2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their second year under head coach Charlie Weis, the Irish compiled a 10–3 record, outscored opponents by a total of 403 to 310, and were ranked No. 17 in the final AP poll and No. 19 in the final Coaches Poll. The Irish had been ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP poll, but they dropped in the poll after losing to No. 11 Michigan, No. 3 USC, and No. 4 LSU, the latter in the Sugar Bowl.

Quarterback Brady Quinn won the Maxwell Award and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. The team's statistical leaders included Quinn (3,426 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns), running back Darius Walker (1,267 rushing yards), and wide receivers Jeff Samardzija (78 receptions for 1,017 yards) and Rhema McKnight (90 points scored).

The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Schedule

Rankings

Preseason After finishing 9–3 in 2005, Notre Dame began the 2006 season ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll. These were Notre Dame's highest preseason rankings since 1994, when they occupied the same positions in both polls.

Roster changes The Irish lost nine former starters to graduation and the NFL after the 2005 season, including five offensive starters, three defensive, and placekicker D.J. Fitzpatrick. However, the Irish returned many key players such as quarterback Brady Quinn, wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, running back Darius Walker, and safety Tom Zbikowski from the previous year's squad, Notre Dame received much pre-season hype as a possible national championship contender.

Award candidates Quinn also entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Along with Quinn, the following Fighting Irish football players were named to national award watchlists for the 2006 season:

Brady Quinn – Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award Jeff Samardzija – Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award Darius Walker – Maxwell Award Tom Zbikowski – Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award Ryan Harris – Outland Trophy Victor Abiamiri – Ted Hendricks Award John Sullivan – Dave Rimington Trophy

Notre Dame's three players on the Maxwell Award watchlist tied Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, and USC for most nominees.

Game summaries Georgia Tech

On September 2, Notre Dame defeated Georgia Tech, 14–10, in Atlanta. Georgia Tech scored first on a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reggie Ball to Calvin Johnson at the end of the first quarter. Georgia Tech's defense continued to menace third-ranked Notre Dame's offense, while a Travis Bell field goal increased Tech's lead to 10–0. It was the last time Georgia Tech would score, however. Notre Dame orchestrated a 14-play, 80-yard drive right before the half, punctuated by a five-yard rushing touchdown from Brady Quinn, to close the score to 10–7 at halftime. Coach Charlie Weis adjusted at halftime and began the second half determined to establish the Irish running game. The move paid off when running back Darius Walker scored on a 13-yard run on Notre Dame's first drive of the second half. Both defenses tightened, as the teams traded punts. With Notre Dame facing a fourth-and-one at the Georgia Tech 47-yard line with 1:10 left to play in the game, Georgia Tech appeared to be on the verge of getting the ball back with a chance to win the game. However, Weis gambled and elected to go for the first down rather than punt. Weis' gamble was rewarded when Quinn picked up the yard on a quarterback sneak, giving Notre Dame the first down and enabling them to run the clock out for the 14–10 victory.

Quinn completed 23 of 38 passes for 246 yards. Quinn also rushed for a touchdown, but was held without a passing touchdown. Walker rushed 22 times for 99 yards and one touchdown, while Rhema McKnight was Notre Dame's leading receiver with eight receptions for 108 yards.

Both teams had a player who became better known in a different sport. Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs, and Georgia Tech defensive lineman Joe Anoa'i signed with WWE and became a multi-time world champion as Roman Reigns.

Penn State

On September 9, Penn State came to Notre Dame for the first time since the 1992 Snow Bowl game. The game began as a defensive battle with Notre Dame scoring the only points of the first quarter on a field goal. However, the Irish offense picked up in the second quarter as quarterback Brady Quinn threw two touchdown passes (his first of the season) to Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight. With another field goal, Notre Dame led, 20–0, at the half. In the third quarter, Penn State quarterback, Anthony Morelli fumbled the ball during a lateral pass as he ran an option play; Tom Zbikowski picked up the fumble and ran it for a touchdown. Penn State score its first points later in the quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Kevin Kelly, but the Irish scored again on a one-yard touchdown run by Travis Thomas. In the fourth quarter, Quinn threw a third touchdown pass to Darius Walker, Morelli threw his only touchdown of the day to Deon Butler, and Penn State running back Daryll Clark ran a five-yard touchdown with time running out. The game ended with Notre Dame winning, 41–17.

Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines came to Notre Dame having lost three of the last four games to the Irish and having not won at Notre Dame since 1994, the year before Lloyd Carr became head coach. The game began with Notre Dame receiving the ball on the opening kickoff. On the second play, Brady Quinn's pass was intercepted by Prescott Burgess who ran it back for a 21-yard touchdown to put Michigan ahead, 7–0. After a punt on Notre Dame's next drive Michigan quarterback Chad Henne threw an interception to Chinedum Ndukwe which was returned to the four-yard line to set up a Brady Quinn touchdown pass to Ashley McConnell. Michigan scored the next 27 points with three touchdown passes by Henne to Mario Manningham and a run by Mike Hart. The Irish would score with a touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija before halftime to leave the score 34–14. In the third quarter, Michigan kicked two more field goals, one after Quinn's second interception in the game. Quinn threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter to Rhema McKnight to end the Irish scoring. The Wolverines ended any chance of a comeback when, while being sacked, Quinn's fumble was returned for a 54-yard touchdown by LaMarr Woodley. The game ended as a Wolverine blowout of 47–21, giving Lloyd Carr his first win in Notre Dame.

Michigan State

The September 23 game between Notre Dame and Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan, was preceded by pregame hype. After Michigan State's victory the prior year, Spartan players planted a flag in Notre Dame's field. Michigan State officials said the incident occurred because Notre Dame did not present the Megaphone Trophy after the game, and players needed to celebrate. Notre Dame officials stated that they never presented rivalry trophies after games, but sent them later in the week. More controversy was sparked when it was reported that Irish head coach Charlie Weis told a group of Notre Dame alumni during the summer of 2006 that he would never again lose to Michigan State as head coach. Weis denied it, but the Spartans used it as motivation. Added to these controversies was that 2006 marks the 40th anniversary of the Game of the Century between the teams. Before the game, Michigan State brought back players from that team and retired Bubba Smith's jersey. The controversies continued into the game when a late hit on Michigan State's quarterback by the Notre Dame bench lead to a scuffle between the teams. Charlie Weis claimed a Michigan State player slapped him in the face. This claim brought a penalty from the officials, and after the game John L. Smith implied that Weis had lied about a slap that could not be seen on any replay footage.ESPN – Michigan State Spartans vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview, September 22, 2007 – NCAA College Football

The game was played in windy and rainy conditions for most of the night. Notre Dame won the coin toss and took the ball as Charlie Weis normally does. Michigan State chose to play with the wind at their backs for the first quarter. The commentators for the game, especially Bob Davie, questioned Weis' decision, believing that the windy conditions would affect play significantly. It seemed to as Notre Dame was held without a score for the entire first quarter, while the Spartans threw two quick touchdowns, one after a fumble on a punt return by Tom Zbikowski, and added a field goal before having to change sides. In the second quarter Notre Dame switched to a no-huddle offense with worked to confuse the Spartan defense for a drive allowing Brady Quinn to throw a 32-yard touchdown to Rhema McKnight. On their next drive, however, Quinn threw an interception to Ervin Baldwin which was returned for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Spartans a 24–7 lead. Quinn would throw another touchdown to Jeff Samardzija and Spartan quarterback Drew Stanton added another touchdown pass to Kerry Reed to end the half with the Spartans leading 31–14.

The second half began with a defensive stop by the Irish which allowed Quinn to throw a third touchdown of 62 yards to John Carlson to cut the Spartan lead to 10. However, later in the quarter Michigan State's Jehuu Caulcrick ran 30 yards for a touchdown. The Spartans failed in a two-point conversion attempt leaving the score 37–21 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan State had the ball at the Notre Dame 42-yard line and looked to score again. However a series of miscues and holding penalties halted the Spartan drive and forced them to punt. Quinn took advantage and threw for a fourth touchdown to Jeff Samardzija. The Irish attempted a two-point conversion, but failed, leaving the score at 37–27 with eight minutes left in the game. On the ensuing drive, a Stanton fumble was recovered by the Irish on the Spartan 24-yard line. Aided by a pass interference call on third down and 25-yards to go, Quinn threw his fifth touchdown pass of the evening to Rhema McKnight. The extra point was missed leaving the Spartans ahead 37–33. On the next drive, Stanton threw an interception to Terrail Lambert which was returned 23-yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The Irish led, 40–37, with almost three minutes left. Stanton led the Spartans to the Notre Dame 44-yard line before throwing a pass which was tipped twice and which Terrail Lambert would catch off of the back of a Spartan wide receiver to end the game, with the Irish winning 40–37.

Purdue

On September 30, the Purdue Boilermakers came to Notre Dame undefeated, but still underdogs to the Irish. Notre Dame started the scoring with a 70-yard opening drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by George West, Notre Dame's first opening-drive touchdown of the year. Purdue tied the game later in the quarter with a seven-yard run by Kory Sheets. The Irish completed another long drive with a 14-yard touchdown run by Darius Walker to put them in the lead, 14–7, at the end of the first quarter. Brady Quinn threw his first touchdown of the game to Rhema McKnight for six yards halfway through the second quarter. With a little over a minute remaining before halftime, the Irish faked a field goal and Jeff Samardzija, the holder, ran for a five-yard touchdown. However, 30 seconds later, Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Selwyn Lymon to put the halftime score at 28–14, in favor of Notre Dame.