2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Preview
2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Notre Dame Fighting Irish football preview as well as the 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Schedule. Get Free football predictions against the sportsbooks college football betting line.
Coach: Charlie Weis (5th year at Notre Dame)
Team Name: Fighting Irish
2008 Overall Record: 7-6
Returning Starters: 15
The Fighting Irish (7- 6 overall) have certainly had their ups and downs over the past half-decade. In 2007, after winning just three games, they sat out the bowl season. The season before that, they had won 10 games, were ranked 11th and went to the Sugar Bowl where they lost to 4th ranked LSU 14- 41. Last season, the unranked Fighting Irish earned a spot in the Hawaii Bowl where they beat the Warriors 49- 21. This season looks to be a good year for Notre Dame.
The offense is loaded. Last season, they scored an average of 24.7 PPG. They should do better this season. The offense line features numerous seniors with refined skills. At QB, junior Jimmy Clausen (440 ATT, 268 COMP, 3,172 YDs, 17 INT, 25 TDs) proved to be a playmaker. With a year of experience, it’s hoped that he can lower the number of interceptions he throws. Junior WR Golden Tate (58 REC, 1,080 YDs, 10 TDs) and sophomore WR Michael Floyd (48 REC, 719 YDs, 7 TDs) are quality pass catchers and go-to guys. Junior RB Armando Allen (134 ATT, 585 YDs, 3 TDs) leads a deep group of runners.
The Irish defense, which was ranked 42nd in 2008, allowed 22.2 PPG. The team has lost two quality starters from the secondary—safety David Bruton and corner Terrail Lambert. The team still fields some fine talent in the defensive backfield, including senior strong safety Kyle McCarthy (110 TKLs, 3.5 TFL, 2 INTs) and sophomore corner Robert Blanton (33 TKLs, 3 TFL, 2 INTs). Junior free safety Harrison Smith (57 TKLs, 3.5 SKs, 5 TFL), who played linebacker in 2008, is a smart, aggressive player. There is depth in the linebacking unit. WLB Brian Smith (54 TKLs, 2 SKs, 2 TFL) is the leader of this squad. The biggest worry is upfront. The Irish, at this point, need the men on the D-line to step up.
On special teams, kicker Brandon Walker (39- 39 Extra Pts, 14- 24 FG) proved to be inconsistent last season, his sophomore year. He needs to punch up his game. The punting game will be ably handled by Eric Maust (54 Punts, 2,218 YDs, 41.1 YDs, 16 In20). The return man on kickoffs will be Armando Allen (21 Kick RET, 543 YDs, 25.9 YPR), who ran one back for a score last season. Golden Tate (14 Punt RET, 116 YDs, 8.3 YPR), a junior, will bring back punts again.
Charlie Weis (29- 21 in four years) has done another fine job recruiting and welcomes back 10 starters on offense. The Irish play a tough schedule that includes Michigan State on September 19, USC on October 17 and an away game at Pittsburgh on November 14. The good news is that seven of the team’s contests are at home. That’s always a big help. This Irish team could be a top 25 contender and has a shot at landing a BCS Bowl berth. Weis and company should put in a solid season.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Schedule
| Date | Team | Opponent | Site | Line | Total | Points | Opp Points |
| 9/5/2009 | Notre Dame | Nevada | home | ||||
| 9/12/2009 | Notre Dame | Michigan | away | ||||
| 9/19/2009 | Notre Dame | Michigan St. | home | ||||
| 9/26/2009 | Notre Dame | Purdue | away | ||||
| 10/3/2009 | Notre Dame | Washington | home | ||||
| 10/17/2009 | Notre Dame | USC | home | ||||
| 10/24/2009 | Notre Dame | Boston Coll. | home | ||||
| 10/31/2009 | Notre Dame | Washington St. | neutral | ||||
| 11/7/2009 | Notre Dame | Navy | home | ||||
| 11/14/2009 | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh | away | ||||
| 11/21/2009 | Notre Dame | Connecticut | home | ||||
| 11/28/2009 | Notre Dame | Stanford | away |
For more info on the 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program, view the Fighting Irish website or read up on the rest of the non BCS ncaa football teams below.
