Once again, the Notre Dame defense has been the flagship for this team, and up until the final week of the season, had yet to allow an opponent to score over 24 points. IN the first round of the playoffs, they face an opponent that averages 43.3 points per game and is the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. Put strength of schedule aside for a moment, this is an Indiana football team that knows how to put points on the board.
Each team has experience, and each team has play makers on their respective sides of the football. Indiana’s offense is led by sixth year senior Kurtis Rourke who played his first five years of football at Ohio University. Notre Dame’s defense is home to four of the five captains on the team, with Jack Kiser , Xavier Watts , Rylie Mills , and Howard Cross all being fifth year seniors or beyond. The defense has a been the clear cut strength for this Marcus Freeman and his team this season, and they will have to win in these key areas to get their first playoff win in school history and advance to the quarterfinals.
Irish Red Zone Defense vs IU Red Zone Offense
If you’re looking for a true best on best matchup, look no further than the Notre Dame red zone defense and the Indiana red zone offense. The Hoosiers rank No. 3 in the country in red zone scoring percentage at 93.9. Notre Dame ranks No. 9 in the country in red zone scores allowed 73.3 percent. Indiana in No. 1 in the country in red zone touchdowns scored (54) while the Irish are No. 14 in the country in touchdowns allowed in the red zone (17). Al Golden’s squad has only allowed teams to reach the red zone 30 times all season, which ranks No. 5 in the country, while Indiana has reached the red zone 66 times (No. 2).
The battle on this coveted ground will be a matchup both teams will look to win next Friday. Notre Dame’s ability to keep teams out of the red zone has been special this year, but if Indiana is able to make it inside of the 20 yard line, forcing field goals or a turnover will play a huge role in a victory. The Hoosier are extremely efficient once they reach the red zone and have scored on 62 of their 66 trips inside of the 20 yard line. This should and will be a key area of focus for Notre Dame’s defense on December 20.
Notre Dame Pass Rush vs IU Pass Protection
The pass rush for Notre Dame this season has been some what inconsistent. They’ve had games where they look almost unstoppable; against Florida State the team combined for eight sacks. Other weeks, they have struggled getting after the quarterback; against USC they sacked Jayden Maiava once. Pass protection for Indiana has been much of the same. Against the inferior opponents, their offensive lines perform well. However, against Michigan and Ohio State, they gave up a combined eight sacks, 10 hurries, and four hits on the quarterback…