Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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a total of 62 sacks. Martin and Co. surrendered only seven sacks through Nov. 22. Only Toledo and Air Force have allowed fewer, and Notre Dame attempted at least 100 more passes than both those schools. Martin and Watt credited assistant coach Harry Hiestand with helping to turn the group around, but Kelly said it was their leadership that changed the culture along the offensive line. "They've really shown those young players what it takes as a unit, as a group, in the weight room, on the practice field, and how to stick together as a group," he said. "They've got two seniors there that really set a high bar for everybody else to follow." During July, Martin and Watt held the entire offensive line on campus each day so they could work out as a group when the freshmen finished with their summer school courses. They were trying to build the camaraderie that was missing when they arrived as freshmen, and they were also giving a new crop of talented players a clear view of what it takes to succeed. If he does finish as he started, Martin's streak of 52 straight starts may never be broken. To him and his teammates, though, the 13 Saturdays each season when he answered the bell will pale in comparison to the other 352 days of the year when he showed up just the same. "I think it comes down to, again, consistency," Martin said. "Can you be that same guy every day? Anybody who has ever done this, or done anything, knows it's not easy at all." ✦ Consistency That Counts Zack Martin's starts streak is an impressive feat on its own, but he's also ended most of those 50 games in the win column. Martin entered his final home game in South Bend with 35 career victories as a starter. That tied him for the third most in Notre Dame history. All-America corner and eventual first-round draft pick Luther Bradley is the program's all-time leader with 39 wins as a starter. Bradley played at Notre Dame from 1973-77 (he sat out the '74 season after he and several other star players on the roster were suspended one season by the University for a rules violation) and was a first-team defensive player for every game. He bookended his career with national championship seasons, winning 11 games in each of those years to boost himself to the top of the list. Bradley's teammate, defensive end Ross Browner, posted an almost identical résumé. He was an AllAmerican and a first-round NFL Draft pick. He also missed the 1974 season. Browner missed one start during his career, which leaves him one game behind Bradley with 38 starting victories. A decade later, Notre Dame entered another long stretch of dominance under head coach Lou Holtz. From 1988-91, the Irish won 43 games. Tight end Derek Brown started in 35 of them. Brown's first two catches in a Notre Dame uniform went for touchdowns and, after making a strong first impression, he rarely left the field. Martin's starting record of 35-14 had him tied with Brown heading into Notre Dame's game with BYU. In a best-case scenario for the Irish, Martin had the chance to tie Browner if the team won its last three games of the year. Bradley's 39-win record is safe for now. It's biggest threat at the moment comes from another defensive back: sophomore KeiVarae Russell, who has started all 23 games of his Irish career and entered the BYU game with 19 victories during that streak. — Dan Murphy