No. 9 Fighting Irish Meet Midshipmen In Baltimore

Nov. 4, 2002

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(#9 AP/#10 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) vs. Navy Midshipmen (1-7)

The Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 9, 2002, at Noon EST.

The Site: Ravens Stadium (67,000/Natural Grass) in Baltimore, Md.

The Tickets: The game is expected to be a sellout, though a few tickets remained available as of Nov. 4 (contact the Navy ticket office at 1-800-US4-NAVY, 1-800-874-6289). Should the remaining tickets be sold, it would be the 147th sellout in the last 170 games involving Notre Dame, including the first 10 games of 1998, the first 11 in ’99, the first five in ’00, the first nine in ’01 and the first 10 in ’02.

The TV Plans: CBS Sports national telecast with Craig Bolerjack (play-by-play), Craig James (analysis) and Andre Ware (sideline).

The Radio Plans: For the 35th consecutive season, all Notre Dame football games are broadcast on nearly 200 stations nationwide by Westwood One with Tony Roberts (play-by-play), former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis) and Paul Hornung (pregame/halftime analysis). A live broadcast from the Notre Dame student station, WVFI, also is available through the Notre Dame athletic department web site at www.und.com. All Notre Dame football games are heard on WNDV-AM (1490) and WNDV-FM (92.9) in South Bend with pre- and post-game analysis featuring Sean Stires, Jack Nolan and Larry Williams. All Irish games also are carried live in the Chicago market on ESPN Radio 1000.

Websites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Navy (www.navysports.com).

HEAD COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM
A veteran with 25 seasons of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, Tyrone Willingham is in his first season as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, owning an 8-1 (.889) record with the Irish and a 52-37-1 (.583) mark overall. Willingham already has guided Notre Dame to wins over four ranked opponents (No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Florida State, No. 18 Air Force and No. 21 Maryland) in his first eight games, and he was the only the third Irish coach to start his debut season with eight consecutive victories (first since Ara Parseghian in 1964). Willingham also is the first Notre Dame mentor to win his first four games against ranked opponents (Frank Leahy had three wins and a tie against his first four ranked foes in 1941 and ’42).

Willingham was introduced as the new Irish head coach on Jan. 1, 2002, following seven seasons as the head coach at Stanford University. He compiled a 44-36-1 (.549) record during his tenure at Stanford, guiding the Cardinal to four bowl games, including the Rose Bowl following the 1999 season. Willingham was a two-time Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year (1995 and 1999), the only Stanford coach to earn that award more than once, and he was a finalist for national coach-of-the-year honors in ’95 and ’99. Most recently in 2001, he piloted the Cardinal to a 9-3 record, a berth in the Seattle Bowl, and final regular-season rankings of ninth in the Bowl Championship Series poll and 11th in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. All told, Willingham spent 10 years at Stanford, initially serving as running backs coach from 1989-91. Between his stints with the Cardinal, Willingham coached in the professional ranks for three seasons (1992-94) with the Minnesota Vikings, helping his team win two NFC Central Division championships and reach the playoffs all three years. Willingham began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Michigan State, in 1977, before moving to Central Michigan as the defensive secondary coach for two years (1978-79). He returned to MSU from 1980-82, working with the secondary and special teams units, and also served at North Carolina State (1983-85) and Rice (1986-88).

The Injury Update (as of Nov. 3)
Senior CB Jason Beckstrom Arm injury, out indefinitely
Senior NG Cedric Hilliard Knee sprain, day-to-day (DNP vs. Boston College)

IRISH TRAVEL PLANS
While in Baltimore, Notre Dame will be headquartered at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, 202 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, (800) 535-1201. The Irish are scheduled to depart by chartered Delta aircraft on Friday afternoon. Notre Dame will return to South Bend immediately following Saturday’s game.

NOTRE DAME-NAVY SERIES NOTES

• Notre Dame and Navy will play one another for the 76th consecutive year on Saturday, making it the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish hold a 65-9-1 (.873) edge in the series with the Midshipmen, including a current 38-game winning streak that is the longest against one opponent in NCAA history.
• The Irish and Midshipmen will be playing at a neutral site for the 49th time in series history, with Notre Dame owning a 41-6-1 (.865) mark in these games.
• Notre Dame and Navy will play in Baltimore for the 20th time, and the first time at newly-built Ravens Stadium (the previous 19 games were held at old Memorial Stadium). The Irish are 15-4 in Baltimore, including a 22-7 win in their last visit in 1988.
• The Navy game marks the second time this season that Notre Dame has played at an NFL stadium. The Irish previously defeated Maryland, 22-0, in Kickoff Classic XX at Giants Stadium. The last time Notre Dame played two regular-season games at NFL arenas was 1998, when the Irish beat Arizona State (28-9) and Navy (30-0), with the latter game played at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Raljon, Md.

IF NOTRE DAME WINS …

• Notre Dame will earn its 39th consecutive victory over Navy, extending its NCAA record for the most consecutive wins against one opponent in college football history.
• Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham will register his ninth win this season, tying Terry Brennan (1954) and Ara Parseghian (1964) for the most victories by a first-year Notre Dame head coach. Willingham also will post his second nine-win season in a row, having guided Stanford to a 9-3 record and a berth in the Seattle Bowl last year.
• Notre Dame will collect its ninth consecutive win over a service academy and improve to 30-1 (.968) against the academies since 1986, including a 15-0 mark away from home.
• The Irish will have won nine games for the second time in three seasons.

IF NAVY WINS …

• The Midshipmen will end Notre Dame’s 38-game series winning streak, ending an NCAA record for the most consecutive victories against one opponent in college football history.
• Navy will pick up its first victory over the Irish since 1963, when Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach led the Midshipmen to a 35-14 win at Notre Dame Stadium.
• Navy would be the first service academy to defeat Notre Dame since Air Force claimed a 20-17 overtime victory in 1996, ending a current eight-game Irish winning streak against the academies.
• It would break a seven-game losing streak for the Midshipmen, dating back to the 2002 season opener (a 38-7 win at SMU).

NOTRE DAME-NAVY SERIES HISTORY

• Navy and Notre Dame are meeting for the 76th time this season, the longest series in Notre Dame football history. This year’s Notre Dame-Purdue game was the 74th in that series (tied for second-longest in school history) while the Irish and USC also will meet for the 74th time later this season.
• Notre Dame leads the Navy series, 65-9-1 (.873), in the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish and Midshipmen have met every year since 1927, with the series scheduled to continue indefinitely.
• The Irish have scored 30 or more points in 14 of the last 17 meetings with Navy. Dating back to the 1985 contest, Notre Dame has averaged 40.2 points per game in the series, including five 50-point eruptions and back-to-back 58-point outbursts in 1993 and ’94. And, the Irish have scored more points against the Midshipmen (2,014) than any of the other 132 opponents in school history. Notre Dame topped the 2,000-point mark on an eight-yard touchdown run by Terrance Howard in the third quarter of last season’s 34-16 Irish victory.
• Notre Dame has won 38 consecutive games in the series. Navy’s last win came in ’63, when Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach helped Navy claim a 35-14 victory at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame’s 38 straight wins rank as the longest winning streak by one team over another in NCAA history (previous record: Oklahoma’s 32 in a row over Kansas State from 1937-68).
• In addition to the two teams’ home stadiums, the schools have met in seven other American cities (Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, East Rutherford (N.J.), Orlando, Philadelphia and Raljon, Md.), as well as Dublin, Ireland. Notre Dame is 41-6-1 (.865) against Navy at neutral sites, including an active 20-game winning streak that dates back to a 20-12 Irish win at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium in 1962.
• Saturday’s game will mark the 20th time Notre Dame and Navy have played in Baltimore, and the first at Ravens Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. The previous 19 meetings in Baltimore came at old Memorial Stadium. The Irish are 15-4 (.789) all-time against Navy in Baltimore, including a 22-7 win in their last visit in 1988.
• In the most recent neutral-site meeting in the series (a 45-14 Irish win in 2000 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando), Notre Dame FS Tony Driver became just the second player in NCAA history to return .two fumbles for touchdowns in the same game.
• After the series returns to Notre Dame Stadium next season, the Irish and Midshipmen will play at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in 2004.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

• Notre Dame defensive line coach Greg Mattison spent two seasons (1987-88) as the defensive line coach at the Naval Academy.
• Irish running backs coach Buzz Preston worked with three Navy coaches during his tenure at Hawaii — head coach Paul Johnson, slotbacks coach Jeff Monken and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Ken Niumatalolo. Preston was the wide receivers/defensive backs/special teams coach at UH from 1987-93, while Johnson was the Hawaii offensive coordinator from 1987-94. Monken was a graduate assistant coach for the Rainbow Warriors from 1989-90, and Niumatalolo was a three-year letterwinner as a quarterback for Hawaii from 1987-89, moving on to assume a graduate assistant post from 1990-92, and later an assistant coaching position from 1992-94. In addition, Navy quarterbacks/fullbacks coach Ivin Jasper was a three-year letterwinner at quarterback and slotback for the Rainbow Warriors from 1991-93.
• Fifth-year Navy director of strength and conditioning Kirk Woolfolk was Notre Dame’s strength and conditioning coordinator for three years (1995-98).
• Two current Notre Dame Olympic sports head coaches have past experience as head coaches at Navy. Irish men’s tennis head coach Bob Bayliss < now=”” in=”” his=”” 16th=”” year=”” at=”” notre=”” dame=””>< spent=”” the=”” first=”” 15=”” years=”” of=”” his=”” head=”” coaching=”” career=”” at=”” navy=”” (1970-84).=”” fifth-year=”” notre=”” dame=”” women’s=”” rowing=”” coach=”” martin=”” stone=”” held=”” the=”” same=”” position=”” at=”” navy=”” for=”” six=”” years=”” prior=”” to=”” joining=”” the=”” irish=”” staff=”” in=”” october=”” 1997.=””>
• Irish associate AD Missy Conboy’s husband, Bill Mountford, played for Bayliss at Navy.
• Notre Dame assistant director of club sports Dave Brown was a professor, head squash coach and assistant tennis coach at the Naval Academy from 1978-98.

FRIEND OR FOE?

• Notre Dame sophomore TE Matt Root (North Florida Christian HS) and Navy sophomore slotback Larry Jones (Leon HS) both are natives of Tallahassee, Fla.
• Irish sophomore OL Casey Dunn (Gulliver Prep), Navy sophomore LB Lane Jackson (Columbus HS) and Navy sophomore slotback Eric Roberts ((Hollywood Christian HS) all are residents of Miami, Fla.
• Notre Dame senior OT Jim Molinaro (Bethlehem Catholic HS) and Navy sophomore LB Bobby McClarin (Liberty HS) are natives of Bethlehem, Pa.
• Notre Dame senior SS Gerome Sapp (Lamar HS) and freshman DE Travis Leitko (The Woodlands HS), along with Navy senior WR Dominic Bailey (Cypress Creek HS), senior OG Brett Cochrane (Strake Jesuit HS), senior slotback Donnie Fricks (Sam Rayburn HS), sophomore OT Casey Hughes (Cy-Fair HS), sophomore OG Matt McLaughlin (Cy-Fair HS), senior OT Steve Mercer (Cypress Falls HS), senior DT Joey Owmby (Mayde Creek HS) and sophomore C August Roitsch (Memorial HS) all come from the Houston area.
• Notre Dame junior QB Carlyle Holiday (Roosevelt HS), Navy sophomore DB Ryan McCabe (Churchill HS) and Navy senior WR Brandon Rampani (Churchill HS) all are natives of San Antonio.

NOTRE DAME VS. THE SERVICE ACADEMIES

• Notre Dame has won more than 83 percent of its games (122-22-5) vs. teams from the three service academies (Army, Navy and Air Force).
• The Irish have won eight consecutive games against the service academies, and they are 29-1 against these schools since 1986 (including a 14-0 mark away from home). The only defeat in that time was a 1996 overtime loss to Air Force at Notre Dame Stadium.
• Saturday’s game with Navy will be the second this season for Notre Dame against a service academy. Back on Oct. 19, the Irish defeated Air Force, 21-14, in Colorado Springs, holding the top-ranked Falcon rushing offense to just 104 yards on the ground. Notre Dame is 21-5 (.808) all-time against Air Force.
• More than half (75) of Notre Dame’s 149 games against service academies, and more than half of its victories (65) have come against Navy, part of the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish and Midshipmen will battle for the 76th consecutive year on Saturday in Baltimore. Notre Dame has won 38 consecutive games against Navy, extending its NCAA record for the longest winning streak against one opponent in college football history (previous record: Oklahoma won 32 straight over Kansas State from 1937-68). The Irish have a 65-9-1 (.873) series record against the Midshipmen.
• Notre Dame and Army met every season from 1913-47, with the exception of 1918. During an 11-season span from 1937-47, one or both teams were ranked, including six meetings when either side was first or second in the nation, and back-to-back “No. 1 vs. No. 2” matchups in 1945 and 1946. However, the Irish and Cadets have played just 14 times since 1947, with Notre Dame winning 13 of those encounters. Their last meeting came in 1998, with the Irish pulling out a 20-17 win at home. Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Army, 36-8-4 (.792).

COMMONPLACE

• Navy is the most common opponent in Irish football history, leading four other ’02 foes: Purdue (74th meeting in ’02), USC (74th meeting in ’02), Michigan State (66th meeting in ’02) and Pittsburgh (61st meeting in ’02). The Notre Dame-Navy rivalry also is the longest continuous intersectional series in the country, having been played every year since 1927.
• The Irish have played 132 different teams in their 114 seasons of varsity football.

PULLING RANK
For the first time in school history, Notre Dame defeated ranked opponents at their home stadiums in consecutive weeks, winning at No. 18 Air Force and No. 11 Florida State in late October. The Irish also previously defeated No. 21 Maryland (22-0) and No. 7 Michigan (25-23), with the Maryland win coming in Kickoff Classic XX at a neutral site (Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.). This season marks the first time Notre Dame has knocked off four ranked opponents in the same season since 1992, when the Irish ousted No. 9 Boston College (54-7), No. 22 Penn State (17-16), No. 19 USC (31-23) and No. 4 Texas A&M (28-3) in the last four games of that year, with the final win coming in the Cotton Bowl. The school record for wins over ranked opponents in one season is six, set by the 1989 team which capped that year with a 21-6 win over No. 1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl. The record for wins over ranked opponents in regular-season games is five, shared by the 1943, 1953, 1989 and 1990 squads.

NOTRE DAME OFF AND RUNNING
For only the fifth time in the last 30 years, and the 19th time in school history, Notre Dame opened with eight consecutive victories. The last time that happened was 1993, when the Irish won their first 10 games before dropping a last-second 41-39 decision to Boston College. Notre Dame rebounded to defeat Texas A&M, 24-21, in the Cotton Bowl. The 18 previous 8-0 starts in school history led to 11 undefeated seasons, nine national championships and six bowl berths (6-0 record).

Among all-time Irish head coaches, Knute Rockne posted six 8-0 starts in his career, followed by Frank Leahy (four), Ara Parseghian (four), and Lou Holtz (three). Elmer Layden and Tyrone Willingham each have one 8-0 start to their credit.

WILLINGHAM OFF TO A GOOD START
Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham has seen his tenure with the Irish open in strong fashion. In the season opener, Willingham guided the Irish to a 22-0 win over No. 21 Maryland in the Kickoff Classic. That shutout was the first by a rookie Notre Dame head coach in his first game since 1954, when Terry Brennan piloted the second-ranked Irish to a 21-0 win over No. 4 Texas.

Willingham followed that up with seven more wins, including victories over No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Florida State and No. 18 Air Force, becoming the first Irish head coach to win his first eight games at Notre Dame since Ara Parseghian went 9-0 to open the 1964 season. In addition, Willingham is the first coach in school history to win his first four games against ranked opponents — in 1941, Frank Leahy posted a 0-0 tie vs. No. 14 Army and earned wins over sixth-ranked Navy (20-13) and eighth-ranked Northwestern (7-6), followed by a 21-14 win at No. 5 Illinois in 1942.

CLOSE SHAVES
Part of the reason for Notre Dame’s success this season has been its penchant for pulling out close victories. In fact, the Irish have gone 5-1 this season in games decided by eight points or less, defeating Purdue (24-17), No. 7 Michigan (25-23), Michigan State (21-17), Pittsburgh (14-6) and No. 18 Air Force (21-14), before losing to Boston College (14-7). Five of those games (all but Air Force) went down to the final seconds, with the Michigan, Michigan State and Pittsburgh contests in doubt until the Irish came up with critical interceptions.

• The three-game stretch earlier this season (Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State) marked just the fifth time Notre Dame won three consecutive games by eight points or less. The others are the last three games of the 1941 season (Nov. 8-22), the first five games of 1939 (Sept. 30-Oct. 28), the second, third and fourth games of the 1938 season (Oct. 8-22), and the last three games of 1937 (Nov. 13-27).
• The Notre Dame record for wins by eight points or less in a season is six, set in 1939 when that club had a 6-2 record in games decided by eight or less. The 1937 team was 5-1-1 in games decided by eight or less, while 1974 squad posted a 5-0 record and the 2002 club currently holds a 5-1 mark in eight-point games. The 1929 (4-0), 1940 (4-1), 1984 (4-3), 1990 (4-3), 1997 (4-2) and 1998 (4-1) teams all had four wins by eight or less over the course of the season.
• As for winning percentage in games decided by eight points or less, the 1974 team went 5-0, while the 1929 unit was 4-0. The 1926, 1928, 1954 and 1989 teams all finished 3-0 in eight-point games.
• One item of note on the greatness of Knute Rockne: He was 21-4-5 (.783) in games decided by eight points or less over his Notre Dame career, including 16-0-2 (.944) over his last seven years.

POSSESSION IS NINE-TENTHS OF A VICTORY
This season, Notre Dame has learned that it’s difficult for opponents to score if their offense is not on the field. Case in point — the Irish have won the time of possession battle in seven of their nine games in 2002, holding the ball for an average of 32:37 per game, compared to 27:23 for their opponents. Notre Dame twice has cracked the 35-minute mark in time of possession, turning the trick against No. 21 Maryland (school-record 41:04) and No. 18 Air Force (35:33). In addition, the Maryland game marked just the third time in the last 25 years in which the Irish have cracked the 40-minute barrier. The other 40-minute games were Oct. 27, 2001 at Boston College (40:15), and Nov. 22, 1980 vs. Air Force (40:04).

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE
The Irish defense has been one of the driving forces behind Notre Dame’s 8-1 record this season. The Irish rank in the top 15 in the nation in several major defensive categories — scoring defense (6th, 13.56 points/game), rushing defense (7th, 84.56 yards/game), pass efficiency defense (7th, 92.31) and total defense (11th, 281.44 yards/game). Here are some other points of interest on the Notre Dame defense:

• The Irish have scored five defensive/special teams touchdowns this season by five different players < ss=””>Gerome Sapp (fumble return), CB Lionel Bolen (special teams – fumble return) and CB Vontez Duff (interception return) scored against Purdue, while CB Shane Walton (interception return) and ILB Courtney Watson (interception return) scored against Stanford. The school record for interception returns for TDs in one season is four, set by the 1966 club en route to the national championship.
• Notre Dame’s defensive acumen started with a stellar effort against Maryland in the Kickoff Classic, as the Irish held the defending ACC champion Terrapins to no points, eight first downs, 16 yards rushing and 133 yards of total offense. Maryland’s offensive production was the lowest by an Irish opponent since Rutgers had six first downs, minus-6 yards rushing and 43 yards of total offense on Nov. 23, 1996.
• Notre Dame shut out its opponents over the first five quarters of the 2002 season, its longest scoreless string on defense since Oct. 2-16, 1993, when it blanked Stanford (fourth quarter), Pittsburgh (all four quarters) and BYU (first quarter).
• Notre Dame’s pass rush against Pittsburgh was its best in nearly six years, registering eight sacks against the Panthers. That was the most by the Irish since they collected nine sacks in a 62-0 win over Rutgers on Nov. 23, 1996.
• Through nine contests (61 possessions), the Irish defense has allowed just three offensive touchdowns in the first half (by Stanford, Florida State and Boston College) — the only other opponent TDs in the first half this season came via a punt return (Purdue), two interception returns (Michigan and BC) and a fumble return (Air Force).
• Notre Dame’s defense has been toughest during the middle portion of the game. The Irish have outscored their opponents, 111-49, during the second and third quarters of the first nine games this season.

SPINNING THEIR WHEELS
Notre Dame’s opponents have found the going extremely difficult this year when it comes to running the football. The Irish defense currently ranks seventh in the nation in rushing defense (84.56 yards per game), despite having faced six opponents that were ranked in the top 50 in the nation in rushing offense when they played Notre Dame. In fact, only three of Notre Dame’s nine opponents have managed to rush for more than 100 yards this season, and no adversary has broken the 150-yard mark. Furthermore, no Irish opponent has come close to matching its season rushing average and only three (Purdue, Pittsburgh and Boston College) have managed to register even half of their seasonal rushing averages against Notre Dame.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Notre Dame has posted to a 8-1 record this season, thanks in part to its ability to take care of the ball. The Irish own a +8 turnover margin (+0.89/game), which is good for 23rd in the nation in 2002. All together, Notre Dame has recorded 25 takeaways, while giving the ball away 17 times (five in the loss to Boston College). Those 25 takeaways have led to 95 Irish points (10.6 ppg.), including five turnovers which were turned directly into scores by the defense and special teams. In an interesting twist, four of those touchdowns were scored by Notre Dame’s defensive backs, with three coming against Purdue — SS Gerome Sapp’s 54-yard fumble return, CB Lionel Bolen’s four-yard fumble return on the ensuing kickoff after Sapp’s score, and CB Vontez Duff’s game-winning 33-yard interception return. The other defensive scores came against Stanford, when CB Shane Walton brought an interception back 18 yards for a TD, and ILB Courtney Watson had a 34-yard interception return for a score.

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, PART I
Notre Dame quickly turned fortunes in its favor against Purdue with a pair of touchdowns just 11 seconds apart in the second quarter. Senior SS Gerome Sapp returned a fumble 54 yards for a TD with 13:47 left in the period. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, the Boilermakers fumbled and sophomore CB Lionel Bolen returned the loose ball four yards for his first career score at the 13:36 mark. It represented the quickest two-touchdown burst in school history, one second faster than the previous mark. The Irish had scored two TDs in 12 seconds against Vanderbilt in 1995 — Autry Denson had a five-yard touchdown run at 6:39 of the second quarter, and Jarvis Edison had an eight-yard fumble return for a TD on the next kickoff at the 6:27 mark of the second period.

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, PART II
For the second time this season, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns less than 30 seconds apart, turning the trick in only 24 seconds against Stanford. Sophomore TB Rashon Powers-Neal found the end zone first, bulling over from three yards out for his first career score with 4:22 left in the third quarter. Four plays after that score, senior CB Shane Walton returned a Cardinal interception 18 yards for another touchdown at the 3:58 mark. Both scores were part of a staggering 28-point outburst by the Irish over a stretch of 6:54 between the third and fourth quarters, turning what had been a 7-3 Stanford lead into a 31-7 Notre Dame victory.

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, PART III
Tied at 10-10 midway through the third quarter at No. 11 Florida State, the Irish defense sparked a 17-point uprising in a span of just 2:21 to put the game on ice. Senior ILB Courtney Watson started the blitz, intercepting a Chris Rix pass to set up a 35-yard field goal by senior PK Nicholas Setta. Two plays after the kickoff, Rix fumbled and junior LCB Vontez Duff recovered at the FSU two-yard line. Sophomore TB Ryan Grant scored on the next play, just 1:17 after the Setta field goal. Then, on the following kickoff, Leon Washington fumbled and sophomore ILB Brandon Hoyte recovered at the Seminoles’ 17-yard line. Three plays later, junior QB Carlyle Holiday flipped a 16-yard TD pass to junior WR Omar Jenkins, only 1:04 after the Grant score.

CATCH-22
Thanks to its new offensive scheme, Notre Dame has seen its receivers have success far beyond anything they had amassed in their careers to date.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Notre Dame quarterbacks have done a solid job of distributing the ball to several different receivers this season. In fact, 11 different players have caught at least one pass in 2002, not including junior QB Carlyle Holiday, who caught a 30-yard toss from senior WR Arnaz Battle against Michigan State. What’s more, the Irish have seen at least five players catch a pass in six games this year, including a season-high eight different receivers against Maryland and Stanford, and seven different pass-catchers against Boston College.

CONVERSION FACTOR
Among the pass-catching options on the Notre Dame roster this season are three former Irish quarterbacks who elected to change positions. Senior WR Arnaz Battle was Notre Dame’s starting signal-caller in 2000, but a broken wrist in the second game of the season against No. 1 Nebraska sidelined him and led to his eventual move to wideout in time for the 2001 season. This year, Battle leads the team with 38 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns, after he logged five receptions for 40 yards in ’01. Battle’s best two games as a receiver came against Pittsburgh and Air Force, when caught a career-high 10 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown against the Panthers, then collected eight receptions for a career-best 112 yards against the Falcons. The 10 catches against Pittsburgh were the most by an Irish wideout since Bobby Brown had 12 in a 1999 win at Pittsburgh. Also, the 18 catches in consecutive games were the most by an Irish receiver since Tom Gatewood caught 21 passes (12 vs. Purdue, nine vs. Michigan State) in back-to-back contests on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, 1970.

With Battle’s injury in ’00, up stepped senior TE Gary Godsey, who was Battle’s quarterback understudy to begin that season. Godsey promptly engineered Notre Dame’s last-second 23-21 win over Purdue on Sept. 16, 2000. However, Godsey had played tight end in high school, and his size made his return to the position a natural one. He is third on the squad with 14 catches for 130 yards this year, including a career-best four receptions vs. Purdue.

The third former Irish quarterback now in the receiving corps is junior TE Jared Clark. The Sarasota, Fla., native is the latest Notre Dame QB to switch positions, electing to do so during spring practice in 2002. He has made three catches for 63 yards this season, including a career-long 37-yard reception last week at No. 11 Florida State.

READY FOR BATTLE
Senior WR Arnaz Battle has emerged as Notre Dame’s top receiving weapon this season. The converted quarterback leads the Irish with 38 catches for 553 yards (14.6 yards per catch) and three touchdowns this season. His reception total also is the highest by an Irish receiver since Malcolm Johnson had 43 catches in 1998.

Battle’s best performances came in the last four games against Pittsburgh, No. 18 Air Force, No. 11 Air Force and Boston College, where he is averaging 6.8 receptions for 94 yards per game with three TD. In the first contest, he caught a career-high 10 passes for 101 yards and a TD. His 10 receptions were the most by an Irish wideout since Bobby Brown pulled in 12 passes at Pittsburgh on Nov. 13, 1999. Then, Battle topped the 100-yard mark again a week later, registering eight catches for a career-best 112 yards in the victory over Air Force. At Florida State, he hauled in a 65-yard TD pass on Notre Dame’s first play from scrimmage, finishing with three receptions for 77 yards on the day. Finally, he collected six receptions for 86 yards against Boston College last week. Battle’s 18 catches in back-to-back games vs. Pittsburgh and Air Force were the most by an Irish pass catcher since Tom Gatewood hauled in 21 passes in consecutive wins over Purdue and Michigan on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, 1970. In addition, Battle’s 376 yards in the last four games are the most since Derrick Mayes had 481 yards from Sept. 23-Oct. 14, 1995 (146 vs. No. 13 Texas, 125 at No. 7 Ohio State, 132 vs. No. 15 Washington and 78 vs. Army).

LAND GRANT OFFENSE
Sophomore TB Ryan Grant has given Notre Dame added balance on offense through his dynamic rushing abilities. After getting his first taste of collegiate action late last season, the Nyack, N.Y., native has been a major force for the Irish this season, ranking 35th in the nation in rushing at 102.22 yards per game.

Grant has posted four 100-yard games this season, and has three other games with at least 90 yards rushing. His best outing came at No. 18 Air Force, when he established new career highs with 30 carries for 190 yards and one touchdown. It was the 12th-highest single-game output in school history, and the most since Tony Fisher rolled up 196 yards on the ground on Nov. 11, 2000, against Boston College. Grant’s 30 carries also were the most by an Irish back since Autry Denson toted the pigskin 31 times in a 1998 win over Purdue.

In addition, Grant has had a nose for the end zone in 2002. He scored twice at No. 11 Florida State, giving him a team-high eight touchdowns this season. It also marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Irish tailback had found the end zone. The last Notre Dame player to collect TDs in six straight games in the same season was Denson, who scored in each of the first 10 games of 1998.

GRANT ON PACE TO BREAK 1,000-YARD BARRIER
Sophomore TB Ryan Grant is in position to join the long line of stellar running backs in Notre Dame lore. He has rushed 202 times for 920 yards, putting him on track to become only the seventh player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, and the first since Autry Denson in 1998 (1,176 yards). Denson and Allen Pinkett are the only Irish runners to crack the 1,000-yard mark three times in their careers — Pinkett did it from 1983-85, while Denson turned the trick from 1996-98. The other Notre Dame 1,000-yard rushers are Al Hunter (1976), Vagas Ferguson (1978-79), Reggie Brooks (1992) and Lee Becton (1993). Ferguson holds the single-season school record with 1,437 yards in 1979.

FAINE NAMED ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD SEMIFINALIST
Senior C Jeff Faine is one of 12 players who have been chosen as semifinalists for the 2002 Rotary Lombardi Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top lineman by the Rotary Club of Houston. Faine earlier had been named to the Lombardi Award watch list for the second consecutive season. He has started 31 consecutive regular-season games for the Irish and is seeking to become the first Notre Dame center to earn All-America honors since Tim Ruddy in 1993.

In addition, Faine remains under consideration for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. Faine also has been selected to the watch list for the Rimington Award, presented annually to the nation’s top center.

WATSON NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR BUTKUS AWARD
Senior ILB Courtney Watson has been named one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s best linebacker by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. Watson, a native of Sarasota, Fla., leads Notre Dame with 69 tackles this season, despite missing the first two games of the year due to illness. He also has seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, including one he returned 34 yards for his second career touchdown on Oct. 5 against Stanford.

HILDBOLD NAMED RAY GUY AWARD SEMIFINALIST
Senior P Joey Hildbold is among a group of 10 players who have been named semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top punter by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council. It marks the second time in the three-year history of the award that Hildbold has been selected as one of the 10 semifinalists — he also was recognized during the 2000 season. This year, Hildbold has averaged 40.3 yards per punt, dropping 25 of his 54 kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and pinning the opposition inside its 10-yard line nine times.

DUFF HAS BEEN THE STUFF FOR NOTRE DAME
Junior Vontez Duff has proven to be a multi-dimensional talent for Notre Dame. A preseason honorable mention All-America pick at cornerback by Street & Smith’s, Duff lived up to that billing against Purdue, returning an interception 33 yards for the game-winning touchdown. His efforts have helped the Irish defense rank among the top 15 in the nation in several major statistical categories.

However, the Copperas Cove, Texas, native is not only a defensive threat. He also is a weapon on special teams as a kick returner. He proved that in Notre Dame’s win over No. 21 Maryland in the Kickoff Classic, returning a Terrapin punt 76 yards for a score. That followed up his effort in the 2001 season finale, when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a TD against Purdue, helping the Irish to a 24-18 win.

Duff nearly added a second punt return for a touchdown this season, but his 92-yard scamper against Stanford was wiped out by a penalty. Still, Duff’s touchdowns in three consecutive games also earned him a place in Notre Dame history. No defensive player had ever recorded touchdowns, whether on defense or special teams, in three straight games prior to Duff’s hat trick.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS FOR DUFF
With his game-winning 33-yard interception return against Purdue, junior Vontez Duff joined an elite group, becoming just the fourth player in school history to return an interception, punt and kickoff for a touchdown in his career. In the season opener, Duff returned a Maryland punt 76 yards for a score. That came on the heels of his final game in 2001, when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a TD against Purdue, helping the Irish to a 24-18 win. Here’s a list of the other players to turn this unique triple play:

• Allen Rossum (1994-97) < three=”” kickoff=”” returns=”” for=”” td=”” (1996=”” vs.=”” purdue,=”” 1997=”” at=”” pittsburgh=”” and=”” vs.=”” boston=”” college);=”” three=”” interception=”” returns=”” for=”” td=”” (1995=”” vs.=”” texas=”” and=”” at=”” washington,=”” 1997=”” at=”” hawaii);=”” three=”” punt=”” returns=”” for=”” td=”” (1996=”” vs.=”” air=”” force=”” and=”” pittsburgh=”” (two));=”” also=”” had=”” one=”” blocked=”” pat=”” return=”” (1995=”” vs.=”” texas).=””>
• John Lattner (1951-53) < two=”” kickoff=”” returns=”” for=”” td=”” (1953=”” at=”” purdue=”” and=”” pennsylvania);=”” one=”” punt=”” return=”” for=”” td=”” (1952=”” at=”” iowa);=”” one=”” interception=”” return=”” for=”” td=”” (1951=”” vs.=”” detroit);=”” won=”” heisman=”” trophy=”” in=”” 1953.=””>
• John Petitbon (1949-51) < one=”” kickoff=”” return=”” for=”” td=”” (1951=”” vs.=”” detroit);=”” one=”” punt=”” return=”” for=”” td=”” (1951=”” vs.=”” detroit);=”” one=”” interception=”” return=”” for=”” td=”” (1949=”” vs.=”” usc).=”” note:=”” heartley=”” (hunk)=”” anderson=”” (1918-21)=”” returned=”” an=”” interception=”” for=”” a=”” td=”” at=”” purdue=”” in=”” 1919,=”” and=”” returned=”” a=”” fumble=”” and=”” a=”” blocked=”” punt=”” for=”” a=”” td=”” at=”” purdue=”” in=”” 1921.=””>

WALTON LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
Senior CB Shane Walton rapidly has developed into one of the top defensive backs in the country. He currently ranks fifth in the nation in interceptions with 0.67 thefts per game (six total), including a school-record-tying three interceptions in Notre Dame’s win over No. 21 Maryland at Kickoff Classic XX. Walton was the first Irish player since Dave Duerson vs. Navy in 1982 to have three interceptions in a single game, and his three picks tied a Kickoff Classic record. Walton’s six interceptions this season are the most by an Irish defender since Todd Lyght registered eight thefts in 1989. Mike Townsend holds the school record for interceptions in a season with 10 in 1972.

All told, Walton has had a hand in nine of Notre Dame’s 25 takeaways this season, adding a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a pass deflection for an interception to his six interceptions. The San Diego, Calif., native also ranks fifth on the team with 40 tackles, including a career-high nine stops at No. 11 Florida State. Walton also played a key role in defeating No. 7 Michigan, knocking down a potential game-tying two-point conversion pass with 2:53 left, and intercepting UM quarterback John Navarre to stop the Wolverines’ final drive with 21 seconds to play. Walton’s efforts against Michigan earned him the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week award, leading to his addition to the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player. Walton also has been added to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is awarded each year to the country’s top defensive back, and he was named the midseason Thorpe Award winner by CBS Sportsline.com.

SETTA PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
Senior PK Nicholas Setta, a 2001 Lou Groza Award semifinalist and ’02 Groza Award candidate, has been one of Notre Dame’s top offensive weapons over the last three seasons, thanks to his accuracy from various distances. Setta got his season going in a big way in Notre Dame’s win over No. 21 Maryland at the Kickoff Classic. Setta set a Classic record by kicking five field goals, tying the school record set by Craig Hentrich against Miami (Fla.) in 1990. One of Setta’s kicks came from 51 yards out, setting a new Kickoff Classic mark and personal high for the Lockport, Ill., native. Along with his one PAT, Setta scored 16 points on the night, good enough to earn him Kickoff Classic MVP honors and recognition as the USATODAY.com National Player of the Week.

Setta currently owns a streak of 78 consecutive made extra points, dating back to a win over Stanford in 2000. That streak is the second-longest in school history behind Hentrich, who converted 136 consecutive PAT from Sept. 30, 1989 to Sept. 26, 1992.

However, while one of Setta’s streaks continues, another ended at Michigan State. The Irish placekicker did not kick a field goal against the Spartans, snapping his school-record string of three-pointers in 16 consecutive regular-season games. Setta wound up just three games shy of the NCAA record, jointly held by Oklahoma’s Larry Roach (1983-84) and Miami-Ohio’s Gary Gussman (1986-87), who each kicked a field goal in 19 consecutive games.

HILDBOLD KICKING UP A STORM
Senior P Joey Hildbold, a two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist (2000 and 2002), has shown his importance to the Notre Dame effort this season. The fourth-year mainstay from Centreville, Va., is averaging 40.3 yards per punt (54 kicks, 2,177 yards), and he has dropped over 45 percent (25) of his 54 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, including nine inside the 10-yard line.

Hildbold’s four-year average of 40.70 yards per punt (9,443 yards on 232 punts) puts him in fifth place on the Notre Dame career list, slightly behind Bill Shakespeare, who averaged 40.71 yards per punt from 1933-35.

IRISH PLAYERS RANK HIGH IN LINDY’S AND THE SPORTING NEWS
Senior Jeff Faine was tabbed the fifth-best center in the country by Lindy’s and The Sporting News, while senior Gerome Sapp was rated the fifth-best strong safety in the land by The Sporting News. Senior cornerback Shane Walton was ranked 12th in the nation by The Sporting News, while senior Nicholas Setta was placed fifth among kickers by Lindy’s and 13th by The Sporting News. Senior Courtney Watson was rated 17th among the nation’s middle linebackers by The Sporting News, while senior Tom Lopienski was charted 18th among fullbacks by the same publication.

JEFF FAINE EARNS QUARTET OF PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Senior center Jeff Faine was a first-team preseason All-America selection by Street & Smith’s, a second-team preseason All-America choice by Athlon, a third-team preseason All-America designee by Football News and a preseason All-America pick by the Football Writers Association of America (no individual teams were selected by the FWAA). Faine is seeking to become Notre Dame’s first All-America center since Tim Ruddy in 1993.

SIX EARN PRESEASON HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Street & Smith’s cited six Irish players as preseason honorable mention All-America selections. Senior Jordan Black was listed among offensive linemen, senior Shane Walton and junior Vontez Duff among defensive backs, senior Courtney Watson among linebackers, senior Joey Hildbold among punters and senior Nicholas Setta among kickers.

SHANE WALTON ADDED TO BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST
Senior CB Shane Walton has been added to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list after being named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 14. The Nagurski Trophy is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Charlotte (N.C.) Touchdown Club.

GEROME SAPP, SHANE WALTON NAMED TO JIM THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST
Senior SS Gerome Sapp and senior CB Shane Walton have been named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive back. It is presented by the Jim Thorpe Association, which is based in Oklahoma City.

NICHOLAS SETTA NAMED TO LOU GROZA AWARD WATCH LIST
Senior PK Nicholas Setta has been named to the Lou Groza Award watch list. The Groza Award is given annually to the nation’s top placekicker by the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Sports Commission.

FAINE, SETTA NAMED TO STREET & SMITH’S AWARD WATCH LISTS
Street & Smith’s tapped senior center Jeff Faine for a spot on its Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award watch lists. In addition, senior kicker Nicholas Setta earned a place on the publication’s Lou Groza Award watch list.

NINE PLAYERS SELECTED TO FOOTBALL NEWS PRESEASON ALL-INDEPENDENT TEAM
Football News named nine Notre Dame players to its 2002 preseason all-independent team. Sophomore RB Ryan Grant, senior TE Gary Godsey, senior OT Jordan Black and senior C Jeff Faine were chosen from the offensive side of the ball. Senior DT Darrell Campbell, senior LB Courtney Watson, senior CB Shane Walton and junior CB Vontez Duff were tapped on the defensive end. Senior PK Nicholas Setta represented the Irish special teams units on the squad.

SCOUTING THE IRISH OFFENSE
Line — The Irish have an extremely talented and experienced crew up front on the offensive line this season. Four starters — senior tackles Jordan Black and Brennan Curtin, senior guard Sean Mahan and senior center Jeff Faine — returned this season and are legitimate contenders for postseason awards. Black has been a staple on the Notre Dame offensive line, now in his fourth season as a starter at tackle, playing in 40 regular-season games and amassing more than 900 minutes of playing time. Faine, a preseason first-team All-American, Lombardi Award semifinalist, and candidate for the Outland and Rimington Trophies, is in his third season as the everyday Irish center, having started 31 consecutive regular-season games and leading the team in playing time this year. Mahan and Curtin are in their second seasons as starters at left guard and right tackle, respectively. Mahan has appeared in 37 games, starting his last 20 games, and he is second on the team in playing time this season. Curtin has made 15 career starts (including the last 12 games in a row) after alternating between right tackle and right guard in ’01. This season, he moved into the right tackle position vacated by the graduation of Kurt Vollers.

With Vollers’ departure and Curtin’s move back to tackle, senior Sean Milligan returned to the starting lineup at right guard in eight of the nine Irish games this season. An injury limited his effectiveness vs. Purdue, and senior Ryan Scarola stepped into the starting right guard spot against the Boilermakers. Scarola also has spent time as Faine’s understudy at center. Seniors Ryan Gillis and Jim Molinaro also have seen significant minutes in reserve roles this season at guard and tackle, respectively.

Backs — Junior Carlyle Holiday took over as the starting quarterback for the Irish in the third week of the 2001 season and kept a firm grip on his job throughout the campaign. In six games this season, Holiday has completed 90 of 176 passes for 1,154 yards and five TD, including a career-high 226 yards in the Kickoff Classic victory over Maryland. He also tossed a career-best two touchdown passes at No. 11 Florida State, a week after registering a season-high 71 rushing yards at No. 18 Air Force. Sophomore Pat Dillingham (21-41, 250 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT), a former walk-on, has appeared in five games for the Irish this season. He replaced the injured Holiday against Michigan State and threw the game-winning touchdown pass, a 60-yard strike to WR Arnaz Battle with just 1:15 to play. Dillingham then made his first career start against Stanford, guiding the Irish to a victory over the Cardinal. Freshman Chris Olsen fills the role as Notre Dame’s No. 3 QB.

Sophomore Ryan Grant (202-920, 8 TD) leads a youthful corps of Irish running backs who are benefitting not only from Notre Dame’s new offensive style, but also from its veteran offensive line. Grant ranks 35th in the nation with 102.22 yards per game and is poised to become Notre Dame’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Autry Denson in 1998 (1,176). Grant’s best outing to date came at No. 18 Air Force, when he piled up career highs of 30 carries and 190 yards, the 12th-highest single-game rushing total in school history. In addition, he has a team-high eight touchdowns this season. Sophomore Rashon Powers-Neal (46-241, 1 TD) has given Notre Dame an alternate, tough-nosed option out of the backfield, after his conversion from linebacker last spring. He rushed for a career-best 108 yards and his first career TD against Stanford, but missed the Air Force game with an injury and did not play vs. Florida State or Boston College. Sophomore Marcus Wilson (34-102) and senior Chris Yura (1-7) also see action out of the backfield. Wilson has stepped in to replace the injured Powers-Neal, and turned in the best game of his young career against Air Force, rushing 10 times for 44 yards. Yura picked up his first carry of the season vs. Air Force, notching a career-long seven-yard run.

Senior Tom Lopienski (17-43) returns as the starting fullback for the Irish. Lopienski has made 27 career starts, serving mainly as a blocking back. However, his role has been expanded in the new Irish offensive scheme. Senior Mike McNair (1-12) has fought through injuries during his career, but he is ready to make a major contribution for Notre Dame in 2002. Like Yura, McNair got his first carry of the year against Air Force, racing 12 yards.

Receivers — The Irish receiving corps has been the most closely-examined unit on the roster this season, as the new offensive program shifts its focus to a balanced attack. Experience is limited at the position, with only two returning monogram winners from a year ago. After catching five passes for 40 yards all of 2001, senior Arnaz Battle leads the team with 38 catches this season for 553 yards and three TD, including a career-high 10 catches against Pittsburgh and a career-best 112 yards receiving against Air Force. He also hauled in a 65-yard score on the first play from scrimmage at Florida State, and added six catches for 86 yards vs. Boston College. Sophomore Omar Jenkins (24-331, 1 TD) has shown the ability to be a deep threat for the Irish. He caught his first touchdown pass of the season at No. 11 Florida State (a 16-yard strike) and contributed four receptions for 34 yards against BC. Junior Ronnie Rodamer and sophomore Carlos Campbell (4-38) each played just over 14 minutes last season, but also have seen significant time in the starting lineup this season. Campbell had one reception for 12 yards against Boston College, his first catch since the Purdue game. Both Rodamer and Campbell have been challenged by a pair of speedy freshman wideouts, Rhema McKnight (4-46) and Maurice Stovall (11-203, 2 TD), who are anxious to make their mark at the college level. Both young men stood out against Boston College — McKnight registered two catches for a career-high 37 yards, while Stovall caught a career-high three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.

Another converted quarterback, senior Gary Godsey gets the starting nod at tight end. The 6-6, 250-pound Godsey is a formidable target for Irish quarterbacks, and he is third on the team with 14 receptions for 130 yards, including a career-best four-catch day vs. Purdue and three receptions for 32 yards against Boston College. Godsey also is a talented blocker and gives the Irish a sizeable advantage on the offensive line. Junior Billy Palmer serves as Godsey’s understudy, along with junior Jared Clark (3-63), who moved from QB to TE in the spring. Clark had a career-long 37-yard reception in the fourth quarter at Florida State.

SCOUTING THE IRISH DEFENSE
Line — The Irish defensive line is anchored by senior defensive tackle Darrell Campbell (22 tackles, five for loss, four sacks) and senior nose guard Cedric Hilliard (26 tackles, four for loss, two sacks). Campbell carded a career-high five tackles (two for loss and one sack) vs. Pittsburgh, while Hilliard logged a career-best seven tackles against Air Force and was a key factor in shutting down the Falcons’ top-ranked rushing attack. Hilliard missed the Boston College game with an injury and was replaced by junior Greg Pauly (seven tackles), who made his first career start against the Eagles. Pauly has six tackles in his last three games, including a career-high three stops against Air Force. On the outside, fifth-year senior right end Ryan Roberts (30 tackles, seven for loss, team-high seven sacks) and junior left end Kyle Budinscak (13 tackles, five for loss, three sacks) who has made 11 career starts, are the other veterans returning on the Irish defensive line. Roberts was a key force in Notre Dame’s wins over Purdue, Michigan State and Pittsburgh, registering a pair of sacks in all three games, and adding a sack vs. Boston College. Assistance comes in the form of sophomore end Justin Tuck (19 tackles, five for loss, four sacks), a pass-rushing specialist and converted linebacker, as well as junior end Jason Sapp. Tuck turned in back-to-back solid outings against Stanford and Pittsburgh, registering five tackles and a sack vs. the Cardinal, and four tackles and two sacks against the Panthers.

