Notre Dame and Brian Kelly will have another opportunity on Saturday night to defeat an elite team when they travel to SEC Country to face the Georgia Bulldogs. The Fighting Irish are heavy underdogs in this contest even though they battled the Dawgs to the wire in a 20-19 loss just two seasons ago. Kirby Smart, who is 35-10 in his fourth season in Athens, has recruited a wealth of talent and is poised to make another playoff run.

The last two Georgia seasons have ended in heartbreaking losses to Alabama, first in the national title game and last December in the conference championship. Notre Dame is well aware that a victory could be a springboard to another undefeated regular season and potentially a second consecutive playoff berth. The game will be televised by CBS beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern time.

The Dawgs have looked the part so far this season after destroying three opponents, including conference mate Vanderbilt, by an average of 42 points. Quarterback Jake Fromm has completed 75% of his passes without an interception, and D’Andre Swift leads a powerful rushing attack that averages 7.6 yards per attempt.

The Irish offense has yet to hit on all cylinders despite a 2-0 start. Even the most ardent fans have acknowledged concerns regarding an inconsistent rushing attack and the lack of an intermediate or deep passing game. Both defenses have performed well to date, although Notre Dame has started slowly in both outings and has been gashed for a few big plays before righting the ship. A dominant pass rush has also failed to materialize as expected.

Georgia is dealing with injuries at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield, but the roster is so deep that quality replacements are at the ready. The offensive line is among the biggest and best in the nation, and the potential absence of right tackle Isaiah Wilson will quickly be filled by Cade Mays or Jamaree Salyer. The Irish remain depleted at the offensive skill positions, but hope to have tight end Cole Kmet and tailback Jahmir Smith back this week. Receiver Michael Young and running back Jafar Armstrong remain sidelined.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. GEORGIA’S DEFENSE

The Dawgs are well aware of Ian Book’s ability to turn a broken or well-defended play into positive yardage. Two countermeasures to look for are pressure up the middle and use of a spy on Book to contain his scrambles. Sophomore linebacker Azaaz Ojulari is a candidate for this role. The pass rush strategy will test Irish center Jarrett Patterson, who struggled a bit in the first two games.

Notre Dame must again have a credible running game to stay out of third and long passing situations. Georgia’s 3-4 alignment features a deep rotation up front led by tackle Tyler Clark, a three-year starter. The linebackers are big and fast athletes, with Monty Rice leading the way. The Dawgs also employ a hybrid type rover in defensive back Mark Webb, who may be the team’s best defender.

A breakdown of Notre Dame’s running game lethargy to date shows that missed blocks and poor execution have caused numerous plays to fail. The tight ends in particular have scored poorly in terms of making blocks, while the linemen have been slightly better. Still, it only takes one poor effort to ruin a play. The other side of the equation is the run-blocking scheme itself, which has always been problematic against fast, physical defenses that quickly cover ground from sideline to sideline. The Irish rarely run Power-I, misdirection or isolation plays that might be more effective against this group.

When Book has time to throw, his receivers will work against a secondary that may be without cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and D.J. McDaniel. Talented underclassmen such as freshman Tyrique Stevenson, a five-star recruit, are ready to step in. Safety J.R. Reed is the seasoned veteran along the back end. For Notre Dame, Chase Claypool has been the mainstay at one wideout position, but others emerged against New Mexico last week to provide Book with more weapons. Senior Javon McKinley, whose vast potential has been unrealized throughout his career, finally broke out with two impressive touchdown receptions. Newcomer Braden Lenzy also flashed outstanding speed and playmaking ability in his first college level action. The expected return of Kmet to the lineup would also add a reliable option to the Irish attack.

GEORGIA’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Irish have struggled to stop the run this season, especially in the early going. Smart commented on the fact that the Irish have yielded 230 rushing yards per game, but was careful not to criticize his opponent. ”Stats are overrated”, he said.  “I thought, especially the first game, there were some very different type runs.  I don’t know if they hadn’t seen those before, or if they’d been exposed to those.  You’re talking about a guy in (Louisville RB) Jawon Pass, who I recruited, as an elite athlete and a really good runner.  We’re different than that, so it’s a different kind of run-game type stuff.  I think people just look at rushing stats and they don’t look behind it.  There’s a lot more to the story sometimes than what meets the eye.”

Georgia’s massive front line boasts left tackle Andrew Thomas and left guard Solomon Kindley, who pave the way for Swift to average nearly ten yards per carry. Notre Dame’s interior defense and smallish linebackers will be sorely tested to keep the contest from becoming a pancake fest.

Quarterback Jake Fromm has been quietly efficient this season. The burden of carrying the offense does not fall entirely on his shoulders, and this lack of pressure has freed him to perform extremely well. The receiving corps is well-stocked despite the loss of Tyler Simmons, Kearis Jackson and possibly Demetrius Robertson. Freshmen George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock have picked up the slack and currently lead the team in receptions.

The Dawgs have yielded only one sack to date, and Notre Dame will need to be more successful if they hope to slow down this offense. Last year, tackle Jerry Tillery was a disruptive force who not only wreaked havoc in the middle of the pocket, but also helped to create opportunities for ends Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara. This season, Tillery is in the NFL and both Kareem and Okwara have gone silent.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Georgia boasts highly skilled specialists and a wealth of speed to stock the coverage and return teams. Punter Jake Camarda has averaged 50 yards thus far, while veteran kicker Rodrigo Blankenship has hit all five field goal attempts and has excellent range. Simmons has been effective as the punt return man, but Blaylock may take his spot if Simmons’ shoulder injury keeps him on the bench. Reserve tailbacks Brian Herrien and James Cook handle the kickoff returns for the Dawgs.

Notre Dame’s Jonathan Doerer kicked his first and only field goal of the year last week, but it was a confidence building moment that he can draw upon in a hostile environment on Saturday. Punter Jay Bramblett hasn’t drawn much notice yet, which likely means he’s doing a fine job. The Irish coverage teams have been competent while the return teams have not shown much intensity. Georgia has the capacity to measurably alter field position in this phase of the game, so Notre Dame will have to be focused.

SUMMARY

The Irish defense must be able to hold up for four quarters against a bigger, talented, and balanced Bulldog offense. It will be incumbent upon the Notre Dame offense to maintain drives and hold its own in time of possession. This will be difficult if Book has to throw the ball 40+ times, especially if he is made to feel uncomfortable in the pocket.

Georgia is not invincible, however, and the Irish have sufficient talent to create successful plays against them. The level of execution by the visitors must improve from the previous two weeks, as every mistake made on Saturday could be very costly. The best recipe for victory on the defensive side includes stopping the run sufficiently to force Fromm and his young receivers to outperform the talented Irish secondary.

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

Will the Irish break their habit of slow, shaky starts in big contests?

Can Book’s receivers get open against the Dawg’s depleted secondary?

Will Notre Dame’s defensive line hold up against the physicality of Georgia’s massive front?

Can the Irish generate a semblance of a running game beyond scrambles by Book?

Will the Notre Dame linebackers be able to keep Swift from running downhill?

Will Book have more time to throw than he did against Clemson?

Can the much-hyped Irish pass rushers finally assert themselves?

Which coaching staff will make the most effective in-game adjustments?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame must battle the Georgia heat, a hostile crowd, as well as a physical, deep and talented opponent. Their track record in similar matchups over the past two decades suggests this is a bridge too far, and it’s likely that the best Irish fans can hope for is a competitive showing. Another early meltdown (Miami 2017 comes to mind) where turnovers and a loss of poise ignite an embarrassing blowout could drop the program out of the playoff conversation for a long while. This year’s Irish are acutely aware of their media detractors this week, and should come out with a chip on their shoulders. While the defense should be able to keep matters respectable, the evidence to date suggests the offense won’t score enough points to win. Look for the Dawgs to pull away in the second half.

GEORGIA 31  NOTRE DAME 13

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