Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Irish will avoid hangover vs. Ball State

1. The Irish special teams unit is just too good

One of the keys to pulling off an upset is finding a way to outplay your opponents just enough in every facet of the game. Oftentimes this includes finding free points in special teams, whether that be a blocked kick, a kickoff return for a touchdown, or even recovering an opponent’s mishandled punt return.

However, anything of that nature will be difficult against an Irish special teams unit coming off an uncharacteristically poor outing against the Wolverines. Special teams coordinator Brian Polian typically has his team in tip-top shape, often taking a conservative approach to avoid beating themselves.

Kicker Justin Yoon has been extremely consistent within 40 yards, punter and team captain Tyler Newsome is usually good for a few booming punts, and punt returner Chris Finke is about as sure-handed as they come. The Cardinals are best off searching for alternative options when considering their best chances to take down the Irish in 2018.

Overall, I hate counting any game as a victory before it happens. While I’m certainly not doing that here, there are more concerning games lingering down the road that pose greater threats than this one.