IRISH NOTES:
Saturday will mark the 52nd meeting between Notre Dame and Army. It will be the tenth matchup in the series in which both teams are ranked, and the first such occurrence since 1958, when No. 3 Army bested No. 4 Notre Dame, 14-2. • Notre Dame is 39-8-4 all-time against Army, with an 8-1 home record, 7-2-1 away record, and 24-5-3 record at neutral sites. • Notre Dame is 138-23-5 all-time against the AAC, and 1-0 against the AAC in 2024. • Saturday will be Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series game. See page 27 for history of the Shamrock Series. This year’s Shamrock Series will honor the 100th anniversary of the famed Four Horsemen. • Notre Dame has played at Yankee Stadium on 27 occasions, owning a 18-6-3 record. The Irish are 15-5-3 against Army at Yankee Stadium. Notre Dame played two games at the Polo Grounds prior to Yankee Stadium, including the 1924 matchup with Army. • Saturday will mark the 12th installment of the Shamrock Series, during which Notre Dame hosts a game at a neutral site. While the game is counted as a neutral site game in statistics, Notre Dame serves as the home team. • The 2024 Shamrock Series will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Notre Dame vs. Army game at Yankee Stadium in 1924, which produced the most famous passage in the history of sports journalism – Grantland Rice’s storied “Four Horsemen” article. • Notre Dame wears specialty uniforms for each edition of the Shamrock Series. The 2024 uniforms are inspired by Grantland Rice’s famous story, which begins, “Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again.” • Notre Dame is 35-10-5 all-time in baseball stadiums. • Notre Dame is 12-0 in the Shamrock Series. • The Irish come off a 35-14 win over Virginia on Senior Day, in which Xavier Watts recorded two takeaways (interception and fumble recovery) and Jeremiyah Love rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Riley Leonard completed 16 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns in the air.
IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS 1 Notre Dame’s defense is dominant and ranks among the top in the country in nearly every defensive stat category, including: first in passing efficency defense (88.89), first in turnovers gained (25), second in passing yards allowed (150.9), second in defensive touchdowns (4), third in scoring defense (11.4), fourth in red zone defense (0.682), fifth in fumbles recovered (10), fifth in first downs defense (153), sixth in total defense (277.1), sixth in third down defense (0.289) and seventh in passes intercepted (15). 1 Senior quarterback Riley Leonard owns 32 rushing touchdowns for his career, including three in the first half at Purdue, and two vs. Miami (OH) and Georgia Tech. He tied for first among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (Dillon Gabriel – 32). With three rushing touchdowns in a single game at Purdue, Leonard is one of four Power 4 quarterbacks to achieve the feat so far this season, one of just 11 FBS quarterbacks to do so, and one of four FBS quarterbacks to do so in a single half. 2 Xavier Watts has made a case as the best defensive player in college football. Watts is one of just two FBS safeties to rank in the Top Three among all FBS safeties in interceptions and passes defended, and no FBS safety has higher marks in both categories than Watts. His 1.2 passes defended per game rank second among all safeties and 13th nationally, while his four interceptions rank third among safeties and seventh among all FBS players. Watts has totaled 11 interceptions on his career. He is tied for the most career interceptions by an Irish player since 1996. He is the 19th Notre Dame player to intercept 10 or more passes in a career and is tied for ninth (with four other players) on the all-time list for career interceptions in program history. Watts is responsible for five of Notre Dame’s 25 turnovers gained this season (four interceptions, one fumble recovery). 2 Notre Dame is one of just two FBS programs (Auburn) that have three or more receivers who were the leading receiver (either in yards or receptions) on an FBS roster in 2023: Tight end Mitchell Evans (led Notre Dame with 29 receptions); wide receiver Jayden Harrison (led Marshall with 410 receiving yards); and wide receiver Kris Mitchell (led FIU in both receptions and yards – 64 receptions for 1,118 yards). 3-24 Notre Dame held two-straight opponents to 3-24 on third down (Miami 2-12, Purdue 1-12), the best back-to-back two-game total since 2021 (Cincinnati 2-12, Wisconsin 1-14). Those are the two best back-to-back two-game stretches since data is available starting in 1996. 4 Notre Dame is one of just four programs in the Power 4 with eight or more wins over each of the last five seasons (2020-24), joined by Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. 5th Notre Dame finished the 2023 season ranked fifth in FBS for total defense (276.3), the program’s best effort since 1980 (4th). The Irish also led the nation in pass efficiency defense (97.09). 10 The victory over Navy was the 10th ranked win of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame. The 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M was his eighth victory over a ranked opponent, and the 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville was the ninth. Only Frank Leahy (10 such wins) earned as many ranked victories in his first three years on the Irish sidelines. In 2023, the 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over No. 21 Oregon State not only earned Freeman his first campaign with 10 victories, it also was his team’s seventh victory over an Associated Press-ranked team in his first two years leading the program – breaking Terry Brennan’s previous program record of six in 1954 and 55. 14th The Irish finished the 2023 season ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll, marking the seventh-straight campaign and 10 of the last 12 Notre Dame has appeared in the final AP ranking. That seven-season final AP ranking streak is the best run for the Notre Dame program since the Irish finished in the AP Top 25 11 consecutive seasons from 1964-74.
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – OFFENSE • Jayden Thomas entered 2023 season as Notre Dame’s leading returning receiver and served in that role in the first four games of the 2023 season, catching 12 passes for over 180 yards and a touchdown. • Beaux Collins is Notre Dame’s leading receiver in 2024, with 30 receptions for 390 yards. He recorded 91 receptions for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1,578 offensive snaps over 32 games (27 starts) at Clemson from 2021-23. He broke out late in his true freshman season with 31 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns. • Jaden Greathouse was the first Irish true freshman wideout to catch two touchdown passes in his first-career game (against Navy in 2023). His five touchdown catches during a rookie campaign are the most for a Notre Dame true freshman since 2016. • Jayden Harrison was a first-team All-American as a kick returner at Marshall last season, tying for the FBS lead with two kick return touchdowns in 2023. He recorded his first touchdown catch for the Irish in the 35-14 win over Virginia. In 2023, Harrison played in all 13 games for Marshall (started four), totaling 28 receptions for 410 yards (14.6 yards per reception) and a touchdown. • Kris Mitchell, a transfer from FIU, led CUSA and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards in 2023 (1,118 – 18th nationally) and receiving yads per game (93.2 – 13th nationally). Mitchell owns 100 career receptions for 1,663 yards and 11 touchdowns. • KK Smith began his time at Notre Dame recovering from an injury. His hard work over 2023 Fall allowed Smith to return to practice during bowl prep and make his Notre Dame debut in the Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State. • Jordan Faison joined the Notre Dame football team as a walk on and made his collegiate athletics debut at No. 25 Louisville in 2023, and was put on football scholarship. He would end the season with 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns, capping the year by earning Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. • Notre Dame’s offensive line presents some new faces in 2024 with the departures of NFL Draftees Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Pat Coogan, Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth, Tosh Baker, Rocco Spindler and Charles Jagusah own starting experience. Irish linemen Aamil Wagner, Sam Pendleton and Anthonie Knapp all made their first-career starts at No. 20 Texas A&M. Even with injuries and young talent, the line has been named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. • Mitchell Evans had a breakout season in 2023 before being sidelined with an injury. A 2024 semifinalist for the Mackey Award, he played in eight games as a junior in 2023, starting seven, and ended the season as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. Through those eight games, Evans totaled 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown during the season, averaging 14.6 yards per catch. With Evans’ injury, Cooper Flanagan and Eli Raridon saw action in 2023, each scoring a touchdown, and will look to have an increased role in 2024. • Riley Leonard owns 32 rushing touchdowns for his career, ranking first among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (tied with Dillon Gabriel – 32). He enters his senior season and first with Notre Dame coming off a Duke career as one of the ACC’s premier quarterbacks. See page 20 for more on Leonard. • Steve Angeli made the most of his first-career start in the 2023 Sun Bowl completing 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to that game, he went 19-for-25 passing with four touchdowns in seven relief appearances. • With the departure of NFL Draft pick Audric Estimé, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are poised to lead the Irish running backs in 2024. See page 23 for more on the Irish running backs
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – DEFENSE • Joshua Burnham finished the 2023 season with 18 tackles, four tackles-forloss and a sack. Junior Tuihalamaka appeared in all 13 games in 2023 while posting 10 tackles. • Rylie Mills was named a 2024 team captain and was a distruptive force on the Irish defensive line in 2023. He posted 3.0 sacks in the win over Florida State, as the Irish totaled 8.0 on the night. See page 18 for more information on Mills. • Donovan Hinish appeared in nine games in 2023 and posting a career-best four stops in the win over Central Michigan. Howard Cross III, questionable for this week, established himself as one of the top playmaking interior defensive lineman in the country