Notre Dame By The Numbers In 2016: 15 To 11
15 Touchdowns scored by Notre Dame last season that covered 50 or more yards. That has been publicized as a school record, with the only other year to reach double digits in this category was the 10 by the 1988 national champs. The Fighting Irish lose a lot of their big-play oomph with the departures of wideout Will Fuller and C.J. Prosise to the NFL, but they might be able to compensate with improvement in the red zone, which brings us to …
14 Turnovers committed by Notre Dame the past two seasons inside the opponent’s 20-yard line — six in 2014 and eight in 2015 — the most in the country during that span. That doesn’t even include a fumble by quarterback DeShone Kizer at Stanford’s 23-yard line with 21 seconds left in the first half in what would be a 38-36 defeat, ending any hopes of a Playoff bid. The 14 miscues so close to the goal line helped result in numerous defeats or a loss of “style points” in victory.
Many solutions are offered to help improve Notre Dame’s red-zone woes. The most elementary one, without outthinking it, is to protect the football.
13 Teams that won on their first visit to Notre Dame Stadium, with four of them occurring since 2009: USC (1931), Purdue (1933), Texas (1934), Iowa (1940), Michigan (1942), Missouri (1972), Clemson (1979), Florida State (1981), Penn State (1982), Connecticut (2009), Tulsa (2010), South Florida (2011) and Louisville (2014).
Virginia Tech will attempt to become No. 14 on Senior Day Nov. 19. The Hokies actually have played better on the road the past two years than at home, recording a 9-4 mark away from home — including handing 2014 national champ Ohio State a defeat in The Horseshoe — and 5-8 at home.
12 With a 4-0 September this year, which would include a victory at Texas and versus 2015 Playoff participant Michigan State, Notre Dame would extend its August/September winning streak to 12 games — the second best in school history. From the last week of 1986 and into the second week of 1991, head coach Lou Holtz’s Irish built a 15-game winning streak in the months of August and September.
Last year Notre Dame won out entering the month of October for the second straight year, a first since going unscathed four consecutive years from 1987-90.
11 Starts in a row by junior quarterback Kizer to end last season. The longest string by an Irish quarterback under Kelly was senior Tommy Rees starting all 13 in 2013 after Everett Golson served an academic suspension. That was the lone season in Kelly’s six where one QB ended up starting every game.
That’s in sharp contrast to Brady Quinn starting 46 straight at the spot from 2003-06 and Jimmy Clausen starting 28 consecutive from the end of 2007 through 2009.
Tomorrow: 10 to 6.