Irish Close Out Month Of October With Visit To Boston College

Oct. 20, 2003

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-4)
vs. Boston College Eagles (4-3)

The Date and Time: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003 at 12:10 p.m. EDT (11:10 a.m. EST in South Bend).

The Site: Alumni Stadium (44,500/AstroTurf 2009) in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Tickets: They’re all sold – with this being the 157th sellout in the last 180 Irish games and the 21st consecutive sellout involving Notre Dame, including the first 10 games of 1998, the first 11 in ’99, the first five in ’00, the first nine in ’01, all 13 in ’02 and the first seven in ’03.

The TV Plans: ABC Sports split national telecast with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Mike Golic (analysis) and Mitch Green (producer). The Notre Dame-Boston College game will be shown in approximately 55 percent of the country, including the majority of the Eastern half of the United States. Other parts of the country will see the Penn State-Iowa game in that same time slot.

The Radio Plans: For the 36th consecutive season, all Notre Dame football games are broadcast on more than 200 stations in all 50 states by Westwood One with Tony Roberts (play by play), former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis), former Irish quarterback and 1956 Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung (pregame/halftime analysis) and Al Smith (producer). A live broadcast from the Notre Dame student station, WVFI, also is available via the Notre Dame athletics web site at www.und.com. All Notre Dame football games are heard on WDND-AM (1620) and WNDV-FM (92.9) in South Bend with pre- and post-game analysis featuring Sean Stires, Andy Budzinski, Shawn Lewallen, Jack Nolan and Larry Williams. All Irish games also are carried live in the Chicago market on ESPN Radio 1000.

Real-Time Stats: Live in-game statistics are available for the Boston College game, via the Notre Dame (www.und.com) and Boston College (www.bceagles.com) athletics web sites.

Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Boston College (www.bceagles.com).

The only two Catholic universities in the nation to play Division I-A football will tangle Saturday when Notre Dame travels to Boston College for a noon (EDT) game at Alumni Stadium. The contest will be televised on a split national basis by ABC and will feature the Irish seeking a measure of redemption after the Eagles doused Notre Dame’s national championship aspirations last season with a 14-7 upset win at Notre Dame Stadium.

The Irish (2-4) are coming off a difficult 45-14 loss to fifth-ranked USC at home last weekend. Notre Dame played the high-powered Trojans evenly for much of the first quarter, trading a pair of touchdowns with their rival. However, USC had too much left in reserve, scoring 31 unanswered points to earn its second consecutive win over the Irish and its first at Notre Dame Stadium since 1997. Senior running back Julius Jones had another solid outing with 84 yards on 18 carries, including a 22-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Senior inside linebacker and Butkus Award semifinalist Courtney Watson added a season-high 14 tackles for Notre Dame.

Boston College (4-3) also is looking to rebound from a tough defeat after falling 39-14 at Syracuse last weekend. Eagles quarterback Quinton Porter completed 20 of 28 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the Orangemen scored 26 consecutive points in the second and third quarters to take control of the game.

BC runs a balanced offense that is ranked 43rd in the nation (403.14 yards per game) and averages better than 28 points per contest (48th in the country). Running back Derrick Knight has been the workhorse for the Eagles this season, piling up 937 yards on 163 carries to lead the nation in rushing (133.86 ypg.). Knight also is 10th in the NCAA in all-purpose yardage with an average of 151.43 yards per outing. Porter has been a strong complement to Knight, ranking 32nd in the country in passing efficiency (136.55) after completing 107 of 182 passes for 1,293 yards and 13 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with BC, 9-5, although the Eagles have won the last two meetings. The teams also have split their four career meetings in Chestnut Hill.

NOTRE DAME-BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES NOTES

• Notre Dame and Boston College are meeting for the 15th time on the gridiron, and the 12th consecutive season, with the Irish holding a 9-5 edge in the series. This will be the fifth time the two teams have played in Chestnut Hill, with both sides having won twice at Alumni Stadium.
• The series features a matchup of the only two Catholic universities in the country playing Division I-A college football.
• Notre Dame has won five of the last eight series games by an average margin of 16.8 points per game.
• The last five games in the series have been decided by an average margin of six points per contest, with BC winning three of those matchups (although Notre Dame had a chance to tie or win in the final four minutes each time).
• In the last two series meetings, Notre Dame has averaged a 37:06 time of possession (compared to 22:54 for BC), but the Irish lost on both occasions.
• This year marks the third time in the series that neither team will be ranked at kickoff. In 1997, Notre Dame defeated Boston College, 52-20 at Notre Dame Stadium, and in 2001, BC downed the Irish, 21-17 at Alumni Stadium.
• Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham is 1-1 all-time against Boston College, having defeated the Eagles 38-22 in 2001 (his final year at Stanford) and falling to BC 14-7 last season.
• Legendary Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy spent two seasons at Boston College (1939-40), leading the Eagles to a bowl game both years.
• The winner of Saturday’s game will claim the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, given by the Notre Dame Club of Boston, and the Ireland Trophy, presented by the Notre Dame Student Government.

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

• Notre Dame will improve to 10-5 all-time against Boston College, including a 3-2 mark at Alumni Stadium.
• The Irish will snap a two-game losing streak against Boston College and pick up their first win in Chestnut Hill since Nov. 7, 1998, when Notre Dame pulled out a 31-26 victory.
• The Irish will regain possession of the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl and the Ireland Trophy for the first time since the 2000 season.
• Notre Dame will rise to 78-30-2 (.718) all-time against BIG EAST teams, including a 36-17-2 (.673) mark on the road.
• The Irish will win for the ninth time in their last 11 games against BIG EAST opposition, dating back to the 2000 season. Notre Dame also will lift its record against the BIG EAST since 1990 to 23-6 (.793).
• Notre Dame will claim its 22nd win in its last 24 games in the month of October, and jump to 54-9 (.857) in October games since 1988.

IF BOSTON COLLEGE WINS …

• The Eagles will jump to 6-9 all-time against Notre Dame, including a 3-2 mark at Alumni Stadium.
• Boston College will earn its third consecutive win over Notre Dame for the first time in series history. It also will be the Eagles’ fourth victory in their last five meetings with the Irish.
• BC will maintain possession of the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl and the Ireland Trophy.
• Notre Dame will suffer just its third loss in its last 24 games in the month of October and will lose back-to-back games in October for the first time since Oct. 4, 1997 when the Irish fell at Stanford, 33-15, after a 20-17 overtime loss to Air Force on Oct. 19, 1996.
• The Irish will fall to 2-5 for the first time since the 1997 season. That year, Notre Dame rebounded to win its last five regular-season games before losing to LSU, 27-9 in the Independence Bowl.

NOTRE DAME-BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES HISTORY

• Notre Dame leads its series with Boston College 9-5, although the series is tied 2-2 when the scene shifts to Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill.
• The series has been continuous since 1992 (this will be the 12th consecutive meeting).
• The first game of the series was held in 1975 at Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. (a 17-3 Irish win in Dan Devine’s first game as head coach), while the other neutral-field game in the series was at Memphis, Tenn., in the 1983 Liberty Bowl (a 19-18 win for the Irish over the 13th-ranked Eagles).
• This year’s game will mark just the third time in series history that neither side will enter the game ranked in the Associated Press poll. The teams have split their previous two “unranked” games, with Notre Dame winning 52-20 in 1997 and Boston College prevailing 21-17 in 2001.
• Since the current series began in 1992, Notre Dame’s six wins over Boston College from 1992-2000 are the fourth-most by an Eagles opponent (behind Miami’s 10, Virginia Tech’s eight and Syracuse’s seven) and the most by a non-conference opponent.
• Boston College twice has won back-to-back games against the Irish, turning the trick in 1993-94 and again in 2001-02.
• The Eagles’ most notable win over the Irish came in 1993, when BC defeated top-ranked and unbeaten Notre Dame, 41-39 on a last-second field goal by David Gordon at Notre Dame Stadium.
• The winner of this game earns the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, given by the Notre Dame Club of Boston, and the Ireland Trophy, presented by Notre Dame student government. The Ireland Trophy is intended to inspire a spirit of sportsmanship and friendly competition between the schools.
• Notre Dame and Boston College face one another in virtually every other sport (including men’s and women’s basketball) as members of the BIG EAST Conference.

NOTRE DAME VS. THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE

• Notre Dame has won more than 71 percent of its games (77-30-2) vs. teams that currently make up the BIG EAST Conference, with 60 of those 109 games coming vs. former independent Pittsburgh.
• This is the fourth consecutive season the Irish will be playing three BIG EAST teams < notre=”” dame=”” won=”” at=”” pittsburgh=”” (20-14)=”” on=”” oct.=”” 11=”” and=”” is=”” slated=”” to=”” visit=”” syracuse=”” on=”” dec.=”” 6.=”” this=”” season=”” marks=”” the=”” first=”” time=”” that=”” the=”” irish=”” will=”” play=”” three=”” road=”” games=”” against=”” big=”” east=”” schools=”” since=”” the=”” formation=”” of=”” the=”” big=”” east=”” football=”” conference=”” in=”” 1991.=””>
• The Irish own a winning series record against all six BIG EAST teams they have faced.
• Notre Dame owns more victories over BIG EAST opponents (77) than any other conference except the Big Ten (209).
• The Irish are 35-17-2 (.667) all-time on the road against BIG EAST teams.
• Notre Dame is 22-6 (.786) against BIG EAST teams since 1990, including a run of eight consecutive victories from 1995-98.
• The Irish have won eight of their last 10 games against BIG EAST schools, including a 20-14 victory at No. 15 Pittsburgh earlier this season.
• The last Notre Dame-Miami game took place in 1990 and is one of the most memorable games in the series, as Raghib Ismail returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, and Craig Hentrich kicked a school-record five field goals to help the sixth-ranked Irish upset the No. 2 Hurricanes, 29-20, at Notre Dame Stadium.
• Notre Dame capped its 1988 national championship season with a 34-21 win in the Fiesta Bowl over third-ranked West Virginia.
• Notre Dame’s most recent game versus Syracuse came in 1963, a 14-7 home victory for the Orangemen. That series will be renewed on Dec. 6 when the Irish visit the Carrier Dome on Nov. 22, 2003.
• The Irish have never faced Temple or Virginia Tech on the gridiron.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND BOSTON COLLEGE MET
Notre Dame turned the ball over a season-high five times and Boston College capitalized on two of those miscues, doing just enough to pull off a 14-7 upset of the fourth-ranked Irish before a record crowd of 80,935 at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 2, 2002.

In spite of the turnovers, the Irish offense had one of its most complete performances of the year, rolling up 357 yards, including a season-best 235 yards passing. Quarterback Carlyle Holiday once again was efficient in the pocket, completing 16 of 32 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. Tailback Ryan Grant also continued to show his value in the backfield, rushing 27 times for 107 yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Notre Dame also rang up a season-best 22 first downs and held the ball for nearly 34 minutes.

However, the Irish were crippled by seven fumbles, losing three of them, and five missed opportunities in the red zone. Coming into the contest, Notre Dame had converted on 14 of its previous 15 trips inside its opponent’s 20-yard line, but the Irish would find the going tough in early November.

Notre Dame appeared to be in fine form in its opening possession of the game, marching 54 yards in 13 plays to the BC 20-yard line. But, on fourth-and-one, the Irish elected to try for the first down and Grant was stuffed while trying to go over right guard. Notre Dame’s defense forced the Eagles to go three-and-out on their next possession, but the Irish handed the ball right back to BC just one play later. Holiday and Grant botched the exchange on a handoff and Eagles linebacker Josh Ott was there to scoop up the loose ball at the Notre Dame 38-yard line.

Boston College quickly took advantage of the turnover, needing six plays to find the end zone. Quarterback Brian St. Pierre threw a 17-yard pass to Keith Hemmings on third-and-14, and tailback Derrick Knight followed with a 22-yard run around the right side to put the ball on the Irish three-yard line. Knight then darted up the middle for the touchdown.

Undaunted, Notre Dame marched back downfield, moving to the BC 11-yard line. However, the drive stalled, thanks to a nearly-disastrous fumble that Holiday alertly recovered and an incomplete pass to Omar Jenkins in the corner of the end zone. Still, Notre Dame sent out reliable placekicker Nicholas Setta to try and halve the Irish deficit. That attempt never took place, as holder David Miller dropped the snap and was tackled for a 12-yard loss.

BC added to its lead late in the second quarter after the Irish had driven to the Eagles’ 14-yard line. Backup quarterback Pat Dillingham tried to escape pressure and threw a shovel pass that was intercepted by Ott, who ran 71 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles tacked on the two-point conversion and led 14-0 at the half.

Notre Dame had three more golden chances in the third quarter, moving inside the BC 20-yard line. However, the Irish fumbled back to the Eagles twice and lost the ball on downs once, truncating each scoring attempt. Notre Dame finally reached the end zone with just over two minutes left in the game, when Holiday found wideout Maurice Stovall on a 20-yard scoring pass. The Notre Dame defense then managed to get the ball back with under 30 seconds left, but Holiday’s desperation pass fell incomplete as time expired, dealing the Irish their first loss of the year.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND BOSTON COLLEGE MET AT ALUMNI STADIUM
Notre Dame held the ball for more than 40 minutes and ran almost twice as many plays as Boston College, but the Eagles made the most of their time with the pigskin and held on for a 21-17 win over the Irish before a capacity crowd of 44,500 at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 27, 2001.

Sophomore quarterback Carlyle Holiday had another superb effort, rushing 22 times for 109 yards, his third 100-yard outing in the last four weeks, the most by an Irish quarterback in the last two decades. He also threw for 74 yards and two touchdowns, the first two scoring tosses of his career. And, it gave him more than 200 yards of total offense for the third consecutive week.

Notre Dame (3-4) looked sharp on its initial possession of the night, converting twice on third down and going 53 yards in 12 plays to the BC 15-yard line. But the Irish came up empty when normally-reliable kicker Nicholas Setta watched his 32-yard field goal attempt sail wide left. The teams then traded punts before the Irish caught the first break of the evening. Senior right end Grant Irons came up with his first career interception at the BC 25-yard line, and three plays later, Holiday found junior tailback Julius Jones for a 21-yard TD pass to put Notre Dame on the board.

The Eagles (6-2) needed only three plays to answer the Irish score. On third-and-one, William Green darted up the middle and went 71 yards for a touchdown, tying the game with just over a minute to go in the first quarter. BC had a chance to take the lead when Ralph Parent intercepted Holiday’s pass at the Irish 41-yard line, but the Eagles couldn’t capitalize on their good fortune when Kevin McMyler hooked his 29-yard field goal try wide four minutes into the second period.

Notre Dame used another Boston College turnover to retake the lead just before halftime. Sophomore cornerback Vontez Duff made a nifty interception of a Brian St. Pierre pass at the goal line, paving the way for a 15-play, 74-yard drive that chewed up most of the remainder of the first half. The Irish converted three times on third down before Holiday threw his second TD pass of the night, a five-yard toss to senior tight end John Owens with nine seconds to go in the half.

But, just as he did in the first half, Green once again tied the game for Boston College almost by himself. This time, he caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from St. Pierre early in the third quarter to knot the score at 14-14. It remained that way until late in the period, when Holiday led the Irish on a 69-yard scoring drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock. Setta atoned for his earlier misfire by connecting from 42 yards out to put Notre Dame back on top by three.

However, for the third time in the game, BC answered an Irish score with one of its own. St. Pierre led a seven-play, 74-yard drive, capped by his 20-yard TD pass to Jamal Burke with 12:32 to play. Notre Dame would have three chances to go back in front, moving inside the BC 25-yard line three times in the last 11 minutes. But Jones lost a fumble and two other drives died at the Eagles’ 20-yard line, the last with 26 seconds to play, as Boston College defeated Notre Dame at Alumni Stadium for the first time since 1994 and only the second time in series history.

IRISH STRONG IN OCTOBER
Notre Dame enters the Boston College game having won 21 of its last 23 games in the month of October, dating back to a 20-17 loss to the Trojans on Oct. 18, 1997. The only blemishes on that record are losses to BC in 2001 (21-17) and USC last week (45-14). Since the 1988 season, Notre Dame is 53-9 (.855) in October and was 32-7 (.821) in October in the 1990s.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES
Senior running back Julius Jones turned in the finest single-game rushing performance in school history Oct. 11 at Pittsburgh, piling up a school-record 262 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns. Jones broke the nearly 25-year-old Notre Dame record of 255 yards by Vagas Ferguson at Georgia Tech on Nov. 18, 1978. Jones’ total also is the second-highest single-game rushing output in the nation this season.

Jones’ performance in the Pittsburgh game was good enough for the Big Stone Gap, Va., native to be named the national Player of the Week by three media outlets. The Sporting News, USAToday.com and CollegeSportsNews.com all tabbed him to receive the honor for the week of Oct. 12.

Jones becomes the first Irish back to break the 200-yard mark on the ground since Reggie Brooks ran for 227 yards at USC on Nov. 28, 1992. The Pittsburgh game also marked the seventh 100-yard rushing game of Jones’ career and his first since a 106-yard effort at Stanford on Nov. 24, 2001. For the season, Jones leads Notre Dame with 85 carries for 498 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and four TDs.

GOLD RUSH
Notre Dame rushed for a season-high 352 yards on 56 carries at Pittsburgh, averaging better than 6.2 yards per carry. It was the highest rushing total for the Irish since Aug. 28, 1999, when they amassed 363 yards in a 48-13 win over Kansas at Notre Dame Stadium. The 352-yard effort at Pittsburgh also is tied for the 17th-highest single-game total in the nation this season.

RANK AND FILE
Notre Dame’s penchant for playing the best teams in the country is well known. In fact, over the last 17 seasons (1987-2003), the Irish have played 81 games against ranked opponents, an average of nearly five games per season. Notre Dame has posted a record of 43-36-2 (.543) in these games, including a 22-11-1 (.662) mark against ranked teams at home.

TUCK-ING THEM IN
Junior defensive end Justin Tuck has been a menace for opposing quarterbacks this season. The Kellyton, Ala., product ranks third in the nation with 1.17 sacks per game, with six of his seven sacks coming in the last three games. His best performance to date came on Oct. 11 at No. 15 Pittsburgh, when he wound up with a career-high 10 tackles, a career-best 3.5 sacks (part of an eight-sack night by the Irish) and a forced fumble in Notre Dame’s 20-14 win over the Panthers.

For the season, Tuck leads the Irish in sacks (seven), tackles for loss (eight) and forced fumbles (two), and he is third on the team with 36 tackles.

CLOSE SHAVES
Notre Dame’s 20-14 win at No. 15 Pittsburgh on Oct. 11 continued a trend of remarkable victories that began last season. The Irish now are 8-2 (.800) in games decided by eight points or less since Tyrone Willingham took over as the Notre Dame head coach prior to last season. The only times the Irish have not won a close ball game under Willingham’s guidance were against Boston College in 2002 (14-7) and earlier this year vs. Michigan State (22-16).

Fourth-quarter comebacks also aren’t anything new to Notre Dame in the Willingham era. The Irish have won five times during the past two seasons when they were tied or trailing in the fourth quarter, including a 29-26 overtime win over Washington State in the season opener back on Sept. 6.

SETTA NEARING SCHOOL RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE FIELD GOALS
Senior kicker Nicholas Setta has been successful on his last nine field goal attempts after a low snap caused him to come up short on his first try of the year (a 47-yarder vs. Washington State). Setta’s current streak is the second-longest of his career, topped only by a run of 10 straight treys spanning the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Mike Johnston holds the record with 13 consecutive field goals made from Sept. 18-Oct. 23, 1982, hitting on his first 13 attempts of the year, including a game-tying kick at Oregon. Johnston saw his streak come to an end the following week on Oct. 30, 1982, when Navy blocked his 34-yard attempt in the first quarter.

WATSON ONE OF 11 PLAYERS NAMED BUTKUS AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
Senior inside linebacker Courtney Watson has been chosen as one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which is presented each year to the nation’s top linebacker by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. Watson, who was a Butkus Award finalist in 2002, leads Notre Dame with 56 tackles (11.2 per game) and 31 solo stops in just five games this year (he did not play against Washington State). Joining Watson on this year’s list of Butkus Award semifinalists are: Michael Boulware (Florida State), Josh Buhl (Kansas State), Karlos Dansby (Auburn), Rod Davis (Southern Mississippi), Matt Grootegoed (USC), Derrick Johnson (Texas), Teddy Lehman (Oklahoma), Jonathan Vilma (Miami), Demorrio Williams (Nebraska) and D.J. Williams (Miami).

The three Butkus Award finalists will be chosen on Nov. 13, with the winner to be unveiled Dec. 12 in a banquet at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at Sea World.

THE MIGHTY QUINN
Freshman quarterback Brady Quinn made his first career start at Purdue on Sept. 27, completing 29-of-59 passes for 297 yards and one touchdown with four interceptions. His 29 completions were the most by an Irish quarterback since Ron Powlus connected 31 times at Purdue in 1997 and the 59 attempts were the second-most in school history behind Terry Hanratty’s 63 passes at Purdue in 1967. In addition, Quinn’s 297 yards passing were the most by a Notre Dame signal-caller since Jarious Jackson threw for 317 yards in a loss at Pittsburgh in 1999. Quinn’s passing yardage total also was the best by a Notre Dame quarterback in his first start since Hanratty threw for 304 yards in that game at Purdue in 1967, and Quinn’s total was the best by an Irish first-time freshman starting QB in the last 53 seasons.

GAINING MO-MENTUM
Sophomore wide receiver Maurice Stovall turned in the best performance of his young Notre Dame career at Purdue, catching nine passes for 171 yards and one touchdown. It was the highest single-game yardage total by an Irish wideout since Bobby Brown caught 12 balls for 208 yards at Pittsburgh in 1999. In addition, Stovall’s 85-yard touchdown catch from Brady Quinn at Purdue was the third-longest connection in school history and the longest since Nov. 7, 1981, when Blair Kiel hit Joe Howard with a school-record 96-yard scoring strike. Stovall is second on the Irish with 215 receiving yards this season and third on the squad with 13 receptions. He also leads the team with 16.5 yards per catch.

BACK FROM THE BRINK
Notre Dame erased a 19-0 second-quarter deficit in its win over Washington State, representing the largest comeback for the Irish since Oct. 16, 1999 against another Pac-10 team, USC. In that game, Notre Dame trailed 24-3 early in the third quarter, but reeled off 22 unanswered points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, to snatch the victory away from the stunned Trojans.

FIVE O’CLOCK LIGHTNING
The 20 points scored by Notre Dame in the fourth quarter against Washington State were the most the Irish have tallied in the final period since Oct. 25, 1997, when they erupted for 21 fourth-quarter points in a 52-20 blowout of Boston College.

WORKING OVERTIME
The Washington State game was the fifth overtime contest in Notre Dame history and the first since a 34-31 win over Air Force on Oct. 28, 2000. The Irish are 2-3 when they are pushed to an extra session (2-2 at home), and have won both games in which they won the overtime coin toss.

One other OT tidbit: senior safety Glenn Earl has played a key role in each of the last two overtime wins for the Irish. Against Air Force in 2000, Earl blocked a potential game-winning field goal attempt at the end of regulation, allowing Notre Dame to go on and win on Joey Getherall’s nine-yard TD run in the extra period. Earlier this season against Washington State, Earl broke up a third-down pass intended for WSU’s Scott Lunde, forcing the Cougars to try a 34-yard field goal that missed, opening the door for the Irish to win on Nicholas Setta’s 40-yard field goal.

THE FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT
Notre Dame has recorded 12 takeaways (9 FUM, 3 INT) through six games this season, coming up with three turnovers in each of its first three outings and averaging two takeaways per game. However, that shouldn’t come as any surprise to recent followers of Irish football. Over the past three seasons (2001-03), Notre Dame has forced two or more turnovers in 22 of their last 30 games, including 17 contests where they came up with at least three takeaways.

RETURN TO SENDER
The return game has been a source of strength for Notre Dame over the past five seasons. The Irish have logged 23 returns (punts, kickoffs, fumbles, interceptions) for touchdowns in that time, a figure that ranks ninth in the country.

THEY SHALL RETURN

• During the past 17-plus seasons (’86-’03), Notre Dame has produced 77 TDs via kickoff, punt, interception and fumble returns ?- including Vontez Duff’s 76-yard punt return vs. Maryland, Duff’s 33-yard interception return, Gerome Sapp’s 54-yard fumble return and Lionel Bolen’s four-yard fumble return vs. Purdue, Shane Walton’s 18-yard interception return and Courtney Watson’s 34-yard interception return against Stanford, Duff’s 92-yard kickoff return vs. Navy, Walton’s 45-yard interception return against Rutgers and Carlos Pierre-Antoine’s 27-yard blocked punt return at USC in ’02.
• Irish opponents in the past 17-plus seasons have combined for just 21 total returns for touchdowns.
• The ’02 Irish joined the ’93 and ’00 teams as the only squads to return at least one punt, kickoff, interception and fumble for TDs.
• Among current Notre Dame players, senior cornerback Vontez Duff has four touchdown returns (2 KR, 1 PR, 1 INT), senior running back Julius Jones has two TD returns (1 KR, 1 PR) and senior inside linebacker Courtney Watson also has two touchdown runbacks (2 INT). Allen Rossum holds the school and NCAA record for most TDs on runbacks with nine (3 KR, 3 PR, 3 INT) from 1994-97.

HOYTE STANDS TALL ON DEFENSE
Junior inside linebacker Brandon Hoyte has been masterful on defense in crucial situations. Coming into each of the last two seasons, Hoyte has been designated as Notre Dame’s top reserve linebacker. However, an injury to Mike Goolsby has pressed Hoyte into a starting role and he has delivered in the clutch, registering double-digit tackle totals in three contests (North Carolina State in the ’03 Gator Bowl, Washington State and Michigan in ’03). In addition, Hoyte has been Notre Dame’s leading tackler four times (Maryland, Purdue and North Carolina State in ’02; Washington State in ’03), including a career-best 11 tackles in the overtime win over Washington State on Sept. 6. He also registered two tackles for loss at Purdue and now is second on the team with 5.5 stops behind the line this season.

FRESH HORSES
Six true freshmen have played for Notre Dame this season. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri, offensive tackle Ryan Harris, wide receiver Chinedum Ndukwe, defensive back Freddie Parish IV, quarterback Brady Quinn and wide receiver Jeff Samardzija all have made significant contributions during the early portion of the year. Abiamiri has made nine tackles, including a career-high seven in his first start vs. Michigan State. Meanwhile, Parish has logged three tackles and Samardzija has caught seven passes for 53 yards (including a career-high four receptions at Purdue, the same game that saw Ndukwe catch his first career pass).

Perhaps the most high-profile rookie starter for the Irish has been Quinn, who cracked the lineup for the first time at Purdue, becoming only the seventh freshman starting QB for Notre Dame in the last 53 seasons. Quinn was 29 of 59 for 297 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions against the Boilermakers, posting the most passing yards by any rookie signal-caller since 1951. For the season, Quinn is 59 of 137 for 637 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.

Harris was the latest Irish freshman to make his debut, coming on the scene at No. 15 Pittsburgh. After not appearing in Notre Dame’s first four games, the St. Paul, Minn., native not only saw action against the Panthers, but started at right tackle and was part of the Irish offensive line that helped roll up a season-high 352 yards rushing, the most by Notre Dame in four years. Harris also joined an elite club against Pittsburgh, becoming just the third Irish freshman to start on the offensive line in the last 30 years < mike=”” rosenthal=”” started=”” against=”” ohio=”” state,=”” usc=”” and=”” air=”” force=”” in=”” 1995,=”” while=””>Brad Williams made starts against Navy and Boston College in 1996.

One other freshman note: five of the aforementioned rookies (all but Harris) played against Washington State, marking the first time five freshmen have played for the Irish in a season opener since Aug. 28, 1999. On that afternoon, Jason Beckstrom, Joey Hildbold, Julius Jones, Gerome Sapp and Chris Yura all participated in a 48-13 Irish rout of Kansas in the State of Indiana Eddie Robinson Classic. Beckstrom and Jones now are seniors on the 2003 Irish roster.

ABIAMIRI MAKES RARE FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE LINE START
Victor Abiamiri’s start vs. Michigan State marked the first time a Notre Dame freshman started on the defensive line since Anthony Weaver got the call against Georgia Tech in the 1999 Gator Bowl. Abiamiri made the most of his first starting assignment, rolling up seven tackles, including six solo stops against the Spartans. Prior to Weaver’s start against Georgia Tech, the last Irish freshmen to start on the defensive line were Germaine Holden and John Taliaferro, who both were in the lineup against Tennessee on Nov. 9, 1991.

Weaver made 10 starts during his freshman season and went on to rank second on Notre Dame’s season and career tackles-for-loss charts behind two-time unanimous All-American and National Football Foundation Hall of Fame selection Ross Browner. Weaver now is in his second season as a defensive end for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.

SETTA PULLING DOUBLE DUTY
Senior Nicholas Setta is serving as the starting placekicker and punter for the Irish this season, marking the first time a Notre Dame player regularly has filled both roles since Craig Hentrich turned the trick from 1989-92. Hentrich is now an all-pro punter with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, and even booted three field goals as the Titans’ emergency kicker in their season-opening win over Oakland on Sept. 7.

Setta is in his fourth year as the Irish placekicker, having twice been named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List. He also has been selected as a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith’s each of the last two seasons. This year, he is aiming to break several Notre Dame records, including career field goal attempts (Setta is second with 66, while John Carney holds the record of 69 from 1984-86), career field goal made (Setta is second with 46, while Carney is first with 51), and career points by kicking (Setta is third with 242, while Hentrich owns the top mark of 294). In addition, Setta has made 92 consecutive PAT kicks, the second-longest streak in school history behind Hentrich’s run of 136 straight PATs from 1989-92. Setta’s last missed PAT kick came on Oct. 7, 2000 vs. Stanford.

Setta has been one of the primary sources of offense for Notre Dame through the first six games of the 2003 season. He has connected on nine of 10 field-goal attempts (making his last nine in a row), including a perfect seven of seven on kicks inside of 40 yards, and leads the Irish with 32 points this season. His average of 1.8 field goals per game ranks 15th in the nation.

Setta got his final season at Notre Dame off to a flying start against Washington State, matching his career high (and tying the school record) with five field goals in six attempts, including the game-winning 40-yard boot in overtime. He also set a new personal best with 17 points by kicking (five field goals, two PAT), one better than his previous high of 16, set in last year’s season opener vs. Maryland (five field goals, one PAT). Those 17 points vs. WSU helped push the Lockport, Ill., product into third place on the school’s career points-by-kicking list < he=”” now=”” has=”” 242=”” points=”” and=”” is=”” within=”” sight=”” of=”” dave=”” reeve,=”” who=”” is=”” second=”” all-time=”” with=”” 247=”” points=”” from=”” 1974-77.=”” setta=”” added=”” three=”” more=”” field=”” goals=”” on=”” as=”” many=”” attempts=”” against=”” michigan=”” state,=”” marking=”” the=”” fourth=”” time=”” in=”” his=”” career=”” he=”” has=”” kicked=”” three=”” field=”” goals=”” in=”” a=”” single=”” game.=””>

While he has a wealth of experience as a placekicker, Setta comes into this season having only served as a backup punter behind two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist Joey Hildbold. However, while filling in for the injured Hildbold against Boston College in 2000, Setta did punt four times for 160 yards (a 40-yard average), including a career-long 47-yard boot in a 28-16 Irish victory. Setta was one of 32 candidates named to the ’03 Ray Guy Award preseason watch list and has backed up that selection through the first six weeks of the season, averaging 40.9 yards on 26 punts with three kicks dropped inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and six kicks of 50+ yards. He also boomed a career-long 54-yard punt on his first try of the season vs. Washington State and carded a career-high nine punts at Michigan for a 43.9-yard average (including a 51-yard kick).

Courtney Watson NAMED TO AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
Senior All-America linebacker Courtney Watson was one of 11 people named Sept. 17 to the 2003 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Football Team. The award recognizes players for their dedication and commitment to community service and all nominees must display sincere concern and reliability, while also having made a favorable impression on the organizations in which they were involved.

Watson, who joins former defensive end Grant Irons as the only Irish players to win the award, was recognized for his extensive work within the University and South Bend communities. A native of Sarasota, Fla., Watson was responsible for creating and developing the football team’s community service initiative entitled Tackle The Arts. The program, now in its second year, partners with the St. Joseph Country Public Library in South Bend, the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and the Notre Dame Marching Band in providing an interactive approach helping inspire children to explore different areas of the arts including reading, creative writing and poetry, drawing and music. In addition to providing scholastic support with area children, Watson also installed a food drive dimension to the event to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

In conjunction with the 2003 Tackle the Arts event, Watson along with teammates Brandon Hoyte and Dan Stevenson, also played host to a picnic for at-risk children in the South Bend area. The children, who attended the picnic and later Tackle the Arts, were identified through the NCAA’s National Youth in Sports Program, the South Bend Housing Authority, the Robinson Community Learning Center and the Urban League of South Bend.

Additionally, Watson has made many surprise visits to the pediatric floor at Memorial Hospital in South Bend and has addressed the Jackson Middle School football team at its end of the year banquet. He has participated in the St. Joseph County City Bureau Youth Fest and made hospital visits while the Irish were in Jacksonville, Fla., playing in the 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl.

Watson has also been very active in the Notre Dame community as he was nominated and then elected a member of the Notre Dame Student Senate in 2002-03. Meeting every Wednesday night, Watson and his fellow senators would discuss issues pertinent to the University community. He also served as a member of the Residence Life and Academic Council committees.

Watson is also a four-year participant, and two-time champion, in Notre Dame’s student-run basketball tournament called Bookstore Basketball, which is the largest five-on-five outdoor basketball tournament in America.

SIX IRISH PLAYERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Senior inside linebacker Courtney Watson was a preseason first-team All-America selection by Street & Smith’s and The Sporting News. Meanwhile, senior cornerback/kick returner Vontez Duff was a preseason first-team All-American according to Street & Smith’s and a second-team choice by Athlon. The latter publication also named senior nose guard Cedric Hilliard to its preseason All-America third team. Senior safety Glenn Earl, junior running back Ryan Grant and senior kicker/punter Nicholas Setta all were awarded preseason honorable mention All-America status by Street & Smith’s.

THREE NOTRE DAME POSITION UNITS LAUDED BY NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
Athlon named the Irish linebacking corps the fourth-best unit in the country, while The Sporting News labelled them the ninth-best group in the land. In addition, Athlon selected the Notre Dame defensive line as the fifth-best unit in the nation.

WATSON NAMED TO WALTER CAMP PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Senior inside linebacker Courtney Watson has been named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual accolade which is given annually by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Through a vote of the 117 Division I-A head coach and sports information directors, the list will be cut to 10 semifinalists in early November, with the winner to be announced Dec. 11 at the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show. The official award presentation is slated for Feb. 14, 2004, at the Walter Camp Football Foundation national awards banquet, which will be held in New Haven, Conn., at the Yale University Commons.

DUFF, EARL PICKED FOR THORPE AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Senior cornerback Vontez Duff and senior safety Glenn Earl have been named to the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive back by the Jim Thorpe Association, based in Oklahoma City. Ten semifinalists for the award will be announced Nov. 3, with the three finalists selected on Nov. 24. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show with the official award presentation slated for Feb. 9, 2004, in Oklahoma City.

HOLIDAY TAPPED FOR O’BRIEN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Senior quarterback Carlyle Holiday has earned a spot on the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback by the Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas. In November, the semifinalists will be announced and the three finalists will be selected later in the month. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show with the official award presentation slated for February 2004 in Fort Worth.

TUCK EARNS PLACE ON HENDRICKS AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Junior defensive end Justin Tuck has been selected to the preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive end by the Ted Hendricks Foundation in Chicago. In November, the semifinalists will be announced and the three finalists will be selected later in the month. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show with the official award presentation set for February 2004 in Chicago.

SETTA APPEARS ON RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Senior punter/placekicker Nicholas Setta has been named to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented each year to the nation’s top punter by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council. Ten semifinalists will be announced in early November and the three finalists will be chosen later that month. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show and will receive his award live during the broadcast.

FOUR PLAYERS NAMED TO 2003 STREET & SMITH’S AWARD WATCH LISTS
Street & Smith’s tapped senior inside linebacker Courtney Watson for spots on its Butkus Award and Bednarik/Nagurski Award watch lists (as did Lindy’s). The former honor recognizes the country’s top linebacker, while the latter awards spotlight the nation’s best overall defensive player. In addition, Street & Smith’s placed senior cornerback Vontez Duff and senior safety Glenn Earl on its watch list for the Thorpe Award (which goes to the top defensive back in the country), and the publication named senior kicker Nicholas Setta to its watch list for the Lou Groza Award (presented to the nation’s top kicker).

IRISH PLAYERS RANK HIGH IN LINDY’S AND THE SPORTING NEWS IN 2003
Senior Courtney Watson was tabbed the fourth-best inside linebacker in the country by Lindy’s and The Sporting News, while senior Vontez Duff was rated the seventh-best cornerback and ninth-best all-purpose player by Lindy’s, and the nation’s 10th best as both a cornerback and kick returner by The Sporting News. Senior nose guard Cedric Hilliard was ranked the sixth-best defensive tackle in the nation by The Sporting News, while senior safety Glenn Earl placed 14th among free safeties by The Sporting News and 19th by Lindy’s. Senior Mike Goolsby was rated 12th among the nation’s inside linebackers by Lindy’s, while junior Ryan Grant was 18th among running backs and senior Darrell Campbell was charted 19th among defensive linemen by the same publication.

