2019 season: 11-2 overall (no conference record)
Head coach: Brian Kelly (11th season)
Over the course of the 2019 campaign, Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans were witness to, as has become nearly ritualistic in South Bend, both energizing triumphs and crippling shortcomings. The Irish finished with two losses en route to a Camping World Bowl victory in Orlando over a hapless Iowa State squad. Avenging the losses will be the key theme in their 2020 season.
Head coach Brian Kelly led his team out of the gate strong, posting 101 points over their first two games before losing a squeaker to the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, the offense freezing up in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ian Book threw 47 times in the contest, completing 29 but finding grass on three of his final four attempts.
Despite a shaky finish to Notre Dame’s biggest tilt of the fall season, Book had a career season, notching 3,034 total yards in the air along with 34 touchdowns, giving the ball away only six times in the process. The then-senior Irish QB had no trouble finding open space on the ground either— eating up 546 yards of open field in his thirteen games under center.
Most notably, his rushing talent shone against Duke, racking up a career-best 139 yards on only 12 carries to complement four passing touchdowns, in a game that reminded the Blue Devils that its victory over the Irish in 2016 was not an easily repeatable feat.
And though, starting with Duke, Notre Dame won every game by no less than a two-score margin, they did so under the dark cloud of a convincing loss at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines. The Irish traveled to Ann Arbor for over 110,000 to witness the bloodbath, which ended 45-14— effectively eliminating Brian Kelly’s squad from playoff consideration and embarrassing any Irish faithful dedicated enough to make the trip.
Looking to 2020, Ian Book returning for a graduate season is reason for all Fighting Irish to celebrate. The quarterback sits poised for another standout season, despite losing his top three targets—including Chase Claypool, who Book linked with 66 times for over a thousand combined yards, and 13 scores. Couple this with the loss of Tony Jones, Jr.—the leading rusher for the Irish—and Brian Kelly is looking at an uphill battle towards team success this year.
Despite key losses, expectations will remain where they usually sit in South Bend, Indiana— sky-high. It will be up to Book to deliver for the Irish in a do-over of last year, without a game against Michigan, and assuredly without 110,000 screaming fans.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.