Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

No. 21 Football Plays Host To No. 13 Purdue

Sept. 10, 2000

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(#21/#23) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1) vs. (#13/#12) Purdue Boilermakers (2-0)

The Date and Time: Saturday, Sept. 16, 2000, at Noon EST.

The Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,232/natural grass) in Notre Dame, Ind.

The Tickets: They’re all sold — with this game marking the 152nd consecutive sellout in Notre Dame Stadium (the first 130 coming at the old 59,075 capacity). The Purdue game marks the 200th home sellout in the last 201 games (back to 1964) and the 121st sellout in the last 140 games involving Notre Dame, including the first 10 games of 1998 and the first 11 in ’99.

The TV Plans: NBC Sports national telecast with Craig Minervini (play-by-play), Pat Haden (analysis), Bob Wischusen (sideline) and John Faratzis (producer).

The Radio Plans: For the 33rd consecutive season, all Notre Dame football games are broadcast nationally on radio by Westwood One with Tony Roberts (play by play) and Tom Pagna (game analysis) and Paul Hornung (pregame/halftime analysis). The Mutual Network includes nearly 200 stations. A live broadcast from the Notre Dame student radio station, WVFI, is available through the Notre Dame athletic department web site at www.und.com.

Real-Time Stats: Live in-game statistics are available during every Notre Dame home game, via the Notre Dame athletic website (www.und.com).

Websites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Purdue (www.purduesports.com).

The Head Coach
Fourth-year Irish head coach Bob Davie owns a 22-17 (.564) career record at Notre Dame. Davie was one of 10 finalists for the 1998 Walter Camp Foundation/Street and Smith’s Coach of the Year Award. His 1997 squad beat No. 11 LSU and No. 22 West Virginia to mark the first time a Notre Dame team beat ranked foes on consecutive weeks since November ’92, while the ’98 opening win over No. 5 and defending national champion Michigan gave him a 3-4 record vs. ranked opponents (now 5-6 after the overtime loss to top-ranked Nebraska). The 2000 season marks Davie’s seventh year at Notre Dame overall, after serving as defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach from 1994-96. He coached nine seasons at Texas A&M (’85-’93), two at Tulane (’83-’84), four at Pittsburgh (’77, ’80-’82) and two at Arizona (’78-’79), spending both years at Tulane as defensive coordinator and the last five at Texas A&M in that role.

The Injury Update (as of Sept. 10)

Out
Junior QB Arnaz Battle Fractured left navicular (wrist) vs. Nebraska
(out indefinitely, may have surgery)
Senior DE Grant Irons Dislocated right shoulder vs. Nebraska
(out for season, will have surgery within 10 days)

Probable
Senior CB Joey Getherall Back contusion vs. Nebraska
Junior SE Javin Hunter Concussion vs. Nebraska
Senior CB Brock Williams Sprained knee vs. Nebraska

NOTRE DAME-PURDUE SERIES NOTES

  • Saturday’s game marks the 72nd meeting between the Irish and Boilermakers. Notre Dame leads the series 46-23-2 with a 23-10 mark at home.
  • Both teams enter the game ranked for just the 11th time in the series with the Boilers being the higher ranked team for the first time since 1980 and for just the fourth time in the series.

For more Notre Dame-Purdue series notes, see pages 2-3, 12.

Notre Dame’s Probable Starting OFFENSE

Pos. No. Player Notes
SE 21 Javin Hunter First career TD gave Irish 14-10 lead against Aggies
LT 78 Jordan Black Shined in first collegiate action in nine starts at LT in ’99
LG 55 Jim Jones Fifth-year player started all but one game last year
C 52 Jeff Faine Made collegiate debut against A&M
RG 69 Mike Gandy Second-year starter at RG has most career minutes on OL
RT 75 Kurt Vollers Moved in RT role after starting final three ’99 games at LT
TE 87 Jabari Holloway All-star candidate in his third straight season as starter
FL 18 Joey Getherall Only catch vs. Texas A&M was first Irish TD of 2000
or 6 David Givens Played more minutes last year than any other returning WR
QB 2 Gary Godsey Will take first career snap against Boilermakers
FB 36 Tom Lopienski Assumed starting role after playing all 12 games in ’99
TB 22 Julius Jones Game-high 227 all-purpose yards against Huskers in first start

Notre Dame’s Probable Starting DEFENSE

Pos. No. Player Notes
LE 98 Anthony Weaver All-star candidate had seven tackles vs. Neb., one for loss
DT 93 B.J. Scott Made his first career start against Huskers with three tackles
NG 90 Lance Legree Most consistent Irish defender has played 33 career games
RE 95 Ryan Roberts Five tackles and two sacks in first two games
ILB 51 Tyreo Harrison Improved player had five tackles against Neb. in second start
ILB 39 Anthony Denman Most experienced player on D had 13 tackles, sack vs. Neb.
OLB 30 Rocky Boiman One sack among nine tackles against both Aggies & Huskers
LCB 1 Brock Williams Five tackles and deflected pass against Nebraska
FS 25 Tony Driver All-star candidate made 10 tackles against Huskers
SS 5 Ron Israel Earned starting spot after playing in 21 games in reserve role
RCB 42 Shane Walton First career INT and seven tackles in second career start

Notre Dame’s Probable SPECIALISTS

Pos. No. Player Notes
KO 93 Matt McNew Three touchbacks among five kickoffs in debut vs. A&M
PK 13 Nick Setta 6-6 PATs, 29- and 32-yard FGs in first two collegiate games
P 17 Joey Hildbold Third punt of season for at least 50 yards against Nebraska
HLD 80 Adam Tibble Handled high snap vs. Aggies on Setta’s 32-yard FG
SNP 86 Dan O’Leary Talented TE also contributes on special teams on punts
or 56 John Crowther Walk-on player contributes on PATs and FGs
PR/KR 18 Joey Getherall Went 83 yards for TD in only punt return vs. Cornhuskers
or PR/KR 22 Julius Jones Went end zone to end zone in 100-yard KO return vs. Neb.
or KR 25 Tony Driver Factor in return game once again
or KR 6 David Givens Returned two A&M kickoffs for 40 yards

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

  • The Irish will beat the Boilermakers for the 12th consecutive time at Notre Dame Stadium.
  • The Irish will win with a rookie quarterback for the 11th time in the last 12 new starting appearances.
  • The Irish will post wins over two ranked teams the earliest in a season since two to start 1990.

