# 2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent. They finished the season 4–8, Notre Dame's worst record since 2007. Despite the disappointing season, athletic director Jack Swarbrick found the 2016 Irish to be a remarkable bunch, citing the team's "enthusiasm" and "willingness to practice".

## Before the season
### 2016 NFL Daft

The following former Notre Dame players were selected in the 2016 NFL draft:
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | 6 | Ronnie Stanley | Offensive tackle | Baltimore Ravens |
| 1 | 21 | Will Fuller | Wide receiver | Houston Texans |
| 2 | 34 | Jaylon Smith | Linebacker | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2 | 50 | Nick Martin | Center | Houston Texans |
| 3 | 74 | KeiVarae Russell | Cornerback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3 | 90 | C. J. Prosise | Running back | Seattle Seahawks |
| 4 | 103 | Sheldon Day | Defensive tackle | Jacksonville Jaguars |

### Transfers out / departures

Notre Dame lost FS Max Redfield and CB Devin Butler in the offseason for violating team policies.

### Coaching changes

Brian VanGorder was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator. Defensive Analyst Greg Hudson took over as the Irish's Defensive Coordinator. Kelly said, "I have the utmost respect for Brian as both a person and football coach, but our defense simply isn't where it should be and I believe this change is necessary for the best interest of our program and our student-athletes.

### Recruiting class

Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame coaching staff accepted 23 commitments for the 2016 recruiting cycle, including two 5-stars: Daelin Hayes and Tommy Kraemer. The class included student-athletes from 11 different states, and one Canadian province.
College recruiting information (2016) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Ian Book QB | El Dorado Hills, California | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | – | Aug 14, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Parker Boundreaux OL | Winter Garden, Florida | Bishop Moore High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | – | Jul 2, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Chase Claypool WR | Abbotsford, British Columbia | Abbotsford Senior Secondary | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | – | Jul 10, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Liam Eichenberg OL | Westlake, Ohio | St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland, OH) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | – | Apr 19, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Jalen Elliott DB | Richmond, Virginia | Lloyd C. Bird High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | – | Jun 19, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Daelin Hayes DE/LB | Belleville, Michigan | Skyline High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | – | Dec 10, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Jamir Jones LB | Rochester, New York | Aquinas Institute | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | – | Jun 23, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 72 |||||||
| Jonathan Jones LB | Ocoee, Florida | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | – | Feb 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Tony Jones Jr. RB | St. Petersburg, Florida | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 219 lb (99 kg) | – | Mar 22, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Khalid Kareem DE | Pontiac, Michigan | Harrison High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | – | Oct 23, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Tommy Kraemer OL | Cincinnati, Ohio | Elder High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | – | Oct 4, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Julian Love DB | Westchester, Illinois | Nazareth Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | –- | Mar 21, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Deon McIntosh RB | Pompano Beach, Florida | Cardinal Gibbons High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | – | Nov 16, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Javon McKinley WR | Corona, California | Centennial High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | – | Jan 9, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| D. J. Morgan DB | Norwalk, California | St. John Bosco High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | – | Sep 27, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Adetokunbo Ogundeji DE | West Bloomfield, Michigan | Walled Lake Central High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | – | Jul 16, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Julian Okwara DE | Charlotte, North Carolina | Ardrey Kell High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | – | Apr 14, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Spencer Perry DB | Newnan, Georgia | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | – | Jun 29, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Troy Pride DB | Greer, South Carolina | Greer High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | – | Dec 24, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| John Shannon LS | Lake Forest, Illinois | Loyola Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | – | Mar 21, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 68 |||||||
| Kevin Stepherson WR | Jacksonville, Florida | First Coast High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 171 lb (78 kg) | – | Jun 18, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Devin Studstill DB | Riviera Beach, Florida | Palm Beach Garden High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | – | Dec 15, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Donte Vaughn DB | Memphis, Tennessee | Whitehaven High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | – | Oct 12, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 13 Rivals: 12 ESPN: 16 |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2016 Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame". Scout.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "2016 Player Commitments – Notre Dame". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016. "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016. |||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame | Alma mater (Year) |
| Brian Kelly | Head coach | 7th | Assumption (1982) |
| Mike Denbrock | Associate head coach/wide receivers | 7th | Grand Valley State (1987) |
| Mike Elston | Linebackers/recruiting coordinator | 7th | Michigan (1998) |
| Harry Hiestand | Offensive line/run game coordinator | 5th | East Stroudsburg (1983) |
| Scott Booker | Tight ends/special teams coordinator | 5th | Kent State (2003) |
| Brian VanGorder | Defensive coordinator | 3rd | Wayne State (1980) |
| Greg Hudson | Interim defensive coordinator | 1st | Notre Dame (1988) |
| Mike Sanford Jr. | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 2nd | Boise State (2005) |
| Autry Denson | Running backs | 2nd | Notre Dame (1999) |
| Keith Gilmore | Defensive line | 2nd | Wayne State (1981) |
| Todd Lyght | Defensive backs coach | 2nd | Notre Dame (1991) |
| Paul Longo | Director of football strength and conditioning | 7th | Wayne State (1981) |

### Roster
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 7:30 p.m. | at Texas | No. 10 | Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial StadiumAustin, TX | ABC | L 47–50 $^{2OT}$ | 102,315 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Nevada | No. 18 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | W 39–10 | 80,795 |
| September 17 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 12 Michigan State | No. 18 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | L 28–36 | 80,795 |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Duke | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | L 35–38 | 80,795 |
| October 1 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | | MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ | ESPN | W 50–33 | 62,794 |
| October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | at NC State | | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ABC | L 3–10 | 58,200 |
| October 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Stanford | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | L 10–17 | 80,795 |
| October 29 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (FL) | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | NBC | W 30–27 | 80,795 |
| November 5 | 11:30 a.m. | vs. Navy | | EverBank FieldJacksonville, FL (rivalry) | CBS | L 27–28 | 50,867 |
| November 12 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Army | | AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX (Shamrock Series, rivalry) | NBC | W 44–6 | 45,762 |
| November 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | L 31–34 | 80,795 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m | at No. 12 USC | | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA (rivalry) | ABC | L 27–45 | 72,402 |
| Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Texas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| No. 10 Fighting Irish | 7 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 47 |
| • Longhorns | 7 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 50 |

### Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolf Pack | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| • No. 18 Fighting Irish | 0 | 25 | 14 | 0 | 39 |

### Michigan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 12 Spartans | 0 | 15 | 21 | 0 | 36 |
| No. 18 Fighting Irish | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |

### Duke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Blue Devils | 14 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
| Fighting Irish | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### Syracuse

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Notre Dame | 23 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 50 |
| Syracuse | 13 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 33 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 1, 2016
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,794
* Referee: Stuart Mullins
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ND – Equanimeous St. Brown 79-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoon kick), 14:42. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:18.
SU – Eric Dungey 3-yard run (kick blocked), 12:36. Notre Dame 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:06.
ND – Cole Luke PAT return, 12:36. Notre Dame 9–6.
ND – Equanimeous St. Brown 67-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoo kick), 11:23. Notre Dame 16–6. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:14.
SU – Amba Etta-Tawo 72-yard pass from Eric Dungey (Cole Murphy kick), 10:17. Notre Dame 16–13. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:06.
ND – C. J. Sanders 93-yard kickoff return (Justin Yoon kick), 10:06. Notre Dame 23–13.
Second quarter
SU – Eric Dungey 1-yard run (Cole Murphy kick), 13:22. Notre Dame 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:06.
ND – DeShone Kizer 3-yard run (Justin Yoon kick), 12:11. Notre Dame 30–20. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:11.
ND – Justin Yoon 31-yard field goal, 5:03. Notre Dame 33–20. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:11.
SU – Ervin Phillips 14-yard pass from Eric Dungey (Cole Murphy kick), 0:30. Notre Dame 33–27. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:08.
Third quarter
ND – Kevin Stepherson 54-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Justin Yoon kick), 11:23. Notre Dame 40–27. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 1:41.
ND – Dexter Williams 59-yard run (Justin Yoon kick), 8:26. Notre Dame 47–27. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:22.
Fourth quarter
ND – Justin Yoon 39-yard field goal, 11:14. Notre Dame 50–27. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:58.
SU – Eric Dungey 5-yard run (run failed), 6:52. Notre Dame 50—33. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 4:22.
Top passers
ND – DeShone Kizer – 23/35, 471 yards, 3 TD, INT
SU – Eric Dungey – 31/51, 363 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ND – Josh Adams – 20 rushes, 102 yards
SU – Eric Dungey – 17 rushes, 49 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
ND – Equanimeous St. Brown – 4 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TD
SU – Amba Etta-Tawo – 7 receptions, 134 yards, TD :

### NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| • Wolfpack | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
The Notre Dame vs NC State game was played during Hurricane Matthew where the two teams combined for only 311 total yards. The only touchdown of the game was scored by NC State on a blocked punt leading NC State to win it 10–3.

### Stanford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cardinal | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 17 |
| Fighting Irish | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
| • Fighting Irish | 17 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 30 |

### Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| • Midshipmen | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### Army

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Knights | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| • Fighting Irish | 21 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 44 |

### Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hokies | 0 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 34 |
| Fighting Irish | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |

### USC

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
| • No. 12 Trojans | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |