Notre Dame looked like they were going to be in position to make the College Football Playoff halfway through the season, but the Fighting Irish lost five of their last six games. They did manage to end their season on a high note, beating LSU in the Music City Bowl, and they're hoping to carry that momentum into next season.
Here's three things head coach Brian Kelly's squad must to to recapture their first-half magic and win 10 games next year:
1) Make Malik Zaire Comfortable
Everett Golson will be playing his final year of eligibility somewhere else next season, meaning Malik Zaire will be taking over the starting quarterback role. He does have experience as he split time with Golson in the Music City Bowl, and he showed off his terrific rushing ability. However, he's still developing as a passer, and Kelly needs to be careful not to make the game too complicated for him.
2) Cut Down On Turnovers
The biggest reason Golson was benched for Zaire was his turnover problem, but that issue was much larger than just him. Notre Dame ranked 96th in the country with 26 turnovers this year - exactly two a game. Good teams take care of the ball and don't provide their opponents with extra opportunities, and the Irish are going to have to fix this to improve their record.
3) Find A Defensive Identity
Notre Dame ranked 75th against the pass and 72nd against the run this season, both of which are in the bottom half of the country. That's a long fall from where this defense was when the Irish went to the BCS National Championship Game in 2012. This unit struggled because they didn't have one thing they knew they could rely on, and they need to find their calling card and identity next year to improve.
Follow our Notre Dame Fighting Irish team page for the latest Notre Dame news and rumors!
Back to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Newsfeed