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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

BCS National Championship Preview

Posted on July 27, 2011 at 02:57 PM.

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BCS National Championship Preview

Matchup Preview | January 9, 2012

#2 Mississippi State Bulldogs
(13-0, Away)

#1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(12-0, Home)

Offensive Stats Comparison
38.5 (#5)	Points Per Game	38.5 (#5)
5579 (#23)	Total Offensive Yards	4370 (#33)
2924 (#2)	Rushing Yards	997 (#116)
2655 (#45)	Passing Yards	3373 (#13)

Defensive Stats Comparison
3489 (#11)	Total Yards Allowed	3843 (#30)
1525 (#24)	Rushing Yards Allowed	1199 (#3)
1964 (#11)	Passing Yards Allowed	2644 (#85)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish has returned to the forefront of college football. Brian Kelly has gotten them there in just his second year. "We've been through a lot of ups and downs this year. We have caught a few breaks, survived a few scares but I'm very proud of the boys. Our biggest test comes now though." He is right. They take on the other surprise this year in the Mississippi State Bulldogs. These two teams actually make for an interesting match-up. Notre Dame has the 3rd ranked rush defense in the country while the Bulldogs have the 2nd best rush offense in the country. On the other hand, Irish has the thirteenth best pass offense in the country while the Mississippi State has the eleventh ranked pass defense. Should be an interesting game in New Orleans at the Superdome.

Week 13 ND @STAN

Posted on July 27, 2011 at 02:11 PM.

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November 26, 2011
ND @ STAN
Week 13

Irish silence critics
Defense shuts down Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck

Theo Riddick shushs the crowd after turning a 2 yard catch into a 47 yard sprint to the end zone.

Brian Kelly has done it. He has done what recent Irish coaches could not get done. He has lifted Notre Dame back to the top. After Wisconsin and Alabama lost last week, The Fighting Irish jumped up to the # 2 spot. Now beating # 6 Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame could possibly play in the National Championship.

They won Saturday afternoon by ball control. Brian Kelly used the ground game and a short quick passing attack to eat up the clock after jumping up 21-0 in the 2nd quarter. Sophmore Tommy Rees was officially named the starter taking over for Dayne Crist. Crist battled injuries all year. Rees managed a great game.

Sean Cwynar celebrates after sacking Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck is going to be a great quarterback in the NFL, but the Irish held him in check Saturday. They kept him off the field. He only completed 8 of 17 passes for 176 yards. Notre Dame was leading 28-3 in the 3rd quarter when Stanford began attempting a comeback. They scored to close out the 3rd and twice early in the 4th to make it 28-23. With 5:34 left in the 4th the Irish got the ball back. This is when Rees is at his best. He put together a clutch drive to run out the clock converting four 3rd downs. The Fighting Irish put together a great regular season. Now they wait on the BCS.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) at Stanford Cardinal (9-3)

Nov 26, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	7	14	7	0	28
#6 Stanford Cardinal	0	3	7	13	23

Top Performers

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

T. Rees - 261 pass yds, 2 TD, rush TD

T. Riddick - 2 rec, 59 yds, TD

Stanford Cardinal

G. Whalen - 4 rec, 148 yds, TD

S. Taylor - 19 car, 128 yds, TD

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	STAN
First Downs	19	10
3rd Down Efficiency	8-11 (72%)	3-9 (33%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-1 (0%)	1-1 (100%)
Total Yards	403	301
Passing Yards	261	176
Rushing Yards	142	125
Penalties-Penalty Yards	0-0	2-20
Turnovers	2	0
Time of Possession	21:51	10:09

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	16/25 (64%)	261	2	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	21	100	4.7	0
T. Rees	6	5	0.8	1
J. Gray	6	35	5.8	1
M. Floyd	1	2	2.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
R. Toma	3	39	13.0	0
M. Floyd	3	58	19.3	1
T.J. Jones	3	41	13.6	0
T. Riddick	2	59	29.5	1
A. Welch	2	18	9.0	0
C. Wood	1	12	12.0	0
D. Daniels	1	8	8.0	0
T. Eifert	1	26	26.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
S. Cwynar	6	0.5	0	0
H. Williams	5	0.5	0	0
P. Shembo	4	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	3	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	0/0	4/4	4	0

Stanford Cardinal
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
A. Luck	8/17 (47%)	176	1	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
S. Taylor	19	128	6.7	1
A. Wilkerson	3	5	1.6	0
A. Luck	2	-11	-5.5	0
R. Hewitt	1	3	3.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
G. Whalen	4	148	37.0	1
J.R. Patterson	2	21	10.5	0
R. Hewitt	1	4	4.0	0
S. Taylor	1	3	3.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
E. Reynolds	7	0.0	1	0
T. Brown	5	0.0	0	0
J. Vaughters	4	0.0	1	0
M. Masifilio	3	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
E. Whitaker	1/1	2/2	5	39

Week 12 BC @ ND

Posted on July 27, 2011 at 10:51 AM.

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November 19, 2011
BC @ ND
Week 12

Irish D shuts down BC
Notre Dame's defense forces 6 turnovers
ND 42 BC 16

Gary Gray intercepts Eagles QB Chase Rettig. Irish picked him off 4 times Saturday.

Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter 14-3 and never looked back. With Dayne Crist not cleared to play due to concussion symptoms, Tommy Rees got the nod. Rees led two lengthy drives to begin the game connecting with Michael Floyd and Robby Toma for TDs. Rees started out the second quarter with another drive ending in a Davaris Daniels 6 yard TD.

Robby Toma hauls in a 54 yard TD from Tommy Rees.

The second half was dominated by the Irish D. They managed to only give up two field goals. Manti Te'o and Gary picked off passes from Chase Rettig and returned them both for TDs. The Irish held the Eagles to just 3/17 on 3rd down conversions. Chase Rettig was intercepted four times by the Irish D. Another easy win for Notre Dame. Now it gets serious.

Right Now the Fighting Irish are ranked # 5 in the country. Moments ago two unbeaten teams were just beaten. The #4 Alabama Crimson Tide were beat by the # 1 ranked Mississippi State. Then # 2 Wisconsin Badgers were upset by the Fighting Illini. This could possibly launch Notre Dame up to # 2 or 3. There are only four unbeaten teams left. They are Mississippi State (11-0) , Notre Dame (11-0), Oklahoma (10-0), and Boise State (10-0). If Notre Dame has any shot of playing in the National Championship, they have to beat # 7 Stanford next Saturday.

Boston College Eagles (4-7) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0)

Nov 19, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
Boston College Eagles	3	7	6	0	16
#5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	14	7	7	14	42

Top Performers

Boston College Eagles

L. Kuechly - 6 tkls, Sack, INT

J. Coleman - 3 rec, 104 all-purpose yards

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

R. Toma - 4 rec, 99 yds, TD

M. Te'o - 5 tkls, INT, FMBREC, TD

Team Stats Comparison
	BC	ND
First Downs	8	12
3rd Down Efficiency	3-17 (17%)	5-12 (41%)
4th Down Efficiency	1-3 (33%)	0-0 (0%)
Total Yards	277	235
Passing Yards	158	239
Rushing Yards	119	-4
Penalties-Penalty Yards	0-0	2-11
Turnovers	6	5
Time of Possession	15:07	22:46

Boston College Eagles
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
C. Rettig	15/40 (37%)	158	1	4
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Harris	20	80	4.0	0
C. Rettig	4	-6	-1.5	0
A. Williams	1	9	9.0	0
J. Coleman	1	35	35.0	0
A. Amidon	1	1	1.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
A. Amidon	5	28	5.6	0
C. Pantale	4	36	9.0	1
B. Swigert	3	25	8.3	0
J. Coleman	3	69	23.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
L. Kuechly	6	1.0	1	0
D. Fletcher	6	0.0	0	0
K. Edeball	4	1.0	0	0
M. Holloway	4	1.0	0	0
O. Okoroha	3	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Freese	3/3	1/1	10	39

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	23/36 (63%)	239	3	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	14	28	2.0	0
T. Rees	6	-32	-5.3	1
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Floyd	9	57	6.3	1
R. Toma	4	99	24.7	1
T.J. Jones	4	62	15.5	0
T. Eifert	2	11	5.5	0
C. Wood	2	3	1.5	0
D. Daniels	1	6	6.0	1
A. Welch	1	1	1.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Z. Motta	7	0.0	1	0
G. Gray	6	0.0	1	1
M. Te'o	5	0.0	1	1
A. Lynch	5	0.0	0	0
K. Lewis Moore	4	1.0	0	0
D. Fleming	2	1.0	0	0
R. Blanton	1	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	0/0	6/6	6	0

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Week 11 ND @ MD

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:32 PM.

(0)

November 12, 2011
ND @ MD
Week 11

Irish survive upset scare
Rees runs for 13 yard TD in closing moments to beat Terps 39-36

Tommy Rees squeezes in for the go ahead TD in the closing moments.

The Fighting Irish survived a big scare from the Maryland Terps. With 2:51 left in the 4th quarter Tommy Rees finished off a drive by scampering 13 yards for the go ahead TD. Rees again was vaulted into the game by another Dayne Crist injury. In the opening quarter Crist was sacked for a safety and knocked out of the game with a concussion. Maryland jumped to the occasion and led after the first quarter 16-10.

Maryland opened the second quarter with a Danny O'Brien TD pass to make it 23-10. Brian Kelly then answered with some offense. Tommy Rees made 2 quick strike scores. He first connected with T.J. Jones on a 49 yard over the shoulder beautiful TD throw. Rees then on the next series hooked up with freshman Davaris Daniels for a 27 yard TD. Daniels stepped in with Floyd being injured and he answered hugely. He caught 6 passes for 115 yards. Going into half time, Irish led 24-23.

T.J. Jones catches a TD over his shoulder from Tommy Rees.

Midway through the 3rd quarter Maryland scored again on an O'Brien 4 yard passing TD. The Terps tried for a 2 point conversion but failed. Irish trailed 29-24. Zeke Motta then picked off an O'Brien pass and returned it 60 yards for a TD to open the 4th. Irish then converted for two and led 32-29. Maryland answered right back scored on a bomb from O'Brien again. He chucked it 69 yards to Tyler for the TD with 3:52 left. That then left the heroics for Tommy Rees where he came up clutch again. Rees led Notre Dame down field and ran it in himself for the score.

Zeke Motta returned an INT 60 yards for a TD.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0) at Maryland Terps (6-4)

Nov 11, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	10	14	0	15	39
Maryland Terps	16	7	6	7	36

Top Performers

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

D. Daniels - 6 rec, 115 yds, TD

Z. Motta - 4 tkls, 1 TFL, INT, TD

Maryland Terps

D. O'Brien - 243 yds, 4 TD, INT

R. Tyler - 4 rec, 140 yds, 2 TD

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	MD
First Downs	18	8
3rd Down Efficiency	5-13 (38%)	4-14 (28%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-1 (0%)	1-2 (50%)
Total Yards	407	399
Passing Yards	394	243
Rushing Yards	13	156
Penalties-Penalty Yards	3-30	1-5
Turnovers	3	1
Time of Possession	17:42	18:16

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Crist	4/8 (50%)	92	0	0
T. Rees	24/40 (60%)	302	2	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	12	64	5.3	1
T. Rees	6	-26	-4.3	1
J. Gray	1	6	6.0	0
D. Crist	1	-31	-31.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
T. Eifert	7	85	12.1	0
D. Daniels	6	115	19.1	1
T. Riddick	5	57	11.4	0
R. Toma	3	37	12.3	0
C. Wood	3	19	6.3	0
J. Goodman	2	22	11.0	0
T.J. Jones	2	59	29.5	1
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Te'o	9	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	5	0.0	0	0
H. Smith	4	0.0	0	0
C. Calabrese	4	0.0	0	0
Z. Motta	4	0.0	1	1
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	4/4	7	28

Maryland Terps
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. O'Brien	11/26 (42%)	243	4	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
D. Meggett	25	140	5.6	1
D. O'Brien	3	-3	-1.0	0
D. Adams	1	-2	-2.0	0
R. Moore	1	15	15.0	0
T. Logan	1	6	6.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
K. Dorsey	4	67	16.7	2
R. Tyler	4	140	35.0	2
T. Logan	1	6	6.0	0
K. Boykins	1	7	7.0	0
Q. McCree	1	23	23.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
K. Tate	10	1.0	0	0
D. Mackall	8	1.0	0	0
C. Chism	5	0.0	1	0
M. Robinson	5	0.0	1	0
A. Graham	4	1.0	0	0
J. Anderson	3	2.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Ferrara	0/1	4/4	4	0

Week 10 ND @ WAKE

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 01:46 PM.

(0)

November 5, 2011
ND @ WAKE
Week 10

Notre Dame handles Wake 41-17
Irish improve to 9-0

Harrison Smith picks off Wake Forest QB Keenon Rush.

Dayne Crist rebounded from a shaky outing against Navy to lead the Irish to a convincing win over the Demon Deacons. Crist looked much better throwing for 212 yards with 2 TD and 0 INT. Cierre Wood continued his dominance since returning from injury. He now has three straight games of 90+ yards and 2 TDs. Saturday he ran 17 times for 92 yards and 2 TD. Robby Toma also is getting back on track from injury catching 4 passes for 101 yards. Toma's fellow WR Michael Floyd suffered a high ankle sprain in the opening drive and left the game. He may miss a week or two.

Defense continues to get better for the Irish. Demon Deacons were held scoreless the first 3 quarters. Brian Kelly sent in the second string and they allowed 14 points in the 4th quarter. Manti Te'o wreaked havoc with 8 tackles and 2 sacks. Harrison Smith also played an excellent game making 11 tackles and an INT. The Irish now head to Maryland to play the Terps. This will be a little tougher for Brian Kelly and team.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-0) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-6)

Nov 5, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	10	7	10	14	41
Wake Forest Demon Deacons	0	3	0	14	17

Top Performers

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

D. Dembry - 4 rec, 126 yds, 2 TD

R. Booi - 4 tkls, 2 sacks

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

C. Wood - 17 car, 92 yds, 2 TD

M. Te'o - 8 tkls, 2 sacks, 1 FFUMB

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	WAKE
First Downs	9	12
3rd Down Efficiency	4-11 (36%)	6-16 (37%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-1 (0%)	1-1 (100%)
Total Yards	287	384
Passing Yards	212	312
Rushing Yards	75	72
Penalties-Penalty Yards	0-0	2-15
Turnovers	0	4
Time of Possession	15:02	16:58

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Crist	14/28 (50%)	212	2	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	17	92	5.4	2
D. Crist	5	-17	-3.4	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
R. Toma	4	101	25.2	0
D. Daniels	3	41	13.6	1
T. Eifert	3	21	7.0	0
T. Riddick	2	37	18.5	1
T.J. Jones	1	2	2.0	0
M. Floyd	1	10	10.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
H. Smith	11	0.0	1	0
M. Te'o	8	2.0	0	0
G. Gray	6	0.0	1	0
P. Shembo	4	1.0	0	0
K. Lewis Moore	3	1.0	0	0
E. Johnson	1	1.0	0	0
Z. Motta	1	0.0	0	1
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	2/2	5/5	11	49

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
K. Rush	21/29 (72%)	300	2	1
T. Price	1/2 (50%)	12	0	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Harris	22	93	4.2	0
K. Rush	7	-11	-1.5	0
T. Price	2	-8	-4.0	0
M. Campanaro	1	0	0.0	0
L. Jackson	1	-2	-2.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Givens	6	51	8.5	0
D. Dembry	4	126	31.5	2
C. Ford	3	25	8.3	0
L. Jackson	3	73	24.3	0
T. Bohanon	2	21	10.5	0
J. Harris	2	8	4.0	0
A. Parker	1	4	4.0	0
M. Campanaro	1	4	4.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
C. Quarles	7	0.0	0	0
S. Betros	7	1.0	0	0
J. Ehrmann	6	1.0	0	0
A. Marshall	5	0.0	0	0
R. Booi	4	2.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
J. Newman	1/1	2/2	5	30

Week 9 NAVY @ ND

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 12:37 PM.

(0)

October 29, 2011
NAVY @ ND
Week 9

Who is blocking #19?
Aaron Lynch records 4 sacks in game for third time this season
ND 45 NAVY 14

Aaron Lynch records his 4th sack of the game.

Freshman phenom Aaron Lynch is doing things no other freshman has done before at Notre Dame. He is dashing through and around offensive lines and demolishing QBs. So far this year he has 17 sacks. Not to mention he has 2 fumble recoveries for TDs. "This guy is a freak of nature." said teammate Sean Cwynar who has 10 sacks himself. When asked how good Lynch was Brian Kelly smiled and said "Yeah hes not to bad." Saturday against Navy he was able to record 4 sacks.

The game against the Midshipmen was never close. Cierre Wood only got 10 carries but took advantage with every one. He finished with 174 yards and 2 TDs. Meanwhile, Dayne Crist struggled to find rhythm. He threw 3 TDs but also threw 3 picks. Crist looked frustrated on the sidelines and declined comment after the game. Next up for the Irish is a trip to play Wake Forest.

Navy Midshipmen (2-6) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-0)

Oct 29, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
Navy Midshipmen	7	0	0	7	14
#9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	3	14	14	14	45

Top Performers

Navy Midshipmen

J. Tuani - 3 tkls, 2 SACK

A. Felder - INT, TD

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

C. Wood - 174 rush yards, 2 TD

C. Calabrese - 7 tkls, SACK, INT

Team Stats Comparison
	NAVY	ND
First Downs	8	13
3rd Down Efficiency	3-15 (20%)	3-12 (25%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-2 (0%)	2-2 (100%)
Total Yards	166	415
Passing Yards	123	187
Rushing Yards	43	228
Penalties-Penalty Yards	0-0	2-10
Turnovers	1	3
Time of Possession	13:19	18:41

Navy Midshipmen
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
K. Proctor	8/17 (47%)	123	0	0
J. Haan	0/1 (0%)	0	0	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
K. Proctor	19	-20	-1.0	0
A. Teich	10	43	4.3	0
G. Greene	5	10	2.0	1
A. Santiago	3	10	3.3	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
G. Greene	3	18	6.0	0
D. Furman	2	37	18.5	0
A. Teich	1	24	24.0	0
B. Turner	1	41	41.0	0
A. Santiago	1	3	3.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
A. Felder	5	0.0	1	1
J. Tuani	3	2.0	0	0
J. Fehr	3	0.0	1	0
J. Jones	2	1.0	0	0
K. Mitchell	2	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
J. Teague	0/0	2/2	2	0

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Crist	14/27 (51%)	158	3	3
T. Rees	3/5 (60%)	29	0	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	10	174	17.4	2
J. Gray	8	23	2.8	0
D. Crist	5	-7	-1.4	0
G. Atkinson	2	20	10.0	1
D. Daniels	1	18	18.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
D. Daniels	3	38	12.6	0
T. Eifert	3	11	3.6	1
C. Wood	2	-4	-2.0	0
J. Gray	2	13	6.5	0
R. Toma	2	35	17.5	1
B. Koyack	1	16	16.0	0
M. Floyd	1	55	55.0	1
T. Riddick	1	5	5.0	0
T.J.Jones	1	11	11.0	0
A. Welch	1	7	7.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Z. Motta	8	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	7	4.0	0	0
C. Calabrese	7	1.0	1	0
G. Gray	6	0.0	0	0
P. Shembo	5	0.5	0	0
S. Cwynar	3	2.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	6/6	9	40

The Irish had three more recruits commit after the Navy game.
* # denotes position rank in the country.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Recruiting - 2011
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Antonio Diggs # 7 HB	HB	HS	North Potomac, ND	5'10"	213
Brett Lane # 11 G	G	HS	Englewood, NJ	6'5"	337
Matt Vickers # 87 G	G	HS	Bellwood, IL	6'6"	289
Jonathan Allen # 6 T	T	HS	Elkhart, IN	6'4"	285
Luke Williams # 3 TE	TE	HS	Sunbury, PA	6'5"	241
Justin Edwards # 9 DT	DT	HS	Douglass Hills, KY	6'6"	265
David Moody # 4 FS	FS	HS	Lima, OH	6'3"	183
B.J. Gray #33 WR	WR	HS	Groves, TX	6'3"	207
Marshall Miller #9 FS	FS	HS	Delray Beach, FL	6'1"	188
Kasey Robinson # 17 CB	CB	HS	Boynton Beach, FL	6'2"	192

Week 8 USC @ ND

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:45 AM.

(0)

October 22, 2011
USC @ ND
Week 8

Irish wins shootout in South Bend
ND beats USC 49-42 in closing moments

Cierre Wood returned from injury and scored twice in the closing moments Saturday night.

Saturday night's tilt between Notre Dame and USC was full of excitement. This was the biggest game to date for the Irish this year. Brian Kelly felt this game was so big he pulled out the green alternate jerseys for the game. Notre Dame got back QB Dayne Crist and Cierre Wood from injuries. Crist took back his starting job. The 1st quarter was slow for both sides but the Irish got two FGs to take a 6-0 lead.

The 2nd quarter got bad for the Irish and got bad real quick. Matt Barkley unleashed his fury and threw four 2nd quarter TDs. Trailing 35-16 with :9 seconds left, Dayne Crist hit T.J. Jones in the endzone for a 78 yard TD. That made it 35-23 going into the half.

The Irish defense stepped up and held USC's offense in check in the 3rd. The only problem was Notre Dame could not score. They managed one FG making it 35-26. Crist led a drive down to the 1 yard line as the 3rd quarter expired. The first play of the 4th, Alex Welch took a FB dive for a TD. The Irish were closing in 35-33. Then Cierre Wood took over and scored twice in the final minutes to close out USC. This win should put Notre Dame in the top 10. They are putting together quite a season.

USC Trojans (4-3) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-0)

Oct 22, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#25 USC Trojans	0	35	0	7	42
#11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	6	17	3	23	49

Top Performers

USC Trojans

M. Barkley - 310 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT

M. Tyler - 23 car, 121 yds, 2 TD

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

C. Wood - 17 car, 154 yds, 2 TD

T.J. Jones - 6 rec, 191 yds, 2 TD

Team Stats Comparison
	USC	ND
First Downs	9	16
3rd Down Efficiency	6-13 (46%)	5-15 (33%)
4th Down Efficiency	2-2 (100%)	1-1 (100%)
Total Yards	433	509
Passing Yards	310	406
Rushing Yards	123	103
Penalties-Penalty Yards	1-5	2-10
Turnovers	3	2
Time of Possession	13:47	18:13

USC Trojans
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
M. Barkley	12/29 (41%)	310	4	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Tyler	23	121	5.2	2
M. Barkley	3	2	0.6	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
B. Butler	4	68	17.0	2
R. Woods	3	65	21.6	1
K. Prater	1	40	40.0	0
B. Carswell	1	27	27.0	0
R. Ellison	1	26	26.0	0
H. Simmons	1	9	9.0	0
G. Farmer	1	75	75.0	1
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Jones	10	0.0	0	0
B. Baucham	8	1.0	0	0
C. Galippo	7	0.0	0	0
A. Armstead	5	3.0	1	0
T. Harris	0	0.0	0	0
T. Burnett	1	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
A. Heidari	0/1	6/6	6	0

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Crist	19/41 (46%)	406	2	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	17	154	9.0	2
D. Crist	4	-20	-5.0	0
J. Gray	3	1	0.3	0
T. Rees	2	-33	-16.5	0
A. Welch	1	1	1.0	1
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Floyd	9	170	18.8	0
T.J. Jones	6	191	31.8	2
T. Riddick	2	36	18.0	0
R. Toma	1	9	9.0	0
C. Wood	1	0	0.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
J. Slaughter	7	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	6	0.0	0	0
H. Smith	5	0.0	0	0
M. Te'o	4	0.0	0	0
Z. Motta	3	0.0	1	0
R. Blanton	2	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	4/4	3/3	15	40

*Brian Kelly snagged two more recruits that attended the USC game. Here is where we stand for the 2011 class.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Recruiting - 2011
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Antonio Diggs # 7 HB	HB	HS	North Potomac, ND	5'10"	213
Brett Lane # 11 G	G	HS	Englewood, NJ	6'5"	337
Matt Vickers # 87 G	G	HS	Bellwood, IL	6'6"	289
Jonathan Allen # 6 T	T	HS	Elkhart, IN	6'4"	285
Luke Williams # 3 TE	TE	HS	Sunbury, PA	6'5"	241
Justin Edwards # 9 DT	DT	HS	Douglass Hills, KY	6'6"	265
David Moody # 4 FS	FS	HS	Lima, OH	6'3"	183

Week 6 AF @ ND

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 09:13 AM.

(0)

October 8, 2011
AF @ ND
Week 6

Climbing the ladder
Irish beat Air Force 35-22 with hopes of cracking top ten

Tyler Eifert pumps up the crowd after scoring his 2nd TD in the 3rd quarter.

This is the game Brian Kelly has been waiting for from Tyler Eifert. After finishing the season strong last year filling in for the then injured Kyle Rudolph, Kelly expected a strong 2011 from Eifert. The first five games he was silent. Against Air Force Saturday, Tyler Eifert bursted out of his slump in a big way. He ended up with 4 catches for a career high 176 yards and 2 TD. "It felt great to get involved and contribute." said Eifert.

QB Tommy Rees threw 2 interceptions but also managed to throw 3 TD's for 268 yards. Junior WR Robby Toma returned from injury to catch 4 passes for 62 yards and a TD. Jonas Gray repeated his last game's performance with 9 carries for 74 yards. Brian Kelly was far from happy with his offense's performance. "We were real sloppy today on the offensive side of the ball. We have to have them things cleaned up before we play USC." said Kelly.

Aaron Lynch continues to dominate offensive lines. Lynch had the lone two sacks for the Irish. He wasn't finished though. For the second time this season Lynch recovered a fumble and returned it for a TD. Manti Te'o forced a fumble and Lynch ran it back 48 yards for the score. This young DE is really a force to be reckoned with. Notre Dame has a bye this week but in week 8 they take on USC.

Air Force Falcons (3-2) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0)

Oct 8, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
Air Force Falcons	7	6	9	0	22
#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	14	7	14	0	35

Top Performers

Air Force Falcons

J. Warzeka - 5 rec, 106 yds

J. Hall - INT, TD

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

T. Eifert - 4 red, 176 yds, 2 TD

A. Lynch - 4 tkls, 2 sacks, FMBREC, TD

Team Stats Comparison
	AF	ND
First Downs	17	7
3rd Down Efficiency	7-16 (43%)	4-10 (40%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-1 (0%)	1-1 (100%)
Total Yards	345	257
Passing Yards	181	268
Rushing Yards	164	-11
Penalties-Penalty Yards	1-5	1-15
Turnovers	1	2
Time of Possession	19:18	12:42

Air Force Falcons
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Jefferson	9/21 (42%)	181	0	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
A. Clark	15	77	5.1	0
T. Jefferson	12	20	1.6	0
C. Getz	12	27	2.2	0
W. Cobb	3	34	11.3	1
M. DeWitt	3	8	2.6	0
B. Hirneise	1	-2	-2.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Warzeka	5	106	21.2	0
Z. Kauth	3	76	25.3	0
A. Clark	1	-1	-1.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
J. Waiwaiole	6	0.0	1	0
B. Lindsay	5	0.0	0	0
A. Means	5	0.5	0	0
A. Wooding	3	1.0	0	0
J. Hall	2	0.0	1	1
H. Kehs	1	1.0	0	0
Z. Payne	1	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
E. Soderburg	3/3	1/1	10	50

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	13/27 (48%)	268	3	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Gray	9	74	4.7	0
T. Rees	7	-60	-8.5	0
G. Atkinson	1	6	6.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
T. Eifert	4	176	44.0	2
R. Toma	4	62	15.5	1
M. Floyd	2	20	10.0	0
T. Riddick	1	5	5,0	0
T.J. Jones	1	3	3.0	0
G. Atkinson	1	2	2.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Z. Motta	10	0.0	0	0
M. Te'o	9	0.0	0	0
G. Gray	7	0.0	0	0
H. Smith	6	0.0	0	0
D. Fleming	6	0.0	0	0
P. Shembo	6	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	4	2.0	0	1
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	0/0	5/5	5	0

*Coach Brian Kelly had four more recruits commit after attending the Air Force Game. Here is the 2011 list so far.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Recruiting - 2011
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Antonio Diggs # 7 HB	HB	HS	North Potomac, ND	5'10"	213
Brett Lane # 11 G	G	HS	Englewood, NJ	6'5"	337
Matt Vickers # 87 G	G	HS	Bellwood, IL	6'6"	289
Jonathan Allen # 6 T	T	HS	Elkhart, IN	6'4"	285
Luke Williams # 3 TE	TE	HS	Sunbury, PA	6'5"	241

Week 5 ND @ PUR

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 07:23 AM.

(0)

October 1, 2011
ND @ PUR
Week 5

Irish stomp Boilermakers 32-10
Rees and defense key in win

Tommy Rees throws on the run against Purdue. Rees threw for 248 yards and 3 TD.

From start to finish, the Fighting Irish controlled the game against the Boilermakers. Tommy Rees rebounded from a bad outing against PITT and was mistake free Saturday. Rees was 20 of 32 for 248 yards and 3 TD. He picked apart the defense connecting to seven different receivers. Michael Floyd turned in another quality game with 7 catches, 97 yards, and two TD. While Jonas Gray only got 9 carries, he turned them into 74 yards.

Brian Kelly had the Irish up 18-0 in the 3rd quarter when Purdue tried to make a game of it. Before the 3rd ended, Purdue put up 10 quick points to make it 18-10 going into the 4th. A nice effort but Kelly would have none of that. He ordered his offense to head out and score instead of sitting on the ball. Rees hit T.J. Jones deep for 73 yard TD. Shortly after Rees then hit Michael Floyd for a 32 yard TD strike to leave no doubt the game was over.

Sean Cwynar pulls down Purdue QB Robert Marve for 1 of his 3 sacks.

All the double teams freshman Aaron Lynch attracts now is really helping the Irish defense. They were able to sack Purdue QB Robert Marve nine times. Three of them came from Junior DT Sean Cwynar. He now has eight on the season. After two games on the road the Irish will head home to face Air Force next week.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-0) at Purdue Boilermakers (3-1)

Oct 1, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	2	10	6	14	32
Purdue Boilermakers	0	0	10	0	10

Top Performers

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

T. Rees - 248 yds, 3 TD

M. Floyd - 7 rec, 97 yds, 2 TD

Purdue Boilermakers

S. Matti - 21 car, 111 yds

J. Holland - 6 tkls, 2 TFL, 1 sack

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	PUR
First Downs	10	17
3rd Down Efficiency	6-12 (50%)	3-13 (23%)
4th Down Efficiency	1-1(100%)	4-5 (80%)
Total Yards	280	349
Passing Yards	248	222
Rushing Yards	32	127
Penalties-Penalty Yards	1-10	2-15
Turnovers	0	1
Time of Possession	15:30	16:30

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	20/32	248	3	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Gray	9	74	8.2	0
T. Rees	6	-41	-6.8	0
G. Atkinson	2	-1	-0.5	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Floyd	7	97	13.8	2
T. Riddick	4	35	8.7	0
G. Atkinson	2	-5	-2.5	0
T. Eifert	2	16	8.0	0
T.J. Jones	2	78	39.0	1
D. Daniels	2	26	13.0	0
J. Gray	1	0	0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
S. Cwynar	11	3.0	0	0
G. Gray	10	0.0	0	0
M. Te'o	9	1.0	0	0
L. Wood	7	1.0	0	0
K. Lewis Moore	6	2.0	0	0
H. Smith	5	1.0	0	0
J. Slaughter	4	0.0	1	0
H. Williams	2	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	3/3	6	21

Purdue Boilermakers
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
R. Marve	16/26	222	0	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
S. Matti	21	111	5.2	0
R. Marve	15	7	0.4	1
J. Crank	2	7	3.5	0
R Pegram	1	2	2.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Stiller	5	46	13.2	0
O. Ross	4	12	3.0	0
A. Edison	3	96	32.0	0
S. Matti	2	18	9.0	0
G. Bush	1	13	13.0	0
J. Crank	1	17	17.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
J. Holland	6	1.0	0	0
A. Evans	5	0.0	0	0
D. Beckford	5	0.0	0	0
C. Williams	5	0.0	0	0
A. Brockman	2	1.0	0	0
K. Short	2	1.0	0	0
G. Gooden	2	1.0	0	0
B. Gaston	2	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
C. Wiggs	1/1	1/1	31	4

Week 4 ND @ PITT

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 05:56 AM.

(0)

September 24, 2011
ND @ PITT
Week 4

Irish off to hot start
ND improves to 4-0 after beating PITT 39-32

Jonas Gray paced the Irish with 146 rushing yards and 2 TD.

Brian Kelly's offensive scheme is usually filled with passing. Well that was not the case Saturday at Heinz Field. Tommy Rees was having a hard time with the always stingy Pitt defense. So coach Kelly fed the ball to senior back-up RB Jonas Gray. Boy did he respond. "I won't lie. I love running the ball just like every other back, but coach Kelly has us all in. Were willing to do what it takes to win. Whether it be run, catch, or block...were willing to do it." said Gray. Gray scored twice and combined for 158 all-purpose yards. Kelly said of Gray..."His physical style of running really saved us today."

With Cierre Wood still hurt, Gray and freshman running back George Atkinson are reaping the benefits. In the few plays Atkinson got on the field for, his presence was quickly felt. On the first drive of the second half Atkinson caught a screen pass and motored down field for a 75 yard TD. Other than that play and Jonas Gray, the offense struggled.

Manti Te'o celebrates after bring down QB Tino Sunseri.

The defensive side also had its share of struggles. Pitt QB Tino Sunseri threw for 460 yards but only 1 TD. I'm assuming though that Sunseri will be having nightmares of Aaron Lynch. The freshman phenom sacked him 4 times. Lynch also forced him to fumble on a sack, then returned it 42 yards for the score. Through 4 games, Lynch has 11 QB sacks. Manti Te'o also had a big day flying sideline to sideline to record 12 tackles. Notre Dame is off to a hot start and now take on rival Purdue next week.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (2-2)

Sep 24, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
Pittsburgh Panthers	13	3	6	10	32
#16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	7	10	15	7	39

Top Performers

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

J. Gray - 18 car, 146 yds, 2 TD

A. Lynch - 7 tkls, 4 sacks, FFUMB, FMBREC, TD

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

T. Sunseri - 460 yds, TD

D. Street - 9 rec, 199 yds

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	PITT
First Downs	10	15
3rd Down Efficiency	4-11 (36%)	5-17 (29%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-2 (0%)	2-4 (50%)
Total Yards	322	470
Passing Yards	199	460
Rushing Yards	123	10
Penalties-Penalty Yards	3-30	1-5
Turnovers	3	4
Time of Possession	16:49	15:11

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	13/27	199	2	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Gray	18	146	8.1	2
T. Rees	5	-33	-6.6	0
G. Atkinson	3	10	3.3	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
T. Eifert	3	24	8.0	0
J. Gray	2	12	6.0	0
J. Golic	2	35	17.5	1
T. Riddick	2	29	14.5	0
M. Floyd	1	4	4.0	0
T.J. Jones	1	15	15.0	0
G. Atkinson	1	75	75.0	1
A. Welch	1	5	5.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Te'o	12	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	7	4.0	0	1
J. Slaughter	6	1.0	0	0
H. Williams	5	2.0	0	0
S. Cwynar	4	1.0	0	0
R. Blanton	2	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	4/4	7	49

Pittsburgh Panthers
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Sunseri	28/43	460	1	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
T. Sunseri	16	-67	-4.1	1
R. Morris	10	50	5.0	0
R. Graham	5	-3	-0.6	0
M. Crockett	1	30	30.0	1
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
D. Street	9	199	22.1	0
C. Saddler	7	82	11.7	0
M. Shanahan	4	68	17.0	1
R. Morris	4	79	19.7	0
T. Thomas	2	14	7.0	0
H. Graham	1	6	6.0	0
R. Graham	1	12	12.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
J. Holley	8	0.0	1	0
M. Gruder	7	0.0	0	0
S. Imoru	5	0.0	0	0
C. Alecxih	3	1.0	0	0
J. Hargrove	2	1.0	0	0
R. Lidsey	2	1.0	0	0
A. Taglianetti	2	0.0	1	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
D. Conroy	4/4	2/2	14	48

Week 3 MSU @ ND

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:22 AM.

(0)

September 17, 2011
MSU @ ND
Week 3

Domers upset Spartans
Irish put up 28 in 4th to win 45-35

Michael Floyd reels in a pass from Tommy Rees for a TD.

The Fighting Irish had a 28 point outburst in the 4th quarter to comeback and upset the Spartans. Notre Dame's defense had trouble stopping MSU in the first 3 quarters. After 3, they trailed 28-17. Then Brian Kelly pulled aside Tommy Rees. "I told him just to relax and that he had a whole quarter. Tommy and the team responded well to a pressured situation. I'm proud of them tonight. Both sides of the ball played well when it mattered."

Tommy Rees came up big again in crunch time.

Theo Riddick caught a 4 yard TD from Rees on the opening play of the 4th. Rees then led them two more times. Jonas Gray filled in for injured Cierre Wood. He carried the ball 16 times for 120 yards and 2 4th quarter TD's. Wood hurt his ankle and is expected to miss a few weeks. The offense thrived late but couldn't have done it with the defense.

Aaron Lynch pumps up the crowd late in the 4th quarter.

Except for a last second garbage time TD, Irish shut down MSU QB Kirk Cousins and their offense in the 4th. Fighting Irish defense managed to pick off Cousins three times, twice in the 4th. Aaron Lynch continued to dominate the opposition with a career high 4 sacks. Sophmore DB Lo Wood also came up huge with an interception and a fumble recovery returned 17 yards for a TD to put away MSU.

Michigan State Spartans (2-1) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)

Sep 17, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#15 Michigan State Spartans	7	14	7	7	35
#20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	3	7	7	28	45

Top Performers

Michigan State Spartans

K. Nichol - 79 All-purpose yds, rus TD, rec TD

T. Hoover - 3 tkls, 2 sacks

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

M. Floyd - 9 rec, 146 yds, TD

A. Lynch - 4 tkls, 4 sacks

Team Stats Comparison
	MSU	ND
First Downs	9	16
3rd Down Efficiency	5-12 (41%)	5-13 (38%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-1 (0%)	1-2 (50%)
Total Yards	314	388
Passing Yards	166	268
Rushing Yards	148	120
Penalties-Penalty Yards	1-5	1-10
Turnovers	4	2
Time of Possession	13:20	18:40

Michigan State Spartans
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
K. Cousins	9/20	166	3	3
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
E. Baker	18	130	7.2	0
K. Cousins	12	0	0.0	0
K. Nichol	2	18	9.0	1
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
K. Nichol	3	61	20.3	1
B. Cunningham	2	51	25.5	0
B. Fowler	2	48	24.0	2
A. Setterbo	2	6	3.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Bullough	9	0.0	0	0
M. White	7	0.0	0	0
J. Jones	7	0.0	0	0
C. Norman	6	0.0	0	0
T. Robinson	4	0.0	0	0
J. Worthy	4	1.0	0	0
J. Adams	4	0.0	1	0
J. Hoover	3	2.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
D. Conroy	0/0	5/5	5	0

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
T. Rees	21/34	268	2	1
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Gray	16	120	7.5	2
C. Wood	5	9	1.8	0
T. Rees	5	-24	-4.8	0
G. Atkinson	3	15	5.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Floyd	9	146	16.2	1
T. Riddick	3	27	9.0	1
T.J. Jones	3	67	22.3	0
A. Welch	2	12	6.0	0
C. Wood	1	4	4.0	0
G. Atkinson	1	8	8.0	0
T. Eifert	1	2	2.0	0
J. Gray	1	2	2.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Te'o	7	0.0	1	0
C. Calabrese	7	0.0	0	0
H. Smith	5	0.0	0	0
A. Lynch	4	4,0	0	0
G. Gray	4	0.0	1	0
K. Lewis Moore	3	1.0	0	0
L. Wood	3	0.0	1	1
S. Cwynar	1	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	6/6	9	39
KICK RETURNING	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
T.J. Jones	3	137	45.6	1

Week 2 ND @ MICH

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:25 AM.

(0)

September 9, 2011
ND @ MICH
Week 2

Instant Classic
Irish beat Michigan 31-28 in final seconds

Tommy Rees passed for 108 yards and a TD in the 4th.

Much of the Spring was Dayne Crist versus Tommy Rees. Coach Brian Kelly ended up going with the senior Crist. Kelly felt comfortable with that move because Rees would still have time to grow with him only being a sophmore. He also felt he could easily turn to Rees if Crist would falter or get hurt. Saturday against the Michigan Wolverines, Kelly would have to do just that and turn to Rees.

On the Irish's first drive Dayne Crist threw an interception that was returned 65 yards for a TD. Then to open the second quarter Denard Robinson hit Roy Roundtree on a screen for a whopping 96 yard TD. The Irish trailed 14-0 and answered with a Jonas Gray 8 yard run for a TD. Star QB Denard Robinson was then sacked hard and by Irish DT Sean Cwynar on the next drive forcing him out of the game. Robinson fumbled and turned the ball over with :49 seconds left in the half. He was diagnosed with a concussion and his status for next week is uncertain. With time running out, Crist hooked up with Michael Floyd for a 3 yard TD.

The third quarter was a battle of defense with neither offense able to move the ball. Towards the beginning of fourth quarter Dayne Crist was sacked and injured as well. He was found to have broken ribs. Brian Kelly said he expects him to be out 5-6 weeks. In steps, Tommy Rees. Deja Vu. Last year Crist was hurt against Michigan and Rees threw his first career pass in that game. An interception. That was his last pass of that game. Things were different this time though. With Notre Dame down 28-21, Rees took control of the offense with 4:34 left to go.

Tommy Rees drove down the offense and hooked up with Michael Floyd for the WR's 2nd TD of the day with 2:41 left. It was tied 28-28. With the inexperienced Devin Gardner filling in for Robinson, the Irish defense took advantage. A huge sack from Freshman Aaron Lynch on 3rd down forced the Wolverines to punt. Notre Dame received the ball with just over a minute to play at their own 38 yard line. Rees connected on 4 straight passes to set up Nick Tausch for a game winning 34 yard FG.

Nick Tausch drills a 34 yard game-winning FG as times expires.

Tommy Rees will now assume the starting job with Crist's injury. WR Robby Toma also went down on a bad knee and is expected to miss 3 weeks. Next up the Irish will host the #15 ranked Michigan State Spartans.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0) at Michigan Wolverines (1-1)

Sep 10, 2011	1	2	3	4	F
#19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish	0	14	0	17	31
Michigan Wolverines	7	14	0	7	28

Top Performers

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

M. Floyd - 7 rec, 146 yds, 2 TD

N. Tausch - GW 34 yd FG as time expired

Michigan Wolverines

R. Roundtree - 2 rec, 106 yds, TD

V. Smith - 13 car, 93yds, TD

Team Stats Comparison
	ND	MICH
First Downs	17	7
3rd Down Efficiency	5-14 (35%)	1-8 (12%)
4th Down Efficiency	0-2 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Total Yards	447	283
Passing Yards	345	192
Rushing Yards	102	91
Penalties-Penalty Yards	5-35	0-0
Turnovers	2	3
Time of Possession	22:40	9:20

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Crist	19/32 (59%)	239	1	2
T. Rees	7/8 (87%)	106	1	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Wood	14	92	6.5	1
J. Gray	9	36	4.0	1
D. Crist	6	-26	-4.3	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Floyd	7	146	20.8	2
T. Riddick	7	75	10.7	0
T.J. Jones	5	85	17.0	0
C. Wood	2	10	5.0	0
T. Eifert	2	5	2.5	0
A. Welch	1	11	11.0	0
D. Daniels	1	11	11.0	0
R. Toma	1	2	2.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Z. Motta	5	0.0	0	0
L. Wood	5	0.0	0	0
H. Smith	5	0.0	0	0
M. Te'o	4	0.0	1	0
R. Blanton	2	0.0	1	0
S. Cwynar	2	1.0	0	0
A. Lynch	2	1.0	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
N. Tausch	1/1	4/4	7	34

Michigan Wolverines
PASSING	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
D. Robinson	6/13 (46%)	153	1	2
D. Gardner	4/6 (66%)	39	0	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
V. Smith	13	93	7.1	1
D.Robinson	4	-15	-3.7	0
D. Gardner	2	5	2.5	1
J. McClogan	1	8	8.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
D. Stonum	3	40	13.3	0
K. Grady	2	23	11.5	0
R. Roundtree	2	106	53.0	1
V. Smith	1	0	0.0	0
K. Koger	1	14	14.0	0
J. Hemingway	1	9	9.0	0
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
M. Robinson	12	0	0	0
J. Kovacs	7	1	0	0
C. Avery	7	1	0	0
J. Fitzgerald	7	1	0	0
K. Demens	6	0	1	0
T. Woolfork	5	0	0	0
C. Roh	3	1	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LG
S. Broekhuizen	0/0	4/4	4	0

Monday, July 25, 2011

Week 1 USF @ ND

Posted on July 25, 2011 at 01:40 PM.

(0)

September 3, 2011
USF @ ND
Week 1

Irish dominates USF 37-7

Cierre Wood runs 23 yards for his second TD of the day.

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have kicked the 2011 season off with a bang. The Irish layed it on the Bulls Saturday from both sides of the ball. They used a huge first half to close it out early. At halftime Notre Dame was up 28-0. They started a bit slow but senior QB Dayne Crist hit re-instated WR Michael Floyd for a 15 yard touchdown to close out the first quarter. Then Crist led the Irish on 3 scoring drives in the second quarter. "Hes huge for us. Mike's a great teammate and hes the best wideout in the country if you ask me." said Crist when asked about Michael Floyd. "Our offense is hard to stop when hes out there."

The defense had a great showing as well. Freshman DE Aaron Lynch has had a lot of hype around him for good reason. He opened up his Notre Dame career with 2 sacks. "That was fun. Crowd was crazy!" said Lynch. Junior DT Sean Cwynar also had 2 sacks. Irish defense held USF to 122 total yards of total offense. Very Impressive.

"The boys played well considering its week one but its just one game. We haven't proved anything. Yet." said the second year coach Brian Kelly. After finishing last season strong with a big bowl win over Miami the Irish were ranked 21 to start off the year. "Its nice to be noticed and ranked early but we can't get comfortable." said Kelly. "Next week...it gets tougher." Next week Notre Dame heads to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines.

Sep 3, 2011 - USF at ND
TEAM	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
USF Bulls (0-1)	0	0	7	0	7
#21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0)	7	21	7	2	37

Team Stats Comparison
USF		ND
122	Total Offense	420
21	Rushing Yards	74
101	Passing Yards	346
7	First Downs	13
4	Punt Return Yards	46
83	Kick Return Yards	61
209	Total Yards	527
1	Turnovers	1
3-12(25%)	3rd Down Converstion	6-11(54%)
1-1(100%)	4th Down Conversion	0-0(0%)
0-0(0%)	2-Point Conversion	0-0(0%)
1-1-0(100%)	Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-4-0(66%)
3-20 yds.	Penalties	2-5 yds.
11:48	Posession Time	20:12

USF Bulls Boxscore
PASSING	RATING	C/ATT	YDS	TD/INT	AVG
B. Daniels	93.9	9/20	101	1/1	11.2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
D. Murray	15	53	3.5	0	18
B. Daniels	7	-39	-5.5	0	0
S. Bravo Brown	1	7	7.0	0	7
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
S. Bravo Brown	2	34	17.0	0	17
E. Landi	2	15	7.5	0	9
L. Lamar	2	44	22.0	0	35
D. Murray	2	1	0.5	1	1
T. Guy	1	7	7.0	0	7
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	PDEF	TD
S. Barrington	10	0.0	0	0	0
J. Young	9	0.0	0	0	0
J. Lejiste	7	0.0	1	1	0
Q. Washington	6	0.0	0	0	0
K. Webster	4	0.0	0	1	0
P. Hampton	2	1.0	0	0	0
R. Giddins	1	1.0	0	0	0

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Boxscore
PASSING	RATING	C/ATT	YDS	TD/INT	AVG
D. Crist	188.0	19/28	346	2/1	18.2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
C. Wood	17	93	5.4	2	23
J. Gray	6	19	3.1	1	10
D. Crist	4	-38	-9.5	0	8
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
M. Floyd	5	100	20.0	1	58
R. Toma	4	57	14.2	0	23
T.J. Jones	4	97	24.2	1	44
T. Riddick	3	16	5.3	0	8
T. Eifert	1	8	8.0	0	8
A. Welch	1	5	5.0	0	5
C. Wood	1	63	63.0	0	63
DEFENSIVE	TACK	SACK	INT	PDEF	TD
Z. Motta	5	0.0	0	2	0
S. Cwynar	4	2.0	0	0	0
A. Lynch	4	2.0	0	0	0
H. Smith	3	0.0	0	1	0
M. Te'o	2	0.0	0	1	0
P. Shembo	2	0.0	1	0	0