 |
 |
|
| | Sunday, September 3 Davie confident Irish will bounce back | |||||
| By Scott Brown Special to ESPN.com Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1999 record: 5-7 Coach: Bob Davie Returning starters: 12 (7 offense, 5 defense) Outlook Telling of the position the Irish find themselves in this season is what Davie said at Notre Dame Media Day last week. "I don't think it is realistic to say you are going to sneak up on anyone at Notre Dame, but let's be honest, the expectations on the outside are low," he said. "I think people continue to talk about last year." How fast Battle matures could go a long way toward determining how much Notre Dame will make folks forget about 1999 when the Irish lost their last four games. Battle does have the benefit of working with offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers, who tutored Donovan McNabb at Syracuse. The junior is also surrounded by plenty of talent. Tailback is deep with incumbent Tony Fisher, star-in-waiting Julius Jones and Terrance Howard all vying for time. The offensive line returns three starters, including 6-6, 313-pound junior tackle Jordan Black, a potential first-round NFL draft pick. Tight end Jabari Holloway caught just 12 passes last year but four went for touchdowns. Look for him to get the ball more this season. Notre Dame will have to score a lot of points if the defense doesn't make significant improvement from last season. The Irish allowed 142 yards rushing, 276 yards passing and 27.6 points per game and were victimized by big plays all season. Poor play at cornerback didn't allow the Irish to play the attacking defense that was Davie's signature when he was a defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. The secondary should be bolstered by the return of top cover man Brock Williams, who missed '99 with an injury. The Irish hope senior defensive end Grant Irons makes the jump from solid to spectacular. "I don't have a crystal ball," Davie said, "but I can tell you this. I really like this football team and I am really, really excited about the challenge ahead of us." Keep an eye on ... Quarterback Gary Godsey. The 6-7, 240-pound sophomore will back up Battle. Since time is not on ally of Davie's, Godsey could be pressed into duty if Battle struggles early in the season. It's a good year if ... Notre Dame wins nine games and make one of the BCS bowls. The talent level may not be what's been in the past, but expectations are always high for a program that has produced nine national championships and seven Heisman Trophy winners. Is eight wins enough for Davie to save his job? Scott Brown covers UCF for Florida Today |
ALSO SEE Irish no longer the king of the independents | |||||