Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2017 11 UNDER THE DOME 5 Losses by the 2016 Notre Dame football to teams that did not finish in the Associated Press poll: Texas (5-7), Michigan State (3-9), Duke (4-8), North Carolina State (7-6) and Navy (9-5). It was one short of the school record set by the 3-9 team in 2007, whose six defeats to squads that did not finish in the AP top 25 were Georgia Tech (7-5), Penn State (9-4, although it was No. 25 in the coaches' poll), Michigan State (7-6), Purdue (8-5), Navy (8-4) and Air Force (9-4). 9 Victories by fifth-year New Mexico head coach Bob Davie after a New Mexico Bowl win versus Texas-San Antonio. That tied the most ever by a former Notre Dame head coach at another school. Predecessor Lou Holtz (1986-96) was 9-3 at South Caro- lina in his third season (2000). Davie inherited a Lobos program that was 1-11 each of the three years prior to his arrival. 35 Consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference games won by Notre Dame women's basketball since Jan. 11, 2015 (in- cluding conference tournament) before losing this year's league opener at North Carolina State (70-62) Dec. 29. It was the second- longest streak ever in the league, behind Duke's 51 (2001-04). The Irish entered this season with an all-time ACC mark of 47-1 in the regular season and 9-0 in the postseason tourney. 39 Football Bowl Subdivision teams that have recorded ei- ther a major, BCS or Big Six bowl victory — defined today as the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar — since the 1994 season, while Notre Dame has not. Its last such victory oc- curred Jan. 1, 1994, a 24-21 decision versus 10-1 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. In the previous 24 years from 1970-93, Notre Dame recorded the most major bowl victories nationally with 10 — five versus No. 1 teams, plus 11-0 West Virginia in the 1989 Fiesta and 12-0 Texas A&M in the 1993 Cotton. 45 Early enrollees into Notre Dame's football pro- gram since January 2006, with five more starting classes at Notre Dame this Jan. 17 after signing official papers in December. Early enrollees complete their high school academic requirements by December and can be admitted into a university that ensuing January. This year's five-man group might be the best of the 11 at Notre Dame, on paper, because all are ranked on the Rivals250 list: 6-5, 238-pound tight end Brock Wright (No. 56); 6-5, 276-pound offensive tackle Robert Hainsey (No. 79); 6-7, 335-pound offensive tackle Aaron Banks (No. 112); 6-2, 185-pound athlete Isaiah Robertson (No. 197); and 6-0, 190-pound running back C.J. Holmes (No. 198). 83-70 Record of Notre Dame's 2016 football opponents for a .542 percentage. The first six finished 27-46 (.369) while the second six were 56-24 (.700). The Fighting Irish were 2-4 in the first half and also 2-4 in the second half of the slate. 1,768 Rushing yards by sophomore Josh Adams through his first two seasons at Notre Dame, the fourth most by an Irish running back entering his junior year. The only three with more were Al- len Pinkett (2,005 in 1982-83), Darius Walker (1,982 in 2004-05) and current Fighting Irish running backs coach Autry Denson (1,941 in 1995-96). Adams' 6.42 yards per carry is the best among the group, ahead of No. 2 Denson's 5.55. BY THE NUMBERS 218 Minutes played by Notre Dame bas- ketball sophomore REX PFLUEGER to open the season without committing a turnover. His first of the season occurred near the end of the first half in game 13 during a 63-55 victory versus Saint Peter's Dec. 28. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND