Moons

HLS/ND Fan Radio Winners! and HLS Weekly Pick ‘Em

January 18, 2016 by Moons

Now a week removed from watching Nick Saban re-installed as the dark lord of the college football world, I'm ready to shed a small amount of light onto a few folks. The HLS/ND Fan Radio group ended up having over 100 people participate for the glory and prizes that came with it. In the end, it wasn't much of a battle. Entry Kizer4Heisman dominated the rest of the group, and quite frankly most of the rest of the Internet. His 734 points put him in the 99.8 percentile for all ESPN entries. For his ...

Notre Dame’s Max Redfield (10) intercepts a pass tipped by teammate KeiVarae Russell (6) and USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) during the Notre Dame-Southern Cal football game on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

A Defense in Transition

January 13, 2016 by Moons

Jaylon Smith's announcement earlier this week that he would be entering the NFL Draft should not have been a surprise, but it certainly still hit many Irish fans right in the feels. First, there's that hollow feeling of knowing that we've all watched Jaylon play his final game, tragically cut short, in the Navy and Gold. This is not a mourning in any sense of the word. Irish fans should feel elated that a player and person of Smith's quality will get to follow his dreams of playing at the next ...

HLS 2016 Guarantees

January 7, 2016 by Moons

As the first week of 2016 comes to a close, I'm sure plenty of those lofty, ambitious New Year's resolutions we set for ourselves have already found their way to the dumpster. A new year frequently brings renewed new hope and unabashed enthusiasm for the possible...if not likely. It's still a great time for bold takes on what to look forward to when the fall rolls around and football returns. I was curious to hear from the HLS Staff what they were most confident in happening in the 2016 season. ...

Game Predictions! Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

December 31, 2015 by Moons

As to get this in while we're still in 2015, let's keep this short. This week, the Buckeyes announced Ezekiel Elliott received multiple misdemeanor citations for doing a lot of very bad, possibly illegal driving. Max Redfield was sent home for tardiness. The demise of Notre Dame's standards are much exaggerated. If you need more reasons to pick ND over tOSU...check out our Fiesta Bowl coverage...maybe. In the meantime, GET IN YOUR FINAL PICKS OF THE YEAR. Fill out this form (do not post your ...

Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith (9) leaps over Boston College’s Myles Willis (23) as QB Jeff Smith (5) passes during the second half of the Notre Dame-Boston College NCAA football game on Nov. 21. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Apples to Oranges: Fiesta Bowl Defensive Preview

December 29, 2015 by Moons

When the Irish and the Buckeyes take the field this Friday, the two offenses may be fairly similar with perhaps a slight edge going to the Irish, but the game's eventual outcome will be more a tale of how each side's defense handles these two explosive offenses. The season-long numbers provide a distinct edge to Ohio State. Let's consider how each team ranks nationally in several important categories (actual value in parentheses): Simply put: the numbers strongly favor Ohio State. Whether ...

Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise runs for a touchdown against Georgia Tech. (Michael Conroy / AP)

Should He Stay or Should He Go?

December 21, 2015 by Moons

Last Monday, as Bayou wrote about, the Football Writers Association of America unveiled its 2015 All-America team. Irish players Ronnie Stanley, Jaylon Smith, Will Fuller, and Sheldon Day were all selected to either the first or second team. While the collegiate career of Sheldon Day will conclude on Jan. 1 no matter how much we all might like him to stick around, the other three all have a choice to make about whether to declare for the NFL draft or not. If each wanted to return, they all ...

HLS/ND Fan Radio Bowl Mania! (Now with Prizes!)

December 7, 2015 by Moons

Yesterday bowl match-ups were officially named, and the good news is we're less than 2 weeks away from the most wonderful time of the year! Bowl season is a magical time when basically like every team who wasn't terrible (and some that were terrible) get one last chance to prove something or another. If that seems like a lukewarm sales pitch, that's partially accurate. I love bowl season. I try to watch as many of them as possible. This year's very first match-up will happen on December 19, 2015 ...

(Photo Credit: AP)

Game Predictions! ND vs. Stanford

November 27, 2015 by Moons

'Tis the season to express what you're thankful for. I'm thankful for the Kelly regime's recruiting prowess. This Irish team has a different kind of depth from previous teams. Imagine that! If you give a good coach enough time to create a pipeline of talent, you can survive injuries. ND might be on the outside of the playoffs looking in at the very moment, but no need to panic. Not yet at least. Thank you Boston College for your terrible offense that let the Irish escape with a win last ...

Game Preview: ND v. Stanford – Going Out on a Limb

November 27, 2015 by Moons

The past week has been a trying one for some in Irish land. The release of the most recent college football playoff rankings left many with a bad taste in their mouth as the Irish dropped from 4th to 6th in the new poll. The frustrations stemmed from a variety of sources. A lot of the anger was directed towards Iowa whose pillow fight of a schedule, including their fluffy, airy, defeat of soft-landing spot Purdue propelled the Hawkeyes past the Irish in the wake of the uneven performance against ...

Courtesy of Sporting News

Game Predictions! ND vs. Boston College

November 20, 2015 by Moons

So here we are. Late in a season with national championship aspirations on the line. Standing in the way of another glorious run to immortality sits the Notre Dame Waiting List - Boston College. History will tell you one thing. Your heart another. Your whiskey bottle yet a third. Your spouse/significant other yet a fourth. Who am I kidding. Notre Dame Football is all of our mistress, and we'll follow her blindly. Get your picks in! Fill out this form (do not post your predictions in the ...