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Notre Dame fans across the globe have been waiting for this moment: Notre Dame vs Indiana. Who wins in round one? Our staff analyze the game below. Cover Art by The Irish Tribune Liam Farrell - Associate Editor, Senior Football Writer Score Prediction: 31-17 Notre Dame Indiana will start off hot, potentially leading throughout most of the first half, but the Irish defense will stiffen as the game progresses. Notre Dame’s offensive line will get better as the game goes on as well and three second-half rushing touchdowns bolster the Irish’s lead. My bold predictions are that Notre Dame gets a big play on special teams, either a blocked FG or a fumble recovery on the kickoff, and Mitch Jeter will also make a field goal in this game. Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor, Senior Staff Writer Score Prediction: 28-27 Notre Dame Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke is going to make some big-time plays to keep this game tight. The Irish pass rush will need to play well and force pressure on Rourke in order to minimize his impact. I believe both defenses dominate the first half as the offenses attempt to shake off the rust from not playing since the end of November. The Irish rushing game gets going in the second half highlighted by RB Jeremiyah Love and, ultimately, this aspect is what puts the Irish over the top. An electric atmosphere mixed with a strong run game and clutch defense will lead the Irish to victory. Clayton Stohler - Co-Host of The First & Gold Podcast Score Prediction: 35-17 Notre Dame Notre Dame’s offensive line plays with conviction and attitude and does more than enough to open the door for Love and Price. Leonard makes plays where they’re needed as the offense starts fast and sustains its pace. On defense, Howard Cross and Rylie Mills disrupt through the middle and throw Rourke off his rhythm. The defense forces enough chaos to win the turnover battle and force misfires on IU’s offense. IU is a good team, but simply won’t have enough firepower to keep up with ND as the fanbase creates one of the most hostile environments in ND stadium since 1993. Noah Wehby - Writer Score Prediction: 27-20 Notre Dame Notre Dame faces their toughest opponent of the year, the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana’s No. 1 run defense will give Notre Dame’s rushing attack the most trouble they’ve seen this season, but that won’t stop it completely. The game will come down to Riley Leonard making a few plays with his arm. With the weather, both offenses are going to have their ups and downs, but Notre Dame’s defense will shine once again, causing a turnover or two. Use code " IrishTribune20 " to get $20  off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Brady Burden - Social Media Intern Score Prediction: 24-21 Notre Dame Notre Dame wins this game by simply doing the little things correctly. The Irish create turnovers that are needed, and the backfield duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price tear up the Hoosier defense. Jeter nails the last-second field goal and the Irish look to face off against Georgia. Peter Mulroy - Associate Editor, Host of The First & Gold Podcast Score Prediction: 27-17 Notre Dame It’s a trenches game; don’t overthink it. Both teams are outstanding - don’t believe me, watch the tape - but the Irish are better. In a game that should come down to the ground given the forecast, give me Love, yes, but Price more, as the Irish move on & prep for the Dawgs. Max Uretsky - Football Analyst Score Prediction: 20-17 Notre Dame It's the moment we have all been waiting for. When the ball gets kicked off at 8 o'clock in South Bend, all stats and storylines go out the window, and the game will be decided between the white lines. These are two very physical teams and I think big plays will be far and few between. It's cliche to say "The game will be won in the trenches" but in this case, there is no way around it. Both teams have made a living limiting what opponents do in the ground game while trying to pound the ball themselves when on offense. Indiana admittedly has been a somewhat more balanced team offensively, but given the potential weather, I truly believe it'll come down to who can lean on who long enough to finally break a big play on the ground. Notre Dame comes equipped with what is, in my estimation, the best runningback room in the country. Love and Price will both be featured in a major way along with the usual built-in option plays for Riley Leonard. This will be the best front the Irish have faced since traveling to Texas A&M in week one. I think their best bet is trying to get IU's line moving laterally with some zone runs and allow Love and Price to use their vision and burst to find cutback lanes and pick up major yardage. When Notre Dame is on defense, they need to be able to generate pressure. Getting Howard Cross III back for this game will be huge as the defensive tackle spot is one I think will be highlighted in this game. Kurtis Rourke prefers to play within the confines of the pocket so interior pressure and getting him off his spot will disrupt what Indiana likes to do. Indiana's line has given up 11 sacks in their last three games and against physical fronts like Michigan and Ohio State, they struggled to get anything going in the run game. Notre Dame's front seven is on par with some of the best IU has faced and I think this is the biggest mismatch in ND's favor. Mitch Jeter is a wildcard for me because in what I think will be a low-scoring affair, points will be at a premium. Hopefully, the extra time off has allowed him to get his body and mind right. I truly believe in Marcus Freeman's ability to have these guys ready to go and I hope the crowd is prepared to make it a loud and hostile environment. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

'Twas the night before the Playoff, when all across the country Every fan was waiting, football hungry. The matchups were set in the bracket with care In hopes that a Championship would soon be theirs. Photo by The Irish Tribune Round 1 of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is nearly upon us, and action kicks off with a somewhat rare in-state showdown between the 10th seed Indiana Hoosiers and the 7th seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Despite only 200 miles separating them and a history dating back to 1898, this will be the first meeting between the two in more than 20 years, and only the 29th in series history. It seems fitting this reunion arrives at the doorstep of so many firsts. The first 12-team playoff, the first postseason game at Notre Dame Stadium, the first Irish home game on a Friday night, Notre Dame's first playoff appearance since 2018, Indiana's first playoff appearance ever, and the Hoosier's best single season record. There may not be a bitter rivalry at play, no trophy to raise, no committee left to impress - but the stakes are at their very highest, and both teams are playing to keep their National Championship dreams alive. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday's game. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Indiana In just one year, the Indiana Hoosiers have gone from a (3-9) dumpster fire to a legitimate (11-1) playoff contender, and it's all due to 1st year Head Coach Curt Cignetti. While not new to the sport, Indiana is Cignetti’s first Power-4 gig and boy is he making an instant impact. When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he brought 13 of his players from James Madison and attracted another 17 players through the portal. It was an immediate staff, player, and culture overhaul, and it shows.  Indiana’s 2024 Cinderella story began outside the top-25, with virtually no media attention. They only managed to crack the rankings after their 5th straight win, but they continued to dominate their weak competition until they headed on the road to face Michigan. While they did come out on top, Cignetti and his squad struggled for the first time, and in a game they should have handled confidently, only managed a 20-15 win. This is where grumblings began that Indiana may be the beneficiary of an easy schedule and not quite as good as they look on paper, or at best, on the other side of their season peak. Their next game against OSU failed to quiet those whispers, when the Buckeyes blew them out of the water 38-15. Indiana put up their worst two performances of the season in back to back games at the very end of their season, but their slide only knocked them back to #10 in the polls. When Indy’s critics were at their loudest, they responded against mutual opponent of the Irish, Purdue, who they routed 66-0 to end their season on a high note.  This is by far the most successful season in Indiana football history, but by season’s end, they played only a single ranked opponent, who they lost to, and went just (1-1) against teams with a winning record. They played mostly name-brand blue-chip opponents, but their 67th ranked SOS is worse than Notre Dame’s lambasted schedule that ranks 57th. In comparison, the Irish faced and beat 4 ranked opponents while maintaining a 10-week win streak into the postseason. That's not to say the Hoosiers are not on the same level as Notre Dame, but instead that they’re more of an unknown commodity. While their path to this moment looks a lot different than Notre Dame's, the Hoosiers deserve to be here just as much as any of the other 11 teams in the playoff. With that said, does any of that mean they can hang on the road with Notre Dame? If this season has taught us anything, it's yes - anything is possible and at this point, there’s no layup opponents or easy schedules left. Indiana has a legitimate chance of stealing this game, and they’re undoubtedly the best team the Irish have faced on both sides of the ball all year. Indiana Injury Report CB Jamier Johnson - Undisclosed (11/30) - Likely LG - Drew Evans - Achilles (11/09) - Out Notre Dame The Irish have been nothing but consistent for almost the entirety of the 2024 season, but their final game against USC was unique. For the first time all season, Notre Dame’s offense outperformed expectations while the defense underperformed. Despite the secondary single handedly ending the game with back to back length-of-field pick-6’s, they struggled in a way that we haven’t seen this year, while the rush defense held USC under 200 yards as a team. Notre Dame’s then 1st ranked secondary was only surrendering 139.5 yards per game, but shockingly allowed USC’s Jayden Maiava to toss a career high 360 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was a bit rattling to see the defense’s strong suit all year become a legitimate liability, while simultaneously seeing the offense fire on all cylinders both with and without Jeremiyah Love. Notre Dame’s 3-headed snake of Leonard, Love, and Price racked up 258 yards and 3 touchdowns while not being forced to throw all that much. Al Golden and the defense need to figure out how to avoid a repeat of their struggles against the Trojans and not rely on sheer talent to bail them out again. That strategy wont work against an objectively superior Hoosiers squad with a lot more to play for. Marcus Freeman and his squad have had 3 weeks to get healthy and prepare for this matchup, and they’ll need it. This is statistically the best defense and best offense the Irish have faced all year, and they’ll need to be sharper against Indiana than they were against USC. Even with a clear talent advantage, we’ve seen Notre Dame drop games they have no business losing, BUT - if Freeman and these players have earned anything from fans, it's credit and faith that they will never allow another NIU. This team will not be unprepared, they won't lose their focus, they won't be rattled easily, and they won’t shrink on the biggest stage the Irish have seen in recent memory. Notre Dame Injury Report HB Jeremiyah Love - Knee (11/30) - Likely DL Howard Cross III - Left Ankle (11/16) - Likely LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa - Knee (11/25) - Out The Matchup Of the four 1st round matchups, oddsmakers have pegged the battle for Indiana as the closest. Notre Dame holds a slim 1 possession edge even with home field advantage. That shows how closely the CFP committee thinks these two teams are. For the points, predictions think it'll be well under the average for two teams averaging roughly 40 points a piece. Keep in mind, weather forecasts are projecting sub 30º F temperatures with winds of up to 13 MPH and possible snow flurries for this night game, which could have a noticeable effect on production, explosiveness, and speed. That, along with two defenses allowing less than 15 PPG each is likely why the 51.5 mark is so low. Indiana has hit the over in 3 of their last 4 games and in 10-straight road games, while the Irish have hit the over in 4 of their last 5. Notre Dame’s Defense V. Indiana’s Offense This is likely the most separation between these two teams. The dynamic of this matchup is strength V. strength between Notre Dame’s secondary and Indiana’s pass game. QB Kurtis Rourke has been prolific through the air this year, tossing nearly 3,000 yards with 27 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. He’s been able to do this with a significantly more productive and talented wide receiver room than the Irish. Rourke’s top 2 targets have been Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. who’ve combined for nearly 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns. They’ve accomplished this with roughly 1/3 of their plays coming from the RPO, where Rourke completes nearly 80% of his throws. While impressive, these stats have come against pretty weak competition, and the only two times Indiana has played a tough opponent (OSU, Michigan) they struggled mightily on offense. In those two games, the Hoosiers gave up 9 total sacks while only surrendering 9 sacks across their 10 other games. When tested, the Indiana line can't protect Rourke long enough to let him be comfortable and do his thing. The key to disrupting this offensive is getting them out of sync. That means applying similar pressure on the line and with perimeter blitzes to force errant throws and leave it up to your NFL talent in the secondary to make them pay. The Hoosiers face an Irish defense leading the nation in total takeaways this season with 28, 17 from interceptions, highlighted by another nation high 5 pick-6’s. That's a huge obstacle for an offensive unit that has only shined against weaker competition. If you think Indy can lean on their ground game in this one, you’ve got another thing coming. The Hoosiers posted a dismal 40 yards rushing against the Wolverines and only 83 against the Buckeyes. Admittedly, Notre Dame’s defensive line is not nearly as dominant as either of those two squads, but their secondary is better than both, and the only two teams to record over 200 yards on the ground against the Irish were Army and Navy. Is Indiana’s rushing attack better than either of those teams? Not even close. Indiana’s Offense - Players to Watch Notre Dame’s defense is statistically elite across the board and average in run defense, while the Hoosiers offense is only elite in their points scored per game while being average everywhere else. At its simplest, do you take an elite group with a single average aspect, or do you take a balanced yet average offense. When considered in conjunction with Indiana’s preference to pass, the cold weather, and Notre Dame’s strongest unit being their secondary, the choice is clear. Notre Dame’s defense has no reason to not win this head-to-head. They may not rag-doll the Hoosiers like they did countless other teams this year, but they will almost assuredly take care of business.  Advantage: Soft Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Special Teams V. Indiana’s Special Teams This head-to-head has a lot more to do with Notre Dame than it does Indiana. The Irish have struggled mightily for the 2nd half of the season, and have dropped to dead last in field goal percentage with a pitiful 44.4%. By the grace of God, Notre Dame hasn't had to rely on making field goals to win games, but against Indiana, it's very possible the game hinges on both team's ability to do so. For Indiana, they're putting up an excellent 90% field goal accuracy behind a single, consistent kicker in that of Nicolas Radicic. Thankfully, the Hoosiers prolific scoring offense has been so successful, Radicic has only needed to line up 10 field goals thus far, while the Irish kicking staff has attempted a combined total of 18, making only 8. When looking at punting statistics, the Irish lag behind significantly in average punt distance at 83rd, but are saved by stellar punt coverage that rockets them to 32nd in net punt average. The Hoosiers are the opposite. They get more distance on their punts, placing 31st, but surrender so much yardage that they drop back to 97th in net average. Notably, Indiana's biggest struggle in the Ohio State game was their punt game specifically. They both muffed a punt snap to turn the ball over and gave up a punt return for a touchdown. Special Teams - Players to Watch All in all, Indiana is weakest on their punt coverage while the Irish are literally the worst at getting the ball through the uprights. Outside of that, these special teams groups are essentially the same, but the fact that the Irish kicking game is so much worse than Indiana's gives the Hoosiers the leg up here. In a game with elite defenses and potential wind and snow, special teams may be the most important aspect of this game. If it comes down to a field goal or two, Indiana has the objective advantage. Advantage: Soft Indiana Notre Dame’s Offense V. Indiana’s Defense This is the game’s true tossup. Notre Dame’s offense is elite on the ground, led by one of the game’s most effective mobile QB’s in Riley Leonard and one of the nation’s top run threats in Jeremiyah Love. The Hoosiers haven't met a running back this lethal or a QB this versatile much less both at the same time with Jadarian Price lurking in the shadows to rip off another massive scoring rush. The Irish ground game will be the most challenging group the Hoosiers have seen all year, but they’ll lean on the best statistical defensive front the Irish have faced. Notre Dame is 3rd in all of college football in yards per carry with 6.3, while Indiana’s defense ranks 2nd in YPC allowed with 2.5. If you follow the numbers only, this should essentially be a wash, both squads will play strength V. strength on the ground and it’ll ultimately come down to which of these relatively untested groups is legit, and which is a pretender. As for the passing game, the picture is a bit blurry. The Irish began the season through the air in embarrassing fashion, and were truly a one dimensional offense at one point. But after an entire season of criticism and muffled applause, credit needs to be given to Riley Leonard. The transfer QB suffered an injury prior to the season, and got his very first taste of his new school, OC, and teammates in week 1 with no spring ball. Of course he didn’t come out looking like prime Duke Riley, and that's to be expected. For the 10 games following the NIU game, Riley and Mike Denbrock have been on a consistent positive trajectory with the passing game, all while continuing to contribute and dominate on the ground. Thus, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt and it's unlikely they play outside themselves and lose this game through the air. The only issue is, if Notre Dame HAS to throw the ball to win, this game, can they? It’s not that Riley Leonard can't, it's that we haven't seen it - yet. Indiana’s Defense - Players to Watch The Hoosiers defense is statistically just as good as Notre Dame’s defense, ranking top 10 almost across the board, but they gave up 38 points to their only ranked opponent of the year and allowed 115 yards to Ohio State’s average ground game. That's with a struggling OSU offensive line compared to an impressive and now seasoned Notre Dame line that has allowed this running game to flourish. This head-to-head will come down to the line game, and who wins in the trenches. If Indiana can't play better than they did against the Buckeyes, they’re in for a long day on defense. If Notre Dame runs the ball how they want to, they won't need to pass, but if the game comes down to their ability to beat Indy through the air, it's a toss up. Odds are, the Irish rushing attack will be just a bit too much for the Hoosiers D to contain, making Notre Dame’s pass attempts easier and more effective when called. Advantage: Even Prediction This is arguably the most difficult prediction of Notre Dame's 2024 season.  This is each team’s toughest opponent of the year, with the highest stakes they’ve seen on the biggest stage either has played on. The Hoosiers are looking to keep their dream season alive and continue to put up the program’s most historical year ever in defiance of their critics. Conversely, Notre Dame stands at a crossroads. For years, the program has struggled to advance from college football’s 1B tier to the 1A tier of elites, and this is the closest they’ve been to the classic Notre Dame teams of their storied past.  Which of these two Indiana schools will leave Notre Dame Stadium victors, and whose playoff dreams will die? There’s only one way to find out, and all we can do in the meantime is guess. Both teams have faced relatively easy paths to this point, and have been proven both worthy and imperfect. This game will ultimately come down to which team wants it more and which team can dictate the game they want to play. The Hoosiers are 100% capable of winning this game - that’s why they’re in the playoff, but is it probable? No, but a Notre Dame win is. An Indiana win is contingent on the abnormal happening - the exception. Notre Dame would have to come out and have Leonard, Love, and Price all forget how to run while the Irish defense delivers an identical performance to the USC slip up. If you pick Indiana for this game, you're not betting the Hoosiers are the better team, you’re betting you're the first team in 10 games to change the identity of this Notre Dame team, and that seems far more unlikely than the Irish maintaining their status quo. Notre Dame’s game plan comes down to this: Run the ball early, often, and well Pressure Indiana's QB and win the turnover battle Don’t start slow. These three keys are not aspirational, this is what the Irish have consistently demonstrated they can do with relatively little trouble. Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will leave “The House That Rockne Built” with their 13th win on Friday Night, and gift the Irish faithful one extra gift this year. Look for: Notre Dame’s defense - collects  2+ sacks Notre Dame’s defense - grabs 2+ interceptions Jeremiyah Love - records 150+ rushing yards for the 1st time this season Riley Leonard - records 100+ rushing yards  Notre Dame’s kicking unit - doesn’t miss a field goal Win: (12-1) ND: 31 - 23 :IND Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

In anticipation of the first College Football Playoff game ever held in South Bend, we’re diving into 12 of the greatest wins ever seen at Notre Dame Stadium. In part 1 of this list, we examined the best wins from “the Classic Era” (1930-1989), and in this article, we’ll be covering “The Modern Era” (1990-2024). Let’s get into it. Photo by The Irish Tribune “The Modern Era” (1990-2024) 1992: No. 8 Notre Dame - No. 22 Penn State The 1992 Irish began the year at #3 and crushed Northwestern 42-7 at Soldier Field in their opener. Holtz’s squad encountered their first true test in week 2, a home matchup against the #6 Michigan Wolverines. The game was incredibly competitive, and things were tied up 17-17 when a series of controversial late game play calls and poor clock management by Holtz led to an unused timeout and a failed final drive that could have won the game. The 17-17 tie dropped the Irish to #7, but they’d go on to win their next two games against Michigan State and Purdue, giving them a 3-0-1 record going into their matchup with #18 Stanford. Sadly, the Irish would drop their home game against the Cardinal, sending them from #6 to #13. The 1992 Irish would win 6-straight games, highlighted by a dominant win against #9 Boston College 54-7, and an instant classic against #22 Penn State. Despite not being considered a traditional rival of the Irish, the Nittany Lions entered the final matchup in their scheduling series with the Irish leading the all time series 8-7-1, giving the Irish a chance to even the series before it went on hiatus. It was a below freezing November day in South Bend, with light flurries coming down and a full-on storm threatening. The Irish limped into the game, with QB Rick Mirer sick with a stomach bug and Jerome Bettis with a tweaked ankle. Penn State struck first, rushing for a TD but had their extra point blocked, earning them only 6 points for their efforts. The Irish offense struggled to get the ball in the end zone, settling for 3 points in each quarter and turning the ball over twice. The Nittany Lions struck back to back in the 4th with a field goal and a drive ending in a 12-yard rushing touchdown to put PSU up 16-9 with 4:25 left in the 4th. A 4th FG wouldn’t help Notre Dame’s struggling offense, and a touchdown would only tie the score at 16: the Irish would need to score their first touchdown of the day and follow it with a 2-point conversion to win. After a 4 minute 61-yard drive, the Irish sat on the Penn State 3 yard line. It all came down to this - on 4th down with only 25 seconds left, down 7, Rick Mirer tossed a floater just over the line to Bettis for a touchdown, bringing the Irish within 1. Penn State knew what was coming, and Holtz lined his offense up for a 2-point conversion. As Mirer dropped back, his pocket began collapsing under the pressure, forcing him to scramble outside the pocket. While being chased by two defenders, nothing appeared open, yet he tossed a prayer off his back foot, holding the game’s fate in his hands. The ball sailed to the back corner of the end zone, only to be met by a diving Reggie Brooks who reeled the ball in to put the Irish up 17-16 and steal the game from the Nittany Lions. The come from behind win would go down in Notre Dame history, dubbed the “Snow Bowl.” In their final game of the season, #5 Notre Dame beat #19 USC 31-23, finishing as 9-1-1 along with a Cotton Bowl invitation against Texas A&M. Despite missing out on a National Title bid, Holt’s squad rose to the challenge, pummeling the Aggies 28-3. Jerome Bettis scored 3 of Notre Dame’s 4 touchdowns, and the Irish defense held A&M scoreless until the 4th quarter, when they kicked a 41-yard field goal. After the bowl win, the Irish finished at #4 in the polls with a 10-1-1 record. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here 1993: No. 2 Notre Dame - No. 1 Florida State  On November 13th, 1993, the undefeated #1 Florida State Seminoles arrived in South Bend, bringing the 1993 squad their biggest challenge of the year. The 9-0 Irish had only played one ranked opponent, #3 Michigan, but had looked dominant all season against the rest of their middling schedule. The stakes for both teams could not have been higher, with legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Lou Holtz battling for more than a bluechip win and bragging rights: the winner of this game would almost assuredly go on to play undefeated #3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the National Title. Although considered the two best teams in the country, the Seminoles were favored by 7 points despite being on the road, and Holtz was looking to play spoiler. FSU scored 1st, via a 12 yard pass from Charlie Ward, but the Irish responded shortly after with a 32 yard touchdown run by Adrian Jarrell. The Irish used the 2nd quarter to put some distance between themselves and the Seminoles, adding two more rushing touchdowns to put them up 21-7 going into the half. Notre Dame scored first in the 3rd, padding their lead with a field goal, putting them up  24-7. The Seminoles finally scored again, finding the end zone on Charlie Ward’s 2nd passing touchdown of the day, followed by an early 4th quarter field goal to bring the score to 24-17. The Irish chewed another 4 minutes off the clock with their relentless ground game, going 80 yards for their 4th rushing touchdown of the day.  With time running out, the Seminoles drove deep into Irish territory, hoping to score and get the ball back on an onside kick. On 3rd and goal, Charlie Ward tossed what looked to be his 3rd touchdown pass of the day to the near corner of the end zone, but the stifling Irish secondary knocked the ball loose to force a 4th and goal on the 20. With the game on the line, Ward threw another ball over the middle, but the Irish defense got there first, tipping the ball into the air. In a split second, the ball sailed towards the back of the end zone, but was reeled in by the only Seminole near the ball for a touchdown. Only down 7, the Seminoles elected for the onside kick, hoping to keep the ball away from Notre Dame, but the Irish recovered.  Unfortunately, Holtz’s boys couldn’t keep the drive going and run the clock out and were forced to punt with under a minute left. With one last chance, the Seminoles moved the ball down to Notre Dame’s 15 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Ward dropped back in the pocket but was forced to scramble left by the Irish pass rush. With the game in his hands, Ward evaded a game ending sack, and threw a dart across his body. The ball sailed towards the end zone, but the Irish secondary swarmed the ball, and Shawn Wooden batted it to the ground, sealing the victory for Holtz and the Irish. The final red zone stand would go down in Notre Dame history, and the instant classic would earn the infamous “Game of the Century” title. The win pushed the Irish to 10-0, with all signs pointing to another National Championship appearance, and only a single opponent stood in their way - #17 Boston College. In one of the most heartbreaking home losses in recent memory, Eagles kicker David Gordon split the uprights as time expired, and BC stole a 41-39 win. The season finale loss derailed Notre Dame’s Title aspirations and ironically gifted the Seminoles a chance at it against Nebraska. The Championship Committee moved FSU ahead of the Irish primarily due to their stronger strength of schedule, which outweighed the head to head contest results. Notre Dame dropped to #4, but earned a trip to the cotton bowl where they went on to beat #7 Texas A&M, 24-21, while  FSU beat Nebraska 16-12 in the Sugar Bowl. Lou Holtz made his case for the Irish to be named National Champions, but ultimately FSU would be given the Title, despite their loss to the Irish. FSU’s close 4-point win over Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl, 16-12 was apparently enough to give them the edge over the Irish. Notre Dame was named National Champion by the Matthew’s and NCF polls, technically making them Co-National Champions for the 2nd time in Holtz's tenure in South Bend, the other being the 1989 season. Unfortunately, Notre Dame does not acknowledge any Co-National Champion Titles, including these two, and. they ended the season at #2 behind only FSU, once again. 2012: No. 7 Notre Dame - No. 17 Stanford Notre Dame’s 2012 campaign was a surprising one. The Irish began the season unranked and on the heels of a less than impressive 8-5 showing in 2011. They began with wins over unranked Navy and Purdue before surprising the #10 Michigan State Spartans 20-3 in East Lansing. The ranked win pushed Kelly’s 3rd year squad to #11 in the polls before they welcomed #18 Michigan to South Bend. It may not have been pretty, but Notre Dame bested the Wolverines 13-6 before demolishing the Miami Hurricanes 41-3 the following week. Now 5-0, the #7 Irish welcomed one of their biggest threats of the season to Notre Dame Stadium - #17 Stanford. Brian Kelly had yet to defeat the Cardinal in his time at Notre Dame, and he looked to get his first win against 2nd year Stanford head coach David Shaw. The game began amidst a steady rain, which made it a messy first half. The Cardinal punted on their first drive, while the Irish responded by turning the ball over on a muffed snap at midfield. On the ensuing drive, Stanford QB Josh Nunez tossed a soaring ball to the end zone but was picked off by Irish DB Bennett Jackson. The Irish offense ended up punting the ball back to Stanford, only for Nunes to throw his 2nd pick of the day. This time, sophomore Mathias Farley reeled in the errant pass and returned it 46-yards to the Stanford 17. The Cardinal stifled Notre Dame’s momentum, and the Irish were forced to settle for a field goal. Stanford responded with a successful drive deep into Irish territory, but failed to convert on a 25-yard field goal after shanking it hard to the left. The Irish inherited the ball on the 10, and were backed up to the 4 when QB Everett Golson was strip-sacked in the endzone and Stanford recovered for a touchdown. Notre Dame’s woes continued when on the next drive, they ended up in the red zone, but again failed to score a touchdown and settled for a field goal attempt. Unfortunately, the snap was muffed and the Irish left 3 points on the board. To add insult to injury, Stanford took over with under two minutes left in the 2nd quarter and got themselves in field goal position, this time knocking one through to take a 10-3 lead going into the half. It was the first time Notre Dame had trailed at halftime all season. The Irish offense came out flat in the 3rd, and turned the ball over on the only successful drive they had in the quarter. Golson then led the Irish on an early 4th quarter drive where they converted on 3rd & 8 with a 22-yard catch by Theo Riddick to keep the drive alive. After working the ball down to the Cardinal 25, the Irish faced an imposing 3rd & 18. As Golson dropped back he launched a ball to the front corner of the end zone where the hands of Irish tight-end Tyler Eifert rose above two Stanford defenders to reel in the score. Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the game came at the 14:15 mark in the 4th quarter, and tied things up at 10-10. After getting down to Notre Dame’s 3-yard line, the Cardinals were knocked back to the 11 on a crucial 3rd & 3 stop by the Irish D, and were forced to settle for a field goal. Notre Dame got the ball back with 6 minutes left to play, and proceeded to burn all but 0:20 seconds off the clock before they knocked in a field goal of their own to tie the game at 13-13 and send it into overtime.  After a head injury to Golson, Kelly was forced to put backup QB Tommy Rees in to lead the offense through overtime. After getting sacked on his first snap, Rees tossed two major throws to get the Irish to Stanford’s 8-yard line. On a quick toss to the front of the end zone, Rees delivered a bullet to TJ Jones for the touchdown, giving them the lead 20-13.  Stanford had to score to stay alive. Their first play from scrimmage was a delayed HB screen that the Irish D easily sniffed out for a 5 yard loss. The Cardinal ultimately converted and found themselves with 1st & goal at Notre Dame’s 4 yard line. They had 4 plays to move 4 yards but faced a determined Notre Dame defense led by surprise Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Teo. The Irish stopped 3 consecutive Stanford runs to force 4th & 1 at the 1. In a miraculous display of grit and determination, the Irish held a remarkable goal line stand and turned the Cardinal back for the 4th straight time to win the game 20-13 in OT. It was Notre Dame’s hardest fought and most thrilling matchup of the season, and was one of the first times the Irish had been truly tested and they’d been deemed worthy by the media of being taken seriously. The Irish rattled off 6 more wins including a road win against then #8 Oklahoma, and ended the regular season with a 12-0 record and a #1 ranking. They earned an invite to the BCS National Championship game to play Nick Saban and the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide. It was Notre Dame’s first shot at a National Championship in more than 20 years, and the Irish were on the precipice of renewed legitimacy. Unfortunately, that's kind of where the rose-colored glasses came off for the 2012 Irish. They were thoroughly dominated and embarrassed by Bama, and were run off the field 14-42. Regardless, none of that would have been possible had the Irish not been able to beat Stanford in overtime at the midway point of their season. 2018: No. 12 Notre Dame - No. 14 Michigan It was the first time the historic rivals had faced off in three years, and both programs began the season with a lot of potential and a lot of questions. ESPN’s “College Gameday” came to campus for the season opening heavyweight matchup, the 7th time in the rivalry’s history. With the stakes at their highest and all eyes on South Bend, Notre Dame Stadium declared it a green out game. The Irish marched down the field on their first drive of the day led by Ian Book, ending with a 13-yard Jafar Armstrong rushing touchdown to score the game’s first points. Brandon Wimbush took over on Notre Dame’s 2nd drive, which began on the Irish 5 yard line. Wimbush tossed a 25-yard ball to Alize Mack that got them some breathing room, followed by a 1st down scramble to get the Irish into Wolverine territory. Wimbush then hit Chris Finke down the middle of the field, who caught it over two Michigan defenders and came down with the score to put the Irish up 14-0. The Irish defense slowed a determined Michigan drive and forced them to settle for a 28-yard field goal for their first points of the game.  Notre Dame responded with a 6-minute drive that ended with another Jafar Armstrong touchdown to extend the Irish lead to 21-3. With all momentum in Notre Dame’s favor, they kicked off with just under 4 minutes left in the half. Michigan’s Ambry Thomas fielded the kick at the 3, and followed his blockers’ wedge and busted out of the scrum, breaking an arm tackle before separating for the 97-yard score. The touchdown narrowed the score to 21-10 going into halftime.  Michigan’s first drive of the 2nd half brought them to a 34-yard field goal attempt, but it was muffed and the Irish defense smothered the holder to keep the Wolverines off the scoreboard again. Both defenses kept things quiet for the rest of the 3rd quarter with an interception by both teams. Michigan was held in check until the clock was under 3 minutes, where they capped off a 7-play 80-yard drive with a touchdown to narrow the score to 24-17.  After failing to burn out the remaining 2 minutes, the Irish gave the ball back to the Wolverines for a final chance to tie the game or take the lead. After allowing Michigan across midfield, the Irish defense stepped up one final time and when it mattered most. Michigan’s Shea Patterson was pressured by the Irish D-line and the pocket collapsed, forcing him to step up in the pocket to get free. Just as he did, Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery slapped the ball out of Patterson’s hands before Tevon Coney scooped it up and returned it to the Michigan 34. From there, the Irish ran out the clock and bested Coach Harbaugh and the visiting Wolverines. Though the 24-17 score may seem close, this was a confident win for the Irish and never truly seemed in doubt.  The win over Michigan began Brian Kelly and Notre Dame’s path to an undefeated 12-0 regular season. It was enough to earn the Irish an appearance in their first ever College Football Playoff game.  2020: No. 4 Notre Dame - No. 1 Clemson In a strange season completely transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame found themselves a temporary but official member of the ACC and playing amongst almost non-existent crowds. Despite the conditions, the Irish rattled off 6 straight wins over ACC competition and South Florida to go from #10 to #4. Clemson traveled to South Bend as the country’s #1 team along with an undefeated 7-0 record. The Tigers were favored, but the recent illness to their star QB Trevor Lawrence seemed to somewhat even the playing field with then freshman backup DJ Uiagalelei would make the start.  On the first play from scrimmage, Ian Book handed the ball off to Kyren Williams like he had countless times before, but this time, Williams blew through the open gap and dashed 75-yards untouched for an instant score. After stopping the Tigers’ first drive, the Irish got the ball back and worked their way back into Clemson territory. This time around, they were held up and forced to kick a field goal, going up 10-0 halfway through the 1st. Clemson finally broke through on their 3rd drive of the game with two consecutive first downs that got them to midfield.  Uiagalelei then chucked a 53-yard bomb to Cornell Powell who pulled it in for Clemson’s first score of the day to narrow things to 7-10. The Irish responded with another drive that ended within Clemson's 10-yard line, but once again only came away with a field goal. Clemson added a field goal of their own about half way through the 2nd quarter before stopping the struggling Irish offense to get the ball back. Just when the game had gotten competitive, the Irish D made their presence known. On a 1st & 10 from their own 31, Uiagalelei tossed a routine pitch to Travis Etienne, but the ball hit his hands and ricocheted into the arms of Notre Dame’s Owusu-Koramoah. In one fell swoop, Koramoah went from blitzing to catching to rushing, and he managed to return it for a touchdown. Just before the end of the 1st half, the Irish knocked in their third field goal of the day to go up 23-10. Clemson struck first out of halftime with a 46-yard field goal before getting the ball back once again. After driving the length of the field, Uiagalelei tossed his 2nd passing touchdown on a 9-yard toss to tight-end Davis Allen, tying the game at 23-23 with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd. Both teams traded a pair of field goals in the 4th quarter to tie things up at 26-26 with just under 10 minutes left in the 4th. Clemson put together a 12-play 74-yard drive that leeched nearly all the game’s remaining clock, and ended with a Travis Etienne touchdown to give Clemson their first lead of the day. With under two minutes left, Ian Book and the Notre Dame offense began their final drive. The Irish were making steady but slow progress before Book opened everything up with a monster 39-yard pass to Avery Davis, who split two defenders and carried it down to the Clemson 5. With only 22-seconds left, the Irish faced 3rd & goal on the 6 yard line, when Ian Book rolled to the right and found none other than the man that got them down there - Avery Davis, for the score. The PAT tied things up 33-33 and sent the thrilling game into overtime. Both teams scored touchdowns on their first possessions, sending the game into double overtime tied 40-40. Notre Dame scored on their first possession of 2OT, making it the 3rd Kyren Williams rushing touchdown of the game. With the score, the Irish put all the pressure on Clemson to respond with a touchdown of their own to send things to 3OT.  On the first two plays of Clemson’s make-or-break series, the elite Irish defense swarmed Uiagalelei for back-to-back sacks to force a 4th & 24. The Tigers could only muster a short pass underneath that was immediately lateralled out of desperation and ultimately fell short, dropping their first game of the season as the Irish faithful stormed the field in celebration. It was the biggest win of the 2020 squad’s undefeated 10-0 regular season, and was enough to earn them a trip to the ACC Championship against familiar foe Clemson. This time around, things went south for the Irish, who fell in embarrassing fashion 34-10 against a Clemson squad led by a now healthy Trevor Lawrence. Despite the loss, Brian Kelly and the Irish earned an invite to the College Football Playoff against #1 Alabama, where they ultimately fell 14-31. 2023: No. 21 Notre Dame - No. 10 USC Marcus Freeman’s 2nd season in South Bend began with a lot of promise. The Irish pulled in the hottest transfer portal QB in that of Sam Hartman, began at #13 in the polls, and started the season hot with a 4-0 record, albeit against middling competition. Their first real challenge came against #6 Ohio State, where the Irish stayed competitive and truly had a chance to win, but ultimately fell 14-17. It was a disappointing outcome, but Freeman and the Irish responded the following week with a win over #17 Duke. The following week, the Irish hit the road to face #25 Louisville, where they completely dropped the ball. It seemed Notre Dame overlooked the Cardinals, and left shocked with a 20-33 let down.  The now 5-2 Irish had dropped back to #21 in the polls, and were set to host undefeated #10 USC in South Bend for week 8. The Trojans were led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, and were on the cusp of a National Title run. On USC’s first drive of the game, Williams tossed a floater over the middle and just out of reach of his receiver where it was quickly reeled in by Irish Safety Xavier Watts at the 50. Watts returned the pick inside the 15 to set up a Sam Hartman touchdown pass to Gi’Bran Payne, putting the Irish up 7-0. Despite reaching Notre Dame’s 9-yard line on the next drive, the Trojans were forced to settle for a field goal. The Irish then knocked in a field goal of their own to go up 10-3. A few drives later, USC was pinned behind their own 20 on a 1st & 10, and Caleb Williams was forced to dodge incoming defenders before tossing another ill-advised ball over the middle in the general direction of his man. Once again, the ball hung in the air before being collected by none other than Xavier Watts, who returned it all the way to the USC 2-yardline. All it took was a strong Audric Estime plunge through the middle to convert on the Trojan turnover, and put the Irish up 17-3 with halftime looming. Now behind the 8-ball, USC was desperate to kill Notre Dame’s momentum and close the gap before the half. On a 2nd & 10 from USC’s 35, Williams used his skill to dance away from a collapsing pocket before rocketing a ball down the near sideline. To his dismay and the delight of Irish fans, the ball was snatched out of the air from CB Benjamin Morrison, becoming William’s 3rd interception of the day and the officially the most he’d ever thrown in a single game. Sam Hartman moved the Irish from midfield into USC territory before the ever-dependable Audric Estime punched it in for his second score of the day. With under a minute left in the 2nd, the Trojans managed to scrape together a drive that ended in a field goal to narrow the deficit to 6-24. The 3rd quarter was silent until about the midway point, when a USC drive to Notre Dame’s 31 was capped off with an option pitch from Caleb Williams to MarShawn Lloyd for a score for the first Trojan touchdown of the day. The Irish offense wasted no time, quickly responding on the next series with a 48-yard bomb from Hartman to the speedy Chris Tyree, who edged out his defender for the touchdown, putting the Irish up 31-13. USC’s Zachariah Branch returned an Irish punt 55-yards into the red zone before Caleb Williams tossed his first touchdown pass of the contest to Brendan Rice for a 7-yard score. Now within striking distance at 31-20, the Trojans kicked off to Jadarian Price - and that's where they messed up. Price fielded the kick at Notre Dame’s 2-yard line and took off, beginning down the right sideline and into a scrum before shedding a tackle and cutting completely across to the other side of the field. He followed his blockers and outran USC’s final defender to seal the 98-yard kickoff return and put the Irish up 38-20. Notre Dame’s defense stifled USC’s offense for the remainder of the game, stopping them on 4th down at their own 22 which led to another Irish field goal, and the final dagger - a scoop and score strip from none other than Xavier Watts, sealing the win 48-20.  While the 2023 season wasn’t an unmitigated success for the program, the USC win was notable for Freeman. It was the first time he’d beaten the Trojans as Notre Dame’s head coach, and was only his 2nd win over a top-10 opponent. This was one of the least competitive games on the list, and that's exactly why it was picked. Seeing Freeman not only get the big win, but in dominant fashion, at home, against the reigning Heisman winner, and versus the school’s biggest rival cemented his position and primed him for his success in 2024. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

This playoff game will be a historic one for both programs. Notre Dame will be host to the debut game of the College Football Playoff under the bright lights of the House that Rockne Built, with ticket prices accurately reflecting the magnitude of this game. In this unique in-state matchup, there is actually quite a bit of history to look back on, even though these two teams haven't played since 1991. Photo by Notre Dame Athletics Although the schools share the state of Indiana and are only a little over three hours away, these two programs have only shared the field 29 times. In those 29 games, Notre Dame has dominated the matchup, winning 23 of them. Notre Dame also holds the longest win streak in the series with 14 consecutive wins from 1908-1949. Currently, Notre Dame holds a winning streak of six games, dating all the way back to 1951. The first installment of the series debuted more than a century ago in 1898. In that game, Indiana won one of their five games against Notre Dame by a score of 11-5. At the time, Indiana's football program was only 12 years old. Out of Indiana's five wins, four of them happened by 1906. The last time Indiana actually beat Notre Dame was 74 years ago, in 1950. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here These programs have a very different histories. Notre Dame is viewed as one of the most traditional and successful programs in the country - a blue blood. On the other hand, Indiana's success is not the norm for this program. Notre Dame ranks fourth in all time wins, while Indiana ranks 126th out of 135. Notre Dame has had 109 All-Americans come through their program, which is first in college football. Indiana has only had seven, ranking 61st overall. This matchup features a lot of interesting history despite the programs only meeting 29 times on the gridiron. Even with that history, Friday's primetime game will surely be the biggest one yet. With that being said, here are a few of series' best game throughout the years. Notre Dame Separates from Indiana Late, 49-27 (1991) The latest edition of the series came in Notre Dame's opening game of the 1991 season. Led by Lou Holtz, Notre Dame came into the season as the seventh ranked team in the country. Indiana got off to a hot start, grabbing a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. Notre Dame's superior talent woke up, however, led by Hall of Fame running back, Jerome Bettis. Bettis led the team in rushing with 111 yards. The game also featured a surprise onside kick, dialed up by Holtz, to regain possession and help Notre Dame build a lead. The renewal of the in-state matchup isn't the only reason this game is historic for Notre Dame, it was also the inaugural game for Notre Dame's NBC deal, which is still intact today. Notre Dame Demolishes Indiana in South Bend, 49-6 (1949) Notre Dame took care of business in this one en route to Frank Leahy's fourth national championship. At the time, Notre Dame was at the height of their power, and Indiana did not really stand a chance. The game did feature Notre Dame's Leon Hart, a future three time NFL Champion. Hart went on the win the Heisman trophy and became the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Indiana Edges Out Notre Dame, 11-5 (1898) In the first game of this series, Indiana earned the win in a low scoring affair. Coming into the game, Notre Dame was missing their starting quarterback and center. As the score shows, Notre Dame felt these injuries and their offense suffered. Indiana was able to take advantage of the big plays with two long runs. One came in the first half where they scored one of their two touchdowns on a 50-yard run. Interestingly enough, there was not a single forward pass recorded in the contest. This game marked the start of this historic in-state matchup, and Friday will mark the latest edition, 126 years later. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame begins their journey to a National Championship at home in primetime on Friday Night against the tenth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. We preview the Hoosiers’ elite defense here: Photo by The Irish Tribune The 11-1 Hoosiers are ‘never daunted’ as they look to keep their dream season alive in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. The winner of this Friday’s matchup will have a date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Here are the Hoosiers’ results this season: vs Florida International (31-7, Win) vs Western Illinois (77-3, Win) at UCLA (42-13, Win) vs Charlotte (52-14, Win) vs Maryland (42-28, Win) at Northwestern (41-24, Win) vs Nebraska (56-7, Win) vs Washington (31-17, Win) at Michigan State (47-10, Win) vs Michigan (20-15, Win) at Ohio State (38-15, Loss) vs Purdue (66-0, Win) Indiana’s total defense ranks among the best in the country. Their 244.8 total yards per game allowed are the second-fewest in the nation and their 14.67 points per game allowed are the second-fewest in the Big Ten and the sixth-fewest among all FBS teams. The Hoosiers are capable against both the pass and rush and have been great in late-down scenarios. On third downs, the Hoosiers defense is allowing opponents to convert just 31% of their attempts, the lowest percentage in the Big Ten and eighth-lowest in the country. Notre Dame’s offense will need to step up on Friday in these situations, as they rank 87th in third-down offense, converting just 38.3% of their attempts. It goes without saying, but if the Irish can not move the chains, they will be in for a long night. Similarly, the Hoosiers have been elite on fourth downs, allowing opponents to convert just 31.2% of their attempts, the second-lowest percentage among all FBS teams. The Irish offense has had success on fourth downs this season, converting 76% of their attempts. This will be a matchup to watch if a fourth-and-short situation arises. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Indiana has been great against the pass this season. Their 174 passing yards per game allowed are the third-fewest in the Big Ten and ninth-fewest in the country. Additionally, their 9.28 yards per completion allowed are the second-fewest in the FBS. Also, the Hoosiers’ 14 interceptions are the third-most in the Big Ten and tied for 18th in the nation. Opposing passers are averaging a 111.07 passing efficiency, fifth-lowest in the conference and 12th-lowest among all FBS teams. They have been able to disrupt opposing passers as their 2.83 sacks per game are the third-most in the Big Ten and tied for 21st-most in the country. Here are the key players in Indiana’s secondary: The star of the Hoosiers secondary is First Team All-Big Ten sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Last season, the James Madison transfer recorded 51 tackles, 13 passes defended, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries in 13 games played. Ponds earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors as his 13 passes defended were the tenth-most among all FBS defenders. Following this campaign, he transferred to Indiana with Head Coach Curt Cignetti. As a Hoosier, Ponds has totaled 53 tackles including five for a loss, nine passes defended, and two interceptions, both of which occurred versus Washingto n including a 67-yard pick-six . He has at least one tackle in each game, including six games w ith five or more. He had a season-high ten tackles versus Maryland. Additionally, he has six games with a pass defended. Ponds has been great in coverage all season, having allowed 30 receptions for 226 yards and a touchdown on 55 targets. He is also a great tackler, with just four missed tackles on the year. Ponds is also efficient against the run for a corner. Despite being a bit undersized at 5’9 and 170 pounds, he is still among the most talented cornerbacks in the Big Ten. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard needs to avoid throwing in Ponds’ direction if he wants to have success on Friday. Another starting cornerback for the Hoosiers is senior Shawn Asbury II. He started his career at Boston College before transferring to Old Dominion. At ODU, Asbury totaled 125 tackles including ten for a loss, six passes defended, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 23 games played the last two seasons. He was named an All-Sun Belt honorable mention last season, before transferring to Indiana this year. Asbury has recorded 62 tackles including four for a loss, three passes defended, one and a half sacks, and an interception as a Hoosier this season. He has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high of eight versus both Maryland and Washington. In my opinion, Asbury is a pretty average corner. He is solid in coverage, having allowed 20 receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown on 28 targets. However, he is a bad tackler with 15 this season, including at least one in nine games, and he does not have a big impact against the run.  Indiana’s featured slot corner is a redshirt senior, and another ODU transfer, Terry Jones Jr. In 36 games played across the last three seasons at ODU, he totaled 239 tackles including 13 for a loss, six passes defended, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. Last season, Jones was named an All-Sun Belt honorable mention after recording 107 tackles, the sixth-most in the conference. This year, he did not receive ample playing time until Nebraska week. However, he has shined on the field with 35 tackles, two passes defended, a sack, and a forced fumble. Jones recorded a season-high 6 tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble versus Michigan. Overall, he is a well-rounded defensive back who excels in coverage, having allowed 9 receptions for 96 yards on 17 targets. He is a good tackler with just three misses this season and he has been reliable in stopping the run when called upon.  The Hoosiers defense has been able to stay relatively healthy all year, however, starting cornerback Jamier Johnson did miss their last contest versus Purdue with an undisclosed injury and there is no update on his status for Friday at this moment. Regardless, the redshirt junior and former Texas transfer was enjoying a breakout season. This year, he has recorded 34 tackles and an interception in 11 games played. He has at least one tackle in ten games, including a season-high of six at Northwestern. Johnson is a pretty average cornerback; he has been solid in coverage, having allowed 34 receptions for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 50 targets, but he has struggled with seven missed tackles and is a non-factor against the run. Johnson’s status will be one to keep an eye on before kickoff. If Johnson can not go, expect to see a lot of redshirt sophomore Jamari Sharpe. Last season, he recorded 22 tackles, two passes defended, and an interception in 12 games played. This year, Sharpe has nine tackles, six passes defended, and a fumble recovery in eight games played. He had a season-high of five tackles and four passes defended versus Charlotte. Sharpe has been solid in his limited playing time. In coverage, he has allowed just four receptions for 24 yards on 17 targets. Additionally, he has no missed tackles and is a good run-stopper for a corner.  The final defensive back, and lone safety, to highlight is sophomore Amare Ferrell. He is amidst a breakout season with 42 tackles, four interceptions, and a sack. Ferrell’s four interceptions are tied for the second-most in the Big Ten and tied for 17th-most among all FBS defenders. He has at least one tackle in each game, including four games with six or more. Notably, two of his interceptions occurred at Michigan State. Ferrell is another solid defensive back who excels in coverage, having allowed 17 receptions for 140 yards on 26 targets, and is a good run-stopper. He has had his struggles with eight missed tackles this season. Against the run, this Hoosiers' defense is, arguably, the best in the country. Their 70.8 rushing yards per game allowed are the fewest among all FBS teams, and they are the only school to have allowed less than 1,000 rushing yards in the regular season. Additionally, Indiana’s 7.2 tackles for loss per game lead the Big Ten and are tied for 16th-most in the country. Let’s preview the key players in this front seven: The leader of this defense is redshirt junior edge rusher Mikail Kamara. He earned First Team All-Big Ten honors this season and is projected as a day three 2025 NFL Draft prospect. Kamara is another JMU transfer who recorded 67 tackles including 24 for a loss, 11.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two passes defended in 17 games with the Dukes. Following his 2023 All-Sun Belt Second Team campaign, he transferred to Indiana with Coach Cignetti. This season, the versatile edge who can line up on either side of the line, has 44 tackles including 15 for a loss, 10 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Kamara’s 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks are both the second-most in the Big Ten and top-15 among FBS defenders. Additionally, his three fumble recoveries lead the conference and are tied for fifth-most in the country. He has at least one tackle in each game including a season-high of seven and 2.5 sacks at MSU. Kamara is a true game-wrecker who is elite as a pass rusher with 60 QB pressures recorded this season. He is also a good run-stopper and solid tackler, with five missed tackles on the season. Notre Dame’s pass protection will have their hands full trying to contain this star. Indiana’s other featured edge rusher is senior Lanell Carr Jr. The former West Virginia transfer entered this season with 54 tackles including 14 for a loss, six sacks, and three passes defended in 24 games played over the last two years at WVU and IU. Like Kamara, Carr is also versatile and capable of lining up on either side of the line. This season, he has recorded 37 tackles including four for a loss and one and a half sacks. Carr has at least one tackle in 11 games, including a season-high of seven at OSU. Overall, he is a pretty average defender. Carr excels against the run and as a pass rusher, with 30 pressures this season, but his tackling could use some work with six misses this year, and he has struggled in coverage when needed, having allowed 12 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 targets.  The Hoosiers feature three solid inside linebackers including leading tackler and junior Aiden Fisher. Another JMU transfer, he came to IU after posting 108 tackles including six for a loss, seven passes defended, one and a half sacks, and an interception in 13 games played last season with the Dukes. He earned Third Team All-Sun Belt before transferring to IU with Coach Cignetti. This year, Fisher earned First Team All-Big Ten honors after totaling 108 tackles including four for a loss, four passes defended, and one and a half sacks. His 108 tackles are the third-most in the Big Ten and tied for 25th-most among all FBS defenders. He has at least four tackles in each game, including four games with 11 or more. Fisher recorded a season-high of 14 versus Michigan. In my opinion, his absurd amount of tackles is a bit misleading. Overall, Fisher is a fairly average linebacker; he is great against the run and is a solid tackler with 13 misses this season and a pass rusher with 13 QB pressures recorded on 52 pass rush snaps. However, he consistently struggles in coverage, having allowed 40 receptions for 381 yards and a touchdown on just 51 targets. The Irish offense will have to pick their spots with Fisher, but they should take advantage when he drops back into coverage. The second interior linebacker to highlight is senior and JMU transfer Jailin Walker. The backer totaled 124 tackles including nine for a loss, nine passes defended, three interceptions including two pick-sixes, three forced fumbles, and two and a half sacks in 20 games played across two seasons at JMU. Walker was named an All-Sun Belt honorable mention in both 2022 and ‘23, before transferring to IU with Coach Cignetti. This season, Walker has generated late-round ‘25 NFL Draft buzz as he recorded 72 tackles including nine for a loss, eight passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He is another versatile key on this defense, as he is capable of playing slot corner in addition to his linebacker role. Walker has at least three tackles in each game, including a season-high of eight in four separate contests. Overall, Walker is a great defender who is elite in pass rush with 22 pressures recorded on 59 pass rush snaps. He has also been great against the run all year. His tackling, 12 misses this season, and coverage having allowed 34 receptions for 322 yards and a touchdown on 51 targets, could use some improvement. In my opinion, Walker is a bigger threat to the Irish offense than Fisher. The third and final inside backer to key is freshman Rolijah Hardy. As an unranked recruit, the linebacker was planning on playing at Navy before Indiana offered this past May. Whoever discovered Hardy on IU’s staff deserves a raise as he has emerged as one of the best true freshman linebackers in the Big Ten. He has 18 tackles including five for a loss, two interceptions including a pick-six, two forced fumbles, and a sack in 10 games played. Hardy has at least one tackle in eight games, and his best performance of the season occurred versus WIU when he recorded two tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a 12-yard pick-six. He has been elite against the run all season and a good tackler with just one miss recorded. However, he is a non-factor in the pass rush and has been bad in coverage, allowing six receptions for 50 yards on just seven targets. Up front, the Hoosiers rotate four different tackles including redshirt senior CJ West. The Kent State transfer totaled 109 tackles including 19 for a loss and seven sacks in 36 games played across three seasons with the Golden Flashes. He was named to the Third Team All-MAC last year, before transferring to IU. This season, West has garnered eyes from the NFL as a late-round ‘25 prospect as he has 36 tackles including six for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He has at least one tackle in 10 games, including a season-high of nine and a pass defended versus Michigan. West is a good interior lineman, who excels against the run. Also, he is a talented pass rusher with 21 quarterback pressures recorded this season. West has struggled with eight missed tackles, with six of them occurring in the last four contests. Another featured defensive tackle is redshirt senior James Carpenter. The JMU transfer totaled 104 tackles including 20 for a loss, nine and a half sacks, seven passes defended, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and an interception in 24 games played with the Dukes. The 2022 and ‘23 Second Team All-Sun Belt honoree transferred to IU with Coach Cignetti before this season. Carpenter has recorded 30 tackles including 10 for a loss and four sacks, including at least two tackles in 10 games in his first year as a Hoosier. Overall, the redshirt senior is an average tackle; he is a good pass rusher with 34 pressures recorded and, a solid run-stopper, but a bad tackler with six misses this season. The third tackle to highlight is another JMU transfer, redshirt sophomore Tyrique Tucker. Last season with the Dukes, he recorded 29 tackles including five for a loss and one and a half sacks in 13 games played. This year, Tucker has 24 tackles including five for a loss and two and a half sacks. He has at least one tackle in nine games including a season-high of four and one and a half sacks versus WIU. In his somewhat limited playing time, Tucker has been solid. He excels against the run and is an average pass rusher and tackler with 17 pressures recorded on 173 pass-rush snaps. Finally, the last defensive player to keep an eye on is redshirt junior tackle Marcus Burris Jr. The former Texas A&M transfer recorded 20 tackles including three for a loss and a sack in 12 games played last season, his first as a Hoosier. Burris has had a tough second season this year at Indiana, totaling just 14 tackles and a sack. He has at least one tackle in nine games, including a season-high of three and a sack versus FIU. Burris has slowly seen his role reduced throughout the season, specifically in the last three contests where he has only received between eight and 15 snaps per game. He is a decent run-stopper, however, he has struggled as a pass rusher with just seven pressures recorded on 180 pass rush snaps. Additionally, his three missed tackles in limited playing time are not ideal.  Notre Dame’s offense will undoubtedly have their hands full trying to scheme against this elite Hoosiers defense. The matchup to watch will be how effective the Irish rushing attack can be against this top-ranked rushing defense. It is win or go home on Friday night, tune in for the primetime matchup at Notre Dame Stadium. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame begins their journey to a National Championship at home in primetime on Friday Night against the tenth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. We preview the Hoosiers’ high-powered offense here: Photo by The Irish Tribune The 11-1 Hoosiers are ‘never daunted’ as they look to keep their dream season alive in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. The winner of this Friday’s matchup will have a date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Here are the Hoosiers’ results this season: vs Florida International (31-7, Win) vs Western Illinois (77-3, Win) at UCLA (42-13, Win) vs Charlotte (52-14, Win) vs Maryland (42-28, Win) at Northwestern (41-24, Win) vs Nebraska (56-7, Win) vs Washington (31-17, Win) at Michigan State (47-10, Win) vs Michigan (20-15, Win) at Ohio State (38-15, Loss) vs Purdue (66-0, Win) Indiana’s unimaginable season is largely credited to offensive-minded head coach Curt Cignetti. The former West Virginia quarterback has drawn similarities to, arguably, the greatest college football coach of all time, Nick Saban. Ironically, Saban was serving as a defensive assistant for WVU during Cignetti’s freshman and sophomore years. After hanging up the cleats, Cignetti served as a graduate assistant with Pitt. He then served in various offensive assistant roles with numerous teams between 1985-2010, most notably he was Alabama’s wide receiver coach during their perfect 2009 season, as an assistant under Saban. Since 2011, Cignetti has been a head coach, making a rather fast rise through the ranks. He has served as head coach at IUP, Elon, James Madison, and Indiana. Remarkably, Cignetti has won coach of the year in each of these teams’ respective conferences: PSAC (2012), CAA (2017), Sun Belt (2023), and Big Ten (2024). Cignetti has taken the country by storm, bringing a program picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten to a playoff appearance. As hinted at before, Cignetti has this Hoosiers offense rolling. Their 43.3 total points per game leads the Big Ten and is second-most among FBS teams. Also, their 438.8 total yards per game ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 24th in the country. One reason for this success is the Hoosiers’ elite red zone offense. 93.9% of their red zone trips end with points, the best percentage in the Big Ten and fourth-highest in the country. Additionally, their 66 red zone trips and 62 red zone scores are both the most among FBS teams. This could end up being a key to victory, as the Irish are among the top ten in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on just 77.3% of their trips inside the twenty. Another reason for this offense’s success is the fact they rarely turn the ball over. Five interceptions thrown and three fumbles lost are both tied for the sixth-fewest among FBS teams. This could be another key to deciding the contest as the Irish’s 28 defensive turnovers are tied for the most in the country.  The Hoosiers’ offense has also been great on third downs, converting 48.5% of their attempts. This percentage ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th in the country. This is another aspect of Notre Dame’s defense they handle well, holding opponents to just a 30.6% conversion percentage, the seventh-lowest percentage in the country. Whoever wins the third down battle could decide the game. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Indiana features a good passing offense, averaging 265.2 yards per game which ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 29th in the country. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has plenty of talented options to throw the ball to, most of whom are transfers like himself. Here are the key players involved in the Hoosiers’ efficient passing game:  As just mentioned, Indiana’s star quarterback is redshirt senior Kurtis Rourke. Before this season, the Ohio transfer completed 66.3% of his attempts for 7,651 yards and 50 touchdowns with 16 interceptions in 35 games played across four seasons with the Bobcats. He was named 2022 MAC Player of the Year after leading the conference in completion percentage (69.1%), passing yards (3,257), passing touchdowns (25), and passing efficiency (167.7). In 2023, he earned All-MAC Second Team honors before transferring to Indiana for his final collegiate year. This season, Rourke was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team after throwing 202/287 (70.4%) for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns with just four interceptions in 11 games played. He missed the entire second half versus Nebraska and the following contest versus Washington due to a broken bone in his thumb. Here is where Rourke ranks among Big Ten and all FBS passers: 70.4% completion percentage, fourth in the Big Ten and seventh in FBS 257 passing yards per game, fourth in the Big Ten and 21st in FBS 14 yards per completion, leads the Big Ten and 11th in FBS 27 passing touchdowns, tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for tenth in FBS 181.38 passing efficiency, the best in the country Rourke has four games with more than 300 passing yards, including a season-high 380 at Northwestern when he threw 25/33 with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Also, he recorded a season-high six passing touchdowns versus Purdue when he threw 23/31 for 349 yards with, again, no interceptions. In my opinion, Rourke is among the best quarterbacks in the country, from a passing standpoint, and deserves more 2025 NFL Draft buzz than he is currently receiving. He did struggle in Indiana’s lone loss at Ohio State, however, the Buckeyes have the second-best passing defense in the country. One recent issue for Rourke is sacks, although he has just taken 17 this season, 11 have occurred in the last three games. If the Irish can make Rourke uncomfortable, it will be hard for this offense to truly get rolling. Rourke’s leading receiver is junior Elijah Sarratt. Before this season, he was an FCS Freshman All-American at St. Francis (PA) after recording 42 receptions for 700 yards and 13 touchdowns. Following this campaign, he transferred to JMU with Coach Cignetti. Last year, Sarratt earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors after totaling 82 receptions for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns. He then followed Cignetti to Indiana this season. Sarratt leads the Hoosiers in receptions (49), receiving yards (890), and receiving touchdowns (8). His 74.2 receiving yards per game, 18.16 yards per reception, and eight receiving touchdowns all rank within the top 40 of FBS pass-catchers. Sarratt has at least one reception in each game, including four games with at least six receptions and 100 yards. He recorded a season-high eight receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns versus Purdue. Sarratt is a good receiver, however, five of his six drops this season occurred in the last four contests. This will need to be fixed come Friday. Another reliable, good wide receiver for the Hoosiers is redshirt sophomore Omar Cooper Jr. Last season, he recorded 18 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns in nine games played. This year, Cooper has totaled 27 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns. His 21.15 yards per reception leads the Big Ten and is the sixth-most among FBS pass-catchers. Cooper has at least one catch in eleven games this season, including seven games with at least two receptions and 40 yards. He recorded a season-high four receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown versus WIU. Cooper has no drops this season and has received between two and four targets in each of the past seven contests. An additional talented option for Rourke this season has been senior receiver Myles Price. The Texas Tech transfer tallied 161 receptions for 1,751 yards and 10 touchdowns across four seasons with the Red Raiders. In his first season as a Hoosier, Price has recorded 33 receptions for 410 yards and two touchdowns. He has between one and four receptions in each game this year, and at least 20 receiving yards in ten games. Price is another sure-handed pass-catcher with only one drop on 43 targets. The versatile weapon also serves as the Hoosiers’ punt returner. Wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams is another senior transfer who has gelled with Rourke this season. The Wake Forest transfer had 104 catches for 1,341 yards and five touchdowns in 38 games played across the last three seasons with the Demon Deacons. This year, as a Hoosier, Williams has totaled 34 receptions for 403 yards and five touchdowns. He has at least one reception in 11 games this season, including six games with at least three catches and 30 receiving yards. Like Price, Williams is another sure-handed receiver with one drop on 43 targets. The former Demon Deacon has been more utilized as the season has continued. The final true wide receiver to highlight is senior Miles Cross. He transferred to Indiana from Ohio, along with Rourke. Cross recorded 94 catches for 1,177 yards and eight touchdowns in 25 games played across the last two seasons at Ohio. This season, he has 26 receptions for 323 yards and four touchdowns. He has at least one catch and 15 yards in eight games, including a season-best performance at UCLA when he finished with six receptions for 90 yards including a touchdown. Overall, Cross is an average receiver as he has struggled to get open throughout the year and has one drop on just 34 targets. Indiana’s starting tight end is senior Zach Horton, one of Cignetti’s transfers from JMU. With the Dukes, Horton recorded 40 receptions for 434 yards and eight touchdowns in 24 games played. He was named to the First Team All-Sun Belt last season. This year, Horton has twenty catches for 182 yards and four touchdowns. He has at least one catch in nine games and at least 15 receiving yards in seven games. Horton had a season-high four receptions and 31 yards at UCLA. The senior tight end is a better blocker than receiver, but he has just one drop on 24 targets. Rushing-wise, the Hoosiers have a balanced and effective attack featuring multiple backs. Their 173.6 rushing yards per game are the fifth-most in the Big Ten and tied for 51st among FBS teams. Additionally, their 37 rushing touchdowns lead the conference and are tied for sixth-most in the country. Here are Indiana’s key rushers: The Hoosiers’ top running back is senior Justice Ellison. The Wake Forest transfer totaled 1,901 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 427 carries in 43 games played across four seasons as a Demon Deacon. Additionally, Ellison was named to the Third Team All-ACC in 2022. In his first season at Indiana, he has rushed for 811 yards and ten touchdowns on 148 carries. Ellison’s 5.48 yards per carry are the 50th-most among FBS rushers and his ten rushing scores are tied for 48th. He has nine games with over 50 rushing yards, including three games with over 100. The senior rushed for a season-high 123 yards versus Washington on 29 carries including a touchdown. His most efficient performance occurred versus WIU when he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Ellison is a very good runner with just one fumble this season and 537 yards after contact. Ty Son Lawton is the other back prominently featured in this offense. The redshirt senior began his career at Stony Brook, where he earned First Team All-CAA honors in 2021 after leading the conference with 1,088 rushing yards. Following an injury-riddled 2022 campaign, Lawton transferred to JMU with Coach Cignetti. As a Duke, he recorded 568 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 126 carries in 12 games played last season. Expectedly, he followed Cignetti to Indiana for this year. He has rushed for 634 yards and 12 touchdowns on 131 carries as a Hoosier this season. His 12 rushing scores are tied for the 32nd-most among FBS rushers. Notably, he has three games with two rushing touchdowns on the year. Lawton rushed for a season-high 93 yards versus Maryland on 19 carries including a touchdown. Overall, the redshirt senior is another solid runner who has no fumbles and 393 yards after contact. The final running back featured is redshirt junior Kaelon Black. Another JMU transfer, he recorded 970 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 211 carries in 22 games across two seasons with the Dukes. This year, Black has rushed for 251 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries. He has received between one and seven carries in ten games, but saw no action versus Michigan or Ohio State. Black has six games with 20 or more rushing yards, including a season-best performance versus Charlotte when he ran for 55 yards and a score on seven carries. When given opportunities, Black has run well and, in my opinion, has the potential to be one of the top running backs in the Big Ten next season, assuming he returns. He does have a fumble this season, but he has 180 yards after contact. Up front, the Hoosiers' offensive line has been pretty solid this season. 1.5 sacks per game allowed are the 45th-fewest among FBS teams and 4.08 tackles for loss per game allowed are tied for the 20th-fewest. Indiana’s key lineman are their talented tackles: The starting left tackle is redshirt sophomore Carter Smith. He is a second-year starter who excels as a pass blocker, but he is a solid run blocker as well. Smith has allowed just two sacks and ten quarterback pressures on 379 pass snaps this season. At right tackle is redshirt senior Trey Wedig. The Wisconsin transfer recorded eight starts in 35 games as a Badger before arriving at Indiana this season. Wedig is an all-around good blocker with just one sack and 14 pressures allowed on 379 pass snaps this year. Notre Dame’s edge rushers will have their hands full trying to get past Smith and Wedig this week. When the ball kicks off on Friday Night at Notre Dame Stadium, the plan is simple: Win or Go Home. The stakes are high, and both teams will feel the pressure of the moment. Whoever harnesses that energy for better will likely keep their season alive. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame has officially found the face of their program for the near future. Today, the Irish reached a four-year extension that will keep Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman in South Bend for six more seasons. Photo by The Irish Tribune Earlier tonight, Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman agreed on a four-year extension that will secure Freeman in South Bend for the next six years. Originally, Freeman was only under contract for two more seasons after inking a six-year deal when taking over for Brian Kelly at the end of the 2021 season. Since then, Marcus Freeman's growth as a head coach has been well-documented. There have been great highs in the memory of ranked wins against No. 4 Clemson in 2022 and No. 20 Texas A&M this year. Then, there were the heartbreaks of the Ohio State 2023 loss and the letdowns against Marshall and Northern Illinois. The learning curve for the first-time head coach has been steep, but it seems the Northern Illinois loss helped Freeman grow in the best possible way. After the Week 2 defeat, Notre Dame has come out as a completely different team, which is also symbolic of the way Freeman has held himself as well. In his weekly press conferences and sound bites before kick-off, he possessed a significantly more serious tone. He appeared more determined and unconcerned with his perception in the media. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here While Freeman's charisma has been key to recruiting and developing talent, his intense focus on opponents has driven the Fighting Irish's performance down the stretch. Is it too optimistic to believe Freeman is finding his stride as a head coach? While this might be a stretch, rumors of interest from the Chicago Bears and his alma mater Ohio State suggest otherwise. Knowing this, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua took no chances in another team swooping in on his head coach. After the NIU loss, when many Notre Dame fans were up in arms about the program's direction, I maintained faith in the young head coach, "My thing for the people that want Freeman gone: the entire program is back to ground zero. Talk to any recruits, they mention their relationship with coach Freeman as a main reason why they want to be at Notre Dame. The return of starters like Jack Kiser, Xavier Watts, Howard Cross III, and Rylie Mills is because they trust in the system established by Freeman. You lose Freeman, you lose the newfound identity of Notre Dame Football. The Irish have evolved from being a program that had mediocre talent across the board, in which SEC teams and USC were bigger, faster, and simply more athletic. Freeman's effort in rebranding ND has narrowed the talent gap; and while I can't excuse his lack of performances on the field, I don't think we can be so quick to can him because we're then at ground zero and the last three years were all for naught." At the end of the day, I'm thrilled my emotion-filled rant was able to look like a good decision three months in the future. With the contract secured, all eyes are now on Freeman to build his legacy with a playoff victory this Friday. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey was swept this weekend by the top-15 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. We have your recap here: Photo by The Irish Tribune The fifteenth-ranked Buckeyes entered the series 11-4-1 on the season, with notable victories at Wisconsin and versus Penn State.  Notre Dame entered amidst a disappointing 6-10-0 start, coming off a week-long bye after placing second in the 2024 Friendship Four held in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  You can find our recap of that event here . Friday Result: (1-2, Overtime Loss) A defensive battle occurred on Friday in Columbus. Irish goaltender Nicholas Kempf was outstanding all night, totaling 41 saves to keep Notre Dame in the contest.  Irish forward Danny Nelson got the scoring started with his seventh goal of the season  almost 17 minutes into the first period. The play started when Nelson won a draw in the OSU zone, resulting in an assist from defenseman Axel Kumlin direct ly in front of the net to Nelson to make it a 1-0 game. Kumlin earned his eighth assist of the season, and forward Cole Knuble also earned an assist on the go-ahead goal, his 11th of the year.  The scoreless second period was fast-paced and the defensive battle continued. Kempf made 18 saves in the period, keeping the Irish in the front as their offense struggled. Notre Dame mustered just five shots in the frame, failing to add to their lead. Both teams were unsuccessful on their lone power play attempts of the period, as the Irish took their 1-0 lead into the final twenty minutes. A mental lapse from the Irish was all that OSU needed to get back in the game. The Irish were assessed a two-minute minor for too many men on the ice about eight minutes into the final frame. Buckeye Davis Burnside buried his seventh goal of the year off a rebound about 20 seconds into the power play to even the game at 1-1 with under 12 minutes remaining. Notre Dame’s offense, again, struggled to get anything going as they added another five shots this period. Kempf saved 12/13 shots in the frame, helping to send the game to overtime. OSU needed less than two minutes to put the game away. Irish forward Blake Biondi almost had the game-winner himself, but his shot rang off the pipe. It was the Buckeyes’ Brent Johnson who snuck the game-winner just past Kempf to send the Buckeyes home happy.  Key Player Stats: Nicholas Kempf (ND): 41 saves, 2 goals allowed, 61:53 ice time Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (OSU): 2 assists, 2 shots, +1 Key Team Stats: Shots: OSU (43) - ND (19) Power Play Success: OSU (1-2) - ND (0-2) Faceoffs Won: ND (35) - OSU (19) Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Saturday Result: (1-3, Loss) Notre Dame’s offensive struggles continued on Saturday, especially early in the contest. Irish goaltender Owen Say played well throughout the game, finishing with 34 saves. As hinted at above, Notre Dame could not get anything going in the first period. They were outshot by the Buckeyes 16-2 in the first. Friday’s Buckeye hero, Brent Johnson, beat Say on a nice backhand shot with under 30 seconds remaining in the period to give OSU a 1-0 lead. The only other stoppage to occur in the frame is when the Irish forward Brennan Ali was assessed a minor penalty about halfway through the period that the Irish successfully killed off.  Notre Dame struck back about five minutes in to the second period when Danny Nelson added his team-leading eighth goal of the season . Th e goal resulted from a shot from Ali that was redirected off the glass behind the goalie, setting Nelson up for the easy finish. Ali and Kumlin were awarded assists on the game-tying score. OSU would respond with about four minutes remaining in the period to take a 2-1 lead. Buckeye Patrick Guzzo added his fourth goal of the season off a rebound that directed off Say. Again, the Irish offense struggled throughout this period, being outshot 13-6 in the frame.  A hard-fought and chippy third period from both squads occurred with OSU holding a one-goal lead. The Irish failed to connect on their only power play attempt of the game around five minutes into the third. A Notre Dame mistake would lead to the lone goal of the third period. With two and a half minutes remaining, Irish defenseman Paul Fischer was assessed a tripping penalty, essentially erasing any hope of a Notre Dame comeback. The Buckeyes made sure to make the Irish pay as Gunnarwolf Fontaine added his seventh goal of the season to extend the OSU lead to 3-1.  Goal-scorers Nelson and Guzzo shared an exchange with under 30 seconds remaining that resulted in the Irish being short-handed once again. No love was lost as the Buckeyes completed their sweep of the Irish. Notre Dame drops to 6-12-0 and 1-9-0 in Big Ten play. They will be back in action on January 3rd at iconic Wrigley Field versus Penn State as a part of ‘The Frozen Confines’ series. Key Players Stats: Danny Nelson (ND): 1 goal, 1 blocked shot, +1 Brent Johnson (OSU): 1 goal on 2 shots, 2 blocked shots Key Team Stats: Shots: OSU (37) - ND (15) Penalty Minutes: ND (10) - OSU (4) Faceoffs Won: OSU (33) - ND (30) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Since its completion in 1930, Notre Dame Stadium has played host to some of the greatest matchups in the sport’s history, but this will be the very first time the Irish will play postseason ball on their own turf. The Program’s deep tradition will come face-to-face with the future of college football - and “The House That Rockne Built” will host what's sure to be another classic. Photo by The Irish Tribune With the 2024 regular season in the rearview and Conference Championships wrapped up, the College Football Playoff Committee has released their final round of rankings and the official 12-team bracket is set. In the first round of action, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday December 20th, with the winner advancing to face the Georgia Bulldogs on New Year's Day. By earning the 7th seed, the Irish secured home field advantage and made Notre Dame Stadium the stage for one of its most unique matchups in history. As we count the days until kickoff, let's take a look at some of the greatest wins ever seen at Notre Dame Stadium. In honor of the inaugural 12-team playoff, we’ve picked (in no particular order) 12 standout Irish home wins. With more than 110 years of football to consider, we’ve split this list into two eras and two parts: Part 1 will cover “The Classic Era” (1930-1989) and part two will cover “The Modern Era” (1990-2024). Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here "The Classic Era" (1930-1989) 1930: Notre Dame - Navy This game may not show up on a lot of lists about great Irish home wins, but this one is special. The Irish chose their 4th ever matchup with the Naval Academy as the official “dedication game” for the newly completed Notre Dame Stadium, and it was the beginning of a classic season in South Bend. Jumpin Joe Savoldi scored 3 of the 4 Irish touchdowns on the day, breaking things open in the 2nd quarter with a 23-yard reverse that made him the first player to score in stadium history. Navy was only able to muster a safety late in the 4th quarter following a punt that pinned the Irish offense deep. Notre Dame commanded the game for nearly the entire contest, and went on to win 26-2. After trouncing the Midshipmen, head coach Knute Rockne led the Irish on a perfect 10-0 campaign with wins over Pitt, Indiana, Northwestern, Army, and USC before earning the program’s 3rd National Title. Only 4 months after winning it all, Rockne died in a tragic plane crash over Kansas, and was immortalized as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. Much like friend and contemporary Babe Ruth, Rockne’s team named their field in his honor - “The House That Rockne Built.” 1946: No. 2 Notre Dame - No. 16 USC 1946 was head coach Frank Leahy’s first season back in South Bend since he departed to serve in World War II, and the Irish were slated to face the Trojans in the season finale. After five straight wins to start the season, Notre Dame earned the No. 2 spot in the polls before facing off with then No. 1 Army. In what would go on to be called the “Game of the Century” the underdog Irish shocked the nation and held the Cadets to a 0-0 stalemate at Yankee Stadium to remain unbeaten. Notre Dame’s 1946 matchup with USC held a lot of significance. Leahy’s 1943 National Champion squad stayed undefeated until the final week of the season, but dropped their last game. This time around, the 7-0-1 Irish were looking to end their season unbeaten and the only thing in their way was No. 16 USC. The hype and stakes going into the matchup caused some jitters and mistakes early on, as both sides coughed up the ball and the Irish had several long drives fizzle out before they could secure any points. After a scoreless 1st quarter, Irish sophomore RB Coy McGee broke a 77-yard touchdown run to score the game’s first points early in the 2nd quarter. On their next possession, Notre Dame QB George Ratterman tossed a 22-yard pass over the middle to Leon Hart to go up two scores. The Trojans responded with a drive that took them into field goal territory before a pass interference call put them at Notre Dame’s goal line. Only a play later, USC scored on a QB sneak to narrow the Irish lead to 1 score as the game entered halftime. Neither team scored in the 3rd, but the 4th quarter opened with a length of the field Notre Dame drive. Ratterman tossed a regular looking screen pass to Floyd Simmons, who followed his blockers and took it 50 yards into Trojan territory. That's when the Irish offense pulled off a true stroke of mastery. Now at the 8 yard line, Ratterman lined the Irish up in the “T-formation” and in a move that fooled both the Trojan defense and the entire home crowd, faked a handoff to the fullback before seamlessly handing the ball off to McGee. Coy bounced outside to the right and slipped just out of reach of a diving Trojan defender, punching it in for his second score of the game. Up two scores in the 4th, Notre Dame cycled in its backups who scored once more to add insult to injury, and the Irish took home a dominant 26-6 win. It was their 4th straight win over USC, and became Notre Dame’s first unbeaten season in 5 years. The late-season win over a ranked rival pushed the Irish to a final record of 8-0-1, and helped them jump Army to take the No. 1 spot. The program earned its 5th National Title and Leahy’s 2nd, while leading the nation in both total offense and rushing yards per game, putting up 271 points over 9 games. The Irish defense never allowed more than 6 points in a single game, with an insane 5 shutouts, only 24 points surrendered all season, and the fewest yards allowed in the country. 1973: No. 8 Notre Dame - No. 6 USC At the start of 1973, all time great Irish head coach Ara Parseghian was entering his 10th season in South Bend with a spot at No. 8 in the polls, and was thirsty for one last shot at the big dance. He led his boys to 5 straight wins to open the season, but hadn’t faced their biggest challenge until game 6. That “challenge” was No. 5 USC, whose only blemish was a 7-7 tie in week 3 with then No. 8 Oklahoma. With both teams undefeated and in the top-10, there was a sense that this game could decide the national champion. Both offenses started slowly, but the Irish struck first about midway through the 1st quarter with a 32-yard field goal. USC responded with a 65-yard touchdown drive ending in a 1-yard rush by USC’s dynamic RB Anthony Davis. It gave the Trojans their first lead of the day as the 1st quarter came to a close 7-3 USC. The Irish knocked in another field goal, this time from 33-yards, to trim the deficit to 6-7. With under 2 minutes left in the 1st half, Irish QB Tom Clements led an 11-play 47-yard drive to score Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the day. With only 30 seconds left in the 2nd quarter, the Irish took the lead 13-7. The Irish defense forced a punt on USC’s first drive of the 2nd half, and the Irish began their first drive at their own 15. On the first play of the possession, Irish RB Eric Penick took a handoff around the left side and broke into the clear, flying past multiple Trojan defenders completely untouched. Penick broke a single tackle before completely separating for the score, an incredible 85-yard touchdown to put the Irish up 20-7. USC scored their first points of the 2nd half on the following drive, almost completely on the back of legendary USC and NFL wide receiver Lynn Swann. After QB Pat Haden tossed two big first down throws to Swann, the two connected on a third with a soaring 27-yard touchdown pass to the far right corner of the endzone, trimming the score to 20-14. Just before the end of the 3rd quarter, Irish kicker Bob Thomas knocked in his 3rd field goal of the day, giving Notre Dame some breathing room with a 23-14 lead. The 4th quarter came with steady rain, and the contest turned into a defensive showcase by Parseghian’s squad. The Irish defense held strong, and forced two straight Trojan fumbles to give their offense a chance to run out the clock. Unfortunately, USC managed to force Notre Dame’s first turnover of the day on a fumble by Tom Clements, and the Trojans got the ball back with just under 3 minutes left to play. The Irish defense again rose to the occasion, and intercepted a long ball from Haden to ice the game. The Irish then drove to the Trojan’s 20 yard line before they allowed time to expire. The fans rushed the field and surrounded an underdog Notre Dame team that looked to be on the road to a Title. The win fueled the Irish to a perfect 10-0 final record and thee No. 3 spot in the polls, earning them a matchup against Bear Bryant and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. In an all time classic matchup, Notre Dame narrowly edged out the Tide 24-23 to become No. 1 in the polls and earned the 1973 National Championship. It became the Program’s 9th National Title and would be both Parseghian’s 2nd and his last. He retired following the 1974 season a living legend. 1977: No. 11 Notre Dame - No. 5 USC 1977 saw things finally come together for Head Coach Dan Devine. Notre Dame started strong, with Montana now healthy and back in the driver’s seat, they opened the season with a solid win against No. 7 Pitt, taking the season opener 19-9. The good vibes wouldn’t last long, as the Irish fell the following week to unranked Ole Miss 13-20, dropping them from No. 3 to No. 11 in the polls. After three straight wins, the 4-1 and now No. 11 Irish hosted the 5-1 USC Trojans, who’d just moved up to the No. 5 spot in the polls. The underdog Irish warmed up in their traditional homefield Blue & Gold, but when they reentered the locker rooms before kickoff, Kerry green jerseys hung in each locker, birthing the notorious “Green Machine” moniker. The Irish defense stopped USC’s first drive of the contest near midfield, and forced a 52-yard field goal attempt that fell just short. With excellent starting field position, Montana and the Irish moved down the field methodically, ending in a FB dive for the score by Mitchell to score the game’s first points. On the ensuing drive, the Trojans got deep into Irish territory, but once again settled for a field goal attempt. Like their first try, USC missed the kick and left another 3 points on the board. The Irish failed to get anything going and were forced to punt it away, but got it back only a few plays later, as Irish DB Bergmeyer leapt in front of a USC deep ball and returned it 40 yards to midfield. The Irish offense again failed to make much progress, and were forced to settle for a field goal that ultimately fell short. After pinning the Irish offense inside their own 5-yard line on an excellent punt, USC forced a fumble that they scooped up for a quick touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7. Notre Dame regained the lead with back to back scores before the half, first on a 1-yard Montana rush after a USC fumble deep in their own territory, and second on a 13-yard pass from Montana to MacAfee. The Irish added a 2-point conversion after a muffed PAT was converted for a score, and went into halftime up 22-7. Irish defensive lineman Jay Case scored the first points of the 3rd quarter with a 30 yard scoop and score after Bob Golic blocked a USC punt. Notre Dame piled on with another Montana rushing score and another passing touchdown to MacAfee, extending their lead to 42-7 midway through the 4th. With the game now well out of hand, both teams traded garbage time scores before the Irish took the game 49-14. It would go down in Notre Dame history as “The Green Jersey Game.” After the win, the Irish assumed the No. 5 sport in the polls, and marched to the end of their season with 9 straight wins and a final 10-1 record. They earned a spot in the 1978 Cotton Bowl against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell. Like so many times that season, the Irish entered as underdogs but dominated the matchup on both sides. After forcing 5 Longhorns turnovers and rushing for 4 scores, Devine, Montana, and the Irish walked away with a dominant 38-10 win and the 1977 National Title. It was Notre Dame’s 10th Title - the first since 1973, and Devine’s one and only Championship as a coach. 1988: No. 13 Notre Dame - No. 9 Michigan Third year Head Coach Lou Holtz and the Irish welcomed the Bo Shembeckler led Michigan Wolverines to South Bend for the 1988 season opener. The heavyweight rivalry matchup earned top billing with an 8:00 PM night game broadcast and a sold out Notre Dame Stadium for the 107th time. The Irish got the ball first, but their drive stalled just on the other side of the 50 forcing them to punt. Michigan had even less luck on their opening series, going 3 & out before a punt of their own, but this one was a bit different. After receiving Michigan’s punt at the Irish 19, Ricky Watters exploded immediately, slicing through the dead middle of Michigan's defense completely untouched. As he emerged from the middle, Watters broke left, and Rocket Ismail provided the final block on Michigan’s punter to keep him in the clear. The 81-yard punt return touchdown shocked the Wolverines and put the Irish up 7-0. After another stop from the Irish defense, Tony Rice led the offense on a promising drive that ultimately stalled out around the Michigan 25, but they added another 3 points with a Reggie Ho field goal to put the Irish up 10-0. On the ensuing kickoff, the Wolverines return man fumbled around the 20 yard line following a big hit, and the Irish scooped it up. Despite beginning in the red zone, Notre Dame’s offense sputtered once again, largely due to QB Tony Rice’s passing woes, and they settled for another 3 points from Reggie Ho to go up 13-0. Michigan returned the following kickoff nearly 60 yards to the Notre Dame 38, sparking some life before halftime. The Wolverines scraped together a slow 38-yard 12-play drive that ended with a goal line pile-up ruled a touchdown, narrowing the score to 13-7. On the next drive, the Irish worked their way into Michigan territory before a freak deflected pass from Tony Rice ricocheted into the hands of the Wolverines for an interception, bringing Rice to 0-7 through the air. The first half ended on a Hail Mary from Tony Rice that fell incomplete as time expired, and the Irish entered the half up 1 score. After several empty possessions, Ricky Watters, the man responsible for Notre Dame’s only touchdown of the day, muffed a crucial punt return just as he was hit and gave UM the ball around the Irish 15. The Irish defense fought heroically and held the Wolverine’s to 4th & 1 from the 1-yard line, but Michigan’s QB Michael Taylor punched it in on a bootleg to take their first lead of the game, 14-13, with 4:44 left in the 3rd. Notre Dame responded with an 11-play drive that ended in Michigan’s redzone, but without a touchdown. Thankfully, “Mr. Dependable” Reggie Ho knocked in his 3rd FG on the day to put the Irish back up 16-14 with 14:17 left in the 4th. Michigan put together a nearly 10 minute drive that ended with kicker Mike Gillette knocking in a 49-yard field goal to put the Wolverines back up 17-16. The Irish began their final drive at their own 20 with just over 5 minutes left in the game. After a pass interference call pushed the Irish to the 35, Rice rolled left on an option and found daylight, dashing for 21 yards into Michigan territory. He then tossed a huge ball to Brooks who took it inside the Michigan 30 for another first down. On 3rd & 4 from the 19, Tony Rice kept the ball on an option play and dove for the 1st down marker, making it by mere inches to extend the drive. After shedding clock with another three plays, Lou Holtz and the Irish turned once again to kicker Reggie Ho on 4th & 3. The Irish kicker launched a 26 yarder through the uprights to go 4/4 on the day and retake the lead 19-17. With just under a minute left, Michigan returned the kickoff to their own 36 and began a march into FG territory. After an 8-play drive, Notre Dame’s defense held strong and forced 4th down around the Irish 35, bringing out Gillette to attempt a game winner. The kick fell short as the clock expired, and the Irish crowd engulfed the field in celebration. It was beginning of what many felt could be a march to a Championship. 1988: No. 4 Notre Dame - No. 1 Miami Notre Dame won 4 straight games after the Michigan game to become 5-0 and faced down yet another major clash in their path to a perfect season. On October 15th, Jimmy Johnson and the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes arrived in South Bend to face off against the No. 4 Fighting Irish. The reigning National Champions brought their hype and cockiness with them, but instead of intimidating Holtz and his squad, it fueled them. Just before kickoff, simmering tensions boiled over when both teams encountered one another in the tunnel, leading to an all-out brawl that only ended when police intervened. Miami’s opening drive ended with a fumble, allowing the Irish to strike first on a 12-play 75 yard touchdown drive. The Hurricanes responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, but an 80 yard drive ending with a Tony Rice touchdown pass put the Irish up once again. Only 4 plays later, Irish Safety Pat Terrell snagged a tipped ball and returned it 60 yards for a score, extending the Irish lead to 14. Shockingly, the Hurricanes scored two quick touchdowns in the final minutes of the 2nd quarter to even the score at 21-21 just before the half. Notre Dame’s defense came up big on Miami’s first play of the 3rd quarter, forcing a fumble to give the Irish offense a short field. They capitalized with a rushing touchdown and later added a Reggie Ho field goal to extend their lead to 10 as the 4th quarter began. A Miami field goal cut Notre Dame’s lead to 7 and a quick defensive stop gave them the ball back about halfway through the 4th. After marching deep into Irish territory, Miami’s drive culminated in a 4th and 7 red zone situation. They initially converted on a pass over the middle but controversially fumbled the ball on Notre Dame’s 1 yard line, just a yard shy of tying the game. That fumble would be Miami’s 7th turnover of the day. Shortly after the momentum swing, Tony Rice was stripped on Notre Dame’s 14, giving the Hurricanes yet another chance to decide the game. This time, Miami would capitalize on the turnover with a 4th down touchdown pass, drawing within a point of Notre Dame. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie, head coach Jimmy Johnson decided to go for the death blow and try for a 2-point conversion. Once again, Pat Terrell saved the day, knocking down a last ditch toss to the back corner of the end zone, sealing the win for the Irish and snapping Miami’s 36 game regular season win streak. The game became an instant classic, being dubbed “Catholics VS Convicts” and is still considered one of the greatest games in college football history. The 11-0 Irish earned a shot at the National Title, beating No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl 34-21. This win gave Lou Holtz his first National Championship, the program’s 11th, and its first since 1978. Holtz joined Leahy, Parseghian, and Devine by winning it all in his 3rd season, and was named Coach of the Year by three different presenters. The 1988 team is still considered one of the greatest of all time, going undefeated, beating 10/12 opposing teams by double digits, and taking down the No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7 ranked teams at season’s end. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After dropping their week two matchup against Northern Illinois, many assumed the ceiling for Notre Dame's 2024 season had been significantly lowered, and who could fault them? It's not often that teams that lose at home as big favorites to opponents from a perceived "lesser" conference go on to make much noise on the national level. Marcus Freeman and his staff, however, did not buy into these talking points. Week after week, since that September stumble, they have found a way to steady the ship and keep all of the Irish's big picture hopes squarely in view. Fast forward to now, and Notre Dame is just days away from hosting a home playoff game for the first time in history. Still, there are those outside of South Bend that point to that loss, combined with Notre Dame's schedule, to try and diminish their accomplishments and question if they truly belong in the hunt for a National Championship. Photo by The Irish Tribune Ironically, Notre Dame's opponent for their first round matchup has faced some of that same criticism. Indiana University, who will travel 200 miles up the road on December 20th, finished the regular season 11-1 under first year coach Curt Cignetti. No one had this team pegged as a playoff contender coming into the year, and by all accounts their season should be considered a huge success, but there are still those that look at their schedule and say "yeah, but" . Indiana's lone loss came to Ohio State, one of the best teams in the country, and outside of them, they only faced three other teams that went on to become bowl eligible, which has led some to ask whether or not they are deserving of a shot to be crowned king when the dust of the regular season settled. For two teams that still have plenty of doubters, this is where the rubber meets the road. I turned on the film from some of Indiana's biggest games of the year, broke it all down, and came away with the following thoughts on where Notre Dame can be successful, where they need to be careful, and ultimately how this game can be won. Let's dive into it. When Notre Dame is on Offense: Perimeter blocking will be key. Indiana's boundary defenders play very aggressively. Notre Dame fans have become accustomed to seeing Jeremiyah Love and/or Jadarian Price breaking big runs on a weekly basis, and for that to happen in this game, the wide receivers will need to stay engaged and get hands on corners and safeties. Indiana's linebackers flow very fast off the snap, but sometimes too fast. This would be a great game to really utilize counter and misdirection runs. Their LB's are also much better against the run than they are in coverage, so I'd like to see Notre Dame pass on early downs against their base looks. In short yardage and goal to go situations, they play down hill and aggressive, looking to overload vs the run. Blocking from inline tight ends will be critical here, and using play-action could result in some big plays. Indiana likes to run stunts along their defensive line, so the offensive line needs to do a good job of communicating and passing off defenders to keep Riley Leonard upright. IU likes to do a lot of rotating at the snap. Riley Leonard needs to vary the snap count, play with good vision, and take advantage of check downs when necessary. This is not a game to force anything in the passing game because a turnover could be the difference. The cornerbacks for Indiana play a good amount of off coverage, and they tend to play with their hips open. Against this type of coverage/technique, short timing routes will be there to be had. If Leonard can be accurate, they will not need chunk plays through the air. Look for hitches, outs, and curls to be open. Sometimes taking what the defense gives you is the best offense. Players to Watch No. 8 CJ West - West is an absolute game changer along the defensive line. Plays with very good leverage and pad level, and the interior of the offensive line for the Irish will have their hands full getting him off his spot. He is a 315 pounds, but is still very quick and explosive. Notre Dame can not let him single handedly wreck their game plan. No. 12 Terry Jones Jr - Jones Jr lines mostly lines up as a nickel/rover and they love to blitz him. He has great timing off the snap and if he is hovering around the line of scrimmage, Riley Leonard will need to get eyes on him and check protection. If he comes on a free rush, he can absolutely force a fumble and change the game. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here When Notre Dame is on Defense: Indiana's running backs both have very good contact balance. Notre Dame needs to rally to the ball every single play and not get lackadaisical with their tackling because they are big plays waiting to happen. They have combined for 22 touchdowns on the year. Indiana utilizes a lot of RPO (run-pass options). The linebackers for the Irish will need to play with good eye discipline and not get drawn in too early, allowing receivers and tight ends to get behind them. Barring impossible weather conditions, IU is going to take their vertical shots. Their wide receivers run A LOT of double moves. Notre Dame has an ultra talented, but ultra young cornerback room. This will be the most meaningful game in most of their college careers to this point, and sometimes that adrenaline and excitement makes you press to make a play. They need to focus on being patient and not getting flat footed and jumping the first move. That would force them to reach and gets handsy and in what could be a tight game, chunk plays through penalty yardage could play a big factor in the outcome. This is a Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills game. The interior of IU's offensive line has had a hard time getting push vs the better defensive tackles they have faced this year. Pushing the pocket and getting the QB off his spot will always be a win for the defense, even if it does not result in a sack. Indiana's O-line in general has had some communication issues handling blitzes as well as stunts along the defensive line. When they played IU, Ohio State did a very good job of having linebackers and safeties trigger late, and the offensive line rarely even got a hand on them on their way to the QB. Both offensive tackles have struggled vs speed rushes at different points this year. IU's running backs also do a sub-par job in pass protection, so if Al Golden wanted a week to bring some extra heat, this is the one. This is the area I feel is the biggest mismatch in Notre Dame's favor. Players to Watch No. 13 Elijah Surrat - The James Madison transfer leads Indiana in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He does a excellent job of high pointing the ball and is a very patient, crisp route runner. As mentioned above, he likes to utilize double moves so regardless of what DB is matched up with him, they can not be too eager or they run the risk of giving up a big play. No. 9 Kurtis Rourke - Rourke's first season in Bloomington was a very successful one. He has only thrown four interceptions on the year, and does a good job not putting the ball in harms way. He prefers to play from the pocket, but is more mobile than play calling would lead you to believe. They will never use him the way Notre Dame uses Riley Leonard, but in some critical spots this year (like closing out the game vs Michigan) they will call his number in the read option game, and it is something Notre Dame needs to be aware of. Additional Thoughts and Notes When I broke down the Ohio State game, it seemed to me like after some special teams blunders, the environment kind of got to them and that's when the game got out of control. That was their only big road game of the year. They got to face Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington all at home. Notre Dame, at times, has caught some flack for their home atmosphere not being as hostile as it could be. I think if they can recreate similar conditions to what OSU had, it could play a more pivotal role in the outcome than I would generally assign to it. Curt Cignetti has recently spoke about his displeasure in Indiana not getting to host a playoff game themselves, and I think he recognizes how much of a difference it can truly make when a team has to come into your territory and play against the 11 players on the field plus the 70-thousand in the stands. I began this article by touching on the brutal Northern Illinois loss. That game put Notre Dame down, but not for the count. The Fighting Irish have essentially been in the playoffs since September 7th. Every single week they knew what was at stake, and one more loss at any point would have evaporated their chances into thin air. Playing with that win or you're out mentality for the better part of three months has really fortified the team to the point that this game vs Indiana will not be a new feeling for them, and I think that's a huge advantage. They know what it is to have their back against the wall, and based off how Marcus Freeman got everyone to respond since week 2, it isn't crazy to assert that the NIU debacle made this team better in the long run. Notre Dame has a great opportunity in front of them. They undoubtedly deserve to be one of the 12 teams entering this expanded playoff, as do their opponents. For all intents and purposes, the slate has been wiped clean and everyone is 0-0 with the same goal in mind. I will save my final score prediction for later in the week, but I know I am looking forward to what this team can accomplish. It's been a grind of a season but, the grind does not stop here for the Fighting Irish. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

No. 8 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 UConn 79-68 at Purcell Pavilion due to all-around performances from stars Hannah Hidalgo and Liatu King. Photo by Notre Dame Athletics SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- For the third time in this early season, Notre Dame had the opportunity to play a top 5 ranked team in the nation, and the Irish have risen to each challenge. First it was the emphatic 74-61 road victory against JuJu Watkins and the No. 3 USC Trojans. Then after two setbacks in the Cayman Islands against TCU and Utah, the Irish returned to form at Purcell Pavilion against the then ranked No. 4 Texas, to win in overtime 80-70. When projected No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and the No. 2 UConn Huskies came to South Bend, there was no added pressure for Niele Ivey and her squad. The Irish controlled the game all throughout, and after UConn cut the lead to one point late in the third quarter, Hannah Hidalgo hit a buzzer beating three that extended the Irish's lead. Hidalgo has earned the reputation of a big-game player early in her career, and the sophomore has done nothing but impress at every twist-and-turn. She finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and three steals. In a marquee matchup, Hidalgo proved to be the best player in the nation, once again. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here To help Hidalgo in the scoring effort was Pitt transfer Liatu King, who added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Hildalgo's backcourt partner Olivia Miles added 15 points of her own, while playing through an ankle injury. Defensively, Sonia Citron put together another solid performance against one of the nation's best scorers, but Bueckers ended the game with an impressive 25 points. Outside of Bueckers, true freshman Sarah Strong was UConn's brightest star, as she navigated herself through foul trouble and still racked 14 points and 7 rebounds. In a game that will very much impact March Madness rankings later in the year, Notre Dame displayed once again that they are capable of being a No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. The Irish will enjoy this win, and then match-up against Eastern Michigan this Sunday. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won another game to continue the momentum this Wednesday in a win over Dartmouth, 77-65. The Irish won their second game in a row. The Irish sit at 6-5 (1-0 in ACC play). Photo by Notre Dame Athletics Braeden Shrewsberry led the Irish in scoring with 22 points. Shrewsberry shot 8-14 from the field, and 4-9 from three. Tae Davis had 20 points, and Matt Allocco had 16 points. Davis shot 9-13 from the field. Allocco shot 6-10 from the field and 2-4 from three. The Irish took an early 11-6 lead at the 15:31 mark in the first half. Shrewsberry had the hot hand with five early points. The Irish shot 5-7 from the field at this point. Dartmouth had been shooting a lot of threes, and were 2-5 from beyond the arc. At the 10:02 mark, The Irish held onto the lead and led 17-13 after making several layups in a row, compounded by a strong defensive effort. Davis led the Irish with 6 points early, and he continued to drive the ball to the post. Heading into the half, Notre Dame was up 39-28. The Irish were shooting 63% from the field and 22.2% from three. Davis continued to lead the Irish in scoring with 15, followed by Shrewsberry with 10. Notre Dame did not have a great half, but maintained a double digit lead. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Shrewsberry and Davis both came out of the half carrying the momentum, and continued to score with ease. Notre Dame would start the half on a 6-0 run, now leading 45-28. Allocco made back-to-back threes to put the Irish Ahead 55-37 at the 15:03 mark. Dartmouth got hot and went on a 7-0 run to make it an eleven point game, 57-46, at the 11:18 mark. The Irish came out of the 12:00 media timeout hot, and took a 68-50 lead at the 7:19 mark. Notre Dame headed into the final media timeout at the 4:00 mark after Dartmouth made a couple of nice shots and had some defensive stops against the Irish, and Notre Dame maintained a lead at 72-58. Dartmouth would eventually have to play the foul game, and that allowed the Irish to pull away and win by twelve points, 77-65. Allocco and Shrewsberry both had strong second halves to lead the Irish to victory. The Irish were able to stay ahead most of the game, and win another to hopefully turn the ship around. Shrewsberry, Davis, and Allocco all had double figures for the Irish in the victory. Notre Dame shot the ball well from close range, as they finished 52.5% from the field. Three point shooting left something to be desired, however, as they could only manage to shoot 6/21. Regardless, Notre Dame earned a solid victory to stay on the right track, as they will look to continue the win streak at home against Le Moyne on Sunday at 6:00 PM EST on the ACC Network. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun