Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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SPECIALISTS BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 117 POSITION COACH Brian Polian enters his fourth year as Notre Dame's special teams coordinator in what is his second stint with the Irish. The 23- year coaching veteran previously served under head coach Charlie Weis from 2005-09, guiding the special teams, and helping with defensive backs and linebackers. In 2019, Polian's special teams units excelled. Notre Dame was one of just eight Power Five programs to rank among the top 30 nationally in both kick coverage efficiency and punt coverage efficiency according to the Fre- meau Efficiency Index, which measures field position among other elements. The Fighting Irish ranked 15th and 18th in punt coverage (3.89 yards per return) and kick coverage (17.89), respectively. Both averages were by far the best of the Brian Kelly era. Despite breaking in new starters at kicker and punter, the Irish didn't skip a beat. Jonathan Doerer converted 85.0 percent of his field goals and was 7 of 9 from beyond 40 yards, including 2 of 2 from 50- plus yards. In addition, he continued to perform well on kickoffs. Rookie Jay Bramblett consistently pro- duced excellent hang times with his punts, resulting in just 18 of his 63 kicks being returned and a solid net average of 37.70 yards per attempt. Notre Dame also produced three game-changing plays on special teams — a pair of fumble recover- ies on punts, plus a blocked punt at Stanford that helped changed the momentum in an eventual Irish victory. Polian's unit also performed exceptionally well in 2018. Kickers Justin Yoon and Doerer combined to convert 18 of 22 field goals, with only one miss from inside 40 yards (12 of 13). The pair combined for 82 total kickoffs with an average of 59.2 yards and 33 touchbacks. In addition, punter Tyler Newsome set a new career high with an average of 44.7 yards per attempt. In 2017, Polian oversaw a reliable kicking game. A year after allowing five touchdowns on special teams, the Irish surrendered only one score (off a blocked punt in the 35-14 win over North Carolina State). Polian spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Nevada (2013-16). He led the Wolf Pack to a 23-27 record, and guided the program to bowl games in 2014 and 2015. Nevada notched a 49‑38 win over Colorado State in the 2015 Arizona Bowl for just the fifth postseason victory in school history. Prior to taking over at Nevada, Polian spent the 2012 campaign as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach for an 11-2 Texas A&M squad. He also helped Stanford notch a pair of BCS bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011 while serving as the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator and safeties coach. The Cardinal put together two of the top recruiting classes in school history those two years. In his first go-around at Notre Dame, Polian helped the Irish go to two BCS bowl games (2005 and 2006) and was recognized as one of the top recruiters in the nation. Polian — whose father, Bill Polian, is an NFL Hall of Fame executive — also made coaching stops at Cen- tral Florida (2004), Buffalo (1998, 2001-03), Baylor (1999-2000) and Michigan State (1997). A former linebacker at John Carroll University (1993-96), Polian has a bachelor's degree in history from John Carroll and received his master's in educa- tion from Baylor in 2000. RETURNING PLAYERS JAY BRAMBLETT • P So. • Tuscaloosa, Ala. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 193 • Became team's starter during rookie season, punting 63 times on the year for an average of 39.4 yards per punt. • Placed 18 punts inside the op- ponent's 20-yard line. • Had five punts longer than 50 yards, with a ca- reer-best 61-yarder versus Michigan. • Did not have a punt blocked on the year. • Served as Hillcrest High School's starting quarter- back and punter during the last two seasons of his prep career. • Punted 41 times during his senior season and averaged 45.1 yards per attempt, and also com- pleted 178 of 260 throws for 2,341 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. • Tabbed as the West Alabama 6A/7A Player of the Year, 6A All-State selection and Alabama Super All-State in 2018. • Invited to take part in the 2019 All-American Bowl. • Regarded by Rivals as a three-star recruit and the No. 5 punter in his class. Year G Punts Avg. FC I20 Long 2019 13 63 39.4 24 18 61 JONATHAN DOERER • K Sr. • Charlotte, N.C. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 205 • Was a perfect 57 of 57 on point after tries, while going 17 of 20 on field goals with a pair of makes from beyond 50 yards. • Scored 108 points on the year, the most prolific scoring season by a kicker in school history. He became the first kicker and just the sixth player at Notre Dame to have a 100-point season. • Was just the second kicker in program history to connect on every point after try while attempting 50 or more, and the 13th kicker in program his- tory to have a perfect season on extra points with at least 20 attempts. • Ended the season with 62 consecutive point after tries made, tied for the sixth-longest streak in school history. • Earned the game ball against Southern Cal after making three field goal attempts from 45, 52 and 43 yards. • Became the fourth kicker in school history with multiple 50-yard field goals in a season and the fifth to have multiple 50-yard field goals in a career. • Played in 10 games in 2018, kicking off 56 times with 25 touchbacks and converting his lone field goal attempt of the season (30 yards). • Appeared in seven games as a kickoff specialist in 2017, averaging 61.2 yards on kickoffs with nine touchbacks. • Made 9 of 16 field goal attempts during his se- nior season at South Mecklenburg High School and registered a touchback on 92 percent of his kickoffs. • Named to the South Meck 8 All-Conference team after his sophomore, junior and senior years. • Ranked by Kohl's Kicking as the No. 11 kicker in the nation, and tabbed as the No. 6 kicker in the country by Scout coming out of high school. Year G PAT FG Long Points 2017 7 0-0 0-0 — 0 2018 10 5-6 1-1 30 8 2019 13 57-57 17-20 52 108 Totals 30 62-63 18-21 52 116 NEWCOMERS ALEX PEITSCH • LS Fr. • Ellicott City, Md. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 205 • Highest Score of 2020 Long Snappers at 12 Kohl's Showcase Events. • 2016, 2017 and 2018 Kohl's Professional Camps High School All-American. • 2017, 2018 and 2019 All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference performer. • Camp champ of 2018 Oklahoma State and Iowa State long snapping competitions. • Camp champ of 2017 Tennessee and Michigan long snapping competitions. • Had a perfect afternoon snapping the ball in the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. • Ranked as Kohl's Professional Camps' No. 1 long snapper nationally. Under Brian Polian, Notre Dame's special teams finished among the top 25 in the Fremeau Effi- ciency Index each of the past two years. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER