Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/921206
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2018 9 UNDER THE DOME 0 Interceptions from the safety position at Notre Dame during the 12-game regular season. That is the first time that has occurred since college football went to the two-platoon format (different players on offense and defense) in 1964. On the bright side, Notre Dame allowed only eight passes of 30 or more yards during the regular season — the fewest in the Football Bowl Subdivision. 2 Notre Dame hockey players named to international teams during Christ- mas break. Senior forward and NCAA points leader Jake Evans was named to Team Canada's roster for the prestigious Spengler Cup, played Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland. Also, sophomore defenseman Andrew Peeke was selected to the final U.S. National Junior Team roster for the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y. The No. 3 Irish next put their 13-game winning streak on the line at Michigan Jan. 5. 4 Notre Dame's Mike Brey is the fourth longest tenured head coach among the 65 Power Five conference men's basketball teams. His 18 seasons trail only Syra- cuse's Jim Boeheim (42), Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (38) and Michigan State's Tom Izzo (23) at their current institution. 5 This December, Notre Dame quarterback signee PHIL JURKOVEC from Pine-Richland High in Gib- sonia, Pa., became the fifth Irish signal-caller to make the USA Today first- or second-team All-America unit since its inaugural year in 1982. J.T. Daniels (USC) and Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) were named to this year's first team, while Jurkovec was on the second team. The four pre- vious Fighting Irish quarterback recruits to make the unit were Rick Mirer (1988), Ron Powlus (1992) and Jimmy Clausen (2006) on the first team, and Gunner Kiel (2011) on the second unit, behind future Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. On a separate not, fellow Pennsylvania re- cruit, linebacker Matthew "Bo" Bauer, was selected to this year's first team. 7 Notre Dame recruits among the 21 signed in December who will partake in January all-star games. Five were selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 6 in San Antonio: defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola, defensive back Derrik Allen, quarterback Phil Jurkovec, line- backer Shayne Simon and tight end George Takacs. Defensive back Houston Griffith and linebacker Jack Lamb were chosen for the Under Armour All- America Game Jan. 4 in St. Petersburg, Fla. 14 Consecutive starts lost by Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, a second-round selection from Notre Dame last spring. He is the first quarterback in NFL annals to lose his first 14 starts. The previous two Irish quarterbacks from Notre Dame to start in the NFL were Jimmy Clausen (1-13) and Brady Quinn (4-16). 31 Ranking of Notre Dame in the Directors' Cup fall standings, prior to the end of football season, with 139 points. Although the Irish did not pick up points in men's and women's cross country, they garnered 64 points in women's soccer for reaching the third round of NCAA Championship, 50 in men's soccer after advancing to the second round, and 25 points in volleyball by getting into the NCAA Tournament. 39 Points scored by junior forward Jessica Shepard in a hard- fought 91-82 victory versus DePaul Dec. 17. That is a single- game record for women's basketball in Notre Dame's Purcell Pavilion. It also was only two points short of the school-record 41 first set by Ruth Riley in a 97-59 romp at Providence on Jan. 30, 1999, and matched by Jewell Loyd in a 94-93 overtime win at DePaul on Dec. 10, 2014. BY THE NUMBERS ✦ Sponsored by: NotreDameTickets.com PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM