Irish to throw Book at rivals
QB returns, but without his top weapons
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly always will have to live under the shadow of some of college football’s coaching greats. Frank Leahy, Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz led the Fighting Irish to national championships.
But Kelly has managed to keep the program relevant in the modern era, leading the team to two perfect regular seasons (2012 and 2018), an appearance in the BCS national championship game and a spot in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2019 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
Notre Dame
Brian Kelly (81-35, entering 10th season; 134-57 overall) 12-1, independent
Notre Dame mounted an impressive run in 2018, with the Fighting Irish posting an undefeated regular season for the second time in nine years under Kelly. Six of the 12 wins were by 10 or fewer points, with four of those victories coming at Notre Dame Stadium. The team qualified for its first appearance in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, facing off against Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers, however, handed the Irish their only loss of the season on their way to winning the national championship. 3 5
8
QB Brandon Wimbush, RB Dexter Williams, WR Miles Boykin, TE Alize Mack, OL Sam Mustipher, LB Te’von Coney, LB Drue Tranquill, DB Julian Love, DT Jerry Tillery, DT Jonathan Bonner, S Nick Coleman
QB Ian Book, WR Chase Claypool, WR Chris Finke, TE Cole Kmet, OL Liam Eichenberg, OL Aaron Banks, OL Tommy Kraemer, OL Robert Hainsey, DB Alohi Gilman, DB Jalen Elliott, LB Asmar Bilal, DB Troy Pride, DE Julian Okwara
The emergence of Ian Book at quarterback changed the dynamic of Notre Dame’s offense last season. The Fighting Irish seemed energized when Kelly inserted Book into the lineup after the third game of the season, with the team averaging more than 37 points per game during the remaining nine regular-season games. Book completed more than 68% of his 314 passing attempts for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Notre Dame’s roster features four offensive linemen who started last season, led by Tommy Kraemer (21 career starts) and tackles Liam Eichenberg (14) and Robert Hainsey (13). The biggest concern is replacing veteran center Sam Mustipher, a three-year starter for the Irish.
Book and the Irish must deal with the departures of their top receiving threat in Miles Boykin (872 yards, eight touchdowns) and top rusher in Dexter Williams (995 yards, 12 touchdowns). Seniors Chase Claypool (639 yards, four touchdowns) and Chris Finke (571 yards, two touchdowns) were the top targeted receivers outside of Boykin and are expected to play bigger roles in the offense.
Tony Jones Jr. (392 yards, three touchdowns) and Jafar Armstrong (383 yards, seven touchdowns) were the primary backups to Williams last season, with both earning spot starts during the year. Armstrong is a converted receiver whose versatility could help Book.
Last season, defensive coordinator Clark Lea worked with nine returning starters who were part of a 10-win team in 2017. The unit ranked in the top 30 in the nation in total defense.
This year, Lea will have just six starters back.
Offsetting the loss of linebackers Te’von Coney (123 tackles) and Drue Tranquill (86 tackles) in the middle of the defense will be a priority.
The secondary returns three starters, led by Alohi Gilman (95 tackles) and Jalen Elliott (four interceptions), but it must make up for the experience of Julian Love (16 pass breakups), who was one of six Notre Dame players selected in the 2019 NFL draft.
Notre Dame hasn’t put together three consecutive double-digitwin seasons since 1991-93 under Holtz. The Irish consistently were ranked among the top five teams in the country during each of those three seasons.
Getting to a College Football Playoff semifinal last season was a huge step toward getting the program back among elite programs. But it also proved there is little room for the Irish to slip up, requiring a perfect regular season to earn the spot.
There is enough returning talent and athleticism to make another serious run, but with so little room for error and a schedule that features road contests against Georgia, Michigan and Stanford, another playoff berth seems unlikely.