Notre Dame (3-0) will face Wisconsin (1-1) on Saturday in a Shamrock Series matchup set for Soldier Field in Chicago. This is the first time these schools will play since 1964. The Badgers are the home team in this engagement, while the Fighting Irish will play host in 2026 when the teams battle again at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The latter matchup was originally scheduled to occur last year but was canceled due to COVID restrictions. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on the Fox Network beginning at noon Eastern Time, or 11:00 am in the Windy City.

Paul Chryst is in his seventh season in Madison. His 57-20 record includes a 5-1 mark in postseason games. He was 1-1 against Brian Kelly while at Pittsburgh prior to moving to Wisconsin. This year’s edition of the Badgers is a typical Chryst team. They are a well-coached, run-oriented, physical group with a strong defense. Wisconsin has eight returning 2020 starters on each side of the ball, including sophomore quarterback Graham Mertz.

Irish starter Jack Coan led the Badgers to a Rose Bowl berth in the 2019 season. He suffered a broken foot in preseason last year and missed several games. When he was ready to return last December, Chryst had committed to then-freshman Mertz as his quarterback. Coan then joined Notre Dame as a graduate transfer in January.

On the injury front, star inside linebacker Leo Chenal missed the first two games of the season under COVID protocols. He returns to the lineup this week. Starting cornerback Faion Hicks and strong safety Collin Wilder did not play against Eastern Michigan two weeks ago and are listed as “questionable” for Notre Dame.

Left tackle Blake Fisher (knee) and linebacker Marist Liufau (broken ankle) remain sidelined for the Irish. Fisher’s replacement, Michael Carmody (ankle sprain), may see action this week in support of last week’s starter Tosh Baker. Freshman linebacker Prince Kollie will be available this week to spell starter JD Bertrand, while running back C’Bo Flemister remains out. Late word is that nose tackle Kurt Hinish is questionable for the game. Kelly was noncommittal when asked about his status on Thursday. Also, freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner is healthy and ready for spot duty after leaving the Purdue game early with hamstring tightness.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. WISCONSIN’S DEFENSE

Highly regarded Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard runs a 3-4 scheme as his base defense. Senior end Matt Henningsen anchors a relatively young but NFL-sized front that includes junior nose tackle Keeanu Benton and junior end Isaiah Mullens.

Linebacker Jack Sanborn is back after leading the Badgers in tackles in each of the previous two seasons. He is joined on the inside by Chenal. Sixth year player Noah Burk and sophomore phenom Nick Herbig are the outside backers. Herbig was a high school teammate of Notre Dame’s Jordan Botelho in Hawaii, where their team won multiple state championships. This set of Badger linebackers is the best Notre Dame will see this year.

Wisconsin has surrendered just 66 combined rushing yards in two games, so Notre Dame’s offense will face a tall task to remain balanced. The Badger secondary starts four seniors provided Hicks and Wilder are healthy, but this is a relatively small unit and the weak link in Leonhard’s overall defense. Free safety Scott Nelson is the best player in this group and the team’s leading tackler to date in 2021.

The question is whether the Irish line can give Coan sufficient time to find an open target, and if those receivers can break free from physical press coverage. Kevin Austin had great difficulty with Purdue’s aggressive jamming last week. He and others such as Braden Lenzy will be tested in this fashion again on Saturday. Play-action passes would help Tom Rees and Notre Dame, but the Irish must first prove they can run the ball to establish this threat.

WISCONSIN’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Chryst is a hands-on coach when it comes to running the offense. He calls the plays and coaches the quarterbacks. His base offense is a two-back set with fullback Jon Chenal leading the way for an enviable collection of talented tailbacks. Chez Mellusi, transfer from Clemson, has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the first two games. He rarely goes down at first contact. Backup Jalen Berger led the team in rushing last year. Speedster Isaac Guerendo has an 82-yard touchdown run this season. Finally, Freshman Braelon Allen has been productive when given the opportunity.

Senior tackles Tyler Beach and Logan Bruss lead a typically powerful Badger offensive line. Sophomore center Joe Tippmann can squat 615 pounds and bench 430. He checks in at 6’6” and 320 pounds. All this adds up to a ground game that runs straight downhill. The Badgers have controlled the ball for 41 minutes per game.

Senior TE Jake Ferguson is joined by veteran wide receivers in starters Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor. Jack Dunn, a scrappy 5’7” all-purpose player, is also in the mix. The group gives Mertz a wealth of experienced and talented options. Davis and Ferguson are the primary beneficiaries, but an overwhelming majority of Mertz’ passes are quick and short. None of these targets can be considered a legitimate deep threat.

As strong as Wisconsin seems, they are not without weaknesses. Mertz is hardly a prolific passer. His interceptions cost the Badgers a win against Penn State in a game they otherwise dominated. The team has converted only 36% of third downs and Mertz has yet to throw a touchdown pass. The line is not as good in pass protection as they are in support of the run, and Mertz is nearly immobile in the pocket.

Notre Dame recipe for victory is to slow down the Badger ground attack and force Mertz into uncomfortable passing situations. The Irish linemen must be stout to slow Mellusi. Linebackers Drew White, Bo Bauer, Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand cannot afford to miss tackles. Even if the front seven plays well, they will need help. Look for Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman to deploy free safety Kyle Hamilton closer than usual to the line of scrimmage on first and second down. It’s a gamble that assumes Mertz and his receivers won’t be able to burn them.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame rediscovered the punt return last week. Kyren Williams provided a spark and appears to have won the job on a permanent basis. Badger punter Andy Vujnovich launches booming punts that travel 49 yards on average but are usually returnable.

Collin Larsh has connected on three of four field goal attempts for Wisconsin. His lone miss was the result of a block. Jonathan Doerer has made five of seven field goals for the Irish, with misses from 48 and 55 yards. Punter Jay Bramblett has averaged a respectable 42.6 yards per attempt.

Neither team has much to show in the kickoff return category. Dean Engram and Dunn have recorded a few modest punt returns to date for the Badgers.

SUMMARY

It’s early in the year for team statistics, but Wisconsin is first in the country in time of possession, second in rushing yards and first in total defense. It’s clear their strategy will be to control the ball on offense and rely on Leonhard’s defense to force the Irish into untenable third and long situations. The big, powerful Badger front will occupy the Irish offensive line, thus opening gaps for well-timed blitzes that Leonhard orchestrates to perfection.

The Irish have the overall speed and playmakers to come away with a victory even in the absence of a strong running game. The receivers must get better separation from their defenders and come down with the ball. They have been very inconsistent in this regard to date. The other side of the equation is Coan’s accuracy, particularly under pressure. Playing against his old team will be an obvious incentive. Will he remain calm and deliver the ball on target? We’ll see.

Coach Kelly summed up the task at hand quite well earlier this week. ““Well I know, certainly the offense that we have, we feel like we’ve got some big-play guys that can make plays now. Did they make them on Saturday (vs. Purdue)? No. They didn’t make them to the level they’re capable of, but you’re going to have those things happen. We still were able to overcome it and make big plays in some other positions. But yeah, part of this game (Wisconsin) is that we’re going to have to make some big plays. There’s no doubt about it. So that, and get off the field against a team that wants to control the ball.”

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

Will the Irish be able to run for 100 yards?

Can the Badgers’ offense stay in its comfort zone by running the ball successfully?

Will Buchner have a positive impact on the Irish offense?

Which team will be able to score touchdowns once inside the red zone?

Can Notre Dame contain the Badger defensive front and pick up blitzing linebackers?

Will Mertz be able to complete passes downfield?

Can Austin, Lenzy and Michael Mayer take advantage of the Badger secondary?

Will Rees call any screen passes to neutralize Wisconsin’s defensive aggression?

Which team will do the best imitation of the Bears?

PREDICTION

This game shapes up as a classic battle of power against finesse. Wisconsin will probably have the upper hand in the first half. It may take the Irish a while to contain the Badger running game and adjust their pass blocking scheme to pick up Leonhard’s blitzes. If Notre Dame can weather the storm and stay close in the first two quarters, they should be able to make a few plays in the passing game in crunch time to pull out a close one. This means the talented Irish wide receivers must finally play to their potential.

NOTRE DAME 20  WISCONSIN 17