College Football 2011: Notre Dame Schedule and Game-by-Game Breakdown
The 2011 schedule will be a memorable one, featuring a record number six night games.
That includes the first home night game in 21 years, when the Irish face off against USC on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
The schedule is also deceivingly treacherous. The Irish play nine teams that played in bowl games last season.
The Irish should be favored in a majority of their 12 games.
Follow along as we breakdown each of those 12 contests.
South Florida, Sept. 3
1 of 12
The obvious storyline heading into this game will be Skip Holtz's first trip to Notre Dame Stadium as a member of the opposition.
It will be the only game that Skip's father, the legendary Lou Holtz, picks against the Irish on ESPN's College GameDay.
The Bulls' offense will be led by junior B.J. Daniels.
He is a tremendous talent but was haunted by big mistakes last season.
Daniels may come under fire early because the Bulls have three new starters on the offensive line.
However, the running back position is deep and the No.1 guy is Colorado transfer Darrell Scott.
This offense is very talented, yet unproven.
The defense looks to be a strong unit, despite the departure of defensive tackle Terrell McClain to the NFL.
His absence leaves the D-line with only one returning starter, but Holtz is very excited about the level of talent filling those gaps, especially sophomore Ryne Giddins at defensive end.
The secondary will be loaded with safeties Jerrell Young and Jon Lejiste returning, along with cornerback Quenton Washington.
Junior Kayvon Webster will be filling the other corner spot.
Overall this South Florida team looks like a very talented group who may surprise in the Big East.
However, the number of new starters will be the Achilles' heel of the team.
The Bulls will give Notre Dame fits in the first quarter, but the Irish will take control and win in convincing fashion.
At Michigan, Sept. 10
2 of 12
The first night game between these two schools since the 1990 season should make for a great game.
Both teams will be wearing retro uniforms to commemorate the first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium.
The Wolverines are under the direction of first-year head coach Brady Hoke.
Hoke surprised fans by getting rid of the spread option attack in favor of a pro-style scheme.
Many are wondering if phenom quarterback Denard Robinson will be effective in the pro set.
Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges want to lessen the reliance on Robinson by placing a larger emphasis on the run game this season.
It remains to be seen if the Wolverine offense will be as effective as they were in 2010.
On the other side of the ball, there are many question marks.
This unit was one of the worst in the nation in 2010, giving up a total of 458 points and 5,860 yards.
The defensive line will be bolstered by the return of end Ryan Van Bergen, tackle Mike Martin, and end Craig Roh.
The secondary is a different story, with only two returning starters in safety Jordan Kovacs and corner J.T. Floyd.
Overall, Michigan has many question marks and red flags heading into 2011. It is up to Brady Hoke and his staff to right the Wolverine ship.
Any night game on the road, especially at the Big House, presents problems to Notre Dame.
The Wolverines will test the Irish in the first half, but Brian Kelly's squad will show who the superior team is in the second half.
Michigan State, Sept. 17
3 of 12
Fans of both Notre Dame and Michigan State know exactly what the storyline will be leading up to the 2011 edition of this rivalry.
Notre Dame will be looking for revenge after last season's contest was won by the Spartans on a fake field goal pass in overtime.
It must have been a fairly stressful play-call for head coach Mark Dantonio as he suffered a heart attack during the play.
Dantonio's Spartans will be stacked in 2011.
Kirk Cousins returns at quarterback, where he will be one of the best pocket passers in the nation.
He'll be handing the ball off to the Big Ten's leading returning rusher, Edwin Baker.
Baker's backup, Le'Veon Bell, will be looking to build upon a stellar season as a true freshman in 2010.
B.J. Cunningham returns at split end and needs only 10 more receptions to become the school's all-time leader in that category.
Alongside him will be Keshawn Martin, a very explosive athlete with great ball skills.
The offensive line will be tested early in the season, as new starters will be playing at center and both tackle positions.
On the defensive side of the ball, MSU will be strong once again.
The defensive line will be led by tackle Jerel Worthy.
William Gholston and Tyler Hoover will be scary coming off the edges.
The linebackers will be a solid group led by promising sophomore Max Bullough.
The secondary looks to be a talented, yet young group of players led by free safety Trenton Robinson.
Overall, this team is a very solid bunch and will look to contend for the Big Ten title.
Notre Dame may be the toughest opponent MSU faces all year.
The game will be an extremely close one like usual.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
At Pittsburgh, Sept. 24
4 of 12
Pittsburgh experienced a rather tumultuous off-season with the firing of head coach Dave Wannstedt and the hiring, and firing, of new coach Mike Haywood for legal troubles.
In steps Todd Graham, who was previously the head coach at Tulsa.
Graham will have the difficult task of installing his high-octane read option offense before kickoff against Buffalo on Sept. 3.
Tino Sunseri returns at quarterback and will lead Graham's explosive offensive attack.
Running the ball for the Panthers will be junior Ray Graham whose athleticism will fit in perfectly with the offense.
Receivers Devin Street, Mike Shanahan and Cameron Saddler are all sure to see their numbers go up, with many more passes coming their way then there would be in Wannstedt's pro-style attack.
The offensive line should be solid and is led by senior right tackle Lucas Nix.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pitt will be replacing the old 4-3 in favor of a hybrid 3-4.That hyrbid system will feature three down-linemen with any number of linebackers.
It will help that six of the seven returning defensive starters are seniors.
The D-line will be led by defensive end Brandon Lindsey, a 6'2", 250-pound speedster at end.
The secondary is an area of question, as the only returning starter is junior free safety Jarred Holley.
This Pittsburgh team is sure to suffer some setbacks in Graham's first season, but should hope for a bowl bid.
Pitt fans should have hope when the Panthers take on Notre Dame because Graham's 2010 Tulsa team went into Notre Dame Stadium and beat the Irish.
The same won't be the case this year as Brian Kelly's squad will be a formidable one.
At Purdue, Oct. 1
5 of 12
Danny Hope's Purdue squad suffered through an injury-ravaged 2010 season.
Leading players at every offensive skill position went down with season-ending injuries.
That resulted in the Boilermakers having one of the worst offensive seasons, statistics-wise.
However, there is hope for 2011.
The offensive line returns three starters from a year ago, which will be a tremendous step towards making up for last season.
Hope has insisted that he will use both Rob Henry and Robert Marve at quarterback next season.
Using two quarterbacks is a risky move, but it may pay off.
Ralph Bolden returns at running back, but may not be as effective because of an off-season knee surgery.
The defense will be in good shape with nine of 11 starters returning from a year ago.
Gerald Gooden, Kawann Short and Bruce Gaston will form a formidable front line, with linebackers Dwayne Beckford and Joe Holland behind them.
The secondary remains intact, with four returning starters in Josh Johnson, Ricardo Allen, Logan Link and Albert Evans.
The Boilermakers still have a long way to go before they will be taken seriously in the Big Ten.
The matchup with Notre Dame will likely never be in question, and the Irish will walk away with an easy victory.
Air Force, Oct. 8
6 of 12
Notre Dame fans will be paying close attention to the defense's preparation in the week leading up to this game with Air Force.
Navy's option-based attack shredded the Irish defense last season.
Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco will be on the hot seat for this game.
The team he must game-plan for is coming off a 2010 season in which it finished with a 9-4 record, including a 14-7 victory over Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl.
The Falcon offense is led by dual-threat quarterback Tim Jefferson.
Jefferson is scary because he has the ability to make big plays on his feet and with his arm.
Lining up behind Jefferson will be halfback Asher Clark, who rushed for 1,031 yards last season.
The Falcon defense has a talented secondary, but it will be tested with two new starters in cornerback Josh Hall and strong safety Brian Lindsay.
The defensive line is severely undersized and will have a tough time defending the run.
Notre Dame's defense must play assignment-savvy football in this game or else they will get burned.
If they can be disciplined against the play-action, then an Irish win should be in the works.
USC, Oct. 22
7 of 12
There is no question that this is the biggest game of the season for the Irish.
Both teams have a great chance to come into this game undefeated.
For those who don't know, the game will be the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium in 21 years.
USC will once again be led by junior quarterback Matt Barkley.
He'll have plenty of big targets to throw the ball to in receivers Robert Woods, George Farmer and Kyle Prater.
The biggest question for the offense will be the offensive line, which returns only two starters from a year ago in left tackle Matt Kalil and center Khaled Holmes.
The defense will again be a big question mark heading into the season.
Famous defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of head coach Lane Kiffin, will need to demonstrate that he is a defensive mastermind by upgrading the 400.1 yards-per-game his unit gave up last season.
The front four may be the strongest group and is led by end Nick Perry.
Linebackers Chris Galippo and Devon Kennard bring experience to the linebacking corps.
The secondary is anchored by free safety T.J. McDonald and cornerback Nickell Robey.
Both Notre Dame and USC will be amped up for this game.
With the Irish having the advantage of playing at home in the cold October weather, USC will ultimately fall victim to the Irish.
Navy, Oct. 29
8 of 12
Every Notre Dame fan remembers what happened in Baltimore a year ago.
The Navy option had its way with the Irish defense.
ND was manhandled.
There's no other way to phrase it.
Because of that experience, Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco will have the team more than prepared for the Middies this season.
Those darn Middies return leading rushers Alexander Teich and Gee Gee Greene, two players who were key to dominating Notre Dame last season.
However, the offense will be under the control of a new quarterback in Kriss Proctor.
Proctor has a bit of experience, having played in 11 games with three starts during the last two seasons.
That isn't a concern to the Navy staff, as the Midshipmen have earned eight straight bowl berths with six different starting quarterbacks.
The offensive line remains mostly intact with the only new starter being left tackle David Sumrall.
The defense is a different story.
Navy only returns two starters from a season ago in end Jabaree Tuani and cornerback Kwesi Mitchell.
The Midshipmen are always hyped for the annual game against Notre Dame.
If the Irish come into this one with a USC hangover, then they are in for trouble.
But if Brian Kelly can keep his team focused, a win against Navy shouldn't be too tall a task.
At Wake Forest, Nov. 5
9 of 12
The Demon Deacons are coming off a forgettable 3-9 season in which four quarterbacks started.
When the dust settled, Tanner Price was named as the starter.
Price was able to rely on steady running back, Josh Harris, who rushed for 720 yards.
The offensive line is the same group from a year ago, but still remains a very inconsistent unit.
Chris Givens and Michael Campanaro will serve as reliable targets at receiver.
The defense is a porous unit that allowed an ACC-worst 35.8 points-per-game in 2010.
The linebacking corps should be the most solid unit of the D and is led by senior Kyle Wilber.
The secondary is an experienced group led by seniors Cyhl Quarles and Josh Bush.
There's really not much to say about Jim Grobe's football team.
They've been really bad for a long time.
The Irish will win this game easily and will most likely be able to have the second string play the entire fourth quarter.
Maryland, Nov. 12
10 of 12
The annual neutral-site game features the Irish squaring off against the Maryland Terrapins and new coach Randy Edsall.
Edsall inherits a program coming off an 8-4 season, including a 51-20 demolition of East Carolina in the Military Bowl.
The Terrapin offense will be under the control of talented sophomore Danny O'Brien, who many are touting as the "Next Big Thing".
He'll have an experienced line protecting him, which is so important for a young quarterback.
O'Brien's targets will be receivers Kevin Dorsey, Quintin McCree and Ronnie Tyler.
Senior Davin Meggett will be the starting running back.
The defense will be a solid unit in 2011, with seven of the team's top tacklers from a year ago returning.
The D-line will be anchored by defensive tackles Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis.
The secondary is in good shape with the return of the two starting cornerbacks from 2010, Trenton Hughes and Cameron Chism.
It remains to be seen how quickly the players will adapt to the new scheme implemented by Edsall and his assistants.
Maryland could potentially be a very tough opponent for the Irish.
The last time Edsall faced ND, he was the head coach of the UConn team that beat ND at Notre Dame Stadium.
Boston College, Nov. 19
11 of 12
After several years of this rivalry being dominated by the Eagles, Notre Dame has won the last two games of the series.
Chase Rettig returns at quarterback for the Eagles, which are under new offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers.
The running game will be solid with the return of Montel Harris, who needs only 125 yards to become Boston College's all-time leading rusher.
Rettig will have big targets to get the ball to in receivers Ifeanyi Momah and Colin Larmond Jr.
The defense will be anchored by linebacker Luke Kuechly, one of the best linebackers in NCAA history.
The defensive line continue to be a solid group, but still lack a true threat coming off the edge.
The secondary will be in flux with the loss of DeLeon Gause and Wes Davis.
If the Eagle D can force opponents to go to the air by shutting down the run, then success is in the team's future.
The Eagles will be visiting Notre Dame Stadium for the first time since 2009, where they dropped a 20-16 decision to the Irish.
ND will have its hands full with Frank Spaziani's squad, but should come out with the win.
At Stanford, Nov. 26
12 of 12
Playing at Stanford Stadium, at night and against the likely Heisman Trophy winner may be a recipe for disaster for Notre Dame.
This game presents one of the biggest challenges on the schedule.
Stanford's offense revolves around Andrew Luck, who would have been the No.1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft but decided to return to school.
Luck might struggle at times because of three new starters on the offensive line.
If the line gives him enough time to get the ball out of his hands, he'll have many destinations to go with it.
Coby Fleener and Zach Ertz are two stud tight ends who figure to be a big part of the passing game.
Receiver Chris Owusu is a game-changing player at receiver who has 1,000-yard potential.
Running back is the deepest position on the roster with the coaching staff having the ability to go four-deep.
Stepfan Taylor will lead this group and is coming off a 2010 season that saw him rush for over 1,000 yards.
The defense will be anchored by linebacker Shayne Skov.
The D-line will sorely miss tackle Sione Fua, but freshman James Vaughters may be able to step in and fill his shoes.
Stanford has BCS aspirations this season. The game against Notre Dame may be a BCS-qualifying game for each team.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
