Sept. 5, 2015

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NOTRE DAME POSTGAME NOTES
vs. Texas * Notre Dame Stadium * Notre Dame, Indiana * September 5, 2015

TEAM NOTES

• Notre Dame’s defensive effort tonight is its best in a season opener since shutting out Nevada, 35-0 on Sept. 5, 2009. Tonight is also the largest margin of victory in a home season opener since that game. The Irish beat Navy, 50-10, to open the 2012 season in Dublin, Ireland.
• The Irish defense allowed just 60 yards rushing and 163 total yards of offense Saturday night. It was the first time since Army (174 yards, 27-3 Irish win) on November 20, 2010 that the Irish have held an opponent under 200 yards of total offense.
• The Irish have now won seven of their last eight home openers, including a 5-1 mark under Brian Kelly.
• With the win, Notre Dame improves to 9-2 against Texas. It is the most wins against the Longhorns of any school that has never shared a conference with Texas.
• With the win, Notre Dame maintains its lead over Texas for the second-most victories in college football history (883 to 881). The Irish continue to be first place all-time for winning percentage at .732 (883-310-42).
• Notre Dame has now shutout its opponent in the first half of three of the last four night games at Notre Dame Stadium (tonight, 2014 vs. Michigan and 2012 vs. Michigan).
• Tonight’s game is just the 12th night game in Notre Dame Stadium history. The Irish are now 10-2 in those contests. The Irish last opened its season at home at night on Sept. 15, 1990 in a 28-24 win over Michigan.
• The Irish did not lose a turnover tonight. Notre Dame is 17-0 under Brian Kelly when not turning the ball over in a game.
• Texas’ third quarter field goal was the first points yielded by the Irish in a home night game over a span of 133:34, dating to a second quarter field goal by USC’s Andre Heidari on Oct. 20, 2013.
• Notre Dame’s 95-yard scoring drive late in the first quarter is ND’s longest drive since a 95-yard scoring drive on Sept. 27, 2014, against Syracuse at MetLife Stadium which was capped by a 23-yard pass to Will Fuller.
• The Irish had two scoring drives of at least 90 yards tonight. That is the first time it has happened under head coach Brian Kelly.
• Tonight’s game is the 244th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish have sold out 292 of its last 293 home games dating back to 1964.

• INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• QB Malik Zaire set numerous career highs in his second career start and first at home. Zaire entered tonight’s game with 266 career passing yards and one TD. He finished with 313 yards and three TD’s. He had 19 completions tonight and had completed only 21 passes in his career entering the contest.
• Zaire’s .864 completion percentage (19 for 22) is second in school history for a single game behind only Steve Beuerlein’s .909 (10 of 11) against Colorado on Sept. 22, 1984.
• Tonight’s game is the fifth time an Irish QB had a 300-yard passing game in the season opener (Terry Hanratty 303 vs. Purdue in 1966, Jarious Jackson 302 vs. Michigan in 1999, Jimmy Clausen 315 vs. Nevada in 2009 and Tommy Rees 346 vs. Temple in 2013).
• Tonight is Fuller’s fourth career multiple-TD game (joining games against Syracuse, North Carolina and Northwestern in 2014). His 66-yard second quarter TD is the third-longest of his career. It’s his fifth career 100-yard receiving game.
• Will Fuller’s two TD grabs give him 18 in his career, tying Maurice Stovall (2002-05) for eighth place in Irish lore.
• Prosise rushing stats. Entering the game, Prosise had 10 career carries for 126 yards and one TD.
• Freshman Josh Adams scored a 14-yard TD on his first career carry. He added a second TD run during the third quarter. It is the first time an Irish freshman running back has ran for two touchdowns in a game since Darius Walker had a pair against Pitt on Nov. 13, 2004.
• Justin Yoon became the first Notre Dame freshman to convert a field goal since Nick Tausch split the uprights twice against Washington State on Oct. 31, 2009 at the Alamodome in the inaugural Shamrock Series game.
• DL Jerry Tillery recorded a sack in his collegiate debut.
• Irish players making their first career starts today were DT Daniel Cage, WR Torii Hunter Jr., LG Quenton Nelson and TE Durham Smythe.
• Irish freshmen making their collegiate debuts tonight include RB Josh Adams, CB Nick Coleman, LB Te’von Coney, DB Nicco Fertitta, TE Alizé Jones, WR, Equinameous St. Brown, PR C.J. Sanders, DL Jerry Tillery, RB Dexter Williams and PK Justin Yoon.