Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/608448
UNDER THE DOME ✦ GIMME FIVE Ending the regular season in Califor- nia has become a tradition for the Notre Dame football team every season since 2004, with USC in even numbered years and Stanford on odd numbered ones. Both occur on Thanksgiving weekend, allowing the Fighting Irish to leave on Thanksgiving Day, get settled in by Friday, and then the coaches are able to stay for a few days after the game to recruit one of the prime hotbeds for football talent. No team will ever catch USC as the rival Notre Dame has most concluded the regular season with, but Stanford is closing in on Miami for second place. The Hurricanes were a popular warm- weather site to end the season most of the time in odd-numbered years during the era from 1965-89. Here are the top five teams Notre Dame has concluded the regular season against in its history. Opponent (Finales) ND Record 1. USC (51) 24-23-4 2. Miami (10) 5-4-1 3. Stanford (7)* 2-4 4. Marquette (5) 2-0-3 5. Four tied with four games against * 2015 marked the seventh meeting be- tween the schools to end a regular season. Defensive BC 1st/2nd BC BC 2015 Linemen Downs 3rd Down Total Total Isaac Rochell 31 13 44 653 Sheldon Day 34 13 47 634 Romeo Okwara 44 13 57 501 Jerry Tillery 13 0 13 313 Andrew Trumbetti 44 12 56 272 Daniel Cage 0 0 0 242 Jonathan Bonner 10 1 11 67 Doug Randolph 0 0 0 28 Grant Blankenship 0 0 0 23 Peter Mokwuah 0 0 0 16 Jacob Matuska 0 0 0 15 Notes: Cage sat out a second consecutive game with lingering concussion symptoms. BC 1st/2nd BC BC 2015 Linebackers Downs 3rd Down Total Total Jaylon Smith 42 13 55 683 Joe Schmidt 44 13 57 679 James Onwualu 0 0 0 420 Greer Martini 32 2 34 264 Te'von Coney 2 0 2 52 Nyles Morgan 0 0 0 41 Jarrett Grace 2 1 3 34 Notes: Onwualu sat out with a grade two MCL injury. Coney's two snaps came in place of Smith, who temporarily left with a minor injury before returning. Defensive BC 1st/2nd BC BC 2015 Backs Downs 3rd Down Total Total Cole Luke 44 13 57 680 KeiVarae Russell 43 13 56 678 Elijah Shumate 44 13 57 647 Max Redfield 44 13 57 513 Matthias Farley 10 10 20 234 Drue Tranquill* 0 0 0 81 Devin Butler 1 0 1 61 Nick Coleman 0 0 0 44 Nick Watkins 0 0 0 37 Nicky Baratti 0 0 0 34 Torii Hunter 0 0 0 5 Notes: Butler's lone snap came on the final defensive play of the game after Russell left with a fractured tibia. * Out with a season-ending injury MOVING? Let our customer service department know your new address! CALL US 1-800-421-7751