Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/894058
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 6, 2017 25 0 Turnovers committed by Notre Dame in four of its last five games: at Michigan State Sept. 23, Miami (Ohio) Sept. 30, USC Oct. 21 and NC State Oct. 28. Those four wins boosted head coach Brian Kelly's record at Notre Dame to 23‑3 when the Irish don't commit a turnover. All three of the losses occurred last year. 2 Consecutive years North Carolina State scored on a blocked punt against Notre Dame. The Wolfpack defeated the Irish 10‑3 last year on a 16‑ yard touchdown off a blocked punt with 12:43 left in the game. The first tally in this year's game came on a blocked punt by the Wolfpack that was recovered in the end zone by Germaine Pratt for a touchdown. 6 This was only the sixth time the Wolfpack played a game where both teams were ranked in the top 15 — the most recent occurring in the 1992 Gator Bowl when No. 12 NC State lost 27‑10 to No. 14 Florida. Even more notable, the last time the Wolfpack have played in such a regu‑ lar season contest was 1980, when it fell as the No. 15 team to No. 8 North Carolina. Conversely, since 1980 the Irish have had nearly 60 such con‑ tests (including bowl games). 8 Different Notre Dame players who have re‑ turned two interceptions for touchdowns in the same season, with sophomore cornerback Julian Love joining that club on his 69‑yard tally on the opening possession of the second half. Prior to Love, the most recent to achieve the feat was safety Tom Zbikowski in 2005. Love also had a 59‑ yard pick‑six at Michigan State Sept. 23. 11 Rushing touchdowns by Notre Dame ju‑ nior quarterback Brandon Wimbush this year after this second‑quarter score on third‑and‑ six. That eclipsed the single‑season school record by a signal‑caller, set by predecessor DeShone Kizer in 2015 with 10. 61-15-1 Record for the Fighting Irish against first‑time visitors to Notre Dame Stadium (dedicated in 1930), with North Carolina State the most recent. More sig‑ nificant is it snapped a three‑game losing streak to Power Five schools making their first visit to the building. The previous three were Louisville (31‑28 in 2014), Virginia Tech in 2016 (34‑31) and Georgia this Sept. 9 (20‑19), all of which came down to the closing minutes. 339 Passes thrown by North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley — dating back to Nov. 16, 2016, versus Miami — before he threw an interception. That came by Notre Dame sopho‑ more cornerback Julian Love, who proceeded to return it for a 69‑yard touchdown in the third quar‑ ter to extend the Irish lead to 28‑14. The NCAA record is 379, which also was set by an NC State quarterback, Russell Wilson in 2008‑09. 1944 Notre Dame had not knocked off top‑ 15 ranked opponents by at least 20 points in back‑to‑back weeks since Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, 1944, when the Irish defeated No. 10 Georgia Tech (21‑0) and No. 12 Great Lakes Naval Station (28‑7). Semi‑professional and World War II team Great Lakes was coached by the legendary Paul Brown. 1989 The most recent season until now that Notre Dame defeated Associated Press top‑15 teams on back‑to‑back weekends. The Irish toppled No. 11 USC 49‑14 Oct. 21 and the No. 14 Wolfpack 35‑14 Oct. 28. Coincidentally, those victo‑ ries 28 years ago also occurred on the same dates: 28‑24 versus No. 9 USC Oct. 21 just like this season, and then 45‑7 against No. 7 Pittsburgh Oct. 28. BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI 110 Carries it took for junior running back JOSH ADAMS to reach the 1,000‑yard rushing mark this season — the quickest to do so in Notre Dame history. The previous standard was 120 by Reggie Brooks in 1992. Adams now has 1,169 rushing yards this season, well in sight of the "official" single‑season school record 1,437 set by Vagas Ferguson in 1979. However, when you include bowl games — which have been done since 2002 — Allen Pinkett had 1,505 yards rushing in 1983 and Brooks 1,458 in 1992. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL