Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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7.5 yards per pass (No. 50 nationally) and 3.5 yards per rush (No. 108 nationally) last season. Season Outlook: Last year's stout defense lost a lot of talent to the NFL, but the electric Watson and wide receivers Artavis Scott and Mike Williams lead the way for what should be an improved offense. Clemson compiled a 42-11 record (.792) under head coach Dabo Swinney from 2011-14, the best stretch in school history, and there's no reason to expect the Tigers will slow down in 2015. NAVY • OCT. 10 2014 Record: 8-5 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 49, Navy 39 (2014) Toughest To Replace: Fullback Noah Copeland finished second on the team in carries (129), rushing yards (952) and touchdowns (five) last year, trailing only star quarterback Keenan Reynolds. His 7.4 yards per carry were the most efficient of the three ball carriers that ended the season with more than 100 rushing attempts in Navy's triple-option. Copeland gained 138 yards on only 16 carries in last year's contest against the Irish, including a 54-yard scamper in the third quarter that helped set up a Midshipmen touchdown. Key Players: Reynolds is one of the most deco- rated players in Navy history. His 64 career rushing touchdowns are already the most by a quarterback in NCAA history, and he trails only Ricky Williams of Texas, Travis Prentice of Miami (Ohio) and Montee Ball of Wisconsin on the overall leaderboard. He handles a majority of the carries in Navy's rush- heavy triple-option. Season Outlook: Head coach Ken Niumatalolo said last year he thought his team could be the best he's had in his nine years as head coach. The Mids finished a disappointing 8-5 overall, including losses to Air Force, Western Kentucky and Rutgers — but gave both Ohio State and Notre Dame everything they wanted. With Reynolds back for another sea- son, some size in the backfield and returners on defense, there's a lot of optimism for a big season in Annapolis. USC • OCT. 17 2014 Record: 9-4, 6-3 Pac-12 Last Meeting: USC 49, Notre Dame 14 (2014) Toughest To Replace: Wide receiver Nelson Ag- holor finished with a team-high 104 catches for the Trojans last year, almost double the production of No. 2 pass catcher JuJu Smith (54). Agholor's 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns propelled him to be taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round with the No. 20 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Key Player: Even with returning veteran Kevon Seymour and Freshman All-American Adoree' Jack- son pegged as likely starters at cornerback, it's hard to imagine five-star signee Iman Marshall doesn't find his way onto the field in 2015 sooner than later. Rivals.com ranked the 6-1, 194-pounder as the na- tion's No. 1 cornerback and No. 3 overall prospect. There's been talk that Marshall could see reps at safety, and he's willing to play wherever USC's staff needs him. Season Outlook: In only his second year at the helm of the program, head coach Steve Sarkisian could march the highest-ranked 2015 opponent into Notre Dame Stadium Oct. 17. Many post-spring ball projections peg the Trojans anywhere from top five to top 10 nationally, with Clemson also right in that mix. USC returns fifth-year senior quarterback Cody Kessler, who completed 315 of 452 passes (69.7 percent) for 3,826 yards with 39 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2014, and the defense is loaded with talent. AT TEMPLE • OCT. 31 2014 Record: 6-6, 4-4 in AAC Last Meeting: Notre Dame 28, Temple 6 (2013) Toughest To Replace: Temple's passing offense wasn't very productive in 2014, and the only real standout wide receiver, Jalen Fitzpatrick, has de- parted. The 5-11, 180-pounder led the Owls in catches (53), receiving yards (730) and touchdown grabs (six). The closest wide receiver to his totals was John Christopher, who finished the season with 24 catches for 194 yards and no scores.