Know Thyself Know Thy Enemy

credit: UND.com

Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Defensive Line

July 7, 2014 by Bayou Irish

When Notre Dame made its surprising run to the National Championship in 2012, it did so on the strength of a defensive line that shut down the run and got after opposing quarterbacks. With Louis Nix, III, and Stephon Tuitt at the top of their games, 2012 stands out among recent seasons, as the Irish surrendered 1374 rushing yards total, compared to 1806 yards the year before and 1870 the year before. In 2013, Injuries, ejection, and new O-line schemes specifically designed to stymie Nix and ...

Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Offensive Lineman

June 24, 2014 by Bayou Irish

Say what you will about the 2013 Figthing Irish football season, the offensive line impressed, and was a main reason for the team's offensive success. Coach Hiestand's charges, starters all, held otherwise indomitable defenses in check. Stanford and Arizona State, both FBS leaders in sacks per game, were held to one sack between the two of them. Michigan State's swarming attack averaged three sacks per game, yet left South Bend with none. The O-line's ability to open holes allowed three games in ...

credit: @stogiesnbeer

Know Thyelf, Know Thy Enemy: Quarterback

June 10, 2014 by Bayou Irish

Today, a mere eighty or so days from the opening kickoff against Rice, we begin our third season of "Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy..." In this series, we will analyze the best Irish player at a given position or position-group and compare him to the best our enemies have to offer. Frankly, I love this series because it forces us to look outside our little bubble of camaraderie and Field Turf and into a whirling maelstrom of Wolverines, Trojans, Seminoles, and Tree. It also gets the predictive ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: True Colors

September 27, 2013 by Father Sorin

Green is good. It’s the color of God’s green earth. Green is the shade of Ireland – 40 shades of Ireland. Green is one of OUR colors. Not the ugly reptilian green of Michigan State; not the olivetan green of Tulane and their wave. This is Irish Green…shall we say Kelly Green. What wonderful serendipity that our field general shares his name with one of our favorite colors. So the Leprechaun Legion (that mirabile visu green horde of spirit and pride and love and support and noise and ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Templars!

August 30, 2013 by Father Sorin

In the realm of mascots, none is greater than the Fighting Irish. It is singular. It is unique. It has never been repeated. It celebrates a race of men whose mighty shoulders and strong hands have built this country, fought its wars, and raised its children. It exalts that “never say die” spirit which has inspired both boxer and iron-worker alike to get up every single time he’s knocked down, whether by fists or by life’s tougher blows. It honors a people of deep faith and abiding hope, ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Symbols & Signs

April 19, 2013 by Father Sorin

This weekend marks the start of the 2013 march to victory for the football team. Fitting, then, that the team is guaranteed a victory in any event because they play with themselves [Editor’s note: Padre doesn’t always appreciate how certain phrases have changed over the years.] [Padre’s note: Get your mind out of the gutter, so Mark May’s can float by.] What used to be the old-timers’ game, the intrasquad scrimmage, or simply ‘the spring game’, has been officially exulted to The University of ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Atlantis Found

April 12, 2013 by Father Sorin

“When criticizing a Catholic institution, be sure to troop out quaint stereotypes so that your comments contain vague accusations of sacrilege or apostasy, and the humorous implication that its leaders are, in fact, just bad Catholics.” At least that’s what I presume is written in the general press conference guidelines down at Arizona State. Or maybe the athletic director has one of those desk calendars that gives a new piece of advice for every day of the year. But if that’s the case, he ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Gamechanger

March 15, 2013 by Father Sorin

It was a scoreless first quarter. The Italian had run the ball well, but couldn’t get into the end zone, even with a strong American offensive line. Defensively they had been strong, though, preventing the Brazilian from scoring and even blocking a field goal attempt. ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Mercy

November 30, 2012 by Father Sorin

We find ourselves is a strange position, awash with unaccustomed emotions. No, this has nothing to do with being undefeated and Number 1. That is our proper position and we should feel simple contentment for, indeed, all is right with the world. I mean we are caught up in the unusual furor of conference-hatred. Not belonging to one of these mutual-mediocrity-assurance societies, we have no natural animosity toward any of them. Normally, we deride them all equally. (Do we hate the Big 10? ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: El Diablo

November 2, 2012 by Father Sorin

Much of my confidence going into the most recent game stemmed from the fact that it was far, far away. In the middle of nowhere, to be precise. The team has played spectacularly in foreign venues…and no so well at home. Make no mistake: The Irish are undefeated at home. It’s just that the play has seemed so fraught, the victories have been so harried. There has been much speculation about this phenomenon, but in these last few days when we see and hear so much about the spirit-world, the ...