Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/114977
Five Issues In 2013 For Notre Dame to go beyond the 2012 breakthrough, here are five pertinent issues that must be addressed. ��� Quarterback Everett Golson can���t afford to have the proverbial sophomore jinx, even though he is academically going to be a junior. The offensive menu has to expand from last year, and better judgment and quicker reads have to be made, especially in the red zone, to better maximize the offense���s capabilities. ��� Last year���s 189.4-yard rushing average per game was Notre Dame���s best in 11 years. This year, though, when it���s thirdand-short, who is the consistent, reliable every-down back, and can the offensive line be road graders in such situations? ��� Defenses had to constantly game plan around wideout Michael Floyd and tight end Tyler Eifert in recent years. Is there someone on the current roster who possesses that combination of size, strength and playmaking skills? ��� There might not be a bet- Wideout TJ Jones enters his senior season as the elder ter defensive line tandem in the statesman of the Irish receiving corps, having started country than rising senior nose 30 games while making 111 career receptions for guard Louis Nix�� III and rising 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns. Photo by Bill panzica junior end Stephon Tuitt, but will the inside linebackers have the similar consistent, instinctive and playmaking speed to make the stops? Manti Te���o ran an average 4.82 at the NFL Combine, but his instincts compensated for a lot of debts. ��� Can special teams, especially the return game, advance beyond the damage control mode?