Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2010 record: 8-5
2010 Bowl Game: 33-17 win over Miami (FL) at the Sun Bowl
2010 ATS: 6-5-2
2010 O/U: 4-9
Returning starters: 16 (eight on offense, eight on defense)
Offense
Uncertainty at the quarterback position is the main question at Notre Dame leading into the season, as senior quarterback Dayne Crist has suffered season-ending knee surgeries in consecutive years. He went 4-5 last year as the starter and is the frontrunner in being at the controls when the Irish open the season at home against South Florida.
Tommy Rees is there to pick up the pieces of Crist is unable to return to top form, throwing for 1,106 yards and 12 touchdowns during his freshman year. He led the squad to four consecutive wins to end the season, highlighted by a Sun Bowl victory over Miami (FL).
The main question outside of the quarterback position is the status of star wide receiver Michael Floyd, who decided to not leave early for the NFL, but was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Head coach Brian Kelly immediately suspended the senior and has other players to focus on.
Theo Reddick is Notre Dame’s top returning wideout if Floyd isn’t available, catching 40 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns last year. Those numbers are a major drop off from Floyd’s incredible 79 receptions and 1,025 receiving yards.
With so much focus on the team’s aerial attack, the coaching staff would be best served not to lose sight on improving the running game. The unit ranked 92nd nationally in gaining 127 yards per game and returns four starters on the offensive line.
Sophomore running back Cierre Wood hopes the line can create more gaps to run through, carrying the ball 119 times for 603 yards and three touchdowns.
The offense should definitely score more than the 26.3 points per game it averaged last year, which ranked 67th in the country.
Defense
This unit is always overlooked on campus, but plenty of optimism surrounds the group heading into the season. Eight starters are back from a unit that held opponents to 20.2 points a contest.
The defensive line is expected to be a major strength over the course of the season, as freshman Aaron Lynch grows into his role on the edge. He tallied seven tackles in the team’s spring game.
Behind the line is a deep linebacker core that is led by junior middle linebacker Manti Te’o. He led the Irish with 133 tackles and is projected to be one of the best in the country at the position.
Special Teams
Senior placekicker David Ruffer will be a major weapon for the Irish, coming off a season that saw him be a Lou Groza finalist. He hit his first 18 field goal attempts in 2010 and is 23-of-24 in his career.
Sophomore Bennett Jackson is expected to continue his growth as a kick returner and was named Special Teams Player of the Year for the program last year. He ranked 88th nationally by averaging 22.24 yards on returns.
Against the Spread
The Irish seemed to put everything together in tallying four straight SU and ATS victories to end the season, including three outright underdog scores in that span.
Bettors may continue to find opportunity to fade the team at Notre Dame Stadium, posting a 2-8-2 ATS mark over the last 12 home games.
Bet On
Kelly knows the Big East Conference from his days in Cincinnati and bettors should expect the Irish to drop the hammer on Pittsburgh on September 24. Notre Dame is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings, including spread wins in five of the last six road meetings.
Fade Away
Academy schools definitely raise their efforts when playing the Irish and no school has had more spread success than Navy. The Midshipmen have covered the last 10 meetings at Notre Dame Stadium.
