Riley Leonard needs to throw for at least two touchdowns
This is more a key to victory this season than a key to victory for this game. In all honesty, the Irish could probably beat the RedHawks all on the ground. However, USC, like winter, is coming. If the Irish manage to make it into the College Football Playoff, better teams are coming. They are going to look at the footage on Notre Dame, liken the Irish to Navy, a team that has in recent memory stuck with an offense focused on running the ball, and have a pretty effective idea of how to stall the offense.
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard has now gone three games without a touchdown pass — a stat that's sure to draw attention. Opponents will aim to force Notre Dame's quarterback to throw, but if Leonard has NFL aspirations, he'll need to showcase his dual-threat ability to impress scouts and coaches.
During his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Marcus Freeman was asked about Leonard’s passing abilities. Freeman expressed full confidence in his quarterback, noting that throwing against Purdue wasn’t a major focus of the game plan.
“I think he was 11 of 16 in the first half and did a really good job of executing what we asked him to do. And so we're not looking for stats. We're not looking for how much we throw it [or] how much we run it. We're looking for success against the opponent,” said Freeman.
Irish fans want Notre Dame to be successful against opponents but also want them to be successful long-term. Leonard needs to go out on the field on Saturday and throw for the end zone. Especially since his backup, fan-favorite junior Steve Angeli threw for two touchdowns in less time last week.
Leonard needs to throw for at least two this week — one to prove he can do it and a second to prove the first was not an accident.
Notre Dame does not turn the ball over
Looking at the stats of both teams, the only team capable of beating Notre Dame this Saturday is Notre Dame. Miami (Ohio) is a pass-heavy offense — the RedHawks have been out-throwing their opponents 291 yards to 182 yards per game, on average. They've struggled significantly in the run game, averaging just 32 rushing yards per contest. While they have yet to score a rushing touchdown this season, they’ve only committed a single fumble.
In short, they've been playing uninspired, lackluster football. Notre Dame hasn't shown a strong recent history of bringing energy to these types of matchups, which makes the RedHawks a potential threat. One of the few bright spots for Miami is that they’ve recovered all three fumbles by their opponents this season. While this hasn’t translated into points or wins, it highlights their potential to disrupt Notre Dame's game plan.
And if there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that Notre Dame can’t afford any more disruptions.
