Notre Dame vs. Miami Matchups: It’s All or Nothing for the Irish
Notre Dame gets its shot at top-ranked Miami, with CJ Carr, the Irish secondary, and third-down defense all under the spotlight.
The bye week leading into last weekend’s matchup against Navy seemed to be exactly what Notre Dame needed, as the Irish defeated the Midshipmen, 35-13. Navy was limited to 212 rushing yards, which was 95 yards below its season rushing average per game.
This week, Notre Dame can only hope for similar results with the top-ranked Hurricanes coming to town. Miami is currently listed as No. 1 in the AP Poll. This weekend’s showdown will mark just the 10th time in Notre Dame history that the Irish will face an AP No. 1 team inside Notre Dame Stadium.
The stakes got sharper Tuesday night when the committee’s first College Football Playoff rankings slotted Notre Dame at No. 11, barely inside the top-12 line the Irish need to clear for a guaranteed bid.
Can the Irish Take Advantage Through the Air?
Miami Pass Defense vs. Notre Dame Passing Offense
Miami’s defense has made a name for itself in stopping the run, but the same cannot be said when it comes to defending the pass. The Hurricanes are currently ranked 81st in pass efficiency defense at 134.69. To make matters worse, Miami is 122nd in passing yards allowed at 251.9 YPG.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr finished with a surprising 10 incompletions versus Navy, which dropped him three spots to 19th in passing efficiency with a rating of 162.48. Carr is also 35th in completion percentage at .667 and 45th in yards per completion, averaging 12.49 yards per catch. There should be ample opportunity for Carr to improve his numbers on Saturday night. Edge: Notre Dame
Miami’s Passing Game Poses the Biggest Problem
Miami Passing Offense vs. Notre Dame Passing Defense
The Hurricanes are a well-rounded team, but Miami’s engine is clearly positioned behind center. Quarterback Darian Mensah is arguably the nation’s best quarterback, and the numbers certainly support it, as he is currently best in the country with a passing efficiency of 202.66. Miami’s passing offense is 4th in the nation, averaging 332.4 yards per game. Of Miami’s 2,425 passing yards, 1,027 and 13 touchdowns have gone to Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney.
The Hurricanes’ vaunted passing attack will be facing a Notre Dame defense that is ranked 6th in passing yards allowed, giving up 150.9 yards per game, but that number is skewed, as it includes two games against option offenses. In Week 2, Rice threw for only 64 yards, and Navy followed that up with 33 passing yards last week.
The Irish are also 32nd in team passing efficiency defense at 118.96. The Irish secondary will be led by Leonard Moore. The All-American defensive back suffered a concussion during Week 5 at North Carolina and hasn’t looked the same since, so much so that he served as a reserve last week against Navy. His health will be vital in this matchup. Another big key to slowing Miami’s passing offense will be the ability to generate sacks, and that is an area where the Irish are poor, as they are 82nd in the country with 15. Edge: Miami
The Ground Game Leans Toward the Hurricanes
Miami Rushing Defense vs. Notre Dame Rushing Offense
The Hurricanes will invade South Bend with the nation’s top-ranked defense when it comes to rushing yards, allowing just 60.8 yards per game. Miami has allowed 486 rushing yards on 206 carries (2.36 YPC) through eight games.
On the flip side of the ball, it is unclear which Notre Dame offense Miami will be facing because the Irish can be hot and cold at times when it comes to running the football. Notre Dame’s offense is currently ranked 38th in rushing offense, averaging 186 yards per game (5.13 YPC). The potential in the running back room is high, but the commitment from the coaches is not. Edge: Miami
How the Common Opponents Stack Up
Common Opponents: Stanford and North Carolina
Miami traveled to Stanford during Week 1 and demolished the Cardinal, 45-6. The Hurricanes outgained Stanford 549 to 299 in total offense. In contrast, Notre Dame welcomed Stanford to South Bend during Week 6 and beat them to the tune of 58-7. The Irish offense tallied 598 yards of total offense while the defense allowed just 202 yards.
The Hurricanes found themselves in a shootout last week at Chapel Hill while narrowly escaping the Tar Heels, 38-35. Miami’s offense finished the game with 416 yards of total offense, which was only nine yards more than North Carolina. Meanwhile, Notre Dame caught North Carolina fresh off the Tar Heels’ bye week and still managed to defeat them by double digits, 37-26. CJ Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns. Edge: Notre Dame
Third Down Could Decide the Night
Miami 3rd Down Conversion PCT vs. Notre Dame 3rd Down Conversion PCT Defense
Miami has been fantastic at converting 3rd downs all season long. The Hurricanes are currently 2nd in the nation, converting .545 of their 3rd down attempts. They’ve converted 48 of 88 tries.
The same cannot be said for Notre Dame’s defense on third down. The Irish find themselves in 70th place in this category, allowing offenses to convert .384 of their attempts. Notre Dame has allowed 38 of 99 attempts. Edge: Miami
Daniel Mingea III (pronounced Ming-E as the name gets butchered a lot) began following Notre Dame football in 1993 at the age of 13. He later served as a sports writer for The Vermilion newspaper while at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and parlayed that into a recruiting analyst role for LSU football with Tiger Rag magazine and TigerSportsDigest. Shortly after graduation, he put down the pen and the pad for a gun and a badge to become a probation officer in New Orleans. Three major surgeries set Mingea back forcing him to step away from the field of law enforcement. Now he is focused on getting back to a few of his passions, Notre Dame football and writing.
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