Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/462058
The defense will undergo rebuilding after losing three first-team All-ACC performers — most notably Vic Beas- ley, the school's all-time sacks leader. SUMMARY: Clemson has signed four straight Rivals.com's top-15 recruiting classes, should remain a top-15 pro- gram, and will continue to challenge Florida State for ACC supremacy. The Tigers will have 16 days to prepare for Notre Dame (Oct. 3) after playing at Louisville Sept. 17. 3. GEORGIA TECH (11-3) REVIEWING 2014: The Yellow Jackets won the Orange Bowl 49-34 versus No. 7 Mississippi State and finished with their highest AP ranking (No. 8) since sharing the 1990 national title with Colorado. Led by quarterback Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech finished No. 1 nationally in rushing offense (342.1 yards per game). 2015 PERSONNEL OVERVIEW: Thomas spearheads the offense after leading the team in rushing with 1,086 yards and 5.7 yards per carry, plus his 96 completions averaged more than 17 yards per catch and he tossed 18 touchdowns to only six interceptions. Four starting linemen also return. Defensively, the eight returning starters include third-team All-ACC picks Adam Gotsis at tackle and safety Jamal Golden, plus leading tackler P.J. Williams (119 stops) at linebacker. End KeShun Freeman earned 2014 True Freshman All-America notice. SUMMARY: This is a bigger, stronger and faster version of Navy, which has given the Irish enough headaches. No defense looks forward to the triple op- tion, and nobody is better at operat- ing it than head coach Paul Johnson, who has the ideal QB at the helm with Thomas. This has the makings of a shootout in which 35 points might not be enough to win. 4. AT STANFORD (8-5) REVIEWING 2014: After a 46-8 record from 2010-13, the Cardinal took a step back. The defense still finished sec- ond nationally in scoring average (16.4 points allowed per game), and Stan- ford closed the year by thumping Cal (38-17), UCLA (31-10) and Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl (45-21). Two mainstays departed after their junior campaigns to make themselves eligible for the NFL Draft: offensive The triple option run by Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas will provide a formidable challenge to the Irish defense. PHOTO COURTESY GEORGIA TECH