Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Stanford in Week 5
By Jacob Wilson
After a brilliant 2018 starting debut from quarterback Ian Book, here are three bold predictions for Notre Dame football as they take on Stanford in Week 5.
Quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s time with the Irish started off great, but it quickly became apparent that a one dimensional signal caller such as Wimbush wouldn’t be able to take Notre Dame where it wanted to go. Nevertheless, it was Wimbush who drew the first three starts of the 2018 season.
Much like head coach Brian Kelly’s decision in last season’s bowl game victory over LSU, there was a realization that the Irish’s chances to win drop drastically when Wimbush isn’t contributing in the run game. For teams with the defensive capabilities to act on this, forcing Wimbush to play pocket-passer is a decision that often pays dividends.
However, the presence of Ian Book allows offensive coordinator Chip Long to open up a playbook similar to the one he used with Riley Ferguson in Memphis. Notre Dame looked like a new team last week against Wake Forest, but Book’s consistency will be tested against the Cardinal. Here are three bold predictions for the Irish as they host Stanford for the 21st time in as many seasons.
3. The Irish defense records five sacks
They say statistics never lie. However, they can be very, very misleading. In the case of the upcoming battle up front, Stanford’s five allowed sacks don’t paint a very accurate picture of how the offensive line has performed. As of Week 5, the Cardinal offensive line hasn’t been particularly tested, facing off against the likes of San Diego State, USC, UC Davis, and Oregon.
Notre Dame’s defensive line has been much more effective this season than in years past, putting an exceptional amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, the Irish don’t have much to show for it on the box score, as they average only two sacks per game. Expect the Irish defense to convert some of those hurries into sacks against K.J. Costello and the Cardinal offense.
Notre Dame’s success this season can be attributed to both experience and youth along the defensive front. For one, Notre Dame brings back three of four starters along the defensive line. However, it wasn’t always that way as the returns of Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner were anything but certain. The Irish also bring back junior defensive lineman Daelin Hayes.
In terms of youth, defensive coordinator Clark Lea has introduced defensive ends Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara to the starting lineup. Okwara currently splits time with Hayes, but has been named the starter over the course of the last three games. The plethora of talent has allowed the Irish to employ a rotation of sorts along the line, keeping the unit fresh in critical situations.