2015-16 Football Previews – (Independent) – Fighting Irish
The Irish began their 2014 campaign with a 7-1 start, but after a barrage of injuries and a roster laden with inexperienced youth, Notre Dame dropped four out of its last five games, finishing the season with a disappointing 8-5 overall record.
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2015-2016 College Football Preview – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
NCAA Division I FBS American Independent Schools
Head Coach: Brian Kelly
2014-15 Record: 8-5
Notre Dame Fighting Irish odds to win the 2016 FBS Championship 20/1
Team Strengths
An experienced defense should pay dividends for head coach Brian Kelly, who will enter his sixth season in Notre Dame in 2015.
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The Irish return most of their defensive unit, which had its share of ups and downs in 2014, starting out the season by holding its first five opponents to 60 points, and afterward surrendering 319 points against its last eight foes.
A big part of that can be attributed to the loss of MVP linebacker Joe Schmidt, who missed the last five games of 2014 with a broken ankle. However, in his absence rose the likes of captain and defensive tackle Sheldon Day and linebacker Jaylon Smith, who lead the team with 112 tackles.
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The two ringleaders along with a few others in the front seven should give the Irish what they need to make an impact in 2015.
The return of cornerback KeiVarae Russell, along with Cole Luke, who tied for the team lead with four interceptions will also be a huge factor for Notre Dame.
Team Weaknesses
The Irish will embark upon the 2015 campaign without special teams all-purpose player Kyle Brindza, which will no doubt put added pressure on the offense to score more consistently.
And even though Notre Dame showed big improvement in 2014 in scoring and total offense, the challenge for Kelly will be maximizing his assets, beginning with his starting quarterback.
At this point, it is still uncertain who will actually get the nod at the position after Everett Golson transferred in early May. But it is probably safe to say that promising sophomore Malik Zaire will likely receive the starting job.
Nevertheless, whoever takes the snaps for the Irish this season, will get the added benefit of a veteran offensive line that is clearly the foundation upon which the Irish attack is built. An attack which will need to contend with some incoming freshman at skilled positions.
Kelly will face some challenges getting those young players into the mix, as well as contending with reliability among his receiving corps.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2015 Prediction: (10-3)
This year’s Fighting Irish football squad is probably the deepest and most well-versed group of athletes that Kelly has probably fielded since 2012 when the Irish played for the national title against Alabama.
If Kelly can push the right buttons to maximize Zaire’s talents at quarterback, along with being able to establish a dependable ground game, the Irish could seriously be playing in a bowl, if not contending for a another shot at the National Title.
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But more importantly, the defense will have to be at its best if this year’s team wants to remotely resemble the one from 2012 — the only team under Kelly’s direction that finished with fewer than four losses.
NOTRE DAME 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
09/05/15 vs. Texas 7:30 p.m.
09/12/15 at Virginia 3:30 p.m.
09/19/15 vs. Georgia Tech 3:30 p.m.
09/26/15 vs. Massachusetts 3:30 p.m.
10/03/15 at Clemson TBA
10/10/15 vs. Navy 3:30 p.m.
10/17/15 vs. USC 7:30 p.m.
10/31/15 at Temple TBA
11/07/15 at Pittsburgh TBA
11/14/15 vs. Wake Forest 3:30 p.m.
11/21/15 vs. Boston College 7:30 p.m.
11/28/15 at Stanford TBA
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