Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/988322
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JUNE/JULY 2018 15 THEY SAID IT "Not too much. I'm just doing everything that got me to where I am today. Like I said before, the approach doesn't change. I'm still coming in and trying to be the best team- mate I can be, and the best player I can be." Former Irish guard Quenton Nelson on if he concerns himself with the high expectations for his play (The Indianapolis Star) "Yes, Notre Dame makes the list (though without 1993 they might not). Since then, they've finished in the top eight exactly once, in 2012 when they were humiliated in the title game by Alabama. Still, Notre Dame is here because they've finished the season ranked nearly half of the last 25 years, something that most programs cannot claim." — The Big Lead on ranking Notre Dame No. 23 in a ranking of college football's top 25 programs over the past 25 years "The Irish have been one of the most consistently solid teams since Kelly took over — they played at a top-30 level even while going 4-8 in 2016 — but it's natural to be waiting for the disappointment. It did last November, on the heels of a magnificent October. … Still, this is a loaded depth chart, balanced with senior leadership and young upside. The offense will be explosive, if sporadic, and the defense boasts a level of experience most coordinators dream of. "There are four projected top-20 S&P+ teams on the schedule, but three (No. 10 Michigan, No. 18 Florida State, and No. 20 Stanford) visit South Bend. A fourth 10-win season for Kelly is very much on the table, and while there are plenty of close games on the way, the Irish should win quite a few of them." — Bill Connelly of SB Nation on Notre Dame heading into the 2018 season "Head coach Mike Brey has proven he does not require elite recruits to build quality teams. … Notre Dame's 2018 class is not stuffed with blue-chippers, but it could be the best one Brey has signed over the course of his 18-year tenure. It also is composed of the sort of prospects that, like other Fighting Irish stand- outs before them, can develop into high-level starters by the time they leave South Bend. "The Fighting Irish are not about to transform into a five-star-plucking blueblood, and they won't earn as many plaudits for their 2018 recruiting success as the 'basketball school' in the same state that did nab a five-star. … But Notre Dame does bring in players who can congeal into formidable veteran squads capable of competing at the top of one of the toughest conferences in the country. The five it has added this year fit the bill." — Sports Illustrated's Chris Johnson on Notre Dame being one of the winners of the 2018 class UNDER THE DOME NOTRE DAME AUTO MATS *PLEASE ADD SALES TAX IN IN, MI, AND NC Mats are shipped direct from manufacturer. Please allow time for processing and delivery. BLUE AND GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO BOX 2331 • DURHAM, NC 27702 800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com #6503 - 2pc Vinyl Front Mat Set $39.95 + $9.99 S&H #6504 - 2pc Vinyl Utility Mat Set $27.95 + $7.99 S&H #6518 - 4pc Vinyl Front & Utility Mat Set $59.95 + $12.99 S&H Front Mats 18"x27" • Utility Mats 14"x17" 31"x31" VINYL CARGO MAT $39.95 + $12.99 S&H CHOICE OF LOGO DESIGN: ND Logo (Item #6519-ND) Leprechaun Logo (Item #6519-LEP) VINYL AUTO MATS Available in 2-pc or 4-pc Sets Logo Choice: ND or Leprechaun OF THE MONTH ➤ "Congratulations to the class of 2018! #4for40." Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) May 20 PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN