Week 4 - Where's me pot o' gold?
ND vs. Purdue First Impression
So many questions cloud the minds of ND fans as we count down to kickoff. Maybe the most obvious question being "Who will fill Michael Floyd's shoes?"
What could go wrong for the Irish?
If the Notre Dame defense fails to continue its slight improvement against the run on Saturday, we could be in for a long game. Ralph Bolden, Purdue's stud running back, has stacked up 421 yards in 3 games. Purdue will undoubtedly attempt to run downhill on us, considering our defense ranks 105th nationally allowing 4.87 yards per carry. Boldens 421 yards are a result of a 234 yard effort against Toledo in week 1, a 123 yard game against Oregon in week 2, and just 64 yards against Northern Illinois last week. If our defense doesn't display its best effort yet, look for Bolden to get back on track. This team can score points. Purdue averages 36.3 per game.
We will see the first effects of Floyd's absence in this game. Knowing that there will be only one proven playmaker running routes, Purdue will favor Golden Tate's side of the field all day. If the Irish are not able to field a legitimate threat in Floyd's old spot, Jimmy might see his first average passing game of the season. Armando Allen is on a roll coming off of back-to-back 100+ yard games. Unfortunately, his ankle got rolled in the process. With James Aldridge still out, Armando is the only consistent rusher we have. If Jonas Gray fails to take some of the load off of Allen, ND could become one-dimensional on offense.
Where's me pot o' gold? (keys to the game, or "me pot o' gold")
After allowing 190 yards on the ground at Michigan, Notre Dame responded by limiting MSU's rushing production to 105 yards. The key to "finding gold" this week is limiting Purdue's rushing attack. Despite the horrendous defensive statistics, I have faith that the Irish can "right the ship" and improve from week to week. This will be the biggest rushing threat that we have seen thus far. If the Fighting Irish are able to force Purdue to pass, Kyle McCarthy and company should have the opportunity to get a pick or two. Purdue's QB, Joey Elliott has thrown 5 interceptions on the season and just 4 TD passes. Turnovers should play a positive roll for the Irish.Offensively, Notre Dame will need to run the ball well. The passing game will be less potent this week, making our ground game that much more important. I hope to see Duval Kamara step up this game and fill the void that exists. While that is important, the key for the Irish passing game will be Golden Tate. Even if his catches are limited, maximum effort on each play from Tate will create opportunities for other wide receivers to get involved. That is assuming that Jimmy Clausen is able to throw the ball well off that shaky plant foot.
I hope to see a resilient Irish offense that works through injury and continues its dominance on Saturday night.
What do I think will happen on Saturday?
I believe we will see a gritty QB lead his Fighting Irish offense into West Lafayette and continue to put up points in bunches. They may have a drive or two sputter, but this is not the Notre Dame team of 2008. They have displayed an eagerness to win this year that we haven't witnessed since Brady Quinn's days in South Bend. I expect the offense to provide enough scoring to win this game by a fairly wide margin.
Purdue will get their yards, mostly on the ground. When Notre Dame is able to mount a few consecutive scoring drives Purdue may be forced to throw. I expect at least 1 interception Saturday. Maybe McCarthy can make it 4 in a row! Look for a tight game early, but ND's defense will surprise us by creating some pressure in the backfield and slowing Purdue's grinding offense.
ND 31 - Purdue 20
Go Irish!
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