Notre Dame begins the second half of its season on Saturday with a road game against the University of Washington.
The Irish are in search of their first victory away from home, while the hapless Huskies of Tyrone Willingham have yet to record a single win in any location. The two teams have met on six previous occasions, most recently in 2005, and Notre Dame has won them all.
This would be an ideal time for Willingham to quiet his critics and simultaneously gain a measure of revenge over the program that dismissed him after the 2004 season.
The vultures inhabiting the Pacific Northwest have been circling over the embattled coach since a poor finish last season, and a difficult schedule has not been accepted in most quarters as a satisfactory excuse for this year’s 0-6 start. Meanwhile, the Irish stand at 4-2 and are simply trying to get better.
Very few current starters have ties to Willingham, but the team needs no extra motivation after a disappointing loss to North Carolina. Notre Dame still harbors a flickering hope of playing in a New Year’s Day bowl game, but anything less than a comfortable win this week would be very damaging.
The Huskies will again be without injured quarterback and team leader Jake Locker, whose broken thumb has not sufficiently healed for him to reclaim the starting job. Ronnie Fouch has displayed a strong passing arm in his stead when he is not running for his life or getting sacked.
Despite several problems on the offensive side, it is Washington’s defense that has caused the most consternation in Seattle by surrendering 41 points per game.
Notre Dame Offense vs. Washington Defense
The Huskies are equally generous against the run and the pass. Opponents have rushed for an average of 233 yards and thrown for 250. Jimmy Clausen should have plenty of time to pick them apart if the Irish can block defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, who is the only Washington player to record a sack this season.
Te’o-Nesheim, the Huskies' best defensive player, is joined by tackle Cameron Elisara and end Darrion Jones up front. The other tackle position in the Husky 4-3 alignment is shared between freshman Senio Kelemete and senior Johnnie Kirton.
Willingham has moved his linebackers around in an attempt to get his best three players on the field. He seems to have settled on Donald Butler and Mason Foster on the outside and Trenton Tuiasosopo in the middle. All are adequate but not exceptional.
In general, the Washington front seven does not apply significant pressure to its opponents, and they have paid a heavy price.
The secondary has been the primary weak point, as evidenced by the fact that three of its members lead the team in tackles and the group has only one interception (linebacker Foster has the only other one this year). The group is led by cornerback Mesphin Forrester, the only senior starter besides Tuiasosopo on the defensive side of the ball.
Notre Dame should be able to run the ball effectively and enjoy overall offensive success similar to the Purdue game. The Huskies will play hard, but they are frequently caught out of position and burned for long plays.
Overall, Washington does not have the talent and experience to match up against the Irish receivers and offensive linemen.
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