Oct. 31, 2005
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GAME 8
Notre Dame (5-2) vs. Tennessee (3-4)
The Rankings: Notre Dame – 8th AP, 9th USA Today, 9th Harris, 14th BCS
The Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, 2:38 p.m. EST (1:38 p.m. CST in Chicago)
The Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795), Natural Grass
The Tickets: They’re all sold and it is the 183rd consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium (the first 130 coming at the old 59,075 capacity). The Tennessee game marks the 231st home sellout in the last 232 games (dating back to 1964). It also is the 177th sellout in the last 202 Irish games and the 42nd in the last 45 games involving Notre Dame, dating back to the end of the 2001 season.
The TV Plans: NBC national telecast with Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Pat Haden (analysis), Lewis Johnson (sideline), Tom Roy and David Gibson (producers) and John Gonzalez (director).
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) and former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis). This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 125 for the Tennessee 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 17 of this notes package for more information on Irish football radio and television shows.
Websites: Notre Dame – www.und.com; Tennessee – www.utsports.com
Two-Minute Drill (what you need to know about this weekend’s Notre Dame – Tennessee matchup) –
•Notre Dame (5-2) returns to action on Saturday against Tennesse (3-4) after playing just two games in the last four weeks (the Irish were on a bye Oct. 8 and Oct. 29).
• Notre Dame and Tennessee are meeting for the eighth time. Tennessee leads the series 4-3 and Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams in Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame’s lone win against Tennessee at home came in the series’ first meeting (a 31-14 victory in 1978). The Volunteers have posted a victory in their last two appearances on Notre Dame’s home field (35-34 in 1991 and 28-18 in 2001).
• Notre Dame is 20-12 all-time against teams from the Southeastern Conference. Sixteen of those games have been played against LSU (nine) and Tennessee (seven). Tennessee is the only SEC school the Irish have faced in the last seven years.
• Moving up to No. 8 in the Associated Press top 25, the Irish have reached their highest AP ranking since 2002, when the team was ranked No. 4 heading into a Nov. 2 matchup with Boston College.
• This weekend’s matchup between the Fighting Irish and Volunteers features one of the nation’s top offenses (Notre Dame, ranked ninth in total offense at 492.71 yards per game) against one of the nation’s top defenses (Tennessee, ranked 12th in total defense allowing 293.86 yards per game).
• Two Notre Dame players are hoping to extend their school-record streaks on Saturday. Junior QB Brady Quinn has thrown a touchdown pass in his last 12 games, while junior WR Jeff Samardzija has caught a touchdown pass in his last seven games.
• Quinn also is nearing a school record for single-season passing yardage, needing just 401 yards to break Jarious Jackson’s record of 2,753 yards in 1999. Quinn has thrown for 400 yards three times this sesason and is currently ranked third in the country in total offense (348.57 yards per game).
•Notre Dame is scoring points at a rapid pace this season, as the Irish are 11th in the nation for scoring offense averaging 37.86 points per game (which would be the ND record if it holds up). Notre Dame’s 265 points scored in its first seven games this season is the team’s best seven–game total since the 1992 team posted 269.
• Notre Dame has posted 500 yards of total offense five times this season, the first time the team has accomplished that feat since 1992. The 1970 team also posted five games with 500 yards of total offense.
•The Irish have established school records in 17 different offensive categories this season and are threatening several more season marks (see page 23 of this notes package for a complete list).
• Notre Dame is looking to win consecutive home games in Notre Dame Stadium for the first time since Sept. 11 and Sept. 25 of last season. The Irish broke a four-game Notre Dame Stadium losing streak with their victory over BYU on Oct. 22.
• Presenting the national colors for Saturday’s game will be University of Notre Dame senior class officers Emily Chin, Brian Redmond, Ben Zerante and Anna Skoein. They will present the colors to Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports, along with his wife Susan St. James with thier son, Charlie (Notre Dame Class of 2005).
•Also during today’s game Dr. John B. “Jack” Matthews, USMC, (ret.), of the Notre Dame Class of 1963, will be presented the Rev. William Corby, CSC, Award in recognition of his distinguished military service.
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 5-2 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 – Tennessee Series History and Notes
• Notre Dame and Tennessee are meeting for the eighth time on the gridiron with the Volunteers holding a 4-3 edge in the series. Saturday will mark the fourth time the two teams will meet in Notre Dame Stadium and the Volunteers won two of those three meetings. Notre Dame’s victory at home against Tennessee came in the first game of the series – a 31-14 win in 1978.
• At least one of the teams has been nationally ranked in all eight games of the series, with Notre Dame entering this contest ranked eighth by AP and ninth by USA Today. This weekend’s game will mark the first between the two teams since 1991 that Notre Dame will be ranked higher than Tennessee. In the last three meetings (1999, 2001, 2004), Tennessee entered the game ranked in the top 10, while the Irish were ranked just once (No. 24 in 1999).
• Notre Dame broke a three-game losing streak to the Volunteers last season in Neyland Stadium with a 17-13 victory.
• Three of Tennessee’s four victories in the series have been by double digits (40-18 in ’79, 38-14 in ’99 and 28-18 in 2001).
• Four of the last five games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
• This game will mark Tennessee’s first appearance in Notre Dame Stadium since a 28-18 victory over the Irish in 2001.
• Entering the 2005 season, both Notre Dame and Tennessee ranked in the top 10 on the NCAA Division IA all-time victories list – the Irish were second with 802 wins while the Volunteers checked in at No. 9 with 746 victories.
• Tennessee is one of only five current “major” schools to hold a series advantage over Notre Dame – the others are Nebraska (8-7-1), Florida State (4-2), Georgia (1-0) and Michigan (18-14-1).
• The Tennessee-Notre Dame series has always been played in early November. All eight games (including 2005) have been played within an eight-day range (Nov. 3, Nov. 5, twice on Nov. 6, Nov. 9, twice on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11).
Notre Dame Versus the Southeastern Conference
• Notre Dame has won 63 percent of its games (20-12-0) vs. teams that currently make up the Southeastern Conference, with 16 of those games coming vs. LSU (nine) and Tennessee (seven).
• Tennessee is the only SEC school the Irish have faced in the last seven years. The Irish and Volunteers have met in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Notre Dame’s most recent matchup against a different SEC school was a 39-36 victory over LSU on Nov. 21, 1998.
• Notre Dame owns a .500 or better record against five of the eight SEC teams it has faced.
• Tennessee (4-3) and Georgia (1-0) are the only SEC schools to have winning records against Notre Dame.
• Notre Dame has played the following SEC schools: Alabama (5-1), Florida (1-0), Georgia (0-1), LSU (5- 4), Mississippi (1-1), South Carolina (3-1), Tennessee (3-4) and Vanderbilt (2-0).
Last Time at Notre Dame Stadium vs. Tennessee
Seventh-ranked Tennessee used two lengthy third quarter drives and capitalized on a pair of critical Notre Dame turnovers to squeeze past the Irish, 28-18, before a capacity crowd of 80,795 at Notre Dame Stadium on November 3, 2001.
Notre Dame did most of what it set out to do against the Volunteers. The Irish shut down the Vols’ leading rusher, Travis Stephens, and held a sizable edge in the time of possession battle. The Notre Dame defense also came up with a timely score. Quarterback Carlyle Holiday kept the Irish withing striking distance throughout the day, completing 13 of 24 passes for 146 yards. Nine of his completions went to David Givens, who piled up 99 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Stephens, who came into the game as the nation’s third-leading rusher, was limited to a season-low 63 yards on 24 carries by a tenacious Notre Dame defense.
The Irish had command of the game for much of the first half, owning the ball for more than 19 of the first 30 minutes of play. However, the most promising of these marches was stifled when Arnaz Battle fumbled at the Vols’ one-yard line as he tried to score on a reverse. Another Irish fumble produced the first score on the game as freshman running back Ryan Grant lost a fumble that UT’s Julian Battle scooped up and returned 81 yards for a touchdown to give the Volunteers a 7-0 lead with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter. Notre Dame marched right back down the field, going 52 yards in 10 plays to pick up a 41-yard field goal by Nicholas Setta with 27 seconds remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 7-3 at halftime.
Notre Dame caught the first break of the second half when Courtney Watson intercepted a Casey Clausen pass and went 31 yards for a touchdown to give the Irish a 10-7 lead just 1:37 into the third quarter. The lead would not last long, however, as Tennessee responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped off by Stephens’ three-yard touchdown run with 8:19 left in the third period for a 14-10 UT lead. Tennessee extended the lead on their next possession, driving 81 yards for a touchdown as the drive concluded with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to Donte Stallworth for a 21-10 UT lead with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter. Notre Dame bounced back with a 75-yard march in 17 plays to open the fourth quarter, converting three third down plays and one fourth down.
The Irish touchdown came on a one-yard run by Tony Fisher with 8:04 to play. The Irish converted a two-point play when Holiday connected with Fisher on a shovel pass to cut the UT lead to 21-18. After the Irish forced a Tennessee punt with 3:25 left, Notre Dame’s ensuing possession ended on an interception at the Irish 25-yard line. The Vols then marched to a clinching touchdown, scoring on a one-yard scoring run with 35 seconds left for the final 28-18 margin. Notre Dame fell to 3-5 with the loss on the way to a 5-6 final record while UT improved to 6-1 on the way to an 11-2 final record.
Notre Dame Scoring At A Rapid Pace
Notre Dame is currently 11th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 37.86 points per game. If the 37.86 average holds up, it would set a Notre Dame single-season record. The Irish have totalled 265 points this season, the most over the first seven games of the year since the 1992 team posted 269 points.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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 13 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.
• The longest winning streak for a Notre Dame head coach to begin his career with the Irish is nine games, by Harper (1913-14) and Parseghian (`64).
• 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.
First-Year Players Seeing Significant Time
Through the first six 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 and Michael Turkovich*, Anthony Vernaglia.
* – indicates true freshman
Offense Piling Up Yardage
The offense has been the highlight of the 2005 Notre Dame football season thus far. The Irish are currently ninth in the country in total offense (492.71) 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 340.0 passing yards per game and are on pace to break 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 five times this season (502 at Pittsburgh, 594 vs. Michigan State, 560 at Washington, 621 at Purdue, 511 vs. BYU) – marking the first time the Irish have posted five 500-yard performances since the 1992 season (the Irish also posted five 500-yard games in 1970).
Here is a breakdown of Notre Dame’s 500-plus games in two comparable seasons (1970, 1992) –
1970 (five): 633 vs. Purdue, 513 vs. Michigan State, 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
Stanford Kickoff
The Notre Dame-Stanford football game tobe played Nov. 26, 2005, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif., will kick off at 5:00 p.m. PST (8:00 p.m. EST in South Bend), ABC Sports announced on Monday, Oct. 31.
ABC Sports will telecast the game live.
Keep an Eye on Third Down
Notre Dame and Florida State are the only two teams ranked in the top 15 in both offensive third down percentage and defensive third down percentage. Notre Dame is ranked ninth in the nation and is averaging a solid 48 percent on third down this season (52 of 107), while holding its opponents to 30.5 percent (29 of 95), which is ranked 15th in the nation. Florida State is ranked 12th and 15th, respectively.
Red Zone Turnovers
Notre Dame has forced its opponent into seven turnovers during 27 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 19 for 27 in red zone chances with 16 touchdowns and three field goals. The Irish are 27 for 31 with 24 touchdowns and three field goals.
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 a 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 has claimed victories over three ranked opponents on the road this season – and all three victories occurred 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).
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 (see pages 9, 11 and 13 for several career ranking breakdowns for Quinn):
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 – 46 – second on the all-time list behind Ron Powlus (52).
Touchdown Passes, Season – 20 – 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).
Passing Yards, Single Game – 487 – vs. Michigan State, second all-time behind Theismann’s 526 at USC in `70.
Brady Quinn is just 401 yards away from the Notre Dame single-season passing yardage record.
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Passing Yards, First Half – 287 – vs. BYU, breaking his own record of 283 against Purdue earlier this season.
Passing Yards, Single Season – 2,352 – fourth on the Notre Dame single-season list and just 401 yards behind Jarious Jackson’s school record 2,753 from 1999. Quinn is just 234 yards away from his career-best single-season total of 2,586 from last season.
Yards, Career – 6,769 – becoming just the third Irish quarterback to throw for better than 6,000 yards, Quinn stands 833 yards behind Ron Powlus as the career yardage leader with 7,602. Quinn surpassed Steve Beuerlein for second place on the all-time list against BYU.
Avg. Passing Yards Per Game, Career – 218.3 – currently first on the all-time list ahead of Powlus (172.7).
Quinn also is well ahead of the pace to set the single-season passing yardage record for the Irish. At his current pace (336 yards per game), he would total 3,696 yards. The single-season record is held by Jarious Jackson, who threw for 2,753 yards in 1999. Averaging 250 yards per game for the rest of the season he would end up with 3,352 yards. The Dublin, Ohio, native is on track to becoming Notre Dame’s first 3,000-yard single-season passer.
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.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Quinn On A Streak
Junior QB Brady Quinn has thrown at least one touchdown pass in his last 12 games played (and started) for the Irish, breaking John Huarte’s record of 10 set in 1964. The Dublin, Ohio, native has totaled 28 scoring tosses during the run (2.3 per game).
Quinn’s touchdown passes over the last 12 games:
2005 – 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
Three’s Company
In 2005, junior quarterback Brady Quinn has become just the 13th signal-caller 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 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 22 catches (fourth on the team) for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
He is currently tied with Joe Heap (1953) for seventh on the all-time single season receptions by a back list at Notre Dame. He trails record holder Bob Gladieux (37 in 1968) by 15 entering this weekend’s game.
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
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 a career-high 52 yards, including a 16-yard run to record Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the day against the Trojans.
Thomas’ production this season already surpasses his totals from 2004, his first season of action for the Irish.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Samardzija Seven for Seven
Junior WR Jeff Samardzija entered the 2005 campaign without a touchdown catch, but has since caught at least one scoring toss in each of this season’s first seven games. The two-sport athlete (who was a top-line starting pitcher for the Irish baseball team last season) becomes the first Irish receiver to begin the season with seven consecutive games with a touchdown catch – which also give him the Notre Dame record 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 has started the season off in impressive fashion, leading the team with 44 catches for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is ranked sixth in the country in receiving yards per game (107.1) and could become Notre Dame’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 1970 (Tom Gatewood, 1,123 yards). Samardzija is currently on pace for 1,178 receiving yards this season.
He has already tied the single-season touchdown total. His 11 scoring receptions match Derrick Mayes’ record from 1994.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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 2005 season, 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
Ndukwe a Turnover Machine
Junior saftey Chinedum Ndukwe (pronounced Shin-eh-DOOM en-DUKE-way), seeing the most playing time of his career this season, has turned into a playmaker in Notre Dame’s defensive backfield and on special teams. Ndukwe has played a part in seven of Notre Dame’s 16 forced turnovers this season.
He recovered a fumble in the first four games of the season for the Irish, forced a fumble at Washington and intercepted passes against Michigan State and USC at home.
So far this season, Ndukwe has 32 tackles, one TFL, and 1 PBU in addition to his turnover creations.
Zbikowski Making a Name for Himself On Special Teams
Junior safety Tom Zbikowski is third on the team in tackles with 45 and tied for the team lead in interceptions (three). The Golden Gloves boxer also is making plays on special teams for the Irish. His 15.15 punt-return average is ranked eighth in the country entering the weekend and his 60-yard punt return for a touchdown against USC was Notre Dame’s first since the 2002 season.
Zbikowski has recorded punt returns of 23 (at Pitt), 25 (at Washington) and 60 (vs. USC) yards so far this season.
Zbikowski Scores Three Different Ways
Tom Zbikowski, a defensive starter for the Irish, has found three different ways to score a touchdown for the Irish during his Notre Dame career (which has spanned just 18 games) – and all three scores have come from 60 yards away or more. Against Michigan State in 2004, he forced a fumble and returned the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. This season, he has returned a punt 60 yards for a score against USC and returned an interception 83 yards for a touchdown against BYU.
Vontez Duff (2000-2003) was the last Notre Dame player to score three different ways. The 6-1 cornerback, who ranks first on Notre Dame’s career kick return chart, returned an interception, punt and kick for a touchdown during his career.
Notre Dame Winning Time-of-Possession Battle
While Notre Dame’s offense has been piling up the yardage this season (averaging 489.7 yards per game), it has also won the time of possession battle in six of seven games this season. Only BYU (33:39) has been able to hold the ball for more than 30 minutes against Notre Dame. Overall, Notre Dame averages 33:56 minutes per game with the ball, compared to 26:04 for its opponents.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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, the 6-4, 257-pound Fasano hauled in a career-high eight passes for a career-high and Notre Dame tight end-record 155 yards in `04 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.
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:
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Already in the Books
In 2004, Notre Dame wide receiver Matt Shelton cemented his name in the lore of Notre Dame football last season by setting a single-season record for average yards per reception. Shelton’s average of 25.8 yards per catch eclipsed Tony Hunter’s mark of 25.6 from the 1979 campaign. Here’s a look at the top five single seasons in school history in terms of yards per reception.
SEE PDF FOR A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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 383 games in that facility to date and own a 288-90-5 (.758) record in the “House that Rockne Built.”
The Irish were 3-3 in Notre Dame Stadium in `04, running their home record to 91-30 (.752) over the last 20 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.
On the Field Saturday
During Saturday’s game Dr. John B. “Jack” Matthews, USMC, (ret.), of the Notre Dame Class of 1963, will be presented the Rev. William Corby, CSC, Award in recognition of his distinguished military service. Having received his Marine Corps commission in 1964, he served in Vietnam – where he was twice wounded – and in Beirut. Lt. Col. Matthews was a member of the military faculty and retired after 22 years in the military. He earned advanced degrees from Washington State U and returned to the Marine Corps College where he was a Title X professor and associate dean of Academics. He twice received the Elihu Rose Award for Teaching Excellence, and retired in April 2005 after 13 years on the faculty. He is working on a book reporting the U.S. Marines’ experience in Lebanon and U.S. policy in the early 1980s.
Jack makes presentations to young people, especially Marines, about the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse and the impact of alcoholism on the individual and family. He is credited with helping countless Marines recognize the need to seek help with alcoholism.
As a Notre Dame student, Jack was captain of the basketball and baseball teams. He and his wife, Marie, live in Bend, Oregon, and are the parents of three children.
Irish Face 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 will play three games against top four teams from the preseason polls – #1/1 USC (Oct. 15), #5/4 Tennessee (Nov. 5) 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. Last weekend, the Irish battled #1/1/1 USC in an `instant classic,’ losing 34-31 on the final play of the game.
USC Television Rating Highest In 11 Seasons
The USC-Notre Dame football game earned the best overnight television rating for a Notre Dame home game in more than a decade. The 7.9 overnight rating and 17 share was the highest since Notre Dame-Michigan earned a 8.4/21 overnight on Sept. 10, 1994.
The rating peaked at a 14.2/27 from 7:30-7:45 as USC QB Matt Leinert scored with three seconds remaining leading the Trojans to a dramatic 34-31 victory. Notre Dame had taken the lead with 2:02 left. No. 9 Notre Dame had been bidding to end No. 1 USC’s 27-game winning streak.
NBC’s college football analyst Pat Haden called the contest, “as entertaining a last three minutes of a college football game as I’ve ever seen.”
The top-rated markets were:
1. Indianapolis, 14.7/30
2. Los Angeles, 13.4/31
3. Knoxville, 12.6/25
4. Oklahoma City, 11.9/25
5. Portland, 11.0/25
6. Chicago, 10.7/24
7. Birmingham, 10.4/19
8. Boston, 10.3/21.
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 USC, the Irish have a remarkable streak of 154 consecutive games (more than 12 full seasons) that have been carried by either NBC (82), 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. All four remaining games this season are scheduled to be broadcast on NBC or ABC.
In Front of a Full House
Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 178 of its previous 204 games, including 46 of its last 50 games 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.
Pep Rallies
All 2005 pep rallies will be held in the Joyce Center Arena (south dome) on Fridays before Saturday home games, beginning at 6:00 p.m. (EST). The football team enters the arena at 6:30 p.m.
For the USC game, the pep rally was moved into Notre Dame Stadium to accomodate the expected overflow crowd. An estimated crowd of over 45,000 fans attended the USC pep rally, which was also broadcast live by ESPNews.
Beginning this season, all of Notre Dame’s pep rallies will be broadcast live (video and audio) on www.und.com for subscribers to “Fighting Irish All-Access.” Tickets for the general public are available early Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Gate 10 of the Joyce Center.
Notre Dame Experience Returns for 2005 Season
For years, the Joyce Center has been the “pregame meeting place” for several thousand Notre Dame alumni. In an effort to add to this tradition, the Notre Dame athletics department is providing an interactive fan experience for each of the 2005 home football games in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome). For the fourth consecutive season, the “Notre Dame Experience” will combine with the Notre Dame Alumni Association Hospitality Center with interactive inflatables, photo booths, autograph sessions, football trivia and stage activities. Gates open three hours prior to kickoff and admission is free.
Tickets Available for 2005 Football Kickoff Luncheons
Tickets are now on sale for all the 2005 Notre Dame Kickoff Luncheons, held in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome) on the Friday prior to home football games. The luncheons feature head coach Charlie Weis and Irish players and assistant coaches, plus special guests and other attractions.
Tickets are $18 each, with a handling fee of $3 – there are 10 seats per table – and if you wish to sit as a group at the same table with other guests, please return all reservations in one envelope. Checks should be made payable to “University of Notre Dame” and mailed to: Athletics Business Office, 112 Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556. Telephone and credit card reservations are not accepted. A printed reservation form is available on Notre Dame’s athletics web site – www.und.com.
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 – USC match up can be heard on the following SIRIUS channels – Oct. 22 vs. Tennessee 125
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 On Sale Now
Former University of Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz will serve as the guest speaker for the 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.
Tickets are now on sale at $40 each (a table for eight is $320) and can be ordered at the Joyce Center second-floor ticket window, by phone (VISA, MasterCard or American Express) by calling 574-631-7356 (fax to 574-631-0854), or by writing to Ticket Office, 113 Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Order forms also can be printed next week from Notre Dame’s athletic web site, www.und.com. Checks should be made payable to University of Notre Dame Football Banquet. Requests must be received by Friday, Nov. 18, 2005.
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 $240,171 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.