The Independent LIVE Sept. 25: Notre Dame-Louisville preview with Mark Ennis

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.

[@mikeeidelbes5892]

Good stuff, guys ... thanks for the insight!

[@SterlingJames]

Winning cures everything

[@Irishprimer]

Why is the media, including the Independent, seemingly deaf to the comments that one of the leading coaches (not the HC) has been making about the most important position on the team - the QB. He is clearly not happy with where Leonard is going into the 5th game of the season. A QB still in development??!! The realist coach vs. the cheerleading coach has been basically alerting the fan base about ND ending the season with 3 or more losses with the lack of offense at the hands of Leonard. I hope ND wises up and is ready to preserve and promote the realist coach when Freeman finishes his own undoing.

[@brendanboggs2883]

Who are you referring to?

[@KrianBelly]

True. Denbrock is not glowing about Leonard

[@edszewczyk]

Is there a difference between “the fans” and “the fan base?” Use of the word “base” seems to me to be a superfluous affectation.

[@coachhumph5524]

If I had to guess I would say fan base would speak more to the fans who are not casual or fashionable with their support or attention....whereas fans are more (what's the scientific word I'm look for?.... oh yeah) wishy-washy.

[@johntucker5994]

@@coachhumph5524 I agree with you that there is some nuance in the term "fan base" vs "fan".

[@edszewczyk]

@@coachhumph5524 I can buy that. I tried it in my mind, first saying "fan base" then just "fans." The "base" didn't seem to add anything.

[@Joeyjojoshabbadoo]

Really, an affectation? I hate the term too, but I almost feel like you calling it an affectation is an affectation. It's just an annoying word, a neologism if you will, that unfortunately has stuck. Instead of just saying 'the fans'.....

[@edszewczyk]

@@Joeyjojoshabbadoo How could calling out an affectation be an affectation? I eschew your categorization of the word as a neologism. If anything it is a platitudinous old chestnut.

[@seanmccarthy1135]

“Facts are stubborn things…statistics are much more flexible.” Mark Twain. Good stuff and data/statistics. All are meaningless: scoreboard outcome is the only data point which matters. LOS is always the game. Rarely does the “talent” in the backfield or running down the sideline determine the outcome. We must improve on both lines. The reason we lost to NIU and looked suspect elsewhere is due to the performance/non-performance of the lines. Too many “nice” guys. I need some mean/nasty hurt players. I wrestled. I enjoyed hurting my opponent. If you do not destroy your opponent’s will, then what are you doing?

[@adambowers496]

I need therapy because of Notre dame football 😅 I can't predict this game I'm in the Notre Dame needs to prove it to mode ! If Riley struggles in this one do they make a switch 🤔??

[@Dimwitland]

Thanks you guys! Always appreciate your casts, and glad you got your names straight there at the end! Go Irish!

[@roost3r]

Pete Sampson's pre-show face is my favorite.

[@dannycottrell908]

ND doesn't even have a QB as good as Louisville

[@WarrenFamily5384]

Thanks for the awesome content guys!

[@ryanhenes6104]

Y’all did Pete dirty with the headline photo 😂

[@TrainerNick256]

This shouldve been a night game

[@bleiburg101]

Fortuna if you want to accelerate the growth of the show you need to have more content. One weekly show doesn't cut it. Otherwise awesome product.

[@frankserra2220]

Freeman is not the answer

[@bg12166]

Great post

[@terryfox9344]

Great show, guys! Thanks for the analysis and the info from the guest. The Brohms are my cousins (distant), and Louisville is a Catholic town with a solid ND Club, so there will be a big crowd, even at the ticket prices that were doubled for the game. I'm anticipating a hard fought game.

[@Dimwitland]

Not from LVille, and not a fan, but definitely a fan of some of _their_ fans, who, when ever my family is in their town and stadium, almost always treat them and me with amity and respect. NOT so much true of their online fans (who clearly include the same sort of basement crawlers we count among _ours_, for whom we need to constantly apologize). I hope for a great game that doesn't give me too many heartattacks, and ends in a victory for ND. Somebody has to lose, for which I am sorry, but let's treat the Card fans with the respect and amity we get when there! Go Irish!

[@evan1788]

@@Dimwitlandit’s notre dame, we have the nicest fans in the county. We don’t even cheer during the opponents offensive drives to make them feel at home!

[@johntucker5994]

Given ND's loss to a lesser opponent, NIU, I have a hard time seeing ND getting into the playoff unless they win out. Period. Is anyone really confident a 10-2 ND will get into the playoff (assuming 1 more loss to a higher quality team like USC)? I'm not. I would think there will be other 10-2 teams with "better" losses that will be ahead of ND in playoff consideration.

[@heybusiness1]

I wonder if playing Louisville is going to be in Marcus Freeman’s head and riley Leonard’s head. They pounded Notre Dame last year and beat up Riley at Duke. I’m wondering if that could be a factor. Anyway, should be a great game.

[@johntucker5994]

Great interview with Mark Ennis, who was informative, insightful and a baldy to boot!

[@JimDeaned]

god damn cut it with the f**king vibes and drama