College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Notre Dame Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-2
Head Coach: Brian Kelly, 11th year, 92-37
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 13
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 12
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 15
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Irish offense averaged 431 yards and 37 points per game, the running game was solid, and the team went on a roll over the back part of the season after surviving the Virginia Tech battle.
And now offensive coordinator Chip Long is an assistant for Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, and he’ll likely be a head coach somewhere soon.
CFN in 60 Video: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
In steps Tommy Rees, the 28-year-old former Irish quarterback and the QB coach over the last few seasons to run the O. The passing game was efficient, but it has to do a bit more consistent. When it worked, everything else seemed to click.
Getting back Ian Book under center after throwing for over 6,000 yards with 57 touchdowns with 17 picks – hitting 64% of his throws – with eight scoring runs is fantastic.
He might have had a few down moments in big games – he threw six interceptions last year with two in three games, including the loss to Georgia – but he’s been a bit better than he gets credit for.
Phil Jurkovec is not at Boston College, so the spotlight will be on redshirt freshman Brendon Clark and on the way is star recruit Drew Pyne. The depth has to be developed, but it’s Book or bust.
– Can Jafar Armstrong stay healthy? The 6-1, 220-pound junior was able to make a 13 catches and run for 122 yards, but he was never able to get going.
The talent is there for Armstrong to be the No. 1 running back, but he’ll split time with sophomore C’Bo Flemister, who took on a bigger role over the second half of last year and finished with five scores. Throw in sophomore Jahmir Smith and Stanford transfer Trevor Speights, and the Irish have backs – it might take a few games to come up with the right guy.
No matter who has the ball, he’ll have one of the nation’s better lines to run behind.
Liam Eichenberg isn’t the nation’s best offensive tackle – that’s Oregon’s Penei Sewell – but he’s a franchise NFL talent still in college. He’s so good that junior Robert Hainsey gets overshadowed on the other side – the Irish are more than set at tackle.
Tommy Kraemer is a future NFL guard, sophomore Jarrett Patterson is a future NFL center, and overall, the front five is going to be fantastic.
– It’s a bit of a panic siren to suggest that the Irish receiving corps could be the team’s biggest early problem, but losing the top four targets – including Pittsburgh Steeler WR Chase Claypool and new Chicago Bear TE Cole Kmet – isn’t a positive.
Braden Lenzy is the team’s leading returning receiver after catching 11 passes for 254 yards and two scores – he averaged over 23 yards per catch as a fun, fast, big play talent – and Lawrence Keys returns after making 13 grabs, but the jobs are open for Northwestern transfer Ben Skowronek and super-recruit Jordan Johnson to take over roles right out of the gate.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defense 3 Things To Know
– Defensive coordinator Clark Lea put together a strong group last year – the Irish finished 18th in the nation allowing 322 yards and 18 points per game – but the run defense was just okay, the pass rush was hit-or-miss, and there was a huge problem at coming up with stops in the red zone. More on that last one a little later.
Four key parts were lost to the NFL Draft, but overall this should be another strong group as long as the line can quickly replace Jamir ones, Julian Okwara, and Khalid Kareem on the ends.
It starts with needing and hoping for Daelin Hayes to be back to 100% after missing most of last year with a shoulder injury. The 6-4, 266-pounder has the upside to lead the team in sacks, and then it’s up to senior Adetokunbo Ogundeji to rise up on the other side.
The ends won’t be as good, but they’ll be fine. The interior is rock-solid with 6-3, 285-pound junior Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and 6-2, 295-pound junior Kurt Hinish holding things down on the inside. They’re not flashy, but they’re good, with the hope of 2019 star recruit Jacob Lacey to rise up as an interior pass rusher.
– Leading tackler and sacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is back in a hybrid role on the outside where he’s able to roam free and make big things happen, and 6-0, 230-pound Drew White is back in the middle after tying with Owusu-Koramoah with 80 stops. Those two are set, with several options – 233-pound sophomore Jack Lamb and 228-pound junior Jordan Genmark-Heath at the top of the list – looking to fill out the other outside spot.
– The Irish didn’t play all that many teams that threw the ball all over the yard, but they did face Kedon Slovis and the USC attack, Jake Fromm, and Bryce Perkins from Virginia, and they still managed to finish third in the nation in pass defense and fifth in pass efficiency D. Nine of the 13 touchdown passes were were allowed in four games.
This group was terrific, and now it has to undergo a bit of an overhaul.
Sophomore Kyle Hamilton is a big-time playmaker at one safety job, making 41 tackles with four interceptions with six broken up passes. Junior Houston Griffith has waited his turn, and now it’s his strong safety job. Add in Ohio Stat transfer Isaiah Pryor, and this should grow into a strength.
The corners are a bit more of a concern with a battle for the two spots. There’s a ton of young talent with Isaiah Rutherford and TaRiq Bracy two good prospects, and NC State transfer Nick McCloud will get a long look.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Notre Dame Fighting Irish Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Notre Dame Fighting Irish Players
Best Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offensive Player
OT Liam Eichenberg, Sr.
He might not be quite the pro prospect of other recent Irish star tackles like Mike McGlinchey, Zack Martin or Ronnie Stanley, but the 6-6, 305-pounder is still a first round prospect who might creep his way into the top 15 with another great year.
He hass been the starter on the left side over the last few seasons, growing into a rock in pass protection. The Irish allowed just 16 sacks on the season, and Eichenberg didn’t give up any of them.
2. QB Ian Book, Sr.
3. OT Robert Hainsey, Sr.
4. OG Tommy Kraemer, Sr.
5. C Jarrett Patterson, Soph.
Best Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Player
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sr.
Safety Kyle Hamilton is growing into a star who could end up being the best defensive player of the bunch, and Daelin Hayes might rise up into a killer of a pass rusher now that he’s back, but the 6-1, 216-pound Owusu-Koramoah is the do-it-all playmaker coming off a dominant season.
In at the Rover position, he tied for the team lead with 80 tackles, led the way with 5.5 sacks, and came up with 13.5 tackles for loss with four broken up passes. He closed out with a destruction of Iowa State in the bowl win – nine tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss – and it’s all about to continue.
2. S Kyle Hamilton, Soph.
3. DE Daelin Hayes, Sr.
4. LB Drew White, Sr.
5. DT Kurt Hinish, Sr.
For more on Notre Dame, check out FightingIrishWire
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offense
Run for 100 yards. Ian Book will keep the offense moving through the air, but he gets far too much blame for not being able to come up with with really big win in the really big games.
The bigger issue against the top teams – at least in the losses – has been the absence of the ground attack.
Notre Dame has won its last 23 games when it gets to the 100-yard mark – the last loss was to Stanford at the end of the 2017 season.
When it doesn’t get to 100? It’s 1-8 – it beat Pitt two years ago when running for 80 yards – since beating Michigan early in the 2014 season when running for 54.
Run well, control the game, win.
Biggest Key To The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defense
Stop teams inside the 20. The 2018 Irish defense allowed offenses to score just 75% of the time inside of the red zone, and out of that only allowed touchdowns 53% of the time. The 2017 D allowed points on 79% of the deep drives and gave up TDs a mere 52% of the time.
In 2019, offense only came away empty on one trip – New Mexico in the 66-14 loss – in 30 chances in the red zone, and scored touchdowns a not-that-bad 57% of the time.
It’s a little bit nitpicky, but it’s also the potential difference between a very good ten-win season, and being nearly perfect and in the mix for the College Football Playoff.
Georgia got inside the 20 three times against the Irish, can came away with two touchdowns and a field goal. Michigan got there five times, and scored four touchdowns – those were the two losses.
To push this further, the Irish are 2-9 in their last 11 games – going back to 2015 – when allowing three or more red zone TDs.
Key Notre Dame Fighting Irish Player To A Successful Season
CB TaRiq Bracy, Soph.
And redshirt freshmen Isaiah Rutherford and KJ Wallace. The corners have to step up and shine in place of Donte Vaughn and new Carolina Panther Troy Pride to boost up what was one of the nation’s top pass defenses.
The safeties will be okay – if not great – but a lockdown corner has to emerge from the pack. The 5-10, 170-pound Bracy made 34 tackles and broke up seven passes, and he has the quickness and skills to do a whole lot more in the bigger role.
Assume that if he’s great – or if one of the other corners is fantastic – the secondary won’t miss much of a beat, if at all.
Key Game To The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Season
Clemson, Nov. 7
Catholics vs. Clemson might just be the gateway game to the College Football Playoff.
There regular season finale at USC is a problem, and going to Green Bay to face Wisconsin is a BIG problem, but as long as there aren’t mistakes made at Pitt or at home against an improved Stanford, the Irish might just be 8-0 – or 7-1 at worst – when Clemson rolls into South Bend for the first time since 1979 – a 16-10 Tiger win.
If the Irish go 12-0, they’re in the CFP. It they’re 11-1 with a win over what should either be the No. 1 or No. 2 Tigers, they’ll be knocking on the door.
– Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Notre Dame Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Notre Dame 111 – Opponents 44
– Sacks: Notre Dame 34 for 221 yards – Opponents 15 for 80 yards
– Red Zone Scores: Opponents 29-of-30 (97%) – Opponents 51-of-55 (93%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
There’s nothing boring and there’s nothing to sneeze at when your program is coming up with ten or more wins on a consistent basis.
2020 Notre Dame is absolutely going to be good enough to pull off the win over Clemson in South Bend if everything goes right. It’s absolutely going to be good enough to win at USC and slug its way past Wisconsin. However …
It absolutely could also lose at Pitt or get tripped up by an improved Stanford or Louisville.
But once again, the lines are going to be terrific, the skill guys are solid, and the defense should somewhat quietly be among the nation’s best again. Throw in the luxury – especially this year – of a multi-year returning starting quarterback in Ian Book – along with a few games to getting up to speed with a relatively light first several games – and there’s a whole lot to like.
Set The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Regular Season Win Total At … 10
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 9
Clemson, at USC, against Wisconsin in Green Bay. Figure on at least one loss among those three games. If you really believe the Irish can pull off two, then after the fact, hitting the ten-win regular season mark will seem like it should’ve been a lot more obvious.
But the Friends With Benefits deal with the ACC is nastier than normal because of that game with Clemson. The conference is better this time around, and there are just enough landmines to be concerned.
But overall, the schedule just isn’t that bad.
The last time Notre Dame was able to get to ten wins or more in five of six seasons – which is highly possible and likely after this year? 1988 to 1993.
In terms of bulk wins, Brian Kelly is on one of the best runs in school history – even if there’s no national title to show for it.
Another terrific season and great bowl appearance might not be enough for some Irish fans ready for the program to be CFP-champion good, but with four double-digit win seasons in the last five, being in the club with the Penn States, Oklahomas, and Wisconsins of the college football world is impressive.
This year, though – considering all of the crazy X factors in what should be the most insane of all seasons – having the veterans and talent in place like this Irish will bring might just be enough to knock on the door of the VIP room.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
