Notre Dame Defense Aiming For Dominant Day Against Wake Forest

There isn’t a ton of buzz for this weekend’s matchup between Notre Dame and Wake Forest. While it is just a matchup of a 7-3 team against a 4-6 opponent at home, there are still a lot of interesting storylines and things to play for down the stretch.

The Notre Dame defense has the clear advantage against the Demon Deacon defense on paper. There are a couple key matchups that the Irish must win in order to come out with a decisive victory.

NOTRE DAME CORNERBACKS vs LENGTH

THE MATCHUP

Notre Dame has quietly had one of the better cornerback duos in college football, if not the best. They are led by sophomore standout Benjamin Morrison Jr., who is already considered one of the top overall defensive backs in all of college football. On the other side, senior cornerback Cam Hart is also having a very good season so far. Add in younger cornerbacks in Christian Gray and Jaden Mickey, and you have the deepest cornerback unit the Irish have had in some time.

It has been a season of transition for the Wake Forest passing game. Losing Sam Hartman to the transfer portal was a part of it, as was losing star wide receiver AT Perry. Then Donovan Greene was lost to a preseason injury, leaving the wide receiver group in a troubling spot, especially with losing so much size. The Demon Deacons typically like a lot of size on the perimeter. They do have a couple younger wide receivers who fit the mold in Jahmal Banks and Wesley Grimes. Both players have shown flashes of big time potential.

WHY IT MATTERS

The cornerback position has been an elite unit for Notre Dame. The tandem of Morrison and Hart has been an area the team can depend on, and that needs to continue heading down the stretch. Historically, the Wake Forest defense likes to function outside the numbers and make a lot of plays down the field and in the back shoulder game. If Notre Dame is able to take outside the numbers away, things will get a lot tougher for the Demon Deacons.

On the other side of the matchup, Banks and Grimes do have the talent to make some big plays down the field. They will have one-on-one chances. It is up to them to try and make some contested catches.

NOTRE DAME LINEBACKERS vs DEMON DEACON RBs

THE MATCHUP

The Notre Dame defense goes as their linebackers go. When they are good, the defense is elite. When they are having an off night, usually it’s a little bit of a struggle in stopping the run. They are led by seniors Marist Liufau, JD Bertand and Jack Kiser, which is one of the most experienced units on the team.

While the Wake Forest offense has struggled for the most part this season, they’d actually have received a bright spot in sophomore Demond Claiborne, who has shown flashes of big ability. Joining him in the backfield are Justice Ellison and Tate Carney, who provide some quality depth in the room. They work the slow mesh well and hope to have a big impact down the stretch of the season.

WHY IT MATTERS

You can bet that Wake Forest is going to try and control the line of scrimmage offensively and use the clock to its advantage. Extending positions and staying on schedule is the key to potentially upsetting Notre Dame at home. That can the big neutralizing in a game that shouldn’t be close on paper.

Notre Dame has a chance to have a dominant defensive performance. You are playing a Demon Deacon offense that has struggles to gain rhythm, especially with the slow mesh element. If the Irish defense can stifle the run game, there’s little chance that Wake Forest can have much sustained success.

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