Notre Dame Football: 5 Players to Watch in Music City Bowl

With the Irish set to take on LSU in three weeks, Notre Dame's coaches are preparing the football team for a final game in the 2014 season as well as for the future ahead. With a roster that remains largely intact, the opportunity to win once more in 2014 while also starting to prep the foundation of next year's team is one of the main benefits that come with a postseason bowl game. 

Drawing LSU makes for a difficult challenge, but it's that's a better matchup for a battered Irish defense than Georgia or Auburn would have been. And while beating Les Miles' Tigers is the primary objective, Brian Kelly spent some time last Sunday discussing some of the big-picture goals that need to be reached this December.

"It gives us a chance to obviously get an opportunity to finish the season off with a win," Kelly said Sunday. "Any time you get bowl preparation, that's important for a football team, especially one where we're trying to find ourselves. The additional practices allow us to continue to work with our younger players and continue to develop our players who are currently on our football team."

That development will be crucial not just for beating LSU but for prepping a team that has grand plans for next season. Let's take a look at five players to watch in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. 

Malik Zaire

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While Zaire provided a spark to the Irish offense in a lopsided game against USC, preparing for John Chavis' LSU defense is a different story. Even with a young group, Chavis and the Tigers are third in the country, giving up just 16.4 points per game—the stingiest unit in the SEC. 

The Tigers are surrendering just 305 yards per game, which is another top-10 measurement. LSU's 8-4 record also came against a schedule that Jeff Sagarin ranks 11th-hardest in the country. So it's a very good defense playing a very difficult schedule, with only Auburn having dominated the Tigers offensively.

But if the Tigers could be susceptible in one place, it's against the run. Zaire worked the zone-read game well in his limited time against USC, pairing with Greg Bryant to move the football on the ground. Zaire's ability to read and react should be useful against LSU, because the Tigers will be difficult to throw the football against.

But throwing the ball will be a test for the sophomore quarterback. After struggling to connect with receivers when he was on the move or outside the pocket, Zaire will need to take advantage of those opportunities.

This will be the fourth top-10 defense the Irish face this season. It will also be the first significant action he'll have against an elite unit in a game that's still being decided. With an open quarterback competition, the bowl game is a big opportunity for Zaire. 

Elijah Shumate

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Put simply, there's no other option at safety than Elijah Shumate. The junior is essentially the last man standing; he's the only healthy one at a position group that has lost Austin Collinsworth, Nicky Baratti and Drue Tranquill for the season. 

Kelly is optimistic that Max Redfield can answer the bell after injuring his ribs during the USC game. And while that leaves Eilar Hardy as the only other healthy full-time safety on the roster, even Hardy's availability is in flux, with lingering effects from the academic investigation potentially clouding the situation. 

Athletically, Shumate has what it takes to succeed for the Irish, both as an in-the-box safety and as a player in space. He'll likely need to thrive doing both against LSU, dropping down to help slow down Leonard Fournette and the Tigers ground game as well as helping out on the back end when LSU takes to the air. 

The season finale is an important springboard into the next season for Shumate, who only has one season of eligibility remaining in 2015. It's now or never for the rising senior, and the Irish desperately need him to be up to the task. 

Mike McGlinchey

Credit: 247Sports.com

After Everett Golson was sacked and stripped against USC in the second quarter, Brian Kelly pulled fifth-year senior Christian Lombard at right tackle and inserted McGlinchey. The sophomore, who was projected as the starting right tackle last spring but became the odd man out on the line during fall camp, held up more than admirably against the Trojans. 

McGlinchey will likely see significant action in the bowl game, sharing reps with Lombard. That means another test for the first-year contributor on the edge who will be tasked with protecting the quarterback against some of the best personnel in the SEC. 

Adding another wrinkle to bowl prep is the uncertain future of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. As a draft-eligible redshirt sophomore, Stanley is projected by some to be a first-round draft pick. If he decides to leave early, that could leave McGlinchey as the team's best option at left tackle this spring. 

The Irish coaches have spoken highly of McGlinchey's ceiling athletically—he has the feet of a tight end, the body of a power forward and the athleticism of an elite offensive line prospect. The bowl game is a big opportunity for McGlinchey to cement himself in the future plans up front—whether Stanley stays or goes. 

Nyles Morgan

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Just about anybody who has watched LSU play football this season expects the Tigers to challenge the Irish defense by running the football. That means freshman middle linebacker Nyles Morgan is going to have his hands full. 

It's been a wild month for Morgan, who was thrust into the starting lineup after Joe Schmidt broke his ankle against Navy. While the defense has struggled with Morgan learning and seeing things for the first time, he has still managed to produce statistically. Morgan is coming off back-to-back games of double-digit tackles, which is even more impressive when you consider he sat out the first half against USC.

Morgan will be asked to tackle another blue-chip true freshman in Leonard Fournette. The 230-pounder is coming off a big game against Texas A&M and will be given ample opportunities to get the 109 yards he needs to go over 1,000 yards on the season.

With Sheldon Day still questionable and a young defensive line in front of him, Morgan has a lot on his plate. For the Irish to have any chance to stop LSU's ground game, they'll need Morgan to take a large step forward during bowl prep. 

Everett Golson

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Remember him?

No, Everett Golson hasn't been left for dead. So while some Notre Dame fans want to give Malik Zaire an extended look in the bowl game, don't be surprised if Golson gets the start and is given one more opportunity to play smart football against another challenging opponent. 

The quarterback had 22 turnovers in nine games; Kelly finally pulled him in the second quarter against USC after he ended drives with consecutive turnovers after four straight punts. Golson was inaccurate with the football and lacked confidence with his reads, looking like a shadow of the quarterback who had the nation thinking that Notre Dame had a Heisman contender at quarterback. 

But Golson may still be best suited to run the Irish offense. And while his productivity has pushed the offense to its most explosive scoring numbers since Charlie Weis' 2005 team, the mistakes and turnovers have forced Kelly to re-evaluate the position. 

That evaluation will last as long as it takes—likely into spring football and potentially into next fall as well. But the competition begins now. 

*Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.