Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Michigan in Week 9

3. The Irish must play their game regardless of location

The Irish have played only two games on the road this season, their first ending as a 35-17 win over Louisville and their second resulting in a six point loss to the Bulldogs. A hostile Louisville environment seemed to have shaken the Irish early, and it was hard to tell whether it was the crowd or just overall offensive inefficiency in the Irish’s loss to Georgia.

Either way, the Irish may not be able to afford a poor start or a slew of pre-snap penalties that often come along with playing in hostile environments. Again, this is a Michigan team hungry for a quality win and the Irish provide them with yet another opportunity to pull one off.

What has helped the Irish thus far and what could help them against Michigan has been a stout and relentless defense that has shown a disregard for their environment. The Irish, who are currently 15th in the nation in opponent points per game, have been a staple of this team’s success despite a sometimes inconsistent offense.

While the offense will need to step things up against the Wolverines, defensive coordinator Clark Lea’s unit has been quite impressive and has the potential to keep the team afloat even if the offense sputters early. Nevertheless, the Irish would prefer to have their offense running at full strength, and that starts with keeping the opposing crowd out of your head.