#6/6/8 Irish Close Home Slate with Georgia Tech

Notre Dame Notes (PDF)

IRISH ROLL CAVALIERS

• The Irish continued to roll with their fifth-straight win in the 28-3 victory over Virginia.
• With the win, the Irish have won 40-consecutive games over unranked opponents and it is the longest active streak in the FBS.
• Notre Dame extended its ACC regular season winning streak to 23 and it was the 17th time in the streak that they won by 10 points or more.
• It was the second-straight game the Irish won without allowing a touchdown. It is the first time since 2012 that the Irish had two-consecutive games without allowing a touchdown.
• Notre Dame won its 34th-straight game when allowing less than 20 points.
• The Irish are a perfect 21-0 under head coach Brian Kelly when limiting opponents to fewer than 10 points.
• The Irish allowed 92 yards to Virginia in the first half. It is the fewest yards allowed in the first half against an ACC opponent since Nov. 21, 2015 when they allowed 91 against Boston College.
• The Irish held the Cavaliers scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2017 when they were shutout in the first half against Virginia Tech.
• The three points scored was the fewest the Cavaliers had scored in a game since 2017 against the Hokies when they were shutout.
• With the win, it is the fifth-straight season the Irish have won nine or more games. It is the eighth time overall they have done it under Kelly.
• The Irish ran for 249 yards as a team, their second-highest total of the season. It was the fifth-straight game they have rushed for 150 yards or more.
• In his first career start, linebacker Bo Bauer set a career high with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.
• Defensive lineman Rylie Mills also set career highs in tackles (4) and sacks (2).
• Defensive lineman Howard Cross III and cornerback Clarence Lewis both recorded their first career sacks.
• The Irish finished the night with seven sacks, the most in a game since 2019 against Virginia (8).

BE LIKE MIKE

• Tight end Michael Mayer is one of the best tight ends in the country, as he ranks in the top-four among tight ends in receptions and receiving yards per game. He ranks fourth in receptions with 52 and fourth in receiving yards per game with 64.1.
• For the season, 31 of his 52 receptions have resulted in a first down for the Irish.
• Mayer led the Irish with team-highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (84) while adding one score in the road win over Virginia.
• It was the fifth game this season he has brought in seven or more receptions and also the fifth game he has led the team in receptions.
• Mayer joins Ken MacAfee and Tyler Eifert as the only Notre Dame tight ends with 50 or more catches in a single season (52).
• He notched five receptions for 54 yards in the home win over Southern Cal. He has totaled at least five receptions in six of his nine games this season.
• Mayer led the Irish against Cincinnati with eight receptions and 93 yards on the afternoon. He has led the team in receptions four times this season and against the Bearcats.
• Mayer had seven catches for 61 yards in the win over Wisconsin at Soldier Field.
• In the win over Toledo, Mayer finished the game with team-high marks in receptions (7), receiving yards (81) and receiving touchdowns (2).
• It was the first time in Mayer’s career that he has had a multi-touchdown game.
• Dating back to last season, Mayer collected seven or more receptions in three-straight games (Alabama, Florida State and Toledo). The last Irish receiver to have three-consecutive games with seven or more receptions was Michael Floyd in 2011 (Maryland – 8;  Boston College – 10 and Stanford – 8).
• In just his second collegiate season, Mayer is already climbing the ranks in the Notre Dame Record Book:

CAN’T CONTAIN KYREN

• Running back Kyren Williams continued to move up the Notre Dame record books in the 28-3 road win over Virginia. He led the team with 70 rushing yards and 85 all-purpose yards.
• He moved into a tie for fourth all-time for most career receptions by a running back (72). He also moved into a tie for fifth for most receptions by a running back in a single season (36). He surpassed last season’s mark of 35 after the two catches against the Cavaliers. Williams also moved into eighth all-time for most career receiving yards by a running back (624):

• Williams has had at least one rushing touchdown in each of the last six games after the second quarter score against Virginia.
• In the win over North Carolina, he finished the game with career-highs in rushing yards (199) and all-purpose yards (261).
• Williams also tallied a career-long 91-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Tar Heels. It tied for the fifth longest rush in Notre Dame history and was the longest rush by an Irish player since Chris Tyree went 94-yards to the house against Syracuse in 2020.
• It marked the most rushing yards by an Irish player since Dexter Williams had 202 against Florida State in 2018.
• Williams’ 261 all-purpose yards against North Carolina were the third most by any player in FBS during week nine.
• It marked the most all-purpose yards by an Irish player since Golden Tate totaled 275 (244 receiving, 31 rushing) against Washington in 2009.
• Williams had a career-long 47 yard punt return in the first quarter against the Tar Heels.
• Williams rushed for over 100 yards in consecutive games against the Trojans and Tar Heels for the first time this season and the third time in his career.
• In the win over Southern Cal, Williams had his first 100-yard game of the season, as he finished with 138 yards rushing on the night.
• Williams finished the game against the Trojans with two rushing touchdowns for the first time in 2021 and the sixth time in his career.
• He tallied 180 all-purpose yards (138 rushing, 42 receiving) in the win over Southern Cal, the second highest total this season and fourth highest of his career.
• The 180 all-purpose yards were the 10th most in the FBS during week eight and he was just one of three players in the top-10 that week who faced a power 5 opponent.
• Williams leads the team with 1,327 all-purpose yards, 872 rushing yards, 13 total touchdowns and is second on the team in receptions with 36.
• He ranks 18th in the country with 132.70 all-purpose yards per game and 30th in rushing yards for the season. He is also tied for 18th in the nation in total touchdowns.

CREATING HAVOC

• Under new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, the Irish defense has been one of the nation’s best at creating havoc plays this season, as Notre Dame has totaled 19 takeaways this season. The 19 takeaways are tied for 14th nationally.
• Of those 19 takeaways, the Irish have recorded 14 interceptions from nine different players after Ramon Henderson tallied his first career interception against Virginia.
• The nine players with an interception is the most since 2014 when they also had nine different players with interceptions.
• The 14 interceptions is currently tied for fifth in the NCAA. It is the most interceptions since 2014 when the Irish had 16 that season.
• The Irish also get after the quarterback this season, as they are tied for 14th with 3.20 sacks per game. 13 different players have recorded a sack this season.
• Notre Dame has been stingy in allowing points this season. They rank 24th in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 20.5 points per game this season. They have held opponents to under 20 points in five of their 10 games this season.
• Kyle Hamilton and DJ Brown both lead the team with three interceptions each and they are tied for 20th nationally.
• Hamilton and Cam Hart both had two interceptions in a game this season, the first time since 2018 that the Irish have had two players with two interceptions in a game in the same season (Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman).
• The depth of the defense has been on full display as 19 different players have recorded a tackle-for-loss this season.
• The defense has also been able to find the endzone this season with two defensive scores. The two touchdowns are tied for 15th nationally.

FREAKY FOSKEY

• Isaiah Foskey has been the most consistent member of the Irish defensive line this season as he leads the team in sacks (9.0) and tackles-for-loss (10.5).
• He has 9.0 sacks on the year, a number that ranks tied for 12th in the country.
• He has recorded at least one sack in seven of the 10 games this season and at least one tackle-for-loss in eight of the games.
• His 9.0 sacks are the most by an Irish player since Stephon Tuitt had 12.0 during the 2012 season.
• The mark ranks tied with Renaldo Wynn for sixth all-time at Notre Dame for most sacks in a single season.

• Foskey also ranks in the top-20 in the country in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. He is tied for 12th with two fumble recoveries and tied for 16th with three forced fumbles. He leads the Irish with five turnovers this season.
• In the win over Southern Cal, Foskey set a career high with two forced fumbles and tied a career high with 2.0 sacks.
• Foskey forced his first-career fumble against Cincinnati after recording his first-career fumble recovery in the win over Wisconsin.
• Foskey began the season with a career-high eight tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the road win over Florida State.

SUPER SPECIALISTS

• The Irish entered the 2021 season with the same kicker and punter for the third straight season with the return of kicker Jonathan Doerer and punter Jay Bramblett.
• Doerer returns for his fifth season with the Irish thanks to the extra year of eligibility and is working his way up the Irish record book:

• In the win over Virginia, Doerer moved into a tie for second all-time in Notre Dame history with 52 games played. He is tied with Daelin Hayes, Drue Tranquill, Romeo Okwara and Matthias Farley.
• In the win over Navy, Doerer moved into a tie for sixth all-time in Notre Dame history with 46 career field goals. He is tied with Nicholas Setta.
• He had a season-best three field goals made and 14 points in the win over North Carolina.
• Bramblett has played in every game (35) for the Irish since he came to campus prior to the 2019 season.
• He sits eighth all-time in Notre Dame history with 149 punts in his career.
• He is ranked fourth all-time in Notre Dame history with a 42.0 career punting average.
• Bramblett launched a career-long 72-yard punt in the win over Wisconsin this season. It was the longest punt by an Irish player since Hunter Smith had a 79-yard punt against Arizona State in 1998.

BALLIN’ BERTRAND

• Linebacker JD Bertrand continues to lead the Irish in tackles after recording four in the win over Virginia.
• He leads the Irish with 93 tackles on the season and has led or tied for the team lead in tackles in seven of the 10 games this season.
• He has had at least six tackles in nine games this season and seven tackles or more in seven games.
• He has totaled double-digit tackles in four games this season after having 10 in the win over Virginia Tech.
• Bertrand tied a career high with 12 tackles in the win over Purdue after he tallied 11 against Toledo and also had 12 in the season-opener against Florida State.
• The sophomore from Marietta, Georgia was the first Irish player to begin a season with three-straight double-digit tackles games since Courtney Watson back in 2001.
• He is also the first Irish player to have three-consecutive games (Florida State, Toledo and Purdue) with double-digit tackles since Alohi Gilman in 2018-19. Gilman had 10 tackles against Southern Cal and then 18 against Clemson in the College Football Playoff Semifinal in 2018 and followed it up with 10 tackles in the 2019 season opener against Louisville.
• In the win over Toledo, Bertrand set a career high in sacks (1.0) and recovered his first career fumble to seal the game late in the fourth quarter.
• Bertrand got his first career start in the opener against Florida State and his 12 tackles were the most by an Irish linebacker since Te’von Coney had 16 on Dec. 28, 2018 against Clemson.

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST

• Since the start of 2018, Notre Dame is 42-6 (.875). That rate ranks fourth among all teams who have made an appearance in the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014.
• Among those teams, Notre Dame is one of just five teams that have totaled six or fewer losses since the beginning of 2018.
• The Irish are one of five teams who have made playoff appearances in multiple seasons.

IRISH IN THE POLLS

• The Irish checked in this week at No. 6 in the AP and Coaches poll.
• Notre Dame has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 74-consecutive weeks, the longest such streak for the Irish since the 1994 season (124 weeks).

• The 74-week run currently ranks third among all FBS active streaks, which do not include teams who were not listed in the initial AP polls at the beginning of the 2020 season (Big Ten and Pac-12).

—ND—