Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 19, 2020 53 The previous school record for most fifth-year senior starters in a season had been seven by the 5-7 team in 2003: second-round picks Julius Jones at running back and Courtney Watson at linebacker, plus offensive tackle Jim Molinaro, defensive linemen Darrell Campbell and Cedric Hilliard, safety Glenn Earl (who suffered a season- ending injury in the sixth game) and kicker Nicholas Setta. Meanwhile, the 3-9 unit in 2007 had five fifth-year seniors starting: second-round selections John Carl- son (tight end) and Trevor Laws (de- fensive tackle), 11-year NFL center John Sullivan, third-round safety Tom Zbikowski and linebacker Joe Brockington. Experience is not everything, just like sometimes talent alone isn't the end-all, be-all. SENIORITY SYSTEM Finally, the 2020 offense and de- fense also features eight "regular" fourth-year seniors who were pro- jected to be in the starting lineup for the opener, four apiece on offense and defense. Defensively it includes tackles Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa- Amosa, plus rover Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah and middle linebacker Drew White. The latter two tied for the team lead in tackles last season with 80 apiece (21.5 for lost yardage). On offense, the two fourth-year mainstays are left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Robert Hainsey, with tight end Brock Wright and slot re- ceiver Avery Davis also penciled in as starters. This does not even in- clude two fourth-year seniors who have had starting experience: run- ning back Jafar Armstrong and of- fensive lineman Josh Lugg. While Armstrong has been beset by injuries the past two seasons, he was slated to be the lead back in 2019 be- fore an abdominal tear in the first se- ries of the year hampered him signif- icantly. Still, he returned this fall with more career rushing yards (505) and catches (27) than anyone else who has been at Notre Dame the past four years. (Skowronek had 110 catches, but all were at Northwestern.) Lugg started the final five games at right tackle last season after Hainsey suffered a season-ending ankle injury. That setback occurred in the first se- ries prior to those five games, so in es- sence Lugg had six consecutive starts, and this year he could be the next man in at either tackle or guard. It is easy to forget that Wright was Notre Dame's No. 1-rated recruit by Rivals in 2017 (No. 44 overall). Junior Tommy Tremble is Notre Dame's next top pro prospect at the posi- tion, but Wright is anticipated to be a regular in the multiple tight end alignments the Irish plan to run (he started three games last year). Thus, when you combine possi- bly those 10 fourth-year seniors, six fifth-year seniors, a sixth-year senior and two graduate transfers, 19 of the 25 "regulars" on offense or defense could make this the most "seasoned" team in Notre Dame annals. This isn't even including senior kicker Jonathan Doerer, who had a superb debut as the starter last sea- son while converting 17 of 20 field goals and all 57 extra points en route to becoming the first kicker in the program history to tally at least 100 points in a season (108). ✦ Balancing Experience With Youth Going through the archives, the closest we could find to 2020 with so many se- nior or fifth-year players dominating the starting lineup on offense and defense was 2006, head coach Charlie Weis' second season. Seventeen of the 22 starters on offense and defense that year were fourth- year seniors (11) or fifth-year seniors (six). After many went on to the professional ranks the ensuing year, led by quar- terback Brady Quinn, the team plummeted from 9-3 and 10-3 records in Weis' first two seasons to 3-9 his third in 2007. If a team is to reach a level of playoff/national title contention, it's the upper- classmen, especially the seniors, who must be at their best both in leadership and performance. On the flip side, experience alone is not the driving force. The most recent Irish football national champion in 1988 had only five seniors (fourth- or fifth-years) among its 22 starters on offense and defense. Almost half of the starting unit was comprised of dynamic sophomores such as Chris Zorich, Todd Lyght, etc., or freshman, led by Raghib "Rocket" Ismail and Derek Brown. Many times members of that team have noted how the balance of grizzled veterans, who had been through 5-6 seasons, combined with extremely talented and cocky youth with a swagger to create an ideal symbiosis of team chemistry. In the 12-0 regular seasons under head coach Brian Kelly, veteran presence was vital. The 2012 group featured 12 starters — led by Walter Camp Award winner Manti Te'o on defense and John Mackey Award winner Tyler Eifert on offense, plus tackle Zack Martin — who were seniors or fifth-year seniors. But there was also an infusion of dynamic youth such as sophomore quarter- back Everett Golson, sophomore defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt and freshman corner KeiVarae Russell to provide a spark. In 2020, that balance of veteran presence and youthful emergence will be needed again to provide the right mix. Nothing is lacking this year when it comes to veteran presence. How well some youth can balance it could be just as pivotal toward playoff and championship contention again in 2020. — Lou Somogyi Quarterback Brady Quinn led the way for a 2006 Irish squad that boasted 11 fourth-year seniors and six fifth-year seniors among its 22 starters on offense and defense. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS