The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

Pete shares his first reaction to the College Football Playoff draw for the Irish as they will match up against Indiana in South Bend on Dec. 20th. What should Notre Dame fans expect from the Hoosiers and “Google Me” Curt Cignetti? Is Kurtis Rourke going to move the ball against the Irish defense? Will Riley Leonard have success against the Hoosier defense or is it Jeremiyah Love who will hurdle I...

Pete is joined by Tim Murray to discuss the latest College Football Playoff ranking and where they think the Irish will end up when the season is all said and done. Will Marcus Freeman’s team earn the coveted five seed setting them up for a favorable road to the semifinals or will they host an SEC powerhouse in an opening winter game in South Bend. Would Alabama coming to South Bend be a good matc...

Pete Sampson recaps Notre Dame's season-defining (and capping) win over USC that will clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff for Marcus Freeman and the Irish. Riley Leonard threw for 155 yards and a touchdown while Jadarian Price led the team in rushing with 111 yards. The Irish will now await the selection show for their place in the playoff and find out who they will likely be hosting at...

The Irish look to close out the regular season with a victory in LA and solidify their spot in the college football playoff. Pete Sampson is joined by Tim Murray to breakdown the matchup and discuss how Marcus Freeman will match wits with Lincoln Riley and if USC has enough fight left in them to make it a challenge on Saturday. Will Riley Leonard go for a big day or is it Jeremiyah Love who keeps...

Marcus Freeman’s squad continued its run of dominant play with a win over previously unbeaten Army. Jeremiyah Love score three touchdowns and Riley Leonard threw two touchdowns in the victory. Pete Sampson recaps the win as well as where Notre Dame sits in the College Football Playoff Ranking and how the Irish resume stacks up against the rest of college football.  Learn more about your ad choices...

Tune in for a preview of the upcoming matchup with undefeated Army from Yankee Stadium. What can the Irish expect from an Army team that has its doubters of its 9-0 record. Plus, Mike Monaco joins the podcast to talk about what he saw covering Army earlier this year as well as thoughts on how Marcus Freeman's squad has fared this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc...

Notre Dame capped off Senior Day with a win over Virginia, 35-14, to improve to 9-1 on the season. Marcus Freeman's squad looks primed for a College Football Playoff berth -- and perhaps even a CFP game in South Bend, Indiana -- as it readies for Army and USC to close the regular season. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson talk about the dominance over the Cavaliers and much more, as Riley Leonard threw...

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson to get together and chop it up about Notre Dame football. The Fighting Irish checked in at No. 8 in Tuesday's College Football Playoff selection committee rankings, which would give them a first-round matchup at Tennessee. How can Marcus Freeman's squad continue to move up? And what will it take for Riley Leonard and Co. to ru...

No. 10 Notre Dame came out of its open date in dominant fashion, beating Florida State 52-3. Riley Leonard tallied 285 yards of total offense and 3 TDs, Jeremiyah Love reached the end zone for the ninth straight game and Steve Angeli got in on the action with a TD pass late against the Seminoles. Marcus Freeman's squad improved to 8-1 as it makes its College Football Playoff push, with Senior Day...

Notre Dame is back from its open date and ready to host Florida State in primetime this Saturday. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview the game between Marcus Freeman's squad and Mike Norvell's squad. The guys react to the College Football Playoff rankings, as the Fighting Irish debuted at No. 10 on Tuesday night. Plus, special guest Tom Mendoza joins the show for a candid conversatio...

Notre Dame may have a bye week, but there is still plenty to talk about. Join co-hosts Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson as they go live on Halloween with special guest Ty Hildenbrandt of the Solid Verbal. What's Marcus Freeman's bye week agenda? Can Riley Leonard and the Fighting Irish offense continue to improve? And where will they be in next week's first College Football Playoff rankings? Matt, Pe...

No. 12 Notre Dame left no doubt in a dominant performance against No. 24 Navy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Marcus Freeman's squad now has its first six-game winning streak of his tenure, and it heads into its second open date with plenty of College Football Playoff momentum. QB Riley Leonard has turned a corner, Al Golden's defense has continued to dominate, and everything is still...

No. 12 Notre Dame looks to improve to 7-1 this Saturday as the Fighting Irish head to East Rutherford, N.J., to take on undefeated, 24th-ranked Navy in a game with massive College Football Playoff implications. Can Marcus Freeman's squad continue its winning ways? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson preview the game and much more. Plus, Notre Dame's all-time winningest QB Ian Book joins the show to talk...

Notre Dame improved to 6-1 with a convincing 31-13 win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta's Mercedes Benz-Stadium. Riley Leonard ran for two TDs and Al Golden's defense suffocated the Yellow Jackets' running game. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to recap the win and talk about what's next for Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish as they ready for Navy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...

No. 12 Notre Dame starts the second half of its season with a trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. The Fighting Irish look to improve to 6-1, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview the contest and talk about the week that was, including breaking down how the Irish respond without Benjamin Morrison. Plus, former Irish captain Shaun Crawford joins the show for a fun interview going d...

Notre Dame dominated on both sides of the ball in its 49-7 win Saturday over Stanford, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to talk about it on the latest live episode of The Independent. Marcus Freeman's team improves to 5-1 and now readies for a trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. Have Riley Leonard and the offense turned a corner at just the right time? Learn more about your ad choices....

No. 11 Notre Dame readies for Stanford as the Fighting Irish come off an open date, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview the contest against the Cardinal. Plus, special guest Mike Golic Jr. joins the show to talk about Marcus Freeman's third year, the Irish offensive line and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

No. 14 Notre Dame enters the open date at 4-1 after beating Louisville. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here with another live episode of The Independent to preview the second half of the season for Marcus Freeman's squad. Plus, NBC's Paul Burmeister joins the show after calling Saturday's Fighting Irish game for Peacock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hoste...

No. 16 Notre Dame enters its open date at 4-1 after beating No. 15 Louisville, 31-24. QB Riley Leonard accounted for 3 total TDs and the two teams combined for four turnovers, culminating in a fourth-down stop from Al Golden's defense to clinch the win. What's this mean for Marcus Freeman's team moving forward? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break it down on the latest episode of The In...

No. 15 Notre Dame hosts No. 16 Louisville this Saturday as the Fighting Irish look to avenge last year's loss to the Cardinals. Can Marcus Freeman get the best of Jeff Brohm this time around? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson preview the contest with special guest Mark Ennis of ESPN Louisville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...

Notre Dame improved to 3-1 with a win over MAC opponent Miami (Ohio), and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to talk about it. Riley Leonard threw his first TD pass of the season and Al Golden's defense locked down the RedHawks as the Fighting Irish look ahead to Louisville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a...

Notre Dame looks to go to 3-1 as Miami (Ohio) comes to South Bend, led by former Fighting Irish assistant (and longtime ND fan) Chuck Martin. The 11th-year RedHawks coach joins the show, as Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson preview this Saturday's game and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson go live after the Fighting Irish bludgeon the Boilermakers, bringing Marcus Freeman's squad to 2-1. All four QBs -- Riley Leonard, Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, CJ Carr -- saw game action as this one was over early. Where did this performance come from? And how did Notre Dame bounce back so well from the Northern Illinois loss? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

How does Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame squad respond after the stunning loss to Northern Illinois? Is QB Riley Leonard ready to go for Purdue? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson discuss all of that and much more. Plus, former Fighting Irish All-American and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins the show to offer his perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted...

Marcus Freeman's third Fighting Irish team suffers a stunning 16-14 loss to 28-point underdog Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson talk about Riley Leonard's struggles, the defense's shortcomings and where ND goes from here after a 1-1 start to the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company...