Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Special Teams Make The Difference By Lou Somogyi No "Power Five" team in the country returns more starters on offense and defense from last season than Notre Dame. If cornerback KeiVarae Russell is readmitted this summer, that would be 20 out of 22 from those two units with start‑ ing experience. What's easy to overlook is the three starters in one lost on spe‑ cial teams with the graduation of kicker/punter/kickoff man Kyle Brindza. He made a difference in seven wins during the 12‑0 regular season in 2012 with his kicking, and in 2013 his punting prowess helped him be rewarded with a game ball in hard‑fought wins versus Michi‑ gan State (17‑13) and BYU (23‑13). You can generally count on spe‑ cial teams to have a huge bearing on at least three outcomes per year — as we discovered in back‑to‑back home losses last year versus Northwestern (43‑40 in double OT) and Louisville (31‑28), and the Music City Bowl win versus LSU (31‑28), among others. This year the Irish have a new punter in sophomore Tyler Newsome who is learning his trade gradually, and the kicker will be freshman Justin Yoon. Yes, Yoon is a top‑rated prospect, but even longtime pro Craig Hentrich was only 8 of 15 on field goals as a freshmen in 1989, and others such as Kevin Kopka (1995), Jim Sanson (1996), Brandon Walker (2007) and record‑setting Nick Tausch (2009) had their setbacks. Count on five or six games this year to come down to the closing minutes. The results on special teams often are the difference. The Pass Rush By Andrew Owens In a positive development for Notre Dame, it's not as easy to point out glaring weaknesses on the roster as in past seasons. That should be expected for a head coach entering his sixth season at the helm. While the quarterbacks will garner most of the offseason attention, Irish fans should feel comfortable knowing that both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire are capable of producing a dou‑ ble‑digit win campaign. Defensively, Notre Dame has plenty of contributors in the front seven and secondary. Cou‑ ple that with the familiarity in year two of defensive coordina‑ tor Brian VanGorder's scheme, and it should be a step forward for the unit. The one area where Notre Dame should be concerned, however, is the pass rush. Without a Stephon Tuitt‑ or Justin Tuck‑like presence in the front seven, Notre Dame will need to rely on a number of players to get after the quarterback, which head coach Brian Kelly readily admitted during spring practice. With star linebacker Jaylon Smith now cross‑train‑ ing at the Sam (outside) linebacker position, even he should be able to help out on occasion from the edge. Senior Sheldon Day and junior Isaac Rochell present formidable challenges for opposing fronts and can be penciled in for a few sacks. One other aspect to remember: VanGorder loves to blitz, and even if there isn't one Notre Dame player that will consistently pressure the quarter‑ back, perhaps the best solution to fix that is to send several of them the signal‑caller's way. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHAT IS NOTRE DAME'S TOP AREA TO SHORE UP? KYLE BRINDZA