Stop me if you heard this from a Notre Dame fan before, “if you take away that first quarter, Notre Dame wins.” It’s a common mantra among Notre Dame fans for a reason, it far too many cases it’s absolutely true. Slow starts have plagued the Irish all season long and throughout the Brian Kelly era. For Notre Dame to be a legit playoff team in 2016, starting faster – specifically on offense – has to be a point of emphasis for Kelly and his staff.
Before diving in, here are the ugly statistics. In Notre Dame’s three losses in 2015, the Irish have been outscored by a combined 42-10.