Notre Dame Football: Irish Defense Must Get Back on Track

When the Durham Bulls needed to break a losing streak, Crash Davis created a rain delay. So that unexpected foot of snow to hit South Bend this week? Maybe Mother Nature has been watching the Irish defense the past few Saturdays and thought she could lend a hand. 

After opening the season allowing just 12 points a game through the first five weeks, Brian VanGorder's young defense has hit the skids, with the Irish allowing 42 points a game over the last four contests. 

Not surprisingly, the Irish have gone 2-2 over that stretch, buried not just by defensive struggles, but a rash of (often-discussed) turnovers that took the Irish out of the College Football Playoff conversation. (Not to mention that added a few pick-sixes to the wrong side of the scoreboard.)

But Saturday presents a wonderful opportunity for the defense to get back on track. Pat Fitzgerald's Northwestern offense comes to town—otherwise known as the perfect cure for a defensive slump. 

Northwestern's offense has been plain horrible this season. The Wildcats are the worst scoring offense of any team in a power-five conference. The 4.24 yards per play they average is 125th in the country. The offensive line has struggled mightily; the 29 sacks they've allowed is 112th in the country, and the 2.88 yards per carry the Wildcats average is 123rd in the nation. 

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

You want a slumpbuster? They don't get any better than this. 

Of course, Notre Dame has shown a maddening habit of playing tight games with teams that have no business staying close. And while snowy conditions will likely help slow down a Northwestern offense already moving like molasses, head coach Brian Kelly knows that could exacerbate a turnover problem that's done in the Irish offense these past few weeks. 

"It was 85 degrees and sunny and we turned it over five times," Kelly quipped on Thursday.

Still, Saturday's focus should be on getting back to the basics for the Irish defense. While the offense will have a much stiffer task—Northwestern's defense is a pretty solid unit, especially considering the help it gets on the other side of the ball—a confidence-building Saturday is needed for VanGorder's young and injury-depleted group. 

Any worry that a few tough weeks would harm this group was alleviated quickly during practice this week. 

"They are so engaged. They are so anxious. It's probably a poor analogy, they wanna do so well, they're like hunting dogs. Just looking up at you, 'What can I do?'" Kelly said Thursday. "But they're young. There's mental errors and mistakes that we have to clean up every day with them. You ask coach VanGorder and for him it's great because you have such a captive group that they just want to learn, but there's a lot of learning going on. Every day it's something new for them."

This weekend offers an opportunity to reap rewards after a week of hard work. The pass rush should see some opportunities to shine, with the beleaguered offensive line protecting quarterback Trevor Siemian only now getting healthy after an ankle injury robbed him of his already limited mobility.

Northwestern could also give redshirt freshman Matt Alviti his first significant playing opportunity, matching up a young quarterback with a seasoned defensive coordinator capable of blitzing from everywhere but the third row. 

Total Offense (Yards)	Rush Offense (Yards)	Yards Per Carry	Sacks Allowed	Yards Per Play
322.7 (117th)	109.9 (114th)	2.88 (123rd)	29 (112th)	4.24 (125th)

The secondary should also catch its breath. Kelly announced that senior Cody Riggs will play this weekend, providing some part-time snaps in the secondary. Fifth-year captain Austin Collinsworth is available, too.

After giving up three touchdown passes to Arizona State's talented receivers, they'll face a receiving corps that's struggled to make big plays all season. Northwestern only has two receivers who have made a 30-yard reception. (All six of Notre Dame's regulars have at least one 30-yarder.) 

The lack of big plays is one that's really hurt the Wildcats, forcing an inconsistent offense to put together extended drives to score points. That they'll match up with Notre Dame's woeful red-zone defense is one battle that'll pit weakness against weakness, another opportunity for the Irish to show some improvement. 

With three regular-season games to go, the Irish can wrap up win No. 8 this weekend for Kelly, making him the first Notre Dame coach to win at least eight games in his first five seasons. 

And after a tough four-game stretch, Northwestern is just what the doctor ordered. 

*Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.