Notre Dame returns home after a successful two week road trip and will battle Miami of Ohio on Saturday evening. The Redhawks last visited South Bend in 1909, when the Fighting Irish won by 46-0 (and tickets were a lot cheaper). This week’s game is only the second meeting between these schools. Former Notre Dame assistant (2010-11) and offensive coordinator (2012-2013) Chuck Martin leads the Redhawks, who are 2-2 on the season. The game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN, DirecTV channel 220) beginning at 5:00 PM Eastern time.

Martin took over Miami’s proud program in December 2013 with a mandate to rebuild after the team had just endured an 0-12 season. The Redhawks went 2-10 and 3-9 in Martin’s first two campaigns, but rose to 6-6 last year after an 0-6 start. The nascent turnaround coincides with the emergence of Gus Ragland at the quarterback position. Ragland suffered an ACL injury in the spring of 2016, but returned to the lineup last October to lead Miami to six straight wins.

The Redhawks should be 3-1 in 2017, but a series of late game calamities against Cincinnati two weeks ago dealt them a heartbreaking defeat. Martin took responsibility for a miscommunication with the officials resulting in a costly penalty and ultimately the winning score for the Bearcats. It should be noted that Martin has only 12 seniors among the 124 scholarship players and walk-ons at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is riding high after swamping Boston College and Michigan State, and should be able to use this matchup as a means to fine tune the offense and get the reserves in for some meaningful action. Running back Josh Adams has a sore ankle and may have a limited workload, more as a precaution than anything else. Otherwise, the Irish are in good shape. For Miami, center Danny Godlevske is lost for the season while safety Tony Reid has to sit out the first half following an ejection for targeting last week.

Speaking of targeting, Coach Brian Kelly went to bat for quarterback Brandon Wimbush in his press conference following the MSU game. Wimbush was the victim of a blatant spear by Spartan linebacker Chris Frey, but no foul was called by the ACC officials on the field or the Big-10 crew in the replay booth. Kelly correctly took them to task, calling the hit “egregious” and the lack of a call “extremely frustrating.” No word yet as to whether either crew was disciplined.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. MIAMI’S DEFENSE

Irish fans breathed a sigh of relief last week after Wimbush turned in an efficient, error-free passing performance. Although he won’t need to air it out this week, continued improvement in the timing and accuracy between Wimbush and his receivers would be most welcome. The Redhawk defense has been solid against non-Power Five competition, and its most statistically significant accomplishment is the six interceptions recorded to date by six different players.

Miami’s leaders in a veteran secondary are cornerback Heath Harding and Reid at safety. Matt Merimee, who filled in admirably after Reid’s premature departure last week, will start in that spot. The front four is on the young side but stout in the middle. Senior tackle Ikeem Allen is the best of the group while 5’11” 335-pound nose tackle Nate Trawick may be wider than he is tall. The Redhawks defend the run quite well, allowing only 3.5 yards per carry, however they have recorded just three sacks.

Three quality linebackers complete a defense that has no glaring weaknesses. Sam Connolly filled in for the injured Junior McMullen in the middle last week and will start again on Saturday. He is flanked by the team’s leading tacklers, Brad Koenig and De’Andre Montgomery. The threat of a sack or tackle for loss is likely to come from this pair.

The Redhawks are particularly proud of their red zone defense, which ranks fifth nationally. Something has to give as the Irish have dominated opponents in this area with 17 touchdowns and two field goals in their 19 trips. Notre Dame’s objective will be to establish the run and let Miami know they are no longer playing a MAC team. This may take a series or two, but then again maybe it won’t.

MIAMI’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Ragland has lifted the Redhawk offense from the depths, although he has completed only 52% of his passes this year. He can run the ball effectively when necessary, but he’s not going to beat you with his legs. Wide receiver James Gardner, a 6’4” junior, is the top threat, while tight ends Ryan Smith and Nate Becker are quality targets. The rushing duties are split almost equally between Alonzo Smith and the diminutive Kenny Young, who is very elusive and the better pass receiver.

The running game has accounted for 132 yards per game and 3.2 per attempt, so Martin’s influence hasn’t paid dividends yet. Miami’s offensive line lacks a senior starter. Right guard Jarrett LaRubbio may be the best player in the unit, but it’s still a work in progress. The Redhawks have surrendered eleven sacks to date. A Notre Dame player to keep an eye on in addition to top pass rusher Daelin Hayes is sophomore Julian Okwara, who has showed considerable promise early in his career.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame’s kicker Justin Yoon has found his groove now and should be even more comfortable at home. Punt and kick coverage has been consistently good, while the area that needs work is the return game. The lanes have not materialized for C.J. Sanders and Chris Finke, which makes one wonder how much practice time is allocated to these elements.

Miami’s own return specialist, Maurice Thomas, has been lost for the season. The 5’7” 175 pound Young will now bring back kickoffs and wide receiver Jared Murphy will field punts. Place kicker Sam Sloman has hit five of six field goals with a long of 42 yards. Punter Kyle Kramer has averaged just under 43 yards and opponents have zero return yards to date.

SUMMARY

There really isn’t much suspense here, as the Redhawks will earn a nice payday and hope their defense can keep the score respectable. The reason to tune in is to see if Notre Dame will continue to progress or take a step backward with unforced errors and poor execution. The team has been fun to watch so far this season, and the positive energy they’ve displayed is both refreshing and genuine.

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

Can the Irish pass rushers make life miserable for Ragland?

How long will it take Notre Dame to get its running game up to full speed?

Can Wimbush back up his performance against MSU with another solid outing?

Will the Redhawks be able to hold off the Irish in the red zone?

Can Notre Dame generate some magic on special teams?

How much red will we see in the stadium this time?

Will Miami come to South Bend every time the Cubs win the World Series?

Think about it.

PREDICTION

The Irish should be able to name the score, but I don’t believe Kelly will run it up against Martin.

NOTRE DAME 42 MIAMI 10