Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 9 UNDER THE DOME 2 Men's college basketball players since 1992 to average at least 15 points and 13 rebounds per game in one season: Wake Forest's Tim Duncan (1996‑97) and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin (2008‑09). Notre Dame senior John Mooney has a legitimate chance to become the third. In games played through Feb. 9, he was averaging 16.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per contest. 4 Notre Dame offensive linemen who were ranked among Pro Foot‑ ball Focus' top 30 players in that position group that are returning to the college game in 2020. No other school had more than two along the offensive line. The quartet features: senior right tackle ROBERT HAINSEY (No. 23 overall), senior left guard Aaron Banks (No. 24), fifth‑year senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg (No. 28) and junior center Jarrett Patterson (No. 30). Per PFF, Hainsey has allowed the third‑lowest pressure rate at right tackle since 2018 among all returning players. Banks' 2.1‑percent pressure rate allowed over the last two seasons is tied for the seventh lowest in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Eichenberg did not allow a sack in 2019 and had a solid 78.8 run‑blocking grade, but dropped because of 11 penalties (third‑most at his position in 2019). Patterson had the seventh‑lowest pressure rate among returning centers. 7 Freshman All‑Americans from Notre Dame named by the Football Writers Association of America since that honor was first awarded in 2001. Safety Kyle Hamilton became the most recent this January after leading the team in interceptions (four), tying for second in passes defended (six) and placing seventh in tackles (41). The previous six were offensive tackle Sam Young (2006), nose guard Ian Williams (2007), defensive end Aaron Lynch (2011), cornerback KeiVarae Russell (2012), linebacker Nyles Morgan (2014) and kicker Justin Yoon (2015). 9 Notre Dame players named among college football's 150 greatest by ESPN in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the game. The Fighting Irish and USC had the most representation with nine apiece, while Oklahoma had eight and Alabama and Ohio State each had seven. The nine from Notre Dame were 1954‑56 quarterback Paul Hornung (No. 27), 1942‑43 and 1946‑47 quarterback John Lujack (No. 37), 1984‑87 wide receiver/return man Tim Brown (No. 53), 1964‑66 defensive end Alan Page (No. 59), 1946‑49 end Leon Hart (No. 88), 1917‑20 running back George Gipp (No. 90), 1988‑90 receiver/running back/return man Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (No. 120), 1951‑54 running back John Lattner (No. 125) and 1941‑43 quarterback Angelo Bertelli (No. 132). There were two egregious omissions, in our humble opinion. One was 1973 and 1975‑77 defensive end Ross Browner — the most dominant defender in school history, and easily top‑50 worthy, never mind top 150 — and lineman George Connor, the first Out‑ land Trophy winner (1946) whom Hornung himself considered the greatest Fighting Irish player ever. 19 Consecutive losses by Notre Dame's men's basketball to As‑ sociated Press ranked teams following the heartbreaking 85‑84 setback at then‑No. 5 Florida State Jan. 25 that led to a $20,000 fine when head coach Mike Brey afterwards commented negatively on the officiating. Since the start of the AP poll for men's basketball in 1948, this losing streak tied the school record originally set from Feb. 23, 1994 until winning at No. 20 West Vir‑ ginia on Jan. 15, 1998. To avoid breaking the school record, Notre Dame would have to win at Duke Feb. 15. The Irish have not defeated a ranked team since Nov. 22, 2017, when they toppled No. 6 Wichita State 66‑65 to capture the Maui Classic. 25/1 Odds on BetOn‑ L i n e fo r N o t re Dame to win the 2021 College Football Playoff. Clemson, which will visit Notre Dame Nov. 7, is atop the leader board at 9/4, ahead of Alabama at 7/2, Ohio State 9/2, reigning champ LSU 6/1, Georgia 8/1, Florida 14/1, and then Oklahoma and Auburn both at 20/1. The only other Notre Dame 2020 foes listed are Wisconsin (50/1) and USC (100/1). ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER