“We’re Notre Dame and they ain’t.”
Those are the only words you need to describe Peacocks’ new series “Here Come the Irish.”
Straight from the mouth of legendary Notre Dame football head coach Lou Holtz, it perfectly encapsulates what the first two episodes showed of life and football in South Bend, Indiana.
The series was able to show off the rich tradition, history and expectation that comes with Notre Dame football, and how this program stands out from the rest of college football. And with a football team with such high expectations, I do believe the first two episodes were able to meet the expectations that their story deserves.
Episode one follows head coach Marcus Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and quarterback Riley Leonard throughout the spring as the team prepares for their annual “Blue-Gold” game.
With Freeman receiving most of the focus, I enjoyed seeing how he fully embraces what it means to be the head coach at Notre Dame. Watching as he made a trip to see Holtz and absorb everything he had to say should give Irish fans a good feeling about his progression at the helm.
“There are very few people that understand what it’s like to be in the chair of the head coach at Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “He surely does.”
Another aspect of Freeman I enjoyed was seeing how he doesn’t shy away from the pressure of winning a national championship. While it’s been 36 years since the last title, that expectation to be the best remains and Freeman knows it.
The episode then takes you over to the offensive side of the ball, featuring Denbrock and Leonard. Both are “somewhat” new to South Bend this year as Leonard is coming in as a transfer from Duke and Denbrock is returning for his third stint at Notre Dame.
This part of the episode really highlights how special it is to wear those blue and gold colors, and neither Denbrock and Leonard take it for granted. Leonard himself has doubts about whether or not he can live up to the great expectations set by Notre Dame legends like Joe Montana or Joe Theismann. It’s cool to pull back the curtain and see that these guys aren’t superheroes, but instead humans who think just like we all do.
The series then tells the stories of Xavier Watts and Jaden Mickey, both had to overcome serious adversity. Watts’ father became paralyzed when he was a child and Mickey lost her mother in December of 2023. The show does a nice job of highlighting how the team has rallied around the two players, especially Mickey. Before the 2024 spring game the team wore purple to commemorate his mother.
That’s where the series really excels, when it showcases the players’ lives and telling their stories, both happy and sad. A bright spot was the story of Jack Kiser, we see him propose to his girlfriend during a team trip to New York City.
Where the series falls a little short in my opinion is on the football side. We don’t see a whole lot of practice or even team meetings which I wish we could’ve gotten a little more of. One inside aspect that I enjoyed was the captain selection process. Seeing who wanted to step up to be considered and how Freeman selected the five captains was unique and I wish we got more of it.
Overall, “Here Come the Irish” does a good job of painting the picture of Notre Dame football in South Bend. I just wish we got a little more of the football. As Holtz said, “It’s so important they named the sport after it.”
Episodes three and four drop Dec. 5 on Peacock.
