Sept. 14, 2002

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  • For just the second time in the 114-year history of Notre Dame football, the Irish are selecting captains on a game-by-game basis. The only other time Notre Dame chose captains in this fashion was 1946 under legendary head coach Frank Leahy. Today’s Irish captains were: CB Vontez Duff, C Jeff Faine, DT Darrell Campbell and LT Jordan Black.
  • Michigan won the toss and deferred its choice to the second half. Notre Dame elected to receive, while the Wolverines chose to defend the South goal.
  • Today’s game marked the 163rd consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium (the first 130 at the old 59,075 capacity). The Michigan game also marks the 211th home sellout in the last 212 games (dating back to 1964), and the 140th sellout in the last 163 games involving Notre Dame.
  • Counting postseason play, Notre Dame has now had its last 114 games televised on one of four networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN), a stretch going back more than nine full seasons. The last time the Irish didn’t appear on one of those four networks was Oct. 31, 1992, when they defeated Navy, 38-7, at Giants Stadium. That game was only shown locally in South Bend on WNDU-TV.
  • TB Ryan Grant’s one-yard TD run in the first quarter was the first touchdown scored by the Notre Dame offense since Grant’s 14-yard TD run in the second quarter at Purdue on Dec. 1, 2001.
  • Michigan CB Marlin Jackson returned an interception 19 yards for a TD in the first quarter, the first interception return for a score by a Notre Dame opponent since Navy’s David Alexander brought an interception back 20 yards for a score on Nov. 21, 1998. Jackson’s touchdown also was the first score of any kind allowed by the Irish defense in the first quarter this season.
  • Entering today’s game, Notre Dame had turned the ball over just one time (Carlyle Holiday fumble vs. Purdue) and ranked eighth in the nation in turnover margin (+3.0 per game). The Irish had four turnovers this afternoon vs. Michigan, the most since Notre Dame had four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) at Nebraska on Sept. 8, 2001.
  • The two teams combined for eight turnovers today, the most in a Notre Dame game since the Irish and Kansas also had eight turnovers between them (four each) in the State of Indiana Eddie Robinson Classic on Aug. 28, 1999.
  • When Michigan LT Courtney Morgan was flagged for holding in his end zone, it represented the first safety scored by Notre Dame since the 1996 Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, 1996). On that occasion, Florida State QB Danny Kanell stepped out the back of the end zone early in the fourth quarter to give the Irish two points.
  • PK Nicholas Setta converted both of his PAT attempts today, extending his streak to 61 consecutive extra points made, the third-longest streak in school history. Setta needs to make his next PAT to tie Bob Thomas for second on the Irish all-time list (Nov. 6, 1971 to Oct. 20, 1973). Setta last missed an extra point on Oct. 7, 2000 vs. Stanford (kick blocked).
  • With his 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, PK Nicholas Setta now has kicked at least one FG in 16 consecutive games. That extends his school record and puts him just three away from the NCAA record of 19, jointly held by Oklahoma’s Larry Roach (1983-84) and Miami-Ohio’s Gary Gussman (1986-87).
  • When Michigan HB Chris Perry scored on a two-yard run and PK Philip Brabbs added the PAT late in the third quarter, it represented the first time this season Notre Dame has trailed in a game at any point.
  • TB Ryan Grant rushed 28 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns, registering the first 100-yard rushing game and the first two TD game of his career. His previous career high was 96 yards last week vs. Purdue.
  • Michigan scored 14 points off four Notre Dame turnovers, while the Irish tallied 10 points off three Wolverine turnovers (and also had a field goal blocked).
  • Notre Dame earned its first victory against a top-10 opponent since a 36-20 win over No. 5 Michigan on Sept. 5, 1998 at Notre Dame Stadium (the last time the Wolverines played at Notre Dame).
  • The Irish open the season at 3-0 for the first time since they won three in a row to start the 1996 campaign.
  • Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham becomes the first skipper to win his first three games at Notre Dame since Dan Devine went 3-0 to open the 1975 season.
  • The lower-ranked team has won four of the last six games in the Notre Dame-Michigan series and now stands 11-9-1 all-time in the head-to-head matchup.
  • Notre Dame improves to 34-14-1 (.704) in its last 49 games against the Big Ten Conference opposition, and record two wins over Big Ten opponents in the same season for the first time since 1998 (victories over Michigan and Purdue).
  • The Irish have now won three consecutive games over Big Ten teams, its longest winning streak over the conference since a 10-game unbeaten string (9-0-1) from Sept. 5, 1992-Sept. 3, 1994.
  • Notre Dame’s victory is its fourth in a row (dating back to the 2001 season finale vs. Purdue), its longest winning streak since a seven-game string from Oct. 7-Nov. 25, 2000.
  • The Irish moves to 6-2-1 (.722) in their last nine home games vs. Michigan dating back to 1980.
  • Eight of the last nine times Notre Dame and Michigan have played at Notre Dame Stadium, the game has been decided by an average of 2.4 points per game (19 total points). The Irish have won five of those eight meetings, with another ending in a tie.