tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:19:41 +0000http://www.ndnation.com/blog/noreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)Blogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-7685512756879746518Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:41:00 +00002008-08-11T10:19:41.578-04:00There is plenty of Kool-Aid being sold in South Bend these days, and I’m surprised by the numbers of folks that are more than eager to guzzle it. Perhaps it’s an elixir that will erase the painful memories of Notre Dame’s 2007 season while pumping up expectations for a splendid campaign in 2008. In any event, my approach to the upcoming football season is one of caution and healthy skepticism. http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2008/08/eyes-wide-shut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-4020497991975552904Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:09:00 +00002008-06-25T18:10:11.342-04:00For those too young to remember, NDNation actually started out as an internet saloon called "The Pub" back in 1999. It essentially began with a bunch of refugees (including Cash, JVan and SEE) from Tom Schlidt's Irish Recruiting Journal after the IRJ was sold to one of the mega sites. Now back then we actually had to keep it secret so that we could share information and because there was no way http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2008/06/word-from-our-sponsor_25.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Rock)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-153383047168541532Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:48:00 +00002008-01-15T23:51:52.128-05:00Lou Holtz coached at Notre Dame for eleven years before the University orchestrated his departure in 1996. Four head coaches have presided over the eleven seasons that followed, including a one-week stint by George O’Leary. These campaigns have resulted in a 78-56 overall record (Holtz was 100-30-2), four losing seasons, no season with fewer than three losses and a 0-7 record in bowl games. Ashttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2008/01/nd-football-at-crossroads.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-3635181044143469697Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:21:00 +00002007-11-24T23:16:23.178-05:00Notre Dame closed its most forgettable season in nearly a half century with a 21-14 victory at Stanford in a mistake-filled game by both teams. The Irish committed four turnovers and squandered several scoring opportunities, while the defense had just enough fuel left to stop the Cardinal in the final seconds. Notre Dame won because it was the more talented team, and individual performances by http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/irish-win-stinker-at-stanford.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-1836658366084618685Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:57:00 +00002007-11-19T11:58:36.457-05:00The following article was written by omahadomer. (please note that ND won when Vannie was out of the country.) History The Stanford Cardinal and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off in what promises to be an interesting game despite the two squads having only five wins between them this year. This will be the programs’ twenty-second match-up. Notre Dame owns a 15-6 advantage in the http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/irish-look-to-end-season-on-positive.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Rock)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-6780452584176902647Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:48:00 +00002007-11-17T21:52:38.205-05:00Our Duke postgame wraupup is courtesy of poster NCIrish “The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades.” Well maybe things aren’t that good yet, but for one Saturday, the Notre Dame Nation was able to enjoy a win. Freshmen Jimmy Clausen & Robert Hughes led the youth movement as the Irish picked up their second win of the season and sent the seniors out with a 28-7 victory over Duke in their http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/youth-is-served.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike Coffey)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-6554528957399178680Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:59:00 +00002007-11-14T17:04:09.479-05:00Our Duke preview is courtesy of BillShakespeare Notre Dame closes its home schedule Saturday and looks to spare its sparse senior class the embarrassment of a winless home slate. There is hope for the Irish this week, as they face off against a Duke team that, unlike any of the first ten Irish opponents, is currently under .500. Inexplicably, Duke’s season mirrors Notre Dame’s in many respectshttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/irish-look-for-second-win-on-senior-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike Coffey)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-4853855232082577219Sun, 11 Nov 2007 02:29:00 +00002007-11-10T21:32:47.111-05:00Our AFA recap is courtesy of poster HarryOliverIsGod For the second consecutive week a service academy came into Notre Dame Stadium and left with a victory. Only this Saturday, the score wasn’t close. Behind quarterback Shaun Carney and versatile Chad Hall, the Air Force Academy easily handled Notre Dame 41-24 to drop the Irish to an all-time record 9th loss of the season. Carney threw two http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/different-week-same-result.