Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Georgia in Week 4

3. Limit Jake Fromm

One thing we’re sure of heading into this week’s matchup is that the Bulldogs would love nothing more than to establish the run early against the Irish. With limited experience and depth at defensive tackle, establishing the run may not be all too difficult of a task, especially considering the damage Louisville and New Mexico have done on the ground up to this point.

With that said, the Irish have been particularly successful in defending against the pass, an aspect of the defense that will be absolutely critical against a team with such a potent rushing attack. Up to this point in the 2019 season, the Irish have yet to allow a quarterback to pass for over 150 total yards.

This statistic comes as little surprise considering who the Irish have in the secondary. Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott have transitioned the safety position from a weakness to a strength. Freshman Kyle Hamilton looks like a star in the making. Troy Pride Jr. and Shaun Crawford are valuable veteran presences. The only real weakness is at the No. 2 corner spot.

However, perhaps the greatest strength of this defense lies in a pass-rushing unit led by seniors Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem. This duo has been limited so far due to the insane amount of runs called against the Irish defense, but there’s a good chance that they’ll get a chance to produce with Jake Fromm under center. These factors will be absolutely critical for the Irish in limiting Georgia’s high-powered offense.