The Easiest: Navy Yes, Navy! Before readers attempt to tar and feather me - or worse - I’m going with the Midshipman for a couple of reasons. But wait, what about the vaunted option attack and Ken Niumatalolo’s offense? Remember the years Notre Dame has struggled with it? Consider this: In the last five meetings with Navy, Notre Dame’s average margin of victory has been 22.6 points. This includes a decisive 41-24 victory last year against a Navy team that featured Heisman Trophy ...
Former Irish Icer Ignites Scoring for Penguins in NHL Final
Stanley Cup lore is littered with unlikely heroes who scored big goals to push their teams to the finals or propel their teams to Stanley Cup championships. Few, if any will forget Stephane Matteau’s conference championship winning goal to oust the New Jersey Devils and help the New York Rangers erase 50 years of Stanley Cup futility. Other New Yorkers will remember Bobby Nystrom’s overtime winner that launched the 1980s New York Islanders' Stanley Cup dynasty. Bryan Rust, a 2014 graduate of ...
Irish Laxers Set For Sunday Re-Match with UNC
The #5 Notre Dame men's lacrosse team will play #12 North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals Sunday after a dominating performance last weekend. The Irish beat the #13 Air Force Falcons, 15-7, after surging to a five-goal halftime lead. The men's team had squandered fourth-quarter leads against North Carolina and Duke before the tournament began. But that was not a concern last Saturday, as the Irish cruised to easy victory. The Irish were paced by sophomore Mikey Wynne, who contributed ...
Chasing Cup Dreams: Irish In the NHL Playoffs
During the modern era in Notre Dame hockey, no coach has had more success than Jeff Jackson. Jackson has compiled a .604 winning percentage and also piloted the Irish to their only two Frozen Four Appearances in program history. Additionally, the Irish have had a recent run of NHL draft picks and guys who have managed to stay in the league during the Jackson Era. Three of these players - Erik Condra, Ian Cole, and Bryan Rust - will seek to become just the fifth Notre Dame player to have their ...
No Time To Re-Lax
In a season full of way more ups than downs, one has to wonder what to make of the Fighting Irish Lacrosse team as NCAA Tournament play looms. This was a team that during the regular season held the #1 ranking at one point, handed perennial power house Syracuse its worst home defeat in 29 years, and handily defeated current #1 and tournament favorite Maryland 9-4. However, before you book your tickets to Philadelphia for the Final Four, know that the Irish, in some sense, seem to be ...
Debate This: Jaylon Smith Should Have Skipped Fiesta Bowl
Debate This is a recurring series on HerLoyalSons in which two writers take opposing sides on a hot topic. Today and tomorrow, we will debate whether or not Jaylon Smith should have played in the Fiesta Bowl. Today, IrishJimmy leads us through the "he should have skipped it" argument. Tomorrow, andrewwinn takes the other side. Jaylon Smith should have skipped the Fiesta Bowl because it was far more important for him to stay healthy and protect his financial future than it was to win a ...
Elijah Shumate Headed To Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed former Irish safety Elijah Shumate, according to Irish Illustrated's Pete Sampson. Shumate was ranked as the 14th overall Strong Safety out of 193. At 6’ 216 pounds he more than possesses the size to play that position at the next level. In fact, Shumate actually remarked that he had cut too much weight for the East-West Shrine game and was now back a more viable playing weight. His strength (18 repetitions on 225 lb. Bench Press) and (4.10) in the 20 yard ...
Arizona Cardinals Sign Undrafted Matthias Farley
Matthias Farley, a former Notre Dame safety, announced that he will be joining the Arizona Cardinals after not being picked in the 2016 NFL Draft. I flat out love Farley. There will be some who will look at his size and 5’11 and 205 pounds and conclude that was an obstacle to be drafted. Others will point out his somewhat uneven career at Notre Dame as a reason he did not get drafted. Farley currently is ranked the 25th overall strong safety out of 193 and has a stock that appears to be on ...
Film Session: Notre Dame vs. Miami, 1990
The Miami-Notre Dame series, while largely dominated by Notre Dame, was full of excitement in the late 1980s. Whether it was the unforgivable 58-7 humiliation that was Gerry Faust’s last game or the near riot prior to the 1988 thriller, the games were hard-hitting, emotion-fueled, big-play dramas. While games in both 1988 and 1989 largely decided the national championship, the 1990 game was actually ranked #3 by fans for the best games in Notre Dame Stadium in a 2005 poll. It also played a ...
What Should The Yearly Expectations Be For ND Football?
What is good enough for Notre Dame? I was a child of the Lou Holtz years, when Notre Dame was in the hunt for a national title almost every season. That has not been the case at any point since Holtz left. In this article, I'm going to look at some of the stated "hurdles" and determine if they're relevant. Then, I'm going to answer: What is a reasonable expectation for Notre Dame football on an annual basis? Schedule “We won nine games two years out of the five. I think the difficulty is ...