The Season Begins……or Ends….This Week
How’d We Do Last Week?
As a refresher, I feature the most interesting, most wildly inaccurate, and most accurate takes for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from the previous week. Let’s get started!
Most Wildly Inaccurate
Checks notes…..They did not, in fact, come out on fire. Let’s hope they just saved it for this week.
Most Interesting
While I DID NOT lick the pole this weekend, I could have used a sick day Monday….Thanks Farsdahl
Most Accurate
Jmsabo – you called me out, and you were right. Leonard made some good throws this weekend, but had some brutal ones early in the game. I was ready to pull the plug, then he threw a beauty to Beaux Collins for a TD, which was almost as frustrating as it was satisfying. Leonard has the tools and needs to put it together…..very quickly.
And now onto the takes against the Louisville Cardinals.
Cold Take
Mitchell Evans leads both teams in receptions
Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I expect to see a HEAVY dose of Evans throughout this game. Evans has been ramping up and I expect the coaching staff to fully unleash him this week……mostly because they absolutely need him. I see a 9+ reception game for him, a lot of it coming off of play action and on third down. He needs to be a safety blanket and a chain mover to keep the defense off the field. He’s an All American type of TE, and I expect him to reemerge on a National stage Saturday.
Hot Take
Riley Mills, Howard Cross, and Jaylen Sneed each get sacks
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
The name of the game in this one is going to be pressuring Tyler Shough and making his life very uncomfortable. He is surrounded by skill players that are very capable and have done a lot of damage so far this year. If the defense can make him flinch and miss out on some reads, there will be opportunities for turnovers. His stats may be a bit skewed, but so far he has 8 TDs and no interceptions, albeit against average competition (GTs defense is improved though). Ideally the pressures are coming from Mills and Cross (finally) breaking out in 2024 and Sneed with a big play off the edge. A key matchup in getting these sacks home will be the matchup between Benjamin Morrison against Alabama transfer Ja’Corey Brooks, who has been a force this year. Finally, the coaching matchup will be a chess match with Al Golden battling offensive savant Jeff Brohm. Buckle up.
Your Takes: Please leave your takes below (hot, cold medium-any temp). I will feature the Top Takes next week. GO IRISH!