, then you were a part of history.

No, not just because that Ara Parseghian-led team went on to win it all, but because it was the last time Notre Dame Stadium failed to sell out for a home football contest.

Until this weekend.

It went over four-and-a-half decades and lasted 273 games but it appears that streak of consecutive sellouts is history.

“Based on ticket sales through Wednesday, we do not anticipate sellouts for our games against Navy and Boston College,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “That this comes during a time of sustained success for our football program reflects both challenges impacting the ticket market nationwide and the unique dynamics of this year’s schedule.”

Swarbrick mentioned in an interview with Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune that the Irish playing three true home games this November and the weather that comes with that are the most-likely factors to seeing the streak end.

In the piece you find out how several games over the years counted as sellouts as well, even when plenty of empty seats were clearly evident.

The streak ranked second, behind only Nebraska who has sold out every one of their last 373 home contests.

Over the last ten seasons the Irish have played just one home-game five times, often playing the on-again, off-again Shamrock Series during the month.

Notre Dame can move to 8-2 with a win over No. 21 Navy and potentially 9-2 if they can also get by traditional pain-in-the-rear, Boston College in two weeks.

If you haven’t been to a game in quite some time, here’s your chance to see a potential top-10 finishing Notre Dame team up close.

Midweek Mailbag – Get Your Questions In!

Your questions can be anything in regards to Notre Dame or college football for that matter.  They can be incredibly serious and big-picture or something small and funny.  I’ll pick out the best ones from the following places:

Last week we debuted the “Midweek Mailbag” and answered five of your best questions we could come up with.  They ranged from hypotheticals such as “IF Brian Kelly were to leave who would be the first three people you’d target who would be REALISTIC candidates, not dream ones?” and there was a solid one about being independent and if players prefer that or conference-life.

If you missed it, you can check out last week’s right here.  I was even asked if I even liked Notre Dame because I dared to repeat information that Paul Finebaum gave, even though his info appears to have been correct.

Your questions can be anything in regards to Notre Dame or college football for that matter.  They can be incredibly serious and big-picture or something small and funny.  I’ll pick out the best ones from the following places:

1. Leave a comment on this or any other post on Fighting Irish Wire

2. Leave a question on our Facebook page – either on one of our posts or on our wall

3. Tweet us @IrishWireND or me personally @Shep670

4. Leave a comment on our Instagram Page. And even if you don’t leave a question – you should go follow it as it’s going to become a lot more active soon.

Now get asking those questions and see if yours makes the cut.  Get-on, now!