Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 30, 2017 25 3-0 Record for Notre Dame this season when not committing a turnover — af- ter going a head-scratching 0-3 last season. En- tering 2016, the Irish had been 19-0 under head coach Brian Kelly in games where it had no turn- overs. Through seven and a half seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly is now 22-3 in such contests. 4 Trophies Notre Dame now owns from its five competitive trophy games after winning the Jeweled Shillelagh, which debuted in 1952, from USC. Earlier this year the Irish retained the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl versus Boston College and recaptured the Megaphone versus Michigan State. Notre Dame also holds the Shillelagh Trophy against Purdue after winning their most recent meeting in 2014. To make a clean sweep and own them all at the same time, Notre Dame needs to win at Stanford Nov. 25 for the Legends Trophy, which debuted in 1989. 5 Victories in a row of 20 points or more by Notre Dame, dating back to the 49-20 win at Boston College Sept. 16. That is the longest such streak since the seven straight by the 1966 national champs prior to the 10-10 tie with No. 2 Michigan State. 8 Consecutive games won by Notre Dame the week after a bye while improving to 9-1 un- der head coach Brian Kelly, two of them against USC. The other came in 2013 (14-10). The last time the Irish lost the week after a bye was Oct. 22, 2011 — 31-17 to USC. 12-5 Record for Notre Dame in night games at home, with a 3-1 ledger against USC (it is a perfect 5-0 versus Michigan). The victory against the Trojans also snapped a three-game losing streak under the lights at home (Michigan State and Stanford last year and Georgia this Sept. 9). Notre Dame is 24-15 in night games overall under Kelly. 17-14-2 Record for Notre Dame against USC when both teams are ranked coming into the game. This year's victory ended a four-game winning streak by the Trojans in such contests, with those victories occurring in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2009. 22 Years to the day — Oct. 21, 1995 — that Notre Dame last defeated a ranked USC team, 38-10 versus the No. 5 Trojans who would go on to win the Rose Bowl. This year was against the No. 11 team in the Associated Press poll. 24-26 With junior Brandon Wimbush at quarterback in his six starts, Notre Dame has scored an astounding 24 touch- downs in 26 opportunities in the red zone (the opponent's 20-yard line). His threat as a runner off the zone read has allowed the Irish to play off their strength and physicality. 28-0 Halftime lead for Notre Dame, the second largest in the 89-game his- tory of the series. Only the 1966 squad held a greater advantage versus USC at the intermission at 31-0, on its way to a 51-0 victory versus the Pac-8 champions to clinch the national title. 377 Rushing yards by Notre Dame, which is believed to be the most by the Irish against Southern California since at least 1950. The closest was 373 yards during a 23-17 victory in 1954. 2,735 Career rushing yards by junior running back Josh Adams, which moved him past Jerome Heavens — who had 2,682 from 1975-78 — for No. 6 on the all-time Irish chart. His new target is reaching 3,000, where Julius Jones (1999-2003) is next at 3,018. BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI 10 Rushing touchdowns by junior quarter- back BRANDON WIMBUSH this season after scoring two more against the Trojans. He tied the single-season school record by quar- terbacks that predecessor DeShone Kizer set in 2015. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA