#16 Irish Set To Face Eagles

Notre Dame Notes | Boston College Notes 

ˆ Includes 20 regular-season wins and two postseason appearances vacated under discretionary NCAA penalty.

LAST TIME: BOSTON COLLEGE

• September 16, 2017 – Notre Dame topped Boston College, 49-20, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
• QB Brandon Wimbush rushed for four touchdowns and 207 yards, an Irish quarterback record. RB Josh Adams ran for 229 yards, and both players posted a 65-yard rush.
• In Notre Dame’s sixth-consecutive win over the Eagles, CB Shaun Crawford notched two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
• This installment of the meeting of the only two Catholic schools in the FBS saw the Irish post one sack from DT Jerry Tillery and five tackles for loss. LB Te’von Coney led the Irish with 13 total tackles.

CFB 150

• The University of the Notre Dame will honor the 150th Anniversary of College Football by donning Under Armour Heritage uniforms that pay homage to the 1988 National Championship team on November 23 against Boston College.

HOME FIELD WIN STREAK

• The Irish will look to complete an undefeated home slate for the second consecutive season Saturday vs. Boston College. Notre Dame has not achieved back-to-back undefeated home seasons since 1988-89.
• Notre Dame completed an undefeated season at Notre Dame Stadium in 2018 for the second time in four seasons (2015, 6-0) after finishing 6-0 following a 42-13 win over Florida State. From 1990-2011, only the 1998 campaign (6-0) saw a perfect Notre Dame home slate.
• Notre Dame has won 17 straight games at home dating back to Sept. 30, 2017, starting with a victory over Miami (Ohio). It is the third-longest home winning streak for the Irish since Notre Dame Stadium opened in 1930 (28 straight from 1942-50; 19 straight from 1987-90). Clemson and Ohio State are the only other Power 5 programs that boast home streaks of 17 or more games.

HOME SELLOUT STREAK

• “Based on ticket sales through Wednesday, we do not anticipate sellouts for our games against Navy and Boston College,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick on Nov. 14, 2019. “That this comes during a time of sustained success for our football program reflects both challenges impacting the ticket market nationwide and the unique dynamics of this year’s schedule. Most importantly, however, we are grateful to our fans who have filled the stadium for the last 273 games — dating back to our November 1973 game against Air Force — and 321 of the last 322 contests dating back to 1964. We will continue the tradition of making Notre Dame Stadium a destination for generations of Fighting Irish students, alumni and fans while providing the best possible atmosphere for our student-athletes.”
• Over the streak, Notre Dame was 199-73-1 (.731) and outscored opponents 8,181 – 4,901 (averaging a score of 29.97 – 17.95).
• The 273-game sellout streak is the second-longest in NCAA history (Nebraska’s run currently stands at 373).
• In Notre Dame Stadium history, 77% of the games played have been sold out (364-of-473).
• The total attendance over all 273 games of the streak was 19,160,118. That figure is equal to the population of 187 South Bend, Indianas.
• The average attendance during the streak was 70,184, given that the total capacity of Notre Dame Stadium changed at various points since 1973.
• The attendance of the game vs. Navy was 74,080.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

• The Irish dominated No. 23 Navy, 52-20, marking the most points Notre Dame has ever scored against a ranked Navy team. The previous high came on Nov. 1, 1958, when the Irish defeated the Mids, 40-20, at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. It was Notre Dame’s 24th victory over a ranked team by a margin of 25 points or more, and it marked the third time the Irish have secured such a win against the Mids.
• Notre Dame and Alabama are the only two teams that have not lost to an unranked team since the beginning of 2017.
• Notre Dame beat Duke handily, 38-7, with a performance that saw QB Ian Book go 18-of-32 for 181 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to a career-best 139 rushing yards. His four-score performance made him one of just two Notre Dame quarterbacks to throw at least four touchdown passes on four occasions, joining Brady Quinn, who accomplished the feat seven times. He was also the first Notre Dame quarterback ever to throw four TD passes and rush for 100 yards in the same game.
• The Irish defeated Virginia Tech, 21-20. QB Ian Book rushed seven yards for a last-minute touchdown to give Notre Dame the score, with K/P Jonathan Doerer netting the go-ahead PAT. The winning drive took 18 plays and covered 87 yards in just 2 minutes and 53 seconds. The last time the Irish scored to win a game in the final minute came against Virginia in 2015.
• Notre Dame forced three-and-outs on six of Virginia Tech’s nine drives in the first half, holding the Hokies to 85 yards, against Notre Dame’s 243 yards. In the first half at Duke, Notre Dame outgained the Blue Devils, 273-123, limiting them to two of eight third-down conversions, and six drives of four or fewer plays (out of eight total drives), in the first half.
• CB Troy Pride Jr. and DB Kyle Hamilton recorded key pass breakups to force Virginia Tech to a three-and-out at their own four-yard line after Virginia Tech intercepted a Book pass at the VT eight-yard line. The interception marked the first time this season the Irish have not scored on a trip to the red zone. Notre Dame was the last remaining team in the FBS hold a perfect red zone scoring percentage.
• Prior to the break, Notre Dame defeated rival Southern Cal at home, 30-27, on an impressive effort from all three phases. RB Tony Jones rushed for a career-high 176 yards, while K/P Jonathan Doerer sent his name to the Irish record books as the first Notre Dame kicker to make three field goals of 40 yards or more in a single game.
• For the first time in Notre Dame history, an Irish team recorded six touchdown passes in two games during the same season (vs. New Mexico and vs. Bowling Green). The six touchdown passes match the Irish team record for passing touchdowns in a game.
• With 52 total points vs. Bowling Green, it marked the second time this season the Irish recorded at least 50 points. The last time Notre Dame reached that plateau in multiple games in a season was in 2011 when the Irish did it twice (vs. Air Force and vs. Navy).
• Against Bowling Green, Notre Dame’s 35-0 halftime lead was the largest since opening a 35-0 halftime margin over Rutgers in 1996.
• Notre Dame has been ranked in the top 25 for 41 consecutive weeks, the longest such streak for the Irish since the 1994 season.
• The contest vs. Virginia marked the second-consecutive week Notre Dame appeared in the week’s highest-ranked matchup (lowest total of both squads’ rankings). From 2015-2018 among all FBS teams, it has only happened three times: Alabama (Weeks 7-8, 2016; Weeks 10-11, 2018) and Penn State (Weeks 8-9, 2017). As the current AP rankings stand, the only other team with back-to-back top-ranked matchups in 2019 was Florida in Weeks 6-7.  No other team is currently scheduled to take on the same slate.

IAN BOOK NOTABLES

• Senior quarterback Ian Book matched a career high vs. Navy when he passed for five touchdowns, including a 70-yard career-long pass (and career-long passing TD) to WR Braden Lenzy and four scoring passes to WR Chase Claypool. His performance made him one of just two Notre Dame quarterbacks to throw at least four touchdown passes on five occasions, joining Brady Quinn, who accomplished the feat seven times.
• Book now has three games with five TD passes this year (two -Bowling Green- with five in one half) the most in a season by an Irish QB, and is the first Notre Dame passer to record four games with at least four passing TDs in the same season, as well as record five touchdown passes in one half.
• Book had the highest passer rating (271.8) of any FBS quarterback in Week 12.
• Book went 18-of-32 for 181 yards and four touchdowns at Duke, in addition to a career-best 139 rushing yards. He also totaled 139 rushing yards, leading the Irish and making him the first player in program history with four passing touchdowns and at least 100 rushing yards in a single game. The last Notre Dame quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards was Brandon Wimbush vs. Wake Forest in 2017 (110). Book’s rushing total was the third-highest for an Irish quarterback since 1996.
• Book opened the game vs. Bowling Green with nine consecutive completions and recorded nine passes of 15 yards or more in the first half. That week, Irish quarterbacks totaled nine completions for 20 or more yards, which tied for the FBS lead (Texas Tech and Miami, Fla.). Book accounted for seven passes of 20 or more yards.
• In Notre Dame’s matchup against New Mexico, Book’s 406 yards of total offense was just the 11th time an Irish quarterback has compiled over 400 yards of total offense since 1996. It was the most since Book posted 399 at Northwestern last season, while DeShone Kizer’s 472 yards against Syracuse in 2016 marked the most recent game with a QB reaching over 400 yards of total offense. Six of the top 12 single-game yardage performances from a quarterback since 1996 have occurred during the Brian Kelly era.
• Book is the first Notre Dame quarterback to start and win consecutive matchups vs. Southern Cal since Rick Mirer (played 1989-92).

BOOK SOLID LATE

• In the last four games, Ian Book has not been sacked on third down (40 passing attempts), the best rate among FBS quarterbacks.
• Book completed 29 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns vs. Virginia Tech, rushing for the game-winning score in the final minute. Book became the fourth Irish QB to complete 29 or more passes at least two times in one season, along with Jimmy Clausen, Brady Quinn and Everett Golson.
• Book posted two career-high rushes vs. Duke, the first for 45 yards in the second quarter and the second for 53 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter.

HEADED FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

• With the fourth score in the game vs. Duke, Book reached 48 career touchdown passes (finished the game with 49 for his career) – moving him into fifth all-time in program history (passed DeShone Kizer, 47).

NOTEWORTHY DEFENSIVE NOTABLES

• Notre Dame’s defense held Navy to three points in the first half. With another scoreless first quarter from the Notre Dame defense (fifth of the season), the Irish are allowing just 3.40 points/game in the opening stanza this season.
• The Irish defense forced four Navy fumbles, the most since Notre Dame did it at Michigan in 2008. Just one FBS team has recovered more fumbles than Notre Dame’s 14 this season (Illinois, 16).
• Entering the matchup, Navy had allowed just eight touchdown receptions on the season. The Irish scored five passing touchdowns on the Mids, and Navy did not attempt their first pass until 1:24 remained in the first half.
• The Irish limited Navy to 79 passing yards on the day. Notre Dame ‘s defense currently ranks fifth among FBS teams in passing yards allowed per game (162.5).
• In the first quarter vs. Duke, the Irish held the Blue Devils to 26 yards of offense to Notre Dame’s 180. Notre Dame totaled eight first downs in the quarter while limiting Duke to just one. Duke did not post their second first down until halfway through the second quarter.
• Through the end of the third quarter, the Irish defense limited Duke to just two third-down conversions out of 13 opportunities. Notre Dame converted seven of 13 third downs in that time span.
• In the first half vs. Virginia Tech, Notre Dame forced three-and-outs on six of the Hokies’ nine drives, holding them to 85 yards against Notre Dame’s 243 yards.
• The Irish forced a shutout vs. Bowling Green for the first time since 2014 (vs. Michigan, 31-0), scoring 35 points in the first half. Notre Dame’s 35-0 halftime lead was the largest since opening a 35-0 halftime margin over Rutgers in 1996. It is Notre Dame’s largest shutout margin since that game, when Lou Holtz’s Irish won, 62-0.
• Notre Dame held Bowling Green to just four drives that ended in Notre Dame territory (out of 11 total), the farthest point reached by the Falcons being the ND 23-yard line.
• In 2019, Notre Dame has outscored opponents 69-33 in the third quarter.

FOLLOW HIS LEA-D

• Notre Dame has held 22 of 23 opponents during Clark Lea’s tenure as defensive coordinator to 30 points or less. That includes includes ranked opponents LSU, Michigan, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Clemson, Georgia, Virginia and Navy.
• With four forced fumbles vs. Navy, only two FBS teams have created more turnovers than Notre Dame’s 22 (Illinois, 26 and Clemson, 24).

BORN TO (STOP THE) RUN

• The Irish defense held Virginia to just four total rushing yards, marking the fourth-lowest total by an opposing team of Notre Dame since 1996, and the fewest in the Brian Kelly era. Notre Dame produced tackles for loss on 44.8 percent of Virginia’s rushing attempts, a rate which led the FBS. The four yards was also the lowest total against a ranked team since Nov. 26, 1966 (Southern Cal, 51-0 win, -12 rushing yards).
• In the first half, Notre Dame held Virginia to -2 rushing yards. In their previous four games, the Cavaliers had rushed for an average of 55.75 yards in the first half.
• Notre Dame’s defense held Georgia to just 34 total yards of offense in the first quarter. The Bulldogs gained at least 150 yards in the first quarter during each of their first three games this season.
• In the first half, Notre Dame outgained Duke, 273-123. The Irish racked up 175 rushing yards to the Blue Devils’ 44. On the game, the Notre Dame defense held Duke to 95 total rushing yards.

NOTEWORTHY OFFENSIVE NOTABLES

• Saturday vs. Navy, the Irish marked the third time this season scoring at least 52 points in a game. The 52 points scored marked the most Notre Dame has ever scored against a ranked Navy team. The previous high came on Nov. 1, 1958, when the Irish defeated the Mids, 40-20, at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.
• Only four of 12 Irish drives vs. Navy ended without points, scoring on the opening seven drives, and Notre Dame did not punt until midway through the third quarter.
• Notre Dame’s five touchdowns in the first half vs. Navy tie for most by an Irish team in a single half and is the second time this season that Notre Dame has accomplished the feat (Bowling Green, 5).
• With TE George Takacs’ touchdown reception at Duke, the Irish tight ends have totaled nine touchdown catches this season (Kmet – 5, Tremble – 3), the most in a single season for the position group in Notre Dame records. The previous highs came in 2013 and 1991, both with eight.
• At Duke, Notre Dame posted 469 total yards of offense, averaging 6.3 yards per play and controlling the ball for 32:52. The Irish scored first, making their record 5-1 this season when scoring first.
• The matchup vs. Virginia Tech marked the first time this season the Irish did not score on a trip to the red zone. Notre Dame was the last remaining team in the FBS hold a perfect red zone scoring percentage, converting on 24-of-24 visits inside the 20. Of the two dozen scores, 21 were touchdowns (11 rushing, 10 passing).
• The Irish totaled 573 yards of total offense vs. Bowling Green, having a 100-yard receiver (Javon McKinley) and 100-yard rusher (Tony Jones Jr.) for the first time since 2018 at Virginia Tech (WR Miles Boykin and RB Dexter Williams).
• In the first half vs. Bowling Green, Notre Dame recorded 339 yards of total offense, 255 in the air. The Irish averaged 10.6 yards per play and scored five touchdowns.
• Notre Dame’s running backs have recorded 1,325 carries with just one fumble. The streak (1,273), dating back to Nov. 21, 2015, was the longest active streak in the FBS.

NOTEWORTHY SPECIAL TEAMS NOTABLES

• K/P Jonathan Doerer inscribed his name in Notre Dame record books vs. Southern Cal, becoming the first Irish kicker since Dave Keeve (1977) to make three field goals of 40 or more yards in a single game.
• Doerer made a career-long 52-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half vs. Southern Cal, also making a 45-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. Doerer added a 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. All three surpassed his previous career-long (36 yards).
• Doerer’s 52-yarder also places him in the Irish record books, matching the third-longest field goal made in Notre Dame history. Dave Reeve (1976 vs. Pittsburgh) and Kyle Brindza (2013 vs. Arizona State in Arlington, Texas) both had 53-yard field goals for the Irish.
• Notre Dame’s last made field goal of 50 yards or longer came in 2015, when Justin Yoon netted a 52-yarder against Navy.
• Lending voice to the importance of veteran players making their mark on special teams, in the first quarter at Georgia, WR Chase Claypool recovered a Georgia muffed punt return at the Bulldog eight-yard line to set up a Notre Dame touchdown drive (QB Ian Book one-yard pass to TE Cole Kmet). It was Claypool’s first-career fumble recovery.

