Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1047749
14 NOV. 12, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom Sydney Bent — Volleyball The freshman from Miami led the way for Notre Dame in a 3‑1 win over Boston College Oct. 28, notching 16 kills, eight blocks and an ace. Through 22 matches, Bent ranked third on the team in kills (170), points per set (2.97), blocks (49) and assists (14). She also was second in ser‑ vice aces (21) and fifth in digs (126). Yared Nuguse — Cross Country The sophomore from Louisville, Ky., led the way for the Fighting Irish at the ACC Champi‑ onships Oct. 26 in Boston. He finished third with a time of 23:48.8 in the eight‑kilometer race to help Notre Dame win its first ACC cross country championship in program history. Nuguse's strong showing earned him All‑ACC acco‑ lades and was a big leap from his effort in last year's race, when he placed 24th (24:03.7). Anna Rohrer — Cross Country The senior from Mishawaka, Ind., finished in third place at the ACC Championships in Boston Oct. 26. She posted a time of 20:19.2 in the six‑kilometer race to help the Fighting Irish place second as a team. Rohrer now owns three career top‑three finishes at the league meet. She placed second as a fresh‑ man and crossed the finish line first as a sophomore. (She did not com‑ pete as a junior due to injury.) Thomas Ueland — Soccer The senior from Lexington, Ky., was the dif‑ ference maker for Notre Dame in a 1‑0 win at Pittsburgh Oct. 27. He had two total shots and tallied the game's lone marker. With just five min‑ utes left in regulation play, he found the back of the net to lift the Fighting Irish to victory. Through 16 contests, Ueland led the Irish in points (13) and was tied for the team lead in goals (six). TOP OF THE CLASS ✦ GIMME FIVE If Notre Dame defeats Florida State Nov. 10, two notable feats will be achieved. First, it would mark the third time in the last seven years the Fighting Irish finished unbeaten at home, joining the 2012 and 2015 teams. To put that into context, consider that in the 22 years from 1990‑2011, Notre Dame was unblemished at home only once (6‑0 in 1998). Second, the winning streak at home would be extended to 11 — all six games this season and the final five in 2017. Since the opening of Notre Dame Stadium in 1930, or head coach Knute Rockne's final season, that would be — believe it or not — the third‑longest streak in the edifice. Here are the top five such streaks: Years Winning Streak 1.1942‑50 28 2. 1987‑90 19 3t. 2016‑17 10* 3t. 1969‑71 10 3t 1997‑99 10 * Heading into the Florida State game Nov. 10 Note: Ties are not included in winning streaks. In a stretch from 1968-71 Notre Dame was 16-0-1 at home, but a 14-14 tie with USC in 1969 had a six-game streak before it and 10 games after it. Getting To Know … JUNIOR QUARTERBACK IAN BOOK Hometown: "El Dorado Hills, Calif." High School: "Oak Ridge." Major: "Marketing." Favorite Food: "Steak and potatoes." Favorite TV Show: "'The Office.'" Favorite Movie: "'Black Hawk Down.'" Favorite Music: "I love mu‑ sic. I love all genres. I listen to different music all day, it just depends on what I'm doing." Favorite Musician: "I couldn't name one artist. I love music a lot." Fa v o r i t e P r o fe s s i o n a l Sports Team: "San Francisco 49ers." Favorite Part About Playing For Notre Dame: "It goes along with the tradition. It's being able to represent the guys that were here before us and the guys that are coming after us with all this tradition. There's really no game day like Notre Dame. It's something I'll remember for‑ ever and it's crazy how fast it's going." Toughest Player You've Lined Up Against: "That's a tough question. We've played some tough defenses with some players that are go‑ ing to have some great NFL careers, so I couldn't really name one." CHARTING THE IRISH HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE AMONG THE TOP FOUR IN THE INITIAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS? On Oct. 30, the College Football Playoff committee revealed Alabama (8‑0), Clemson (8‑0), LSU (7‑1) and Notre Dame (8‑0) as its top four in its first rankings of the 2018 season. However, past history shows changes are on the horizon. In the four years of the CFP, there has not been one occurrence of the same four teams in the initial rankings making it to the final top four. Only once has at least three accomplished the feat. During the first season in 2014, Mississippi State (7‑0), Florida State (7‑0), Auburn (6‑1) and Ole Miss (7‑1) earned the coveted top four spots in the initial rankings. However, only Florida State participated in the CFP. The following two seasons only two teams — Alabama and Clemson both times — were among the top four of the first and last CFP rankings. In 2015, LSU and Ohio State appeared among the initial top four, but could not close the deal over the final month of the season. Michigan and Texas A&M were unable to keep pace in 2016, struggling down the stretch. Last year was the first in which more than two teams appeared in the top four of both the first and last CFP rankings, with Georgia joining the Crimson Tide and Tigers. The Irish were the lone team to miss out on the CFP party after stumbling to a 2‑2 record in November. FINISHING WHAT THEY STARTED: THE CFP TOP FOUR Combined Record Of The Top Four Teams In The Top Four Of Both Year Between First And Final CFP Rankings (Win Pct.) The Initial And Final CFP Rankings 2014 13‑7 (.650) 1 2015 14‑4 (.778) 2 2016 12‑7 (.632) 2 2017 14‑4 (.778) 3