Irish Kick Off Five-Game Homestand Saturday Against #4 Boston College

Oct. 8, 2007

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GAME 7: NOTRE DAME (1-5) vs. #4/4 BOSTON COLLEGE (6-0)
DATE:
Saturday, October 13, 2007
TIME: 3:43 p.m. ET
SITE (CAPACITY): Notre Dame Stadium (80,795); Notre Dame, Ind.

TICKETS: The game is officially sold out making it the 195th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. Since 1966, every Notre Dame home football game has been a sellout except one – a 1973 Thanksgiving Day game vs. Air Force. The Irish have now played in front of sellouts in 243 of their last 244 home games.

TV: NBC national telecast with Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Pat Haden (analysis), Alex Flanagan (sideline), David Gibson (producer) and John Gonzalez (director). NBC will stream a live 30 min. pre-game show (3-3:30 p.m.) and post-game show on NBCSports.com.

RADIO: For the 40th consecutive season, all Notre Dame football games are to be broadcast on approximately 200 stations in 50 states by Westwood One with Don Criqui (play-by-play), former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis) and Jeff Jeffers providing pre-game, halftime and post-game reports. This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 159) and will be streamed live on the Irish official athletics website at www.und.com.

All Notre Dame home games may be heard in South Bend on U93-FM (92.9) and WDND-AM (1490) with pre-game analysis featuring Sean Stires and Vince DeDario. The post-game show is hosted by Jack Nolan and features former Notre Dame players Reggie Brooks and Mirko Jurkovic. See page 11 of this notes package (PDF) for more information on Irish football radio and television shows.

WEB SITES: Notre Dame (und.com), Boston College (bceagles.com).

REAL-TIME STATS: Live in-game statistics will be provided through CSTV Online’s Gametracker via each school’s respective official athletic websites.

POLLS: Notre Dame failed to receive any votes in either the Associated Press or USA Today coaches polls. Boston College received 1,346 top 25 votes from the AP (4th) and 1,283 votes from the USA Today coaches (4th).

SERIES INFO: This meeting will be the 17th all-time meeting between the two schools and first matchup since 2004. Boston College has won five of the last six meetings, including each of the last four matchups. The Eagles have also won two straight and three of the last four inside Notre Dame Stadium. (see All-Time Series Results on page 2 of this notes PDF).

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Boston College has defeated a top 10-ranked Irish squad on three occasions (twice unranked). The Eagles enter the game ranked fourth (the highest they have ever been ranked entering a game with the Irish) and Notre Dame is unranked.

NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH Charlie Weis: Charlie Weis (Notre Dame, 1978) is in his third season as the Notre Dame head coach. The Irish finished his inaugural season with a 9-3 mark and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame followed that campaign with a 10-3 record last season and another BCS Bowl berth (Sugar). With 19 wins over his first two seasons, Weis has captured more games than any other previous Irish coach through his first two years on the Notre Dame sidelines. In addition to leading one of three schools to consecutive BCS bowl games, Weis guided the Irish to their most wins over any two-year span since 1993-94.

BOSTON COLLEGE HEAD COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: Jeff Jagodzinski (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, `85) returned to Boston College as its 33rd head football coach in 2007, his 15th collegiate season and 23rd overall in coaching. Jagodzinski spent last season as the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He had spent the three previous seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after five years with the Packers (1999-2003) as tight ends coach. Although Jagodzinski comes to BC from the professional ranks, he spent 14 years as a college coach, most recently two successful seasons (1997-98) as offensive coordinator at Boston College.

A WIN THIS WEEK WOULD…

• Be the first victory for the Irish over a top five opponent since Michigan (17-10) on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Be the first victory for Notre Dame over a top five opponent at Notre Dame Stadium since Michigan (36-20) on Sept. 5, 1998.
• Snap a four-game losing streak for the Irish against top five foes.
• Improve Notre Dame to 40-50-5 (.447) all-time against top five ranked opponents.
• Make Notre Dame 2-5 for the first time since 2003 and just the fourth time in school history (2003, 1997, 1963).
• Be the second straight for the Irish overall.
• Snap Boston College’s four-game winning streak overall in the all-time series.
• Improve Notre Dame to 10-7 (.588) in the all-time series with the Eagles.
• Improve the Irish to 6-4 (.600) in the all-time series with Boston College in South Bend.
• Improve Weis’ Notre Dame record to 21-11 overall, 1-0 against Boston College and 3-1 against ACC foes.
• Improve Weis’ record to 7-7 (.500) against teams that entered the game undefeated.
• Improve Weis’ Notre Dame home record to 11-5 (.688).
• Improve Weis’ Notre Dame record to 7-2 (.778) in October games.
• Improve Weis’ Notre Dame record to 15-1 (.938) following a victory.
• Improve Weis’ Notre Dame record to 6-7 against ranked opponents (.462).
• Improve an unranked Notre Dame squad to 3-3 (.500) all-time against Boston College.
• Improve an unranked Notre Dame squad to 2-1 (.667) all-time against the Eagles in South Bend.
• Improve an unranked Notre Dame squad to 2-1 (.667) all-time against a ranked Boston College team.
• Improve an unranked Notre Dame squad to 1-1 (.500) all-time against a ranked Eagles team in South Bend.
• Improve Weis’ record to 15-8 (.652) in afternoon games.
• Improve Notre Dame’s all-time record to 823-274-42 (.741).
• Improve the Irish all-time home record to 298-92-5 (.773).
• Improve Notre Dame’s all-time record against the Atlantic Coast Conference to 75-28-2 (.724).
• Improve Notre Dame’s all-time home record against the Atlantic Coast Conference to 43-10 (.811).

A LOSS THIS WEEK WOULD…

• Deny the Irish their first victory over a top five opponent since Michigan (17-10) on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Deny Notre Dame its first victory over a top five opponent inside Notre Dame Stadium since Michigan (36-20) on Sept. 5, 1998.
• Be the fifth straight lose for the Irish against top five foes.
• Drop Notre Dame to 39-51-5 (.437) all-time against top five ranked opponents.
• Make Notre Dame 1-6 for the first time since 1960 and just the third time in school history (1960, 1956).
• Give Boston College a five-game winning streak in the all-time series overall and three-game winning streak in the all-time series at Notre Dame Stadium.
• Drop Notre Dame to 9-8 (.529) in the all-time series with the Eagles.
• Drop the Irish to 5-5 (.500) in the all-time series with Boston College in South Bend.
• Drop Weis’ Notre Dame record to 20-12 (.625) overall, 0-1 against Boston College and 2-2 against ACC foes.
• Drop Weis’ record to 6-8 (.429) against teams that entered the game undefeated.
• Drop Weis’ Notre Dame home record to 10-6 (.625).
• Drop Weis’ Notre Dame record to 6-3 (.667) in October games.
• Drop Weis’ Notre Dame record to 14-2 (.875) following a victory.
• Drop Weis’ Notre Dame record to 5-8 (.385) against ranked opponents.
• Drop an unranked Notre Dame squad to 2-4 (.333) all-time against Boston College.
• Drop an unranked Notre Dame squad to 1-2 (.333) all-time against the Eagles in South Bend.
• Drop an unranked Notre Dame squad to 1-2 (.333) all-time against a ranked Boston College team.
• Drop an unranked Notre Dame squad to 0-2 (.000) all-time against a ranked Eagles team in South Bend.
• Drop Weis’ record to 14-9 (.609) in afternoon games.
• Drop Notre Dame’s all-time record to 822-275-42 (.740).
• Drop the Irish all-time home record to 297-93-5 (.758).
• Drop Notre Dame’s all-time record against the Atlantic Coast Conference to 74-29-2 (.714).
• Drop Notre Dame’s all-time home record against the Atlantic Coast Conference to 42-11 (.792).

NOTRE DAME VS. ACC

• Notre Dame is 74-28-2 (.721) against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Irish have had more success against the ACC than any other major conference. The Irish have a .500 or better record against eight of ten conference schools (in which they have played).
• Notre Dame’s 104 games against the ACC ranks as the third-most contests against a conference trailing only the Big Ten (340) and Pac-10 (117).
• The Irish are playing three ACC schools in the same season for the first time since 2002 (Maryland, Florida State and North Carolina State) and only the third time since 1982.
• Notre Dame has faced Boston College 16 times (9-7), fourth most of any other ACC school, but each of the 16 previous meetings took place with the Eagles in the BIG EAST. The nine victories are the fourth-most victories for Notre Dame over an ACC foe. Miami has collided with the Irish 23 times (15-7-1), while Notre Dame has faced North Carolina 17 times (16-1). It should be noted that all of Notre Dame’s previous meetings with Miami and Boston College occurred prior to their moves to the ACC.
• Notre Dame has played a handful of games versus Florida State (2-4), Duke (2-1) and Clemson (1-1). Additionally, the Irish have met three ACC foes just once. They beat Virginia in the `89 Kickoff Classic and Maryland in the `02 Kickoff Classic, but lost to NC State in the `03 Gator Bowl.
• Notre Dame has posted a 42-10-0 (.808) record against ACC opponents in Notre Dame Stadium.

IRISH – EAGLES SERIES NOTES

• Notre Dame and Boston College are meeting for the 17th time on the gridiron with the Irish holding a 9-7 edge in the series. This will be the 10th time the two teams have played in South Bend, with Notre Dame holding a slim 5-4 edge at Notre Dame Stadium.
• Boston College has won the last four games in the series, its longest winning streak in the rivalry. Notre Dame has twice won four in a row against the Eagles, most recently doing so from 1995-98.
• The Eagles are just the seventh school to post at least four consecutive victories against the Irish. Boston College has frustrated Notre Dame with a 21-17 victory in 2001, 14-7 win in 2002, 27-25 win in 2003 and 24-23 victory in 2004.
• The series features a matchup of the only two Catholic universities in the country playing Bowl Subdivision college football.
• Notre Dame and Boston College have split the last 10 series games. The Irish have won by an average margin of 16.8 points per game, while the Eagles’ margin of victory is just 3.2 points per game.
• The last seven games in the series have been decided by an average of just 4.7 points per game (33 total points), with BC winning five of those matchups — although Notre Dame had a chance to tie or win in the final four minutes each time.
• Only one of Boston College’s seven wins in the series has come by double digits (a 30-11 victory in 1994 in Chestnut Hill). The other six Eagles’ wins have come by a grand total of 18 points (3.0 points per game), including three two-point victories (most recently a 27-25 win in 2003) and a one-point victory in 2004 (24-23).
• Saturday’s game will mark the 14th time in the 17-game series at least one of the two teams has been ranked at kickoff. Notre Dame is 2-3 against Boston College when it is unranked heading into its matchup with the Eagles. Conversely, the Eagles are 2-2 when it is ranked entering the Notre Dame game (Boston College is 4th in the AP poll and 4th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll this week).
• Boston College has knocked off three Notre Dame teams ranked in the top 10. Of those three victories, two occurred when the Eagles were unranked. Notre Dame has beaten Boston College once when it was ranked in the top 10 (Irish routed #9 BC, 54-7, 1992).
• Legendary Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy spent two seasons at Boston College (1939-40), leading the Eagles to a bowl game both years.

IRISH – EAGLES SERIES HISTORY

• Notre Dame leads its series with Boston College 9-7, including a 5-4 edge when the scene shifts to Notre Dame Stadium.
• The series was continuous from 1992-04 (13 consecutive meetings).
• 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 the 14th time at least one of the two combatants has been ranked at kickoff.
• Boston College’s current four-game winning streak is its longest ever against the Irish, while Notre Dame has defeated the Eagles four consecutive times on two occasions.
• 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.
• Today’s meeting between the Irish and Eagles is the first with Boston College a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

ON THIS DATE
Notre Dame has played 17 previous games in its history on Oct. 13. The Irish are 11-4-2 all-time on this date. The Irish have recorded nine shutouts on Oct. 13 (1973, 1945, 1928, 1923, 1917, 1906, 1900, 1897, 1894).
Oct. 13, 1894: Notre Dame plays its first game under a head coach and defeats Hillsdale College of Michigan, 14-0. James L. Morrison had been hired for only $40 (plus expenses) for two weeks. A month later, Morrison would be hired to coach for none other than Hillsdale College.
Oct. 13, 1990: Just a week earlier, top-ranked Notre Dame was upset by Stanford, 36-31. The Irish rebounded with a 57-27 rout of Air Force in Notre Dame Stadium. The Notre Dame offense piles up 289 yards on the ground and 253 more through the air. Ricky Watters and Dorsey Levens each had a pair of touchdown runs.
Oct. 13, 2001: Notre Dame tallied 345 yards rushing in a 34-24 victory over West Virginia. The Irish ran the ball 69 times, the most rushing attempts by Notre Dame in one game since Sept. 21, 1991 when they tallied 76 carries in a 49-10 win over Michigan State. Carlyle Holiday rushed for 130 yards and Tony Fisher carried for 119 yards, marking the 16th time in school history the Irish had two players each rush for over 100 yards.

NOTRE DAME-BOSTON COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

• Notre Dame’s roster features one player from the state of Massachusetts. Boston College’s roster does not have a player from Indiana.
• Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis (15 years) and Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski (eight years) each spent much of their career in the NFL ranks. Weis coached with the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets, while Jagodzinski worked with the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.
• Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver Barry Gallup Jr. not only hails from Wellesley, Massachusetts, but his father, Barry Gallup Sr., is the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations at Boston College.
• A number of players from Boston College and Notre Dame either attended the same high school or hail from the same hometown (see PDF of notes package for full chart).

NOTING THE UCLA GAME

• The following Notre Dame players extended streaks for consecutive starts: senior ILB Maurice Crum, Jr. (31), senior DE Trevor Laws (31), senior C John Sullivan (18), sophomore OT Sam Young (18), senior CB Terrail Lambert (15) and senior SS Tom Zbikowski (12).
• Wide receiver Golden Tate (joining quarterback Jimmy Clausen, running back Armando Allen and outside linebacker Kerry Neal) became the fourth freshmen to start a game for the Irish this season.
• With Tate’s start and sophomore tight end Will Yeatman, Notre Dame has already had 20 (10 on defense, 10 on offense) different players register their first career starts this season.
• The Irish continued to struggle on third down in the opening half. Notre Dame was just 1-of-8 and averaged just 0.7 yards per third down play. Meanwhile, UCLA was 4-of-10 on third down and averaged 2.3 yards per third down play.
• UCLA’s 49-yard field goal from Kai Forbath was the longest by a Notre Dame opponent since Josh Cummings of Pittsburgh knocked a 49-yarder on Sept. 3, 2005.
• Notre Dame limited the UCLA passing game to 193 yards in the air. The Irish are allowing only 153.7 yards per game in the air — more than 50 fewer yards per game when compared to the 2006 season (203.4 passing yds allowed) and over 100 fewer yards when compared to the 2005 season. The 153.7 yards passing per game would rank as the best for a Notre Dame defense since 1980 (when the Irish limited their opponents to 103.0 ypg passing). The Irish allowed 203.4, 264.6 and 281.2 (`04) yards passing in the past three seasons.
• Notre Dame scored 17 points in the third quarter. It was the most points in a quarter for the Irish this season and most since Notre Dame scored 20 points in the second quarter against Army on Nov. 18, 2006.
• The Irish forced three turnovers in the third quarter alone. It was the most turnovers forced by the Irish in a single quarter since Notre Dame forced three against Michigan State on Sept. 23, 2006.
• The Irish forced a total of seven UCLA turnovers. It was the most turnovers forced by a Notre Dame defense since Purdue had eight turnovers against the Irish on Sept. 30, 1989.
• Notre Dame turned those seven turnovers into 17 points — the most points off turnovers in a single game since Penn State on Sept. 8, 2006 (Notre Dame also had 17 points off turnovers).
• Notre Dame held UCLA without an offensive touchdown. It marked the first game the Irish held their opponent without an offensive touchdown since a 38-3 victory over Washington (Sept. 25, 2004).
• The Irish blanked UCLA in the second half. Notre Dame had not held an opponent scoreless over an entire half since Navy on Oct. 28, 2006.
• Notre Dame totaled five sacks. It was the most sacks for the Irish since Stanford on Oct. 7, 2006.
• The Irish limited the Bruins to just 29 yards rushing on 15 carries in the second half. UCLA had 60 yards rushing on 22 carries in the first half.
• Senior punter Geoff Price regained the starting punting duties. Price punted nine times for 363 yards (an average of 40.3 per kick). He pinned the Bruins three times inside their 20-yard line.
• Sophomore inside linebacker Toryan Smith made his second career start for the Irish. Smith finished the night with three tackles.
• Freshman outside linebacker Kerry Neal made his second career start for Notre Dame. Neal picked up his first career fumble recovery to set up the Irish first quarter field goal. He ended the evening with three tackles and a pass break-up.
• Senior defensive back Ambrose Wooden registered his 17th career start for the Irish. Wooden had a season-high six tackles.
• Sophomore running back James Aldridge picked up his first career reception on the game’s opening drive. Aldridge rushed a career-best 22 times for 52 yards (including a long-run of nine yards).
• Freshman running back and kick returner Armando Allen returned a first quarter kickoff 31 yards. It was his second return of 30 or more yards in his career (he took a kickoff back 33 yards last week at Purdue). Allen added an 11-yard burst up the middle in the second quarter (equalling his career long rush). Allen finished the night with 95 all-purpose yards.
• Senior strong safety Tom Zbikowski recorded his second career sack and forced his third fumble of the season on the same play setting up the Irish field goal late in the first quarter. Zbikowski has now been involved in a total of 16 turnovers (seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions, two fumble recoveries) during his brilliant four-year career. The sack was his first since Nov. 5, 2005 against Tennessee. Zbikowski finished with five tackles.
• Senior defensive end Trevor Laws registered his second sack of the season and seventh of his career. Laws now has 13.5 tackles for loss. Laws also added six tackles and two pass break-ups.
• Senior tight end John Carlson had four receptions in the first half and finished with six for the game. Carlson, who had a then season-high five catches last week at Purdue, had managed just seven grabs over the first four games of the season.
• Senior inside linebacker Maurice Crum, Jr. recorded a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the same play midway through the third quarter. For Crum, it was his first forced fumble and fumble recovery of the season (first career fumble recovery and third forced fumble of career).
• Crum added another forced fumble and promptly scooped up the ball and raced 34-yards for a touchdown. The TD was Crum’s first career score and was the first fumble return for touchdown since Tom Zbikowski against Penn State on Sept. 9, 2006.
• Crum became the first Notre Dame player to ever record a pair of forced fumbles and add two fumble recoveries in the same game. He also became the third Irish player to ever record two fumble recoveries in the same game. He joined Ray Herring (vs. Michigan on Sept. 15, 2007) and Tony Driver (vs. Navy on Oct. 14, 2000).
• Crum added his second career interception (first of the season) in the fourth quarter. Crum is the first Irish player to force three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception) in a single-game since Shane Walton had three (all interceptions) against Maryland on Aug. 31, 2002.
• Crum would add another interception late in the fourth quarter. He is the first Irish player ever to record four turnovers in a single game. Crum also recorded a team-high tying seven tackles.
• Junior free safety David Bruton registered his second career interception and returned it 17 yards to set up the go-ahead touchdown (Irish took a 13-6 lead). Bruton registered four tackles.
• Freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen picked up his first career rushing touchdown late in the third quarter to give Notre Dame a 13-6 lead.
• Sophomore defensive back Terrail Lambert sealed the victory with his fourth career interception (first of the season) on a fourth down play from the Irish nine-yard line.
• Freshman place kicker Brandon Walker kicked a pair of field goals. The 48-yard field goal for Walker was a career-long and also was the longest by an Irish player since D.J. Fitzpatrick against Michigan State on Sept. 17, 2005.

HOW DO THEY STACK UP?
Average weight of the offensive and defensive lines:
ND OL 301.8 lbs. vs. BC DL 271.3 lbs.
ND DL 284.3 lbs. vs. BC OL 291.2 lbs.
Average height of the receivers and the secondaries:
ND WR/TE 6′ 1″ vs. BC DB 5′ 10 ½”
ND DB 6′ 0″ vs. BC WR/TE 5′ 11 1/3″

IN FRONT OF A FULL HOUSE

• Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 197 of its previous 225 games, including 72 of its last 79 contests dating back to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 2000 season (the 2001, 2003 and 2005 games at Stanford, the 2004 game vs. Navy at the Meadowlands, the 2005 game at Washington and the 2007 game at UCLA were not sellouts). At Michigan in 2003, 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 was set. Including last year’s game at Georgia Tech, the Irish have been part of establishing a new stadium attendance record seven times since 2001. The list also includes: at Nebraska and Texas A&M in 2001, at Air Force and Florida State in 2002, home vs. Boston College in 2002, vs. Oregon State in the Insight Bowl in 2004 (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 2005. At Purdue in `05, the Irish and Boilermakers played before 65,491 football fans, a Ross-Ade Stadium record (since the renovation of the facility in 2003). Penn State drew the second largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history for the meeting with the Irish earlier this season.
• Notre Dame did not become the first school in NCAA history to ever play three regular season road games before crowds of 100,000. Both Penn State and Michigan exceeded that mark, but UCLA fell short.

TEAM NOTES

• A total of 68 different players have seen action this fall for Notre Dame. Of those 68 players, 37 are either freshmen or sophomores. The Irish have played 11 true freshman through their first six games and four (Jimmy Clausen, Armando Allen, Golden Tate and Kerry Neal) have started.
• Notre Dame has already had 20 (10 on defense, 10 on offense) different players register their first career starts this season. They include HB Armando Allen, QB Jimmy Clausen, DB Raeshon McNeil, WR George West, WR Golden Tate, FS David Bruton HB James Aldridge, ILB Toryan Smith, OG Dan Wenger, ILB Anthony Vernaglia, OLB Kerry Neal, DE Dwight Stephenson, Jr., OT Paul Duncan, OG Matt Carufel, OG Mike Turkovich, WR Robby Parris, TE Will Yeatman, OLB John Ryan, DE Derrell Hand and NT Pat Kuntz. The Irish have also used freshman place kicker Brandon Walker and sophomore punter Eric Maust.
• With freshmen Jimmy Clausen (#7) and Armando Allen (#5) each starting against Penn State, it marked the first time since freshmen were made eligible in 1972 that Notre Dame started rookies at both quarterback and tailback.
• Notre Dame played nine freshmen in the season-opening loss to Georgia Tech. It was tied for the fourth most freshmen to take the field in a season-opener since 1972.
• The Irish returned just five senior lettermen and eight junior lettermen. Of those 13 upperclassmen, only six had ever started a game for Notre Dame prior to this season.
• Notre Dame returned just 30 letterwinners to the 2007 team. The total is the third lowest (or 117th) in the nation.
• The Irish lost 28 lettermen from the 2006 team that finished 10-3 and earned a spot in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The total is tied for the fifth most in the country.

YOUTH ON SERVE
Notre Dame used a total of 61 players in the season opener against Georgia Tech. An incredible 31 of those players were either freshmen or sophomores, including five that started. Just over 50% of the players on the field were in their first or second year with the Irish. On the other hand, Georgia Tech started just one freshmen or sophomore and played only 19 first or second year players. The 31 freshmen and sophomores playing in a season opener stands as the most in Irish history. The previous high for first and second year players in a Notre Dame season opener came during the 1983 and 1989 seasons (29).

NEWCOMERS THROWN INTO ACTION
In the season opening loss against Georgia Tech, nine members of the 2007 signing class saw their first action. Armando Allen (Fr., HB), Jimmy Clausen (Fr., QB), Robert Hughes (Fr., HB), Duval Kamara (Fr., WR), Kerry Neal (Fr., LB), Matt Romine (Fr., OT), Golden Tate (Fr., KR), Brandon Walker (Fr., PK) and Ian Williams (Fr., NT) each played in their first season with the Irish. In addition to those nine players from the 2007 signing class making their Notre Dame debuts versus Georgia Tech, the following players saw action in an Irish uniform for the first time: Thomas Bemenderfer (Jr., OC), Dan Wenger (So., OG), Demetrius Jones (So., QB), Leonard Gordan (So., DS/DC), Luke Schmidt (So., FB), Paddy Mullen (So., DT) and Kallen Wade (So., DE). In all, 16 of the 61 players that played against Georgia Tech for Notre Dame were making their first ever appearance in an Irish uniform.

MORE ON THE FRESHMEN
Notre Dame used nine freshmen in its season opening loss to Georgia Tech. It was tied for the fourth most used in an opener since the freshman eligibility rule became enacted in 1972. The Irish used 11 freshmen in the 2006 opener against the Jackets. A total of 14 frosh played in the 36-13 win over Virginia in the 1989 Kickoff Classic and 12 saw action in the 52-6 blowout of Purdue in 1983.

STARTING SOMETHING
Five offensive players and four players on the defensive side of the ball picked up their first career starts in the loss against Georgia Tech. George West (X), Paul Duncan (LT), Michael Turkovich (LG), Dan Wenger (RG) and Demetrius Jones (QB) each started the game for the first time for the Irish offense, while Pat Kuntz (NT), John Ryan (OLB), Anthony Vernaglia (OLB) and David Bruton (FS) hit the field the first play for the Notre Dame defense.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Notre Dame will face eight teams that went to bowl games last year: Georgia Tech (Gator), Penn State (Capital One), Michigan (Rose), Purdue (Champs), UCLA (Emerald), Boston College (Meineke Car Care), USC (Rose) and Navy (Meineke Car Care).
• Notre Dame is the only school in the country to face a school from a BCS conference over the first eight weeks of 2007. The next longest streak to open this season is four (Florida Atlantic). The Irish also play a total of 10 BCS affiliated schools (which is tied for second most in the NCAA).
• The Irish take on Duke for the first time since 1966. Notre Dame leads the brief all-time series, 2-1. The Irish blanked the Blue Devils, 64-0, in the last meeting.
• Notre Dame will make travel to the Rose Bowl for the first time since Knute Rockne brought his eventual national champion 1924 squad to Pasadena to face Stanford in the Rose Bowl. The `24 team featured the Shock Troops, Seven Mules and the famous Four Horsemen.
• Notre Dame is one of 12 I-A teams (only two other BCS schools) to play six straight weekends to open the season and have four of the six games on the road. The others are Akron, Buffalo, Florida International, Eastern Michigan, Duke, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), San Jose State, Troy, Utah State and West Virginia.

ONLY THE BIG BOYS
Notre Dame is one of just five NCAA Division I-A programs that has never faced a non-Division I-A opponent since the current division setup was established in 1978 (the division’s names have undergone a change this year, but the setup is still the same). The four remaining schools that have yet to play a non-Division I-A opponent since the advent of the current format are Michigan State, USC, UCLA and Washington. The list stood at seven entering this season, but Michigan and Ohio State each opened its respective seasons with Appalachian State and Youngstown State on Sept. 1.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• The Irish return 18 letterwinners and five starters on defense. Heading the list of returnees is two-time All-America strong safety Tom Zbikowski.
• With the addition of new defensive coordinator Corwin Brown, Notre Dame switched from its previous 4-3 base defense to a 3-4. The change was due in large part to head coach Charlie Weis’ familiarity with the scheme from his time in the NFL.
• Fifth-year senior LB Joe Brockington broke onto the scene in 2006 starting the final nine games. Brockington finished the season with 59 tackles, good for fifth on the team. He recorded a career-best 15 stops at Air Force.
• Notre Dame is replacing three of its four starters on the defensive line with the graduation of tackle Derek Landri and ends Victor Abiamiri and Chris Frome. Fifth-year senior Trevor Laws is the lone returning starter. Laws registered 62 tackles, 40 solo, and 11 for loss, including four sacks.
• While Penn State scored 31 points and totaled 164 yards on the ground, the stats are a little misleading. The Irish limited the Nittany Lion ground game to just 57 yards through the opening three quarters. Notre Dame’s first team defense held Penn State to 126 yards on 42 carries — just 3.0 yards per rush.
• The Irish first team defense also denied the Nittany Lions a single rush beyond 12 yards.
• Penn State starting running back Austin Scott finished the night with 116 yards, but 53 came on just nine carries in the fourth quarter against a tied Irish defense.
• Notre Dame’s secondary held Penn State and senior quarterback Anthony Morelli to just 131 yards on 12-of-22 passing (51 yards came on one reception). The Irish limited senior Derrick Williams to just two receptions for 14 yards. Penn State managed just five catches for 10 yards or longer and only one reception topped 16 yards.

IRISH BAFFLE HIGH OCTANE UCLA OFFENSE

• UCLA came into the matchup with Notre Dame averaging 24.6 points per game, 424.6 total yards per game, 199.4 rushing yards per game (16th in the NCAA at the time) and 225.2 passing yards per game. The Irish held the Bruins well below their averages in each of those categories.
• The Irish forced three turnovers in the third quarter and then again in the fourth quarter. It was the most turnovers forced by the Irish in a single quarter since Notre Dame forced three against Michigan State on Sept. 23, 2006.
• The Irish forced a total of seven UCLA turnovers. It was the most turnovers forced by a Notre Dame defense since Purdue had eight turnovers against the Irish on Sept. 30, 1989.
• Notre Dame turned those seven turnovers into 17 points — the most points off turnovers in a single game since Penn State on Sept. 8, 2006 (Notre Dame also had 17 points off turnovers).
• Notre Dame held UCLA without an offensive touchdown. It marked the first game the Irish held their opponent without an offensive touchdown since a 38-3 victory over Washington (Sept. 25, 2004).
• The Irish blanked UCLA in the second half. Notre Dame had not held an opponent scoreless over an entire half since Navy on Oct. 28, 2006.
• Notre Dame totaled a season-high five sacks. It was the most sacks for the Irish since Stanford on Oct. 7, 2006.
• The Irish limited the Bruins to just 29 yards rushing on 15 carries in the second half.

TALE OF TWO HALVES
The Notre Dame defense struggled with the spread and versatility of the Purdue offense in the first half on Sept. 29. The Boilermakers scored 23 points, recorded 262 total yards, passed for 189 and rushed for 73 — all before halftime. Purdue also registered 16 first downs over the first 30 minutes. The Irish, however, made the necessary adjustments in the second half and slowed down the Boilermaker attack. Purdue managed just 109 total yards (63 in the air and 46 on the ground) and 10 points after halftime. The Boilermakers averaged just 3.1 yards per play in the second half, way down from the 6.0 yards per play before intermission.

TREVOR LAYING DOWN THE LAWS

• Senior DE Trevor Laws has been quite active in his new role as DE in the Notre Dame 3-4 defense. Laws, who finished fifth on the Irish in tackles last year, is second on the Irish with 46 tckles this season.
• Laws is no longer listed in the NCAA in tackles, but averaging 7.7 per game, he now leads Greg Hardy of Mississippi for first in the country for tackles among defensive lineman.
• Laws recorded six tackles, a sack (his seventh career sack) and two pass break-ups in the 20-6 victory at UCLA on Oct. 6. The sack was the second of his season. Laws now has 13.5 tackles for loss.
• Laws continued to fight through double and sometimes triple teams at Purdue. He finished the game with six tackles, including a career-high 3.0 for loss, and one sack.
• Laws put together his fourth consecutive tremendous effort in the loss against Michigan State. He totaled nine tackles, a fumble recovery, a pass break-up and two quarterback hurries.
• Laws’ effort against the Wolverines is even more impressive when you consider he moved to right defensive end and lined up against Michigan All-American left tackle Jake Long. Laws not only had seven tackles, but he added 1.5 for loss.
• Laws totaled nine stops in the season opener against Georgia Tech, followed with a career-high 10 stops at Penn State, seven more tackles against Michigan and six stops (three for loss) at Purdue. He also added a quarterback hurry and blocked field goal against the Yellow Jackets. The field goal block was the fourth of his Irish career.

ZIBBY NOW ALL-TIME LEADER IN TACKLES BY A DEFENSIVE BACK
After picking up six tackles against Penn State, two-time All-American strong safety Tom Zbikowski became the Notre Dame career leader for tackles by a defensive back. With 255 career stops, Zbikowski ranks ahead of Jim Browner (228, 1976-78) for the top spot. He ranks 16th all-time in Notre Dame tackles history regardless of position. Zbikowski recently passed All-American linebacker Wes Pritchett (1985-88) and Drew Mahalic (1972-74).

ZIBBY HAS A KNACK FOR THE FOOTBALL

• Senior All-American SS Tom Zbikowski recorded his second career sack and forced his third fumble of the season on the same play setting up the Irish field goal late in the first quarter in the 20-6 win at UCLA on Oct. 6. Zbikowski has now been involved in a total of 16 turnovers (seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions, two fumble recoveries) during his brilliant four-year career. The sack was his first since Nov. 5, 2005 against Tennessee. Zbikowski finished the game against the Bruins with five tackles.
• Against Purdue, Zbikowski recorded his seventh career interception and first since Nov. 12, 2005 against Navy. He has caused three turnovers this season, including two forced fumbles against Penn State on Sept. 8. He recorded seven tackles on the afternoon.
• Zbikowski forced the fifth and sixth fumbles of his career against Penn State on Sept. 8. He became the first Irish player to record two forced fumbles in the same game, since, well, himself against Michigan State in 2004. For his career, Zbikowski has six career interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and two fumble recoveries (both returned for TDs).

CRUMBLING THE COMPETITION

• Senior LB Maurice Crum, Jr., totaled 100 tackles in 2006 to lead Notre Dame. Crum was the first Irish player to eclipse the 100 tackle mark since Courtney Watson had 117 in 2003.
• Crum, Jr. went over 200 tackles for his career in the victory over UCLA on Oct. 6. However, it was almost forgotten considering the rest of his evening.
• Crum, Jr. recorded a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the same play midway through the third quarter. For Crum, it was his first forced fumble and fumble recovery of the season (first career fumble recovery and third forced fumble of career).
• Crum, Jr. added another forced fumble and promptly scooped up the ball and raced 34-yards for a touchdown. The TD was Crum’s first career score and was the first fumble return for touchdown since Tom Zbikowski against Penn State on Sept. 9, 2006.
• Crum, Jr. added his second career interception (first of the season) in the fourth quarter. Crum was the first Irish player to force three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception) in a single-game since Shane Walton had three (all interceptions) against Maryland on Aug. 31, 2002.
• Crum, Jr. would add another INT late in the fourth quarter. He is the first Irish player ever to record four turnovers in a single game. Crum also recorded a team-high tying seven tackles.
• Crum, Jr., was all over the field in the loss to Michigan State on Sept. 22. The senior linebacker registered a career-best 16 tackles, including six solo stops. His previous career-high for tackles in a game was 14 against Penn State in 2006.
• Crum, Jr., as well as senior DT Trevor Laws and junior FS David Bruton, led the Irish with nine tackles against Georgia Tech. For Crum, it was the fifth time in his career he led Notre Dame in tackles. He led the Irish in tackles four times in 2006 (Penn State, 14; UCLA, 8; UNC, 9; USC, 9). Crum, Jr., added a tackle for loss versus the Jackets.

IRISH SECONDARY BLANKET STAR WIDEOUTS
Notre Dame has faced the likes of Greg Smith (3 rec., 31 yards; Georgia Tech), Demaryius Thomas (1 rec., 9 yards; Georgia Tech), Jordan Norwood (3 rec., 20 yards; Penn State), Adrian Arrington (2 rec., 15 yards; Michigan) and Dorien Bryant (8 rec., 82 yards; Purdue). That group of five receivers managed just 17 receptions for 157 yards (only 9.2 yards per catch). That same group of wideouts is averaging 13.8 yards per reception against everyone else.

IRISH SECONDARY ONE OF THE MOST IMPROVED IN THE COUNTRY
With the return of experienced defensive backs, including senior SS Tom Zbikowski, senior DB Terrail Lambert, senior DB Ambrose Wooden, sophomore DB Darrin Walls and the emergence of junior FS David Bruton, the Irish figured to have a vastly improved secondary in 2007. Well, the improvements are significant and looks as though Notre Dame could have one of its best units in years. The Irish are allowing over 50 fewer yards per game in the air this season and over 100 fewer yards when compared to 2005. The 153.67 yards passing per game would rank as the best for a Notre Dame defense since 1980 (when the Irish limited their opponents to 103.0 ypg).

WATCH OUT FOR WALLS
Sophomore DB Darrin Walls not only registered his first career interception, but the Pittsburgh, Pa., native returned it 73 yards for a touchdown against Penn State. The interception return was the first for the Irish since senior DB Terrail Lambert turned the task against Michigan State in 2006. The 73-yard INT return was the longest interception return since senior SS Tom Zbikowski returned a pick 83 yards against BYU on Oct. 22, 2005.

BROCKINGTON MAKES HAPPY RETURN TO HAPPY VALLEY
Senior ILB Joe Brockington, a native of Palmya, Pa., finished with a game-high tying 10 tackles, including six solo stops, at Penn State on Sept. 8. He added 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Brockington is third on the Irish with 44 tackles.

WHO SAYS KUNTZ IS UNDERSIZED AT NOSE TACKLE?

• Junior NT Pat Kuntz entered the 2007 season without a single start and just 11 tackles in 21 career games. Kuntz has excelled in Notre Dame’s new 3-4 defensive scheme. He has registered 29 tackles, almost three times his entire total from the previous two seasons, over the first six games. Kuntz picked up a career-high eight stops and a half-tackle for loss against Penn State on Sept. 8.
• Kuntz, who many have said is undersized, has manged to knock down six passes from the line of scrimmage. He has already equalled Chinedum Ndukwe’s team-high from the entire 2006 season. Kuntz batted down two passes against both Georgia Tech (Sept. 1) and UCLA (Oct. 6).

SOMETHING BRUTON IN THE NOTRE DAME SECONDARY

• Junior FS David Bruton picked up first first career interception in the loss to Michigan State on Sept. 22. Bruton also added a career-best 15 tackles, including seven solo.
• Bruton recorded his second career interception in the 20-6 victory at UCLA on Oct. 6. Bruton returned it 17 yards to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown (Irish took a 13-6 lead they never relinquished).
• Bruton made quite an impression in his first career start for the Irish in the season opener against Georgia Tech. He finished with a game-high tying nine tackles, two for loss, and a sack. Bruton also managed to pick up a special teams tackle on senior Geoff Price’s 55-yard long punt — denying the Georgia Tech returner to gain a single yard. He once again led Notre Dame in tackles against Michigan. Bruton recorded nine stops and one for loss.