IRISH HEAD COACH Tyrone Willingham
A veteran with 26 seasons of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, Tyrone Willingham is now in his second season as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame after previously serving as the leader at Stanford University. In eight years as a college head coach, Willingham has compiled a solid 56-43-1 (.565) overall record, including a 12-7 (.632) mark with the Irish, and has guided his charges to bowl games on five occasions. The Notre Dame mentor reached a personal milestone against USC, coaching the 100th game of his career.

Willingham used his years of service in the coaching business to reverse the tides of the Irish program in ’02, leading Notre Dame to a 10-2 regular-season record and a trip to the 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl. He became the first Irish head coach ever to win 10 games in his first season, and he was named the ESPN/Home Depot College Coach of the Year, the Scripps College Coach of the Year, the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year and the George Munger Award College Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia. In addition, he made history in 2002 as the first college football coach ever to earn The Sporting News Sportsman of the Year award.

Willingham was introduced as the new Irish mentor on Jan. 1, 2002, following seven seasons as the head coach at Stanford. He compiled a 44-36-1 (.549) record during his tenure at Stanford, guiding the Cardinal to four bowl games, including the Rose Bowl following the 1999 season. Willingham was a two-time Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year (1995 and 1999), the only Stanford coach to earn that award more than once, and he was a finalist for national coach-of-the-year honors in ’95 and ’99. All told, Willingham spent 10 years at Stanford, initially serving as running backs coach from 1989-91.

Between his stints with the Cardinal, Willingham coached in the professional ranks for three seasons (1992-94) with the Minnesota Vikings, helping his team win a pair of NFC Central Division championships and reach the playoffs all three years. Willingham began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Michigan State, in 1977, before moving to Central Michigan as the defensive secondary coach for two years (1978-79). He returned to MSU from 1980-82, working with the secondary and special teams units, and also served on the coaching staffs at North Carolina State (1983-85) and Rice (1986-88).

SCOUTING THE IRISH OFFENSE
Line — The offensive line has been largely retooled for the Irish this season. Four of the five starters from last year were selected in the NFL Draft (and all four remain on active ’03 NFL rosters), taking with them more than 80 combined starts and nine combined seasons of starting experience. Senior right guard Sean Milligan (28:57 minutes played) is the lone holdover on the offensive line and he is being called upon to anchor the rebuilt 2003 crew. Milligan is a three-year monogram winner who played in all 13 games last season, playing a total of 266:27. He has made 19 career starts, including the first two games of 2003, but he has missed the last four contests with an injury.

Junior Mark LeVoir (152:26) has earned the starting nod at left guard in all six games this year (the first starts of his career) after spending the past two campaigns as a backup at both tackle positions. One of the largest linemen on the Irish roster this year (6-7, 320), LeVoir played in four games last season for a total of 10:09. Juniors Jeff Thompson and Darin Mitchell (24:09), along with sophomore Jamie Ryan (34:18) all serve as the primary reserves at the guard spot for Notre Dame. Mitchell made his first career start against Michigan State and Ryan started at Purdue, both replacing Milligan in the Irish lineup.

Besides Milligan, two other members of the Irish offensive line saw significant playing time last year. Senior tackle Jim Molinaro (152:26) has started the last nine games for the Irish, including eight on the left end. On the other side of the line, junior right guard Dan Stevenson (152:26) was thrust in the starting lineup at right tackle for last year’s Gator Bowl and played extremely well, cementing his presence on the line in 2003. Stevenson played a total of 82:23 in 11 games last season, seeing time as both a reserve guard and tackle. Stevenson started the first four games of this season at right tackle before shifting to his old postion of right guard in the last two contests, replacing Milligan. Freshman Ryan Harris (56:01) has stepped in to fill Stevenson’s shoes at right tackle vs. Pittsburgh and USC and the new line setup paid off as the Irish rolled up their best rushing performance (352 yards) in more than four years against Pittsburgh. Harris also became only the third Notre Dame freshman to start on the offensive line in the last 30 years, joining Mike Rosenthal (1995) and Brad Williams (1996) in that elite group. Ryan and sophomore Brian Mattes were penciled in to be the backup tackles this year.

The battle to replace All-America center Jeff Faine was a tight one throughout preseason camp, with sophomore Bob Morton (120:55) and junior Zachary Giles (40:32) both competing for the starting spot. Morton earned the starting job in three of the first four games of the season, although Giles saw plenty of action against Washington State. In fact, the two ended up playing alongside one another (Giles at center, Morton at right guard) late in the WSU contest as the Irish were mounting their comeback win over the Cougars. When Morton succumbed to an injury prior to the Michigan State game, Giles stepped in against the Spartans and made his first career start. Morton has returned to the lineup the last three games, anchoring the line that sprung Julius Jones for a school-record 262 yards rushing at Pittsburgh.

Backs — Freshman Brady Quinn (59-137-637, 3 TD, 6 INT) has taken over as the starting quarterback for the Irish, becoming only the seventh true freshman to start at QB for Notre Dame in the last 53 seasons. Quinn made his college debut against Washington State, coming in midway through the fourth quarter when Holiday was shaken up and directing the Irish on a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive that put Notre Dame ahead for the first time. Quinn was three of 10 for 36 yards at Michigan before completing a season-best seven of 17 throws for 103 yards and his first career touchdown (a 29-yard pass to Rhema McKnight) vs. Michigan State. The Dublin, Ohio, native then made his first-ever start at Purdue, connecting on 29 of 59 passes for 297 yards with one TD and four interceptions. His 297 yards were the most by a Irish freshman QB in his debut since 1951 and his 85-yard second-quarter TD pass to Maurice Stovall was the third-longest strike in school history. In his most recent outing, Quinn completed 15 of 34 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown against USC.

Senior Carlyle Holiday (36-73-303, 1 TD, 4 INT) now serves as Quinn’s understudy after having been the starting quarterback for Notre Dame since the third week of the 2001 season. Last year was Holiday’s first in the new West Coast offense employed by head coach Tyrone Willingham and offensive coordinator Bill Diedrick, and the veteran signal-caller thrived, setting a school record with 126 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. A 2003 Davey O’Brien Award candidate, Holiday has the fifth-lowest interception percentage in school history (.0338), having thrown just 16 picks in 474 career pass attempts. He opened this season by connecting on a career-high 21 of 34 passes for 149 yards with one TD and one interception in the win over Washington State. In the last three games, Holiday has seen some time at wide receiver, but has yet to catch a pass.

Meanwhile, junior Pat Dillingham gives the Irish another experienced option at quarterback behind Quinn and Holiday. Dillingham appeared in seven games last season, completing 41 of 81 passes for 434 yards and one touchdown. He carved a place in Irish history last season at Michigan State, throwing the game-winning 60-yard TD pass to Arnaz Battle with 1:15 to play. Dillingham also made his first career start vs. Stanford, throwing for 129 yards in a 31-7 victory.

Senior Julius Jones (team-high 85 rushes, team-high 498 yards, 4 TD) leads a veteran group of Irish running backs who are the main beneficiaries of Notre Dame’s new offensive style. After sitting out last season, Jones made a triumphant return to the Irish lineup against Washington State, carrying 11 times for 72 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown run with 5:03 to play that put Notre Dame ahead for the first time. That was just an appetizer for the main course Jones served at Pittsburgh, rushing for a school-record 262 yards on 24 carries along with two touchdowns. For his efforts, the Big Stone Gap, Va., native was named the national Player of the Week by The Sporting News, USAToday.com and CollegeSportsNews.com. Jones also was rewarded with the starting nod against USC and wound up with 84 yards on 18 carries, including a 22-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He currently ranks 40th in the nation in rushing, averaging 83 yards per game. Junior Ryan Grant (team-high 85 carries, 269 yards) and junior Marcus Wilson (6-11) also have seen plenty of action out of the backfield this season. Fresh off a 1,000-yard season in 2002, Grant picked up right where he left off, rushing 17 times for 98 yards against Washington State and 27 times for 84 yards at Pittsburgh. In his career, he now has posted four 100-yard games and four other 90-yard efforts.

Junior Rashon Powers-Neal (2-9) has stepped into the starting lineup at fullback after serving as Grant’s primary understudy at tailback last season. A bruising back who deftly complements the fluid styles of Grant, Jones and Wilson, Powers-Neal carried 77 times for 344 yards and two touchdowns last season. Junior walk-on Josh Schmidt (five catches for 51 yards) was the surprise of this year’s preseason camp, working his way into a position for playing time, along with sophomore Nate Schiccatano, who opened some eyes with 24 yards rushing and a touchdown in the ’03 Blue-Gold Game. Schmidt has caught three passes out of the backfield this season for 26 yards.

Receivers — Despite the loss of last year’s leading receiver Arnaz Battle, the Irish receiving corps is well stocked in 2003. Junior Omar Jenkins (18-154) takes over as the leader of the unit after pulling in 37 balls for 633 yards and three touchdowns last season. He wasted little time in showing the way for the Irish pass-catchers, tying his career high with five catches for 46 yards vs. WSU. He had five more receptions for 29 yards in the loss at Purdue and added a critical third-down reception late in the fourth quarter at Pittsburgh to seal that victory. Sophomore Rhema McKnight (team-high 22-232, 2 TD) has started the last five games for the Irish at the other wideout position, scoring touchdowns vs. Michigan and Michigan State and logging career highs of eight catches and 104 yards against MSU. Rangy sophomore Maurice Stovall (13-215, 1 TD), senior Ronnie Rodamer and junior Matt Shelton (1-9) all can stretch defenses vertically and will see significant time in Notre Dame’s balanced offensive scheme. Stovall erupted for a career-high nine catches and 171 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown at Purdue. It was the highest receiving yardage total by an Irish wideout since 1999. Freshman receivers Chinedum Ndukwe (1-(-1)) and Jeff Samardzija (7-53) also have been heard from this season, with the latter amassing a season-high four catches for 18 yards at Purdue.

Senior Billy Palmer (1-13) has been the starting tight end for the Irish in four games this season after appearing in all 13 games last year. He has started five times in his career and caught the second pass of his career for 13 yards against Michigan State. Senior tight end Jared Clark (10-96), a converted quarterback, has seen significant action this season, starting at Purdue and ranking fourth on the team in catches and yardage. He tied his personal best with four receptions for 28 yards against Washington State and also had a team-high 39 yards receiving on two catches at Michigan. Sophomores Anthony Fasano (8-82, 1 TD) and Marcus Freeman also are contending for playing time this season. Fasano registered his first career reception, a 19-yard grab, at Michigan, added a 15-yard reception against Michigan State, then made his first career start at Pittsburgh and collected two catches for 15 yards. He followed that up against USC with a career-best four receptions for 33 yards and his first career touchdown, a diving two-yard grab in the first quarter.

SCOUTING THE IRISH DEFENSE
Line — One of the strengths of this year’s Irish squad will be its defensive line, where three starters are back in the fold. Senior defensive tackle Darrell Campbell (14 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one sack, one PBU) and senior nose guard Cedric Hilliard (13 tackles, 0.5 for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup) both provide a formidable obstacle for opponents in the middle of the line. Although he did not start vs. Washington State, Hilliard was a factor, finishing with four tackles and his first career fumble recovery. He returned to the starting lineup against Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, carding a season-high five tackles vs. MSU. Sophomore Derek Landri (six tackles, 1.5 TFL, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup) made his first career start vs. WSU in place of Hilliard and logged his first career tackle at Michigan before adding two tackles (0.5 for loss) at Purdue. He also recovered a fumble late in the first half at Pittsburgh, setting up the eventual game-winning field goal. Senior Greg Pauly (nine tackles, one TFL, 0.5 sacks) also has seen time in the middle of the defensive line, adding two tackles (0.5 TFL) in a reserve role against Washington State. With Hilliard hobbled by injuries the last two games vs. Pittsburgh and USC, Pauly has started both times (the fourth and fifth starts of his career) and had three tackles at Pittsburgh. Junior Brian Beidatsch (one fumble recovery) is the primary backup at the interior line spots and has seen limited action in four games this year, notching his first career fumble recovery at Michigan. Senior right end Kyle Budinscak (14 tackles, three TFL, two sacks, one fumble recovery), the other veteran returning on the Irish defensive line, is in his second season as a starter (20 career starts). A two-time Academic All-District selection, Budinscak is third on the team in sacks after chalking up a career-high two sacks in the win over Washington State. He also added his first career fumble recovery against Michigan State. Junior end Justin Tuck (36 tackles, team-high eight TFL, team-high seven sacks, two forced fumbles, two PBU), a pass-rushing specialist with exceptional quickness, had started just one game in his career prior to this season, but cracked the lineup in five of six games this year, tallying four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble vs. Washington State, adding five tackles at Michigan and seven tackles and 1.5 sacks at Purdue. However, his best performance to date came at Pittsburgh, when he rolled up a career-high 10 tackles, including 3.5 sacks, and added a forced fumble in the win over the Panthers. Tuck then added eight tackles (two for loss) and a sack against USC and is averaging 8.3 tackles and two sacks over his last three games. Tuck currently ranks third in the nation with 1.17 sacks per game. Highly-touted freshman Victor Abiamiri (nine tackles, two TFL, one sack) and sophomore Travis Leitko (one tackle) both serve as the top understudies at the defensive end positions. Abiamiri earned the starting nod against Michigan State and did not disappoint, registering seven tackles (six solo). He added his first career sack at Pittsburgh.

Linebackers — All three starting linebackers return for the Irish this season, led by senior inside linebackers and Butkus Award candidates Courtney Watson (team-high 56 tackles, four TFL, one forced fumble, two PBU) and Mike Goolsby. Watson, a 2002 Butkus Award finalist, led the team with 90 tackles last year despite missing three games due to injury. He sat out the Washington State game, but returned with a vengeance against Michigan and Michigan State, logging a team-high 12 tackles (one for loss) in each game. He also forced an early fumble at Michigan and added a season-best 14 tackles against USC < he=”” now=”” leads=”” the=”” irish=”” in=”” total=”” tackles=”” and=”” solo=”” tackles=”” (31)=”” and=”” has=”” posted=”” double-digit=”” tackle=”” marks=”” in=”” four=”” of=”” his=”” five=”” outings=”” this=”” season.=”” goolsby=”” was=”” third=”” on=”” the=”” squad=”” with=”” 75=”” tackles=”” last=”” season,=”” but=”” currently=”” is=”” sidelined=”” with=”” an=”” injury.=”” junior=””>Brandon Hoyte (38 tackles, 5.5 for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, two PBU) has stepped in for Goolsby this season, carding a career-high 11 tackles vs. Washington State, adding 10 stops and his second career fumble recovery at Michigan and logging two tackles for loss at Purdue (he is second on the team in TFL). Senior Derek Curry (30 tackles, three TFL, three sacks, one INT, one forced fumble) mans the outside linebacker post and had a career day against Washington State, logging a personal-best seven tackles and his first career interception. He also chalked up a career-high two sacks at Purdue and added another at Pittsburgh before carding eight tackles against USC. Junior Corey Mays (12 tackles, 0.5 TFL, one blocked kick), who started in place of Watson vs. Washington State, had a career-high four tackles at Michigan and blocked a punt vs. USC, and senior Jerome Collins (two tackles) are the main linebacker reserves.

Backs — Even with the loss of unanimous All-America cornerback Shane Walton and strong safety Gerome Sapp to the NFL, the Irish secondary is particularly sturdy in 2003. Senior cornerback Vontez Duff (21 tackles, one forced fumble, two PBU) was a third-team All-American last year and has started the last 27 games for the Irish and collected a season-high six tackles vs. USC, while hard-hitting senior strong safety Glenn Earl (35 tackles, 1.5 TFL, one sack, one fumble recovery, one INT, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two PBU) tied for second on the team with 81 tackles last year. Both Duff and Earl were preseason candidates for the Jim Thorpe Award and both were key parts of the win over Washington State < duff=”” forced=”” a=”” critical=”” fourth-quarter=”” fumble=”” and=”” earl=”” recovered=”” the=”” loose=”” pigskin=”” to=”” help=”” ignite=”” a=”” 20-point=”” irish=”” rally.=”” earl=”” also=”” registered=”” a=”” season-high=”” 10=”” tackles=”” at=”” michigan=”” before=”” adding=”” six=”” stops=”” and=”” an=”” interception=”” against=”” michigan=”” state.=”” he=”” has=”” since=”” shifted=”” over=”” to=”” strong=”” safety=”” for=”” the=”” first=”” time=”” in=”” his=”” career,=”” starting=”” at=”” that=”” position=”” the=”” last=”” three=”” games=”” and=”” logging=”” seven=”” tackles=”” against=”” usc.=”” junior=””>Quentin Burrell (20 tackles, one TFL, 0.5 sacks, one INT, one fumble recovery, one PBU) had been used primarily as the Irish dime back in the first three games, picking off a pass against Michigan State. However, he has made the first starts of his career at free safety in the last three contests, logging a career-best five tackles against Purdue and USC and adding a fumble recovery in the latter game. Senior Garron Bible (17 tackles, one fumble recovery) started the first three games this season at strong safety after having had only two career starts entering 2003. He tied his career high with seven tackles against both Washington State and Michigan and added his second career fumble recovery against the Wolverines. Meanwhile, the competition to replace Walton at the other cornerback position was tight between seniors Jason Beckstrom (13 tackles, one PBU) and Preston Jackson (20 tackles, one TFL), as well as junior Dwight Ellick (13 tackles, two PBU, one QB hurry). Beckstrom missed all of last season with a torn biceps, while Jackson appeared in every game last year (starting once). At the same time, Ellick is a former all-BIG EAST track standout who has played in 27 career games, mostly on special teams. Jackson got the starting call in the first four games this season, picking up a career-high eight tackles at Michigan. All three men saw extensive time in the win over Washington State, but Ellick did not play in the Michigan or Michigan State game. Beckstrom sparkled against MSU, turning in a career-high six tackles and was rewarded with a start at Purdue as the Irish began in a nickel package. Ellick has gotten his turn in the lineup the last two games, making the first two starts of his career and collecting a career-best nine tackles against USC. Junior Lionel Bolen (two tackles) and freshman Freddie Parish IV (three tackles) head up the reserve secondary unit. Parish has appeared in five of the first six contests, mainly in nickel and dime situations.

SCOUTING THE IRISH KICKING GAME
Senior Nicholas Setta takes on the dual role of placekicker and punter in 2003, becoming the first person to hold down both positions for the Irish since Craig Hentrich from 1989-92. A two-time Lou Groza Award candidate, Setta is now in his fourth season as Notre Dame’s kicker this year, setting his sights on several school records. He has made 46 career field goals (five shy of John Carney’s mark) and is third on the Irish career points-by-kicking chart (242, record is 294 by Hentrich). In addition, Setta has made 92 consecutive PAT kicks, the second-longest streak in school history (136 by Hentrich from 1989-92). Setta got his final season off to a terrific start against Washington State, tying his career best with five field goals on six attempts, including the game-winning 40-yarder in overtime. He also established a new personal best with 17 points by kicking, one more than his previous high set in the ’02 opener vs. Maryland. The Lockport, Ill., native then made all three of his field goal attempts against Michigan State, marking the fourth time in his career he has made at least three field goals in one game. For the season, Setta is nine for 10 on field goals, including seven of seven inside 40 yards, and ranks 15th in the nation with an average of 1.8 field goals per game. His nine consecutive field goals stands as the third-longest streak in school history, four away from Mike Johnston’s mark of 13 set back in 1982.

This season marks Setta’s first as the everyday punter following the departure of two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist Joey Hildbold. Setta, a 2003 Ray Guy Award candidate, has easily slipped into his second job, averaging 40.9 yards on 26 punts this season, including a 43.9-yard average on a career-high nine punts at Michigan. Setta also has boomed six 50-yard punts this year, including a career-long 54-yard shot on his first kick of the season in the win over Washington State.

Junior walk-on offensive lineman Casey Dunn (39 special teams appearances) and sophomore Scott Raridon (22 special teams appearances) are splitting time as the Irish snappers, taking over for the departed John Crowther. Meanwhile, junior reserve kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick (2-4 FG, 3-3 PAT, 36.1-yard punting average) has assumed Hildbold’s role as the holder on placement kicks, while also backing up Setta at both kicking positions. Fitzpatrick was called upon to replace Setta in the lineup the last two games, and the Mishawaka, Ind., native didn’t waver, kicking a pair of field goals (19 and 34 yards) and adding a PAT at Pittsburgh, all of which proved to be critical in the six-point Irish win.

Seniors Vontez Duff and Julius Jones make up a formidable kick return crew for Notre Dame. Duff is ranked 22nd in the nation in punt return yardage (13.0). He rang up 63 yards on two punt runbacks at Pittsburgh, pushing him past Raghib Ismail and into third place on Notre Dame’s career total kick return yardage list (now with 1,662). In addition, he has 99 career total kick returns (punts and kickoffs), which also is good for third place in the Irish record books. Meanwhile, Jones leads the Irish and ranks 45th in the nation in all-purpose yards (120.0 ypg.) this season and ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in four career return categories. With two kick returns at Pittsburgh, he supplanted 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown as Notre Dame’s career leader for total kick returns (109 and counting). Then, with 97 yards on three kickoff returns vs. USC, he passed Brown to become the Irish all-time leader in kickoff returns (71) and kickoff returns yardage (1,660). He also needs just three yards to supplant Brown as the school’s record holder for total kick return yardage (2,086).

TICKET UPDATE
Demand for tickets to two of Notre Dame’s six home games in 2003 ranks among the top five in the history of Notre Dame Stadium. The Notre Dame ticket office received 54,244 ticket requests for the Oct. 18 game vs. USC, making it the fourth-highest requested Irish home game in history. In addition, the Nov. 1 Notre Dame-Florida State game garnered 51,051 requests, placing it fifth on the all-time list. In fact, Notre Dame set a record by refunding $5.1 million to lottery losers in the University’s ticket distribution for contributing alumni. That total easily exceeded last year’s mark of $2.1 million and outdistanced the old refund record of $3.8 million in 2001.

The Notre Dame Stadium record of 59,368 ticket requests was set in ’01 when the Irish took on West Virginia. Demand for that game was based on parents of current Notre Dame students being guaranteed four tickets for that contest < plus=”” contributing=”” alumni=”” having=”” the=”” opportunity=”” to=”” apply=”” for=”” four=”” tickets=”” instead=”” of=”” the=”” usual=”” two,=”” based=”” on=”” its=”” designation=”” as=”” an=”” alumni=”” family=”” game.=””>

Currently, the Irish have posted 170 consecutive sellouts at Notre Dame Stadium and 218 in their last 219 home games.

BIG CROWDS
Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 156 of its previous 179 games, including its last 20 games in a row. On Sept. 13 at Michigan, the Irish and Wolverines helped bring in the largest crowd in NCAA history (111,726), marking the third time in the history of that series that an NCAA attendance record has been set. It also represents the sixth time in the last three seasons that Notre Dame has been a part of establishing a new stadium attendance record (at Nebraska and Texas A&M in 2001; at Air Force and Florida State, home vs. Boston College in 2002).

NOTRE DAME FEATURED PROMINENTLY ON TELEVISION THIS YEAR
In addition to continuing its streak of consecutive games played on one of the four major television networks (NBC, ABC, CBS or ESPN), Notre Dame is being spotlighted on the small screen in several other ways during the 2003 season. Here’s a thumbnail look at each of the individual TV projects which are featuring the Irish this year:

• ESPN is filming “The Season: Notre Dame Football” in South Bend throughout the ’03 campaign. Crews from the network are attending practice sessions, team meals and other team-related activities, as well as conducting regular interviews with Irish players and coaches. “The Season: Notre Dame Football” airs Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. (EST) on ESPN.
• ESPN College GameDay is celebrating its 10th season of live remotes from college football’s top games. In recognition of its first-ever road trip (a Nov. 13, 1993 journey to South Bend for the game between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame) is airing weekly all-access features on the Irish adapted from its feature presentation, “The Season: Notre Dame Football.” Former Irish flanker and two-time All-American Raghib “Rocket” Ismail lends more of a Notre Dame flavor to “College GameDay” this year as he joins the crew for regular contributions.
• College Sports Television (CSTV), the nation’s new 24-hour cable channel devoted exclusively to college sports, highlights Irish athletics on Sunday nights (8-9 p.m. EDT) in a show called “Notre Dame Primetime.” The program, which is co-hosted by former Irish split end Derrick Mayes, focuses on all 26 Notre Dame sports and the continuing growth of Irish athletics. In addition to its regular Sunday night broadcast, the show also airs on a delayed basis Mondays at 7 p.m. (EST) on WHME-TV (Channel 46) in South Bend.
• Besides these features, Notre Dame is now in the 13th season of its unique relationship with NBC. All Irish home football games since 1991 have been televised on the network, with the current agreement slated to continue through 2005. Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Pat Haden (analysis) are in their third full season broadcasting the action for NBC.

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
With Saturday’s Boston College game slated to be televised on a split national basis by ABC, the Irish will extend their streak of appearances on one of four major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS or ESPN) to 131 straight games, a stretch that spans 10 full seasons (1993-2002). The last time the Irish didn’t appear on one of those four networks was more than a decade ago (Oct. 31, 1992), when Notre Dame downed Navy, 38-7, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That game was shown locally in the South Bend area on WNDU-TV.

2003 Notre Dame Opponent UPDATE
The following is a look at Notre Dame opponents’ upcoming games. Since 1977, when the NCAA started rating strength of schedule, Notre Dame’s schedule has been rated the most difficult five times (1978, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995) and has appeared in the top 25 a total of 19 times in the last 26 years. This year’s schedule currently is ranked as the third-toughest in the nation by the NCAA (as of Oct. 19).

THE 2003 SCHEDULE
Once again, Notre Dame is facing one of the nation’s toughest schedules, as the Irish play six of their first eight games against teams that currently are ranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls (No. 5/4 USC, No. 6/6 Washington State, No. 6/7 Florida State, No. 10/10 Purdue, No. 11/12 Michigan State and No. 13/15 Michigan). In addition, two other Notre Dame opponents < pittsburgh=”” and=”” syracuse=””>< are=”” receiving=”” votes=”” in=”” one=”” or=”” both=”” polls.=”” seven=”” of=”” the=”” 12=”” foes=”” on=”” this=”” year’s=”” notre=”” dame’s=”” schedule=”” went=”” to=”” bowl=”” games=”” last=”” season,=”” highlighted=”” by=”” three=”” bowl=”” championship=”” series=”” qualifiers=”” (washington=”” state,=”” usc,=”” florida=”” state).=”” all=”” of=”” this=”” comes=”” on=”” the=”” heels=”” of=”” the=”” 2002=”” irish=”” schedule,=”” which=”” was=”” ranked=”” 28th=”” in=”” the=”” nation.=””>

According to the latest NCAA rankings (as of Oct. 19), Notre Dame has the third-toughest schedule in the nation.

In addition, the most recent USA Today/Sagarin ratings have ranked the Irish schedule as the toughest in the nation. Furthermore, the latest data compiled by Pythagoras Sports shows that Notre Dame has the nation’s most demanding schedule, based both on quality of opposition (all six of the Irish opponents to date have winning records, the highest percentage in the nation) and Division I-A wins per opponent (Notre Dame’s first six foes have averaged 5.83 wins vs. I-A opposition, leading the nation in that category as well).

THE 2003 CAPTAINS
For the second consecutive season and the third time in the 115-year history of football at Notre Dame, the Irish are designating captains on a game-by-game basis this season. The 2003 captains have been named as follows (career captain selections in parentheses):

Washington State: CB Vontez Duff (3), FS Glenn Earl (2), WR Omar Jenkins (1), OT Jim Molinaro (1)
Michigan: DT Darrell Campbell (3), LB Derek Curry (1), QB Carlyle Holiday (1), K/P Nicholas Setta (3)
Michigan State: RB Ryan Grant (1), NG Cedric Hilliard (3), TE Billy Palmer (1), LB Courtney Watson (4)
Purdue: CB Vontez Duff (4), SS Glenn Earl (3), WR Omar Jenkins (2), OT Jim Molinaro (2)
Pittsburgh: SS Glenn Earl (4), OT Jim Molinaro (3), K/P Nicholas Setta (4), LB Courtney Watson (5)
USC: DT Darrell Campbell (4), RB Julius Jones (1), OT Jim Molinaro (4), LB Courtney Watson (6)

THE 2003 NFL DRAFT
Seven former Irish players were selected in the 2003 NFL Draft, the most of any school in the country with the exception of Florida and Ohio State (eight each). Leading the way was center Jeff Faine, who was chosen in the first round (21st overall) by the Cleveland Browns. Notre Dame now has had 58 opening-round selections, which ranks second only to USC (62) in the 67-year history of the NFL Draft.

Joining Faine in Notre Dame’s ’03 draft class were: offensive tackle Jordan Black (fifth round by the Kansas City Chiefs), offensive guard Sean Mahan (fifth round by the Tampa Buccaneers), cornerback Shane Walton (fifth round by the St. Louis Rams), strong safety Gerome Sapp (sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens), wide receiver Arnaz Battle (sixth round by the San Francisco 49ers) and offensive tackle Brennan Curtin (sixth round by the Green Bay Packers). All seven Notre Dame players selected in the 2003 NFL Draft made the final cut and were on their teams’ opening-day rosters.

IRISH FOOTBALL NAMED ONE OF NATION’S TOP 10 MOST POWERFUL PROGRAMS
As part of its 2003 college football preview, SI.com developed its list of the top 10 most powerful programs in the nation and Notre Dame was listed second behind only Miami (Fla.). According to the website, “college football’s most recognizable program saw a return to glory under Lou Holtz, which included landing its own TV deal with NBC, and after a few down years appears to be headed in the right direction under Tyrone Willingham.”

MAKING THE GRADE
The Notre Dame football squad recently has had four of the most successful semesters in the classroom in the history of the program, based on final grades from the past four semesters (2001-03). In the fall of 2001, the Irish team finished (at the time) with its second-highest combined grade-point average on record (2.685) since statistics were kept beginning in 1992. A total of 12 players earned Dean’s List recognition and 38 players posted a “B” average or higher last fall. Then, in the spring of 2002, the Irish topped that mark with a record-setting 2.911 combined team GPA, with 13 players making the Dean’s List and another 47 averaging a “B” or better. In the fall of ’02, the Irish logged a 2.835 team GPA, followed by a 2.79 average in the spring of ’03. Eight players made the Dean’s List in both of the last two semesters, while 43 players had a “B” or better during the fall of 2002, and 50 more reached that mark in the spring of 2003.

NOTRE DAME EXCELS IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS ON THE FIELD
The Notre Dame football team has earned American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award special mention honors announced in August. To earn the award, a team must have a graduation rate of over 70 percent. Duke won the 2003 overall award with a 100 percent graduation rate.

Notre Dame has been recognized 22 of 23 years the award has been presented, the most of any school in the nation. Notre Dame has won the overall award six times with the most recent coming in 2001 as the Irish posted a perfect 100 percent graduation rate, becoming (at the time) the eighth school in history to graduate everyone in the class during the reporting period. Notre Dame also won the overall award in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991. In 1988, Notre Dame became the only school to win the Academic Achievement Award and the National Championship in the same year.

FORMER IRISH GREAT DAVE DUERSON HEADS UP NATIONAL MONOGRAM CLUB
Former Notre Dame football All-American Dave Duerson is still extremely involved with the University in a number of capacities. A former team captain, Duerson was named to the Notre Dame Board of Trustees in 2001, and was the winner of the 2001 Rev. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C., Award from the Notre Dame Alumni Association. The Sorin Award is presented annually to a graduate who has embodied “the values of Our Lady’s University” in his service to the community. In 2002, Duerson founded his own company, Duerson Foods, after serving as president of Fair Oaks Farms, Inc., a Wisconsin-based international meat supplier that in 1999 was ranked 64th among Black Enterprise 100 companies. In addition, Duerson was a member of the advisory council for the University’s Mendoza College of Business and currently is president of the Notre Dame National Monogram Club, a post he will hold through June 2005. He also is a member of the athletic department’s student development mentoring program.

“THE SHIRT” NOW ON SALE FOR 2003 SEASON
For the 14th consecutive year, Notre Dame Student Activities and Government are sponsoring a T-shirt that benefits scholarship funds, student groups and service projects. Already, the initial run of 50,000 shirts has sold out, easily topping last year’s early sellout of 44,000. In 2002, a record-setting total of 130,000 shirts were sold, with that initial run of 44,000 selling out within six weeks of its debut (at the time, it was one of the earliest sellouts in the history of the project). As a result, Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham began labelling the Shirt-clad crowd as the “sea of green.”

Over the past 13 years, the venture has more than $2 million in net profit for worthy causes and serves the dual purpose of promoting spirit and raising funds. Some of the proceeds supported students and employees who have incurred catastrophic accidents, while others benefitted endowment funds and additional monies were given to support service projects for student organizations on the Notre Dame campus.

In a rare break from tradition, “The Shirt 2003” once again is green and features this year’s motto, “Here Come The Irish.” The short-sleeve shirt is traditionally worn by Notre Dame students and fans at the first home game of each football season. The cost of this year’s shirt is $15 and it is available on campus to the University community and the general public at the Hammes Bookstore, Irish Express, the information desk at the LaFortune Student Center, the Varsity Shop at the Joyce Center and the Alumni Association at the Eck Center. Orders also may be placed by telephone (1-800-647-4641) or on-line through the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com).

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR 2003 FOOTBALL KICKOFF LUNCHEONS
Tickets are now on sale for the 2003 Notre Dame Kickoff Luncheons held the Friday prior to each Irish home football game. The luncheons feature Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham, Irish players and assistant coaches, plus special guests and other attractions.

Tickets are $18 each, with a handling fee of $3 (payment may be made with one check for more than one luncheon). 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 also is available on Notre Dame’s athletics web site at www.und.com.

The luncheons are held in the Joyce Center fieldhouse (north dome) on the Notre Dame campus, with a noon (EST) start. Be aware that advance reservations are required for tickets, and tickets are not routinely available at the door.

Remaining luncheon dates are Oct. 31 (Florida State), Nov. 7 (Navy) and Nov. 14 (BYU).

PEP RALLIES
All 2003 pep rallies will be held in the Joyce Center Arena (south dome) on Fridays before Saturday home games, beginning at 6 p.m. (EST). The Irish squad enters the arena at 6:30 p.m.

“NOTRE DAME EXPERIENCE” RETURNS FOR 2003 SEASON
For years, the Joyce Center Fieldhouse 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 2003 home football games. For the second consecutive season, the “Notre Dame Experience” will combine the Notre Dame Alumni Association Hospitality Center with interactive inflatables, photo booths, autograph sessions, Notre Dame football trivia and stage activities. Gates open three hours prior to kickoff and will stay open until one hour after the game. Admission is free for all “Notre Dame Experience” events.

ORDER THE 2003 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL YEARBOOK TODAY
This season marks the 10th edition of the Notre Dame Football Yearbook < an=”” official=”” publication=”” by=”” the=”” university=”” of=”” notre=”” dame=”” athletic=”” department.=”” the=”” 1994,=”” ’95,=”” ’96,=”” ’97=”” and=”” ’98=”” and=”” 2000=”” editions=”” were=”” voted=”” best=”” in=”” the=”” nation=”” in=”” the=”” special=”” publications=”” competition=”” sponsored=”” by=”” the=”” college=”” sports=”” information=”” directors=”” of=”” america.=”” the=”” yearbook,=”” published=”” by=”” ave=”” maria=”” press,=”” numbers=”” nearly=”” 100=”” pages,=”” including=”” game=”” action=”” shots=”” of=”” returning=”” irish=”” players=”” and=”” coaches,=”” position-by-position=”” breakdowns=”” and=”” a=”” feature=”” on=”” head=”” coach=””>Tyrone Willingham. It’s a collectors item perfect for autographs < with=”” an=”” emphasis=”” on=”” outstanding=”” color=”” photography=”” unavailable=”” in=”” any=”” other=”” publication.=”” the=”” yearbook=”” is=”” priced=”” at=”” $8=”” (plus=”” $4=”” for=”” postage=”” and=”” handling)=”” and=”” can=”” be=”” ordered=”” by=”” calling=”” 1-800-647-4641.=””>

TRIO OF BOOKS FEATURING NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOW ON SALE
The rich history of Irish football is the focus of three books that recently went on sale to the general public. The first is entitled “Return To Glory” and it was written by Alan Grant, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a former defensive back at Stanford who played for current Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham. Grant received unique behind-the-scenes access to the Irish throughout last season and his book details Notre Dame’s remarkable 10-3 campaign in 2002, including its eight-game winning streak to begin Willingham’s tenure. “Return To Glory” is now available nationwide, including the Hammes Bookstore on the Notre Dame campus.

Also new in bookstores is a coffee table book by The Sporting News called “Fighting Irish,” a 224-page work that spotlights the unparalleled history and pageantry of the Notre Dame football program through a variety of photographs and essays. A special section is devoted to the ’02 season and the foreword to the book was written by former Irish quarterback and 2003 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Theismann. In addition to appearing in bookstores across the country, it also is available at the Hammes Bookstore, as well as online through The Sporting News web site (www.tsn.com).

The third new book featuring Notre Dame to debut is entitled “Tyrone Willingham: The Meaning of Victory,” a 144-page hardcover piece on the coaching career of Irish mentor Tyrone Willingham and what his arrival at Notre Dame has meant to the program. Written by longtime Chicago Tribune sportswriter and columnist Fred Mitchell and packed with dozens of full-color photos, this book is available at bookstores nationwide, including Notre Dame’s Hammes Bookstore.