Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 73 This unit will be expected to assert itself and take command in 2020 be- cause conceivably only center Jarrett Patterson might be back among the starters in 2021. If not in 2020 for offensive line as- sertiveness, then when? ON THE EDGE Last summer Kelly said he believes both sides of the line, the linebacker corps and even quarterback (more on that later) are up to par among the first tier of college football. Where the Irish fall a little short of breaking through is the need for more speed and playmaking, specifically on the edges at cornerback and wide re- ceiver. A graduating Chase Claypool fit that genre — but the top programs have several Claypools on the roster at the same time. The most catches by any returning Irish wideout is 13 (for 134 yards and no touchdowns) by junior slot man Lawrence Keys III. Meanwhile, cornerback might be the No. 1 concern on the roster entering 2020, especially with the graduation of Troy Pride Jr. — who excelled at the Senior Bowl and elevated his draft stock — and Donte Vaughn. The return of sixth-year senior Shaun Crawford to complement junior TaRiq Bracy is significant, but a long history of injuries for Crawford still leaves the position somewhat tenuous, resulting in the move of freshman receiver Cam Hart to corner. In the final month of next season when a College Football Playoff bid is expected to be on the line, Notre Dame also will be facing top receivers from Clemson, Louisville and USC. Will the growth and development over the first two months of the cam- paign be enough? BOOK VALUE For the first time in Kelly's 11 sea- sons with the Fighting Irish, he will have a three-year starter at quarter- back. Unlike five of his predecessors un- der Kelly, Ian Book will return for his fifth season at Notre Dame and will be one of the nation's most seasoned quarterbacks. However, he is the manifestation individually of where Notre Dame stands as a football program: very good … but is he top-tier level? Whereas the Clemsons, Alabamas, Ohio States, Oklahomas and Georgias — and most recently LSU with Joe Burrow — all have had first-round, if not No. 1 overall, picks at quarter- back the past couple of years, Book is categorized as, at best, a mid-round selection in 2021. Comparisons are made that Book actually had a much better passing ef- ficiency rating as a 2019 senior than Burrow as a 2018 senior at LSU … so now can he also produce a monster fifth-year senior campaign? That is probably unrealistic, espe- cially given the lack of high proven experience at wide receiver and run- ning back. Book won't be expected to be what Burrow was to college football in 2019, but he and the line do need to perform at a level that evokes no lamentation about the more-touted 2019 sopho- more backup Phil Jurkovec having left the program. ON NEUTRAL GROUND Would you believe that in 2020 Notre Dame will have only two out- ings on the opposition's true home turf? The contests versus Navy (Aug. 29), Wake Forest (Sept. 26), Wisconsin (Oct. 3) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 14) will all be held in pro stadiums, the latter three in the home state of the Fighting Irish foe, while the opener with the Midshipmen will be in Ireland. Notre Dame will not appear in an opponent's actual home stadium until Oct. 24 at Pitt (another NFL edifice), the seventh game of the season, com- ing after mid-term break. The Irish then won't travel again until three weeks later to face a Georgia Tech team attempting to rebound from a 3-9 campaign. That doesn't necessarily make the slate "easy," but it does line up a little more favorably, which brings us to … NOV. 7, 2020 The unanimous preseason No. 1 pick in the "Way Too Early" polls for 2020, Clemson — which has won 35 straight regular-season games and two of the last four national titles — will make this the most anticipated Notre Dame home game since Oct. 15, 2005 versus then No. 1 USC. With all due respect to everyone else on the Notre Dame schedule, the season will be judged, fair or not, pri- marily on this outcome — just like 2019 was going to be with the games at Georgia and Michigan. Wisconsin on Oct. 3 will be a formi- dable challenge, and one always has to be wary of an upset in any given week. But only a win over Clemson would truly catch the nation's attention. Because Alabama plays at LSU that same day, it could be a "Playoff Pre- view" weekend. There cannot be the seemingly end- less "we played them close," or "we might be closing the gap" rhetoric that has been going on for 25-plus years regarding the Notre Dame foot- ball program. There comes a time to carpe diem. This is that day. It could be the most epic or potential one-for-the-ages win in 27 years, or since defeating No. 1 Florida State on Nov. 13, 1993. ✦ Clemson's trip to South Bend in early November will be Notre Dame's most anticipated home game in 15 years, and will give the Irish an opportunity for their best win since defeating No. 1 Florida State in 1993. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA 2020 SCHEDULE Date Opponent (2019 Record) Time (ET) Aug. 29 vs. Navy* (11-2) TBA Sept. 12 Arkansas (2-10) 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19 Western Michigan (7-6) 2:30 p.m. Sept. 26 vs. Wake Forest+ (8-5) TBA Oct. 3 vs. Wisconsin^ (10-4) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 Stanford (4-8) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Pittsburgh (8-5) TBA Oct. 31 Duke (5-7) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 7 Clemson (14-1) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 vs. Georgia Tech# (3-9) TBA Nov. 21 Louisville (8-5) 2:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at USC (8-5) TBA * at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland; + at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.; ^ at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.; # at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta