Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/598383
GAME PREVIEW: WAKE FOREST BY LOU SOMOGYI HOLDING SERVE AT HOME Three years ago, Notre Dame ended its dream regular season at home with a 38-0 victory against Wake Forest. That moment, on Nov. 17, 2012, marked the first time a Fighting Irish football team ever walked out of Notre Dame Stadium with an 11-0 record. Furthermore, that evening when No. 1 Oregon was upset by Stanford and No. 2 Kansas State fell to Bay- lor, Notre Dame ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll for the first time in 19 years. Lost in the euphoria was that the victory against the Demon Deacons marked only the second time in the 23 years from 1990-2012 that the Irish finished unbeaten at home. Now against Wake Forest again, the Irish will attempt to record their third perfect record at home since 1990, the first coming in 1998 under second-year head coach Bob Davie. The 13-year drought at home from 1999-2011 easily eclipsed the previous school record of eight consecutive sea- sons from 1956-63, prior to first-year head coach Ara Parseghian's "Resur- rection" campaign in 1964. For Notre Dame to return to its elite status, one of the first tasks at hand was to protect its home turf for an en- tire season. It wasn't until former Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy's final season in 1953 that the Irish regularly began playing at least four home games each season. In the 60 football campaigns TOP STOrylineS Predictions Bryan Driskell: Notre Dame 48, Wake Forest 13 Wake Forest has improved defensively, but it won't be enough to slow down the potent Irish offense on Senior Day. The Irish defense should be able to control the young Deacons offense. Andrew Ivins: Notre Dame 41, Wake Forest 12 Wake's offense is bad. Notre Dame's defense is good. That's what you need to know. Andrew Owens: Notre Dame 41, Wake Forest 10 It's Senior Day at Notre Dame, which should keep the Irish from overlooking a weak Demon Deacons squad. This one is unlikely to be close. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 37, Wake Forest 10 When Wake Forest and Boston College played to a 3-0 Demon Deacons win earlier this year, that's all you needed to know. Irish defensive stats should improve the next two weeks. Jordan Wells: Notre Dame 42, Wake Forest 14 The Deacons are better than last year — even if it doesn't show in the win-loss column — but could be disheartened after just missing their fourth win against Louisville, and now face the Irish, Clemson and Duke to finish their season.