2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team


The 2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by Brian Kelly in his 11th season at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Because the Power Five conferences enforced restrictions on non-conference games in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame played a full Atlantic Coast Conference schedule for the 2020 season, expanding upon an existing relationship in all other sports besides football and ice hockey. This was the first season in several decades that Notre Dame did not play its traditional intersectional rivalry games against Navy, USC, or Stanford.
After the cancellation of the Wake Forest game scheduled for December 12 by the ACC, due to an evaluation of the three teams in contention to play in the ACC Championship Game, Notre Dame clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game, which they went on to lose to [2020 2020 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson].
The Fighting Irish were subsequently ranked fourth in the final College Football Playoff rankings, securing a spot in the Rose Bowl, a CFP semifinal game, against top–ranked [2020 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]. Notre Dame lost to Alabama on New Year's Day, the eventual national champion, ending the season with a 10–2 record.

Offseason

Departures

NFL
Transfers out
Other
  • OL Cole Mabry

Transfers in

Schedule

The 2020 schedule was officially released on December 7, 2017.
Due to suspensions of athletic programs nationwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team called off the 2020 edition of its spring Blue-Gold Game. The Emerald Isle Classic game against Navy at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland was tentatively rescheduled for Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, and three games were scrapped after the Big Ten and Pac-12 elected to restrict play to conference opponents only. This included a game scheduled against Wisconsin on October 3, the team's rivalry game against Stanford, and the team's rivalry game against USC.
In regards to replacing the canceled games, head coach Brian Kelly told ESPN's Mike Greenberg that "our phone is ringing off the hook right now in terms of teams looking for games", and that Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick had been communicating with ACC commissioner John Swofford; as per its membership in most other sports, Notre Dame typically plays five games against ACC opponents per-season. On July 29, 2020, the ACC officially announced that Notre Dame would play its 2020 season within the conference, with 10 games against ACC opponents, a non-conference game of its choice played in-state, and being eligible to compete for the conference championship. The team contributed revenue from its broadcast rights with NBC into the conference's shared pool, split between all ACC members and Notre Dame.
Notre Dame's opening game against Duke marked the first time that the Fighting Irish had ever competed in, or won a conference game.

Game summaries

Duke

StatisticsDukeNotre Dame
First downs1824
Total yards338441
Rushing yards79178
Passing yards259263
Turnovers40
Time of possession26:3633:24

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
DukePassingChase Brice20/37, 259 yards
DukeRushingDeon Jackson15 carries, 52 yards
DukeReceivingEli Pancol3 receptions, 78 yards
Notre DamePassingIan Book19/31, 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams19 carries, 112 yards, 2 TDs
Notre DameReceivingKyren Williams2 receptions, 93 yards

South Florida

StatisticsSouth FloridaNotre Dame
First downs1121
Total yards231430
Rushing yards106281
Passing yards125149
Turnovers02
Time of possession27:3332:27

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
South FloridaPassingJordan McCloud8/14, 64 yards
South FloridaRushingJohnny Ford6 carries, 70 yards
South FloridaReceivingLatrell Williams2 receptions, 48 yards
Notre DamePassingIan Book12/19, 144 yards
Notre DameRushingC'Bo Flemister13 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameReceivingTommy Tremble3 receptions, 61 yards

Florida State

StatisticsFlorida StateNotre Dame
First downs1826
Total yards405554
Rushing yards153353
Passing yards252201
Turnovers04
Time of possession32:0827:52

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Florida StatePassingJordan Travis13/24, 204 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Florida StateRushingJordan Travis19 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
Florida StateReceivingTamorrion Terry9 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD
Notre DamePassingIan Book16/25, 201 yards, 2 TDs
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams19 carries, 185 yards, 2 TDs
Notre DameReceivingJavon McKinley5 receptions, 107 yards

Louisville

StatisticsLouisvilleNotre Dame
First downs1424
Total yards233338
Rushing yards96232
Passing yards137106
Turnovers00
Time of possession23:4536:15

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
LouisvillePassingMalik Cunningham16/19, 132 yards, 1 TD
LouisvilleRushingJavian Hawkins15 carries, 51 yards
LouisvilleReceivingJavian Hawkins5 receptions, 46 yards
Notre DamePassingIan Book11/19, 106 yards
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams25 carries, 127 yards
Notre DameReceivingBen Skowronek2 receptions, 28 yards

At Pittsburgh

StatisticsNotre DamePittsburgh
First downs2811
Total yards434162
Rushing yards11544
Passing yards319118
Turnovers13
Time of possession40:5919:01

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingIan Book16/30, 312 yards, 3 TDs
Notre DameRushingC'Bo Flemister13 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameReceivingBen Skowronek2 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TDs
PittsburghPassingJoey Yellen10/27, 101 yards, 3 INTs
PittsburghRushingVincent Davis8 carries, 28 yards
PittsburghReceivingJordan Addison3 receptions, 40 yards

At Georgia Tech

StatisticsNotre DameGeorgia Tech
First downs2417
Total yards426238
Rushing yards22788
Passing yards199150
Turnovers24
Time of possession36:5423:06

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingIan Book18/26, 199 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams15 carries, 76 yards, 2 TDs
Notre DameReceivingJavon McKinley5 receptions, 93 yards
Georgia TechPassingJeff Sims15/26, 150 yards
Georgia TechRushingJahmyr Gibbs14 carries, 61 yards
Georgia TechReceivingJahmyr Gibbs5 receptions, 49 yards

Clemson

StatisticsClemsonNotre Dame
First downs2222
Total yards473518
Rushing yards34208
Passing yards439310
Turnovers62
Time of possession29:3830:22

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
ClemsonPassingDJ Uiagalelei29/44, 439 yards, 2 TDs
ClemsonRushingTravis Etienne18 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD
ClemsonReceivingAmari Rodgers8 receptions, 134 yards
Notre DamePassingIan Book22/39, 310 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams23 carries, 140 yards, 3 TDs
Notre DameReceivingJavon McKinley5 receptions, 102 yards

At Boston College

StatisticsNotre DameBoston College
First downs2922
Total yards561357
Rushing yards27885
Passing yards283272
Turnovers62
Time of possession34:2725:33

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingIan Book20/27, 283 yards, 3 TDs
Notre DameRushingIan Book10 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameReceivingAvery Davis2 receptions, 70 yards
Boston CollegePassingPhil Jurkovec18/40, 272 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Boston CollegeRushingTravis Levy9 carries, 51 yards
Boston CollegeReceivingJaelen Gill5 receptions, 105 yards

At North Carolina

StatisticsNotre DameNorth Carolina
First downs2514
Total yards478298
Rushing yards19987
Passing yards279211
Turnovers10
Time of possession35:0424:56

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingIan Book23/33, 279 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams23 carries, 124 yards, 2 TDs
Notre DameReceivingJavon McKinley6 receptions, 135 yards
North CarolinaPassingSam Howell17/27, 211 yards, 1 TD
North CarolinaRushingMichael Carter8 carries, 57 yards
North CarolinaReceivingDyami Brown4 receptions, 84 yards

Syracuse

StatisticsSyracuseNotre Dame
First downs1526
Total yards414568
Rushing yards229283
Passing yards185285
Turnovers72
Time of possession26:1033:50

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
SyracusePassingRex Culpepper18/29, 185 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
SyracuseRushingSean Tucker24 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD
SyracuseReceivingTaj Harris8 receptions, 69 yards
Notre DamePassingIan Book24/37, 285 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams20 carries, 110 yards
Notre DameReceivingJavon McKinley7 receptions, 111 yards, 3 TDs

Vs. Clemson (ACC Championship)

StatisticsClemsonNotre Dame
First downs2318
Total yards541263
Rushing yards21944
Passing yards322219
Turnovers04
Time of possession28:0831:52

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
ClemsonPassingTrevor Lawrence25/36, 322 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
ClemsonRushingTravis Etienne10 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD
ClemsonReceivingAmari Rodgers8 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD
Notre DamePassingIan Book20/28, 219 yards
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams15 carries, 50 yards
Notre DameReceivingMichael Mayer5 receptions, 51 yards

Vs. Alabama (Rose Bowl)

StatisticsNotre DameAlabama
First downs2424
Total yards375437
Rushing yards139140
Passing yards236297
Turnovers20
Time of possession33:4326:17

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Notre DamePassingIan Book27/39, 229 yards, 1 INT
Notre DameRushingKyren Williams16 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
Notre DameReceivingKyren Williams8 receptions, 31 yards
AlabamaPassingMac Jones25/30, 297 yards, 4 TDs
AlabamaRushingNajee Harris15 carries, 125 yards
AlabamaReceivingDeVonta Smith7 receptions, 130 yards, 3 TDs

Players drafted into the NFL

242Liam EichenbergOTMiami Dolphins
248Aaron BanksOGSan Francisco 49ers
252Jeremiah Owusu-KoramoahILBCleveland Browns
383Tommy TrembleTECarolina Panthers
395Robert HainseyOTTampa Bay Buccaneers
4133Ian BookQBNew Orleans Saints
5171Daelin HayesDEBaltimore Ravens
5182Adetokunbo OgundejiDEAtlanta Falcons
7249Ben SkowronekWRLos Angeles Rams