2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football

Conference	Independent
Record	4–8
Head coach	Brian Kelly (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Sanford Jr. (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brian VanGorder (3rd season; first 4 games) Greg Hudson (interim; remainder of season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–3
Captains	Mike McGlinchey Isaac Rochell James Onwualu Torii Hunter Jr.
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium

2016 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records

Team	W		L	W		L
BYU		–		9	–	4
Army		–		8	–	5
Notre Dame		–		4	–	8
UMass		–		2	–	10

Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent. They finished the season 4–8, Notre Dame's worst record since 2007. Despite the disappointing season, athletic director Jack Swarbrick found the 2016 Irish to be a remarkable bunch, citing the team's "enthusiasm" and "willingness to practice".^[1]

Before the season

2016 NFL Daft

The following former Notre Dame players were selected in the 2016 NFL draft:

Round	Selection	Player	Position	Team
1	6	Ronnie Stanley	Offensive tackle	Baltimore Ravens
1	21	Will Fuller	Wide receiver	Houston Texans
2	34	Jaylon Smith	Linebacker	Dallas Cowboys
2	50	Nick Martin	Center	Houston Texans
3	74	KeiVarae Russell	Cornerback	Kansas City Chiefs
3	90	C. J. Prosise	Running back	Seattle Seahawks
4	103	Sheldon Day	Defensive tackle	Jacksonville Jaguars

Transfers out / departures

Notre Dame lost FS Max Redfield and CB Devin Butler in the offseason for violating team policies.

Coaching changes

Brian VanGorder was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator. Defensive Analyst Greg Hudson took over as the Irish's Defensive Coordinator. Kelly said, "I have the utmost respect for Brian as both a person and football coach, but our defense simply isn't where it should be and I believe this change is necessary for the best interest of our program and our student-athletes.^[2]

Recruiting class

Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame coaching staff accepted 23 commitments for the 2016 recruiting cycle, including two 5-stars: Daelin Hayes and Tommy Kraemer. The class included student-athletes from 11 different states, and one Canadian province.^[3]

College recruiting information (2016)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Ian Book QB	El Dorado Hills, California	Oak Ridge High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	–	Aug 14, 2015
Ian Book QB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
Parker Boudreaux OL	Winter Garden, Florida	Bishop Moore High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	–	Jul 2, 2015
Parker Boudreaux OL	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (80)
Chase Claypool WR	Abbotsford, British Columbia	Abbotsford Senior Secondary	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	–	Jul 10, 2015
Chase Claypool WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (82)
Liam Eichenberg OL	Westlake, Ohio	St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland, OH)	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	–	Apr 19, 2015
Liam Eichenberg OL	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (85)
Jalen Elliott DB	Richmond, Virginia	Lloyd C. Bird High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	–	Jun 19, 2015
Jalen Elliott DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (78)
Daelin Hayes DE/LB	Belleville, Michigan	Skyline High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	–	Dec 10, 2015
Daelin Hayes DE/LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (81)
Jamir Jones LB	Rochester, New York	Aquinas Institute	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	–	Jun 23, 2015
Jamir Jones LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (72)
Jonathan Jones LB	Ocoee, Florida	Oak Ridge High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	–	Feb 3, 2016
Jonathan Jones LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (78)
Tony Jones Jr. RB	St. Petersburg, Florida	IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	219 lb (99 kg)	–	Mar 22, 2015
Tony Jones Jr. RB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
Khalid Kareem DE	Pontiac, Michigan	Harrison High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	–	Oct 23, 2015
Khalid Kareem DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (83)
Tommy Kraemer OL	Cincinnati, Ohio	Elder High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	310 lb (140 kg)	–	Oct 4, 2014
Tommy Kraemer OL	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (83)
Julian Love DB	Westchester, Illinois	Nazareth Academy	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	–-	Mar 21, 2015
Julian Love DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
Deon McIntosh RB	Pompano Beach, Florida	Cardinal Gibbons High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	–	Nov 16, 2015
Deon McIntosh RB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
Javon McKinley WR	Corona, California	Centennial High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	–	Jan 9, 2016
Javon McKinley WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
D. J. Morgan DB	Norwalk, California	St. John Bosco High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	–	Sep 27, 2015
D. J. Morgan DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (79)
Adetokunbo Ogundeji DE	West Bloomfield, Michigan	Walled Lake Central High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	216 lb (98 kg)	–	Jul 16, 2015
Adetokunbo Ogundeji DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (78)
Julian Okwara DE	Charlotte, North Carolina	Ardrey Kell High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	216 lb (98 kg)	–	Apr 14, 2015
Julian Okwara DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (80)
Spencer Perry DB	Newnan, Georgia	IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	204 lb (93 kg)	–	Jun 29, 2015
Spencer Perry DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (80)
Troy Pride DB	Greer, South Carolina	Greer High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	–	Dec 24, 2015
Troy Pride DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (73)
John Shannon LS	Lake Forest, Illinois	Loyola Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	–	Mar 21, 2015
John Shannon LS	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (68)
Kevin Stepherson WR	Jacksonville, Florida	First Coast High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	171 lb (78 kg)	–	Jun 18, 2015
Kevin Stepherson WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (78)
Devin Studstill DB	Riviera Beach, Florida	Palm Beach Garden High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	–	Dec 15, 2015
Devin Studstill DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (77)
Donte Vaughn DB	Memphis, Tennessee	Whitehaven High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	–	Oct 12, 2015
Donte Vaughn DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (80)
Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 13 Rivals: 12 ESPN: 16
‡ Refers to 40-yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2016 Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame". Scout. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "2016 Player Commitments – Notre Dame". ESPN. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year at Notre Dame	Alma mater (Year)
Brian Kelly	Head coach	7th	Assumption (1982)
Mike Denbrock	Associate head coach/wide receivers	7th	Grand Valley State (1987)
Mike Elston	Linebackers/recruiting coordinator	7th	Michigan (1998)
Harry Hiestand	Offensive line/run game coordinator	5th	East Stroudsburg (1983)
Scott Booker	Tight ends/special teams coordinator	5th	Kent State (2003)
Brian VanGorder	Defensive coordinator	3rd	Wayne State (1980)
Greg Hudson	Interim defensive coordinator	1st	Notre Dame (1988)
Mike Sanford Jr.	Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks	2nd	Boise State (2005)
Autry Denson	Running backs	2nd	Notre Dame (1999)
Keith Gilmore	Defensive line	2nd	Wayne State (1981)
Todd Lyght	Defensive backs coach	2nd	Notre Dame (1991)
Paul Longo	Director of football strength and conditioning	7th	Wayne State (1981)

Roster

2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster

Quarterbacks

4 Montgomery VanGorder – junior (6'5, 215)
7 Brandon Wimbush – sophomore (6'1, 216)
9 Malik Zaire – senior (6'0, 225)
12 Ian Book – freshman
14 DeShone Kizer – junior (6'4, 230)
17 Nolan Henry – sophomore (6'1, 195)

Running backs

2 Dexter Williams – sophomore (5'11, 210)
11 Justin Brent – junior (6'1, 220)
25 Tarean Folston – senior (5'9, 214)
28 Austin Ross – senior (5'10, 206)
33 Josh Adams – sophomore (6'1, 219)
34 Tony Jones Jr. – freshman
38 Deon McIntosh – freshman
46 Josh Anderson – graduate student (5'9, 205)
49 Bailey Ross – senior (5'10, 202)

Wide receivers

3 C. J. Sanders – sophomore (5'8, 185)
6 Equanimeous St. Brown – sophomore (6'4, 205)
15 Corey Holmes – junior (6'0, 190)
16 Torii Hunter Jr. – senior (6'0, 195)
26 Austin Webster – junior (5'11, 195)
27 Chris Finke – sophomore (5'9, 175)
29 Kevin Stepherson – freshman (6'0, 181)
35 Grant Hammann – junior (6'0, 192)
37 Omar Hunter – senior (5'9, 195)
81 Miles Boykin – sophomore (6'3, 225)
83 Chase Claypool – freshman
86 Javon McKinley – freshman
87 Keenan Centlivre – junior (6'5, 225)
89 Buster Sheridan – senior (6'3, 200)

Tight ends

10 Alize Jones – sophomore (6'4, 240)
80 Durham Smythe – senior (6'4, 245)
82 Nic Weishar – junior (6'4, 245)
84 Ben Suttman – senior (6'2, 240)
89 Jacob Matuska – senior (6'4, 275)

Punters

80 Tyler Newsome – junior (6'2, 210) (+K)

Offensive Lineman

50 Parker Boudreaux – freshman
53 Sam Mustipher – junior (6'2, 305)
56 Quenton Nelson – junior (6'5, 325)
57 Trevor Ruhland – sophomore (6'3, 300)
62 Colin McGovern – senior (6'4, 315)
63 Sam Bush – junior (6'3, 305)
66 Tristen Hoge – sophomore (6'4, 300)
67 Jimmy Byrne – junior (6'4, 300)
68 Mike McGlinchey – senior (6'7, 310)
69 Logan Plantz – sophomore (6'2, 310)
70 Hunter Bivin – senior (6'5, 308)
71 Alex Bars – junior (6'6, 320)
74 Liam Eichenberg – freshman
75 Mark Harrell – graduate student (6'4, 306)
78 Tommy Kraemer – freshman

Defensive Lineman

9 Daelin Hayes – freshman (6'3, 257)
42 Julian Okwara – freshman
53 Khalid Kareem – freshman (6'3, 270)
54 Lincoln Feist – sophomore (6'2, 315)
55 Jonathan Bonner – junior (6'3, 286)
58 Elijah Taylor – sophomore (6'3, 285)
60 John Montelus – senior (6'4, 310)
64 Ryan Kilander – junior (6'0, 310)
75 Daniel Cage – junior (6'1, 315)
77 Brandon Tiassum – sophomore (6'3, 302)
90 Isaac Rochell – senior (6'3, 290)
92 Grant Blankenship – junior (6'5, 278)
93 Jay Hayes – junior (6'3, 285)
94 Jarron Jones – graduate student (6'5, 315)
95 Marquis Dickerson – senior (6'1, 285)
96 Peter Mokwuah – junior (6'3, 317)
97 Micah Dew-Treadway – sophomore (6'4, 300)
98 Andrew Trumbetti – junior (6'3, 260)
99 Jerry Tillery – sophomore (6'6, 310)
91 Adetokunbo Ogundeji – freshman

Kickers

19 Justin Yoon – sophomore (5'9, 190)
29 Sam Kohler – junior (6'0, 175)
42 Jeff Riney – sophomore (5'10, 175) (+P)
43 John Chereson – senior (5'9, 178)

Linebackers

4 Te'von Coney – sophomore (6'1, 235)
5 Nyles Morgan – junior (6'1, 245)
17 James Onwualu – senior (6'1, 232)
22 Asmar Bilal – sophomore (6'2, 230)
30 Josh Barajas – sophomore (6'1, 240)
40 Kier Murphy – sophomore (6'0, 230)
42 Jimmy Thompson – sophomore (6'0, 215)
44 Jamir Jones – freshman
45 Jonathan Jones – freshman
48 Greer Martini – junior (6'2, 245)
49 Brandon Hutson – sophomore (6'2, 230)
51 Devyn Spruell – sophomore (6'1, 240)

Cornerbacks

7 Nick Watkins – junior (6'0, 200)
12 Devin Butler – senior (6'0, 200)
25 Brian Ball – sophomore (5'11, 185)
26 Ashton White – sophomore (5'11, 190)
34 Jesse Bongiovi – senior (5'9, 194)
36 Cole Luke – senior (5'11, 193)

Safeties

4 Avery Sebastian – graduate student (5'10, 200)
13 Devin Studstill – freshman (6'0, 190)
23 Drue Tranquill – junior (6'1, 225)
31 Spencer Perry – freshman (6'2, 204)
38 Robert Regan – sophomore (6'2, 200)
39 Drew Recker – senior (5'11, 205)

Defensive backs

18 Troy Pride – freshman
20 Shaun Crawford – sophomore (5'8, 189)
24 Nick Coleman – sophomore (5'11, 190)
21 Jalen Elliott – freshman
27 Julian Love – freshman
32 D.J. Morgan – freshman
35 Donte Vaughn – freshman

Long snappers

54 John Shannon – freshman
61 Scott Daly – graduate student (6'1, 250)

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	7:30 p.m.	at Texas	No. 10	Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, TX	ABC	L 47–50 ^2OT	102,315
September 10	3:30 p.m.	Nevada	No. 18	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	W 39–10	80,795
September 17	7:30 p.m.	No. 12 Michigan State	No. 18	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	L 28–36	80,795
September 24	3:30 p.m.	Duke		Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	L 35–38	80,795
October 1	12:00 p.m.	vs. Syracuse		MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ	ESPN	W 50–33	62,794
October 8	12:00 p.m.	at NC State		Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	ABC	L 3–10	58,200
October 15	7:30 p.m.	Stanford		Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	L 10–17	80,795
October 29	3:30 p.m.	Miami (FL)		Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 30–27	80,795
November 5	11:30 a.m.	vs. Navy		EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL (rivalry)	CBS	L 27–28	50,867
November 12	3:30 p.m.	vs. Army		Alamodome San Antonio, TX (Shamrock Series, rivalry)	NBC	W 44–6	45,762
November 19	3:30 p.m.	Virginia Tech		Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	L 31–34	80,795
November 26	3:30 p.m	at No. 12 USC		Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)	ABC	L 27–45	72,402
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	10	18	18	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	9	21	18	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Game summaries

At Texas

Notre Dame at Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
No. 10 Fighting Irish	7	7	14	9	7	3	47
• Longhorns	7	14	10	6	7	6	50

Date: September 4, 2016
Location: Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
Austin, TX
Game start: 7:42 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 4 hours
Game attendance: 102,315
Game weather: Temperature: 91 °F (33 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: SE 8 MPH
Referee: Gary Patterson
TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe (sideline)

Statistics	ND	TEX
First downs	22	26
Total yards	444	517
Rushing yards	206	237
Passing yards	238	280
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	32:42	27:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	15/24, 215 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Tarean Folston	18 rushes, 88 yards
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	5 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD
Texas	Passing	Shane Buechele	16/26, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	D'Onta Foreman	24 rushes, 131 yards, TD
	Receiving	John Burt	6 receptions, 111 yards, TD

Nevada

Nevada at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolf Pack	0	0	3	7	10
• No. 18 Fighting Irish	0	25	14	0	39

Date: September 10, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 3:42 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: W 12 MPH
Referee: Jeff Maconaghy
TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	NEV	ND
First downs	16	21
Total yards	300	444
Rushing yards	99	239
Passing yards	201	205
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	26:28	33:32

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nevada	Passing	Tyler Stewart	10/23, 113 yards, INT
	Rushing	James Butler	17 rushes, 50 yards
	Receiving	Andrew Celis	1 reception, 68 yards
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	15/18, 156 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Josh Adams	10 rushes, 106 yards
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	6 receptions, 85 yards

No. 12 Michigan State

Michigan State at Notre Dame
(Megaphone Trophy)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 12 Spartans	0	15	21	0	36
No. 18 Fighting Irish	7	0	7	14	28

Date: September 17, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 7:44 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 31 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: W 6 MPH
Referee: Dan Capron
TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	MSU	ND
First downs	22	19
Total yards	501	401
Rushing yards	260	57
Passing yards	241	344
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	37:57	22:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Tyler O'Connor	19/26, 241 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Gerald Holmes	13 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Donnie Corley	4 receptions, 88 yards, TD
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	20/37, 344 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Josh Adams	12 rushes, 29 yards
	Receiving	Torii Hunter Jr.	5 receptions, 95 yards

Duke

Duke at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Blue Devils	14	14	0	10	38
Fighting Irish	14	7	7	7	35

Date: September 24, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 3:40 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 14 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: ENE 9 MPH
Referee: Riley Johnson
TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	DUKE	ND
First downs	24	24
Total yards	498	534
Rushing yards	208	153
Passing yards	290	381
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	30:35	29:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Duke	Passing	Daniel Jones	24/32, 290 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Jela Duncan	21 rushes, 121 yards, TD
	Receiving	Anthony Nash	6 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	22/37, 381 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	DeShone Kizer	11 rushes, 60 yards, TD
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	6 receptions, 116 yards, TD

Vs. Syracuse

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Syracuse Orange

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Irish	23	10	14	3	50
Orange	13	14	0	6	33

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: October 1, 2016
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 62,794
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ND – Equanimeous St. Brown 79-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoon kick), 14:42. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:18.
SU – Eric Dungey 3-yard run (kick blocked), 12:36. Notre Dame 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:06.
ND – Cole Luke PAT return, 12:36. Notre Dame 9–6.
ND – Equanimeous St. Brown 67-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoo kick), 11:23. Notre Dame 16–6. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:14.
SU – Amba Etta-Tawo 72-yard pass from Eric Dungey (Cole Murphy kick), 10:17. Notre Dame 16–13. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:06.
ND – C. J. Sanders 93-yard kickoff return (Justin Yoon kick), 10:06. Notre Dame 23–13.

Second quarter

SU – Eric Dungey 1-yard run (Cole Murphy kick), 13:22. Notre Dame 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:06.
ND – DeShone Kizer 3-yard run (Justin Yoon kick), 12:11. Notre Dame 30–20. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:11.
ND – Justin Yoon 31-yard field goal, 5:03. Notre Dame 33–20. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:11.
SU – Ervin Phillips 14-yard pass from Eric Dungey (Cole Murphy kick), 0:30. Notre Dame 33–27. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:08.

Third quarter

ND – Kevin Stepherson 54-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoon kick), 11:23. Notre Dame 40–27. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 1:41.
ND – Dexter Williams 59-yard run (Justin Yoon kick), 8:26. Notre Dame 47–27. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:22.

Fourth quarter

ND – Justin Yoon 39-yard field goal, 11:14. Notre Dame 50–27. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:58.
SU – Eric Dungey 5-yard run (run failed), 6:52. Notre Dame 50—33. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 4:22.

Top passers

ND – DeShone Kizer – 23/35, 471 yards, 3 TD, INT
SU – Eric Dungey – 31/51, 363 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ND – Josh Adams – 20 rushes, 102 yards
SU – Eric Dungey – 17 rushes, 49 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

ND – Equanimeous St. Brown – 4 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TD
SU – Amba Etta-Tawo – 7 receptions, 134 yards, TD

At NC State

Notre Dame at NC State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Irish	0	0	3	0	3
• Wolfpack	3	0	0	7	10

Date: October 8, 2016
Location: Carter–Finley Stadium
Raleigh, NC
Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 4 hours
Game attendance: 58,200
Game weather: Temperature: 69 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Hurricane Matthew • Wind: NE 18 MPH
Referee: Jeff Heaser
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, and Tom Luginbill (sideline)

Statistics	ND	NCST
First downs	10	14
Total yards	113	198
Rushing yards	59	157
Passing yards	54	41
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	27:41	32:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	9/26, 54 yards, INT
	Rushing	Josh Adams	14 rushes, 51 yards
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	3 receptions, 30 yards
NC State	Passing	Ryan Finley	5/12, 27 yards
	Rushing	Matt Dayes	23 rushes, 126 yards
	Receiving	Matt Dayes	3 receptions, 14 yards

The Notre Dame vs NC State game was played during Hurricane Matthew^[4] where the two teams combined for only 311 total yards. The only touchdown of the game was scored by NC State on a blocked punt leading NC State to win it 10–3.^[5]

Stanford

Stanford at Notre Dame
(Legends Trophy)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cardinal	0	0	9	8	17
Fighting Irish	7	3	0	0	10

Date: October 15, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 7:40 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 17 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 69 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: S 9 MPH
Referee: Michael Batlan
TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	STAN	ND
First downs	18	16
Total yards	296	307
Rushing yards	176	153
Passing yards	120	154
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	32:51	27:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stanford	Passing	Ryan Burns	10/19, 120 yards, INT
	Rushing	Bryce Love	23 rushes, 129 yards, TD
	Receiving	Michael Rector	3 receptions, 34 yards
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	14/26, 154 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	DeShone Kizer	11 rushes, 83 yards, TD
	Receiving	Torii Hunter Jr.	4 receptions, 70 yards

Miami (FL)

Miami (FL) at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Hurricanes	0	7	10	10	27
• Fighting Irish	17	3	0	10	30

Date: October 29, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 3:40 p.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 38 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Overcast • Wind: WSW 9 MPH
Referee: Jeff Flanagan
TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	MIA	ND
First downs	20	20
Total yards	306	411
Rushing yards	18	148
Passing yards	288	263
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	33:25	26:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Miami	Passing	Brad Kaaya	26/42, 288 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Mark Walton	18 rushes, 45 yards, TD
	Receiving	Stacy Coley	7 receptions, 81 yards
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	25/38, 263 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Josh Adams	12 rushes, 94 yards, TD
	Receiving	Kevin Stepherson	2 receptions, 78 yards

Vs. Navy

Notre Dame vs Navy
(Rip Miller Trophy)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Irish	10	7	7	3	27
• Midshipmen	7	7	7	7	28

Date: November 5, 2016
Location: EverBank Field
Jacksonville, FL
Game start: 11:40 a.m. EDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 5 minutes
Game attendance: 50,867
Game weather: Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: ENE 13 MPH
Referee: Jerry Magallanes
TV announcers (CBS): Carter Blackburn, Adam Archuleta and Jenny Dell (sideline)

Statistics	ND	NAVY
First downs	21	21
Total yards	370	368
Rushing yards	147	320
Passing yards	223	48
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	26:07	33:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	19/27, 223 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Josh Adams	12 rushes, 73 yards
	Receiving	Torii Hunter Jr.	8 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Navy	Passing	Will Worth	5/8, 48 yards
	Rushing	Will Worth	28 rushes, 175 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Jamir Tillman	4 receptions, 41 yards

Vs. Army

Notre Dame vs Army
(rivalry / Shamrock Series)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Black Knights	0	6	0	0	6
• Fighting Irish	21	17	6	0	44

Date: November 12, 2016
Location: Alamodome
San Antonio, TX
Game start: 3:39 p.m. EST
Elapsed time: 2 hours and 55 minutes
Game attendance: 45,762
Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Indoors • Wind: N/A
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	ARMY	ND
First downs	10	31
Total yards	242	476
Rushing yards	229	261
Passing yards	13	215
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	25:38	34:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Army	Passing	Malik McGue	2/3, 13 yards, INT
	Rushing	Darnell Woolfolk	11 rushes, 95 yards
	Receiving	Christian Poe	1 reception, 9 yards
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	17/28, 209 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tarean Holston	13 rushes, 84 yards, TD
	Receiving	Kevin Stepherson	5 receptions, 75 yards, TD

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Hokies	0	14	7	13	34
Fighting Irish	10	14	7	0	31

Date: November 19, 2016
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN
Game start: 3:40 p.m. EST
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 22 minutes
Game attendance: 80,795
Game weather: Temperature: 36 °F (2 °C) • Weather: Cloudy and Snow Flurries • Wind: WNW 20 MPH
Referee: Duane Heydt
TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Statistics	VT	ND
First downs	25	22
Total yards	419	449
Rushing yards	152	200
Passing yards	267	249
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	32:45	27:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Virginia Tech	Passing	Jerod Evans	22/29, 267 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Jerod Evans	18 rushes, 67 yards, TD
	Receiving	Isaiah Ford	7 receptions, 86 yards
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	16/33, 235 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Josh Adams	13 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	6 receptions, 90 yards

At No. 12 USC

Notre Dame at USC
(Jeweled Shillelagh)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Irish	7	0	14	6	27
• No. 12 Trojans	10	14	14	7	45

Date: November 26, 2016
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
Game start: 3:42 p.m. EST
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 39 minutes
Game attendance: 72,402
Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy and Rain • Wind: E 5 MPH
Referee: Ron Cherry
TV announcers (ABC): Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Todd McShay (sideline)

Statistics	ND	USC
First downs	23	23
Total yards	408	412
Rushing yards	154	207
Passing yards	254	205
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	28:57	31:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Notre Dame	Passing	DeShone Kizer	17/32, 220 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Josh Adams	17 rushes, 180 yards
	Receiving	Equanimeous St. Brown	7 receptions, 94 yards, TD
USC	Passing	Sam Darnold	19/29, 205 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Ronald Jones II	16 rushes, 134 yards, TD
	Receiving	Adoree' Jackson	1 reception, 52 yards, TD

References

"Jack Swarbrick Talks Future of Brian Kelly at Notre Dame". Irish Sports Daily. December 2, 2016.
"VanGorder Relieved of Duties; Hudson Assumes Responsibilities". Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
"Notre Dame Announces 2016 Signing Class". Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
Neuharth-Keusch, A. J. "Hurricane Matthew turns N.C. State-Notre Dame game into 100-yard slip-and-slide". USA TODAY.
Greenstein, Teddy. "Notre Dame reeling after rain-soaked, 10–3 blooper-reel loss". chicagotribune.com.