Windy City Weekend Recap: from a former Leprechaun

Irish Creed sought out former Fightin' Irish Leprechaun, and now current guest writer, David Zimmer ("Leprechaun Diz") to share his weekend experience with the Fightin' Irish Faithful after making the trip to Chicago for the Catholics v. Convicts matchup in Soldier Field.  Not only is David a great friend, and a true Notre Dame Man, but he has a knack for capturing the essence of what will go down as a weekend to remember for thousands of current and former Notre Dame students.    

Catch his Windy City Weekend Recap below, and check out the Irish Creed Exclusive Interview with Leprechaun Diz for some great perspective from someone who truly understands what the Fightin' Irish Spirit is all about: 
Part I Part II

As I woke up last Friday morning I knew that only a couple classes and an exam stood between me and a trip to see my beloved Fighting Irish take on the Miami Hurricanes at Soldier Field in Chicago. Unfortunately on my current campus of Purdue University, where I now attend veterinary school, there was no buzz about the upcoming Catholics vs. Convicts matchup and I was hard pressed to even get a college football conversation out of any of my fellow students. So, during lecture I made do by reading Irish Creed articles and following any recent tweets from @TheNDleprechaun. Luckily, I soon I found myself packing my monogram jacket, lucky suspenders, and faded old ND T-shirt as I prepared for the Windy City.

As I drove down Lake Shore Drive I witnessed the sun setting and the city come alive as if to express its joy that it could once again welcome home a dominant Notre Dame football team. The city lights replaced the setting sun and the monstrous shadow of that spaceship they call Soldier Field loomed overhead as I passed into the city. Arriving at a friend’s apartment in Lincoln Park (home to a solid population of Irish alums) my phone exploded with texts from old friends who were spreading the word of what bars everyone would be at to celebrate our reunion in Chi Town. It wasn’t long before we reached the bars and I got my first glimpse of exactly how many Domers had made the trip to Chicago for the game. Two bars on opposite corners were overflowing with Irish students past and present as lines snaked around the edges of the buildings. When I arrived at the door the bouncer asked me in an exasperated tone, “What’s the occasion? We haven’t been this busy in years.” I simply informed him, “Notre Dame is in town for a football game. And wherever we have a game, this is what a city should expect.”

The following morning I awoke to the sounds of Cathy Richardson belting out the lyrics to “Here Come the Irish” as I joined my friends in jigging around the apartment like six year olds on Christmas morning. As we got ready to hit the Soldier Field parking lot we turned on College Gameday in time to catch Manti Te’o explaining to the nation what it truly means to be a part of a university and college football team that treats its own like family.

Out in the parking lots it was a blur of old friends, Irish faithful, and excited fans as we prepared to descend en masse on the stadium. As I had scavenged tickets at the last minute from a family friend, I made my way to the upper decks of the stadium not sure what to expect. As I looked down on the field I realized that there is not a bad seat in that stadium, especially when it’s hosting our smashmouth football team.  

As the game played on I found that I couldn’t be more pleased with the other fans I got to share my gametime experience with. Even in Section 440, Row 36 (second row from the top), we did pushups for every score, screamed our hearts out on every key play, and never sat down for the entire game. When fans all the way in top of the stadium participate like that, it says something about your university and your football team.

The game ended in dominating fashion and the following day I packed up to head back home for another week of tedious schoolwork, now seemingly a method of passing time between Irish football games. And as I once more drove down Lake Shore Drive, this time heading in the opposite direction, I found myself marveling at the sun as it shown down on this beautiful city. 

I realized that with a 5-0 start, College Gameday coming to The House That Rockne Built, and a chance to beat up on the Stanford Cardinal, the sun was definitely shining down on the Fighting Irish as well.

David Zimmer

Notre Dame Leprechaun 2010-2012

Game Day Pics: CHI-RISH

After each home game, check with Irish Creed as TheNDleprechaun brings you a series of pics from the weekend.  You can also view the pics as they are taken by following on Instagram: "theleprecon" or on Twitter "@TheNDleprechaun"

Fightin' Words: Catholics v Convicts

The Fightin' Irish will take to Soldier Field this Saturday, their historical home away from home for Knute Rockne's 1929 National Championship campaign, during which they went 3-0 in Chicago.  Not only will this weekend's matchup feature a meaningful venue, but it also signals the continuation of a longstanding rivalry between Notre Dame and Miami that will now go on into the foreseeable future due to new scheduling commitments with the ACC.  
The rivalry peaked during the 80s when both football programs consistently fielded elite squads, and the bad blood that ensued branded the matchup between bitter foes as 

"CATHOLICS v CONVICTS" 

when they met in Notre Dame Stadium with the National Championship on the line in 1988.  

To the Notre Dame players who emerged from that battle victorious en route to the 1988 National Title, it was known as "BRAWL MIAMI"... None can explain its significance with more conviction than the legendary Rocket Ismail, who supplies our "Fightin' Words" for the 2012 version of the rivalry in the below 
MUST WATCH VIDEO:

FIGHTIN' WORDS:

"It was about... hey, this my brother, this my brother, 

and some body tryin' to come to our house and disrespect us... 

I'm standin' up for my people..." 

-Rocket Ismail

Here come the CHI-RISH!

The 4-0 Fightin' Irish will invade Chicagoland this weekend as they take to Soldier Field, a historically significant venue that played a large part in the early history of our program, for a night game against Da U, a historically significant rival that played a large part in the resurgence of our program under Lou Holtz.  As droves of faithful fans prepare to embark for the Windy City via the South Shore Line, let us pause to consider the significance of this game in relation to our 2012 campaign...

The Fightin' Irish have not given up a single rushing touchdown this season.

The Fightin' Irish have not trailed at any point this season.

The Fightin' Irish boast the toughest strength of schedule out of any undefeated team this season.

The Fightin' Irish hold a better rank (#9) than any opponent they will face for the rest of the season.


Sounds pretty good, don't it??
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though...

Da U (4-1) comes into this game after a record-breaking day on offense that propelled them to a 44-37 win over NC State last week, and their now-ACC-record-holding QB Stephen Morris (yes, the same Stephen Morris that loved throwing interceptions to Harry Smith in 2010 - see video below) has all the confidence in the world.  Luckily, the Convicts' potent offense is offset by a defense that now ranks a dismal 114th out of 120 FBS schools after surrendering 664 yards in that win.

While we should expect out staunch defense to handle Mr. Morris and his Convict cronies relatively well, don't be shocked if they do manage to put up a few points.  That leaves it to our offense, returning after a bye week during which they hopefully had the chance to sort things out, to take advantage of the Convicts' Swiss Cheese secondary (NC State racked up 440 yards through the air) and their inability to tackle ball carriers (NC State gained an additional 224 on the ground).

All in all, if we can establish the run early on, we should have no problem running away with this one... SHOULD...

Hopefully all the distractions of the Shamrock Series events (not to mention the early Halloween costumes we will be wearing) don't turn this one into a trap game.  If we allow ourselves to come back from our week off lethargic and somehow overlook Da U in anticipation of smoking the Trees next weekend, we might be in trouble.

That's where we, the fans, come in.  Despite its listing as a home game, our defense won't have the additional support provided by a student section in Soldier Field (the student allotment totaled a whopping 288 tickets... thanks for showing appreciation where it's due!).  It's up to every fan attending the game to make up for that misstep by setting the tone from the get-go.  Soldier Field, though appearing somewhat similar to an alien space craft that landed atop its former classically constructed self, fills up quite nicely with sound... much more so than Notre Dame Stadium (no disrespect to the Cathedral of College Football).

Let's take advantage of that by BRINGING THE RUCKUS when our boys in Blue & Gold take the field on Saturday.

Score Prediction:

Catholics: 44

Convicts: 24

Sun Bowl Awards

The 2010 Fighting Irish celebrate after defeating Miami 33-17
 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl (Louis Nix throws down an upside-down "U")

The Fighting Irish finished off 2010 with a 33-17 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Hyundai Sun Bowl, completing a four-game winning streak during which they outscored opponents 108-39.  The offense jumped out to an early lead, and the defense completely shut down Miami's passing game en route to a dominating performance.

Top-Ten most valuable influences on the game:

1.  Brian Kelly –  It was evident from the outset that Kelly had his team motivated, focused, and ready to play despite the many distractions that go along with playing in a bowl game.  He obviously took advantage of the 15 bonus practices between the win over U$C and the Sun Bowl, coming up with a crisp game plan that utilized Notre Dame's strengths and took advantage of Miami's weaknesses perfectly.  It all starts at the top, and due to Kelly's coaching the Fighting Irish were worlds apart from a sloppy and flat Miami team who may have treated their trip to El Paso as nothing more than a vacation.  Unfortunately for them, their holiday was cut short with a rude awakening due to the lethal combination of sub-40 degree weather and an opponent that wanted it much more than they did.

2.  Bob Diaco –  Our defensive coordinator took a tremendous amount of heat after an embarrassing defensive performance against Navy followed by a loss to Tulsa.  Since then, he has engineered a total transformation by forming a defense that has been truly lights-out.  The trend began against the high-powered Utah offense, which could not find the endzone in Notre Dame Stadium, and it continued when U$C could not establish a run game on senior night in the Coliseum.  In the Sun Bowl, Miami's ground attack never had a chance to get going and Diaco's defensive scheme tormented the Hurricane quarterbacks from the outset.  For the first time in a while, defense has become a strength at Notre Dame thanks to Diaco.

3.  Tommy Rees – Kelly's choice for the game ball, the now 4-0 signal caller looked like anything but a true freshman against Miami.  He showed poise in the pocket as he methodically and systematically picked apart a defense that ranked #2 in pass efficiency during the regular season.  Not only did he connect on accurate throws all game long, but he easily recognized and exploited the mismatches that his receivers created.  Most importantly, he played within himself while executing Kelly's game plan brilliantly.

4.  Michael Floyd - Nobody was going to stop Mike from playing like Mike in what may turn out to be his last game for the Fighting Irish.  The superstar receiver broke the all-time record for touchdown receptions in the first quarter, going on to finish the game with 6 catches for 109 yards with 2 scores.  He earned the MVP accolades he was awarded at the end of the game by imposing his will on Miami's secondary, just as he did against U$C and throughout his career at Notre Dame.  He will be sorely missed if he does end up heading to the NFL in 2011, but his leadership and many clutch performances will not be forgotten.

5.  Harrison Smith – Harry became the definition of ball-hawk against Miami, flying all over the field on his way to 7 tackles and 3 interceptions.  Every time Miami looked like they might get a drive started while the game was still within reach, he snatched away all hope by coming up with a big play.  More than once, he came out of absolutely nowhere to jump a route and rip the ball away from a receiver.  Not only did he force Harris our of the game after picking him off for the second time, but he added one against Morris as well.  Needless to say, both quarterbacks are probably still having nightmares about #22.

6.  Theo Riddick – The Chronicles of Riddick continued as Theo returned to his true form by making Riddick-ulous plays in various roles within the Fighting Irish offense.  He helped establish the running game by presenting a dangerous threat every time he lined up in the wild-cat (or Leprechaun, as Kelly calls it) formation, and he showed off his natural ability by gaining positive yardage several times even when plays broke down.  Hopefully his Sun Bowl performance was just a glimpse of future greatness as Kelly continues to come up with creative ways to get him the ball.

7.  Robert Hughes – The only downside to Hughes' recent explosion is that it took this long for him to realize his full potential.  The big bruiser ran with authority in the Sun Bowl, leaving bruised and battered Hurricanes in his path.  His power provided the perfect compliment to Cierre Wood's speed and Theo Riddick's moves, and he even showed off some impressive speed when he caught up to his own fumble along the sideline.

8.  The Irish O-line: Zack Martin, Chris Stewart, Braxston Cave, Trevor Robinson, and Taylor Dever - These beasts gave Rees more than enough time to shred Miami's secondary, and they opened up holes for Hughes, Wood, and Riddick early and often against a defense that was ranked #1 in tackles-for-loss during the regular season.  Most importantly, they set the tone early on by smashing the Hurricane defense in the mouth and letting everyone know that the Fighting Irish came to play.

9.  David Ruffer – Can everyone please beg Brian Kelly to give this kid a scholarship?  (Ask him via twitter!)  Even though he had his first miss of the season, he accounted for 12 points, including an impressive 50 yarder that effectively put the game out of reach before halftime.  Notre Dame hasn't had a consistent kicker in years, and Mr. Dependable continued to prove himself worthy of a scholly with this latest performance.

10.  El Paso, Texas – The hometown crowd sent a volley cheer on high when the Fighting Irish took the field, and they continued to provide Notre Dame with the clear home-field advantage throughout the contest.  The 37 degree temperature coupled with a dusting of snow didn’t hurt either.  Even though the Miami quarterbacks probably won’t blame all those interceptions on their ridiculous neck-warmers (shouldn't the Convicts be well accustomed to wearing ski-masks?!) their discomfort was evident.  While almost all of the men from South Bend went sleeveless, the boys from South Beach looked eager to pack their bags and head back to warmer weather (ironically, chants of "Warm up the bus!" could be heard before the first half even ended).

Sun Bowl Prediction

The Notre Dame vs. Miami Sun Bowl matchup might very well resemble Notre Dame’s last regular season game against the Trojans of Southern Cal. Notre Dame will try to pressure the errant Jacory Harris into his habit of poor decision making, and will need to focus on stopping the dominant, diverse running game that the Hurricanes will try to tire the Irish defense with.

Offensively, Irish fans should expect to see a tough, physical defense, with a Miami front 4 that may be even stronger than that of the Trojans. Miami also boasts the nation’s #2 passing defense, holding opposing quarterbacks to just under 50% completion rates. Tommy Rees has shown good composure and remains confident even after tough series, so one should not be worried about the imposing defense getting into the young starter’s head. The USC game was a solid warm-up for Rees who has had a month to work on his mistakes and improve his game and vision. The recent dominance of rugged Robert Hughes will allow Notre Dame to set up the pass with his hardnosed downfield runs, taking some of the pressure off of Rees.

In the end, Notre Dame will pull out a strong 34-27 win and have some solid momentum going into Coach Kelly’s second season as the commander of the Fighting Irish.

South Bend v. South Beach: Sun Bowl Preview

Notre Dame WR John Goodman recently tweeted: "Yall could be kings but ya'll chose acamademics!" -quote from a Miami player. And yes, that's how he pronounced "academics." Hahahaha.

Those are bold words coming from a player on a team that has recently found it increasingly difficult to fill the seats of Sun Life Stadium, borrowed from the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins for home games.  The 2010 Miami Hurricanes finished with a 3-3 at home, including the first loss to USF in program history which swiftly prompted the firing of head coach Randy Shannnon.  That particular Miami player might need to reconsider his statement since his teammates don’t even seem to be kings of their own castle.  Needless to say, this currently coachless Miami squad is a far cry from the thug-filled teams of the late 80s and early 90s that gave rise to the thug-image associated with “The U” as featured on ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.

Not that Notre Dame coaches, players, or fans should be satisfied with the state of our program considering our own prolific past.  With losses to both Navy and Tulsa, head coach Brian Kelly came under fire from some of the more zealous, irrational, and impatient members of the Fighting Irish fan base during his first year at the helm.  Those same fans seem to be singing a different tune after November wins over Utah, Army, and U$C now that Kelly has his lads poised to ride a swelling wave of momentum to a bowl victory.  A win over Miami in the Hyundai Sun Bowl will be essential to maintaining that momentum throughout the offseason, spring practices, and into next year.

In a press conference on December 18, Kelly commented on the state of Notre Dame Football at the conclusion of his first regular season.  Despite all of the controversy and adversity, much of the same confidence he showed when he first appeared on campus remained.  The most admirable characteristic of his tenure so far has been the unwavering vision he has provided through focus on player development, winning in November, and “getting the defense right.”  In terms of player development, he pointed to the tremendously improved play of almost-forgotten seniors Robert Hughes, Brian Smith, and Duval Kamara.  With only one year under Kelly’s system, these players elevated their games out of the ruts they had previously been stuck in and all three have contributed significantly to our November winning streak.  Just imagine the type of players they could have developed into with four years under the Kelly system.  There is no limit to the potential that can be unlocked by our current players with 2, 3, or 4 more years of eligibility, as long as they come to play every day for the right reasons.

Kelly’s most telling quote during the press conference came during his discussion of offensive tackle Taylor Dever and his passion for the game:  “Let me put it this way, we have some guys that play because there’s 81,000 in that stadium.  Most of our guys would play if not one fan showed up for the game.  Those are the guys that I want… We had too many guys here that were interested in the walk from the Basilica, wearing the Notre Dame helmet, and running out before 81,000.  That can’t be your prime reason for being at the University of Notre Dame.  Now, we’ve changed a lot of that…”

If that quote, reminiscent of the “Irish Creed” that Kelly posted on the wall of the locker room when he arrived, serves as an indicator of where Notre Dame Football is headed, the Fighting Irish Faithful should start preparing now for one hell of a return to glory.

Even though the South Bend v. South Beach matchup on the last day of 2010 does not have the flare that it did during the height of the Catholics v. Convicts rivalry which peaked in 1988 with the “Brawl Miami” game in Notre Dame Stadium (brilliantly recalled by Rocket Ismail here) it represents a first-look at the rejuvenation of our program and a prelude to a reshaped rivalry.

The announcement that Notre Dame and Miami would begin a three-game series two years from now in Chicago’s Soldier Field brought much attention and excitement when it became official this past summer.  Not only does the Sun Bowl provide a prequel, but it also presents tremendous opportunities for both programs.  For one, both teams have been awarded with 15 bonus practices between the end of the regular season and the bowl.  For the Hurricanes, it’s a chance to show off a defense that ranks second nationally in pass efficiency and first in tackles-for-loss.  For the Fighting Irish, the prospect of building upon the confident play of our newfound defense and adding an impressive win to a schedule that was recently ranked by the NCAA as the toughest in the nation (with every opponent besides Purdue and U$C appearing in a bowl) has coaches, players, and fans more than excited.  For those who will be travelling to El Paso, and the millions more across the nation watching on CBS, hopefully it will offer a great way to welcome in the new year with a victory celebration.

ND-MIA: Take It To The House

The Irish and Hurricanes series extension is now official, complete with the dates listed in a University of Miami announcement Thursday afternoon:

October 6, 2012, Soldier Field
October 8, 2016, Notre Dame Stadium
November 25, 2017, Sun Life Stadium

Many Notre Dame freshmen and sophomores weren't alive in 1990, the last time we played "The U." Based on my observations as a student the past few years, current ND kids recall two things about the legendary series:

1. The Catholics vs. Convicts nickname and shirt
2. Rocket Ismail's involvement and recent discussion of the games

While the '88 pre-game fight and even Holtz's "Save Jimmy Johnson for me!" line are remembered, too, the continuity of student section shirt unity and Rocket's on-campus presence make these two factors stand out. Today's students will remember Rocket's fire at pep rallies, and his recollection of the '88 Miami game is also a current favorite:



Notre Dame's players and students—especially of the future—have a great series on the horizon. Something for the future, yes, but also a responsibility to uphold our 15-7-1 series lead.

Two other sidebars about the games: The 2012 date, which continues ND's history at Soldier Field, means a heavy October '12 for the Irish, including the reportedly unsigned but likely game at Oklahoma.

The 2017 date at Miami is Thanksgiving Saturday in an odd year, the biannual weekend when ND typically plays at Stanford. The Miami '17 game represents another strong sign that Notre Dame is moving away from the Stanford series, which is already scheduled to end after the 2011 season.

While the oddly scheduled Miami dates do not constitute a replacement for Stanford, the home-road-neutral trifecta with a name program is a huge coup for Swarbrick and other administrators who control football scheduling. ND's ability to place the neutral game in Chicago is a favorable bonus to this already-sweet deal.

ESPN.com July 23, 2010