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The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
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The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

Author: The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

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The Independent is the essential listen for fans of Fighting Irish football. Pete Sampson of the Athletic and Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone are back to take you inside the Notre Dame program. With a combined 35 years + of experience on the ND beat, this twice weekly podcast has you covered for everything blue and gold.
69 Episodes
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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 conversation on his Notre Dame background, his relationships with Freeman and AD Pete Bevacqua, and why he has decided to invest so much in his alma mater, having endowed the Mendoza College of Business in 2000. You won't want to miss this conversation. Co-hosts: Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson Producer: Mike Wolf
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, Pete and Ty answer all of your questions and more!
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 in front of the Fighting Irish. Co-hosts: Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson Producer: Mike Wolf
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 reflect on his Irish career, talk about life in the NFL, and share insightful stories about greats of the game he has been fortunate to be around, from Patrick Mahomes to Mike Leach. You won't want to miss this conversation.
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.
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 down memory lane of his recruitment, plus his thoughts on this year's squad.
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?
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.
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.
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 Independent.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Matt & Pete talk more about Notre Dame's opening win at Texas A&M and what this means for the rest of the Irish season. What did Riley Leonard show in his debut in the blue & gold and how did Marcus Freeman's enthusiasm drive the team. Plus, Stanford Steve joins the show to share his thoughts on Notre Dame as well as what it has been like this year on College Gameday with the addition of Nick Saban. Finally, the guys preview the matchup with Northern Illinois for the home opener in South Bend. 
Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson go live from College Station, Texas to talk about Notre Dame's thrilling 23-13 win over Texas A&M to open Year 3 of the Marcus Freeman era. New QB Riley Leonard made clutch plays in the fourth quarter, Xavier Watts and the defense dominated, and Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love found the end zone in Saturday's thriller in SEC country.
The season is finally ready to kickoff and Matt & Pete return for the first preview episode of the season, Notre Dame at Texas A&M.  Tune in for a live Q&A with Notre Dame fans at ESQ Clothing in Chicago where all topics of Irish football are brought up. Who is going to stand out from the group of young linebackers, can the offensive line hold up and are the receivers up to task. Plus predictions for Marcus Freeman's team on the road against the Aggies.  Carter Karels of GigEm247 joins the show to help preview the matchup. 
It's game week and Matt & Pete are back to get you ready for the start of a the Irish 2024 campaign. This week they're joined by Tony Simeone, the new radio play-by-play voice of Notre Dame, as he helps them breakdown all aspects of the season. Tune in for thoughts on the offensive line, Marcus Freeman's composure going into the Fall, Riley Leonard, as well as thoughts on the scale of this opener. 
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