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Football teams

Penn State and Notre Dame Reunite on the Gridiron

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Penn State and Notre Dame have a storied history on the football field, and the two teams are set to meet again on Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. The Nittany Lions, ranked 19th, will look to take down the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish, who are coming off a 14-10 victory at Georgia Tech. Penn State coach Joe Paterno, in his 41st season at the helm, has a special affinity for Notre Dame, recalling a 1935 game in which the Fighting Irish rallied behind quarterback Bill Shakespeare.

Key Takeaways:

  • Penn State and Notre Dame will meet for the first time since 1992 and will also play at Penn State in 2007.
  • The series has a rich history, with Penn State and Notre Dame having played 23 times, with Notre Dame leading the series 13-9-1.
  • Penn State coach Joe Paterno has a personal connection to Notre Dame, having attended Catholic schools and admired the Fighting Irish growing up in Brooklyn.
  • Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has high praise for Paterno, calling him a "special person" who has been able to adapt to cultural changes and continue to win games.
  • Weis, a former NFL assistant, aspires to run his program the way it's expected, but recognizes that he can't achieve the same level of success as Paterno, who has become a symbol of college football.
  • Paterno, 79, has made players off-limits to the media this week, with Weis also indicating that he doesn't get involved in the ticket business.

Statistics:

  • 23: The number of times Penn State and Notre Dame have met on the football field.
  • 13-9-1: The current series record between Penn State and Notre Dame, with Notre Dame leading the series.
  • 41st: The number of seasons Joe Paterno has coached at Penn State, the longest tenure of any head coach in the country.
  • 2006: The year that Penn State and Notre Dame agreed to play in 2006 and 2007.
  • 50: The age of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
  • 79: The age of Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

Sources:

  • "Paterno, Notre Dame meet again" by Steve Connelly, published in the Centre Daily Times
  • "Notre Dame, PSU mark milestone" by Bob Flounders, published in the Centre Daily Times

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