If you spend enough time around South Bend, you’ll realize that notre dame football records aren't just lines in a media guide. They’re basically sacred texts. Honestly, it’s a bit intense. But when a program has been around since 1887, you end up with some numbers that look like they were pulled straight from a video game.
We’re talking about a school that claims 11 national championships and has produced seven Heisman Trophy winners. But the real magic is in the weird, specific stuff. Like the fact that they once scored 142 points in a single game back in 1905. They played the American College of Medicine and Surgery, and the game was called after only 33 minutes because, well, it was a literal massacre. Notre Dame was scoring 4.3 points per minute.
That’s a record that’s never going down.
The Big Three: Passing, Rushing, and the Legends Who Own Them
Most people think of Joe Montana when they think of Irish QBs. It makes sense. He's a legend. But if you look at the actual notre dame football records for passing, Montana isn't even in the top five.
Brady Quinn is the king here. From 2003 to 2006, he put up 11,762 passing yards. That is a massive gap over Ian Book, who sits in second with 8,948. Quinn also holds the career record for passing touchdowns with 95. To put that in perspective, Sam Hartman—who felt like he played college football for a decade—finished his lone Irish season in 2023 with 24.
Rushing Leaders: The Denson vs. Pinkett Debate
When it comes to the ground game, things get a little more heated. Autry Denson (1995-1998) is the all-time leader with 4,318 yards. He was the definition of a workhorse. But Allen Pinkett, who played in the early 80s, still holds the crown for rushing touchdowns with 49.
👉 See also: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
And then there's the new era.
Jeremiyah Love has been tearing up the record books recently. By the end of the 2025 season, Love climbed to 3rd all-time in career touchdowns with 41. He also put up a ridiculous 228-yard performance against USC in 2025, which ranks as the 6th best single-game rushing total in school history. Watching him play feels different; he has this explosive twitch that reminds people of Reggie Brooks or even "The Rocket" Ismail, though Rocket was more of a return specialist.
Receiving: The Michael Floyd Era
Michael Floyd’s numbers are sort of a statistical anomaly. He has 271 career receptions and 3,686 yards. Nobody else is even close. Golden Tate was electric, and Will Fuller was a deep-threat nightmare, but Floyd’s longevity and consistency in the late 2000s and early 2010s set a bar that hasn't been touched.
The Coaching Carousel: Wins, Losses, and Vacated Trophies
Coaching at Notre Dame is a high-wire act. You either become a god or you're forgotten.
Knute Rockne is still the gold standard. His winning percentage of .881 is just stupid. He went 105-12-5. In the modern era, things got complicated with Brian Kelly. On paper, Kelly is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history with 113 wins. But—and it's a big but—the NCAA vacated 21 of those wins from 2012 and 2013 due to academic misconduct.
✨ Don't miss: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
If you ask a die-hard fan, they'll tell you Lou Holtz is the real benchmark. Holtz went 100-30-2 and delivered the last "consensus" national title in 1988. He also oversaw the record-breaking 23-game winning streak that stretched from 1988 to 1989.
- Knute Rockne: .881 winning percentage (1918–1930)
- Frank Leahy: .855 winning percentage (1940s/50s)
- Ara Parseghian: 95-17-4 record
- Marcus Freeman: Currently carving his own path with a .782 win rate through 2025.
Freeman’s 2024 season was particularly wild. The Irish went 14-2, winning the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl before falling in the National Championship. That 14-win mark is a single-season program record, largely thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff format.
The Rivalry Records: USC and Navy
You can't talk about notre dame football records without mentioning the Jeweled Shillelagh. The rivalry with USC is arguably the greatest intersectional matchup in sports. As of 2026, Notre Dame leads the series 51-37-5.
The Irish had an 11-game winning streak against the Trojans from 1983 to 1993. That’s nearly a decade of dominance. On the flip side, the Navy rivalry used to be a lock. Notre Dame won 43 straight games against the Midshipmen until 2007. It was the longest lopsided streak in college football history.
Oddities and Unbreakable Stats
Some records are just weird. Take the 1946 game against Army. It’s famous for being a 0-0 tie between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Four Heisman winners were on that field. Zero points.
🔗 Read more: Jake Paul Mike Tyson Tattoo: What Most People Get Wrong
Then there's Joe Theismann's 526 passing yards against USC in 1970. He did that in a monsoon. Jack Coan came close in 2021 with 509 yards, but Theismann’s mark has survived for over half a century.
What about the "Green Jersey Game" in 1977? Dan Devine surprised the team with green jerseys in the locker room, and they proceeded to smash No. 5 USC 49-19. It’s not a statistical record, but it’s a "culture" record that defines the program’s flair for the dramatic.
Why These Numbers Actually Matter
In the age of the transfer portal and NIL, these records provide a sense of gravity. They remind players that they aren't just playing for a school; they're playing against ghosts. When Jeremiyah Love or any current star approaches a milestone, they aren't just passing a name on a list—they're passing legends like George Gipp or Jerome Bettis.
If you're looking to track these records yourself, the official 2025 Notre Dame Football History and Records Book is the source of truth. It’s a massive PDF that Fighting Irish Media puts out every year.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the current season's media guide for updated "Active Leader" stats, especially for Jeremiyah Love as he chases the career TD record.
- Use a database like Sports-Reference to compare modern era stats (post-2000) against the "Golden Era" to see how the passing-heavy game has inflated recent numbers.
- If you're visiting South Bend, the Guglielmino Complex has many of these records physically memorialized.