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| 2014 Northwestern Football -- Game 10 |
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| Northwestern (3-6, 2-4 Big Ten) at #15/16 Notre Dame (7-2) |
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| Date | Saturday, Nov. 15 | 2:30 p.m. CT |
| Location | Notre Dame Stadium (80,795) | South Bend, Ind. |
| TV: | NBC | Live Stream |
| Gametracker | NUsports.com |
| Radio | WGN720 | 87.7 FM The Game | WNUR Online |
| Game Notes | Northwestern  | Notre Dame
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| Social Media | @NU_SportsLIVE  | @NUFBFamily | Facebook  |
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern is set for a rare November nonconference game and a renewal of its long history of meetings with the University of Notre Dame, clashing with the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in South Bend. The two programs are meeting for the 48th time in their respective histories and the first since the Wildcats upset the Irish, 17-15, in the first game of their storybook 1995 season.
The game will be carried live to a national audience on NBC, with Dan Hicks, Mike Mayock and Doug Flutie on the call. On the radio, the game can be found on WGN720 and 87.7 FM The Game in Chicago or TheGameChicago.com, with the veteran tandem of Dave Eanet and Ted Albrecht being joined on the sideline by former Northwestern place-kicker Jeff Budzien.
Series Notes
Northwestern and Notre Dame famously last met in the 1995 season-opener, when the Gary Barnett-led Wildcats grinded out a two-point victory in South Bend. In the three series meetings leading up 1995, (1992, 1993, 1994), the Fighting Irish won all three by a combined score of 111-34.
Among the most notable connections between Evanston and South Bend is legendary head coach Ara Parseghian, who directed the Wildcats program from 1956-63 before taking over at Notre Dame. Parseghian, who guided the Irish to national championships in 1966 and 1973, was 36-35-1 in his NU tenure, leading the 'Cats to a No. 1 national rankeing for two weeks in the 1962 season. Parseghian also was 4-0 vs. Notre Dame during his time at the helm in Evanston.
Beginning in 1930, the winner of the Northwestern-Notre Dame game was awarded the shillelagh trophy, an artifact that was originally given to Notre Dame's Knute Rockne by the president of the Irish Free State. In that 1930 meeting, co-Big Ten champion NU was handed its only loss of the year in the season-finale, a 14-0 Notre Dame victory.
Northwestern Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips served as associate A.D. for external affairs at Notre Dame from 2000-04.
Northwestern Game Notes
The 'Cats are playing a non-Big Ten opponent in the month of November for only the second time in the Pat Fitzgerald's nine seasons as head coach. Northwestern last did so on Nov. 12, 2011, when it defeated Rice, 28-6, at Ryan Field. Before that game, the 'Cats hadn't faced a nonconference foe in November since a loss at Hawaii on Nov. 27, 2004. Fitzgerald is 28-7 all-time in regular-season nonconference contests.
Last time out, Northwestern limited its opposition to fewer than 20 points for the fifth time in nine outings this season. The 'Cats' defensive effort against Michigan was highlighted by their performance on third down, limiting the Wolverines to a 1-for-12 success rate for the game.
The Wildcats also coaxed Michigan into three turnovers, picking off two passes to move up to No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 20 nationally with 11 interceptions this season. Last season, Northwestern ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and sixth in the country in total interceptions (19).
Senior safety Ibraheim Campbell, who had missed NU's previous four games and most of a fifth with a hamstring strain, accounted for one of those INTs, the third of his career against Michigan and his 10th overall. Campbell returned the pick 79 yards, the longest interception return by an NU player since at least the 1999 campaign.
On the other side of the ball, Northwestern had an uncharacteristic three turnovers against Michigan but continues to rank No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 28 nationally in fewest turnovers lost with 12. The 'Cats also lead all Big Ten schools and are 16th in the country in fewest fumbles lost (4).
QB Trevor Siemian got back on track in the passing game against the Wolverines, completing 32-of-49 passes (65.3 percent) for a season-high 273 yards, matching his career high for completions set earlier this year vs. Minnesota. He also helped NU convert 10-of-20 third down attempts in the game.
Despite beginning their two fourth-quarter drives vs. Michigan on their own 1- and 26-yard lines, the Wildcats scored on both of them in the attempt to rally for a victory. NU's 19-play drive to set up a Jack Mitchell field goal was its longest scoring drive of the season in terms of both plays and time consumed (6:39), and Northwestern followed that effort with a 14-play, 74-yard touchdown series. The 'Cats now have 14 scoring drives of 10 plays or more this season.
Notre Dame Notes
The Fighting Irish are coming off their second loss of the season, a 55-31 defeat at No. 11 Arizona State. Notre Dame trailed by a 34-3 margin before scoring four straight touchdowns to cut the 31-point deficit to three midway through the fourth quarter. The Sun Devils would regain, their footing, however, en route to the win. Had Notre Dame gone on to win the game, it would have tied for the second-largest come-from-behind victory in NCAA history (set by Michigan State against Northwestern on Oct. 21, 2006).
Notre Dame returns to campus to conclude a gap of 35 days between home games. It matches the longest period between home games in school history, a gap last seen in 1987.
Notre Dame has faced no other conference as often as the Big Ten Conference. The Irish have played 385 all-time games against the 14 current members of the league and posted a 244-125-16 record. The Irish have played nearly twice as many games against the Big Ten as any other conference, most recently defeating Michigan and Purdue this season.
Complete Northwestern and Notre Dame game notes are linked in PDF format at the top of the page.
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