Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1313320
12 DEC. 5, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Sammi Fisher — Soccer The senior midfielder and team captain from Simi Val- ley, Calif., was named a sec- ond-team All-ACC selection, her third career postseason award (she was a third-team pick in 2019 and an All- Freshman selection in 2017). Fisher tallied three goals and one assist in nine games (all starts) for Notre Dame, which finished the fall with a 4-5 record. Her team- mate, sophomore forward Kiki Van Zanten, earned third-team recognition. Daelin Hayes — Football The fifth-year senior de- fensive end from Belleville, Mich., is one of 20 semifi- nalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which goes to a col- lege football player with a "record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field." Hayes, a team captain with 3.0 sacks this year, has been active in the South Bend com- munity over the duration of his career and was a 2019-20 ACC Top Six For Service award winner. Aiden McFadden — Soccer The senior midfielder from West Chester, Pa., delivered a 100th-minute free kick goal that gave Notre Dame a 1-0 overtime win over North Carolina in the quarterfi- nals of the ACC Tournament Nov. 15. It was the first goal of the season for McFadden. The Fighting Irish (5-4) lost 3-1 to Pitt in the semifinals Nov. 18, ending their fall season. Colin Theisen — Hockey The senior forward from Monroe, Mich., had a hat trick in Notre Dame's 5-3 loss to Wisconsin Nov. 14, with two goals coming just 1:40 apart in the second period that tied the score at 2-2. His third goal pulled Notre Dame even at 3-3 with 12:03 left in the game. The hat trick was the first in 119 career games for Theisen. The Fighting Irish also lost 2-0 Wisconsin Nov. 13 to start the season 0-2. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom CHARTING THE IRISH ON SCHEDULES After defeating Boston College 45-31 on Nov. 14, Notre Dame improved to 8-0. That is an impressive feat, especially in comparison to the number of games other Power Five conferences are slated to play. It will also be difficult for most Big Ten teams to reach nine regular-season games. The conference didn't begin its season until Oct. 24, which left no wiggle room to reschedule postponements. Consequently, COVID-19 out- breaks have led to cancellations. For instance, No. 3 Ohio State lost its game against Maryland and will play at most eight regular-season games now. No Power Five conference will play more games than the ACC, which has its teams play 10 conference games and the option of one non-conference meeting. All 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences plan to host a cham- pionship game in mid-December. The only potential College Football Playoff team that could play more regular-season games than the ACC is BYU, but the Cougars have a post- poned matchup with Army that may not be rescheduled. ✦ GIMME FIVE There was some symmetry between Notre Dame's 47-40 double-overtime win over No. 1 Clemson on Nov. 7 and the 31-30 victory versus No. 1 Miami on Oct. 15, 1988. In both cases, the Fighting Irish were ranked No. 4, a dramatic defensive stop was required at the end, Notre Dame had failed to score a touchdown in the pre- vious meeting between the two — and both the Tigers and Hurricanes had 36-game winning streaks during the regular season entering the contest. Amazingly, of the five longest winning streaks in col- lege football history — meaning that bowl games are not included — three of them have been snapped by Notre Dame. That features the longest of all, by Oklahoma at 45 (not including two bowl wins as well) in the 1950s. The ones that weren't occurred prior to 1920, and even before the 20th century. It should also be noted that 50 years ago in the 1971 Cotton Bowl, Texas had a 30-game winning streak — 28 in the regular season — that also was ended by the Fighting Irish. Football began in 1869, and here are the five longest regular-season win streaks in the Division I college ranks since 1890, with ones in bold italics ended by Notre Dame. Rk. Team (Years) Win Streak* 1. Oklahoma (1953-57) 45 2. Washington (1908-14) 39 3. Yale (1890-93) 37 4. Miami (1985-88) 36 Clemson (2017-20) 36 * Regular-season games only Notre Dame's 47-40 double-overtime win over No. 1 Clemson Nov. 7 snapped the Tigers' 36-game regular-season winning streak. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Power Five Conference Games (League+Non-League) ACC 10+1 SEC 10 Big 12 9+1 Big Ten 9 Pac-12 7 Group Of Five Conf./School Games (League+Non-League) BYU* 12 American Athletic 8+4 Sun Belt 8+4 Conference USA 8+4 Mountain West 8^ Mid-American 6 Schedule Breakdown By Conference * Independent; ^ a few MWC teams elected to play one non-conference opponent and seven conference games