2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football
team who represented the University of Notre Dame
in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
. The team was coached by Charlie Weis
in his first year as head coach, and played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium
. The Irish completed the season with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses, culminating in a post-season appearance in the Fiesta Bowl
and a number 9 ranking in the nation
.
. The Irish initially hoped to hire Utah
head coach Urban Meyer
, who had led the Utes to an undefeated season, as Meyer previously was an assistant coach for the Irish for 5 years and had a clause in his contract stating he could leave Utah without penalty if Notre Dame offered him a job. When Meyer instead took the head coaching job at Florida
, Notre Dame hired Charlie Weis
, the New England Patriots
offensive coordinator, making him the first Notre Dame alumnus to coach the team since 1963.
, and two former starting linebackers, including honorable mention All-American Derek Curry
, to graduation. On the offensive side of the ball the only key losses for the Irish were running back Ryan Grant
and former quarterback and wide receiver Carlyle Holiday
. The Irish returned ten starters on offense and four on defense.
). Weis, with some of Willingham's recruits signing also, built a class of 15 recruits, including five four star recruits.
assistant coaches, and 42 bowl victories. Before the season, however, assistant offensive head and quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe after undergoing heart surgery and being on medical leave, decided to resign, saying he felt his absence unfair to the players and coaches. In early June, Peter Vaas was named as Cutcliffe's replacement. Vaas was a former six year NFL Europa head coach, an eight year collegiate head coach, and had 17 years of assistant coaching experience, including two years at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz
.
On October 29, only half-way through the season, Weis, who originally signed a six year contract with the Irish, was offered an extension on his contract. The new 10-year deal was worth $30 to $40 million, and made him the highest paid coach in college football. The extension was seen as controversial, as Weis' record was 5-2 at the time while Willingham started his first season with an 8-0 record.
, but this is his first under Weis.
and junior quarterback and two-year starter, Tyler Palko
. At Notre Dame, the previous season
, Palko became the first quarterback to throw five touchdown passes against the Irish in the Panthers 41-38 win. Palko started the scoring this year with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lee, however Brady Quinn and the Irish answered with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Darius Walker. The Panthers completed the first quarter scoring with a 49-yard field goal by Josh Cummings to take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter. In the second quarter, the Irish took control. The quarter began with a 2-yard touchdown run by Walker. Later, Rashon Powers-Neal scored on his own 2-yard run, and, after a fumble on the kickoff return, less than a minute later Quinn threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija, the first touchdown catch of his career, to give the Irish a 28-10 lead. Cummings hit a 23-yard field goal to cut the Irish lead to 15, but late in the half Powers-Neal ran for a 9-yard touchdown, giving the Irish a 35-13 lead at halftime.
The second half saw much less scoring. In the third quarter, Powers-Neal ran for a 4-yard touchdown, the only score in the quarter, to give the Irish their final score. In the fourth quarter, Palko ran for his own 4-yard touchdown, and the two-point conversion
was the final score of the game. The Irish won the game 42-21, and jumped to 23rd in the national rankings.
and second year starting quarterback, Chad Henne
. Michigan had moved up to 3rd in the nation from a pre-season ranking of 4th after a 16-point win against Northern Illinois
. Coming into the season, Michigan had not lost a home game since 2002 with a streak of 16 games and hadn't lost a non-conference home game since 1998. Also, despite beating the Wolverines twice in the last three years including a 28-20 win over the then 7th ranked Wolverines in 2004, the Irish hadn't won at Michigan since 1993.
The Irish began the game with the ball, and marched down the field with a 76-yard drive that culminated in a 5-yard Brady Quinn touchdown pass to Rhema McKnight. Late in the quarter, key Wolverine running back Mike Hart
was injured during a run, keeping him out for the rest of the game. In the second quarter, on Michigan's first drive past the 50-yard line, Garrett Rivas was able to hit a 38-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Irish. Later in the quarter, the Irish lost McKnight to what would later be revealed as a season-ending knee injury. Quinn and Walker, however, led the Irish on another long drive, culminating in a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija to give the Irish a 14-3 lead at halftime.
The second half was filled with missed opportunities for the Wolverines. At the start of the third quarter, Henne and running back Kevin Grady
led the Wolverines on a 69-yard drive, that was finally stopped on a Henne interception by safety Tom Zbikowski on the Irish 1-yard line. Most of the rest of the quarter consisted of short drives that were stopped early forcing each team to punt. In the Wolverines' final drive of the quarter, the Irish defense held them to their own 9-yard line, and forced a punt that was returned by Zbikowski to the Michigan 33-yard line. Although the Irish only advanced the ball 7-yards, at the beginning of the fourth quarter D.J. Fitzpatrick kicked a 43-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-3 lead. On their next possession, a Walker fumble was recovered by the Wolverines on the Irish 18-yard line. After driving to the 5-yard line, the Wolverines couldn't convert a fourth down and turned the ball over to the Irish. On the Wolverines next possession, on another fourth down attempt near midfield, Henne completed a 54-yard pass to Jason Avant
who was tackled at the Irish 1-yard line. On the next play, however, Henne fumbled the ball into the endzone and it was recovered by Chinedum Ndukwe for the Irish. On the Wolverines next possession, Henne threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham
to bring the score to 17-10. Michigan had one final possession with two minutes remaining, but failed, once again, to convert a fourth down, sealing the win for the Irish. With the win, Weis became the first Notre Dame coach since Knute Rockne
to win his first two games on the road, and the Irish moved up to 12th in the nation.
given to the winner. The Spartans, this year's team led by coach John L. Smith
and second year starting quarterback Drew Stanton
, hoped to become only the second team to beat the Irish at Notre Dame for five consecutive games. Despite a win in 2004, the Irish had lost six of their last eight games against the Spartans.
The Spartans led for much of the game, at one point, late in the third quarter after Stanton threw a 65-yard pass for his third touchdown of the game, they had a 38-17 lead. The Irish, however, came back later in the quarter and tied the game at 38 during the fourth quarter, with three touchdown passes by Brady Quinn to give him a total of five for the game. During the overtime period, the Irish, with the ball first, missed three attempted passes by Quinn into the endzone, and settled for a field goal to give them a 41-38 lead. On the Spartans second play in overtime, Stanton, while running the option, pitched the ball to Jason Teague for a 19-yard touchdown to win the game. The Irish dropped to 18th and the Spartans entered the national rankings at 23rd after the week. After the game, apparently upset at not having the Megaphone Trophy to raise after the win, a small group of Spartans planted the Michigan State flag on the field. After the incident, a number of other occurrences of flag planting happened, leading to a banning of the practice by the Big Ten
.
On the first drive of the game, the Huskies easily moved forward on the Irish defense, however, were held without scoring when quarterback, Isaiah Stanback
's pass to Craig Chambers was fumbled on the goal line and recovered by the Irish. The Irish didn't score on their first drive when the hold for a field goal attempt was botched. However, on their next drive the D.J. Fitzpatrick kicked a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Evan Knudson tied the game on a 27-yard field goal. On the next drive, Darius Walker ran for a 17-yard touchdown, giving the Irish a 9-3 lead after a missed extra point. Fitzpatrick kicked another field goal of 39-yards to end scoring in the first half with the Irish leading 12-3.
After two Irish failed fourth down attempts, and a Huskies fumble, Rashon Powers-Neal ran for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Irish a 19-3 lead at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick kicked another field goal of 23-yards to extend the Irish lead to 19. Later in the quarter, Brady Quinn threw his only touchdown of the game with a 52-yard pass to Jeff Samardzija. Stanback led the Huskies for their first touchdown, culminating in a 1-yard run by Mark Palaita, however the Irish answered with an 11-yard touchdown by Travis Thomas for their final score of the game. With three minutes left in the game, Stanback was replaced with backup quarterback Johnny Durocher, who threw a 41-yard touchdown to Chambers, to give the final score of 36-17. With the win, the Irish moved up in the rankings to 14th in the nation.
, for the Shillelagh Trophy. Although the Irish led the all-time series against Purdue 49-25-2, the Boilermakers had won the two previous meetings and were hoping to come back after a double-overtime loss the previous week.
Although neither team was able to score on their opening drives, the Irish quickly got going on their second, and were led by Brady Quinn's passing and Darius Walker's rushes on a 90-yard drive that ended with a Rashon Powers-Neal 1-yard touchdown to give the Irish the lead. The Boilermakers, led by Brandon Kirsch
to the Irish 2-yard line, failed to answer after a goal line fumble was recovered by the Irish. Quinn then led the Irish on a 98-yard drive, that lasted into the second quarter, and ended with another 1-yard touchdown run by Powers-Neal. The ensuing kickoff was returned by Dorien Bryant 66 yards to give the Boilermakers the ball on the Notre Dame 30-yard line, however, they were unable to advance it and didn't score due to a missed 43-yard field goal. Quinn took advantage and led the Irish on a 73-yard drive ending with his touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija. With another 10-yard touchdown run by Walker later in the quarter, the Irish took a 28-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Boilermakers finally scored after Kirsch passed for a total of 73 yards on an 85-yard drive that ended with his touchdown 18-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. The Irish answered on Quinn's second touchdown pass to Samardzija of 55 yards, however Kirsch cut the Irish lead once again to 21 after a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. Although Quinn and Kirsch threw back-to-back interceptions, neither team scored again in the third, leaving the score 35-14. The Irish started the fourth quarter scoring with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to John Carlson, for Quinn's final series in the game, he would be replaced by back-ups David Wolke and Marty Mooney for the final three drives. Kirsch led the Boilermakers to a 5-yard touchdown rush by Kory Sheets
for his final drive of the game, he would be replaced by Curtis Painter
for their final two drives. The Irish, helped by Wolke's only completion of the game for 29 yards, scored again with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Travis Thomas, for the final Irish score of the game. After both teams had turnovers, Painter and the Boilermakers capitalized with Sheets second rushing touchdown of 8 yards, giving the final score with the Irish winning 49-28. With Quinn's touchdown passes, he tied a Notre Dame record held by John Huarte
of 10 straight games with touchdown passes, and also became the only Irish quarterback to pass for 300 yards in 3 straight games. After the game, the Irish moved up to 12th in the nation and would move up again to 9th before their next game, while the Boilermakers dropped from the rankings.
In a game that looked to be overshadowed by pre-game hype and assertions of being the newest "Game of the Century" the meeting between perennial rivals, Notre Dame and USC, called by some the second greatest rivalry in college football, would be the 77th meeting between the schools, who play for the Jeweled Shillelagh
. The Trojans, led by coach Pete Carroll
and Heisman-winning senior quarterback Matt Leinart
, were ranked first in the country, were on a 27 game winning streak, and had won three straight meetings with the Irish, each by 31 points. Expectations, however, were high that this game would be closer.
In a surprise move, after Weis insisted it wouldn't happen, the Irish wore green jerseys for the game. The score was back and forth for much of the game, with the Irish leading 21-14 at halftime after a pair of touchdowns by running backs Reggie Bush
and LenDale White
for the Trojans, and a rushing touchdown by Travis Thomas, a passing touchdown by Brady Quinn, and a punt return for a touchdown by Tom Zbikowski for the Irish. The Trojans took a 28-24 lead with five minutes left in the game when Reggie Bush
ran for his third touchdown of the game, however, Quinn answered with four complete passes and his own 5-yard touchdown run to give the Irish a 31-28 lead with less than two minutes remaining. On the Trojans last series, however, Leinart, after being sacked and facing a fourth down on the Irish 26-yard line, completed a 61-yard fade to Dwayne Jarrett
to give the Trojans a last chance near the Irish goal line. After a series of plays including Leinart fumbling the ball out of bounds, the stadium clock incorrectly running out of time, and part of the Notre Dame student section rushing the field, the Trojans had the ball on the Irish 1-yard line with seven seconds remaining. Instead of opting for the field goal and going to overtime, Leinart tried to sneak into the end zone. When he was stopped, in a play that would be called the "Bush Push", Bush pushed him over the goal line for the winning score of 34-31.
On June 10, 2010, the NCAA found that Bush was ineligible for college athletics during the 2005 season, and USC was forced to vacate all wins from that year.
. The Cougars had a 3-3 record, but had won their previous two games.
The Cougars started the scoring with a 45-yard field goal, but Brady Quinn, completing six of seven passes on his first drive, threw a 10-yard touchdown to Maurice Stovall to take the lead. Beck led the Cougars on a drive that included an interception by Mike Richardson, that was fumbled and recovered by the Cougars and finished with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jonny Harline. The Cougars led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, but a pair of 15-yard Quinn touchdown passes to Jeff Samardzija and Stovall gave the Irish a 21-10 lead at halftime. In the third, Quinn completed three long touchdown passes, two to Stovall and one to Samardzija, while Beck ran for a touchdown and threw another to Todd Watkins to end the third quarter with the Irish leading 42-23. The final score of the game came in the fourth when a Beck pass was intercepted by Tom Zbikowski and returned 88 yards, giving the final score of the game with the Irish winning 49-23. The Irish won their first home game of the season and moved to 9th nationally.
The Irish next played the struggling Tennessee Volunteers. The teams last met at Tennessee in 2004, when the Irish surprised the top-15 ranked Volunteers with a 17-13 win. The Volunteers were led by coach Phillip Fulmer
and quarterback Erik Ainge
.
When the Volunteers didn't score on the first drive of the game, the Irish took advantage, with Brady Quinn leading an Irish drive that ended with his 43-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by the Volunteers, and Quinn threw his second touchdown to Maurice Stovall three plays later. Volunteers' kicker, James Wilhout kicked a 26-yard field goal for their only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, on a Volunteer punt, Tom Zbikowski returned the ball 43-yards to give the Irish a 21-3 lead. After a Quinn fumble that was recovered by the Volunteers, Ainge led a 40-yard drive and threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Bret Smith to give the halftime score of 21-10. In the second half, after a failed fourth down conversion by the Irish, Wilhout kicked a 30-yard field goal to put the Volunteers down by 8. When the Irish didn't answer, Ainge and running back Arian Foster led the Volunteers to Foster's 3-yard touchdown. With Ainge's pass to Smith completed for a two-point conversion, the game was tied at 21 at the end of the third. In the fourth quarter, however, the Irish scored 20, including two D.J. Fitzpatrick field goals, a Quinn touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija, and a Zbikowski interception return for a touchdown. With no answers by the Volunteers, the Irish won the game 41-21. With the win, Quinn continued his Irish record touchdown passing streak to 13 games, Samardzija's touchdown catch, his 12th broke an Irish record of touchdown catches in a season, and the Irish moved up in ranking to 7th nationally.
. The game began with a 73-yard Irish drive that ended with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brady Quinn to Maurice Stovall. Navy answered, after a 69-yard drive that took half of the quarter, when Adam Ballard ran for an 8-yard touchdown. After both teams failed to convert on fourth downs in the second quarter, Quinn led the Irish to a Travis Thomas 12-yard touchdown run. On the next Navy possession, a fumble by Owens was recovered by the Irish. Quinn completed two passes on the drive and Darius Walker ran for a 12-yard touchdown. After a Navy punt, a Quinn pass to Anthony Fasano for an 8-yard touchdown, gave the Irish a 28-7 lead at halftime. A six minute drive by Navy to start the second half ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Owens to bring Navy to within two touchdowns, but Quinn answered on the next drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Stovall. After both teams threw interceptions, Quinn threw his fourth touchdown of the game, a 10-yard pass to Stovall. With a Brian Hampton 17-yard touchdown to Tyree Barnes, Navy finished the scoring in the game. The Irish won 42-21, with Quinn increasing his Notre Dame record touchdown passing streak to 14 games and the team extending its record winning streak over Navy to 42 games.
and quarterback Perry Patterson, had spoiled the Irish chance of not having a losing season in 2003 when they routed the Irish in the Carrier Dome
by 26. This year, however, it seemed like the Orange, ranked last in total yards, were over-matched. The Orange, however, kept up with the Irish in the first quarter, and after a failed field goal attempt by D.J. Fitzpatrick, and a 51-yard run by Damien Rhodes on the ensuing drive, the Orange scored the first points of the game with a 31-yard field goal by John Barker. On the next Irish drive, Fitzpatrick's field goal attempt was blocked, and the Orange kept the lead. However, four minutes later, a 25-yard Brady Quinn pass to Maurice Stovall ended with a touchdown, giving the Irish the lead. A 30-yard pass to Jeff Samardzija, on the second play of the next Irish drive, gave the Irish a 14-3 lead that they would have at halftime. On the first play of the third quarter, Patterson was intercepted by Leo Ferrine, who returned it 17-yards for a touchdown to give the Irish a 21-3 lead. After a failed fourth down attempt at the Orange goal line, and a pair of punts by the Orange, Fitzpatrick gave the Irish a 24-3 lead with his 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick kicked a 29-yard field goal, Darius Walker ran for a 3-yard touchdown, and Patterson threw an 18-yard touchdown to Joseph Kowaleski for the only Orange touchdown of the day, to give the final score of 34-10 in favor of the Irish. With the game, Quinn continued his Notre Dame record touchdown streak and the Irish moved to 6th nationally. They were also one win away from being eligible for a BCS
bowl.
and quarterback Trent Edwards
, and Notre Dame played annually since 1997 and have a minor rivalry for the Legends Trophy. The Irish had won the three previous seasons when coached by former Cardinal head coach Ty Willingham, and the Cardinal didn't look to have much chance in this game after losing in the Big Game
to rival California
, with the Bears outrushing the Cardinal by 210 yards.
The Irish took an early lead on the second play of the game when Brady Quinn threw an 80-yard touchdown to Jeff Samardzija, however, after a Quinn interception, Edwards tied the game with a 27-yard touchdown to Mark Bradford. The Irish scored the last points of the quarter with another Quinn touchdown to Samardzija, this time for 7 yards to bring the game to 14-7 in favor of the Irish. In the second quarter, after both teams failed to convert fourth downs, a 38-yard Edwards pass to Justin McCullum, tied the game once again. Although Quinn threw his second interception of the game later in the quarter, neither team scored again in the half. In the third quarter, Quinn threw his third touchdown to Maurice Stovall for 10-yards, however, D.J. Fitzpatrick missed the extra point, and left the Irish only winning by 6. With a missed 42-yard field goal by Fitzpatrick, and the Cardinal not scoring in the quarter, the Irish took a 20-14 lead to the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Carl Gioia replaced Fitzpatrick and kicked a 29-yard field goal to put the Irish up two scores, however, on his kickoff, T.J. Rushing returned the ball 87-yards to bring the Cardinal to within two points. Quinn then brought the Irish on an 80-yard drive that ended with a Travis Thomas 8-yard touchdown run. The Cardinal were only able to answer with a 31-yard field goal that made the score 30-24 in favor of the Irish. Fitzpatrick was brought in during the next Irish drive, but missed a 29-yard field goal that would have put the Irish up by two scores. The Cardinal, who had brought in backup quarterback T.C. Ostrander when Edwards didn't move the ball in the third quarter, capitalized on the miss and took the lead on a 4-yard pass to Matt Traverso, with less than two minutes left in the game. Quinn then completed three long passes and Darius Walker ran the last 6-yards for the go-ahead touchdown. A direct snap to Walker on the two-point conversion put the Irish up by a touchdown with less than a minute remaining. Ostrander was able to bring the Cardinal to their 38-yard line on a 14-yard pass, but was sacked on a fourth down to seal the win for the Irish, 38-31. With the win the Irish were eligible for a BCS bowl, and although falling to 7th in the rankings, were ranked 6th by the BCS and invited to the Fiesta Bowl.
in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes, led by coach Jim Tressel
and junior quarterback Troy Smith
, had a 9-2 record, with losses to BCS contender Penn State
and eventual national champion Texas
. Although both teams had long football histories, they had only met four times previous to this game, the latest in 1996.
The Irish took an early lead on a 20-yard run by Darius Walker, but Smith answered for the Buckeyes three minutes later with a 56-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. to tie the game. After Smith fumbled the ball on the Buckeye 15-yard line, the Irish had another chance to take the lead. However, after not gaining a first down after three plays, they attempted a fourth down conversion, during which Quinn was sacked. Without scoring, the quarter ended with the game tied at 7. On the third play of the second quarter, Smith once again scored a touchdown on a 68-yard pass to Ginn to give the Buckeyes a lead they would never relinquish. On the Buckeyes next drive, Smith brought them to the Irish 15-yard line, before his fumble was recovered by the Irish. The Irish, however, couldn't take advantage, and on the Buckeyes next drive Smith threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes
to give the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead. With a blocked field goal attempt by the Buckeyes, the score stayed the same at the half. In the third quarter, the Irish blocked a second field goal attempt, and finally took advantage with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Walker. With a missed extra point, and a 40-yard field goal by Josh Huston on the Buckeyes next possession, the Buckeyes took a 24-13 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, Huston added another field goal, and Walker ran for a third touchdown, before Antonio Pittman
ran for his own 60-yard touchdown for the final score of the game. The Buckeyes won 34-20, giving the Irish their NCAA record-tying 8th straight bowl game loss.
Notre Dame also finished 2-2 against schools from the Big Ten in 2005. Notre Dame is considered a prospective candidate for possible Big Ten expansion, though the Irish have rejected several invitations in the past.
as the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
. Offensive coordinator, Michael Haywood, was named by the American Football Coaches Association
as the Assistant Coach of the Year. Offensive lineman John Sullivan was named by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
as the Connecticut Player of the Year, wide receiver Jeff Samardzija was named as a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
, and tight end Anthony Fasano, named to the preseason Mckey Award watchlist, was also named a finalist for the award. Quarterback Brady Quinn, after finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy
balloting, was nominated for two Player of the Year awards, two quarterback trophies, and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy
.
In addition to the awards, three Irish players were named on All American teams. Quinn, Samardzija, and safety Tom Zbikowski were all named the AP
All-America team, Samardzija to the second team and Quinn and Zbiokowski to the third. In addition to the AP team, Samardzija was named to seven other All-America teams, six on the first teams. Samardzija was also named as Notre Dame's NCAA record 79th Consensus All American.
, three Irish players were drafted by NFL teams. Fasano was taken by the Dallas Cowboys
in the second round of the draft, Maurice Stovall was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the third round, and Dan Stevenson was taken in the sixth round by the New England Patriots
. In addition to the three players taken in the draft, six signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team who represented the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
. The team was coached by Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
in his first year as head coach, and played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
. The Irish completed the season with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses, culminating in a post-season appearance in the Fiesta Bowl
2006 Fiesta Bowl
The 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 2006, was the 35th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, featuring Notre Dame and Ohio State. Ohio State won the game 34–20....
and a number 9 ranking in the nation
2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association , does not bestow a National Championship title...
.
Coaching changes
After finishing the 2004 season with a record of 6-6, Notre Dame officials, in a controversial move, fired head coach Tyrone WillinghamTyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
. The Irish initially hoped to hire Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
, who had led the Utes to an undefeated season, as Meyer previously was an assistant coach for the Irish for 5 years and had a clause in his contract stating he could leave Utah without penalty if Notre Dame offered him a job. When Meyer instead took the head coaching job at Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, Notre Dame hired Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
, the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
offensive coordinator, making him the first Notre Dame alumnus to coach the team since 1963.
Roster changes
The Irish lost a number of players on defense including four former starting defensive backs, three players on the defensive line, including defensive end Justin TuckJustin Tuck
Justin Lee Tuck is an American football defensive end for the National Football League's New York Giants.A former standout defensive end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tuck currently plays in the National Football League for the New York Giants. His cousin Adalius Thomas was also a former...
, and two former starting linebackers, including honorable mention All-American Derek Curry
Derek Curry
Derek Christopher Curry is a former American football linebacker. He entered the National Football League by signing to the Miami Dolphins and then the Cincinnati Bengals...
, to graduation. On the offensive side of the ball the only key losses for the Irish were running back Ryan Grant
Ryan Grant
Ryan Brett Grant is a running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2005 but was traded to the Packers shortly before the 2007 season in exchange for a future sixth-round draft pick...
and former quarterback and wide receiver Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Javar Holiday is an American football wide receiver who currently is a free agent.Holiday attended Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, TX. In football, he was named as the top high school scrambling quarterback in the nation. After a heavy bid from Nebraska, he eventually committed to...
. The Irish returned ten starters on offense and four on defense.
Recruits
With poor recruiting being one of the issues that led to the firing of Willingham, Weis was challenged to coach the Patriots' offense during the day and work on recruiting players for the Irish at night. He took a proactive role in recruiting, including sending seven of his assistant coaches to a recruit who had de-committed after Willingham was fired (the recruit, however, signed with the Ohio State BuckeyesOhio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
). Weis, with some of Willingham's recruits signing also, built a class of 15 recruits, including five four star recruits.
Award candidates
Four players were named to the national awards watch lists in the pre-season:- Anthony FasanoAnthony FasanoAnthony Joseph Fasano is an American football tight end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame...
- John Mackey AwardJohn Mackey AwardThe John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.... - D.J. Fitzpatrick - Lou Groza AwardLou Groza AwardThe Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
- Brandon Hoyte - Dick Butkus AwardDick Butkus AwardThe Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
- Brady QuinnBrady QuinnBrayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
- Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Roster
Wide Receiver
Center
Offensive Tackle
Offensive Guard
Tight End
Quarterback
Running Back
Nose Tackle
Defensive End
Defensive Tackle
Cornerback
Linebacker
Field Safety
Safety
Long Snapper
Punter
Place Kicker
Sources: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/rosters/2005/notred/ http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/072506aaa.html |
Coaching staff
When Willingham was fired all of his assistant coaches left, leaving Weis to rebuild a coaching staff. He sought to find experienced coaches that would be able to make the team competitive. When the new assistants were announced in January they were billed as having 25 seasons of collegiate head coaching, 50 seasons as coordinators, 12 seasons as NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
assistant coaches, and 42 bowl victories. Before the season, however, assistant offensive head and quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe after undergoing heart surgery and being on medical leave, decided to resign, saying he felt his absence unfair to the players and coaches. In early June, Peter Vaas was named as Cutcliffe's replacement. Vaas was a former six year NFL Europa head coach, an eight year collegiate head coach, and had 17 years of assistant coaching experience, including two years at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
.
On October 29, only half-way through the season, Weis, who originally signed a six year contract with the Irish, was offered an extension on his contract. The new 10-year deal was worth $30 to $40 million, and made him the highest paid coach in college football. The extension was seen as controversial, as Weis' record was 5-2 at the time while Willingham started his first season with an 8-0 record.
| Name | Position | Alma Mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Weis Charlie Weis Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame... |
Head Coach | Notre Dame (1978) |
| Michael Haywood Michael Haywood -External links:* *... |
Offensive Coordinator Running Backs |
Notre Dame (1986) |
| Rob Ianello | Recruiting Coordinator Receivers |
Catholic The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops... (1987) |
| John Latina | Assistant Head Coach (Offense) Offensive Line |
Virginia Tech (1981) |
| Bill Lewis | Assistant Head Coach (Defense) Defensive Backs |
East Stroudsburg East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community... (1963) |
| Rick Minter Rick Minter Rick Minter is an American football coach in the United States. He is currently the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky... |
Defensive Coordinator | Henderson State Henderson State University Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges... (1977) |
| Jerome "Jappy" Oliver | Defensive Line | Purdue Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and... (1978) |
| Bernie Parmalee Bernie Parmalee Bernard "Bernie" Parmalee is the current Tight End Coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.Parmalee played high school football at Lincoln High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.-Professional playing career:... |
Tight Ends Special Teams |
Ball State Ball State University Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings... (1990) |
| Brian Polian | Assistant Defensvie Backs Special Teams |
John Carroll John Carroll University John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as... (1997) |
| Peter Vaas | Quarterbacks | Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA... (1974) |
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
, but this is his first under Weis.
Schedule
University of Pittsburgh
The Irish's first game of the season came on the road against the No. 23 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers. The Panthers were led by their first-year head coach Dave WannstedtDave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt is current Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. He was most recently head coach of the University of Pittsburgh football team, a position he held for six seasons. Wannstedt is also the former head coach of the Miami...
and junior quarterback and two-year starter, Tyler Palko
Tyler Palko
Tyler Palko is an American football player and starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh.Palko was the starting quarterback...
. At Notre Dame, the previous season
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...
, Palko became the first quarterback to throw five touchdown passes against the Irish in the Panthers 41-38 win. Palko started the scoring this year with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lee, however Brady Quinn and the Irish answered with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Darius Walker. The Panthers completed the first quarter scoring with a 49-yard field goal by Josh Cummings to take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter. In the second quarter, the Irish took control. The quarter began with a 2-yard touchdown run by Walker. Later, Rashon Powers-Neal scored on his own 2-yard run, and, after a fumble on the kickoff return, less than a minute later Quinn threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija, the first touchdown catch of his career, to give the Irish a 28-10 lead. Cummings hit a 23-yard field goal to cut the Irish lead to 15, but late in the half Powers-Neal ran for a 9-yard touchdown, giving the Irish a 35-13 lead at halftime.
The second half saw much less scoring. In the third quarter, Powers-Neal ran for a 4-yard touchdown, the only score in the quarter, to give the Irish their final score. In the fourth quarter, Palko ran for his own 4-yard touchdown, and the two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
was the final score of the game. The Irish won the game 42-21, and jumped to 23rd in the national rankings.
University of Michigan
The second game of the season came on the road against long-time rivals the Michigan Wolverines, led by coach Lloyd CarrLloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
and second year starting quarterback, Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
. Michigan had moved up to 3rd in the nation from a pre-season ranking of 4th after a 16-point win against Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
. Coming into the season, Michigan had not lost a home game since 2002 with a streak of 16 games and hadn't lost a non-conference home game since 1998. Also, despite beating the Wolverines twice in the last three years including a 28-20 win over the then 7th ranked Wolverines in 2004, the Irish hadn't won at Michigan since 1993.
The Irish began the game with the ball, and marched down the field with a 76-yard drive that culminated in a 5-yard Brady Quinn touchdown pass to Rhema McKnight. Late in the quarter, key Wolverine running back Mike Hart
Mike Hart (football player)
Leon Michael "Mike" Hart is a former American football running back and current offensive quality control coach for Eastern Michigan University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record...
was injured during a run, keeping him out for the rest of the game. In the second quarter, on Michigan's first drive past the 50-yard line, Garrett Rivas was able to hit a 38-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Irish. Later in the quarter, the Irish lost McKnight to what would later be revealed as a season-ending knee injury. Quinn and Walker, however, led the Irish on another long drive, culminating in a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija to give the Irish a 14-3 lead at halftime.
The second half was filled with missed opportunities for the Wolverines. At the start of the third quarter, Henne and running back Kevin Grady
Kevin Grady
-College career:Although football players had been enrolling early at Bowl Championship Series programs for several years, Grady was the first University of Michigan football player to do so. In subsequent years several other players followed his lead, including Justin Boren and Carlos Brown the...
led the Wolverines on a 69-yard drive, that was finally stopped on a Henne interception by safety Tom Zbikowski on the Irish 1-yard line. Most of the rest of the quarter consisted of short drives that were stopped early forcing each team to punt. In the Wolverines' final drive of the quarter, the Irish defense held them to their own 9-yard line, and forced a punt that was returned by Zbikowski to the Michigan 33-yard line. Although the Irish only advanced the ball 7-yards, at the beginning of the fourth quarter D.J. Fitzpatrick kicked a 43-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-3 lead. On their next possession, a Walker fumble was recovered by the Wolverines on the Irish 18-yard line. After driving to the 5-yard line, the Wolverines couldn't convert a fourth down and turned the ball over to the Irish. On the Wolverines next possession, on another fourth down attempt near midfield, Henne completed a 54-yard pass to Jason Avant
Jason Avant
Jason Raye Avant is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
who was tackled at the Irish 1-yard line. On the next play, however, Henne fumbled the ball into the endzone and it was recovered by Chinedum Ndukwe for the Irish. On the Wolverines next possession, Henne threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham
Mario Manningham
Mario Cashmere Manningham is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
to bring the score to 17-10. Michigan had one final possession with two minutes remaining, but failed, once again, to convert a fourth down, sealing the win for the Irish. With the win, Weis became the first Notre Dame coach since Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
to win his first two games on the road, and the Irish moved up to 12th in the nation.
Michigan State University
The Irish next had their home opener against the Michigan State Spartans, a rivalry game with the Megaphone TrophyMegaphone Trophy
Started in 1949 the Megaphone Trophy is awarded each year to the winner of the football game between the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University. Notre Dame and Michigan State started competing against each other 114 years ago in 1897...
given to the winner. The Spartans, this year's team led by coach John L. Smith
John L. Smith
John L. Smith is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the special teams coach at the University of Arkansas, under head coach Bobby Petrino...
and second year starting quarterback Drew Stanton
Drew Stanton
Drew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans.-Early life:...
, hoped to become only the second team to beat the Irish at Notre Dame for five consecutive games. Despite a win in 2004, the Irish had lost six of their last eight games against the Spartans.
The Spartans led for much of the game, at one point, late in the third quarter after Stanton threw a 65-yard pass for his third touchdown of the game, they had a 38-17 lead. The Irish, however, came back later in the quarter and tied the game at 38 during the fourth quarter, with three touchdown passes by Brady Quinn to give him a total of five for the game. During the overtime period, the Irish, with the ball first, missed three attempted passes by Quinn into the endzone, and settled for a field goal to give them a 41-38 lead. On the Spartans second play in overtime, Stanton, while running the option, pitched the ball to Jason Teague for a 19-yard touchdown to win the game. The Irish dropped to 18th and the Spartans entered the national rankings at 23rd after the week. After the game, apparently upset at not having the Megaphone Trophy to raise after the win, a small group of Spartans planted the Michigan State flag on the field. After the incident, a number of other occurrences of flag planting happened, leading to a banning of the practice by the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
.
University of Washington
The Irish next went on the road to face the Washington Huskies, in a game dubbed the "Ty Bowl," because the Huskies were led by former Irish coach Ty Willingham. The Huskies came into the game never having beaten the Irish in five meetings including a 38-3 loss at Notre Dame in 2004.On the first drive of the game, the Huskies easily moved forward on the Irish defense, however, were held without scoring when quarterback, Isaiah Stanback
Isaiah Stanback
Isaiah Stanback is an American football quarterback and wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
's pass to Craig Chambers was fumbled on the goal line and recovered by the Irish. The Irish didn't score on their first drive when the hold for a field goal attempt was botched. However, on their next drive the D.J. Fitzpatrick kicked a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Evan Knudson tied the game on a 27-yard field goal. On the next drive, Darius Walker ran for a 17-yard touchdown, giving the Irish a 9-3 lead after a missed extra point. Fitzpatrick kicked another field goal of 39-yards to end scoring in the first half with the Irish leading 12-3.
After two Irish failed fourth down attempts, and a Huskies fumble, Rashon Powers-Neal ran for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Irish a 19-3 lead at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick kicked another field goal of 23-yards to extend the Irish lead to 19. Later in the quarter, Brady Quinn threw his only touchdown of the game with a 52-yard pass to Jeff Samardzija. Stanback led the Huskies for their first touchdown, culminating in a 1-yard run by Mark Palaita, however the Irish answered with an 11-yard touchdown by Travis Thomas for their final score of the game. With three minutes left in the game, Stanback was replaced with backup quarterback Johnny Durocher, who threw a 41-yard touchdown to Chambers, to give the final score of 36-17. With the win, the Irish moved up in the rankings to 14th in the nation.
Purdue University
The Irish next went on the road, for the fourth time in the season, to face the 20th ranked Purdue Boilermakers, led by 9th year head coach Joe TillerJoe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
, for the Shillelagh Trophy. Although the Irish led the all-time series against Purdue 49-25-2, the Boilermakers had won the two previous meetings and were hoping to come back after a double-overtime loss the previous week.
Although neither team was able to score on their opening drives, the Irish quickly got going on their second, and were led by Brady Quinn's passing and Darius Walker's rushes on a 90-yard drive that ended with a Rashon Powers-Neal 1-yard touchdown to give the Irish the lead. The Boilermakers, led by Brandon Kirsch
Brandon Kirsch
Brandon Michael Kirsch is a currently a free agent quarterback.-High school:Brandon Kirsch, attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he was first team all-state, first team all-county and league Most Valuable Player as senior after completing 115 of 198 passes for 1,950...
to the Irish 2-yard line, failed to answer after a goal line fumble was recovered by the Irish. Quinn then led the Irish on a 98-yard drive, that lasted into the second quarter, and ended with another 1-yard touchdown run by Powers-Neal. The ensuing kickoff was returned by Dorien Bryant 66 yards to give the Boilermakers the ball on the Notre Dame 30-yard line, however, they were unable to advance it and didn't score due to a missed 43-yard field goal. Quinn took advantage and led the Irish on a 73-yard drive ending with his touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija. With another 10-yard touchdown run by Walker later in the quarter, the Irish took a 28-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Boilermakers finally scored after Kirsch passed for a total of 73 yards on an 85-yard drive that ended with his touchdown 18-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. The Irish answered on Quinn's second touchdown pass to Samardzija of 55 yards, however Kirsch cut the Irish lead once again to 21 after a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. Although Quinn and Kirsch threw back-to-back interceptions, neither team scored again in the third, leaving the score 35-14. The Irish started the fourth quarter scoring with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to John Carlson, for Quinn's final series in the game, he would be replaced by back-ups David Wolke and Marty Mooney for the final three drives. Kirsch led the Boilermakers to a 5-yard touchdown rush by Kory Sheets
Kory Sheets
Kory Gerren Sheets is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
for his final drive of the game, he would be replaced by Curtis Painter
Curtis Painter
Curtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
for their final two drives. The Irish, helped by Wolke's only completion of the game for 29 yards, scored again with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Travis Thomas, for the final Irish score of the game. After both teams had turnovers, Painter and the Boilermakers capitalized with Sheets second rushing touchdown of 8 yards, giving the final score with the Irish winning 49-28. With Quinn's touchdown passes, he tied a Notre Dame record held by John Huarte
John Huarte
John Gregory Huarte is a former American football quarterback and the 1964 Heisman Trophy winner.-Early years:Huarte played for the University of Notre Dame after graduating from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. During his sophomore and junior years at Notre Dame, he played for...
of 10 straight games with touchdown passes, and also became the only Irish quarterback to pass for 300 yards in 3 straight games. After the game, the Irish moved up to 12th in the nation and would move up again to 9th before their next game, while the Boilermakers dropped from the rankings.
University of Southern California
Jeweled Shillelagh
The Jeweled Shillelagh is passed between the annual winner of the college football game between the University of Southern California Trojans and the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The shillelagh, an Irish war club, is made of oak or blackthorn saplings from Ireland...
. The Trojans, led by coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
and Heisman-winning senior quarterback Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
, were ranked first in the country, were on a 27 game winning streak, and had won three straight meetings with the Irish, each by 31 points. Expectations, however, were high that this game would be closer.
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
for the Trojans, and a rushing touchdown by Travis Thomas, a passing touchdown by Brady Quinn, and a punt return for a touchdown by Tom Zbikowski for the Irish. The Trojans took a 28-24 lead with five minutes left in the game when Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
ran for his third touchdown of the game, however, Quinn answered with four complete passes and his own 5-yard touchdown run to give the Irish a 31-28 lead with less than two minutes remaining. On the Trojans last series, however, Leinart, after being sacked and facing a fourth down on the Irish 26-yard line, completed a 61-yard fade to Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
to give the Trojans a last chance near the Irish goal line. After a series of plays including Leinart fumbling the ball out of bounds, the stadium clock incorrectly running out of time, and part of the Notre Dame student section rushing the field, the Trojans had the ball on the Irish 1-yard line with seven seconds remaining. Instead of opting for the field goal and going to overtime, Leinart tried to sneak into the end zone. When he was stopped, in a play that would be called the "Bush Push", Bush pushed him over the goal line for the winning score of 34-31.
On June 10, 2010, the NCAA found that Bush was ineligible for college athletics during the 2005 season, and USC was forced to vacate all wins from that year.
Brigham Young University
After the disappointment from the loss to USC, the Irish looked to rebound against the BYU Cougars, a team that gave the Irish a season opening loss in 2004. The Cougars were led by junior quarterback John Beck and first-year head coach Bronco MendenhallBronco Mendenhall
-Personal life:Mendenhall has three children: Raeder-Steel, Breaker, and Cutter. Mendenhall is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-External links:**- References :...
. The Cougars had a 3-3 record, but had won their previous two games.
The Cougars started the scoring with a 45-yard field goal, but Brady Quinn, completing six of seven passes on his first drive, threw a 10-yard touchdown to Maurice Stovall to take the lead. Beck led the Cougars on a drive that included an interception by Mike Richardson, that was fumbled and recovered by the Cougars and finished with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jonny Harline. The Cougars led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, but a pair of 15-yard Quinn touchdown passes to Jeff Samardzija and Stovall gave the Irish a 21-10 lead at halftime. In the third, Quinn completed three long touchdown passes, two to Stovall and one to Samardzija, while Beck ran for a touchdown and threw another to Todd Watkins to end the third quarter with the Irish leading 42-23. The final score of the game came in the fourth when a Beck pass was intercepted by Tom Zbikowski and returned 88 yards, giving the final score of the game with the Irish winning 49-23. The Irish won their first home game of the season and moved to 9th nationally.
University of Tennessee
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
and quarterback Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
.
When the Volunteers didn't score on the first drive of the game, the Irish took advantage, with Brady Quinn leading an Irish drive that ended with his 43-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by the Volunteers, and Quinn threw his second touchdown to Maurice Stovall three plays later. Volunteers' kicker, James Wilhout kicked a 26-yard field goal for their only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, on a Volunteer punt, Tom Zbikowski returned the ball 43-yards to give the Irish a 21-3 lead. After a Quinn fumble that was recovered by the Volunteers, Ainge led a 40-yard drive and threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Bret Smith to give the halftime score of 21-10. In the second half, after a failed fourth down conversion by the Irish, Wilhout kicked a 30-yard field goal to put the Volunteers down by 8. When the Irish didn't answer, Ainge and running back Arian Foster led the Volunteers to Foster's 3-yard touchdown. With Ainge's pass to Smith completed for a two-point conversion, the game was tied at 21 at the end of the third. In the fourth quarter, however, the Irish scored 20, including two D.J. Fitzpatrick field goals, a Quinn touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija, and a Zbikowski interception return for a touchdown. With no answers by the Volunteers, the Irish won the game 41-21. With the win, Quinn continued his Irish record touchdown passing streak to 13 games, Samardzija's touchdown catch, his 12th broke an Irish record of touchdown catches in a season, and the Irish moved up in ranking to 7th nationally.
United States Naval Academy
The Irish next played the Navy Midshipmen, a team the Irish had played annually since 1927, and had beaten in 41 straight games, a record NCAA winning streak. Navy was led by option quarterback Lamar Owens and coach Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson (American football coach)
Paul Johnson is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since the 2008 season. Previously, Johnson served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001 and at the United States Naval Academy...
. The game began with a 73-yard Irish drive that ended with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brady Quinn to Maurice Stovall. Navy answered, after a 69-yard drive that took half of the quarter, when Adam Ballard ran for an 8-yard touchdown. After both teams failed to convert on fourth downs in the second quarter, Quinn led the Irish to a Travis Thomas 12-yard touchdown run. On the next Navy possession, a fumble by Owens was recovered by the Irish. Quinn completed two passes on the drive and Darius Walker ran for a 12-yard touchdown. After a Navy punt, a Quinn pass to Anthony Fasano for an 8-yard touchdown, gave the Irish a 28-7 lead at halftime. A six minute drive by Navy to start the second half ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Owens to bring Navy to within two touchdowns, but Quinn answered on the next drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Stovall. After both teams threw interceptions, Quinn threw his fourth touchdown of the game, a 10-yard pass to Stovall. With a Brian Hampton 17-yard touchdown to Tyree Barnes, Navy finished the scoring in the game. The Irish won 42-21, with Quinn increasing his Notre Dame record touchdown passing streak to 14 games and the team extending its record winning streak over Navy to 42 games.
Syracuse University
Notre Dame's next game, and final home game of the season, came against the 1-8 Syracuse Orange. Syracuse, led by first-year coach Greg RobinsonGreg Robinson
-External links:**-References:...
and quarterback Perry Patterson, had spoiled the Irish chance of not having a losing season in 2003 when they routed the Irish in the Carrier Dome
Carrier Dome
The Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
by 26. This year, however, it seemed like the Orange, ranked last in total yards, were over-matched. The Orange, however, kept up with the Irish in the first quarter, and after a failed field goal attempt by D.J. Fitzpatrick, and a 51-yard run by Damien Rhodes on the ensuing drive, the Orange scored the first points of the game with a 31-yard field goal by John Barker. On the next Irish drive, Fitzpatrick's field goal attempt was blocked, and the Orange kept the lead. However, four minutes later, a 25-yard Brady Quinn pass to Maurice Stovall ended with a touchdown, giving the Irish the lead. A 30-yard pass to Jeff Samardzija, on the second play of the next Irish drive, gave the Irish a 14-3 lead that they would have at halftime. On the first play of the third quarter, Patterson was intercepted by Leo Ferrine, who returned it 17-yards for a touchdown to give the Irish a 21-3 lead. After a failed fourth down attempt at the Orange goal line, and a pair of punts by the Orange, Fitzpatrick gave the Irish a 24-3 lead with his 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick kicked a 29-yard field goal, Darius Walker ran for a 3-yard touchdown, and Patterson threw an 18-yard touchdown to Joseph Kowaleski for the only Orange touchdown of the day, to give the final score of 34-10 in favor of the Irish. With the game, Quinn continued his Notre Dame record touchdown streak and the Irish moved to 6th nationally. They were also one win away from being eligible for a BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
bowl.
Stanford University
The final Irish test of the regular season came on the road against the 5-5 Stanford Cardinal, in the last game in Stanford Stadium before it would be renovated. Stanford, coached by first-year coach Walt HarrisWalt Harris
Walt Harris is a former American football player and coach in the United States. Harris served as the head football coach at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California from 1989 to 1991, the University of Pittsburgh from 1997 to 2004, and at Stanford University from 2005 to 2006,...
and quarterback Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, and Notre Dame played annually since 1997 and have a minor rivalry for the Legends Trophy. The Irish had won the three previous seasons when coached by former Cardinal head coach Ty Willingham, and the Cardinal didn't look to have much chance in this game after losing in the Big Game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
to rival California
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
, with the Bears outrushing the Cardinal by 210 yards.
The Irish took an early lead on the second play of the game when Brady Quinn threw an 80-yard touchdown to Jeff Samardzija, however, after a Quinn interception, Edwards tied the game with a 27-yard touchdown to Mark Bradford. The Irish scored the last points of the quarter with another Quinn touchdown to Samardzija, this time for 7 yards to bring the game to 14-7 in favor of the Irish. In the second quarter, after both teams failed to convert fourth downs, a 38-yard Edwards pass to Justin McCullum, tied the game once again. Although Quinn threw his second interception of the game later in the quarter, neither team scored again in the half. In the third quarter, Quinn threw his third touchdown to Maurice Stovall for 10-yards, however, D.J. Fitzpatrick missed the extra point, and left the Irish only winning by 6. With a missed 42-yard field goal by Fitzpatrick, and the Cardinal not scoring in the quarter, the Irish took a 20-14 lead to the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Carl Gioia replaced Fitzpatrick and kicked a 29-yard field goal to put the Irish up two scores, however, on his kickoff, T.J. Rushing returned the ball 87-yards to bring the Cardinal to within two points. Quinn then brought the Irish on an 80-yard drive that ended with a Travis Thomas 8-yard touchdown run. The Cardinal were only able to answer with a 31-yard field goal that made the score 30-24 in favor of the Irish. Fitzpatrick was brought in during the next Irish drive, but missed a 29-yard field goal that would have put the Irish up by two scores. The Cardinal, who had brought in backup quarterback T.C. Ostrander when Edwards didn't move the ball in the third quarter, capitalized on the miss and took the lead on a 4-yard pass to Matt Traverso, with less than two minutes left in the game. Quinn then completed three long passes and Darius Walker ran the last 6-yards for the go-ahead touchdown. A direct snap to Walker on the two-point conversion put the Irish up by a touchdown with less than a minute remaining. Ostrander was able to bring the Cardinal to their 38-yard line on a 14-yard pass, but was sacked on a fourth down to seal the win for the Irish, 38-31. With the win the Irish were eligible for a BCS bowl, and although falling to 7th in the rankings, were ranked 6th by the BCS and invited to the Fiesta Bowl.
Fiesta Bowl
With 9 wins and a ranking of 6th in the BCS polls, the Irish were invited to the Fiesta Bowl, held in Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe Arizona, to face the number 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The BCS appearance was only the second for the Irish and the first since a 2000 loss to the Oregon State BeaversOregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes, led by coach Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
and junior quarterback Troy Smith
Troy Smith
Troy James Smith is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers. He...
, had a 9-2 record, with losses to BCS contender Penn State
2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2005–2006 college football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno...
and eventual national champion Texas
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
. Although both teams had long football histories, they had only met four times previous to this game, the latest in 1996.
The Irish took an early lead on a 20-yard run by Darius Walker, but Smith answered for the Buckeyes three minutes later with a 56-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. to tie the game. After Smith fumbled the ball on the Buckeye 15-yard line, the Irish had another chance to take the lead. However, after not gaining a first down after three plays, they attempted a fourth down conversion, during which Quinn was sacked. Without scoring, the quarter ended with the game tied at 7. On the third play of the second quarter, Smith once again scored a touchdown on a 68-yard pass to Ginn to give the Buckeyes a lead they would never relinquish. On the Buckeyes next drive, Smith brought them to the Irish 15-yard line, before his fumble was recovered by the Irish. The Irish, however, couldn't take advantage, and on the Buckeyes next drive Smith threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
to give the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead. With a blocked field goal attempt by the Buckeyes, the score stayed the same at the half. In the third quarter, the Irish blocked a second field goal attempt, and finally took advantage with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Walker. With a missed extra point, and a 40-yard field goal by Josh Huston on the Buckeyes next possession, the Buckeyes took a 24-13 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, Huston added another field goal, and Walker ran for a third touchdown, before Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
ran for his own 60-yard touchdown for the final score of the game. The Buckeyes won 34-20, giving the Irish their NCAA record-tying 8th straight bowl game loss.
Notre Dame also finished 2-2 against schools from the Big Ten in 2005. Notre Dame is considered a prospective candidate for possible Big Ten expansion, though the Irish have rejected several invitations in the past.
Notre Dame records
By the end of the season, the 2005 team set 47 Notre Dame team and individual records. The team set 11 season records, including most points (440) and most offensive yards (5728). Four players set individual season records, including Jeff Samardzija's touchdown receptions (15), Brady Quinn's touchdown passes (32), Darius Walker's receptions by a running back (43), and D.J. Fitzpatrick's PATs (52). Seven individual game records were set, including Quinn's touchdown passes (6) and Maurice Stovall's receptions (14). Samardzija set a record with 8 consecutive touchdown catches, Walker another record with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and Quinn's record of 16 consecutive games with a touchdown pass that began in 2004 and ended in the Fiesta Bowl. With his records this season, Quinn holds 30 Notre Dame individual records, including games with 300-yards passing (5) becoming the only Irish player to throw for 400-yards in a game more than once.Awards
A number of Irish players and coaches were named post-season award finalists and winners. Head coach Charlie Weis was named by the Football Writers Association of AmericaFootball Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
as the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the Football Writers Association of America. The award honors Eddie Robinson, former coach at Grambling State who holds the second best record for most Division I wins with 408 behind only Joe...
. Offensive coordinator, Michael Haywood, was named by the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
as the Assistant Coach of the Year. Offensive lineman John Sullivan was named by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
as the Connecticut Player of the Year, wide receiver Jeff Samardzija was named as a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
, and tight end Anthony Fasano, named to the preseason Mckey Award watchlist, was also named a finalist for the award. Quarterback Brady Quinn, after finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
balloting, was nominated for two Player of the Year awards, two quarterback trophies, and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy
Sammy Baugh Trophy
The Sammy Baugh Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top college passer. The award is named in honor of former Texas Christian University and Washington Redskins quarterback "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh. The trophy has been given out by the Touchdown Club of Columbus since 1959...
.
In addition to the awards, three Irish players were named on All American teams. Quinn, Samardzija, and safety Tom Zbikowski were all named the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America team, Samardzija to the second team and Quinn and Zbiokowski to the third. In addition to the AP team, Samardzija was named to seven other All-America teams, six on the first teams. Samardzija was also named as Notre Dame's NCAA record 79th Consensus All American.
NFL Draft
In the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
, three Irish players were drafted by NFL teams. Fasano was taken by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the second round of the draft, Maurice Stovall was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the third round, and Dan Stevenson was taken in the sixth round by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. In addition to the three players taken in the draft, six signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.