The Notre Dame defense has been playing at an elite level over the last six games. They've held six of their last seven opponents to 13 offensive points or less and are coming off of their best performance of the season against Pitt. The Irish defense now ranks 17th in the country in points per game, 29th in the country in yards per game, 13th in the country inrush defense and 3rd in the country in interceptions. Tomorrow, they'll be facing a Syracuse offense that has struggled mightily since the injury to quarterback Steve Angeli.
The Orange have lost six games in a row and have failed to score 20 points or more as a team in all six of those losses. They rank 106th in the country in points per game, 113th in the country in rushing yards per game, 91st in the country in passing yards per attempt, 125th in the country in sacks allowed, 105th in the country on 3rd down and 111th in the country in the red zone. Here are the three biggest storylines, two key battles and one player to watch on defense for the Fighting Irish.
Three Biggest Storylines
1. Continued Dominance - Notre Dame is currently riding an eight-game winning streak and, with the exception of Purdue, the defensive turnaround has played a major role in that coming true. After allowing a combined 71 points to Texas A&M and Purdue, Chris Ash's defense has held their last seven opponents to a combined 80 points scored; Pitt's first touchdown of the game was a pick six. This is a level of dominance similar to their defensive output down the stretch in 2024. That will have to continue on Saturday and into the post season.
2. Will The Secondary Stack Performances? - Last weekend was the first time this year that the secondary, as a whole, played a complete game. Both safeties played lights out and all three cornerbacks played to their standard. They'll be tested again this week; despite their offensive struggles, Syracuse still averages 244.7 passing yards per game and have talent at the pass catching positions. It will be a collective effort between Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, DeVonta Smith, Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson to shut down the Syracuse passing attack like they did to Pitt a week ago.
3. Continue Pressuring The Quarterback - The Irish currently rank 15th in the country in sacks per game. They've totaled 28 on the season for a combined loss of 192 yards. Last week against the Panthers, they totaled 25 pressures on the quarterback according to PFF. This week, they're facing an offensive line that ranked 125th in the country in sacks allowed. Whether it's Rickie Collins or Joseph Filardi lining up under center, both players are inexperienced. The ramp up in overall pressures and sacks have aided this secondary in being top three in the nation in interceptions. The Orange rank No. 127 in the country in interceptions thrown. There's a simple recipe for success tomorrow afternoon; pressure the quarter.
Two Key Battles
1. DeVonta Smith vs Johntay Cook - Smith is coming off of his best performance of the season. Pitt receiver Raphael Williams was second on the team in receptions and yards and also led the team in touchdown receptions. Smith held him to 14 yards on three receptions. This week, he'll be challenged once against facing Syracuse's go-to target in the offense, Johntay Cook. Cook leads the team in receptions, yards and is second on the team in touchdown receptions. He's a crafty playmaker with the ball in his hands and can also hurt you down field. Smith will be tested early and often this weekend.
2. Outside Corners vs Darrell Gill - Syracuse's most experienced receiver in the rotation is Darrell Gill. He's third on the team in receptions, second on the team in yards and leads the team in touchdown receptions. Gill is a 6-3, 190-pound explosive threat that can hurt you in the red zone and down the field. Both Moore and Gray will have their opportunities to matchup up with Gill on Saturday. Gray is coming off of his best performance of the season, now it's about stacking performances for the junior.
One Player To Watch: Defensive End Boubacar Traore
Notre Dame's defense has ramped up the amount of pressures and sacks over the last few weeks. That being said, defensive end standout Boubacar Traore only has one sack in his last three games. I expected him to have a big performance against Pitt's right tackle Ryan Baer; Traore got after the quarterback and pressured him some, but wasn't able to get home and finish. This week, Traore will be going against an offensive line that ranks No. 127 in the country in sacks allowed. He's a leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year in college football. A big performance on Saturday would go a long way in getting Traore hot for the post season.
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