Coming off the loss to Georgia, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are tasked with another tough match up at home. To say the Irish have a chip on their shoulders following the loss is an understatement. The veterans on this team realize Notre Dame has some unfinished business.
“The next opponents who we have coming up this season, best of luck to you. Because we’re coming.” – @khalid_kareem53
We all know who Georgia was, and frankly, Notre Dame put up one hell of a fight against the Bulldogs, all things considered, to show us who they will be this season.
All Things
I predicted that the Georgia game would come down to turnovers. In some respects, it did but what I took for granted was the discipline factor. The Irish constantly found themselves drawing bone-headed penalties that proved costly in the end. Head coach Brian Kelly did accept responsibility for his shortcomings last Saturday but it was another big game loss for Kelly, a downward trend for Notre Dame who is only 3-8 since 2010 against AP TOP 10 opponents.
Irish fans should be pleased only dropping three spots in the AP TOP 25 to number ten after a blown opportunity to win the game in the late stages.
On to the next one.
Meet Virginia
Next on the schedule for Notre Dame will be #18 Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are not a team that are to be taken lightly. They have already defeated a University of Pittsburgh team that just knocked off the self-proclaimed national champion’s University of Central Florida. Virginia has an opportunity to win the ACC Coastal and go toe to toe with Clemson.
What makes this Virginia team dangerous is their dynamic senior quarterback Bryce Perkins. Perkins is a dual threat and Notre Dame has struggled with fellow scrambling quarterback Jawon Pass from Louisville.
The rush defense of the Cavaliers has picked up the slack this season allowing only an average of 75 YPG. Virginia’s rush defense is the 12th best in the nation.
On the other sideline is Notre Dame allowing a problematic 204.3 YPG on the ground. In addition to a suspect run defense, the Irish are only averaging 144.3 YPG offensively via the rush. The 85th ranked rush offense this early in the season is rather alarming.
Safety Net Cole Kmet
It didn’t take long for Ian Book to locate and lock-in on Kmet, who was a major factor in week 4 finishing with a 9/108/1 line in his first game action of the season. Kmet broke his collarbone and missed the first three games of the season. Kmet injected a veteran presence into the lineup instantly – the touchdown was actually the first of his career but we can expect based on his usage that he will be the recipient of many more red zone targets – as long as he stays healthy.
Home Sweet Home
Book has had great success at Notre Dame Stadium since taking over the starting role in Week 5 of the 2018 season. Book is undefeated at home, but Virginia will be the highest ranked team since seventh ranked Stanford fell 38-17 by Books hot hand last year.
What To Watch For
How will the crowd react on Saturday afternoon? Will it be a dejected crowd, sulking in the missed opportunity down in Georgia, or will fans stand behind their team and rally?
The 3:30 PM starts are vintage Notre Dame. While the night games do make it a very difficult venue for opposing teams, the home field advantage for an afternoon game has to be one of the best in the country.
This season can be salvaged but the road to redemption is going to be an uphill battle. Irish will need to win out if they want to stay in the conversation.
Kelly remains optimistic that this team will “respond in the right way.” Despite the obvious result, the Irish left Athens with some respect.
