Notre Dame opens its 2015 season on Saturday night by hosting the Texas Longhorns. The Irish carry high expectations into this campaign, and Coach Brian Kelly has called this year’s edition of the blue and gold his deepest and most talented team. Meanwhile, the Longhorns are coming off a humbling 6-7 year and are still in the midst of a rebuilding process as coach Charlie Strong enters his second autumn in Austin. The game will be nationally televised on NBC beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern time.

Success at Texas will depend largely on the degree of improvement made by quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who was thrust into action last season and turned in what can generously be described as an inconsistent performance. A gifted athlete at 6’4” 244, Swoopes showed flashes of his potential in wins during November but ended the season poorly in embarrassing losses to TCU and Arkansas. He managed to retain the starting job over Jerrod Heard, who won consecutive 5A high school state championships at Denton. According to Strong, Heard will see some action against Notre Dame.

Strong, a defensive specialist, must also replace several graduating starters on that side of the ball, but an extraordinary freshman class led by heralded middle linebacker Malik Jefferson will help. Another area where true freshman have surprisingly passed incumbents on the depth chart is the offensive line, where Connor Williams won the critical left tackle position and Patrick Vahe will start at right guard.

Kelly’s freshmen have acquitted themselves well in fall camp, and a few are poised to provide quality depth and compete for meaningful playing time. With nineteen returning starters in the lineup, there is very little room for newcomers to make an instant impact. One exception to that rule is defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, who has risen from a backup to essentially a co-starter with sophomore Daniel Cage. This is due to a knee injury that has sidelined senior Jarron Jones for the year. How well Tillery holds up in this game and throughout the season will weigh heavily on the team’s fortunes.

Other roster related activities since spring ball are the post graduate transfer of quarterback Everett Golson to Florida State, the suspension of running back Greg Bryant and his subsequent decision to leave Notre Dame, a season-ending injury to promising freshman cornerback Shaun Crawford, and the NCAA’s denial of defensive end Ishaq Williams’ appeal for reinstatement of eligibility.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. TEXAS’ DEFENSE

Most Irish eyes will be focused on Malik Zaire, who led the team to victory over LSU in the Music City Bowl in December, and then battled Golson to a draw in the spring. Zaire has had good days throwing the ball and not-so-good ones during fall camp, but his running ability may be the best among Notre Dame quarterbacks since Jarious Jackson. Kelly has assembled an impressive supporting cast to support Zaire, including a formidable offensive line featuring All-American left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Nick Martin. Will Fuller returns at wide receiver to add to the 14 touchdowns he recorded last year. He is joined by familiar faces in Chris Brown, Amir Carlisle, Corey Robinson and Torii Hunter, Jr., who looks to be ready for a breakout season. Newcomers Equanimeous St. Brown, C.J. Sanders and Miles Boykin are fighting their way into the rotation.

The solution at tight end may ultimately be uber-talented freshman Alize Jones, whose speed, hands and athleticism are potentially a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders. Thick bodied Tyler Luatua and Chase Hounshell are primarily in-line blockers rather than receivers, and the versatile Durham Smythe will probably be the most targeted player until Jones develops more fully at this level.

Despite all this attractive weaponry, steady tailback Tarean Folston will likely be the workhorse in this offense. When Folston needs a breather, veteran C.J. Prosise will be ready to display his impressive combination of size and speed since moving into the backfield from slot receiver. The only question regarding Prosise is his ability to run effectively between the tackles.

Texas will challenge the Irish with a number of capable defensive linemen despite losing multiple starters from last year’s team. The Horns are stout in the middle with a rotation of Tank Jackson, Poona Ford, Hassan Ridgeway and Paul Boyette. If they can keep Notre Dame’s blockers from neutralizing Jefferson, the young middle linebacker could have a stellar debut.

The rest of the back seven is relatively light in size and experience. The loss of two top linebackers from last season leaves a gap of more than 280 tackles that will be difficult to replace. Senior Duke Thomas anchors the secondary, and is surrounded by talented underclassmen including fellow cornerback John Bonney and safety Dylan Haines.

“It’s been a long time that we’re this young on defense,” Defensive Coordinator Vance Bedford said recently. “We’re looking for leaders right now. This camp is going to be about finding some leaders, finding starters (and) finding the right fit for all of our young players.”

The Irish would do well to run the ball at the edges of this defense behind Stanley and massive right tackle Mike McGlinchey, while giving Zaire an opportunity to become comfortable throwing the ball beyond the line of scrimmage and also establishing Fuller as a deep threat.

TEXAS’ OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Strong will rely on a pair of seniors, center Taylor Doyle and guard Sedrick Flowers, to steady his first time starters up front. Swoopes will lead a new fast paced spread offense that the Longhorns hope will maximize his strengths and physical abilities. After being harshly criticized by the Texas fan base last year and finishing last among Big-12 starters in passing efficiency, Swoopes has focused on regaining the confidence of his teammates in 2015. In naming him the starter over Heard, Strong stated that Swoopes had won over the locker room. It remains to be seen how many opponents he can win over this season, but the level of patience in Austin can plummet very quickly.

Texas lost its top two receivers from 2014, so Marcus Johnson (27 receptions) becomes the go-to target. Swift senior Armanti Foreman will line up in the slot, but the player to watch may be freshman John Burt, whom the Longhorn staff believes is an emerging star. Running back Johnathan Gray, who played well last season while splitting time with the departed Malcolm Brown, returns to start this season. The ranks appear to be thin behind him.

Aside from the uncertainty with regard to how much Swoopes has actually improved and how well he will perform in this game, a key to the game is whether the revamped Texas line can establish the running game against a Notre Dame defensive front with nearly as many question marks. A strong start by the Longhorns could translate into a contest that remains uncomfortably close well into the second half.

The Irish are well-positioned along the defensive back seven, with Jaylon Smith operating at linebacker, Joe Schmidt’s recovery from a broken ankle last October and KeiVarae Russell’s return to active duty after a year away. Safety play will be watched closely as Max Redfield has been getting positive reviews for his emergence as a leader, and others such as Elijah Shumate, Matthias Farley and graduate student Sebastian Avery are set to see action. If the front four under the tutelage of new defensive line coach Keith Gilmore can generate a pass rush in front of them, this group should be able to create turnovers. Expect the Irish to attack the Longhorn freshmen offensive linemen with stunts and overloads in pass protection.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Freshman kicker Justin Yoon is another young player that has been accumulating positive reviews in fall camp, which is good news because he is being counted upon in this role. Punter Tyler Newsome has also impressed, but any performance reviews for this pair must wait until live action under pressure. In the return game, the Irish have excellent speed with Fuller and Sanders on punts and Carlisle and Prosise on kickoffs. The question is whether anyone will block for them this season.

The Longhorns have their own special teams issues, coming off a season in which they were ranked among the worst in the nation. Strong did not have a dedicated special-teams coach in 2014, opting instead to spread these responsibilities among his staff and work it by committee, with predictable results. This season, Jeff Traylor was brought in to coach these units while Strong has vowed to take a hands-on approach. Despite these changes, Kicker Nick Rose has not been very consistent in his career, and the competition at punter was won by yet another freshman, Michael Dickson. Daje Johnson, a fleet-footed wide receiver, is the primary return man.

SUMMARY

There will be a spotlight on the quarterbacks as each team’s fortunes depend heavily on their ability to display leadership and protect the football. Zaire and Swoopes are known more as running threats than as accomplished passers, but each offense will require efficiency in both elements to be successful. The Irish have a more experienced and robust supporting cast around Zaire, which tilts the scale in their favor.

While Notre Dame’s offense is the main reason this team is highly ranked in preseason polls, it is the defense that will determine if the Irish can be true contenders. Players have talked about feeling more comfortable in Brian Van Gorder’s scheme in its second year of operation, but the loss of Jones in the middle raises questions that can’t fully be answered in the first week of play.

Here are a few questions that will weigh into the outcome:

Which quarterback will have the time, poise and accuracy to be effective in the passing game?

Can the Irish generate a respectable pass rush with only four linemen?

Which elite linebacker, Malik Jefferson of Texas or Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith, will stand out?

Whose special teams will create a game-changing play or have a significant positive impact?

Will Notre Dame be able to stop the run without Jarron Jones in the middle?

Which team will commit fewer mental mistakes, penalties and turnovers on opening night?

Will the Irish safeties demonstrate the level of improvement that is sorely needed?

Have I had too many margaritas or are the Cubs still in the pennant race?

PREDICTION

The physical talent of Texas and Strong’s defensive coaching prowess will keep the Longhorns in the game for a time, but Notre Dame’s power, versatility and balance will create more scoring chances than Swoopes and company. Zaire may sputter a bit at times and leave a few points on the field, but his teammates will pick him up. Texas and Swoopes will continue to improve as the season progresses, but the pulling off an upset against the Irish is a bridge too far right now.

NOTRE DAME 27 TEXAS 17