Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth.

[4] Following the 2008 season, offensive coordinator Michael Haywood left the team to become the head coach for the Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks.

[10] Five more players would sign quickly after the draft, including David Grimes with Broncos, Pat Kuntz with the Colts, Terrail Lambert with the 49ers, and fullback Asaph Schwapp and offensive lineman Mike Turkovich with the Cowboys.

Clausen also completed a 24-yard TD catch to Floyd and a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph in the first drive of the game.

Irish linebacker Toryan Smith stuffed Wolf Pack running back Vai Taua for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 and also logged a sack.

Highly touted freshman linebacker Manti Te'o also got in on the action for Notre Dame on his first play early in the second quarter.

[22] After Daryl Stronum's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped the Wolverines to an early 14–3 lead, Notre Dame roared back in the second quarter, largely on the strength of Clausen's passing.

[22] On the first series of the second half, Forcier led Michigan down to the Notre Dame 9-yard line before a missed field goal gave the Irish a temporary reprieve.

A Jonas Gray fumble on the ensuing Notre Dame possession was recovered by Michigan at the Irish 26-yard line, and five plays later, the Wolverines regained the lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Forcier to Kevin Koger.

[22] Michigan extended its lead to 31–20 on the second play of the fourth quarter when Forcier, facing fourth-and-three, ran 31 yards for a touchdown.

Clausen rallied the Irish with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, and Kyle McCarthy intercepted Forcier on the next series, giving Notre Dame the ball at the Michigan 36.

Forcier made the Irish pay for their mistake, coolly driving the Wolverines down to the Notre Dame 5-yard line, where he connected with Greg Matthews for the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game.

The win wasn't sealed until Kyle McCarthy intercepted Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins at the Irish 4-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in the game.

Trailing 30–26 midway through the fourth quarter, Jimmy Clausen connected with Golden Tate off a fly route for what proved to be a 33-yard game-winning touchdown.

[23] The win also proved to be costly, as Notre Dame star wide receiver Michael Floyd was lost for the several regular season games to a broken collarbone suffered during the second quarter.

Slowed by a turf-toe injury sustained in the Michigan State game, Clausen engineered an 88-yard game-winning drive with 3:41 to go to give Notre Dame a 24–21 victory over the Boilermakers.

After three plays netted two yards, Clausen found Rudolph in the end zone on fourth down for the winner with less than a minute remaining.

After splitting time with backup quarterback Dayne Crist, who directed two touchdown drives in the first half, Clausen returned to the game when it got tight in the fourth quarter.

Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame's 33–30 win over Michigan State the week before.

Duval Kamara missed an easy touchdown catch when he tripped over the goal line, spoiling a chance for Notre Dame to tie late in the fourth quarter.

In a game that had four lead changes, it was the Irish defense that came up big in the end, intercepting three passes by Eagles quarterback Dave Shinskie in the second half.

Boston College would log its first points of the game on a safety resulting from an intentional grounding penalty called on Jimmy Clausen.

The Irish defense, however, could not maintain the lead to start the third quarter, giving up large pass plays and a 6-play, 56 yard scoring drive by the Eagles.

[26] In the first of several "offsite home games" scheduled over the next several football seasons, Notre Dame played host to Washington State in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

[27] Notre Dame back-ups also saw game action, highlighted by backup quarterback Dayne Crist's 64-yard touchdown to John Goodman in the 4th quarter.

Notre Dame struggled to stop Toby Gerhart, who dismantled the Irish and made his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy even more possible.

Charlie Weis entered this season with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth.

[1] Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, when asked about what his biggest disappointment had been that season, took a long pause, then said, "the Navy outcome.

[2] Swarbrick announced that wide receiver coach Rob Ianello would head football operations, including recruiting, until Brian Kelly was named.