The first time Notre Dame and Army met, the Irish made history. This year, Brian Kelly's team is just hoping for an easy win against a once potent rival. The Irish and Black Knights meet Nov. 12 in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the Shamrock Series. MOVING THE GAME FORWARD Jesse Harper didn't invent the forward pass, but his 1913 Irish squad was the first to prove it could be successful against top flight talent. Harry Cross, covering the first Army-Notre Dame clash for the NY Times, ...
Brian Kelly
Who Should Start At QB?
Welcome to a series of posts we’re calling “Five Question Marks.” In his final entry, BJ Konkle answers a question on the minds of many Notre Dame fans: Which quarterback gives Notre Dame the best chance to win? I've saved the most debated question of all for last – Malik or DeShone, Zaire or Kizer, lefty or righty? The position is still very much up for grabs as we head into fall camp. Coach Brian Kelly has said that while either player is capable of taking the team to a ...
Expert: Nyles Morgan Scapegoated To Cover Coach’s Weakness
Notre Dame coaches "undersold" sophomore linebacker Nyles Morgan last year in an effort to conceal a significant weakness in Brian VanGorder's defensive scheme. Blue & Gold Illustrated's Bryan Driskell criticized VanGorder, the Irish's defensive coordinator, for being too faithful to scheme and sticking with Joe Schmidt - although he graded out as one of the worst linebackers last year. "Why did you run a defense that required you to put such an inferior player on the field in order ...
Five Great Opening Games for ND Football
Notre Dame football has played 127 seasons, but for the purposes of determining the five best openers I'm going to limit my selections to the modern era. Here's the criteria I used: First, the game has to be against a quality opponent. Second, that team has to be from a major conference. Third, I cannot pick all the openers against Michigan. Fourth, it has to be a win. Fifth, the game has to be played after 1964, which I consider the start of the modern era. #5 Northwestern ...
Brady Quinn: Start Malik Zaire At QB
Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn says redshirt junior Malik Zaire should be named the starter in 2016 - and he laid out his argument to FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman Tuesday. Quinn, who is now a FOX Sports 1 analyst, said he believed "seniority should rule" in choosing the signal caller for the game versus Texas and beyond. He also believes starting redshirt sophomore DeShone Kizer at quarterback could lead to a potentially unstable situation. "[If] they go with Kizer first - if you ...
Experts: Brian Kelly is Among Ten Best College Coaches
While there will always be a segment of Notre Dame fans unhappy with Coach Brian Kelly's performance, it's getting harder to argue against his inclusion in the list of top, active FBS coaches. Kelly was ranked in the top 10 of all 128 FBS coaches in two separate publications Tuesday. Athlon Sports, which boasts an online readership in excess of 1 million readers annually, chose Kelly as the 10th best coach. The Sporting News, which has covered college football since before the second World ...
Let’s Renew Our Rivalry With Michigan
Anyone with any sense of college football history knows the importance of the Michigan/Notre Dame rivalry. We don’t have to rehash fight songs, their standing in winning percentage, the legend of Michigan students teaching football to Notre Dame to understand the magnitude of this series. I’ll be honest: When it ended in 2014, I was so elated with Notre Dame’s 31-0 pasting of the Wolverines that I didn’t give it much thought. Now as time passed and Michigan has rebounded under Jim ...
Notre Dame’s Easiest, Scariest & Toughest Games
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 ...
10,000 Days: Fighting… For Another Championship
Notre Dame football has not won a national championship in 10,000 days. Let that little factoid wash over you. Steph Curry, Rihanna, Adele, Haley Joel Osment, Emma Stone, and Michael Cera were all born the year the Irish last hoisted the crystal football, or whatever they hoisted back then. It was probably a rough-hewn marble tablet or something. Something sepia toned, and in the newsreels everyone moved too fast, and all the men wore hats. https://youtu.be/zVAhI0eSeCQ Vietnam is ...
Will Another Star Receiver Emerge In ’16?
Welcome to a series of posts we're calling "Five Question Marks." In this inaugural entry, BJ Konkle answers a question on the minds of many Notre Dame fans: Is there another star wide receiver waiting to emerge? Notre Dame football has recruited, developed and ultimately produced extraordinary college football wide receivers. Some of these athletes - Jeff Samardzija, Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, T.J. Jones, and most recently Will Fuller - have gone on to successful (and lucrative) ...