Notre Dame hosts Marshall University in its home opener on Saturday afternoon in search of its first victory in the Marcus Freeman era. The Fighting Irish earned national respect last week in a tough road loss to Ohio State while identifying several areas where improvement is required. The Thundering Herd is coming off a lopsided win over Norfolk State but they will step up to the heavyweight class in South Bend. The game will be nationally televised by NBC starting at 2:30 PM Eastern time.

All eyes will be on the Irish offense this week. The performance of the offensive line left much to be desired in Columbus. The group missed numerous blocks and failed to handle blitzes and stunts by the Buckeyes. Quarterback Tyler Buchner played reasonably well despite being subjected to constant pressure. His recognition of coverages needs to be better, however, and his young receivers must learn how to get open. This process will be incremental over the next several weeks but Notre Dame fans are not known for their patience.

Defensively, the Irish front line was purported to be the strength of the unit. They played well for three quarters before running out of gas, although stars like Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola were seemingly missing in action. The linebackers were also disappointing. They struggled to get off blocks and made very few significant plays. Meanwhile, the secondary played well above expectations. Fans will not forget the now-infamous double safety blitz that backfired but the overall performance of the group was strong.

The Thundering Herd are coached by Charles Huff, who led the team to a 7-6 record during his first season in 2021. He has put together an offense that relies on the running game while bringing in transfer quarterback Henry Colombi to add a crisp, ball-control passing attack to the mix. Colombi has played at Utah State and Texas Tech but seems to have found a home at Marshall. He hit 24 of 26 passes in his debut.

Notre Dame came through its opener without any new injuries. Team captains Avery Davis and Jarrett Patterson remain sidelined, however, and their absence was felt in last week’s loss. While Davis is lost for the season, Patterson’s timeline to return has improved in the past couple of days. He may even be cleared to play in this week’s game, which would be a most welcome development. Previously injured wide receivers Joe Wilkins and Deion Colzie were not ready play last week. Wilkins will be available on Saturday but Colzie is doubtful.

Marshall opened the season without its leading rusher from 2021 in Rasheed Ali, who ran for over 1,400 yards, scored 24 touchdowns, and was the team’s second leading pass receiver. No reasons for Ali’s absence from the lineup have been provided by the school.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. MARSHALL’S DEFENSE

Coach Freeman and Offensive Coordinator Tom Rees are committed to establishing the run to set up opportunities in the passing game. They had some initial success last week before Ohio State shut down the ground attack. The staff then did not want to risk turnovers by throwing the ball downfield in a tight game. This strategy didn’t change once the Irish fell behind and the outcome was sealed.

Freeman addressed the status of the offense in his press conference this week. “The mindset maybe isn’t as much to just control the clock this week and limit the offensive possessions. We want to be aggressive on offense. I look forward to seeing what our offense does on Saturday. They’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to take some shots.”

He added, “Our identity starts with the run game and the ability to run the football. We will be aggressive on offense. I look forward to seeing what this offense does on Saturday.”

Fortunately, Marshall’s defense is not in the same stratosphere as Ohio State. Notre Dame should be able to run and Buchner will have a chance to establish a connection with his young receivers. He should also have time in the pocket to find his secondary targets. I would like to see more creativity in the running game, including misdirection, counters and power sweeps. One has to wonder if the interior linemen lack the skill and athleticism to execute such plays. Patterson can help here but this diversity has been all but absent from Rees’ offense even when the All-American candidate was healthy.

The Herd plays in a 4-2-5 alignment with hybrid safety Charlie Gray as the swing man. Gray led the team in tackles last week. End Koby Cumberlander is the most talented playmaker up front while middle linebacker Abraham Beauplan could start for several Power 5 schools. Cornerbacks Micah Abraham and Steven Gilmore are excellent and will provide a legitimate test for the Irish receivers.

One would expect Notre Dame’s size and power to wear down Marshall. This will come to fruition only if the Irish line and tight ends block significantly better than last week. If not, the Herd has enough athletes to cause problems for the hosts. They will focus on the stopping the run and rely on their secondary to win in coverage. They don’t have a good answer on paper for Michael Mayer, though. Look for Buchner to find him early and often. I also expect the Irish to push the envelope with downfield passes more than last week. Notre Dame must demonstrate this capability not only to themselves but also to future opponents.

MARSHALL’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Columbi joined Huff’s program this year and appears to be a good fit. He is an accurate short passer and can run a bit when needed. The line is young on the interior while the tackles are massive veterans. Ethan Driskell is 6’9 314 and Kendrick Sartor is 6’7 316. Both are competent in the running game but can be beaten in pass protection.

Columbi uses three receivers with one back and a single tight end. Corey Gammage is the most experienced wideout at 6’4 and 220 pounds. Slot man Talik Keaton caught eight passes last week to lead the team and tight end Devin Miller was next with four.

The Herd outrushed Norfolk State by 380-30 last week. That is a strong statement at any level of football. Tailbacks Khalan Laborn and Ethan Payne rushed for over 100 yards apiece. Payne needed only ten carries while Laborn had 12. Laborn was once a very highly rated recruit who began his career at Florida State but hadn’t played since 2019. He joined Marshall this year to put his considerable talents on display as a starter in his sixth and final college season.

Huff’s strategy will be similar to that employed last week by Notre Dame. Run the ball successfully, shorten the game by limiting the opponent’s possessions, and do not turn the ball over. Columbi will get rid of the ball quickly out of the pocket. The Irish defense can counter by applying pressure from the edges and playing tight press coverage. Look for Foskey in particular to demonstrate significant improvement from his mediocre performance last week.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame’s new specialists enabled fans to breathe a sigh of relief last Saturday. Punter Jon Sot and kicker Blake Grupe exceeded expectations, although Grupe unfortunately had far fewer chances than Sot. Conversely, the Irish return teams were awful. They did not descend to LSU’s level but it was still too close for comfort. No one attempted to block for kick returner Chris Tyree while punt returner Brandon Joseph chose not to be aggressive even when there was daylight. The kick and punt coverage teams were fine.

Marshall also has two new specialists this season. Kicker Rece Verhoff hit both of his field goal attempts last week and all seven extra points. Punter John McConnell was only called upon once but he delivered a 44-yarder. Neither Marshall nor Norfolk State generated any notable yardage in the return game.

Freeman promised to be more aggressive on kick and punt returns this week. There could be an opportunity for a big play if he is right.

SUMMARY

The Irish defensive line must win its battle with Marshall’s offensive front or the game will not be the romp people expect. I was also disappointed with Notre Dame’s linebackers last week. The likes of J.D. Bertrand, Bo Bauer, Marist Liufau and Jack Kiser need to fill the gaps more forcefully rather than be pushed back 5-8 yards. The performance gap between them and the two Buckeye starters was stark. I’d like to see more of Prince Kollie and even get a glimpse of a couple of the freshman.

On offense, Buchner should have more time to see things from the pocket and make plays downfield. The game will continue to slow down for him but he needs to build confidence that comes from success in live action. He has the requisite mental toughness and physical ability to succeed at this level. His line and receivers other than Mayer need to give him the help he needs. Marshall will provide a fair but not overwhelming test. In retrospect, it would have been better to play the Herd before taking on the Buckeyes.

Here are a few questions that will help determine the outcome:

• Will Notre Dame’s receivers have success against the talented Marshall cornerbacks?
• Which offense will produce the most effective ground game?
• Can the Irish defense create and capitalize on third and long situations?
• Which special teams will contribute impact plays?
• Will the Irish secondary build on its strong performance last week?
• Can Tom Rees silence his critics with inspired play calling?
• Which defense will be able to force turnovers?
• Can Freeman ever convince ND to return to a grass field in the stadium?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame’s most significant challenge on defense is to stop the run. If they cannot, the game could become a reprise of the Toledo affair last September. I say that not to frighten anyone but to set realistic expectations for the Irish at this stage of the season.

Also, Ohio State did not cause all of the issues that slowed the Irish offense last week. Many of the failures were self-inflicted and correctable such as missed blocks and communication breakdowns in pass protection. At a higher level, the quarterback and receivers were unable to recognize and counter in real time the defensive looks they were given. Marshall is not at Notre Dame’s level in terms of talent but they can make this contest uncomfortably close if the hosts do not demonstrate significant improvement. I trust this coaching staff and the work ethic of the players to deliver a winning performance on Saturday. That said, it is not realistic to believe a sufficient number of issues can be fixed in a few days in order to facilitate a blowout.

NOTRE DAME 31  MARSHALL 14