Oct. 7, 2000

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POSTGAME NOTES

Final Score: Notre Dame 20, Stanford 7 (October 7, 2000)

The Irish now lead the series with Stanford 10-5, including a 6-2 record at Notre Dame Stadium. After a stretch from 1989-93 in which the visiting team won every game in the series, the home team has won each of the last five games.

Irish freshman QB Matt LoVecchio has become the 12th of the last 13 Irish QBs starting their first game to lead Notre Dame to victory and the third for the Irish this season. All three of Notre Dame’s wins in 2000 have come with a QB making his first start: Texas A&M (Arnaz Battle), Purdue (Gary Godsey) and Stanford (Matt LoVecchio).

Matt LoVecchio is the first freshman to start at quarterback for the Irish since Kent Graham in 1987 and just the fourth since 1951. Notre Dame has won each of its last five games in which a freshman made his first start at QB:

Nov. 7, 1987 Notre Dame 32, Boston College 25 Kent Graham (6-8 for 111 yards, INT)
Oct. 1, 1983 Notre Dame 27, Colorado 3 Steve Beuerlein (8-12 for 133 yards)
Oct. 11, 1980 Notre Dame 32, Miami 14 Blair Keil (4-17 for 35 yards)
Nov. 17, 1951 Notre Dame 12, North Carolina 7 Ralph Guglielmi

Notre Dame’s win marks its 10th straight victory in October, dating back to a 20-17 loss to USC in ’97.

Stanford has lost consecutive games for the first time since 1998, snapping a string of six consecutive wins following its last six losses.

Notre Dame’s win marks its ninth straight victory following an off week, and the Irish improve to 6-0 under Bob Davie after a bye week. Notre Dame’s previous eight wins following an off week are:

Oct. 30, 1999 Notre Dame 28, Navy 24
Oct. 2, 1999 Notre Dame 34, #23 Oklahoma 30
Oct. 24, 1998 #18 Notre Dame 20, Army 17
Sept. 26, 1998 #23 Notre Dame 31, Purdue 30
Nov. 15, 1997 Notre Dame 24, #11 LSU 6
Nov. 2, 1996 #19 Notre Dame 54, Navy 27
Oct. 12, 1996 #11 Notre Dame 54, #16 Washington 20
Nov. 18, 1995 #8 Notre Dame 44, Air Force 14

The 14 points scored by Stanford are the fewest for the Cardinal against the Irish since scoring 14 points in 1988, a 42-14 Irish win.

A capacity crowd of 80,232 marks the 153rd consecutive sellout in Notre Dame Stadium (the first 130 coming at the old 59,075 capacity). Today’s game marks the 201st home sellout in the last 202 games (back to 1964) and the 123rd sellout in the last 142 games involving Notre Dame, including all five games in 2000, the first 11 games in 1999 and the first 10 games in 1998.

Matt LoVecchio, a native of Franklin Lakes, N.J., is Notre Dame’s first starting quarterback from New Jersey since Joe Theismann (South River, N.J.) in 1968-70 and just the third all-time from the Garden State. Frank Tripucka (Bloomfield, N.J.) also started at quarterback for the Irish during his career from 1945-48.

Matt LoVecchio’s 17-yard TD pass to David Givens marked the first TD pass of LoVecchio’s career and Given’s first TD reception of the season and second of his career.

David Givens is the first Irish wide receiver with two TD receptions in a game since Derrick Mayes in the 1996 Orange Bowl vs. Florida State and the first in the regular season since Mayes against Navy in ’95. Tight end Jabari Holloway caught a pair of TD passes against Purdue in ’98.

LoVecchio was 4-4 passing for 40 yards with three rushes for 17 yards on Notre Dame’s 91-yard drive on its opening possession, the longest Irish drive of the season and longest since a 94-yard drive against Boston College in 1999.

The game-time temperature of 47 degrees marks the lowest for a Notre Dame-Stanford game at Notre Dame Stadium in the last seven of the eight games of the series played at Notre Dame, eclipsing the 52-degree day at the 1964 game on Oct. 24 — a 28-6 Irish win.

Javin Hunter’s 23-yard carry on Notre Dame’s opening drive marked his first carry of the season.

Irish TE Dan O’Leary matched his season reception total (2) on Notre Dame’s first drive with two catches for 17 yards. O’Leary finished the game with 3 catches for 26 yards.

Brian Allen’s 71-yard run in the third quarter marked the longest for an Irish opponent since LSU’s Rondell Mealy had a 78-yard rush in the 1997 Independence Bowl. Allen’s run also marked the longest of his career and Stanford’s longest play of the season.

DeRonnie Pitts touchdown reception marked the 21st of his career, moving him into third all-time in Stanford history.

Brock William’s third-quater interception — that set up Julius Jones’ seven-yard TD run — was the second of his career. His first career interception set up an Irish touchdown against Arizona State in ’98.