Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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est, Joe Kaboski, an economics professor at Notre Dame, provided his take on the BCS standings, where the Irish should fit in and why the current mathematical process of evaluating a team's talent level and schedule strength doesn't take several obvious things into account. "People seem to give KSU [and also Oregon] the • Prior to Saturday's game against Wake For- MISCELLANEOUS NOTES benefit of the doubt over ND based on scoring differential, but it is an argument biased toward teams with relatively strong offenses rather than strong defenses," Kaboski said. "For example, a team with strong offense wins 60-30, while the team with a strong defense wins 20-10. The for- mer score looks like more of a blowout, but both teams were twice as good as their opponent. "That is effectively what has happened with KSU time record at Notre Dame Stadium to 320-106-5 (.748 winning percentage), its all-time mark when ranked in the top 25 to 420-133-15 (.753), its home record when among the top 25 to 212-54-3 (.794) and its all-time record when ranked in the top five to 83-20-2 (.800). • The Fighting Irish are now 318-122-27 (.710) in [average score 42-18] and Notre Dame [26-11], but KSU has been 138 percent better than their opponents, while ND has been 135 percent bet- ter. That is effectively a wash, especially since ND has played a slightly stronger schedule. [Oregon has been 169 percent better, but they've played a much weaker schedule.] Moreover, when you look at common opponents, the numbers overwhelm- ingly favor ND." • Saturday's victory improved Notre Dame's all- and he's now 167-11 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter, including a 103-5 record since 2001. He's 154-13 when his team has an advan- tage at halftime. • Teams coached by Kelly have gone 57 consecu- operated those three seasons (1975-77) with an 11-game schedule, with the Irish playing 12 games in 1976 (Gator Bowl) and 1977 (Cotton Bowl). Kelly can surpass Devine with a win at Southern California to finish the regular season and a bowl victory. • Kelly's career closing percentage remains high, tive games with a victory when holding opponents to less than 20 points. • The Irish have shut out eight of their 11 op- ponents in the first quarter so far this year and outscored them 75-9 in the opening frame. Notre Dame compiled 221 yards of total offense in the first quarter against Wake Forest, which was a sea- son high. In fact, it was the second-highest quarter of production all year behind a third-quarter effort of 230 yards against Miami Oct. 6 at Soldier Field in Chicago. • Notre Dame averaged 12.3 yards per play in the first quarter Saturday, which tops the 11.3 yards per play against Oklahoma in the opening frame Oct. 27 in Norman, Okla. • Not since a 2008 game against Michigan have their history in the month of November, including a 148-44-7 mark at home and a 9-1 mark under head coach Brian Kelly. • Kelly and former Notre Dame boss Dan Devine are the only two coaches in school history to win eight or more games in each of their first three seasons, and only Devine won more games (28) than Kelly's 27 in the first three seasons. Devine the Irish posted three touchdowns so quickly. Notre Dame scored three times in the opening 10:32 versus the Demon Deacons, and it took 10:09 against the Wolverines five years ago to strike three times. • Wake Forest is the 70th different program to visit Notre Dame Stadium since it opened in 1930. The Irish are 57-12-1 (.821) against first- time visitors. • Over the last 10 years, only four teams have allowed fewer points per game than the Irish this season (10.1). Alabama surrendered 8.1 points per game in 2011, Southern California gave up 9.0 points per game in 2008, Miami allowed 9.4