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike Coffey)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-8894594369303536168Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:21:00 +00002007-11-07T22:23:12.477-05:00Air Force returns to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday to play the Fighting Irish. The Falcons are 7-3 on the season, but lost to Navy 31-20 in October. First year coach Troy Calhoun has taken over at the academy for Fisher DeBerry, who retired last year after 23 years on the job. Notre Dame will face an option offense for the second consecutive week, while Jimmy Clausen has reclaimed the http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/irish-seek-to-ground-falcons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-428747606866127904Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:29:00 +00002007-11-05T23:15:26.742-05:00I’m rarely at a loss for words after a Notre Dame football game, but Saturday’s stunning 46-44 loss to Navy in three overtimes was difficult to process. The notion that an undersized team of overachievers could defeat a powerful group of highly recruited players is as old as David vs. Goliath, but Appalachian State had already used up this season’s allotment of miracles. In looking more closely, http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/11/43-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-1138611280901048387Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:11:00 +00002007-10-31T22:13:56.146-04:00Notre Dame returns to action after a long-overdue bye week to take on the Midshipmen of Navy at the Stadium on Saturday. Evan Sharpley is the probable starter at quarterback for the Irish, as Jimmy Clausen continues to recover from various injuries. The 4-4 Middies are quite capable of finding the end zone with their well-oiled option attack, but their defense has surrendered 50 points per gamehttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/irish-return-to-battle-navy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-2497658972172525276Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:58:00 +00002007-10-20T23:59:52.793-04:00USC’s defense smothered Notre Dame’s struggling offense on Saturday and won their sixth straight over the Irish by 38-0. The Trojans’ methodical offense stuck with its plan to wear down the Notre Dame defense until the third quarter, when the demoralized Irish were no longer able to put up a fight. After what has arguably been the worst stretch of football in the history of this storied programhttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/trojans-shut-down-irish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-6167824402450060801Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:52:00 +00002007-10-17T22:00:54.364-04:00The USC Trojans return to Notre Dame on Saturday to renew the long standing rivalry between these schools. USC has won the last five contests and is heavily favored to add a sixth. The Irish will start Evan Sharpley at quarterback in an attempt to jumpstart their offense, while the Trojans will make a game time decision between starter John David Booty and Mark Sanchez. USC’s attack has sputteredhttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/ailing-trojans-invade-nd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-8296610368751269206Sun, 14 Oct 2007 05:17:00 +00002007-10-14T13:35:40.006-04:00The pattern has become familiar. Notre Dame dug itself a 20-0 hole. Evan Sharpley tried to rally the offense, only to be done in by another series of mistakes and untimely penalties. A fourth quarter holding call negated a touchdown that would have made for an interesting finish, but Boston College's Matt Ryan and Andre Callender made plays when they counted to beat the Irish 27-14 on Saturday. http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/irish-comeback-put-on-hold.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-3413343372656626820Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:59:00 +00002007-10-11T15:05:02.895-04:00Notre Dame returns home from a successful West Coast venture to take on the undefeated and fourth ranked Boston College Eagles on Saturday. The Irish broke into the win column last week and that taste of victory is sure to whet the appetite for more. This game represents a role reversal for the two programs, wherein Boston College has its sights on a first-ever BCS Bowl invitation while Notre http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/irish-hope-to-ground-eagles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-2055535043467322028Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:36:00 +00002007-10-07T22:22:53.084-04:00Maurice Crum led a hard-hitting Notre Dame defense that created seven turnovers in a 20-6 victory over the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl. The Irish offense had a difficult time moving the ball against the fast and talented Bruins, but Crum and his mates knocked out starting quarterback Ben Olson and pressured his replacement into numerous mistakes. The win is the first for Notre Dame this season, http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/irish-come-up-roses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-1348518903168501412Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:39:00 +00002007-10-04T11:53:46.355-04:00Notre Dame travels to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 83 years on Saturday evening to play the high scoring UCLA Bruins. The game completes the 2006-07 home and home series between these schools that had not previously played each other for over 40 years. The Irish won last season’s thriller by 20-17 on the strength of a last minute Brady Quinn scoring pass to Jeff Samardzija. The Bruins arehttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/underdog-irish-battle-ucla.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-5328463230225780441Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:32:00 +00002007-10-01T21:35:23.134-04:00From Kayo and Bacchus and Kayo (yeah, in that order.) Brock Sprack is happy his team won the game, but he’s still not quite sure what happened. Something must have come over him for the first 30 minutes, but he was back to his old self in the second half. The Purdue coaching staff is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness. Evan Sharpley can be on my team any time. Wanting him http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/10/weis-cracks-and-crack-backs_01.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Rock)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-802156796015694907Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:28:00 +00002007-09-30T00:39:03.138-04:00Notre Dame dug itself another first half hole against Purdue on Saturday, but the Irish battled back behind freshmen receivers Golden Tate and Duval Kamara to put a scare into the Boilermakers before losing 33-19. Evan Sharpley took over for an injured Jimmy Clausen and threw a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes, but continued malfunctions by Notre Dame’s special teams and more needless http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/irish-show-fight-in-loss.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-3653869550184471071Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:28:00 +00002007-09-27T15:31:10.501-04:00Notre Dame travels to Purdue on Saturday to take on the 4-0 Boilermakers. The Irish will face a different type of attack this week after engaging in four consecutive ground wars to open the season. Purdue’s Curtis Painter is the best quarterback Notre Dame will have faced to date, and he is sure to fill the air with passes in Joe Tiller’s spread offense. The Irish will take a physical approachhttp://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/irish-face-purdue-air-show.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-6934634460139529687Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:08:00 +00002007-09-25T21:43:38.887-04:00The 0-4 start by Notre Dame has prompted a spate of analyses, rationalizations and accusations by a number of well-meaning folks and the ever-present band of Irish haters across the country. Some good insights have washed ashore from this sea of words, but there are only two truths that merit further discussion. First, Charlie Weis is not wholly responsible for the current state of Notre Dame http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/my-two-cents.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-1552989043272257206Sun, 23 Sep 2007 05:05:00 +00002007-09-23T01:18:19.226-04:00Notre Dame’s struggles continued on Saturday against Michigan State, as the Spartans defeated the Irish 31-14 to record their sixth straight victory in South Bend. Although Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and began to resurrect its running game, the defense surrendered key plays and the special teams were badly outplayed. The Irish trailed by only 17-14 at the half, but Michigan State took http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/irish-fall-to-spartans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-7691847473188179914Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:55:00 +00002007-09-21T21:49:20.430-04:00Notre Dame returns home to continue the Big Ten portion of the schedule against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. The Fighting Irish are winless in three starts and have been pounded by a combined score of 102-13. Coach Charlie Weis has circled the wagons in practice this week in order to create a sense of urgency among his players, and the student body has responded to adversity in http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/embattled-irish-host-spartans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-5506482106691346505Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:05:00 +00002007-09-16T10:11:28.223-04:00In a horrific display of offensive incompetence, Notre Dame football sunk to a level not seen since December 1985 when the Irish were annihilated 38-0 by Michigan on Saturday. The disaster started from the first play of scrimmage when fifth year senior center John Sullivan launched the snap over the head of Armando Allen and pinned Notre Dame back to its one yard line. Fifty nine minutes later, http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/disgrace-in-ann-arbor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25427364.post-7773997815778614675Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:14:00 +00002007-09-14T19:50:21.311-04:00After suffering two crushing defeats to start their respective seasons, Michigan and Notre Dame will stagger into the Big House on Saturday like a pair of aging, punch-drunk heavyweights. Each team will start a highly recruited freshman quarterback and attempt to rebuild its foundation for the remainder of this season and beyond. Rather than a pre-game flyover by a squadron of F/A-18 Hornets, it’http://www.ndnation.com/blog/2007/09/big-uglies-battle-in-ann-arbor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Vannie)