Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1547006
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 10, 2026 25 0-29 All-time record for North Carolina football against Associated Press top- three teams, per ESPN. That's the most losses without a win in the AP era (since 1936). 1 Notre Dame player in the past 30 seasons, per ESPN, has recorded at least 3 touchdown passes with 1 rushing score in consecutive games: junior quarterback CJ Carr. After tossing 3 touch- down passes and running for 1 score in a win over Purdue Sept. 26, Carr tallied 4 touchdowns passing and 1 rushing score against North Carolina. 2 Players have thrown 4 touchdown passes while adding 1 rushing score in a single game against a team coached by Bill Belichick: Notre Dame junior quarterback CJ Carr in this year's 37-26 win over the Tar Heels and Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Lamar Jackson did it in a 37-26 win over the New England Patriots in 2022. 5-0 Record for Notre Dame for the first time since 2020. 9:10 Time of possession on the Fighting Irish's 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the second half after the Tar Heels pulled within one point (21-20) with a kickoff re- turn touchdown to open the second half. Notre Dame possessed the ball for 13:18 of the third quarter while running 20 times for 122 yards and 1 touchdown. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first two second-half possessions, taking a 34-20 lead six seconds into the fourth quarter. The Irish finished the second half with a 22:08-7:52 time of posses- sion advantage, holding the ball nearly as much as UNC did the entire game (22:56). 14 Rushing attempts for the Fighting Irish on that 17-play, third-quarter touchdown drive. The 14 rushes (for 73 yards) in a single drive are the most since the Irish rushed 15 times in a drive against Pittsburgh in 2003. Prior to that, the Irish also had 14 rushing attempts in a drive against Air Force in 2000. 19 Wins against ACC opponents for Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman since 2022. North Carolina has just 15 ACC wins during that same time span. 23 Rushing attempts for 120 yards for fresh- man running back Jonaz Walton against North Carolina. He entered the game with just 16 carries for 108 yards in his first four outings for Notre Dame. 26 Consecutive games with at least 1 recep- tion for senior wide receiver Jordan Faison after posting career highs in catches (8) and receiv- ing yards (132) against the Tar Heels. That is the best reception streak for an Irish wide receiver since Chase Claypool had 26 straight games with a catch in 2017-18. 29 Straight victories for Notre Dame under head coach Marcus Freeman when lead- ing at halftime, the longest active streak in the FBS per ESPN. 66 Consecutive wins for the Fighting Irish against unranked opponents when leading at halftime, per ESPN. 98 Yards on North Carolina freshman Jaden Jefferson's kickoff return touchdown to begin the second half. It marked the first kickoff return touchdown allowed by Notre Dame since Pittsburgh's Maurice Ffrench brought one back 99 yards for a score in a 19-14 Fighting Irish victory in 2018. 241 Rushing yards on 45 attempts (5.4 yards per rush) for Notre Dame against North Carolina, easily a season high. After compil- ing 75 yards on 15 carries in the first half, the Irish pounded the UNC defense with 30 carries for 166 yards. The previous single-game season high for the Irish was 177 yards against Purdue Sept. 26. BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 15 -Second stretch in the first quarter during which Notre Dame scored two touchdowns to erase an early 7-0 North Carolina lead. It marked the fifth-fastest back-to-back touchdowns in program history since 1960 and the second-fastest back- to-back passing touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Jordan Faison hauled in a 28-yard touchdown catch from junior quarterback CJ Carr at the 6:41 mark, then junior linebacker KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA intercepted a Billy Edwards Jr. pass on the first play of the ensuing drive and the Irish immediately took advantage with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Carr to senior wideout Jaden Greathouse at the 6:26 mark. In 2018, quarterback Ian Book connected with wide receiver Miles Boykin (8 yards) and tight end Alizé Mack (35 yards) just 14 seconds apart against Stanford. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP