Senior Editor Lou Somogyi throws out some interesting numbers as Notre Dame prepares for the Jan. 3 Sugar Bowl against LSU.
5 - Different Notre Dame coaches at the helm during the eight-game losing streak: Lou Holtz (0-2), Bob Davie (0-3), Tyrone Willingham (0-1), acting coach Kent Baer (0-1) and Charlie Weis (0-1). The Irish also have lost in five different bowl games during that time, led by three times in the Fiesta and twice in the Gator.
8 - Straight losses in bowl ties the record held by South Carolina from 1945-93 and West Virginia from 1987-98, even thought the Mountaineers were guided by College Football Hall of Fame inductee Don Nehlen from 1987-98. If the Irish lose to LSU on Jan. 3, that would set the NCAA record for consecutive defeats in postseason action.
16.5 - Average margin of points Notre Dame’s eight straight bowl losses have come by since 1994. Six of the defeats were by at least 14 points. The closest game was the 31-26 setback to Florida State in the 1996 Orange Bowl, and the worst was the 41-9 rout by Oregon State in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
79 - Division 1-A teams that have won a bowl game since Notre Dame’s 0-8 slump that began on Jan. 2, 1995. Among the winners since then were current Irish defensive coordinator Rick Minter’s Cincinnati Bearcats, Navy (four times), North Texas, Toledo, Tulane, Wyoming and Wake Forest.
