Notre Dame Football: 5 bold predictions for October 2019
By Jacob Wilson
2. Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem combine for 12 sacks
Considered to be perhaps the greatest strength on this roster heading into the 2019 season, the defensive end grouping for Notre Dame looked like a sure bet to be among the nation’s elite. However, the game-script over the course of the Irish’s first two wins didn’t exactly provide ample opportunity for an assortment of sacks.
To make matters worse, neither Notre Dame nor Georgia was able to record a sack over the course of their heavyweight matchup in Athens. This was incredibly frustrating for a Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem pass-rushing duo that entered the season as one of the greatest combinations in all of college football.
Fast forward one week and it was beginning to look as if the Irish pass-rush was in for yet another disappointing performance against Virginia. However, it didn’t take long for the defensive line to realize their potential and generate continuous pressure against a shaky Virginia offensive line.
Okwara and Kareem combined for 5.5 sacks in that game, an outing that could be the spark for a duo that has the potential to do significant damage in this week and beyond. First up is a Bowling Green team that is bound to be outmatched, but there’s also potential for big games out of this duo against the likes of USC and Michigan. If all goes well, 12 sacks may very well be on the table.