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Morning Roundup: Sept. 7, 2016

andrewwinn — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 09:00:23 +0000

Brian Kelly meets with the media. The Texas game is further dissected. The Irish drop to #18 in the AP poll and #21 in the coaches’ poll. This news and all others about Notre Dame football from the past 24 hours is below.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCAST

Blue & Gold Illustrated: Texas recap
Irish Illustrated: Making sense of Sunday
ND Insider: Five fixes for Notre Dame’s defense
Slap the Sign: Notre Dame’s defenseless defense and other Texas topics

NEXT GAME: vs. Nevada (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC)

Bleacher Report: Betting odds, football pick
Blue & Gold Illustrated: Nevada’s Brian Polian talks matchup with Notre Dame
Blue & Gold Illustrated: Video: Brian Kelly press conference review, Sept. 6
Inside the Irish: Irish move forward to Nevada
Irish Illustrated ($): Insider’s Q&A: Nevada
Irish Sports Daily: Notre Dame depth chart: Nevada
Irish Sports Daily ($): BK notebook: 9/6
Irish247: Impressions: Brian Kelly press conference (Sept. 6)
ND Insider: Quick hits: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly’s Nevada week press conference
One Foot Down: Notre Dame football depth chart for Nevada
One Foot Down: Tuesdays with Brian Kelly – Nevada week
Sports Chat Place: College football pick, odds and prediction
UHND: Notre Dame football depth chart: 2016 Nevada
UND: Home opener Sunday vs. Nevada for #18 Irish
UND: Brian Kelly press conference transcript

2016 TEAM

Athlon: Five thoughts on Notre Dame after week one
CSN Chicago: Notre Dame falls to No. 21 in coaches’ poll
Irish Illustrated ($): Tim Prister’s tale of the tape
NWI Times: Irish now crossing a minefield
UHND: Notre Dame football stock report: Week 2

OFFENSE

Campus Sports: Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly not ready to give up on 2 QB system
CSN Chicago: Notre Dame in wait-to-meet mode on DeShone Kizer, Malik Zaire
ESPN: Notre Dame WR Hunter deals with concussion symptoms
Goshen News: Still no decision on QB plan, Kelly says
Irish Illustrated ($): Looking back at the rise of Kizer
Irish Illustrated: Video: Brian Kelly talks quarterback uncertainty
Irish Sports Daily ($): Kelly talks QBs
ND Insider: It’s not about naming who’s the No. 1 QB at Notre Dame, but how to keep No. 2 engaged
NFL: Dare to compare: NFL comp for Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer
Slap the Sign: St. Brown and Sanders could become two-headed monster
Slap the Sign: Give Kizer keys to the offense
247Sports: Barton Simmons on DeShone Kizer, young QBs and Minnesota’s tricky skill

DEFENSE

Blue & Gold Illustrated: Dubious defensive days at Notre Dame
ND Insider: Video: Is Notre Dame DC Brian VanGorder the right man for the job?
Irish Illustrated: Kelly comes to VanGorder’s defense
Slap the Sign: Is Brian VanGorder the right man for Notre Dame?
UND: Rochell lives by his father’s message

SCHEDULE

Detroit Free Press: MSU’s next opponent: What we learned from Notre Dame’s loss at Texas

RECRUITING

Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notre Dame commit tracker and recap video: Week two
Irish Sports Daily ($): Video: C.J. Holmes excited for official, senior season
Irish Sports Daily: Recruit roundup
Irish247 ($): Position change in Pouncey’s future?

LAST GAME: Texas 50, Notre Dame 47

Barking Carnival: Sights and sounds: Texas football vs. Notre Dame
CBS Sports: College football writer: Notre Dame game a pivotal moment for Texas
CSN Chicago: Big 12 official: Hit on Torii Hunter Jr. reviewed, didn’t warrant ‘egregious foul’
Fox Sports: How DeShone Kizer ended Notre Dame’s QB battle by shredding Texas
Horns247: Stathead: Breaking down the Texas Longhorns football win against Notre Dame
Irish Illustrated: O’Malley’s game one musings
Irish Sports Daily ($): Notre Dame-Texas film review (part 1)
Irish Sports Daily ($): Notre Dame-Texas film review (part 2)
Irish247 ($): Report card: Offense
Irish247 ($): Report card: Defense
Irish247: Proud of team’s effort, Kelly says Irish need to finish
One Foot Down: The Texas hangover
One Foot Down: 3 things to takeaway from Notre Dame’s loss to Texas
UHND: Beyond the boxscore: Notre Dame vs. Texas ’16
USA Today: Big 12 says hit on Notre Dame receiver was not targeting

IRISH IN THE NFL

Irish Illustrated: ND in the NFL: Final cut downs

MISC.

Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notre Dame basketball targets in updated Rivals150
UND: Jerome Bettis to join Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

Photo credit for featured image: Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune

The post Morning Roundup: Sept. 7, 2016 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Blue Gold Game Preview: The Wide Receivers

tricerapops — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:30:38 +0000

Certain story lines and narratives have floated to the surface as we approach the Blue Gold Game, likely leaving a lingering aftertaste once the final whistle blows during the annual scrimmage.

Here’s a current glimpse into what we have seen/read/heard so far, along with a healthy dose of extrapolation and unrealistic expectations/hope (it’s spring after all) – with specific focus on the Irish wide receivers.

The wide receiver position group has been steadily featured in the Watch ND practice videos this spring, and invites a number of questions that will be intriguing to see answered come the fall. Fortunately, the questions are not of the “OH NOES, WHO WILL CATCH THE BALL?” but more along the lines of our typical, “Who will step up?” variety.

It almost feels like an annual tradition that we have a good spring season for our WR heir apparent(s) and a number of names surfacing both old and new to keep us guessing into the season. History tells us that BK will settle on 1-2 guys that will be feature dudes in the receiving corps – but damn if it doesn’t feel like we have a fleet of all-Americans now in April!

Corey Holmes – So word out of camp is this guy is fast as all-get-the-heck-out-of-here. Is he Charlie Weis/Munir Prince “whoosh” fast? That remains to be seen (that was a fall camp reference, but work with me here). BK has already placed a qualifier that Holmes’ speed needs to translate onto the football field, but one has to be optimistic that this isn’t fool’s gold.
Torii Hunter Jr. – exciting video highlights + positive feedback via BK press conference snippets + word of flexibility (i.e., we shouldn’t expect Hunter Jr. to be relegated to just the slot receiver position) gives many a Notre Dame fan heart palpitations. It sounds like a good problem to have, in that THJr can play anywhere on the field and we have the ability to mix and match guys based on what the defense is giving us. He would be the smart bet on the heir apparent as our go-to receiver for 2016 (if I wasn’t so enamored with E. St. Brown).
Kevin Stepherson – NEW GUY ALERT! NEW GUY ALERT! Along with the trees that smell weird when they bloom in the spring, we have our annual tradition of naming a freshman who is making major noise within practice…only to never see them during the season. Again, not a bad problem to have and I’m not complaining. But Kevin Stepherson, with your acrobatic/athletic catches and your press conference praises, I hope you like the sidelines.
Chris Finke – WALK ON ALERT! WALK ON ALERT! Chris Finke, with his speed/hustle/good looks has become the darling of the ND podcast circuit and practice report snippets – even getting video love from the FIDM team. The kid has some skills and if we are to believe the hype, he’ll earn a scholarship before his time is done. Now will he see the field?
CJ Sanders – had to bow out early for surgery (bummer). Fans will be left wondering if he will be able to display more of the razzle dazzle he brought to the return game, in a WR capacity. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until fall camp for any indication.
~~Equilibrium~~ ~~Equidistant~~ ~~Egregious~~ ~~Evangelical~~ Equanimeous St. Brown – I personally have high hopes for this guy heading into 2016 as he showed flashes of brilliance in 2015 and was a Will Fuller away from being able to show his stuff last season. We haven’t seen much by way of glowing practice reports/video/press conference snippets that leads us to think that Elephantine is having a standout spring, but that’s not to say the dude isn’t making plays.
Corey Robinson – Student body presidente, national anthem singing, entrepreneurial aspiring – the renaissance man that ND fans love to simultaneously brag about and to question. A minor set-back with a concussion, but reports/videos were steady in showing what Robinson was able to do before he suffered the injury (enough to keep the fans continuing to fret about his course load and its impact on his ability to run routes).

So you have a few guys banged up and not necessarily having remarkable springs, and a few names popping up that you expect (Hunter Jr.) and names you don’t (Stepherson). Sprinkle in a name you may have forgotten (Miles Boykin) and it’s a standard spring. Maybe in the B/G game, someone will make a host of plays that will introduce further questions in the mix. But the overall story on WR remains the same heading out of spring 2016. We have a lot of options and guys that can fill the void that was left behind after our featured WR and his veteran counterparts left, and that is a good thing – open questions and all.

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Top Fifteen Plays of the Kelly Years

Bayou Irish — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 10:00:07 +0000

Last week, we gave you the Top Five Games of the Brian Kelly Years.

Last night, you watched The Oscars.

This morning, for your consideration and viewing pleasure, we present the Top Fifteen Plays of the Brian Kelly Years.

@SupermanTDJesus helped with this project. I am grateful for his technical abilities and efficiency.

Let’s face it, though. There have been a lot of plays in five seasons of football. And, if we’re being honest, a lot of booze chased away the memory of the bad ones. These are the plays that have remained through it all. Through all the “Tommy NOOOO!” moments and through all the turnovers in 2014. These are the plays we can’t forget. Some were season-changing or -defining. Others were just plain incredible. So without further ado, if will, please:

15. C.J. Prosise versus Georgia Tech, 2015
The scene is a gorgeous sunny day at Notre Dame and the Irish are tangling with the Wrambling Wreck. The game was a defensive clinic by the Irish, but on O, C.J. Prosise was the man. This 91 yard run from scrimmage was one of three touchdowns he would score that day.

14. Jaylon Smith versus U.S.C., 2013
Remember when Jaylon was a freshman? This play was our entrée to his once-in-a-generation talent, as he covered fifteen hectares in four strides.

13. Stephon Tuitt versus Michigan, 2013
This play has everything you could want. A pick-six against Michigan. A diving Stephon Tuitt. A shockingly bad decision by a Michigan quarterback.

12. Tommy Rees to Robby Toma versus Purdue, 2012
Who would have thought the Purdue game would be the epic win that it was? A loss would have landed the Irish outside the Championship. This play, a third-and-ten conversion, set up the win.

11. Everett Golson “Superman” versus Purdue, 2012
Continuing the theme, this touchdown, though initially uncalled, made Rees and Golson to scoring what Lennon and McCarthy were to song-writing.

10. DeShone Kizer to Will Fuller versus USC, 2015
Of all the Kizer-to-Fuller moments, this is one of the brightest. Watch him torch Adorée Jackson. Looks like 4.32 speed to me.

9. Josh Adams versus Wake Forest, 2015
Longest run from scrimmage. True freshman. Fourth on the depth-chart.

8. Tommy Rees to TJ Jones versus Stanford, 2012
Did you think you’d see this much Tommy Rees on this list? It’s TJ Jones who makes the play.

7. Stephon Tuitt versus Navy, 2012
You knew 2012 would be a special season when we handed Navy its worse loss since Savo Island. This play, a scoop and score by Stephon Tuitt, showcased his NFL-caliber talent and set his team up for a run to the Championship.

6. CJ Sanders versus Stanford, 2015
“When the team is up against it, and the breaks are beating the boys…” you look for plays like this. Sure, the Irish ended up losing the game, but this was one for the ages.

5. Dayne Crist to Kyle Rudolph versus Michigan, 2010
There’s a reason Kyle Rudolph plays on Sundays. This is it.

4. Everett Golson to Chris Brown versus Oklahoma, 2012
One of the brightest plays under the brightest lights, this was the moment the relevance returned.

3. DeShone Kizer to Will Fuller versus Virginia, 2015
Rarely does a season turn on one play, but 2015 did. This is that play.

2. The D-line versus Stanford, 2012
“The Stand.”

1. Louis Nix, III versus Notre Dame, 2014
Best call ever.

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