Notre Dame Football: Defensive Keys Verses Cal

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. The Cowboys defeated the Fighting Irish 37-35. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Defensive keys vs Cal in 2022 Week 3

Final Thoughts

No matter what happens this Saturday, the Notre Dame defense simply must play with the moxy and swagger we saw in abundance last season. The Irish usually control the line of scrimmage and fly around the field to make plays.

This week the emphasis in practice has to be on returning to that mentality. If ND does this, I think the defense will dominate for the Irish on Saturday. Plummer has been rattled by the Irish defense in the past, and if Foskey and company can finally get the pass rush they were supposed to get coming into the season, they could make this a long day for the Cal signal-caller.

Sept 8, 2007; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State linebacker Sean Lee (45) bobbles the ball but is unable to make the interception as Notre Dame tight end John Carlson (89) looks on in the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Notre Dame 31-10. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © James Lang

Notre Dame Football: What would a hypothetical Big Ten schedule look like?

A hypothetical Notre Dame football schedule in the Big Ten conference would look very similar to schedules in previous seasons.

Overall, this is a game the Irish should win, and based on talent alone, they should roll inside Notre Dame Stadium in Week 3. However, this Notre Dame football team has been underwhelming on both sides of the ball this season, so when it comes to Saturday against Cal, it is anybody’s guess as to which Irish team will show up.

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