COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF

Here are our thoughts on some stats from UND.com

14; Notre Dame last played a non-Saturday regular season game on Thursday, Sept. 5, 1996, collecting a 14-7 season-opening win at Vanderbilt.

TI: The Irish do have a bit history of playing on Non-Sundays, however that was many years ago.  I think it would be nice to be highlighted on some different days maybe even a Thursday night game.

13; Only 13 teams have more than Notre Dame's 39 wins since 2012.

TI: Not bad but that leaves us out of the top ten as it might pertain to the upper echelon of big time college football.  We seem to be the best of those just out of the best.

12; Sophomore Justin Yoon has made each of his last 12 field goals, the fourth-longest streak in school history.

TI: Great, way to jinx it.  Seriously I could see this kid going his whole career without missing an extra point.  Damn now I just jinxed him.

11; The Irish claim 11 consensus national championships and a share of 11 more. The 10th consensus championship came following a 38-10 win over Texas in the 1978 Cotton Bowl. Vagas Ferguson was the offensive MVP with 100 rushing yards and a 17-yard TD catch from Joe Montana.

TI: Nice but not relevant.  No disrespect meant but often we look at past games and records against teams and the truth is it makes little difference (unless it was the previous year) because the players and coaches are mostly different from those pervious mat-ups.

10; Notre Dame is opening its season with a true road game for the first time in 10 years (2006) when the Irish commenced their season with a 14-10 win at Georgia Tech.

TI: Most people would say it’s better to open a season at home and I am sure the players and students would enjoy it but it could also be said there are often less distractions playing on the road.  Either way I don’t think it will impact the game that much.

9; Notre Dame's nine wins over Texas are the most of any school that has never been in a conference with the Longhorns.

TI: That reads nice in the papers but the only thing it may do is give the Irish a bit of confidence (as if they needed it).

8; Head coach Brian Kelly begins his seventh year at Notre Dame. He won at least eight games in each of his first six seasons at the helm, the only Irish coach to accomplish that feat.

TI: This reaffirms that we have the right guy in charge and there is some more constancy when it comes to winning (during the season).  HOWEVER big bowl wins are a must!

7; Notre Dame returns just seven starters (three on offense and four on defense) in 2016. Since 2004, the previous low total of returning starters entering a season was 10 (2007).

TI; every team has turn over.  What I want to see and what I thing Kelly has done a good job at is re-loading and not re-building each year.

6; Each of Notre Dame's last six regular starting tight ends have been NFL draftees with five of the six going in either the first or second rounds.

TI; That’s great for recruiting and would be nice to continue but I think that steak ends this year.  Not that our current group of tight ends won’t do well but they will probably not be a big focus in this year’s offense.

5; The Irish have captured each of the last five meetings with Texas and hold a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series.

TI: I expect that to be 10-2 by Sunday morning.

4; Notre Dame is undefeated in four all-time meetings with Texas in Austin, claiming victories in '13, 1915, 1952 and 1996.

TI:  Again how can we make comparisons between this years team and teams from 1915 and 1952.

3; Since 2000, other than Josh Adams, only three "Power 5" true freshmen have averaged at least seven yards with at least 100 carries: Jamaal Charles of Texas, C.J. Spiller of Clemson and Nick Chubb of Georgia.

TI: Now this is a stat I can get behind.  That is good company to be in, now let’s not see a sophomore hangover.

2; Notre Dame ranks second all-time with 892 victories, while Texas is in third place with 886.

TI: Even if this is not a super close match up and records don’t have a direct impact on the game these are the kind of stories programs that make this match up great.

1; Notre Dame is one of just five teams nationally that returns multiple starting quarterbacks that beat a "Power 5" team in 2015.

TI: Overall a very nice position to be in, thanks in part to season ending injuries and good recruiting.

0; Notre Dame landed at No. 10 in the Associated Press preseason poll. No Fighting Irish team has been ranked higher to open a season since being No. 2 in 2006.

TI: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.