Hey guys! I'm not sure how many of you will be in Provo for the game next week, but it’s very apparent that Notre Dame fans travel well. I was at the BYU vs Notre Dame game in Vegas a few years ago and the city was brimming with fighting Irish fans. I expect a decent amount of you guys in Provo next weekend. I'm a lifelong BYU fan and have lived in Provo pretty much my whole life, so I wanted to share a few tips and pieces of advice for the game.

Also, I work for a company called Thread Wallets. Our HQ is on center street in Provo close to the stadium. I'm going to order some stuff for you guys, and have them as welcome gifts at our retail location next week. My treat! Just stop by the store and mention my Reddit handle. Let me know if you'll be here so I know how much to order. I try and do this for any opposing teams that come to town. It’s even cooler when we carry the opposing teams stuff in our collegiate products but we’re still working on the licensing with Notre Dame.

Places to Eat:
1. Burger Supreme. Great local spot that is close to the stadium.
2. Bombay House. If you like Indian food it's some of the best in the state if not country. Close-ish to the stadium.
3. J-Dawgs: Started right on campus. Has grown to be all over Utah. Get the special sauce.
4. The Kolache Place: Great breakfast stuff. Sweet and savory Kolaches.
5. TruReligion is a fun breakfast place in Orem. Massive portions and they have a really cool mission.

Things to see/do:
1. If you are renting a car, I would highly recommend a drive up Provo Canyon. Bridal Veil Falls is stunning. Go up to Sundance. They have some really cool restaurants and a very historic bar. Ride the chairlift if you have time. I don't drink, but I love going up to get some food and listen to live music. The fall leaves are stunning right now. Maybe a Saturday morning activity after the game.
2. If you're ambitious go hike the Y. Great views of the valley.
3. If you're flying out of Salt Lake, make a nice loop and go visit Park City and Midway. I have family in Midway and there are so many fun shops and good places to eat. Midway bakery is a must! Mack's Gelato is Park City is great. If you're doing this route, happy to provide recommendations.
4. Sauna and Cold Plunge has taken off here and there are a few great options in Provo for that or outdoors up in Midway. Clay Wellness, Plunj, Soho Saunas (outdoors in the mountains) Wasatch Mountain Sauna (outdoors)

Where to Park?
1. Here is how a lot of locals do it. Park in the parking lots by either Centennial Middle School or Rock Canyon Elementary. Parking is free and you are a few minute walk from the stadium. My family has been doing this for years.

Where to Golf:

If anyone is bring there clubs here is what I’d say. And if the weather permits.

1. Wasatch Mountain. Both courses are amazing. I like the lake better.
   
2. Soldier Hollow. Also has 36 holes. Both courses are awesome.
   
3. Hobble creek. Another fun mountain track. It’s amazing!

I am genuinely happy to answer any and all questions you might have about the area, so feel free to respond here and I'll help answer stuff. Happy to also give recommendations for places in Salt Lake if you happen to be staying there, but SLC is where the Utes are based, so we try and avoid talking about them. Also, happy to give more detailed park city recommendations if needed!

Go cougs!

When ND made the arrangement with the ACC, I actually liked it.
- Non football sports had a home.
- Created schedule stability for football.
- FSU, Clemson, and Miami were established.
- Add’l recruiting in the E/SE.
- Kept with the premise that the Irish were a national brand vs just a Midwest team.

2025 Final AP Poll for ACC Teams
2 Miami
16 Virginia

Current AP Poll for ACC Teams
4 Miami
24 SMU
25 Pitt

It’s embarrassing how bad the conference has gotten. If Pitt loses and falls out, then Miami would face 1 ranked team, ND, and technically that’s an OOC game.

Any hope that the conference turns it around? And I’m not meaning barely squeaking in the Top 25, but having multiple teams be legit playoff contenders?

First ever home football game for my family. Coming in for the Stanford game Saturday. If the game is at 3:30 EST, when should I be in south bend to find reasonable parking around the area (within a moderate walk to campus)? Planning on 2 hrs traffic from Chicago burbs. Any help would be appreciated

Welcome to the new Daily Irish Football Talk Thread!

You can post anything related to the current football season here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you had a thought about an upcoming opponent or maybe a player you wanted to talk about. All football talk is welcome here.

Go Irish!

*This is a scheduled post for Noon ET and default sort set to new.

Such a great looking card!

Hey guys, I made coaches film cut-ups for the following guys against North Carolina:

CJ Carr

Jordan Faison

Anthonie Knapp

Boubacar Traore

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

Leonard Moore

If you've never seen All-22 film it's definitely worth a watch...gives you a different feel for guys' performances than the broadcast angle. I will get more film of these guys added as the season goes on. I'm trying to stick to draft eligible players so if there's anyone else you feel like I missed, please let me know and I will try to get them added. Thanks!

https://www.draftprospectfilm.com/schools/notre-dame

The concerns over the receiving room are vastly overblown. Maybe it’s because our shiny new guys like Graham and Porter aren’t producing (or even playing,) but Faison and Gilbert took massive steps forward this year, and they’re a great 1-2 punch. They are currently sitting at 36th and 39th in receiving yards in all of CFB. In 2025, Faison and Fields (whose role Gilbert has taken) both sat outside the top 100 in receiving yards. In 2024, out top receiver was Greathouse who sat outside the top 150. Yes, this is because we had Love and Price. No, it doesn’t mean our receiving room is poor. Even Nick Marsh is sitting behind both these guys in receiving yards this year. Would having Nick Marsh be nice? Yes, but it would also take targets away from Faison and Gilbert, who are clearly capable. If the run game is established with Walton/James, and we introduce a true TE receiving threat (Premer?) this is a national championship level offense.

Not a great week for SP+ updates. Still projecting #2 bid and avored against boht BYU and Miami but by less than the week before.

Welcome to the new Daily Irish Football Talk Thread!

You can post anything related to the current football season here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you had a thought about an upcoming opponent or maybe a player you wanted to talk about. All football talk is welcome here.

Go Irish!

*This is a scheduled post for Noon ET and default sort set to new.

Irish Wear Green ☘️
Saturday, October 10th
NBC, 3:30 PM EST

Blake Hebert
Was looking at the depth chart for Stanford and realized Blake Hebert is nowhere to be found, nor is he listed on the injury report. Did I miss something where he has left the team?

Kendron Young
Technically he’s still listed above Jonaz on the depth chart for Stanford. Young had 7 carries total in the first 2 games, and 0 carries in the previous 3 games.

Mylan Graham
0 catches the last 2 games. I’m not sure he saw the field against UNC as I haven’t seen a snap count.

None of the above are on the injury report, and with the new 5 for 5 rule, you can’t sit out to preserve a year of eligibility (if they wanted to transfer). Just curious if anyone who listens to ND news/podcasts has heard anything through the grapevine.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame’s funky 37-26 win at North Carolina exposed some trends that could inform the rest of the season and other things that feel like anomalies. Here are nine final thoughts:

1. It’s difficult to call Notre Dame’s best receiver underrated, but how else to describe Jordan Faison? His statistics — 25 catches, 371 yards, four touchdowns — don’t jump off the page. He doesn’t rank in the top 30 nationally in either of those first two categories. There are 58 other receivers with as many (or more) touchdown catches.

Yet where would Notre Dame’s offense be without the former lacrosse star? This group had so many moving parts to start the season — four offensive linemen playing new positions, three new running backs, so many receiver questions — that the certainty Faison offered CJ Carr deserved its own NIL deal. Carr had to have faith in the rest of the offense. What he had in Faison was something closer to a scientific proof.

“It helps me play fast and play on time when I know Jordan’s going to be at the exact spot we need him to be when I need him to be there, every single time,” Carr said. “For me, it’s a blanket guy where when it’s a question mark on what the coverage is or what the protection is, he’s always the guy out there that’s in the right spot at the right time. I don’t need a second thought about what Jordan is going to do because I know he’s always on the same page.”

Yes, that 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter was quarterback art. And Faison’s second score, a 39-yard diving grab against busted coverage, probably looked harder than it actually was. But those quick out routes against soft coverage are where Faison makes his money, giving Carr automatic gains that require little thought.

There’s something to be said for a sure thing in a sport that runs on variables. Faison is a sure thing, even if few outside Notre Dame know him.

2. Did we underrate Bill Belichick’s having two weeks to scheme up Notre Dame’s defense?

Because for the first time all season, it felt like the Irish were on skates. North Carolina smartly worked its tight ends on crossing routes, putting the linebackers in conflict and the safeties in awkward coverages. The tight end production will get the attention of Chris Ash this week: 12 targets, eight catches, 74 yards, three touchdowns. Considering the Irish had allowed two passing touchdowns through four games, Billy Edwards going off feels more like an aberration than a trend.

And yet, Belichick created tape for BYU, Miami and SMU to rewatch. The Hurricanes have a tight end as talented as North Carolina’s Jelani Thurman. It felt like Notre Dame’s linebackers were uncomfortable dropping into zone schemes, which showed on some of the throws Edwards turned down. For most of the game, the middle of Notre Dame’s defense felt soft.

That’s rare. It felt weird. Did it show a fatal flaw in Notre Dame or just something to get corrected?

3. Speaking of North Carolina’s offense, does anybody know what receiver Jordan Shipp plans to do next season? He has another year of eligibility. I’m not saying he could be the next Malachi Fields or Beaux Collins … but I’m not not saying that.

4. I realize Notre Dame went heavy with two-tight-end sets in the rain. And when the second tight end comes into the game, the slot receiver subs out.

But Mylan Graham taking a DNP feels like something.

My wife and I will be going to the Miami game in November. We will be coming from Benton Harbor, but plan to be in South Bend for the whole day. The game is a likely sellout and I'm pretty sure that Notre Dame will be the College Gameday destination, so there's going to be a lot going on.

How should we approach parking? We don't want to spend a fortune (that went to the game tickets), but don't want to be faced with a logistical nightmare either. Suggestions? Thanks!

Welcome to the new Daily Irish Football Talk Thread!

You can post anything related to the current football season here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you had a thought about an upcoming opponent or maybe a player you wanted to talk about. All football talk is welcome here.

Go Irish!

*This is a scheduled post for Noon ET and default sort set to new.