UM vs. Notre Dame: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Two iconic college football programs are set to meet at Hard Rock Stadium in a top 10 matchup on Saturday.
The No. 7 Miami Hurricanes (8-0, 6-0 ACC) host No. 3 Notre Dame (8-1) in a primetime game at 8 p.m., on ABC. The Canes trail the all-time series with the Fighting Irish, 18-7-1, but are on a five-game winning streak against Notre Dame when facing them in Miami. The Irish victory in Miami came in 1977 and the Hurricanes will look to extend that streak on Saturday.
A year ago, the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish met in South Bend, Ind., with Notre Dame escaping with a 30-27 victory. Miami trailed, 20-0, before charging back to take a 27-20 lead with 6:49 remaining in the game. Notre Dame tied the game less than a minute later and kicked the game-winning field goal with 30 seconds left in regulation, but the Hurricanes have not lost a game since their last meeting with the Fighting Irish.
Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Miami’s Defensive Line vs. Notre Dame’s Offensive Line
Stopping the run will be crucial to Miami’s success on Saturday and the Canes know it. The Hurricanes have a gifted starting front four of Chad Thomas, RJ McIntosh, Kendrick Norton and Joe Jackson. Miami also has depth on the defensive line in Trent Harris, Jonathan Garvin and DJ Johnson at end, as well as Anthony Moten and Pat Bethel at tackle, and it will be a group effort against one of the best offensive lines in the country.
Left tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Quenton Nelson lead an experienced offensive line that has helped the Fighting Irish rank fifth in FBS in rushing offense, averaging 324.8 yards per game. Notre Dam has rushed for over 300 yards in seven of nine games this season and has multiple rushing touchdowns in all eight of its victories in 2017.
“Their offensive line, it’s one of the best in America, I don’t think many people would argue that,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “Their left guard and left tackle could be the very first picks of the draft at their position. The center and right guard are seniors. The only sophomore is the right tackle, [Tommy] Kraemer. They’re very experienced and very, very talented. They’re paving the way. Over 300 yards per game rushing, and this isn’t just triple-option football. This is just line up and physically move people off the ball – kick-your-tail type offensive line.”
Miami’s defense leads FBS in tackles for loss (8.8), proving they can wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage. The Hurricanes rank 40th in FBS, allowing 3.9 yards per carry, but they have stepped up in key moments all season. A week ago, the Canes held Virginia Tech running back Travon McMillian to just 3.5 yards per carry and all Hokie running backs combined to average just 2.4 yards per carry.
Miami’s Offensive Line vs. Notre Dame’s Defensive Line
The Fighting Irish offensive line gets all the headlines, but Miami’s big men up front have helped the Canes move down field all year. The Hurricanes rank second in the ACC in total offense, averaging 461 yards per game. Miami’s offensive line has paved the way for four separate 100-yard rushing performances in 2017. They also have protected quarterback Malik Rosier, allowing just 1.88 sacks per game.
The Irish will look to get after Miami QB Malik Rosier, as well as limit running back Travis Homer, but the Hurricanes’ offensive line will not make it easy for Notre Dame up front. Notre Dame’s defense ranks 51st in FBS in tackles for loss (6.3) and is 47th in team sacks (2.22). 13.0 of Notre Dame’s 20.0 sacks have come by defensive linemen, but the Fighting Irish have just two total sacks over the previous two weeks.
“Very, very veteran group,”Richt said. “They play very physical. They’re sure tacklers. They don’t give up big plays. You’re going to have to earn it. We haven’t been very good at that. We haven’t been good at long drives. We’ve hit some shots here and there and made some big plays, and every so often we’ll have a drive that will last more than six or seven or eight plays, but we haven’t done a lot of that. Their goal is to keep you from getting the big run or the big pass and just see, can you execute down the field and get in the red zone and score touchdowns against them? Not many people have been able to do that. That’s our challenge.”
Miami’s Linebackers vs. Notre Dame RB Josh Adams
UM linebackers Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud made a name for themselves as freshmen starters a year ago and have elevated their game as sophomores. Quarterman is second on the team with 47 tackles (29 solo), while Pinckney is third with 43 tackles (21 solo). The trio has combined for 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks on the season, proving they can be difference makers behind the line of scrimmage and that s exactly what the Canes will need from the three gifted ‘backers as they face one of the top running backs in the country.
Josh Adams ranks third in FBS with 8.69 yards per carry and his nine rushing touchdowns are 28th in the country. Adams is ninth with 1,191 rushing yards this season (132.3 per game) and seven of the junior’s nine rushing touchdowns have been for 60+ yards this season, proving that he is a big-play threat every time he touches the football.
“The Adams kid is not a good player,” Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “He’s a great player. We’ll see a great player Saturday night. Much stronger than he was a year ago and you can see that in the way he finishes his runs – top-end speed, doesn’t get caught from behind and his stats show for it.”
Kickoff against the Fighting Irish is set for 8 p.m. from Hard Rock Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
