2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame
in the 2009
college football
season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth. Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4-2, with close losses to Michigan and USC but ended the season with four straight losses, including a second loss to Navy loss in three years. Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss at the end of the season. Although Notre Dame was bowl eligible with 6 wins, the University announced on December 4 that the Irish had chosen not to play in a bowl game. Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick hired Cincinnati
head coach Brian Kelly after a 10 day coaching search.
left the team to become the head coach for the Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks. Following what some critics called a disappointing 7-6 season, Charlie Weis announced several major changes to the coaching staff, including the replacement of the offensive and defensive line coaches. Frank Verducci was hired to replace John Latina as the offensive line coach and was placed in charge of revamping the Irish running game as the running game coordinator. Tony Alford was hired to replace Mike Haywood as the running backs coach. Finally, Weis hired defensive line coach Randy Hart, a veteran coach at University of Washington from 1988-2008. Former Notre Dame standout and NFL veteran Bryant Young
was also hired as a defensive graduate assistant with the possibility of eventually stepping in to coach the defensive line.
was the only player drafted from the team, going in the fourth round to the Denver Broncos
as the 114th pick overall. Five more players would sign quickly after the draft, including David Grimes with Broncos, Pat Kuntz with the Colts
, Terrail Lambert with the 49ers
, and fullback Asaph Schwapp and offensive lineman Mike Turkovich with the Cowboys
. Defensive lineman Justin Brown and captain Maurice Crum Jr. also exhausted their eligibility.
prior to the start of the season following an undisclosed University violation that would have sidelined him for the season.
's Nevada squad 35-0 to give Charlie Weis his first shutout as Irish head coach. Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen continued his efficient play from the Hawai'i Bowl
victory the previous season (22-26 for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns), completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Clausen started the game by completing 10 of 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by a then career-long 70-yard pass for a touchdown to Irish wide receiver Michael Floyd. Clausen bettered that in the third quarter with an 88-yard scoring pass to Floyd. The 88-yard touchdown was the third longest pass completion in Notre Dame history. Floyd lept over Wolf Pack cornerback Doyle Miller and kept his balance when Miller tried to pull him down at the 50-yard line, then raced in for the score. Clausen also completed a 24-yard TD catch to Floyd and a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph in the first drive of the game. Irish running back Armando Allen logged the other touchdown on a 1-yard run. He finished the game with 72 yards on 15 carries.
The victory was Notre Dame's first shutout victory since a 42-0 win over Rutgers
in 2002. The Irish defense set the tone early, stopping Nevada to three and out on its first three possessions. Irish linebacker Toryan Smith stuffed Wolf Pack running back Vai Taua for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 and also logged a sack. Highly touted freshman linebacker Manti Te'o also got in on the action for Notre Dame on his first play early in the second quarter. On third-and-15 from the Nevada 26, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick
took off and had some room but Te'o caught him from behind after an 11-yard gain, forcing the Wolfpack to punt. The Irish defense held Nevada to 153 yards rushing and 307 total yards. Kaepernick was 12 of 23 passing for 149 yards with two interceptions. Irish cornerback Robert Blanton intercepted a Kaepernick pass at the end of the half, and senior captain Kyle McCarthy logged the second interception of the day and the fourth of his career in the third quarter.
continued his impressive play, throwing for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns, but it was not enough to offset costly penalties (9 for 75 yards), questionable play-calling, and an efficient performance by Michigan freshman quarterback Tate Forcier
(23 for 33, 240 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT).
After Daryl Stronum's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped the Wolverines to an early 14-3 lead, Notre Dame roared back in the second quarter, largely on the strength of Clausen's passing. Clausen threw touchdowns on successive drives—the first to Golden Tate
, the second to Michael Floyd
—to give the Irish their first lead of the afternoon at 17-14. The teams traded field goals at the end of the quarter and Notre Dame took a 20-17 lead to the locker room.
On the first series of the second half, Forcier led Michigan down to the Notre Dame 9-yard line before a missed field goal gave the Irish a temporary reprieve. A Jonas Gray fumble on the ensuing Notre Dame possession was recovered by Michigan at the Irish 26-yard line, and five plays later, the Wolverines regained the lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Forcier to Kevin Koger.
