It takes a lot of devotion to sit through a boring football game. Sometimes, the power of doing something else takes over or you end up asleep on your couch. Today, let’s see how many of you remember details from these games. This was written before Golden began his “Wins of the Kelly Era” series so there will be some crossover from his earlier posts.
How are we judging these boring games? For one, we’re going to shy away from the blowouts that got awfully sleepy in the second half, although not exclusively. Also, we will look disproportionately at lower scoring games with frustrating offensive performances complete with a selection of teams that typically do not engender much excitement when they play Notre Dame.
Time to jog your memory.
2010 Pitt (23-17 Win)
The month of October started off quite sleepy, although it ended about as hectic and damaged as the program has experienced in the Kelly era. I’ve got nothing from this game. Pitt scored first to take a 3-0 lead and actually out-gained Notre Dame. Irish kicker David Ruffer hit all 3 of his field goal attempts. Harrison Smith picked off a pass from 14-year senior Tino Sunseri.
A punt pinned Pitt deep in their own territory with 1:37 remaining and they were Diaco’d while doing nothing with the ball.
2011 Pitt (15-12 Win)
I do recall this was a Noon kickoff with Urban Meyer on color commentary. Of course, who could forget Jonas Gray’s 79-yard touchdown run? The only other thing I can recall is that Notre Dame just couldn’t score* and I think there was a big Tyler Eifert catch^ late to seal things?
*A 15-play 76-yard drive ending in a missed field goal hurts bad in a close game with only 8 non-kneel down possessions.
^Yup, a 6-yard game-winning touchdown by Eifert with 6:48 remaining
2011 Wake Forest (24-17 Win)
Just good enough not to lose and bad enough to not remember a thing. This was one of those inconsistent games that were a hallmark of early Kelly teams. The offense put up 263 yards across 5 drives then 64 yards the rest of the game. Once Notre Dame took the lead in the 3rd quarter this one was slowly put to bed.
The Irish defense strangled Wake while allowing just 90 yards. Neither team scored over the final 8 possessions.
2011 Boston College (16-14 Win)
This Senior Day victory was highlighted (lowlighted?) by the career-ending injury to Jonas Gray. It was also one of many in this collection where the Irish solidly outplayed their opponent (+167 total yards) and tried their best to let the visitors spoil the proceedings.
This quarterback doesn’t run.
This was also the game where Boston College deployed a “drop everyone” in coverage defensive game plan. It worked pretty well. Tommy Rees attempted 39 passes at 6.6 yards per clip and didn’t throw a touchdown. In fact, the Irish didn’t score a touchdown after the initial 80-yard opening drive. Thereafter we witnessed 3 field goals, 8 punts, and an interception. Good times.
2012 Boston College (21-6 Win)
Not much could top the highs of the Oklahoma and Pitt games in consecutive weeks during the 2012 season. Then we were treated to a couple snoozefests before the finale at USC.
Facing a tremendous Irish defense, the Eagles had to get awfully one-dimensional in this game with Chase Rettig at quarterback. That’s not a good recipe for success. BC was held to 53 rushing yards, Notre Dame scored touchdowns on 3 out of their first 4 drives, and sleepily took the victory.
2013 USC (14-10 Win)
The first home win against USC since 2001 was objected to inclusion from some of our staff. For what it’s worth, Golden had this as the 25th best win of the Kelly era. This was also the Cam McDaniel photo game. I have to include it because of the absolute rock fight this game turned into late in the 2nd quarter.
Still real.
The teams combined for 113 yards on 60 plays (1.8 yards per play!) in the second half with 10 punts, an interception, a missed FG, fumble, and two turnover on downs. Andrew Hendrix came in early in the second half for the injured Tommy Rees and accounted for 5 yards on 23 snaps.
To put this game in reference, the second half of the 2016 NC State game played in a hurricane featured 2.2 yards per play.
