Notre Dame football: What to expect against Marshall in Week 2

Coming off a hard-fought loss against one of the best teams in the nation, what can you expect to see when Notre Dame football opens at home against Marshall? There are a few things you can look out for but none more so than the Irish offense coming out with aggression.

After what was a conservative game against Ohio State, when playing not to lose the game essentially did just that, look for a completely different story in the home opener.

Notre Dame football: What to expect against Marshall

Expect Tyler Buchner to come out slinging

After only attempting 18 passes in a hostile environment, Tommy Rees and company will open up the playbook, get creative, and take some shots. With the offensive line more of a work in progress than anyone initially thought, the passing game needs to get things rolling.

While no team should be taken lightly, Marshall is a much better opponent for Buchner to break out against than Ohio State.

"“We got ourselves a quarterback.  And there’s a strong belief in what he can do for this football program.” – Marcus Freeman on Tyler Buchner (via @PeteSampson_ on Twitter)"

My take on the situation? Let Tyler Buchner unleash the arm, and if he makes a mistake or two in the form of a turnover, so be it. The only way this team will be able to compete with the best of the best moving forward is by having a quarterback that can make big plays with his arm.

If there’s a team Notre Dame football faces early in the season to truly see what you have under center, this would be the game. It’s the home opener against a team that should be far lesser in skill. It’s time to see what TB12 can really do.

The defense needs to exert dominance

I expect a different defense and defensive scheme when Marshall comes to town. But, again, the Irish defense did what they thought was necessary to contain one of the more explosive air attacks in the nation.

While they did a fine job not letting the game get out of hand, Stroud picked them apart the first (and potentially only) time they brought a safety blitz.

While you can never take any opponent lightly, it’s certainly fair to assume the Irish and defensive coordinator Al Golden can afford to take more risks. Look for Golden and the defense to bring more pressure and adjust their personnel. There has to be more blitzing and pressure on the quarterback. The secondary held up just fine; it’s time to get more creative in the box.

Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison had terrific games and proved they belonged on the field with the best of them. The talented Jaylen Sneed and Prince Kollie are others I’d like to see get a shot at linebacker in this one. The defense has a great mixture of youth and experience, but the youth was leaned on a bit too much in the opener.

I can see coaches Freeman, Rees, and Golden looking to turn up the heat on Marshall with pressure on both sides of the ball. The execution remains to be seen but prepare to watch a completely different game plan and team than you saw in the season opener.