Fan’s guide to this year’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Coach: Charles Fant (first year) Stadium: Jim Eberle Field Address: 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404
THREE STRENGTHS
1) Speed. The Irish may be somewhat inexperienced and particularly may be short on experienced linemen, but almost everybody from tackle to safety will show better speed than opponents recently have seen. Sophomore Auston Banks has clocked a 10.7 100, and classmate receiver Kareem Orr is extremely fast also.
2) The defense, led by tackle Robert Kidwell and linebacker Taylor Bankston, is a fairly experienced group that must keep the Irish close as the offense catches up. They changed defenses in the middle of the 2011 season but decided to stay with a similar scheme this year, so Fant feels they’ll be much better for it.