Notre Dame vs. Washington First Impression
Coming off of a gritty performance on the road, the Fighting Irish return to South Bend this weekend to take on the Washington Huskies. This is an interesting game for a few reasons. One, we have to wonder if Notre Dame will look ahead to the USC game and fail to show up against a team that was winless last year. Two, we have to wonder if the Huskies are "back" now that they beat USC... or are they the sub-par team that their statistics suggest? Will Jimmy continue his Heisman push or will he be upstaged by Jake Locker? This game has plenty riding on it, and I hope to see Notre Dame turn this match into a statement heading into the big game on October 17th.
Side note: Will Ty Willingham be watching these two teams square off Saturday on NBC? (...two programs that have seemingly weathered the storms that he created) Okay, that was a cheap shot. But if you are reading this Ty, tell me, why didn't you call Washington a bunch of racists after
they fired you, huh? (End of rant)
What could go wrong for the Irish?
Statistically speaking, Notre Dame has the edge in nearly every major offensive or defensive stat.
The exception is they out-play the Irish in terms of passing defense. The Irish currently rank 106th nationally in passing D. Washington's greatest threat happens to be a fairly potent passing game. Jake Locker seems to be the real deal. His statistics are not eye-popping by any means, but this kid is a play maker (just watch their last drive of the USC game). Notre Dame has a history of struggling against mobile quarterbacks. Things could get dicey for the Irish if they allow Locker to run free behind the line of scrimmage and keep plays alive long enough for his receivers to get open.
Washington's rushing attack isn't anything to call home about. That said, ND's rush defense, although recently improved, has been suspect in the not-so-distant past. If Notre Dame takes a step back form their recent improvement Washington might find a balance on offense that will be difficult to handle.
Charlie mentioned in his presser earlier this week that the Husky defense has allowed opponents to enter the redzone 16 times thus far, but only 6 TD's were surrendered. That's pretty impressive. If Notre Dame struggles to turn their redzone opportunities into 6 points, Washington could have just enough firepower on offense to keep this game close.
Where's me pot o' gold? (keys to the game, or "me pot o' gold")
I expect our "golden boy" Jimmy Clausen to be a little lighter on his feet this week. Hopefully being 2 weeks removed from his injury will enable him to take most of the snaps for the Irish. Whether Jimmy or Dayne is under center, we should be able to move the ball well on the ground against this team. Considering Washington allows 195 rushing yards per game, I hope to see a solid rushing attack from the Irish this Saturday.
There are 2 keys to limiting Washington's offensive attack: containing pressure on Locker, and disciplined play form our defensive backs. We cannot allow Locker to run around in the backfield and evade pressure. By keeping Locker in the pocket and pressuring him to make quick throws, we will force him to beat us with precision passing, which is something he hasn't demonstrated at this point. Along those lines, carefully choosing our blitzing downs will keep him guessing. However, if our secondary fails to provide decent coverage, the defensive lines efforts will be in negated.
The field position aspect of the game plays a huge factor. The punting game has been a thorn in our side this year. It has been announced that freshman Ben Turk is assuming the starting punter role. If the game is close, a solid punt from this kid could give the Irish D a needed edge.
What do I think will happen on Saturday?
I don't expect too many surprises this game. Offensively, Notre Dame has a huge advantage. They come into this game ranking 15th in scoring O compared to Washington's rank of 70th. Jimmy will have another great game, and we will run the ball down their throats. Defensively, Washington has the slight edge statistically, ranking 83rd compared to ND's 94th rank. However, that number doesn't tell the story of our improvement from game to game.
Notre Dame will continue its winning streak this weekend, outmatching a team that overachieved against USC. The Fighting Irish have been labeled a 13 point favorite for Saturday. Considering their habit of making games close, my prediction is ND 28, Washington 17.
In my adult life, I have yet to attend a ND loss. I'll be there Saturday, and I'll bring a little extra luck with me, even if it's not needed.
Here Come the Irish!
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