# 2013 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 2013 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.
All wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and Notre Dame's loss in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game were later vacated for use of ineligible players.

## Before the season
### 2013 NFL Draft

The following former Notre Dame players were selected in the 2013 NFL draft:
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | 21 | Tyler Eifert | Tight end | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2 | 38 | Manti Te'o | Linebacker | San Diego Chargers |
| 6 | 175 | Jamoris Slaughter | Safety | Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | 199 | Theo Riddick | Running back | Detroit Lions |
| 6 | 200 | Kapron Lewis-Moore | Defensive end | Baltimore Ravens |
| 7 | 244 | Zeke Motta | Safety | Atlanta Falcons |

### Transfers out / departures

On March 8, 2013, after only one year with the program, reserve quarterback Gunner Kiel announced he would transfer from the university. Sophomore wide receiver Davonte Neal left the team in late March, citing a desire to be closer to home. The day after Davonte Neal decided to transfer from Notre Dame, fellow wide receiver sophomore Justin Ferguson announced he was transferring as well and confirmed by coach Brian Kelly at a news conference. On May 28, 2013, it was announced that starting quarterback Everett Golson is no longer enrolled at the university, and was suspended from the school for the fall semester due to an academic violation. Chris Badger departs back home to Provo, Utah and will transfer to BYU due to family illness and will appeal for waiver to play this season.

### Transfers in

Alex Wulfeck, a specialist at Wake Forest, announced he would transfer to Notre Dame in May after he received his degree in May 2013. He would be enrolled in a graduate studies program while exhausting his final season of eligibility.

### Coaching changes

There were no staff changes following the 2012 season. The only "change" is that Brian Kelly turned play calling duties over to Chuck Martin.

### Recruiting class

Brian Kelly received 24 commitments in his third full recruiting class including four five-star recruits: outside linebacker Jaylon Smith, defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, running back Greg Bryant, and defensive back Max Redfield. Vanderdoes would later decommit to play at UCLA, citing family health issues required that he be closer to home.
College recruiting information (2013) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Hunter Bivin OT | Owensboro, KY | Apollo HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 288 lb (131 kg) | 5.1 | Mar 24, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Greg Bryant RB | Delray Beach, FL | American Heritage HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 4.48 | Dec 9, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 88 |||||||
| Devin Butler DB | Washington, DC | Gonzaga College HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.6 | Apr 4, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Michael Deeb LB | Plantation, FL | American Heritage School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | – | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Steven Elmer OT | Midland, MI | Midland HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | 5.0 | Sep 17, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Tarean Folston RB | Cocoa, FL | Cocoa HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.5 | Jan 2, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Will Fuller WR | Philadelphia, PA | Roman Catholic HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | – | Aug 5, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Mike Heuerman TE | Naples, FL | Barron Collier HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.7 | Apr 26, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Torii Hunter, Jr. WR | Prosper, TX | Prosper HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 4.5 | Sep 23, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Rashad Kinlaw ATH/DB | Galloway, NJ | Absegami HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 4.5 | Mar 26, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Cole Luke CB | Chandler, AZ | Hamilton HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | – | Nov 1, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Jacob Matuska DE | Columbus, OH | Bishop Hartley HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | – | Mar 7, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Mike McGlinchey OT | Philadelphia, PA | William Penn Charter School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | – | Mar 25, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Colin McGovern OT | New Lenox, IL | Lincoln-Way West HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | 5.4 | Mar 24, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| John Montelus OL | Everett, MA | Everett HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | – | Apr 21, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| James Onwualu RB/WR | Saint Paul, MN | Cretin-Derham HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.51 | Mar 14, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Doug Randolph LB | Richmond, VA | Woodberry Forest School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | 4.7 | Sep 7, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Max Redfield ATH/DB | Mission Viejo, CA | Mission Viejo HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.5 | Jan 4, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 88 |||||||
| Corey Robinson WR | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio Christian HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | – | Mar 27, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Isaac Rochell DE | McDonough, GA | Eagle's Landing Christian Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | 4.71 | Jun 7, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Jaylon Smith LB | Fort Wayne, IN | Bishop Luers HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 4.5 | Jun 2, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 90 |||||||
| Durham Smythe TE | Belton, TX | Belton HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | 4.8 | Jan 27, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Malik Zaire QB | Kettering, OH | Archbishop Alter HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 4.9 | Mar 25, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 5 Rivals: 4 ESPN: 4 |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2013 Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013. "2013 Player Commitments – Notre Dame". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013. "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013. |||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame | Alma mater (Year) |
| Brian Kelly | Head coach | 4th | Assumption (1982) |
| Chuck Martin | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 4th | Millikin (1990) |
| Bob Diaco | Defensive coordinator, linebackers/assistant head coach | 4th | Iowa (1995) |
| Kerry Cooks | Co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks | 4th | Iowa (2000) |
| Mike Denbrock | Outside wide receivers/passing game coordinator | 4th (second stint) | Grand Valley State (1987) |
| Tony Alford | Running backs, slot wide receivers/recruiting coordinator | 5th | Colorado State (1992) |
| Harry Hiestand | Offensive line/run game coordinator | 2nd | East Stroudsburg (1983) |
| Scott Booker | Tight ends/special teams coordinator | 2nd | Kent State (2003) |
| Mike Elston | Defensive line | 4th | Michigan (1998) |
| Bob Elliott | Safeties | 2nd | Iowa (1976) |
| Paul Longo | Director of football strength and conditioning | 4th | Wayne State (1981) |

### Roster
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Temple | No. 14 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | W 28–6 (vacated) | 80,795 |
| September 7 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Michigan | No. 14 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | ESPN | L 30–41 | 115,109$^‡$ |
| September 14 | 8:00 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 21 | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (rivalry) | ABC | W 31–24 (vacated) | 61,127 |
| September 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 22 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | W 17–13 (vacated) | 80,795 |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 14 Oklahoma | No. 22 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | L 21–35 | 80,795 |
| October 5 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. No. 22 Arizona State | | AT&T StadiumArlington, TX (Shamrock Series) | NBC | W 37–34 (vacated) | 66,690 |
| October 19 | 7:30 p.m. | USC | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | W 14–10 (vacated) | 80,795 |
| October 26 | 5:00 p.m. | at Air Force | | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO (rivalry) | CBSSN | W 45–10 (vacated) | 44,672 |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy | No. 25 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | W 38–34 (vacated) | 80,795 |
| November 9 | 8:00 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | No. 23 | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA (rivalry) | ABC | L 21–28 | 65,500 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | BYU | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | W 23–13 (vacated) | 80,795 |
| November 30 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 8 Stanford | No. 25 | Stanford StadiumStanford, CA (rivalry) | FOX | L 20–27 | 50,537 |
| December 28 | 12:15 p.m. | vs. Rutgers | | Yankee StadiumBronx, NY (Pinstripe Bowl) | ESPN | W 29–16 (vacated) | 47,122 |
| Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
$^‡$Former NCAA Attendance Record (September 7, 2013 – September 10, 2016)

## Game summaries
### Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| • #11 Fighting Irish | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Fighting Irish | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
| • #17 Wolverines | 10 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
Following its game against Temple, Notre Dame played the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Notre Dame won the previous meeting 13–6. Billed as "Under the Lights II", this was the second night game in Michigan Stadium's history; the previous game also featured Notre Dame. Tom Harmon was honored as a Michigan Football Legends, and his #98 jersey was unretired and given to quarterback Devin Gardner.
Michigan won the game, 41–30. The game attendance of 115,109 was the largest crowd ever to watch a college football game. Quarterback Devin Gardner completed 21 of 33 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns while throwing one interception. Gardner has also rushed for 134 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first two games of the season. Gardner contributed 376 yards of total offense against Notre Dame ranks as the tenth best performance in Michigan history, as reflected in the following list. The only two Michigan players to contribute more total yards in a single game are Denard Robinson and John Navarre. Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon caught eight passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 14 yards. Gallon's 184 receiving yards against Notre Dame is tied for the sixth highest single-game performance in Michigan history. On defense, cornerback Blake Countess had two interceptions for Michigan.
References to chickens were a widely reported side story to the game. After Notre Dame announced one year earlier that it would terminate the rivalry after the 2014 season, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said Notre Dame was "chickening out". When ESPN commentator Lee Corso made his pick for the game during the College GameDay show (which was in Ann Arbor for the game), he brought out a live chicken, and fans in the background carried signs with poultry references, including "Cluck of the Irish." At the end Michigan's 41–30 victory, in what Chantel Jennings of ESPN.com called the "Dig of the Day", the speakers at Michigan Stadium loudly played the "Chicken Dance" as Michigan fans "danced in the stands."
The win made Michigan favorites in the Big Ten Conference.

### Purdue

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #21 Fighting Irish | 0 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
| Boilermakers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Michigan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #24 Spartans | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| • #21 Fighting Irish | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |

### Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #12 Sooners | 14 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 35 |
| #22 Fighting Irish | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #24 Sun Devils | 0 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 34 |
| • Fighting Irish | 0 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 37 |

### USC

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Fighting Irish | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
1st quarter scoring: USC – Silas Redd 1-yard run (Andre Heidari kick); ND – Troy Niklas 7-yard pass from Tommy Rees (Kyle Brindza kick)
2nd quarter scoring: USC – Heidari 22-yard field goal; ND – TJ Jones 11-yard pass from Rees (Brindza kick)

### Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Fighting Irish | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Falcons | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 34 |
| • #25 Fighting Irish | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 38 |

### Pittsburgh

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #23 Fighting Irish | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| • Panthers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
Although Notre Dame's sports teams have joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (which Pittsburgh has also joined), the Panthers will be the only ACC team on Notre Dame's football schedule this year, as the agreement to play five ACC teams each year does not begin until 2014.

### BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| • Fighting Irish | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |

### Stanford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #25 Fighting Irish | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| • #8 Cardinal | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |

### Rutgers (Pinstripe Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Scarlet Knights | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| • #25 Fighting Irish | 10 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 29 |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 14 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | 25 | 25 | 20 |
| Coaches | 11 | 13 | 21 | 21 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 25 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | 25 | RV | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | 25 | 23 | — | — | 25 | — | Not released |

## Postseason
### NCAA sanctions

In 2018, an investigation was launched that found Notre Dame had used ineligible players during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. As a result, Notre Dame was forced to vacate all wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons as a punishment from the NCAA, which includes their signature win in the Pinstripe Bowl against 6-7 Rutgers.