Search Results

It's no secret that the road to a national title goes through South Bend. And while the Fighting Irish lost a handful of key players from last season's title-winning squad -- the second in as many tries -- Kevin Corrigan's group reloaded in a big way. That talent was on display Wednesday in South Bend, as the Irish began their quest for a third-straight championship. Photo by University of Notre Dame Athletics Spearheaded by the play of Tewaaraton Award candidate Jake Taylor and last season’s leading goal scorer Chris Kavanagh, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team picked up an emphatic victory over Cleveland State on Wednesday night in South Bend.   The 24-6 triumph for the top-ranked Irish -- who return seven of their top 10 scorers from last season’s title-winning team, including Taylor, Kavanagh, Devon McLane, and Jordan Faison – was the first on a 2025 schedule that includes top 20 showdowns against No. 2 Syracuse, Maryland (No. 6), Virginia (7), North Carolina (11), Georgetown (15), Pennsylvania (13), and Michigan (19).   Despite the departures of Pat Kavanagh -- who became the first Irish player to win the Tewaaraton last season -- and two-time NCAA First Team All-American netminder Liam Entenmann, the blue and gold picked up where they left off following 2024’s 16-win campaign.   Early goals from Kavanagh (4G, 5A) and Taylor -- the latter of who finished the night with seven markers -- set the tone for head coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad. And once the Irish found their groove, there was no looking back. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Leading 3-0 less than five minutes into the game, Notre Dame increased that advantage to 7-2 by quarters end, with Taylor finding the back of the net twice more, while Kavanagh and graduate faceoff Colin Hagstrom aided in the barrage.   That five-goal deficit was as close as the Vikings would get the rest of the way, as the Irish grabbed a 15-2 lead heading into halftime, and maintained that cushion at the end of the third frame (19-6).   Supporting the victory was the play of the faceoff unit, where Notre Dame won 20 of 33 battles at midfield. Will Lynch, who collected over 61-percent of his faceoffs a season ago, picked up seven faceoffs in nine tries on the night, with Hagstrom winning seven of his 12 opportunities.   Junior Thomas Ricciardelli (five saves and three goals allowed in 38 minutes of action) and senior Alex Zepf (four saves and three goals allowed in 18 minutes) shared time between the pipes, aiding Notre Dame’s strong effort on the defensive end.   With the win, Notre Dame improved to 5-0 all-time against Cleveland State. Even more impressive, however, is the fact that the victory was the program’s 23rd-straight on opening day.   What’s Next for the Irish?   Notre Dame hosts Marquette on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Noon ET in South Bend. Following a week off, the blue and gold will then travel to Washington, D.C., for a date with No. 15-ranked Georgetown. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is fighting for history this season, starting ACC play at 12-0, its best start in nine years. On the other hand, the men’s team is fighting to stay out of the cellar, as they enter the week losers of three straight, most recently at home against Virginia Tech. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Since returning to 10-10 on Jan. 28, the Fighting Irish have not been able to find an answer when it comes to finishing games. From taking an 11-point lead into the half against Miami and losing to being outscored by nine on your home court against Virginia Tech, it’s time to ask questions. Those questions will only get louder if they don’t go on the road and take care of business against Boston College, who is also 10-13 on the season. The Eagles, who have won just one of their last nine games, are led by redshirt sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr. who is not afraid to let the ball fly. In this past Saturday’s triple-overtime loss to Syracuse, Hand attempted 14 threes in 51 minutes of action and knocked down five of them, finishing with 28 points and seven rebounds.   Hand, a 6’5” guard, is averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting at a 40.1% clip from the field, while also grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. It’s going to be crucial not to lose Hand Jr. on the floor, because if he gets any space he is going to shoot the ball, averaging 11.7 field goal attempts per game. The Irish have done a good job this season of stopping opponents on the three-point line, holding the second-best opponent percentage from deep at 31.1%. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. With two top-five shooting teams from deep facing off, senior forward Chad Venning could sneak through the cracks and perform at a high level down low. He’s averaging 12.7 PPG this season on 55.1% shooting and uses his 6’9” frame to block 1.4 shots per game.   They will have a chance to win a big game at home against Louisville on Sunday and try to salvage what remains of this season. The Cardinals, who enter at 18-6 and third in the ACC, have won 11 of their last 12 games.   Led by Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn, the Cardinals are just one game back of first place, trailing Duke and Clemson. Hepburn, a senior guard from Omaha, Nebraska, is averaging 15 PPG while shooting 42.3% from the field while collecting 6.2 assists which is tied for 14th most in the country. He’s averaging 7.7 assists over his last seven games, including a 16-assist performance against SMU on Jan. 21.   Senior guard Terrance Edwards Jr. has been the main piece for the Cardinals over the last month however, averaging 17.6 PPG since Jan. 11, including two 20-point outings in eight games. The James Madison transfer has scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including Louisville’s last game against Miami where he finished with 27 points and 10 assists. Stopping this tandem is what the game will come down to for the Irish, especially from beyond the arc.   While it is a must-win game for the men’s team, the Notre Dame women’s squad has won 15 straight games over the last two months and is now ranked second in the country. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   They have six games remaining on the schedule, with half of those against ranked opponents. That’s nothing new for the Irish who have won six top-25 matchups this season, including three in the top four. Notre Dame will take on Pittsburgh and number 13 Duke in their next two matchups, with one on the road and the other in Purcell Pavilion.   First on Thursday, the Irish must take care of business on the road against a struggling Pittsburgh Panther team. Despite being ranked 14th in the ACC, they have won their last two games over Boston College and SMU.   The Panthers are led by fifth-year senior forward Khadija Faye, who is in her first season with the team after spending her last four years with Texas Tech and Texas. Faye, who is from Dakar, Senegal, is having a career year, averaging 17.9 PPG in 29.2 minutes per game. Shooting 49.3% from the field, Faye could become a problem for the Irish early, as she’s scored in double figures in each of her last four games, with three double-doubles in that span. She also ranked seventh in the country with 2.7 blocks per game, completing six games with five or more.   Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Outside of Faye, no one jumps off the stat sheet entering their matchup with the Irish. Sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson hasn’t put up the shooting numbers to be looked at as a threat, with just 29.9% of her shots falling. The Panthers have dealt with too many injuries this season to be able to give the Irish their best game. However, it will still be important to stay focused and keep Faye at bay.   The big matchup for Notre Dame comes on Monday as they welcome the number 13 team in the country to Purcell Pavilion in the Duke Blue Devils. They enter South Bend with a 19-5 record while going 10-2 in the ACC, keeping them in third place. Unlike Pittsburgh, the Blue Devils are a healthy team with four players averaging nine or more points per game.                   Their leading scorer, Toby Fournier, is averaging 13.4 PPG on 54.7% shooting and has scored 20 and 24 points in her last two games respectively. The freshman forward from Toronto has been pivotal for the Blue Devils all season long but has seen a dip in numbers when she plays against ranked opponents. In eight games against top 25 teams this season, Fournier is averaging just 8.6 PPG, and that number drops to 5.3 PPG in true road games. Her teammate, junior guard Ashlon Jackson, has been a riser in games against ranked opponents this season. In her eight games against ranked opponents, Jackson is averaging 15 points per game, including a 30-point performance against Kansas State back on Nov. 25. Against North Carolina State on Feb. 3, who is ranked second in the ACC and 10th in the country, Jackson finished with 23 points on 8-25 shooting and knocked down six threes.    Despite going 4-4 in ranked matchups this season, with just one win on the road against Georgia Tech on Jan. 26, the Blue Devils have yet to see the Fournier-Jackson duo thrive in these meetings. Which means they’re due for a big performance. While one of the two is certain to perform well, it’ll be crucial for the Irish to ensure that it isn’t both. Teams have proven this season that they can handle one or the other playing well, but usually not both Fournier and Jackson.   It’ll be a matter of taking care of business for both squads the rest of the week. For the men’s team, they will need to light a spark on the road against Boston College. Follow that up with a big win against Louisville, and you have a chance to make a run and make the season look respectable as they are prepared to welcome the best recruiting class in program history.   For the women’s team, go on the road and beat a team you’re supposed to beat, and then take care of business on Monday against the 13th team in the country. A loss to either one of those teams changes everything with how the standings will shape up for the ACC Tournament and opens the window for another team to sneak in.   It’s all about finding a way to pick up wins this weekend, and it starts tonight for the men’s team as they travel to Boston College at 9 p.m. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey suffered a pair of 5-1 losses at home this weekend to a ranked Buckeyes squad, completing a season sweep of Notre Dame for Ohio State.  Photo by The Irish Tribune Friday Notre Dame got on the board first thanks to a power play goal from Blake Biondi. The forward’s tenth score of the season came 17:31 into the first period following a tripping call on the Buckeyes. Cole Knuble and Paul Fischer were credited with assists on the PPG.  Ohio State tied the game up less than a minute later after Davis Burnside beat Irish Goalie Owen Say to make it a 1-1 contest.  The Buckeyes added two goals in the second in a 2:02 span with under five minutes remaining in the period to give themselves a 3-1 lead. Ryan Gordon’s first of his two goals on the night when he got one past Say 16:42 into the period would end up being the game-winner.  In the final period, despite four power play opportunities for the Irish, they could not find the back of the net as they managed just four shots in the 6:13 with a man advantage. The Buckeyes added two goals in the final minute including an empty-netter and Gordon scored his second of the night with 26 seconds to play in the contest to secure their 5-1 win. Key Player Stats: Blake Biondi (ND): 1 goal on 3 shots, 1 blocked shot Ryan Gordon (OSU): 2 goals, 1 blocked shot, +2 Key Team Stats: Shots: OSU (32) - ND (28) Power Play Success: ND (1-5) - OSU (0-3) Penalty Minutes: OSU (10) - ND (6) Faceoffs Won: ND (36) - OSU (27) Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Saturday If you just looked at the box scores from this weekend’s series you might experience deja vu considering they show the exact same results. Notre Dame scores first but Ohio State ties it up before the end of the first period, then the Buckeyes add two goals in the second, and finally two more goals in the third to put the icing on the cake for the visitors.  Danny Nelson put the Irish up 1-0 9:50 into the game when he beat the Buckeye goalie for his 11th goal of the season. Brennan Ali and Fischer earned assists on the game-opening score.  A testy first period featuring six penalties (three on each team) ended with a game-tying power play goal from the Buckeyes’ Gunnarwolfe Fontaine with under two minutes to play. The Irish were a man down following a kneeing call on Zach Plucinski.  9:37 into the second period, Ohio State’s Sam Deckhut was awarded a goal after barrelling into Irish goaltender Nicholas Kempf. After review, the officials allowed the goal and gave Deckhut a penalty for charging the goaltender. As unfair as this appeared, it was far from the only reason Notre Dame lost on Saturday.  Burnside gave the Buckeyes a 3-1 lead with 2:30 left in the second period.  In the third, Ohio State added two goals about midway through the period in a 1:58 span. A large credit for Saturday’s win should be given to OSU goalie Logan Terness who finished with 41 saves in the 5-1 victory. Key Player Stats: Danny Nelson (ND): 1 goal on 9 shots Davis Burnside (OSU): 1 goal on 3 shots, 2 assists, +2 Gunnarwolf Fontaine (OSU): 1 goal on 4 shots, 1 assist, +1 Logan Terness (OSU): 41 saves, 1 goal against Key Team Stats: Shots: ND (42) - OSU (30) Power Play Success: OSU (1-2) - ND (0-3) Penalty Minutes: OSU (12) - ND (10) Blocked Shots: ND (13) - OSU (10) Faceoffs Won: ND (32) - OSU (23) Notre Dame hits the road next weekend for a series with Penn State, whom the Irish split with in early January as a part of The Frozen Confines. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

On Sunday, the Irish Women’s Basketball team faced their biggest test since mid-January and passed with flying colors as they buried the top-25 ranked California Golden Bears 91-52 in South Bend.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The first quarter was a true team effort as eight different Irish scorers got on the board, led by four points from both Sonia Citron and Kate Koval. Cal’s Lulu Twidale led all scorers with six points on two three-pointers, however, the Irish managed a 22-15 lead heading into the second quarter.  Notre Dame put together a fairly dominant second quarter performance as they outscored the Golden Bears 22-8 in the frame. The Irish forced six turnovers and Cal could not buy a bucket as they shot 0-6 from three and 26.7% from the field during the quarter. Maddy Westbeld paced the Irish offense with six points on 3-3 shooting from the field as the home team brought a 44-23 lead into the half.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off In the first half, Notre Dame outscored Cal in second-chance points 15-0 and bench points 10-0 as the Golden Bears struggled offensively in these first 20 minutes. The Irish stayed hot in the third quarter as they outscored Cal 28-12 in the ten minutes. Notre Dame’s talented trio of Citron, Olivia Miles, and Hannah Hidalgo lit it up as they combined for 24 of the team’s 28 points. Miles led the way with 10 including two threes. She also added three assists and two rebounds in the quarter. The Irish closed the period on an 18-2 run to take a 72-35 lead into the final frame.   Hidalgo heated up in the final quarter as she led all scorers with nine points including a three on 4-7 shooting from the field. Cal found a little rhythm late as they shot 3-6 from three, but the Irish still managed to outscore the Golden Bears 19-17 in the final quarter to secure the 39-point victory.  Key Player Stats: Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (10-20 FGs, 4-5 3FGs), 5 assists, 3 steals, +28 Olivia Miles: 16 points (7-12 FGs), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, +26 Sonia Citron: 16 points (7-9 FGs), 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, +32 Liatu King: 8 points (3-6 FGs), 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, +35 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (56%) - Cal (32%) Three Point Percentage: ND (50%) - Cal (29%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (100%) - Cal (60%) Turnovers: Cal (21) - ND (15) Points Off Turnovers: ND (25) - Cal (12) Total Rebounds: ND (43) - Cal (30) Second Chance Points: ND (21) - Cal (4) Bench Points: ND (18) - Cal (5) This ranked domination helped the Irish move up one spot to number two nationally in the AP Women’s Basketball Poll, which is released every Monday.  Up next, the Irish travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers on Thursday. Following, Notre Dame is set for a primetime home matchup on Presidents Day with the 13th-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the 2024 season in the rear view mirror, all eyes turn to what 2025 may hold for the Irish. Before examining Notre Dame’s future, let’s examine how we got here. Photo by The Irish Tribune The Regular Season Marcus Freeman and the 2024 Fighting Irish began the regular season at #7 in the polls and were a preseason favorite to make the CFP. This was partially due to a highly criticized schedule many called weak, but the Irish would face possibly their biggest test of the season in week 1, #20 TAMU. Rankings aside, the Aggies were considered the more talented team, and when combined with their notoriously tough home-field advantage, gave them a -2.5 point edge over the Irish heading into the game. The first half was a defensive battle, with both offenses settling for two field goals a piece to enter halftime tied 6-6. The Irish broke through in the 2nd half with rushing touchdowns from Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price while only surrendering a single score to the Aggies. A late field goal and a crucial defensive stop from Christian Gray gave the Irish a 23-13 win deep in SEC territory to kick off the season.  Unfortunately, that momentum and optimism were short-lived, as Freeman and the Irish were stunned by unranked NIU in their home opener the following week, losing a heartbreaker 14-16. It was arguably the worst loss in modern program history, and the Irish went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. They dropped from #5 to #18, and the entire trajectory of Notre Dame’s season was on its head. The fanbase, team, and program were all shaken by the defeat, and criticism got so bad that some called for Freeman’s job altogether. Many believed the Irish wouldn’t be able to come back from this low, but with ten games left to play, the season became a “lose again and go home” challenge with no room for error. The Irish responded with an impressive 66-7 trouncing of Purdue on the road, raising even more questions about what went wrong against NIU and which performance better reflected who this team was. Notre Dame welcomed Miami (OH) the following week and won a comfortable if unimpressive 28-3 win over the RedHawks before preparing for their next real challenge, Louisville. The #15 Cardinals put up a fight, but the Irish stopped a late rally to squeak out a 31-24 win. It was their narrowest win of the season and the most points allowed thus far by Notre Dame’s defense. Notre Dame returned to form with a lopsided 49-7 win over Stanford but struggled to fully dominate a shorthanded Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta, only managing a 31-13 win.  Now (6-1), the #12 Irish faced their 3rd ranked opponent of the season, (6-0) #24 Navy. For the first time in recent memory, some mainstream media commentators gave Navy a legitimate chance to upset the Irish, and the Midshipmen fielded statistically competitive squads on both sides of the ball. The Irish had a respectable -13.5-point advantage heading into the matchup but outperformed expectations. Freeman and the Irish put on a clinic and dismantled Navy 51-14 to secure their 6th straight win. It pushed Notre Dame back into the top 10 for the first time since week 2 and began whispers of a playoff bid comeback. The Irish continued their win streak with a stellar 52-3 win over a beleaguered FSU team, then cruised by Virginia 35-14. In their third and final neutral site game of the season, Freeman and the #6 Irish headed to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, to face the #19 Army Black Knights. This was Notre Dame’s 4th ranked opponent of the season, and like the Navy game, favored the Irish by about two touchdowns going into the contest. Once again, Notre Dame poured on the style points for the playoff committee and ran away with a 49-14 win.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   For the season finale, #5 Notre Dame again hit the road, this time for the West Coast to face archrival USC at the Coliseum. 2024 had been a struggle for 3rd-year head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, facing the Irish with a shockingly underwhelming (6-5) record. While their record was nothing to brag about, this was technically a more talented team than Freeman’s boys, and the nature of the rivalry added a level of angst the Irish hadn’t seen in weeks. USC was uniquely positioned to knock Notre Dame off and dash their playoff hopes just before the end of the year - down on their luck, with a talented roster and an elite coach looking to quiet his loudest critics before an early offseason. The Trojans had nothing to lose, and the Irish had a turnaround season and redemption arc to fulfill, with no room left to fail. For the first time all season, Notre Dame was forced to rely on their offense to stay in the game, trading shots with the Trojans from the jump. The Irish struck first with a rushing touchdown close to the end of the 1st quarter, but USC responded with a drive of their own to tie things up. The Irish scored again, this time through the air, and took their second lead of the game with less than a minute remaining in the half. Unfortunately, the Irish defense couldn’t contain the Trojans and surrendered another touchdown in mere seconds, allowing USC to tie things up 14-14 and steal all the momentum going into halftime. Notre Dame got the ball at the start of the 3rd quarter and was able to score quickly off a 36-yard Jadarian Price run to go up 21-14, their 3rd lead of the game. The Irish defense allowed USC to cobble together an 8-play 77-yard drive to tie things up again. That’s when the game began to turn. Notre Dame responded with back-to-back scores to close out the 3rd quarter, first from a Riley Leonard keeper and then from Leonard’s 2nd passing score of the day to go up 35-21. Inexplicably, the Irish offense went quiet in the 4th, unable to get anything going, and a USC touchdown off a short field narrowed Notre Dame’s lead to a single score with less than 9 minutes left to play. In a ridiculous series of plays, the entire complexion of the game changed. The Trojans used their momentum to march down the field quickly, but just as they were about to tie things up, Notre Dame’s defense stepped in. On 1st & 10 from the Irish 21, USC tossed a fade to the front corner of the end zone, but Notre Dame DB Christian Gray reeled in a one-handed interception, bracing himself with a hand on the ground, and returned it 99 yards to the house for a shocking score. The Trojans got the ball back and again moved deep into Irish territory. With under two minutes left, USC faced 4th and 6 from the Irish 13, and Notre Dame’s defense was up against a wall. As the ball was hiked, the Irish front four broke through the USC line and forced a quick desperation throw over the middle toward the end zone. For the second straight series, Notre Dame’s secondary rose to the occasion. Safety Xavier Watts stepped right in front of a man-to-man battle in the end zone and reeled in another Irish interception, never breaking his stride and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown to put Notre Dame up 49-28. The Irish walked away with the win and finished their regular season (11-1) with a 10-game win streak, four wins over ranked opponents, and a top-5 finish in the polls. Altogether, it was enough to earn the Irish a CFP seed with a 1st round home game.  