Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/998819
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 31 Since the start of two-platoon football in 1964 under first-year head coach Ara Parseghian, the 2018 season will mark only the sixth time the Notre Dame defense returns at least nine starters. Here are those results in chronological order. 1971 — 9 Starters Return Because of the defense, Sports Illustrated ranked Notre Dame the preseason No. 1, despite the graduation of Heisman Trophy runner-up Joe Theismann at quarterback. The front four of No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Walt Patulski, first- round choice Mike Kadish, second-round selection Greg Marx and third-round pick Fred Swendsen (a reserve in 1970) returned, as did the entire secondary, headlined by first-round cornerback Clarence Ellis. Defensive Doings: Notre Dame finished No. 3 nationally against the run (86.4 yards allowed per game) and No. 5 in scoring defense (8.6 points surrendered per contest), permitting more than seven points only twice in 10 games. Overall Result: The Irish offense tallied more than 21 points only twice in 10 games, falling to USC (28-14) and then at LSU (28-8) in the finale for an 8-2 fin- ish. For the first time in eight seasons under Parseghian, Notre Dame finished out of the Associated Press top 10 overall, and the players voted to turn down a Gator Bowl bid. 1977 — 11 Starters Return The lone Irish defense to return every starter from the year prior was re- plete with star power, including All-Americans Ross Browner (end), Bob Golic (linebacker) and Luther Bradley (cornerback). The 9-3 unit in 1976 set a school record by not allowing a touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters. Head coach Dan Devine's Irish were the popular preseason No. 1 pick. Defensive Doings: Just like in '71, Notre Dame finished No. 3 against the run (89.2 yards given up per game). It also was No. 12 in scoring defense (11.7 points allowed per game). Overall Result: After sputtering to a 1-1 start and trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter at Purdue in game three, Notre Dame inserted third-team quarterback Joe Montana into the lineup, and it made the difference. The Irish won the 1977 national title after crushing No. 1 Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl. 1992 — 9 Starters Return The seasoned defense — spearheaded by future first-round picks Bryant Young up front and Tom Carter and Jeff Burris in the secondary — helped make Notre Dame a preseason national title favorite again because of a potent offense led by quarterback Rick Mirer and fullback Jerome Bettis. The defense also included future pro linebackers Demetrius DuBose, Pete Bercich and An- thony Peterson, and 11-year NFL lineman Jim Flanigan. Defensive Doings: No. 9 versus the run (111.1 yards allowed per contest) and No. 20 in scoring defense (16.2 points surrendered per game), the unit flourished in the second half of the season. Overall Result: The 10-1-1 campaign was capped with a 28-3 thrashing of 12-0 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, and ND finished No. 4 in the AP poll. 2006 — 9 Starters Return This team was comparable to 1992 because of the combination of nine returning starters on defense plus the presence of a senior first-round quarter- back (Brady Quinn). Most preseason polls had the Irish at No. 1 or No. 2, with the defense propelled by second-round linemen Victor Abiamiri and Trevor Laws (plus fifth-round pick Derek Landri), and a secondary that included future pros Tom Zbikowski and Chinedum Ndukwe at safety. Defensive Doings: The defense didn't finish higher than No. 60 in any of the four major categories. Overall Result: The letdown 10-3 finish in which the Irish were routed by Michigan (47-21), USC (44-24) and then LSU in the Sugar Bowl (41-14) led to head coach Charlie Weis replacing veteran defensive coordinator Rick Minter with Corwin Brown. 2010 — 9 Starters Return Under first-year head coach Brian Kelly, the entire front seven returned, led by linemen Ian Williams, Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore, plus line- backers Manti Te'o and Darius Fleming. Both corners — Gary Gray and Darren Walls — also were back. The lone new starters were future Pro Bowl performer Harrison Smith (after working at Sam linebacker in 2009) and 2012 Defensive MVP Zeke Motta at the safety slots. Defensive Doings: After a midseason snag under new coordinator Bob Diaco dropped the Irish to 4-5, the defense propelled a 4-0 finish while permitting only 39 points total in those contests. Notre Dame finished No. 23 in scoring defense (20.23 points allowed per game), the school's best in eight years. Overall Result: The four-game winning streak to end the season is the second longest since the 1988 national title campaign, trailing only the six in 1992. — Lou Somogyi Many Happy Returns All-American defensive end Ross Browner headlined a defense that returned all 11 starters and led Notre Dame to the national championship in 1977. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA