Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Observer
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
Support The Observer
Observer Store Subscribe
The Observer

Sports

1679404773-1fe94bfec78c87b

Notre Dame Keys to Victory vs. Stanford

By Madeline Ladd · Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

After a rewarding victory in Vegas last weekend, the Irish will lace up to take on the Stanford Cardinal this weekend at home in prime time. As this is the first home game of the season, it should make for an exciting atmosphere the team can feed off of, much like Allegiant Stadium last weekend. The Irish demonstrated an effective offense against BYU, orchestrated by junior quarterback Drew Pyne and junior tight end Michael Mayer. However, after some second-half struggles and poor red zone execution, there is still room for improvement.

1679405155-2da9f2904a75509

Observer sports staff predicts Notre Dame vs. Stanford

By Observer Sports Staff · Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Three straight for the Irish, and now Notre Dame has a chance to turn this winning streak into a hurtling ball of momentum with arguably their two easiest games of the season upcoming. Barring a shocker, Notre Dame should be 5-2 heading into a two-week stretch of Syracuse and Clemson, games that could push the Irish back towards the top 15, maybe even the top 10. The Irish are big favorites this weekend, and their offense is rolling, going up against a Stanford defense that’s giving up 207 yards per game on the ground. They’ve also given up 40+ in three of four contests against Power-5 competition. That should work well for the Irish to be able to do what they want offensively. The Stanford offense is respectable, but it's not groundbreaking. Notre Dame’s defense has held opposing offenses to 21 points or less in each game besides UNC, so anticipate that trend to continue. 

1679404786-d3a7464e19624d4

Thomas: Where Ben Morrison ranks among recent Irish recruiting steals

By Aidan Thomas · Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Within just weeks, three-star cornerback recruit Benjamin Morrison claimed a starting job within the vaunted Notre Dame defense. Morrison came to South Bend as the second-highest cornerback recruit in the class, with many figuring four-star Jaden Mickey to challenge for early playing time. Mickey has played some very important snaps for the Irish, but it is the previously little-known Morrison that has carved out a regular role. Where does Morrison rank amidst recent Irish recruiting steals? The Irish have molded several lower-rated recruits into dominant starters, but did any get off to as fast a start as the Phoenix, Arizona, native? 

The Observer

Crow: Takeaways from College Football Week 6

By Matthew Crow · Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

Just over a month ago, James Madison had never played a game as an FBS program. They have now played five, won each of them, and were rewarded with the No. 25 spot in the AP Poll after a 42-20 victory over Arkansas State this weekend. While their rapid ascent into the Top 25 less than halfway through their inaugural FBS season is unprecedented, smooth and successful transitions from the FCS to the FBS are not.

The Observer

Here comes JP Joubert

By Thomas Zwiller · Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

Often heard but rarely seen, John-Paul Joubert (or, as he prefers, JP) impacts every single fan’s experience at the Compton Family Ice Arena. And, if the name does not sound familiar, perhaps you would know him if you heard him say his iconic, “HERE. COME. THE IRISH!” Or, you might recognize his reminder: “One minute remaining in the period.” 

1679404839-7b82e8b136eca92

It’s time: Irish head into must-win match against undefeated Duke

By Adam Akan · Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

The Fighting Irish men’s soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss to No. 11 Louisville at home this past Saturday, a defeat in which the Irish took three times more shots and four times more corners than the Cardinals. The Irish maintained the majority of possession and controlled much of the flow of the match too. But, the Irish failed to convert on their many prime scoring chances, a problem which has plagued them all season.

1679404329-63ef42b0683ef93

Saints unable to continue win streak against Roosevelt University

By Olivia Schatz · Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

Holy Cross men’s soccer took the field Tuesday night to face off against Roosevelt University. Going into the match, Roosevelt had a 5-5 record  (4-2 on the road) and had a two-game losing streak. Comparatively, the Saints had a 7-4-1 record, as well as a five-game conference win streak. However, the Saints were unable to continue their streak, as they ultimately tied the Lakers 0-0. 

The Observer

Top five games of Week 7 CFB

By Joseph Tunney · Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

Conference play is in full swing across the nation, and the matchups are getting better and better. This week will reveal a lot about the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 races with some crucial matchups. Let’s get into it.

1679404835-c7dac2f6556b198

Ladd: Offense rewrites their narrative in the Bible Brawl

By Madeline Ladd · Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

The Irish played their cards right as they kept their perfect Shamrock Series streak alive with a 28-20 victory against No. 16 BYU out in Sin City. Though the Irish were favored by four, this was no walk in the park against a ranked team. Just getting this was huge for the Irish. But more importantly, the execution during the game demonstrated that the Irish offense CAN close. The early loss of sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner at Marshall only added fuel to that fire in a game – to put it bluntly – that was chaotic and quite abysmal. 

1679404810-cd11f55d7b6a8ae

Observer on the ground: Las Vegas

By Nate Moller · Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

It was a memorable weekend in Las Vegas with the Irish beating No. 16 BYU in a thrilling game at Allegiant Stadium. Aside from the exhilarating game, I had a blast seeing everything that Vegas had to offer.

1679404878-4e2b56ab5c0ee97

Belles stifled by Thunder in conference loss

By Aidan Thomas · Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

In three sets of action Saturday evening, the Saint Mary Belles’ volleyball squad led just once against the Trine Thunder, falling 3-0 in their 12th straight defeat. The final score was 17-25, 23-25, 17-25. The Belles kept things close throughout and recorded some hot stretches to challenge the Thunder. But outside of a 1-0 lead in the third set, they never surpassed the hosts on the scoreboard during the contest. Junior outside hitter Colleen McCarthy and freshman rightside hitter Mia Shields led the Belles with 13 kills apiece.

1679404888-e626a0d97d1c9b4

Belles drop 3-1 to Bulldogs

By Olivia Schatz · Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

Despite the Belles soccer team fighting hard and maintaining a 1-1 tie for a long strip of the game, Saint Mary’s ultimately fell 3-1 against Adrian. 

1679404829-2a9cf3b9d3eeee1

Cashing out in Vegas: Notre Dame brings home a hard-fought win against No. 16 BYU

By Madeline Ladd · Monday, Oct. 10, 2022

It was a monumental night for the Fighting Irish out in Las Vegas as they took down No. 16 BYU 28-20 in front of a 62,742 crowd at the NFL’s Allegiant Stadium. The Irish have never lost a Shamrock Series game, and they continued this perfect streak in last night’s 11th matchup. Referring to the night as a “great win for the program,” Dick Corbett head coach Marcus Freeman was proud his team was able to be part of such a special Notre Dame tradition in an electric Allegiant Stadium atmosphere.  

1679404752-24a8cc4e884e766

Jayden Thomas steps up for Irish when it matters

By Nate Moller · Monday, Oct. 10, 2022

After some key departures at wide receiver last season and a couple of injuries, there were a lot of question marks surrounding Notre Dame’s wide receivers this season. In Saturday night’s win over No. 16 BYU, it was sophomore wide receiver Jayden Thomas that stepped up for the Irish. Thomas finished the night with 74 yards, which included a highlight reel touchdown catch at the end of the first half.

Trending