Notre Dame football: FSU will test Irish’s new-look defense in Week 1
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team will take on Florida State in Week 1 of the college football season, and the Seminoles’ offense will be a good early test.
Last season, the Notre Dame football team was led on the defensive side of the ball by linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who would go on to earn All-American status. With JOK now in the NFL, the Irish will lean on another All-American, safety Kyle Hamilton to lead the way, and he has a solid cast of players around him.
With JOK, Daelin Hayes, and Ade Ogundeji being drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Irish are going to need players to step up and help in the pass rush. In Week 1, they face a Florida State team that may have been down in recent years, but now have an absolute playmaker at quarterback in McKenzie Milton.
Before blowing his knee out, Milton had led UCF to national prominence, racking up 23 wins in a row. With Florida State, he has some outstanding weapons to throw to, including Andrew Parchment, a transfer from Kansas that has shown big-play ability in the past, even on some incredibly bad Jayhawks offenses.
If Milton has mobility after the injury, it is going to be a tough task to get to him, especially with a new set of starters at defensive end, as well as the Vyper position. We are going to get an early look at just how good this defense can be, as they will be taking on some of the best quarterbacks in the country this season in Sam Howell and Kedon Slovis.
Notre Dame football loaded with veteran talent on defense
Luckily for new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, this is an Irish defense that is full of veteran talent, including Isaiah Foskey, who is going to prove crucial in the pass rush. If Foskey can get in the backfield and make some noise, especially against Milton and this Seminoles offense, it will go a long way in building confidence for the rest of the season.
Notre Dame football also has an incredibly talented defensive line, a unit that could be one of the best in the country, and the expectation is that they should be able to shut down this Seminoles offense in Week 1.
Overall, if the Irish defense is as good as many believe it will be, they should be able to leave Tallahassee with a victory. McKenzie Milton did not do much losing when he was with UCF, and he has some weapons to play with at Florida State, so plan on this being a great early-season test for this defense in September.