Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Stanford in Week 5
By Jacob Wilson
2. The Irish hold Bryce Love to under 70 total yards
Stanford standout Bryce Love hasn’t been nearly as efficient as he was in last season’s Heisman bid, but the sample size is especially small considering his absence from the UC Davis matchup. However, the fact that Love has only broken the 100 total yard mark once up to this point is concerning. Given Love’s consistency last year, many attribute these struggles to the offensive line.
Looking deeper into his specific matchups this season, Love inexplicably mustered up only 29 rushing yards on 18 attempts against San Diego State. That can easily be considered an outlier considering his track record, and after all, things appeared to be on the mend for Love in the wake of his 136 yard effort in Stanford’s win over USC.
Love would put forth another respectable outing at Oregon, recording 89 rushing yards and a score. Nevertheless, this isn’t a pace Love would like to continue heading into this week’s matchup. However, Love may not have much of a choice considering the dominance of the Irish’s front seven.
Four weeks into the season, the Irish defense is currently allowing just under 370 total yards per game. While that number may not look all too impressive, it’s important to note that a sputtering offense has led to the Irish defense taking the field for an average of 82 plays a game, good for fifth in the nation. With the Irish allowing only 4.5 yards per carry, Love could be in for some tough sledding once more.