The wise Rocky Balboa said, “It ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” After Notre Dame’s stunning loss to Tulsa, it would have been easy for the Irish, who stood at a record of four wins and five losses heading into their bye week, […]

Win six games and become bowl eligible—this was now the goal for the Fighting Irish football team. In what has become a somewhat underwhelming inaugural campaign for head coach Brian Kelly, his team adopted a desperate undertaking: making the postseason. Long gone are the days of yesteryear when Notre Dame was at the forefront of […]

As noted prior to the season, Clashmore Mike has the honor of hosting the Irish Blogger Gathering (IBG) for the bye week/Utah game. For those unfamiliar with the IBG, check out some previous additions (in order of opponent) hosted by UHND, Her Loyal Sons, Inside The Irish, One Foot Down, Domer Law, Irish Round Table, We Never […]

“Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.” –Darrell Royal, University of Texas Following Notre Dame’s clash with the Pittsburgh Panthers, head coach Brian Kelly’s squad faced a very probable scenario of gaining some momentum with, what most people tabbed as, three “soft” opponents. The rhythm on offense, […]

Each year, prior to the start of the season, every Notre Dame football fan, whether they admit or not, goes through the schedule to evaluate what kind of final record we can expect for the year. We do it by ourselves, we talk about it with our friends, on message boards, and participate in polls. […]

In a theatrical setting, the acts of a play signify two very different halves of the production. The first act introduces the characters, the protagonist and antagonist are established, and a problem or conflict comes to fruition. It’s not until the second act that the plot thickens, reaching the climax of the production, and the […]

Prior to Notre Dame’s matchup against the Boston College Eagles, opinions about Brian Kelly, and the direction of the football program, ranged from cautious optimism to utter dismay. And while some of the most extremely pessimistic views of Kelly’s ability to coach at a “high profile” school still haven’t been stifled by Notre Dame’s 31-13 […]

Following the loss to Michigan two weekends ago, Brian Kelly made it clear that the moral victories that come from heartbreaking losses are nothing to hold onto anymore. And while I agree with him, that the Irish should be playing with energy and enthusiasm on every down, following Saturday’s loss to Stanford, it seems that […]

As I slowly recovered from the initial shock of the final play of Notre Dame’s game against Michigan State, something felt eerily familiar—almost like déjà vu. And as I continued to reflect, I realized that I had experienced it before. Notre Dame’s recent loss seems like a link in a chain of disappointments that have had […]

As the Fighting Irish battled the Wolverines toward the end of the game, memories of recent seasons past flashed through my mind. In a game littered with missed assignments, blown coverage, and shoddy tackling, could the Irish squeak out a win? In a few short months with Brian Kelly, could Notre Dame shake their recent reputation of crumbling under pressure and […]