NOTEWORTHY INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES

• WR Chase Claypool posted a career-high four touchdown receptions vs. Navy, tying for the most in a single game by an Irish receiver with Maurice Stovall (vs. BYU, 2005). Three of those receptions came in the first half, marking the first time an Irish player has scored three receiving touchdowns in a single half since at least 1950.
• One of those receptions came on a 47-yard pass from Ian Book, marking the longest reception, scoring or otherwise, of Claypool’s career.
• Three of those scoring receptions came in the first half, marking the first time an Irish player has scored three receiving touchdowns in a single half since at least 1950.
• In the month of November over the past four seasons, Claypool has totaled 56 receptions for 902 yards and seven TDs.
• He also recorded eight receptions for 118 yards vs. Virginia Tech, including a key 26-yard catch on fourth down in the final minutes of the game. His reception kept the Irish drive alive, which culminated in the go-ahead touchdown run by Ian Book.
• Claypool caught a seven-yard pass for a touchdown from Book in the first quarter at Duke, his fifth touchdown catch of the season and 11th of his career. It was Claypool’s first score since his two receiving touchdowns vs. Bowling Green. Claypool finished the night with 5 receptions for 97 yards, marking the fifth-highest single-game total of his career.
• Claypool has passed the 400-yard receiving mark for the third consecutive season. He is among only four Notre Dame wideouts since 1996 to accomplish this feat (joining Michael Floyd, Rhema McKnight and Malcolm Johnson).
• Claypool caught two touchdown passes vs. Bowling Green, totaling 61 yards on three total receptions, while catching three passes for 47 yards vs. Southern Cal. He surpassed the 100-career receptions mark on his first catch vs. Virginia, and on his now 121 career receptions, Claypool has recorded 1,676 yards (13.9 average) and 10 touchdowns in four seasons. He joins a group of just 14 other Irish players who have reached the 100-career receptions mark since 1996. The most recent receivers to reach the benchmark were Chris Brown and Will Fuller V.
• Lending voice to the importance of veteran players making their mark on special teams, in the first quarter at Georgia, Claypool recovered a Georgia muffed punt return at the Bulldog eight-yard line to set up a Notre Dame touchdown drive (QB Ian Book one-yard pass to TE Cole Kmet). It was Claypool’s first-career fumble recovery. He also added 6 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown at Georgia.
• WR Chris Finke put up the first points at Duke on an 18-yard touchdown catch from Book. Finke recorded his second touchdown of the game on a six-yard pass from Book on Notre Dame’s first drive in the third quarter. The two scores mark Finke’s first career multi-TD game. He also recorded a career-long 46-yard punt return, and received the game ball.
• DL Khalid Kareem recorded two forced fumbles in the first half vs. Navy, his first two of the season and third of his career. The first was recovered by LB Asmar Bilal on Navy’s opening drive to give Notre Dame possession at the Irish 27-yard line. It was Bilal’s first fumble recovery of the season and the second of his career (vs. Clemson, 2018). The second was recovered by DE Jamir Jones, his first of the season and the second of his career (vs. Navy, 2018).
• WR Braden Lenzy scored on a 70-yard spiral from Book vs. Navy, the longest pass/reception, scoring or otherwise, for both Book and Lenzy in their careers. Lenzy notched his first career rushing touchdown (second career TD), a 51-yard score, in the second quarter vs. Southern Cal. It is Notre Dame’s longest rushing touchdown of the season, as well as the second-longest rushing play of the season.
• LB Drew White recovered a fumble, the first of his career, near the four-minute mark of the second quarter vs. Navy. He led the Irish in tackles, totaling 10 on the day. White made a career-best 11 tackles in the effort at Michigan, and led the Irish with eight total tackles vs. Virginia Tech.
• LB Paul Moala recorded a fumble recovery and returned it for a touchdown vs. Navy, marking his first career recovery and score.
• CB Troy Pride Jr. snagged an interception on the opening drive of the second half at Duke, returning it 39 yards . The interception marked the fourth of his career and first of the season.
• DB Kyle Hamilton nabbed an interception, the third of his career, to seal the Irish victory in the final seconds vs. Virginia Tech. The freshman’s total leads Notre Dame’s defense. Only two other true freshman in the FBS have reached the three interception mark this season (LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. – 4, Washington’s Cameron Williams – 3).
• RB Tony Jones Jr. posted a career-high 176 rushing yards vs. Southern Cal, marking his fourth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the fifth of his career. His previous rushing career-high came this season vs. Virginia (131 yards).
• Jones Jr. surpassed 100 rushing yards with fewer than three minutes remaining in the first half vs. Southern Cal, and is now tied for 14th in Notre Dame history with four 100-yard rushing games in a season.
• LB Asmar Bilal recorded five tackles in the first quarter vs. Southern Cal, totaling 11 (8 solo) on the gameand leading the Irish defense. His 11 total tackles mark his single game career high, passing his previous total of nine.
• LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah recovered a Virginia Tech fumble, the first fumble recovery of his career, to give the Irish possession at the Hokie 47-yard line late in the second quarter. He also notched his first career sack on Southern Cal’s opening drive, setting up an eventual punt for the Trojans.
• TE Tommy Tremble recorded his third touchdown reception of the season, Notre Dame’s second of the matchup, vs. Virginia Tech. No Notre Dame tight end in their first year of playing experience has caught more touchdown passes than Tremble.
• K/P Jonathan Doerer made three field goals of more than 40 yards vs. Southern Cal, becomgin the first Irish kicker ever to do so in a single game. (See Noteworthy Special Teams Notables for more details.) Doerer was awarded a game ball, the first of his career.
• In each of the last four games, TE Cole Kmet has scored a touchdown, including the first score vs. Virginia Tech, which upped his season total to five. Only one tight end in program history has totaled more touchdown receptions during a single season (Ken MacAfee, 1977 – 6).
• Kmet has totaled 27 receptions over the last six games. Kmet missed the first two games of the season with a collarbone injury. With his second catch vs. Southern Cal, Kmet doubled his career total entering the 2019 season (17) in those four games.
• Kmet posted four catches for 65 yards vs. Virginia, totaling 13 receptions over two games (vs. Virginia and at Georgia). Just two Irish tight ends have totaled more receptions over a two-game span (most was 16 by Kyle Rudolph in 2010 vs. Michigan and Michigan State) since 1996.
• Kmet totaled a career-high nine catches at Georgia, which tied the program mark for receptions in a single game by a tight end. He tallied 108 receiving yards and a touchdown (seven receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown coming in the first half), and was named the John Mackey Award’s Tight End of the Week in Week 4.
• RB Jahmir Smith posted a career-long 40-yard rush in the first quarter at Duke, topping his previous high of 24 yards vs. Louisville this season.
• CB TaRiq Bracy recovered his first career fumble in the fourth quarter to give the Irish possession at the Duke 29-yard line.