Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME 2 BY THE NUMBERS Coaches in history who have defeated Notre Dame while leading two different programs, with Arizona State's Todd Graham attempting to become the third. Graham was the head coach at Tulsa when it upset Notre Dame in 2010 (28-27), and the next year his Pitt Panthers nearly toppled the Irish before losing 15-12. The only two coaches to achieve the feat were John Majors at Pitt (1975 and 1976) and Tennessee (1979 and 1991), and Howard Jones at Iowa (1921) and USC (six times from 1928-39). 82 6 200 Straight years Notre Dame will welcome a first-time visitor when Temple kicks off the season Aug. 31. The Owls join San Diego State (2008), Nevada and Connecticut (2009), Western Michigan, Tulsa and Utah (2010), South Florida (2011) and Wake Forest (2012). 18 Football Bowl Subdivision teams among 120 that kept their entire nine-man crew of assistant coaches in place for 2013, with Notre Dame among them. It is the first time since 2005-06 the Fighting Irish had the same staff two years in a row — and the second time since head coach Gerry Faust's final two seasons in 1984-85. Faust's staff included assistant head coach Mal Moore, the late former director of athletics at the University of Alabama. Scholarship football players on Notre Dame's 2012 roster with the recent addition of junior walk-on inside linebacker Joe Schmidt to the group. The NCAA permits a maximum of 85. The current breakdown by class is six fifth-year seniors, 17 fourth-year seniors, 22 juniors (including quarterback Everett Golson, who is ineligible in 2013), 14 sophomores (including safety Chris Badger, who signed in 2010 before going on a two-year Mormon mission) and 23 incoming freshmen. Yards Notre Dame eclipsed during the 2012 regular season in rushing (202.5 per game) and passing (218.8 per game), making it one of only three Fighting Irish teams to achieve the 200-200 double during the regular season. The others were the 1970 unit that finished No. 2 in the country with Joe Theismann at quarterback, and the 1977 national champs with Joe Montana at the throttle. However, with bowl game stats now included over the past decade, Notre Dame's 32 yards rushing in the 42-14 BCS National Championship Game loss to Alabama dropped the final rushing total to 189.4, still its highest figure since 2001. 1929-30 The last time Notre Dame had back-toback regular seasons where it finished with neither a defeat nor a tie. Those two occurred in head coach Knute Rockne's final two seasons prior to his death — and even then the Fighting Irish played only nine and 10 games, respectively, whereas today it's 12 regular-season games plus a bowl. Even Notre Dame's four-year unbeaten run from 1946-49 had ties in 1946 (0-0 versus Army) and 1948 (14-14 at USC). 2025 Year that Notre Dame's contract with NBC was extended to earlier this year for exclusive telecasts to its home games. The Notre Dame-NBC partnership began in 1991. Notre Dame's record (including 4-0 in the offsite Shamrock Series games that began in 2009) the past 22 years with NBC is 99-41-1 (.706 winning percentage). 24 Victories by the 1988-89 Notre Dame teams, the most ever at the program over a two-year span (the school didn't begin playing 11 regular-season games until 1974). The second-most victories over two seasons is 21, achieved three different times: 1973 (11) and 1974 (10); 1989 (12) and 1990 (nine); and 1992 (10) and 1993 (11). With 10 wins this year, the 2012-13 units can move into second place. With a 13-0 record it would set a new standard. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND 6 ! BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2013 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 4-6,8,10-17.Under The Dome.indd 6 6/25/13 4:50 PM