Nov. 15, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior wide receiver Michael Floyd and junior tight end Tyler Eifert have been named semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award and the Mackey Award respectively. Floyd is one of 10 finalists for the award given to the nation’s best wide receiver, while Eifert is one of eight people still in the running for the country’s best tight end award.
Floyd (Saint Paul, Minn.) has 77 receptions for 922 yards and seven touchdown grabs (eight total touchdowns) in 2011. Among FBS receivers, he ranks tied for ninth in receptions per game (7.70), ninth in receptions (77), 20th in receiving yards (922) and 23rd in receiving yards per game (92.20). Floyd needs 17 catches to surpass Golden Tate’s school record for receptions in a single season. He needs 78 receiving yards to reach 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. He would become the third Irish wide receiver in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons (Jeff Samardzija and Golden Tate).
Floyd owns Notre Dame school records in career receptions (248), career receiving yards (3,461), career touchdown receptions (35), career receiving yards per game (86.5) and career 100-yard receiving games (17). His 35 career touchdown catches rank him tied for 21st in NCAA FBS history. Floyd has totaled 36 total touchdowns during his career, which ranks third best in school history. Only two Notre Dame players have more career touchdowns – Allen Pinkett (53, 1982-85) and Autry Denson (47, 1995-98).
Among active FBS receivers, Floyd ranks third in career receiving yards (3,461), third in career receiving touchdowns (35), sixth in career receptions (248), seventh in career receiving yards per game (86.5), eighth in career receptions per game (6.20) and 11th in total touchdowns (36).
Eifert (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) leads all FBS tight ends in receptions (51) and receptions per game (5.10). He also ranks second in receiving yards (589), receiving yards per catch (11.55; minimum 4.50/game) and receiving yards per game (58.90). Eifert is the second tight end in school history with at least five touchdown catches in a single-season. Ken MacAfee owns the school record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with six in 1977.
Eifert has registered a career-best eight catches on three different occasions in 2011 – against Pittsburgh, Air Force and Maryland. He is tied with Kyle Rudolph (twice in 2010), John Carlson (2006), Anthony Fasano (2004) and Ken MacAfee (1977) for second most ever in a game by a Notre Dame tight end. The Irish single-game record is nine by MacAfee for 114 yards in a 31-24 victory at Purdue in 1977.
Eifert ranks second and third, respectively, in receptions and receiving yards in single-season Irish tight end history. He also ranks fifth in both career catches and career receiving yards by a tight end.
2011 John Mackey Award Semifinalists
Dwayne Allen (Jr., Clemson)
Orson Charles (Jr., Georgia)
Drake Dunsmore (Sr., Northwestern)
Tyler Eifert (Jr., Notre Dame)
Coby Fleener (Sr., Stanford)
Ladarius Green (Sr., Louisiana)
Jacob Pederson (So., Wisconsin)
Nick Provo (Sr., Syracuse)
2011 Biletnikoff Award Semifinalists
Keenan Allen (So., California)
Justin Blackmon (Jr., Oklahoma State)
Ryan Broles (Sr., Oklahoma)
Patrick Edwards (R-Sr., Houston)
Michael Floyd (Sr., Notre Dame)
A.J. Jenkins (Sr., Illinois)
Sammy Watkins (Fr., Clemson)
Jordan White (Sr., Western Michigan)
Robert Woods (So., USC)
Kendall Wright (Sr., Baylor)
— ND —