Whew

I, along with all other Notre Dame fans, have been so consumed by the hype of tonight's Oklahoma game, that I failed to recap the 17-14 nail-bitter against BYU.  So, to officially log the awards:

HEISMAN BABY

MANTI TE'O - 10 tackles, INT - Te'o moved up to #2 in the ESPN Heisman poll after another consistent performance.  While the IRISH D gave up their first touchdowns in four games, it still has yet to allow a rushing TD.



ROCK SOLID

FOUR HORSEMEN - 38 carries for 268 yards, TD - Even without Golson in the game, the Irish rushing attacked proved too much for the statistically stout BYU defense.  Theo Riddick (15 carries for 143 yards) and Cierre Wood (18 carries for 114 yards) racked up the yards while GAIII (5 carries for 11 yards) found pay dirt.

STEPHON TUITT - 5 tackles, 2 sacks - Tuitt increased his sack total to 8.5 on the season with two crucial sacks of the BYU QB.

TYLER EIFERT - 4 receptions for 73 yards, TD - Eifert found a few openings in the BYU defense, out jumping the defender every time, showing off his athletic abilities.


GET HIM OUTTA THERE

KYLE BRINDZA - 1 for 3 FGs - Brindza missed a 40-yarder and 28-yarder, both in the first half, leaving Notre Dame fans cursing at their televisions sets and sitting on the edge of their seats. Brindza redeemed himself

TOMMY REES - 7 of 16 for 117 yards, TD, INT - While Rees led the Irish on a TD drive early in the 1st quarter, he flopped the rest of the way, only attempting two passes in the 2nd half.  Kelly recognized Rees' struggles, inserting Hendrix into the game in the 2nd quarter. 


WAIT, WHAT?

Riddick runs into the pile, and then suddenly, is off to the races.  His 55-yard scamper no doubt had Stanford fans enraged as Riddick ran into the back of his lineman only to find daylight and no defense in front of him.

Standing Tall

Without a doubt, Saturday night's thrilling 20-13 overtime victory over Stanford marked one of my all time highs as a Notre Dame fan.  I would have to say the last time I felt that nervous/excited/ecstatic was when Brady Quinn scored the go ahead touchdown against #1 USC in 2005.  Ironically enough, that was the last time ESPN's College Gameday was at Notre Dame, and also featured similar circumstances at the goal line.  This time however, the favor fell with the Irish in what no doubt will be etched in the memories of Stanford fans with an asterisk.


HEISMAN BABY

MANTI TE'O - 11 tackles - Te'o continues to cement his status as a Notre Dame legend, amassing double digit tackles for the second straight week, and leading the Irish defense to their fourth consecutive game without giving up a TD.  Oh and they stopped Stanford four straight downs inside the five yard line to win the game - no big deal.


ROCK SOLID

FOUR HORSEMEN -  173 net rushing yards - We may be witnessing a modern rebirth of the legendary Irish rushing attack in Cierre Wood, Everett Golson, Theo Riddick and George Atkinson III.  On a rain soaked field, the Irish ground game allowed the Irish to move the ball down the field against a physical and talented front seven for Stanford. 

TYLER EIFERT - 4 rec. for 57 yards, TD - It's no secret that opposing defenses have keyed in on stopped Eifert, often double teaming him every play.  However, that didn't stop Eifert from hauling in a crucial 24-yard TD reception in double coverage to tie the game early in the 4th quarter. 

TOMMY REES - 4 of 4 for 43 yards, TD - While Rees has taken a beating from most ND fans (including this guy), he again stepped up and led the Irish to victory following Golson's departure late in the 4th quarter with a concussion.  His lob pass to Theo Riddick on 3rd-8 in overtime may be the play of the game.

STEPHON TUITT - 7 tackles, .5 sack, blocked FG - Tuitt anchored the defensive line in the touchdown shut out performance, even picking up a half sack to push his season total to 6.5.  Tuitt has been a force all season long, and he starting to garner national attention for it.


GET HIM OUTTA THERE

EVERETT GOLSON - 12 of 24 for 141 yards, TD; 15 rushes for 41 yards, 4 fumbles (3 lost) - If it was not for the sloppy conditions, the four fumbles would have Irish fans in an uproar, especially the one for the TD.  However, Golson stayed positive, played hard and brought the Irish back with a beauty to Eifert for the game tying score.


WAIT, WHAT

With the win, the Irish secured a post season bowl berth, one of 16 teams to do so at this point in the season.  With the win, the Irish are clearly in the National Championship picture, and will surely be ranked in the BCS top five.  This will be the first BCS ranking for the Irish since 2006 when they finished the regular season ranked 11th.

Running Away With It

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish improved to 5-0 following a 41-3 beat down over Miami, ascending to #7 in the national polls.


HEISMAN BABY

MANTI TE'O - 10 tackles - Te'o is not only winning the Heisman on this blog, but is receiving national acclaim for his performance to date.  He led the Irish defense again for the third straight week by not allowing the opponent to reach the end zone.


ROCK SOLID

CIERRE WOOD - 18 carries for 118 yards, 2 TDs - Wood finally posted a break out game, after back-to-back 1000 yard rushing seasons.  It's a great sign for the Irish if Wood can continue playing at this level each week.

GEORGE ATKINSON III - 10 carries for 127 yards, TD - Atkinson displayed his incredible burst of speed on his 55 yards touchdown scamper putting the nail in the coffin late in the third quarter.  His ability to go the distance on any play will be a vital part of the offensive success for the rest of the season.

CAM MCDANIEL - 11 carries for 55 yards, TD - Don't be fooled.  McDaniel showed his power running abilities in mop up duty, carrying the Irish offense to pay dirt. McDaniel could work his way into seeing some action.

EVERETT GOLSON - 17 of 22 for 186 yards, 6 rushes for 51 yards - Golson showed Irish fans why he's the #1 QB delivering on the ground and through the air.  While the Irish relied heavily on the run in the 2nd half, Golson is truly a dual-threat, which will be a tremendous boost to the Irish O going forward.


GET HIM OUTTA THERE

TOMMY REES - 2 of 4 for 25 yards - It felt like a forfeit of the first series when Rees pranced onto the field.  Rees can thank Golson for improving Rees' winning percentage as a starter - 76% (13-4).


WAIT, WHAT

376 rushing yards.  No turnovers.  21 third quarter points.  5-0.  Winning is fun.