Notre Dame Football: Will Wake Forest Demonize the Irish?

After a dismal, mistake-ridden performance against USC in Week 8, Notre Dame came out and bounced back in a big way by beating Navy 56-14 this past Saturday.

The win helps the Irish gain back some credibility and respect, as it moves their record up to 5-3, but it doesn’t exactly make up for all of their struggles in the first eight weeks of the season.

Plus, it’s hard to really celebrate blowing out a 2-6 team that’s only two wins are over Delaware and Western Kentucky.

Now, Notre Dame must turn its attention to a looming road trip down to Winston-Salem, as the Irish prepare for this week’s matchup with a tricky Wake Forest squad.

The Demon Deacons will come into this game after getting taken to the woodshed by North Carolina in a 49-24 beat down, but last week’s performance isn’t truly indicative of just how dangerous this team really is.

Wake Forest possesses the type of passing attack, led by talented quarterback Tanner Price and standout wide receiver Chris Givens, that can really cause fits for the Irish secondary.

The Demon Deacons rank 30th in the country in passing offense, averaging 275 yards per game.

They also have a two-headed backfield comprised of sophomore Josh Harris and senior Brandon Pendegrass, who are each capable of doing damage to a defensive front seven.

Notre Dame’s defense will definitely be tested this week, and the key for the Irish will be to try to take advantage of Wake Forest’s mediocre offensive line, which has already given up 21 sacks this season.

If the Irish can get pressure on Price and keep Harris and Pendegrass in check on the ground, Notre Dame should be in good shape, but that’s easier said than done.

On offense, QB Tommy Rees and WR Michael Floyd should be able to exploit a secondary that’s giving up an average of 244 yards through the air per game, but Rees will have to be wary, because Wake Forest defensive backs like Kenny Okoro, Josh Bush and Merrill Noel all know how to find the football.

Rees can’t afford any killer momentum-swinging interceptions in a game like this.

The keys for Notre Dame to win this game will be to limit big plays on defense by keeping WR Chris Givens in check and making sure to take care of the ball on offense and not make any costly mistakes.

The Irish can play conservatively and still win this game rather handily, just as long as they execute the game plan with efficiency.

Wake Forest isn’t the type of team you take lightly, but Notre Dame has the overall talent advantage on both sides of the ball, and as long as the Irish play with the right attitude and don’t turn the ball over, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t win this one by double-digits.