2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football | |
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Conference | Independent |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 3 |
AP | No. 4 |
Record | 0–0, 12 wins and 1 loss vacated |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Chuck Martin (1st season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Bob Diaco (3rd season) |
Co-defensive coordinator | Kerry Cooks (3rd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Captain | Tyler Eifert Kapron Lewis-Moore Zack Martin Manti Te'o |
Home stadium | Notre Dame Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BYU | – | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Navy | – | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Army | – | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Notre Dame % | – | 0* | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.
Despite starting the season unranked, the Fighting Irish ended the regular season with a 12–0 record. [1] Led by Heisman Trophy finalist and Butkus Award winner Manti Te'o, the Irish finished with the number one defense in the country, giving up just 10.3 points per game. They played in the BCS National Championship Game with a chance to win their first national title since 1988 but were defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide.
All wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons were later vacated for use of ineligible players. [1] [2]
Notre Dame had four players selected in the 2012 NFL draft. In the first round, the Arizona Cardinals selected Michael Floyd and the Minnesota Vikings selected Harrison Smith. In the fifth round, the Vikings selected Robert Blanton and the San Francisco 49ers selected Darius Fleming.
Senior quarterback Dayne Crist was granted a release from the team by Brian Kelly to explore transfer options in December 2011. He decided to join his former Notre Dame head coach, Charlie Weis, at the University of Kansas. [3] Aaron Lynch also transferred out of the program to USF. Cornerback Tee Shepherd left the school less than two months after his early enrollment. Jordan Prestwood, an offensive tackle who transferred from FSU, sat out the 2011 season, and was also eligible to play in 2012, departed the team. Brad Carrico also departed the team after a foot injury and was granted a medical hardship after failing to recover from a foot surgery.
Amir Carlisle, a freshman running back for USC, transferred to Notre Dame in January. [4] The NCAA approved his waiver request in March, enabling him to play this fall. Joshua Williams, a quarterback and kick returner for Texas, transferred to Notre Dame in the summer.
Notre Dame lost a few coaches to other schools in the off season. Running backs coach Tim Hinton and offensive line and run game coordinator Ed Warriner left to take positions with Ohio State University. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charley Molnar left to take the head coach position at University of Massachusetts. There were also coaching changes within the staff. Bob Diaco became assistant head coach. Chuck Martin took over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Scott Booker came down from being an intern to tight ends and special teams coach. There were some outside hires to fill positions on the staff as well. Bob Elliott was hired from Iowa State to coach the safeties, and Harry Hiestand was hired from Tennessee to be offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
Brian Kelly received 17 commitments in his second full recruiting class. Those include commitments from three early-enrollees: defensive tackle Sheldon Day, quarterback Gunner Kiel, and cornerback Tee Shepard.
College recruiting information (2012) | ||||||
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Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
Nick Baratti ATH/DB | Spring, TX | Klein Oak HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 4.55 | Apr 16, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 | ||||||
Chris Brown WR | Hanahan, SC | Hanahan HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.4 | Sep 18, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Scott Daly LS | Downers Grove, IL | South HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | – | Apr 16, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73 | ||||||
Sheldon Day DT | Indianapolis, IN | Warren Central HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | 4.4 | Aug 3, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Justin Fergurson WR | Pembroke Pines, FL | Charles W. Flanagan HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.5 | May 2, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
Mark Harrell OL | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte Catholic HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | – | May 19, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Jarron Jones OL/DL | Rochester, NY | Aquinas Institute HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | – | Aug 29, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Gunner Kiel QB | Columbus, IN | Columbus East HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | – | Jan 17, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
William Mahone RB | Youngstown, OH | Fitch HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | – | Sep 30, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Davonte Neal ATH | Scottsdale, AZ | Chaparral HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | – | Feb 21, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 85 | ||||||
Romeo Okwara DE/OLB | Charlotte, NC | Ardrey Kell HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | – | Jul 10, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 | ||||||
C. J. Prosise DB | Madison County, VA | Woodberry Forest HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.5 | May 29, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
KeiVarae Russell WR/RB | Everett, WA | Mariner HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | – | Dec 29, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Tee Shepard CB | Fresno, CA | Central High East Campus HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | – | Mar 2, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Elijah Shumate DB | Ramsey, NJ | Don Bosco Prep HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.5 | Apr 27, 2010 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Ronnie Stanley OT | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | – | Dec 15, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
John Turner DB | Indianapolis, IN | Cathedral HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | – | Jun 26, 2011 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16 Rivals: 20 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources:
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Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame | Alma mater (Year) |
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Brian Kelly | Head coach | 3rd | Assumption (1982) |
Chuck Martin | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 3rd | Millikin (1990) |
Bob Diaco | Defensive coordinator, linebackers/assistant head coach | 3rd | Iowa (1995) |
Kerry Cooks | Co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks | 3rd | Iowa (2000) |
Mike Denbrock | Outside wide receivers/passing game coordinator | 3rd (second stint) | Grand Valley State (1987) |
Tony Alford | Running backs, slot wide receivers /recruiting coordinator | 4th | Colorado State (1992) |
Harry Hiestand | Offensive line/run game coordinator | 1st | East Stroudsburg (1983) |
Scott Booker | Tight ends/special teams coordinator | 1st | Kent State (2003) |
Mike Elston | Defensive line | 3rd | Michigan (1998) |
Bob Elliott | Safeties | 1st | Iowa (1976) |
Paul Longo | Director of football strength and conditioning | 3rd | Wayne State (1981) |
2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Roster | ||||||||
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2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish roster from the University of Notre Dame Athletic Site | ||||||||
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
| Tight ends
Offensive line
Offensive guards/tackles
Offensive tackles
Centers/offensive guards
Offensive guards
Centers
Defensive ends
| Nose guards
Linebackers
Inside linebackers
Outside linebackers
Cornerbacks
| Safeties
Kicker
Kickers/Punters
Punter
Long snappers
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Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 1 | 9:00 a.m. | vs. Navy |
| CBS | W 50–10 (vacated) | 48,820 | |
September 8 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 22 | NBC | W 20–17 (vacated) | 80,795 | |
September 15 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Michigan State | No. 20 | ABC | W 20–3 (vacated) | 79,219 | |
September 22 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 18 Michigan | No. 11 |
| NBC | W 13–6 (vacated) | 80,795 |
October 6 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. Miami (FL) | No. 9 | NBC | W 41–3 (vacated) | 62,871 | |
October 13 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 17 Stanford | No. 7 |
| NBC | W 20–13 OT (vacated) | 80,795 |
October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | BYU | No. 5 |
| NBC | W 17–14 (vacated) | 80,795 |
October 27 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 5 | ABC | W 30–13 (vacated) | 86,031 | |
November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh | No. 3 |
| NBC | W 29–26 3OT (vacated) | 80,795 |
November 10 | 8:00 p.m. | at Boston College | No. 4 | ABC | W 21–6 (vacated) | 44,500 | |
November 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest | No. 3 |
| NBC | W 38–0 (vacated) | 80,795 |
November 24 | 8:00 p.m. | at USC | No. 1 | ABC | W 22–13 (vacated) | 93,607 | |
January 7, 2013 | 8:30 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Alabama | No. 1 | ESPN | L 14–42 (vacated) | 80,120 | |
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Irish running backs Theo Riddick and George Atkinson both ran for two scores and defensive end Stephon Tuitt returned a fumble 77 yards for another TD as Notre Dame routed Navy 50–10 in Notre Dame's season opener in Ireland. A crowd of 49,000, mostly visiting Americans, filled Dublin's Aviva Stadium for the first U.S. college game in Ireland since 1996, when the same two teams played in the Emerald Isle Classic at Croke Park. The Fighting Irish dominated the game, running the ball for 293 yards and 6.4 yards per carry against Navy's defense. Riddick gained 107 yards on 19 carries, Atkinson 99 yards on just nine carries. Irish quarterback Everett Golson, making his first start, put the Fighting Irish up 27–0 with a 5-yard end zone jump ball to tight end Tyler Eifert, who beat two smaller Navy defenders. Navy managed a 26-yard field goal before halftime and opened the second half with a nifty three-pass drive capped by Shawn Lynch's 25-yard grab to make it 27–10 but could get no closer. [5]
Notre Dame's defensive leader, inside linebacker Manti Te'o, recovered one fumble and intercepted Navy quarterback Trey Miller's final pass of the day, an underthrown ball into triple coverage. Surprisingly, they were his first fumble recovery and interception, respectively, of his four-year Notre Dame career. [5] Irish starters Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese did not make the trip due to violating team and university rules regarding an off campus incident with Indiana police last Spring. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame's starting running back from a year ago, also did not play due to being suspended the first two games of the season for violating team rules. [5]
The game was officially tied to an Irish tourism initiative called The Gathering, which seeks to encourage members of the Irish diaspora (especially in the U.S.) to visit their ancestral home in 2013. Unlike the 1996 meeting, the 2012 game was aired live in parts of Europe as well as the U.S. [6]
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Following Notre Dame's dominant performance against Navy, the Irish found themselves in a dogfight versus their in-state rival Purdue, a team they had beaten soundly the year before 38–10. After a scoreless first quarter, Irish quarterback Everett Golson led the Irish on an 88-yard scoring play in the second quarter with three big third-down conversions to take a 7–0 lead. Golson scrambled on the first one, avoided two rushers and then hit tight end Troy Niklas on a 30-yard pass. Three plays later, on another third down, he found DaVaris Daniels behind the Boilermaker defense for a 41-yard gain to the 9. On a third-and-goal, Golson rolled right and made a dive for the end zone as he was being hit right at the goal line. Officials initially ruled him out of bounds, but after a video review the call on the field was reversed and he was awarded a touchdown because he hit the pylon. The Boilermakers alternated quarterbacks Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve throughout the game. Marve led the Boilermakers on a quick 58-yard scoring drive at the end of the first half that started with Raheem Mostert's 41-yard kickoff return. Marve then hit O. J. Ross with a 16-yarder and, on a third-and-goal from the 2, he found Antavian Edison in the corner of the end zone with nine seconds to play in the half to tie the game at 7–7. [7]
In the third quarter, Golson found tight end Tyler Eifert for passes of 22 and 25 yards that carried them to the 3-yard line, where he tossed a touchdown pass to T. J. Jones for a 14–7 lead. The Irish would also add a Kyle Brindza field goal in the third quarter to take a 17–7 lead. in the fourth quarter, Purdue came roaring back with a field goal and then a TerBush 15-yard TD pass to Edison with 2:12 left to tie the game at 17–17. The late score was set up by Josh Johnson's recovery of a Golson fumble. Golson was shaken up on the play and having trouble gripping the ball, so the Irish turned to Tommy Rees, who was returning from a one-game suspension as a second stringer. The former starting quarterback got one chance and produced a last-minute drive that led to a 20–17 victory over the Boilermakers on Kyle Brindza's 27-yard field goal with seven seconds to go. [7]
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No. 20 Notre Dame got off to its best start since 2002, beating No. 10 Michigan State 20–3 in East Lansing. The win marked the first time Notre Dame had beaten a top 10 squad since defeating Michigan in 2005. Everett Golson threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score in the first half to help down the Spartans. Golson was 14 of 32 for 178 yards and a TD, including 36-yard pass to John Goodman. He ran for a 6-yard TD early in the second quarter to give Notre Dame a 14–0 lead. The Irish shook off a sloppy start that included George Atkinson running into a teammate on a kickoff return, a false start and a timeout before their first snap. The Irish defense was dominant, sacking Spartan quarterback Andrew Maxwell three times in the second quarter alone. The Spartans were held to 77 total yards rushing and 178 yards passing and 3 total points. [8]
Late in the 4th quarter, the Irish extended their lead when Kyle Brindza made a 29-yard field goal at the end of a time-consuming drive that took 6:21 off the clock and extended the score to 17–3. Michigan State's slim comeback hopes were dashed when Spartan running back Le'Veon Bell was going out of bounds and his lateral was caught by linebacker Manti Te'o with 4:20 left in the game to set up Brindza's 47-yard field goal that provided the 20–3 final score. Te'o also had a game-high 12 tackles, one for a loss, and broke up two passes, playing just a few days after the supposed death of his girlfriend, who he believed had lost a long battle with leukemia, and his grandmother. [8] The Irish improved to 46–28–1 against the Spartans and broke the Spartans' 15-home game winning streak. [8]
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After three consecutive last second Wolverine victories over the Irish, Notre Dame's defense stifled a 17th-ranked Denard Robinson led Michigan squad in a 13–6 victory. Manti Te'o led the Irish defensive effort with two interceptions as the 11th-ranked Fighting Irish picked off five Michigan passes and forced a fumble. Irish backup quarterback Tommy Rees sparked the Notre Dame offense after a shaky start by Everett Golson, who threw two interceptions of his own before being pulled by Coach Brian Kelly. Robinson, who amassed 948 yards of total offense in victories over the Irish past two years, wasn't as effective this time around as the Irish repeatedly forced him into mistakes. He threw four interceptions in the first half, then lost a fumble at the Notre Dame 8-yard line on the first drive of the second half. [9]
The victory sent the Irish off to their best start (4–0) since 2002. The win also ended a streak of three straight games in which Michigan beat the Irish with a score in the final 27 seconds, the last two Michigan victories with Robinson at quarterback. Robinson finished 13-of-24 passing for 138 yards and also rushed for 90 yards on 26 carries. The victory belonged to the Irish defenders, who held a nationally-ranked opponent without a touchdown for a second straight week. Te'o finished with eight tackles, and safety Bennett Jackson had nine tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. [9] The Irish fans showed support for Te'o by wearing Hawaiian leis, after Te'o had suffered the death of his grandmother and girlfriend the previous week. [10]
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Stanford | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Notre Dame | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
Game information | ||
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The Irish defense once again proved to be the strength of the 2012 Notre Dame team, stuffing Stanford on a classic goal line stand in an overtime thriller to down the Cardinal by a score of 20–13. After three years of being pushed around by the Cardinal, the Fighting Irish pushed back, winning the most important shoving match they had all season. A wall of Notre Dame defenders stopped Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor inches from the end zone on fourth and goal. Taylor went up the middle and was knocked back, but kept reaching and turning with bodies underneath him. It was unclear if his knee ever did hit the ground before reaching the ball across the goal line, but the officials on the field ruled Taylor's forward progress to be stopped before crossing the goal line. The celebration by the Irish crowd of 80,795 had to wait for a replay review. The call stood. Irish fans who weren't already on the field spilled out of the stands in celebration of the win. [11]
Early on the game was a defensive battle. Notre Dame defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt was in the Stanford backfield all day and Manti Te'o was all over Stanford ball carriers. On the Cardinal side, Shayne Skov and Ben Gardner gave Irish quarterback Everett Golson and the Irish very little room to operate. Golson was inconsistent with his play, completing 12 of 24 for 141 yards and a touchdown. He also lost two key fumbles – one that Stanford's Chase Thomas recovered in the end zone in the second quarter for a touchdown and the other in the third that gave the Cardinal the ball back after Golson had made a long run deep into Stanford territory. Thomas' touchdown put Stanford up 7–3, the first time all season Notre Dame had trailed in a game. Notre Dame finally found the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter. On a third-and-18 from the 24, Golson lofted a pass to the front corner of the end zone that the 6-foot-6 Irish tight end Tyler Eifert came down with for a 10–10 tie. [11]
The Cardinal responded with their best drive of the game, a 16-play, 65-yard march that took 8:03 off the clock and reached the Notre Dame 3. The Irish got a stop on third down and Stanford had to settle for a field goal to take a three-point lead. On the ensuing possession, Golson would start the Irish drive down the field to tie or take the lead, but he took a helmet to the head during the drive to knock him out the game with concussion-like symptoms. Brian Kelly would again turn to Irish back up quarterback Tommy Rees, who had previously relieved Golson in the Purdue game and lead the Irish to a three-point win. Rees again responded to get the Irish into field goal range, completing an 11-yard pass to Eifert, and then, on third-and-4 from the 28, Eifert drew a pass-interference call on Terrence Brown that gave the Irish a first down at the 13. The Irish settled for Kyle Brindza's 22-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to tie it at 13. TJ Jones made a reaching 7-yard touchdown catch from Rees on the first overtime possession to give the Fighting Irish a 20–13 lead. Then the Fighting Irish defense, which had not given up a touchdown in four straight games, made its stand. [11]
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The Irish rushed for 270 yards against a Cougars defense that entered the game third in the nation against the rush. Theo Riddick ran for a career-high 143 yards, Cierre Wood ran for 114 yards and George Atkinson III scored the go-ahead touchdown as the Irish rallied for a 17–14 win. In the 1st quarter, Tommy Rees threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert to give the Irish a 7–0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, BYU quarterback Riley Nelson threw a pair of touchdown passes, the first to Cody Hoffman to tie the game, the second to Kaneakua Friel to give the Cougars a 14–7 lead. In the 3rd quarter, Kyle Brindza kicked a 24-yard field goal to get the Irish within 14–10. Brindza had missed two field goals earlier in the game. In the 4th quarter, Atkinson's touchdown run gave the Irish a 17–14 lead. [12]
