Although Syracuse’s three-game winning streak over top-ranked opponents is impressive, Clark said the rankings don’t mean much given the ACC’s high level of competition.
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The playoff committee’s decisions and rationale are out of Notre Dame’s control.
At the moment the Notre Dame Fighting Irish show a record of 3-6, and have published a corresponding slate of 4-5 against the spread. In the second half, Wake Forest’s offense once again ran through Harrison, who wasn’t able to break through the Notre Dame defense. He had an early TFL in his only stop before he knee bent backwards with what Kelly deemed a potential MCL injury. In the two seasons since, though, the Irish are a combined 1-6 in regular season games played after November 7.
A 1971 graduate of Notre Dame says the team this year has been fun to watch.
The Deacs did a way better job than I would’ve ever expected, and for those saying that this was Wake football in a microcosm and it’s all we’ll ever see, you’re forgetting that we’re pulling in the best recruiting classes in school history and we have a proven program builder at the helm.
Kizer’s stat line against Wake Forest looks like an anomaly until proven otherwise. Notre Dame usually gets off to a quick start in games, averaging 10.2 points in the first quarter.
SOUTH BEND – On Senior Day, Notre Dame had a nice mix of old and young. Day also has a team-leading 10 quarterback hurries and 33 tackles overall. Trumbetti picked off the pass and returned it 28-yards for a score.
Kizer added touchdown runs of 12 and five yards for the Irish and was 13 of 19 for 111 yards passing.
A week after running for 147 yards on 20 carries, Adams ran for 98 yards and a touchdown in one play against Wake Forest on Sunday.
“We’ve got 31 freshmen and sophomores, and at times we play like a really young football team”, Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. Two of his receptions came in the screen game, the last of which converted a 3rd-and-10.
“We’re a type of team where we strive and we try to go out and get a few explosive plays, and there wasn’t any of those explosive plays other than (Josh Adams’ 98-yard touchdown run)”, Kizer said. Adams, fourth on the Irish depth chart in the preseason, ran for 141 yards to post his second straight 100-yard game and third of the season. But Irish fans with sharp memories will recall the underdog Eagles knocking Notre Dame from national-championship consideration in 1993 and bringing Ty Willingham crashing to earth in an ill-advised green-jersey game in 2002.
Adams took a second-quarter handoff a yard deep in the end zone, ran through the line just to the left of right tackle Mike McGlinchey, stiff-armed safety Ryan Janvion and was gone. It tied an NCAA record for longest run by a freshman and was the longest play in the nation all season from scrimmage.
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No. 9 Notre Dame (11-3-5) advances to the championship match against Syracuse at 1 p.m. Sunday at Alumni Stadium. His dominance went beyond just numbers, with Okwara coming up clutch for the Irish defense.
