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Notre Dame-Virginia: 10 To 1

10 Combined years current Virginia staff members spent at Notre Dame. Offensive line coach Dave Borbely coached the Irish guards and centers under Bob Davie from 1998-2001, while defensive line coach Jappy Oliver had the same job title under Charlie Weis from 2005-08. Cavaliers' defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta was with Weis in 2008-09, and also held the assistant head coach title.
9 Notre Dame moved up to No. 9 in this week's Associated Press poll following its 38-3 drubbing of Texas in the opener. Since 1995, the only time the Fighting Irish were ranked higher entering the second week of a season was 2006, when it was No. 4.
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8 Donning No. 8, junior quarterback Malik Zaire's quarterback rating of 250.9 last week against Texas (19-of-22 for 313 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions) is the third highest we know of by an Irish quarterback in a game. The only ones we found that were higher were by Jimmy Clausen. The first was against Hawaii to end the 2008 season with a 49-21 bowl win when he had a rating of 277.7 (22-of-26 for 401 yards, five TDs and no interceptions). The second was the 35-0 win over Nevada in the 2009 opener — an astounding 303.6 — when he was 15-of-18 for 315 yards, four TDs and no picks.
7 This will be senior running back and Virginia native C.J. Prosise's seventh start in the last two seasons — but his first at running back. The former safety (2012) and slot (2013-14) has suddenly become the lead back after switching there part time in the spring. The season ending ACL injury to Tarean Folston, who took only seven snaps last week, and the transfer of Greg Bryant has made Prosise (20 carries for 98 yards versus Texas) a centerpiece on the team.
6 Virginia is the first of six ACC schools Notre Dame will face this year — a single season Irish football record for one league. It has faced five Big Ten opponents in the past, most recently in 1968.
5 Of Virginia's seven losses in 2014 were by eight or fewer points, including 28-20 to UCLA in the home opener. Those five defeats were by an average of 5.6 points. This game, which has a 70-percent forecast for showers, opened with Notre Dame as a 10-point favorite, but the line has moved to 12.
4 In the last five seasons, Notre Dame ranks No. 4 nationally in fewest rushing touchdowns yielded with 46. The only ones rated higher have been the vaunted defenses at Alabama (26), TCU (42) and Michigan State (43).
3 Schools in college football open their 2015 seasons by playing three consecutive games against opponents from "Power 5" conferences. Notre Dame is one of them, along with South Carolina and Texas-San Antonio. The Irish hosted Texas (Big XII) last week, and now face Virginia (ACC) and Georgia Tech (ACC).
2 In Zaire's two starts at quarterback, the Music City Bowl win over LSU and this year's Texas opener, Notre Dame has yet to turn over the football. The Irish also did not have a turnover in their first two games last season, either, and have actually not had one in an opener three straight years. Notre Dame is 17-0 under head coach Brian Kelly when it has zero turnovers.
1 This marks the first time Notre Dame will play a football game in the Commonwealth of Virginia, making it the 36th state where it has competed. The two schools are scheduled for four games between now and 2024, with Virginia visiting the Irish on Sept. 28, 2019 and then on a to-be-determined date in 2024. Notre Dame returns to Charlottesville in 2021 — and will play at Virginia Tech in 2019 after hosting them in 2016.
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