Spring time in South Bend

Well, it has been 101 days since the Fighting Irish ran out onto the field for a competition. It was just 102 days ago that Notre Dame stood at the top of the rankings as America's number one football team. Brian Kelly said it himself "We'll be back", referring to being back in the spotlight of a National Championship game. Kelly and ND's coaching staff put in a lot of hard work to recruit the fourth best class in the country. Kelly had some big shoes to fill, with names like Te'o, Wood, Riddick, Eiffert, Motta, and many more pursuing further careers. Now it's time to see who can fill those shoes. 

This Saturday marks the 84th annual Blue and Gold spring game in Notre Dame history. This is a great day for Irish fans because there are no nerves, rankings, or obnoxious opposing fans to distract from enjoying an afternoon of Notre Dame football. Well, the nerves may rise for some. It may be nerve-racking to watch the position battles of true Freshmen competing with fifth year players, or one may get jitters wondering how the offense will find their mid-season rhythm. Nonetheless, Saturday at 1pm, Notre Dame will kickoff another nostalgic football season. 

Who to watch for:

In the past, the Spring game is where Brian Kelly put multiple quarterbacks on display in hopes of starting one of two, three, even four. This year it's a different story. Obviously Everett Golson is our guy, but there are still some positions needing to be filled. Here is the breakdown of Saturday's position battles and who to watch for.  

Running Back:

Brian Kelly is not afraid to use more than one running back in a game. Last season he cycled three most of the time including Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, and returning junior George Atkinson III. 

George Atkinson III has the nod for now, but will be challenged by William Mahone, Cam McDaniel, and 5-star recruit Greg Bryant. Amir Carlisle who is another running back candidate, suffered a broken collar bone and has no time set for returning to the field.

Position Battle

George Atkinson III (JR)

William Mahone (SO)

Cam McDaniel (JR)

Wide Receiver:

The Irish offense faired pretty well by only graduating one wide out, Robby Toma. However, the loss of Davante Neal (transfer) and waiting for 4-star recruit Torii Hunter Jr (injury) hurts the Irish' depth at WR. Not so fast, don't overlook the returning receivers. DaVaris Daniels (JR), TJ Jones (SR), Daniel Smith (SR), and Chris Brown (SO). No question, all of whom will see the field this year for the Irish. Jones was a significant force in 2012 and will likely be named a starter. DaVaris more than likely will line up on the other side of TJ, he had a great start to the2012 season but faced injury which kept him off the field for the latter half of the season. 

Tight End:

Watching Tyler Eifert in the NFL will be a treat but filling his offensive presence will not. John Goodman, who also graduated, was a TE alternate. Now the Irish will look to junior Troy Niklas. Niklas won't be expect to be the ultimate target in the red zone like Eifert was, but he brings some experience and size to the table. Watch for him to improve over the course of the spring and summer.

The Big Question

Who will fill Manti Te'o's spot?

As of now Jarrett Grace fulfills the role as a starting middle line backer. Because Bob Diaco's main defensive set is the 3-4 he will have two starting inside linebackers on the depth chart. As of now the two inside linebackers appear to be Grace and Dan Fox. Fox is back for his fifth season and will likely be the leading middle linebacker, he brings a lot of excitement and experience to an already experienced defense. But look for the linebacker battle to be top notch this Saturday.

Linebackers:

Position Battle

       Jarrett Grace (JR)                 Joe Schmidt (JR)       Carlo Calabrese (SR)                  Dan Fox (SR)

Not Just Happy to be Here

December 29 of 2011 was Brian Kelly's last bowl appearance, one he might like to forget. Kelly and the Irish faced off against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl; in the effort to salvage a 9-4 season the Irish fell short 18-14 to the Seminoles. A no name bowl may have been the game that sparked the dynamite Notre Dame season. Hours north of Miami, Notre Dame fans watched two quarterbacks try to guide a questionable offense led by senior wide-receiver Michael Floyd. Surrounded by the war chant of Seminole fans the Fighting Irish were left with 9 wins and 2012 schedule that looked insurmountable.

Back in August, analyst and college football critics arose the question asking whether Notre Dame was a championship contender. No one gave Notre Dame a chance, except Notre Dame great and ESPN analyst Lou Holtz. Unless you were Irish legend Holtz, you looked with wide eyes at USC, Alabama, Oregon, and Oklahoma questioning if those teams would lose a game. Notre Dame wasn't even ranked before playing Navy at the start of the season. 

So after completely stunning the Nation and winning all 12 games of a Cinderella story season, would you say Notre Dame is content with just playing in the BCS National Championship game? Following the 22-13 victory over rival USC Brian Kelly informed his team that they will be going to South Beach.  With little celebration the Irish were back to work on the field. The whole Notre Dame family knew that the undefeated season meant unfinished business. 

 With the Champs Sports Bowl on his conscious Brian Kelly is looking at the National Championship as a great opportunity. Coming from losing to Florida State to end the 2011 season, to winning every game up to a National Championship, why would the Fighting Irish quit now? Yes, Notre Dame is happy with a 12 win season. Yes, they are playing on the big stage. No, Notre Dame will not lay over for the Crimson Tide. One game left to wear the crown. One game left to prove, once again, that Notre Dame is a competitor.

Bookmark ND Nation for plenty of BCS Coverage straight from South Beach!

Christmas Eve for the Irish: Recruiting

Christmas Eve is here and the holiday season is in full swing with just two weeks until the Fighting Irish will face off against the Crimson Tide. Many will be opening presents and spreading holiday cheer, here is a look at the early gifts Brian Kelly and the Irish have received.

Jaylon Smith 6'3" OLB Recruit

Starting on the defensive side of the ball Notre Dame will have some big shoes to fill next season. Most obvious comes at the Middle Linebacker position. Fifth year senior Manti Te'o will be leaving a big hole in the Irish defense, is there anyone who can fill it? A guy like Manti is irreplaceable. Bob Diaco will likely put in a player with experience and a nose for the football. An option would be for Prince Shembo to start at Inside Linebacker. Shembo, 6'2" Junior, started the 2012 season at Outside Linebacker. Shembo is an outstanding LB and plays very physical with a lot of athleticism. An option for replacing Prince's OLB position could be 5-star recruit Jaylon Smith.
Jaylon Smith, 6'3" from Fort Wayne, In, is the 9th ranked recruit in the nation. Smith will be a great addition to the Notre Dame defense. His height gives him great advantage in his pass defense. He has amazing speed in the outside run support making him a solid candidate in the Irish 4-4 defense.

Another OLB candidate comes from Wyomissing, Pa. Alex Anzalone another 6'3" recruit chose Notre Dame over championship opponent Alabama. Alex is a 4-star recruit that offers great run support. Anzalone plays very physical down hill.

Greg Bryant 5'11" RB Recruit

On the offensive side of the ball Notre Dame graduates a duo of Running Backs and an All-American Tight End. Replacing Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood will be a tough task but having Sophomore RB, George Attkinson makes for less recruiting stress. Help comes from Delray Beach, Fla. Greg Bryant 4-star RB signed with Irish on December 9th. Bryant plays a lot like Cierre Wood, he is very tough to tackle and can find any hole. Once Bryant finds a hole it's off to the races and good luck tackling him. Another top 50 recruit for the Irish is 4-star Wide Receiver Torii Hunter Jr. Torri, 6' from Prosper, Tx, has amazing speed and hands. He plays very quick and blows by defensive backs. Another target for Everett Golson will be Mike Heuerman a future Irish Tight End. From Naples, Fla, Heuerman 6'4" will be a big target with great hands and jumping ability. Eiffert was a player that caught a lot of jump balls and fade passes, Heuerman will be a very similar player and a great pick up for the Irish.

Brian Kelly and his coaching staff have managed to bump Notre Dame up to the 4th recruiting class in the Nation. High hopes there are for this recruiting class that is made up of star athletes and the nation's best performers.

Keep ND Nation Bookmarked this Bowl season, for BCS News and Updates. National Championship predictions and key performers to come.

Merry Christmas!

Manti named a Finalist

The finalist for the Heisman Trophy have been announced. ESPN released three names starting with Collin Klein, Johnny Manziel, and followed by Manti Te'o. In the early fall of this season not many people could have expected Manti Te'o to be in the running for a Heisman Trophy, not to mention being a top three finalist. Many didn't peg the Irish to be undefeated either.

 Coach Lou Holtz and
Heisman winner Tim Brown

The last time Notre Dame had a top Heisman candidate dates back to the Brady Quinn era; When the Irish quarterback finished 4th behind a duo of USC players and quarterback Vince Young. The last Notre Dame player to win the Heisman was wide-receiver Tim Brown in 1987. One year later Lou Holtz led the Irish to a National Championship. Suddenly, it seems like all of the past talk of Heisman Trophies and National Championships isn't so far off. Irish faithful haven't forgot about the prestige of Notre Dame football. If the rest of the world has forgoten then maybe this season will remind them.


Manti Te'o will be in New York this Saturday(Dec. 8) with hopes of bringing the Heisman Trophy back to northern Indiana. It's up to the Heisman voters now, but South Bend might have a plausible winner in mind.

Coach Brian Kelly and
Heisman finalist Manti Te'o

How can't you vote for Manti?

With the the regular season over and the National Championship on deck for the Irish, the only question left is whether or not Manti Te'o will win the Heisman Trophy. After a big win against USC and an interception, Manti will definitely be a top candidate. Along with Te'o, two other players stand out as finalists. The primary competitor for Manti is Johnny Manziel. Manziel, a freshman, is having an impressive season with 3,419 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Although Johnny Football is a freshman, he has one very big performance that helped Notre Dame become the #1 team in the nation. When Manziel and the Aggies upset Alabama, Manziel jumped to the nations favorite. The freshman may be a favorite but Manti has the heart of the people.

The Heisman Trophy recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Manti started his pursuit of excellence back in 2009 when he chose to attend Notre Dame. Now, coming to a close on his last season, Te'o has recorded a career total 427 tackles (103 this season) along with 7 interceptions this season. He has performed outstandingly to say the least. The Heisman trust also states that the winner epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. Johnny Manziel works hard, but has he worked hard for five straight seasons like Manti did? Collin Klein showed diligence leading the Wildcats this season but not like Te'o. Te'o came back to Notre Dame for another season after having the option to enter in the NFL draft, and has lead the Irish all the way to a National Championship. Obviously the middle linebacker from Hawaii qualifies to win the Heisman Trophy.

 

Voters should take Brian Kelly's advice when he says "If a guy like Manti Te'o is not going to win the Heisman, they should just make it an offensive award. Just give it to the offensive player every year and let's just cut to the chase... If the Heisman Trophy is what it is, I don't know how Manti Te'o is left out of that conversation." Te'o is hard worker who displays amazing heart and effort on the football field and more importantly in the classroom. Manti having gone through the season he has, losing his grandmother and girlfriend, makes him a player that the nation wants to see succeed. Succeed he has. But he still doesn't have the voters convinced. Right now Manti is right behind Johnny Football in the race for the Heisman. Saturday, December 8th will reveal if Manti will be the second player defensive player ever to win the Heisman. No matter if Manti wins or loses he still has the National Championship ahead.

From unranked to unbeaten: How sweet it is

Twelve games away sat number 1 seeded USC. This was said to be Notre Dame's hardest game. Critics complained that if Notre Dame expected to have BCS hopes, the Irish needed to beat Oklahoma and USC. It's safe to say that nobody thought USC would be the team with nothing to lose in the last game of the season.

For Notre Dame, every week was an upset alert. Teams want to beat Notre Dame. Every week teams were playing their best games against Notre Dame. Yet, when teams played their best games, Notre Dame still prevailed. Not once this season was Notre Dame handed a win. Every single game was a victory that the Irish earned. Whether the Irish beat opponents by a large margin or won in overtime, Notre Dame fans stayed loyal and believed in the blue and gold. Trending on twitter is the Notre Dame hashtag StaND. StaND symbolizes Notre Dame standing strong when their backs were against the wall. When trailing against Pitt, when judgement swirled, when critics questioned; the Fighting Irish took a StaND. Brian Kelly and Irish played all season with a target on their back. That target only got bigger and bigger. Now that the Irish have hushed the haters and woke up the echoes, it's safe to say they did it. They are undefeated and are going to the National Championship.


Aside from the undefeated recored and championship game, beating USC is the goal of every Notre Dame football coach. Losing to the Trojans mine as well be a losing season. Notre Dame beat a great football team this Saturday. After all of the hype and judgement, Notre Dame completely owned the Southern Cal' defense. Everett Golson looked as good as ever with 217 yards passing and 47 yards rushing. Two things stand out from the game. The play of Theo Riddick and the goal-line stop by the Notre Dame defense.

Those two things optimize the season of the Fighting Irish. Theo Riddick a workhorse pounding the ball and being a force to be reckoned with. Riddick had 188 all purpose yards with a touchdown and could not be tackled all night. On the goal-line stand to end the game, the Irish defense made four straight stops, not allowing a rush into the endzone. Theo Riddick wasn't going to be taken down, like the championship hopes for Notre Dame, and the Irish defense held their ground not allowing anybody to upset the Notre Dame season.

After Beating USC, the Irish are undefeated and have clinched a National Championship birth.
Brian Kelly and the Fighting Irish played a well-rounded game. Everything was clicking and working together on offense. This is a special team that is having a special season. Enjoy this Notre Dame, you've earned it.

Onward Notre Dame Offense

Coming off a hot handed 346 yard passing game, quarterback Everett Golson will lead the Irish offense against the 58th ranked defense of Southern Cal'. When the season began in Dublin, Golson, a redshirt freshman, was awarded the starting job among a trio of viable quarterbacks. Now after eleven games started, Everett is one day away from playing in the most important game of the season. The Notre Dame offense has no secrets in their game-plan. The Irish are very balanced with an extremely effective run game. Digging deeper into the Irish offense here is the breakdown from ND Nation.

Lining up against the Domers, the Trojan defense is a solid defense with a freshman and sophomore cornerback. When John Goodman(right) and Tyler Eiffert(left) line up at wide-out the Irish have a huge advantage over the smaller defensive backs. Eiffert 6'6" and Goodman 6'3" should be big targets for Golson. Notre Dame can convert big plays by using Eiffert and Goodman on jump balls. If Everett is able to have a game similar to the Wake Forest game, then that would take pressure off of the run game. But to pass the ball efficiently against USC, Notre Dame must first establish the run game. 

A solid rushing game from Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick would open a lot of options for Golson. Golson is very dangerous off of play-action pass plays. He is very mobile in the pocket and isn't afraid to rollout of the pocket for a short gain. Against Oklahoma, Wood busted a 60 yard gallop to the endzone After that run the Sooner defense crowded the line of scrimmage opening up short, quick passes for Golson and the Irish. If the Irish are able to do the same against the Trojans, then Notre Dame would control most of the game clock. 

The most important thing for the Irish is to value the ball. Not only not turning the ball over, but converting on long drives. When the offense has a good opportunity they must convert with points. 

Do: Control the clock, use Eiffert to convert third downs, Golson Keepers.

Don't: Turn the ball over, fail to convert in the redzone, have a number of penalty yards.

For the Fighting Irish the game-plan is pretty straight forward. In past games the offense had long methodical drives that wear down defenses. The same thing needs to be done to breakdown the USC defense. 

GO IRISH--BEAT TROJAN