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Key storylines for Notre Dame football before North Carolina matchup

Brian Kelly turned 60 years old on Monday.

He’s in his 12th season at Notre Dame and his 31st year as a college head coach, and he’s becoming better with age.

Kelly is already the winningest coach in program history. He enters Saturday’s home game against North Carolina on pace to finish this season with at least 10 wins for a fifth straight year. And with a young team, a terrific support staff and recruiting on a roll, there’s no reason to believe this run of success won’t continue for years to come.

So, why does my email inbox fill up every game blaming Kelly for dropped passes, or a three-and-out possession, or when an opponent scores?

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A broader view

Given the developments through the first half of this season, Notre Dame could’ve lost to Florida State, Toledo and Virginia Tech and headed into its bye week at 2-4.

Instead, the Irish kept winning because, as Kelly explained, his team plays with a surety and confidence that trumps physical mistakes and growing pains.

“When you have the skill of focus and are able to kind of really lock into the moment,” Kelly explained, “it’s allowed them to excel in pressure moments because adversity does not affect them.”

Following a bye week that included self-scouting and introspection, the Irish coaches demonstrated some mid-season flexibility and installed an up-tempo, quick-strike offensive game plan in the 31-16 win against USC that better masked lingering offensive line struggles and showcased starting quarterback Jack Coan’s quick recognition and pinpoint accuracy.

“We’re trying to best utilize and get the best version of our players. That was what we went to work at in the off week,” Kelly said. “… I would tell you that there’ll be more to come.”

And there’s no reason not to believe Kelly with the coaching lessons learned and the player improvements already made this season.

A formidable opponent

Without getting into a bunch of stats, names and numbers, North Carolina features the best opposing offense Notre Dame will face during its last five regular-season games and perhaps all season, even if at 4-3, its record suggests otherwise.

Unranked UNC — the No. 14 team in the preseason Associated Press poll and the pick to win the ACC Coastal Division — has not lived up to expectations, but Kelly warned to be warned.

“On any given night, this team puts it together, they’re as good as any team we’ve played this year,” Kelly said of an opponent that returned 21 of the 22 players who started in the Orange Bowl last season. “Why it hasn’t gone their way? That’s not my job to figure out.”

The No. 11 Irish are listed as only a 3.5-point favorite Saturday, so Las Vegas appreciates what UNC is capable of.

Not exactly breaking news, but when North Carolina scores, it wins. The Tar Heals average 50.3 points in four victories and 19.0 points in three losses.

“I know we have to go into this game expecting them to put it all together,” Kelly said. “And if they do, they’re a very good football team.”

So what gives?

For a variety of reasons — COVID-19 concerns and expense likely topping the list — landing tickets to a Notre Dame home game this season isn’t as enviable or tough as it used to be.

Cincinnati was the only game to sell out in the preseason. And based on turnout, that’s presumably because the Bearcats fans gobbled up the available seats.

The Toledo home-opener drew only 62,009 fans, the smallest attendance (sans 2020 pandemic seating restrictions) since Notre Dame Stadium was expanded in 1997.

Purdue didn’t sell out, and seats remained available for USC until late last week, while at the same time, resale ticket prices for this proud and typically expensive rivalry game sank to all-time lows.

For the North Carolina game, Notre Dame sent out an email bargain blast this week that temporarily reduced upper-bowl seats to $50.

And in a less covert attendance operation, Notre Dame is providing two complimentary tickets to either the Navy or Georgia Tech home games for local residents who receive their first COVID-19 vaccination shot.

Sagging attendance isn’t as much about apathy or interest as it is about scheduling just one or two intriguing home games each season.

Prior to an agreement with the ACC that began in 2015-16 to play five of its league opponents each season, Notre Dame built robust home schedules that typically included either a game with Michigan or Michigan State, a matchup against either Stanford or USC, and an intriguing opponent such as Oklahoma, Utah, BYU and others in town for a fly-by.

Notre Dame won’t renege on its ACC scheduling agreement, but with limited scheduling options, it’s time to replace Stanford and Navy as annual opponents to bolster SOS and fan interest.

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