Who has the advantage when Indiana is playing defense Friday evening at Notre Dame?
Notre Dame has the No. 3 scoring offense in the nation, and Indiana has the No. 6 scoring defense. So much like the other sides of the football, both look dominant on paper.
Below are some keys notes and numbers for Indiana’s defense against Notre Dame’s offense, along with a quick look at the special teams.
Indiana (11-1) and Notre Dame (11-1) kick at 8 p.m. ET Friday in South Bend.
NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME vs. INDIANA RUN DEFENSE
Rankings:
- Indiana: No. 1, 71 yards per game allowed (PFF No. 5).
- Notre Dame: No. 10, 225 yards per game gained (PFF No. 4).
This matchup is elite vs. elite, part two.
Notre Dame has three ball carriers with at least 649 yards and a 6.5 yards per carry average. Jeremiyah Love leads the way with 133 carries for 949 yards (7.1 yards per carry). 546 of his yards have come after contact according to PFF. He’s been credited with forcing 55 missed tackles. And Jadarian Price is equally as effective, running for 649 yards on 114 carries (7.2 yards per carry). Price has even more yards after contact on a per carry basis.
And both by design and due to scrambling out of the pocket, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is a featured aspect of their running game as well. He has toted it for 764 yards on 117 attempts (6.5 per carry) and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground. PFF says Leonard has 462 yards on 63 designed rushing attempts, good for a 7.3 average.
Notre Dame hasn’t really faced a stout run defense all year. Some of the better ones they’ve played — Northern Illinois, Louisville and Georgia Tech — held them in check reasonably well. This isn’t a “shut down the run” game, but it is a don’t get gashed for five and seven yards a carry game. There are signs Indiana can do that.
Indiana’s impressive run defense numbers are due in part to the fact that they only played two close games all season. Their opponents have had to abandon the run. But Michigan ran 34 times for just 69 yards against Indiana, and Ohio State carried 29 times for 115 yards. Those are two teams with good lines and good backs that couldn’t exceed four yards per carry. And those were close games where the running game was in play throughout the contest.
The Hoosiers are best in the nation, making contact on runs after just .8 yards per carry. They’ll be in the gaps and give ND their best test this season.
Edge: Push
NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME vs. INDIANA PASS DEFENSE
Rankings:
- Indiana: No. 9, 174 yards per game allowed (PFF pass rush No. 6, coverage No. 13).
- Notre Dame: No. 101, 196 yards per game gained (PFF No. 44).
Despite their running prowess, PFF has charted 405 passing plays by Notre Dame on the season vs. 384 runs. Although some of those passing plays end up with Leonard escaping the pocket. That will be an area of emphasis for IU — containing Leonard when the pocket breaks down. Look for the linebackers, and Jailin Walker specifically, to have spy duties. His speed and athleticism are tailor-made for that job.
Indiana wants to turn Notre Dame into a passing team and test Leonard’s ability to beat them with his arm downfield. Leonard has improved over the course of the season. And that was to be expected as he missed most of the offseason rehabbing from injury. But he still hasn’t proven to be a big play quarterback when it comes to his arm talent.
Notre Dame ranks 71st in passing yards per attempt, suggesting Leonard relies on short passes. To that end, Notre Dame doesn’t have a receiver with more than 500 yards on the season. Beux Collins leads the Irish in both receptions (34) and yards (427).
Indiana really hasn’t given up a big game to a passing attack all season. Ohio State’s Will Howard was efficient (22-of-26 passing), but he had just 201 yards and threw an interception. Maryland’s Billy Edwards probably had the best day, completing 26-of-41 for 289 yards and three touchdowns. But it’s worth noting 90 of those yards and a score came during fourth quarter garbage time.
The gamble Indiana will almost certainly take is to have a heavy presence at the line of scrimmage, including the strong safety. They’ll also go with three linebackers depending on Notre Dame’s personnel. Indiana might show blitz pre-snap, but they’ll probably back out of that more often than not and instead be ready to pounce on the Notre Dame running game and short passes. The Hoosiers will take their chances that Leonard won’t beat them deep.
Edge: Indiana
SPECIAL TEAMS AND INTANGIBLES
PFF grades Notre Dame’s special teams third best in the nation, and Indiana’s sixth.
Indiana kicker Nico Radicic is 9-of-10 on field goals and he’s made all 69 extra points. Notre Dame’s kickers are just a combined 8-of-18 kicking field goals and they’ve missed an extra point.
ND punter James Rendell is averaging 41.95 yards per punt. IU’s James Evans is averaging 44.2.
Neither team has scored via a punt or kickoff return. Indiana averages more yards per return in both areas. Notre Dame averages more yards per kickoff.
But special teams cost Indiana a game at Ohio State, specifically the punting game, while Notre Dame has blocked six kicks this year, best in the nation.
Obviously playing at home is a massive advantage for Notre Dame. But there’s probably more pressure on the Irish as the favorite with higher expectations.
Edge: Notre Dame
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