With Signing Day in the rearview mirror, the offseason scab picking can accelerate to greater heights. Perhaps the area of greatest frustration for many looking back on the 2015 season was the continued struggles on the defensive side of the ball. Injuries certainly had a meaningful impact. From Jarron Jones, to KeiVarae Russell, to the way the season ended for Jaylon Smith, it seemed like just about every defensive player had to deal with a substantial health issue. Yet, when juxtaposed with ...
Brian VanGorder
The Essential Brian VanGorder
Brian VanGorder knows the finer things are worth taking the time to enjoy. As the offseason crawl carries right along with signing day on Wednesday looming large over the minds of coaches, recruiting analysts, and creeper fans alike, we here at Her Loyal Sons prefer to focus on these finer things. As a taste of the finery HLS will offer throughout the offseason, we thought it best to start with a light and refreshing tribute to Brian VanGorder, perhaps the most underrated entertainer on ...
How Do We Judge Brian Kelly in 2015?
The public and constant evaluation of the head coach of Notre Dame football might as well stand with death and taxes in the certainties of life. It comes with the territory and, in this day and age, provides easy fodder for spilling internet ink on blogs, forums, and social media. However, just because this fruit hangs low doesn't mean it isn't worth taking a look at. Looking at a coach's progress and/or expectations is a solid health check for the program in both its current state and the ...
Morning Roundup: Feb. 18, 2015
Good morning! Here are your headlines: FROM OUR SITE Fat Tuesday, indeed...of ND coaching news COACHING Irish Illustrated: Gilmore: No comment on ND move ND Insider: Reports: Notre Dame to add Autry Denson, Keith Gilmore to football staff CBS Sports: Report: Notre Dame to hire Autry Denson (RB), Keith Gilmore (DL) One Foot Down: Notre Dame rounds out new coaching staff Subway Domer: Notre Dame coaching staff: Achievement unlocked Irish Illustrated: Denson returning to ...
Morning Roundup: Feb. 7, 2015
Good morning! RECRUITING Bleacher Report (Keith Arnold): Brian Kelly opens up on 2015 recruiting class Fansided: Notre Dame recruiting 2015: Who will contribute right away? Irish Illustrated: Adams ready to work Blue & Gold Illustrated: Four preferred walk-ons join Irish Rant Sports: Top 5 offensive recruits Notre Dame landed on Signing Day One Foot Down: 2015 football recruiting: OL & TE review Irish Illustrated: Combining the classes: Defense UHND: How Notre Dame's ...
Notre Dame and Michigan: The End
I'm not used to storybook endings for Notre Dame football. That might sound a bit strange for a program full of feel-good lore, legends, and even a movie about a walk-on that managed to record a sack on his only defensive snap. That was all "back then" as many people that love to hate the Fighting Irish will consistently remind me. Recently, the script for Notre Dame football ends in nightmares. The 2012 season, and the events that followed after it, serves as a perfect example. After an ...
Friday Roundup: The “Notre Dame Fall Camp 2014 Catch-Up” Edition
Once WatchND started pumping out Notre Dame football fall camp practice videos, I was all in for breaking each one down. It worked great for the first two practices, but then practice #3 happened and saw the video breakdown was a position profile for the CBs. Don't get me wrong, the feature was great, but a basically started at my title of "Fall Camp Practice Report #3: CB Report" for about an hour and realized there was no way that I could even drag 100 words out of the topic. So I passed ...
Notre Dame Fall Camp Practice #2 Report (August 5, 2014)
Another day, another practice for Notre Dame football. With the media now locked out of practice, all we have are our small morsels of Jack Nolan and the Fighting Irish Digital Media crew giving us a peak into practice. And, yes, we will happily devour it and attempt to over-analyze it because we have signs of football and we are starving for it, dammit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBUQkvpI008 And now to wring some analysis out of sub-five minute clip: Jack Nolan opened with a ...
Friday Roundup: The “Brian Kelly Hates the Goal Line” Edition
So last week, I spent a lot of time discussing how the change were good and the new FieldTurf is just one example of progress. This week, I realize that I have failed you. Just watch the final time lapse of the FieldTurf installation. Let's see if you notice it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d40pJ_tL-2I Did you see it? You probably missed it. The distraction of plastic cancer-causing grass, kickoff shamrock logos, and midfield monograms likely distracted you from the truth. Let's try ...
Notre Dame 2014 Opponent Preview: Rice
The summer months are officially here and that means the kickoff for Notre Dame football is creeping ever closer. To celebrate, I'm going to start a weekly preview of each of our opponents. After all, during the season, my energy will be devoted to making fun of our opponents in the Friday Roundup, so the least I can do is give each team some legitimate analysis. First up, the Rice Owls. Vitals Offense Rice's offense is easily the biggest question mark heading into the 2014 ...