Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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defense traveled. • Notre Dame trailed 14-0 at even- tual No. 1 Clemson after only five minutes, but allowed only 10 points the remainder of the game — even while the Irish committed four turn- overs. • A trio of plays 65 yards or lon- ger allowed USC to make up a 21-10 deficit and lead as late as the fourth quarter before the Irish eventually pre- vailed. • Notre Dame limited Heisman Tro- phy runner-up Christian McCaffrey to only 3.49 yards per carry and 19 receiving yards, but the Irish still al- lowed 422 yards of total offense and 38 points to the Cardinal. Offensively, the Irish still faced some demons despite setting a school record for scoring plays of 50-plus yards. A theme in the Kelly era, Notre Dame failed to make the most of too many red zone opportunities, finishing 91st nationally for touchdown percentage (56.0) in that area. Wins over Temple (24-20) and Boston College (19-16) could have been easier with touchdowns instead of field goals or turnovers in the red zone, while losses might have been prevented at Clemson and Stanford with more pro- ficient play in that department. "It's certainly a number that we're aware of, that we have to really clean up the turnovers, converting field goals into touchdowns," Kelly said in October. "Our offense is what it is. We just have to be more efficient down there and spend extra time in prac- tice in making sure that when we get into those areas, we convert them into touchdowns. "It's been the case a couple times on the road that it's really been an is- sue for us: Virginia, obviously, and of course against Temple. Both those games we had opportunities to really lay some points on our opposition and didn't do it." The lasting images of 2015 include heartbreak (injuries and close losses) as well as triumphs. Ten-win seasons have become a rarity at Notre Dame the past two decades, but the 2015 group — with the depth Kelly praised in August — might have signaled that stability will once again be familiar to the Irish. ✦ Junior linebacker Jaylon Smith amassed 113 tack‑ les and claimed the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top linebacker. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA