Notre Dame Offense Must Thrive In Two Key Matchups Against Duke

Notre Dame heads into a very important matchup against Duke this Saturday. After a tough 17-14 loss to Ohio State this past weekend, the Irish program has a chance to make a statement of resiliency and mental toughness.

They will be opposed by a very good Blue Devil squad who will be up to the challenge. Here are a couple key battles that will determine just how productive the offense can be for Notre Dame.

NOTRE DAME O-LINE vs DUKE D-LINE

BREAKING IT DOWN

The Irish offensive line is coming off of a good outing during the team’s 17-14 loss to Ohio State last Saturday. Despite some up and down play inside, the unit has mostly been very good throughout the season so far. Left tackle Joe Alt is an absolute star. The rest of the offensive line is also very talented.

On Duke’s defense, they are led by a really strong defensive line. The interior line will get most of the fanfare and for good reason. Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter is one of the best interior lineman in all of college football, and has been underrated for some time now. He is coupled inside with former Irish defender Ja’Mion Franklin, who isn’t flashy but just gets the job done.

On the edge, the Blue Devils also have an extremely underrated player RJ Oben. He is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben and brings a nice blend of explosiveness, length and violence.

WHY IT MATTERS

Even with a better quarterback and passing game success, Notre Dame is still built to win up front. Their offensive line will have arguably their biggest test of the season this week outside of the Ohio State game. They will need to come to play.

For Duke, they are going to allow their defensive line to play loose and make plays. They really attack well and will be asked to make big plays against both the run and pass. Putting pressure on Sam Hartman and creating some negatives against the run will be key to them winning the football game.

OUTSIDE RECEIVERS vs DUKE CORNERS

BREAKING IT DOWN

In last week’s loss to the Buckeyes, Notre Dame’s wide receivers didn’t make enough plays, especially on the outside. This is a big gut check game for a unit that certainly does not lack in talent. Players like sophomore Tobias Merriweather will need to step up big time moving forward.

Aside from the defensive line, there might not be a better unit on defender than cornerback. The Blue Devils have a budding star in sophomore cover man Chandler Rivers. They also received a couple experienced transfers in Myles Jones (Texas A&M) and Al Blades Jr. (Miami) to help bolster an already strong unit.

WHY IT MATTERS

Duke is going to let their cornerbacks make plays in this football game. They play a lot of man coverage in general and will challenge the Irish playmakers outside. Keeping their offense condensed seriously links the middle of the field and run game for the Irish.

If Notre Dame is able to win some plays outside of the numbers then the strategy for Duke will have to change. This will make them an almost impossible unit to stop, having the ability to make plays in every facet.

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