Can the Badgers Badger Notre Dame: Game One Preview
- Erich Pilcher
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
College football has returned. In an offseason filled with turmoil and questions, a return to the gridiron will be a welcome change. With that comes the return of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a season filled with legitimate National Championship aspirations.
The journey back to the playoff begins with a battle under the lights at the “Frozen Tundra” (or as frozen as a tundra can be on Labor Day weekend) of Lambeau Field (home of the NFL Green Bay Packers), as the Irish take on the Wisconsin Badgers. This is a part of the Shamrock Series and, despite playing in the Badgers' home state, is a home game for the Irish.
Last season was one to forget for Wisconsin. They finished 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Achilles' heel was the offense, which ranked as one of the worst in College Football, averaging only 12.8 points per game (PPG). The defense was a bright spot, keeping them in many games by only allowing an average of 21.6 PPG. To address this, Wisconsin nabbed two prime offensive players from the transfer portal. First is Old Dominion Quarterback Colton Joseph; last season, Joseph passed for over 2100 yards and 21 touchdowns. They also added former Iowa State Running Back Abu Sama III, who rushed for 732 yards and five touchdowns.
For the Irish, they return major production from last year's 10-2 season. Leading the way is Quarterback and Heisman hopeful CJ Carr. In his first season as a starter, Carr passed for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. He did this while only throwing six interceptions. On the other side of the ball, shutdown Cornerback Leonard Moore returns along with Linebacker Drayk Bowen. The Irish added powerhouse Defensive Tackle Francis Brewu from the transfer portal as well.
Survive the Jitters
Notre Dame will be the fourth-ranked team in the country coming into this game. They also will be the lone game on prime-time Sunday night, playing in an NFL stadium. Safe to say there is a lot of pressure in this situation.
To get through this, the Irish must survive any early game lulls. Last season, the Irish notoriously started slow offensively and would many times rely on a big play from Running Back Jeremiyah Love to get the offense going. Love has departed for the NFL, so it needs to fall on Carr to manage the game. Look for Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock to have some short, quick throws to keep the potent Badger defense on their heels. This will also allow first-time starting Running Back Aneyas Williams to get into a rhythm without shouldering the load.
Complementary Football
Another way to survive the early game jitters is to rely on your defense. As luck (or luck of the Irish) would have it, Notre Dame fields one of the best in the country. One question will be how Wisconsin will utilize Sama III and Joseph. While there is tape on both, Wisconsin can throw some wrinkles at the Irish defense that they would not expect. However, with such an experience-laden group, those wrinkles will not last long. The Irish defense will be key in not allowing the Badgers to gain any momentum if the offense starts slow. A major advantage Notre Dame has is that Joseph has not seen a secondary like what he will see Sunday night. Led by Moore, Christian Gray, Brauntae Johnson and Adon Shuler can make openings disappear. Despite Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell saying they would “test” Moore, that would be a foolhardy endeavor, at least consistently. Count on the secondary forcing Joseph into some mistakes that will give the offense a short field and allow them to find their footing rather quickly.
Leave No Doubt
This has been Notre Dame's mantra since missing out on the College Football Playoff last season. This is a prime opportunity for them to showcase that they are worthy of their ranking in a primetime matchup against a Power Four opponent. It’s an opportunity they do not want to let go by the wayside.
Wisconsin’s stingy defense will keep this game close for most of the first half. But I expect Carr to get a score late in the half that will give the Irish momentum going into the locker room; then I expect Notre Dame to take off.
The offense will find rhythm, and despite the additions, the Badgers do not have the firepower or experience to keep up. The defense will harass Joseph into mistakes and won’t let Sama get going. This will allow the Irish to run away in the second half.
I will take the Irish to win 31-13 to begin this promising season 1-0.
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