Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1479280
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 24, 2022 25 0 Turnovers forced by the Notre Dame defense through three games. On two separate occasions during Cal's final drive of the game, the Irish thought they had their first one of the year only to have it wiped away. The first came on the first play of that last-ditch drive, an interception by junior cornerback Clarence Lewis, but it was negated when senior linebacker JD Ber- trand was tagged with a targeting penalty. The other came on the penultimate play of the game, an apparent fumble by Cal quarterback Jack Plummer that was scooped up by graduate student cornerback TaRiq Bracy and returned 77 yards for a touchdown, only to have it overturned by a replay review when it was deemed that Plummer was down before losing the ball. Notre Dame has a -4 turnover margin during its 1-2 start. 2 Sacks for senior defensive tackle Jacob Lacey against Cal, after entering the contest with just 0.5 career sacks. He also tallied a career-best 5 tack- les vs. the Golden Bears. 5 Wins in five tries for Notre Dame in its all-time series with Cal. The Fighting Irish won the first four meetings against the Golden Bears between 1959 and 1967, before resuming the series this year after a 55-year hiatus. Cal is one of six current Pac-12 schools that have never beaten the Irish. They have also never lost to Oregon (1-0-1), UCLA (4-0), Utah (1-0), Washington (8-0) and Washington State (2-0). 10 Victories for Notre Dame in the 16 games they have played while wearing jerseys that prominently feature the color green since 1983. The Fighting Irish have now won five straight while sporting green, and are 6-1 in such games since 2010. 15-1 Record for the Irish in Notre Dame Stadium against Pac-12 teams not named USC or Stanford (who are a combined 18-41-1 in The House That Rockne Built). Three of those 15 wins have come against the Golden Bears. The only defeat the Irish suffered on their home turf vs. the other 10 Pac-12 teams was a 16-13 setback to Arizona in 1982, when freshman kicker Max Zendejas delivered a 48-yard field goal with no time remaining to upset head coach Gerry Faust's No. 9-ranked Fighting Irish. 15 Fighting Irish quarterbacks have won their Notre Dame Stadium start- ing debuts since 1998, with junior Drew Pyne joining the list after leading the Irish past Cal. The other 14 are Jack Coan (vs. Toledo in 2021), Ian Book (vs. Stanford in 2018), Brandon Wimbush (vs. Temple in 2017), DeShone Kizer (vs. Georgia Tech in 2015), Malik Zaire (vs. Texas in 2015), Everett Golson (vs. Purdue in 2012), Tommy Rees (vs. Utah in 2010), Dayne Crist (vs. Purdue in 2010), Pat Dillingham (vs. Stanford in 2002), Carlyle Holliday (vs. Pittsburgh in 2001), Matt LoVecchio (vs. Stanford in 2000), Gary Godsey (vs. Purdue in 2000), Arnaz Battle (vs. Texas A&M in 2000) and Jarious Jackson (vs. Michigan in 1998). 22 Offensive touches — a new career high — for 108 yards from scrimmage by junior running back Chris Tyree vs. the Golden Bears, after he totaled just 12 for 65 yards (45 rushing and 20 receiving) in the first two games of the season. Against Cal, Tyree's 17 carries produced 64 yards (3.8 per rush) and his team- high 5 catches produced 44 yards and included a 21-yard touchdown that got the Irish on the board in the first quarter. 2007 Remains the last season during which the Irish lost their first three games. Prior to that, the only other 0-3 start came in 2001. BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 128 Career receptions for junior tight end MICHAEL MAYER after his 6-yard touchdown grab with 9:16 remaining in the fourth quarter that gave the Fighting Irish the winning points in their 24-17 triumph over Cal. Mayer is now tied for second on Notre Dame's career receptions list for tight ends, behind only Tyler Eifert's 140 from 2009-12. Rk. Player (Years at ND) Rec. 1. Tyler Eifert (2009-12) 140 2. Michael Mayer (2020-Present) 128 Ken MacAfee (1974-77) 128 4. John Carlson (2004-07) 100 5. Anthony Fasano (2003-05) 92 PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER