Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 5, 2018

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 5, 2018 39 roared to a 21-3 halftime lead versus Akron — and then was outscored 36-13 in the second half by the Zips while going down to defeat. • In the ensuing game against Michigan, the Wildcats dominated while building a 17-0 halftime lead — and then were outscored 20-0 in the second half by the Wolverines in another heart-wrenching defeat. • Just when you thought such devastating setbacks at home would demoralize the Wildcats — they re- sponded with an impressive 29-19 win at Michigan State. • On Oct. 13, 2-3 Northwestern was on the cusp of losing to 0-5 Ne- braska — and then drove 99 yards in 1:50 to tie the game at 31 with 12 seconds left before winning 34-31 in overtime. • On Oct. 20, the 3-3 Wildcats trailed utterly hapless Rutgers (which had lost 55-14 to Kansas and 42-13 to Buffalo) 15-7 in the second half before rallying to an 18-15 vic- tory in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, Northwestern started 1-3 at home and 3-0 on the road. Which Northwestern team will Notre Dame get? The one that could lose by several touchdowns, or the one that can take the Irish to the wall the way Pitt did? SINGLE DIMENSION On Sept. 24, Northwestern stand- out sophomore running back Jeremy Larkin announced his retirement from football because of a cervical stenosis diagnosis. Larkin was the successor to the school's all-time rushing leader, Jus- tin Jackson, and was the focal point of the ground game while carrying 72 times for 346 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and five touchdowns the first four contests. In the three games following Lar- kin's absence, Northwestern net- ted 68 rushing yards (about 23 per game), with a long gain of 11 yards. In the overtime win at Nebraska, quarterback Clayton Thorson had to throw 64 times. A running game pulse showed up in the 18-15 win over Rutgers Oct. 20, when the Wildcats totaled 128 yards on the ground, highlighted by fresh- man Isaiah Bowser 's 24 carries for 108 yards (long gain of 23) and two touchdowns. Still, entering the Wisconsin game Oct. 27, Northwestern's 78.1 rushing yards per game (2.34 yards per carry) ranked 127th out of 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and nearly 100 yards under its 174.3 figure last season. For the Wildcats' spread principle to excel against a stout Notre Dame defense, they cannot rely strictly on Thorson's passing. How many yards rushing it would need against the Irish is uncertain, but the probability of defeating them strictly via the aer- ial route, especially versus one of the top pass rushing units in the country, would appear to be quite slim. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: NORTHWESTERN Junior wide receiver Bennett Skowronek, who had 29 catches for 337 yards and one touchdown through seven games, and the passing attack have had to carry the Northwestern offense due to a career-endng injury to top running back Jeremy Larkin. PHOTO BY STEPHEN J. CARRERA/NORTHWESTERN ATHLETICS Predictions Corey Bodden: Notre Dame 34, Northwestern 20 With the Irish coming off traveling to California and then going back on the road, this game may be tougher than anticipated, but Northwestern does not have enough on offense to hang for four quarters. Bryan Driskell: Notre Dame 34, Northwestern 17 The lone element that might slow Notre Dame down is the weather. From a matchup standpoint, the Irish speed — an aspect where Northwestern is severely lacking — should carry the day. David McKinney: Notre Dame 42, Northwestern 24 This is another outing that will have the tiresome "trap game" cliché attached to it because of the Wildcats' recent history of overachieving. Notre Dame won't be trapped. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 27, Northwestern 17 Ryan Field might have a pretty active Notre Dame crowd, but the crucial factor here is the Wildcats have been recently bereft of a rushing attack. Beating the Irish solely via the pass is difficult to envision.

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