2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Champs Sports Bowl, L 14–18 vs. Florida State
Conference	Independent
2011 record	8–5
Head coach	Brian Kelly (2nd year)
Offensive coordinator	Charley Molnar (2nd year)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Bob Diaco (2nd year)
Base defense	3–4
Captain	Harrison Smith
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium (Capacity: 80,795)
Seasons ← 2010 2012 →

2011 Division I FBS independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
BYU			–						10	–	3
Notre Dame			–						8	–	5
Navy			–						5	–	7
Army			–						3	–	9
As of December 30, 2011; Rankings from AP Poll

South Florida at Notre Dame

1 2 3 4 Total • Bulls 13 3 0 7 23 Fighting Irish 0 0 7 13 20 Date: September 3 Location: Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, IN Game start: 3:30 EST Elapsed time: 5:59 Game attendance: 80,795 Game weather: 93 degrees, W 6 MPH, 2 Severe Weather Delays Referee: Dennis Hennigan Big East TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan

Scoring summary 1 11:00 USF Kayvon Webster 96-yard fumble return (Maikon Bonani kick) USF 7-0 1 4:45 USF Maikon Bonani 49-yard field goal USF 10-0 1 1:08 USF Maikon Bonani 17-yard field goal USF 13-0 2 4:04 USF Maikon Bonani 16-yard field goal USF 16-0 3 7:12 ND Michael Floyd 24-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) USF 16-7 4 11:05 USF Evan Landi 2-yard pass from B. J. Daniels (Maikon Bonani kick) USF 23-7 4 7:35 ND Cierre Wood 1-yard run (pass failed) USF 23-13 4 0:21 ND Michael Floyd 8-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) USF 23-20

Scoring summary
1	11:00	USF	Kayvon Webster 96-yard fumble return (Maikon Bonani kick)	USF 7-0
1	4:45	USF	Maikon Bonani 49-yard field goal	USF 10-0
1	1:08	USF	Maikon Bonani 17-yard field goal	USF 13-0
2	4:04	USF	Maikon Bonani 16-yard field goal	USF 16-0
3	7:12	ND	Michael Floyd 24-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	USF 16-7
4	11:05	USF	Evan Landi 2-yard pass from B. J. Daniels (Maikon Bonani kick)	USF 23-7
4	7:35	ND	Cierre Wood 1-yard run (pass failed)	USF 23-13
4	0:21	ND	Michael Floyd 8-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	USF 23-20

Notre Dame at Michigan "Under The Lights"
(Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game)

1 2 3 4 Total Fighting Irish 14 3 7 7 31 • Wolverines 0 7 0 28 35 Date: September 10 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 8:00 PM EST Elapsed time: 3:30 Game attendance: 114,804 Game weather: High 60s, ESE 4 MPH Referee: Tom Tomczyk Big East TV announcers (ESPN): Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Erin Andrews

Michigan State at Notre Dame
(Megaphone Trophy)

1 2 3 4 Total Spartans 3 7 0 3 13 • Fighting Irish 14 7 7 3 31 Date: September 17 Location: Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, IN Game start: 3:30 PM EST Elapsed time: 3:19 Game attendance: 80,795 Game weather: 68 Degrees, SE 8 MPH Referee: John O'Neill Big 10 TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan

Scoring summary 1 10:41 ND Cierre Wood 22-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 7-0 1 1:32 MSU Dan Conroy 40-yard field goal ND 7-3 1 1:20 ND George Atkinson III 89-yard kickoff return (David Ruffer kick) ND 14-3 2 11:57 MSU Dion Sims 6-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Conroy kick) ND 14-10 2 3:36 ND Cierre Wood 6-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 21-10 3 9:30 ND TJ Jones 26-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 28-10 4 10:56 MSU Dan Conroy 35-yard field goal ND 28-13 4 3:11 ND David Ruffer 33-yard field goal ND 31-13

Scoring summary
1	10:41	ND	Cierre Wood 22-yard run (David Ruffer kick)	ND 7-0
1	1:32	MSU	Dan Conroy 40-yard field goal	ND 7-3
1	1:20	ND	George Atkinson III 89-yard kickoff return (David Ruffer kick)	ND 14-3
2	11:57	MSU	Dion Sims 6-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Conroy kick)	ND 14-10
2	3:36	ND	Cierre Wood 6-yard run (David Ruffer kick)	ND 21-10
3	9:30	ND	TJ Jones 26-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	ND 28-10
4	10:56	MSU	Dan Conroy 35-yard field goal	ND 28-13
4	3:11	ND	David Ruffer 33-yard field goal	ND 31-13

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total • Fighting Irish 0 7 0 8 15 Panthers 3 3 6 0 12 Date: September 24 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:00 PM EST Elapsed time: 3:17 Game attendance: 65,050 Game weather: 64 Degrees, NE 2 MPH Referee: John McDade Big East TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman, Urban Meyer & Quint Kessenich

Notre Dame at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total • Notre Dame 14 7 14 3 38 Purdue 0 3 0 7 10 Date: October 1 Location: Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN Game start: 8:00 PM EST EST Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 61,555 Game weather: 50 Degrees, NNW 4 MPH Referee: Jerry McGinn Big East TV announcers (ESPN): Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe

Scoring summary 1 14:36 ND Michael Floyd 35-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 7-0 1 0:03 ND Jonas Gray 3-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 14-0 2 9:06 ND Cierre Wood 55-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 21-0 2 3:39 PUR Carson Wiggs 27-yard field goal ND 21-3 3 12:00 ND Tyler Eifert 6-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 28-3 3 2:07 ND TJ Jones 11-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 35-3 4 8:06 ND David Ruffer 21-yard field goal ND 38-3 4 0:21 PUR Antavian Edison 13-yard pass from Caleb TerBush (Carson Wiggs kick) ND 38-10

Scoring summary
1	14:36	ND	Michael Floyd 35-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	ND 7-0
1	0:03	ND	Jonas Gray 3-yard run (David Ruffer kick)	ND 14-0
2	9:06	ND	Cierre Wood 55-yard run (David Ruffer kick)	ND 21-0
2	3:39	PUR	Carson Wiggs 27-yard field goal	ND 21-3
3	12:00	ND	Tyler Eifert 6-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	ND 28-3
3	2:07	ND	TJ Jones 11-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick)	ND 35-3
4	8:06	ND	David Ruffer 21-yard field goal	ND 38-3
4	0:21	PUR	Antavian Edison 13-yard pass from Caleb TerBush (Carson Wiggs kick)	ND 38-10

The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They compete as an independent. They finished the season 8–5. They were invited to the Champs Sports Bowl where they were defeated by Florida State 18-14.

Kerry Cooks took over the cornerback position after coaching the outside linebackers the previous season. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, who also coaches the inside linebackers, will coach the entire linebacking corps moving forward. Chuck Martin will focus solely on the safeties, while presumably assuming his role as the program’s recruiting coordinator.

Star tight end Kyle Rudolph chose to forgo his final year of eligibility, and enter the 2011 NFL Draft. The Irish also lost a number of important seniors, including four-year starter defensive lineman Ian Williams, linebackers Kerry Neal and Brian Smith, cornerback Darrin Walls, running backs Robert Hughes and Armando Allen, Wide Receiver Duval Kamara, and offensive lineman Matt Romine and Chris Stewart, all to graduation. Redshirt junior quarterback Nate Montana left the program in early February 2011, and transferred to the University of Montana. Junior guard Alex Bullard transferred to his hometown state of Tennessee and will play for the University of Tennessee, citing the desire to be closer to home following the loss of a family member.

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