Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1511802
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 25, 2023 21 1st Career receiving touchdowns for graduate student running back Devyn Ford and sophomore tight end Eli Raridon came against Wake Forest. Ford's was a 12-yard connection with quarterback Sam Hartman that put Notre Dame up 7-0 in the first quarter. Raridon and Hartman hooked up on a 19-yard score on Notre Dame's first play of the second half. 5th 100-yard rushing performance (22 carries for 115 yards and 1 touch- down) this season and the eighth of his career for Irish junior running back Audric Estimé. The Irish are now 5-0 this year when he hits triple digits. Along the way, Estimé went over 1,000 yards this season and 2,000 for his career. He is the 13th Irish player to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season and the 19th to surpass 2,000 yards in his career. 8 Touchdowns allowed (3 passing — just the third time since 2002 that has happened — and 5 rushing) by the Fighting Irish in their six games at Notre Dame Stadium this season. That is the fewest since the 2012 team held their opponents to 6 (5 passing and 1 rushing). Last season the Irish defense gave up just 10 touchdowns at home, giving them just 18 over the past two years. You have to go all the way back to 2001 (12) and 2002 (5) for a better two-year number (17). 31 Seniors participated in the pregame ceremony, though there are some who have additional eligibility and could return to the roster next season. Here is the full list: running back Sam Assaf, linebacker Cole Aubrey, linebacker JD Bertrand, safety DJ Brown, wide receiver Henry Cook, center Zeke Correll, defensive tackle Howard Cross III, wide receiver Chase Dixon, punter Bryan Dowd, wide receiver Griffin Eifert, defensive back Thomas Harper, cornerback Cam Hart, quarterback Sam Hartman, defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste, defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, running back Chase Ketterer, linebacker Jack Kiser, punter Ben Krimm, offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic, linebacker Marist Liufau, defensive tackle Rylie Mills, offensive lineman Quinn Murphy, defensive end Nana Osafo-Mensah, wide receiver Matt Salerno, tight end Hakim Sanfo, safety Eddie Scheidler, kicker Spencer Shrader, wide receiver Chris Tyree, running back Skip Velotta, long snapper Michael Vinson and of- fensive lineman Brennan Wicks. 102-25-5 All-time record (a .792 winning percentage) for Notre Dame on Senior Day — the last home game of the season. The Irish did not have a final home game in 1889 or 1929, and the 1963 home finale was canceled due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Irish have now won seven straight Senior Day games, which is the longest streak for the program since it posted 13 consecutive victories from 1966-78. 132 Career touchdown passes for Notre Dame graduate student quarter- back Sam Hartman after he tossed 4 against his former school, Wake Forest. That gave him sole possession of fourth place on the NCAA's all-time list. 144-7 Is the combined score of Notre Dame's last three Senior Day victories. The Fighting Irish crushed Georgia Tech 55-0 in 2021, hammered Boston College 44-0 in 2022 and routed Wake Forest 45-7 in 2023. 377th Victory for the Fighting Irish in their 500th game at Notre Dame Stadium. They have an all-time winning percentage of .759 in "The House That Rockne Built." It is the fourth time in five tries that Notre Dame has picked up a victory in "milestone" game. The Irish also defeated No. 4 Texas 21-0 in Game 100 in 1954; blew out Air Force 48-15 in Game 200 in 1973; lost to No. 13 Tennessee 35-34 in Game 300 in 1991; and beat San Diego State 21-13 in Game 400 in 2008. BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 102 Receiving yards on 8 receptions — both new career highs — for fresh- man wide receiver RICO FLORES JR. It marks the first 100-yard performance by a Notre Dame wide receiver since Marcus Freeman's debut as the Irish's head coach in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022. Both Lorenzo Styles (8 catches for 136 yards and 1 TD) and Kevin Austin Jr. (6 receptions for 105 yards and 1 TD) did it in that game, but Notre Dame fell 37-35 to Oklahoma State. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER