2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES

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1 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 1 Countdown To Kickoff 10 Notre Dame s defense is only allowing 10.1 points per game this year and are tied with Alabama for the best scoring defense in the nation. Over the last 10 years, only two NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision defenses have allowed fewer points per game than this year s Notre Dame defense. (Page 17) 9 Out of 60 plays in last week s game, Wake Forest only had nine offensive snaps in Notre Dame territory, none deeper than the Irish 27-yard line. (Page 18) 8 The Irish defense has allowed eight touchdowns all season, by the far the fewest of any FBS team. The next closest is Alabama with 14 touchdowns allowed. (Page 17) 7 Notre Dame has been ranked No. 1 seven times when playing USC and the Irish are 5-2 in those matchups. Five times Notre Dame has played at USC undefeated and ranked No. 1 and the Irish have won three of those contests. (Page 4) 6 Only six Notre Dame quarterbacks have ever passed for more yards in a game than the 346 yards Everett Golson posted against Wake Forest. The amazing part is Golson was taken out of the game midway through the third quarter with a 38-0 lead. (Pages 37-38) 5 Since Sept. 17, 2011, Notre Dame has the fifthbest win percentage among all NCAA FBS teams. The Irish are 19-3 in its last 22 games, trailing only Oregon, Alabama, Northern Illinois and Georgia. (Page 12) 4 Sophomore DE Stephon Tuitt is tied for fourth in the nation with 12.0 sacks this year and trails Justin Tuck s single-season school record by 1.5 sacks. (Page 31) 3 Notre Dame is one of three FBS teams to average more than 200 rushing yards per game on offense and allow less than 100 rushing yards per game on defense. (Page 32) 2 Senior LB Manti Te o needs two tackles to become the second Notre Dame player to record three consecutive seasons of at least 100 tackles. (Pages 28-29) 1 Notre Dame is the first school in the BCS era to be ranked No. 1 in both the current BCS standings and the current NCAA Graduation Success Rate rankings. (Page 9) 0 No Notre Dame running back with as many career carries as senior RB Cierre Wood (438) has a better yards-per-carry average than Wood s 5.5 yards per rush. (Pages 40-41) Saturday, November 24, :00 p.m. PT Game-12 LA Memorial Coliseum (80,795); Los Angeles, Calif. ABC national telecast with Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analysis), Heather Cox (sideline), Bill Bonnell (producer) and Derek Mobley (director). 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 games can be heard in South Bend on News & Sports Radio 96.1 FM & 960 AM WSBT. Including Saturday's game with USC, Notre Dame has played before 275 capacity crowds among its 452 road games (.608) since The Irish have played in front of sellout crowds in 254 of its previous 296 games (.858) overall. Notre Dame has played before 625 sellouts in 897 total games (.697) since Notre Dame (UND.com), USC (USCTrojans.com) Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 this week in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Irish jumped to No. 1 in the season's sixth BCS standings. USC is unranked in either poll. Live in-game stats will be provided through CBS College Sports GameTracker via UND.com. Notre Dame and USC will be meeting for the 84th time in series history. The Irish lead the all-time series overall, but the Trojans own a advantage in the series when it shifts to Los Angeles. This rivalry began in 1926, when legendary Irish head coach Knute Rockne became the first Midwestern coach to take a team to the West Coast (Notre Dame won that game, 13-12) and the teams have meet every season since (taking off due to travel restrictions during World War II). Full series history is available on pages What's Inside Countdown to Kickoff... 1 Regular Season Finales... 2 Night Games... 3 ND when No Notre Dame's Record When... 5 With A Victory / With A Defeat ND in the Polls Starter Sheet... 8 Irish Probable Starting Lineup... 9 Irish Among National Leaders Honors / Awards Team Notes Brian Kelly Notes Eye On Career Records Money Plays Long Plays Notre Dame By The Numbers Notre Dame in the NFL Defensive Notes Offensive Notes Special Team Notes ND vs. Pac ND-USC Head-to-Head Comparison ND-USC Series History The Last Time Game Recaps Alphabetical / Numerical Roster Depth Chart Pronunciation Guide Individual Player Stats / Career Highs Game-by-Game Stats Scoring Drives Team Stats 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. W, Oct. 27 5/5 at (8/7) Oklahoma (ABC) Norman, Okla. W, Nov. 3 4/4 Pittsburgh (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. W, ot3 Nov. 10 4/4 at Boston College (ABC) Chestnut Hill, Mass. W, 21-6 Nov. 17 3/3 Wake Forest (NBC) Notre Dame, Ind. W, 38-0 Nov. 24 1/1 at USC (ABC) Los Angeles, Calif. 5 p.m. PT

2 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Notre Dame enters this weekend's matchup with USC with an all-time record of (.583) in regular-season finales (excludes 1887, 1889 seasons when the Irish played just one game) including (.688) all-time on neutral fields, (.522) on the road and (.761) at home. Notre Dame s longest winning streak in regular-season finales is six, beginning with a Nov. 28, 1912 shutout of Marquette (69-0) and concluding with a Nov. 28, 1918 tie against Nebraska (0-0). The Irish actually posted an unbeaten streak of 10 games. Notre Dame went unbeaten in regular-season finales from The longest losing streak is four games, beginning with a Dec. 2, 1961 loss at Duke (37-13) and concluding with a Nov. 27, 1965 tie against Miami (0-0). The largest margin of victory in a regular-season finale was 69-0 against Marquette on Nov. 28, Date Result Opponent W, 20-0 Harvard Prep T, Hillsdale L, 0-8 at Chicago L, Albion W, 32-0 Chicago Physicians W, 8-0 Beloit (R) W, 34-6 Michigan State (R) W, 60-0 at Albion L, 0-5 Chicago Physicians W, 5-0 Chicago Physicians W, 22-6 South Bend AC T, 6-6 at Purdue W, 35-0 at Wabash L, 0-36 at Purdue L, 0-32 at Purdue W, 29-0 Beloit (R) W, at St. Vincent's (Chicago) W, 6-0 at Marquette T, 0-0 at Marquette T, 5-5 at Marquette T, 0-0 at Marquette W, 69-0 Marquette W, 30-7 at Texas W, 20-0 at Syracuse W, 55-2 at Rice W, 20-0 at Nebraska W, 3-0 at Washington & Jefferson T, 0-0 at Nebraska (S) W, 14-6 at Morningside (S) W, 25-0 at Michigan State W, 48-0 Michigan State L, 6-14 at Nebraska W, 13-0 at St. Louis (R) W, at Carnegie Tech L, 0-17 at Nebraska W, at USC (2:00) W, 7-6 USC L, at USC W, 7-0 Army W, 27-0 at USC L, 0-12 Army L, 0-13 at USC W, Army W, 14-0 at USC W, USC The largest margin of defeat was 51 (58-7) to Miami on Nov. 30, Notre Dame has played USC in its regular-season finale on 49 occasions more than any other foe. The Irish are (.510) in those meetings with the Trojans. Rank School Games ND Record 1. USC Miami Marquette Stanford Great Lakes Nebraska Purdue SMU Date Result Opponent T, at (9) USC W, 13-6 (9) USC (1:45) L, 0-13 at (1) USC (8) L, (7) USC (4) W, 10-6 at USC W, (4) USC T, (6) Great Lakes (S) L, at (1) Great Lakes (0:33) W, 28-7 (9) Great Lakes (12) L, 7-39 at (5) Great Lakes W, 26-6 (2) USC (16) W, 38-7 at (1) USC (3) T, at (2) USC (0:35 ND) W, at (1) SMU L, 7-9 at USC W, at USC (20) (R) W, 9-0 (7) USC (2) W, (2) SMU W, at (4) SMU L, at (5) USC L, at USC (17) W, at (10) SMU W, at (18) USC W, 16-6 USC (7) W, 17-0 at USC (R) L, at Duke L, 0-25 at USC (1) L, 7-14 vs. Syracuse (3:28) L, at (1) USC (1:33) T, 0-0 at (6) Miami, Fla. (NT) W, 51-0 at (1) USC (10) W, at (6) Miami, Fla. (NT) T, at (9) USC (2) W, 13-6 (8) Air Force L, at (4) USC (R) L, 8-28 at (7) LSU (14) (NT) L, at (10) USC (1) W, 44-0 at (5) Miami, Fla. (NT) L, at (5) USC (6) W, 32-9 at Miami, Fla. (NT) L, at (13) USC (3) W, at (6) Miami, Fla. (NT) L, at (8) USC (3) (0:02) W, vs. Miami, Fla. (R) L, 3-20 at (2) USC (17) Notre Dame is (.520) in regular-season finales when ranked in the top 25 (post 1936). The Irish are (.607) in regular-season finales when facing an unranked opponent (post 1936). Here s a breakdown of each Notre Dame head coach s record in regular-season finales (post 1912): Jesse Harper: 5-0 Knute Rockne: Hunk Anderson: 1-2 Elmer Layden: Hugh Devore: 0-2 Ed McKeever: 1-0 Frank Leahy: Terry Brennan: 3-2 Joe Kuharich: 2-2 Ara Parseghian: Dan Devine: 3-3 Gerry Faust: 1-4 Lou Holtz: Bob Davie: 3-2 Tyrone Willingham: 0-3 Charlie Weis: 2-3 Brian Kelly: 1-1 Date Result Opponent L, at Miami, Fla. (9) L, at USC (17) (0:48) L, Air Force (1:35) W, 19-7 at USC (14) (R) L, 7-58 at Miami, Fla. (4) W, at USC (17) L, 0-24 at (10) Miami, Fla. (2) W, at (1) USC (2) L, at (1) Miami, Fla. (7) (NT) W, 10-6 at (7) USC (18) (NT) W, at (17) Hawai'i (NT) W, at (5) USC (19) (NT) L, (1) Boston College (16) (0:00) T, at USC (17) (NT) (4:53 USC) W, at (8) Air Force (NT) L, at (10) USC (NT) W, at Hawai'i (NT) (0:05) L, 0-10 at (9) USC (NT) L, at Stanford (NT) (0:00) W, at (11) USC W, at Purdue (NT) L, at (7) USC (6) (NT) L, at Syracuse L, at USC (1) (NT) W, at (6) Stanford (NT) (0:55) L, at (6) USC (3) (NT) W, at Stanford L, 3-38 at USC (5) (NT) L, at Stanford (NT) (0:59) W, at USC (NT) (R) (2:23) L, at (22) Stanford (4) (NT) Total Games at Notre Dame Stadium in bold The number in front of the opponent name indicates Notre DameÕs ranking in the AP poll coming into the game. The number following the opponent name indicates its ranking. 0:00 indicates time remaining in games decided in the final minutes. R indicates game played in rain. S indicates game played in snow. 1Comiskey Park (Chicago) 2Soldier Field (Chicago) 3Yankee Stadium (New York) 4National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo, Japan)

3 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 3 Notre Dame had six regular season night games on the 2012 schedule, including Michigan State (Sept. 15), Michigan (Sept. 22), Miami, Fla. (Oct. 6), Oklahoma (Oct. 27), Boston College (Nov. 10) and USC (Nov. 27). Notre Dame played seven night games in 2011, including the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State. The seven night games was a school record. The Irish played their first night game, a 48-6 rout of Detroit, on Oct. 5, 1951 in Briggs Stadium. Notre Dame has played 106 night games overall with a record of (.651), including (.700) all-time on neutral fields, (.609) on the road and 7-2 (.778) at home. Notre Dame s longest winning streak in night games is 11, beginning with an Oct. 13, 1973 win at Rice and concluding with a Sept. 24, 1983 shutout loss at Miami (20-0), which went on to win its first national title. Date Result Opponent W, 40-6 (5) vs. Detroit W, 14-0 (5) at Miami, Fla. (15) L, (3) at SMU (1:50) L, at Miami, Fla W, 17-0 (7) vs. Army T, 0-0 (6) at Miami, Fla W, (6) at Miami, Fla W, 37-0 (12) at Tulane W, (9) at Georgia Tech W, 17-0 (7) at Miami, Fla L, 28-7 (7) at LSU (14) L, 6-40 (12) vs. Nebraska (9) W, 28-0 (9) at Rice W, 44-0 (5) at Miami, Fla W, (3) vs. Alabama (4:26) (1) W, 31-7 (2) at Georgia Tech W, (9) vs. Alabama (U) (2) W, 17-3 (9) vs. Boston College W, 32-9 at Miami, Fla W, 20-9 (15) vs. Penn State (20) W, (5) at Miami, Fla W, 20-3 (4) at Arizona W, *(20) Michigan (10) L, 0-20 (13) at Miami, Fla W, 30-6 at South Carolina (7) W, vs. Boston College (13) L, (17) Miami, Fla. (R) (14) W, Michigan State W, vs. Navy L, LSU (8) W, 31-8 (9) Michigan State (17) L, (4) at Pittsburgh (R) W, (13) Michigan (1:13) (9) W, (5) Stanford W, (2) vs. Virginia W, (1) at Air Force (17) L, (1) at Miami, Fla. (7) W, 21-6 (4) vs. Colorado (1) W, (1) Michigan (1:40) (4) W, (3) at Pittsburgh W, 10-6 (7) at USC (18) L, 9-10 (5) vs. Colorado (1) W, (8) at Stanford W, (5) at Air Force The longest losing streak is nine under Bob Davie. The largest margin of defeat was 38-3 at USC on Nov. 29, 2008, eking out the Jan. 1, 1973 Orange Bowl to Nebraska (40-6) which would inspire the Irish to win the national title the next year under Ara Parseghian. The largest margin of victory at night was 57-7 at Stanford on Nov. 29, 2004, when Tyrone Willingham poured it on his former employer. Notre Dame s night history can almost be divided into two eras the 35-year pre-lou Holtz era from , and the 25 years since Holtz took the reins in It was under Holtz that multiple night games in a season became standard at Notre Dame. It eventually prompted the exclusive NBC contract for home games that commenced with the 1991 season. In the 35 years from , Notre Dame was (.768) in night games. In the 11 years under Holtz alone ( ), the Irish were an almost identical (.788). Date Result Opponent W, (17) at Hawaii W, (18) vs. Florida (3) W, (14) at Pittsburgh W, (5) at USC (19) W, (3) at BYU W, (3) vs. Northwestern T, at USC (17) (4:53 USC) W, (8) at Air Force L, (6) vs. Florida State (8) W, 14-7 (6) at Vanderbilt L, (ot) (10) at USC W, at Hawaii (0:05) L, 9-27 vs. LSU (15) L, (10) at Michigan State L, 0-10 (9) at USC L, (24) at Tennessee (4) L, at Stanford (0:00) L, 9-41 (10) at Oregon State (5) L, (23) at Nebraska (5) L, at Boston College L, at Stanford (13) (1:08) (R) W, at Purdue W, 22-0 vs. Maryland (21) W, (7) at Air Force (18) L, (7) at USC (6) W, at Pittsburgh (15) W, 57-7 at Stanford L, at BYU W, at Michigan State L, Oregon State (NT) W, at Pittsburgh (23) W, (13) at Purdue (22) W, (6) at Stanford (0:55) W, (2) at Georgia Tech W, (12) at Michigan State (2:53) L, (6) at USC (3) L, (11) vs. LSU (4) L, at Penn State (14) W, 20-6 at UCLA W, 33-7 at Washington L, 0-17 at Boston College L, 3-38 at USC (5) W, at Purdue (0:25) W, vs. Washington State 15 Notre Dame is 6-8 (.429) at night in bowls, where it has a six-game losing streak and has not won since the conquest of Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame has played more night games against Miami, Fla. (13) than any other foe. The Irish are (.577) at night against the Hurricanes. Notre Dame and USC have played 10 night contests in series history (3-6-1), including each of the last three meetings (2006, 2008, 2010) in Los Angeles. Here s a look at Notre Dame head coach s record at night: Frank Leahy: 1-0 Terry Brennan: 1-1 Joe Kuharich: 0-1 Ara Parseghian: Dan Devine: 5-0 Gerry Faust: 4-2 Lou Holtz: Bob Davie: 2-9 Tyrone Willingham: 5-2 Kent Baer: 0-1 Charlie Weis: 9-7 Brian Kelly: 11-5 Date Result Opponent L, at Pittsburgh (8) L, at Stanford (0:59) L, (ot) at Michigan State (R) W, at Boston College W, 27-3 vs. Army W, at USC (R) (2:23) L, at Michigan (0:02) W, at Purdue L, USC W, at Wake Forest W, vs. Maryland L, (22) at Stanford (4) L, vs. Florida State (25) W, 20-3 (20) at Michigan State (10) W, 13-6 (11) Michigan (18) W, 41-3 (9) vs. Miami W, (5) at Oklahoma (8) W, 21-6 (4) at Boston College Totals Games at Notre Dame Stadium in bold The number in front of the opponent name indicates Notre Dame s ranking in the AP poll coming into the game. The number following the opponent name indicates its ranking. 0:00 indicates time remaining in games decided in the final minutes. R indicates game played in rain. S indicates game played in snow. 1Briggs Stadium (Detroit) 2Shea Stadium (New York) 3Orange Bowl (Miami) 4Sugar Bowl (Tulane Stadium; New Orleans) 5Foxboro Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.) 6Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) 7Liberty Bowl (Detroit) 8Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) 9Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) 10Sugar Bowl (Superdome; New Orleans) 11Soldier Field (Chicago) 12Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.) 13Fiesta Bowl (Sun Devil Stadium; Tempe, Ariz.) 14Insight Bowl (Bank One Ballpark; Phoenix, Ariz.) 15Alamodome (San Antonio) 16Yankee Stadium (New York) 17FedEx Field (Landover, Md.) 18Citrus Bowl (Orlando, Fla.)

4 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches poll for the first time since Nov. 15, Notre Dame is the first team to climb from unranked to the nation's top spot since Missouri in The Tigers opened the season unranked and vaulted to No. 1 on Nov. 25. Notre Dame went 6,937 days between its last two No. 1 rankings dating back to the loss to Boston College on Nov. 20, The previous long drought was from Oct. 2, 1954 until Nov. 1, 1964, a span of 3,683 days. Notre Dame ranks second all-time for the most appearances as the nation's top-ranked team. In the 1,050 AP polls taken, the Irish have been atop the standings on 96 different occasions. Rank School Appearances 1. Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State USC Nebraska Miami (Fla.) Florida State Alabama Texas Florida 41 The Irish played their first game as the No. 1 team in the country, a 9-7 victory at No. 16 Northwestern, on Nov. 19, Notre Dame has played 77 games overall as the top-ranked team in the nation with an overall record of (.825). In the 36 road games that the Irish have been ranked No. 1, Notre Dame is (.778) with the losses coming in 1938 vs. USC, 1943 vs. Great Lakes, 1964 vs. USC, 1965 vs. Purdue, 1967 vs. Purdue, 1981 vs. Michigan and 1989 vs. Miami. In the 33 home games that the Irish have been ranked No. 1, Notre Dame is (.833) with the losses coming in 1950 vs. Purdue, 1954 