Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 13 UNDER THE DOME 1930 The most recent year where Notre Dame finished 5-0 in the month of November, thus clinching a national title in head coach Knute Rockne's final season. The Fighting Irish play five games in November this year as well. The last two times they did that they were 1-4 in both 2014 and 2008. The 1946 national champs also were undefeated in five November contests, but one of them was the famous 0-0 tie with two-time reign- ing national champ Army. The 1929 (9-0) and 1930 (10-0) campaigns also were the last time Notre Dame posted undefeated and untied records in back-to-back regular seasons, a feat it will attempt this year. 75-77 Record compiled by Notre Dame's 2019 football opponents from the 2018 season. Six of the 12 finished under .500, and three others had a minimum of five defeats. Last year was another example of how one can't always foretell how challenging a schedule will be. In 2016, USC finished No. 3 in the country, 10-3 Florida State was one of the top five programs overall in the country and 10-win Virginia Tech won at Notre Dame and finished No. 16 in the country under a new coach. Just two years later the Trojans and Seminoles were both 5-7 while the Hokies came in at 6-7, in- cluding a loss to Old Dominion. In that same time, once beleaguered Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly went from 4-8 to 22-4 the past two seasons with No. 11 and No. 5 finishes. Games versus Virginia and Virginia Tech the next three seasons — both at home in 2019 and both on the road in 2021. Until 2015, the only time Notre Dame had faced a school from the state was a 36-13 victory versus the Cava- liers in the 1989 Kickoff Classic. Its first visit to the Com- monwealth of Virginia was the dramatic 34-27 comeback win against Virginia in 2015. Notre Dame had faced the two schools a total of four times (two apiece) prior to this season. The state also is becoming more prominent in Notre Dame's recruiting, including cur- rent defensive starters in senior safety Jalen Elliott (Richmond) and junior rover Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah (Hampton), 2019 freshman quarterback Brendon Clark (Midlo- thian) and a verbal commit from highly coveted 2020 all-purpose back Chris Tyree (Chester). 3 Opponents visiting Notre Dame Stadium for the first time dur- ing a four-week span: New Mexico (Sept. 14), Virginia (Sept. 28) and Bowling Green (Oct. 5). In the last 10 seasons since 2009, Notre Dame has had a difficult time with first-time visi- tors, losing to Connecticut in 2009 (33-30 in double overtime), Tulsa in 2010 (28-27), South Florida in 2011 (23-20), Louisville in 2014 (31-28), Virginia Tech in 2016 (34-31) and Georgia in 2017 (20-19). Last year, Ball State provided a good battle before losing 24-16. 4