Tag: Pat Coogan

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: Second-Quarter Analysis

This quarter lasted over an hour and was quite crazy.

If you were hoping for more action between Notre Dame and Virginia in the second quarter, you would have gotten some. In a quarter that lasted over an hour in real time, the Irish had one crazy moment after another, and it ended with them holding a 28-0 halftime lead.

Both teams continued to struggle offensively for the first few minutes. After [autotag]Max Hurleman[/autotag] muffed a punt and the Cavaliers recovered, the Irish’s 7-0 lead appeared to be in jeopardy. But the Irish took the ball right back a few plays later when [autotag]Rod Heard II[/autotag] forced a Kobe Pace fumble that was recovered by [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag].

The difference between the two turnovers is that the Irish took advantage. Their offense had its most productive drive of the day, and it culminated when [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] hit [autotag]Jayden Harrison[/autotag] for an 8-yard touchdown.

On the next possession, Leonard fired another apparent touchdown pass to Harrison from 78 yards out, but it was wiped out when [autotag]Pat Coogan[/autotag] was penalized for illegal hands to the face.

Another apparent touchdown then was wiped out after a very confusing sequence. Faced with fourth-and-11, the Irish opted to fake a punt and try a fumblerooski, and [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] ran the ball 73 yards to the house. However, the officials called it back for illegal formation, much to the chagrin of the Notre Dame Stadium fans and the NBC announcers.

But that touchdown was dying to be scored, and it finally was after [autotag]Adon Shuler[/autotag] returned an interception 46 yards and Leonard immediately faked a handoff before firing to an open [autotag]Cooper Flanagan[/autotag] in the end zone from 2 yards out.

The Irish weren’t finished though. Anthony Colandrea threw another interception, this one to [autotag]Leonard Moore[/autotag]. On the final of three subsequent passes, [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag] had a 16-yard touchdown.

Colandrea kept feeling generous though because Watts picked off another one of his passes in the waning seconds of the quarter. Although [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] missed a 54-yard field goal as time expired, the Irish still deserved a rest in the locker room after everything that had just happened.

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Notre Dame Week 7 highlight: Pat Coogan averts disaster

Pat Coogan gets a most unexpected first down.

Notre Dame offensive lineman Pat Coogan made an athletic play to get a first down on what could’ve been a Stanford interception of a Riley Leonard pass.

Stanford Cardinal linebacker Gaethan Bernadel batted the pass up in the air and the ball found its way to Coogan who caught it and carried for the first down.

Usually offensive linemen have to report as eligible before catching a pass. In this case, an alert Coogan made sure the Irish retained the football — and got a key first down.

Unexpected catches by the big fellows are always fun.

Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) follows a block by offensive lineman Pat Coogan (78) against the Duke Blue Devils during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Pat Coogan explains why he stayed at Notre Dame after losing starting spot

Coogan loves for Notre Dame made his choice simple

In this transfer portal era of college football, it would have been very easy for someone like Notre Dame offensive lineman [autotag]Pat Coogan[/autotag] to leave the program after losing his starting job the previous year.

Team all across the country are always looking for quality lineman in the portal, especially ones with starting experience. After starting at left guard for the Irish in 2023, Coogan was named the second-team center behind Ashton Craig ahead of the season opener against Texas A&M.

Unfortunately, Craig went down with an injury at Purdue, and Coogan re-entered the picture. The redshirt junior helped Notre Dame’s beaten up line dominate the Boilermakers, with Coogan playing a big part once again.

On Tuesday night, the Illinois native spoke with the media and obviously was asked what made him stay in South Bend. Coogan’s answer was simple, “my love for the University of Notre Dame is so much stronger than any individual honor or goal,” while explaining that it “sucked” not being on the field with his teammates.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates with Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Pat Coogan (78) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Sullivan Absher (75) after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 66-7.

Coogan believes that everything happens for a reason, kept a positive attitude while still working hard. I have no doubt in my mind that Pat will made Irish Nation proud.

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Three Notre Dame athletes sign NIL deal with Chicago White Sox

What an opportunity for these three Irish athletes

The era of NIL has changed a lot about what collegiate players can do, and multiple Notre Dame athletes are taking full advantage of a unique opportunity.

Center [autotag]Pat Coogan[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] along with soccer player [autotag]Berkley Mensik[/autotag], all hail from the Chicagoland area and on Thursday it was announced that they have partnered with the Chicago White Sox for an NIL deal.

The two players, along with multiple other local college stars were named in 2024’s CHISOX Athlete Class, which former Irish soccer player Bryan Dowd is an alumni. The deal allows the players to throw out the first pitch at a game, a photoshoot at Guaranteed Rate Field and more.

Congratulations to these three Notre Dame stars on an exciting NIL opportunity.

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Thoughts on Notre Dame’s depth chart ahead of Ohio State

Plenty of take aways from the seasons first depth chart

As in each year of college football, a new group of stars emerge from one season to another. This season will be no different and for Notre Dame, there are more then a few players who could make a significant leap in the eyes of college football fans everywhere. Here are a few observations on Marcus Freeman’s first regular season depth chart.

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Freeman still on the road, this time visiting a Chicago powerhouse

The Irish head coach has been getting his frequent flyer miles in

New Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is logging is air mileage this week. Yesterday he was on the east coast and today Notre Dame’s brand new coach was in Chicago as he visited Marist High School.

As a former scout in this area, I know that Marist has a very exceptional program. Each year they send at least one player to compete at the Power-5 level, Notre Dame signing offensive lineman Pat Coogan in the 2021 class.

As for the future, it is unknown who Freeman was there to impress, but surely the Marist coaching staff has given him a hint as to who will be the new up-and-coming Red Hawk that has Power-5 potential.

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See: Notre Dame ‘21 commit Pat Coogan maul defender

Up close and personal, Pat Coogan is a bad man

I had to pleasure to going out to Notre Dame yesterday, the College Prep school in Niles, Illinois to see the Don’s host the Marist Red Hawks. One of the best players on the field yesterday was Notre Dame commit Pat Coogan. The Red Hawks easily took care of the Don’s in the opener for both teams, 34-13.

It was a great performance for the Red Hawk’s as the offense led the way. Their quarterback Dontrell Jackson, a Coastal Carolina commit, was untouched all evening in part due to plays like this from Coogan:

The left guard was spectacular last night, finishing plays like this one and even getting reps as the teams long-snapper. Coogan showed the high level talent that the Notre Dame coaching staff saw when they originally offered him.

[lawrence-related id=21894]

In an interview with him earlier in the year, Coogan told he was would play his final year then head out to South Bend. That was bad news for opposing high school players.

Notre Dame Football: 2021 Early signing day superlatives

With the 2021 early signing period having come and gone, here are some superlatives for the Notre Dame Football recruiting class.

The early signing day has come and went, with it’s normal drama which the Irish saw plenty of. There was a surprise signature from Ron Powlus Jr., two Friday flips (from MSU Audric Estime and from LSU Khari Gee) while the Irish are battling instate LSU to retain the signature of running back Logan Diggs. As we look back on the 8th best recruiting class in the nation according to the 247Sports composite, let’s take a look a some superlatives for the newest incoming Notre Dame football stars of tomorrow.

Signed: Notre Dame offensive guard Pat Coogan

Illinois interior offensive lineman Pat Coogan has signed with Notre Dame.

Illinois offensive guard Pat Coogan, six-foot-five-inches and 290-pounds, has signed with Notre Dame.

247Sports composite ranking: 613

247Sports positional composite ranking: 32

https://twitter.com/coachbriankelly/status/1339269308765986816?s=21

Welcome to the Notre Dame family Pat!

Check out the Mount Rushmore of Notre Dame recruits!

Notre Dame football: red hot run continues as Caleb Johnson commits

Notre Dame football wins again during their bye week, this time flipping an Auburn football commitment to the Irish. Hello, Caleb Johnson!

One of the questions asked by some after Notre Dame upset Clemson less than two weeks ago wasn’t about what it meant for the Fighting Irish program on the field in 2020, but what it meant down the road, specifically in recruiting.

Just 13 days since the 47-40, two overtime classic that saw Notre Dame knock off No. 1 for the first time in 27 years, the returns are already massive.

Notre Dame has started turning that win and the successes of 2020 on the field onto victories in the recruiting world as Philip Riley, Jr. switched his commitment from USC to the Irish earlier this week and then the likes of kicker Josh Bryan and outside linebacker Kahanu Kia announced commitments as well.

Then on Thursday night Notre Dame saw another big-time prospect flip from a football powerhouse and commit to the Irish instead as offensive tackle Caleb Johnson became commitment number 23 in the 2021 recruiting class.

Johnson had committed to Auburn back in May but had a change of heart that will see him be another massive piece on what is an absolute haul of a recruiting class on the offensive line.

Johnson is listed at 6-7, 295 pounds, and comes from Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Florida.  He has a three-star grade according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Related: Meet Notre Dame’s 2021 Recruiting Class

As well as Auburn, Johnson held offers from more than 35 programs including big-time programs like Alabama, LSU, Miami, Penn State and plenty of others.

Johnson joins an offensive line class that already includes five-star tackle Blake Fisher, four-star guard Rocco Splinder as well as Minneapolis tackle Joe Alt and Chicago guard Pat Coogan.