Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
BY LOU SOMOGYI T he "year away" for Notre Dame is now here. Prior to the 2014 Notre Dame football sea- son, popular opinion was that the Fighting Irish could be top-15 to top-25 material, but their real run to a major bowl, and maybe even a play- off spot, would occur in 2015. That's because: • In 2014, the young Irish team would have to play road games at Flor- ida State, Arizona State and USC. This year, most of the marquee games — Texas, Georgia Tech and USC — are at home. Plus, Stanford and Clemson, both on the road, are having huge rebuilding years on defense. • No team in a Power Five conference has more starters returning from a bowl game than Notre Dame, which has 19 of a possible 22 on offense and defense. That's not even including cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who had 26 straight starts in 2012-13 but was sidelined from football in 2014. • Almost every projected starter on the team is a junior, senior or fifth- year senior. The lone exception is left guard, where sophomores Quenton Nelson and Alex Bars are vying for the top spot, although head coach Brian Kelly says both will play. • Vital mainstays on both sides of the line — left tackle Ronnie Stanley and defensive tackle Sheldon Day — elected to return for their senior season rather than head to the NFL last winter. A year earlier, the Irish suffered huge setbacks when defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt and tight end Troy Niklas both departed after their junior seasons. • The current junior class, led by linebacker Jaylon Smith on defense and wide receiver Will Fuller on offense, has the makings to be one of the two or three strongest at Notre Dame since 1990. Junior year is when college players begin to blossom. • During a 0-4 streak last November when the defense especially had to turn to more than a half-dozen freshmen to play significant roles, led by Mike linebacker Nyles Morgan, end Andrew Trumbetti and safety Drue Tranquill, the growing pains of 2014 were expected to reap a better payoff with seasoned depth in 2015. This also was thought to be the year that Notre Dame would have not one but two "starters" at quarterback in fifth-year senior Everett Golson and junior Malik Zaire, a luxury that is seldom seen. The transfer of Gol- No Power Five school has more starters back from a bowl game than Brian Kelly and Notre Dame, which returns 19 of 22 on offense and defense. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA 2015 SEASON PREVIEW The growing pains from 2014 are expected to pay off this season PREVIEW BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 21