Since the legendary Lou Holtz left Notre Dame in 1996, the Notre Dame football program has been lacking–in 10 win seasons, major bowl wins, wins against top 25 teams–pretty much anything that resembles a top football program. They’ve had pockets of good play, but nothing that was lasting, which is the hallmark of a winning program. The best programs in college football are good year after year, no matter who is playing for them or has recently left. The Alabama’s, the Ohio State’s, you know who I’m talking about. This is what Notre Dame has been searching for–not just the elusive national championship–but a year in and year out program where fans know that they will be a serious contender at the end of the season. Head coach Brian Kelly is finally on the brink of such a distinction, arguably for the second time.
Every Notre Dame fan, heck even the casual football fan, knows what has gone on within the Notre Dame program since the 2012 national championship game debacle against Alabama. The program was in a perfect position to make a major national run in the following seasons. They had the red-shirt freshman quarterback, Everett Golson–who was exactly the type of player Kelly’s offense needed–lead them to the national title game, they’d signed a can’t miss recruit in Jaylon Smith to replace Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o at linebacker, and returned a number of key front seven players, as well as most of the offensive line. They had youth, talent, big game experience and a recent championship run on their side. Notre Dame was prime.
What followed was a series of events that, frankly, sounds made up, and is spearheaded by the media darling and fan favorite Te’o being embroiled in a catfishing scandal following the 2012 national title game. You’d have to think that if Kelly knew ahead of time the hurricane of issues that were going to plague him in the coming seasons, he’d have jumped at the NFL chance he flirted with following the 2012 season. All of the reasons to not become the Notre Dame head coach were represented; starting quarterback kicked out of school for academic dishonesty, and five starters kicked out of school for more academic issues that are still ambiguous, all things that are extremely unlikely at other “football powers.” He had two seasons hijacked before they even started.
The 2015 season seemed more of the same as far his horrible bad luck. Two starters lost to injury in fall camp, another in the first game, and finally the starting quarterback in the third quarter of the second game. In all, 17 total front line players were lost for the season due to injury and with Nick Watkins filling in for the injured Devin Butler, who was filling in for the injured KeiVarae Russell, 38 different players will have started for Notre Dame this season.
Yet, through all of that, Notre Dame was an excellent football team in 2015. They won 10 games for the second time in Kelly’s tenure, were a phenomenal offense featuring an explosive running game and a blazer in receiver Will Fuller, and out-gained their two best opponents, Clemson and Stanford, by a combined 965-718. Ultimately, poor red zone offense, and turnovers (-4 against Clemson and Stanford) cost the Irish a spot in the College Football Playoff. Well, that and a wildly inconsistent defense that gave up points in bunches and was equally as poor in the red zone as the offense.
Through all of the aforementioned hardships, Brian Kelly built himself a heck of a football team, one that is set up to be a college football force for years to come. Lou Holtz always said that if you have two quarterbacks, then you don’t have any, a notion that Kelly debunked this season. Clearly the Irish had two quarterbacks who were capable of playing championship level football on the roster and assuming all players return next year, they’ll have the same luxury next season. In addition, both quarterbacks in Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer, have multiple years of eligibility remaining, not to mention true freshman Brandon Wimbush, who has looked dynamic in his limited time. The most important position in football looks to be a major strength for the Irish in the coming seasons.
Of Notre Dame’s 53 offensive touchdowns this year, 48 were scored by players with eligibility remaining next year, and even if you exclude Will Fuller and CJ Prosise who could opt for the NFL, that’s still 23 touchdowns scored by returning players. Additionally, all of Fuller’s touchdowns were thrown by Zaire and Kizer, who again, have multiple years of eligibility remaining. So deep are Notre Dame’s skill positions, third team running back Josh Adams ran for 760 yards and five touchdowns on 7.5 a carry in limited duty, which my well placed sources within the program confirm is really good. To put that in perspective, his yardage total would have led the team in 2013 and 2010.
His offensive line is stacked with depth, so much so that they will be considered a strength going into 2016, even though they lose a three year starter at center, and captain, in Nick Martin and, oh yeah, a potential top five pick at left tackle in Ronnie Stanley. Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts on the line have been outstanding and is so strong in it’s depth that it lost Matt Hegarty, who did not figure to start for Notre Dame, to Oregon, where he started every game at center. Kelly has shown that when he has a strong offensive line, he will lead with the run, and there is no reason to think he won’t have that going forward.
The defense is more problematic as it is long on talent and short on production, but they were good enough that if Notre Dame simply fixed it’s red zone touchdown and turnover issues on offense, they’d be undefeated and in the playoff. When the weakness of the team is 37th in total defense and 32nd in scoring defense, that’s not much of a weakness and certainly not something that can hold back an elite offense.
This was all six years in the making for Kelly, and in some ways he was forced to start over after losing quarterback Everett Golson to suspension in the spring of 2013. Notre Dame was painfully close in this, Kelly’s sixth season, so close that a play here or there prevented Notre Dame, and all of it’s flaws, from being in the top four and playing New Year’s Eve instead of New Year’s Day. Nevertheless, I would expect that most pundits to project Notre Dame to be a top 10 team next season, with some putting them into the playoff at the end of the season. In the current college football climate, that is all Notre Dame fans come hope for: a perennial top 10 team that will compete for a playoff spot year in and year out and Kelly has Notre Dame in position to do just that.
However, the goal is to win the national title and Notre Dame was on the brink of that this year and has been throughout Kelly’s tenure. They played championship caliber football against Clemson and Stanford, but they couldn’t finish. The same can be said for their play against Florida State last season, they were right there, but couldn’t find the final play to finish the Seminoles. The Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State is another opportunity for Kelly’s team to turn the corner and make a statement against one of the power schools of the last five seasons, and one of the power coaches of the last decade.
It is fitting that Kelly and Notre Dame can validate their stellar season against Meyer and the hated Buckeyes, as well as announce their legitimacy as a team going into 2016. Will Notre Dame finally kick down the door of a major program and coach, in a major bowl game that most expect them to lose? Will they get out of their own way and put the elusive complete game together? If they can do it, I’d consider it the best win of the Kelly era, including the 2012 road win at Oklahoma.
Regardless of what happens in the Fiesta Bowl, Kelly has certainly set Notre Dame up to be a major contender going forward, at a place where many didn’t think could happen again. Kelly has been a controversial figure in his time at Notre Dame, many even saw this season as make or break for him. To that I’d say a couple things: first, imagine the interest he’d generate in college football if for some reason he became available as a head coach. He’d be the hottest coach out there, by far. Second, much has been made about his counterpart in the Fiesta Bowl, Urban Meyer. Meyer is a top two coach in college football, no question, but the difference between Kelly and Meyer is Meyer had the chance to take on the challenge that is Notre Dame, and he passed. Kelly took it on and then stuck it out when things went bad. His perseverance has a chance to pay off in a big way against the man who didn’t even want to try.
They won’t ever win a national championship with Kelly. Good but just not great. Keeping bvg told me everything. He gave up on avg over two seasons 28 29 points a game.
Drop the hammer on these buckheads tomorrow and walk away with extreme satisfaction when it’s done oh mighty Notre Dame.
Happy New Years my fellow ND fans.
A new dawn is arising and it starts tomorrow!!
Zeke Elliot plays for Alabama?
“baetha breath,”
BK has done a great job upgrading the over-all quality of athletes on this team while not sacrificing any of ND’s academic standards. That’s not an easy job and he should be recognized for it.
However, by your own admission, ND would be playing in the POs if not for Red Zone O. That has been a problem throughout BK’s tenure at ND. It’s not just a one-season phenomenon, “bb”. BK and his staff have either been unwilling or unable to fix the problem for 5 years now. He has simply failed as an O guru on that front, and, as you say, “bb”, that has cost the Irish a PO spot this year (not to mention ugly defeats to sub-standard teams as well of late).
I give BK credit where credit is due. However, he has simply failed to get ND over the hump, in large measure because of poor O play, which is supposed to be his forte. Even if we spot him his first few seasons with Tommy Reese at QB, his team’s O play has left a lot of points off the scoreboard and thus wins off the record books.
This is BK’s chance to correct past errors and make up for his failures. A win against Ohio St. on Jan. 1 and a lot will be forgotten and forgiven (at least until next season). BK has a chance to re-write history tomorrow.
Go Irish!
In 24 hours (it’s currently 1:30pm EST) all the posturing will be done and the game will be on. I don’t take this game as just an opportunity to get in 8 more practices or to fine tune a red-zone offense. This game and ND’s showing could be a decision point for a recruit who is currently considering both programs. Hopefully he’s a MLB or a speedy, hard hitting safety or a great corner cover man. We can use all three next year. When Zeke Elliott was asked why, when growing up as a ND fan, he chose Alabama, he gave a one word answer…winning. Tomorrow we have to win. Happy New Year ND-ers!
I agree with the article. When you consider all the injuries, ND has done exceptionally well this year and is 6 points away from an undefeated season. In a way that’s more disappointing than if we were 10 pts away. We were so close. But at the beginning of the season I thought a 10 win season was necessary to be considered successful for BK. They achieved that with 2nd and 3rd string players in many key positions. I can’t very well back off my statement now. That would be hypocritical for me. Despite was some naysayers say, this bowl game is meaningful, not just for the players playing the game, but for the recruits. A good showing can push some recruits that are on the fence to our side (and conversely a bad loss could push them away). And you need recruits to win NC’s.
It is also interesting to note as Greg has the contrast between BK and Meyer. Meyer had a chance to coach ND and decided he didn’t want to take up the challenge of coaching ND, with all it’s academic requirements and expectations of it’s players. He decided to take a more straightforward (I would almost say easier) route of coaching Florida, where those expectations are not as high.
While I think the jury is still out on whether BK is an elite coach or not (I always felt a NC win was necessary for that), I think the potential is there and we are so close to the precipice. Since BK has taken over, we have slowly crawled out of the hole, we are almost there. I sincerely hope BK can get us to the top.
Why do North American paid writers and forum tykes continue to fail grammar? This very good article tainted by íts wrong use of its “it’s” is an indictment of American education. And its only only wrong perception is failing to see Golson totally out of his depth as a college quarterback.
Outside of the poor editing, and the notion that Golson was the right quarterback for Kelly’s offense, this is the best article I’ve read on this sight in a long time. As much as everyone wants to heap blame upon the defense, and it’s poor secondary play; the larger problem has been redzone turnovers. If it weren’t for the fumbles at the 2, and the interceptions within the 10, ND would be in the playoffs…even with the second year of crippling injuries.
Kelly has done exceptional work at ND.
Meyer passing on the pressure that is Notre Dame is just one of so many differences. Another example of the difference see Elliot v Redfield. One commits a crime and is playing the other breaks a team rule and is sent home. I guess committing crimes is not against team rules under Meyer.
It is easy to say that the college football landscape has changed from what it was in the back half of the 1990s. But it has changed. Yea Alabama is a perennial powerhouse at this point. But how many of those players could be equally successful both on the field and academically at Notre Dame.
There are still some schools out there have student athletes, but it seems most have far more who are studying to go pro in their respective sport. There is nothing wrong with that approach, but it slants the playing field just a bit.
With essentially no secondary, Mr Barrett is going to have a field day. Unfortunately my Irish go down by 20.
I give OUR Irish less-than-a-7-point chance of defeating Tosu. But that’s just me playing games with my own psychology. OF COURSE I want ND to win; I just don’t want to be AS disappointed if it doesn’t happen. Tosu are a fine team, I’m sure, and Urbie would have been a great ND-coach…20 years ago. (after Lou) But I’m all about THE NOW. And IN THE NOW, NotaDame not only has the coach with the most wins in college football, many of which were at a lesser-calibur division – which means BK knows where to focus his energy to be victorious, not to build his own resumé; IN THE NOW, BK is building the depth necessary (witness his year’s QB situation to determine necessity) to DOMINATE college football. And BK is buddies with THE grand-pooba Coach Belicheck. God, it’s good to be a ND fan, ain’t it?
so well said. every time there’s a bump in the road, i zoom out and do a big picture snapshot. every time, i am reassured that the program is in a great spot. and we’re doing it with an academic and ethical standard that is not applied at many other big time programs. well done, coach kelly.