Daily Domer: Zbikowski Day

Being Sept. 9, 2009 -- 9-9-09 -- let's take a moment to recognize the most memorable No. 9 of recent vintage. Tom Zbikowski, who started 48 games for the Irish, holds the school record for tackles by a defensive back with 300. Kyle McCarthy, who holds the team record for tackles in a season by a defensive back with 110 last year, needs just 152 more tackles to break Zibby's record.

Will that happen? Let me give you the answer in German: "Nein!"

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ESPN correspondent Wendi Nix, who has not yet cracked my list of Top 10 Blonde Canadians (a list which does not require one to be Canadian...or, for that matter, blonde, to merit inclusion) is on campus today. This is one of those moments where Irish players and coaches want to be sure not to use the "Show me, don't tell me" mantra out of context.

Michigan-Notre Dame By the Numbers

Michigan and Notre Dame may not be the hottest rivalry on either team's schedule, but no game pits two programs who have been more successful historically.

Michigan has won more games than any school in college football history. The Irish are 3rd on that list, one game behind No. 2 Texas. The Wolverines began playing football in 1879 (you'll remember that as the Rutherford B. Hayes administration, of course), while the Irish started eight years later (Grover Cleveland, the first time), with a Thanksgiving morning game against...Michigan.

1) Michigan -- 873-297-38
2) Texas -- 833-320-34
3) Notre Dame -- 832-285-42

By winning percentage:

1) Michigan..... .740
2) Notre Dame... .737

Notre Dame's first three games, in 1887 and 1888, were against Michigan. The Irish lost all three contests.

Press Conference Notes

Rob Ianello, wide receivers coach: "When (the wideouts) got their grade sheets back (for Saturday's game), the general reaction was, 'I thought we did better than that.'"

Ianello, on whether Floyd's TD play on the quick pass to the flat opened up a lot of eyes: "There were some times with Mo Stovall, my first year he had a TD play at Purdue, when you said, 'Whoa, I didn't know he was that fast'."

When it comes to using a third receiver, Ianello said without explicitly saying so that Robby Parris is a better wideout between the hashmarks, i.e., in traffic, and Duval Kamara is better using his height.

Golden Tate, on his "block" that took out two Nevada defenders and sprung Floyd on his 70-yard touchdown pass: "I hit one guy, got up, and the other guy kinda ran into me. Either Mike is really, really fast or ... I dunno."

Tate, on his grade sheet from Saturday: "I don't wanna talk about it."

Dayne Crist, on the South Bend Tribune's Monday sports section, the front page of which had a half-page photo of himself: "Some people on campus had a copy of it, they showed it to me. Yeah, it was a big surprise."

Crist, on whether Clausen* phoned him and invited him to hang out when Floyd, Kyle Rudolph and Tate went out to California last June to hang with Clausen. "No. That was more on Jimmy. But I've had some guys out there before."

(How thrilled are the Holy Cross priests here about the fact that their starting QB has the initials J.C. and the backup is named Crist?)

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Jonas Gray, a Detroit-area native who has never been to a Notre Dame-Michigan game at the Big House, and who has gathered 22 tickets for friends and family for Saturday's game: "I had to trade a lot of tickets to other games for those. But I was not budging on USC. Anything else but USC, I was giving away."

Gray, on why he didn't wind up at Michigan: "Michigan offered me a scholarship as an athlete, not as a running back. They told me they needed to see more. I went to the camp, ran a 4.37, and they offered me as an athlete. They did say I'd have a chance to compete for a spot at running back, but by then ... when that happened, I'm not gonna lie, I know my skills. I would've (won the job)."

Gray, on the Sunday of his recruiting visit to Notre Dame: "I walked into Coach Weis's office, and when he handed me my letter, he said, 'This is a $250,000 education."

Gray, about watching Manti Te'o commit to Notre Dame on live national television: "Honestly, I was shocked. But he seemed like a Notre Dame kid on his visit."

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Rudolph, on the similarities between him and his predecessor, John Carlson: "The first meeting last fall, Coach (Michael) Haywood said he couldn't believe how much I reminded him of John. He was back in town this summer for a wedding, and we got to talk. It's a tremendous compliment."