Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 5 UNDER THE DOME Navy again (23-21) and first-time visitor Connecticut (33-30 in two overtimes) on Senior Day. Overall Result: 6-6 A 6-2 beginning ended with four consecu- tive defeats overall and the end of the Weis era. Year: 2010 Home Record: 4-3 First-year head coach Kelly began his Notre Dame career 4-5, with losses at home to Michigan (28-24), Stanford (37-14) and Tulsa (28-27). Overall Result: 8-5 Spearheaded by a 28-3 win versus No. 15 Utah in the home finale with first-time starter and freshman Tommy Rees at quar- terback, the Irish finished on a 4-0 uptick. Year: 2017 Home Record: 6-1 The lone blemish was a 20-19 heartbreak in game two versus Georgia, which would go on to lose the national title in overtime versus Alabama. Thereafter, the current 11- game win streak at home began, highlighted by a 49-14 conquest of No. 11 USC. Overall Result: 10-3 The No. 11 finish was a strong rebound from the 4-8 meltdown the year prior, and the resurgence continued with a bid to the four- team College Football Playoff in 2018. ✦ THE HOME REMEDY In the last seven seasons under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame has finished unbeaten at home three times: 2012, 2015 and 2018. For context, consider that in the 22 seasons from 1990‑2011, Notre Dame was unblemished at home only once (1998). Furthermore, in 11 seasons with the Fighting Irish, Lou Holtz (1986‑98) also had a perfect home record three times (the three straight from 1987‑89), while Ara Parseghian in the same amount of time (1964‑74) did it four times. Charity does begin at home, and in the three seasons under Kelly that Notre Dame protected its house it was a combined 34‑2 in the regular season. Remarkably, the current 11‑game winning streak at home is the third longest since the dedication of Notre Dame Stadium in 1930. If the 2019 Fighting Irish hold serve at home again with their first 7‑0 output at home since the 1988 champion‑ ship year, it would be one short of second place — 19 in a row by the Holtz‑led units from 1987‑90. The record is 28 by head coach Frank Leahy's juggernauts from 1942‑50, although Leahy was overseas in 1944‑45 during World War II while Notre Dame played only seven total home games those two years combined. USC, which is coming off a 5‑7 season and has had much internal tumult, is the main threat to end Notre Dame's streak in a seven‑game home schedule that also includes New Mexico (3‑9), Virginia (8‑5), Bowling Green (3‑9), Virginia Tech (6‑7), Navy (3‑10) and Boston College (7‑5). Sweep the home slate for the first‑time in back‑to‑back years since 1987‑89, and the Irish will be one game short of tying the second longest home winning streak inside Notre Dame Stadium. — Lou Somogyi Head coach Brian Kelly's teams have been undefeated at home three times in the past seven seasons: 2012, 2015 and 2018. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN