Notre Dame Football vs. Wisconsin: 3 things we learned in Week 4

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Sep 25, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Kendric Pryor (3) is under able to pull in a pass against Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Cam Hart (5) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame Football vs. Wisconsin: 3 things we learned in Week 4

The defense is going to be just fine

In the first game against Florida State, the Irish seemed to allow big play after big play, a trend that continued against Toledo. Early on in the year, it seemed something was off with new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s scheme, but the truth is, he was trying to win using his scheme, with Clark Lea’s players.

Since the start of the year, the defense has steadily gotten more comfortable, as they looked very good against Purdue. In Week 4, they hit their stride, and with the game close late, they took over, racking up multiple pick-sixes off Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz, and putting the game away.

The one thing we saw on Saturday was that this defense is going to play fast, and they are starting to take to Freeman’s scheme. That is bad news for the rest of the teams on Notre Dame’s schedule, and if they can continue to gel, they should be in every game they play this season, even against elite offenses.

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