Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1411895
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 25, 2021 9 UNDER THE DOME 9th Was where Notre Dame ranked in a poll of more than 100 people working in college football — athletics directors, head coaches, assistant coaches, recruiting coordinators, analysts and staffers — about the top five head coaching jobs in the country conducted by The Athletic. The Fighting Irish received two first-place votes and 23 total votes for a point total of 48. Alabama (406 points, 55 first-place votes) finished in the top spot, followed by Ohio State (308, 11), Georgia (224, 11), Texas (164, 11) and LSU (159, 14). USC (151, five), Clemson (129, five), Oklahoma (64, three), Notre Dame and Florida (32, 0) rounded out the top 10. "Here's the thing about Notre Dame: There's no other place like it," The Athletic noted. "When you look atop this list and find powerhouse programs, they all are very similar. Big stadiums, crazy track records of developing NFL talent, luxurious facilities, all of it. But with Notre Dame, you have a top-notch education tied to a place that just oozes what college football is all about. "Notre Dame has the history and the buy-in for football, and it's a private Catholic school, which gives the Irish natural in-roads at every private Catholic high school in America. Those private Catholic high schools are like little Notre Dame embassies. "There are a lot of high school prospects looking for what Notre Dame offers, and the best part is that there isn't anyone else also offering it at this level. Oh, and it has an iconic stadium, great facilities and a rabid fan base." 10 Years since an Irish pass catcher logged three straight games with at least seven receptions, until sophomore tight end MICHAEL MAYER achieved the feat this fall. The last time it happened was when Michael Floyd did it during the 2011 campaign. From Nov. 12-26, Floyd had nine catches for 90 yards versus Maryland, 10 grabs for 92 yards versus Boston College and eight receptions for 92 yards at Stanford. Mayer's streak began with a seven-catch, 62-yard effort in the 2020 College Football Playoff semifinal versus Alabama in January. This year, he reeled in nine passes for 120 yards against Florida State and then had seven grabs for 81 yards versus Toledo. 11-1 Record in home openers for head coach Brian Kelly after the win over Toledo. He is now tied with Knute Rockne for the most wins in home openers in school history. 12 Years since Notre Dame won back-to-back games by three points or less, before opening the 2021 season with a 41-38 overtime win at Florida State and a 32-29 tri- umph versus Toledo. The last time that happened, the Fight- ing Irish held off Michigan State 33-30 on Sept. 19, 2009, and then edged Purdue 24-21 the following week. 36 Fighting Irish alumni were on an NFL roster for Week 1 of the season, per the league. That figure tied Georgia for fourth among all colleges, behind only Alabama (54), Ohio State (50) and LSU (47). 67.6 Percent of junior running back Kyren Wil- liams' carries in Notre Dame's first two games resulted in him being hit behind the line of scrimmage, the most by an FBS player with at least 25 rushing attempts per Sports Info Solutions. The next closet player was Akron's Jon- zell Norrils at 66.7 percent. After that, Miami quarterback D'Eriq King was at 59.3 percent. 62,009 Fans attended the Notre Dame-Toledo game Sept. 11 at Notre Dame Stadium. Not including last year's COVID- impacted crowds, it marks the lowest home attendance for the Fighting Irish since the stadium expansion follow- ing the 1996 season. ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER