Notre Dame Football: Five Problematic Virginia Players

Things don’t get much easier for Notre Dame following the Georgia game, as the Irish return home to face the underrated and undefeated Virginia Cavaliers.

Coming off their first loss of the season against Georgia, Notre Dame finds itself in a tough spot.

Notre Dame isn’t out of the running for the College Football Playoff, but they’ve definitely got some work to do. Style points might count, but a victory over what could be the second best team in the ACC would certainly give the Irish a boost. In the midst of the toughest stretch of the season, Notre Dame faces three ranked teams in its next four games.

None of the other two will matter if they can’t defeat the Cavaliers.

Virginia is not as talented as Georgia, but returning home to South Bend off a highly emotional game to face the No.18 team in the country has “letdown” written all over it. If the Irish want to avoid a letdown, they must contain these five Virginia Cavaliers.

Bryce Perkins, QB

Perkins is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football. The former Arizona State Sun Devil took over the starting role last season and has been electric. Last season he was one of only two quarterbacks with at least 2,600 pass yards and 900 rush yards. The other? Heisman winner Kyler Murray.

This season, Perkins is completing 65.3% of his passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also got 193 yards on the ground. Interceptions have been an issue this season, as he had two against William & Mary and two against Florida State. That could be exactly what Notre Dame needs to slow down Perkins.

Joe Reed, WR

Reed is undoubtedly Perkins’ top receiver. He’s taken over for Olamide Zaccheaus, who led the team last season. Reed has 23 catches for 213 yards and three touchdown on the year. His biggest game came against Florida State, arguably the biggest game on Virginia’s schedule to date. He secured eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Reed has also proven to be a dangerous return man. He has eight kickoff returns this year for 302 yards, which is good for fifth in the country. One of his returns was a 100 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Reed is averaging 37.8 in a game where field position is so important. He could do a lot of damage against the Irish.

Zane Zandler, LB

The current team tackle leader is on pace to improve his numbers from last year. He’s already matched his numbers in tackles for loss (5.0) and sacks (2.0) and also added a pick six last week against Old Dominion that turned the tide of the game.

Jordan Mack, LB

Mack is tied with Zandler for the team lead in tackles, but what sets the two apart is not only experience, but his hard hitting ability. Whether it’s crushing quarterbacks or the spirit of opposing teams, Mack is always ready to leave his mark, both literally and figuratively.

Mack already has six tackles for loss, one off his career high and well above pace of last year when he was battling injuries. He’s also got five sacks. Only five players in the country have more. There’s no doubt Mack will have a huge game, but to what degree could determine the result of the game.

Bryce Hall, CB

Hall is one of the best cornerbacks in the country, yet it’s entirely possible that he’s still underrated on a national level. Last year, Hall was a first team All-ACC selection as well as second team All-American. It was somewhat of a surprise when he elected to return to Virginia, as he could have been a first round pick. His speed is second to none, including once reaching 22 mph when tracking down Travis Homer in a game against Miami.

On the season, the former two-star wide receiver has 15 tackles, with three for loss. Hall has five interceptions, three forced fumbles, two recoveries and 38 passes defended for his career. He is good enough to totally shut down one of Notre Dame’s top receivers. A battle between him and Chase Claypool will be extremely interesting to watch.