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Notre Dame Football

Game Thread | No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Wisconsin

September 24, 2021
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No. 12 Notre Dame (3-0) vs. No. 18 Wisconsin (1-1)

Soldier Field | 12:00 p.m. ET | FOX | Wisconsin -6.5 | O/U: 45

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Midwest Battle

All eyes on the college football world will focus on Soldier Field on Saturday as Big Noon Kickoff, College Game Day and Barstool Sports will all be in Chicago for Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin. 

It’s a chance for Notre Dame to make a statement on a national level as they’ll enter Saturday’s contest an underdog. It’s also an opportunity for Brian Kelly’s team to form an identity for this season. 

Notre Dame has made progress on defense over the first three weeks and stopping Wisconsin’s run game will be a challenge, but one the Irish should be able to do. The Irish offensive line will need to rise to the occasion and find a run game, which has been a struggle through three games. 

Regardless of the run game, the silver lining for Notre Dame is Wisconsin’s offense has yet to complete a pass over 20 yards this season. If Marcus Freeman’s defense can stop the the run, Notre Dame should be able to move to 4-0. 


Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame DT Howard Cross
Even if Kurt Hinish is playing in this game, Mike Elston will have to lean on Cross to play plenty of snaps. He has to step up to the challenge with a greater workload against an offense that will try and run right at him.

Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz
After a spectacular debut for the Badgers last season, he's been a below-average quarterback. There will be points in this game where they need him to make a throw to keep the chains moving and he hasn't proven he can do that consistently. Pressuring him will be critical for Notre Dame.

Notre Dame WR Kevin Austin
After a game he'd like to forget last week, he gets a chance to bounce back. Wisconsin plays a good amount of man coverage, so there will be more opportunities to get back to the player he looked like the first couple of weeks of the season.

Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn
One of the top inside linebackers in the country, he's a great blitzer who plays as big of a role as a pass rusher as any of Wisconsin's players up front. 

Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand
He's been a tackling machine to start the season and he's going to have to be at his best in this game with Wisconsin's run-heavy offense. The Irish need another double-digit tackle game from him with multiple stuffs.


Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame QB Jack Coan:
”It's definitely going to be weird. It's going to be a lot of my friends I'm playing against and a lot of guys I still talk to today. At the end of the day, it's another football game and I like to think I don't get more excited for one game than the next. It will certainly be a pretty cool atmosphere and we're playing against a great team, so it'll be fun." 

Notre Dame OL Josh Lugg:
"I think every week we should have a chip on our shoulder no matter who the opponent is or who we're playing. We definitely need to execute, play our fundamentals and go back to the basics so we can do our job come Saturday. 

"If we want our team to be successful, it starts with us up front and doing our job consistently, not just one play here or there." 

Notre Dame LB Drew White:
"It's going to be an electric atmosphere," said White. "I don't want to come off bad when I say this, but that's for the fans and media. That's for everyone else to have a good time and when I'm done playing football, I'll be excited for that too. 

"We have a job to do. The job doesn't change. We're playing an opponent that's going to try to run the ball down our throat and we're going to have to stop them. The focus and attention to that aspect and eliminating the outside noise is going to be important." 

Notre Dame S Houston Griffith:
"It means a lot to me. It'll be my first time playing at home since I was 15 years old. I had my first high school varsity start at Soldier Field. To have it all come full circle my senior year against a big opponent like Wisconsin at Soldier Field, it means a lot to me and my family as well. 

"This is probably the most people that are going to come to my game since I've been at Notre Dame. It will be fun to play in front of family and friends." 

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly:
"Regardless of if we run the ball 70 times or throw it 70, our attention to detail, our focus, playing with grit, great attitude and being smart - that will never change. 

"What I was saying is that Wisconsin does that and their systems don't change. We'll change with personnel relative to who we need to be from an offensive standpoint and we have defensively. 

"Our process and how we play and what we need to do on a day-to-day basis, those traits won't change. If we keep those consistent and then let our players play, we'll be pretty good. That's a process for us. 

"It's hard and we've got some young players who are learning how to do that on the fly. They're getting better at it, but we're certainly not a finished product when it comes to that." 


For Your Nerves 

TEAM STATS Notre Dame Wisconsin
Points Per Game 33.3 22.0
Points Allowed Per Game 26.7 11.5
Total Yards 407.7 441.5
Yards Passing 302.0 175.5
Yards Rushing 105.7 266.0
Yards Allowed 381.0 194.5
Pass Yards Allowed 232.7 161.5
Rush Yards Allowed  148.3 33.0

Game Thread | No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Wisconsin

140,150 Views | 1469 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by irish4life
Firefighter8196
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Pathetic series. Underthrown ball and a run by Williams sideways for nothing. I think he needs to just take what he can get sometimes. Maybe he's used a competent line like last year opening up holes
atl irish
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That ought to get the average past 40
IRISHLOYAL
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Coan loves moving directly into the rush
IanY77
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Punt of the year so far.
NYNDBLUE
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That punt was kind of good.
PhillyNDFan
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The OL has been brutal, but at least two of those sacks were on Coan
irishfan32489
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Zero escapability for coan
usma95
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That was back to bad Coan. Throw it earlier to Lenzy and it is a TD. Runs right into the rush on third down. Ugh.
tvanp63
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Just when I was gonna complain about Bramblet, that happens!
BlueGraySky
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Damn guys
Read more, post less
blairkiel
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You love a QB who will step up into the pocket

He stepped up into the sack there
blairkiel
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tvanp63 said:

Just when I was gonna complain about Bramblet, that happens!
Why, he's had an excellent career
BlueGraySky
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Pick six coming
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atl irish
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Jayson A
Hrothgar
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This D is killer good
Rwolf101
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Ademilola is having a game
MattPaulND
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Firefighter8196 said:

Bad series. Under thrown ball to lenzy again


Lenzy needs work on using his body to shield the defender and actually be a play maker
mjhahn
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Heard something very interesting from a fellow ND alum that lives in Milwaukee now and is plugged into goings on in Madison/UW. Mertz has a reputation as being a big party guy. May explain his performances so far....
REMND
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I am going to stop watching the Wis skill guys and just watch our DL
PhillyNDFan
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Alt hasn't looked bad. Gotta give the staff credit on last year's OL haul.
blairkiel
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mjhahn said:

Heard something very interesting from a fellow ND alum that lives in Milwaukee now and is plugged into goings on in Madison/UW. Mertz has a reputation as being a big party guy. May explain his performances so far....
He's Anthony Morelli bad
pbrad28
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sly35 said:

im guessing wind is knocking down the long
But not the. Punt…
NDTom88
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I do find it hilarious that Mertz gets all frazzled when there is a HINT of pressure. Kid looks like he is going to crap his pants not deliver a ball to an open receiver
MIKE8145
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No throw
PhillyNDFan
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NDTom88 said:

I do find it hilarious that Mertz gets all frazzled when there is a HINT of pressure. Kid looks like he is going to crap his pants not deliver a ball to an open receiver
Hope he doesn't figure out until next week
RedBeard88
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Every single deep ball Coan throws is underthrown. Lentz beats his man deep almost every single time.
Sgt Hulka
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blairkiel said:

mjhahn said:

Heard something very interesting from a fellow ND alum that lives in Milwaukee now and is plugged into goings on in Madison/UW. Mertz has a reputation as being a big party guy. May explain his performances so far....
He's Anthony Morelli bad


Now there's a name from the past. Wonder what night club he's managing these days.
jorsr
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anyone refs
sly35
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pbrad28 said:

sly35 said:

im guessing wind is knocking down the long
But not the. Punt…
i was just pointing out that kickoff was not going very far and people pointed out the wind so i thought it would be a problem on the deep passes also
mattfreeman
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Staff
Well that was interesting.
toliver0917
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Mertz is like deshone Kizer except he sucks
atl irish
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mjhahn said:

Heard something very interesting from a fellow ND alum that lives in Milwaukee now and is plugged into goings on in Madison/UW. Mertz has a reputation as being a big party guy. May explain his performances so far....
I sympathize with a kid getting slammed for being a regular college kid… but he just isn't a regular college kid.
Munsoned
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Or he isn't any good.
BlueGraySky
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Dang that would have been huge
ksny
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I don't know the last time I've seen a top 25 team run out the last two minutes of the half by burning two time outs to run the play clock to zero. Wow
 
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