Oct. 24, 2009

Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

Notre Dame won the coin toss and elected to receive. Boston College defended the goal to the South.

TODAY’S VICTORY…

• Improves Notre Dame to 5-2 for the second straight season.
• Improves Notre Dame to 2-0 (1.000) this season and 11-11 (.500) under Weis coming off a defeat.
• Gives Notre Dame a victory over Boston College for the first time since 2000.
• Snaps Boston College’s six-game winning streak in the all-time series.
• Improves Notre Dame to 4-1 (.800) this season inside Notre Dame Stadium.
• Improves Notre Dame to 10-9-0 (.526) in the all-time series with Boston College.
• Improves Notre Dame to 6-5 (.545) in the all-time series with the Eagles in Notre Dame Stadium.
• Improves an unranked Notre Dame squad (post-1932) to 3-5 (.375) all-time against Boston College (snapping their losing streak at five games in such meetings).
• Improves an unranked Notre Dame squad to 3-2 (.600) all-time against the Eagles in Notre Dame Stadium.
• Improves Notre Dame to 2-3 (.400) all-time against the Eagles when both teams are unranked.
• Improves Notre Dame to 2-0 (1.000) all-time against Boston College in Notre Dame Stadium when both teams are unranked.
• Improves Notre Dame to 76-31-2 (.706) all-time against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Improves Notre Dame’s all-time home record against the ACC to 44-11-0 (.800).
• Improves Notre Dame’s all-time record to 836-286-42 (.736).
• Improves Notre Dame’s all-time record at Notre Dame Stadium to 306-99-5 (.752).
• Improves Weis’ record to 34-23 (.596) overall, 4-4 (.500) against the ACC and 1-2 (.333) against Boston College.
• Improves Weis’ home record to 19-12 (.613) overall, 3-3 (.500) against the ACC and 1-1 (.500) against Boston College.
• Improves Weis’ record to 11-6 (.647) in October games.
• Improves Weis’ record to 27-18 (.600) in afternoon games.

Streaks…

• The following players extended active starting streaks against Boston College: senior OT Sam Young 45, senior OC Eric Olsen 26, junior QB Jimmy Clausen 23, sophomore TE Kyle Rudolph 20 and senior SS Kyle McCarthy 20.
• Notre Dame snapped its six-game losing streak to Boston College.

Team Notes…

• The Irish have now played in six consecutive games decided by a touchdown or less. Notre Dame last played in six consecutive games decided by seven points or less in 1983-84, when they went down to the wire in six straight with Pittsburgh (L, 16-21), Penn State (L, 30-34), Air Force (L, 22-23), Boston College (W, 19-18 in the 1983 Liberty Bowl), Purdue (L, 21-23), and Michigan State (W, 24-20).
• The six games decided by seven points or less in the same season is a school record. The previous record for consecutive games decided by seven points or less in one season was five. It happened in 1939 when the Irish started the season in that fashion (W 3-0 vs. Purdue, W 17-14 vs. Georgia Tech, W 20-19 vs. SMU, W 14-7 vs. Navy, W 7-6 vs. Carnegie).
• Notre Dame has now registered four come-from-behind, fourth-quarter victories this season – a first in Irish football history. The previous record for fourth-quarter, comeback victories was three (set on numerous occasions).
• Boston College entered today’s game averaging 155.3 yards per game on the ground. Notre Dame allowed just 70 yards on the ground on 29 carries (just 2.4 yards per rush).
• BC running back Montel Harris rushed for 264 yards and five touchdowns (both school records) in last week’s victory over NC State, but Harris managed just 38 yards on 22 carries against the Irish this afternoon. In fact, Notre Dame limited Harris to 15 carries of two yards or less, including five for loss.
• Notre Dame completed 19 passes and attempted 27 in today’s opening half. The 19 completions are the most in a single half by the Irish this season. The 27 pass attempts are the second-most in any half this season (Notre Dame registered 29 passes in last week’s second half against USC).
• Notre Dame limited its opponents to a 14.3% conversion rate (3-for-21) on third down in the second quarter over its first six games. Boston College not only converted three third downs in the second quarter, but one went for a touchdown and the other two came on distances longer than 10 yards.
• The Irish outgained Boston College 111-46 in the opening quarter, but led by just a single point. Notre Dame limited the Eagles and star running back Montel Harris to seven yards on four carries.
• Notre Dame racked up 10:22 in time of possession in the first quarter this afternoon. It was the third most time of possession in any quarter for the Irish this season. Notre Dame totaled 10:36 in the opening quarter against Nevada and 11:40 in the third quarter at Purdue.
• Boston College picked up a safety midway through the first quarter to draw within a point, 3-2. It was the first safety by an Irish opponent since Oklahoma on Oct. 2, 1999.
• The Irish continued to control the Boston College running game in the second quarter. Notre Dame limited the Eagles to just eight yards on the ground on 11 carries in the opening 30 minutes.
• Notre Dame freshman WR Roby Toma became the ninth different freshman to see action this fall. Toma registered his first career reception late in the first quarter.
• Notre Dame kicked a field goal on today’s opening drive of the game. The Irish have scored on their opening possession in four of five home games this season (Notre Dame failed to score on last week’s opening drive against USC).

Jimmy Clausen, Jr., QB

• Clausen finished 26-for-39 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has now thrown 97 consecutive passes without an interception.
• Clausen set a season-high with 26 completions this afternoon. His previous high was 25 against Michigan.
• Clausen is the first Notre Dame quarterback to ever register four fourth quarter come-from-behind victories in a single-season. He has actually brought the Irish from behind to take a lead in the fourth quarter on five different occasions in 2009 (Notre Dame eventually lost one of those against Michigan).
• Clausen has been tremendous in the clutch for the Irish this season. He has recorded 13 touchdowns and no turnovers when Notre Dame has been tied or trailing (12 passing TDs, one rushing TD).
• Clausen was 3-for-6 for 48 yards and one touchdown passing in the fourth quarter this afternoon. He has been at the top of his game in the fourth quarter and overtime all season. Clausen is 43-for-72 for 561 yards with seven touchdowns (one on the ground) and no interceptions in the final quarter and overtime this season. Here is Clausen’s breakdown in the fourth quarter and overtime:
  

  Game	Comp.	Att.	Comp. %	INT	Yds	TDs
  Nevada	1	1	100.0	0	15	0
  Michigan	9	17	52.9	0	77	1
  Michigan State	5	8	62.5	0	113	1
  Purdue	7	10	70.0	0	72	1
  Washington	7	9	77.8	0	119	1
  USC	11	21	52.4	0	117	2*
  Boston College	3	6	50.0	0	48	1
  Totals	43	72	59.7	0	561	7*

  *includes a two-yard touchdown rush

• Clausen guided the Irish on a 12-play, 74-yard touchdown drive to regain the lead, 13-9, with 36 seconds to go before halftime. He went 8-for-9 for 64 yards on the drive, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior WR Golden Tate.
• Clausen has now thrown a touchdown pass in seven consecutive games.
• Clausen completed 19 passes to seven different receivers in the first half. The 19 completions were the most for Clausen in any half in his career. In fact, no Irish quarterback has had more completions in a half since Brady Quinn had 22 in the second half of the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.
• Clausen hooked up with Tate with 8:12 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Irish a 20-16 lead.
• Clausen has registered multiple touchdown passes in three straight games.
• Clausen now has 16 passing touchdowns this season, which ranks tied for eighth most in single-season Irish history.
• In two previous career games against Boston College, Clausen completed just 33-of-66 (.500) passes for 286 yards with no touchdowns and six interceptions.

John Goodman, So., WR

• Entered today’s contest with one career reception, but hauled in three receptions in the first half alone.

Duval Kamara, Jr., WR

• Entered today’s contest with nine receptions on the season for 72 yards, but hauled in five receptions for 42 yards in the first half alone.
• He finished with a career-high seven grabs for 60 yards.

Kyle McCarthy, Sr., SS

• Picked off his fourth and fifth passes of the season and the seventh and eighth of his career. He becomes the first Irish player to record two interceptions in a game against Boston College.

Golden Tate, Jr., WR

• Finished the afternoon with a career-high 11 receptions for 128 yards. His previous high was nine receptions set twice earlier this season against Michigan and Washington. The 11 receptions were the most by an Irish receiver in the series against Boston College and the fifth-most ever by an Irish receiver in a single game.
• Tate is the first Irish wideout to surpass 100 yards receiving in three consecutive games since Derrick Mayes in 1995.
• Hauled in a 11-yard touchdown pass from junior QB Jimmy Clausen with 36 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Irish a 13-9 lead at halftime.
• Tate hooked up with Clausen with 8:12 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard touchdown reception to give the Irish a 20-16 lead.
• Tate now has three games this season with multiple touchdown receptions.
• The touchdown receptions were Tate’s seventh and eighth of the season and the 18th and 19th of his career. He has now registered a touchdown catch in three consecutive games. Tate now stands tied with Tom Gatewood (1969-71) for fourth on the Irish all-time receiving touchdowns list.
• Tate collected six passes in the opening half. He moved past Malcolm Johnson (1995-98) into 10th on the Notre Dame all-time receptions list.

Nick Tausch, Fr., PK

• After missing the first field goal attempt of his career at Michigan, Tausch has now connected on 12 consecutive field goals. It is the longest such streak by an Irish kicker since Mike Johnston made a school-record 13 straight during the 1982 season.
• Connected on a 37-yard field goal with 10:08 to go in the first quarter to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead.
• Added a second field goal, this time from 34 yards out, with 8:44 to go before halftime.

Manti Te’o, Fr., LB

• Te’o totaled nine tackles, including 2.5 for loss, in the victory.
• Since becoming a full-time starter against Washington (the last three games), he ranks first on the Irish defense with 27 tackles.

Roby Toma, Fr., WR

• Made his first career appearance in an Irish uniform and hauled in two catches for 13 yards in the opening half.

Sam Young, Sr., OT

• Has started all 45 games of his career and is the only Notre Dame offensive lineman to have started every game since his freshman year.
• His 45 career starts are tied for fourth on the all-time list for career starts at Notre Dame. Former SS Tom Zbikowski (2004-07) and LB Maurice Crum, Jr. (2005-09) head the list with 48 career starts.