Having endured the worst season in nine years during the 4-8 debacle of 2016, Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are seeking to wipe away the negatives of a campaign that sputtered from the outset. To accomplish that, they need to change some of the numbers that they compiled during last season’s disaster.
No facet of the team was really immune from the carnage, so zeroing on a single area isn’t really a consideration. Listed below are some of the categories that need to see better numbers for the Irish to have any chance of competing for even a respectable bowl this season:
Sacks: 14
No team can succeed with a floundering or non-existent pass rush, which is what the Irish had in 2016.