Notre Dame-Pittsburgh Preview

Notre Dame QB's: Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson had a great performance against Oklahoma after missing the BYU game to a concussion. On the season he has completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 1,145 yards with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. In addition to his passing numbers, he has done a good job on the ground too as the teams 4th leading rusher. He has rushed for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns this season with the rushing numbers against Oklahoma being the best of the redshirt freshman's college career at Notre Dame. Backup quarterback Tommy Rees had a one-play appearance against Oklahoma where he converted a very important 3rd down. Rees has appeared in 7 of 8 games this season with the only missed game being due to a suspension. Rees has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 346 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception this season. Andrew Hendrix has appeared in 2 games this season, and he has completed 5 of 6 passes for 55 yards, and rushed for 34 yards on 7 carries this season.

Notre Dame QB's vs. Pittsburgh Pass Defense: The Panthers are currently ranked 29th overall in pass defense this season and are allowing 198.9 passing yards a game this season. Opposing teams have completed 57.1 percent of their passes and have allowed 8 passing touchdowns, but have intercepted 6 passes on the season. Golson did a good job against the then 9th ranked pass defense of Oklahoma and faces a secondary that has experience in players like Jason Hendricks and Jarred Holley. Despite facing a top 30 pass defense, Golson should be able to build upon the turnover-free performance he had against Oklahoma.

Edge: Even

Pittsburgh QB's: Tino Sunseri is in his 3rd season in a row as starting quarterback for Pitt, the senior quarterback completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,199 yards. He also has thrown for 13 touchdown passes and just 2 interceptions. His numbers are a significant improvement over his 2011 numbers where he completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. This can also be seen as a surprise too considering he has had 3 different head coaches in his 3 years starting as Pittsburgh quarterback. Backup quarterback Trey Anderson has only appeared in 1 game this season with him completing 2 passes out of 2 passes for 53 yards.

Pittsburgh QB's vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense: The Irish have done a surprisingly great job in the pass defense and are ranked 26th in the nation in pass defense. They have allowed opponents to complete 57.5 percent of their passes and allow 197.8 passing yards a game. They also have only allowed 5 passing touchdowns this season and have intercepted 13 passes too this season. Notre Dame has also only allowed 2 of their 8 opponents to pass for more than 200 yards this season as well. Tino Sunseri has improved as a quarterback in his third and final season as a starter for Pittsburgh, it will be important to also shut down his top 2 targets who are 6'4'' and 6'5'' and give him the benefit of having two big targets in the passing game.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame RB's: The running game has been very good for Notre Dame this season as they have the 33rd ranked rush offense and are averaging 196.5 yards a game and have 17 rushing touchdowns total this season. Theo Riddick has had a majority of the carries this season, he is the leading rusher with 525 rushing yards on 114 carries and is averaging 4.6 yards a carry with 4 rushing touchdowns as well. Riddick has also been vital to the receiving game too with 21 receptions for 182 yards and is the only running back besides Cam McDaniel to appear in all 8 games this season so far. Cierre Wood has done a great job this season too and in 6 games this season he has ran for 467 yards on 72 carries and has a 6.5 yards a carry average with 3 rushing touchdowns. George Atkinson III missed the previous game to illness, but should be ready to go for Pittsburgh, he has ran for 301 yards on 37 carries for a 8.1 average and has 4 rushing touchdowns. Cam McDaniel has rushed for 114 yards on 20 carries and has averaging 5.7 yards a carry and 1 touchdown, but has accumulated these numbers in late game situations as well.

Notre Dame RB's vs. Pittsburgh Rush Defense: Pittsburgh is 43rd in run defense this season and has allowed opponents to average 4.1 yards a carry and is allowing 141 rushing yards a game and 10 rushing touchdowns this season. 5 of those 10 rushing touchdowns came in the loss to Louisville earlier this season, but the front seven is younger this season as they returned 2 starters from the 2011 season and don't have any seniors starting and only 2 overall in the two-deep as well. Establishing the run would be wise for the Irish as well and rotate Wood, Riddick, and Atkinson frequently.

Edge: Notre Dame

Pittsburgh RB's: Ray Graham has bounced back from getting an ACL injury in the latter part of the 2011 season. The senior is a smaller back at 5'9'' and leads the team with 622 rushing yards on 134 carries with a 4.6 yard average and 7 touchdowns. However, Graham's rushing numbers are down from the previous season, as in 8 games last season he ran for 958 rushing yards on 164 carries with a 5.8 yard average and 9 touchdowns before tearing his ACL in Pittsburgh's 8th game of the season. He also has been vital in the catching game as the 3rd leading receiver too with 22 catches for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rushel Shell has rushed for 441 yards on 87 carries with a 5.1 yard average with 4 touchdowns. Shell is a true freshman and is a bigger running back at 6'0'' and 215 lbs. Issac Bennett has ran for 126 yards on 27 carries with a 4.7 average and 3 rushing touchdowns this season.

Pittsburgh RB's vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense: Notre Dame has done an amazing job in the run defense category as they are ranked 9th overall in run defense and allow opponents to average just 3.1 yards a carry and allow 95.3 rushing yards a game this season. Prior to the game against Oklahoma, they hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown since the Boston College game back in 2011, or for 9 games in a row. Oklahoma rushed for the only rushing touchdown that the Notre Dame defense has allowed all season and have still allowed only 1 rushing touchdown all season. Notre Dame has done a terrific job in shutting down running games this season and should be able to keep Ray Graham and Rushel Shell in check.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame WR's and TE's: Tyler Eifert leads the Irish with 341 receiving yards on 22 receptions and 3 touchdowns. Eifert has managed to be more involved in the receiving game in the last 3 games and gives the Irish an important target in the passing game. TJ Jones is having his best season yet as a Notre Dame Football player and has a team-leading 26 receptions for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns. Davaris Daniels is doing a good job as a redshirt freshman and has 16 catches for 267 yards this season. Robby Toma has 14 receptions for 131 yards this season as well. Chris Brown had his first career reception last weekend against Oklahoma on a 50-yard catch and should continue to be more involved in the receiving game after finally getting his first reception this season. Troy Niklas has 4 receptions for 68 yards and John Goodman has 3 receptions for 59 yards and 1 touchdown this season.

Notre Dame WR's vs. Pittsburgh DB's: Pittsburgh's most veteran area on the team is in the secondary with Jason Hendricks, K'Waun Williams, and Jarred Holley being upperclassmen starters. The other starter in the secondary, Lafayette Pitts is a redshirt freshman. The secondary of Pittsburgh ought to be in for a test against a young, but talented receiving unit of Notre Dame. Golson should get the ball to Eifert, Daniels, and Jones often. However, it would also be wise to target other receivers as well like Chris Brown too.

Edge: Even

Pittsburgh WR's and TE's: Devin Street and Mike Shanahan have been very important targets in the passing game, both are big targets and have more than half of the teams receptions, yards and touchdowns overall. Devin Street leads with 50 catches for 695 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Mike Shanahan has 37 receptions for 631 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cameron Sadler is a smaller receiver at 5'7'' and 170 lbs. And has 13 catches for 186 yards and 1 touchdown. Ronald Jones has 6 receptions for 62 yards, and tight end Hubie Graham has 6 catches for 52 yards.

Pittsburgh WR's vs. Notre Dame DB's: Considering the size of Devin Street and Mike Shanahan and the fact that they have a good majority of the numbers in the receiving game, it is extremely important to shut those two down. If they are kept in check, it will drastically reduce the effectiveness of the passing game. Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell have done a great job so far this season as they both are converted over from the offense and in their first year starting at cornerback too. Notre Dame has done a great job in preventing the big play as well since the longest passes caught by Street and Shanahan are 58 and 77 yards, respectively.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame OL: The offensive line had an amazing game against Oklahoma by limiting false starts, opening up things up in the running game, and keeping opponents out of the backfield. The offensive line has allowed 14 sacks this season, 27 quarterback hurries, and 37 tackles for loss this season. Run blocking has been great with the Irish averaging 196.5 yards a game and 4.9 yards a rush as well. Consistency is important and continuing to keep penalties reduced is important too.

Notre Dame OL vs. Pittsburgh DL: Pittsburgh has done a pretty good job in getting into the opponents backfield and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Panthers defense has 47 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, and 26 quarterback hurries. Notre Dame will need to build upon the performance by their offensive line and keep false starts to a minimum, protect Golson, open lanes in the running game, and prevent opponents from being in the backfield on a constant basis.

Edge: Even

Pittsburgh OL: The Pittsburgh offensive line has done a decent job in the run blocking area with average per game being 150.4 yards and the average per rush being 3.9 as well. The same might not be said for other areas, as they have allowed 42 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, and 27 quarterback hurries. These numbers are rather high considering the fact that they have not played a difficult schedule that has 2 division 1-AA opponents and a MAC school.

Pittsburgh OL vs. Notre Dame DL: Pittsburgh will face a huge test in the Notre Dame defensive line and the defense in general. The Irish have 40 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, and 34 quarterback hurries this season. This can be seen in the defensive line with Stephon Tuitt and his 8.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and 8 quarterback hurries. He isn't the only defensive lineman that has had an outstanding season as Louis Nix III anchors the line at the nose tackle position. Pittsburgh will have a real handful with the great defensive front of Notre Dame and if the Irish win this battle in the trenches, Pittsburgh will have difficulty in putting drives together on offense.
Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame DL: The defensive line has done a great job this season and is one of the most talented defensive lines in all of college football. Stephon Tuitt has been a big reason for that and has 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 8 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown, 1 forced fumble, and a blocked kick. He has more or loss, done it all this season. Louis Nix III leads all defensive lineman in tackles with 30, but also has 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries, and 1 forced fumble this season. Kapron Lewis-Moore has 26 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 6 quarterback hurries. Sheldon Day, Tony Springmann, and Kona Schwenke all have seen extensive playing time with all 3 playing in every single game this season.

Notre Dame DL vs. Pittsburgh OL: Pittsburgh's offensive line has allowed opponents to be able to get into the backfield and also put pressure on opposing quarterbacks by allowing 42 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, and 27 quarterback hurries. If Tuitt and the defensive line are able to get pressure constantly at the Pittsburgh offensive line, it will over quick for the Pittsburgh offense and lead to many 3 and outs. Tuitt has the opportunity to potentially hit the double digit mark in sacks and tackles for loss in this game as well. Look for a strong performance from Notre Dame's defensive line.

Edge: Notre Dame

Pittsburgh DL: The defensive line of Pittsburgh is young as they returned 1 starter this season. However, that one starter has been important in Aaron Donald, who has a defensive lineman leading 31 tackles (4th overall on the team), 8.5 tackles for loss (leads team), 3.5 sacks (leads team), 10 quarterback hurries (leads team) and 1 forced fumble. Tyrone Ezell has 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 quarterback hurry. TJ Clemmings has 18 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 quarterback hurries. Bryan Murphy has 17 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and 4 quarterback hurries. Shayne Hale is the lone senior amongst the entire defensive line and has 10 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. Devin Cook has 10 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries, and 2 forced fumbles.

Pittsburgh DL vs. Notre Dame OL: The Panthers face a Notre Dame offensive line that has at times allowed opponents to get into the backfield and also pressure the quarterbacks as well. However, they did well against Oklahoma and need to build upon that consistency as well. If the Irish keep the young Pittsburgh defensive line at bay and allow the running backs to get through while also protecting Golson, it will be quite important.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame LB's: Manti Te'o, the heart of the defense and the entire Notre Dame Football team, has been having a sensational senior year and is a major Heisman Trophy candidate as well. He has a team-leading 80 tackles along with 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 interceptions (leads team), 3 pass breakups, 4 quarterback hurries, and 2 fumble recoveries as well. The linebacker unit has been great and gives the Irish one of the best front sevens in all of college football. Dan Fox has 38 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass breakups, and 2 quarterback hurries. Carlo Calabrese has 32 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, while Prince Shembo has 30 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 9 quarterback hurries (leads team). Danny Spond has 27 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups. Ishaq Williams has 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble as well. The unit is a deep one that has seen many others play such as Jarrett Grace, Kendall Moore, and Ben Councell.

Notre Dame LB's vs. Pittsburgh: The linebackers will needed to help put pressure on the offensive line, contain Ray Graham and Rushel Shell, and get to Tino Sunseri as well. Te'o will have a great opportunity to keep building upon his amazing season that could help when it comes to the Heisman Trophy. Considering all of this, it would also be important to frequently rotate players and make use of the depth that the irish have here.

Edge: Notre Dame

Pittsburgh LB's: Shane Gordon leads all linebackers in tackles with 33 and is 3rd overall on the team in that area. He also has 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups and 1 quarterback hurry. Eric Williams has 29 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass breakups, 5 quarterback hurries, and 2 fumble recoveries. Dan Mason has 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 quarterback hurry, while Nicholas Grigsby has 27 tackles as well. Todd Thomas has 21 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 blocked kick.

Pittsburgh LB's: The big thing for the linebackers is handling the Notre Dame running backs as they can use Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood, and George Atkinson III. Tyler Eifert will also attract attention as the tight end can be used in various spots on the offense while also attracting double and triple teams as well. The Panthers could also use the linebackers in pressuring Golson as well and could lead to an interesting matchup here.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame DB's: The secondary of Notre Dame has continued to greatly exceed expectations this season. When 2 players went down before the season started, it made a young unit to begin with even younger and lacking in depth. However, even with another season-ending injury in Jamoris Slaugther against Michigan St. earlier this season, the unit has done quite well and has allowed only 2 opponents to pass for more than 200 yards all season long. Zeke Motta has provided a veteran presence in the secondary and has 42 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass breakups. KeiVarae Russell has done a great job as a true freshman who was converted over from offense and has done particularly well with tackling and in coverage. He has 38 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. Bennett Jackson has been really good as well and has 30 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 pass breakup and 1 fumble recovery. Matthias Farley has done well in stepping into a starting role and has 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception this season. Others who have seen playing time are true freshman Elijah Shumate who has 6 tackles and 3 pass breakups and Nicky Baratti who has 4 tackles and 1 interception.

Notre Dame DB's vs. Pittsburgh WR's: The big task for the Notre Dame defensive backs is to stop wide receivers Devin Street and Mike Shanahan as they are the big targets at 6'4'' and 6'5'' and have 87 of the teams 164 receptions (53 percent), 1326 of the teams 2252 receiving yards (59 percent), and 7 of the teams 13 touchdowns (54 percent). If they can shut down the two big targets, it will greatly limit the options that Pittsburgh quarterback Tino Sunseri has.

Edge: Even

Pittsburgh DB's: Jason Hendricks is having a good season for the Panthers as he leads the team in tackles with 54 and has 0.5 tackles for loss, 4 team-leading interceptions, and 2 pass breakups. Jarred Holley has 51 tackles (2nd overall) and has 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 3 pass breakups. K'Waun Williams has 29 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. Andrew Taglianetti has 26 tackles and 1 pass breakup, while Lafayette Pitts has 21 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery, and forced fumble. Cullen Christian has 12 tackles and 1 pass breakup, and Ray Vinopal has 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Pittsburgh DB's vs. Notre Dame WR's: Pittsburgh has a young and talented group of receivers to account for. In addition to TJ Jones, Davaris Daniels, and Robby Toma, they must account for tight end Tyler Eifert who is one of the best tight ends in all of college football and attracts considerable amounts of coverage as well. Pittsburgh would be wise to not move their coverage primarily on Eifert, since it could open things up in the passing game and see another deep completion to Chris Brown as seen in the Oklahoma game.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame Kicking Game: Kyle Brindza is 14 of 19 on the season and has had good moments (game winning kick over Purdue, 2 made field goals over 40+ yards against Oklahoma) and bad moments (missing 2 field goals against BYU). Ben Turk is averaging 40.9 yards a punt on 33 punts and there has been a long of 53 yards. His punts also have led to 1 touchback, 13 fair caught, 9 inside the 20, and 7 of 50 or more yards. Kyle Brindza is also the kickoff specialist and is averaging 62.7 yards a kickoff on 46 kickoffs and 21 have been touchbacks.

Pittsburgh Kicking Game: Kevin Harper is 10 of 15 on the season in field goals with the longest going for 45 yards. Matt Yokilic is the punter and has a 42.1 yard average on 30 punts and has a long of 54. He also has 4 touchbacks, 4 have been fair caught, 11 inside the 20, but has had one punt blocked this season. Kevin Harper also is the kickoff specialist and has a 59.7 yard average and 9 of his 45 kickoffs are touchbacks, but 2 kickoffs have gone out-of-bounds.

Stronger Unit: Even

Notre Dame Return Game: George Atkinson III has returned 8 kickoffs for 155 yards and Cam McDaniel has returned 5 punts for 102 yards this season. Davonte Neal has returned 12 punts for 34 yards this season.

Pittsburgh Return Game: Lafayette Pitts has returned 17 kickoffs for 472 yards and has a long of 64 yards, Cameron Saddler has 5 kickoffs returned for 102 yards, and Brendon Felder has 3 kickoffs returned for 70 yards. Cameron Saddler has 11 punts returned for 72 yards, and Todd Thomas returned one punt for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Stronger Unit: Pittsburgh

Everything Else: Pittsburgh is with it's third different head coach in the last three seasons, and is 4-4 on a weak schedule that features 2 division 1-AA teams (Pittsburgh defeated Gardner-Webb, but lost to Youngstown St.), a MAC team in Buffalo, a former MAC team back in the Big East in Temple. They beat a Virginia Tech team that is set to have its first season without 10 or more wins since 2003 and is also currently 4-4. In fact, the same 4-4 Virginia Tech team is the best win Pitt has had all season since Temple is 3-4, Buffalo is 1-7, and Gardner-Webb is a Division 1-AA team that is 2-6. In 3 of Pittsburgh's 4 losses they scored 17 or less points in each of those games, but scored 35 points in a 35-45 loss at home to Louisville. Pittsburgh is 1-2 on the road with the win being over Buffalo. The Irish are coming off a 30-13 win at Oklahoma, and should continue to do great this season. What they need to do on offense is establish the run early and mix it up with Wood, Riddick, and Atkinson. Balance will still be important on offense and this could be the first game this season that Golson throws for more than 1 touchdown pass in a game this season. The defense of Notre Dame has been outstanding this season and should put pressure on Pittsburgh's offensive line and get a few sacks and potentially the first safety in a very long time, and containing the two big wide receivers as well. In addition, if the Irish are able to do all of this, it can lead to Pittsburgh being unable to sustain drives on offense and lead to many three and outs.

Prediction: Notre Dame 37, Pittsburgh 6

Notre Dame-Oklahoma Preview

Notre Dame QB's: After sitting out the game against BYU due to a concussion, Everett Golson returns as starting quarterback for Notre Dame. Golson has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 968 yards, and has 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Golson has also rushed for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground as well. Tommy Rees started the game against BYU, and was solid in the first quarter, but after that, completed only a single pass for the rest of the game and the team only attempted 3 passes in the entire second half. Rees has also played in every game but the opener this season, and only missed the opener due to a suspension. He has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had a 2 yard rushing touchdown in the game against Michigan after relieving Golson early on, and has come into relief at varying points this season. Andrew Hendrix came in for all of 2 plays against BYU, but has appeared in 2 games overall this season. He has completed 5 of 6 passes for 55 yards, and also has 34 rushing yards as well.

Notre Dame QB's vs. Oklahoma Pass Defense: The Sooners are currently 9th in the nation in pass defense, they have allowed opponents to complete just 51.9 percent of their passes for 164.3 yards a game and have also only allowed 3 passing touchdowns and have intercepted 8 passes on the season as well. Golson gives the Irish the best shot overall against the Sooners and will need to use his ability to extend plays as needed to give the Irish a shot in defeating Oklahoma, as this is one of the best pass defenses that Notre Dame will face this season. The other big factor is how well Golson has recovered from this concussion has it was a game-time decision against BYU that led to backup Tommy Rees getting the start and Golson being sidelined the whole game.

Edge: Oklahoma

Oklahoma QB's: Landry Jones is in his 4th year in a row as starting quarterback. The 4-year starter has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,643 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He also hasn't been the only quarterback to play either as backup Blake Bell has completed 7 of 12 passes to have a 58.3 completion percentage and has 82 passing yards. However, Bell is more dangerous on the ground with with a team leading 8 rushing touchdowns with 59 rushing yards on 31 carries. Bell gives the Sooners an additional option and is used at the goal line often.

Oklahoma QB's vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense: Notre Dame is currently ranked 14th overall in pass defense and is allowing opponents to complete only 54.7 percent of their passes and are allowing 174 yards a game. 5 of the 6 touchdowns that Notre Dame opponents have scored all season were passing touchdowns. The Irish have allowed 5 passing touchdowns and have intercepted 12 passes as well this season. Landry Jones is the best quarterback the Irish will face this season so far, and Notre Dame will also need to account for Blake Bell when he comes in as well. It ought to be one of the most interesting matchups to keep an eye on the game.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame RB's: Theo Riddick is coming off his best game ever as a Notre Dame Football player, as he had the two longest runs of his career and along with Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III, carried Notre Dame to victory over BYU. Riddick has 451 rushing yards on 95 carries for a 4.7 average, and also has 3 rushing touchdowns. Cierre Wood has been quite consistent for the Irish as well, and has 393 rushing yards on 65 carries for 6 yards a carry, and has 2 touchdowns as well. George Atkinson III scored the game-winning touchdown over BYU and has 301 rushing yards on 37 carries for an 8.1 average, and leads the team overall with 4 touchdowns as well. Cam McDaniel has seen playing time generally late in games, but has 114 rushing yards on 20 carries for a 5.7 average, and he also has 1 rushing touchdown as well.

Notre Dame RB's vs. Oklahoma Rush Defense: Oklahoma is currently the 49th ranked team in terms of rushing defense. They allowing opponents to have just 3.8 yards a carry, allow 139.8 rushing yards a game, and have allowed 5 rushing touchdowns as well. Notre Dame was able to wear BYU down with the running game, even though BYU had a top 5 run defense going into this game. The Irish need to establish the run early against Oklahoma to gain further advantage in this game, and if they control the clock and keep the ball away from Oklahoma's offense, it would be very significant in determining the result of this game.

Edge: Notre Dame

Oklahoma RB's: Damien Williams is the leading rusher for the Sooners with 552 rushing yards on 74 carries for an impressive 7.5 average, 7 rushing touchdowns, and has a long of 95 yards on a rush. Dominique Whaley may not have as many touchdowns, but he does have 241 rushing yards on 38 carries for a 6.3 average and has 1 rushing touchdown. Brennan Clay has 211 rushing yards on 29 carries and 3 touchdowns. Trey Millard has 14 carries for 109 rushing yards and has a 7.8 average, but also has made an impact in the catching game with 13 catches for 201 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a long of 73 yards on a reception. Blake Bell may be a quarterback, but also has his impact on the running game as previously noted.

Oklahoma RB's vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense: The Irish are ranked 15th in the nation in run defense, and are allowing 106.7 yards a game and holding opponents to 3.4 yards a carry and are the only team to not allow a rushing touchdown so far this season. This is in part to a deep and strong front seven that is headlined by many players such as Manti Te'o, Stephon Tuitt, and Louis Nix III. Oklahoma has been really good on the ground with 20 total rushing touchdowns this season and 3 of the top 4 rushers (Williams, Clay, and Millard) all have yards per carry above 7 yards. This can prove to be dangerous as Oklahoma is able to run the ball at will as the team averages 199.8 rushing yards a game and a backup quarterback can punch the ball in if needed as well.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame WR's and TE's: Tyler Eifert has had the ball come his way more often in recent games and has a team-leading 319 receiving yards on 19 receptions and also has a team-leading 3 receiving touchdowns. TJ Jones is having his best season at Notre Dame with 275 receiving yards on 21 receptions (leads team) and 2 touchdowns as well. Davaris Daniels has 14 catches for 231 receiving yards, Robby Toma has 118 receiving yards on 12 catches, and Troy Niklas has 68 receiving yards on 4 receptions.

Notre Dame WR's vs. Oklahoma DB's: The Sooners are a top 10 pass defense and are in part to players such as Javon Harris, who has a team-leading 4 interceptions, and Aaron Colvin who has 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. Eifert is coming off a game where he had 4 receptions for 73 yards and 1 touchdown. Notre Dame would be wise to line up Eifert up in various spots and use his size to go up and get it, or even is a decoy and utilize players like TJ Jones and Davaris Daniels. This is one of the best pass defenses, if not the best pass defense that the Irish will face this season.

Edge: Oklahoma

Oklahoma WR's and TE's: Kenny Stills leads the Sooners with 38 receptions for 471 yards and 4 touchdowns. Justin Brown has 23 catches for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns, Sterling Shepard has 19 receptions for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he is also a freshman on top of that. Trey Metoyer has 13 catches for 108 yards and 1 touchdown.

Oklahoma WR's vs. Notre Dame DB's: Oklahoma ought to give the Notre Dame secondary a major challenge as one of the most talented receiving units is boosted by a talented quarterback as well. The secondary will need to step up their game and shut down the Oklahoma receiving unit as Notre Dame has held 6 of 7 opponents below 200 passing yards, with the only opponent breaking the 200 mark having just 201. However, Landry Jones and the Oklahoma receivers will be the biggest test yet for the Notre Dame secondary.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame OL: The Irish have been good in the run blocking area as the team is averaging 194 rushing yards a game, opponents have been able to get into the backfield as they have allowed 35 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and 20 quarterback hurries as well. There have been some consistency issues and some players have been flagged for false starts quite a bit as well.

Notre Dame OL vs. Oklahoma DL: Chuka Ndulue is the leader in sacks for the Sooners with 2.5 as the Sooners have 13 sacks and 31 tackles for loss this season and the team has 17 quarterback hurries as well. The line will need to stay consistent, keep up the good job in opening holes for the running game, protect Golson, and avoid penalties as well.

Edge: Even

Oklahoma OL: The offensive line has done a good job this season, and has only allowed 9 sacks and 29 tackles for loss while also doing a great job in run blocking as Oklahoma is averaging 199.8 rushing yards as well. This unit features 3 upperclassmen as starters, with the others being redshirt So. as
well. The unit is clearly a very experienced unit up front.

Oklahoma OL vs. Notre Dame DL: The Oklahoma offensive line is a great unit, but they face a defensive line of Notre Dame that also is a great unit as well. Stephon Tuitt is having a very impressive season with a team-leading 8 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 8 quarterback hurries. Tuitt isn't the only player on the defensive line who is doing well as Louis Nix III anchors the line at nose tackle and Kapron Lewis-Moore had a great game against BYU. Notre Dame has done a great job in getting into the opponents backfield with 33 quarterback hurries, 33 tackles for loss and 19 sacks on the season.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame DL: The defensive line has been quite dominant this season and is in part to Stephon Tuitt. He has been a huge factor in the pass rush and has a defensive line-leading 28 tackles, 8 tackles for loss (leads team), 8 sacks (leads team), 8 quarterback hurries (tied for 1st overall), a fumble recovery for a touchdown, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked kick. The only thing he has yet to do is intercept a pass or cause a safety. Louis Nix plugs up the middle and has 26 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries, and 1 forced fumble. Kapron Lewis-Moore has 23 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 6 quarterback hurries as well. Many other players see solid amounts of playing time such as Sheldon Day, Tony Springmann, and Kona Schwenke.

Notre Dame DL vs. Oklahoma OL: The Oklahoma offensive line will be one of the best that Notre Dame faces, the Irish had some issues in the pass rush, but have since rebounded after a slump earlier this season. They need to keep this up as Oklahoma only has allowed 9 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hurries. However, Notre Dame will most likely have the best defensive line that Oklahoma faces all season.

Edge: Even

Oklahoma DL: Stacy McGee, a senior defensive tackle, has been reinstated for the Sooners after sitting out the first 6 games for a suspension that was due to a violation of university rules. Chuka Ndulue leads the defensive lineman with 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. RJ Washington has 22 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass break up, and 3 quarterback hurries. Jamarkus McFarland has 17 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 quarterback hurries. Casey Walker has 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery that went for 45 yards.

Oklahoma DL vs. Notre Dame OL: The defensive line features many seniors in the 2-deep and with the addition of a reinstated player makes them deep and experienced at the same time. They face an offensive line that has to stay consistent, but does a good job with the run blocking. However, this should be an even matchup as no player that Oklahoma has seems to have accumulated a lot of sacks so far this season.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame LB's: The linebacker unit is a deep unit that it led by Manti Te'o. Te'o is the heart of the defense and the team overall, and has 69 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 4 quarterback hurries, and 2 fumble recoveries. He is considered one of the top candidates for the Heisman trophy and is having his best season yet as a Notre Dame Football player. Dan Fox is having a solid season and has 33 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, and 2 quarterback hurries. Despite missing the first game of the season that was due to a suspension, Carlo Calabrese is 6th overall in tackles at 29, and also has 1 tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks. Prince Shembo has done well, and especially at quarterback pressure and has 28 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 8 quarterback hurries. Danny Spond has had a strong impact after missing the first 2 games of the season with injury, and has 23 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups. The unit is deep and many have seen playing time in every game this season.

Notre Dame LB's vs. Oklahoma: The linebackers will have to help keep the running backs in check, as most of the top running backs have yards per carry that exceeds 7 yards. If they keep them in check, while also helping shut down the passing game, it will be vital, but the Sooners are quite dangerous on the ground with multiple running backs all able to get carries. This will be quite an interesting matchup to keep an eye on, and shutting down the Oklahoma running game is as important as shutting down the passing game.

Edge: Even

Oklahoma LB's: Tom Wort is 3rd overall on the team in tackles with 26, and he also has 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 quarterback hurry, and 2 forced fumbles. Corey Nelson has 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass breakups, and 2 quarterback hurries. Aaron Franklin has 19 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. Frank Shannon has 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack on the season.

Oklahoma LB's vs. Notre Dame: The Irish were able to wear down BYU's defense by running the ball, and they had 2 running backs break the 100 yard mark on rushing yards. Oklahoma will have to account for 3 running backs that get used regularly, as Notre Dame would be wise to establish the run early on, and use that to their advantage as well. It ought to be an interesting matchup to see if the Irish continue to run the ball often after they ran it for 270 rushing yards on BYU and had 6.3 yards a rush too against the then 3rd ranked run defense.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame DB's: The defensive backs of Notre Dame continue to be one of the biggest surprises of the season as they have held 6 of their 7 opponents this season under 200 passing yards, with the most being allowed in a single game being just 201. This is despite 3 season ending injuries with 2 happening before the season even started and having players converted from the offense starting. Zeke Motta has provided a veteran presence in the secondary with 40 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup. Bennett Jackson has been having a really good season so far with 30 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 pass breakup and a fumble recovery. KeiVarae Russell is also been a surprise considering that he is a true freshman and was converted over from running back. He has 29 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. Matthias Farley has also been good with 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception.

Notre Dame DB's vs. Oklahoma WR's: This ought to be one of the best receiving units that Notre Dame faces this season, and they must succeed in shutting down the receivers of Oklahoma. By doing so, it will continue to show how much of an impact the unit has had, and also be a factor in future games this season as well. Shutting down Kenny Stills, Justin Brown, and Sterling Shepard will be important, but also know that the running backs play a role in the catching game as well. It seems like quite a few players to account for on top of the Oklahoma running game, but it is absolutely vital that the Notre Dame secondary continues to keep up the pace in shutting down passing games this season.

Edge: Even

Oklahoma DB's: Safety Tony Jefferson leads the team in tackles with 48 overall, and has 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. Javon Harris is 2nd overall in tackles with 34, and has 1 tackle for loss, 4 interceptions with 1 being returned for a touchdown this season, and has 2 pass breakups. Aaron Colvin is 4th overall in the tackle area and has 24 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 6 pass breakups. Demontre Hurst has 22 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. Gabe Lynn has 14 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as well this season.

Oklahoma DB's: The Sooners have had one of the pass defenses in the country and face a team that has one of the best tight ends who has been targeted more often in the last couple games. Accounting for Tyler Eifert will be important as he is a big target, good at catching passes in the endzone, and he also attracts a large amount of coverage. This can be a benefit for Notre Dame as it means that the coverage won't focus as much on other players and open things up in the passing and running game even. Regardless, the Oklahoma secondary has a good edge in this matchup and the Irish will need to be able to pass when needed in order to succeed, take pressure off the running game, and keep the defense honest.

Edge: Oklahoma

Notre Dame Kicking Game: Kyle Brindza has had a decent season, and had a period where he went 10-11, but is 11-15 overall this season and missed 2 field goals in the previous game (but made the last one). Ben Turk is averaging 40.9 yards a punt with a long of 53. He also has 1 touchback, 10 were fair caught, 8 inside the 20, and 6 punts of 50 or more yards. Kyle Brindza is also the kickoff specialist and is averaging 62.6 yards a kickoff and has 18 touchbacks this season.

Oklahoma Kicking Game: Mike Hunnicutt is of 8 of 9 in field goals with the only miss being a blocked kick. He has made 8 in a row after having that first one blocked against UTEP early this season. Tress Way is the punter and is averaging 43.2 yards a punt with a long of 71. 2 of his punts have gone for touchbacks, 5 were fair caught, 8 were inside the 20, and 5 were of 50 or more yards. However, he has also had 1 punt blocked this season. Two players have seen time in the kickoff area, Patrick O'Hara has a 63.8 yard average on 28 kickoffs and 13 have been touchbacks. Mike Hunnicutt has a 62.6 yard average on 18 kickoffs and 6 were touchbacks.

Stronger Unit: Even

Notre Dame Return Game: George Atkinson III has not had as strong of a season in returning kicks as he did last season. He has returned 8 kickoffs for 155 yards for a 19.4 yard average and a long of 32. Cam McDaniel also had 1 return back against Purdue for 25 yards. Davonte Neal has returned 12 punts for 34 yards. The return game has not done as well this season in the kickoff area, while the numbers for punt returns can be seen as an improvement.

Oklahoma Return Game: Roy Finch has returned 6 kickoffs for 214 yards, has a 35.7 yard average, and has a 100 yard kickoff return for a touchdown as well. Clay Brennan has returned 6 kickoffs for 178 yards and is averaging 29.7 yards a return with a long of 42. Justin Brown has been the primary punt returner this season with 16 punts returned for 304 yards and is averaging an amazing 19 yards a return, and has a punt return for a touchdown as well. The return game of Oklahoma has been quite a strength for them this season.

Stronger Unit: Oklahoma

Everything Else: Notre Dame is coming off a close win over BYU where they started a backup quarterback who was solid in the first quarter, but completed only one pass for the remaining 3 quarters of the game. However, Tommy Rees, said backup, goes back to the bench with Everett Golson resuming his position as starting quarterback for Notre Dame. The Irish will need him to make plays in the air when needed, on the ground as well, and help extend plays. Notre Dame would be wise to lean on their running game as they did against BYU and use Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, and George Atkinson III often in the ground game. If Notre Dame can establish the run and control the clock to keep Oklahoma's offense on the bench, it would be very significant to prevent the defense from tiring out. Oklahoma has one of the best home-field advantages in the entire nation and the game is a prime-time game on top of that. Shutting down the Oklahoma offense will be absolutely important if Notre Dame is to win this game.

Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Oklahoma 16

Notre Dame-BYU Preview

Notre Dame QB's: Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson has been cleared to practice after passing concussion tests. He had suffered a concussion late in the 4th quarter of the win over Stanford. Golson has completed 58.5 percent of his passes this season and has passed for 968 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. In addition to passing numbers, Golson has rushed for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns as well this season. Golson is expected to continue to be the starting quarterback for the Irish. Backup quarterback Tommy Rees has come into relief multiple times this season, and on the season has completed 68 percent of his passes for 218 yards and 1 touchdown. Depending on how things progress with Golson and his return from the concussion, it is possible that Tommy Rees will again see playing time against BYU.

Notre Dame QB's vs. BYU Pass Defense: BYU currently has the 24th ranked pass defense in the nation. They have allowed opposing teams to complete 58.9 percent of their passes for 193 passing yards a game, while also allowing 5 touchdowns, and intercepting 4 passes as well. They haven't faced many opponents with strong offenses, but the best team they played, Oregon St., passed for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns with a backup starting at quarterback. It all depends on Golson and how is progress goes with the concussion, but BYU was beaten quite will by a team with a backup quarterback starting as well.

Edge: Even

BYU QB's: BYU lost quarterback Taysom Hill for the season to an injury. Hill had completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 425 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Hill was more dangerous on the ground as he was previously the teams leading rusher with 336 yards on 55 carries for an average of 6.1 yards a carry. He also had 4 rushing touchdowns and his longest rush being for 68 yards. Riley Nelson will be the quarterback for the Cougars and on the season has 1,059 passing yards on a 57.5 percent completion rate. Also, he has 6 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and has 113 rushing yards as well. He also has missed playing time this season due to injury as well.

BYU QB's vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense: The Notre Dame pass defense has been quite impressive this season and currently is 14th overall in the nation. They have allowed opponents to complete just 52.9 percent of their passes, while only allowing 173.5 passing yards and 3 touchdowns all season. The defense has also managed to intercept 10 passes, which helps give an advantage with BYU quarterback Riley Nelson throwing for more interceptions than touchdowns this season. Look for the Notre Dame secondary to have a strong game and continue to exceed expectations as they have all season.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame RB's: The Irish primarily use three running backs who are close together in total rushing yards. Theo Riddick has the most yards with 308 rushing yards on 80 carries and has 3 touchdowns. George Atkinson III has 290 rushing yards on 32 carries and has 3 touchdowns, while Cierre Wood has 279 rushing yards on 47 carries and has 2 touchdowns. Cierre Wood's numbers look quite impressive considering he has only played in the last 4 games, and George Atkinson III has a 9.1 yard average in yards per carry. Cam McDaniel has also seen playing time as well with 114 rushing yards on 20 carries with 1 touchdown as well.

Notre Dame RB's vs. BYU Rush Defense: BYU has been quite strong on the run defense with the unit being 3rd in the nation by allowing 67.8 rushing yards a game and 4 rushing touchdowns, and opponents are averaging just 2.2 yards a carry as well. However, three opponents were able to run for over 100 yards with Division 1-AA Weber St. getting 115 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns, Boise St. getting 116 yards, and Oregon St. having 118 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns as well. This is one of the best running games that the Cougars face all season long and should provide an interesting matchup between both teams.

Edge: Even

BYU RB's: Jamaal Williams is the primary ballcarrier for BYU and leads with 345 rushing yards on 65 carries with 5 touchdowns on the ground. Michael Alisa is the other back with 222 rushing yards on 58 carries and has 1 touchdown. Quarterback Taysom Hill was a big component of the running game and his loss will continue to have an impact. The other back that has seen a solid amount of playing time is David Foote with 97 rushing yards on 24 carries.

BYU RB's vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense: The Irish have also been strong against the run, as they are 24th in the nation and are allowing 113.5 rushing yards a game and 0 rushing touchdowns as well, and opponents are averaging 3.5 yards a carry as well. Stopping Jamaal Williams is key as he is the main back and is averaging 5.3 yards a carry on top of that. Notre Dame has been great in stopping players on the ground like Le'Veon Bell, Denard Robinson, Duke Johnson, and Stepfan Taylor this season. Look for Notre Dame to continue to dominate up front and shut down another running game as they have this season.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame WR's and TE's: Tyler Eifert is coming off a good game against Stanford and leads the team with 246 receiving yards on 15 receptions and has 2 touchdowns. TJ Jones has rebounded from an unimpressive second season and is having his best season yet as a junior. He has 235 receiving yards on 19 receptions and has 2 touchdowns, Jones is also very effective in the short passing game as well. Davaris Daniels is having a good season as a redshirt freshman with 14 catches for 231 receiving yards. Robby Toma is also a key receiver in the short passing game with 12 receptions with 118 receiving yards.

Notre Dame WR's vs. BYU DB's: The defensive backs of BYU face a receiving unit that is a young one, but also very talented at the same time. The unit has a high ranking in the pass defense, but was shredded by a backup quarterback of Oregon St. and showed that the BYU defense is not as great as they may seem. Tyler Eifert and Davaris Daniels ought to give the Cougar secondary a good test, it also will depend on quarterback Everett Golson and how fast he recovers from his concussion, but Tommy Rees should be ready to go if not.

Edge: Even

BYU WR's and TE's: Cody Hoffman has been the main target for BYU with 534 receiving yards on 41 receptions and 2 touchdowns. He has double the amount of yards over the number 2 guy, which is Kaneakua Friel who has 23 catches for 266 yards and 4 touchdowns. JD Falslev has 124 receiving yards on 16 receptions and also 1 touchdown. Ross Apo has 94 receiving yards on 13 catches and 1 touchdown as well.

BYU WR's vs. Notre Dame DB's: The big thing for the Irish is stopping Cody Hoffman, he is a big target at 6'4'' and having basically double the receptions and receiving yards as the number 2 guy, Kaneakua Friel. Accounting for Friel is important too since he has 4 touchdowns as well. Bennett Jackson will likely be the guy opposite of Hoffman and if Hoffman and Friel are stopped, it should limit them significantly.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame OL: The offensive line had issues at times against Stanford, notably with the large number of false start penalties, and while he is a tight end, Troy Niklas had difficulties in blocking as well with Chase Thomas of Stanford getting consistent pressure winning the battle more often than not. The line has been able to open things up in the running game with 181.2 rushing yards a game and 4.5 yards a carry. The offensive line has allowed 12 sacks on the season and opponents have accounted for 29 tackles for loss.

Notre Dame OL vs. BYU DL: BYU has done a very good job in getting into the opponents backfield with 22 sacks and 54 tackles for loss by the defense. BYU uses a 3 man front that is headlined by senior defensive lineman Romney Fuga and Eathyn Manumaleuna. The defense is strong up front and the battle in the trenches will be a big matchup as the Irish need to reduce false starts and work on consistency as well.

Edge: Even

BYU OL: The Cougars have had trouble in keeping opponents out of the backfield with 18 sacks allowed this season and 39 tackles for loss by opposing defenses. They have done a solid job in run blocking with the team averaging 173.6 rushing yards a game and 4.2 yards per rush. These numbers might go down with the loss of Taysom Hill, however. The offensive lineman had lost many starts from the previous season and dealt with injury issues in the offseason when 9 players on the line were injured for them.

BYU OL vs. Notre Dame DL: The Irish are very strong up front with the defensive line, Stephon Tuitt has been very strong in his second season with a team leading 6.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 7 quarterback hurries. Louis Nix III has great at nose tackle and the unit as a whole is deep. Considering that BYU has allowed quite a few sacks and tackles for loss, this means that the Irish should be able to get pressure up front and win this battle in the trenches.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame DL: This is one of the best units on the entire Notre Dame football team. Stephon Tuitt leads all defensive lineman in tackles at 23, 6.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 7 quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a blocked kick. Louis Nix has 22 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Kapron Lewis-Moore has 18 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack, and 4 quarterback hurries. The unit is deep as Sheldon Day and Tony Springmann have seen extensive amounts of playing time as well this season.

Notre Dame DL vs. BYU OL: BYU hasn't been great on the offensive line with 39 tackles for loss and 18 sacks allowed. With a team that gets pressure on the quarterback and gets into the backfield often, it looks good for the Irish to consistently rotate players in the defensive line and allow younger players to continue to get a solid amount of playing time as well.

Edge: Notre Dame

BYU DL vs. Notre Dame OL: BYU used a 3 defensive lineman up front with 2 seniors leading the unit in Romney Fuga and Eathyn Manumaleuna. Fuga has 25 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Manumaleuna has 11 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. Other players that have seen time include Russell Tialavea and Bronson Kaufusi.

BYU DL vs. Notre Dame OL: The offensive line of Notre Dame faces a defensive line that is strong, but not to the level of Stanford. Notre Dame's offensive line has had consistency issues at times, and false starts were a clear issue as well in the previous game. If the Irish don't improve on this, it will be a long day for them as BYU has a good front seven overall as well.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame LB's: The linebackers of the Irish are led by the heart of the entire Notre Dame team in Manti Te'o. Te'o leads the team in tackles at 59, and also has 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries, and 2 recovered fumbles. The unit is also deep and gives the Irish a very strong front seven. Dan Fox has stepped up his game and has 31 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a pass breakup and 2 quarterback hurries. Prince Shembo has been really great at quarterback pressure and has 7 quarterback hurries along with 22 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Danny Spond missed the first two games of the season with injury and has since returned and started every game. Other players getting time include Carlo Calabrese, Ishaq Williams, Jarrett Grace, Ben Councell, and Kendall Moore.

Notre Dame LB's vs. BYU: The big matchup to keep an eye on would have to be Te'o and Jamaal Williams of the Cougars. However, the linebacker will also keep an eye on Kaneakua Friel, who leads the team in receiving touchdowns. The linebackers should be able to keep up a strong rotation as well and look for Manti Te'o to have another big game for the Irish.

Edge: Notre Dame

BYU LB's: This has to be by far the best unit on the entire BYU team. Brandon Ogletree leads the team in tackles with 57 and has 6 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry. Spencer Hadley is also having a good season and has 34 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Uona Kaveinga has 27 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and a fumble recovery. Ezekiel Ansah is having a good season as well with 30 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 5 quarterback hurries. Kyle Van Noy is likely the best player of them all with 26 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 8 quarterback hurries, and 3 forced fumbles. The unit is a very experienced unit that starts 4 upperclassmen and had 3 returning starters going into the 2012 season.

BYU vs. Notre Dame: The linebacker unit as a whole is one of the better units in college football, and a few players are having good seasons. Kyle Van Noy has been one of the best players on the team, if not the best one overall and has accounted for almost all of the defensive stat groups, the unit has been great in getting to opposing backfields, while also keeping pressure on opposing quarterbacks as well. Notre Dame might be the best team they face all season, and it will be an interesting matchup on how they do against the Notre Dame offense.

Edge: BYU

Notre Dame DB's: Despite losses in the injury department, the defensive backs of Notre Dame have put together a surprisingly strong season together. Bennett Jackson has really emerged as a great corner back in his first season as starter. The former wide receiver has 27 tackles, 4 interceptions, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. Zeke Motta is the most experienced member in the secondary and has 37 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. KeiVarae Russell is having a good season as a first year starter and true freshman. The former running back has 23 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and an interception. After losing Jamoris Slaughter for the season, redshirt freshman Matthias Farley came in to start. He has responded well and is coming off his best game so far as a Notre Dame football player. He has 17 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. Notre Dame has kept 5 of its 6 opponents below 200 passing yards, with the only player to break the 200 mark had just 201 passing yards.

Notre Dame DB's vs. BYU WR's: The big matchup here is Bennett Jackson vs. Cody Hoffman. Hoffman is a big target for BYU and leads in receptions and receiving yards as well. He also isn't the only player to account for as as Ross Apo is also a bigger player a 6'3'', tight end Kaneakua Friel is 6'5'' as well. Notre Dame's secondary has been a real surprise this season and has helped give them one of the best defenses in the country.

Edge: Notre Dame

BYU DB's: The Cougars secondary has only had 3 interceptions in their 7 games this season. Preston Hadley has 38 tackles, 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups, and 2 quarterback hurries. Daniel Sorenson has 33 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Jordan Johnson has 26 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and 8 pass breakups. Joe Sampson has 28 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 quarterback hurry.

BYU DB's vs. Notre Dame WR's: BYU faces a talented unit that has options in the short passing game and the deep passing game. They will have to also account for Tyler Eifert, the tight end who can line up at various spots for the Irish as well. TJ Jones has had his best season so far as a Notre Dame player and caught the game winning touchdown in the overtime win over Stanford. This ought to be an interesting matchup between these two teams to keep an eye on.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame Kicking Game: Kyle Brindza has been having a pretty good season as a first time starter. He has made 10 of 12 field goals, including a game winner over Purdue, and a game tying kick to force overtime against Stanford. Ben Turk is averaging 40.5 yards a punt and opponents have fair caught 9 punts, 7 punts have been inside the 20, and 4 were of 50 or more yards. Kyle Brindza is doing well with kickoff duty with a 62.5 yard average and 16 touchbacks on 35 kickoffs.

BYU Kicking Game: Riley Stephenson has been both the kicker and punter this season. He has made 4 of 6 field goals and only has a long of 33 yards. He has done better at punting with a 46.5 yard average on 34 punts. In addition he has had 2 touchbacks, 5 fair caught, 16 inside the 20, and 17 that were 50 or more yards. Kickoff duty has seen two players in the stat department. Justin Sorensen has a 62.2 yard average and 11 touchbacks on 28 kickoffs, while Riley Stephenson has 8 kickoffs and a 60 yard average, but 0 touchbacks and 1 out of bounds as well.

Stronger Unit: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Return Game: The return game for Notre Dame hasn't been as strong as it was in 2011, as George Atkinson III has just 6 returns for 118 yards, and only a 19.7 yard average. Cam McDaniel had 1 return back against Purdue and it went for 25 yards. Davonte Neal has 10 punt returns for 37 yards on the season.

BYU Return Game: Joe Sampson has 6 kickoff returns for 138 yards, Cody Hoffman has 3 returns for 72 yards, and Mike hague has 2 returns for 55 yards. JD Falslev has 13 punt returns for 147 yards this season.

Stronger Unit: BYU

Everything Else: BYU is coming off a blowout loss against Oregon St. where a backup quarterback shredded the BYU pass defense for more than 300 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. The Cougars have won 1 game on the road, and will playing their 3rd road game this season, but BYU has lost only once at home this season. They are also 1-2 against opponents from the Pac-12 conference with the losses at 2-4 Utah and at home against an undefeated Oregon St. team that started a backup against BYU. Notre Dame has been strong on defense this season and has not allowed an opponent to score a touchdown since late in the game against Purdue back in early September. Everett Golson is also a factor as he returned to practice Wednesday after passing concussion tests very recently. Even if Golson isn't ready to go, Tommy Rees has enough experience to manage the game or close out the game. BYU has shown that a backup quarterback can do damage against a BYU. Notre Dame should be able to again have another strong game defensively as well.

Prediction: Notre Dame 28, BYU 3

Notre Dame-Stanford Preview

Notre Dame QB's: After sitting out the first series due to a team rules violation, Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson had a strong performance against the Hurricanes. On the season he has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 827 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Golson also was able to run the ball on the ground with effectiveness against the Hurricanes as well, and now has 40 rushing yards on 27 carries, and has 2 touchdowns as well. Tommy Rees has also seen time as well, in 4 games he has completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 175 yards, and also has a rushing touchdown as well.

Notre Dame QB's vs. Stanford Pass Defense: Stanford ranks near the bottom in college football in pass defense with the team being ranked 117th (out of 124th) in the nation. In 5 games this season, they are allowing 299.4 passing yards a game, and have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 61.2 percent of their passes and have allowed 5 passing touchdowns and intercepted 8 passes. Look for Golson to build upon his efficient performance against a weak Stanford game and post career highs in passing yards and passing touchdowns against Stanford.

Edge: Notre Dame

Stanford QB's: Josh Nunes has replaced Andrew Luck at quarterback, who is now in the NFL. In his first year as starter for the Cardinal, Nunes has completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 1,150 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also is able to run when needed, as he has carried 16 times for 40 yards and 3 touchdowns and is the teams 4th leading rusher.

Stanford QB's vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense: Prior to the game against the Hurricanes, the Irish had held every opponent to below 200 passing yards in each game. Against the Hurricanes, they allowed their first opponent to pass for over 200 yards, as Stephen Morris passed for 201 yards against the Irish. The Hurricanes had a few key drops as well. The Irish are currently 22nd in the nation and are allowing opponents to complete just 53.7 percent of their passes and 183.2 passing yards a game this season. They also have allowed just 3 passing touchdowns and have intercepted 8 passes as well this season. The Cardinal aren't as strong with passing the ball this season, but Josh Nunes has been able to get the ball to his two tight ends who have half of his passing touchdowns this season and a solid portion of the receiving yards and receptions as well. If the Irish contain the two tight ends, it will limit the targets that Nunes has significantly and give the Irish a very strong edge.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame RB's: The Irish were able to run the ball at will against the Hurricanes, totaling 376 rushing yards and also had 5 touchdowns rushing with all 4 running backs having touchdowns as well. George Atkinson III leads the Irish with 269 rushing yards, an impressive 9.3 yards a carry, and 3 touchdowns, and also 2 of his touchdowns were 50+ yard runs as well. Theo Riddick is the 2nd leading rusher with 263 rushing yards, 3.9 yards a carry, and 3 touchdowns. Riddick also has 17 receptions for 132 yards as well. Cierre Wood has been quite strong for the Irish after returning from a 2 game suspension early this season. In his 3 games played this season, Wood has rushed for 213 yards, 6.1 yards a carry, and 2 touchdowns. Cam McDaniel also has seen a good amount of playing time with with 20 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown as well.

Notre Dame RB's vs. Stanford Rush Defense: The Cardinal have been very strong against the run, as they are 6th in the nation in run defense. They have allowed 77.2 rushing yards a game and opponents are only getting 2.6 yards a carry as well. However, they have allowed 8 rushing touchdowns on the season as well. The Irish face one of the best run defenses in the nation, but would be wise to build upon the performance they had against the Hurricanes and use Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III frequently and take advantage of Golson's mobility and ability to make plays in the run game.

Edge: Even

Stanford RB's: Stepfan Taylor has been the workhorse for Stanford this season, he has 119 (which is 68 percent) of the teams 175 carries this season. He also has rushed for 560 rushing yards and 5 Touchdowns, and has 4.7 yards a carry as well. His backup, Anthony Wilkerson has just 41 yards on 9 carries as well. The other running backs, Ricky Seale and Remound Wright have done little this season, as Seal has 26 yards on 6 carries, while Wright has 25 yards on 7 carries. Depth could be a concern with the backups all having under 10 carries each and a combined total amount of rushing yards that is under 100 yards as well.

Stanford RB's vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense: Notre Dame has been also quite impressive against the run this season as well. The Irish are ranked 18th in the nation and are allowing 106.8 rushing yards and opponents are only averaging 3.4 yards a carry, and the run defense has not allowed a single rushing touchdown this season. If they continue to contain running games as they have all season, and not allow Stepfan Taylor to do much in the running game, it will make the Cardinal one-dimensional on offense as Taylor is more or less the Stanford running game.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame WR's and TE's: Davaris Daniels leads the team in the receiving area, he has 207 yards off 12 receptions this season. Tight end Tyler Eifert is second with 189 yards on 11 catches and has a touchdown as well. TJ Jones has 15 receptions for 183 yards and touchdown, while Robby Toma has 11 receptions for 113 yards. Troy Niklas has a 3 catches for 66 yards and John Goodman has 3 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown as well.

Notre Dame WR's vs. Stanford DB's: Stanford lost three starters to graduation heading into the season and are considerably less experienced this season as the lone returning starter was cornerback Terrence Brown. The pass defense is ranked near the bottom and the Irish should be able to move the ball in the air and use Eifert, Daniels, and Jones often, considering how weak the Stanford pass defense is as well, it might be time to get younger players like Chris Brown and Davonte Neal more playing time.

Edge: Notre Dame

Stanford WR's and TE's: The Cardinal had major losses with the top 3 players all gone heading into the season. The Cardinal use multiple tight ends with Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo leading the way. Ertz has 21 receptions for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns. Toilolo has 13 receptions for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns and also is a big target at 6'8'' and 263 lbs. Ty Montgomery has 18 catches for 168 yards, but is likely going to miss the game against Notre Dame due to injury. Drew Terrell has 10 receptions for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, Jamal-Rashad Patterson has 4 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Stanford WR's vs. Notre Dame DB's: Notre Dame has exceeded expectations greatly with a young secondary. The big thing for them is containing the two tight ends in Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo as both are big targets at 6'6'' and 6'8'' respectively. The receiving game relies more on the tight ends, but the Irish will need to keep an eye on the receivers as well as Jamal-Rashad Patterson is averaging 25 yards and a catch and Drew Terrell has 14.3 yards a catch too.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame OL: The offensive line of the Irish has done a good job at protecting Everett Golson with 8 sacks allowed on the season. The running game has done well in part to the offensive line as it is averaging 187.4 yards a game with 4.7 yards a carry overall. Opponents have at times been able to get into the backfield with 23 tackles for loss allowed as well by the offensive line.

Notre Dame OL vs. Stanford DL: The Cardinal use a 3-4 defense, and have a primarily veteran defensive line that has upperclassmen in Ben Gardner and Terrence Stephens. Gardner leads the team in sacks with 3 sacks on the season. The defense has 16 sacks on the season and a big factor on how the game will go will be in the trenches with the lineman.

Edge: Even

Stanford OL: The offensive line of Stanford has done a great job at protecting the quarterback as they have allowed only 5 sacks this season. They have opened lanes for Stepfan Taylor to run through as the running game is averaging 155.8 yards a game and 4.5 yards a carry as well. Opponents haven't been able to get into the backfield as well as the Stanford defense, as the offensive line has allowed 22 tackles for loss this season as well.

Stanford OL vs. Notre Dame DL: The defensive line of the Irish has been one of the strong points for the Irish that is headlined by Stephon Tuitt, Louis Nix III, and Kapron Lewis-Moore. The offensive line of Stanford has done a very good job at keeping opponents out of the backfield and protecting the quarterback as well. This will be a major challenge for the Cardinal offensive line as Tuitt has more sacks this season alone than the entire Stanford offensive line has given up all season.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame DL: The defensive line has been very impressive for the Irish this season and also uses its depth wisely. Louis Nix III leads all defensive lineman in tackles with 17, he also has 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 2 pass breakups. Stephon Tuitt has been dominant for the Irish with 16 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries, and a 77 yard fumble return for a touchdown. Kapron Lewis-Moore continues to provide the veteran presence on the line and also puts a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks with 4 hurries, half a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Sheldon Day has had a lot of playing time as well and has really come on for the Irish for a true freshman.

Notre Dame DL vs. Stanford OL: The Stanford offensive line has kept Josh Nunes protected with only 5 sacks allowed all season and doing a solid job in opening up holes for the running game. This will be one of the best offensive lines that the Irish face all season and will be full of interesting matchups with Tuitt having been one of the best players on defense for the Irish this season. It is pretty even matchup overall.

Edge: Even

Stanford DL: The defensive lineman of the Cardinal have done their damage and largely are in part to Ben Gardner, who has 19 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Those numbers lead all defensive lineman, and the numbers in tackles for loss and sacks lead the team overall. Henry Anderson has done a solid job with with 17 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Stanford DL vs. Notre Dame OL: The Irish offensive line has largely overcome consistency issues that were notably seen against Purdue when they allowed 5 of the 8 sacks they had allowed on the season. The big thing will be keeping Ben Gardner out of the backfield as he has been able to do it on a consistent basis with 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. If the offensive line keeps up the consistency and contains the Cardinal defensive line, then it would have a big impact.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame LB's: The heart of Notre Dame's defense lies in the linebacker unit with Manti Te'o. Te'o has overcome personal tragedy earlier this season and is considered a major candidate for the Heisman Trophy award. On the season he has a team leading 48 tackles, he also has 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 2 quarterback hurries, and 2 fumble recoveries as well. Dan Fox has been productive with 25 tackles, while Carlo Calabrese has 19 in 4 games this season. Prince Shembo has been great too and has 18 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a team leading 6 quarterback hurries. Depth is at its strongest with Danny Spond having 13 tackles and a forced fumble in 3 games. Ishaq Williams has 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and a forced fumble as well. Other players that see time include Ben Councell, Jarrett Grace, and Kendall Moore.

Notre Dame LB's vs. Stanford: The depth at linebacker will be important with a Stanford team that has a running game that relies primarily on Stepfan Taylor. Pass coverage will also be important with the two tight ends that Stanford also relies upon often in the passing game as well. Containing them all will be important in this matchup as well.

Edge: Notre Dame

Stanford LB's: Chase Thomas leads the team and linebackers in the tackle area with 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. Trent Murphy has been big too with 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, an interception for a touchdown, 2 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. The linebackers help give Stanford a pretty strong front seven that has a top 10 rush defense as well.

Stanford LB's vs. Notre Dame: The Irish running game ran for nearly 400 rushing yards and now faces the 6th ranked rushing defense. The running game is also deep and the linebackers are one of the strongest units on the team with Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy most notably. Accounting for Tyler Eifert and even Troy Niklas will also be important in pass coverage for the Cardinal as well. It is overall an even matchup and this will be one of the best running games that the Cardinal will face all season.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame DB's: The defensive backs have managed to exceed expectations greatly this season, despite the youth in the unit, losing three players to season ending injuries, and being forced to moving players from other positions to the secondary. Zeke Motta has been the leader of the secondary with the loss of Jamoris Slaughter to a season ending injury in the game against Michigan St. Motta is second on the team in tackles with 27, and he also has 1 tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Bennett Jackson has really emerged in his first year as starting cornerback and being a former wide receiver. Jackson has 23 tackles, 3 interceptions, a pass breakup, and recovered a fumble. KeiVarae Russell is also in his first year starting and is a true freshman who moved over from running back. Russell has 16 tackles and an interception this season so far. Matthias Farley has stepped in for Jamoris Slaughter and has 9 tackles this season. Despite being the youngest unit, many others have had solid playing time in the secondary, as Elijah Shumate and Nicky Baratti (both true freshman), have played in all 5 games so far this season.

Notre Dame DB's vs. Stanford WR's: Prior to the game against the Hurricanes, the secondary had kept every opposing team below 200 passing yards, but the Hurricanes broke that streak with 201 passing yards, and the secondary has emerged as a major surprise this season for the Irish. Stopping the tight ends who have 50 percent of the teams receiving touchdowns (4 touchdowns out of 8 overall), 34 (about 39 percent of the receptions) of the 88 receptions, and 594 (roughly 51 percent of the yards) of the 1156 receiving yards. They are the big targets in the passing game, but the wide receivers must be accounted for as well. The big matchup is seeing how the defensive backs handle bigger and taller targets this season. It overall should be another even matchup for between Notre Dame and Stanford.

Stanford DB's: The unit was ravaged by graduation with the loss of three starters, the lone returning starter was Terrence Brown, who has 25 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 interception on the season. Jordan Richards one of many underclassmen starting in the secondary, and has 30 tackles (most out of all defensive backs), 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups as well). Ed Reynolds has 22 tackles, 3 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and 3 pass breakups. Others have played a lot in the secondary like Usua Amanam, Wayne Lyons, and Devon Carrington.

Stanford DB's vs. Notre Dame WR's: The Cardinal are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a solid amount of passes as opponents have completed 61.2 percent of their passes. The team is ranked 117th in the nation in pass defense and allow 299.4 yards a game, but only have allowed 5 passing touchdowns so far. They will have to account for Tyler Eifert, a tight end that can line up at many spots on the field, but has been double covered a lot of the time. However, this has opened things up for other players in the pass game, such as TJ Jones and Davaris Daniels for instance. While the receiving unit of the Irish is a younger one, it is quite talented and should present quite a test for the Stanford secondary.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Kicking Game: Kyle Brindza is having a pretty good start in his first season as the starting kicker for the Irish. He has made 8 out of 10 field goals, but missed the last attempt after making 8 in a row at one point. Ben Turk has had some consistency issues at times as the punter, but is averaging 40.3 yards a punt on 20 punts, but has been able to get opponents to fair catch often and put opponents inside their 20 as well, with the punt coverage doing a pretty good job so far. Kyle Brindza is also the kickoff specialist and is averaging 62.1 yards a kickoff, with 12 of his 31 kickoffs being touchbacks as well.

Stanford Kicking Game: Jordan Williamson had a good start to the season with him making his first 5 field goals of the season, but missed 4 in a row (including 3 misses against USC), but has made the last 2 field goals to put him at 7 out of 11 on the season. He has had one kicked blocked, and the longest was for 46 yards. He also is 1-3 when it is 40 or more yards as well. Daniel Zychlinski is averaging an impressive 42.9 yards a punt and has had 9 punts go for 50+ yards (long is 67 yards), 4 punts have gone for touchbacks, while 12 have been fair caught as well, and 6 were inside the 20 as well. Jordan Williamson is also the kickoff specialist and has been averaging 63.9 yards a kickoff and 11 of the 30 have gone for touchbacks. However, 2 kickoffs went out of bounds as well.

Stronger Unit: Even

Notre Dame Return Game: The kickoff return game hasn't done a huge amount this season, which is in part to not allowing many points and opponents doing touchbacks on the kickoffs. George Atkinson III has returned 4 kickoffs for 82 yards, while Cam McDaniel has 1 return for 25 yards. The punt return game hasn't done a lot this season, with Davonte Neal having 8 returns for 28 yards on the season.

Stanford Return Game: Stanford has done a solid job in the kickoff return game, with Ty Montgomery returning 10 kickoffs for 258 yards and the long being 64 yards as well, but Ty Montgomery will also likely be out vs. Notre Dame with injury. Alex Carter has also returned 5 kickoffs for 110 yards. Drew Terrell has done a great job in the punt return game with 7 returns for 140 yards and a touchdown as well.

Stronger Unit: Stanford

Everything Else: Stanford is in the first year without Andrew Luck, who has taken his talents to the NFL as the number one overall draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Josh Nunes has done a decent job in getting the ball to his playmakers, which are the two tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Stepfan Taylor is the heart of the offense as the running back is not only a senior, but has accumulated a large majority of the rushing yards, touchdowns, and carries as well. Stanford is also a very physical team, especially in the front seven that helps give it a 6th ranked rushing defense as well. If the Irish take advantage of a young and weak Stanford secondary that gives them the 117th ranked passing defense, it will help in many ways. This would be an ideal time to continue to open up the offense for redshirt freshman Everett Golson, who had a very accurate game and was able to run with the ball as well. The defense for the Irish has been very great, especially when keeping opponents out of the endzone and forcing opponents to kick field goals often. If they shut down Stepfan Taylor, Zach Ertz, and Levine Toilolo on offense, it will be over for the Cardinal offense.

Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Stanford 13

Notre Dame-Miami (FL) Preview

Notre Dame QB's: Everett Golson is the starter at quarterback for the Irish and has completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 641 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on the season. Golson has also rushed for 2 touchdowns this season. Golson apparently had a shoulder injury earlier this season that has healed over the bye week. Tommy Rees has also come in at times this season and has completed 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards, and also has a 2 yard rushing touchdown. Rees has appeared in every game except the opener against Navy, which was due to a one game suspension. Andrew Hendrix has only appeared in one game and completed 4 of 5 passes for 53 yards in the game against Navy.

Notre Dame QB's vs. Miami (FL) Pass Defense: The Hurricanes are currently ranked 94th in the nation in pass defense. They have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 56.5 percent of their passes this season, and have allowed 269 passing yards a game along with 7 passing touchdowns, but have intercepted 5 passes this season. This will be the lowest ranked pass defense that the Irish will face so far this season, and look for Golson to have his best game as a Notre Dame quarterback so far against the Hurricanes.

Edge: Notre Dame

Miami (FL) QB's: Stephen Morris has completed 59.9 percent of his passes so far this season for 1,635 yards along with 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions as well. Morris has had a large majority of these numbers in the last games where he combined for 1,002 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in those two games. Backup quarterback Ryan Williams has appeared in 3 games and completed 2 passes out of 2 passes for 7 yards and a touchdown on the season.

Miami (FL) QB's vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense: The Irish have done quite well in the pass defense even with three players in the secondary having season ending injuries and the secondary being one of the youngest units on the entire team. Notre Dame is currently 19th in the nation in pass defense and has allowed 178.8 passing yards a game, opponents have only completed 54.3 percent of their passes as well, and the Irish have allowed only 3 passing touchdowns all season and have intercepted 8 passes as well. Morris will be the biggest test of the season so far for the Irish, if the secondary continues to give strong performances as they have done all season and shut down Morris, it will continue to climb up in the rankings in the pass defense department and show how far the unit has come as a whole.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame RB's: Theo Riddick has had a majority of the carries in part to Cierre Wood being suspended for the first two games of the season. He has 63 carriers for 242 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, while George Atkinson III has 19 carries for 146 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns as well. Wood has 17 carries for 95 yards, and should get a larger workload as the season continues to progress as he has contributed with many strong runs this season in the clutch. Cam McDaniel had accumulated all of his rushing numbers against Navy with 9 carries for 59 yards, and is the 4th string running back for the Irish.

Notre Dame RB's vs. Miami (FL) Rush Defense: The Hurricanes have been horrible against the run this season as they are ranked 115th in the nation and have allowed 225.6 rushing yards a game along with 14 rushing touchdowns. They allowed 96 yards to Boston College in the first game of the season, but since then have allowed well over 200 each game with Division 1-AA team Bethune-Cookman rushing for 233 yards on the Hurricanes defense. Look for the Irish to have the strongest game of the season on the ground as they can rotate between Wood, Atkinson, and Riddick often and have rushing yard numbers comparable to the game against Navy.
Edge: Notre Dame

Miami (FL) RB's: Duke Johnson has had a strong season so far with 359 rushing yards and is averaging 6.9 yards a carry and he also has 5 rushing touchdowns. He has also been a factor in the receiving game with 15 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. Mike James has also been a factor for the Hurricanes as well with 278 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Eduardo James is the third-string running back with 50 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. Johnson is one of the best offensive players for the Hurricanes and is only a freshman on top of that.

Miami (FL) RB's vs. Notre Dame Run Defense: Notre Dame has been very strong in the run defense department this season and are ranked 30th overall in college football. They have allowed 112.5 rushing yards a game this season and have the distinction of being the only team in Division 1-A to have not allowed a single rushing touchdown all season and have played teams that can run the ball often, which makes it look even more impressive on top of that. Containing Duke Johnson is critical for the Irish, and it is more than possible after containing a run-heavy team like Navy, Michigan St.'s LeVeon Bell and Michigan's Denard Robinson so far this season.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame WR's and TE's: DaVaris Daniels and Tyler Eifert are the leading receivers for the Irish and have near identical numbers. Daniels has 159 receiving yards on 9 receptions, while Eifert has 9 catches for 158 yards, and has a touchdown. TJ Jones has 11 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown and has been vital in the short passing game. Robby Toma continues to be reliable as well with 9 receptions with 91 yards. John Goodman has made 2 important receptions, with one being a 36 yard touchdown as well along with a 10 yard reception for a first down in the game winning drive against Purdue.

Notre Dame WR's vs. Miami (FL) Secondary: The Hurricanes haven't been strong in the pass defense area and face key matchups with Tyler Eifert and Davaris Daniels. Notre Dame would be best to use Daniels and Eifert in the deep passing game, along with TJ Jones and Robby Toma in the short game, along with utilizing freshman Chris Brown, Davonte Neal, and Justin Ferguson. Brown has had some playing time and has been used on deep routes, but has yet to make a reception, but he should be used more in this game against a 94th ranked pass defense overall.

Edge: Even

Miami (FL) WR's and TE's: Phillip Dorsett is having a strong season for the Hurricanes with 28 receptions for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rashawn Scott has also been strong with 17 catches for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns. Davon Johnson has 12 receptions for 194 yards, and Allen Hurns has 14 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown on the season. The Hurricanes spread the ball around with the receivers. Clive Walford is the leading tight end with 10 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown as well.

Miami (FL) WR's vs. Notre Dame Secondary: With the way the Hurricanes spread the ball between 4 receivers, it will be the biggest test for the young secondary of Notre Dame. The secondary has defied expectations greatly with multiple season ending injuries and losses such as Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton to graduation and the NFL. If the secondary keeps up the pace and is able to contain the receiving unit, it will be significant.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame OL: The offensive line of Notre Dame has allowed 8 sacks on the season and 22 tackles for loss as well. They have opened up lanes for the Irish to rush for 140.2 yards a game and 8 rushing touchdowns as well. The line is most experienced on the left side with Zach Martin, Chris Watt, and Braxston Cave.

Notre Dame OL vs. Miami (FL) DL: The defensive line of the Hurricanes has a mix of upper upperclassmen and under underclassmen for starters this season and the defense has accounted for 7 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in 5 games this season and while they don't many sacks, they do seem to be able to get into the backfield often at least. They face an experienced unit in the Notre Dame offensive line that has allowed 2 sacks per game on average and a few tackles for loss a game as well. The offensive line of the Irish should be able to keep the defensive line contained as the run defense of the Hurricanes is one of their biggest weaknesses on the team.

Edge: Notre Dame

Miami (FL) OL: The offensive line of the Hurricanes has been solid with the unit allowing only 7 sacks in 5 games and opening up holes for Duke Johnson and Mike James to run through with a rushing yard average of 144.2 per game and 10 touchdowns overall. The unit features 4 under underclassmen as starters, with 3 of the 4 being sophomores.

Miami (FL) OL vs. Notre Dame DL: The defensive line of Notre Dame has been absolutely amazing this season and is a young one with sophomores in Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III. Tuitt has been an absolute force this season with 6 sacks and 6 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, while Nix has been great at stuffing the run and anchoring the line at nose tackle. The offensive line faces a big matchup with a young and very talented Notre Dame defensive line that has easily able to get into opposing backfields this season.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame DL: The defensive line has been extraordinary this season, even with the loss of Aaron Lynch to transfer back in the spring and backup Chase Hounshell being out for the season with an injury. Stephon Tuitt has been one of the best players this season with 6 sacks and 6 tackles for loss. Tuitt also has 14 tackles, 4 quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Louis Nix III has been great in the interior part of the line with 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes batted down and has also forced a fumble too. Kapron Lewis-Moore provides the veteran presence on the line as he is in his 4th year starting. Sheldon Day has been great with 2 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, and the unit overall is very strong too.

Notre Dame DL vs. Miami (FL) OL: The offensive line has been decent for the Hurricanes by allowing just 7 sacks over 5 games so far, and doing a good job in opening lanes for the running backs, but they face one of the best lines in the country and should be a strong matchup for the Irish down in the trenches. If the defensive line continues to play strong and pressure Stephen Morris and contain the running game, it will be over for the Hurricanes fast.

Edge: Notre Dame

Miami (FL) DL: The defensive line of the Hurricanes has not accounted for many sacks this season with the defensive line having 6 of the Hurricanes 7 sacks. The unit had many losses after the 2011 season (6 total defensive lineman) and has 2 upperclassmen and 2 underclassmen starting on the line.

Miami (FL) DL vs. ND OL: The defensive line faces an offensive line that is experienced, but has had consistency issues at times (see Purdue), the line will need to play at a consistent level and repeat what happened last October for the Irish (no sacks allowed in October at all).

Edge: Even

ND LB's: Manti Te'o is the heart of the defense and has been playing his best season yet for the Irish, he currently has 38 tackles (1st overall for the Irish), 3 interceptions (tied for 1st overall with Bennett Jackson), 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries, and 2 fumble recoveries. Te'o isn't the only linebacker who is having a strong season, as Prince Shembo has 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 4 quarterback hurries as well. The unit is pretty deep with many players getting meaningful playing time like Carlo Calabrese, Ishaq Williams, Jarrett Grace. Danny Spond has made 10 tackles on the season after missing the first two games of the season with an injury.

ND LB's vs. Miami (FL): The big assignment for the linebackers will be containing Duke Johnson and Mike James of the Hurricanes. The two running backs have most of the yards and carries and will provide an interesting matchup for the front seven and if the Irish contain the running game, it will make the Hurricanes more predictable on offense.

Edge: Even

Miami (FL) LB's: The linebackers haven't been as strong and had lost an important player to the NFL in Sean Spence and the unit has had issues staying healthy as well. Eddie Johnson is 2nd on the team with 31 tackles and also has 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and has forced 3 fumbles as well. Denzel Perryman intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown as well.

Miami (FL) LB's vs. Notre Dame: The linebackers give the Hurricanes one of their weaker front sevens in recent times as the defense has been awful against the run, with 4 of their 5 opponents this season running for more than 200 yards on them, and the only one that didn't was the first game of the season, which means the Hurricanes have allowed 200+ rushing yards a game for 4 games in a row now. The Irish can rotate a lot at running back with Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, and George Atkinson III. Despite some consistency issues at times for the Notre Dame running game, they should have a really strong game and bounce back.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame DB's: The secondary has greatly exceeded expectations this season by allowing less than 200 passing yards in every single game this season and on top of that have lost a few players to season ending injuries. Bennett Jackson has really come on as a strong cornerback and is third overall on the team in tackles at 22 and has 3 interceptions and recovered a key fumble in the red zone against Michigan. KeiVarae Russell has done well for a true freshman that switched over from running back and has a interception as well. Many other young players have played like Matthias Farley starting after losing Slaughter for the season, and Elijah Shumate and Nicky Baratti getting a lot of playing time as well.

Notre Dame DB's vs. Miami (FL) WR's: The Hurricanes spread the ball around very well between four different wide receivers. All four have caught passes for over 40 yards, with Phillip Dorsett having a 65 yard reception and Rashawn Scott with a 76 yard reception. This will be a very interesting matchup and the secondary will need to contain them and stay consistent all game and prevent the Hurricanes from spreading it around between the main four receivers.

Edge: Even

Miami (FL) DB's: The pass defense has also been poor for the Hurricanes as well. The defensive backs only have 3 interceptions (out of 4 overall) this season and have had a couple players miss time this season as well. Defensive backs Brandon McGee, A.J. Highsmith, and Thomas Finnie are the three players who have interceptions this season in the secondary.

Miami (FL) DB's vs. Notre Dame WR's: The Irish give the Hurricanes a matchup nightmare with Tyler Eifert who can line up at many spots on offense in addition to TE. Davaris Daniels is a great deep threat who had an injury earlier this season, but is healthy now. TJ Jones and Robby Toma get used in the short passing game and should give the defensive secondary another interesting matchup as well.

Edge: Even

Notre Dame Kicking Game: Kyle Brindza has made his last 6 field goals to put him at 6 out 7 on the season, with one being the game winner against Purdue earlier this season. Ben Turk is having his best season yet as a punter with a 40.7 yard average and pinning opponents inside the 20 as well and forcing the return specialists to fair catch often. Kyle Brindza handles the kickoff duties with a 62.8 yard average and 10 touchbacks as well.

Miami (FL) Kicking Game: Jake Wieclaw has made 7 of 11 field goals so far this season, but has missed the last 4 of them, including short field goal attempts (22 and 19 yards) and long attempts (41 and 43). He missed 3 in the last game against NC State and his longest made field goal was for 38 yards. Dalton Botts has had a strong season punting with a 40.2 yard average on 22 punts. He has also put opponents deep in their own territory with 9 inside the 20 and 9 punts were fair caught as well. Jake Wieclaw hasn't been as good on kickoffs with only a 56.4 yard average 2 touchbacks, 2 also went out of bounds too.

Stronger Unit: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Return Game: The return game for the Irish has not been able to make an impact this season with George Atkinson III having just 3 returns for 69 yards, while Cam McDaniel has a 25 yard return. The Punt Return game hasn't been strong, but looks improved compared to 2011 with Davonte Neal having 28 yards on 7 returns.

Miami (FL) Return Game: Duke Johnson has been amazing on kickoff returns with a 29.6 yard average on 14 returns and has a 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown as well. Phillip Dorsett handles the punt return duties with 9 returns for 62 yards.

Stronger Unit: Miami (FL)

Everything Else: The Hurricanes are coming off back to back close wins that were headlined by strong performances by Stephen Morris. The Irish are coming off a bye week after winning back to back games over ranked Big 10 opponents. Notre Dame won the last meeting, the 2010 Sun Bowl where Harrison Smith famously intercepted multiple passes and set a Sun Bowl record in just the first half. The weather calls for temperatures in the 40's during game time that night and this will be the third prime time game in a row for the Irish this season. Look for Golson to bounce back from an off night against Michigan and the running game to have one of their strongest performances yet in the Brian Kelly era. If the defense that is led by Tuitt and Te'o continues to play as strong as they have all season, it will be over quick for the Hurricanes.

Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Miami (FL) 10