Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2018 21 2 Bowl victories by Notre Dame against LSU, which is tied for the most in the postseason by the Irish against one opponent. Notre Dame also has posted two against Alabama (1973 and 1974), Texas (1970 and 1977) and Texas A&M (1992 and 1993). Notre Dame had previously de- feated LSU 31-28 in the 2014 Music City Bowl. The Irish likewise are 2-0 against LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, with both wins coming by four points. Orgeron was USC's interim coach in 2013 when the Irish prevailed 14-10. 3 Finishes in the Associated Press top 10 since 1994 that Notre Dame was aiming for after the victory against LSU. Head coach Brian Kelly's team entered the Citrus Bowl entered No. 14, and five teams ahead of them (USC, Miami, Auburn, Washington and Stanford) lost. The other two times the past 23 years Notre Dame finished in the AP top 10 were 2005 (No. 9) and 2012 (No. 4). 4-3 Record of head coach Brian Kelly in bowl games, with the 21-17 victory over No. 16 (in the Associated Press) LSU mark- ing the highest-ranked team the Fighting Irish defeated in the postseason since a 24-21 win versus No. 7 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994. Kelly's other three wins came in the 2010 Sun Bowl versus Miami (33-17), the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl versus Rutgers (29-16) and the 2014 Music City Bowl versus No. 22 LSU (31-28). The defeats came in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl against No. 25 Florida State (18-14), in the BCS National Championship Game versus No. 2 Alabama (42-14) after an undefeated 2012 regular season and in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl versus No. 7 Ohio State (44-28). 6 More victories achieved by Notre Dame in 2017 (10-3) than in 2016 (4-8), the second most from one season to the next at the school. Remaining at No. 1 is the seven in 1964 (9-1) under first-year head coach Ara Parseghian after finishing 2-7 a year earlier. 9 Straight games Notre Dame had lost in Janu- ary since the 1994 season, seven of them major bowls and two Jan. 1 Gator Bowls. Its most recent victory in the month was 24-21 versus 10-1 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994. It still doesn't end the 24-year drought in a major or Big Six Bowl, but one streak at a time. 15 Years between Notre Dame victories in the state of Florida since the 34-24 win at Florida State in 2002. The Irish had lost six straight games in the Sunshine State prior to the victory versus LSU. It began with the 28-6 setback to North Carolina State in the Jan. 1, 2003 Gator Bowl, and continued with the 41-8 loss at Miami this past November. 164 Passing yards by sophomore quarter- back Ian Book (14 of 19 through the air), with 108 coming during the decisive fourth quarter. Book's previous highs came in his lone career start at North Carolina Oct. 7, when he was 17-of-31 passing for 146 yards with one touch- down and two interceptions. 1,430 Rushing yards this season by ju- nior running back Josh Adams af- ter finishing with 44 yards on 15 carries versus LSU. That is seven yards short of the "official" record of 1,437 set by Vagas Ferguson in 1979 during a 7-4 season. However, if you include the bowl game ef- forts — which weren't added until 2002 — the top two marks at Notre Dame would be Allen Pinkett's 1,505 in 1983 and Reggie Brooks' 1,458 in 1992. BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI 102 Receiving yards by junior and game MVP MILES BOYKIN (on three catches) after totaling only 151 in the 12 games he played this season. His previous career high for catches in a game was two on several occasions the past two years, and the previous standard for yards was 54 on his lone reception in the 52-17 win versus Miami (Ohio) Sept. 30. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA