thechargeoffightingmen-blog
The Charge of Fighting Men
THE CHARGE OF FIGHTING MEN
The march is on, no brain or brawn, can stop the charge of fighting men. Loud sings the cry, a grim defy, of hard attack let loose again. O it's hike, hike, hike to victory, the call to rise and strike. For Notre Dame men are winning, when Notre Dame hears hike, hike, hike.
Followers of the Fighting Irish since becoming sentient in 1984. This is the Notre Dame in our memory and our lifetime.
36 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
pamtango
Animation wannabe
moriiartist
Mori!
trans-man-wit-no-plan
James He/Him
bishopfish
Holy Mackerel
Text
Flippers
The Flippers
Everett Golson
Golson is a signal caller from South Carolina and initially committed to North Carolina. His height has been measured from 5'11" to 6'0" and weighs in at 170-pounds. Rivals gave him 3-stars and Scout gave him 4 in their respective evaluations. Golson spurned offers from the top programs in the nation to come to Notre Dame, including: Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Michigan.
Golson committed to Notre Dame in early December. He fits the mold as a pure spread quarterback. Irish fans have evoked comparisons to Tony Rice and Kevin McDougal (sidenote: hmm, why those two QB's and not Rick Mirer?). He is extremely mobile and has a gun for an arm. Of course, he is underweight and needs to hit Longo Beach early and often. The good news is that Golson decided to early enroll, which puts him in position to compete at the wide-open QB spot with Dayne Crist, Tommy Rees, and Andrew Hendrix. Golson was a tremendous switch for the Irish recruiting staff, as ND desperately needed a QB to provide the necessary competition and motivation for returning players.
Chase Hounshell
The former Florida commit checks in at 6'5", 242 lbs. and is projected to play on the Irish offensive line. He received 3 stars from both Rivals and Scout and fielded offers from Iowa and Wisconsin in addition to Florida.
Hounshell made the switch to Notre Dame after Urban Meyer announced that he was stepping down. The loquacious lineman also has a very interesting and active twitter account: http://twitter.com/chasehounshell
Nick Martin
Martin, the brother of current Irish lineman, Zach, was originally committed to Kentucky. Michigan, UCLA, Tennessee, Stanford and Iowa offered the 6'5", 250 lbs. Martin, who hails from Indianapolis.
Martin was the 20th commitment in the class, and should add much needed depth to the Irish offensive line. He is rated a 3 star recruit by both Rivals and Scout.
0 notes
Text
Runaway Brides
I decided to hold off doing a post about the 2011 Notre Dame football class until after Signing Day because recruiting is such a fluid process. Recruiting can be broken down into two rough categories:
There are those that commit and remain solid commitments until Signing Day.
Then there are those that commit, but then change their minds for whatever reason.
This year, Notre Dame familiarized itself with a hybrid of the first two categories: those that commit to Notre Dame, then decommit from Notre Dame and commit to another school, then re-commit to Notre Dame and ultimately sign their letter of intent with the Irish.
I have been paying attention to recruiting since the early 2000's and I have never seen the third category. But it happened to Notre Dame this year. Twice. To say that Brian Kelly's first full recruiting campaign was a roller coaster ride is an understatement.
But before introducing the 23 members of the Class of 2011, let's first get to those who left the Irish at the altar.
Clay Burton
Burton is a 6'3", 230-pound weakside defensive end out of Venice, Florida. He is rated as a 3-star recruit on both Scout and Rivals. Burton gave his commitment to the Irish on June 19, 2010. Notre Dame initially beat out Florida, Miami, Georgia, Michigan and Clemson for his services. Burton commented that he was impressed by Tony Alford and the camaraderie among the Irish players.
But on October 25, 2010, he formally switched his commitment to the Florida Gators to join his brother Trey. Burton's reason for his change of heart was not due to Navy's 35-17 thrashing of the Irish two days earlier. Instead it was Florida coach Urban Meyer's decision to offer him a scholarship. Burton jumped at the chance to join his brother, immediately accepting Meyer's offer and notifying the Irish he was no longer on their commitment list, to the chagrin of the Irish coaching staff.
Justice Hayes
Hayes committed to the Irish on July 30, 2010. The Grand Blanc, Michigan product is an elusive running back, weighing in at 175 pounds and is listed at 5'10". Hayes rates as a 4-star on Rivals and Scout and received offers from Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Michigan State among others. Hayes was one of the Irish's top prizes- he replaced future Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in high school and did not disappoint. He initially committed to Notre Dame on July 30, 2010.
Hayes described Notre Dame as "a Justice Hayes wonderland." But by late November, the loquacious running back had soured on the Irish. He mentioned that he had problems during his official visit meeting with the coaches, and within a few days of announcing he was re-opening his commitment, he switched to Michigan.
Bennett Okotcha
The 6'0", 175-pound defensive back was a late commitment to the Irish. He was actually aligned with Wisconsin until Notre Dame secured the pledge of his teammate, Cam McDaniel. Okotcha, given 3-stars by both Rivals and Scout, fielded scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Baylor, Minnesota, Wake Forest, and the Badgers. He committed to Notre Dame on December 6, 2010, 4 months after initially committing to Wisconsin.
A few days before signing day, Okotcha decided to stay closer to home and sign with Oklahoma instead. This led Brian Kelly to convince WR/Special Teams maven Bennett Jackson to start focusing on the defensive side of the ball to address Notre Dame's thin cornerback depth.
Jordan Prestwood
Prestwood was one of Notre Dame's earliest pledges, committing on April 5, 2010. The 6'6" 280-pound offensive lineman was considered the cornerstone of the Irish's OL recruiting effort. Rated a 3-star on Rivals and a 4-star on Scout, Prestwood was pursued by Florida, Florida State, USC, Alabama, Auburn, among many others. Prestwood even noted in his press conference that joining Notre Dame was an "easy decision."
Of course Prestwood would not be in his section if there was a happy ending. He decommitted in mid-October, and finally sided with the Florida State Seminoles on November 15, 2010.
Coming next week: the Flippers
#Class of 2011,#commitments,#Notre Dame#bennett okotcha#clay burton#decommitments#jordan prestwood#justice hayes#recruiting
1 note
·
View note
Text
Redemption in the Rain
On a cold day in late November, 1990, I saw Notre Dame for the first time in person. I don't remember much except that my parents bundled me up in an over-sized jacket and gloves, and the PA announcer kept butchering Rick Mirer's name. The Irish won, 10-6.
I went to every Notre Dame/USC game thereafter in LA. I bragged about how since I had been alive, ND had never lost to SC. But that all changed in 1996, Lou Holtz's last game. ND lost in overtime. I was crushed, and sat in stunned silence while SC fans stormed the field.
In 2004, I skipped my first ND/USC game. I had grown so disgusted with Tyrone Willingham's performance that I preferred not watching ND get waxed by Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. When the Irish were predictably blown out, I was at my lowest as a Notre Dame fan.
I had seen two more pitiful performances in LA after that. In 2006, the Brady Quinn led Irish were again run off the field, and in 2008, the Irish could not muster a first down until the 4th quarter. I stayed until the end of the games because I knew victory would not be sweet until I had seen the Irish hit bottom.
This year marked the twentieth anniversary of my first Notre Dame game. I sat with my brother in the stands, aloft in the corner of the end zone where Harrison Smith made the clinching interception. The seats were horrible, but we could have been sitting on the flame and the experience would have been worth it.
I was dumbstruck after Harrison Smith's game-saving interception in the waning seconds. I had expected the worst, and instead, the best had happened.
Ronald Johnson dropped a sure touchdown- right in front of us. The drop was an emotional whiplash feeling of "OH NO! HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!" to "YESSS!!!!!!"
The Trojans gamely fought on, converting on the ensuing 4th and 6 and then another first down right after that. This time my emotions had time to gradually build up to the "OH NO! HERE WE GO AGAIN!" feeling before Mitch Mustain lofted a wayward pass into the welcoming arms of my new favorite Tennessean.
I don't have the words to describe the jubilation, relief, ecstasy and catharsis that I experienced after that. I just stared at the field, looking to see if the play was taken away by a penalty, or a subsequent ruling that Smith dropped the pass.
I turned next to my brother, and he was crying. It was the first time in my life he cried, but I did not. We hugged. I then started to hug strangers.
Notre Dame had finally redeemed itself in LA. It was 10 years since Matt LoVecchio led us to victory in LA. But this win was extra sweet. It was in the worst circumstances that the Irish prevailed. Do I care that the Irish should have lost the game- with 4 turnovers and a blown coverage that should have cost ND a touchdown? No, not one iota.
And now, the Irish get Miami in a bowl game. Another couple of weeks where I get to relive my childhood and I couldn't be happier.
12/8/10
0 notes
Photo
Hayseed tells SC that eight is enough.
11/27/10
0 notes
Photo
Taking one to the House that Steinbrenner built.
11/20/10
0 notes
Photo
Notre Dame 19, Army 7
The full corps of West Point Military Academy, 1846 strong, marched into Yankee Stadium before the start of the game. It was the 25th anniversary of the teams' first meeting, in 1913. October 29, 1938. Courtesy of the New York Times.
11/16/10
0 notes
Photo
The Low Man Wins
Covington, who is smaller even than Notre Dame's kicker, said that he tried to keep low on the tackle, because he had been taught that "low man wins."
"He probably should have driven me into the end zone with his weight advantage," Covington said. "I'm not as strong as he is. I definitely don't weigh as much. I just wanted to make the play; I just wanted to take him down, and I did."
Courtesy of the New York Times.
11/15/10
0 notes
Photo
While there has been some debate about whether ND should wear green or blue jerseys, one thing is for sure: they won't wear pinstripes.
11/15/10
0 notes
Photo
This week's image is of Duval Kamara's second touchdown catch of the day, giving Notre Dame a 28-3 lead over Utah. ND held on for the 28-3 win, giving the Irish its first win against a ranked opponent since 2006, and its first 25 point win over a Top 15 team since 1996.
11/13/10
0 notes
Text
Senior Day and The New Normal
Senior Day is always a bittersweet day for programs across the country. Until 2008, I had only witnessed Senior Day at the Old Gray Lady, the decrepit Los Angeles Coliseum. Trojan football alumni form a tunnel, high-fiving and saluting Trojan seniors as they sprint out of the tunnel for the final time. I choose to spend that time lustily booing.
My first Senior Day at Notre Dame was the tragicomic Syracuse game. My brother and my dad flew out for the game. They picked that game in part because they wanted to see a sure win, and we always had a inexplicable curiosity with Syracuse. Their orange and blue uniforms mesmerized us. The color contrast was so vivid and striking that it was impossible not to like them.
But Syracuse had fallen on hard times. They had fired Paul Pasqualoni several years before and hired ex-NFL Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson. Robinson's tenure was a train-wreck to be sure, to the point where a blog nicknamed him "Gerg" ("In addition to finding sudden joy in mistyping Gerg Robinson's name, since "Gerg" seems like such a better nickname than any other we can make up, the long, painful, fat-man-tumbling-downhill decline of Syracuse is made all the more interesting for us as teams now seemingly out of league are now licking their chops at the prospect of playing the Orangemen.")
Robinson was fired before the game was even played. He was allowed to finish the season. The game was sure to be a laugher. Unfortunately, the joke was on us. Notre Dame predictably blew a 23-10 lead and Syracuse won 24-23 in the final minute. It was the coldest I had ever been at a football game. I remember constantly moving my feet up and down so that I wouldn't get frostbite. Everyone was so bundled up that my Dad lost sight of my brother in the stands and ended up sitting behind him and calling to ask where he went.
Others remember it as the "snowball" game; it snowed the night before and the ushers hadn't cleared out the snow out of the stands. As a result, students lofted snowballs onto the field before, during, and after the game. I chose that time to lustily boo Charlie Weis.
The next year was my Senior Day, of sorts. Technically I wasn't a senior (I was a third year law student), but it was my final game as a student in Notre Dame Stadium. By then, I just assumed that Notre Dame would lose in gut-wrenching fashion to UConn. I wasn't as stunned when it happened. Charlie Weis was in such poor physical shape that the team joined him in his walk out of the tunnel. I still lustily booed, but I had never seen more a depressing environment for a football game. It was "Dead Man Walking" personified, with Weis' gait resembling that of a zombie.
Saturday gives Notre Dame a chance to redeem its season. But with this season spiraling out of control, it's hard to expect anything but someone lustily booing in the end. And so I ask, is this "the new normal"?
11/9/10
0 notes
Photo
Images of the week (in order):
1. The first image is Tulsa's John Flanders interception of a Tommy Rees pass in the end zone to preserve a Tulsa victory. Even though Notre Dame was well within field goal range (and has the most accurate kicker in school history), Brian Kelly inexplicably attempted to throw a deep fade to Michael Floyd.
2. The second image is Brian Kelly's reaction to said decision. Kelly said in the press conference that he would call that play "over and over again" and insists he made the right decision, but that the execution was poor.
3. The third image is what Brian Kelly will likely face (and justifiably so) after the game and until he hands in his resignation letter.
0 notes
Text
Declan Sullivan
By now, most have heard about the tragedy at Notre Dame. Junior Declan Sullivan was killed after 51 MPH winds toppled the hydraulic scissorlift that he was perched on. Sullivan was filming practice for the football team.
I don't have much to add to this tragedy, other than to wonder aloud why anyone could permit him to stay up at such an altitude in the face of tornado-like winds.
May God bless his family and may God rest his soul.
10/28/10
0 notes
Link
Former Rice football player Joseph Agnew is suing the NCAA, arguing that the renewable one-year scholarship term violates federal antitrust laws.
Note that the NCAA is not immune from antitrust scrutiny, having been sued (successfully) in 1984 for restricting school participation in televised games. See NCAA v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Oklahoma, 468 U.S. 85 (1984).
10/26/10
0 notes
Link
Clay Burton decommits from Notre Dame, implying that he used the Irish as a safety school until Florida's coaching staff offered him a scholarship.
10/25/10.
0 notes
Link
The Wall Street Journal looks at the track record of former Big East coaches.
10/24/10
0 notes
Quote
"I have great trust in my staff," he said, his voice rising. "Defensively, we didn't have a great answer today. But you know what? We've had answers all year defensively. So we didn't have the answers today. We're going to have to go back and look at the film and find out. I've got smart coaches. I've got dedicated coaches. They're not dummies.You can all write what you want, 'cause THE FIRST THING I'd look at is, shoot, basic fundamentals is to stop the fullback. Well, he had (210) yards today and I don't have a bunch of dummies on my staff. We know that, so you can write what you want about it. My guys didn't have the plan today. We've got to go back and look at the plan. We've got to evaluate the plan and if we've got to change the plan moving forward, we'll change the plan. But we're going to get it right because we've got too many guys committed to getting Notre Dame back to where we believe it should be."
10/24/10
http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20101023/SPORTS13/101029721/1023/SPORTS13
0 notes