2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Last updated

2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo.svg
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers (3rd season)
Offensive scheme Option
Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison (5th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Notre Dame Stadium (c. 80,795, grass)
Seasons
  2000
2002  
2001 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
South Florida    8 3  
Troy State    7 4  
UCF    6 5  
Notre Dame    5 6  
Utah State    4 7  
Connecticut    2 9  
Navy    0 10  
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bob Davie and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Contents

Season overview

With 19 recruits signed to help replace the nine players leaving for the NFL, [1] there were high expectations for the Irish for the 2001 season. Three players were named to pre-season All-America teams while the team was ranked as highly as 12th in the nation. [2] With former starting quarterback, Arnaz Battle, moving in the off-season to wide receiver, [3] Davie faced the decision of having to play his replacement from 2000, Matt LoVecchio, or to replace LoVecchio with fellow sophomore Carlyle Holiday. Prior to their first game, Davie hinted that he might have a surprise at quarterback, [4] however, LoVecchio started at the fourth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Notre Dame's first play from scrimmage proved to be a harbinger when the Irish fumbled and Nebraska recovered. With LoVecchio ineffective throughout the first quarter, Holiday took over and led the Irish to a field goal. Holiday, however, was ineffective throughout the rest of the game and the only other Irish score came after Shane Walton blocked a punt and gave the Irish the ball on the 4 yard line. Unable to capitalize on Nebraska's mistakes, and having four turnovers themselves, the Irish lost the game 27–10. [5] With a small quarterback controversy, the season was interrupted by the September 11, 2001 attacks. With all Division I-A football games canceled after the attacks, [6] the September 15 game against Purdue was moved to the end of the season. With promises of heightened security, [7] prayers, and a stadium-wide fundraiser to help the victims of the attacks, [8] the Irish returned to the field the next week to face the Michigan State Spartans. With LoVecchio getting the start, he had a better game than his first, but the Irish fell short of the Spartans for the fifth straight year. [9]

After the loss, Davie named Holiday the starting quarterback for the Texas A&M game. [10] Though LoVecchio would play in later games, he would never start again for the Irish and eventually transferred from the school. [11] Playing in front of, at the time, the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in Texas, Holiday was knocked out of the game with a neck injury before halftime. The Irish were unable move the ball and lost 24–3, moving to 0–3 for the first time ever. [12] With Holiday back the next week, he led the Irish to their first victory of the season against the Pittsburgh Panthers, [13] and continued to roll with wins over West Virginia and USC to put the Irish back to a 3–3 record. [14] [15] With a loss the next week to Boston College, [16] however, the Irish hopes for a bowl game were dwindling and all but gone with a loss the next week to the seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. [17]

With a 3–5 record, the Irish would need to win all of their remaining games to avoid Davie's second losing season for the team. The Irish looked to turn it around with a dominating win over Navy that increased their record winning streak over them to 38 games, [18] however, fell to Stanford the next week after both Holiday and LoVecchio completed only one pass each the entire game. [19] Assured of Notre Dame's eighth losing season ever, the Irish traveled to face the Purdue Boilermakers for the game missed after the September 11 attacks. Though the Irish defense helped secure the win and the 5–6 record, [20] it wasn't enough for the Notre Dame administration who fired Davie the next day. [21]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 88:00 p.m.at No. 4 Nebraska No. 18 ABC L 10–2778,118
September 222:30 p.m. Michigan State No. 23 NBC L 10–1780,795
September 293:30 p.m.at Texas A&M ABCL 3–2487,206
October 62:30 p.m. Pittsburgh
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 24–780,795
October 132:30 p.m. West Virginia
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBCW 34–2480,795
October 202:30 p.m. USC
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 27–1680,795
October 277:30 p.m.at Boston College ESPN L 17–2144,500
November 32:30 p.m.No. 7 Tennessee
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBCL 18–2880,795
November 171:00 p.m. Navy
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 34–1680,795
November 248:00 p.m.at No. 13 Stanford ABCL 13–1751,780
December 13:30 p.m.at Purdue ABCW 24–1568,750

Roster

2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 1Jared ClarkSo
QB 2Dan NovakovJr
WR 3 Arnaz Battle Sr
WR 6 David Givens Sr
QB 7 Carlyle Holiday So
WR 8Lorenzo CrawfordSo
QB 8Matt KruegerSo
QB 9 Pat Dillingham Fr
QB 10Ryan KruegerSr
QB 10 Matt LoVecchio So
RB 11Marcus WilsonFr
RB 12 Tony Fisher Sr
TE 14Gary GodseyJr
WR 18Ronnie RodamerSo
WR 21 Javin Hunter Sr
RB 22 Julius Jones Jr
RB 23Chris YuraJr
RB 24Cory JonesFr
RB 25 Ryan Grant Fr
RB 27Mike ProfetaFr
RB 28Cole LauxSo
RB 32Terrance HowardSr
RB 35Tim O'NeillSr
FB 36 Tom Lopienski Sr
RB 37Albert GembaraSo
FB 38Eric NelsonSr
FB 40Jason MurraySr
FB 47Mike McNairSr
WR 48Jonathan GentineJr
C 52 Jeff Faine Jr
C 55Zachary GilesFr
G 62Casey RobinSr
OT 63 Brennan Curtin Jr
G 64Casey DunnFr
G 65Sean MilliganJr
C 66JW JordanSr
G 67Ryan GillisJr
G 69Darin MitchellFr
OT 70 Jim Molinaro Jr
OL 71David KowalskiSo
G 72Ryan ScarolaSr
OT 73 Mark LeVoir Fr
OT 74 Dan Stevenson Fr
OT 75 Kurt Vollers Sr
OT 76John TeasdaleSr
OT 78 Jordan Black Sr
G 79 Sean Mahan Sr
WR 80Omar JenkinsSo
WR 82Bernard AkatuSr
WR 82Matt SheltonFr
TE 83Matt RootFr
TE 84 John Owens Sr
TE 85Billy PalmerSo
TE 86Brendan HartSo
TE 87Patrick NallyFr
WR 87Jonathan SmithSo
WR 88Carlos CampbellFr
OL 97Chris MahoneyJr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 2Carlos Pierre-AntoineSr
FS 4Justin SmithSr
SS 5Ron IsraelSr
CB 9Jason BeckstromJr
DB 14Mike KlocknerJr
CB 15Clifford JeffersonSr
SS 16 Abram Elam So
FS 19 Glenn Earl Jr
SS 20 Gerome Sapp Jr
LB 24Chad DeBoltSr
CB 26Garron BibleSo
SS 26Billy SmallSo
CB 27Lionel BolenFr
FS 28Donald DykesSr
CB 29Quentin BurrellFr
OLB 30 Rocky Boiman Sr
FS 31Dwayne FrancisSr
LB 33 Courtney Watson Jr
CB 34 Vontez Duff So
CB 37Dwight EllickFr
CB 38Preston JacksonSo
SS 39David BemenderferSo
LB 39Brandon HoyteFr
LB 41 Mike Goolsby So
CB 42 Shane Walton Sr
OLB 43Rashon Powers-NealFr
DE 44 Grant Irons Sr
SS 45Matt SarbSr
LB 46 Corey Mays Fr
OLB 48 Justin Tuck Fr
LB 49 Derek Curry So
NG 50Cedric HilliardJr
LB 51 Tyreo Harrison Sr
OLB 52Mark MitchellSr
DL 53Jason HalvorsonJr
LB 56Pat RyanJr
OLB 57Justin ThomasJr
LB 59Brian DierckmanSr
DT 60 Darrell Campbell Jr
LB 61Jesse DeSplinterSo
DE 64Jeffrey CampbellSr
LB 68Ed O'ConnellSo
DT 77Greg PaulySo
OLB 81 Jerome Collins So
DL 90Brian BeidatschFr
DL 91Jeff ThompsonFr
DE 92Kyle BudinscakSo
NG 94Andy WisneSr
DE 95 Ryan Roberts Sr
DE 98 Anthony Weaver Sr
DE 99Jason SappSo
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 13 Nick Setta Jr
P 17Joey HildboldJr
P 19 D. J. Fitzpatrick Fr
K 31Evan DriedgerSo
K 35David MillerSr
LS 56John CrowtherSr
K 80Adam TibbleSr
P 83Josh GentineJr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 2001-12-18

Team players in the NFL

PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
Anthony Weaver Defensive end252 Baltimore Ravens
Rocky Boiman Linebacker4133 Tennessee Titans
John Owens Tight end5138 Detroit Lions
Tyreo Harrison Linebacker6198 Philadelphia Eagles
Javin Hunter Wide Receiver6206 Baltimore Ravens
David Givens Wide Receiver7252 New England Patriots

References

  1. "Football Announces 2001 Signees". UND.cstv.com. February 7, 2001. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  2. "Notre Dame Football Gets Early Praise In Preseason Polls". UND.cstv.com. July 3, 2001. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  3. "Battle Talks About Making The Switch". UND.cstv.com. March 30, 2001. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  4. Connolly, Mike (September 5, 2001). "Davie hints at QB surprise". The Observer. UK. Archived from the original on September 15, 2001. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  5. Rosenblatt, Richard (September 8, 2001). "No. 17 Irish Drop Season-Opener To No. 5 Nebraska, 27–10". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  6. "A day seared in time". Thoroughbred Times. September 15, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  7. "Football Fans Can Expect A Heightened Security Presence In And Around The Stadium This Saturday". UND.cstv.com. September 18, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  8. "Prayer, Song To Mark Football Home Opener". UND.cstv.com. September 19, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  9. "No. 23 Notre Dame Falls To Michigan State, 17–10". UND.cstv.com. September 22, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  10. "Carlyle Holiday Named Starting Quarterback". UND.cstv.com. September 24, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  11. "Notre Dame's LoVecchio to transfer". Sports Illustrated. May 22, 2002. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  12. Graczyk, Michael (September 29, 2001). "Irish Fall To Texas A&M, 24–3". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  13. "Football Earns First Win Of The Season Over Pittsburgh, 24–7". UND.cstv.com. October 6, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  14. Coyne, Tom (October 13, 2001). "Irish Football Puts Away West Virginia, 34–24". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  15. Coyne, Tom (October 20, 2001). "Irish Knock Off USC, 27–16". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  16. Ulman, Howard (October 27, 2001). "Irish Fall To The Eagles, 21–17". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  17. Coyne, Tom (November 3, 2001). "No. 7 Tennessee Tops Notre Dame, 28–18". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  18. Coyne, Tom (November 17, 2001). "Notre Dame Knocks Off Navy, 34–16". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  19. Beacham, Greg (November 24, 2001). "Football Falls To No. 13 Stanford, 17–13". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  20. Gelston, Dan (December 1, 2001). "Irish Football Puts Away Purdue, 24–18". UND.cstv.com. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  21. "Davie's tenure at ND ends after five seasons". ESPN. December 2, 2001. Retrieved September 12, 2007.