Week 11: Wake Forest
From the moment they ran through the tunnel to the singing of the alma mater, the Irish seniors shined, leading Notre Dame to a near-perfect 38-0 victory over Wake Forest and its first undefeated home season since 1998.
From the moment they ran through the tunnel to the singing of the alma mater, the Irish seniors shined, leading Notre Dame to a near-perfect 38-0 victory over Wake Forest and its first undefeated home season since 1998.
Notre Dame proved itself to be top competition over the weekend with a first-place finish at the Kansas Women's Classic in Topeka, Kan.
The Irish wrapped up their 2012 campaign Saturday when the men's and women's teams competed in the 2012 NCAA championship meet in Louisville, Ky.
The Irish are looking to rebound from a Big East tournament upset this Friday when they take on Ohio. Notre Dame (20-8, 13-2 Big East) faces the Bobcats (20-10, 14-2 MAC), with Ohio coming off of its own conference tournament disappointment. It was stunned by Northern Illinois in the semifinal round of the MAC tournament after earning the No. 1 seed.
Junior guard Kayla McBride led Notre Dame's 94-50 rout of Massachusetts on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion with 18 points and five steals. Ten different Irish players scored in the blowout and No. 7 Notre Dame forced 34 turnovers with 21 steals.
The women's interhall championship between No. 2 McGlinn and No. 4 Walsh on Sunday at Notre Dame Stadium came down to a final play. Needing one point to tie it up and force overtime, Walsh (6-3) could not make the conversion, and McGlinn (8-1) took home the trophy for the second consecutive year with a 13-12 victory.
After surrendering an eight-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and losing to Saint Joseph's in overtime Friday, the No. 20 Irish overcame a seven-point deficit early in the second half and defeated BYU 78-68 on Saturday in the consolation game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
After 20 minutes of uneventful soccer, senior forward Ryan Finley and junior forward Harry Shipp checked into the game and jolted the No. 1 Irish to a 3-0 victory over Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday at Alumni Stadium.
Andrew Owens of The Observer sits down with Notre Dame senior linebacker MantiTe'o.
Just two games into the season, the No. 20 Irish already have their sights set on a championship.
The No. 3 Irish have achieved quantifiable success this season to a level that marks the 2012 season as one of the program's best. But all the year's achievements won't help the Irish on Sunday when they put their season on the line against Michigan State.
The No. 8 Irish had to fight back from a 1-0 deficit in order to overcome No. 13 Michigan and earn the 3-1 victory on the road at a packed Yost Arena.
Playoff season has arrived, as the Irish will face off against South Florida this weekend in the opening round of the Big East tournament.
Saturday's football game between Notre Dame and Wake Forest will not be the only matchup between the two schools with national implications this weekend. The Irish and No. 10 Demon Deacons will take to the pitch Friday, as the two teams will meet in the second round of the NCAA championship at Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
When No. 1 Sorin and No. 2 Keenan face off Sunday there will be a buzz in the air. Few are offered the chance to run out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium, and only a luckier few can claim a victory on the storied field.
It all comes down to Sunday.
When No. 2 McGlinn takes the field at Notre Dame Stadium in Sunday's interhall championship, the Shamrocks may feel a slight sense of déjà vu. On the other sideline, when No. 4 Walsh takes the field, the feeling for the Wild Women may be more along the lines of 'Pinch me, I'm dreaming.'
After capturing a 57-51 victory against Ohio State in the Carrier Classic, the No. 6/7 Irish will return to Purcell Pavilion to host their home opener against Massachusetts on Sunday.
A national title might be a long shot, but the Irish will be in the running at the NCAA championships in Louisville, Ky., this Saturday.
Mike Monaco, Interhall Editor