Michigan extended its lead to 31-20 on the second play of the fourth quarter when Forcier, facing fourth-and-three, ran 31 yards for a touchdown. Clausen rallied the Irish with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, and Kyle McCarthy intercepted Forcier on the next series, giving Notre Dame the ball at the Michigan 36. The 7-play drive was capped by an 8-yard Armando Allen touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion run by Allen off a well-executed Statue of Liberty play
, giving the Irish a 34-31 lead with a little over 5 minutes remaining.
The Notre Dame defense stiffened and forced a punt, giving the Irish offense the ball back with 3:07 remaining. Allen rushed 13-yards to the Notre Dame 29 for a first down, but Robert Hughes was stopped on the next play for no gain and Michigan used its first timeout to stop the clock at 2:29. Rather than run the ball and force Michigan to use its two remaining timeouts, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis
called pass plays on second- and third-down, both of which fell incomplete, and the Irish punted the ball back to Michigan having only taken 54 seconds off the clock. Forcier made the Irish pay for their mistake, cooly driving the Wolverines down to the Notre Dame 5-yard line, where he connected with Greg Matthews for the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game.
With the heartbreaking loss, Notre Dame fell out of the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls
.
since 1993. The win wasn't sealed until Kyle McCarthy intercepted Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins at the Irish 4-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in the game. Trailing 30-26 midway through the fourth quarter, Jimmy Clausen
connected with Golden Tate
off a fly route
for what proved to be a 33-yard game-winning touchdown. A key play occurred late in the third quarter when Irish defensive tackle Ian Johnson blocked a Michigan State extra point to leave the score 26-23 Notre Dame; had the extra point been successful, Michigan State could have won the game with a field goal on its final drive.
Clausen, playing through a turf toe
injury, had another big game, going 22 for 31 with an even 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Halfback Armando Allen rushed 23 times for 115 yards and a touchdown and also threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Robby Paris out of the wildcat formation. The defense continued to be a problem for Notre Dame, as it surrendered 459 yards of total offense
to the Spartans, including 354 through the air.
The win also proved to be costly, as Notre Dame star wide receiver Michael Floyd
was lost for the several regular season games to a broken collarbone suffered during the second quarter.
Clausen played mediocre for most of the game, completing 15 of 26 passes for 171 yards, and throwing his first interception of the season. After splitting time with backup quarterback Dayne Crist, who directed two touchdown drives in the first half, Jimmy returned to the game when it got tight in the fourth quarter. The victory was the Irish's third straight game decided in the final minutes. Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame's 33-30 win over Michigan State last week. A week earlier, Michigan's Tate Forcier threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34.
The Irish scored first on a 37-yard Nick Tausch field goal. Boston College would log its first points of the game on a safety resulting from a intentional grounding penalty called on Jimmy Clausen. After Nick Taush kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 6-2, Dave Shinskie led the Eagles down the field to take the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rich Gunnell. Jimmy Clausen and the Irish offense answered right back before the end of the first half with a 12-play, 74 yard drive culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to Golden Tate. The Irish defense, however, could not maintain the lead to start the third quarter, giving up large pass plays and a 6-play, 56 yard scoring drive by the Eagles. After several stalled drives by the Irish offense, Jimmy Clausen finally connected with Golden tate on a 36-yard touchdown pass to put the Irish ahead for good with a little over eight minutes left in the game. Clausen would finish the game passing 26 for 39 with 246 yards and two touchdowns. Golden Tate logged his 5th 100+ yard receiving game, notching 128 yards on 11 catches with two touchdowns. Senior captain Kyle McCarthy also logged two of the second half interceptions to seal the Irish win.
in San Antonio, Texas
. The Cougars, who last played Notre Dame in 2003 losing in overtime 29-26, were routed 40-14. Notre Dame would score first with a Nick Tausch a 29-yard field goal. Notre Dame's next score came from a Jimmy Clausen pass to Duval Kamara for a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Golden Tate scored on a 16-yard run for a touchdown out of the wildcat formation. After a Robert Hughes touchdown put Notre Dame up 23-0, Washington State's Jeff Tuel would cut the Notre Dame lead to 23-7, connecting with Jared Karstetter for an 11-yard touchdown. Notre Dame regained momentum, however, as Clausen's second touchdown came with 7 seconds left in the half; a spectacular 50-yard hail-mary pass which Golden Tate caught in triple coverage. The play put Notre Dame up 30-7 at the half.
Notre Dame back-ups also saw game action, highlighted by backup quarterback Dayne Crist's 64-yard touchdown to John Goodman in the 4th quarter. Nick Taush also added a 23-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, setting the Notre Dame record for consecutive field goals at 14. Clausen would finish the game 22-27, 268 yards and two touchdowns. Golden Tate would finish with 141 total yards and two touchdowns. Robert Hughes, starting in place for the injured Armando Allen, racked up 131 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Notre Dame's defense also stepped up, holding Washington State to 206 total yards and notching 5 sacks and two interceptions. Notre Dame would finish the game with 592 total yards in the game. Washington State freshman Jeff Tuel was 12-of-23 for 104 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
would head football operations, including recruiting, until Brian Kelly was named. Although Notre Dame was bowl eligible with 6 wins, the University announced on December 4 that the Irish had chosen not to play in a bowl game.
All-Americans
{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| Name
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AP
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| UPI
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| NEA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AFCA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| SN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FWAA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| WCFF
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CW
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CBS
|- align="center"
| Jimmy Clausen, QB || || || || || 3 || || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Eric Olsen, OC || || || || || 3 || || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Golden Tate, WR † || 1 || || || 1 || 1 || 1|| || 1 || || 1
|- align="center"
| colspan=11 bgcolor="#000033"| †denotes unanimous selection Sources:
|}
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 2009
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
college football
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...
season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth. Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4-2, with close losses to Michigan and USC but ended the season with four straight losses, including a second loss to Navy loss in three years. Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss at the end of the season. Although Notre Dame was bowl eligible with 6 wins, the University announced on December 4 that the Irish had chosen not to play in a bowl game. Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick hired Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
head coach Brian Kelly after a 10 day coaching search.
Coaching changes
Following the 2008 season, offensive coordinator Michael HaywoodMichael Haywood
-External links:* *...
left the team to become the head coach for the Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks. Following what some critics called a disappointing 7-6 season, Charlie Weis announced several major changes to the coaching staff, including the replacement of the offensive and defensive line coaches. Frank Verducci was hired to replace John Latina as the offensive line coach and was placed in charge of revamping the Irish running game as the running game coordinator. Tony Alford was hired to replace Mike Haywood as the running backs coach. Finally, Weis hired defensive line coach Randy Hart, a veteran coach at University of Washington from 1988-2008. Former Notre Dame standout and NFL veteran Bryant Young
Bryant Young
Bryant Colby Young is an American football coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers...
was also hired as a defensive graduate assistant with the possibility of eventually stepping in to coach the defensive line.
Graduating players
Senior safety and captain David BrutonDavid Bruton (American football)
David Lee Bruton, Jr. is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted in the fourth round, 114th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school:Bruton attended Miamisburg High School in Miamisburg, Ohio...
was the only player drafted from the team, going in the fourth round to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the 114th pick overall. Five more players would sign quickly after the draft, including David Grimes with Broncos, Pat Kuntz with the Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Terrail Lambert with the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and fullback Asaph Schwapp and offensive lineman Mike Turkovich with the 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...
. Defensive lineman Justin Brown and captain Maurice Crum Jr. also exhausted their eligibility.
Transfers
Tight end Joseph Fauria transferred from Notre Dame to UCLA2009 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2009 UCLA Bruins football team , under second year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season at the Rose Bowl on September 5 against San Diego State. One scheduling change was that the last game of the season against USC was moved from the "Championship Saturday" weekend of December...
prior to the start of the season following an undisclosed University violation that would have sidelined him for the season.
Recruiting
The Irish added 18 players to its roster with high school recruits. Included in the class were five-star linebacker Manti Te'o (top defensive player in the nation), four star runningback Cierre Wood, and five-star offensive lineman Chris Watt. The class was named No. 11 by Rivals, No. 14 by ESPN and No. 23 by Scout.Award candidates
The following players were announced to award watch lists prior to the start of the 2009 season:- Armando Allen - Doak Walker AwardDoak Walker AwardThe Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
- Jimmy ClausenJimmy ClausenJames Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
- Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
, 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... - Kyle Rudolph - Mackey Award (only sophomore named to the list)
- Golden TateGolden TateGolden H. Tate III is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Notre Dame.-Early years:Tate was born in...
- Biletnikoff Award, 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... - Dan Wenger - Rimington Trophy
- Sam Young - Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
Roster
Quarterback
Tailback
Fullback
X Wide Receiver
Z Wide Receiver
Tight End
Left Offensive Tackle
Left Offensive Guard
Center
Right Offensive Guard
Right Offensive Tackle
Left Defensive End
Defensive Tackle
Nose Tackle
Right Defensive End
Strongside Linebacker (SAM)
Middle Linebacker (MIKE)
Weak Side Linebacker (WILL)
Left Cornerback
Right Cornerback
Strong Safety
Free Safety
Long Snapper
Punter
Place Kicker
|
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Source: http://www.und.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/depth-chart Bold denotes starter Players are listed by depth and position. Not all starters have been selected. Players who left or were dismissed from the team are struck out |
||||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame | 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 Offensive Coordinator |
5th | Notre Dame (1978) |
| Rob Ianello | Assistant Head Coach (Offense) Recruiting Coordinator Receivers |
5th | 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) |
| Frank Verducci | Running Game Coordinator Offensive Line |
1st | Seton Hall Seton Hall University Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the... (1980) |
| Tony Alford | Running Backs | 1st | Colorado State Colorado State University Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and... (1992) |
| 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 | 5th | 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) |
| Ron Powlus Ron Powlus Ronald Lee Powlus is a former American football quarterback, former quarterbacks coach for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, and current quarterbacks coach for the University of Akron Zips football team.... |
Quarterbacks | 3rd | Notre Dame (1997) |
| Corwin Brown Corwin Brown Corwin Brown is an American football coach who was most recently the defensive backs coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League... |
Associate Head Coach Co-Defensive Coordinator Defensive Backs |
3rd | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... (1993) |
| Jon Tenuta | Assistant Head Coach (Defense) Co-Defensive Coordinator Linebackers |
2nd | Virginia University of Virginia The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson... (1982) |
| Randy Hart | Defensive Line | 1st | Ohio State University Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... (1970) |
| Brian Polian | Special Teams | 5th | 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) |
| Brian White | Offensive Graduate Assistant | 1st | Juniata College Juniata College Juniata College is a private liberal arts college located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It is named after the Juniata River — one of the principal tributaries of the Susquehanna River. In 1876 it became the first college founded by the Church of the Brethren and has been co-educational since... (2004) |
| Bryant Young Bryant Young Bryant Colby Young is an American football coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers... |
Defensive Graduate Assistant | 1st | Notre Dame (1994) |
| Kinnon Tatum | Defensive Intern | 1st | Notre Dame (1997) |
Schedule
Nevada
Notre Dame beat Hall of Fame coach Chris AultChris Ault
Chris Ault is the current college football head coach of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Ault, along with John Gagliardi, is one of two active coaches who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame....
's Nevada squad 35-0 to give Charlie Weis his first shutout as Irish head coach. Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen continued his efficient play from the Hawai'i Bowl
2008 Hawai'i Bowl
The 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Hawaii Warriors against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on December 24, 2008, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was part of the 2008-2009 bowl game schedule of the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS...
victory the previous season (22-26 for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns), completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Clausen started the game by completing 10 of 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by a then career-long 70-yard pass for a touchdown to Irish wide receiver Michael Floyd. Clausen bettered that in the third quarter with an 88-yard scoring pass to Floyd. The 88-yard touchdown was the third longest pass completion in Notre Dame history. Floyd lept over Wolf Pack cornerback Doyle Miller and kept his balance when Miller tried to pull him down at the 50-yard line, then raced in for the score. Clausen also completed a 24-yard TD catch to Floyd and a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph in the first drive of the game. Irish running back Armando Allen logged the other touchdown on a 1-yard run. He finished the game with 72 yards on 15 carries.