vs. Purdue, 1990 vs. Stanford, 1990 vs. Penn State and 1993 vs. Boston College. Notre Dame is 8-0 (1.000) as the No. 1 team in the nation on neutral fields, including the 1988 Fiesta Bowl victory over West Virginia that gave the Irish their last national championship. Notre Dame s longest winning streak in games as the nation's top-ranked team is 17, beginning with an Oct. 14, 1944 win over Dartmouth at Fenway Park and concluding with a Oct. 7, 1950 loss against Purdue (28-14). The largest margin of victory as the No. 1 team in the country was 64-0 over Dartmouth at Fenway Park on Oct. 14, The largest margin of defeat as the No. 1 team in the country was 25-7 at Michigan on Sept. 19, Here s a look at Notre Dame head coach s record when ranked No. 1 in the nation: Elmer Layden: 1-1 Frank Leahy: Ed McKeever: 3-0 Terry Brennan: 0-1 Ara Parseghian: Dan Devine: Gerry Faust: 0-1 Lou Holtz: 18-4 Notre Dame and USC have played seven times in series history when the Irish were ranked No. 1. Notre Dame is 5-2 in those matchups. The Irish last played the Trojans as the nation's topranked team on Nov. 26, 1988, when Notre Dame bested No. 2 USC, 27-10, en route to a perfect regular season and eventual national championship. Notre Dame has taken a No. 1 ranking and undefeated record into five previous season finales at USC (1938, 1947, 1964, 1966 and 1988). The Irish are 3-2 in those meetings. The defeats in '38 and '64 were the only setbacks for Notre Dame in those campaigns and cost the Irish national titles. Notre Dame has played more games as the No. 1 team in the nation against Purdue (eight) than any other foe. The Irish are 4-4 (.500) as the nation's top-ranked team against the Boilermakers. Rank School Games ND Record 1. Purdue USC Michigan State Navy Michigan Northwestern Pittsburgh Georgia Tech Iowa North Carolina Penn State Date Result Opponent W, 9-7 (1) at Northwestern (16) L, 0-13 (1) at USC (8) W, (1) at Michigan (2) W, 50-0 (1) at Wisconsin W, 47-0 (1) Illinois (R) W, 33-6 (1) Navy (3) W, 26-0 (1) Army (3) W, 25-6 (1) at Northwestern (8) W, (1) Iowa Pre-Flight (2) L, (1) at Great Lakes (0:33) W, 64-0 (1) Dartmouth (R) W, (1) Wisconsin W, 13-7 (1) at Illinois (14) W, 22-7 (1) at Purdue W, 27-0 (1) Navy W, 27-7 (1) Army (9) W, (1) at Northwestern (R) W, 38-7 (1) at USC (3) W, 26-7 (1) Michigan State W, 42-6 (1) at Indiana (R) W, 46-7 (1) Tulane (4) W, 40-0 (1) Navy W, (1) at Michigan State (10) W, 42-6 (1) North Carolina W, 28-7 (1) Iowa W, 32-0 (1) USC (17) W, (1) at SMU W, 14-7 (1) North Carolina (20) L, (1) Purdue (R) W, (1) at Oklahoma (6) Date Result Opponent W, 37-7 (1) at Purdue W, (1) Pittsburgh (15) W, (1) Georgia Tech (4) W, 38-7 (1) Navy (20) W, (1) at Pennsylvania W, (1) at North Carolina T, (1) Iowa (20) (0:06 ND) L, (1) Purdue (19) W, (1) at Pittsburgh W, 34-7 (1) Michigan State W, 28-0 (1) Iowa L, (1) at USC (1:33) L, (1) at Purdue (6) W, 38-0 (1) at Oklahoma (10) W, 31-7 (1) Navy W, 40-0 (1) Pittsburgh W, 64-0 (1) Duke T, (1) at Michigan State (2) W, 51-0 (1) at USC (10) W, 41-8 (1) California L, (1) at Purdue (10) W, 10-7 (1) Georgia Tech (6:28) W, 49-3 (1) at Northwestern T, 3-3 (1) at Georgia Tech L, 7-25 (1) at Michigan (11) W, (1) Rice W, 21-3 (1) Penn State W, (1) at USC (2) W, (1) West Virginia (3) W, (1) at Michigan (2) Date Result Opponent W, (1) Michigan State W, 40-7 (1) at Purdue W, (1) at Stanford W, (1) at Air Force (17) (NT) W, (1) USC (9) (5:18) W, 45-7 (1) Pittsburgh (7) W, 41-0 (1) Navy W, 59-6 (1) SMU W, (1) at Penn State (17) L, (1) at Miami (7) (NT) W, (1) Michigan (4) (NT) (1:40) W, (1) at Michigan State (24) (0:34) W, (1) Purdue L, (1) Stanford (0:36) W, (1) at Tennessee (9) L, (1) Penn State (18) (0:04) L, (1) Boston College (17) (0:00) Totals Games at Notre Dame Stadium in bold The number in front of the opponent name indicates Notre Dame s ranking in the AP poll coming into the game. The number following the opponent name indicates its ranking. 0:00 indicates time remaining in games decided in the final minutes. R indicates game played in rain. S indicates game played in snow. 1Municipal Stadium (Cleveland) 2Yankee Stadium (New York) 3Fenway Park (Boston) 4Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) 5Municipal Stadium (Philadelphia) 6Fiesta Bowl (Sun Devil Stadium; Tempe, Ariz.)

5 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 5 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. 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. 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 57-18* 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)

6 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 18) Rk School Avg. Pvs 1. Notre Dame Alabama Georgia Florida Oregon Kansas State LSU Stanford Texas A&M Florida State Clemson South Carolina Oklahoma Nebraska Oregon State Texas UCLA Rutgers Michigan Louisville Oklahoma State Boise State NR 23. Kent State NR 24. Arizona NR 25. Washington ) Rk School Record Pts 1. Notre Dame (107) , Alabama (8) , Georgia , Oregon , Florida , Florida State , Kansas State , LSU 9-2 2, Clemson , Texas A&M 9-2 1, Stanford 9-2 1, South Carolina 9-2 1, Oklahoma 8-2 1, Nebraska 9-2 1, Oregon State 8-2 1, UCLA 9-2 1, Texas 8-2 1, Louisville Rutgers Michigan Boise State Oklahoma State Mississippi State Northern Illinois Kent State Others Receiving Votes USC 142, Utah State 132, Northwestern 112, Louisiana Tech 58, Washington 53, Arizona 21, Tulsa 21, Baylor 18, San Jose State 18, San Diego State 13, Wisconsin 11, Vanderbilt 10, TCU 9, Texas Tech 4, Fresno State 4, Arkansas State 4, Syracuse 3, Louisiana-Monroe opponents in bold Rankings Notre Dame has played 20 previous games in its history on Nov. 24. The Irish are (.725) all-time on this date. Season Site ND Coach W/L/T Score ND Rank Opponent Opp. Coach Opp. Rank 1892 Home None T No Poll Hillsdale None No Poll 1900 Home Pat O'Dea W 5-0 No Poll Rush Medical Unknown No Poll 1904 Away Red Salmon L 0-36 No Poll Purdue Oliver Cutts No Poll 1905 Away Henry J. McGlew L 0-32 No Poll Purdue A.E. Hernstein No Poll 1906 Home Thomas A. Barry W 29-0 No Poll Beloit Charles Fairweather No Poll 1910 Away Shorty Longman T 5-5 No Poll Marquette William Juneau No Poll 1917 Away Jesse Harper W 3-0 No Poll Wash. & Jeff. Sol Metzger No Poll 1921 Home Knute Rockne W 48-0 No Poll Michigan State Albert Barron No Poll 1923 Away Knute Rockne W 26-0 No Poll Carnegie Tech Walter Steffen No Poll 1934 Yankee Stadium Elmer Layden W 12-6 No Poll Army Gar Davidson No Poll 1945 Away Hugh Devore W Tulane Claude Simons, Jr. Not Ranked 1951 Home Frank Leahy T Not Ranked Iowa L. Raffensperger Not Ranked 1956 Away Terry Brennan L 8-48 Not Ranked Iowa Forest Evashevski Home Joe Kuharich W Not Ranked Iowa Jerry Burns Not Ranked 1967 Away Ara Parseghian W Miami Charlie Tate Not Ranked 1979 Tokyo Dan Devine W Not Ranked Miami H. Schnellenberger Not Ranked 1984 Away Gerry Faust W 19-7 Not Ranked USC Ted Tollner Away Lou Holtz W USC Larry Smith Away Bob Davie L Not Ranked Stanford Tyrone Willingham Away Charlie Weis W Not Ranked Stanford Jim Harbaugh Not Ranked Improves Notre Dame to 12-0 for the first time since 1988 and second time in school history. Improves the Irish to 6-0 away from Notre Dame Stadium and 4-0 on the road in Improves the Irish to 4-0 on the road in a single season for the first time since 2005 and 16th time in school history. Gives Notre Dame its fourth straight victory on the road. Gives the Irish their longest road winning streak since they collected eight straight during the seasons. Marks Notre Dame's 20th win over its last 23 games. Gives the Irish their longest winning streak since capturing 17 straight during the seasons. Gives Notre Dame its 11th winning streak in school history of at least 12 games. Improves the all-time Irish record to (.734). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record on the road to (.655). Improves the all-time record away from Notre Dame Stadium for the Irish to (.677). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 to (.753). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 to (.699). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five to (.796). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top five to (.781). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked No. 1 to (.827). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked No. 1 to (.784). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record away from Notre Dame Stadium when ranked No. 1 to (.822). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.837). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.781). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.874). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.811). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked No. 1 against an unranked opponent to (.908). Improves the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked No. 1 against an unranked opponent to (.844). Improves Notre Dame's all-time record to (.554) in the series with USC. Improves the all-time road record for the Irish to (.477) in the series with the Trojans. Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 to (.560) in the series with USC. Improves the Irish all-time road record when ranked in the top 25 to (.442) in the series with the Trojans. Improves Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five to (.643) in the series with USC. Improves the Irish all-time road record when ranked in the top five to (.500) in the series with the Trojans. Improves Notre Dame when ranked No. 1 to 6-2 (.750) in the all-time series with USC. Improves the Irish all-time road record when ranked No. 1 to 4-2 (.667) in the series with the Trojans. Improves Kelly's record to (.746) overall. Improves Kelly's record at Notre Dame to (.737). Improves Kelly's record to (.714) in FBS games. Improves Kelly's record to (.780) since Improves Kelly's record to (.782) since Improves Kelly's record to (.806) all-time in the month of November. Improves Kelly's record to 10-1 (.909) in the month of November as Notre Dame head coach.

7 2012 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES 7 Drops Notre Dame to 11-1 for the first time since 1989 and fourth time in school history. Drops the Irish to 5-1 away from Notre Dame Stadium and 3-1 on the road in Marks Notre Dame's fourth defeat over its last 23 games. Denies Notre Dame its 11th winning streak in school history of at least 12 games. Drops the all-time Irish record to (.733). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record on the road to (.653). Drops the all-time record away from Notre Dame Stadium for the Irish to (.676). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 to (.751). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 to (.694). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five to (.792). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top five to (.770). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked No. 1 to (.814). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked No. 1 to (.757). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record away from Notre Dame Stadium when ranked No. 1 to (.800). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.834). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top 25 against an unranked opponent to (.774). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.867). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked in the top five against an unranked opponent to (.792). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked No. 1 against an unranked opponent to (.882). Drops the all-time road record for the Irish when ranked No. 1 against an unranked opponent to (.781). Drops Notre Dame's all-time record to (.542) in the series with USC. Drops the all-time road record for the Irish to (.455) in the series with the Trojans. Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top 25 to (.540) in the series with USC. Drops the Irish all-time road record when ranked in the top 25 to (.404) in the series with the Trojans. Drops Notre Dame's all-time record when ranked in the top five to (.595) in the series with USC. Drops the Irish all-time road record when ranked in the top five to (.423) in the series with the Trojans. Drops Notre Dame when ranked No. 1 to 5-3 (.625) in the all-time series with USC. Drops the Irish all-time road record when ranked No. 1 to 3-3 (.500) in the series with the Trojans. Drops Kelly's record to (.743) overall. Drops Kelly's record at Notre Dame to (.711). Drops Kelly's record to (.705) in FBS games. Drops Kelly's record to (.769) since Drops Kelly's record to (.776) since Drops Kelly's record to (.792) all-time in the month of November. Drops Kelly's record to 9-2 (.818) in the month of November as Notre Dame head coach. Notre Dame is (.710) all-time during the month of November. Notre Dame is (.761) in November home games. The Irish are (.628) in November road games. Notre Dame is (.792) in November neutral games. The Irish are (.672) in November games away from Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish are (.727) in November games at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame is (.741) all-time in the month of November as a ranked team. The Irish are (.828) all-time in the month of November as a ranked team at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame is (.617) all-time in the month of November as a ranked team on the road. Notre Dame is 9-1 (.900) in the month of November under head coach Brian Kelly. Notre Dame had lost eight of its last nine November games before Kelly s arrival in Notre Dame has won all five of its games away from Notre Dame Stadium by double digits, with the 15-point win at Boston College on Nov. 10 the lowest margin of victory. The Irish have not won five such games away from Notre Dame Stadium during the regular season since the 1973 national title. Notre Dame has allowed only 35 points in its five games away from Notre Dame Stadium this season: 10 versus Navy (Sept. 1), three at No. 10 Michigan State (Sept. 15), three in the Shamrock Series game with Miami (Oct. 6), 13 at No. 8 Oklahoma (Oct. 27) and six versus Boston College (Nov. 10). Notre Dame is looking to finish a regular season unbeaten on the road (4-0) for the first time since 2005 when the Irish went 5-0. The Irish have gone 4-0 or better on the road in a single season on just 16 previous occasions ('05, 1993, 1990, 1984, 1977, 1973, 1954, 1953, 1949, 1947, 1930, 1929, 1920, 1919, 1913). Notre Dame will look for its sixth victory away from Notre Dame Stadium this weekend at USC. The Irish have not collected six wins away from home in the same regular season since Notre Dame moved up to No. 1 in the latest editions of the Associated Press and USA Today polls. The Irish have not been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since Nov. 15, 1993, when they were ranked first following a victory over undefeated and No. 1 Florida State. Rankings 18) Rk School Record Pts 1. Notre Dame (60) Alabama Georgia Ohio State Oregon Florida Kansas State LSU Texas A&M Florida State Stanford Clemson South Carolina Oklahoma UCLA Oregon State Nebraska Texas Louisville Michigan Rutgers Oklahoma State Kent State Northern Illinois Mississippi State Utah State Others Receiving Votes Boise State 20, Northwestern 20, Washington 20, Arizona 13, USC 12, Tulsa 10, San Jose State 8, Fresno State 7, Louisiana Tech 4, Wisconsin 4, San Diego State 2, TCU 1, Iowa State 1, Baylor 1, Vanderbilt 1. 18) Rk School Record Pts 1. Notre Dame (56) Alabama (2) Georgia (1) Oregon Florida State Florida LSU Kansas State Clemson Texas A&M Stanford South Carolina Oklahoma Nebraska Texas UCLA Oregon State Louisville Rutgers Michigan Oklahoma State Boise State Northern Illinois Mississippi State Kent State Others Receiving Votes Utah State 74, Northwestern 59, Louisiana Tech 36, Washington 36, Tulsa 14, USC 14, San Jose State 7, San Diego State 6, Arizona 5, Vanderbilt 4, Wisconsin 4, Fresno State 3, Middle Tennessee 3, Arkansas State 2, Cincinnati 1, Texas Tech 1.

8 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NOTES Starter Sheet Offense 2012 Streak Career Z. Martin (LT/RT) Cave (C) Eifert (TE) Jones (WR) Riddick (WR) Watt (OG) Rees (QB) 2-18 Wood (RB) Golic Jr. (C) Toma (WR) 5-11 Lombard (RT) Golson (QB) Niklas (TE) 6-7 Goodman (WR) 1-6 D. Smith (WR) Atkinson III (RB) 3-3 Brown (WR) 3-3 Daniels (WR) 3-3 Koyack (TE) Defense 2012 Streak Career Te'o (ILB) Lewis-Moore (DE) Motta (S) Fox (ILB/OLB) 7-20 Nix III (NG) Shembo (OLB/DE) Slaughter (S) 3-19 Tuitt (DE) Calabrese (ILB) Russell (CB) Jackson (CB) Spond (OLB) Farley (S/OLB) Schwenke (NG) 2-2 Niklas (OLB) Longest Active Streaks Te'o (ILB) 46 Z. Martin (LT/RT) 37 Eifert (TE) 31 Watt (OG) 24 Most Career Starts (Active) Te'o (ILB) 47 Lewis-Moore (DE) 40 Z. Martin (LT/RT) 37 Cave (C) 33 ESPN s College GameDay program is making its 22nd appearance for a Notre Dame game. The Irish are 6-7 all-time when GameDay is present outside an opposing stadium, 4-4 when present on Notre Dame's campus and overall in the 21 times that the traditional college football program has appeared at any Irish contest, regardless of site. Notre Dame hosted GameDay on Oct. 6 against No. 17 Stanford. It marked the first GameDay appearance on Notre Dame's campus since Oct. 15, 2005, when No. 1 USC and the No. 9 Irish squared off. GameDay was on-hand or Notre Dame's victory at No. 8 Oklahoma on Oct. 27. GameDay has never previously been on-site for three Notre Dame games in a single season. Notre Dame is also unique, as it hosted the first of GameDay show on the road at the 1993 matchup between No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Florida State. Date W/L Score ND Rank Opponent (Rank) Nov. 13, 1993 W vs. Florida State (1) Sept. 10, 1994 L vs. Michigan (6) Oct. 21, 1995 W vs. USC (5) Sept. 28, 1996 L vs. Ohio State (4) Sept. 5, 1998 W vs. Michigan (5) Sept. 4, 1999 L at Michigan (7) Nov. 6, 1999 L at Tennessee (4) Sept. 9, 2000 L (ot) 23 vs. Nebraska (1) Sept. 8, 2001 L at Nebraska (5) Oct. 19, 2002 W at Air Force (18) Oct. 26, 2002 W at Florida State (11) Sept. 13, 2003 L at Michigan (5) Sept. 18, 2004 W at Michigan State Nov. 27, 2004 L at USC (1) Sept. 3, 2005 W at Pittsburgh (23) Oct. 15, 2005 L vs. USC (1) Sept. 2, 2006 W at Georgia Tech Nov. 25, 2006 L at USC (3) Sept. 10, 2011 L at Michigan Oct. 13, 2012 W (ot) 7 vs. Stanford (17) Oct. 27, 2012 W at Oklahoma (8) Notre Dame has hosted GameDay on eight occasions, which is tied with Tennessee and Florida State for the seventh-most of any school. The 22 appearances by GameDay at an Irish game also ranks seventh. ESPN College GameDay Appearances ESPN College GameDay Hosts 1. Florida Ohio State Ohio State Florida Oklahoma Michigan Florida State 24 Alabama 10 Michigan LSU 9 Alabama 24 USC 9 7. Notre Dame Notre Dame 8 8. USC 20 Tennessee 8 9. LSU 19 Florida State Tennessee Auburn 7 With a 11-0 record, No. 1/1 Notre Dame is one of only two FBS teams that is still unbeaten this season. The other is No. 4/- Ohio State (11-0), but the Buckeyes are not eligible for the USA Today poll. Career Starts By Position WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB WR RB Jones (28) Z. Martin (35) Watt (24) Cave (33) Golic Jr. (11) Lombard (11) Eifert (32) Goodman (6) Rees (18) Riddick (18) Wood (18) Brown (3) Golic Jr. (4) Z. Martin (2) Niklas (6) Daniels (3) Golson (9) Toma (11) Riddick (6) Koyack (1) D. Smith (4) Atkinson III (3) DE NG DE OLB ILB ILB OLB CB S S CB Lewis-Moore (40) Nix III (20) Tuitt (14) Spond (9) Fox (19) Te'o (47) Shembo (18) Jackson (11) Motta (26) Slaughter (19) Russell (11) Schwenke (2) *Shembo (2) *Farley (1) Calabrese (13) Niklas (1) Farley (8) *Tuitt (1) Fox (1) * indicates Irish alignment against Navy in 2011 and 2012