Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4 PRESEASON 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED P rior to his passing three years ago, my longtime editor Lou Somogyi encouraged me every sum- mer before the publishing of this Blue & Gold Illustrated preseason edition to break down the upcoming regular season game by game with win-loss predictions. Most of the time, the col- umn went well and the pre- diction fell within a win or two of the season's actual outcome. Other times, it missed the mark badly. A 5-6 prediction in 2005 fell flat when the Irish went 9-2. And a promising 9-3 prediction in 2016 ended with a miserable 4-8 Irish record. It's been a couple of years since I compiled this piece. But with Notre Dame on the cusp of great things this season, let's revisit it … and hope this one hits the mark. Aug. 31, at Texas A&M: The tough- est game on the Irish schedule, the Aggies are almost unbeatable at Kyle Field, and feature a culture change un- der first-year head coach Mike Elko, and promising redshirt sophomore quarter- back Conner Weigman. The Irish de- fense carries the day. Notre Dame 27, Texas A&M 24. Sept. 7, vs. Northern Illinois: With nine starters returning from a NIU defense that ranked third in the Mid-American Conference last season — and three straight wins for the Hus- kies to finish 2023 — Notre Dame best not sleep on this team. That said, talent takes over. Notre Dame 27, NIU 7. Sept. 14, at Purdue: The Boilermak- ers were able to develop some top Big Ten talent last season under first-year head coach Ryan Walters. Then, most of those standouts fled to the transfer portal when bigger suitors came calling. Can Purdue make some magic at home? Not yet. Notre Dame 41, Purdue 13. Sept. 21, vs. Miami (Ohio): Com- ing off an 11-3 season in 2023 and the first MAC championship for the Red- Hawks since 2019, Miami head coach Chuck Martin — a former Irish assistant — brings his solid team to Notre Dame Stadium with sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert leading an unsuccessful upset attempt. Notre Dame 31, Miami 17. Sept. 28, vs. Louisville: A sneaky good opponent under second-year head coach Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals went to the ACC championship game during a 10-win campaign last season, which included a 33-20 upset victory over Notre Dame. No encore performance for Louisville in 2024. Notre Dame 31, Louisville 21. Oct. 12, vs. Stanford: A once-proud program and a heated rival of Notre Dame's, Stanford has fallen on hard times recently. And things won't get any easier when the Cardinal cuts its teeth this season as a first-year member of the ACC. The Irish roll. Notre Dame 39, Stanford 13. Oct. 19, at Georgia Tech: A future opponent that could provide a tougher test than expected, Georgia Tech re- turns eight starters — including its leading passer, rusher and receiver — from the fourth-best scoring offense in the ACC last season (31.1 points per game). The Irish survive a bit of a shoot- out. Notre Dame 30, Georgia Tech 24. Oct. 26, vs. Navy (at East Ruth- erford, N.J.): A new offensive coor- dinator for Navy, with a reva m p e d t r i p l e - o p t i o n s c h e m e a n d 14 re t u r n - ing starters provides the same result in this lopsided Notre Dame rivalry. The Irish cruise to their seventh straight win in the series. Notre Dame 49, Navy 10. Nov. 9, vs. Florida State: One of the three highly an- ticipated games on the Irish s c h e d u l e , F l o r i d a S ta te earned a No. 11 preseason ranking from ESPN. The Seminoles, though, return only nine returning starters from last year's 13-1 squad, and the Irish can handle this rivalry renewal. Notre Dame 27, Florida State 20. Nov. 16, vs. Virginia: Another lackluster ACC opponent on the Irish schedule, and another uninspiring game at Notre Dame Stadium, the Cav- aliers provide little promise for a vast improvement from a 3-9 campaign in 2023. The Irish roll. Notre Dame 42, Virginia 10. Nov. 23, vs. Army (The Bronx, N.Y.): The last of seven games that Notre Dame will be about a three-touchdown favorite in. Army went 6-6 last season, but did manage to finish 2023 with a four-game winning streak after losing five in a row. Notre Dame 42, Army 6. Nov. 30, at USC: An 11-0 start to the regular season for Notre Dame ends in disappointment when the Irish have their spotless record spoiled in L.A. The Trojans will reload early this season, will be hitting on all strides by Thanksgiving and will win this epic battle. USC 31, Notre Dame 30. There it is, an 11-1 regular season. Then, add at least two playoff wins in the 12-team format, and this 2024 Irish team is in line to become the first in Notre Dame history to win 13 games in a full season. ✦ Could USC be the only thing that stands between Notre Dame and an undefeated regu- lar season? PHOTO BY MEG OLIPHANT Eleven Regular-Season Wins Is A Manageable Mark UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com