Notre Dame-Wake Forest: 10 To 1 Countdown
10 Ranking nationally of Notre Dame’s scoring defense with a 16.1 average. Most notably, in the past two weeks it limited USC and NC State — both averaging at least 34 points per game entering the contest — to three touchdowns total on offense for 21 points. The mastermind behind the improvement is first-year defensive coordinator Mike Elko, who arrived from Wake Forest and brought with him linebackers coach Clark Lea.
9.3 Tackles for loss (rounded off to 9) that Wake Forest averages per game to rank No. 1 in the country in that category, ahead of Ohio State and Nov. 11 Irish opponent Miami, who are tied at second with 8.9 per contest. The Demon Deacons have recorded 74 such stops in eight games during their 5-3 start, with end Duke Ejiofor (No. 53) leading the charge with 14, including 6.5 sacks.
They will be going against an Irish unit averaging 317.9 yards per game, sixth in the country.
8 A 14-to-15-point favorite entering this contest, Notre Dame is seeking its eight victory this year in which it won by at least 20 points. The Irish have won six straight such contests — which is one short of tying the school record seven by the 1966 national champions.
The current roll has come against Boston College (49-20), Michigan State (38-18), Miami (Ohio) (52-17), North Carolina (33-7), USC (49-14) and North Carolina State (35-14) — with three of the six still ranked in the College Football Playoff race. The seventh such victory this season was the 49-16 opener versus Temple.
7 Ranking nationally of Wake Forest senior quarterback John Wolford with a 167.9 mark in passing efficiency. This includes a 65.7 percent completion rate on his 181 passes, 9.2 yards per attempt and a 15-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The past two weeks the Irish defense did a superb job against what might be the two best QBs they face this season, North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley and USC’s Sam Darnold, who dropped to 36th and 37th, respectively, in passing efficiency after hovering among the top 10.
6 Running back Josh Adams today could become the 6th player in Notre Dame history to eclipse 3,000 yards rushing in his career. With 2,937 yards on the ground so far, he is 63 yards from the milestone and 82 yards from surpassing Julius Jones (1999-03), who has 3,018, for No. 5 on the all-time chart.
This year Adams ranks 5th nationally in rushing yards (1,169), No. 3 in rushing yards per carry (8.86) and No. 1 in both rushes of 60-plus yards (seven, plus an eighth that went 59 yards) and yards per carry after contact (5.6). In fact, his 736 yards rushing this year after the first hit by itself would rank 31st overall.
Finally, since 1996 when STATS was formed, Adams is the first Football Bowl Subdivision player to record four consecutive games with a touchdown run that covered at least 70 yards, a streak that remained alive last Saturday with a 77-yard tally against NC State. Three players previously had three consecutive such games, notably former Texas Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams.
5 Turnovers committed this season by Wake Forest — which ties them with unbeaten Alabama and unbeaten Central Florida for the second fewest in the nation. Interestingly, North Carolina State, who Notre Dame defeated 35-14 last week, is No. 1 with four, with the fourth resulting in a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown by Irish sophomore cornerback Julian Love.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame ranks No. 7 in the country in turnover margin with plus-1.38 per game, generating 18 while committing only seven. That brings us to...
4 Consecutive starts by junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush in which the Irish have not committed a turnover. It began at Michigan State (Sept. 23) and then Miami (Ohio) (Sept. 30). He sat out the Oct. 7 win at North Carolina prior to the bye, but continued the streak of no turnovers versus USC (Oct. 21) and NC State (Oct. 28).
The Irish have only seven turnovers so far in eight games. The fewest in a season by head coach Brian Kelly's Irish was 15 by the 12-1 team in 2012.
3 Previous meetings between Wake Forest and the Irish, each occurring since 2011. After debuting with a 24-17 win at Winston-Salem in 2011, the following year a 38-0 victory at home versus the Demon Deacons enabled a Fighting Irish team to leave Notre Dame Stadium for the first time ever with an 11-0 record — and later that night elevate to No. 1 in the country for the first time in 19 years.
In 2015 the Irish also won 28-7 at home versus Wake Forest. Another victory today would mean that in the three wins over them at home, Notre Dame would leave the stadium with a cumulative record of 28-2.
2 Prime Wake Forest players who will miss the Notre Dame game because of injuries: receiver Greg Dortch and safety Jessie Bates. Along with the aforementioned QB Wolford and defensive end Ejiofor, they are two of the top four players on the roster.
Dortch led the team in catches with 53 (no one else has more than 18, and the next three combined don’t have that many), and he also was the top kick and punt return man. Bates was the leading tackler with 64 and a prime communicator on the unit.
1 Victory in 38 tries by Wake Forest in their football history against teams ranked in the Associated Press top 5 at the time of the game (the Irish are No. 5 in the AP but more importantly No. 3 in the College Football Playoff). That occurred way back on Oct. 26, 1946, versus No.4 Tennessee.
In addition to the 1-37 all-time ledger versus the top 5, the Demon Deacons are 1-58 all-time against the AP top 10.
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