Matthias Farley

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder yells from the sideline during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring football game on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Defensive “Change” Must Come, One Way Or Another

September 8, 2016 by BJ Konkle

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill. Much has been discussed, written, and analyzed of the 50-47 loss Texas handed Notre Dame this past Sunday. Many have called for change among the defensive coaching staff as it relates to the 50 points a young Texas team hung on the Irish defense. Ironically, the change that is being clamored for is due to the inability to do just that - change. In the ever evolving landscape of today's college football, ...

Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaac Rochell. (Robin Alam/Icon SMI)

Will The Irish Defense Improve Its Pass Rush?

May 27, 2016 by BJ Konkle

Welcome to a series of posts we’re calling “Five Question Marks.” In this entry - the second on a series - BJ Konkle answers a question on the minds of many Notre Dame fans: Will Brian VanGorder and the Notre Dame defense have a disruptive pass rush this season? It has been no secret that the Irish defense has significantly lacked a strong and consistent pass rush the past few seasons under Brian VanGorder’s defensive system. Yes, there have been flashes of well-designed blitzes and ...

New York Giants defensive end Ishaq Williams runs through a drill during NFL football rookie camp, Friday, May 6, 2016, in, East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Checking In On The Undrafted Irish

May 12, 2016 by andrewwinn

Here's the latest on the athletes who played last year for Notre Dame, were not drafted and are now trying to make an NFL team: CHRIS BROWN: There are actually two players named Chris Brown on the Dallas Cowboys roster as of right now. The first is the Notre Dame graduate who was a great complement to Will Fuller in the 2015 Irish receiving corps. The second is a former Cal Poly QB who was invited to a minicamp to prove himself as a wide receiver. In a Tuesday post, SB Nation's Ryan Ratty ...

Notre Dame’s Matthias Farley (41) waves his finger after making a stop during the Notre Dame-Wake Forest NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Arizona Cardinals Sign Undrafted Matthias Farley

April 30, 2016 by Jimmy Grant

Matthias Farley, a former Notre Dame safety, announced that he will be joining the Arizona Cardinals after not being picked in the 2016 NFL Draft. I flat out love Farley. There will be some who will look at his size and 5’11 and 205 pounds and conclude that was an obstacle to be drafted. Others will point out his somewhat uneven career at Notre Dame as a reason he did not get drafted. Farley currently is ranked the 25th overall strong safety out of 193 and has a stock that appears to be on ...

Credit: Matt Cashore

The Case For Corey Holmes

March 10, 2016 by andrewwinn

Corey Holmes is the forgotten receiver on the Notre Dame depth chart. In this post, I'm going to make the case for why the redshirt sophomore should play - and hypothesize about what may be keeping him from the field. Holmes was a four-star prospect from St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), who was considered both "highly overlooked" and "underrated" by professional talent evaluators coming out of high school. Holmes' best attributes were his length, his speed and his route running ability. The ...

Notre Dame’s Sheldon Day (91) and Joe Schmidt (38) celebrate a big stop during the Notre Dame-Georgia Tech NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Notre Dame vs. UMass 62-27: The Game I Hated and Have Always Wanted

September 27, 2015 by Ryan Ritter

View image | gettyimages.com For the first time in a long time, I found myself downright pissed at Notre Dame at halftime. The 35-20 lead that the Irish took into the locker room might as well have been flipped. The effort was uninspiring. The offense sputtered far too often, including a terrible interception due to, of all people, Will Fuller trying to catch the ball with his body and not his hands. The defense looked lost, giving up three consecutive UMass drives for touchdowns, ...

Credit: Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports

Ishaq’s Back (in School)

June 2, 2015 by Ryan Ritter

Last Friday, Notre Dame received the expected news that KeiVarae Russell was back with the Irish. Yesterday, another one of the Frozen Five had their fate become a little clearer: https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/605454318037180416 The important thing to note here is that Ishaq is back only academically at this point. His status on the football team is up in the air. The reason? It's one that we've mentioned several times this offseason. Scholarship numbers are tight and a fifth ...

Morning Roundup: April 3, 2015

April 3, 2015 by andrewwinn

Good morning! I'm here to catch you up on all that has transpired with the Notre Dame football program in the last 24 hours. Here are your headlines: PODCAST Irish Illustrated (F): Irish hit spring stride (50:55) ND Insider: Podcast: ND Insider recruiting update 4-2 (10:42) RECRUITING - OFFERED Bruin Report Online ($): Video: Lucas at The Opening (⭐⭐⭐⭐ AZ RB Chase Lucas) Dawg Post (F): Big get for Dawgs - Price commits (⭐⭐⭐⭐ GA OT E.J. Price) Irish247 (F): Robinson, family ...

Morning Roundup: March 18, 2015

March 18, 2015 by andrewwinn

Good morning! Here are your headlines: FROM OUR SITE Step one: Northeastern VIDEO WatchND: Brian Kelly press conference - March 17, 2015 (42:18) Blue & Gold Illustrated: Video: Kelly previews spring ball (3:03) Irish247: Video: Kelly previews spring practice (3:08) Irish Illustrated: Video: Kelly welcomes QB battle (3:03) Irish Sports Daily: ISD video: Brian Kelly press conference (3:16) PODCAST Blue & Gold Illustrated: The Irish Huddle (28:15) RECRUITING ...

Matt Hegarty to Transfer, The Fifth Year Dominoes Begin to Fall

March 5, 2015 by Ryan Ritter

As I mentioned in my post regarding the transfer of Avery Sebastian, the Irish sat at 94 total scholarships, with 12 of those belonging to current Notre Dame players with a potential fifth year. At some point, tough decisions would need to be made in regards to these players and one has already been made. Matt Hegarty has decided to transfer from Notre Dame citing a desire for as much playing time as possible, which he wouldn't get in 2015 with the Irish: Recently my coaches informed me that ...