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Notre Dame Football: Top Storylines vs. Bowling Green

By Connor McJunkin

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ian Book #12 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish drops back to pass during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 28, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ian Book #12 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish drops back to pass during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 28, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 28: Ian Book #12 of Notre Dame football throws a pass during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 28, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

After a dominant defensive performance in last week’s 35-20 win over No. 18 Virginia, Notre Dame football looks to continue rolling this Saturday vs Bowling Green.

Last week wasn’t all pretty, at least on the offensive side of the ball, but in the end the Irish did enough to overcome a slight halftime deficit and add a convincing top-20 win to their resume. The defensive line, led by Julian Okwara, finally displayed the type of dominance we’ve been waiting to see from the unit all year.

As a group, the defense recorded:

  • 13 tackles for loss
  • 8 sacks
  • 4 rushing yards allowed
  • 3 fumble recoveries
  • 2 interceptions
  • 1 touchdown

That’s about as dominant as a defensive performance as you’ll see all season and it was needed for a game where the offense struggled and couldn’t seem to find any sort of rhythm.

Four games into the season and we are still scratching our heads about this offense, mainly the  inconsistent play of quarterback Ian Book. Issues we watched in week one vs. Louisville that were dismissed as first game rust have remained, and are causing some to raise the question of if Phil Jurkovec should be given a shot to lead the offense.

While that might be a bit premature, there is no denying the offense has been underwhelming thus far — from the offensive line play to the play-calling.

Offensive issues aside, the focus now turns to Bowling Green, who enters the game 1-3 sporting one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country. Through four games, they are 107th in the country in yards per game (353) and 120th in points per game defensively, allowing 38 points per contest.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising the Irish have opened up as six touchdown favorites, 44.5 points to be exact.

With a four week stretch of USC, Michigan, and Virginia Tech on deck, this week’s game is a great opportunity for the offense to adjust and improve and the defense to continue their dominant play.

Here are the top storylines to watch for heading into this weekend’s matchup with Bowling Green.

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