The 2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their 12th year under head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish compiled an 11–2 record, outscored opponents by a total of 458 to 256, and were ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll and No. 9 in the final Coaches Poll. In three games against ranked opponents, they defeated No. 18 Wisconsin and lost to No. 7 Cincinnati, and No. 9 Oklahoma State, the latter in the Fiesta Bowl by a 37–35 score.
At the end of the regular season, Kelly resigned to become the head coach at LSU. Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was named the program's new head coach and took over for the bowl game.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jack Coan (3,150 passing yards), running back Kyren Williams (1,002 rushing yards, 104 points scored), wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (888 receiving yards), tight end Michael Mayer (71 receptions), and linebacker JD Bertrand (101 total tackles). Safety Kyle Hamilton was a consensus first-team pick on the 2021 All-America college football team.
The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Offseason
Coaching changes On December 14, 2020, defensive coordinator Clark Lea left the school to become the head coach at Vanderbilt. On January 8, 2021, the school named Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to replace Lea.
Departures NFL OL Liam Eichenberg (drafted by the Miami Dolphins) OL Aaron Banks (drafted by the San Francisco 49ers) LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (drafted by the Cleveland Browns) TE Tommy Tremble (drafted by the Carolina Panthers) OL Robert Hainsey (drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) QB Ian Book (drafted by the New Orleans Saints) DL Daelin Hayes (drafted by the Baltimore Ravens) DL Adetokunbo Ogundeji (drafted by the Atlanta Falcons) WR Ben Skowronek (drafted by the Los Angeles Rams) S Shaun Crawford (signed by the Las Vegas Raiders) OL Tommy Kraemer (signed by the Detroit Lions) CB Nick McCloud (signed by the Buffalo Bills) WR Javon McKinley (signed by the Detroit Lions) TE Brock Wright (signed by the Detroit Lions) Transfers out RB/WR Kendall Abdur-Rahman (transferred to Western Kentucky) RB/WR Jafar Armstrong (Transferred to Illinois) WR Jay Brunelle (transferred to Yale) DT Ja'Mion Franklin (Transferred to Duke) OL Dillan Gibbons (transferred to Florida State) C Colin Grunhard (Transferred to Kansas) LB Jordan Genmark Heath (Transferred to UCLA) WR Jordan Johnson (transferred to UCF) WR Micah Jones (Transferred to Illinois State) LB Jack Lamb (Transferred to Colorado) DE Ovie Oghoufo (Transferred to Texas) CB Isaiah Rutherford (Transferred to Arizona) RB Jahmir Smith (Transferred to Appalachian State) DE Kofi Wardlow (Transferred to Charlotte) Other OL Hunter Spears (medically retired from football)
Transfers in QB Jack Coan (transferred from Wisconsin) OL Cain Madden (transferred from Marshall) LB Adam Shibley (transferred from Michigan)
Schedule The 2021 schedule was officially released on April 25, 2019. The neutral site game at Soldier Field had been designated the Shamrock Series game, although television rights were owned and operated by the Big Ten Network. This was the second year since 2020 that not every home game aired on NBC, as the home opener aired on Peacock.
Rankings
Personnel
Game summaries
At Florida State
Statistics Notre DameFlorida State First downs 17 19 Total yards 431 442 Rushing yards 65 264 Passing yards 366 178 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 30:35 29:25
Team Category Player StatisticsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 26/35, 366 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Kyren Williams 18 carries, 42 yards Receiving Michael Mayer 9 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TDFlorida State Passing Jordan Travis 9/19, 130 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INT Rushing Jashaun Corbin 15 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD Receiving Keyshawn Helton 4 receptions, 53 yards
Toledo
Statistics ToledoNotre Dame First downs 16 27 Total yards 353 449 Rushing yards 132 132 Passing yards 221 317 Turnovers 2 4 Time of possession 30:04 29:56
Team Category Player StatisticsToledo Passing Carter Bradley 17/27, 213 yards Rushing Bryant Koback 21 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD Receiving Devin Maddox 9 receptions, 135 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 21/33, 239 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Kyren Williams 16 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD Receiving Michael Mayer 7 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TDs
Purdue
Statistics PurdueNotre Dame First downs 19 16 Total yards 348 343 Rushing yards 57 120 Passing yards 291 223 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 34:11 25:49
Team Category Player StatisticsPurdue Passing Jack Plummer 25/36, 187 yards, 1 TD Rushing King Doerue 10 carries, 45 yards Receiving Jackson Anthrop 7 receptions, 90 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 15/31, 223 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Kyren Williams 12 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD Receiving Avery Davis 5 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD
Vs. No. 18 Wisconsin
Statistics WisconsinNotre Dame First downs 16 17 Total yards 318 242 Rushing yards 78 3 Passing yards 240 239 Turnovers 5 1 Time of possession 28:24 31:36
For this season's Shamrock Series, Notre Dame kept with tradition by donning special uniforms. The team wore its usual gold helmet that featured four stars on the back of the helmet, which honors the Flag of Chicago. The school's blue uniform had sleeves featuring two gold stripes, which resemble the rivers and waterways represented on Chicago's flag. The all-white numbers are block slab-serif, which represent the "City of Broad Shoulders". The back collar of the uniform displays Notre Dame's mission statement, which is to "Graduate Champions". The pants are a nod to the Fighting Irish team that played the first football game at Soldier Field in 1924, the same year the university won its first championship. The pants are gold, with two blue lines with a white line in the middle, running down the side of the leg.
With this victory, Brian Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history with victory number 106, surpassing Knute Rockne in his 12th season with the Fighting Irish.
Team Category Player StatisticsWisconsin Passing Graham Mertz 18/41, 240 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs Rushing Chez Mellusi 18 carries, 54 yards Receiving Kendric Pryor 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TDNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 15/29, 158 yards, 1 TD Rushing Kyren Williams 18 carries, 33 yards Receiving Kevin Austin Jr. 6 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs
No. 7 Cincinnati
Statistics CincinnatiNotre Dame First downs 16 19 Total yards 390 341 Rushing yards 93 84 Passing yards 297 257 Turnovers 4 2 Time of possession 28:10 31:50
Team Category Player StatisticsCincinnati Passing Desmond Ridder 19/32, 297 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Jerome Ford 17 carries, 71 yards Receiving Alec Pierce 6 receptions, 144 yardsNotre Dame Passing Drew Pyne 9/22, 143 yards, 1 TD Rushing Kyren Williams 13 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD Receiving Michael Mayer 8 receptions, 93 yards
At Virginia Tech
Statistics Notre DameVirginia Tech First downs 21 21 Total yards 401 321 Rushing yards 180 134 Passing yards 221 187 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 28:36 31:24
Team Category Player StatisticsNotre Dame Passing Tyler Buchner 6/14, 113 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Kyren Williams 19 carries, 81 yards, TD Receiving Kevin Austin Jr. 3 receptions, 70 yardsVirginia Tech Passing Braxton Burmeister 15/30, 184 yards, INT Rushing Braxton Burmeister 10 carries, 49 yards, TD Receiving Tré Turner 6 receptions, 80 yards
USC
Statistics USCNotre Dame First downs 25 26 Total yards 428 383 Rushing yards 129 170 Passing yards 299 213 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 28:37 31:23
Team Category Player StatisticsUSC Passing Kedon Slovis 27/37, 299 yards, INT Rushing Keaontay Ingram 24 carries, 138 yards, TD Receiving Drake London 15 receptions, 171 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 20/28, 189 yards, TD, INT Rushing Kyren Williams 25 carries, 138 yards, 2 TD Receiving Lorenzo Styles Jr. 3 receptions, 57 yards
North Carolina
Statistics North CarolinaNotre Dame First downs 28 26 Total yards 554 523 Rushing yards 213 293 Passing yards 341 230 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 30:15 29:45
Team Category Player StatisticsNorth Carolina Passing Sam Howell 24/31, 341 yards, TD, INT Rushing Sam Howell 18 carries, 91 yards, TD Receiving Josh Downs 10 receptions, 142 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 16/24, 213 yards, TD Rushing Kyren Williams 22 carries, 199 yards, TD Receiving Lorenzo Styles Jr. 3 receptions, 74 yards
Navy
Statistics NavyNotre Dame First downs 11 21 Total yards 184 430 Rushing yards 166 150 Passing yards 18 280 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 34:33 25:27
Team Category Player StatisticsNavy Passing Xavier Arline 1/2, 18 yards Rushing Isaac Ruoss 22 carries, 73 yards Receiving Jayden Umbarger 1 reception, 18 yards Notre Dame Passing Jack Coan 23/29, 269 yards, TD Rushing Kyren Williams 17 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD Receiving Kevin Austin Jr. 6 receptions, 139 yards, TD
At Virginia
Statistics Notre DameVirginia First downs 22 17 Total yards 423 278 Rushing yards 249 82 Passing yards 174 196 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 29:41 30:19
Team Category Player StatisticsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 15/20, 132 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Kyren Williams 14 carries, 70 yards, TD Receiving Michael Mayer 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD Virginia Passing Jay Woolfolk 18/33, 196 yards, 2 INT Rushing Mike Hollins 9 carries, 44 yards Receiving Keytaon Thompson 9 receptions, 110 yards
Georgia Tech
Statistics Georgia TechNotre Dame First downs 11 23 Total yards 224 514 Rushing yards 128 212 Passing yards 96 302 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 30:39 29:21
Team Category Player StatisticsGeorgia Tech Passing Jordan Yates 14/28, 96 yards, INT Rushing Jahmyr Gibbs 12 carries, 58 yards Receiving Malachi Carter 3 receptions, 89 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 15/20, 285 yards, 2 TD Rushing Tyler Buchner 5 carries, 67 yards Receiving Kevin Austin Jr. 2 receptions, 89 yards
At Stanford
Statistics Notre DameStanford First downs 26 11 Total yards 509 227 Rushing yards 168 55 Passing yards 341 172 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 34:10 25:50
Team Category Player StatisticsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 26/35, 345 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Kyren Williams 19 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD Receiving Kevin Austin Jr. 6 carries, 125 yardsStanford Passing Tanner McKee 20/25, 172 yards, TD Rushing Austin Jones 9 carries, 35 yards, TD Receiving Benjamin Yurosek 5 receptions, 87 yards, TD
Vs. Oklahoma State (Fiesta Bowl)
Statistics Oklahoma StateNotre Dame First downs 34 27 Total yards 605 551 Rushing yards 234 42 Passing yards 371 509 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 29:06 30:54
Team Category Player StatisticsOklahoma State Passing Spencer Sanders 34/51, 371 yards, 4 TD Rushing Spencer Sanders 17 carries, 125 yards Receiving Brennan Presley 10 receptions, 137 yardsNotre Dame Passing Jack Coan 38/68, 509 yards, 5 TD, INT Rushing Logan Diggs 9 carries, 29 yards Receiving Lorenzo Styles Jr. 8 receptions, 136 yards, TD
References