during the 2023 season. See page 17 for more information on Cross. • RJ Oben transferred from Duke in the offseason with 34 career starts and 50 games played. Entering Notre Dame, he had posted 67 tackles on his career, with 14.5 sacks (loss of 91 yards), five forced fumbles, two passes defended and an interception. Bryce Young is now seeing time in the regular defensive line rotation and has made a significant mark on special teams. He is four-star true freshman and was an Adidas All-American as a high school senior. See page 19 for more on Young. • Jack Kiser leads a linebacker room with young talent. A team captain and 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist, Kiser has broken the Notre Dame career games played record. See page 18 for more information on Kiser. Jaiden Ausberry appeared in four regular-season games in 2023, preserving his eligibility. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is a highly-touted five-star linebacker who was a finalist for the high school Butkus Award in 2023. He posted a career-high seven tackles vs. Northern Illinois. Drayk Bowen has posted 48 tackles this season, second behind Kiser’s 52. He appeared in 12 games in 2023 (missing one contest with an injury) and recorded 14 stops and a forced fumble. See page 19 for more on Bowen. Jaylen Sneed appeared in all 13 games in 2023, totaling 14 tackles, five QB hurries and two PBU. • Jordan Clark joined the Irish from Arizona State with 22 career starts and 39 games played entering 2024. Throughout his college career, he has snagged four interceptions (one for a touchdown) and 157 tackles (113 solo) with 7.5 TFL and 24 passes defended. • Adon Shuler has posted three interceptions this season, one each against Texas A&M, Georgia Tech and Virginia. Starting each game in 2024, he showed his playmaking ability late in the 2023 season, posting all six career tackles in the final three games of the year. See page 19 for more on Shuler. Luke Talich quickly established himself as a special teams mainstay during his freshman season in 2023, and posted his first-career pick six vs. Florida State. • True freshmen Karson Hobbs, Leonard Moore and Kennedy Urlacher have impressed in preseason camp. Moore and Urlacher both garnered one four-star ranking through recruitment. Moore made his college football debut at No. 20 Texas A&M, and his first-career start vs. No. 15 Louisville, leading the team with seven tackles. He also posted seven tackles in his second start, at Georgia Tech. See page 19 for more on Moore. Tae Johnson made his debut on the depth chart for Florida State week, and saw his first game action after coming back from injury. • Christian Gray started his first-career game in the 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M. He saw action in 12 games and made 11 tackles in 2023. He intercepted his first career pass against Pittsburgh and finished the year with a career-best three tackles in the Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State. • Xavier Watts has made a case to be the best defensive player in college football in 2024. He is a semifinalist the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy and Thorpe Award. Watts won the Nagurski Trophy in 2023 and was a unanimous All-American. See page 16 for more on Watts. Rod Heard II spent his prior career at Northwestern, where he amassed 31 starts and 46 games played with 182 tackles, 11 for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, as well as 10 passes defended, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery
ARMY NOTES:
#18 (AP) Army (9-0, 7-0) comes into the contest off an idle week, clinching a berth into the AAC Championship game vs. Tulane, when Tulane defeated Navy this past Saturday. In Army’s last game, the Black Knights defeated North Texas, 14-3 to keep the nation’s longest active win streak of 13 games alive. QB Bryson Daily rushed for 153 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 36 carries (4.2 avg.) #6 (AP) Notre Dame (9-1) defeated Virginia last week, 35-14, behind RB Jeremiyah Love’s 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Fighting Irish have rattled off eight straight wins since an early season setback to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 39-8-4. This is the 24th time Army and Notre Dame have played at Yankee Stadium. Army and Notre Dame have met at the home of the Yankees 23 times before, including 22 times at the original Yankee Stadium (1925-29, ‘31-46, ‘69) and once at the current Yankee Stadium. The most recent contest in 2010 also marked the first college football game played at the current Stadium, which opened its doors in 2009.
1ST AND 10 • Army is ranked #18 in the AP Poll and #17 in the Coaches Poll (Nov. 17, 2024). • Army’s ranking of #18 in the AP Poll is the highest for Army since being 10th in October of 1962. • Army extended its winning streak to 13 games – the longest active streak nationally – with its 14-3 victory at North Texas (11/9). It is Army’s longest winning streak since between the 1949-1950 seasons. • Army is one of three unbeaten teams in FBS (along with Indiana and Oregon), Army the only to win every game by double digits. • Army clinched a berth into the AAC championship game when Tulane defeated Navy this past Saturday. Army and Tulane will face off in the title game on Friday, Dec. 6 with the first seed and right to host the game still to be decided. • The matchup between Army and Notre Dame is the first for Army in which both teams entered ranked since 9/26/2020, when No. 22-ranked Army lost to No. 14 Cincinnati, 24-10. Prior to that contest, the last time that Army played in a contest where both teams were ranked was in 1996 when 9-0 and No. 22-ranked Army fell to #19 Syracuse, 42-17. • Army’s last victory vs. an Top-10 AP-ranked team was in 1963, defeating #9 Penn State, 10-7. Army’s last win over a AP-ranked team #6 or better was in 1962, defeating #3 Penn State, 9-6. • Army’s defense has not allowed a touchdown to opponents in two consecutive games (Air Force & North Texas) for the first time since 1984. • Army is averaging 334.9 rushing yards per game, tops in the nation, the only team rushing for more than 275.0 yards per game. • QB Bryson Daily’s 21 rushing touchdowns are T-2nd most in the country, only five behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (26). • Daily (21) and RB Kanye Udoh (9) have combined for 30 rushing touchdowns with three regular season games still to go. If they combine for 9 more TDs, there have only been 10 duos in college football that have combined for at least 39 touchdowns since 1956. •LB Kalib Fortner was the Week 11 AAC Defensive Player of the Week, finishing the game with eight tackles including two tackles for loss at North Texas.
VS. THE FIGHTING IRISH Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 39-8-4. Army has dropped its last 15 games vs. Notre Dame. Army’s last win over the Fighting Irish came 10/11/1958, a 14-2 Army win in South Bend, Ind. Army and Notre Dame first met in 1913, a 35-13, Notre Dame win on the ground at West Point. Army defeated Notre Dame, 59-0 at Yankee Stadium in 1944 on its way to an undefeated 9-0 National Championship season.
Army has totaled 400+ yards of total offense in seven out of nine games this season, one of 7 teams in the nation to do so. Since 2020, Army is 18-3 when logging 400+ yards of offense. Army has rushed for 400 yards alone in three of the games (405 at FAU, 417 at Temple and 413 vs. UAB).
Army’s eclipsed 500 yards of total offense in the win vs. UAB (10/12). Army has only went over 500+ yards four times since 2020.
Army rushed for 405 yards as a team in its AAC debut at FAU (9/7), 417 as a team at Temple (9/26) and 413 vs. UAB. It was the 27th time in Monken’s tenure (2014-pres.) the Black Knights have totaled 400 yards on the ground in a game, second most in all of college football in that span. Army also has a 24-3 record in those games.
As a team, Army has rushed for 3,014 yards (334.9 avg.). Army ranks first in the country in rushing offense, averaging 334.9 yards per game, the only team averaging over 275.0 rushing yards per game.
Army’s offense and defense each rank highly nationally in the red zone. The offense is 35-for-38 scoring in the red zone (27 rush TDs, three passing TDs, five FGs). The defense has the best red zone mark in the country only allowing 10 red zone scores in 20 opponent opportunities (50.0%). In Army’s last game at North Texas, the unit picked off two red zone passes.
Army is 26-1 in the last five seasons when they do not have a turnover on offense. Army has played turnover-free football in seven of the nine games this season. Army has won the last 16 games when not committing a turnover.
Army’s defense ranks tied for first in the country in scoring defense, only allowing 10.3 points per game with Ohio State.
Army’s defense has held opponents to under 14 in eight of nine games this season. Army’s defense held its opponents to 14 or less in seven straight games from Navy (2023) through UAB (10/12/24). It was the longest streak holding the opponent to 14 or less since between the 1966-67 seasons when Army did so eight times. Army’s 59 points allowed were the fewest since the 1967 season, when allowing 56 points through six games.
Army’s defense held its opponents to 21 points or less in 11 straight games from UMass (2023) through UAB (10/12/24). The Black Knights were 10-1 in those contests.
Army’s defense ranks first in the AAC, only allowing an average of 273.9 yards per game, the only team allowing fewer than 300 yards per game. Army’s mark also ranks 5th best nationally.