Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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10 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW UNDER THE DOME The Fighting Irish will host three first- time visitors at Notre Dame Stadium this year: Georgia Sept. 9, Miami (Ohio) Sept. 30 and North Carolina State Oct. 28. In each case, there is a notable side story. • With Georgia, it is classified as their first trip to a northern state since Oct. 2, 1965, when they defeated Michigan 15-7 in Ann Arbor. • Miami (Ohio) is coached by Chuck Mar- tin, a Brian Kelly assistant at Notre Dame on defense (2010-11) before becoming his offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2012-13. Last year his RedHawks became the first team in NCAA history to go from 0-6 to 6-6 and earn a bowl bid. • North Carolina State is 2-0 against Notre Dame after vanquishing the Irish 10-3 last season while playing in Hurricane Matthew. The Wolfpack will attempt to become the first team since Iowa from 1921-40 to begin 3-0 all time against the Fighting Irish. A corollary to this trio is the recent alarm- ing trend of first-time visitors to Notre Dame Stadium emerging victorious. Since the opening of the edifice in 1930, there have been 14 teams to achieve the feat. Five of them have occurred since 2009: Con- necticut (2009), Tulsa (2010), South Florida (2011), Louisville (2014) and last year Vir- ginia Tech. Going from most recent, here are those 14 first-time visitors who won at Notre Dame Stadium, which will debut with the $450-mil- lion Campus Crossroads project this season: 2016: Virginia Tech — The Hokies ral- lied from an early 17-0 hole and 31-21 fourth-quarter deficit to win 34-31. 2014: Louisville — Freshman QB Reggie Bonnafon (later moved to receiver) led the 31-28 victory, and the Irish missed a 32-yard field goal in the closing minute. 2011: South Florida — Bulls head coach Skip Holtz's squad, which would finish 5-7, was aided by five Irish turnovers in the 23-20 win. 2010: Tulsa — This stunning 28-27 defeat saw the Irish eschew a field goal and throw an interception into the end zone in the clos- ing minute. 2009: UConn — A 14-0 Irish lead was squandered in head coach Charlie Weis' final home game, a 33-30 double-overtime defeat. 1982: Penn State — Eventual national champ Nittany Lions won 24-14 one week after the Irish were victorious at No. 1 Pitt. 1981: Florida State — First-year head coach Gerry Faust's Irish drop to 2-3 after 19-13 loss to Seminoles. 1979: Clemson — Tigers rally to 16-10 win after Notre Dame built a 10-0 halftime lead. 1972: Missouri — The Tigers lost 62-0 to Nebraska a week earlier, but rebounded to upset the then-No. 8 Irish 30-26. 1942: Michigan — The No. 4 Irish fell 32-20 to the No. 6 Wolverines in a renewal of the series after 33 years. 1940: Iowa — The 7-0 Hawkeyes' upset of the No. 7-ranked Irish made them 3-0 all time against Notre Dame. 1934: Texas — Elmer Layden's debut as Notre Dame head coach is ruined with a 7-6 loss to counterpart and fellow alum Jack Chevigny. 1933: Purdue — The two-time reigning Big Ten champs were coached by 1922-24 Irish lineman Noble Kizer in the 19-0 romp. 1931: USC — In year two of the stadium, the Trojans rally from a 14-0 deficit to win 16-14 and snap Notre Dame's 26-game un- beaten streak. NOTRE DAME BECOMES TOO HOSPITABLE TO NEW VISITORS Last November, Virginia Tech became the most recent first-time visitor to Notre Dame Stadium to defeat the Irish, rallying from 17-0 and 31-21 deficits to pull out a 34-31 victory on Senior Day for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA