Notre Dame football: 3 keys to victory against Toledo in Week 2
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team takes on Toledo in Week 2, and here are three keys to victory for the Irish against the Rockets on Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday, the Notre Dame football team will welcome the Toledo Rockets to town in a game that should be very one-sided. The Irish are coming off a monster road win against Florida State, and with some tough opponents on the horizon, they need to get some things cleaned up against a weaker Toledo squad.
To do so, they must focus on these three keys to victory in a game that could get out of hand early.
Notre Dame football: 3 keys to victory against Toledo in Week 2
Establish the run game
During the victory over the Florida State Seminoles, one area where the Irish did not get it going was on the ground, as Kyren Williams struggled. As Jack Coan was throwing the ball all over the field, Williams and Tyree just never got it going, and that cannot be the case against a lesser Toledo team on Saturday.
In fact, the Irish should start the game out by pounding the Rockets in the mouth with Williams and Tyree, then go to the pass, allowing Coan to pick apart a soft Toledo secondary. Williams was outstanding last season and garnered a lot of national attention in the preseason, so getting him going early and often should not be a problem.
Nobody is thinking that Toledo is going to be able to come into Notre Dame Stadium and challenge the Irish, but the Irish need to get this ground game going with some tough opponents ahead. We know what Williams and Tyree can do with the football in their hands, and they will get every opportunity to impact this game in a big way in Week 2.