Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 153 1. 30-13 at Oklahoma, 2012: Notre Dame's road win over then-No. 8 Oklahoma was significant, and the 2012 class made its presence felt in the victory. Cornerback KeiVarae Russell made nine tackles, and his coverage helped hold the down the potent OU passing attack. Defensive end Romeo Okwara had a sack and a forced fumble, and defensive tackle Sheldon Day was part of a line that held Okla- homa to just 15 rushing yards. Notre Dame controlled much of the game, but the Sooners tied it up 13-13 with 9:10 left in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing series, wide receiver Chris Brown hauled in a 50-yard reception. Notre Dame scored a touchdown five plays later and put Oklahoma away. 2. 22-13 at USC, 2012: The Trojans were all that stood between Notre Dame and the BCS National Championship Game, which made this a momentous victory. Day was part of a line that held USC to just 95 rushing yards, but Russell had the biggest impact in the game from the 2012 class. Along with then-junior corner Ben- nett Jackson, Russell helped keep USC's vaunted wide receivers in check, holding the Trojans to just 186 passing yards. Russell's late second-quarter interception ended a USC drive, and the Irish offense turned the pick into a field goal that gave Notre Dame a 16-10 halftime lead. 3. 17-13 vs. Michigan State, 2013: Michigan State finished the 2013 season with a 13-1 record, and its lone loss was to Notre Dame. Safety Elijah Shumate tied a then-career high with five tackles. Day, Okwara and Jar- ron Jones were part of a defense that held Michigan State to just 254 yards of offense. Russell came up big late, breaking up three passes in the fourth quarter, including two on third down, stalling Michigan State's attempt at a comeback. 4. 41-31 vs. USC, 2015: Anytime Notre Dame can beat USC it is big, and the 2012 class had a major impact in this win. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley dominated, fueling a ground attack that went for 214 yards. Running back C.J. Prosise was the primary beneficiary, rushing for 143 yards and a pair of scores. Day finished with four stops, and Okwara had two tackles for loss and a sack in the fourth quarter. With Notre Dame leading 38-31 in the fourth quarter, Russell, who posted 10 tackles, stepped in front of Trojans wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to intercept a Cody Kessler pass. The Irish offense turned that turnover into a field goal to ice the game. 5. 13-6 vs. Michigan, 2012: The 2012 class first announced itself in Notre Dame's 13-6 home victory over the Wolverines, the first time it had beaten its rival under head coach Brian Kelly. Russell made a pair of tackles and picked off a pass, but two other defenders made an even bigger splash. Michigan was in the midst of a 12-play drive, reach- ing the Irish 10-yard line, when safety Nicky Baratti stepped in front of a half- back pass and picked it off, keeping Michigan off the board. Leading 13-3 late in the fourth quarter Notre Dame was trying to keep Michi- gan off the board. On third- and-goal, Day came away with a sack, forcing a field goal attempt. 1. Jarron Jones vs. Miami, 2016 Jones had a truly dominant performance against Miami, helping lead an Irish defense that held the Hurricanes to just 18 rushing yards on 35 attempts. Jones got started right away, making a three-yard tackle for loss on the first defensive snap and bringing down Miami running back Mark Walton for a five-yard loss just two plays later. He finished the game with six tackles for loss, earn- ing him Football Writers Association of America National Defensive Player of the Week honors. 2. C.J. Prosise vs. Georgia Tech, 2015 Prosise fueled Notre Dame's 30-22 victory over the Yellow Jackets, setting career highs with 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns. A 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave Notre Dame a 13-7 halftime lead, and he added a one-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Prosise put the game away with a 91-yard touchdown blast midway through the fourth quarter. At the time, it was the longest touchdown run by an Irish player in Notre Dame Stadium. 3. Sheldon Day vs. Temple, 2015 Day did a little bit of everything in Notre Dame's 24-20 win over Temple. He broke up a pass on third down after dropping back into coverage, and on Temple's open- ing drive of the third quarter he sacked quarterback P.J. Walker to end the drive. Day finished the game with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and one pass broken up. 4. Ronnie Stanley vs. USC, 2015 The Irish rode Stanley's dominance all game, rushing for 121 yards on 13 attempts behind him and 87 yards on inside zone plays away from him, where he was responsible for han- dling the cutback lane. He also did not allow a sack in the game. 5. Chris Brown vs. Boston College, 2015 Notre Dame was 9-1 and needed to beat Boston College to keep its playoff run alive, and Brown helped push the Irish to victory, catching six passes for a career-high 104 yards. Four of his six receptions went for first downs, and his 12-yard touchdown grab put Notre Dame up 16-3 late in the third quarter. Brown out-jumped cornerback Josh Johnson, a 2017 third-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, for the touchdown. Sheldon Day — Jacksonville Jaguars, fourth round, No. 103 overall, 2016 C.J. Prosise — Seattle Seahawks, third round, No. 90 overall, 2016 KeiVarae Russell — Kansas City Chiefs, third round, No. 74 overall, 2016 Ronnie Stanley — Baltimore Ravens, first round, No. 6 overall, 2016 Year-By-Year Record 2012: 12-1, BCS National Championship Game vs. Alabama (L, 42-14). Final Rankings: Associated Press No. 3, Coaches No. 4 2013: 9-4, Pinstripe Bowl vs. Rutgers (W, 29- 16). Final Rankings: AP No. 24, Coaches No. 20 2014: 8-5, Music City Bowl vs. LSU (W, 31- 28). Final Rankings: AP unranked, Coaches unranked 2015: 10-3, Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State (L, 44- 28). Final Rankings: AP No. 12, Coaches No. 11 2016: 4-8. Final Rankings: AP unranked, Coaches unranked Final Grade: C The 2012 class produced a pair of first-team All-Americans, a 1,000-yard rusher, one of the program's most clutch defensive backs and three defensive linemen that are earning NFL paychecks. It was a successful class in many ways, with the Irish advancing to a major bowl game and the BCS National Championship Game. However, the class' success will have to be weighed against the lack of depth it provided the roster and the fact it lost so many of its top players. After switching positions three times, C.J. Prosise found his home at running back and rushed for 1,029 yards as a senior. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS Top Five Individual Performances Of The 2012 Class Top Five Wins For The 2012 Class NFL Draft Picks