2025 Fall Practice Thread

[NDVirginia19]

This has all been fun, but isn't the simplest explanation here that the competition really was 50/50 (Minchey progressed, Carr didn't), the beat latched onto the pro-Minchey elements of practice reports because that was an undeniably more interesting story, and things just snowballed into a narrative that continued to feed itself? I have a hard time believing this was an organized disinformation campaign (why would they do that to CJ? Why would they give false hope to Minchey?), so it can be true that:

1. The beat actually was hearing more positive things about Minchey than Carr, but Freeman was so enamored with Carr's upside Minchey needed to really outplay CJ and he didn't do it by enough
2. The sources that got cited on here were accurately hearing that the staff loved CJ so much it'd be difficult for him to be displaced. Maybe the coaching staff knew Carr's camp "struggles" were fixable or not representative of who they know he can be, saw the bigger picture, and weren't wavering on their pre-camp evaluation

It's fun to have an us-vs-them beef with the beat reporters, but my guess is that Carr entered with a big lead, didn't practice as well (beat reports were legit), but would have needed to slip a lot to lose the job and didn't do that (IE sources were legit).

I think the beat reporters narrative they were pushing is almost the textbook example of availability bias. They had like 15 minutes total of time watching those two throw, and you see them still talking about Carr's picks to this day from the first practice lol

 

[BurningRiver]

I think the beat reporters narrative they were pushing is almost the textbook example of availability bias. They had like 15 minutes total of time watching those two throw, and you see them still talking about Carr's picks to this day from the first practice lol

This is definitely part of it. And honestly, I have some sympathy. If all they see are practices where it's 50/50 or Minchey outplays Carr, what the hell else are they supposed to say when Freeman's tightened up the leaks?

The way they shifted to definitively arguing it'd be Minchey the last few days was aggressive, sure. But I don't blame them at all for wondering if Carr was going to get beat based on what they saw and heard.

 

[notredomer23]

II's actions on Friday are the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the great staff vs beat war that's about to start. I'd bet at least Sampson and Brice are picking Miami to win and we're going to start seeing a lot of seeing guessing of Freeman when anything goes wrong

Tell Pete and John Brice. I want them to know it was me.

 

[IrishLion]

II's actions on Friday are the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the great staff vs beat war that's about to start. I'd bet at least Sampson and Brice are picking Miami to win and we're going to start seeing a lot of seeing guessing of Freeman when anything goes wrong

That would be crazy, because the beat didn’t get misled by the ND staff, and MFMF didn’t do anything wrong or put them in a bad spot. They did it themselves.

One person heard from a reputable source that Minchey was gonna be the guy… the problem is that the reputable source was working off of bad and misinterpreted info. But since no one knew it at the time, it spread like wildfire.

That leads to most of the beat going “yeah we’re hearing Minchey” just so they don’t look like they’re behind, and they can do it while maintaining journalistic integrity because they got to see one (1) practice where Carr threw INT’s and Minchey didn’t.

They didn’t know shit, but were able to say they did.

As it turns out, like LAX pointed out, people that had sources different than the one that was giving out misinterpreted info were consistent in “Carr does need to take better care of the ball, but is probably gonna be the guy anyway.”

 

[domer13]

Very prescient first several posts from the first page of this thread

#1

Soon.

#4

If they are staying at the Embassy Suites across the street like they have been, I’ll provide my annual updates. I’ll be working there tomorrow.

#6

I’ll be at a practice in a couple weeks. I’ll provide updates.

#7

Very eager to get qb reports. Truly want to know if Minchey presses Carr and make this a battle or if it's Carr's to lose. I lean towards the former. Also I want to hear how the lines are looking especially with Jagusah and Botelho out to start the year. Miami has a good oline. Our boys will need to be ready.

Go Irish!

#8

Freeman won’t give away anything + the practice viewings will be limited. Media will sell a battle. We won’t know anything until the first jersey scrimmage at the earliest. Even then the beat can be very agenda driven with those reports. Wasn’t it a few years ago outlets were straight fighting about accuracy of reports of Buchner’s throwing ability in a scrimmage?

#9

I don't see how it can be a battle that goes all the way to game week. Whomever the starter is needs as much time taking number 1 reps as he can get. My guess is the starter will be chosen within the first 8-10 days and that's how they'll proceed to the first game at least.

Now, I doubt that will just be public knowledge at that point, but the team will know.

 

[IA4irish]

II's actions on Friday are the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the great staff vs beat war that's about to start. I'd bet at least Sampson and Brice are picking Miami to win and we're going to start seeing a lot of seeing guessing of Freeman when anything goes wrong

Sampson said on the II podcast that Love will need to have a Heisman type performance to win in Miami. That was before Carr was named the starter. I don’t think that’s even remotely true.

 

[HouseofPain]

Can someone please explain the logic of letting Miami know who the starting QB? Would it have not been a lot wiser to let them concentrate on two different QB types?

 

[Dale]

Very prescient first several posts from the first page of this thread

Damn I had insider information and I didn’t even know it

 

[Irishokie]

I think MMFF said, “hey Carr, show me how accurate you are and throw a few passes to the defense while the beat are here. The beat’s gonna learn today.”

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Hey guy, you're top 5 in my book.

My man!

 

[BurningRiver]

Sampson said on the II podcast that Love will need to have a Heisman type performance to win in Miami. That was before Carr was named the starter. I don’t think that’s even remotely true.

I got stuck on that, too. Bizarre sky-is-falling type comment after, what, one week of QB confusion? I haven't heard one single camp report that makes me think the offensive line, running backs, and entire defense will be anything short of top tier, so I don't know why we've gone from "this team should be a CFP threat" to "this team needs a superhuman individual performance to beat a pretty-good team."

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Very prescient first several posts from the first page of this thread

Feels good to be seen

 

[PolishDomer]

Can someone please explain the logic of letting Miami know who the starting QB? Would it have not been a lot wiser to let them concentrate on two different QB types?

I disagree with your statement...Carr and Minchey are both similar QBs so it doesn't make a big difference in my opinion...

I think we are giving Miami way too much credit...as someone said, a paper tiger...

 

[GoldenBoy3]

Sampson said on the II podcast that Love will need to have a Heisman type performance to win in Miami. That was before Carr was named the starter. I don’t think that’s even remotely true.

Miami is going to stack the box and make Carr throw so it’s literally the exact opposite. I hate nerds, just like how nerds ruined my Yankees. Anyways, after I saw that throw to Fields by Carr that came across ND socials I was going to be a tad upset if it was Minchey.

 

[Dale]

Sampson said 22 attempts feels right for Carr against Miami

Riley Leonard threw it 30 times versus Texas A&M

Fortuna was way worse on the episode but these guys can be so disconnected from reality

 

[NDVirginia19]

Sampson said 22 attempts feels right for Carr against Miami

Riley Leonard threw it 30 times versus Texas A&M

Fortuna was way worse on the episode but these guys can be so disconnected from reality

Me hate listening to their show. Legitimately these beat writers that were duped sound like high school girls

 

[NDPhilly]

I can’t help but think Sampson would be happier writing about foreign affairs for the WSJ than college football every time I listen to him.

 

[SportsingHard]

That leads to most of the beat going “yeah we’re hearing Minchey” just so they don’t look like they’re behind, and they can do it while maintaining journalistic integrity because they got to see one (1) practice where Carr threw INT’s and Minchey didn’t.

Doesn't sound like integrity to me if they're only hearing with their eyeballs.

 

[IrishLion]

Can someone please explain the logic of letting Miami know who the starting QB? Would it have not been a lot wiser to let them concentrate on two different QB types?

Carr and Minchey aren’t all that different. Offense doesn’t change much, if at all, with one vs the other.

Miami’s film study will be about Denbrock’s down-and-distance tendencies more than anything

 

[sfk324]

If (when) we ever go through a bumpy stretch as a program, I’m expecting the beat to go after MF. He’s made their jobs near impossible and has embarrassed the fuck out of them lol. What do they care if we are winning if they can’t sell Subscriptions.

They did that for 2 1/2 years. I said yesterday he has thick skin but a long memory, and that's what I was referring to. He remembers what they were writing and what they were putting out there.

 

[SportsingHard]

Can someone please explain the logic of letting Miami know who the starting QB? Would it have not been a lot wiser to let them concentrate on two different QB types?

They're both pass-first QBs with mobility. The biggest advantages are giving CJ all the starting reps and getting the team accustomed to the situation. In the information age, Miami wasn't going to be kept in the dark unless CJ, Kenny, and the team were kept in the dark.

 

[ColinKSU]

Me hate listening to their show. Legitimately these beat writers that were duped sound like high school girls

I wish that guy followed his actual dream and took over for Joan Rivers.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Sampson said 22 attempts feels right for Carr against Miami

Riley Leonard threw it 30 times versus Texas A&M

Fortuna was way worse on the episode but these guys can be so disconnected from reality

Fortuna went to Penn St. That explains Fortuna to me.

 

[Dale]

Anyone know what Hansen said on it in the article he posted?

Someone on the 247 board posted it but I don’t trust the random second hand take

 

[Irishcop]

Miami is going to stack the box and make Carr throw so it’s literally the exact opposite. I hate nerds, just like how nerds ruined my Yankees. Anyways, after I saw that throw to Fields by Carr that came across ND socials I was going to be a tad upset if it was Minchey.

I agree, Carr can drop dimes and throw people open. Let Miami stack the box.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

This has all been fun, but isn't the simplest explanation here that the competition really was 50/50 (Minchey progressed, Carr didn't), the beat latched onto the pro-Minchey elements of practice reports because that was an undeniably more interesting story, and things just snowballed into a narrative that continued to feed itself? I have a hard time believing this was an organized disinformation campaign (why would they do that to CJ? Why would they give false hope to Minchey?), so it can be true that:

1. The beat actually was hearing more positive things about Minchey than Carr, but Freeman was so enamored with Carr's upside Minchey needed to really outplay CJ and he didn't do it by enough
2. The sources that got cited on here were accurately hearing that the staff loved CJ so much it'd be difficult for him to be displaced. Maybe the coaching staff knew Carr's camp "struggles" were fixable or not representative of who they know he can be, saw the bigger picture, and weren't wavering on their pre-camp evaluation

It's fun to have an us-vs-them beef with the beat reporters, but my guess is that Carr entered with a big lead, didn't practice as well (beat reports were legit), but would have needed to slip a lot to lose the job and didn't do that (IE sources were legit).

This is my first post on here in a decade, by the way. Fun week.

Or that they both progressed which made the decision to name the starter difficult.

 

[stlnd01]

Fortuna went to Penn St. That explains Fortuna to me.

He also hasn’t covered Notre Dame as a full-time job since about 2017. I’d be surprised if he spends seven days a year on/around campus. He has no sources and it’s pretty obvious. He basically just watches the games on TV like the rest of us.
Sampson, I actually like, but sharing that podcast with Fortuna feels like an act of charity on his part more than an exercise in good journalism.

 

[BeatSC]

I’m looking at my fall expanded preview of my Blue & Gold Illustrated and Carr is listed as #2 most important player on the team after Love. Carr is written about all over the mag and Minchey is barely uttered. This was over after the spring game. Angeli knew he was out which is a tougher decision than picking Carr over Minchey. It was always Carr and I’ve always said that Minchey talk was BS. Only. Dipshit like Kelly with Rees by his side was going to go with Minchey. Minchey is one snap away but who is one snap after that? Let’s hope neither playing is necessary. We have more compelling open comps in play. QB was never really one of them. Good distraction though.

 

[BeatSC]

He also hasn’t covered Notre Dame as a full-time job since about 2017. I’d be surprised if he spends seven days a year on/around campus. He has no sources and it’s pretty obvious. He basically just watches the games on TV like the rest of us.
Sampson, I actually like, but sharing that podcast with Fortuna feels like an act of charity on his part more than an exercise in good journalism.

Do they have subscriptions to Peacock at least?!

 

[Irish Man3]

Has anyone checked on Mike Frank?
Dude spent about twenty mins bragging about he and his staff called Kenny in the spring.

Only to post today that he’s not surprised by the decision.

I’m a big ISD fan, but they have been beating their drum that Minchey outplayed Carr in spring and they were the first to report it, then Minchey outplayed Carr in the fall and they were the first to report it……. Carr wins the job and MF posts a thread that he’s not surprised by the decision.