Notre Dame football: Keys to victory against BYU in Week 6
By Ryan Shanko
Notre Dame football: Keys to victory against BYU in Week 6
#1 – Keep It Rolling on Offense
Two weeks ago, the Irish rolled into Chapel Hill, North Carolina and finally clicked on offense. 576 yards of offense later, the Irish left the Carolinas with a win and for the first time in 2022, some semblance of what the offense could and should look like for a team with higher aspirations that their 2-2 record might suggest.
Perhaps the most important thing the Irish can do against BYU (and for the rest of the season) is carry over the gameplan from the UNC game and keep it rolling. Yes, North Carolina has a bad defense, but the Irish were still sharp, fast, and electric on offense two Saturdays ago, a stark change from what we saw during the first three weeks of the season, even in the win against Cal.
Tommy Rees is showing why he deserves the mantle of offensive coordinator, and the stellar play-calling and game-planning absolutely must continue this weekend against BYU.
#2 – Keep Jaren Hall Guessing
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall is a legitimate offensive weapon. He is incredibly talented and poses a threat at all times to any defense. Notre Dame would be wise to keep him guessing all game on Saturday. What I mean by keep him guessing is to mix up the blitzes and coverages he sees at the line of scrimmage to confuse him as much as possible.
Al Golden no doubt knows how smart Hall is, as a veteran QB and one of the best in the nation, so Notre Dame might have to get exotic with the coverages they roll out against Hall. One thing the Irish must keep the same is a two-high safety shell that helps to deter the deep ball, something that BYU prides its offense on. If the Irish can keep Jaren Hall running for his life, it increases the Irish odds tenfold.