2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

American college football season August 2023 January 2026 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo.svg 150px Independent Independent 8–5 Brian Kelly 2nd Charley Molnar 2nd Bob Diaco 2nd Spread 3–4 Notre Dame Stadium Michael Floyd Harrison Smith Champs Sports Bowl L Lost 14–18 vs. Florida State The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their second year under head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish compiled an 8–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 380 to 269, and were unranked in the final AP and Coaches Polls. They lost the two opening games against unranked South Florida and unranked Michigan, the rivalry game with USC, and the two final games against No. 4 Stanford and No. 25 Florida State, the latter in the Champs Sports Bowl.2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football August 9, 2026 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/2011-schedule.html Wide receiver Michael Floyd led the team with 100 receptins for 1,147 yard and was selected as the team's most valuable player for the second consecutive year. The team's other statistical leaders included quarterback Tommy Rees (2,871 passing yards), running back Cierre Wood (1,102 rushing yards), linebacker Manti Te'o (128 total tackles), and kicker David Ruffer (77 points scored, 47 of 47 extra points, 10 of 16 field goals).2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stats Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football August 8, 2026 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/2011.html The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. Schedule 2011 AP Eastern September 3 3:30 p.m. l 16 South Florida Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN NBC 20–23 80,795 September 10 8:00 p.m. l y Michigan Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI rivalry ESPN 31–35 114,804 September 17 3:30 p.m. w Michigan State 15 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 31–13 80,795 September 24 12:00 p.m. w y Pittsburgh Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA rivalry ABC 15–12 65,050 October 1 8:00 p.m. w y Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN rivalry ESPN 38–10 61,555 October 8 3:30 p.m. w Air Force Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 59–33 80,795 October 22 7:30 p.m. l USC Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, IN rivalry NBC 17–31 80,795 October 29 3:30 p.m. w Navy Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 56–14 80,795 November 5 8:00 p.m. w y Wake Forest BB&T Field Winston-Salem, NC ABC 24–17 36,307 November 12 7:30 p.m. w y Maryland FedExField Landover, MD Shamrock Series NBC 45–21 70,251 November 19 4:00 p.m. w 24 Boston College Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN Holy War NBC 16–14 80,795 November 26 8:00 p.m. l y 22 Stanford 4 Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA rivalry ABC 14–28 50,360 https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=313300024 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Stanford Cardinal Box Score ESPN.com November 26, 2011 December 29 Thursday 5:30 p.m. l y Florida State 25 Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL Champs Sports Bowl) (rivalry ESPN, ESPN 3D 14–18 68,305 http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/nd-m-footbl-sched.html Notre Dame Football Official Schedule :: Notre Dame Football :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics 2011-04-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20150905055203/http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/nd-m-footbl-sched.html 2015-09-05 dead Preseason Before the season started, Kerry Cooks took over as cornerback coach after coaching the outside linebackers the previous season. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, who also coached the inside linebackers, became coach of the entire linebacking corps. Chuck Martin was assigned responsibility for the safeties and as recruiting coordinator. Also prior to the season, tight end Kyle Rudolph chose to forgo his final year of eligibility and entered the 2011 NFL draft. Other players lost to graduation included defensive lineman Ian Williams, cornerback Darrin Walls, and running backs Robert Hughes and Armando Allen. Redshirt junior quarterback Nate Montana left the program in early February 2011, and transferred to the University of Montana.https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-02-15-nate-montana_N.htm Nate Montana to transfer from Notre Dame to Montana usatoday.com 2011-02-15 2008-08-07 Also prior to the season, the following players were named to award watch lists: Braxston Cave – Rimington Trophyhttp://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071511aab.html More Notre Dame Football Players Selected To Preseason Watch Lists UND.cstv.com 2011-07-15 2008-08-07 Dayne Crist – Davey O'Brien Award, Maxwell Awardhttp://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070511aaa.html Trio Of Irish Players Make Maxwell, Bednarik Watch Lists UND.cstv.com 2011-07-05 2008-08-07 Tyler Eifert – Mackey Awardhttp://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070611aab.html Tyler Eifert Named To John Mackey Award Watch List UND.cstv.com 2011-07-06 2008-08-07 Michael Floyd – Biletnikoff Award,http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070811aaa.html Notre Dame Players Littered On Preseason Watch Lists UND.cstv.com 2011-07-08 2008-08-07 Maxwell Award Zack Martin – Outland Trophy David ruffer – Groza Award Harrison Smith – Nagurski Award, Thorpe Award Manti Te'o – Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Nagurski Award, Cierre Wood – Doak Walker Award Game summaries South Florida 2011 South Florida Bulls football team Game Captains: Trevor Robinson, Robert Blanton "No. 16 Irish Drop Season Opener To USF, 23–20." UND.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. South Florida at Notre Dame Bulls Fighting Irish 13 3 0 7 0 0 7 13 September 3 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 3:30 5:59 80,795 93 degrees, W 6 MPH, 2 Severe Weather Delays Dennis Hennigan Big East Dan Hicks, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC yes 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 yes Michigan 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team Game Captain: Zach Martin Notre Dame at Michigan "Under The Lights" (Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game) Fighting Irish Wolverines 14 3 7 7 0 7 0 28 September 10 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI EST 8:00 p.m. 3:30 114,804 High 60s, ESE 4 MPH Tom Tomczyk Big East Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Erin Andrews ESPN Michigan State 2011 Michigan State Spartans football team Game Captain: Ethan Johnson Michigan State at Notre Dame(Megaphone Trophy) Spartans Fighting Irish 3 7 0 3 14 7 7 3 September 17 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 3:30 p.m. 3:19 80,795 68 Degrees, SE 8 MPH John O'Neill Big 10 Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC yes 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 yes Pittsburgh 2011 Pittsburgh Panthers football team Game Captain: Taylor Dever Notre Dame at Pittsburgh Fighting Irish Panthers 0 7 0 8 3 3 6 0 September 24 Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA EST 12:00 p.m. 3:17 65,050 64 Degrees, NE 2 MPH John McDade Big East Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman, Urban Meyer & Quint Kessenich ABC Purdue 2011 Purdue Boilermakers football team Shillelagh Trophy (Notre Dame–Purdue) Game Captain: Tyler Eifert Notre Dame at Purdue Notre Dame Purdue 14 7 14 3 0 3 0 7 October 1 Ross-Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN EST 8:00 p.m. EST 3:21 61,555 50 Degrees, NNW 4 MPH Jerry McGinn Big East Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe ESPN yes 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 yes http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312742509 https://web.archive.org/web/20111005063851/http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312742509 dead October 5, 2011 Notre Dame vs. Purdue - Game Recap - October 1, 2011 - ESPN Air Force 2011 Air Force Falcons football team Game Captain: Jonas Gray Air Force at Notre Dame Falcons Fighting Irish 3 13 0 17 21 21 7 10 October 8 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 3:30 3:23 80,795 81 degrees, S 9 MPH Greg Burks Mountain West Conference Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC yes 1 12:13 ND Michael Floyd 34-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 7–0 1 8:21 ND Tyler Eifert 5-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 14–0 1 5:48 AF Parker Herrington 34-yard field goal ND 14–3 1 4:07 ND Robby Toma 10-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 21–3 2 13:41 AF Tim Jefferson 3-yard run (kick blocked) ND 21–9 2 11:39 ND Jonas Gray 5-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 28–9 2 6:10 ND Cierre Wood 8-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 35–9 2 1:41 AF Ty MacArthur 6-yard pass from Tim Jefferson (Parker Herrington kick) ND 35–16 2 0:32 ND Theo Riddick 24-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 42–16 3 6:49 ND Jonas Gray 6-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 49–16 4 14:56 AF Parker Herrington 32-yard field goal ND 49–19 4 10:12 ND David Ruffer 39-yard field goal ND 52–19 4 6:22 ND George Atkinson III 1-yard run (Mike Grieco kick) ND 59–19 4 4:32 AF Drew Coleman 36-yard pass from Connor Dietz (Anthony Lacoste run) ND 59–27 4 0:33 AF Jonathan Lee 8-yard run (run failed) ND 59–33 yes USC 2011 USC Trojans football team Game Captain: Manti Te'o, Cierre Wood USC at Notre Dame Trojans Fighting Irish 14 3 7 7 0 10 0 7 October 22 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 7:30 3:10 80,795 36 degrees Land Clark Pac-12 Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC Navy 2011 Navy Midshipmen football team Game Captain: Chris Salvi Navy at Notre Dame Midshipmen Fighting Irish 0 7 0 7 14 21 7 14 October 29 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 3:30 3:06 80,795 54 Degrees Ron Cherry Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC Source: yes 1 4:52 ND Jonas Gray 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 7–0 1 0:31 ND Cierre Wood 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 14–0 2 11:06 NAVY Gee Gee Greene 9-yard pass from Trey Miller (Jon Teague kick) Notre Dame 14–7 2 10:51 ND Michael Floyd 56-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 21–7 2 9:07 ND Jonas Gray 2-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 28–7 2 3:37 ND Cierre Wood 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 35–7 3 2:59 ND Michael Floyd 10-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 42–7 4 13:38 ND Jonas Gray 5-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 49–7 4 9:25 NAVY Jarvis Cummings 12-yard run (Jon Teague kick) Notre Dame 49–14 4 3:49 ND George Atkinson III 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Notre Dame 56–14 yes Wake Forest 2011 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team Game Captain: Robert Blanton Notre Dame at Wake Forest Fighting Irish Demon Deacons 10 0 14 0 10 7 0 0 November 5 BB&T FieldWinston-Salem, NC EST 8:00 p.m. 36,307 Dennis Hennigan Big East ABC/ESPN2 yes 1 10:52 WAKE Brandon Pendergrass 20-yard pass from Tanner Price (Jimmy Newman kick) WAKE 7–0 1 6:15 ND David Ruffer 44-yard field goal WAKE 7–3 1 4:07 WAKE Jimmy Newman 46-yard field goal WAKE 10–3 1 3:38 ND Tyler Eifert 38-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) Tied 10–10 2 0:28 WAKE Josh Harris 2-yard run (Jimmy Newman kick) WAKE 17–10 3 12:54 ND Jonas Gray 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) Tied 17–17 3 9:04 ND Michael Floyd 16-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 24–17 yes Maryland 2011 Maryland Terrapins football team Game Captain: Darius Fleming Notre Dame vs Maryland(Shamrock Series) Terrapins Fighting Irish 0 7 0 14 10 14 14 7 November 12 Fed Ex Field Landover, MD EST 7:30 p.m. 3:03 70,251 51 Degrees Tom Tomczyk Big East Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC yes 1 11:25 ND Jonas Gray 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 7–0 1 2:47 ND David Ruffer 52-yard field goal ND 10–0 2 8:29 ND Michael Floyd 19-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 17–0 2 5:18 MD Quintin McCree 13-yard pass from Danny O'Brien (Nick Ferrara kick) ND 17–7 2 0:29 ND Jonas Gray 1-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 24–7 3 8:48 ND Cierre Wood 3-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 31–7 3 7:18 ND Lo Wood 57-yard interception return (David Ruffer kick) ND 38–7 4 14:02 MD C. J. Brown 2-yard run (Nick Ferrara kick) ND 38–14 4 5:31 ND Tyler Eifert 34-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 45–14 4 0:37 MD D.J. Adams 2-yard run (Nick Ferrara kick) ND 45–21 yes Despite the game being played only 12 miles from the Maryland campus, both end zones read "Notre Dame" and the majority of the fans in attendance were supporting the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame wore their green jerseys along with large green shamrocks on their side of their gold helmets. http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=313160087 https://web.archive.org/web/20111114130741/http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=313160087 dead November 14, 2011 Maryland vs. Notre Dame - Game Recap - November 12, 2011 - ESPN Boston College 2011 Boston College Eagles football team Notre Dame vs Boston College Eagles Fighting Irish 0 7 0 7 10 3 0 3 November 19 Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN EST 4:00 p.m. 3:22 80,795 51 Brad Allen ACC Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan NBC yes 1 12:38 ND Jonas Gray 26-yard run (David Ruffer kick) ND 7–0 1 8:15 ND David Ruffer 40-yard field goal ND 10–0 2 3:04 BC Josh Bordner 2-yard run (Nate Freese kick) ND 10–7 2 1:19 ND David Ruffer 41-yard field goal ND 13–7 4 8:08 ND David Ruffer 27-yard field goal ND 16–7 4 1:57 BC Bobby Swigert 7-yard pass from Chase Rettig (Nate Freese kick) ND 16–14 yes Stanford 2011 Stanford Cardinal football team Game Captain: Taylor Dever Notre Dame vs Stanford Fighting Irish Cardinal 0 0 7 7 7 14 0 7 November 26 Stanford StadiumStanford, CA EST 8:00 p.m. 3:23 50,360 58 Degrees John Mcdaid Big East Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit ABC yes 1 9:16 STAN Levine Toilolo 3-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Jordan Williamson kick) STAN 7–0 2 4:45 STAN Coby Fleener 28-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Jordan Williamson kick) STAN 14–0 2 0:10 STAN Ty Montgomery 11-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Jordan Williamson kick) STAN 21–0 3 6:21 ND Michael Floyd 6-yard pass from Andrew Hendrix (David Ruffer kick) STAN 21–7 4 5:40 STAN Coby Fleener 55-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Jordan Williamson kick) STAN 28–7 4 0:23 ND Andrew Hendrix 2-yard run (David Ruffer kick) STAN 28–14 yes Florida State 2011 Champs Sports Bowl 2011 Florida State Seminoles football team Game Captain: Michael Floyd Notre Dame vs Florida State Seminoles Fighting Irish 0 0 3 15 7 0 7 0 December 29 Citrus BowlOrlando, FL EST 5:30 Reggie Smith Big 12 Conference Joe Tessitore (Play-by-Play)Rod Gilmore (Color Analyst)Holly Rowe (Sideline) ESPN yes 1 11:25 ND Zeke Motta 29-yard fumble return (David Ruffer kick) ND 7–0 3 9:04 ND Michael Floyd 5-yard pass from Tommy Rees (David Ruffer kick) ND 14–0 3 11:24 FSU Dustin Hopkins 42-yard field goal ND 14–3 4 14:54 FSU Bert Reed 18-yard pass from EJ Manuel (Two-point conversion failed) ND 14–9 4 13:18 FSU Rashad Greene 15-yard pass from E.J. Manuel (Two-point conversion failed) FSU 15–14 4 8:05 FSU Dustin Hopkins 29-yard field goal FSU 18–14 yes Rankings 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings 15 6 7 16 18 NR NR NR NR RV RV RV NR RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV NR RV RV RV NR NR RV NR NR RV RV RV NR RV RV RV NR 24 25 RV NR 22 24 23 22 RV RV RV NR Personnel Players 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish roster from the University of Notre Dame Athletic SiteQuarterbacks 10 Dayne Crist – senior 5 Everett Golson – freshman 12 Andrew Hendrix – sophomore 17 Matthew Mulevy – senior 11 Tommy Rees – sophomore Running backs 34 George Atkinson III – freshman 29 Patrick Coughlin – 5th Year Senior 25 Jonas Gray – senior 33 Cam McDaniel – freshman 31 Cameron Roberson – sophomore 20 Cierre Wood – junior Wide receivers 14 Luke Massa – sophomore 16 DaVaris Daniels – freshman 41 Matthias Farley – freshman 38 Nick Fitzpatrick – junior 3 Michael Floyd – senior 81 John Goodman – senior 7 T. J. Jones – sophomore 37 Eric Lee – freshman 39 Ryan Liebscher – sophomore 6 Theo Riddick – junior 85 Ryan Sharpley – senior 87 Daniel Smith – sophomore 9 Robby Toma – junior 1 Deion Walker – senior Tight ends 80 Tyler Eifert – junior 88 Jake Golic – junior 18 Ben Koyack – freshman 86 Arturo Martinez – sophomore 83 Mike Ragone – 5th Year Senior 82 Alex Welch – sophomore Offensive line 56 Brad Carrico – freshman 51 Bruce Heggie – sophomore 72 Nick Martin – freshman 62 Matt Tansey – junior Offensive tackles 73 Lane Clelland – senior 75 Taylor Dever – 5th Year Senior 77 Matt Hegarty – freshman 74 Christian Lombard – sophomore 71 Dennis Mahoney – senior 70 Zack Martin – junior 64 Tate Nichols – sophomore 79 Jordan Prestwood – freshman # Offensive guards 65 Conor Hanratty – freshman 76 Andrew Nuss – 5th Year Senior 78 Trevor Robinson – senior 66 Chris Watt – junior Centers 52 Braxston Cave – senior 57 Mike Golic, Jr. – senior Defensive ends 50 Chase Hounshell – freshman 90 Ethan Johnson – senior 89 Kapron Lewis-Moore – senior 19 Aaron Lynch – freshman 96 Kona Schwenke – sophomore 69 Tony Springmann – freshman 7 Stephon Tuitt – freshman Defensive tackles 98 Sean Cwynar – junior Nose guards 99 Brandon Newman – senior 9 Louis Nix III – sophomore 92 Tyler Stockton – junior 94 Hafis Williams – senior Linebackers 93 Connor Little – freshman Inside linebackers 44 Carlo Calabrese – junior 48 Dan Fox – junior 59 Jarrett Grace – freshman 54 Anthony McDonald – senior 8 Kendall Moore – sophomore 50 Sean Oxley – senior 36 David Posluszny – senior 56 Anthony Rabasa – freshman 38 Joe Schmidt – freshman 55 Prince Shembo – sophomore 5 Manti Te'o – junior 53 Justin Utupo – sophomore Outside Linebackers 30 Ben Councell – freshman 46 Steve Filer – senior 45 Darius Fleming – senior 47 Jonathan Frantz – senior 58 Troy Niklas – freshman 13 Danny Spond – sophomore 1 Ishaq Williams – freshman Defensive backs 35 Joe Romano – sophomore Cornerbacks 43 Josh Atkinson – freshman 12 Robert Blanton – senior 21 Jalen Brown – freshman 4 Gary Gray – 5th Year Senior 2 Bennett Jackson – sophomore 42 Nick Lezynski – 5th Year Senior 32 Andrew Plaska – senior 39 Ryan Sheehan – senior 23 Lo Wood – sophomore Safeties 49 Blake Breslau – junior 40 Connor Cavalaris – freshman 28 Austin Collinsworth – sophomore 34 Eilar Hardy – freshman 15 Dan McCarthy – senior 17 Zeke Motta – junior 24 Chris Salvi – senior 26 Jamoris Slaughter – senior 22 Harrison Smith – 5th Year Senior Kickers/Punters 27 Kyle Brindza – freshman 37 Mike Greico – senior 97 David Ruffer – 5th Year Senior 40 Nick Tausch – junior 35 Ben Turk – junior Long snappers 60 Jordan Cowart – junior 50 Ryan Kavanagh – senior # Incoming Transfer, Must sit out a year August 2026 Coaching staff Name Position Year at Notre Dame Alma mater (Year) Brian Kelly Head coach 2nd Assumption (1982) Bob Diaco Defensive coordinator/linebackers 2nd Iowa (1995) Charley Molnar Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 2nd Lock Haven (1984) Chuck MartinSafeties /recruiting coordinator 2nd Millikin (1990) Mike Elston Defensive line / special teams coordinator2nd Michigan (1998) Ed Warinner Offensive line 2nd Mount Union (1984) Mike Denbrock Tight ends 2nd (second stint) Grand Valley State (1987) Tony Alford Wide receivers 3rd Colorado State (1992) Tim Hinton Running backs 2nd Wilmington (1982) Kerry Cooks Cornerbacks 2nd Iowa (2000) Paul Longo Strength and conditioning 2nd Wayne State University (1981) August 2026 Recruiting With his first full recruiting class, Brian Kelly added 23 prospects to the football team, including the addition of five early-enrollees: defensive end Aaron Lynch, outside linebacker Ishaq Williams, offensive lineman Brad Carrico, quarterback Everett Golson, and kicker Kyle Brindza. yes yes 2011 George Atkinson III WR/RB Livermore, CA Granada HS 6 2 195 4.5 9/12/2010 3 4 79 Josh Atkinson DB Livermore, CA Granada HS 6 0 180 4.4 9/12/2010 3 3 78 Kyle Brindza K Canton, OH Plymouth Canton HS 6 2 195 – 4/15/2010 3 2 79 Jalen Brown DB Irving, TX Irving MacArthur HS 6 0 173 4.4 7/31/2010 3 3 78 Brad Carrico DE Dublin, OH Dublin Coffman HS 6 6 270 4.8 3/20/2010 3 3 77 Ben Councell LB Asheville, NC A.C. Reynolds HS 6 5 225 4.4 6/27/2010 3 4 79 DaVaris Daniels WR Vernon Hills, IL Vernon Hills HS 6 3 190 4.5 9/28/2010 4 4 81 Matthias Farley ATH/CB Charlotte, NC Charlotte Christian HS 6 0 194 4.5 4/21/2010 3 3 77 Everett Golson QB/ATH Myrtle Beach, SC Myrtle Beach HS 6 0 170 – 12/02/2010 4 3 80 Jarrett Grace LB Cincinnati, OH Colerain HS 6 4 240 4.6 4/24/2010 4 3 78 Conor Hanratty OL New Canaan, CT New Canaan HS 6 4 305 5.8 4/24/2010 3 3 76 Eilar Hardy DB Pickerington, OH Central HS 6 1 175 4.5 6/25/2010 4 4 79 Matthew Hegarty OL Aztec, NM Aztec HS 6 5 265 5.0 4/28/2010 4 4 82 Chase Hounshell OL Kirtland, OH Lake Catholic HS 6 5 242 4.8 1/17/2011 3 3 76 Ben Koyack TE Oil City, PA Oil City Senior HS 6 5 230 4.6 4/27/2010 5 4 81 Aaron Lynch DE Cape Coral, FL Island Coast HS 6 6 245 4.7 1/18/2011 5 4 84 Nick Martin OL Indianapolis, IN Bishop Chatard HS 6 5 260 – 1/11/2011 3 3 78 Cam McDaniel RB Coppell, TX Coppell HS 5 11 192 4.5 11/29/2010 3 77 Troy Niklas OL Anaheim, CA Servite HS 6 7 243 4.7 2/02/2011 4 4 79 Anthony Rabasa DE Miami, FL Columbus HS 6 3 220 – 7/30/2010 3 3 80 Tony Springmann DE Fort Wayne, IN Bishop Dwenger HS 6 6 257 4.8 4/24/2010 3 3 78 Stephon Tuitt DE Monroe, GA Monroe Area HS 6 5 260 – 1/19/2011 5 5 81 Ishaq Williams DE Brooklyn, NY Abraham Lincoln HS 6 6 230 4.7 1/14/2011 5 5 82 yes 2011 Notre Dame Commit List 2011 Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame 2011 Player Commitments – Notre Dame notredame 109 87 11 10 9 2011-07-08 yes August 2026 Statistics Passing Tommy Rees - 269 of 411 (65.5%) for 2,871 yards, 20 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and a 133.4 passer rating. Andrew Hendrix - 18 of 37 (48.6%) for 249 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and a 133.4 passer rating. Dayne Crist - 15 of 24 (62.5%) for 164 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 111.7 passer rating Rushing Cierre Wood - 1,102 yards on 217 carries, 5.1-yard average, 9 touchdowns Jonas Gray - 791 yards on 114 carries, 6.9-yard average, 12 touchdowns Andrew Hendrix - 162 yards on 25 carries, 6.5-yard average, 1 touchdown Receptions Michael Floyd (WR) - 100 reeptions for 1,147 yards, 11.5-yard average, 9 touchdowns Tyler Eifert (TE) - 68 receptions for 803 yards, 12.7-yard average, 5 touchdowns Theo Riddick (WR) - 38 receptions for 436 yards, 11.5-yard average, 3 touchdowns T.J. Jones (WR) - 19 receptions for 207 yards, 10.9-yard average, 3 touchdowns Robby Toma (WR) - 19 receptions for 207 yards, 10.9-yard average, 1 touchdown Cierre Wood (RB) - 27 receptions for 189 yards, 7.0-yard average, 0 touchdowns Scoring David Ruffer (K) - 77 points, 47 of 47 PAT, 10 of 16 field goals Jonas Gray (RB) - 72 points, 12 touchdowns Michael Floyd (WR) - 60 points, 10 touchdowns Cierre Wood (RB) - 54 points, 9 touchdowns Tyler Eifert (TE) - 30 points, 5 touchdowns George Atkinson III (RB) - 24 points, 4 touchdowns Tackles Manti Te'o (LB) - 128 total tackles, 62 solo tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks Harrison Smith (DB) - 90 total tackles, 53 solo tackles Robert Blanton (DB) - 70 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack Gary Gray (DB) - 67 total tackles, 48 solo tackles Darius Fleming (LB) - 55 total tackles, 24 solo tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks Awards and honors Wide receiver Michael Floyd was selected by his teammates as the team's most valuable player. It was Floyd's second consecutive year with the honor.Michael Floyd Named Notre Dame Football MVP For Second Year In A Row FightingIrish.com December 10, 2011 August 9, 2026 https://fightingirish.com/news/2011/12/10/michael-floyd-named-notre-dame-football-mvp-for-second-year-in-a-row Floyd was also a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.https://www.espn.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/2673/floyd-named-biletnikoff-semifinalist Floyd named Biletnikoff semifinalist ESPN.com 15 November 2011 2012-12-11 Tight end Tyler Eifert was a finalist for the John Mackey Award.http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112111aaa.html Tyler Eifert Named Finalist For John Mackey Award und.com 2012-12-11 All-Americans Notre Dame Fighting Irish #000033 Name #000033 AP #000033 AFCA #000033 FWAA #000033 SN #000033 WCFF #000033 Athlonhttp://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/2011-athlon-all-american-team Athlon's 2011 College Football All-America Team athlonsports.com 2012-12-11 #000033 CBS #000033 CFN #000033 ESPN #000033 PFW #000033 Rivals #000033 Scout #000033 SI #000033 Yahoo George Atkinson III, KR Hon. Mention Tyler Eifert, TE 2 2 Hon. Mention 3 1 Hon. Mention 3Michael Floyd, WR Hon. Mention Hon. Mention Manti Te'o, LB 2 2 2 2 2 2†denotes consensus selection. NCAA recognizes AP, AFCA, FWAA, SN and WCFF 1st teams for consensus selectionsSource: References 2 External links Notre Dame Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons Notre Dame Fighting Irish football