Rain rain rain
Rain rain rain
Rain rain rain
Getting high
Dateline: Flint Lake, IN
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| Jerrence & Defarge bit adieu to autumn. |
One can hear, almost daily, Defarge wax euphoric about the wildlife.
"Jerrence, the loons! The loons!"
So it's fitting that last Saturday represented something of a (presumed) point of inflection, both meteorologically (I think we experienced three seasons in about an 8 hr. period) and from the football team's performance.
Easily the cleanest game the team has played this year -- the lack of ACC referees probably had a little something to do with it -- it would appear that nine games into the season, this team has transitioned from young, athletic but reactive => one that believes it can aggressively dictate on both sides of the ball.
Quote of the Week
Four-star DB Khalil Terry
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| "Alex, what is 'a quote never said about Brian Kelly'?" |
Notre Dame's latest 2027 commit didn't plan to commit during his visit last weekend, until a meeting with Marcus Freeman changed his mind.
Huh. There's something you don't see every day, at least at ND. One suspects this may become more the rule than the exception.
Word of the Month
Just exactly, how good was this team?
Not unrelated, there was the matter of the kicking game. Or lack thereof. Metaphorically speaking, with an injured graduate transfer starter, our placekicking was in full hemorrhage mode and the patient was dying on the table.
With three games and the playoffs in front of the team, Jerrence knew this was not a good place to be.
And yet, even with the inclement weather -- the game had persistent rain turning to snow -- ND's freshman kicker acquitted himself flawlessly. Whether it was place kicks or kick off's, the kid was pretty much dead center -- and long.
So...
For at least one week, it would seem a tourniquet had been applied to a critical area that the team would surely need a contribution from over the next two months.
The question would be, would it stick?
We're gonna see: Saturday's weather in Pittsburgh is now looking pretty optimal, upper 50F's, no rain and a little wind.
Go get 'em, Erik.
Game 9 Thoughts
But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
Things you don't necessarily get reminded of when you're actually at the game, inside the stadium:
I'm re-watching the game, as one does, and they flash up on the screen one of the Navy players, with his stats and an accompanying picture of the fellow is his dress blues... and it immediately hits me:
For the Navy players, playing football is, AT BEST, only the 2nd most important thing these young men are being trained for.
Always puts the game in perspective for me.
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At this point in the season, and not wishing to keep repeating the same observations, not much to really say about the game.
And yet, one can also argue that the entire game was remarkably devoid of much drama. ND scored on their first drive and even when Navy tied it up, it still didn't feel terribly threatening. Sure, Navy's starting QB didn't play -- and that was known about an hour or so before kick off -- but no one thinks that made an appreciable difference.
And yet, it didn't happen. At some point, ND Nation is going to start giving Ash his due. He's a very good DC that needed a little time to understand his personnel's strengths and weaknesses. In hindsight, that doesn't seem so unreasonable but whoever said sports fans have to be rational?
Now that said, I'm convinced every game this year will remain a referendum on him. Good luck, Chris!
3. Mutual Respect. Very few things renew my faith in human nature these days... but these two teams gathering for each other's alma maters is one of them.
Buddy's Buddy
I was tempted to nominate our freshman kicker's performance -- flawless on "seven, count 'em seven!" PAT's and kickoffs that not only never tempted the sidelines but hit the back of the end zone on virtually every kick.
Clearly, the kid has a leg. It remains to be seen if he has the head.
But even I don't have quite that level of taste for the sarcastic. Plus we kickers need to stick together.
Unlike historical efforts against the Midshipmen, once the game started, did anyone really worry much about handling Navy's offense?
I don't think so. People talk about the increased athleticism of the defense but what I think separates that unit from past teams is their overall speed.
And last Saturday night, Jaiden Ausberry was the embodiment of that success, playing arguably the game of his career: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a sack.
He's a kid that tends to get overlooked when you look at his other position mates: Kyngstonn's gonna be a future high draft choice, Drayk is increasingly Jack Kiser-esque in his making calls (and tackles), Sneed seems to make the big sack when the team most needs it. And the freshman Madden Faraimo played more than half the game -- so much for needing experience to play against Navy's O -- suggesting the coaches know this kid is going to be impossible to keep off the field.
And yet, Ausberry just does his job without a whole lot of fanfare. Bravo.
Between this game and your dad's promotion as the new LSU Athletic Director (be careful what you wish for), a nice week for the Ausberry family.
RE-PETE (A shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mail-bag)
There's enough already written about the path to the playoffs, who the eff knows what's going on with Jaden Greathouse and we seem to have put the torches and pitchforks away for Chris Ash -- although that could change at any moment...
So why not tee up something -- or someone(s) -- that haven't been grabbing any headlines but arguably should be getting a little more recognition?
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Looking ahead to Senior Day, who are some graduating seniors who have been unheralded but instrumental in building and continuing the culture of this team? Any favorites of the coaching staff and fellow players who have been more beloved for their off-the-field contributions and leadership? — Tae K.
It’s interesting to look at how much could potentially return from this year’s roster in 2026, even without Love and Price. The Irish will lose seven graduate transfers. And they’ll lose Gabe Rubio, Eli Raridon, Junior Tuihalamaka and Jordan Botelho. There’s a chance Notre Dame gets waivers for James Rendell and Jason Onye to return. Everybody else in the rotations could potentially come back, which is one of the reasons the staff privately looked at next year being a potential CFP-run kind of season.
USC worked to get him to flip late in his recruitment after Brian Kelly bolted for LSU, but Freeman kept him on board. He started out at LB but became an undersized DE who never started.
Would Tuihalamaka have asked to redshirt last season if Botelho and Boubacar Traore didn’t get injured at Purdue? That’s hard to say. But when Notre Dame needed a reserve DE to do a job, Tuihalamaka did that job. His fumble recovery against Georgia was a career-defining play.
Tuihalamaka has just seven tackles this season in nine games. Yet he leads the team in QB hurries with five, per Notre Dame’s stats. Pro Football Focus has credited Tuihalamaka with 13 pressures in 213 snaps. Only Traore and Jared Dawson have been more productive on a per snap basis.
Every program needs guys who not only wait their turn, but keep showing up when it’s clear the staff has bigger, better and flashier options. Tuihalamaka has been that guy for Notre Dame the past two seasons.
Source: The Athletic
November 13, 2025
Cocktail of the Month
One week, the team looks completely disinterested in playing a game.
The next week, the team looks dominant.
Schizophrenic or chemically induced?
Hello, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MUDSLIDE
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
Dr. Jekyll slowly loses Power over Mr. Hyde, who grows stronger with each transformation while his list of crimes grows longer.
Indulge your inner vices with this decadent chocolaty treat of a cocktail, and hope it doesn't lead to any monstrous transmogrifications.
Yield: 1 serving
-- 1 oz. vodka
-- 1 oz. coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa)
-- 1 oz. Irish cream liqueur (e.g., Baileys)
-- chocolate syrup
-- whipped cream, for garnish (optional)
-----------------------------
1. Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream liqueur to a mixing glass.
2. Fill the mixing glass with ice cubes.
3. Choose a rocks glass or a short tumbler, and drizzle chocolate syrup along the inside of the glass.
4. Strain the mixture of vodka and liqueurs into the prepared glass.
5. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, if using.
Source: The Turn of the Screwdriver
50 Dark & Twisted Literary Cocktails
By Iphigenia Jones
Schedule 202
August
31 @Miami L
September
13 Texas A&M L
20 Purdue W Corrigan brother reunion!
27 @Arkansas W Soooiiieeee!
October
4 Boise St. W Alumni Hall Reunion weekend, Union Pier MI
11 NC State W
18 USC W "Lincoln, We Hardly Knew Ye" (wussy)
November
1 @BC W
9 Navy W
16 @Pitt
23 Syracuse
29 @Stanford
December
19-20 PLAYOFF GAME!
Wager 2025
One step ahead of you
Time is running out...
Wins | ND Equivalence | Domer |
12  The Joker | "Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" ----- Ledger's Joker is mercurial, charismatic and a complete psychopath. Utterly unforgettable. Just as a Notre Dame undefeated, on-their-way-to-a-national championship-season would be. |
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11  Otto | "Don't call me stupid!" ----- Ex-CIA operative Otto lives at the intersection of dangerous and moronic. An 'Otto season' for ND would be a rollercoaster -- a lot of fun with youth at some key positions, and likely more than it's fair share of 'that wasn't very clever' moments. | Gutsch , Sloane Daryl Jim S. Peter Tim TedBill Jim B Pat B George Alex, Feif Garrett Spit the Elder |
10  | "That's a bingo!" ----- Jew hunter Landa -- equal parts chillingly pathological and pragmatic, this character would probably represent a 10-win regular season that might make you sick to your stomach but ultimately pretty satisfied. | Jerrence, Mike C, Tim C. Mark U. Jerry P. Jerry C. Mike B. Brian W. Jim T. Mike G, Bose Jerry W Lini, Randy Greg Kyle W. |
9  RP McMurphy | "I'm a goddamn marvel of modern science." ----- What's the residual emotion from Cuckoo's Nest? Sadness. RP, a guy who sees things clearly but can't get out of his own way. When it doesn't end well, one is left thinking what could've been. Like a 9-win season.
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8  | "I don't know who I am. Or where I'm going. None of it." ------ An apt summary of an 8-win ND season. A lot of difficult questions ultimately unanswered. Still, the Bourne trilogy rocks and JB is The Man. | |
7  | "I'm thinking I'm back..." ----- For many, ND winning only 7 games would be akin to someone shooting their dog -- and requiring appropriate payback. And like with John Wick, rationale requiring very few words of explanation. | |
6  | "Are you not entertained!" ------Probably not, if ND only won six games... but that's not the point here: it probably says a lot about me that the final ranked character is the most moral, selfless one of the bunch. | |
Sports Imitating Art.
The Agony in the Garden, by Eugène Delacroix, 1824-27
Schadenfreude of the Week.
3/4 of the season in the books and while one can still revel in your favorite rival going down, now is the time we begin to seriously scoreboard watch...
Accordingly, let's review last week's relevant games and how we did... so close to being an A+ weekend -- even when Penn State loses, they disappoint -- but we'll take what we can get.
Let's call it a C+ in outcomes.
-- Miss St. over #5 Georgia
-- #3 Texas A&M over #22 Missouri
-- Iowa over #9 Oregon
-- Auburn over #16 Vandy
-- Wake Forest over #14 UVA
-- Cal over #15 Louisville
-- LSU over #4 Alabama
The biggest takeaway from a weekend highlighted by a couple of big near misses:
"A Virginia loss would go a long way toward the ACC ending up as a 1-bid league and so, to a lesser extent, would a Louisville loss."
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"Scary cult" does not go far enough to describe that organization.
So if someone had to lose between BYU and Texas Tech and while either would benefit ND, it might as well be Team Joseph Smith. And if the Cougars losing pisses off Heavenly Father, good.
2. Missouri / LSU. Do I care about Missouri or LSU losing? No I do not.
Do I want to have a reason to put this week's latest SEC Shorts, with a great reference to ND in the blog? Yes, I absolutely do.
Terry's Tools.
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| New and improved (?) |
In recently chatting with Robert Rasmus, Esq., I asked the not-so-rhetorical question:
Is Curt Cignetti the most unlikable coach in college football?
Bob's answer was quick and decisive: "No. But he's in the short list conversation."
A fair evaluation. Proving the point that there's a strong candidate pool of coaching dickheads, even beyond the 'fall outta bed' easy choices like Lincoln Riley, Ryan Day and...
Does James Franklin / Brian Kelly still count?
Anyway this week, we have a special Notre Dame related list...
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Pain and love, oh yeah, are the same thing...
1) Joey McGuire . The head coach at Texas Tech -- a program with 3 double-digit win seasons since 1970, is the latest to fire the very tired "everyone should be in a conference" shot at Notre Dame.
Feeling fat and sassy after beating BYU to put his Red Raiders in the driver's seat for a playoff spot...
...BTW, the $28M the school spent on transfers had nothing to do with your newfound success, did it...
I think that I have a lot of respect for them entering a conference and not playing an independent schedule like other people—y’all already know who that is.
Yes, Joey, we know who you're talking about, though we appreciate the clarification. The state of Texas being, historically, such aficionados of subtlety, the rest of us often need to catch up.
FWIW, Tech's strength of schedule is #68 per the Sagarin Ratings. (ND's is #22.)
Okay, that's last bit is somewhat speculative on my part.
But as for the first half, sure, whatever you say, coach. Although I'm not sure how the team responds to a very public "I don't care if they lay 100 on us" proclamation.
Apparently attempting to use The Princess Bride's Miracle Max legal strategy ("he's only mostly dead") to say that Brian Kelly wasn't o'fficially' fired, therefore he was...
What? Derelict in his duty?... and therefore can be fired for cause, thus avoiding a $54M pay out.
Huh. Good luck with that. Of course, if this case gets argued in Louisiana, you probably have a reasonable shot.
Don't you love farce? My fault, I fear
I thought that you'd want what I want
Sorry, my dear
But where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns
Don't bothеr, they're herе.
Good luck attracting all those future head coach candidates.
Name of the Week
But I digress.
In this season, without giving anything away, penguins play a short but important role in the advancement of the story. It got me to thinking about other goofy, lovable creatures that exist outside the walls of Dillon. And sure enough, what athlete's name crosses my desk?
Now a graduate transfer to East Carolina, whose major was appropriately "Parks & Recreation," Mr. Askew is a 6'3", 300 lb. Panda.
Given those bears can get as big as 6' and 250 lbs. and what looks to be a man of affable nature, I'd say he's been aptly named.
The world's most ridiculous animals? How they're not extinct is a mystery to me.
Trivia
Q. What song has more than 1,000 known cover versions, the originalhaving sold over 10M copies.
A) House of The Rising Sun (The Animals)
B) Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan)
C) Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
D) Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum)
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Final Thoughts
Wondering who to root for this weekend, it's simple. As distasteful as it may seem, root for Bama, Georgia and (ugh) USC:
Noon ET: #10 Notre Dame at #24 Pittsburgh
3:30 p.m. ET: #12 Oklahoma at #4 Alabama
3:30 p.m. ET: #20 lowa at #19 USC
7:30 p.m. ET: #11 Texas at #5 Georgia
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