Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1007651
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2018 9 UNDER THE DOME 2 Rating of Brian Kelly by CBS Sports senior writer Dennis Dodd on his annual "hot seat" assessment for all 129 Football Bowl Sub- division head coaches. Last year at this time, Kelly and Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin were the only two at the maximum 5 rating — "win or be fired" — and Sumlin was eventually axed (he is now the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats). Kelly is now listed with a 2 rating, defined as "all good … for now." Level 1 is "safe and secure" while 0 is "untouchable." Michigan's Jim Harbaugh was an untouchable last year, but now has a 2 rating with Kelly. 9 Preferred walk-on freshmen who will join their 27 classmates on scholarship when practice begins Aug. 3: quarterback Cole Capen (Orange, Calif.), wide receivers Leo Albano (Charleston, S.C.) and Greg Mailey (Hudson, Ohio), offensive linemen Cody Benjamin (Tampa, Fla.) and Max Siegel (Indianapolis), defensive backs Matt Salerno (Encino, Calif.) and Mar- cus Thorne (Washington, Ind.), punter Jake Rittman (Lawrence, Kan.) and long snapper Michael Vinson (Winnetka, Ill.). 31 Times since 1978 that Notre Dame played Michigan and USC in the same season, like it will in 2018. There have been only six seasons where the Fighting Irish defeated both — the four consecutive from 1987-90, 1993 and 2012. Since 1994, Notre Dame has faced the Wolverines and Trojans 17 times in the same season and vanquished both only once, in 2012, when it advanced to the BCS National Champi- onship Game versus Alabama. 46 & 71 NFL Network rankings of two Notre Dame alumni among the top 100 players in the league. Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith elevated to No. 46 after coming in at No. 74 a year earlier, while Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin, a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection each of his first four seasons, dropped to No. 71 after ranking No. 58 in 2017. On June 13, Martin signed a deal that made him the NFL's highest-paid guard in history — $84 million, with $40 million guaranteed over six years. 107-11-5 Record of Notre Dame in the previous 12 years where there has been a Triple Crown winner — as there was this year with Justify. That astounding .890 winning percentage includes five consensus national titles (1930, 1943, 1946, 1973 and 1977) and three other unbeaten seasons (1919, 1941 and 1948). The lowest finish ever in such a season was No. 11 when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015. Even that season, the Irish started 10-1 and were in the four-team College Football Playoff hunt prior to losing on a last-second field goal conversion by Stanford (38-36) in the regular-season finale. 119 Players listed on the Notre Dame football roster — the maxi- mum 85 scholarship players plus 34 walk-ons — as it enters the start of training camp Aug. 3 at Culver Academies. The full list and breakdown by position can be found on page 15. 1,010 Returning yards on the ground last year from quarterbacks BRANDON WIMBUSH (803) and Ian Book (207), which is almost double the 592 by the lone experienced running backs Dexter Williams (360) and Tony Jones Jr. (232). It is the largest disparity ever at Notre Dame entering the season between returning quarterbacks and running backs. ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL