Who has the advantage when Indiana has the football Friday evening at Notre Dame?
Indiana has the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation, and Notre Dame has the No. 3 scoring defense. So both look dominant on paper.
But neither team has played a particularly difficult schedule, and both teams have shown signs of weakness against some of their better competition.
Below are some keys notes and numbers for Indiana’s offense against Notre Dame’s defense.
Indiana (11-1) and Notre Dame (11-1) kick at 8 p.m. ET Friday in South Bend.
INDIANA RUNNING GAME vs. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE
Rankings:
- Indiana: No. 52 with 174 yards per game gained (PFF No. 28)
- Notre Dame: No. 51 with 138 yards per game allowed (PFF No. 46)
Notre Dame’s run defense might be best described as untested, with signs of vulnerability. The Irish have had sizable second half advantages in most of their games, leading most of their opponents to abandon the run.
In their most recent game, a close win at USC, Notre Dame gave up 197 rushing yards on 28 carries. If you take away a bad punt snap, Louisville ran 34 times for 173 yards against the Irish. Evan MAC squad Northern Illinois was able to gash ND for 190 yards on 45 carries in their upset win. If Indiana can stay close, they can probably move the ball on the ground.
While the passing game has been in the headlines, Indiana has been a balanced offense throughout the season. And they proved something at Ohio State when Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton combined for 141 yards rushing on 32 carries (4.4 yards per carry). And that came after the season-ending injury to guard Drew Evans.
Michigan was the only team all season able to slow down IU’s rushing attack, and the Wolverines were no fluke, repeating the effort at Ohio State a week later. Notre Dame is almost certainly going to be bringing heavy pressure to try to get to quarterback Kurtis Rourke. If IU can direct their carries away from the blitz, there should be room to run.
Edge: Indiana
INDIANA PASSING GAME vs. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE
Rankings:
- Indiana: No. 28 with 265 yards per game gained (PFF No. 2)
- Notre Dame: No. 3 with 157 yards per game allowed (PFF No. 3 in coverage, No. 20 in pass rush)
These are the kind of matchups fans look forward to in a playoff. Elite on elite.
The whole key when the Hoosiers are passing will be how much time IU quarterback Kurtis Rourke has in the pocket. For six straight quarters against Michigan and Ohio State, he was blitzed relentlessly and the Hoosier offense was ground to a halt. Indiana allowed 18 sacks for the entire season, but half of them came in those two games.
Press man coverage coupled with heavy blitzing seems to be the recipe for stopping the Hoosier passing attack. And Notre Dame emphasizes both. The Irish are 25th overall based on PFF pass rushing grades.
Indiana has had several weeks to prepare for crowd noise and the various pressures and stunts the Irish will utilize. Rourke has been good under pressure, but IU will have to avoid the unblocked rushers that have gotten to him before he has a chance.
If Rourke has time, it is safe to say Notre Dame hasn’t seen a passing attack like Indiana’s. The Irish haven’t faced an elite quarterback all season. And with a CFP berth on the line, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava went for 360 yards through the air against them a few weeks ago.
But the Irish have elite talent in their secondary, and they delivered a pair of fourth quarter pick-sixes to beat the Trojans. Notre Dame is going to blitz, and they are going to leave their defensive backs in one-on-ones. Who wins those battles will go a long way towards deciding this game. Notre Dame’s overall talent on defense is much closer to Ohio State and Michigan than any other team IU has faced. This will be a major test.
Ultimately, this is a matchup that will be won or lost in the first two seconds following each snap. Each team will have their moments.
Edge: Push
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