Keys To Victory For The Notre Dame Offense vs Wisconsin
Notre Dame's offense started the season off on a very strong note, but the unit has steadily decreased from a production standpoint in every game since the opener. The offense will need to reverse course if the Irish are going to pull off the "upset" over Wisconsin.
There are five keys to victory for the Irish offense.
1. Offensive line must be up for the challenge - If the Notre Dame offensive line doesn't play harder, with better technique and greater success than it did in the first three games none of the other keys will matter.
Notre Dame has an athletic advantage over Wisconsin, one that honestly should result in this game not being overly competitive, but that was also true in the matchups against Florida State, Toledo and Purdue, and we saw how those games turned out.
If the line plays well Notre Dame will win. If the line looks like it did the first three games this could be an ugly game and could result in the first Irish loss of the season.
2. Big plays early - Wisconsin isn't the kind of defense that you can consistently go on long, sustained drives against, so getting big plays is the key. Wisconsin also has a smart defensive coordinator, which means he knows the Notre Dame line isn't good. Jim Leonard is going to attack the Notre Dame line early and often. One way to have success against Wisconsin, and to back Leonard off, is to rip off big plays early in the game.
Notre Dame's backs haven't gotten much room to work this season, but in the few instances they have we've seen big plays. If the line can create a few early creases it could open up big runs for Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree.
If the line can give quarterback Jack Coan just a little bit of time he can find the backs, tight end Michael Mayer or the talented Irish wideouts for possible big plays. All are needed early and often for Notre Dame.
3. First down success is a must - Notre Dame can't rely on big plays alone, and it will need to put a few drives together. That means Notre Dame must be able to thrive on third-down, and the key to that is making sure the offense has success on first down. Notre Dame must limit early down negatives (tackles for loss, sacks) and put itself in second-and-short and third-and-short situations.
Early down success is the key to getting in those chain-moving situations. Getting in those second and third-and-short situations also puts the offense in downs where it can take more big shots down the field, which ties into key number two.
4. Keep Wisconsin off balance - This also ties into key number two, and that is offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has to keep the Wisconsin defense - and its coordinator - off balance.
Notre Dame must find ways to have success on the perimeter with its run, screen and pass game. Notre Dame must have a schematic plan to attack Wisconsin's pressures. It must keep Wisconsin guessing with its tempo (mix them up), pre-snap movements, post-snap action, its quick game, its screen game and with play-calling.
Rees also can't keep Coan right behind the center all day; he must get Coan out of the pocket with things like sprint outs, bootlegs, nakeds, half-rolls, etc. which helps keep Wisconsin from teeing off on him.
The less comfortable Wisconsin is with teeing off on Coan or just attacking the middle of the Irish line the better.
5. Finish - Notre Dame hasn't had much of a problem getting into opponent territory. Getting all the way down into the red zone and then punching the ball into the end zone has been a bigger problem. When Notre Dame gets across midfield against Wisconsin it must finish those drives off with points, especially early, and touchdowns are the key.
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