Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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tackle Andrus Peat and cornerback Alex Carter, son of 1990-92 Irish cor- nerback Tom Carter. 2015 PERSONNEL OVERVIEW: Nine starters return on offense, including fourth- year starting QB Kevin Hogan. The defense will undergo major rebuild- ing with no starters returning along the line and losing mainstays such as lineman Henry Anderson, linebacker A.J. Tarpley, safety Jordan Richards and Carter. Linebacker Blake Marti- nez, whose 102 tackles paced the team in 2014, is the top returning figure. SUMMARY: To help protect the rebuild- ing defense in 2015, Stanford's offense must flourish more after finishing 77th nationally in scoring (27.2 points per game) and a disappointing 70th in rushing with a 158.8-yard average, just behind No. 68 Notre Dame (159.5). Notre Dame has lost to Stanford in each of its last three trips out there and is 2-4 against the Cardinal since 2009, with both wins requiring 11th-hour dramatics or overtime. UPSET SPECIALS 5. TEXAS (6-7) REVIEWING 2014: First-year head coach Charlie Strong began a houseclean- ing process (including dismissing nine players) after the last four years of the Mack Brown regime ended 30-21 (.588 win percentage). Last season closed with a 48-10 thrashing at home to TCU — evidence of how far Texas has fallen in its home state — and a 31-7 bowl loss to Arkan- sas in which the Longhorns totaled 59 yards of offense on 43 plays. 2015 PERSONNEL OVERVIEW: Seven start- ers, highlighted by all five linemen, return on an offense that finished 106th among 125 Football Bowl Sub- division teams in scoring (21.4 points per game) and 110th in total offense (337.3 yards per game). At quarter- back, 6-4, 243-pound Tyrone Swoops had a rough finish and might be chal- lenged by redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard. Defensively, the Longhorns return only five starters. They lost junior 320-pound first-team AP All-American tackle Malcolm Brown as an NFL early entry, plus must replace second-team Walter Camp All-American linebacker Jordan Hicks and All-Big 12 first-team cornerback Quandre Diggs. SUMMARY: The defensive-minded Strong lost a lot of star power there, and the offense remains a question mark to where Texas might be rated a middle-of-the-road squad in the 10- team Big 12. It's still, however, a dan- gerous opener. 6. AT PITT (6-7) REVIEWING 2014: For the fourth straight season, Pitt finished the regular sea- son 6-6, and then in the Armed Forces Bowl it squandered a 31-6 lead in the fourth quarter versus Houston en route to losing 35-34. After Paul Chryst accepted the head coaching position at Wisconsin, the Panthers hired Pat Narduzzi, the es- teemed defensive coordinator at Mich- igan State from 2007-14 under head coach Mark Dantonio, to become the team's fourth head coach in the last six years. 2015 PERSONNEL OVERVIEW: Nine starters return on offense and six on defense, plus the punter and kicker. Bulldozing 250-pound running back