2011 Notre Dame Football Predictions


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Notre Dame hired Brian Kelly with the thought in mind that he would eventually bring them a national championship. The Fighting Irish got off to a shaky start in his first year on the job, but rebounded nicely down the stretch to finish 8-5 on the season. Notre Dame would win its final four games, which included blowout victories over Utah, Army and Miami (FL), along with a huge road win at USC. This team now comes into the 2011 season with a ton of momentum and national championship aspirations.

The Irish are loaded with 17 returning starters. Their schedule gets a little easier this season as well, and there’s a chance that Notre Dame will be favored in every game they play. The exception might be a November 26th road game at Stanford in their regular season finale, a game that figures to have a lot on the line. Kelly is a proven winner and will not only have the Irish in the title hunt this season, but for years to come as well. Here is an outlook of their offense and defense, along with my prediction on where the Irish will finish among the Independents.

Offense:

Nine starters return to an offense that put up 26.3 points and 380 total yards/game in 2010. Notre Dame had two quarterbacks each throw for more than 1,000 yards last season, the first time that’s happened since 1983. Dayne Crist started the season and threw for 2,033 yards and 15 touchdowns to 7 interceptions before getting knocked out for the year against Tulsa with an injury. Tommy Rees stepped in and went 33-of-54 with 4 touchdowns in that contest, becoming the first Irish QB to have 4 TD’s in a game in relief. Rees would guide Notre Dame to a perfect 4-0 record to finish the season. He ended up with 1,106 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to 8 interceptions.

Despite Rees’ efforts, Christ was the more productive QB last year and will likely get the first crack as a junior this season. Also in the mix are freshmen Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson, two of the top recruits in the county. I would not be surprised to see Kelly use a QB rotation in 2011. He played four different QB’s in 2008 while leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to a Big East title.

Whoever is under center will have a plethora of talented skill position players to get the ball to. Sophomore RB Cierre Wood returns after leading the team in rushing (603 yards, 3 TD, 5.1/carry) last season. The Irish did not produce a 100-yard rusher in any game last season, the first time that’s happened since 1971. I like Wood’s chances of topping that mark at least a few times in 2011, and pushing for 1,000 yards by season’s end. Also in the mix for carries is speedy senior Jonas Gray and talented redshirt freshman Cameron Roberson.

At receiver, the Irish welcome back their top three pass catchers from a year ago. Senior Michael Floyd is one of the best in the country. Floyd led the Irish with 79 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Junior Theo Riddick (414 yards, 3 TD) was their second-leading receiver and will start opposite Floyd. Sophomore TJ Jones (306 yards, 3 TD) moves into a starting role at WR this year. The Irish will miss the departed TE Kyle Rudolph (second-round pick Minnesota Vikings), but sophomore Tyler Eifert (352 yards, 2 TD) was actually their most productive TE and is ready to fill his shoes.

Notre Dame is known for having a dominant offensive line year in and year out. This unit underachieved a bit last season, paving the way for just 127 rushing yards/game on 4.0/carry while allowing 20 sacks. While they lose LG Chris Stewart (3-year starter), they bring back nine of their top ten linemen from 2010. With 63 career starts among them and a year of experience under Kelly’s new system, this unit is primed for a big 2011 campaign.

Defense:

Eight starters are back on defense from a unit that allowed just 20.2 points and 357 total yards/game. Their play on this side of the ball is the biggest reason for Notre Dame’s strong finish last year. The Irish only allowed a combined 39 points (9.8/game) during their 4-game winning streak to close out the season. They welcome back their top six tacklers and eight of their top nine overall. As good as they were a year ago, the Irish are set up to be even better on defense in 2011.

It all starts up front where Notre Dame allowed 142 rushing yards/game on 4.0/carry while registering 27 sacks. Their defensive line was a big reason for the improved play, and they return five of their top six up front. The lone loss is a big one, though, as NG Ian Williams (38 tackles, 3.5 for loss) was very productive last year despite missing four games. Junior NG Sean Cwynar (33 tackles, 3 for loss) takes his place. Senior DE Ethan Johnson (34 tackles, 6 for loss) and junior DE Kapron Lewis-Moore (62 tackles, 2.5 for loss) return to their starting positions. Kelly brought in perhaps the best DE crop in the nation with three very highly touted signees, including spring standout Aaron Lynch.

At linebacker, Notre Dame welcomes back three starters to their new 3-4 scheme. They are junior ILB Manti Te’O (#1 tackler, 133 tackles, 9.5 for loss), sophomore ILB Carlo Calabrese (#5 tackler, 60 tackles, 5 for loss) and senior OLB Darius Fleming (49 tackles, 11 for loss). Sophomore Prince Shembo (15 tackles, 5 for loss) is ready to start at OLB. Led by third-team All-American Te’O, this unit should show continued improvement in 2011.

Notre Dame’s biggest weakness last season was the play of their secondary, where they allowed 215 passing yards/game on 62.3% completions. Look for this to be a team strength in 2011 as the Irish bring back seven of their top eight defensive backs. Leading the way is senior SS Harrison Smith (#2 tackler, 93 tackles, 7 pass break-ups, 7 INT) and senior CB Gary Gray (#4 tackler, 66 tackles, 7 PBU, 1 INT). They do lose CB Darrin Walls (41 tackles, 3 INT), but senior Rubert Blanton (52 tackles, 5 PBU, 2 INT) is ready to step in and take his place as a full-time starter. Also back is junior FS Zeke Motta (50 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 INT).

Independents Prediction: 1st Place – I expect big things from Notre Dame in 2011. The Irish are one of the most experienced teams in the land with 17 returning starters, and I can honestly say they have little to no weaknesses heading into Kelly’s second season. They get USC at home and have only five road games all season. Four of those are very winnable with Michigan, Pitt, Purdue and Wake Forest. This team seriously has a chance to be undefeated going into their season finale at Stanford. At the very least, I see a BCS bowl game in their future come January.

Independent Team Predictions
Notre Dame Football Predictions BYU Football Predictions
Army Football Predictions Navy Football Predictions

 

College Football Predictions
ACC Football Predictions Big 12 Football Predictions
Conference USA Football Predictions Independents Football Predictions
PAC 12 Football Predictions SEC Football Predictions
Big East Football Predictions Big Ten Football Predictions
MAC Football Predictions Mountain West Football Predictions
Sun Belt Football Predictions WAC Football Predictions

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