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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-4) vs. #25 Florida State Seminoles (8-4)
Champs Sports Bowl, Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 5:30 PM ET/4:30 CT/ 3:30 MT/ 2:30 PT
ESPN, espn3.com, ISP Notre Dame Football radio network

Notable Quotables

"Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you react to it." — Lou Holtz

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
"A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins." — Knute K. Rockne

- click here for more quotes -

:: Champs Sports Bowl: Notre Dame comes up short after leading 14-0, loses to Florida State 18-14, finishes 8-5
The much-anticipated Notre Dame-Florida State tussle in the Champs Sports Bowl started out with ferocious defense, with Notre Dame leading 7-0 at the half after scoring on a 29-yard return by Zeke Motta of a Florida State fumble forced by Manti Te'o, and Notre Dame securing 4 sacks in a first half where each team managed only roughly 100 yards of offense; but in the second half, after Michael Floyd ripped the ball away from a defender in the end zone to put Notre Dame up 14-0, Florida State eventually got a bick kick-off return and its own passing game uncorked to score two touchdowns and two field-goals; in the end, Notre Dame doomed itself once again with turnovers, with their quarterback tandem throwing three combined interceptions, two in the end zone, all of them ugly and ill-advised ... Notre Dame once again struggles to stay above .500 then finishes 8-5 ... check back for more coverage

:: Champs Sports Bowl: Notre Dame at a crossroads in must-win contest against Florida State: game preview
On balance, Notre Dame and Florida State appear fairly evenly matched. Both have lost key tandem running backs while also fielding strong defenses. Both have strong punters, but Notre Dame has a terrible punt return game despite a strong kick return game. Florida State has a big, mobile quarterback who nevertheless gives up sacks. Notre Dame's offense is deep and opportunitistic. But the Irish have been uneven with preparation, intensity and focus throughout the season. Look for the game to tip on whether Notre Dame is peaking and ready to play, and whether the Irish play mistake-free football, especially in the areas of turnovers and penalties. ... click for more

:: Champs Sports Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Florida State Depth Charts: Dual-Column HTML & What's New
Notre Dame vs. Florida State depth charts, in complementary dual-column format, in HTML-based text, along with some new developments. The Fighting Irish take on the Seminoles in the Champs Sports Bowl at the Citrus Bowl stadium, on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 5:30 PM ET, on ESPN and on the Notre Dame Football national radio network

:: Notre Dame Going to Champs Sports Bowl Dec. 29: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-4) vs. Florida State Seminoles (8-4)
Notre Dame plays its seventh game all-time against Florida State, going up against a Seminole club that is #1 in the country in net punting; with a #2 rushing defense; #4 scoring defense; #5 tackles for loss; #6 total defense; #9 sacks; #18 pass defense; #18 passing efficiency; #21 kickoff returns; ... #73 total offense; #99 rushing offense; #111 sacks allowed ... Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 5:30 PM ET (4:30 PM CT/ 3:30 PM MT/ 2:30 PM PT), Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, ESPN and the Notre Dame Football radio network

Jump Directly to NewsWatch Links

 

 

Notre Dame Football NewsWatch

:: Interceptions doom Notre Dame; Irish collapse in 18-14 loss to Florida State - Chicago Tribune 12.29.11
:: FSU Rallies Past Notre Dame - Blue and Gold Illustrated 12.29.11
:: System Failure - scout.com (subscription needed) 12.29.11
:: Irish Falter Down the Stretch, Lose to No. 25 FSU 18-14 - und.com/AP 12.29.11

:: VIDEO: Champs Sports Bowl post-game press conference by Brian Kelly and Manti Te'o - und.com

:: 2011 Notre Dame Football Statistical Ranking Summary - NCAA
:: Notre Dame Football official site

 

VIDEO: Post-Game Alma Mater Notre Dame Our Mother

Notre Dame Football 2011 Schedule

SOUTH FLORIDA 23 - Notre Dame 20
Sept. 3, 3:30 PM ET, Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

Michigan 35 - Notre Dame 31
Sept. 10, 8 PM ET, Michigan Stadium (ESPN)

Notre Dame 31 - MICHIGAN STATE 13
Sept. 17, 3:30 PM ET, Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

Notre Dame 15 - Pittsburgh 12
Sept. 24, 12:00 PM ET Oct. 1, Heinz Field (ABC)

Notre Dame 38 - Purdue 10
Oct. 1, 8 PM ET, Ross-Ade Stadium (ESPN)

Notre Dame 59 - AIR FORCE 33
Oct. 8, 3:30 PM ET, Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

[Bye Week - Oct. 15]

SOUTHERN CAL 31 - Notre Dame 17
Oct. 22, 7:30 PM ET, Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

Notre Dame 56 - NAVY 14
Oct. 29, 3:30 PM ET, Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

Notre Dame 24 - Wake Forest 14
Nov. 5, BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC (TV TBA)

Notre Dame 45 - MARYLAND 21
Nov. 12 7:30 PM ET, (Notre Dame-hosted) FedEx Field, Landover, MD (NBC)

Notre Dame 16 - BOSTON COLLEGE 14
Nov. 19, 4 PM ET Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)

Stanford 28 - Notre Dame 14
Nov. 26, 5 PM PT (8 PM ET), Stanford Stadium (ABC/ESPN/ESPN-2)

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL: Florida State 18 - Notre Dame 14
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011,
5:30 PM ET (4:30 PM CT, 3:30 PM MT, 2:30 PM PT),
ESPN and the Notre Dame Football radio network

VIDEO: Notre Dame Trumpets Under the Golden Dome

:: Will Notre Dame Stadium be Loud Enough?
The last time Notre Dame won a consensus national championship in football, the student body had a flag thrown against us in the opening game for being too loud ... Leprechaun Express: Notre Dame Football Intel Update Sept. 3, 2011

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