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Before the season began, the contest was regarded as one of the biggest games for both teams, and the Fighting Irish and Sooners did not disappoint. Both were regarded as dark horses for the national championship. [13] Even though Notre Dame came in as the higher-rated team, many saw them as the underdog, due in part to the erratic play of starting quarterback Everett Golson. Using an up-tempo, no-huddle offense that forced the Notre Dame defense to play most of Oklahoma's first two drives out of their base package, Landry Jones led the Sooners down the field with ease. Only a bad snap on their first possession and a pass deflection in the red zone by Louis Nix on the second kept the Sooners from scoring more than a field goal halfway through the opening quarter. Notre Dame hit back two plays after falling behind 3–0, with Cierre Wood running up the middle for a 62-yard touchdown, the longest of the season for the Fighting Irish. The teams traded field goals in the second quarter, and the only other notable play took place near halftime, when an apparent Blake Bell touchdown was nullified by a holding call. Despite being down 10–6, Oklahoma had a 197–161 edge in yardage. Crucially however, the Sooners only had a net three rushing yards. On the Notre Dame side, Manti Te'o led all comers with 10 tackles and a sack, while Golson was putting together his most poised performance of the year.
Notre Dame missed a field goal at the end of a drive that consumed half of the third quarter, and the defense continued to stifle Oklahoma in the ground game, while surrendering yards but no points through the air. Early in the fourth quarter, Kyle Brindza made amends for he earlier miss by squeezing in a 44-yard field goal. A short punt on the next Irish possession gave Oklahoma a short field on which to respond. A 35-yard pass to Jalen Saunders and a surprise 4th down throw by Bell were key plays in setting up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Bell, the first rushing score given up by the Notre Dame defense all season. It also ended an overall streak of 41 quarters without allowing a touchdown on the ground. [14] Golson and the Irish responded immediately, with a 50-yard bomb to freshman speedster Chris Brown silencing the Oklahoma faithful. A few plays later, Golson put Notre Dame back on top 20–13 with a 1-yard burrowing run of his own.
The next Oklahoma drive produced the defining play of the game, as linebacker Dan Fox tipped the ball away from Saunders, and Te'o dove to snatch the interception only inches off the grass. This led to another Brindza field goal, and the Irish iced the game after gaining possession on downs, with a 15-yard jaunt by Theo Riddick accounting for the final margin of 30–13. Golson played his most complete game of the season, hitting 13 of 25 passes for 177 yards, while adding 64 yards and a touchdown rushing. Crucially, he did not turn the ball over once, with many of his incompletions occurring while throwing the ball away to avoid a sack or negative play; and the Irish converted nearly 50% of their third downs under his guidance. The Irish defense stood to the challenge as well, giving up no deep passing plays, and only 15 yards on the ground. The victory vaulted Notre Dame to No. 3 in the major polls.
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Down 20–6 in the fourth quarter with its national title hopes on the line, Notre Dame rallied in triple overtime to defeat the Pitt Panthers and remain undefeated. Everett Golson scored on a quarterback sneak in the third overtime and the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish came back from a 14-point deficit for a 29–26 win. [15]
Notre Dame avoided the fate of the 2002 team, the last Irish team to start a season 8–0, which was upset by Boston College 14–7. Brian Kelly pulled Golson late in the second quarter because he was missing reads and progressions. But the coach put Golson back in after backup Tommy Rees threw an interception, and the Irish fell behind by two touchdowns. A victory seemed unlikely when they fell behind 20–6 late in the third quarter. Golson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to T. J. Jones early in the fourth quarter, as Notre Dame cut Pitt's lead to 20–12. Notre Dame's chances for a comeback appeared to end when Pitt cornerback K'Waun Williams intercepted a pass by Golson in the end zone. But the Irish defense held, and Golson completed a 45-yard pass to DaVaris Daniels on a broken play to get to the Pitt 5-yard line. Golson then threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick and ran in for the two-point conversion to tie the game. [15]
After the two teams traded field goals in the first overtime, Notre Dame looked poised to score for a victory, but running back Cierre Wood fumbled as he attempted to dive into the end zone in the second overtime and Pitt safety Jarred Holley recovered. But the Irish kept finding life, the last time when Kevin Harper missed a 33-yard field goal wide right following Wood's fumble. After Pitt would again kick a field goal in the third over time period, Golson would cap off the comeback with a 1-yard touchdown run. It was the fifth consecutive year that Notre Dame and Pittsburgh played a game decided by less than a touchdown – with two of those reaching overtime. Plus, of the last nine meetings between the schools, eight have been decided by eight points or fewer. [15]
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In 2011, Notre Dame won 24–17 in Winston-Salem. Notre Dame is now 2–0 against Wake Forest. With this victory, Notre Dame became this season's final undefeated major bowl-eligible team in college football.
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For the first time since its 1988 championship season, Notre Dame came into the Los Angeles Coliseum with a No. 1 ranking and a chance to play for the national title on the line against its biggest rival, the Trojans of Southern California. USC, who had beaten the Irish nine out of the last ten meetings, often in a lopsided fashion, was playing the unfamiliar role of spoiler. Picked by the AP as the preseason No. 1 team, the Trojans came into the game unranked for only the second time since 2001. Complicating matters, USC had to play without its four-year starting quarterback, Matt Barkley, who was lost to injury just the week before against its cross-town rival UCLA. USC Coach Lane Kiffin elected to start redshirt freshman Max Wittek at quarterback, who despite some late-game heroics, was outmatched against the No. 1 ranked Irish defense. In the final minutes of the game, down nine points, Wittek connected with USC's All-America wide receiver Marqise Lee to put the Trojans at the one-yard line with a chance to close the score to a one possession game. Notre Dame's impenetrable defense appropriately made a decisive stand keeping USC out of the end zone on four plays from the Irish 1 with 2:33 to play. After three straight runs yielded minuscule gains, Wittek threw incomplete to fullback Soma Vainuku, setting off a celebration on the Notre Dame sideline and in the Irish sections of the sold-out stadium. [16]
The 22–13 win secured Brian Kelly's Notre Dame squad a trip to Miami to play in the National Championship game, its first in 24 years. Running back Theo Riddick led the Irish ground attack with 146 yards and a touchdown, Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals, and Everett Golson passed for 217 yards as the Irish completed their first perfect regular season since 1988. Southern Cal's much-criticized defense was exploited by the Irish, with Golson patiently finding the gaps in the Trojans' pass coverage for 181 yards passing in the first half. Riddick went 9 yards for a TD in the first quarter, but USC also stiffened to hold Notre Dame to field goals twice in the red zone. The Notre Dame defense held its 12th straight opponent without a first-quarter touchdown, but Wittek found Robert Woods for a 9-yard score on the first play of the second quarter – just the ninth touchdown allowed by Notre Dame all season long. The Irish took a 16–10 lead to halftime when Brindza hit the second-longest field goal in Notre Dame history. Irish linebacker Manti Te'o made the seventh interception of his phenomenal season when Wittek threw directly to him on USC's second play of the second half. Both teams struggled to move the ball in the third quarter, and USC settled for a field goal with 9:20 to play just a few moments after Kiffin called a timeout right before a play that ended with Lee appearing to catch a pass on the goal line. The Irish out-gained the Trojans in total yards 493–281, and time of possession by 9 minutes, but repeatedly, the Irish had to settle for field goals in the red zone, putting the outcome of the game somewhat in doubt until the Irish's spectacular goal line stand. [16]
The game was watched by 16.1 million viewers on television.
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Notre Dame's first time playing for the national championship since the 1988 season, when the Irish defeated West Virginia 34–21 at the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame was 5–1 all time vs. Alabama entering the game, while Alabama under Nick Saban had won two of the last three national championships. The Fighting Irish lost, 42–14.
Week | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | RV | 22 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 (1) | 1 (60) | 1 (60) | 1 (60) | 4 |
Coaches | 24 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 (1) | 1 (56) | 1 (56) | 1 (56) | 3 |
Harris | Not released | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 (1) | 1 (107) | 1 (109) | 1 (106) | Not released | |||||
BCS | Not released | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Not released |
All-Americans
Name | AP | AFCA | FWAA | TSN | WCFF | Athlon [17] | CBS | CFN | ESPN | PFW | Rivals | Scout | SI | Yahoo |
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Braxston Cave, C | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
Tyler Eifert, TE | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
Zack Martin, OL | 2 | |||||||||||||
Zeke Motta, S | Hon. Mention | Hon. Mention | ||||||||||||
Louis Nix, NG | 3 | |||||||||||||
Manti Te'o, LB † | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Stephon Tuitt, DT | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Hon. Mention | 1 | ||||||
†denotes unanimous selection. NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, SN and WCFF 1st teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections Source: [18] |
In 2018, the NCAA launched its own investigation and saw that Notre Dame had used ineligible players this season as well as the succeeding season. As a result, the Irish had to vacate all wins from this season as well as the next one. If not for the removal of these wins, Notre Dame would have the highest winning percentage in college football.
The 2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish completed the season with a record of 9–3, culminating in an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl and a number 9 ranking in the nation.
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The team completed the season with a record of ten wins and three losses that culminated in a post-season appearance in the 2007 Sugar Bowl and a number 19 ranking in the nation.
The 2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. For the first time in school history, Notre Dame opened the season with five losses. Their nine-loss season was also a school record.
The Notre Dame–USC football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame and USC Trojans football team of the University of Southern California, customarily played on the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day when the game is in Los Angeles or on the second or third Saturday of October when the game is in South Bend, Indiana.
The Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, by a score of 34–21. The 1988 squad, one of 11 national title squads for the Irish, is considered to be one of the best undefeated teams in the history of college football. The Irish beat the teams which finished the season ranked #2, #4, #5, and #7 in the AP Poll. They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 31–30 upset of No. 1 ranked Miami, ending their 36-game regular season winning streak. The game is remembered to this day as one of the most memorable games in all of college football.
Manti Malietau Louis Te'o is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous All-American honors and receiving multiple national awards. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and played in the NFL until 2021.
The 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 11 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1973 Sugar Bowl by a score of a 24–23. The 1973 squad became the ninth Irish team to win the national title and the second under Parseghian. Although Notre Dame finished No. 1 in the AP Poll to claim the AP national title, they were not awarded the Coaches title, since Alabama was awarded the Coaches Poll title before the bowl season.
The 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth. Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4–2, with close losses to Michigan and USC but ended the season with four straight losses, including a second loss to Navy in three years. Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss at the end of the season. Although Notre Dame was bowl eligible with 6 wins, the University announced on December 4 that the Irish had chosen not to play in a bowl game. Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick hired Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly after a 10-day coaching search.
The 2009 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Steve Sarkisian, who replaced Tyrone Willingham following a winless 2008 season. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Huskies finished the season 5–7 and 4–5 in Pac-10 play.
The 1961 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1961 college football season. In their third year under head coach Joe Kuharich, the Fighting Irish compiled a 5–5 record and were outscored by a total of 182 to 175. They won their first three games over Oklahoma, Purdue, and USC, and were ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. They then lost consecutive games to Michigan State, Northwestern, and Navy, falling out of the rankings.
The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. This was Kelly's first season as Notre Dame's head coach, after leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 12–0 regular season and BCS bowl berth. In 2010, Notre Dame's regular season schedule was ranked the most difficult schedule in the nation with a Team Opposition Record Percentage of .6529. They finished the season 8–5 and were invited to the Sun Bowl where they defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 33–17.
The 1974 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. It was Ara Parseghian's final season as head coach.
The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They compete as an independent. They finished the season 8–5. They were invited to the Champs Sports Bowl where they were defeated by Florida State 18–14.
The 2012 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal were led by second-year head coach David Shaw. They played their home games at Stanford Stadium and were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
Everett Demone Golson is an American former professional football quarterback. He previously played quarterback for Notre Dame from 2011 to the spring of 2015. Golson chose to transfer to Florida State after graduating from Notre Dame.
The 2013 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.
The 2014 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They compete as an independent.
The 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.
The 2017 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent. They finished the season 10–3, an impressive turnaround from the season before, where the Irish finished with their worst record since 2007. They were invited to the Citrus Bowl where they defeated LSU. The Irish would finish the season with four wins over teams that finished in the top 25 rankings, including winning three of those by over 20 points or more.