This two-part series began with a look at some of the best defensive performances which hopefully brought back some good memories. Now, it’s time for the pain.
The Defensive Coordinators:
Bob Diaco: 37-15 (.711)
Brian VanGorder: 19-11 (.633)
Greg Hudson (interim): 3-5 (.375)
Mike Elko: 10-3 (.769)
Worst Performance Against an Elite Offense
Bronze Medal: Stanford, 2015, 38-36 Loss
The game that could’ve finally gotten the Stanford Stadium monkey off their back. Following a would-be game-winning touchdown run by DeShone Kizer there was just 30 second remaining in the game. A facemask penalty and the world’s longest 27-yard completion set up the back-breaking field goal for Stanford. This was against the No. 12 offense nationally and the 6.59 yards per play given up is the 9th worst effort from the Kelly era.
Sliver Medal: USC, 2014, 49-14 Loss
USC was not kind to an Irish defense ravaged by injuries and losing the plot on the other side of the ball. The Trojans scored 35 in the first half and mercifully took their foot off the gas. Only coming in as the 19th ranked offense (the run game wasn’t anything special) this was still a loaded passing game from USC. Their 577 yards–the bulk coming in the first 3 quarters–is the 3rd most given up since 2010.
Gold Medal: Alabama, 2012, 42-14 Loss
Obviously.
Worst Performance Against an Elite Offense in a Win
Bronze Medal: Wake Forest, 2017, 48-37 Win
Mike Elko making an appearance against the sneaky 22nd best offense from the 2017 season. To be fair (we covered this well enough) most of Wake’s damage came in the second half in technical garbage time. Still, the Deacons put up 34 first downs and 587 total yards. The latter mark is the second most ever given up by Notre Dame under Kelly.
Sliver Medal: Navy, 2014, 49-39 Win
Navy led this game late in the 3rd quarter. This was right in the middle of Navy quarterback Keenan Reynold’s assault on the NCAA record book. The Irish offense was enough to come back for the victory though the Middies put up 454 yards and the second-most points ever scored against Notre Dame in this rivalry.
Gold Medal: USC, 2015, 41-31 Win
This game was full of explosiveness from both teams. Notre Dame did shut USC out in the 4th quarter which ended up sealing the game. The Trojans did plenty of damage, though. Their 590 yards are the most given up in the Kelly era while the 7.6 yards per play is the 3rd worst mark since 2010.
Worst Performance in a Loss
Bronze Medal: Duke, 2016, 38-35 Loss
Duke wasn’t an atrocious offense in 2017 (77th nationally) and if this was a victory there’d probably be many who would soon forget this game altogether. However, the Blue Devils racked up 498 yards and a shocking 6.7 yards per play–the latter stat the 7th worst mark surrendered by Notre Dame. VanGorder never coached again for the Irish after this one.
Sliver Medal: Michigan, 2011, 35-31 Loss
I’m absolutely certain we’ll never see another game with a worse ending where the defense flipped a switch from very good to absolutely incompetent. Through 3 quarters Michigan had just 7 points and a completely nonthreatening 141 total yards. The Wolverines finished with 28-points in the 4th quarter and their 9.0 yards per play at the final whistle is the most given up by Notre Dame by a long shot.
Gold Medal: Northwestern, 2014, 43-40 Loss
Out of the worst 22 offenses faced by the Irish since 2010 according to S&P+ the program has won 21 of those games. This loss to Northwestern stands alone as the single defeat. What’s even worse, the Wildcats were ranked 111th in offense back in 2014, the 6th worst offense faced by a Kelly team. They lost!
Platinum Medal: Navy, 2010, 35-17 Loss
I had to create this special category because it is deserved. Navy’s 438 yards won’t look like much in the history books (23rd most given up by the Irish) but this loss was as much about the way the defense played as it was the stats piled up by Navy. For a decent offense (40th ranked) the Irish were absolutely dominated with the likes of Manti Te’o and Harrison Smith on the field. Statistically, the 7.0 yards per play given up is 6th worst since 2010 and is one of the few stats from this game that show how bad things really were that day.
Mediocre Performance Soon Not Forgotten
Bronze Medal: Michigan State, 2016, 36-28 Loss
This was the 5th worst offense (66th overall) Notre Dame has faced in a loss during the Kelly era. The Spartans gained 501 yards and their 6.42 yards per play was tied for the 12th worst since 2010. The end of the VanGorder era wasn’t great, you guys.
Sliver Medal: North Carolina, 2014, 50-43 Win
VanGorder’s last 2 games with the Irish are featured in this series while this was the first game under his tutelage where cracks began to show in his teaching and scheme. After giving up an average of 12 points per game through the first 5 games of 2014, the Tar Heels unloaded 43 points and 516 yards in South Bend.
Gold Medal: Michigan, 2013, 41-30 Loss
A bit of a forgotten game sandwiched in between a pair of very memorable wins in this series for Notre Dame. People forget how mediocre this Michigan offense was coming in at an incredible 85th nationally. And yet, they moved the ball up and down the field all night. After the 2014 Northwestern loss this is the 2nd worst offense the Irish have lost to in the Kelly era.
It’s Gold Jerry…No, wait that one is platinum.
Eric thanks for doing the best performances first, made this one a little easier on the memory cells.
Bad times, bad times (but good list, Eric!).
I’ve been an ND fan since 2005, and the 2014 Northwestern game is the single least forgivable coaching performance I’ve seen since then.
Just went back and read the game recap from that one on the old site. Good times.
Looking back, lots of attention paid to the 2-point call up 11 points, the Chris Brown goal line jet sweep fumble, and calling 3 pass plays in overtime. Lots of people arguing why Zaire didn’t get to play, as well.
For one of the worst defensive performances weird how much people had given up with that unit. True freshman Tranquill and Morgan starting. Cody Riggs starting. Devin Butler, Austin Collinsworth, and Justin Utopo all playing significant minutes….
The 2pt stuff was bad, and worse lessons weren’t learned and applied in 2015 but so it goes. Cam McDaniel fumbling in that game was terrible too. Just a complete comedy of errors, by then I just thought it was comical and couldn’t even muster anger since the season was basically already over with the ASU loss the week prior.
It was so, so very bad.
Going for 2 up 11 in the 4th is probably the worst decision Kelly ever made. It’s literally 2nd grade level math. Unconscionable!
I still want to throw up, thinking about that game. Worst live game experience ever. I can’t believe I paid money to watch it. The University should have offered to refund ticket prices.
You haven’t realized by now how M likes to see us absolutely tortured and writhing in pain? You don’t remember that one summer he wrote an entire series(that I still thankfully have not read a single word from, save the titles) about the entire history of worst losses in the program? Murtaugh, the anti-hero of ND blogging.
You not Catholic?
I get so much from church that I cant subject myself to more from my football.
Just think how boring blogging would be if you followed a team like Alabama. Remember that time, in between our third and fourth national title, our defense gave up 30 points?
There are 13 games mentioned in this article. Saban’s lost 20 games in 11 years.
I remember sitting down to watch the Northwestern game with my college roommate (I didn’t go to ND and thank god I wasn’t at that game) and on Northwestern’s first possession I told my buddy about how NW’s offense had only generated two 30+ yard plays on the year, which is crazy when it’s the 10th game. Literally the play after I said that, Justin Jackson ran 44 yards and NW scored on the next play. I still shudder at that memory.
Also, Trevor Siemian was a pretty poor college quarterback throughout his entire undergrad career, and yet he was 30-48 passing for almost 300 yards and had two touchdowns. Add in 32 rushing yards, and that single game against ND accounted for almost 15% of Siemian’s offensive production FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. I don’t care how bad or injured the defense was at that time, there’s just no excuse.