Previewing The NavyGame….
The Date: Saturday, November 2, 1996
The Time: 1:00 p.m. in Dublin (8:00 a.m. EST)
The Site: Croke Park (55,000/grass) in Dublin, Ireland.
The Television Plans: CBS Sports national delayed telecast with Tim Ryan(play-by-play), Phil McConkey (analysis), Andrea Joyce(sideline) and Lance Barrow (producer). The game will bebroadcast by CBS at noon EST.
The Radio Plans: For the29th consecutive season Notre Dame football games are broadcastnationally on radio by the Mutual/Westwood One Radio Networkwith Tony Roberts (play-by-play) and Tom Pagna (analysis), whilesports director Larry Michaels serves as pregame and halftimehost. The Mutual Network includes nearly 300 stations and manyof the games receive worldwide exposure on the Armed ForcesRadio Network.
The Injury Report:
PROBABLE:SS A’JaniSanders (medial collateral knee ligament injury vs. Texas, DNPvs. Ohio State, Washington or Air Force), TE Pete Chryplewicz(sprained ankle vs. Air Force).
OUT: FS Jarvis Edison (sprained knee vs. Air Force);OG Mike Rosenthal (broken ankle vs. Air Force, out at least fourweeks)
The Series: Notre Dame vs. Navy: Notre Dameleads it 59-9 (with one tie) in the longest continuousintersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish and Middieshave met every year since 1927 and this marks the 70th straightseason the two teams have squared off. Notre Dame has won 32straight in the series, dating back to 1963 when Roger Staubachhelped Navy defeat Notre Dame 35-14 in Notre Dame Stadium. NotreDame’s 32 straight wins over Navy tie the longest current NCAAstreak by one team over another in a series (tied with 32 byOklahoma over Kansas in 1937-68), but an Irish victory in ’96would hand the mark to Notre Dame by itself. Lou Holtz is 11-0vs. Navy in his career, including a win in ’82 during his tenureat Arkansas.
Navy Midshipmen (4-1) Sept. 7 at Rutgers W 10-6 Sept. 21 SMU W 19-17 Sept. 28 at Boston College L 38-43Oct. 5 DUKE W 64-27 Oct. 12 at Air Force W 20-17Oct. 26 at Wake ForestNov. 2 vs. Notre Dame (Dublin) Nov. 9 Delaware Nov. 16 Tulane Nov. 23 at Georgia Tech Dec. 7 vs. Army
The Last Meeting: Eighth-rated Notre Dame overcame a17-14 third-period deficit and a season-ending injury to QB RonPowlus to defeat Navy 35-17 in ’95 at Notre Dame Stadium. TheIrish defense gave up 303 total yards in the first half — butforced five second-half Navy turnovers and permitted only 14 netrushing yards after halftime to take control. Powlus broke hisleft arm early in the third period, but backup QB Thomas Krugcame on to throw TD passes of 42 and two yards to Derrick Mayeswithin a 1:30 span in the third period. He completed five ofeight throws for 90 yards and the two TDs overall. Freshman TBAutry Denson ran 24 yards for the final Irish points on his wayto a 115-yard rushing effort. LB Lyron Cobbins sparked thedefense with an interception, a recovered fumble and a forcedfumble, while Paul Grasmanis made 13 tackles.
The Head Coach: Lou Holtz is in his 11th season with the Irishwith an overall 212-94-7 (.688) record. His 27-year collegiaterecord includes three years at William & Mary (13-20, .394,1969-71), four at North Carolina State (33-12-3, .719, 1972-75),seven at Arkansas (60-21-2, .394, 1977-83), two at Minnesota(10-12, .455, 1984-85) and 11 at Notre Dame (96-29-2, .764,1986-96). * After Open Dates: Lou Holtz stands 10-2 during hisNotre Dame career coming off open dates — including wins vs. #2Michigan in Ann Arbor in ’89, #19 USC in Los Angeles in ’92, #1Florida State in South Bend in ’93 and #16 Washington in SouthBend in ’96. Holtz’s only losses have come vs. Florida State inOrlando in ’94 and at Pittsburgh in ’87. His career mark afteropen dates is 13-7, including 1-0 at North Carolina State and2-5 at Arkansas (four of those losses to Texas teams ranked #12or higher).
The Air Force Review: Eighth-ranked Notre Dame was held to 67net rushing yards (lowest total during the Lou Holtz era and thesmallest total since 56 vs. Purdue in ’85) as two late turnoversspelled doom for the Irish in a 20-17 overtime win by Air Forcein Notre Dame Stadium. Ron Powlus had his most productive day ofthe season throwing the football, completing his first seventhrows (giving him a Notre Dame record 11 straight completionsdating back to the Washington game when he hit his last four) onhis way to a 16-of-24 day for a season-high 268 yards. But, withthe score tied at 17, the Irish fumbled the ball away afterreaching the Falcon 30 with six minutes left in the game. Then,on the first play of overtime, the Irish fumbled again, and AirForce responded with a 27-yard field goal on third down to winthe game.
Vs. the Top 25: Notre Dame stands 15-8-1 in Notre Dame Stadiumin games played against Associated Press top 25 opponents duringthe Lou Holtz era (compared to 18-12-1 away – including 5-4 inbowls – for 33-20-2 overall in Holtz era).
Playing on the Road: The Irish traditionally have been toughon the road, with Notre Dame’s win at Michigan State in 1994setting an all-time Irish record of 16 straight victories awayfrom home. Since that game, though, Notre Dame stands 6-5-1 onthe road, with wins coming at Purdue, Washington, Army and AirForce in ’95, then Vanderbilt and Texas in ’96.
