Notre Dame By The Numbers In 2016: 5 To 1

5 Over a five-year stretch, the last time Notre Dame was 4-0 in four of those seasons was 1970-74, or head coach Ara Parseghian’s last five campaigns (four straight from 1970-73 before losing to at home to Purdue in game 3 in 1974). It will try to replicate that 4-0 achievement four times over five years this season.

Last year marked the third time in four years Notre Dame had a 4-0 start (2012, 2014 and 2015). Not even during the halcyon 1988-93 years under Lou Holtz (when Notre Dame was 64-9-1) did the Irish have more than two seasons out of four with a 4-0 ledger. That helps put into perspective how difficult it is to accomplish. This year's opener at Texas and hosting 2015 Playoff team Michigan State are among the first four contests.

4 Number of team MVPs the wide receiver unit has produced through Brian Kelly’s six seasons: Michael Floyd (2010 and 2011), TJ Jones (2013) and Will Fuller (2015) earned those honors. Linebackers Manti Te’o (2012) and Joe Schmidt (2014) won it the other two.

With 35 career receptions, senior Torii Hunter Jr. is the lone wideout on this year’s roster who has caught more than one pass. Equally amazing is seldom does one see a six-year stretch where a quarterback is not named the Team MVP in at least one of them

3 Year 3 has always been crucial at defining the trajectory of a Notre Dame head football coach — and now it is the third season for defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. In 2012, former Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s defense put together a superb campaign in his third season that resulted in a No. 2 finish in scoring defense (12.77 points per game, the best since the 1988 champs were also at 12.77).

Notable is how Diaco’s defense the previous year also was maligned during an 8-5 season, including giving up 28 fourth-quarter points in a 35-31 loss at Michigan. Plus, in 2012, he no longer had first-round safety Harrison Smith, lost his top three cornerbacks, graduated star outside linebacker Darius Fleming and saw pass rusher supreme Aaron Lynch transfer. The 2016 Irish defense also must replace six starters, most notably Butkus Award winner Jaylon Smith, but expectations for appreciable improvement will be high.

2 Quarterbacks on the 2016 roster in junior DeShone Kizer and senior Malik Zaire who are getting equal dosage of publicity as a potential starter. Both are tied for 14th at 28/1 odds on the Bovada board to win the Heisman, and both are among the 90 players on the Maxwell Award Watch List. Kizer is on the regional cover of the Sporting News’ preseason college football preview, while Zaire graces the front on Lindy’s regional cover.

Can this type of competition enhance the team or will it be unnerving and distracting? It was the latter for most of 2015 at Ohio State between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones until an identity was forged later in the year for the defending national champs. Kelly acknowledges that someone will be unhappy, but it’s better to have two (and even three if needed) than none.

1 During Kelly’s reign from 2010-15, Notre Dame is No. 1 in the FBS with 13 victories after trailing in the fourth quarter. The breakdown is three in 2015 (at Virginia, USC and at Temple), three in 2014 (Stanford, North Carolina and at Navy), two in 2013 (at Purdue, and Navy), three in 2012 (Stanford, BYU and Pitt), one in 2011 (at Pitt) and one in 2010 (the regular season finale at USC). That's not including defeating other top opponents when tied in the fourth quarter, a la Oklahoma in 2012, Michigan State and Arizona State in 2013, or LSU in the Music City Bowl in 2014.

Maybe talked about more often are the near-miss fourth quarter comebacks at Stanford and Clemson last year, or at Florida State in 2014. Will Notre Dame need to rally to victory at least three more times in the fourth quarter in 2016, as it did the past two seasons? And will it be balanced with fourth quarter heartache, like both of those years, as well?