Jaiden Ausberry and Notre Dame's Defense Looking to Bring Physicality to The Coliseum
Notre Dame’s defense has carried the Fighting Irish through the 2024 campaign and it’s not a secret.
Name a stat and Notre Dame is likely at the top - and we’re talking about in the country.
Pass Efficiency: 1
Turnovers Forced: 1
Scoring Defense: 2
Yards per Play: 3
First Downs Allowed: 4
3rd Down Percentage: 8
You get the point.
The country knows Al Golden is the man behind the defense, but head coach Marcus Freeman has emphasized physicality from the day he became head coach and that is starting to show itself more than ever.
Sure, we’ve told you the stories of former Notre Dame opponents stating the Irish were the most physical team they’ve played dating back to the Brian Kelly era. Clemson players made it a point to state how physical Notre Dame was during the Irish’s first two playoff seasons - and that carries weight considering the Tigers played the best teams in the country.
That said, Notre Dame appears to have only increased that and last Saturday was a prime example as the Irish dominated Army in every facet of the game.
”That’s really one of our keys to victory we talk about every week no matter who we’re playing,” stated sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry. “This past week it was a real big thing. They run the quarterback a lot and use him a lot, so it was like we have to hit him as much as we could. Basically, make him quit.”
Army quarterback Bryson Daily might not have quit, but he certainly got the message. The senior ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns, but it came on 39 carries, which meant he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and a far cry from his season average of 5.6 yards per tote.
Now, Notre Dame will look to recover this week and bring that physicality to USC as everything is on the line Saturday afternoon in The Coliseum.
”We always take the message from the coaches to the players,” Ausberry said, who is third on the team in tackles with 43. “We talk about it all week in the locker room, in our meetings and when we’re alone after practice. Whatever they preach to us, we preach among ourselves.”
Who is going to be this week’s Bryson Daily? Well, it likely starts with USC running back Woody Marks, who has rushed for 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns this fall. Marks, a transfer from Mississippi State, has six 100-yard games this season and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, which has the attention of the Irish defense.
”No. 4 is a really good back,” explained Ausberry. “He’s really good at cutting and getting to the next level, so we’re going to have to play disciplined and be able to tackle him and make tackles in space.”
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is the wildcard. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has started the last two games for the Trojans and done quite well throwing for 480 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception.
Notre Dame has faced big quarterbacks before, so it won’t be a huge change, but the Irish need to be disciplined in their rush lanes, fundamentals and execution.
”We basically have to tackle him,” Ausberry said. “We have to bring our feet, have good form tackling. Basically, what we did to Army last week and hit him as much as we could.”
Ausberry and his teammates also know the implications of Saturday’s rivalry game. Yet, it’s business as normal as the program knows the game is won during the week of preparation.
“I would say that keeping our head down, keep working and it’s really through our preparation week in and week out,” said Ausberry. “We just gotta practice hard. Once the game comes around, it’s going to fall into place and be second nature to us.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-Pack Faux Leather Coaster Set