A Tour Guide: If the Notre Dame traveling party needsdirections in Dublin, it can turn to Irish athletic directorMichael Wadsworth, a Toronto native who spent five years inDublin as Canadian ambassador to Ireland immediately prior tocoming to Notre Dame in 1995.
International Experience: Notre Dame’s only previous footballgame played outside the United States came on Nov. 24, 1979,when the Irish posted a 40-15 win over Miami in the Mirage Bowlplayed at National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo in front of 62,574fans. In that contest, Vagas Ferguson ran 35 times for 177 yardsand three TDs — as Notre Dame completed only one pass (on eightattempts) in the driving rain. Notre Dame’s only otherinternational experience came in 1971 when the Irish freshmanfootball team played in Mexico City, Mexico.
The Travel Plans:
Tuesday, Oct. 29 4:00 p.m. -- Practice in South Bend 7:00 p.m. -- United Limo buses depart for Chicago11:00 p.m. -- World Airways #1700 departs from O'Hare FieldWednesday, Oct. 3012:30 p.m. -- Arrive in Dublin 2:00 p.m. -- Team lunch at Sussex Restaurant; visit to Croke Park (no practice) 2:30 p.m. -- Wicklow tour - Glendolough, tour of countryside through Sally Gap 6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings Thursday, Oct. 31 1:00 p.m. -- Practice at RDS Showgrounds (closed to public) 3:00 p.m. -- Centre City bus tour, including St. Patrick's, Dublin Castle, Henry Street Market, General Post Office 6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings Friday, Nov. 111:00 a.m. -- Depart for UCD for lecture or Trinity 1:00 p.m. -- Parade around St. Stephen's Green involving Notre Dame and Navy bands 3:00 p.m. -- Practice at Croke Park (open to public) 6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings 7:00 p.m. -- Pep rally at RDS Center arena Saturday, Nov. 210:00 a.m. -- Team departs for Croke Park 1:00 p.m. -- Notre Dame vs. Navy Sunday, Nov. 3 12 p.m. -- World Airways #1701 departs for Chicago 2:00 p.m. -- Arrive Chicago's O'Hare Field 7:00 p.m. -- United Limo buses arrive on campus
Notre Dame’s team and official party will headquarter at the Hotel Burlington (011)353-1-660-5222. Notre Dame contacts staying there are JohnHeisler and Mike Enright.
More Notes on Dublin: This marks the third college game playedin Dublin following a Boston College win over Army (38-24) in1988 and a Pittsburgh win over Rutgers (45-29) in 1989, bothplayed at Lansdown Stadium . . . The Notre Dame Alumni FlagFootball team will take on Navy’s alumni team at 3:00 p.m. Nov.1 in Dublin at the RDS Showgrounds . . . For Croke Park, thismarks the first time a non-Gaelic sporting event has been playedthere . . . The Navy-Notre Dame contest is expected to be thelargest single tourist event ever in Ireland, with more than8,000 tour packages sold in the United States and more than10,000 fans expected from overseas . . . The Notre Dametraveling party will include 85 players and 125 band members.
The Banquet: Former Irish football All-American Chris Zorich,now with the Chicago Bears, will serve as guest speaker at the77th annual Notre Dame Football Banquet. The banquet, sponsoredby the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley, will be held onFriday, December 6, 1996, in the north dome of the Joyce Centeron the University of Notre Dame campus. A reception on theconcourse begins at 5:45 p.m. EST and the dinner begins at 7:00p.m., with Notre Dame athletic director Mike Wadsworth slated toserve as master of ceremonies. Tickets are $33 each and areavailable only by mail. Checks should be made payable toUniversity of Notre Dame Football Banquet and should be mailedto Ticket Office, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Ticketswill be mailed approximately one week prior to the banquet. Anyquestions should be directed to the Notre Dame athleticdepartment at 219-631-6107. In addition to the dinner, allsenior members of the ’96 Irish team will be available forautographs on the concourse during the reception. There alsowill be a silent auction of Notre Dame football photographs andmemorabilia during the reception. Zorich, out for the entire’96 season due to a preseason knee injury, has been a starterfor the Bears at defensive tackle each of the last threeseasons. He’s a 1991 Notre Dame graduate who won the LombardiAward in 1990 as the top interior lineman in college footballand was a two-time All-American.
NCAA Stat Rankings This Week: Through games of Oct. 19, 1996
TEAM RANKINGS (top 50 rankings only)Category Notre Dame Navy Rushing Offense 18th at 219.2 5th at 275.6 Passing Offense 50th at 210.3 Total Offense 22nd at 429.5 50th at 369.8 Scoring Offense 47th at 27.2 33rd at 30.2 Rushing Defense 41st at 133.5 30th at 116.8 Pass Eff. Defense 17th at 98.62 Total Defense 12th at 274.0 32nd at 316.2 Scoring Defense 23rd at 16.7 50th at 22.0Net Punting 24th at 38.7 Punt Returns 44th at 10.5 20th at 13.9 Kickoff Returns 20th at 23.4 Turnover Margin 5th at +1.4 (15 gained, 8 lost) INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS (top 50 rankings only)Rushing Autry Denson Chris McCoy 45th at 86.83 18th at 110.0 Passing Efficiency Ron Powlus 30th at 131.4Total Offense Ron Powlus 40th at 203.5Punting Hunter Smith 23rd at 43.85 Field Goals Jim Sanson Tom Vanderhorst 41st at 1.00 26th at 1.25 All-Purpose Running Autry Denson 48th at 124.0 Scoring Chris McCoy 28th at 8.4 Punt Returns Ross Scott 19th at 13.86 Kickoff Returns Enrico Hunter 17th at 24.71
The Rankings – Here’s where Notre Dame has stood in the polls during the ’96 season: Date Associated Press USA Today/CNN Preseason 6th 7th Aug. 25 6th no poll Sept. 1 6th 7th Sept. 8 9th 10th Sept. 15 9th 9thSept. 22 5th 5th Sept. 29 11th 14th Oct. 6 11th 12th Oct. 13 8th 9th Oct. 20 19th 20th
Lou Holtz File:Career Record (Years) — 212-94-7 (27th)Record at ND (Years) — 96-29-2 (11th)By Site ND Home Games 49-13-1 ND Road Games 47-16-1 By Month ND August Games 1-0-0 ND September Games 32-7-1 ND October Games 35-8-0 ND November Games 23-10-1 ND January Games 5-4-0 By Margin ND decided by a TD or less 20-17-2ND decided by a FG or less 8-11-2 Score At The End Of Quarters ND leads after one quarter 64-9-2 ND leads at the half 70-10-1 ND leads after three quarters 82-5-1 By First Score ND scores first 65-14-2 Opponent scores first 31-15-0 All-Time ND Coaching Wins Rk Name Seasons Wins 1. Knute Rockne 13 105 2. Lou Holtz 11 96 3. Ara Parseghian 11 95 4. Frank Leahy 11 87 5. Dan Devine 6 53 All Time ND Games Coached Rk Name Games Coached 1. Lou Holtz 127 2. Knute Rockne 122 3. Ara Parseghian 116 4. Frank Leahy 107
Winningest Active NCAA Division I-A Coaches Rk Name Wins 1. Joe Paterno, Penn State 278 2. Bobby Bowden 259 3. Tom Osborne, Nebraska 231 4. LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young 214 5. Hayden Fry, Iowa 213 6. Lou Holtz, Notre Dame 208 7. Jim Sweeney, Fresno State 196 8. Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh 181 9. Don Nehlen, West Virginia 168 10. Al Molde, Western Michigan 166Note: Numbers entering the 1996 season. Ron Powlus File: G-GS PA-PC TD-Int. Pct. Yds.1994 11-11 222-119 19-9 .536 17291995 10-10 217-124 12-7 .571 1853 1996 6-6 154-88 6-3 .571 1197 Total 27-27 583-331 37-19 .567 47791994 Game-By-Game Game PA-PC TD-Int. Yds.*Northwestern 24-18 4-0 291 *Michigan 27-15 2-0 187 *Michigan State 30-10 2-4 161 *Purdue 14-9 1-0 111 *Stanford 14-11 3-0 166 *Boston College 21-5 0-2 50 *BYU 22-12 1-1 212 *Navy 8-4 2-0 126*Florida State 22-9 1-2 83 *Air Force 18-13 2-0 227 *USC 22-13 1-0 115 1995 Fiesta Bowl*Colorado 34-18 3-1 259 1995 Game-By-GameGame PA-PC TD-Int. Yds. *Northwestern 26-17 0-0 175 *Purdue 25-17 4-2 252 *Vanderbilt 18-13 0-0 200 *Texas 28-16 2-1 273 *Ohio State 26-13 0-1 243 *Washington 28-12 2-1 197 *Army 19-8 1-1 189 *USC 29-18 1-1 189 *Boston College 10-6 1-0 71 *Navy 8-4 1-0 64 Air Force DNP 1996 Orange Bowl Florida State DNP1996 Game-By-Game Game PA-PC TD-Int. Yds.*Vanderbilt 32-19 0-0 216 *Purdue 32-19 1-1 238*Texas 24-13 1-0 127 *Ohio State 30-13 1-2 154*Washington 12-8 3-0 194 *Air Force 24-16 0-0 268 *games startedRecord BookMost Single-Season Touchdown Passes — 19, 1994 Most Single-Game Touchdown Passes — 4 vs. Northwestern, 1994; vs. Purdue, 1995 Most Career Passing Yards Per Game — 177.0 (4,779 yards in 27 games), 1994-96Most Career Touchdown Passes Per Game — 1.37 (37 in 27 games), 1994-96ND Career Passing ChartsCareer Passing Yards Name Number 1. Steve Beuerlein 65272. Rick Mirer 5997 3. Ron Powlus 4779Career Pass Attempts Name Number 1. Steve Beuerlein 8502. Rick Mirer 698 3. Blair Kiel 609 4. Ron Powlus 583Career Pass Completions Name Number 1. Steve Beuerlein 4732. Rick Mirer 377 3. Ron Powlus 331Career Completion Percentage Name Pct. 1. Kevin McDougal .622 2. Joe Theismann .570 3. Ron Powlus .568 4. Steve Beuerlein .556 5. Tom Clements .541Career Touchdown Passes Name Number 1. Rick Mirer 41 2. Ron Powlus 37 3. Joe Theismann 31
Stats and Rankings Through Six Games: Notre Dame’s 19 TDdrives in ’96 have averaged 67.2 yards and 7.3 plays each, withtwo of the drives vs. Purdue covering 90 and 92 yards. AgainstTexas, the Irish ran seven or more plays on eight of their 11possessions. Against Washington, the Irish had four TD drives of80 or more yards. Here are a few measures of how effective NotreDame’s defense has been so far in ’96: — Against Vanderbilt,the Irish limited Vandy to one drive of more than five plays(that was eight), 10 of the Commodore 14 possessions producedsix yards or less and three produced negative yardage. –Against Purdue, the Irish held the Boilers to seven straightdrives producing nine yards or less at one stretch, limitedPurdue to only one drive of more than six plays and produced twowith negative yardage. — Against Texas, the Irish held theLonghorns to eight of 11 possessions with seven or fewer plays,three drives with negative yardage and six possessions producing16 yards or less (including only 111 net yards in the secondhalf). — Against Ohio State, the Irish held the Buckeyes toeight drives of 21 yards or less (including only 108 net yards,five first downs and two pass completions in the second half).– Against Washington, the Irish produced five sacks, limitedthe Huskies to 12 completions on 35 pass attempts and didn’tpermit Washington to make its second first down until sixminutes remained in the first half. — Against Air Force, theIrish limited the Falcons to 51 passing yards.