Linebackers — Senior ILB Courtney Watson is the lone returning linebacker for the Irish. He ranked second on the team with 76 tackles last season, including 13 for loss, and already is a 2002 Butkus Award semifinalist. He missed the Maryland and Purdue games with a viral infection, but has returned with a vengeance since then, rolling up a team-high 69 tackles (seven for loss, two sacks, two INT), including a game-high 15 stops at Michigan State. He also returned an interception 34 yards for a score vs. Stanford, and came up with his second theft of the year at Florida State, leading to another Irish score. Sophomore Brandon Hoyte (36 tackles, two for loss, one sack) has proven to be a more than capable understudy for Watson, ranking sixth on the team in tackles. Hoyte stepped in for Watson in the Maryland and Purdue games, recording a career-high nine tackles in the latter contest, one week after notching his first career sack in his first career appearance against Maryland. He also had his first career fumble recovery as a member of the Irish kickoff coverage team at Florida State. At the other two positions, Notre Dame was faced with the tall task of replacing honorable mention All-American Tyreo Harrison (97 tackles, 11 tackles for loss) and Rocky Boiman (41 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks), who were first and sixth on the team in tackles in ’01, respectively. Sophomore Mike Goolsby (46 tackles, 10 for loss, two sacks) has stepped into the starting lineup at the other inside linebacker spot, ringing up a career-high 11 tackles, including three for losses, against Purdue. He also leads the team with 10 tackles for losses. Senior Carlos Pierre-Antoine (eight tackles) serves as Goolsby’s understudy at that inside linebacker post, while junior Derek Curry (24 tackles, five for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery) has the most experience of the outside linebackers. As a force on kickoff coverage, Pierre-Antoine caused a critical fumble at Florida State, leading to an Irish TD. He also chipped in with a season-high three tackles against Boston College. Curry recorded a career-high five tackles at Michigan State and has had a sack in three of his last five games, the first takedowns of his career. Sophomore Corey Mays (three tackles) and junior Jerome Collins (one tackle) both lend support in the linebacking corps.

Backs — The Irish secondary has been a particular source of strength in 2002, with three starters back in the fold. Senior Shane Walton (45 tackles, four for loss, six INT, seven pass breakups) has started the last 20 games at cornerback for the Irish, and he currently ranks fifth in the nation in interceptions (0.67 per game). The San Diego native opened the season by setting a Kickoff Classic record and tying a school standard with three thefts against Maryland. Walton’s six interceptions are the most by an Irish player in one season since Todd Lyght had eight picks in 1989. Walton also logged a career-high nine tackles and three pass breakups at Florida State. Meanwhile, junior Vontez Duff (28 tackles, one INT, two fumble recoveries, four pass breakups) gets the starting call at the other cornerback position, a position he has held for the last 16 games. Duff was the hero against Purdue, returning an interception 33 yards for the game-winning touchdown with just over five minutes to play. Senior strong safety Gerome Sapp (60 tackles, three for loss, four INT, one fumble return, seven pass breakups) ranks 22nd in the nation with 0.44 interceptions per game, and he also returned a fumble 54 yards for a TD in the first quarter of Notre Dame’s win over Purdue. Sapp recorded a career-high 10 tackles at Air Force, including two for losses as the Irish stifled the nation’s top rushing offense. Senior Glenn Earl (59 tackles, four for loss, one sack, one INT, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries) ranks third on the team in tackles and solo stops (33). He posted a season-high 11 tackles at Florida State, along with a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. The reserve secondary unit is headed by junior Preston Jackson (11 tackles, one INT) and sophomore Dwight Ellick (five tackles) at cornerback, and junior Garron Bible (17 tackles) and sophomore Lionel Bolen at safety. Jackson preserved the win over Pittsburgh by snaring his first career interception with just over a minute to play. Bible tied his career high with four tackles against Michigan and Florida State. Bolen also has made an important contribution, scoring his first career touchdown on special teams against Purdue, scooping up a Boilermaker fumble and scurrying four yards for a second-quarter score.

SCOUTING THE IRISH SPECIAL TEAMS
For the third consecutive season, senior P Joey Hildbold and senior PK Nicholas Setta return, giving the Irish one of the finest kicking tandems in the nation. Hildbold, who recently was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award for the second time in three seasons, ranks fifth on Notre Dame’s career punting average list (40.70) and he is second in school history with 232 punts and 9,443 yards. Setta, a 2001 Lou Groza Award semifinalist and an ’02 Groza Award candidate, has made 78 straight PAT attempts, the second-longest run in school history. He also holds the Notre Dame record with at least one field goal in 16 consecutive games, a streak which ended at Michigan State. Setta established a Kickoff Classic record and tying the school mark with five field goals, including a Classic-record 51-yard boot, to earn game MVP honors. Hildbold and Setta join veteran long snapper John Crowther (93 special teams appearances) and kick returner Vontez Duff in giving Notre Dame a potent special teams unit. Duff is ranked nationally in kickoff return yardage, averaging 24.62 yards per return (27th in the nation). He also has been strong on punt runbacks with a 76-yard TD return vs. Maryland to his credit — he also had a 92-yard punt return for a score vs. Stanford called back by a penalty. Arnaz Battle shares the kickoff return duties, averaging more than 22 yards per kickoff return (10 returns, 224 yards). Shane Walton (seven punt returns for 62 yards) has helped to return punts this season.

FRESHMAN WALKONS
Notre Dame’s freshman practices included 17 scholarship players and four walkons: OL James Bent (6-2, 260, Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) wears No. 59, OL David Fitzgerald (6-4, 270, Godfrey, Ill./Marquette Catholic) shares No. 54 with DL Jason Halvorson, WR Mike O’Hara (5-10, 175, Bellevue, Wash./Newport) sports No. 84, and ILB Anthony Salvador (6-2, 195, Concord, Calif./De La Salle) wears No. 81.

NUMBER CHANGES
The Irish made one number change from the 2002 media guide rosters as senior strong safety/special teams player Chad DeBolt has changed from No. 58 to No. 24.

THE 2002 CAPTAINS
For only the second time in the 114-year history of football at Notre Dame, the Irish are designating captains on a game-by-game basis this season. In 1946, legendary head coach Frank Leahy elected to choose captains for each game — the result was an 8-0-1 record and the fifth of Notre Dame’s 11 consensus national championships. The 2002 captains have been as follows:

Maryland: WR Arnaz Battle, C Jeff Faine, RE Ryan Roberts, RCB Shane Walton
Purdue: TE Gary Godsey, NG Cedric Hilliard, SS Gerome Sapp, PK Nicholas Setta
Michigan: LT Jordan Black, DT Darrell Campbell, LCB Vontez Duff, C Jeff Faine
Michigan State: WR Arnaz Battle, FS Glenn Earl, LG Sean Mahan, ILB Courtney Watson
Stanford: C Jeff Faine, WR Omar Jenkins, RE Ryan Roberts, RCB Shane Walton
Pittsburgh: WR Arnaz Battle, LT Jordan Black, P Joey Hildbold, NG Cedric Hilliard
Air Force: LG Sean Mahan, SS Gerome Sapp, PK Nicholas Setta, RE Ryan Roberts
Florida State: WR Arnaz Battle, C Jeff Faine, RCB Shane Walton, ILB Courtney Watson
Boston College: LT Jordan Black, DT Darrell Campbell, LCB Vontez Duff, C Jeff Faine

TWO-SPORT STANDOUTS
Notre Dame has seven athletes who are two-sport standouts with the Irish:

• Senior CB Shane Walton is less than three years removed from earning all-BIG EAST Conference honors as a freshman forward on the ’98 Irish men’s soccer team. Walton has started 29 of the last 30 regular-season games for the Irish (missed 2000 USC game with broken arm), dating back to the start of the 2000 season, earning preseason honorable mention All-America honors this year from Street & Smith’s. Walton joined the Irish football squad in the spring of ’99 and saw action in three games in the secondary during the ’99 season. He played in nine games overall with 61 appearances on special teams, earning his second Notre Dame monogram in as many years and in as many sports.
• Senior SS and special teams player Chad DeBolt has made 255 special teams appearances over the last three seasons and was one of just four walkons on the usual travel list during that time. In 2000, he recovered a blocked punt vs. Rutgers and blocked a punt vs. USC — both of which led to Irish TDs.

DeBolt also was a four-year monogram winner for the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team which advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 2001. The Waterloo, N.Y., native served as team captain in ’02, handling the majority of the faceoff duties for the Irish. He won better than 56 percent of his draws and scooping up a team-high 51 ground balls in ’02. DeBolt missed just one contest during his 57-game career, scoring four goals and collecting 168 ground balls.

DeBolt’s lacrosse talents also have earned him a place at the professional level. He recently was drafted by the Rochester (N.Y.) Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.

• Sophomore CB Dwight Ellick earned a monogram last winter while competing for Irish head coach Joe Piane and the Notre Dame track and field team. Ellick garnered all-BIG EAST honors after placing third in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the 2002 BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships. He was a two-time state champion in the 100 meters in high school, winning the New York crown in 1999, before moving to Florida and winning the Sunshine State title in 2000.
• Senior PK Nicholas Setta, who finished sixth at the Illinois state track and field meet in the high jump and was the top hurdler in the state, has competed for Piane and the Irish track and field program the last two years. Setta ran middle distance for the Irish and participated in the 2001 and 2002 BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships.
• Other Notre Dame football players who also ran track for the Irish include senior CB Jason Beckstrom, senior FB Mike McNair and sophomore WR Matt Shelton.

THE 2002 SCHEDULE
Once again, Notre Dame faces one of the nation’s toughest schedules, as the Irish play four teams that currently are ranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls (No. 10/9 USC, No. 13/11 Michigan, No. 17/18 Florida State and No. 22/23 Pittsburgh). In addition, Maryland is ranked 25th in this week’s ESPN/USA Today poll, while Boston College is receiving votes in both polls. Nine of the 12 foes on this year’s Notre Dame’s schedule went to bowl games last season, highlighted by Maryland’s Orange Bowl berth, Michigan’s spot in the Citrus Bowl and Stanford’s trip to the Seattle Bowl. All of this comes on the heels of the 2001 Irish schedule, which was ranked 22nd in the nation and featured nine opponents that appeared in bowl games — Notre Dame was the only school to play nine bowl-bound teams last season.

According to the latest NCAA rankings (as of Nov. 3), Notre Dame has the 54th-toughest schedule in the nation. These rankings take into account the cumulative performance of all Irish opponents during the 2002 season.

2002 Notre Dame Opponent UPDATE
Below is a look at Notre Dame opponents’ upcoming games. Since 1977, when the NCAA started rating strength of schedule, Notre Dame’s schedule has been rated the most difficult five times (1978, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995) and has appeared in the top 25 a total of 19 times in the last 25 years. According to the latest NCAA rankings (as of Nov. 3), Notre Dame’s 2002 schedule ranks as the 54th-toughest in the nation.

BIG CROWDS
Notre Dame has played in front of sellout crowds in 146 of its previous 169 games, including its first nine games this season. In addition, the Irish have attracted stadium record crowds in each of their last three games — the Air Force contest brought in a Falcon Stadium-record crowd of 56,409 (nearly 4,000 more than its listed capacity), while the Florida State game resulted in a Doak Campbell Stadium-record gathering of 84,106 (more than 2,000 above its listed capacity). Then, with the addition of 140 field seats against Boston College, the Irish and Eagles set a Notre Dame Stadium attendance record of 80,935. All told, Notre Dame has helped set a new stadium attendance record at an opponents’ facility five times in the last two seasons (also Nebraska and Texas A&M last year).

In 2001, not only were 10 of the 11 Irish games designated sellouts (only Stanford was not), but eight came in front of stadium-record crowds. The Irish played before 78,118 fans at Nebraska, welcomed Notre Dame Stadium-record crowds of 80,795 for the Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, USC, Tennessee and Navy games, and took the field before 87,206 fans at Texas A&M, setting a Kyle Field, Big XII Conference and state of Texas record in the process. In fact, since 1998, Notre Dame has played before sellout crowds in 50 of the last 56 games — the only non-sellouts in that time were the ’98 and 2000 games at USC, the ’99 and 2001 games at Stanford, and neutral site games vs. Georgia Tech (’99 Gator Bowl at Jacksonville) and Navy (2000 at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl).

TICKET UPDATE
Demand for tickets to two of Notre Dame’s six home games in 2002 ranks among the top five in the history of Notre Dame Stadium. The Notre Dame ticket office received 55,482 ticket requests for the Nov. 2 game vs. Boston College, making it the third-highest requested Irish home game in history. In addition, the Sept. 14 Notre Dame-Michigan game garnered 50,883 requests, placing it fourth on the all-time list.

The Notre Dame Stadium record of 59,368 ticket requests was set last season when the Irish took on West Virginia on Oct. 13. Demand for that game, like this year’s Boston College contest, was based on parents of current Notre Dame students being guaranteed four tickets for that contest — plus contributing alumni having the opportunity to apply for four tickets instead of the usual two, based on its designation as an alumni family game.

The Irish have posted 166 consecutive sellouts at Notre Dame Stadium and the 214 in their last 215 home games dating back to 1966 (only non-sellout was the 1973 Thanksgiving Day game with Air Force, which was changed to the holiday to accommodate television and was played with students absent from campus).

NOTRE DAME ON THE SMALL SCREEN
With the Navy game slated to be televised nationally by CBS, the Irish will extend their streak of appearances on one of four major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS or ESPN) to 121 straight games. That’s a streak that includes nine full seasons (1993-2001), and it will continue at least through the 2002 campaign, as all 12 games this year are slated to be televised. The last time the Irish didn’t appear on one of those four networks was more than 10 years ago (Oct. 31, 1992), when Notre Dame downed Navy, 38-7, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That game was shown locally in the South Bend area on WNDU-TV.

86,000 “Return to glory” t-shirts create “sea of green”
More than 86,000 of the “Return to Glory” T-shirts that have created a “sea of green” in Notre Dame Stadium this year have been sold, according to the university’s Student Activities Office. The initial run of 44,000 shirts sold out within six weeks, making it one of the earliest sellouts in the 13-year history of what is officially known as The Shirt Project. Due to the extraordinary popularity of The Shirt, a second run of 20,000 shirts was produced for the Stanford game, with the complete run selling out within the week. A third run of 22,000 arrived for the Pittsburgh game and that order sold out within seven days.

As a result of this year’s sales, more than $400,000 has been raised to aid student charities and help fund the cost of operating student clubs and organizations, according to Mary Edgington, assistant director of Student Activities and adviser to the student-run project.

Notre Dame students have been wearing “The Shirt” to home football games since 1990 to show their support of the team. The project started when a graduate student suffered injuries in a car accident and students sold T-shirts to raise money to cover his medical expenses. Over time, other members of the Notre Dame community adopted the tradition, including alumni, faculty, staff and fans.

This year, The Shirt Project attracted national media attention because the slogan on the front of the shirt, “Return to Glory,” has been accompanied by the team’s first 7-0 start since 1993. As the largest student-run fundraiser on campus, The Shirt Project has raised over $2 million in the past 13 years.

The Shirt is kelly green and displays an interlocking ND with the “Return to Glory” slogan on the front. The back features a battle-chipped gold helmet, the Four Horsemen (the backfield made famous by sportswriter Grantland Rice), former Irish coach Knute Rockne, and an excerpt from a well-known Rockne speech – “We’re gonna go, go, go! And we aren’t going to stop until we go over that goal line!” The Shirt sells for $15 at various campus outlets as well as on the Internet.

FORMER IRISH ASSISTANTS SHINING IN TOP POSITIONS
Four former Notre Dame assistant coaches currently are walking the sidelines as college head coaches. Most notably, second-year Bowling Green mentor Urban Meyer, who coached the Irish receivers from 1996-2000, has guided the Falcons to an 8-0 record and rankings of 20th in the Associated Press poll and 16th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. The other former Irish assistants now in the Division I-A head coaching ranks all were former defensive coordinators at Notre Dame: Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez (1987-89), Western Michigan’s Gary Darnell (1990-91) and Cincinnati’s Rick Minter (1992-93).

NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS WEBSITE RANKED FIRST IN NATION IN SEPTEMBER
Notre Dame’s success on the gridiron has resulted in success on the school’s athletics website (www.und.com). The site, run by the Official College Sports Network (OCSN), attracted more than five million page views during the month of September, tops among the 130 college websites in the OCSN family. In addition, the website tallied more orders for its online store than any other OCSN institution, including Miami and Oklahoma. More than 3,200 orders were processed and approximately $95,000 in sales were registered, with the best-selling item being “The Shirt” — the kelly green T-shirt with the slogan “Return to Glory,” which has been wildly popular among Irish fans this season.

WILLINGHAM NAMED HEAD COACH FOR 2003 EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME
Notre Dame mentor Tyrone Willingham has been named a head coach for the 78th East-West Shrine Game, to be played Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003, at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco.

Willingham will pilot the East squad, while Washington State skipper Mike Price will lead the West team. Both men previously served as assistant coaches at the Shrine Game — Willingham worked with the West squad in 1998, while Price was a West assistant in 1996.

The Shrine Game showcases the talents of many of the nation’s top college senior players, while raising funds for thousands of children who receive medical care, at no cost, from the 22 Shriners’ Hospitals for Children throughout North America. In the 2002 NFL draft, 33 players from the 2002 Shrine Game were selected, including the third overall pick, Joey Harrington of Oregon.

NOTRE DAME LEGENDS ON BALLOT FOR “COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S 10 GREATEST PLAYERS”
No less than a dozen Notre Dame standouts will be under consideration when CBS airs “Dell Presents College Football’s 10 Greatest Players” at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday, Nov. 29. Among the nearly 200 former college greats listed on the ballot were all seven of Notre Dame’s Heisman Trophy winners — Angelo Bertelli (1943), John Lujack (1947), Leon Hart (1949), John Lattner (1953), Paul Hornung (1956), John Huarte (1964) and Tim Brown (1987). Other former Irish players being considered for this elite group include a quartet of consensus All-Americans and National Football Foundation Hall of Fame inductees — DE Ross Browner (1973-77), T George Connor (1946-47), HB George Gipp (1917-20) and DT Alan Page (1964-66) — as well as consensus All-American and current Dallas Cowboys’ wideout Raghib Ismail (1988-90).

Balloting for “Dell Presents College Football’s 10 Greatest Players” included only 500 voters representing five groups — the NFF Hall of Fame, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of America, the Downtown Athletic Club and prominent members of the college football media. Voting was not limited to the 200 players on the ballot, as voters were able to cast write-in selections as well.

1947 NOTRE DAME TEAM SELECTED FOR “TOSTITOS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS”
In conjunction with ESPN.com, Tostitos is asking fans to vote for the greatest national championship team of all time. A group of 16 teams have been selected by an ESPN and ABC panel of football experts. Among those squads chosen is the 1947 Notre Dame team led by legendary head coach Frank Leahy. That Irish unit went a perfect 9-0 behind the play of consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy winner John Lujack, as well as fellow consensus All-Americans George Connor and Bill (Moose) Fischer. The Irish averaged better than 32 points per game while holding opponents to less than six points per outing that season. However, perhaps the most impressive statistic about the ’47 squad is that it sent 42 players to professional football and six of its members were later inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.

Beginning Aug. 23 and continuing through Dec. 6, those 16 teams are being paired head-to-head in a bracket tournament, with the team receiving the largest number of fan votes advancing to the next round. The 1947 Notre Dame club defeated the ’48 Michigan crew in the opening round of the tournament, and met the ’71 Nebraska squad in the quarterfinals on Nov. 1. The semifinals are slated for Nov. 22, with the title contest on Nov. 29. The announcement of the “greatest national championship team of all-time” is set for Dec. 8 during the Bowl Championship Series selection show on ABC.

THE 2002 NFL DRAFT
Six former Irish players were selected in the 2002 NFL entry draft, while five other players signed free agent contracts. Anthony Weaver (second round, Baltimore Ravens) was the first Notre Dame player chosen. Rocky Boiman (fourth round, Tennessee Titans) was next, followed by John Owens (fifth round, Detroit Lions), Tyreo Harrison (sixth round, Philadelphia Eagles), Javin Hunter (sixth round, Baltimore Ravens) and David Givens (seventh round, New England Patriots). In addition, Tony Fisher (Green Bay Packers), Grant Irons (Buffalo Bills), Ron Israel (Washington Redskins), Jason Murray (Cincinnati Bengals) and Kurt Vollers (Indianapolis Colts) all signed free agent deals. Of these 11 players, eight made the final 53-man roster with their respective teams (all six draftees plus Fisher and Irons), while Vollers was re-signed to the Colts’ practice squad.

MAKING THE GRADE
The Notre Dame football squad recently had two of the most successful semesters in the classroom in the history of the program, based on final grades from the 2001 fall semester and the 2002 spring semester. In the fall of 2001, the Irish team finished with its second-highest combined grade-point average on record (2.685) since statistics were kept beginning in 1992. A total of 12 players earned Dean’s List recognition and 38 players posted a “B” average or higher last fall. Then, in the spring of 2002, the Irish topped that mark with a record-setting 2.911 combined team GPA, with 13 players making the Dean’s List and another 47 averaging a “B” or better.

NOTRE DAME EXCELS IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS ON THE FIELD
The Notre Dame football team has earned American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award special mention honors announced in August. To earn the award, a team must have a graduation rate of over 70 percent. Northwestern won the 2002 overall award with a perfect 100 percent graduation rate. Notre Dame joined distinct company as it was one of eight schools to graduate over 90 percent of its players from the freshman class of 1996-97. The Irish joined Boston College, Duke, Nebraska, Penn State, Rice, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan in the elite group. Sixteen other schools graduated 70 percent of their athletes or better in earning special mention status as well.

Notre Dame has been recognized 21 of 22 years the award has been presented, the most of any school in the nation. Notre Dame has won the overall award six times with the most recent coming in 2001 as the Irish posted a perfect 100 percent graduation rate, becoming only the eighth school in history to graduate everyone in the class during the reporting period. Notre Dame also won the overall award in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991. In 1988, Notre Dame became the only school to win the Academic Achievement Award and the National Championship in the same year.

FORMER IRISH GREAT DAVE DUERSON
Former Notre Dame football All-American Dave Duerson is still extremely involved with the University in a number of capacities. A former team captain, Duerson was named to the Notre Dame Board of Trustees in 2001, and was the winner of the 2001 Rev. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C., Award from the Notre Dame Alumni Association. The Sorin Award is presented annually to a graduate who has embodied “the values of Our Lady’s University” in his service to the community. Earlier this year, Duerson founded his own company, Duerson Foods, after serving as president of Fair Oaks Farms, Inc., a Wisconsin-based international meat supplier that in 1999 was ranked 64th among Black Enterprise 100 companies. In addition, Duerson was a member of the advisory council for the University’s Mendoza College of Business and currently is first vice president of the Notre Dame National Monogram Club (he will serve as president from June 2003-June 2005). He also is a member of the athletic department’s student development mentoring program.

NOTRE DAME REMEMBERS 1949 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER LEON HART
University of Notre Dame football legend Leon Hart, who as a senior right end in 1949 became the third of seven Irish winners of the Heisman Trophy, died Sept. 25, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend, Ind. He was 73. Hart remains one of two linemen ever to win the Heisman Trophy and is the only one so honored in the last 65 years, dating back to the 1936 season when Yale lineman Larry Kelley earned the honor. In addition to winning the 1949 Heisman Trophy, Hart was selected as the 1949 AP Male Athlete of the Year, earning the honor above such notables as Jackie Robinson and Sam Snead. Hart’s four-year career as a varsity monogram winner (freshmen were granted eligibility during the World War II era) coincided with the 1946-49 seasons that produced four unbeaten campaigns, three national titles and a 36-0-2 record. Sports Illustrated ranked that four-year stretch of Notre Dame football as the nation’s second-best dynasty of the 20th century (in any sport), trailing only the 1957-69 Boston Celtics that won 11 NBA titles.

Born and raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Turtle Creek, Pa., Hart is one of 16 Notre Dame players ever to earn consensus first-team All-America honors in multiple seasons (’48 and ’49) and he was named to college football all-century teams that were selected by both Sports Illustrated and the Walter Camp Foundation. Sports Illustrated also listed Hart among the top 50 all-time athletes in the state of Pennsylvania’s rich athletic history. Elected to the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in 1973, Hart served as president of Notre Dame’s National Monogram Club in the late 1970s and was active in promoting the Monogram Club’s Brennan-Boland Fund, which provides scholarship assistance to children of Notre Dame monogram winners.

A resident of the Detroit suburb of Birmingham, Mich., during his post-playing years, Hart headed up a variety of business enterprises. He founded and served as president of Leon Hart Industries, which produced a variety of products used by the commercial trucking industry. Hart’s son, Kevin, was a tight end on Notre Dame’s 1977-79 football teams while his grandson, Brendan, is a junior tight end on the 2002 Notre Dame squad.

FRIDAY FOOTBALL KICKOFF LUNCHEONS
Tickets are available for the 2002 Notre Dame Football Kickoff Luncheons, “ND Football Live,” with the final one slated for noon (EST) Nov. 22 in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome). The luncheons are held the same day and time before every Irish home football game this year. The 2002 Notre Dame Football Luncheons are sponsored by the Notre Dame Athletic Department and the speaking program each week includes a combination of special guests, head coach Tyrone Willingham, members of the coaching staff and members of the Irish squad, with Bob Nagle hosting the television talk-show format. Tickets are $18 each (plus $3 handling charge per order) and are available by calling (574) 272-2870.

PEP RALLIES
All 2002 pep rallies will be held in the Joyce Center Arena (south dome) on Fridays before Saturday home games, with new start times of 6 p.m. (EST). The Irish squad enters the arena at 6:30 p.m.

“NOTRE DAME EXPERIENCE” MAKES ITS DEBUT IN 2002
For years, the Joyce Center Fieldhouse has been the “pregame meeting place” for several thousand Notre Dame alumni. In an effort to add to this tradition, the Notre Dame Athletics Department is providing an interactive fan experience for each of the 2002 home football games. The “Notre Dame Experience” will combine the Notre Dame Alumni Association Hospitality Center with interactive inflatables, photo booths, autograph sessions, Notre Dame football trivia and stage activities. Among those persons featured in the autograph sessions have been former Irish football standouts Derrick Mayes, Allen Pinkett, Tony Rice and Pat Terrell, as well as former Notre Dame women’s basketball All-American and 2001 consensus national player of the year Ruth Riley. Gates open three hours prior to kickoff and will stay open until one hour after the game. Admission is free.

ORDER YOUR MEDIA GUIDES AND FOOTBALL PREVIEW MAGAZINES TODAY
This season marks the ninth edition of the Notre Dame Football Preview Magazine — an official publication by the University of Notre Dame athletic department. The 1994, ’95, ’96, ’97 and ’98 and 2000 editions were voted best in the nation in the special publications competition sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The preview magazine, published by Host Communications, numbers nearly 100 pages, including game action shots of returning Irish players and coaches, position-by-position breakdowns and a feature on new head coach Tyrone Willingham. It’s a collectors item perfect for autographs — with an emphasis on outstanding color photography unavailable in any other publication. The yearbook is priced at $8 (plus $4 for postage and handling) and can be ordered by calling 1-800-313-4678 or by writing to: Notre Dame Programs, 904 N. Broadway, Lexington, KY 40505.

Notre Dame’s award-winning football media guide, which was voted best in the nation by CoSIDA for the 10th time in the last 20 years in 2001, features more than 450 pages of information and statistics on the 2002 Irish squad, as well as a complete record book and history of Notre Dame football. The media guide is priced at $10 (plus $6 for postage and handling) and can be ordered by calling 1-800-647-4641 or by visiting the Hammes Bookstore on the Notre Dame campus.