NO LOADING IN THE RED ZONE FOR GEORGIA TECH
Notre Dame limited Georgia Tech on Sept. 1 to a pair of field goals (another field goal attempt was blocked) on the Jackets’ three first half red zone opportunities. In fact, the Jackets drove inside the Irish 26-yard line on six different occasions in the opening 30 minutes and came away with just 16 points (three FGs, one TD).

MORE FROM THE IRISH DEFENSE AGAINST THE YELLOW JACKETS

• Of Georgia Tech’s four scoring drives before intermission, three began in Irish territory (two after fumbles) and another opened at the Yellow Jacket 47-yard line. In fact, four scoring drives that resulted in 16 of their 33 points came off drives of 18, 36, 21 and 17 yards.
• While Tashard Choice did gain 196 yards on 26 carries, the Irish actually bottled up the Georgia Tech star for most of the afternoon. Choice collected 106 of those 196 yards on just four carries. Take away those runs, Notre Dame limited Choice to 90 yards on 22 totes.
• The Irish did not allow Georgia Tech a single third down conversion in the first half. The Yellow Jackets were 0-for-6 on third down and did not register a third down conversion until their seventh drive of the afternoon.
• Notre Dame allowed just over 200 yards (203.4) per game passing in 2006. The Irish also allowed their opponents to complete just over 55% of its passes a year ago. Georgia Tech completed, though, on just 45% (11-for-24) of its throws for a mere 121 yards.

SENIOR SECONDARY
With a pair of seniors, Notre Dame enjoys an abundance of experience in the secondary. Fifth-year senior, two year captain and two-time All-American strong safety Tom Zbikowski leads the Irish secondary. Zbikowski, who entered the 2007 preseason camp at a trim 207 pounds (down 10 pounds from 2006), looks to close his Irish career on a high note. After a 2005 season that saw Zbikowski register five interceptions, two for touchdowns, and return a pair of punts for scores, he failed to pick off a single pass in 2006. Zbikowski has started 42 of Notre Dame’s last 43 games — missing only the Stanford game of 2006 due to injury.

Fellow fifth-year senior CB Ambrose Wooden has made 17 career starts at right cornerback, including all 12 games in 2005 before an injury forced a set-back in 2006. He finished third on the 2005 Irish in tackles (74) and tied for second in pass breakups (5). Senior Terrail Lambert returns to the fray at left cornerback. Lambert started the final 10 games of 2006 and was second on the Irish with three interceptions, including a 27-yard gamewinning INT return against Michigan State.

The lone new face in the secondary is junior David Bruton at free safety. Bruton replaces two-year starter Chinedum Ndukwe (now with the Cincinnati Bengals). Bruton, who was a special teams stalwart for Notre Dame in 2006, captured defensive MVP honors at the 2007 Blue-Gold game after returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and recording four tackles. Sophomore Darrin Walls, who picked up his first career interception and INT return for touchdown against Penn State on Sept. 8, has made seven career starts at corner, while senior Leo Ferrine has started a pair and junior Ray Herring started the Stanford game in 2006 (replaced an injured Zbikowski). Junior Kyle McCarthy and sophomores Raeshon McNeil and Munir Price (converted from running back) also play into the mix in the secondary.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Notre Dame returns 10 letterwinners on offense, including three starters. The returnees include Freshman All-American lineman Sam Young and second team All-America tight end John Carlson as well as Rimington and Outland Trophy candidate John Sullivan.
• The Irish offensive line has two of five starters back from last year in sophomore Sam Young and senior John Sullivan. Among the departed were tackle Ryan Harris, who finished his career with 45 consecutive starts, and guard Dan Santucci, who closed his with 25 straight.
• Senior TE John Carlson, a Mackey Award finalist in 2006 and Maxwell Award candidate in 2007, exploded onto the scene last season becoming Notre Dame’s third-leading receiver in terms of yardage and worked his way into the Fighting Irish record books. The 6-6, 256-pound student-athlete from Litchfield, Minn., caught 47 passes for 634 yards and four touchdowns despite missing almost three entire games. Carlson recorded the second-most receiving yards in a single season ever by a Notre Dame tight end and ranked third for most receptions in a single season by a tight end. He ranked second in the NCAA Division I in receptions per game by a tight end and third for most receiving yards per game by a tight end in 2006.

BABY IRISH GROWIN’ UP
Notre Dame’s offense broke through against Purdue on Sept. 29. The Irish set season-highs in points (19, since topped), touchdowns (3), passing yards (377), total yards (426), total yards per play (5.5), passing yards per completion (11.1) and passing yards per attempt (7.2). Notre Dame had nine different receivers make catches, including 21 from either freshmen or sophomores. In fact, of the 377 yards in the air, 293 were recorded by first or second year players.

QUITE THE FRESHMAN DUO
The Notre Dame wide receiver duo of Golden Tate and Duval Kamara each had breakout games at Purdue on Sept. 29. Tate had three receptions for 104 and a touchdown, while Kamara hauled in six passes for 68 yards with a touchdown. Tate not only became the first freshman to catch a touchdown pass since Maurice Stovall (2002 against Rutgers), but also became the first Notre Dame freshman to surpass 100 yards receiving in a game since Derrick Mayes (100 yards on two catches) against Pittsburgh on Oct. 10, 1992. Tate and Kamara also became the first freshman tandem to register touchdown receptions in the same game since Sept. 24, 1988. Derrick Brown and Raghib “Rocket” Ismail each had touchdown grabs in a 52-7 victory over Purdue.

CLAUSEN FINDS WAY
Freshman signal caller Jimmy Clausen had his best game to date at Purdue on Sept. 29. Clausen, who missed most of the fourth quarter after suffering a hip injury, was 18-of-26 for 169 yards and one touchdown. The 18 completions, 169 yards and touchdown were all career-highs. Clausen recorded a completion percentage of 69.2% against Purdue — second-highest ever by a Notre Dame freshman quarterback (only Steve Beuerlein (.700, 14-for-20) at Penn State on Nov. 12, 1983 completed a higher percentage). His 18 completions also rank as the fourth most ever by a Notre Dame freshman quarterback.

SHARP(LEY) OFF THE BENCH
Junior quarterback Evan Sharpley, who served as the Irish backup to departed All-American Brady Quinn last year, replaced an injured Jimmy Clausen last week against Purdue and promptly led the Irish on a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives. Sharpley was 11-of-18 over the two scoring drives for 139 yards. He went 5-of-7 for 69 yards capped off with a seven-yard strike to freshman Duval Kamara to make it 26-12. On the ensuing Notre Dame drive, Sharpley went 6-of-11 for 70 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman Golden Tate to make it 26-19. He was 16-of-26 for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Sharpley is the first quarterback, other than Quinn, to not only eclipse 200 yards passing in a game, but also to throw for two touchdowns since Carlyle Holliday did both against Rutgers on Nov. 23, 2002.

AWAKEN THE IRISH PASSING GAME
Notre Dame entered the game with Purdue ranked 117th in the NCAA in passing (111.25 yards per game). The Irish attempted 52 passes and threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns. The 52 pass attempts were the most since Sept. 17, 2005 against Michigan State, while the 377 yards passing were the most since Nov. 26, 2005 at Stanford. Freshman Jimmy Clausen completed 18-of-26 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, while junior Evan Sharpley went 16-of-26 for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The 34 total completions were a single-game school record. The previous mark of 33 completions was set against Michigan State (2005) and USC (1970).

PARRIS LIGHTS UP PURDUE
Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver Robby Parris led the Irish with a career-high seven receptions and 93 yards against Purdue on Sept. 29. Parris, who entered the 2007 season with just one career catch, hauled in each of those seven passes in the second half and three resulted in first downs. Parris also had two catches for over 20 yards (Notre Dame had just two entering last Saturday).

TATE GOLDEN UNDER THE DOME
Freshman wide receiver Golden Tate exploded onto the scene in the second half of last week’s 33-19 loss at Purdue. Tate, who spent the first four weeks predominantly handling kickoff return duties, caught three passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. Tate not only became the first freshman to catch a touchdown pass since Maurice Stovall (Nov. 23, 2002 against Rutgers), but also became the first Notre Dame freshman to surpass 100 yards receiving in a game since Derrick Mayes (100 yards on two catches) against Pittsburgh on Oct. 10, 1992. All three of his receptions were for over 20 yards. The Irish entered the contest with the Boilermakers with just two completions of 20 or more yards the entire season. Tate hauled in passes for 25, 36 and 43 yards.

DUVAL DOES MORE AGAINST PURDUE
Freshman wide receiver Duval Kamara entered the game with Purdue on Sept. 29 with a total of five receptions for 58 yards over his first four career games. He bested both totals in the second half alone against the Boilermakers. Kamara finished the game with six catches for 68 yards and one touchdown. Five of Kamara’s six receptions went for first downs, while the other was a seven-yard TD catch.

IRISH MADE STRIDES AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE

• Notre Dame spent all of the week following the Michigan loss in training camp mode. The Irish not only practiced Sunday after the game with the Wolverines, but did so in full pads and full contact. Notre Dame also lined up its No. 1 offense vs. its No. 1 defense, No. 2 offense vs. No. 2 defense. The idea was to become more physical and develop an identity leading into Michigan State.
• The Irish did show improvement in many areas. Notre Dame was penalized 24 times for 173 yards over its first three games — an average of eight penalties and 57.7 yards per game. Against Michigan State, the Irish were whistled for just four penalties (35 yards).
• The Notre Dame rushing attack awoke for the first time this season. The Irish entered the game with the Spartans with a season total of minus-14 yards. Notre Dame finished the afternoon with 117 yards (take away the sack yardage and the effort would have been 127). The Irish had just six rushes of 10 or more yards over their first three games, but they recorded four such runs against Michigan State (43, 17, 18, 14).
• Sophomore running back James Aldridge surpassed the 100-yard mark in his first career start. He became the first Irish running back to rush for 100 yards in his first career start since Tony Fisher, then a sophomore, had 110 yards on 13 carries in a 48-13 victory over Kansas on Aug. 28, 1999. Aldridge also became the first Notre Dame running back, other than departed Darius Walker, to eclipse 100 yards on the ground since Ryan Grant on Oct. 16, 2004.
• Freshman running back Robert Hughes made his debut in the Notre Dame rushing offense. Hughes finished the afternoon with 33 yards on six carries and his first career touchdown.
• Notre Dame failed to score an offensive touchdown over its first three games. The Irish, however, hit pay dirt twice in the first half against Michigan State, including an 80-yard drive. The Irish finished the day with season-highs in rushing yards (117) and total yards (203). Notre Dame also registered touchdowns on its two trips into the red zone. The Irish came into the game 2-of-3 in red zone chances, but both resulted in Notre Dame field goals.

CLAUSEN GOT THE BALL IN HAPPY VALLEY
Jimmy Clausen became the first freshman quarterback to start for Notre Dame since Brady Quinn got the call against Purdue on Sept. 27, 2003. His start against Penn State on Sept. 8, just the second game of the year, was the earliest start into a season for an Irish freshman quarterback. Clausen also is just the eighth freshman quarterback to start for the Irish in the last 57 seasons (1951-present), joining Ralph Guglielmi (1951), Blair Kiel (1980), Steve Beuerlein (1983), Kent Graham (1987), Paul Failla (1991), Matt LoVecchio (2000) and Quinn (2003) in that elite club. Notre Dame is 6-2 since 1951 when a freshman quarterback makes his first-ever start for the Irish.

QUARTERBACKS EFFICIENT, DESPITE CONSTANT DURESS
Despite constant pressure from the Georgia Tech defense that led to nine sacks, the Notre Dame quarterback trio of sophomore Demetrius Jones, junior Evan Sharpley and freshman Jimmy Clausen still managed to complete 15-for-22 passes — good for 68.2%. The completion percentage ranked 10th best in the Charlie Weis era. Sharpley finished 10-for-13 on the day for 92 yards. His 76.9% completion percentage is third best since Weis arrived at Notre Dame.

AR(MAN)DO TO BE RECKONED WITH
Freshman HB Armando Allen has totaled 489 all-purpose yards over the first six games this season. He led Notre Dame with six receptions against Penn State and returned three kicks for 67 yards (including a long of 25 yards). Allen registered 110 all-purpose yards in his first career game with Notre Dame versus Georgia Tech. Allen recorded 84 kick return yards on five tries and 25 yards rushing on three carries. He also added a reception for one yard.

NO TURNOVERS = VICTORY (USUALLY)
Notre Dame did not commit a turnover in its 20-6 victory at UCLA on Oct. 6. It was the first game this season that the Irish failed to commit a turnover. Notre Dame did not commit a turnover in six of its 13 games last season — and to the surprise of nobody — the Irish were 6-0 in those contests. Excluding the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State and the 2004 regular season finale at USC, the Irish had not lost a game in which it failed to commit a turnover since 1985. That USC defeat snapped an amazing 41-game unbeaten streak (40-0-1) for the Irish when they didn’t commit a turnover. Prior to the `04 game with the Trojans, the last time a Notre Dame team lost a game without committing a turnover was in a 34-30 loss at Penn State on Nov. 12, 1983. In all, Notre Dame is 48-2-1 since 1983 when not turning over the football.

CHARLIE AND THE IRISH OFFENSIVE FACTORY
Third year head coach Charlie Weis came to Notre Dame with a tremendous reputation as one of the premier offensive minds in all of the NFL. The Irish saw immediate results in 2005, setting 11 school records, including passing yards (3,963), touchdown passes (32, bested in 2007), total offense yards (5,728) and total points (440). Notre Dame has surpassed the 40-point barrier on 10 different occasions in Weis’ 31 games as head coach. Prior to his arrival, the Irish had eclipsed 40 points just nine times in its previous 97 contests. In addition, the Irish had 83 separate 100-yard receiving games over its first 116 seasons of football, but Notre Dame has had 20 the past three years under Weis. To put those numbers in perspective, Notre Dame averaged a 100-yard receiving effort every 13 games. Under Weis, the Irish is almost recording a 100-yard receiving effort every game.

MORE ON WEIS’ OFFENSE
Notre Dame has registered its top two passing seasons in school history each of the last two years. The Irish averaged 330.3 yards in the air in 2005 and 264.7 in 2006. Notre Dame has also eclipsed 400 points each of the last two seasons. The Irish had only topped 400 points in a season on five previous occasions (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996). In fact, the 843 total points scored over `05 and `06 are the most points ever scored in consecutive years — besting the previous school record of 835 (1991 and 1992).

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Junior Evan Sharpley and freshman Jimmy Clausen completed passes to nine different receivers in the game at Purdue on Sept. 29. The trio of Demetrius Jones, Sharpley and Clausen completed passes to nine different Irish receivers against Georgia Tech as well (five of those receptions were the first career grabs for the respective player). Clausen, who made his first career start at Penn State, also completed passes to seven different receivers against the Nittany Lions.

YOUNG RECEIVERS
The Notre Dame offense boasts an experienced pass-catcher at the tight end position, but at running back and wide receiver, the Irish will be utilizing some young talent in 2007. The current group of wideouts boasts a grand total of 142 career catches (108 this year) and 43 of those come from the hands of junior David Grimes (served as Notre Dame’s #3 receiver a year ago). Sophomore George West has just 15 career catches, but played in all 13 games in 2006 and registered one touchdown rush and 16 returns (12 on kickoff and four on punt). Sophomore Robby Parris, who was the only other wideout on the Irish roster with a reception entering the year, grabbed seven balls for 98 yards against Purdue and added a career-long 35-yard grab at Penn State. Junior D.J. Hord, who missed all of last season with a torn achilles, did see action in six games during the 2005 season. He picked up his first career catch against the Yellow Jackets. Freshman WR Duval Kamara (13 catches for 136 yards), sophomore TE Will Yeatman (two grabs for 16 yards), senior RB Junior Jabbie (six for 20 yards) and freshman RB Armando Allen (13 for 45 yards) all recorded their first career catch in the season opener. Golden Tate picked up his first career catch against Purdue. He finished the game with three catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore WR Richard Jackson played in 12 games last year, mostly on special teams, but did not see action last week.

RED ZONE SUCCESS
The Irish offense had a 89.9 percent success rate in the “red zone” last fall. Notre Dame converted 44-of-49 chances inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, including 37 touchdowns. The Irish registered a touchdown 75.5 percent of the time entering the “red zone.” In 2007, Notre Dame is 8-of-12 inside the red zone, but three of the scores were field goals. The Irish was 2-of-3 in their red zone opportunities against UCLA on Oct. 6.

John Carlson TURNED IN ALL-AMERICAN TYPE SEASON IN 2006
Despite an injury that sidelined him for nearly three full games, Notre Dame senior TE John Carlson exploded onto the college football scene in 2006. He had 47 receptions for 634 yards — good for an average of 57.6 yards a game and 13.5 per reception. Carlson’s season ranked as one of the best ever by an Irish tight end. His 634 yards receiving ranks second best in single-season tight end history, while his 47 catches was tied for second best. Carlson’s 13.5 yards per catch was second among all Irish receivers in 2006. He was 81st, nationally, in receiving yards per game and fourth among tight ends. He also ranked 78th overall in receptions per game and sixth in the category among tight ends. With Carlson’s 121-yard effort on four grabs against Michigan State (also tied an ND record for average yards per reception in a single-game), he became the first Irish tight end to eclipse 100 yards receiving in a game since Anthony Fasano had 155 yards against Purdue on Oct. 2, 2004.

Carlson, who became the 49th Irish football player to be named ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American, is the only 2006 Mackey Award finalist to return in 2007. He is one of three tight ends on the Maxwell Award watch list. Carlson ranks third all-time for receptions (63) in Notre Dame tight-end history and needs just 30 grabs this season to move into second. He proved to be one of the top tight ends in 2006 and his numbers compared quite favorably with the last seven John Mackey Award winners.

SPECIALTY NOTES

• Notre Dame opened the season with a new kicker for the third consecutive season. D.J. Fitzpatrick (`05), Carl Gioia (`06) and now freshman Brandon Walker. Walker is the first freshman kicker for Notre Dame since Nicholas Setta in 2000.
• Walker, a freshman from Findlay, Ohio, became the first left-footed Irish kicker since the recently-deceased Harry Oliver held the duties during the 1980-81 seasons. The drought dates back to Oliver’s 35-yard boot against Miami on Nov. 27, 1981. Since that kick, a total of 21 different Irish kickers have attempted 430 field goal attempts — all coming from the right side.
• Walker had a pair of field goals in the 20-6 victory at UCLA on Oct. 6, including a career-long boot of 48 yards. The 48-yard field goal was the longest by an Irish kicker since D.J. Fitzpatrick also had a 48-yard kick against Michigan State on Sept. 17, 2005.
• Walker is 4-of-5 on the season for Notre Dame. His only unsuccessful kick was blocked.

ZBIKOWSKI’S RAPID RETURNS

• Senior SS Tom Zbikowski recorded a 47-yard punt return to set up a field goal bringing the Irish within a touchdown, 17-10, in the third quarter against Penn State. The punt return was the fourth of his career that exceeded 45 yards.
• Zbikowski has made a name for himself in the Notre Dame record books. He became the fifth player in Irish history to ever return three punts for touchdowns in a career. Zbikowski has seven career TD returns (two interceptions, three punts, two fumbles). Zbikowski scooped up a fumble and raced 25 yards for a touchdown against Penn State in 2006. With the return, Zbikowski became the Irish all-time leader in fumble return yards (100) and joined Tony Driver (1997-00) as the only Notre Dame players to ever return a pair of fumbles for touchdowns. In a three-game stretch against USC, BYU and Tennessee in 2005, he returned a punt or interception for a touchdown four times – the first Irish defensive player to accomplish such a feat. Zbikowski also returned a fumble 75 yards for a TD against Michigan State in 2004. With his interception and punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee in 2005, Zbikowski became the first Irish player to accomplish that feat (interception return and punt return in the same game) since Nick Rassas against Northwestern in 1965. Rassas returned an interception 92 yards and a punt 72 yards for scores in Notre Dame’s 38-7 rout.

THEY SHALL RETURN

• During the past 21 seasons (1987-07), Notre Dame has produced 92 touchdowns via kickoff, punt, interception and fumble returns — with the most recent touchdown runback coming Oct. 6 on senior inside linebacker Maurice Crum Jr.’s 36-yard fumble return at UCLA. Sophomore defensive back Darrin Walls returned an interception 73 yards at Penn State on Sept. 8.
• Notre Dame scored four touchdowns via returns last season, two by the defense (INT return by Lambert at Michigan State and fumble return by Tom Zbikowski vs. Penn State) and two by special teams (punt return by Zbikowski against North Carolina and blocked field goal return by Lambert at Air Force).
• In contrast, opponents in the past 21 seasons have combined for 32 total touchdown returns vs. the Irish.

PRICE IS RIGHT

• Senior P Geoff Price regained his 2006 All-American form against Penn State. Price recorded a career-high nine punts. His previous career-high, who averaged 44.8 yards per punt, was seven (set on three previous occasions), including in last week’s season opener. The 403 yards on the nine punts was also a career best for the Ray Guy Award candidate.
• Price, who did not serve as the starting punter at Purdue (Sept. 29), punted nine times at UCLA (Oct. 6) for 363 yards (40.3 per punt). He also pinned the Bruins inside their 20-yard line on three different occasions.
• After entering last season with only two career punts, Price made his presence known across the country for Notre Dame. Price finished last season ranked sixth in the NCAA with a average boot of 45.4 yards (50 punts for 2,272 yards). He bested the previous Irish single-season school record of 44.9 held by Craig Hentrich (1990). Price also owns the Notre Dame career record (45.4). He not only boomed 14 kicks last year over 50+ yards, but also managed to drop 14 inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Price averaged 50+ yards in punts in two separate games in 2006, including a school-record average of 51.9 yards per kick (7-for-363) against Michigan. He was an `06 semifinalist for the Ray Guy award and has already received numerous preseason All-American honors this year. Price was named second-team All-American by Lindy’s and honorable mention by Street & Smith’s.

100,000 FANS (OR MORE) AWAIT THE IRISH
Notre Dame is quite accustomed to playing in front of huge crowds, but the Irish have taken it to another level in 2007. Notre Dame travelled to Penn State and Michigan in consecutive weeks. The Irish played in front of the second largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history (110,078) and 111,178 at Michigan Stadium the following week. Notre Dame became the second school to play consecutive road games before crowds exceeding 100,000. Minnesota is the only other school to ever play consecutive road games before 100,000 (Penn State and Michigan during the 2005 season).