UHND begins the final installment of its three-part series predicting Notre Dame’s season. Last week the heart of the schedule was previewed with the Fighting Irish leaving October with a 6-2 record after defeating Clemson, Navy and Temple, but falling short against rival USC.
How will Notre Dame end its 2015 campaign?
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Panthers took yet another spin on the coaching carousel this offseason with the departure of Paul Chryst, who moved on to Madison to coach his alma mater, Wisconsin. In steps longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, one of the most coveted assistant coaches in the nation.
Narduzzi will be aided on the offensive side of the ball by two of the best playmakers in the country. All-American running back James Connor racked up 1,765 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns last season, leading the Panthers to the No. 15 rushing attack in the nation. And preventing opposing defenses from loading the box is wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who hauled in 78 passes for 1,261 yards. What stopped the Panthers from having one of the nation’s very best offenses in 2014 was questionable play from the offensive line, as well as quarterback Chad Voytik. However, the light bulb may have gone off for Voytik, as the Panthers caught fire offensively toward the end of the season.
The Panthers return a mid-level defense that lost its two leading tacklers in linebackers Anthony Gonzalez and Todd Thomas. But Pat Narduzzi is a defensive savant and should have an instant impact on that side of the ball.
Prediction
Narduzzi was an excellent defensive coordinator but how will he fare as a head coach? That is the question every Pitt fan is likely asking themselves heading into the fall. The Panthers have the potential to have a dangerous offensive attack, but Notre Dame is actually better suited to stop pro-style offenses (it’s hard to forget Notre Dame’s 3-1 record against Narduzzi’s Michigan State squad since Brian Kelly’s arrival). Notre Dame can afford to let star cornerback KeiVarae Russell loose on Tyler Boyd, which allows an extra safety to drop into the box to bottle up James Connor.
It’s never easy when Notre Dame faces Pitt, but the Irish come out on top.
Result: Notre Dame 30, Pittsburg 21
Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest
Arguably no one is looking forward to the start of a new year more than Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson. Clawson, entering his second season with the Demon Deacons, oversaw a 3-9 team with one of the worst offenses in the nation. Wake Forest surrendered more sacks than any other program with 48, and had a passing and rushing attack that both failed to crack the top 100 offensively. Making matters worse, Wake Forest lost two of its starting offensive linemen and intends to play three redshirt freshmen.
The Demon Deacons defense was the only true positive for the team, and it returns a front seven with potential. Linebackers Brandon Chubb and Marquel Lee – one of the better pairs in the ACC – combined for 210 tackles last season, but Wake Forest lost both starting cornerbacks and their combined 84 starts.
Prediction
The last time both teams met Wake Forest was completely outclassed en route to a 38-0 defeat. This contest could be headed for a similar result. Wake Forest’s offense is nearly historically poor, and the defense will be unable to handle Notre Dame’s talent, particularly along the offensive line. If there is a game this season where backups could play, this should be the one.
Notre Dame easily defeats Wake Forest and rides a three-game winning streak.
Result: Notre Dame 45, Wake Forest 7
Notre Dame at Boston College (Fenway Park)
Head coach Steve Addazio may be coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons, but his blueprint for success is evident. The Eagles finished No. 14 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 255 yards on the ground per game. Defensively, Boston College had the No. 11 overall defense and finished No. 2 in rushing defense, allowing less than 100 yards per game. But will the Eagles be able to keep those numbers up when only returning nine starters from last year?
There are two stories to the Boston College offense. The good news for Eagles fans is that they return the stable of running backs that made them one of the most prolific rushing attacks in the country last season. The bad news includes massive turnover. The Eagles will have a new offensive coordinator this season in Todd Finch after Ryan Day left to become the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. And Finch will have to break in a new starter in inexperienced quarterback Darius Wade, all while Boston College tries to replace all five of last year’s starters on the offensive line.
While the offense may endure growing pains, the defensive side of the ball will keep its dominant status quo. The strength of the Eagles team resides along its front seven, and five return from last year.
