Brian Kelly Says 'I'm Not Sure' Notre Dame Would Play in CFP Without Families
Dec 18, 2020
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Boston College, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is taking a stand, saying he wants the families of players to be able to attend the College Football Playoff if the Irish make it.
"I'm not sure we'd play in the playoff if families can't be there," Kelly told reporters Friday.
The Rose Bowl, one of the sites of the two CFP semifinal matchups, has already announced it will not allow fan attendance. It's unclear if the Sugar Bowl, the other site, will allow fans. The New Orleans Saints play at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome where the Sugar Bowl is held and have been able to have a minimal amount of fans in their stadium.
Families in attendance or not, it's hard to imagine Kelly or Notre Dame players would willingly sit out a chance at a national championship over the matter of family attendance.
"It makes no sense to me to put a bunch of kids on a plane and fly them all the way to California to play in an empty stadium. That makes zero sense," Clemson coach Dabo Swinneytold reportersFriday.
The committee is considering moving the Rose Bowl from Pasadena for the first time since 1915 in part because families would not be able to attend. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, a member of the committee, toldDennis Doddof CBS Sports that the issue is "unresolved" earlier this week.
"I think it's hard to say to parents of student-athletes that they can't go watch their sons play in the biggest game of their career," Bowlsby said. "That's hard. There's all the quarantine issues and all the travel issues. It's unresolved. The [CFP] Management Committee is going to have to deal with it."
AT&T Stadium in Texas is considered the likely host of the Rose Bowl if the game is moved.
Ex-Notre Dame DL Louis Nix III Says He Will Have Surgery After Florida Shooting
Dec 9, 2020
Notre Dame defensive lineman Louis Nix III during the second half of an NCAA college football game against the BYU in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. Notre Dame defeated BYU 17-14. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Louis Nix III will have surgery after being shot in the chest in Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday night, per Vic Micolucciof News4Jax.com.
The 29-year-old told police he was at a gas station air pump when an "unknown person" shined a flashlight in his face and said "give me." Nix pushed the person in response and they shot him.
Nix, who was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2014 and was a practice squad player for the New York Giants, Washington Football Team and Jacksonville Jaguars, said the bullet hit his sternum and ended up in his lung.
Per Micolucci, Nix was transported to UF Health Hospital in Jacksonville, where he was in serious condition, but he toldMicolucciWednesday afternoon that he was "doing well."
Police are investigating and listed the descriptions of two suspects in their report. A witness said the suspects fled the scene after the shooting, per Micolucci.
The Jacksonville native played at Notre Dame from 2011-13, with his best campaign coming as a junior in 2012. He earned a third-team All-American selection as he led the team's defensive line with 50 tackles and posted a team-leading five pass breakups while ranking fourth with 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. That year, Notre Dame fell in the national championship to Alabama.
His senior season ended early as a knee injury forced him to play just one of the final six games of the year. Knee injuries also limited his time in the pros, as his rookie year ended when he endured two surgeries before the end of September.
Ian Book became the first Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback to win 30 games in his career by beating the Syracuse Orange 45-21 on Saturday. Book turned in another strong showing for the No...
Another win, another step closer to a return to the College Football Playoff for Notre Dame. On Friday, the No. 2 Fighting Irish improved to 9-0 with a 31-17 road victory over No...
Ian Book, No. 2 Notre Dame Remain Undefeated with Win vs. No. 19 North Carolina
Nov 27, 2020
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (12) hands off to running back Kyren Williams (23) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Book scored a touchdown on the play. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
No. 2 Notre Dame stayed undefeated with a 31-17 road victory over No. 19 North Carolina on Friday at Kenan Stadium.
Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams amassed 144 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, who outscored UNC 14-0 in the second half. The Fighting Irish also outgained the Tar Heels 478-298 in yards.
The two teams each scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter and added field goals in the second, but the final 30 minutes belonged to Notre Dame, who shut out UNC after halftime.
Wideout Ben Skowronek capped a 13-play, 97-yard touchdown drive with a 13-yard run to put Notre Dame up 23-17 in the third, and Williams finished an eight-play, 89-yard effort with a one-yard rush late in the fourth.
The Fighting Irish improved to 9-0, and UNC fell to 6-3.
Book got a little creative, but he never turned the ball over. As such, his pass streak without an interception continued, to the point where he broke a school record:
With 230 (and counting) passes without an interception, Ian Book now holds the longest streak in Notre Dame history for pass attempts without an interception.
