Previewing The Navy
Game....
The Date: Saturday, November 2, 1996
The Time: 1:00 p.m. in Dublin (8:00 a.m. EST)
The Site: Croke Park (55,000/grass) in Dublin, Ireland.
The Television Plans: CBS Sports national delayed telecast with Tim Ryan
(play-by-play), Phil McConkey (analysis), Andrea Joyce
(sideline) and Lance Barrow (producer). The game will be
broadcast by CBS at noon EST.
The Radio Plans: For the
29th consecutive season Notre Dame football games are broadcast
nationally on radio by the Mutual/Westwood One Radio Network
with Tony Roberts (play-by-play) and Tom Pagna (analysis), while
sports director Larry Michaels serves as pregame and halftime
host. The Mutual Network includes nearly 300 stations and many
of the games receive worldwide exposure on the Armed Forces
Radio Network.
The Injury Report:
PROBABLE:SS A'Jani
Sanders (medial collateral knee ligament injury vs. Texas, DNP
vs. Ohio State, Washington or Air Force), TE Pete Chryplewicz
(sprained ankle vs. Air Force).
OUT: FS Jarvis Edison (sprained knee vs. Air Force);
OG Mike Rosenthal (broken ankle vs. Air Force, out at least four
weeks)
The Series: Notre Dame vs. Navy: Notre Dame
leads it 59-9 (with one tie) in the longest continuous
intersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish and Middies
have met every year since 1927 and this marks the 70th straight
season the two teams have squared off. Notre Dame has won 32
straight in the series, dating back to 1963 when Roger Staubach
helped Navy defeat Notre Dame 35-14 in Notre Dame Stadium. Notre
Dame's 32 straight wins over Navy tie the longest current NCAA
streak by one team over another in a series (tied with 32 by
Oklahoma over Kansas in 1937-68), but an Irish victory in '96
would hand the mark to Notre Dame by itself. Lou Holtz is 11-0
vs. Navy in his career, including a win in '82 during his tenure
at Arkansas.
Navy Midshipmen (4-1)
Sept. 7 at Rutgers W 10-6
Sept. 21 SMU W 19-17
Sept. 28 at Boston College L 38-43
Oct. 5 DUKE W 64-27
Oct. 12 at Air Force W 20-17
Oct. 26 at Wake Forest
Nov. 2 vs. Notre Dame (Dublin)
Nov. 9 Delaware
Nov. 16 Tulane
Nov. 23 at Georgia Tech
Dec. 7 vs. Army
The Last Meeting: Eighth-rated Notre Dame overcame a
17-14 third-period deficit and a season-ending injury to QB Ron
Powlus to defeat Navy 35-17 in '95 at Notre Dame Stadium. The
Irish defense gave up 303 total yards in the first half -- but
forced five second-half Navy turnovers and permitted only 14 net
rushing yards after halftime to take control. Powlus broke his
left arm early in the third period, but backup QB Thomas Krug
came on to throw TD passes of 42 and two yards to Derrick Mayes
within a 1:30 span in the third period. He completed five of
eight throws for 90 yards and the two TDs overall. Freshman TB
Autry Denson ran 24 yards for the final Irish points on his way
to a 115-yard rushing effort. LB Lyron Cobbins sparked the
defense with an interception, a recovered fumble and a forced
fumble, while Paul Grasmanis made 13 tackles.
The Head Coach: Lou Holtz is in his 11th season with the Irish
with an overall 212-94-7 (.688) record. His 27-year collegiate
record includes three years at William & Mary (13-20, .394,
1969-71), four at North Carolina State (33-12-3, .719, 1972-75),
seven at Arkansas (60-21-2, .394, 1977-83), two at Minnesota
(10-12, .455, 1984-85) and 11 at Notre Dame (96-29-2, .764,
1986-96). * After Open Dates: Lou Holtz stands 10-2 during his
Notre Dame career coming off open dates -- including wins vs. #2
Michigan in Ann Arbor in '89, #19 USC in Los Angeles in '92, #1
Florida State in South Bend in '93 and #16 Washington in South
Bend in '96. Holtz's only losses have come vs. Florida State in
Orlando in '94 and at Pittsburgh in '87. His career mark after
open dates is 13-7, including 1-0 at North Carolina State and
2-5 at Arkansas (four of those losses to Texas teams ranked #12
or higher).
The Air Force Review: Eighth-ranked Notre Dame was held to 67
net rushing yards (lowest total during the Lou Holtz era and the
smallest total since 56 vs. Purdue in '85) as two late turnovers
spelled doom for the Irish in a 20-17 overtime win by Air Force
in Notre Dame Stadium. Ron Powlus had his most productive day of
the season throwing the football, completing his first seven
throws (giving him a Notre Dame record 11 straight completions
dating back to the Washington game when he hit his last four) on
his way to a 16-of-24 day for a season-high 268 yards. But, with
the score tied at 17, the Irish fumbled the ball away after
reaching the Falcon 30 with six minutes left in the game. Then,
on the first play of overtime, the Irish fumbled again, and Air
Force responded with a 27-yard field goal on third down to win
the game.
Vs. the Top 25: Notre Dame stands 15-8-1 in Notre Dame Stadium
in games played against Associated Press top 25 opponents during
the Lou Holtz era (compared to 18-12-1 away - including 5-4 in
bowls - for 33-20-2 overall in Holtz era).
Playing on the Road: The Irish traditionally have been tough
on the road, with Notre Dame's win at Michigan State in 1994
setting an all-time Irish record of 16 straight victories away
from home. Since that game, though, Notre Dame stands 6-5-1 on
the road, with wins coming at Purdue, Washington, Army and Air
Force in '95, then Vanderbilt and Texas in '96.
A Tour Guide: If the Notre Dame traveling party needs
directions in Dublin, it can turn to Irish athletic director
Michael Wadsworth, a Toronto native who spent five years in
Dublin as Canadian ambassador to Ireland immediately prior to
coming to Notre Dame in 1995.
International Experience: Notre Dame's only previous football
game played outside the United States came on Nov. 24, 1979,
when the Irish posted a 40-15 win over Miami in the Mirage Bowl
played at National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo in front of 62,574
fans. In that contest, Vagas Ferguson ran 35 times for 177 yards
and three TDs -- as Notre Dame completed only one pass (on eight
attempts) in the driving rain. Notre Dame's only other
international experience came in 1971 when the Irish freshman
football team played in Mexico City, Mexico.
The Travel Plans:
Tuesday, Oct. 29
4:00 p.m. -- Practice in South Bend
7:00 p.m. -- United Limo buses depart for Chicago
11:00 p.m. -- World Airways #1700 departs from O'Hare Field
Wednesday, Oct. 30
12:30 p.m. -- Arrive in Dublin
2:00 p.m. -- Team lunch at Sussex Restaurant; visit to Croke Park (no practice)
2:30 p.m. -- Wicklow tour - Glendolough, tour of countryside through Sally Gap
6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings
Thursday, Oct. 31
1:00 p.m. -- Practice at RDS Showgrounds (closed to public)
3:00 p.m. -- Centre City bus tour, including St. Patrick's, Dublin Castle, Henry Street Market, General Post Office
6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings
Friday, Nov. 1
11:00 a.m. -- Depart for UCD for lecture or Trinity
1:00 p.m. -- Parade around St. Stephen's Green involving Notre Dame and Navy bands
3:00 p.m. -- Practice at Croke Park (open to public)
6:00 p.m. -- Team dinner followed by meetings
7:00 p.m. -- Pep rally at RDS Center arena
Saturday, Nov. 2
10:00 a.m. -- Team departs for Croke Park
1:00 p.m. -- Notre Dame vs. Navy
Sunday, Nov. 3
12 p.m. -- World Airways #1701 departs for Chicago
2:00 p.m. -- Arrive Chicago's O'Hare Field
7:00 p.m. -- United Limo buses arrive on campus
Notre Dame's team and official party will headquarter at the Hotel Burlington (011)
353-1-660-5222. Notre Dame contacts staying there are John
Heisler and Mike Enright.
More Notes on Dublin: This marks the third college game played
in Dublin following a Boston College win over Army (38-24) in
1988 and a Pittsburgh win over Rutgers (45-29) in 1989, both
played at Lansdown Stadium . . . The Notre Dame Alumni Flag
Football team will take on Navy's alumni team at 3:00 p.m. Nov.
1 in Dublin at the RDS Showgrounds . . . For Croke Park, this
marks the first time a non-Gaelic sporting event has been played
there . . . The Navy-Notre Dame contest is expected to be the
largest single tourist event ever in Ireland, with more than
8,000 tour packages sold in the United States and more than
10,000 fans expected from overseas . . . The Notre Dame
traveling party will include 85 players and 125 band members.
The Banquet: Former Irish football All-American Chris Zorich,
now with the Chicago Bears, will serve as guest speaker at the
77th annual Notre Dame Football Banquet. The banquet, sponsored
by the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley, will be held on
Friday, December 6, 1996, in the north dome of the Joyce Center
on the University of Notre Dame campus. A reception on the
concourse begins at 5:45 p.m. EST and the dinner begins at 7:00
p.m., with Notre Dame athletic director Mike Wadsworth slated to
serve as master of ceremonies. Tickets are $33 each and are
available only by mail. Checks should be made payable to
University of Notre Dame Football Banquet and should be mailed
to Ticket Office, Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Tickets
will be mailed approximately one week prior to the banquet. Any
questions should be directed to the Notre Dame athletic
department at 219-631-6107. In addition to the dinner, all
senior members of the '96 Irish team will be available for
autographs on the concourse during the reception. There also
will be a silent auction of Notre Dame football photographs and
memorabilia during the reception. Zorich, out for the entire
'96 season due to a preseason knee injury, has been a starter
for the Bears at defensive tackle each of the last three
seasons. He's a 1991 Notre Dame graduate who won the Lombardi
Award in 1990 as the top interior lineman in college football
and was a two-time All-American.
NCAA Stat Rankings This Week: Through games of Oct. 19, 1996
TEAM RANKINGS (top 50 rankings only)
Category Notre Dame Navy
Rushing Offense 18th at 219.2 5th at 275.6
Passing Offense 50th at 210.3
Total Offense 22nd at 429.5 50th at 369.8
Scoring Offense 47th at 27.2 33rd at 30.2
Rushing Defense 41st at 133.5 30th at 116.8
Pass Eff. Defense 17th at 98.62
Total Defense 12th at 274.0 32nd at 316.2
Scoring Defense 23rd at 16.7 50th at 22.0
Net Punting 24th at 38.7
Punt Returns 44th at 10.5 20th at 13.9
Kickoff Returns 20th at 23.4
Turnover Margin 5th at +1.4 (15 gained, 8 lost)
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS (top 50 rankings only)
Rushing Autry Denson Chris McCoy
45th at 86.83 18th at 110.0
Passing Efficiency Ron Powlus
30th at 131.4
Total Offense Ron Powlus
40th at 203.5
Punting Hunter Smith
23rd at 43.85
Field Goals Jim Sanson Tom Vanderhorst
41st at 1.00 26th at 1.25
All-Purpose Running Autry Denson
48th at 124.0
Scoring Chris McCoy
28th at 8.4
Punt Returns Ross Scott
19th at 13.86
Kickoff Returns Enrico Hunter
17th at 24.71
The Rankings - Here's where Notre Dame has stood in the polls during the '96 season:
Date Associated Press USA Today/CNN
Preseason 6th 7th
Aug. 25 6th no poll
Sept. 1 6th 7th
Sept. 8 9th 10th
Sept. 15 9th 9th
Sept. 22 5th 5th
Sept. 29 11th 14th
Oct. 6 11th 12th
Oct. 13 8th 9th
Oct. 20 19th 20th
Lou Holtz File:
Career Record (Years) -- 212-94-7 (27th)
Record at ND (Years) -- 96-29-2 (11th)
By Site
ND Home Games 49-13-1
ND Road Games 47-16-1
By Month
ND August Games 1-0-0
ND September Games 32-7-1
ND October Games 35-8-0
ND November Games 23-10-1
ND January Games 5-4-0
By Margin
ND decided by a TD or less 20-17-2
ND decided by a FG or less 8-11-2
Score At The End Of Quarters
ND leads after one quarter 64-9-2
ND leads at the half 70-10-1
ND leads after three quarters 82-5-1
By First Score
ND scores first 65-14-2
Opponent scores first 31-15-0
All-Time ND Coaching Wins
Rk Name Seasons Wins
1. Knute Rockne 13 105
2. Lou Holtz 11 96
3. Ara Parseghian 11 95
4. Frank Leahy 11 87
5. Dan Devine 6 53
All Time ND Games Coached
Rk Name Games Coached
1. Lou Holtz 127
2. Knute Rockne 122
3. Ara Parseghian 116
4. Frank Leahy 107
Winningest Active NCAA Division I-A Coaches
Rk Name Wins
1. Joe Paterno, Penn State 278
2. Bobby Bowden 259
3. Tom Osborne, Nebraska 231
4. LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young 214
5. Hayden Fry, Iowa 213
6. Lou Holtz, Notre Dame 208
7. Jim Sweeney, Fresno State 196
8. Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh 181
9. Don Nehlen, West Virginia 168
10. Al Molde, Western Michigan 166
Note: Numbers entering the 1996 season.
Ron Powlus File:
G-GS PA-PC TD-Int. Pct. Yds.
1994 11-11 222-119 19-9 .536 1729
1995 10-10 217-124 12-7 .571 1853
1996 6-6 154-88 6-3 .571 1197
Total 27-27 583-331 37-19 .567 4779
1994 Game-By-Game
Game PA-PC TD-Int. Yds.
*Northwestern 24-18 4-0 291
*Michigan 27-15 2-0 187
*Michigan State 30-10 2-4 161
*Purdue 14-9 1-0 111
*Stanford 14-11 3-0 166
*Boston College 21-5 0-2 50
*BYU 22-12 1-1 212
*Navy 8-4 2-0 126
*Florida State 22-9 1-2 83
*Air Force 18-13 2-0 227
*USC 22-13 1-0 115
1995 Fiesta Bowl
*Colorado 34-18 3-1 259
1995 Game-By-Game
Game PA-PC TD-Int. Yds.
*Northwestern 26-17 0-0 175
*Purdue 25-17 4-2 252
*Vanderbilt 18-13 0-0 200
*Texas 28-16 2-1 273
*Ohio State 26-13 0-1 243
*Washington 28-12 2-1 197
*Army 19-8 1-1 189
*USC 29-18 1-1 189
*Boston College 10-6 1-0 71
*Navy 8-4 1-0 64
Air Force DNP
1996 Orange Bowl
Florida State DNP
1996 Game-By-Game
Game PA-PC TD-Int. Yds.
*Vanderbilt 32-19 0-0 216
*Purdue 32-19 1-1 238
*Texas 24-13 1-0 127
*Ohio State 30-13 1-2 154
*Washington 12-8 3-0 194
*Air Force 24-16 0-0 268
*games started
Record Book
Most Single-Season Touchdown Passes -- 19, 1994
Most Single-Game Touchdown Passes -- 4 vs. Northwestern, 1994; vs. Purdue, 1995
Most Career Passing Yards Per Game -- 177.0 (4,779 yards in 27 games), 1994-96
Most Career Touchdown Passes Per Game -- 1.37 (37 in 27 games), 1994-96
ND Career Passing Charts
Career Passing Yards
Name Number
1. Steve Beuerlein 6527
2. Rick Mirer 5997
3. Ron Powlus 4779
Career Pass Attempts
Name Number
1. Steve Beuerlein 850
2. Rick Mirer 698
3. Blair Kiel 609
4. Ron Powlus 583
Career Pass Completions
Name Number
1. Steve Beuerlein 473
2. Rick Mirer 377
3. Ron Powlus 331
Career Completion Percentage
Name Pct.
1. Kevin McDougal .622
2. Joe Theismann .570
3. Ron Powlus .568
4. Steve Beuerlein .556
5. Tom Clements .541
Career Touchdown Passes
Name Number
1. Rick Mirer 41
2. Ron Powlus 37
3. Joe Theismann 31
Stats and Rankings Through Six Games: Notre Dame's 19 TD
drives in '96 have averaged 67.2 yards and 7.3 plays each, with
two of the drives vs. Purdue covering 90 and 92 yards. Against
Texas, the Irish ran seven or more plays on eight of their 11
possessions. Against Washington, the Irish had four TD drives of
80 or more yards. Here are a few measures of how effective Notre
Dame's defense has been so far in '96: -- Against Vanderbilt,
the Irish limited Vandy to one drive of more than five plays
(that was eight), 10 of the Commodore 14 possessions produced
six yards or less and three produced negative yardage. --
Against Purdue, the Irish held the Boilers to seven straight
drives producing nine yards or less at one stretch, limited
Purdue to only one drive of more than six plays and produced two
with negative yardage. -- Against Texas, the Irish held the
Longhorns to eight of 11 possessions with seven or fewer plays,
three drives with negative yardage and six possessions producing
16 yards or less (including only 111 net yards in the second
half). -- Against Ohio State, the Irish held the Buckeyes to
eight drives of 21 yards or less (including only 108 net yards,
five first downs and two pass completions in the second half).
