The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will look to keep rolling as they play host to Big 12 powerhouse, the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at 3:30 p.m EST at Notre Dame Stadium.
After losing to Michigan 41-30 on Sept. 7, the Fighting Irish are suddenly back in winning form as they posted victories against the Purdue Boilermakers 31-24 and Michigan State Spartans 17-13.
Now, head coach Brian Kelly wants his 22nd ranked Irish team to make a statement, and there's no better way to do it than beating an undefeated squad like Oklahoma.
The Sooners dominated their first three assignments this season, steamrolling against LA-Monroe 34-0, West Virginia 16-7, and Tulsa 51-20. However, Saturday's showdown with the Fighting Irish will be the first time the 14th-ranked Oklahoma squad faces a team rated in the Top 25.
Crunching the Numbers
Notre Dame is ranked 32nd in the nation in passing yards, covering an average of 280 yards per game from the pocket. However, their rushing offense has been subpar so far as their running backs covered just 113.3 yards per game (99th in the nation). Defensively, the Irish is ranked 45th in the nation by allowing opponents to score an average of 21 points per game.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, covered an average of 218.7 passing yards (75th) and 271.7 rushing yards (16th) per game. The Sooners is also boasting a Top 5 defense by limiting their opponents to score an average of 9 points per game.
Quotes from the Huddle
Sensing that the Sooners might play one-on-one defense on Saturday, the Irish head coach is confident his team will overcome such defensive scheme with the kind of firepower they have on the offensive end.
Kelly will be banking on the prolific tandem of quarterback Tommy Rees and wideout Davaris Daniels, who already recorded 20 receptions for 305 yards this season.
"If (opponents) think that they can prevent us from throwing the ball over their heads, then we may see (man-to-man defense) again. If they don't, they'll play more zone and give us an opportunity to run the football," Kelly told ESPN. "Teams will have to decide how they want to play us. But they know what we're going to do if they play man to man."
Meanwhile, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops will try to use his formidable defense to shutdown Rees' passing options. Moreover, Stoops is already devising a scheme to maximize Blake Bell's ability to rush the ball. Bell, who replaced red-shirt Trevor Knight, went 27 for 37 for 413 yards with 4 TDs in the Sooners' win over Tulsa.
"He's a great competitor. He's been in a lot of critical, important situations, and he's handled them well," Stoops said. "He's not like a true first-time guy out there playing, because for the last few years, he's been in a lot of big games in those kinds of situations where it matters."
Schedule & Live Streaming
NBC Sports coverage of Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame Clash will begin at 3:30 p.m EST Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Live Streaming of the match is available on NBC Live Extra and IBT Sports Streaming Central. Boxscore and live statistics can be found on ESPN NCAA Football.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
