Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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7. Brigham Young — Nov. 23 2012 Record: 8-5 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 17, Brigham Young 14 (2012) Impact Player: Senior WR Cody Hoffman — A Biletnikoff candidate and a former honorable mention AllAmerican, Hoffman is one of the best receivers Notre Dame will face in 2013. He broke 100 yards receiving in a game eight times in 2012 and finished the year with 100 receptions for 1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns. Outlook: The BYU defense returns most of its top playmakers despite the fact that former defensive end Ziggy Ansah was selected fifth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is back to lead a Cougars unit that finished third in the nation in points and yards allowed last year. Fellow outside linebackers Spencer Hadley and Alani Fua are athletic enough to make both edges of the defense dangerous. Sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill won the starting job in the spring. He was the team's second-leading rusher with 336 yards as a freshman despite missing half the season with a knee injury. He completed 59.2 percent of his passes and was 2-0 as a starter. He'll be surrounded by a veteran group of skill players, including seniors Hoffman and tight end Kaneakua Friel. Sophomore Jamaal Williams will join Hill in the backfield. He earned the starting role after carrying for 775 yards and 12 scores as a rookie a season ago. He's also a receiving threat to add to Hill's targets. Spring Storyline: In his first spring back at BYU, offensive coordinator Robert Anae made it clear that he intends to pick up the pace. Anae, who spent the past two seasons in Arizona, was BYU's offensive coordinator from 2005‑10. He drew some attention with his brash interviews in the spring, but he's hoping the focus will shift to Hill and a high-speed attack trying to improve its middling 2012 production. 6. Michigan State — Sept. 21 2012 Record: 7-6 (3-5 Big Ten) Last Meeting: Notre Dame 20, Michigan State 3 (2012) Impact Player: Senior LB Max Bullough — The three-year starter at the center of the Spartans defense is expected to be one of the better linebackers in the country in 2013. He made 111 tackles (12.5 for loss) to lead the team in stops for a second straight year in 2012. Outlook: Not much has changed in the big picture for the Spartans from last year. Head coach Mark Dantonio's defense will once again be a team strength despite losing standout defensive end William Gholston and cornerback Johnny Adams. The offense, especially the passing game, is still mired with questions marks. The biggest loss from last year's lineup may prove to be tight end Dion Sims. The Spartans had no one at that position emerge as a possible replacement during spring practice. Dantonio shifted redshirt freshman Riley Bullough, younger brother of Max, from linebacker to running back this spring to help replace former starter Le'Veon Bell. Bullough carried for a team-high 46 yards on 11 attempts in the spring game, but he'll be challenged by three incoming freshmen in August. There's a chance he'll shift back to linebacker eventually, but the Spartans are currently stocked with talent at that position. Spring Storyline: Incumbent quarterback Andrew Maxwell was unable to lock down his place with the first team during spring practice. Maxwell completed 52.5 percent of his passes and threw for 13 touchdowns in his first year as a starter in 2012. He's on top of the depth chart, but hasn't eliminated redshirt sophomore Connor Cook from contention.