Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/561665
THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI O ver the past 21 years (1994‑2014), one Notre Dame football team has separated itself as The Gold Standard. While 20 out of those 21 units lost a minimum of three games (and 12 went down to defeat at least five times), the 2012 edition advanced to the BCS National Championship Game and finished 12‑1. Yet when sixth‑year N o t r e D a m e h e a d coach Brian Kelly notes the 2015 edition is his fastest, most athletic and deepest squad, that doesn't necessarily mean it will play for the national title like that 2012 crew did. What it does underscore is how another three‑loss (or more) campaign could be a distressing sign of having maxed out, with a 2012 run the out‑ lier once per quarter century or more. The 2012 group had its share of star power with linebacker Manti Te'o, tight end Tyler Eifert and offensive tackle Zack Martin, but 2015 isn't far behind with figures like linebacker Jaylon Smith, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, wide receiver Will Fuller and KeiVarae Russell, who as a 2012 fresh‑ man had to start every game at corner after converting from offense. Three factors were crucial to the 2012 regular season that saw a 12‑0 finish and No. 1 ranking. One was it knew how to win because of supreme leadership at every posi‑ tion group, from the aforementioned trio to the secondary with Zeke Motta, the defensive line with Kapron Lewis‑Moore and the backfield with Theo Riddick. Kelly believes his 2015 Fighting Irish is replete with veterans who have taken owner‑ ship, maybe even more so than 2012. Never un‑ derestimate the power of such command and hunger — as men's basketball coach Mike Brey can tell you this past season with Jer‑ ian Grant and Pat Con‑ naughton. Second, the 2012 out‑ fit applied the KISS principle: Keep It Sim‑ ple Stupid. The offense was often a two‑tight‑end base that produced the lone 200‑yard rushing output for an entire regular season over the last 14 years. Kelly has been at his best at Notre Dame when he's had an inexperienced QB at the throttle. He has a 15‑1 record when he starts either a true freshman (Tommy Rees in 2010) or redshirt freshman (Everett Golson most of 2012 and Malik Zaire in last Notre Dame: 2012 Vs. 2015 The Manti Te'o-led 2012 squad had no preseason expectations to face, whereas this year's team does. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL