Oct. 16, 2010

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery

TODAY’S VICTORY

• Gives the Irish a record of 4-3 for the first time since 1999.
• Gives Notre Dame a three-game winning streak for the first time since Sept. 12-26, 2009.
• Improves the Irish to 3-0-0 (1.000) in the all-time series with Western Michigan.
• Improves Notre Dame to 3-0-0 (1.000) in the all-time series with the Broncos in South Bend and 1-0-0 (1.000) in Notre Dame Stadium.
• Improves the Irish to 5-0-0 (1.000) all-time against the Mid-American Conference.
• Improves Notre Dame to 5-0-0 (1.000) all-time against the Mid-American Conference in home games.
• Improves Kelly’s record to 175-60-2 (.743) overall, 57-25 (.695) at the FBS level and 37-9 (.804) over the last four seasons.
• Improves Kelly’s record to 20-9 (.690) all-time against Mid-American Conference opponents.
• Extends Kelly’s personal winning streak against Mid-American Conference foes to eight.
• Improves Kelly’s record to 4-1 (.800) all-time against Western Michigan.
• Improves the Irish to 56-9-1 (.856) all-time against first-time visitors to Notre Dame Stadium.
• Improves Notre Dame’s all-time record to 841-293-42 (.733).
• Improves the all-time home record for the Irish to 456-115-13 (.792).
• Improves Notre Dame’s all-time record at Notre Dame Stadium to 309-103-5 (.747).

NOTRE DAME AND THE GREAT LAKES STATE

• Notre Dame owns an 84-51-4 all-time record against schools from the Great Lakes State. Other Irish series records vs. teams from Michigan include a 1-0 mark vs. Adrian, 3-1-1 vs. Albion, 4-0 vs. Alma, 2-0 vs. Detroit, 4-0-1 vs. Hillsdale, 7-0 vs. Kalamazoo, 15-22-1 vs. Michigan, 45-28-1 vs. Michigan State and 3-0 vs. Western Michigan.
• Saturday’s game with Western Michigan was the first for Notre Dame against a school from the state of Michigan besides Michigan or Michigan State since 1951. The Irish routed Detroit, 40-6, in Briggs Stadium on Oct. 5, 1951.

NOTRE DAME – WESTERN MICHIGAN SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday’s matchup was the third meeting between Notre Dame and Western Michigan. The Irish now lead the all-time series 3-0.
• Notre Dame blanked the Broncos 53-0 in 1919 and 41-0 in 1920. Both games were played at Cartier Field.

NOTRE DAME VS. MAC

• Saturday’s meeting was the first for the Irish against a member of the Mid-American Conference during the existence of the league.
• Prior to today’s game, Notre Dame had only faced Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Akron, but never as members of the league.
• The Irish blanked Buchtel College (now the University of Akron) in 1910 at Carter Field.
• Notre Dame shutout Miami (Ohio) 46-0 in 1909 at Carter Field.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Western Michigan won the coin toss and elected to defer. The Irish will receive and will defend the North end zone.
• Captains for the game were senior CB Gary Gray and junior QB Dayne Crist.
• Official attendance was 80,795.
• Saturday was the 217th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. Since 1966, every home football game for the Irish has been a sellout except one – a 1973 Thanksgiving Day game vs. Air Force. Notre Dame has now played in front of sellouts in 265 of its last 266 home games.
• Notre Dame forced three Western Michigan turnovers in the first half today. It was the most turnovers forced by the Irish in a half since Oct. 24, 2009 against Boston College. Notre Dame forced four turnovers in the second half against the Eagles.
• Notre Dame scored 14 points off Western Michigan turnovers in the first half. Entering today’s game, the Irish had managed just 13 points on their opponents 10 turnovers this season.
• Notre Dame finished the game with 44 points. It is the most points in a single-game by the Irish since they scored 49 in the 2008 Hawai’I Bowl victory over Hawai’i. The 44 points is the most by Notre Dame in the regular season since posting 44 on Nov. 3, 2007 against Navy.

DEFENSE STEPS UP IN SECOND HALF

• Notre Dame’s defense allowed 17 points, 212 total yards, including 173 in the air, and 13 first downs in the first half.
• The Irish defense allowed three points, 102 total yards, including 104 in the air, and three first downs in the second half
• Notre Dame’s first team defense allowed 32 total yards in the second half on 16 plays over the course of Western Michigan’s first five series after halftime. The Irish also forced a trio of three-and-outs over those five series to open the second half.

IRISH EXPLODE OUT OF THE GAME

• Notre Dame junior QB Dayne Crist found junior WR Michael Floyd open for an 80-yard touchdown pass with 14:48 remaining in the first quarter. The touchdown, just 12 seconds into the contest, was the fastest touchdown by an Irish team since Pete Bercich recorded a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown at the 14:52 mark of the first quarter against Northwestern on Sept. 4, 1993 (only eight seconds into the game).
• The score was the quickest offensive touchdown since Allan Pinkett scored from two yards out just 10 seconds into the first quarter against USC on Oct. 26, 1985. USC fumbled the opening kickoff to help setup the Notre Dame touchdown.
• Notre Dame totaled 27 points in the first half. It was the most points by the Irish in any half since Oct. 31, 2009 against Washington State when Notre Dame scored 30 points in the opening 30 minutes.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE

• Notre Dame surpassed its previous long drive in terms of time of possession on three straight touchdown drives over the Boston College and Pittsburgh games. Each touchdown drive surpassed 4:44 on the game clock. In fact, each of Notre Dame’s last three touchdowns entering today were the longest in terms of time of possession all season.
• Notre Dame’s four touchdown drives in the first half accounted for a total of 2:48 of time possessions. The touchdown drives for the Irish lasted 0:12, 0:08, 1:36 and 0:52. o The Irish entered today’s game with three touchdown drives of less than 1:30. Notre Dame equaled that total in the first half alone.
• Notre Dame recorded four of its six fastest touchdown drives of the season.

• Fastest Drives in 2009
  1.	0:08	1 play, 32 yards vs. Western Michigan
  2.	0:12	1 play, 80 yards vs. Western Michigan
  3.	0:12	2 play, 53 yards vs. Michigan
  4.	0:34	1 play, 91 yards vs. Michigan
  5.	0:38	2 plays, 44 yards vs. Western Michigan
  6.	0:52	4 plays, 44 yards vs. Western Michigan

IRISH ON FOURTH DOWN

• Notre Dame entered today’s game without a fourth down conversions in two attempts. The Irish converted two today against Western Michigan and each resulted in a touchdown (Eifert’s 39-yard TD reception and Floyd’s two-yard TD reception).

FIRST-TIME VISITORS

• Western Michigan was the 66th different team to visit Notre Dame Stadium (since its opening in 1930). Notre Dame owns a 56-9-1 mark (.856) 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 43-6-1 (.870) since 1930 versus teams making their first overall visit to Notre Dame.
• The Notre Dame football program has played home games versus a total of 117 different teams, at primarily old Cartier Field (pre-1930) or Notre Dame Stadium, with an overall home record of 101-12-4 (.880) in games versus all first-time visitors to Notre Dame (regardless of the site).

NOTRE DAME IN OCTOBER

• Notre Dame is 373-89-8 (.802) all-time in October.
• The Irish are 230-47-4 (.826) all-time in October home games.

Dayne Crist, Jr., QB

• Crist has thrown a touchdown pass in all seven of Notre Dame’s games this season and each of his last eight games in an Irish uniform (which includes the 2009 game against Washington State).
• Crist has registered at least two touchdown passes in four of Notre Dame’s seven games this season.
• Crist has thrown three or more touchdown passes in two games this season.
• Crist connected with junior WR Michael Floyd on an 80-yard touchdown reception on Notre Dame’s first offensive play from scrimmage.
• The 80-yard touchdown pass was Crist’s second longest of his career. He hooked up with junior TE Kyle Rudolph for 95 yards against Michigan earlier this season.
• Crist scampered in from nine yards out for a touchdown with 9:16 remaining in the second quarter to give the Irish a 20-7 lead. The touchdown run was Crist’s fourth of the season and career. In fact, the four touchdown runs are the most by an Irish quarterback in a single-season since Jarious Jackson had seven in 1999.
• Crist hooked up with sophomore TE Tyler Eifert on a 39-yard touchdown pass with 2:19 remaining before halftime to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 27-10.
• Crist hooked up with Floyd on a two-yard touchdown pass with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 41-17. The touchdown pass was Crist’s 14th of the season and 15th of his career.

Tyler Eifert, So., TE

• Eifert hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Crist with 2:19 remaining before halftime to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 27-10.
• The reception was the longest of his career and also resulted in his first career touchdown.

Michael Floyd, Jr., WR

• Floyd also surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark for second time this season and 11th time in his career (which ranks third-best all-time).
• Floyd recorded three touchdown receptions for the second time in his career. He had three touchdown catches against Nevada on Sept. 5, 2009.
• Floyd has caught two or more touchdown passes in two games this season and five times in his career.
• Floyd hauled in an 80-yard touchdown reception on Notre Dame’s first offensive play from scrimmage.
• Floyd has now recorded three touchdown catches of at least 70 yards. He registered 70- and 88-yard touchdown receptions against Nevada on Sept. 5, 2009.
• Floyd hooked up with junior WR John Goodman for a 32-yard touchdown reception to give the Irish a 14-7 lead with 14:41 to go in the second quarter.
• Floyd added his third touchdown reception of the game to give Notre Dame a 41-17 lead with 6:34 to go in the third quarter. The touchdown reception was Floyd’s sixth of the season and 22nd of his career. Floyd is now tied with Rhema McKnight (2003-06) and Derrick Mayes (1992-95) for third on the Notre Dame all-time list.

John Goodman, Jr., WR

• Goodman tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to junior WR Michael Floyd to give the Irish a 14-7 lead with 14:41 to go in the second quarter. The touchdown pass was Goodman’s first of the season and career.
• The touchdown pass by Goodman was the first by an Irish non-quarterback since Armando Allen tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to Robby Parris against Michigan State on Sept. 19, 2009.

David Ruffer, Sr., PK

• Ruffer connected on a 33-yard field goal with 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Irish a 44-17 lead.
• Ruffer has now converted 17 straight field goals, which the longest streak in school history.
• Ruffer is 17 of 17 for his career in field goals. The 17 consecutive field goals to open a career is a school record.
• Ruffer’s 17 straight field goals are the longest active streak in the FBS. Joe Phillips of Utah has made 16 straight field goals entering today. The Utes do not kickoff until 6:00 p.m. ET.
• Ruffer has also connected on a field goal in 10 straight games, each game in which he has served as the Irish place kicker (dating back to the Pittsburgh contest in 2009).
• The 10 consecutive games with a field goal is the longest streak by a Notre Dame kicker since Nicholas Setta set the school record with a field goal in 16 straight games (2000-02).

Cierre Wood, So., RB

• Wood galloped 39 yards for a touchdown to give the Irish a 34-17 lead with 12:17 to go in the third quarter. The touchdown scamper was Wood’s first of the season and career. The 39-yard run was the longest by an Irish running back since Robert Hughes rumbled 45 yards at Stanford on Nov. 24, 2007. It was also the longest touchdown run by a Notre Dame running back since Ryan Grant registered a 46-yard touchdown run at Stanford on Nov. 29, 2003.
• Wood set career-high in carries, yards rushing and rushing touchdowns.