Book simply got the job done, perhaps no more than when he led his team on a 97-yard, game-winning touchdown drives in the second half. The first drive featured a few clutch plays, including a 21-yard toss to Skowronek on 2nd-and-10 and a 15-yard pass to Mayer on 3rd-and-10. Skowronek finished it off with a 13-yard run:
Yeah, from the second quarter on, this is exactly how it looked like. Twenty. Eight. Percent. Success Rate for North Carolina's offense. Ian Book is a magician. #GoIrish#NDvsUNCpic.twitter.com/Drmqd0AGWY
Despite losing standout safety Kyle Hamilton before halftime for targeting, the Fighting Irish defense shut UNC out in the final 30 minutes.
A few players stood out, namely defensive lineman Adetokunbo Ogundeji (two sacks), linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (nine tackles) and linebacker Drew White (five tackles, a pair of tackles for a loss).
But credit also goes to defensive coordinator Clark Lea, who guided the fantastic Fighting Irish performance.
"UNC came into the game averaging 607 yards in its previous six games,"Bruce Feldmanof The Athletic wrote.
"Notre Dame held the Heels to just 298 and just 78 in the second half. Amazing job by DC Clark Lea especially after losing standout DB Kyle Hamilton in the 2nd Qtr for targeting."
Pete Sampsonof The Athletic brought a big-picture point of view about a defense that forced five punts and one turnover on downs in the second half:
"Notre Dame held North Carolina to a season-low 298 yards, in addition to the second-half shutout. Those are shocking results for a defense that played the second half without its best player. By the end, UNC quarterback Sam Howell had been punished to the point that the Tar Heels were a shell of their offensive selves. At a time when even Nick Saban believes defenses don't win championships, Notre Dame sure looks like it can push back on that notion. The Irish did on Friday."
Alex Kirshnerof the Split Zone and Moon Crew even shouted out Lea as a candidate for the Broyles Award, given to college football's best assistant coach.
That's hard to argue after Friday.
Notre Dame should be a heavy favorite in its final two games, and a berth in the ACC title game against (likely) Clemson seems all but certain. At this juncture, Notre Dame is a clear national title contender, and Lea's defense deserves much of that credit.
What's Next?
Both teams will play at home Saturday, December 5: Notre Dame will host Syracuse, and UNC will welcome Western Carolina.
Ian Book Totals 4 TDs as No. 2 Notre Dame Cruises Past Boston College 45-31
Nov 14, 2020
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book looks for a receiver during the first quarter against Clemson in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)
Coming off a marquee win against the top-ranked team in the nation, No. 2 Notre Dame was able to avoid a letdown this week with a 45-31 victory over a feisty Boston College team on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
The Fighting Irish moved up to second in the Associated Press Top 25 after defeating Clemson last Saturday. It's their highest ranking since the 2012 season when they advanced to the BCS Championship Game.
Clemson was also the only remaining ranked opponent on Notre Dame's regular-season schedule, though Boston College had all the makings of a trap game. The Eagles played Clemson tough two weeks ago before falling 34-28.
Ian Book led the way for Notre Dame's offense with 283 passing yards, 85 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.
After allowing an 80-yard touchdown drive on Boston College's first possession, the Irish defense only gave up 277 yards over the next 10 drives.
Ian Book's Improved Play Solidifies Irish as Title Favorites
If there were a scouting report opposing teams used to beat Notre Dame, it would focus on making Book beat them through the air.
The senior quarterback has been tasked to be a game manager because the Irish have a potent rushing attack and dominant defense. He only threw more than 25 passes three times in the first six games.
Last week's win against Clemson, which only allowed 109 points in its first seven games, looked like a potential turning point for Book. He went 22-of-39 for 310 yards and one touchdown in the 47-40 overtime win.
Turning the page to Boston College could have given head coach Brian Kelly a natural excuse to go back to relying mostly on the running game for production.
Instead, Book continued his strong play by completing a season-high 74.1 percent of his attempts and tying his season high with three touchdown passes.
Book remains a weapon in the running game, but now he's making defensive coordinators aware that they have to prepare for Notre Dame's aerial attack.
Notre Dame's defense has shown some cracks in the past two games, but it hasn't mattered because Book is lifting the team with his arm.
If this evolution holds for the rest of the season, Book will give the Irish a legitimate argument for the title of best team in the nation.
Eagles Offense in Steady Hands with Jurkovec
Phil Jurkovec's quest for revenge against Notre Dame came up short, but the sophomore quarterback continues to look like a great building block for Boston College.
After spending the previous two years as a backup at Notre Dame, Jurkovec transferred to Boston College for the opportunity to start. He told Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in September that he "was really not liking football" toward the end of his Irish tenure.
Jurkovec's results through nine games at Boston College seem to indicate he's found that passion for the sport again.
Notre Dame's defense has humbled many quarterbacks so far in 2020. Jurkovec completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes for the first time this season. There are still going to be growing pains, but the overall results have been very encouraging.
Jurkovec threw for at least 300 yards in four of the first five games this season and entered Saturday ranked among the best quarterbacks in then nation in several key categories:
According to @PFF_College, here's how BC's Phil Jurkovec stacks up nationally entering this weekend...
