Northern Illinois has offensive playmakers that Notre Dame will need to keep a close eye on Saturday

The Notre Dame fan base was sky high after the team’s 23-13 victory over Texas A&M last weekend. That was arguably the best win in the Marcus Freeman Era so far, and has injected a lot of confidence in this football team. In order to maintain that momentum, this Irish team must now turn the page and take care of business against an intriguing Northern Illinois squad on Saturday.

While Notre Dame clearly has the talent advantage, the Huskies bring some uniqueness to the field offensively. This is not going to be a cakewalk, and the Irish will have to be focused. Here are the keys to victory to shut down a pretty talented offensive unit for Northern Illinois.

Don’t let Antario Brown hurt you

There is little question who the best player is on this Northern Illinois team. Star running back Antario Brown is by far their most talented playmaker, coming off of a season where he rushed for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging a stellar 6.1 yards per carry. In limited touches in their first game against Western Illinois, Brown had 114 total yards on just ten touchdowns. He’s a physical runner at a hair under 5-10 and 221 pounds. Brown also is a little more explosive than you’d expect. The key to defending him is to keep him to hitting singles, and eliminating the doubles and triples. Don’t let Brown create explosive plays. Instead, make him earn every yard he gains.

Get after the quarterback

Husky signal caller Ethan Hampton Is coming off a tremendous outing against Western Illinois. During that contest, he completed 18 of 20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-3, 216-pound passer was incredibly efficient, but also has the ability to create some big plays, averaging an absurd 16.4 yards per attempt during the contest. Hampton is at his best when kept clean, and staying in rhythm. That’s where his accuracy and solid arm strength can really shine. While he’s an okay athlete, Hampton is not a dynamic running threat. The best way to disrupt a rhythm-based passer is with pressure. Keeping Hampton uncomfortable in the pocket, and forcing him to work outside of structure, is the best way to throw off their passing attack.

Be patient in the secondary

In the passing game, the Huskies have a couple nice weapons in wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph and hybrid tight end Grayson Barnes. Both players can hurt you if you are not playing disciplined. The biggest thing for the secondary, which might sound weird, is to stay patient. This might be the most athletic back end Notre Dame has had in some time. Everyone knows about All-Americans Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts , but the Texas A&M game also showcases the emergence of safety Adon Shuler and cornerback Christian Gray. Both players are young, but very talented. The worst enemy this week for that secondary is themselves. You can’t fall for double moves and play action. Play with good discipline and read your keys, and Notre Dame should be able to make a lot of plays in the secondary.