The Playoffs The Irish earned the privilege of hosting their 1st round matchup of the playoff and drew cross-state rival #9 Indiana. The tension was palpable from the start, and nerves got the best of both sides as they traded interceptions to start things off. With Notre Dame backed up to their own 2-yard line, Irish star running back Jeremiyah Love took a handoff and burst through a gap on the left-hand side before breaking into the open and down the sideline for a 98-yard rushing touchdown. In just one run, Love scored the game’s first points, the longest rushing touchdown of the season, and the first touchdown scored in the 12-team playoff’s history. The Irish dominated the 2nd quarter, capping off a 16-play 83-yard drive that took over 9:00 minutes with another score. The Hoosiers got on the board with a field goal before Notre Dame responded with one of their own, sending the game into halftime with the Irish up 17-3. The second half was more of the same, as Notre Dame extended their lead with another touchdown and another field goal to go up 27-3 with less than 5 minutes left in the 4th. With the game out of hand, Freeman and Golden began subbing in 2nd and 3rd string defensemen to rest starters for the rest of the playoff run. In response, Indiana kept their starters in and had their only success of the day on offense. The Hoosiers cobbled together 14 garbage time points against the Irish reserves and narrowed the lopsided game’s score to a more respectable 27-17. While it wasn’t the prettiest or most statistically impressive win of Notre Dame’s season, it brought a level of confidence this team hadn’t experienced yet. You could tell by the way they played that something was different. Notre Dame outclassed and outworked the Hoosiers from the jump. The Irish defense smothered Indiana’s highly lauded offense, holding them to 215 yards passing and only 61 yards on the ground. Indiana’s defense was considered the stronger part of their team, but even they failed to contain any part of the Irish offense. Jeremiah Love finished with 108 yards and a touchdown, while Leonard tossed 201 yards and a touchdown through the air, along with a score on the ground. It gave the Irish a win on a stage they hadn’t seen in quite some time, and they managed to dominate the Hoosiers while not even playing their best ball. The Irish headed to the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia to face Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. It was a defensive battle from the start. Notre Dame's defense forced a fumble to stop a deep Georgia drive into Irish territory, and neither team scored in the first quarter. After giving up a huge chunk pass down the sideline, the Irish defense held UGA to a field goal for the game's first points. The Irish answered with back-to-back field goals to take a narrow 6-3 lead with less than a minute left in the half. That's when everything changed. Instead of taking the conservative route and kneeling the ball, Kirby Smart sent his offense back onto the field to try and score. First-time starter Gunner Stockton had been throwing the ball well, and the Bulldogs hoped to at least tie things up with a field goal before giving the Irish the ball to start the 3rd quarter. On the first play of Georgia's drive, Stockton dropped back to throw but was blindsided by Notre Dame's Jason Onye, who chopped the ball out of his hands and onto the ground. The Irish recovered and immediately struck with a passing touchdown from Riley Leonard to Beaux Collins, stunning the Bulldogs and taking a 13-3 lead going into halftime. On the opening kickoff of the 2nd half, Notre Dame's Jayden Harrison fielded the ball at the 2-yard line and began slowly cutting his way through Georgia's return team before breaking a tackle and finding a seam, bursting into the open and down the sideline. He ran 98 yards to the house, putting the Irish up 20-3 while driving a dagger into Georgia. In just 54 seconds of gameplay, the Irish scored 17 points and extended a 6-3 lead to 20-3. Georgia finally scored a touchdown with about 9 minutes left in the 3rd, but the Irish added another field goal after forcing a turnover on downs on the 9-yard line. The final backbreaker was a 4th & 1 on Notre Dame's own 19, where the Irish executed an 11-man personnel change, swapping the entire special teams unit with the offense before baiting the Bulldogs to jump offsides. The Irish proceeded to bleed the clock with multiple 3rd-down conversions until giving the ball back to Georgia. The Irish sealed the 23-10 win with another turnover on downs, sacking Gunner Stockton at Georgia's 17. Once again, the Irish beat an elite opponent in dominant fashion while not quite playing their best ball. Notre Dame's offense collected fewer total yards than Georgia while only throwing for 90 yards and one touchdown. They didn't score a single rushing touchdown between Leonard, Price, and Love and relied heavily on Mitch Jeter's 3/3 mark on field goals and a special teams touchdown. With the win, the Irish kept their playoff hopes alive, beat the reigning SEC Champion, secured the program’s first-ever win over UGA, and beat arguably the best coach in all of college football. It was even less pretty than the Indiana game and was by no means a blowout, but the Irish proved they can find a way to win and can do so in a variety of ways. Their defense proved they could absorb big-chunk plays and a massive offensive line while still preventing scores and forcing turnovers. The offense proved they don't even need to throw the ball if their running backs aren't producing; they can just run with Leonard and beat you on special teams. Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl win earned them a spot in the Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Despite several big gash plays in the first quarter, both defenses kept the game scoreless. The Nittany Lions’ defense reeled in a Riley Leonard interception for the first big momentum swing of the game, but the Irish defense held strong and only allowed a field goal as the 2nd quarter began. Penn State then controlled the quarter with a 15-play, 90-yard drive to score, putting them up 10-0 and chewing more than 7 minutes off the clock. Before the half ended, Riley Leonard was sacked and hit his head hard enough to be taken out of the game, putting Steve Angeli on the field in Irish territory with only 1:30 left before half. Angeli orchestrated a sorely lacking passing attack down the field and into position for a field goal before halftime. The Irish had done nearly nothing on offense, but their defense kept them competitive. The Irish scored right out of halftime with an 8-play, 75-yard drive of their own, tying things up at 10-10. After trading punts, the Irish put together another long drive that took them to Penn State’s 2-yard line with a little over 14 minutes left in the 4th. On 1st and goal, Leonard handed the ball off to Jeremiyah Love, who spectacularly out-willed the entire Nittany Lions defense, hurdling the first defender, dragging the second with him as he collided with two more defenders before leaping forward to break the plane. It gave Notre Dame their first lead of the game, 17-10. Penn State quickly responded with their second touchdown to tie things back up at 17-17. On the ensuing drive, Riley Leonard tossed another interception that led to a Penn State score, stifling any Irish momentum while taking the lead 24-17. The Irish got the ball back with about 5 minutes remaining and began chipping away PSU’s defense. The Irish got to just about midfield before wideout Jaden Greathouse broke his defender’s ankles off the line of scrimmage and reeled in a perfect ball from Leonard. Once in the open, Greathouse hit another stellar move to drop PSU’s last defender on his butt, and he walked into the endzone, tying it 24-24. With less than a minute remaining, Penn State’s Drew Aller tossed a late ball over the middle with pressure in his face, and Irish CB Christian Gray reeled it in for their first turnover of the game. Instead of playing it conservative and running out the clock to play in overtime, Freeman and the Irish capitalized on their field position, moving the ball just far enough into PSU territory to try for a field goal. With only 0:12 seconds left on the clock, Irish kicker Mitch Jeter lined up for his second opportunity of the night, drilling a 41-yarder to seal the win 27-24.  Once again, the Irish did whatever was needed to get the win. Notre Dame had yet to trail this season nor mount a comeback through the air, and in just two quarters, they managed to do both. For the first time in the season, the Irish offense outgained their running game through the air and failed to win the turnover battle but still held on to win. Fittingly, the game came down to Mitch Jeter’s recently healed leg, and he nailed it, becoming the first kicker in CFP history to make a game-winning field goal. The win sent the Irish to their first National Title game since 2012. The National Championship Everything led to this point. All the close calls, the big wins, the critics who said they didn’t belong, and a program-defining loss - all of it helped get the Irish to the big dance. All that stood in their way was Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Irish got the ball to start the game and put together one of their most dominant drives of the playoff. Riley Leonard led the Fighting Irish on an 18-play, 75-yard scoring drive that shaved the first 9:45 seconds off the clock. The Irish couldn’t have scripted a better start to the game, especially for an offense quite obviously outmatched by the Buckeyes defense. It then fell to Notre Dame’s defense, which statistically matched up more closely against Ohio State’s offense. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes had little trouble moving the ball and went on three straight unanswered scoring drives: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05 minutes; 10 plays, 76 yards, 6:06 minutes; and 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:26 minutes. As the game entered halftime, the Irish found themselves behind 7-21, with OSU getting the ball to start the second half. The Buckeyes had little trouble marching 75 yards to score on their opening drive of the 3rd quarter and added a field goal shortly after. Suddenly, the Irish faced a 7-31 hole, and all hope seemed lost. Thankfully, Freeman and the Irish were able to scrape together another impressive 10-play 75-yard drive to get back on the board. Riley Leonard found Jaden Greathouse through the air, who busted a few twitchy moves to slice and dice his way into the endzone. The Irish successfully converted the 2-point conversion with a Leonard-to-Love shovel pass to bring the deficit to a more manageable 15-31. After recovering a fumble, the Irish were able to move the ball into Buckeye territory but curiously settled for a 27-yard field goal attempt on 4th & goal that ultimately ricocheted off the upright and was no good.  Thankfully, the Irish were able to get the ball back and respond with a drive that did convert. After a huge pass to tight-end Mitchell Evans, Riley Leonard tossed a 30-yard bomb to the front corner of the far end zone, where Greathouse reeled it in over his shoulder for the score. Once again, the Irish lined up for a 2-point conversion, but this time, they handed the ball off to wideout Jordan Faison, who came on a sweep around the side and tossed the ball over the heads of the Buckeye defenders to Beaux Collins for the score. In two quick drives, the Irish narrowed a 28-point deficit to just 8 and gave themselves a few minutes in the 4th to tie things up. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were able to put things out of reach with a field goal to go up 34-23 with less than 30 seconds left. It was enough to kill Notre Dame’s valiant comeback and end their Cinderella season. Final Thoughts No matter how you look at it, this season was an unmitigated success for Marcus Freeman and the Irish. Before week one, everyone in the country had a pretty good idea of what Notre Dame should do in the regular season. However, once the NIU loss came, it felt like this team might go the way of disappointing Notre Dame teams of the past. Many thought the season was already over, and critics saw no way for Notre Dame to come back from it, yet they did. Week after week, the Irish cobbled together a respectable and often dominant 10-game win streak to close out the regular season and found a way to overcome their early failure. While the NIU game will stick around in fans' memories, the 2024 Irish redeemed that regular season black mark by securing a postseason bid. The Irish earned a clean slate in the playoffs, but the stakes had never been higher for a program long criticized for its lack of success in the postseason. Notre Dame‘s win over Indiana should have been enough to silence even the most staunch Irish hater, but excuses surrounding Indiana’s legitimacy seemed to overshadow the public discourse. All of that disappeared following the Georgia game. For the first time in recent memory, Notre Dame had beaten a quality team, an SEC champion, and an elite coach in one fell swoop - all on their biggest stage yet. In the eyes of Notre Dame fans, their team had achieved something they’d been waiting for for decades - a legitimate win in a major bowl game - but it still wasn’t quite enough for the public. That is, until the following week when Notre Dame did it again against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. This time, there was no blaming a backup quarterback, lucky seeding, or a talent disparity. Notre Dame had just posted its 3rd straight win over a top-10 opponent and answered the most significant remaining question - are the Irish back?” with a resounding “yes.” All in all, the 2024 Fighting Irish overachieved and defied even the rosiest of predictions. Once Notre Dame got on a roll and started winning in the playoffs, fan excitement at the possibilities evolved into confidence amidst a new reality. In a way, that’s what Freeman and the 2024 Irish did for the program as a whole. Within a single season, they moved the goalposts well beyond expectations, from hopefully winning a big game to hopefully winning a major bowl game, to hopefully beating a better team on a huge stage, to hopefully winning a National Title. The evolution of Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame is well ahead of schedule and has already taken expectations to a place many outside the fan base never thought they’d return to. While the Irish didn’t achieve their ultimate goal, they did prove that Notre Dame can go all the way, and it’s no longer a question of “if” they can win it all but “when” that will be. With another promising season on the horizon and a clear path to achieving success laid out for them, Notre Dame’s 2025 season holds even more promise than 2024. In my next piece, we’ll look at the current situation the program finds itself in and where the Irish go from here. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Irish Women’s Basketball team returned to South Bend following a three-game road trip and delivered an amazing all-around performance in a 96-47 win versus Stanford on Thursday.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame played well in the first quarter, jumping out an early 17-8 lead in the first ten minutes. Olivia Miles led the Irish offense with five points including a three. However, their defense was the highlight of the quarter as they forced ten Stanford turnovers which led to 11 Irish points.  The second quarter was arguably the best ten minutes this Irish team has played all season as they outscored Stanford 33-7 to take a 50-15 lead into halftime. Notre Dame added nine more forced turnovers as they ended the quarter on a 24-2 run. Offensively, the Irish shot 76.5% from the field including 4-4 from three. Hannah Hidalgo led the way as she tallied nine points on perfect shooting splits and three assists in seven minutes played during the quarter. Miles shot 2-2 from three as she contributed six points bringing her game total to 11.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Stanford started showing some life in the second half but it was clear they were still outmatched for this streaking Irish squad. Notre Dame outscored the Cardinal 26-15 in the third quarter thanks to another perfect-shooting outburst from Hidalgo who poured in 11 points and two rebounds in six minutes played.  In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame outscored Stanford 20-17 to finish off a 49-point victory for the Irish. Cassandre Prosper and Liza Karlen each added five points including a three in the final quarter.  The Irish will remain in South Bend as they prepare for a Sunday afternoon battle with a top-25-ranked California Golden Bears squad. Key Player Stats: Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (9-16 FGs, 5-5 FTs), 5 assists, 3 steals, +44 Olivia Miles: 20 points (4-6 3FGs, 4-4 FTs), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, +40   Liatu King: 8 points (4-7 FGs), 8 rebounds, 5 steals, +30 Sonia Citron: 9 points (4-8 FGs), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, +30 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (55%) - Stanford (31%) Three Point Percentage: ND (53%) - Stanford (27%) Turnovers: Stanford (29) - ND (12) Points Off Turnovers: ND (45) - Stanford (12) Fastbreak Points: ND (22) - Stanford (2) Blocks: ND (6) - Stanford (1) Steals: ND (16) - Stanford (6) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame was bolstered by the depth of their roster last year, a concept that will vanish in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal. Photo by The Irish Tribune One of the biggest storylines from last season's playoff run was Notre Dame's ability to overcome injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Irish lost starting center Ashton Craig for the season, while also having Anthonie Knapp miss the national championship game. On defense, the Irish lost All-Americans Rylie Mills and Benjamin Morrison, along with edge rushers Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho for the year. Even going down the stretch, Howard Cross missed many weeks with an ankle injury, while Jeremiyah Love played on one good knee for the last four games of the season. While the blame could be pointed on Loren Landow for the number of injuries this Fighting Irish team endured, look at the way players filled in the gaps. Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish plugged the middle of the field quite well after Mills' injury in the first-round game against Indiana. Junior Tuihalamaka, Bryce Young, and RJ Oben amounted for edge pressure during the season after the Irish lost their first and second stringers. Cornerback Leonard Moore was thrusted into the spotlight and responded by being a Freshman All-American. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   At every turn, each injury could've derailed Notre Dame's season, yet, the Irish's "next man in" mentality powered them all the way to the national championship game. However, it is specifically this depth that is starting to be eliminated in the NIL era, and Notre Dame is starting to experience the harsh reality. When the Fighting Irish had three offensive linemen enter the transfer portal, many flags went up in the Notre Dame communities. While Pat Coogan, Rocco Spindler, and Sam Pendleton all had started games in Notre Dame's quest for a national title, 2/3 didn't start week one at Texas A&M. Yet, the depth that these players provided were crucial for Notre Dame because of the number of injuries on the line. Players like Coogan, Spindler, and Pendleton are the key pieces that every program used to have. It was a key facet that separated Notre Dame and a team like Nick Saban's Alabama. Those Alabama team's second and third string players could compete with the ones. This is what Notre Dame was slowly starting to evolve into, yet in the transfer portal era, why would these guys stick around without a guaranteed starting position? That's why all three lineman transferred to become "the guy" at power four schools. Coogan (Indiana), Spindler (Nebraska), and Pendleton (Tennessee) will all be day one starters at their new schools. This is par for the course as it pertains to NIL, but the culture Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame is still intact. Only 6 players entered the portal after the season ended. Six. Let's look at how many players entered the portal after the season at some top programs: Alabama: 24 Texas A&M: 23 LSU: 19 Georgia: 14 Ohio State: 14 Oregon: 11 Texas: 10 Penn State: 9 The transfer portal era in college football is one that is unprecedented, yet the need for a general manager is such a new, valuable position. With the Irish keying in on Chad Bowden's replacement, the culture instilled by Marcus Freeman and his staff has helped navigate them through one of college football's most confusing times. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame has lost one of its brightest coaches, running back coach Deland McCullough. Here is an early look at some names that may be considered potential replacements for the vacancy. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Tony Alford: Michigan Alford is a name that will come up a lot as this coaching search begins. Alford would be familiar to many Notre Dame fans, as he was a part of the coaching staff for six seasons. During this tenure with the Irish, he coached wide receivers and running backs. Alford would likely be the safest option for Marcus Freeman if he were inclined to leave his job in Ann Arbor. Not only because of his ties to Notre Dame, he has also built quite a resume throughout his career. At Notre Dame, he recruited and developed running backs such as Josh Adams and Dexter Williams. During his tenure at Ohio State, he coached great players like Ezekiel Elliot, J.K. Dobbins, and TreVeyon Henderson. This level of talent and production points to Alford's prowess as not only a recruiter, but also a talent evaluator. Alford is currently at Notre Dame's rival school, Michigan, a school that is more than capable of landing great recruits and being competitive financially, so convincing him to leave would be a tough sell for Freeman to make. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   James Montgomery: Boise State Montgomery's name may also be in the running to fill the position after the historic season Ashton Jeanty had in 2024. Montgomery's coaching career is relatively new. Before being hired at Boise State in 2023, he had stints at both Fresno State and Sacramento State. The biggest accomplishment of his coaching career is Jeanty's success in 2024. This past season, Jeanty was just 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' all-time rushing record. Montgomery's ability to evaluate and develop Jeanty into one of the most productive players in the history of college football is quite a feat. Those skills could be very useful at Notre Dame, but it would be a substantial step up in competition. A job at Notre Dame would be his first opportunity to coach and recruit against the best teams in the country. This will likely be part of Freeman's discussions with him if he is seriously considered for the job. Ja'Juan Seider: Penn State Seider's coaching abilities are something very familiar to many fans of Notre Dame and the staff. In the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame felt the full effect of his Seider's ability. Seider's pair of running backs, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, have been dominant in college football over the last few years. Together, they have set school and Big Ten records with their elite play on the field since they were freshmen. This past season, the pair both ran for over 1000 yards and were instrumental to their deep playoff run. Before Penn State, Seider also coached at Florida and West Virginia. At West Virginia, he managed to recruit and coach two backs who would have NFL careers. Along with his ability to develop talent, he is also known for being a very strong recruiter. This will be an important aspect of the upcoming hire due to McCullough's strength in recruiting. It likely won't be easy for Freeman to bring Seider over from Penn State, with Singleton and Allen both returning. A main selling point for Freeman in this search will be the chance to coach Love and Price, but Seider is probably the only coach in the country that has the talent to rival Notre Dame's backs. Stan Drayton Drayton is a name maybe not too many people are familiar with, but he does have the pedigree that may get him looked at by Freeman. Drayton has coaching experience at both the college and professional levels. In the NFL, he most recently worked as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears from 2015-2016. His other professional job was from 2001-2003, where he was an offensive quality control coach. At the collegiate level, Drayton has had a litany of different jobs, resulting in two National Championships. His first national championship came in 2006, when he coached at the University of Florida from 2005-2007. That season, his running backs averaged 160 yards per game while only losing two fumbles all year. Drayton's second National Championship came in 2014 with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He coached at Ohio State from 2011-2014, producing great players like Ezekiel Elliot, who was the driving force of that National Championship team. Elliot isn't the only special type of player Drayton has coached. From 2017-2021, he also coached at Texas. At Texas, he developed star player Bijan Robinson into one of the best running backs in Texas' history. Drayton is currently unemployed after getting fired at Temple as the head coach, but he would bring a ton of experience and acumen to Notre Dame as a running backs coach. He would also bring in the knowledge of how to amplify Love's unique talent, as he has done that before at Texas and Ohio State. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Following a gritty 3-0 road trip, the Notre Dame women’s team returns to Purcell Pavilion on a 14-game win streak as they host the Stanford Cardinal and the No. 21 California Golden Bears. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics It was a gutsy performance on the road from sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo that led the Irish to an 18-point victory over Louisville on Feb. 2. Despite a second quarter that saw Notre Dame get outscored 25-17 by the Cardinals, Hidalgo finished with a season-high 34 points along with four steals.   Now the number three team in the country looks to extend their 10-0 start in conference play against Stanford on Thursday. The Cardinal, who have started the year 11-10 with just a 3-7 record against the ACC, have yet another tough matchup for their fourth-ranked matchup in the last five games.   Despite their record, sophomore forward Nunu Agara is having a phenomenal season, averaging 17.4 points per game on 46.5% shooting, 8.1 rebounds per game, and two assists. The 6’2" Minnesota native has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including a 22-point, 14-rebound showing against North Carolina on Feb. 2.   Elena Bosgana, a 6’2" guard from Greece in her senior season with the Cardinal, is the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 12.1 PPG on a 41.8% clip. However, she enters this one coming off her worst game of the season, shooting 1-11 with 3 points in 40 minutes of play.   The real test for the Irish comes on Sunday as they take on the 21st-ranked team in the country, the California Golden Bears, who enter South Bend 19-4, with a 7-3 record against the ACC. Like Stanford, California enters this matchup with a loss to North Carolina last week. Despite this, the Bears are 6-2 in their last eight games. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.    Ioanna Krimili, the Golden Bears leading scorer with 15.4 PPG on 41.1% shooting, hails from Heraklion, Greece. The 5’10" senior guard has scored in double figures in her last four games, averaging 16.8 PPG over that span. Krimili is also a threat from beyond the arc, averaging eight threes per game, and knocks down 37.5%.   However, being the fifth-best team from deep in the ACC, and shooting 36% as a team, means there are plenty of more threats from three.   The Golden Bears have two players shooting above 40% from deep, including sophomore guard Lulu Twidale, who is shooting 40.6%. She has made three or more threes in 14 games this season, including a 4-7 performance in California’s win against Pittsburgh this past Sunday. While Twidale is averaging 13.3 PPG this season, she can be restrained should the Irish defend her on the perimeter. In nine games this season where Twidale has made two or fewer threes, she is averaging just 6.6 PPG.   Kayla Williams, the Golden Bears team leader in three-point percentage with a 41.8% clip from deep, has hit a wall since the turn of the new year. The senior guard has just one game since the end of December where she has hit multiple threes and is shooting just 33% in that span. While she averages far fewer threes per game than Twidale at just 3.4 per game, Williams will certainly be looking to shoot more against the number three team in the country. Williams, who is in her first year with the Bears after transferring from USC, is the team leader in assists with 4.3 and steals with 1.5.   The Irish have the chance to move to 12-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2015-16 season when they went undefeated in conference play. However, it will not be easy against two teams desperate for a big win.   While things are going great on the women’s side, the sky appears to be falling for the men, as they have lost back-to-back games against Miami and Florida State, moving to 10-12 on the season.   A road trip that was supposed to bring the Irish momentum and set them up for a run in the ACC, resulted in two losses that included poor second-half play. They will now host Virginia Tech on Saturday with just nine conference games remaining. It’ll be two teams more than desperate for a win as both teams enter under .500 and toward the bottom of the conference. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics These losses that the Irish are suffering are coming despite sophomore guard Markus Burton having an elite season, averaging 20.5 PPG and shooting 45.7% from the field. Since returning from injury, he has scored 20 or more points in seven of his nine games played, averaging 22 PPG over that span. Not only is he scoring at a high rate, but he also tied his season-high for steals with four against the Seminoles this past Tuesday and is averaging a team-high 1.6 on the season.   Virginia Tech, on the other hand, enters this one on a two-game win streak, with both wins coming on the road against Florida State and Virginia. It’s been good enough for eighth place in the conference with a 5-6 record, but a win against Notre Dame could do enough to get them to sixth should other losses happen around the league.   The Hokies have just one player averaging double figures on the year in junior forward Tobi Lawal. A London, England native, Lawal is averaging 13 PPG and shoots 58.9% from the field. Standing at 6’8”, he has scored in double figures in his last six games, averaging 15.5 PPG in that timeframe. Lawal also averages 6.7 RPG and grabbed 13 on Jan. 29 against Florida State.   It will be an interesting weekend for both Notre Dame teams, as the women’s team looks to ride the hot streak, as the men look to claw their way back into the fight. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After three years with the Fighting Irish, Deland McCullough leaves South Bend to become the new running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, per Matt Freeman. Photo by The Irish Tribune This move will give McCullough his first opportunity to coach in the NFL after more than a decade of coaching experience at the college level. However, this won't be his first time in the NFL. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1996 to 1997. Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Although his time was short in South Bend, McCullough's presence was felt over his three years as the running backs coach. During his time, he produced some of the nation's most talented and productive rushers. In 2023, it was Audric Estime who ran for over 1300 yards and 18 touchdowns. This past season, Jeremiyah broke out as one of college football's best players, rushing for 1125 yards and 17 touchdowns. Not only did McCullough produce Love, but he has also produced an RB room filled with talented backs like Jadarian Price, who rushed for 746 yards, and Aneyas Williams. McCullough consistently built strong RB rooms like the one this past season. In 2022, Estime and Logan Diggs both nearly reached 1000 yards on the season, with Estime totaling 920 and Diggs 820. McCullough has presided over some incredible talent at Notre Dame, making him an attractive hire for anyone. This makes it no surprise he is getting an opportunity to coach at the next level. Unfortunately for Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame staff, his departure means they once again will have to begin the hiring process. This is the third staff member to have left this offseason, including Al Golden, Chad Bowden, and now Deland McCullough. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

For the last time in their college football careers, Riley Leonard, Jack Kiser, and RJ Oben wore a Notre Dame helmet when they suited up for this year's Senior Bowl. Photo via Notre Dame Football After helping lead Notre Dame to a National Championship appearance, the three teammates headed to Mobile Alabama, about 30 minutes away from Leonard's hometown of Fairhope, in hopes of increasing their stock in the eyes of those who will be responsible for evaluating them at the next level. They may have not entered the game as the biggest names at their positions, but all three did some good things and proved they belonged. Riley Leonard Leonard came out as the starter for the American Team and carried over some of the momentum from his excellent playoff run. As we have seen throughout his college career, when he was able to flip his hips and hit his first read, he was extremely accurate. He showed poise in the pocket, standing in the face of pressure and delivering a first down strike while throwing from a different arm angle, which is a big plus. He did take some snaps from under center, which is not something he is used to doing, and you can tell the comfort level was not 100% there. Even when handing the ball off from under center, it did not look as smooth for him, and it is something he will have to work on - because in the NFL, he will not be working exclusively from Shotgun. In the second quarter, the pocket started to collapse on third and long, and Leonard missed his checkdown read in the flat, taking a sack on the play. Everything will be sped up at the next level, and he'll have to learn to take what the defense gives him. His snaps were limited, only attempting seven passes, but he made the most of his opportunity completing six of them for 54 yards, and putting evaluators on notice. NFL Outlook I don't expect Leonard to come off the board earlier than the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft, but if he lands with the right team, he can still carve out a nice role for himself. Based on his college career and film, I would love to see him land with a team that utilizes half-field reads for their QBs. One of Leonard's main issues that plagued him at times was his footwork breaking down when working through whole-field progressions, leading to inaccurate passes. I think a team like the Philadelphia Eagles would be perfect for him, as the way they use their QBs highlights all of Leonard's strengths, and would grant him the time to learn in a backup role. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   Jack Kiser After a week of Senior Bowl practices, Kiser was named Top Linebacker of the American Team, as voted on by his teammates. This should come as no shock to Irish fans who watched Kiser grow into a true leader throughout his college career, not just of the defense, but the whole team. During the game, Kiser got plenty of snaps at linebacker, and maybe more surprisingly, at safety as well. He also got a bunch of special teams reps on both coverage and protection units, showing the type of versatility that earns roster spots at the next level. It was a bit of a mixed bag for Kiser in terms of how he looked vs the run. On the first drive, he went one-on-one in the hole with a tight end and lost at the point of attack, getting knocked out of his lane. His ability to shed blocks will certainly be a question mark for scouting personnel. He needs to key run vs pass a little quicker, as he also bit hard on a play-action and got way out of position. On the flip side, his motor is elite, and finds himself around the ball more times than not because of his backside pursuit. He's better as a drop zone defender than he is in traditional man coverage. Early in the game, Kiser did a great job splitting the two tight ends to his side while dropping in zone, then closing on the underneath TE to make a tackle for a minimal game. On 4th and 1 late in the fourth quarter, Kiser made an excellent play, reading play-action, getting to his spot in the zone, and playing through the tight end's hands to force an incomplete pass in what should have been a turnover on downs (the drive was extended due to a Roughing the Passer penalty on someone else). NFL Outlook For me, Kiser projects out as a weak-side linebacker in a base 4-3 look. He will primarily be a two-down backer early on, and come out on sub packages until he increases his coverage ability. Kiser will really need to improve on stacking and shedding blockers, and I think the majority of his contributions early on in his career will come via special teams. Due to his motor and pursuit, he has all the makings of an excellent gunner, and because of that I think he will stick on someone's roster after being taken later on in the draft. RJ Oben The American coaches had Oben come out in a wide-9 look, which is more for pure speed rushers and doesn't really play to his strengths. During the game, Oben did not show off-the-ball explosiveness and he lacks elite bend. He showed a good club and rip move on outside rushes, but other than that, he did not display a pass rush plan. Where I thought Oben did very well was vs the run. He pursued a toss play from the backside to make a tackle along with none other than Jack Kiser. I also thought that he showed he could hold the point of attack vs double teams. He displayed an excellent shoulder dip multiple times to work inside the tight end and make plays down the LOS. On 4th and 2, on an important drive late in the game, the National Team opted to try to run the ball. Oben dipped his shoulder and got inside leverage on the TE, and was able to get to the ball carrier for a tackle for loss and give the ball back to his offense. Plays like that in the biggest moments of games will stick in the minds of those evaluating him against his peers when they are more or less evenly graded. NFL Outlook I believe on film, Oben screams 7-technique defensive end. He is a run-stopper first, and a pass-rusher second. I think he has the ability to set the edge, and teams looking to bulk up their run defense and defensive line depth could opt for Oben anywhere from the 5th to the 7th round. As he builds a bigger variety of moves in his pass rush package, he will start to see the field more and more. He is a plug-and-play type of player in obvious running situations and near the goal line. Next up for these three players, will be the NFL Combine later this month. It will be another chance to showcase their strengths and give teams more data points to work with by the time the draft rolls around in April. They will be joined by fellow teammates such as Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison, and Rylie Mills, just to name a few, who did not participate in the Senior Bowl. This group moving on to the professional level helped Notre Dame secure one of the greatest seasons in recent memory, and Irish fans will not soon forget what they brought to South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Just three days after scoring 30 points in a 77-61 dismantling of Virginia Tech, the Irish’s Hannah Hidalgo popped off again on Sunday, with 34 points in an 89-71 victory against the Cardinals. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame got hot early and began the game on a 20-6 run in the first 6:27 of the first quarter. Louisville somewhat found a rhythm as they managed to shrink their deficit to 22-13 after the Irish’s Liatu King sunk a buzzer-beater to end the quarter. Hidalgo led all scorers with nine points including a three, as the Irish dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Cardinals 16-3 in the first ten minutes. Louisville made things interesting in the second quarter as they went on multiple runs to get themselves back in the contest. Two separate 8-0 runs between 9:08-4:59 put the Cardinals in front 29-28. After this, it was a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the quarter with both teams trading points until a Hidalgo two-point jumper with 23 seconds left gave the Irish a 39-38 lead heading into the half. Louisville’s Tajianna Roberts was the leader of the Cardinals' second-quarter surge, leading the way with 11 points as they outscored the Irish 25-17 in the ten-minute period. Hidalgo added another nine points including five free throws to bump her total to 18 first-half points. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off The Irish came out of the break and dominated the Cardinals. Notre Dame outscored the opposition 50-33 in the second half to stamp their 14th straight victory. Three Irish scorers cracked double digits in the half (Hidalgo-16, King-12, Olivia Miles-12). Notably, King and Miles were perfect from the field in the second half. Hidalgo’s 34 points are a new season-high for the sophomore guard and are one short of matching her career-high.   Upcoming, Notre Dame looks to extend their winning streak as they host Stanford on Thursday evening and California on Saturday afternoon. Key Player Stats: Hannah Hidalgo (ND): 34 points (12-22 FGs, 8-8 FTs), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, +17 Liatu King (ND): 16 points (8-9 FGs), 12 rebounds, +18 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (55%) - LOU (36%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (85%) - LOU (76%) Total Rebounds: ND (44) - LOU (29) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun