JIM SMALL'S NOTRE DAME GO IRISH BLOG -- www.NDGOIRISH.com -- A NOTRE DAME BLOG: Nov 8, 2020

Sunday, November 8, 2020

936 All-Time Wins for Notre Dame Football...

Back in February of 2018 -- the NCAA stripped our Fighting Irish of 21 wins over the course of two seasons. I believe the penalty was way too harsh -- and will never recognize this decision at the ND GO IRISH BLOG when looking at "all-time winning" totals for FBS...

So, after last night's victory over #1 Clemson -- Notre Dame Football has an all-time record of 936 - 326 - 42. Here's where that ranks in college football history:

ALL TIME WINNING PERCENTAGE:

Notre Dame: 73.3%
Boise State: 73.1%
Ohio State: 73.0%
Alabama: 72.8%
Michigan: 72.7%

ALL TIME WINS:

Michigan: 964
Notre Dame: 936
Ohio State: 930
Alabama: 928
Texas: 926

Who knows, if Harbaugh gets another five-year contract extension in Ann Arbor -- we just might catch the Wolverines by 2027 in all-time wins!

Clemson's D vs. Notre Dame's Offensive Line

Thought it would be good to do some research to see how impressive Notre Dame's offensive line's performance was last night. Here are the facts:

No one has rushed the ball better vs. Clemson this season
No one has protected the QB better vs. Clemson this season
No one has thrown the ball better vs. Clemson this season

Notre Dame's ability to run the ball vs. Clemson:

Wake Forest: 37 yards rushing
Citadel: 86 yards rushing
Virginia: 147 yards rushing
Miami: 89 yards rushing
Georgia Tech: 123 yards rushing
Syracuse: 150 yards rushing
Boston College: 67 yards rushing
Notre Dame: 209 yards rushing

Notre Dame's ability to protect the QB position:

Wake Forest: 6 QB sacks
Citadel: 4 QB sacks
Virginia: 3 QB sacks
Miami: 5 QB sacks
Georgia Tech: 4 QB sacks
Syracuse: 2 QB sacks
Boston College: 4 QB sacks
Notre Dame: 2 QB sacks

Notre Dame's ability to throw the ball vs. Clemson:

Wake Forest: 293 yards passing
Citadel: 76 yards passing
Virginia: 270 yards passing
Miami: 121 yards passing
Georgia Tech: 81 yards passing
Syracuse: 175 yards passing
Boston College: 208 yards passing
Notre Dame: 310 yards passing

Notre Dame Players Talk Win Over #1 Clemson

What I Will Never Forget About Last Night...

It was a game "for the ages" -- as our #4 ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame stood "toe to toe" with the #1 Clemson Tigers...

Here's what I will never forget about last night:

My reaction and my family's reaction when Kyren Williams takes the 2nd play from scrimmage and goes 65 yards for a TD!
Kyren Williams picking up the Clemson blitz, all night long -- a tip of the cap to you young man!
Overcoming costly mistakes in the redzone -- throwing away 15 points

Michael Mayer's illegal motion -- ND lost 4 points
Michael Mayer's drop -- ND lost 4 points
Ian Book's fumble into the endzone -- ND lost 7 points

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramorah taking the fumbled pitch into the end zone -- Etienne could feel a beat down coming and he flinched...
Javon McKinley's great finger tip catch -- when we really needed a big play!
The punishment Notre Dame put on Clemson -- player after player leaving with injury in those orange and purple helmets in the 4th quarter
Dabo talking the ACC officials into picking up a flag -- after an obvious pass interference penalty late in the 4th quarter
A 91 yard drive in the closing minutes -- that culminated with the "seas parting" and an open Avery Davis catching a perfectly thrown deep ball from Ian Book -- and the short TD pass a couple plays later...
Notre Dame's defensive line taking the game over in the 2nd OT with back-to-back sacks -- after Notre Dame's go-ahead OT TD!
The camera shot (from above the field) of the student body running onto the field
And, my Domer son's reaction -- watching him run out of our house (with his girlfriend) to join the expected on-campus celebration in the water of the Clarke Memorial Fountain...

Funny end to the story: Apparently our Notre Dame student body doesn't know about the tradition of jumping into the fountain after big wins... When they arrived, no one was around. However, I'm proud to say my Domer son (Class of 2008) was the first to jump in and kept the tradition alive...