2013 BYU (23-13 Win)
Notre Dame played BYU in South Bend in back-to-back years which hurts memories of this game. The prior year during an undefeated regular season Rees led a gritty effort in a close win. The following year I can’t remember a single thing about this game.
Taysom Hill played quarterback and totaled 269 yards of offense. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first 2 possessions, accumulated 470 yards, but only mustered 23 points on 8 trips into BYU territory.
2013 Rutgers (29-16 Win)
Ah, who could forget the classic Pinstripe Bowl from 2013? The saddest bowl game in Notre Dame history featured an offensive lineman MVP and the little known fact that the Irish led only 19-16 half way through the 4th quarter.
If you haven’t sensed a theme yet allow me to point out Notre Dame ran 90 plays against Rutgers, gained 31 first downs, and scored 29 points. That’s from 47 pass attempts and no touchdowns from Tommy Rees, just saying.
2014 Purdue (30-14 Win)
I’ve gone back and looked over this game. Absolutely nothing stands out. The defense played fine, the offense did some okay things, and Kyle Brindza made 3 out of his 4 field goal attempts.
I recall the all-blue Shamrock Series uniforms inside Lucas Oil Stadium and nothing else.
2015 Wake (28-7 Win)
This was the Josh Adams 99-yard rushing touchdown game. We all remember that now recall something else from this contest. I vaguely being frustrated that the Irish weren’t blowing Wake Forest out even though they were up 21-0 after the Adams run mid-way through the 2nd quarter.
Here’s a game that happened.
This is because the second half only featured a touchdown from each side. Notre Dame also finished with just 282 total yards, which take away Adams’ touchdown run, and yikes.
2015 BC (19-16 Win)
Back-to-back boring games from 2015! Another Shamrock Series! Another ACC* team!
Okay, this one was definitely more in the frustrating category. The Irish piled up 447 total yards, led 19-3 in the 4th quarter, but shot themselves in the foot with 5 turnovers and only 2 touchdowns on 7(!!) red zone opportunities.
*If you would like to criticize the ACC partnership look no further than today’s article!
2016 Nevada (39-10 Win)
About the most memorable part of this game was the return of Brian Polian as Wolf Pack head coach, his last season with the program before coming back to Notre Dame. The first quarter featured no scoring before Notre Dame put together together all of its scoring in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The game ended with 6 straight punts from both sides before Nevada added a late garbage touchdown.
2017 Navy (24-17 Win)
A week after the disaster at Miami we were treated to this gem in a rain-soaked affair in Rockne Heritage uniforms. The 16 first downs would’ve been a season-low if not for that trip to Coral Gables. Navy kept the ball for nearly 43 minutes and limited Notre Dame to just 49 offensive snaps.
“Highlights.”
The Irish opened the game with 2 punts, a fumble, and a field goal. After a 3-0 lead from Notre Dame, the game was either led by Navy or tied until Kevin Stepherson’s second touchdown of the game gave the home team the lead for good early in the 4th quarter.
2018 Navy (44-22 Win)
From the more recent games this was a blowout that got really sleepy in the second half. We tried not to include games like this but wanted to include something from the past couple years. Navy didn’t score in the first half which is never a good thing for the Middies. The Irish scored aplenty, leading 27-0 at the break.
Navy scored 2 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to come back from the dead before a Miles Boykin touchdown late in the 3rd put this one to rest. The 4th quarter featured an interception from both sides, a Navy fumble, plus a punt and touchdown from each team.
2019 Duke (38-7 Win)
A night game in Durham in front of a frenzied crowd full of Irish fans! Even still, this was one of the most boring games in recent times. Notre Dame had 4 punts and an interception in the first half while the Blue Devils opened the game with 6 straight punts.
Ultimately, the Irish offense overwhelmed Duke and the Notre Dame defense didn’t let the Blue Devils breath all night. Even with 44 points scored by both teams this game only had a combined 383 total yards.
A bunch of snoozers in there. As far as 2018 goes, I’d rewatch that Navy game 5 times before rewatching the Ball State or Vandy games that year. Just slogs of boring with bad QB play (at least by Navy there was Book to sling it around and put up points).
Yeah, you’re not wrong on those ones for sure.
Figured this would just be an alternating list of BC & Purdue games.
Was it intentional that these were all wins? Or, by default, a “close” loss, even to a boring team, would make the game more exciting?
I’d guess losses go from boring to aggravating/anger status. Like the briefly mentioned NC State 2016 hurricane game was one of the most mind-numbing events ever, if it wasn’t so anger-inducing for why the game plan was so bad.
Related, that game was so sad and soul-searching, my vision of purgatory is that game is on an endless loop, and you’re sitting alone in a Buffalo Wild Wings just waiting for the beer you ordered (and it’s never coming).
Or even worse, getting it, but it’s a Fat Tire.
I know I’m in the minority, but that game doesn’t bother me a ton. It never should have been played in the first place, and the weather conditions made the game so stupid that it didn’t really matter what either team did in terms of playcalling. Would you like an incomplete pass, or a run for a gain of two feet when the RB falls down in the mud? Does we care? Are failed runs superior to failed passes for some reason?
Yeah, I mean that game it’s tough to get MAD at, it just stinks. The whole thing felt so fruitless. Like no matter what it was just going to keep on going, very drab, the only certainty is that more frustration and boredom would be around the next corner. And yet poor Sam Mustipher has to make shotgun snaps in a hurricane, then gets chewed out on the sidelines when (shocker) it doesn’t go well.
“Does we care.” Goodness. I was not an English major, as you can see.
I *attended* the 2016 NC State game. That is worst in-person game experience of my life.
Sir, losses are never boring.
I was at several of these! I sure know how to pick ’em.
It snowed pretty hard during the 2013 BYU game, so that’s kind of something.
Would rather watch 2011 Wake Forest over the *other* game that happened that night
Game of the century my ass
I’ve been to a third of the games on this list…
I actually have fond memories of the 2013 BYU game if only because my buddy and I were constantly cheering (and drinking) because of the cold. He wore a thin sweatshirt while I was wearing a fleece jacket in the middle of a snow game. That made for a pretty fun time until we had to walk three miles to the car, which was a less sanguine affair.
2017 Navy and 2011 BC are tied for the two most horrendous games I’ve been to on this list. The Navy game was played entirely on their terms which made for a unnecessarily tight contest and we only won because they got too cute on offense in the fourth quarter. 2011 BC was just the worst. Even though they sucked, we couldn’t do anything against them because they had Luke Kuechly.
2011 BC was just awful. Don’t look this up, but I’m pretty sure 47% of plays run were punts.
2015 BC game was awesome to attend in person. Notre Dame played a home game against BC in Fenway Park. I mean, that was such an amazing FU.
The game itself was, yeah, annoying. But we won!
Sorry to roll in late — that WAS a very exciting game in person. The Fenway Park venue was so one-of, so non modern glitz, that it felt fun to be there. The all green unis were kinda ugly but very… Irish, and it was in Boston after all. And the five fumbles, just made it annoying and really kind of tense. So I think this is disagreeance? At least if you were there in person, as Chinese Shoelace says.
I would still disagree with the ’13 USC placement. (Rehash of our Slack discussion incoming…) Not because it was USC necessarily – though that helps – but because every defensive possession took on huge meaning when it became clear Andrew Hendrix was not going to even come close to moving the ball on offense. Every down was edge-of-your-seat exciting, in its weird way.
When Rees was cleared for the next week’s game, I remember telling friends and family, “I never thought I’d say it, but thank God Tommy Rees is playing quarterback”.
I was at this one as well, and I am 100% with you, Andy. The drama just kept building when we were on defense, because everybody knew we were not going to score again. Poor Hendrix, by all accounts a wonderful young man, I cannot even imagine how it must feel to freeze in those massive hyper bright headlights . But the “D” hung in on every single play when it counted.