A Fabulous Weekend For Notre Dame Athletics

National Signing Day in football dominated the landscape last week in collegiate sports, and the Super Bowl did this weekend in America — but Notre Dame athletics shined like no other collegiate program in the country on the hardwood and the ice rink.

1. Got Them Where You Want Them

Ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press — and No. 1 in the Coaches poll — North Carolina raced to a 37-22 advantage at Notre Dame with 2:38 left in the first half. As a child who lived and died with Fighting Irish football and basketball in the 1970s, I had one thought: “Perfect. Got them right where you want them — and right on schedule.” Three similar scores around the same point of the game flashed back to me:

• On Jan. 19, 1974, No. 1 UCLA built a 33-16 lead at Notre Dame. The Irish won 71-70 to snap the NCAA record 88-game win streak by the Bruins.

• On Feb. 26, 1978, Notre Dame trailed at home 34-17 versus No. 1 and defending national champ Marquette (39-25 at halftime). That Final Four outfit rallied to a 65-59 win.

• On Feb. 1, 1987, No. 1 North Carolina built a 32-16 cushion late in the first half — until head coach Digger Phelps’ final Sweet 16 team came back for a 60-58 win.

This time, another Tar Heels team, which could well win the national title, fell, 80-76.

Head coach Mike Brey now is an astonishing 4-1 in his last five meetings with five-time national champion Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and 3-0 in the past five meetings with two-time national champion Roy Williams. Who in basketball history has ever had a 6-1 stretch — two North Carolina losses came after that first Duke win — versus the basketball royalty of Duke and North Carolina, highlighted by back-to-back to capture the ACC title last year?

Two years ago, Notre Dame was 4-18 all time versus North Carolina and 2-19 against Duke. Now it has defeated it multiple times in consecutive years.

"Our program, when we have been on the big stage and under the bright lights, has flat out delivered,” Brey said. “We have played in some big ones and we have found a way to win."

The 16-7 Irish (7-4 in the ACC) will lose a few more in the coming weeks, but in a year where the NCAA Tournament is far more wide open, this is not a program to sleep on, especially after tasting tourney success last season en route to the Elite Eight.

Winning two straight games in the tourney in back-to-back years has been done only twice at Notre Dame: 1953-54 and 1978-79. A third time this year is not inconceivable, as long as you get there first.

2. Unconscious Competence

In the last three seasons, Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw’s Fighting Irish are a scintillating 96-1 against teams not named Connecticut (and 0-4 versus the Huskies, while three times Notre Dame played without its top post player). It is 49-1 in ACC play, and has won 26 games in a row decided by single digits and/or in overtime.

This week in front of a raucous fired up Duke crowd and 13,837 at No. 13 Louisville, the Irish rallied from late 55-50 and 55-49 fourth-quarter deficits to calmly record 68-61 and 66-61 triumphs.

Sometimes these records and wins get overlooked with the “there’s less parity in women’s basketball” argument. While that is not an inaccurate statement, Notre Dame also has evolved from a “nice, solid Top 15-25 program” for most of 2002-10 into a top-2-3 juggernaut for six years running now. It has the target on its back every game, yet repeatedly finds ways to emerge victorious.

Duke won four straight ACC titles and went to four straight Elite 8s from 2009-13 — but has lost 10 in a row to Notre Dame. Louisville advanced to the NCAA Championship game in 2009 and 2013, the Elite 8 last year — and has lost nine straight to the Irish. Tennessee was once one and the same with UConn and the Vols had been 20-0 versus Notre Dame — but McGraw’s crew now has vanquished them six straight.

When you watch how poised and confident this program is, you can appreciate how it has reached the “unconscious competence” level that Notre Dame football boss Brian Kelly speaks of as a primary aspiration.

3. Icing On The Cake

With its 2-1 and 3-1 sweep at Vermont this weekend, Notre Dame moved into a first-place tie with superpower Boston College in the 12-team Hockey East with 26 points apiece. Head coach Jeff Jackson’s icers are 12-2-2 in the league (two points for a win, one for a tie), while the Eagles are 11-1-4. The two have split their meetings this year, both winning on the road.

The Irish and BC have gained some separation that can continue this week when the Irish host No. 10 Hockey East foe Maine (4-10-2) for two conference games this weekend while the Eagles host No. 11 Merrimack (2-8-6).

In the USCHO PairWise Rankings this week, Notre Dame is No. 8 among the 60 teams that play the sport after recording an 11-1-3 mark overall in the past 15 contests. It will be at No. 5 Providence, the defending national champ, the weekend of Feb. 19-20 before closing the regular season versus No. 7 Boston University, the runner-up last season to the Friars, Feb. 26-27 at home.

Jackson has guided Notre Dame to two Frozen Fours, but the Irish have not recorded a win in the 16-team NCAA Tournament field the past four seasons. This could be a year to break that ice.

Oh, and while we’re at it, women’s fencing is 35-0 and No. 2 in the country, while the men are also No. 2 with a 32-3 record.