Notre Dame did what you're supposed to do to a team missing its best player Saturday, pounding Virginia 28-3 on the road. Much of the game was perfunctory due to how hopeless the Cavaliers looked offensively, which was certainly because of the absence of Brennan Armstrong, out with a rib injury. However, it's worth crediting [...]
If you’re a long-time reader of this blog - especially if you go back to when we were on the old site – you probably know I’m a fan of the triple option. I know this is anathema to most Notre Dame fans, but it’s always been my little quirk. It’s a simple offense so [...]
Welcome back to the latest edition of America's favorite question and answer segment from 18 Stripes. Today, we'll tackle the sudden coaching vacancy at TCU, the Heisman race, how the initial playoff rankings will be handled, plus a look at a pair of forlorn head coaches at major programs. 1) The Heisman race is heating [...]
Another week, another effective performance against a flawed but offensively formidable opponent. This time though, the Irish offense was efficient enough that the advanced stats view the game much more positively. An advantage in yards per play, success rate, and points per scoring opportunity led to a solid bump from both SP+ and FPI, right [...]
It was a very quick first half and a bit of a slow start for both Notre Dame and North Carolina on Saturday evening in South Bend before the offenses finally started piling up the points later in the game. That, and both defenses struggled mightily to contain their opponents. The over/under was 62.5 and [...]
Late in Notre Dame's 44-34 win over North Carolina, the NBC broadcast team discussed that the Irish aren't winning pretty or in dominating fashion - they're just winning. It's something of an 18 Stripes motto that, well, winning is hard. Week after week, doing enough to fight off your opponents, especially on nights you don't [...]
Notre Dame played easily its most complete game of the season Saturday, and picked a fine time to do it, dispatching rival USC 31-16 to get this 'bridge season' back on track. There was plenty to like from the Irish's performance, and even more so because the one thing that went seriously wrong - an [...]
As it turns out, it was not time to talk to your kids about Iowa football. Purdue's very much non-fluky win over the erstwhile #2 team - they outgained Iowa by almost 200 yards, allowed just 86 yards in the second half, and never trailed on their way to a three-score final margin - was very good [...]
Welcome back to the 18Stripes G5 Top 10. We had some interesting movement due to some surprising results. Let's cut the intro down and get right to it. Also Considered: BYU, Liberty, UAB, App State, Western Michigan Week 7 Recap Movers and Shakers For a quick peek behind the scenes of how I go through [...]
The advanced stats box score shows a comfortable Notre Dame victory, while the scoreboard and viewing experience against Virginia Tech were extremely unsettling for most of the game. The Irish may have discovered a new offensive identity under Tyler Buchner with rushing efficiency strengths resembling 2020, only with a clear weakness on passing downs where [...]
Sometimes you just have no explanation for anything. Notre Dame pulled off a seemingly miraculous 32-29 win over Virginia Tech Saturday night in a game they frankly had no business winning for a million reasons. But somehow, someway, ND survived and will enter a much-needed off week at 5-1 with a chance to reset before [...]
I haven't worked on this since Cincy's stinkin' Bearcats ruined everything. And thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice over it? We're closed! Definitely a Notre Dame fan. It was a rough one. As [...]
There are coaching losses and there are coaching losses. For this game, the plan was fine (good, even - had one of those inside runs broken maybe it all would feel different), the placalling was fine. Turnovers, if you (as you should) count Cincy's missed field goals as turnovers, ended up even. But. ND set [...]
Imagine any Notre Dame team from 1997-2014 winning a game in which its third-string quarterback was taking whacks behind a line anchored by its third and fourth-string left tackle while the starting defensive tackle was out too. The Irish have reached that level as a program and they proved it with a satisfying 31-point fourth-quarter [...]
Notre Dame football might not be as entertaining, or as good, as a year ago, but for the moment the Irish remain undefeated after beating Purdue 27-13. The game was, mostly by default, ND's best performance of the season. It also tied Brian Kelly with Knute Rockne with 105 wins at Notre Dame. As the [...]
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