IF PURDUE WINS …

  • The Boilermakers will record their first victory at Notre Dame Stadium since 1974 and 10th all-time.
  • The Boilermakers will start the season 3-0 for the second consecutive year.

THE SERIES

  • Notre Dame leads the all-time series (46-23-2), including 23-10 at home, 23-12-2 in all games at Purdue and 17-10 at Ross-Ade Stadium (Purdue also won the neutral-site 1984 game, at the Hoosier Dome).
  • The Irish have won 12 of the last 14 games in the series, outscoring Purdue 506-209 in those games (just 141-114 over the past five seasons).
  • Notre Dame and Purdue met for the first time in 1896, a 28-22 win for the Boilermakers at Notre Dame. The teams played seven times from 1899-1907 before a 11-year break (the longest break in the history of the series). The teams resumed play in 1918 and met every year until 1923 before a 10-year break in the series. The teams then met in 1933, ’34 and ’39 and the series has been continuous since 1946, tying with the USC rivalry for Notre Dame’s second-longest continuous series (Notre Dame and Navy have played every year since 1927).
  • Notre Dame has experienced nearly equal success versus Purdue at home (23-10) and on the road (23-12-2).
  • The winner of the Notre Dame-Purdue series receives the Shillelagh trophy, donated by the late Joe McLaughlin (a merchant seaman and Notre Dame fan who brought the club from Ireland).

NOTRE DAME-PURDUE CONNECTIONS

  • Notre Dame cornerbacks/special teams coach Jerry Rosburg and Purdue offensive coordinator Jim Chaney were on the same staff at Western Michigan in 1988.
  • Rosburg and Purdue receivers coach Kevin Sumlin were on the same staff at Minnesota in 1996.
  • Purdue defensive ends coach Gary Emanuel coached with Irish offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers at Syracuse from 1991-93.
  • Notre Dame head athletic trainer Jim Russ?now in his 15th season at Notre Dame?served as an assistant athletic trainer at Purdue, from 1977-82 (when Purdue went 2-4 versus the Irish).
  • Thirteenth-year Notre Dame men’s golf coach George Thomas is a 1950 Purdue graduate and was a member of the Boilermaker golf team that finished second at the 1950 NCAA Championship.
  • Second-year Notre Dame assistant athletic trainer Doug Boersma is a 1997 Purdue graduate and worked with the Boiler football team as an undergraduate.

COMMONPLACE

  • Purdue is tied with USC as the second-most common opponent in Irish football history (both play Notre Dame for the 72nd time this season), trailing one other ’00 foe: Navy (74th meeting in ’00).
  • Notre Dame faces its four most common opponents this season (Navy, Purdue, USC, Michigan State).
  • The Irish have played 130 different teams in their 111 years of varsity football, with the most common opponents in Irish football history as follows (number of games are updated to include all 2000 games):
Opponent Games ND series record
Navy 74 63-9-1
Purdue 72 46-23-2
USC 72 40-26-5
Michigan State 64 41-21-1
Pittsburgh 59 40-17-1
Army 48 36-8-4
Northwestern 47 37-8-2
Georgia Tech 32 26-5-1

THE NEBRASKA REVIEW
Notre Dame’s bid for to add to its record eight wins over a top-ranked team ended in a 27-24 overtime loss to No. 1 Nebraska after the Irish used two kick returns for touchdowns to tie the game at 21 with 12:48 left in the fourth quarter. After the Huskers built a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter, Irish sophomore sensation Julius Jones returned the ensuing kickoff by Husker preseason All-American Dan Hadenfeldt 100 yards to help pull Notre Dame within 21-14. After two Nebraska failed possessions, senior Joey Getherall tied the game by returning a Hadenfeldt punt 83 yards as the Irish tied the game. Notre Dame’s defense then limited Nebraska to 24 yards on 11 plays in its final three possessions of regulation as the game went into overtime. On offense first to start overtime, the Irish reached the Husker four-yard line but were forced to settled for a Nick Setta field goal. Nebraska then converted a third down and nine on its possession and two plays later scored a touchdown for the 27-24 final. The Huskers had taken a 14-7 lead into halftime.

SCOUTING THE IRISH OFFENSE

Line — The veteran Irish offensive line in ’00 — with the only untested position at the start of the season being center — has led the Irish to 378 yards rushing against two of the nation’s top defenses in Texas A&M and Nebraska. Senior guards Jim Jones (left guard) and Mike Gandy (right guard) combined to start 21 games at their respective positions last year. Junior Jordan Black is back at the left tackle position where he started the first nine games in ’99, while senior Kurt Vollers moved into the starting role at right tackle following backup action at left tackle in ’99. Sophomore Jeff Faine is at center after seeing no game action as a freshman. Senior John Teasdale started 10 games in ’99 at mostly right tackle and provides experience as a backup to Vollers. The other reserves are sophomore Brennan Curtin at tackle, juniors Sean Mahan and Ryan Scarola at guard and at center senior JW Jordan.

Backs — For the second time in three games in ’00 the Irish will look to a rookie quarterback after the loss of junior Arnaz Battle (13-31-173, 2TDs, 157 yards rushing) to a fractured left navicular (wrist) against Nebraska — an injury that may require surgery and will keep him out indefinitely. Notre Dame will look to sophomore Gary Godsey — who brings a physical presence as backup quarterback at 6-7, 239 — to fill in for Battle. Godsey — whose brother George is the starting QG at Georia Tech — did not see varsity action as a freshman but a solid spring effort earned him the backup role heading into ’00. He was 12 for 23 for 148 yards and one interception in the 2000 Blue Gold Game. Freshman Matt LoVecchio will serve as Godsey’s backup for the Purdue game, while freshmen Jared Clark and Carlyle Holiday also will compete.

A trio of tailbacks — sophomore Julius Jones (29-116, TD) and juniors Tony Fisher (16-43, TD) and Terrance Howard (9-37) — give the Irish a talented and diversified running attack. Fisher started all 12 games last year and returns as the team’s top rusher from ’99. Howard adds a combination of quickness and power, while the elusive Jones showed more and more of his potential as the weeks went by in ’99. Jones made his first career start against Nebraska and had a game-high 227 all-purpose yards.

Junior Tom Lopienski (4-13 rushing, 2-34 receiving) moved into the starting fullback spot after carrying the ball 25 times for 76 yards in all 12 games last year. Junior Mike McNair also helps out at fullback after recovering from an injury-plagued ’99 in which he played only in the opener against Kansas. Senior Jason Murray (back in ’00 after missing all of ’99 with injury) and sophomore Chris Yura could see time at fullback.

Receivers — One of the more competitive spots on the Irish depth chart comes from the receiving corps. Senior Joey Getherall’s (1-9, TD) 35 catches in ’99 make him the top returning receiver, while junior David Givens (2-30) will share time with Getherall at flanker. Junior Javin Hunter (2-50, TD) moved into the starting position at split end after playing in every game last year (13 for 224 yards). Senior Jay Johnson played in the final 11 games of ’99 and will see time behind Hunter. Freshmen receivers Jerome Collins, Lorenzo Crawford, Omar Jenkins, Ronnie Rodamer and also could contribute. Another strength for the Irish is at tight end where senior All-America candidate Jabari Holloway (3-40) and fifth-year and ’99 honorable mention All-American Dan O’Leary (1-5) return.

SCOUTING THE IRISH DEFENSE

Line — After making a slight adjustment on the defensive line in ’00 ? going from a two end-two tackle alignment to one featuring two ends, a tackle and a nose guard — the Irish will be forced to shift the end after losing senior RE Grant Irons (4 tackles, 1 for loss) for the season with a dislocated shoulder that will require surgery. Sophomore Ryan Roberts (5 tackles, 2 sack) will move into Irons starting spot at right end and make his first career start after playing in 10 games in ’99 (six tackles, one sack). Junior and two-year starter Anthony Weaver (13 tackles, 2 for loss) takes on a starting role at left end. Fifth-year B.J. Scott (7 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack) made his first career against Nebraska at defensive tackle, while senior Andy Wisne (3 tackles) will back up Scott after starting against A&M. Senior Lance Legree (10 tackles, 2 for loss) entered ’00 the starter at nose guard after starting the final seven games of ’99 there. The reserves are sophomore Darrell Campbell at right end, Cedric Hilliard at nose guard and junior John Owens at left end.

Linebackers — Two of three starters return from ’99 among the Irish linebackers, senior Anthony Denman (21 tackles, 2 for loss, one sack) and junior Rocky Boiman (18 tackles, 2 sacks). Denman starts at inside linebacker for the second straight year, while Boiman anchors the outside spot. Junior Tyreo Harrison (10 tackles) moved into a starting spot at inside linebacker after playing all 12 games in ’99 with two starts. Junior Carlos Pierre-Antoine fills in at inside linebacker. Fifth-year Anthony Brannan backs up Boiman on the outside, while sophomore Courtney Watson (1 tackle) plays behind Denman.

Backs — Old faces and new faces make up the Irish secondary starters. Seniors Tony Driver (20 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass deflected) and Brock Williams (8 tackles, 1 pass deflected) returned to starting roles, while senior Ron Israel (6 tackles) and junior Shane Walton (12 tackles 1 for loss, 1 INT, 1 pass deflected) moved into starting spots. Driver plays at free safety for the first time since ’98 after playing seven games in ’99 at tailback. Williams is back at left cornerback where he started eight of the last 10 games in ’98. Israel moved from top reserve in ’99 to starter at strong safety in ’00. Walton — who had his first career interception against Nebraska — won the starting spot at right cornerback after playing in nine games in ’99 following a freshman season in which he starred on the Irish men’s soccer team. The reserves are sophomore Jason Beckstrom at left cornerback, junior Clifford Jefferson (4 tackles) at right cornerback, sophomores Gerome Sapp (7 tackles, 1 for loss) and Glenn Earl at strong safety and junior Donald Dykes (1 tackles) at free safety.

SCOUTING THE IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS

The Irish kicking derby went done to the wire with fifth-year newcomer Matt McNew (kickoffs, 3 touchbacks), sophomore Nick Setta (placekicks, 4-4 PATs, 2-2 FG) and sophomore Joey Hildbold (punts, 13-537-41.3) earning the starting spots. McNew joined the team in the spring after four years with the Irish men’s soccer team, while Setta saw his first collegiate action against Texas A&M. Hildbold averaged 39.0 yards/punt in ’99. Sophomore Julius Jones leads the nation in KO return (100-yard TD return against Nebraska), while junior David Givens (4-99) and senior Tony Driver also share duties returning kickoffs. Jones (3-30) and senior Joey Getherall (6-120 with 83-yard TD return against Nebraska) returns punts. Dan O’Leary (punts) and John Crowther (PAT and FG) share the snapping. Adam Tibble does the snapping,

THE 2000 NCAA STATS

NCAA stat rankings for Notre Dame and Purdue (top 50 for team ranks):

Team Rankings Notre Dame Purdue
Rushing Offense 25th at 189.0 50th at 156.5
Passing Offense 86.5 4th at 386.5
Total Offense 275.5 2nd at 543.0
Scoring Offense 24.0 6th at 46.5
Rushing Defense, yards 182.0 36th at 97.0
Passing Efficiency Def. 36th at 96.55 178.03
Total Defense 50th at 316.0 24th at 267.0
Scoring Defense 47th at 18.5 5th at 5.0
Net Punting 29th at 39.31 5th at 47.5
Punt Returns 19th at 16.67 15th at 17.25
Kickoff Returns 3rd at 37.57 10th at 29.00
Turnover Margin 37th at .50 (+1 overall) 37th at .50 (+1 overall)
Individual Rankings Notre Dame Purdue
Passing Efficiency Drew Brees
20th at 151.2
Total Offense Drew Brees
2nd at 390
Kickoff Returns Julius Jones
1st at 54.67
David Givens
24th at 24.75
Punting Joey Hildbold
39th at 41.41
Field Goals Nick Setta Travis Dorsch
1.0/game 1.5/game

DENMAN, DRIVER, FISHER EARN TROPHY CONSIDERATION
Three Irish players have been selected for considerations for the annual position-specific trophies. Senior linebacker Anthony Denman joins the preliminary list of 70 candidates for the Butkus Award — presented annually to the best linebacker in college football by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. The list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on Oct. 19, and three finalists will be announced on Nov. 9. Senior free safety Tony Driver has been picked one of 40 players on the “watch list” for the Jim Thorpe Award — presented annually to the best defensive back in college football by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, Okla. Junior tailback Tony Fisher has been selected one of 35 candidates for the Doak Walker Award presented by Vectrix — given annually to the nation’s top college running back by the Southwestern Bell-SMU Athletic Forum in Dallas. The Southwestern Bell Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select eight semifinalists on Nov. 8, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote on the winner in late November. The National Selection Committee consists of former All-Pro and All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.

JULIUS JONES TAPPED FUTURE STAR
Athlon Sports recently projected a National Football League ?All-Decade? team for 2000-2009 and current Irish sophomore Julius Jones was one of two running backs named to the squad, joining current Indianapolis Colts star Edgerrin James. The 26-player team included just four other current college players: tackle Michael Munoz (Tennessee), linebacker D.J. Williams (University of Miami), linebacker Saleem Rasheed (Alabama) and punt returner David Allen (Kansas State).

IRISH AIM TO CONTINUE QB’S FIRST-START MAGIC

  • Notre Dame will take on Purdue with sophomore quarterback Gary Godsey at the helm. Godsey will be making his first career start on the collegiate level, but history will be on the side of that young signalcaller. From 1985-98, Notre Dame was victorious in nine straight games in which an Irish quarterback was making his first career start, including four coming in a season opener. Notre Dame’s nine-game, first-start streak ended in the 10-0 loss at USC on Nov. 28, 1998, when Eric Chappell started in place of the injured starter Jackson (then-freshman Arnaz Battle also played a large chunk of that game). Battle made it 10 of the last 11 rookie quarterbacks to lead the Irish to victory in the ’00 season opener against Texas A&M.
  • Battle also became the 10th consecutive Irish quarterback making his first start to lead the Irish to victory in a season opener, a streak dating back to 1965: Bill Zloch (vs. Cal, ’65), Terry Hanratty (vs. Purdue, ’66), Pat Steenberge (vs. Northwestern, ’71), Tom Clements (vs. Northwestern, ’72), Rick Slager (vs. Boston College, ’75), Rick Mirer (vs. Michigan, ’90), Kevin McDougal (vs. Northwestern, ’93), Ron Powlus (vs. Northwestern, ’94) and Jarious Jackson (vs. Michigan, ’98).

Last 11 starting debut games by Notre Dame quarterbacks

  • Terry Andrysiak, sophomore (vs. Mississippi, 11/9/85, 8th game of season) … win, 37-14 … 4-of-8 passing, 60 yards, TD … 2 rushes for -7 yards.
  • Tony Rice, sophomore (#11 Notre Dame at Air Force, 10/17/87, 5th game of season) … win, 35-14 … 1-of-5 passing, 10 yards, INT … 9 rushes for 70 yards, 2 TD … played due to Andrysiak’s broken collarbone injury, in previous game at Pittsburgh.
  • Kent Graham, freshman (#9 Notre Dame vs. Boston College, 11/7/87, 8th game of season) … win, 32-25 … 6-of-8 passing, 111 yards, INT … 3 rushes for 7 yards.
  • Rick Mirer, sophomore (#1 Notre Dame vs. #4 Michigan, 9/15/90, 1st game of season) … win, 28-24 … 14-of-23 passing, 165 yards, TD, INT … 10 rushes for 12 yards, TD.
  • Paul Failla, freshman (#8 Notre Dame at Purdue, 9/28/91, 4th game of season) … win, 45-20 … 1-of-1 passing, 10 yards … 2 rushes for 11 yards … started in place of Mirer due to team policy of “no practice, no start” (Mirer had pulled rib cartilage during the week) … Mirer replaced Failla beginning with the second series.
  • Kevin McDougal, senior (#7 Notre Dame vs. Northwestern, 9/4/93, 1st game of season) … win, 27-12 … 6-of-8 passing, 135 yards … 5 rushes for -16 yards.
  • Ron Powlus, sophomore (#3 Notre Dame at Northwestern, 9/3/94, 1st game of season) … win, 42-15 … 18-of-24 passing, 291 yards, 4 TD … 2 rushes for 6 yards.
  • Tom Krug, junior (#8 Notre Dame at Air Force, 11/18/95, 11th game of season) … win, 44-14 … 8-of-13 passing, 96 yards, INT … 3 rushes for 13 yards … started due to Powlus’ collarbone injury, in previous week versus Navy.
  • Jarious Jackson, senior (Notre Dame vs. #5 Michigan, 9/5/98, 1st game of season) … win, 36-20 … 4-of-10 passing, 96 yards, 2 TDs, INT … 16 rushes for 62 yards.
  • Eric Chappell, junior (#9 Notre Dame at USC, 11/28/98, 11th game of season) … loss, 10-0 … 0-of-3 passing, 2 INT … 7 rushes for 33 yards.
  • Arnaz Battle, junior (Notre Dame vs. #25 Texas A&M, 9/2/00, 1st game of season) … win, 24-10 … 10-of-16 passing, 2 TDs … 12 rushes for 50 yards.

THEY SHALL RETURN

  • During the past 15 seasons (’86-’00), Notre Dame has produced 52 TDs over the course of 46 games via kickoff, punt and interception returns ?- including Julius Jones’ 100-yard kickoff return and Joey Getherall’s 83-yard punt return vs. Nebraska. Other recent returns for the Irish are Jones’ 67-yard punt return vs. Boston College (’99), A’Jani Sanders’ pair of INTs vs. ASU (’98 and ’99), Bobbie Howard’s INT vs. LSU (’98) and Deveron Harper’s INT in the ’99 opener vs. Kansas. (Those numbers don’t include several fumble returns for TDs, with recent ones coming from Deke Cooper at Michigan State in ’98, Lamont Bryant vs. LSU in ’98 and Anthony Denman vs. Kansas in ’99).
  • Notre Dame’s opponents in the past 15 seasons have combined for just nine total returns for touchdowns (on kicks, punts or interceptions).
  • Since the start of ’86, the Irish have produced their most returns vs. Pittsburgh (seven), with four each vs. Air Force, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.
  • The 52 returns have come from 29 players, including nine by Allen Rossum (an NCAA record), six by Raghib Ismail, five by Tim Brown and three by Ricky Watters — with current sophomore Julius Jones already with two returns just 14 games into his Irish career.

JONES, GETHERALL, GIVENS GO LONG DISTANCE

  • Julius Jones, Joey Getherall and David Givens combined for 317 return yards (4 punt for 113 yards, 4 kickoffs for 204) against Nebraska — including an 83-yard punt return by Getherall and a 100-yard kickoff return by Jones for touchdowns. The 317 return yards were the most kickoff and punt return yards for the Irish since the start of the 1980 season. Notre Dame had 336 return yards (231 punt, 71 kickoff and 34 interception) against Pittsburgh in ’96.
  • Notre Dame’s 204 kickoff return yards established a modern Irish record for single-game kickoff returns, eclipsing the 192 by Notre Dame (all by Raghib Ismail) against Michigan in 1989. The Irish had 354 kickoff return yards against Kalamazoo in 1922.
  • Jones’ 175 return yards were the most for a Notre Dame player since Clint Johnson returned two kickoffs since Stanford for 179 yards for one touchdown. His 100-yard TD return marked the first kickoff touchdown return of his career, the longest since Johnson went 100 yards vs. Stanford and the first for the Irish since Jarious Jackson returned an onside kick for a TD against Pitt in ’97.
  • Jones has returned 29 kickoffs for 767 yards in his brief 14-game career, already tied for seventh on the Irish all-time kickoff return yards list. He currently averages 26.4 yard per return and 54.8 return yards per game.
  • Getherall’s 83-yard punt return tied Allen Rossum’s 83-yard punt return against Pittsburgh in 1996 for the eighth-longest in Irish history. The last Irish player to return a punt longer was Lancaster Smith, who went 85 yards against Pittsburgh in 1948.
  • Givens started the game with a 41-yard kickoff return, the longest of his career.

IRISH CONCLUDE THREE-GAME HOME STAND TO START SEASON
Notre Dame plays its third consecutive home game Saturday against Purdue, marking the first time since the 1978 season it opened the season with three home games. The ’78 Irish beat Purdue 10-6 in that third of three consecutive home games.

TWO-SPORT STANDOUTS
Junior cornerback Shane Walton — less than two years removed from earning all-BIG EAST honors as a freshman forward on the ’98 Irish men’s soccer team — entered the 2000 season as Notre Dame’s starter at right cornerback and has 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one interception and one pass deflected through the first two games of the seasons. Walton joined the Irish football squad in the spring of ’99 and saw action in three games in the secondary during the ’99 season. He played in nine games overall with 61 appearances on special teams, earning his second monogram at Notre Dame in as many years and in as many sports.

While Walton underwent a less traditional soccer-to-football transition, fifth-year Matt McNew made the more natural switch from soccer player to placekicker. After exhausting his four years of eligibility with the Irish men’s soccer team, McNew tried out in the ’00 spring season and was invited to join the team in the fall. In his first collegiate football game, McNew boomed five kickoffs for the Irish against the Aggies. In the second half against the Aggies, McNew’s first three kickoffs were touchbacks, and the hangtime on his final kickoff allowed the Aggies to return the ball only to the 18-yard line.

FRIDAY FOOTBALL KICKOFF LUNCHEONS
Tickets are available for the 2000 Notre Dame Football Kickoff Luncheons, held in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome). The luncheons are held at the same day and time before every Irish home game this season. The 2000 football luncheons are sponsored by the Notre Dame Athletic Department and the speaking program each week includes a combination of special guests, head coach Bob Davie, members of his coaching staff and members of the Irish squad, in addition to video features. Tickets are $16 each (plus $3 handling charge per order) and are available by calling (219) 272-2870.

PEP RALLIES
All 2000 pep rallies will be held in the Joyce Center Arena (south dome). Planned start times are 6:30 p.m., with the football team arriving at the usual 7:00 p.m.

RED ZONE REPORT
The Irish and their two opponents each are perfect in trips inside the red zone. Notre Dame has made five trips inside the red zone and come away with three touchdowns and two field, while its opponents have three touchdowns and a field in four trips inside the 20-yard line. The red zone chances include one each for the Irish and their opponent in an overtime situation.

NOTRE DAME IN ’00 Category ’00 OPPONENTS
5 Red-Zone Chances 4
1 Passing TDs 0
2 Rushing TDs 3
3 Total TDs 3
.600 (3/5) TD Pct. .750 (3/4)
2 FGs Made 1
0 FGs Missed 0
0 FGs Blocked 0
24 Total Points (TD-6, FG-3) 21
1.000 (5/5) Scoring Pct. 1.000 (4/4)

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
Former Notre Dame walk-on and current senior QB/TE Joe Recendez was elevated to scholarship status prior to the start of the 2000 season, as was junior CB Dwayne Francis. Current senior outside linebacker Anthony Brannan was elevated to scholarship status prior to the 1999 season.

NUMBER CHANGES
The Irish have made five number changes from the original media guide roster: senior FS Justin Smith will wear No. 4 (instead of 39), junior HLD Adam Tibble is wearing No. 80 (instead of 73), freshman TE Billy Palmer is wearing No. 85 (instead of 96), junior walk-on center John Crowther is wearing 56 (not 64) and junior walk-on TE/DE Jeffrey Campbell is wearing 64 (not 85).

FRESHMAN WALK-ONS
Notre Dame’s freshman class includes 18 scholarship players and two walk-ons: quarterback Matt Krueger (who will be sharing No. 8 with wide receiver Lorenzo Crawford) and tight end Brendan Hart (who is sharing No. 83 with walk-on kicker Josh Gentile). Hart is the grandson of former Notre Dame end and 1949 Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart and the son of former Irish tight end Kevin Hart. Krueger prepped at South Bend’s Marian High School as did his brother Ryan, a junior walk-on QB with the Irish.

COACHING IN THE CLUTCH
Knute Rockne owns the best career winning percentage among Notre Dame coaches in games decided by seven or fewer points, at 21-1-5 (.870). Among Irish coaches with 14-plus “close games,” the other top winning percentages in tight games belong to Elmer Layden (22-7-3, .734), Frank Leahy (17-5-8, .700), Ara Parseghian (13-6-4, .652), Dan Devine (15-9-1, .620), Bob Davie (11-8, .579) and Lou Holtz (20-18-2, .525).

NOTRE DAME STADIUM EXPANDS AGAIN … BY 220 SEATS
The capacity of Notre Dame Stadium has increased slightly to 80,232 for the 2000 football season. The increase of 220 represents field seats in the southwest section of the Stadium being made available to Notre Dame alumni clubs to assist in their scholarship development efforts. Notre Dame Stadium’s capacity for the 1998 and ’99 seasons was 80,012 — making the facility the 15th largest in the country. The 1997 first-season capacity of 80,225 was based on computerized projections made prior to the construction of the new seating areas. Prior to the 1997 expansion, the Stadium’s official capacity was 59,075.

2000 Notre Dame SCHEDULE RATED TOUGHEST

  • Through week two of the season, Notre Dame is tied with Colorado for the toughest schedule in the country. Both Irish and Buffaloes’ opponents have posted 14-3 overall records thus far this season for an .823 winning percentage. Michigan has the third-toughest schedule (15-4, .789), while Missouri (11-3, .786) and UCLA (14-4, .778) round out the top five.
  • After games against 23rd-ranked Texas A&M, top-ranked Nebraska and Saturday’s game against 13th-ranked Purdue, the Irish will be playing their first three games against ranked opponents for the first time since 1979. The ninth-ranked Irish opened with a 12-10 win at sixth-ranked Michigan, before 17th-ranked Purdue beat fifth-ranked and visiting Notre Dame 28-22. The 15th-ranked Irish then won their home opener by beating seventh-ranked Michigan State 27-3.
  • Notre Dame’s next opponent, Michigan State, currently is ranked 22nd. If the Spartans remain ranked for the Sept. 23, game against the Irish, Notre Dame will be playing games against four ranked opponents for the first time since 1957.

IRISH Opponent UPDATE
Below 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 in the last 22 years (1978, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995).

Opponent ’00 Record Sept. 9 Sept. 19
Texas A&M 1-1 def. Wyoming 51-3 UTEP
Nebraska 2-0 def. Notre Dame 26-24 (OT) Idle
Purdue 2-0 def. Kent 45-10 at Notre Dame
Michigan State 1-0 def. Marshall 34-24 at Missouri
Stanford 1-1 lost to San Jose St. 40-27 Texas
Navy 0-1 Idle at Georgia Tech
West Virginia 1-0 Idle Maryland
Air Force 2-0 def. BYU 31-23 Idle
Boston College 1-1 def. 55-17 Army Idle
Rutgers 2-0 def. Buffalo 59-0 at Virginia Tech
USC 2-0 def. Colorado 17-14 Idle

Notre Dame 2000 Opponents’ Combined Record in 2000: 14-3 (.824)

FOR OPENERS
Notre Dame has won nearly 90 percent of its season openers (95-12-5, .871), including 68-9-3 (.869) mark in season openers played at home. The last time the Irish lost a season opener in Notre Dame Stadium was in ’95 (Northwestern, 17-15), with Notre Dame opening the ’97, ’98, ’99 and ’00 seasons with victories at home. Prior to the Northwestern defeat, the Irish won eight straight openers (four at Notre Dame Stadium), dating back to Michigan’s 24-23 win at Notre Dame in ’86. Notre Dame’s all-time record in season-opening games includes a 10-2-1 (8-2-1 at home) mark versus teams that currently comprise the Big 12 Conference.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS
Texas A&M became the 61st team to visit Notre Dame Stadium in the 2000 season opener, with the Irish owning a 52-8-1 mark (.861) in games when the opponent was making its first visit to the Stadium. Thirteen of those teams previously had played at Notre Dame (prior to 1930), with the Irish owning a mark of 40-6-1 since 1930 versus teams making their first overall visit to Notre Dame (.862). Texas A&M became the ninth consecutive opponents to lose in its first trip to Notre Dame Stadium. The first eight are: Colorado (’84), Mississippi (’85), Boston College (’87), BYU (’92), Vanderbilt (’95), Rutgers (’96), West Virginia (’97) and ASU (’99).

DUTILE NAMED FACULTY BOARD CHAIR
Notre Dame’s faculty representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is professor Fernand “Tex” Dutile, associate dean of the Law School. Dutile assumed his duties as the chair of the Faculty Board on Athletics in September 2000.

AUSTIN CARR CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC PLANNED
The first Austin Carr Charity Golf Classic will be held Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000, at the new Warren Golf Course at the University of Notre Dame. The event is sponsored by the Austin Carr Foundation, with proceeds to benefit a University of Notre Dame minority scholarship fund in Carr’s name, the March of Dimes and the Center for the Homeless. The weekend will begin with a celebrity reception at 7:00 p.m. EST, on Friday, Sept. 15, at the Warren Golf Course clubhouse. Following the Notre Dame-Purdue football game at Notre Dame Stadium the following day, a charity dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. EST Saturday, also at the Warren Golf Course clubhouse. Golf then will begin on Sunday with a shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. EST. Celebrities already committed to participating in the event include former Notre Dame basketball standouts Bruce Flowers, Bob Arnzen, Bill Hanzlik and Gary Brokaw, former Irish football stars Nick Eddy, Ross Browner, Creighton Miller, Tony Rice, Jim Seymour and Willie Townsend, former Irish football offensive coordinator and Westwood One color commentator Tom Pagna and former St. Louis Cardinal quarterback Jim Hart. Corporate foursomes are available for $2,000 each. Anyone interested in playing or in corporate sponsorships can contact Joel Piekarski, Advantage Golf, 1606 East Turkeyfoot Lake Road, Akron, OH 44312, or call (330) 899-9319. Carr, currently the director of business and community development for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association, remains the all-time leading career scorer in Notre Dame basketball history. He finished with 2,560 points between 1968-71 ?- helping him earn national player of the year honors as a senior in 1970-71 from the Associated Press and United Press International. He still ranks as the most prolific scorer in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament, thanks to his 41.3-point average in seven career NCAA games. He holds the NCAA tournament single-game record with 61 points vs. Ohio University in ’70, posted three of the top five scoring performances in tournament history and still holds six NCAA tournament records. Carr is a native of Washington, D.C., where he attended Mackin High School. Currently active with the Cleveland’s literacy program as a spokesman for ?Stay-in-School,? Carr also hosts the pregame show on the Cavs’ radio broadcasts and participates with the Cavs’ Legends Team. A ’71 Notre Dame graduate in economics, Carr, his wife Sharon and children Jason and Ashley reside in suburban Cleveland.

GERMANY GAME GETS RAVE REVIEWS

  • Eight members of Notre Dame’s 1988 national championship football team?including ’88 tri-captain Mark Green and standout inside linebacker Wes Pritchett?helped comprise the list of 55 former Irish football players who participated in Charity Bowl 2000 … the former Irish players traveled to Hamburg, Germany, for a July 8, 2000, game against the Hamburg Blue Devils football club, at Volkspark Stadium.
  • A memorable six-day trip was capped by a 14-10 victory for the Notre Dame alumni team, with the game ending on Ivory Covington’s interception in the end zone after the Blue Devils had marched to the seven-yard line … QB Steve Belles had a hand in both Irish scoring drives, hitting Clint Johnson with a 50-yard bomb to set up his own two-yard option keeper for the first TD before connecting with Johnson for a 23-yard TD pass later in the game.
  • The game benefited Kinder Helfen Kindern (Kids Helping Kids) and the Notre Dame Brennan-Boland Scholarship Fund, which provides need-based assistance to sons and daughters of members of the Notre Dame National Monogram Club.
  • Others from the ’88 championship roster that headed to Hamburg included Belles, FL Pat Eilers, DL Bryan Flannery, DL Andre Jones, DL George Marshall and DB Brandy Wells. Other headliners included TBs Reggie Brooks (named the Notre Dame MVP) and Lee Becton, QBs Terry Andrysiak and Pat Steenberge and WR Kris Haines.
  • There were four former Notre Dame captains on the roster: Green, Becton and DL Brian Hamilton and Melvin Dansby.
  • Other former Irish players on the roster were: RBs Ken Barry and Dean Lytle, LBs Kurt Belisle and Dave Butler, DL Corey Bennett, Reggie Fleurima and Pat Kramer, OL Matt Brennan, Tom Freeman, Rick Kaczenski and Jim Kordas, TEs Al Bucci and Mike Denvir, WRs Cikai Champion, Mike James, Adrian Jarrell and Johnson, DBs Covington, Bill Gibbs, Ty Goode and Tim Lynch, and K Ted Gradel. Also participating were: DL Darnell Smith, LBs Dave Butler, Karl McGill, Jeremy Nau, Jeremy Sample, and Jack Shields, DBs Mark Monahan and Stephen Pope, RBs Emmett Mosley and Chris Smith, OL Brendan O’Connor, Mike Perrino, Ron Plantz, Jon Spickelmier and Greg Stec, P Scott Palumbo, and WR Charles Stafford … QB Tony Rice and DB John Covington also made the trip but did not play due to injury.
  • The coaching staff included former Notre Dame assistant coaches Brian Boulac, Skip Holtz, Peter Vaas, Brian White and Tony Yelovich and former Irish player Mike Haywood while current defensive coordinator Greg Mattison served as head coach … feature stories detailing the alumni team’s experiences in Germany?including a full recap?are posted on the ND athletic website (www.und.com).

Irish Sell Out for 36th Consecutive YeaR IN 1999
The University of Notre Dame finished 15th nationally in attendance among all NCAA Division I-A football-playing institutions in 1999. The Irish averaged 80,012 fans (the full capacity of the expanded Notre Dame Stadium) for the seven ’99 home games. The ’99 season marked the 35th consecutive season that every seat has been sold for every home game. Notre Dame also ranked eight nationally for 1997 season home attendance and 11th in ’98, with the average increase of 21,150 fans per game in ’97 compared to ’96 representing the second-highest increase nationally, behind Stanford’s 21,154 that was helped by the Oct. 4 crowd of 75,651 (compared to the average of 56,937) when the Irish played the Cardinal in Palo Alto. College football set an all-time attendance record in 1997, with 36.9 million fans viewing games, including a record 27.5 million in Division I-A.

BIG CROWDS EVERYWHERE
With the first three games of the Irish 2000 season sold out at home, after the Purdue game the Irish will have played in front of capacity crowds in 121 of 140 games. Each of the first 10 regular-season games involving Notre Dame during the ’98 season ? and the first 11 in ’99 ? was played in front of a sellout crowd.

GIVING BACK

  • Four former Notre Dame football players currently are employees of the University: flanker Mike Favorite (’81-’83), defensive back D’Juan Francisco (’86-’89), quarterback Tony Rice (’87-’89) and offensive tackle Larry Williams (’81-’84).
  • Favorite joined Notre Dame in 1993 as assistant director of the auditing department, recently served as associate director for ?Y2K? compliance and currently is a strategic consultant in the office of information technologies.
  • Francisco joined the Notre Dame Alumni Association in 1992 and assumed the role of director of constituency groups, alumni clubs and student programs (he now coordinates 210 domestic and 30 international alumni clubs).
  • Rice was appointed assistant director of regional development for Notre Dame in the Chicago area on Feb. 1, 1999, while Williams was named Notre Dame’s director of licensing in November of 1999.

TOUGHEST TICKET
Including the 2000 lottery figures, here are the 10-highest demanded games (based on total tickets requested by contributing alumni) in Notre Dame Stadium history:

Rk. Opponent Season Request
1. USC 1997 57,048
2. Nebraska 2000 47,865
3. Michigan State 1997 47,681
4. Michigan 1998 47,233
5. USC 1999 46,658
6. Army 1998 46,547
7. Boston College 2000 46,312
8. West Virginia 1997 46,093
9. Ohio State 1996 45,225
10. Boston College 1997 43,442

RECENT IRISH RUSHING HISTORY — N Notre Dame’s rushing attack has ranked 20th or better nationally in 11 of the last 13 years:

Year Rushing Average NCAA Rank Rushing TDs
1987 252.1 14th 33
1988 258.0 11th 30
1989 287.7 8th 42
1990 250.3 12th 33
1991 268.0 5th 31
1992 280.9 3rd 34
1993 260.7 6th 36
1994 215.6 20th 18
1995 233.5 6th 29
1996 269.5 8th 34
1997 174.9 36th 22
1998 212.5 16th 22
1999 181.5 26th 25
2000 189.0 25th 2

FRIEND OR FOE
A number of Notre Dame and Purdue players are from the same hometown or high school:

  • Notre Dame sophomore QB Gary Godsey and Purdue sophomore WR Chris James were teammates at Jesuit HS in Tampa, Fla.
  • Notre Dame junior LB Rocky Boiman (St. Xavier HS) and Purdue senior DT Brent Botts (LaSalle HS) and freshman LB Doug Sawnn (Purcell Marian) are natives of Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Irish sophomore DE Cedric Hilliard (Lamar HS) and Purdue junior CB R’Kes Starling (Sam Houston HS) both hail from Arlington, Texas.
  • Irish junior DB Clifford Jefferson (Carter HS) and Purdue sophomore DB Ralph Turner were teammates at Carter in Dallas, Texas. Purdue freshman DB Marcus Hill (Bryan Adams HS) and freshman DE Dave Owens (St. Mark’s HS) also hail from Dallas.
  • Irish junior FL David Givens (Humble HS) and Purdue sophomore DB Jared Curtis (Nimitz HS) both hail from Humble, Texas.

POLL POSITION

  • Notre Dame has been ranked in the AP poll during the last 14 games of the series (including ’00). The last time both teams were ranked at the time of the game was 1980, when the No. 11 Irish defeated the No. 9 Boilers, 31-10 at Notre Dame Stadium.
  • The ’80 game also marks the last time Purdue was ranked higher when it faced the Irish.
  • Since 1946, the series has produced 10 games with two ranked teams (including ’99), 35 with one ranked team and nine with neither team ranked (last in 1986).
  • Purdue has held a higher game-time AP ranking in just three games with Notre Dame: in 1952 (see below), 1968 (see below) and 1980 (see above). The 1952 game remains the only time that Purdue has been ranked more than two spots higher in the AP poll than the Irish, at game time. (Purdue heads into the 1999 game ranked ahead of the Irish in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll but behind the Irish in the AP poll).

THE UPSETS

  • The series has produced 45 previous games in which at least one team was ranked in the AP poll, but the higher-ranked team is just 28-17 in those games.
  • Purdue has been the beneficiary in 15 of the series’ 17 upsets of the higher-ranked teams, including four times in which the Boilers knocked off the top-rated Irish: 1950 (28-14) and 1954 (27-14) at Notre Dame Stadium, and 1965 (25-21) and 1967 (28-21) at Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue was unranked in 1950, No. 19 in ’54, No. 6 in ’65 and No. 10 in ’67.
  • Unranked Purdue teams also have beaten ranked Irish teams in 1956, ’59, ’60, ’74 (31-20, when ND was No. 2), ’81, ’84 and ’97 while lower-ranked Purdue teams also have beaten higher-ranked ND teams in ’58, ’69, ’79 and ’99.
  • Lower-ranked Notre Dame teams have upset a higher-ranked Purdue squad twice: at Ross-Ade Stadium in 1952, when the unranked Irish knocked off No. 9 Purdue (26-14), and at Notre Dame Stadium in 1980, when the No. 11 Irish topped the ninth-ranked Boilers (31-10).