2016 Notre Dame Football Preview

2016 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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20 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2016 Season Preview Back-to-back double-digit win totals are reachable in 2016 If Notre Dame can reach double-digit victories in 2016, it will be able to celebrate achieving that feat in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-93. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA BY LOU SOMOGYI I n the six years from 1988‑93, Notre Dame achieved a minimum of 10 victories five times, including 12 wins twice and 11 in 12 games a third time. In the 22 seasons hence from 1994‑2015, the double‑digit total has been accomplished only four times. The good news for the Irish is that two of them came in the last four seasons: 12‑1 in 2012 and 10‑3 in 2015, a sign of at least some up‑ swing toward better consistency and national relevance. Now, seventh‑year head coach Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish will attempt to post a minimum of 10 wins in consecutive years for the first time since the three straight campaigns from 1991‑93. Projected as a preseason top‑15 team, the Irish know it's plau‑ sible to reach that level. Las Vegas has set Notre Dame's over/ under regular‑season win total in 2016 at 9.5. The only teams with higher numbers are Clemson and Boise State at 10.5, and then Alabama and LSU, Michigan and Oklahoma each at 10. Even more impressive for Notre Dame would be avoiding a three‑loss season. The only time that has been achieved in the past 22 years is 2012. On paper, the 2016 Notre Dame team does not appear as primed to fulfill that objective (and more) like in 2015. Other than the nose guard tandem of freshman Jerry Tillery and sopho‑ more Daniel Cage, plus Quenton Nelson at left guard, 20 of the 22 starters on offense and defense at the start of last season were mainly seniors and juniors. That quickly changed with a bevy of injuries that forced younger players into the lineup, most notably sophomore quar‑ terback DeShone Kizer halfway through the second game. The benefit might be that it will aid the 2016 lineup that has to replace game‑changing talents such as linebacker Jaylon Smith and wide receiver Will Fuller, who took their skills to the NFL after their junior years. The schedule does not feature any one team other than maybe USC in the finale that is expected to be favored over the Irish, although Notre Dame does face at least a half dozen with the capability to pull off an upset special. Here are some of the pervading themes and storylines from a cursory perspective entering 2016:

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