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✦ TOP STORYLINES: NOTRE DAME VS. MIAMI overall. Their presence in 2011 helped the 6-6 Hurricanes finish 17th nationally in scoring defense with an average of 20.08 points allowed per game, a little ahead of No. 24 Notre Dame (20.69). Two of the top tacklers through the first three weeks this year were freshmen Ed- die Johnson (second with 31) at linebacker and Deon Bush at safety (tied for seventh with 18). Miami does get a boost with the return of sophomore middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, who missed the last two games with an injury. Perryman recorded 16 tackles (three for loss) in the first three games, and also scored on a game-chang- ing 41-yard interception return at Boston College. A budding star is sophomore end An- thony Chickillo. The five-star prospect arrived at Miami last year with the same fanfare as Irish defensive line recruits Stephon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch, and he was named the MVP of the 2011 Under Armour All-American Game. Chickillo started the last nine games for Miami and paced the team in sacks with five. He has 21 tackles this year, four for lost yardage. Although Notre Dame's offense has been "a work in progress" throughout head coach Brian Kelly's first three sea- sons, Miami's defense in 2012 may have just broken ground for construction. On paper, it looks like a promising opportu- nity for the Irish offense to break out of its mediocrity. Last year, Notre Dame finished the sea- son scoring only 16, 14 and 14 points in its last three games (with one of the touchdowns coming on a fumble return). This year, after opening with a 50-10 rout of Navy, the Irish have managed only 20, 20 and 13 points the last three games, respectively. "Whether we're playing Miami or our next opponent, we, as an offense, have to score more points," said head coach Brian Kelly, emphasizing how Notre Dame has to take care of its own business rather than point to the shortcomings of the opponent. "I'm more concerned about what we do and how we play the game." HOME AWAY FROM HOME Miami will represent Notre Dame's eighth different opponent played at Chi- cago's Soldier Field. • The first (1924) and most recent (1994) had been Northwestern. The latter marked the debut of sophomore quarterback Ron Powlus, who finished 18-of-24 passing for 291 yards with four touchdowns in a 42-15 Irish victory. • In one-point victories against USC in 1927 (7-6) and 1929 (13-12), the atten- dance was listed at 120,000 (unofficially) and 112,912. The latter was recognized as the record at Notre Dame until last year, when 114,804 filled Michigan Stadium in its first home night game. • The second Notre Dame-Navy meet- ing, in 1928, also was held in front of an "unofficial" 120,000 fans in a 7-0 Notre Dame win. • During the construction of Notre Dame Stadium in 1929, head coach Knute Rockne's "Ramblers" used Soldier Field as a home venue in victories against Wis- consin (19-0), Drake (19-7) and USC (13-12) en route to their second consensus national title. • In 1930, a 54-yard touchdown run by Marchy Schwartz and Frank Carideo's extra point with 3:30 left in the game gave Notre Dame a 7-0 lead against Army, which also scored with a minute left but had the PAT blocked. That victory in front of a listed 110,000 fans helped the Irish to their third consensus national title under Rockne. Senior wide receiver Robby Toma (left), senior tight end Tyler Eifert (right) and the Irish are 3-0 in Shamrock Series games, including last year's 45-20 victory over Maryland at FedEx Field near Washington, D.C. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA • The 1942 season finale resulted in a 13-13 tie with Great Lakes, a semi-pro World War II team. This time only 19,125 were in attendance. Overall, the Irish are 9-0-2 at Soldier Field, with the most games played against Northwestern (3-0-1). SHAMROCK SHAKEDOWNS Through the first three seasons of Notre Dame's off-site Shamrock Series games, the school couldn't have asked for much better results — especially with the Irish margin of victory averaging just less than 25 points per game. Of course, they came against teams that finished a combined 10-27, but the Series itself fulfilled the university's purpose to market itself nationally in some of the na- tion's most renowned cities. • In 2009 at San Antonio, the 40-14 vic- tory against Washington State improved the Irish to 6-2, but it would be the last win under fifth-year head coach Charlie Weis. (The Irish will return to Texas next year to play Arizona State Oct. 5 in the Shamrock Series.) • At New York's Yankee Stadium in ✦ PAGE 9 2010, Notre Dame clinched a bowl berth with a 27-3 win against Army, and in the process demonstrated it can shut down the triple option after getting scorched several weeks earlier in a 35-17 loss to Navy. The effective use of the JumboTron to promote the university also helped serve as food for thought to Irish athletics director Jack Swarbrick about making Notre Dame Sta- dium more interactive and entertaining for the audience. • Last year at FedEx Field on the out- skirts of Washington, D.C., Notre Dame took its green jerseys look to a different level, including a green shamrocked gold helmet that looked like a Christmas tree ornament. The Irish ran away with a 45-20 victory against Maryland. The University of Miami holds a higher football marquee value than any of the other opponents Notre Dame has faced in the Shamrock Series, but the Hurricanes likewise are in a rebuilding phase. What can't ever be overlooked is a roster filled with Florida talent that can never be un- derestimated. Just ask the Irish about the University of South Florida. ✦