Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 SEPT. 19, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 www.BlueGoldOnline.com 1-800-421-7751 DELIVERY LIMITED TO CONTINENTAL U.S. PLEASE ADD SALES TAX FOR ITEMS SHIPPING TO: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) Made to order & shipped direct from manufacturer, returns not related to damage may incur fee. GRILL MAT $49.95 + FREE S&H Available in 2 Styles: ND or Leprechaun (Item #6622-ND or #6622-LEP) (Item #6621) CUSTOM GRILL COVERS Hand-made in USA using the finest com- mercial grade breathable vinyl featuring double-stitching, buckle clasps and mois- ture vent. Logo printed with UV-resistant ink in official school colors. AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES & 3 LOGOS: Small: 60" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $51.95 + $15.00 S&H Large: 72" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $54.95 + $15.00 S&H Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. ✦ GIMME FIVE While Brian Kelly joins the esteemed company of Frank Leahy, Ara Par- seghian and Lou Holtz as an 11th-year head coach at Notre Dame — Knute Rockne had the longest stay with 13 years (1918-30) before his premature death — associate head coach Mike Elston has been with him all that time. The 45-year-old Elston first joined Kelly's Central Michigan staff that he assembled in 2004, making this his 17th consecutive year working with him. He instructed Notre Dame's defensive linemen from 2010-14 before shifting to linebackers the next two years, and also served as the recruiting coordina- tor from 2015-17. Elston returned to mentoring the de- fensive line in 2017 and has been an inte- gral piece to the 33-6 record the past three seasons that ranked as the sixth-best in the 130-team Football Bowl Subdivision. Elston is now tied with Tom Pagna for the fifth-longest stint as a Notre Dame full-time on-field assistant. Here are the top five: Rk. Coach Years 1. Joe Yonto 19 (1964-80, 1986-87) 2. George Kelly 17 (1969-85) 3. Brian Boulac 13 (1970-82) Paul Shoults 13 (1964-76) 5. Tom Pagna 11 (1964-74) Mike Elston 11 (2010-20) CHARTING THE IRISH POLL POSITION Since 1936, the Associated Press poll has provided college football with a weekly ordering of the top teams in the sport, ranking between 10 and 25 pro- grams, depending on the year. From the beginning, selected college football writ- ers from across the country determine which teams appear and in what order. Notre Dame is No. 4 all time when it comes to the total number of AP poll appearances with 817. Ohio State is No. 1 with 920, followed by Michigan (867) and Oklahoma (848). But the Fighting Irish are in a conference for the 2020 season and thus are no longer simply compared to the entirety of the college football world. In con- junction with the rest of the ACC, Notre Dame is king and its lead substantial. The only other member with more than 500 appearances is Florida State (560). Miami (490) is a not-too-distant third. Fourth overall is Clemson (453), a modern college football powerhouse that certainly doesn't match up with Notre Dame historically. Several ACC programs have traditionally struggled to receive recognition by the AP poll. Six different teams have less than 200 appearances, with Wake Forest (47) possessing by far the fewest. Associate head coach Mike Elston is enter- ing his 17th consecutive year working under head coach Brian Kelly, including all 11 at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER Rk. School No. 1. Notre Dame 817 2. Florida State* 560 3. Miami 490 4. Clemson* 453 5. Georgia Tech* 306 6. Virginia Tech 304 7. Pittsburgh* 297 8. North Carolina* 246 Rk. School No. 9. Syracuse* 205 10. Virginia 174 11. Duke* 172 12. North Carolina State 161 13. Boston College* 144 14. Louisville* 141 15. Wake Forest* 47 * 2020 Notre Dame opponent THE MOST AP POLL APPEARANCES AMONG CURRENT ACC TEAMS