-- Against Washington, the Irish produced five sacks, limited
the Huskies to 12 completions on 35 pass attempts and didn't
permit Washington to make its second first down until six
minutes remained in the first half. -- Against Air Force, the
Irish limited the Falcons to 51 passing yards.
Irish Items:
* Notre Dame has played in front of capacity
crowds in 84 of its last 95 games, including 22 of the previous
23 prior to a less-than-capacity crowd in the '96 Orange Bowl
vs. Florida State. Both the crowds at Vanderbilt and Texas in
'96 were record figures for those stadia.
* The 1998 Notre
Dame-Navy football game is headed for the Washington Redskins'
new 78,600-seat stadium to open in 1997 in Prince George's
County, Maryland.
* During the Lou Holtz era, Notre Dame has
returned 12 kickoffs, 12 punts (one blocked), 14 interceptions
and three fumbles for touchdowns -- compared to only one punt (in
'86) and three interceptions for opponents.
* The Irish have
scored right before the end of the first half in three of their
six games to date: Vanderbilt - Notre Dame took over at its own
three with 4:19 left and drove 82 yards in 14 plays to a 33-yard
Jim Sanson field goal with :05 left in the first half. Purdue -
Notre Dame took over at its own 44 with :43 left and drove 56
yards in five plays, with Autry Denson catching a 10-yard TD
pass from Ron Powlus with :02 left in the first half. Texas -
Notre Dame took over at its own 37 with 2:37 left and drove 63
yards in seven plays, with Powlus throwing to Marc Edwards for a
three-yard score with :27 left in the first half.
* Notre Dame
has held 22 of its last 47 opponents to 100 or less rushing
yards, including Vanderbilt (two yards) and Purdue (44 yards) in
1996.
* Notre Dame's rushing attack has ranked 20th or better
nationally nine years running under Holtz:
Year Rushing Avg. NCAA Rank Rushing TDs
1986 189.4 33rd 18
1987 252.1 14th 33
1988 258.0 11th 30
1989 287.7 8th 42
1990 250.3 12th 33
1991 268.0 5th 31
1992 280.9 3rd 34
1993 260.7 6th 36
1994 215.6 20th 18
1995 233.5 6th 29
*1996 219.2 18th 12
*through 6 games
Scouting the Irish Offense:
LINE -- Notre Dame prospects up
front boded well for a solid running game in '96, despite the
graduation loss of veterans Dusty Zeigler and Ryan Leahy from a
year ago. With four of five '96 starters tipping the scales at
better than 300 pounds, the Irish depend on the experience of
senior tackles Mike Doughty (24 career starts) and Chris
Clevenger (21 career starts), senior guard Jeremy Akers (20
career starts), sophomore guard Mike Rosenthal (a future
all-star for the Irish, he switched from tackle to become a
starter at guard -- though he broke his left ankle vs. Air Force
and is lost for a month) and senior center Rick Kaczenski (17
consecutive starts). Plus, Doughty, Clevenger and Kaczenski all
have another year of eligibility available, should they choose
to apply for it. Akers started at LG vs. Vanderbilt in the
opener, sophomore Jerry Wisne got the nod vs. Purdue, then Akers
returned to the starting lineup vs. Texas, Ohio State,
Washington and Air Force -- though Wisne played extensively vs.
the Buckeyes. Look for Alex Mueller to fill in in Rosenthal's
absence.
BACKS -- The Irish boast a blue-chip parade of backs,
led by QB Ron Powlus ("He's the best quarterback I've been
around," says Lou Holtz of Powlus, who needs five TD passes to
break Rick Mirer's Irish career record of 41; he's 88 of 154 for
1197, 6 TDs, 3 ints. in '96), TB Randy Kinder (Notre Dame's
eighth-best career rusher at 2,204 yards; he missed Vanderbilt
and Purdue games with pulled right quadricep, then returned to
help with 51 yards on eight carries vs. Texas, then 11 for 60
and 1 TD vs. Washington) and Robert Farmer (27 for 177, 2 TDs,
including 10 for 41 vs. Vanderbilt in first career start, an
18-yard TD run on his only first-half carry vs. Texas -- then 7
for 68 and a TD vs. Washington) and unselfish FB Marc Edwards
(1,476 career rushing yards; top returning receiver from '95
with 25 for 361, 3 TDs; 67 for 266, 4 TDs rushing in '96; 13
catches for 153, 2 TDs in '96). The Irish started sophomore
Autry Denson at flanker vs. Vanderbilt, but the loss of Kinder
and seven fumbles overall vs. Vanderbilt (four lost) prompted
the Irish to move him to TB to start beginning vs. Purdue. He
remains the leading Irish rusher (105 for 521, 4 TDs; 8 catches
for 102, 1 TD) after carrying for a career-high 158 yards vs.
Texas, including a six-yard scoring run on fourth down to tie
the game at 24 in the fourth period. He added his fifth career
100-yard effort vs. Washington with 14 for 137 and one score.
RECEIVERS -- If Notre Dame had a question mark on offense coming
into '96, it was at the wide receiver slots, especially
following the loss of big-play artist Derrick Mayes from the
split end spot. Senior split end starter Emmett Mosley is the
most experienced of the wide receivers, with 38 career catches
to his credit (14 for 176 in '96, including 6 for 55 vs.
Vanderbilt; 17 for 268 in '95). Also in the wide receiver mix
are junior Malcolm Johnson (18 for 290, 1 TD after making his
first career starts at SE vs. Purdue, Texas, Ohio State,
Washington and Washington), and freshman Raki Nelson (6 for 68).
Sophomore Shannon Stephens moved over to receiver from the
secondary two weeks into the season and had three catches for 93
yards and a TD vs. Washington, then two for 32 vs. Air Force.
Tight end is a strong point, with potential all-star Pete
Chryplewicz (18 for 215, 2 TDs, including a career-high 5 vs.
Purdue for 52, then 3 for 41, 2 TDs vs. Washington, 3 for 70 vs.
Air Force; 17 for 204, 1 TD in '95) returning.
Scouting the Irish Defense:
LINE -- Fifth-year veteran end
Renaldo Wynn (34 career starts), probably Notre Dame's most
consistent defensive player in '95 (32 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three
tackles for loss, including 8 tackles, 2 sacks vs. Washington),
is joined by two players who did not play at all in '95. Senior
DE Melvin Dansby (made first career start vs. Vanderbilt and had
5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a shared sack -- then had 7
tackles and a stop for loss vs. Purdue, registered seven tackles
vs. Washington, then 10 vs. Air Force) missed all of '95 after
May '95 neck surgery but possesses all-star potential. Noseguard
Alton Maiden (4 tackles vs. Purdue, 8 vs. Ohio State, 9 vs. Air
Force) missed the '95 campaign while improving his academic
standing and has been the starter at that spot in all of '96.
LINEBACKERS -- Notre Dame appears in great shape here, with
seniors Lyron Cobbins (21 career starts; Notre Dame's leading
tackler, interceptor and fumble recoverer in '95; made key
interception in final minutes vs. Texas to set up tying TD;
leads team with 52 tackles overall in '96 including team-high 12
vs. Ohio State and team-hiogh 13 vs. Air Force) and Kinnon Tatum
(team-leading 8 tackles vs. Purdue, team-high 11 vs. Texas, 8
vs. Air Force; second on Irish with 47 tackles in '96; 77
tackles in '95) inside, to go with senior Bert Berry
(team-leading 5.5 sacks in '96; 7 tackles, 2 sacks vs.
Vanderbilt; 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss vs. Purdue; 6
tackles, a PBU and TFL vs. Texas; 7 tackles, 2/5 sacks and 2 PBU
vs. Air Force; 29 career starts) and sophomore Kory Minor
(started 11 games as freshman in '95) outside. All four are
returning standouts and should have major impacts in '96. Among
others slated to make solid contributions are sophomores Bobbie
Howard inside and Lamont Bryant outside.
BACKS -- Like the wide
receiving corps on offense, Notre Dame's question on defense is
in the secondary. Small but sticky junior CB regulars Allen
Rossum (11 tackles vs. Texas; two int. returns for TDs in '95)
and Ivory Covington (10 tackles vs. Texas; made game-saving
tackle on late two-point attempt by Army in '95) anchor the
group. Neither FS starter Jarvis Edison (7 tackles vs. Purdue; 1
int. vs. Vanderbilt; he scored a TD vs. Vanderbilt in '95 after
picking up a fumble on a kickoff) nor sophomore SS A'Jani
Sanders (caused a fumble vs. Vanderbilt; 4 tackles, 2 PBU vs.
Purdue) had started a game before the '96 opener -- and the
Vanderbilt game marked Sanders' first-ever game appearance.
However, the Irish looked to Benny Guilbeaux at strong safety
after Sanders suffered a knee ligament injury early vs. Texas,
though Sanders is listed as probable for this week vs. Navy.
Guilbeaux made his first career start vs. Ohio State and
responded with seven solo tackles, then added 10 vs. Air Force.
With Shannon Stephens moving to wide receiver and Deke Cooper
switching to free safety, the Irish now have only seven healthy
defensive backs on scholarship. Cooper earned the starts at FS
vs. Washington and Air Force, with Edison bothered by back
spasms and a sprained knee, and responded with an interception
on the third play from scrimmage vs. Washington.
Scouting the Irish Kicking Game: Punter Hunter Smith had an
average rookie season in '95 (36.4 average) but has improved
those numbers to 43.85 so far in '96. Placekicker Scott Cengia
(10 of 14 in career FGs) held a slight edge in that category
over freshman Jim Sanson coming into the season, but it was
Cengia who missed an early FG attempt vs. Vanderbilt and Sanson
who came on to connect from 32 and 33 yards. Then Sanson took
center stage with his game-winning 39-yarder vs. Texas as time
ran out. He added a 26-yarder vs. Ohio State and a 27-yarder vs.
Washington, leaving him at six of eight for '96. Kickoff
returner Allen Rossum (his 99-yard return vs. Purdue marked the
fourth-longest in Irish history -- and his second career punt
return vs. Air Force went for 57 yards and a TD) is the fastest
man on the Irish roster ('95 NCAA indoor track All-American in
the 55 meters), while Autry Denson augments his all-purpose role
by returning punts. Look for Emmett Mosley to help at both
spots.
The Spread Offense: Irish coach Lou Holtz unveiled a spread
offense against Florida State in the '96 Orange Bowl and
delivered on his promise to offer it again in '96. Drawbacks to
its developments were the absence of QB Ron Powlus during spring
drills and the lack of a proven receiving corps. Even now, Holtz
says one key to its potential use is the productivity at
receiver. Holtz's interest in the offense is based on
utilization of Powlus' talents -- as well as the ability to make
use of the formations without requiring substitutions. The Irish
used the attack extensively vs. Purdue, with 10 different
receivers catching balls. However, the Irish turned back to the
running game vs. Washington, grinding out 397 yards on the
ground. Says Holtz, "We are a better football team playing the
way we did against Washington than the way we tried to play
earlier in the year."
The Kinder Chart:
Here's where Notre Dame veteran TB Randy Kinder stands on the Irish career rushing chart:
Notre Dame All-Time Rushing Leaders
Rank Name Years Att. Yards Avg. TD
1. Allen Pinkett 1982-85 889 4131 4.6 49
2. Vagas Ferguson 1976-79 673 3472 5.2 32
3. Jerome Heavens 1975-78 590 2682 4.5 15
4. Phil Carter 1979-82 557 2409 4.3 4
5. George Gipp 1917-20 369 2341 6.3 21
6. Tony Brooks 1987-91 423 2274 5.4 12
7. Emil Sitko 1946-49 362 2226 6.1 25
8. Randy Kinder 1993- 385 2204 5.8 16
9. Neil Worden 1951-53 476 2039 4.3 29
10. Lee Becton 1991-94 347 2029 5.8 12
11. Mark Green 1985-88 382 1977 5.2 15
1,005 Games and Counting: As Notre Dame played its 1,000th
game in history in the Vanderbilt opener, here's a quick review
of just some of the numbers the Irish have posted since an 8-0
setback to Michigan on November 23, 1887.
* Notre Dame leads the
nation in winning percentage at .760 through 107 seasons. In
fact the gap between the Irish and second place Michigan (.743)
is the widest difference between any consecutive schools in the
top 10. If Notre Dame, which hasn't lost three consecutive
regular season games in Lou Holtz's 10 seasons, lost 17
consecutive games and Michigan won 17 consecutive games, the
Irish still would lead the all-time NCAA standings.
* Notre Dame
is tied with Oklahoma and Alabama for the most national
championships won with 11. No other school has more than eight
national titles. * In 107 previous seasons, Notre Dame has had
12 perfect seasons, 22 undefeated seasons and 28 seasons where
the Irish suffered just one loss. In 50 of 107 seasons Notre
Dame has not lost more than one game.
* Notre Dame leads the
nation in consensus All-Americans with 77 (24 more than any
other school) and Heisman Trophy winners with seven.
* Since
1981, Notre Dame has led the nation in football graduation
percentage five times and is the only school to have been
awarded special recognition by the College Football Association
every season since 1982.
New Faces/Three New Coaches:
There are three new faces on the Notre Dame coaching staff for '96:
Receiver coach Urban Meyer --
an '86 Cincinnati graduate, Meyer was previously at Colorado
State for the past six seasons.
Graduate assistant Justin Hall --
a former Notre Dame offensive lineman who graduated in 1993. He
spent the '95 season as offensive line coach at Hiram (Ohio)
College.
Graduate assistant Jay Sawvel -- a '93 graduate of Mount
Union (Ohio) College, he spent the previous two years as a
graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky.
Fifth-Year Players:
Notre Dame has seven fifth-year players on its team this year.
They are: OG Jeremy Akers, ILB Joe Babey, TE Kevin Carretta, TE
Pete Chryplewicz, NG David Quist, OLB Bill Wagasy and DE Renaldo
Wynn. All seven players have earned their undergraduate degrees
and are currently enrolled in graduate work. Chryplewicz is in
the unique position to earn five monograms during his career.
The tight end played in just two games during '94 because of a
wrist injury, but did earn a monogram for the season. Other
players to earn five monograms in Irish history include current
Notre Dame graduate assistant Justin Hall (1988-92) and
defensive back Randy Harrison (1974-78).
Fighting Irish Captains: Notre Dame has three senior captains
for the '96 season: quarterback Ron Powlus, linebacker Lyron
Cobbins and fullback Marc Edwards.
Stadium Expansion: Notre Dame Stadium is currently undergoing
an expansion and renovation which will put the capacity of the
facility at 80,990 -- an addition of nearly 22,000 seats from the
current capacity of 59,075. The expansion, which will be
completed for the 1997 home opener against Georgia Tech, is a
21-month project which cost a total of $50 million -- all raised
through bond sales. Casteel Construction, Inc. of South Bend is
the general contractor, while Ellerbe Beckett, Inc., of Kansas
City is the architect. The expansion will include a new
three-story press box, a new natural grass field, expanded
locker rooms for Notre Dame and visiting teams. The Notre Dame
football team will permanently be housed in the stadium and
dress there for all practices and games. A new, expanded
training room also will be added to the Stadium. The '96
campaign features use of the same 59,075 seats, though the
concrete structures supporting the new sections already are in
place and in full view. Construction has eliminated 750 parking
spaces in the areas surrounding the Stadium, and access to
seating sections during the '96 season comes through
newly-created entrances at the four corners of the Stadium.
The StadiumCam: The Notre Dame Office of Information
Technologies has a web site at
http://www.nd.edu/~jeremy/stadium/ that is better known as
"Stadiumcam." Under the direction of Jeremy McCarty and Tom
Monaghan, two consultants and analysts in the Office of
University Computing, this site features an up-to-date image of
the expansion of Notre Dame Stadium. The site is updated every
five minutes during the day and every half hour at night. The
departments of computer science and electrical engineering have
a site at http://lisa.ee.nd.edu/DomeCam/, which gives you a look
at the Gold Dome of the Main Building, which is viewable 24
hours a day. For information on all facets of Notre Dame, the
home page is at http://www.nd.edu/.
Holtz Passes Career Games Coached Record: Notre Dame head
coach Lou Holtz passed a significant milestone in the Irish win
Sept. 14 against Purdue. When the Irish took the field against
the Boilers, it marked Holtz's 123rd game as head coach at Notre
Dame. The previous record for games coached at Notre Dame was
122 by Knute Rockne between 1918-30. The Irish players presented
Holtz with a framed game program cover, ticket and press
credential in the locker room after the game. Holtz is currently
second in career wins at Notre Dame with 96 (96-29-2 overall),
while Rockne had 105. Holtz is in his 11th year in charge of the
Irish program and has a 212-94-7 career record in 26 seasons. He
led the Irish to the '88 national championship and has brought
Notre Dame to traditional New Year's Day bowl games in each of
the last nine years (five wins). His collegiate mark also
includes stints at William & Mary (13-20 from 1969-71), North
Carolina State (33-12-3 from 1972-75), Arkansas (60-21-2 from
1977-83) and Minnesota (10-12 from 1984-85).
The Schedule:Notre Dame's 1996 slate brings up a few trends
and notes of interest:
* After taking on the most difficult
schedule in the country in '95 according to the NCAA -- and
recording wins over ranked opponents Texas, Washington and USC --
Notre Dame's '96 agenda includes assignments against five teams
that played in bowl games following the '95 season. The '96
Irish agenda ranked 31st in difficulty in the NCAA's '96
preseason charts. USC (9-2-1 and Rose Bowl champion), Texas
(10-2-1 and a Sugar Bowl appearance), Ohio State (11-2 and a
Citrus Bowl appearance), Washington (7-4-1 and a Sun Bowl
appearance) and Air Force (8-5 and a Copper Bowl appearance) all
qualified for '95 postseason action. 1996 Irish opponents who
finished in the final Associated Press top 25 for '95 are Ohio
State (sixth), USC (12th) and Texas (14th).
* There are only two
new names on the '96 schedule -- with Pittsburgh (2-9 in '95) and
Rutgers (4-7 in '95) replacing Northwestern (10-2 in '95) and
Army (5-5-1 in '95). Pitt returns to the schedule after a
two-year absence, but the Panthers have played Notre Dame 55
previous times. The only other time Notre Dame and Rutgers met
came in 1921.
Irish Finish 11th in Sears Directors' Cup:
A national
championship in women's soccer and a runnerup finish at the
men's and women's NCAA combined fencing team championship helped
Notre Dame place 11th in the 1995-96 Sears Directors' Cup
competition. Irish athletic teams also earned an 11th-place
finish in the inaugural 1993-94 competition and were 30th in
1994-95. The Sears Directors' Cup, sponsored by the National
Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and
promoted by USA Today, annually recognizes the top Division I
schools in 22 sports -- nine for men, nine for woman plus two
wild card sports for both men and women. Stanford won the
1995-96 competition followed by UCLA, Florida and Texas. Notre
Dame's finish was the highest of any school in the BIG EAST
Conference. In 1995-96, Notre Dame enjoyed more success as an
all-around athletic program. The fall season saw the women's
soccer team win the NCAA championship and the football team
advance to its ninth straight appearance in a New Year's Day
bowl game. In addition, the women's volleyball and men's cross
country teams participated in NCAA postseason play. The women's
basketball team played in the NCAA tournament and the men's and
women's fencing team finished second at the NCAA tournament
during the winter months. The spring season was highlighted by a
trip to the NCAA quarterfinals by the women's tennis team and
NCAA appearances by the softball, lacrosse and baseball teams.
In addition, representatives from men's and women's track,
women's swimming and men's tennis took part in NCAA play. Notre
Dame offers 25 different sports at the varsity level. Women's
lacrosse is making its debut this year, while women's crew will
be added to the list of Notre Dame sports for the '97-'98
academic year.
Honors and Awards:
Here are honors and awards won by members of the '96 Irish squad:
OG Jeremy Akers
* ESPN/Honda Scholar Athlete of the Week Award
vs. Vanderbilt, including $3,000 award to general scholarship fund
* Burger King Scholar-Athlete Award presented vs. Washington,
including $10,000 award to general
scholarship fund
OLB Bert Berry
* One of 65 preliminary
candidates for the 1996 Butkus Award presented to the top
college linebacker in the country
TE Pete Chryplewicz
* NBC
Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Air Force (3 catches for 70
yards)
ILB Lyron Cobbins
* One of 65 preliminary candidates for
the 1996 Butkus Award presented to the top college linebacker in
the country
TB Autry Denson
* NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame
MVP vs. Purdue (15 rushes for 66 yards 2 TDs; 3 catches for 61
yards, 1 TD)
* ABC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Texas (24
rushes for career-high 158 yards, 1 TD)
FB Marc Edwards * NBC
Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Ohio State (scored both
Irish TDs on 9-yard run and 2-yard pass form Ron Powlus)
* Nominee for Doak Walker Award presented to the top college
running back in the nation
OLB Kory Minor
* One of 65
preliminary candidates for the 1996 Butkus Award presented to
the top college linebacker in the country
QB Ron Powlus
* One of
11 candidates for Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award
presented to top college quarterback in the nation Offensive
Line
* NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. Washington (397
rushing yards, 650 total yards)
Inside The 20 In 1996
Here's what has happened during the 1996 season when Notre Dame and its
opponents moved inside the opposing 20-yard line:
Notre Dame
Vanderbilt Missed FG, FG, FG, TD 3 of 4
Purdue TD, Interception, TD, TD, Missed FG, TD 4 of 6
Texas FG, TD, TD, TD 3 of 4
Ohio State TD, FG, TD 3 of 3
Washington TD, TD, TD, game ended 3 of 4
Air Force FG, Missed FG, TD 2 of 3
TOTAL 19 of 24 (.792) on 14 TDs, 5 FGs, 3 Missed FGs,
1 Int., 1 Game Ended
Opponents
Vanderbilt None 0 of 0
Purdue Missed Field Goal 0 of 1
Texas TD, TD, TD 3 of 3
Ohio State TD, TD, FG, TD, TD 5 of 5
Washington TD, TD, Missed FG, TD 3 of 4
Air Force FG, TD 2 of 2
TOTAL 13 of 15 (.867) on 11 TDs, 2 FG, 2 Missed FGs
Back To Culver: For the second straight season, the Notre Dame
football team returned to the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee and the
Culver Academies in Culver, Ind., for some of its '96 preseason
practice. The Irish arrived at Culver August 16, then began
practice the next day on the first day the Irish could practice
in pads. Notre Dame returned to campus following two practices
at Culver August 22. In 1995, head coach Lou Holtz took the
Irish off-campus for the first time in the history of the
program for 10 days of preseason practice at Culver. The Culver
Academics are located approximately 40 miles south of South
Bend.
43 Former Irish Appear on '96 NFL Rosters:
Notre Dame has nine more of its former football players participating in the National Football League in 1996 than any other college or university. Forty-three former Notre Dame football players appeared on '96 opening day active rosters of NFL teams, according to figures released by the league. Notre Dame placed more players on opening-day rosters than any other school -- with Miami second with 34, followed by Tennessee (33), and Florida State and Penn State (32 each). Here are the former Fighting Irish now active in the pros (R indicates rookie):
ARIZONA CARDINALS -- TE Oscar McBride, LB Devon McDonald; BUFFALO BILLS -- CB Jeff Burris, OL Dusty Zeigler (R); CAROLINA PANTHERS -- QB Steve Beuerlein, S Pat Terrell, FL Raghib Ismail, RB Anthony Johnson; CHICAGO BEARS -- DT Jim Flanigan, DT Paul Grasmanis (R), T Andy Heck; DETROIT LIONS -- LB Scott Kowalkowski; GREEN BAY PACKERS -- P Craig Hentrich, G-T Lindsay Knapp, SE Derrick Mayes (R), G Aaron Taylor.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS -- S Travis Davis, TE Derek Brown; KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -- WR Lake Dawson, C Tim Grunhard; MIAMI DOLPHINS -- C Tim Ruddy, CB Shawn Wooden (R); MINNESOTA VIKINGS -- LB Pete Bercich, S Rod Smith; NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -- TE Irv Smith, RB Ray Zellars; OAKLAND RAIDERS -- WR Tim Brown; PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -- RB Ricky Watters, CB Bobby Taylor; PITTSBURGH STEELERS -- DT Oliver Gibson, RB Jerome Bettis.
ST. LOUIS RAMS -- LB Cedric Figaro, CB Todd Lyght; SAN DIEGO CHARGERS -- K John Carney, CB Willie Clark; SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS -- LB Anthony Peterson, DE Junior Bryant, DT Bryant Young; SEATTLE SEAHAWKS -- QB Rick Mirer; TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -- LB Demetrius DuBose, RB Reggie Brooks; WASHINGTON REDSKINS -- CB Tom Carter, OL Bob Dahl.
Media Policies the Holtz Conferences: Irish coach Lou Holtz's
weekly teleconference-style press conferences are available via
satellite on Tuesday prior to each Notre Dame game in 1996 on
Galaxy 9, Transponder 22H. They are held at 1:00 p.m. EST at the
WNDU Studios (on Bus. 31 on the west edge of campus) in South
Bend. A light lunch is served beginning at noon, and at least
one Irish player generally is available for interviews between
noon and 1:00 p.m. Out-of-town media can connect to the
conference via phone to listen and ask questions, or obtain
satellite coordinates, by calling Notre Dame SID John Heisler at
219-631-7516.
Transcriptions: Exact transcriptions of Lou Holtz's press
conferences on both Tuesdays and Sundays again are available in
'96. They are available both at the Notre Dame sports
information department and through the FAX on demand system.
The Host Football Review: Host Communications offers a two-hour
delayed replay of each of Notre Dame's home games in 1996. The
replays are available in most major markets, either via
SportsChannel's various systems or over-the-air syndication,
including WNDU-TV in South Bend and TCI Cable channel 3.
The Holtz Show: Irish coach Lou Holtz again in 1996 has a
half-hour, weekly, nationally-syndicated television show as well
as a weekly, half-hour, nationally-syndicated radio show. It is
syndicated through Host Communications, produced by
SportsChannel Chicago through the WNDU-TV facilities and is
hosted by Jeff Jeffers. It's carried by WNDU-TV in the South
Bend market on the following Saturday--and on SportsChannel in
Chicago on Monday night.
The Sunday Wrap-Up: Lou Holtz holds a weekly media briefing at
10:30 a.m. each Sunday following Notre Dame games in '96. It's
held at the Joyce Center football auditorium. Check with SID
John Heisler at 219-631-7516 for teleconference availability.
More Media Notes: Monday is the only day practice is open to
the media. Cameras are permitted at the Monday practice during
calisthenics, kicking game and 20 minutes of group work...Notre
Dame's publicity material on football is no longer being mailed
out but is available through a FAX on demand system. Contact the
Notre Dame sports information office at 219-631-7516 for
details.
Web Site: Notre Dame's official athletic department site on the
world wide web can be found at http://www.und.com
