Notre Dame Football: Key Defensive Matchups vs. Michigan

Following a bye week, Notre Dame football is hitting the road and traveling up to Ann Arbor for a primetime showdown against Michigan. The Irish will need their defense to play well if they want to improve to 6-1.

The Notre Dame football team should hopefully feel well rested as they kick off the second half of their 2019 schedule. Following their 30-27 victory over USC, the Irish had an idle week, which coincided with midterm examinations.

This week, students were granted some reprieve from their academic burdens as no classes were held for fall break — allowing the football team to focus on the tough test ahead.

The game in Ann Arbor this weekend appears to be the toughest game remaining on Notre Dame’s schedule. A win puts them on a path to 11-1 and keeps their (admittedly thin) College Football Playoff chances alive.

The old football cliché is that defense travels. Hopefully that holds true for the Irish on Saturday. Here are some key matchups to watch when Michigan has the ball.

Michigan Offensive Line vs. Notre Dame Defensive Line

The Michigan offensive line is one of the better units the Irish will face this season. While that group has not played up to their potential through their first seven games this season, they still have plenty of talent.

Four of Michigan’s starting offensive linemen were named to the preseason watchlist for the Outland Trophy. Those four lineman had a combined 116 games of experience heading into this season.

The Notre Dame defensive line needs to win the battle in the trenches if the Irish want to leave Ann Arbor with a victory. They need to limit the Michigan rushing attack and pressure Shea Patterson on passing downs.

First and foremost, the Irish defensive line needs to disrupt the run game. They need to hold the line of scrimmage and create opportunities for tackles for loss. If Notre Dame can do that, they can make the Michigan offense one-dimensional and force Shea Patterson to make plays in the passing game to sustain drives.

The Irish also need to generate pressure in obvious passing situations. While doing so, they need to stay disciplined and keep Patterson contained in the pocket. Like most dual-threat quarterbacks, Patterson does the most damage when he is able to escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs.

Michigan Receivers vs. Notre Dame Secondary

The Wolverines have an impressive group of receivers. Their individual stats might not jump off the page, but each of their top four receivers can win one-on-one matchups and hurt your defense. Those four receivers are: Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Tarik Black, and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Bell, a speedy slot receiver, leads the group in receptions and yards, but he has yet to score a touchdown this season. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Collins is the biggest of the group and a matchup problem for cornerbacks. Black and Peoples-Jones are dynamic players that must be accounted for at all times.

I mentioned that I think Notre Dame should try to shut down the Michigan rushing attack to force their offense to become one-dimensional. That strategy only works for the Irish if they can contain these four main receivers. If any of those players are able to create big plays in the passing game, it will be a long night for the Notre Dame secondary.

Fortunately for the Irish defense, they will have Shaun Crawford back for this game. We do not yet know how big his role will be, but you can be sure that he will play plenty of snaps when Notre Dame is in their nickel and dime packages. Crawford will be a big help when it comes to limiting the production of Michigan’s receivers.

Shea Patterson vs. Notre Dame Defense

As is the case with most college quarterbacks, the Michigan offense ebbs and flows with the play of senior quarterback Shea Patterson.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe Notre Dame’s top priority this Saturday night will be stopping the Michigan rushing attack. That includes Patterson, who is averaging about five rushing attempts per game this season.

If the Irish defense can do that, they will force Patterson to beat them with his arm. Given his statistics as a passer and the expected weather conditions for this game, that situation bodes well for Notre Dame.

Patterson has completed 57.4 percent of his pass attempts this season. That mark is just slightly below his college career completion percentage of 60.1 percent.

Patterson has not taken the leap Michigan fans were hoping for this season. There is still time for him to turn it around, and he showed some flashes in the second half against Penn State. However, the Wolverines will have to face some tough defenses in their remaining games.