Notre Dame has come alive on offense over its last two games and the unit will look to keep rolling when it heads to play Arkansas. The Razorback defense has struggled in its last two games and the Irish will look to keep those struggles going. With how much its own defense has been struggling, the Notre Dame offense will need to once again be willing and able to score a lot of points.
Here are the keys to victory for the Notre Dame offense:
1. Start Fast - This is always the most important key for the Notre Dame offense, and it's especially true when playing on the road and with your own defense struggling. Notre Dame needs a major early confidence boost in this game, and the Irish offense moving the ball and putting points on the board early and often would do just that. It would give the offense plenty of confidence, but it would also take some pressure off the struggling Irish defense. This would also shake the confidence of the reeling Arkansas defense.
A fast start also takes the crowd out of the game, assuming the Irish defense isn't allowing Arkansas to match the Irish score for score. But if they are the offense starting fast will allow Notre Dame to stay in the game until the Irish defense figures things out and makes some adjustments (hopefully).
2. Push the Pace and Attack - Notre Dame has two options on how it can approach this game. One is to slow the game down, try and control the clock and hopefully still get scores in hopes of limiting possessions in an attempt to protect its own struggling defense. I'm not a fan of that and don't think it really works, as it means you lose 27-24 instead of 41-40. If your defense isn't stopping the opponent you likely still get outscored, which we saw in Notre Dame's first two games.
The other way to go at an opponent, and I believe its the best way to go at Arkansas, is to push the pace and aggressively go at them. That doesn't mean throwing every down and you can absolutely still be a run first team with this mindset. It's about pushing the pace, being aggressive with pre and post-snap movement and looking for ways to gash and rip up the defense. Of course that usually means a balanced attack, but as we saw against Purdue it can also involve still punishing a team on the ground and opening up big plays in the pass game.
Arkansas is also a mammoth defensive line that weighs 278 and 275 on the edge, and its interior rotation weighs 387, 323, 320 and 319. Slowing the game down and limiting possessions (and plays) plays right into the hands of a large defensive line. The faster you go and the more plays you runs, the more that defensive line wears down, and the more tired they get. That puts you in great position to really punish them in the second half.
At that point it becomes about who has the better athletes and who is better conditioned. That's where Notre Dame should shine, and that's why the offense should be on the attack in this game.
3. Spread Arkansas Out - Arkansas is quite vulnerable when teams are able to spread them out and attack them all over the field. This isn't a game you want to play downhill all game. that puts your offensive line in a bad spot and plays into the size of the Arkansas front six. Spreading Arkansas out formationally, or with creative motions and shifts, increases the chances that Notre Dame can open up run run lanes for big time backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. It also opens up opportunities to get the ball to your pass game playmakers in space.
Arkansas is not a very good tackling team, and the more you can get Love, Price, Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, Malachi Fields and even Eli Raridon in space the better chance they have of ripping off big gains.
Spreading out also involves play calling. I'll discuss the run game later, but attacking with the pass game both for width and vertically is an important part of this game for the Irish, assuming the line can protect well enough to give talented redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr time to get the ball to his playmakers.
4. Mix Up The Run Game - Notre Dame had an outstanding run game design in the win over Purdue, and that needs to continue against Arkansas. The Irish ran Midzone, Inside Zone, Duo, Outside Zone, Counter (two versions) and a quick guard kick play against the Boilermakers, who could not get a read on the Irish ground attack.
I would love to see Mike Denbrock have a repeat performance against Arkansas, and mixing up the personnel would add even more to it. Denbrock didn't mix up personnel much against Purdue, but that was due to how Purdue was lining up, so Denbrock wisely stuck with what was working. Against Arkansas I think mixing up the runs from an inside-out standout is ideal for the Irish. You don't want to just run right at the big Arkansas defensive line all game, but you also can't be afraid to go at them. Denbrock has shown the ability to put together well designed ground games, and we need to see that again.
If he can do that Love and Price should be able to have a big day against an Arkansas defense that is big and physical, but one that lacks the range and speed of the Irish backs.
5. Create Iso Opportunities In The Pass Game - Arkansas struggled against the run against Memphis, but overall the defense has stood up well against the run. The Razorbacks aren't as good defending the pass. Ole Miss shredded Arkansas (357 yards) through the air with its backup quarterback, and Arkansas ranked last in the SEC in pass defense in 2024.
Notre Dame will likely need a balanced attack if its going to score enough points to win. The good news is the Irish have a number of personnel matchups that it can win. Denbrock will need to use alignments, motions and some tempo to get his wideouts, tight end and running backs in isolation opportunities in the pass game. If he does the Irish pass catchers should thrive.
Of course, this all requires the offensive line to do a better job in pass pro against Arkansas than it did in the first two games.
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