2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 1

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1 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 1 Countdown To Kickoff 10 Ten of senior TE Tyler Eifert s 15 receptions this season have resulted in either a first down or touchdown for Notre Dame. He leads the Irish with 246 receiving yards this year. (Page 26) 9 Notre Dame has had 12 first-time starters in That total ties for the ninth-most first-time starters among all schools in a BCS automatic qualifying conference. Of the teams listed in this week s BCS top-25 rankings, only No. 23 TCU has started more first-time starters than the Irish. (Page 7) 8 The Irish have not allowed a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games. The streak extends 34 quarters back to the second quarter against Boston College on Nov. 19, (Page 7) 7 Notre Dame is 6-1 in its last seven games decided by a touchdown or less. (Page 4) 6 Through six games, 39.1 percent of all drives against the Irish defense have resulted in three-and-out possessions. That percentage ranks sixth among schools from a BCS automatic qualifying conference. (Page 11) 5 Notre Dame has limited each of its past five opponents to less than 300 total yards. It s the first time the Irish have held five consecutive foes to less than 300 yards of total offense since the 1989 Fiesta Bowl and the first four games of the '89 season. (Page 8) 4 Junior CB Bennett Jackson leads the Irish with four interceptions. He is tied for fourth in the FBS in interceptions per game. Jackson s four picks are the most by a Notre Dame cornerback since Mike Richardson recorded four interceptions in (Pages 18-19) 3 Three of Notre Dame s six wins have been over teams ranked in the top 25 by Associated Press at the time of the game. The Irish are the only team in the FBS to have already defeated three ranked foes. (Page 5) 2 In the first BCS standings, Notre Dame has a composite ranking of second by the six computer rankings. The Irish are ranked No. 1 in the two computer polls produced by Wes Colley and Kenneth Massey. (Page 3) 1 Notre Dame ranks first in the nation in red zone defense. The Irish are tied with Alabama as opponents are scoring on 50 percent of its trips to the red zone. Notre Dame ranks first in the nation as teams are scoring touchdowns on only 12.5 percent of its trips to the red zone. The Irish also rank first in fewest points allowed per red zone trip as opponents are averaging two points per red zone appearance. (Page 12) 0 Zero touchdowns have been scored against the Notre Dame defense in the last four games (16 quarters). It is the longest streak by an Irish defense since the 1980 defense did not allow a TD in 23 consecutive quarters. (Page 11) DATE Saturday, October 20, 2012 TIME 3:40 p.m. ET Game-7 #5/5 Notre Dame (6-0) vs. BYU (4-3) SITE (CAPACITY) Notre Dame Stadium (80,795); Notre Dame, Ind. TELEVISION NBC national telecast with Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (analysis), Alex Flanagan (sideline), Rob Hyland (producer) and Pierre Moossa (director). RADIO IMG College Sports is the exclusive national rights-holder for Irish football radio broadcasts. IMG College manages, produces and syndicates the Irish national football radio network. Notre Dame games will be broadcast by Don Criqui (play-by-play), former Irish great Allen Pinkett (analysis) and Jeff Jeffers (sideline). This broadcast can be heard live on both SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio (channel 129). All Irish home games may be heard in South Bend on News & Sports Radio 96.1 FM & 960 AM WSBT. TICKETS Saturday is the 229th straight sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. Since 1966, every home game for the Irish has been a sellout except one - a 1973 Thanksgiving Day game vs. Air Force. Notre Dame has played in front of sellouts in 277 of its last 278 home games. Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 249 of its previous 291 games (.856) overall. Notre Dame has played before 620 sellouts in 892 total games (.695) since WEB SITES Notre Dame (UND.com), BYU (BYUCougars.com) POLLS Notre Dame is ranked No. 5 in this week's Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Irish also debuted at No. 5 in the season's first BCS standings. BYU is unranked in both polls. REAL-TIME STATS Live in-game stats will be provided through CBS College Sports GameTracker via UND.com. SERIES INFO Notre Dame leads the abbreviated series with BYU, 4-2, with three of the six meetings coming in a three-year stretch from Notre Dame took the last meeting between the two foes in 2005 (49-23). The Irish have averaged 33.3 points in the series, while the Cougars have scored 19.0 points per game. More on the series history is available on pages What's Inside Countdown to Kickoff... 1 AP/Coaches Polls... 2 BCS Standings/Harris Poll... 3 With A Victory / With A Defeat Notre Dame's Record When... 4 Irish Probable Starting Lineup... 5 Irish Among National Leaders... 6 Team Notes Starter Sheet... 7 Honors/Awards... 8 Defensive Notes Eye On Career Records Notre Dame By The Numbers Money Plays Long Plays Notre Dame in the NFL Inside ND Football/ND Football Replays Offensive Notes Brian Kelly Notes Special Team Notes Miscellaneous Notes ND-BYU Head-to-Head Comparison Notre Dame-BYU Series History The Last Time Game Recaps Alphabetical / Numerical Roster Pronunciation Guide Depth Chart Individual Player Stats/Career Highs Game-by-Game Stats Scoring Drives Team Stats Notre Dame Schedule Date ND Rank Opponent (TV) Location Time Sept. 1 RV/24 vs. Navy (CBS) Dublin, Ireland W, Sept. 8 22/22 Purdue (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. W, Sept /19 at (10/10) Michigan State (ABC) East Lansing, Mich. W, 20-3 Sept /15 (18/17) Michigan (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. W, 13-6 Oct. 6 9/10 vs. (RV/RV) Miami, Fla. (NBC) Chicago, Ill. W, 41-3 Oct. 13 7/7 (17/17) Stanford (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. W, ot Oct. 20 5/5 BYU (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 27 -/- at (10/7) Oklahoma (ABC) Norman, Okla. 7 p.m. CT Nov. 3 -/- Pittsburgh (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. 3:30 p.m. ET Nov. 10 -/- at Boston College (TBA) Chestnut Hill, Mass. TBA Nov. 17 -/- Wake Forest (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. 3:30 p.m. ET Nov. 24 -/- at (11/9) USC (ABC/ESPN) Los Angeles, Calif. TBA

2 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES ASSOCIATED PRESS (Oct. 14) Rk School Record Pts 1. Alabama (60) Oregon Florida Kansas State Notre Dame LSU Ohio State Oregon State South Carolina Oklahoma USC Florida State Georgia Clemson Mississippi State Louisville West Virginia Texas Tech Rutgers Texas A&M Cincinnati Stanford Michigan Boise State Ohio Others Receiving Votes Arizona State 92, TCU 88, Louisiana Tech 38, Texas 25, North Carolina State 11, Northwestern 6, Washington 6, Wisconsin 6, Nebraska 4, North Carolina 2, Tulsa 2, Penn State 1, Arizona 1. USA TODAY/COACHES (Oct. 14) Rk School Record Pts 1. Alabama (59) Oregon Kansas State Florida Notre Dame LSU Oklahoma South Carolina USC Florida State Oregon State Georgia Clemson Louisville West Virginia Mississippi State Rutgers Cincinnati Texas A&M Texas Tech TCU Boise State Stanford Arizona State Michigan Others Receiving Votes Northwestern 77, Ohio 54, Texas 54, Louisiana Tech 24, Wisconsin 16, Nebraska 10, Nevada 7, Oklahoma State 6, Western Kentucky 6, Iowa State 5, Northern Illinois 2, Louisiana-Monroe 2, Toledo 2, Tulsa 1, UCLA opponents in bold National Rankings NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL CELEBRATES 125 YEARS The celebration of 125 years of Fighting Irish football ( ) is well underway. The University last spring introduced a special 125 logo that is being utilized throughout the year on all signage identifying elements of the campaign. The logo will be seen on sideline apparel worn by Irish coaches during 2012 home games and on the back of the Irish helmets for the Sept. 22 Notre Dame-Michigan game. The Strong and True slogan taken from the University s alma mater, Notre Dame, Our Mother has been interwoven through various segments of the NDFB125 program. Although the celebration lasts all fall, the Sept. 22 Notre Dame-Michigan game at Notre Dame Stadium featured special recognition events based on Irish football history dating back to the first Notre Dame game in 1887 against Michigan. The Notre Dame-Michigan relationship qualifies as the original and oldest Football Bowl Subdivision rivalry. Former Irish head coach Ara Parseghian took part in the coin toss for that game. A Web site devoted to 125 years of Irish football has been created at It launched last spring, with three sample Strong and True moments featured. Beginning Aug. 27, 125 "Strong and True" moments will be released (one per day) via digital media, along with photo and video galleries. Some of those video moments will be featured at the Notre Dame Football Kickoff luncheons on the Fridays of home weekends. Former Notre Dame players and fans have been and will be encouraged to engage and participate via the 125 site (as well as social media) by sharing stories, photos and videos of their "Strong and True" experiences via Facebook (facebook.com/ndfootball) and Twitter (@125ndfb). The official NDFB125 site also will feature memories provided by former Irish football players and others connected with the program from their Notre Dame football experiences. Here are specifics of other elements of the 125-year celebration: NDFB125 banners featuring the official logo will be on display at all Notre Dame Stadium gates, as well as at the media entrance and on the ticket windows. The pennant-style flags that fly over Notre Dame Stadium and normally feature all the different opponent names from that season instead in 2012 will display the NDFB125 logo. The light posts surrounding Notre Dame Stadium, in the Joyce and Stadium parking lots and also around the Guglielmino Athletics Complex and the LaBar Practice Complex fields will feature NDFB125 flags. A 360-degree megapixel photo was taken to commemorate the Sept. 22 Notre Dame-Michigan game. Fans are able to interact with the image via the NDFB125 Web site, tag themselves and share with friends via social media. The 2012 Official Notre Dame Football Yearbook features a 125-year Irish football time line, including more than 140 pages of allnew prose in a scrapbook format and more than 1,200 images. It was published Aug. 24 and will be sold through the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore on the Notre Dame campus and via UND.com. Each of the Notre Dame football game programs (including the version for the Notre Dame-Miami game in Chicago) features a specially-designed, eight-page pullout insert devoted to 125 years of Notre Dame football. Each insert is based on an essay dealing with an aspect of Notre Dame football history. Covers of the football games programs feature original art by nationally-known sports artist Tim Cortes from Duluth, Minn. Cortes work highlights the NDFB125 celebration and can be seen on all seven program covers (including the Solder Field game). Game tickets for the 2012 home season (and the Oct. 6 Soldier Field game against Miami) include both the NDFB125 logo as well as throwback looks based on tickets from past seasons. A one-hour television special providing a behind-the-scenes look at the Notre Dame football program aired at 2:30 p.m. EDT, on Oct. 13 (just prior to the Notre Dame-Stanford game) on NBC. The Leprechaun Legion, the official student group liaison to the athletics department, is coordinating a celebration of student traditions over 125 years of Notre Dame football. The Notre Dame Licensing Office has worked with a variety of its licensees to produce commercial products that include the NDFB125 logo--including everything from pins and pennants to apparel and mini-helmets. The 2012 version of The Shirt features the NDFB125 logo below the back collar. A special NDFB125 commemorative coin has been produced and is being utilized throughout the 2012 season for pre-game coin tosses. A smaller version is being produced for retail sale. Legends of Notre Dame, located just south of Notre Dame Stadium, is displaying signage related to the celebration. Centerplate, the University s official athletics concessionaire, has included the 125 logo on commemorative drink cups and popcorn boxes utilized throughout the 2012 football season. The South Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau has joined in the celebration with a variety of programs--including streets renamed during the football season in both downtown South Bend and Mishawaka. Flags denoting NDFB125 will hang along Michigan Avenue in downtown South Bend all fall, as well as throughout downtown Mishawaka. A large version of the official logo will appear throughout September on the side of the parking garage at Main and Colfax in downtown South Bend. Hotels in the South Bend-Mishawaka area will feature commemorative room key cards featuring the NDFB125 logo all during the 2012 home season. Notre Dame s University Relations department will create a commemorative poster featuring images from the Notre Dame-Michigan game weekend.

3 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 3 ON THIS DATE Notre Dame has played 17 previous games in its history on Oct. 20. The Irish are (.559) all-time on this date. Season Site ND Coach W/L/T Score ND Rank Opponent Opp. Coach Opp. Rank 1894 Home James Morison T 6-6 No Poll Albion Gage No Poll 1900 Home Pat O'Dea W 58-0 No Poll Cincinnati Dan Reed No Poll 1906 Home Thomas A. Barry W 28-0 No Poll Chicago Physicians Unknown No Poll 1917 Away Jesse Harper L 0-7 No Poll Nebraska E.J. Stewart No Poll 1923 Away Knute Rockne W 25-2 No Poll Princeton Bill Roper No Poll 1928 Away Knute Rockne L 0-13 No Poll Georgia Tech William Alexander No Poll 1934 Home Elmer Layden W 13-0 No Poll Carnegie Tech Howard Harpster No Poll 1945 Away Hugh Devore W Pittsburgh Clark Shaughnessy Not Ranked 1951 Away Frank Leahy W 33-0 Not Ranked Pittsburgh Tom Hamilton Not Ranked 1956 Home Terry Brennan L Not Ranked Michigan State Duffy Daugherty Home Joe Kuharich L 7-31 Not Ranked Michigan State Duffy Daugherty Not Ranked 1973 Away Ara Parseghian W Army Tom Cahill Not Ranked 1979 Home Dan Devine L USC John Robinson Home Gerry Faust L Not Ranked South Carolina Joe Morrison Home Lou Holtz W Miami Dennis Erickson Home Bob Davie W Not Ranked USC Pete Carroll Not Ranked 2007 Home Charlie Weis L 0-38 Not Ranked USC Pete Carroll 13 ONLY THE BIG BOYS Notre Dame is one of just three NCAA FBS programs to have not faced a non-fbs opponent since the current setup was established in The two other remaining schools that have yet to play a non-fbs opponent are USC and UCLA. NOTRE DAME IN OCTOBER Notre Dame is (.799) all-time during the month of October. Notre Dame is (.822) in October home games. The Irish are (.758) in October games at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame is (.837) all-time in the month of October as a ranked team. The Irish are (.781) all-time in the month of October as a ranked team at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish are (.745) in October road games. Notre Dame is (.833) in October neutral games. The Irish are (.766) in October games away from Notre Dame Stadium. The.799 winning percentage for the Irish in the month of October is the highest of any month during the regular college football season. Notre Dame has posted a.698 all-time winning percentage in September and.708 winning percentage in November. The Irish have won nine of their last 11 games in October away from Notre Dame Stadium. A VICTORY OVER BYU... Improves Notre Dame to 7-0 for the first time since Gives the Irish seven straight victories to open a season for the 25th time in school history. Marks Notre Dame's 15th win over its last 18 games. Gives the Irish their longest winning streak since capturing eight straight during the 2006 season. Improves Notre Dame's all-time record to (.733). Improves the all-time record at home for the Irish to (.791). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record at Notre Dame Stadium to (.747). Improves the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 to (.751). Improves Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top 25 to (.792). Improves the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.835). Improves Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.852). Improves the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top five to (.792). Improves Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top five to (.796). Improves the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.871). Improves Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to 58-7 (.892). Improves the Irish to 5-2 (.714) in the all-time series with BYU. Improves Notre Dame to 4-1 (.800) at home in the all-time series with the Cougars. Improves Kelly's record to (.741) overall. Improves Kelly's record at Notre Dame to (.697). Improves Kelly's record to (.701) in FBS games. Improves Kelly's record to (.767) since Improves Kelly's record to (.775) since Improves Kelly's record to (.761) all-time in the month of October. Improves Kelly's record to 9-3 (.750) in the month of October as Notre Dame head coach. BCS RANKINGS (Oct. 14) Rk School Avg. Pvs 1. Alabama.9761 NR 2. Florida.9092 NR 3. Oregon.8993 NR 4. Kansas State.8963 NR 5. Notre Dame.8774 NR 6. LSU.7522 NR 7. South Carolina.6930 NR 8. Oregon State.6808 NR 9. Oklahoma.6664 NR 10. USC.5959 NR 11. Georgia.4980 NR 12. Mississippi State.4846 NR 13. West Virginia.4793 NR 14. Florida State.4277 NR 15. Rutgers.4083 NR 16. Louisville.4061 NR 17. Texas Tech.3572 NR 18. Texas A&M.3379 NR 19. Clemson.3341 NR 20. Stanford.2654 NR 21. Cincinnati.2483 NR 22. Boise State.1978 NR 23. TCU.1377 NR 24. Iowa State.1139 NR 25. Texas.0640 NR HARRIS POLL (Oct. 14) Rk School Record Pts 1. Alabama (110) Oregon (5) Florida Kansas State Notre Dame LSU South Carolina Florida State Oklahoma Oregon State USC Georgia Clemson Mississippi State West Virginia Louisville Rutgers Cincinnati Texas A&M Stanford Texas Tech TCU Boise State Arizona State Texas Others Receiving Votes Michigan 172, Ohio 153, Northwestern 95, Louisiana Tech 81, Wisconsin 27, Iowa State 24, Nebraska 24, Michigan State 21, Oklahoma State 19, NC State 18, Western Kentucky 11, Tulsa 10, UCLA 5, Nevada 4, Baylor 3, Louisiana-Monroe 1, Virginia Tech 1, Washington opponents in bold National Rankings

4 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Notre Dame's Record When... Kelly Career Kelly at ND 2012 At Home On The Road Neutral Site Games In Overtime Coming off a loss Coming off a win Coming off an open date Vs. AP top Both teams are AP-ranked Neither team is ranked Ranked higher Opponent is ranked higher Vs. In-state Opponents In August In September In October In November In December In January On Television 52-18* On NBC On ABC On ESPN On ESPN On CBS Afternoon Games Night Games Decided By 3 or Less Decided By 7 or Less Scoring First Opponent Scores First Leading At Halftime Tied At Halftime Trailing At Halftime Leading After 3 Qtrs Tied After 3 Qtrs Trailing After 3 Qtrs Scoring 40+ Points Scoring Points Scoring Points Scoring 0-19 Points Allowing 40+ Points Allowing Points Allowing Points Allowing 0-19 Points Outrushing Opponent Getting Outrushed Passing For More Yds Passing For Fewer Yds Outgaining Opponent Getting Outgained Winning Time of Poss Losing Time of Poss Scoring a Def./ST TD Allowing a Def./ST TD Fewer Penalty Yards More Penalty Yards Winning Turnover Battle Losing Turnover Battle Individual 100-yard rusher Individual 100-yard receiver Individual 200-yard passer Opponent 100-yard rusher Opponent 100-yard receiver Opponent 200-yard passer * excludes regular season games from GVSU era (unknown TV games). Some records fail to include two contests; Nov. 16, 1991 vs. Valparaiso and Oct. 26, 1996 vs. Saginaw Valley State (detailed stats unavailable) A LOSS TO BYU... Drops Notre Dame to 6-1 for the first time since Denies the Irish seven straight victories to open a season for the 25th time in school history. Marks Notre Dame's fourth loss over its last 18 games. Denies the Irish their longest winning streak since capturing eight straight during the 2006 season. Drops Notre Dame's all-time record to (.732). Drops the all-time record at home for the Irish to (.789). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record at Notre Dame Stadium to (.745). Drops the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 to (.749). Drops Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top 25 to (.788). Drops the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.832). Drops Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.847). Drops the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top five to (.787). Drops Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top five to (.786). Drops the all-time record for the Irish when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.863). Drops Notre Dame's all-time home record when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to 57-8 (.877). Drops the Irish to 4-3 (.571) in the all-time series with BYU. Drops Notre Dame to 3-2 (.600) at home in the all-time series with the Cougars. Drops Kelly's record to (.738) overall. Drops Kelly's record at Notre Dame to (.667). Drops Kelly's record to (.692) in FBS games. Drops Kelly's record to (.756) since Drops Kelly's record to (.768) since Drops Kelly's record to (.750) all-time in the month of October. Drops Kelly's record to 8-4 (.667) in the month of October as Notre Dame head coach. ALWAYS BE CLOSING...AND OPENING Notre Dame has blanked five of its six opponents in the first quarter this season. Miami is the only foe to score against the Irish in the opening 15 minutes (a field goal). The Irish have not surrendered a touchdown in the first quarter since Nov. 26, 2011, against Stanford - a span that extends over seven games. Notre Dame has outscored its first six opponents this season by a 30-3 margin in the first quarter. The Irish have been nearly as successful coming out of the halftime locker room. Notre Dame has outscored Navy, Purdue, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 18 Michigan, Miami and No. 17 Stanford, 44-7, in the third quarter this season. Notre Dame has blanked five of its six opponents this season in the third quarter. In fact, the Irish have held 16 of their past 19 foes without an offensive score of any kind in the third quarter, dating back to the start of the 2011 season. Pittsburgh, USC and Florida State (all in 2011) as well as Navy this season are the only teams to register any points against the Irish in the opening quarter of the second half. Notre Dame outgained Stanford, , in the third quarter. Notre Dame has dominated the fourth quarter and overtime of its six games in The Irish have outgained Navy, Purdue, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 18 Michigan, Miami and No. 17 Stanford in the final stanza, Notre Dame has collected 35 first downs compared to its opponents 20. INS-AND-OUTS OF OVERTIME Notre Dame played in its first overtime game of 2012 on Oct. 20 against Stanford and fifth over the past five years. The Irish and Cardinal had never previously played an overtime game in the series. Notre Dame improved to 4-8 all-time in overtime games. All four of Notre Dame's overtime wins have come at home (also Air Force in 2000, Washington State in 2003 and Washington in 2009). All but two of Notre Dame's 12 overtime games have come at home (the Irish are 4-6 in home OT games, 0-2 on the road). The home OT losses: Air Force in 1996, Nebraska in 2000, Michigan State in 2005, Navy in 2007, Pittsburgh in 2008 and Connecticut in 2009 (losses at USC in 1996 and Michigan State in 2010). RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE Notre Dame sophomore PK Kyle Brindza connected on a 27-yard field goal with seven seconds left in regulation to give the Irish a victory over Purdue on Sept. 8. The Irish had not won a game in regulation with less time on the clock since Nov. 8, 2003 when D.J. Fitzpatrick kicked a field goal as time expired to top Navy, Notre Dame has recorded only nine victories in school history with less time remaining in regulation. Notre Dame has become accustomed to thrilling finishes. The Irish have been involved in 24 games decided by seven points or less since the start of the 2009 campaign. In fact, 15 of the last 21 losses for the Irish have been decided by a touchdown or less, including seven by a field goal or less. Notre Dame has played in 58 games in the 125-year history of the program where the winning points have occurred in overtime or the game's final minute of regulation. Amazingly, 13 have come in the past five years alone.

5 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 5 IRISH LEAD THE NATION IN TOP-25 VICTORIES Notre Dame has already recorded three victories over teams ranked in the AP top 25 at the time of the game (No. 10 Michigan State, No. 18 Michigan and No. 17 Stanford). The Irish are the only FBS team in the country with more than two victories over such opponents. Team Wins Over Top Notre Dame 3 (6 gms played) 2. Florida 2 (6 gms played) Ohio State 2 (7 gms played) Oregon 2 (6 gms played) Oregon State 2 (5 gms played) West Virginia 2 (6 gms played) Notre Dame had not defeated three AP top-25 opponents in the same season since The Irish have not collected four victories over AP top-25 foes in a single season since The only Notre Dame squads to register more top-25 wins in one season than the 2012 edition are '02, '92, '90, '89, '88, '80, '78, '77, '54, '53, '52 and '43. Year Single-Season AP Top-25 Victories (13 gms played) (12 gms played) (10 gms played) (10 gms played) (13 gms played) (12 gms played) (12 gms played) (12 gms played) (12 gms played) (12 gms played) (10 gms played) (10 gms played) t (6 gms played) 2012 NOTRE DAME OPPONENT UPDATE Notre Dame faces six opponents in 2012 that have already been ranked in the Associated Press top 25 poll, including futures foes Oklahoma (No. 10) and USC (No. 11). Michigan State, Michigan and Stanford were ranked No. 10, No. 18 and No. 17, respectively, when the Irish knocked them off (all in the last four weeks and Notre Dame failed to allow a single offensive touchdown to the trio). The Cardinal and Wolverines remain in the top-25 AP poll this week at No. 22 and No. 23, respectively. BYU was ranked No. 25 in the AP poll on Sept. 9. Oklahoma (No. 7), USC (No. 9), Stanford (No. 23) and Michigan (No. 25) are ranked in this week's USA Today coaches' poll. The slate is even more difficult when you consider that three of those meetings (USC, Oklahoma and Michigan State) have or will come on the road. Only one other team in college football plays at least three teams ranked among the preseason top 10. Notre Dame, who has already played No. 10 Michigan State, No. 18 Michigan and No. 17 Stanford, faces another top-20 opponent in Oklahoma next week. The Irish will play four top-25 foes over a sixweek stretch (the two unranked foes are BYU and Miami). Twenty-seven FBS teams won at least 10 games in 2011 and Notre Dame faces six of those squads, including three on the road. The Irish have a long history of playing challenging schedules with Notre Dame ranking (since the NCAA began this rating in 1977) first in 1978, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1995 and 2010; third in 1986, 1999, 2003; and fourth in 1979 and That makes for 11 topfour finishes in that category in the 35 years the NCAA has calculated these numbers. Notre Dame OFFENSE Pos. No. Player Notes WR 7 TJ Jones Jr. Touchdown catch in overtime ultimately gave Irish victory over No. 17 Stanford WR 9 Robby Toma Sr. Led Irish with five catches, including 20-yard grab, in the victory at No. 10 Michigan State LT 70 Zack Martin Sr. 32 straight starts the past three years (30 at LT, two at RT); Outland, Lombardi Watch List selection LG 66 Chris Watt Sr. Saw action in all 13 games in '10 as a reserve; 19 consecutive games in '11-'12 C 52 Braxston Cave Sr. 28 career starts at C; missed last four games of '11 with injury; Outland, Rimington Watch List selection RG 57 Mike Golic Jr. Sr. Son of Mike Golic, former Irish and NFL defensive lineman; started 10 straight games at C or RG RT 74 Christian Lombard Jr. Played in all 13 games in '11 as a reserve and has started all six games this season WR 81 John Goodman Sr. Made remarkable, one-handed 36-yd TD grab at No. 10 Michigan State; started six career games TE 80 Tyler Eifert Sr. 2nd in career rec., rec. yds and rec. TDs for ND TEs; Walter Camp first-team All-American in 2011 QB 5 Everett Golson So. 289 yds passing vs. Purdue on Sept. 8 was the second most by a ND QB in first start in ND Stadium RB 6 Theo Riddick Sr. Back to RB after last two seasons at WR; had 1st career 100-yd rushing game on Sept. 1 vs. Navy DEFENSE Pos. No. Player Notes DE 89 Kapron Lewis-Moore Sr. Most experienced DL on roster; played in 38 games and started 35; Nagurski Watch List selection NG 9 Louis Nix III Jr. Seen action in 19 games, started 17 and collected 67 tackles, including 7.5 for loss DE 7 Stephon Tuitt So. 77-yd fumble return for TD on Sept. vs. Navy; Ranks tied for 10th in the FBS in sacks/game (1.08) OLB 13 Danny Spond Jr. Picked up career-best seven tackles in the victory over No. 18 Michigan ILB 5 Manti Te'o Sr. Consensus preseason first team All-American; Butkus, Nagurski, Lombardi Watch List selection ILB 48 Dan Fox Sr. One of two returning ND defenders to start all 13 games in '11; made 48 tackles, 2.5 for loss OLB 55 Prince Shembo Jr. Career-night at No. 10 Michigan State included career-high nine tackles, two for loss and one sack CB 2 Bennett Jackson Jr. Ranks tied for fourth in the FBS in interceptions (0.67); has played in all 32 games of career S 41 Matthias Farley So. Moves into starting lineup for Jamoris Slaughter (torn achilles); first-year player was a WR in 2011 S 17 Zeke Motta Sr. Played in all 44 games over career with 22 starts; most career tackles (139) among active ND DBs CB 6 KeiVarae Russell Fr. 1st rookie to start the season opener at cornerback in school history SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Player Notes PK 27 Kyle Brindza So. Made eight straight field goals after missing the first of his career; 10-for-12 this season KO 27 Kyle Brindza So. Average 62.5 yds/kickoff on 35 attempts in '12 with 16 TBs; GW 27-yd FG vs. Purdue on Sept. 8 P 35 Ben Turk Sr. Has served as Irish punter each of the last four years; average of 40.5 yards over 25 punts in '12 H 35 Ben Turk Sr. Takes over the holding duties for the graduated Ryan Kavanagh SSNP 60 Jordan Cowart Sr. Took over short snapping duties midway through the '11 season and will continue in '12 LSNP 60 Jordan Cowart Sr. Resumes long snapping responsibility; served as the ND long snapper in '09 and '10 PR 19 Davonte' Neal Fr. Hopes to add explosive dimension to ND punt return game, which ranked 112th in the FBS in '11 KR 4 George Atkinson III So. One of five players in the FBS with at least two kickoff returns for touchdowns in '11 KEY PROBABLE NON-STARTERS Pos. No. Player Notes QB 11 Tommy Rees Jr. Guided ND on a FG drive to beat Purdue (3-for-6, 35 yds) and went 3-for-3 in OT win vs. Stanford QB 12 Andrew Hendrix So. Played in five games as a change of pace QB in '11; third on ND with 162 rushing yards in '11 RB 20 Cierre Wood Sr. 4th career multi-rushing TD game and 4th career 100-yard rushing game vs. Miami on Oct. 6 RB 4 George Atkinson III So yds/rush vs. Miami on Oct. 6 was the best by an Irish RB since Reggie Brooks on Sept. 26, 1992 OL 65 Conor Hanratty So. Father, Terry, was starting QB at ND from '66-68 and was sophomore standout on '66 national title team OL 72 Nick Martin So. Older brother, Zack, mainstay on Irish OL; One of 20 players to make ND debut vs. Navy on Sept. 1 WR 2 Chris Brown Fr. 26th-best athlete in the nation according to 247Sports; 2-time South Carolina triple jump state champ WR 10 DaVaris Daniels So. Third on Notre Dame with 231 yards receiving and leads team at 16.5 yards/catch WR 19 Davonte' Neal Fr. '10, '11 Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year; Parade Magazine All-American in '11 WR 87 Daniel Smith Jr. One of eight players to register 1st career start vs. Navy on Sept. 1; best size of any WR on roster TE 18 Ben Koyack So. Played in 12 games and started one as a rookie in '11; mentored behind All-American Tyler Eifert TE 85 Troy Niklas So. One of eight players to register 1st career start (at TE) vs. Navy on Sept. 1; moved from OLB to TE NG 69 Tony Springmann So. One of 20 players to make ND debut vs. Navy on Sept. 1; picked up first career sack at No. 10 Michigan State NG 96 Kona Schwenke Jr. Battled Louis Nix III for starting NG, but adds experienced depth; first career start at No. 10 Michigan State DE 91 Sheldon Day Fr. One of 20 players to make ND debut vs. Navy on Sept. 1; Rated 143rd on ESPNU Top 150 list out of HS OLB 11 Ishaq Williams So. Had best game of young career vs. Navy on Sept. 1; four tackles, one for loss and forced fumble OLB 45 Romeo Okwara Fr. Moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in sixth grade; turned 17 just this summer OLB 30 Ben Councell So. One of 20 players to make Notre Dame debut in victory over Navy on Sept. 1 ILB 59 Jarrett Grace So. One of 20 players to make ND debut vs. Navy on Sept. 1; tremendous instincts at the ILB position CB 21 Jalen Brown So. One of 20 players to make ND debut vs. Navy on Sept. 1 S 15 Dan McCarthy Sr. Played in 26 career games; battled injuries entire career, but had 1st career fumble recovery vs. Navy

6 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Irish Among 2012 National Leaders Category Rank Stat National Leader Stat Rushing Offense Army Passing Offense Baylor Total Offense Oklahoma State Scoring Offense Louisiana Tech Rushing Defense Alabama Pass Efficiency Defense Alabama Total Defense Alabama Scoring Defense Alabama 7.50 Net Punting Texas A&M Punt Returns Boston College Kickoff Returns Rutgers Turnover Margin Rutgers 2.17 Pass Defense Alabama Passing Efficiency Baylor Sacks Tulsa 4.71 Tackles For Loss Tulsa 9.86 Sacks Allowed Air Force.00 Passing Efficiency Total Offense Everett Golson 82nd Everett Golson 91st Interceptions Punting Bennett Jackson t-4th 0.67 Ben Turk 65th Manti Te'o t-14th 0.50 Punt Returns Field Goals Davonte' Neal 66th 3.70 Kyle Brindza t-14th 1.67 Scoring Sacks Kyle Brindza t-96th 7.00 Stephon Tuitt t-10th 1.08 Tackles Tackles for Loss Manti Te'o t-26th 9.83 Stephon Tuitt t-66th 1.08 Irish Among Active Career National Leaders Category Rank Player Completion Percentage 18 Tommy Rees (.643) Punts 17 Ben Turk (172) Kickoff Return Touchdowns 11 George Atkinson III (2) All-Purpose Yards Per Play 19 Cierre Wood (5.93) Solo Tackles 6 Manti Te'o (184) Assisted Tackles 3 Manti Te'o (199) Total Tackles 2 Manti Te'o (383) Tackles Per Game 6 Manti Te'o (8.7) Assisted Tackles for Loss 18 Manti Te'o (15) Sacks Per Game 10 Stephon Tuitt (0.6) TIDE TURNING IN IRISH FAVOR WITH TURNOVERS Notre Dame has already forced 15 turnovers through its first six games of The Irish forced a grand total of 14 all of last season (over 13 games). Notre Dame has not forced more turnovers over its six games of a season since 2007 when the Irish forced 16 (although seven alone came in the sixth game of the season against UCLA). Notre Dame is on pace to record 33 takeaways this season (including a bowl game), which approaches the combined total of the last two seasons (39; ). The 33 takeaways would be the most for an Irish defense since 2002 when Notre Dame also forced 33. Here is a look at the last 10 years and how the 2012 Irish defense compares in terms of turnovers forced. '12 '11 '10 '09 '08 '07 '06 '05 '04 '03 '02 Takeaways * Notre Dame ended up on the wrong end of the turnover battle for the first time this season on Oct. 13 against No. 17 Stanford. The Irish lost three of five fumbles, while they forced just two interceptions. Notre Dame dominated the turnover battle in the 13-6 victory over No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 22. The Irish forced a season-high six turnovers. It was the most turnovers forced by an Irish defense since Sept. 13, 2008 when Notre Dame forced six in another triumph over the Wolverines. The Irish were plus-four in turnover margin against Michigan on Sept. 22. Notre Dame had not finished a game plus-four in turnover margin since Dec. 31, 2010, against Miami in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. Notre Dame has either won the turnover battle or drawn even in five of its six games in 2012, consequently the Irish are 6-0. The Irish won the turnover battle on just three occasions in 2011 and not surprisingly went 3-0. Third-year head coach Brian Kelly understands the importance of turnover margin. He is a remarkable when his team wins the turnover battle. In fact, Kelly is 13-1 at Notre Dame when the Irish win the turnover battle. Notre Dame ranks 10th in the FBS in turnover margin (+1.33), tied for 19th in fewest turnovers (seven) and tied for 19th in turnovers forced (15) a remarkable turnaround when compared to the first six games of W-L Turnovers Lost 15 7 Turnovers Gained 8 15 TO differential Notre Dame went on the road against a top-10 foe with a first-year starting quarterback making his first career start on the road and failed to commit a single turnover (vs. Michigan State on Sept. 15). It also marked the first road game in which Notre Dame has failed to commit a turnover since Oct. 1, Notre Dame had not played a turnover-free game against a top-10 foe on the road since Nov. 27, 2004 against USC. Notre Dame finished 2011 with 29 turnovers. The 29 turnovers were the most by an Irish squad since Notre Dame committed at least three turnovers in six different games. Notre Dame ranked 73rd or worse in each of the four FBS turnovers categories. The Irish were tied for 112th in interceptions thrown (17), tied for 73rd in fumbles lost (12), tied for 110th in total turnovers (29) and 118th in turnover margin (-1.15). Notre Dame forced four turnovers and held a plus-three turnover margin against Navy on Sept. 1. The Irish produced 14 turnovers all of last season, the fewest dating back to Notre Dame recovered three Navy fumbles on Sept. 1, which was half of the total (six) the Irish recovered over the entire 2011 season. Notre Dame forced two more turnovers, both interceptions, in the victory over Purdue on Sept. 8. The Irish also won the turnover battle for the second consecutive week. Notre Dame won the turnover battle just three times all of last season. Notre Dame also forced multiple turnovers in back-to-back games (against Navy and Purdue) for the first time since Sept. 10 (Michigan) and Sept. 17 (Michigan State) of last year. NO TURNOVERS = VICTORIES Notre Dame was victimized by turnovers in To no surprise, the Irish went 3-0 in games when they did not commit a turnover. In fact, Notre Dame is 7-0 under Brian Kelly when playing an entire game without a turnover. Notre Dame has won its last eight games, including Sept. 15 at No. 10 Michigan State, in which it failed to commit a turnover. The Irish have not lost a game without a turnover since Oct. 17, 2009 when USC upended Notre Dame, Notre Dame is 22-4 in its last 26 games in which it failed to commit a turnover.

7 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 7 SOME YOUNG PUPS Notre Dame has played a total of 66 different players over its first six games of the season, including 22 that saw their first career action in an Irish uniform. Of those 22 players, nine came on the offensive side of the ball, 10 on defense and three on special teams. Notre Dame has had 12 different players make their first career starts. Sophomore RB George Atkinson III, junior RT Christian Lombard, junior WR Daniel Smith, sophomore TE Troy Niklas (as a tight end), sophomore QB Everett Golson, freshman WR Chris Brown and sophomore WR DaVaris Daniels on offense and junior OLB Danny Spond, junior NG Kona Schwenke, sophomore S Matthias Farley, freshman CB KeiVarae Russell and junior CB Bennett Jackson on defense. Most BCS Automatic Qualifying Conference First-Time Starting Players 1. Oklahoma State 15 Colorado Arizona State 14 Arkansas 14 NC State 14 Virginia 14 TCU Penn State Notre Dame 12 Kentucky 12 IRISH OUT IN FRONT Notre Dame played 323:54 this season before it finally found itself on the wrong end of the scoreboard. The Irish trailed No. 17 Stanford, 10-3, at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter on Oct. 13. The Irish were the last team in the FBS to not trail in a contest this season, and it was the first time since 1947 Notre Dame had not fallen behind during its first five games of a campaign. KEY TO IRISH DEFENSIVE SUCCESS IS STOPPING THE RUN Notre Dame s defense has yet to allow a rushing touchdown in The Irish are the only team in the FBS that can still make that claim six games into the season. Name Rush TDs Allowed 1. Notre Dame 0 2. Utah State 1 3. Rutgers 2 TCU 2 5. Alabama 3 Florida State 3 Michigan State 3 Maryland 3 Cincinnati Six different teams 4 Notre Dame only allowed eight rushing touchdowns in Only four teams in the FBS allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than the Irish last year. Notre Dame did not allow a rushing touchdown in its last two games of 2011, so the Irish now have gone eight straight games overall without giving up a ground score. In fact, Notre Dame has not allowed a rushing touchdown over the past 34 quarters, which dates back to the Nov. 19, 2011, meeting with Boston College. Notre Dame previously held eight straight opponents without a rushing touchdown in a span that spread across the seasons. Notre Dame has given up exactly nine rushing touchdowns over its last 24 games (dating back to the Tulsa game in 2010). Even more amazing, only three of those rushing touchdowns have come from an opposing running back and two (Jonathan Lee s eight-yard TD run for Air Force with the Irish leading with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Oct. 8, 2011 and D.J. Adams two-yard touchdown on Nov. 12, 2011 with the Irish leading Maryland, 45-14, with 37 seconds left) came against the Irish reserves. Career Starts By Position Starter Sheet Offense 2012 Streak Career Z. Martin (LT/RT) Cave (C) Eifert (TE) Jones (WR) Riddick (WR) Watt (OG) Rees (QB) 1-17 Wood (RB) 2-16 Golic Jr. (C) Toma (WR) Goodman (WR) 1-6 Niklas (TE) 4-5 Lombard (RT) Golson (QB) Atkinson III (RB) 3-3 D. Smith (WR) 2-2 Brown (WR) 2-2 Koyack (TE) Daniels (WR) Defense 2012 Streak Career Te'o (ILB) Lewis-Moore (DE) Motta (S) Slaughter (S) 3-19 Fox (ILB/OLB) Nix III (NG) Shembo (OLB/DE) Calabrese (ILB) 2-10 Tuitt (DE) Russell (CB) Jackson (CB) Spond (OLB) Farley (S/OLB) Niklas (OLB) Schwenke (NG) 1-1 Longest Active Streaks Te'o (ILB) 41 Z. Martin (LT/RT) 32 Eifert (TE) 26 Watt (OG) 19 Most Career Starts (Active) Te'o (ILB) 42 Lewis-Moore (DE) 35 Z. Martin (LT/RT) 32 Cave (C) 28 OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB WR RB Jones (23) Z. Martin (30) Watt (19) Cave (28) Golic (6) Lombard (6) Eifert (27) Goodman (6) Rees (17) Riddick (17) Wood (16) Brown (2) Golic Jr. (4) Z. Martin (2) Niklas (4) Daniels (1) Golson (5) Toma (9) Atkinson III (3) DEFENSE Koyack (1) D. Smith (2) Riddick (3) DE NG DE OLB ILB ILB OLB CB S S CB Lewis-Moore (35) Nix III (16) Tuitt (9) Spond (4) Fox (17) Te'o (42) Shembo (13) Jackson (6) Motta (21) Slaughter (19) Russell (6) *Tuitt (1) *Shembo (2) *Farley (1) Calabrese (10) Niklas (1) Farley (3) Schwenke (1) Fox (1) * indicates Irish alignment against Navy in 2011 and 2012

8 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Braxston Cave, Sr., C Lombardi Award Watch List Outland Trophy Watch List Rimington Trophy Watch List Tyler Eifert, Sr., TE Lombardi Award Watch List Maxwell Award Watch List Walter Camp Award Watch List Mackey Award Award Watch List College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Tight End (9.9) College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Tight End (10.14) Matthias Farley, So., S College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Defensive Back (10.14) Everett Golson, So., QB FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Week (9.10) Bennett Jackson, Jr., CB College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Defensive Back (9.9) FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week (9.10) Kapron Lewis-Moore, Sr., DE Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List TJ Jones, Jr., WR Biletnikoff Watch List Zack Martin, Sr., LT Lombardi Award Watch List Outland Trophy Watch List Theo Riddick, Sr., RB Hornung Award Watch List 2012 Notre Dame Honors/Awards Manti Te'o, Sr., LB Butkus Award Watch List Lombardi Award Watch List Bednarik Award Watch List Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List Walter Camp Award Watch List Lott IMPACT Player of the Week (10.15) FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week (9.25) Bednarik Player Of The Week (9.25) Lott IMPACT Player of the Week (9.24) FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week (9.23) Lott IMPACT Player of the Week (9.17) FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week (9.17) Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (9.16) College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Linebacker (9.16) FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week (9.2) Stephon Tuitt, So., DE Bednarik Award Watch List Ben Turk, Sr., P FBS Independent Special Teams Player of the Week (9.17) Cierre Wood, Sr., RB Maxwell Award Watch List Doak Walker Award Watch List Nominated for Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week (10.8) USC s Mitch Mustain (2010) and Michigan s Denard Robinson each snuck in from one-yard out in Air Force's Tim Jefferson had a three-yard scoring run on Oct. 8, 2011 and Jarvi Cummings of Navy had a 12-yard touchdown run with the Irish leading 49-7 in the fourth quarter in Maryland s signal caller C.J. Brown had a 24-yard touchdown run on Nov. 12, 2011 and Boston College quarterback Josh Bordner had a two-yard touchdown run on Nov. 19, Even crazier, eight of the last 10 rushing touchdowns against the Irish have come from quarterbacks (including Ricky Dobbs two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter of the game against Notre Dame on Oct. 23, 2010). Over the last 28 games, only four running backs have recorded a rushing touchdown against Notre Dame (Gee Gee Greene, Navy, 2010; Jon Lee, Air Force, 2011; Josh Harris, Wake Forest, 2011; D.J. Adams, Maryland, 2011). The only defense to allow fewer rushing touchdowns than the nine by Notre Dame over the last 24 games Alabama with six. Notre Dame has already faced a pair of players that rank in the top 10 in the FBS in rushing. Michigan's Denard Robinson (4th) and Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell (6th) each found tough sledding against the Irish rush defense. Both were held to significantly less than they have averaged against the rest of their schedule. DENARD ROBINSON Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush LE'VEON BELL Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush Notre Dame has limited Navy, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan and Miami on the ground to significantly worse numbers than those teams average against everyone else on its 2012 schedule. NAVY Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush PURDUE Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush MICHIGAN STATE Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush MICHIGAN Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush MIAMI Vs. Notre Dame Vs. Everyone Else Rushing Yards/Game Average Per Rush THE 300 CLUB Notre Dame, which ranks 11th in the FBS in total defense, has yielded 1,722 total yards over its first six games in It is the fewest total yards allowed over the first six games of a season since 2001 when the Irish surrendered 1,704 total yards. Notre Dame has allowed 300 yards of total offense or less in nine of its last 12 games. Notre Dame has not limited five straight opponents to under 300 yards of total offense in the same season since That Irish defense actually limited eight straight foes below the 300-yard clip. Notre Dame has limited each of its past five opponents - Purdue (288), No. 10 Michigan State (237), No. 18 Michigan (299), Miami (285) and Stanford (272) - to under 300 total yards. The Irish have not allowed five consecutive opponents under 300 yards of total offense since the 1989 Fiesta Bowl (West Virginia) and the first four games of the 1989 season. Notre Dame limited the Mountaineers (282), Virginia (231), Michigan (272), Michigan State (275) and Purdue (219) to under 300 total yards. Notre Dame has won five straight games when limiting its opponent to 300 yards of total offense or less. The Irish are 14-2 under Brian Kelly when their opponent fails to eclipse the 300-yard mark of total offense. Notre Dame has held half of its opponents (16) in the Brian Kelly era (32 games) to less than 300 yards of total offense. How many games prior to Kelly's did it take the Irish to hold 16 foes under the 300-yard barrier? (a span that dates back to Sept. 11, 2004).