Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/109499
from last year — Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, Gary Gray and Jamoris Slaughter — to either graduation or injury, plus two others (cornerback Lo Wood and safety Austin Collinsworth) to preseason injuries. It would have been extremely difficult to envision ranking this high back in August. Total Defense: 7th (305.46) This was the first time since head coach Dan Devine's final season in 1980 the Irish finished in the top 10 in this category. It was No. 4 that year with a 213.4 average. The yardage output was the lowest since head coach Tyrone Willingham's 2002 debut, when it was 300.0 (13th in the country). Scoring Defense: 2nd (12.77) One has to go back to the 1988 national champs to find a lower figure — 12.3. Again, though, if they were to include the 21 points given up in the 1988 bowl game (34-21 win over West Virginia), that number would climb to 13.0. Thus, we refer again back to Devine's 1980 team, where if you include the 17-10 Sugar Bowl loss to national champ Georgia, the final total would have been 10.7. The No. 2 finish nationally in this category was the highest since the same placement by the 1966 national champs with the surreal 3.8 average. Net Punting: 30th (38.62) This was a huge improvement from last season when the Irish were 102nd with a 34.55 average. Sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza will be the frontrunner to replace graduated punter Ben Turk, a four-year starter. Punt Returns: 116th (2.19) It was thought there was no place to go but up after last year's 112th finish with a 3.69 average, a great gradepoint average but not a sterling number in the punt return game. Instead, the Irish fell four spots. Freshman Davonte' Neal had 21 attempts that totaled 46 yards, with a long of 11. Sooner or later, there has to be no place to go but up. Kickoff Returns: 93rd (19.60) Last year, the Irish finished 36th with a 22.88 average. That was highlighted by freshman George Atkinson III's touchdown returns against Michigan State and USC. This year, Atkinson's averaged dropped from 26.1 yards per return to 20.0, with a long of 39. Turnover Margin: 27th (0.62) There is no bigger reason for Notre Dame's improvement from 8-5 in 2011 to 12-1 than this category. Last year the Fighting Irish were 118th with a minus-1.15 ratio per game. They were minus-15 overall (29 committed and 14 forced), compared to plus-eight this year (23 gained and 15 lost). ✦