2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 9
APNo. 8
Record11–2
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTommy Rees (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorMarcus Freeman (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
CaptainAvery Davis
Kyle Hamilton
Kurt Hinish
Jarrett Patterson
Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa
Drew White
Kyren Williams
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
Uniform
2021 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 8 Notre Dame     11 2  
No. 19 BYU     10 3  
Army     9 4  
Liberty     8 5  
New Mexico State     2 10  
UMass     1 11  
UConn     1 11  
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led during the regular season by Brian Kelly in his 12th and final season at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

On November 29, Kelly resigned to become the head coach at LSU.[1] He finished at Notre Dame with a 12-year record of 113–40 on the field, and an official record of 92–40 due to games vacated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Marcus Freeman was named the program's new head coach.[2] The Irish played in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State. They would lose 37–35 after blowing a 28–7 lead in the 2nd quarter.

Offseason

Coaching changes

On December 14, 2020 defensive coordinator Clark Lea left the school to become the head coach at Vanderbilt.[3][4] On January 8, 2021, the school named Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to replace Lea.[5]

Departures

NFL

Transfers out

Other

  • OL Hunter Spears (medically retired from football)[8]

Transfers in

Schedule

The 2021 schedule was officially released on April 25, 2019.[9] The neutral site game at Soldier Field had been designated the Shamrock Series game, although television rights were owned and operated by the Big Ten Network. This was the second year since 2020 that not every home game aired on NBC, as the home opener aired on Peacock.[10]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 57:30 p.m.at Florida StateNo. 9ABCW 41–38 OT68,316
September 112:30 p.m.ToledoNo. 8PeacockW 32–2962,009
September 182:30 p.m.PurdueNo. 12
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 27–1374,341
September 2512:00 p.m.vs. No. 18 WisconsinNo. 12FoxW 41–1359,571
October 22:30 p.m.No. 7 CincinnatiNo. 9
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBCL 13–2477,622
October 97:30 p.m.at Virginia TechNo. 14ACCNW 32–2965,632
October 237:30 p.m.USCNo. 13
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 31–1677,622
October 307:30 p.m.North CarolinaNo. 11
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 44–3471,018
November 63:30 p.m.NavyNo. 10
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 34–677,096
November 137:30 p.m.at VirginiaNo. 9ABCW 28–348,584
November 202:30 p.m.Georgia TechNo. 8
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
NBCW 55–070,011
November 278:00 p.m.at StanfordNo. 6FoxW 45–1431,571
January 1, 20221:00 p.m.vs. No. 9 Oklahoma StateNo. 5ESPNL 35–3749,550

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP9812129141413118765658
Coaches7710107131313118765659
CFPNot released1098665Not released

Personnel

2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 0 Braden Lenzy Sr
WR 3 Avery Davis (C) GS
WR 4 Kevin Austin Jr. Sr
WR 5 Joe Wilkins Jr. Sr
QB 8 Cole Capen Sr
QB 10 Drew Pyne So
QB 11 Ron Powlus III Fr
QB 12 Tyler Buchner Fr
WR 16 Deion Colzie Fr
QB 17 Jack Coan GS
RB 20 C'Bo Flemister Sr
WR 21 Lorenzo Styles Fr
RB 22 Logan Diggs Fr
RB 23 Kyren Williams (C) Jr
RB 24 Audric Estimé Fr
RB 25 Chris Tyree So
WR/S 26 Xavier Watts So
RB 27 Chase Ketterer So
WR 28 Griffin Eifert So
WR 29 Matt Salerno Sr
RB 33 Leo Albano Sr
RB 33 Sam Assaf Jr
TE 35 Hakim Sanfo So
WR 37 Henry Cook So
TE 39 Andrew Yanoshak Fr
WR 43 Greg Mailey GS
OL 50 Rocco Spindler Fr
OL 52 Zeke Correll Jr
OL 53 Quinn Murphy Jr
OL 54 Blake Fisher Fr
OL 55 Jarrett Patterson (C) Sr
OL 56 John Dirksen Sr
OL 62 Cain Madden GS
OL 64 Max Siegel II Sr
OL 68 Michael Carmody So
OL 71 Brennan Wicks So
OL 72 Caleb Johnson Fr
OL 73 Andrew Kristofic Jr
OL 75 Josh Lugg GS
OL 76 Joe Alt Fr
OL 77 Quinn Carroll Jr
OL 78 Pat Coogan Fr
OL 79 Tosh Baker So
TE 80 Cane Berrong Fr
WR 81 Jack Polian Fr
WR 83 Jayden Thomas Fr
TE 84 Kevin Bauman So
TE 85 George Takacs Sr
WR 86 Conor Ratigan Jr
TE 87 Michael Mayer So
TE 88 Mitchell Evans Fr
TE 89 Charlie Selna So
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
S 2 DJ Brown Sr
S 3 Houston Griffith GS
S 4 Litchfield Ajavon Jr
CB 5 Cam Hart Jr
CB 6 Clarence Lewis So
DL 7 Isaiah Foskey Jr
LB 8 Marist Liufau Jr
DL 9 Justin Ademilola Sr
LB 10 Isaiah Pryor GS
CB/S 11 Ramon Henderson So
DL 12 Jordan Botelho So
LB 13 Paul Moala Sr
S 14 Kyle Hamilton (C) Jr
CB 15 Ryan Barnes Fr
S 16 KJ Wallace Jr
CB 18 Chance Tucker Fr
CB 20 JoJo Johnson Fr
S 20 Justin Walters Fr
CB 21 Caleb Offord So
LB 24 Jack Kiser Jr
CB 25 Philip Riley Fr
LB 27 JD Bertrand Jr
CB 28 TaRiq Bracy Sr
S 29 Khari Gee Fr
S 30 Chris Velotta Jr
DL 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah Jr
CB 31 Tyler Wilson Jr
LB 32 Prince Kollie Fr
LB 33 Shayne Simon Sr
DL 34 Osita Ekwonu Jr
S 36 Eddie Scheidler Jr
S 37 Chase Love Sr
LB 38 Davis Sherwood Fr
LB 40 Barret Liebentritt Fr
LB 40 Drew White (C) GS
DL 41 Kurt Hinish (C) GS
S 42 Marty Auer Fr
LB 42 Giovanni Ghilotti So
CB 43 Marcus Thorne Sr
DL 44 Kahanu Kia Fr
LB 45 Colin Gutzmer Jr
LB 46 Adam Shibley GS
DL 47 Jason Onye Fr
DL 48 Will Schweitzer Fr
S 49 Mike Graves Sr
LB 52 Bo Bauer GS
DL 54 Jacob Lacey Jr
DL 56 Howard Cross III Jr
DL 57 Jayson Ademilola Sr
DL 90 Alexander Ehrensberger So
DL 92 Aidan Keanaaina So
DL 93 Zane Heemsoth Jr
DL 95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (C) GS
DL 97 Gabriel Rubio Fr
DL 99 Rylie Mills So
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 19 Jay Bramblett Jr
P 30 Jake Rittman Sr
K 32 Chris Salerno Fr
K/P 39 Jonathan Doerer GS
LS 44 Alex Peitsch So
LS 46 Axel Raarup Sr
LS 65 Michael Vinson Sr
K 91 Josh Bryan Fr
K/P 98 Harrison Leonard Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: September 17, 2021

Game summaries

At Florida State

Notre Dame at Florida State
(Rivalry)
1 234OTTotal
No. 9 Fighting Irish 7 102103 41
Seminoles 7 76180 38
        
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –7.053.5[11]
StatisticsNotre DameFlorida State
First downs1719
Total yards431442
Rushing yards65264
Passing yards366178
Turnovers13
Time of possession30:3529:25
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingJack Coan26/35, 366 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT
RushingKyren Williams18 carries, 42 yards
ReceivingMichael Mayer9 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD
Florida StatePassingJordan Travis9/19, 130 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INT
RushingJashaun Corbin15 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingKeyshawn Helton4 receptions, 53 yards

Toledo

Toledo at Notre Dame
1 234Total
Rockets 6 10013 29
No. 8 Fighting Irish 7 7018 32
        
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –16.555.5[12]
StatisticsToledoNotre Dame
First downs1627
Total yards353449
Rushing yards132132
Passing yards221317
Turnovers24
Time of possession30:0429:56
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
ToledoPassingCarter Bradley17/27, 213 yards
RushingBryant Koback21 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingDevin Maddox9 receptions, 135 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan21/33, 239 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
RushingKyren Williams16 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingMichael Mayer7 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TDs

Purdue

Purdue at Notre Dame
(Shillelagh Trophy)
1 234Total
Boilermakers 3 0100 13
No. 12 Fighting Irish 0 10710 27
    
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –7.558.5[13]
StatisticsPurdueNotre Dame
First downs1916
Total yards348343
Rushing yards57120
Passing yards291223
Turnovers10
Time of possession34:1125:49
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
PurduePassingJack Plummer25/36, 187 yards, 1 TD
RushingKing Doerue10 carries, 45 yards
ReceivingJackson Anthrop7 receptions, 90 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan15/31, 223 yards, 2 TDs
RushingKyren Williams12 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingAvery Davis5 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

Vs. No. 18 Wisconsin

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
(Shamrock Series / Big Noon Kickoff / College GameDay)
1 234Total
No. 18 Badgers 3 073 13
No. 12 Fighting Irish 0 10031 41
  • Date: September 25, 2021
  • Location: Soldier Field
    Chicago, IL
  • Game start: 11:04 a.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 4 hours and 7 minutes
  • Game attendance: 59,571
  • Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 11 MPH
  • Referee: Michael Cannon
  • TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson (play–by–play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline)
      
Pregame lineOver/under
WIS –643.5[14]
StatisticsWisconsinNotre Dame
First downs1617
Total yards318242
Rushing yards783
Passing yards240239
Turnovers51
Time of possession28:2431:36

For this season's Shamrock Series, Notre Dame kept with tradition by donning special uniforms. The team wore its usual gold helmet that featured four stars on the back of the helmet, which honors the Flag of Chicago. The school's blue uniform had sleeves featuring two gold stripes, which resemble the rivers and waterways represented on Chicago's flag. The all-white numbers are block slab-serif, which represent the "City of Broad Shoulders". The back collar of the uniform displays Notre Dame's mission statement, which is to "Graduate Champions". The pants are a nod to the Fighting Irish team that played the first football game at Soldier Field in 1924, the same year the university won its first championship. The pants are gold, with two blue lines with a white line in the middle, running down the side of the leg.[15]

With this victory, Brian Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history with victory number 106, surpassing Knute Rockne in his 12th season with the Fighting Irish.[16]

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
WisconsinPassingGraham Mertz18/41, 240 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs
RushingChez Mellusi18 carries, 54 yards
ReceivingKendric Pryor6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD
Notre DamePassingJack Coan15/29, 158 yards, 1 TD
RushingKyren Williams18 carries, 33 yards
ReceivingKevin Austin Jr.6 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs

No. 7 Cincinnati

Cincinnati at Notre Dame
1 234Total
No. 7 Bearcats 0 1707 24
No. 9 Fighting Irish 0 076 13
   
Pregame lineOver/under
CIN –250.5[17]
StatisticsCincinnatiNotre Dame
First downs1619
Total yards390341
Rushing yards9384
Passing yards297257
Turnovers42
Time of possession28:1031:50
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
CincinnatiPassingDesmond Ridder19/32, 297 yards, 2 TDs
RushingJerome Ford17 carries, 71 yards
ReceivingAlec Pierce6 receptions, 144 yards
Notre DamePassingDrew Pyne9/22, 143 yards, 1 TD
RushingKyren Williams13 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingMichael Mayer8 receptions, 93 yards

At Virginia Tech

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
1 234Total
No. 14 Fighting Irish 0 14711 32
Hokies 7 697 29
  • Date: October 9, 2021
  • Location: Lane Stadium
    Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 33 minutes
  • Game attendance: 65,632
  • Game weather: Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: NE 0 MPH
  • Referee: Jerry Magallanes
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Dave O'Brien (play–by–play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst) and Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
       
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –147[18]
StatisticsNotre DameVirginia Tech
First downs2121
Total yards401321
Rushing yards180134
Passing yards221187
Turnovers22
Time of possession28:3631:24
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingTyler Buchner6/14, 113 yards, TD, 2 INT
RushingKyren Williams19 carries, 81 yards, TD
ReceivingKevin Austin Jr.3 receptions, 70 yards
Virginia TechPassingBraxton Burmeister15/30, 184 yards, INT
RushingBraxton Burmeister10 carries, 49 yards, TD
ReceivingTré Turner6 receptions, 80 yards

USC

USC at No. 13 Notre Dame
(Jeweled Shillelagh)
1 234Total
Trojans 0 3013 16
No. 13 Fighting Irish 7 1077 31
    
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –7.560
StatisticsUSCNotre Dame
First downs2526
Total yards428383
Rushing yards129170
Passing yards299213
Turnovers21
Time of possession28:3731:23
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
USCPassingKedon Slovis27/37, 299 yards, INT
RushingKeaontay Ingram24 carries, 138 yards, TD
ReceivingDrake London15 receptions, 171 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan20/28, 189 yards, TD, INT
RushingKyren Williams25 carries, 138 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingLorenzo Styles Jr.3 receptions, 57 yards

North Carolina

North Carolina at Notre Dame
(Rivalry)
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 13147 34
No. 11 Fighting Irish 7 101413 44
          
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –3.563
StatisticsNorth CarolinaNotre Dame
First downs2826
Total yards554523
Rushing yards213293
Passing yards341230
Turnovers10
Time of possession30:1529:45
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
North CarolinaPassingSam Howell24/31, 341 yards, TD, INT
RushingSam Howell18 carries, 91 yards, TD
ReceivingJosh Downs10 receptions, 142 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan16/24, 213 yards, TD
RushingKyren Williams22 carries, 199 yards, TD
ReceivingLorenzo Styles Jr.3 receptions, 74 yards
Navy at No. 10 Notre Dame
(Rip Miller Trophy)
1 234Total
Midshipmen 3 030 6
No. 10 Fighting Irish 0 17017 34
    
Pregame lineOver/under
-21.048
StatisticsNavyNotre Dame
First downs1121
Total yards184430
Rushing yards166150
Passing yards18280
Turnovers00
Time of possession34:3325:27
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
NavyPassingXavier Arline1/2, 18 yards
RushingIsaac Ruoss22 carries, 73 yards
ReceivingJayden Umbarger1 reception, 18 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan23/29, 269 yards, TD
RushingKyren Williams17 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingKevin Austin Jr.6 receptions, 139 yards, TD

At Virginia

Notre Dame at Virginia
1 234Total
No. 9 Fighting Irish 7 1470 28
Cavaliers 0 003 3
 
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –9.062
StatisticsNotre DameVirginia
First downs2217
Total yards423278
Rushing yards24982
Passing yards174196
Turnovers22
Time of possession29:4130:19
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingJack Coan15/20, 132 yards, 3 TD, INT
RushingKyren Williams14 carries, 70 yards, TD
ReceivingMichael Mayer7 receptions, 84 yards, TD
VirginiaPassingJay Woolfolk18/33, 196 yards, 2 INT
RushingMike Hollins9 carries, 44 yards
ReceivingKeytaon Thompson9 receptions, 110 yards

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
(Rivalry)
1 234Total
Yellow Jackets 0 000 0
No. 8 Fighting Irish 24 21100 55
      
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –1858.0
StatisticsGeorgia TechNotre Dame
First downs1123
Total yards224514
Rushing yards128212
Passing yards96302
Turnovers20
Time of possession30:3929:21
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Georgia TechPassingJordan Yates14/28, 96 yards, INT
RushingJahmyr Gibbs12 carries, 58 yards
ReceivingMalachi Carter3 receptions, 89 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan15/20, 285 yards, 2 TD
RushingTyler Buchner5 carries, 67 yards
ReceivingKevin Austin Jr.2 receptions, 89 yards

At Stanford

Notre Dame at Stanford
(Legends Trophy)
1 234Total
No. 6 Fighting Irish 7 17714 45
Cardinal 0 077 14
  • Date: November 27, 2021
  • Location: Stanford Stadium
    Palo Alto, CA
  • Game start: 8:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 10 minutes
  • Game attendance: 31,571
  • Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 3 MPH
  • Referee: Gary Patterson
  • TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (play-by-play) & Brock Huard (analyst)
     
Pregame lineOver/under
ND –21.053.0
StatisticsNotre DameStanford
First downs2611
Total yards509227
Rushing yards16855
Passing yards341172
Turnovers12
Time of possession34:1025:50
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingJack Coan26/35, 345 yards, 2 TD, INT
RushingKyren Williams19 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingKevin Austin Jr.6 carries, 125 yards
StanfordPassingTanner McKee20/25, 172 yards, TD
RushingAustin Jones9 carries, 35 yards, TD
ReceivingBenjamin Yurosek5 receptions, 87 yards, TD

Vs. Oklahoma State (Fiesta Bowl)

Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State
(PlayStation Fiesta Bowl)
1 234Total
No. 9 Cowboys 7 7176 37
No. 5 Fighting Irish 14 1407 35
        
Pregame lineOver/under
OSU –1.045.0
StatisticsOklahoma StateNotre Dame
First downs3427
Total yards605551
Rushing yards23442
Passing yards371509
Turnovers22
Time of possession29:0630:54
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Oklahoma StatePassingSpencer Sanders34/51, 371 yards, 4 TD
RushingSpencer Sanders17 carries, 125 yards
ReceivingBrennan Presley10 receptions, 137 yards
Notre DamePassingJack Coan38/68, 509 yards, 5 TD, INT
RushingLogan Diggs9 carries, 29 yards
ReceivingLorenzo Styles Jr.8 receptions, 136 yards, TD

References

  1. "Kelly leaves ND for LSU, gets 10-year, $95M deal". ESPN.com. November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. Jeyarajah, Shehan (December 2, 2021). "Notre Dame hires Marcus Freeman as next coach: Irish listen to players, also retain Tommy Rees to lead offense". CBS Sports.
  3. Sparks, Adam. "Notre Dame's Clark Lea hired as new Vanderbilt football coach". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  4. "Notre Dame DC Clark Lea hired as Vanderbilt head coach". AP NEWS. December 14, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  5. "Irish hire Cincinnati's Freeman to lead defense". ESPN.com. January 8, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  6. "Jack Lamb, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Linebacker". 247Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  7. "Jahmir Smith, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Running Back". 247Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. Driskell, Bryan. "Notre Dame OL Hunter Spears Medically Retires From Football". Sports Illustrated Notre Dame Fighting Irish News, Analysis and More.
  9. Thigpen, Alison (April 25, 2019). "2021 Football Schedule Announced". und.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  10. Rittenberg, Adam (August 14, 2017). "Notre Dame-Wisconsin matchups to be played at Lambeau Field, Soldier Field". espn.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  11. "Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Florida State Seminoles". Odds Shark. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  12. "Toledo Rockets vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  13. "Purdue Boilermakers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  14. "Wisconsin Badgers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish". Odds Shark. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  15. "2021 Shamrock Series Uniform Details". August 9, 2021.
  16. "Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin - Game Recap - September 25, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  17. "Cincinnati Bearcats vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  18. "Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Virginia Tech Hokies". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
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