Notes
Nov. 4, 2006
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FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 45, North Carolina 26
Today's attendance of 80,795 is the 191st consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. Since 1966, every Notre Dame home football game has been a sellout except one - a 1973 Thanksgiving Day game vs. Air Force. The Irish now have played in front of sellouts in 239 of their last 240 home games.
North Carolina won the toss and elected to defer to the second-half. The Tar Heels defended the south end zone in the first half.
Notre Dame was ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll at kickoff. North Carolina came into the game unranked in the AP poll.
THE NOTRE DAME WIN TODAY...
made Notre Dame 8-1 for the first time since 2002.
was the sixth straight victory for the Irish.
was the sixth consecutive victory over North Carolina and 11th straight victory in Notre Dame Stadium.
improved Notre Dame to 16-1-0 in the all-time series with North Carolina.
improved the Irish to 11-0-0 in the all-time series with the Tar Heels in Notre Dame Stadium.
improved a ranked Irish squad to 11-0-0 all-time against North Carolina.
improved Notre Dame to 14-1-0 all-time against an unranked Tar Heel squad.
improved Weis' record to 17-4 overall and 2-0 against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
improved Weis' home record to 9-3.
improved Weis' record to 5-0 in November games.
improved Weis' record to 11-4 in afternoon games.
improved Notre Dame's all-time record to 819-267-42.
improved Notre Dame's all-time record against the Atlantic Coast Conference to 74-27-2.
NOTRE DAME TEAM NOTES
The following Notre Dame players extended streaks for consecutive starts: senior QB Brady Quinn (41), senior OT Ryan Harris (32), senior DT Derek Landri (32), senior DE Victor Abiamiri (21), senior WR Jeff Samardzija (21), senior OL Dan Santucci (20), senior CB Mike Richardson (20) and junior LB Maurice Crum, Jr. (20).
With Notre Dame's touchdown on the game's opening drive, the Irish recorded a touchdown on their opening drive of the game for the third time in 2006 and 11th time in head coach Charlie Weis' 21st career game on the sidelines.
The Irish touchdown drive (six plays, 65 yards) following the opening kickoff took just 2:03 off the game clock. The touchdown was the fastest TD of the season for Notre Dame - besting the previous mark of 3:14 (seven plays, 70 yards) against Purdue earlier this year.
Notre Dame scored 31 points in the first half Saturday afternoon. The 31 points are the most for the Irish in a first half since they ripped off 35 against Pittsburgh on Sept. 3 of last season. It also marked the sixth time this season that Notre Dame eclipsed 20 points in a half and 19th time in the Weis era.
The 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Brandon Tate of North Carolina was the first by a Notre Dame opponent since DeAndra Cobb of Michigan State went 89 yards on Sept. 18, 2004.
North Carolina marched 80 yards on eight plays on its first quarter touchdown drive. Notre Dame proceeded to limit the Tar Heels to minus-14 yards of total offense the rest of the first half. North Carolina managed just 62 total yards (23 rushing and 39 passing) on 23 plays over the first 30 minutes - just 2.7 yards per play. Meanwhile, Notre Dame totaled 284 yards on 41 plays - good for 6.9 yards per play.
North Carolina place kicker Connor Barth entered the game with Notre Dame perfect on the season on point-after attempts (14-for-14). The Irish blocked two extra-point attempts on the day (Derek Landri and Trevor Laws).
Sophomore WR David Grimes returned a third quarter kickoff 50 yards. The 50-yard kickoff return was the longest for the Irish this season and longest since Julius Jones had a 51-yard return against USC on Oct. 18, 2003.
The Irish scored a season-high 45 points and it was the most points for Notre Dame since totaling 49 against BYU on Oct. 22 of last season. The Irish have now eclipsed 40 points twice in 2006 and nine times under second year head coach Charlie Weis.
Freshman WR George West fumbled a fourth quarter punt for Notre Dame's only turnover of the afternoon. The turnover was just the second for the Irish over the last five games (Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, Navy, North Carolina). Notre Dame has committed only nine turnovers on the season and five of those came in one game (Michigan).
NOTRE DAME PLAYER NOTES
Senior QB Brady Quinn
Notre Dame Single-Season History
moved into sixth place for total yards (passed Steve Beuerlein, 2,246, in 1986)
moved into fourth place for pass attempts (passed Jarious Jackson, 316, in 1999)
owns the top four spots for single-season pass attempts
moved into third place for points responsible (passed Jarious Jackson, 146, in 1999)
moved into third place for pass attempts (passed his total of 332 in 2003)
moved into fourth place for passing yards (passed Joe Theismann, 2,529, 1970)
moved into fifth place for total yards (passed Rick Mirer, 2,423, in 1991)
Notre Dame Career History
recorded his 23rd career game with at least 250 yards passing (already a school record)
recorded his 11th career game with at least 300 yards passing (already a school record)
recorded his 14th career game with at least three touchdown passes (already a school record)
recorded his sixth career game with at least four touchdown passes (already a school record)
tossed his 80th, 81st, 82nd and 83rd career touchdown pass (already a school record)
NCAA History
moved past Derek Anderson (Oregon State, 2001-04), Drew Brees (Purdue, 1997-00) and Ryan Schneider (UCF, 2000-03) into 16th place all-time in NCAA Division I-A history for career touchdown passes
moved past David Greene (Georgia, 2001-04), Byron Leftwich (Marshall, 1998-02) and Alex Van Pelt (Pittsburgh, 1989-92) into 16th place all-time in NCAA Division I-A history for career pass attempts
moved past Steve Stenstrom (Stanford, 1991-94), Eric Zeier (Georgia, 1991-94), Ryan Schneider (UCF, 2000-03), Alex Van Pelt (Pittsburgh, 1989-92), David Greene (Georgia, 2001-04) and Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio, 2001-03) into 18th place all-time in NCAA Division I-A career history for pass completions
moved past Doug Flutie (Boston College 1981-84), Brett Basanez (Northwestern, 2002-05), Andrew Walter (Arizona State, 2001-04), Kevin Sweeney (Fresno State, 1982-86), Matt Leinart (USC, 2002-05), Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1997-99), Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio, 2001-03), Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1993-96), David Neill (Nevada, 1998-01), Drew Brees (Purdue, 1997-00) and Alex Van Pelt (Pittsburgh, 1989-92) into 20th place all-time in NCAA Division I-A career history for passing yards
Miscellaneous
set a season-high with 346 passing yards
Junior RB Darius Walker
moved past Jerome Heavens (1975-78) for fifth on the Irish all-time career rushing yards list
recorded his 100th career reception (already a school record for a Notre Dame running back)
registered his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and 20th for his career (23 total career touchdowns)
Senior TE John Carlson
moved past Anthony Fasano (576, 2005) for second in Notre Dame single-season receiving yards by a tight end
his first quarter touchdown reception was his third of the season and fourth of his career
the reception also moved him into a tie with Tony Hunter (1982, 42) for the third most receptions in a single-season by a Notre Dame tight end
set a career-high with eight receptions
Senior WR Jeff Samardzjia
moved past Maurice Stovall (2002-05) for fourth in career receiving yards in Notre Dame history
earlier in the game he moved past Jim Seymour (1966-68) for fifth in career receiving yards in Notre Dame history
his 46-yard reception in the second quarter was his longest grab of the season - besting his previous season-high 45-yard touchdown grab against UCLA
eclipsed 100 yards receiving for the third time in 2006 and eight time in his career (only Derrick Mayes, 9, and Tom Gatewood, 13, have more career 100-yard receiving games)
moved past Maurice Stovall (2002-05) for fourth in career receiving yards in Irish history
his third quarter touchdown reception was his eighth of 2006 and 23rd of his career
became the Notre Dame career touchdown receptions leader (previous school record for career TD catches was 22 held by Derrick Mayes, 1992-95)
set a season-high with 177 yards receiving
Senior WR Rhema McKnight
his touchdown reception on the game's opening drive was his 10th of the season and 17th of his career
became the fourth Irish receiver to ever register 10 or more touchdown catches in a single-season (ranks fourth on the single-season list passing Jack Snow's total of nine in 1964)
the first quarter touchdown reception was his 150th career catch
added his 11th touchdown reception of the season and 18th of his career in the second quarter
recorded his fourth game of 2006 with at least two touchdown receptions (ties the Irish school record for career multiple touchdown games held by Samardzjia, 2005, and Derrick Mayes, 1994)
Senior DE Victor Abiamiri
recorded his ninth sack of the season (personal season-high) in the first quarter
gives him 20 for his career which moved him into fourth all-time past Renaldo Wynn (19.5, 1993-96) and Ryan Roberts (19.0, 1999-02)
the tackle for loss also moved him into sixth all-time past Scott Zettek (1976-80, 38.0)
added his 10th sack of the season and 21st of his career in the second quarter
moved him into a tie with Mike Gann (1981-84, 21) for third most sacks in Irish career history
Senior SS Tom Zbikowski
the 52-yard punt return for touchdown was Zbikowski's seventh career touchdown return (two fumbles, three punt returns, two interception returns)
became the fifth player in Notre Dame history to ever return three punts for touchdowns (joins Allen Rossum-1994-96, Ricky Watters-1987-90, Tim Brown-1984-87, Nick Rassas-1963-65)
Senior DT Derek Landri
the 3.5 tackles-for-loss is a career-best single-game total
In the Weis Era
the 19-point victory was the 11th victory of 19 points or more for Notre Dame under head coach Charlie Weis
the 346 passing yards is the fifth-highest total for Notre Dame under Charlie Weis
