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LAUREN WELDON | The Observer
By BEN PADANILAM Editor-in-Chief
W hat do you get when you combine preseason top-10 expectations, a disappointing 4-8 record featuring seven one-possession defeats and rumors of a head coach on his way out into one season? At Notre Dame, this offseason revealed that the answer can be summed up in t wo words: reset button. W hile head coach Brian Kelly is still leading the charge for Notre Dame as it looks ahead to the 2017 season, he’s one of the few familiar faces from last year’s coaching staff still around. For each of those heartbreaking one-score losses from last season, the Irish brought in a new member to its coaching staff, totaling seven new hires in all. The turnover occurred ever ywhere, too, as the offensive, defensive and special teams
coordinators are all different from last year’s. And w ith each of those coaching changes comes new schemes for the players to learn. So one thing is certain: The Notre Dame team that takes the field against Temple on Sept. 2 w ill look ver y different from the one that suffered through an eight-loss season in 2016. On offense, the first change that w ill be noticeable is the new signal caller directing the Irish offense. Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush replaces DeShone Kizer, who departed after last season for the NFL Draft. And w ith him w ill be two other new faces — offensive coordinator Chip Long, who comes from Memphis to replace the departed Mike Sanford, and quarterbacks coach Tom Rees. And as would be expected w ith so many new faces, much of Notre Dame’s offseason and spring has been
spent w ith each of the new coaches familiarizing themselves w ith each other and their personnel. “New is new,” new w ide receivers coach Del A lexander said April 5. “New is new. I’ve been in situations — ever y time I move, it’s new. You approach it like you’re tr ying to teach the players as if it’s day one. So even though Chip [Long] and I know each other, we have different guys on the staff, so w ith our communication we can’t cut corners. We have to share that vocabular y w ith different things that we’re teaching, but the players are all new — they don’t know me yet, but we’re building our relationships. So yes, ever y time you change jobs, you start w ith that new term and you build on it.” “In my mind, w ith an offense, it always starts w ith the quarterback and the offensive line — how can I make it simple, in part, on
my position and make it easier for ever ybody else,” Long said March 24. “Me and [offensive line coach Harr y Hiestand] are attached at the hip. … He has a level of comfort w ith me, so we can always discuss those things. And then w ith Coach Kelly, we always go over personnel w ith him as well, so we’re definitely all on the same page, and we’re going to put our kids in a position to make plays.” And for some of the offensive coaches, the spring has also been an opportunit y to hone their ow n coaching techniques and learn about themselves as much as it has been a chance to get to know their personnel. “You learn a lot about yourself, your coaching habits and how you want to be in front of those guys and in the room and leading them,” Rees said. “For me, I’ve got to understand ever yone learns differently, and I’ve
got to apply different teaching mechanisms for different guys in the room.” On the field, however, the new staff has gone fullsteam ahead w ith its schematic changes. The most significant alteration Long brings to the offense is an up-tempo, no-huddle component that was not present last season. He emphasized that it’s the no-huddle aspect that really defines the increased tempo for his scheme. “The biggest thing w ith me and tempo is bet ween the play,” Long said March 24. “So when the ball is stopped, [players] have to get [their] eyes to the sideline and understand what we’re doing while, at the same time, running as fast as [they] can to get lined up. So tempo to me is when the play is over — not once the play is going and how fast we’re going, but bet ween the plays and just guys understanding
MAREK MAZUREK | The Observer
Mike Elko speaks to the media after being introduced as Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator in Loftus Sports Complex on Jan. 30. Elko previously served as the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest for three seasons from 2014-2016 before joining the Irish coaching staff. In 2016, his defense at Wake Forest ranked 20th nationally in scoring defense.
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LAUREN WELDON | The Observer
and training their eyes after each and ever y play to find the signal or find the board and getting lined up.” The emphasis on tempo doesn’t necessarily mean the offense w ill be faster, however. “The situation dictates [the tempo],” Long said March 24. “I have the abilit y to slow it dow n w ithout the kids know ing we’re tr ying to do that w ith shifts, motions, different cadences and whatnot, so I can dictate that. Then, I can also get us going even faster, so we have that in the offense. We’re just teaching that to the guys.” And while the offense is seeing its fair share of changes during the spring, the defense has seen arguably seen even greater turnover from last season. After being led by two different defensive coordinators last
season, the unit w ill now be under the control of Mike Elko, who left Wake Forest to become the third defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in less than a year. With him came new linebackers coach Clark Lea, which in turn pushed Mike Elston back to defensive line coach. And w ith all these changes to the defensive coaching staff, the focus throughout the spring has been largely on evaluating the strengths of the unit and figuring out which positions w ill be best for each player in order to offer them the best opportunit y to succeed w ithin the scheme. “You’re just constantly evaluating,” Elko said March 24. “ … We never want to get in a groove where we can’t fix something that we don’t see is right. Sometimes, I think, as coaches, you get in this groove of like, ‘This kid Paid Advertisement
is this position.’ And then as you’re watching him, he’s not good enough to do that or he’s not capable or it’s not the right fit, and you just stay w ith it. We’re just tr y ing to not stay w ith mistakes.” But in the eyes of the Elko, the unit has all the tools to be amongst the best in the nation if it’s w illing to put in the work throughout the rest of the offseason and in the fall. “If we’re going to be a good defense, it’s going to take a lot of work,” Elko said March 24. “We can’t become a good defense in one practice, in three practices, a bunch of w inter meetings — it’s not going to a short-term [process]. It’s going to take time. We didn’t just become a good defense because I got here, we have to become one. … I’m not any thing. I watch, I evaluate, I tr y not to yell and scream too much — I do it
at times, but we’re just tr ying to get better ever y day. That’s all we’re tr y ing to do. “ … There’s also an understanding that when this thing gets up and running, we believe it can be the best in the countr y. That’s why I’m here, [and] that’s why I left Wake Forest to come here — because we believe we can make this really special. It’s not going to happen just because I came here, though.” But the emphasis on evaluation is far from unique to the defense. New special teams coordinator Brian Polian is no stranger to the position; he ser ved in the position at Notre Dame for five seasons from 2005 to 2009 before eventually ending up as the head coach at Nevada for four seasons. Now back in a familiar position, he’s spent the majorit y of his spring introducing himself to his unfamiliar personnel. “[My top priorit y] is learning our personnel and kind of figuring out who can do what,” Polian said March 29. “ … We’ve really just been focused on teaching technique and tr y ing to find out who can do what so that when we regather come August, we can have people in the right places as the scheme becomes more advanced.” And for a special teams unit that struggled in key moments throughout last season, the most significant change w ill be a rather obv ious one: emphasizing the
need for execution and the urgency w ith which that emphasis is placed. “[Kelly] and I had a long conversation. He knows what I believe, and we’re ver y much on the same page,” Polian said of the changes he’s made to special teams. “There are things that w ill look ver y similar, [and] there are things that w ill look completely different. But the biggest change has just got to be the urgency w ith which we attack the special teams and our execution and critical efficiency in important times in the game — that’s got to be the biggest change.” Amongst all of the team’s units, there is one common theme, however: This spring has been just the beginning of a process that w ill last throughout the season and never end, but it might just culminate in a season far better than the disappointment 2016 offered. “As a coach, you have to have incredible patience because you have a v ision for how things are,” Lea said March 29. “You’re not close to that v ision point yet, but you do have small w ins along the way. … The truth is, there’s not an endpoint to this. … It’s a never-ending process and a never-ending cycle, and I don’t think that they ever completely reach the expectation level, but I think that’s the point.” Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
MAREK MAZUREK | The Observer
Tom Rees answers questions from the media after being introduced as Notre Dame’s quarterbacks coach on Jan. 30.
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commentary
What Kelly can learn from 2016 Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer
I’ll let you in on a little secret — Brian Kelly may be on the hot seat for 2017. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that much of a secret. After a 4-8 season, it’s not exactly surprising. Notre Dame is a program that wants to be in the playoff conversation ever y year, so falling seven wins short of the playoff is suboptimal. There’s a lot of different ways of looking at what happened in 2016, so let’s be optimistic for a second. Maybe Kelly — the coach who guided Notre Dame to a 12-0 regular season in just the third year after Charlie Weis’ disastrous tenure, the coach who was just a 2-point conversion away from the College Football Playoff in 2015 despite a slew of injuries — just had a year of bad luck and lessons he can learn from. The Irish lost seven games by one score, and usually had the ball with a chance to win those encounters, luck may have played some role in Kelly not having a winning record. Brian VanGorder’s defense was pretty inarguably bad and couldn’t have been helped by some shocking suspensions just before the season began. It’s clear Kelly has learned to be more involved on defense, and to step in instead of continuing to trust a scheme that sounds clever but can’t get results on the field. Playcalling was an issue, but Kelly can learn to let someone else shoulder that load, as he has done with the hiring of Chip Long as offensive coordinator. And even throughout the disaster of a season, recruiting remained strong, suggesting Kelly has done a lot less long-term damage to the program than some might claim. As far as 4-8 teams go, the Irish may be well poised to bounce back. Of course, we could also look at 2016 in a more negative light. Kelly — the coach who has lost to the likes of Northwestern and South
Florida with a talented team of highly-rated players he recruited — went 4-8 against an extremely weak schedule by Notre Dame’s standards. The team repeatedly threw away close games when it mattered, usually with the help of at least one seemingly inexplicable coaching decision. VanGorder stuck around far too long after ever yone knew he was the wrong man for the job, and Paul Longo’s strength and conditioning reached a bad enough level that even the players complained about its intensity. The failings of Kelly’s staff may be, first and foremost, a problem with those now-departed coaches, but it also raises questions about how effectively Kelly can control a large program when he can’t be ever y where at once. 2016 may have provided proof that long-term results at a blueblood school is not something Kelly can achieve. At this point, either interpretation of Kelly’s 2016 could turn out to be true. He could be hurting this program, but with plenty of pretty legitimate-looking excuses for last year’s failure, he could equally be poised for recover y. No outcome in 2017 would be immensely surprising, because it’s still not quite clear what Brian Kelly is. That’s not ideal, but the important thing now is that all excuses are gone. Kelly knows he needs success this year or he’s going to find himself looking for a new job — and this time, probably not as an NFL head coach. If Kelly actually is a coach worthy of leading Notre Dame, you can expect a big turnaround. Free of the problems in his staff from 2016 and having learned from his mistakes, ever ything looks in place for Kelly to take Notre Dame back to where it expects to be. Unless he’s not that coach. Then, at least we’ll know it. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views experessed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer
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MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish head coach Brian Kelly addresses his team on the field during halftime of Notre Dame’s 45-27 loss against USC in Los Angeles on Nov. 26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Paid Advertisement
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Recruiting
Recent NCAA ruling helps Notre Dame By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor
Despite coming off of a 4-8 season in 2016, Notre Dame is riding some recruiting momentum. On National Signing Day, the Irish came away with a top-15 recruiting class despite six decommitments over the course of the recruiting process. But for the 2018 class, a top-15 finish would be a disappointment rather than the goal, as Notre Dame already has 12 commits. And a set of recent rule changes by the NCA A may what Notre Dame needs to get over the hump according to Blue and Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst Bryan Driskell. Last week, the NCA A adopted a new early signing period in December so players who are set in their decision can sign with their team before National Signing Day in early February. But more importantly for Notre Dame, the NCA A will now allow recruits to make official visits to school starting in April of a student’s junior year of high school. “I think the biggest change for Notre Dame, without question, is moving the official visits up to April,” Driskell said. According to Driskell, Notre Dame, and other schools not located in pipeline states, are at a disadvantage because they have to go further afield to find top talent. Schools like Ohio State or Florida, by contrast, have a large percentage of their players come from Ohio and Florida respectively, and thus
getting prospects to campus isn’t much of an issue. But Notre Dame works on a different model. “Notre Dame, more than any other powerhouse, has to draw from much further away,” Driskell said. “A big chunk of their players are from the southeast and northeast areas where a family can’t just hop in a car and go visit a couple schools. The problem Notre Dame has had is a lot of times, they can’t get kids on campus until September, October, November. The way that the recruiting process has sped up, kids are committed way before then. … W hat’s happening is Notre Dame is missing out on kids because they just can’t get those kids to campus.” But that will change with the new ruling, Driskell said. “This gives Notre Dame an opportunity, that five months earlier than normal, they can start getting these kids on campus,” Driskell said. “It’s going to put them in the ballgame with a lot more kids. If you look at Notre Dame, in my opinion, they are not five or six kids a class away from Alabama or Ohio State and those schools. They are one or two kids a year. If they’re adding one more Jaylon Smith or one more Will Fuller, one more Sheldon Day per year [Notre Dame will] make a big step as a program.”
Class of 2018 W hile earlier official visits will undoubtedly have an effect on Notre Dame recruiting in the long run, the immediate future also looks
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish junior running back Josh Adams breaks away from the defense and scampers for a 67-yard touchdown during Notre Dame’s 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech on Nov. 19 at Notre Dame Stadium.
bright for the Irish as Notre Dame’s 2018 recruiting class already has 12 commits and is a consensus top-three class in the nation. Driskell said the early uptick for Notre Dame comes from a successful 2015 campaign, as well as an increase in talented players from the Midwest. “This class actually benefitted from the 2015 season,” Driskell said. “So if you look at Phil Jurkovec, Markese Stepp, the Ademilola twins and Ovie Oghoufo, those six kids were all committed going back to last summer, so
coming off the Fiesta Bowl season. “I think the other things that’s helped them, if you look at who they have signed, Notre Dame has taken advantage of this being an abnormally talented year in the North. Notre Dame has a ranked quarterback, a ranked running back and two ranked wide receivers and a top-100 corner already in the class. All but one of those guys are from the North. … But if they’re going to be able to finish it off, obviously they’re going to need to have a good season on the field and they’re going to have to get some kids who aren’t from this region.”
New faces
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior running back Dexter Williams stretches past the pylon to score a touchdown during Notre Dame’s 39-10 win over Nevada on Sept. 10 at Notre Dame Stadium. Williams ran for 59 yards in the game.
Much has been made of the slew of new coaches for the Irish this spring as head coach Brian Kelly opted for a shift in his personal. While new offensive coordinator Chip Long and new defensive coordinator Mike Elko haven’t had much time to implement their recruiting policies, Driskell said that Elko specifically has already made a mark. “I’ll say this right now, Mike Elko’s already made a huge impact,” Driskell said. “ … Mike Elko is a grinder. I can’t remember the last time they were recruiting a kid on defensive who hasn’t talked to Mike Elko at some point in time. Just the work he puts in is such a dramatic change.” Long, Driskell said, will gain recruits’ interest by putting his brand of football on the field on Saturdays. “Chip Long is just as active
… I think Chip Long’s impact is going to come more once people see what he’s bringing to the offense,” Driskell said. “That’s when you’re going to see that payoff. Plus [Long] already had a quarterback in the class when he got here. They already had a running back in the class when he got here. He hasn’t had to work quite as hard as Mike Elko because two of his best players in the class were already here when he arrived.
Blue-Gold Game Traditionally a weekend with a number of recruits coming to campus, the Blue Gold Game this year will offer recruits a unique opportunity to see the new schemes Notre Dame’s coaching staff is implementing. “I don’t know if there’s necessarily something you can look at and say, ‘boy [Notre Dame] better do A, B or C or they’re not going to get kids,’” Driskell said. “This is really the first chance that kids are going to have at seeing the product Mike Elko and Chip Long are putting on the field. And seeing the benefits of what Matt Balis has done, seeing the offensive lineman looking a lot bigger and stronger and with less body fat. Seeing a defense that attacks more. … Those are the big things, that’s what kids are going to want to see.” For more on Notre Dame recruiting, check out BlueandGold.com. Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
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Wimbush ready for opportunity to lead Irish By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor
There has never been a doubt about Brandon Wimbush’s abilit y. The Under Armour A llAmerican, Elite 11 participant and New Jersey Gatorade Player of the year arrived on campus in the fall of 2015 w ith exceptional credentials, but found himself ushered into a waiting game as first Malik Zaire and later DeShone Kizer handled the reigns for the Irish. He appeared against UMass and Pitt as a freshman: appearances highlighted by a 58yard touchdow n against the Minutemen. But last year, Irish head coach Brian Kelly elected to redshirt the sophomore, and Wimbush found himself watching from the sidelines as Notre Dame sputtered to a 4-8 season, the worst during Kelly’s seven-year stint. Now, w ith Zaire transferring and Kizer off to the NFL, Wimbush’s brief cameo is set to become the main act. And w ith all the hy pe surrounding Wimbush, he himself is perhaps more excited than his fans to show what he has to offer. “I knew that my time would come, and I just had to be patient,” Wimbush said on his
journey to the starting role. “I had a bunch of people to lean on, and it ranges prett y w idely. I understand and I know where I’m at, I know what universit y I’m at and I understand the benefits that come w ith it. “Sometimes you have to go through some struggles to be where you want to be at the end of the day … It’s been two and a half years since I’ve been the guy and been out there on the field, and I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunit y coming up.” With Wimbush’s time in the w ings set to end, there surfaces the ever-present challenge for new quarterbacks — the learning cur ve. Add into the equation the fact that the Irish are welcoming both a new offensive coordinator in Chip Long and a new quarterbacks coach in Tom Rees, and the potential for struggles are clear. But despite the tall order, Wimbush is confident in both his ow n abilit y and that of the coaching staff. “I feel like my tempo in high school was ver y similar,” Wimbush said on his comfort level w ith Long’s new, fast-paced offensive scheme. “ … I feel like my transition has been just going back in memor y and
Observer File Photo
Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush celebrates scoring a touchdown on a 58-yard scramble during Notre Dame’s 62-27 win over UMass on Sept. 26, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium.
recalling some of the things I did in high school, so I feel like I’ve done that successfully so far.” And as an impressive athlete who fits the mold of past dual-threat Irish quarterbacks under Kelly, Wimbush is excited about the explosive potential of the new offense and the options it gives him. “[I am most confident in]
my abilit y to make plays when things break dow n in the pocket,” Wimbush said of his abilit y to use his legs. “ … I wouldn’t attribute it to myself, but to the coaching staff and the guys who have built my foot work and my knowledge of the game and being able to understand where my escape lanes are, and when I’m supposed to get outside the pocket.
“ … Teams aren’t going to be able to load the box, because we have so many weapons outside, and then we have the four up front returning, I feel like we’re just going to be able to run the ball against any defense and any front we see.” The junior quarterback is also relishing the chance to work w ith an Irish quarterback alum in Rees, who
Observer File Photo
Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush stares down his receiver and steps into a throw during Notre Dame’s 62-27 win over UMass on Sept. 26, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium. Wimbush sat out the 2016 season as a redshirt, but now he stands to start at quarterback for the Irish in 2017 after last year’s starter, DeShone Kizer, declared for the NFL Draft.
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knows what it takes to be a successful starter for Notre Dame. “I love him,” Wimbush said on Rees. “I’m in the meeting room with him at least twice a day, so between eight and 12 times a week; I get to spend a lot of time with him. He’s 24-years-old, so he’s fresh out himself and obviously he knows Coach Kelly’s offense and we get along pretty well. He’ll bring up clips of himself in big-time games, there’s a lot of clutch moments he remembers from his time and I love to see that.” On the f lip side, the coaching staff is just as excited about working with such a talented and willing individual. “He’s a willing learner,” Long said on Wimbush. “He’s ver y coachable and he does a great job of applying what we
go over in the meeting room, cleaning up his mistakes and using his athleticism to help him out. “ Rees echoed the same sentiments. “He’s an awesome kid, and that’s the first thing that you want,” he said. “Someone who wants to learn, wants to be there and wants to get better and the guys respect him and really he has a good presence to him. And when you get to the physical attributes, there really isn’t a throw he can’t make, when his feet are set and he’s showing that there’s really not a whole lot he can’t do. And then his athletic ability, extending plays and being on the move is great.” But with all Notre Dame starting quarterbacks, there comes the immense pressure of performing at a standard
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that matches the program’s pedigree. For Wimbush, the last two years have been essential in preparing for his future role, as well as allowing him to learn from the past two starters, Kizer in particular. “If you prepare yourself then you don’t have to get prepared,” Wimbush said on his mentality. “I feel like I did that for the last two years and was able to take away things from DeShone and Malik; obviously DeShone was thrust into a position where he had to be prepared and he was and he did it successfully so I learned a lot from him in that scenario there.” Wimbush said he has relished his relationship with Kizer, and appreciates all the words of wisdom he has gotten from the potential firstround pick. “I speak to him pretty often, so we have a good relationship,” Wimbush said. “He
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KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer
Junior Brandon Wimbush fights off a UMass defender’s tackle during Notre Dame’s 62-27 win over the Minutemen on Sept. 26, 2015.
talks to me a lot on what he’s gone through here and what the NFL process is for him now. He has great pointers for me ever y day, and whenever he has time to speak to me about anything, he lets me know the real stuff.”
And for Wimbush, the “real stuff” is around the corner. But you don’t have to tell him twice — he is ready for his turn. Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu
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Observer File Photo
Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush carries the ball upfield during Notre Dame’s 62-27 win over UMass on Sept. 26, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium. Wimbush ran for 92 yards and a touchdown in the win.
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Junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush hands the ball off to junior running back Josh Adams during Notre Dame’s 62-27 win over UMass at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 26, 2015.
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TE
Ben Padanilam
Marek Mazurek
Elizabeth Greason
Editor-in-Chief
Assistant Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Unlike last year’s squad, this Notre Dame team will not be coming into the season with top-10 expectations. But that’s far from the only difference between the two teams, as this year’s squad has a lot of new faces surrounding head coach Brian Kelly. Early results appear promising — last year’s young team has a year of experience under its belt, and the new coaches have those players feeling confident about the upcoming year. But the schedule is more daunting than last year’s as well, with games against Georgia, USC and Stanford standing out amongst a host of other difficult matchups. This year’s squad won’t go 4-8 again, but it probably won’t live up to last year’s immense expectations, either.
To be honest, nothing would surprise me about Notre Dame this season. This is almost a completely different team from last year’s 4-8 squad. The Irish have a new quarterback, new offensive and defensive coordinators, a new strength and conditioning program and, most importantly, a new attitude. These things all bode well for the long-term future of the program, but how much they matter next season specifically remains to be seen. If Brandon Wimbush lives up to the considerable hype surrounding him, the Irish could post 10 wins. But I still have concerns about a defense that has no pass rush and is installing a new rover position.
The Irish have experienced a complete attitude change and revamp over the offseason, allowing the team to leave last year’s nightmare in the past. With a fresh face under center surrounded by veterans on the offensive line and a receiving corps with a year of experience under its belt, the offense is poised to do some big things. However, the SEC matchup against Georgia in just the second week of the season could pose a challenge for the Irish. Stanford has become Notre Dame’s Achilles heel in recent years, and Michigan State on the road could also pose a problem. Overall, the Irish need this season to be a defining one. They need, and want, to find themselves in the playoff conversation again.
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 8-4
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 8-4
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 9-3
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EMMET FARNAN and JOSEPH HAN | The Observer
Tobias Hoonhout
Daniel O’Boyle
Associate Sports Editor
Sports Writer
Despite all the changes for the Irish this offseason, there’s been a lot of positivity around the program. From top to bottom, there seems to be a motivation and a hunger to prove that last season was a fluke and Notre Dame football under Brian Kelly is here to stay as a perennially ranked team. I expect the team will come out hot against Temple and carry that momentum into a big game against a very talented Georgia team at home. With a win, the Irish prove they are back and ultimately could run the table with maybe only one or two losses. But with a loss, there will be a lot of questions as the season goes on. I’m an optimist, and maybe call me foolish, but I think this team has the pieces and now the experience. And Wimbush is the real deal. Look out for Notre Dame in the playoff hunt once again.
The Irish should be markedly better in 2017 than they were the year before. But the team’s schedule will likely improve from last year’s slate of fellow underachievers, so it’s unlikely the Irish see a big jump in wins. Georgia and USC could be among the best teams in the country, and they just have too much talent to not be favored. In Michigan State, Miami and Stanford, Notre Dame plays three good teams in true road games, and the Irish do not have a recent history of winning those games. Notre Dame may not lose each of those five games, but in a schedule with many more strong opponents, it’s hard to be certain they win each of the other seven too. This team was terrible last year; one great offseason can only do so much.
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 10-2
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 7-5
For updates from Notre Dame Stadium during Saturday’s Blue-Gold Game, Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports
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INSIDER “I think we saw [the importance of experience] coming into 2015 as well,” McGlinchey said of the experienced offensive line. “Having the four of us come back here and have four pieces to a puzzle that needs five is pretty big. Last year we only came back with [Nelson] and I and one of us was playing a different position. So, it’s definitely a huge advantage for, seeing things through one set of eyes and being a collective unit on offense. And absolutely, experience is everything in this game and having the experience that we do now up front is certainly going to pay dividends in the long run.” Mustipher added that, with a season of experience as starting center on his resume, there is an added sense of duty to ensure the line is doing everything in its power to help the team
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function. “I feel like it’s a responsibility that we know we have and we know we always have to take care of,” Mustipher said. “And there was a responsibility we had last year, regardless of starts or not, we have a responsibility to this team to get our job done and not be the guys that let the team down.” The offensive line has learned from the mistakes of last season, and has prepared itself to tackle this season with a renewed energy and as a cohesive, experienced unit. “What I want is for this offensive line to the best in the country and I think we have the players to do that, the mindset to do that and the coach to do that,” Nelson said. Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Irish senior center Sam Mustipher looks to engage a Hokies defender during Notre Dame’s 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech on Nov. 19.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Senior offensive lineman Alex Bars stares down a Navy linebacker prior to a snap in Notre Dame’s 28-27 loss to Navy on Nov. 5 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Irish senior offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, center, and graduate student offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey, right, drop back in pass protection after a snap during Notre Dame’s 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech on Nov. 19 at Notre Dame Stadium. Both Nelson and McGlinchey started all 12 games last season and are captains for the Irish this year.
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The observer | FRiday, april 21, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
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EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
The Notre Dame offense lines up before the snap, with former Irish quarterback Malik Zaire in the shotgun, during Notre Dame’ s 39-10 victory over Nevada on Sept. 10 at Notre Dame Stadium. In the contest against the Wolf Pack, the Irish put up 444 yards of offense on 73 plays, including 239 rushing yards.
EMMET FARNAN| The Observer
Former Irish linebacker James Onwualu looks to wrap up an Army ball carrier during Notre Dame’s 44-6 victory over the Black Knights in the Shamrock Series game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Onwualu started in all 12 games last season and was third on the team with 75 tackles.
INSIDER
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, April 21, 2017 | The Observer
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore Kevin Stepherson makes a cut after catching a pass during Notre Dame’s 30-27 victory over Miami on Oct. 29.
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EMMET FARNAN| The Observer
Irish junior kicker Justin Yoon attempts a field goal during Notre Dame’s 39-10 victory over Nevada on Sept. 10 at Notre Dame Stadium. Yoon was 13-for-17 on field goal attempts in 2016.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Former Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer hands the ball off to junior running back Josh Adams in Notre Dame’s 28-27 loss to Navy on Nov. 5 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Flordia.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Former Irish wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. extends to make a catch in Notre Dame’s 30-27 win over Miami on Oct. 29.
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The observer | FRiday, april 21, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
INsider
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish junior wide receiver C.J. Sanders takes a hit from a Duke defender during Notre Dame’s 38-35 loss to the Blue Devils on Sept. 24 at Notre Dame Stadium. The contest against Duke was one of Notre Dame’s seven losses by one possession in the 2016 season. Overall, eight games the Irish played came down to the final possession. Paid Advertisement