Notre Dame (3-0) will leave the State of Indiana for the first time this season to take on the Syracuse Orange at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The Irish took advantage of a break in the schedule last week to retool its offensive line, but a significant number of injured or suspended players are still not available for this contest. Brian Kelly’s team has climbed to the eighth spot in the national rankings behind the stellar play of quarterback Everett Golson and a surprising defensive performance lead by linebacker Jaylon Smith. The game will be nationally televised on ABC starting at 8:00 PM Eastern.

Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer is a long time defensive assistant at various stops including Michigan and Stanford before landing at Syracuse in 2009. He was elevated to the top spot in 2013. Shafer was 7-6 last year and is 2-1 this season after a 34-20 home loss to Maryland last week. His team is nearly at full strength, but is missing a key component in H-Back Ashton Broyld, the team’s best pass receiver.

Golson will operate without Amir Carlisle (knee) at the slot receiver position, which means that C.J. Prosise will see more extensive action. Also, the long awaited debut of highly recruited wide wideout Torii Hunter, Jr. should take place on Saturday. The sophomore sat out last year with a broken leg and is just now ready to play after a groin injury suffered during training camp in August. On the defensive side, safety Austin Collinsworth will return to action for the first time this season and end Andrew Trumbetti should be available after sitting out the Purdue game.

The most significant changes for Notre Dame are along the offensive front, where four of the five positions have been altered from the configuration used in the first three games. Only left tackle Ronnie Stanley remains in his original spot, while right tackle Steve Elmer and right guard Christian Lombard have swapped places. Center Nick Martin moves over to left guard, and Matt Hegarty slides in to make the snaps. Reserves Conor Hanratty (guard) and Mike McGlinchey (tackle) are the primary alternates and will rotate into the first team lineup.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. SYRACUSE’S DEFENSE

The Irish want to rejuvenate the running game after two consecutive disappointing performances. In the opener against Rice, a strong rushing attack fueled successful play action passes that buried the Owls. Four weeks later, the coaches have determined that the line needs to make a stronger push up front. Missed or unsustained blocks limited Notre Dame to fewer than three yards per attempt against two relatively mediocre Big-10 opponents.

Syracuse has several quality players among its front seven. Senior ends Robert Welsh and Micah Robinson are solid veterans and fellow senior Eric Crume is difficult to block in the interior. Outside linebackers Dyshawn Davis and Cameron Lynch are seniors with above average speed and mobility. Lynch leads the team in tackles and sacks. The Orange have been bitten by untimely mistakes, penalties, and bad field position resulting from turnovers by the offense. Despite some unimpressive statistics, the defense has surrendered only 104 rushing yards per game and recorded 12 sacks.

Golson will be operating against a secondary that has not intercepted a pass this season, but there is some talent and experience within the group. Safety Durell Eskridge and cornerback Brandon Reddish are quality veterans, and are joined by players that have seen extensive action in the past in Darius Kelly and Julian Whigham. On passing downs, safety Ritchie Desir comes in to replace the middle linebacker.

Syracuse’s game plan will most likely be similar to Purdue, since there is quite a bit of similarity in the defensive personnel. They will strongly defend the run and try to limit Golson’s passes to the short zones. This approach is designed to make the Irish work for every point, shorten the game with fewer possessions and keep the Orange within striking distance on the scoreboard. Notre Dame’s receivers will put pressure on the Syracuse secondary, but they can’t be expected to carry the offense if the lack of a credible running threat produces too many third and long situations.

SYRACUSE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Syracuse attack is built around quarterback Terrel Hunt, a 6’3” 235 pound athlete who runs downhill behind a veteran line. Although an average passer at best, Hunt’s dual threat capability increases his effectiveness. Behind him is a pair of productive tailbacks, Prince-Tyson Gulley and Adonis Ameen-Moore. Gulley is the smaller and quicker of the two and a dangerous weapon, while Ameen-Moore is another 235 pound battering ram. This group provides the Orange with a formidable ground attack, but they lack complementary skill in the passing game.

Broyld’s injury leaves Jarrod West as the most talented and therefore the most likely target for Hunt. The rest of the group consists of Ben Lewis, Steve Ismael, Adrien Flemming and Brisly Estime, who will replace Broyld in the lineup. The Irish cornerbacks match up well with this group, which should allow Brian VanGorder to deploy more assets to stop the run.

Highly regarded left tackle Sean Hickey is the leader of a senior-dominated offensive front. This unit has paved the way for an impressive 265 rushing yards per game and over seven yards per carry by Hunt, Gulley and Ameen-Moore. They have also given up only one sack. The line is the strongest position in terms of talent and depth on the team, and Notre Dame’s smaller, faster 2014 defense will have its work cut out for it. VanGorder’s objective to hit the quarterback on every play is mandatory in this case. The Irish will have to win a physical battle in the trenches and wear down Hunt’s resolve to keep running at them.

In its loss to Maryland, the Orange dug themselves a hole with an interception return for a touchdown, a blocked punt that lead to a score, and a 90-yard pass that burned the secondary. If they can avoid similar blunders on Saturday, they have the ability to make this a close game.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame has an advantage here with Kyle Brindza and an improved return game. Brindza should give his team a field position advantage with soaring punts and touchbacks on his kickoffs. The Orange have been burned on punt returns to the tune of 23 yards per attempt. The Irish will have to find a new kickoff return man now that Carlisle will sit this one out. Greg Bryant is the most likely candidate.

Syracuse punter Riley Dixon averages a mere 39 yards per boot, and kicker Ryan Norton has converted only four of seven field goal tries and is being pushed for his job by Cole Murphy, who hit a 49-yarder last week. Estime handles the punt return chores for the Orange and has enjoyed some success, while Ervin Philips has delivered just fair results as the kickoff return man.

SUMMARY

The worst scenario for the Orange would be to get behind early by 14 points and have to make uncomfortable adjustments on both sides of the ball. A fast start by Notre Dame would undercut the obvious strengths of the Syracuse offense and increase the likelihood of costly turnovers. Conversely, if the Irish are sluggish out of the gate and fail to establish a physical advantage, the outcome could be in doubt well into the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame’s skill and speed will challenge the Orange to keep containment on the edges and deep downfield. They must be strong at the point of attack to bring all of these weapons to bear, or the throwing lanes for Golson will shrink and their athletic advantage will be diminished. A good barometer will be rushing yards per carry in the early going. Three yards won’t cut it, while five or more will indicate the week of rest and personnel changes in the line are having the desired effect.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Can Notre Dame run well enough to take pressure off Golson?

Will the Irish start fast or appear sluggish following a two week layoff?

Can the Orange secondary keep the Irish receivers from getting open in the deep zones?

Will the Irish special teams win the field position battle?

Which team will commit the fewest major penalties and turnovers?

Will a Syracuse wide receiver emerge as a difference maker?

Does anyone feel sorry for Michigan?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame’s depleted depth has got to take a toll on the team sooner or later, but that bill may not come due for another week. Syracuse will provide a good test and could surprise if they play inspired, mistake-free football as Purdue did before fading in the second half. The senior-dominated Orange have enough quality players on both sides of the ball to stick around for a long while, but the Irish have a more diverse attack and few more playmakers who will spell the difference in the end.

NOTRE DAME 30 SYRACUSE 21