Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
22 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW son at the end of spring to Florida State was a setback. Nevertheless, for the first time in memory, Notre Dame actually was in a position at the end of this spring where it needed to cut back on scholarship players because it was slightly over the NCAA 85-man limit. The year away has arrived. Here are some of those 2015 themes: TOP FIVE GAMES 1. USC (Oct. 17) — The worst beating ever in this series was Notre Dame's 51-0 win at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1966 to clinch the national title — and the next year USC won at Notre Dame (24-7) to claim its own title. The 49-14 drubbing the Trojans administered on the Irish last year is tied for the second-worst loss in the Coliseum by either team — a humiliation from which the Irish will seek atonement. The prime-time showdown should answer whether the Irish will be a contender in November. 2. At Clemson (Oct. 3) — Notre Dame has fared well in marquee October road games under Kelly, highlighted by wins against Oklahoma (2012) and Arizona State (2013), and the controversial loss at Florida State last season. Clemson has had a reputation of gagging in big games, but in the past two years the Tigers recorded bowl wins against Ohio State and Oklahoma to finish No. 8 and No. 15, respectively, in the final poll. 3. Georgia Tech (Sept. 19) — A big- ger, stronger and faster version of Navy, the Yellow Jackets are coming off their best finish — No. 8 in the Associated Press poll — since winning a share of the national title in 1990. This game looms as the biggest threat to Notre Dame finishing unblemished in September in back-to-back years for the first time since 1987-90. 4. Texas (Sept. 5) — Second-year Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong is in a rebuilding process, but the last time a former Irish assistant opened the season at Notre Dame, Skip Holtz's South Florida Bulls pulled off the upset in 2011. Texas has Bye And Bye It looks like when it comes to facing Notre Dame, its 2015 opponents are saying, "Give me a break!" Six of the Notre Dame's final 10 opponents won't play on the Saturday prior to facing the Fighting Irish, including four of its six Atlantic Coast Conference foes. Clemson (Oct. 3), Wake Forest (Nov. 14) and Boston College (Nov. 21) all have a bye Saturday the week prior to facing Notre Dame. Meanwhile, consecutive meetings against USC (Oct. 17), at Temple (Oct. 31) and at Pitt (Nov. 7) all will have the opposition sitting out that previous Sat- urday because they will have a Thursday night game instead, with Pitt and USC at home in those tilts. Unlike the past two seasons, Notre Dame will have only one bye week, Oct. 24, after hosting USC the week prior. It will coincide with the fall mid-semester break from Oct. 17-25, meaning that the Irish players will have neither classes nor a game to prepare for that week, and likely will be able to travel home if wanted for a few days. It would be a far more enjoyable break with a win over USC. — Lou Somogyi Senior wide receiver/running back C.J. Prosise and the Irish will be out for revenge when USC comes to town Oct. 17, after suffering a 49-14 beatdown at the hands of the Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum a year ago. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA