Notre Dame Football: 5 Bold Predictions for the Irish's Bowl Game
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With final exams nearly complete and December cruising along, Notre Dame football is just two weeks away from its Fiesta Bowl matchup with Ohio State in Arizona.
In total, the Irish are scheduled for eight practices before they leave for the Valley of the Sun, including a week’s worth of Ohio State preparation, a stretch that will then be duplicated in Arizona.
As we head into the weekend, let’s offer some bold predictions for the Irish in their bowl game against the Buckeyes.
Durham Smythe Will Catch a Touchdown Pass
1 of 5
For a program that touts itself as “Tight End U,” it’s odd to consider that Notre Dame’s five tight ends have combined for one—count it, one—touchdown reception this season.
Yes, that was Durham Smythe’s score on the fake field goal in Week 2 against Virginia. The tight win over the Cavaliers was also, of course, Smythe’s last game of the regular season before he was lost to shoulder and knee injuries.
Nearly 14 weeks later, Smythe appears poised to contribute for the Irish against Ohio State.
“Durham looks really good, physically strong, has kind of jumped right in there,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly told reporters Saturday.
Asked where Smythe could’ve made a difference over the course of an entire regular season, Kelly highlighted situational work.
“He became a guy that was gonna be heavily counted on in certain situations, short-yardage passes, red-zone passes, things of that nature,” Kelly said. “Again, he’s the kind of guy that I think [quarterback] DeShone [Kizer] would’ve probably leaned on in those kinds of situations.”
Jarron Jones Will Notch Multiple Tackles for Loss
2 of 5
Like Smythe, Irish nose tackle Jarron Jones is on the road to recovery and will “be able to help” Notre Dame against Ohio State, although Jones, who hurt his knee in August, has further to go than Smythe, per Kelly.
“He’s such a big guy,” Kelly said of the 6’5”, 315-pound lineman. “He’s playing a position that requires such great leverage, which equals more strength and power than, say, Durham, who’s playing a position that doesn’t necessarily need that kind of power.”
Jones’ power on the interior could be a key against Ohio State’s high-powered offense, which averaged 35 points per game in the regular season.
“His ability from that shade position to push the pocket was something that we really missed, really would’ve helped us with Sheldon [Day] coming off the edge and Romeo [Okwara],” Kelly said. “We didn’t have that hard inside push which he gives you instantly. I think we’re gonna be able to get that from him.”
Josh Adams Will Outgain C.J. Prosise
3 of 5
Notre Dame’s offensive line helped pave the way to success for the team's various ball carriers during the regular season.
Down the stretch, true freshman Josh Adams thrived as senior C.J. Prosise battled injuries. Kelly said Saturday that Prosise (ankle) was working to get up to full speed and was on track to begin practicing late this week.
Still, Adams could make an impact against the Buckeyes. The rookie from Pennsylvania totaled 757 rushing yards and five scores during the regular season and shined against Stanford with 168 yards on 18 carries, including one touchdown. Adams has shown a big-play propensity, too, and boasts runs of 62 (Stanford), 98 (Wake Forest) and 70 yards (UMass).
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Notre Dame Will Slow Ezekiel Elliott
4 of 5
Notre Dame’s porous defense faces an Ohio State attack led, in part, by Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The 6’0”, 225-pound junior ranks sixth in the country with 139.3 rushing yards per game. Elliott posted 1,672 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and averaged 6.38 yards a pop during the regular season.
But as Kelly aptly notes, Notre Dame’s defense, as fairly criticized as it’s been, has slowed stars in 2015.
“The one thing that we’ve done all year, consistently, is that we’ve taken away the one player that can wreck a game,” Kelly said Saturday. “Whether it be [Navy quarterback] Keenan Reynolds or [Stanford running back] Christian McCaffrey—any of the individual players all year—we’ve done a really good job there.”
And with nearly a month to prepare for Elliott and the Buckeyes, Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder should be ready to limit the standout running back.
“It’s been some of the other guys that we should be able to defend with our guys,” Kelly said. “We haven’t done a very good job. We’re gonna have to do that again with a [J.T.] Barrett and Ezekiel and do a better job against the other guys.”
Will Fuller Will Be Kept Out of the End Zone
5 of 5
In the last two seasons, Irish wide receiver Will Fuller has scored at least one receiving touchdown in 20 of 25 games.
But with loads of time to prepare for Notre Dame’s offense and its playmakers, can Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer and company keep Fuller quiet? The Buckeyes claim the No. 2 scoring defense in the country, averaging 14.0 points allowed per game. Their passing defense checks in at 12th nationally.
It’s up to Buckeyes cornerbacks Eli Apple and Gareon Conley to handle the bulk of the duty against Fuller.
All quotes were obtained firsthand and all stats courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Mike Monaco is the lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
