BGI Special Edition

2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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TOP 5 INDIVIDUAL PLAYS TOP 5 GAME PERFORMANCES 1. First step ��� After an 0-2 start to the 2011 season, Notre Dame had a two-score advantage over visiting Michigan State on Sept. 17, but then muffed a punt return that set up the Spartans deep in Irish territory. With a first-and-goal situation from the 3-yard line and just less than four minutes to play, senior cornerback Robert Blanton hovered around the goal line and pounced on a pass to the slot, tipping the ball to himself and returning the interception 82 yards to the MSU 12. The play set up a David Ruffer field goal to put the game out of reach. 2. Breaking the ice ��� Senior running back Jonas Gray registered his first career touchdown Sept. 24 at Pittsburgh with a 79-yard run in the second quarter to give Notre Dame a 7-3 advantage. At the time, it was the program���s longest rush since Terrance Howard���s 80-yard dash against West Virginia in 2000. 3. twice is nice ��� After returning a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown against Michigan State in just his second career attempt, freshman George Atkinson III kept the Irish in the game at home against USC on Oct. 22 with a 96-yard return for a score in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 17-7. 4. avoiding an Upset ��� The Fighting Irish became bowl eligible in a defensive war at Wake Forest on Nov. 5 after quarterback Tommy Rees floated a perfect 16-yard pass into receiver Michael Floyd���s breadbasket for a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame finished its second-half shutout to preserve its sixth victory with three games remaining in the regular season. 5. something new ��� With a blowout of Air Force already in hand, sophomore quarterback Andrew Hendrix delighted Irish fans with something that had been missing from that position in head coach Brian Kelly���s spread offense ��� mobility. Hendrix darted 78 yards before getting tripped up at Air Force���s 2-yard line. It was the second-longest run by an Irish QB in history behind Bill Etter���s 79-yard touchdown rush against Navy in 1969. Hendrix finished with 111 rushing yards in limited action. 1. cierre wood versUs pUrdUe ��� Junior running back Cierre Wood set the tone on the road at Purdue on Oct. 1, rushing for a career-best 191 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. His sole score was on a 55-yard burst. It was the greatest Irish rushing performance since Julius Jones had 218 yards at Stanford in November 2003, and Wood���s average of 9.6 yards per carry was the most since Darius Walker���s 10.2 average at Air Force in 2006. 2. michael Floyd versUs soUth Florida ��� Senior wide receiver Michael Floyd would register one more reception and five more yards a week later in a loss at Michigan, but the star kicked off the 2011 season with a 12-catch, 154yard and two-touchdown effort against visiting South Florida in a defeat. 3. tyler eiFert versUs pitt ��� Of junior tight end Tyler Eifert���s eight receptions against Pitt on Sept. 24, five came on the winning drive in the fourth quarter. Sophomore quarterback Tommy Rees was 8-of-8 passing on the march and hit Eifert for strikes of seven, three, 18 and three yards before connecting on a six-yard touchdown. The two teamed up again on the two-point conversion to give the Irish a 15-12 lead. 4. tommy rees versUs air Force ��� Sophomore quarterback Tommy Rees sliced up the Air Force secondary on Oct. 8 to the tune of 261 yards and four touchdown passes. He finished 23-of-32 passing with no interceptions in the runaway victory. 5. Jonas gray versUs navy ��� A week after Notre Dame���s four-game winning streak ended against USC, the Irish thumped Navy, 56-14, at home. Senior running back Jonas Gray recorded three rushing touchdowns to top Wood���s pair of scores, and it was the first time the program had two running backs score multiple touchdowns in a game. Senior running back Jonas Gray notched a career-long 79-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh. The score was the ���rst of Gray���s career and sparked a strong senior season. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA Senior wide receiver Michael Floyd earned his second team MVP award in 2011 after catching 100 passes for 1,147 yards and nine scores. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA TOP 5 PLAYERS 1. michael Floyd ��� Earning his second consecutive team MVP honors in 2011, the senior ended his career as the most prolific wideout in school history. Floyd caught 100 passes for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011 to finish with school career records in receptions (271), receiving yards (2,686), receiving touchdowns (37), average yards per game (85.7) and games with at least 100 yards (17). 2. tyler eiFert ��� In his first full season as a starter, the junior tight end recorded 63 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns, breaking three-time All-American Ken MacAfee���s single-season school records in the first two categories that had stood for 34 years. For his work in 2011, Eifert was named a Mackey Award finalist. 3. cierre wood ��� The junior running back turned in the 16th campaign with at least 1,000 yards in the regular season in school history. Wood was the first to do so since Darius Walker in 2006. He was just the 10th Irish player to eclipse 1,000 yards and finished with 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns on 217 carries (5.1yard average). 4. manti te���o ��� A finalist for the Butkus Award (nation���s top linebacker) and Lott IMPACT Trophy, the second-team All-American recorded a team-high 128 tackles (62 solo) and 13.5 tackles for loss (five sacks). 5. harrison smith ��� The fifth-year senior captain could be in this category just as easily for his leadership off the field. The safety finished second on the team with 90 tackles (three for loss) and had a team-best 10 passes broken up. BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 136-139.Year In Review.indd 137 ! 137 6/25/12 1:05 PM

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