Irish Items:
* Notre Dame has played in front of capacitycrowds in 84 of its last 95 games, including 22 of the previous23 prior to a less-than-capacity crowd in the ’96 Orange Bowlvs. Florida State. Both the crowds at Vanderbilt and Texas in’96 were record figures for those stadia.
* The 1998 NotreDame-Navy football game is headed for the Washington Redskins’new 78,600-seat stadium to open in 1997 in Prince George’sCounty, Maryland.
* During the Lou Holtz era, Notre Dame hasreturned 12 kickoffs, 12 punts (one blocked), 14 interceptionsand three fumbles for touchdowns — compared to only one punt (in’86) and three interceptions for opponents.
* The Irish havescored right before the end of the first half in three of theirsix games to date: Vanderbilt – Notre Dame took over at its ownthree with 4:19 left and drove 82 yards in 14 plays to a 33-yardJim Sanson field goal with :05 left in the first half. Purdue -Notre Dame took over at its own 44 with :43 left and drove 56yards in five plays, with Autry Denson catching a 10-yard TDpass from Ron Powlus with :02 left in the first half. Texas -Notre Dame took over at its own 37 with 2:37 left and drove 63yards in seven plays, with Powlus throwing to Marc Edwards for athree-yard score with :27 left in the first half.
* Notre Damehas held 22 of its last 47 opponents to 100 or less rushingyards, including Vanderbilt (two yards) and Purdue (44 yards) in1996.
* Notre Dame’s rushing attack has ranked 20th or betternationally nine years running under Holtz:
Year Rushing Avg. NCAA Rank Rushing TDs 1986 189.4 33rd 18 1987 252.1 14th 33 1988 258.0 11th 30 1989 287.7 8th 42 1990 250.3 12th 33 1991 268.0 5th 31 1992 280.9 3rd 34 1993 260.7 6th 36 1994 215.6 20th 18 1995 233.5 6th 29*1996 219.2 18th 12*through 6 games
Scouting the Irish Offense:
LINE — Notre Dame prospects upfront boded well for a solid running game in ’96, despite thegraduation loss of veterans Dusty Zeigler and Ryan Leahy from ayear ago. With four of five ’96 starters tipping the scales atbetter than 300 pounds, the Irish depend on the experience ofsenior tackles Mike Doughty (24 career starts) and ChrisClevenger (21 career starts), senior guard Jeremy Akers (20career starts), sophomore guard Mike Rosenthal (a futureall-star for the Irish, he switched from tackle to become astarter at guard — though he broke his left ankle vs. Air Forceand is lost for a month) and senior center Rick Kaczenski (17consecutive starts). Plus, Doughty, Clevenger and Kaczenski allhave another year of eligibility available, should they chooseto apply for it. Akers started at LG vs. Vanderbilt in theopener, sophomore Jerry Wisne got the nod vs. Purdue, then Akersreturned to the starting lineup vs. Texas, Ohio State,Washington and Air Force — though Wisne played extensively vs.the Buckeyes. Look for Alex Mueller to fill in in Rosenthal’sabsence.
BACKS — The Irish boast a blue-chip parade of backs,led by QB Ron Powlus (“He’s the best quarterback I’ve beenaround,” says Lou Holtz of Powlus, who needs five TD passes tobreak Rick Mirer’s Irish career record of 41; he’s 88 of 154 for1197, 6 TDs, 3 ints. in ’96), TB Randy Kinder (Notre Dame’seighth-best career rusher at 2,204 yards; he missed Vanderbiltand Purdue games with pulled right quadricep, then returned tohelp with 51 yards on eight carries vs. Texas, then 11 for 60and 1 TD vs. Washington) and Robert Farmer (27 for 177, 2 TDs,including 10 for 41 vs. Vanderbilt in first career start, an18-yard TD run on his only first-half carry vs. Texas — then 7for 68 and a TD vs. Washington) and unselfish FB Marc Edwards(1,476 career rushing yards; top returning receiver from ’95with 25 for 361, 3 TDs; 67 for 266, 4 TDs rushing in ’96; 13catches for 153, 2 TDs in ’96). The Irish started sophomoreAutry Denson at flanker vs. Vanderbilt, but the loss of Kinderand seven fumbles overall vs. Vanderbilt (four lost) promptedthe Irish to move him to TB to start beginning vs. Purdue. Heremains the leading Irish rusher (105 for 521, 4 TDs; 8 catchesfor 102, 1 TD) after carrying for a career-high 158 yards vs.Texas, including a six-yard scoring run on fourth down to tiethe game at 24 in the fourth period. He added his fifth career100-yard effort vs. Washington with 14 for 137 and one score.
RECEIVERS — If Notre Dame had a question mark on offense cominginto ’96, it was at the wide receiver slots, especiallyfollowing the loss of big-play artist Derrick Mayes from thesplit end spot. Senior split end starter Emmett Mosley is themost experienced of the wide receivers, with 38 career catchesto his credit (14 for 176 in ’96, including 6 for 55 vs.Vanderbilt; 17 for 268 in ’95). Also in the wide receiver mixare junior Malcolm Johnson (18 for 290, 1 TD after making hisfirst career starts at SE vs. Purdue, Texas, Ohio State,Washington and Washington), and freshman Raki Nelson (6 for 68).Sophomore Shannon Stephens moved over to receiver from thesecondary two weeks into the season and had three catches for 93yards and a TD vs. Washington, then two for 32 vs. Air Force.Tight end is a strong point, with potential all-star PeteChryplewicz (18 for 215, 2 TDs, including a career-high 5 vs.Purdue for 52, then 3 for 41, 2 TDs vs. Washington, 3 for 70 vs.Air Force; 17 for 204, 1 TD in ’95) returning.
Scouting the Irish Defense:
LINE — Fifth-year veteran endRenaldo Wynn (34 career starts), probably Notre Dame’s mostconsistent defensive player in ’95 (32 tackles, 4.5 sacks, threetackles for loss, including 8 tackles, 2 sacks vs. Washington),is joined by two players who did not play at all in ’95. SeniorDE Melvin Dansby (made first career start vs. Vanderbilt and had5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a shared sack — then had 7tackles and a stop for loss vs. Purdue, registered seven tacklesvs. Washington, then 10 vs. Air Force) missed all of ’95 afterMay ’95 neck surgery but possesses all-star potential. NoseguardAlton Maiden (4 tackles vs. Purdue, 8 vs. Ohio State, 9 vs. AirForce) missed the ’95 campaign while improving his academicstanding and has been the starter at that spot in all of ’96.
LINEBACKERS — Notre Dame appears in great shape here, withseniors Lyron Cobbins (21 career starts; Notre Dame’s leadingtackler, interceptor and fumble recoverer in ’95; made keyinterception in final minutes vs. Texas to set up tying TD;leads team with 52 tackles overall in ’96 including team-high 12vs. Ohio State and team-hiogh 13 vs. Air Force) and Kinnon Tatum(team-leading 8 tackles vs. Purdue, team-high 11 vs. Texas, 8vs. Air Force; second on Irish with 47 tackles in ’96; 77tackles in ’95) inside, to go with senior Bert Berry(team-leading 5.5 sacks in ’96; 7 tackles, 2 sacks vs.Vanderbilt; 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss vs. Purdue; 6tackles, a PBU and TFL vs. Texas; 7 tackles, 2/5 sacks and 2 PBUvs. Air Force; 29 career starts) and sophomore Kory Minor(started 11 games as freshman in ’95) outside. All four arereturning standouts and should have major impacts in ’96. Amongothers slated to make solid contributions are sophomores BobbieHoward inside and Lamont Bryant outside.
BACKS — Like the widereceiving corps on offense, Notre Dame’s question on defense isin the secondary. Small but sticky junior CB regulars AllenRossum (11 tackles vs. Texas; two int. returns for TDs in ’95)and Ivory Covington (10 tackles vs. Texas; made game-savingtackle on late two-point attempt by Army in ’95) anchor thegroup. Neither FS starter Jarvis Edison (7 tackles vs. Purdue; 1int. vs. Vanderbilt; he scored a TD vs. Vanderbilt in ’95 afterpicking up a fumble on a kickoff) nor sophomore SS A’JaniSanders (caused a fumble vs. Vanderbilt; 4 tackles, 2 PBU vs.Purdue) had started a game before the ’96 opener — and theVanderbilt game marked Sanders’ first-ever game appearance.However, the Irish looked to Benny Guilbeaux at strong safetyafter Sanders suffered a knee ligament injury early vs. Texas,though Sanders is listed as probable for this week vs. Navy.Guilbeaux made his first career start vs. Ohio State andresponded with seven solo tackles, then added 10 vs. Air Force.With Shannon Stephens moving to wide receiver and Deke Cooperswitching to free safety, the Irish now have only seven healthydefensive backs on scholarship. Cooper earned the starts at FSvs. Washington and Air Force, with Edison bothered by backspasms and a sprained knee, and responded with an interceptionon the third play from scrimmage vs. Washington.
Scouting the Irish Kicking Game: Punter Hunter Smith had anaverage rookie season in ’95 (36.4 average) but has improvedthose numbers to 43.85 so far in ’96. Placekicker Scott Cengia(10 of 14 in career FGs) held a slight edge in that categoryover freshman Jim Sanson coming into the season, but it wasCengia who missed an early FG attempt vs. Vanderbilt and Sansonwho came on to connect from 32 and 33 yards. Then Sanson tookcenter stage with his game-winning 39-yarder vs. Texas as timeran out. He added a 26-yarder vs. Ohio State and a 27-yarder vs.Washington, leaving him at six of eight for ’96. Kickoffreturner Allen Rossum (his 99-yard return vs. Purdue marked thefourth-longest in Irish history — and his second career puntreturn vs. Air Force went for 57 yards and a TD) is the fastestman on the Irish roster (’95 NCAA indoor track All-American inthe 55 meters), while Autry Denson augments his all-purpose roleby returning punts. Look for Emmett Mosley to help at bothspots.
The Spread Offense: Irish coach Lou Holtz unveiled a spreadoffense against Florida State in the ’96 Orange Bowl anddelivered on his promise to offer it again in ’96. Drawbacks toits developments were the absence of QB Ron Powlus during springdrills and the lack of a proven receiving corps. Even now, Holtzsays one key to its potential use is the productivity atreceiver. Holtz’s interest in the offense is based onutilization of Powlus’ talents — as well as the ability to makeuse of the formations without requiring substitutions. The Irishused the attack extensively vs. Purdue, with 10 differentreceivers catching balls. However, the Irish turned back to therunning game vs. Washington, grinding out 397 yards on theground. Says Holtz, “We are a better football team playing theway we did against Washington than the way we tried to playearlier in the year.”
The Kinder Chart:
Here’s where Notre Dame veteran TB Randy Kinder stands on the Irish career rushing chart:
Notre Dame All-Time Rushing Leaders
Rank Name Years Att. Yards Avg. TD1. Allen Pinkett 1982-85 889 4131 4.6 492. Vagas Ferguson 1976-79 673 3472 5.2 323. Jerome Heavens 1975-78 590 2682 4.5 154. Phil Carter 1979-82 557 2409 4.3 45. George Gipp 1917-20 369 2341 6.3 216. Tony Brooks 1987-91 423 2274 5.4 127. Emil Sitko 1946-49 362 2226 6.1 258. Randy Kinder 1993- 385 2204 5.8 169. Neil Worden 1951-53 476 2039 4.3 2910. Lee Becton 1991-94 347 2029 5.8 1211. Mark Green 1985-88 382 1977 5.2 15
1,005 Games and Counting: As Notre Dame played its 1,000thgame in history in the Vanderbilt opener, here’s a quick reviewof just some of the numbers the Irish have posted since an 8-0setback to Michigan on November 23, 1887.
* Notre Dame leads thenation in winning percentage at .760 through 107 seasons. Infact the gap between the Irish and second place Michigan (.743)is the widest difference between any consecutive schools in thetop 10. If Notre Dame, which hasn’t lost three consecutiveregular season games in Lou Holtz’s 10 seasons, lost 17consecutive games and Michigan won 17 consecutive games, theIrish still would lead the all-time NCAA standings.
* Notre Dameis tied with Oklahoma and Alabama for the most nationalchampionships won with 11. No other school has more than eightnational titles. * In 107 previous seasons, Notre Dame has had12 perfect seasons, 22 undefeated seasons and 28 seasons wherethe Irish suffered just one loss. In 50 of 107 seasons NotreDame has not lost more than one game.
* Notre Dame leads thenation in consensus All-Americans with 77 (24 more than anyother school) and Heisman Trophy winners with seven.
* Since1981, Notre Dame has led the nation in football graduationpercentage five times and is the only school to have beenawarded special recognition by the College Football Associationevery season since 1982.
New Faces/Three New Coaches:
There are three new faces on the Notre Dame coaching staff for ’96:
Receiver coach Urban Meyer –an ’86 Cincinnati graduate, Meyer was previously at ColoradoState for the past six seasons.
Graduate assistant Justin Hall –a former Notre Dame offensive lineman who graduated in 1993. Hespent the ’95 season as offensive line coach at Hiram (Ohio)College.
Graduate assistant Jay Sawvel — a ’93 graduate of MountUnion (Ohio) College, he spent the previous two years as agraduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky.
Fifth-Year Players:Notre Dame has seven fifth-year players on its team this year.They are: OG Jeremy Akers, ILB Joe Babey, TE Kevin Carretta, TEPete Chryplewicz, NG David Quist, OLB Bill Wagasy and DE RenaldoWynn. All seven players have earned their undergraduate degreesand are currently enrolled in graduate work. Chryplewicz is inthe unique position to earn five monograms during his career.The tight end played in just two games during ’94 because of awrist injury, but did earn a monogram for the season. Otherplayers to earn five monograms in Irish history include currentNotre Dame graduate assistant Justin Hall (1988-92) anddefensive back Randy Harrison (1974-78).
Fighting Irish Captains: Notre Dame has three senior captainsfor the ’96 season: quarterback Ron Powlus, linebacker LyronCobbins and fullback Marc Edwards.
Stadium Expansion: Notre Dame Stadium is currently undergoingan expansion and renovation which will put the capacity of thefacility at 80,990 — an addition of nearly 22,000 seats from thecurrent capacity of 59,075. The expansion, which will becompleted for the 1997 home opener against Georgia Tech, is a21-month project which cost a total of $50 million — all raisedthrough bond sales. Casteel Construction, Inc. of South Bend isthe general contractor, while Ellerbe Beckett, Inc., of KansasCity is the architect. The expansion will include a newthree-story press box, a new natural grass field, expandedlocker rooms for Notre Dame and visiting teams. The Notre Damefootball team will permanently be housed in the stadium anddress there for all practices and games. A new, expandedtraining room also will be added to the Stadium. The ’96campaign features use of the same 59,075 seats, though theconcrete structures supporting the new sections already are inplace and in full view. Construction has eliminated 750 parkingspaces in the areas surrounding the Stadium, and access toseating sections during the ’96 season comes throughnewly-created entrances at the four corners of the Stadium.
The StadiumCam: The Notre Dame Office of InformationTechnologies has a web site athttp://www.nd.edu/~jeremy/stadium/ that is better known as”Stadiumcam.” Under the direction of Jeremy McCarty and TomMonaghan, two consultants and analysts in the Office ofUniversity Computing, this site features an up-to-date image ofthe expansion of Notre Dame Stadium. The site is updated everyfive minutes during the day and every half hour at night. Thedepartments of computer science and electrical engineering havea site at http://lisa.ee.nd.edu/DomeCam/, which gives you a lookat the Gold Dome of the Main Building, which is viewable 24hours a day. For information on all facets of Notre Dame, thehome page is at http://www.nd.edu/.
Holtz Passes Career Games Coached Record: Notre Dame headcoach Lou Holtz passed a significant milestone in the Irish winSept. 14 against Purdue. When the Irish took the field againstthe Boilers, it marked Holtz’s 123rd game as head coach at NotreDame. The previous record for games coached at Notre Dame was122 by Knute Rockne between 1918-30. The Irish players presentedHoltz with a framed game program cover, ticket and presscredential in the locker room after the game. Holtz is currentlysecond in career wins at Notre Dame with 96 (96-29-2 overall),while Rockne had 105. Holtz is in his 11th year in charge of theIrish program and has a 212-94-7 career record in 26 seasons. Heled the Irish to the ’88 national championship and has broughtNotre Dame to traditional New Year’s Day bowl games in each ofthe last nine years (five wins). His collegiate mark alsoincludes stints at William & Mary (13-20 from 1969-71), NorthCarolina State (33-12-3 from 1972-75), Arkansas (60-21-2 from1977-83) and Minnesota (10-12 from 1984-85).
The Schedule:Notre Dame’s 1996 slate brings up a few trendsand notes of interest:
* After taking on the most difficultschedule in the country in ’95 according to the NCAA — andrecording wins over ranked opponents Texas, Washington and USC –Notre Dame’s ’96 agenda includes assignments against five teamsthat played in bowl games following the ’95 season. The ’96Irish agenda ranked 31st in difficulty in the NCAA’s ’96preseason charts. USC (9-2-1 and Rose Bowl champion), Texas(10-2-1 and a Sugar Bowl appearance), Ohio State (11-2 and aCitrus Bowl appearance), Washington (7-4-1 and a Sun Bowlappearance) and Air Force (8-5 and a Copper Bowl appearance) allqualified for ’95 postseason action. 1996 Irish opponents whofinished in the final Associated Press top 25 for ’95 are OhioState (sixth), USC (12th) and Texas (14th).
* There are only twonew names on the ’96 schedule — with Pittsburgh (2-9 in ’95) andRutgers (4-7 in ’95) replacing Northwestern (10-2 in ’95) andArmy (5-5-1 in ’95). Pitt returns to the schedule after atwo-year absence, but the Panthers have played Notre Dame 55previous times. The only other time Notre Dame and Rutgers metcame in 1921.
Irish Finish 11th in Sears Directors’ Cup:
A nationalchampionship in women’s soccer and a runnerup finish at themen’s and women’s NCAA combined fencing team championship helpedNotre Dame place 11th in the 1995-96 Sears Directors’ Cupcompetition. Irish athletic teams also earned an 11th-placefinish in the inaugural 1993-94 competition and were 30th in1994-95. The Sears Directors’ Cup, sponsored by the NationalAssociation of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) andpromoted by USA Today, annually recognizes the top Division Ischools in 22 sports — nine for men, nine for woman plus twowild card sports for both men and women. Stanford won the1995-96 competition followed by UCLA, Florida and Texas. NotreDame’s finish was the highest of any school in the BIG EASTConference. In 1995-96, Notre Dame enjoyed more success as anall-around athletic program. The fall season saw the women’ssoccer team win the NCAA championship and the football teamadvance to its ninth straight appearance in a New Year’s Daybowl game. In addition, the women’s volleyball and men’s crosscountry teams participated in NCAA postseason play. The women’sbasketball team played in the NCAA tournament and the men’s andwomen’s fencing team finished second at the NCAA tournamentduring the winter months. The spring season was highlighted by atrip to the NCAA quarterfinals by the women’s tennis team andNCAA appearances by the softball, lacrosse and baseball teams.In addition, representatives from men’s and women’s track,women’s swimming and men’s tennis took part in NCAA play. NotreDame offers 25 different sports at the varsity level. Women’slacrosse is making its debut this year, while women’s crew willbe added to the list of Notre Dame sports for the ’97-’98academic year.
Honors and Awards:
Here are honors and awards won by members of the ’96 Irish squad: OG Jeremy Akers
* ESPN/Honda Scholar Athlete of the Week Award vs. Vanderbilt, including $3,000 award to general scholarship fund * Burger King Scholar-Athlete Award presented vs. Washington, including $10,000 award to generalscholarship fund OLB Bert Berry
* One of 65 preliminarycandidates for the 1996 Butkus Award presented to the topcollege linebacker in the country TE Pete Chryplewicz
* NBCSports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Air Force (3 catches for 70yards) ILB Lyron Cobbins
* One of 65 preliminary candidates forthe 1996 Butkus Award presented to the top college linebacker inthe country TB Autry Denson
* NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre DameMVP vs. Purdue (15 rushes for 66 yards 2 TDs; 3 catches for 61yards, 1 TD) * ABC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Texas (24rushes for career-high 158 yards, 1 TD) FB Marc Edwards * NBC
Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Ohio State (scored bothIrish TDs on 9-yard run and 2-yard pass form Ron Powlus) * Nominee for Doak Walker Award presented to the top collegerunning back in the nation OLB Kory Minor
* One of 65preliminary candidates for the 1996 Butkus Award presented tothe top college linebacker in the country QB Ron Powlus
* One of11 candidates for Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Awardpresented to top college quarterback in the nation OffensiveLine * NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Washington (397rushing yards, 650 total yards)
Inside The 20 In 1996
Here’s what has happened during the 1996 season when Notre Dame and its opponents moved inside the opposing 20-yard line:
Notre DameVanderbilt Missed FG, FG, FG, TD 3 of 4Purdue TD, Interception, TD, TD, Missed FG, TD 4 of 6 Texas FG, TD, TD, TD 3 of 4Ohio State TD, FG, TD 3 of 3Washington TD, TD, TD, game ended 3 of 4 Air Force FG, Missed FG, TD 2 of 3TOTAL 19 of 24 (.792) on 14 TDs, 5 FGs, 3 Missed FGs, 1 Int., 1 Game EndedOpponentsVanderbilt None 0 of 0Purdue Missed Field Goal 0 of 1 Texas TD, TD, TD 3 of 3Ohio State TD, TD, FG, TD, TD 5 of 5Washington TD, TD, Missed FG, TD 3 of 4 Air Force FG, TD 2 of 2TOTAL 13 of 15 (.867) on 11 TDs, 2 FG, 2 Missed FGs
Back To Culver: For the second straight season, the Notre Damefootball team returned to the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee and theCulver Academies in Culver, Ind., for some of its ’96 preseasonpractice. The Irish arrived at Culver August 16, then beganpractice the next day on the first day the Irish could practicein pads. Notre Dame returned to campus following two practicesat Culver August 22. In 1995, head coach Lou Holtz took theIrish off-campus for the first time in the history of theprogram for 10 days of preseason practice at Culver. The CulverAcademics are located approximately 40 miles south of SouthBend.
43 Former Irish Appear on ’96 NFL Rosters:Notre Dame has nine more of its former football players participating in the National Football League in 1996 than any other college or university. Forty-three former Notre Dame football players appeared on ’96 opening day active rosters of NFL teams, according to figures released by the league. Notre Dame placed more players on opening-day rosters than any other school — with Miami second with 34, followed by Tennessee (33), and Florida State and Penn State (32 each). Here are the former Fighting Irish now active in the pros (R indicates rookie):
ARIZONA CARDINALS — TE Oscar McBride, LB Devon McDonald; BUFFALO BILLS — CB Jeff Burris, OL Dusty Zeigler (R); CAROLINA PANTHERS — QB Steve Beuerlein, S Pat Terrell, FL Raghib Ismail, RB Anthony Johnson; CHICAGO BEARS — DT Jim Flanigan, DT Paul Grasmanis (R), T Andy Heck; DETROIT LIONS — LB Scott Kowalkowski; GREEN BAY PACKERS — P Craig Hentrich, G-T Lindsay Knapp, SE Derrick Mayes (R), G Aaron Taylor. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — S Travis Davis, TE Derek Brown; KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — WR Lake Dawson, C Tim Grunhard; MIAMI DOLPHINS — C Tim Ruddy, CB Shawn Wooden (R); MINNESOTA VIKINGS — LB Pete Bercich, S Rod Smith; NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — TE Irv Smith, RB Ray Zellars; OAKLAND RAIDERS — WR Tim Brown; PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — RB Ricky Watters, CB Bobby Taylor; PITTSBURGH STEELERS — DT Oliver Gibson, RB Jerome Bettis. ST. LOUIS RAMS — LB Cedric Figaro, CB Todd Lyght; SAN DIEGO CHARGERS — K John Carney, CB Willie Clark; SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — LB Anthony Peterson, DE Junior Bryant, DT Bryant Young; SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — QB Rick Mirer; TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — LB Demetrius DuBose, RB Reggie Brooks; WASHINGTON REDSKINS — CB Tom Carter, OL Bob Dahl.
Media Policies the Holtz Conferences: Irish coach Lou Holtz’sweekly teleconference-style press conferences are available viasatellite on Tuesday prior to each Notre Dame game in 1996 onGalaxy 9, Transponder 22H. They are held at 1:00 p.m. EST at theWNDU Studios (on Bus. 31 on the west edge of campus) in SouthBend. A light lunch is served beginning at noon, and at leastone Irish player generally is available for interviews betweennoon and 1:00 p.m. Out-of-town media can connect to theconference via phone to listen and ask questions, or obtainsatellite coordinates, by calling Notre Dame SID John Heisler at219-631-7516.
Transcriptions: Exact transcriptions of Lou Holtz’s pressconferences on both Tuesdays and Sundays again are available in’96. They are available both at the Notre Dame sportsinformation department and through the FAX on demand system.
The Host Football Review: Host Communications offers a two-hourdelayed replay of each of Notre Dame’s home games in 1996. Thereplays are available in most major markets, either viaSportsChannel’s various systems or over-the-air syndication,including WNDU-TV in South Bend and TCI Cable channel 3.
The Holtz Show: Irish coach Lou Holtz again in 1996 has ahalf-hour, weekly, nationally-syndicated television show as wellas a weekly, half-hour, nationally-syndicated radio show. It issyndicated through Host Communications, produced bySportsChannel Chicago through the WNDU-TV facilities and ishosted by Jeff Jeffers. It’s carried by WNDU-TV in the SouthBend market on the following Saturday–and on SportsChannel inChicago on Monday night.
The Sunday Wrap-Up: Lou Holtz holds a weekly media briefing at10:30 a.m. each Sunday following Notre Dame games in ’96. It’sheld at the Joyce Center football auditorium. Check with SIDJohn Heisler at 219-631-7516 for teleconference availability.
More Media Notes: Monday is the only day practice is open tothe media. Cameras are permitted at the Monday practice duringcalisthenics, kicking game and 20 minutes of group work…NotreDame’s publicity material on football is no longer being mailedout but is available through a FAX on demand system. Contact theNotre Dame sports information office at 219-631-7516 fordetails.
Web Site: Notre Dame’s official athletic department site on theworld wide web can be found at http://www.und.com