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Notre Dame Football: 3 biggest surprises from 2019 season

By Dante Pryor

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 13: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly stands in the tunnel in front of his team before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Notre Dame Stadium on October 13, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 13: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly stands in the tunnel in front of his team before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Notre Dame Stadium on October 13, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football had an outstanding season winning 11 games. Here are the biggest surprises from this past season in South Bend.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a banner year this past season. Following a College Football Playoff season is not easy. The men from South Bend did just that.

The Irish followed a 12-1 season in which they played Clemson in the Cotton Bowl in a national semifinal game with an 11-2 year, winning the Camping World Bowl against the Iowa State Cyclones.

The Irish did it with defense and an efficient offense. They weren’t flashy on either side of the ball this season. They didn’t have the dominant defensive linemen like Jerry Tillery on this year’s team. They had one of the better pass rushes in the country doing it by committee. The Irish had four players with four or more sacks this season.

Moreover, the offensive line didn’t have a sure-fire first-rounder like Quenton Nelson. Yet, they protected the quarterback and paved the way for the running game.

This Notre Dame team wasn’t as talented as years past but played well together. There were some pleasant surprises and unexpected ones in South Bend this year.

Here are three of the biggest surprises from this season.

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