Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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30 PRESEASON 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI I n the 10-year period from 2009-18, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly achieved a 12-0 regular sea- son first at Cincinnati (2009), and then at Notre Dame in 2012 and 2018. His Bearcats were a missed Texas field goal away from probably play- ing for a national title in 2009 versus Alabama. The 2012 Fighting Irish did face the Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game, but were outclassed 42-14. Last year 's Notre Dame unit earned an appearance in the four- team College Football Playoff, where it lost 30-3 in the semifinals to even- tual national champion Clemson at the Cotton Bowl — although Kelly is adamant that this time his team was not out of its element as it was in 2012. Despite the beatdown versus the Tigers, Notre Dame's 22-4 record the past two years is beginning to build some evidence that the Irish might be becoming more of a consistent pro- gram than just a year-to-year up-and- down team. In this decade so far from 2010-18, Notre Dame is one of only five Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision teams to have reached 12-0 in the regular season two times. The others are Alabama (2016 and 2018), Clemson (2015 and 2018), Ohio State (2012 and 2013) and Central Florida (2017 and 2018). As he embarks on year 10 at Notre Dame, Kelly is retaining a healthy perspective on the continued quest to return Notre Dame to the summit of college football for the first time since 1988. "Ten years anywhere is a journey that you just have to be able to learn, keep working on yourself, and keep pushing the envelope too at the same time," he said. "Never get satisfied. We got a taste of what it's like to be in the playoffs. I want to win the darn thing. "… Never get to the point where you think you know it all. Always be working on yourself and trying to get better at your job." 2019 ROAD SHOW In three of the last four football seasons, Notre Dame has finished anywhere from No. 5 (2018) to No. 11 (2015 and 2017) in the final Associ- ated Press poll. That is the best stretch of a four- year graduating class at the school since 1992-95, when Notre Dame placed among the top 15 in three of those seasons: No. 4 in 1992, No. 2 in 1993, and No. 11 in 1995 (it was un- ranked in 1994 after finishing 6-5-1). The four-year span from 2015-18 was also the first time since 1992-95 that the Fighting Irish finished in the final top 15 more than twice over a four-year stretch. The consensus early expectations from national media outlets project that will expand to four out of five this year. Last season marked the first time since 1991-93 Notre Dame was able to generate at least 10 victories in consecutive campaigns. This year it will vie to finish in the AP top 10 back-to-back for the first time since 1992-93. To achieve that objective it must especially excel on the road. In addition to opening at Louis- ville (Sept 2) and traveling to Duke (Nov. 9) for the first time since 1961, Notre Dame will be on the road ver- sus No. 3 Georgia (Sept. 21), No. 7 Michigan (Oct. 26) and No. 25 Stan- ford (Nov. 30). • At Georgia, Notre Dame will be seeking its first win versus a top-five team since defeating No. 3 Michigan in 2005. That 13-year drought is easily the team's longest since the start of the AP poll in 1936. The previous high was the seven years from 1958-64, prior to defeating No. 4 USC in 1965 (28-7). HIGH RISE Notre Dame continues recent journey toward reaching the top floor of college football