Notre Dame Football

A few years back I was on streak in predicting the outcome of the Notre Dame football season. One year I picked the winner of every game in advance of the season. I can tell you that was pure luck because in recent years I have not done as well. So keep that in mind as I write my notes for 2011. Also keep in mind that while I have been to every home game since 1963 and have been the PA announcer now for 30 years, I have never been to a practice, wouldn't know the coaches if they wandered into my backyard, and I do not hang out at the athletic department.

A new season of Notre Dame football is here! Click the following links to watch all four parts of our season preview: Part 1 Part 2, includes 1-on-1 interview with Brian Kelly Part 3 Part 4

Notre Dame is moving on up! After stuffing Stanford Saturday at the goal line to take a 20-13 overtime win and improve to 6-0, the Fighting Irish have climbed to No. 5 in both the Associated Press and coaches college football polls. In the AP poll, Alabama is number one followed by Oregon, Florida, Kansas State and Notre Dame. LSU, who beat previously No. 3 South Carolina, moved up three spots to 6 th . Ohio State climbed a position to 7 th despite a scare by IU. The Hoosiers rallied but fell short, losing to the Buckeyes Saturday night, 52-49.

Notre Dame football picked up its 18th verbal commitment for the 2013 recruiting class on Saturday. Jamel James, a running back from Katy Texas (Cinco Ranch High School), announced on Twitter that he had given his pledge. "Good to be apart of the #irishmob13," he wrote, adding, "I'm a proud Irish. " James is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He had originally committed to Arkansas, but re-opened his recruitment after Bobby Petrino was fired. He chose the Irish over LSU, Florida State, West Virginia and Houston, according to IrishIllustrated.com.

Add another lifelong   Notre Dame   fan to the 2013 Irish recruiting class. On Sunday, tight end Durham Smythe announced his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on the tail end of his official visit on campus. “Officially committed to the University of Notre Dame! #IrishMob13 #ND,” Smythe tweeted. Smythe, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect from Belton, Texas, gives the Irish 23 commitments. He joins early enrolled Mike Heuerman as the second tight end in the class.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame's last home game gave fans a reason to cheer, and after an up and down season, local businesses seem to be happy with game-day profits. Saturday's win against Utah was the final home game of the season for the Fighting Irish. It was also the last day for local businesses to cash in on Notre Dame Football fever. According to the South Bend-Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau, there were more people to make money from this year. "September hotel occupancy-wise was about 11 percent up (compared with last year)

Notre Dame football fans all across Indiana are putting their pride in their front yards, with homemade “#1” holiday light displays. “It took basically less than an hour to build it,” said Eric Tamashasky, of South Bend, who assembled his “#1” right before Thanksgiving. It's now perched up on his roof. “A lot of people drive by, they honk their horns, if they see us outside, people yell 'Go Irish!' we yell it back,” he said. All it takes to build one are two by fours, staples, a string of lights, and for Derek Tobolski, of Granger, some patience.

SOUTH BEND — It was a somber beginning to the Notre Dame game against Tulsa as the crowd rose for a moment of silence, the only noise that could be heard was the wind rushing through the American Flag. That wind was a stark reminder of the accident on Wednesday, when 20-year-old Notre Dame student and video assistant for the football team, Declan Sullivan fell to his death when the scissor lift he was standing on toppled over. The silence was then broken by a prayer from University President Reverend John Jenkins.

A new Notre Dame football season begins this weekend. Coach Brian Kelly met with the media Tuesday to preview Saturday's season opener against Navy in Ireland. There's always excitement when the new Notre Dame football season begins.   With everything unique about this opener: From the location: Ireland to the fact that the Irish will be starting a quarterback with no experience, the anticipation may be a little larger than normal. Kelly knows that Navy presents some challenges, but he's excited to finally see his team in action when it counts!

Add another lifelong   Notre Dame   fan to the 2013 Irish recruiting class. On Sunday, tight end Durham Smythe announced his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on the tail end of his official visit on campus. “Officially committed to the University of Notre Dame! #IrishMob13 #ND,” Smythe tweeted. Smythe, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect from Belton, Texas, gives the Irish 23 commitments. He joins early enrolled Mike Heuerman as the second tight end in the class.

#1 Notre Dame battles #2 ranked Alabama on January 7 for the BCS national championship. Every weeknight for the next three weeks WSBT-TV, in conjunction with the South Bend Tribune and WSBT Radio with present Road to the Championship , an exclusive, in-depth look at the Notre Dame football team. In this installment, the panel looks at the progression of first-year quarterback Everett Golson. Head coach Brian Kelly talks about Golson's improved decision making with the football.

Notre Dame football fans all across Indiana are putting their pride in their front yards, with homemade “#1” holiday light displays. “It took basically less than an hour to build it,” said Eric Tamashasky, of South Bend, who assembled his “#1” right before Thanksgiving. It's now perched up on his roof. “A lot of people drive by, they honk their horns, if they see us outside, people yell 'Go Irish!' we yell it back,” he said. All it takes to build one are two by fours, staples, a string of lights, and for Derek Tobolski, of Granger, some patience.

On this final day before the election, the presidential nominees are in an all out race to the finish. But the political divide isn't just on the campaign trail - Some families are feeling political tension at home as well. The political ideology of your family may influence your own views, but it doesn't necessarily mean you agree with your family. And that can make for some tough conversations around the dinner table. From the sign in his front yard to his bumper sticker, there's no question who Steve Willis of Mishawaka is voting for on Tuesday.

Before looking forward to Saturday's showdown with the Sooners, it's appropriate to look back one last time on how the Irish have arrived at 7-0. Notre Dame's last two victories were anything but pretty. They had to overcome mistakes and late deficits, to win over Stanford and BYU. And in both wins, the Irish exhibited something we haven't seen in awhile. Toughness. "The pride and tradition of Notre Dame football will not be left to the weak or timid or non-committed," head coach Brian Kelly preaches.  "That's in our locker room.

NOTRE DAME - Three Indiana State Police troopers were in the right place at the right time as thousands of fans made their way to the Notre Dame campus for the football game last Saturday. Troopers Brian McCall, Gary Runde and Ryan Purkiser had just finished their pregame traffic direction assignments and were on foot patrol when they decided to duck into the Hammes bookstore on campus to get out of the rain. Shortly before 2:30 p.m., somebody came up to the troopers in the bookstore and said there was a man on the floor who was not breathing.

Notre Dame is moving on up! After stuffing Stanford Saturday at the goal line to take a 20-13 overtime win and improve to 6-0, the Fighting Irish have climbed to No. 5 in both the Associated Press and coaches college football polls. In the AP poll, Alabama is number one followed by Oregon, Florida, Kansas State and Notre Dame. LSU, who beat previously No. 3 South Carolina, moved up three spots to 6 th . Ohio State climbed a position to 7 th despite a scare by IU. The Hoosiers rallied but fell short, losing to the Buckeyes Saturday night, 52-49.

NOTRE DAME - The oldest rivalry in college football is coming to an end sooner than expected. According to the Associated Press, Notre Dame has notified Michigan it is exercising a three-year out in their contract, meaning their last scheduled game against each other will come in 2014.  The two sides were contracted to play every year through 2017. A letter from Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon canceling games in 2015-2017 was obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

SOUTH BEND -  Gameday weekend is almost here, and you may think those football fans are packing into hotels. But on the contrary. A majority of South Bend hotels are not booked solid for this football season. Here's a list of hotels that still have rooms availability for the season (approximate): Saint Mary's Inn - Purdue, BYU, Wake Forest Hilton Garden Inn - BYU, Pitt, Wake Forest Ivy Court - Purdue, Wake Forest DTSB Double Tree- All but Michigan 933 Holiday Inn- All games Varsity Club - BYU Waterford Estates - All but Michigan Jameson Inn - All except Mich & Stanford Residence Inn - Purdue, Mich, Pitt, Wake Forest DTSB Magnuson - All games   One hotel is booked solid - the Fairfield Inn at Eddy Street Commons.

SOUTH BEND-- A member of the Notre Dame football team's administrative staff experienced a medical emergency on the team's charter flight home from Dublin, Ireland late Saturday night.. Ernest Jones, Notre Dame's director of player development and engagement for the football team, will remain overnight at Memorial Hospital of South Bend while undergoing further evaluation and treatment for dehydration, according to Notre Dame athletic department spokesman John Heisler. Jones is listed in stable condition.