Discover
The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
Author: The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
Subscribed: 472Played: 7,333Subscribe
Share
© 2023 - The Independent
Description
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.
106 Episodes
Reverse
Convicts 1, Catholics 0. That's the scoreboard after Notre Dame fell to Miami in a 27-24 contest at Hard Rock Stadium that came down to the final minute. How did CJ Carr perform in his debut? How did defensive coordinator Chris Ash look? And where do Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish program turn to now with a huge game against Texas A&M on-deck? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break it all down and take your questions on the postgame live edition of The Independent.
Football is back! And Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview Notre Dame's 2025 season and much more. Submit your questions for those two and special guest Tim Murray here as the trio previews Marcus Freeman's squad's game this weekend at Miami and much more!
Marcus Freeman named CJ Carr Notre Dame's starting quarterback for the 2025 season, a surprise move given how well Kenny Minchey played in fall camp. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson react to the news plus share notes on the team captains and what this means for the season opener against Miami.
Matt & Pete breakdown the latest out of Fall camp for Marcus Freeman and the Irish as CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey battle for the Notre Dame starting quarterback spot. Mike Denbrock’s offense has had success with duel threat QBs and with CJ Carr struggling with three picks in practice, the competition has become more serious for the Notre Dame signal caller. Plus, thoughts on how the quarterbacks could be used in the opener against Miami and other news and notes out of Notre Dame camp.
Matt & Pete are joined by Jack Kiser to look back on his career with the Irish, training camp in Jacksonville and thoughts on this year’s Notre Dame team. Plus, expectations of camp opening in South Bend and what Marcus Freeman’s team can do to repeat last year’s success. When will C.J. Carr be anointed and thoughts on the offensive line following the injury to Charles Jagusah.
Matt & Pete are joined by former Major Leaguer and World Series Champion Trey Mancini to hear about his experience as a Notre Dame baseball player, an Irish football fan and an avid listener of the Independent. Plus, Matt & Pete discuss latest out of South Bend this summer, Marcus Freeman’s recruiting run as of late and what to expect as the season draws closer.
Matt & Pete return for Pete’s annual Notre Dame Fan Survey. Tune in for thoughts from the fan base on the USC series potentially ending, where are Notre Dame’s strength, how they view Marcus Freeman three years in and who will be the breakout start for 2025? Plus, thoughts on the NBC broadcast crew and their ideal booth pairing.
Matt & Pete are joined by ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy to get his perspective of the state of the Irish heading into the 2025 season. What are his impressions of Marcus Freeman after covering the team so closely during the playoff run last year, how does he feel like Notre Dame is setup in terms of depth for the season and does he expect another deep playoff run for 2025?
It may be May, but there is no shortage of Notre Dame football news to cover. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson have you covered on the latest from Marcus Freeman, the USC rivalry, College Football Playoff talks and much, much more.
Matt & Pete are back to talk about the latest news from the Fighting Irish and are joined by David Hale of ESPN to talk about the Clemson Series and the ACC. Never too early to look ahead at the Notre Dame season and with the news of the kick times for games on NBC, Matt & Pete share their thoughts on the lineup Marcus Freeman’s team will face once the Fall begins.
Marcus Freeman officially put a bow on Notre Dame's spring campaign Wednesday, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down the Fighting Irish coach's press conference and deliver their big takeaways from the spring. What does the departure of Steve Angeli mean? Who has the edge in the QB battle between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? How has Chris Ash put his fingerprints on the defense? The gang discusses all of that and more, and takes your questions as well.
Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Spring game is just around the corner, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview the weekend. What should folks watch for with QBs Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? Plus, which team would you like to see the Fighting Irish face in a hypothetical scrimmage?
Matt & Pete are joined by Tim Murray to discuss Notre Dame's Spring Football latest news including the quarterback competition and Steve Angeli's place in it. What does Tim think of the QB battle between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? Tune in for the latest on Marcus Freeman's squad as well as thoughts on the biggest impact player to expect coming out of the transfer portal.
Notre Dame kicked off spring football on Wednesday, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down Marcus Freeman’s fourth season in charge. How is the quarterback battle shaping up with Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? How will players like Jeremiyah Love be used after a long season? How will Chris Ash and the rest of the new faces on staff fit in? One thing is for certain: It will be a spring like no other, after the longest Fighting Irish season ever.
Spring ball is less than two weeks away at Notre Dame, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to get you ready. The guys break down the hire of new GM Mike Martin, and they take a look at the upcoming quarterback battle of Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. Plus, Matt and Pete go down memory lane of some of the best Fighting Irish offensive linemen they have covered, in honor of Zack Martin’s retirement from the Dallas Cowboys
It's been a short but busy offseason for Notre Dame, with the Irish hiring running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider away from Penn State to replace Deland McCullough, and with the search for a new general manager still going, as James Blanchard elected to stay at Texas Tech. What's next for Marcus Freeman and his squad? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break it all down, take your questions and much more, on the latest episode of The Independent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt & Pete return to discuss the news that Notre Dame is bringing in former Rutgers head coach and Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash to take on the open DC role for the Irish. Find out their thoughts on the hire and what it will mean for Marcus Freeman's team next season. Plus, thoughts on timing announcement for the schedule next fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Notre Dame's season came to an end Monday night, with the Fighting Irish falling to Ohio State, 34-23. Marcus Freeman's squad fought back from a 24-point deficit to make it interesting in the fourth quarter, and Riley Leonard showed plenty of guts, but in the end it wasn't enough.Notre Dame finishes the 2024-25 season at 14-2 after a remarkable College Football Playoff run. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down what happened in Atlanta and to close the book on this season.Co-hosts: Matt Fortuna, Pete Sampson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt & Pete weigh in with their picks for the National Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State with guest Tim Murray. Plus, they talk about the build up to this game and the cultural conversation around Notre Dame including Shane Gillis’ latest ad with Under Armour. How do the Fighting Irish matchup with Ohio State? What can Al Golden do to scheme against Jeremiah Smith and how can Notre Dame rattle Will Howard. Now that Jeremiyah Love is 100% how will that impact the game and do the Irish win the turnover battle against Ohio State? What would it mean for Marcus Freeman and this team to pull of the upset? Future Fans: helping little kids become BIG fans, find out more at FutureFans.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt & Pete are back for another episode in the build up to the National Championship matchup with Ohio State on Monday night in Atlanta. They are joined by Tony Simeone, play-by-play voice of the Fighting Irish to talk about this season to date and what he expects from the matchup with the Buckeyes. How did Notre Dame turn things around after the loss to Northern Illinois and he assesses the coaching job of Marcus Freeman. Plus what will the legacy be for this Notre Dame team and Freeman if they are able to pull off the win and earn the first National Championship since 1988. Future Fans: helping little kids become BIG fans, find out more at FutureFans.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Comments