FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015
NO. 6 NOTRE DAME HOSTS UMASS SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
Tom Hammond, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen to Call Game
Notre Dame Pre-Game Show Countdown To Kickoff Begins at 3 p.m. ET Live on NBCSN
Paul Burmeister, Hines Ward and Jonathan Vilma Manage Pre-Game and Halftime Coverage
Stamford, Conn. – Sept. 23, 2015 – QB DeShone Kizer and the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host QB Blake Frohnapfel and the UMass Minutemen this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Group’s coverage of UMass – Notre Dame begins at 3 p.m. ET with Countdown to Kickoff, NBCSN’s live pre-game show from Notre Dame Stadium.
The Fighting Irish (3-0) look to continue their perfect start to the season after a 30-22 win over Georgia Tech last weekend, and victories against Virginia and Texas. In the win against Georgia Tech, Kizer completed 21 of 30 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown, Fighting Irish RB C.J. Prosise rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns, and WR Will Fuller had six receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Fuller is currently tied for first in the nation with five touchdown catches this season.
The Minutemen (0-2) enter the matchup coming off a close game with Temple, in which they lost 25-23 after a late field goal in the fourth quarter gave the Owls the win. Frohnapfel completed 29 of 55 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns.
Saturday’s matchup against UMass is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. With a win against UMass, 2015 would mark the third season in four years in which Notre Dame began the season 4-0.
Tom Hammond calls Saturday’s game, in place of Dan Hicks who is on assignment this weekend at the TOUR Championship. Hammond will be joined by 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner and analyst Doug Flutie (@DougFlutie), and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen (@KathrynTappen).
Paul Burmeister (@PaulWBurmeister) will host Countdown to Kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, on-site at Notre Dame Stadium. Burmeister will be joined by two-time Super Bowl Champion and former University of Georgia QB/WR Hines Ward (@mvp86hinesward), and Super Bowl Champion, BCS National Champion and former University of Miami LB Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51). Burmeister, Ward and Vilma will also manage halftime duties on NBC.
NBC Sports Group’s coverage of Notre Dame Football is led by Emmy Award-winning producer Rob Hyland and Emmy Award-winning director Pierre Moossa.
Listed below is NBC Sports Group’s remaining coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season.
REMAINING NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAMES ON NBC/NBCSN
| DATE | TIME | OPPONENT | LOCATION | NETWORK |
| Sat., Sept 26 | 3:30 p.m. | UMass | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | USC | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston College | Boston, Mass. | NBCSN* |
*Shamrock Series game from Fenway Park (All Times ET)
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA ONLINE & APP
NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream all Notre Dame Football home games.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
NBC Sports Live Extra online will feature a simulcast of the broadcast feed in full HD quality plus one additional online-only bonus camera. The video player will include picture-in-picture capability and full DVR functionality, allowing the user to pause the live video and even review plays in “slo-mo.”
Sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen will provide live in-game tweets from the sideline from @NDonNBC on Twitter. Additionally, fans can watch in-game highlights, live coverage of the Notre Dame and visiting teams’ bands at halftime, as well as live postgame footage that will include head coach Brian Kelly’s press conference.
NBCSPORTS.com
NBCSports.com will continue its Notre Dame Football coverage through its Notre Dame Central section. Notre Dame will also be featured within NBC Sports Talk with its popular Inside The Irish blog written by Notre Dame Football insider Keith Arnold.
COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO
For the third straight year, Comcast SportsNet Chicago will continue its expanded coverage of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football via its partnership with NBC Sports by providing additional content to help power NBCSports.com’s popular Notre Dame Central section (http://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/notre-dame-central). Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Notre Dame Football “Insider” JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) from CSNChicago.com, will serve as the primary beat reporter in providing up-to-the-minute Fighting Irish news and analysis, columns, game previews/recaps, interviews and much more.
SAME DAY HOME GAME REPLAYS – Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide a same day replay of every Notre Dame home game produced by NBC Sports (consult CSNChicago.com for exact air times).
HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY’S WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE – CSNChicago.com will provide a live stream of Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly’s weekly press conference, as he will address the prior weekend’s game, along with detailing his game plan against the team’s upcoming opponent. Coach Kelly’s weekly press conference, which will take place from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., will be live streamed every Tuesday throughout the season at 11 a.m. CT.
— NBC SPORTS GROUP —
