Notre Dame Spring By The Numbers
3 Since 1997 there have been only three seasons where Notre Dame finished with an average of more than 200 rushing yards per contest, including bowl games: 1998 (208.1), 2015 (207.6) and 2017 (269.5) — with the latter helping earn the Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line in the country. Can the Irish achieve at least 200 again minus two All-Americans up front and running backs who have not yet consistently proven their durability/effectiveness over a full season?
4 Last season marked the first time in a Notre Dame football season that linebackers finished first through fourth in tackles: Te’von Coney (116), Nyles Morgan (92), Drue Tranquill (85) and Greer Martini (75). The play here is what helped promote position coach Clark Lea to coordinator.
Coney and Tranquill return, although the latter moves from rover to Buck. The tackles by Coney last year represented the most in one season by a Fighting Irish player since All-American Manti Te’o totaled 133 in 2012.
8 Years Brian Kelly has been at Notre Dame, and in all eight he had a unique distinction of a future or currently projected first-round pick at left tackle: Zack Martin (2010-13), Ronnie Stanley (2014-15) and Mike McGlinchey (2016-17). Stanley and McGlinchey shifted over after starting one year at right tackle — as sophomore Robert Hainsey is doing now.
12 Scholarship players in the defensive backfield this spring — six at corner and six at safety — meaning three full units can be formed. By the fall the count is slated to go up to 18. A partial reflection of how much the competition has been upgraded the past two seasons is that junior safety Devin Studstill, who started nine games as a freshman in 2016, was supplanted from the starting position at the start of 2017 and began this spring working with the third unit.
16.5 Sacks recorded by the Fighting Irish defensive linemen in 2017, led by Jerry Tillery’s 4.5, after registering only three as a collective unit in 2016. Also notable is reserve ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem combined for 5.5 sacks, plus had the second and third most QB hurries (seven by Okwara and six by Kareem).
That is significant because 51 of a possible 52 starts from 2017 return along the line — ends Jay Hayes and Daelin Hayes (no relation), and interior figures Tillery and Jonathan Bonner.
24 Passes caught by Irish running backs last season totaling 134 yards. Tony Jones Jr. nabbed six for 12 yards, while Dexter Williams’ two were good for 13 yards and a score. The backs might be needed more in 2018 to aid the passing attack, and the screen game in particular might need to improve.
Junior wideout Chase Claypool’s 34 career receptions (29 last season) are the most among any returning player.
45 Receptions last season by the Irish tight ends under first-year offensive coordinator Chip Long, who also happens to be the tight ends coach. The breakdown was Alizé Mack with 19, Durham Smythe with 15, Nic Weishar with nine and Cole Kmet with two. All but Smythe return.
In the three previous years before Long’s arrival, Notre Dame tight ends totaled 31 (2014), 20 (2015) and 12 (2016) catches.
76.09 Percent of the time Notre Dame scored a touchdown last year in the red zone (35 of 46, plus seven field goals) — the seventh-best figure nationally. The Irish generally had ranked around 70th under Kelly in red-zone efficiency, but Brandon Wimbush’s 14 rushing touchdowns, the most ever by an Irish quarterback in one season, helped significantly upgrade that facet in 2017.
The 1,010 combined rushing yards last season by Wimbush (803) and Ian Book (207) marked the first time the quarterback position at Notre Dame collectively eclipsed 1,000. Now, regarding Wimbush’s No. 86 rating in pass efficiency …
80.8 Senior kicker Justin Yoon’s career field goal percentage (42 of 52), which is a Notre Dame record with at least 50 attempts, far outpacing the man in second place, former standout John Carney (73.9 percent, 1984-86). The only Fighting Irish kicker with at least 40 kicks who has a better percentage is David Ruffer from 2009-11, who finished at 82.5 (33 of 40). With 46 points this year, Yoon would become the all-time scoring leader at the school.
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