Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/878660
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 2, 2017 11 UNDER THE DOME 1 For the eighth time in the last five seasons, the Notre Dame men's soccer team assumed the No. 1 spot in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly know as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) poll Sept. 19. The Irish had raised their mark to 6-0-0 entering the Sept. 23 weekend with a game at Virginia Tech. Head coach BOBBY CLARK'S squad was recognized as the top team in the poll three times during its national championship campaign in 2013, three times as the defending NCAA champion in 2014 and also once during the 2016 season. 2 Preseason ranking by the league's coaches of Notre Dame hockey in its inaugural season in the seven-team Big Ten. The Fighting Irish advanced to their third Frozen Four since 2008 last spring under head coach Jeff Jackson, including an upset of No. 1 seed Minnesota, which is favored to win the Big Ten this season. Ranked third through seventh were Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Recently named team captain for the 2017-18 Irish — who open their season on Oct. 6-7 versus Alabama-Huntsville — was senior forward Jake Evans, the fourth-leading returning scorer in college hockey with 92 career points. Seniors Jordan Gross and Luke Ripley, and junior An- drew Oglevie were chosen as alternates. Gross is the top returning scorer among college hockey defensemen (91 points), while fellow defenseman Ripley also was an alternate captain last year. Oglevie had 21 goals and 20 assists last season during the 40-game campaign. 7 Mock 2018 draft ranking for Notre Dame senior left guard Quenton Nelson in the most recent SportsIllustrated.com chart that includes input from NFL scouts. Ranked No. 1 is USC quarterback Sam Darnold, who the Irish will face Oct. 21. No. 8 was Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry, who was limited to one tackle and kept at bay in the 49-20 loss to Notre Dame Sept. 16. Since 1956, only two Notre Dame offensive linemen were drafted among the top 10: George Kunz in 1969 (No. 2) and Ronnie Stanley in 2016 (No. 6). 76 Different teams to play in Notre Dame Stadium since its opening in 1930 when Miami (Ohio) kicks off there Sept. 30. The RedHawks did travel to Notre Dame in 1909 — the week after the Fighting Irish historic upset of Michigan (11-3) for the first time — and lost 46-0. The Irish are 59-15-1 against first-time visitors in Notre Dame Stadium, but have lost six of these meetings since 2009, including the last two: Georgia (2017) and Virginia Tech (2016). 130.6 Rushing yards per game averaged by Vagas Fergu- son in 1979, which remains the most in one season in school history, ahead of Allen Pinkett's 126.7 in 1983 and Reggie Brooks' 122.1 in 1992. After the first three games this season, junior Josh Adams was at 147.7, which ranked fifth nationally. Ferguson's 1,437 yards rushing that season remains the most at the school in an 11-game regular season. 316 Carries by junior Josh Adams, per the research of Notre Dame's media relations office, when he reached the 2,000-yard rushing mark in his career. Adams achieved that milestone the fastest among the 17 Fighting Irish players to achieve the feat (although with bowl games several others would be included as well). The previous fastest to reach 2,000 rushing yards was the legendary George Gipp (1916-20) with 323 attempts. BY THE NUMBERS ✦ Sponsored by: NotreDameTickets.com PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS