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

1. The Irish defense will have to force turnovers

Everything that’s been mentioned up to this point pretty much lends to the fact that the Irish will have to do a little extra if they want to pull off a win on the road. Many see this game as a push, but a more common consensus has the Irish as one-point favorites.

Again, this is a tough defense that is sure to make life hard on offensive coordinator Chip Long and his group. The Notre Dame defense has been equally as impressive outside of an abnormally-schemed USC game, so the Irish offense certainly stands a chance at outscoring Michigan’s if the Notre Dame defense continues to hold its own.

One of the biggest advantages the Irish currently hold over the Wolverines lies in the turnover battle. Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson has thrown nine touchdowns to four interceptions while Book, despite some struggles, has been much more efficient with fourteen touchdowns to only two interceptions.

The strength of the Irish defense this season has been their ability to force turnovers, highlighted by their seventh-place standing in turnovers forced per game. Lea’s conservative defensive approach didn’t provide much opportunity for turnovers against USC, but he’s likely to turn the dogs loose against a turnover-prone Michigan offense.