It has been a bizarre season for Notre Dame football thus far. You never know what Irish team is going to show up each Saturday, and that is especially true on the offensive side of the football. It has been a volatile group to say the least.
They are facing a Louisville defense that is very talented, but there are plays to be made. It will come down to several key things for Notre Dame to focus on this weekend. Here what could be the difference in this matchup for offensive success.
Make some explosive plays
If you have seen this Louisville defense, they are very talented and aggressive, but they are susceptible to giving up some big plays in the passing game. The one positive from the underwhelming performance against Miami (OH) last week was that Notre Dame was able to make some big plays. That included Riley Leonard’s 38-yard strike to Beaux Collins for a touchdown, and forcing three pass interference penalties. This offense will have to continue trending in the right direction.
Hold up against the interior
The Louisville defensive line is very talented, and extremely deep. That is especially true inside, where Rene Konga , Thor Griffith and Dezmond Tell. You can throw Ashton Gillotte into this conversation with his ability to line up all over the line of scrimmage. The Notre Dame interior is going to have their hands full this weekend. They are going to have to win that matchup, and potentially convincingly. With the Irish wanting to run the football at a high level, moving that interior off the line of scrimmage is paramount.
Run game diversity
The odds are that Notre Dame isn’t going to be able to just line up and run the ball up the middle all day. Their offense is going to need to hit the edges, and keep this defensive line and linebackers off balanced. If you have a diverse run scheme, the Irish have a chance to put up some good rushing numbers on Saturday. Leonard will have to be a part of that equation. Utilizing the unique skill sets of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price is going to be paramount. This isn’t an easy defense to deal with, but there is absolutely opportunity out there.
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