Prediction
Boston College is always a tough opponent for Notre Dame, and this matchup should be no different. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand’s unit will be in a battle all game long against the Boston College front, but the tipping point in this game will be found along the Boston College offensive line. Losing all five starters on the offensive line is never a good sign, but is a particularly negative development for a team whose offense is built around the running game.
An ugly win, but a win nonetheless.
Result: Notre Dame 24, Boston College 17
Notre Dame at Stanford
The general consensus was Stanford would level off after the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh. Entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Cardinal, the Stanford program is now made completely in David Shaw’s image. So was it a fluke that Stanford failed to win ten or more games for the first time in three years last season, or is the foundation beginning to crack in Palo Alto?
Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a rough 2014 campaign, but the ineffective passing attack was largely due to Stanford’s inability to lean on the running game as in past seasons. The expectation for 2015 is that former Notre Dame target Christian McCaffrey will fill the void and get Stanford’s running game going again, a development that could be a boon for a Cardinal offense returning four starters along the offensive line.
Stanford was a defensive superpower last season and finished in the top ten nationally in nearly every category. This fall won’t be much different, although the Cardinal do have some weaknesses that could be exploited. The defensive front is lacking in experience, and Stanford’s secondary has taken a hit. Cornerback Alex Carter left early for the NFL, Wayne Lyons transferred to Michigan, safety Jordan Richards graduated and playmaking safety Zach Hoffpauir departed after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prediction
Stanford is a trendy pick to make the College Football Playoff, and to an extent it makes sense. The Cardinal have become a perennial 10-win team, and with a rejuvenated rushing attack Stanford should be able to pound most of its opponents into submission.
But Notre Dame is going to field its most talented offensive line in over 20 years, and with quarterback Malik Zaire showing signs of being special, the Fighting Irish should be up to this challenge.
Notre Dame ends the season on a high note.
Result: Notre Dame 24, Stanford 20
Conclusion
Notre Dame wraps up the season with a 10-2 record. While not the season Notre Dame fans were hoping for, and likely not good enough to make the College Football Playoff, 2015 could still be a very successful season. Georgia Tech – one of the programs predicted to beat Notre Dame – is considered by many to be a dark horse to make the College Football Playoff, which would make for a quality loss. Additionally, there is a chance Stanford could be undefeated when Notre Dame rolls into town, and a victory over an undefeated Cardinal team would result in major momentum for the program heading into 2016.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has authored several nationally-featured articles, including an appearance on MSNBC as a sports contributor. He talks football 24 hours a day, much to the chagrin of his wife and those around him. Scott can be reached at scottjanssenhp@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter.
ND has a few assets vs Georgia Tech that it hasn’t had in years. First, an ability to suck up clock with the running game. Second, an unparalleled big play passing attack. Finally, finally… Defensive depth and speed. It’ll be a tough game, but my guess is we get them in the fourth. It’s their litmus test to be sure, but the last time our D looked this good, we smoked navy. Yes, GT is a different caliber, but we have the squad, and it’s been planned for since last season ended.
USC is the second big worry, but if we meet undefeated (and I think we will), the navy game won’t be the issue. We’ll walk over navy this year, and be playing into the 2 deep in the second half. The Trojans will be fighting for re-emerge after another overrated year. Nonetheless, they’ll still be leaning too heavily on youngsters, especially against the frustration of an efficient read option. They’ll put points on the board, but fail to keep up.
Stanford will be overrated again. We should be playing with one loss, or all the marbles. We stomp the guts out of a 2+ loss Cardinal, and the first talk of Shaw being on the hot seat begins, in tandem with the talk of Kelly going pro.
My call, 11-1 or 12-0. The hair on me balls stands on end at even being able to make such a prediction without being considered mentally ill.
GO IRISH!
Heard you the first time Jimmy
Jimbo
August 29, 2015 at 5:54 pm
ND finishes at 9-3 and another under achieving year under Kelly.
I actually expected 9-3 to be my prediction before writing this series, and I figured that third loss would be to Clemson. But after researching them a bit more, they’re a bit more vulnerable than I originally expected.
ND has a few 50-50 games this year. I could see the Clemson game going either way, just like the USC and Stanford games.
I guess time will tell. I hope we’re both wrong and it’s 12-0.
9-3 for the Irish.