The victory was Notre Dame's first shutout victory since a 42-0 win over Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
in 2002. The Irish defense set the tone early, stopping Nevada to three and out on its first three possessions. Irish linebacker Toryan Smith stuffed Wolf Pack running back Vai Taua for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 and also logged a sack. Highly touted freshman linebacker Manti Te'o also got in on the action for Notre Dame on his first play early in the second quarter. On third-and-15 from the Nevada 26, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
took off and had some room but Te'o caught him from behind after an 11-yard gain, forcing the Wolfpack to punt. The Irish defense held Nevada to 153 yards rushing and 307 total yards. Kaepernick was 12 of 23 passing for 149 yards with two interceptions. Irish cornerback Robert Blanton intercepted a Kaepernick pass at the end of the half, and senior captain Kyle McCarthy logged the second interception of the day and the fourth of his career in the third quarter.
Michigan
Offense ruled the day as the Fighting Irish were upset in the final seconds by archrival Michigan, 38-34. The 72 combined points were the most in the history of the Notre Dame – Michigan rivalry, and the game marked just the fifth time Michigan has scored 30 points or more against Notre Dame. Jimmy ClausenJimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
continued his impressive play, throwing for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns, but it was not enough to offset costly penalties (9 for 75 yards), questionable play-calling, and an efficient performance by Michigan freshman quarterback Tate Forcier
Tate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
(23 for 33, 240 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT).
After Daryl Stronum's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped the Wolverines to an early 14-3 lead, Notre Dame roared back in the second quarter, largely on the strength of Clausen's passing. Clausen threw touchdowns on successive drives—the first to Golden Tate
Golden Tate
Golden H. Tate III is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Notre Dame.-Early years:Tate was born in...
, the second to Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd is an American football wide receiver. He currently attends the University of Notre Dame in his senior year...
—to give the Irish their first lead of the afternoon at 17-14. The teams traded field goals at the end of the quarter and Notre Dame took a 20-17 lead to the locker room.
On the first series of the second half, Forcier led Michigan down to the Notre Dame 9-yard line before a missed field goal gave the Irish a temporary reprieve. A Jonas Gray fumble on the ensuing Notre Dame possession was recovered by Michigan at the Irish 26-yard line, and five plays later, the Wolverines regained the lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Forcier to Kevin Koger.
Michigan extended its lead to 31-20 on the second play of the fourth quarter when Forcier, facing fourth-and-three, ran 31 yards for a touchdown. Clausen rallied the Irish with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, and Kyle McCarthy intercepted Forcier on the next series, giving Notre Dame the ball at the Michigan 36. The 7-play drive was capped by an 8-yard Armando Allen touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion run by Allen off a well-executed Statue of Liberty play
Statue of Liberty play
The Statue of Liberty is a trick play in American football, occasionally seen in high school football, college football and the NFL.-Execution of the play:...
, giving the Irish a 34-31 lead with a little over 5 minutes remaining.
The Notre Dame defense stiffened and forced a punt, giving the Irish offense the ball back with 3:07 remaining. Allen rushed 13-yards to the Notre Dame 29 for a first down, but Robert Hughes was stopped on the next play for no gain and Michigan used its first timeout to stop the clock at 2:29. Rather than run the ball and force Michigan to use its two remaining timeouts, Notre Dame head coach 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...
called pass plays on second- and third-down, both of which fell incomplete, and the Irish punted the ball back to Michigan having only taken 54 seconds off the clock. Forcier made the Irish pay for their mistake, cooly driving the Wolverines down to the Notre Dame 5-yard line, where he connected with Greg Matthews for the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game.
With the heartbreaking loss, Notre Dame fell out of the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or...
.
Michigan State
Notre Dame recovered from its tough loss at Michigan by beating rival Michigan State for the first time at Notre Dame StadiumNotre 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....
since 1993. The win wasn't sealed until Kyle McCarthy intercepted Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins at the Irish 4-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in the game. Trailing 30-26 midway through the fourth quarter, Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
connected with Golden Tate
Golden Tate
Golden H. Tate III is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Notre Dame.-Early years:Tate was born in...
off a fly route
Fly (American Football)
A fly route, also called a seam route, streak route or go route, is a pattern run by a receiver in American football, where the receiver runs straight upfield towards the endzone. The goal of the pattern is to outrun any defensive backs and get behind them, catching an undefended pass while running...
for what proved to be a 33-yard game-winning touchdown. A key play occurred late in the third quarter when Irish defensive tackle Ian Johnson blocked a Michigan State extra point to leave the score 26-23 Notre Dame; had the extra point been successful, Michigan State could have won the game with a field goal on its final drive.
Clausen, playing through a turf toe
Turf toe
A metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain is an injury to the joint and connective tissue between the foot and one of the toes. When the big toe is involved, it is known as "turf toe".-Causes:...
injury, had another big game, going 22 for 31 with an even 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Halfback Armando Allen rushed 23 times for 115 yards and a touchdown and also threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Robby Paris out of the wildcat formation. The defense continued to be a problem for Notre Dame, as it surrendered 459 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
to the Spartans, including 354 through the air.
The win also proved to be costly, as Notre Dame star wide receiver Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd is an American football wide receiver. He currently attends the University of Notre Dame in his senior year...
was lost for the several regular season games to a broken collarbone suffered during the second quarter.
Purdue
With the game on the line, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis put the game in the hands of his hobbled quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Slowed by a turf-toe injury sustained in the Michigan State game, Clausen engineered a 88 yard game winning drive with 3:41 to go to give Notre Dame a 24-21 victory over the Boilermakers. Trailing 21-17, Clausen completed a 22-yard pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph to move the ball to the Purdue 32. After a Purdue forced Notre Dame into a 3rd-and-14. Clausen completed a 15-yard pass to wideout Robby Parris for a first down. A 17-yarder to Golden Tate set up a first-and-goal at the 4. After three plays netted two yards, Clausen found Rudolph in the end zone on fourth down for the winner with less than a minute remaining.Clausen played mediocre for most of the game, completing 15 of 26 passes for 171 yards, and throwing his first interception of the season. After splitting time with backup quarterback Dayne Crist, who directed two touchdown drives in the first half, Jimmy returned to the game when it got tight in the fourth quarter. The victory was the Irish's third straight game decided in the final minutes. Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame's 33-30 win over Michigan State last week. A week earlier, Michigan's Tate Forcier threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34.
Washington
Southern California
In the closest game against USC since the controversial 2005 loss, Notre Dame nearly overcame a 34-14 USC lead to cut the Trojans' lead to 34-27, but Jimmy Clausen ran out of magic on the final drive and couldn't score a touchdown that would bring the game into overtime.Boston College
Notre Dame notched its first victory vs. Boston College since 2000, outlasting the Eagles 20-16. In a game that had four lead changes, it was the Irish defense that came up big in the end, intercepting three passes by Eagles quarterback Dave Shinskie in the second half. Notre Dame linebacker Brian Smith sealed the victory by picking off Shinskie with 98 seconds left in the game.The Irish scored first on a 37-yard Nick Tausch field goal. Boston College would log its first points of the game on a safety resulting from a intentional grounding penalty called on Jimmy Clausen. After Nick Taush kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 6-2, Dave Shinskie led the Eagles down the field to take the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rich Gunnell. Jimmy Clausen and the Irish offense answered right back before the end of the first half with a 12-play, 74 yard drive culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to Golden Tate. The Irish defense, however, could not maintain the lead to start the third quarter, giving up large pass plays and a 6-play, 56 yard scoring drive by the Eagles. After several stalled drives by the Irish offense, Jimmy Clausen finally connected with Golden tate on a 36-yard touchdown pass to put the Irish ahead for good with a little over eight minutes left in the game. Clausen would finish the game passing 26 for 39 with 246 yards and two touchdowns. Golden Tate logged his 5th 100+ yard receiving game, notching 128 yards on 11 catches with two touchdowns. Senior captain Kyle McCarthy also logged two of the second half interceptions to seal the Irish win.
Washington State
In the first of several "offsite home games" scheduled over the next several football seasons, Notre Dame played host to Washington State in the AlamodomeAlamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The Cougars, who last played Notre Dame in 2003 losing in overtime 29-26, were routed 40-14. Notre Dame would score first with a Nick Tausch a 29-yard field goal. Notre Dame's next score came from a Jimmy Clausen pass to Duval Kamara for a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Golden Tate scored on a 16-yard run for a touchdown out of the wildcat formation. After a Robert Hughes touchdown put Notre Dame up 23-0, Washington State's Jeff Tuel would cut the Notre Dame lead to 23-7, connecting with Jared Karstetter for an 11-yard touchdown. Notre Dame regained momentum, however, as Clausen's second touchdown came with 7 seconds left in the half; a spectacular 50-yard hail-mary pass which Golden Tate caught in triple coverage. The play put Notre Dame up 30-7 at the half.
Notre Dame back-ups also saw game action, highlighted by backup quarterback Dayne Crist's 64-yard touchdown to John Goodman in the 4th quarter. Nick Taush also added a 23-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, setting the Notre Dame record for consecutive field goals at 14. Clausen would finish the game 22-27, 268 yards and two touchdowns. Golden Tate would finish with 141 total yards and two touchdowns. Robert Hughes, starting in place for the injured Armando Allen, racked up 131 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Notre Dame's defense also stepped up, holding Washington State to 206 total yards and notching 5 sacks and two interceptions. Notre Dame would finish the game with 592 total yards in the game. Washington State freshman Jeff Tuel was 12-of-23 for 104 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Navy
Notre Dame lost to Navy for the second time in three years and the second time in a row at Notre Dame stadium.Pittsburgh
Connecticut
Stanford
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 23 | 18 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 25 | -- | 25 | 19 | -- | ||||||
| Coaches | 23 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 25 | -- | 25 | 21 | -- | ||||||
| Harris | Not released | -- | -- | 25 | -- | 24 | 20 | -- | |||||||||
| BCS | Not released | -- | 23 | 22 | -- | ||||||||||||
Post-season
Charlie Weis entered this season with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth. Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4-2, with close losses to Michigan and USC. Many of their wins were also close, aside from a 35-0 victory over Nevada and a 40-14 thrashing of Washington State. Sitting at 6-2, however, Notre Dame lost a close game at Notre Dame Stadium to an unranked Navy team, 23-21. This loss was the second to Navy in the last three years, after Notre Dame had beaten Navy forty three straight times dating back to 1963. Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, when asked about what his biggest disappointment had been that season, took a long pause, then said, "the Navy outcome." While Swarbrick clarified that he would not evaluate the football season until season's end, he stated that "Up until the Navy game we were in the BCS conversation." The Navy game, however, was the first of a four game losing skid, as Notre Dame followed up the Navy loss with losses to a top-10 Pittsburgh team, an overtime loss to Connecticut at home, and a season ending loss at Stanford. The week prior to the Stanford game, Swarbrick announced Weis would not be recruiting following the game. Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss. Swarbrick announced that wide receiver coach Rob IanelloRob Ianello
-External links:*...
would head football operations, including recruiting, until Brian Kelly was named. Although Notre Dame was bowl eligible with 6 wins, the University announced on December 4 that the Irish had chosen not to play in a bowl game.
Awards
- Biletnikoff Award
- Golden TateGolden TateGolden H. Tate III is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Notre Dame.-Early years:Tate was born in...
All-Americans
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!bgcolor="#C5B358"| Name
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AP
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| UPI
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| NEA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AFCA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| SN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FWAA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FN
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| WCFF
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CW
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CBS
|- align="center"
| Jimmy Clausen, QB || || || || || 3 || || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Eric Olsen, OC || || || || || 3 || || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Golden Tate, WR † || 1 || || || 1 || 1 || 1|| || 1 || || 1
|- align="center"
| colspan=11 bgcolor="#000033"| †denotes unanimous selection Sources:
|}
See also
- Notre Dame Fighting IrishNotre Dame Fighting IrishNotre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...