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2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

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{{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]]
2009 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Navy       10 4  
Notre Dame       6 6  
Army       5 7  
Rankings from AP Poll

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.[1] 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.[1] Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss at the end of the season.[2] 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.[3] Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick hired Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly after a 10-day coaching search.[4]

Pre-season

Coaching changes

Following the 2008 season, offensive coordinator Michael Haywood left the team to become the head coach for the Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks.[5] 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.[6] Tony Alford was hired to replace Mike Haywood as the running backs coach.[7] Finally, Weis hired defensive line coach Randy Hart, a veteran coach at University of Washington from 1988-2008.[8] 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.[9]

Roster changes

Graduating players

Senior safety and captain David Bruton was the only player drafted from the team, going in the fourth round to the Denver Broncos as the 114th pick overall.[10] 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.[11] Defensive lineman Justin Brown and captain Maurice Crum Jr. also exhausted their eligibility.[11]

Transfers

Tight end Joseph Fauria transferred from Notre Dame to UCLA prior to the start of the season following an undisclosed University violation that would have sidelined him for the season.[12]

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.

US college sports recruiting information for 2009 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
E.J. Banks
S
Pittsburgh, PA Montour HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 181 lb (82 kg) 4.5 Aug 8, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 81
Alex Bullard
OL
Franklin, TN Brentwood Academy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 5.0 Jun 6, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 77
Carlo Calabrese
LB
Verona, NJ Verona HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 4.6 May 21, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 78
Jordan Cowart
LS
Plantation, FL St. Thomas Aquinas 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) - Dec 7, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 77
Tyler Eifert
TE
Fort Wayne, IN Bishop Dwenger 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.62 Jul 8, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 79
Shaquelle Evans
WR
Inglewood, CA Inglewood HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 4.45 Nov 7, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 83
Dan Fox
LB
Rocky River, OH St. Ignatius 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 219 lb (99 kg) 4.6 Jun 5, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 76
Jake Golic
TE
Avon, CT Northwest Catholic 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.68 Apr 5, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 76
Zack Martin
OL
Indianapolis, IN Bishop Chatard 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 5.05 Jul 20, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 81
Zeke Motta
LB
Vero Beach, FL Vero Beach HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 208.5 lb (94.6 kg) 4.625 Oct 9, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 79
Theo Riddick
RB
Manville, NJ Immaculata HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.4 Apr 23, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 78
Tyler Stockton
DL
Linwood, NJ The Hun School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 290 lb (130 kg) 4.99 Apr 19, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 83
Nick Tausch
K
Plano, TX Jesuit College Prep HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) - Jun 17, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 74
Manti Te'o
LB
Laie, HI Punahou HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 4.575 Feb 4, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 93
Robby Toma
WR
Laie, HI Punahou HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 4.45 Feb 5, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 68
Ben Turk
P
Davie, FL St. Thomas Aquinas 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) - Jun 12, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 79
Chris Watt
OL
Glen Ellyn, IL Glenbard West HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 280 lb (130 kg) - Jul 13, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 82
Cierre Wood
RB
Oxnard, CA Santa Clara HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 4.5 Apr 19, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #23   Rivals: #11
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, 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:

  • "Notre Dame Commit List 2009". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  • "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  • "2009 Player Commitments - Notre Dame". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  • "2009 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.

Outlook

Award candidates

The following players were announced to award watch lists prior to the start of the 2009 season:

Roster

Roster

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 (Year)
Charlie Weis Head Coach
Offensive Coordinator
5th Notre Dame (1978)
Rob Ianello Assistant Head Coach (Offense)
Recruiting Coordinator
Receivers
5th Catholic (1987)
Brian Polian Special Teams 5th John Carroll (1997)
Corwin Brown Associate Head Coach
Co-Defensive Coordinator
Defensive Backs
3rd Michigan (1993)
Jon Tenuta Assistant Head Coach (Defense)
Co-Defensive Coordinator
Linebackers
2nd Virginia (1982)
Frank Verducci Running Game Coordinator
Offensive Line
1st Seton Hall (1980)
Bernie Parmalee Tight Ends 5th Ball State (1990)
Ron Powlus Quarterbacks 3rd Notre Dame (1997)
Tony Alford Running Backs 1st Colorado State (1992)
Randy Hart Defensive Line 1st Ohio State University (1970)
Brian White Offensive Graduate Assistant 1st Juniata College (2004)
Bryant Young Defensive Graduate Assistant 1st Notre Dame (1994)
Kinnon Tatum Defensive Intern 1st Notre Dame (1997)

Schedule

September 53:30 PMNevadaNo. 23

NBCW 35–0 80,795 September 123:30 PMat MichiganNo. 18

ABCL 34–38 110,278 September 193:30 PMMichigan State

NBCW 33–30 80,795 September 268:00 PMat Purdue

ESPNW 24–21 59,082 October 33:30 PMWashington

  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN

NBCW 37–30 OT80,795 October 173:30 PMNo. 6 USCNo. 25

NBCL 27–34 80,795 October 243:30 PMBoston College

  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (Holy War)

NBCW 20–16 80,795 October 317:30 PMvs. Washington StateNo. 25

NBCW 40–14 53,407 November 72:30 PMNavyNo. 19

  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry)

NBCL 21–23 80,759 November 148:00 PMat No. 8 Pittsburgh

ABCL 22–27 65,374 November 212:30 PMConnecticutdagger

  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN

NBCL 30–33 2OT80,795 November 288:00 PMat Stanford

ABCL 38–45 50,510

Template:CFB Schedule End

Game notes

Nevada

1 2 3 4 Total
Wolf Pack 0 0 0 0 0
#23 Fighting Irish 7 21 7 0 35

Notre Dame beat Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault'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 leapt 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.[21]

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.[21]

Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total
#18 Fighting Irish 3 17 0 14 34
Wolverines 14 3 7 14 38

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 Clausen 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).[22]

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.[22]

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.[22]

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.[22]

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, coolly 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.[22]

With the heartbreaking loss, Notre Dame fell out of the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls.

Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total
Spartans 3 14 6 7 30
Fighting Irish 13 3 10 7 33

Notre Dame recovered from its tough loss at Michigan by beating rival Michigan State for the first time at Notre Dame Stadium 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.[23]

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.[23]

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.[24]

Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Irish 3 14 0 7 24
Boilermakers 7 0 0 14 21

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 an 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.[25]

Clausen played mediocre[according to whom?] 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, Clausen 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 the week before. A week earlier, Michigan's Tate Forcier threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34.[25]

Washington

1 2 3 4OT Total
Huskies 7 10 7 60 30
Fighting Irish 3 13 3 117 37

Southern California

1 2 3 4 Total
#6 Trojans 7 6 14 7 34
#25 Fighting Irish 7 0 7 13 27

In the closest game against USC since the controversial 2016 loss, Notre Dame nearly overcame a 34-14 USC lead to cut the Trojans' lead to 34-27, but Verdarius Price ran out of magic on the final drive and couldn't score a touchdown that would bring the game into overtime.

Boston College

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 2 7 7 0 16
Fighting Irish 3 10 0 7 20

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.[26]

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 an 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.[26]

Washington State

#25 Notre Dame vs. Washington State
1 234Total
Washington St 0 707 14
Notre Dame 9 2137 40

In the first of several "offsite home games" scheduled over the next several football seasons, Notre Dame played host to Washington State in the Alamodome 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.[27]

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.[27]

1 2 3 4 Total
Midshipmen 7 7 7 2 23
#19 Fighting Irish 0 0 7 14 21

Notre Dame lost to Navy for the second time in three years and the second time in a row at Notre Dame stadium.

Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Irish 0 3 0 19 22
#8 Panthers 3 7 10 7 27

Connecticut

1 2 3 4OT2OT Total
Huskies 0 10 7 376 33
Fighting Irish 7 7 3 373 30

Stanford

1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Irish 14 10 7 7 38
Cardinal 10 10 7 18 45

Rankings

Ranking Movement
Legend: ¦¦ Increase in ranking. ¦¦ Decrease in ranking. ¦¦ Not ranked the previous week. RV= Receiving Votes
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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1] 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."[1] 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."[1] 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.[28] Weis was fired as head coach the Monday after the Stanford loss.[2] Swarbrick announced that wide receiver coach Rob Ianello would head football operations, including recruiting, until Brian Kelly was named.[2] 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.[3]

Awards

Golden Tate[29]

All-Americans

Name AP UPI NEA AFCA SN FWAA FN WCFF CW CBS
Jimmy Clausen, QB 3[30]
Eric Olsen, OC 3[30]
Golden Tate, WR † 1 1[31] 1[30] 1[32] 1[29] 1
†denotes unanimous selection       Sources:[30][31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, George (2008-11-19). "Swarbrick: Didn't see Navy loss coming". espn.com. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  2. ^ a b c "Charlie Weis Will Not Be Retained As Notre Dame Football Coach". und.cstv.com. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2009-12-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b Hansen, Eric (2009-12-04). "Notre Dame football: No bowling for Irish". southbendtribune.com. Retrieved 2009-12-04. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Brian Kelly Named 29th Head Football Coach At Notre Dame". und.com. 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  5. ^ "Michael Haywood Named Miami University's Head Football Coach". und.cstv.com. 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2009-02-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Frank Verducci Named Notre Dame's Offensive Line Coach". und.cstv.com. 2009-01-14. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Tony Alford Named Notre Dame's Running Backs Coach". und.cstv.com. 2009-01-19. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Randy Hart Named Notre Dame Defensive Line Coach". und.cstv.com. 2009-02-21. Archived from the original on 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2009-08-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Bryant Young Joins Notre Dame Football Staff As Graduate Assistant". und.cstv.com. 2009-01-29. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "David Bruton Drafted By Denver Broncos In Fourth Round". und.cstv.com. 2009-04-26. Archived from the original on 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2009-08-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b "2009 NFL Draft Recap". und.cstv.com. 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2009-08-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Hamilton, Brian (2009-06-27). "On second thought: Joseph Fauria to transfer out of Notre Dame". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-07. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Armando Allen Named Doak Walker Award Candidate". UND.cstv.com. 2009-08-04. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2008-08-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Jimmy Clausen Named To O'Brien Award Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-07-29. Archived from the original on 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b "Golden Tate, Jimmy Clausen Named To Maxwell Award Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-08-14. Archived from the original on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2008-08-14. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Kyle Rudolph Named To Mackey Award Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Golden Tate Named To Biletnikoff Award Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2008-08-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Dan Wenger Named To 2009 Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "Sam Young Named To Outland Trophy Watch List". UND.cstv.com. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2008-08-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Shamrock Series
  21. ^ a b "Notre Dame Rolls Past Nevada, 35-0". und.cstv.com. 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-09-05. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ a b c d e "Forcier's TD pass in final seconds seals Michigan's upset of Irish". ESPN.com. 2009-09-12. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ a b "Notre Dame edges Michigan State at home for the first time since 1993". ESPN.com. 2009-09-19. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  24. ^ "Floyd has surgery; Clausen needs MRI". ESPN.com. 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  25. ^ a b "Notre Dame Defeats Purdue, 24-21". und.cstv.com. 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2009-10-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ a b "Irish Halt Eagles, 20-16". und.cstv.com. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-31. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ a b "Irish Trounce Washington State, 40-14". und.cstv.com. 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2009-10-31. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ Smith, George (2008-11-14). "Irish AD Swarbrick nixes Weis' recruiting trip". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  29. ^ a b "Golden Tate Wins Biletnikoff Award, Named Walter Camp First Team All-American". University of Notre Dame. December 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  30. ^ a b c d "Tate, Clausen & Olsen Named Sporting News All-Americans". und.cstv.com. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2009-12-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ a b "Golden Tate Named To 2009 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team". und.cstv.com. 2009-12-03. Retrieved 2009-12-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ a b "Golden Tate Selected To FWAA All-America Team". und.cstv.com. 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2009-12-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)