Nov. 22, 2005
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GAME 11
Notre Dame (8-2) vs. Stanford (5-5)
The Rankings: Notre Dame – 6th AP, 6th USA Today, 5th Harris, 8th BCS
The Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005, 5:00 p.m. PST (8:00 p.m. EST in South Bend, Ind.)
The Site: Stanford Stadium (85,500), Natural Grass
The Tickets: Tickets to the game are still available and can be purchased on-line at www.gostanford.com.
The TV Plans: ABC split-national telecast with Keith Jackson (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (analysis) and Todd Harris (sideline). The competing game on ABC at the same time is Georgia – Georgia Tech.
The Radio Plans: For the 38th consecutive season all Notre Dame football games are broadcast on approximately 300 stations in 50 states by Westwood One with Tony Roberts (play by play), former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis) and Al Smith (producer). This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 147 for the Stanford game) as well.
A live broadcast from the Notre Dame student station, WVFI, also is available via the Notre Dame official athletics website at www.und.com (subscription service). All Notre Dame home games may be heard in South Bend on U93-FM (92.9) with pre-game analysis featuring Sean Stires, Brian Noe, Vince DeDario and Colin Burns. The post-game show is hosted by Jack Nolan and features former Notre Dame players Reggie Brooks and Mirko Jurkovic. See page 25 of this notes package for more information on Irish football radio and television shows.
Websites: Notre Dame – www.und.com; Stanford – www.gostanford.com.
Two-Minute Drill (what you need to know about this weekend’s Notre Dame – Stanford matchup) –
• Notre Dame and Stanford are meeting for the 20th time, with the Irish leading the all-time series 13-6. The Irish are 4-4 all-time at Stanford Stadium, breaking a three-game losing streak at the facility with a 57-7 victory in 2003.
• Notre Dame is 73-39-6 (.644) all-time in against teams from the Pac-10 Conference. Stanford represents the third Pac-10 opponent for the Irish this season (W, 36-17 at Washington, L, 31-34 vs. #1 USC).
•The Irish are looking to claim their ninth victory of the season for fourth time in the last 10 years (1995, 1998, 2000, 2002).
• Junior QB Brady Quinn’s stellar 2005 campaign has pushed him to ownership of all of Notre Dame’s significant passing records, including career/single season yardage, career/single season attempts and completions and career/single season touchdown passes.
•Senior WR Maurice Stovall and junior WR Jeff Samardzija have combined to become the only pair of teammates in the country with 10 or more touchdown receptions. Samardzija has a school-record 13, while Stovall is close behind with 10 (including nine in Notre Dame’s last four games).
• Samardzija needs just one receiving yard in this weekend’s game to become Notre Dame’s third 1,000-yard single-season receiver. Stovall is not far behind, needing 113 yards to reach 1,000 this season.
• Notre Dame is currently averaging 38.20 points per game, on pace to break the school record of 37.6 posted by the 1968 team. The Irish also have scored 50 touchdowns this season, nine off the record compiled by the 1991 team. The school record for points in a season (426 in 1991) is in reach as well, as the Irish currently have 382 points – needing 44 more to reach the single-season record.
• Notre Dame’s offensive improvement in 2005 continues to lead the nation. The Irish have improved 126.2 yards per game this year from their 2004 production, ranking ahead of USC (+122.1) and Iowa (+121.8).
• Senior PK D.J. Fitzpatrick needs just one more successful PAT to become Notre Dame’s single-season record holder. He is currently 48-48 on the season and tied with Craig Hentrich (1991) for both the single-season total and single-season percentage record.
• Sophomore RB Darius Walker needs 80 yards to become Notre Dame’s ninth player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. The previous eight players combined to post 14 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the most recent by Julius Jones (1,268) in 2003.
• Senior TE Anthony Fasano has already compiled the best season for a third-year tight end (he did not play as a freshman in 2002) with 42 catches for 545 yards. He needs 12 more receptions to reach Ken MacAfee’s school-record for single-season receptions by a tight end (54 in 1977).
• Senior LB Corey Mays has posted back-to-back 10-tackle performances for the Irish defense. He had a career-best 14 against Navy on Nov. 19 and followed up with 10 tackles against Syracuse last weekend.
•Notre Dame has moved up to eighth in the latest Bowl Championship Series rankings, the highest for the team since Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, 2002. The Irish are also sixth in the latest release of the Associated Press Top 25, the highest ranking for the team since Nov. 2, 2002.
2005: The Charlie Weis Era Begins
The 117th season of Notre Dame football is the first in the tenure of head coach Charlie Weis, who has started his career with a 8-2 record, including wins over three ranked opponents.
Weis was named the 28th head football coach in Notre Dame history on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004. A 1978 Notre Dame graduate, Weis takes the reins of the Irish program after a highly-successful career as an assistant coach in the National Football League.
The owner of four Super Bowl champion rings as products of a stellar 15-season career as an NFL assistant, Weis is a widely-respected disciple of professional coaching standouts Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. He came to Notre Dame after excelling as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, where he played an integral role in New England’s victories in three of the last four Super Bowls.
Weis is the first Notre Dame graduate to hold the football head coaching position at his alma mater since Hugh Devore (a ’34 graduate) served as interim coach in 1963 and is the first Notre Dame graduate to serve as the Irish football coach on a full-fledged basis since Joe Kuharich (a ’38 graduate who coached at Notre Dame from 1959 through ’62).
A veteran of 26 seasons in coaching, Weis coached nine seasons with the Patriots, including five as offensive coordinator. He helped produce four Super Bowl championships (New York Giants following the 1990 season, Patriots following ’01, ’03 and ’04 seasons), five conference titles and seven division crowns.
Notre Dame – Stanford Series History and Notes
•Notre Dame and Stanford will be meeting for the 20th time on Saturday. The Irish lead the all-time series 13-6, including wins in the last three contests between the two teams.
•The series began on Jan. 1, 1925 (the end of the 1924 season) when Notre Dame’s famed Four Horsemen and head coach Knute Rockne travelled across the country to meet Stanford’s Pop Warner and Ernie Nevers. Notre Dame’s 27-10 victory earned the Irish their first-ever national championship and the first of four national crowns to come via bowl wins.
• Notre Dame has won the last three meetings with Stanford and have held the Cardinal to just 29 points in the three games. The Irish won 31-7 in 2002, 57-7 in 2003 and 23-15 in 2004.
•Notre Dame is 4-4 all-time at Stanford Stadium, including losses in three of its last four trips to Palo Alto, Calif.
•Notre Dame and Stanford have met every season since 1997, with the Irish holding a 5-3 advanatage in the series during that time. The two teams also met seven consecutive times from 1988-1994 and the Irish were ranked in every meeting during the run. Notre Dame finished that seven-game stretch with a 5-2 record against Stanford.
Notre Dame Versus the Pac-10 Conference
• Notre Dame has won 64 percent of its games versus Pac-10 Conference opponents, with a winning series record versus nine of the Pac-10 teams and an overall mark of 73-39-6 (.644) in 118 games. Most of those games (77) have come versus USC (42-30-5), while the Irish have faced Stanford (13-6-0) 19 times.
• Notre Dame has played a handful of games vs. California (4-0), Washington (6-0), Arizona (2-1), Oregon (1-0-1), Oregon State (0-2) and UCLA (2-0). Notre Dame and Arizona State met for the first time in 1998, while the Irish met Oregon State for the second time in the 2004 Insight Bowl. Notre Dame played its first-ever game against Washington State in 2003, downing the Cougars, 29-26, in overtime.
• The 118 games against Pac-10 teams is the second-most for the Irish against any conference. The Big Ten Conference (236) represents the most games played against Notre Dame, followed by the Pac-10 and and the ACC (101).
• Notre Dame already has faced two Pac-10 teams this season, winning 36-17 at Washington and dropping a hard-fought 34-31 loss to #1 USC on Oct. 15.
Last Time at Stanford Stadium vs. Stanford
Notre Dame, 57, Stanford, 7, Nov. 29, 2003
For the first time in 2003, Notre Dame put everything together in all areas of the game winning its third consecutive game in easily defeating Stanford, 57-7, on Nov. 29, at Stanford Stadium.
The Irish got their running game going quickly as Julius Jones led the Irish down the field, amassing 74 yards on the opening drive and finishing with a 10-yard TD run as the Irish marched 90 yards on 10 plays. Jones went on to have another huge game as the senior from Big Stone Gap, Va., rushed for 106 yards in the first quarter, had 170 by the half and finished with 218 yards on 23 carries. He became the first player in Irish history to rush for three 200-yard plus games in a season and in a career.
It was the passing game that then stepped to the forefront as QB Brady Quinn found WR Matt Shelton on a 65-yard TD strike putting the Irish up 14-0 with 2:27 to go in the first quarter. For Shelton, it was the first TD catch of his career.
RB Ryan Grant also found his groove against the Cardinal as the Irish closed out the first quarter with a 21-0 lead on a Grant four-yard run. The junior, who found the end zone for the first three times that season, scored his second TD (a two-yard run) with 3:34 left in the first half.
The defense got on the scoreboard to close out the first half as FS Quentin Burrell had a loose ball pop into his arms and took it 65 yards to the house as the Irish took a convincing 34-0 lead into the locker room. The Irish opened the third period where they left off as Quinn once again stretched the field and found WR Maurice Stovall all alone for a 45-yard scoring strike and a 41-0 Irish lead.
After Stanford answered 10 seconds later with a 65-yard scoring pass from Chris Lewis to Mark Bradford, the Irish defense was again on the offensive as SS Garron Bible scooped up a loose ball and went 48 yards for a touchdown.
The Irish then posted a safety before Grant closed out the scoring with the first three-TD game of his career as the Irish won 57-7. The Irish posted a season-best 512 yards of total offense, which was (at the time) the most yards during Tyrone Willingham’s tenure. The 57 points were also the most in the Willingham era and were the most points by the Irish since recording 62 vs. Rutgers to close out the 1996 season.
Defensively, Notre Dame held Stanford to only 20 yards rushing and 251 total yards in completely dominating the Cardinal. The Irish recorded seven sacks in the game, including a career-high 3.5 by DE Justin Tuck. Tuck also became the Notre Dame single-season sack leader in the game with 13.5 on the season, breaking the previous record of 10 which had been set twice previously.
Irish First-Year Head Coaches
As Charlie Weis continues his first season at the helm of the Irish, here are a few notes on Notre Dame’s head coaches in their inaugural years (see page 25 for a recap of each coaching debut season in ND history).
• The 27 previous head football coaches in Notre Dame history have combined to amass a 168-60-12 (.700) record in their first years at the helm.
• Weis is the first coach to begin his Irish career by beating two ranked opponents in his first two games. The only other attempt was by Terry Brennan in 1954 (won 21-0 vs. #4 Texas, lost 27-14 vs. #19 Purdue).
• Weis is the first coach to begin his Notre Dame tenure with two victories on the road and on the opponent’s home field since Knute Rockne in 1918 (at Case Tech, at Wabash). Hunk Anderson faced his first two games away from Notre Dame in `31 (at Indiana, vs. Northwestern at Soldier Field – a win and a tie, respectively) and Dan Devine also started with two games away from South Bend in `75 (vs. Boston College at Foxboro, at Purdue – both wins).
• The two most recent Irish head coaches (Bob Davie, 7-6 in 1997; Tyrone Willingham, 10-3 in 2002) posted winning records in their first seasons. The last Irish coach to turn in a sub – .500 season in his first year is Lou Holtz, whose `86 team finished 5-6. With a projected bowl game this season, Notre Dame has assured itself of a winning season in 2005.
• First-year coaching records since 1913 (most wins listed first) – Tyrone Willlingham (10-3 in 2002), Ara Parseghian (9-1 in 1964), Terry Brennan (9-1 in 1954), Charlie Weis (8-2 in 2005), Frank Leahy (8-0-1 in 1941), Dan Devine (8-3 in 1975), Jesse Harper (7-0 in 1913), Bob Davie (7-6 in 1997), Hunk Anderson (6-2-1 in 1931), Elmer Layden (6-3 in 1934), Lou Holtz (5-6 in 1986), Gerry Faust (5-6 in 1981), Joe Kuharich (5-5 in 1959), Knute Rockne (3-1-2 in 1918).
• Since 1913, four Notre Dame coaches – Layden, Parseghian, Holtz and Willingham – have taken over the program the year after their predecessors were either .500 or below. All but Holtz, who went 5-6 in `86, posted winning records in their first seasons and the quartet had a combined 30-13 record in such seasons. The `04 Irish went 6-6 under Willingham.
Notre Dame Scoring At An Historic Pace
40 points – Notre Dame has scored over 40 points six times this season, matching the school record set by both the 1991 and 1992 teams.
30 points – The Irish have scored 30 or more points in nine of 10 games this season (a 17-10 victory at Michigan was the lone exception). The record for 30 point games in a season is nine by the 1991 edition of the Fighting Irish (which included a 30-point performance in a bowl game). Notre Dame also has scored 30 or more points in eight straight games, becoming the first Notre Dame team to accomplish that feat.
From an historic perspective, Notre Dame has only scored over 30 points in eight games or more just five times in the program’s history. The 1966, 1992 and 1993 teams all posted eight 30-point performances (the `93 team total includes a bowl game as well).
Notre Dame is currently seventh in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 38.2 points per game. If the 38.2 average holds up, it would set a Notre Dame single-season record.
In addition, the 2005 Irish team has already scored more points this season (382) than any of the previous eight Notre Dame teams. The 1996 team finished the year with 407 points. The school record for points scored (426 in 1991) also is in reach, as the Irish need 44 points in their final regular-season game. Scoring 38 points in the final game of the season, plus a potential bowl game, would give the Irish 458 points.
With one regular-season game remaining, Charlie Weis’ first Notre Dame team already has piled up 382 points – the most in a debut season for a non-interim Irish head coach.
Notre Dame’s Offensive Improvement the Best in the Nation
Entering this weekend’s action, Notre Dame’s 126.2 yards-per-game improvement for the Irish offense this season is rated first in the nation, ahead of USC, Iowa and Washington State. Here is a look at this year’s top 10 most improved offenses:
Most Improved Teams in Total Offense
| Rank | School | 2004 | 2005 | Improvement |
| 1. | Notre Dame | 345.5 | 477.4 | +126.2 |
| 2. | USC | 449.1 | 577.6 | +122.1 |
| 3. | Iowa | 312.7 | 416.6 | +121.8 |
| 4. | Washington State | 368.6 | 487.5 | +120.7 |
| 5. | Penn State | 310.7 | 437.4 | +113.6 |
| 6. | Central Florida | 280.0 | 396.9 | +113.0 |
| 7. | New Mexico | 298.0 | 398.2 | +99.4 |
| 8. | Maryland | 298.0 | 399.4 | +97.8 |
| 9. | Clemson | 295.6 | 390.3 | +90.8 |
| 10. | Arizona State | 435.4 | 518.1 | +82.7 |
Offense Piling Up Yardage
The offense has been the highlight of the 2005 Notre Dame football season thus far. The Irish are currently 10th in the country in total offense (471.70) and are on pace for the most prolific offensive season since the team ended the 1996 season ranked 10th in total offense. Currently, the Irish are averaging 324.5 passing yards per game and are on pace to shatter the Notre Dame record of 252.7 set in 1970 (Notre Dame finished that season ranked eighth in the country in passing offense and second overall with a school-record 510.5 total yards per game).
One measuring stick for offensive production is games in which the team compiles over 500 yards of total offense. Notre Dame has accomplished that feat six times this season (502 at Pittsburgh, 594 vs. Michigan State, 560 at Washington, 621 at Purdue, 511 vs. BYU, 505 vs. Navy) – marking the first time the Irish have posted six 500-yard performances since the 1970 season.
Here is a breakdown of Notre Dame’s 500-plus games in two comparable seasons (1970, 1992) –
1970 (six): 633 vs. Purdue, 513 vs. Michigan State, 600 vs. Navy, 574 vs. Army, 606 vs. Pittsburgh, 557 vs. USC
1992 (five): 561 vs. Northwestern, 509 vs. Michigan State, 580 vs. Purdue, 521 vs. Pittsburgh, 576 vs. Boston College
Keep an Eye on Third Down
Notre Dame has been highly effective on third down offensively this season. The Irish are ninth in the nation (73 of 152, .480) on third down and are holding their opponents to a respectable .345 (49 of 152, 32nd in the nation) on defense.
Irish Rule The Red Zone
The Irish offense has been outstanding in red zone efficiency this season. Notre Dame has scored on 37 of its 44 trips into the red zone – and has proved capable of scoring both through the air and on the ground. Of the 31 touchdowns scored in the red zone, 15 have come via the passing game and 16 have come in the running game.
Notre Dame has forced its opponent into seven turnovers during 36 red zone visits this season. The Irish have caused three fumbles and intercepted four passes inside their own 20-yard line this season. Overall, Notre Dame’s opponents are 28 for 36 (.778) in red zone chances with 22 touchdowns and six field goals.
First-Year Players Seeing Significant Time
Through the first 10 games of the 2005 season, Notre Dame has seen 25 players make their Irish playing debut. Included in the 25 players are 11 true freshmen from Notre Dame’s 15-player class signed last year. The complete list of players that have played for the first time this season: James Bent, Justin Brown, David Bruton*, Maurice Crum, Jr., Casey Cullen, Paul Duncan*, Leo Ferrine, David Fitzgerald, David Grimes*, LaBrose Hedgemon III, Ray Herring*, Joey Hiben*, D.J. Hord*, Pat Kuntz*, Terrail Lambert, Ashley McConnell, Marty Mooney, Steve Quinn * Asaph Schwapp*, Dwight Stephenson, Jr., Scott Smith*, Ronald Talley, Michael Turkovich* and Anthony Vernaglia.
* – indicates true freshman
Four Ranked Teams in Six Games
Including the Oct. 15 matchup with No. 1 USC, Notre Dame faced four ranked teams (according to the AP ranking) in this season’s first six games for the fifth time in the program’s history this year. Notre Dame won three of the games this year, taking down #23 Pittsburgh, #3 Michigan and #22 Purdue – all on the road.
Notre Dame faced a similar challenge in 2003, 2000, 1979 and 1953. The 1953 team (W, 28-21 at #6 Oklahoma; W, 24-14 vs. #15 Pittsburgh; W, 27-14 vs. #4 Georgia Tech; W, 38-7 vs. Navy) is the only Irish squad to win all four games.
Notre Dame’s Solid Start in 2005
Notre Dame’s three victories over ranked opponents have all occurred on the road this season – and all on the opponent’s home field. That marks the first time Notre Dame has defeated three ranked teams on the road since 2002 (vs. #21 Maryland, at #18 Air Force, at #11 Florida State), but the first time since 1990 that feat has been achieved on the opponents’ home fields (at #24 Michigan State, at #9 Tennessee, at #18 USC).
The three ranked victories also occurred in the first five games of the year. The 2005 season marks the 11th time Notre Dame has faced three ranked opponents in its first five games of the season – and the ’05 season is the first time since 1980 (vs. #13 Miami, vs. #14 Michigan and vs. #9 Purdue) that the team has won all three such games in five attempts (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003).
Notre Dame Closing Gap In All-Time Winning Percentage
Notre Dame’s recent final season records ended up pushing the Irish out of the top spot in college football’s all-time winning percentage list. Notre Dame is currently second on the all-time winning percentage and all-time wins list behind Michigan, but the winning percentage gap has narrowed. Michigan, with its regular season complete and waiting for its bowl destination with a 7-4 record, is currently 849-279-36 all-time for a winning percentage of .7448.
The Irish are 8-2 and 810-265-42 all-time for a winning percentage of .7439. Should the Irish close out the regular season with a victory, their winning percentage would move to .7444 – and the Notre Dame – Michigan bowl game outcomes would determine ownership of the all-time winning percentage mark.
Notre Dame Winning Time-of-Possession Battle
While Notre Dame’s offense has been piling up the yardage this season (averaging 471.7 yards per game), it also has won the time of possession battle in eight of 10 games this season. Only BYU (33:39) and Navy (31:35) have been able to hold the ball for more than 30 minutes against Notre Dame. Overall, Notre Dame averages 33:02 minutes per game with the ball, compared to 26:58 for its opponents. Here is a game-by-game breakdown:
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| Game | Notre Dame | Opponent |
| at Pitt | 32:46 | 27:14 |
| at Mich | 30:56 | 29:04 |
| MSU | 35:49 | 24:11 |
| Wash | 36:56 | 23:04 |
| Purdue | 36:03 | 23:57 |
| USC | 38:40 | 21:20 |
| BYU | 26:21 | 33:39 |
| Tennessee | 32:12 | 27:48 |
| Navy | 28:25 | 31:35 |
| Syracuse | 32:13 | 27:47 |
Notre Dame in the Bowl Championship Series
Notre Dame has moved up to eighth in the latest release of the BCS Standings (available on page 25 of this notes package). That marks the highest ranking for the team since it was placed at seventh on Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, 2002. Notre Dame eventually appeared in the Gator Bowl that season.
For Notre Dame to qualify for the pool of potential at-large teams this season, it must win nine games and finish in the top 12 of the BCS Standings.
Notre Dame’s Highest BCS Rankings –
Third – Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, 2002
Sixth – Nov. 17, 2002
Seventh – Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, 2002
Eighth – Nov. 21, 2005
Ninth – Dec. 8, 2002 and Nov. 14, 2005
10th – Dec. 1, 2002
Stovall Making the Most of His Senior Season
Senior WR Maurice Stovall is enjoying a career year in his last season with the Fighting Irish. The Philadelphia, Pa., native is second on the team with 53 catches for 887 yards and 10 touchdowns. His production over Notre Dame’s last three games has been incredible as well, as he has caught nine touchdown passes in the team’s last four victories. The nine touchdown passes in a four-game stretch is easily the best four-game performance for an Irish receiver. In fact, the nine scoring receptions would rank third on Notre Dame’s all-time single-season list. With a total of 10 touchdown catches, Stovall trails Derrick Mayes (11, 1994) and teammate Jeff Samardzija (13, 2005) on the single-season record list at Notre Dame.
Here is a look at Stovall’s production game-by-game this season –
Stovall Game-By-Game This Season:
| Opponent | Rec. | Yards | TD |
| at Pittsburgh | 2 | 27 | 0 |
| at Michigan | 2 | 17 | 0 |
| vs. Michigan State | 8 | 176 | 1 |
| at Washington | 3 | 34 | 0 |
| at Purdue | 8 | 134 | 0 |
| USC | 3 | 30 | 0 |
| BYU | 14 | 207 | 4 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 41 | 1 |
| Navy | 8 | 130 | 3 |
| Syracuse | 3 | 91 | 1 |
Stovall Moving Up the Career Charts
Senior WR Maurice Stovall currently sits in the top seven for career receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns at Notre Dame. His offensive explosion (469 yards, nine touchdowns) in the last four games has hastened his climb up the Irish all-time career charts.
Career Receptions 1. Tom Gatewood 157 1969-71 2. Jim Seymour 138 1966-68 3. Tim Brown 137 1984-87 4. Derrick Mayes 129 1992-95 5. Ken MacAfee 128 1974-77 6. Tony Hunter 120 1979-82 7. Maurice Stovall 114 2002-present
Career Receiving Yards 1. Derrick Mayes 2,512 1992-95 2. Tim Brown 2,493 1984-97 3. Tom Gatewood 2,283 1969-71 4. Jim Seymour 2,113 1966-68 5. Maurice Stovall 1,933 2002-present 6. Tony Hunter 1,897 1979-82
Career Touchdown Receptions 1. Derrick Mayes 22 1992-95 2. Tom Gatewood 19 1969-71 3. Maurice Stovall 17 2002-present 4. Jim Seymour 16 1966-68
Mo (Stovall) and Shark (Samardzjia) – A Dynamic Duo
Senior WR Maurie Stovall and junior WR Jeff Samardzija currently are the only two teammates in the country with double-digit touchdown catches. Samardzija has a school-record 13 scoring grabs, while Stovall has caught nine in the last four games and 10 total. They are the first duo in Notre Dame history to post 10 or more touchdown receptions in the same season.
Both players also rank well on the national charts – here is a breakdown of the national leaders for touchdown receptions –
1. Greg Jennings, Western Michigan 14
Martin Nance, Miami (Ohio) 14
Dwayne Jarrett, USC 14
4. Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame 13
Jason Hill, Washington State 13
6. Davone Bess, Hawaii 12
Jovon Bouknight, Wyoming 12
Sidney Rice, South Carolina 12
Steve Sanders, Bowling Green 12
10. Sam Hurd, Northern Illinois 11
Reggie Lindsey, UAB 11
12. Maurice Stovall, Notre Dame 10
James Hardy, Indiana 10
Marcedes Lewis, UCLA 10
Demetrius Williams, Oregon 10
Santonio Holmes, Ohio State 10
Quinn and the Notre Dame Record Book
Junior QB Brady Quinn, in his third full year as the Irish starter, already has made a lasting mark on the Irish football record book. Here is a quick overview of some of his accomplishments and rankings all-time at Notre Dame (additional records broken are listed on page 26 of this notes package):
Touchdown Passes, Single Game – 6 – vs. BYU, the school record, breaking his previous mark of five posted earlier this season against Michigan State.
Touchdown Passes, Career – 55 – first on the all-time list ahead of Ron Powlus (52).
Touchdown Passes, Season – 29 – the Notre Dame single-season record, breaking Powlus’ mark of 19 from 1994.
Completions, Single Game – 33 – vs. Michigan State, matched Joe Theismann’s school record from the 1970 game at USC. Quinn completed 32 passes against BYU on Oct. 22.
Consecutive Completions – 12 – vs. BYU, second on the all-time list (matching Jarious Jackson) behind Ron Powlus’ 14 straight against Michigan State in 1997. Quinn has posted three consecutive completion streaks over 10 this season (11 at Pittsburgh and at Purdue, 12 vs. BYU).
Consecutive Passes Without an Interception – 130 – compiled vs. USC, BYU, Tennessee and Navy this season, breaking the old record of 127 by Carlyle Holiday during the 2002 season.
Passing Yards, Single Game – 487 – vs. Michigan State, second all-time behind Theismann’s 526 at USC in `70.
Passing Yards, First Half – 287 – vs. BYU, breaking his own record of 283 against Purdue earlier this season.
Passing Yards, Single Season – 3,201 – besting Jarious Jackson’s school record 2,753 from 1999.
Passing Yards, Career – 7,618 – breaking Powlus’ mark of 7,602.
Passing Attempts, Single Season – 367 – breaking his own mark of 332 from 2003.
Passing Attempts, Career – 1,009 – passing Powlus (969).
Pass Completions, Single Season – 238 – breaking his own mark of 195 from 2004.
Pass Completions, Career – 584 – passing Powlus (558).
Games with Four or More Touchdown Passes – 4 – surpassing Powlus’ mark of three. Quinn has thrown at least four touchdown passes against Washington (2004), Michigan State (2005), BYU (2005) and Navy (2005).
Games with 250+ Passing Yards – 14 – beaking Jackson’s record of nine.
Passes Without An Interception, Game – 41 vs. BYU, breaking Steve Beuerlein’s record of 39 against Penn State in 1986.
And here are the records he is currently on pace to break –
Passing Attempts Per Game, Season – 36.7 currently, would break his own record of 29.4 from 2004.
Passing Attempts Per Game, Career – 30.9 currently, would break Powlus’ record of 22.0.
Pass Completions Per Game, Season – 23.8 currently, would break Terry Hanratty’s 16.6 from 1968.
Pass Completions Per Game, Career – 17.2 currently, woud break Powlus’ record of 12.6..
Consecutive Games Completing A Pass – 34 – tied for second all-time, behind Powlus’ 43 games.
Completion Percentage, Season – 64.9 currently, would break Kevin McDougal’s record of 61.6 from 1993.
Completion Percentage, Career – 57.9 currently, behind McDougal’s 62.2 from 1990-93.
Pass Efficiency Rating, Season – 161.47 currently, ahead of John Huarte’s 155.1 from 1964.
Avg. Passing Yards Per Game, Season – 320.1 – far ahead of Joe Theismann’s 242.9 from 1970.
Avg. Passing Yards Per Game, Career – 224.06 – currently first on the all-time list ahead of Powlus (172.7).
Quinn – Notre Dame Yardage King
Junior QB Brady Quinn already has surpassed the school records for single-season yardage gained (3,302) and career yardage gained (7,740), surpassing both records against Syracuse last weekend.
Quinn broke Jarious Jackson’s total yardage mark from 1999 (3,217) and Ron Powlus’ career yardage mark (7,479) from 1994-97.
Quinn 300
Since 1950, a Notre Dame quarterback has thrown for 300 yards or more 15 times. Junior QB Brady Quinn is responsible for six of those performances – the most for any single Notre Dame quarterback. Quinn has thrown for 350 (vs. Boston College, 2003), 432 (vs. Purdue, 2004), 487 (vs. Michigan State, 2005), 327 (at Washington, 2005), 440 (at Purdue, 2005) and 467 (vs. BYU, 2005).
Quinn is the only Notre Dame quarterback to throw for over 400 yards four times in a career (in fact, he is the only one to do it twice) – and in Notre Dame’s last road game at Purdue he became the first Irish signalcaller to throw for more than 300 yards in three consecutive games. He also is the first Irish quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards four times in a season.
Quinn Game-By-Game This Season:
| Opponent | Att. | Comp. | % | Int. | Yds. | TD | Long |
| at Pittsburgh | 27 | 18 | .667 | 1 | 227 | 2 | 51 |
| at Michigan | 30 | 19 | .633 | 0 | 140 | 2 | 26 |
| vs. Michigan State | 60 | 33 | .550 | 1 | 487 | 5 | 50 |
| at Washington | 37 | 25 | .675 | 0 | 327 | 1 | 52 |
| at Purdue | 36 | 29 | .805 | 1 | 440 | 3 | 55 |
| vs. USC | 35 | 19 | .542 | 1 | 264 | 1 | 36 |
| vs. BYU | 41 | 32 | .780 | 0 | 467 | 6* | 44 |
| vs. Tennessee | 33 | 20 | .606 | 0 | 295 | 3 | 73 |
| vs. Navy | 31 | 22 | .710 | 1 | 284 | 4 | 31 |
| vs. Syracuse | 37 | 21 | .567 | 0 | 270 | 2 | 41 |
| TOTAL | 367* | 238* | .649 | 5 | 3201* | 29* | 73 |
| Per Game | 36.7 | 23.8 | 0.50 | 320.1 | 2.9 |
Other Pass Efficiency: 161.47
* – Notre Dame record
Quinn On A Streak
Junior QB Brady Quinn has thrown at least one touchdown pass in his last 15 games played (and started) for the Irish, breaking John Huarte’s record of 10 set in 1964. The Dublin, Ohio, native has totaled 37 scoring tosses during the run (2.5 per game).
Quinn’s touchdown passes over the last 14 games:
2005 – 2 vs. Syracuse, 4 vs. Navy 3 vs. Tennessee, 6 vs. BYU, 1 vs. USC, 3 at Purdue, 1 at Washington, 5 vs. Michigan State, 2 at Michigan, 2 at Pittsburgh
2004 – 2 vs. Oregon State (Insight Bowl), 1 at USC, 3 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 at Tennessee, 1 vs. Boston College
Quinn Throws Six
Junior QB Brady Quinn became the first Notre Dame quarterback to throw six touchdown passes in a single game against BYU on Oct. 22. Quinn finished the game 32 of 41 for 467 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. It ranks as possibly the greatest single-game performance by a Notre Dame quarterback and earned Quinn the ABC Sports/Cingular All-American Player of the Week award for the second time in 2005 (he also earned the award after his stellar performance at Purdue).
Quinn broke his own school record of five touchdown passes set earlier this season against Michigan State.
Quinn’s touchdown passes vs. BYU:
10 yards to Maurice Stovall, first quarter, 7:12
14 yards to Jeff Samardzija, second quarter, 10:33
15 yards to Stovall, second quarter, 4:18
21 yards to Samardzija, third quarter, 12:50
36 yards to Stovall, third quarter, 4:47
24 yards to Stovall, third quarter, 2:16
Quinn Throws 21 in Notre Dame Stadium
Junior QB Brady Quinn shattered the Notre Dame record for touchdown passes at Notre Dame Stadium this season, exploding for 21 scoring tosses this season – 5 vs. MSU, 1 vs. USC, 6 vs. BYU, 3 vs. Tennessee, 4 vs. Navy, 2 vs. Syracuse.
The previous record for touchdown passes in Notre Dame Stadium in a single-season was 11 by Ron Powlus (1994) and Jarious Jackson (1999). Quinn’s performance at home this season has been so dominating that his total home field touchdown passes would have broken the previous single-season record, regardless of venue, of 19 held by Ron Powlus. Quinn has thrown eight touchdown passes in four road games this season (29 total).
Quinn Now The Best Third-Year Starting Quarteback
In 2005, junior Brady Quinn has become just the 13th quarterback in Notre Dame history to start under center for three years. The following is a list of Quinn’s predecessors, along with their stats (when available) from their third starting season. In the 12 seasons played by three-year starting Irish quarterbacks, prior to Quinn’s `05 season, the group amassed a 90-30-4 combined record.
Quinn has already compiled the greatest season by any third-year starting quarterback in Notre Dame history. He has surpassed his predecessors in every key statistical category this season.
SEE PDF FOR STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Quinn a Touchdown Machine
Junior QB Brady Quinn has accounted for two or more touchdowns in nine of Notre Dame’s 10 games this season (a single touchdown pass at Washington was the lone exception) and currently rides a seven-game streak of multiple touchdown performances – three (passing) at Purdue, two (one run, one pass) vs. USC, six (passing) vs. BYU, three (passing) vs. Tennessee, four (passing) vs. Navy and two (passing) vs. Syracuse.
Samardzija Finishes Eight for First Eight in 2005
Junior WR Jeff Samardzija entered the 2005 campaign without a touchdown catch, but exploded this season to catch a touchdown pass in each of Notre Dame’s first eight games. The two-sport athlete (who was a top-line starting pitcher for the Irish baseball team last season) became the first Irish receiver to begin the season with eight consecutive games with a touchdown catch – which made him the Notre Dame recordholder for consecutive games with a touchdown reception. He surpassed Malcolm Johnson’s six-game run from 1998 against BYU. Johnson caught a scoring toss in six straight midseason contests (Arizona State, Army, Baylor, Boston College, Navy and LSU) from Oct. 10 through Nov. 11, during the `98 season.
Samardzija, who also serves as the team’s holder on field-goal attempts, tied a Notre Dame record with three touchdown receptions versus Michigan State (since broken by teammate Maurice Stovall, who posted four touchdown receptions against BYU). Samardzija was the seventh player to catch three touchdown passes in a game and the first since Tom Gatewood versus Purdue in 1970.
Samardzija, Statistically Speaking
Junior WR Jeff Samardzija is enjoying a career season in 2005, leading the team with 63 catches for 999 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is ranked ninth in the country in receiving yards per game (99.9) and is poised to become Notre Dame’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 1970 when Tom Gatewood posted 1,123. Samardzija is just 124 yards away from Gatewood’s single-season reception yardage record.
He has already surpassed the single-season touchdown total. His 13 scoring receptions have bested Derrick Mayes’ previous record of 11 from 1994
Touchdown Receptions in a Season –
| Rank | Name | Total | Season |
| 1. | Jeff Samardzija | 13 | 2005 |
| 2. | Derrick Mayes | 11 | 1994 |
| 3. | Maurice Stovall | 10 | 2005 |
| 4. | Jack Snow | 9 | 1964 |
| 5. | Jim Seymour | 8 | 1966 |
Zbikowski Returns
Junior Tom Zbikowski, who has seen action in just 21 games for the Irish, has already made a name for himself in the Notre Dame record books. At one point this season in a three-game stretch against USC, BYU and Tennessee, he returned a punt or interception for a touchdown four times – the first Irish defensive player to accomplish such a feat.
Here is a look at Zbikowski’s returns this season –
• vs. USC – punt return 60 yards
• vs. BYU – interception return 83 yards
• vs. Tennessee – punt return 78 yards, interception return 33 yards
In addition, Zbikowski returned a fumble 75 yards against Michigan State in 2004.
With his interception and punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee on Nov. 5, Zbikowski became the first Irish player to accomplish that feat since Nick Rassas against Northwestern in 1965. Rassas returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown and a punt 72 yards for a score in Notre Dame’s 38-7 victory.
With his five career returns (two interceptions, two punts, one fumble), Zbikowski has already established himself among the best big-play return specialists in Notre Dame history.
Zbikowski Seventh Nationally in Punt Returns
Junior S Tom Zbikowski’s emergence as a playmaker on special teams is reflected in the most recent NCAA statistical rankings. Zbikowski is seventh in the nation in punt return average (17.25) and has been ranked as high as third this year. With two punt returns for a touchdown, Zbikowski joins Drew, Texas’ Aaron Ross and Wisconsin’s Brandon Williams as the only players in the nation to have multiple scoring punt returns (Drew has three, Ross and Williams two).
Walker 80 Yards from 1,000 in 2005
Sophomore RB Darius Walker needs 80 yards in Notre Dame’s final regular-season game (and a possible bowl game) to post the 14th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history. Walker would become the ninth Irish player to rush for 1,000 yards and the first since Julius Jones totaled 1,268 in 2003.
Walker’s 100-Yard Games
Sophomore RB Darius Walker has rushed for 100 yards six times this season, marking the first time since 1993 that an Irish player has posted six or more 100-yard rushing performances in a season. Lee Becton ended the `93 campaign with seven consecutive 100-yard performances.
100-Yard Rushing Games in a Single Season Since 1950
1. Allen Pinkett 10 1983
2. Phil Carter 9 1980
3. Autry Denson 8 1997
4. Lee Becton 7 1993
5. Darius Walker (2005) 6 2005
tied with Denson (1998), Denson (1996), Reggie Brooks (1992), Pinkett (1985), Vegas Ferguson (1979), Jerome Heavens (1977)
Jinx?, What Jinx?
Sophomore running back Darius Walker set a Notre Dame freshman rushing record in 2004 with 786 yards, eclipsing the mark of 756 Jerome Heavens set in 1975, en route to earning third-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News. If Walker stays on the pace he set in his first season with the Irish, he will be primed to turn in one of the finest statistical seasons ever by an Irish sophomore. Here’s a look at how the top 10 rushers in Notre Dame history, plus a few other notables, fared in their sophomore year.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Walker’s Great Start
Sophomore RB Darius Walker started the 2005 season with four consecutive 100-yard performances. He ran for an even 100 yards at #23/25 Pittsburgh (42-21 Irish victory), posted 104 yards in a 17-10 victory at #3/3 Michigan, rushed for 116 yards against Michigan State (44-41 OT loss) and had a career-high 128 yards at Washington on Sept. 24. Purdue ended Walker’s streak of 100-yard games at four by holding him to 80 yards on 23 carries.
The effort against Washington made Walker the first Irish running back to start the season with four consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. The last Notre Dame running back to rush for over 100 yards in four straight games was Randy Kinder, who rushed for 100 yards against Purdue (142), Vanderbilt (110), Texas (129) and Ohio State (143) in 1995.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Walker Expanding His Game
While sophomore Darius Walker set the Notre Dame freshman rushing record last season (786 yards in `04), he was limited in his role in the Irish passing game (10 catches, 74 yards). He has already eclipsed those numbers in 2005, posting 31 catches (fourth on the team) for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
He is currently second on the all-time single season receptions by a back list at Notre Dame. He trails record holder Bob Gladieux (37 in 1968) by six entering this weekend’s game.
Receptions by a Running Back – Season
Rank, Name Number Season
1. Bob Gladieux 37 1968
2. Darius Walker 31 2005
3. Autry Denson 30 1997
4. Joe Heap 29 1952
Allen Pinkett 28 1983
6. Marc Edwards 25 1995
Mark Green 25 1986
Travis Thomas Steps Up
Looking for a change-of-pace back against No. 1 USC on Oct. 15, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis turned to junior RB Travis Thomas. Thomas, who has shined in reserve duty this season, stepped up to rush for 52 yards, including a 16-yard run to record Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the day against the Trojans. Thomas also posted a career-best 58 yards rushing against Navy.
Thomas’ production this season already surpasses his totals from 2004, his first season of action for the Irish.
Fitzpatrick Puts His Name in the Irish Record Book
Senior PK/P D.J. Fitzpatrick has been perfect on all 48 of his PAT attempts this season, which puts him in a tie for the single-season record at Notre Dame with Craig Hentrich (1991). Fitzpatrick missed a chance to break the record last weekend against Syracuse, as he was roughed on a field-goal attempt and shaken up. Carl Gioia then put his name in the record book by scoring his first point on the PAT after Notre Dame’s subsequent touchdown.
Fitzpatrick is currently fourth on the career PAT percentage list with a mark of .980 (99 of 101), fourth on the PAT career total list (99, behind Jim Sanson with 108 from 1996-99) and fifth on the all-time field goal attempt list (47), behind Hentrich (56, 1989-92) in fourth place.
Older and Wiser
The 2005 Notre Dame offensive line is one of the most experienced units in school history. With the entire starting group from a year ago still in the fold, the Irish offense boasts almost 100 combined career starts on the line. Entering the `05 campaign, senior tackle Mark LeVoir started the last 24 Notre Dame games and led the veteran group in starting assignments. Seniors Bob Morton and Dan Stevenson were a close second with 22 starts each, while junior Ryan Harris had 19 starts to his credit and junior John Sullivan was the junior man of the group with 12. Here is a look at the 10 most experienced offensive line units to wear the blue and gold since `85, with the `05 group added in for comparison.
Year Starts Heading Into Season
2005 99
1997 84
2002 76
1985 56
1996 56
1998 52
1987 50
1995 49
1993 46
1989 45
1990 43
On the `Fas’ Track to Success
Senior tight end Anthony Fasano turned in a breakout 2004 season for the Irish, catching 27 balls for 367 yards and four touchdowns. Against Purdue in `04, the 6-4, 257-pound Fasano hauled in a career-high eight passes for a Notre Dame tight end-record 155 yards and was named John Mackey National Tight End of the Week. His 27 catches in ’04 tied him with former Irish standout Pete Chryplewicz for the fifth-highest single-season total by a tight end and he has far surpassed that total this season with 40 catches.
Barring injury Fasano has moved onto Notre Dame’s top five all-time tight end receiving list. Here’s a look at where he stands heading into the weekend:
Player Receptions Years
Ken MacAfee 128 1974-77
Anthony Fasano 86 2003-present
Derek Brown 62 1988-91
Dean Masztak 62 1978-81
Tony Hunter 55 1979-82
Mark Bavaro 55 1981-84
Fasano’s signature game – the eight-reception, 155-yard outburst versus Purdue in ’04 – placed him at the top of the record books in terms of yards for a single game. The following is a list of how he stacks up against Notre Dame’s top five tight end in terms of career yards.
Player Yards Years
Ken MacAfee 1759 1974-77
Anthony Fasano 1114 2003-present
Dean Masztak 924 1978-81
Derek Brown 899 1988-91
Mike Creaney 890 1970-72
Mark Bavaro 771 1981-84
What makes Fasano’s totals even more impressive is the fact that he has tallied them in a little more than two years of action, after not playing his freshman year in 2002. Here’s a breakdown of what Notre Dame’s other prolific pass-catching tight ends did in their third seasons in the blue and gold.
Player Receptions-Yards Touchdowns
Anthony Fasano 42-545 2
Ken MacAfee 34-483 3
Mike Creaney 17-321 2
Derek Brown 15-220 1
Mark Bavaro 23-376 3
Fasano also is in teach of the single-season mark for catches by a tight end, needing just 12 more this season to reach Ken MacAfee’s record of 54 from 1977.
Player Receptions Year
Ken MacAfee 54 1977
Anthony Fasano 42 2005
Tony Hunter 42 1982
Ken MacAfee 34 1976
Mark Bavaro 32 1984
Don’t Forget the Anniversary
The 2005 football season marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of fabled Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish have played 386 games in the facility to date and own a 291–90-5 (.760) record in the “House that Rockne Built.”
The Irish were 3-3 in Notre Dame Stadium in `04, but rebounded to finish 4-2 at home this season and push the team’s record at home to 95-32 (.748) over the last 21 years.
The most wins in a season by the Irish at home is seven by the `88 national championship team and the longest home winning streak in Notre Dame football history is 28 games (from 11/21/42 through 9/30/50).
In `55, the Stadium’s 25th anniversary, Notre Dame went 8-2 on the season for coach Terry Brennan, including a 4-0 home record; the Irish turned in a 9-2-1 overall record and a 5-0 home mark to commemorate Notre Dame Stadium’s 50th anniversary in `80.
Irish Have Faced Another Loaded Schedule
With the updates of the AP and USA Today/Coaches Poll, Notre Dame will continue to face one of the toughest schedules in the nation (rankings are AP/USA Today and Harris Interactive):
• Notre Dame is the only team that played three games against top four teams from the preseason polls – #1/1 USC (L, 31-34), #5/4 Tennessee (W, 41-21) and #3/3 Michigan (W, 17-10).
• Notre Dame is the only school that will face three teams that were in the top 10 of both preseason polls this season.
• Notre Dame will play games against six teams ranked in the top 25 this season at least once this season. The Irish have already defeated #23/25 Pittsburgh 42-21, #3/3 Michigan 17-10 and #22/20/22 Purdue.
The Irish also faced #1/1/1 USC, Tennessee (who was ranked as high as third this season) and Michigan State (who have been in and out of the top 25 this year).
In Front of the Nation
In 2004, the Notre Dame football team once again received more network television exposure and played in more highly-rated games than any other program in college football.
The Irish played in the highest-rated network game of the `04 regular season (and the highest-rated regular-season game overall in two seasons) in its `04 regular-season finale at USC. That game, televised by ABC Sports, received a 6.3 Nielsen rating and was seen in 6.898 million households.
Overall, Notre Dame played in six games that ranked among the top 25 highest-rated network telecasts and no other school played in more than five (Tennessee and Georgia each played in five).
Including Notre Dame’s last game against Navy, the Irish have a remarkable streak of 157 consecutive games (more than 12 full seasons) that have been carried by either NBC (86), ABC (44), CBS (14) or ESPN (13). You have to go all the way back to the `92 season to find a Notre Dame game that wasn’t on one of those four networks.
The streak will continue throughout the 2005 season as well. The last game of the 2005 season at Stanford will be broadcast on ABC.
In Front of a Full House
Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 180 of its previous 205 games, including 55 of its last 59 contests dating back to the end of the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 2000 season (the `01 and `03 games at Stanford, last year’s game vs. Navy at the Meadowlands and this season’s game at Washington were not sellouts). At Michigan in `03, the Irish and Wolverines attracted the largest crowd in NCAA history (111,726), marking the third time in the history of the series that an NCAA attendance record has been set. It also represented the seventh time in the last four seasons that Notre Dame has been part of establishing a new stadium attendance record (at Nebraska and Texas A&M in `01; at Air Force and Florida State, home vs. Boston College in `02, vs. Oregon State in the Insight Bowl in `04 – the game set a Bank One Ballpark record for football configuration). Notre Dame and Michigan played before an over-capacity 111,386 at Michigan Stadium in September of this season. This season’s Washington was played before less than a capacity crowd as 71,473 witnessed the Irish defeat the Huskies, 36-17, at Husky Stadium (capacity: 72,500) in Seattle.
At Purdue, the Irish and Boilermakers played before 60,491 football fans, a Ross-Ade Stadium record (since the renovation of the facility in 2003).
Making the Grade
The last four seasons of Notre Dame football have produced some impressive semesters in the classroom for the Notre Dame football team. In fact, the Irish had a 2004 spring semester in which the team’s 104 players combined for a 2.96 grade-point average that ranks as the program’s best semester GPA on record (dating back to 1992). The Notre Dame football program’s top six semester GPAs since `92 were all posted in the seven semesters prior to the fall of `04, including the three semesters from fall of `02 to fall of `03 (2.84 in fall of `02, 2.79 in spring of `03 and 2.82 in fall of `03). The football program’s second-best semester GPA of the past 12 years came in the spring of `02 (2.90), followed by a 2.80 in the spring of `01 and a 2.69 in the fall of `01. Upon closer examination, the 2004 spring semester saw 11 Irish football players post a Dean’s List GPA (sliding scale, based on major), while 21 turned in a semester GPA of 3.4-plus and more than half (53) had a GPA of 3.0 or better. In addition, two players – former DE Kyle Businscak and senior LB Brandon Hoyte – received Academic All-District V honors in `03, marking Budinscak’s third selection and Hoyte’s second to the prestigious squad. Budinscak followed up with another All-District V honor in `04.
Taking Care of Business Off the Field, Too
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) annually honors the school with the highest graduation rate based on a particular entering freshman football class, and Notre Dame has won the award six times, most recently in 2001 with its 100-percent graduation rate (22 of 22 entering freshmen from `96 earned their degrees within five years). The `01 award followed Notre Dame’s previous honors in `82, `83, `84, `88 and `91. Notre Dame also holds the distinction of producing the first 100-percent rate in a single year when 24 of 24 student-athletes from the entering class of `82 earned their degrees within a five-year period (and 16 of those 24 did so within four years). Only eight other times has a school registered a 100-percent graduation rate. The `88 award had special meaning, as it was the first time a school won the national championship on the football field – as Notre Dame did, finishing 12-0 after a Fiesta Bowl win over unbeaten West Virginia – and in the classroom. Including the special mention category, the Irish have received some sort of recognition in 23 of the 24 years the award has been presented, with Duke next at 21.
Notre Dame Athletics Continues Relationship with SIRIUS Satellite Radio
After a successful debut season in 2004, SIRIUS Satellite Radio will continue to offer Notre Dame football, and selected men’s/women’s basketball, games on its nationwide service.
Go to www.sirius.com for more information on the service. The Notre Dame – Navy match up can be heard on the following SIRIUS channels –
Nov. 26 at Stanford 147
Inside the Irish Huddle DVD
Legendary Notre Dame Quarterbacks, a project dedicated to the lore and history of University of Notre Dame football and its rich quarterbacking tradition, is beginning its existence with the release of a DVD, Inside the Irish Huddle, Stories from the Legendary Notre Dame Quarterbacks.
The DVD is now available and can ordered on NDQB1.com, the official website of the Legendary Notre Dame Quarterbacks.
Inside the Irish Huddle, made in association with Indianapolis and Chicago based Pathway Productions, includes interviews with and collegiate highlights of some of the most high-profile players and coaches in Notre Dame and college football history. Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, Paul Hornung, Johnny Lujack, Tom Clements and Terry Hanratty are just a few of former players featured on Inside the Irish Huddle.
The project is spearheaded by former Irish quarterback Blair Kiel (1980-83).
Notre Dame Stadium Update
Thanks to funding by the Notre Dame Monogram Club, Notre Dame Stadium features a new look for its 75th anniversary this season.
• Positioned in the 195 portals of the original Stadium walls (now visible in the lower bowl concourse), there now are individual, four-by-10-foot, mesh banners with old-school, black-and-white photos highlighting Notre Dame’s 11 consensus national-championship seasons, its 139 first-team football All-Americans, its seven Heisman Trophy winners, its five national-championship coaches and its eight representatives in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Hanging from the ceiling around the lower concourse are 15 full-color, 12-by-15-foot banners – 10 of them featuring action shots of members of the 2005 Irish squad, and five featuring the 75th anniversary logo for Notre Dame Stadium. In addition, there will be four other five-by-eight-foot representations of the logo within the Stadium.
• One addition visible from inside the Stadium is a sign on the facing of the wall just above the tunnel – it reads “Irish” and includes the Monogram Club logo.
• Attached to light polls on Moose Krause Circle surrounding the Stadium and in the Stadium and Joyce North and South parking lots are 100 two-by-four foot pole banners, all of them featuring various Notre Dame marks and phrases – including combinations of Irish, We Are ND, a shamrock, the leprechaun, University of Notre Dame, Here Come the Irish, Fighting Irish, a gold helmet and the 75th anniversary Stadium logo.
• In addition, there are plans over the next few years to theme the entry gates at the Stadium – with the intention of creating specific recognition of Notre Dame’s national championships, its All-Americans, its Heisman Trophy winners and its national championship coaches. The gate completed was Gate B. It recognizes the Irish Heisman winners with three-foot by eight-foot replicas of the Heisman Trophy. The displays were designed by Rockwell Group of New York and fabricated by Show Motion Inc. of Connecticut. The work was accomplished with the cooperation of the Downtown Athletic Club and the Heisman Trophy Trust.
Most of the signage and design work is being handled by Sport Graphics, Inc., in Indianapolis, Ind. Additional work for the gate designs is by the Rockwell Group in New York, N.Y.
Football Banquet Tickets Sold Out
Former University of Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz will serve as the guest speaker for the sold-out 84th University of Notre Dame Football Banquet.
The banquet, sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley, will be held Friday, Dec. 2, 2005, in the north dome of the Joyce Center on the Notre Dame campus. A reception on the concourse and a silent auction in the Monogram Room both begin at 5:45 p.m. EST and the dinner begins at 7:00 p.m.
The program will include a special tribute to senior members of the 2005 Irish squad – as well as a series of awards honoring members of the Notre Dame team.
Proceeds benefit the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Scholarship Fund.
Holtz coached 132 games in 11 seasons at Notre Dame (1986-96) and guided his teams to a 100-30-2 record. He coached more games than any other Irish head coach and finished second to Knute Rockne in victories. Holtz led the Irish to the 1988 national championship and remains 11th on the NCAA all-time win list for Division I-A coaches. He took his Notre Dame teams to nine straight New Year’s Day bowl games from 1987 through ’95 and coached the Irish to finishes of sixth or better in the final Associated Press poll in five seasons. Holtz was named the national coach of the year in 1988 by several organizations and saw his team play the most difficult schedule in the country in three seasons.
Before coming to Notre Dame Holtz served as head coach at William & Mary (1969-71), North Carolina State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and Minnesota (1984-85). He served as a college football analyst for CBS Sports in ’97 and ’98, was head football coach at South Carolina from 1999 through 2004 and currently is an analyst for ESPN.
Guglielmino Athletics Complex Officially Dedicated
The Guglielmino Athletics Complex, new home to the University of Notre Dame football program, was dedicated Friday, Oct. 14, 2005. The dedication program included a blessing of the building, an afternoon Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and a dedication dinner in the rotunda of the Main Building. A special, 18-by-24-inch, commemorative poster (printed by Mossberg & Company in South Bend and designed by recent Notre Dame graduate Tim O’Connor) created for the dedication was available free of charge Friday night as fans left the pep rally at Notre Dame Stadium.
Opened in August and located on the east side of campus, the 96,000-square-foot building commonly referred to as “The Gug” is a spacious, state-of-the-art facility that houses the football program’s locker rooms, offices and meeting rooms, in addition to giving the 800 student-athletes in Notre Dame’s 26 varsity sports enhanced space for all training, strength and conditioning, and medical needs. The Guglielmino Athletics Complex has been made possible through the generous gift of the late Don F. Guglielmino and his wife Flora. A longtime supporter of Notre Dame, Guglielmino attended the University in the 1939-40 academic year.
Irish Football on the Printed Page
This fall, three new books about Fighting Irish football have debuted. The Spirit of Notre Dame, by Jim Langford and Jeremy Langford, officially went on sale during the last week of August. Detailing both athletic and student/alumni stories from the University, the book is said to be “the absolute essential title for the millions of people who have a place in their heart for the Fighting Irish.” The book is a production of The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group and can be bought on www.randomhouse.com.
South Bend Tribune and Notre Dame football beat writer Eric Hansen has seen the release of his new book, Notre Dame, Where Have You Gone?. Hansen catches up with former Fighting Irish football players, from the All-Americans to the walk-ons to the one-play wonders to the once-tragic figures. The book is available for order at www.sportspublishinginc.com.
The third offering comes from Senior Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations at Notre Dame – John Heisler. Echoes of Notre Dame Football, The Greatest Stories Ever Told, was edited by the former long-time sports information director. A member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame, Heisler’s book stitches together the best columns from the best columnists. It not only recounts the greatest moments in Notre Dame lore, it also tracks the chronological progression sportswriting styles from the esoteric to the ultra-modern. The book is available by calling 800-335-5323 or by sending an e-mail to WebOrders@triumphbooks.com. The book also features a foreword by Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis.
Kevin White Radio Show
Look for the Kevin White Show for the next 30 weeks on ESPN 1000 AM radio in Chicago.
The hour-long program debuted Sept. 4 in its sixth season – with first-night guests including former Irish football-walk-on Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger (subject of the 1993 movie “Rudy”), former Irish placekicker Harry Oliver (he kicked a 51-yard field goal 25 years ago this week to help Notre Dame beat Michigan 29-27 in 1980), and current Irish hockey coach Jeff Jackson.
Guests regularly will include familiar names from all facets of college athletics.
The show features White, Notre Dame’s director of athletics, and ESPN 1000’s Dave Juday. It can be heard regularly at 11:00 p.m. Central time on Sunday.
Sponsors of the show include Gatorade, Xerox, adidas, Comcast, McDonald’s, Chase, Coca-Cola, Sirius Satellite Radio, Jordan Industries and Sayers Computer Source.
The show can be heard in more than 30 states around the country on ESPN 1000 in Chicago.
Katrina Collection Update
Collections taken up throughout the University of Notre Dame community in recent weeks–in the student residence hall chapels and dining halls and even the football stadium–have raised over $240,000 for the relief of victims of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe.
A collection in the Notre Dame Stadium during the football game with Michigan State raised $195,871. Collections also have been taken up at Masses in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore but have not yet been tabulated.
Funds raised in the University’s Katrina collections are being distributed among Catholic Charities USA; Catholic parishes in the Gulf region which are administered by Notre Dame’s founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross; and regional parochial schools participating in Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) volunteer teacher program.
The University will continue to accept donations throughout the semester. Contributions may be sent to: Notre Dame Katrina Collection, P.O. Box 198, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-019.
Instant Replay
Notre Dame will utilize the Big Ten Conference instant replay system during all other home games this season. The opposing team is given the option of agreeing to use the system as well, and it will only be implemented if both teams decide to utilize the system.
• The Big Ten instant replay model and the NFL instant replay system are different. In the Big Ten model, only the Big Ten Technical Advisor, working in the press box, can stop a game to review a play. Unlike the NFL model, in the Big Ten neither the coaches nor the game officials on the field may ask for a review.
• In order for a play to be changed the Technical Advisor must have indisputable video evidence that an error occurred. Television broadcast of the game will be the sole source of whether there is indisputable video evidence.
• The replay system will not guarantee that all officiating mistakes are identified and corrected.
•The types of plays that are reviewable include plays that are governed by the sideline, goal line, end zone and end line, passing plays, and other detectable infractions, such as forward progress with respect to first down.