• 1st in passing yards under pressure (833) • T-2nd for the most big-time throws (20) • 3rd highest-graded QB outside the pocket (86.7 rating)
First-year head coach Jeff Hafley is still building the Eagles program. He has a terrific resume after serving as Ohio State's secondary coach last season after three years as a defensive backs coach with the San Francisco 49ers.
Finding a quarterback is the easiest path to success for any program. Jurkovec isn't a finished product after nine starts, but his overall results have to be encouraging for what he can become in 2021 and beyond.
What's Next?
Notre Dame has 13 days off before traveling to Kenan Memorial Stadium on Nov. 27 for a showdown with North Carolina. Boston College will play its final home game of the season on Nov. 27 against Louisville.
Notre Dame President: 'Zero Tolerance' for Fans Rushing Field After Clemson Win
Nov 9, 2020
Fans storm the field after Notre Dame defeated the Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)
Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins released a statement Sunday condemning students who rushed the field to celebrate Saturday night's 47-40 overtime win over Clemson.
Given the rising number of COVID-19 cases around the country, rushing the field put a number of fans and players at risk of further spreading the coronavirus. Granted, having fans in attendance in the first place could be seen as a questionable decision.
"I told our team at our walkthrough today, I said: 'I just want you to know when we win this thing, the fans are gonna storm the field,'" Notre Dame head coach Brian Kellytold reporters after the game. "With COVID being as it is, we gotta get off the field and get to the tunnel."
Jenkins himself tested positive for the coronavirus in early October after attending a White House event and failing to wear a mask.
Not surprisingly, Jenkins' statement was met with pushback on social media:
This is like a coach saying it was all the players fault. If you didn’t want fans on the field why didn’t you attempt to have to have security. Notre Dame showed they didn’t care by how easily this happened. Own up to shortcomings. Don’t pass the blame. pic.twitter.com/waya1gDXkr
Did Notre Dame’s president who was seen unmasked at an Amy Coney Barrett event at the White House just threaten to track the movements of current students and withhold records if they’re found to have left South Bend before Covid-19 test results were released?
Holding college sports during a pandemic, and allowing students to attend those contests, continues to present complications. The celebration on the field after Notre Dame's huge victory over Clemson was just the latest example of those complications.
NCAA Football Rankings 2020: Week 11 Polls, Top 25 Standings and Analysis
Nov 9, 2020
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book looks for a receiver during the first quarter against Clemson in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)
As expected, there is a new—though not unfamiliar—team atop college football's two major polls. After Clemson, which was missing star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, fell to No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday, Alabama ascended to the top spot in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Coaches Poll, garnering 59 of 62 first-placed votes in former and 55 of 62 in the latter.
The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, moved up to No. 2 in both polls and leapfrogged 3-0 Ohio State, which dispatched Rutgers 49-27 on Saturday. Clemson fell to No. 4, though the Tigers still control their College Football Playoff destiny and will likely meet Notre Dame again in December's ACC Championship Game.
Elsewhere in the Top 25, there were no upsets, but Florida's domination of then-No. 5 Georgia moved the Gators into Playoff conversation at No. 5 in the Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the AP rankings. The Bulldogs have all but seen their hopes of winning the SEC East disappear, with Florida now having a full one-game lead—plus the head-to-head tiebreaker—over Georgia.
Upstart Group of Five schools Cincinnati and BYU both put together impressive wins in Week 10, but the Bearcats were jumped by Florida and Texas A&M, which dropped them to No. 7 in both polls. The Cougars are right behind them at No. 8. If neither can get into the CFP, only Cincinnati is eligible for an automatic New Year's Six bowl bid because BYU isn't affiliated with a conference.
The more things change, the more they stay the same—at least when it comes to the elite teams in college football. As they have been at numerous points over the past few years, Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State are in the middle of the College Football Playoff conversation. Each school controls its destiny too.
Even with Clemson's loss to Notre Dame, the Tigers simply have to win out—a doable task—and beat the Irish in the ACC title game. And for that game, they should have Trevor Lawrence.
For the rest of the top 10, sneaking into the CFP won't be easy. Florida will almost certainly need to win out and then beat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Texas A&M already lost to the Crimson Tide—quite handily, to boot—and still has an early-December showdown with No. 24 Auburn on the schedule. The Aggies beat Florida earlier this season, but without a path to the SEC Championship Game, it's hard to see how they could get into the top four.
For the Group of Five schools, it's going to take a lot of luck if either one is going to end up with a berth in the CFP. Neither has played a particularly daunting schedule, in large part because Power Five schools went to conference-only schedules this season.
If BYU wins out, it would likely get an at-large bid to a New Year's Six bowl, and Cincinnati would get the G5's auto bid. But if either slips up, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, and Liberty are all still undefeated. Even then, it seems BYU and Cincinnati are a cut above those teams, and the College Football Playoff selection committee is likely to agree.
NCAA Football Rankings 2020: Predicting Week 11 Poll for Top 25 Teams
Nov 8, 2020
Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) and safety Shaun Crawford (20) celebrate after a third-quarter stop against the Clemson in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)
For the first time in 2020, college football will have a new No. 1 team.
After No. 4 Notre Dame's nail-biting win over Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson late Saturday night, the Tigers won't occupy the top spot in the polls, though they are unlikely to drop far.
Waiting behind them will be Alabama (idle in Week 10), Ohio State, which easily dispatched Rutgers 49-27, and the Fighting Irish, who won their first game over a top-ranked team since 1993. The Crimson Tide, which garnered 29 first-place votes in the previous week's Associated Press college football poll, will almost assuredly ascend to the top spot, with the Irish and Buckeyes likely fighting for the No. 2 spot behind them.
But what about the rest of the Top 25? Let's break it down.
Projected Week 11 AP Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Clemson
5. Florida
6. Cincinnati
7. Texas A&M
8. BYU
9. Indiana
10. Georgia
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami
14. Coastal Carolina
15. Oklahoma State
16. Marshall
17. Oklahoma
18. Iowa State
19. USC
20. SMU
21. Auburn
22. Texas
23. Liberty
24. Northwestern
25. Louisiana
Rise of the Group of Five
With the Pac-12 and Big Ten delaying their starts, the Group of Five schools have taken full advantage. Seven schools outside of the Power Five made the previous AP Top 25 poll, and depending on how things fall Sunday, there could be again.
At the top of that list are Cincinnati and BYU, two teams who could finally break into the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats easily dispatched Houston 38-10 on Saturday, while the Cougars demolished No. 21 Boise State 51-17 in an offensive tour de force. Quarterback Zach Wilson has quietly made himself a legitimate Heisman contender, completing 75 percent of his passes while throwing 21 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
BYU has two remaining regular-season games, both of which they should be heavily favored in. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has four more chances—plus the AAC Championship Game—to make an impression on the College Football Playoff committee.
Gators Gobble Up Georgia
What was supposed to be the first of two premier matchups of top-10 teams Saturday night didn't end up being all that close. Florida, a three-point underdog, flexed its offensive muscle against Georgia, racking up 571 yards of offense en route to a 44-28 blowout of the Bulldogs.
Like the Wilson, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask has made a strong case for Heisman contention, and he only added to it by going 30-of-43 for 474 yards and four touchdowns Saturday.
In contrast, the Bulldogs' struggles under center have only gotten worse, with both Stetson Bennett and D'Wan Mathis having abysmal showings. Bennett, who left the game for a brief period after landing awkwardly on his shoulder, completed five of his 16 passes for 78 yards, while Mathis completed just four of his 13 attempts while throwing two interceptions.
There's been no word on the availability of USC transfer JT Daniels, though there don't seem to be any lingering effects from his ACL injury last season.
"Right now, we feel like the other two give us a better shot," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart told reporters after the game. "They have more of a body of work. I don't think, necessarily, that he has anything with his knee. He doesn't wear his brace anymore. He reps. He takes reps with the scout team and gives us a good look. He's still rolling and getting better in the offense."
Brian Kelly Addresses Fans Storming Field After Notre Dame's 2OT Win vs. Clemson
Nov 8, 2020
Fans storm the field after Notre Dame defeated the Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly attempted to prepare his team for the potential aftermath of a victory over No. 1 Clemson on Saturday, but it may not have worked.
After the Fighting Irish defeated the Tigers in double overtime, 47-40, the limited capacity crowd at Notre Dame Stadium rushed the field, creating a potentially dangerous situation in the middle of a pandemic as players were trying to get back into their locker rooms.
"I told our team at our walkthrough today, I said: 'I just want you to know when we win this thing, the fans are gonna storm the field," Kelly told reporters. "With COVID being as it is, we gotta get off the field and get to the tunnel."
Reporters at the stadium noted players hurried off the field as fans poured out of the stands.
Notre Dame Stadium is allowing just 20 percent of its total fan capacity to attend games due to the virus. That would amount to an attendance of 16,159 on Saturday.
According to the New York Times,the state of Indiana saw 4,648 new cases reported on Saturday with 36 new deaths from COVID-19. Notre Dame's own coronavirus dashboardreported17 new cases as of Friday with an estimated 220 cases active across campus.
That led to school president Father John Jenkins asking students to take caution over the next two weeks as the fall semester comes to a close.
"We must recognize that not wearing a mask or maintaining distance is now considerably more risky, with the rapid rise the virus, than it was even a few weeks ago,” Jenkinssaid.
