Not only have Shane and I seen or normal recording schedule go haywire, but I was in rare form in terms of podcasting screwups. Thankfully, this medium allows for edits to make the product sound much less clusterfucky; however, I felt like every loyal listener to the show deserved some insight into just how off the rails I went during recording in the form of a cold open.

I can promise the first 30 seconds of the show is absolutely gold. The other two hours are for you to judge.

Yes, we weighed in at two hours because this episode. Due to my schedule going full bonkers, I made the executive decision to combine both of our weekly episodes into one. So, we have a Friday Roundup woven into an HLS Audio Recap, released on Thursday. Follow that? Good.

Look, in the end, we saved you an hour by cramming two 90-minute episodes into one, somewhat tightly produced two hour package. Included in said package is a full recap of week 8, complete with shocking upsets and a team (and coach) that should be on your radar. Spliced in are some of the usual headlines that we would include in the Roundup (and links that we discuss are below), plus a little bonus decision regarding votes of confidence and coaches salaries.

And, as always, we close out with Eddie with weekly picks. Don’t look now, but there was one combined loss between the two of us. Watch out 50%, here we come.

The Roundup

Happy Valley: This week’s home of upsets and tear gas. The celebration after Franklin’s first ever win against a ranked opponent got ever so slightly out of hand.

Tom Herman may have taken an ugly loss, but dude is still gonna get paid. Houston is doing what they can to prevent their coach from departing.

This link is NSFW. 2 Fullbacks 1 TD.

Even in a convincing win, Harbaugh will go full Harbaugh. A bad spot, that had no effect on the outcome of the game, became the “worst call that [he’s] ever seen”.

I’m sure Stanford’s offense is fixed now. On Tuesday, Shaw announced that Keller Chryst would be Stanford’s new starting QB.

I sure hope no one was dumb enough to pick UCLA as the Pac 12 champ. Jim Mora has finally disclosed that Josh Rosen, after not playing since October 8, has a bad nerve in his throwing shoulder that will keep him out indefinitely.

BYU wins the award for the dumbest play call of all time. 4th and 19, on your own 5 in the first half? Perfect time for a fake punt that’s a run. Somehow, Boise didn’t score after that which tells you all you need to know about this game.

For everyone hoping for a BK firing at the end of this season, here’s your dreaded voted of confidence from Jack Swarbrick.

USA Today has released their annual coaching salary rankings. They have Bob Diaco making more money than Brian Kelly which is almost guaranteed to be 100% wrong; however, it is still worth taking a look at some things like just how much of a slimy shell game Michigan played to get Harbaugh’s 2016 salary listed at $9 million.

The post Roundup in your (HLS Audio Week 8) Recap appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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 War, put Kelly at #9.

Here’s what Athlon said:

The Fighting Irish just missed out an appearance in the College Football Playoff last season, but Kelly has the program on stable ground and poised for another run at the top four in 2016. Since taking over in South Bend in 2010, Kelly is 55-23 at Notre Dame, including an appearance in the BCS National Championship game in 2012. The Fighting Irish have won at least eight games in each of Kelly’s seasons at the helm and finished No. 11 in the Associated Press poll last year. Winning at a high level at different programs is nothing new for Kelly.

From 1991-03, Kelly went 118-35-2 at Grand Valley State, including back-to-back Division II titles (2002-03). Additionally, he went 19-16 in three years at Central Michigan (2004-06) and 34-6 at Cincinnati from 2004-06. Kelly is a proven winner at four different jobs and clearly has a place among the top 15 coaches in the nation.

Here’s what the Sporting News said:

Last Year: 11
Record: 55-23 (108-45)
Lowdown: Give Kelly credit. He’s the steadiest presence the Irish have had on the sideline since Lou Holtz, and he’s coming off his second double-digit win season. He’s still just 11-12 against ranked teams. He’ll test that against the same tough schedule in 2016.

Athlon and The Sporting News both considered Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, TCU’s Gary Patterson, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Alabama’s Nick Saban to be better than Kelly. Athlon also ranked David Shaw ahead of Kelly, while the Sporting News had Stanford’s head coach at #11 – behind LSU’s Les Miles. (Miles was #25 at Athlon, so there’s quite a discrepancy there.)

Here are the coaches Kelly will face in 2016 and their respective rankings:

The post Experts: Brian Kelly is Among Ten Best College Coaches appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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 Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, inside Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

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 Boston College. Others seemed frustrated that Oklahoma’s narrow escape versus injury devastated TCU continued the Sooner catapult up the rankings. Many Irish faithful continue to struggle with the “common opponent” defeat that Oklahoma was handed by the undermanned Texas Longhorns whom the Irish handled with ease. Then, there was Sparty and Mark D’Anotonio’s ascent. Enough said there. Let’s be honest, most were frustrated by a combination of all three of these things, but in this week of thanks, let’s take a moment to remember that with just two weeks left in the season, the Irish are still firmly in the playoff hunt.

Yeah, Notre Dame could use some help. If you’re so inclined, you might root for:

• Navy versus Houston on 11/27 at 12:00 PM on ABC
• Nebraska versus Iowa on 11/27 at 3:30 PM on ABC
• Penn State versus Michigan State on 11/28 at 3:30 PM on ESPN
• Auburn (for shits and giggles) versus Alabama on 11/28 at 3:30 PM on CBS
• Oklahoma State versus Oklahoma on 11/28 at 8:00 PM on ABC

Also be thankful that Notre Dame has a road contest against a top 10 team. There’s been something hollow about Notre Dame’s resume for most of the season. Having victories against a surprisingly good Navy and Temple is all well and good, but neither qualifies as a “signature win.” I think at least queitly Irish faithful have understood this fact. Irish nation has pointed to overall strength of schedule where the Irish still compare favorably to other teams in the playoff picture buoyed primarily by a lack of games against the worst competition. Irish fans have also pointed to common opponents and having the “best loss” of the one-loss teams in the hunt. However, not many (and wisely so) have been bold enough to say out loud “Hey, the Irish have wins against Navy and Temple.” Having a win versus a name brand, acknowledged power is what the Irish need, and fortunately, what they have left on the schedule. So, be thankful we’re in a year where Notre Dame finishes against Stanford and not USC. Be thankful that Stanford recovered from a disastrous first game on the road. Be thankful the Irish have a Murder Train to match up with the Cardinal’s Heisman hopeful. Most importantly, be thankful the Irish are playing meaningful football in the last week of November. What a difference a year makes!

The When/Where/What Time/Etc.: Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM at historic Stanford Stadium. The history of Stanford Stadium dates all the way back to 2006, and if tradition holds, will have more ND fans in attendance than Trees fans. Those Google internships aren’t going to apply for themselves after all. Fox has the game this week. Pre-game coverage starts at 7 PM with host Rob Stone, studio “analysts” Matt Leinhart and Dave Wannstedt, and special analyst/eye candy/guns so big they’ve been banned in 47 states: Brady Quinn. Your announcing team for the game itself will be Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and sideline reporter Molly McGrath.

McGrath’s inclusion is of particular note as she will continue a proud tradition of Notre Dame broadcasts including Boston College graduates. It’s practically community outreach for the Irish at this point to let so many Screaming Eagles fly so close to the sun. Additionally, McGrath has a “zeal for preparation” that just can’t be denied.

Because we’re here to be a one stop shop, your weather report for the game:

The Opposing Coach:  He’s a man who needs no introduction. Even if you did introduce him, he’d find something to complain about. That man is, of course, David Shaw. Shaw’s now in his fifth season as the head coach since taking over for Jim Harbaugh following the 2010 season. In that same time, Harbaugh’s gone to the NFL, lost some playoff games, had a fallout with an organization, bought some khakis, and purchased some amazing old man bifocals.

It’s fair, easy, and in fact encouraged to make fun of Shaw, but he’s also proven to be more than capable of maintaining Stanford as a well-above average football program. Shaw’s career winning percentage sits at 78.5% which is 8th among active coaches – one spot behind Bob Stoops and two spots ahead of Nick Saban.

Shaw’s never met a loss he agreed with. Never met a puppy he found cute enough. And, apparently, up until this year even his own fan base found him to be a boring miserly guy to watch. I’ll take my purple-faced BK everyday of the week.

Stanford’s last game: The Cardinal upended rival Cal in The Big Game 35-22. All everything player Christian McCaffrey set a school record with 389 all-purpose yards which included a 49-yard touchdown reception and a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Stanford led the game 21-6 at halftime before Cal made it interesting in the 3rd quarter with 10 unanswered points to tighten the score at 21-16. However, failure to capitalize on red zone opportunities (that sounds familiar) eventually led to the Golden Bears’ demise. 3 times in the red zone Cal settled for field goal attempts, and those missed opportunities proved too much to overcome.

It was far from a dominant performance by Stanford. Cal had nearly 150 more total yards, more first downs, a better third down conversion percentage, and actually more time of possession. That Cal had more time of possession is somewhat remarkable considering Stanford leads the FBS in time of possession while Cal ranks 74th.

Stanford had a clear plan to ground and pound the Cal defense. Their 12 passing attempts was a season low. The 40 rushing attempts was tied for the second lowest attempt output as well, but it was more than effective. The Cardinal gained 260 yards on the ground (6.5 ypc) with three touchdowns. Combined with McCaffrey’s special teams contributions, it was enough to pull away from a well-below average Cal defense.

Team talent: Like most recent Stanford vintages, they are a team solid top to bottom with enough playmakers to be an uncomfortable match-up on both sides of the ball. What is a bit of a change from previous years is that Stanford’s talent is more consolidated on the offensive side of the ball. 247 Sports Team Composite Rankings puts the Cardinal 18th in current roster talent. In raw recruiting, they have experienced fluctuations year over year in terms of what talent they can get to commit, which many ND fans can commiserate with. On the whole, they are a program that finds a way to recruit well above most programs but the blue-bloods which is no small accomplishment given their academic standards. Since 2011, the Cardinal have out-recruited Notre Dame only once according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings, but they are a good notch ahead of previous season opponents like Virginia, Pitt, or Georgia Tech.

Any game plan to beat the Cardinal has to start with containing Christina McCaffrey. McCaffrey, the son of former Stanford receiver Ed, leads the team in rushing yards, receptions, and is the primary kickoff return man. His 1,546 rushing yards ranks second nationally to LSU’s Leonard Fournette. He’s got nearly 600 more all purpose yards than anyone else in college football.

McCaffrey is joined by senior quarterback Kevin Hogan as the unquestioned leaders. Hogan’s averaging only slightly over 200 yards per game passing, but has shown improved decision-making. He’s on pace to set career bests in touchdown passes and interceptions since becoming the starter. His passer rating sits 7th nationally, one spot ahead of Clemson’s DeShaun Watson. Hogan’s more of a “game manager” than a “play maker,” and ND has seen first hand that he can be susceptible to throwing some pretty poor passes. The question will be how KeiVarae Russell’s absense impacts what was already a thin secondary.

The defense has less dynamic playmakers than years past. Junior linebacker Mike Tyler leads the team with just 4.5 sacks. Last season, the Cardinal defense ranked 7th nationally causing a sack on 9.33% of all quarterback drop backs. The percentage has dropped nearly in half to 5.74% which is just 67th nationally. Senior linebacker Blake Martinez is the glue for the defense. His 108 total tackles leads the Pac-12 and is 14th nationally.

The secondary’s playmaker is Ronnie Harris who is among the conference leaders in both passes defended and passes broken up. No player on the team has more than 2 interceptions.

Trends/thoughts/stats:

• The winner of this game receives the Legends Trophy. Notre Dame leads the all-time series against Stanford 19-10.
• This will mark the 5th straight meeting between the Irish and the Cardinal where both teams have been ranked at the time of the match-up. No match-up has featured the Irish and Stanford combined to be ranked higher than they are this year. They have never faced off in the Brian Kelly era with neither team ranked.
• Christian McCaffrey’s received at least 15 carries in every game this season except one. That one game was Stanford’s 16-6 loss to start the season at Northwestern when he saw just 12 carries for less than 70 yards. Interestingly, McCaffrey’s season high in carries (33) came in Stanford’s other loss of the season against Oregon.
• All about them red zone attempts, y’all. Stanford’s allowed opponents to score (TD + FG) on slightly over 89% of all red zone attempts this season, which is 105th nationally. This is driven by an oddity in college football where the Trees have not gotten the benefit of #collegekickers. 43% of all red zone attempts against Stanford have resulted in a successful field goal attempt which is the 4th highest rate nationally. At the same time, the Cardinal are allowing a touchdown on red zone possessions 46% of the time which sits 18th. On the other side, Notre Dame’s offense, which should not come as much of a surprise after the BC game, is ranked 96th in red scoring percentage (78.26%). 58.7% of attempts have resulted in touchdowns which is 77th in the country. The net result is that Saturday features a movable object facing a stoppable force. As noted above, Stanford didn’t stop Cal’s offense, but they did force them to settle for field goal attempts on 3 red zone attempts. These failures doomed the Golden Bears and will likely lead to a similar fate for the Irish if they can’t improve in this area.
• Key Third Downs: The elite match-up of the game will happen between the Irish defense and the Cardinal offense on third downs. The Irish rank 8th nationally in preventing opponents from converting third downs. Season to date, the Irish have only allowed 30.57% of all third downs to be converted. This efficiency goes a long way in explaining why many of the cumulative defensive metrics like the Irish defense more than the fan base has. Stanford’s offense has been equally good at converting third downs. The Cardinal are the 5th best offense nationally at keeping the chains moving on third down (49.66%). This is a game that lacks a ball hawking defense on either side. Both Notre Dame and Stanford rank in the bottom 25 nationally in takeways per game. Stanford averages less than one takeaway per game. Recency bias aside, both sides are also okay at avoiding giveaways as well. The combination of these factors makes this game one where the “turn over battle” may not be as important as the “third down battle.” Whichever side is more effective at leveraging their strength on third downs will have a decided advantage in this contest.
• Offensive Efficiency: Both the Irish and the Cardinal rank in the Top 20 nationally in yards per play. Both have remarkably balanced offenses in production. Stanford ranks 19th in yards per play (6.3). Their 5.2 yards per carry rushing is 18th as is their 8.8 yards per pass attempt. I’ve used a lot of words to discuss McCaffrey’s value, but despite all of that, Notre Dame is even better than Stanford at rushing. The Irish offense rankings on a per play basis:
  • Overall – 7th (6.8 YPP)
  • Rushing – 9th (5.5 yards per carry)
  • Passing – 16th (8.9 yards

The post Game Preview: ND v. Stanford – Going Out on a Limb appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Golson to Brown
Golson to Koyack

It only took two TDs for Notre Dame to top Stanford. Brown’s TD allowed us all to breathe going into the half and Koyack’s catch, on a 4th and 11 no less, sent us into jubilation.

Turnovers

Golson’s Fumble
Golson’s INT

Golson struggled once again in protecting that ball. The fumble was once again a result of him holding the ball waaaaaay too far out from his body. The INT was a result of Golson trying to force a play that wasn’t there.

The good news? Golson learned his lesson, at least with fumbling, on his 33-yard run:

Screencap via @SupermanTDJesus

There was no way in hell he was going to lose the ball again. Thank you, Golson.

Botched Holds

Hunter Smith on FG Attempt #1
Hunter Smith on FG Attempt #2

I have never written about #99 here at HLS and I never should when your one job is to hold the football for Brindza. You could almost excuse the first botch as the ran was coming down pretty hard. The second one though? In his own head.

Thankfully, Hunter discovered the wonder of gloves, incredible devices that help you catch and hold a ball, and allowed Brindza to get to attempt one FG without craziness. Third time’s a charm!

Instances of Shaw whining like a baby.

2012: The Phantom Whistle
2014: The Band Playing Music

We all thought there was no way Shaw could ever top complaining about his whole team hearing a whistle that didn’t exist, but lo and behold, he got into the ears of the (terrible) Pac 12 ref crew. His issue was that the band played a little bit too long, so ND got a warning and Stanford basically got a free timeout.

Much like his phantom whistle complaint, the band issue accomplished nothing but allowing us to hate the guy more. Also, the band got the last laugh:

Via SBNation with a h/t to our friends at One Foot Down

THE DRUM MAJOR HAS BETTER HANDS THAN TY MONTGOMERY!

Gigantic Upsets

Arizona def #2 Oregon 31-24
#11 Ole Miss def #3 Alabama 23-17

We should have known this entire week of college football was going to be insane when Oregon fell to Arizona on Thursday night. There were certainly more upsets than the ones listed above (#4 OU, #6 Texas A&M, #8 UCLA,#16 USC, #17 Wisconsin, and #18 BYU), but Oregon and Alabama were by far the biggest shocks of the week.

If you had an undefeated record, you were in serious danger. Florida State had to be thanking their lucky stars they were playing Wake Forest. Somehow, Notre Dame joined the Seminoles in the select group of six undefeated teams still standing.

The lesson learned here? If Katy Perry picks against you, be afraid. BE VERY AFRAID:

/dead pic.twitter.com/pzaIz9cAVw

— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) October 4, 2014

Rival Losses

Rutgers def Michigan 26-24
Arizona State def #16 Southern Cal 38-34

Michigan continued their downward spiral by failing to beat yet another Power 5 opponent. This time, it was well-established B1G powerhouse newcomer Rutgers. I’m sure when Michigan saw that they would welcome Rutgers and Maryland to the B1G, they weren’t aware that they’d be the welcome mat.

Southern Cal, however, probably had the more satisfying upset because, let’s be honest, we don’t expect Michigan to win anymore at this point. The Trojans came into this game without giving up a single passing TD. They surrendered 5 in this game with the final one occurring because of the worst Hail Mary defense that I have ever seen.

Via @cjzero

Thumbs on a Happy Guy

#DORK pic.twitter.com/coFPPMPk09

— HLS_SupermanTDJesus (@SupermanTDJesus) October 4, 2014

The post CFB Week 6: A Tale of Two… appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Recently, Stanford somehow became the embodiment of the “right” way to run a football program and that Notre Dame should copy it. Their “old school, physical style” is somehow the panacea for all football ails.

After all, both Stanford and Notre Dame have high academic standards. Stanford found some success here with four straight BCS appearances, two of which resulted in wins. So therefore, success! Why does ND waste time with the spread when they could be doing this?!

As you can probably tell from my tone, I don’t fully buy into that line of thought. And yes, I do realize I’m over-simplifying a bit, but it’s for the sake of brevity. Regardless, because of this line of thinking, Stanford has become a representation of this desire to force-fit a certain style of play onto the Irish. Because Stanford has seen recent success, I feel as if it pushes people towards a close-minded thought that there is a “right” way to play football.

I hate Stanford for that. Yes, that’s right, I have transferred anger from an argument that drives me up the wall to an opposing team. Some might define this as irrational behavior, but in the world of college football, this makes perfect sense and it isn’t the strangest thing you’ve read about the sport this week.

My objection to this mindset has very little to do with the kind of offense Stanford runs or the physical nature of the way they play. Want to know what my favorite kind of offense is? The triple option–not the modified versions you see today, but the old-school wishbone that uses three backs in the backfield. It’s a thing of beauty when it’s run well and I love watching a simplistic offense drive people mad.

Despite my triple option love, you know what else I like to watch? The Air Raid. Watching Mike Leach call four verts or, as he said he called it in Swing Your Sword, “six” which I assume is the result he expected on the scoreboard every time he called it.

I like watching spread offenses, spread option offenses, high-tempo-no-huddle offenses, pro-style offenses, and yes, I don’t mind watching a Stanford-style run it down your throat offense. I like watching the 3-4, the 4-3, and 4-4 defenses.

I enjoy everything that I listed above because football is a wonderful, ever-evolving chess match. I love seeing new offensive ideas and philosophies developed and the arms race involved in finding the defensive counter-measure. I simply can’t understand people that claim a team like Stanford somehow magically removed themselves from this reality and found a solution.

Please don’t misunderstand me here. I recognize that Stanford has indeed found success and rebuilt their program from a laughing stock to one of the top programs in the nation. Their physical style isn’t the reason though. Stanford made a smart hire in Jim Harbaugh and there is a reason he’s coaching a consistent playoff contender in the NFL right now. Harbaugh had a vision, stuck to it, and executed. David Shaw is simply a successor in that line.

Brian Kelly has done the same for Notre Dame. His philosophy may not be anywhere in the same neighborhood as Stanford, but he has stuck to his vision of what he wants Notre Dame to become. Even when bumps in the road occur en route to that vision becoming reality like Dayne Crist injuries and an Everett Golson suspension, he’s adapted. The big picture has always been in focus, even if the immediate results were less than optimal–just take a look at Harbaugh’s record for first three seasons at Stanford for another example of this.

But that’s the more logical side to this debate. I can’t shake the more irrational side that if Stanford would just fall flat on their face that people might be able to open up a bit more to what Kelly has been doing in South Bend.

Argument proven via failure of the enemy. I’m not beyond that in the least.

Go Irish, throw Stanford into the damn wood-chipper made of 60+ yard TD bombs.

The post Stanford: A Different Reason for Hate appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

THE IRISH: BRIAN KELLY, FIFTH SEASON, 37-15 overall

My introductory remarks about coaches conjuring images was, like much of what I do, deliberate, for few coaches immediately force a face, a purple, rage-twisted face, on the Irish faithful. That a new coach could be taken to task for screaming struck some as appropriate, others as offensive as the language the networks took pains to show. I don’t know if Coach Kelly has ever recovered from that uneasy place before us and frankly wonder if he wants to. He is a man comfortable in the front of his guys and he clearly buys into his players and his program, with the program always the more important. That dedication to the “next-man-in” philosophy saw him through the loss of Everett Golson at the start of last season, and now the loss of three other starters at the start of this one.

Kelly has the most wins of any Irish coach in his first four seasons in history, and he is second to only Bob Stoops in total number of wins since 2001. He is the second-youngest and fifth-fastest head coach to win two hundred games and he’s brought the Irish to a bowl in each of his four, Tommy Rees-dominated seasons. Still, there are many who still question his control, his supervision, and his methods.

Without question, though, Brian Kelly has brought Notre Dame results and the program is in a better place than it was when he arrived. Gone are the years of lost recruiting-classes and empty NFL drafts. While I don’t think the sun is yet at its apex on the Kelly years, I wonder if it won’t begin to set after the series with Georgia, when Brian Kelly can say he brought the Irish back to relevance, to the championship, and into the SEC, and walked away a winner.

THE ENEMY: DAVID SHAW, STANFORD, FOURTH SEASON, 35-6 overall

via gostanford.com

David Shaw graduated from Stanford in 1995. Let that sink in, sports fans. When I was starting my law school career, Shaw was starting off his coaching career at Western Washington, where ran the outside linebackers and tight-ends. From there, he went to the NFL, through stints with the Eagles, Raiders, Chargers, and Ravens. Finally, back at his alma mater in 2007, he was the Offensive Coordinator and, since 2011, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football.

You see? That’s why Stanford and David Shaw make me nuts. N-V-T-S nuts. The don’t have a head coach, they have a Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. There’s just that little je ne sais quoi of asshat-ery about Stanford and David Shaw that makes me want to crush them every single year. But we don’t. Every year, win or lose, it’s a tough, physical game. And one for which Shaw always has his troops ready.

His record going into his fourth season as a head coach is very impressive. He’s won back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and the Rose Bowl, over Wisconsin in 2012. His list of personal accolades even more so: the 2013 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and Eddie Robinson Award finalist, the 2012 and 2011 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. His team’s academic performances are superlative across all metrics.

Still, Shaw’s smug disappointment after Notre Dame’s epic stand to steal seal a win in 2012 was for the ages. Watch it again, below, and listen to crowd’s roar drown out the whistles of the phantoms:

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Coach appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Seven years later, those demons were exorcised and the Irish came out on top with a controversial call going in their favor for a change.

Although, that call doesn’t seem to be all too controversial as it definitely looks like Stepfan Taylor’s elbow was down after the whistle blew anyways. But let’s assume the PAC 12 refs blew it. Let’s assume that Stanford got screwed.

I don’t care.

You know what all Irish fans heard after the Bush Push? That we should’ve stopped the Trojans on 4th and 9 and that goal line play would’ve been a non-factor. As much as the thought of the Bush Push alone makes me furious, that is beyond fair to say.

Hell, let’s move past the Bush Push. Ask David Grimes how much pity he has for Taylor.

Remember “Little Giants”? Of course we do. Remember the play clock was at zero well before the snap? You bet we do.

Now David Shaw wants to cry foul and I’m supposed to feel bad? I don’t think so.

Phantom whistles had nothing to do with the Stanford defense failing to stop a Tommy Rees game tying drive after Golson was knocked out of the game. There were no forward progress judgements that needed to be made when Rees then led a TD drive to open OT. The refs didn’t miss the first Stanford field goal attempt. A misplaced spot after a review wasn’t the reason Stanford’s only TD came on the combo of an Everett Golson fumble and a poor Brian Kelly play call in ND’s own endzone.

Were Josh Nunes’ two INTs also the caused by controversy? Did the officials give Tyler Eifert a boost on his jumping TD catch?

I don’t think so.

The bottom line is that Notre Dame is 6-0, ranked #5 in both the coaches’ and AP polls, and sit #5 in the BCS no matter how much whining comes from Palo Alto.

It’s not like we should really expect anything different. After all, Stanford manged to allow one of the most famous plays in college football history that also contained its fair share of controversy.

Guess what? Cal still won that game too.

In short:

The post After Further Review, Notre Dame is Still Undefeated appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Tyler Eifert
Position: Tight End
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’6”/251 lbs.

We all know Eifert’s story – seemingly average recruit; doesn’t play freshman year; fills in when Rudolph gets hurt; turns out to catch everything that is thrown his way; works with Michael Floyd to make Tommy Rees appear to be a serviceable QB; etc. After flirting with the prospect of moving on to the NFL after the 2011, Tyler Eifert chose to stick with his teammates in South Bend.

With the name of the Dublin starter still very much in limbo, Eifert’s ability to create defensive mismatches (particularly on routes of 15-yards or less) could be a must-needed crutch for the 2012 Irish offense. With Michael Floyd now working alongside Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, and without an established threat at receiver to fill his shoes, Eifert will likely be even more of a focal point to the ND attack than he was in 2011 when he caught 63 balls for 803 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Other than the clairvoyant among us, not too many Domers would have expected Eifert to turn into a better pass-catching college tight end (the NFL may offer a different story) than his predecessor Kyle Rudolph, but he has the opportunity to cement that legacy this season. For his next surprise, let’s hope and dream that Eifert decides to snub the pros once again and come back for a 5th go-around donning the blue and gold.

Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo
Positions: Tight End
Year: Both Seniors
Height/Weight: Ertz – 6’6”/252 lbs.; Toilolo – 6’8”/265 lbs.

Stanford returns two of the mainstays in its 3-man tight end rotation (with Coby Fleener joining his pal Andrew Luck in Indianapolis) in seniors Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Last season Ertz caught 27 balls for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns while missing 4 games with an injury, and Toilolo snagged 25 passes for 343 yards and 6 touchdowns.

It is difficult to quantify, but it is not a stretch to say that these numbers were handicapped by the combination of the top quarterback in the country, one of the top tight ends in the country drawing most of the attention, and a lack of many threats at wide receiver. While the talent level may have dropped, we can still expect Stanford’s tight ends to play a big role in David Shaw’s offensive scheme this year with both Ertz and Toilolo offering safe, effective targets to the winner of the Brett Nottingham/Josh Nunes quarterback battle.

Toilolo was named to the Mackey Award Watch List (along with 3 other Notre Dame opponents including Hubie Graham of Pitt, Chris Pantale of Boston College, and Dion Sims of Michigan State) after earning honorable mention all-conference last season.

Similarly to how the Irish utilize Eifert, you’ll likely see Ertz lining up outside as well:

Previously in the Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy series:

Kicker & Punter
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Safety
Wide Receiver
Cornerback
Running Back

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