Final Facts From the Field...
*--Notre Dame now leads the all-time series with Pittsburgh
39-16-1. The Irish have won seven straight in the series since a
30-22 loss at Pittsburgh in 1987.
*-- Lou Holtz, in his 11th season at Notre Dame, is now
99-29-2 (.769) at Notre Dame. His 99 wins place him second on
Notre Dame's all-time coaching list, behind Knute Rockne's 105
wins. Holtz has a 27-year career record of 215-94-7 (.691).
*-- Allen Rossum set a Notre Dame record for most kick
returns for touchdowns in a season. His 55-yard and 83-yard punt
returns for touchdowns against Pittsburgh, combined with his
57-yard punt return for a touchdown against Air Force and
99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Purdue give him
four kick return TDs in 1996, breaking the previous record of
three held by Raghib Ismail (1 PR, 2 PR in 1989), Tim Brown (3
PR in 1987) and Nick Rassas (3 PR in 1965).
*-- Rossum tied a school record with two punt returns for
touchdowns in a game. Tim Brown returned two against Michigan
State in 1987 and Vince McNally had two against Beloit in 1926.
*-- In his career, Rossum has now returned three punts for
touchdowns (all in 1996), a kickoff for touchdown (99 yards vs.
Purdue, 1996) and two interceptions for touchdowns (76 yards vs.
Washington, 1995 and 29 yards vs. Texas, 1995).
*-- Rossum's 83-yard punt return was Notre Dame's eighth
longest in school history and the longest since Ricky Watters
went 97 yards against SMU in 1989.
*-- Notre Dame's 231 punt return yards in a game breaks the
previous record of 225 versus Beloit in 1926.
*-- Notre Dame's 40 second-quarter points are the most ever
for the Irish in a second quarter, breaking the previous record
of 35 set against Indiana in 1951 and SMU in 1989. The 40 points
is also the second-most points ever in a quarter for Notre Dame.
The Irish scored 42 points against St. Viator in 1912.
*-- Notre Dame scored six touchdowns in an 11:11 span during
the second quarter.
*-- Rossum is the first Notre Dame player to return two
kicks (punt or kickoff) for a touchdown since 1989 when Ismail
returned two kickoffs against Michigan.
*-- Notre Dame entered today's game with one punt return for
a touchdown, and with the three second-quarter punt returns for
touchdowns today, now has broken the Notre Dame single-season
record of three set in 1926, 1965 and 1987.
*-- Pittsburgh's touchdown with 14:53 left in the fourth
quarter snapped a 113:53 scoreless streak against Notre Dame.
Since scoring a touchdown with 8:46 left in the game in Notre
Dame's 52-21 win over Pittsburgh in 1992, the Panthers were shut
out 44-0 in 1993 and were held without a point in the first
45:07 of today's game.
*-- Notre Dame amassed over 500 yards of offense for the
second consecutive week and for the third time in 1996. The
Irish gained 544 yards a week ago against Boston College and 650
yards against Washington.
*-- Notre Dame's 60 points are the most since 1986 in Notre
Dame's 61-14 win over SMU and the 54-point margin of victory is
the largest since a 69-14 win over Georgia Tech in 1977.
*-- Robert Farmer has scored two touchdowns in two
consecutive games with two rushing touchdowns against Boston
College and two against Pittsburgh.
*-- Notre Dame sophomore right guard Tim Ridder made his
first career start.
*-- Notre Dame has not scored on its first possession since
the Irish intercepted a pass against Washington at the
Washington 38-yard line and two plays later Autry Denson ran 33
yards for Notre Dame's first touchdown.
*-- The 0-0 first quarter marked the first time since the
season-opening game at Vanderbilt that neither team scored in
the first 15 minutes of the game.
