Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Irish And Chippewas Meet For The First Time On Saturday

WHO: No. 9/11 Notre Dame vs. Central Michigan
WHAT: The first-ever meeting in football between Notre Dame and CMU
WHERE: Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame, IN
WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023 | 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock | Play-by-play: Jac Collinsworth (’17) | Analyst: Jason Garrett | Sideline: Zora Stephenson
RADIO: Notre Dame Football Radio Network | Play-by-play: Paul Burmeister | Analyst: Ryan Harris
GAME NOTES: Notre Dame | Central Michigan

NOTRE DAME – CENTRAL MICHIGAN SERIES HISTORY

  • Notre Dame and Central Michigan will be meeting for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
  • Notre Dame is 20-7 (.740) since 1990, including wins in seven of the last eight games, versus teams making their first visit to Notre Dame Stadium (full list page 9).
  • The Irish are 9-0 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference with single victories over Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green and Toledo; two wins over Miami OH and three victories over Western Michigan.

 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS

1

Notre Dame and Central Michigan will be meeting for the first time as football opponents on Saturday afternoon in Notre Dame Stadium.

4

In Marcus Freeman’s debut season in 2022, Notre Dame defeated four Associated Press ranked teams: No. 5 Clemson, No. 16 BYU, No. 16 Syracuse and No. 20 South Carolina, which matched Terry Brennan (1954) for the most ranked wins in a coaching debut season at Notre Dame and was most in one single season for the program since 2018.

10

Sam Hartman has thrown 10 touchdown passes through the first three games this season, which no other Notre Dame quarterback had accomplished. The previous high was nine by Jimmy Clausen (2009) and Brady Quinn (2006).

29

Notre Dame extended its regular-season winning streak against Atlantic Coast Conference teams to 29 against NC State last weekend. The Irish have not lost a regular-season game to an ACC school since a 41-8 loss at Miami in 2017. See page 10 for more.

32

The Irish will wear helmet stickers for the game against CMU to honor #32, Johnny Lujack, who passed away July 25, 2023, at the age of 98. Lujack was Notre Dame’s second Heisman Trophy winner in 1947 and led the Irish to three national championships. The sticker is a blue and gold shamrock adorned with Lujack’s number at Notre Dame – 32.

37

With four more passing touchdowns at NC State last weekend, Sam Hartman extended his FBS-leading streak of games being responsible for at least one touchdown to 37 contests.

40

Dating back to the Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina to end the 2022 season, Notre Dame has scored at least 40 points in four consecutive games. In the history of Notre Dame football, the Irish have never scored 40 or more points in five straight games. See page 9 for more on Notre Dame’s team scoring streak.

87

Irish quarterback Sam Hartman has thrown 87 touchdown passes since 2021 – the most of any Power 5 quarterback.

143

Notre Dame has scored 143 points in the first three games of the season, which is the most for the program since 1944 when the Irish scored 58 at Pittsburgh, 26 against Tulane and 64 versus Dartmouth to start the year (148 points). See page 9 for more.

414

Notre Dame is 9-1 in its last 10 games played and have scored 414 points in those contests. Only Southern Cal (474) and Georgia (417) have scored more total points over the last 10 games played.

NOTRE DAME NOTABLE NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Pass Eff.

2nd

217.85

Pass Eff. Def.

4th

78.81

Total Defense

7th

223.0

3rd Down Conv. %

7th

.594

Red Zone Def.

9th

.500

Scoring Offense

12th

47.7

Scoring Defense

15th

10.0

Pass Yd Allowed

10th

123.3

Yds Per Comp

17th

14.83

Comp %

14th

.747

Turnovers Gained

14th

5

Pts Resp.

S. Hartman

2nd, 66

Pass Eff.

S. Hartman

2nd, 222.5

Pass TDs

S. Hartman

2nd, 10

Yds Att

S. Hartman

4th, 11.42

Pass Yds

S. Hartman

6th, 731

Comp %

S. Hartman

12th, .750

Yds/Comp

S. Hartman

15th, 15.23

Rcv TD

J. Greathouse

7th, 3

Rcv TD

H. Staes

7th, 3

Yds Carry

A. Estimé

10th, 8.02

Rsh Yds G

A. Estimé

14th, 115.0

NOTRE DAME – CENTRAL MICHIGAN STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Statistic

Notre Dame

CMU

First Downs

69

38

Rushing Yards/YPG

582/194

359/179.5

Rushing Att/YPR

102/5.7

93/3.9

Rushing TDs

7

3

Passing Yards/Game

291.7

150.0

Comp-Att-Int

59-70-0

21-45-3

Passing TDs

12

3

Total Offense/Game

485.7

329.5

Average Per Play

8.0

4.8

Kick Returns

5-94

6-200

Punt Returns

4-38

2-18

Penalties

15-128

15-141

Punts-Avg.

8-48.8

14-42.5

TOP

30:13

33:08

3rd Down

19-32

8-31

4th Down

1-1

3-4

SAM HARTMAN

  • Leads all active FBS quarterbacks in career touchdowns (120) and passing yardage (13,698).
  • The first Notre Dame quarterback to throw 10 touchdown passes in a season’s first three games.
  • Is just the ninth FBS quarterback to throw for over 13,000 yards with 120 touchdown passes in a career.
  • Holds Wake Forest records for career completions, attempts, total touchdowns and total yards.
  • Owns an ACC-record 21 career 300-yard passing performances.
  • Has a 37-game streak of games in which he is responsible for at least one touchdown, a streak which leads all active FBS players.
  • Second behind Oregon’s Bo Nix (49) in active career quarterback starts with 48.
  • The 2022 Brian Piccolo Award Winner, which is given annually to the “most courageous” football player in the ACC. Hartman earned the award by making his way back to the field after being diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome (effort thrombosis). Hartman missed much of the month of August in 2022 and the ‘22 Wake Forest season-opener.
  • Announced his decision to graduate transfer to Notre Dame for his final season of eligibility on January 5, 2023.
  • Joined Jack Coan (2021 vs. Florida State) and Ron Powlus (1994 vs. Northwestern) as the only two Irish quarterback to throw four touchdowns in their debuts with the program.
  • First Three Games
  • Sam Hartman has thrown 10 touchdown passes through three games this season, contributing to a program-record 12 touchdown passes in the first three wins of 2023 (Steve Angeli threw two touchdown passes against Tennessee State).
  • Hartman is the first Irish quarterback to throw 10 touchdown passes in the first three games of the season, besting Jimmy Clausen’s (2009) and Brady Quinn’s (2005) nine.

HARTMAN 2023 NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS

2nd

Points Resp. For

66

2nd

Pass Efficiency

222.5

2nd

Pass TDs

10

4th

Yard Per Att

11.42

6th

Passing Yards

731

9th

Points Resp./Game

22.0

12th

Completion Percentage

.750

15th

Yards Per Comp

15.23

HARTMAN ON ACTIVE FBS CAREER CHARTS

TOUCHDOWN PASSES

Player

Team

TD Passes

1

Sam Hartman

Notre Dame

120

2

Dillon Gabriel

Oklahoma

101

3

Will Rogers

Mississippi State

87

4

Layne Hatcher

Ball State

84

5

Grayson McCall

Coastal Carolina

80

PASSING YARDS

Player

Team

Passing Yards

1

Sam Hartman

Notre Dame

13,698

2

Dillon Gabriel

Oklahoma

11,684

3

Bo Nix

Oregon

11,490

4

Will Rogers

Mississippi State

11,078

5

Kedon Slovis

BYU

10,466

PASSING YARDS/GAME

Player

Team

Passing Yards/Game

1

Will Rogers

Mississippi State

299.4

2

Dillon Gabriel

Oklahoma

292.1

3

Seth Henigan

Memphis

287.2

4

Michael Penix Jr.

Washington

277.1

5

Sam Hartman

Notre Dame

268.6

CAREER NCAA RANKINGS

Hartman has thrown for 120 touchdowns in his career, including 38 scoring throws in 2022 and 39 in 2021. The NCAA record for career touchdown passes is 155 by Case Keenum from 2007-11.

NCAA CAREER TOUCHDOWN LEADERS

Player

Team

Years

GP

Pass TDs

1

Case Keenum

Houston

2007-11

57

155

2

Kellen Moore

Boise State

2008-11

53

142

3

Graham Harrell

Texas Tech

2005-08

45

134

4

Colt Brennan

Hawaii

2005-07

38

131

Rakeem Cato

Marshall

2011-14

53

131

6

Baker Mayfield

Texas Tech/Oklahoma

2013, 2015-17

48

131

7

Landry Jones

Oklahoma

2009-12

52

123

8

Ty Detmer

BYU

1988-91

46

121

9

Aaron Murray

Georgia

2010-13

52

121

10

Sam Hartman

Wake Forest/Notre Dame

2018-active

51

120

11

Luke Falk

Washington State

2013-17

43

119

12

Timmy Chang

Hawaii

2000-04

53

117

NCAA CAREER PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS

Player

Team

Years

GP

Pass Yds

1

Case Keenum

Houston

2007-11

57

19,217

2

Timmy Chang

Hawaii

2000-04

53

17,072

3

Landry Jones

Oklahoma

2009-12

52

16,646

4

Graham Harrell

Texas Tech

2005-08

45

15,793

5

Ty Detmer

BYU

1988-91

46

15,031

6

Kellen Moore

Boise State

2008-11

53

14,667

7

Baker Mayfield

Texas Tech/Oklahoma

2013, 2015-17

48

14,607

8

Luke Falk

Washington State

2013-17

43

14,486

9

Colt Brennan

Hawaii

2005-07

38

14,193

10

Rakeem Cato

Marshall

2011-14

53

14,079

11

Sam Hartman

Wake Forest/Notre Dame

2018-active

51

13,698

12

Mason Rudolph

Oklahoma State

2014-17

47

13,618

13

Sean Mannion

Oregon State

2011-14

47

13,600

14

Brett Rypien

Boise State

2015-18

50

13,581

15

Philip Rivers

NC State

2000-03

49

13,484

Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

AUDRIC ESTIMÉ

ESTIMÉ 2023 NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS

24th

All Purpose Yards

133.33

10th

Yards Per Carry

8.02

4th

Rushing TDs

4

1st

Rushing Yards

345

14th

Rushing Yards/Game

115.0

11th

Total Points Scored

24

8th

Total Touchdowns

4

Junior Audric Estimé led the 2022 Irish rushing attack with 920 yards, averaging 5.9 yards-per-carry and logging 11 rushing touchdowns.

Estimé is leading the Irish in rushing this season as well, earning 95 yards against Navy, 116 against Tennessee State and matching his career high with 134 yards at NC State last weekend. His big performance against the Wolfpack included a career-best 80-yard touchdown run.

With five 100-yard performances in his career, Estimé also has games with 95 (twice) and 97 total rushing yards.

BENJAMIN MORRISON

Sophomore Benjamin Morrison led the Irish with six interceptions in 2022, earning consensus Freshman All-America honors.

Morrison intercepted his first pass of the season against NC State.

He was named the Walter Camp Player of the Week after his dominating performance against No. 5 Clemson, setting up Notre Dame’s third touchdown with his first career interception, then picking off another pass and returning it 96 yards for a touchdown. He also contributed a career-best seven tackles and a PBU against the Tigers.

His six interceptions in 2022 were the most for an Irish player since Manti Te’o picked off seven passes on his way to finishing second in the 2021 Heisman Trophy balloting. It also is the most for an Irish cornerback since Cole Luke intercepted four passes in 2014.

The six interceptions were the third-most for any FBS defensive player in 2022 and tied for the most of any Power 5 defensive back.

Shares the Notre Dame single-game record for interceptions in a game with 15 other players, picking off three Boston College passes during the 2022 home finale. He ended the Eagles first drive with an interception, then took away a BC scoring chance with an interception in the end zone later in the first quarter. Finally, in the midst of a snow storm in the second half, Morrison earned his third interception tracking down an overthrown screen pass.

JD BERTRAND

JD Bertrand piled up 183 tackles in 2021 and 2022 (including 101 in ‘21) which is among the best two-year stretch for an Irish linebacker since 2000-

Notre Dame Linebackers Since 2000, Two-Year Tackle Totals

1.

Manti Te’o

2010-11

261

2.

Manti Te’o

2011-12

241

3.

Tevon Coney

2017-18

239

4.

Jaylon Smith

2014-15

226

5.

Courtney Watson

2002-03

207

6.

Nyles Morgan

2016-17

186

7.

JD Bertrand

2021-22

183

Maurice Crum

2006-07

183

9.

Mike Goolsby

2002, 04

172

Bertrand was a selection for the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works team and his passionately involved in Uplifting Athletes and serves as the Notre Dame chapter president for the organization. Dedicated to service from a very young age, Bertrand started volunteering with his family at Must Ministries when he was just three years old.

Bertrand has 13 tackles through three games in 2023.

JADEN GREATHOUSE

True freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse was the first freshman wideout to catch two touchdown passes in his first career game against Navy on Aug. 26. He also became just the fifth Irish wide receiver to catch two touchdown passes in a season-opener since 1996.

Michael Floyd did it twice, nabbing three scores in the ‘09 opener against Nevada then starting the 2011 season with two scoring receptions versus USF. Davaris Daniels caught two touchdowns in the 2013 opener against Temple, Will Fuller caught two against Texas in 2015 and Equanemious St. Brown followed up in 2016 with two against the Longhorns.

TEAM CAPTAINS

Notre Dame announced the selection of four captains for the 2023 season – junior offensive tackle Joe Alt, senior linebacker JD Bertrand, senior cornerback Cam Hart and graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman.

Bertrand becomes the 27th two-time captain in program history. Hartman has now earned captaincy status from his fellow teammates in the last four seasons – 2020, 2021 and 2022 at Wake Forest and now in 2023 at Notre Dame.

BOOKEND OFFENSIVE TACKLES – ALT AND FISHER

Junior Joe Alt and sophomore Blake Fisher combined to provide the Irish offensive line possibly the finest offensive tackle tandem in college football. Interestingly enough, the duo at one point were competing for the same position – left tackle.

At the end of the 2020 season, Liam Eichenberg – a consensus All-American – was selected 42nd overall in the NFL Draft. The Irish offensive line had a massive role to fill entering the 2021 season and true freshman Blake Fisher ended up earning the start in a big game at Florida State for the ‘21 opener.

Fisher started the game, played well but suffered a knee injury. Joe Alt, who played some tight end for the Irish early in the ‘21 season in short yardage situations, eventually earned the left tackle spot and started the final eight games of the season.

Fisher would recover from his knee injury in time to return to the Irish lineup in the final game of the ‘21 season – a Fiesta Bowl matchup with Oklahoma State. But this time, with Alt established at left tackle, Fisher lined up at right tackle and the dominating duo was born.

The two combined to help the Irish average 4.6 yards per carry in 2022, rack up over 2,400 rushing yards (which was the sixth-best total for the program since 1996) and finish with 25 total rushing touchdowns.

The college football world has noticed the skills. Alt and Fisher are on the Outland Trophy Watch List, while Alt also found himself on the Walter Camp Award and Lombardi Award watch lists.

COACHING STAFF CHANGES

Notre Dame welcomes back a former staff member (who was an analyst in his previous time with the program) in addition to two brand new faces to the Irish coaching staff. Marty Biagi assumes the special teams coordinator role after serving as a special teams analyst with the Irish in 2016. He replaces Brian Mason who moved to the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL.

Gino Guidugli, the Bob and Leslie Mohr Family Quarterbacks Coach and Pass Game Coordinator takes the quarterback room reins from Tommy Rees, who is now the offensive coordinator at Alabama.

Joe Rudolph has also joined the Irish staff at the Joe Moore Offensive Line Coach. He steps in for Harry Hiestand, who retired after the 2022 season.

While not a new face, Gerad Parker – in his second year at Notre Dame – continues his work with the tight ends and will also serve as the John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator.

Along with those staff changes, selected members of the returning Irish coaching staff assumed new titles. Deland McCullough added Run Game Coordinator and Mike Mickens is the Defensive Pass Game Coordinator.

TRANSFERS READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT

Notre Dame welcomes six transfers into the program this season that are all expected to have an immediate impact on the field.

  • Antonio Carter II adds to the Notre Dame safety group after starting all 11 games at Rhode Island last season and finishing with 60 tackles and 10 pass break ups.
  • Devyn Ford brings experience to a talented running back corps and is expected to be a big contributor for the Irish special teams. Ford played in 27 games at Penn State, logging 133 carries and six rushing touchdowns.
  • Thomas Harper is another addition to the Irish back seven on defense. Harper saw action in 42 career games and boasts 93 tackles, eight pass break ups and two interceptions in his time at Oklahoma State.
  • Sam Hartman, the Wake Forest record holder for career completions, passing attempts and total touchdowns joined the Irish quarterback group.
  • Javontae Jean-Baptiste is another experienced defensive player (47 games played at Ohio State) and injects a veteran athletic presence on an Irish defensive line that saw all-time sack leader Isaiah Foskey parlay a three-year career on the defensive line into a second round NFL draft selection.
  • Spencer Shrader chose Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility and finds himself on the preseason Lou Groza Award Watch List. One of the top kickoff specialists in the country, Shrader has kicked 28 field goals during his career and has kicked off 209 times in college football without one kick sailing out of bounds.

Other newcomers via the transfer route include punter Ben Krimm and defensive lineman Grant Ristoff – both from Penn – and Cole Aubrey from Princeton.

YEAR TWO OF A GOLDEN DEFENSE

Notre Dame will enter the season with the same defensive coordinator for the second consecutive year, something that has not occurred since the 2020 season.

Clark Lea left after the 2020 season to be the head coach at Vanderbilt. He was replaced by Marcus Freeman who was promoted to head coach at the conclusion of the ‘21 regular season.

In 2023, Al Golden will enter his second year as the head of the Irish defense and hopes to get that second-year-in-the-system bounce.

Golden’s first Irish defense was a solid 21st overall in total defense in ‘22, bolstered by a rush defense that held Notre Dame’s opponents under 200 total rushing yards per game for the first time since 2019.

Lea held the defensive coordinator spot for three seasons, in his second (2019) the Irish moved from 30th overall in defense to 18th. The rush defense surged from 44th to third.

The Irish defense has started the season in fine form thus far, ranking seventh in the country in total defense (223.0), 14th in turnovers gained (5), fourth in pass efficiency defense (78.81) and third in passes intercepted (5).

EXPERIENCE CHART

In 2022 the Notre Dame roster would finish the season with seven players logging over 50 games played in their career, including defensive back Houston Griffith, who ended his career as the all-time games played leader at Notre Dame with 62.

The Irish roster this season is led by DJ Brown’s 49 games played and has been injected with three transfer veterans that boast over 45 career games played:

Player

Games Played

Starts

Sam Hartman

51

48

DJ Brown

50

14

Javontae Jean-Baptiste

50

9

Spencer Shrader

47

n/a

Jack Kiser

43

16

Michael Vinson

43

n/a

Thomas Harper

45

10

JD Bertrand

41

26

IRISH WILL PLAY 500th GAME IN NOTRE DAME STADIUM IN 2023

Since the first season of competition in Notre Dame Stadium in 1930, Notre Dame is 373-117-5 (.759) in the facility and will play the 500th game in ‘The House That Rockne Built’ against Wake Forest on November 18th.

Here are the other ‘milestone’ games in Notre Dame Stadium –

  • Game 100: No. 2 Notre Dame 21, No. 4 Texas 0 – Sept. 25, 1954 – the first game of the Terry Brennan era at Notre Dame.
  • Game 200: No. 5 Notre Dame 48, Air Force 15 – Nov. 22, 1973 – this game is memorable as it was the last non-sellout of Notre Dame Stadium before the program’s sell out streak ended at 243 games on Nov. 16, 2019. The Irish and Falcons met on Thanksgiving Weekend in front of 57,236 fans (the capacity of Notre Dame Stadium in 1973 was 59,075).
  • Game 300: No. 13 Tennessee 35, No. 5 Notre Dame 34 – Nov. 19, 1991 – the only game on this list that Notre Dame fans would like to forget. The Volunteers rallied from a 31-7 deficit and partially blocked Notre Dame’s potential game-winning field goal as time expired.
  • Game 400: Notre Dame 21, San Diego State 13 – the first game of the 2008 season.