CNNSI.com - 2000 College Football Preview - CNNSI.com's Notre Dame preview

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Cracking down on defense

College Football: The New Century

'99: 5-7

Coach

Bob Davie (fourth season, 26-17)

Key offensive players

Jabari Holloway, TE, Sr.
Made 12 catches for 189 yards in 1999, including four touchdowns.

Tony Fisher, TB, Jr.
Led Irish in rushing in 1999 with 65 carries for 375 yards.

Arnaz Battle, QB, Jr.
He must prove that he can fill the shoes of graduated record-setter Jarious Jackson.

Key defensive players

Grant Irons, DE, Sr.
Had 34 tackles in 1999, with 116 in his career.

Ivan Maisel's Player of the Century: John Lujack, B, 1943, 46-47
"The best player on the Irish's best teams. How else to pick one player who played under the Dome?"

Brightest Moment: Defeating Alabama 24-23 in the 1973 Sugar Bowl and winning the national championship.

Lowest Moment: Notre Dame's loss to Boston College in 1993. It was the last game of the regular season and Notre Dame's first loss. It knocked the Irish from the top spot in the polls.

Anthony Weaver, DT, Jr.
Totaled 24 tackles in 1999; has 20 career starts.

Key newcomer

Carlyle Holiday, QB, Fr.
He reminds offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers of one of his former pupils -- ex-Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Throwback player

Grant Irons, who made 34 tackles and had four sacks in 1999, has been a key contributor for the Irish since his first season. He will be one of the leaders in 2000.

21st century player

Junior tailback Tony Fisher led the Irish in rushing while starting every game in 1999.

Fast Fact

Notre Dame was 0-5 away from home last year and the 2000 schedule includes road games at Michigan State, at West Virginia, at Rutgers and at USC. The Irish also play Navy in Orlando.

Outlook

There is not a college coach on a hotter seat than Davie, whose goal this year is an upgrading of the defense. Last season, Notre Dame¹s defense yielded an average of 142 rushing yards, 242 yards passing and 27.6 points per game, one of the worst statistical efforts of the decade. With five straight 1999 bowl teams on the schedule, all blessed with powerful offenses, to start the 2000 season (Texas A&M, Nebraska, Purdue, at Michigan State, Stanford), the Irish defense must be improved. Three other keys are whether unproven Battle can be the man at quarterback, whether the Irish can win on the road and whether the Irish can clean up the kicking game errors that have plagued them since 1993.

--Stan Crawley