A perfect storm of anticipation and high expectations has left The Rover’s sports editor excited for Notre Dame football.
If you are like me, the longer than necessary NFL lockout and the stream of historic NCAA football teams falling to compliance violations has made me yearn for Notre Dame football to start again. Combined with the strong finish to the season last year, and the fact that I was abroad last semester, I cannot wait.
As a lifelong Phillies fan (or phan, to be more precise), I spent the summer watching winners, and I am expecting fall to go the same way. While the past two years and the beginning of last year disappointed my preseason confidence, I have reason to believe that this year is going to be an exciting one. With another year under the Kelly system and in Longo training sessions, the Irish are poised to build on the successes with which they finished last season.
Here are the three main things I want to see this season:
Better redzone play from Crist: One of the redeeming qualities of the Weis era was that beautiful fade pass into the endzone from Clausen to Tate. I like Dayne Christ as quarterback, but he needs to get more touch on that fade pass. With a big receiver like Floyd in the endzone, there will be no stopping him if Crist can throw the jump-ball pass that connected Clausen and Tate so many times.
Better run game: Even though Hughes came alive late in the season, the Irish run game left something to be desired. This year I want to see Wood and Gray take a larger role in the offense. Christ, provided he can stay healthy, should add some mobility that Rees has not yet developed.
Tough defensive front: This is the area that I am most excited about. Kelly brought in some huge defensive recruits that should start contributing early. Combine that with returning guys like Shembo, Te’o, and Nix, and I am expected pressure on the opposing quarterback early and often.
Overall I like where Brian Kelly is taking the program. After just one year at the helm, it is evident that the attitude of Notre Dame football is changing. Perhaps more telling is the fact that at the end of last season, the team picked up steam instead of slowing down with evident exhaustion. Instead of ending the season with losses to Syracuse and Connecticut, the Irish finished last season on a four game winning streak, including noteworthy wins over Utah, USC, and Miami. It would be nice to keep up the strong play late in the season, as we finish the year at Stanford.
While I am expecting great success for the Irish this season, one thing that is not going to make an undefeated season easy is the schedule. Even though we have a number of games in which we should be heavy favorites, there are no cupcake games like the ones other elite programs play before entering their conference schedule. There are a number of tough games on the Irish’s agenda that could turn into heart-breaking losses. While I go into every season believing that the Irish can go undefeated (like the late Harry Kalas, I have high hopes), I see no reason why Notre Dame cannot get to ten wins and challenge for a BCS bid.
Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention a staple of the Notre Dame football experience, the marching band. Set to officially accept the Sudler Trophy for band excellence at the Air Force game, the band has proven to be among the nation’s elite despite the recent ups and downs with the football team.
Overall there is plenty to be excited about this coming season. The sky is the limit for a team of veterans led by a coach who has instilled new life into one of college’s most historic programs. In the words of Rocket Ismail, “Let’s go get it!”
Mike Johnson is looking forward to a fall semester of Irish football, Phillies playoff baseball, and the Eagles “Dream Team.” He can be reached at mjohn